It has been a while since I noticed Arbite, located in Serangoon Garden-a place that I visit at least twice a week either for food or banking matters. To be exact, it is located on the second floor of Guardian pharmacy, beside Sushi Tei. Recently posting of positive food review online, make me decide to visit this bistro. This review is based on our observations (Little Devil and Chubby Botak Koala) from a few visits there.

Some simple facts about Arbite, “It all began with a simple belief shared by three secondary school buddies, that good food should be affordable and accessible. And so good food is at the heart of it all because the best reward for an honest day's work is a hearty meal.” (Quoted from Arbite.com.sg)

Our first visit was for a quick brunch during our wedding anniversary. We had Foie Gras ($14.90), Gardener French Toast ($13.90) and Squid Ink Seafood Spaghettini ($24.90). When the Spaghettini arrived, it looks so appetizing. The giant-size seafood cover the top part of the plates. The squid ink pasta was handmade, cooked to al dente, springy and soak up the fresh seafood flavour with tomato base. This dish get our two thumbs up, super Yummyyy!! And we were saying to ourself, we need to come back more often. Gardener French Toast & Foie Gras, shared a same basic ingredient, Brioche. The brioche has the perfect texture to pair with both dishes. For the French Toast, it is lightly coated with eggs and you can choose your dips of chocolate pot de crème, vanilla bean cream, berry compote and maple syrup. We like the cream berry compote and maple syrup. However the chocolate has a dense texture similar to nutella, I will like this dip if it is on melted chocolate form but LD being a nutella fan, simply loves the texture. The Foie Gras is pan fried to perfection, slightly crispy but melts in your mouth. It is a wonderful dish, although the generous apple & raisin compote can be a little to sweet for some people. Our Second visit was for a quick desserts. Specials for the day. Sago Watermelon Creme Brulee ($8) and Chendol Panacotta ($8). These are the interpretations of modern desserts with Asian flavour. The brulee has a nice layer of crusted sugar on the top, the combination of sago, watermelon and crème, created a nice balance with the right sweetness and texture in this desserts. Chendol Panacotta is a creative invention, but a little more difficult to palate. The panacotta is thick and has a good sweetness level in it. Texture is slightly condense but did not manage to hold the red bean and chendol in place. We have slight problem in accepting chendol flavour with cream and orange syrup, however have to give them brownie points for coming out with this desserts.Third visit, Truffle Fries (S12.90), Pancakes ($14.90); and soup, salad, Braised Beef and Pork and Veal Sausage ($30 – UOB 1 for 1 promo). Truffle fries is house fries tossed with truffle sea salt, truffle oil and serve with truffle dip. The fries are nicely fried, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The truffle oil is fragrant but subtle, while the truffle dip accentuate the flavour in the fries. For the pancakes, the presentation is amazing however the sweetness is a little overwhelming. Although the pancake is fluffy, the caramelised banana actually make the texture quite dense and hard to swallow. For UOB 1 for 1 promo, it come with mushroom soup is thick and flavourful. The salad with vinaigrette dressing, is simple yet refreshing. The braised beef is tender and well cook. Paired with their popular brioche to soak up the gravy from the beef is a nice comfort food. Meanwhile, Pork and Veal sausages dish quite disappointing. The pepper in the pork is to overpowering, the veal sausages are dry and the additional ingredients in the mash potatoes made it taste weird.

So far, we find the ice lemon tea ($4) and ice passion fruit tea ($5) are quite refreshing. Service has always been good. The service staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Decoration is simple. The wall on the staircase are decorated with lego bricks. The dining area is open and filled with natural lights during the day.

Overall, Arbite provide a good quality food using fresh ingredients. They refresh their menu quite regularly. For example, the squid ink pasta was off the menu on our recent visit, and replace with a Tagliatelle with prawns. However, based on the dishes served, we can be sure it will be top notch. Looking forward to our next visit there. Cheers!!

For the more photos and complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience at Arbite, click / copy the following link to your browser: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2013/08/arbite-fresh-simple-and-creative.html

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2017/07/cafe-de-hong-kong-singapore.html
Cafe De Hong Kong ('CDHK') is a hidden restaurant along Balestier Road in Singapore that served Hong Kong style Ci Zhar. The cuisine here represent the items that you can find in any typical restaurants in Hong Kong. In case you are thinking of Xin Wang or other HongKong cafe, they served different types of food. 

LD and I have patronised CDHK regularly and it has become our must go-to restaurant if we are looking for comfort food. It is those dishes that we had in Melbourne during our uni days. 

Soup is basically a must have for Cantonese and Hong Kong cuisine. In CDHK you should not miss out on their double-boiled soup of the day. Our last visit here, we had their Winter Melon Soup ($35). A good portion good for 6 to 8 pax. The soup is double boiled inside the winter melon. The broth is sweet and robust, good to warm up your stomach. They also have a smaller portion, just check with the service staff. 


Roasted Chicken ($34) is one of the signature dishes here. It is tender, succulent and the best part is the skin. It is paper thin and crisp. Absolutely delicious. To save on cooking time, you might want to order this during reservation. 

If you prefer something more traditional, order the Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish and Tofu ($18 for Large). This dish is not on the menu however you can place the order with the boss, Francis. The combination of salted fish and au jus of the chicken will whet your appetite, while the tofu just absorbs the flavour nicely. A good dish to go with rice. 

Lamb Brisket in Claypot ($26) is a dish that Hongkongers normally consume during winter time. We were surprised when we saw it on the menu here. We have been coming back for this ever since.   The lamb briskets are stewed over long period with ginger, star anise, cinnamons stick, fermented beancurd and beancurd stick. The seasoning not only infused flavour to the lamb brisket, it also helps to neutralise any gamy flavour. After a few hours of stewing, the meat just falls off the bone. The beancurd stick absorbs the robust gravy, while the water chestnuts will add a crunchy texture to the dish. Yum Yum. 


Their shells dishes such as clams and lala can be found on their black board menu. We had La La Beehoon ($10.50) this time around. The bee hoon did well to absorb the sweetness and freshness from the La La. More of a subtle dish. 

For something spicier, try their Stir Fried La La ($12 for small). This version packs more punch as it is cooked with chilli. Not only the flesh is fresh, the gravy will make you suck the shell clean. 

Recently we tried their Typhoon Shelter Crab ($130, $65 per kg). For crab dishes, you will need to book in advanced. It is a dish that you will normally find in most of the restaurants in Hong Kong. This dish is very aromatic as the crabs are deep fried with garlic, scallion, red chilli and black bean. Showcasing the skill of the chef, the deep fried crab has a crisp exterior while the flesh retains their juiciness. As they use female crabs for this dish, the crab roe absorbs the aromatic flavour more than the meat of the crab. It was an appetising dish and a must try. Please note you must order this dish during reservation, as CDHK must order the crab in advanced. 


Not to be missed here is CDHK Fish Roe Fried Rice ($20 for Large). It has a nice wok hei, topped with evenly mixed fish roe that gives this fried rice the umami flavours and the crunchy texture in each bite. Our friend's kids love it so much we ever order 2 large portions to go with their Deep Fried Luncheon Meat Chip ($8) and Seasoned Porkchop ($16.50).

For dessert, save some space for their French Toast ($6.30). A deep fried thick toast with peanut butter spread. Finished off with maple syrup and a slab of butter. The combination of crisp exterior and soft pillowy interior made it a perfect dessert after a heavy meal. Or you can have it for high tea as well. Each order of the French Toast comes with a drink, we recommend their HK Milk tea which tasted like the one you find in HK. I have to admit, it is one of the best Hong Kong French Toast you can find in Singapore. 

The décor of the CDHK is simple and no fuss. It is an air conditioned restaurant. Although there are seats outside, I hardly see people seating outdoor for their meal. Service efficient like a family restaurant. 

Overall, Cafe De Hong Kong is here to bring your traditional Hong Kong cuisine. The food is delicious and comforting, but don't expect five-star restaurant standard. Definitely, a must try place if you are looking for Authentic Hong Kong Cuisine. 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/2016/05/cafe-melba.htmlThe name Melba is inspired from the blend of Melbourne and Asia cuisine. Located in Goodman Arts Centre, Café Melba offer a unique dining experience. It is a family friendly cafe hidden in the tranquil garden of Goodman Arts Centre, with indoor and outdoor dining area plus plenty of space in the yard and designated children playing area for the little one to run around. The food on offer definitely reminds LD and I of the time we were back in Melbourne. Such as Crayfish Pasta ($27). This simple looking spaghetti are infused with crustacean broth. The pasta is al-dente, robust, and well complement the fresh crayfish. The rocket salad add a slight bitterness to the dish, however it is definitely a pasta dish that you don't want to miss. During the weekend, they have a special Weekend Roast on the menu that rotate weekly. On the day, it was Roast Pork ($30). The roast pork was on display in the kitchen passing area. It was just so inviting, we decided to order one. Three beautifully roasted cut pork saddle, served with Yorkshire pudding, roasted vegetables and apple sauce. The meat is tender, succulent with a nice balance between meat and fats. The cracking is crispy with a bit chewiness, typical in western style roast pork. For a good measure, they also include a few crispy pork rind. The yorkshire pudding is about the size of your fist, eggy and definitely goes well with your pork and roast vegetables. The apple sauce is infused with vinaigrette to balance the fattiness in the dish. The only thing missing here is the au jus or gravy, something for the yorkshire pudding to hold on. Ticking off one of the must try food list, I ordered Reuben Sandwich ($24). A thick solid slices of corned beef, topped with sauerkraut, melted cheese and Russian dressing in between rye bread. The portion of the sauerkraut is the same as the portion of the meat. On my first bite, the sourness really hits me, follow with tanginess. Though the sliced corned beef is tender, I just feel sourness in every bite onwards. I was not what I expected. If I ever order this again, I will definitely ask them to cut down on the sauerkraut portion or serve it on the side. We also drop by during one of the weekday and I had the Roast Chicken. A perfectly roasted spring chicken, with a nice paper crispy skin. The meat on the breast is moist and the same can be said on the thigh and drumstick. The au jus really boast the flavour of the chicken. End result, I clean up my plate and left with just the clean bones, my homage to a perfectly cooked roast chicken. However, during the weekday visit, we also notice the inconsistency in standard of cooking. The steak on that day was done pretty ordinary. Though it has the grill mark, it did not seal the juice in the steak. LD was disappointed with the steak on the weekday. Moving on to desserts, Chocolate lava cake ($14) is a must try. Had this on both of our visit. Solid chocolate flavour on the cake and on the ozzing thick chocolate fillings. On the side was chocolate crumbs, berries and crumbs, provided a contrasting crunchy texture and nice topping for the berries sorbet. Granny's Apple Crumble ($12) is also a good pick for dessert. The apples is chopped to mini cubes, well coated with sugar and baked to soft yet remain crunchy. The crumbles was slightly chewy, while the vanilla ice cream provide a nice finishing to the desserts. Of course an Aussie cafe will not be completed with Lemon Lime Bitters ($8). A little bit overpriced, but definitely worth the money. The mix of Angostura bitters, lemonade and lime cordial was spot on. If you want something more healthy, try their Mango Smoothie ($9), fresh, thick and creamy. The décor in Café Melba is bright, airy, with see through glass windows and doors surrounding the restaurant. There is a flow between the indoor and outdoor dining area is very seamless. For indoor dining, the menu and order can be done through the tablet available on each table. While outdoor, still using the traditional way. Service is good, though it can be hard to get their attention sometimes. Overall, LD and I really enjoy dining at Café Melba. The food is good, the place is bright, comfortable and family friendly. If you are looking for a place to enjoy your leisure dining during weekend or weekday, this is a place to try. Cheers Mate!!

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http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2016/04/spring-court.htmlSpring Court is the oldest Chinese Restaurant in Singapore. This iconic restaurant opened in 1929, has seen many Grand occasions, tribulations, World war and Economic crisis, however it remains open until today. In 2011, a movie Great World was released and it captures Spring Court (known as Wing Choon Yuen at that time) memorable years in Great World. In itself, Spring Court ('SC') is truly part of Singapore history.Currently, SC has made its home in Upper Cross Street, opposite Chinatown Point. It is not difficult to miss, as the blue colour facade and gigantic banners are just eye catching. It occupy four-storey heritage shop house, it has plenty of space for everyone though getting a seat over the weekend can be a challenge. Spring Court Traditional Popiah ($7.50) is a must try here. You might go HUH!! $7.50, but this is not your ordinary popiah. The 'lioa' (fillings) here is in a class of its own. Prawns, fried fish, dried prawns and eggs. The popiah skin is moist and light, made it a good appetizer here. Lamb Brisket in claypot ($24 small, $48 large). We ordered the small one and we are glad we did. Though the lamb brisket is tender with almost melt in your mouth texture, it is a little bland for my liking. I like my lamb brisket with more favour if it is served on a small stove to continuous boiling. Yam Ring with Prawns ($32), one of the signature  dish of SC. A thin layer of crispy coating surrounded the basket, provided a good protection for the smooth velvety yam. The crunchy stir fry vegetables that filled the basket, provided a good companion to the fried yam. Roasted Chicken with Mince Prawn ($22 small, $38 large). If there is ever a dish had too much prawn, this will be it. The generous servings of mince prawn in this dish, made the flavour of the chicken diluted. The mince prawn was springy and tasty and the chicken is juicy and succulent. Lala Bee Hoon. Off the menu item and this dish only available when there is a supply of good lala. It has a good wok hei, accompanied with robust seafood broth. The bee hoon is crunchy, not mushy at all after staying in the bowl over a period of time. Watch out for the spicy chilli cake when you slurp the broth.Chinese Cabbage with dried scallops ($28 small, $42 large). Unfortunately they run out of the cabbage and they suggest to replace the vegetables with Nai Bai. The result is not as expected, the nai bai is over cooked, mushy and did not manage to absorb the solid gravy from the dried scallops. Must be better with the Chinese Cabbage. I suggest you order a bowl of rice to polish gravy and dried scallops. Finally, Roasted Sucklin g Pig ($98 for Half, $198 for Whole). At the start of our meal, we saw a whole sucking pig delivered to our neighbouring table. It was so irresistible, we decided to order half. A beautiful crispy skin with crunchy sound in every bite. The meat is also succulent, we also clean up the meat of the suckling pig. If you want me to be picky, some part of the pig was a bit burnt. However, the smokey aroma does contributed to the nostalgic feelings of traditional roast meat. Dessert was Or Nee, served in individual portion. It was thick and smooth, however it missing the aroma of spring onion oil. For the sweetener, they used clear sugar syrup. As it was my belated birthday celebration, of course a birthday cake is a must. The plate that it served is just beautiful. Art on a plate. We find the atmosphere really feels like traditional Chinese restaurant. The lightings are yellow and very dim. While the chocolate colour table cloth did not help with brightening up the room. The service is good, considering they are under staffed. Imagine this, 6 medium size tables (between 6 to 8 pax each), with only 1 captain and 1 service staff. My hats off to them.

Overall, We finally ticked Spring Court off our list, the oldest Chinese Restaurant in Singapore. While the food can not be describe as superb, it is the nostalgic feeling that you get when dining here. If you want to make you elders happy, bring them for a meal here.
You will see they smile from ear to ear, just like lots of the diners we saw during that evening. Cheers!!