(+) Evenly deep-fried, which explains the very crispy pastry shell crust.
(+) Generous rich serving of thick curry with chicken, diced potatoes and portioned hard-boiled egg.
(+) Flavoursome ingredients and curry was well seasoned and thick enough not to ooze out at bite-point and create a mess.

(-) Not recommended for foodies who enjoy fluffy and soft curry puffs.
(-) The pastry shell of the curry puff was not exactly aesthetic.
(-) Vendor was wheeling in cans of sardine in tomato sauce for their preparation.
(-) Burns your tongue if you are not careful!

Verdict: 6.5/10

Located in one of the quiet corners at the ground floor level of Sunshine Plaza, this hidden find was nestled among a few other small restaurants. With newspaper clippings plastered all over their glass shopfront, it seemingly gave an assurance that their dim sum were good or way commercialized.

Dim Sum which was usually associated with yum cha (drinking of tea) originated in the days of the Silk Road. Drinking of tea was thought to aid in digestion for the meals and was henceforth introduced to complement dim sum. Enjoyed typically as a morning-after-exercise meal for the elderly, our families however only dined on it on our weekend family day.

The high amount of saturated fat and sodium in most dim sum dishes suggested it being a snack or tea-time meal. Meant to touch the heart in the form of a light treat and not a hearty meal, the conventions of modern dining however spelt a whole new experience. It was our first time in having dim sum for dinner and being a planned trip down to Victor's Kitchen, we were really looking forward!

Seated at a corner perusing the simple menu, posters such as Great Buns and strikingly yellow. Must definitely drew our attention to their famous Liu Sha Bau, i.e. salted egg custard bun. Let us find out if Victor's Kitchen has the perfect ooze factor indeed!(+) Enjoyed the slightly sweet initial taste accompanied by a salty aftertaste.

(+) Molten state of the filling was slightly gritty and offered a varied mouthfeel

(+) Fluffy, soft plain bun helped highlight the thick rich filling.

(-) Took some effort to juggle the molten custard in the bun to prevent it from spilling.

(-) Was good, but definitely not as good as acclaimed and described.

(-) The poster showed it was cheapest at S$3.50, guess not anymore.

I have always thought that a dim sum chef should be assessed on 3 simple yet intricate dishes, namely har gao, siew mai and lo bak go. Classically the must-haves when one dines for dim sum, we certainly could not do without!(-) The prawns inside were neither crunchy nor soft, wasn't sure what was the intended taste supposed to be.

(-) The dumplings were not well wrapped, one of it had the skin burst open.

(-) The skin of the dumpling was soft and thin but too sticky, leaving remnants at the teeth.(+) Soft and juicy siew mai but really nothing too spectacular to rave about.

(-) Largely disappointed as it was nowhere close to the Queen Size stated in the menu.

(-) Considering this was one of their signature dishes, I was expecting more.

(-) Minimal amount of fish roe on the top surface.(+) Good mix of flavours, giving a very tasty spoonful for it was so soft.

(+) The XO sauce kicked in after a while and could feel the warmness growing in the body.

(-) It was so soft that it was mashy, which was not quite what we expected.

(-) XO sauce was barely evident in taste, tasted more like mere soy sauce.

(-) Did not taste any scallops in the carrot cake too.(-) Recommended as a signature, this was a complete disappointment.

(-) Rice was not fragrant enough and relatively hard.

(-) Only 1 piece of Chinese sausage was found, as big as a section of your finger.

(-) Broken, loose and pathetic amount of chicken pieces, it was mostly rice.(+) I enjoyed the slightly varied texture in the cheong fun, with a light crisp surface.

(-) However, the inside of the cheong fun was not soft enough.

(-) Failed to bring out the much desired contrast in texture and mouthfeel.

(-) Sadly, not the authentic H.K style, especially the sauces.

(-) Lack of chili and peanut sauces for the real authentic deal.(+) Could hardly go wrong with their fried dishes.

(+) Freshly fried only upon ordered, it was very crispy indeed.

(-) It was a bit too much on the greasy side for me.(+) Like above, it was only freshly fried upon order, very crispy.

(+) Crunchy shrimps inside offered a very delectable bite to the crispy skin.

(-) Once again, too oily for my personal preference.

(-) Tasted some of the flour, maybe the skin was too thick or uneven mixture?

(-) We were served vinegar as accompanying condiments instead of mayonnaise, though was replaced after we requested.

In the mood for a cha chang teng H.K dining experience, we opted for the traditional drinks typically offered.(+) Unique way to maintain the coolness of the tea without diluting it.

(-) The milk tea was not fragrant, rich nor smooth enough.

(-) Tasted like 'milk-milk tea'.

(-) Certainly overpriced for the quality served.

100% H.K. Style Hot Ying Yang (Coffee mixed with Tea)

(+) Tasted rich and fragrant and not overly sweet.

(+) Adjusted to my liking for I told them not to add any sugar.(+) Refreshing and zesty punch to wash down the greasy food.

(+) The fresh lemon slices enhanced the tangy flavour to the drink.When it comes to dim sum, we have an exceptionally high standard for it is one of our favourite dining options. That being said, we were rather disappointed with our visit to Victor's Kitchen. The lack of typical must haves such as egg tarts and char siew sou aside, most of their signature dishes failed to deliver to our expectations apart from their liu sha bau and their fried dishes (which are generally safe options for dim sum anyway). Also, the lack of chili sauce was quite a taboo by my books. The only one available was a watery sweet chili sauce which definitely did not go down well with the dishes for me. The menu had a tagline which read: We serve the best foods, but not fast foods. I would attest to their latter half of the sentence, but as for the former, I shall leave it to one's discretion.

P.S: No service charge and GST were levied on the prices and this was highly commendable in today's dining in Singapore. Definitely value for money, which explained the brisk business, but it was a rainy day and we went early at about 6.30pm so getting a table was easy.

A street photography outing in the vicinity of Bugis brought us to lunch at QQ Noodle House. Well, the air-condition was the prime reason but more importantly, it offered a quiet resting area away from the buzz of Bugis Village and Junction...talk about claustrophobia acting up.Wu Xiang or more commonly known as Ngo Hiang originated from Teochew, Hokkien cuisines. Consisting of minced pork, prawn shaped in a sausage-esque roll and seasoned with five-spice powder, it is rolled inside a beancurd skin and deep fried to the state in the appended photograph. It is usually served with a sweet sauce (think of thai sweet-chili) and/or chili sauce.

(+) Very crispy on the surface due to the thin layer of beancurd skin, fried to golden brown.
(+) Minced meat was very soft but not mashy and complemented the crispy skin very well.
(+) Amount of minced meat was very generous and snugly packed within the beancurd skin.
(+) Particularly enjoyed the crunchiness from the bits of water chestnut in the minced meat.
(+) Valued for money for the quality and portion size.(+) Noodles were very bouncy and definitely lived up to its 'QQ' name.
(+) Perfectly cooked to al dente, which contributed to the 'QQ-ness' of noodles.

(-) Pale looking dish presented in an unappetizing manner.
(-) Only 1 fishball, 1 meatball, few slices of char siew, 2 wantons with minimal minced meat.
(-) Though soft in texture, fishball was the yielding, inelastic sort and not-bouncy.
(-) Meatball tasted like those frozen ones bought from supermarkets.
(-) Char Siew was very dry, tasteless and did not seem like it was roasted.
(-) The wantons had almost no fillings and were mere dumpling skin.
(-) The soup was MSG loaded, and the noodles seemed MSG infused too.
(-) Dry aftertaste when we left and was very thirsty for water.(-) Noodles were slightly hard.
(-) Taste-wise, similar to your local Char Kway Teow, without the flat noodles.
(-) Very mediocre despite being a featured dish.

It was not a terrible plate of noodles but it was not good either.Prices reflected on the menu were nett and there was no GST nor service charge being levied on the bill which was a plus.

Service: When we were outside the restaurant browsing the menu, a very passionate waitress came out and attended to us and tried to recommend their signature dishes to us. It was definitely good customer service. When we wanted a table with cushion seats and backrest (but it had not been cleaned up yet), she cleaned it promptly and kept apologizing.

Ordering of food had to be done via filling in a simple form indicating the item no. and quantity and tendered to the cashier on your own. When ready, food would be served to your table.

The chili and soy sauce counter was located in the middle of the restaurant and diners are expected to scoop your own. This was acceptable as no service charge was levied. A minus though when I wanted some green chilis and container was empty. One of the waitress took the tub away and merely commented to me, 'No more already...' Well I was really expecting her to bring out some fresh chilis, but I could live with that.The Bugis district is generally popular with teenagers and crowded with shoppers and commuters alike. If you are looking for a resting corner amidst the busy area, then this simply decorated noodle house might be a good option. Some hits and misses with the dishes like any restaurant, but the abundance in MSG might keep me away for some time yet.

After experiencing the popular culture of pub food overseas, I was surprised to find that Singapore actually has quite a number of pubs open in the day too! Missing the flavour of British pubs after coming back, I agreed almost immediately when my friend got me to visit for pub lunch near her work place.

It certainly wasn't as crowded as it would have been overseas, where it's usually about 70% occupied and you see people drinking beer early at like 10am. Visiting at about 12.30pm, we almost had the entire place to ourselves and had the full attention of their service staff.A generous serving of prawns with flavourful cream soup! I liked the soup alot as it had a distinctive flavour to it, a result of mixing many condiments together. It had a strong seafood taste to it, rich and just slightly creamy such that it wasn't too overwhelming (or 'jelat'). It went very well with the sourdough bread slices, just like how fried buns and chilli crabs usually go together. Soaking the bread into the soup and allowing the rich flavours to slowly coat your tongue, it was a simple yet contented feeling. One thing I didn't like though, was the type of prawns used. It had an extra crunch to it like most processed prawns, or some call it 玻璃虾. It lacked the natural sweetness of prawns, which would have been the perfect complement of the dish.My favourite part of this dish wasn't the pasty, but the mashed potato instead! Well-beaten and having a very smooth texture to it, it had a slight twist to it. Mashed with parmesan, it had a slight flavour of its own and was good to eat even without the gravy. As for the pasty, I thought the crust of the pastry was abit too thick and you could taste very little of the beef fillings inside. The outer layer of the crust made up for it slightly, with its golden oven toasted skin that gave an extra crunch to it. Having tried the slightly more authentic cornish pasty, I thought this didn't live up to standards and it felt more like an ordinary chicken pie (switched to beef fillings) that you can buy off Polar stores.I didn't try this, but they said that it was quite good with the pepper sauce. Not worth $26 for sure though, but it's a different story if you get it at half price.

I felt that all these were very much overpriced and the taste of the food wasn't worth that much either. However, we had a one-for-one offer for all of these and it made the experience slightly more justified. For those who would like to try, don't miss the Citibank one-for-one promotion on all lunch mains, from Monday to Friday!

The hunt for a sanctuary to retreat from the hustle and bustle of urban city life brought us to the quiet corner of Arteastiq tucked away at the top floor of Mandarin Gallery. We found the name particularly intriguing where essentially it meant 'the art of teasing' or 'the art of tea that makes you tick'. This boutique tea house serves an interesting array of special, alcoholic, fruit tea sets and desserts in a luxurious relaxing setting lined with designer furniture and it certainly won our hearts over with this innovative concept almost immediately upon setting foot.

Spoilt for choice when browsing through the menu, we decided to go for their signatures and while our orders were being processed, the camera started snapping away!

Captain Buntan - Pomelo Tea with Yuzu Gelato (S$12/+)The pomelo tea was very refreshing and offered a perfect lift for the lazy afternoon. While we struggled to taste the elements of pomelo in the drink, we favoured the tang from the citric yuzu slices. The gelato was quick to immerse itself into the tea and enjoyed on its own, it was creamy rich in a good sense but seemed to lack a strong refreshing burst of the sweet citrus flavours and tasted more like a good rendition of vanilla ice cream. We felt that the tea with saccharine yuzu slices was too sweet for our palate though it helped that a separate glass of iced water washed it down a little. However it was the exact immense flavours from the yuzu slices that carried its beautiful influence on the gelato. We allowed some of the gelato to melt in the cold tea and surprisingly we got ourselves a new concoction, yuzu milky tea! Like any classic afternoon tea set, this came complete with 2 slices of biscotti. These oblong-shaped almond biscuits were made dry and crunchy and complemented the cold beverage well with an added texture to the submerged gelato! Overall, it was a good combination but the elements standalone might not quite find a footing in our must-try list.

The Flying Carpet - Two scoops of premium gelato with Arteastiq probiotic crispy prata (S$12.9+)We chose the two recommended gelato from the list and they were pear tea and Cointreau bitter chocolate. We thought that the name to the dessert was really innovative, especially with the 'Aladdin-like' saucers which had dried cranberries and cocoa powder to sprinkle over the gelato and prata. The pear tea gelato was rich and had an immensely refreshing burst which contrasted well with the bitter chocolate counterpart. While it tasted revitalizing, we felt that the balance in flavours was tipped towards fruity floral tea so if you were expecting a solid punch of fresh pear fruit taste like I did, you might be poised for disappointment.

I was also expecting a good kick from the orange flavoured liqeur in the chocolate gelato but even with repeated servings, we failed to taste the alcohol. It was a good rich chocolate gelato but it was not really dark nor bitter. That being said, the extra serving of cocoa powder when sprinkled atop the chocolate gelato did make a positive difference, giving an added layer of texture and bitterness. I was actually looking forward to trying this interesting fusion mix between Indian cuisine and western desserts, but regrettably the prata was not crispy enough. It tasted dense with flour, thick and pretty much tasted like frozen pre-mades that got pan-fried prior to serving. Definitely look elsewhere if you are in search for freshly made prata. Overall, I liked the creative combination of infusing Asian culinary elements into desserts and admittedly, it was my first time trying prata without the familiar curry sauces and sugar! If the respective elements to this dessert could be improved upon, then I am sure it would be a winner.The various cocktails and fruit teas were prepared at this fully exposed part of the 'bar' or 'kitchen' depending on your definition, but we certainly enjoyed watching our beverages prepared before us! The gentleman in the above picture was very polite and attentive to our requests even though he was not part of the waiting staffs. He greeted us enthusiastically upon arrival and even thanked us for our patronage upon leaving. It took a while for our desserts to be served so it would help if you visited with a laid back attitude like we did, then you would enjoy the whole cosy chilled ambiance a whole lot better!In addition to providing an unique dining experience, there were social events tied up with art events held at the adjacent art gallery. Looking for a bonding session with your partner, this could be your next activity here to get some art juices flowing!While the desserts were not exceptional in their class, we enjoyed the getaway from the busy hustle of Orchard Road, tucking away to reading some of the provided magazines, a little chit chat over some nice fruity, floral teas. Apparently they have a beautiful Adam & Eve cakes, which are their famous apple and orange cakes respectively. I would recommend this place as a resting haven for the tired shoppers to get a good pick up from the refreshing cocktails and beverages!