October 2012 - Ivan Teh

Jerry's Barbeque & Grill

Jerry's Barbeque & Grill
277 Jalan Kayu

92 Club Street

140B Piccadilly
Republic of Singapore Flying Club (Seletar Airbase East Camp)

http://www.jerrybbq.com/

Authentic American Comfort Food

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $30 per person.

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Jerry's Barbeque & Grill, also known as Jerry's BBQ, or simply Jerry's, offers American comfort food, the most famous being BBQ / barbeque. Jerry's Barbeque & Grill specializes in 1 of the 4 dominant styles of BBQ in America, namely, the Memphis style Wet BBQ, in which meat is basted with sauce throughout the cooking process.

Ambience at Jerry's Barbeque & Grill is reminiscent of small American diners, with simple furnishing and decor. There seems to be an airplane theme running throughout the various Jerry's Barbeque & Grill outlets. They normally have both indoor dining and outdoor dining, though indoors can be a little dim due to lighting, which in nice for dates.

Jerry's Barbeque & Grill staff are friendly and attentive, and food is prepared and served quite quickly. I noticed that all of Jerry's Barbeque & Grill outlets have at least 1 mature worker, so thumbs up to them!

Food portions at Jerry's Barbeque & Grill is American size, that is, large. I've yet to be able to clear my plate completely when dining at Jerry's Barbeque & Grill, let alone finish everything in their set meals. The highlight here would have to be their special BBQ sauce, which is sweet, tangy and has a tomato base. The BBQ sauce is used on most of the BBQ items.

Jerry's Barbeque & Grill is also known for their appetizers and pub grub, specifically, their Steamed New Zealand Mussels In Wine, and their Buffalo Wings. The Buffalo Wings are basted with a fiery BBQ sauce, and there are 5 levels of spiciness available on the menu. There are also 'off-the-menu' levels of spiciness for their Buffalo Wings as well, and Hall-Of-Fame contenders have been challenged to conquer the fiery, face-melting spiciness of level 30.

Overall, Jerry's Barbeque & Grill is a nice place to relax, have great tasting BBQ, and grab a few beers!

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Jerry's BBQ & Grill Interior 01

Jerry's BBQ & Grill Interior 02

Ginger Beer

Hoegaarden White Draft Beer

There are a variety of soups available each day, and I especially love the crunchy croutons that is served with them.

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

French Onion Soup

The Smoker Roasted Chicken is a nicely roasted half-chicken, slathered in their famous sweet and tangy Memphis style BBQ sauce. While I found the chicken to be slightly dry, the sauce helped provide that much needed moisture and balance.

Smoker Roasted Chicken 01

Smoker Roasted Chicken 02

Smoker Roasted Chicken 03

The Memphis Style Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs is available in half-slab or full-slab portions. The meat was nicely tender and fall-off-the-bone, with sweet pork flavor. It's also slathered in their BBQ sauce. I felt the pork ribs were good enough to be able to stand on their own even without any sauce, but when combined with the sauce, the whole dish is much tastier.

Memphis Style Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs 01

Memphis Style Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs 02

Memphis Style Hickory Smoked Barbecue Pork Ribs 03

The USDA Rib Eye Steak is a thick cut of beef that is grilled quite well. The steak is flavourful enough on its own, even without any sauce.

USDA Rib Eye Steak

Jerry's BBQ is just as famous for their appetizers as well as their main courses. I loved the Steamed New Zealand Mussels In Wine, which consists of a dozen fresh mussels, served in a broth of white wine, garlic, herbs and olive oil. Extremely tasty and satisfying, it's served with bread for dipping, and could even be a main course on its own.

Beer Battered Mushrooms

Deep Fried Calamari Rings

Steamed New Zealand Mussels In Wine

Apple Pie With Ice Cream is a traditional American dessert. Their version has layers of sweet caramelized apples packed tightly within a buttery crust.

Apple Pie With Ice Cream

The famous spicy Buffalo Wings, available in 5 different levels of spiciness. Level 1 is mild, with not much heat, and Level 2 comes with some chili heat. Levels 1, 2 and 3 are commonly ordered, depending on your preference for spice, with Level 3 being the upper limit for most people.
At Level 4, you taste more of the chili and spice than the actual chicken meat, accompanied by tearing and perspiration. Level 5 is spicy enough that you'll feel it burning the skin on your fingers when you hold it. The burning sensation continues for quite awhile even after you're done. Cold water or beer won't help here, milk is recommended to stop the burn.

Buffalo Wings Level 5

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CONVERSATION

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant
23 Serangoon Central
#04-37 NEX

Tasty And Affordable Korean Food

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $12 per person.

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Tucked away in a corner of a food court in NEX, Dae Bak Korean Restaurant serves afforable, budget-friendly Korean food that also happens to be quite tasty.

Dae Bak Korean Restaurant has rather limited seating, so it may get crowded quickly during lunch / dinner hours. Decor is simple, reminiscent of a traditional country home.

The service at Dae Bak Korean Restaurant is friendly, with servers greeting you as you enter / leave the premises. Food is prepared rather quickly as well. Staff seem to only converse in Mandarin though.

Food at Dae Bak Korean Restaurant is simple, unpretentious Korean food, done as closely to authentic recipes as possible. Prices are relatively cheaper than other Korean restaurants, with most dishes costing less than SGD $10. The drinks however, are a tad expensive.

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The Kimchi Pickled Cabbage And Pickled Cucumbers are complimentary, as well as free flow. I love these pickled vegetables, they have a nice crunch, and the cucumbers are very fresh.

Kimchi Pickled Cabbage And Pickled Cucumbers

I find that the addition of pork to the Kimchi Noodles gives it a lot more flavor, as well as a bit more substance.

Kimchi Noodles With Pork

Loved the Ginseng Chicken Soup. Half a chicken, stuffed with wolfberries (Goji), and glutinous rice, and cooked till tender. The soup is wonderfully light and fragrant, and the overall dish is very tasty. As there is already rice within the dish, you don't have to order a separate bowl of rice. Recommended!

Ginseng Chicken Soup

The star of the Hot Stone Vegetable And Seafood Mixed Rice Bi Bim Bap is the fresh seafood, and the savoury sweet sauce that completes the dish. Stir well to coat everything with the sauce!

Hot Stone Vegetable And Seafood Mixed Rice Bi Bim Bap

The Hot Plate Fried Tofu was decent, but it didn't really appeal to me in texture.

Hot Plate Fried Tofu

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CONVERSATION

What We Do With Our Circumstances

What We Do With Our Circumstances

The myth of success still permeates our society today.
As Scott Thomas writes, "Success, or the lack of success, is a false indicator of God's love for me (Job 10:12-13)..... If your performance is saving you, then you are, in fact denying the gospel."

Our works, our performance do not save us. To some, God gives wealth and success. To some , God gives poverty and hardship.

The test, so to speak, isn't about what we have, but what we DO with our circumstances. Will we take our lots in life and live for God? (Living Life Journal 19.10.12)..... A sobering truth, a conquering spirit, a character formation.

- Via Pastor Eugene Seow @ http://www.facebook.com/eugene.seow1/posts/10151193518839070

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CONVERSATION

The New Singapore 5C's?

The New Singapore 5C's?

Source: Channel News Asia Singapore - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151090730062934
As of 12-Oct-2012.

Source Credits: http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/565015_10151090730062934_922984155_n.jpg

Somehow, I feel that the old 5C's are still relevant and prevalent in Singapore, with the exception being Country Club.

Plus, I'm not entirely sure what 'Can' in the new 5C's is supposed to represent... Perhaps a Can-Do attitude? If so, isn't that similar to Confidence? Hmm...

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CONVERSATION

Shin Kushiya

Shin Kushiya
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-120 VivoCity

33 Pekin Street
#01-01 Far East Square

1 Maju Avenue
#02-03 MyVillage

3 Temasek Boulevard
#01-031 Suntec City

http://www.shinkushiya.com/

Trio Of Sashimi - Shake, Maguro, Mekajiki (SGD $24.60)

CONVERSATION

Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung
23 Serangoon Central
#B1-10 NEX

9 Bishan Place
#01-41 Junction 8

290 Orchard Road
#B1-03 Paragon

4 Tampines Central 5
#02-01 Tampines Mall

252 North Bridge Road
#B1-08 Raffles City

63 Jurong West Central 3
#B1-68 Jurong Point

313 Orchard Road
#B2-01 313@Somerset

8A Marina Boulvevard
#B2-05 Marina Bay Link Mall

2 Bayfront Avenue
#B2-63 Marina Bay Sands

112 East Coast Road
#01-04 I12 Katong

26 Sentosa Gateway
#01-217 Resorts World Sentosa

http://www.dintaifung.com.sg/

Excellent Xiao Long Bao And Taiwanese Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $23 per person.

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Din Tai Fung specialized in authentic Taiwanese cuisine, and is especially known for their hand made Xiao Long Baos. Coupled with their reasonable prices, and other tasty speciality dishes, it is not uncommon to experience long queues outside each Din Tai Fung outlet.

The decor and ambience at Din Tai Fung is clean and simple, with touches of chinese influence. But the main attraction would be the open concept kitchen, separated from the dining area by clear glass. You'll be able to see each chef at work, whether hand crafting noodles, stuffing dumplings, or wok frying food.

Service at Din Tai Fung is quite good. Despite the long queues, you'll be able to view the menu beforehand, as well as decide upon your order. Food arrives quickly when you're seated. Furthermore, each Din Tai Fung is subdivided into various sections, with specific staff assigned to each section, ensuring that service is slightly more personal and efficient.

While Din Tai Fung doesn't have an extensive menu, most items they have are done well. Food generally features fresh, tasty, hand made ingredients. Nothing too complex, just clean and simple flavours. Can't really go wrong with any item on the menu, although if I had to nitpick, I'll probably say my least favourite is the marinated pork chop.

Din Tai Fung can get crowded during lunch / dinner hours, even on weekdays, so try to go early to prevent a long wait.

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The Steamed Pork Dumplings are a house speciality, and the most popular item here. Among one of the better Xiao Long Baos you can get in Singapore.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

The Crunchy Mini Cucumber In Spicy Sauce is a traditional cold appetizer, with Szechuan inspired chili sauce.

Crunchy Mini Cucumber In Spicy Sauce

The marinade on the Deep Fried Special Marinated Pork Chop wasn't very spectacular, but it was tasty. I felt this was slighly overpriced though.

Deep Fried Special Marinated Pork Chop

Rolled pork belly stuffed with vegetables and seasoned with garlic, the Fragrant Pork With Crushed Garlic is a tasty cold appetizer. Recommended!

Fragrant Pork With Crushed Garlic

The Fried Rice With Shrimp And Eggs had a generous portion of plump shrimp, though the rice was a little too sticky for my liking. But it was well fried and seasoned.

Fried Rice With Shrimp And Eggs

I felt the Original Shanghainese Drunken Chicken was really excellent, easily among one of the best steamed / boiled / white chicken in Singapore. The rice wine added a nice savoury flavour to the dish.

Original Shanghainese Drunken Chicken

The Sliced Duck In Crispy Spring Onion Pastry features smoked duck slices in a crisp spring roll casing. The duck was nicely salty and savoury, and the pastry wasn't oily.

Sliced Duck In Crispy Spring Onion Pastry

A simple dish, the Stir Fried Nai Bai With Garlic features fresh, crisp nai bai in a simple stir fry of garlic and stock.

Stir Fried Nai Bai With Garlic

I felt the Vermicelli Soup With Deep Fried Beancurd And Minced Meat Rolls had tasty soup, though the dough shell of the minced meat rolls were a little limp.

Vermicelli Soup With Deep Fried Beancurd And Minced Meat Rolls

Loved the Oriental Wantons With Black Vinegar And Chili Oil. The sauce was really good!

Oriental Wantons With Black Vinegar And Chili Oil

The Steamed Crab Meat And Pork Dumplings has the additional flavour of fresh crab meat.

Dumpling Xiao Long Bao

Steamed Crab Meat And Pork Dumplings

Giant Bonsai Tree! Nice decor, and quite fun to look at!

Giant Bonsai Tree

I felt the Red Bean Paste Rice Dumpling was above average, but not outstanding. The paste is not as smooth as it should be, but the taste and texture is interesting, different from a typical red bean bun. Worth a try!

Red Bean Paste Rice Dumpling 01

Red Bean Paste Rice Dumpling 02

The Steamed Sesame Paste Bun is a nice dessert bun / bao, with sweet and smooth black sesame paste. Lovely when warm, so eat it quickly! See my sexy bao.

Steamed Sesame Paste Bun 01

Steamed Sesame Paste Bun 02

The Steamed Yam Paste Bun is a nice dessert bun / bao, though the skin is a little thick. But the filling is nicely sweet, with good yam flavour. The texture is pretty good as well, looks lumpy but is actually semi-smooth, and not too thick or cloying. Worth ordering!

Steamed Yam Paste Bun 01

Steamed Yam Paste Bun 02

Can't stop drinking the Tea Pu Er here, I loved the floral essence and fragrant aroma, it's so refreshing during a heavy meal!

Tea Pu Er

The Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup is not as spicy as the original from China, but still retains a slight heat to make it yummy without being painful. The sour tangy kick makes me want to go back for more! Packed full of ingredients including tofu, black fungus, spring onions, and lean pork loin slices, this is satisfying, comforting, and absolutely delicious.

Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup

The Deep Fried Vegetable & Pork Wanton has more vegetables than pork, resulting in a sweeter taste rather than being savoury. Decent, but not outstanding.

Deep Fried Vegetable & Pork Wanton

The Steamed Chili Crab Bun isn't the best around, but decent and tasty enough to order if you're here. What lets this dish down is the shredded crab ball within, which borders between moist and dry. I also felt it wasn't as spicy as it could have been, but at least the crab is deshelled properly, and fresh. Taste is pretty spot on, it has hints of spice and sweetness you'll normally get in a typical Chinese style chili crab.

Steamed Chili Crab Bun 01

Steamed Chili Crab Bun 02

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CONVERSATION

Mariners' Corner Restaurant

Mariners' Corner Restaurant
120 Cantonment Road
#01-02 Maritime House

Classic Hainanese Western Food In An Old School Setting

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $16 per person.

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Mariners' Corner Restaurant is a long standing establishment in Maritime House, serving up classic Hainanese Western food.

Decor is rather old-school, and they even have displays of gadgets from the 70s and 80s, like old radios and telephones. There isn't a uniform 'theme' at Mariners' Corner Restaurant, even the furniture is a mix of various pieces, some of which are more comfortable than others. Nautical elements line the walls beside posters explaining the cuts of various meats.

Service at Mariners' Corner Restaurant is homely and efficient, and food is served quickly.

The food at Mariners' Corner Restaurant is decent, and the set meals are value for money. The star dish at Mariners' Corner Restaurant would have to be the Oxtail Stew, which is served in a large claypot. Thick, rich and hearty, the Oxtail Stew has more meat than bones. Highly recommended, especially on Wednesdays when it's on offer.

Mariners' Corner Restaurant offers quite a lot of set lunches, but these are also available during dinner as ala carte options.

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Chicken And Vegetable Soup

Garlic Bread

The Oxtail Stew is served with a side of boiled vegetables, and a choice of either Mashed Potato or Rice. The gravy is rich and thick, and there's quite a lot of oxtail meat within.