Nam Giao, Ho Chi Minh City…Banh Beo and Bun Bo Hue that hits the spot

I used to believe that pho was the only authentic Vietnamese food. A friend brought me to Nam Giao to taste what I’ve been missing  – the ancient capital Hue cuisine & let me tell you.. I became an instant fan.

I love the Banh beo tom tuoi  which was steamed rice flour cake with fresh ground shrimp. Bun bo hue (Hue spicy beef noodle soup) – the best thing I had and it hit the spot. Don’t get intimidated by the description. It was not spicy what so ever!

The Va tron (fig salad) was disappointing for me. The Hen xao xue banh tran (saute baby clams over baked rice pepper) and Bunh canh cua (shrimp, crabmeat, sliced pork with special rice noodle soup) were alright, nothing really special about them

This is the first time I’ve ever had hue style BBH and banh Beo and I absolutely love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Fong Lye Taiwan Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur…Atmosphere: 3 stars. Food: 1 star

Ever go to a restaurant after seeing that it’s absolutely packed with a crowd waiting outside only to find that it was quite bad? I have to admit my expectations were higher than they probably should’ve been. This pricey Taiwanese restaurant is located in The Gardens @ Midvalley.

Taiwan braised beef noodle set meal was not spicy, assured our waitress. Not spicy? It was hot as hell. We had to change it for something else. Nothing we ordered were good. The Sesame chicken mee sua set meal and the Taiwan style pig’s intestines mee sua were really not amazing.

They’re pricey for the food they serve. The service and delivery isn’t good. Atmosphere: 3 stars. Food: 1 star. I wouldn’t eat here again, even if it’s the only Food and beverage outlet in the entire place.

PS. by the way, it’s cash only terms. Credit cards not accepted. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Sun Yuen Restaurant, Hong Kong…why restate the obvious? The beef noodle is good.

Let me get one thing out of the way. This “restaurant”is more like a half coffee shop to me, a typical Hong Kong style one at that. This is a semi hole in the wall. Don’t expect service or ambiance, but it doesn’t matter because the food is good. The service is quick and casual and you’re pretty much sitting elbow to elbow with random strangers. Get in and get out… 15 minutes. Savouring is for the weak.

Beef brisket, tendon, tripe and flank steak with your choice of vermicelli, egg noodle, or ho fun (flat rice noodle) in beef broth. The beef was insanely tender — just breathing on it seemed to make it fall apart.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.  Heck, if I lived in the neighbourhood, I’d enjoy it on a regular basis as well. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Ella’s wood-fired pizza, Washington DC…unimpressive. Just average

I’ll cut to the chase: this is not a great place to go for pizza.  I left unimpressed.

This place is just average. The service was average, and the food was average. The pizza has no flavour. None. So Ella’s gets an average rating from me.

I wouldn’t eat there again since there are a heaps of other pizza places in DC to try. This is the true truth because I still say it as it is…

Nha Hang Ngon, Ho Chi Minh City…orgasmic is the best word to describe Ngon

For those who like to taste local Vietnamese food…this is the place!  It is a great place to sample food from around Vietnam as you can have small serving sizes. The waiters are polite and ambience is beautiful because of the colonial-style location, fairy-lights and all food stalls.

Serving a variety of Vietnamese delicacies and local favourites, the price is cheap and affordable. The only thing is the menu doesn’t have any pictures for us, foreigners…better yet, the entire kitchen is spread all around the corridors.  All you have to do is to view the dishes being prepared and wander past the “stalls” to choose your meal, which would be brought to your table.

A fantastic concept, delicious dishes and a place to “taste”your way around Vietnam. Ngon is definitely the place to go from spring rolls to all type of pho and dessert. Be sure to order Cha Gio (fried spring rolls served with fresh herbs and fish sauce) and Bun Mam (vermicelli soup with seafood and roasted pork in mekong delta style). It is a dining experience worth having. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

 

Aire Control, Singapore…this AC is more like Absolute Cons rather than air con.

Customer care at AireControl is very much non-existent. These people do not behave professionally at all…very disappointing service. They were ok at the start, but once your money is in their pockets, then the true colours are revealed.

When the aircon started leaking less than a week after their serviceman did the job, you don’t get a response from them anymore. My wife spoke with the supervisor, Peter and he irresponsibly refused to take accountability. She left her number for the manager, Jack and he never call back. After a day, I decided to call and ask again and only after two increasingly frustrating calls, did Jack finally called back. Immediately, without trying to problem-solve, he said he would refund the money and “wash his hands”.

So much for a company that claims to be  “an established company that specializes in the field of air conditioning work”on their website. Apparently, in 2007, AireControl has been accredited the TrustSG Seal (For both Business Trust & Consumer Trust). Humbug!

This is the true truth and I say it as it is…