Thursday, February 26, 2009

CP: Part 2 of the Prepacked Series

Today I present you two new delights from the CP series.

CP Mexican Wings
You can prepare this by either oven toasting or deep frying; opt for the former if you want a healthier choice as the wings are already pre-fried.

CP Mexican Wings

CP Mexican Wings,   S$$4.95 nett,   

I like it sinful so I chose the frying method and the first thing that caught my attention was the smell, which reminded me of KFC fiery drumlets with its crispy golden brown skin and a dash of red pepper. It looked so tempting that I took it with high hopes, but sad to say, it was nice on the outside but not on the inside. It tasted bland, and it could be better if it contained more of the oomph-factor!

CP Glazed Teriyaki
I've been purchasing packets of CP Glazed Teriyaki way before these samples came in simply because they're quick, easy, and delicious.

CP Glazed Teriyaki

CP Glazed Teriyaki,   S$4 nett,   

Once ripped open, there is an inner clear bag which you can conveniently throw into the microwave oven or boil in hot water. The result is tender chicken morsels soaked in mildly sweet and zesty Teriyaki sauce. Oh I loveee the sauce!

VERDICT
CP offers decent easy-to-do home snacks / dishes that wow your guests or family.

CP
CP Foods
Available in all leading supermarket stores
(+65) 6538 7020


Food:
Value:

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Din Tai Fung: Same but Safest Dishes

The weekend lunch crowd for Din Tai Fung was terrible, but nevertheless, we joined in the waiting list. Service was fast though. 15 minutes and we managed to enter the restaurant despite holding a large queue number.

Steamed Chicken Soup

Steamed Chicken Soup,   S$8.80++,   

Just when I had cravings for soups, this came as a disappointment. The chicken meat was tasteless, the soup was bland and oily, and it was rather expensive for a small portion like this.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

Steamed Pork Dumplings (10 pieces),   S$9++,   

Their specialty Xiao Long Baos were the only thing I tried when I first visited Din Tai Fung, and since then, I've been ordering them every time I revisit.

Steamed Pork Dumplings
A distinctive characteristic about Din Tai Fung's dumplings is the 18 folds on top of every single one. Though the skin was thin and translucent, the dumpling did not burst when being picked up. Instead, it stretched and rested nicely on my porcelain spoon.

One bite and I knew it was the same goodness which I first fell in love with. The minced pork was savoury, and the stock where the whole dumpling got flooded in was also very tasty. Naturally, nothing could match the Xiao Long Baos better than the vinegar and ginger dipping sauce.

Fried Rice with Shredded Pork and Eggs

Fried Rice with Shredded Pork and Eggs,   S$8.50++,   

This was another usual dish I would order. Simple, but it can never go wrong. The soft Shredded Pork was an ideal companion with the savoury and fragrant Fried Rice.

Special Braised Beef Noodle Soup with Beef and Tendon

Special Braised Beef Noodle Soup with Beef and Tendon,
S$10++,   

We had little expectations of this bowl of Braised Beef Noodle Soup but it proved us wrong! The soup was strong but didn't had the foul beefy odour, while the noodles, beef and tendon were all soft and well fused with one another.

VERDICT
Delectable dishes with affordable prices, it's never too much to make more return trips. However, it's impossible to stay in Din Tai Fung for long during peak hours, because the pressure from the fast service and queue outside will make you leave almost immediately after completing your meal.

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 - Wisma Atria
Din Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 - Wisma Atria
#02-48/53, Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road, S(238877)
(+65) 6732 1383
Mon - Fri: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat - Sun: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

http://www.dintaifung.com.tw

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Monday, February 9, 2009

Kuishin-Bo: Second "New" Branch

The basement of Jurong Point was revamped into a whole stretch of food street called Shokutsu 10 Osaka, filled with a new cluster of Japanese restaurants, including a second branch of Kuishin-Bo.

Pardon me when I use the word 'new', because when we went to try, it was really new then. Haha but I've been constantly updating my personal blog yet too lazy to update this one, that all my super backdated waiting-to-be-reviewed food reviews had snowballed into a huge (old) collection!

It's high time I start.. a few entries (hopefully) for the moment.

Kuishin-Bo
The peaceful looking zen setting can never be peaceful once the noisy crowd sets in.

Edamames and Sushis

Edamames and Sushis,   

What are Japanese buffets without Sushis? But these were of average taste and quality, and I always believe in not stuffing yourselves with too much Sushis because they're filling!

Sashimis

Sashimis,   

Our three favourite kinds of Sashimis - salmon, tuna, and swordfish.

Chawanmushi and Cha Soba

Chawanmushi and Cha Soba,   

The steamed egg in the Chawanmushis were soft and smooth; while the Cha Soba was like any other.

Snow Crabs

Snow Crabs,   

Advertised as the star attraction of the buffet, these Snow Crabs were indeed the cream of the crop!

Snow Crab
Sweet succulent juices spurt right into your mouth with every suck made on the fresh snowy meat! Wow these Snow Crabs totally won me over since the first time I tried it, and it had always been the ONLY reason why I'd still return to Kuishin-Bo this time when the rest of the buffet had long degraded.

Anyway, like I mentioned in my first post about Kuishin-Bo, I still think topping up S$10++ for the dinner buffet is worthwhile because of Snow Crabs.

Hot plate dishes were something that the Jurong branch offered over the Teppanyaki dishes at the Suntec branch.

Beef Burger on Hot Plate

Beef Burger on Hot Plate,   

I've read other food reviewers saying how hard and overcooked the beef patty was, and I think the restaurant tried to improve it by breaking up the beef patty into smaller pieces. It was still quite hard and overcooked, but at least easier for consumption now.

Salmon on Hot Plate

Salmon on Hot Plate,   

The Salmon meat was rather flaky, and the raw beansprouts were a weird combination.

Omu Rice

Omu Rice,   

Rice here was hard, omelette was slightly overcooked (due to personal preferences), but the sauce was pretty nice. Not bad but again, be mindful of its filling nature.

During dinner buffets, the restaurant would play a tune that goes "Dong dong dong 123.." (I'm sure you've made fun of it before) to give out special dishes for the first 30 customers.

Queue
'Kiasuism' was overwhelming as the whole string of people literally surged forward in line within seconds, even faster than a fire evacuation.

Mini Lobster with Sweet Chilli

Mini Lobster with Sweet Chilli,   

Okay we were one of the first 30 Kiasu buffet crowd, and we got this Mini Lobster. Actually it wasn't really fantastic, but rather the sense of satisfaction in getting the special item.

Desserts

Desserts,   

Bite-sized desserts are always good so you could try a much wider variety.

Desserts
Tiramisu, mousses, jellys, eclairs..

Green Tea and Vanilla Soft Serve

Green Tea and Vanilla Soft Serve,   

A sweet messy way to end the buffet!

VERDICT
Unless someone's throwing a treat for us, we would never return to Kuishin-Bo again. Not that it's really really bad, but because we had already grown sick of all the variety there. Time for a new buffet venue!

Kuishin-Bo, The Authentic Japanese Buffet Restaurant - Jurong Point
Kuishin-Bo, The Authentic Japanese Buffet Restaurant - Jurong Point
#B1-47/51, Jurong Point Shopping Centre
1 Jurong West Central 2, S(648886)
(+65) 6792 9286
Mon - Sun: 11.30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

http://www.res.com.sg

Buffet Lunch:S$26.90++ (Weekdays)
S$28.90++ (Weekends)
Buffet Dinner:S$35.90++ (Mon - Thur)
S$39.90++ (Fri - Sun)

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