No Menu (2nd review)

Decided to head to No Menu again with a bunch of friends. As usual, it was full. Luckily I managed to reserve a table two days earlier.

I decided to try their Lamb Shank this time. When it came, I thought it was too big for me but after the first bite, I knew I picked the right dish :P. The meat fell off the bone and the sauce was light and perfect. The natural juices of the lamb and my delicious saffron risotto had just the right amount of flavour and did not taste too "rich". The Veal Milanese was good but the breaded bit was not as crispy as I expected. I am not sure if it is their style and meant to be that way here but another venue has better Veal Milanese in our humble opinion... The pasta with simple tomato and cheese (can't remember which one they substitute it with as the one on the menu was delayed from Italy) was yummy. It was simple yet so good. Personally, I think that is the mark of a good chef, making excellent simple dishes. The dessert was full of chunks of apple and it was not too sweet. This sort of dessert would suit me as it's not too heavy on sugar or cream. Tiramisu was good too, it doesn't look fancy but that's what I like about this place, authentic home-style good food.

They were extremely busy so occasionally they overlooked a couple of things that we wanted. However, we did not really mind as it was not like they were twiddling their thumbs or chit chatting in a corner somewhere... and they were genuinely friendly and welcoming.

Please make reservations and better still, do not drive as there's hardly any parking around that area unless you don't mind walking.

Oh! and my friends were wondering why were they serving their coffee in little soup bowls... I told them possibly to make it easier for left handed people too :D

Ratings:

Lamb Shank: 9.5/10
Pasta with Tomato & Cheese: 9/10
Veal Milanese: 8/10
Tiramisu: 8.5/10
Dessert: 8/10

Service:
8/10

23 Boon Tat Street
Singapore 069621
Tel: +65 6224 0091

Open for lunch and dinner from Mon to Fri
Open for dinner only on Saturdays
Close on Sundays

La Villa

This restaurant is very interesting as it is within huge grounds that is not common in Singapore. I would think this would make a great venue for birthday parties or even private launches.

The staff was very helpful and my friends and I ordered a variety of dishes to share. The beef carpacio was fresh though they should put a bit more cheese with it. The calamari was crispy and the sauce that went with it has a very interesting flavour to it, slightly spicy but not overpowering. The pasta was done just right and I think they use fresh tomatoes as it still has a slight tartness to it, which is nice. The lamb could be more seasoned and the mash potato that went with it had "water retention" to quote from one of the ladies as it was too frothy and could do with a bit more taste. The veal milanese was very good, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and I think it is one of the dishes you must have here. Only one of us ordered dessert and I must say it was delicious! The melted chocolate on the inside oozes out and it was not too sweet. You have to wait 15 minutes for this and for those dessert lovers out there, I am sure it will be worth your wait...

Ratings

Calamari: 8/10
Beef Carpacio: 8/10
Lamb: 7.5/10
Pasta: 8/10
Veal Milanese: 9/10
Dessert: 9/10

Service rating: 9/1o

341 River Valley Road
Singapore 238372
Tel: 6836 5286

Open Mon-Sat 12pm-10:30pm; Sun 11:30am-10:30pm

Bonta

I have not been updating as been really busy lately. Anyway, I decided to check out Bonta one evening for dinner.

I suggest you make a reservation as it is quite a small-ish restaurant. When I got there, I was greeted by a lady hostess who tried to sound polite but came across quite abrupt and not very tactful.

The bread that came was straight from the oven and it was delicious! There were bits of nuts and goats cheese in the bread. The foie gras was done very well and it was tender, moist and not stringy. It was really good. The pasta was tasty and not too creamy. The prawns had a bit of crunch to it just the way I like it. My main was the tenderloin and even though the potion was a bit small, it was enough for me. It was perfectly done and seasoned well. The potatoes that went with it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The asparagus were also well executed. I must say that every item on my plate was cooked very well. My dessert was mango gelato covered with chopped pistachios. It was decent and it is good enough for me as I am not a dessert person.

I think the food was good though the service lacks soul. It was just execution with no personality... hence, my daughter told me to include service ratings for restaurants from now on.

Ratings:

Bread: 9/10
Foie gras: 8.5/10
Tenderloin: 9/10
Mango gelato: 7/10

Service rating: 6/10

207 River Valley Road, #01-61 UE Square River Wing,
Singapore 238275
(junction corner of Mohamed Sultan Road and Unity Street)
Tel: (65) 6333 8875
Fax: (65) 6333 8655

Operating Hours:
12.00pm to 2.30pm daily for lunch (closed for lunch on Sat)
6.30pm to 11.00pm daily for dinner
http://www.bonta.com.sg/

Astons Katong

I was looking for something simple and quick one lunchtime and decided to try Astons in Katong as I was around the area.

This is a fuss free, simple, family type steak restaurant. Nothing fancy and no frills. My friend and I decided to order the sirloin with mushroom sauce and the prime rib eye. Each steak came with 2 side dishes that we could pick from the menu. I picked the onion rings and baked potato while my friend ordered the coleslaw and fries.

The steak was a reasonable portion and the dish was simple in presentation. Both the steak doneness was just right but felt it was not seasoned enough. So, I decided to slather butter on mine :) The quality of the meat was ok, it was not tough or chewy and it was moist. The side dishes portions were decent and although not fancy, it tasted acceptable too.

Astons is more of a family restaurant and has many outlets throughout Singapore. I noticed there were quite a number of teenagers having lunch with friends after school as well. On the whole, I think the prices are reasonable and the staff were helpful and efficient. It is not really a place you would like to bring your date but more suitable for you to bring your kids for a casual meal...

Ratings:

Sirloin Steak: 6.5/10

Prime Rib Eye: 7/10

Astons

119/121 East Coast Road

Tel: 6247 7857

Alfiah

I was too busy to cook dinner one day and after picking up my daughter from school, I decided to buy some food. I drove pass a coffee shop and it looked crowded so I decided to give it a try.

There were so many choices here from lontong to prata to seafood. I felt like having the Mee Hoon Goreng (Fried Bee Hoon) and the Sop Tulang (direct translation Bone Soup :) You can only find this red indian style mee hoon in Singapore. My sister tried to find this dish in KL years back, with no success.

When I got my food, I found that the Mee Hoon Goreng was slightly wet, which was a bit strange for this dish. Taste wise it was just ok. Let's just say I had tasted many better ones.

The Sop Tulang looks slightly curry-ish. I suspect that they accidentally put too much star anise and cardamom as it tasted really strong of these two spices. The meat was tender and the marrow was ample, shame the gravy was not really up to mark...

*Halal

Rating:
Sop Tulang 5.5/10

Mee Hoon Goreng 6/10

Alfiah
Blk 89
Bedok North Road
opposite Bedok Police Station

Tahu Goreng (Fried Beancurd)

This dish literally means fried beancurd. However, it is drenched with spicy peanut sauce, loads of beansprouts and finely sliced cucumber. It is a fantastic vegetarian dish. I decided to try the one at Mukmin.

The Tahu Goreng came piping hot. The beancurd was crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. The peanut sauce was sweet, sour and spicy, though not too hot. I like it when the peanut is not blended too finely as it is much better with some crunch, like this one. Yums!

I relished every bit of my Tahu Goreng and went home happily.

*Halal

Rating: 8/10

Mukmin
Block 129 Bedok North St 2.
opp Bedok Stadium
Tel : 6443 2724