Butter chicken and garlic naan from Sim Lim Square food court

I was recommended to try this Indian and Pakistani stall in the food court at the basement of Sim Lim Square (B1-15). I was initially a little skeptical about them but went ahead anyway. It turned out to be not bad after all. The naan was kneaded into shape and sprinkled with bits of garlic then baked in the that clay/stone oven. All made to order. That much can be seen was freshly made. I didn't expect that the butter chicken was actually served on a foil sheet on a hotplate which had it sizzling all the way back to the table. The gravy tasted a little thinner than I expected but had a good level of spice. Which would have been better if the gravy were more creamy. The chicken portions was quite miserable as well and didn't taste as smoky like it did at Jaggi's.

One thing for sure as many of you are probably already aware, the coffee at the food court was horrendous.

Steak @ Les Bouchons

I was recently seized by a craving for beef after a "cold tipoff" which brought us down to Les Bouchons (7 Ann Siang Road, tel : 6423 0737). Since the last visit some time back, the menu has gone through some changes. The price of the cote de beouf has gone up a little (it's now $40 per pax) but was still good value for money. Previously the other steak items also costed less. Today I didn't want to pass on the previously unavailable XL US beef ribeye ($42) which the server estimated at 400g and would be fattier than the standard ribeye option where the meat was from Australia or New Zealand. Tenderloin lovers got  their loving as well in the form of their larger beef fillet ($34) option.


As you can see, the ribeye was the only thing that's on the plate. It turned out to be as large (yes!) as the server had mentioned and the fries had to go on a separate basket. The meat was fatty as claimed but was also sinewy. Wasn't as juicy as I had expected though. At the back of my mind, I was actually imagining something else. I had to let go of some of the fat as there was too much that my conscience refused to let me eat them all. Lol.


In spite of being less juicy than I had been imagining for, the tenderloin scored points by being as tender as one would expect of the cut. It was leaner and slightly less flavourful than the ribeye but still turned out to be very enjoyable. Probably is one of the larger tenderloins I had.



There wasn't much of variety for desserts in Les Bouchons. Apart from some ice cream with fruits and preserves, there was only the Ile Flottante ($10) and a Grand Marnier flavoured creme brulee to be had. I didn't remember how the former tasted like since it was quite some time back since I had it. After the first mouthful of that soft wobbly egg white in the caramel milk, the memories steadily back. This stuff was light and fell apart in your mouth more easily than foie gras. The sliced almonds were toasted which added a depth of crunch and fragrance.

Kamakura Nihon Ryori, Circular Road

The truth be told, this is one of those Japanese places (83 Circular Road, tel : 6438 0820) that I would normally avoid. But since a couple of other locations we were originally intended upon were packed to the brim and we had to get a quick dinner, having empty seats wins you customers sometimes. On hindsight, Shah Alam just across the road would have cost less and have been more satisfying. Lesson learnt.


I was initially wondering at the taco chahan which I've had my encounter with initially back in Mimigar as one of the identifying items of Okinawan cuisine in the strange hybrid of Japanese and Mexican styles. I ordered it despite a strong apprehension about what it would turn out to be and this would be one of those times when you feel like shooting yourself for not trusting your instincts. Lo and behold, ground beef fried rice at an amazing value of $8.50! I would have been a lot happier paying slightly more than double for twice the portions and a generous portion of crab meat. The strange salvation of the taco cha.......ground beef fried rice came in the from innocuous small bottle of fragrant and spicy La-Yu on the condiment tray which really upped the taste of the miserably portioned rice to lip smacking levels. Sometimes, the it's the small things that we overlook that make a difference. After all, the fate of Middle Earth once rested precariously upon the shoulders of a certain hobbit. I'll probably not return to this place, but I'll definitely stock up on that La-Yu.

The hotate mentaiko ($11.80) didn't really come across to me or anyone at dinner to be filled with mentaiko on the creamy top neither. And honestly, while palatable, I've had much better.

Balsamic mousse cake from Eden Cafe

Dropped by at Eden Cafe for some sweets again, so that means more of the ostrich egg creme brulee and hibiscus cheese filo. But, here's a look at the balsamic mousse cake. Despite the nondescript appearances as a cake this is interestingly quite pleasant with an above subtle aroma of balsamic vinegar in the light creamy mousse that wells up in your tastebuds as you wedge it between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. The chocolate sauce tasted like those from Hershey's squeeze bottles.

New Harbour Cafe and Bar, Tanjong Pagar

While clinging in the dawn of dusk (wtf! lol) slightly past seven on a Thursday evening, New Harbour Cafe (New Harbour Cafe & Bar, 114 Tanjong Pagar Rd, tel : 6226 2657) was brimming with people for drinks and dinner. Was glad reservations were made. I first noticed this place some time back on a couple of occasions when I visited Chen Li Yuan and Buko Nero along the same row of shophouses at Duxton. I then realised that this wasn't the just the regular watering hole that merely served un-nutritious and greasy bar snacks. They too have un-nutritious and greasy proper meals. There's a full menu of food to be had and despite the grazing mention regarding nutrition, it's rather decent food and a stop worth a second look for an evening pitstop.

The edibles here are a mixture of local western (read Hainanese originated western), bar food and  a smattering of local-ish fare. Hell there's even sashimi though I admit to being extremely apprehensive at ordering those in a place like this. One generally does not walk into a place like this looking for food that requires finesse to prepare. Ahem!

crispy pork with apple sauce

monster burger

cumi bakar (grilled squids)

The food's saltish, greasy and makes you want to drink. I thought the crispy pork belly wasn't too bad. I had expected bigger portions and it really wasn't that much despite appearances. The pork belly did come with very crispy skin and wasn't ladened with too much blood curdling fat. Would definitely have appreciated a more generous helping of that apple sauce. We had to ask for extras as it was merely a small dollop for all that pork belly. How does that even work out? The monster burger wasn't close to anywhere as impressive as the name might have implied. It's a basic bar burgers topped with some ham, cheese, sautéed mushrooms and an egg. There was definitely too much fillers in the patty which I didn't like. For the price of $18.50, one would definitely start to make comparisons. Squid was just passable. I definitely expected more char from being grilled instead of being limp, however the "kick in the face" spicy sambal paste and sweet sauce did help. Seriously, watch out for the sambal.

One Ring to rule them all!!

Apparently, there is also the ring version from the same place!

I couldn't resist...