Welcome to my world in Pasir Ris:

Sakura Buffet Restaurant


Sakura Buffet Restaurant

For something different, we had our family reunion meal at one of the branches of Sakura International Buffet Restaurant at NTUC Downtown East in Pasir Ris recently.

Sakura Buffet Restaurant serves halal international cuisines in a mouth-watering buffet spread. We were impressed by the wide range of dishes. Some dishes looked as good as it tasted, while most were adequately tasty.

The good thing about having a buffet meal at a halal certified restaurant is that it allows all members to eat what they prefer in an air-conditioned environment.

The selection of food at Sakura Buffet Restaurant ranges from Chinese-style wok-fried cooking, to Japanese food like sashimi & sushi, to Western-styled dishes like lamb chops and beef steaks. There is also a wide choice of dim sim dishes.

The Sakura's salad bar buffet spread was also generous in its range of edibles. There's also desserts like ice-creams, durian puffs and cakes that you'll find at hotel restaurants during high-teas.

To wash down all those goodies along your gullet, there's plenty to choose at Sakura Buffet restaurant in terms of drinks -sodas, soft drinks, cappucino, tea and many more.


My personal favourites were Sakura Buffet Restaurant's shark's fin soup, roast duck skin crepe, chicken satay, lamb chop, chocolate cake, raw salmon sashimi and prawn dumpling. Plus I could help myself to second and third helpings of my favourite dishes.

The branch of Sakura Buffet Restaurant at Downtown East does not give an image of a high class restaurant. It's cafeteria-like long tables and plastic chairs on non-carpeted floor gave away its Pasir Ris neighbouthood heartlander clientele. What it lacks in ambience is more than made up by the ample selection of free flow of all dishes to fill any plus-sized stomach to satisfaction. Guaranteed.

While not all dishes at Sakura Buffet Restaurant tasted exceptionally good, most tasted average or better. For the price of $22 for an adult and $10.90 for a child at their Weekend Lunch buffet, it is definitely value for money.

Lunch is served until 2.30pm only. So don't think of paying for one meal and hanging inside the restaurant till dinner time for a free second meal!


Address: Sakura Buffet Restaurant
NTUC Downtown East, Pasir Ris

Happy Niu Year of The Ox


Happy Niu Year In The Year Of The Ox!

As I'll be away for a while,
let me take this early opportunity
to wish one and all:


A happy and prosperous year!

Enjoy your 'Niu' Year!

Pasir Ris Not Paris

Best Mandarin Orange


Best Mandarin Orange

Are these the best mandarin oranges in Singapore?

With the coming Lunar New Year, supermarkets and fruit stalls are once again swamped with a wide range of mandarin oranges, Just which are the best mandarin oranges in the neighbourhood?


These mandarin oranges are competing to be the best in the market. These tonkan mandarin oranges are from Taiwan.

Each box of the best mandarin oranges come with individually wrapped plastic. There is a cushion layer to act as shock absorbers to withstand rough handling during transporation from Taiwan to Singapore. Twenty of the best can be found in each box.



These mandarin oranges peel easily without much effort, These is no splatter of orange juice that would be so wasteful.
I sampled one of these madanrin oranges. The Taiwan Tonkan flesh is distinct as you can taste the individual pulps. Plenty of juice can be expected with one of these best madarin oranges in my mouth. In terms of texture, they do not feel quite right, as I could discern the pulps with each bite.

The sweetness is about right, though there are much sweeter mandarin oranges that I have tasted.

Overall, this mandarin orange from Taiwan is probably up there among the best. They are well-shaped, thus useful to have some of mandarin oranges to exchange with others during Chinese New Year visits.

Recommendation for Taiwan Ponkan:

Score = 8 out of 10.

Corn Muffin, Kenny Rogers

Photo: Corn Muffin from Kenny Roger's Restaurant


Corn Muffin Kenny Rogers

I must mention the corn muffin that I ate at Kenny Roger's Restaurant in East Coast Park recently.

My corn muffin came with my Quarter Chicken order. The yellow-coloured bun like pastry looked good and smelled even better. Corn and sweetness were evidently tasted when I took a small bite out of my corn muffin. The dough was slightly crumbly, fairly firm in texture and just a lit too dry to qualify as my dream muffin.

Overall, the sweetness and corn taste were genuine. There was no grittiness upon chewing this corn muffin, like I've experienced sometimes from inferior corn sources.

Recommendation:
Corn Muffin from Kenny Rogers Restaurant = 7 out of 10.

Kenny Roger's Chicken

Photo: Kenny Roger's Chicken


Kenny Roger's Chicken

I sampled Kenny Roger's Chicken at its branch outlet in East Coast Park. After enjoying a beautiful sunset at East Coast Park, we adjourned to Kenny Roger's Chicken for some Quarter Chicken and drinks.

Kenny Roger's Quarter-cut Chicken is presented in a large blue plate with two toppings of your choice. At first glance, their chicken did not appear too appetising. Specks of black bits were scattered all over the brownish chicken skin.

One bite into Kenny Roger's Chicken and my eyes lit up. The taste of its seasoning, a secret blend of spices and herbs, induced a mouth-watering reaction in my mouth. Somehow the extremely likeable taste produced an other-worldly experience. The skin possessed sufficient spring and texture to be eaten on its own. The chicken meat was firm, not soggy and had the right amount of flesh to give a convincing chew.

Kenny Roger's Chicken was one of the best cuts of meat that I've tasted. Pity that its presentation could not match its taste.

Recommendation:
Kenny Roger's Chicken = 8.5 out of 10.

Happy Happy New Year To Pasir Ris Not Paris Readers


Happy Happy New Year
To All
Pasir Ris Not Paris Readers!