Revamp of Review System

I've thought about it long and hard, from now on the review scoring system will be done and rounded up/down to the nearest quarter. ( I will retroactively change the previous postings)


This is done in a bid to make the scoring easier somehow. Feel free to drop a comment if you have any better suggestion.

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Al-ameen Eating House

I was told about this eatery located around Kentridge Terminal and well within walking distance from NUS arts. Me, having not much of a sense of direction will definitely take quite some time to find it if not for my partner knowing the way to it.


The decor of the place looks like your regular Indian eating house with a main emphasis on the color yellow and green. They serve a number of food from the traditional Indian food like the all time Singaporean favorites pratas, murtabak, mee goreng to their own take on western food.


Ordered


Naan ( Plain & Garlic )


I remember I told an Indian friend of mine once (from India) that I like Naan, and he said " once you see how it's made you wouldn't want to eat it" From what I know is Naan is flatbread baked in an oven, or rather on (the insides) the oven. Maybe that's what he finds disgusting, or maybe his oven back home is dirty?


Before any of you start shooting me, I kinda group prata and naan together. They are pretty similar of sorts, with Naan showing lesser visible oil, it just soothes my mind that its the healthier alternative (I think...).

On the menu, there's a variety of Naans to choose from, making my decision a bit "难".(nan= difficult in chinese). To gauge how it tastes like, I chose the plain naan($1) and the garlic($2) for variety. It came to me in a little basket, all nicely cut up, great for sharing and for those who can't use a knife.


The garlic naan is brushed with garlic butter with pieces of garlic while the plain naan is... plain. The naan by itself is soft and chewy. For a $1 naan, its value and portions makes it quite worthwhile. Using my stomach as a gauge, 1-1.5 naan should fill you right up.


Honestly, I don't see much difference in taste between the garlic naan and the plain one despite the generous showering of garlic over it. As most people(I assume) will eat it with a saucy dish, the plain naan is a better buy instead.


Score : 3.25/5.0


Butter Chicken

This is my first time having Butter Chicken. I've always wondered why is 'Butter Chicken' called 'Butter Chicken', with name like this, I'd imagined it to be yellowish and not red. Turns out Butter Chicken does have butter in its sauce, and I am assuming the white sauce on the sauce is butter sauce as well. It sauce is a savory mix of spices that is not hot (again, I assume and generally equate red=hot). Chicken chunks are plentiful, but some of them are a little tough but none like some mistreated chicken breast that's dry and tough. Paired with the naan, it is quite the delightful and affordable lunch.

Score: 3.25/5.0


Overall


A single serving of Butter Chicken($7) with 2-3 pieces of naan can fill 2-3. Unless you over order, meals here can be pretty affordable. This is in consideration that generally Naan usually cost more than prata. This is an excellent place for a group lunch for students with its varied menu and low price, They have 5 outlets all over Singapore, from the east to the north to the west, so I believe there should be an outlet that isn't too far for you.


Al-Ameen Eating House


Outlets & Website 

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Marks & Spencer's Triple Chocolate Crunch

Introducing


Triple Chocolate Crunch from Marks & Spencer

Box

Wholesome clusters of granola and oat with milk chocolate chunks and white & dark chocolate rolls. 

This is cereal crack that is totally sinful and heavenly. I will let the pictures do the explanation for me.

You need not necessarily eat this with milk, this cereal is nice even by itself. The high chocolate:granola ratio certainly doesn't help in keeping my hands away from the pack. 
Just be sure to keep the remainder in a fridge for the chocolate might melt easily.


Score: Awesome~

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L'Operetta

Are you looking for a romantic place to impress your date? Look no further than L'Operetta, based in Boat Quay, L'Operetta tries its very best to impress you with their elegant and polished interior and of course, their delectable choice of fine italian food which is subtle and light. Once you step forward, you will be greeted by one of their friendly staff at the entrance, assisting you to your seats.

Yup that's my shoulder :P

See the huge oven inside?

Ordered


Free flow bread/s of the day

While waiting for my food to arrive, the waiter came along and placed some butter and some olive oil with vinegar. After that, another came with a basket of freshly baked bread. I took a slice of the 3 different kinds. Unfortunately, the waiter have no idea what kind of bread is being served to me. Among the 3, there is a sundried tomato bread which is exceptionally tasty. The other 2, unidentified but definitely infused with some olive oil are fresh and delicious but the sundried tomato bread is just the awesomest of the bunch. One common trait among them is that these Italian breads are soft, spongy and chewy and is good on its own.


Score : 4.25/5.0

Complementary Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

Nope, I did not order this, but the manager, after learning about my little celebration in the restaurant today, gave us 2 salads complementary from the chef. 


Score : 4.0/5.0

Oven Baked Hokkaido Scallops flavoured with Aromatized Butter

Do I need to describe any more? Do I? The name says it all. While reading the name of the dish, I am already reacting like pavlov's dog to the bell. Sitted and baked in an adorable little pot, the scallops comes to my mouth piping hot off the oven. It is definitely fresh with this subtle taste of the butter. Ups!

The table behind me was a bunch of Japanese ladies who were incidentally having the same dish and exclaiming " Oishii!" repeatedly.

Score: 4.0/5.0

"Catch of the day" Grilled and Garnished with Vegetable stew

A slice of fish( not too sure what catch is it) that is lightly seared on a pan to a nice crispy crust on the skin, garnished with thinly sliced mushrooms and sitting on top of a mixed vegetable stew. This is a really light-tasting fish that is tasty and simple. If you are one who likes your food flavorful, you might be a little disappointed. But if you like it light, this is just your dish.

Score : 4.0/5.0

Sea Urchin Pasta

Pasta cooked to a nice al dente bite as how I like, with bits of sea urchin tossed in and broccoli for  the greens. The serving is a tad small, and the taste of the Sea Urchin is slightly masked by the broccoli. The taste of the pasta do get better with every bite, so I guess it is an acquired taste. Fans of sea urchin have raved about this dish. If the portion were to be a bit more, I might have grown to love it by then?

Score: 3.75/5.0

Bismarc (Pizza)

The restaurant has its own Vera wood-fired pizza oven which you can see through the glass wall of the kitchen, where the chefs and his assistants are busy chopping and preparing their food, ramping up the excitement for those who can't wait to dig in. Its authentic pizzas are baked in this oven and immediately served.

Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Prosciutto(ham), Rucola, Parmesan and Poached egg. My partner chose this immediately due to the poached egg. 

As you can see, the cheese if not like the pizzas we've(locals) come to know. It is littered over the crust in spots and left to melt in the oven. Fear not if you think you might get a slice that is is deprived of cheese as the 'cheesing' is pretty generous. You can almost taste the tomatoes in the base and the crust is thin and chewy. However, the pizza is a tad wet probably due to the poached egg. My favorite out of the bunch.

Score: 4.25/5.0

Dessert

To round up the delightful meal is a plate of assorted dessert that is decided according to the chef's idea of what to make for that day. It was not described for me so I shall, to the best I can, describe what it is. 

From the back : 

Tiramisu

Dark Chocolate fudge cake

Pineapple Sorbet

Though I enjoy coffee, those who do not enjoy coffee might be put off with its strong coffee aroma which the lady fingers(sponge cake, not the veggies) are soaked in. The cream is freshly made with cocoa dust sprinkled over it. Authentic Tiramisu this is.


The dark chocolate cake is rich and thick with crushed pistachios. It doesn't leave a really strong impression on me though.

Out of the three, the pineapple sorbet is the most refreshing and tasty dessert that really ended my meal on a good note. Initially I could not discern what is that familiar fruity zingy taste is, till I called the waitress and asked her. She had no idea until she went to the kitchen to get the answer from the chef, and that is when I found out that the awesome icy wonder is pineapple sorbet. It is really one of the best sorbet I'd ever tried.

Score : 4.0/5.0

Overall

If you are looking for a fine place to dine, do consider this pleasant restaurant that will be sure to please you with its interior, food and wonderful, attentive service. Have I said their service is awesome? Yeah I did, yup, 2 thumbs up for their service and an overall good experience.

L'Operetta

78, 79 Boat Quay, Singapore 049866 

Tel: 6438 2482

Website

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Ramen Champion 2011

The picture says it all. This year's Ramen Champion is in Singapore, and the venue is in Iluma Bugis Level 4. Excited much? I sure am!


For more info go to the Ramen Champion 2011 Facebook page
*Picture taken from Ramen Champion 2011 Facebook page*


*Update*

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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Baskin Robbins

Another premium Ice Cream franchise is hitting Singapore (one more time). Baskin Robbin decides to set up shop in the newly opened mall in the heartlands - Clementi Mall (and Novena Square too). How is it going to differentiate itself from it's (slightly lower) priced competitors?

It is available in 2 scoop sizes, Junior and Value at 2.5 and 4.0 ounce. It is going for $4 and $5 per scoop respectively. Ice cream Cakes are also available, and will require 3 days to bake(?). The Service staff is very friendly and will gladly give you a tiny taste of the flavors with a smile. Thumbs up for the service. 

Ordered 3x 2.5 oz scoops

Flavor : Praline N Cream (top)

Ice cream with caramel and big chunks of candied praline covered pecan and caramel ribbon(what?). The highlight of this flavor is in it's carefully toasted pralined-pecans that have me and my partner hunting for it. The staff is smart enough to tempt me with one piece of it in the tiny sample. The overall sweetness might be too much for those who can't take sweet stuff.

Flavor : Old Fashion Butter Pecan ( Bottom Left)

Fragrant butter pecan ice cream with tiny bits of butter roasted pecans mixed in. Tastes just like what you'd expect. A simple light taste.

Flavor : World Class Chocolate (bottom right)

A tempting mix of both white and dark chocolate ice cream. I can't taste the white chocolate in the ice cream, but the chocolate ice cream is alright.

Praline Pecan - The highlight

Overall

Wait where's the score? Baskin Robbins forgot to add in "with generous amounts of ice crystals" in their ice cream description. All three flavors had bits of ice crystals in every few scoops and felt really "airy". This is nothing short of unacceptable for a "premium" ice cream and the higher price(than its competitors) it commands. Even my paddle pop can do better in the ice crystal department at about 1/10th the price. Overall I think Baskin Robbins really lives up to their name, robbin' me.

I can only but hope it do some serious QC or that it's a one off event as crushing these ice crystals is gonna do the same to their brand name as well.

Score : 2.75/5.0 
(score is inclusive of the great service)


Baskin Robbins Singapore
Velocity@Novena Square     
&
Clementi Mall

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Transformers : Dark of The Moon

"Transformers, more than meets the eye~". Anyone who watched any of the Transformers cartoon series, or came into contact with it in someway, should have heard of this tagline. Anthropomorphic alien robots who shapeshifts into vehicles and back to robot form, hence the name Transformers. It's history dates back to the 1980s, and the popular franchise movie is now in it's third and final(?) installation. Michael Bay is now trying to set things right with fans and critics alike from the widely hated Revenge of the Fallen, is he going to?


Before anything, I will say this, unless watching a film in 3D causes you direct bodily harm, watch this movie in 3D.  It was filmed with 3D cameras much like how Avatar is, with 3D in mind, not like some movies filmed with the conventional cameras and then converted to 3D just to cash in on the hype. The 3D is especially stunning when showcasing cybertronian technologies and the flying squirrel scene. For those who are watching it in IMAX 3D, try to sit at the last few rows or you will feel like you are too "into" the movie itself, often turning your head to scan the screen. But I think it is a general rule to sit near in the back rows to enjoy 3D.


Transformers : Dark of the Moon is anything but subtle, I hate spoilers, but what can you do if the title of the movie is already telling you 80% of the plot? Using the first human landing in 1969 on the *Spoiler alert* moon as the backdrop of the story, where humans found an alien spaceship (guess  which race of aliens it belongs to?). The story here, as said by lead actor Shia Labeouf in his interviews is smooth, IF this is a standalone movie. In reference to the previous 2 movies, it makes it seem like there are quite some plot holes. Seriously, I am not looking for plot holes, nor expecting a deep and enriching story here, neither should any of you who haven't watch the movie(if the previous 2 movies were any indication).


Much of the casting returns in this franchise. Shia LaBeouf is still the main character, who turns from an sudden hero-->unwilling hero-->whiny hero-wannabe in the course of 3 movies.

Run~Forrest~Run~! 

Sam's lover is transformed from dark hair Megan Fox to blondie, ex-Victoria's Secret Model and Brit  Rosie Hungtington Whiteley. This change(according to rumors) is due to Megan Fox being  disrespectful to director Bay, and is a pain to work with? The movie just goes to says she dumps him with no reason given. But no matter what it is, their role does not see much change. The job of Rosie in Transformers DOTM is simple : to hug and kiss Sam, to run around with him and surviving the destruction (in heels OMG), to shout the name "SAM~~~" numerous times in a shrill voice and to look like this for about 9 whole seconds in slow-mo.

What the ......

The explosions doesn't disappoint and is both spectacular and loud in the awesome Michael Bay-way. Some of the fight scenes are awesome but some of it really fall flat and ends so fast if you so decide to rub your tired eyes due to the drawn-out story in the middle. There are a bunch of robots that are either nameless, added in suddenly or very briefly mentioned which only the hard core fans can identify. My greatest peeve has got to be that, as awesome as the destruction scenes may be, Optimus is just not as Optimus-y and should  kick much more ass IMO. I need my Optimus to be an ass kicking leader of the Autobots.

                           

Check out that ass~

This movie is drawn out way~ too long in the middle, trying to give us an alternative history lesson on top of the original history lesson which could probably be explained in 10 minutes? To fully enjoy this movie, pay a few bucks more for the 3D, enter the theatre with a light mood, have ample sleep prior, ask no questions to the story (as much as the plot holes are as numerous as the craters of the moon) and have fun!


Score : 3.4/5.0

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Santouka Ramen

Think Japanese food and you'll easily come up with either sushi or ramen. The popularity of Japanese food in Singapore is clearly seen with the sheer number of japanese restaurants all over the island. For ramen, there is a keen competition among them as to who is the most authentic and who has got the better noodles or soup.


Sitting in a quiet little corner of Clark Quay central is one of the more popular ramen shops in Singapore, Santouka Ramen. With very simple interior of wooden chairs and tables all in a cosy setting, I am finally here to taste the ramen.


Ordered


Pork Cheek Ramen

This ramen is more expensive than the normal ramen; with the toppings of the ramen on a separate dish, possibly done so to differentiate it from the normal char siew ramen? The char siew in this order is made from the cheeks of the pig. This is something new to me as you normally hear places touting pork belly or loins but not the cheek. 

Love me tender~ Love me sweet~ Never let you go~

I now declare, I'm now a fan of pork cheeks now. These heavenly slices of  pork cheek char siew is just soo~ tender that I think just need my tongue and upper palette to separate them in my mouth. Me love pork cheek char siew behind my cheeks. It is definitely flavorsome but again, a select few might find it too salty. Pair it with the noodles and it should be fine.

I am raving so much about the meat that I almost forgot about the soup and noodle. Thick and rich soup base with the yellow noodles. I am going to crave this from time to time now! Highly recommended!


Score: 4.25/5.0


Santouka Ramen
The Central @ Clark Quay
#02-76

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