Ottoman Kebab & Grill @ Bedok Mall

From the same folk that brings you Zaffron Kitchen and Prata Wala, the group has opened another new concept at Bedok Mall in Ottoman Kebab & Grill offering culinary delights from Turkey. Helming the eatery is Turkish native Head Chef Ali Kose who has ten years of culinary experience with 2 years working as the Sous Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred Maze in London.

Kick start the dinner with a glass of Apple Tea ($3) that is served both hot and cold. The apple tea has many health benefits such as strengthening the immune system, helps fight arthritis and other type of inflammations.

Homous 4.2/5 and Pide 4.2/5

Ordered a plate of the Homous ($6) to go with the lava stones cooked Pide ($2). The delicious creamy chick pea dip paired excellently with pillowy flat bread.

Falafel 3.5/5

Falafel ($5 for 3 pieces) is a Middle East snack that is deep fried to a delightful crusty exterior and filled with chick peas and fava beans that is flavoured with aromatic spices. My advice is to take bite size of it and not the whole piece at one go due to its dryness in texture to enjoy it to the fullest.

Cheese Borek 3.8/5

Wrapped in thin flaky dough, the Cheese Borek ($6 for 6 pieces) filled with feta cheese is like the Middle East version of deep fried spring roll. Nice crackling texture that is very enjoyment. I only wished that the cheese can be more prominent.

Iskender Mutton Kebab 4/5

The huge servicing of Iskender Mutton Kebab ($18.50) which is good for two comes with grilled mutton patties atop a bed of crispy pide croutons smeared with a rich sauce of sun dried tomatoes, celery, carrots, shallots and dried mint. Enhance the flavour further with the tangy yogurt.

Ottoman Shish Platter 4/5

If you think that the portion of the Iskender Mutton Kebab is huge wait till you check out the Ottoman Shish Platter ($29). Served with well marinated beef, chicken and seafood that were threaded onto metal skewers and grilled. They were flavourful and succulent. It also comes with pide and pilav rice. 
If the portion is too huge for sharing, individual skewers ($7.50 to $12.50) is also available on the menu.

Kunefe 4/5

My knowledge of Turkish dessert is only Turkish Delight which is quite embarrassing. Nevertheless that is also the beauty of food blogging learning and exploring new food along the journey. The Kunefe ($8.50) i a traditional dessert that is freshly prepared upon order. It takes about 20 mins of preparation. The nabulsi goat cheese encased within shredded kadayif phyllo pastry is pan fried with butter to a golden brown. I was told that the chef needs to constantly flip the kunefe during the cooking process to avoid burning it. Drizzled with sugar syrup and topped with crushed pistachios, this dessert is really suitable for those that have a very sweet tooth.

Turkish Coffee 4/5

Wrapping up the dinner with a cup of Turkish Coffee ($4) served either black or with milk. Not commonly available in Singapore, the coffee beans are roasted and finely grounded. It is then boiled in a copper cevze pot with sugar. Do let the ground coffee to be settled down to the bottom of the cup before drinking.

I have to confess that Middle East cuisine is not my thing but the food at Ottoman is pretty good with its reasonable pricing. For greater value, one can check out their weekday lunch set from 11am to 2pm or dinner set from 530pm to 930pm.


Ottoman Kebab & Grill
Bedok Mall
311 New Upper Changi Road
#01-75
Singapore 467360
Tel: +65 67024031
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ottomankebabandgrill
Website: http://ottomankebab.com/
Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Bedok Mall. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Jai Thai Restaurant @ Clover Way

I was at Jalan Pemimpin, Tat Ann Building looking at some furniture that I remembered there is a Jai Thai restaurant just around the block at Clover Way. It was not a difficult decision since it was just around the corner and I have tried the food at Jai Thai East Coast Road before. The wallet friendly restaurant was not opened yet when I reached the place. Count myself lucky to be early. Once the clock strikes six, customers started streaming in and within minutes the restaurant was full.

Mango Salad 4/5

The Mango Salad ($6/$9/$12) is a good starter to whet up the appetite bursting with all the different flavours on a single plate. The peanuts and cashew nuts added extra crunch to the salad.

Tom Yam Seafood Clear Soup 3.5/5

The last time I dine at Jai Thai Restauant was around 2 years ago. I had the Tom Yam Seafood Clear Soup ($6/$9/$12), the same dish I ordered back then. I remembered that there was more seafood and they did not use fried fish but fresh fish instead. I was a bit disappointed and the price has also increased.

Steamed Tofu with Chicken Basil 4.5/5

I also ordered the same dish, Steamed Tofu with Chicken Basil ($7) back then. It has increased by a dollar and I am glad that the standard has not dropped. The combination of steamed tofu and delectable minced chicken infused with the basil flavour goes very well with a bowlof rice.

Olive Rice 4/5

Most customers usually will order pineapple rice at Thai restaurant but my preference is always the Olive Rice ($5/$7/$10). I find them more fragrant and flavourful compared to pineapple rice.

Red Curry Beef 3.8/5

Instead of the usual green curry chicken, I tried the Red Curry Beef ($6/$9/$12) for a change. Except that it is red in colour, similar to green curry, it is on the sweet side instead of being spicy. The beef is pretty tender although we can't expect the restaurant to be servicing premium cut.

Overall the food at Jai Thai is decent and with it wallet friendly price point. Judging from full house restaurant and long queue waiting for a seat, it remembers me that it is very subjective to judge food as long as the diners enjoyed it. It is quite similar to individual's interpretation of happiness.


Jai Thai Restaurant
7 Clove Way
Singapore 579080
Tel: +65 62580228
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaiThaiSG
Website: http://www.jai-thai.com/
Nearest MRT: Marymount (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 9pm
Fri-Sun, PH: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road onto Jalan Pemimpin. Continue straight on Jalan Pemimpin and turn right onto Clove Way. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]