Peramakan

The Peranakan restaurant everybody's talking about. :)

I did a poll on which dish everyone like best...

Ikan Masak Kuah Nanas (6/10)

That's my husband's favourite. I don't really like it though.



Bakwan Kepiting (10/10)

That's my favourite. It's the BEST Bakwan Kepiting that I have ever tasted. The meat was tender and the soup was light, yet flavourful. All my family members each took a bite of the Bakwan. They find it nice, but were not as excited about this dish as me. :P




Satay Babi Goreng (6/10)

That's my brother's favourite (it has to be - because he ordered it! ha!)

It doesn't work for me as there were too many fatty parts.




Chap Chye (6/10)

So far, I have not had a Peranakan chap chye that impresses me. Not even at Peramakan. Even the chap chye at kopitams/food courts can score better. :P

Nobody chose this as their favourite.

Ayam Buah Keluak (9/10)

That's my mom's favourite (and also mine too - can have 2 favouriteS? :P)

Dessert time!

Buboh Pulot Hitam (3/10)

My brother was like so proud of his order, and that prompted me to try.

I didn't like it AT ALL, but I guess it's boils down to my preference, rather than the standard of the dessert.

Buboh Terigu (3/10)

Didn't like my mom's order too. >.<

Apom Balik

Mine is still the best choice!

Just when all of us were boasting away on what a wise decision we have made on our own dessert, my hub stayed quiet as he feeds himself with his durian pengat in a robotic manner.

Bro: "Mine is the best"

Me: "No, mine is the best. Yours sucks"

Mom: "No, Mine is the BEST!"

*Brief Pause*

Hub: Mine sucks.

lol! We had a good laugh back then.

Durian Pengat (7/10)

I wouldn't say it's that bad, but after a few spoonsful, you can get rather sick of it.

Address
Level 3, Keppel Club

10 Bukit Chermin Road

Singapore 109918

(5 minutes drive from Vivo City/HarbourFront)

Price

$112 for 4 pax

Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant

For someone who doesn't take sashimi or try something different, Bento's a safe bet. :P

Tenpura Bento (7/10)



I would rate the food in this bento average, but the potato salad was exceptional! I can have just one whole plate of that for my lunch!

Salmon Sashimi

My hub enjoyed this dish, but felt that the salmon he had last year at Nogawa were better.

Don't you agree that it looks very appetizing with the flower? :D



Half Cooked Salmon Belly Sushi

My hub was full of praises for this...



... and this.

Half-cooked Scallop and prawn sushi

These half-cooked sushis, according to the waitress, are very popular in the restaurant.

Address

22 Scotts Road

Goodwood Park Hotel

Ba Kut Teh @ TPY

It's comforting to know that my hubby didn't like my Ba Kut Teh, not because it wasn't tasty, but because he preferred the 'Teochew' version of it.

This Teochew guy has this satisfied and contented look after eating the following...

Teochew Bu Kut Teh (8/10)

... with this.

Tau Pok (8/10)

Address

Toa Payoh Central

(I couldn't find the exact address on the web, but according to the online map, it's at Blk 179. It's a shop by its own and has been advertised on media before)

If anybody knows the shop name, do let me know!

Brown Sugar

Mushroom Sphagetti (3/10)

The pasta was not well-cooked. My mouth was aching after the continuous chewing. The sauce was good though, but it doesn't help much. :P

Wagyu Burger



Their signature - Molten 100% Valrhona Chocolate Cake (8/10)

BBQ Chicken

Can you believe my hub wanted to try the food here (even though we have had our meal at Mr Chicken Rice), just because it 'uses 100% olive oil'?

"It's healthier" he said.

*face palm* relatively speaking, maybe yes. But Fried Food? Healthy?



Fried Chicken (7/10)

Anyway, it was so-so only. Nothing fanciful. The olive oil thing was probably used to reduce the guilt. :P



Place
1 Pasir Ris Close #02-121/122,
E!Hub, Downtown East

Mr Chicken Rice

I have heard so much about him, or rather, his famous chicken rice at Mandarin Hotel. It got me really curious how different his chicken rice is, from the normal chicken rice stall in a hawker or kopitiam.

Years passed and I have yet made a trip down to Mandarin Hotel to satisfy my curiosity. It's the price, no question about it.

If not for my hub, I could have passed by this 'Mr Chicken Rice' shop, thinking that it's just another chicken rice eatery.



"It's owned by the Mandarin Hotel Chicken Rice chef"

That got me really excited. 'Posh' chicken rice at civilian's price? There's no time to wait!



Chicken (6/10)

I must, however, admit that I am disappointed. Putting aside the fact that I raised my expectations way too high, this chicken dish is still not on par with the standards of a typical 'good chicken rice stall'.



Vegetables (6/10)



Soup (7/10)



So what's missing here? Chef Low himself? The hotel environment? Or is this simply a case of poor expectation management? ... Or, is this really how it taste like at Chatterbox? :p Branding.

Oh, btw, if you haven't been to downtown east for years, do check it out one of these days. I enjoyed myself thoroughly when I was there! :D

Place
Downtown East
#02-120

Thai Accent

Ok, it's my fault for insisting that 3 dishes and 1 Soup and a staple is just about nice for the two of us. It's not. :P

I was just too hungry and it's not everyday that I can get my hub to enter a Thai Restaurant, ya know?

Stir Fried Kang Kong with Shrimp Paste (8/10)

It was so tasty that I kept digging into it. There's a price to pay, though. I gulped downa few glasses of water after I reached home. Must be the MSG. :P




Pineapple Rice (8/10)





Stir fried beancurd with minced pork and mushroom (8/10)




Green Curry Chicken (7/10)

Ever since a Thai acquaintance told us that one can tell how good a restaurant is by trying Green Curry Chicken, this dish is always on my list whenever I order food in a Thai Restaurant.



Tom Yam Prawn Soup (Clear soup base) (7/10)




We left the place with a bloated tummy and half a bowl of green curry chicken behind. :P

Place
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-145/146 VivoCity

Baba King

Ok, I admit that the show 'The little Nyonya' did influence me, a partial Nyonya, into wanting to eat Peranakan food. :P

I especially wanted to try the Chicken Ponteh, which they kept emphasizing throughout the show.

Chicken Ponteh Buah Keluak (8/10)

The meat was very tender and flavourful but it wasn't really what I have expected - the show raised my expectations too high. :P



Beef Curry



Sambal Long Beans (7/10)



Fish Maw Soup (8/10)

Also longed to have this soup after watching the show. :P I'd say this soup is a good dish to complement the other strong and flavourful but heavy dishes. Light with a tinge of sweetness. Sedap. :)



Service

Blur and bochup staff. There were many staff but none of them attended to us when we were standing at the entrance. Gave us 4 sets of cutlery when there are only two of us. Waiter almost wanted to put the cutlery and serviette on top of small puddles of water on the table (that they are supposed to wipe off but did not). :P

Their boss used to chat with my hub and his colleagues as they were regulars. Hub said their service used to be better when their boss was around. :P

Place
Baba King Nonya Delicatessen Pte Ltd
1 Expo Drive, #01-31
Singapore Expo

Baystreet 21

Beef Set

They gave my hub a very 'well-done' steak even though he requested for a medium-well.

Sweet and Sour fish (7/10) with rice (1/10)

The rice was very hard to chew I had to stop after 2 spoons. :(

Almond Jelly (5/10)

Disappointing.

Place

IMM Building

#02-28

Streets Cafe Restaurant

Mayo fries (7/10)

We ordered this because we liked novelty of the fries being cooked with mayo, although we have absolutely no idea how they are going to do it. LOL We should have known better.



They came separately. :P

Nissin noodles with fried chicken (8/10)



Milk Tea (7/10)



Green Tea with Aloe Vera, wolfberry and lychee (9/10)
- I can't remember the exact name but it's just as long!

A very innovative way of putting different ingredients together. It works for me.



Place

IMM
2 Jurong East Street 21
#01-126

Fish & Co

Garden Salad (8/10)



New York Fish & Chips (8/10)

They offered so many types of fish & chips in their latest promotions. For a moment, we couldn't decide which to choose!




Place
AMK Hub
#02-03

Barcelos Flame Grilled Chicken

There were queues everywhere.

We spotted this as we walked along to search for a less crowded restaurant. Hungry, we knew we shouldn't look further.

1/4 Chicken - Mild Peri; with Coleslaw (5/10)



Wedges (7/10)



Chicken Pitta Pocket - Tangy Lemon (8/10)



View from our seats



Service

The ordering process took quite long because the trainee was quite blur. They don't have this and they don't have that and the cashier guiding the trainee was rather unfriendly. The waiter serving the table was friendly and helpful but very inexperienced. He came back three times to me, each time asking a different question (need a glass? ice? straw?). I would have preferred he asked or did all these at one go. Oh well, at least he made an effort!

Place
Vivo City, Level 2
Unit 91-93

Chen Fu Ji

Appetiser (some fish strips) - 8/10



The following looks like some really posh dish you see on tv huh? The background of Suntec Shopping Centre is a giveaway. :P



Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice (8/10)

The famous expensive fried rice that created quite a stir a decade or so ago. According to their website, there is 'No hint of oil' in their fried rice. Wow, if this is true, I wonder how did they do that?

I find the fried rice good, but it's not something that I will be hooked to. My hub likes it very much - Must be the expensive crab meat on top, which ironically, I prefer to do without. :P



Roast Duck (8/10)


This is surprisingly good. :)





Barley Drink (9/10)

Must try!



We were the only customers back then and it was dinner time! There were so many staff idling around (not that they want to). I wonder how are they going to survive at this rate...

Place
Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard
#03-18