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Tim Ho Wan (Singapore)
my experiences with Tim Ho Wan had always been in Hong Kong. from the original stall at Mong Kok to the current flagship at Sham Shui Po, we loved their dim sum because it lived up to its name as the cheapest michelin star restaurant, delicious and value-for-money. nonetheless, we've moved on to other dim sum joints when we visited Hong Kong since, as local names such as One Dim Sum and Dim Dim Sum proved to be equally good.. as for the local version, the long queues when the first few outlets opened kinda put us off, and somehow, we didn't bring ourselves to try it.. until now.
it was only during a recent trip to Hong Kong when a friend, between mouthfuls of cheong fun, congee, mala-ko and har-gao, kept proclaiming.. "this one, Singapore better; that one, Singapore also better". curious, we decided to give Tim Ho Wan (Singapore) a try when we got back. Plaza Singapura is like the proxy for their flagship store here, so we went to pay that outlet a visit. 
the local version comes with most of the standard offerings that Hong Kong has, albeit prepared with a slightly local twist to adjust to our palette. and hence you'd have dishes that are a tad saltier, and accompanied with chilli sauce that has alot more kick. we tried their cheong fun with pig's liver, braised chicken feet with abalone sauce, the must-try baked bolo-buns with BBQ pork, steamed egg cake, har gao, siew mai and a few special dishes that we didn't find in Hong Kong.. we're still quizzical about the "Singapore better" part to date.. 
on to the special dishes, and we liked this shrimp dumpling with mushroom & century egg. we don't really see this in our local reviews, so it could have been for a limited period only. another interesting one was this dace fish-balls with Chinese sausage. they all come in small quantities of two or three, so they become very convenient add-ons. 
even more recently, the fifth Tim Ho Wan outlet opened at Aperia Kallang, and it is a 24-hour joint to boot! they've came up with a supper menu (served between 10 pm till 6 am daily) with a few interesting selections which we liked very much. i guess it was not only us, because there was seriously a queue even at 11.30 pm. this lobster congee with prawn and scallop looks very photogenic, the porridge is indeed very smooth and well-cooked, however beneath that lobster shell was a not-so-generous serving of lobster meat. on the contrary, we thought that the sliced fish congee with garlic fried fish skin and century egg was alot better. 
special mention to this steamed egg-cake or mala-ko, because many people just love it. quite amazing certainly that a caramelized sponge cake makes the list for the "4 Heavenly Kings" on Tim Ho Wan's menu. Another supper dish that we enjoyed was this dumpling in spicy sauce, very much like sichuan dim sum. in all, i'd say that Tim Ho Wan's dim sum is good, and its a wonderful thing that this Hong Kong favourite is brought over for us to enjoy. however, just like Abercrombie and many other imports, things somehow gets a whole lot pricer when they come to Singapore, so do be prepared to pay quite abit more to have the same dim sum here.. if you ask us, Hong Kong is still better and certainly more value-for-money. 
Tim Ho Wan (Singapore) 68 Orchard Road #01-29A Plaza Singapura Singapore 238839 Opening Hours: 10 am to 10 pm (daily) 12 Kallang Avenue #01-01/02/03 Aperia Singapore 339511 Breakfast Menu – Monday to Saturday, 6 am to 10 am Normal Menu – Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm / Sundays & PH, 6 am to 10 pm Supper Menu – Daily, 10 pm to 6 am (closed Mondays 5 am to 10 am for maintenance) In you come in a group, everyone has to be present before you can be seated.. Ishinomaki Grill & Sake
Located on the fringe of Orchard Road, Palais Renaissance is home to many popular cafes and restaurants. It's interesting to note that despite its low natural footfall to the building, many people somehow find their way there to patronize these eateries. the latest kid on the block is Ishinomaki Grill & Sake - located at the basement, the people who've brought you Kai Sushi & Grill (at Plaza Singapura), is attracting quite a following with this new concept..
specializing in fresh seafood, many of their dishes are either done Robatayaki style (grilled) or prepared as finely sliced sashimi. either way, the selling-point is the freshness of their catch, prepared only upon order by the house chef. Ishinomaki is also popular with the lunchtime crowd as they offer value-conscious set lunches and a wide ala-carte spread. we tried the Saba shio yaki above, essentially a saba fish marinated in sea-salt, grilled to perfection and served with lemon & radish. 
we have a thing for cold food and hence assorted sashimi would always be on the agenda. we ordered the Sashimi Ishinomaki, which is a selection of raw seafood hand-picked by the chef. on that day, we were served with salmon, tuna, swordtail, prawn and sea bream. good sashimi is not only fresh, but should also taste somewhat sweet and flavourful. those served here is of that standard, and we enjoyed it very much. 
these dishes go very well with japanese rice, so we specially ordered a bowl of Gohan, or japanese styled white-grain rice to accompany the food. another value-for-money offering at Ishinomaki is their yakitori or skewered dishes. we tried their Tsukune, Shiitake and the Jagaimo bacon maki amongst others. most of the skewered dishes are in bite-sized quantities, allowing you to go for greater variety. 
something a little different, some really minute squids called Hoshi Hotaruika, deep fried and immersed in a special teriyaki sauce. they are really small and probably equates to Japanese fine-dining perhaps? Nonetheless, this is overall a fine Japanese grill and sashimi place, with a wide selection of fresh seafood, good pick of sake (wine) and a great Japanese ambience. we'd certainly come back here for a good Japanese feast at a real affordable price soon. 
Ishinomaki Grill & Sake 390 Orchard Rd, B1-02/02A/03 Palais Renaissance, Singapore 238871 Opening Hours Daily: 11:30 am to 3:00 pm & 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm There's also a 7-course Omakase dinner set and Lunar New Year Yusheng for corporate dining.. Tolido's Expresso Nook
it's sometimes quite amazing how one can discover a new place with the help of Google. we were feeling hungry and had a craving for pasta so we searched for the best pasta in town - and it took us to this new cafe, which could just be the next big thing. tucked in the midst of HDB shops along Crawford Lane (it's a public housing estate really), this unassuming cafe whips up some excellent brunch and pasta dishes, with a good brew of coffee to boot.
Visitors to Tolido's can take heart that the cafe is opened by yet another aspiring Barista, who has won accolades in coffee-art competitions. there's indeed hope yet for Singapore (both for entrepreneurship and caffeine-lovers alike). it is also good to know there's free-parking on Sundays and public holidays, which you now may have to expect to wait before being seated.. 
it is quite surreal how these new cafes develop such a strong following in a matter of months, such is the power of social media. set next to a hardware store and a shop selling lunar new year decorations, you can't quite take Tolido seriously, especially when there are other gastronomic options along Haji Lane and North Bridge Road food centre nearby. but try it, and you'd find one of the better coffees, along with some of the best pasta's around. 
a little bit of fusion for their side dishes as we waited for the mains to arrive. the signature side dish would be the Tolido's Truffle Fries, served in a dim-sum container, sprinkled with truffle oil and cheese flakes. their lattes served up next and lived up to its expectation of a good brew. interestingly, Tolido's also whips up a mean Affogato and Bailey's. 
then comes the main-event. their specialty is this 462 Prawn Laksa Pasta, essentially spaghetti with a Singaporean influence from one of our famous spicy dishes. the gravy is flavourful, bringing out the richness of Laksa, while the prawns were really fresh. but i honestly think we are getting excited because it suits our local palette. their aglio olio and turkey ham mushroom cream pasta are also worth a shot. 
the brunch dishes are plain and simple, no fancy eggs and lotsa sunny side ups. they were actually pretty good. we tried The Ultimate Combo which had a mixture of pancakes, bacon, chipolatas and eggs. the pancakes were very well battered and served with a sprinkling of sugar and maple syrup. Many other people though, come here for their rosti - we tried one served with cheesy sausage, it wasn't too oily but well-fried to a level of crispy goodness. some reviews claimed that it is better than Marche's but we'll leave that for you to discern. in all, this is a cosy little cafe that gives you enough chill-out space, has good coffee and some very delectable mains. we're certainly coming back to try the desserts and array of interesting drinks. it's got everything it takes to be there amongst the hipster cafes in Singapore, and certainly one of our favourites. Plat0nic wishes all readers a Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year, may there always be good food in the year ahead! 
Tolido's Expresso Nook Block 462 Crawford Lane, #01-63 Singapore 190462 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Thursdays: 9.30 am to 7 pm (closed on Mondays) Fridays & Saturdays: 9.30 am to 10 pm Sundays: 9 am to 6.30 pm Food are all individually prepared with no artificial flavourings, and nothing instant.. Shashlik Restaurant
haven't been writing for awhile as the flu bug hit and was taken rather ill. however, a rare trip to Far East Shopping Centre prompted us to try an age-old Russian restaurant that we've heard plenty and seen many reviews of. Shashlik restaurant takes a very quiet corner of the 6th storey of the building. the decor is plain with a slightly olde European setting. it hence felt weird to hear the loop of Chinese New Year songs in the background..
a Russian looking menu at least with a fusion selection of dishes to choose from. there's some Russian fare, the popular Shashliks, Borsch soup, beef stroganoff and some desserts. then there's also a selection of local-influenced western dishes to add to the mix. it was a tad surprising that amid the simple interior and Chinese styled setting, the staff practiced very standard table-side service; replacing your cutlery between dishes, performing the final preparation of each dish in front of you etc. okay, so you don't only get this at Morton's.. 
this appetizer is called Eggs Millionaire. it might take a little skill to crack an egg shell in half, the rest of the dish though, is simply scambled eggs, mayo and bacon filling the egg-shells. i'm not sure if the Russian millionaires like Roman Abromovich eat this for breakfast, but this dish does cost us $12.. there is a complimentary serving of soft bread and butter spread for starters as well, and the bread is surprisingly enjoyable. 
this is an example of the western dishes that the restaurant serves. we ordered a grilled salmon steak and it comes with seared potatoes, veggie and hollandaise sauce. of course, we had to try some of their signature Shashliks while we were here, so we ordered the Shashlik of Lamb. we found out later on that Shashliks are typically eastern European skewered meats and highly popular in Russia. the lamb we ordered was marinated in spices and served with potato wedges. the meat was grilled medium rare but was tender enough. another traditional Russian dish worth trying would be the Chicken Pozharsky, which is a fried chicken cutlet marinated in Russian spices. 
then comes this must try Russian dessert. the preparation itself was fun to watch, having the staff serve this creamy pastry flaming through the cocktail that comes with it. Baked Alaska is somewhat like an ice-cream cake served with flaming Russian cocktail. a little too creamy but very nice. overall, Shashlik Restaurant can be an interesting experience. the unassuming interior is backed by good table-side service and quality food. some dishes may be a little on the pricey side but i guess they costed for the service and preparation that goes into each dish. in times when you just want a little different dining experience, do give this place a try.. 
Shashlik Restaurant 545 Orchard Road, #06-19 Far East Shopping Centre Singapore 238882 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Sundays: 12 pm to 2.15 pm Tuesdays to Sundays: 6.30 pm to 9.15 pm Closed on Mondays Baked Alaska is not available on Wednesdays.. Eighteen Chefs
kicking off the year with something very down-to-earth. there's nothing fancy about this western food chain that is expanding at quite a rapid pace. just like Astons were at one time, Eighteen Chefs brings fast, casual dining at a very affordable price point. it helps further that the creator of this concept carries an inspirational yellow-ribbon story.
Eighteen Chefs prides itself for being willing to give everyone a new lease of life. several of the kitchen staff at their outlets have previously been convicted or carry a difficult past, struggling to make ends meet. Previously convicted himself, owner Benny Teo believes in a philosophy of helping people back into society and picking up some life skills in the process. with the restaurant's fast serving, affordable pricing and no frills concept, Eighteen Chefs is reaching out to the youths of Singapore, and spreading the key messages to the right group. 
being no frills doesn't mean that the chain doesn't quite have its own unique creations and recipes. there are a couple of specialty dishes here and we tried them all. the first being this "Heart Attack" fried rice - it's so good you might just get a cardiac arrest. the flavourful fried rice is served either with spring chicken or beef strips (both in this case) and is a popular choice amongst diners here. 
the other unique thing that this place offers is the "be-you-own-chef" option, where you get to create your own dish from your choice of carbs, ingredients and toppings. we tried making a cheese-baked pasta with chicken in spicy tomato sauce. there can be many variations of these with the double-cheese baked rice base as their signature. there's also a wide variety of toppings you can choose from, allowing you to make one very hearty dish at under $15. 
Eighteen Chefs offers desserts as well, from ice-cream to cakes. this peach-in-a-jar is actually fresh peach served with lotsa ice-cream and raspberry sauce. nothing really fancy, just a couple of ice-cream dishes served in jars or with waffles. most people however, go for their black-beauty, which is a brownie dish served with ice-cream and chocolate sauce. the brownie is actually not bad! we came into Eighteen Chefs without any expectations (just like how you'd walk into a regular western food chain) and were pleasantly surprised by the offerings. of course, they are growing very rapidly now and many of the chefs/kitchen hands are still trying to master their craft. i'd say the rice dishes are much better than the pasta ones for now, but i believe they're improving and increasingly making themselves familiar to the heartlands. the next time you decide to eat-out, you might just wanna give 1 of their 6 outlets a try.. 
Eighteen Chefs 23 Serangoon Central, NEX #01-57 Singapore 556083 Opening Hours 11 am to 10 pm (daily) They are also located at Bukit Panjang Plaza.. Arbite
Serangoon Gardens is known to house many chill-out places and lots of good local and international food. Household names like Chomp Chomp hawker centre, Pow Sing Chicken Rice, Wimbly Lu and Dessert Bowl are always popular hangouts for residents and visitors alike. Joining this unique class of eateries is Arbite, a Western food joint that fuses Singaporean flavours into popular European dishes..
designed in a very casual and spacious setting on the second level of a shophouse, this simple definition of the term Arbite can be found within the restaurant. on top of coming up with fusion creations, another key feature for the food here would be their affordable pricing, thus going by the owners' ethos of bringing good food to the masses. we took awhile to pore through their menu, before deciding on a few of their favourites. 
this Asian spiced lamb shanks served with mashed potatoes was recommended and was a pleasant surprise. we love lamb pretty much and there are not many places that serve really fresh cuts since its not the most high-in-demand kind of meat in Singapore. the lamb shanks served at Arbite is tender, has the spices well-marinated into the meat and tasted pretty good. another interesting dish worth trying would be the XO duck tagliatelle. the pasta base was prepared with XO sauce and some spice, giving the dish a kick that's probably inspired by mee pok. the duck slices turned out to be a surprisingly good accompaniment and this turned out to be one of our favourite dishes for the night. 
Arbite serves an all-day-breakfast menu as well, also with a fusion twist. not wanting to go for the typical brunch food, we ordered a dish called Duck and eggs, which turned out to be essentially minced duck served together with poached eggs on a brioche bread with Hollandaise sauce. it's not bad, but doesn't stand out as much as their mains. maybe we can try something more unique such as the recommended Liu Sha french toast next time. 
but like the other chill-out places in Serangoon Gardens, finger food, dessert and beer is a must. over here, there's the full works of truffle fries, oysters and other finger food to go with the draught beers. however, their highlight ought to be their desserts such as their specialty called 'My Wife's Chocolate Cake' and their panna cotta. Arbite is a nice place for a date or a chillax night out with friends, just don't miss out on their chocolate cake! 
Arbite 66A Serangoon Garden Way Singapore 555962 Opening Hours Tuesdays to Fridays: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 6 pm to 10.30 pm Saturdays and Sundays: 11 am to 10.30 pm (closed on Mondays) Inspired by Europe but rooted in Singapore |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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