SP Food Connoisseur Club

As taken from our organiser, Eugene:

For those of you who are health-conscious and enjoy one of the most famous Singapore’s local delicacy, Char Kway Teow, do sign up for this food trip. There, we will be trying out the healthier version of Char Kway Teow, with less oil, more vegetables, no pork no lard =)

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Slots Available: 20

Date: 30th January 2010, Saturday
Time: 1300 hrs – 1630 hrs

Meeting Place: Lavender Mrt Station
Venue: 505 Beach Road
01-91 Golden Mile Food Centre

Budget: $3-5
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I would like to remind everyone that registration is only to be done at the forum. Any mail via the spfcc email or facebook will not be entertained. Slots are limited, 1st come, 1st served.

Name of Establishment : Living Greens

Opening Hours : 11.00 am – 8.30 pm

Cuisines : Vegetarian food

If you ever thought that vegetarian food isn’t tasty , you have yet to try the dishes from this place. With their several  different interesting mixtures of organic vegetables, its sure to blow yr minds. Living Green is located at 325 Beach Road.

Some reviews from this trip : “When I first stepped into the place, the atmosphere gives a calming feels because of the smell. I’ve been to different vegetarian restaurant and it all has similar smells. They also provide plain water in a very short time after we had settled down.

I ordered spinach herbal spaghetti. It is well decorated and it looked very pleasing. However, the spaghetti has only slight taste and light smell of herbal. The mushroom, green and red capsicum they added have absorbed the sauce of the spaghetti and tasted delicious. The spaghetti was rather dry and overall it does not taste very well

I also ordered organic guava and apple juice. Initially, they gave me the wrong drink but quickly changed it for me. I pretty much like their service. The drink taste a bit sour and I can only taste the guava when I first started drinking it. After a few more sips, the flavour of apple starting become stronger and I can taste a well blend of guava and apple. At first, I find the drink weird, but as I continue drinking, it makes me continue drinking it. It’s a drink worth trying.” By Shawn Ong Wee Siong

” Being an occasional vegetarian, I was looking forward for a light meal at the Living Green. 

I ordered Potato Wedges that was fried with curry. It was served with Soy Mayo and Pumpkin Seed Dip. I was rather disappointed as the wedges were a little raw and tough, the sauce was too unique and sour for my liking. 

I also tried Almond Sushi Roll. Rather than a usual sushi filled with rice, the Almond Sushi Roll was filled with vegetables instead! It tasted like a salad, rather average to me. 

Overall, it’s a whole new experience dining in a vegetarian store. The atmosphere was good; there were a few posters that definitely caught my attention. The restaurant also sells a few organic foods like honey and cakes! ” By Andrea Lim

” It was first of all not very accessible, had to rely on my handy GPS to find the location since it was tucked away in an alleyway along Beach Road.

Being a self confessed carnivore, I admit I found it daunting to be eating only organic vegatables without actually having any meat on the table. Looking at the interior of the place certainly helped me feel better. It was quite stylish with posters pasted on the wall emphasising the importance of eating healthily and the damage that cattle rearing causes. An A+ for educational purposes! 

Moving on to food, I ordered Sherperd’s Pie and a glass of fresh carrot juice. The pie was definitely a plesant surprise, it tasted good and I actually found myself wanting more after each bite. The carrot juice was also sweet, no traces of sugar was added which made it so much healthier. Plus it’s good for your eyes!

It was definitely an eye-opening experience eating in a vegan restaurant. I would not mind going back again. However thumbs down on the pricing, it might be a little bit too costly for students with limited pocket money.  ” By Alphonsus Neo

” Location wise the place was rather hard to find along beach road. Not very accesible to people. It was quite a distance from the mrt so people who do not know their way around might not be able to locate the store easily.The interior of the restaurant however was a rather soothing and homely feeling which felt rather welcoming.

The service of the staff was rather good. The waitress kept asking if we needed refills for water and she cared to explain the menu to us and recommend us the dishes around here

As for food, I ordered the tomato spaghetti. To my dismay it didn’t taste quite well. The sauce was abit too sweet and when mixed with the raw garnish served, the taste of the vegetable with the sauce didn’t go well. The vegetables had a rather raw taste and when mixed into the sweet tomato sauce it was rather unappealing to me

The value of the food was rather expensive for the serving size. Even though the food should be expensive as it was organic, the serving size to me was rather small and not filling.

Therefore overall, I felt that it was a great experience to try out vegetarian food. Even so, I highly doubt I would return to the store as although healthy, the food wasn’t really tasty. ” By Duane Tan

“At first I didn’t believe that vegan food can be quite tasty until I went to Living Greens restaurant and not only see but also tasted the vegan food and learnt that it’s great. Not only the food was great it is also interesting and there are many vegan dishes that I never think of such as the Mango sushi which looks like sushi but instead of rice, strips of vegetables are wrapped with seaweed and the Shepard’s pie which i find it amazing as it usually a meat dish but this one is completely meat free and it tastes great. Even the drinks and desserts are vegetarian as well like the organic root beer which taste like the real thing only the ingredients are 100 percent organic and it looks like sparking water! I gotta hand it to our Club Comms who made this experience possible. ” By Tan Jun Wen

Name of Establishment : Fruit Paradise

Opening Hours:  11.30 am – 10 pm

Cuisines : Fruit Tarts

Ratings : 4/5

Attention all fruit lovers , I have a treat for you.  Fruit Paradise a place which offers an assortment of different fruit tarts , whether it be blueberries, strawberries, mangos or bananas , you will be sure to find something for your taste buds.  Fruit Paradise is located at 181 Orchard Road , Orchard Central #05-51/52. For those worried , the fruit tarts that are offered are low fat

Some Reviews from the trip : ” Fruit Paradise serves tarts ranging from $7 to $10. However, the tarts were worth the price.

For this trip, I tried the Chocolate Banana Tart. It has chocolate mousse base and was filled with banana slices. The tart wasn’t too sweet therefore one would not get sick of it easily, however there was too much cream. Generally it tasted good and suitable for chocolate lovers!

I tried the Pink Rose Buds Tea too. The tea has a refreshing taste and nice fragrant. Best to drink it after eating the tarts!

The atmosphere of Fruit Paradise was rather good and the waiters provide good service. ” by Andrea Lim

” Fruit Paradise is rather accessible as it is located in orchard central level5, just a few minutes walk away from somerset mrt station.

For this fruit paradise food trip, I had a slice of the mango tart and sangria tea to go along with it. The mango used is fresh. Under the mango is a thick layer of cream which I don’t really like it. There is a layer of cake and some mango cubes in between the layer of cream to enhance its texture. This is followed by a layer of cheese which doesn’t have a rich cheesy taste as I couldn’t taste it at first. The tart base is firm. Sangria tea is made using apples and flowers which includes hibiscus. This gives the tea a floral fruity taste with some sourness.

The presentation of the tarts is really good. They use colours to decorate every plate of tart and every plate has a different design. It is very thoughtful of them to do that. 

The waiter and waitresses provide good service. They are always on standby mode, ready to respond immediately to customer’s calls.

A pot of sangria tea costs $4++ and a slice of the mango tart costs $7.80++ (you can have the whole tart at $75++). For me, this is quite expensive. But I wouldn’t mind coming back again once in a while. “ By Benjamin Ko

” There are currently 3 outlets of Fruit Paradise in Singapore as it came for Japan, for this trip I went to the one at Orchard Central near Somerset MRT. Not only the atmospherse was good the place was nicely decorated such as using plastic models of their tarts as displays. Since this is my first time, I ordered the melon tart along with some sangria tea. the melon tart was quite intriging as on top of a pie crust base a layer of cheese and as a topping fresh honeydew slices and small balls of rock melon are used which presents itself beautifully and appealing to anyone eating it. It was also tasty and not too sweet like many people expect with fruit tarts. The sangria has an aromatic smell and has a small hint of sourness. Also to add the services are excellent although the prices are quite jaw-dropping but it is worth the the spending and makes me want to bring my family there. “ By   Tan Jun Wen

Name of Establishment : Shang Hao Wanton-Mee

Opening Hours: 7 am – 5 pm

Cuisines : Wanton Mee and various variety of noodles

Ratings :  4/5

During October, we journeyed to the east in search of Wanton-mee. We ventured though Block 827 Tampines Street 81 and reached our destination, Shang Hao Wanton-Mee.  The stall offers a variety of noodles to try such as Lucky horfun ( which is Beancurd chicken with horfun),  Ipoh noodles/horfun, Fish Chop noodles and much more to taste and try. The opening hours is 7am – 5 pm daily.

Reviews from this trip : “For this Wanton Mee trip, I had Chicken Chop Mee and Wantons. 

The Chicken Chop Mee’s noodles tasted average and typical. However, the dish was good as there were a lot chicken slices and it was crispy and tasty. The portion of the dish was good enough, neither too much nor little. This dish cost SGD$3.30. 

The wantons tasted alright as the meat was quite little, therefore I was not able to savour it thoroughly. 

On the whole, the Chicken Chop Noodles is worth a try. (: ” by Andrea Lim

” I ordered the signature fried wanton mee from the stall for this food trip.

At a cost of $2.50, the servings of the noodles and the ingredients were generous and worth the money.

Tastewise, the noodles were slightly springy and managed to absorb the accompanying savory sauce which went well together. The golden fried wanton were crunchy and tasty too, if not slightly too salty. The char siew meat was easy to chew and tasted sweet. Finally, washing down the meal with a refreshing iced milo ($1.40) from the drink stall in the same coffee shop was a good way to end the meal.

If you are looking for a fuss free and cheap meal fix, then this fried wanton mee is an ideal consideration.” by Travix Lim

” I have been a supporter of the chicken chop noodles from this stall for many years. This time round I had ordered something different, the fried wanton mee which costs $2.50. The portion of the noodles given is reasonable and it goes well with the sauce which adds to the moisture of the noodles. The vegetables are fresh and the char siew is tender. I like the wantons. They are fried till crisp. Another compliment goes the soup. It is soothing for the throat. I have no idea what the ingredients are but it is addictive. Presentation wise, typical wanton-mee-stall style. All in all, the delicious fried wanton mee is value for money. Next time I will try the other types of noodles. ” by Benjamin Ko

“I ordered the signature fried wanton mee from the stall for this food trip.

At a cost of $2.50, it had a huge portion size mainly made up of noodles. 

the noodles were well cooked. the texture was nice and springy. however, i did not like the sauce that went with it. it was too sticky for my liking. i liked the wantons. they were frangrant and crispy. though i felt that the wantons should have more fillings inside as i could not really experience the chewiness from the texture of the meat. the char siew were nice, thinly sliced the way i liked. Veggies were terrific, fresh and crunchy. 

Overall, its a value for money meal as it is really filling. ” by Jme Wu Jiamin

Name of Establishment : Arnold Fried Chicken

Opening Hours : 11.30 – After 7 pm

Cuisine Type: Fried Chicken

Ratings : 3/5

During September, we had a trip to Arnold Fried Chicken. From its name , you will already know what this place serves crispy, juicy fried chicken.  Arnold Fried Chicken is located at City Plaza #02-99/101. City Plaza is just a short walk from Paya Lebar MRT.

Some Reviews from those who went for the trip:

“We went to Arnold’s today for a taste of their famous fried chicken.

Everyone ordered the half-spring chicken which was reasonably priced at $5.50. The chicken itself was reasonably large and was served with a generous portion of fries and coleslaw. For me, I felt the chicken was well cooked, crispy on the skin yet juicy and tender on the meat. As for the flavour, it was pretty good except it was a tad too salty but otherwise was very good. The coleslaw was really good and fries were nice large pieces.

Overall, I enjoyed Arnold’s famous fried chicken and will probably go back if I am craving for some fried chicken.” by Choo Jia Qing

“We went to the Arnold store which is located just 5min walk from paya lebar mrt. I ordered the half spring chicken. The service was very fast as upon seating down the food is serve within 5mins. The half spring chicken came with fries and coleslaw. The fries tasted like rages and was deep fried nicely.
As for the chicken the texture was very nice as juicy and the meat is very tender. However i find that the flavouring was not strong enough. 
The price of 5.50 is worth it as the potion of the fries, coleslaw, and chicken are quite big. I also ordered the bandung and it taste good as it blend in with the meal. I would return to Arnold chicken as overall it was quite a good experience.” by Yeow Yong Xing

“I ordered the half spring chicken which was an ok price for fast food at 5.50. The service was rather fast. Food wise, the chicken was juicy n the meat was tender. The skin was crispy and the size was quite big too. However i felt that the chicken lacked abit in flavour. Texture wise it was really good. The fries they served was reasonably large and it tasted a bit like potato wedges making it very nice.Location wise its about a 5 min walk from the mrt so its quite convinient. I had the bandung drink which tasted quite nice too. 

As a whole i would definitely return to Arnold’s chicken as the taste may vary on different days. They have great fries too.”  by Duane Tan

Name of Establishment : Saizeriya

Opening Hours : 10 am – 10 pm

Cuisines: Italian

Ratings : 4/5

During this year, we had a trip to Saizeriya, which is a restaurant located at Liang court #02- 22. This restaurant serves italian food such as escargot, pizza , pastas and much much more.

Some Reviews from our trip to Saizeriya :

“For the Saizeriya food trip, I ordered the seafood risotto ($7.50), as it looked really pretty in the photo.

The dish had a generous portion of calamari, shrimps and mussels which topped the rice which was apparently soaked in tomato sauce. It looked more like porrigde.
The seafood was delicious. The calamari was nicely done, soft and tender. The shrimps were normal. The mussels were juicy and succulent. However, that was all. The risotto was way to wet and tasted fishy. The rice was overcooked. It was too soft. It was not risotto I was eating. It was seafood porridge. Not only that, I had to struggle with a fishy breath after the meal. 

On the other hand, the restuarant had a nice ambience, being small and cozy. But the service seemed a bit inadequate. 

Probably because it is a budget resturant, I should not be expecting too much. I would say that it is not worth a try as the food served there is basically a compromise of real Italian food.” by Wu Jiamin

“I ordered the Grilled Chicken with Cheese & Tomato Sauce at Saizeriya, which had a casual Italian decor and bright lightings.

The food was pretty good. Appearance wise, it was a colourful affair, with green broccoli and yellow corn cobs colouring the dish. A fairly generous amount of melted cheese topped with tomato sauce blanketed a nicely grilled slab of chicken meat. The meat was soft and went down the throat well with the cheese and tomato sauce. There was also some potato wedges on the side which tasted rather mushy but nice enough nevertheless.

On the whole, an interesting restaurant to visit for affordable Italian food!” by Travis

It has probably been a long time since you last heard from us.
This dec hols, we have planned several events.

Of which, one of them will include a food trip to a korean restaurant.

Sneaks will be:
Big Melting Pot of Swiss Fondue Session
Spice Workshop

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