a perfect starter to this belt-loosening meal is of course the most-talked about buffalo wings. what’s very interesting is that you can choose from three varying levels of spiciness — smoking, intensi-fire and chef’s challenge, which i heard was crazy-hot!

Buffalo Wings (Intensi-Fire)
Price: $12.95 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

as we love the shiok-ness of eating spicy food, but aren’t brave enough to venture to the far end of the hotness meter, we went for the level two intensi-fire. the half-dozen buffalo wings arrived looking really hot anyway. you can still see the chili flakes and seeds on them. goodness! how very exciting!

the size of the wings are ample, nothing like those wee little hot n’ spicy drumlets you get at the colonel. each one is coated in a hot sauce that makes the skin of the chicken taste extremely good! it’s a little sweet and sour too, which is nice. the chicken flesh itself is flavorful even on the inside. it also retains a slight bit of moisture, because no one enjoys digging into a dry and hard chicken!

overall, the spice level is quite comfortable on my taste buds, getting a little fiery only on my third wing. with that said, i think i’m brave enough to take up the chef’s challenge next time!

Deep Fried Mushroom
Price: $10.95 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

as the meal is likely to be heavily meat-oriented, it’s a good idea to order a non-meat dish to mix it up a lil’. the deep fried mushroom is a highly-recommended item by the restaurant and moi. firstly, the button mushrooms are dipped in a special batter. then, they are lightly fried to a glorious golden brown. and finally, they are served piping hot with tartar sauce.

when i bite into each one, mushroom juices burst out! it’s really hard to describe how awesome it is. you can have it with or without the tartar sauce because both ways taste fantastic! i think this might just be the best mushroom dish i’ve ever had in my life. nothing else even comes close.

after these flavorsome bites that totally woke our palates, we almost didn’t have room for the main course — a half slab of babyback pork ribs.

when it comes to pork ribs, very often it is more bone than meat. this is the case even for the highly popular, award-winning babyback ribs at tony roma’s.

as you can see from the photo above, it’s really just skin and bones at tony’s. (it still tastes pretty damn good though.) now compare that with jerry’s.

Babyback Pork Ribs (Half slab)
Price: $21.95 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

for the ribs here you can visibly see a thick layer of tender meat on the bones that oozes flavor with every bite. i heard that they cook the ribs over special controlled hickory smoking ovens. the slow barbecuing process helps get rid of the fats, breaks down the tougher tissues, resulting in meat that falls off the bone easily!

and that’s not even the best part. the ribs are smothered in a thick, savory tomato-based barbecue sauce that totally completes the dish. seriously, this trumps tony’s ribs by miles! when people ask me for a good place for ribs, i won’t mention tony’s name anymore. yup, jerry is my new guy.

let me now talk about the location. the flagship outlet is at 277 jalan kayu, with a second outlet at club street near chinatown, the one we visited. it is housed in a blue pre-war shophouse building with a small indoor dining area. i heard there are seats available on the second floor, although it wasn’t open when we went on a saturday afternoon.

the interior is decorated with black and white photographs on aviation, and car license plates from various american states. there are also two separate washrooms at the back that customers can use after getting their hands dirty with the awesome buffalo wings.

like i said, jerry is my new guy. check him out if you haven’t! for those who have, feel free to recommend your favorite dishes from there. i’m definitely dropping by again in the near future.

Jerry’s BBQ & Grill
92 Club Street
Singapore 069460
(65) 6323 4550
Service rating:
www.jerrybbq.com.sg

Bus services: 51, 61, 63, 124, 166, 174, 186, 197, 851, 961, 970, 961C
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 12pm - 10pm (Daily)

 Tony Roma’s - Mouthwatering American Grill
 Bongo Burgers - African Charm, American-Sized Portions
 Grill-Out at Sunset Way - Sunset Grill
 Wow Wow West - Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It
 Mingles La’ Brassarie - Seafood at the Coast

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Jerry’s BBQ & Grill - Jerry is My New Guy!

unlike your average casual ice cream parlor, seventh heaven differentiates itself by targeting the more mature market. after all, as adults we never really outgrow ice cream, do we?

alcohol = good. ice cream = good. what happens when you couple the two? that’s exactly what seventh heaven offers. alcoholic ice cream! there’s something about it that sounds really seductive and makes me all tingly and excited to have it. but i think that’s just me :)

From left: Lychee Martini, Chocolate & Whiskey, Chocolate & Coffee Crunch
Price: $5.80 per scoop + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

liquor ice cream is one tricky business; it melts so quickly! by the time i finished taking my shots (photographs, not the drinks), some of the ice cream has slightly melted, as you can see from the first two on the platter above. those are the ones containing liquor.

the lychee martini is my favorite of the lot. it’s got that slight alcoholic taste and of course the refreshing lychee flavor. likewise for the chocolate and whiskey ice cream, you can definitely taste the whiskey. the chocolate by the way is rich and satisfying. chocolate and liquor just taste lovely together. it’s been tried and tested and is exactly why royce’ chocolate is so heavenly!

the other chocolate ice cream above is chocolate and coffee crunch, also an excellent combination. chocolate and coffee lovers are so gonna love this. the arabica coffee beans are crushed so you can actually taste the crunchy bits! nice!!

Warm and Soft Chocolate Cake
Price: $7.80 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

for something warm, go for the soft chocolate cake. unlike my favorite lava cake that has luscious molten chocolate oozing out from the center, this one is slightly different. it doesn’t have the molten chocolate, although the cake is still warm and moist at the center. most importantly, it is very chocolatey and delicious, and is served with french vanilla ice cream.

i couldn’t exactly appreciate the french vanilla flavor here. i guess i was looking for the good ol’ vanilla ice cream, whereas french vanilla has a very different fragrance.

Affogato
Price: $7.20 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

the affogato is an instant pick-me-up, with a strong shot of espresso and the same french vanilla ice cream. the plate they use here is really cute by the way. it features a cup holder too.

i highly recommend the hot chocolate as well, which is by far the richest and thickest chocolate drink i’ve ever had. and that’s saying a lot as it includes max brenner’s glorious hot chocolate. it’s almost like drinking molten chocolate!

ready to go to seventh heaven? it’s not just an expression anymore. the location is somewhat remote at the marketing institute of singapore. but for people that don’t drive, there is a shuttle service from outram park.

 Ben & Jerry’s - Free Cone Day 2008!
 Ben & Jerry’s - Moo-licious!
 Icekimo - Eat Like an Eskimo!
 Mr. Avocado - Exotic Juice
 Mohammed Sultan Road Hot & Cold Cheng Tng - Feeling Thirsty Yet?

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Seventh Heaven - Heavenly Ice Cream

then there’s rakuzen, a swanky japanese restaurant that i visited over the weekend. the name means “joy of dining”. and as it turned out, my dinner partner and i did really enjoy the food and the ambience!

the decor here is stylish with a zen and cosy feel. this soothing atmosphere certainly makes the place suitable for dates! plus, the lighting is dim. people tend to look better in a dim setting. and when people look good, they feel good. bring your date there! okay that’s not really the point of this post. the dim lighting does mean that i have no choice but to use flash photography (a big no-no) for all my food photos. do bear with me please.

Hotate Mentaimayo Yaki
(Grilled Scallop with Spicy Cod Roe & Mayonnaise)
Price: $12 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

a quick flip of the menu reveals a rather extensive selection of sushi, sashimi and a la carte dishes such as sukiyaki (steamboat) and yakitori (skewers). then there’s also the dragon roll (tiger prawn sushi), salmon carpaccio… wait a minute, didn’t we already have those at tetsu? i thought they were unique dishes, and certainly didn’t expect to find them at another japanese restaurant so easily!

we kick off our meal with the hotate mentaimayo yaki. this is one dish for the seafood lovers! two whole plump scallops served in the scallop shells themselves. need i say more? okay! basically the scallops are grilled and soaked in japanese mayo. and they are HUGE! i didn’t know those things can get so big; i could barely fit one in my mouth! very satisfying indeed.

Chicken Katsuju (Fried Chicken Cutlet)
Price: $14 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

there are also standard japanese fares such as the chicken katsuju. the slices of chicken are really tender! but other than that the dish is pretty much average. the rice is air-flown from japan (so are the fish) and freshly milled at the restaurant. (but if you ask me, i can’t really tell the difference. can you?)

Unagi Yanagawa
Price: $14 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

one dish that we simply couldn’t get enough of is the unagi yanagawa. and i’m not just saying that because i’m a fan of unagi (eel) and yanagawa dishes. the savory grilled eel is cut into smaller slices and served on a sizzling platter with a clear brown soup. the soup is simply heavenly, especially with the onion and runny egg. i’m sooo having that again.

Ika Ring (Fried Calamari Rings)
Price: $10 + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST
Dish rating:

just for kicks, and because we’re such fans of calamari rings, we ordered a serving of that as well. it didn’t disappoint, with the crispy light batter and tender rings. it would have been perfect if it was served with mayonnaise instead of the black japanese sour sauce (anyone got a name for that?).

if you are on a budget, heck even if you aren’t, do take advantage of the incredibly value-for-money set meals. each one consists of a main course and comes with rice, salad, pickles, miso soup, chawanmushi, fruit and jelly. one such set with the main course of assorted sashimi and tempura, for instance, would only set you back by 30 bucks.

joy of dining, indeed you’ll have that at rakuzen.

Rakuzen
Millenia Walk,
9 Raffles Boulevard #01-16/19
Singapore 039596
(65) 6333 1171
Service rating:

 Tetsu - Full of Surprises
 The Pasta Shop by Sakae - Affordable Wafuu Pasta
 Dozo - Taste Every Flavor
 Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar - There’s Something for Everyone
 Ichiban Sushi - Colorful Sushi Creations

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Rakuzen - The Joy of Dining

those of you who have drank avocado milkshake before would know how heavenly good it is. but do you know that this milky dessert drink is power-packed with 14 kinds of minerals and nutrients such as potassium and vitamins? avocado is probably the most “complete” fruit there is. so while you are tucking into this little treat, you are also filling your body with all kinds of good stuff!

a great place to get your avocado milkshake is mr. avocado at alexandra village. the boss has been making the drink for 18 years. wow! with that much experience, you have to believe that his milkshake is good!

Avocado Milkshake
Price: $2
Drink rating:

the avocado milkshake here is a blended mixture of the fruit, fresh milk and evaporated milk. i’m not exaggerating when i say that it tastes super good, and is simply perfect as a nice, healthy, yummy after-meal dessert. it totally had me right from my very first sip!

the boss takes pride in the fact that he only uses low-fat milk and top-grade avocados imported from australia. the fruit itself is pretty pricey, so $2 is certainly a very reasonable price for such a thick and rich mixture.

mr. avocado is also the first avocado milkshake stall at alexandra village. when you’re doing well at something, there are bound to be people wanting to emulate your success. true enough, the stall has spawned several copycats at the food centre, with one just two stalls away! but if you were to ask me, nothing beats the original.

look out for the stall with the avocado green signage that has a cute avocado cartoon character and a big pile of plastic avocados at the front. incidentally it sits right beside lao ban zhai roasted duck, which sells duck rice to die for. so a good combination would be to order a plate of duck rice, and wash it down with an avocado milkshake. ahh… life is good again :)

 Seventh Heaven - Heavenly Ice Cream
 Old Punggol Satay - Oldies, Goldies
 Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck Rice - So Good It Makes Me Fly!
 Mohammed Sultan Road Hot & Cold Cheng Tng - Feeling Thirsty Yet?
 Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao - Crystal Clear This Is the Best Crystal Dumpling

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Mr. Avocado - Exotic Juice

food on a stick is always fun to eat! that’s why satay (meat skewers) is one of my most favorite food. most of the time i would satisfy my satay cravings at stalls #7 and #8 in lau pa sat, which i have raved about over and over again. in my opinion, their satay is the best i’ve ever had.

but today, i highlight a different satay stall that is slightly away from town. the name is old punggol satay, a stall run by chinese folks. muslims would have to skip this one, sorry! the food is strictly non-halal, with pork satay being offered as well.

Satay
Price: $0.50 per stick
Dish rating:

for 50 cents a stick, you get a good-sized portion of diced meat on the skewer, with options of chicken, mutton or pork. the tender meat slides off the stick easily, so you need not overwork those jaw muscles. most importantly, the meat is nicely marinaded and perfectly grilled — neither too burned nor too underdone.

even the ketupat (rice cake, also 50 cents each) is beautifully wrapped in pandan leaves, with the sweet fragrance permeating through.

the one key factor that distinguishes old punggol satay from your run of the mill satay stalls is the peanut gravy dip. the special gravy is served with a large dollop of mashed pineapple sauce atop, resulting in an additional and much welcomed layer of flavor.

very shiok!

and you know what would make it even more shiok? allow me to whet your appetite a little. find out in my next post! meanwhile, here are the rest of the goodies at alexandra village.

 Mr. Avocado - Exotic Juice
 Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck Rice - So Good It Makes Me Fly!
 Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao - Crystal Clear This Is the Best Crystal Dumpling
 Kuehs and Snacks - Aunts’ and Grannies’ Best
 Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei - Claypot of Laksa Goodness

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Old Punggol Satay - Oldies, Goldies

for as long as i can remember, my mom always buys the roasted duck from this stall at alexandra village for our sunday lunches, a whole duck each time. she says it’s because i love it, but i think it’s her secret indulgence too.

the dark sauce is the clincher here and those of you who have tasted it before would know exactly why. seriously, it’s the sauce that makes this duck rice stand out from the crowd and easily one of the best in town!

Roasted Duck Rice
Price: $3.50
Dish rating:

the sauce is more like a thick paste, with the most delicious sweetness. the hawker would normally drizzle it generously over each plate of rice, covering it like a sheet of blanket. but we had asked for a more “photogenic” plate of duck rice so he gave us a separate bowl for the sauce instead hehe. no complaints there — we get a whole bowl of sauce!

but of course, the duck meat itself is juicy and tender too, char-roasted to perfection. it is served deboned and cut into thick slices. look carefully and you would notice the layers of fat that are unashamedly attached. a little sin does add to the taste.

Char Siew (Sweetened Barbequed Pork) Rice
Price: $3
Dish rating:

despite the roasted duck being the signature dish, the sidekick of char siew (sweetened barbequed pork) is good too. the burnt caramelized pieces of meat are totally yummy and flavorsome! (though, of course, i remain loyal to fatty cheong, who holds the unofficial title for the best char siew in town.)

don’t worry about missing out on the awesome sauce. you also get it with the char siew rice!

Roasted Duck & Char Siew Rice
Price: $3.50
Dish rating:

if you ask me, i would want the best of both worlds any day and go for a plate of rice with both duck meat AND char siew. to people that are not too bothered with health, this plate is sheer bliss :)

well, roasted duck is probably a difficult dish to master. ask about the best chicken rice in town, and anyone can easily rattle off a whole list of names. but when it comes to excellent duck rice, it becomes more of a challenge. can you come up with any other good ones?

 Mr. Avocado - Exotic Juice
 Old Punggol Satay - Oldies, Goldies
 Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao - Crystal Clear This Is the Best Crystal Dumpling
 Kuehs and Snacks - Aunts’ and Grannies’ Best
 Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei - Claypot of Laksa Goodness

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Lao Ban Zhai Roasted Duck Rice - So Good It Makes Me Fly!

the boss (cowboy?) himself is a kind man who should be an ambassador for the yellow ribbon project. he hires and trains ex-convicts as his stall assistants. recently he appeared in the press for helping these individuals get a new lease of life. bravo!

his giving spirit also shows in his food servings — very generous! i’m not sure if they are meant to be american-sized portions but they’re all huge. i think the most important thing here is that not only do you get much bang for your buck, all the food tastes marvelous. and i mean all of it — salad, beans, fries and all.

Chicken Chop
Price: $5
Dish rating:

each dish comes with huge portions of crinkle-cut fries, beans and salad. the salad dressing in particular is delightfully sweet-tasting and pretty damn good. and with this coming from a vegetable hater, you know it’s really, really good.

the chicken chop consists of a cut of chicken that is so ample it almost fills up the entire plate! the meat is lightly marinated, and drenched in a tasty black pepper sauce that lends much flavor.

i also like that the stall serves chili sauce in bottles instead of the packet kind that you get at fast-food restaurants and certain other hawker stalls. hawker stalls tend to give just two packets per customer, which is barely enough for a heavy chili eater like myself. and when you ask for more the hawker nags at you.

Beef Steak
Price: $6
Dish rating:

steak lovers can rejoice as a succulent slab of your favorite meat would only set you back by 6 bucks. similarly drenched in a pepper sauce, a well done steak turns out tender and juicy.

despite the stall occupying a remote corner unit of the food centre, business is perpetually brisk, which speaks volumes about the food. if you visit them during the evening chow hours, chances are you would be vying with dozens of other waiting customers. when i tried to order a deep-fried chicken cutlet, i was told that i would have to endure a half-hour wait. that’s why i went for the chicken chop instead, which turned out to be an excellent and slightly healthier choice.

 Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice - Chickalicious!
 50s Wanton Mee - Quality Hong Kong Wanton Mee
 Yong Kee Famous Fishball Noodle - Firm, Springy Balls
 Fatty Cheong - Fatty’s Got It Right!
 Y.R.A. Aspirasa - Awesome Ayam Penyet!

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Wow Wow West - Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It

anyways, rather than let it go to waste, i made it into an actual usable theme for this blog. notice 2 new shiny buttons on the top right hand corner? they allow you to turn on/off the lights on this page and switch between the 2 design styles! (feed readers and email subscribers, you would have to come to sparklette.net to see this.)

let it be night!

let there be light!

you like? it involved quite a fair bit of hard work as i had to create 2 separate sets of images and stylesheets to achieve this effect. but who knows, if i’m hardworking enough i might just make a snowy white one for christmas!

let me know which is your favorite! if you’re fascinated, you can view many more interesting style switchers on smashing magazine. sparklette.net - Halloween Edition
 sparklette.net - Layouts from Past to Present
 Featured on Smashing Magazine!
 My Design Has Been Ripped!
 Version 11: Only in Fairy Tales…

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Play God on Sparklette.net!

fusion food like these either work or they don’t. i was so bowled over by what i had, i just had to tell all my dear readers about it. but besides blogging my usual review, i decided to do one better.

together with restaurant co-owner helena, i have created an exclusive sparklette set dinner for you! i even managed to convince helena to let me cram 4 courses into 1 meal at a heavily discounted price. because you’re privileged sparklette readers, simply mention “sparklette” at persimmon to enjoy:

• sparklette set dinner — 4 courses for $35 (includes drink too!)
• 15% off ala carte menu (all day)

Download and print the Sparklette Set Menu

print out the menu. stick it to your fridge. bring your date there!

for now, here’s my review of the goodies you would get to feast on!

the first course of any meal should be something that titillates your tastebuds and really opens up your appetite for the rest of the meal. i have picked the flavorsome bouillabaisse to start off the sparklette dinner.

Bouillabaisse
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $22
Dish rating:

as a fan of seafood, i like this one very much. the bouillabaisse is a robust tomato and saffron broth infused with the seafood tastes of prawn and clam. the result is a delightful mix of sweet and sour flavors. when i had this for the first time i felt like i had been transported to the french seaside!

our second course is a specially-created platter that consists of two of persimmon’s signature dishes in smaller servings. i really want you to be able to try these out without having to fork out too much $$$ to order the regular portions.

Chicken Salad
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $12.50
Dish rating:

a favorite local dish of mine is hainanese chicken rice which, as we all know, is extremely calorific, no thanks to the chicken oil that is used to cook the rice. persimmon has created a healthier version with all the original flavors, minus the oil and the fat. sounds too good to be true? i assure you it’s not :)

the twist is that this is now a chicken salad. the shreds of tender chicken flesh still retain the fragrance of hainanese chicken rice with flavors of chili, garlic, soy sauce, lime, sesame and olive oils. notice the little rice crisps? they are baked rice! this salad has all the yumminess factors of the hainanese chicken rice, and still manages to keep itself original.

Crabcake
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $16
Dish rating:

part two of the platter is the restaurant’s popular crabcake. the plating is pretty, with diced mango salsa served alongside the crabcake, topped with a lotus crisp. normally i am quite wary when such fruit forms part of the dish. in this case, i was surprised to find myself liking the combination; the tang from the mango and different shades of sweetness from both fruit and crabmeat complement each other very well.

for the main course, you have 7 to pick from, including fish, steak and pasta. so there’s something for everybody!

Linguine Laksa-leaf Pesto (sampling size above)
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $28
Dish rating:

a big hit here is the linguine laksa-leaf pesto. shown above is a small tasting portion but rest assured the main course would come with a generous serving of pasta, plus prawn and clam.

the linguine is cooked al dente in cream and white wine, with laksa leaves tossed in. i find the dish to be more pesto than laksa, with a rich creamy quality. so don’t expect to find the oily laksa gravy in it.

check out the other full courses on the sparklette set menu.

because all of us have different preferences when it comes to desserts, i have made the entire desserts menu available for your selection. listed below are those that i have tried and loved.

8-Treasure Ice Kacang Sundae
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $10
Dish rating:

top on my list is the 8-treasure ice kacang sundae. i highly recommend you have this as your dessert. not only is it yummy yummy, it’s extremely value-for-money!

the “8 treasures” are red bean, attap chee, sweet corn, white cloud’s ear, wolfberry, gula melaka jelly, dried persimmon strips and gingko nut, although i swear there are more than 8 in there. the ice cream is chock-full of ingredients. it’s like going on a treasure hunt and finding something different in every spoonful! boy did i enjoy this one!

for me, the best part is that instead of a heap of shaved ice, you get a heap of creamalicious young coconut ice cream instead. don’t worry, the colorful syrup is still there.

Teh Tarik Fredo Ice Cream
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $5
Dish rating:

i love, love, love teh tarik and was ecstatic to find it here in the form of ice cream! wow! it tastes exactly like the drink itself. teh tarik drinkers would absolutely love this. non teh tarik drinkers can choose from an assortment of ice cream flavors that include banana, sour sop sherbet and vanilla bean.

Panna Cotta
Price: Part of $35 Sparklette Set Menu
Usual price: $8
Dish rating:

with its smooth texture, the panna cotta certainly matches that of many high-class italian restaurants. as you should know by now, things are always extra special at persimmon. the restaurant puts an interesting spin to its panna cotta with ingredients like coconut cream, gula melaka and sago pearls.

end your meal with a coffee or tea, while you and your dinner partner(s) enjoy it over a light conversation. doesn’t that sound marvelous?

and that’s that! this 4-course dinner should leave you feeling placated but not stuffed, and still with plenty of cash in the wallet. of course, you can opt not to have this set meal and go ala carte instead. just remember to mention “sparklette” to enjoy a 15% discount! one ala carte dish to look out for is the prawn thermidor.

Prawn Chinchalok Thermidor
Price: $28
Dish rating:

this is a monster-sized prawn you’re getting. helena explained that for the purpose of nicer plating, only the shell of one prawn is displayed on the plate. but in actual fact you are really getting much more flesh than just one single prawn!

the pairing of chinchalok and parmesan cream sauce is an unusual one but a winning combination. the robust taste really stimulates the tastebuds and awakens the senses. for me, the only fault i could find was that it was a trifle salty.

i have been raving so much about the food that i neglected to highlight the restaurant’s unique location in tiong bahru. as mentioned earlier, persimmon is housed in link hotel, a quaint boutique hotel that occupies a refurbished pre-war era flat. so if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind dining ambience with modern cuisine, amidst old world charm, this is one place you should definitely check out.

* terms and conditions:
- standard 10% service charge and 7% GST apply.
- mention “sparklette” to enjoy the promotions.

 Dozo - Taste Every Flavor
 Aerin’s - Chic Eats

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Persimmon - Exclusively for You: Sparklette Set Dinner!

anyways, the spread here consists of both asian and western food. we wasted no time in filling our plates.

east meets west when you have fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli), sambal belachan (fermented shrimp paste) and turkey bacon all on the same plate. colorful huh?

those with a sweet tooth would probably prefer the pastries and snacks. the kueh lapis (layer cake) here is pretty in pink, similar in taste and texture to our colorful 9-layered version. as a huge fan of waffles, i was ecstatic to have them here too. unfortunately they were pretty thin and lacked flavor.

following a sumptuous breakfast, it’s tee off time! we headed to the golf clubhouse (in our buggy of course) with its glorious 18-hole golf courses. there were a few early birds who beat us there in the morning.

nothing beats having a nice hot cuppa coffee in the cold morning, don’t you think? it’s great that there’s haskell’s, a decent café at the golf club that overlooks the undulating green lands. there’s an old wives’ tale that claims looking at grass in the morning is very good for the eyes. i wonder if there’s any truth in that?

we noticed that out of the 12 eateries at the resort, at least a few of them share a common drinks menu with the same prices and all. we had hot chocolate at miyako japanese restaurant the previous day, and had the exact same hot chocolate over here too. and by hot chocolate, it’s actually hot milo at $6 a cup!

next, we drove our buggy to the resort’s private beach. the buggy sure was a joy to drive around :)

Photo credit: Nobodyin

at the beach, outdoor massage services are provided at elevated pavilions (in addition to the indoor day spa)! very rustic and exotic. that’s bound to be a memorable experience.

as there was a slight drizzle, we lounged around the swimming pool instead. the pool features a café, ripples by the pool, that has its own swim-up bar. this concept has gained popularity in many resorts.

Orange Juice
Price: $6 + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Drink rating:

imagine swimming right up to a bar and be served a luscious piña colada or a freshly squeezed fruit juice!

Vanilla Coco
Price: $7 + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Drink rating:

here’s another drink that we had tried and loved — the vanilla coco, a glorious blend of banana, vanilla ice cream and coconut milk. i’m so getting a blender to make my own vanilla coco! let’s hope i perfect the recipe :)

people literally spend half the day at the pool. we were there near noon. by the time we returned for a second round of drinks in the late evening, the same group of people was still frolicking in the pool!

Honey Chicken Wing
Price: $15 + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating:

other than the drinks, the pool bar also served surprisingly good food! the honey chicken wings were a delightful snack, with perfectly grilled wings coated in a honey-sweet hoi sin sauce. yummy! the spicy dip that came with the crinkle-cut fries was very tasty too.

Chicken Quesadillas
Price: $17 + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating:

the chicken quesadillas gave a sense of déjà vu of my trip to texas almost two years ago. i so miss the colorful tex-mex food and it was a nice surprise to be able to have it at ripples.

the quesadillas were great, with the flavorsome combination of spring onion, sweet pepper and cheese, coupled with the awesome salsa dips.

aside: if anyone could point me to a good mexican restaurant in singapore, i would be so grateful. although the last time i met a mexican, he lamented that there’s no decent mexican restaurant here.

Thai Green Curry
Price: $17 + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating:

the skilful rendition of foreign cuisines ended when we got to the thai green curry. it was overly salty and sour. and because it was very watered down, it was akin to drinking chinese soup rather than a thick curry gravy. at least the chicken meat was soft and tender.

after a very satisfying lunch, we decided it’s time to get out of the resort. a shuttle service that brings guests on a 1.5 hour shopping trip at pasar oleh oleh leaves the resort twice a day. it’s $6 per person for the two-way trip. too bad we couldn’t drive our buggy there!

the mini shuttle bus picked us up at the main lobby. the ride took about 20 minutes. i was dismayed to see the familiar colorful “bintan resorts” logo at the entrance. it meant that the shops cater specially to resort guests, not locals. red warning lights immediately flashed in my mind. tourist trap!

Photo credit: Almixnuts

once again, all prices here are in terms of singapore dollars. most of the wares sold were those we had already seen at our resort’s shopping galleria. the usual wooden figurines, oil paintings and beachwear. even while shopping, we had to fend off several locals trying to bring us to other places in bintan, for a fee of course.

of course, there are also a few polo ralph lauren shops for good measure.

Photo credit: createyu

so are these the authentic polo ralph lauren? the prices are in the same range, although the stores seem to have a perpetual 20 to 50 percent storewide discount. after some googling, i learned that the polo ralph lauren stores in bintan are a special franchise licensed by the label, but with inferior quality and cutting.

Photo credit: Apricot Cafe

this whole place is laid out like a kampung (traditional malay village), with the shops housed in small houses. it’s actually a pretty unique place. but the things sold need to be more interesting. you would find almost the same items in shop after shop.

our transport back to the resort would arrive only after 1.5 hours, and we had an hour left to kill. so we went to kampoeng lagoi on the opposite side of the road.

Photo credit: Nobodyin

this is a smaller and quieter area with massage parlors, cafés (including a haagen dazs) and — you guessed it — yet another polo ralph lauren store. we also noticed that the shops didn’t have air-conditioning, perhaps to save on electricity due to the low traffic?

Photo credit: Apricot Cafe

this beautiful building houses a spa salon. doesn’t it look zen?

eventually we got back to the resort, feeling like we had been stiffed of $12 visiting a tourist trap. sweet relief followed at horizons café in the main lobby.

Photo credit: Bintan Lagoon Resort

you can sit on bright orange bar stools and enjoy a slice of cake. we had ourselves some slices of creamy goodness. see?

tiramisu! i love that the name of the cake is ON the cake. cute!

mango smoothie! nice transparent stirrer, eh? i brought home a couple of these as small memory keepsakes!

well, that’s it for our 2D1N trip in bintan. most good things come to an end, and it ended way too soon! i’d like to thank all the people who made this trip possible. it was a much needed break that we really needed. Bintan Lagoon Resort (Day 1)

Blog post taken from http://sparklette.net/

Bintan Lagoon Resort (Day 2)

following a 60-minute ferry ride from tanah merah, we arrived at bintan ferry terminal and met nasir, a guide from the resort who would drive us there. he even held up a white placard with my name “veron” written in block letters! it’s the first time i had been identified this way at airports, or ferry terminals for that matter. it made me feel all important!

the car ride was a short 15 minutes along roads that seemed well-maintained, flanked by greenery on both sides. in some ways it looked like singapore! upon arriving at bintan lagoon resort, we were greeted by a group of dancers performing their traditional dance. there were even music performers banging their drums and playing festive/celebratory music, the whole shebang! boy, did we feel invited! that’s a really nice way to welcome guests :)

welcome to tropical paradise!

checking in was a breeze. yet another welcome gesture came in the form of wet towels and fruit punch. do all resorts offer these? i enjoyed the same welcome treatment at contiki resort bali too! very nice!

public relations manager sari then gave us a quick briefing and assured us that all meals were on the house and we should just enjoy our stay! woohoo!

we were allocated a sea-facing room on the fifth level. yay!

ta-da! that’s our deluxe room! my first thought was: wow, this room is huge! it even had a large traditional day bed which was unexpected! it’s like having two big beds in one room!

Photo credit: Bintan Lagoon Resort

one thing that i judge a hotel room by is the cleanliness of its bathroom, especially since i have a phobia of dirty bathrooms. ours was clean enough, and even came with a large full-length mirror on one side of the wall! i liked the shower too. too bad the ceiling vent was really dusty and, at one point, dropped a furry ball of dust into the bathtub.

basic toiletries were adequate, with toothbrush sets and a hairdryer provided.

yay for the flat-screen television too! to our surprise, it had all the singapore channels… channel 5, 8, u, suria, you name it. boy, does this resort cater to singaporeans! of course, we stuck to espn and hbo most of the time.

our balcony had a sea view (and these rattan chairs). unfortunately, the sea view was a tiny one as it was blocked by all the tall trees. as a matter of fact, the whole resort is shrouded in greenery, with the beach just a couple of minutes’ walk away. pretty nice don’t you think? but it’s also due to this very fact that you’re surrounded by nature, you would notice many creepy crawlies around, though we didn’t get any within our room.

after finishing our oohing and ahhing at our nice deluxe room, we met sari again for a tour of the resort. she drove us around in a golf buggy (we got one for ourselves later too!) to check out all the facilities.

besides hotel rooms, bigger (or perhaps richer) groups can opt to stay in villas. this one above is an angsoka villa, the biggest range of villas you would find at the resort. it’s double-storey, with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a mini pool at the back, a barbeque pit and comes with a cute golf buggy for convenient transportation!

speaking of that golf buggy, we reviewers got one too! haha! otherwise, it’s $20 to loan it by the hour. certainly not a cheap form of transportation!

i might as well mention it now. the currency in use here is singapore dollars. we were a little shocked when we learned this for the first time. last i checked, bintan was still part of indonesia. and now all the rupiah we had exchanged for this trip had been effectively rendered useless. can anyone verify if singapore currency is used throughout bintan, or just at the resort?

beware! raptors inside! doesn’t that remind you of jurassic park? this is the entrance to the laser quest arena, a fun activity for bigger groups. there’s paintball too!

various facilities include golf courses, spa, sea sports such as banana boat and jet ski, and even activities catered to kids (face painting). so there’s really something for everybody! one catch is that most of these things come at a price. a good rule of thumb to follow is that as long as it’s something you can play with or use, you’d probably have to fork out money for it.

by the time we finished our tour, it’s 2:30pm in bintan, or 3:30pm singapore time as our bodies were accustomed to. to cut the long story short: we were famished! so lunch was at miyako japanese restaurant.

an aquarium of lobsters welcomed us as we walked through the door, so that’s what we had.

our $180 jo course consisted of a half lobster, sashimi and wagyu beef, served with appetiser, salad, steamed rice, miso soup and dessert. when you bring a food blogger to a nice fancy restaurant, she’s obviously gonna review the food right?

Salad and Appetiser
Price: Part of $180 Jo Course + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating:

the salad and appetisers were fine, especially since my friend’s a fan of seasoned baby octopus. i’m not so sure what the yellow thing was. it tasted like agar agar.

Sashimi
Price: Part of $180 Jo Course + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating:

the sashimi was swimmingly good! these thick slices of fresh fish were so tender, they seemed to melt in the mouth. oishi desu (yummy)!

Wagyu Beef
Price: Part of $180 Jo Course + 10% Service Charge + 10% Government Tax
Dish rating: