Jerry's BBQ & Grill

This had seriously been a terrible day for me. First thing in the morning, a work problem crept up and I had to go back to office for a total of 5 hours. And then I had to rush to a tour briefing at People's Park Complex. After dinner, our cab ran into a minor accident on our way home. Finally, while doing housework after getting back home, my arm bled from a scratch I got from my side table. What a bummer.... =.=

Alright, now on to the food! ^^

 <Beef Chilies with Corn Chips>

Went to Jerry's BBQ & Grill to chill out after a bad day. The setting was American Retro which was very comfortable. For $19.95, I expected huge portions and indeed.. huge portion I got! Hahaha ^^ The chilies was smokey, not overpowering. Flavours were subtle yet intense. A perfect match with corn chips. But lacking a bit of a kick. Maybe some jalapeno peppers would give it the much needed lift. Overall, this was reasonably good simply because I had better ones from Wendy's and Chilies Restaurant.  

<Pulled Pork and Beef Brisket platter>

A meat lovers heaven! Even though this cost me $32.95, look at the amount of meat! It seriously unleashes the carnivore in you. With that being said, both the pork and brisket had really good smoked flavours. The down-side though was that I found the meat abit overdone. Luckily, the BBQ sauce that came with it saved the day! It was tangy and velvety. Simply divine! With the coating of the BBQ sauce, the meat tasted perfect. Yums! ^^

Verdict
Ambience - Good
Food - Good
Cost - $15 to $35
Overall - Try it!

Address
92 Club Street
http://www.jerrybbq.com/index.htm

Opening Hours
Unknown

U.d.d.e.r.s Ice Cream

Well...well..well... What do you know? If you are a huge fan of Ice Cream, you must know U.d.d.e.r.s! I first came across the outlet beside United Square at Novena. It was simply the best! Now that it has opened a new branch at Tampines Mall Basement, it can only be a sinful good news to gluttons like me. ^__^

Ordered a 2 scoops cup as it was the most value for money size. Had its signature Mao Shan Wang durian ice cream and orange bitter sweet chocolate ice cream. Even though I had the durian ice cream many times before, I just couldn't get enough of it. It beats the durian ice cream from Goodwood Park Hotel HANDS DOWN, and I mean it! Rich, smooth, creamy and bursting of durian flavour. Unless you hate durian, otherwise you have no reason to avoid this.

As for the orange bitter sweet chocolate ice cream. I am really glad I tried it. Pretty sure it is now my favourite. Right above the durian ice cream. Yes, that's right. Haha. It was rich, sweet, bitter, creamy and tangy at the same time. If you had eaten connoisseur chocolates like Valrhona or Michel Cluizel before, this ice cream is like a rendition made using their chocolate. Simply divine! Must try!


Verdict
Ambience - N.A.
Food - Awesome
Cost - $3.50 to $9
Overall - Try it!

Address
Tampines Mall, basement.
http://www.udders.com.sg/home

Opening Hours
10am to 10pm

Hot Star (Super Large Fried Chicken)

<Original Large Fried Chicken>

Hot Star! Hailing from Taiwan with its signature Large Fried Chicken Cutlets was a hit with Singaporeans when it first landed in J-Cube shopping mall in Jurong I think. Now finally, it has opened its shores to people living in Tampines. Yes! Tampines One shopping mall to be exact. But please pardon the quality of this picture. It was taken from home and I just wanted to show how big the cutlet really was. It was HUGE! My plate could barely fit the whole thing. I was desperate to get my first try on this with all the hype surrounding it. I guess either I was wrong or that my expectations were too high. Apart from the fact that the chicken was cooked nicely and still juicy, it was all powder. Beyond all the powder and MSG, the chicken really tasted just tasteless. Not to mention that mine had tons of bones at one end of it which honestly will make eating on the go, difficult. But, I guess the the best thing about this is that it can really fill you up.


Verdict
Ambience - N.A.
Food - Average
Cost - $4 to $6
Overall - Queue up at your own risk

Address
Tampines One basement (opp Carl's Jr)

Opening Hours
10am to 10pm

Sarang

 <Classic Kimchi>

I'm not exactly a big fan of kimchi, however my wife is seriously mad about it. And I'm not sure why. She seems to be able to finish up all their supplies at the pace she eats. Then again, what Korean meal will be complete without kimchi right? They have 2 types of kimchi though, classic and fresh kimchi. Classic kimchi which we had, is the spicier version. It tasted quite authentic, at least to the extent of my mediocre knowledge of Korean food. Both of us finished it in less than 5mins. Nuff said, Yums!

<Drunken Pork>

Grilled wine-marinated pork belly served with kimchi on a sizzling hot plate. Accompanied by condiments such as preserved radish and sweeten peanuts. To be honest, it tasted alright at first. However, as you dig in deeper, the more it felt greasy. You could see the fat from the pork oozing and spreading around on the hot plate making the kimchi taste odd. Though I wouldn't recommend this dish personally, but it also wouldn't prevent me from trying out the restaurant again.

 <Beany>

Soybean paste hotpot with tofu, vegetables and seafood. The soup was tasty, not too spicy. Those looking for a kick could be greatly disappointed in that sense. Also, according to my wife, the clams in the soup weren't that fresh too. Now for the positives. The other ingredients in the soup were fresh. The prawns and vegetables cooked perfectly to crunchiness. It is a dish probably good for the weight watchers too. haha!

<Ice Sour Plum & Hot Yuzu Green Tea>

For me, the drinks were the highlight of the meal. The Ice Sour Plum drink was light and really refreshing. If not for it, I would have drowned in the plate of porky fat earlier. A great way to balance of a meal. The Yuzu Green Tea was equally refreshing. Althought I would have preferred it cold. 

Verdict
Ambience - Average
Food - Average
Cost - Roughly $20 to $30 per pax
Overall - Worth a try

Address
181 Orchard Central #07-01, Orchard Central Singapore 238896

Opening Hours
12pm - 10pm on Sunday to Thursday
12pm - 11pm on Friday and Saturday

Rock & Ash

<Fries with Texas BBQ sauce>

While taking a break from walking too much, I decided to drop by Rock & Ash for a little snack to replenish myself. They have fries that comes along with a sauce of your choice. I chose Texas BBQ sauce as I wanted something tangy to tease my taste buds. Of course, Rock & Ash also sells many other food items including a signature Pork Knuckles which doesn't look that appetizing from the menu. Back to the fries. They are freshly fried upon order, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Decent I would say. However, I found the Texas BBQ sauce a total let down. It was too sweet for my liking. Didn't have enough acidity or kick in it.

Verdict
Ambience - Average
Food - Average
Cost - Cheap
Overall - At your own risk

Address
Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, #B1-03, Singapore 039594

Opening Hours
Mon to Sun
11am to 10pm

Food for Thought

Had a break from work today. So I decided to check out a place together with my wife. It was a place that I had been wanting to check out for quite some time already. It took a hefty amount of time because reviews by others were pretty mixed. Food for Thought, a cafe housed in the Singapore Arts Museum along Queen Street. They actually have another newer outlet within the Botanic Gardens too. My first impression upon stepping in was that its design was simple yet modern and contemporary (Chic). I think it is a great place for friends to chill out and have some great food.

Let's move on to the main topic now, shall we? ^^ On the left, we have a cup of hot chocolate. Not just any chocolate, but dark chocolate! Many places that I have been to doesn't serve dark chocolate drinks. The chocolate was just right and simply chocolicious. To the right, you wouldn't believe it if I told you that... it is Ice Lemon Tea with White Wine. Yes, White Wine! Can you imagine that? I just had to try it when I saw it on the menu. I was a little skeptical about it at first, but with my first sip, I feel in love with it. It was really refreshing! The amount of wine was perfect, giving the ice lemon tea a hint of grape and zestiness that would otherwise be missing. Try it!

My wife had the House Works. It consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, toasted brioche (which my wife swapped with garlic mushrooms at an additional charge of $2), hash brown and thyme tomato salad. First of all, the salad was a let down. It came without any dressing at all. If we knew that, we would have swapped it  with chunky chicken sausages. Damn! However, the rest of it was pretty good. Not spectacular, but decent enough to wet our appetites.

Now for the main highlight! Duo of pancakes served with dark chocolate bits, stewed cherries, whipped cream and gula melaka syrup. This really made my day. Definitely the best pancakes I have had so far in my entire life. The pancakes were light and fluffy, tasty enough to be eaten on its own. The pairing of the other condiments were spot on as well. When you bite into the pancake topped with the cherries, dark chocolate and whipped cream, it simply lifted it to another level. Simply divine. A Must try!

Verdict
Ambience - Average
Food - Good
Cost - Value for money
Overall - Try it!

Address
8 Queen Street
OR

1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, #B1-00


Opening Hours
8 Queen Street
Mon - Sat: 9am to 10pm
Sun: 9am to 9pm

SBC

Sun - Thurs: 8am to 9pm

Fri - Sat: 8am to 10pm

Valrhona

Well, the last of my supplies was wiped out by me over the weekends. So I just had to get my hands on this fantastic chocolate again. Only this time, I'm trying out 4 other different plantations at once.

Have not tried all 4 yet. But so far, Manjari is by far the most intense and fruitiest chocolate I have had. Robust and full of flavour that tingles all your senses.