16th December 2011 was the date of ieatishootipost’s AGM (Annual General Makan). It’s their 2nd Crab Fest, and the highlight of this dinner, held at Chin Huat Live Seafood at Sunset Way, was the 5 crabs and 1 lobster dish. The Wife signed us up for the makan fest. This is the first makan outing I’ve been to with ieatishootipost, and it also isn’t the usual kind of blogger makan outing. I’ve been so looking forward to this makan since, after all, ieatishootipost is pretty famous and has a big following.

It was a wet evening, raining much of that afternoon. But we did get to the restaurant on time. Located at Clementi Street 12, the neighbourhood is also known as Sunset Way and received some media attention a year or two ago as a nice chillout dining venue away from the usual city crowds.

Here’s a rundown of the menu for the night:

1. Teochew Sri Lanka Cold Crab
2. Alaskan King Crab Steamed with Wine
3. Stir Fried Boston Lobster in Superior Broth
4. Chilled Vegetables in Wasabi Sauce
5. Golden Sauce Sri Lanka Mud Crabs
6. Black Pepper Dungeness Crab
7. Crab Meat Ee-Fu Noodles
8. Dessert

The food was, my brutally honest truth, below expectations. Maybe it’s because it has been hyped up so much that we were expecting nothing less than the most heavenly feast. Or maybe there really are pretty good crabs elsewhere too. But overall they were satisfying. Plenty of crabs and lobster to feed and satisfy us. At $60 a pax for dinner, it’s a pretty good value too.

I understand there was something like 20 tables at this makan outing. It must be quite a challenge for the kitchen staff at Chin Huat to serve up such massive quantities of food while still maintaining quality.

This Teochew Sri Lanka Cold Crab was our first dish.

The Alaskan King Crab Steamed with Wine below is probably my favourite for the night.

Here’s the Stir Fried Boston Lobster in Superior Broth.

The Chilled Vegetables in Wasabi Sauce was like an intermission in our crab and lobster fest.

The Golden Sauce Sri Lanka Mud Crabs came next.

The Black Pepper Dungeness Crab dish was our last main crab dish (apart from the crab noodles).

Carbo dish of the night, Crab Meat Ee-Fu Noodles.

We didn’t stay for desserts. Stomachs were filled, and we wanted to go pick up the kids before heading home.

Related posts:

1. Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant This is the $100 snow crab from Ah Yah Seafood...
2. Delifrance Should Stick to their Croissants Here’s the actual Seafood Baked Rice as served by Bistro...
3. Baby’s First Reunion Dinner Vanessa had her first buffet dinner at this CNY’s reunion...

Cafe Cartel has been around for many years. I’ve been a frequent customer in the past, lesser so in the recent years. Reasonable food and service for the price we’re paying. I like their bread, and eating it with olive oil, and having the bread free flow was something nice. In the past, my wife had an encounter where they simply could not get the doneness of the meat correct. That was just that one time. We would look past that and visit the restaurant again.

This visit, however, I’ve got more to complain. There is free flow coffee for breakfast. Do you know, it took them a whole 25 minutes to bring me that one cup of coffee? I don’t think I’m demanding too much, but I was rather annoyed that the coffee had to take such an eternity to arrive. Furthermore, it had arrived last, when we were almost done with our breakfast. So much for free flow… I didn’t need refills anymore.

We wanted to order an extra hash brown. This was not an item of its own on the menu. The order taker told us she would find out the cost and let us know about it. Well, apparently the extra hash brown was served together with one of our breakfast sets. She hadn’t bothered to tell us she had placed the order, and she hadn’t told us the price.

I had also noticed, while waiting for the various items we ordered to arrive, how slow some of the staff were working. There was a table next to us that needed clearing. Someone had already cleared it partially, and when this other staff arrived, there was just one plate left on the table. She was so slow fixing up the table, she literally took 2 or 3 minutes to fix up a table that only had just one plate left to be cleared!

So, my eyes wandered off and noticed the queue forming outside the restaurant. How interesting… the queue had formed despite there being plenty of tables inside the restaurant. I guess the staff were simply too slow!

I was planning to tell the cashier about my feedback when I got up to pay. Along the way, I realized… one of the hyper-inefficient staff, whom I was going to complain about, was a “supervisor”. The cashier’s rank was “crew”. Not such a good idea perhaps.

Overall, well, there’s nothing really wrong with the food. Service, however, has plenty of room for improvement.

Related posts:

1. Breakfast With Vanessa I took Vanessa out for breakfast yesterday. We went to...
2. Cafe On The Ridge and other Food Updates It seems lately this blog has featured lots of food...
3. Breakfast by the Pool We decided to have breakfast by the pool this morning....

That’s the promise of Domino’s Pizza. Their tagline, “The World’s No. 1 Pizza Delivery Company” says a lot about their commitment. You’ll get your pizza in 30 minutes, otherwise they’ll give you a voucher for a free regular pizza which you can use in your next order.

I was quite happy to receive an invitation from omy.sg to a makan session at Domino’s Pizza. I like their pizza, and I’ve been ordering delivery from time often enough since the opening of their first branch at Chun Tin Road in 2009. This is a new franchisee. (Some of you might remember Domino’s had a presence in Singapore many many years ago before they disappeared.)

I really love the 30 minutes delivery promise, but that’s not to say their food is just mediocre. The pizzas are great too. There is enough variety of toppings to fancy every taste, and there are four types of crusts to choose from: Classic Hand Tossed, New York Crust, Crunchy Thin Crust, and Cheese Burst Crust. The Cheese Burst Crust is a recent addition to their menu. It’s a unique pizza base comprising two crunchy thin crusts with a layer of cheddar cheese sauce in-between. I recommend both the Cheese Burst Crust and the Crunchy Thin Crust.

The need for speed to fix up the pizza to meet the 30 minutes delivery promise does not compromise on the standard or quality of the pizza. In fact, not only do they promise 30 minutes delivery, there is also a product satisfaction guarantee. Domino’s staff explained that each work station is monitored by CCTV, and they actually weigh the pizza as they add cheese on it. So it looks like they are pretty confident about the quality and consistency of the products they deliver.

The menu includes a reasonable variety of sides: three types of chicken, three types of bread, onion rings, a really wonderful chocolate lava cake (highly recommended, to be consumed while warm), and drinks. Everything you need for a simple party at home or in the office. Superbly convenient for a last-minute makan idea.

If you plan to order Domino’s Pizza, remember to do so online at their website www.dominos.com.sg. It’s convenient and easy to use. Online orders get a free Twisty Bread or BreadStix. You can also use the “GPS Tracker” feature on their website to track the progress of your order as it goes from preparation to baking, packing, etc until delivery. Unfortunately, despite what the feature name might suggest, you can’t actually check the whereabouts of your pizza once it leaves the store. (I think that would be really cool!)

The only catch with Domino’s Pizza? They only deliver within a 10 minute drive time from the nearest store. So if you need delivery somewhere farther out, you’re out of luck. My office, for example, is outside their delivery coverage. You can still go to the store to dine in or take-away. They’ve 12 stores in Singapore now, and they target to expand to 20 stores, which, they think, should pretty much cover everywhere in Singapore.

ps: You should try to take advantage of promotions and discount vouchers, because otherwise the a la carte pizzas are not terribly cheap.

Related posts:

1. Domino’s Pizza Singapore is Back I thought they’ve all but disappeared from Singapore, but they...
2. Free Regular Pizza I decided to get my free pizza today. It’s from...
3. How to Get Free Pizza I heard about it from a friend. I didn’t try...

The first time I set foot in this coffee shop, it was just like any old coffee shop in Singapore. Actually, I can’t call it a coffee shop since, well, they don’t actually sell coffee. It’s an oldish place, hot and crowded, you find your own seats, orders are shouted, bills are tabulated mentally. Very like a neighbourhood coffee shop.

In one of my previous visits, I noted that they “upgraded” to using wireless PDAs to take orders. They were catching up with technology. I don’t really know if this technology really added value to their business. That was over two years ago. The rejuvenation of their business did not stop there.

When I visited the eatery again recently, I was surprised by the makeover. Totally  Ya Kun themed. The same style of uniform for the staff. The same style of history printed on the walls. It might have been quite nice… except that it was just a copy-cat. Couldn’t they come up with new ideas? Or is this a case of copying what has proven to work?

The sad thing with modernisation is that, sometimes, while you might get a more pleasant ambience, the food quality could have deteriorated, and the prices could have gone up. I think many of us seek out these famed eateries for their food (and maybe good value), and we don’t necessarily care so much about the ambience. However, the owners could have reasoned that the makeover would attract a larger clientele and bring it more profits.

Ng Ah Sio’s prices seemed to have gone up slightly since my previous visit. That previous time was quite a while ago… so maybe that is simply the effect of inflation. In my very subjective opinion, I don’t think the food is as good as before. It’s still pretty good, just not as much as it was. Maybe the makeover has affected my opinion.

Or perhaps standards are difficult to keep when they pass from generation to generation. I imagine the makeover of Ng Ah Sio might have to do with a younger generation taking over the reins of the eatery, so maybe new hands took over the kitchen too. I guess things cannot stay the same forever. There needs to be progress, and sometimes progress means compromises somewhere.

Related posts:

1. Mandatory Whipped Cream This is my order of Caramel Frappuccinno, “no whip”, at...
2. Project Shop Cafe We were at Paragon one of the mornings recently. We...
3. Food Junction at Central Square (NUS) My one-word summary: Fail. I know, it is day one...

The dining experience at Basilico was superb. As you step into the restaurant, you’re greeted by a stunning centre piece. Appetizers and cold dishes were laid out on a bed of ice, lighted up from below, sitting in a circular counter with a flower arrangement in its centre, under an elegant chandelier hanging from above. It was a visual treat, and it is sure to make a great first impression and psyche you up for a great lunch ahead.

The buffet menu was exquisite. It’s Mediterranean fare. The names on the tags for the food were all so exotic-sounding. The food was no less exotic too. Take, for example, “Beef Carpaccio”. That’s raw beef slices.

The mains section was not as varied as the appetizers and cold dishes. But there was still plenty to choose. Some of the highlights include Wagyu beef, which was really very good. The pork ribs were so tender, they could almost pass off as some other meat. The Lasagna was more “beefy”, with generous amounts of meat sauce of just the right consistency, unlike what you usually get in Singapore that tend to be too wet and cheesy.

I was already quite filled by the time I was done with the mains. But there were some highlights from the desserts that I just had to try. Creme Brulee is one of my favourite. The caramelized sugar on top of the custard was not quite as hard as I had expected it would be, but it was still delicious. The biggest surprise? Oo, there was plenty of alcohol in the custard. There was alcohol in many other dessert items too.

I’ve no idea how much lunch cost, so I cannot comment about value-for-money. But it was a very nice lunch.

Related posts:

1. Buffet At Marriott Cafe Last weekend, we had the lunch buffet at Marriott Cafe....
2. Cafe On The Ridge Recently, I went with a few colleagues to have lunch...
3. Brunch at Casa Verde We were recently at Casa Verde, the restaurant at the...

I eventually called up Shangri-La to ask. The experience was about fine dining at the BLU restaurant, with a custom tailored 5-course set meal, and return limousine ride. I decided to use this with The Wife to celebrate her birthday.

So, arrangements were made with Shangri-La’s dining department to organize the dinning experience. They would have a limousine pick us up, meet as at the hotel lobby, then bring us up to the BLU restaurant. They would serve champagne and caviar in the patio while discussing the menu for dinner. It sounds really exciting. Oh, in case you’re wondering… limousine simply means… a nice cab, like those Mercedes taxis.

The limousine did not show up at the appointed time. I suppose through no fault of Shangri-La, the limousine driver (or somewhere between him and Shangri-La) managed to get the time mixed up. He eventually showed up over 30 minutes late. Fortunately, this seemed to be about the only hiccup for the rest of the night. Shortly before arriving at the hotel, the limousine driver apologized profusely for the mistaken pickup time.

We were quickly whisked up to the BLU’s patio. I had originally expected to be able to see a little of the Singapore skyline in the setting sun, but we were much too late for that. The sun was already totally out. We were served Caviar Waffles (photo at the start of this post) and champagne. Then, our waiter (his title was Team Leader) discussed our 5-course menu. Here’s what we had:

1. Lobster:
2. Foiegras @Fruits.com: The Foiegras was really nice. It was seared with breadcrumbs, so it had a crusty taste to it.
3. The Egg Came First: It’s poached and seared.
4. Lamb: The meat was thinly sliced, very tender. The Wife thought it wasn’t the best way to showcase the supposedly best lamb meat.
   Ribeye: Thick succulent meat that was perfectly medium done.
5. Breakfast: This is supposed to be dessert, but the dish is very interestingly named Breakfast, because it is made to look like a half-egg. The white is actually yogurt, and the yoke is passion fruit (I think).

We also had a small truffle cake to celebrate the birthday, and BLU topped it off with a Blossom Tree. They also served white and red wines to accompany the first 4 courses of dinner.

At the end of dinner, we were whisked back down to the lobby into our waiting limousine, and the limousine driver once again apologized profusely for the earlier delay.

Related posts:

1. KFC Delivery Experience We ordered KFC delivery today for an office event. It’s...
2. Ultimate Solution To National Service Did you read today’s Straits Times? As I was reading...
3. The Hogging of Seats at Dining Places It’s something that has been happening for a long time...

I know, it is day one of operation. But this is Food Junction. They are not a new-comer, and should have had a wealth of experience operating their other food outlets. It is such a disappointment and anti-climax after waiting through so many months of delays.

Okay, on day one, you’d expect teething problems. But I’m not complaining about teething problems. First up is about space planning. Look at the photo.

There’s just no space to queue. I know, this is day one. Maybe everyone wants to visit on day one. Sure, take away half the people. Clearly, the circulation space is just insufficient. There was one stall where its queue had no where to squeeze but to form back into a service area behind the stall! (Ah… don’t tell me that the planners had the idea to use the service area as an overflow space for patrons to queue…)

Then there’s the “people” problem. I was queuing at this noodle stall. One of the staff simply stood there and did nothing… except just looking. There was another lady, collecting payment and adding condiments. Simple job. The main action rested on the third person… he took orders, he prepared the items for cooking, did the cooking, and practically assembled everything into the almost finished order, short of the condiments added by the second person. Seems like the work load was very unevenly distributed. Don’t they have some commonsense? Particularly the first person who was doing nothing?

Oh yes, I told my colleague about that first person. When we were done with our lunch, we looked back at the stall as we left the place. Guess that? That first person was still standing there. This time he was busy with something… sending SMS. Totally oblivious to the queue in-front of the stall. The boss perhaps? If he’s the boss… then go collect money! At least help out with something eh.

Then, about tray returns. After queueing so long for food, surprise… you also queue to return your trays. Why? The tray return area is so small, there’s just not enough space to put your trays. So you actually got to queue to wait for the cleaners to remove some trays, so that you can find a spot to lay your tray down on. I thought this planning was very dumb, because you just have to look at how tray return was done previously in the same canteen before Food Junction took over, and follow! (One thing quite commendable in NUS is that the culture of returning one’s food tray is quite prevalent… but it is going to get spoilt by Food Junction.)

Just something about the coffee in this place. It is absolutely horrible. Actually, the quality of the coffee itself seems to be “okay”. But the preparation was just overwhelmingly too diluted. You can see it right away that it is too diluted. It looks like the Food Junction staff just couldn’t be bothered about it.

Then more about coffee. There’s another coffee shop (toast box I think, or something of that sort) in the adjacent space just outside Food Junction. Then, there’s also Yakun downstairs. I guess someone in NUS decided that coffee and kaya toast are absolutely the most important nutrition for NUS students.

Next, in today’s connected world… we expect GSM signal everywhere. Not so in this place. NUS buildings used to be more “open”, so the few GSM antennas around wasn’t much of an issue. But with all the renovations going on for so many years, it is already quite well-known that once you close up open spaces to add air-con, build more walls, etc… surely the GSM signal reception will suffer tremendously.

About Food Junction’s pricing. With Kopitiam, there is an across-the-board discount of 10% for using their “privileged” card, or 20% if you are even more privileged. The general rule in NUS, I thought, was a 20% discount. But apparently the discount applied by Food Junction is totally random. Not just from stall to stall, but even within the same stall, the discounts across different items are inconsistent. E.g. at the prata stall, the discount ranges from 30% to 50%. There is onen particular food item that sells for $2 if you’re a NUS staff/student, but $4 if otherwise. (The noodles I had for lunch was discounted 20%.) I’ll really like to know the discounting formula.

Let’s see what other feedback I hear about Food Junction in the next couple of days. In case you’re interested, this Food Junction is at Central Square, or otherwise more commonly known as Yusof Ishak House (YIH), in NUS Kent Ridge campus.

Related posts:

1. North Indian Pakistani Food I was at the famed ABC market and food centre...
2. Lardy Food from a Hospital Look at the large pieces of fried lard, and they...
3. Emperor Q by Ministry of Food Ministry of Food is quite an interesting name for a...

Related posts:

1. Mid-Autumn Mooncake Harvest It’s going to be the mid-autumn festival this weekend. Over...
2. The Coziest Starbucks Outlet This is probably the coziest Starbucks I’ve seen and been...
3. What’s Wrong with “Made in Thailand” What’s wrong with “Made in Thailand?” It’s funny that we...

I’ll come to this place from time to time for lunch. It’s never very crowded. But it seemed to have gotten quite popular the last weekend when I was there. Perhaps I was a little late, but we noticed a queue starting to form while we were having our lunch.

Hmm, porridge with salted vegetables, salted egg. Just missing the salted fish. My papa would be so delighted to have salted-everything.

Related posts:

1. Buffet At Marriott Cafe Last weekend, we had the lunch buffet at Marriott Cafe....
2. Dinner at Oscar’s After our excursion to Comex, we headed over to Conrad...
3. Basilico at The Regent Singapore I was recently at The Regent Singapore for a workshop....

An interesting new feature on their website since I last ordered is their pizza tracking service… or what they refer to as “GPS Tracker”. It’s not quite GPS. It just tells you how far along your order is coming. The various states tracked for my pizza order:

• 18:15 – Order placed
• 18:16 – Preparing
• 18:18 – Baking
• 18:24 – Boxing
• 18:25 – Packing
• 18:26 – Preparing for delivery
• 18:26 – Delivering

Just 11 minutes from time of order till they are out of the door making the delivery. It looks like they will make it in 30 minutes today. I imagine it’s not going to be too difficult to extend this service to provide GPS tracking of the delivery rider. After all, they claim to be “the pizza delivery experts”.

The delivery man knocked on my door at 18:33. That’s just 7 mins from Chun Tin Road to my home.

They are opening more stores, greatly expanding their limited delivery service areas. The first is at Chun Tin Road, serving the Upper Bukit Timah area where I live. Their subsequent stores are in Katong, Kovan and Killiney.

Related posts:

1. How to Get Free Pizza I heard about it from a friend. I didn’t try...
2. Domino’s Pizza Singapore is Back I thought they’ve all but disappeared from Singapore, but they...
3. Domino’s Pizza Delivery, Fast and Guarranteed Do you sometimes want to order food in when you’re...