Showing posts with label - Steak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label - Steak. Show all posts

Monday 18 February 2013

Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)

Bliss Restaurant used to be located at Punggol Park. One and a half years ago, they relocated to Chengsan Community Centre which is just a stone throw away from Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Less than 10 minutes walk away from the station, most of which was through a sheltered walk way.
Air-conditioned  - indoor (left), Alfresco area - outdoor  (right) 
Bliss Restaurant offers customers with both indoor - air conditioned and outdoor - alfresco dining areas with a seating capacity of 300! On the day of visit, I noticed that more than half of the customers were seated at the alfresco dining area. Maybe it was because it was a cold day as it was raining an hour earlier.

Customers will be spoil for choice as Bliss Restaurant offers an extensive choice of dishes ranging from Starters, Appetizers, Sides, Pasta, Meat, Ocean,  Dessert, Waffle, Sundae and Drinks (Coffee, Tea, Hot & Cold Beverages, Float, Cocktail, Beer, Liquor).  As I had a hard time deciding what to order, I decided to seek recommendations from the staff. Click here to view their menu.
Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90
The Ham & Cheese Stick has been a Bliss Specialty Since 2001. It consisted of breaded chicken ham rolled with cheddar cheese. It was topped with fried curry leaves.
Ham & Cheese Stick $6.90
I was quite impressed with the Ham & Cheese Stick. Cutting it into half and stuffing a piece of curry leaf into it heightened the aroma to a whole new different level. The only issue I have is that the cheese seems to 'solidify' pretty fast. Maybe we took too long taking photos of it.
Mussel In White Wine (1 Dozen) $13.90
The Mussel In White Wine, a dozen of half shell mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and parsley. The mussels were big, fat, juicy and fresh.
Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90
The Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck was strongly recommended by the staff. I decided to order that but decided to order another type of pasta, which was the Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle.
Aglio Olio Smoked Pepper Duck with Squid Ink Tagliatelle $12.90
Duck meat is normally tough. However, in this case, Bliss Restaurant's Smoked Pepper Duck was soft and tender (I wonder how they cooked it). As a whole, I thought that this dish was well-executed. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise the squid ink pasta did not taste have a very strong squid ink taste which could have overwhelmed the flavours from the Aglio Olio!
Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90
The Gratin RibEye Steak accompanied by baby potatoes and greens, was served with mushroom sauce  on sizzling a sotplate. Normally, it is served with cheddar cheese, however, we decided to switch it to mushroom sauce as the starter we had earlier already had cheddar cheese in it.
Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - Baby Potatoes
Gratin RibEye Steak $18.90 - greens
Was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the ingredients given. Lots of greens, baby potatoes, onions (at the bottom of the steak) and a big piece of steak!

The mushroom sauce was heavenly. It had the right blend of sweetness, fragrant and seems to be accompanied by a slight herbal taste. A perfect complement for the steak, potatoes and onions. I polished off this whole plate!  The only 'glitch' was that the carrots were a tad too hard; could have been cooked a little longer.
Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90
Traditional Italian Tiramisu $6.90
The Traditional Italian Tiramisu, another Bliss Specialty Since 2001 was decent. Soft, moist and creamy with the right balance in taste.
Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90
Sea Salt Caramel Banana $7.90
The Sea Salt Caramel Banana consisted of sliced banana tossed with salty caramel sauce topped over freshly made waffle. Unlike most waffles I have eaten so far, Bliss Restaurant's version was was thick and fluffy. The whole waffle was topped with slices of bananas and sea salt caramel sauce. How I wish I could add a scope of ice cream over it!
Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark (Alcoholic Sundae) $7.90
Leaving the best for the last, the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark; an alcoholic sundae was essentially dark chocolate ice cream swimming in kahlua bath accompanied with wholesome chunky rich brownies cubes and drizzled with chocolate fudge. I have never try / seen / hear of something like this before (mountain tortoise) and I am not a fan of alcoholic stuff. But yet the Deadly K Meet Mr. Dark stole the show! The more you dig into it, the more you will love it. Outstanding!

Overall, I was impressed with the dining experience at Bliss Restaurant. The food was good and the prices are reasonable too. Good news for those staying in the North., there's another place to visit! I am so glad that they have relocated to Ang Mo Kio!

Thanks Pamela for invite and hosting us. 

Bliss Restaurant (Ang Mo Kio)
6 Ang Mo Kio Street 53 
#01-01 Chengsan Community Centre 
Tel: 6280 3389
Opening Hours: Sun to Thur 3pm -12am
                         Fri to Sat 3pm - 2am                     

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Wednesday 16 January 2013

Jack's Place (Marina Square)

Back to Jack's Place again. Jack's Place a restaurant chain specialises in serving affordable western cuisine such as steaks. The restaurant first start back in 1966 and now has 15 outlets in Singapore and evolved to include restaurants with other concepts such as Eatzi Gourmet, Seafood Harvest, Brewbaker's Kitchen & Bar, Hoshigaoka and Jack's Place under the JP Pepperdine Group. It's newest concept restaurant is the Kkongdon Korea BBQ, that offers Korean BBQ cuisine. 
Exterior
The exterior of Jack's Place restaurant at Marina Square. All their outlets have the same similar exterior with the same corporate colours. 
Interior
Even the interior is consistent. Same type of furnishing decoration. Classy modern furnishing and ambience with its signature white and green table cloth. Nostalgic! 

Kudos to their marketing and branding team for keeping a consistent image at all 15 outlets. Makes me feel so comfortable despite being at a different outlet. 

Spotted something new among their decorations. Nice touch. Cute design of animal cut outs in their corporate colour.
Daily Set Lunch Menu
Before we stepped in, we already know what we would be ordering. Its the N.Z. Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce ($16) from the Executive Set Lunch which comes along with Soup of the Day, Garlic Bread, Day's Dessert and Coffee/Tea. 
Garlic Bread
Two slices of Garlic Bread, one for each of us. 
Soup of the Day
The Soup of the Day was carrot, potato, leek and chicken soup. It came piping hot. The soup was filled with the natural flavours of the ingredients. The chunks of potatoes, carrots and leeks were well cooked; soft yet retaining the flavours. The chicken chunks in it was surprisingly tender. Souperlicious Soup of the Day! 
Executive Set Lunch: NZ Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce $16
The steaks at Jack's Place are served sizzling on a hot plate. Hence, whenever we hear the sizzling sound coming out from the kitchen, we will turn and keep a look out (anticipating) for ours. 

As expected, the piping hot sizzling NZ Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce was served on the hot plate with seasonal vegetables and a baked potato. Do note, the hot plate is well... hot, touch the wooden parts instead if you need to shift the plate. 
Executive Set Lunch: NZ Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce $16
I requested for my steak to be cooked 'medium' so that it will be soft and somewhat firm. The brown sauce was 'darn' good and complemented the steak perfectly. 

The seasonal vegetables served consisted of slices of carrots, radish and french beans. The carrots and radish were soft but the french beans were a tad too hard. A healthy side dish as no oil was used. I believed they were blanched and cooked in hot water. 
Executive Set Lunch: NZ Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce $16
Baked Potato topped with Sour Cream sauce, Chicken Bacon bits and Spring Onions. I like how Jack's Place executed this as the potato was moist and soft on the inside. Moreover, the chicken bits were fragrant. If I did not know, I would have thought that this was pork bacon bits. 
Day's Dessert with Tea
Concluded the meal with Day's Dessert and tea.

Overall, a fulfilling and satisfying meal. Still my favourite place for an affordable and decent steak. In terms of service, the waiter and waitress were prompt. In addition, one of the staff came over and asked if the steak was cooked to our expectations. I did feedback to her that the steak was to our liking and that the french beans were a tad too hard. A little softer would have been ideal. Furthermore, feedback to her that it was a great meal thus far. I noticed that she also did the like wise for other customers. It was a nice gesture and I was impressed with her service.

ps: I always ask for extra brown sauce. It comes with no extra charge! Yummy! 

Jack's Place (Marina Square)
6 Raffles Boulevard 
#02-138H Marina Square
Tel: 6338 8292 / 6338 6081
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm

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Saturday 12 May 2012

Shin Yuu Japanese Restaurant (Greenwood Ave) 2nd Post

Another visit to Shin Yuu Japanese Restaurant on a weekend lunch! This visit is my 3rd visit in two years! Shin Yuu is a restaurant that specialises A La Carte Japanese Buffet.

Buffet prices (top), Interior (bottom)
Buffet prices:
Daily Lunch 12pm to 3pm (Adult - $36.90++, Child - $21.90++)
Daily Dinner 6pm to 1030pm (Adult - $49.90++, Child - $29.90++)
Interior
Ok, let's start on the food now shall we?
Hot Green Tea
(left to right) Complimentary Smoked Duck, Seared Tuna Belly Sushi, Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi (Salmon)
The Seared Tuna Belly Sushi and Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi (Salmon) were fantastic - a must try. The Seared Tuna Belly Sushi was a complimentary item that cannot be ordered a second time. The Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi (Salmon) was a seared salmon sushi with a smear of mentaiko sauce that brought this item to a whole new level. It was perfect with a melt in the mouth sensation. Luckily the Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi can be ordered multiple times!
Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi (Salmon)
Another round of Shin Yuu Special Aburi Sushi (Salmon).
Complimentary Fried Sliver Fish
Shin Yuu Special Chawanmushi
Shin Yuu Special Chawanmushi - steamed egg with salmon roe. Definitely one of the better Chawanmushi around topped with mushroom and generous amount of salmon roe! In addition, it was not salty. Had 2 servings of this.
Sashimi Moriawase (Mixed Platter)
Sashimi Moriawase consist of an assortment of Maguro(Tuna), Hiramasa (Kingfish), Shake (Salmon), Mekajiki (Swordfish) and Tako(Octopus). I must say that the Sashimi was very fresh. Sashimi fans will love this! 
Shin Yuu Special Makimono (Unagi Rolls with Avocado)
Shin Yuu Special Makimono is another must try it is Unagi Rolls with Avocado. Very good combination. Soft and delicate pieces that will break apart if not handled with care. We ordered this despite the fact that there is just the two of us. Testimonial to how much we love this dish!
Wafu Steak
Cubes of soft, tender and juicy Wafu Steak! Another must try. 
Spare Ribs Teriyaki 
What happened to the Spare Ribs Teriyaki which I had during my previous visit? This time it was dry, salty with little meat. Give this a skip.
Kani Karage (Soft Shell Crab)
Tebasaki
Tebasaki; Grilled Chicken Wings, marinated with honey! Soft, tender, juicy and well-marinated. If you like chicken wings, order this.
Shishamo
Shishamo, also known as pregnant fish was grilled. It is fresh, no fishy taste and filled with roe! This is my favourite and I had over a dozen of this!
Green Salad in Special Dressing
When we were around 70% full, we ordered the Green Salad in Special Dressing. Great dish that acted as an appetiser so that we can have more food. In addition, it was delightfully tasty. Who said that greens can't be delicious. We had 2 servings of this! Yummy!
Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles)
Tempura 
This is actually from the Yasai Tempura (Vegetable Fritters). However, we request for only sweet potato (purple potato)! Had 2 servings of this too!
Kuruma Ebi Teriyaki
Kuruma Ebi Teriyaki; Tiger Prawn with Sweet Soy Sauce. Well, you can give this a miss.

Overall, Shin Yuu is still one of my favourite place for buffet as the quality of the food is quite good (Normally in buffets, quality is compromised). Great food, great service (plates are frequently changed, green tea is frequently refilled, orders are taken and served efficiently). My favourites are Seared Tuna Belly Sushi,Shin Yuu Special Aburi SushiShin Yuu Special ChawanmushiShin Yuu Special Makimono, Wafu SteakTebasaki, Shishamo, Green Salad and Tempura (sweet potato)!


Shin Yuu Japanese Restaurant (Greenwood Ave)
16 Greenwood Avenue
Hillcrest Park
Tel: 6763 4939
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch 12pm to 3pm (Adult - $36.90++, Child - $21.90++)
                         Daily Dinner 6pm to 1030pm (Adult - $49.90++, Child - $29.90++)
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Sunday 8 April 2012

Jack's Place (Woodlands Civic Centre) - New Zealand Feast Promotion

Jack's Place specialises in serving western cuisine has been around in Singapore for a long long time; 1966 to be exact! Today, there are 14 outlets island wide. Over the years, Jack's Place has evolved to include several concept restaurants such as Eatzi Gourmet, Seafood Harvest, Brewbaker's Kitchen & Bar, Hoshigaoka and Jack's Place under the JP Pepperdine Group.

I still remember several years ago, Jack's Place Woodlands Branch used to be situated in Causeway Point. Ever since Causeway Point started its renovation, Jack's Place has shifted to Woodlands Civic Centre just across the road. If Woodlands Civic Centre rings a bell, well.. that is where the Woodlands Regional Library is. 
Interior
If you are a regular, you will notice that the interior of all Jack's Place restaurants are similar. Signature white and green checkered tablecloth.  
New Zealand Feast Promotion (a) [Source: Jack's Place]
New Zealand Feast Promotion (b) [Source: Jack's Place]

The New Zealand Feast Promotion is back again for the month of April 2012 at Jack's Place, Eatzi Gourmet and Brewbaker's Kitchen & Bar. The New Zealand main courses includes Chunky Beef Shepherds Pie (Stewed Beef Chunkys with Peppercorn & Mushroom and topped with mashed potato and Assorted Green Salad), N.Z. Silver Fern Farms Lamb Shank (Slowly braised with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce, served with mashed potato), N.Z. Silver Fern Farms Beef Carpetbag Steak (N.Z. Beef Tenderloin stuffed with N.Z. Oyster) and N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Fillet Mignon with Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce (Served with Baked Potato & Seasonal Vegetable). 

Customers can choose to top up: 
a) Set Meal:  $4.80 to the main course price to include Soup of the Day, Day's Dessert & Coffee / Tea
b) Big Saver Meal: $8.80 to the main course price to include a la carte Soup, choice from 3 daily Pastry / Dessert & Coffee / Tea
Useful Guide on Beef Cuts
We ordered 2 main course (1 Set Meal, 1 Big Saver Meal) along with an Appetiser.
Garlic Bread
Wish that the garlic and butter flavour was more intense.
Leek & Potato Soup (Set Meal - Soup Of the Day)
The Soup of the Day was Leek & Potato Soup. Tasty and flavourful with chunks of potato and leek in it. Very satisfying bowl of soup.
Lobster Bisque (Big Saver Meal - a la carte Soup)
Lobster Bisque Soup, was creamy, smooth and rich in flavour. There are pieces of lobster meat in it. It was delicious! No wonder it is their house speciality
Kiwi Fruits & Prawns Topped with Feta Cheese (Appetiser)
The Kiwi Fruits & Prawns Topped with Feta Cheese was unique. So many different flavours to excite the taste buds. The Kiwi and Tomatoes were sweet and not sour. The cubes of Feta Cheese that helped enhanced the taste was rich and creamy. Underneath, there were lots of lettuce. 
N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Beef Carpet Bag Steak $27
N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Beef Carpet Bag Steak $27 (Close-up)
N.Z. Silver Fern Farms Beef Carpetbag Steak (N.Z. Beef Tenderloin stuffed with N.Z. Oyster served with Baked Potato & Seasonal Vegetable) served in a sizzling hot plate. The Beef Tenderloin is the tenderest part of the beef as this part of the muscle does very little work. I ordered medium-well done for this piece of steak. It was topped with Asian Butter as seen in the close-up photo. Let it melt into the beef and savour it. It was very tender with no fats. In the middle, it was stuffed with oyster and mushrooms! 

The Baked Potato did not disappoint. It was not dry or powdery, topped with sour cream, chicken bacon bits and spring onions. Yes, I did not type wrongly, it is chicken bacon bits not pork! The seasonal vegetable consist of carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn and onion. Healthy greens with no oil!
N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Fillet Mignon with Creamy Green peppercorn Sauce $26 
N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Fillet Mignon with Creamy Green peppercorn Sauce $26  (Close-up) 
N.Z Sliver Fern Farms Fillet Mignon with Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce (Served with Baked Potato & Seasonal Vegetable) was served in a sizzling hot plate too. The Fillet Mignon situated at the smaller end of the tenderloin is considered an expensive tender cut of the beef. My partner ordered well-done for her steak. Despite this, the Fillet Mignon was extremely tender and soft with no fats in it; literally  melt-in-the-mouth. If you are observant, you may notice that there is something wrapped around the Fillet Mignon. Well, it is Chicken Bacon! Taste like bacon! This is the first time I heard of chicken bacon. Any one heard of this before or knows how it is made?

The green peppercorn sauce was savoury and aromatic. It was so nice that she had to ask for extra sauce! According to her, the best way to eat this is to cut the Fillet Mignon, add the green peppercorn sauce with a green peppercorn on top and enjoy! I tried this and it totally blew me away. Superb!
Tea (for Set Meal or Big Saver Meal - Coffee / Tea)
 Strawberry Cake (Set Meal - Day's Dessert)
The Day's Dessert was the Strawberry Cake. Too much cream and too little cake. 
Oreo Cheesecake (Big Saver Meal - Pastry or Dessert)
Looks mouth-watering?

You will be spoilt for choice when deciding on the Pastry or Dessert. After pondering for a while the partner decided to order the Oreo Cheesecake. She made the right choice! It was awesome! The cheese was very forgiving. Generous amount of Oreo cookies crumbles on the top and in the cheese. Moreover, below there was a layer of crispy Oreo crust base. What a way to end off the meal! If you know me, I am not a fan of cheesecake. Even I myself was surprised that I  find Oreo Cheesecake great! Credit to the partner for ordering this.

I am glad / lucky that we had the opportunity to try the New Zealand Feast. It was an amazing meal and interesting learning experience for us. The service provided by the team was wonderful. Drinks were refilled promptly and utensils were also cleared efficiently (not only for my table, but the surrounding tables too).

Try the New Zealand Feast before it ends! You will never know what you are missing till you try it. In addition, customers will be entitled to take part in the New Zealand Grand Lucky Draw with any purchase of the New Zealand Feast Main Course. Prizes include Complimentary Roasted Beef on Wagon (worth $480) or Tickets to Universal Studios Singapore!

Thank you Evelyn (JP Pepperdine) and Felicia (Jack's Place Woodlands) for invite and having us.

Jack's Place (Woodlands Civic Centre)
#02-05/06 Woodlands Civic Centre
Tel: 6363 4803
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm
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