Buddy Hoagies (Nice food, simple prices)

SMOK'INN FROGZ KITCHEN

Heard about this little hideout in Bukit Timah quite some time ago and finally paid it a visit to verify if its beef burger lives up to the recommendations i've heard about it. It's rather along the west end of Singapore so i had to drive around and got lost a couple of times before i found it but i'm truly glad i did.

Location: 879 Bukit Timah Road

Price per head: $10-20 per head


The location is nothing to shout about, after all, it resides in a corner coffeeshop location and shares the space with an Indian food stall and a bar calling itself Bar Bar Black Sheep. Not that i'm complaining because the place is excellent. Wooden chairs and al fresco tables gave me an impression that i wasn't in Singapore anymore but rather some hang out place in Australia or USA. The Caucasians or expatriates who pack the place certainly aided in giving me this impression but i definitely liked the vibe of this place. Simple yet classy.

Hoegarden and Lime Juice

The drinks here are reasonably priced to be sure. Order it direct from Bar Bar Black Sheep or any of the girls going around to take orders and you'll be served your drink in a short span of time. I ordered 1 pint of ice cold Hoegarden and thank the lord, it was an actual pint at discount prices which was as advertised, ice cold too. I couldn't pin the exact cost but its anywhere between $6-9 for a pint and if you compare it to similar joints, you'll see its actually a great deal.

Fish and Chips ($8-10)

My gf ordered fish and chips as we were soon served with a huge, 3 piece fish and chips with generous portions of fries. It helps that everything was fried to a nice golden brown and served hot. The fish and chips, though having tender and sweet flesh, had a rather thick batter which didn't sit well with us. Strip away the batter though, and this works pretty well.

Beef Burger ($12-14)

The star of the day, the beef burger has a patty handmade by the restaurant in the day. The meat was finely pounded and padded together for a slightly crumbly yet firm texture. The beef taste is moderate but strong enough for me while the caremelized onions, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes added more bite to the burger. Did i mention the burger was about the size of a BK whooper? I'm definitely coming back for more of this.

Total bill probably set us back by less then $30 for this meal and i find it money well spent.

Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall Score: 8/10

Last word:
I like this place. Its got a rustic and earthly charm to it. And the real draw is how the Caucasians or expatriates who frequent this place really gives me the impression i'm not in Singapore. The way this illusion takes away my troubles is quite simply, priceless. Throw in good beer on tap for cheap and a beef burger to give Astons a run for their money and this place has my vote as my favorite ulu bar of the year.

Brewbakers Kitchen and Bar

Brewbaker's is part of Jack's Place holdings but is an offshoot in the sense that unlike Jack's place, its not halal certified. Its concept is one of escapism and relaxation which is reflected in its rather decent bar selection but holds many similarities to its parent company in regards to areas like its interior design and overall service level. Me and my gf patronized this venue on Valentine's day this year because i found it in a rather decent and new community centre near my house. It took about 35 minutes for us to walk the distance but honestly, we needed the exercise. Was it worth our effort though?

Location: 59 Anchorvale Road #01-06 Anchorvale Community Centre

Contact: 68861811

Website: http://www.brewbakers.com.sg/

Price range: $30-35 per head

Thoughts on the location and surroundings:
Being in a community centre doesn't necessarily mean its a slipshod location. The restaurant had a rather laidback atmosphere and relaxing buzz as its next to an excellently under utilized yet beautiful public pool and is next to a canal/river which actually is rather pleasing. The interior is spacious but the design reminds me too much of Jack's place to be a good thing.

Menu

Valentines Set Lunch

Its Valentines day, so what better way to celebrate then to have a decent meal with my girl? And there's even a menu that promises a "gift for the ladies" to every couple. Perfect. More on the gift at the end of the post.

Archipelago Travellers Wheat

Self brewed gourmet beer seems to be appearing everywhere these days. Not that its a bad thing. I ordered a complimentary sampler from their menu and honestly, it wasn't too bad. Travellers Wheat tastes like....golden ale from Brewerkz and i simply adore beer with that taste so this is good for me.

Mango Drink

This is definitely not made in house since it tastes just like something you can get from a concentrate with water added. Need some work here.

Terrine of Seafood

This was weird. It tastes like it has milk concentrate in it but dissipates in each taste. There's actual crab and fishcake-like taste in the pasty center as well. Its not a bad dish per se, its just weird.

Garlic Bread and Homemade Clam Chowder

This was a surprise. At first glance, i was thinking: "how dare they serve campbells soup when its stated as homemade clam chowder?" My fears were put to rest once i taste it though. There's actually a generous amount of seafood tucked beneath the surface and it provided a balanced palate for the meal to come. Helps that its not flooded with salt and other such nonsensical tastes as well.

True Love Platter

Another Look

The "True Love Platter" for 2 feels more like "true fat platter" to me. However, it wasn't bad at all. The grilled salmon steak with dill sauce was a little salty and had a rather strong "fishy" taste which didn't sit well with me. The Sirloin steak did not come with black pepper sauce as per the menu and was well done, which means it was rather tough to eat. The grilled vegetable skewers were pretty good as is the chicken drumlets and potato salad. My gf didn't like the calamari rings due to the thick batter. The potato salad was supposed to be potato wedges but was switched without informing us and the steak was well done without asking the doneness we wanted it in. I attribute this to a service issue though.

Sweet Temptations

The dessert was basically strawberry and chocolate mousse cake with fruits. The white chocolate sticks and fruits were pretty good. Refreshing and sweet while the cake itself....is a little too creamy for our tastes. Otherwise, it was an ok ending to the meal. Coffee was served after this which helped as well.

Bill

The final bill for a simple valentine's lunch came up to $70.62. Rather steep for the quality of food served.

Cons: The "gift" mentioned in the menu was never given. We had to ask for it 3 times before being given something and it was not a valentines gift for the lady at all. It was a leftover scratch and win card from Chinese New Year which held no significance whatsoever. Needless to say, i was disappointed. At the very least, if there was no gift, i would have appreciated being warned beforehand and replaced with either an additional dish or a drink would suffice. Not this lame attempt at redeeming themselves with a useless item. The management needs to look into this. Not to mention, the lack of initiative to inform on the change of items and the courtesy to ask about the doneness of my steak.

Final Score: 6/10 (minus 1 due to the service lapses and problems with the "gift" that never was.)

Last word:
I was disappointed with the gift problem and service but the food was actually decent and so was the beer. Actually, the beer and location is probably the only reason i'll consider returning to this place. 50% off beer and 1 for 1 offers for the beer is something i could live with. Otherwise, i'd say try the food sparingly and they really need to buck up on their service training. Oh, its still better then Jack's Place as far as i'm concerned. Just thought i'd end it with that.

Scruffy Murphy's

Its been an extremely long time since i've had any wine or beer introduced into my system and honestly, i'm missing the feeling of being slightly woozy and laughing like an idiot. So it was with this intention that i brought my gf to visit Scruffy Murphy's one quiet Friday evening after work. Part of a group of pubs under the Gaelic Inns company which includes mainstays like "The Penny Black" and "Dirty Nellys". This company is definitely no stranger to the pub scene but i was a hungry for dinner as well, so lets see if they have decent grub as well.

Location: 1000 East Coast Parkway, B7 Marine Cove

Contact: 6449 7717

Website: http://www.scruffymurphys.com.sg/

Price Range: $25 per head

KilKenny ($11.80 per pint)

Beer on tap and beer in a bottle. What would you choose? I'm not an expert on beer and basically, i've not had enough beer to be a judge but conversation has lead to the belief that beer on tap has a magically transformed effect of making it smoother and better. $11.80 for one pint of beer is rather expensive by any standards but i have to say, Kilkenny on tap is rather smoother and lighter then the bottled iterations.

Interior

Simplicity is the best policy in the case of this pub. Single seatings near the bar and small uncomfortable rattan chairs abound. There's a small private room at the back with air con but the rest of the pub is non air conditioned. Its still a nice, cosy setting with no one bothering you regardless of where you sit. Service is attentive as well.

Scruffy's Irish Roast Beef ($16.80)

Bearing the namesake of the pub, i expected this to be of reasonably good quality. And i was not disappointed. Judging by its namesake, i was expecting small cubic portions akin to pot roast but what came looked very promising indeed. Huge slices of beef cooked medium rare with a pinkish tint on the sides. Drenched in mushroom sauce, the meat was undeniably tender and appetizing. You could taste the marinate in eat slice and it never overwhelms. Of special mention, the yorkshire pudding on the side was excellent as well. Soft and served warm, its fragrance elevated the dish even more. Well done.

French Fries ($4.80)

Alright, this was a stupid order because we didn't know the beef came with fries. For what its worth, the fries were rather dry and bland due to the lack of salt.

Crispy Pork with Mustard and Mayonnaise ($10)

We ordered this after ordering our second pint and thought it would go well with the beer. Anyhow, the description on the menu belies its actual appearance. These few pieces of roasted crispy pork is hardly worth $10. Not that it tastes bad though. It actually tastes pretty good if not for the 2 of us being health conscious lately. Chewy thick meat and fats dominate the crispy pork belly while the mustard definitely complemented it well. Still, it was too far a departure from our expectations to make it worth our while.

Bill

Total bill came up to $55.20 for a meal and drink for 2 people. Given the excellent main we had, i'm inclined to say it was worth it.

Overall Score: 6/10 (7/10 for the main)

Last Word:
In all fairness, the place is still worth a visit and the ambiance is pretty relaxing in the later parts of the day. Food served is decent (for the main) while service is relaxed and slow. The music is soft and conversation can be easily carried out if you require it. Otherwise, its nice to chill out and watch some matches, listen to the waves or simply drink a few beers. Now if they could lower their prices per pint, i would frequent it that much more.