Yellow House Cafe: Themed Cafe in LA

I think pictures can speak for itself. It has a really sweet and calming atmosphere. Food isn't particularly expensive either, but they mainly serve korean fusion food.

I didn't really order much because we weren't hungry enough to demolish their large portions for main orders. We ended up ordering potato string fries and korean dumplings.

Potato string fries

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Shanghai Jade: Classy Shanghainese Restaurant in Hong Kong

Shanghai Jade was a restaurant that demonstrated the perfect blend of Western culture with Shanghainese cuisine. I was dazzled by the plates which had different designs on each of them. Absolutely beautiful and unique. I didn't take pictures of the restaurant itself because I was slightly embarrassed to do so. Everything about it was so classy and chic. It was basically a perfect combination of crystal chandeliers, black and white. Plus it would have been rude and conspicuous if I pointed my camera at other diners. But of course, such things could cost a bomb in Hong Kong, especially since this restaurant is in the Central area.

My set of tableware

Food served here was also delectable. I didnt manage to snap pictures of everything we ordered though.

Sweet and sour fish + tofu skin wrapped duck meat

When with a table of girls/ladies, desserts are always on point.

Mango sago with mango ice cream + Mango pudding

Banana puffs in powdered sugar

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Lady M: Worst Service Ever

Visited Lady M cafe at Orchard Central twice. The first time I was there was probably when they just opened, and hired sufficient well-trained staff to ensure that customers were attended to albeit the long waiting time for a table and for food to be served. Nevertheless, I wasn't too angry about the 40min wait. 

But things went downhill quickly when I returned again 2 weeks later on 26 July 2015. There was little waiting time for a table, but their service crew were just absolutely horrible. Because there was a large group of 7 before us, and we saw several tables for 2 or 3 available, we asked one of the waitresses if we could be seated first. She was reluctant to attend to us, asking us to sit at the long table near the counter instead, but agreed to our request anyway. 

Cake counter for takeaways

Long table near the entrance on level 2

So everything that could go wrong in a restaurant went wrong at Lady M Orchard Central. We were seated at the table by the waitress who was unhappy to serve customers. But she did not hand us any menu, and no other service crew member took note of us. I'm not asking for great service nor was I expecting tired service crews to keep smiling, but I hoped that service crews at F&B establishments realise that customers expect to be served if they were seated.

So yes we ended up sitting there for nearly 10minutes watching other service crews getting scolded by other customers for long waiting times for their food to be delivered and whatnot. I thought we were very reasonable people to give up waiting to be serviced and decided to self service by getting our cake from the counter upstairs. However, my boyfriend had lined up for 10mins only to be told that they would not sell us the cake because the counter only catered for takeaways. Well, I didn't want to do that either but your service crew was just not even trying to handle the situation. 

He returned and we managed to get a waiter's attention thereafter and placed our order. I was kind of irked by his incompetence because it took him 3mins to register our order while he left us staring at him in awkward silence as he stared at his phone. Well yes I understand that technology probably replaced manual orders but that was pretty rude and awkward. It just sounded plain stupid to ask us to repeat our order again after the awkward silence when I only asked for 1 item. Did you even try?

We ended up waiting for another 10mins hoping that a slice of green tea mille crepe will be delivered quickly to us. But we were disappointed once again. In that 10mins, we saw that same waiter getting scolded by other patrons, and him apologising without knowing how to handle the situation. It just drove me nuts being in Lady M that day.

I guess I ran out of patience and got the unwelcoming waitress who sat us down to cancel our order. My boyfriend still maintained his composure and nicely requested for our order to be cancelled. I expected some sort of apology or some sense of regret/remorse from her but I was greeted with her poor attitude instead. All she said was "cancel order ah?" with an icy rude tone and glaring eyes. Her rude attitude was outrageous. She just turned around and walked off as well. Like dude, you know you didn't have to take up that job if you didn't want to. I'm never returning to the branch at Orchard Central if I see that she is still working there. 

The contrast in service and coordination from the 2 visits was too much for me to handle. What happened to the pleasant and efficient service crew from the opening weeks?

Salmon and avocado panini, with chips and coselaw

Checkers cake ($9)

Green Tea Mille Crepe Cake

with Earl Grey Tea ($5)

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Menya Musashi: Potentially the most Value for Money Ramen

Japanese ramen is one of the most expensive noodle dishes in Singapore, with an expected damage of at least $14 a bowl. However, Menya Musashi has the option of getting up to 5x the portion of the noodles without extra charge if you order the tsukemen. Great option for those with a large appetite and still want to have their Japanese ramen!

Tsukemen, with noodles x3

Menya Musashi does not offer the cheapest price for Japanese ramen, but it definitely offers the cheapest option for those with a large appetite! For affordable ramen for someone with an average appetite, I would recommend going for Santouka ramen with the use of the Jpassport. These deals make Santouka an all-time affordable Japanese ramen establishment in Singapore.

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Creamier: Affordable Belgian Waffles and Ice Cream

I don't think this place needs anymore introduction, but I guess this post isn't for the Singaporeans. The waffles served here are the best in Singapore in my opinion. It is crispy yet fluffy, unlike other waffles which are mostly just hard or fluffy. The waffles served here are also tasty on its own, unlike many ice cream waffles which are tasteless if not for the ice cream on top.

The hype about this place was actually for its cheap and delicious waffles. However, as they grew exponentially in popularity, the prices have gone up as well. Perhaps not the most affordable, but definitely worth the wait and the money.

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8 Korean BBQ: 8 different flavours

I had limited opportunities to get KBBQ because it requires a lot of time to dine, and most of my floormates were always preoccupied with studying. Perhaps I'm a bad student lol but then again, freshman year is a breeze compared to being in Hwachong. I just wanted to travel and try all sorts of food and things when I was still in LA.

Thanks to a certain "prince" who got us a fancy ride, I got to try 8 Korean BBQ. It was interesting cuz the ahjumma who served us lifted the top of our stools and asked us to put our belongings in it. That will prevent our bags from smelling like kbbq and from spills and stains. This restaurant also offered an 8% discount if we paid by cash. Oh, but best part was that the person who drove us around even paid for my meal. Gentleman much. (Now go grab Taiwanese guys everyone.)

We ordered Combo 1 (USD$49.99), which came with 8 different flavours of pork belly, kimchi, beansprouts, seafood soup and kimchi fried rice (made with leftover soup like at Gamja Gol). We also ordered steamed egg to share as well for $2-3. I thought everything was pretty well done. We also had minimal cooking to do, because the waiters would help us to grill and cut the strips of pork belly as well. Bonus points for service. 

The 8 Flavours of Pork Belly: were cooked in the order that was recommended by the them as follows:

1. Wine: Wine (in moderation), lowers the risk of heart disease, and opens blood vessels for better circulation.
2. Original: All natural with no additives. Unveiling pork’s natural flavonoids, rich in Vitamin B1.
3. Ginseng: Ginseng stimulates the metabolism and promotes general wellness of health.
4. Garlic: Garlic lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure, and helps the body’s natural flow.
5. Herb: Natural herbs alleviate stress and depression.
6. Curry: Curry’s complex components prevent Alzheimer’s disease, as well as certain cancers.
7. Miso Paste: Miso Paste is rich in flavonoids and beneficial in circulating the body’s natural biochemistry.
8. Red Pepper Paste: Gochujang contains protein, healthy fats, Vitamins B2, Vitamin C and carotene.

I've also seen 8 Korean BBQ in The Central at Clarke Quay in Singapore, But the prices here are so much higher than in Los Angeles. I believe it is priced at SGD$98++ here.

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Chichen Itza Restaurant: Excellent Chichen cuisine

I was brought here by my mentor. He mentioned that Chichen cuisine wasn't common, and many people travel all the way to this place because it was good. However, this place is hidden and so not many people know about it. I believe the food must be pretty authentic as well, because everyone else there looked Mexican, and almost everybody at this food court like place ordered food from this particular stall.

I ordered grilled pork neck, which was a huge steak-like portion. It was really tender and I was really full by the end of the meal. It came with a generous amount of avocado, and I also got to try the Habanero pepper (the orange thing there). I think he thought I was insane to even touch it hahaah and yes I did regret cutting it open and putting a piece of it in my mouth. I felt a strong burning sensation from it that was more intense than the Thai chili padi that we have in Singapore.

The set also came with a bowl of gravy made from black beans, which I had used to dip my tortilla. They also served a variety of Mexican drinks, and one of it was their version of the soursop juice which I really liked. I didn't like horchata at all, although some people claim to love it. Perhaps it's because I was never a fan of cinnamon.

I wish I got to know about this place, and had the opportunity to try good Mexican food much earlier. I guess the dining halls on campus ruined my impression of Mexican food so much that I refused to even pay for Mexican food. I ended up heading to Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food establishments for most of the times that I dined outside school. But I guess I don't regret it too much, because Korean and Vietnamese food in LA is way better than those in Singapore.

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Isaan Station: Best Thai food in downtown LA

It's almost impossible to find Singaporean food when you're out of Singapore. Or at least Singaporean food that actually tastes like Singaporean food. There used to be a Papparich branch in Ktown, but it moved to the San Gabriel's area (where a lot of awesome and authentic Chinese food can be found).

I was brought here by my fellow Singaporeans who raved about this restaurant. I guess everyone had insatiable cravings for Southeast Asian food and the spice that we are used to. Jalepenos. sriracha chili sauce and hot sauce isn't really our thing. This restaurant also served authentic Thai food from the Isaan area, which is where all the spicy dishes originate from. You could even place your order in Thai (which is what one of my friends did). 

Menu

So we ended up ordering Cha Yen (Thai tea), Tom Kha (chicken coconut soup), Kor Mu Yang (grilled pork neck), Crying Tiger (grilled beef) and sticky rice. We ended off with honey toast, which their version of the Shibuya thick honey toast. We ended up paying USD$20 per person after splitting it 4 ways, inclusive of tax and tip.

Thai Tea ($2.50) and Sticky Rice ($1.50)

After coming here, I dare say that many Thai restaurants in Singapore do not serve authentic Thai food. Its a shame because we are so much nearer Thailand than Los Angeles is. Same for Korean food. Anyway, I fell in love with their grilled pork neck. It is one of the most amazing dishes ever, and it has a similar effect on me as how char siew makes me crave for it all the time. I think the pork neck was grilled with honey, and it was extremely tender. Their grilled beef was not as amazing as their grilled pork neck, but it was tender and it was pretty good as well. The tom kha was flavourful and there was also a generous amount of ingredients unlike some places in Singapore.

Tom Kha and Kor Mu Yang

We ended the meal with the honey toast, which came with 2 huge scoops of ice cream. The thick toast was fluffy and not to sweet. However, it was impossible to finish even though we shared among 4 people. Or maybe we were just really full from our meal.

Honey Toast

I returned again shortly after with my other friends before spring break. This time, we ordered Kor Mu Yang, Tom Yum soup, pad thai and sticky rice.

This place is also very interesting, because they offer spicy levels on a scale of 1 to 10 for their soups. We decided to try level 6 because my other Singaporean friends said they couldn't handle level 7. It was a lot spicier than any tom yum soup that I had in Singapore. However, the other table which were all from Hong Kong were not asked to choose their level of spiciness, and their soup wasn't as strong. Not sure if they bother asking all their customers. Perhaps they would only ask if people sound or looked like they were used to taking spicy food (from their appearance and accents).

Pad Thai, Tom Yum soup and Kor Mu Yang

I returned here on another occasion for desserts after having kbbq at 8 Korean BBQ. The Taiwanese love coming here for their iced grass jelly. My friend would always want to come here to get it.

Mango Sticky Rice

The iced grass jelly was slightly underwhelming because I was expecting it to taste a bit more like chendol. However, it was just ice, grass jelly and brown sugar. But it was still pretty good. Their mango sticky rice was great and they do it better than a lot of places in Singapore.

Iced Grass Jelly

While I would consider Isaan Station to be the best Thai food place in Los Angeles, some people would argue that this other restaurant with a red signboard near BCD Tofu House is the best. I have never tried it because I've not heard anyone rave about it in USC, but I did see a crazy long line when I passed by it once. However, it could be just really popular among their Americans. There is also a Thai Town near Hollywood, and some of my Thai friends have said that the best Thai food can be found there. If you are able to travel all the way out, you can ask the Thais for the name of the restaurant that they believe has the best Thai food in LA. 

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Honey Mee: Honeycomb Milk Soft Serve

Chanced upon this when I was done with dinner at BCD one day. My friend said that this was highly raved in Los Angeles, and so I decided to get one to try. I believe this was about USD$4.50. This is just a small stall in front of Boiling Crab. It resembled an old school ticket both for movies that is often depicted in cartoons.

Milk soft serve with honeycomb

This thing was really sweet, although I think the one with honey drizzled is even sweeter. Anyway, I don't know if I got it wrong, or that it is almost impossible to eat the honeycomb without taking bits of plastic-like things. They weren't exactly chewy so I had to take them out after chewing the honey away. Nevertheless, the milk soft serve was really good. It was also interesting to try the honeycomb. It was a pretty good way to end the night. It was satisfying even though this small cup was shared between 2 people.

I know there are similar stores in Singapore like Honey Creme and all that sort of things, and I'm looking forward to trying them here. Hopefully things are cheaper in Singapore, while the quality remains the same.

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SYNC Korean Tapas Bar: Delicious Fusion Korean Food

Found this hidden gem when I was searching for places near home for Fathers' Day. Although the service was slow the first time we went, it was pretty quick on our second visit. Perhaps it was past lunch hour when we first went for Fathers' Day lunch. We ended up being at the restaurant from about 1.45pm to nearly 4pm. That's way too long, but I guess we weren't in much of a hurry, and they were understaffed at that point in time. We went back again for dinner 2 weeks later to celebrate my mum's birthday, and the crew was much larger. It's great to see all the young faces running the show as well. 

I thought the food was very well done, although the prices aren't exactly cheap. But it is definitely worth it for the lunch sets under $10 for those in the area. Oh, and they don't charge service charge here which is 10% saved. 

I loved the ddeobokki served here. The sauce was thick and cheesy, while still maintaining a hint of the traditional spicy red pepper sauce. There was also a generous amount of sliced sausages

Topokki  ($7.90)

Baked Rice Cakes in sweet and spicy sauce, Smoked Sausage, 3-Cheese

The steak here was very well executed. My dad wanted it medium, and it was. The meat was also very tender. It was worth its price and it is way better than some of the steak houses in Singapore. 

Rib-eye Steak ($29.90)

The fried chicken was delicious and was very crispy. I also liked how they sprinkled a generous amount of seaweed on it. 

Dak-KangJung ($12.90)

Deep-Fried sweet and spicy Chicken Bites, Ricotta, Chili Tempura

The ribs were one of the best that I've had. Maybe not in terms of taste, but it was so tender that you could pull off the meat easily with just fork and spoon. 

Pork ribs ($22.90)

The chicken paella claimed to serve 3-4 pax. However, the portion really wasn't that large. We had leftovers enough for another person, but that was because we ordered a bunch of other food. I think this would serve 3, or 2 people with huge appetites.

Dak Gar-Bi: Chicken Paella ($38.90)

I think we totally did not expect the octopus to be something like this. The picture on the menu did not show any kimchi or sauce. The sourish taste of kimchi is also pretty strong.

Sautéed Kimchi Octopus ($9.90)

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Sushi Gen: best Japanese lunch deal

My first visit here was actually for dinner. This was also the first Japanese restaurant that I've been to in LA, and I was impressed by their chirashi until I visited Sushi Go 55. I could get a much better deal at the same price there.

The fresh oysters were tiny and did not impress. I would prefer to go to EMC Seafood for their $1 oyster happy hour.

Fresh Oysters ($15)

Their chirashi bowl did not really impress me. The portion wasn't big either. It's not worth it's price for dinner, but this is only USD$17 for lunch.

Chirashi Deluxe ($24)

I came back again for their lunch deals. It was a lot more worth the money. Their sashimi set lunch came with a large plate of a variety of sashimi, a side (Japanese tofu), miso soup and rice. There was too much sashimi compared the rice, which is pretty uncommon. However, I wouldn't recommend this for picky eaters who only want specific types of sashimi. One of the things I really enjoyed was the shredded chicken that was so flavourful. It managed to help cleanse my palate from the rawness of the sashimi.

Sashimi Combination ($17)

My friend ordered the uni set lunch, which came with a box of sea urchin, assorted sashimi, miso soup, a side (Japanese tofu), nori sheets and rice.  Anyway, because the uni is so soft and creamy, sheets of seaweed were provided for us to wrap the uni with rice. I think this is super worth it. I don't think we will ever find this much good quality uni with sashimi for SGD$60 in Singapore.

Uni with Sashimi ($42)

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