Manhattan Star Platter at The Manhattan Fish Market (Northpoint)

Most of us would have heard of The Manhattan Fish Market before. But for those who don't, here's a short introduction. Manhattan Fish Market is a leading seafood casual dining restaurant with presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. In Singapore, Manhattan Fish Market has 14 restaurants outlets with 2 more outlets opening by the end of September.

We visited The Manhattan Fish Market at Northpoint Shopping Centre (opposite Yishun MRT station) for lunch.

There's plenty of seats in The Manhattan Fish Market as they occupy two units in the shopping mall.

The modern, classy environment which gives a big hint that its a seafoodish restaurant.

The menu cover.

Left to right: Tropical Breeze Mocktail, Cala Cala Mocktail

We ordered two mocktails; the Cala Cala and Tropical Breeze. The Cala Cala Mocktail, a combination of calamansi, lemonade and spirit was refreshing. It was accompanied by a citrusy fizzy sensation which was in a way - appetizing. The Tropical Breeze Mocktail, a Hawaiian fruit mocktail had a sweet fizzy sensation.

Soup of the Day - Cream of Mushroom Soup

The Soup of the Day was Cream of Mushroom Soup. There was plenty of fragrant mushrooms bits in it.

Manhattan Star Platter

The main reason why we came to The Manhattan Fish Market.

Well.. The Manhattan Fish Market had just launch its new creation; The Manhattan Star Platter $39.95.

Manhattan Star Platter $39.95

The Manhattan Star Platter consisted of 5 different seafood cooked in 5 different ways. The Garlic Herb Mussels were poached, the Oysters fried, the Calamari grilled, the Prawns were flamed and the Fish was baked! Besides these, there was vegetable and rice.

Manhattan Star Platter $39.95

The Garlic Mussels cooked in their signature Garlic Herb sauce was delectable. We were scrapping off whatever sauce there was and slurping it. The Grilled Calamari was surprisingly well executed (I have always gone for fried Calamari and thought that I will not fancy this). It was cooked perfectly, was soft and well seasoned. It was neither rubbery or hard.  It was grilled till some parts of the exterior had a slight crisp texture with a hint of charred taste which made it just so irresistible. Well done! The Fried Oysters was average while the Garlic Herb Rice underneath the seafood was a tad too hard and dry.

The vegetables consisted of carrots and broccoli. These were most probably boiled - healthy! We thought that it would be hard (not fully cooked..). But it turned out to be a pleasant surprised as it was soft, just the way we preferred.

Manhattan Flaming Prawns

The signature Manhattan Flaming Prawns would need no introduction if you have been to Manhattan Fish Market before. Its bound to attract your attention even if you did not ordered this, as long as someone in the restaurant orders this.

The Manhattan Flaming Prawns was flamed right in front of us. The thick, tasty melted cheese on the prawns complemented the prawns well. Unlike other restaurants or eateries, eating the (prawns) Manhattan Flaming Prawns was a breeze. It was just so easy and there was no need to use hands to peel the shells off (which can be a messy affair). This was because, the prawns were partially deshell (the little details that matters, taken to pamper and enhance customers' experience). I must add that the prawns were fresh and came off the shells easily.

Mediterranean Baked Fish

The Mediterranean Baked Fish; dory fillet baked in a blend of spices, herbs and coriander in a foil was superb. The fish was fresh and well coated with immense flavours from the blend of spices and herbs, resulting in a tantalizing aroma and flavor. The both of us love this.

To sum up, the Manhattan Star Platter was awesome. As you have read, we liked several items in the platter. Do note that this is available till 31 October 2013 only. I wonder if the management will make this a permanent dish on the menu in the future. I can foresee myself coming back and ordering this. Service-wise, the staff were prompt and attentive. In addition, the staff were also knowledgeable; able to describe the taste of the food and were able to recommend the drinks to go along.

Manhattan Star Platter at The Manhattan Fish Market (Northpoint)
#02-06/07 Northpoint Shopping Centre
Yishun Avenue 2
Singapore 769098
Tel: 6257 5507
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Al Farooj at Deira City Centre (UAE, Dubai)

We went back to Deira City Centre again for lunch as we could not find any other eateries nearby for lunch. 

Al Farooj is an international fast casual restaurant chain started by an Arabic family in 1994. The chain specialises in serving Shawarma using their own secret bend herbs and spices prepared in Arabic, Mexican, Italian and Lebanese recipes. Today, it has 40 outlets in United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya and France.

Arabian Shawarma 19 AED (S$6.51) & Shawarma Wrap 16 AED (S$5.48)

I ordered Arabian Shawarma 19 AED (S$6.51) while the partner ordered Shawarma Wrap 16 AED (S$5.48). We waited 20 minutes at the counter for our food. So much for being a fast casual restaurant especially since there was no crowd.

We both ordered Shawarma as Al Farooj was famous for it. The Shawema is a fast food commonly consisted of a pita bread sandwich with meat and various toppings in it. 

Shawarma Wrap 16 AED (S$5.48)

The partner's Shawarma Wrap was served with fries and a soft drink. 

Shawarma Wrap 16 AED (S$5.48)

Personally, I felt that there were too much mayonnaise in the Shawarma Wrap. So much so that it masked the flavour of the spices and meat. In addition, the pita bread was too chewy. 

Arabian Shawarma 19 AED (S$6.51) 

Arabian Shawarma 19 AED (S$6.51) 

The Arabian Shawarma fared better. This time there were less mayonnaise. The fragrance and tenderness of the chicken left an impression; well seasoned and grilled chicken meat! The wrap was crispier too. Oddly, the lettuce were replaced with fries coated with mayonnaise which made it soggy. There were fries given as sides.

Many have said that this was an authentic place for Shawarma. But I am not too sure how true this is since they have fries. This is because I associate fries with western culture/cuisine. In addition, having fries in a Shawarma made me doubt the authenticity. Just my 2 cents.

Having said that, anyone knows where Sultan Kebab (Peace Centre) has shifted to?

Al Farooj at Deira City Centre (UAE, Dubai)

Food Court
Deira City Centre

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Website
Location

View FoodieFC's Dubai Map ‎ in a larger map

Shamiana Tandoori & Indian Cuisine at Deira City Centre (UAE, Dubai)

At Dubai, we stayed at Copthorne Hotel Dubai which is sited just 5 minutes walk away from the Deira City Centre (shopping mall) and the Deira City Centre Metro station. In addition, the hotel is located just 10 minutes drive away from the International Airport. To sweeten the deal further, we were upgraded to the Dubai Suite. As it was already past 2pm by the time we check in, we decided to quickly pop by the Deira City Centre for lunch. There are many restaurants located in the mall and the food there was generally quite expensive. (The cost of living here is very high too!) As we wanted something quick, we headed over to the food court. 

There were many stalls offering different variety of food in the food court such as Western, Italian, Middle Eastern and even Chinese cuisines! In the end, I decided to patronise Shamiana. Shamiana specialises in serving a wide variety of Indian cuisine such as tandoori, curry, biryani, kebab  and naan. I found out later that it is also available in food courts at other shopping malls such as The Dubai Mall, Dubai Festival City and Mall of the Emirates. It then occurred to me that it may not be so authentic after all. If I really wanted something authentic, I should have gone to explore the 'street food'.  

Chicken Tikka Biryani 28 AED (S$9.44)

I ordered the Chicken Tikka Biryani which cost 28 AED (S$9.44) and was served with a yogurt. 

Chicken Tikka Biryani 28 AED (S$9.44)

Three pieces of chicken tikka were served along with the biryani. The chicken tikka with its aromatic blend of seasonings were outstanding - soft fragrant tender meat. Whereas the basmati rice was just average. Some parts of the rice were in lumps and were not fragrant enough. 

Yogurt

The Yogurt was watery and sourish. It had a very weird taste as if it had turned bad. We took a sip each and left it untouched. I wonder if this is their version of raita which is made from yogurt and complement as a sauce to the biryani.

Overall, I thought this was just average. The chicken tikka was great, however the basmati  rice (an essential component of a biryani meal) was disappointing. Even though this was a food court, I thought that the prices here were on the high end compared to Singapore.

ps: the currency used in Dubai is called Dirhams (AED). Not all money changers in Singapore carry this currency.

Shamiana Tandoori & Indian Cuisine (UAE, Dubai)

Food Court

Deira City Centre

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Tel: 04 2954393

Website
Location

The locations are as follows:
A - Copthorne Hotel Dubai
B - Deira City Centre Metro station 
C - Deira City Centre Shopping Mall

View FoodieFC's Dubai Map ‎ in a larger map

Alright Cafeteria (Peace Centre)

Alright Cafeteria located at level 3 (top floor) of Peace Centre serves Malay cuisine. There are no signs directing customers to the shop. You will be able to see this eatery in front of you when you take the escalator up to level 3. Most people know of this place through word of mouth (e.g their friends, colleagues).

The eatery offers daily specials during weekdays.
Monday: :Laksa $3.50
Tuesday: Black Pepper Chicken Rice $4.00, Chicken Rice $3.50, Seafood Horfun $4.00
Wednesday: Roti Jala with Curry Chicken $4.00, Prawn Mee $3.50
Thursday: Nasi Briyani (Chicken / Beef) $4.50, Nasi Briyani (Mutton) $5.00
Friday: Ayam Penyet $5.00

Chicken Rice $3.50, Begedil $0.50 

During one of the occasion during my visit, I ordered the Tuesday daily special - Chicken Rice. I also added a Begedil.

Chicken Rice $3.50, Begedil $0.50 

This is the Malay style chicken rice. Unlike our Chinese Hainanese chicke rice, the rice in this case is plain white rice. The chicken is neither steam or roasted. Instead it was fried. The chicken rice was not too bad. I also requested for sambal chilli to be added to go along with the plain steamed rice. 

One another occasion, I ordered Nasi Padang (which is a concept similar to our economic rice stalls). It essentially meant customers choose the items they want.  I chose white plan rice, along with fried egg omelette, tauhu goreng, fried chicken wings and sambal kang kong. It costed $4.80.The food was was quite good. Depending on which aunty you order from, the generousity differs. In this case, my plate was full of ingredients! Almost spilling out =).

ps: If you like Malay food especially Nasi Padang, there is this place called Warong Nasi Pariaman that serves authentic and delicious Nasi Padang. A must try!

Alright Cafeteria (Peace Centre)

Level 3 Peace Centre
1 Sophia Road (Selegie Road)
Location 

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Han's Cafe (Suntec City)

Editor Note: Han's Cafe at Suntec City will be cease operation from 27th Feb 2013. 

Han's Cafe has been a household name since the 70s. I still remember when I was a kid, we frequently patronise Han's for their cakes. Back then they sold only cakes were considered cheap and good! Over the years, Han's Cafe has commercialised and is now a F&B chain  restaurant serving not just cakes and pasty but also a wide variety of food such as sandwiches, western cuisines (e.g. Fish & Chips, Chicken Chop, Pork Chop, Steak, Spaghetti), chinese cuisine (.e.g Hor Fun, Fried Rice). In 2007, they have converted some of their outlets to Hanis which serves food that are Halal certified. 

Han's Cafe at Suntec was relatively empty on a Saturday evening. It was easy finding a seat and ordering, a contrast to the other neighbouring restaurants such as Sakae Sushi which was packed.

After ordering, customers are required to collect some of their orders such as drinks, soup, bread and cakes (if they have ordered such items) at the end of the counter. In addition, customers will be required to collect the utensils themselves. The mains which require more time to cook will be served. This has been the concept of Han's Cafe for since a long long time ago.

We ordered the Grill Dory Fish ($9.80) and Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce ($11.80) All Day Set Meal which was available from 1130am to 930pm. The Sets was served with Soup of the Day, Main Course, Coffee / Tea / Ice Lemon Tea / Orange Juice and Dessert. 

Soup Of The Day: Cream of Mushroom Soup

The Soup Of The Day was the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Although the thickness of the soup was just right, there was barely an hint of mushroom flavour in it. 

Bread, Dessert and Orange Juice

The bread was the typical Han's Cafe Garlic Bread which has not changed for years as far as I can recall. Unlike other restaurants which uses French Loaf Bread, Han's Cafe uses normal bread with a layer of garlic spread on it. I quite like this soft version although it was cold as it I normally dip them into the soup.

Orange juice was average and seemed to be made from syrup. As for the dessert, despite its appearance, it was the nicest item in this meal! 

Grilled Fish Dory Set $9.80

The wife ordered the Grilled Fish Dory which I felt disappointing. It was lacking in taste. 

Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce Set $11.80

The Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce was average.  The carrots were blanched and boiled in water. The potato wedges were decent. The chicken chop was well cooked and the mushroom sauce helped enhance the taste of the meat which I suspect did not went through much marination (if any). Although there was nothing much to shout about, there was also nothing to fault.

I wonder if I am the only one.. the standard and quality of food at Han's Cafe seems to be deteriorating. They are better off concentrating on what they are good at, which are the cakes. Branching out to serving western and chinese cuisines and not doing it well may generate more revenue for them, but it will also erode the brand name that they have built up over the years.

Han's Cafe (Suntec City)

3 Temasek Boulevard

#01-187A Suntec City

Tel: 6339 3143

Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 10pm 

Website

Facebook

Tip Top Curry Puff (Ang Mo Kio) Revisit

Another visit to Ang Mo Kio to patronise Tip Top Curry Puff. 

Still not use to their new exterior, prefer the previous which was more down to earth and with a modest feel. Tip Top Curry Puff (The Puff Factory) is halal certified. Hence, Muslim friends will be able to savour this. 

The packaging has also changed. Use to be plain packaging with no design. Now it comes with prints that showcase the name and also the website of Tip Top. Well, this is the norm now, branding plays a big role. I guess part of the price increase (i.e. 20cents) was partly due to the re-branding. 

Curry Puff $1.30

With a price increase, somehow, the size of the curry puff has shrunk slightly. Ironic. 

Curry Puff $1.30

Crisp crust while the inside was full of moist mashed potatoes, chicken chunks, egg with spices. But it was not as fragrant as before. Standard has dropped? Remember, how I mentioned in my previous posts that one could smell the curry puff from afar. You can literally smell your way to the shop if you can't locate it. Now, you would not be able to do that - no more of that wonderfully aroma (smell).

Tip Top Curry Puff (Ang Mo Kio)
Hiap Hua kopitiam(Right behind Jubilee)

Blk 722 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 #01-2843

Opening Hours: Daily 9.30am to 9.30pm
Website

Facebook

Location

Tip Top The Puff Factory (Plaza Singapura) 
68 Orchard Road

#B2-02 Plaza Singapura

Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10 pm

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

The Naked Fish Shoppe (Yio Chu Kang)

I have recently purchase a Groupon deal that allows me to buy $30 worth of food from The Naked Fish Shoppe for just $15. I have been there several years ago and recall that the food was not bad. Hence, I purchased the voucher. If you are keen to find out more about this deal, you can click here. (but do note that the deal is over)

The Naked Fish Shoppe is a western style fish casual restaurant serving many types of fish cuisines cooked in different styles. Besides that, they also serve other type of western cuisines such as Oxtail Stew, chicken and steaks combos. This place is also halal certified!

The Naked Fish Shoppe is located right smack in the heartland at level 1 of The Grassroot's Club, 5 minutes away from the Yio Chu Kang MRT station. It is fairly easy to walk over from the station to the club. In addition, its a shelter walkway. 

Brightly lit with a fish theme, the walls were bright blue in colour. A cozy environment

The table although small was nicely decorated with real orchid. What a nice gesture. However, the chair was very uncomfortable especially if one was to lean back. 

We wanted to order the Austrailan Flounder and Australian Barramundi Fillet as this was after all a place that specialises in fish. However, both these fishes were not available that day. As such we had to change our orders to Baked Crayfish Thermidor & Fish, Mediterranean Seafood Platter (For One Person) and a bowl of New England Clam Chowder Soup.

Salad

The Mediterranean Seafood Platter was served with a bowl of salad. The vegetables and tomatoes were fresh. However, they were too generous with the sauce. 

New England Clam Chowder Soup $4

The New England Clam Chowder Soup was served with a piece of Garlic Bread. The Garlic Bread was cold and hard. 

New England Clam Chowder Soup $4

New England Clam Chowder Soup $4

The New England Clam Chowder Soup was not any better. It had a sour after-taste and certainly lack any flavour/essence of clam(s). There were no clams in the soup, only small pieces of potatoes and carrots. What a let down.

Baked Crayfish Thermidor & Fish $17.50

The Baked Crayfish Thermidor & Fish was served with Tartar sauce. Crayfish Thermidor consisted of a creamy mixture of crayfish meat, carrots, mushrooms, onions egg yolk and cheese stuffed into the crayfish shell which will then be baked. The amount of crayfish meat given was pathetic. This dish was saved by the fish which was fresh and complemented well with the tartar sauce.  

Mediterranean Seafood Platter (For One Person $16.80)

After shifting the fries to another plate

The Mediterranean Seafood Platter consisted of a combination of Prawn, Mussel, Calamari, Capelin, White Bait and Fish Finger Baked with Cheese. In addition, French Fries was added on top while Garlic Butter Rice was at the bottom. It was also served with a bowl of salad (as shown earlier).

As I ordered this dish, I could not help but notice the similarity between Manhattan Fish Market's and this. Manhattan Fish Market's version was certainly better (tastier, fresher). For The Naked Fish Shoppe's version, its prawn were not fresh (meat stuck to the shells) and the fries were hard. The Capelin was fishy, Calamari was overcook and the Garlic Butter Rice was not fragrant enough (tasted like plain rice). Need I say more?

Overall, this was a very disappointing meal. I had expected much better food. Even though I had purchased the Groupon voucher, I still had to top up $14.15 on top of the $15 I had paid for the voucher. (total bill amount was $44.15) I would have been better off visiting Manhattan Fish Market. 

The Naked Fish Shoppe (Yio Chu Kang)

The Grassroots' Club

190 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, #01-02

Tel: 6457 8223

Website

Facebook

Location

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

The Prata Place (Upper Thomson Road)

Another visit to The Prata Place for supper. The first post can be found here. As the name of the eatery suggests, The Prata Place specialises in serving delicious Prata and Indian Cuisines and is Halal certified!

The place was packed as usual. We sat outside as we did not want to be come out smelling of prata and curry. This will happen if you sit inside (enclosed air-conditioned area). 

Plain Kosong Prata $1 (each)

I ordered 2 Plain Kosong Pratas. This is something which I think they did fantastic in. Cooked upon ordered, the pratas arrived pipping hot and were simply delicious! The pratas were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The texture and flavour was wonderfully managed, it was a joy tearing the prata into smaller pieces and eating it without any sugar or curry.

Curry

Alternatively, the prata can be dipped into the curry gravy given. The curry gravy had a good balance of taste that is a good hallmark of a good curry gravy. Much better than those at other prata shops and not overly spicy or oily. My favourite! 

Egg Prata $1.70

The Egg Prata was huge! It was crispy but not as fluffy as the plain kosong prata. Nevertheless, it was delish and one of the better egg pratas around.

The Prata Place is still a good place to satisfy my prata cravings. I will certainly recommend this eatery as the calories gained here is absolutely worth it! Hope that the eatery continue to strive. Many more good years to come!

The Prata Place (Upper Thomson Road)

1 Thong Soon Ave

Springleaf Garden

Tel: 6459 5670

Opening Hours:Daily 7am to 12am

Website

Facebook

Location

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map