D' GOOD CAFE

Location: 273 Holland Avenue #02-01/02 Singapore 278992
How to get there: Holland Village Mrt (It's near May Bank and below a clinic)
Opening hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 1000am to 2100pm
Friday - Saturday: 1000am to 2200pm
Contact number: 62199807

Eh yo! How's it going peeps? Once again, here's the weekly review from May&FJ! This time we've decided to stop by D' Good Cafe on our way to school. It's actually quite inconspicuous so you may miss it if you don't look very carefully. But in any case, we've got sharp eyes! Kekeke!

From what May said, D' Good Cafe is especially famous for their coffee! So be sure to check that out when you go! When we stepped into the cafe, we were wowed by it's interior design. They have very nice wall decors, bar counters and even cater cute furniture and toys for young kids at the 3rd story! It's a 2 story cafe which dishes a cosy ambiance. You can practically do anything there; from reading a book to browsing the internet, study or just a mini get together. Personally, I like to seek solace in cafes like these so a book, a cuppa and a slice of cake will do the job. Also they have an open concept (Alfresco) on the 3rd floor, which is incidentally uber hot to dine in the afternoon (oh the scorching sun!), but a rather charming place to dine in the evening with a small group of friends or family! (It feels like a resort concept!) 

Wait! I missed out the swings!!! They have those cute CHAIR SWINGS!!! Only 2 off them in the cafe and they are so comfortable to laze on! Sad to say, one swing can fit a maximum of 2 people only. But it's always best to have the swing to yourself, so you can swing at your own comfort pace ^^

Okay, enough on the chair swings. We ordered a lunch special ($20) which consisted of a drink, Mushroom soup, and a Spaghetti. Apart from that we also ordered an Eggs Benedict ($13.50), a Cookies and Cream Gelato ($3.50), and a Cafe Latte Regular ($5.60). So the bill totaled to $42.60. We will break this review into the different dishes and give our overall thoughts on the cafe as a whole. We have included shots of the menu as follows.

Lemonade:

• Refreshing with a soda twist.
• It was kinda too sour for May. I was okay with it, but given another choice I'd rather a iced Latte or something else.

Mushroom Soup:

• This is what May calls as: Warm creamy mushroom puree soup.
• There is a generous amount of mushroom bits.
• The cream does not overpower the mushroom (good balance!)

Prawn Arrabiara:

• It has a herbal taste. And it tastes spicy! I kid you not! But its tolerable and sometime after, you get addicted to it and you just continue eating and drowning water after that, but you don't stop eating till the plate's empty!
• There are 6 fresh and Q prawns! But sadly, some were de-veined while some were not.

(Check out the oozing yolk!!! AWESOME)

Eggs Benedict:

• The salad's sauce tastes somewhat like BBQ sauce. (Interesting!)
• Perfectly poached eggs that burst in your mouths! They are RUNNY! Yay! (We were happy kids! VERY happy kids!)
• The bacon complements the eggs and muffin bread.
• Hollandaise sauce was yummy! What's more, it came in huge amounts! (LOVE saucy stuffs^^)

Cafe Latte (Regular):

• It's light to medium bodied. (I checked some webs on how to describe coffee and found that this was one of the ways to describe it's strength. Fun facts yo!)
• It's not very sweet, but neither is it bitter.
• It's ratio of milk and coffee is good according to May.
• It's fragrant! (I've always love the smell of coffee; just the smell is enough to keep me awake! I need not even drink it!)

Cookies and Cream Gelato:

• Cookies come in bits and chunks
• It has an icy texture, not creamy.
• Not home-made though; so it doesn't justify the price. Nor does the size of it.

Note:

They have a Lunch Special from 1200pm to 1400pm @ $20:

• A drink (Orange Juice, Lemonade, Cappuccino or Cafe Latte)
• Cream of Mushroom
• Prawn Arrabiara or Portobello Pasta

Also, they offer a Mid Day Break set from 1400pm to 1800pm @ $5.50:

• Banana & Walnut Bread
• A drink (Regular Latte, Cappucino, Orange Juice or Lemonade)

They also offer a Set Dinner from 1800pm to 2000pm @ $22:

• A drink (Regular Latte, Cappucino, Orange Juice or Lemonade)
• Cream of Mushroom
• Oven-baked Lemongrass Chicken or Seafood Pasta
• 1 scoop of Gelato (Chocolate, French Vanilla, Strawberry or Cookies & Cream)

All prices are inclusive of GST. No service charge.

(Alfresco Area)

Overall, we feel that the prices here are reasonable for the portions but, their set meals are so much more worth the money! When you visit, order the Eggs Benedict! Trust me, the Eggs Ben is a must try! Love you all! Have a HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR to those celebrating and to those that are not, enjoy this hard to come by 4 day holiday! Till next time peeps!

<3 May&FJ



***Update: 12/10/2013

HELLO!!! May&FJ Went back to D' Good last week to check out their "vamped" up place. To be very honest, it was just a change in decor that inculcated a different feeling in the Alfesco Area.

We ordered a English Breakfast Set ($16.50) and add on $3 for a cup of Ice Chocolate, Fresh Sea Prawn Aglio Olio ($16), a Sea Salt Cheesecake ($9) and an Apple Crumble for ($8.50). We paid a total of $53 that day. We have included the menu here just in case there are slight changes towards it.

Fresh Sea Prawn Aglio Olio:

• It was slightly spicy. (There's chili padi inside)
• Prawns were HUGE, fresh, juicy and full of flavor. There was also a generous serving of prawns given.
• Pasta was well cooked but slightly tasteless. (The prawns bring out the full flavor of the whole dish)
• This is one pasta to die for, GET IT!

English Breakfast Set:

• The baked tomato was surprisingly good! I (FJ) thought it'd be rather soft but it's actually reasonably hard and tasty!
• The scrambled eggs was good as it wasn't very milky, it was however a tat too watery.
• We LOVE the sauteed mushrooms!!!! It was sooooooo good and soooooo juicy! Plus, there were loads of it too!!! 
• Sausage was good and juicy.
• The bacon was nice, not too much fats in it. (Though we know that's what bacon's meant for; FATS. But yeah~it was good.)
• Bread was neither too crispy nor too hard. (Strawberry jam was the ult for me! HAHAHA, I'm such a strawberry jam lover!)

Ice Chocolate:

• Very thick. It is worth every cent of the $3 top up! We'd rather you order their hot/iced Chocolate or Latte then their Orange Juice. (Who pays three bucks for orange juice?) 

Sea Salt Cheesecake:

• There was maple syrup in it and it complimented the cake!
• The cake was rather compact and it wasn't very cheesy. You would not feel sick eating the whole slice.
• It came with crunchy walnuts and a crumbly biscuit base that goes really well with the cheese.
• Maymay said that their cheesecakes are home-made, so this is one you peeps should give a go!

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Gelato:

• We waited almost half an hour for this dessert to be ready. Oh wells, we supposed they didn't expect any one to order this in the morning at least.
• It was rather small in size. But FULL of apples in it! <3 (Apple at every bite!!!)
• The crumble was really sweet and there is this cinnamon smell that I totally love!
• The apple was not too sour.
• The sweetness of the whole dessert comes from the crumble and the gelato.
• One thing that had me thinking was the crust. It was crispy at some parts and not some crispy at some parts. I was honestly wondering if that was how the crust was supposed to be. 

Once again, we have to say that our experience at D' Good was exceptional! It was lovely <3 <3 Do note that if you are above 60 years old, you'd get to enjoy a 10% discount off your bill!

Have you all been to D' Good? How was it? Share your experiences with us! We would love to hear them all! Till next time!!!

<3 MAY&FJ

KIM DAE MUN KOREAN CRUISINE

Location: 100 Orchard Road Level 1 Concorde Foodcourt
How to go there: Somerset Mrt Station (gotta walk a little down from 313)

Hey everybody! Whatsup yo! This will be a short one! 

Before I start...We have 709 views as of today since the start of our blog! (It's always good to be accurate^^) May&FJ would like to thank all our readers for taking your time and tune in to our blog for our food hapz!  THANK YOU AND WE LOVE YOU! So do continue visiting yeaps! 

Okay, back to food! I was browsing around looking for cheap Korean food in town and I found Kim Dae Mun! So I've decided to visit here with one of my friends! (Darling May had a celebration to attend~!) I have to say that they offer a reasonable selection of Korean food! I did not manage to snag a photo of the menu as it was everywhere.

We had a Bibimbap ($6.50), Kimchi Soup ($6) and Steamed Dumplings (Mandu) ($4), but surprisingly, we were charged only $15.50 in total. Then again, who's complaining? ^.-

Advantage:

• The sauce used for Bibimbap is unique; its slightly salty.
• There was no seaweed in the Bibimbap but they have replaced it with other vegetables like spinach! 
• Kimchi Soup is our favourite! It's really good and tasty! This is a must try!
• The Kimchi Soup is filled with Kimchi and Tofu! (Unlike some that give you a minimal of everything)
• As for the Steamed Dumplings, the meat filling has a peppery taste; awesome! You have to try the dumplings with the given sauce! It enhances the taste!
• What's interesting about the Steamed Dumplings was that they had glass noodles inside too!
• Their meat hotplates are cooked with water instead of oil which makes it a healthier choice as advertised by them right at the center of the stall.
• Also! They sell fried Korean Glass Noodles for $5 here!!! Compared to the $18 I had in the previous Korean Restaurant, this is so much more worth the money! (I really regretted not ordering that, should have taken a closer look at the menu)

Disadvantage:

• There is only one side dish for every meal you order. Although you have a choice over 3 side dishes, it's kinda like a turn off. 

Overall, if you're looking for new places to get Korean food in town! Here's one that you might wanna go take a lookie :) Till next time peeps, ciao!

<3FJ

SAIZERIYA

Location: Hougang 1 #01-38
How to get there: 109, 325, 159, 72 (these are just from personal knowledge only, there should be many more!)
Opening Hours: 1100am - 2200pm daily
Contact number: 6312 8644

Whatup folks! May&FJ are back again today to introduce you: Saizeriya, an Italian restaurant that originated from Japan! Honestly, if it weren't for May, I would not have heard of this place before! But I am sure some of you may be familiar with it as it has outlets at: Bukit Timah Plaza, City Square Mall, Liang Court and Toa Payoh Central according to the name card we took. 

When we walked in the restaurant, the decorations included an enormous picture of Rome (if I remembered correctly) and furniture was very simple; it felt rather homely. Perhaps the feeling was further induced with the warm lights that lit up the restaurant itself.

We had a Minestrone Soup ($2.90), Carbonara ($5.90), Spicy Chicken Wings ($3.95) and Black Pepper Sauce Chicken Steak ($6.90) and our bill came to a grand total of : $19.65!
As usual, we have included the menu at the bottom! (They really have a truckload of choices for ya!)

Advantages:

• The Minestrone Soup was really appetizing with a slight twist as they have added bacon bits in it! 
• The plate of Carbonara came in a HUGE portion!
• The Carbonara was not too creamy (good for people who don't really like cream pasta~)
• Spaghetti was Al dente! And it came with generous portions of bacon!
• We love the Black Pepper Sauce Chicken Steak as the sauce really complimented the tender chicken!
• Their sweet corn was really sweet! (I really wonder why!) I ate a couple of it even though I ain't much of a corn lover and it's not bad~really~
• In general, food was served really quickly (we were starving that day and seconds became minutes, hence when we say fast, it's really fast!)
• Staff there were very friendly with us.
• We would say that this is really Italian food at very affordable prices as be paid less than $10 each!
• We requested for extra sauce for the Chicken Steak and it came free! Unlike some places that charge you $0.50 for harden mayo (I won't say where, but seriously?!?! $0.50 for mayo?!!?)

(Minestrone Soup)

Disadvantages:

• The Minestrone Soup was slightly salty and we concluded that it may be due to the bacon bits inside.
• Truthfully, both of us are really unhappy with the Spicy Chicken Wings as it was not spicy at all and full of oil!

(Carbonara)

Note:

• No GST or Service Charges. You pay accordingly to the prices stated in the menu!
• You can pay $2.80 for a free flow of drinks. (Personally, just pay for one person and everyone share one cup! If you can bring your own, that's better!)

(Black Pepper Sauce Chicken Steak)

(Spicy Chicken Wings)

Overall, May&FJ recommends Saizeriya if you peeps want cheap and reasonable Italian food! It's menu is really extensive! So what are you waiting for? Need a place for a family dinner? Here's your choice! Till next time, see ya!

<3 May&FJ

HANWOORI KOREAN RESTAURANT

Location: 76 Serangoon Garden Way Singapore 555972 (It's just behind Arbite!)
Opening hours: 
Mon - Sat: 1130am - 1430pm, 1730pm - 2230pm
Sun: 1730pm - 2230pm
Contact number: 6283 6339

HI EVERYBODY! TGIF :) Today May&FJ went to Hanwoori for lunch with Joey after their henna session. Since I was craving for Korean food...this was a good option! Once we stepped into the restaurant, the television caught my attention as it was playing Kara's Pandora MV! Being a Kpop fan, well I snagged a seat where I had a good view of the tele! (Yes, I'm a happy girl!)

(The 10 side dishes)

Okay, back to food! We ordered a Kimchi Chigae ($10), Bibimbap ($10) and Japchae ($18). All these comes with 10 side dishes! The bill came to a total of : $41.80. The Kimchi Chigae and Bibimbap were in the lunch offer prices! When you visit there, do not hesitate to get the service staff to introduce the lunch specials to you! We've included the menu at the bottom for you guys! (I gotta apologise for the photo on the menu~it kinda cut out bits of it, but you still can have a good gauge of the food prices there!)

Advantages:

• The Japchae is very fragrant and tasty! It's sesame taste is rather strong! (love it!)
• The glass noodles are springy and chewy!
• For the Kimchi Chigae, there is a good balance of seafood and kimchi inside!
• The soup of the Kimchi Chigae has a sweet-sour taste! 
• There are mushrooms and onions inside the Chigae too! (good combination!)
• As for the Bibimbap, the sauce comes with sesame seeds inside too! Very flavor-full!
• The portion for the Bibimbap is huge.
• The sides dishes are refillable! There are unique side dishes like the hard boiled egg and sausages. 
• Food came quick!
• The service staff provided very good service, they made a point to mention their lunch promotion and insisted on us sitting down while they got us an extra spoon and so forth. 
• Complimentary Korean Tea is given and it's refillable!

(Bibimbap)

Disadvantages:

• Both of us felt that $18 for Japchae was not very worth it for it just consists of glass noodles, mushrooms and bits of vegetables. Apart from this, we can't nitpick anything else to be unhappy on.

(Japchae)

Note:

• GST and Service Charge applies here.

(Kimchi Chigae)

Overall, we would say that food's good, and we would definitely come again! So if you guys are looking for good reasonable Korean food, here's one you should try as well! Till next time, toodles^^

<3May&FJ

EN JAPANESE DINING BAR @ RIVER VALLEY

Location: 207 River Valley Road #01-57 UE Square
How to get there: Clarke Quay Mrt Station, transfer bus 54.
Opening hours:
Sun - Thurs: 1800-0200
Fri, Sat, Eve of PH: 1800-0300
Contact Number: 67352212

Hi everybody!!! May&FJ are back and this time round, we're doing a review on En Japanese Dining Bar. We often passed by this restaurant as we visited Chikuwa Tei and saw their HUGE sign promoting a 50% off selected Sushi and Sashimi from 1800-2000. This was the main reason that got us heading down today to try their food in the midst of the rainy evening . (Ain't we cheapos? hahaha!)

We ordered 2 Sashimi platters (1 specific, 1 assorted), a plate of Squid Ink Fried Rice, 2 Grilled Scallop skewers, a Soft Bone skewer, a California Maki and a Soft Shell crab Maki. (Sounds little ain't it? Wait till you see the platters! I was full by the end of the meal!) The bill totaled up to about $102 for 4 people! (We had 2 extra friends who joined us for dinner) I have included the menu where the selected Sushi and Sashimi are on the happy hour offer here. I have also included a picture of their HUGE poster so that you guys can check out their other promos at this outlet too!

Advantages:

• The Sashimi platters come in a form of 3,5 and 7 types of Sashimi, prices vary accordingly. You can choose to change the type of fish for the Sashimi platter as long as it is within the choice range from the platter you have chosen. For our case we chose a platter with 3 types of Sashimi only: Tuna, Salmon and Yellow Tail. But as May and I do not really enjoy Raw Tuna, we decided to change it to Raw Scallops but was told that we had to pay an extra of $2, so we've decided against that and change it to Raw Salmon instead without the extra costs.
• The Sashimi's good! Fresh! Q! Love it! (Especially the Salmon!!)
• The Soft Shell Crab Maki is really yummy! You should give it a go!
• The California Maki is worth the money spent as you get 6 HUGE pieces!
• The Squid Ink Fried Rice's portion is real enormous~
• We highly recommend the Grilled Scallop! It's hotel buffet standard! (You know those awesome ones you eat at wedding dinners?! Yea, this is it!)

(The 3 type of Sashimi Platter) 

(The Assorted Platter)

Disadvantages:

• We have read other reviews that this place is notorious for its not so awesome service staff. Trust me, they do live up to their notoriety. They get you what you want still without faulting in orders, but most of their attitudes really need some correction.
• The Yellow Tail is a little bloody and fishy still. Though I ain't a huge eater of Yellow Tail, if you ain't a fan of the bloody after taste, we would recommend that you just order the Salmon platter.
• The waiting time for the Squid Ink Fried Rice was rather loooooooooooong.
• The Squid Ink Fried Rice is salty.When we raised that up to the service staff, they told us that that was the way it is. Well, we have nothing to say to that. Looks like you have to try it for yourself as tastes differ accordingly. (Our friend felt that it was just fine, so we guess it really depends on the person eating it.)

(Squid Ink Fried Rice) 

(Grilled Scallops Skewers)

Note:

• As stated clearly in the menu, only those items tagged in the "early bird happy hour" stickers are entitled to the 50% offer. (We had some off the 50% offer, but it's worth it! Especially the Grilled Scallops!)

(California Maki) 

(Soft Shell Crab Maki)

I would actually like to point out one of the male service staff; he's a tall and lanky Chinese dude who really brought up the service standard of this place. My only regret was not being able to get his name to do a proper commendation for him. He's the only person in this place who came and poured us tea even though the pot was at our table, filled the pot when he realized it was empty and had the politeness to ask before clearing our plates (unlike the rest; they just stick their hands over and take the plates away). Moreover, our dear May left her bottle in the restaurant and he even took the liberty to run out of the restaurant to find us and pass us the bottle. (Mind you, we've walked a fair bit by the time he caught up to us.) Most of the service staff would just pick up the bottle and leave it at the counter without making the effort like he did. It's always the little things that matters. His actions saved our impressions on the restaurant's service standards. 

(Soft Bone Skewers)

Overall, we would say that you have to choose wisely over what to order even though there's a 50% offer as some ain't worth the price even after the discount! We would safely say that the Sashimi and the Maki are worth ordering, and if you wish to pamper yourselves, you can get the Grilled Scallops too!

<3May&FJ

SARANG

Location: Orchard Central #07-01
How to get there: Somerset Mrt Station (next to 313) 
Opening hours: 
Sun to Thurs 1200-2200
Fri to Sat 1200-2300
**they are closed from 1500-1700 for food preparation
Contact Number: 6773 1332

Hi peeps! HAPPY 2013!!!! *clap hands* May 2013 be a better year for all of you! Hope you all have been having fun celebrating the coming of 2013:) May and I played loads of sparkles and bubbles with our usuals in the wee hours of the morning today ^^.

Okay, wishes aside! Let me start on the review proper! I went out with one of my friends on New Year's Eve to celebrate the end of 2012 by having lunch with her at Sarang. I've heard about Sarang via word of mouth but have yet to try it as it's located at the 7th floor at Orchard Central. My impression of anything above the 4th floor in town is just purely meant for the rich, richer and the richest. But I am happy to say that my recent trip to Sarang has changed this perception of mine.

The food prices in the menu are reasonable for a 7th floor in town. PLUS! They have a lunch set promo!! This is mainly the reason why I'm writing about Sarang today! Their lunch set meals are super duper worth your money!! I have included the promotion menu here for your viewing. (The menu is in English here, but the one in the restaurant itself is in Romanized Korean) It's mainly split into $9.90 and $15.90 sets (excluding GST). It comes with side dishes consisting of: Dried Radish  Peanuts and Cabbage, and a drink. My friend and I had a Shooting Star (Dak Galbi) and Stewy Chicken (Dak Maeuntang) respectively, our bill totaled up to $23.30.

(Side dishes: Cabbage, Peanuts, Dried Radish)

Advantages:

• They are rather generous on their servings, it's reasonable! I could not finish my set!
• Personally, the side dishes are love! Especially the peanut!
• They play you Korean songs (here's for the Korean fans!)
• For the Stewy Chicken, the soup is thick! The more you drink it, the tastier it gets!
• The chicken is Q, unlike those tough ones that some serve.
• As for the Shooting Star, it has this very unique herbal taste which I find it very interesting. 
• Service staff is prompt in taking orders and are very willing to answer your questions.

(Stewy Chicken)

Disadvantages:

• The drink is kinda bitter, tastes a bit like bitter coffee. (so we had to get sugar syrup from the staff which kinda saved the drink in the end)
• The dried radish side dish has an acquired taste, my friend didn't really enjoy the taste of it. (But it depends on your preference)
• For the Stewy Chicken, they did not remove the chicken skin. (I'd prefer it removed)
• Tables inside are rather cramped together, but enough for personal space.

(Shooting Star)

Note:

• Last order for lunch is at 1430.
• The lunch promotion is from 1200-1430.
• The restaurant closes from 1500-1700 for preparation. 

Overall I would say that it has been an enjoyable experience at Sarang. The food's great and the service can be considered good. Though there was a slight hiccup during our request to make our drink sweeter, all's fine. We've got sweets after we paid the bill too! It's the little things that matter; something I have always believed in. So go give Sarang a try!! Lunch would be best as you get your money's worth! Till next time, toodles!

<3FJ