The first thing that come to your mind when you hear Black Angus is Steak. One of the finest steakhouse in the states, they first open their door in Singapore in 1997 and won lots of awards in early 2000s. Although they have been in Singapore for almost 17 years, this is the first time Little Devil and I ever been there.The first thing that catch my eyes when we go to Black Angus Steakhouse ('BAS') is their logo. A cowboy squatting and cooking on campfire. The BAS @ Orchard Parade Hotel a choice of indoor and outdoor seating. As the weather was pretty war, we decided on the indoor seating, where it is decorated base on traditional Cowboy / Country Western theme in the States. Let just say, if you walk in with jeans, cowboy boots and hats, you will feel right at home.Since we were not that hungry, we decided to skip the appetizer and get straight to the main menu. I ordered their signature Prime Rib Three Quarter Pound Cut ($59.90) and LD decided on their Rib-Eye Steak, 10oz cut ($44.90).As part of the meal, we can choose an entrée to complement it. LD choose Garden Salad, while I decided on Steak Soup. The garden salad is a simple salad of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, croutons and with simple salad dressing. For those who never tried the steak soup like me, it is almost the same as stew. Thick and intense in flavour. How I wish if they serve a corn bread to go with the soup.My 3/4 pound (about 340 grams) prime ribs came medium rare as per order. Generous cut with well spread marbling. Presentation is very simple, mash potatoes on the side, boiled vegetables and the au jus from the ribs. It is tender, juicy and deliciously yummy!!LD's choose the smaller rib-eye, its about 280 gram. However, we feel that it might be bigger than 280 grams. Cooked to medium rare, served with baked potato, onion rings and boil vegetables. The Rib-eye is tender and juicy, goes well with the crispy onion rings. They sure know how to do their steak properly and their serving is definitely the big US size.Service was good. As we were seated on the main walkway, we have no problem getting their attention.

Overall, we enjoy our meal here. BAS served a very good quality for steak, with no fuzz and reasonable price. It is definitely not your Kobe or Wagyu beef, but it sure is better than your average steak. Cheers!!!

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

Thank you very much to Jeff Koh the Owner / Chef of Moc Quan for the invitation.

Jeff is a self-taught Chef who believe that the best way to experience Vietnam is through their street food. Each of the dedicated Street Food Chefs, spend their whole life mastering / perfecting their craft in delivering their own version of their dish. Over the past three years Jeff has explore Vietnam and learnt from these Chefs their secret recipe and found love and passion for Vietnamese street food along the way. After several years of learning, he finally feels that he is ready to bring back the flavours of Ho Chi Minh for us to savour in Singapore.Located near Robertson Quay, Moc Quan look to capitalise on the office lunch crowd and popular after work masses in Robertson Quay area.The decoration of the restaurant is heavily influenced by traditional Vietnamese elements with many antiques décor that the owner took much effort in sourcing and importing from Vietnam. The many interesting décors are the Vietnamese Trishaws outside the restaurant, Vietnamese Traditional umbrellas, utensils, bamboo food covers on each tables and even traditional milkmaid's yoke (a.k.a. Carrying pole) on display. To serenade you during your dining here, Vietnamese's oldies music are played in the background. The atmosphere kind of remind me of one Anthony Bourdan Travel Series Episode when they visited the last Vietnamese Emperor Villa in Vietnam.While waiting for LD to come, I started with Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Coffee with Condensed Milk (Ice) - $3.50). The coffee is thick and smooth. It really perked me up.For starters, we had Goi Cuon and Bo La Lot. Both are fresh Vietnamese spring roll filled with herbs and rice, with different fillings. Goi Cuon has Prawn and Pork fillings and served with homemade black bean sauce, while Bo La Lot with beef and pork served with special homemade sauce. ($8 for 4 pcs each). The fresh spring roll (also known as rice paper roll) has a slightly springy texture, but the freshness of the ingredients really shines here, especially with each of their unique dipping sauce.Next on the menu is Banh Canh Cua (Thai Rice Noodle in Crab and Pork Broth served with Crab Meat - $9.90). We are really glad that Chef Jeff serve this dish. The broth is rich and sweet, with similar taste profile as Singapore Prawn Noodle Soup. The rice noodle is springy, and the condiments of crab meat, fried bean curd, pork and bean spout gave a good mix of texture. Watch out for the chilli, which will give you a slow after burn according to LD.Banh Mi Thit (Baguette with Vietnamese Sausage and Ham, homemade pork pate - $6.50). To make this baguette, they brought the oven and flour from Vietnam. The result, the amazing crisp and light texture of the baguette. Unlike the French version, the baguette is not dense in the middle. The homemade pate is good, with a meat loaf texture. We only find that the pickle vegetables is slightly timid, as not to overwhelm the Singapore palate. We hope they can be bolder with the pickle.From the seafood selection, we had Tom Nuong (BBQ King Prawns Marinated in a special homemade Sauce - $16.00). The prawns are fresh and huge. It is cut through the middle and the intestinal track are removed. The marinate is just right and the grilled perfectly. Delicious, but presentation is too simple. Salads or pickled vegetables on the side will help to improve the presentation of this dish.Of course the tasting in a Vietnamese Restaurant won't be complete without trying the Pho. We tried Pho Bo (Fresh Vietnamese Rice Noodle – Mixed – $9.50). The ingredients looks good and generous, but the broth is on the sweet side (a bit too sweet to LD's liking). It is unfortunate the broth is not steaming hot enough when its poured to the rice noodle, resulting the sliced beef took quite a while to cook and turns chewy. The brisket is slightly tender, but it can use some more cooking time. We find the Pho can be improved.Overall, we are very happy with some of the dishes we tried, especially the Banh Canh Cua and Banh Mi Thit. With a little bit more of fine tuning, the rest of the dishes will be equally good. So if you are looking to experience Ho Chi Minh food, give this place a try. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the link below to your browser:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/08/moc-quan.html

Basilico is an award winning Italian Restaurant located in The Regent Hotel Singapore. Basilico means (sweet) basil in English, always emphasises on using the fresh, seasonal in presenting their authentic Italian Cuisine.

Basilico served two dining option: À la carte and semi-buffet. The semi-buffet option mean that you choose one main dish, to accompany the buffet of antipasti and desserts. No doubt you will be able to guess which option that we go for Once you are seated, you will be served bread sticks appetizer with mince olive dip. The bread sticks is freshly baked and crunchy. However, as we are not the people who fancy olives, we did not really appreciate it as much.We started our entrée with the antipasti and begun with something light. Seared Tuna, smoked salmon, Boccocino, Mozzarella Cheese and tomatoes. The Boccocino, Mozzarella Cheese and tomatoes are our favourite. We always order this as entree when we go to any Italian restaurant. It is a simple dish and just allow the ingredients to speak for itself. The same can be said here, the ingredients are fresh and the cheeses are lovely. The same can be said about the sear tuna, while smoked salmon was not overly salty, can be consider quite subtle good to pair with the cheeses.For the cured meat selections the selections are Pancetta, Prosciutto di Parma, Salami and Ham. Unlike other buffet, which they control the output of the parma ham, you can really satisfy yourself with the servings here. Served with slices of rock melon, I have to limit myself, remembering that there is still the main dishes to come.For the mains, I had the Crispy Pork Belly with Oven-Baked Apple. “Agretti” Salad and a Honey Cinnamon Reduction. The crackling is light and crispy, with similar texture to Cantonese roast pork belly. The meat tasted clean and not gamey, while the Oven-Baked apple and honey cinnamon reduction really balance the fattiness of the roast pork belly. Yummyy!!!Little Devil ('LD') ordered Tender Wagyu Rump with Oven-baked Potatoes and Braised Spring Onions. Although using only the Rump cut, the meat is tender and succulent. Cooked to her order of medium rare. The potatoes is slightly crispy on the skin and soft on the inside. The Au Jus is just flavourful.Meanwhile, Tracy's BFF, Lady Baker ('LB') satisfying her cravings for lamb. She had Grilled Spring Lamb Chops with Rhubarb and Ricotta Goat Cheese Cream, Green Asparagus. The lamb chops are small in size, I would say more towards a lady's portion. Consider LB asked it to be cooked to Well Done, it was well executed and the meat remain tender. Asparagus were sweet and crunchy, good with the Ricotta.For desserts, the selections are also impressive. Our picks are: The Bread and Butter Pudding which was very rustic and good. I paired it with a scoop of chocolate sorbet. Bonet (Chocolate Pudding with Amaretti Biscuits provide a good velvety chocolate flavour, while the Crema ai Lamponi (Raspberry cream) will give you a good sour perk up after the meal. For the rest of the desserts, just stick to those with chocolate, as the one without chocolates are quite ordinary.Although the Italian are renowned for the coffee, I was left disappointed with the coffee on offer here. I ordered a cappuccino, not only the coffee feels watery, it was burnt as well. I should have stick with black coffee with milk on the side. On the upside, I need to praise the bartender for coming up a good Lemon Lime and Bitters which I ordered in the beginning of the meal.The atmosphere here is just amazing. The dining section is dimly lid, which provide a very good atmosphere for romantic dinner. The space between table is sufficient to give you a slight sense of privacy. Meanwhile, round central section, is the centre stage for the food. It is brightly lid, with beautiful chandelier and semi open kitchen concepts on the East and West section of the circle. The service is very personalized and professional. One of the best service we ever experience. Big Thumbs up for the service.Overall, Basilico is definitely a place to go for Italian. The Semi Buffet is a must try and the ingredients are always at the freshest and authentic Italian. Kudos to the team for maintaining the consistency all these year. Cincin!! Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala exprience, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/07/Basilico-The-Regent.html

Thank you very much to Conrad Centennial Singapore Team for the invitation to sample such wonderful dishes of Davao and to enjoy a night of cultural performances.

Davao city in Mindanao Phillipines is the largest city in the island and also one of the largest city in the world. With such a large area, Davao region is a melting pot of different culture especially different tribes in the area. Davao is also famous for its local produce such as pamelos, mangosteens & durians and fresh seafoods including tuna. From 15th to 20th July 2014, Conrad Centennial Singapore and Philippine Department of Tourism, presents to you Davao Cultural and Food Festival.During Davao Cultural and Food Festival, Chef Eduardo Tuazon and his team from Marco Polo Hotel Davao in Phillipines will be showcasing the Ten Tribes of Davao Philippine Cuisine in Oscar's Restaurant.We started our dinner with a combo of Davao appetisers: Tuna Kinilaw; Squid & Shrimp Salad; Eggplant with Salted Egg; and Green Mango with Shrimp Paste and Pork Crackers.Tuna Kinilaw is Davao version of cured raw fish salad. Surprisingly, it is more subtle than what I expected. The same can be said with the Squid & Shrimp Salad. Fresh, but very subtle taste to entice your appetite. The eggplant with salted egg has a slightly more bold taste. For the Green Mango with shrimp paste, shrimp paste seems to be similar to the rojak paste that we have but with a bit of chocolaty taste and it actually pretty salty if not for the green mango. The crispy Pork Crackers (light and crunchy) can be very addictive when you dip it with shrimp paste.In between the appetizers and the main meal, I went to explore the other dishes Davao dish on offer. I spotted Lechon (yes, the whole roasted suckling pig) and Manok Pianggang (braised chicken with lemon grass and coconut milk). The Lechon is just a beauty, the meat is tender, succulent and with a nice balance between the fat and lean meat, while the crackling is thin and crispy. The chicken is tender, juicy and flavourful, especially on the drumstick.Back to the tasting menu, we were served the traditional Davao cuisine that are normally cooked in a bamboo or banana leaf. We have the selection from Spiced Roasted Chicken with Bamboo Rice, Beef & Scallops, cooked in Bamboo, Shrimp & Tuna cooked in Banana Leaf. With the exception of the chicken, the rest of the dishes that were cooked in bamboo or banana leaf, produce dishes that has rich and creamy gravy. These dishes are just best to enjoy with flavourful yellow rice. Each of the proteins are very tender and for the seafood it was fresh and not overcooked.Of course tasting Philippine dish won't be complete without Chicken Adobo and Braised Ox Tail in Peanut Sauce (Kare Kare). I personally find the chicken adobo lack of punch, it seems that it is missing the bold flavour of the Philippine cuisine. However, the ox tail is basically tender and melts in your mouth. The peanut sauce with oxtail, is just something that you need to get used to. Although it is a combination of savory and sweet, the taste leaning towards the sweet side.For the sweet ending of the meal, we tasted Durian Panna Cotta; Mangosteen Crème Custard; Coconut Cream Yam Porridge, Pomelo Crème Brulee; and Jack Fruit Sponge Cake. Each of these desserts represent the tropical flavour fruits that can be found in Davao. The Durian Panna Cotta has a smooth velvety texture. Pomelo Crème Brulee has a nice balance between the sweetness of the crème and the citrus flavour from the pomelo. The coconut cream yam porridge is Davao version of bobo cha cha.The presentation of Mangosteen Creme Custard got my two thumbs up. They extract the meat of the mangosteen, turn it to crème custard and serve it back like in its original version. While the sponge cake is light, the crème jack fruit is served on what looks like part of the branch of the jack fruit tree.While some people end the meal there, I just can't get stop myself from trying Sisig (Broiled Pork Mask and Liver with lemon and chilli). The taste is just deliciously intense. While the Lemon and Chilli suppose to cut through this intense flavour, I find that it is slightly tone down to adjust to everyone's taste buds.Overall, I really enjoy this opportunity to experience the Davao & Philippine cuisine. To ensure a memorable dining experience, you will be serenaded with Davao traditional songs, performed by Kalumon Dance Troupe when you dined in Oscar during this food festival.So if you never been to Davao or Philippine, do stop by Oscar's @ Conrad Centennial Singapore between 15th - 20th July 2014 to experience Davao Cultural and Food Festival, on top of delicious food served in Oscar's. Who knows, you might be the winner of 3D2N Holiday Accomodation for 2 person in Marco Polo Hotel Davao Philipine inclusive of round trip tickets by SilkAir. Cheers!!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala experience, click / copy the following link:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/07/Oscars-Conrad-Davao-Food-Festival.html

Lechon is a whole roasted pig dish originated from Spain. This dish was introduced to the people of Philippines during the colonial time and become one of their national dishes.

Though I never been to the Philippines and I am not sure how their food taste like, I just can't say no to whole roasted pig (thanks to Tony Johor Kaki website).

Iskana Cebu is located in the coffee shop across the Paya Lebar MRT Station, it occupied the right corner of the coffee shop. The meat (whole pig, pork belly or chicken) are slowly charcoal roasted on open fire in the premises. From the outside, the sight of whole roasted pig is just awesome. Lechon Pig normally need to be roasted between 4 to 5 hours depending on the weight.I reached the location at about 3pm and was only manage to get the last portion of the lechon.The set cost me $10. Looks a bit plain, but the meat portion is very generous. The meat look lean however it is juicy and succulent. To accompany the lechon, you can choose the creamy pig liver sauce (pig liver, spring onion and black pepper) or vinegar dipping sauce. I personally like the vinegar, as it offset the overwhelming oily feeling (jelak). The skin was suppose to be thin, shiny and crispy, however mine was slightly chewy, not as crispy. Chris (the owner) explain to me that I should come around 12.30pm on the weekend or 5.30pm on weekday, that's the time when the lechon just finished roasting and the skin will be heavenly.Not really satisfied with the lechon, I decided to order half Manok de Balamban (roasted chicken - $10). It is well roasted and the breast meat is just so succulent. The thigh and leg meat tasted slightly dry. The chicken is well marinated, resulting in a tasty chicken that you don't actually need any sauce.The service here is very friendly. When I ask if I can take photo, they invite me to get a closer look at the roasting process and even pose for the camera. Thanks guys!!Overall, it is definitely a memorable first time experience of Philippines food. The food here are very good and I'll look forward to come back to try their Liempo de Balamban (roast pork belly) or even the lechon when it hot from the oven. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the link below:
http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/07/Iskina-Cebu.html