So here's a month's worth of gastronomic adventures:
Chicken Karage Aglio OlioVery few aglio olios here are able to combine the zing of pan-fried garlic with perfectly-done pasta in a way that doesn't make your mouth feel like the inside of a bottle of olive oil.
Here's one that does - Ambush! at taka basement. Some other blogs that have done reviews on this tiny Italian joint can be found here and here.
It's actually been around a lot longer than most people think, but under different management. The food has also been tweaked - sadly - and they don't offer the favourite crayfish aglio olio any more. They also used to have the decadent habit of sprinkling all servings of aglio olio with generous showers of deep fried garlic bits - absolute heaven.
Nonetheless, this is pretty good bang for your buck, as meals here tend to be more of the "quickies" variety where you just plonk yourself down, eat, then leave (under the watchful eye of the waitresses), before someone else get's ushered to your seat in less than 3 mins of your departure.
Meals, including drinks and dessert, will only relieve your wallet of less than $15 per person. Oh, and if you're the kind who cannot take food-smell on your hair (i.e. most girls), don't bother.
Ambush! Taka basement (next to the lifts)
Taste: 3.5/5 (no one does aglio olio like they ((use to)) do)
Value: 4.5/5
Ambience: 2/5 (cramped seats which are assigned to you hardly make for any semblance of ambience - it's a fast-food Italian joint like pastamania)
Verdict: Will be back for sure - there will always be the days that the lure of good aglio olio proves too good to resist.
Earlier that same day, we went to the Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge, a not-so-quiet cafe styled as an out-of-the-way rest spot in a corner of the busy departmental store.
My first impressions was that this place was much bigger than it looked from the outside.
Here's one that does - Ambush! at taka basement. Some other blogs that have done reviews on this tiny Italian joint can be found here and here.
It's actually been around a lot longer than most people think, but under different management. The food has also been tweaked - sadly - and they don't offer the favourite crayfish aglio olio any more. They also used to have the decadent habit of sprinkling all servings of aglio olio with generous showers of deep fried garlic bits - absolute heaven.
Nonetheless, this is pretty good bang for your buck, as meals here tend to be more of the "quickies" variety where you just plonk yourself down, eat, then leave (under the watchful eye of the waitresses), before someone else get's ushered to your seat in less than 3 mins of your departure.
Meals, including drinks and dessert, will only relieve your wallet of less than $15 per person. Oh, and if you're the kind who cannot take food-smell on your hair (i.e. most girls), don't bother.
Ambush! Taka basement (next to the lifts)
Taste: 3.5/5 (no one does aglio olio like they ((use to)) do)
Value: 4.5/5
Ambience: 2/5 (cramped seats which are assigned to you hardly make for any semblance of ambience - it's a fast-food Italian joint like pastamania)
Verdict: Will be back for sure - there will always be the days that the lure of good aglio olio proves too good to resist.
Earlier that same day, we went to the Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge, a not-so-quiet cafe styled as an out-of-the-way rest spot in a corner of the busy departmental store.
My first impressions was that this place was much bigger than it looked from the outside.
Easily seats 30 plus peopleWell, since it's a cafe, the obvious thing to order would be the cakes/pastries/tea right? So we did, haha.
Warm Baked Chocolate Explosion $12.90
Honey Date Pudding $7.90I had the honey date pudding, which reminded me a little of a more stylo version of nian gao. The caramel-ly taste of the date pudding going well with the natural sweetness of the accompanying honey. The cream gave the dessert good balance in terms of overall texture, and - let's face it - it's always more fun to have your desserts come with whipped cream to play with.
The rather fancily-named chocolate explosion was good; though one has to ask why they named it such. (it really was just a simple cup-shaped very dense chocolate sponge cake with fudge on the side. No explosion anywhere) Still, good.
Overall, this place is a great option to rest those tired legs in the middle of town.
Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge Taka level 2
Taste: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Verdict: Will be back for sure - Those tea time treats just won't eat themselves will they?
And away from Taka, we now head to the never-before-mentioned-on-this-blog-food-place, Millenia Walk! They have this tiny foodcourt squirreled away on the second floor next to the Harvey Norman (go harvey go harvey norman - go!) which houses a gem of a Western food stall.
Ok, say first, I forgot the name of this place, though that's no indication of how gd the food is.
The rather fancily-named chocolate explosion was good; though one has to ask why they named it such. (it really was just a simple cup-shaped very dense chocolate sponge cake with fudge on the side. No explosion anywhere) Still, good.
Overall, this place is a great option to rest those tired legs in the middle of town.
Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge Taka level 2
Taste: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Verdict: Will be back for sure - Those tea time treats just won't eat themselves will they?
And away from Taka, we now head to the never-before-mentioned-on-this-blog-food-place, Millenia Walk! They have this tiny foodcourt squirreled away on the second floor next to the Harvey Norman (go harvey go harvey norman - go!) which houses a gem of a Western food stall.
Ok, say first, I forgot the name of this place, though that's no indication of how gd the food is.
Strip steak, aka Kansas City Steak $11.80It's surprising enough to find a foodcourt stall that sells beef steak that doesn't look like
eeeeeeeee.
eeeeeeeee.The steak at millenia walk is tender and flavourful. Importantly, if you look at a cross-section of a random cut across the steak, the colours range from a light brown to a deep, reddish hue; highly unusual for the neighbourhood steakhouse.
The sides were a let down, but hey, you're there for the meat or what, punk?
They also sell a cut of beef I fell in love with in Argentina - the Filet Mignon ($16.80). A little pricey considering the environment, but hey, I think I have to try this at least once :D
Until then, here's a preview to my next post, which will be entirely devoted to the wonders of Nasi Padang, in view of Hari Raya (wah, multiracial sia this blog - cannot arrest me for sedition).
The sides were a let down, but hey, you're there for the meat or what, punk?
They also sell a cut of beef I fell in love with in Argentina - the Filet Mignon ($16.80). A little pricey considering the environment, but hey, I think I have to try this at least once :D
Until then, here's a preview to my next post, which will be entirely devoted to the wonders of Nasi Padang, in view of Hari Raya (wah, multiracial sia this blog - cannot arrest me for sedition).
Habis Cobis, Makan Kueh Lapis - wise words of a colleaguep.s. the spread is for a group of 5 people (I know what you're thinking - Even I cannot eat so much la!)
4 comments:
Hello! Where was this nasi padang place?
Hey there. It's along Kandahar St.but further down from Sabar Menanti, at the corner before the Sultan mosque. It's called Minang and looks much less fancy than the others further up the stretch - though I think much better!
Thanks! I guessed it from the colors of the plates, walked past them the other day. :) I've heard good things about Minang and was intending to check them out this weekend but dang they're closed for Puasa till a week later.
Food looks so good and it doesn't help I'm having nasi padang cravings recently. Will definitely check them out first when they reopen.
Have you tried Istimewa along Jalan Bukit Merah? I heard it's good too. & cheap! :)
Haha, yeap definitely one of the best nasi padang I've had here. Will check out Istimewa when those padang pangs strike again, thanks for the recommendation~
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