Kreta Ayer

I wonder if this place is normally as packed as the night that we were there or if they are only this packed on days when either Petaling Street and Albee's Kitchen are not open. Oh, that did not sound nice, did it? But I have to be honest with my tastebuds - I would choose those two places over this one any time.

From the outset, we mistook them for a Malaysian restaurant when in fact, they were Singaporean. Well, our two countries are just a causeway away anyway so culturally and in this case, gastronomically, we would be almost similar (to perhaps just some decimal points of a difference). However, since we trip to the island republic, I digress from that thought as I found out that I prefer the taste of the Malaysian versions of the same dish to the Singaporean versions. Somehow, I found food in Singapore more bland in comparison. Do not get me wrong - food was still good, just lacking in flavour, that's all.

This blandness was reflected in the food served here at Kreta Ayer. But this is only my personal opinion - other people may love their food and again, like I said, the food was not bad, it was just not 100% to my liking. Food we had are as follows:

Yam Cake

Chicken Laksa

Pork Mince Noodles

Boneless Hainanese Chicken Laksa

Crispy Noodles wtih Seafood

Milo Dinosaur (or was it Godzilla?)

Cendol

Red bean soup

Positive points about this place would be that they have a huge menu and is conveniently located a stone's throw away from UNSW. Spoilt for choice, the uni students here.

Kreta Ayer

466 Anzac Parade, Kingsford, NSW 2032, Australia.

Tel: +61 2 9663 3888

Weekdays 11:00am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm

Weekends 10:00am to 11:00pm

Yonehachi Takashimaya

I had my last lunch in Singapore at Yonehachi.

Located at the food basement of Takashimaya at Ngee Ann City, we were pretty lucky as there were not many people there making it easy to get a table.

Yonehachi is a Japanese chain with more than 150 outlets across Japan and is known for Okowa rice. Okowa rice is sticky rice, also known as glutinouos rice, mixed with different ingredients such as red bean and salmon.

I had the Salmon Okowa with Miso Soup set meal ($7.80).

The salmon bits gave the rice a mixed texture but I was not expecting the rice to be as chewy. I had the impression that it would be really sticky and soft. Hm, different way of cooking it, perhaps.

Kin had the Plain Soba set meal with Sansai Okowa ($10.80).

I preferred the texture of the rice in his box and found the blend of the ingredients rather interesting. One thing is for sure - very healthy.

Yonehachi Takashimaya
Takashimaya, 391 Orchard Road, #B204-1/2, Singapore 238873
Tel: +65 6333 8227
Daily 10:00am to 9:30pm

Maison Kayser Scotts Square

When you hang out with students who are pastry chefs, you would get introduced to so-called amazing pastry.

One amazing brand is Maison Kayser, who just opened a new branch in Scotts Square.

Apparently, this French brand is well-known for their croissants. And because I was not the person who ordered (felt so loved, as my students treated me to this meal), I do not have names for the following (well, other than the croissant, which is self explanatory).

But this I do remember - the taste, I mean. It arrived warm with a crispy crust and with cheese that melted in my mouth.

Pastry were awesome but a little too fancy for my liking. I'm a simple, down-to-earth lass, you know. Haha...

Maison Kayser Scotts Square
#B1-09 Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road, 228209 Singapore
Tel: +65 6636 3672
Daily 8:00am to 8:00pm

The Connoisseur Concerto

I have never been to Clarke Quay and when it was time to make a decision on where to eat, it was tough. Located along the Singapore River, there were many makan and minum places to choose from. As we were starving and tired, we decided to walk into a place that was empty, so that the food would arrive quickly and that place was The Connoisseur Concerto.

I ordered a Seafood Aglio Olio ($20.50), spaghetti subtly flavoured with chilli and garlic, accompanied with succulent pan-seared scallops and fresh prawns. I liked the presentation of the dish.

Then there was the Chicken and Mushroom Spaghetti, which came in a huge portion. Well, everything they served were in huge portions.

There was also a pizza sandwich dish, which I didn't manage to make a note of but I did take note of what it tasted like. I liked how the bread was moist and warm but still had a crispy crust. Loved the cheese that would string when pulled.

What was surprisingly tasty was The Veal Thing, a hearty combination of onion foccacia, seared veal sausage with caramelised onions and gratinated cheese. Although it looked huge, it did not make my friend feel overwhelmingly full.

If looking for a quiet place to catch up with friends, ask for a seat inside. Service was quick and staff were friendly.

The Connoisseur Concerto

Blk 3E River Valley Road, #01-01, S179024, Singapore

Tel: +65 6336 1121

Sunday to Thursday and Public Holidays 10:00am to 2:00am

Friday, Saturday and Eve of Public Holidays 10:00am to 4:00am

S.E.A. Aquarium

The few places I remember vividly in my mind of my childhood trip to Singapore included this place, the S.E.A. Aquarium. I remembered it to be a really huge place and rightly so, not just because I was tiny back then, but also because it is the world's largest aquarium. Here are some of the more interesting underwater creatures...

They look edible to me...

I called this the Pinocchio fish!

And of course, no visit to an aquarium is complete without going through their underwater tunnel walkalator!

S.E.A. Aquarium
Open daily 10:00am to 7:00pm