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Red Flame Bistro was a chance discovery on a rainy, drizzly Friday afternoon when my colleague and I were looking for a lunch place that was reasonably near the office. It was oh-so-conveniently located just across the road from my office building.

We both had the 3 course set lunch which costs SGD 12.90. You have a choice of salad or soup of the day for your starter, grilled chicken chop or fish and chips for mains (there is also beef sirloin offered, but with an additional top-up of SGD 3.00), and finish off with dessert of the day. You can also top-up SGD 1.00 for 3 pieces of garlic toast or top-up SGD 1.50 for a soft drink or tea or coffee. There is no charge for water.

The salad is nice and fresh with a bit of crisp to it and the dressing is made a little bit more interesting with the addition of pineapple pieces that lend their distinctive sweet yet acidic taste to the salad and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds.

If the soup of the day is mushroom soup, you’re in for a treat. It was the best mushroom soup I have ever tasted this far – creamy and smooth with a mushroomy taste that is not too strong (too much mushroom can be a bad thing sometimes) and not oily at all. On other occasions we’ve been there, the soup of day was corn and clear vegetable soup. The mushroom soup is far and away the cream of the crop though and is always available on the ala carte menu for SGD 4.95.

My colleague absolutely raves about the garlic bread (add on SGD 1.00 with the set menu or SGD 1.50 off the ala carte menu). I find it better than your usual bakery garlic toast, as it is crispy without being burnt and generously slathered with garlic butter. I would prefer it much more if the toast slices were sliced a wee bit thicker for a heftier crunch when you chomp down, but hey, you can’t have everything your way, right?

The grilled chicken chop is nicely done without being dried out. I would have loved it more if they had given more of the grilled potatoes and I could do without the corn-on-the-cob slice.

My favorite has to be the fish and chips. Coated in a golden batter and fried, the fish fillets were fresh and yummy. The best part was that it was not too oily. Accompanied with a serve of fries and a scoop of salad, this was possibly one of the better fish and chips I have had in a long while.

The first time I went there, I had the Mushroom pasta (which is no longer on the set lunch menu). If you like your pasta al dente, then Red Flame’s chef does it quite well. The cream sauce that accompanied the linguine was just right, not to heavy nor was it runny and it was not so overpowering that you feel stuffed after. Over a series of visits, I’ve tried variations of their vegetarian pasta (SGD 9.90) in cream sauce and aglio olio and find that it’s pretty good with a medium sized portion.

As of now the bistro has a steady trickle of customers during lunch hour so it is still nice and cozy and doing quite well. I understand from the manager, Guna (really friendly and helpful guy) that they plan to rotate their lunch menu every month for some variety so the dishes I have reviewed may no longer be on the set lunch menu but are still available on the ala carte menu.

Note: As of June 2011, Red Flame has increased the price of their set menu from SGD 12.90 to SGD 14.90.

Red Flame Bistro
2 Stanley Street

Ever since I’ve moved to Singapore for work, I find myself craving for all sorts of Malaysian food. Like proper roti canai (I don’t like the word prata), curries, banana leaf, briyani, laksa, chicken rice, etc.

At the very top of my cravings list has to be nasi lemak.

So each time I come back to Malaysia, I drag my folks to Village Park in Damansara Uptown for breakfast on Sunday mornings before I have to take the bus back to Singapore and a diet of glorified bread and pasta. LOL.

A lot of people complain about how crowded the place usually is and how hard it is to get a table and parking but it’s never bothered me. Because I never park that close to the restaurant (walking is good for your health, people!) and the timing usually is such that I go before peak hours.

My all-time favorite here is the Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng. Oh my, that crispy fried chicken is calling to me from my computer screen now! LOL. Sometimes I might get a slightly dry piece of chicken, but putting the fried chicken and the yummy nasi lemak together is a killer combo.

Sometimes my mom will order the Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang as she prefers it. I find the rendang to be a tad on the watery side, but the taste is still there. Good for those who prefer not to take too much fried stuff.

This here, is a drink concoction known as Milo Dinosaur. It happens to be Beetrice’s favorite as she never fails to order it each time we meet at Village Park. Heh.

All in all, you can expect to spend about MYR 12.00 to 15.00 per person for an order of nasi lemak (with one meat dish) and a drink. Specialty drinks will cost you a bit more. While it’s not exactly the cheapest fare in town, I still visit Village Park when I get hit with nasi lemak cravings. I may reduce on the frequency of my visits there though, as the management has recently decided to increase the prices further (what used to cost MYR 6.00 back in 2006 has slowly and gradually been increased to MYR 9.00).

Village Park Restaurant
5, Jalan SS21/37
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia

Click here for the Google Maps link.

Read other blogger reviews here :
KampungBoyCityGal
KY
Timothy
VKeong

I love salted egg. In mooncakes, with crabs, with squid, with chicken, probably with everything. Now, my seafood allergies mean that crabs and squid are out of the question unless I want to indulge first and pay the dire consequences later so I was all perked up when I read A Lil’ Fat Monkey’s blogpost on salted egg chicken wings.

Thus, I naturally *cough*demanded*cough* gently persuaded my folks that we should drive all the way to Overseas Union Garden for dinner just so I could satisfy my curiosity about the wings. Heheh.

Sun Kam Kee is located in a lesser known part of Overseas Union Garden, probably one where only locals go to. It’s at the end of a long row of shophouses that have seen better years and you should most probably dress down to feel comfortable and fit in. There weren’t many people when we arrived around 8pm; just a few tables occupied here and there and it remained that way as long as we were there. Since there were only 3 of us, we ordered the following dishes to try :

(Stir fried vege with garlic)

This was pretty much normal fare that you can get at any self-respecting dai chow place.

(Japanese tofu with minced meat aka tip pan tofu)

Again, this is a normal dish with gravy that goes well with rice.

(What we came here for – salted egg chicken wings!)

And how did the piece de resistance fare? It was okay, in my opinion. The chicken was nicely fried – crispy without being burnt or undercooked. Personally I felt that the salted egg taste was not enough for me (yes, I really enjoy my salted egg dishes) and the bits of salted egg were few and far between. It also could have done with a wee bit more of the curry leaves and chili padi to give it an added kick to the tastebuds. Overall, not bad, but not outstanding.

The meal above for 3 pax inclusive of rice and chinese tea came up to MYR 51.70 (roughly about MYR 17.00 per head which is a bit pricey compared to other dai chow places). I understand from comments on A Lil’ Fat Monkey’s blogpost that each pair of salted egg chicken wings cost MYR 7.00.

Would I go back again for the salted egg chicken wings? Probably not because it wasn’t exceptionally stand-out memorable for me and because it’s quite far away from where I stay. Might be worth a one-time visit for the experience though.

Restaurant Sun Kam Kee
1, Jalan Hujan Emas 8
Taman Overseas Union
58200 Kuala Lumpur

Read other blogger reviews here :
A Lil’ Fat Monkey

Note : Photos in this blogpost taken with my Panasonic Lumix TZ7.

I like Henry Cook. Those four words could very well sum up my review but that wouldn’t be doing justice to Henry Cook, now would it?

Henry Cook originates from Singapore, and this is their first outlet in Malaysia. Although I am working in Singapore, I have yet to (locate! and) patronize the Singapore outlet so this review will be based on my two visits to the Malaysia outlet at SSTwo Mall.

My first impressions of Henry Cook were good. The restaurant is bright and uncluttered but still manages to exude a homey air, perhaps thanks to the magazines and boardgames in the shelving by the wall. They have an open kitchen concept going on, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal as you wait.

A montage of the various drinks and soups I had during both my visits – homemade pear drink, tropical fruit punch and tea. Some might find the homemade pear drink to be on the sweet side. The soup of the day – pumpkin soup and mushroom soup. I have to say that Henry Cook makes one of the better pumpkin soups I have tasted so far in Malaysia but it is not in the same league as my favorite. I would have preferred it to be a touch creamier but it was good overall, as was the mushroom soup.

Some of the sides and salads available. The garlic toast is yummy dipped into the soup of the day and the fried chicken drummets were nicely done too. The salads normally come as part of your main dish meal but are also available on their own. The herbed potato salad can be a bit bland on its own, but when eaten together with your main it balances out the meat. I quite like the unique green salad.

Clockwise from top left corner : beef stew, stuffed chicken roll, baked fish fillet, beef bomb

My aunt, who is a big fan of beef stew, gave Henry Cook’s version a thumbs up. The beef is soft and tender and the stew is flavorsome. I like my stew chunky but did think the pieces of beef were cut rather large, as were the potatoes and carrots.

Henry Cook’s signature dish is their stuffed chicken roll – which to me is a bit like a fusion version of the Peranakan lor bak. It also reminds me a bit of kebab meat, especially with the sauce.

Beef bomb. I would like the ground beef to be a little less dry but it was still good overall. It was interesting to find a hard boiled egg smack dab in the middle of the beef patty – somewhat like an alien landing in one’s backyard.

After the meaty goodness of the other dishes, we did find the baked fish to be a bit plain and not so memorable. It was alright though and fresh.

For all of their main course dishes, you have a choice of selecting either yellow rice or herbed potatoes as a side. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, then I would suggest the soups and salads. Other than that, most of Henry Cook’s dishes are hearty and meaty – on both occasions I came away feeling like I’d had my meat quota for the day and more.

Henry Cook also has this set meal for 4 pax called their Meat Madness platter. From my experience, it could well feed 6 pax comfortably. It features all of Henry Cook’s specialties and is a good way to taste nearly everything on the menu in one visit.

Being a small, family run operation gives Henry Cook a slight advantage in terms of service. I find their waitstaff to be prompt, friendly and helpful. It’s also one of the plus points of why I like Henry Cook.

I would visit Henry Cook more often but for its location as I have a ton of gripes about SSTwo Mall (but I’ll save that for another blogpost).

Read other blogger reviews here :
Lilian
Su Fen
Thistle.Tea
Wendy

I love how many specialty ice cream and yogurt and dessert shops there are in Singapore. Marble Slab Creamery is one on my list of favorites after tasting their lovely version of Irish Cream ice cream.

Marble Slab describes the Irish Cream flavor as :

“Hints of coffee flavouring make this a sophisticated indulgence. A rich, creamy flavour that provides ultimate satisfaction.”

Did it meet the mark? Yes on all counts. The ice cream is smooth and creamy and the flavor is rich without being overpowering. Kind of like the perfect marriage of a what outwardly appears to be just a plain, ordinary, unassuming scoop of ice cream but with the blended flavor of a masterpiece. (Yes, I know I’m waxing lyrical. Heh.)

I had a Kiddie Cup (the smallest size, a single scoop) which costs SGD 4.50. Just the right size for one to indulge in a little bit of perfection without having to share and just right to leave you wanting ‘just a bit more’.

I also love their kitschy tagline of ‘Find happiness within’. It’s the perfect phrase to go along with a scoop of loverly ice cream on a lazy weekend.

Marble Slab Creamery @ Marina Bay
8A Marina Boulevard #B2-40
Marina Bay Link Mall
Singapore 018984
Tel : +65-6834 3693
Website : www.marbleslab.com.sg

Happy Chinese New Year folks!

My ex-colleagues and I have this tradition that we’ve been faithfully keeping for the past 7 years. Every Chinese New Year, we will have our own version of a ‘reunion dinner‘ – that all important meal when family members near and far all attend. In this version, all of us ex-colleagues make it a point to attend the reunion meal and as the years went by and each of us slowly left the ex-company one by one (there’s only one person left there now, haha), it became important that we must attend this yearly traditional meal of ours. This year, we had our reunion meal early (in the 2nd week of January) since one of our group members came back from Hong Kong on business matters.

This year, we decided to hold our reunion at Zuan Yuan after seeing some pictures of yummy food from local floggers (“food bloggers”). Also, as Zuan Yuan is pork free, it also met our need to search for a halal restaurant. Zuan Yuan is tucked away at the Ground Floor corridor between One World Hotel and One Utama Shopping Centre. It’s a reasonably convenient location since you can choose to park in either the shopping mall’s carpark or the hotel’s carpark (it’s all joined up anyway). Read the rest of this entry »

Since my previous post on Marmalade @ Bangsar Village II, I’ve gone back a few more times with friends on different occasions and thought it would be nice to put up the accumulated pictures of food we ate to compliment the earlier review post.

Hope it doesn’t make you drool too much, because I’m hungry just looking at all the photos!

Some kinda salad – not sure which one it was since I wasn’t the one ordering. Read the rest of this entry »

Note : Waroeng Mas Timoer has since closed down.

Every now and then you find a gem of a restaurant that deserves to be brought to the attention of the masses. Waroeng Mas Timoer in Sunway Giza, Kota Damansara is one such gem I recently discovered by chance.

I had originally planned to eat at Cravings but only found out that they had closed down after I arrived and parked my car inside Sunway Giza. Rather than drive out in search of food elsewhere, I decided to check out what Waroeng Mas Timoer has to offer. And boy was I glad I did!

As the menu tells you, Waroeng Mas Timoer specializes in authentic Sundanese food. So far, my experiences with Indonesian food have been limited to my one travel trip to Medan and outings to places like Ole Ole Bali. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, I realize this photo of the logo is not taken from the right angle…

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in November when the blogger girls gathered for a good old-fashioned natter about… what else, gossip!

Can you see our table in the picture above?

The Bee fits all of our criteria for a meeting spot. A cozy setting that is great for photography, an extensive and delicious brunch menu, bemused staff (very important!) who are tolerant of the noise and demands that our group of females can be capable of coming up with. The suggestion to meet at The Bee came from Kahani, and as one of us, her suggestion was definitely spot on. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who hangs out with me long enough will know that there’s only one type of coffee I’ll order from upmarket coffee houses/cafes. And that would be a latte – regular sized, with one packet of raw/brown sugar.

My usual java of choice comes from that ubiquitous brand – Starbucks. Spare me the spiel about how Starbucks is evil and yadda yadda yadda – I choose it because it’s convenient. Everywhere you go, you can find a Starbucks outlet, right?

Image credit

Last Friday, my colleague kindly bought me a latte from Austin Chase as thanks for playing driver and ferrying her to MidValley. And this was my first time tasting coffee from Austin Chase. How did I find it?

Well, the milk froth/foam on top of the latte was not as dense as Starbucks, so it felt more like air bubbles. And the coffee strength seems less strong, because I didn’t get the same caffeine buzz as I normally would. (My caffeine tolerance level is pretty low.) Also, I found the overall packaging of Austin Chase’s takeaway coffees to be less refined as compared to Starbucks – especially the plastic lid, which reminded me of McDonald’s takeaway coffee cups.

So, am I a coffee snob much? I’d say yes.