Super Mario 3D Land

*In this post, by 3D, I meant Stereoscopic 3D*


Maybe I'm weird, but I do enjoy 3D effects a lot. I do not shell out the extra dough every single time if the movie is said to be in 3D. However if a certain movie is shot with 3D in mind (think Avatar and the slightly disappointing Transformers 3: DOTM), I will go for it to experience it. Personally I feel that part of the reason why 3D doesn't catch on is that the content is not maximised for 3D, and of course having to wear the glasses is not the most convenient thing in the world(Especially if you are already required to wear it on top of your visually correcting glasses).


Nintendo 3DS, the successor of the widely popular Nintendo DS with a tongue in cheek name has a slow start since it's initial sale starting this year. Touting glasses-free 3D, the 3D does indeed work but has to be tilted to a proper angle for you to enjoy its effects. Otherwise, the 3D is indeed pretty amazing and can only be properly explained in person.


If you own a 3DS and am thinking of what to buy, or if you are thinking of getting one and thinking of the accompanying softwares to purchase, look no further than 

Super Mario 3D Land is the latest entry of Nintendo's flagship italian plumber. In short, this game is amazing.

Picture in 2D

Every single courses and levels in this game is superbly crafted from every perceivable angle possible. You'll be amazed at some of the courses where Mario is underwater, balancing on a bouncy rope, a flying human cannonball or just floating with the aid of a special equipment. The 3D lever of the game is turned up to max whenever I play with no side effects even after an hour or two. The game is really crafted with 3D in mind, from top to toe. In fact, some of the amazement is lost if you do choose to play in 2D(IMO). 

You'll find yourself delighted and doing something new in every new course. If you've been playing the Mario series from the NES era, you'll be glad to find some tidbits that the developers put in just to delight you. Oh and boy do Mario love to cosplay. Distinction between him and other cosplayers is that his costumes imbues him with various abilities.

Floating with the Tanuki Suit

As child friendly as it looks, the game can kick your ass if you are not careful or plans to just run and jump without thinking. There are just about as many traps for you to make you wonder if it's you or if it's the game. But thankfully whenever you start thinking that(i.e. die enough times in a course) you'll be given a permanent Tanuki suit that gives you invulnerability and gliding through the air. What a nice way to not remind us that we suck.

Nope you can't eat this can grow further

Isn't he tired of kidnapping the princess and seeing Mario every single time?

Certain things stay the same. If you are looking at story, you probably expected the story being Mario trying to save Princess Peach from Bowser and you are right again. Mario is still a vegetarian. No Best Story award for Super Mario 3D Land, but one for the immensely rich and satisfying experience that it provides with every course. It is currently the best game experience on the Nintendo 3DS, and arguably the most enjoyable 3D experience across all media.

I am still a little ways from completing the game and can't wait to get back to it. Bye now ^_^

* All images above are not mind and belongs to Nintendo and the various sources I took from including Joystiq & Kotaku*

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Back

Apologies for the lack of updates, things have cropped up such as equipment failure and other events. I'm back and will try to update if I have awesome stuff to share. There might be some changes to my posts but I hope you guys enjoy my posts (both old and new).


^_^

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Ramen Champion Update

Image from Ramen Champion SG webpage

Hi everyone, been to Ramen Champion Singapore held in Iluma yet? If not, check out the links below for my take on all 6 stalls there.

Following their success in Iluma, they are going to open a branch in Changi Airport T3 with 2 of my favorite Gantetsu and Ikkousha along with 2 new ones - Hakkakuya and Gyoku!

It'll be opening in November(anytime soon?). More food choices when you're at the airport now \(^_^)/

Previous reviews

The Ultimate Ramen Champion Part I - Menya Iroha & Tai Sho Ken

The Ultimate Ramen Champion Part II - Bario Ramen and Hakata Ikkousha

The Ultimate Ramen Champion Part III - Gantetsu and Tetsu

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Awfully Chocolate

* The comments below is purely the preferences of the author, and it is never in any way a way to incite a Dark vs White vs Milk Chocolate war. Eat what you love, and enjoy it. *

Life is short and bitter, but it is the little bits and pieces of sweetness that lights up our life. So, I can never really understand dark chocolate. To quote from one dark choco lover who told me " The darker it is, the bitterer it is, the better it is". I prefer my chocolate sweet and able to make me smile, not cringe at the bitterness.

In any case, this is a shop (sorry, a chain of them) which specialises in chocolate cake. It has now expanded their repertoire to include a range of other cakes and ice cream too. Of course they are all chocolate related according to their namesake.( Though it'll not be a good idea to create stuff according to the first word in their name)

Ordered

Super Stacked Chocolate Cake

This is the evolution of their original product, a dark chocolate fudge cake. I will have to say, this is indeed a cake. No extra cream or whatsoever, dark chocolate cake constitutes about 50% with dark chocolate fudge filling up the layers. It did not live up to my expectations as from the ravings I read/heard.
Score : 3.25/5.0


White Chocolate Butterscotch Block

This is the one thing that caught my eye when I walked past their glass display. It kinda reminds me of the Walls ice cream Vienetta.

A Dark chocolate Swiss roll cake covered with mildly sweet white chocolate cream. In the middle and on top is salty caramel.

The salty caramel, blends in really well with the white chocolate. The cake however, tastes really simple and ordinary, and if I'm not wrong is the same cake in the super stacked chocolate cake. This cake satisfies my sweet tooth pretty well while not leaving you feeling too saturated.

Score: 4.0/5.0

Hei Ice Cream

Awfully chocolate's single flavor, premium dark chocolate ice cream. With the word 黑(Hei) in reference to the word dark. The ice cream is not black, but a velvety dark brown. Never once will you not be reminded that this is a dark chocolate ice cream, but the after taste is way too bitter. It takes the fun out of the initial richness and faces it a really strong and lasting bitter effect. Oh, to use the word premium for ice cream and charging accordingly, naturally I will have my fair share of expectations. My face became a bit 黑黑（Hei Hei= Black)  to find some ice crystals in the ice cream. 

The serving was generous for a single scoop, and I believe those who digs dark chocolate for it's bitterness will love digging into this ice cream.

Score : 3.25/5.0

White Chocolate Cupcake

The same cake you find(?) in the super stacked chocolate cake with a white chocolate flavored cream on top.




Score : 3.25/5.0


Overall

After more than a decade and expansion overseas, Awfully Chocolate definitely have its fair share of fans. Those who wants some chocolate in their life, but yet do not like it too sweet will love it. The price is a bit on the high side though, especially with the system of charging by weight. This means you must have spare cash if they accidentally cut a larger slice, so students on a budget, bring more cash. Dark chocolate fans rejoice for it will always serve as a good source of nourishment for their needs.

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Sole Pomodoro

Pizzas are always among the top few comfort food I crave for when I... crave for comfort food. As far as I can remember, my first pizza is probably the pan Hawaiian Pizza from Pizza Hut. Thick and doughy crust is what I associate pizza with for years, until the thin and crispy version, which I do not fancy much.

Anyways, Sole Pomodoro is located within walking distance from Little India MRT, and is directly opposite Rex Cinema. You can't miss the restaurant with their bright blue signs

I visited the restaurant during dinner time and the entire restaurant is lit by a few lights and tiny candles on the table. Great for dates, but not great for taking pictures. So pardon the little shadows created by the flickering from the candlelight.


Ordered


Free flow bread with Gaspaccia dip

Wow, I gotta say, though the bread with sundried tomatoes are a little hard, the dip is really good. I asked the waitress what the name of the dip is, and she told me that it was called Gaspaccia dip. This dip is a cucumber onion-like dip that is really refreshing and saved the bread. It was so good, I had to stop myself from filling up before the mains.


Capricciosa

Mmmm~ Freshly arrived in time to fight my resistance against more bread, the pizza had an aroma that I once again have to fight the urge to dig in before snapping some pictures.


Mushroom, roasted ham, salami and artichoke rest atop the wonderfully chewy crust with a crispy edge. The creamy and chewy mozarella here is done in 'spots' but is sufficient. The tomato sauce is so fresh I have no doubts that it's made from the very best pomodoro available. It adds to a layer of taste that you cannot find in delivery pizzas. 


Score: 4.25/5.0


Panna Cotta Al Cioccolato Bianco

White chocolate panna cotta with crushed pistachio over it and a little strawberry coulis. Soft, smooth, silky, sweetness that do not over-saturate your tastebuds. Each delivery into my mouth melts the panna cotta and my weariness of the day away. Love it.

Score: 4.25/5.0


Overall
Maybe I'm hungry, but the trip here is filled with lots of resistance. Me resisting to dig in before I take any pictures. Sole Pomodoro is an awesome place if you are looking for some awesome and authentic pizzas in Singapore.


Sole Pomodoro
Closed on Monday
12/21 Mackenzie Road #01-01
(Opp Rex Cinema) Walking distance from Little India MRT
Singapore 228678
12.00pm to 11.00 pm

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Coco Ichibanya

Curry is one of the many staple dishes in Singapore. An indian gravy dish, it has since went on to other parts of the world and each region have their own take on this dish. My favorite? Japanese Curry. Coco Ichibanya is the largest japanese curry franchise in the world, and it's finally here in Singapore!

In Coco Ichibanya, you can really customize the amount of spiciness of the curry and the amount of rice.  For rice, the standard amount is 250g of rice. For those who wants more, you pay more for the rice while for those who feels healthier by seeing less white, you can save some $ by opting for lesser.

Ordered

Mini salad

The mini salad looks like an ordinary salad with the thousand island dressing, doesn't it? But no, it is a sesame dressing that gives it a refreshing taste as a starter/ side dish.


Ice Lemon Tea

The ice lemon tea here is of the unsweetened variety (think Mos Burger lemon tea) in which they provide you with a mini cup of sugar syrup to sweeten the tea according to your personal preference.

Chicken Karaage Omelette Rice With Curry (Lvl 0) *Spiciness non-adjustable for omurice*

The omelette here is the kind that is done with quite a few eggs, where by the gooey upper layer is not flipped but laid directly on the rice. That is how I like my omelette rice.

White rice, no big deal right? NOT! You can screw up rice where it can be too hard or too gooey. The rice here is cooked with just amount of water, neither too soft nor hard. Every grain separable from each other.


The omelette rice resembles an island in the middle of curry ocean. Coco Ichibanya is not stingy with their curry, and each serving is definitely enough to flood the rice.


The curry here is mildly sweet, thick and rich. Don't bother hunting for potatoes for carrots as there isn't any, but the curry is definitely delicious. The karaage is really ordinary, and really lets down the fine curry here.


Score: 4.0/5.0 


Pork Katsu Curry with Cheese (Lvl 1)

Same curry, but with a different level of spice. This time, the spiciness of the curry is evident, which slowly builds up as you eat and stays with you. Thank god for the water that is refilled every now and then. Level 1 is for those who find japanese curry sweet and wants something closer to what we are used to. Go higher if you are just looking for spiciness. If you are looking for the mild and sweet taste that japanese curry is known for, go for level 0.

The mozarella cheese is rather generous and blends in pretty nicely to the taste of the curry. However, it seems like Coco Ichibanya puts all their effort in their curry and nothing in their topping. The katsu is a bit too tough and dry for my liking and can really be improved.


Score: 3.75/5.0 


Prawn Katsu Curry (Lvl 0)

I'm going to say this again, Coco Ichibanya does their japanese curry well. Well enough that higher spicy levels of the curry is enough to convert those who finds it too sweet.(I hope?)

The prawn katsu here fares much better than the highly disappointing pork katsu. Each patty is packed full of prawns, but the patty is a bit too small.


Score: 4.0/5.0 

Mushroom Cream Omelette Curry (Lvl 0) *Spiciness non-adjustable for omurice*

Another form of the omurice curry, except that cream mushroom sauce is poured over it. Frankly, there is not much of a difference between that of the karaage version and the mushroom cream version. The slightly gooey omelette is the differentiating factor here.

Score: 4.0/5.0 

Overall


Each serving of curry for the rice is individually heated before ladling it on the rice, ensuring that each plate of curry rice reaches you piping hot. The toppings, whatever you choose, seems to be generally average and is saved solely by the wonderful curry.


The queue during meal times can be very long, and is not helped by the slow service of the staff. Hope that they can improve their speed, especially in seating customers when the tables are empty.


Coco Ichibanya
313 Somerset
#B3-25/27

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Nakhon Kitchen

Do you enjoy Thai food? Wait a minute, I used that for the previous post :P This is my second Thai food post in tandem. Nakhon Kitchen has received tremendously favorable reviews for their authenticity; from the person serving you all the way to the food being served.

I made a mistake of visiting at around 7:30pm, and had to queue for approximately 30 minutes for it . In fact, around 8:30pm, there is still a long queue.


Ordered
Pineapple Fried Rice

For some reason, pineapple fried rice is my first order whenever I go to any Thai eatery, so Nakhon Kitchen is no exception.


There are raisins and pineapple bits inside to provide you with bits of fruity sweetness, but I guess those who hates the thought of fruits in their rice already knew. Of course the floss on top adds to more flavor for the dish. 


However, each grain of rice was... exceptionally grainy and tough. Perhaps it's the long queue, perhaps it's my luck, this dish was somehow marred by the tough rice.


Score: 3.0/5.0


Tom Yum Soup (Clear)

Why did I say clear? Cause Nakhon Kitchen serves 2 different version of Tom Yum Soup. One either with rich coconut milk, or just the soup itself. I chose the clear version for you can better taste the finer details of the soup. You can also choose between the catches of the sea, specific catches of the sea(prawn), or chicken. Seafood is depicted here.


Fresh and succulent prawns and chewy rings of squid, the seafood in this small bowl is fresh and tangy. 


Can I say that usually, I do not really appreciate Tom Yum soup. Most that I tasted either are too sour and just felt weird. "Spicy" and "Sour" is clearly distinct in the tom yum here, and it melds together in your mouth nicely here. The spiciness of the soup does not switch on your resistance immediately, but causes a consistent and growing riot as additional sips of this wonderfully balanced tom yum soup into your gut. The result: a constant flare in your gut, the kind that people who loves the kick in spicy food really enjoy.


Score: 4.25/5.0


Mango Salad

Thinly sliced mango, cashew nuts and a mild spicy feel to the salad gives a spicy and sourish jolt to your taste buds for the upcoming dishes. Since I ordered it, there is not much of a regret here but the mango salad is a little boring IMO and I can do without it.


Score: 3.0/5.0


Phad Thai

Springy and slim rice noodles fried to awesomeness, with crushed peanuts, lime and chili flakes on the side. The rice noodle here is slim, chewy and comes out of the wok with all the well meaning flavors intended; stirred with the nuts, a dash of lime and some chili flakes, the dish is just awesome.
The bottom is a tad oily. I do know that lots of food is oily, but Ignorance is bliss and I'd rather ask myself why the pants are suddenly tighter than to see it. Also, do slurp up the goodness while it's warm, the awesomeness goes down a notch or 2 when it's cooled though.


Overall, one of the best Phat Thai in Singapore I've tasted so far.


Score: 4.25/5.0


Pandan Chicken

Marinated chicken pieces squeezed into a the shape of a pandan dumpling. The chicken does not really taste nor smell of the fragrance of pandan and makes one wonder the use of the leaves in the first place, besides serving to lock in the juices of the chicken while deep frying? Maybe the strong marination here overpowered the slight pandan fragrance?


Either way, soft and juicy is what you get. The taste of the chicken here reminded me strongly of this. For $6, you get 4 pieces of this satay pandan chicken as a great addition to your mains.


Score: 3.5/5.0


Green Curry (Chicken)

Choices choices choices. Nakhon Kitchen provides you with the freedom to choose what you like in their soup and curry. Again, seafood, prawn and chicken is available for choosing. Just to go by my standard memory of what I see in a curry, I chose chicken here. I think there is no right choice per se here, just like the tom yum soup, for the main star is the gravy.

It comes in this little bowl with a flowery-edge. The green curry here is sweet, spicy and smooth that is provided by the streak of coconut milk on top. It goes really well with rice and is choked full with slices of chicken and greens amidst the green.

See that little pea-like thing? Try biting it and you'll know it ain't no green pea (despite looking like a large green pea) that you find in your fried rice. A google search turns out that it is actually a Thai eggplant called Ma-kuea.


Score: 4.0/5.0


Thai Iced Tea

Taking a shot at Gong Cha and Koi, Nakhon Kitchen have their own version of their milk tea. (Nope, not lemon tea) This iced tea is creamy and orangey(in color), and tasted smooth and very rich. Much richer than what you'd queue up for at koi. It might have been a little saccharine but the drink actually fits in nicely with the rich flavors of thai food.


Score: 3.75/5.0


Coke

Heheh, even the coke is from Thailand :D


Boneless Chicken Wing

Ordered this out of pure curiosity. The chicken wing was deboned and stuffed. Let's take a look on the inside shall we?

The taste is kinda~ like ngoh hiong with carrot bits. In fact, it looked like ngoh hiong shaped to look like a chicken wing. I guess I am a little disappointed by what it turned out to be.


Score: 3.0/5.0


Mango Sticky Rice

Looking for a sweet finisher to our meals, we decided to order sticky mango rice. The plate is a cutesy plate shaped to look like a leaf, with warmed glutinous rice, mango and sweet coconut  milk drizzled over it.

The warm glutinous rice is mildly sweetened and complements the mango beautifully. The dessert was a hit among all the fork wielders seated and was gobbled up pretty quickly.


Score: 4.0/5.0


Overall
Nakhon Kitchen is generally good with some dishes that disappoints slightly, but with affordable pricing with no GST and service charge, Nakhon Kitchen is probably one of the best place in Singapore for some authentic Thai food.

Oh, there is this cute little rattan holder for holding a roll of paper for you to clean your hand or wipe off your sweat.


Nakhon Kitchen 
(Kovan MRT exit C)
212 Hougang Street 21, #01-341


Nakhon Kitchen
BLK 136 Bedok North Ave 3, #01-166

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