FIX

Image courtesy of FIX

All you cafe lovers are gonna be so hyped about this one I tell you.
I am personally not a cafe guy myself but boy oh boy did we enjoy ourselves at FIX!

Have you guys passed by a place called GRUB located at Bishan Park? Well, if you have and you long to eat there, unfortunately it's NOT certified Halal... But the great news is that the same people who brought GRUB to life have opened a new hotspot!

Located at the HomeTeamNS-JOM Clubhouse in Balestier, FIX is a great little cafe set by the poolside (YES! POOLSIDE!) and offers "Original Handmade Goods" for our enjoyment. Well, they can handmake everything but more importantly - it's gotta be delicious right?

Well, it IS!!
Let us give you a rundown on some of the goodies!

Brunch FIX ($14.00)

All you breakfast/brunch kakis can rejoice! Got something good for you here...
If I'm gonna have breakfast/brunch (especially early on the weekends), it had better really really good to make me wanna drag myself out of bed...

A nice hearty start to the day with the Brunch FIX!
A nice big serving of scrambled eggs, a nice thick cut of smoked turkey ham, sauteed mushrooms and a slice of Brioche french toast is definitely enough to drag my lazy butt out of bed!!

The brioche was nice and soft and buttery I wish they had more than one slice so I can pile on the eggs and take a nice big chomp. Mushrooms are always welcome on my plate (and in my tummy) but I think my favourite part of the platter was the smoked turkey ham!

ZOMG that's a nice thick slice of smoked turkey ham how can I say no to that.
Nice and tasty flavour. Nice and just the right touch of salty. I'm sure you know what I mean right.

But if you're the 'get-your-hands-on-the-food' kind of person, FIX has just the thing...

Beef and Kimchi Naanwich ($10.00)

Chicken Tikka Naanwich ($10.00)

Mushroom and Feta Naanwich ($10.00)

Smoked Turkey Ham and Cheese Naanwich ($10.00)

Lo an behold! The Naanwich!!

The Naanwich is a cross between a sandwich and a wrap so you can choose either to have it as an open-faced sandwich and be neat with a fork and knife or you can get down and dirty and have it a wrap. And the bread is basically a, you guessed it, Naan!

I honestly tried the gentlemanly approach and started out with the knife and fork but after awhile, I realized that the best way to enjoy this was to just pick it up and take nice big chomps!!

The Beef and Kimchi was a big surprise! First of all, when you mention beef in a Korean style, you're gonna expect a Beef Bulgogi kinda deal but these were nice and big chunks of tender beef! And the kimchi went really well to give you a nice full flavour! A must have if you're a fan of kimchi and Korean food!

Chicken Tikka and Naan together like... Chicken Tikka and Naan!
Add in a nice tangy Acar in there and you have a winner! This was my Darling Wife's favourite Naanwich!!

The Smoked Turkey Ham and Cheese Naanwich was my fave of the day. I just simply could not get enough of that smoked turkey ham!! But if they had added some of those sauteed mushrooms in there... FUYOH!!

I also thought the Mushroom and Feta Naanwich was really nice because it had 2 of my fave things but maybe I was looking for something with a bit more bite since I was so hungry! This Naanwich is actually suitable for vegetarians!!

Anyways, in case you didn't spot it, there's a nice 3/4 boiled egg on the top for you.
Perfect eggy-creamy topping!

PS don't forget your side order of Nachos!

3-Cheese Penne Gratin ($10.00)

But if Naanwiches aren't your thing (how can they not be?!), fret not!
Besides alternative mains like the Butternut, Feta and Spinach Quiche and the Fish $ Chips, why not take the creamier (a little more sinful) route?

I'm not sure what are the 3 different cheeses in the 3-Cheese Penne Gratin but I don't think it matters that much if you're a cheese lover like me because as long as there is cheese, you can't go wrong. And all the better if it's a nice and gooey cheese!

Just how gooey do we mean?

REALLY GOOEY!!

Crispy Soy Chicken Drumlets ($7.00)

If a lighter snack is what you are after, we highly recommend the Crispy Soy Chicken Drumlets!
These drumlets are coated perfectly to give you a nice crispy crunch when you chomp down. Even if you're taking your time with your meal, these drumlets still retain their crunch even after they have cooled down a little. A sign of a truly good crispy coating! (That means wanna bungkus also can!)

The soy glaze that coats the chicken is not at all overpowering and has a nice flavour. I think it's good that they don't completely cover the chicken drumlets with the sauce/glaze.

Now if only they'd release a winglets version... *hint hint*

Lemon Curd Milkshake ($7.00)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Milkshake ($7.00)

Black Sesame with Brittle Milkshake ($7.00)

Butterscotch with Toasted Coconut Milkshake ($7.00)

FIX also has a series of Specialty Milkshakes to suit all tastes with some really unique and interesting flavours that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

I personally like the Lemon Curd Milkshake while my Darling Wife preferred the Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Milkshake. Mein Brudder, in the biggest surprise of the day, chose the Black Sesame with Brittle Milkshake as his favourite!

So you can see that there's something for everyone! And you might even find something you never thought you'd like!

But if wanna minum air panas also got!!

They've got a selection of coffees and teas to suit your tastes if you don't feel like a milkshake.
Or perhaps some 'homemade' drinks like Iced Lemon Tea or Iced Lemongrass Tea?

But let me tell you something you should definitely not miss...

Pick your choice of dessert!

Butterscotch Arabica Choux ($6.00)

This is not your average dainty bite-sized Choux (pronounced Shoo). As you can see it almost matches up the coffee cup!

You'll get a hint of coffee in the Chantilly cream which is generously piped in and a caramel surprise awaits you in the middle! This is definitely going to be one of the more popular options especially if you're a coffee lover.

Twice-Baked Sourcream Cheesecake ($7.00)

Passionfruit, Mango and Coconut Chiffon Cake ($7.00)

Cheesecake lovers (like me) will have a hard time saying no to the Twice-Baked Sourcream Cheesecake because it not only looks good and sounds good but it tastes so good too! Definitely a must have in my book.

Looking for a more fruity flavour? Then try the Passionfruit, Mango and Coconut Chiffon Cake. I was surprised at how light this cake was but yet still so full of flavour. The combination of Passionfruit and Mango really do go well together!

Strawberry Pistachio Rose Tart ($6.00)

For something a little more on the heavy side of dessert, why not try the Strawberry Pistachio Rose Tart which has a Pistachio-based tart and stopped off with some fresh sweet Strawberries. And where is the 'rose' bit you ask? Well, the pink cream you see on top is a very delicate rose-flavoured cream which will mellow down the tang of the strawberries for you.

Try it and you will see what we mean :)
PS that's one of my favourite pictures in this whole post LOL

Cacao Barry Chocolate Truffle Cake ($7.00)

Don't worry... FIX has not forgotten all you chocolate lovers out there...
I could almost hear the whispers of "Eh why no chocolate cake ah?"...

Well, this is a really really rich and decadent slice of chocolate cake let me tell you that!
Every bite we took was really a mouthful of chocolate goodness! You definitely won't be complaining about any lack of chocolate after a slice of this!

Donuts ($7.00)

But the surprise hit among the desserts we had was the Donuts.
Can you believe it? The Donuts came out of nowhere and knocked our socks off!

They're little bite-sized donuts that are covered with powdered sugar and you have a choice of dips which is where the fun really begins...

Lemon Custard Dip & Salted Egg Yolk Dip

Yes. That's right. SALTED EGG YOLK DIP.

The Lemon Custard was bursting with zesty and tangy lemon flavour and definitely makes you pucker up when the sour notes hit you. So if that's not your thing, then try the Salted Egg Yolk Dip.

Most of you will probably know that we have a thing for Salted Egg Yolk...
We've had it with our seafood and even as the filling in a pau but this was the first time we've had it as a dip (and for donuts no less) and it definitely won't be the last time!

The Salted Egg Yolk flavour really shines through and is not overly sweet at all. It went so well with the donuts and we were so surprised! Perhaps it has to do with the quality of the ingredients and they are not afraid to ensure you get a high quality meal!

Just look at that consistency! Not at all watery!
Full marks for the idea and full marks for the taste! Simply put - THIS WAS THE BOMB!!

Another thing we really like about FIX was the whole concept of the place.
The food was 'handmade' and so was most of the furniture and decor too!

FIX has got a bit of an industrial / DIY / built-to-last kind of feel and we feel their message comes through loud and clear not only in the decor but even in their food too. For example - the Naanwich.
You can choose how you wanna eat it. You can have it as is or you can choose to FIX it up.
See what we mean?

I can just imagine dropping by and having some great food by the poolside. Might even take a dip and enjoy a nice cool milkshake while soaking in the sunshine.

In need of some good food? In need of a chillax session? In need of a FIX?
Head down to Balestier now. You won't regret it.

PS please note that FIX is in the midst of receiving their Halal certification.
We will update again once the certificate has arrived! Won't be long now we hope!

FIX

31 Ah Hood Rd
HomeTeamNS-JOM Clubhouse

Tel: 6256 1484
www.facebook.com/fixsg

Operating Hours:
9:30am - 10:30pm Daily

J's

When we first started the blog not too long ago (like 2 years ago lah!), we received a message inviting us to a newly Halal-certified restaurant located at Purvis Street. And that place was J's.

We were so busy with work and one thing always leads to another and we never did get to visit J's.
Every now and then we'd hear someone mention J's or we'd read about it somewhere online and we were sure we'd eventually be lucky enough to visit. And finally the day had come. And we didn't come down as invited guests mind you. We visited a normal diners to see if we would have the experience we had been hoping for almost 2 years in the making.

Boy oh boy did I hope this was a good meal!

Poppers ($17.00)

So we started off with something to whet our appetites and what better than some Jalapeño Poppers!
This is a classic appetizer and a great snack on its own actually. Jalapeño peppers are stuffed with mozzarella cheese, breaded and deep fried!

Served with a small salad and also some salsa and guacamole to go along.
And how does the inside look like?

Chef's Salad ($18.00)

Something else to start with is the Chef's Salad.
This is definitely one to share with a group because as you can see it's pretty.. errr... vast!

It has the usual mix of green leaves, tomatoes, onions, baby radishes (which were a nice touch), avocado and some pretty nice roasted chicken. Also coming along is a sesame dressing which you can choose to drizzle over or just simply leave it out depending on your tastes.

Have I mentioned this one is definitely for sharing?

Beef Fajitas ($33.00)

Mein Brudder went for the Beef Fajitas (you could also choose the chicken if you'd like) which is served up with onions, peppers on a sizzling hot plate.

The only other place we've had Fajitas is at Hard Rock Cafe when we visit across the Causeway and we hold that as the standard because, well, we don't have anything else to compare with. Well both are served on a hot plate and even though it comes with some peppers, I'd say that the Fajitas here look kinda messy to be honest.

 

The Fajitas of course some with some accompanying tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese to tuck in and pack up before you gobble down.

But if you're a meat lover than this is it! Wish they'd have an option to have a mix of meats though.

Sirloin of Beef ($32.00)

Another choice for all you meat lovers is the Sirloin of Beef. 180gms of pure meat for you served with some garlic mashed potatoes and accompanying veggies.

The feedback on this is that it's pretty standard but a real pity that again we don't get the correct doneness that we asked for. Does the picture above look like medium-well to you? Quite disappointing considering the price you pay.

Catch of the Day ($27.00)

A departure from all the meat perhaps? Then you might want to try the Catch of the Day!
When we visited, it happened to be the seabass which was cooked perfectly.

My mum really seemed to enjoy this (and she's REALLY picky about her fish) so that means it must have been good right? They even try to dress up the plate quite creatively but I guess in the end the fish had better be nice and thankfully this time it seems like it was.

Braised Lamb Shank ($33.00)

I could have gone for the Adobo Chicken or the Paella but hey I'm the meat guy o I went for the Braised Lamb Shank because I have a soft spot for slow-cooked meats.

Pretty generous lamb shank rests on a bed of parmesan mashed potatoes and dressed up with some simple garnishes so you can enjoy the meat and the braised flavour that comes along. And as you can see the meat is pretty tender.

And there was absolutely no gamey 'lamby' taste. How can I confirm that? Mein Bruder hates lamb and mutton because of the smell/taste but even he took a few bites of this dish!

And since it was a celebration, we decided to finish off with some desserts because there some pretty interesting ones on the menu that we wouldn't mind trying.

Bocas Negras ($12.00)

This was a warm chocolate lava cake with "edible soil" (yes the menu actually says that), citrus espuma and  chocolate ice-cream. I guess this is one of those desserts where you get a little of everything. You get your dose of chocolate with some citrus tang and even the chance to try something innovative.

So what exactly is the "edible soil"?

"Edible Soil"

We were son intrigued that we literally asked the staff whether this was really soil?
Well, sorry to burst your bubble kiddos - it's a peanut-based crush mixture. Oh well. It's innovative I'll definitely give it that much!

And how was the lava cake?

Churros with Bananas & Mangoes ($12.00)

Well we saw Churros and you know we simply can't resist right?
And what's more - it's paired with Mascarpone!!

Okay so it's actually a Mascarpone sabayon mixture that's infused with a little coconut flavour (that we actually couldn't detect). Inside the jar, you'll find a delicious mix of salted caramel bananas and sweet fresh mangoes while some berries line the top of the mixture.

This was really the highlight of the dish to us. Maybe we love cheese and all the more when it's used in a dessert but this was simply a delight and (believe it or not) the best thing I had that evening.

Unfortunately the Churros themselves didn't fare so well...
I'm not sure if maybe it's because they were too thick or something but the insides were not really cooked through properly... Check out the picture below... That's just dough...

We also had some of the specialty drinks aka J's Signature Drinks that evening to wash our meal down. You could choose from their Sodas or even some soft drink but if a place has 'Siganture' drinks then you know you have to try them right?

Salty Lime ($8.00)

I was the hero and went for the Salty Lime which is fashioned like a margarita-styled beverage complete with salt around the rim so you get the 'salty' part whenever you take a sip. And boy oh boy was this drink living up to its name because the 'lime' was really sour too!

I guess this was something refreshing and helped to awaken my tastebuds but I'd recommend this only if you love sour things.

Lychee Cooler ($8.00)

My Darling Wife went with the safe choice known as the Lychee Cooler. Quite a safe bet.
Fruit punch gone fizzy and you have some lychees in there too.

It's so nice that Mein Bruder is already having a go in the picture LOL

Cuban Mint ($8.00)

And last but definitely not least was the Cuban Mint which turned out to be pretty much everyone's favourite that evening.

This one is style after the Mojito and has a fresh flavour with lime and some mint. It's not as sour as the Salty Lime so it's nice and easy on the palate but you'll have to accept the fact that it comes in a pretty small glass.

Adam's Verdict:
Poppers 3.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 3/5 -- Beef Fajitas 3/5 -- Catch of the Day 2.5/5
Braised Lamb Shank 3.5/5 -- Bocas Negras 2.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Poppers 2.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 3/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 2/5 -- Bocas Negras 3/5
Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Poppers 2.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 4/5 -- Beef Fajitas 4/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3/5 
Catch of the Day 4/5 -- Braised Lamb Shank 4/5 -- Bocas Negras 4/5
Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2/5

Dad's Verdict:
Poppers 3/5 -- Chef's Salad 3.5/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3/5 -- Catch of the Day 3/5
Braised Lamb Shank 4/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 1/5

Mum's Verdict:
Poppers 3/5 -- Chef's Salad 4/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3.5/5 -- Catch of the Day 4/5
Braised Lamb Shank 3.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2/5

Leslie's Verdict:
Chef's Salad 3.5/5 -- Beef Fajitas 3.5/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 2/5 -- Catch of the Day 4/5
Braised Lamb Shank 2/5 -- Bocas Negras 3.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 3/5

One thing I notice about J's Restaurant is that it does not have a very wide selection of food. you could probably go through the whole menu in 2-3 visits but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps J's is taking the stance that they serve only a limited selection but these are dishes that they do extremely well.

And so they should especially since the dishes are priced on the higher side than most.
But you do get quality ingredients for the most part. Now, if only they could cook the steak the wat we asked... Hmmmm.... Well at least the staff were very nice.

J's Restaurant

7 Purvis Street #01-01

Tel: +65 6887 4787
www.dineatjs.com

Operating Hours:
Lunch
12.00pm to 2.00pm Mondays-Friday, Sundays
(No Lunch on Saturdays)

Dinner
6.30pm to 10.00pm Mondays - Thursdays
6.30pm to 10.30pm Fridays - Saturdays
6.30pm to 10.30pm Sundays

Chickano

Hey everyone have you heard the news? Probably not right...
THERE'S A NEW FRIED CHICKEN JOINT IN TOWN!! IT'S CALLED CHICKANO!!

Well, I know we tried to be dramatic but FAILED! LOL

Anyways we actually came across this by pure chance. One of my colleagues, Hamidah, suddenly sends me this tip and says we have to try it. In fact, we tried ordering via the delivery hotline on the site but it wasn't available yet. Well, just so happens my Darling Wife and I were out with baby Alyssa and were decidedly hungry in the Bedok area...

3pcs Fried Chicken Meal ($9.50)

Of course - we had to try the fried chicken at a fried chicken joint right?!
I decided to to go for the 3pc because I was actually really hungry. You could have the 2pcs Friend Chicken Meal ($7.50) if you're not that hungry or maybe the 9pcs Fried Chicken Meal ($24.50) if you're out with the family (or just a really really big eater!!) They also have a roasted alternative if you're interested...

I have to say I really quite enjoyed the fried chicken!
The chicken was superbly cooked - nice and tender and juicy. The skin had a nice crisp to it with good seasoning to match.

The coating isn't the type with a super crunchy bite. I guess it's kinda more like Original Recipe but a bit crispier than usual. best enjoyed hot!!

Home-made Beef Burger ($8.50 for the meal / $6.50 ala carte)

If you're not in the mood for fried chicken, fret not! They also have other items on the menu including some burgers. You have a choice between a Beef Burger and a Chicken Karaage Burger. We decided to go for the beef since we're the meat people.

But... we started to question our decision after awhile...

The beef patty is definitely something they make from scratch here. It had quite a nice seasoning to be honest but for some reason, the top and bottom of the patty was burnt. Not charred... but burnt.

I quite like my burger to have a bit of char but I think this one was left a little too long on the grill. There's a difference between a charred flavour and a burnt taste. And this was really disappointing especially because the meat was quite tasty. If it wasn't so burnt, it's quite a nice burger actually.

Another problem was the bun. If you look at the first picture above, you can see it's actually quite out of sorts. It actually didn't fit the burger because it was so scrunched up like it had been crumpled up for so long. Maybe they should consider not using a bun if it's... errr... like that. It was like the bun had been in a fight and was in a really bad shape.

Besides that, you get some lettuce and cheese. Please note there is no sauce, which is fine because some burgers you just wanna enjoy the pure taste, so add your own if you'd like.

Cheese Fries

When you order a set meal, you get a choice of drink and a side order of fries.
If you're a Cheese Fries person, just add $0.50 and you can upgrade your regular fries to Cheese Fries! Power right!

I must say that the serving of fries was very very generous! It's enough fries to share actually.

But if you don't want fries then you might consider some other more 'traditional' sides with your fried chicken or burger?

Coleslaw ($2.50)

The coleslaw was not bad actually. Nice mix of cabbage and carrots and you even get a few plump and sweet raisins in there. It's on the sweet side so don't expect the sour type of coleslaw.

And what normally accompanies coleslaw?

Mashed Potato ($2.50)

Errrr... something is wrong with that picture...

I think maybe because it was not kept in a warm environment or maybe there was too much thickening agent or something but the brown gravy you normally get with mashed potatoes kinda coagulated on the top. Yeah... it's because a jelly.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the taste but I guess the look of it was kind of a turn off.
Maybe Chickano might take some feedback and either keep their mashed potato in a warmer (if they'd like to pre-pack it) or maybe only scoop in the gravy )being kept warm and fluid) when someone orders it so that it's guaranteed to be at the desired consistency.

And I know some of you might be thinking "No lah can't be that bad until like jelly lah..."

We're really not kidding...

But like I said, absolutely nothing wrong with the taste.

From the counter, you can actually see into the kitchen and I think I saw someone creaming the mashed potato by hand so I guess this is another item they prepare manually which I can very much appreciate.

Adam's Verdict:
Fried Chicken 3.5/5 -- Beef Burger 2.5/5 -- Cheese Fries 2/5
Coleslaw 4/5 -- Mashed Potato 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Fried Chicken 3.5/5 -- Beef Burger 2/5 -- Cheese Fries 1.5/5
Coleslaw 2.5/5 -- Mashed Potato 1/5

I like the idea at Chickano because, hey, who doesn't like some fried chicken right?
And I think they have a really good product too. They've got a pretty good fried chicken recipe and some pretty interesting items on the menu. It's nice to see that they are also hand-making a lot of their stuff instead of using instant or prepared ingredients.

When we visited last weekend, Chickano was only about a week old so I'm pretty sure that given a bit of time, they should be able to fine tune certain things after awhile (ahem ahem mashed potato gravy)
Anyways let's support our local brands!

PS you might see a delivery number on their site but that's gonna be operational maybe only next month in October 2014 according to the lady at the counter.

Chickano

Blk 527 Bedok North St 3
#01-520

Tel: 6448 8660
www.facebook.com/ChickanoSG

Operating Hours:
10am to 10pm Daily