This is our second visit here, and we were absolutely wow-ed by the food tonight!
We had initially wanted to go to another cafe within the same building, as the food was sold out the last time we went (after 9pm). Little did we know that no food was available at 8pm (despite the menu saying last order at 9pm). So disappointed. Guess we were not fated to go to that cafe.
Which was a good thing today, because we had a really fabulous dinner 🙂
We were in need of some hot and comforting food, and shabu shabu sounded like a great idea. We walked into Shabuya and had the buffet ($45.90++ per adult), but on hindsight, we should have probably gone for the set meal instead.
For the buffet, we had our own individual pots, and unfortunately, the induction cooker that I had only 2 options – off, or high heat. Sheesh!
Service appeared to be much faster for customers who ordered the sets, and while the hotpot ingredients were certainly very fresh, there was just this “short-of-something” feel to it. The lamb was good, and not too gamey. Unfortunately, the chicken was sliced far too thin, while the beef were sliced too thick, and it was difficult to chew through the fats. The sashimi was too frozen, and not sliced properly; some of the pieces were stuck together. The tiger prawns were fresh and sweet, and the rest of the seafood items were quite ok. We also tried the sotong balls and cheese balls, and we preferred what we buy from NTUC.
We were seated near the entrance, and it was a little annoying that we had lots of difficulty trying to the the attention of the staff to order food, while the staff manning the entrance (the restaurant next door appears to be by the same owner / group) were having lots of fun playfully hitting each other and giggling uncontrollably.
We do not think that we will be returning anytime soon.
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The previous fishhead steamboat place had closed down, and a new air-conditioned eatery has spring up last week. This was just next to the famous zhi char, and we were glad that there was a new option! Service was quite good, as all the staff were very friendly, and the food was served very quickly… But we were the only ones eating 😛
Today is check-out day. We had a simple breakfast at hotel, and went back to the Jonker area. There was a flea market and we had fun looking at stuff from the olden days.
We stopped by for coffee at Calanthe Art Cafe where coffee from 18 Malaysia states were on display, with the staff suggesting that mummy try the Perlis Kopi (RM4.25 + 6% GST), as she preferred something more milky, while hubby was so feeling so hot, so he went for cold Caffe latte (RM 9.35+). Daddy settled for green apple juice (RM7.25+), and I wanted the apple aloe vera (RM5.15+).
It was back to hotel for a quick lunch at Coffeevine in Hatten Hotel. Our KKKL coach was scheduled to leave at 2pm, but we were told to be at the pick up point by 1.30pm. It came promptly at 1:30pm and we reached the drop-off point in Singapore (near Hotel V at Lavender instead of Textile Centre) by 6.10pm. And our short vacation has ended. 🙂
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We took our time in the morning and had a late breakfast at the hotel.
After that, a slow stroll brought us to St Paul’s Hill, and A’ Famosa Fort.
We continued to stroll to the famous landmark of Melaka, Christ Church Melaka before making our way back for lunch at Restoran Nyonya Makko!
We had heard good reviews of Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine which is just behind Hatten Hotel but we were not able to get reservations (it’s very very popular!). So we settled for Makko which is also near the hotel and we had been here 5 years ago.
We did a short getaway over the weekend to Malacca with my parents over the weekend.
Malacca has lots to offer but our last trip was more than 5 years ago. So we were quite lucky and thankful to have taken Luxury Coach because a guide was on board to share much about Malacca and its attractions when we were en route after Woodlands Checkout to Malacca. That helped to frame our expectations and refreshed some of our memories of the beautiful place.
While the speed of eating was definitely slower this time, we still managed to try a few things 😀
Special salad: red and orange capsicum, rock melon, pear, and spring onions, with crushed peanuts, jellyfish and crab meat, a very refreshing dish that reminded us of lo hei for Lunar New Year
海皇灌汤饺 Minced Seafood Dumpling in Superior Soup ($9.50++ per pax): The dumpling was huge and skin was thin. Soup was flavourful.
鲜虾菠菜饺 Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Prawn: We loved this! Very fragrant and simple delight.
鲜虾韭菜饺 Steamed Chives Dumpling with Prawn: The dumplings were so stuck to the paper in the steamer, we were actually quite skeptical about this item. Surprisingly, the slightly thick skin was very chewy and QQ, but it did not stick to our teeth! However, the fillings were not as aromatic as we had hoped.
香芒流沙包 Steamed Bun with Salted Egg Yolk and Fresh Mango Juice ($4.80++ for 3 pieces): This was very delicious, and the salted egg yolk flavour was really distinct. We loved that it was more savoury than sweet.
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So here we were, at 8.30am, at the half-full restaurant. Looks like there were many early risers 🙂
The restaurant is brightly-lit and together with the white walls and high ceiling gives a very roomy atmosphere. It is sufficiently big but people have been flocking here (at least for these first few months of soft opening) so there’s always a queue. Breakfast menu is served all-day and lunch menu (with the award-winning buttermilk fried chicken & waffles, house made burgers with hand-cut fries and special handcrafted mocktails) is served from 11:30am.
We were just walking around and sighted Pepper Steakhouse which looked promising (plus there is a One-For-One starters promotion… 🙂 hehe).
I wanted to order a lamb dish but they ran out of lamb. So we ordered:
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After so long, we finally tried it!!
While we were still dating, my then-boyfriend said that he wanted to bring me to this authentic Italian restaurant, Pontini. Boyfriend became hubby for 6 years… And today, we finally had the chance to go 😀
Pontini has undergone several changes since those days but it remains one of the top Italian restaurants around. The decor was inviting and full of warmth with tables far apart enough to not give a congested environment. The lighting was soothing and provided a cosy atmosphere for casual conversations among diners.
Eat.Eat.Walk.Walk . 吃吃走走 