[CLOSED] Hard Rock Cafe Sentosa @ Resort World Sentosa

Do you know how many Hard Rock Cafes are there in Singapore? There are actually 3 in Singapore. They are at Resort World Sentosa, Cuscaden Road and Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure Transit Lounge. Most Singaporean probably would visit overseas Hard Rock Cafe when they are on holidays but not the one in Singapore and I am one of those.

Besides live band performance, Hard Rock Cafe has many others to offer. It is a great place for family and large group gathering. The extensive menu even includes local fare that satisfy both the local and foreign palate. If you are not hungry, there is a bar to quench your thirst and enjoy the music while sipping your drink.

Jumbo Combo 4.2/5

For family or large group, the Jumbo Combo ($28) would be a a good starter to share. It has a delectable array of Santa Fe Spring Rolls, Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Potato Skins and  Tupelo Chicken Tenders.

Hard Rock Nachos 4.2/5

Another great dish for sharing will be Hard Rock Nachos ($20). The huge serving of fresh corn tortilla chips piled high with Jack and Cheddar cheeses and seasoned pinto beans. It is served with sour cream, chopped green onions, pico de gallo, jalaperios and a side of freshly made Hard Rock Salsa. For meat lover, there are selection of Grilled Chicken ($6), BBQ Pulled Pork ($6) or Grilled Fajita Beef ($8) that can be added at a nominal cost.

Chilli Crab Dip 4.5/5

Here comes the exciting part ... Hard Rock Cafe has introduced the famous Singapore chilli crab and made it into a delicious dip, served with a choice of chinese buns or fresh corn tortilla chips. Thumbs up to the kitchen. The Chilli Crab Dip ($15) was so good that we basically can match and eat anything with it that was on the table.

Twisted Mac, Chicken and Cheese 4.5/5

Being a cheese lover, each mouthful of the lightly spiced 3-cheese sauce for the Twisted Mac, Chicken and Cheese ($26) with the twisted cavatappi pasta felt like ballerinas dancing in my mouth.
The sauce was really lovely and I can't help going back for more. The dish was completed with tender juicy grilled chicken breast and garlic toast.

Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad 4.2/5

If you love your greens, do try the Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad ($20). It consists of freshly cut greens tossed with sweet red onions, grilled Cajun chicken with Honey Citrus dressing. The beautiful salad is topped with fresh orange segments, spiced pecans, red pepper strips, sweetened dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles. Abundance of textures and flavours marriage in a zesty dressing.

Fish and Chips 4.2/5

As a kid, I love my fried stuff. Being family oriented, there is always something on the the menu for the kids. The golden brown Fish and Chips ($26) deep fried in special batter, served with french fries was crisp on the outside and moist inside.

Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger 4.5/5

The legendary burgers at Hard Rock Cafe is a best try! The Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger ($26) used certified Australian Angus Beef cooked to medium well unless otherwise requested. The juicy patty packed with flavours was basted with special Hickory BBQ sauce and smothered with caramelized onions. The burger is topped with crisp seasoned bacon and melted cheddar cheese and served on a buttered toasted bun.

Hickory Smoked BBQ Combo 4.2/5

With roots from Memphis Tennessee, the smokehouse dishes out authentic and delectable grilled chicken and ribs basted with authentic Hickory BBQ sauce that is cooked to perfection with meat that falls right off the bone. The Hickory Smoked BBQ combo ($32) served with seasoned fries, ranch beans and fresh coleslaw will be the perfect choice for the best of everything.

Seafood Char Kway Teow 4.2/5

Your eyes were not playing trick with you and the Char Kway Teow is not from the Malaysian Food Street across the vicinity. Yes! Hard Rock Cafe offers Seafood Char Kway Teow ($18) on their menu. Surprisingly, the stir fried flat noodles tossed with bean sprouts, fish cake, chinese sausage, egg, prawn, squid and a sweet spicy soy sauce was excellently executed. It fared much better than a lot of stalls out there.

New York Strip Steak 4/5

Grilled to perfection is the 21 day aged center cut, 12 oz New York Strip Steak ($46) topped with merlot garlic butter and served with smashed potatoes, gravy and fresh vegetables.

Fresh Apple Cobbler 4.2/5

After a sumptuous feast, it is time to hit the sweet note with desserts. The Fresh Apple Cobbler ($16), a country favourite served warm with premium Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream. Topped with walnuts and caramel sauce the dessert was bursting with flavours.

Hot Fudge Brownie 4.2/5

Topped with Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, chopped walnuts, chocolate sprinkles, fresh whipped cream and a cherry, the Hot Fudge Brownie ($18) with its fresh and warm brownie was a classic dessert that will warm both the heart and palate.

Mud Pie 4.2/5

I wonder why the dessert is called Mud Pie ($16) when nothing of it looks like a pie. The ugly but beautiful dessert has cookie crust filled with a heavenly concoction of coffee and chocolate ice cream topped with hot fudge and crunchy almond flakes.

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake 4/5

I was expecting a slice of cheesecake and never imagine the Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake ($8) was served in a short glass. Initally I thought it was some sort of mousse until I tasted the cheesy cheesecake in the glass with a blend of choclate and caramel sauces.

Cecil Ice Tea $6

The next time you are at Hard Rock Cafe, remember to try the highly recommended Cecil Ice Tea ($6). Natalie, Marketing Communication and PR Manager told us that it is also known as the SARS (Severe acute respriatory syndrome) drink. Those who drank it did not contract the virus during the outbreak.

It was a fun and enjoyable night with great food and company. A great thanks to Natalie and Chris for hosting us.


[CLOSED]
Hard Rock Cafe Sentosa
Resort World Sentosa
The Forum
26 Sentosa Gateway
#01-209 to 214
Singapore 098138
Website: http://www.hardrock.com/
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (NE Line, CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbour Front MRT station. Exit station to Vivocity Shopping Mall. Go to Sentosa Express Station at Level 3 of Vivocity. Take Sentosa Express Train to Waterfront station. Alight at Waterfront station and walk to Level B1 The Forum, Resort World Sentosa. Journey time about 15 mins.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge (谢顺德潮洲粥) @ Changi Road

For Teochew porridge lover, Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge has moved from the West in Toh Guan to the East at Changi Road near Eunos.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge only opened recently at the new location along Changi Road since 1 March 2012. Their grand opening will be on 4 April 2012. For their opening promotion, they are giving $5 cash on the spot for every 3 stamps collected. Receive 1 stamp for every purchase of $20 & above.

Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge has been featured in several media and they are known for their Pig Trotter Aspic and Shark Meat Aspic. I have not known of Teochew porridge eatery selling these and I thought they are only available at restaurants.

Pig Trotter Aspic 4/5

I have only tried Pig Trotter Aspic or commonly known as Pig Trotter Jelly once and I don't enjoy it. However, the Pig Trotter Aspic ($5 and above) at Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge is vastly differently, refreshing and melts in the mouth. Unfortunately the Shark Meat Aspic was not available. The boss said that the Shark Meat today was not suitable to make the aspic and they rejected it. It shows how much the eatery insists on using the freshest ingredients.

Braised Pork Intestines 3/5

The intense dark colour of the Braised Pork Intestines ($4 and above) indicates long hours of simmering, was tender and flavourful. Unfortunately it was a bit gamy. If not it would be an excellent dish.

Stewed Cabbage 4/5

The Stewed Cabbage ($1 and above) is my favourite vegetable whenever I have my porridge. I enjoyed the natural sweetness of the cabbage with the soft texture.

Steamed Sotong 4.2/5

I was rather impressed with the Steamed Sotong ($3 to $5) which was very fresh. It was cooked to my likings neither too tough or mush, still having a crunchy texture.

Steamed Pomfret 4/5

You can have fresh Steamed Promfret ($5 and above) at the eatery. The Black Fish ($15 to $18) is also available but very limited stock. You can also request for your fish to be steamed on the spot upon ordering with an additional $3.

Homemade Fish Cake 4.5/5

The Homemade Fish Cake ($1 each) is a must try here. It has a very unique combination with pork being added. The texture was also very delightful with each bite into it.

Braised Duck 4.2/5

The Braised Duck Meat ($3 and above) was well simmered until it was fall of the bone tender meat. Another delightful dish offered at Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge.

The newly opened Teochew porridge is looking at introducing more seafood to the menu such as crab, lobster and crayfish 20% below market pricing in the near future. There are also plan to convert a section of the area into a beer garden.


[CLOSED]
Seah Soon Teck Teochew Porridge (谢顺德潮洲粥) @ Changi Road
283 Changi Road
Singapore 419762
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SST.Teochew.Porridge
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 5am

Direction:
Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk towards Sim Avenue East along the MRT line. Turn right into Kampong Eunos and walk to the end of the road. Seah Soon Tech Teochew Porridge is at the junction of K. Eunos and Changi Road. Journey time about 10 minutes.

What's in a food blogger's bag?

When Jacob from CookSnapEatLove wrote to me to do a guest post on what's in a food blogger's bag? I thought it will be interesting to share with my readers what is your my bag whenever I embarked on a food journey. Every Saturday, a different food blogger will do a guest post on his blog and share with readers what is in their bag?

Crumpler Karachi Outpost (S)

I use a Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack to carry my camera and other stuffs. The Crumpler Karachi Outpost comes in 3 sizes and I bought the smallest. It is actually a camera and laptop bag. It can hold a 13" laptop with fully configurable and removeable padded laptop and main compartments.

The bag was quite an expensive investment for me. I think I spent $215 on it after 10% credit card discount. It was love at first sight but I didn't buy it immediately. I gave myself a couple of weeks to look for other cheaper alternatives before going back to the shop to get it.

Canon 600D Kit II (EF S18-135IS)

When I started my blog, I was using my Iphone 3GS and compact Canon IXUS 120IS digital camera to shoot my photos. It was 4 months ago that I decided to "go to the dark side" and invested in a DSLR camera. I got myself a basic DSLR camera, the Canon 600D with Kit II (EF S18-135IS). Initially I was afraid to handle the complicated equipment and I was clueless what to do with it. With the guidance and help from fellow foodies especially Maureen from MissTamChiak, I felt more comfortable in handling the equipment.

Lately I have been thinking of getting a flash and a macro lens. Unfortunately all these do not come cheap. I wonder if any Santa Claus out there is reading this blog post? I promised to be a good boy this year :P

Iphone 3GS, Iphone Charger and Umbrella

The Iphone is probably one of the greatest inventions of all the time. It is like a compact mobile computer that keeps me connected at all times beside the normal call function. My Iphone 3GS keeps me connected on social media and I am frequently on Twitter, Path, Instagram and Foursquare. It is also my navigator, helping me to get from one place to another. It doubles up as my notepad too. I used it to note down my food experience when I visit a restaurant/cafe/stall.

Everyone who owns an Iphone will know the Iphone battery would not last you for the whole day. Whenever I know I will be out for the whole day, I will bring the Iphone Charger along.

Who says man does not carry Umbrella? This is a must in my bag. After all, a few thousand dollars worth of equipments are in the bag. I don't want to be sorry later knowing the unpredictable Singapore weather.

Crumpler recycle bag, Threadless T-shirt, Towel

Singapore weather can be quite extreme and it can get pretty hot and humid too. I do perspire quite easily and it is not nice to attend a food tasting invite when I am soaked in perspiration. Hence I usually carry a towel to clean myself up and a Threadless T-shirt to change into. Threadless is an online T-shirt shop that I got to know last year. Since then, I have been buying my tees from the online shop.

The towel and Threadless Tee is packed into the Crumpler recycle bag and put inside my Crumpler Karachi Outpost backpack. The Crumpler recycle bag comes handy when food tasting invites give away freebies.

I hope you enjoy reading this post. That is what I usually have in my bag when I go to check out food places. I look forward to reading what is the bag of the next food blogger being featured.  Since then if we do across path on the street, do come up and say Hi.

Marukin Ramen Tokyo @ Scotts Square

Marukin Ramen is a Tokyo based ramen chain in the ever increasing number of ramen restaurants in Singapore. In contrast to serving its signature Hakata style ramen made from pork broth, this local chain opts for a chicken stock for its soup base. Chicken Chasyu is also the main ingredients instead of Pork Chasyu here.

The four types of soup based available at the Singapore chain are Shoyu Chicken White Soup, Shio Chicken White Soup, Miso Chicken White Soup, Shoyu Chicken Clear Soup.

Shoyu Nori Tama Ramen 4.2/5

Shoyu Nori Tama Ramen 4.2/5

The Shoyo Nori Tama Ramen ($12.90) comes with a perfect combination of Chicken Chasyu and Nitamago, topped with Kikurage mushrooms, Green Onion, toasted Nori seaweed and a dash of sesame seeds. The savory light brown broth mix of soy sauce combined with their homemade chicken soup has intenese flavour and not as oily as those pork broth.

Unique to other ramen is the use of Chicken Chasyu instead of Pork Chasyu. The chicken meat was surprisingly tender and flavourful. It was really good.

Tori-Zukushi Donburi 4.2/5

Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish consist of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered togther and served over rice. The Tori-Zukushi Donburi ($11.90) is served with homemade special sauce with Chicken Chasyu, Chicken Meat Balls, Chicken Wing, Nitamago, Spring Onions, Shredded Nori and Steamed Rice.

Gyoza 2.5/5

The Gyoza (5 for $5.90) is handmade with freshly marinated minced chicken and shredded vegetables. It was crispy on the outside, juicy and succulent on the inside.  Unfortunately the filling was a tad salty and I didn't finish them.


Marukin Ramen Tokyo
Scotts Square
6 Scotts Road
#B1-11/12
Singapore 228209
Webiste: http://www.maru-kin.co.jp/
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Scotts Square. Journey time about 5 minutes.

Loui's NY Pizza Parlor @ Universal Studio Singapore

I was at Universal Studio Singapore a couple of weeks ago. The entertaining and fun day with all the walks, rides and sun sure made one hungry. Heard a bit of Loui's NY Pizza Parlor and decided to check out the place since it is probably one of the cheaper options in Universal Studio Singapore.

(Photo taken with Canon IXUS 120IS )

Lasagna 4/5

Loui's NY Pizza Parlor is a cafeteria concept restaurant. Instead of table serving, customers take the food they require from the counter and pay at the cashier.

The first item I picked up was the Lasagna ($9.30). It was selling like hot cakes so like typical Singaporean I also got myself a piece to try. The generous tomato sauce serving already got me excited and they even have a creamy sauce over it.

Magarita Pizza 4/5

Pepperoni Pizza 4/5

Of course I have to try the pizza here. I ordered a slice of Magarita ($9) and Pepperoni ($9) Pizza each. Each slice is as big as the plate. The thin crust pizza was really quite good.


Loui's NY Pizza Parlor
Universal Studio Singapore
Resort World Singapore
8 Sentosa Gateway
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbourfront MRT station. Exit station to Vivocity Shopping Mall. Go to Sentosa Express Station at Level 3 of Vivocity. Take Sentosa Express Train to Waterfront station. Alight at Waterfront station and walk to Universal Studio Singapore. Journey time about 15 mins.

Charly T's @ I12 Katong

Dining at the Charly T's is like embarking on a food journey around the world. The owner a globetrotter brings local flavours of his journey across the continents to the diners plate. Being a mixlogist himself, the menu also includes some of his creation. At Charly T's, food is first ordered at the counter and it will be served to your table when it is ready.

Red Tang 4.2/5

Green Flash 4.2/5

Like a traveller in the business class cabin eagerly waiting for our flight to embark on food journey at Charly T's, we were served 2 of CT's Odysseys the Red Tang and Green Flash. The Red Tang ($6.50) is a drink mixture of strawberry, cranberry and lychee while the Green Flash ($6.50) consists of green apple, orange and pineapple. The fresh, refreshing and fruity drinks jet us off for a food escapade.

Rotisserie Chicken (Original, Black Pepper, Kampong, Kansas City BBQ) 4.5/5

A best try at Charly T's is their famous Rotisserie Chicken. It comes in 4 flavours (original, black pepper, kampong and kansas city BBQ). The chicken were marinated for a good 13 hours before being roasted and served. The meat was very tender and moist and most of us could not decide which flavours was our favourite as all of them were as good.

The Rotisserie Chicken is reasonably priced at,
Original - $13 (quarter + 2 additions), $24 (half + 3 additions) , $42 (whole + 4 addition)
Other Flavours - $15 (quarter + 2 additions), $27 (half + 3 additions) , $46 (whole + 4 addition)

Current Charly T's at I12 Katong is having an Opening Promotion which entitles diners to 50% off our famous rotisserie chickens from now till mid-March 2012.

Additions (German Potato Salad, Butter Garlic Rice, Fresh Vegetables, Macaroni & Cheese) 4/5

The sides at Charly T's are known as additions. When you ordered the Rotisserie Chicken, you can choose from the 4 different sides namely, German Potato Salad, Butter Garlic Rice, Fresh Vegetables and Macaroni & Cheese. My favourite was the German Potato Salad. I like the chunky potatoes that was complement with bacons. The additions can also be ordered as ala carte at $4 each.

Sauces for the Rotisserie Chicken

4 different types of sauces were also available to go with the Rotisserie Chicken.

Jumbo Schnitzel Burger 4/5

The Jumbo Schnitzel Burger ($14) in simple term is a huge chicken cutlet folded into half and served in between 2 buns. Schnitzel is actually a traditional Austrian/German dish made with boneless meat thinned with a schmammer coated in bread crumbs and fried. The deep fried chicken still retain its juiciness under the lightly battered skin.

CT's Beef Burger 3.5/5

The CT's Beef Burger ($10.50) was a tad dry although the patty was meaty and firm. Maybe it was because it was left sitting there for too long with all the photo taking. I wish it could be more messy for some juiciness to it such as an runny egg or cheese.

Kalua Pork 4.2/5

The food escapade next port of call brings us to Hawaii for the famous local Kalua Pork ($16). The pork belly was marinated for 48 hours and cooked with Ti leaves. The Kalua Pork is different from the chinese braised pork belly. It has lesser fat and does not have the melt in the mouth texture.

Kaiserschmarrn 4.2/5

Our food journey ends with a lovely and beautiful Austrian/German dessert. Kaiserschmarrn ($14) loosely translated to mean Emperor's Mishmash. The warm and fluffy caramelized pancakes were sprinkled with powdered sugar, raisins and served with a generous scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.

At Charly T's I12 Katong branch, there is also a private room with a Peranakan theme. This gives you a hint of the owner's roots.

The restaurant also has an alfresco dining and drinking area with a nice view. Live soccer matches are also screened here and it is very popular over the weekend as it opens until 1am on Fri and Sat.

Thank you Foodnews for the invite and Charly T's hospitality.

Charly T's
I12 Katong
112 East Coast Road
#03-15
Singapore 428802
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlyts.sg
Website: http://www.charlyts.com
Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri: 11am - 1am
Sat: 9am - 1am
Sun: 9am - 11pm
(Eve of PH closed at 1am)

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 16. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road and walk to 112 Katong. Journey time about 10 minutes.

2) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 10 or 32. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to 112 Katong. Journey time about 15 minutes.