Just Like it! for ice-cream

About: Desserts
When: June 2014
Where:  Resort World Sentosa #01-201 Singapore 098269 (Walking distant from HarbourFront MRT)
Deal: Groupon $10 for $20 voucher
Website: http://www.just-like.it

I visit Vivo city often, so decided to try out this newly open branch of Just Like it! at Sentosa. Basically its a dessert place that makes the ice-creams after the customer ordered using liquid nitrogen. The shop is made to look like a chemistry lab. 

 

Lucky for the Groupon deal! The ice-cream here is so expansive! 

My order being make by the staff. To be able to see the process is pretty cool.

My berries berries ice-cream. Taste wise, there is noting special about it. The ice-cream is not mixed well and the staff on duty that day seems to be more interested in chatting with each other then making the ice-creams. No "science" went into making any of the orders, seem to me they "decide" how much syrup and nitrogen goes into the mixer nothing was measured before the "making" process started. Also it too sweet for my taste.

Verdict: Too pricy for my liking (with or without the groupon deal). For the 1 time experience of looking at my ice-cream being made, don't think I will visit again.

Lunch in the CBD

About: Lunch

When: May 2014

Where: Chaihoics Chevron House 30 Raffles Place Chevron House #01-35A , Singapore 048622 (Next to Raffles Place station)

Deal: In house lunch special 

Website: http://www.chaitime.com.sg

As I don't work in the CBD area, trying to look for a lunch place is a difficult task on a weekday! As we walk around aimlessly I spotted this lunch set promo so we decided to try it out as it looks promising. 

It's a small cafe with about 10 tables, we were luck to find a table for the 4 of us right next to the counter. It's seems like most customers here order take away away to have their lunch back in their office. 

I ordered the $7.90 lunch special - Tandoori Chicken Roll with the coffee/tea of the week. They are very generous with the chicken and it's was tasty.

We decided to share a slice of their cake, we ordered an orange cake. This cake was very light and the fragrant of the orange is just right. Very tasty!

Verdict: No more walking around aimlessly the next time I'm in the CBD looking for lunch. This is the place I would like to visit again.

Quiet weekend English Tea

About: English Tea

When: 7th June 2014

Where: Marina Mandarin Singapore - Atrium Lounge  6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square, Singapore 039594

Deal: 1-for-1 Weekend English Tea with Maybank Credit card up $38++ per person (we paid $44 for 2 person)
Website: http://www.meritushotels.com

Wanted a nice quiet place for weekend tea, so decided to try it out. We were seated right away when we arrive at the hotel, the lobby is on level 4 of the hotel it's very airy.  The hotel keep birds on level 5 surrounding the lobby, with the birds chirping it feels like a courtyard/outdoors but in a cool environment (was great since the day was very hot).

After sitting down we were asked if we would like coffee or tea, it was served in a cup (not pot). Warm scones was served next. The rest of the food items are buffet style. Not much of a spread, very limited items to pick from. I didn't manage it try some of the items as they were not replenish. English tea was suppose to start at 3pm ends at 5pm, as we reach at 3.15pm I did not expect that some food items running out and was not replenish (very disappointed). Service was inattentive (base on the fact that there are only a handful of tables being occupied), every time I finish my tea I will need to wave and wait for the service staff to top up (which too quite a while). Would have preferred my tea to be served in a pot.

The scone and my Earl Gray tea

The savory options (clockwise: Tomato Bruschetta, Smoke Salmon sandwich, Egg Mayo sandwich, Cucumber and ham mini burger and Fole Gras pastry. These are almost all that was left to pick from (sad).

There were more choices for sweets, I didn't try all of of them. The apple pie was the highlight for me. Not too sweet with some tart taste of the apples (thumbs up for me).

Verdict: Nice ambience but not for value English Tea. I would visit again but will order from their a la carte menu.

Grand Mandarin for lunch (Chinese food)

About: Lunch (Chinese food)

When: 14th June 2014
Where: Grand Mandarin 325 New Bridge Road (Walking distant from Outram or Chinatown station)
Deal: 50% off on the a la carte menu (opening special)
Website: www.grandmandarin.com.sg

This is a birthday treat by an old friend of my (it was such a treat for me)
This newly open Chinese restaurant specialize in The Empurau Fish (忘不了) that cost $3000 per fish (which we didn't order, too expensive!). The restaurant occupies 2 levels of the building with open seating on ground level and private dining rooms on the second level.

A live Empurau fish on display.

The chilli is very tasty.

We ordered Crispy Roast Pork Belly ($15) Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Loin ($15) Seafood and Dried Scallop in Bitter Gourd Broth ($12) Tofu with Crab meat and Egg white in Carrot Broth ($24) Rice Noodle with Prawns and Season Green in Carrot Vroth ($28) XO sauce with Lobster meat and Season Green ($62) Chilled Red Glutinous Rice with Coconut Ice-cream served in Coconut Shell ($12) and Soy Pudding with black Glutinous Rice served with Ice-cream ($12)

Crispy Roast Pork is crispy otherwise ordinary. The BBQ pork is very tasty, the honey glazed was very nicely done. The meat is very tender and it melts in the mouth.

The soup is filled with seafood!! But it's very salty, the salt over power the seafood thus I can't taste any of the freshness of the seafood used in this dish. There is only a hint of bitterness for the Bitter Gourd Broth.

This dish is totally opposite from the soup. It's very lightly seasoned but as I just taste the soup this dish became tasteless (sad).

Prawn Hor Fun is done very well, the Hor Fun is chewy and I can taste the freshness of the prawns. Good dish!

XO lobster was served last, another salty dish but for this dish the saltiness is from the XO sauce. Not too sure if I like this dish. Maybe it's better with rice.

And lastly the desserts! Both not too sweet. The chilled coconut jelly is made from coconut juice, very refreshing. Like the contrasting texture of black glutinous rice and soy pudding.

Verdict: A once in a blue moon treat. Maybe for families celebrating an event or when they run this special 50% discount again 

Mrs Pho for dinner (Vietnamese food)

About: Dinner (Vietnamese food)

When: 5th June 2014
Where: Mrs Pho 349 Beach Road (Walking distant from Nicoll Highway station)
Deal: Nil
Website: http://www.mrspho.com

Checking out a newly open eatery around the Beach road area. (There are a lot of cafés/restaurants spring up around this area where I work, lucky me ^^ will check out those that interest me in the next few months)

Mrs Pho is a small place with about 12 tables. Very airy and cool inside even on a hot day. The deco looks like streets of Vietnam (very clean version).

Wet tissues is provided on all the tables, seems like free but it's chargeable @ $0.50 per person (not informed to the customers before hand, we only found out when paying). I would prefer just free serviette to be provided.

Very reasonable prices the Mains range from $7 to $8.90

Prawn Crackers was served while we were reading the menu ^^ This make up for the changing of wet tissues (I guess)

We ordered 2 Entrees Fried Pork Spring Roll and Fresh Spring Roll

Both taste normal. At $3 the fried spring roll is $1 a piece for very normal small spring roll, so I will give it a miss next time I visit.

 

We ordered the Mrs Pho classic dish Pho Bo Tai (Sliced Beef Noodle Soup). It's very tasty! Following the menu's instructions we tried "The Traditionalist" which is 2 squirts of Hoi-sin, a dollop of sweet chilli, a teaspoon of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime for a full-bodied broth.

As I like to add lots of herbs to my soup I'm disappointment that bean sprouts and herbs are not serve separated from the soup like it is done traditionally. 

Verdict: Overall it's worth to give it a try if you are in the area but not if you need to travel half the country to get there.