3 OPS bros having fish ball noodles

went with my OPS bros WT & WM for fishball noodles at xinlu on 17oct2018.

my most recent post was on 22.1.2018. 🙂

xinlu fish ball noodles

the sign said they open 5.45am.

S$3 fish ball noodles

i ordered my meepok tar less noodles.

6 fish balls – S$3 fish ball noodles

they compensate less noodles with 1 more fish ball – so 6 fish balls.

S$3 fish ball noodles

my OPS bros loved the noodles. fish ball was good, chilli was excellent & noodles qq.

always good here.

c.h.e.f andy

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lunch with QTC

 went to my RI bro QTC’s office at central today on 15.10.2018. ^^

after that we went for 2pax lunch at 8korean @ central next to his office. had a great chat & lunch togetther.

I bought $100 chope viuchers for $59..we ordered the server’s recommendations, a flower pork set $68 which included a stew. i chose beef kimchi stew & added a grilled squid $22=enuf to feed 3-4pax actually. lol! 🙂

lunch cost $108 which i top up $8 = total $67 for lots of food for 2pax.

banchan 반찬

the usual banchan 반찬 was quite limited. there was pickled gourd or zucchini.

banchan 반찬

something that felt like pasta.

banchan 반찬

pickled radish.

banchan 반찬

pickled cucumbers.

beef stew (included in the prok set)

server cooking pork & sotong

the server did the grilling of the pork set and sotong while we enjoyed lunch and conversation. 🙂

S$22 grilled sotong

came with S$22 grilled sotong

the grilled squid which other bloggers recommended included lots of kimchi and large bean sprouts.

grilled sotong

squid was nicely done. good bbq flavour and tasty with the dips.

S$68 flower pork set

the S$68 flower pork set consisited of flower prok belly, pork neck steak and pork jowl.

on 8korean website, they stated that they used only hungarian mangalitza pig. and looking at the description these should be more alike iberico or kurobuta, more marbled with fat of lower melting point…i must say i didn’t feel that much different like the pork was more flavoured or marbled when eating. of the 3 meats, the belly seemed tougher.

grilled pork & sotong

overall it was a satisfying lunch.

the pork should be like 400g, and the beef stew was a huge serving,

but really even a hotpot stew cannot c/w a simple kimchi chigae at aburiya lor..

i don’t think i would pay S$68 for this pork set plus beef stew but for 40% discounts at S$40, it is doable and i would come here and have this again.

sadly there was zero customer except us for the entire lunch period on a monday…not sure how singapore dining establishments survive?

we had a great tete a tete having the entire place to ourselves. lol! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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8korean @ central

Located in: Clarke Quay Central

Address: 6 Eu Tong Sen St, 02-79/90, Singapore 059817

Phone: 8692 1188

Opening Hours: 

monday – friday	11:30AM–2:30PM, 5:30–10:30PM
saturday – sunday	11:30AM–10:30PM

1/2 roast duck

went with wife for 2pax dinner at crystal jade kitchen hollandv on a sunday on 14.10.2018. ^^

wife is some jadeite member 15% discounts plus got some vouchers to use, like S$10 voucher for S$50 bill.

we ordered 1/2 roast duck. it was ok but not quite as good as the roast duck we had at

1. xin cuisine; and
2. silk restuarant @ sicc.

black & white har gao 虾饺

the dimsum at crystal jade geenrally good.

the har gao 虾饺 was good, whatever colour. 🙂

xiaolongbao 小笼包

xiaolongbao 小笼包 is consistently good. 🙂

crispy fupeiquin 腐皮卷

wife likes crispy fupeiquin 腐皮卷. i am ok with the dish. nice too! 🙂

steamed pork ribs

steamed pork ribs also did not disappoint…not so fatty, enough meat & also tasty.

bill S$54.30 after 15% discounts

the bill came to S$54.30 after 15% discounts.

it seemed to work out such that no difference whether use S$10 voucher or just straight 15% discounts.

1/2 roast duck

food was ok but quite expensive S$54.30 nett for 2pax even with 15% discounts.

c.h.e.f andy

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S$17 blue fin tuna tartare

we arranged a 8pax birthday dinner for WT at halia on 10.10.2018. ^^

i bought S$700 chope offpeak vouchers at 50% discounts for this dinner at 8.30pm. 🙂

dinner was attended by 4 bros and the spouses. wife had some urgent matter to attend to but rejoined the dinner afterwards.

S$16 lemograss & ginger prawn salad

i ordered 4 appetizers to share.

the prawn salad was just average, ok enough i guess.

S$25 pan seared barramundi

the pan seared barramundi was very good especially with the bearnaise sauce. 🙂

we considered ordering one more when wife rejoined the dinner (she missed most of the appetizers) but decided to order a main, halibut en papillote instead. 🙂

S$6 sauteed mixed mushrooms & garlic butter

the sauteed mushroom very good too.

very poor S$25 halia’s chilli crab spaghetini

very poor S$25 halia’s chilli crab spaghetini

the halia’s chilli crab spaghetini was in my view not quite edible, really poor.

no hint of chilli crab flavours, and the pasta was not even al dente..that is a mortal sin!

our appetizers

overall we were quite happy with the appetizers and the communal dining. 🙂

S$7 pandan coco

HC ordered coffee and we had 2 or 3 pandan coco to share. afterwards when i had time to look at the menu, maybe we should have tried the smoothies also. 🙂

S$18 pan seared foie gras

the vietnamese lady server Ha recommended pan seared foie gras to go with the steak mains. we ordered 4 foie gras to share..i do not take foie gras as ammater of choice. 🙂

S$130 900g boned in striploin

the server recommended we took the 900g striploin…only porterhouse was on the menu, but she said there was a last piece of striploin.

actually porterhouse is one side strip loin one side tenderloin, so in theory porterhouse would be better? anyhow i prefer strip to tenderloin and perhaps a boned in strip loin would have a smaller bone c/w porterhouse? haha! who cares?

S$130 900g boned in striploin

i think the striploin was plenty good, very flavourful, nicely charred, unlike many places. this came with good sides of mash etc.

S$33 halibut fillet en papillote

S$33 halibut fillet en papillote

S$33 halibut fillet en papillote

we ordered the halibut en papillote. it was excellent!

sides with halibut fillet en papillote

sides with seabass en papillote

it came with sides too.

i think between the halibut and the very good barramundi, the halibut was still better.

S$68 200days grain fed angus ribeye

S$68 200days grain fed angus ribeye

the server also recommended we ordered the ribeye rather than the wagyu rump, and so we did! 🙂

and it was very good too. ribeye is a better uct of meat c/w striploin.

S$40 pan roasted medium rare lamb rack

S$40 pan roasted medium rare lamb rack

S$40 pan roasted medium rare lamb rack

we also ordered the lamb rack.

we wanted medium rare but it looked totally rare to me, which was not the preferred texture.

anyway we already started on the meat, so i did not ask for it to be replaced.

S$10 die die must have chocolate

i ordered all 4 dessert.

i think the dessert were really good, everyone of them!

chocolate not so die die but good anyway.

S$11 yuzu gateaux

yuzu was good too.

S$10 sticky toffee pudding

the sticky toffee pudding was quite unexpected. it was not as sweet as expected. and it was tasty, a very good dessert.

S$9 ginger spice all things nice

the ginger dessert was ok, did not register much with me.

overall i think the dessert were excellent too. 🙂

WM brought the cake

S$130 900g boned in striploin

WM brought a birthday cake for WT. we sang happy birthday and shared some cake. 🙂

i am happy with the dinner overall and most of the dishes from appetizers to mains meat & fish and also the dessert. very enjoyable meal.

the ambience a bit mixed, nice place certainly, and indoor seating has aircon. the table seating were close to each other and like canteen, i guess it was the rustic feel.

dinner came to like S$683, so i used S$700 vouchers. the lady server had earlier informed us she was leaving as here shift ended. the male server nguyen (also vietnamese) advised me to order some drinks so i ordered a coffee and another pandan coco. the bill came to S$699, perfecto!

so with chope 50% offpeak vouchers the 8pax dinner cost S$350nett, i think a very good deal la!

c.h.e.f andy

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Halia @ Botanical Gardens

S$10 bittergourd pork ribs

sis & bil dropped by today on 11.10.2018.

we decided to go nearby for lunch at hk street old chun kee at commonwealth crescent.

i ordered the black bean sauce song fish head, prawn paste chicken & bittergourd pork ribs.

the S$10 bittergourd pork ribs was tasty & good amount of tender pork ris too. good standard here.

S$9 prawn paste chicken

the prawn paste chicken the best i had at zi cahr stalls. this S$9 for 7 pieces. very good! 🙂

$36nett for 3pax

S$16 song fish head

and the S$16 song fish head always good here. never fails, very good standard indeed!

we had a great lunch for 3pax and it was just S$36nett. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

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Kopi Kia  (hong kong street old chun kee 香港街老珍记）
Blk 117 Commonwealth Drive #01-733 Singapore 140117
Tel: 83606663
Email: enquiries@kopikia.com.sg
Operating Hours:
12.00PM – 10.30PM (Monday to Sunday)

individually served appetizer platter

my good friend’s son wedding today.

i fetched LCH then drove to sentosa to W Singapore on 7.10.2018. ^^

there was a reception before dinner and some canapes were served with wine & drinks..

there was a photo wall so we RI bros took couple photos together. 🙂

wedding dinner banquet menu

the dishes for the dinner banquet were good, and they were served individually. 🙂

the appetizer hors d’oeuvre comprised smoked duck, kurobuta 蒜泥白肉, prawn salad, a minced prawn wrap & wintermelon…excellent dish this. 🙂

soup

soup was equally atas like a mini buddha jump over the wall – with baby abalone, fish maw, dried scallop and a very tasty broth. excellent!

wasabi prawns

the wasabi prawn was very well done, very crispy batter, fresh prawns, not ovewhelming wasabi cream.

garoupa fillet

the hong kong steamed garoupa fillet was good too. the sauce was good, the garoupa fillet was good but i have taken better ones eg tunglok signatures using this preparation..maybe it was the fillet cut.

wagyu

surprisingly the wagyu dish was the poorer of the dishes.

chinese styled stir-fried beef is usually not comparable to japanese or western steaks. this was ok dish but not great.

spinach & lingzi mushrooms & truffle

a great vegetable dish.

noodles

the noodles were nice too.

dessert

and the dessert was ok.

overall an excellent dinner menu befitting the wedding banquet.

it was a joyful day for my dear friend and the couple, and we were honoured to partake in their joyous moments

c.h.e.f andy

longevity buns 寿桃

we have regular 14 RI bros birthdays dinner every few months. so far full attendance all 14 bros. the same this evening on 8.10.2018. ^^

the permanent members on the orgcom have been diligent in organising the dinners, arranging birthday present, cake & decor. sometimes with activities like loyang bbq & karaoke on 30.1.2018, and go-kart and tasty loong recently on 3.8.2018.

today we had a room at imperial (formerly imperial herbal) restaurant (located in Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview) with karaoke, though we didn’t get to do karaoke in the end. the server said we did not tell them we wanted to karaoke (although we did) and the adjacent room was having karaoke. happened that the adjacent room party was arranged by LKH’s sister and they did not do karaoke. we wanted to do when the adjacent room left but restaurant said it was late & they closing at 10.30pm (which is the case..so not really very useful to have karaoke installed?)

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first was the complimentary longevity buns 寿桃, very much the usual la… 🙂

special beef tendons

special beef tendons

then we had 2 specialties of this restaurant? the beef tendon & the 赛螃蟹 egg white dish.

the beef tendons were pretty good. tender, good succulent bite texture, & quite flavourful. this the dry preparation i guess, the usual 焖 slow braised with sauce style i like too but i guess this preparation more unusual. so this was good.

LKH who arranged the restaurant & got 15% discounts did not arrange for any traditional house specialty like 牛鞭汤. he reckoned that the brothers didn’t need any help. lol! ^^

#1 赛螃蟹 egg white dish

#1 赛螃蟹 egg white dish

the 赛螃蟹 egg white dish can’t say it was anything special, maybe just above average?

i think the usual preparation of 赛螃蟹 at zi char or restaurants served usually with poached brocoli are better in my opinion. the key here is the good flavourful vinegar & the fluffy scrambled texture of the egg white.

my own 赛螃蟹 brocoli dish

i tried my hands on the 赛螃蟹 brocoli dish, not so easy this, texture needed improvements.

#2 fish lip soup

#2 fish lip soup

they served fish lip soup here. it sounded like another specialty.

it was a tasty soup, tasty. texture wise it was the slightly starchy gluey type like the fake sharksfin soup, it is gard to tell one from the other. i like maybe a clear soup with natural sweetness might be better. otherwise it felt like paying a lot for specialty and not sure what you get. 🙂

#3 prawns

#3 prawns

the prawns were good. it was similar in preparation with salted egg prawns or wasabi prawns, which also have a light batter deepfried the sauce added…can’t remember what sauce this was if any, but the frying was done well, and taste was good.

#4 deepfried soon hock

#4 deepfried soon hock

deepfried soon hock was good but perhaps rather pedestrian.

deepfry gave a good flavour but a steamed fresh live soon hock is still best.

#5 nai bai tofu

#5 nai bai tofu

the nai bai tofu was a good vegetable dish.

#5 nai bai tofu

good superior stock, quite tasty, tofu was done ok.

#6 salt baked chicken

#6 salt baked chicken

the salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡 was the poorest dish. did not resemble any salt baked chicken. texture was all wrong though the stock was good. maybe a wine chicken dish or a xo frogleg dish with chicken instead of frog??

tasty loong’s 1/2 salt baked chicken

i would say the recent tasty loong’s 1/2 salt baked chicken on 3.8.2018 was what this dish should look & taste like.

my own yim goke gai 盐焗鸡太棒了！

and sorry to say but even my own salt baked chicken 盐焗鸡  was far superior la! lol! ^^

#7 seafood yeemeen

#7 seafood yeemeen

the seafood yeemeen was good standard. 🙂

sticky caramelised yam dessert

sticky caramelised yam dessert

the sticky caramelised yam dessert was much ado about nothing for me.

and it had to be taken immediately before the hot sugar strands hardened, very hard to do for 14pax and by the time the server demonstrated what we were supposed to do.

no different from any yam and sweet potato dessert anyway.

#8 eight treasures dessert

#8 eight treasures dessert

the eight treasuers dessert? was good standard, bt then our organiser LKH made just as good ones for our home dinner gatherings…lol! ^^

bill S$701 nett for 14pax

fish lip soup

the price was S$701nett for 14pax about S$50pax nett after 15% discounts.

looking at the bill, they charge S$1pax tea and 2xS$3 appertiser very reasonable. 2 plates of the beef tendon specials were S$36, also ok. & at S$458 for 10pax with 15% discounts, it was like S$39++pax for the 8-course set, with a karaoke room, longevity buns and a sticky yam dessert, actually it was a pretty ok deal la.

of course you can still get a suckling pig 10pax set for <s$500 at=”” ah=”” yat=”” and=”” hung=”” <span=”” class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”hung ” data-mce-bogus=”1″>kang restaurants, but for this S$39++pax was quite ok.</s$500>

c.h.e.f andy

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Imperial Restaurant