As part of the celebration of Rebranding Traders Hotel Singapore to Hotel Jen Singapore, Little Devil and I got invited for Super Brunch by Hotel Jen Singapore. Cafebiz is the main dining area at the lobby that cater for the gastronomic satisfaction for the guests in Hotel Jen. Cafebiz served ala-carte menu and buffet ranges from exotic Asian, International and local cuisines.As today is a special occasions for the Hotel Jen, the spread was just superb and it is impossible to cover everything. However, we did try our best and the following are our recommendations.Appetizer (Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto with Rock Melon, Foie Gras & Apple Terrine and Sun Dried Tomatoes). These dishes basically our wake up call and kick start our appetite that was still in sleeping mode. Smoked salmon is good and fresh. The thinly sliced prosciutto perfectly matched with rock melon. While the apple provide the sweet touch to balance the smooth and velvety terrine foie grass. LD enjoys the sundried tomatoes so much, she went back for second round.Roast Selection (Roast Beef and French Lamb Rack). Weekend Roast always have a special place in my heart and my tummy. The roast beef were between medium rare to medium and thinly sliced upon serving. Mine was still pinkish and slightly bloody in the middle. Just like the way I like it. The meat is just tender and succulent, and goes well with the yorkshire pudding (kudos from LD on the yorkshire pudding as it is baked to perfection) and the gravy. The same apply to the lamb rack, tender and pink in the middle not over roasted. The potato gratin can be better with more cheese in between the potatoes. Yum Yum.Cantonese Roast Selection – Suckling Pig Only. Where there are many options like roast pork, roast duck, char siew and suckling pig, our recommendation that you just stick with the suckling pig and forget about the rest. Paying ode to the little piggy, it has minimum fat, crispy skin and tender and succulent meat. Together with the sweet sauce, it is just a foodgasm.Desserts (Lemon Meringue Pie & Custard Puff). The taste of the lemon curd and meringue has a nice balance between the sweetness of the sugar and tanginess of the lemon curd. The curd is light and smooth, sitting nicely on golden brown crust. The custard puff is just light, smooth and not overly sweet. The apple strudel and pear tart tartin are quite ordinary.Finale (Wild Mushroom Risotto) cooked by the GM of Hotel Jen, Mr. Clifford Weiner. Well you can consider this as the start of the attraction. It was supposed to be ready by 12.45 pm, however due to his other commitments, the risotto was only ready by 1.15pm. Although we were slightly in food comma and minimum stomach space available; The wait was indeed worth it. The risotto cooked to al-dente, infused with flavourful broth. The wild mushrooms were sautéed separately and only added upon servings. LD just wished that it has more cheese in it but she still loves it as it is her favourite Italian dish While they are quite a few a selections for sushi, sashimi and cold seafood on offer, we find that it does not really give us the WOW feeling. I have to say our tummy prefer something warm and hearty for brunch, cold seafood dish are at odds with us that day.Notable mention, for cheese lovers, they have this special Cheese Counter, supplied by The Cheese Ark and according to LD, the cheese spread is superb.Overall, it is indeed a Super Brunch. The buffet spread was extensive with a few items that we mentioned are so much better compare to the rest. We consider this one of the heaviest brunch we ever had.

Thank you very much for the Hotel Jen Team for the invitation and asking us to come earlier so we can take gorgeous pictures of the Super Brunch Spread. For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience and more food photos, check out the following link: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/10/cafebiz-hotel-jen-singapore.html

Thanks to the Hogs Bar Restaurant Team for the invitation.

Hogs Bar Restaurant ('Hogs Bar') is located on the eye catching Colonial design building in Joo Chiat Road. To be exact, it is just opposite the Joo Chiat Community Center. While many F&B establishments trying to make their mark here, it was to no avail. However, this location seems to be tailored-made for Hogs Bar.Once your enter the Hogs Bar ground, you will be greeted with their beer garden, with large LED TV tune in the sports channel or live EPL matches. If you prefer air-conditioned room, go inside the building which have huge projected screens, pool table and bar to keep you occupied. It is also suitable for you to host an event here.For this tasting, I brought my Chef friend M, as my Little Devil is on Vegetarian Detox for this couple of weeks. We started with Deep Fried Chicken Wings ($13). Each serving consist of three pairs of mid-wings and drumlets. The wings are well seasoned and well coated with bread crumbs. Crispy on the outside, yet juicy and succulent inside. In comparison, it is similar to McWings, but bigger in size.Hogs Beef Burger ($18.50) follow next. The burger was served with thick cut fries and salad. The beef patty was tasty, flavourful and cooked to medium, where it's still pink in the middle. The melted cheese and caramelised onions covered the patty nicely and the bread holds the burger nicely and soak up the meat jus. The fries are crispy and good, while the lightly-dressed salad provide a nice balance to the meal.It seems to be the trend nowadays to serve something on wooden plank. Spanish Iberico Ham Flat Bread ($16) is served this way here. Other than the ham, the toppings consist of cheese, olive, cherry tomatoes, salad, and shallots. The texture is crispy, fresh and very flavourful. It will be better if the size is slightly bigger or more iberico ham though (just my wish).Beer Lovers will love this place. Hogs Bar carry more than 30 brands of beers and they offer a very competitive price. For more details on this, check out their Facebook Page.Overall, Hogs Bar Restaurant new menu provide a good gastropub meal. It is delicious and unpretentious. I dropped by for one of the EPL match on weekend, the big screen and sound system are excellent. Give this place a try and let me know what you think. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining exprience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/10/Hogs-Bar-Restaurant.html
 

Singapore Lor Mee originated from South Chinese Hokkien Dish. A bowl of thick yellow noodle, covered in thickened seafood soup. Normal toppings will include braised pork belly, ngoh hiang, fried fish, grated garlic and a dash of black vinegar.

My first encounter with Lor Mee in Singapore was more than 8 years ago, during the time when Lor Ah Soo wet market was having a renovation and moved to a temporary location. To my surprise, it was so much different from the Lor Mee that I ate in a Malaysian Restaurant during my uni days in Melbourne.Malaysia's version of Lor Mee is white in colour, not black like the Singapore version. Using a thick round egg noodle covered with thick broth that is robust and smooth. The eggs are stir into the broth and topped with a generous serving of pork lard. The other ingredients used is sliced pork, prawns, fish cakes and vegetables. This white Lor Mee also known as Hakka Lor Mee.Since my MIL like this dish so much, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately Singapore Lor Mee was not what I expected and I was not able to finished the portion that I ordered. From that day onwards, it never crossed my mind to order Lor Mee.

Recently, I was requested by a SMU student doing her social media project to give this place a try. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to give this place a try.Like the name, Tiong Bahru Lor Mee originated from the popular Tiong Bahru Market. I ordered the $5 version which has fried fish and additional toppings.The thick flat noodle was cook just nice. Slightly springy, or to borrow the Italian phrase 'al-dente'. Toppings include braised pork belly, braised egg, ngoh hiang and fried fish are tasty and well executed.I can't say I did not try, but my taste buds just can't agree with the combination of garlic, black vinegar and thick seafood soup. The garlic taste is just too empowering, however without it, the soup base is not robust enough to provide flavour to the noodle. Truly an acquired taste.

Overall, the Lor Mee here is better than the one I tried eight years ago. Everything is nicely executed, but it is just not for me. On the positive note, I finished all the fillings except for the gravy. For Lor Mee lovers, I do recommend this place for them to try. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/09/tiong-bahru-lor-mee-delicious-but-not.html
 

Eight Korean BBQ originated from the USA open its first outlet in Singapore at the Central, Clarke Quay. The number Eight '8' represent eight different colour and marinate of the delicious Mangalitza pork belly, which is also known as the 'Kobe Beef' of Pork.The first thing that you notice when you enter 8 is the setting. Set in chick industrial setting, it is a refreshing diversion from the traditional Korean BBQ restaurants that has been popping up like mushrooms in Singapore. The meat is cooked on angled grill pan by the well trained service staff.For Oink Oink lovers like us, this place is a dream come true. A must order here is the whole 8 type of pork belly, 8 colours set ($98) which comes with Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, vegetables and Seafood Bean Paste stew. As we were keener to try the Army Stew, we ask to change and top up the difference of $6.If you order items like us, the following is on how the order of the food will be. Korean Grill Squid ($18) and 8 Special Steam Egg ($12). The squid is quite huge and grilled with a touch of butter for taste. It is springy and tender, and comes with a soy and mayonnaise dipping sauce. Best eaten while it is hot. A unique cooking method that is different from most of the Korean BBQ, 8 will place their kimchi and bean sprout on the grill and it become a hot side dish. The steam egg is light and fluffy, but at side the stone bowl, the eggs can be a bit dry.The side dishes are very limited, however it is free flow together with the wrapped vegetables. If you need sliced garlic or other condiments just ask the service staff.Next will be the beef. You can choose from US Prime Beef or Kagoshima Wagyu. We tried their US Prime Beef Rib Eye ($58). The size is about 300 gram with nice marbling on the beef, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cooked to medium rare, it is tender and just melts in your mouth. Awesome!!The army stew is decent as its objective is to fill up your tummy. Ingredients are pretty basic, instant noodle, sausage and luncheon meat cooked on seafood soup base with bean paste.For highlight of the dinner, 8 type of seasoned pork belly: Original, Red wine, ginseng, garlic, herb, curry, miso paste and red pepper paste. The first four has a more lightly flavoured seasoning, while the later 4 has a stronger flavoured seasoning.Since the cooking is done by the service staff, the pork bellies achieve the right texture. It was cut to bite size and has a crisp texture and it just melts in your mouth. So Sinfully Delicious!!!Our preference so far is: wine, original, herbs and miso. We find these flavour complements the pork belly instead of overpowering it.We tried their Ginseng chicken soup ($25) and Seafood Pancake ($20) on different occasion, but we find them quite ordinary. The ginseng chicken soup version here has a light cloudy broth and the chicken is not stuffed with rice. The ginseng taste is not very commanding. Meanwhile the pancake taste very plain and a bit too oily.Service is friendly and good. Each service staff was allocated between 2 to 4 tables, as they need to be in charge of the cooking so it is easy to catch their attention. In case if you are worried about the oil and smell get to your bags, you can put them inside your stool. The table are very small, so you hardly any space put your stuff on it. Unfortunately, you will come out for the place smelling like bbq pork belly, so not recommended if for lunch if you have to go back work afterwards.Overall, we find this pork belly centric restaurant is excellent; it is one of my favourite. The pricing is reasonable and it has become a place to go to satisfy my sinful cravings. So if you are around Central, give this place a try. Gun Bae!!! Cheers!!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the following link:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/09/eight-korean-bbq.html
 

I have been hearing about Sarnies when I chat with other food bloggers on the places to go for brunch. So when I have cravings for a good big brekkie, I decided on Sarnies.When I looked at Sarnies weekend menu, it reminded me of a proper big brekkie that I used to had in Melbourne. Open up by sibling team from Aussie, Sarnies served wholesome food, healthy and organic food that will fill your tummy until it overflow.My visit there was on Sunday and the place is about 3/4 filled. Placed my order and decided to sit at the two seaters at the back near the kitchen, where I can see the whole cafe and have a feel on what happening in the kitchen. The décor is simple, with combination of wooden furniture. Place is a bit cramp, but they manage to maximise the seating arrangement. Ambiance was good especially with their music selections.I did not wait long before my 'The Fry Up' ($25.90) was on the table. Two fried eggs, home cured bacon, a pork sausage, homemade baked beans, grilled mushrooms and sourdough toast. Wow, the portion is so generous. Sunny side up eggs are done perfectly with the oozing yolk. Bacons are thin and crispy like chips but not to salty. Mushrooms were buttery, while the sausage is on the hard part, thus the juicy part is missing. Nice portion of sourdough bread. The best part was their homemade baked beans. Unlike the canned version that I have nightmare with, I enjoyed the Sarnies version. It is flavourful, good texture of the beans and tasted like American chilli beans.To accompany my breakfast, I had homemade Lemon Lime Bitters ($7.50). My favourite drink. The Sarnies version use fresh squeeze lemonade to add a bit of zing into the drink. Nice and refreshing.Of course I did not forget about to order the coffee. Latte ($5) was my choice and come with good latte art. It is smooth and creamy. Well balanced and not too acidic. With the natural lighting, I think it is one of my best latte shot.Service is friendly and they looks like they are having a good time while they are working. For order, you need to go to the counter to place order and pay first. Self service water bar is available too.

Overall, a very good place that serve fantastic breakfast. Excellent portion! I will definitely be back for more. Cheers Mate!!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/09/Sarnies.html