For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/06/25/royal-china-dim-sum/
To bid my cousin farewell prior to his 2-year study stint in France and Italy, I took him to lunch at the high-raved Royal China located at the prestigious Raffles Hotel. This is a popular restaurant; advance reservations must be made to secure a table.
My first impression on the service was, well, not good. No greeting whatsoever upon entering, not even a nod of acknowledgement.
Surprisingly enough, Royal China originates from London, which may explain the exquisite modern décor. Tiffany blue hues, pristine white dining furniture, tablecloths and china set the tone of sophisticated refinement.
The aunty waitress who took our order was friendly, brownie point for that. However, it was difficult to catch anyone’s attention when we needed our teapot refilled and we wanted to order more items later on.
Bite-sized Baked Egg Tart ($4.80) was very ordinary. Ever since I tried Yan Ting’s egg tart, I have never came across any that can match up to theirs.
Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($5.60). Fresh, flavorsome and crunchy prawns encased in smooth skin. Its simplicity at its finest. Mention-worthy were the size of the pawns, I had to take a few bites to finish a single dumpling.
I never pass the chance to order my favorite Liu Sa Bao/ Salted Egg Yolk Bun($4.80). Although Royal China’s rendition includes fresh mango juice (I dislike mango), it didn’t deter me from getting a basket. Molten, flowy golden liquid check! Pillowy buns check! However, this mixture of sweet and savory custard wasn’t my cup of tea.
Baked BBQ Pork Puff ($4.80) was another hit. Nibble the buttery, flaky pastry to reveal generous filling of lean pork meat. We like that the BBQ sauce was not overly sweet.
Other popular classics we had were Steamed Pork Dumpling with Wolfberry($5.60) and Pan-fried Bean curd roll stuffed with minced prawn ($5.60). Both were average.
I’d stop short of recommending the Wok-fried Cheung fun with homemade XO sauce ($8.80). It didn’t look anything like the photo in the menu which enticed us to order it, and lacked the robust flavor one would expect from XO sauce. Taste Paradise’s rendition is wayyyy better.
Century egg and lean pork congee ($6.80). Don’t you just love congee with chuck of century egg in them?
I love taro and I love scallops, so ordering Deep-fried yam puff with Scallop in Portuguese Sauce ($5.60) was a no brainer. While the morsels were a tad oily, the smooth yam, crispy crust and unique Portuguese sauce made up for it. Wished the scallops were thicker though, but then again, for the price, I consider it a good deal.

Having dined at Taste Paradise and Yan Ting, I wasn’t particular impressed with Royal China’s offerings and service. I mean, they were not bad, but they weren’t spectacular either. Worth a try but I’ll choose Taste Paradise or Yan Ting for my dim sum fix in a heartbeat.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/06/18/lenu/
Paradise Group has gone from gone from strength to strength, opening a number of new outlets in recent months. Hubby and I visited LeNu (literally means “happy cow”) on a Saturday to try their Taiwanese braised beef noodles. The concept is frills-free casual dining; tick off the items you want on order sheet, then proceed the cashier for payment. Noodles will be served to your table.
We started our meal with some refreshing appetizers.
Chilled silken tofu with century egg ($2.90) was well-executed- delicately soft, silky tofu with a lovely combi of sweet and sour flavors. Seconds please!
I wasn’t too fond of the Chilled Cucumbers ($2.90), as I found them too sweet.
Since I have not travelled to Taiwan, I have no idea how LeNu’s offerings stack up to Taiwan’s iconic street dish. LeNu works on 4 “Jin” (essence), in the pursuit of perfecting authentic braised beef noodles- the broth, specialty noodles, premium beef cuts and signature dipping sauce.
On every table, there is a pot of homemade dipping sauce (I believe it’s made from fermented beans), freshly prepared every morning. The sauce is meant to elevate the taste and richness of the premium beef; however, we were taken aback by its saltiness.
Braised Wagyu Beef Noodles ($16.90), with fork-tender slices of beef. You can choose from authentic braised beef soup, braised beef soup with pickled cabbage, hot and spicy braised beef soup. The broth is flavorful and robust, bursting with beefy goodness, all thanks to the 18 hours of simmering. We preferred the Hot and Spicy Braised beef soup and Broad noodles over the Authentic Braised beef soup with thin noodles ($6.90). If you’d like more bite, go for the broad noodles; the thin noodles were soft and only slightly springy.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/06/04/island-cafe/

Oooo, Tangs Member Sales! MIL and I shopped for hours, and it was time for refuelling. I was craving for laksa, so MIL suggested Island Cafe, well-known for their crayfish laksa and Asian fare.
Located on level 4 in Tang Orchard, the cafe is a great for taking a break from all the shopping. While the hawker fare at Tangs Market in basement 1 is very yummy, we were simply too tired to wait around for a table. It’s much more comfy to rest your tired legs (and aching body) at the spacious (and less crowded), resort-styled Island Cafe.

Emphasis is placed on Asian dishes, such as Hor fun and Kuey Tiao. If you prefer western fare, salads and sandwiches are also available.
Refreshing Summer Passion mocktails ($6.50) to rejuvenate exhausted shoppers.
A sight to warm any laksa lover’s heart, no?
Island Cafe’s signature, crayfish laksa ($20), a rich and spicy coconut gravy with thick rice vermicelli, prawns, quail eggs, fish cafe, cockles and crayfish. Comes piping hot, so be careful as you dig in! I recommend putting the apron provided on to prevent stains on your clothes.
Hainanese Pork Chop Rice ($16) was decent too. The breaded pork chop had a crispy exterior, yet most and tender on the inside. Drizzled with Hainanese style tomato sauce.
We ended our meal with a complimentary birthday cake. Carrot cake was ok, nothing to shout about.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/05/08/mad-for-garlic/
A couple of months back, Hubby and I checked out Mad for Garlic at Clarke Quay. Hubby is a fan of garlic and when I noticed the Groupon deal, I bought it in a snap ($17.50 for $40 worth of food).
Originating from Korea, Mad for Garlic is a garlic-themed restaurant dishing out Italian fare. The Clarke Quay branch also boasts a full service bar and an extensive selection of wines. Apart from the restaurant, you can choose to dine alfresco too.
I have an unabashed love affair for mussels, especially when they are doused in tomato-based sauce. My eye zoomed at the Sautéed Fresh Mussels in chunky tomato sauce and coarsely chopped garlic ($32.40). Alternatively, you can have it cooked in garlic cream sauce.
It was yummy and certainly very fresh, but could have been better if some chilli was included to add another dimension to the flavour. I ordered white bread ($3) to mop up every single drop of the delicious garlic tomato sauce. Dracula will not stand a chance with my breath, haha!
Hubby’s Clam and Seafood Pasta ($23.50) with white wine sauce. It comes with prawns but because Hubby has prawn allergy, we requested for clams and squid instead. While the springy pasta was commendable, the broth was mediocre- garlic and white wine flavours were not prominent enough.
Would have love to try their signature Garlic Berry and Ice cream, but alas we ran out of time. What a pity.

M was in town so I had an accomplice to satisfy my curiosity on much-raved-about Iggy’s. Named after its founder, award-winning Sommelier and restaurateur Ignatius Chan, Iggy’s is ranked 14 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014. We arrived with high expectations.
The entrance is somewhat like “Aladdin’s cave”. Upon entering, the staff welcomed us warmly. Service was attentive, without being over-zealous. I must commend that the staff were genuinely helpful. After ordering our set lunches ($65++ for 2 courses, $85++ for 3 courses and $105++ for 4 courses), my camera battery went flat *horrors*. Thankfully, the waitress found a charger and lead us to another table near a power point. 2 thumbs up!
The cooking-style is modern fusion. Flavours were subtle and never over-powering. Creative presentation, top-notch ingredients, but dishes lack an element of surprise. We came anticipating to be charmed but went home feeling “meh”. I mean… it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t mind blowing as I expected it to be.
Sundried Tomato Foccacia and Wholemeal Sourdough
Chilled Gazpacho sorbet with Tomato Salad Amuse Bouche provided a much needed relief from the sweltering heat outdoors.
Wagyu beef appetizer with red bell pepper “pappardelle” and pomegranate.
M’s luxurious appetiser-generous portion of Foie gras with artichoke, white asparagus and Alba Black truffle
For the second course, we both selected Iggy’s signature Cappellini with crunchy Sakura Ebi and Konbu. Tossed in Shellfish oil, each strand of pasta had an intense crustacean flavour.
For the mains, 70 °C Wagyu cheek with Pinot Noir and Hearts of palm fared much better compared to Pork Belly with Gobo, yam and kinkan. While the Waguy cheek main was flavoursome and melts in the mouth, the Pork Belly dish tasted flat and dull.
Inspired by Singapore’s popular breakfast , Iggy’s Kaya and Teh Tarik dessert is a creative spin on the well-loved staple. The soft brioche French toast had a beautifully caramelised exterior. Served with a thickened custard-textured kaya and bittersweet teh tarick ice cream. Lip smackingly yummy!
Vanilla ice cream on a bed of banana, served with Araguani chocolate, espresso, hazelnut. Not the most innovative dessert, but nevertheless satisfied my sweet-tooth
The waitress asked what coffee/tea would like to have, so we mistakenly assumed that hot beverage was part of the set lunch. The $10 tip I intended to give the waitress for her fantastic service went into paying for this exorbitantly priced small cup of Cappuccino ($11.70 after GST and service charge).
We were lukewarm towards the set lunch. Perhaps dinner will enchant? We’ll try, maybe, someday.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/04/24/iggys/