Big Fish

It was during one of the celebrating months for my gf that we finally decided to give Big Fish a try after numerous recommendations. My gf loved fish and so, this has been in our minds for quite some time. Honestly, we're just trying to see if there's another place as worthwhile as the Manhatten Fish market in terms of food offerings since this is pretty much of the same theme. So it was that we stepped in and had our first encounter.

Location: 85 Upper East Coast Road Singapore 455222

Contact: 64416920

Price Range: $45-55 per head

Menu

Complimentary Bread

The complimentary bread was served warm and soft which is a plus but otherwise, nothing significant. Not too sure if it is made in house either since its rather bland and simple.

Interior

The interior is rather spacious with around 4-6 wall sofa seats and a seating capacity of about 40-50 when full. The thing is, when we arrived, there was nary a soul and when we left, there was still only one other customer apart from us. This was around 645 - 8 pm. If i were the owner, i'd find that rather worrying actually. Service was decent with recommendations, explainations and was generally pleasant enough to commend. They could improve on waiting time though, since we were the only people there, the waiting time of 15 minutes before our soup was served seemed rather obsessive.

Mushroom Soup ($8.95)

The mushroom soup reminded me of the rendition i had in Eden cafe under Clement. The taste and texture is packed with mushroom bits and had some cream in it as well. The overal feeling is that its creamy and starchy to good effect. The serving size was not exactly big however and at the price, this left me a little disappointed.

Seafood Chowder ($8.95)

The seafood chowder was packed with ingredients as well and had lots of squid, a few pieces of shrimp, scallop and carrots within. The end result is a pleasing soup that opens up the appetite for the meal to come. Again, the serving size is too small when comparing the price.

Seafood Platter ($51.95)

Another look

Not knowing what to order, we opted for a safe choice to try a huge amount of stuff at a "perceived" reasonable price. The platter for 2 isn't exactly full of stuff but it does have more then enough for the 2 of us to finish. Fries, fish skewers, mussels, crayfish, scallops and rice round up the platter offering. The mussels and scallops were of a decent size and there was 2 each which meant no fighting for the food. They were also reasonably fresh, as is the crayfish and the grilled fish skewers. The skewers were nicely done, not too dry despite the grilling, while the rice and fries ensured you will be full from the set. I did think $50 for this is still too steep a price to pay though. It was good, not fantastic.

Creme Brulee ($8.95)

Another Look

Well, after a meal of overly expensive items, the dessert finally looked up to the task of living up to the price. The creme brulee came looking like a winner and in fact, it was the best item i had that night. The fruit and decor is a wonderful touch and it helps that the fruits were all sweet and complimented the dessert well. The sugar layer was a little too thick and sweet but nothing too big. The bottom layer, i suspect, is made from vanilla extract since i didn't see any vanilla residue in the texture but i'm not complaining.

Chocolate Souffle ($9.95)

I ordered this thinking it was a molten chocolate cake but i was wrong. A souffle is more akin to cakes with a springy and fluffy texture. In fact, Souffle means to "blow up" and is made of a combination of egg whites and various ingredients. Their rendition should be considered decent as the top was lightly hard while the lower portion is fluffy and a little wet with chocolate. If i'm not wrong, its supposed to come with some sauce but there wasn't any. Decent but not my kind of dessert.

Bill

Finally, this experimental meal came up to a whooping $97.65 for 2 people on a simple weekday night.

Value for money: 6/10
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Food Quality: 6/10
Overall: 6/10 ( not an average)

Last Word: Well, to say the food is bad would be unfair but i couldn't help feeling a heavy pinch in my heart for the amount i spent on this meal. For what i had, i think a price tag of about $60 or 70 plus taxes might have made me felt better. For improvement, serving the food faster and more economical pricing would bring me back but not before then.

Bali Thai

A long belated post which has lain dormant in my list for some time. However, the memory remains fresh nonetheless, fresh enough to provide a review and an accurate impression of the experience i've had here.

Location: Tampines Mall #04-01 Singapore 529510

Contact: 67871500

Price range: $20 - 25 per head

Needs no further explaination

Menu

Tables

To be honest, i've been past this place so many times, its amazing how i've never felt the urge to actually step in for a meal. The exterior looks rather dull and dark but the interior is bright and cheery with clean wooden tables and nice black chairs for a zen-like feel. Service was brisk, attentive and rather pleasant as well, which makes me wonder why the place was so quiet. It was peak lunch period when we patronized it and somehow, space was aplenty with a rather abysmal clientele.

The usual compulsory crackers ($3 each)

This was rather pushing the envelope for the rip-off department at $3 per basket of crackers but i must say, i actually liked it. The crackers were good, fragrant, strong vegetable taste but add in the chili and its a whole new game. Spicy, sweet and just good. $3 is still too much for it though.

Tahu Telur ($8.50)

Another look

A rather hearty portion if i say so myself. The tahu telur was overly hard at places but managed to remain acceptable mostly due to yet another excellently fragrant sauce. Its just the normal peanut sweet sauce with a little chili but it really makes this average dish taste better then it really is. However, paying $8.50 for it is something i won't soon repeat however.

Garlic Stir Fried Kailan ($14)

Kailan stands as one of my favorite greens and its a relief that they managed to at least preserve its good tastes with this dish. Nothing outstanding, its the casual garlic stir fried version but its fragrant and very appetising.

BBQ Platter ($48)

Fried whole fish, 2 grilled prawns, generous bbq calamari and squid, chicken and satay rounds up this huge platter of food. This is good. I mean its really pretty good in terms of overal quality. The prawns are grilled till there's a little char on the bottom but manages to make the shell so brittle, you can simply eat the entire thing without much fuss. The fish is huge and deep fried on the outside with the inside still thankfully moist and soft with sweet spices. This went really well with the balachan-like chili. The chicken was overdone which resulted in tough and dry meat but the overal was still nicely fragrant and sweet. The calamari was also done just right and like the rest of the package, is sweet and fragrant. The satay is acceptable and rather bigger portioned then regular satays. Overal, this is a rather good buy to me.

Asam Fish Head ($22)

This was something i touched very little of because i didn't want to sweat like a pig before returning to work. However, i couldn't resist eating the tender and sweet fish meat that was left over by my colleagues. The asam was actually slightly spicy but not overwhelming. The curry taste was rather strong but the fish head was definitely worthwhile at the meaty portions. Fishy taste is apparent but minimal as well.

Tom Yum Seafood ($24)

Their version of the oh-so-famous tom yum seafood soup. This is the clear version and it came packed with seafood. I mean it was literally bursting with ingredients like squid, fish, mussels, prawns and scallop. Its definitely strong in terms of taste and moderately spicy but if i'm not mistaken, still milder then the actual tom yum soup in Thailand. A pretty good rendition and value for money however.

Bill

Finally, a pleasing meal for 7 came up to a total of $141.95. I'd say this is rather worthwhile given the food we had.

Value for money: 7/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Food Quality: 6.5/10
Overall: 6.5/10 ( not an average)

Last Word: A pretty decent setting and decent serving of food. The pluses are the fact it came with good service and that the price of entry is rather low. For improvement, i'd suggest having more set meal options and tie ups with companies for catering and such to boost visibility.

Zen's (Creation of Shindo Art)

After all the miscellaneous posts and wonderful experiences overseas, its back to Singapore food for me and time to start talking about it again. Makes you wonder if its just food overseas thats good or simply that food in Singapore that's not up to standard. Anyway, it was one of those days my gf and i heard about a recommendation from friends and decided to try it out. This time, the main temptation is an $88 one for one set offer lobster meal. Sounds too good to be true and thus, we jumped at it to have a look.

Location:

1000, East Coast Parkway Marine Cove Unit A-8

Contact: 64493221

Price Range: $50 - 55 per head

Zen

I have passed by this place so many times but the sheer "atas" feeling it gave simply never appealed to me to eat within. So this time, with a tip off like this, i wouldn't miss it for the world. Problem is, does it live up to the anticipation i felt?

Interior

The color palate and theme of the restaurant belongs to a somber black and white with a minimalistic touch that is contrasted with its decorations such as bamboo and statues. The overal feeling is pleasing but comes with a flaw, the seats were not very comfortable and to me, the air conditioning simply didn't feel strong enough. Otherwise, it was rather pleasing. The place probably seats only 20 people inside and another 10 outside at max capacity making for a rather intimate experience with the staff. Thank goodness the service was decent.

The Menu

Lime Juice ($2 a glass)

Oyster ($1 for one)

An inside look

I was curious how they managed to sell oysters at $1 each so i ordered a couple for kicks. The oysters were of a smaller variety but otherwise tasted pretty good to me. Sweet and smooth, it didn't bode too badly on the place but if you're looking for a huge Shangri-la style oyster standard, i'm afraid this is not where to look.

Sashimi "Revolution"

Closer Look

Seeing that it was a 4 course set menu, obviously the best choice would be to mix and match our choices to try the most items. My gf picked her favorite sashimi and i think it was done pretty well. You get all the usual cuts, salmon, swordfish and tuna in one aesthically pleasing plate. Its all good. It helps that the fish were fresh, sweet and went well with the wasabi soaked soy sauce. A good start to the meal for me.

Zen Foie Gras

My order was the always sinful Foie Gras (goose liver). Done equally well, this foie gras was a tad too oily but had a nicely charred top with tasty potato mash below which helped neutralize the oiliness. Portion size for this was rather small but given the amount of grease it adds into your system, this is already too much.

Drunken Lobster Soup

I was expecting a thick broth based soup but this was more akin to soup you get from normal prawn noodle soup in terms of texture. It was fragrant nonetheless and you can taste the alcohol with each spoonful. It also came with half a baby lobster which more or less is the reason why its called drunken lobster soup. The meat on the lobster wasn't too springy and came across as "old" to me. The soup, however, i could do with a bigger bowl.

Lobster Mee Sua

Thai Red Curry Lobster "Laksa"

Both iteration came be commented together since the differences only come in the broth base. The mee sua was the better of the 2 since it was more starchy and alike to shark's fin broth which is one of my favorites. It also helps that the mee sua is soft and nicely springy. The thai red curry laksa is just a long name for saying laksa with half lobster inside. The curry wasn't too good though, since it felt as though there was an overdose of coconut milk in it. And like the lobster soup above, the lobster just didn't feel fresh. In the end, all we got for our money was actually 2 baby lobsters, hardly worthy of being called a lobster set imho but thats rather expected.

Double Boiled Bird's Nest

Aesthically please but a nightmare for the staff to serve, the double boiled birds nest came with a nice wire meshlike topping of sugar on top. This proves to be necessary as the bird's nest was extremely bitter. To top it off, i counted 2 wavy substances that might be bird's nest in it but i struggle to confirm. A case of overpromising and underdelivering i suppose.

Total Bill

This mixed meal cost me $102.08 in the end, which is still a tad too much for the quality and uncomfortable environment.

Value for money: 5/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Food Quality: 6/10
Overall: 6/10 ( not an average)

Last word:
Was it bad? Well, not entirely. There were a few good items, but the overall feel didn't live up to the promise. And the mee sua and laksa certainly wasn't anything special because i felt like i could have had it in a food court with more prawns and cheaper prices. Rethink the menu and provide more lobsters and this meal would have felt alot better. Will i return? Not in the near future i'm afraid.

Food in Thailand 5 (Last supper)

The last night in Bangkok

Having just finished the most hectic and stressful day yet and finally finishing the various tests and exams in the business trip, it was finally time to really let loose and relax to a good meal with who else but the big boss. And with that, it ends the 5 day long adventure we've been sent by our wonderful company for. Through it all, the friendships and experiences we had were the things we'd take away with us and back to our countries. Special thanks to Mr Chan for giving us the treat, making this position and trip possible and having such a wonderful team. Its indeed a privilege.

The almost full team

To all my friends, its wonderful to have met and known you all. May we all attain our dreams and soar ever higher in the coming times.

Tony Roma's

I was quite surprised at the choice of restaurant the boss decided upon because it turned out to be a familiar name. Tony Roma's has its presence in Thailand as well which is quite amazing. Even more amazing is how the quality of food is the same as its Singapore counterpart. Talk about quality control.

Singha Beer

Being the last night, its beer time! I had only one beer since this is a recommendation and a local Thai brand. And well, i was quite taken by it as well. In fact, it tastes on par or better then Tiger beer with it being less acidic imho. Pretty good.

The usual complimentary bread

Full Onion Loaf

The bread was served warm as always with fragrant garlic infused butter for good effect. The onion loaf is as good as ever but best had while hot. I love the fact that the onion loaf remains crispy all throughout the meal while the onion retains its crunchy softness.

Finger food platter

Had a go at the rodeo wings which were mildly spicy but tender and sweet as well. The cheese sticks were nothing to shout about though.

Rib platter with all 4 famous roasts

Roasted Chicken

Texas BBQ Ribs

Had small samplings of the above but the BBQ ribs were huge! When it came in a plate, its difficult to stop staring. Still, being what it it, it has to be shared since it becomes overwhelming after a few mouthfuls.

Beef Burger

Another view

My order is yet again, a beef burger. I can't get enough of beef burgers actually. This one wasn't too bad. Generously portioned and done medium rare, the juicy pinkish interior and lightly grilled exterior gives a nice contrast and fragrance. Coupled with fresh lettuce and tomatos and its more or less a winner to me.

Last Take: All in all, the experience was a good one. The restaurant was decked in holloween decor and similarly dressed staff while the food is the same you can get in Singapore. Which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on preference. The company made this meal much better then it really is and well, sometimes, the company is more important than the actual food.
Once again, a big thank you to everybody and all the new friends i made. Hear from all of you again soon!

Food in Thailand 4 (Room Service)

What can i say? No time, busy schedule and great hotel food! I was glad i stayed in this hotel to have room service. In fact, i liked it so much i dragged my HK room mate to join me for room service on our second last night just to prove a point. And his comments were that, "mmmm...this is very good!"

So it was that we ordered our room service which amounted to around THB 900 per head or USD 45 per person. The following is what we ordered in.

This is one huge scallop

This scallop takes the crown of being the biggest scallop i have yet tasted. This is one scallop and it is more or less the size of a normal sized cup. I'm not even kidding. Its done rather well too in white wine sauce and cream. Thankfully maintaining its sweetness and is soft and springy at the same time. Great stuff.

Steah Sandwich with Fries (i love it!)

My second and last beef steak sandwich in the hotel. This, i simply cannot get enough of. Huge 200oz steak with tomatos, caramelized onions, lettuce, butter and choice of fries. The steak is always done medium rare to perfection in both my orders there and the steak itself is just fresh and tender with minimal fat which is what i'm looking for. Is there a better steak sandwich in Singapore? Not that i know of yet. Chances are, its tough to beat for this wonder.

Seafood Pizza

My friends order of a seafood pizza is equally well done. A nicely done semi crispy and fragrant crust which isn't too thick. Fresh seafood, ham and mushrooms adorn an evenly spread tomato and cheese layer of goodness. What's there not to like? This beats pizza hut and any other pizza outlet hands down in my book. (but maybe thats because i don't eat much pizza in the first place)

The room service table in its splendor

Pizza, soup, steak sandwich and scallop with iced water. All on a table, delivered under 30 minutes or its free. There's all to like and nothing to hate in this deal and to me, i'd say if you stayed here, not trying the steak sandwich once is definitely injustice to yourself. (on this comment, i'm a beef lover and a bread lover. Add them together fresh and delivered fast when i'm hungry makes it a perfect match in my book so yeah, i might be biased here.) Still, try it out, it doesn't cost much anyway.

Last Take: This hotel and this food is simply excellent. My favorite place thus far in terms of hotels in a city setting and the food.