Infusion Cafe (KSL Hotel and Resort, JB)

sambal prawns, fish and mee goreng

barbecued chicken wings

After shopping at Jusco (Tebrau City), hubby drove me to KSL Hotel and Resort, the newest integrated resort in Johor Bahru. We had dinner at its Infusion Cafe. It is a 24-hour cafe that serves International cuisine. It also serves hi-tea too. The place was big and there were lots of space between each dining table. So we saw parents eating while leaving their kids to wonder around without worrying about them bumping into furniture. There was a wide variety of food, from appetizers, soup, seafood, pasta, noodles, pizzas, beef slices, Asian dishes (mee goreng, sambal prawns, curry chicken, stir-fry vegetables and many others), barbecued food, cakes, cookies, kueh and other desserts. You will be pampered by the many types of dessert that the cafe served. I ate till very full. I especially liked the mee goreng cooked with tempeh (a type of soy food made with fermented soybeans, not a common ingredient to add to mee goreng in Singapore), Italian pasta with  well-prepared sauce and prawn soup that was thick and delicious.  Guess how much did we pay? RM45++ per person, same dollar value but in Ringgit! It was really value for money, especially when the food was comparable to those served by 5 or 6-star hotels here in Singapore.

Italian pasta

Pizza

stir-fry vegetables, beef, tempeh and buttered rice

prawn soup

cookies, cakes and kueh

bread

Infusion Cafe, KSL Hotel and Resort
33 Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, 80250

Saveur

Confit of Salmon 

Chicken Roulade and Basmati Rice

Angel Hair Pasta

  Beef  Steak

Pan Fried Foie Gras

Crispy Pork Belly

Pistachio Panna Cotta

Hubby and me rushed all the way down to this restaurant one evening after work as it did not accept reservation. There was already a long queue outside the restaurant when we reached there at about 6pm. It is not a big restaurant but it is relatively new, opened in May 2011. The serving size was not big, so my hubby decided that we should order a few more dishes to try out after all the rushing. I liked the chicken roulade and beef steak as both the meats were tender and soft. See the white 'foamy' like substance that looked like foamy soap on the chicken roulade? Amazing? It was actually some kind of cheese emulsion. The pistachio panna cotta was delicious. I wanted to order another one but thought it was sinful to eat so much sweet stuff. 



















The only dish that I did not really like was the pan fried foie gras. It was very soft and looked rather 'raw'. My hubby assured me that it was cooked. But it was one dish that I thought I would not want to try again. We paid less than $100 for all the dishes. If you have cravings for reasonably priced French food, you may want to try this restaurant. But do remember to go early to avoid long waiting time.

Saveur
5 Purvis Street #01-04
Tel: 63333121

Opening hours

Daily: 12pm-3.00pm, 6pm-9.30pm

Ming Jia Korean Food

Ming Jia is a small Korean restaurant run by a Korean lady. It occupies 2 shops, one of which is located directly opposite the main shop. Both premises are unable to accomodate many diners due to their limited spaces so it is pretty crowded during lunch and dinner times. The restaurant gave me the feeling of a tiny family restaurant serving home-cooked Korean food.

Hubby and I ordered Ramyon (instant noodles), Ddukbegi Bulgogi (marinated beef cooked in pot with glass noodles, vegetable and broth) and Kimchi pancake. I liked the Ramyon as the soup was tasty and somewhat different from the soupy instant noodles that I cook at home. I found the Ddulbegi Bulgogi a little salty, but thought that was the 'unique' taste of Korean food. The pancake was big and filling and so one pancake would be enough for 2 persons if other main dishes were ordered. The restaurant also serves other dishes such as Bibimbap (mixed rice) and black bean noodles (Jjajang Myun). If you are looking for some budget and casual Korean dining place, you might want to try this restaurant.


Ming Jia Korean Food
1 Jalan Anak Bukit #B1-07 Bukit Timah Plaza Singapore

Adobo!

Adobo! is a small food stall in a coffee shop at East Coast Road that sells Pinoy food. The stall was set up by an Indian-Filipino couple not too long ago. Adobo (Spanish: marinade) is also the name given by Spanish colonists to a Philippine cuisine cooking process involving marinating of meat or seafood in vinegar and garlic sauce. We only ordered the Lechon Kawali (crispy roasted pork that came with rice) as we were rushing to Katong 112 shopping mall to catch 7.15pm movie. To our surprise, the roasted pork was so well-roasted that it was succulent and tasty. The crispy skin was the best part of all. The stall also sells King Halo Halo (Filipino dessert - boiled sweet beans and fruits mixed with evaporated milk and shaved ice) which I would like to try the next time I revisit the stall. So if you are looking for cheap and reasonably good Pinoy food in a coffee shop setting, you may want to try this stall.

Adobo!
#01-01 Stall no.2
Ali Baba Eating House
125 East Coast Road (opposite Katong 112 Shopping Mall)
Tel:8169 0799
Opens daily 11.30 am to 10.30 pm except Tuesdays

Mary's Corner (Tau Kwa Pau)

This stall sells the famous Tau Kwa Pau (Bean Curd Pau). The bean curds were well fried and topped with an abundance of egg pieces, small fish cake slices, fried chopped yam and cucumber, served with some tasty braised sauce. Do give it a try if you want a taste of the traditional Tau Kwa Pau that cannot be easily found in local hawker centres nowadays. But be prepared to wait if you are going at the evening as the stall's business is good.

Mary's Corner Tau Kwa Pau 豆干包
Alibaba Eating House
125 East Coast Road

Sembawang White Bee Hoon

This coffee shop is located opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre. You can find many diners eating there in the evenings. Most of them will order the famous white Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli) and sambal La-La (clams). Hubby and I tried the white Bee Hoon, which was served in generous portion for two. It was the first time that I tried the slightly wet version of Bee Hoon. But it was tasty. The La-La dish was not too spicy, so it was able to bring out the flavour of the clams. We also ordered Hei Zhou (prawn roll-like dish) and the meat in the roll was well-marinated and delicious. The other two dishes we had were fried chicken wings and stir-fry Kai-lan (Chinese Broccoli). Nothing special and nothing much to complain except that we thought that the portions served could have been slightly bigger. For the price of $37 for 2 persons and 5 dishes, the meal was still worth the value.

Sembawang White Bee Hoon
2 Jalan Tampang
Singapore 758946
Closed on Wednesdays

Jai Thai

This Thai restaurant is a hidden gem, located in a very quiet place in Bishan area. Hubby and me had been to the place for several time, and each time, the dining experience was good. The restaurant is small but air-conditioned. The ambience is family-like and simple. Look at what we ordered: fried chicken wings, beef Hor Fun (flat rice noodles), Thai green curry, sambal Kang Kong (Ipomoea aquatica), mixed platters (appetizer consisting of prawn cake, fish cake, deep fried bean curds and Thai spring rolls), pineapple rice, Fried Tang Hoon (glass noodles), sweet potato dessert and coconut pudding. All the food were well-cooked. The chicken wings were crispy, the sambal Kang Kong was spicy enough while the rest of the food were served in sufficient portion for 2 persons. Guess how much did we paid? Less than $50! No wonder it is the most value for money authentic Thai cuisine as it has claimed! Recommended for family and social gathering among friends. The restaurant also offers take-aways and catering services.

Jai Thai (Clover Way) - near Bishan MRT station
7 Clover Way, S579080
Tel: 62580228
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-3pm, 6pm-9pm, Sun 6pm-9pm