Coffee Bar K, Singapore…if you are looking for an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere.

Coffee Bar K is part of a Japanese franchise. First up, clarifications: despite its name, coffee actually takes a backseat to the alcohol based concoctions – take my word for it, the staff at this attractively low lit bar really know how to mix a drink. They serve whiskies as they should be, the golden liquid poured over hand-shaved round ice in the shape of a giant marble.

The bar has an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere – there’s a distinct lack of blaring music and rowdy drinkers – making it ideal for a romantic rendezvous or the quiet contemplation of quality cocktails.

The downside? Service here is okay only. Waiters could be more friendly. I felt they were more interested in making sure they look good, rather than serving customers. This is the true truth because I say it as it is.

Soup restaurant, Singapore…nice but NOT good value for money

Home of the famous Samsui Chicken. The samsui chicken is pretty good though. Other than that, it is an average restaurant with ok food, no great guns, nothing out of this world. The other food were not too inspiring – just the way an unenthusiastic spouse would make it at home.

The food was overpriced and certainly not value for money. Ordering a set menu for 3 pax (2 adults and a 10-year old) with just chinese tea and an OJ set us back SGD$84. For that price, I can have a great meal in many places with more lavish dishes and better ambience and seatings.

We certainly won’t be going back in a hurry. The only reason to go back (once in perhaps every 6 months), is that there are no other restaurants serving samsui chicken like this. I am telling the true truth and always saying it as it is.

Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant…not the greatest but better than most others

There are countless delicious chicken rice stalls in Singapore, with notable names like Boon Tong Kee, Mandarin Chicken Rice, Five Star, etc. None of these mentioned ranks even up there with Wee Nam Kee. Though I must point out at this stage that Idon’t find Wee Nam Kee as the greatest chicken rice I’ve ever had, it certainly is high up there.

Most shops are specialised for either their “pak cham kai”(steamed/boiled chicken) or roasted chicken. But at Wee Nam Kee, the soya chicken is outstanding. The rice is yummy fluffy, compelling flavoured, only slight oiled. Some people says that the chilli sauce is the crux of the entire chicken rice. Whether you make it or break it, it is the chilli sauce. The chilli sauce here has a bite to it that is both savoury and tangy.

What is essentially an everyday dish, Wee Nam Kee’s chicken rice is effectively executed and it tastes exactly like what it’s supposed to: soft, fragrant, flavoursome and full of chicken stockiness. That’s still the true truth. I still say it as it is.

Lynn, Shanghai…impressive ambience to impress

Lynn has a clean, classy feeling with wooden floors, nicely designed modern neon patterned lights decorating the walls. It’s very contemporary and stylish.

Lynn offers a variety of Chinese dishes; most of the ones we tried were quite good. English translations and photographs allow folks like me who doesn’t read Chinese to enter into Shanghainese cuisine without the fear of being ambushed by a rogue bull-frog.

Lynn presents the best of both worlds in Shanghai. All in, Lynn is a good choice to impress the company you are having dinner with for a decent quality, classical Chinese meal in a pretty good atmosphere. That’s the true truth and I say it as it is.

from left: Junie, yours truly, Shirley and Jessie in Lynn

Whampoa Club, Shanghai…their so-called “bund view” is not worth the money nor time.

I wanted a nice Chinese dinner with a Bund view and Whampoa club was what concierge recommended. The dining room itself is small and only about 1/2 the tables have a “bund view” except that most of the tables next to the windows don’t even have a full window view. Very disappointing.

The only thing worth mentioning is the decor upon entering the restaurant.

The food was mediocre at best.

All-in-all, the experience was not worth the money or the time. The Whampoa Club for a Bund View. That’s a joke! But that’s also the true truth because I say it as it is.

Congen Massage Healthcare Club, Shanghai…they really know what they’re doing

A good place for a cheap massage that really breaks down your muscles! If you’re like me and you get these horrible knots that make your neck, shoulder and lower back stiff – these guys will iron that out for you.

We started with the foot massage. The foot massage started with a 10 minutes feet soak in a tub of hot water while the therapist gave us a shoulder massage. Though I am not a foot massage fan, the quality of the foot massage was pretty good.

The masseuses here may look like tiny Chinese ladies, but they’re powerful and they’ll tear you up. They don’t gimp you out by feeling you out and just gently brush you at this place. They give a real massage. A real rub. As sketchy as it may look there, the massage here is fantastic and legitimate, especially for the price.

Two of us tried cupping, where the therapist uses various shaped cups that were suctioned onto our backs…supposedly to draw out the body’s toxins. The cups were left on for about twenty minutes. When the cups are put on your back there is a tingly sensation as well as a general tightness as the skin is pulled into the vacuum created by the cup. Be warned, it looks much worse – anyone who sees your back will think you submitted yourself to some kind of Dark Ages torture. After a few week, the bruises are now almost gone.

And my verdict is:

This place totally awesome. Seriously.

The people there really know what they’re doing.  I have a really high tolerance for pain and pressure points and this is the only place that made me wince.  And they were hitting all the right points too. Like Dennis said: “You will feel like you’ve just made love.” This is really the true truth because you know I say it as it is.

Shanghai Xinjishi Restaurant…

I used to be so biased, didn’t enjoy my first trip to Shanghai. After this trip, I could really spend more time in Shanghai. The food! The people! The food…

I went to Xinjishi (the XinTiandi outlet) which has several locations in Shanghai. This splendid restaurant is a part of a notable Shanghainese restaurant-chain with outlets in China, Japan and Taiwan. The food is superb and the menu features an extensive selection of Shanghainese classics.

The Grandmother’s Pork is a must have, it is slowly cooked, very tender, super tasty, and truly a taste of Shanghai. A gastronomic feast served in old-fashioned pots. I’ve been having this traditional Shanghai dish hongshao rou (soy-sauced meat), over the past couple of days in Shanghai and was loving it, but, it tasted significantly better in Xinjishi. With its perfect balance of flavors and textures, and sweet melt-in-your-mouth pork fat, eating fatty meat has never been so pleasurable.

The service wasn’t too good, the servers had an “I-am-not-too-bothered” attitude. However, that’s not enough to stop me from longing to return to this restaurant again. That’s the true truth. I’m still saying it as it is…

Le Meridien Shanghai…location, location, location

It is in the center of everything, closely located near key shopping areas, and sites such as the Shanghai Museum and Grand Theatre; everything you need, popular bards and restaurants are within walking distance, or a short subway ride away. The famous Bund river is only 5 minutes away.

The hotel has many lifts that can be a bit overwhelming at first – but when you get the swing of it it works just fine. Piped through the elevator sound system are the soft sounds of chirping birds and New Age music.

The superb room has floor to ceiling windows with amazing view of either nanjing road or the people’s park, depending on which side of the hotel your room is in. The room is spotless and very cozy with a sexy all glass-encased bathroom that faced the bedroom and the city skyline. Those might weird some people out, but the modern romantic that I am, I thought it was cool. The room comes with even a huge wall-mounted flatscreen TV and  DVD/CD player.

The fitness center was large, with state-of-the-art machines and a nice vibe.

One bummer that put a negativity into my stay was that the Royal Club Shift Leader, Jackey Zhu, promised to email me a breakdown of the bill within the same day I checked out but 6 days later, there’s still no sign of it. Otherwise, service is friendly and efficient. Clearly, Jackey is their weakest link.

Despite that, this hotel will always be my choice in Shanghai. This is the true truth as I am still saying it as it is…

Restaurant Teck Sing, Johor Baru…head hunting for curry fish head

THE best-kept secret in Jalan Sutera Satu, it is said, is its curry fish head.

For the benefit of all of you out-of-towners who do not have a clue as to what I am talking about, this suburban area is located in Taman Sentosa, which is about a 10-minute drive from the Johor-Singapore causeway.

I have devoured through many curry fish heads in my time, but this one I MUST blog about. The fish is fresh, the curry is rich and tasted right without you being overwhelmed by the spices. A lot of curry leaves are used to give the heavenly pot of curry a highly aromatic smell. Unlike the Indian and mamak curry, the Chinese fish head curry is neither sour nor spicy. It is sweet and creamy.

Other than the curry fish head which tastd like a Million Ringgit to me, the main signature dish of the establishment is the beggar chicken

 Now, if you ask a hardcore curry connoisseur, the response you would probably say is: “Ah? Fish head curry? Aiya, leave it to the Indian and mamak restaurants lah….”. But I say this: if you love curry fish head, this is your holy land. This is the true truth. I say it as it is.

V Zatisi, Prague…one man’s meat

The atmosphere is warm modern and intimate with cushy upholstered wrought-iron chairs and plenty of artfully arranged flora. The sophisticated decor looks kind of artist’s studio and features a range of original paintings by Czech artists. The atmosphere would be superb if I was dining with my special someone.

The food style is really interesting. The presentation even better. It has flavors of many different cuisines (French, German, Italian, Asian, & some Czech, as well). While BeRt raved that the food was a delight to eat, well balanced and thought out dishes faultlessly cooked, I, on the contrary, didn’t understand what all that euphoria was all about. Brilliant, amazing, delicious, wonderful…were superlatives he’d used. To me, it was average and mundane. That just goes to show that whoever said “one man’s meat is another man’s poison” certainly knows what he was talking about.

Again, I tell the true truth and say it as it is.