Are you still looking for a restaurant to dine at this Chinese New Year? Do you fancy having great seafood and customary festive goodies with wonderful-sounding names like “好事发财” or “步步高升” that actually taste as good as they sound? Welcome to Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant.

For more than half a century, the restaurant has been serving delicacies from the sea. From their first home at East Coast to their present premises at the scenic and tourist-favorite One Fullerton, the restaurant has evolved with the times, bringing innovative dishes to our seafood-loving population.

During this most important Chinese festival of the year, you can enjoy an array of festive dishes here with your loved ones or colleagues ;)

Alaskan King Crab Yu Sheng 鱼生
SGD58++ / 88++

The Yu Sheng (raw fish salad) has become quite a staple for this occasion. Here’s a very good write-up on the history and tradition behind it. Typically eaten as an appetiser, this is the one dish that would usually elicit the most oohs and ahhs at the table.

A kaleidoscope of colors is created from the various types of shredded ingredients that include red pepper, carrots, ginger, chopped peanuts, vegetables, jellyfish and raw salmon amongst others. Over here, it even comes with pitaya (dragon fruit) slices! By the way, did you know that this fruit comes from a cactus plant?

To up the posh factor you can even have shredded Alaskan King Crab or lobster added to your salad. The crab meat is extremely succulent and sweet. What a great way to pamper oneself!

And that’s the aforementioned majestic Alaskan King Crab. Executive Chef Andy Lau (yes, exactly like the Hong Kong starlet) amusingly informs us that at times, the crab manages to make its escape out of the tank! I don’t know about you, but I sure wouldn’t want a mega-huge crab like that to be freely crawling ’round my feet!

Oysters with Prosperity vegetables 好事发财
SGD48++ / 68++

The Chinese, as a group, like to hear auspicious sayings and anything that sounds remotely like an auspicious saying. So when you have a dish with a name like 好事发财 (good fortune), we lap it up like crazy. Can you tell why oysters + black sea moss = 好事发财?

What intrigues me the most is the black sea moss. While this is apparently a very common ingredient in Chinese dishes, I have never had it in my life! My Mom never cooks it because it “looks gross”. Really, this peculiar vegetable (or weed) from the sea looks just like human hair! Or as the Cantonese would call it, “Fatt Choy!”

Taste-wise, the hair-like moss actually goes down very well. It suffices to say that I like it. Apparently it doesn’t make an appearance aside from Chinese New Year, just like the God of Prosperity.

Nian Gao (Chinese New Year cakes) 步步高升
SGD18++ / 28++

Next, we have the Nian Gao that have just the cutest Mandarin name of all: 步步高升! What this means in English is, uh, improving step by step? Can someone offer a better translation? Basically, the 高 character sounds exactly like pastry in Chinese.

The “small” portion comes with a dozen pieces of the pastry evenly divided between deep-fried or coated in coconut shavings. Both are yummy but our favorite is the deep-fried one.

Rather than being wholly Nian Gao, it also features a layer of yam and a layer of sweet potato. This way, it does not get too cloyingly sweet. Yum!

Have Your Say!

As you may already know, two important occasions happen to be on the same day this year. We’re curious to know: which would you be celebrating?

(Hint: If you are still racking your brain on where to bring your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day dinner, stay tuned for our next review!)

Do you intend to dine in style at a fancy restaurant this Chinese New Year, or would you prefer a quiet reunion dinner at home? What are your must-have food during this time of the year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section!

Many thanks to Karin and Gail for hosting us at Palm Beach.

Posted by Veron in Food, Holidays category.
Tags: Chinese, Chinese New Year, Holiday Food, One Fullerton, Seafood

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Perfect Ten high tea set
SGD13.80++

What really impresses is how beautifully everything is presented. From the sandwich with bak kwa (sliced porkchicken) to the chocolate-dipped strawberries (sprinkled with chocolate rice), every morsel simply looks so dainty! As a chocolate fan, my favorite is easily the little chocolate mousse cake. Rich and velvety smooth chocolate. Yum!

Have you seen the flyer for this promotion? What you see is really what you’ll get. Heck, even the placement of the individual items is accurate to the T!

The canapé comprises a plump juicy prawn, a slice of sweet mango, tomato and lettuce. Very colorful and totally yummy!

The prettiest of them all has to be pink rose-scented macaron, with strawberry slices doused in whipped cream. Ooh la la!

If you love desserts, you definitely want to check this out. Better still, bring along a friend or a partner. Everything in the set, except for the drink, comes in twos. Perfect for sharing!

Valid from 2-6pm daily. Promotion ends February 28, 2010.

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: Cafe, High tea, Promotion

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Here’s the thing: I wouldn’t know authentic Turkish cuisine if it bit me in the you-know-where. Here’s the other thing: You don’t have to know much to dig the food. That is the attitude I carry to every restaurant I visit.

I really like the ambience of this place. Roomy, ample seats, large, almost full-length windows that offer a view of the surrounding Beach Road area. It is elegant and chic enough for a romantic date, yet homely enough for casual dining.

If you like meat, you will feel quite at home over here. The mixed grill combo is great for those that love their meat but can’t quite decide what to get.

Jumbo Kebap Combo
SGD34.50++

The meat is served to you on skewers hot off the grill. When it arrives, our jaws drop. Sword, candle, flowers, all the works. It certainly has that wow factor doesn’t it?

This “Jumbo” combo comes with various kinds of kebab, or kebap in Turkish, including Shish and Döner. While the menu advertises this as being a platter for two, the generous portion makes it large enough to feed three adults.

Tasting a little smoky from the grill, the meats include lamb, chicken and beef that are minced, sliced or cut in chunks, all of them succulent and flavorful.

Turkey, which literally holds the bridge between East and West, offers one of the most colorful and exotic cuisines in the world. Digging in, I notice some Greek and Lebanese influences.

Döner kebab is meat that is slowly roasted, then sliced off from a vertical rotating spit.

Almost too much food!

The salad comes in little “bowls” that are beautifully crafted from onions. Notice that the food sits on top of a bed of warm, fluffy pide bread.

Well, we have no inkling that the Jumbo combo would really be that, well, jumbo-sized, and have already ordered a side of the “Sofra Kebap”.

Sofra Kebap
SGD15.50++

This is basically sesame-adorned bread filled with meat, walnut, eggplant, tomato and cheese. You have a choice between mixed beef and lamb or chicken.

The whole myriad of sweet, salty and peppery flavors tastes so good that I wolf it down in seconds!

Even while we are feeling as stuffed as a turkey at Thanksgiving, we can’t resist having a small dessert at the end. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to dine at a nice Mediterranean restaurant in Singapore that serves authentic Turkish food (not that I have been to Turkey myself).

Their dessert menu offers a few options. Frankly, we have no idea what Baklava is while the Turkish rice pudding makes me feel full just by thinking it. So we pick the chocolate pudding with marshmallows because that seems the most appealing on paper.

Turkish chocolate pudding
SGD4.70++

And it really is! The chocolate is rich enough to satisfy yet not so thick and sweet that it gets tiresome. Plus, the bits of marshmallow adds a bit of fun!

Oh, we would have gone for that Turkish coffee, too, but we’ve really had too much. Perhaps someone would let me know if it’s good?

Have Your Say!

What is your favorite Middle Eastern cuisine? Turkish, Lebanese, Moroccan or others? Leave your comments below!

Sofra Turkish Café & Restaurant ( Halal certified)
Shaw Tower
100 Beach Road #02-42/43/44
Shaw Leisure Gallery
Singapore 189702
(65) 6291 1433 | Website
Service:

Bus services: 100, 107, 57, 961
Nearest MRT: Bugis

Opening hours: 12noon – 2:30pm, 6 – 9:30pm daily

View menu

Note: I think Sofra is halal certified, but I am not 100% sure. Would someone confirm if it is?
Update: Yes, it is halal!

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: Beach Road, Halal, Turkish

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After watching movies like Ocean’s Eleven, casinos give me the impression of being brimming with tycoons and rich people that have the ability to blow cash freely at the tables. So, the restaurants at a casino resort must be really posh and unaffordable for the general population, right?

Wrong. The Dining Room at Crockfords Tower Hotel, one of the six at the Sentosa Integrated Resorts, offers an array of Cantonese dishes that are surprisingly inexpensive (see menu below). You would also find a rare dessert delicacy here that I would urge everybody to try at least once, because it is pretty darn good!

Let’s start with the dim sum. A selection of dim sum is available, including the crowd favorites like Xiao Long Bao, Har Kow and Siew Mai.

Steamed scallop dumpling
SGD4.80++

But our favorite is the scallop dumpling. This comes in threes, each one topped with a slice of sweet scallop. What they don’t tell you is that it also contains a plump, juicy prawn! Seafood lovers rejoice!

Steamed Xiao Long Bao
SGD4.80++

The Xiao Long Bao is your standard soupy dumpling with a thick and chewy skin, served with a vinegar and ginger dip. It is quite tasty, albeit a tad salty for people that are looking for something milder. As far as the Xiao Long Bao is concerned, the ones at Crystal Jade are still unbeatable. Everyone agree?

Cantonese seafood rice in chicken broth
SGD9.80++

Ah… The seafood rice in chicken broth is something new for me. I always had the impression that porridge is “sick man’s food” because that’s what our parents like to feed us when we are sick. That is, until I tasted my first bowl of congee that actually made me feel wonderful.

Well, this one is even better than that. It is basically a cross between porridge, rice and soup. Okay, so it is really just rice in soup, but it tastes much better than it sounds and looks. You get fresh seafood and various kinds of vegetables in the chicken broth. The combination is chock-full with flavor and the perfect comfort food. Forget porridge; this nutritious combo is what I’d like to have when I’m sick. Decent price, too.

Star grouper slices braised with fresh tomatoes and eggs
SGD19.80++

What we find less decently priced is the grouper. Now, I am certainly no fish expert, but I got a fishy feeling about this. Is grouper an expensive fish? For that price, three rather small slices is quite a skimpy portion. We do enjoy it nonetheless, thanks to the tomatoes and the unusual but much-welcome ingredient of beaten eggs that lends an additional richness.

Baked egg tart with bird’s nest
SGD10.80++ for 3

The best part of this meal is hands-down the aforementioned bird’s nest egg tart. We really have the chef to thank for this. He had already run out of the tarts, but he made a few more specially for us.

To be honest, we were skeptical when we first saw this item on the menu, thinking that the bird’s nest was simply a gimmick. To our surprise, each egg tart comes topped with a sizable heap of bird’s nest. Oodles of squeal-inducing, rock sugary sweet bird’s nest on a warm delicious egg tart! We are delighted! Right there and then, we have tasted the best egg tarts we’ve ever had in our lives!

If you are looking to impress that hard-to-please mother-in-law or pamper your partner, this, I can imagine, is quite perfect.

While the official website indicates otherwise, a check with the staff reveals that the restaurant is open 24 hours daily. This is to cater to hotel guests and patrons of the 24-hour casino. No one goes hungry! We are not sure if this applies for all the F&B outlets, though.

Starters menu | Main courses menu | Desserts menu

The Dining Room
Resorts World Sentosa
Crockfords Tower, Level 2
Service:
Website

Opening hours: 24 hours daily

Resorts World at Sentosa

Check out what you can expect at the rest of Resorts World at Sentosa.

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: 24 Hours, Cantonese, Chinese, Dim Sum, Sentosa

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Are you wondering what it is like on the inside? We take you on a tour through this highly anticipated attraction. Even before the Universal Studios theme park, the country’s first ever casino, and most of the 60 restaurants are open for business, the resort has already amassed a huge crowd on its opening day!

Clearly, the casino is the biggest draw of the resort. Be honest: How many of you are already planning your trip here?

The way to the casino is a route through passageways interconnected with escalators. Attention has been paid to every detail to give the feel of a whole different world. Ambient music plays in the background while lighting effects create dancing patterns and images on the walls.

This place has got some kind of underwater theme going on. A prelude to the controversial upcoming Marine Life Park, perhaps?

Water waves ripple on the arched ceiling and floor. You feel as though the floor MIGHT be moving. Pretty cool!

Lining the casino’s entrance is a long row of gantries with scanners. We notice that a majority of these are reserved for Singaporeans and permanent residents, while only a handful are meant for foreigners. A separate entrance is used for levied admission.

The eager crowd scrutinises the casino rules and regulations, and that includes a $100 admission fee. Some people were even spotted photographing the rules for future reference! Do you think the $100 fee would turn anyone off?

A slender-legged elephant towers over the crowd near Festive Hotel. He totally reminds me of Thailand!

The main lobby of Festive Hotel features dozens of colorful lanterns hanging from the tall ceiling. The decoration certainly emanates a festive ambience! You would find a bakery and a bar in the lobby, and a spa up the beautiful staircase.

For the well-heeled shoppers, a whole alley of designer boutiques can be found at Crockfords Tower. No sign of Victoria’s Secret yet. Also missing is Tiger Woods’ face at TAG Heuer.

In between Crockfords Tower Hotel and Hotel Michael lies an eye catching pair of sculptures. Aren’t they adorable? Uncensored, too, they are. Some time back there was a bunch of exhibits here featuring a similar chubby theme. It is probably the same artist who’s also responsible for the cute fat pigeon along Boat Quay.

This is The Dining Room at Crockfords, a 24-hour restaurant specialising in Chinese/Cantonese cuisines. Ever heard of a bird’s nest egg tart? Well, the one here is exquisite! Here’s our review of The Dining Room :)

When you visit the resort, do pay attention to the chandeliers. Most of them sport ornate and sophisticated designs that look interesting and abstract.

Festive Grande, the 1,600-seater theater will eventually host a musical acrobatic performance, Voyage de le Vie. Uh, someone translate?

As you can see, many parts of the resort are still under construction. Universal Studios Singapore has yet to open. Same goes for the two remaining hotels and the casino.

Universal Studios Singapore

Here are some photos provided by the resort to whet your appetite. The theme park looks fabulous and fun!

Let’s hope The Kingdom Of Far Far Away would not be too far in the future ahead. We are dying to take a look! Follow the Resorts World Sentosa official Facebook page for more updates!

Resorts World Sentosa restaurants

Check out our review of The Dining Room. We have more coming up so stay tuned!

Subscribe via email or RSS feed to be kept up to date on our reviews and updates for Resorts World Sentosa.

Have Your Say!

What do you think of Singapore’s first casino resort so far? Will you be checking it out? Leave your comments below!

Posted by Veron in Singapore category.
Tags: Resort, Sentosa

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The next time you are in the charming Tiong Bahru estate, don’t be surprised if you find a quirky, barrel-shaped building. This is none other than Wangz Hotel, the newest boutique hotel to open in Singapore.

Way before it even opened in mid-December 2009, the hotel had already captured the attention of curious passers-by. The building’s unique shape and shiny metallic facade makes it extremely striking and iconic. You can’t help but take a second look! It isn’t everyday you get to see an adorably shaped building like this.

We spent a night here recently to find out what you can expect at this 41-room design hotel. Food, culture, music. You name it, we had it all!

Upon entering the lobby, you are greeted by the artful decor of specially commissioned paintings on the walls. Nectar, the hotel restaurant where international and local cuisines are served all day, occupies one side of the floor.

Deluxe Room

Our Deluxe room feels cosy and intimate, with comfortable twin beds, subdued lighting and soothing piped music.

Personalised service comes in many forms, from staff that know you by name, right down to the fluffy Jean Perry pillows.

If you find your pillows too hard, too soft, too high, too low, the staff would be happy to change it for you. There is even a “pillow menu”. So if you find the pillow so comfortable that you wanna bring it home, you can!

A surprise find is the Altec Lansing iPod docking station. Hey, I have one of those at home! It sure looks as though the hotel is determined to make our stay as homely and enjoyable as possible. And we are certainly determined to enjoy ourselves.

If you thought that a little bit of music and a little bit of TV is all you can get, what if I told you you could play your favorite games here, too? Xbox 360 and Nintento Wii units are available on request. Wow! I can already see the faces of all you gamers out there lighting up!

A well-stocked mini bar offers free juices (nice!) and mineral water daily. Coffee and tea (from Twinings) making facilities are available.

Due to the unusual architectural design, every room utilises a different layout. Our bathroom is hidden when you first enter the room. Before anyone starts panicking, thinking that the architect forgot to design a bathroom, turn a corner and take a look. It opens up to this:

A floor-to-ceiling view of the surrounding area! The bathroom also comes fitted with a rain shower. Awesome. Just remember to roll down the shade when you are using it. Hehe :)

The illuminated magnifying mirror is an added nice touch. Ladies, you would find it especially useful when you are applying your makeup. Never miss a spot!

Many hotels provide toiletries that are either brand-less or the house brand. Over here, you get Molton Brown. I always feel that you can tell whether a hotel cares for its guests based on the type of amenities it provides. My bleached-dry hair suffers every time I stay at a hotel. Not this time. In fact, I think the conditioner miraculously made it less hay-like than usual. Well done, Brown!

Other room facilities and amenities include:

• Complimentary broadband internet access
• Flat panel cable television and DVD player
• Hairdryer
• Electronic safe
• Ironing board
• Bathrobes and slippers

Of course, there’s complimentary breakfast at Nectar, too.

Like all boutique hotels, every room is individually designed. Try finding two rooms that are identical… You simply can’t!

The centerpiece of each room is either a unique photograph or a painting sourced from all over the world, including India, Dubai, Thailand and Singapore. My favorite pieces are by Thai painter, Chamnan ChongPaiboon. Many of his works depict women with a mole on their face… Well, let’s just say that I can relate.

Room categories range from the smallest (but not cramped) Superior to the largest Deep Suite. For most of the room types you can choose between a bustling city scene or a tranquil view of greenery.

Superior Room

It is worth noting that the amenities provided in every room is similar. Guests staying in the cheaper room types do not really miss out on any of the cool stuff like the iPod dock or ambient music, for instance.

Balcony Room

Bigger parties can book two adjoining Balcony rooms and share the same patio area.

Soak Room

Ah… This one is for the couples! It is easy to see why this is called the Soak Room. The tub is big enough to fit two comfortably. Soak-worthy indeed! Planning a romantic getaway? Rose petals can be provided on request. Don’t forget the wine!

Deep Suite

The luxurious suite is the most spacious of the lot and features a sitting area. This, and the Soak Room, are the two room types that come with a Nespresso machine.

Personally, I feel that tourists get the best of both worlds when staying at a hotel in this locale. Not only are you just minutes away from the central business and popular shopping areas, you get to be in one of Singapore’s most historical districts.

Tiong Bahru is amongst the oldest housing estates here. If I am not mistaken, this is the only place where you can still find the old low-rise housing built by the Singapore Improvement Trust, overseen by the British colonial rulers before the nation became independent.

Then, there is the added perk of being surrounded by artistry, music, dedicated service and a really powerful rain shower. What more can one ask for?

Aside from staying at the hotel, you can also pop by for a meal at Nectar or chill out at Halo, the open-air rooftop bar. We are reviewing the restaurant soon. Stay tuned!

Have you stayed at a boutique hotel before? Share your experience in the comments!

Room charges range from S$228++ to S$400++ a night. Book online now to enjoy these promotional rates.

We thank hotel manager, Mr. David Yap, for arranging the stay and his friendly staff for making our brief time here truly comfortable and memorable.

Updates: I realised from readers/friends that my disclosure wasn’t clear enough. When I stated that the stay was “arranged” by the hotel, it was based on the assumption that people would understand that it’s free. I offer my personal opinions and views in this review, and gain no personal or monetary benefits by doing so. If things are good, you get to read about it. If I notice anything amiss, I state it with no reservation. What you see here is what you will get. There is no intention to mislead anyone, nor do I see any reason to.

For more of such reviews, please refer to my articles on these resorts.

Posted by Veron in Singapore category.
Tags: Hotel, Tiong Bahru

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After 3 long years, Sparklette has undergone an overhaul! That’s a long time for a website like this. Aside from the obvious cosmetic differences, here are a few of the changes:

Improved categorisation of content

Find what you need in a quicker time!

• Food reviews are now sorted according to cuisine.
• Travel articles are sorted according to city.

“Better” content is highlighted

• Featured section: This new section on the main page highlights the more noteworthy articles based on their appeal and content.
• Popular articles: Ever wondered what other people are reading? Listed in the sidebar are the most read articles in the past week.

Interactive features

• Weekly poll: Something fun that we can all take part in!
• Top commentators: Readers who left the most comments in the past 30 days are highlighted, along with links to their blogs. So start commenting now!

Experimental features

• Facebook integration: If you have a Facebook account, you can log in here and gain access as a Sparklette member. When you leave a comment here, it is automatically published on your Facebook account.
• Photo galleries (members only): Once in a while, I get angry email from readers asking why I didn’t blog about their favorite dishes at Restaurant Y. Well, you can now add on to the content by contributing your own pictures. So if you find that my photos suck, feel free to add your own! All contributors are credited with a link back to their blog. Free traffic for bloggers, and for those that don’t blog, a place for you to showcase your photos.

  Here’s an example.

Well, I’ll leave the rest for you to find out! There are some more features in the pipeline, especially for members (it’s free!). Bear with me while I tidy up some of the loose ends and glitches. I hope you like this new version of Sparklette.

Posted by Veron in Site News category.
Tags:

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This describes a typical scene at Claypot Fun. (The word “fun” is a play on the phonetically similar “饭”, the Chinese character for rice.) Managed by Jumbo Seafood, the eatery specialises in Cantonese-style claypot rice dishes. If you are used to the Singapore-style claypot rice that comes with Chinese sausages, vegetables and dark soy sauce, the Hong Kong rendition would prove a refreshing change.

Photo by JP Concept

Customers that come in instantly find themselves surrounded by the endearing ambience of the 1960s. Various aspects of the decor, from tiffin containers and vinyl records, to wooden furniture and vintage posters on the walls, help bring back the charm of the yesteryear.

Photo by JP Concept

Generally, a claypot restaurant is not the kind of place where you should expect a quick bite! The slow cooking nature of the dishes means a waiting time of at least 15 to 30 minutes.

When ready, the steaming hot food arrives in the traditional earthen pot which we notice is surprisingly clean! We double-check the sides and the base. All clean! Certainly not the charred and dirty way we like it. Usually such pots become burnt and black overtime from cooking over a charcoal stove. Without that, the dish somewhat loses that slice of authenticity.

Claypot rice with chicken & mushroom
SGD10.80++

Every small pot feeds two, whereas bigger groups can opt for the large pot for four. Ours comes brimming with meaty mushrooms and boneless chicken flesh. Succulent and well marinated, just the way we like it.

The seasoning of the rice, however, is rather bland and the aroma is weaker than expected. It is also missing that layer of burnt rice crust at the bottom which, for some, is the best part of a dish like this.

Fortunately, the “secret recipe” sauce comes in and saves the day!

Bottles of a specially-concocted light soy sauce are provided so diners can throw as much of it onto the rice as they wish. Our verdict: The more, the yummier! It is sweet and extremely fragrant. If you’ve ever had a sizzling hot plate at Pepper Lunch and loved their honey brown sauce Amakuchi, you would know exactly what I mean. This soy sauce has that exact same effect. With it, the otherwise ordinary rice explodes with flavor.

You can pick from 7 types of accompaniments with your rice, including frog and pork ribs.

Photo by JP Concept

The restaurant occupies the former premises of the now-defunct Mingles La’ Brassarie at Playground @ Big Splash.

Personally, I prefer the Singapore-style claypot rice. The smokey taste, the burnt aroma, and the dark sauce all add to the appeal.

Have you had any great claypot dishes lately? Share in the comments!

Claypot Fun
Playground @ Big Splash
902 East Coast Parkway
Blk B #01-11
Singapore 449874
(65) 6440 7975
Service:

Bus services: 13, 16, 196
Nearest MRT: Eunos

Opening hours: 11am – 11pm daily

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: Cantonese, Chinese, East Coast Park

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With a name like Chili’s, you can be sure that the food is sizzling hot and packed with flavor!

Chili’s Grill and Bar, the casual dining restaurant chain originating from Dallas opened in Singapore in 2009, its 200th restaurant worldwide. It brings to town an expansive and diverse menu so diners can chow down on their signature fajitas, American favorites such as ribs and burgers, and Tex-Mex cuisine, while sipping on one of their margaritas.

The decor is Southwestern-America style and the atmosphere is vibrant and lively, with ample booth seats, a bar and flat screen TVs showing sports. As part of its tradition, every Chili’s restaurant also sports a single upside down photo. We try to eye-hunt it down whilst waiting for our food, but once the piping hot dishes arrive, we dive in and give up on the photo hunting. If you do find it, let us know!

Margarita grilled chicken
SGD14.90++

I am particularly excited to try the margarita grilled chicken, because it looks every bit like one of those colorful Tex-Mex dishes with refried beans and Pico de gallo I fell in love with during my last trip to Dallas. I have been trying to locate decent Mexican or Tex-Mex food in Singapore ever since and haven’t found any. Swensen’s did try once but flopped.

The slab of chicken breast is seasoned with margarita mix and grilled. This is served atop rice with crispy tortilla strips on a bed of black beans, and topped with Pico de gallo. I think there is supposed to be tequila in it but I haven’t tasted any.

A Mexican expatriate once told me there is no such thing as good Mexican or Tex-Mex food in Singapore. For a long time I had to agree with him. Well, Chili’s does not disappoint and this is by far the best taste I’ve had of Tex-Mex cuisine in a long while.

Chicken Crispers
SGD19.90++

Right off the chicken menu comes the Crispers. These are chunky strips of hand-battered chicken, served with sweet corn on the cob, a large portion of fries, and honey-mustard dressing. The chicken is tender, but pretty plain on its own. So do make full use of the dip, which is delicious and adds a lot of flavor.

For extra crispy and spicy Crispers, go for the honey-chipotle variety that is tossed in a spicy sauce.

The chocolate molten cake is highly recommended. This is similar to my favorite dessert, the chocolate lava cake. It is warm chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream, with a core of warm chocolate fudge filling.

On a return visit, I am definitely having a fajita and a margarita!

Chili’s
Tanglin Mall
163 Tanglin Road #02-23
Singapore 247933
(65) 6733 3317 | Website
Service:

Bus services: 7, 75, 77, 105, 106, 111, 123, 132, 174, NR8, 174E
Nearest MRT: Orchard

Opening hours:
11am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs)
11am – 11pm (Fri – Sat)

View menu

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: American, Bar, Chicken, Grill, Mexican, Tanglin Mall, Western

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http://sparklette.net/food/chilis/ | 15 comments

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From now ’til end February, you can enjoy this promotion at all Swensen’s restaurants between the lunch hours of 11am to 2pm.

Click to enlarge

Terms & Conditions:

• Valid on weekdays (11am – 2pm) till 28 February 2010, excluding public holidays.
• Valid for all food items (excluding desserts and drinks) from the ala carte menu.
• Free food item will be of lower or equal value. Valid for dine-in only.
• Not valid with other promotions, discounts, privileges and set meals.

I think it’s terrific that Swensen’s has brought back this promotion and made the food more affordable for everyone. During the last run, I had made full use of the promo to try out various dishes. If you’re already planning your next meal at Swensen’s, here are some of my recommendations as well as their menu.

Oh, by the way, they also have a 1-for-1 ice cream and dessert buffet at the Ion Orchard outlet. Wowza!

Swensen’s [ Halal Certified]
Various outlets
swensens.com.sg

Posted by Veron in Food category.
Tags: Halal, Promotion, Western

View the original article and join the discussion at:
http://sparklette.net/food/swensens-1-for-1-lunch-treats-2010/ | 5 comments

You are reading the original content of Sparklette Food & Travel.
Republishing of content, photographs, design or RSS feed, whether in part or in full, is strictly not allowed.

© 2003-2009 Sparklette