Madam Saigon

The inviting exterior of Madam Saigon. Don't be fooled by the open doors, its actually quite cooling inside.


Complimentary Vietnamese spring rolls.


The simple garnishing adds life to the dish.


Or, you can choose to have it plain.

My classmate has been raving about this place that sells Vietnamese beef noodles for quite a few times and we finally got to try it last month. We were in the Bugis vicinity (known for its eateries along Prinsep and Liang Seah Street) and after browsing the eateries along the five-foot-walkways, decided to settle in the homely, boutique-like eatery that looks inviting enough from the outside.

You can tell the owner has put in meticulous thought and effort in refurbishing the place with a theme that reflects the type of cuisine it offers, opting for bold red Oriental woodwork and typical chinese plaque embossed with the eatery's name on the outside and the display of Vietnamese artworks and craft for the interior.

Madam Saigon, as the name insinuates, sells Vietnamese food and according to my friend, is reknown for their beef pho, which is essentially beef noodles in soup. The thing I never expected was meeting my former manager (during my waitressing stint) at this eatery. As usual, he had his winsome smile and his hospitality was efficacious. One of the most important elements of having a good dining experience (anywhere) is the service and the manager plays a crucial role, not only in looking after the running of the eatery and inculcating a certain service standard in the crew but also setting a good example of attending to the needs of the customers and ensuing that their whole experience is enjoyable. And its really hard to find people who are passionate, sincere and level-headed about service. Well, I think my former manager is one of those people who fit the bill and he made it fun to work under him.

Both Jan and I ordered the eatery's famous beef pho ($8+) and my former manager gave us a complimentary serving of spring rolls (nice!). The spring rolls, dipped in the special sauce that came with it was not bad, nothing exceptional about it though. On the other hand, I really dig the beef noodles. The dish came in a reasonable proportion, with a generous side serving of bean sprouts and fresh leaves which you can choose to add into the piping hot noodles. The clear broth looked healthy and the taste though mild, was distinct enough and my tastebuds were satisfied. The kway teow noodles were smooth and the beef was tender.

Madam Saigon is a no frills sort of place that will satisfy anyone in search of a simple Vietnamese meal and most importantly, this craving will not burn a hole in your pocket :)

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Address:
Madam Saigon
30 Liang Seah Street
Tel: 6333-9798
Website: www.madamsaigon.com
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 3pm (lunch); 6 - 11pm (dinner)
Sundays & public holidays 12 - 4pm (lunch); 5.30pm - 11pm (dinner)
Cuisine: Vietnamese, Indochinese
Price: $10 - $20 per pax
Dresscode: casual
Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10

The Coffee Connoiseur - Citylink Branch

Club Sandwich ($12.50) - Egg Mayo and Cajun Chicken Breast.


Ultimate Hazelnut Frappe ($7.50)


Green Apple Twist ($6.20)


Macaroni Gratin ($10.80) - Mushroom, Chicken Ham and Diced Chicken


Unearthing the goodness of macaroni and cheese!


Best eaten piping hot! (Looking @ this makes me crave for the dish!)


Beef Mozza-Tofu ($9.80) served on a musical platter.



Dark Devotion ($9.90) - Chocolate cake, vanilla Ice-cream and summer berries.


Light Strawberry Mousseline ($6.90) - mousse + strawberries


I remember thinking to myself that since it was my best friend's birthday, we'll gonna treat her to somewhere/something special. Not the usual repetitive eatery you'll find at every mall. In the end, as Hailey was around too, we decided to rest that adventurous spirit and settle at TCC @ Citylink, which turned out to be a pretty enjoyable experience. I guess for us ultimately, it is the company that matters.

Amongst all the coffee joints, The Coffee Connoisseur has left quite an indelible impression on me due to the fact that they have managed to expand so rapidly from an unknown name to a leading local coffee chain which can rival the internationally reknown Starbucks in reputation and quality. I recall visiting one of TCC's first outlets @ Millenia Walk, surveying the hip decor and luxurious coffee selection and thinking that whoever behind this concept is bold and perhaps too confident about the future of TCC. I guess I should be eating my words because the very astute management has managed to develop TCC into a popular chillout destination well-known for its gourmet coffee and hip decor. Starting with only 2 boutiques in 2003, the chain has since expanded to 28 (they are referred to as) boutiques. To me, its not as easy as Starbucks adding a few more outlets because if you notice, the interior design of each boutique is unique, avant-garde, meticuously chosen and true to the brand's artistic philosophy. Sitting at any of its outlets without even drinking its coffee is an enjoyable visual treat itself!

Although the outlet @ Citylink is located indoors (next to MPH and opposite the H20 boutique), you have a choice between sitting at the more private area inside or the outside whereby you can gawk at the steady stream of crowd between Suntec/Marina Square and CityHall MRT. With not much of a preference, we plonked ourselves on a firm white coloured sofa near the glass door.

YL ordered the club sandwich ($12.50) which seemed like quite a decent proportion and from which I helped to finish the strange tasting chips (tapioca?). LG had the marcaroni gratin ($10.80), a combination of mushroom, chicken ham and diced chicken which she gave the thumbs up to, as well as the green apple twist ($6.20). This must have been the third time I've gone for the beef mozza tofu ($9.80) , a delightful light dish of silky tofu with suki yaki sauce and minced beef beneath melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella cheese, which I'll probably never get sick of. If there is one dish you should try @ TCC, it should be this. The ultimate hazelnut frappe ($7.50) has a distinctive hazelnut taste that is not too sweet and the desserts that we shared, the dark devotion ($9.90) and light strawberry Mousseline ($6.90) was pretty standard dessert fare (not bad but nothing much to rave about).

One thing I have to say about TCC is the effort they are willing to put into their presentation, which is one of their selling points and representative of their passion for art. Looking at the pretty arrangement of the food not only makes it look good to eat but also elevates the enjoyment of the whole dining experience (something which you usually get at fine dining places). For that, for their extensive range of gourmet coffee concoctions (which not even Starbucks or Coffee Bean can match) and for the friendly service we recieved @ the Citylink outlet, I give TCC props!

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Address:

1 Raffles Link #B1-26

Citylink Mall

Singapore 039393

Phone : 6423 1022

http://www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com/

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday & Public Holidays - 9am to 11pm Friday, Saturday & Eve of Public Holidays - 9am to 12am

Cuisine: Western

Price: approx $10 - $25 per pax
Dresscode: relaxed

Darkmuze's Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Remark: Good place to chill after shopping and to people-watch in air-conditioned comfort!

IndoChine Waterfront - 3rd March 2008

Stunning view of Boat Quay from Indochine Waterfront.


Chicken Basil with mint leaves as a delectable accompaniment.

The exquisite interior that screams chic!

This review is late but I simply have to post about it just to kick off my recent flurry of dining escapades. What I love about my eating adventures is how unpredictable they can be most of the time. Although budget and location are important considerations, sometimes my companions and I just end up at the most unexpected places and getting our tastebuds gastronomically stimulated as a reward. I'm no food critic but yeah, I love to share food reviews...especially when the dining experience is incredible!

So back to Indochine. Now I've heard about this famous entertainment lifestyle group before courtesy of generous press coverage and that square brochure which always comes with a copy of Juice. Even without experiencing any of the outlets or sampling any of its menus, the name "Indochine" gives off a chi-chi vibe and in my impression, is a place where I wouldn't visit unless I'm feeling the impulsiveness to splurge. In addition, the idea of mixing around with high-class executives and rich pple (no offense) isn't exactly my cup of tea (not that I can afford to anyway).

Inspired by his passion for food, entertaining and design, the ingenious and ambitious commodities trader turned food entrepreneur Mr Michael Ma founded the Indochine Group in 1999. Mr Ma, who was born in Laos in 1967, saw that that was a potential market for Laotian and Vietnamese food which was previously not available in Singapore. The first outlet Indochine Club Street was opened in 1999 and in a short 9 years, the group has expanded to include a diverse range of 14 restaurants/clubs/lounges in 5 prime locations in Singapore, as well as venues in Kuala Lumpur, Hamburg, New Delhi and Phuket. This business achievement alone is mind-boggling, not to mention the numerous accolades and awards the group has recieved in dining/experience/design, including being voted as one of Travel and Leisure's top 100 Fabulous Places and Things in 2001 and most significantly, being the choice destination for glamourous social events.

So you wonder? How did I, someone who isn't exactly into such fancy places, stumble into this place let alone taste its exquisite fare (lols). The trip began as innocuously enough when my companion EZ and I decided to have dinner @ nearby Timbre@ Arts House, thanks to my brillant suggestion, only to find out after the valet parked the car that this Timbre doesn't serve the delectable main course seen on Timbre's website. They only serve pizzas, finger food and booze as the waitress politely tells us. Not willingly to change location, we wander across to the next available option - which happens to be Tadah! Indochine Waterfront.

Chucking aside its chi-chi reputation, I actually dig this place for its atmosphere and decor. My other companions and I would have chosen to chill here on previous occasions if not for the price deterrant. Anyway, EZ tells me he dined @ Indochine Waterfront before and it was a memorable experience and I decided I should just give it at least a shot, so in we went.

We chose to sit inside but found out later that the alfresco setting was fully booked. With a breathtaking and romantic view of the river after sunset accentuated by live Jazz performances, it is no wonder that the alfresco area is so popular with regulars. So do remember to make reservations if you wanna sit outside. But the interior atmosphere ain't shabby as well. The decor is distinctively contemporary yet with a delightful nod to the Oriental with Buddha statues, rich saffron and burgundy hued drapes and antique cabinets contrasted with gleaming steel chairs. The other word to describe this place is luxurious, with its glittering chandeliers and dark leather chairs. The lighting is kinda dim though, perhaps to make the ambience more cozy, but it makes it quite difficult to see the food you are consuming.

The lack of visual stimulation shouldn't be much of a complain considering how amazing the food tasted. We ordered fried tofu, the basil chicken and the tom-yum seafood soup from the Vietnamese-Laotian-Cambodian-French fusion menu. My favourite dish has to be the basil chicken which tasted so homely with the addition of herbs and spices. The tofu was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and one of the best fried tofus I've ever tasted. You can choose how spicy you want your tom-yum soup to be but I would suggest that you go for the max because we chose the not-too-spicier version and it tasted more tomato-ish, which doesn't give the kick that good-tom-yam soup should provide. Even the rice (refillable from a basket which server carries around) tasted extraordinary and really yummy of course.

EZ was really generous to give me a treat and I really owe my first Indochine dining experience to him! Would I go back again? Definately yes. For the basil chicken and white rice and for the other highlights I've yet to try..oh and when I'm feeling rich. The service was excellent as well. The staff knew the food well and they were attentive without being intrusive. Indochine Waterfront is one place that proves that good food does come with a price!

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Address:
IndoChine Waterfront
Asian Civilisation Musuem, The Historic District
1 Empress Place
63391720 (Reservations strongly encouraged)
http://www.indochine.com.sg/
Opening Hours: 12 - 230pm and 6.30 - 11pm from Sun to Thurs/
til midnight Fri - Sat
Cuisine: Vietnamese/Laotian/ Cambodian/ French Fusion
Price: approx $30 - $60 per pax
Dresscode: Smart Casual
Darkmuze's Rating: 8.5/10
Darkmuze's Remark: Good place for business dinner or a great place to impress your first date!!