E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs
3 Simei Street 6
#01-12 Eastpoint Mall

51 Yishun Central 1
#01-04 Yishun 10

302 Tiong Bahru Road
#02-K1 Tiong Bahru Plaza

53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
#04-02 AMK Hub

8 Grange Road
#04-02 Cineleisure Orchard

2 Handy Road
#B1-19 The Cathay

23 Serangoon Central
#01-57 NEX

311 New Upper Changi Road
#02-03 Bedok Mall

1 Jelebu Road
#02-19 Bukit Panjang Plaza

2 Jurong East Central 1
#02-13 JCube

200 Victoria Street
#04-06 Bugis Junction

http://www.eighteenchefs.com/


Pretty Good Food, Commendable Social Cause
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 5
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 5
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $8 / $18 per person.


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Eating at E18teen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs is a bit hit-and-miss... Order correctly and you'll walk away feeling satisfied, order incorrectly and you might leave and never return.

The novelty of E18teen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs is their Create Your Own Pasta / Baked Rice dish. Go for the Pasta or Cheese Baked Pasta. Their Cheese Baked Rice, while covered in excellent, gooey, thick cheese, is let down by the quality of the rice - it often ends up slightly more dry or hard.

Choice of ingredients plays a huge part as well. Ordering the Minced Beef ingredient adds a wonderful hearty, meaty flavor to the dish, especially combined with Cheese Baked Pasta / Rice.

Choosing the Baked Beans ingredient however, may leave you finishing the meal unsatisfied. Even worse is if you pair it with a sauce like Japanese Curry... the taste of the curry clashes with the taste of the beans.

Of course, part of the fun is in experimenting with the choices at E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs, and seeing what kind of dish you end up with!

Tip: You can actually choose more than 1 top-up ingredient, but of course, be prepared to pay more. If you wanted, you could request to add ALL the ingredients, but you'll end up with a really expensive plate of pasta!

E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs Light Meals, like omelettes, are really light, and are good for a snack or to share.

Also, do try their Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow.... First time I've been served a Hot Chocolate that was still bubbling... It really lives up to its name!


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Cheese Baked Rice In Creamy Mango Sauce With Minced Beef & Prawns

Eggs Chips Beans Veg

Funky Strawberry

Hot Chocolate

Pasta Cheesy Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Prawns, Scrambled Eggs & Mushrooms

Pasta Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Mushroom & Chicken Slices

Plain Omelette

Three Cheese Omelette

Snack Platter

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Update Jul-2014: It's been 4 years since I last visited E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs, and Chef Benny has been hard at work expanding his brand! Today, E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs has many more outlets across Singapore, though the original 2 outlets are now closed. Prices are as affordable as ever, especially for students, but the menu has been updated and expanded, though the main focus of Pasta still remains the same. Service and Ambience have improved slightly as well, and E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs look set to go far!

E18hteen Chefs / Eighteen Chefs Interior

Chef Benny & Team

I loved the Calamari (SGD $4.80) Rings here, because the serving size of 7 thick squid rings is decent for the price, but more importantly, it's always very fresh! The batter is a bit bland and limp though, but the squid rings are outstanding on its own.

Calamari

The house special Double Cheese Bolognaise Fries (SGD $6.50) is among the best cheese fries I've had for its price range. A generous scoop of oozy cheese, mixed with their savoury minced beef bolognaise sauce made with tangy, intense tomato sauce, and you have a definite winner. Don't waste time eating other cheese fries elsewhere!

Double Cheese Bolognaise Fries

The Funky Eighteen (SGD $6) is an in-house beverage drink creation with a suprisingly zesty taste. A mix of lychee, raspberry and orange juice, the tangy sweetness is a zip on the palate, followed by a lingering refreshing sweetness. Good!

Funky Eighteen

Funky Eighteen

The Home Brewed Ice Lemon Tea has a nice balance of sweet and tangy, not too overpowering or cloying. Very refreshing!

Home Brewed Ice Lemon Tea

I couldn't resist the create-your-own-pasta, and I ended up with the Pasta Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Prawns & Pan Grilled Fish (SGD $16.30). The pasta is as good as ever, with the spicy garlic sauce being thick, creamy, moderately spicy, and fragrant. The prawns and fish are very fresh, cooked well, and the taste is savoury and clean.

Pasta Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Prawns & Pan Grilled Fish

Pasta Spaghetti In Spicy Garlic Sauce With Prawns & Pan Grilled Fish

The Pasta Fusilli Tom Yum Seafood Aglio Olio (SGD $13.80) was highly recommended by several Singapore television channels, and it's easy to see why. A fusion of East and West, the fusilli was cooked perfectly al-dente, soft with a slight bite. The prawns and squid rings are large, meaty, and very fresh. The tom yum and aglio olio sauce is fragrant with lemongrass and spice, with the heat being a slow build that causes perspiration towards the end of the dish. My only complaint is the freshness of the mussles and peas in the dish, which were previously frozen, and tasted bland and dull. Otherwise, a good dish overall!

Pasta Fusilli Tom Yum Seafood Aglio Olio

Pasta Fusilli Tom Yum Seafood Aglio Olio

The Pasta Spaghetti Aglio Olio With Beef Striploin & Black Pepper Sauce (SGD $16.80) has spaghetti that is average at best, as I found it too oily and not fragrant enough for my liking. The students seem to lap it up though. The lettuce was fresh, and the beef striploin was the correct doneness, tender and still juicy within.

Pasta Spaghetti Aglio Olio With Beef Striploin & Black Pepper Sauce

Pasta Spaghetti Aglio Olio With Beef Striploin & Black Pepper Sauce

Pasta Spaghetti Aglio Olio With Beef Striploin & Black Pepper Sauce

The Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips (SGD $15.80) may be ominously named, but each of the 3 components is done well. The fried rice is cooked well, with each grain coated in flavour, while the home made chili sauce is a potent and spicy mix. The beef strips are grilled till tender and medium, but could have been rested slightly longer to lock in the moisture and meat juices.

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

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Update Aug-2015: Met the boss / founder Chef Benny Se Teo, during a corporate event. Found staff to be very friendly, helpful, and engaging, during our corporate event at their outlet. Great hosts! Food took a little long to be served though, and the sharing platter of appetizers only arrived after we finished our main course.

The Dory Fish With Lemon Caper Sauce (SGD $12.80) features a large, fresh fillet of dory fish, covered in a creamy sauce that has a light zesty, tangy citrus taste. The vegetables on the side are alright. Decent execution.

Dory Fish With Lemon Caper Sauce

The Teriyaki Chicken With Potato Apple Salad (SGD $11.80) has a perfectly grilled piece of sweet teriyaki sauce glazed chicken steak. The potato apple salad is fresh and crunchy. Portion size is small though, and you're better off ordering something else if you have a bigger appetite.

Teriyaki Chicken With Potato Apple Salad

Got the Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips (SGD $17.80) again, but this time, with an additional 64 degree sous vide / soft boiled egg. Still as good as before!

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips 06

Heart Attack Fried Rice With New York Beef Strips

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Botak Jones 2010 - Closed
325 Clementi Avenue 5 #01-129

970A Toa Payoh North

357 Bedok Road

214 Serangoon Avenue 4

181 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5

118 Depot Lane

121 Somerset Road

412 Bedok North Avenue 2

233 Bukit Batok East Avenue 5

5 Changi Village Road

892C Woodlands Drive 50

211 Toa Payoh Lorong 8

248 Simei Street 3

https://originalbotakjones.com/


An excellent and filling meal..... Once upon a time

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 5
Ambience & Setting: 2
Food & Beverage: 5
Service: 5
Value for Money: 4
Spent about SGD $9 per person.


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Almost 4 years ago, Botak Jones was the granddaddy that started the trend of having "restaurant quality food at coffeeshop prices".

Back then, you could hear many of your friends raving about it... Like how it was possible to purchase a meal at Botak Jones for about the same price as any other regular fast-food chain value meal, and have them serve you a heaping plate of food, enough to last you throughout the day. It was almost like eating a mini-buffet. "So value for money!", they would say, or "Wah lau, the portion so big! Dunno how to finish... wanna share?"

Then you would hear some others compliment the quality of the food... Like how their fish was fresh and flaky, and almost melted in the mouth. Or that the cajun chicken came with nicely melted cheese that gave it a tangy twist, and the meat was neither overcooked or dry, but juicy and tender. Or that their steak was grilled just nicely, with enough char outside, yet still juicy inside. Or that their hot dogs were among the largest ever sold at the time. Or that you could customize your burger, which was a brand new novelty...

Service was almost similar to a restaurant... The staff would helpfully offer suggestions on what to order and explain what you didn't understand. All with a smile.

Of course, most people know a good deal when they see one, so queues formed at most outlets, especially the first few branches, which meant you might have to wait a good 15 minutes or more for your order to arrive. Still, many didn't seem to mind.

But, as with most things in life, change is inevitable.

The rising standard of living over the last few years have forced the chain to also raise their prices... And along with it, the quality & quantity of food at Botak Jones has dropped drastically. Portions are no longer as large as they used to be, and if you wanted the "original - large" size portions, you have to pay more for it.

Normally, this wouldn't be that big a problem... if the quality of food was still high. Sadly however, a meal at Botak Jones today is just average... Not much better than most other coffeeshop western food, which is cheaper.

As a pioneer and market-leader of the trend, competition is inevitable. Unfortunately, while many of their competitors have improved by offering better quality food and service, Botak Jones has slowly deproved, making it "just another western food stall".

Today, of course, you may not hear your friends talking about their fantastic dining experiences at Botak Jones anymore... And the long, long queues of yesteryear are all but gone.

On the plus side, at least you don't have to wait too long for your food anymore.


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Fish & Chips With Spicy Fries & Coleslaw

Cajun Chicken With Potato Salad & Baked Cheese Potato

Botak Burger Add Egg & Provolone Cheese With Spicy Fries & Pasta Salad

Chili Dawg With Baked Cheese Potato & Spicy Fries

Swank & Eggs With Pasta Salad And Spicy Fries

Char-Grilled Salmon Fillet With Mixed Veggie Stew & Potato Salad

Sirloin Steak With Baked Cheese Potato & Mixed Veggie Stew

Chicken Gumbo

Stuffed Jalapenos Plate

Stuffed Jalapenos Plate

The Massive Cheese Whoopass Egg With Sliced Jalapenos, Spicy Fries & Corn Cob

The Fish Burger

Whoopass Cheese Fries

Hot Dog With Butter Corn & Spicy Fries

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Pasir Ris Close
E!Hub Downtown East
#02-121/122
Singapore (519599)


Block 205 Hougang Street 21,
Level 2 Heartland Mall - Kovan,
Singapore (530205)




It's not Barbeque.... It's B-B-Q. =)


Been to BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) a few times with the family, and every time, the food quality and service is great.


BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) staff are friendly, and will give suggestions if you're unsure what to order. Food arrives pretty quickly, normally within 5 - 8 minutes.


As for food, any of their items which are marinated or battered are really good. Battered chicken like their Teri-Soya Wings, Olive Luxury Chicken or Hot Hot Drum, are crispy, and biting into the skin gives a nice burst of flavor from the batter. Plus points for not being too oily & fatty, so even the health conscious folks should find this quite agreeable.


BBQ Chicken (Restaurant) marinated chicken like Jerk (!), or the Korean Traditional Charbroiled are done well enough that the flavor of the marinade permeates into the meat. The meat is juicy, tender, and cooked just right.


Note: Portion-wise, all their servings are quite average. The only problem is they serve them on plates which are way too large, thus giving the "illusion" that the portion size is smaller than it really is.


Their Minced Beef Steak is enough for two people to share, as the portion is quite large. Suitable for big eaters, or those looking to get the most value for their dollar. It's a bit gamey though, as the taste of the beef is quite strong.


Tip: If you're a student, do ask for their Student Value Meals. Great value for money.




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Mushroom Soup

Chilli Wings With Tropical Vegetables

Teri-Soya Wings With Coleslaw

Korean Traditional Charbroiled With Seasonal Vegetables & Fries

Olive Luxury Chicken With Coleslaw & Fries

Chicken Cutlet With Sesonal Vegetables & Mustard

Jerk (Jamaican Jerk Spice) BBQ With Mashed Potato & Seasonal Vegetables

Hot Hot Drum With Olive Rice & Coleslaw

Mushroom Chicken Steak With Coleslaw & Seasonal Vegetables

Minced Beef Steak With Fries & Coleslaw

Ginseng Power Crisp With Coleslaw & Fries

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Astons Specialities / Astons Express
119 East Coast Road

2 Handy Road
#04-03 The Cathay

205 Bedok North Street 1

721 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 #01-2823

10 Eunos Road 8
#01-114 Singpost Centre

Various Other Outlets Islandwide

http://www.astons.com.sg/


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Updated Post, Dated Apr-2019


Delicious, Value-For-Money Western Grills
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $21 per person.


Update Apr-2019: Nearly 9 years on, and Astons Specialities / Astons Express has done incredibly well, having expanded to multiple outlets across the island. They've since gone upmarket, and positioned themselves as a casual dining restaurant, offering delicious, good quality, value-for-money dishes. From their humble beginnings in a coffeeshop in November 2005, Astons Specialities / Astons Express still regularly draws long queues during peak meal periods at most of their outlets.

Ambience at Astons Specialities / Astons Express is outdoor industrial casual. Warm, decorative lights hang low over sturdy, wide wooden furnishings. Western cowboy decor of horseback riding, lassoing cattle, and rown hewn ropes tied around wooden logs, set the mood. Service at Astons Specialities / Astons Express is partial self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, although staff will serve orders to your table. This also creates a short queue at the storefront. Dishes are straightforward, but staff do accomodate special requests, and I note they clean up tables efficiently. Food at Astons Specialities / Astons Express is focused on American Western grills - think steak or chicken, paired with a choice of 2 side dishes. Quality is consistent no matter the outlet, and dishes are bold and tasty. Portions are large for individuals. As a casual dining establishment, budget about SGD $18 - $25 per person for a meal here.

The Beer Tiger (SGD $5.50) is an Asian pale lager brewed by Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore in Singapore. It has a clear, bright golden yellow colour, with aromas of wheat, metal, corn, and yeast. The body is smooth, crisp, and refreshing, with tastes of malts, bread, hay, and popcorn. Fairly flat sweet bitter taste, with metallic notes and an empty finish. Great thirst quencher, though not big on flavour.

Beer Tiger (SGD $5.50)

Loved the Fiery Chicken & Prime Beef Ribeye Steak With Coleslaw & Onion Rings (SGD $24.50). The crunchy creamy coleslaw has a lovely vegetal sweet flavour. Although the soft limp battered onion rings are weak in texture, the sweet vegetal flavour is decent. The perfectly grilled-to-medium beef ribeye steak is tender and juicy, with lovely grill marks, and a bold meaty savoury salty smoky flavour. The fiery chicken thigh is juicy and tender, with a bold spicy savoury sweet flavour, and a short lingering burn. Served with either a weak mushroom sauce, or a sharp peppery spice black pepper sauce. This has been my default dish here in recent months.

Fiery Chicken & Prime Beef Ribeye Steak With Coleslaw & Onion Rings (SGD $24.50)

Fiery Chicken & Prime Beef Ribeye Steak With Coleslaw & Onion Rings

The Double-Up Fiery Chicken & Lemon Lime Chicken With Potato Salad & Mac And Cheese (SGD $16) is great. The cool crunchy waxy potato salad coated in light sour cream and garnished with spring onions has a light sour starchy sweet flavour. The classic mac and cheese has gooey creamy cheese sauce over soft conchiglie seashell pasta tubes. The fiery chicken thigh is juicy and tender, with a bold spicy savoury sweet flavour, and a short lingering burn. The lemon lime chicken thigh is juicy and tender, coated with a thick sticky lemon and lime gravy, which lends a bright zesty tangy sour savoury sweet flavour. Completely yummy.

Double-Up Fiery Chicken & Lemon Lime Chicken With Potato Salad & Mac And Cheese (SGD $16)

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Original Post, Dated Oct-2010


Decent Quality & Price
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 4
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 5
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $9 per person.


Don't expect much ambience, as Astons Specialities / Astons Express is located in a coffeeshop. On the plus side however, it is pretty breezy, and is good place to people-watch.

Food at Astons Specialities / Astons Express is decent, just slightly better than your standard coffeeshop western fare. A few dishes stand-out above the rest, and is worth trying. These include their Steaks (I prefer mine medium rare), the Chargrill Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken, and also the Honey Bourbon Ribs. The majority of accompanying sides are average, though sometimes their Garden Veggies may be a little overcooked.

Service is quite prompt, even on busy days, and the Astons Specialities / Astons Express staff rarely take more than 10 minutes to serve you.

Chargrill Salmon Fillet With Potato Salad & Pasta Salad

Grill Fish With Herbs With Onion Rings & BBQ Beans

Hickory BBQ Chicken With French Fries & Coleslaw

Honey Bourbon Ribs With House Salad & Baked Potato

Lamb Loin Chops With Coleslaw & BBQ Beans

Lemon Lime Chicken With Potato Salad & Mashed Potato

Pork Chop With Pasta Salad & Mashed Potato

Teriyaki Chicken & Sausage Combo With BBQ Beans & Potato Salad

Steak Black Pepper With Tasty Rice & Onion Rings

Prime Sirloin With Baked Potato & Garden Veggie

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Drunk

ieat Super Burger

Nachos With Beef & Cheese Dip (SGD $7.90)

Honey Baked Ham With Mashed Potato & Braised Purple Cabbage (SGD $12.90)

Honey Baked Ham With Mashed Potato & Braised Purple Cabbage

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Mind Your Punctuation


Punctuation changes the whole feel and structure of a sentence, as seen in these examples.


In each, the text is exactly the same, only the punctuation is changed.


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Don't drive yourself crazy.


Don't drive yourself, Crazy.


.....


Mind your punctuation.


Mind your punctuation?


Mind your punctuation!


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Dear John:
    I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsover when we’re apart. I can be forever happy. Will you let me be yours?




Dear John:
    I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsover. When we’re apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours,






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