51 Soya Bean (Golden Mile Food Centre) (2nd post)

The beancurd craze has spread out of Old Airport Road Food Centre. Recently, Lao Ban Soya Beancurd has opened a branch at Maxwell Food Centre. While 51 Soya Bean has also opened a branch, at Golden Mile food Centre.

I was at Golden Mile Food Centre eating recently when I chanced upon 51 Soya Bean. I am guessing that the stall was recently opened as there was no crowd. Was there at 1215pm on a weekday. I sat near the stall while waiting for my chicken rice.

51 Soya Bean's Price

Cold Soya Bean Drink $1.00

Since there was no queue, we ordered the Cold Soya Bean Drink. It is quite small, not enough to qench my thirst. But it was certainty very refreshing!

After finishing my meal, there was a short queue at the stall which was cleared within minutes.

Original Cold Beancurd $1.50

The Cold Beancurd is soft, silky, smooth with jelly-like appearance. Somehow, in terms of taste it was not even on par with its (51 Soya Bean) main branch. Certainty no melt in your mouth sensation. I guess my expectation was too high. An average beancurd, do try it if you have never try such a new kind of beancurd before.

51 Soya Bean – Main Branch
51 Old Airport Road
#01-72 Old Airport Road Food Centre
Tel: 90907009
Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 10pm

51 Soya Bean (Golden Mile Food Centre)
505 Beach Road
#B1-04 Golden Mile Food Centre 
Tel: 9388 1098 
Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 8.30pm

 

Cafe Helo Helo Restaurant (Bintan)

Wondering what to eat or what to do in Bintan? Especially when you are in Nirwana Resort Hotel. Well, in earlier posts, I have mentioned for food you must go try Kelong Restaurant at least once. Well, if you have been there and done that, can try going to Pasar Oleh Oleh for some shopping and for food.

Shuttle Bus Schedule

There is a Pasar Oleh Oleh shuttle bus from that has stops at several resorts including Nirwana Resort Hotel. The pass allows unlimited rides for that day at a cost of $5.00 per Adult and $3.00 per Child.

The Pasar Oleh Oleh shuttle bus at the right.

Pasar Oleh Oleh

Pasar Oleh Oleh is a cluster of village huts on slits. In Pasar Oleh Oleh, you can find about 3 eateries, and shops that sells clothes, bags, snacks, BBQ stuffs, drinks, local Indonesian delicacies such as keropok and kueh lapis. In fact they have 2 shops that are like our supermarket selling almost everything and anything. Pasar Oleh Oleh is actually quite a small place, in total its length is about 150metres. If you have anything to buy (drinks, snacks, cup noodles) buying here or in Singapore will be cheaper compared to the resort. Opposite Pasar Oleh Oleh is Kampong  Lagoi.

Cafe Helo Helo Restaurant

If you look closely, in the background there is another separate compartment with round tables for bigger groups.

Menu (a)

Menu (b)

Mie Goreng S$3.50

Mie Goreng (Mee Goreng) was delicious! Despite it being on the salty end, I finished it and would certainty have ordered another plate if it was not so salty. It was fried to perfection and each strand of noodle was coated with the gravy.

Bihun Goreng S$3.50

Bihun Goreng (fried bee hoon) was so so. It was not salty, but in terms of taste of the dish as a whole, something seems to be lacking. Not that it was bad, maybe the Mie Goreng was too good.

Stir Fried Tofu & Seafood S$14

Before we order the Stir Fried Tofu & Seafood, I was wondering why would this dish cost $14 when the Mee Goreng cost only $3.50. If there was a mark up, then the Mee Goreng should have been marked up too.
When the Stir Fried Tofu & Seafood was served I knew why it was so expensive. Look at the amount of ingredients! The gravy was also filled to the beam and was flowing out as the table legs was not even.  They were very generous with their ingredients. Besides fried tofu, there was prawns, squids, broccoli, fishballs and even pieces of fried eggs (like those you get in some fish soups). The ingredients were fresh but the gravy was on the salty end. The fried egg was good, but they were soak with gravy. Hence, we were pretty thirsty after the meal.

Overall, Cafe Helo Helo Restaurant’s food are reasonably priced and much nicer compared to elsewhere especially when you compare it to the restaurants in Nirawana Resort Hotel itself. But it might be a hassle going to Pasar Oleh Oleh.

Oleh Oleh Restaurant???

Saw this sign in Cafe Helo Helo. It dawn on me much later that Oleh when spelled backwards is Helo!

Cafe Helo Helo Restaurant (Bintan)
Pasar Oleh Oleh, Kota Sebung
Tel: (62) 770 692 488 

Tarafuku Japanese Buffet (313 Somerset)

Tarafuku Japanese Buffet is located at 313 Somerset and is part of the Tampopo Group. If you are thinking Liang Court, Shabu Shabu Black Pig, Tonkatsu Ramen and Matcha Chiffon Cake, you are on the right track!

Price List

Visited the restaurant on a Saturday for dinner. So per person it will be $27.80++. They have increased the price as of 18th Feb 2011. Previously, dinner on a Saturday night would have cost $25.80++.

The place was brightly lit decorated with japanese umbrellas hanging on the ceiling.

There is free flow shabu shabu for dinner only.

Hot pot for shabu shabu.

Thinly sliced, this was good! We ordered several helpings of this.

Selection of raw items to accompany the shabu shabu

Selection of vegetables, mushrooms, meat, fishballs and also prawns for the hot pot. Prawns were fresh! Also, there is miso soup at the extreme left of the picture.

Salad Selections

Very few selections for their salad section. The other half of the counter was for desserts. A must try item here is the potato salad.

Sashimi

They have Sashimi, Tuna and in the middle I think it is yellow tail.

Oddly and disappointedly, there was no alasakan crab! What happened to it? I have no idea, but earlier reviews clearly showed that there was alasakan crab. Ironically, with a price increase this item is missing..

Sushi

Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi was soft and smooth. I would have gone for more helpings of this if not for the fact that it was too salty.

Fried spaghetti and fried rice

Shishamo (middle) was not fresh.

The chicken wings (left) was delicious.

Tasty egg with runny yolk only downside was that it was cold.

Soft Shell Crab

You can order Soft Shell Crab which tastes great when it is hot. Ordered several servings of this.

Tofu

You can also order tofu too. Taste great, ordered extra helpings of this too.

Ramen

Ordered a small bowl of ramen. Can’t remember what ramen this was. It was average.

Dessert Selections

The desserts were average. No Matcha Chiffon Cake, maybe the top right was meant to be a small piece of the matcha chiffon cake. But it pale in comparison to the one I ate at Tampopo.

Ice cream

The green tea ice cream was good. The sesame ice cream (not in picture) was way too strong.

Lots of misses and few hits. The delicious items were the potato salad, chicken wings, shabu shabu and its selection such as prawns. Service wise, the staff were mostly foreigners, it was hard to communicate with them. One of them even took our bill to the next table and despite the person saying that he had a ready paid, the waiter could not understand. Overall, I find it a tad too expensive. Not sure if I will be back. If you do try it, let me know whats nice and also if the alasakan crab are being served.

Tarafuku Japanese Buffet
313 Orchard Road
#B3-31/34, 313 @ Somerset
Tel: 6634 0889
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am – 10pm
Website: http://www.cfc.com.sg/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TARAFUKU/268831277561?sk=info