Gangnaroo Korean Restaurant

35 Circular Road

Tel: 6538 2837 / 9820 6889

A small but mouth watering lil hole in the wall home style korean fare run by a Korean couple.

The restaurant I think is more well known for their soupy dishes (hotpot / steamboat - call it what you like), although they do have your usual bibim bap and pajeon.

I was happy to see that they were pretty generous with their side dishes (ban chan). Just ask them and they keep refilling ... FOC.

They serve Jeongol as well as Jjigae. Jeongol was originally a dish for upper-class Koreans and members of the royal court, while jjigae was a simpler dish for commoners.

What's interesting is that they have the Budae-jjiggae (Army Base Stew) - During the Korean war people had little to eat. Most people had to fill their stomachs with the food distributed on the street called Kkulkkulijuk (meaning "pig's gruel"). People made this dish by combining left-over Spam and hot dogs from U.S. Army restaurants and whatever else was available. All the left-overs were put into pot with water and boiled. (Pretty disgusting eh!)

Restaurants usually use ramyeon noodles, ddeok (Korean rice cakes), sausages, meat, and goch'ujang paste for a hot and spicy taste, which Koreans like the most. To get the right taste of this dish, Spam sausage should be added.

We ordered the Spicy Pork Jeongol

Da Mario's not so Fantastic

60 Robertson Quay #01-10 The Quayside
Tel: 6235 7623

Recently went down to Da Mario's to see what all the rave is about since so many of my friends asked me to go down ...

My review ... it really is average.

We went there and it was full of people, service was a bit slow and I had to do the help my self stint to get my chilli flakes. I wouldn't say that they are overly attentive ... perhaps it was a busy night ... but when isn't it busy?

Antipasti:

Breaded Mozzarella Sticks - $10 - Deep fried breaded mozzarella sticks with arrabiata sauce. I don't think anyone can go wrong with this ... unless of course the restaurant served it with maybe ketchup or something ... but then of course I think some people who love ketchup would probably love the combination!

We also had the Carpaccio di Manzo - $19 - Thin slices of raw beef tenderloin on a bed of rocket salad seasoned with fresh lemon, extra virgin olive oil and Grana Pando cheese, shaved. I think it would have tasted a bit nicer if they had added some sea salt on it and perhaps some balsamic. Of course that is the way I prefer it!

On we go to our main course - of course I had to have the carbonara - $16 ... I didn't quite like it cause I prefer my cabonara's super rich and tasty, I think it makes a difference if you use cream cheese versus Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano.

We also ordered a Sole Mio Pizza - $22 - Tomato, Cheese, Rocket Salad, Parma Ham and Shaved Parmesan Cheese. We felt that the base of the pizza was way too soft ... The texture kind of tasted like it wasn't fully cooked yet, but when we looked around ... everyone's pizza was just as white! Could be the type of Flour they use or the technique they use to make the dough. But to be fair, they were extremely generous on their toppings! It felt more like a salad with bread, than a pizza.

Dun mind the pictures .. was way too hungry so had to eat first!

Ba Yu Ren Jia

We like to eat China restaurant food. Not the normal chinese Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew restaurants, but the Sichuan, Beijing restaurants that have been sprouting up in Singapore in recent years.

Having tried most of them in Chinatown (South Bridge Road, New Bridge Road and Smith St), and having read good reviews of this place, we decided to venture here. Lavender. Near Textile Centre. 791, North Bridge Road! I'm not too sure what Ba Yu Ren Jia means, but Babelfish says Ba Yu Ren is Palestinian Chongqing. So Ba Yu Ren Jia means Home of a Palestinian Chongqing person? Dunno man.

We came on a Saturday night. We could see it was quite popular with the China Chinese community. I think we could have been the only table of Singaporeans. Ba Yu Ren Jia offers 2 dining options - $13.80 Mala Steamboat (which we didn't try), and ala carte (which we did).

Cucumber

I had intended to order the cold cucumber appetizer, but it turned out to be stirfried, with sichuan peppers (aka prickly ash) and dried chillies. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it was ok.

Marinated Chicken Feet

Tangy Chicken Feet with pickled celery, peppers and chillies. Quite hot and tasty, but it was rather tough. Maybe it's supposed to be like that.

Kou Shui Ji (Saliva Chicken, Salivating Chicken, Mouth-watering Chicken)

The first time I had Kou Shui Ji was at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Pao. It was delicious, and I've been a fan ever since. The Kou Shui Ji at Ba Yu Ren Jia is the best I've ever had. The chicken (and cucumber at the bottom) was covered in a most fragrant, spicy, numbing hot sauce!

Ma Po Tofu

Ma Po Tofu is quite a common dish in Singapore, and it can be found in many restaurants, coffeeshop zi char stalls and is also cooked at home. However, it was only in recent years that I've discovered that the Ma Po Tofu I've grown up to know is not really Ma Po Tofu! Ma Po Tofu is not just tofu in a spicy minced meat sauce. It needs the all essential magic ingredient - Ground Sichuan Pepper. Yum. This Ma Po Tofu is also the best I've ever had.

Tan Tan Mian

After mixing it up, the noodles were covered in a thick peanut sauce. Delicious. Better than the one at Crystal Jade. Also the best I've ever had. I've ordered Tan Tan Mian in different places and very often, it turns out quite differently. It made me google to find out what Tan Tan Mian really is. Wikipedia says peanut sauce in Tan Tan Mian is a modern adaptation, but modern or traditional, it was still damn nice!

Sichuan Beef Noodles

This was good too, but the amount of beef was too stingy. Ok, good but nothing to harp on about.

Total bill: $44.70 for 3 persons, including 2 cups of chinese tea. We were also charged $1 per person for 1 small saucer of sichuan pickle and 1 small saucer of peanuts, and another $1 per person for wet paper towels. Quite a rip off, but ok, at least there's no service charge and GST.

So, it's recommended I'd say. Better than any other Sichuan restaurant we've gone to. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the chef used to be from the fine Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurant. Go eat!

Hakka Yong Tau Fu @ Jalan Peel

Wow, you gotta eat here ... although the place isn't like a classy restaurant or anything but it's really worth it ... besides Yong Tau Fu, they had Vinegar Ginger Pig's Trotters and Assam Fish. We paid around 3o plus ringit .. Rice and drinks included as well.

If you want to go ... I guess you'll just have to ask them to bring you to Jalan Peel near Sekolah Yaakon Latif 1 &2.

Or just head down and hope you find it! There's another YTF stall in the back called Wah Kiow Yong Tau Fu... it's passed Carrefour and you come into a left hand fork in the road ... I think you go left if I remember correctly.

Bee's @ Menara TM Asia Life Building

Some colleagues and I went out to lunch today and had the set meal at Bee's.

Pretty decent stuff!

For $8.50 Ringgit!!!! You get curry chicken rice and a ice lemon tea...... Check it out! It's a pretty big plate of food!

Porto Romano

Well, we were supposed to go down to Restoran Yu Ai, but unfortunately we didn't know it closed so early, so we headed back to Mont Kiara for some mediterranean food.

Well of course I couldn't resist ordering the french onion soup, and it seriously wasn't french onion soup ... they should've just called it onion soup. There was a whole bunch of oregano and italian herbs in the soup that Onion Soup would have been more appropriate of a name for it.

I had the Lamb Shank, no complains here; it was pretty decent and tender, the portions was huge. I should have ordered salad rather than the side to be a pasta. Oh I asked for some tobascco for the pasta but they didn't have any; what they do have though is their own blend of hot sauce...which basically taste like a mix of chilli padi, vinegar and other spices.

My cousin went ahead and ordered the Paella Risotto. Actually, it was pretty decent... it's not like the usual Risotto where it's all mushy like gruel or porridge.

Well, head on over to check it out. Supposedly they have another outlet in town.

Eng Seng Coffee Shop

Is it really all that, so much so that they have a long long queue and the aunty scolds you... yes yes yes it's another food nazi ... rude owner/waitress/ah-hoon!

Well ... it is all that ... don't miss out ... by far the best I've tried in Singapore ... they don't put the pepper until it kills the sweetness of the crab meat.... dun some of these folks get it ... too much black pepper makes the sauce bitter .... these people at Eng Seng, brilliant, as they use a bit of honey to accompany the black pepper, giving the sauce a tint of sweetness ... not overpowering anything though ... the perfect balance I must say.

My advice to you is to either call first or go early and wait for a table ... like I mean the kiasu type of early ... by the way they only open at 5. Dun bother going at 7pm cause they might not have any crabs left.

Try the mee goreng as well ... dun bother with the malaysian hookien mee ... not nice anymore.

247 Joo Chiat Place, 64405560

The Effort of Three

Sunday night dinner ... we decided to cook up a feast!

Spicy Tomato Soup
Tangy Scallop Salad
Spicy Spaghetti White Wine Clam Sauce
Baked Bread Crumbed Cod with Cheese and Stir fried Zuchinni

Don't remember the recipes ... so please figure it out yourself ... hahahahahah

Spicy Tomato Soup, Tangy Scallop Salad, Spicy Spaghetti White Wine Clam Sauce
Doesn't it look like a set meal from somewhere?

One month ago to date

Late night ah boozing and ah snacking .... heeheehee ... Thanks Satellite for working so hard in the middle of the night to feed us all the time!!!

Tuck Shop - Tanjong Pagar Road

21 Tanjong Pagar Road #01-05
Tel: 6534-9287

A great place for a couple of beers and some bar food ... I must say, it's been awhile since I had a nice steak sandwich in Singapore ... and really if you are craving a nice delicious steak sandwich (only $12.90), Tuck Shop is the place to go!

Actually Lynx was the one who told me about it... she said Draco you gotta go ... you'll like the steak sandwich ... but remember it's not exactly your philly cheese steak ok ... so I went and tried ...

By the way, they have a reasonable happy hour deal, although it ends early!


If you are looking for fine dining ... go some place else cause you are not going to find it here... oh yeah one more thing... the CAESAR SALAD is decent, they don't use that bottled stuff ... I think they actually make it from scratch!!!!!!!!! Lynx also thought so ...


And guess what Lynx had ... she had the fried chicken ... what else ... FRIED FRIED FRIED ... everything FRIED!

The Olive @ Genting Hotel

Ok ok ... maybe I am too picky ... but although the restaurant is good ... I wouldn't say it was fantastic, seeing that it is a signature award-winning restaurant!


The better looking image is from Jules eating guide! See the difference in photography!

Mind the pictures ... back then I was really trying to figure out how to use this phone ... but now I am just pure lazy to switch the settings around. My cousin says I should go for photography class! Hurhur ... what I really want is a professional digital camera ... anyone wanna buy for me ... the one I want ah ... is like a couple thousand dollars .... muahahahahahhahaha ... I'm waiting!!!!!

The only things I found good were, 1 the antipasto plate, 2 the mushroom soup, 3 the steaks (unfortunately, they forgot to give me good grade olive oil and balsamic to dip my t-bone steak in, although it didn't need it)

The rest liked the portobello mushrooms ... but I found the serving a bit pathetic!

I think Vikki ordered the pasta with clams ... she found it a bit on the tangy side cause they used a lemon tomato sauce type base ... but of course sometimes I feel it doesn't make a difference because Vik loves to use Tobasco sauce!

Miss Fang Tai had the Squid ink pasta, she found the pasta a bit over cooked ... but the sauce was yummy on the jalat side of things.

Daniel's Ribeye steak was nice also!

To be fair, I got to admit, by the time the pizza came, I was a bit too full and couldn't really taste the pizza ... if I had not pigged out so quickly, I think I would still be able to give a fair review of the pizza.... hahahaha

Thai Village Sharksfin Restaurant @ Goodwood

I heard lots about Thai Village Sharksfin Restaurant and had high expectations for the place... especially since Satellite said it was good ... hmmm but that was in 2007...



Only good thing is probably the Sharksfin - for those who like super duper thick sharksfin ... go for it ... but I don't think I've had any sharksfin in Singapore that can beat the quality one can find in Hong Kong ... or even the one my Mom cooks! Yummy!!!!

Anyway ... I don't think anyone was really impressed with the food ... they have this Abalone rice thing ... which costs a ridiculous $28 per serving ... 1) you ruin the taste of the abalone .. but of course they were using the cheaper abalone ... 2) I can get mui fan anywhere else with abalone mushroom and I'd be happier ... Mui Fan, the asian equivalent to Risotto.
The cod fish in black sauce ... horrible ... the sauce is so thick that you can't taste the cod at all ... I think this is supposedly their Baked Thai Style Cod Fish ... totally fail lor!
Hmm I didn't try the crabs that night ... I only had the opportunity to peel them for everyone since I just finished my operation ... didn't want to promote infection ya know! The most tortureous part of the night ... see crab, peel crab ... dun get to eat crab! hahahahah....


Oh, we did order vegetables, but really there was no point in taking pictures of it ... as you'd be disappointed also ... the veg was old ... not nice tasting ... asked them to take it back and give us some other more "young" veggies but to no avail ... it was just as old tasting!

Hock Lam Street Popular Beef Kway Teow

12 North Canal Road
Mon- Fri 10.15am - 9pm
Sat- Sun 10.15am- 5pm

Hmm I was a bit disappointed, perhaps that Purvis one is much better than the one at North Canal ... and perhaps it's cause I opted for the soupy version that day.

As usual, I cannot say much about the service from these stalls these days ... haizzz ... the lady would only speak to me in Chinese so ... oh well ... what to do! Actually eating beef noodles was a complete accident that day, I wanted to try Baikohken... unfortunately they just closed for the afternoon.

Please goto 27 Purvis Street, #01-01 An Chuan Building, Singapore instead!

The Secret Garden

161 Middle Road next to Waterloo Street
Sun - Thur: 11am - 11pm
Fri and Sat: 11pm - 1am
Public Holiday: 6pm - 11pm
CNY: Closed on 1st and 2nd Day; 3rd Day 6pm - 11pm

Tel: 6337 5338 / 63348334

Yummy and reasonable ... errr wat am I talking about ... I dun remember how much and I didn't pay ... but it is reasonable!!!!

Yes yes, what more can you expect from me, of course I ordered my favorite Caesar Salad! I did enjoy the salad, very rare that I say that these days cause not many people make a decent caesar salad. The price of the Caesar, $12.00.

And yes, as usual I take bad pictures ... I just can't seem to get this camera to work correctly. Probably cause I don't really bother to change the settings and all... anyway it's a camera phone ... what do you expect???

The burger was decent ... I was craving burgers so I had to! Yah I liked it, would I go back again to eat ... definitely! Burger was like $18.00 and it was a decent size.





Again I was too busy gobbling away to take other photos of the other dishes people ordered. Couldn't be bothered! .... That's what happens when you are stuck on hospital food for many days!

Woo Pin Fish Head Noodle

Woo Pin Fish Head Noodles @ Ho A One Seafood Steamboat Restaurant
(opposite S.K.Danau Perdana)
Jalan 1/109F, Taman Danau Desa
Kuala Lumpur
7.30am – 2.30pm (closed alternate Mondays)

Today for lunch we went to Woo Pin Fish Head Noodle ... yummmy ... I haven't had fish head noodle for awhile but this one was good, except that the fish had too much bones in it!

You definitely have to go to check it out .. the soup is nice and rich!

Ka-soh Malaysia - What a disappointment

1. 136, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, 59490 Kuala Lumpur (see map). Tel: 03-2093 0905

2. 205, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur (opposite Ritz Carlton)Tel: 03-2148 2207, 03-2148 3207, 03-2148 2723

3. No 59-G, The Boulevard, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala LumpurTel: 03-2287 6327/8/9

Went to Ka-soh with my colleagues the other night for dinner ... was totally like disappointed.

Firstly, the place was like totally quiet except for maybe another table of 4 people or something ...

Secondly, their Curry Fish head had way too much curry powder, they didn't know how to cook kangkong belachan correctly ... like how messed up is that, then we also had some pork and yam dish that is supposed to be a shanghainese style dish that went all wrong ... the yams were too soft, way too soft!!! The only decent thing was probably the fried frogs legs which I found to be a bit too sweet for my taste.

All in all a disappointment.