Mad Nest

Dropped by for dinner the other day as some friends commented that it was a good place for dinner and the reviews were all quite positive, so we made our way to East Coast Road for Mad Nest. It is situated right beside Two Fat Men, which serves Thai and Western food with a large array of beers. I would say that after my dinner at Mad Nest, I would gladly drop by Two Fat Men any other time instead.

The ambience of the place was marvelous. Quiet, and dimly-lit, this place looks perfect for a date if you are intending to bring someone special out for dinner. But bear in mind that neither of you should have very high expectations of the standard of the food lest you give a bad impression on your very first date. I like the little paintings on the wall, decorating an otherwise plain white wall. I also liked the concept of the brightly lit bar at the end of the room, lending its glow to the dining area.

Now, to the food. They serve a large variety of fusion food - there's Japanese, Indian, Italian, and all-day brunch. I ordered Smoked Salmon and Spinach Eggs Benedict from their all-day breakfast menu while my friend ordered Katsu Curry Udon from the Japanese menu.

The Katsu Curry Don was a huge disappointment. The katsu was thin and very dry, unlike the fat juicy katsu that I'm used to at other places. Also, it tasted slightly stale, like it had been kept frozen for a really long time and was just removed from the refrigerator and thawed like 5 minutes before. The curry was really spicy and  that's about it. I can't really taste any other flavour in the curry as it was just so spicy. 

The Smoked Salmon and Spinach Eggs Benedict was better. The Eggs Benedict was good with the smoked salmon and the thin layer of avocado beneath. The spinach, however, was incredibly salty. The roasted tomato was ripe, sweet and juicy, and I loved the taste of it. Overall, this dish was decent, but I certainly would not come back for more.

Come to Mad Nest if you would like a large variety of food and don't really mind the standard of the food served. Or come if you are so engrossed in staring at your partner's face and soaking in the lovely ambience to notice the disappointing food served.

To get there, I took Bus 12 from Armenian Church and alighted right opposite Mad Nest. It's about three stops after Katong Shopping Centre if I am not wrong. 

378 East Coast Road

Krabi Day 3 - Phi Phi Island Tour

We woke up bright and early to have breakfast and wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the pier for our Phi Phi Island Tour. We signed up for the tour with our hotel and the tour operator was Chokpaisan Andaman Sea. I did some research before heading to Krabi and learnt that some tour operators were horribly dishonest. They squeezed 50 people in one speedboat (some reviewers lamented that they were like cattle in a boat), and did not stop anywhere for very long but simply rushed through the entire tour. I was kind of disillusioned after reading those reviews and was quite cautious when considering whether to sign up with Chokpaisan. We did so eventually (mostly due to convenience) and we were so glad for our choice!

The shuttle bus arrived promptly, and took a small group of us to the pier. Chokpaisan arranged each bus to pick only a small group of tourists, so you need not sit in the bus and travel all around Ao Nang picking up other people. After picking us up, we were on our way to the Nopparat Thara Beach where the "pier" is.

It's honestly not much of a pier, and we still had to wade out into the sea before clambering into the speedboat. There were about 30 of us, and we were all pretty comfortable. Cold water was provided during the journey and it was such a relief from the hot sun outside!

Snorkeling at two locations first, before heading to the Viking Cave and Pileh Lagoon. I have to say, I was very impressed by Pileh Lagoon. It was calm, beautiful and I love how the limestone cliffs surrounded the clear waters. 

We continued on our way to the famous Maya Bay. This was where Leonardo Dicaprio filmed The Beach (when he was still hunky), and catapulted this place to fame. It would have been lovely, but I simply could not enjoy much of the place at all because it was just so crowded. The entire stretch of beach was lined with speedboats, tourists were everywhere, and I could not even take a picture in peace without a Chinese tourist stopping by to ask me to smile wider and taking a picture of me. The whole experience at Maya Bay was just really bizarre, and even though it was a pretty place, I felt a bit overwhelmed.

We were allowed to walk around Maya Bay for about half an hour before proceeding to Phi Phi Don for lunch. Lunch was buffet-styled and a modest affair. It was not anything fancy, but it did its job in keeping me full till dinner. We ate quickly before beginning to explore Phi Phi Don. I found my beloved spicy cuttlefish, and bought some souvenirs at the bustling Walking Street. Before we knew it, it's time to head to our next destination.

The last stop was Bamboo Island. This was different from the previous locations as the island was not surrounded by limestone cliffs. Instead it was just a small stretch of soft sand with an endless expanse of clear waters. I love this place. We were allowed to explore Bamboo Island for an hour and we took this opportunity to walk along the shore, chasing waves and relaxing on the sand. I was stupid enough to venture out into the sea (because I wanted to wash away the sand on my bum) but a large wave crashed into me and I was all wet.

We went back to Ao Nang at about 4pm and were divided into various songthaews for our ride back to our resort. We had a quick bath before leaving our resort for dinner. We had pork samurai burger (because I could not eat the beef samurai in Singapore haha!) and our final cups of Toffee Nut Latte for the season. I have officially tried Toffee Nut Latte in Singapore, Bangkok and Krabi. Goodbye to Toffee Nut Latte till end 2013!

It was a very relaxing and comfortable night with a slight balmy breeze along Ao Nang while we strolled back to our resort. 

Day 4 next! Read about Day 1 and Day 2. 

Szechuan Kitchen at Fairmont

Situated in Fairmont and easily accessible from Raffles City, Szechuan Kitchen is a an awesome place for lunch if you are looking for affordable set lunches in a comfortable setting.

The restaurant was hardly crowded when we arrived on Friday afternoon. There are seats inside and outside the restaurant and all areas are air-conditioned, so there really isn't much of a difference. The place feels like a typical Chinese restaurant at first glance with its wooden furniture and huge signboard.

This is the set lunch menu and I must say, it is highly attractive! We each ordered one $13++ set lunch and some herbal cooling tea. I was in dire need of herbal cooling tea as I was battling a sore throat, but obviously a few cups of herbal cooling tea was not going to help much when I was eating chips the next moment. Anyway! The $13++ set lunch included poached prawn dumpling with spicy sour soy sauce, soup of the day, szechuan minced pork noodle, and your choice of dessert. I chose chilled cream of pomelo, sago and diced mango.

The poached prawn dumpling in spicy sour soy sauce was awesome. The prawns were large and juicy, and the soy sauce tasted really interesting as it was spicy, salty and sour all at once.

The soup of the day was double boiled chicken soup. I love traditional double boiled soup as it is always full of flavour and so nourishing. This chicken soup was great, and tasted as though it had been boiling over a fire since the morning.

The minced meat noodle was really unique. The noodle was not the usual la mian that we have in Chinese restaurants, and the minced meat did not taste like the usual minced meat in zha jiang mian. There is something special about the sauce, which was more savoury than sweet, and totally unlike the usual sweet sauce that you find in zha jiang mian.

The pomelo sago and diced mango tasted ordinary though. But I was never a fan of pomelo sago so that could explain my lack of interest in the dessert.

The set lunch here is really awesome and totally worth the price tag. The portions might look small at first glance, but I assure you, it will keep you full and sleepy all the way till dinner time. Which might be a bad idea if you are rushing work, so prepare some coffee.

Yayoiken

Another place that is within walking distance from my office. It is really fantastic that there are so many places to hang out after work! The best friend recommended this place, and I was all for trying it, so we came by after work one day. 

Located at the basement of Liang Court, it is right beside Meidi-Ya supermarket, and was relatively empty even though it was around dinner time when we reached. We were quickly ushered in and ordered immediately. We were trying to decide between the Tori Katsu Set and Chicken Namban Set. Eventually she decided to have the Tori Katsu Set while I ate the Chicken Namban Set. 

Oh my, the Chicken Namban Set was heavenly. I loved the fried chicken with tar tar sauce. The fried chicken was nicely pan fried on the outside, and so tender within, drenched in a sweet delicious sauce. The tar tar sauce came with bits of eggs, and was so unique together with the fried chicken! I loved it. The salad with its sesame dressing was good too. The set at $12.90 was very reasonably priced and we were so full after the meal.

She had the Tori Katsu Set. The chicken cutlet was so juicy! Okay maybe it wasn't the healthiest food on earth, but it was so sinfully delicious. The breaded exterior was super crispy and when you bite into the chicken cutlet, the meat inside was just so juicy!

We ended the night with some drinks. Walked around Clarke Quay for a bit before finally deciding to settle down at Fern and Kiwi because it was relatively quieter and we could chat. It came as a big surprise to us when we sat down and a waitress informed us that there was free cider for ladies as it was ladies night! Oh wow, so we had free drinks that night and the cider was good!

Yayoiken is at #B1-50 Liang Court
Fern and Kiwi is located behind the taxi stand, facing the main road. 

Fine Cuts

Dropped by for lunch at Fine Cuts last Friday, one of the perks of having my office right smack in the middle of City Hall. Situated at the basement of The Central, I have walked past this casual eatery so many times but never noticed it there. So it was with much anticipation that I came here for lunch.

At first glance, the prices are really reasonable. You could top up $1 for a cup of lemonade, or $1.50 for a basket of fries, which we did.

Most of us ordered Chicken Chop with salad. The Chicken Chop was pretty all right, not completely mind blowing, but it did not disappoint either. The meat was well-grilled and the sauce was tasty. I liked the salad too, fresh with vinaigrette lightly drizzled on it.

It was the fries that got us completely hooked. We initially ordered two baskets of fries to share, but added another basket as we were so addicted. The fries were crisp on the outside, and so soft on the inside. I love fat fries, and the fat fries at Fine Cuts were heavenly.

I would be back for the fries. It is really just that good.

Fine Cuts is the the basement of The Central, beside the Japanese supermarket with all the yummy Japanese snacks.

#B1-44 Central

Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant

Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant was formerly at Heeren, and now has its new home at Level 8 Orchard Central. The queue was really long when we reached, snaking from the entrance all the way to the escalator. You have to pay before getting a stamp on your hand, and ushered in to your seats. We were a fairly large group, so we had a long table in a separate area which was quieter than the main dining area outside. It was good, as the place was more spacious, and we could chat, leaving the area only when we wanted more food outside.

The pricing was reasonable for the wide spread offered in Kiseki, and the quality of food was fairly decent too.

There is a counter at the side with all the sashimi, Alaskan crab, sushi, and scallop. The sashimi was fresh, with fairly good cuts, and sweet. The Alaskan crab looks incredibly meaty, though I didn't try any myself, but it looked delicious. The scallop was very fresh and sweet as well.

The picture below shows the counter with the cooked food, including zosui (Japanese Porridge with Chicken), tempura, yakitori, and black curry too! I was surprised that they had zosui and was happily helping myself to more. The zosui was good, tasty and light and huge chunks of chicken. The batter on the ebi tempura was slightly too thick. The chicken yakitori and shitake mushrooms were good!

You could take the clips on your table and clip it at the counter for Pasta (Vongole, Bacon, or Mushrooms), grilled meat, or hotpots (Seafood Hotpot and Udon). I tried the Vongole Cream Pasta and it was good! The cream was light and tasty and the clams were fresh and juicy. The grilled meat, and Seafood Hotpot were fairly decent.

I was completely swept off my feet my the dessert counter, which is situated slightly apart from the main food counter. There was a large variety of mousse, cheesecake, macaroons, mochi and ice cream. I was especially fond of the Tofu Cheesecake, mochi, and chocolate macaroon. 

This buffet is indeed value for money, and I enjoyed the wide spread of tasty food. Will be back!

Update 6 June 2013: I went back last week for dinner with the boyfriend and oh my goodness, the food was completely lack-lustre, the selection had dwindled tremendously, and even dessert failed to get me excited. That was how bad it is. I am not going back ever again unless somehow, miraculously, they improve their standards.

#08-01 Orchard Central

Krabi Day 2 - Railay Beach

The next morning we woke bright and early for our breakfast at the resort. Breakfast was simple, without much choices, but it was sufficient. The various dishes differed every day we were there, and the only repeated dish was the tray of bread at the side. The dining area was bright and airy, and there were more than enough seats around so everyone was comfortable. The only sad thing was that the food was not exactly delicious. It was decent, but I would not be eating there if breakfast was not included in my resort package.

We strolled to Ao Nang beach where we purchased tickets for the longtail boat to Phra Nang Beach. You can choose whether to alight at Railay West or Phra Nang beach, and honestly it did not make much of a difference because you could walk along the paths to explore Railay. But we decided to stop at Phra Nang first to check out Phra Nang cave.

Phra Nang beach is quiet, isolated and without many tourists around. It was generally very peaceful and a good place to curl up with a book under the warm sun. I love the fact that for a good long stretch of the beach, I could pretend that we were the only two people around and attempt to shut out the world.

If you are at Phra Nang beach, you must check out Phra Nang cave. It's right at the end, near the trail to Railay East, and has a temple within. The waters are also really shallow here, so you could wade out into the waters and enter the curve of the rocks.

Thereafter, you could find the trail that leads you to Railay East. The trails are such that you could walk from Phra Nang to Railay East then Railay West, which was the course we took. The trail from Phra Nang to Railay East is amazing. It was lined with awesome limestone rocks with caves within, and if you are lucky, you might spot a whole family of monkeys jumping around from tree to tree.

Railay East was slightly more disappointing. The beach gradually gave way to a raised platform where the eateries and bars were located. A large portion of the beach was quite polluted, with murky waters and black pipes hitting the shore. I guess most of the guests staying in resorts along Railay East simply take the short walk over to Railay West for the larger part of the day.

We were beginning to feel hungry, so we stopped at a small modest eatery called Mom's Kitchen for lunch. We then proceeded to have the worst meal we had in Krabi. We ordered stir fried vegetables and chicken fried with basil leaves. Both dishes were horribly salty, without any flavour, and was just so disappointing. It was so disappointing, I did not even remember or bother to take a picture of the place.

Continued our stroll to Railay West. The beach here is awesome. Clean clear waters and limestone cliffs, a row of sea-facing resorts, and a small walking street. There is evidently more people along this beach, and more longtail boats to cater to the tourists returning to Ao Nang, so you do not have to be afraid about not being able to head back.

We were hugely dissatisfied with our pathetic lunch at Mom's Kitchen, so we went into the restaurant at Railay Bay Resort and Spa for a couple of beers and a mushroom pizza. It was so relaxing to sit in a large oak chair, and look out into the sea with a large bottle of beer in hand. And the pizza was amazing! I loved it. They were so generous with the ingredients and the pizza was thick and fluffy.

Took the longtail boat back to Ao Nang, where we had a quick shower and a short nap before heading out for dinner. We decided to have dinner at Swiss Chalet which is right beside our resort as it was reasonably crowded for the isolated location is it in. They serve Swiss and Thai food, and we ordered Thai. We had a bowl of tom yum goong, pineapple fried rice, and omelette with minced pork. The food was so good! I especially loved the tom yum goong which was nice and sour, and the omelette with minced pork as it was slightly spicy and sweet. Such a nice dinner!

Day 3 up next where we took the day tour to Phi Phi Islands! Read about Day 1 and Day 4 too!

Krabi Day 1 - Ao Nang

So I was all prepared to start 2013 with a melancholic post detailing all the ups and downs of 2012, and listing down all the aspirations and promises I have for myself for 2013. But then, I packed and went away for 5 days. When I returned, I decided there was nothing more boring than dwelling in the past, so the first 2013 post sharing my Krabi trip was a definitely a better way to start the ball rolling!

I've always always wanted to visit Krabi, with its clear blue waters and majestic limestone cliffs. But there was always something that stopped me from going, so this time I was super determined that I would make this trip.

We reached Krabi Airport close to 3pm, cleared immigration and emerged at the arrival hall. We proceeded to the shuttle bus counter to purchase two tickets for the shuttle bus to Ao Nang. The tickets were really affordable at 150 baht each, which is about SGD 6. After getting the tickets, we walked to the exit where the bus driver stood waiting and he brought us to the bus.

We had to wait for more passengers to board the bus before the bus moved off. Apparently the day we arrived was not a popular day as there were only about 8 passengers on board. We spied the same bus over the weekend at Ao Nang and it was completely full!

The journey to Ao Nang took about an hour, most likely because the bus driver was travelling really slowly. While the lady at the counter promised us that the bus would drop us in front of our resort, the bus actually dropped us along the main road and we had to walk down a side lane to reach our hotel. I guess it really depends on the bus driver as we saw the bus alighting guests right in front of our hotel on other days.

We stayed at Apasari Krabi, which was a distance from the main Ao Nang street and Ao Nang beach. It was situated right inside a side lane, which meant that the area was dark and quiet at night. Safety was not an issue though, and we were away from the noisy crowds at main Ao Nang street and the shops. However, the distance also meant that we had to walk 10-15 minutes everyday to the main Ao Nang Street and Ao Nang beach and back. 

We had the superior room which was spacious and comfortable for two. Sadly our mountain view became a view of the construction site beside our hotel instead. The workers were at work throughout the day, but we were hardly around so the noise did not bother us much. The room had the basic necessities like a safe, hair dryer, and a small television. The bottled water was not free though, unlike many other hotels I have visited. 

After settling our stuff in the room, we set out to explore Ao Nang. We took a nice long walk to the beach and the main street facing the beach with its row of cafes and restaurants. We were just in time to catch the sunset, which was the most awesome sunset in the 5 days I was there. It was so peaceful, serene and took my breath away. 

We continued our walk down the main Ao Nang street and decided to settle for dinner at Taj Palace. We went in because the signboard showed that it served pastas, pizzas, and Indian food so we thought some fusion food might be interesting. But once seated, we studied the menu and realized that it was all Indian food! And I was still battling a sore throat then. So we ordered a plate of mixed fried rice and chicken tawa (which was their specialty) to share. The plan was that we could just go somewhere else for something more suitable afterwards.

The chicken tawa was good and the juicy chunks of chicken soaked up the curry sauce splendidly. However, the mixed fried rice was disappointing. It was bland, tasteless and tasted like it was left to air for a really long time before serving. But the portions were generous and we were full after the meal, much to our surprise. So we did not have a round 2. Went back to the hotel, plugged in his Mac and curled up for Ted before drifting off to sleep.

Read about Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4 as well!