An attempt to explain the rating system that I adopt:
The Rating System
< 4.5 - I’m sure there are better food in the vicinity
5.0 - Average
5.5 - Average, with some bonus points added to it
6.0 - Not bad
6.5 - Nod bad, with some really great hits, though a few misses
> 7.0 - Great food! Die die must try!
The rating system will be permanently "parked" here should you need further reference.
New York New York
No 1 Raffles Link #B1-47A
Citylink Mall
Ratings: 5.5/10
With its brightly coloured and open concept theme, New York New York is definitely one attention-grabbing restaurant along the Citylink Mall. Moreover, with the loud blasting of pop music, young serving crew, pool table in the middle of the restaurant, comfortable booth seats, and self-service cotton candy machine, it’s no wonder it’s a hit with the teenage crowd.
Though I no longer belong to the teenage crowd (my younger cousin who was also there love the place lots), I like the loud presentation of the restaurant, which I felt was unique in our local restaurant scene. Compared to the other similar restaurants such as NYDC and Cafe Cartel, New York New York has definitely won the upper hand in terms of the hip quotient and the quality of food.
BBQ Ribs - $14.90
Chicken and Prawn Combo - $17.90
Bratwurst wrapped in Bacon and Cheese - $10.90
Among the three main courses that I had tried that day, I love the BBQ Ribs the most. The ribs were tender and nicely marinated with a lovely sweet taste. I definitely prefer the ribs at New York New York to those from Cafe Cartel. The Chicken and Prawn Combo tasted decent. The bratwurst, on the other hand, tasted average. I was slightly grumbling about the bratwurst when I had my first bite because I felt that it tasted much like the hot dogs that I can also get at supermarkets. Luckily, the cheese-covered parts of the bratwurst redeemed the dish a little. Well, it’s hard to grumble about a dish that had been sinfully covered with cheese.
All three main courses came with nicely fried fries and wedges. As I’m such a fries lover, that definitely gave the meal some bonus points. Who can ever say "no" to lovely fries?!!?
Deep Fried Mars Bar - $7.90
Waffles with Chocolate and Ice Cream - $7.90
The most disappointing part of the meal was actually the desserts. I was going to give New York New York a 6.0/10 rating because I had enjoyed its main course so much that day. That was until the desserts were served, which instantaneously caused me to drop its rating. The ice cream was okay, besides, who can ever go too wrong with ice cream? However, both the waffles and deep fried mars bar were tough to bite. It was a jaw exercise getting through the desserts. That dampened any enjoyment we could have derived from the desserts.
Overall, for a decent meal in a loud and bright theme, New York New York is the place to go. However, if you are craving for desserts, please move on to the TCC or Geláre nearby, which definitely serves much better desserts.
Häagen-Dazs Café
Various locations around Singapore
Ratings: 6.0/10
I was in the Siglap area over the weekend hoping to try the cheesecakes at The Cheesecake Cafe. Unfortunately, the cafe was closed since 14 Feb til sometime this week. In my search for a suitable location to satisfy my "slight" hunger pangs, I ended up in Häagen-Dazs Café having the chocolate fondue that I had been hoping to try for quite some time.
The chocolate fondue at Häagen-Dazs Café comes with a wide selection of food for you to dip into the fondue, including green apples, banana, strawberries, ice-cream balls and biscuits.
The Belgium chocolate used in the fondue was thick and sinful! And guess what’s the ultimate sin…
Coating the already-sinful ice-cream with thick Belgium chocolate!
The ice-cream fondue tastes extremely delicious! Imagine combining two favourite desserts!
Although ice-cream balls being coated with Belgium chocolate tastes absolutely delicious and sinful, my favourite food to go with chocolate fondue is banana. It doesn’t taste as sweet as coating strawberries or ice cream with chocolate, or having the slightly sour taste of the chocolate-coated green apples. It has the just-right sweetness and texture for dessert. Of course, that’s my personal preference.
However, I felt that the fondue, which cost about $34, is slightly on the steep side, despite the wide selection of food it comes with. Furthermore, I felt a little overdose with sugar after the dessert feast.
Nonetheless, it’s definitely a great occasional indulgence to pamper yourself in!
Founder Rou Gu Cha
347 Balestier Road
Opening Hours: 12pm-2pm, 6pm-3am (closed on Tuesday)
Ratings: 5.5/10
About 2 weeks ago, I went hunting for bak kut teh with some of my friends along Balestier Road. I was hoping to eat at the bak kut teh store that I only vaguely remembered as "the famous one that has air-conditioning". Somehow, we missed the stall and ended up eating at 333 Bak Kut Teh along Balestier Road. All five of us came to a unison conclusion - the bak ku teh only tasted average. The guys were actually still hungry after their meal (or perhaps we were quite disappointed by the place) and we had to adjourn our dinner part two to another place.
(If I were to give 333 Bak Kut Teh a rating, it’ll probably get a 5.0/10)
Undeterred by my previous experience, I went hunting for bak ku teh along Balestier Road again, hoping to find my "famous stall with air-conditioning" this time round.
This time round, I found the stall. It was only approximately one block away from 333 Bak Kut Teh. 
The shop opened at 6pm. I reached the shop around 6.05pm. The shop was already crowded with diners and plenty of customers were still streaming into the shop. Just like many of the “notoriously” famous eateries in Singapore, photos of celebrities who had patronised the shop previously adorned the walls of the shop.
In comparison with my "333 Bak Kut Teh" experience, the food at Founder Rou Gu Cha was only slightly better. Overall, the food tasted average with a few redeeming points that saved it from a 5.0/10 rating.
Liver Soup
Pork Rib (Bak Kut) soup
My main grouse about the Bak Kut Teh is the lack of peppery taste in the soup. The soup just lacked that aromatic touch to it. The soup was also a little salty and there was no garlic served together with the soup (hehe…a personal preference). I prefer the liver soup to the Bak Kut soup. The liver is savoury. The bak kut (pork rib) tasted reasonably tender but nothing spectacular. The only thing that I like most about the soups was that the soups wasn’t oily.
What’s Bak Kut Teh without you tiao (fried dough fritters)?
Preserved Vegetables - another must-have dish when I am savouring my bak kut teh!
You tiao and preserved vegetables are two must-call dishes for me when I eat bak kut teh. Sadly, they only tasted average at Founder Rou Gu Cha. (LOL, I’m biased. If the stall serves great you tiao and preserved vegetables, I am prepared to "close one eye" and give it a higher rating even though the rest of the food just tastes mediocre. Oh yes, the soup has to be peppery with garlic in them for me to savour. 
)
Another redeeming factor of the shop was the lovely pig trotters that it served. It was just rightly braised. The pig skin was smooth and the meat was tender. It was not oily, so you don’t end up getting that disgusted feeling after eating that big pig trotter.
Twice in a row I have tasted just mediocre bak kut teh. I need to eat at better bak kut teh stalls in future!
Yu Sheng (鱼生） is a Chinese-style raw fish salad, commonly eaten during the Chinese New Year period. "Lo Hei", as it is known in Cantonese, or tossing the yusheng, is a CNY custom practice where family and friends will toss the shredded ingredients that made up the yu sheng into the air with the chopstick while making auspicious wishes out loud to mark the start of a prosperous new year.
Yu Sheng is a popular, must-eat dish every Chinese New Year. However, not many of us actually know that the current-day Yu Sheng is a dish invented in 1964 by a Singaporean chef.
Yusheng was invented 1,500 years ago during the Song Dynasty to celebrate the "Birthday of Man" on the seventh day of the New Year. However, the kind of Yu Sheng that we feast on during the Lunar New Year now (as seen in the photos above), is only invented in 1964 by Mr. Tham Yew Kai, the head chef then at Lai Wah Restaurant. Together with Lau Yoke Pui, Hooi Kok Wai and Sin Leong, Mr. Tham Yew Kai was named as one of the Four Heavenly Culinary Kings of Singapore some 40 years ago for their Cantonese culinary prowess and ingenuity.
Instead of using just raw slices of fish to create Yu Sheng, Mr. Tham combined the raw slices of the fish with a mélange of ingredients, including shredded carrots, turnips, ginger and jellyfish. He also created the Yu Sheng sauce through mixing plum sauce, salt and pepper. Due to the auspicious symbol associated with tossing the Yu Sheng (if you toss the Yu Sheng high enough, you’ll be able to have better luck in the New Year), Yu Sheng slowly gained popularity and other restaurants and eateries in Singapore and Hong Kong began to serve this dish.
For $20, the Yu Sheng serving was huge! The raw fish slices were sufficiently marinated to cover any fishy taste and ingredients served were fresh. The entire dish was very crunchy and delicious. It’s definitely one of the better Yu Sheng that I had tasted (though I have tasted better ones before) and definitely worth the $20 price tag!
LE CAFE CONFECTIONERY & PASTRY
264 Middle Road
Tel: 6337-2417
Ratings: 7.5/10
Tucked in the corner of Middle Road, I uncovered this treasure accidentally last year when I was around the area. The first thing that caught my eye about this shop was the voluminous photos and newspaper articles that adorned the shop front. Being a typical Singaporean, the voluminous photos and newspaper articles immediately signalled to me that this is a "must check out" shop.
"Are you serious?!!??" That’s the first thought that came to my mind after talking to the female shop owner, Betty.
I had such a big reaction simply because this is the first and only shop that I have come across so far that sells pineapple tarts all year round. Pineapple tarts are Chinese New Year (CNY) goodies that are usually only available during the CNY period around January and February each year. I just find it hard to believe that a shop can make profits through selling pineapple tarts as one of its main items all year round. Betty also told me frankly that if I want to order pineapple tarts from her shop during the CNY period, I’ll have to order 3 months in advance.
That day, I left her shop with a bottle of pineapple tarts and a box of moon pies. I also become a fan of LE Confectionary that day after trying those lovely pastries.
Being such a forgetful person, I have of course forgotten to place my order for pineapple tarts three months before the CNY. Despite turning up at her shop three weeks before CNY, I could only managed to get two bottles of those lovely pineapple tarts in the end, after some pleading.
The lovely pineapple tart
The scrumptious fillings
These pineapple tarts, due to their huge sizes and round-shape, have been nicknamed as "golf balls". I suppose one of these pineapple tarts are equivalent to two of the usual pineapple tarts that we can buy locally. And I can only say, "Double the size, double the enjoyment of tasting these delectable goodies".
A word of warning though, these pineapple tarts are addictive! The first thing that hits you when you first bite into the pineapple tart is the lovely crust, which has a slight milky taste to it. The crust is very fragrant and has just the right texture. Then you’ll taste the thick pineapple filling inside the tart, which has the right level of sweetness. The pineapple filling will leave a sweet aftertaste in your mouth, but not as to be so overwhelmingly sweet that makes you feel sick. What I really have to rave is the texture of the entire pineapple tart. The texture of the pineapple tart is just right, making it very nice to chew.
I guess it is easy to tell that these pineapple tarts are my current favourites. In fact, they are the best so far that I have tasted in Singapore.
Besides the pineapple tarts, I have also tasted their moon pies and some other traditional pastries from the shop. They are all equally delicious. Betty, the female shop owner, will also not hesitate to share the history of the shop with you (they have been there since 1959) and to recommend you what are the lovely "treasures" in the shop. Most of the customers there are also loyal customers who will come back year after year to buy their pastries. When I was there, I met an Indian guy who was collecting a birthday cake for his son. He told us that he had been coming back to this shop for eons to get birthday cake, because there are no other shops that sold such lovely cakes like LE Confectionary.
Well, it’s definitely too late to get the pineapple tarts for this coming CNY now. However, make a note in your diary. Book these pineapple tarts three months before the next CNY. I am sure you won’t regret buying these pineapple tarts. Of course, you can always drop by the shop anytime after the CNY to try these pineapple tarts and the other delicious pastries. You might also get addicted to them like me!
Hoe Heng Handmade Noodles
Blk 269 Waterloo Street
(First hawker centre from the Guan Im Temple)
Ratings: 6.5/10
I’m feeling sheepish right now, simply because my last food review was in October. I haven’t blogged a food review for more than three months! When I started blogging this entry, I realised I have forgotten the "usual format" that I adopt for my food reviews. I had to keep referring back to my past entries. 
After being hounded by my friends who kept subtly reminding me for the past three months that I haven’t updated my food blog for so long, I’m finally back blogging about food.
I blogged about the mouth-watering red wine chicken thread noodles at Seow Choon Hua Restaurant many months back. Sadly, I haven’t found time to go back to visit the food stall since then as I seldom frequent that area.
Thus, when I found out that there’s also another stall selling lovely red wine chicken thread noodle at Waterloo Street, I immediately made a mental note to go try it as soon as possible, especially since I pass by that area regularly.
To do some recap, red wine chicken thread noodles or 红糟鸡面线 originates from Fuzhou, China. This dish is cooked in red vinasse (红糟) and shaoshing wine, hence giving the dish a very aromatic smell.
红糟鸡面线 - Red Wine Chicken Thread Noodles - $3
If my memory did not fail me, since the last time I had this dish was almost a year ago, I personally prefer the red wine chicken thread noodles at Seow Choon Hua restaurant more. This is not to say that this stall at Waterloo Street serves lousy noodles. In fact, the red wine chicken thread noodles was delicious. The chicken was tender and tasty and it was more appetising than the one I had at Seow Choon Hua restaurant.
In comparison, the characteristic red soup of the noodles at the Waterloo Street stall was thinner in consistency at this stall and I found it harder to detect the sweet and sour taste in the soup. Some of the thread noodles were also lumped together which means that the noodles were not well cooked.
Overall, I will have loved this dish better if not for the fact that I have tasted better ones previously. I may visit this stall again, as it is located at a more accessible location for me than the stall at Seow Choon Hua.
Besides eating the red wine chicken thread noodle, greedy me couldn’t resist ordering some of the crispy curry puff from another stall located in the same hawker centre.
The crispy curry puff tasted average. The skin of the crispy curry puff was not well made and wasn’t not sufficiently crispy. I didn’t like the fillings in the crispy curry puff too.
Hence, if you happen to be around the area, do pop by to give the red wine chicken noodle a try. Otherwise, walk further down slightly to another hawker centre along the row of shops and try the hainanese curry rice there. The hainanese curry rice tasted great the last time I had my meal there. Hmm, I shall make another mental note to review that delicious hainanese curry rice stall the next time I am there!
Food like these makes me wonder why I am not applying for a job at Google….
(Alright, I am kidding. I still love my job. =P)
The photographer, Brett Lider, is a vegetarian. It really makes me wonder how much more delicious does the other non-vegan food at Google look. Hmm….talking about great employee benefits!
