Caphe East

Vietnamese food has never been one of the top choices when JAF is searching for food. Well, probably because the food has a distinctive “fishy” taste. BUT…this time round, friends have convinced JAF that it’s a MUST try for this newly set up café located at the east! Hmmm…let’s take a look…

在寻找美食的过程中, 越南菜很少会是找食趣的首选。不过这次, 朋友很努力地说服了找食趣一定要到东边这家新开张的越南食馆瞧瞧。

Goi Cuon (Summer Rolls) – 2pc: $5.00 and 4pc: $8.00

These rolls are freshly made and filled with prawns, sliced pork, lettuce, cucumber, vermicelli and served with a special peanut sauce.

新鲜制作的越南米卷(夏卷)。
有虾、猪肉片、生菜、黄瓜、米粉和特制花生酱。

Verdict: NICE! The rice sheet is extremely thin and delicate and the ingredients used are all fresh! Love the sweetness of the peanut sauce and the texture is just nice, not too thick or watery.

透明的米皮很薄, 所用的材料都很新鲜。
非常喜欢花生酱的甜味, 质感顺滑, 不浓不稀刚刚好。
2个: $5.00 / 4个: $8.00

Cha Gio (Spring Rolls) – 3pc: $6.00 and 9pc: $9.00

Traditional Vietnamese dish which is stuffed with Chinese mushrooms, minced pork, crab meat, prawns and vermicelli. Fried to perfection and served with homemade fish sauce.

越南春卷是一道传统越南菜肴, 里头有东菇、猪肉碎、蟹肉、虾和米粉。
炸得适中, 吃时要配上自制的越南沾酱鱼露。
3个: $6.00 / 9个: $9.00

Verdict: A “never-go-wrong” to order dish when you eat at a Vietnamese restaurant. Very crispy, but it would be even better if it’s less oily. The homemade fish sauce is good, it doesn’t have the fishy taste at all!

来到越南餐馆吃越南春卷准没错。
春卷炸得很酥脆, 不过有点太油腻了, 不然味道会更佳。
自制的鱼露酱不会太浓烈, 适合找食趣的口味。

Pho Tai – $9.00

Raw beef with flat rice noodles served with homemade broth and garnished with mint, coriander, onions and scallions.

越南牛肉河粉, 汤是自家制的。
上面撒了薄荷、芫荽、洋葱和青葱。

Verdict: JAF LOVE the broth! The broth is light yet very tasty and flavourful! Every sip leaves a hint of sweetness in your mouth and you never seem to get enough of the soup! *Heavenly….*
Unlike other restaurants which use beef slices, Caphe East has its very own style – the beef meat is pounded instead of sliced, hence it looks like minced beef. Flat silky noodles soaked in the broth… WOoOo… just so AWESOME! 🙂

牛肉河粉汤 ($9.00) 味道清爽甘甜, 让找食趣喝上了瘾。
这里处理牛肉的方式和其他地方的有所不同, 牛肉不是切片, 而是剁碎过。
顺滑的面条浸在汤汁里, 尤其美味。

Café Sua Nong – $4.50

Traditional Vietnamese Coffee with condensed milk. * Vietnamese coffee filter brews one single cup of coffee. Looks complicated but it’s actually not…It comes in three parts, the main central brewing pot, a lid (which also doubles as a coaster), and a mini plunger.*

加入炼奶的传统越南咖啡 ($4.50) 用的是一种特殊的滴滤咖啡杯, 里面放了咖啡粉, 再用热水冲泡。下面用玻璃杯接着，让咖啡滴滴答答的滴到杯子内。

Verdict: “STRONG” is the only word I can describe! It’s like Singaporean style coffee – “Kopi-Gao”. Loads of condensed milk are added so you can just stir according to how sweet you like your coffee to be! 🙂

味道非常浓烈, 就好像我们这里特浓的咖啡吧。
杯子底下加了一层炼奶, 随你喜欢咖啡要多甜, 把咖啡和炼奶混合起来喝。

Address:
922, East Coast Road
Singapore 459114
Tel: 62450153

http://caphe.com.sg/

Ming Chung Restaurant

Henghua is a minority chinese dialect of the immigrants from Putien in Fujian province. The language is pretty close to Foochow and Hokkien. There is only a handful of authentic Henghua restaurants in Singapore and their commonly used ingredients are seaweed, oysters, clams and other seafood. This is because Putien is located near the coast. *Ah….now we know!*

莆田市，别称“兴化”，位于福建省东部沿海。而莆田话即兴化方言，兴化方言属汉语方言系闽海方言群，为福建省十个汉语方言之一。
在新加坡, 以正宗原味的兴化菜肴为主的餐馆不多。由于莆东沿海的关系, 因此兴化菜肴里最常见的材料就有海带/海藻、蚝、蛤和其他海鲜等。

Ming Chung Restaurant is established in 1933 and is one of Singapore’s oldest Henghua restaurants. The restaurant was named “Ming Chung”, meaning “People” in Chinese, to reflect the affordable home-style Henghua food for the diverse clientele including rickshaw riders and labourers.

民众菜馆创于1933年, 是新加坡历史悠久的兴化餐馆之一。餐馆取名为民众, 正是希望能为当时的老百姓, 包括三轮车车夫和劳工等等, 提供价格大众化的兴化家常菜。

You have to arrive as early as 5pm to “chop” for a table especially if you are heading here for dinner on a weekend!

如果是周末要到这里用餐, 最好是在5点左右就来等位子。

The Heng Hua Lor Mee is a MUST order when you come here!
Expecting the typical “dark” version Lor Mee? The Lor Mee here is white in gravy instead but the spoon base is similar to the “dark” version, in starchy broth. It has loads of ingredients like seafood, sliced pork, clams, tau pok and vegetables.

兴化卤面一定要尝。
和常见的酱油色卤面不同, 莆田卤面用白色高汤慢慢炖出来的，让高汤和配料的味道渗透到面条里，因此汤特别粘稠。
里头有不少的料, 有海鲜、猪肉、蛤、豆卜、菜等等。

Another signature dish is this stir fried LaLa (clams), very fresh with natural sweetness! And we LOVE the flavourful sauce too!

另一道招牌菜就是清炒花蛤(拉拉)，味道鲜美，有海鲜自然的鲜甜。

WOooo….We love this prawn fritters!! Love the batter which is light and not oily and it’s SUPER CRISPY!!!

炸虾球所使用的面糊炸出来的不油腻，特别爽脆。

The batang fish served here is very fresh! This is a very simple dish yet they cook it so well. The fish is evenly fried and when you dip it with the light soy sauce + cut chilli… YUMS!

马鲛鱼很新鲜。其实是很简单的一道菜, 不过煎得恰当好处, 一点也不马虎。沾点辣椒酱青吃下去, 哇, 好吃!

Last but not least, the fried rice! The rice is fried just right with the “Wok Hei” fragrance! They are very generous with their ingredients – Eggs + Prawns + CharSiew + Chinese Sausages.

最后不能不介绍这个炒饭, 它可是镬气十足, 香喷喷的。料也很丰富哦, 有鸡蛋、虾肉、叉烧和蜡肠。

Address:
67 Maude Road
Singapore 208348
Tel: 6296 3428
Opening hours:
3:00pm to 11:30pm
Closed on Mondays
www.mingchung.com.sg

TCS ~ The Coastal Settlement

Whether it’s vintage clothing, or retro home deco and restaurants, they seem to have made a huge comeback recently.

最近似乎很流行怀旧风，不管是衣服、家居还是餐馆都充满复古元素。

This is a newly opened restaurant located in the ulu Changi area. The building used to be a British Army camp.

找食趣要介绍的是一家刚刚开业不到一年的餐馆。这栋建筑物原本是废弃了的英军营地。听说业主花了大半年的时间修复，并改装成餐馆。

If you are driving, you can either park at the private carpark outside the restaurant or the public carpark at Turnhouse Road. Both are free parking.

驾车的朋友可以将车停在餐馆外的停车场或是距离不远的 Turnhouse Road 停车场。

Lots of greenery. Indeed a great way to enjoy food, nature and fresh air at the same time.

在绿意盎然的庭院里一边用餐，一边呼吸大自然的空气。

Old bicycle at the entrance.

门口处摆放了一部旧脚踏车。

Bar counter, with a mixture of modern and antique feel.

一进门，就会看到这个结合了复古与现代感的吧台。

Kampong corner.
非常富有殖民地时代的甘榜情调。

The restaurant is very large and spacious, maximum capacity can be up to 200 people.

餐馆面积很大，单单室内就可以容纳多达200人。

The furniture here is reminiscent of the British Colonial period.

英殖民时代的家具用品，充满了浓浓的怀旧风情。

Relive the old days with these nostalgic items: old record player, old records,

老唱机、老唱片、还有柜子上的洋瓷杯…餐馆的环境就像是要带着食客穿越时空回到70年代。

Old typewriter and telephones.

旧式打字机和电话，现在都不容易找到了。

Wooden window shutters on the ceiling.

木窗口倒挂在天花板上，很新奇吧。

Wooden chairs lining up near the ceiling and sofa skeleton frame hanging from the ceiling.

还有木椅子和沙发框架都为餐馆的天花板增色不少。

Appetizer: Wagyu Cubes – $22
Lightly seared wagyu cubes, with mushroom salsa, mesclun salad and japanese dressing.
The wagyu cubes are not too hard and taste good.

前菜: 香煎和牛粒 – $22
牛肉不会太硬，味道很不错。

The Coast Salad – $16
Fresh prawns, pork slices, mixed greens, red chillis, local herbs, chopped peanuts, with homemade Vietnamese dressing.
Tossing the salad inside the glass jar was fun.
The Vietnamese dressing adds a refreshing touch to the greens.

南洋风味鲜虾沙律 – $16
装在玻璃罐里，倒入酱汁，甩一甩，把沙律和酱汁搅拌后，就可以吃了。
蔬菜好爽口哦，配合餐馆特别调配的越南式酱汁(有鱼露、小葱头、小辣椒)，口感很清新，也富有南洋风味。

Mussel & Clam Soup – $18
Tomatos, fennels, white wine, lemon juice, lightly creamed seafood broth, and chargrilled toast.
JAF finds this a little bit salty, but other than that, the soup is flavourful and goes well with the crispy bread.

淡菜蚶肉汤 – $18
好浓郁的汤，有海鲜自然的鲜甜。虽然有一点点偏咸，但海鲜的精华都在汤里，配烤得又香又脆的面包，很够味。

Nasi Lemak – $16
Coconut rice, fried chicken, tiger prawns, sunny side up egg, fresh cucumber, ikan billis and sambal chilli.
The ikan billis here are big sized, and not forgetting the tiger prawns too! JAF likes the specially marinated chicken meat, a different taste from the normal chicken.

椰浆饭 – $16
一般的椰浆饭，只有鸡翅膀、小江鱼仔和荷包蛋。这里的江鱼仔就特别大，而且还有这么肥的老虎虾。
值得一提的是鸡翅膀，味道相当独特，看来是用了特别的材料来腌制。

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza – $22
16th month old aged Prosciutto, baby tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella cheddar, shaved parmesan cheese.

火腿比萨 – $22
轻薄纤细的饼皮烘烤得好酥脆。

Truffle Mushroom Fettuccine – $21
Sauteed wild mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, with creamy truffle sauce, white wine reduction, shaved parmesan and fresh chives.
A vegetarian meal, the mushrooms are simply fabulous.

松露菌菇宽面 – $21
这一份意大利宽面，没有肉类，只用来自韩国的各种菌菇，淋上的松露油有如画龙点睛，让人一口接一口，完全停不下来。

Cheese Burger – $26
180g Wagyu beef patty, melted smoked cheddar cheese, sliced mushrooms, bacon strips, mesclun salad and fries.
This burger is humongous!!!

和牛芝士汉堡包 – $26
这简直就是汉堡包当中的巨无霸，有培根，又有牛肉。单单是和牛肉，就有三公分那么厚。
难得的是，那么厚的肉，却也煎得恰到好处。再配上洋葱、番茄等蔬菜，完全不觉得肥腻。

Gula Melaka Panna Cotta – $12
Vanilla panna cotta, red beans, green jelly, gula melaka.

意大利奶冻 – $12
主厨在这个意大利甜品里加入椰糖和红豆，变得富有南洋特色。

Sea salt caramel cheesecake
海盐焦糖芝士蛋糕

All in all, the food is not too bad, but it’s really all about the charming retro ambience which just put this place over the top.

总的来说，这里的食物还算不赖。不过，找食趣认为来这里主要还是为了感受怀旧气息和其所带来的“视觉享受”。

Address:
200 Netheravon Road
Singapore 508529
Tel: 6475 0200
Operating Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 10.30am till 12 Midnight
(Last order for Food @ 9:45pm)
www.thecoastalsettlement.com

Xu Jun Sheng Long Ji (许俊盛隆记)

Looking for Authentic Teochew “Muay” or Cze Char?

想品尝正宗的潮州粥和潮州煮炒吗?

Tucked in a corner of Joo Chiat, you will see a bright, clean and spacious koptiam. This non air-conditioned Teochew Porridge and Cze Char place is highly recommended by our Teochew friends! If you have been a “Joo Chiat foodie follower”, you would have heard about them. They were formerly at 59 Joo Chiat Place.

许俊盛隆记是找食趣的潮籍朋友介绍的, 就位于如切地区的这间咖啡店内。
虽然没有冷气, 但胜在够明亮宽敞, 地方也很干净。
如果你是如切美食的忠实追随者, 你一定有听过这个招牌。他们之前在59号营业。

Fish Cake – $2 per piece
WoOOoo….the fish cakes here are a MUST try! They are lightly fried, not oily and do not have a fishy taste. The texture is smooth and very chewy too! *Yums!*

鱼饼 – 每块$2
一定要尝尝这里的鱼饼, 炸得并不油腻, 也没有鱼腥味。
口感爽滑, QQ有弹性。

Pork Trotters (Tendon/thigh) – $6 / $8
The “Loh Bak” (braised meat) here is very soft and tender. Just eat it alone together with plain porridge or rice, it’s good enough. Best when you pour the sweet and dark gravy over it…Shiokaddooo!!!

猪脚 – $6/$8
卤猪脚肉非常软嫩, 吃起来不费劲。
无论是配白粥或白饭都一样好吃。
再淋上浓郁的卤汁, 哇~~~马上让人神魂颠倒!

Preserved Radish Omelette – $5
The “Chai Boh Neng” (preserved radish omelette) here is really GOOD! They are so generous with the “Chai Boh”, that you are able to eat the crunchy radish with every bite you take.

菜脯蛋 – $5
美味极了! 菜脯的份量超十足的, 因此每咬一口都能吃到咸香脆口的菜脯颗粒。

Steamed Baby Threadfin – Seasonal Price
For Teochews, steamed fish is a MUST in every meal. The popular fish will normally be the White or Silver Pomfret steamed together with salted vegetables, sour plums and thinly sliced pork belly to enhance the dish. Hmm…since everyone is always here for the steam pomfret, JAF decided to try something different! With the strong recommendation from the server, we ordered the Pan fried “Ngoh Hee” (Threadfin) with black bean sauce. We LOVE this dish! The fish is very FRESH and the gravy is saucy and sweet!

蒸午鱼/马友鱼 – 价格随季节变化而定。
潮州佳肴决不能少了蒸鱼。
通常潮州蒸鱼用的不是白鲳就是银鲳, 再加入咸菜、酸梅和三层肉薄片。
找食趣就点个不同的 – 蒸午鱼。鱼肉鲜美，黑豆酱汁甜甜的, 更是绝配。

Stir-Fried Clams with Garlic & Chilli – $8 / $12
One of Singaporeans’ favourite seafood dish – Fried “La-La” (clams)!! The “La-Las” here are very big and juicy! Every piece is evenly stir-fried so you won’t miss a single piece without tasting the flavourful sauce! It was sooooo…good that we literally “drank” the sauce from the shell!!!

香蒜辣椒清炒鲜蛤 – $8 / $12
这是新加坡人最爱吃的海鲜之一了。
鲜蛤又大又肥美。找食趣每吃一块肉就喝一口汁，可见有多鲜味十足！

Traditional Prawn Roll – $6 per roll
Unlike some other places that we have tried before, the “Hei Cho” (prawn roll) here are pretty bite size so you would definitely NOT stop at one! And YES! It goes well with the dark sweet sauce and of course not forgetting Teochew style chilli – vinegar/garlic chilli.

Read from other food blogs that customers always come back for the “Hei Cho”. Now we know why, its because these prawn rolls are wrapped with Pork Mesentary.

传统虾枣 – $6
这里的虾枣挺特别的，用猪小肠衣将馅料包裹在内。当然还要沾上黑甜酱和潮州式的醋蒜辣椒酱。
味道独特，难怪会吸引食饕们的青睐，蛮多博客都有介绍。

*Fyi – Mesentary: In an animal’s stomach, Mesentery is the piece of peritomeum that joins part of the small intestine to the back wall of the abdomen, as well as supporting the intestine. It is sold already opened, cleaned and scalded.*

*猪小肠衣 ~
肠系膜是腹膜的一部分，包在小肠和大肠的外面，把肠连接在腹腔的后壁上。

Yam Paste with Steamed Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts – $2 per serving
A MUST try Teochew dessert here – “Orh Nee” (yam paste).
In the past, this traditional Teochew dessert is often cooked with lards and lots of shallot oil thus making it very flavourful. These days, this dish tends to be healthier, coconut milk is used to replace fatty oil.
Conclusion: the “Orh Nee” dessert is really AWESOME! 😛 The yam paste is very smooth and mashed pumpkin is added hence giving the taste a slightly different texture.

南瓜白果竽泥 – $2
吃潮州菜怎么能少了传统的潮州甜品芋泥呢?
其实很正统的竽泥是用了许多猪油和葱油烹煮的，所以味道会特别香浓。
如今，大家都注重健康饮食，猪油和葱油已转而用椰汁来替代了。
虽然如此，芋泥甜品味道还是特佳，口感绵密。南瓜的甜味和竽泥混合得恰到好处。

Address:
121 Joo Chiat Place
Opening Hours:
Mon to Sat: 11am – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 9pm
Sun: 10.30am – 3.30pm

Le Le Pot

When was the last time you ate at a steamboat restaurant at NETT price per pax WITHOUT gst or service charge? Well…JAF found one!!!

大家可曾吃过没有附加消费税以及服务费, 而且是一口价的火锅?
找食趣又有好介绍了!

Our friend strongly recommended this restaurant at Tiong Bahru. When we reached there, we were shocked to see a LONG Q!
Tips: Advisable to call and make a reservation before you come.

找食趣通过朋友知道了这家位于中峇鲁的火锅餐馆。我们到了那里, 万万没料到迎接我们的是一条长长的人龙啊。
看来想到这里用餐的话, 最好还是先打个电话预约吧。

So here we are, trying for our luck (YES! We didn’t call to reserve!!) to see if we were lucky to get a “slot”. The server told us that since we had no reservation, we would have to wait for a while…

没有预约的我们既然已来到了, 就只能加入人龙碰碰运气吧。

“Tick-Tock”…”Tick-Tock”…. 15mins…30mins…We were soooo close to giving up because we were all dying of hunger! Then at the 45min the server came to us, “Sorry to keep you waiting, give us 10 more mins, that table is having their dessert now and asking for bill”. FINALLY…..

可怜的我们, 看着时间一分一秒地过, 肚子快饿得不行了。等了45分钟, 差点想放弃时, 终于从侍应生那里听到好消息了。

A very small and cosy restaurant…and YES, its PACKED! PACKED! PACKED!

很小…也很挤!!!

Very refreshing Lychee Freeze and Ribena Freeze!
*The drinks are NOT included in the buffet, it is charged separately. Ranges from $2.50 – $3.80*

荔枝冰沙和利宾纳冰沙。
饮料是另外算, 介于$2.50至$3.80之间。

There are 5 types of soup – Chicken Herbal Soup, Coconut Crysthanamum, Tom Yum, Si Chuan Ma La and Laksa.
JAF’s choice – Coconut Crysthanamum and Tom Yum.
Tom Yum is so-so only but the Coconut Crysthanamum is AWESOME! Not at all the taste of coconut…very flavourful and it actually taste more like chicken soup base with a tint of crysthanamum taste. *Yums!* 🙂 Oh yes! As we know, most steamboat restaurants will normally top up “diluted” soup base when you finish your soup but over at Le Le, they will top up your soup with “original” soup base! *Thumbs up!*

有五种汤底：药材鸡汤、椰子菊花汤、东炎汤、四川麻辣汤和叻沙汤。
找食趣选择了椰子菊花汤和东炎汤。
东炎汤还算普通。
椰子菊花汤就真的棒极了, 味道更像是鸡汤外加了点菊花香味。
另外值得一提的是, 这里添加的都是原味原汁的汤底, 可不像有些火锅店, 倒的是薄稀稀的汤哦。

JAF love their fried chicken wings! We ate like….hmmm….20 pieces (for 4 people only)!! They have other “cooked” items like fried wanton, calamari, chinese steam buns, pumpkin balls and sotong balls etc…

炸鸡翅膀，赞！我们四个人就吃了20个！
熟食方面还有炸云吞、酥炸花枝、包子、南瓜丸、苏东丸等等。

They serve thinly sliced fresh beef, chicken, pork, bacon, liver. Other than meat fillet items, seafood like fresh prawns, fish, cockles and clams etc are also included in the menu. Loads of vegetables for you to choose from too! JAF must say that there are soooo… many items (about 80 over) that we have yet to mention! *We actually wanted to take more pictures but the serving of food was so fast that we were all busy pouring the food into the steamboat and eating them! Hehe!*
You got to come here and try them all!

吃火锅当然少不了各式各样的肉类, 如牛肉、鸡肉、猪肉、培根、猪肝等等。
当然还包括鲜虾、鱼肉、贝类海鲜以及不同蔬菜。
以上不过是菜单上80多样材料的一小部分而已哦。
我们都忙着把一堆的材料放进火锅里，根本没暇拍照。总之，大家就自己亲自来试试看吧。

Last but not least…each person is entited to 1 FREE dessert! Yay!!! 🙂

最后, 每人都能享有一份免费的甜品哦, 是不是物超所值呢?

ADULT/CHILD (Below 1.3m)
$20.80 / $12.80 NET
Mon – Thur, Except Eve & On Public Holidays

ADULT/CHILD (Below 1.3m)
$21.80 / $13.80 NET
Fri, Sat, Sun, Eve & On Public Holidays

Address:
58 Seng Poh Road
#01-23 Singapore 160058
Telephone: 62229442
Opening hours:
11am – 3pm (Lunch)
5pm – 11pm (Dinner)
http://lelepot.com

Ramen Competition @ Iluma

Last weekend, after catching a movie at Iluma, JAF decided to settle our dinner at the 4th level where there are a number of eateries. We were attracted to this huge-sized banner, and the ramen choices offered looked tempting to us. It was only after we sat down and looked through the brochure, then we realized that there is a ramen competition going on.

上个周末，找食趣到Iluma 武吉士看电影，就顺便在Iluma的四楼走走看看。看到这么一个巨型的布条，以为是什么新的日本餐馆开张了，所提供的拉面选择看起来也很多样化，就决定在这里解决晚餐了。
找到位子坐下后，仔细看了传单才发现原来这里正在进行一项“拉面冠军争霸战”的活动。

6 well-known ramen restaurants from Japan are invited to participate in this Singapore Ramen Champion Competition, which will run for one year starting from July 2011. They each have a stall located at Iluma@Bugis. Diners can cast their votes for their favourite ramen stall via SMS, Facebook and voting slips provided onsite. The ramen stall that gets the highest votes will be invited to set up a restaurant in Singapore next year after the competition.

喜欢吃拉面的朋友有口福了。6家在日本极受欢迎的拉面店家受邀参加这项从今年7月举行到明年6月底的新加坡“拉面冠军争霸战”的比赛活动。这6家拉面馆都汇集在同一个地点，就是Iluma的四楼。
食客们可以通过简讯、Facebook 或置放在门口的投票表格投选自己最喜爱的拉面馆。登上冠军宝座的赢家就能在比赛后在新加坡正式开张营业。

The 6 participating restaurants are:

Bario from Tokyo – Bario Ramen
来自东京的“バリ​男”。

Taishoken from Tokyo – Mori Soba
来自东京的“大勝軒”。

Tetsu from Tokyo – Paitan Tsukeman Ramen
来自东京的“哲つけめん”。

Gantetsu from Sapporo – Gantetsu Special Miso Ramen
来自北海道札幌的“がんてつ”。

Ikkousha from Hakata – Hakata Ajitama Ramen
来自博多的“博多一幸舎”。

Iroha from Toyama – Toyama Black Ramen
来自富山的“麺屋いろは”。

The Toyama Black Shoyu Ramen is Iroha’s signature ramen. The broth is dark, JAF learnt that a secret thick dark sauce prepared from black soybean is used. There is a light aroma of sesame.

黑酱油拉面是麺屋いろは的招牌。听说汤头采用的是独家秘制黑酱油，喝起来有芝麻香。

The other one we ordered was the Bario Ramen. There was a very long queue, so it was just non-stop cooking of noodles for this Japanese chef.

找食趣也点了バリ​男的拉面。6家当中这家是最多食客排队了。只见这位日本师傅不断地在煮面，一刻也没停过。

Instead of the signature No.1 Bario Ramen, JAF ordered Maze Soba with Collagen Soup.

虽然这里的第一人气招牌拉面很受欢迎，找食趣还是选择吃这份搭配了含有胶原蛋白的汤的套餐。

Do you see the huge amount of bean sprouts on top?! For those who do not like bean sprouts at all, it’s only natural for them to remove the whole chunk of bean sprouts. Initially JAF was skeptical of the massive amount of bean sprouts, but mixing them up together with the noodles and minced meat proved to be the correct move. The noodles soaked in the sauce were very saltish, but the crunchy bean sprouts actually provides a good balance and moderates the heavy flavour. Not forgetting the lightly flavoured soup which goes well with the bowl of ramen too.

看到这一堆的豆芽吗？不喜欢豆芽的食客肯定会将豆芽都拿起放一边，不过这样做的话就大错特错了。起初找食趣不了解为什么会有这么一大堆豆芽，后来将豆芽、面条和碎肉搅合一起，吃了一口后就明白了。所用的酱料其实相当咸，可是有了豆芽，再加上汤的味道清清的，就把整个咸重口味都淡化了。

Futomen, or thick ramen is used here. A rather fulfilling bowl of chewy noodles.

粗粗的面条，口感有点类似刀削面。

Address:
201 Victoria Street
Bugis Iluma #04-08/09/10
Singapore 188607
Tel: 62381011
Opening Hours:
11.30am – 10.30pm (Daily)
http://www.ramenchampion.com.sg/

MEDZS @ Orchard Central

Based on a Marché style setting, MEDZS is the first restaurant in Singapore to offer an assortment of Mediterranean food under one roof. The place is divided into different sections according to countries, namely: Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, France and Italy. There are also the Dessert, Delicatessen and Med Garden sections.

MEDZS是新加坡第一家将各个地中海国家的料理集中于同一屋檐下的餐厅。概念和 Marché 类似，每一位顾客都持有一张食物卡，方便在不同食物区点餐。食物区有西班牙、摩洛哥、突尼斯、希腊、土耳其、法国、意大利，也包括甜品区、Delicatessen、Med Garden等。

We heard that this bar section here is well stocked with over 120 brands of beers, mostly from the Mediterranean countries.

听说这个酒吧区提供超过120种啤酒牌子，大部分来自地中海国家。

Duck Leg Confit ($10.00) from France section.
法国食区的脆皮烤鸭腿。

Ribeye Steak from France section. Not too bad.
肋眼牛排，也是来自法国区。味道不错哦。

Bread Butter Pudding ($2.00) from Dessert section.
甜点面包奶油布丁。

Gambas and Jamen Paella ($12.00), a Spanish/Morocco special.

西班牙海鲜“小”锅饭，材料有虾和火腿，这道菜结合了西班牙和摩洛哥的特色。味道非常到位，找食趣可是吃得津津有味。

Pork Belly skewer ($8.00) from Spain/Morocco/Tunisia section.
Well seasoned, super nice and juicy! This was our favourite dish for the night.

找食趣最爱的三层肉果然不负所望，在今夜所点的菜当中排名第一！没想到地中海也有那么好吃的三层肉啊。

Margharita Pizza ($4.00) from Greece/Italy section.
小号的玛格丽特披萨。

Forgot the name of this dish and which section it came from…the taste? So so…

忘记是什么菜了，也不知是在哪一个区买的。味道没什么特别。

JAF can’t remember the name of the above, which is from the Turkey section…it’s lamb meat and we had only one thing to say: the taste sucks. JAF’s friend said the dish was very disappointing because it was very good when she had it the last time. Seems like the standard is not consistent.

上图这盘羊肉块是在土耳其区点的。找食趣不记得名称了，只知道超难吃的，我们大家都吃不到几口呢。找食趣的朋友曾经尝过觉得好吃，所以才会大力推荐，结果却是大失所望。看来水准时好时坏。

Chicken Pastilla ($7.00)
This was the other skewer we tried, at least it made up for the previous lousy meat.

还好，这鸡肉串弥补了之前的羊肉，不然我们对土耳其食区的印象就要大打折扣了。

*supposed to be…Hot Plate Beef with Cheese and Mushroom from Turkey section.

加入芝士、蘑菇的铁板烧牛肉…可是…

But ended up all 4 of us felt that it tasted more like lamb than beef!!! We believed the chefs mixed up the meat because they were too busy. By then, we were all too full and tired to do anything about it, so we left the dish unfinished.

找食趣和3位朋友怎么吃都觉得是羊肉而不是牛肉！相信应该是厨师们都忙过头了，搞乱了。不过，那时的我们都已经吃得太饱了，所以也就懒得去理了。

Rosti Potato with sour cream and Parma Ham…Tajines Chicken…and so many other dessert flavours…JAF will have to find another day to visit.
Furthermore there is a great offer: 25% discount off the total bill with DBS/POSB credit cards. Not sure if it’s till August 2011, so do make good use of that.

这里有太多的选择了，找食趣还没有机会尝到马铃薯煎饼、摩洛哥橄榄柠檬鸡、还有很多很多口味的甜点呢。下次再来吧。
如果使用 DBS/POSB 信用卡，还有25％折扣，很值得。听说过了八月就没有这样的优惠了，大家快快行动。

Address:
Medzs
#B2-01, Orchard Central
Tel: 62389028
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm

Tonny Restaurant @ Joo Chiat

Interested to check out some exquisitely prepared Chinese dishes at this new restaurant along Joo Chiat Road? Scroll down and see for yourself!

想尝些精致又色香味俱全的广东菜吗？位于如切路的这家新餐馆就能找得到！

This is Tonny Chan, chef from Hong Kong and boss of Tonny Restaurant.
He has just moved over to Joo Chiat not long ago, so he decided that putting up his photo on the signboard outside the restaurant would be easier for his customers to identify the new place immediately.

这位就是利宝饭店的创办人~陈堇发师傅，原籍香港新界。
由于餐馆才刚开张几个月，师傅便将自己的照片和招牌张挂在一起，借此方便客人认出餐馆。

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ($8/pax)
(Medley of Lobstero Egg White and Dried Scallop)
A white, mousse-like concoction of egg whites, scallops and lobster, it tastes light and airy, and you wonder where have all the ingredients gone? The fried spring roll skin acts as a “bowl” and sits on on top of a thick onion ring. It is indeed an amazing and unique dish, no wonder it won a Gold Award in a Chinese culinary competition in 2002.
Chef Tonny said he drew inspiration from Lee Ang’s Chinese movie “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”, when he needed a name for this dish that he specially created to participate in the competition.

卧虎藏龙($8每位)是一道特别的菜，单看呈泡沫状的卖相，你应该不会相信是由蛋白、带子和龙虾肉所制成的。外表就好像软软滑滑的慕司蛋糕，吃在嘴里，随即融化。
春卷皮炸得酥脆并呈“碗”状，坐在洋葱圈上，如此一来仿佛一件艺术品似的。
难怪这道菜会夺得《金鼎奖2002年中菜餐馆名厨名菜》的金奖。陈师傅说菜名的灵感正是来自李安的电影“卧虎藏龙”。

Crispy Yam with Truffle Oil ($10)
This is a stunning dish. Yam is shredded to fine strips and deep fried. JAF simply love the presentation, it looks amazingly lovely. Crunchy on the bite, the yam strips are fragrant and delicious.
While we were eating, JAF kept smelling a strange burnt smell every now and then. But because the smell was very faint, JAF took little notice of it. Chef Tonny later told us that the smell actually came from the truffle oil, which is known to smell like gasoline. Most customers actually enjoy the flavour and aroma once they get used to the smell.

松露油酥脆芋丝($10)
很特别的一道菜。芋头切成细丝再炸成金黄色，又是另一件艺术之作！
刚开始吃的时候总觉得有股浅浅的奇异味道，忽隐忽现，但又说不上来是什么。后来听陈师傅说，原来是松露油独有的味道，是一种有点像煤油的味道。师傅说有好些顾客习惯了这味道之后，反而觉得很香，甚至爱上它。

Pan-fried Salted Boneless Chicken with Five Spices ($18)
This is a delicious dish, very suitable for the aged and the kids because the bones have been removed. The pan-fried meat is tender and well seasoned throughout. JAF simply loves the hint of saltiness that lingers in the mouth.

煎烤无骨盐焗鸡 ($18)
很喜欢这道菜。鸡肉是去骨之后，腌了再拿去煎烤。
如此方便，非常适合老少吃。咬一口下去，脆脆的但肉质又好软，淡淡的盐香也同时在口中散开。

Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage ($18)
JAF always feel that chinese sausages are a tad too salty, but the ones in the above dish are just nice.
These chinese sausages are specially prepared by a Hong Kong chef, and not as fatty as the local sausages.

蒜香腊味糯米饭 ($18)
腊肠是由来自香港的师傅特别制作的，与本地腊肠相比之下没有那么肥腻。找食趣喜欢那不会太咸的腊肠,吃起来很可口。

Golden Banana Balls
Another art piece. This is a special dessert that is not included in the menu. So how did JAF get to try it? Well, that’s a secret, hehe.
Anyway, the reason why it’s not in the menu is because the preparation process is a little complicated, and it has to be served immediately after it’s done. The timing has to be right, if not the taste would be different.
The ingredients include bananas, mayonnaise, milk, strawberry sauce and a little lemon. On top of the balls are thin shreds of potato. Interesting combination, isn’t it?
And what is the best way to appreciate this dessert? Just put the entire ball into the mouth and let it melt away totally.

金丝香蕉球
这是一个用心思和创意做出来的甜品，但菜单上是找不到的。那找食趣是怎么吃得到呢？嘿嘿，秘密，不告诉你们。
这甜品的准备过程有点复杂，再加上完成后必须即刻上桌。这样的时间计算必须拿捏得准，不然味道、口感就会不同了，因此师傅没把它列进菜单里。
香蕉球的材料包括香蕉、蛋黄酱、牛奶、草莓酱以及柠檬。而金丝呢，其实就是土豆丝。这样的综合有趣吧？
要好好品尝这甜品，最好的方式就是将整个金丝香蕉球放进嘴里，让它慢慢地化开，所尝到的就是一种”缤纷五彩”的滋味了。:)

Address:
Tonny Restaurant Pte Ltd
利宝饭店
325/327 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427582
Tel: 63489298
Opening Hours:
11.30am – 3pm / 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily)

Joo Chiat Joo Joo

At the cross junction of Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road is a restaurant with 3 shops joined together under the same roof: Awfully Chocolate, Mooshi Bakes and the Japanese-inspired Joo Joo Kushiyaki.

位于如切路和东海岸路的交界处有一家集合了三个品牌于一体的的餐馆：Awfully Chocolate, Mooshi Bakes and the Japanese-inspired Joo Joo Kushiyaki。

Young and energetic staff welcomed us the moment we stepped in from the side entrance. The cafe is comfortably spaced out, with clean white walls and simple wood furnishings.

一踏进餐馆，迎面而来的是年轻富有朝气的服务生。
再看一下餐馆内的环境，明亮洁白的墙壁、木制餐桌之间有足够的空间，给人舒服的感觉。

The place was still quite empty when we reached there.
这时候还没什么人潮。我们的位子是餐馆最里面的角落。

After we settled down at the innermost corner of the cafe, the crowd started to come in. We realised there were two different groups of customers. From around 7+pm till close to 9pm, the crowd consisted mainly of students and youngsters. And after 9pm, we observed that there was a total change of crowd. The patrons consisted mainly of families, and more matured couples who came in mainly for desserts.

等我们点完菜抬起头来后，发现座位几乎全满了。
我们注意到这里在不同时段里有不同的顾客群。接近九点之前，来的主要都是学生和年轻人。过了九点之后，完全换了另一批较成熟一点的顾客以及有小孩的家庭，好像都是为吃甜点而来的。

Back to the menu, it’s pretty straightforward.

Kishiyaki Set for 2 ($36.90++):
There were 4 of us, but we intended to try some other food, so we decided to just share a set for 2.

回到菜单，选择方面还不会太复杂。除了几种个人套餐之外，还有两人或四人套餐满足我们这些想品尝多样化食物的顾客。

Clam Broth 味噌蛤蜊汤

Creamy Miso Soup with Pork Belly
JAF personally like this soup, the taste is something out of the ordinary.

奶油味噌汤，里头还有小片的三层肉。
找食趣喜欢这汤的口感，味道独特。

Food was served real fast. Within few minutes, almost all the food were out on the table. After taking pictures of the soups, JAF friends were too hungry and eager to wait for JAF to finish taking the pictures…ONE against THREE, that was really a tough fight! JAF could only surrender…hence, very limited photos available… 😦

我们点的菜陆续上桌，眨都没眨一眼，几乎所有的菜都来齐了！不是吧，找食趣都还来不及拍完照片，这上菜的速度也未免太快了吧！
看着眼前那么多的菜，朋友们抵不住美食，等找食趣拍完汤的照片后，就“刻不容缓” (找食趣觉得用这个成语形容是再恰当不过了)开始动手又动口。
所以，各位读者们，找食趣由衷地感到抱歉，这次没法子完成任务，将照片完整送上。悲哉！

Items: garlic rice wrapped around by a fairly large piece of seaweed, crispy chicken skin, chicken thigh with tare, quail eggs wrapped with pork belly, shitake with tare, salmon belly and miso soup…
One of the items (salmon belly) listed was not available, so we got to replace it with a Grilled Beef Tendon with House Dressing.

两人份套餐包括味噌汤、蒜蓉饭、脆鸡皮，串烧则有鸡腿肉、三层肉卷鹌鹑蛋、日本蘑菇、三文鱼腩。
其中三文鱼腩卖完了，我们以炭烧牛筋取代。

Prawn with Indian spices served with Okra.
“Okra” is actually another name for lady’s fingers. The prawns are ok, but JAF favoured the okra more.

用印度香料烹调出的羊角豆佐大虾。虾肉过得去，不过找食趣喜欢的反而是处理得很可口的羊角豆。
小知识：羊角豆的别名是“秋葵”(Okra)。

Besides the Kishiyaki set, we ordered 2 other dishes.

Japanese Chargrilled Cha-Siu Don ($13.90). The pork belly is not too bad.

日式叉烧饭。三层肉味道不错。

Medium-done Ribeye Steak Set ($18.90)

七分熟肋眼牛排套餐。

JAF and friends concluded that the steak was the best among all that we had eaten.

我们一致认为牛排是这一顿当中最好吃的了。

Overall, JAF and friends think that food served here is quite decent and tasty but a little too much on the salty side.

总的来说，这里的食物都相当不错，只是偏咸，吃多了就会觉得怎么一样比一样咸啊？

After dinner, getting some desserts from either Awfully Chocolate or Mooshi Bakes proved to be too irresistible.

和Joo Joo一起属于同一个老板的Awfully Chocolate 以及 Mooshi Bakes 一直不停地向我们“招手”，我们又怎能抵御得了如此的诱惑呢？

This has a cute name: Gooey.
It’s soft and creamy. For those who love cinnamon, this is the dessert for you.

这道甜点的名字很可爱：Gooey.
喜欢桂皮口味的朋友一定要试一试。

Mooshi Cream Puff ($3.90)

奶油泡芙外皮松软，里面是奶馅，甜而不膩。

Drinks wise, can try this which mixes green tea and lime together. Both hot and cold are available. ($3.20)

想喝点什么的话，可以试一试这杯混合绿茶和青柠的饮料。冷、热任你选。

Address:
Joo Joo / Mooshi Bakes
131 East Coast Road
#01-01
Singapore 428816
Tel: 6346 7604
Daily Opening Hours:
12pm–3pm, 6pm–10pm (Joo Joo)
12pm-10pm (Mooshi Bakes)

New Italian Restaurant ~ Da Luca

Do you like Italian food? Newly opened for around 4 months, this nice and cosy Italian restaurant impressed JAF so much that all other entries are shoved aside for the moment. Simply can’t wait to share with JAF’s loyal readers!

找食趣不久前刚去了一家听说开张不过几个月的意大利餐馆，非常喜欢那里的环境和食物。既然是好料，当然要介绍给找食趣部落格的好朋友们啦！

Love the simple, unpretentious and homely décor, which exudes a vibrant ambience.
先来看看环境。地方不是很大，但散发一种既不造作又和谐温馨的感觉。

Prosciutto E Melone $21.90
~ Parma Ham 24 month with Rock Melon

It is interesting to learn that the more matured the Parma Ham, the better taste it is. Did some research online and found this quote:

“A properly matured Parma Ham® should be of a good pale-red colour, mild, sweet-flavoured and tender, and at its best is perhaps the most delicious food in all Italy.”
–Elizabeth David, Italian Food (Penguin Books, 1954)

因为这一餐，找食趣对初次接触的意大利帕玛火腿有所认识。
原来意大利帕玛火腿在腌制过后，还会在绝对密闭低温的环境内贮藏一段日子。它的成熟期一般在9个月以上，成熟期越长，味道越浓烈。

意大利帕玛火腿（Prociutto di parma）
“可能是全世界最著名的生火腿，其色泽嫩红，如粉红玫瑰般，脂肪分部均匀，口感于各种火腿中最为柔软，因此正宗的意大利餐厅，都有供应。能否提供优质的帕玛火腿，几乎成为评价餐厅素质好坏的标准。”

JAF finds out why this dish matches Parma Ham and rock melon together: the Parma Ham has a somewhat salty flavour and when wrapped around the rock melon, balances beautifully with the sweetness of the rock melon. This is a combination that really works!

正确的吃法是将切成薄片的火腿，卷着哈密瓜来吃。火腿的咸香，配上哈密瓜的清甜，果然是绝配！

* More info about Parma Ham can be found at wikipedia and wisegeek.

有兴趣知道更多关于火腿的知识，可点击这里。

Rucola Al Balsamico Con Pere E Parmigiano $13.90
~ Wild Rocket Salad with Pear, Parmesan in Balsamic Dressing
Fresh and clean taste in your mouth. For those who do not like the strong taste of the rocket leaves, there are other salad choices as well.

这份沙律的重点是芝麻菜。它的口味很重，不喜欢的人会很排斥。

Pizza Con Tonno Cipolle E Rucola $22.90
~ Tomato with Mozzarella, Tuna Onion and Rocket

This big-sized, flavour-packed pizza is simply lovely! The taste of tuna onions, melted mozzarella cheese, aromatic rocket leaves makes the pizza totally worthwhile from the first bite to the last.

巨大的披萨卖相诱人十足。送进嘴里的时候，各种味道如马苏里拉奶酪、芝麻菜、金枪鱼肉碎等都中和得很融洽，

Among the fairly broad choice of pastas offered on the menu, all are handmade except one. So of course the pastas are MUST-TRIES.
We had two totally different pastas:
Pappardelle Pasta – broad and flat ribbon-shaped
Angel Hair Pasta – long and thin.

意粉菜单中除了最后一样，其他都是手工制作的，绝对有水准，所以不能不试。
我们点了两种截然不同的意粉：手工制宽扁面和细细长长的意大利“天使”幼面。

Pappardelle Sull’ Anatra $22.90
~ Homemade Pappardelle Pasta with Braised Duck and Italian Parsley

Capellini Al Granchio E Zucchini $22.90
~ Angel Hair Pasta with Crab meat, Zucchini and Tomato Sauce

The overall taste of the Pappardelle Pasta is heavier in comparison with the lighter and more delicate Angel Hair Pasta. Both are equally good, and the savoury flavours linger in the mouth, so satisfying and simply divine .

两种意粉相比之下，焖鸭肉佐手工制宽扁面的口味会比较重，蟹肉佐意大利天使幼面则煮得较精致。
两种不同的味道，找食趣都喜欢。吃完之后，还真是意犹未尽啊。太好吃了。

JAF and friends were FULL after wiping out all the food, but the strong craving for desserts did not stop us from ordering the tiramisu.

*No tiramisu photo because the camera battery went flat!!! 😦

Tiramisu $10.90
~ Mascarpone Cream Cheese with Sponge Coffee and Chocolate
The tiramisu was nicely-flavoured, but maybe it could do with more liquor.

虽然吃得很饱，但我们最终还是抵不过甜点的诱惑，点了提拉米苏。
相机却在这个时候“罢工”，因此拍不到照片。
味道不错，不过酒味还可以在浓些。

Last but not least, the service here is really good. It was a crowded night when we went, but we enjoyed the friendly, polite and swift service.

The restaurant owner Chef Luca even came out to personally shake hands with us before we left the restaurant. With such pleasant food and service experience, JAF will be back for sure.

我们用餐的那一晚，餐馆座无虚席。侍应生应该没有超过五位，但是服务都很周到，态度良好。

离开之前，开朗的老板兼主厨Chef Luca亲自来和我们握手道别。就是这种亲切友善的服务态度才会让顾客们一再光顾，找食趣肯定会再回去的！

Address:
Da Luca (Authentic Italian Cuisine From Chef Luca)
1 Goldhill Plaza
#01-19/21
Tel: 6258 4846
Opening Hours:
12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily)

New Udon Thai Food (BBQ Steamboat)

If anyone asks you about the famous eatery at Golden Mile, the first name that pops out of your mind must be “Thien Kee Steamboat Restaurant” right? Well, instead of the common restaurant that everyone knows, JAF is going to recommend another eatery at Golden Mile – “Na Na Thai Food”. This restaurant specializes in “BBQ+Steamboat buffet”.

黄金坊有家出名的火锅店，知道的人都会马上联想到“瑞记火锅”。
的确，瑞记还蛮受欢迎的，不过找食趣想向大家推荐黄金坊里的另一家专卖烧烤火锅自助餐的店家~Na Na 泰式美食。

The “Secret” weapon of this Thai restaurant is their “UFO” pot! The food tastes so GOOD because it uses CHARCOAL to cook!

这家餐馆有两样“秘密武器”。第一样就是这个外观像“无敌外星船”的火锅。火锅用的可是炭哦，所以煮出来的食物十分美味。

Another “Secret” weapon is the chilli sauce. *It tastes pretty similar to Coca’s chilli sauce* JAF’s favourite: add the chopped garlic + chilli padi…and mixed them well together…WooOOoo…sets you on FIRE! One word to describe – “SHIOK!” And guess what? You can buy this chilli sauce at Golden Mile! 🙂

第二样“秘密武器”就是辣椒酱了。
找食趣的最爱：将蒜蓉和小辣椒混合辣椒酱搅在一起，哇，够火，够热辣！
吃过之后是不是还对这辣椒意犹未尽呢？原来在黄金坊里可以买得到哦。

JAF had the Seafood+Pork set. Price – $39.90 (including free flow of charcoal)
Other sets such as chicken and beef are available too.

找食趣点了海鲜+猪肉套餐，$39.90包括免费无限量的炭。
其他的套餐有鸡肉和牛肉等。

The set comes with vegetables and other stuff as well, cabbage + “chye sim” + golden mushroom + eggs + authentic Thai’s vermicelli.

套餐也少不了蔬菜和其他料，有包菜、菜心、金针菇、鸡蛋、正宗的泰国米粉。

JAF’s BBQ+Steamboat night starts now!

找食趣的烧烤/火锅之夜可以开始了！

Address:
Golden Mile Complex,
5001 Beach Road, #01-87

Free Pizza or Pasta on Ladies Night!

JAF was introduced to this Italian restaurant by a friend. As the food was pretty decent, we decided to head there again. We were puzzled when the server asked if we were keen on their special promotion ~ “Ladies’ Night”. Heard about free drinks but free FOOD for ladies???

Yes, FREE Pizza or Pasta for each lady on Wednesday nights!

*Take note: Buono’s Ladies’ Night Promotion is ONLY on every WEDNESDAY!
As long as there is one lady at the table, the server will automatically recommend the choices available for the “free” pizzas and pastas.

之前朋友曾介绍找食趣到这家地点相当偏僻的意大利餐馆用餐过。当时点的菜色都很合口味，所以这次决定再度返回餐馆。

才刚坐下，侍应生就向我们推荐餐馆的一项优惠活动 ~ “Ladies’ Night”，只要你是女人，就可以点一道免费的披萨或意大利粉。

不是吧？确定吗？免费的饮料肯定听过，可是…免费的食物？？？没听错吧？
千真万确，Buono 的 “Ladies’ Night” 优惠活动不是骗人的！每逢星期三，餐馆就会有这项“免费”促销。

Since there were 2 of us (ladies) here, we decided to choose one each.
既然我们这里有两位女生，就一人选一样吧。

Every meal comes with their freshly made garlic bread. *Yums!*
新鲜出炉的蒜蓉面包。好吃。

JAF was wondering how big the portion for a “free” pasta would be like?
Answer: The dish is definitely good enough as a main course! Very generous portion and ingredients! *Impressed* 🙂

找食趣原本还在猜想一份”免费”的意大利粉有多大…
送来时一看，是等于一顿正餐的分量，而且用料很足哦。非常难得。

Orecchiete Di Mare with Zucchini, Clams, Calamari in Seafood Tomato Sauce.
海鲜番茄酱意大利粉配西葫芦、蛤、鱿鱼酥。

Verdict: Pasta is cooked to the right texture, sauce is not too creamy yet you can taste the sweet tomato flavour.
意粉煮得软硬适中，奶油味不会太重，又可尝到甜甜的番茄味。

*The term “Calamari” is commonly used by Greek, Italian and Spanish languages. When the squid becomes a food, the culinary name “Calamari” is used instead.

*鱿鱼的英文是Squid，希腊文、意大利文和西班牙文是Calamari。当变成食材时，英文就不称它squid，而是以它的烹饪专用名culinary name Calamari称之。

An open concept huge oven where you can take a peek at the chef making pizzas!

餐馆的一角有砖砌的烤窑，开放式的概念让顾客能看到厨师如何亲手烤披萨。

At first JAF thought that only 1 slice of free pizza would be served but we were so wrong! It was a HUGE whole pizza, with 8 HUGE slices!!!

看到那么大的一整个披萨，找食趣着实下了一跳！因为一直以为所谓的“免费披萨”只是切出来的一小部分，没想到来的却是完完整整的披萨！

Margarita Pizza ~ Plain Pizza with Mozzarella Cheese. Instead of having it plain, we added ham and mushroom on it.
*Take note: Additional charges for additional toppings. (Classic Ham ~ $5, Mushroom ~ $2)

玛格丽特披萨 ~ 简单，只有马苏里拉奶酪，所以我们也多加了火腿和蘑菇。
多加的料就不是免费了。(火腿 ~ $5, 蘑菇 ~ $2)

Verdict: Superb! The pizza is freshly made and the thin crust is so crispy. When you “tear” the pizza apart, the melted mozzarella cheese is “drooping” in the air!

披萨当然是现烤现吃的好。薄薄的 很脆。
尤其黏黏的马苏里拉奶酪拉出长长的丝，即有“视觉效果”又吃得过瘾。

JAF felt that 3 persons would be just nice to share the pasta and pizza. However if you are not able to finish the food, you can request for “tabao” even though the items are free. 🙂

找食趣认为一份意大利粉和一份披萨足够三个人享用。如果吃不完，可以要求打包。虽然食物是“免费”的，不过绝对没问题。

Hmm…guess what is this?
猜猜看这是什么？

Buono’s Specialty Tiramisu 特制提拉米苏 ~ $8

Verdict: We all know that Tiramisu is one of the most popular desserts in an Italian restaurant, so of course we must order Buono’s version to try out. The tiramisu here is freshly made daily. The combination of mascarpone and whipped cream is just right, not too light nor heavy, and it melts in your mouth! Definitely a GOOD choice made! 🙂

众所周知，提拉米苏是每家意大利餐馆必有的经典甜品之一，所以我们怎么能错过呢？
这里的提拉米苏是每天现做的，很新鲜。马斯卡朋乳酪和泡沫奶油混合在一起的口感适度，很顺滑，吃进嘴里就几乎化掉了。
这个…一定要吃！

Address:
Buono Pizzabar & Ristorante
27 Lichfield Rd 556847
Tel: 6733 5646
Opening Hours:
Open Daily 12pm-2pm, 6pm-10pm
www.buonopizzabar.com

Lobster Porridge @ Long Xia Zhou Shi Jia

Craving for something hot and soupy? JAF decided to hop by this “Very Recommended” restaurant suggested by our friend. She told us that the Lobster porridge is a MUST try!!!

最近天气凉凉的，如果有一碗热热的汤之类的，喝下去感觉温暖舒服。
朋友介绍了一家餐馆，据说那里有非吃不可的龙虾粥。

Fresh Vegetable Juice ~ $4.50
The waitress strongly recommended this juice the moment we sat down. We were afraid of the “raw” vegetable taste but the waitress assured us not to worry and said it’s the “Top Listed” drink in the restaurant!

沙冰青菜果汁($4.50)是这里极受欢迎的首选饮料。原本我们有点担心饮料会有那种很“生”的味道，不过既然侍应生从我们一坐下就不停地大力推荐，我们就来杯试试看吧。

Verdict: The waitress was right! It tastes just like any ordinary juice except that it is not very sweet. Most importantly, the “raw” vegetable taste is totally absent.

侍应生果然没说错。青菜果汁基本上和普通果汁没什么两样，只不过少了点甜味。最重要是也少了蔬菜的“生”味。

Can you see what is in there?
瞄到里头是什么吗？

Signature Lobster Porridge ~ $29.90.
We were lucky that we came during the “Promotion Period: 1 for 1”. (Not sure if it’s still on though.)

招牌龙虾粥 $29.90！价钱可不便宜哦，我们去的时候正好有买一送一的促销活动，太幸运了。(不过现在还有没有这个促销就不知道了。)

As described in their menu:
Signature Lobster Porridge won the Super Gold Medal Award in the 2006 International Culinary Competition. Described as “heavenly delicious” by the judges, this signature dish features succulent lobster meat in superior stock.

根据菜单上的介绍：
招牌龙虾粥在2006年国际性的烹饪赛事中得过超级金牌奖项。评判给予的评语是“绝顶美味”，龙虾肉味鲜美，汤料口味一流。

Verdict: 1 word ~ “SHIOKALLICIOUS” We love the broth!! It is very sweet and reminded me of traditional Teochew fish porridge. The lobster is not huge but the entire dish is so good that we literally “cleaned” up the bowl without leaving behind a single grain of rice! 🙂

味道的确是好到没话说！汤底的甜味令找食趣想起传统潮州鱼粥，真是暖在心里。
龙虾其实不是很大只，但就凭这鲜甜的粥便足以让我们吃得津津有味，不亦乐乎了，连最后一颗米粒都不放过！

Pan Fried Kurobuta ~ $18
What is Kurobuta?
As described in the menu:
Kurobuta Black Hog, prized for juiciness, flavour and tenderness, is pinked-hued and heavily marbled. Like Kobe beef, Kurobuta refers to a breed of pig and the way it is raised. Got it?

香煎黑猪肉 $18
什么是黑猪肉？
黑猪肉与一般猪肉不同之处是肉质厚实、香甜、滑嫩，没有腥味。口感非常好，吃在嘴里有胶着感，有入口即化的感觉。此外，黑猪肉营养丰富，富含铁，补肾壮阳，胶原蛋白多，更美容。常吃黑猪肉，也具有防止老化与老人痴呆症、降血压等作用。

Verdict: Hmm…JAF don’t find this dish very special. It tasted like the Singapore version of “honey pork” except the meat is more tender.

这道菜没什么特别之处。味道有点像新加坡版本的“蜂蜜猪肉”，只是肉质较嫩。

Crispy Lotus with Salted Egg ~ $12
When our friend mentioned this dish, the first thought was…”Huh? You mean the lotus we normally cook in peanut and pork ribs soup?” She said,”Ya! You be surprised!!”

咸蛋脆莲藕 $12
从朋友口中听说这道菜时，心里在想，用来煮花生排骨汤的莲藕和咸蛋到底能撞出什么火花呢？

Verdict: And yes!! We were!! This is a MUST…MUST try!!! The lotus is thinly sliced, fried and coated with salted yolk. It’s not oily and yet crispy! Oh one more thing, it’s very ADDICTIVE!! You definitely would not stop at one!!!

不用怀疑，咸蛋脆莲藕也是一道非吃不可的菜。
金灿灿的咸蛋黄包裹着切成薄片的莲藕，炸得酥酥脆脆的，却不油腻。
最“要命”的是你会一直不停地将一片片的莲藕送进嘴巴里，很容易吃上瘾啊！

Address:
龙虾粥世家
181 Orchard Road #08-09 Orchard Central
Opening Hours
Mon–Fri: 11.30am–3.30pm, 6pm–11pm
Sat–Sun: 11.30am–11pm

Sarang @ Orchard Central

Sarang (“Love” in Korean) is a restaurant all Korean fanatics would probably make it a point not to miss out.

Sarang (韩文“爱”的意思)是一家韩国迷应该不会错过的餐馆。

The restaurant is situated on the 7th floor at Orchard Central, with an open view of the city.

餐馆位于乌节中央城的七楼，前无遮挡，有不错的景观。

The alfresco area offers a nice dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere.

这里提供一个轻松的氛围让户外用餐更有乐趣。

What’s most striking about the interior design is a red wall covered with photos of their chefs and a giant heart-shaped photo collage.
Curious about the photos of the chefs on the wall, JAF checked out with one of the servers, and learnt that they are all part of a team of 8 Korean chefs, working on a rotation basis with 2 rest days per week.

餐馆内部最引人注目的就是那一道红墙，除了有厨师搞怪的照片，还有一大片关于韩国的照片拼贴画。
找食趣数一数墙上厨师的照片，有八位那么多，便好奇地向其中一位侍应生询问。
原来八位厨师都是特地从韩国过来，工作时间轮班制，每周休息两天。

This is a clearer view of the 8 chefs.
*Picture is taken from Sarang’s website.

八位来自韩国的厨师。
*照片取载自Sarang的网站。

Sarang Japchae $6.80
– Stir-fried vegetable vermicelli tossed in sesame oil
This is our number ONE favourite among all the dishes we ordered. We like the light fragrance of the sesame oil taste.

清炒冬粉($6.80)加入了灯笼椒丝和鸡蛋丝，但最重要的主角其实应该是芝麻油，若没有它，这只是一盘普通的菜肴。
口感极佳，是我们所点的菜当中的第一最爱。

Ginseng Porridge (Yeongyang dakjuk) $6.80
– Chef’s signature Korean ginseng and chicken porridge
Mild ginseng taste, tasty and delicious. This is our number TWO favourite.
The portion is not very big, good for maybe 2-3 persons, unless there are porridge lovers around.

人参粥($6.80)，药材味并不会太浓，而且还散发淡淡的香味。这是我们的第二最爱。
分量不是很多，差不多够2至3个人享用。但如果是爱吃粥的人又另当别论了。

DJ rice (Sarang dolsot bibimbap) $8.80
– Authentic Korean rice with assorted vegetables, served in hot stone pot

石锅拌饭($8.80)是经典的韩国佳肴，怎能少得了它？

Drunken Pork (Yangnyeom samgyeop gui) $15.80
– Grilled pork belly served with kimchi on a sizzling hot plate
It is marinated in red wine, garlic, salt and pepper. Quite oily, but the seasoning is not too bad. Just that JAF thought the meat could be more tender since it’s the belly portion.

肥瘦相间的“醉”五花肉片($15.80)，看到这名字就知道是用酒腌制的了。腌料中除了红酒，也包括蒜、盐和胡椒。五花肉在铁板上烧烤出油脂味和肉香。只是找食趣觉得肉片还不够嫩，吃得不太尽兴。

Rain (Pa jeon) $8.80
– Scallion pancake served on a hot plate
A so-so dish…

韩国葱油煎饼($8.80)味道还好…

Cute Fingers (Tteok kkochi) $4.80
– deep fried rice cakes served with yuja citron sauce
The savoury taste of the yuzu sauce together with the rice cakes, form an interesting combination. Our number THREE favourite.

韩式炸年糕($4.80)配上带点甜甜香气的柚子酱，口感清新，是不错的组合，也是我们的第三最爱。

We were very much attracted to the drinks’ photos inside the menu and decided to order 2 of them to try. To our disappointment, the drinks tasted pretty normal and nothing too special.

菜单里的饮料照片十分诱人，所以我们决定点两杯试试看。
不过…喝起来没什么特别，有点令人失望…

Address:
Sarang
181 Orchard Road
#07-01 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Tel: 6773 1322
Opening Hours:
12pm – 10pm on Sunday to Thursday
12pm – 11pm on Friday and Saturday
http://www.sarang.com.sg

A quiet meal @ Tavolo

Wondering where to go for a nice meal during the Christmas festive period?
圣诞佳节期间想要到哪儿吃顿好的？

Tavolo is an open concept restaurant that delivers a casual yet stylish atmosphere. The place is not very big and there are not many seats around.

因为位置的关系，Tavolo餐馆采用开放式的概念，简单不失高雅。
地方不是很大, 座椅不是很多。

First is a healthy dish with lots of green.
Arugula Salad $12 – arugula (rocket) leaves, avocado, caramelized beet, walnut & feta cheese tossed in balsamic vinegar dressing.
The balsamic dressing is mixed with honey, adding a zing of sweetness and freshness on the taste buds.

先来道非常有卖相的健康沙拉 – 芝麻菜叶沙拉。
有芝麻菜叶、鄂梨/牛油果、焦糖甜菜、核桃、希腊菲达奶酪，再淋上渗有蜜糖的巴沙米可油醋。
整体的搭配让人吃了除了有淡淡的甜味，也多了清凉可口的感觉。

*What is “Arugula”?
Arugula is very low in calories and is a good source of vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, and magnesium. It can be eaten raw, added to salads with other salad greens, or cooked. It is worth noting that the older the leaves, the more intense the flavor. Younger leaves are tender and have a milder taste and therefore are best for salads. Older leaves may be slightly bitter and are more appropriate for sautéing or steaming.

芝麻菜香气四溢，能促进食欲。还可与其他蔬菜制成沙拉。越老的叶子，苦味越浓。它的营养丰富，含蛋白质、纤维素、维生素C、β-胡萝卜素、钙、锌、铁、锰、硒。同时，种子既具有降肺气、利肺水等功效，也可用于治疗喘咳痰多、久咳、水肿、尿少、尿频等疾病。近年来医学研究表明，芝麻菜还具有较强的防癌、抗癌活性物质。

*The term “balsamic” actually means “restorative” or “health giving”. Thus balsamic dressing is often regarded as a healthy choice of condiment for food.

Piadina $11 (it’s an Italian Grilled Flat Bread with no Yeast) – pesto, sun dried tomato, shaved parmesan.
The intensely green and fragrant pesto sauce obviously takes the centre stage. It is very tasty…JAF‘s favourite!
A “must” dish strongly recommended by the restaurant in-charge, the piadina (an Italian Grilled Flat Bread with no Yeast) comes with a few choices of toppings, and one whole piece can feed two very comfortably.

餐馆负责人大力推荐必点菜 – 意式煎饼。
分量不大，足够两个人食用。
有不同配料的选择，我们点的这个有青面酱、番茄干、意大利奶酪。
深绿色的面酱香气扑鼻，找食趣顿时感觉食欲大增。太美味了。

See how thin the piadina is. It’s not too filling and the stomach can have some more room for other food.
看到吗？煎饼超薄的，所以不怕会吃得太饱，但又能吃得过瘾。

* The “Piadina flatbread” is probably the most famous food icon of Romagna, an area east of the city of Bologna that covers the provinces of Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Ravenna. Traditional food (fish from the sea coast and meat from the hills), wine producers and good life style, make this area very attractive.

意大利几乎每个地区都有代表食品，而Piadina Romagnola 就属Romagna 地区的经典作。它是古罗马时期 Romagna 地区贫苦农民的重要食粮，以面粉和水搓成圆形的无酵饼 (flatbread)。现今无论是酒吧、酒店咖啡厅或是街角的轻食店都随处可见。欧盟甚至给予Piadina Romagnola 简称 PGI 的认证 (Protected Geographical Indication)，肯定这款食物的地区价值，以及其悠久历史。
http://ol.mingpao.com/cfm/food10.cfm?File=20100706/fob01a/veb1.txt

Fettuccine al Salmone $26 – homemade fettuccine, fresh salmon, capers, garlic, white wine, tomato, light cream.
The homemade fettuccine is soft yet chewy…sauce is super good, giving the dish a tantalizing aroma…another JAF’s favourite.
For those who do not like creamy pasta, this is one good choice.

意式扁面条是手工制作的，吃起来口感既软又嚼劲十足。
找食趣认为酱汁是诚意之作，令人食指大动。
如果少了这美味的酱汁，这盘意大利面也许会变得比较普通。
除此之外，它没有太浓郁的奶油白酱味道，不喜欢重口味的朋友们应该会喜欢。

Sauce all wiped out!
不放过任何一滴酱汁！

Wind down, relax and have some coffee and desserts at the sofa area – good for chilling out, 🙂

坐在舒适的沙发上，轻松一下。
然后再喝杯咖啡，吃点甜品，慢慢享受。

Tiramisu $10. Hmm…slightly disappointing…it’s a bit dry…
提拉米苏。有点小失望…觉得味道干涩了一点…

Semifreddo Pralinato $10 – signature handmade gelato, praline semifreddo.
The dessert was a tad sweet for JAF.
这个手工意式雪糕甜品对找食趣来说有点甜…

*Praline: a family of confections made from nut and sugar syrup, and is an ingredient used in many cakes, pastries and ice creams.
Semifreddo: Italian for “half cold” and refers to a variety of cold or frozen desserts, very similar to ice cream.

Quiet ambience, good food, attentive service. To sum up, it was an enjoyable dining experience indeed for JAF.
环境清静、食物美味、服务周到。
总的来说，这是一次非常愉快的用餐经验。

Address:
#P3-07 (3rd Flr) PARCO
9 Raffles Boulevard Millenia Walk,
Singapore 039596
For Reservation: 6423 1123
Opening hours: 10.30am – 10pm (Daily)
www.tavolo.com.sg