MADO Cafe @ JEM

Those that have been to Turkey will be familiar with MADO, a popular ice cream brand in Turkey with over 250 branches worldwide. What is so special about this Turkish ice cream? Apparently they are made from goat milk and salep using totally natural processes. The flagship outlet in Singapore is just locate right at the enterance of JEM so it is not easy to be missed. The cafe not only sells ice cream but offers a selection of desserts and food on their menu too. However we stopped by MADO cafe to try the desserts only.

Ice Apple Tea 4/5

I have realized the benefit of apple tea since my last visit to Ottoman Kebab & Grill. It was an easy choice when I noticed MADO cafe offers apple tea on the menu. I had the Ice Apple Tea ($2.80) which was cooling and refreshing for the humid weather as well as it comes with lot of health benefit.

Pisachio Baklava with Vanilla Ice Cream 3.8/5

We started with Pisachio Baklava with Vanilla Ice Cream ($11.90). Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup. Unless you have a very sweet tooth, you may feel this too sweet for your liking.

Homemade Blueberry Cheesecake Waffle 3.5/5

Next we tried the Homemade Blueberry Cheesecake Waffle ($11.50) that is topped with blueberry, pisachio and ice cream. The waffle is the fluffy and eggy type which is quite delectable on its own. The Turkish ice cream seemed to be more creamy and thicker compare to those normally served in local ice cream parlours.

Salted Caramel Waffle and Ice Cream 4/5

Between the blueberry cheesecake waffles and the Salted Caramel Waffle and Ice Cream ($10.50), I prefer the later as I enjoyed the combination play of sweetness with salty.

After trying MADI's Turkish ice cream, I can fully appreciated why some friends who have traveled to Turkey got excited when they knew about the franchise in Singapore. The Turkish ice cream is denser and richer compared to most, no wonder it has a following for their ice cream.


Mado Cafe
JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#01-04
Singappore 608549
Tel: +65 67343196
Website: http://www.mado.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

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

So Pho @ JEM

I got to know about So Pho when it opened an outlet at Nex Shopping Mall. I did know that they have another outlet at JEM in the West until my recent visit. The Vietnamese restaurant occupies quite a big space at the basement of JEM. The spacious place with its causal ambience and affordable pricing will be a welcome choice for shoppers at JEM.

Mixed Appertiser 4/5

The Mixed Appertiser ($10.80) consists of prawn cake, summer roll and fried spring roll. A good starter to whet up the appetite allowing one to try a bit of everything. I am not quite a fan of summer roll or Vietnamese roll because I usually find them too bland for my liking. However the execution of the Vietnamese roll here was quite good and flavourful.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Condense Milk 4/5

I got myself a cup of Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Condense Milk ($3.80) for my daily needed caffeine dosage. The coffee is on the sweet side due to the condense milk, you can request to have just black coffee too.

Cha Ca La Vong 3.5/5

Apparently this is quite a famous Hanoi street food known as Cha Ca La Vong ($10.80). It is fish fillet with lemongrass and dill served in a hotplate with rice vermicelli. I am not too sure how to eat this. I just take a bit of everything and ate them together like a wrap. It was nice but missing the wow factor for me. Saying that, this is the first time I am introduced to this Vietnamese dish.

Ga Bam Xuc Banh Da 3.8/5

Another interesting dish I tried is the Sesame Rice Crackers served with Basil Leaves Chicken ($10.80). To enjoy the dish, cracked a piece of the rice cracker and topped with some minced chicken. I felt that the rice cracker and minced chicken somewhat did not complement each other to make it a complete dish.

Pho Dac Biet 4.5/5

The Mixed Vietnamese Pho ($9.80) at So Pho is definitely one of the better ones I had in Singapore. The soup scented with cinnamon star anise, ginger and spices is robust and rich. The noodle is also silky smooth. Together with the slice beef, brisket and beef balls, the bowl of noodle soup is packed with beautiful flavours. This is one dish I will order again.

Overall I think So Pho offers pretty good Vietnamese food at wallet friendly prices. What is interesting in So Pho is that they have other interesting items in the menu that is not commonly offer at other Vietnamese eateries. Vietnamese cuisine is not just about their spring rolls and pho but beyond that.


So Pho
JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#B1-08
Singapore 608549
Tel: +65 63390938
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

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