Sunday, March 18, 2007

What's so good about GERMAN sausages?? ... They're uncut!

"Paulaner Muchen"
The place and the food were so alienating for me. At the first floor of the lobby is their pub where the hippies (not necessarily yippies) and the white-collar people are hanging out, where they fling around and toss each other with those inviting and incomprehensible looks and winks..Somebody's watching too much Hollywood movies! The second floor is where all the formality takes place. It boasts more of a fine-dining atmosphere.

I know that the title is so titillating and scintillating that if my mom read this article, she would have called me and asked me immediately, "who's teaching you these stuffs in singapore?" :P ..

I was invited by a friend for a superb dinner--no it's not a scintillating and titillating dinner date, keep all those malicious minds where they really belong to...in the loo!

At first, I thought that Germans are best known for their sausages, I mean not their sausages (will those horrific minds of yours sh*t up?), but the edible and chewable German sausages. I remember, I was in high school and I don't know how to pronounce the name of the booth that sells german sausages, it's something like wursten xxx. Then my friend told me, "Oh Germans are better known with their beers!" And it only showed how much of a beer drinker I am. I would have exclaimed to the waiter, "Do you have milk here please? The non-fat rich in calcium one...with no preservatives!"


Anyway, so when my friend asked me what do I want, I told him that I really don't know what to order. I was so bemused by the ambience of the place that I couldn't keep my eyes and my head from turning 360. So he ordered the food for me. I had mashed potato, different types of sausage (I really have a poor memory of remembering all of them), and the chef's fave..the Paulaner beer.

Let's start with the mashed potato. Honestly speaking, this is the best mashed potato I've had so far in my entire life, no joke! The texture, the taste and the softness is so GOOD that I could have that as a meal for my entire week. It tastes a bit milky. It was really mouth-watering.

This is a long and overdue review. I'm really sorry. But the funny thing about it is that I could still recall the feeling that these german sausages let me experienced.

The next are the sausages. Oh men, they're really of different sizes, different colors, and different tastes! You have red, roasted brown, white, foot-long, one-bite, three-bite-sized hotdogs. Although I don't like the pickled thingy where the sausages are laid on. It was too sour for me with not even a drop of sweetness. The sausage that I liked most is the roasted brown one. The taste is very very very ... I don't know the words to describe it. Just look at the photos and start drooling.

I do really want to make a good review on the beer, but I just don't know how to appreciate yet the tastes of beer. I don't know which one is good and which one is not, although I can say which one is bitter and which one is sweeter. But as to which is better, I'll leave the beer drinkers with big bulging tummies for that.

Overall, it was superb! Eventhough there were those nosy and piercing eyes of the people on the other side of the table. Maybe they're just amazed of my black head cap while we were eating...oh well. I'm starving again. :)

Friday, February 23, 2007

Olive Trees @ Intercon Hotel

The food is just too good to let it pass. My friend invited me to have a dinner in this Italian restaurant at Hotel Intercon, which I had a hard time finding--it only proves how good you are in directions! :)

We started with a white wine on our hands. The wine glass was filled with a Chablis...how do you pronounce that again?? I was actually feeling awkward when I was pronouncing the wine Chablis, it came from France so I should pronounce it with a French twang, and from what I remember, French people seldom pronounces the "s". In my case though, I just silently whisper the "s" part.

I prefer this type of white whine than the Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is more bitter and approached my taste buds stronger. Chablis is softer and as my friend says..fruitty! I still need to learn alot about wine drinking.


We were first served with a loaf of bread coated with butter. It was presented together with a balsamic oil (i'm not really sure of the name, i'm just guessing it.) There's nothing unusual with the bread, but once it's spread with balsamic oil, it becomes a miracle bread. Although if you're expecting a sweet bread, then you're going to be disappointed--Were you?





The bread is free of charge. Well, they should make it free!



I forgot to mention that the name of the restaurant is Olive tree--no wonder there's alot of Olive oil bottles around!





We ordered salad/appetizers first. My friend ordered them for me because I'm not really so familiar with the items on the menu. Come on dude, don't act so harebrained!

Grilled Californian asparagus with goat's cheese and balsamic oil
I love the asparagus. Actually, I first discovered the exquisite taste of asparagus when my boss brought me to his friend's japanese restaurant. There's something salty and corn-ish to its taste that is far different from the green vegies that I've tried. The asparagus is mixed with nut sprouts (they're like the sprouts of nuts and not the beans)--hmmm....is that the real name?!.
What I love about this is the combination of goat cheese and the asparagus. In fact, just this evening, I tried to copy this salad and let my housemates taste it, although I didn't have olive oil, fresh pepper and cheese.


Slice of Akami Tuna, haricot beans, vine ripened tomatoes, kipfler potatoes, onion

I love the fresh pink tuna, although salmon dances better on my tongue, or maybe if there was wasabe on the table, it would have gone better--not that I'm saying it's not good. "As a matter of fact, it's really really good."
During the meal, I'm actually just munching anything that I see on the plate. But now that I'm writing an amateur review about it, I realized that the ingredients have funny names like haricot beans, kipfler potatoes. I know that the green long ones are beans, but I didn't know that it's from haricot, or it was planted by Mr. Haricot...and Kipfler who? Is that from the Kifler theory?
It's Kepler and his laws about planetary motion that supports the Copernican theory although he said that the orbits are elliptical and not circular. Thanks google for the quick search result on Kepler. :) Here's a photo of a Kipfler potato -->


The last meal, since the restaurant is Italian, mediterranean place, I ordered a fettucini pasta with dried ripened tomatoes, chicken, prawn, mussel and toasted bell pepper over a creamy and cheezy sauce. The dried ripened tomatoes add the sour kick on the palette. The meal was so heavy on the stomach and I was so noisy and busy talking stories that I was the last person to finish the meal...I didn't really finish the meal. It was too much for my small tummy--yeah right, and what are you implying? The sauce wasn't too thick and wasn't too watery. It was just right. The roasted bell pepper was good and the clams and the prawn were BIG--no wonder I couldn't finish the whole plate.

After the first glass of wine, my friend asked me if I wanted a Riesling, which, from the books that I read, is meant to be a desert wine, but the healthy buff kicks in again so I asked for a mango juice instead, which I forgot to snap a picture. Though the mango tastes fresh and is not just from some mango purees.

VERDICT: It was Friday night. I'm meant to entertain the social part of my life, though it only comes once or twice a month. I had fun, my stomach had a different meal to digest, my taste buds experienced a delightful taste of Meditteranean cuisine, I was able to practice my convesational skills--
since when did you become a conversationalist? Oh, just last Friday! I gave my liver a different slap of alcohol and touched my heart with a different warmth of white wine. I would probably never step into a restaurant like that--unless someone invites me for dinner again. In plain simple terms, I had fun and that's all that matters.
:)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Cafe Cartel in Marine Parade






This is actually the second time I've been to Cafe Cartel, I guess I was hypnotized by their baby pork ribs, aka St. Louis Pork Ribs with BBQ sauce, that's why I couldn't keep myself from going back and ordering the same thing.

This time though, I added a Caesar's Salad on my table. I was trying to be healthy you know (and a 60-kg weight ain't healthy yet for you?!).

St. Louis Pork Ribs
$14.20 SGD

At first I thought the price was kindda too heavy for my pocket, but wait till you see the serving, it's BIG! (now put more of that exclamation mark!!!!). If you're going to order one, ensure that you're going to share it with another person.

It's not only the size of the serving that makes my heart jump...it's the taste and the softiness of the meat (pardon him for his terminologies, he ain't a real chef y'all know, I think he meant, tender meat!). The BBQ sauce is a real kicker and the meat, they're so tender and very easy to chew. I won't be surprised if I only see rib bones on your plate. For sure you'll always exclaim... "SARAP TO THE BONES!".

RATING: 5/5
I would definitely recommend this to all those rib lovers out there, or even to those who are just curious on eating one.


Caesar Salad

$7.50 SGD

Personally, I didn't taste anything ordinary on their salad (well, that's because this is your first time to eat a Caesar Salad!), or maybe I need to try other resto's salad.

The lettuce is fresh, the meat are so so...and the plate is white. Need I say more that I'm totally mesmerized by it? By the way, I'm hearing the season finale of the Apprentice. It's airing now on Channel 5, well I think it's a delayed telecast anyway. Although I did read his book, How To Be Rich, and I find it interesting and informative. I would definitely recommend it!

RATING: 3/5
I am basing this on my own personal preference on the taste. :) (which of course, everybody knows is very subjective!). Technorati icon

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Face Lift!

I know it's been eons since I started publishing some no non-sense stuff here in my food blog. It's just that I'm too busy (yeah right!) working and striving to keep my sanity going on (oh, this definitely has something to do with food!). But, I'm back to stir up your taste buds--this phrase is such a passe, or is it cliche?

With my sharp tongue and nosy nose, I hope to rev up my bloggy again to its shining glory (did it ever shine??). Oh come on, gimme a break, ya? :P

I'll be posting the foods I've tried lately. Just keep on checking my blog.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

One day along Changi Road

Restoran Makanan Laut Chai Chee


My sister and I trudge along Changi road to find the Malay restaurant we reconned last time when we were aimlessly walking around Kembangan. I'm not in a mood to talk today, but I want to put up these pics because they're long overdue. Please bear with me if you don't find this post so entertaining....i'm just soooo tired, tired of thinking what my future will be, or whether i'm making the right decision over something .... but this ain't the place to prattle all my internal conflicts.

As usual, for every meal, there must be a vegetable set, meat, and RICE!!!! Here's what we ordered for our vege: Baby Kailang Seafood (I forgot how the Kaillang is spelled)

Taste: 3/5 I've tried alot of Kailan recipes since I started working here in Singapore and sad to say, the taste of this didn't register to my memory. It wasn't bad, but maybe it's more on the ordinary side.

Presentation: 4/5 I like the colours of the vegetables mixed on the plate.

Price: I lost the receipt! I can't even remember how much I spent for the whole dinner... oh but I do remember that the cereal prawn is like a whopping $25. Oh, right at this moment, I'm craving for that BIG burger I ate at Billy Bombers!


I didn't really intend to buy an ice lemon tea. Initially, I asked for plain water. But the water tasted so chlorinated so I opted to buy a separate drink. Good thing, a waiter was passing by during the time I was wondering for a drink to buy. I saw him holding this multi-layered drink. I was so fascinated as to how the orange colored liquid was layered on top of the transparent fluid, so I immediately asked the waiter to give me one.

Taste: 3/5 Nothing unusual. I still prefer the home-made ice lemon tea in Marsiling (S11 coffeshop near the traffic light).

Presentation: 5/5 This is why I was convinced to buy the drink.

Price: 4/5 Ok lah!



My sister took the Lychee. I think, she's starting to like the Lychee/longan juice here.

Taste: 2.5/5 I know the lychee was drained from the can, but I was expecting it not to taste like a tin can.. -_-"

Presentation: 3/5 Nothing unusual too.

Price: 4/5 The price is fair.



I am not really that mean. I mean, it just happened that the food I reviewed above aren't really that fantastic. I should say though that this Sotong Fritters and Oats is a kicker!

Taste: 4.5/5 I'm sure Fauziah is going to love this. It's spicy and even spicier if you take it home and re-fry it. The oats's sweetness is just nice and the fritters is really a plus on this.

Presentation: 4/5 I can't think of any other way to present this better.

Price: 4/5 Not as expensive as the prawn. :)



If you think the sotong fritters is spicy, lo and behold, this is even spicier!

Taste: 4/5 It's superb. It's sweet. It's crispy...and the sauce is thick--thick with spices! yummy. :)

Presentation: 3.5/5 I just feel that the food is too dark, maybe too much dark soy sauce?

Price: 4/5 The price is as good as the taste.

I wish I were in Shanghai to taste the real shanghainese style.

Oh btw, I heard that the Russian market is getting better. I hope I can visit Moscow sometime and be astounded by the Kremlin architectures. I wonder when will it be, for sure it's not now though, moscow is heading the list of most expensive cities around the worl you know!

Ok, I'm going to fix myself, my sister and I are heading to boat quay. She hasn't been there ever since she stepped on the soil of Singapore. Adieu!!