Palate Pleasers N Tummy Teasers
5-Course Seafood Set Lunch for 2 at $40!
Comments
Sounds too good to be true? Well, experience has taught papilles that in the world of marketing gimmicks, it most certainly IS too good to be true! 
Perhaps just not in a way one would traditionally come to expect. The Seafood Set Lunch at Long Beach King Seafood in Kallang was going at $39.80++ per pax, with a 1-for-1 promo daily, weekends inclusive. No fine prints, though they pegged it to a Citibank/Amex card promotion (i.e. you gotta make payment using the aforementioned cards).
The catch to this “good deal” came in the form of its food. Nothing one can detect visually (as you’ll soon discover looking at the pictures); quality taste-wise was seriously compromised, ironically, with their seafood dishes 
What papilles thought was to be a good start to the entire 5-course:
Starter (left to right): Jellyfish wrapped in Zucchini & Scallop encased in Yam (Deep-fried)
One of the few dishes in the course that scored both on presentation, as well as taste. I liked the scallop-yam combination - soft and mushy on the inside, crisp on the outside; kinda like a mini yam-basket dish 
But it all went downhill from here…
Butter-Cereal Lobster (Halved)
From the tasteless, soggy butter-cereal garnish to the stale flesh of the crustacean (there wasn’t even much of that hidden within that shell), nothing went well for this dish. Papilles swore we could taste the freshness of the ocean murkiness of the fish tank in each bite 
A stir-fry dish of vegetable stems? ‘Nuff said 
Crab Vermicelli in Claypot
Once again, the crab meat tasted stale and came off the shell easily in tiny shreds (a telling sign of how long this crab’s been alive before it went into that claypot). Appears they don’t handle crustaceans very well here; so much for being a “King Seafood” restaurant.
Dessert did do something to lift papilles’ mood at the end of the meal, if only barely:
Nothing remarkable, but at least they didn’t mess this up The total bill came up to $53.44 for 2 (inclusive of 2 drinks and 2 wet towels). A value-for-money dining experience? We’ll leave it to you guys to be the judge.
Long Beach King Seafood Pte Ltd
Next to Kallang Park McDonald
Have your cheesecake and eat it too!
1 Comment
Finally got around to satisfying yet another of my random cravings (this time, for cheesecake) after what seemed like the longest time Credit goes to X for being ever patient and sweetly pandering to my food whims and fancies, which I have to admit occur more often than not 
Guess that’s what makes each foodie experience that much more enjoyable.
The venue of choice (and aptly named too):
What better way to enjoy a cheesecake than with a nice cup of tea Preferably iced, given the current heatwave that has hit our shores.
(Iced Camomile Honey - $6.90; Iced Mango Tea - $6.50)
What got Papilles interested to drop by this cafe was their flavours of cheesecakes, many of which were ‘not-your-average’ cafe next-door varieties - think Peach Jelly Cheesecake, Walnut Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Cheesecake and even Creme Brulee Cheesecake (which unfortunately wasn’t available during our visit ).
A peek at the selection in their display counter and we each made our choice almost instantly 
X’s weakness for vanilla revealed 
(Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cheesecake - $7.50)
“Always veering toward the unconventional” - a personality reflected in my choice of cheesecake…
(Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake - $6.90)
Both cheesecakes were pleasantly yummy, though I felt the Strawberry Oreo stood out with its slight tartness which nicely complemented the cocoa, creamy oreo bits
Foodwise, Papilles was definitely satisfied and the ambience held a calming, serene aura from the eclectic collection of Victorian frames, miniature statues and chandeliers. My only grouse lies with their house-rule which insists that all customers order at least one item each; just make sure your dining companion(s) loves cheesecake as much as you do
It’s Recess(ion) Time and no one’s rushing to The Canteen
Comments
And understandably so too. Given that a bowl of Bak Kut Teh can set you back by close to $14 and a bowl of Mee Pok by $16.50, it’s no wonder The Canteen isn’t the venue of choice for most people in the current economic climate Who would pay such ‘exorbitant’ prices for local fare that is easily available for at least half the price in hawker centres, you ask. Lest you think that this is another one of those eateries targeted at tourists, the people behind this mid-market cafe/restaurant of the famed Les Amis group pride themselves on the eatery’s use of quality ingredients and serving local fare with a twist; Factors, they are confident, would be the selling point in attracting local patrons.
What do typical foodies do when they hear of such proclaimations? Head down to check out what the hype is all about, of course
Inrtoducing their duo-of-bestsellers:
(Canteen’s Crab Mee Pok - $16.50)
Innovative pairing of soft shell crab, boiled crabmeat shreds and “homemade crab oil” with the humble mee pok. A pity the noodles were a tad soggy and overcooked Being a huge fan of mee pok, their version of it failed to impress the foodie in me.
(X.O. Sauce Lo Shi Fun - $16.50)
This dish of Lo Shi Fun (aka Bee Tai Mak), though simple in presentation and ingredients, fared much better in taste than their Mee Pok. The amalgam of flavours from the green beans, century egg and minced pork complemented each other quite nicely Comfort food this is, though I believe the price tagged to it wouldn’t go down comfortably with most.
Don’t expect much variety at The Canteen; their menu is split into 4 main sections - Nibbles, Rice, Noodles and Dessert/Sweet Bites, with just a handful of (mostly local) offerings under each section. Access their menu here.
1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre
#01-01 A1/A2
Seoul Yummy indeed!
Comments
If you’re looking for Korean fare at wallet-friendly prices, keep the phrase “Seoul Yummy” in mind. A no-frills cafe tucked in an inconspicuous corner of Square 2 @ Novena, the food here is surprisingly yum! Its relatively obscure location in the mall just means you won’t have to wrestle a lunch/dinner crowd to get a seat And with a sizeable variety of everything from cold noodles/pasta to rice cake and bibimbap, this is the place to be for homely, comfort food Korean style.
Lest you start wondering if I’ve got a stake in this eatery, I shall leave the pictures to do the promoting
(Platter of cold side dishes that came with our meal)
If you’re familiar with Korean cuisine, you’ll know that no meal is complete without an entire platter of side dishes - sometimes of such a variety that they’ll qualify as a buffet in its own right I particularly favoured the cold tofu, kimchi and potato salad; the former for it’s refreshingly spicy kick and the latter for a nice blend of diced potatoes and egg mayo, which masked the earthy flavours of the cold spuds: just the way I like it
(Grilled Eel Hotpot Rice - $13.80)
Essentially Unagi Bibimbap served in a stone pot - a slight Jap twist on the classic Korean rice dish. Plus points for their generous serving of the well marinated, plump unagi slice
(Pork Cutlet Spicy Ramen with Rice Cakes - $13.80)
Another Jap/Korean fusion dish - this time in the form of combining ramen and rice cakes. The accompanying kimchi sauce turned out more salty than spicy, but X enjoyed the chewy texture of the rice cakes which would give one’s jaw a bit of a workout.
What better way to wash all that spiciness/saltiness down than with a nice, warm glass of Barley Tea ($1.20):
Interesting malt taste that strangely reminded papilles of coffee, but which has since grown to become one of our favoured teas
Seoul Yummy
#03-68 Square 2 (beside Novena Sq)
Makan Post-it (8) - For the love of Pork
Comments
Pork lovers rejoice! If you’re a fan of well-marbled, fatty cuts of pork, breaded and deep-fried à la tonkatsu style, read on!
After walking past their outlet at Suntec City numerous times (and each time not feeling up for greasy, fried food), a day came when papilles finally decided to check this Tonkatsu Specialty restaurant out
Yup, you read right. Tonkichi serves everything katsu related - katsu curry, katsu don, ramen, simmered with egg, as a platter for sharing; you name it, they’ve got it.
The menu promoted their Hire (pork fillet) and Rosu (pork loin) Katsu as the popular items so here they are:
The curry and ramen weren’t bad, just forgettable. Which papilles find understandable since katsu(s) are supposed to be the main star in this restaurant. Our verdict when we got to the katsu? Nicely breaded till crisp, with a batter that is light and coats the pork pieces in just the right proportion so you don’t feel like you’re only munching on crumbs X enjoyed his Hire Katsu ($22) but I was satiated with my fattier Rosu cut after just 1 piece. Then again, I was never a pork lover to begin with Worth a try if you’re a piggy lover.
Tonkichi outlets and operation hours can be found here.
