Hooked! (Restaurant)

Hooked! (Restaurant)

390 Upper Bukit Timah Road
The Rail Mall
Singapore (678045)  

Hooked on great food 

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)

Overall: 8

Ambience & Setting: 5

Food & Beverage: 8

Service: 8

Value for Money: 7

Spent about $22 per person.

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At first glance, Hooked! (Restaurant) may seem like just another restaurant with a Seafood theme... But unlike its competitors, the quality of food at Hooked! (Restaurant) is so much better. Hooked! (Restaurant) various cuts of fish are not just thicker and heavier (weight), but very fresh as well, without having that "fishy" taste. Their various seafood like prawns, squid, etc, are also very fresh.


Pacific Bonanza, a starter, is a great way to sample the various seafood they have to offer. If you're inclined, you could even eat it as a meal by itself.


Hooked! (Restaurant) Roasted Cod In Lemongrass Miso comes nicely roasted, crisp on the outside, but the flesh of the cod is still juicy and firm, neither too overcooked nor hard. The miso adds a nice contrast to the taste of the fish. The accompanying salad is just average, but the mashed potato beneath goes well with the miso sauce.


Another must try would have to be the Steamed Red Snapper In White Wine, Lemongrass & Garlic Fish Broth. Served in a large pan, the aroma of the lemongrass hits you the minute the lift the lid. The broth is wonderfully light and flavorful, while the snapper is firm and succulent. I found myself wishing I could have more of the broth...


Hooked! (Restaurant) service is above average... staff are friendly, and will patiently provide suggestions or answer questions if you have trouble deciding what to eat... which you might, seeing as Hooked! has quite a large variety of items on their menu. The are also quite knowledgeable on the preparation and ingredients of the dishes.


Overall, Hooked! (Restaurant) has the right mix of good food and service quality to beat its competitors... I only wish there were more outlets!

Grandma's Beef Shin Stew

Pacific Bonanza

Pan-Grilled Jumbo Sea-Bass In Balsamic Ragenov Sauce

Roasted Cod In Lemongrass Miso

Roasted Garoupa In Dried-Shrimp & Salted Egg Yolk Butter

Roasted Snapper Wrapped With Streaky Bacon

Steamed Red Snapper In White Wine, Lemongrass & Garlic Fish Broth

Tuna-Salmon Tapas

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E18hteen Chefs

E18hteen Chefs

3 Simei Street 6
Eastpoint Mall, #01-36
Singapore (528833)


51 Yishun Central 1
Yishun 10, Cinema Complex
#01-04, Singapore (768794) 

http://www.eighteenchefs.com/

Pretty Good Food, Commendable Social Cause 

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)

Overall: 6

Ambience & Setting: 5

Food & Beverage: 6

Service: 6

Value for Money: 8

Spent about $8 per person.

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Eating at E18teen Chefs is a bit hit-and-miss.... Order correctly and you'll walk away feeling satisfied, order incorrectly and you might leave and never return.


The novelty of E18teen Chefs is their Create Your Own Pasta / Baked Rice dish. Go for the Pasta or Cheese Baked Pasta. Their Cheese Baked Rice, while covered in excellent, gooey, thick cheese, is let down by the quality of the rice - it often ends up slightly more dry or hard.


Choice of ingredients plays a huge part as well. Ordering the Minced Beef ingredient adds a wonderful hearty, meaty flavor to the dish, especially combined with Cheese Baked Pasta / Rice. 

Choosing the Baked Beans ingredient however, may leave you finishing the meal unsatisfied. Even worse is if you pair it with a sauce like Japanese Curry... the taste of the curry clashes with the taste of the beans. 

Of course, part of the fun is in experimenting with the choices at E18hteen Chefs, and seeing what kind of dish you end up with!






Tip: You can actually choose more than 1 top-up ingredient, but of course, be prepared to pay more. If you wanted, you could request to add ALL the ingredients, but you'll end up with a really expensive plate of pasta!


E18hteen Chefs Light Meals, like omelettes, are really light, and are good for a snack or to share.


Also, do try their Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow.... First time I've been served a Hot Chocolate that was still bubbling... It really lives up to its name!

Cheese Baked Rice In Creamy Mango Sauce With Minced Beef & Prawns

Eggs Chips Beans Veg

Funky Strawberry

Hot Chocolate

Pasta Cheesy Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Prawns, Scrambled Eggs & Mushrooms

Pasta Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Mushroom & Chicken Slices

Plain Omelette

Three Cheese Omelette

Snack Platter

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Botak Jones

Botak Jones

325 Clementi Ave 5 #01-129

970A Toa Payoh North

Simpang Bedok 357 Bedok Road

214 Serangoon Avenue 4

181 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5

118 Depot Lane

121 Somerset Road

412 Bedok North Avenue 2

233 Bukit Batok East Avenue 5

5 Changi Village Road

892C Woodlands Drive 50

211 Toa Payoh Lorong 8

248 Simei Street 3

http://www.botakjones.com/

An excellent and filling meal..... Once upon a time 

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)

Overall: 5

Ambience & Setting: 2

Food & Beverage: 5

Service: 5

Value for Money: 4

Spent about $9 per person.

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Almost 4 years ago, Botak Jones was the granddaddy that started the trend of having "restaurant quality food at coffeeshop prices".


Back then, you could hear many of your friends raving about it... Like how it was possible to purchase a meal at Botak Jones for about the same price as any other regular fast-food chain value meal, and have them serve you a heaping plate of food, enough to last you throughout the day. It was almost like eating a mini-buffet. "So value for money!", they would say, or "Wah lau, the portion so big! Dunno how to finish..... wanna share?"


Then you would hear some others compliment the quality of the food.... Like how their fish was fresh and flaky, and almost melted in the mouth. Or that the cajun chicken came with nicely melted cheese that gave it a tangy twist, and the meat was neither overcooked or dry, but juicy and tender. Or that their steak was grilled just nicely, with enough char outside, yet still  juicy inside. Or that their hot dogs were among the largest ever sold at the time. Or that you could customize your burger, which was a brand new novelty...


Service was almost similar to a restaurant... The staff would helpfully offer suggestions on what to order and explain what you didn't understand. All with a smile.


Of course, most people know a good deal when they see one, so queues formed at most outlets, especially the first few branches, which meant you might have to wait a good 15 minutes or more for your order to arrive. Still, many didn't seem to mind.










But, as with most things in life, change is inevitable.


The rising standard of living over the last few years have forced the chain to also raise their prices... And along with it, the quality & quantity of food at Botak Jones has dropped drastically. Portions are no longer as large as they used to be, and if you wanted the "original - large" size portions, you have to pay more for it.


Normally, this wouldn't be that big a problem... if the quality of food was still high. Sadly however, a meal at Botak Jones today is just average... Not much better than most other coffeeshop western food, which is cheaper.


As a pioneer and market-leader of the trend, competition is inevitable. Unfortunately, while many of their competitors have improved by offering better quality food and service, Botak Jones has slowly deproved, making it "just another western food stall".


Today, of course, you may not hear your friends talking about their fantastic dining experiences at Botak Jones anymore... And the long, long queues of yesteryear are all but gone.




On the plus side, at least you don't have to wait too long for your food anymore.




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Fish & Chips With Spicy Fries & Coleslaw

Cajun Chicken With Potato Salad & Baked Cheese Potato

Botak Burger Add Egg & Provolone Cheese With Spicy Fries & Pasta Salad

Chili Dawg With Baked Cheese Potato & Spicy Fries

Swank & Eggs With Pasta Salad And Spicy Fries

Char-Grilled Salmon Fillet With Mixed Veggie Stew & Potato Salad

Sirloin Steak With Baked Cheese Potato & Mixed Veggie Stew

Chicken Gumbo

Stuffed Jalapenos Plate

Stuffed Jalapenos Inside

The Massive Cheese Whoopass Egg With Sliced Jalapenos, Spicy Fries & Corn Cob

The Fish Burger

Whoopass Cheese Fries

Hot Dog With Butter Corn & Spicy Fries

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BBQ Chicken (Restaurant)

BBQ Chicken (Restaurant)

Pasir Ris Close
E!Hub Downtown East
#02-121/122
Singapore (519599)


Block 205 Hougang Street 21,
Level 2 Heartland Mall - Kovan,
Singapore (530205)

http://www.bbq-chicken.com.sg/

Excellent Marinated & Battered Chicken

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)

Overall: 8

Ambience & Setting: 7

Food & Beverage: 8

Service: 8

Value for Money: 8

Spent about $13 per person.

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It's not Barbeque.... It's B-B-Q. =)


Been to BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) a few times with the family, and every time, the food quality and service is great.


BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) staff are friendly, and will give suggestions if you're unsure what to order. Food arrives pretty quickly, normally within 5 - 8 minutes.


As for food, any of their items which are marinated or battered are really good. Battered chicken like their Teri-Soya Wings, Olive Luxury Chicken or Hot Hot Drum, are crispy, and biting into the skin gives a nice burst of flavor from the batter. Plus points for not being too oily & fatty, so even the health conscious folks should find this quite agreeable.


BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) marinated chicken like Jerk (!), or the Korean Traditional Charbroiled are done well enough that the flavor of the marinade permeates into the meat. The meat is juicy, tender, and cooked just right.


Note: Portion-wise, all their servings are quite average. The only problem is they serve them on plates which are way too large, thus giving the "illusion" that the portion size is smaller than it really is.


Their Minced Beef Steak is enough for two people to share, as the portion is quite large. Suitable for big eaters, or those looking to get the most value for their dollar. It's a bit gamey though, as the taste of the beef is quite strong.


Tip: If you're a student, do ask for their Student Value Meals. Great value for money.




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Mushroom Soup

Chilli Wings With Tropical Vegetables

Teri-Soya Wings With Coleslaw

Korean Traditional Charbroiled With Seasonal Vegetables & Fries

Olive Luxury Chicken With Coleslaw & Fries

Chicken Cutlet With Sesonal Vegetables & Mustard

Jerk (Jamaican Jerk Spice) BBQ With Mashed Potato & Seasonal Vegetables

Hot Hot Drum With Olive Rice & Coleslaw

Mushroom Chicken Steak With Coleslaw & Seasonal Vegetables

Minced Beef Steak With Fries & Coleslaw

Ginseng Power Crisp With Coleslaw & Fries

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Astons Express

Astons Express

Blk 205 Bedok North St 1
#01-357 Kopitiam Coffeeshop Stall
Singapore (460205)


Blk 721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
#01-2823 Fu Chan Coffeeshop Stall 7
Singapore (560721)

http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/

Decent Quality & Price

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)

Overall: 6

Ambience & Setting: 4

Food & Beverage: 7

Service: 5

Value for Money: 6

Spent about $9 per person.

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Don't expect much ambience, as Astons Express is located in a coffeeshop. On the plus side however, it is pretty breezy, and is good place to people-watch.


Food at Astons Express is decent, just slightly better than your standard coffeeshop western fare. A few dishes stand-out above the rest, and is worth trying. These include their Steaks (I prefer mine medium rare), the Chargrill Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken, and also the Honey Bourbon Ribs.


The majority of accompanying sides are average, though sometimes their Garden Veggies may be a little overcooked.


Service is quite prompt, even on busy days, and the Astons Express staff rarely take more than 10 minutes to serve you.

Chargrill Salmon Fillet With Potato Salad & Pasta Salad

Grill Fish With Herbs With Onion Rings & BBQ Beans

Hickory BBQ Chicken With French Fries & Coleslaw

Honey Bourbon Ribs With House Salad & Baked Potato

Lamb Loin Chops With Coleslaw & BBQ Beans

Lemon Lime Chicken With Potato Salad & Mashed Potato

Pork Chop With Pasta Salad & Mashed Potato

Teriyaki Chicken & Sausage Combo With BBQ Beans & Potato Salad

Steak Black Pepper With Tasty Rice & Onion Rings

Prime Sirloin With Baked Potato & Garden Veggie

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Drunk

ieat Super Burger

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