Blisshouse Theme Restaurant

I suppose this place has been instagrammed many more times than an average restaurant- the interior is so fairy-tale like that it's difficult not to resist taking too many photographs of this place! 

But fairy tales are after all, fairy tales.

Occupying a very large area on the 3rd floor of Central, this place felt very spacious.

I had the Chicken Roulade ($20). The mushroom in the supposed wild mushroom puree didn't have any of the mushroom goodness- you could see the mushroom but you couldn't taste them. The sweet chilli aioli had a strong mayonnaise taste to it without any hint of sweet chilli. The mashed potatoes were too buttery, which clashed with the mayonnaise. Thank goodness the chicken was not dry and the bacon was not too fatty.

The price of the dish probably includes the price of having the fairy tale theme. However, life is far from a fairy tale and the reality is that the food here isn't worth its price.

Blisshouse Theme Restaurant
The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-21
Tel No. 6 225 5532 

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L'Atelier Tiramisu

Tiramisu in Italian means "pick me up" or "make me happy". In an ideal world, all tiramisus should taste like this. Countless of tiramisus have come and gone, but only this, is worthy of praise. 

Occupying an extremely small shop space, you can ask for takeaway or make do with whatever limited space you have. 

We had the Classico ($6.80) and Lychee ($6.80). As with most food, the original is always the most comforting and endearing. Yet, the lychee tiramisu is not too shabby either. What really makes me impressed about the tiramisu here is that it does not disintegrate into an unidentifiable mess once the fork comes into contact with the tiramisu even though the lady fingers were so moist. Plus, finally it feels like someone has finally got the proportion of mascaporne cheese to lady fingers right.

The Classico had a aromatic coffee taste and it was suitably bitter-sweet. The Lychee, on the other hand, is like the younger sibling of the Classico, free and happy, without a care in the world.

Everything here is so simple yet so complicated. It takes a lot to perfect the skill to make tiramisus. Yet, the simplicity of it all (as seen from the layout of the shop and its website) also stands out. If you need a tiramisu fix, there's no where else you should be.

L'Atelier Tiramisu 
The Central & Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#B1-09 

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Ellenborough Market Cafe

I have been to Ellenborough Market Cafe at least 3 times in the past few years and I think standards (both food and service) have slipped. 

Fresh sushi.

The seafood was absolutely disappointing. The prawns were not fresh, the mini lobsters were ridiculous because there was very little meat within the shell. After trying these two, I didn't bother trying the crabs but apparently they weren't fresh also.

An interesting selection of salads- curry chicken salad, squid salad etc. There was also a Peranakan section which had my favourite kueh pie tee. Chinese food was pretty ordinary. Soup (Seafood chowder) was far too salty.

The only thing that everybody remembers about this place is the durian. How often is it do you get to eat durians without your hands smelling like durians? This was addictive.

Keep a lookout for the replenishment of desserts because after this batch ran out, they changed it completely to kueh lapis and mini tarts. The Chocolate Ganache was so-so, the kueh lapis were okay, mini tarts looked like supermarket pre-made plus the kueh lapis was slightly cold and slightly warm at some parts- totally gives away that these didn't come out fresh from the oven.

A pretty good selection of kueh as well. There was a crepe station where you get to get your crepes freshly made and they will scoop whichever flavour ice cream you would like. Queue can get pretty long, so, if you want just the ice cream, too bad you still have to queue. The chocolate ice cream is rich and sufficiently bitter!

All in all, the food wasn't particular impressive but not so bad that it would enter my won't-eat-again-list. What this place sorely lacks though is good service- plates being stacked up at our tables, not getting our cups of water, water not getting refilled etc. Although they tried to spread the stations out, there was still bottlenecks and overcrowding. For $48, I think I can get a better stretch for the buck somewhere else.

Ellenborough Market Cafe 
Swissotel Merchant Court
20 Merchant Road
Tel No.: 6 239 1848

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The Fabulous Baker Boy

I was reading a magazine that recommended this place. Tucked safely at Fort Canning Hill opposite Liang Court, it was a place that I would definitely not have chanced upon. 

I ordered a Towkay Ng's Eggs Benedict ($10.50). It is probably one of the cheapest egg benedicts you can find in Singapore. I loved this dish- the two egg benedicts were served on warm toasted brioche with a layer of sauteed spinach. The egg white was firm with runny egg yolk. The roasted potatoes felt a little extra though. The portion was, however, not enough for someone with a huge appetite. I went on to try some pancakes and they were really fluffy.

Desserts are a must-order here. Feeling more adventurous than my usual chocolate-cake-only order, I got a Salted Caramel Chocolate Torte ($7.50). I didn't regret choosing this. Layers of rich and moist chocolate, were complemented perfectly by the salted caramel. So delightful.

Based on the food alone, I would recommend this place. But service from a particular server was ridiculous. To cut the long story short, place your reservations well in advance otherwise the server may not give you a seat even if the tables are empty. One table only indoors, with a very small table. Sitting outside might be a better choice if you don't want to feel so cramped.

The Fabulous Baker Boy
The Foothills
70 River Valley Road
#01-15
Tel No.: 6 694 8336 

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Chiso Zanmai

Having heard about the spread at Chiso Zanmai, we headed down to try the Japanese buffet. As the Singlish adage goes, "good things no cheap, cheap things no good." 

From the way some of the sushi were wrapped, I kept my expectations for the sushi low. Indeed, the rice was a little hard. I can't vouch for the freshness of the food also as one of the prawn sushis tasted really weird.

Deep fried food sure appeals to me. Here, you can try some Takoyaki Octopus Ball, Stir Fried Udon Noodle, Tompeiyaki Pork and Cabbage Omelette etc. Problem is most of the food were actually served cold, not sure how long ago they were cooked.

You could also make your own ramen although I gave this a miss because I didn't want to waste my stomach space on carbs.

Some of the appetisers included Chilled Tofu, Edamame, Potato Salad etc.Of all of them, I tried the Chilled Tofu which was nothing special.

More deep fried items including my favourite Prawn Tempura and White Fish. The Chawanmushi was too salty. The Deep Fried Tofu with Light Soy Sauce had a gooey layer which was quite unappetising.

Desserts are always my favourite section. The best was the green tea tiramisu as it was light and not too sweet. The rest were pretty average.  

Although $19.90++ is a really cheap price to pay for a weekend lunch buffet, I wouldn't come here again. Lots of natural lighting made this place comfortable. But the food really awaits improvement.

Chiso Zanmai
The Central
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-17
Tel No.: 6 221 3177 

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Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe (Liang Court)

Saizeriya was a place I wanted to try because it has supposedly super cheap food. But ever heard of the Singlish adage, Good things no cheap, cheap things no good? 

The Seafood Pizza ($7.90) had an utter lack of tomato base. It was just a thin layer of tomato sauce spread over the pizza. That reminded me of a frozen pizza base which is thawed and then sprinkled with random seafood. To be fair, however, the seafood was fresh.

Service was efficient and you had to press a bell at your table to call for their attention. Water is provided at the side of the restaurant at no costs. This is a good option for those who want a fairly decent meal but don't wish to pay too much for it. Basically, you get what you pay for. 

Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe (Liang Court)
Liang Court Shopping Centre
177 River Valley Road
#02-22
Tel No: 6 337 9001 

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Ma Maison Restaurant (The Central)

The table we were seated at Ma Maison had very good views of the Clarke Quay area. Another friend and I stopped talking because we got distracted by the lights of the G-Max Reverse Bungy. 

Nice ambience within the restaurant with a very cosy feel. I especially liked the table cloths- flower prints. Not your conventional mono-colour table cloths.

Having read reviews about the Cuttlefish Ink Spaghetti, I decided to have it!

Looking slightly unappetising, the Cuttlefish Ink Spaghetti ($15.90) was a first for me. The last time I ate anything remotely squid ink was at Skinny Pizza. Anyway, I found the squid ink too salty for my liking. It smelt really good though. At $15.90, I would have expected more ingredients, instead of the pittance of cuttlefish with some mushrooms in it. The spaghetti was cooked al dente. Note though, to wipe your mouth constantly and to have a cup of water, or you will be flashing black lips and black teeth.

Overall, the food isn't much to rave about. I have conflicting thoughts about the service. On one hand, there's this Japanese guy who's extremely friendly and helpful. On the other hand, there's this other guy who was pretty condescending. As I walked out, I told my friends, "Oh my goodness, that guy sure was, ... what's that word?" "Snobbish," my friend said. If you want to have a romantic date, here's a good place at a relatively affordable price.

Ma Maison Restaurant (The Central)
The Central @ Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-96
Tel No: 6327 8122 

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Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is a place I pass by pretty often, but never entered. Finally, I got to try this award-winning bak kut teh. There are two shops along the same road but we chose the one nearer the junction because it seemed like there were more seats. Lunch crowd can be quite a horror but there was either no wait or a very short wait because of the efficient staff. 

Set up since 1969, the shop is currently under the helm of the founder's son. You can see the chefs at work and there's a old feel about it, which doesn't feel out of place in the row of shophouses.

Here's the star of the show. You can choose either the small Pork Ribs Soup ($6.50) or the large one ($8). We were feeling kind of poor so we asked the server whether the large one was enough for two to share. She replied that there were about 4-5 pork ribs in the soup. 

The meat was tender and the soup was suitably peppery. However, unless you need to scrimp and save, maybe get the single portion and eat 3 pieces of pork ribs on your own. Since the meat was quite little, it wasn't satisfying to eat just two pieces (we were sharing a large bowl). But by all means, drink the soup- it's very good! Free refill of soup as well. 

We also ordered a small plate of Xiao Bai Cai in Oyster Sauce ($3.50).

For two people, we spent around $14.60 including one drink. Worth it? Depends. The bak kut teh is good but the price of it is slightly on the high side. Service was very efficient and food came very quickly. Unlike some establishments which have rude servers shouting at you during rush hours, this certainly didn't happen here.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh 
11 New Bridge Road #01-01
Tel No: 6533 6128
(Closed on Monday)

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The Manhattan Fish Market (The Central)

One of the things my friend must eat whenever he comes back to Singapore is Manhattan Fish Market. Because it's good, filling and cheap (at least cheaper than Fish & Co). But upon checking Fish & Co's website, I realised that their pricing is more competitive than in the past. Maybe I should give it a try some other time.

MFM is having some kind of promotion for groups of 2 and 4, where you pay the same amount for a flaming platter but get a free salad and soup. It didn't apply to us because we used the Groupon. 

We bought the Groupon ($20 for $40) because we knew we weren't going to fork out money without a Groupon to try the Manhattan Flaming Seafood Platter ($35.90). Yes, it's that dish that gathers stares everytime it's served because of the aromatic grilled smell and just because, it looks pretty dramatic.

The Garlic Herb rice actually tasted somewhat like Hainanese Chicken Rice which should come as no surprise given that lots of garlic is added into chicken rice. The herb taste didn't stand out. It was also not warm when served. The four Flaming Prawns were coated with mayo and while the flaming process was interesting, had nothing special about it, except maybe the BBQ taste. The grilled fish was good, and the calamari was decent. Pity the amount of vegetables were quite sad- Two broccolis and carrot for each person. 

The food is decent but I definitely wouldn't pay $18++ (the total bill came to $42.24 for 2 people without a Groupon) per person for this. The guy who served us was friendly, although it took many mega waves before we attracted their attention for the menus. Water was also not refilled throughout the meal.

The Manhattan Fish Market (The Central)
The Central @ Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-79/90
Te Nol: +65 6534 7903

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Dragon Phoenix Restaurant 龙凤大饭店

The main impetus to going to 龙凤 was because dim sum is 50% during lunch (even during weekends), which is really a steal if you think about it. Apparently, it was one of the best dim sum places four decades ago. The founding chef of this place was one of the chefs who created yusheng!

We ticked off so many items on the list, it was almost we had expandable stomachs.

The egg tarts were mini and the crust was flaky. We wanted to order a second portion, only to realise that our stomachs weren't as expandable as we thought they were.

Loved the banana prawn fritters! The sweetness of the banana complimented the saltiness of the prawns. Oh, coupled with that deep fried goodness.

The chee cheong fun's skin was slightly too thick, but the prawns were fresh and large.

I quite liked the sweet char siew su, with the crispy outer layer.

Besdies this, we also had congee, 咸水角，叉烧包，烧卖，凤爪，虾角，小笼包，carrot cake and deep fried prawn dumpling. By the way, you've been warned. It's a consensus that the carrot cake isn't that great. Other than that, the quality of the food was pretty good. And for all that crazy amount of food that we ate, the total bill after discount came to around $12 per person.

Service wise, it was average I guess. The servers weren't particularly enthusiastic, but they weren't rude or anything like that. So it's fine.

Where else can you eat such a copious amount of food and get away with paying this amount of money?

Dragon Phoenix Restaurant 龙凤大饭店

177A River Valley Road

Level 6 Novotel Clarke Quay (Liang Court)

Singapore 179031
+6563393368

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