Qi Ji

We (I, actually) do not want to go to a Japanese restaurant. Neither do we want to spend too much to dine in a restaurant for just a simple lunch. Qi Ji fits the bill for having a simple, quick and cheap meal.

Type
Malay? Although they do sell food like chee cheong fun, etc, the majority still belongs to the the Malay cuisine.

Taste
Nasi Lemak (9/10)


This has always been my favourite in Qi Ji ever since I first tried it years ago. My favourite side dishes are the ever so tasty and crispy but sinful chicken wings, the common but good hotdog, the smooth omelette, the heavenly matched peanut and ikan bilis. Together with the fragrant pandan rice, this dish works perfectly for me. The above was ordered by my hub, so the side-dishes I mentioned were slightly different. I took a bite of rice and ikan-bilis/peanut and it was still as good as before. Yuuuums!

Mee Rebus (8/10)


I ordered their Mee Rebus, which was just as good. The sauce was one of the best creations, in the malay cuisine, I felt. It was a bit too spicy for my tongue this time round. I downed the lime juice down my throat to ease the 'fire' but was enjoying the 'heat' in my mouth. It was rather shiok actually. Heh!

Ambience
It was a rather small shop, as with all other Qi Ji outlets, but that's pretty ok, given the price and the good food it is offering.

Service
üüüüü
It was pretty normal and has got that factory mass-production kinda feel, but again, it's ok.

Price
$$$$$
Pretty value for money. $3.20 for the main dish, $1.50 for drinks. Pretty much like a food court price eh?

Place
Tiong Bahru Plaza
#02-11

Cafe Cartel

It has been a long time since we visited Cafe Cartel. There used to be long queus forming to get into this restaurant, but I guess the fad has died down, as there wasn't any when we were there last saturday lunch time.

Type
Western

Taste

Teriyaki Chicken (7/10)



















It was a new item and the picture on the menu looks extremely appetizing... and erm... quite different from the actual showpiece above. Everything was ordinary. Ironically, the chips was the tastiest among all the items on the plate. :P

Dory Fish (8/10)


















This is good, I tell you. It has got the taste (with a slight crisp on the crust), but not as oil-ladened as that of Fish and Chips. I wonder why my hub has been ordering the 'right' dishes recently as it always appear that his is better. I was telling him that I should follow him in his subsequent orders so that I will be on the 'right track' too. :P

Ambience
Nice cushion, cozy environment.

Service
üüüüü
The service was not that good as the waitress were not smiling (in fact, they looked rather fierce) and showed slight impatience when we asked them questions. It does help explain a little when we looked up and saw signs that show 'No service charge' dangling across the ceilings.

Price
$$$$$
$20 plus for two main course.

Place
Bishan Junction 8
#01-33

Sakae Sushi (Teppanyaki)

Both of us have a coincidental, sudden urge to go to Parkway Parade for our dinner tonight. Love it when we have such good chemistry! :D

My hub was very hungry and wanted to settle for steamboat because that was the first place we passed by when we reached the shopping centre. However, I told him that we should look around for things we have not tried before. Drats! Sort of regretted making that comment because we ended up in a Japanese restaurant, again!

He was drawn to the Teppanyaki corner in Sakae Sushi, something that we have not seen in other Sakae restaurants. We thought it's good to have something for a change. After we were seated, we realised that we were the only ones at the Teppanyaki counter and that we could order Teppanyaki food without being seated there. So we requested to change our seats.



















My hub ordered the Teppanyaki set.

Type
Japanese

Taste

Teppanyaki Chicken Set (7/10)


















Fried Rice and Teppanyaki Chicken (7/10)

I didn't order the set because it comes with squid and salmon, which I don't take. I ordered a fried rice and a Teppanyaki chicken. The fried rice was somewhat different from the usual fried rice - in Japanese style, I guess. Overall, the two dishes were not too bad, but nothing fantastic.

Ambience
Cosy, yet nicely spaced out seats. Only grouse was the very crammed entrance. While queueing at the cashier, we had to constantly move and give way to people moving in and out to the dining area.

Service
üüüüü
The staff were very friendly and obliging when we requested for a change of seat.
Price
$$$$$
$31 after 10% discount from UOB.

Address
Parkway Parade
Basement 1

Xiao Xuan Feng 2

It was already 830pm after we watched 'Ocean's Thirteen'.

My hub suggested going to Xiao Xuan Feng for dinner. It must be the praises I sing so often about Xiao Xuan Feng after my first visit with my mother. :P

As it was rather late, we didn't want to go for a heavy rich-and-dishes meal. So we opted for La Mian. We both had Dan Dan Mian.

Type
Chinese

Taste

Dan Dan Mian (8/10)


















The sauce was plentiful! Yums... Although it was indicated on the menu that this is a spicy item, it actually wasn't. Take my words for it because unlike my family members, I can't really take spicy food.

Sour and Spicy Soup (3/10)



















My husband only took maybe, two? spoonfuls of it. I have never liked sour and spicy soup, but I gave it a try anyway. It further affirms my dislike for this soup. :P

Ambience
As per previous entry

Service
As per previous entry

Price
As per previous entry

Address
As per previous entry

Superdog

If there is any food that would make my day right now, It has to be a Plain Chicken Ripper meal from Superdog... Boy, do I crave for it now! >_<

I was first introduced to this fast food restaurant by my friend. Ever since, I always have this urge to visit Superdog whenever I set my foot in Vivocity. For health reasons, I usually will avoid taking processed meat. But with superdog, I am just a helpless addict.

Even as I blog, I drool at the thought of my teeth slowly sinking into a crispy outer crust of the hotdog and then into the savoury tender meat. Munching the meat together with the hotdog bun, popping two crispy fries into my mouth in between my munches and sipping zappel after each bite just make me wanting to ask for more.

Type
Fast food

Taste

Chilli Fries


















I did not try this because it contains beef. I believe it's goood because my hub ordered this all the time!

Chicken Ripper (10/10)




















The plain Chicken Ripper reminds me of those small pieces of hotdog I used to have when I was in Primary school. This stall I patronised almost everyday sells the best hotdog and laksa I ever know. The hotdog is coated with batter and when dipped into the wok full of smoking oil, surfaced as lightly-browned, mouth-sized chunks of hotdog that is so crispy that it sounded like potato chips when you bite on it. I love it so much that even when I went on to secondary school, I still buy the 30 cents hotdog from the stall owner through the back window (coz outsiders are not allowed in the school compounds). I only stopped being a loyal fan of the food after the school implemented a rule to curb such 'back-door' food selling. Good ol' foodie days... Ok, I digressed. Back to the ripper...

I always ask for plain Chicken Ripper because the sauce would usually soften the outer crust of the hotdog, making it less crispy and that is not acceptable to me. :P

Fries (10/10)



















Fries, whatever shapes and sizes they come in, I love them all the same. Of course, with the exception of those that came in soggy, like those from McDelivery. But this fries I am talking about here in superdog is heavenly good. It has got the crispyness between Long John's and Mac, and yet, is almost as thick as Mos's. A perfect combination, I would say!

Zappel (10/10)
A Zappel's a Zappel's a Zappel. Nothing to rate about actually. But this beverage really complements the good food I have. It's a heavenly add-on for a complete and total dining experience!

Ambience
Very inviting, with cushion seats around. Nice setting.

Service
üüüüü
Not too bad. But could be better in terms of promptness and taking the right orders. I was given normal rippers, when I asked for plain ones on my previous visit.

Price
$$$$$
Considered to be on the higher end, where fast food is concerned.

Place
Vivocity
#B2-40/41

I guess this post is the closest to my theme of goodfood-goodmood so far. I always feel ecstatic and fully satisfied after each visit. It's a matter of preferences, really, because my hub always gives me that indifferent, 'Got THAT good meh?' look. :P

Shredded Chicken Hor Fun

Type
Chinese

Taste
8/10



















It was savoury. The sauce was good, the hor fun springy, the chicken not rubbery.

Ambience
Normal Kopitiam Environment

Service
üüüüü
No complaints

Price
$$$$$
$2 only. Cheap and good. :)

Place
Redhill Road Blk 75D

Kublai Khan Mangolian B.B.Q

Finally. My hub kept his promise of bringing me to this restaurant after sooo many years! >_<
I had a rude shock at the entrance. We had to pay upfront first (which was ok), but the price was actually $68 for two pax! Grr... and to think it's my turn to give the treat. :P

Type
Mongolian

Taste

Anyway, we headed straight to the BBQ section, or whatever you called it. We were given three types of meat and quite a few variety of vegetables to choose from. After which, a staff added sauces into the bowl. There are four different jars of sauces: One unlabelled (I suspect it's a secret sauce that makes the food so savoury), ginger juice, garlic juice and dang, I forgot the last one! We were supposed to pass the bowl of ingredients with sauces to the man behind the glasses, so that he could cook for us on that big stone grill. It was all done in a jiffy!

BBQ meat and vegetables (10/10)


















Ok, I know it looks rojak and it's not very convincing if I say the food was fantastic, but that's what it really was! One bowl is enough to keep my fill, but I actually went for another big bowl before I go for my desserts. Although I can physically feel (no kidding!) my stomach intestines bursting, I carried on to stuff the goodies into my mouth. Yeah, it's THAT good.

Ee-Fu Noodles (8/10)





















Ee Fu Noodles has always been my favourite, so almost all the Ee-Fu noodles I have tasted are nice to me. This is no exception. However, it does have that extra thing that makes it better than the usual Ee-Fu noodles. Not bad!

There were many other food varieties, but not all were as good as it seems. Like the chilli crab, sharks fins soup, sushi, teppanyaki chicken etc... so I shan't be listing them here.

Ambience
The first feeling that I got after entering was similar to that I had of a typical restaurant in Taiwan we went to more than 15 years ago. :P Well, that's around the time my hub first came to the restaurant. The deco are a mixture of 80s' wooden furniture, modern ceiling lights and dangling christmas balls (yes, they have not removed it yet!)

Service
üüüüü
Quite difficult to get the attention of the staff, but once gotten, they were pretty prompt in getting what you want.

Price
$$$$$
Ex lor! *complains* but for that bowl of bbq, it was well worth it. ;)

Place
9 Penang Road
#04-01, Park Mall

Out of the Pan

Type: French. This shop's speciality is in crepe. And according to the definition on the web, a crepe is "a type of very thin cooked pancake usually made from wheat flour. The word, like the pancake itself, is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning 'curled'. "

Taste

Cream of Mushroom : 8/10
Rich and Creamy


















Green salad (5/10)
Too bland. Oh wells, it is fresh and healthy.


















Fruitti Tutti Salad (8/10)
Nice and sweet! :)


















This in a appetizer indeed! It's not only appetizing in terms of the colourful look, but also very appetizing to the tongue

Cheese Chicken Sausage Normal Crepe (7/10)


















It's really nice. I was expecting it to be very heavy and cheesy, but it wasn't. :)

Korean BBQ Pork with Kimchi Tomato sun-dried Crepe (8/10)
This is really fragrant and tasty! I have not tasted Kimchi before, but if kimchi tastes like this, I can only give thumbs up for this korean specialty!


















Ambience
Quite an open area, with many onlookers from the level above and those taking the escalators. Not suitable for people who prefer private corners. What I liked was the fountain and the wave-like gushes just next to our seat. It gave us a different feel and something that we can look at when we had nothing better to do.

Service
üüüüü
Friendly and prompt service

Price
$$$$$
I spent about $50 plus for the above.

Place
City Hall Basement 1

Xiao Xuan Feng

小旋风. Don't you just love the name? I do! It was only opened for 2 months, but there are already many people who flocked to the place for meals. I wouldn't be surprised if some are attracted to the place because of the name too. ;P

Whenever there is a new kid in the block, I would definitely patronise the restaurant with either my hub or my mother. This week, my mother was all alone at home as my brother is out having fun at Genting >.<*, so I decided to bring her out to this place for a meal.

Type
Chinese

Taste
Eight Treasure Tea (5/10)























When I took my first sip, I was like, 'What did they put inside?' If you like those chinese tonic, then this is the beverage for you. Since young, I have always disliked the taste. It's nothing but bitter liquid to me.

To order another drink and thus waste the current order, however, is just not my practice. So I thought I will just bear with it and finish up the pot with my mother. Surprisingly, after a few cups, I can taste the sweet aftertaste, that probably comes from the crysanthemum, and some other flowers that the waitress claimed was included in the tea. Still, I prefer my good ol' chinese tea. :P


Sauteed Mini Vegetables (Xiao Bai Nai) 8/10


















This dish is really nice. It looks easy to prepare, but to make such a simple dish so savoury and at the same time not too bland nor salty, I think it requires a certain level of skill. I would really be happy if I can cook this kinda standard at home. *dreams*


Sweet and Sour Shredded Pork (9/10)


















I was full of praises for this dish. I am not the lohsoh type who will repeat the same thing so many times. But subconsciouly, I kept telling my mom. "Jin ho chiak" heh... it's really good.


Xiao Long Bao (7/10)


















It's probably one of the best I have tasted. It's skin is not too thick, the soup inside taste good. Perhaps I am not so into Xiao Long Baos, so 7 is all I can give.

Ambience
It has many cheena items all over the restaurant. Seriously, I wouldn't give a hoot, but am glad that it entertained my mother, who seemed to be intrigued by the deco.

Service
üüüüü
The service was pretty good. From getting us to wait for the seats, to the ordering, to the payment of the bills, the staff were very friendly and polite. The cashier even asked how we find the food. When we told her that we liked the food very much, which is the truth, she was very happy. I can see that she is genuinely happy that the restaurant is receiving good feedback, even though it's not owned by her. If I were to be a boss, I would want to hire such staff! :P

Price
$$$$$
After a 10% discount for NTUC members, it only cost $27 for the above. Good deal for such a fantastic meal.

Place
Tiong Bahru Plaza
#01-15

Thai Express

Type
Thai

Taste

Curry Chicken Rice (8/10)
Yum yum... the gravy is savoury and delicous. Not too heavy.


















Beef Kway Teow (8/10)

I don't take beef, if you didn't know by now. But this plate certainly looks very very appetising. I believe it is good because my hubby connoiseur gave thumbs up for this.


Pancake Popiah (9/10)


















I don't really know why they call it this, but who cares? This dish is really good! And it taste even better with the Thai Chilli Sauce. I don't usually dip my food into sauces, but this Thai Chilli Sauce might make me a convert.



















Omelette wrap (6/10)

We ordered above $20 and is entitled to free omeletter wrap if we use a Standard Chartered Bank card. So so only. Don't tell me it's because it's compliementary? :P



















Ambience
Casual

Service
üüüüü
Not too bad. Though there was once they make us stand at the counter for 15 minutes because they charge us the bill for another table. :P

Price
$$$$$

Place
Tiong Bahru Plaza
#02-09/10