Smoothie House @ Westgate - Popular Taiwanese Snowflake Ice Opened Flagship Store in Singapore

Popular Taiwanese snowflake ice dessert, Smoothie House has opened its flagship store at Westgate. Regarded by CNN as the 'must try' dessert place, now Singaporeans can also enjoy the renowned fruit based desserts originated from Taipei, Yong Kang Street. The snowflake ice desserts at Smoothie House comes in three sizes, Healthy ($7.90), Sharing ($9.90-$12.90) and Family ($15.90).

Mango Snowflake Ice 4/5

We tried the Mango Snowflake Ice ($9.90) that comes with mango shaved ice covered in chunky, juicy mango cubes, topped with panna cotta and drizzled with condensed milk and special fresh fruit mango sauce. The snowflake ice is really super soft and fluffy. Together with the sweet mango cubes, this is a very refreshing dessert perfect for Singapore's weather.

Tie Guan Yin Milky Snowflake Ice 4.2/5

Only exclusively available here is the Tie Guan Yin Milky Snowflake Ice ($9.90) The creamy milk shaved ice is served with cooling tie guan yin jelly. topped with a tea prune and drizzled with black sugar syrup. On the side is freshly cooked mixed pearls in black sugar syrup. I am not too sure why they served the pearls separately, I thought it would be visually more stunning if it is served together with the snowflake ice. Not as sweet compared to the mango snowflake ice, but the hint of tea fragrance, lightness and black sugar syrup was a clear winner for me.

Yoghurt-Berry Snowflake Ice 3/5

For those that does not really have a sweet tooth and prefer something sour, the Yoghurt-Berry Snowflake Ice ($9.90) will be your choice. The healthy yoghurt shaved ice is covered with fresh bananas, strawberries, blueberries and topped with a tangy mulberry sauce.

The seating capacity at Smoothie House is actually quite small. If you do not want to join the long queue, I do quite like the idea of the handy takeaway container for the snowflake ice dessert.

For the opening special on 6th, 7th and 8th May 2016. Customers can savour a free healthy size Mango Snowflake Ice with every purchase of a sharing size snowflake ice.

On Mother's Day 8th May 2016, the first 10 customers at every hour can relish a sharing size Mango Snowflake Ice at only $2 when they bring along a parent.


Smoothie House
Westgate
3 Gateway Drive
#01-08
Singapore 608532
Tel: +65 67105567
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Website
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

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

Nobiro Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar @ Faber Drive - A Hidden Neighbourhood Japanese Restaurant

Having moved to the West for almost 2 years, I realized there are still many undiscovered places in the area. Nobiro Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar is one of these places which I recently got to know. It is actually located in Faber Hill Estate, a quiet private residential area near Clementi. The neighbourhood Japanese restaurant is fashioned like an Izakaya place offering a full range of  Japanese cuisine, as well as an extensive range of sake for purchase or in house dining.

Sashimi Salad 3.5/5

We started dinner on a light note with the Sashimi Salad Iwanori Tsumi ($16) served with Nori. The mixed sashimi and greens salad can be eaten on its own or wrapped with the nori for a fuller enjoyment.

Sakana Marine 4/5

Next is the Sakana Marine ($18) which comes with seasonal sashimi served in the Chef's special marinade. If I am not wrong, we have the sea bream sashimi during my visit. The chef's marinade is light, yet flavourful but not overpowering. Allowing the clean and sweetness of the fish to shine.

Nama Kaki Yonshiki 4.2/5. Fried Nama Kaki 4/5, Mushi Nama Kaki 3.5/5

Oysters lover will be delighted in the various way of enjoying this delicacy, offered at Nobiro. My preferred way is to have it freshly shucked. The Nama Kaki Yonshiki ($20) is fresh oysters served in four different ways, with the topping of onion, salsa, hint of pesto and ponzu with pink salt. I do understand some people do not like the raw taste of oyster, so you can go for the Fried Nama Kaki ($15) or Mushi Nama Kaki ($20) which is fried and steamed fresh oysters.

Cheese Menchi Katsu 4/5

A delightful bite to go with the beer or sake is the Cheese Menchi Katsu ($16 for 2pc). The homemade beef patty has a surprise mozarella cheese stuffing in it. Crispy breaded exterior coupled with the cheesy interior, this is multifold enjoyment.

Surume Ika Maruyaki 4/5

The Surume Ika Maruyaki ($15) or grilled squid is the one dish that I could help going back for more. I probably ate half of it myself, instead of sharing with my three other dining companion. The flavourful marination of the squid, perfectly grilled over the fire for a hint of smokiness and tender texture has totally won me over.

Tonpei Yaki 3/5

I have mixed opinion of the Tonpei Yaki ($13) from the group. While most of them seemed to enjoy it, I thought it was rather average. However a worthy note goes to the runny omelette that is on top of the pile of cabbage.

Mentaiko Pasta 3/5

Maybe it was my high expectation but I thought the Mentaiko Pasta ($20) was sort of bland, missing the rich mentaiko flavour I was seeking in the pile of pasta. I also did not really enjoy the soft texture of the pasta.

Yakitori Sticks 3.5/5

There are around 24 items on the yakitori menu. If you the type of person that cannot decides what to order, the simplest way is to go for their chef selection which comes in the form of 7, 12 and 15 sticks. We have the Chef Selection Set 7 Sticks ($23). This is perfect to go with a glass of beer or sake.

Omakase Sushi 4/5

From the sushi bar, we had the Omakase Sushi ($30) which comprised of 6 different types of sushi. For the selection during our visit, the chef has given us the Amberjack, Sea Bream, Flounder, Sweet Shrimp, Squid and Fat Greening. The proportion of the rice to sashimi is thoughtfully executed for a balanced mouthful enjoyment to appreciate the freshness to the fullest.

Wagyu Tataki 4/5

Nobiro maybe a neighbourhood Japanese restaurant but you still can enjoy quality and premium ingredients on the menu such as the Wagyu Tataki ($45) which uses Japanese wagyu beef A5 Ohmi from Shiga Prefecture. The full flavoured beef is lighted seared on the exterior, sealing the juiciness in it for a explosive burst of flavour as it dissolved on the palate.

It is quite rare to have a Japanese restaurant hidden in a private residential estate. Being a neigbhourhood restaurant, it does not mean they do not serve quality ingredients. In fact, most of the dishes I tried is above average or even as good as many other Japanese restaurants. The sake bar also has an impressive collection of over 50 types of sake for purchase or dine in. What is even more worth it is their lunch set which is mostly below $20.


Nobiro Japanese Restaurant
108 Faber Drive
Singapore 129418
Tel: +65 68730095
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue: 6pm - 1030pm
Wed-Sun: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17171). Take bus number 154 or 201. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk along Ayer Rajah Expressway towards Faber Drive. Turn left onto Faber Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]