Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 (China, Guangzhou)

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 is known as the 'Number One Restaurant in Guangzhou'. The restaurant has a long history dating back to the  1935.  Guangzhou Restaurant started out with a restaurant located at the corner of Wen Chang Nan Road and the famous Shangxiajiu Street; which is its main restaurant today. It has expanded over the years and has several branches around Guangzhou, China and even Hong Kong.

Guangzhou Restaurant occupies the whole building; three levels along with an elevator.  The first level offers a selection of Chinese and Western food while the second and third levels offers Cantonese food. It seems to provide a courtyard dining experience as there was a pond and a tree right in the middle of the building. (Reminds me of Yung Kee Restaurant in Hong Kong) It is said that the restaurant can serve as many as 10,000 people a day.

Opening Hours

Operating hours for the Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. They are opened as early as 7am!

They have even prepared Wasabi in the background. I did not see the need for it during this meal. Is it normal for Wasabi to be eaten with Cantonese food? (not that I know of)

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 RMB 12 (S$2.40) Per Pax

Ordered Chinese Tea - Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 to complete the meal. How can we not order Chinese Tea in the China! It is chargeable at RMB 12 (S$2.40) per person. Sit back, and watch how the waitress prepare the tea for you. More will be prepared when you have finished the tea. 

Honey-Stewed BBQ Pork RMB43 (S$8.60)

The Honey-Stewed BBQ Pork is actually Char Siew. It was delicious and has a melt in the mouth sensation. Each piece was not overly fat. Well-seasoned and best eaten with plain rice.

Roasted Goose RMB43 (S$8.60)

Roasted Goose RMB43 (S$8.60)

The Roasted Goose was amazing. The layer of skin was crispy and fragrant with little fats. Will be a waste of the chef effort not to try / eat it (skin). Inside, the meat was tender and soft. Underneath the meat, there were peanuts underneath. Again, this reminds me of the Roasted Goose in Yung Kee Restaurant!

Ice Dalian-abalone Piece RMB68 (S$13.60) Per Piece

Ice Dalian Abalone (Baoyu), per piece at RMB68 (S$13.60). My concern before ordering was that, this is so cheap, how can it be. It must be of lousy quality and hard. But my other half of the mind was telling me, its so cheap, what is there to lose. Can't resist trying this considering the price I have to pay for something like this back home (Singapore).

Ice Dalian-abalone Piece RMB68 (S$13.60) Per Piece (Close-up)

The Ice Dalian Abalone was presented very nicely. It was cold (needless to say as the name suggest), lightly seasoned and tender-soft. Moreover, it was fresh with no fishy taste. It was easy to savour as it has been cut nicely into six pieces. Certainly worth a try!

Overall, I quite like my experience at the Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家! The food was great and value for money! Hard to find food of this quality at this value in Singapore especially for the BBQ Pork (Char Siew), Roasted Goose and Ice Dalian Abalone!

ps: After leaving the Guangzhou Restaurant, we went to Nanxin Shuang Pi Nai 南信双皮奶. Over there, shared a table with 2 locals. They overheard us talking about our dinner at Guangzhou Restaurant. And they told us that the food there was expensive and lousy! 

Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 (China, Guangzhou)

2号 Wenchang South Road, Liwan

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510140
Tel: +86 20 8138 0388, +86 20 8138 9840, +86 20 8138 0803  

Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 10pm

Website

Location

Directions: Take MTR to either Huangsha or Changshou Lu station (Line 1). Both stations are around 15 minutes walking distance away from  Wenchang South Road. If you are not familiar with Guangzhou, take to Changshou Lu instead, it is easier (and brighter) to walk over.

Location

A - Guangzhou Restaurant 广州酒家 

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McDonald's Singapore: $3 McSpicy, $2 20 PC McBites (till 4 July 2012)

Source: McDonald's Singapore

McDonald's Singapore: $3 McSpicy, $2 20 PC McBites (till 4 July 2012)


- Valid till 4 July 2012 after breakfast hours
- Print or flash coupon to redeem
- One redemption per transaction
- Not valid at institutional stores and iFly Singapore
- Not valid via McDelivery 
- While stocks last

Other offer: McDonald's Singapore: $3 Big Breakfast (till 4 July 2012)

McDonald's Singapore: $3 Big Breakfast (till 4 July 2012)

Source: McDonald's Singapore

McDonald's Singapore: $3 Big Breakfast (till 4 July 2012)


- Valid till 4 July 2012 during breakfast hours
- Print or flash coupon to redeem
- One redemption per transaction
- Not valid at institutional stores and iFly Singapore
- Not valid via McDelivery 
- While stocks last

Other offer: McDonald's Singapore: $3 McSpicy, $2 20 PC McBites (till 4 July 2012)

Number 8 Red Grouper Soup 8号红石斑鱼汤

Number 8 Red Grouper Soup 8号红石斑鱼汤 specialises in serving fish soup. The stall first started operating in Woodlands before shifting over to Jalan Besar one month ago.

Menu

There are many fish soup stalls all over Singapore. But this stall is one of the few that I have encountered that servers such a wide variety of fish ranging from Red Grouper, Pomfret, Ang Gor Li, Batang Fish and Dory Fish. In addition, they also offers Fish Head and Fried Fish for some of the fish soups. If you think that is all, well you are wrong. They even have Seafood Soup and Prawn & La La Soup! 

With so many choices, I had a hard time deciding what to order. In the end, I ordered the Bittergourd Red Grouper Bee Hoon.

Bitter Gourd Red Grouper Bee Hoon $8

Bitter Gourd Red Grouper Bee Hoon $8

The Bittergourd Red Grouper Bee Hoon came in a bowl filled with with generous amount of ingredients. There were lots of beehoon, slices of bittergourd, vegetable, red grouper meat topped with fried shallots and a few pieces (3 to be exact) of dried crispy fish. 

I can't recall when I was given any dried crispy fish in a bowl of fish soup. The only one I can recall was the Bak Chor Mee at Hill Street Tai Hwa. The dried crispy fish added an extra oomph into the taste of the soup. The  bittergourds were sliced thinly and cooked well till it was soft. (I like it when my fish soup contains bittegourds. But sadly not every fish soup stalls have this)

Red Grouper fish meat

Several pieces of Red Grouper fish meat were given. What I like was that each piece was not sliced very thinly (as what some stalls does). In addition, the fish was very fresh! As for the soup, it was fantastic. So tasty and flavourful that I drank all of it. I seldom drink all the soup when eating fish soup as they frequently contained MSG and sodium (salt) in it. In this case, initially I had some worries that the soup might contain MSG. The good news is that even after a few hours after having drank the soup, I did not feel thirsty. I doubt that there is any MSG in it. 

Despite the price being $8 (on the higher end of the spectrum), I must say that this is worth every single cent.   A very delicious bowl of fish soup with fresh fish, dried crispy fish and the soup was really very well done! Give this a try when you are in the area and you will know what I mean.

Location

It is not easy to find this place. The above picture shows where Number 8 Red Grouper Soup 8号红石斑鱼汤 is located at. Located in between Farrerr Park and Lavendar MRT Station, it is just across the road from Jalan Besar Stadium. 

Number 8 Red Grouper Soup 8号红石斑鱼汤 
290 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208953
Tel: 9645 2219, 9736 5357
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 3am
                           Closed on Sun
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Location

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Mata Thai (Bishan)

Mata Thai is a Thai restaurant located at Bishan Street 11; a stone throw away from Bishan MRT station and CPF building (Bishan). 

Signature Curry Fish Head Promotion

They are having a promotion for their Curry Fish Head. It cost only $10 instead of $18! Nearly all the tables ordered Curry Fish Head.

Pandan Leaf Chicken $8

The Pandan Leaf Chicken was disappointing. There was no pandan flavour and it was oily.

Signature Curry Fish Head $10

The Signature Curry Fish Head cost only $10, Thai style. The curry was very nice and robust, best eaten with Rice! There were too little curry given! The fish head was very fresh! Despite the fact that only half the head was given and the curry was very little, it was amazingly value for money. 

Thai Style Fried Kangkong $5

The Thai Style Fried Kangkong was a simple but delicious dish! The vegetable was well fried and still had a crunchy bite to it. In terms of flavour, it was light yet tasty. Moreover, there were slices of tiny chillies which provided it with a spicy kick. 

Fried Garlic Squid $10

The Fried Garlic Squid was average.

Tom Yum Prawns $6

Tom Yum Prawns $6

Interesting way to serve the Tom Yum Prawns! Allows the Tom Yum soup to be kept warm constantly.

Tom Yum Prawns

The Tom Yum soup was cloudy and orangey. Although there was no chilli oil, do not be deceived by its appearance. It was quite spicy and sour with lemon-grass fragrant. It was served with prawns and Japanese mushrooms. The Tom Yum soup was delish however, the prawns were not fresh.

Fresh Young Thai Coconut $3

Fresh Young Thai Coconut ideal for cooling down on a warm day.

Carlsberg $6

Carlsberg $6

Carlsberg to cool my friend down from the warm humid day.

Overall, I would say Mata Thai is very value for money. Moreover, the food quality was good too! The Curry Fish Head is a must try! At such a price, where else can you find such quality curry fish head! In terms of service, it was very good. In fact overly-friendly.

Mata Thai (Bishan)
Blk 508 Bishan Street 11, #01-390
Tel: 9276 2629
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm
Location

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Starbucks Singapore: Buy 1 Get 1 Free Promotional Frappuccino Blended Beverage (25 to 29 June 2012)

Starbucks Singapore

Starbucks Singapore: Buy 1 Get 1 Free Venti-Sized Promotional Frappuccino Blended Beverage (25 to 29 June 2012)

- Valid in Starbucks Singapore stores from 25 to 29 June 2012, 3pm to 5pm
- Limited to 2 orders per customers
- While stocks last

Manhattan Fish Market: Buy 1 Get 1 Feeesh 'N Cheese (till 30 June 2012)

Source: Manhattan Fish Market

Manhattan Fish Market: Buy 1 Get 1 Feeesh 'N Cheese (till 30 June 2012)

- Valid from 24 to 30 June 2012 from 12pm to 5pm
- 1 free Feeesh 'N Cheese with every purchase of Feeesh 'N Cheese (worth $13.90++)
- Flash or print coupon to redeem
- For dine-in only
- While stocks last
- Not valid with other discounts, privileges and vouchers
- Manhattan Fish Market reserves the all rights to change the terms and conditions without prior notice

Goodwood Park Hotel Durian Fiesta 2012 - Dessert Buffet

The Goodwood Park Hotel Durian Fiesta is back again. The dessert buffet is available from 26 May to 31 July 2012 at the Coffee Lounge during lunch and dinner time. Over the past few years, during this period, I would buy their Durian Puffs from their booths in shopping centres. 

This time round, I decided to try out the dessert buffet. There were a variety of durian and non-durian items available.

Durian Cappuccino Cake, Durian Mousse Cake, Durian Puff

Durian Cappuccino Cake, Mini Chocolate or Vanilla Waffle Cones filled with Durian Mousse

Durian Pancake, Durian Mousse Cake, Durian Pengat with Glutinous Rice and Gula Melaka

Here comes the non-durian part.

Raspberry Mascarpone Cake, Caramel Vanilla Cream Puff

Chocolate Tart with Mixed Fruits

Bread & Butter Pudding

Kueh Lapis, Nonya Kueh

Fruits, Movenpick Ice Cream

Clockwise from top left: Durian Pengat with Glutinous Rice with Gula Melaka,  Durian Mousse Cake, Durian Cappuccino Cake, Durian Puff

The new item; Durian Pengat with Glutinous Rice was disappointing as the rice was dry and hard. The Durian Mousse Cake which has been their signature item since 1983 did not disappoint. Soft, fluffy cake with lots of durian mousse on it. It was just right, rich yet not overly sweet nor heavy. The Durian Cappuccino Cake introduced last year (2011), was equally good. Coffee lovers will like this. The Durian Puff continue to be one of my favourites, had several helping of it. 

Clockwise from top left: Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce,  Mini Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cones filled with Durian Mousse, Chocolate Tart with Mixed Fruits, Durian Pancake

I am not a big fan of Bread & Butter Pudding, but Goodwood Park's version was good! Give the Mini Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cone filled with Durian Mousse a skip. The cones were not crispy having been left out there for too long. Besides, the durian mousse is similar to those on other items. The Chocolate Tart with Mixed Fruits was hard and dry. The Durian Pancake was freshly made on the spot. 

Pulut Hitam

Barley with Ginko Nut & Quail Egg

There were also 2 traditional hot desserts available; the Pulut Hitam and Barley with Ginko Nut & Quail Egg. The Pulut Hitam was normal. Whereas the Barley with Ginko Nut & Quail Egg was unique as it came with Quail Egg!

Mango with Pomelo and Sago

Besides fruits and ice cream, there was Mango with Pomelo and Sago too. 

I did not enjoy the buffet as much as what I would have expected. The main reason was because after trying out several items I felt sick of the food as the filling were the same (durian mousse). It was a case of durian overdose. To think that I had only one helping of the items except for the durian puffs which I took 3. I will just stick back to the buying of the durian puffs when they setup shop in shopping centres.

As you can see read from this post, I am not such a big fan of durian. If you are a durian lover, you will love this dessert buffet!

The prices for the Durian Fiesta are:
- $32.80++ (Dessert Buffet)

- $26.80++ (Top-up with any a la carte main course order)

- $48.80++ (Taiwan Porridge a la carte buffet with dessert buffet)

Note, this is only available during lunch and dinner timings daily.

Goodwood Park Hotel Durian Fiesta 2012 - Dessert Buffet

22 Scotts Road

Coffee Lounge, Goodwood Park Hotel

Tel: 6730 1786

Opening Hours: Breakfast: 6am to 1030am

                         Lunch: 12pm to 230pm

                         Tea: 3pm to 530pm

                         Dinner: 6pm to 1030pm

Website

Location

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