Platypus Kitchen at Bugis Junction --- 2nd visit

Reminiscing the wonderful pasta and dining experience we had previously (read the post here), my friend and I are back at Platypus Kitchen.

We were expecting a small crowd at the restaurant but it was surprisingly empty at 6.30pm. We were lucky as the crowd started to stream in after 7pm. Subsequent groups of people had to queue outside the restaurant. Phew! (:  

Similar to lunch deals, Platypus Kitchen also offers Dinner Set Meals from $16.90 and every set meal includes a hot soup or side salad and a cold beverage. However, there are fewer pasta choices for the dinner set meals in comparison to the lunch set meals. To be spoilt for choice, do visit during lunch hours instead!

My friend and I decided to order ala-carte to try new sides and desserts. For my main, I decided to try the Lemon Prawn Parpadelle ($16.50). Had a craving for something tangy ^^

 

Lemon Prawn Parpadelle

 

My pasta is basically parpedelle tossed in zesty lemon pomodoro sauce with grilled prawns and tomatoes. The grilled prawns were very fresh and 'crunchy', love it! The pomodoro sauce was good and I squeezed the lemon for additional flavour.

My friend ordered the Wild Mushroom Risotto ($16.90). You can choose to top up $1.90 to add shaved truffles. Good deal!  

Wild Mushroom Risotto

 

The Wild Mushroom Risotto is made up of creamy risotto simmered with assorted mushrooms and bacon, and finished with chives. I tried a mouth of the risotto and the wild mushroom flavour was strong and distinct. For mushroom lovers, you will definitely enjoy this dish!

For our sides, we agreed to try something special. Chocolate Chilli Fries.

Chocolate Chilli Fries

(Note: there is beef in it!)

The chocolate chilli fries was a BIG disappointment! There was no hint of chocolate or spiciness in the sauce at all! It tasted like the usual beef Bolognese sauce -.- Furthermore, the fries were very oily. I gave up on the dish after 2 bites.     

For desserts, we had the Bailey's Extraordinaire ($8.90).

Bailey's Extraordinaire

(Pardon the super blur photo. I didn't check after taking the photo -.-)

The dessert is basically Bailey-infused Terrine mousse served with crisp biscotti and topped with chocolate-coated popping candy and rich chocolate sauce. Once again, my friend and I were slightly disappointed. The dessert tasted just like a Cookies & Cream dessert with zero hint of Bailey. Was it supposed to be like that? Hmm...

Although the sides and dessert were disappointing, the pastas and risottos will still have me going back for more.

Cheers,

Mari 

Tae Woo Korean Restaurant at Central (Clarke Quay)

Hello everyone!! 

 

I've been on 3 months hiatus but I'm now back for more food reviews! To kickstart my first post in 2014, I will be introducing a must-visit to all Korean food lovers. *drum roll* Tae Woo Korean Restaurant (태우반점)!! 

 

It was an unexpected discovery as I browsed through the food directory guide in the mall. Realising that Tae Woo Korean restaurant serves Jjajangmyeon (짜장면), how can I give it a miss! I have expressed my love for Jjajangmyeon in my first food review here <3

Tae Woo Korean restaurant was a little tough to navigate but here we (Will and I) are!

 

Since it was our first visit, we decided to go with the Summer Course (여름 코스요리) to try out a variety of dishes. The Summer Course includes 6 dishes and costs $29 per pax (minimum 2 pax to order). Quite a good deal!! There are also other set meals for groups of 3 pax or more.  

 

Dish No.1: Cold dish (냉채)

 Cold dish (냉채)

The cold dish consists of Jelly fish, special Cold beef and Century egg. The jelly fish was VERY sour on first bite. Don't think it's over! The spiciness from the chillies topped on the jelly fish hits you several seconds after. Although I did not enjoy the jelly fish, it will be a favourite for people who love sour and spicy food. Thankfully, unlike the jelly fish, the special cold beef tasted normal and good!

Dish No. 2: Scorched Rice with Crabmeat Soup (누룽지 게살스프) 

Scorched Rice with Crabmeat Soup (누룽지 게살스프)

I have never seen such a soup before and it tasted better than it looked. If it was less starchy, I would have been able to finish the whole bowl. The soup has white foam-like egg white, shreds of crabmeat, enoki mushrooms and scorched rice in it. I absolutely loved the chewy texture of the softened scorched rice in the soup!

Dish No. 3:  Fried Chicken with Hot Soy Bean Sauce (유린기)

Fried Chicken with Hot Soy Bean Sauce (유린기)

Fried chicken in soy sauce is a favourite among Koreans as the sauce is a light and refreshing alternative in comparison to starch-thickened sauces. The fried chicken was crispy and delicious but I would prefer to have the sauce served separately. The crispy skin absorbs the soy sauce and it can be a little too salty. 

Dish No. 4: Prawn with Chilli Sauce (간소새우)  



 Prawn with Chilli Sauce (간소새우)

My second favourite dish of the course! The sauce is more of sweet and sour with a tinge of spiciness. Prawns were fresh and I loved the crunchiness of the diced vegetables (onions, carrots etc). Thumbs up!

Dish No. 5:  Sauteed Shredded Pork with Green Pepper (고추잡채 꽃빵)

Sauteed Shredded Pork with Green Pepper (고추잡채 꽃빵 )

The sautéed pork and vegetables was delicious. It is salty on its own, but perfect with the buns! Simply tear the bun into half or make a hole in the bun, and stuff the sautéed meat and vegetables into the bun.   

Dish No. 6: Black Bean Sauce Noodle (짜장면)  



Black Bean Sauce Noodle (짜장면)

 

 

My favourite dish of the course, Jjajangmyeon 짜장면! Looking at the black bean sauce just whets my appetite. The Jjajangmyeon did not disappoint me at all. Chewy noodles and the savoury black bean sauce (generous amount of onions in it!), Yummy!! 

After our meal, we were each given a slice of watermelon.

I will definitely be back to try the sweet sour pork (탕수육) and have more Jjajangmyeon! I can never get tired of it ^^

 

 

Tae Woo Korean Restaurant (태우반점)

6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-84, Central
Singapore 059817
Tel: 6224 8284

Cheers,
Mari

Platypus Kitchen at Bugis Junction

Last post for the year 2013! ^^

At Platypus, one is able to enjoy affordable gourmet risottos and pastas. I have scanned through the menu and found that most of the menu items are below $20!! I love it that they believe "Gourmet food should be Affordable" <3 Besides ensuring freshest handmade pasta for consumers, top quality ingredients are also used and all food contains no added MSG, preservatives or additives. Sounds great right!

Along with my university friends, we headed down to Platypus Kitchen at Bugis Junction.

 

The restaurant was rather empty as my friends and I met up for late lunch at around 4pm. The dim lighting made the atmosphere very cosy and it was nice to dine in such a quiet environment. 

  

 

 

We were surprised to be given the menu for Set Meals as it was a Saturday and way past lunch hours. They have Set Meals from $16.90 and Premium Set Meals from $19.90. Every set meal includes a hot soup or side salad and a cold beverage. Great deal!! ^^

 

My choice of Lemonade (Freshly squeezed) and Pumpkin Soup.

 

The lemonade was refreshing and a good drink to compliment my meal. As the pumpkin soup and pasta that I ordered were on the heavy side, the lemonade helped to ease the heaviness. The pumpkin soup was good but I would prefer it without the cream.

 

Apart from our set meals, my friends and I also ordered the Truffle fries ($6.90) to share. ^^  

 

Truffle Fries

 

The Truffle fries consist of thick cut French fries seasoned with white truffle oil and topped with shaved truffles and cheese. To have more truffle flavour, you can also dip the fries in the truffle dipping sauce. The fries were evenly seasoned and the truffle flavour was just right for me. The generous portion of fries makes it a great appetizer to share among friends!

 

My pasta!! I ordered the Spicy 'Diablo' Crab and Prawn (Egg Tagliolini with prawns and crab claw tossed in a spicy egg sauce).  

 

Spicy 'Diablo' Crab and Prawn

 

Look at the small mountain of crab meat! You can never get that at other restaurants! The egg tagliolini was cooked al dente and the spicy kick of the pasta was so addictive. It was just right for me but caution, it may be too spicy for people who don't take spicy food! The last highlight of the dish, the garlic slices! Although the garlic slices looked like any other stir-fried garlic, they tasted absolutely different. For non-garlic lovers like my friends and I, it was a surprise. The garlic tasted crunchy and had no garlic flavour at all. Haha I forced my friends to try and we were all intrigued by it! 

 

My friends ordered the Sundried Chicken Pesto (Penne with grilled chicken chunks tossed in rich sundried-tomato pesto) and Porcini Raviolacci & Duck (Porcini Raviolacco Burro Fuso (browned butter) topped with crispy duck confit) respectively.    

 

Sundried Chicken Pesto

 

I love the rich sundried-tomato pesto. It's one of the nicest tomato-based sauce I've had so far. The rich tomato flavour just whets your appetite for more! 

Porcini Raviolacci & Duck

For the Porcini Raviolacci & Duck, the sauce tasted SO rich and creamy! For people who love rich creamy sauce, you will definitely love this! My friend enjoyed the dish but had one feedback. More raviolacci please!! Haha

 

My friends and I were so stuffed but the desserts on the menu looked too good to be missed. Haha we couldn't decide on the cake and decided to heed the advice on the dessert menu. "When in doubt, try our Sea Salt Caramel Cake. You won't regret it!" Sea Salt Caramel Cake ($7.90) it shall be! ^^

Sea Salt Caramel Cake

The sea salt caramel cake consists of sponge cake with lush layers of peanut and almond brittle, French sea salt, caramel and rich butter cream. On first look, my friends and I thought the crystal-like solids on the cake were sea salt! (We seemed like frogs in a well -.-) We took a bite each and it didn't taste salty at all. Instead, it was sweet and it started popping in our mouths. The crystal-like solids were actually popping candy (carbonated candy that creates a fizzy reaction when it dissolves)!!

 

The candy pops against the tooth and gives a 'click' sound. My friends and I had a great laugh over the audible 'clicking' sounds. Haha the cake was really a fun and delicious cake to have! Highly recommended!

 

We sat in the restaurant for 3+ hours but the staff did not chase us away even when the dinner crowd started to enter. Instead, our water were constantly refilled. Good service! ^^

 

Before leaving the restaurant, I decided to enquire about the hours for the Set Meals promotion. The staff who gave us our bill confidently replied me "Mondays to Fridays, 12 to 5pm". Hmmm...but wasn't it a Saturday?? Haha my friends and I left the restaurant amused. It was a very pleasant dining experience at Platypus (:

 

P.S. My friends and I went back for a second visit. Check out the post here!  

Cheers,

Mari



Deal Review 3: Shin Yeh Bistro at Square 2

 

Deal Details:

TungLok Group: $30 for $60 Worth of Taiwanese Cuisine at Shin Yeh Bistro - Located Conveniently Near Novena MRT  

 

 

Weeks ago, Will and I saw this deal on deal.com.sg and decided to give it a try. Haha I wanted to have some Taiwanese food for a change ^^ As seen from the deal details, Shin Yeh Bistro is actually a restaurant managed by the TungLok Group. They work towards offering diners true and authentic taste of Taiwanese street food and the best flavours of iconic Taiwanese dishes.

 

I drove on that day and decided to park at the Oasia Hotel carpark. For those who are unaware, there is a link-way from Oasia hotel to Square 2. Super convenient!! I met up with Will in the mall and headed straight to Shin Yeh Bistro.

 

The restaurant is very spacious and has a seating capacity of 180 people. Despite that, Will and I had to wait quite awhile as the restaurant was packed. I had no idea Shin Yeh was so popular!

 

Photos of the restaurant before figuring out our orders (:

 

 

The restaurant also has such comfortable seats! Just nice for a group of 4-5 people.    

 

 

A bowl of crackers that was served to every table. Haha I definitely prefer this to peanuts ^^

 

 

First up is our drinks! Will ordered the Milk Tea with Watermelon ($3.90) while I ordered the Yoghurt Green Tea ($3.90). Our verdict was that the Yoghurt Green Tea tasted better. It's actually yakult mixed with green tea. Nice!!  

 

Milk Tea with Watermelon, Yoghurt Green Tea

For appetizers, we chose the Savoury Poached Kampong Chicken ($9.90).

Savoury Poached Kampong Chicken

 Will and I were actually worried that the serving of the chicken might be too large for the 2 of us. The worries were unfounded. The restaurant served a portion that was just right for 2 people. The chicken was very cold, probably chilled in the refrigerator before served. I'm not so used to chilled chicken but the meat was tender. Not bad!

Our first main dish was the Crispy-fried Soft Shell Crabs with Salt and Pepper ($11.90).

Crispy-fried Soft Shell Crabs with Salt and Pepper

I was looking forward to this dish as I love soft shell crabs a lot. The crispness of the soft shell crab was ok but I would prefer more seasonings. The "fishy" taste/flavour that came with the crab was still very distinct >.<

Next up, we had the Fried Vermicelli with Pumpkin ($9.90).

Fried Vermicelli with Pumpkin

I was deceived by the illustration in the menu. From the menu, it seemed to me that the vermicelli was fried with pumpkin strips and in a pumpkin gravy/sauce to give a nice golden yellow colour. The photo in the menu was indeed for illustration purposes only -.- The dish was a disappointment. There were pumpkin strips but all I could taste from the dish was fried vermicelli with whole lots of pepper. What happened to the sweet pumpkin flavour?!

The most awaited dish for me, the Spicy Eggplant and Pig Intestines served in Claypot ($10.90).

Spicy Eggplant and Pig Intestines served in Claypot

 

This dish was the best of all! The eggplant was soft and a little mushy, just the way I liked it. The pig intestines were chewy and tender. The hint of spiciness enhanced the flavours of the dish and made it even more delicious. Yummy! ^^

 

Our last dish before desserts was the 'Shin Lin' Pan-Fried Oyster Omelette ($6.90).

'Shin Lin' Pan-Fried Oyster Omelette

The oyster omelette offered in Shin Yeh was probably altered to suit the Singaporean tastebuds. It was unlike the one I had in Taiwan where the omelette was more starchy. It was a little disappointing that the oyster omelette lacked the fragrance of the fried egg. But for oyster lovers, this dish would be heaven as the amount of oysters in the omelette was very generous! There got to be about 15-20 oysters in there. O.O

Lastly for desserts, Will and I shared the Almond Jelly with Peach Slices in Syrup ($4.90).

Almond Jelly with Peach Slices in Syrup

 

The texture of the almond jelly is nothing like what I've had before! It's not the typical jelly that you would think of. The almond jelly had a chewy mochi-like texture. Interesting!

 

There were some hits and misses in the dishes that Will and I had. But for only $30+ for the dishes above, I would say its worth it!  

 

Shin Yeh Bistro  

10 Sinaran Drive

Square 2, #01-73

Singapore 307506

Tel: 6893 1123

 

 

Smiles,

Mari

Yayoiken at Bugis+

Located near the entrance of Bugis+, Yayoiken is a Japanese restaurant not to be missed. Yayoiken has a history of more than 125 years (!!!) and strives to serve customers a wide variety of high-quality menu items in a pleasant and relaxed environment.

Although the restaurant did not stand out at first glance, the promotion banner did! There were set menus from $9.90 and free flow of rice with every order!! For carbo-fans like my mom, it's great ^^

Haha I attempted to take a photo of the interior from my seat but didn't turn out so well. Restricted view. Oops.

Highlight of the restaurant! You can place your order through the touch screen tablet. No more waving of hands or calling out "Excuse me!!" to get the staff's attention. You can easily browse the menu, select and confirm orders. Warm/cold water can also be ordered and it's free.     

 

My brother ordered the Mix Toji Set (Sliced pork/beef, fried prawn and pork culet topped with egg) and it looked really appetizing when served. The fried prawn and sliced pork were good but the pork cutlet was slightly dry and hard.

 

Mix Toji Set ($13.90)

 

My mom ordered the Yasai Itame Set (Stir-fried vegetables with sliced pork set).

 

Yasai Itame Set ($.9.90)

 

For vegetable-lovers, this is highly recommended! The vegetables were really fresh, crunchy and flavourful. But if you prefer to have more sliced pork than vegetables, Buta Yakiniku Set (Sliced pork and vegetables on hot plate set) will be just right for you. Both menus are of the same price!

 

My dad ordered the Oyako don + On Udon Set (Chicken & scrambled egg rice bowl with hot udon soup), while I ordered just the Oyako don (Chicken & scrambled egg rice bowl). The Oyako don came in a cute lunch box container.

Oyako Don ($9.90), Oyako Don + On Udon ($12.90)

 

The portion of chicken & scrambled egg was really generous and it tasted less salty than I expected. Thumbs up! I couldn't finish the Oyako don on my own and had to share it with my family. The hot udon soup was simple and good too.

In my opinion, Yayoiken offers decent Japanese food at affordable prices. Worth a try! I will definitely be back again ^^



YAYOIKEN Japanese Restaurant
201 Victoria Street #01-08
Singapore 188067
Bugis+
Tel: 6636 5448



Cheerios,
Mari



Watami Singapore at Jcube

Side-track a little first. Recently I'm hooked onto the drama "너의 목소리가 들려 (I Can Hear Your Voice)". The drama plot is really captivating! Korean drama lovers out there, it's a must watch!! Haha love the 이보영 이종석 couple <3

Haha okay back to my main topic! Weeks ago, Will and I had cravings for ramen and so we decided to have dinner at Watami. We walked past Watami countless times but this was really the first time we stopped and went in. There is a touch screen tablet at the entrance of the restaurant where you have to indicate the number of people dining and get a queue number. The restaurant staff will then call for your queue number when a table is ready.

 

While waiting for our queue number to be called, it's a good opportunity to check out the restaurant promotions!

 

Will and I decided to go for the ramen promotion where you have 4 choices of ramen at $12.80. You can also upgrade the ramen to a value set and get an additional Half Watami Salad at $4.80. Feeling very hungry, we ordered 2 other ala carte dishes from the menu as well.

 

Kushiyaki Miso Onigiri (Rice ball skewer with miso paste) was first on our table.

 

Kushiyaki Miso Onigiri ($4.90)

 

The grilled onigiri had crispy rice on the outside and soft, chewy rice on the inside. As the onigiri had no seasonings to it, it managed to balance out the saltiness of the miso paste. Delicious!

 

The second ala carte dish that we ordered was the Chicken Katsu Tamago Toji (Chicken cutlet with scramble egg sauce). The egg came separately so we got to cook the scramble egg!

 

Chicken Katsu Tamago Toji ($11.80)

Allow the sauce to boil for a little while to cook the onions. Beat the egg, pour it into the boiling sauce and tadaaa it's ready!! Will had the honour to cook the egg and it looked great! Haha

The chicken cutlet was crispy and tender, and the scrambled egg was soft and moist! The only downside was the sauce. It could be more diluted and made less salty >.<

The Half Watami Salad (Special Watami salad with tuna sauce) came just in time.

Half Watami Salad

 

Will and I were surprised at the portion of the salad. So generous! As seen from the photo, the salad comprised of lettuce, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, corn bits, seaweed, yellow crispy strips (not sure what it is), chicken chunks and a scoop of tuna mayo. I dislike eating raw vegetables and salads but this salad was yummy!! I really liked it that the blanched broccoli was well-cooked and soft. Hate blanched vegetables that tasted raw. It got to be the best salad I ever had and I'm craving for it now. A non-salad lover craving for salad. Haha

 

After the pleasant surprise from the dishes above, it's time for some nightmare. Will ordered the Watami Ramen Special while I ordered the Kara Miso Ramen.

Watami Ramen Special ($12.80)

 

I stirred through my bowl of ramen to hunt for the main ingredients and this was what I found. Look at the miserable piece of Chashu in my bowl of ramen. -.-

 

Kara Miso Ramen ($12.80)

Although there was only a miserable piece of Chashu and a halved egg, the portion of noodles was generous. It should be ok right? No!! The ramen broth was SO SALTY that it was almost beyond consumption. I left the ramen untouched after few mouths. I am never going to order the ramen ever again. Will's ramen had more pieces of Chashu, a whole egg and tasted slightly less salty. So if you do want to try the ramen, my advice is to order the Watami Special Ramen.

Despite the ramen nightmare, I'm still craving for the Watami salad. I will be back for the salad soon!! ^^



Cheerios,
Mari




Seremban Kee Mei Siew Pow at Maxwell

It's been more than a week since I've blogged! >.< Last week was a hectic week at work and I couldn't find time to blog. But fear not, I'm back! ^^

 

Maxwell Food Centre is a place that I will visit every time I'm in Chinatown with my mom. It's almost like a fortnightly routine. It will be early in the morning, and I will queue to buy handmade peanut mochi (love it!) while my mom will buy curry puffs. For the past few visits, I noticed a new stall and decided to give it a try.

 

Seremban Kee Mei Siew Pow is a household name in Malaysia and has more than 80 distributors all over Malaysia. Good news for our fellow fans of the pastry as Kee Mei has opened up 3 branches in Singapore! Bishan Cafeteria, Old Airport food centre and Maxwell food centre.

 

 

Kee Mei is famous for their Char Siew Pow ($1.20) and they were featured on newspapers for it. Besides the signature Char Siew Pow, Chicken Siew Pow ($1.20), Portuguese Egg Tarts ($1.30), Tau Sar Biscuit ($0.80), Egg Tarts and Pineapple Tarts are also available. 

My mom and I are not fans of Char Siew Pow as we dislike the sweet pork filling that is often stuffed with fats. The lady overheard our concern and reassured us that the Char Siew Pow has no fats. She told us that the cut of meat was carefully selected such that it will be tender and yet not fatty at all. She even promised a refund if we were to find any fats in the pork filling! We trusted her words and bought a box of their pastries.

 

Our box of pastries include Chicken Siew Pow, Char Siew Pow, Portuguese Egg Tart and a Tau Sar biscuit ^^

 

Char Siew Pow

 

Haha it was indeed true that the pork filling of the Char Siew Pow contained no fats! The sweet-salty filling was average to me but I really liked the pastry crust. It was crispy on the outside and slight doughy on the inside.

 

Chicken Siew Pow

The Chicken Siew Pow tasted almost exactly like the Char Siew Pow?? The only difference in taste was that the chicken filling had a slight black pepper flavour to it. I still prefer chicken!



Portuguese Egg Tart

The freshly-baked Portuguese egg tart looked really good on the tray and the buttery fragrance was irresistible! I had to try one! The puff pastry of the Portuguese egg tart was warm and crispy. The egg custard was nice but could be less sweet. I will definitely get more of these the next time I visit Maxwell ^^



Cheerios,
Mari