SoShiok Gourmet Safari (07 Jun 08)

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from Ms Yumyum for the SoShiok Gourmet tasting. It was indeed an honor to be invited as well as the privilege of sharing this pleasant surprise with 3 of my frens. We looked forward to the Sat lunch and even skipped breakfast, so that we could save our stomach for the Gourmet Safari!

Our 1st stop was Secret Recipe at Square 2. There were 5 set menu that we could choose to sample. We decided to go with Set 4 that includes their signature Lamb Stew, Pan Grilled Dory with fries and White Choc Macadamia cake.



The Lamb was tender though kinda bland and the sauce was tasty. The Pan Grilled Dory was quite tasty and the fries were cripsy & fresh. The food could be more tasty if they were freshly cooked. However, this outlet did not have the privilege of a kitchen. The Lamb Stew served at other outlets were flavorsome in taste as the sauce was able to permeate to the meat.

One can never be wrong about the cakes at Secret Recipe. My favorite has been the Choc Indulgence, which unfortunately was unavailable. So we decided on the White Choc Macadamia which comes with a rich and creamy white choc coating (yummy)

**** - Mexican Chicken with rice (no photo avail). The chicken was tender and flavorsome from the spicy and zesty sauce.

Secret Recipe is located at B1-1291, Square 2.












With 1/4 tank full, we headed to our next Gourmet hunt - Zhou Kitchen by TL Group. The decor of the restaurant is very unique, making use of mirrors to create reflection images. I liked the display of cooking utensils on the wall.

The service staff at Zhou Kitchen welcomed us with warm hospitality and service was great! We were served quality Pu-Er, which was smooth and soothing to the throat. The Young Sweet Potato Leaves sauteed with Sambal was cooked with the right degree of fire and timing. Each leaf was fresh & young! We liked the texture of the Xing Hua Trad Homemade noodle which was springy and fresh. With a dash of vinegar, the noodle was even more appetising. We were eager to taste the Grandma's Braised Pork with Tofu. The tofu was soft and tasty with the sauce. As for the pork, we preferred it to be braised longer, so that it would be flavorful as well as melt-in-the-mouth.

**** - Xing Hua Dumpling Soup and Trad Prawn Crackers

Thumbs up for the dumpling skin which was thin and silky. It has been a long while since we last munched on satisfying prawn crackers too!

Zhou Kitchen is located at #01-73/80, Square 2.



With such satisfying food and service, as well as 3/4 full tank, we 'marched' our way to Seoul Yummy.





We received a warm welcome at Seoul Yummy, service with a smile. We were served hot Barley Tea, which has an ashy aftertaste. The appetiser was Steamed Kimchi with Pork Dumplings. The filling was juicy, though the skin could have been thinner. I could not detect the taste of kimchi. Hotplate Spicy Octopus was next. Though the octopus was fresh, we did not know how to appreciate the rich spicy sauce. We prefer a sauce that is spicier and lighter in taste.

**** - Shrimp Roe Hotpot Mixed Rice (bibimbap) was the favourite of my 3 frens. The joy lies in the mixing of the rice in the hotpot (as in our claypot rice). The rice was fragrant and the beef was tender and tasty.

**** - The Special Trio Bingsu was also our hot favorite. After filling our stomach with so much food, it was refreshing to have yoghurt ice-cream with kiwi, strawberry & red bean toppings. It certainly helps settle the digestive system.

Seoul Yummy is located at #03-67, Square 2.

Our final stop was at Lerk Thai. There were various cold drinks available and four of us unanimously opted for the Ice Lemon Grass drink, which was refreshing, sweet and served with a stalk of lemon grass. The Special Prawn Cake was an impressive piece that was made from mashed fresh prawns. The size was bigger than usual too.

We were glad that the Phad Thai was not oily and yet tasty. The dessert served was a popular choice of most diners - Tago. The taste was dulcet, with crunchy water chestnuts amidst the sago below the fragrant coconut milk.

**** - Exotic Pomelo Salad with Shrimp & Peanut was refreshing. The pomelo was succulent and freshly peeled. The presentation itself was mouth-watering!

We completed our Gourmet trail with Thai coffee & tea, which were too strong for local tastebuds. We skipped dinner for the day and supper was an apple crumble and Fondue at Swensens.