Hidden in the ulu corner of Serangoon area, I was pretty shocked to see the stretch of Jalan Riang packed on a rainy weekday night, and scarce on parking lots. Possibly more known with Wimbly Lu and The Cajun Kings, Rokeby is hidden right at the end of the stretch.With a pretty appetising menu and an absolutely famished company, we made our orders chop-chop and they all came pretty fast, much to our delight!

Vegemite Glazed Chicken S$11.90/-The smell of this was irresistible with a savory touch and fresh crisp chicken drizzled with thick vegemite. Only upon my first mouthful did I realise that vegemite is the same as marmite, just that this was more on the savory side while marmite has a tinge of sweetness and is slightly stickier. It was a decent one though not the best for sure. I would have preferred my chicken drumlets on the crispy harder side, while this was more of the crispy crumbly type. It also got a bit soggy too fast, probably with the vegemite drizzled on top for too long. The closest I can think of that does chicken with sauces well is probably Four Fingers, with the crispy layer intact!

Truffle Shoestring Fries S$8.90/-This was just an average one with too little truffle oil in my opinion, though my friend who said truffle tastes like petroleum found this to her liking.

My friends who’ve been eating with me have complained that I keep ordering this everywhere I go! I’m still on the lookout for good truffle fries that can hit my top 3 list, so let me know your personal favourite!

Rokeby Chilli Mussels S$19.90/-Served in a pot of spiciness, it comes with sliced bread to complete your meal, just in case the portion might sound too little. Just as its name suggests, it was indeed quite a fiery one and quite numbing that it almost masked the taste of the mussels if you’d dipped in any more of the sauce. I thought it could be a bit fresher for the mussels itself, though it’s still a decent one given how strong the sauce was. Good for the spicy lovers, though we find it just a tad too watery as a dip for the accompanying bread.

Mushroom Aglio Olio S$14.90/-Cooked al dente and thankfully not oil laden like most aglio olios, the pasta was done pretty well. If you’re looking for some shiok spicy-satisfaction, this would be the one for you. Though for us, this was just too spicy that we can’t even taste the mushroom or any others in fact. Our friend enjoyed this though, with the subtle spiciness slowly growing to a shiok one for her!

Prawn Risotto S$18.90/-While the previous two were too spicy, this was just lacking in flavours. Bland even though we’d tried this first, it lacked any resemblance of seafood, until you’ve had a bite of the prawns itself to taste it. Plus, this was overcooked that it tasted more like ‘Mui Fan’ than risotto. Quite a disappointing one for us!

Spaghetti Carbonara S$15.90/-A friendly tip when it was served, you can actually add tabasco if it’s too creamy! I loved the strong bacon taste in it, just that it really was too creamy for our palates. Rich and flavourful, it’s probably a hit if you like strong flavoured dishes. It got a bit jelat for us and adjusting the creaminess certainly wasn’t easy!

The Kangasaurus S$22.90/-This seemed the most exciting from its menu, with Kangaroo meat and cranberry sauce. Sounds pretty much like a Christmas-y dish! Recommended to be done medium rare, it was quite a dish that I was anticipating. Surprised that the kangaroo meat came in slices rather than a patty, it seemed like a pretty small portion initially, only to realise that it’s super filling with the bun and fries!

Well, there was honestly nothing worth raving about kangaroo meat, as it just tasted like your usual beef, just a tad leaner. Cooked to medium rare, it was nicely done, though we found it served too cold that it didn’t seem like it came straight from the grill. The cranberry sauce was a nice complement, with just a tinge of sweetness. I loved the buns though, that were nicely toasted to a crisp outside while the insides remained warm, delish! Though the main highlight was nothing fanciful, the combination was still a decent one.

Flat White S$5/-A pretty coffee art is half the battle won, at least to me. An elaborate one on a flat white, that’s caught my attention! I loved how the flavour was a robust one coming through, and lingered for quite a while. Good enough to feel the kick coming in, though I find it too sour for my liking. While the first few sips were great, the acidity came through a little too strong as it settled. Not the best cup for me, though my friend thought it was a good one for her as she tends to like her coffee with that slight acidity to it.

It's probably a nice spot to hang out after work or over the weekend for some brunch, though I felt that the food was just pedestrian to speak of. I loved the ambience and how it wasn't crowded like most cafes are (or at least when I went on a weekday night), though the location and how hard it is to find parking there might turn some people off.

Please refer to http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/01/sg-rokeby-chill-out-spot-along-jalan.html for review in full.

Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee with Pork Belly (槟城海明海南卤面) - S$6/-

I always thought that lor mee has an acquired taste so you either end up being a huge fan or not quite so. Apparently the broth had been cooked for nine hours before being served to customers and unlike the Singapore's rendition of lor mee, this did not have the typical strong garlic and vinegar taste but rather more of a herbal fragrance. It was not overly viscous and suitable for the mass. Singaporeans who have a palate for our local lor mee might not be used to it but upon secondary serving, the taste and flavours seemed to grow and while I accepted it eventually, I still prefer my lor mee done the Singapore-style.

We went for the more luxurious version with added pork belly! The extra protein however was not as tender soft and had a rather distasteful 'pork' smell which did not go well for me. The clever use of yellow noodles, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts and pork skin (very sedap!) gave a good complementing texture. Overall, the serving was also generous for the price paid.

Due to photo upload restrictions, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/12/sg-robata-robata-average-buffet-meal.html for full review, complete with pictures.

In Japanese cuisine, robatayaki which literally translates to 'fireside-cooking', a cooking technique, similar to barbecue, whereby food are slow-grilled over hot charcoal on skewers. Robatayaki originates from a centuries-old country style of cooking by northern Japanese fishermen around a communal hearth. that serves both as a cooking area and a source of heat, found in Hokkaido.

We were visiting Westgate, the new shopping mall at Jurong East and while all the other restaurants had long queues, we stumbled upon Robata Robata and decided to give it a shot since it was about the only restaurant without a queue on a Friday evening. I was highly conspicuous that the quality of the buffet food might not live up to standard and having requested a walk-around to see the buffet spread, we decided to settle for filling meal.

Payment was taken prior to being shown to your table and the weekend dinner (Fri - Sun) was priced at S$44.90/++ per person, which came to about S$53/- per person inclusive of GST and service charge.

Having been shown to our table, our hungry stomachs decided to get the better of us and we started our buffet rounds!The middle section of the restaurant is the Robata Grill area where customers are able to see the chefs in action. This is the section where the restaurant displays the Robata items but there was a mix of deep-fried food such as onion rings, chicken etc. The salad, sashimi and seafood cornerPizza corner - freshly baked thin-crust pizzas which we felt were the best food in the entire buffet spread.As part of the festive celebrations, there was a corner which offered pasta and some seafood dishes. We felt that they were not the most appetising-looking though.

While I was taking quick snaps of the environment around the restaurant, I was abruptly stopped by the owner (I presumed him to be, or at least the manager) and even after explaining that the photos were for my own personal usage (i.e. for my food blog), he insisted that such promotional efforts should go through the company's marketing department. I did not quite understand the correlation but decided to let it go and enjoy our food. Admittedly, the episode was rather dampening on my mood since he did not quite approach us with the nicest tone.Both the soba and udon were pedestrian tasting to say the least.We also ordered a dish of teppanyaki, whereby one would have the choice of the types of vegetables and sauces to complement. There were also a range of protein choices such as fish and chicken to add to the dish. Do take note your table number as it would be served to your table when the dish is ready.One could also choose to have freshly cooked pasta in addition to the teppanyaki. Quite frankly, I felt that both the pasta and pizza were the highlights of the restaurant.On the sashimi, we felt that the quality was mediocre. Do not expect it to be 'melt-in-your-mouth' type of quality for the seafood and for the crustaceans, each diner was limited to three pieces of oysters per round of serving. Usually a fan of fresh oysters, I did not even finish my first serving. In fact, I stopped short of trying the second piece for the flesh looked limp and lacked the 'puff' look. Taste-wise, I certainly had much better quality oysters elsewhere.

Ordering of the Robatayaki dishes had to be done through giving of pins, with limited issue of one pin per person. Essentially, you exchange one of these pins for your choice of Robatayaki dish of ribeye steak, lamb chop and tiger prawn with mentaiko sauce and at one serving per person.

Robatayaki - Ribeye Steak I opted for the ribeye steak and the lady who took my order (or rather pin) did not even ask how I wanted my steak prepared. I informed her that I wanted my beef served medium rare and unfortunately, as the cut above revealed, it was closer to well-done than anything else. The steak was actually a decent piece of protein but certainly mishandled and should have been cooked better.

Tiger prawn with mentaiko sauceWhile I did not order the lamb chop, we felt that the tiger prawn with mentaiko sauce was the better robatayaki among the two tried. The savoury sauce had a balanced level of sweetness which complemented the natural freshness of the tiger prawn. The only shame was that we were only limited to one prawn per person, at the expense of trying the ribeye steak and the lamb chop.

While the chocolate fountain and the freshly made waffles were the highlight at the desserts corner, it failed to tantalize our taste buds. I even witnessed one of the servers tending the waffle machine (not the two shown in the picture) using his bare hands to arrange the cooked waffles on the plate. Seriously, you do NOT handle food with bare hands and certainly not in front of your customers at a buffet.

The petit fours and brownies were all of mediocre standards and not really worth a shout-out. Ice cream too were passable and nothing impressive.

Overall, while the service was okay, more often than not, they tried to clear our plates before we even finished the food. What I did not enjoy was the 'noisiness' of the restaurant which made it not quite the romantic place to go with your other half. It would probably suit group gatherings or family outings a lot more than a cosy meal. The quality of the food was largely average with the pizzas, pasta and grilled tiger prawn with mentaiko sauce being the most memorable. Despite calling themselves 'Robata Robata', the range of robatayaki was highly limited to just the three mains (ribeye steak, tiger prawn and lamb chop) and a handful of other mains such as the grilled fish out on the buffet deck.

At slightly above S$50 per head, I might look elsewhere if I am in the area again. It was surely not the best buffet I have had but in all fairness, if you are after a filling meal, this would fit the bill neatly.

Salted Caramel Surprise ($5.80)

I was taken by its looks and it’d reminded me of Patisserie G immediately. The caramel finishing certainly wasn’t as smooth as the one we’ve had at Patisserie G, and the flavours of different layers tasted too similar that it got a little dull. I liked that it wasn’t too sweet, though it would have been better if there was a tad of saltiness to give that variance in the flavours for the adventurous taste buds. A personal preference, if only the base was a crumbly one, it would have added that contrast in textures for that complete experience! A pretty ordinary piece that’d tasted more like toffee/plain caramel; this is one that didn’t quite catch us by surprise.

Verdict: 7.0/10Almond Croissant

You know how they say ‘don’t judge a food by its looks’? Well, this certainly lived up to it! Placed in a tray with other pastries covered with a cling wrap, it looked quite flat and unappetising. We were lucky that we’d tried it though! Toasted before serving, we loved the warm crispy top, slightly sweetened just like your usual roti-boy coffee bun crust. The almond cream inside was just as delectable as well, with a balanced fragrance of almond, yet not tasting artificial. I’ve usually avoided almond croissants for fear of that taste, but this has gotten me addicted! A worthy try for sure!
Verdict: 8.0/10Cappuccino ($4)

As I was craving for some lighter coffee, this was quite a decent cup, with just a slight bitter flavour coming through. Loved how they paired it with the sweetness of my favourite old school biscuit though!

Verdict: 7.0/10

Mocha ($5)

Took a sip of it and I found it too bland for my liking. The milk kinda overpowered the coffee flavour and there wasn't much chocolate taste in it too. A tad disappointing for us!

Verdict: 6.0/10

A cosy space with warmth in their service, it's a pretty chillax one for some afternoon high tea. It's still new so relatively empty now for you to enjoy some quiet cafe time while it lasts. We've spotted some taster dessert platter on their Facebook page and checked with their staff, only to realise that they do that only for special events and announced only via Facebook. So do stay tuned if you're looking for some one-time-try-all solution!

Whenever I walked past Smoothie King, the underlying question I have is "What is so special about this smoothie chain and is it worth my calories?" After some hesitation, we finally decided to give it a shot after work while in the vicinity of Marina Bay Link Mall.

We later realised that Smoothie King has an interesting history with its first original nutritional smoothie being created in the late 1960s. Founded by Steve Kuhnau then, his inspiration came from, ironically, his suffering from food allergies and low blood sugar. He started mixing real fruits, various nutrients and proteins in a blender at home to combat his illness and his health improved dramatically as a result. This reinforced his conviction and made him a true believer in health and nutrition and he started his first health store in 1973 and began selling vitamins and smoothies.

Jeju Green Tea Smoothie (205 calories) - S$5.30/-The smoothies were offered in three different sizes (Small, Regular and Large) and prices were S$5.30, S$6.30 and S$7.30 respectively. What we particularly like about their menu is that the calories for each and every drink or food item had its calories counted for the ease and convenience of the health conscious folks. While the drink stated that it packed 205 calories, it is listed for the small size.

On the taste itself, the Jeju Green Tea smoothie was categorised under the 'Refreshing' section which is intended to assist in improving overall health. Originated from the Jeju Island from South Korea, this particularly tender green tea is beautifully blended with traditional green leaves and colourful tropical fruit which gave it dual subtleties of flowers and fruit. Together with green tea powder and turbinado (cane sugar), it tasted rich and creamy without the guilt. My only complaint was that the green tea powder overwhelmed the beautiful fruity flavours of the Jeju green tea.

You know that special effort was placed into each drink and it boils down to the intricate details of replacing white refined sugar with turbinado sugar which is a healthier alternative. It is also lower in calories since it tends to hold more moisture.

Acai Adventure (166 calories) - S$5.50/-

I was particularly attracted by the Acai Adventure which was under the 'Slim & Lite' category which in general are smoothies low in fat and have special ingredients that promote weight loss. The benefits of acai berry are plenty and apart from its capability to boost weight loss, it is more known for its high antioxidant content that help defends the body against life's stressors. As free radicals are harmful by-products produced by the body, eating a diet rich in antioxidants will aid by slowing down one's ageing and disease process by neutralising free radicals which reduces the risk of diseases such as cancer.

While the list of health benefits attributable to acai berry is extensive, this smoothie blended with blueberries and vanilla protein powder was rich but it tasted slightly artificial or rather synthetic for my liking.

P.S: Do note that the size of the smoothies seen in the picture above is a Regular. You could also choose to add extra premium ingredients such as vanilla protein for that extra edge when it comes to muscle-building.

Fresh honey mustard chicken breast wrap (382 calories) - S$5.90/-The wrap was fresh and made to order but it was too soggy and made dining quite a messy affair. While we enjoy a succulent and juicy meal, it might have been too much on this occasion. As expected, the wrap tasted clean and the dressing to go with the salad and chicken breast chunks was light but flavourful.

Spicy chicken breast soft taco wrap (166 calories) - S$5.90/-While this feels like one of the cleanest meals possible and proven by its low calories count, it is debatable if it would be a filling meal. The bits of chicken breast were mediocre and while we enjoyed the spiciness of the chilli sauce, much left to be said about the overall soft taco.

Even on a diet, I found myself struggling to feel full after the taco though having it together with the rich smoothie helps. On the plus side, the waiting staffs were more than willing to share the benefits of each ingredient at length with us and were patient as we took our time to decide our beverages.

Personally, I would return for the smoothies but for the meals, I might find better value elsewhere though I like the fact that the tedious work of counting calories for the meal had been done.