Have A Happy Fries Day! I believe any fries lover residing in the west side of Singapore would be more than happy to know that there’s a new (or relatively new) Everything With Fries outlet at Holland Village! Its first store is located along Joo Chiat Road.

While I’m not exactly a fries crazed fanatic, the name of this eatery is enough to pique my interest in checking the place out. The concept is simple: Pick your mains. Choose your fries. Select your greens. Mains range from burgers to spaghetti. I would say the fries are somewhat their highlight over here. Fries come in the form of either shoestring or straightut, and there are flavours such as curry, garlic and herbs, etc. As for the greens, it’s a toss between baby caesar salad or coleslaw. Easy peasy. 😉

There were seven of us. Five of them ordered the Grilled Pork Chop ($13.90). I guess it’s because the choices for the mains weren’t exactly very extensive. I heard mixed comments about the pork chops but I think this is a fairly safe choice if you don’t know what to order 🙂

I was one of the two who chose the Lamb Burger ($9.90). The waitress touted the burgers as the most popular in the house as well as the thick patty was to die for. Ok she didn’t really say that but it was something along that line. 😛 Well, in my opinion, the patty indeed is thick! However, it was a bit overdone and thus was not as juicy as I’d have liked it to be. Apart from that, I reckon it would be the perfect Lamburgini. Whoops!

Straight cut fries with Sour cream and onion for me! Yup it definitely beats the usual original kinda fries!

The Eclair ($3.90) came free with our mains. We printed out coupons from ieatishootipost. They ran out of cupcakes so we had eclairs instead. I chose the coffee flavored one. It was not overwhelming and tasted more like caramel instead which suited me fine. The eclair was quite fluffy!

A rather nice place to catch up with a group of friends over lunch or dinner. It gets pretty noisy though! And remember to make reservations to avoid disappointment! 🙂

Everything With Fries
40 Lorong Mambong
Holland Village
Tel: +65 6463 3741

Opening Hours:
Tue to Thu & Sun
12pm – 11pm
Fri and Sat
12pm – 1am
(Closed on Mon)

The study buddy is a bad influence. We wanted to just have ice cream at Gelare since we weren’t exactly very hungry but upon seeing Saizeriya Italian Restaurant, we marched in because the study buddy wanted to try the escargots there.

The layout of the place reminds me of the Facebook game, Restaurant City! The entire area was fully utilized and packed with people of all ages. It’s not difficult to see why, given their wallet-friendly prices!

These are the Oven baked escargots (6 for $5.58) that we had been waiting for. They tasted strongly of garlic and herbs. Thumbs up from the both of us!

The study buddy decided to get the Cheese scallops (6 for 5.98) only when we were still placing our orders with the waitress. I think almost everything on the menu is under $10 so people tend not to think twice about their choices! Good thing is, the scallops were awesome! Crusty cheesy surface with juicy scallops underneath. Yummy!

I would say this is a rather unadventurous choice of Cheese chicken chop ($7.18). The study buddy remarked that the chicken wasn’t tender enough, plus the tomato and cheese were not evenly spread. Thus, some parts were sour while others were cheesy.

When I spotted the Squid ink risotto ($5.98) on the menu, I knew I just had to order this. Squid ink is something I have always wanted to try, but didn’t have the guts to do so. The idea of walking around with black stained teeth and lips is totally appalling. However, I was feeling kinda game about having black stained teeth that evening, so I thought why not!

I must say that this is one good ol’ risotto! Better than the one I had at Oomphatico’s. It was rich and much creamier accompanied by a very delicate taste. The only thing is that it really didn’t look appealing. When it arrived, we were laughing so hard.

Well, the risotto wasn’t exactly very perfect. There were three sticky lumps of rice which I decided not to touch. On the overall, I would say that my very first experience eating squid ink risotto was an extremely pleasant one! I’m glad that Saizeriya offers this dish at such a low price. Instead of going to fancy restaurants, this is definitely a good place to try squid ink! Just don’t pick a table near the window! 😉

Saizeriya Italian Restaurant
177 River Valley Road
#02-22 Liang Court Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6337 9001

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun
10am – 10pm

I don’t usually have very strong cravings but when the study buddy asked whether I have tried the ramen at The Central, I immediately thought of an old film that was screened in one of my Japanese Studies lecture. If you watch this 1985 film called Tampopo (not that Tampopo restaurant), starring Ken Watanabe, I assure you that you are bound to look at ramen in a totally different way. Anyway we decided to have lunch at Ramen Santouka! Yay!

For my Tokusen Toroniku ramen ($19), I chose the shoyu (soy sauce) base. The broth was kinda salty but it’s still of an acceptable level. I mean, it’s shoyu base.. So it has to be salty right? 😛

The pork cheeks came separately. Ok I know the study buddy is so going to laugh at me but.. the thick slices of pork cheeks really melt in my mouth! However they are waaaay too salty! They reminded me instantly of this particular brand of canned pork ribs. I just did a quick search in the storeroom. No such luck.

This is the study buddy’s Spicy miso cha siu ramen ($18). Claimed that the noodles were chewy. The broth was too salty and not spicy enough. The cha siu had a very good texture. Haha! Oh well I don’t really know what that means. Maybe I shall try it next time!

Yup and so I finally settled my craving for ramen. Satisfied! Whoohoo!

Ramen Santouka
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-76 The Central
Tel: +65 6224 0668

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun
11am – 9.30pm

I am not afraid to admit that I’m a sucker for ambience. So Oomphatico’s it was! I love its bright, cheery and not forgetting, very girly atmosphere. 🙂

Yup, more photos to emphasize the point. Haha. This is gonna be a relatively short post due to time constraints!

My friend and I shared half a dozen Canadian oysters ($18). A very refreshing start.

I had the Duck leg confit risotto ($15). It was creamy but not too cheesy. A little too dry and starchy for my liking. On the overall, it tasted kinda bland. Apart from what is seen in the photo, there were shreds of meat and juicy bits of porcini mushroom. I didnt like the pine nuts though. Portion was kinda big and I didnt manage to finish it. Maybe my mind was subconsciously telling me to leave room for desserts, as usual 😛

I thought that the Pistachio mud pie ($9) sounded good and was looking forward to it. However, it was kinda disappointing and lacking in ‘oomph’. The accompanying chocolate sauce was a bit on the watery side. My friend found it sweet so perhaps there is something wrong with my tastebuds.

Although Oomphatico’s is not all that phantastic, it’s a lovely place for some girly get-together!

Oomphatico’s
163 Tanglin Road
#01-03 & 01-35/36 Tanglin Mall
Tel: +65 6733 9088

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun
8am – 11pm

La Villa‘s location is kinda interesting because it is housed within the old school premises of River Valley Primary School and is just a few bus stops away from Clarke Quay. It comprises an indoor dining area, an alfresco dining area, a bar, and an open garden.

Went there for lunch on a weekday afternoon and the place was as quiet as ______ (fill in the blank). We were seated right smack in the centre of the indoor dining area. I felt kinda uneasy because it was as though my every action was under scrutiny, especially when i started snapping away with the semi-pro. Haha.

For obvious reasons, we opted for the Set Lunch ($26++). Complimentary bread in basket was served shortly after we placed our orders. Took a small piece. It’s warm! Ok plain bread is just plain bread. And i say: Do away with the bread! We really don’t need this..

I had the Tortilla rolled with crab meat salsa as my starter. Crispiness was just right. Kinda reminded me of the breaded fishfingers I used to have as a little kid 🙂

Tadah! Introducing.. The ‘La Villa’ Fish and Chips! The two other available choices for the main course were lasagna and beef ragout. As usual, I used my Great Wall of China reasoning to decide what to have as my mains 😛 When the fish and chips were placed before me, I thought that the color of the fish looked quite pale and sickly. It’s not your usual golden brown fish. Texture was different as well. It was dry but not particularly crispy. But hey, I’m not complaining! I enjoyed the fish for its hint of herbs too. However, the fries were mediocre.

Homemade chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream for dessert! Homemade, in other words, La Villa in this context. No prizes for guessing why I chose this. Haha. To sum things up, my lunch ended on a sweet note! 🙂

Waiters were quite attentive, refilling our glasses every now and then, and clearing our plates almost as soon as we were done. The set lunch is updated every week so do check things out on their website!

La Villa
341 River Valley Road
#01-03
Tel: +65 6836 5286

Sunday brunch:
11.30am to 2.30pm

A series of random clicks on the Internet brought me to a particular website. The dreaded realization of not one, not two but three impending deadlines in school caused me to let my guard down and I was immediately transported into another world for 15 whole minutes. “I must say I fell in love,” I dedicated my tweet to Seventh Heaven. If you don’t believe me, click on the link at the end of this post 😉 Put on your earphones before you Enter. Close your eyes and listen to the music for a few seconds. Don’t go straight to the Menu. Start from the Prologue like what you normally would (I hope) when reading a book. Alright enough of spoonfeeding. (I don’t care how you interpret this) 😛

I told myself I had to see Seventh Heaven with my very own eyes and went there the next day, after having lunch at Nogawa. I shall not spoil it for you but just don’t keep your expectations too high with regards to the ambience. Seventh Heaven is not easy to locate and maybe that’s why it’s named as such. The place is small and cosy; make the slightest sound and the whole world hears you.
Most of the home made ice creams here are spiked with alcohol such as Margarita, Tequila Sunrise, Whiskey and Lychee Martini and are very likely to appeal to ‘grown-ups’ for that matter. 🙂

To be on the safe side, we decided to go for the Sample Menu II ($13.90) where you get to select 3 ice cream flavors of your choice. At a slightly cheaper price, the house will decide on your behalf for Sample Menu I.

The Malibu ice cream is made up of rum, coconut and pineapple but the taste of coconut was SO overwhelming that one mouthful was enough for me. Looking back, I kinda regret not giving it another chance.

I always hold on to this belief that nothing can go wrong with Rum & Raisins ice cream. Somehow, I feel that the tinge of rum did not manage to infuse the ice cream with the right amount of warmth. Maybe it’s just the alcoholic in me that thinks a bit more rum might shake things up a little. On the overall, I’m still quite happy with it.

Think you’re likely to get high from 3 scoops of ice cream which all contain liquors? Try the Green Tea ice cream! It has a no nonsense, don’t-mess-with-me attitude. Bitter just like the real thing and there are bits of green tea leaves in it! Those who can appreciate the goodness of bitter tasting ice cream should definitely go for this.

A minimum baking time of 15 minutes is required for the Brownie à la Mode ($6.95). I chose the Dark Cherry & Merlot ice cream which is one of the three limited edition wine-flavoured ice cream offered currently. The brownie was awesome, moist on the inside and crusty on the outside. Hmm.. Hmm.. Hmm! Sorry Brownie, I really don’t mean to find fault with you but crumble too easily. Don’t worry I’m willing to give you another chance the next time I drop by! As for the ice cream, I’m impressed that ice cream and wine go so well together. Not to mention I felt so grown-up eating it. Haha!

Seventh Heaven: Where grown-ups fall in love.. with alcohol-flavored ice cream.

I’ll definitely be back to try out the other more unique ahem.. alcohol flavours. It is advisable to visit when a $1 shuttle service from Outram MRT Station is made available only on weekdays.

Total bill was $24.55 after GST.

Seventh Heaven
10 Raeburn Park
#01-24 Marketing Institute of Singapore
Tel: +65 6227 7787

Opening Hours:
Mon to Thu
11am – 8pm
Fri
11am – 11pm
Sat
1pm – 11pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)

Sitting at the counter is not a likely option for me whenever I go to Japanese restaurants because I prefer to look my dining companion in the eye when conversing. This time round, I’m here at Nogawa Restaurant for a school project and we asked to be seated at the counter so that it’s easier for us to interact (in our term: interview) the chef over lunch.

I was fortunate to be seated in the middle of my four project mates so I snapped away shamelessly while they were deciding what to order.

The Special Sushi Set ($30) is only available during lunch and it comes with chawanmushi, miso soup and cut fruits.

It was my first time coming across Akagai Sushi (Ark-Shell) and bravely, I tackled it first. It was surprisingly chewy and rubbery but I found it difficult to chew to the point whereby I could swallow it properly. There was a tug-of-war going on between my teeth, telling me to continuing chewing, and the back my tongue which was calling out to me to give up the fight and just swallow it all. Don’t ask me who won 😛

The Tako Otsumami Sushi (Boiled Octopus) was tender and slightly sweet. It was definitely easier to chew.

I was totally invigorated after eating the Salmon Sushi and Maguro Sushi (Tuna). The raw fish were thickly sliced and very fresh, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since all fish (except Salmon) are imported from Japan on a daily basis.

Be warned! The Kohada Sushi (Shad) is definitely not for the faint-hearted! It has an extremely strong fishy taste and smell. If you are having any of the sushi sets, you may wanna inform the chef to spare you from it and I’m sure he will be glad to prepare something else for you.

I was really glad that I left the Futomaki and Negitoro (Minced Fatty Tuna) to serve as my own palate cleanser for getting rid of the lingering fishy taste.

The Chawanmushi was not particularly rich but I closed an eye upon finding a fairly generous piece of prawn. 😀 Yes, I’m superficial.

Chef Shingo was the one who prepared all my sushi. 🙂 He’s 32 this year and first came to Singapore in 2004. He has been working in Nogawa for two years.

Chef Kevin has thirteen years of culinary experience in Nogawa. He told us that Nogawa started off as a family restaurant in Takashimaya and the quality of the tuna (7000yen per kilo) which they imported back then was not as good. Currently, the quality of the tuna is much better and costs them 140000yen per kilo. Their regular customers do not mind because they know that they get what they pay for.

The service here is impeccable and at closing time, we witnessed the chefs and kimono-clad waitresses ushering out the customers as they stood to leave.

I will return, I’m sure.

Special Sushi Set cost me $35 after GST.

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” — Albert Einstein.

Ok actually my mother just wanted to check out Whole Earth after my aunties recommended the place to her.

Look! Even HungryGoWhere patronizes Whole Earth! This guy was spotted with about 6 plastic takeaway boxes. 😛

We didn’t order the appetizers ($3), yet they are not complimentary. The Seaweed chips are just fried beancurd skin. I didn’t try the other appetizer which is some vegetable soaked in vinegar.

My mother wanted to try the Olive Rice ($6) which was one of the chef’s recommendations in the menu. We were quite disappointed because it tasted quite like ordinary fried rice.

However, I kinda like the quality of rice that was used which is not the typical thin grain Thai rice. I was also thankful that the rice wasn’t oily.

The Nonya curry ($16) was not too spicy and was slightly sweet. Good for those who cannot stomach spicy food. But the portion is really quite small. I wouldn’t really recommend this.

Another healthy dish, Fresh Greens with Jade Bailing Mushrooms ($15)! The mushrooms were firm yet easy to chew and the texture is not too rubbery.

My family loves spicy food so for us to pass up the Tom yam soup ($15) is simply out of the question. It was spicy enough to satisfy me. Although I don’t really like sour food, I feel that the tom yam soup would deserve more marks if it was slightly more sour. There were generous servings of vegetables and lemongrass in it.

In fact, my brother loved the tom yam soup so much that he suggested we should try the Tom Yam Fried Rice ($6) too. It wasn’t that spicy but it was definitely better than the olive fried rice.

The Fried Mee Suah ($6) was a little bit oily but still acceptable. I don’t have anything else to comment. Haha.

I strongly recommend the 5-Spice Ngor Hiang Roll ($10)! Not only is it value for money, I like its presentation too. Finally something that looks more interesting than soup or rice. Haha! Yeah it tastes good too, just remember to dip it into the sweet sauce. Not too much though!

For those who love your greens might wanna consider the Sambal Kangkong ($12). I will not compare it with the non-vegetarian version because it it ultimately the belachan that brings out the flavor in this dish.

It’s nice to go on a vegetarian diet once in a while and it’s also interesting to see how people can get creative coming up with meatless dishes!

Total bill came to about $100 after 10% service charge.

It’s probably pointless for me to post this photo here because the Bakerzin March promotion will be over in a few days’ time! Yup Macarons at 6 for $6! That was what attracted me when my friend and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner at Vivocity.

Wave hello to the new kid on the menu, Poached Egg Pasta ($10.80). The pasta was quite dry and clumpy so I didn’t quite like it. When i gave the egg a poke, the yolk was watery and spilled over quickly over an entire piece of ham. I would have preferred it to be slightly thick and runny. There were three pieces of ham and they tasted normal. What gave me a real kick was the shaved parmesan cheese! I like its dry and slightly hard texture. Plus it was quite salty and had a buttery hint. My friend and I could smell it when I was busy taking photos.

We were anticipating and wondering how pink the pink sauce for the Ham and Bacon Penne in Pink Sauce ($10.80) would look like. But everything was just orange. Haha! When I asked my friend for his opinion, “I think they added a lot of cheese. Very cheesy”, was all I could get out of him.

There were no doubts about it. The Profiteroles (3 for $8.80) tasted exactly like cream puffs except that whipped cream or custard was substituted with vanilla ice cream. Well on another note, I think profiteroles are supposed to taste that way. Despite being drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with almond flakes, I couldn’t figure out why they were still not sweet. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this to anybody with a sweet tooth.

And guess what? We didn’t get any macarons.

Total bill came close to $36 after GST.

According to the owners of Cafe Epicurious, Epicurious is a play on the words “epicure” – a person devoted to enjoyment of good food and drink, and “curio” — for their collection of genuine Singaporeana teakwood furniture and knickknacks.

I like Epicurious for the fact that the place looks kinda cosy and it makes one feel at ease. We chose to be seated outside as the interior is rather small and not very well-lit (good for those who are on a romantic date!).

My eyes darted around the menu and I had quite a hard time deciding what to get. I was really famished from missing lunch in school. I’m not a burger fanatic. I didn’t feel like eating spaghetti or pasta. I wasn’t interested in the grills. Ok maybe i’m a little fussy. Or very fussy. I was looking forward to something piping hot like fish and chips?

Ok I finally gave in to the voices in my head, telling me to give the Epicurious Burger ($18) a shot. I mean, what’s a trip to Epicurious like when you don’t try the Epicurious Burger? It’s like going to China and not climbing the Great Wall of China.

I know I look tired and all but I was actually quite eager to tuck in and savour every bite of the burger. Here’s the verdict: The house-made beef patty is tender and juicy and eating it together with the lightly buttered sesame bun made it an even more enjoyable experience altogether. What can I say? I’m a burger convert – an Epicurious Burger convert.

My eyes were shining and dancing (as opposed to the previous darting around) when I saw that the Sticky Date Cake ($8) being a new addition to their desserts list! Ok mountain tortoise has not tried sticky date cakes or puddings before and so, with a sparkle in my eyes I flashed my most innocent smile and asked my friend, “Can we have this too?” Sweet. Oh i meant the Sticky Date Cake 🙂 What struck me upon my first bite is that it actually tasted a bit like the brown huat kuehs (prosperity cakes)! Sticky (duh) and moist! The cake was warm and went well with the vanilla ice cream. Darn, shouldn’t have shared it.