Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Alluring smoky aroma of BBQ meat and seafood from the first stall! I've been hearing about the small food paradise that's Sukhumvit Soi 38 in Bangkok, Thailand. In today's short and hopefully sweet review, I'm featuring the BBQ stall, which is the very first stall that you'll see on the right-hand side of the alley.

Savoury spicy and succulent Thai chili prawns that went well with rice! From Jakarta, Indonesia, we shall move on to Bangkok, Thailand. I've been hearing good reviews about Thai Airways for the past few years, and I finally got the chance to try its short-haul economy class from Singapore to Bangkok, Thailand. For someone who loves purple, the blend of what's considered to be a mysterious colour and magenta onboard certainly pleased me the moment I stepped into the plane.

I'd been missing beef roulade, and the airline served it onboard! The 2D1N trip was certainly the shortest period of time I've ever spent in Jakarta, Indonesia. After experiencing an enjoyable long-haul flight with Garuda Indonesia last year (read here ), it was high time to try its short-haul sector again from Jakarta to Singapore and see how it fared.

Stunning deep-fried pockets filled with creamy mayonnaise shrimps! Another eatery that has stood the test of time is Angke Restaurant, which is known to be one of the most sought-after places for wedding banquets in Jakarta, Indonesia. From its humble beginning of having only three dining tables, this particular restaurant whips up Hakka cuisine among others.

A huge spread of international cuisine for breakfast, but tasted so-so... For the one night stay at the heart of the capital city of Indonesia, I decided to give Hotel Santika Premiere Hayam Wuruk (4*) a try. It's a 10-minute drive from Grand Indonesia, which is one of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia as I mentioned before in my review on Artotel Jakarta  (3*). 

Truly aromatic bread from its own bakery to kickstart the steak dinner~ A Western style restaurant that has stood the test of time, Gandy Steak House has been around since the 1980s. Honestly, I can't remember when was the last time I went there prior to my recent trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, but the experience has literally left an indelible mark on my forearm that accidentally landed itself on the bull-shaped hotplate.

Unlimited cups of Hudson's Coffee, along with a small selection of buffet items~ Before I proceed to talk about the two eateries that I went to in Jakarta, Indonesia, let's take a step back and look at the Dnata Lounge at Terminal 1 of the world's best airport. The lounge by the ground handling company just opened its doors late last year, having the capacity of about 200 passengers within its 860 square meter footprint.

Delightful  canapés onboard the short, but comfy flight~ First of all, Happy Vesak Day! Well, upon hearing that Air France would stop its service between Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, I decided to take one of its last flights to the capital city of the 4th most populous country in the world. By the way, I actually prefer the previous safety video, which I feel more elegant, to the new chic rendition.

A more-than-decent pizza fit for the king! UPDATE (26/07/2020): The eatery has closed down. Pretty much a fast food place with ordering done at the counter, The Pizza Place does serve good pizzas according to many. After running an errand nearby, I finally got a chance to try it out with my BFF.

Authentic Turkish cuisine, including unique chocolate pudding with marshmallow! Literally meaning 'dining table' in Turkish, Sofra has stood the test of time. Its history dates back to 8 January 2000, and it has still drawn lots of customers looking for authentic Turkish cuisine till date.

Healthy food that's vegetarian and organic in nature made from scratch! Welcome to another having-food-delivered-for-dinner post, thanks to FoodPanda for the free delivery promotion that's still running till 22 May 2016. A tiny café at The Central above Clarke Quay MRT station, Real Food aims to serve organic vegetarian food at affordable prices. Artificial preservatives? Processed ingredients? What are those?

Well-balanced rice boxes since 1939 in Taiwan! To those who're familiar with FoodPanda, the online food delivery platform, do you know that currently there's a free delivery promotion till 22 May 2016? I just took advantage of it by ordering from Woo Ricebox, a fast food chain specialising in Taiwanese rice boxes.

Reminiscing school days with affordable Western food~ A popular budget-friendly restaurant chain, especially for students (including myself in the past), Astons Specialities has been serving value-for-money Western fare since 2005. Aston Soon (thus Astons) left his job as a restaurant chef then to start his humble business in a coffee shop along East Coast Road.

The most expensive biryani I've ever eaten thus far! :P UPDATE (01/12/2020):  The restaurant has closed down. Situated at the luxurious residential enclave that is Sentosa Cove, which has a feel of an overseas marina resort, Earl of Hindh aims to "bring the opulence, once enjoyed by the royalty of India, to those who've earned their right to it in modern times." There's even a big painting of, well, an earl. :P

Virgin experience eating iced bitter gourd with honey! The name Putien is a play on its namesake city of Putian, a coastal suburb in the Fujian Province of China. When I went to the branch at Raffles City with my uncle, apparently I forgot to take a picture of the small appetisers on the table, but I can recall that the carrot and radish pickles were truly refreshing. There was also a saucer of crunchy peanuts and seaweed that I munched on continuously.

Where cheese and cream sauce marries succulent prawns~ UPDATE (18/07/2018):  The restaurant has moved to Aperia Mall at 12 Kallang Avenue If you're looking for contemporary Cantonese cuisine with elements of tradition preserved in the dishes, look no further than Dragon Bowl. Despite its young age of slightly more than a year at the point of writing, the restaurant managed to make me a satisfied guest at the end of the meal.