Posts Tagged ‘Fish and Chips’

1983 A Taste of Nanyang

August 3rd, 2012 365days2play

Just found out that a new food court has opened in Marina Bay Sands. It’s located below Carnivore, at the exact opposite end of Rasapura Masters Food Court and the Skating Rink. I think the Marina Bay Financial Centre people would be most happy as they now don’t have to walk to the far end of MBS to have lunch! When I was at 1983 A Taste of Nanyang, I saw a lot of office types wearing lanyards from various banks, so lots of people from MBFC must be making the hot and unsheltered trek to MBS.

1983 A Taste of Nanyang is owned by Koufu, who are also the owners of Rasapura Masters. I did a quick look of the place, and it seems that 1983 A Taste of Nanyang is somewhat more affordable than Rasapura Masters. If you’re in the vicinity of Marina Bay Sands and you want to find cheap food in MBS, 1983 A Taste of Nanyang’s probably a good bet. Speaking of affordability, ToastBox also has some affordable items like Laksa and Chicken curry for about $5 or so, but the selections are limited. So the secret’s out, now you know where to dine on a budget.

There are cosy booth seats available at 1983 A Taste of Nanyang. I actually like the look and feel of this food court more than Rasapura Masters. Rasapura Masters is good for those who want to watch the skaters while they dine, or if you’re at the skating rink / theatre / ArtScience Museum end of MBS.

1983 A Taste of Nanyang MBS Foodcourt (3)

1983 A Taste of Nanyang MBS Foodcourt (2)

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Posted in 1.6 Kopitiams / Hawker Centres Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments »

Harry’s Bar at MapleTree Business City

October 9th, 2011 365days2play

There isn’t all that much to eat at the MapleTree Business City where my office is located. The opening of the Labrador Park Circle Line Station doesn’t really help because it’s at least a 10 minute walk away and if you include the time taken for the return journey plus the train ride itself, you soon realise why venturing out is not for the faint hearted.

We are all quite looking forward to the opening of the Alexandra Retail Centre (ARC) next to the PSA building. At least there will be a few more restaurants to choose from, and McDonalds! But I can tell you, no matter how many restaurants sprout up around this area, it’s never going to be enough, because that’s just how the human mind works. You want to know you have choice, even if you don’t ever exercise the choice.

For now, if we don’t want to leave MBC, we have a grand total of 3 restaurants to choose from: Crystal Jade, Astons Specialities and Harry’s Bar. Other non-food court options would be Cedele, FoodBarn, Starbucks, Subway and Killiney. You could make a lot of money if you opened up an eatery here. You would have a captive audience!

Anyway…

When we feel like we need a bit of cheering up, we head to Harry’s Bar. No we don’t go for the drinks, we go there for lunch. I have to say, the food there is surprisingly good. One doesn’t normally associate a bar with good food, but Harry’s strives to be different. It’s not greasy pub grub you get here, although of course you could if you chose the deep fried items.

Harry's - Daily Breakfast (2)

Harry's - Daily Breakfast

All of us like the Harry’s All Day Breakfast. It costs only $14 and comes with back bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and egg. The food tastes fresh and isn’t too oily. You can choose to have pork sausage or chicken sausage. The crusty bread goes very well with the breakfast.

Harry's - Fish and Chips

Fish and Chips $16 – Also one of their signature dishes and I’ve tried it twice already. The fish is usually of a substantial size. It moist, flaky and very fresh tasting. The fries are also pretty good too, the crunchy type that I like.

Harry's - Baked Fish (2)

Harry's - Baked Fish

For a healthier option, you can go for the Atlantic Salmon baked in a packet $16 – Not sure how this tastes but my colleague who tried this had no complaints.

Harry's - Satisfied Customer

A very satisfied customer

I like going to Harry’s at MBC for lunch. Going to Harry’s for dinner however is a totally different thing. It usually means I have to stay back late in the office and that sucks!

Harry’s @ MapleTree Business City

Address:
20 Pasir Panjang Road
#02-14 Mapletree Business City
Singapore 117439
Tel: 6570 5207
Fax: 6659 4511

Operating Hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 11:30hrs to 12 midnight
Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays: Closed

http://www.harrys.com.sg/ (you can check out the menu here)

Posted in 1.3 Casual Restaurants Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments »

The Queen & the Mangosteen

September 26th, 2011 365days2play

I think I might have mentioned before that I have a soft spot for cafes and restaurants with quirky names? Tell me if you don’t think that the Queen & the Mangosteen sounds cool. The Queen & Mangosteen is a modern interpretation of the quintessential British gourmet pub with a whimsical flourish. Rumour has it that the mangosteen was reputedly Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit. Hey whaddya know, the mangosteen is my favourite fruit too!!!

There’s something about a place being known as a “pub”. I think in the Singaporean culture, we think of pubs as sleazy places where good people don’t go to. It’s not the same case in the UK. After watching Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay on TV, I’ve come to realise that families can go down to the pub for dinner. It just happens to be a place where you can also get alcoholic drinks.

Ah well, despite me saying that I like quirky names, this is only the 2nd time that I’ve been to the Queen & the Mangosteen. The 1st time being just after they opened a few years ago. Do you recall before this, in its place was Corduroy Cafe? I loved going to the Corduroy Cafe, it had such a nice ambience, and you had to walk past a long display of tasty jams and cakes! Wish the Corduroy Cafe was still around!

Anyway, my colleagues and I went down to the Queen & Mangosteen last week to celebrate someone’s birthday. After perusing the menu, most of us got the set-lunch as the prices were almost similar to the ala carte menu but with an additional soup/dessert and drink thrown in.

Queen & the Mangosteen - Coke

Free-flow of coke! Not that I need free flow coke. One glass is more than enough for me per meal.

Queen & the Mangosteen - Green Pea and Scampi Soup

Green pea and scampi soup – This was the soup of the day. Everyone chose this except for me. The soup colour may put you off, but based on the slurps and grunts of approval, everyone enjoyed the soup very much. There were chunks of scampi (prawns) in it too. Darn, I regretted not ordering this!

Queen & the Mangosteen - Fish & Chips

I had the fish and chips with their home made curry sauce. The fish is pretty good. It doesn’t taste oily and goes well with the curry dip. Only grouse is, 3 pieces isn’t really enough to fill you up if you didn’t already have the green pea soup! The fries were also very good. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Queen & the Mangosteen - Pot of Mussels

My colleague didn’t get the set lunch. Instead she ordered this pot of mussels in thai curry sauce with crusty bread. I managed to snag 2 mussels from her and I tell you, the broth was AMAZING! There’s a hint of Asian spice flavours to it so it’s even better than the usual mussels in wine. I could have slurped up the entire pot of broth if I’d ordered this! I bet the restaurant knows how good the broth is that is why bread is also served on the side. The mussels were also very fresh tasting to me, although it seems in the end, my colleague had to discard 5 mussels as they were unopened. I’m definitely coming back soon to try this dish again. Not cheap at $30+.  

Queen & the Mangosteen - Cottage Pie

Cottage pie (beef) – Not sure how this tasted but I don’t think my colleague had any complaints.

Queen & the Mangosteen - Panna Cotta

Ok this was the ickiest thing of the lot, and alas, it was my order! Instead of having a soup from the set lunch, I chose to have the dessert of the day. It happened to be panna cotta which is something that I like. I had in mind something like this from Gunthers, but obviously Gunther’s is in a far different league. I should have known better. Even the presentation itself was a failure. Look at the icky liquid covering the sides of the glass! Well I suppose the only good thing is that if you like the flavour of this panna cotta, there is lots of it to enjoy.

Promotions

Drink until he looks cute! Don’t you think that is so cheekily creative? I’ve a good mind to gather some of my male friends for a drink now. Ha. And I’ll pay if it works.

Queen & Mangosteen

Queen & Mangosteen Seating Area

Here are some more pictures I took off the Queen & Mangosteen’s website. As you can see, there is indoor seating as well as outdoor if you so choose.

Queen & Mangosteen - Mini burgers and onion rings

I tried those mini burgers the 1st time I went there. Pretty good and definitely pretty cute.

The Queen & Mangosteen

#01-106/107 Vivocity 1 Habourfront Walk, Singapore, Singapore 098585

Mon – Thu:11:00 am-11:00 pm

Fri – Sat:11:00 am-1:00 am

Sun:11:00 am-11:00 pm

Posted in 3.2 Shopping Centres Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Smiths Fish and Chips

July 3rd, 2011 365days2play

When we first saw Smiths Authentic British Fish and Chips moving into Tanjong Katong, we were quite excited. I know there are loads of places that serve fish and chips, but here was a shop, a standalone fish and chip shop mind you, that was proclaiming its authenticity, obviously we were excited about it. Having been to the World Famous Fish and Chip shop in New Zealand, I had high expectations for Smiths’ Fish and Chips. Did you know that fish and chips are the most popular form of fast food in New Zealand, more popular than McDonalds, KFC etc?

After Smiths opened, I chanced upon a couple of reviews that weren’t very positive. Add the fact that the cheapest fish and chips at Smiths will set you back by at least ten dollars, the need to visit Smiths became less compelling. Alas, find ourselves at Smiths we did 2 weeks ago, when the cafe next door which we wanted to go to was full. Smiths was packed, so we had our hopes up.

image

It was quite interesting to find that they have scampi and chip butty, which are things that are probably quite foreign to most Singaporeans. For the record, I love scampi. Scampi looks and tastes like prawns, but when I was in the UK, every single wait staff I asked said it was a fish. Wikipedia says it is a type of lobster. As for chip butty, that is a chip sandwich, ie chips in between slices of bread……..best not to know that these exist.

I ordered the Cod & Chips $17 while the Partner ordered the Dory & Chips $10. The Cod fish was quite terrible. It was tough, dry and totally lacking in flavour. Cod is one of my favourite fish (I am very fussy with fish) but if I hadn’t personally ordered the cod myself, I would not have known that the piece of fish I was eating was cod, the most expensive item on the menu!!! I wonder if the cod had been sitting in the warmer for a long time until it had become dry, if most people order the cheaper options…

On the contrary, the Dory fish tasted much better. It was juicy and flavourful and I wish I’d ordered that instead and saved 7 bucks, and so did the Partner because he had to relinquish half his lunch to me.

Smiths Fish and Chips (4)

Smiths Fish and Chips (3)

I have to say, these fish and chips are darn oily. They don’t come with the mushy peas either, you have to pay $2 to get some. You have to pay $2 to get some gravy too. The batter is pretty thick, so if you’re on a diet, this is really not the place for you. But, if you’re not on a diet, the batter is quite tasty. In fact, you can pay $2 to get more “batter scratchings”…

Smiths Fish and Chips (5)

HP sauce or vinegar to go with your fish? It’s common to have fish and chips with vinegar in the UK and in NZ. Smiths also provides tomato sauce. You won’t find chilli sauce here. I tried.

Smiths Fish and Chips - Soggy Fries

I would possibly give the fish another chance. But Smith’s chips were probably the soggiest chips I have ever eaten. If only I could order the Dory fish on its own without the side of chips.

Smiths Fish and Chips

On the whole, I think the prices are too high for a non-restaurant setting, for the quality of food served and for the portion size.

***Photos all taken using the iPhone 4***

Smiths – Authentic British Fish and Chips

230 Tanjong Katong Road,
Singapore 437018
ECP – Exit 11

Directions to Smiths Fish and Chips

Tel :9639 8348

http://www.smithsfishandchips.com

frenchie@smithsfishandchips.com

Posted in 3.1 Places in Singapore Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments »

Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Cafe and Pub

May 7th, 2011 365days2play

I think like many Singaporeans, when we hear the word “Pub”, we tend to think of the place as a sleazy, alcoholic’s haven, a place not for the family oriented. Apparently, this is totally not the case when the “pubs” in referenced are styled after the British/Irish types. Lots of families dine there for affordable comfort food.

So, don’t be surprised when you look at Scruffy Murphy’s menu and you find a whole range of dishes on offer from things like Roast Beef, Fish & Chips, a good range of sandwiches and pasta. I love ordering the Daily Roast when I’m here. It’s one of the few places where you can get roast beef, and at a very affordable price of $16.00! Compare that to the nearly $90 roast beef I had at Lawry’s a month back! Of course, dining at Lawry’s comes with other perks such as the excellent service and a more atas feeling, but one can’t dine at Lawry’s all the time! Another dish that is supposedly very good is the Fish and Chips, although I don’t think it is that fantastic. It costs $16 and they give you 4 huge pieces of fish, of which I was unable to finish.

The Gaelic Inns chain which owns Scruffy Murphy’s, also owns other pubs like Muddy Murphys, The Penny Black Victorian London Pub, Ballymoons and Durty Nelly’s. They are all styled after Irish pubs, but are each slightly different in character. Scruffy Murphys’ is the most “open-concept” one as it faces the East Coast beach. I love it that I can have my dinner while watching the cyclists go by. The Penny Black is situated along the Singapore River, so that’s also a nice place to people watch.

Scruffy Murphy's - Lamb ChopsScruffy Murphy's - Lamb Chops (2)

Rack of lamb $25- Quite nice, but a bit tough. I love the potato triangles dipped in gravy (you can just see it sticking out behind the lamb)

Scruffy Murphy's - Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding Scruffy Murphy's - Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding (2)

Daily Roast (Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and yorkshire pudding) $16 – For $16, I think this is an absolute steal. The portion of meat is substantial. It was juicy and flavourful and I finished every single bit. For $16, i really have no complaints!

Scruffy Murphy's - Heineken Beer

Beer in the dark

Beer in the day

And no, Heineken did not sponsor this post, although they should seriously consider doing so!

Scruffy Murphy’s full house during  the Manchester United vs Arsenal Match on 1 May 2011.

Scruffy Murphy’s Irish cafe and Pub

Address: 1000 East Coast Parkway, B7 Marine Cove
(Note: Just in front of MacDonald’s facing the beach!)
Tel: +65 6449 7717 Fax: +65 6446 2334
Email: enquiry@scruffymurphys.com.sg

Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday from 3 p.m. till midnight
Thursday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday and eve of Public Holidays from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday and Public Holidays from 9 a.m. to midnight

Enjoy “Sunset” Happy hours prices daily on draught beer all night!

Happy hour prices on all house spirits and wine till 8 p.m. daily

Posted in 3.1 Places in Singapore Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments »
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