Il Piccolo

Sourcing for more good food at affordable prices. This quest led me to a place i have passed by on a lunch meal with my colleagues. The irony of it all is, this is located in the exact same cafeteria as Botak Jones in Bedok. And the second interesting part of it is, its appeared on television before and their not shy to air it too, as evidenced by the constant looping of the episode on the television housed in front. I've always been skeptical about television reviews and so far, little to none has been accurate. I wonder if this is any different.

Location: Bedok Blk 412 #01-114

Contact: 96569909

Price range: $5-15 per head

Yes, its gourmet italian in a coffeeshop

Pay First, Eat Later

Chocolate Mousse ($3) Panna Cotta($2.50) Tiramisu($3)

This was actually the last part of our first meal there but i'll write about it first. Basically, having the dessert meant we were pretty satisfied with the mains. The Panna cotta is overly overly overly sweet and had an overwhelming milky taste to it that simply didn't agree with me. The tiramisu has too little cake and too much mascaponi cheese which also gave an overwhelming taste. The only dessert that was vaguely good was the chocolate mousse which was thick and slightly bitter and sweet for a good finish. In terms of dessert, there's definitely room for improvement.

Notice the nice nails?

Seafood Baked Rice ($8.50)

The seafood baked rice came rather quickly and the memorable thing about it is its sourish tomato based sauce which made the rice very very appetising. Not to mention the clams, mussels and squid were pretty generous, as can be seen from above, and that the seafood used is very very fresh and sweet. In fact, its one of the few places with extremely fresh seafood ingredients i've came across. And at a budget price no less.

Il Piccolo Pizza ($15 for the bigger version)

I'll just go out on a limb and say this pizza is worth it. For $15, i'd say this is a steal. Simply check out the generous smattering of cheese and ingredients to know what i mean. Pepperoni, beef, ham, olives, pineapples and some onions round up the roster. However, its the stretch of the cheese and the crust that really made it a winner. Normally, the worst part of the pizza is its crust, but over here, the crust is soft and crunchy in all the right places. Not to mention the fragrant dough its made from simply compliments the ingredients so well, its perfect. The cheese is worth mentioning as well. We have all seen commercials of pizza with cheese that stretches for a long a savoury journey into our mouths, however, few places have managed that feat. This here, manages that well even when its cold. Add the fact that the ingredients are fresh and equally tasty and well, i vote this one of the best pizzas i've had. Its awesome.

The final and first bill

Bruschetta ($3)

The bruschetta is rather normal but for $3, i was surprised at the quantity and size of the serving. $3 nets you enough bruschetta for 4 people to share a piece each. The bread is lightly toasted and soft on the inside unlike other bruschettas i've had before. The chopped tomatos were lightly drizzled with olive oil and assort condiments for a light and fresh taste. Pretty good.

Vongole ($7)

The vongole was surprisingly good. Al dente spagghetti, ultra fresh and sweet clams and a nice, light white wine sauce that hooks you in and never lets go. A light and enjoyable main course.

Amattricia ($6)

Mf gf's order, the amattricia is basically tomato based spagghetti with ham. I had a little and it was an authentic sourish taste with again, very springy and chewy pasta. Likeable but not perfect.

Overall Score: 8/10

Last word:

I have to say, i'm surprised and impressed with this place. In fact, i'm definitely returning for more. My only gripe is that almost everyone came to the coffeeshop for Botak Jones which i've had and found the quality of food wanting. Its sad to see a less worthy franchise getting all the attention when a gem like this is left in the dust and underappreciated. I highly recommend a try to judge this place yourself. I'm sure it'll be a surprise for you as well.

Chef's United

This is Singapore after all so what would food be without the normal coffee shop zhi ca (literally cook and fry)? Of course, as with everything else in the world, there are good and bad offerings for this as well. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to one of these little cook spots found in the East. (I went twice and thats why you'll see both visits here)

Location: Pasir Ris, Elias Mall far left

Price Range: $12- 20 per head

Its a coffee shop, so forget about ambiance, forget about anything close to atas. This is ground zero, what the masses have and so the very truth of what Singaporeans are used to having on weekend eat outs (with exceptions when bonus and such niceties occur of course)

Fried Fritters with Squid Paste ($8)

One of my favorite dishes to order is sadly, not one of the better dishes to have. Unless meticulous care is taken in preparing the paste and further such action is taken for the fritters, what you get is a tasteless fried dough stick with nothing much to go for it. This rendition is pretty standard but has its merits in being served hot and being cut into nice little bite sized pieces. The squid paste isn't anything to shout about but was saved by the mayonnaise it came with. Pretty standard stuff but nothing good for health here.

Thai Style Chicken Cutlet ($8)

Simple dish but this time, this is executed very well indeed. The radish and sliced cucumbers used are fresh and cold which gave the thai sauce a different feel indeed. The sauce itself is sweet and sour with a dash of spice which gave it good balance. The chicken itself is fried well which means it retained the juices and wasn't overly dry. It was also served hot and contrasted with the cold sauce so well, i simply have to recommend it. Good stuff.

Stir Fried Broccoli ($8)

Simple stir fried broccoli with a little soy sauce. Who would have imagined something so simple could taste this good? Fresh, a little salty and very appetizing. The broccoli is soft while retaining its crunchiness and even had a little sweetness in it. Simple, but good all the same.

Yi Pin Guo or Seafood Pot ($18)

The most expensive of the lot that day, this dish contained 4- 5 prawns, a generous helping of fish maw and the aforementioned tasty broccoli. It was a little to salty for my tastes but the combination did taste pleasant when complimented with rice. I wouldn't exactly term it as value for money in this case though.

Bill

The total bill came up to $44 for 4 people. $2 went to 4 bowls of rice and thus the average per person is $11 for a filling and generally fulfilling meal.

The following is the second visit.

Crab Bee Hoon ($32)

This time when we returned, we were determined to try the signature dishes that they recommended and this is what you see above. Billed as the main signature dish for the restaurant, i was expecting alot from it and i will say it up front, i was a little disappointed in the dish. The serving was generous with lots of bee hoon or vermicelli piled beneath the 800 gram crab. In its defense, the crab meat is firm and sweet but i still felt it over priced. The vermicelli was soaked in crab juices and sauce which gave it a uniquely raw taste which might not please everyone. Overall, i still like my crabs with lots of chilli, pepper or butter. This doesn't quite fit the bill as a favorite for me.

Signature Beancurd ($8)

The bean curd had a pretty thick skin and didn't break easily but i didn't like it. I prefer bean curd soft and yet firm. This was also of the egg variety which adds to the taste but doesn't quite bring it anywhere. And the last gripe i had was how similar these bean curds are to one another. I mean, i've tried HTL versions and other versions from Chinese restaurants and strangely, they all have the same kind of ingredients, pork, spring onions and the like which really doesn't distinguish themselves. This version really put me off though, because it was way below average.

Sambal Fan Shu Ye (Sweet Potato Leaf) ($8)

Average and a little too spicy for me, i'm unfortunately not able to say the same good things for this as the broccoli i had the previous time.

Steamed Fish HK Style($30)

Why do i call it steamed fish? Because i can't remember what kind of fish this is. Sorry. Anyhow, this fish is steamed Hong Kong style according to the waitress and is one of my favorite ways to prepare said fish. Fragrant, fresh and sweet. I can't think of anything bad to say about it except maybe it was too small and too expensive. Good nonetheless.

Total bill for second visit hit all time high of $88. Which really is a bit too much even for 5 people as the quality has taken a sharp nose dive this time around.

Score for 1st visit: 7.5/10
Score for 2nd visit: 6/10

Overall Score: 6.75/10

Last Word:
The food offered here is of a certain quality but it really depends on which day you came and what you order. For me, i have to say the signature dishes are not worth the money while the simpler offerings appeal to me more. Maybe i just prefer simple food but thats what i feel. No crabs or bean curd for me from this stall.

Lee Hup Lee Seafood

Now for the main meal treat before Alvin left for Australia. Its really nothing much, but its nostalgic because it happens to be the first place his mother brought us to when they arrived in Singapore. And honest to goodness, the crab here is pretty big.

Address: Blk 3 #01-50/63 Changi Village Road Singapore 500003

Contact: 96329088/91084624

Price Range: $19 per head

This is pretty much a throw back to times before fine dining and food is simply food with a distinct lack for service choices nor ambiance. One thing i really don't get is, what's with the word "beer garden"?

The Signboard

Coconut Juice ($4)

I have to say, this has got to be the WORST tasting coconut ever. It was sour, watery, lack ANY coconut taste whatsoever and costs $2 a piece. I was first impressed with the size until i drank it. And the meat inside was terrible as well. We bought this from a seperate store and brought over but that doesn't change a thing, this was bad, really really bad.

Orh Jian (Oyster Omelette $8)

Another item we packed from a nearby location. This oyster omelette came across as a little too watery for me. I prefer mine crispy and fragrant. The oyster's were faultless though, they came across as reasonably clean to me and tasty too. The problem was that some parts were cold, probably because the stall man didn't defrost it well enough before cooking so we got him to fry it again. After that, it was really nice with the chilli sauce. An average dish at best but still palatable.

Gong Gong ($12)

Pulling it out

Dipping in sauce

I honestly don't know the English name for this dish but its called Gong Gong which actually means dumb. Its supposed to be some kind of snail i suppose but not knowing what it is might be a blessing i suppose. Its quite a hassle to eat this because you have to firstly spear the tail like portion so that you can finally pull it out before it can be eaten. Al commented that the lady didn't cook it properly and so resulted in quite a few which we could not get out without a struggle. The dish itself isn't really too difficult to do i suppose, apart from frying the buggers with some light marinating sauce, everything else was god given. The freshness and taste is difficult to describe but is pleasant especially with the chilli sauce but i seriously doubt its worth $12. Try it and judge for yourself.

Our Victim for the day


Chilli Crab ($37.26 for 1.035kg)


The Huge Claw


The True Stars of the Day. Buns ($7 for 21)


Al and look at the firm crab claw meat

Actually, this place is known for HUGE crabs but we were unlucky that day. They ran out of Sri Lankan crabs and so we had to settle for its smaller Indonesian cousin which didn't disappoint in the least IMHO. Though smaller, the meat was still firm, fresh and sweet and thats just what good seafood is about. The shell was also a little thinner then its cousin making it much easier to crack and get at the meat. We opted for it to be cooked chilli crab style and the sauce came not as the spicy hot variety but rather more towards being sweet and sour with hints of chilli and eggs. The sauce, i discovered recently, is what makes a great crab better and the sole fact that we ate 21 buns with the sauce is testament that both the fried buns and the sauce complement each other really really well.
(On a side note, i discovered another location which serves great crab but not chilli crab style. They call it Jin Sha Xie or Golden Sand Crab literally and it was awesome. Will do a blog on it one day.)

Chicken Wings ($8.40)

We actually ordered fried dough sticks (you tiao) but they unfortunately have run out of such luxuries so we had to settle for Barbecued Chicken wings instead. This was decent but oily. The meat was a tad dry but otherwise thoroughly cooked. Not too special.

The total bill came up to $64.70 for the main meal. If you add drinks and additional items, this would total about $76.70. Not too expensive for 4 people really.

Score:

Food : 7.5/10 (Based on crab and buns)
Value for Money: 6.5/10
Portion Size: 7/ 10
Service : 6/10

Overall: 6.75/10

Last Word:

Well, great company and freedom of speech and actions made this an extremely casual and enjoyable affair. Food was at least reasonably priced and of an acceptable standard. They pride themselves as crab specialists and though i wouldn't go that far, i'd say they made enough effort to provide good crabs. Try it if you come around to this part of Singapore.

Ang Mo Kio Hub and S11 Kopitiam

Another post in the budget department. It was a Sunday and so i went out with my parents on a simple family dinner, hopefully this dispels the suspense of whether or not i'm actually well-to-do. Truth to the fact, i'm all Singaporean and generally struggling financially (literally).

Address: Ang Mo Kio HDB Hub and S11 next to Jubilee (You can't miss it!!)

A1 Curry Puffs

Display Box and 'Bite-section' ($1)

To say i'm not a fan of curry puffs would simply be a big lie. Put simply, throw me any kind of puffs, cream puffs, durian puffs, custard puffs etc and i'll pretty much gobble them up before you can blink. However, i miraculously did not touch anything here, my mum did all the gobbling for this 'vegetable puff'. I do know that the puffs are indeed crispy due very much to the deep frying and layered way the puff is made, but for some reason, i still prefer the conventional Old Chang Kee puffs to this.

Don Don Japanese Cuisine (S11)

Kinda just happened to hear from my mom that the food here is good, but of course, good i subjective to what or who my mom heard it from. Still, no harm trying.

Chicken Nuggets ($4)

This is honestly NOT called chicken nuggets but i've unfortunately forgotten what its truthfully called and taste wise, it tastes just like nuggets from Mcdonald's minus the crispiness. Its definitely NOT worth a try though, even at its price.

Curry Katsudon set ($6)

It looked impressive when it came. I would never have expected this many items for $6 bucks. The rice wasn't as soft as it should be, the chicken was quite tender and crispy on the outside but has nothing to rave about taste wise. The curry tasted sweet, sour and not spicy in the least, thats a good thing for me. The miso soup was very very bland and practically tasteless while the toufu was forgettable as well.

Ebi Tempura Set ($6.80)

I'll skip on the toufu and miso since its practically the same. The tempura was obviously not fresh but isn't bad to the point it couldn't be stomached. The prawn didn't taste sweet or anything vaguely near the word good to me but you can't complain about the portion size and number of prawns given the price really.

The bill

$16.80 for a filling meal for me and my sister is decent but food quality wise is just not up to standard, which is disappointing after my mom's recommendation.

Chicken Porridge and Vegetable Mee Soup.

These are what my parents had. Really simple dinner huh? Nothing special, totally Singaporean. =P

Score:

Food : 5/10
Value for Money: 5.25/10

Overall: 5.125/10

Last Word:
Well, what can i say? Its hawker fare and totally nothing about it captures my attention or taste buds. I won't say i won't be back but at least for this particular stall, its just not worth the stomach space.

Bernard's Kitchen

Having heard much about this small business belonging to a friend's friend. I decided to patronize it to try out the food offered here for myself. That's one of the reasons, plus the fact that i was beginning to look at normal hawker fare for reasonably priced and yet good food. This being my first such attempt.

Address: 2nd floor Loyang Point, in the east wing

Price Range: $5 - $8 per head

Inconspicuous yet easy to find

A simple, humble food court

There's not much to write about in terms of atmosphere. This is a specifically Singaporean place with a jumble of food offerings at affordable prices. I personally found the air con a little too strong for this humble joint, which although provides respite from the warm weather, doesn't do much to preserve the optimum temperature of the food served.

Sirloin Steak ($7.50)

Cross Section and Up Close

The first thing my gf told me of this place is that its famous for its chicken cutlet. She also warned that steak wise, it depends on the chef's (Bernard's) mood on the day which is rather disconcerting but being a beef lover, i ordered it anyway. I actually wanted a mixed grill but for some reason, i just couldn't find it on the menu. Back to the steak, the serving was rather generous for its price. I was quite impressed by how thick the steak was and the fact that they got the 'doneness' pretty well. The meat was cooked on the outside and suitably rare near the middle portions, thus amicably staying true to the 'medium rare' steak i ordered. However, as mentioned before, the air con was too cold and they could have fared better with a hot plate for their steak. It was barely warm by the time i sank my teeth into it but still remained chewy and juicy. The meat was quite fresh and its pepper and salt seasoning managed to salvage it somewhat. I couldn't say i enjoyed it too much since it was already cold when i ate it. The fries were too normal to say anything about. Maybe the chef was not in a good mood today?

Chicken Cutlet ($5)

Beneath the crispy exterior

The star of the shop was what my gf ordered. Smart choice too. It was indeed more worthy of attention then the steak. The cutlet came fried to a nice golden brown and when cut open, was still piping hot. The batter used was surprising because it tasted quite a bit like Kentucky Fried Chicken, only less oily and with a less fatty layer beneath the skin, which is good in my opinion. The meat was tender and easily torn or cut apart. Despite being fried, it managed to retain a its meaty juices and tasted simply good.

Score

Food: 6/10 (7 for the cutlet)
Portion size: 7.5/10
Value for money: 6.5/10

Overall: 6.6/10

Last Word:
I'll probably never come back for the beef since i've heard of better places like Uno Beef House in Toa Payoh which i'll definately visit soon. However, the cutlet here is different from those found elsewhere and tastes quite abit better too. Can always come here for a simple meal if there's no where else to go and you are short on cash but do order the cutlet and not wager on the chef's mood for beef. =P