Jack's Place (Woodlands Civic Centre)

 NZ Ribeye Steak with Mushroom Brown Sauce 

Jack's Place is one of my favorite restaurant for a decent and affordable steak set lunch. I have been patronising Jack's Place for a long time, since the 1990s. 

Jack's Place was started by a Chinese man (i.e. Mr Say Lip Hai) from Hainan island. He joined the British Army as a cookboy and learnt how to cook steak and Yorkshire pudding. With the skills, he opened his first restaurant called Cola Restaurant in 1967 at Sembawang. This was the very outlet which I used to visit. Today, it has evolved to include several concept restaurants such as Eatzi Gourmet, Seafood Harvest, Brewbaker's, Hoshigaoka and Jack's Place under the JP Pepperdine Group.

Daily Set Lunch Menu

The reason why I always visit during lunch time instead of dinner time is because of their daily set lunch which is available day from 11am to 3pm. The Set Lunch is affordable as it comes along with Wholemeal Garlic Bread, Soup of the Day, Day's Dessert and Coffee / Tea.

They have revamped their menu and the N.Z. Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce (which used  to cost $16) has been removed from the Executive Set Lunch and placed under Main Course instead with a different sauce.

I visited on a Monday and ordered the N.Z. Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce (by replacing the Onion Demi Glazed with brown sauce at no extra cost). Price wise, it is now $19.90.

Wholemeal Garlic Bread, Lobster Bisque and Cream of Potato Soup

They now use Wholemeal Bread for their Garlic Bread to promote healthy living. As for the soup of the day, it was the Cream of Potato Soup. It was surprisingly delicious. 

We upgraded one of our soup to Lobster Bisque by adding $2.30. Ever since I tried the Lobster Bisque Soup, I could not resist the temptation to order it again. Great soup, rich in flavour and great balance in taste. In addition, there were several chunks of lobster meat in the soup. The Lobster Bisque Soup is one of Jack's Place house specialty.

Curly Truffle Fries Topped with Parmesan Cheese $8.80

The Curly Truffle Fries Topped with Parmesan Cheese $8.80 is a new dish that was introduced recently when they revamped the menu. The fries were essentially fried curly fries with truffle oil and topped with parmesan cheese. It was delicious and not overly oily. It was a tad too salty towards the end. 

 NZ Ribeye Steak with Mushroom Brown Sauce 

The NZ Ribeye Steak arrived on a sizzling hotplate along side with carrots, baby corn, french beans, onions and baked potato. The brown sauce on top complement the steak perfectly. I love the brown sauce! so much that we would always request for extra serving of the brown sauce (kudos to Jack's Place for not charging extra for such request). Anyone knows how I can make the brown sauce?

The baked potato deserves a mention too. It was well baked, not dry not powdery. Topped with Sour Cream Sauce, Chicken bits and Spring Onions, it was yummy!

Day's Dessert and Coffee & Tea

They should bring back the desserts which they served in the past such as the cakes or tarts. The current dessert that they serves are terrible.

In summary, other than the desserts, this is still my favourite restaurant for an affordable yet good steak. Definitely will be back for more!

Jack's Place (Woodlands Civic Centre)

#02-05/06 Woodlands Civic Centre

Tel: +65 6363 4803 

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm

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Sin Kee Seafood Soup (Woodlands)

Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) $5

Sin Kee Seafood Soup is a fish soup stall located at Teo Chap Bee Eating House (coffeeshop) in Woodlands. This stall is located at Blk 19 Marsiling Lane a distance away from Admiralty Park and Republic Polytechnic.

Arriving on a weekday afternoon for lunch at 1215pm, the coffeeshop was bustled with people. Although all tables were occupied, it was a breeze finding an empty table as the coffeeshop was large and the cleaners were so efficient. I noticed that most patron mainly ordered from just two stall; Sin Kee Seafood Soup and Hong Ji Claypot Pork Rib Soup (Bak Kut Teh).

Menu

The prices at Sin Kee Seafood Soup are clearly displayed in front of the stall. This stall specialises in seafood soup consisting of Dory Fish, Batang Fish or Pomfret Fish. There is also an option to add Crayfish. After placing my order, I was given a number plate for displaying at the table. I was told then that the wait would be half an hour long.

Their business was so good that we waited for nearly an hour before our food was served. We ordered the Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) $5 and Batang Fish with Crayfish $10.50 with 2 bowls of plain rice. Each bowl of plain rice cost $0.50.

Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) $5

The partner ordered the Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) $5 which was delicious! The stall owners were so generous with the ingredients! There were several thick chunks of dory fish, two prawns, chunks of minced meat and tomatoes. The dory fish was incredibly fresh, soft and sweet! The prawns did not disappoint too. Fresh, firm and sweet tasting. The chunk of minced meat, a mixture lean meat, fats and mushrooms was well marinated and was delicious. The amount of minced meat given was more than what I had ever gotten in a bak chor mee or homemade noodles dish.

The soup was tasty; slight salty with hint of sweetness and sourness (probably due to the tomato). At $5, this Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) is so value for money considering the freshness and amount of ingredients.

Batang Fish with Crayfish $10.50

I ordered the Batang Fish with Crayfish $10.50 which consisted of several thick slices of Batang Fish, three half crayfish, chunks of minced meat and tomatoes, The soup was nowhere as good the Seafood Soup (Dory Fish). This soup had a strong fishy - crayfish after taste which spoiled the taste of the soup. The crayfish was just average and did not taste as fresh as I hoped. On the other hand, the batang fish was fresh and sweet.

Overall, Sin Kee Seafood Soup serves pretty decent seafood soup. If you are keen to give this a try, I would suggest avoiding lunch time and ordering their crayfish. In fact, I would recommend the Seafood Soup (Dory Fish) which was value for money and delicious! 

Sin Kee Seafood Soup (Woodlands)

Teo Chap Bee Eating House

Blk 19 Marsiling Lane

Singapore 730019

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Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

Paradise Dynasty has opened a new outlet in Causeway Point after it under went an extensive renovation. The group now has so many outlets that I have lost count how many outlets it has. 

The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao

This restaurant chain serves the The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao. As we have tried it before, we gave this a skip. 

Neatly arrange on every table. Customers can fill in the dishes they want and also indicate the quantity before passing it to one of the staff.

Drunken Chicken $7.80

The Drunken Chicken $7.80 was served chilled with Chinese Wine (Hua Tiao Jiu). The meat was succulent and flavourful. However, it was a little too uncooked for my liking.  

La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80

The partner ordered a bowl of La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80 which was served in their signature pork bone soup. The La Mian was delicious and each strand was uniformly thin. It would have been perfect if the La Mian was cooked a little longer so that it could be softer. Overall, a very decent bowl of La Mian. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

I ordered the La Mian with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80. The Chicken Chop was served on a separate plate so that it would not be soaked in the pork bone soup. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

This bowl of La Mian was similar to the one my partner had. The only difference was that instead of pork slices, this came with fried chicken chop.

Deep Fried Chicken Chop

The Deep Fried Chicken Chop was very well marinated. The exterior had a thin layer of batter which was so tasty and crisp. As for the interior, it was tender and juicy. 

Surprisingly with Paradise Group's expansion, they have managed to ensure consistency.  

Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

1 Woodlands Square

#05-16/17/18 Causeway Point

Singapore 738099 

Tel: 6894 6322

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am - 10pm 

                         Sat, Sun and Public Holiday 1030am - 10pm

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Jack's Place - Administrative Professionals Week (Woodlands Civic Centre)

Another trip to Jack's Place at level 2 of Woodlands Civic Centre. As I have done a few posts on Jack's Place, I shall not do any introduction on this chain of restaurant. You can read more about Jack's Place in the previous posts.

Signature white and green checkered table cloth and menu. All branches in Jack's Place looks and feel alike.

Administrative Professionals Week - Set Lunch Menu

We decided to order the Executive Set Lunch - N.Z. Ribeye Steak with Brown Sauce ($17.90) and were ordered that. As we were informing the staff that we wanted to upgrade to Lobster Bisque Soup (+$2.30), we were informed that we should order from the Administrative Professionals Week - Set Lunch Menu which would be more value-for-money as it comes with a choice of Lobster Bisque Soup or Cream of Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Soup. In addition, tempura prawns were served with the steak.

The staff was right. We were so glad that she made that recommendation! We both ordered the Grilled N.Z Ribeye Steak & Tempura Prawns. The staff kindly accommodated to our request for it to be served in the hot plate instead of a normal ceramic plate. Nothing beats eating steaks out of a sizzling hot plate! I am impress with the service! Thumbs up! 

Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread was served together with the soup. One piece for each person.

Cream of Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Soup

As usual, being mushroom fantics we had to order the mushroom soup - Cream of Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Soup. A hearty bowl of soup was filled with lots of small chunks of shiitake mushrooms and mushroom flavour!

Lobster Bisque Soup

Ever since I tried the Lobster Bisque Soup last year, I could not resist the temptation to order it again. Great soup, rich in flavour and great balance in taste. In addition, several chunks of lobster meat were in the soup. So affordable! The Lobster Bisque Soup is one of Jack's Place house specialty.

Grilled N.Z Ribeye Steak & Tempura Prawns

For our main course, we both ordered the Grilled N.Z Ribeye Steak & Tempura Prawns. The staff kindly accommodated to our request to serve it in a sizzling hot plate instead of the norm which is to serve in a ceramic plate. As usual, Jack's Place never disappoint me. Their steaks were good. It may not be the best, but its way above average. Their baked potato and vegetables were good too. The tempura prawns on the other hand was forgettable.

Brown Sauce

We always request for extra brown sauce. We both polish off the sauce off by complementing the sauce with the steak. So yummy! If only, I know how they made the brown sauce. The extra brown sauce was enough to make me satisfy me. Funny, how simple/trivia things can make a big difference. 

Day's Dessert and Coffee & Tea

We ended off the meal with the Day's Dessert and Coffee & Tea.

Cherry Cake

The Day's Dessert was Cherry Cake. It was not bad; not dry. Dense and well-flavoured cake.

For $18.90++ this meal was so value for money. In addition, I like their service. Staff are well trained, attentive and prompt. It was great that they made recommendation which was relevant to our needs wants. Great Job Jack's Place! I will be back! Nom Nom Nom.. 

I wonder how their other affiliated company - Eatzi Gourmet fares. Eatzi Gourmet serves similar food, the difference is that it is certified halal.

Jack's Place - Administrative Professionals Week (Woodlands Civic Centre)

#02-05/06 Woodlands Civic Centre

Tel: 6363 4803

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 1030pm

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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
Website: 
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