Restaurant
Boat Noodle @ Causeway PointBy Fahmi RaisReview: The Boat Noodle @ Causeway Point
I have visited Boat Noodle twice in JB so upon knowing that there is a new opening of the Halal Boat Noodle in Causway Point, I drop by the place with my wife and son. So we ordered several bowls, a sticky mango rice meal and a rice meal. Because of the opening promotion, each bowl (mini-bowls) is 60 cents instead of $1.50. with drinks for 3, the whole meal costs almost $60, on the above average considering that the bowls are already priced low and we didn't order that much. I also felt the taste and variety to be better in JB. So for the novelty of the experience, it is good but for the food, it is not that great enough to warrant a come back anytime soon. The mango was sour and that is something that kitchen should be aware of before serving the customers with pride.White rice set meal @ KomalasBy Fahmi RaisReview: White Rice Meal @ Komalas Villa
Komalas is a place that I must visit at least twice a year. And since I have been there since 1990 so we are looking at more than 60 visits easily over the past 31 years. I have therefore seen the price change from $4 to now $10 for the same meal that I have been enjoying through the years. So a trip down to Komalas at Serangoon is a trip made to one of the most established vegetarian restaurants managed by father to now the son. The meal has maintained its consistency. You will get to taste different vege dishes as they change the menu every day. What you will enjoy if you are a big eater is the free flow of food - rice and everything on the tray with banana leaf. I have to say that I am addicted to the white rice meal and for every visit, I am always in anticipation of what the verge dishes combination will be served. And to accompany the truly filling meal is a masala tea. If you are there for dinner, supper would no longer be required. Enjoy the authentic South Indian serving and the many others they have on the menu. So if you don't mind the price, you will enjoy the set.Pindang Ikan tenggiriBy Lisa DayanaIf you miss your grandmother's cooking. This will be a simple dish you can start with. Ayam Percik @ WanderlustBy Fahmi RaisReview: Ayam Percik @ Wonderlost
I tried the Ayam Percik which at $20 per set was among the lower-priced items on the menu. However, it didn't taste anything like the ayam percik I am used to. It tasted just like a smashed chicken with lots of sambal on it. Accompanied only by limited vegetable mix and mash potato. I feel that ayam percik is therefore over-rated and over-priced. I didn't enjoy it at all despite having it as my break fast meal. Probably the only meal throughout 27 days of Ramadhan that I didn't finish the plate. The sambal is plain (nothing wow about it) and the chicken is about the size of any KFC piece. For a 'posh up-market western' restaurant, the ayam percik is a complete letdown.Chicken Rice @ Rex Changi RoadBy Fahmi RaisReview: Chicken Rice @ Rex Changi Road
We had our birthday celebration baby Zara for 10 pax in 2 separate tables. So a variety of dishes was ordered with the chicken rice being the main. We had omelet, vegetables, butter prawn etc. Food was generally all ok. As commonly served, the rice is a small portion so some of us had to order extra rice. But for everything else the portion is relatively reasonable. Personally, I do not find the rice as nice or good as the one at Mackenzie at Prinsep Road. The whole chicken was expensive at $30 per serving.Briyani Lamb at Spize Temasek ClubBy Fahmi RaisReview: Briyani Lamb @ Spize Temasek Club
We had our birthday celebration for 8 pax. Each of us ordered our own dish eg Nasi Goreng Kampung, Briyani Lamb, Shish Kebab, Pesto Chicken etc. While all of the dishes come in generous quantity it seems that the quality has dropped. Perhaps it might be due to a change of chef or that the restaurant is experiencing full house. My own briyani lamb is a disappointment. The lamb is not a chunk but came cut in smaller pieces. The rice is bland and the curry is not fitting of a restaurant expectation. At $14.90 it wasn't worth it. .The taste on a whole is below average and I would say the briyani at Geylang Serai / Jooc Chiat Complexfood centre or even Victory at North Bridge Road are far better. 4 of us returned home with uneasy stomach. The food obviously has lost its standard and falling behind the service and ambience that attracts people to the place.SakunthalaBy WLimSakunthala at Safra Mount Faber has one of the best Indian Chinese fusion food for great taste, great service and great price. Their biryani rice is fragrant, soft and succulent for every occasion. Not too spicy but rich with flavours to suit the most fussy eaters. I had the fish biryani with 5 side dishes that brought much happiness to my fussy biryani taste bud.
Their service is excellent and the staff are very knowledgeable about their cuisine. Always courteous and warm. One of them even offered me free papadums while waiting for my meal to arrive.
The sweet plain lassi is extremely delicious. I thought Mango Lassi was the ultimate, but this plain lassi proved me wrong.
All that full plate and rich yogurt drink for just $14.50... what's there to complain? More than 5 stars for a culinary experience that can rival the best in town. The So Pho Experience (2nd Review)By Fahmi RaisThe So Pho Dining Experience
A family of 4 had our dinner there. We ordered 2 beef ball soup noodles ($10.80 each), 1 tendon beef noodle ($12.50) and 1 dry beef noodle ($10.80). In one of the beef ball soup noodles, we found a strand of black hair in it. We called and the Manager came. We showed her the hair in the bowl and she took it to the kitchen. No apology was made. She returned a few minutes later with a new bowl. Later we realized that for the beef ball spicy noodle, no beef balls were included. Imagine ordering a beef ball noodle dish with no beef balls in it. We called for attention and the same Manager came. Told her about it and she she went to the kitchen to return a few minutes later with the missing beef balls in a separate smaller bowl. No apology was made, After our meal, I asked for the Manager to be called and informed her of the 3 wrongs - firstly, a long hair in the dish (iunhygenic), secondly, missing beef balls for a beef ball noodle (a bad mistake. Its like ordering a chicken briyani with no chicken in it) and thirdly not making any apology for the 2 incidents which displayed a lack of service interest. The manager then apologized for the mistakes. She made the apology 3 times and offered a staff discount that reduced the bill by 30%. That was a good service recovery. Otherwise the food there is good, I must say.Karisik Kebab PlatterBy Fahmi RaisReview: Karisik Kebab Platter @ Alturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant
We celebrated our son's 12th birthday at Alturka. We ordered the salad to begin with and then enjoyed the Karisik Kebab Platter that was meant for 5 pax. However because it is probably the juiciest meat that you've ever tasted the platter serving was simply unable to satisfy the stomach of 5. So an extra order for the lamb chop and beef sausage and was made. By the time we are done, there was virtually nothing left, not even the onions, rice and salad. So that gives you an idea of how delicious the servings were. I would rate this place as having the best lamb chop in town. Knowing that we were celebrating a birthday, the crew played the birthday song and gave a complimentary small cake with a candle on it but what surprised us most was that they took a photo, printed it our and presented it to us on a customised paper frame. That is so sweet.
