Kkongdon BBQ | ThumbsForFood

I was having an intense craving for korean food during work so I decided to try out Kkongdon BBQ. I walked past it many times and noticed that it was always almost empty, even during the lunch hours. But I decided to give it a chance because the poor crowd could be due to the location (Djitsun Mall) right? Plus I googled their Daily Set Lunch Menu and it looked pretty decent. 

So, I went on a Monday, during lunch hours and it was .... pretty empty. We ordered the BBQ Set A. There were 5 options to choose from, and it was $12.80 ++ per person (minimum 2 person to order). 

There is also the individual set lunch menu to choose from, with prices ranging from $9.80 to $18.80.

The lunch came with free flow side dishes. The side dishes were a little too bland. The kimchi was so horrible that we did not even finish our first plate.

BBQ Set A consists of beef and pork, served with rice and Kimchi soup. Our first reaction when the meat was served was how unappetizing the meat appeared. The meat was cut in huge chunks and frozen.

And so, we decided to throw all the meat onto the grill so that the thick chunks of meat can be cooked within our lunch hour.

I have to be honest and say, how bad can BBQ meat taste right? The meat turned out okay and for the amount of meat (plus soup), $12.80 is quite a bargain.

The kimchi soup is a safe choice, nothing out of the ordinary but nothing bad about it as well.

Overall, I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the standard of food served at Kkongdon BBQ. I don't know if it was because of the outlet I visited but I mean it can't be that bad right? Considering the fact that they have 4 outlets in Singapore.

Well, at least I gave it a try but I know for sure I will not be back at Kkongdon, at least not soon.

Kkongdon BBQ
5 Ang Mo Kio Central 2
#01-06
Singapore 569663

Opening Hours:
Daily 1100-2230

Have a good week ahead!

Cheers,
Z

Nuvo | ThumbsForFood

In the bid to search for the most value-for-money set lunch in town, we found our way to Nuvo. Nuvo is situated in Marina Square's Dining Edition. Nuvo is a contemporary Italian Restaurant that has Japanese influences. Nuvo has a slightly more open dining area, that are more large group and family friendly. They also have more private areas in the restaurant. 

Interior

Interior of restaurant

Nuvo's usual ala carte menu can be found here. The process of their usual mains range from $32 onwards, Starters at $15 onwards and sweets at $12 onwards. For the month of August, Nuvo's set lunch is priced at $15++. It seems that their prices for set lunch sometimes vary according to every month. At $15++ for set lunch, we found the deal irresistible and thus, visited the place to try out the menu.

We were served with complimentary bread and garlic butter. The bread was served warm and was absolutely comforting for the start of the meal. It had hints of rosemary and other herbs which enhanced the flavour of the bread. Additional servings are chargeable.

Complimentary Bread & Garlic Butter

The default starter is actually the Pumpkin soup seen below with a slice of candied bacon. I took a look at the August Menu and realised that the soup was changed to Baby Green Pea Soup. The Pumpkin soup was really quite good and smooth. It lifted our palate for the meal.

Pumpkin Soup

We decided to try their other starters on the menu as well. The one below is Mugi Cha Smoked Salmon, which we had to add $3 on top of the standard set lunch price. The dish is served with Wasabi Cream, Furikake (a type of Japanese rice seasoning) and Baby Spinach. It was quite delicious and refreshing. The portion was a little on the small side.

Mugi Cha Smoked Salmon

For mains, the default main is the Linguini with char-grilled pork. I see that this item might also change depending on the months. For August, it was Corn and Crab Linguini. Based on first sight, the linguini looked lifeless and bland. But, surprisingly, it tasted really flavourful and uplifting. We felt that the sauce of the linguini was done really well. The pork slices were also tender, juicy and well-marinated.

Linguini with Char-grilled pork

With an additional $4, you get to upgrade the default main course to a Cotoletta "My Way" - which is Crispy Chicken Breast, rice, Mozzarella and Japanese Curry. We thought that the chicken was done neatly. I however, did not really know how to appreciate Japanese Curry. It tasted quite good to me as it wasn't as sweet as other curry versions.

Cotoletta "My Way"

For additional of $5, you can choose their Pork Collar. We read prior to our visit that their Pork Collar was delicious. Our pork collar was grilled and topped with cheese and a handful of greens. The sauce plated alongside the pork went really well with the meat. The pork was tender and tasty. Do give it a try if you're a pork lover.

Pork Collar

For desserts, the default is their Lychee Panna Cotta. We all agreed that the Panna Cotta was one of the best we have ever eaten thus far. The texture was light, the flavour refreshing without being too thick. We could easily finish the whole bowl without any effort. The slices of fruit and mikan added tinges of sweetness to the Panna Cotta, providing it with a good balance. Definitely a recommended dessert!

Panna Cotta

For an additional $4, you can get their Black & White, which is a chocolate pie served with crumble and a dash of honey & fig ice-cream. The chocolate was really rich. For hardcore chocolate lovers, this might be the dessert for you. Personally, I felt that it was too heavy and I would prefer the Panna Cotta. 

Black & White

Overall, we felt that Nuvo's set lunch was really value-for-money because of the good quality. We would stick to the default menu the next time we are here but, feel that new patrons should definitely try their various dishes in the menu to get a good feel of the cuisine they offer. 

Nuvo

#02-100 Marina Square Shopping Mall

6 Raffles Boulevard

Sun & PH- Thu: 11am-11pm

Eve of PH: 11am-1am

Fri to Sat: 11am-1am

http://nuvo.sg/

www.facebook.com/nuvosingapore 

Cheers,
Y

Cove Stadium (Quayside Isle) | ThumbsForFood

One of the benefits of having an off day on a weekday is that you'll be able to get to enjoy some Weekday Lunch Promotion! As we were in Sentosa, we decided to make our way to the recent popular destination in Singapore, Quayside Isle for a meal. 

If you do not drive, you can hop onto a Shuttle Bus from Beach station (with a frequency of 30mins) and take a walk to Quayside Isle from Sentosa Cove. After walking around the area, we decided to try out Cove Stadium as we were not only attracted to it's very cool sports-themed interior but, also it's lunch promotion. 

Entrance of Cove Stadium

We absolutely adore the interior of Cove Stadium with it's open and spacious interior, coupled with a clean modern industrial look. We could imagine how alluring it is at night especially for sports fans who would like to catch the latest matches with a group of friends.

Bar and interior

Interior

Full length panes, snookers table & comfy seats

They have Happy Hour from Mondays to Fridays from opening to 10pm. Besides that, they have other drinks promotion ongoing daily. You can visit their website here to find out more about their drinks promotions. We had a 1-for-1 draft Kronenbourg that day.

1-for-1 selected beers for Happy Hour

For their Weekday Lunch Deal, you can choose from 2 courses at $18 or 3 courses at $21. We went for the 3 course deal.

For starters, we chose the Salad over the Soup of the Day. The salad consisted of Greens served with some grilled pieces of chicken. We liked that the greens were fresh and the chicken well-marinated.

Salad

For mains, if I am not mistaken, you get to choose from some selected dishes. We chose the Bacon Spaghetti in Aglio Olio Style. We felt that the pasta was cooked well and well-flavored. However, our qualm would be that the ingredients were not as generous as we would like. 

Bacon Spaghetti in Aglio Olio style

Desserts wise, we chose the Strawberry Compote. The dessert was good. It wasn't too sweet yet preserving the natural flavour of Strawberry.

Strawberry Compote

For $21, we thought the lunch deal was really quite worth it. Moreover, prices are nett! 

We decided to try their Signature Cove Wagyu Burger. The presentation made the dish looked really appetising! It was served with some salad and a helpful of fries. We felt the patty was a tat too dry that day. I though adding some cheese into the burger will improve the overall flavour of the burger. For $38, we felt the price was a bit too steep. The portion was generous but, we didn't felt like the beef was really of quality.

Cove Wagyu Burger 

Generous portion (we feel good for two to share)

Overall, we felt that Cove Stadium's Lunch Deal was really good! Plus, their drinks promotion was really attractive as well. If you are with a large group, you may consider their bucket deals. A bonus to the place is that you can choose the al fresco seats to enjoy the beautiful quayside scenery! The food and drinks here are without any taxes as well. We would love to visit this place at night with a group of friends again!

Scenery of Quayside Isle

Cove Stadium
#01-04/05, Quayside Isle, Sentosa Cove
31 Ocean Way

Monday to Thursdays: 12pm - 1am
Friday to Sunday: 12pm-2am

Cheers,
Y

Fat Cow | ThumbsForFood

Beef lovers have probably heard about Fat Cow, especially for their famed set lunches which include the popular Beef Donburi. Having heard much about it, we decided that we have to make our way down to try it out for ourselves! The plus point about the set lunches are that they are also available on weekends. 

For the full set lunch menu, please click here. Set lunch is priced at $38++.

Set lunches are served with Salad, Miso Soup and Chawanmushi, as you can see from the photos below. We felt the salad and miso soup was nothing out of the ordinary. The Chawanmushi was actually quite good. The egg was pretty smooth with ingredients such as prawn, crabmeat and scallop in it. Personally, I really like that the egg was rich and not diluted. Yet, it was able to remain it's smooth and silky texture. 

Salad

Chawanmushi

We tried 3 different items on their set lunch menu. The first is the famed Fat Cow Donburi. It consists of char-grilled wagyu beef with onsen egg and thinly grated japanese leek. Everyone agreed that it lives up to its name. The onset egg was really one of the best onsen egg I've tasted because it is so perfectly cooked. The wagyu was almost melt-in-the-mouth with a tinge of charcoal fragrance.

Flowy Onsen Egg

If you love foie gras, you've got to try the Fat foa-gura don. It is glazed foie gras with grilled wagyu beef. They added some pickle to it for a balance of flavours. The cubed foie gras was absolutely delicious and totally melts in the mouth. Although the grilled wagyu couldn't beat the char-grilled one, it is still good. The sauce kind of took away some of the original wagyu flavour.

Fat foa-gura don

For those non-beef lovers, there are also other choices such as Chirashi Don (Mixed sashimi don), Tonkatsu Don as well as Gindara Miso Yaki seen below. The Gindara Miso Yaki is miso marinated cod filet. It is quite fresh and done quite well, preserving the natural fish oils in it. Personally, I feel that the highlight is still their wagyu dons.

Gindara Miso Yaki

The only qualm we had was that the portion was quite small. I guess that's what you get for quality food. :) Overall, we felt that food was the Fat Cow Donburi was the winning point with service on the slow side as it was pretty crowded on a weekend. The ambience was not bad as tables were partitioned for some privacy. Do get your tables reserved beforehand to avoid disappointments on weekends!

Fat Cow
1 Orchard Blvd #01-01/02
Camden Medical Centre
Singapore 248649

Tel: 6735 0308

Cheers, 

Y

W39 Bistro & Bakery

There are some days when I feel like having some brunch food and coffee but don't feel like travelling far. Luckily for me, more and more cafes are popping up around my area. This cafe is located near West Coast Road which is a 10 min drive away from my house! So, I decided to try it out one fine day with my friends. 

I like the deco of the cafe. It is so pretty that I can't stop snapping photos using my camera! 

I went on a weekday and I was quite disappointed when I realized that they did not serve breakfast food on weekdays. Well, so we decided to go for the Set Lunch. It is available from Tues-Fri, 1130 to 1430 [: The price varies depending on the main course that you choose. They change some courses of the Set Lunch occasionally which is good so that we can always have new things to try! The Set Lunch comes with a drink and a soup of the day. 

Long Black

Latte

Flat White

Honestly, I did not like their coffee. My flat white was too watery. The worst part was that the drinks were served like it just came out of a coffee machine in a random office. I probably won't want to drink their coffee again!

Mushroom Soup

Pan-Fried Chicken Thigh

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Penne Pasta w Chorizo & Cream Sauce

The food we tried are all okay but not fantastic. I would return to try their breakfast but maybe not the lunch! I thought the homemade meatballs would be something special but it turned out quite normal!

They sell bread as well!

Overall, even though the food and coffee were not great, the deco and ambience of the place made up for it. They have outdoor seats as well so it makes a good place for big group gatherings [: 

W39 Bistro & Bakery

39 Jalan Mas Puteh

Tue - Fri: 11:00 - 22:00

Sat, Sun & PH: 09:00 - 22:30

Closed: Mon

For eateries who may want to feature their restaurants here, please feel free to contact us at thumbsforfood@gmail.com [: 

Cheers,

Z 

Craft Bakery & Cafe (Holland Village) I ThumbsForFood

Hello everyone! The start of the week is here again. Hopefully, you are feeling well-rested from the weekend! 

Well, as a student studying in the West side of the island for almost half of my life, I have always been trying to find good food and cafes around this region of Singapore. When I heard of Craft Bakery and Cafe, I knew I had to check it out and I am soooo thankful for my friends who were able to accompany on my cafe hunting journey in the West. 

Currently, they have a lunch promotion that serves up a main course, soup and coffee/drink for $19 nett. The promotion is valid on weekdays from 12-4pm. I went there on a Tuesday and of course, I got myself a lunch set! 

Bacon Mac & Cheese $12.50. This was really yummy on my first few bites. The amount of cheese they throw into this dish is sooooo generous. Mac & cheese should be really cheesy! The herbs used compliments the dish also. Well, the mac & cheese here is definitely better than a lot of others that I tried in other cafes! The best is still the one at Five & Dime though. But, I would recommend this dish to be shared among a few people as it can get really gelard if you finish it on your own! 

Spicy Sausage in Arrabiata Sauce $16. This is definitely a safe choice but nothing fantastic about it as well! I would have this if I am craving for something appetizing.

Bacon & Mushroom Aglio Olio. Well, I wanted to go for the Prawn Aglio Olio but they did not have prawns that day and so I opted for mushrooms. I think it is a pretty simple dish as well but I have to say they did it quite well as I wiped up my whole plate of pasta despite not being very hungry. You can request for them to add chili which will make it even more yummy! 

Flat White

Espresso

Mushroom soup. The soup came with the lunch set. It wasn't really yummy but I would still order the set because it is just more worth it! It is not terrible as well, you see.

Hazalnut Molten Cake $9.50. Well, Craft is opened by the people behind 3 Inch Sin which is famous for their chocolate lava cakes so we just had to try this cake for ourselves. I am not a good judge of this because I am a huge fan of everything chocolate and lava. Yes, love warm desserts with ice-cream soooooo much!

Overall, I am quite happy with my visit to Craft Bakery & Cafe. They serve up good coffee as well, so it makes a good place to chill and drink coffee/eat desserts with your friends or family. I will definitely want to try their Craft Sandwich (bacon with green apple slaw on waffles) the next time round! 

Craft Bakery & Café (Holland Village) 
24A Lorong Mambong Singapore 277183 
Tel: +65 6467 7710
Opening Hours: 12:00pm-11:00pm (Sun-Thurs), 12:00pm-12:00am (Fri-Sat)

Cheers,
Z