For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2015/01/23/hai-tien-lo-weekday-dim-sum-buffet/
Why wait till the weekends for Dim Sum feast when you can indulge in Hai Tien Lo’s weekday Dim Sum Buffet? Award-winning Hai Tien Lo serves classic Cantonese cuisine, in a regal Oriental setting. What we liked-quality morsels, awesome setting and professional service for only $48++. However we weren’t fond of several restrictions on the menu. Diners can have unlimited orders for 15 dim sum selections, but only one serving for each Chef’s Signatures, one serving of soup and 2 servings of dessert. For Hai Tien Lo Specialty (12 in total), each table is limited to only 3 choices.
It’s such a pity that I could only choose one selection out of the 2 soups on the menu. Of course, I went for the more atas Fish Maw with Shredded Abalone and Crab Meat Soup. The sweet crab meat complimented the tasty broth while the generous portion of ingredients gave the thick broth a nice bite. Wished for a couple more bowls but oh well! The other choice was traditional double-boiled soup by the way.
There’re 4 Chef’s Signatures and each person is allowed one serving each. For something decadent, go for the Steamed Pastry Tart with Whole Abalone and Seafood.
Baked Chicken tart with Mushrooms and Mango. The mango adds a touch of sweetness to the savory ingredients encased in the buttery tart.
Steamed Dumpling with Swiftlet Nest, White Fungus and Prawn Paste. Lovely presentation, but this didn’t leave much of an impression.
Stir-fried Carrot Cake with Dried Scallops in Chef’s Signature Homemade Chilli Sauce. It’s alright; I’ve tried better XO carrot cake elsewhere.
We had the following from the Hai Tien Lo Specialty… Juicy and tender Barbecued Duck

Deep-fried Prawns with Oat Flakes. Hugh, fresh and succulent prawns paired with fragrant oats was simply a match made in heaven.
Fresh and delicate Steamed Fillet of Grouper Fish with Vermicelli in Minced Chilli.
The dim sum we ordered from the All-You-Can-Eat section were all competently executed, with some outstanding morsels. Steamed Dumpling Soup with Crab Meat, Fish Maw, Scallops and Prawns in Superior stock.
Steamed Xiao Long Bao
Steamed Dumplings with Scallops, Prawns, Asparagus and Carrots.
Creative and intriguing, the Deep-fried Purple Potato Balls with Minced Chicken and assorted mushrooms should not be missed.
Pan fried Rice Flour Rolls with Chef’s Signature Homemade XO Chilli sauce. Pillowy Steamed Barbecued Honey Pork Bun Buns
Deep-fried Prawns and Salted Egg Dumplings with Bread Crumbs. Rave alert!
To sum up, $48++ per adult is fantastic value for the variety, taste and quality offered at Hai Tien Lo. There’ll always be something new to look forward to, as the menu refreshes every 3 months.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/09/26/mellben-signature-tanjong-pagar/
Many years ago, along with my cousins, I braved outrageous queues and merciless heat at the original Mellben in Ang Mo Kio. It was worth it! Ahh, how I longed to savour the crabs once again, but there is no way I can achieve that with Hubby who will not queue for any food for more than 30 minutes. Plus, Ang Mo Kio and the other branch at Toa Payoh are way too far for us.
Thanks to Groupon, I discovered that another outlet has opened at Tanjong Pagar and reservations are accepted. I dialed immediately (and of course, bought the Groupon voucher).
Located next to Bestway Building, Melben Seafood is less than a 10 minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT. Beside the open-air coffee shop styled seating area (both indoor and outdoor available), are ample car parks. Contrary to many negative reviews with regards to the service, the young girl who served us was very pleasant and patient.
Mellben is famous for their crabs, in particular, Claypot Crab Been Hoon Soup ($55/ 1kg). As the portion of the soup and bee hoon is quite small for 4 of us, we topped up $5 for an additional bowl of soup and $3 for bee hoon. I peeled opened the shell with anticipation and was rewarded with chucks of succulent flesh. Each bite was pure bliss as the meat has absorbed the milky broth. However, the broth was not as robust as I’d have liked, but this was easily fixed with a little chilli padi and soy sauce.
This piping hot bowl of springy bee hoon brought us immense comfort.
Finger-licking good is the Butter Crab ($55/kg), drenched in an enticing creamy sauce, which was not at all cloying. Be quick to finish it, because it’s not as good once cooled down. The crustacean was well-cooked, with meat separating easily from the shell. Fried man tous were the perfect companion to this indulgent dish.
Behold! A massive crab claw. Drooling yet?
Who can ever say no to Salted Egg York Pork Ribs ($15)? Each piece of tender meat is generously coated with Salted Egg Yolk and so well marinated that I could taste the flavor right in the middle.
Pea shoots with Garlic($8) and the classic Garlic Bean Curd Combo with fresh seafood ($15) were both satisfactory and I can see them pleasing most palates.
We were quite disappointed with the Chye Poh Egg ($8) because the preserved radish came in thin shreds, hence lacked bite and burst of saltiness unlike diced chye poh.

Enjoying some leisurely time, albeit temporary, can be really therapeutic. This time, we ticked off Lawry’s Royal Tea off our checklist. The fine dining establishment exudes old world charm and is decked with majestic 4-metre height floor to ceiling windows, offering panoramic views of Orchard Road. Afternoon tea is a more relaxed affair compared to dinner; service was unobtrusive and generally fine, contrasting with the formal butler-like style during the evenings.

Royal Tea is available from Mondays to Saturdays from 2.30-5pm, at $48++ for 2 pax. The set includes a choice of Gryphon Artisan Tea, freshly brewed gourmet coffee or homemade steeped ice tea for each person. Mocktails and Cocktails are also available with a top up of $3 and $8 respectively.

Savory morsels, namely, Prime Beef Yorkshire Roll up, Shrimp Croissant, Chicken Bruschetta and Cucumber Finger Sandwich occupy the upper tier. The most outstanding of all was the Shrimp Croissant, which was buttery and flaked beautifully. The Chicken Bruschetta was lovely too- tasty succulent chicken nesting atop a crisps bread base.

Petite desserts arrived in the form of Raspberry Cream Cheese Pancake, Carrot Cake, Banana Chocolate Parfait, Strawberry English Trifle and Homemade Scones with Devonshire Cream. The superbly moist Strawberry English Trifle gets my vote for the best sweet, followed closely behind by the decadent Banana Chocolate Parfait. Sadly, the scones were failed to enticed as they were markedly doughier than the norm.

Although Lawry’s Royal Tea did not rock my world, it was nonetheless decent and great value.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/09/24/high-tea-at-lawrys/

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2014/01/17/platters-wine-and-bistro-bar/

At Platters, the owners believe the spirit of sharing makes meals more enjoyable. Food are served on wooden platters; diners can choose half or full boards. There are already quite a number of restaurants with communal dining concept, so in this aspect, Platters is not THAT unique. So what sets Platters apart?

Unlike their competitors, the menu changes every 3-4 months. For every season, a different chef will design and create new platters, which reflect their style. For season 6, Chef Jeremy Nguee, chef-owner or Preparazzi, presents modern Singaporean cuisine, in an indulgent fashion.
Attention wine-lovers! Huge selection here!

Both the ambiance and service here are great . If you are unsure how much to order, fret not! Staff are experienced in assisting you to order just the right quantity.

Thunder Thighs and Crackpot Rice aka The Siao Seafood Starter (Half board $38, Full board $68). Picture features half-board serving. Forget about dieting! Feast on French frog legs and soft shell crabs adorned with Tobiko and hollandaise. Carb lovers will love the savory Crab Roe Rice, which we felt was the star of this platter.

Satisfy your inner carnivore with The Maniac Meat Main Course aka Never Die Before (half board $48, Full board $88). There’s lot going on in this dish; intriguing flavors with many different textures. Picture features half-board serving

Tender and chewy Grilled Angus Sirloin lies on a bed of charcoal crumbs, while Truffle Roast Spring Chicken sits atop tasty fat potatoes. Chicken was a wee bit dry and we struggled to detect truffle flavor, which was overwhelmed by rosemary herbs. We were told to enjoy the chicken with nutty Buah Keluak Butter. Superb combination, I must say!
The homemade Foie Gras Terrine added a touch of luxe and went well with the sweet Grape Jelly while fried lotus roots added a delightful, crispy crunch.

We rounded off the meal with pure decadence.

Coffee Caramel Delight aka Fat Die You #1 ($16) consisted of Caramel Fondant, Coffee Jelly, Vanilla Ice Cream, Chili Chocolate Crumble and Peanut Brittle. While the presentation was beautiful, the dessert wasn’t stellar. It was not in line with what we expected. We looked forward to warm caramel oozing out from the caramel fondant, but Chef Jeremy’s version consisted of a pudding-like core.

A satisfying lunch, but we agreed that prices are on the steep side. Bill came up to $120 for 3 of us, and that’s just for food only. Chef Jeremy’s menu will be available till Feb 2014.

For pictures and full review, pls visit:
http://madamechewy.com/2013/12/28/thai-accent/

Mom was in town and since she loved Thai Cuisine, Hubby treated us to Thai Accent. I too love Thai fare because of the strong aromatic components, complex flavors and spiciness.

Thai Accent is quiet and comfortable, with window seating overlooking the waterfront and Sentosa Island. It was a week night and the restaurant was fairly empty. Service was attentive without being intrusive.

The menu is relatively idiot-proof, in plain English without confusing Thai names. Prices are on the high side.

Mango salad with dried shrimp ($9.90) was ok, nothing remarkable.

I was disappointed with the Tom Yam Seafood in Fire Pot ($23.90). Although the seafood was fresh and the serving generous, it sorely lacked the characteristic spiciness that Tom Yam soup should possess. Something must have gone wrong that day because I had the same soup on 2 other occasions and it was nothing like this.

Pad Thai Fried Noodles with Prawns ($13.90) was competently executed, with a decent amount of peanut toppings on the side. Absolutely satisfying!

Stirred fried minced pork with hot basil leaf ($15.90)-let your tongues revel in this spicy and flavorful dish!

Stirred fried Kway Teow with Pork Ribs ($13.90) was not bad. Beautifully marinated, tender ribs and smooth kway teow with a smoky flavor; mix in the chilli flakes and nuts for an extra kick. What more can I ask for?

We ended our dinner with a very average Pandan Leaf Chicken ($14.90)