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

Geylang Serai Bazaar Ramadhan - Churro Brothers

So we love Churros.
And I've had Churros before. But it was always at some bistro or Tapas joint or rather.
I had never come across Halal Churros in Singapore. Until yesterday.


So what is a Churro anyways?
Well it's actually a Spanish pastry. If you ask me, I'd call it a variation on a doughnut or a pretzel but believe it or not it's actually more of a Choux pastry (for all you bakers out there) than a doughnut or pretzel.
Well whatever you want to call it - Churros are delicious!
And the popular way to eat them is with some hot chocolate or chocolate sauce.

So Ziela tells me in the office about this stall at the Geylang Bazaar which sells Halal Churros.
And I say "No way!" because like I said - I had never come across Halal Churros in Singapore.
So you can imagine my excitement if I actually bother to go check this out the very next day.

Sure or not???

So anyways this is what they offer.

They've got 3 types of Churros - Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate-filled and Caramel-filled.
They also have 3 types of dips - Milky Chocolate, Candy Caramel and Grandma's Apple Pie.

You can buy 4 Cinnamon Sugar or 3 Chocolate/Caramel-filled for $2 or
you can buy a Buddy combo of 6 Cinnamon Sugar, 2 Chocolate-filled and 2 Caramel-filled PLUS one of each of the dips for $5. (No prizes for guessing which one I bought)
Individual dips will cost you 50 cents a pop.

Chocolate / Caramel

Churros

Let me start by saying that the Churros are actually very good and have a nice bite to them.
I know you're saying "But Churros are normally long what" well these have been cut into bit-sized pieces for us because I'm sure you don't want to walk around Geylang Bazaar with a super-long Churros sticking out of your mouth or pocket.

And at the rate these buggers were selling, I'm guessing you're probably going to almost always get a fresh batch because people are snapping them up as soon as they come out of the fryer. Even I was lucky enough to get a fresh batch in my bag. They make and pack all their stuff on site so you're know you're getting a fresh good Churro.

I even went a little further and kept them for awhile to see if the pastry hardened (like most unfortunately do).
After an hour - still had a good bite.
I even kept some for sahur the next morning - and they still were not hard!
But of course, like most things, best to eat em while they're hot and fresh.

Candy Caramel / Milky Chocolate / Grandma's Apple Pie

So how did the dips and fillings measure up?
I have to say that my favourite was the Candy Caramel. We all know I'm a sucker for sugar.

I'm guessing a fan favourite will probably be the Milky Chocolate but take note, just like the name literally says, this is a milk chocolate sauce as my darling wife pointed out. Some of you darker chocolate fans might be whining but it's still not too bad a sauce and goes well with the Churros.

Cinnamon Sugar Churro with Milky Chocolate Dip

The one I couldn't quite get used to was the Grandma's Apple Sauce.
It tasted a lot like McDonalds' Apple Pie but it was kinda watery and there was something about it I could not quite put my finger on.

Or maybe I just wanted more of the Candy Caramel.

Cinnamon Sugar Churro

The Cinnamon Sugar Churro is actually excellent enough on its own.
But I'm gonna bet my last Candy Caramel dip that you're probably gonna be dipping it into some sauce.

The Churro Brothers

So apparently those two are the Churro Brothers aptly named Bro #1 and Bro #2.
(I am not aware of the existence of any other Churro Brother at the time of release at this blog post.)

And I'm thinking this idea probably came about like this.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Bro #1?"

"I think I am Bro #2!"

"IT'S CHURROS TIME!!!"

Okay so maybe not EXACTLY like that lah but you get the idea.

 Adam's Verdict:
Churros 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:

Churros 3/5


Oh. And like I said. They're really popular. Remember that sign at the start about queuing?
Well if you do go down during peak period at the Bazaar, you're gonna have to deal with this.

But like they said - it's worth the wait.

I must applaud these 2 Churro Brothers. They've taken a great idea and a good product and brought it to the masses at a location where it's relatively accessible to pretty much everyone. And they're really friendly too!

I'm sure what their plans are after the bazaar is over but I reckon I might check their Facebook page to find their location when I have a hankering for some Churros.

Churro Brothers

Geylang Serai Bazaar Ramadhan
Just outside the entrance of Darul Arqam Muslim Converts Association

www.facebook.com/ChurroBrothers

Operating Hours: 5.00pm til they sell out of Churros
Bro #1 tells me they normally sell out around 10pm