We Drool Buckets

Cup Walker @ Heartland Mall (Kovan)

2007-12-28T03:15:00.000-08:00

Ahh I remember those days when I was a mere high schooler, one of the latest food fads back then had me forking out $2.50 - $3 a pop, picking out straws big enough to stuff your middle finger in vibrant blues, greens, or purples, jabbing through a plastic sealed "lid" with dynamic force, and sucking up little black pearls.

Considered one of the hottest food craze in the past, bubble tea shops have now reduced down to a handful of survivors consisting of mostly chain stores (e.g. Sweet Talk, each-a-cup) and a few independent operators. Prices have dropped to $1 - $2 per cup. And remember the days when there were the standard Chocolate Milk Tea or Apple Ice Blended? Now there's a fusion of such a wide spectrum of flavors, menus run up to 5 pages. Think Custard Pudding Milk Tea, or Peppermint Oreo Blended, so forth.

But out of all the stores I've tried, the Cup Walker at Heartland Mall has me constantly going back and raving about it to my family and friends. I know commercial chain outlets may differ therefore I have no guarantee for the other outlets, but damn this outlet serves the best Red Milk Tea and Chocolate Milk Tea !

Red Pearl Milk Tea $1.50 (have to double-check price)

Sally Mustard says: Though it's more expensive as compared to other stores, the cup is pretty big, and packs hell a punch! It's just right in terms of thickness, sweetness, milkiness. The pearls are perfectly chewy and taste like they're covered by honey.

4 / 5 (I didn't give a full score cause on some days it's just not up to par)

Sometimes when you buy concoctions such as Chocolate Milk Tea, there is undissolved powder or chocolate bits floating about as the mixing of chocolate syrup with the cold milk tea isn't executed properly. But this store doesn't have this problem! Would highly recommend Chocolate Milk Tea if you're craving for a yummy chocolaty taste.

Heartland Mall
205 Hougang Street 21
Singapore 530205
Level 2

Directions: Exit at Kovan MRT, take the escalator up to the 2nd floor. Directly facing the escalator, next to Pizza Hut.

Shillawon @ Suntec City

2007-12-20T04:19:00.000-08:00

99 years ago on one fine day, Mustard Sally's mother was born. 99 years later on that same fateful day, Mustard Missy demanded to eat Korean food ! Thus Colonel Mustard, Mustard Missy and the Mustard family extension researched online for an affordable Korean restaurant for dinner, and ta-da - We were tucking into the buffet at Shillawon!

In the past, Korean cuisine wasn't a very widespread or customary dining experience; therefore decent standards didn't come cheap. Singaporeans seem to be more accustomed to Japanese cuisine, judging on the popularity of all the sushi chain outlets. However, since the Korean series "Jewel in the Palace" became a big hit, everything Korean was pushed up the ranks of popularity and Korean eateries started popping out. Even food courts started dishing out basic Korean fare. However, again, my prefixed mentality was that one had to pay big bucks for a meal of palatable standard.

Thus imagine my surprise at this seemingly value-for-money buffet!

Table setting consists of one pair of silver stainless steel chopsticks and one pair wooden chopsticks per person to separate the raw from the cooked. That was all I knew about Korean table etiquette and it was authentic enough for me!

Free-flow of orange and lime drinks which tasted artificially intense, I later learnt was to counter their piquantly seasoned meats. Tea and stale coffee were too available (bad espressos/coffees left in the open to rot ought to be banned!).

Back to food, they had menus from which you could order unlimited servings of spicy or non-spicy prawns, squid, chicken, beef, and pork. Whilst waiting for your order to arrive, there is a small spread of offerings (in metal “reheater things”) to keep you occupied. Salmon was not fresh, but I wasn’t that anal about since it was not a Japanese restaurant.

There were also lettuce leaves to wrap your meats, and pumpkin soup which was nice and not cloyingly sweet. All the mushrooms were tasted foul, no matter which method we cooked it, but perhaps we cooked it wrong?

Not forgetting these little side dishes. Mustard Sally is unfamiliar with the specific names, but there was tofu, salted vegetables, not your run-of-the-mill soybean sprouts, and of course, Kimchi the fermented spicy cabbage meets radish.

.. which Mustard Sally isn't a fan of.

Once our order arrives, the waitress places an inverted metal plate onto the fire grill, where we proceed to cook the meats and seafood.

Other than the marinate being slightly salty, it was pretty tangy and enjoyable. The spicy squid was a bit tough, but once again, this could be due to our poor culinary skills.

They also had Bibimbap, Kimchi rice, Jahbchae, pancakes, mackeral, a selection of hot soups and strews, and some others.

Jahbchae, sweet potato flour based noodles with shredded mushroom, carrots and vegetables, proved popular with the sisters and had us ordering seconds.

Bibimbap, rice topped with julienned zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, an egg and other some unidentifiable ingredients, mixed before eating, was also well-liked.

Unfortunately, not the same could be said about Pajeon, a savory seafood pancake with green onions squashed inside… except there was nothing savory about it. Mustard Missy accredited its repulsive mushiness and wetness to its overly thick sides and incorrect cooking time. But even re-cooking it on the hot plate didn’t savage it. The Mustard family also agreed that the Kimchi rice was blend and flavorless.

Sadly, there were no classic Korean style desserts, just your standard fruits, and something rather out of the blue – chocolate éclairs. Éclairs originated from France, so what was it doing masquerading in a Korean buffet? Nevertheless, I popped one into my mouth nonchalantly, anticipating a bad éclair. But the shock kicks in, it was pretty tasty! I helped myself to another plateful. The chocolate on top wasn’t a thin layer of milk solids, hollow in the center, that cracked into pieces without melting; it was thick and smooth. The custard inside was generous and a fantastic sweet treat after all the heavily salted foods we had just consumed.

Overall rating: 2.9 / 5 (Value-for-money)

Staff were attentive to our water refills and changed our hot plate in the middle of the meal cause it got burnt. We did not attempt their spicy soups which is supposedly a Korean speciality. Moever, this sets the brenchmark for me in Korean fare so you'll have to make a trip down to judge for yourself.

BBQ Buffet Dinner $19.90 ++ on Mon - Thu
$29.90 ++ on Fri-Sun, Eve/Public Holidays
Child $9.90 ++
>5 years FOC

Nightly:
5.30pm - 9.30pm

3 Temasek Boulevard
#03-010/012 Suntec City Mall
Singapore 038983

Directions: 3rd level. Facing away from Toys'r'us, it is on the right.

jia xiang sarawak kolo mee at marina square

2007-12-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

Kuching is the capital of East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the fourth largest city and therefore, there are many famous food that must be tried. One of them is the all time popular food- kuching kolo mee.

I was told by someone that Kolo mee is a mixture between wanton noodles and bar chor mee (minced pork noodles). Kolo mee itself has char siew (bbq pork) and mince meat on it, served with a bowl of aromatic soup. The soup contained few pieces prawns and wantons. Kolo mee uses egg noodles, and it's immediately drained and dry tossed after being boiled in the water.

There is a distinct taste difference between wanton noodles, bar chor mee compared to kolo mee. It's impossible for me to identify the kind of sauces they used to seasoning. Nevertheless, I found a famous malaysian (i think) blogger- http://www.kennysia.com/, that knows what sauces they used. Kenny believes that the noodles are tossed in a bowl "containing a concoction of soy sauce, char siew oil and fried garlic oil for the extra oomph!", and indeed when the first time you taste it, you can't stop loving this famous kuching kolo mee. The various sauces mixed well and it complements well with the meat and the soup.

I was reluctantly dragged by my friend to Marina square's Jia Xiang Sarawak Kolo Mee outlet. At the moment, I was thinking how great can this mixture of wanton noodles and bar chor mee taste like. At the first try, I immediately fell in love with it. This outlet is decorated similar to that of a traditional sarawak shop setting, the employees were dressed up like a traditional (i think) chinese uniform. The employees employed at this outlet were mainly china chinese, which gave the outlet more historian feel.

The noodles has a q feel. This q feel refers to the bounciness and chewiness of the noodles, added with the combination of their chilli sauce and seasoning sauces, you couldn't resist having it whenever you stop by in marina square. The chilli sauce is mild spicy and sweet, the char siew isn't hard but chewy. The wontons in the soup has slippery smooth skin, like the feeling you gets when you try holding a goldfish.

On the other hand, I don't like the bar chor because it has this pork aftertaste. Or maybe it's because there is some tiny small fats lingering in the mince meat that makes it slightly unbearable. The prawns in the soup wasn't fresh. My friend commented that the soup was a little too strong and the prawns still has it's fishy taste. It was a small disappointment, considering that I compared that day's food to my first try at this outlet.

Conclusion, it is overall quality food and the place is clean. One bowl of kolo mee and a bowl of soup costs $6. To me, 6 bucks was rather reasonable for an outlet in marina square compared to a stall in chomp chomp. 6 bucks include rather quiet clean place to eat in, without enduring the noises, choking smoke and dirty wet floor to walk on.

Chilli Padi:
3.75/5

Jia Xiang Kuching Restaurant
Level 2 Marina Square
#220A/221A/222A
6 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039594
Tel: 6339 4409

The Cheesecake Cafe @ East Coast Road

2007-12-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

Having gathered rave reviews for their speciality cheesecakes, Chilli Padi and Mustard Sally sought out this relatively exclusive cafe located in the east side of Singapore with high expectations and still, tight wallets.

The cafe was easy to spot, with a bright cheery yellow sign! Yellow was their theme color, with obvious imagery connotations to Swiss cheese. We sat outside, but ventured in to cleanse our bodies of toxins, and boy was Chilli Padi impressed by the Zen deco (think statues, portraits, and a mini-fountain under dim lighting) and washroom. The unique menu that resembled a DVD cover proved to further enthrall Chilli Padi.

Besides the traditional American cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake, they had an selection of more unusual flavors such as Rum and Raisin, Peanut Butter, Peach, so forth. Served on cold plates to keep the temperature of the cake cool.

Mustard Sally went old skool with Oreo Cheesecake $6.50

A thin layer of finely minced Oreo on the top of a else perfectly normal cheesecake. Not that normal wasn't good; texture was smooth, it was pleasantly creamy and heavy, all round nice. But lacked that oomph. Thought it might have been better with a thicker layer of crushed oreos for an extra crunch.

3 / 5

Chilli Padi ordered Peanut Butter Cheesecake $6.50

Chilli Padi liked this one better. A thin layer of peanut butter on the top, with similar density and texture as above, but this one leaves a lovely slight sour aftertaste, and the peanut butter only kicks in after a few cycles in the mouth.

3 / 5

They served complimentary water. A slice of cake ranges from $6.50 - $6.90, which was on the pricey side for an average-sized piece, as compared to other popular coffee joints such as NYDC and Coffee Bean. There was nothing particularly special or memorable about it; it left not a very strong impression.

However, the friendly staff were attentive and opens doors for you with a smile, a plus point for customer service! SOOO... good customer service, with a bar-like ambiance inside, and late opening hours, this cafe is ideal for a little dessert after dinner if you're around Siglap area.

685 East Coast Road
Singapore 459054

Sun: 3.30pm - 12am
Wed-Thu: 4.30pm - 12am
Fri: 4.30pm - 12.30am
Sat: 3.30pm - 12.30am
Eve P.H.: 4.30pm - 12.30am
Mon-Tue: Closed

http://thecheesecakecafe.sg/

Directions: Near Siglap Centre. Bus 14

Paisley & Cream @ The Central

2007-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Upon entering this cafe, girly girls will probably be ogling at the cute selection of pretty cupcakes on display, as well as the pretty decorations. Elegant white counter, walls and furniture, a touch of fun with Pop Art portraits hanging in a purple corner, quirky menus filled with food titles that pays tribute to famous actors, singers, and writers, and whimsical stencilled motifs on glass walls; the ambiance is lovely for chilling out with friends over dessert. Can't imagine a group of NS men walking into a place like this though.

Double Chocolate $3
Served with whipped cream on the side

Chilli Padi says: Good presentation of both food and cafe deco. Cupcake was average. Liked that it was not too sweet.
3.25 / 5

Mustard Sally says: I liked the hardened icing cream on top; rolls out on tongue very nicely. However, the cupcake itself was hard, dry, and crumbly. Whipped cream was a good call as it gives moisture. Liked that it wasn't overly chocolaty.
2.8 / 5

SOOO... Mustard Sally prefers muffins. Good customer service, the staff were helpful. Overall enjoyable experience. The '$5 per cupcake, $2.50 after 5pm' promotion is no longer valid, now all cupcakes costs $3 irregardless what time of the day.

Chilli Padi da bao-ed Oreo cupcake and Mango cupcake so we'll see what the verdict is after tomorrow!

The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#01-09/10
Singapore 059817
Weekdays: Til 9pm
Weekends: Til 1130pm
http://www.paisleyandcream.com/

Directions: Exit at Clarke Quay MRT. Ground level, walk away from Burger King. Facing Clarke Quay river.

Mr Teh Tarik Cartel @ Far East Square

2007-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

After hearing much hype about "Mr Teh Tarik" the push cart that opened up into "Mr Teh Tarik Cartel" the store, we decided to head down for a taste that would hopefully satisfy Teh Tarik anal Mustard Sally.

Teh Tarik 80 cents

Chilli Padi says: Good aroma. Sweet with bitter aftertaste.
3 / 5

Mustard Sally says: Not foamy, perhaps because they didn't execute a full-arm tarik. Though there was no kick, it was smooth on the tongue and easy to chug down. Could be sweeter and creamier. Decent tea taste though.
3 / 5

Mustard Sally had Ice Teh Cino $1.40

Chilli Padi says: Too milky

Mustard Sally says: Dull. Sugar Sweet but not condense milk sweet and creamy enough for me. Didn't finish.
2.5 / 5

Chilli Padi had Ice Milo Dino $1.90

Chilli Padi says: Too much ice, diluted. Not unexpected since taller cups are harder to gage. They should have stirred in the ice properly before putting the Milo powder on top. Only liked the Milo powder on top. Didn't want to da bao over half-filled cup.
2.25 / 5

Mustard Sally says: I make better Milo Dinos.

Though the plastic cups were Starbucks-cool and good for take-aways, it KILLED the old skool feel. And it was mighty hard to stir sunken condense milk or Milo powder to a smooth consistency in our traditionally "smooth textured" drinks.

SOOO... sorry guys we've had better. Expansions are sometimes a downfall, and in this case the theory proves right. It was 2 relatively young men making our drinks so possibly it wasn't Mr Teh Tarik himself ):

Mr Teh Tarik Cartel
Far East Square
7am - 10pm

Directions: Chinatown MRT exit E, right turn to Delifrance and walk straight down falling the road.

Baskin Robbins@AEON Tebrau City

2007-12-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

Not a real review, just testing out.

BASKIN ROBBINS FOR SINGAPORE!

KRISPY KREME'S FOR SINGAPORE !

2007-12-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

HELLO!!!!