Qiu Rong Handmade Noodles

I remembered that a few years ago, the food court at the basement of Roxy Square used to be quiet most of the time, except in the evenings when people come for its famous Parkway Parade Steamboat and on Sundays when Christians from nearby churches come for lunch after service. But today when I was there, I was surprised to see a long queue in front of this stall, Qiu Rong Handmade Noodles.

Hence I joined in the queue and ordered a bowl of ban mian with prawns which cost $3.50. Just in case you are wondering why my serving looks so huge, I have requested for an extra $0.50 of vegetables to be added.

What distinguishes Qiu Rong from the other handmade noodles is the quality of its soup. Filled with the natural sweetness and delightful essence of meat, the flavorful soup goes very well with the smooth handmade noodles. The generous servings of minced meat and green vegetables are very tasty and fresh.

Certainly my idea of a healthy meal, Qiu Rong handmade noodles is definitely worth trying if you are around the Katong area. They also serve a variety of other dishes eg fried dumplings, Fuzhou fishballs, ABC soup, lotus soup etc.

7.5/10

Qiu Rong Handmade Noodles
Roxy Square II

50 East Coast Road

#B1-01

Suki-Ya Dinner Buffet

Of the many restaurants open at the relatively new Katong 112 shopping mall, the one that caught my attention was Suki-Ya Japanese Restaurant which has hotpot buffet for lunch and dinner. Reasonably priced at $16.90 for lunch and $20.90 for dinner (additional $2 on Friday to Sunday, public holiday and eve of public holiday), my partner and I decided to try the dinner buffet to see if it is truly value for money.

Given a choice of 2 out of 3 soup bases (shabu shabu, sukiyaki and kimchi) for the hotpot, we opted for shabu shabu and kimchi. Beside a free flow of meat (beef, pork and chicken), the dinner buffet comes with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, fish and meat balls, beancurd etc. We were most impressed by the freshness of the meat especially the sliced beef which is extremely tender and tasty. It was only at the end that we realized that we had a total of 9 plates of meat between the two of us.

Having read some unpleasant reviews of other outlets of the restaurant, I must say that Suki-Ya at Katong 112 left us a very good impression. Not only is the service staff efficient and attentive, the food is delicious and worth every dollar paid. Do come down to Katong 112 with your family and try it for yourself.

8/10

Suki-Ya
Katong 112
112 East Coast Road
#03-04
Singapore 428802

328 Katong Laksa

Mention the word Katong to any food lover in Singapore and he or she will immediately think of the famous Katong laksa. But there are so many laksa stalls in Katong: Which is the original? Which is the most popular? And which is the best?

I believe the original Katong laksa is in the coffee shop on the ground level of the old Roxy Square. However when I tried it with my colleagues recently, we all felt that its standards have dropped tremendously.

Today I decided to try the more popular 328 Katong Laksa located opposite Roxy Square. Hopefully its standards have withstood the test of time.


I ordered a $4 bowl of laksa which comes in a reasonably satisfactory portion. Delightfully scented with coconut milk, the mouthwatering gravy is sufficiently spicy and flavorful with the distinctive essence of dried shrimps but lacking in the irresistable thickness that used to distinguish it from other laksa. The delicious noodles are complemented with generous servings of fresh cockles and prawns.

328 Katong Laksa may be one of the best laksa in Singapore but I feel that it pales in comparison with Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa. While Zhen Shan Mei's gravy is thick and robust, 328's gravy seems rather watery and disappointing. Maybe it's the rising cost of ingredients or the increasing health awareness of Singaporeans but 328 is no longer the fantastic Katong laksa from the good old days.

7/10

328 Katong Laksa
No 51 East Coast Road
S(428770)

Astons Specialties

Whenever I walked past Astons Specialties, I always felt so tempted to try its famous steaks but more often than not, I was discouraged by the perpetual long queue outside. Even though I have recommended and blogged about Astons Prime, a neighboring restaurant recently set up by the same owner, I have never dined at Astons Specialties before. The golden opportunity finally came when I went there for lunch yesterday, soon after it opened at 11.30am, when the crowd was still not overwhelming.


I ordered a Prime Ribeye Extra Cut, with coleslaw and tasty rice as my two complementary side-dishes. The service was prompt and commendable and I was served within 15 mins after placing my order. Even before I sink my teeth into the mouthwatering steak, I was already impressed by the generous portions of coleslaw and tasty rice. The delicious coleslaw was flavorful with well-blended sweetness and subtle sourness. The tasty rice was delightful with unmistakable butter fragrance and lived up to every bit of its name.


The highlight of the lunch, the prime ribeye steak, was simply a masterpiece. Thoroughly and splendidly grilled, the steak exudes a distinct smoky aroma and an exceptional sizzling taste. The meat is extremely tender and juicy, every bite is simply irresistable. The special sauce accentuates the meaty flavour and leaves an unforgetable aftertaste on the taste buds.


The sumptuous Prime Ribeye Extra Cut (with two free side dishes) costs only $15.90 with no service charge and no GST. It is almost impossible to find such excellent steaks at such incredible prices in other Western restaurants. Indeed Astons Specialties has the BEST STEAKS IN SINGAPORE AT THE MOST AFFORDABLE PRICES.

8.5/10

Astons Specialties
119 East Coast Road
Singapore 428806
Tel: 91474627 / 62477857
Closed on Mondays