For the full review, click here:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2017/07/jamies-italian-forum.html
Looking for kids friendly dining destination for a group of 18 pax is definitely not an easy task. If you do have this dilemma, you definitely must consider Jamie's Italian at Forum. 

In case you have been living under a rock or somewhere in the jungle of Borneo, Jamie Oliver might sound alien to you. In summary, he is a British Celebrity Chef, author of numerous cook books, plus TV shows, activist who loved Italian Food. Jamie's restaurants always focused on natural and healthy ingredients, with simple cooking method. Jamie's Italian at Forum is the second franchise in Singapore. 

While waiting for the everyone to arrive, LD and I ordered Salumi Crostini ($15). Salumi means different type of salami / Italian cured meat. Crispy bread with buffalo ricotta, crispy salumi and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Crispy, creamy, sweet, with subtle acidity just make a perfect entrée. A good start to tease the palate. 



If you are an olive fan, you might want to try their World's Best Olive ($8.50). Consist of large green olives, with black olives and sun-dried tomatoes tapenade & crispy music bread. I am definitely not a fan of black olive, but I discover green olive is easy to like. Crunchy, refreshing with a touch of delicate sourness almost like a gherkin. 

Since we have a big group, we ordered plenty. Prosciutto & Pear Salad ($25.50). A simple combination of prosciutto and pear, with pecorino, rocket salad, balsamic and toasted pine nuts. It is definitely refreshing, I personally like the combo of salty prosciutto with natural sweetness of the pear. The pecorino, rocket and balsamic just enhanced the flavour in the dish further while the pine nuts give the dish its crunchy texture. 

Gennaro's Italian Sausage Pizza ($27.50). Bianco base (white pizza) with fennel sausage, balsamic onions, black olives and rosemary. Interesting white base pizza, with unique flavour arising from sweet balsamic onions and black olives. The dough is crisp and chewy, like a sour dough. However, I feel it lacked some creaminess from the cheese component. 

Ravioli Con Carne ($26.50). Beef ragu-stuffed pasta with sage brown butter, crispy pancetta, lemon & parmesan. It is a good dish, with al-dente pasta sheets filled with ragu beef. The sage brown butter gave the dish a rich flavour however, it is missing the OMPH factors. It can do with more sprinkle of salt. 

280g Rib-eye Steak ($46) served with grilled portobello mushrooms, gremolata, funky chips and balsamic onions. We asked them to cook to medium rare, however we still find the steak slightly chewy, lacked richness and marbling of ribeye steak. Surprisingly, the grilled portobello was the best ingredients to the dish. Definitely, has lots of room for improvement. 

Lamb Rack ($88). Lamb rack coated with herby breadcrumb served with roasted mixed root vegetables and a yummy red wine sauce. Easily the best dish of the night. Cooked to medium rare, the meat just melts in your mouth. Absent of gamy flavour, the lamb is just to die for.  It is not in the main menu, so you must keep a look out on the special board. A must order dish here. 

Service is friendly, accommodating and professional. The décor of the restaurant is modern, casual with a combination of open concept. The set-up and service are definitely geared towards child-friendly environment, where you and your family can dine freely. The semi open concepts will allow you to see the chefs preparing your food, maybe pique the interest of the young ones in cooking. 

Please note that due to Jamie's focus on healthy eating, you might find the kids meal a bit bland. Feel free to add more seasoning to your child likings (cheese, salt or pepper). 

Overall, An evening in Jamie is definitely an interesting experience. It was packed during the dinner service. The food is simple yet delicious, but don't expect a high-end Italian restaurant version. We'll definitely return for the lamb rack. Cheers!!

For the complete review, follow this link:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2017/06/55-steamboat.html


We were intrigued by the décor of 55 Steamboat during our search for a new steamboat place. As we tried to fit it within a certain budget, we have to exclude those high-end steamboat place. While most steamboat restaurant is decorated in a traditional way, 55 Steamboat décor is catchy with cafe like modern industrial setting. 


Price quoted for weekend dinner is $29.80+, which is reasonable. Though price quoted is for buffet, they apparently still charged for the soup base. The options for the soup base are Tomato Soup, Bone Soup and Hot & Spicy Soup. We decided on Tomato Soup and Bone Soup ($18 for double soup) combination. 

The tomato soup base turns out to be the right pick. It robust, refreshing, filled with the flavour sweet and tanginess of tomatoes. The bone soup looks like it has been boiled over a long period, essence from the bones was extracted into the soup base. Our friends that ordered the Hot & Spicy soup, gave their approval on the level of spiciness in it. 

There are about 50 items you can choose from ranging from meat, poultry, seafood, premium fish balls and vegetables. Check out the picture for the full menu.  The sauces are sesame, chilli paste, mala (oily, numbing & spicy), satay and other regular offerings. 

For the meat range, sliced beef, sliced mutton and sliced pork belly are the must order. They are thinly sliced and cook within a few seconds. Due to the reasonable fat content, the meat is succulent. The sliced lamb has a bit of the gamy taste, similar to those in China style of steamboat. The marinated beef is something that you must order. The cut is slightly thicker but remain tender and tasty without any sauce. 

Another must try here are their balls. The fishball with fish roe, sea urchin balls, and salmon ball with cheese are not only unique but it is addictive as well. We like the fishballs with fish roe as it has the crunchiness in its fillings, while the sea urchin balls tasted like custard fillings. It is sure interesting. 

If you are looking for something more exquisite, there are duck tongues and pig brain. The pig brain is ala carte, priced at $5. For me, the pig brain is more like conquering your Fear Factors experience. Cooked for about 10 to 15 mins, it shrinks to about two third of its raw size. It does not have any foul smell or taste, instead, it is soft and mushy, like bone marrow. Interesting, but not going to order it ever again. 

For veggies and beancurd, I like their frozen bean curd, bean curd skin and fried bean curd. Nothing fancy about them but it just some comforting selections for my steamboat. The price for the drinks is reasonable, so nothing to compare about. 

To cool down the heat after the steamboat, check out their selection of ice creams which is part of the buffet. They have 6 flavours and all tasted good, especially the Thai Milk Tea flavour.

All of the service staff during our visit is mostly young adults. Like students doing it for part time work. Definitely making the environment trendy and more cafe like. 

Dining in 55 Steamboat is like having steamboat in a trendy environment. The food is good and the price is reasonable. We'll definitely come back for more in the future but definitely, won't order the Pig Brain. Check out their Facebook page for their Monthly Promotion. Cheers!!

For the complete review, follow this link:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2017/04/la-barca-ristorante.html


La Barca is a quaint Italian Restaurant located in Goodman Art Centre Campus. This is the second gem that we discovered in the secluded area. The name La Barca came from an Italian word that means a boat, just like the shape of the restaurant. La Barca serves classic Tuscan fare with a modern twist, focusing on the fresh ingredients and stylish presentation.  

Their entrée of Parma Ham and Burrata is a must try (Il Prosciutto Di Parma, Burrata Di Andria, Pomodori E Basilico - $40). The price might look stiff at first, but the portion does not disappoint. It is huge and enough for 4 pax. Thinly shaved saltish and delicate Parma ham combine soft, creamy and bouncy organic burrata cheese sure fire up our appetite and looking forward to the next dish. 



Pizza lovers will be satisfied as well. Though their offering is not extensive, they are generally very good. The dough of the pizza is crisp on the exterior while slightly chewy in the interior. The toppings are generous. We tried Fungi Freschi Misti pizza ($22) and seafood pizza (Pizza Con Pesce Fresco Senza Mozzarella - $24). The toppings filled the pizza to the max, where the pizza still have its crisp texture and does not go soggy. The seafood toppings included ocean fresh fish, squid, cuttlefish, prawns, octopus, mussels, clams definitely showcase the goodness from the sea. 



I Tortelli Di Pecorino Con Fonduta Di Parmigiano E Tartufo Di Stagione ($42) is Chef Michele's award-winning pasta. Rich and creamy cheese tortelli, topped with pecorino cheese plus a seasonal truffle. Yum Yum. We just hope the portion can be adjusted. If you have this dish as part of your 5-course meal, I say the portion is just nice. But for small family / communal dining, it will be good to increase the portion by about 25% so everyone can get a decent bite. 

Since La Barca is a Tuscan restaurant, the traditional Fiorentina steak is a must try. Australian Angus Beef, marbling score 3 ($18 per 100 gram). Minimum order for the steak is about 800 gram, so it is definitely made for sharing. 

The service staff will show us the steak after it comes off the grill. It is then brought to the kitchen to be cut. Both time we tried the steak, it was cooked just slightly before it reaches medium rare. It is meaty, juicy and succulent. The wedges and cannelli beans is a good companion for the meal. You can order other side dishes like mash potatoes, sauteed Italian spinach, shoe-string fries, etc. In case the steak is underdone for you, you can ask the service staff for the hot-stone and you can grill it a bit more on the table. 

For the sweet ending, our picks are Tiramisu Tradizionale La Barca ($14) and Strudel Di Mele Banane Alla Cannella Con Salsa Di Vaniglia ($14). The tiramisu is without alcohol and cream. Using eggs as the base ingredients, It is smooth, creamy and packs a solid coffee punch. The presentation looks a bit like someone spilled a spoonful of milo on the desserts, however, it is a must try dessert. 

The strudel has an attractive texture of crispy exterior and moist interior. The fillings of organic apple and banana are wrapped in pastry sheets, then deep fried. The use of vanilla cream instead of ice cream actually a good choice here, so the strudel maintain its crispy texture. The berries provide a good balance to this sweet dish. 

The restaurant is spacious. The seats are well spread out and enough distance between tables to retain the privacy between diners. The main dining area will be indoor, but you can also seat outside for drinks and chill out. There is indoor and outdoor playing area for family coming with children. So it is a good place for families to meet up. Service is efficient, friendly and professional. 


Overall, the food at La Barca is definitely something to look forward to. It is a place where you can get great Tuscan food, suitable for formal dining or family dining out. Price is on the high side, however, you will be getting what you paid for. Ciao!! Cheers!!

For the complete review, follow the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2017/04/goki-day-korean-bbq.html


Goki Day is an Authentic Korean BBQ restaurant located near Teck Chye Terrace near the Serangoon Heartland. A well-known food enclaved to the foodies. We have visited Goki Day multiple times and see their transformation first hand especially when they change their grill plate from sliding down type to rectangular type, to jumbo type and now to the round type.

Why we said Goki Day is Authentic because it is run by a Korean family from the start. This all-you-can eat restaurant offered the Korean BBQ with Korean steamboat together. So you can please everyone who dines there. It also served ready cooked items while you are waiting for the meat to be cooked. Our favourite here is the thick pork belly. Normally known as 5mm cut, it always delivers the porkgasm that you are looking for in BBQ pork. In the current round grill, you can fit only 3 pcs, but it has the most consistent fire that produces quality bbq pork belly at the end. It has a crisp exterior, follow with fatty and melts in your mouth pork belly. Yum Yum.




There are different choice pork cuts with marinate such as spicy pork, pork bulgogi, pork belly thin cut, bacon, spicy marinated pork belly and most recently pork jowl. Feel free to choose what you like however, we always go back to the thick cut all the time.

For the beef selection, the marinated beef ribs are LD's favourite. It is well seasoned with Korean sweet marinate, tender and meaty. Some part of the beef can be tender, while the rest might need more chewing time.

I personally like the Korean Beef Brisket cut. This cut here is very thin (like sukiyaki thin) and has a good portion fats in it. You can either bbq it or put in the steamboat. I normally have a plateful of these for myself.
There are two types of soup base for steamboat, the non-spicy seaweed soup and the spicy army stew like soup base. For the seaweed, it is on the salty side, so I suggest you dilute it with some water. If you like the spicy kimchi, basically you have the ingredients to create your own army stew here.

Side dishes here is limited and self-service. The kimchi is extremely good according to LD, well-fermented with a crunch and a good dose of red pepper and sourness, and LD loves it so much that she always buy 1 kg to bring home for her Korean instant noodles. I preferred their pickled radish to balance the fattiness in my BBQ.

Other ingredients for BBQ or steamboat includes cuttlefish, octopus(when available), sausages, a variety of mushrooms, chicken, cheese meatball, a variety of vegetables, fresh lettuce to wrap the meal, garlic, onion, fresh cut chilli, eggs and instant noodle. Ice cream, porridge, rice and water are part of the buffet as well.

The recent revamp also introduce some items that are cooked to order. Those items are: Vegetable pancake, Japchae (Glass Noodle), Topokki (Rice Cake), Gimbap (Korean Sushi), Fried Chicken, Kimchi Pancake, Salad and Steam Egg. The service staff will show you this menu when you are seated.

Service is friendly and efficient. The interaction is at the minimum because of the buffet concept, but you can get their attention easily. They will also replace the BBQ plate frequently during your BBQ session. The decor is simple and minimum. As it is a Korean BBQ place, expect to come out of the restaurant smelling like the food you ate.

If you want to have a Korean BBQ at home, you can actually buy the ingredients from the restaurant.  We can tell you the price is very reasonable.

Overall, Goki Day Korean BBQ Buffet is an authentic fuss free Korean BBQ. Although the selection is not extensive, the quality of the ingredients provided is very good. Definitely a place worth to visit if you need a quick fix for your Korean BBQ cravings. Geonbae !! Cheers!!

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/06/alkaff-mansion-italian-gourmet-buffet.htmlIntroducing the Monthly Italian Gourmet Buffet in Alkaff Mansion. This buffet will showcase the popular dishes from Sunday Prosecco Brunch, as well as the scrumptious Italian Grigliata Grill plus bar at Alkaff Mansion Ristorante. The Italian Gourmet Buffet dinner is available only on the third Thursday of the month, unless announced otherwise through social media. The highlights of The Great Italian Gourmet Buffet are:

Coffin Bay Oysters. This South Australian Oysters are fresh and plum. I like my oysters simple, with a touch of lemon. You can taste the simple freshness of the oyster when it glides down your throat. A good start to the buffet. Carpaccio. There are a few selection of carpaccio in the antipasti, such as Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, Tuna Carpaccio with Orange & Black Olives, and Octopus Carpaccio with Orange & Balsamic Reduction. Our pick is the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, not commonly available, where the thinly sliced beef just melts in your mouth with the tangy dressing. Yum Yum. Mozzarella Cheese. The perennial favourite dish Mozzarella Cheese with Tomato & Basil. We just can't say no to it. The soft texture of the cheese, sliced sweet tomatoes and aroma of the basil definitely our pick for cheese salad combo any day. Pizza. A must try here. No matter what toppings they put on it, the combination of thin crust, marinara sauce and generous mozzarella cheese just made it delizioso. Lamb Rack. The Lamb Rack with Sardinian Vermentino, The lamb was tender and succulent, as it was marinated with Italian white wine. The balance of the fats and meat is just spot on. Though the 36-hour marinated Beef Striploin is good, but it just can't beat the lamb. We are guilty of finishing about one rack of lamb here. Grilled Sardinian Octopus. To be exact grilled Sardinian octopus leg. Not the first time that we tried this in Alkaff Mansion, but not the one to be miss. Slightly hard to chew on this time around, but still give a pleasant taste. Desserts. The chocolate desserts are ... Chocolategasm!!! There is a special chocolate cake, which basically infused with chilli. Yup Cake with chilli. The people here just love their chilli surprise, just like the chilli mix in the cocktail, named Alkaff Potion. (Please note that some of the chocolate cake contain coffee, if you are allergic to coffee like LD, you might have to check on the content in the dish dessert). LD's favourite is the chocolate profiteroles. This bit size desserts is just so irresistible, you just pop it in your mouth one at a time. Yum Yum. Overall, it was definitely a pleasant experience to be back in Alkaff Mansion. The food definitely top notch and so does the service. So check out the details below, as well as the menu for the buffet. Ciao!! Cheers!! Thank you very much Alkaff Mansion Ristorante and H3(Cube) for the tasting invitation.

Italian Gourmet Buffet (Third Thursday of the month – unless stated otherwise)
Time: 18.00 – 22.00
$98++ per adult
$48++ per child (Ages 5 to 12)*