Soi Thai is an authentic Thai Restaurant that opened its door in the heart of Tampines. Some interesting facts about Soi Thai, The boss is from Taiwan, but not to worry the chefs are from Thailand. From their FB page, they describe the Thai Chef with moustache is the head chef and the hairy one is the second in command.While we try not to compare Soi Thai dishes to the ever popular Nakhon, we have to face the reality that Nakhon has set the standard for Thai restaurants in the heartland. Therefore it is fair, if we compare the standard of their food.We started the dinner with Stuffed Chicken Wings ($6 – 2pcs), Thick Tom Yum Soup – Prawn ($7) and Boiled Cuttlefish with Lime Sauce ($10). The stuffed chicken wings was tasty and flavourful. It was crispy on the outside and served pipping hot. Good sign at the start. As you know I don't take tom yum, so according to LD, the taste was tweak to suit the Singapore taste. It will be better if it was spicier and sourer, be bold with the flavours. Boiled Squid was tender with a bit of springy texture, the lime sauce are not overly spicy.Green Chicken Curry ($9), Thai Style Kang Kong ($7) and Fried Sea Bass with Namjim Larb ($22) follow next. The chicken thigh meat in the green curry was very generous. However, the curry feels soupier, missing the thickness and richness of the lemak from the coconut milk. Thai style Kang Kong was good, crunchy and pack of punch from the chilli. The crispiness in the fried seabass was slightly inconsistent and a bit soggy in some part of the fish. The dipping sauce has the sweet, spicy and tangy taste, good to accompany the fish and removed the smell, however it was not to our preference.While our expectation was lowered after the initial few dishes, the chefs whipped out their best dishes. Beef Paneang ($11), Thai Yellow Ginger Chicken ($9) and Pad Thai ($6). The Beef Paneang tasted like the version of Thai Stew Beef. The meat was tender and the gravy was thick, rich and robust. Yum YumThe yellow ginger (tumeric) chicken is unique. The tumeric is used to seasoned the meat provide a sweet yet appetizing flavour that wets your appetite. The Pad Thai is as authentic as its get. The Chef manage to get the right balance of sweetness and tanginess that truly show the authentic taste of Pad Thai. Kudos to the Chef.For desserts, we tried Red Ruby ($3) and Mango Sticky Rice ($5). The red ruby is average, missing the crunchiness. The sticky rice was too warm and it did not bind well with the mango and coconut milk.Service was good and efficient. The food came quite fast and at regular interval. The décor of the restaurant is clean and simple, where food are the main focus instead of decoration. Without the signboard, I don't think people will recognise them as a Thai restauraint. There are two seating area, indoor and panoramic seating (open air seating as I like to called it, he..he.. )Overall, Soi Thai served a good authentic food. Pad Thai, Beef Paneang and Yellow Ginger Chicken is a must try. I never tried the last two dishes before I visited Soi Thai. In comparison to Nakhon, each of them have their different signature dishes, for food and quality standard, Soi Thai is comparable. So if you are looking for something different for Thai Food, give Soi Thai a try. Cheers!!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala review, click / copy the link below to your browser: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/11/soi-thai.html

Located at Lim Tua Tow Road, this area can be consider one of the foodie cluster, especially those shop houses facing Upper Serangoon Road. Luckily Sunday Market is located in the next block, where it is easier to get car park and there is valet available during certain nights. Since our first visit, Little Devil and I went back there three times in the past two months and we just can't get enough of the place and it is so near our place.First impression, from the outside, it is quite funky. The signboard is a combination of red and white is more like a Chinese restaurant instead of cafe. Once you are in, the décor is unique, minimalistic but making you feel like you are dining outdoor. The crowd just make it feels lively. Not sure why, but it seems to be in trend that lots of cafe like to hang oldies stuff such as bicycle, chair, TV, etc. from their ceiling.So what are the must try items here:
Crispy Duck Leg Confit ($17.90). Move over French Bistro, most newbies cafe in Singapore has mastered this dish. The same can be said here, nicely executed. The skin is crispy, the meat is tender, flavourful and not too salty. While duck confit supposed to be soak in duck fat during the marinating process, you don't feel the oiliness here. The potato is crisp, goes well with the brown sauce and salad.Pulled Duck Sandwich ($13.90). Another well executed duck dish here, the use brioche bread packs more flavour to the dish. It was pan fried at first, so it is crispy, and you can feel the crunchiness of the duck in the sandwich as well. The creamy slaw and brown sauce bind the whole sandwich together. Good for light bite.French Toast with BBQ Chicken ($12.90). This is a modern fusion dish with Thai twist. The grilled chicken is sweet, tender and succulent. Using the same brioche bread for French toast is the right choice. The fried egg is good and the sriracha sauce give a unique twist to the dish.Bangkok Toast ($10.90). One of the best desserts here with awesome presentations. The brioche is flavoured with cinnamon (very light) and icing sugar. Green tea custard and Thai Milk tea ice cream are have a subtle hint of sweetness and very good to accompany the toast. Once the ice cream melts, it become a creamy milk shake.Waffle with Ice Cream ($9.50 – double scoop). The waffle is thick and crispy. We tried Belgium Chocolate and Thai Milk Tea ice cream. Both are creamy and delicious, best of all it is not overly sweet. Yum YumFor drinks, the caffeine is very average. Don't expect those artisan coffee, as it is not their focus here. (Hint to management, Can we get better coffee??). I personally like their Lemmy Lemonade ($5.90). This lemonade is just refreshingly tangy. Imported from New Zealand, this drink is organic (not that I really care) and it just tasted awesome. Thai Milk tea is also a favourite but it can be a bit sweet if you don’t have a sweet tooth.Service is fast and friendly. After they took your order, they will provide you with the cutlery and the anticipation of getting your grub soon. From the way it looks, the utensils and cutleries are from Thailand.Overall, Sunday Market is going to be our cafe of choice in 2014. The food is excellent and value for money. We really enjoy the comfortable atmosphere here and best of all you don't need to wait for long to get a seat. Well, you definitely see us more often here. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/11/sunday-market.html

Carnivore is one of the leading Brazilian Churrasco restaurants in Singapore just opened its latest outlet in Grandstand. Like the rest of its outlet, Carnivore is a buffet restaurant, so for meat lovers, this is a place you must try. We were there for lunch during Deepavali and apparently it was only open for seven days according to the service staff.If you never been to Carnivore before, it has a very interesting concept. After you are seated, order your drinks and proceed to the buffet counter for your side dishes and sauces. Once you are back to your seat, put the sign for SIM, Por Favour (Yes, Please). The knife wielding Passadors (meat waiters) will come to you individually and sever you with the rotisserie-roasted selection of meat. This will goes on and on until you turn the sign to NÃO, Obrigado (No, Thanks).Check out the following on what on offers for on the sauces, salads and side dishes. My suggestions are to stick with something light. Our favourites were the Tomato and Mozarella Cheese, Mash Potatoes and Mushrooms Salad. For sauces, make sure you try Chimichurri, Homemade BBQ Sauce and Capsicum Vinaigrette. Those tangy and acidic sauce will be good to break down the fats in the meat and allow you to eat more.We started on our Carnivore Gastronomic journey with Pork Sausage. It is thick, slightly salty and a bit dry. It will be good if the sausage has more fat in it. Lamb Shoulder, although the board says leg of lamb, I was told by the Passador it was lamb shoulder. It is juicy with slight pinkish in the middle. Expect the lamb to be a springy texture but delicious. Ham, similar taste to our day to day ham, except it is a bit drier due to the roasting.Chicken thigh was well seasoned, tender and succulent. In comparison the Chicken breast with bacon was on the drier side. If you get the Beef Rump on the first cut, it's the best. Nicely done with a good charred and well balance of fats and meat. The best cut of the day in my opinion.Pork belly was all right, with minimum fats but I find it missing the juiciness. Instead tasting like being grilled, it has a texture more like a smoked pork belly. The Beef tenderloin was also good, but it was not as tender and juicy compare to the rump. The fish thick and flavourful. They will need to use those big fishes so the meat does not break down easily.At the end the first cycle of meat, the Passador served the grilled pineapple. It is juicy with a nice caramelisation on the outer part. Good to cut through the jelakness and overwhelming sensation from too much meat. We actually have additional 2 servings of beef, lamb and pineapple before we turn the sign to NÃO, Obrigado (No, Thanks).For desserts, there is an ice kacang station. Yes, this might not be Brazilian, but I never hear anyone complain about ice kacang right Service was excellent, the service staff was very attentive and informative. He actually recommend the Brazilian Guarana. Tasted like red bull with more gas and less sugar. They also clear our plate regularly.The décor is very simple, nice and clean. There are lots of natural light, as they use glasses as wall for the section wall facing the outdoor.Overall, it has been ages since we had our last Brazilian Churrasco. If you have are a meat lover, you must give this place a try. The food here is good, and we find the buffet lunch is really value for money and enough time to digest those proteins. We actually had simple and light dinner that day, as we were stuffed from the lunch. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining exprience, click / copy the link below: http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2014/11/carnivore-grandstand.html

Gurame Indonesian Restaurant ('Gurame') is located in Changi Coast Park, or to be exact it is located in NSRCC Sea Sport Centre. The location is quite secluded and can be difficult to reach without your own set of wheels. Once you are there, you will be rewarded with the clear view of Changi Beach, if you don't mind the tankers or carriers cruising by or the noise of planes landing and taking off.Gurame has indoor and outdoor seating. I suggest that you seat indoor in the afternoon and outdoor in the evening. As there was some team building activities on that day, all the indoor seating was taken.We were in a group of 9 and we were so hungry so we decided to order quite a few dishes. For appetizer, we were served emping (belinjo crackers) with sambal.First batch of the food served was Udang Bakar ($30), Tauge Ikan Asin ($8) and Sambal Terong ($8). The Udang Bakar or Grilled Prawns are fresh. For $30, you get ten big size prawns, butterfly and grilled with sweet sauce. It was grilled perfectly, in low fire and sealed the juiciness of the prawn inside.Tauge Ikan Asin is fried bean sprout with salted fish. The bean sprout was crunchy, but the salted fish seems to have escape and difficult to find. Sambal Terong or Fried EggPlant with Sweet Chilli Sauce looks good, but since me and LD are not eggplants lover we did not touch it. Those who ate it says it was good.Next come Ayam Bakar ($10), Sop Buntut ($8) and Gulai Kepala Ikan ($30). Ayam Bakar is Grilled Chicken with Special Sauce. The chicken is tender for the thigh and drumstick, however it is dry for the breast meat. It is well seasoned and goes well with the sweet sambal. Sop Buntut or Ox Tail Soup has a clear yet robust broth. The meat is tender and fall of the bone.Gulai Kepala Ikan is Gurame version of Curry Fish Head. Served on a claypot, the curry has a thick creamy texture, with average spicy level. The curry tasted a bit sweet and tangy, like the normal gulai in Indonesia. Fish head was fresh.Tahu Telor ($8), Soto Ayam ($7), Cumi Goreng Tepung ($18) and Rendang Sapi ($12) are the last dishes to be served. The Tahu Telor here is slightly different from other Indonesian restaurant version. Looks like giant egg are made from diced beancurd, not the silken tofu. The texture is more rough and harder while we prefer the smooth velvety texture for our beancurd. Soto Ayam is good and robust with the coconut milk add to the richness of the dish, which is different from the Malay version here.Cumi Goreng Tepung / fried battered squid rights, we find that you can't go wrong if you order this dish anywhere in Indonesia or Malaysia. They sure know to handle their squid, it was just crispy, tasty and a little springy.The best dish and the die die must order when you are at Gurame is the Rendang Sapi or Beef Rendang. It is so tasty, tender and the beef just melts in your mouth. The meat absorbs the gravy and the portion is very good.In case you are wondering, we did not order the Fried Gurame (Talipa) because the supplier has not show up to deliver the fish when we place our order. So next time then.

For desserts, I do not recommend their Es Alpokat ($8) – Avocado Juice / Smoothie. They do not served the authentic Indonesian version, using chocolate condensed milk, instead they use brown sugar and it is extremely sweet.The service is friendly but it can be difficult to get their attention at times as they are overwhelm with the other customers in the indoor seating. Overall, the food are delicious and the price of the food is value for money. We look forward to go back to try their fried Gurame. Cheers!!

For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the link below:
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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