[MEDIA INVITE]
Thr3e Bistro ('TB'), a unique F&B mashup concept between a bistro, a wine bar and a restaurant. Not sure what you will call it, but I categorised it as Gastropub. One thing about TB, it does not conform to a normal standard norm to one classification of F&B industries. Instead the passionate owners set their sight on what they want to see their place and transform it to suit their target customers.In TB, you can have the option of seating in a comfortable chic sofa with luxurious coffee tables to sip your wine, beer and finger foods; or a proper dining tables to tuck in to selections of delectable food. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening, there will be live band to set the atmosphere at TB. It also provide a nice environment to hold a private function and parties. We started the tasting with Classic Mushroom Soup ($6) and Seafood Soup ($8). The mushroom soup is creamy and you can taste the bits of the mushrooms. Served with a dash of truffle oil, it might be a delight for truffle oil lover, but for me, its a little bit of overload on the taste of truffle. The crispy bread and chips provide a contrasting texture to the dish. Meanwhile the seafood soup looks like the mini version of seafood bouillabaisse. The fish, prawn, clams and calamari are fresh. You can taste the sweetness of the seafood in the broth with the tanginess of the tomato. The seafood soup get my pick. Pan Seared Salmon with Tofu ($12) as a starter provided a good value. The salmon is well glazed with teriyaki sauce and cooked just nice. The bland yet crisp fried tofu is a good pairing to the sweet and think teriyaki sauce. There is a sweet wasabi sauce on the side for those who prefer a little kick in the flavours. Very unorthodox dish, but creative fusion dish for those looking for healthy food. BBQ Chicken Pizza ($10.50), an individual serving pizza size. The crust is thin and crispy. The toppings of bbq chicken, pineapple, cheese and bbq sauce give you the Hawaiian feel. For the mains, we tried Duck Leg Confit ($25), Black Cod ($27), Lamb Shank ($27) and Baby Back Ribs ($23). We started with the fish, as it is lighter in flavours. A thick cut of oven baked cod fish served on the bed of salsa. The cod fish has a moist and buttery feels when you bite into it. The salsa is just refreshing, while you can't hardly taste the anchovies pungent aroma from the cream. I will like it better if they pan fried the skin first to make it crispy before they oven baked it. TB version of duck confit is not the crispy type, but the texture of the skin more like roast chicken version. The meat is tasty, tender and succulent. The mashed potatoes are smooth, but the infusion of truffle oil in the mash are just not necessary. There is zigzag line of whole grain mustards on the plate aids in balancing the fattiness of the duck. Lamb shank is tasty and tender, proves that it has gone through a long cooking process. Meanwhile, the gravy is light with a nice tomato flavour. It is not starchy as they did not cook the potatoes with the shank. Instead it is pan fried later and served with some greens. You might want to give the baby back ribs a miss. It seems they just glazed the their homemade BBQ sauce before they put it on the grill and it did not absorb into the ribs. The meat is hard, dry and tasteless while the cuts are thicker than the normal baby back. They should marinate the ribs overnight with the sauces soak into the ribs; allow more moisture back into the meat and let the vinegar in the sauce to tenderise the meat. For the sweet ending, we had Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream ($6.50) and Panna Cotta ($5.50). The homemade brownie has a dense texture with a walnut fillings. Slightly dry and crumbled on top, it has a good thickness and goes will with the smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream. The panna cotta is also dense in texture, while the berry sauces on top provide a refreshing sweet and tangy finish for the night. For the wine lovers, TB carries an exclusive wines from Romania and Qingdao Great River Hill Winery, where the Chateau Nine Peaks RESERVA won China Wine & Spirits Awards (CWSA) best wine in 2013.Overall, Thr3e Bistro provide a unique and interesting dining atmosphere, but definitely a good place to chill out. Their seafood dishes are the star for this place, while the rest heavier protein such as lamb or pork can be improved. So if you are around Marina Square area, give this place a try and let me know what you think. Cheers!! Thank you very much to Summer, Susan and Thr3e Bistro team for hosting this food tasting session.

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click here:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/01/three-bistro-marina-square.html

Georges is a Balinese theme inspired beach bar which started as a beverage kiosk at a small sea sport centre in Pasir Ris Park. Over time it evolves and started serving western grill. The first official gastropub opened its door in Siglap in 2004 and recently, it just opened its outlet in The newly developed Punggol Settlement.In the 80's and early 90's, this Punggol area was one of the hottest spot for dining destination, especially for seafood lovers. However, all of the restaurants has to relocate or close down in 1994 due to land acquisition by the government. It seems that government project did not work out as planned, and with the rapid development of public and private housing in Punggol area, a public tender was called in 2012. Fragrance Group developed a new two story building to bring back the life in the area.Keen to see what the buzz is all about, we decided to stop by for dinner. Georges got our pick because we were looking for something different other than Chinese. The Punggol Settlement has ample parking space to cater for the crowds. Georges are located at most corner right side of the building from the car park. You can get there by climbing the staircase for pre-dinner exercise or use the lift in the middle.We started our order with Fresh Garden Salad ($11.90), Golden Buffalo Wings ($12.90 – 6pcs) and Jumbo Fries in Basket ($5.90). For the price, the portion of garden salad is more of a side serving. Personally I don't think they use the freshest ingredients as we can see some rotten vegetables in the bowl, and for the pedantic serving size, they should only charge about $5 and they have made a healthy profit out of it. Jumbo fries were fried to the right texture. Crispy on the outside and moist internally.Golden Buffalo Wings were seasoned similar to our prawn paste wings. It was crispy and succulent. The size of the wings is more towards regular size, not really buffalo.For mains we had Hog Combo ($22.90) and Lamb Shank with Mash Potatoes. The Hog Combo consist of Pork Chop and Cheese Bratwurst. Pork Chop size was generous, a little overcooked so the meat was dry. Bratwurst was quite huge, about 8” cheesy and succulent. While the mash potatoes are solid, and the balsamic dressing on the salad nicely balanced the dish.The lamb shank was nicely presented. On the base was mash potatoes, topped with lamb shank gravy and the shank standing on top. It was tender due to the long cooking process, tasty and flavourful. They manage to reduce the gamey smell from the shank. Good job on this and the gravy with mash, a good comfort food.Service were friendly but slow. At first we asked for the indoor seating, but due to limited space, we were given outdoor seating. As the establishment are more of an open concept, it was not of much difference except that you can see what you are eating if you are indoor.

Overall, we find the food here need a lot of improvements. Based on the price point, the quality of the food are not there. If you are here, manage your expectations to drinks and bar snacks. It is still more of a beach bar, and has not reach the level of Gastropub yet. I don't think we'll be back for the second time though. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/11/georges-by-bay.html

Si Chuan Dou Hua at TOP of UOB Plaza is one of the dining destination in the middle of CBD with a fantastic view of Singapore Skyline. Located on 60th floor of UOB Plaza, it took us some effort and lift changes to get to this restaurant as it is a weekend. During this time, it can be a little eerie to be here,f especially it is more like a ghost town, missing the normal office buzz. The décor of the restaurant is contemporary and classy, fit for the bankers or business associates to entertain their high net worth clients. Their awards are proudly displayed at the entrance of the restaurant. As there are children in our group, LD’s cousin booked a private room.We started the lunch with Appetizer Sliced Pork in Garlic and Chilli Sauce (Medium - $21), Sliced Beef and Tripe in Chilli Sauce (Medium - $21) and Marinated Black Fungus with Chilli Padi (Medium - $12). The appetizer were basically cold dishes, however it packs a lot of heat, thanks to the chilli sauce and chilli padi. The meats were tender and the fungus were crunchy. Good Sichuan-style appetizers.Soup of the day, chicken soup with carrot and radish. The soup is robust, but in typical Sichuan flair, they added quite a bit of pepper. It is acceptable for adults, but the young ones in the group does not like it. Little Devil was not very happy about the soup because it was served luke warm instead of hot.We ordered two type of cod fish ($12 per piece), Baked in Miso Sauce and Steam with Ginger and Soya Sauce (Cantonese Style). For the steamed version it was excellent. The cod fish has a buttery fells and melts in your mouth. Meanwhile, the one baked in miso sauce, looks good, however we find the miso sauce was just too salty that it covered the taste of the fish. I still believe when it come to fish, just keep it simple and use light herbs and seasoning.Camphor Tea Smoked Duck, served with buns (Whole $56). One of the best dishes of the day. The combination of the smokey flavour, tender and succulent meat is just superb. They served it with mini buns and shredded spring onions, which are good to balance the saltiness of the duck. The fats on the duck were just awesome.Homemade Bean Curd with Spinach and Dried Scallops (Large - $48). The tofu is soft, velvety and delicious. The best part of course is the sauce which have the dried scallops. It was one of those sauce, where you can polish a bowl of rice without anything else.Braised Ee-Fu Noodle with Crab Meat (Medium - $38). The stock used for the Ee-Fu noodle was solid and robust. You can taste it in every slurp, and the ee-fu noodle did not get soggy after a while. Unfortunately, the crab meat went missing in action. We find the dim sum standard here is very average. The ones that got our pick are the Siew Mai ($5 for 4 pcs) and Xiao Long Bao ($5 for 3pcs). The Siew Mai was meaty, tender and tasty. While the XLB has a good robust stock, but inconsistent. The Har Gau skin was too thin and sticky.For desserts, of course you must order the homemade beancurd. They offer the regular version and the one with wolfberry. Both life up to their names and they are excellent, smooth and velvety. The wolfberry has a unique sweetness to it and give it a healthier feel about it. If you want something different, try the adorable mini pumpkin.Service on that day was horrible because it was the last day of using the UOB Voucher. The restaurant was packed with people and they were understaffed. They just did not roster the service staff properly although they knew in advanced the restaurant will be fully booked. It took us more than 2.5 hours to finish our lunch. The private room turn out to be a secluded room. We actually need to stand outside by the door to get their attention, and we have to the dishes and get new plates for ourselves. They did waive the pickle and tea charges, however it was still an unpleasant experience, as the food service are causing the children to get hungry and rowdy.Overall, the standard of the food here is very good, especially those from their daily ala-carte menu. Combining Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine is definitely a good idea. However standards must be maintain across the board. The dim sum on the other hand is below average. Based on the awards that they won, I can only presume that their normal service standards are so much better compare to today. If the opportunity arises, I don't mind giving this place a try again in the future. Cheers!!

For the complete review, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/11/si-chuan-dou-hua-top-of-uob-plaza.html

Necessary Provisions ('NP') are only a handful of cafes that are located in the west part of Singapore. Opened by the group of like minded people behind Smitten Coffee, it offers a unique open cafe experience to its diners.

To say its location is pretty accessible is an understatement, as it is located in the middle of housing estate. If you don't have your own set of wheels, you will have to depend on bus or taxi. However, once you are at the place (the relaxed and most open concept cafe I've ever seen) will encourage you to stay back and have a few more drinks or chow before you hit the road again. You have the choice of indoor or outdoor seating as well.For coffee lovers like myself, you can have Espresso Based Coffees (one price for all sizes), Black ($4.5 for 1.5 oz or 5 oz.) and White ($5 for 4 oz., 6 oz. or 8 oz.). This is truly value for money. I ordered the 4oz latte. It has a nice, simple Rosetta latte art. The coffee is smooth however the fruity acidic after taste is more than what I prefer in my coffee. So not my type of beans.We ordered the Buta Don ($8) which is NP version of wok-fried pork with Japanese sweet sauce. The pork are tender with a slight wok hei taste in it. The onions and sweet sauce provide a natural sweet flavour to the dish, while the bean sprout provide the crunch. The rice is slightly undercooked and it can be better if it use a short grain rice that have more starch.Fresh Crisps ($6) is a must try here. Basically it is homemade fried artisan sprouts (combination of potatos and sweet potatoes). It is crispy and lightly salted. Who can say no to this.Meanwhile, our fried A ordered the Pork Burger with Apple Sauce ($16). Our lady friend that love porky to the bone, only gave one thumb up, instead of two thumbs up. Not porky enough, as the arugula kind of mess up the flavour of the burger. For the price, the portion does not delivery on value.Service is friendly but minimum. You place your order at the counter, make payment and they delivery the order. You can help yourself with cold orange infused water.

Overall, NP provide you with a unique cafe experience, starting with their out of the box price for coffee and Asian inspired food. Although the food and coffee are not agreeable with my taste buds, others might beg to differ. However, I have to say, the environment is just so 'cosy' that LD need to drag me out. (Another cafe that listed as a must-try list but does not deliver 'wow' feeling except for the coffee) Cheers!!

For the complete review, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/10/necessary-provisions.html

Thank you very much to OpenRice and The King Louis Team for the invitation to the tasting of Halloween Feast.

King Louis Bar and Grill ('King Louis') is the first medieval theme restaurant in Singapore. Located on the third floor of Vivocity at the Golden Village section. The third floor of Vivocity is a combination of indoor and outdoor area, therefore able to put up this prominent sign on the outdoor, together with ancient castle decorations complete with armoured guards.When you enter the restaurant, the first half of the restaurant is furnished with wooden tables and bench according to the medieval theme. Alas, closer to the 2nd half of the restaurant is decorated more like a corporate meeting room rather than medieval castle theme, a bit of loss of identity halfway through. To incorporate Halloween theme this month, the King Louis has added a touch of Halloween theme with pumpkins and black-orange décor to create the atmosphere.The Halloween feast started with Highlandar Pumpkin Soup. The soup is thick, smooth and creamy. It is slightly on the sweet side and garlic bread is there to offset the sweetness. Portion is quite generous for a starter and it feels a bit heavy for an appetiser.English style Bacon Caesar Salad & The King Louis Platter. The salad is quite ordinary, consist of lettuce, croutons, sliced hard boiled egg and bacon. The dressing is creamy with a twist of tanginess to it.The King Louis platter is basically 3/4 fried stuff and 1/4 veggies served with sweet chilli sauce. It has two pieces of fried sausages, fried wedges and fried onion rings. The sausages are hard and salty, but the dish are saved by the crispy yet moist onion rings and the wedges. If fried stuff is not your thing, stick with the veggies.Next up is the Queen Isabelle Platter. The platter has stacks of Roast Beef with Black Pepper Sauce, Premium Baby Back Ribs, Roast English Style Queen Pullet and Lamb Steak with Rosemary Herbs. Covered by all the proteins are sautéed vegetables, roast potatoes, salads and fruits (Orange, apple and pineapple) on skewers.We ordered our roast beef cooked to medium rare. The meat is not from best cut, but kudos to the chef to make sure that it is tender. According to the insider info, it was well marinated before it was seared, roasted, sliced and put on the grill for the final touch. It is cooked to between medium rare to medium, tender with pinkish colour in the middle.

The baby back ribs is sweet and fall of the bone. Kind of remind you of the Tony Romas or Cafe Cartel style. I preferred a little bit more bites to my ribs, but this is individual preference. A quick check with cptslowyeo (another openricer), who just came back from the Uncle Sam land, the one that I like is more to the Northern style while the one served here is more to the southern style.The lamb chop is gamey, hard and chewy. Maybe a little meat tenderiser will help though. The chicken, is dry and not succulent for the breast part, while it was slightly better on the thigh and drumstick. Very inconsistent in the cooking and personally I won't actually recommend these two items. The best part of the sides is the pineapple. You should have a few slices with the proteins, as it helps to cut through the fats and stop you from being overwhelm by meat.

For desserts, we had coconut ice cream with almond shavings. Surprisingly it is quite good, not very sweet and the shaved almond provide the crunchy texture. I only manage to have a few bites because I was in food comma after all the proteins intake.Overall, I find that dining in King Louis is more like dining in one of the restaurant in a theme park where a big group will come together and have a great time. You might have to lower down your gastronomic expectation. The Halloween feast that we had was priced at $149.90 and it is easy can feed a group of 6 and can be consider value for money. With a little tweak and more attention to the cooking time, the food has the potential to be better. Cheers and Happy Halloween !!!

For the complete revew, click here:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/10/the-king-louis.html