Madam Kwan @ VivoCity

Madam Kwan @ VivoCity (Score: 2.5 out of 5)

I have been trying to look for the best Malaysian food here in Singapore. When I heard that Madam Kwan was opening here in Singapore, I was quite excited as I have heard and seen rave reviews about it in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is nothing to rave nor get excited about this branch in Singapore. Read below for more info.

Our Orders

Nasi Bojari - S$18.90

The nasi bojari is a combination of Malaysian fried chicken, beef rendang, and assam prawn. I'm a sucker for combination platters and this, sad to say, is nothing special. I think I've eaten in some Nasi Lemak food court place which serves better food. Worse yet, the food court will charge you only S$7-9 but here since its a restaurant, they charge S$18.90. I'm not one to complain about price in food but this isn't worth it. 

Beef Rendang - S$11.90

Yes, to my surprise, this was what arrived for my beef rendang. They did a sloppy job of plating this dish. Worse yet, the order itself isn't substantial enough to warrant a $12 price tag. It also was served warm rather than hot which just made me think if this was freshly cooked or maybe even microwaved. Really disappointed.

Beef Satay - S$11.90

The beef satay was, again unfortunately, another disappointment. It was too tough for my liking and worse yet it was dry. They need to get those satay guys in East Coast Park to improve their quality. The only saving grace of the dish was an excellent satay sauce. 

Price and Value

All-in-all the bill amounted to SGD 66.85, which for the food that we had, is just not worth it. I won't return to this place as there are much much better restaurants in VivoCity. It will take a lot of work to make this place attractive. 

Rating:

Food - 2.5

Ambiance - 3

Value - 2

Service - 2.5

Overall 2.5 of 5

Repeat Factor (No!! No! Yes Yes! Yes!!): 

No!

Address: 1 Harbourfront Walk #01-155 Vivocity
Tel no: +65 6271 9989
Website: N/A

Tonkatsu Ma Maison (2nd Visit)

Tonkatsu Ma Maison (Score: 3.5 out of 5)

It's been a almost a year since my last visit and wifey and I craved for Tonkatsu. So we tossed a coin, between Tonkichi and Ma Maison and alas... Ma Maison won. I remembered I wanted to try their special Mangalica Tonkatsu.

The Menu

Restaurant details:
Restaurant details:

The menu didn't change since our last visit. I'm not complaining but people must be getting over the hype too.

Our Orders

Manglalica Tonkatsu - S$ 39.00

I waited for a year to try this dish. So its thick and a bit pinkish... for S$39.00, I was expecting sparks to fly on the first bite but unfortunately it didn't happen. It just didn't have the taste, texture and experience that I was expecting. I'd order the normal hire or katsu cuts the next time I visit. 

Cheese Mille-Feuille Katsu Set (Deep-fried Multi-layered Sliced Pork Cutlet with Cheese) - S$30

So wifey ordered the mille-feuille with cheese again. This was unintentional but it just really looks good in the menu... How can you resist pork and cheese in the same dish. The set came with the mandatory shredded cabbage and miso soup (which by the way is superb) and "brown" rice.

Price and Value

All-in-all the bill amounted to SGD 70++ which isn't so bad but I think something is a bit lost now with Tonkatsu ma Maison. Service was never a strong suit and neither was it for this visit. Food is still better than good but it didn't have the same surprise of the first visit. 

Worse yet, the Sunday queue I associate with this place was gone when I visited. I got there at 12:30 noon and was expecting to wait. We just went inside with no probelm whatsoever. Hope they revitalize the restaurant else this will be a restaurant I will miss if and when it closes.

Rating:

Food - 4

Ambiance - 3.5

Value - 3.5

Service - 3

Overall 3.5 of 5

Repeat Factor (No!! No! Yes Yes! Yes!!): 

Yes

Official Website: n/a
Address: 333A Orchard Road, #02-35/36 Mandarin Gallery
Tel no: +65 6733 4541

NamNam @ Raffles City

NamNam @ Raffles City (Score: 4.0 out of 5)

NamNam is a Vietnamese restaurant that serves 2 main type of food, Bahn Mi and Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup). The restaurant itself is quite petite and does feel quite tight. I highly advise visiting them quite early 11:30am for lunch and probably 6:00pm for dinner to avoid the crowd.

How crowded you ask? Lets just say that you'll probably end up waiting for 20-30 mins on a bad day. But it is worth waiting.

Our Orders

Fried Prawn Roll - S$4.90

We couldn't resist ordering an appetizer and Vietnamese fried rolls have always been a favorite. Its crispy and it has prawns, what more to say. Don't expect very fresh prawns though.

Caramelised 5-spice Pork Belly, Pork Pate Bahn Mi - S$5.90

One of the star orders in this place. I just love this. I just wished there was a bit more pork and vegetables but otherwise the taste is perfect. The pork is tender and the in-house sauce is just heavenly.

Pho Beef Combination - S$9.90

Pho Beef Balls $8.90

The only difference between the Pho is what is inside. I ordered the beef combination which had some beef balls, tripe, and beef strips. Wifey ordered pure beef balls. Taste wise, if you love pho then you will love this. You don't like pho? Well, you'll still love it :) be sure to squeeze the lemon and add some of the hot pepper to some heat.

Price and Value

NamNam's pricing is very good. Given the fact that they are located right at the heart of the city and in a very popular mall, it's quite surprising that they aren't charging more. That said, value for money is really good. 

Be sure to order a Bahn Mi and Pho on your visit. This will make the waiting time in the queue worth it.

Rating:

Food - 4

Ambiance - 3.5

Value - 4.5

Service - 4

Overall 4 of 5

Repeat Factor (No!! No! Yes Yes! Yes!!): 

Yes!

Restaurant details: 

Website: http://namnamnoodlebar.com.sg/

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-46/47, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103

Fax: +65 63360500
No reservations. First come first serve.