2 Japanese Buffet Restaurants

Last week I went to 2 Japanese buffet restaurants for a meal.

Kiseki, located at The Heeren, is priced only at $19.80++ on weekday lunches. It's kindda like a marketplace: the food is so-so. If you want to try Japanese food and is a big eater, make your way there and eat your fill, but bear in mind that it does not represent the ultimate taste and quality of true Japanese cuisine.

Above: my first round. Tempura is rather bland, the omelette is a little salty, the takoyaki (sotong balls) are edible if only it's pipping hot. And wow they have rosti  - eh, not Japanese ley, remnants of Marche?

Above: my colleague's plateful of sashimi and sushi. No comments, but certainly edible.

The following evening, my NS buddies met up at Kuishin Bo at Great World City. My, what a contrast! The spread is definitely more up-class. Well, at $39.90, the price certainly is too. I must say there are more authentic Japanese cuisine there, apart from the usual sashimi and sushi and tempura. There are even grilled food at the outdoor area. The layout is more restaurant-like, compared to the market-like setting at Kiseki. It's been a long time since I stuffed myself so hard over a meal,but it's worth it.

If you have a bigger budget and appetite, go for Kuishin Bo. If you just wanna wallop some Japanese-styled food for a fantastic value, Kiseki will not disappoint.

Never Trust Food Reviews. Here's Why

Yesterday, my colleagues drove me to this well-known prawn noodle at MacPherson, called Ho Nam (River South).

And boy, I admit I loved the soup, it's so rich and delicious! The ribs are tender. The prawns, well, it's not the freshest, but pretty decent size and servings.

So that evening, after I visited my sis who gave birth to Baby Ethan, I drove my wife back there for dinner (this is the first time I actually ate the same food at the same stall).

When my wife took the first sip at the soup, she asked me, "You sure this is what you tasted earlier for lunch?" I took my sip and gave her a look.

It's rather bland!

So, anyone who visited the stall at night would give bad reviews, and those who had it during lunch would be raving about it.

Who's right? Well, that's the thing about food. It can never be consistent. So an unbiased food review should be one who has tried the same food a few times.

And my wife said she would want to go back to Ho Nam again some day for lunch.

Pasta Festa by Mien

A new pasta stall has just opened at the Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market. Pasta Festa is managed by Jack and June. Jack took apprenticeship with Mien, whose stall resides at Bukit Timah Food Centre.

Barely opened for a few days, they asked me to do food photography for their menu items.

The stall is at #02-01, and though it's situated at a corner, it is easily spotted from outside the food centre with the huge red signboard. All the items in the menu are going for $3.90, and do not contain MSG. I tried the Aglio Olio, and it's actually quite good. The taste is very rich and the bites are generous. If you are a pasta lover, I think Pasta Festa will make your taste buds (and your wallet) very happy.

MENU:
1. Ala Matriciana
2. Al Fungi
3. Aglio Olio
4. Carbonara
5. Laksa fusion

Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: 11am - 7pm
Sat & Sun: 11am - 2pm

CNY Goodies: Pine Garden Pineapple Tart

I seldom blog about food, but this deserves an exception. Pine Garden's pineapple tart is simply delicious.

I've eaten many kinds of tarts, and I'm generally not a picky eater. To me, anything tastes fine, and people who knows me will know that I do not go crazy over food, definitely not a foodie.

But when I ate the pineapple tart from Pine Garden, I have to say they are good. The pineapple filling is not too sweet, and the texture is not rough. The crust, always my favourite part of the tart, melts in your mouth the moment you sink your teeth.

It is good.

But I won't go gaga over it. I am perfectly fine with normal tarts.

In case you decide to order, you can forget about it. When we collected our order, the staff said it was oversold. In fact, order-taking started since December 2008. We're just lucky to have gotten our order, despite being listed under 'waiting list page 3'.

Next CNY, I'll be sure to order way in advance.

White Dog Cafe and Henderson Waves

After a photoshoot yesterday, I met me wifey for dinner at Vivocity. Not knowing what to eat, we wandered and chanced upon White Dog Cafe. I had craving for western food and admittedly the menu photos are tantalizing. But we left and looked around further and saw Earle Swensen's. After reviewing the menu, finding the price a little higher and the food photos rather clinical, we headed back to White Dog Cafe.

We shared the clam chowder, I ordered the Tenderloin Steak and she took the Lamb Chop. Soup came with steam but I was surprised it was lukewarm. Microwaved, I believe. But the taste was good, with generous servings of clam and 2 shells.

The main course came moments later. For once, I finished the side dishes - salad, corn and whipped potato. They're good, especially the potato, nicely concocted. The steak isn't as juicy as expected, but was tender enough. The lamb chop has lots of fats, but otherwise tastier than the steak.

We decided to have dessert. I ordered the Bailey's Coffee while she order the crème brûlée.
The coffee's alchoholic content kicked in making my face red. The brulee was too sweet for my liking but removing the top-layer sugar made is slightly better.

Total bill: $80.

I'll be going back again someday to try their chef's recommendation: beef stew, and the warm chocolate cake dessert.

As I was driving back, I suddenly remembered about the park connectors at the Mount Faber vicinity that was recently built. We then detoured to the Telok Blangah Hill, parked there, and walked to the Henderson Waves, one of the highest pedestrian bridges in Singapore.





At 69.59 metres above sea level, the feeling is one of calm and isolation, a feeling that you could only get if you stay in high-rise apartments. There isn't any spectacular viewpoints there, just another place that you can go to seek solace and hopefully some sea breeze.