I usually walk by this place and see people enjoying their food and drinks in the alfresco setting but I didn't really like the idea of being subjected to the fumes from the heavy traffic along Orchard Road while baking in the heat. During one Saturday evening, a friend suggested eating here since other places seem to be having very long queues so we ended up here and managed to grab one of the last few tables or else we had to queue again.

First up was the shellfish bisque which was full of seafood freshness and flavours but not to the extent of being overwhelming. I have tasted versions which tend to be a bit strong on the fishy taste so this should be quite acceptable to most people.The lychee smoothie was good in the sense that it took away the heat felt due to the lack of aircon and wasn't too sweet.As for the honey glazed chicken, there isn't a lot to say about it since I felt that it was just so-so. I couldn't taste which part of it was "honey glazed" and the chicken felt a bit dry so this wasn't very satisfactory in my opinion.

I had visited Gurney Culture at the airport and thought that this restaurant was the same as that but sad to say, it wasn't. Other than the name, the wow factor at Gurney was not to be seen here. The signature prawn mee was seriously lacking in the aroma which I suspect could be due to the use of chicken rather than spare ribs. Having tasted the pork edition which made the soup a bit robust than the chicken version, I think the gap in the tastes made it rather difficult for me to appreciate the latter.

As for the Penang ice-kacang, it tasted rather different from the local version we are used to which is full of colourful syrups. There was a strong spice taste in the shaved ice which I couldn't place my finger on and the pieces of dried sweet garnishings (forgot what they were) felt a bit out of place with the dessert. Maybe it was just us who couldn't appreciate this dessert since this was the first time we ate it.

Anyone who has walked past Au Chocolat will probably have the impression that they are all about desserts and cakes. That was the same thought until I realised that they have a cafe/restaurant further down the corridor when I needed to find a place to grab an afternoon snack.

I order the calamari and tiramisu which were both good in their own ways. One thing I always find lacking in calamari is that if the squid used isn't fresh, it destroys the whole feel of the dish. Au Chocolat's version was pretty good and the batter helped to bring out the freshness of the squid within. Overall, I felt that it was a great combination. As for the espresso tiramisu, I liked the texture of it i.e. not too wet nor dry and was very flavourful. The cute heart-shaped cookie at the edge of the cup was an added bonus.

For more pictures and a more detailed review, please visit my blog: http://shokushisouseikatsu.blogspot.com/2013/02/trying-new-hang-out-place-au-chocolat.html

For the detailed review and more photos, please visit my blog: http://shokushisouseikatsu.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-of-shin-sapporo-ramen-century.htmlI had the Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen along with the pork gyoza and two kushiyaki i.e. pork and chicken wing. The tonkotsu soup was on the lighter side but nonethless flavourful but the noodles could do with a bit more thickness so as to absorb the soup better. Otherwise, the noodles on its own tend to be a bit tasteless. As for the gyoza, the quality was a bit uneven because those which were not burnt on the outside managed to keep the filling juicy while those which were burnt made the filling dry up. Some of the kushiyaki options were not available when I was there so I settled for the pork and chicken wing versions. The pork kushiyaki was well-seasoned and nicely grilled but the chicken wing version felt a bit bland on the inside.

For a detailed review with more photos, please visit here: http://shokushisouseikatsu.blogspot.sg/2013/01/chiso-zanmai-central.html

Chiso Zanmai offers a Japanese buffet where the spread is changed monthly and usually focuses on a specific place or region of Japan. If I remember correctly, the theme was Okinawa when I visited the restaurant. On the whole, this is a good place to taste local delicacies of various regions in Japan at a pretty low price. On the other hand, it was a series of hits and misses for me as I found that some items were lacking while some did impress me. It pretty much depends on your personal preferences and expectations as to whether you would enjoy your meal here.