Random 3's in Singapore - Part I

A lot of my daily experiences don't merit full reviews and so i've just encapsulated them here.
P.s. The ranking is in order of being my favourite.

Top 3 coffee outlets in Singapore for having the best roasted beans at great prices :-

1. San Francisco Coffee at Phillip Street

2. Kith Cafe at Robertson Quay

3. Black's at 311 Somerset and Hitachi Tower (CBD)

Top 3 dessert places which will really satisfy that sweet tooth albeit at a price :-

1. Laurent Bernard Chocolatier at Robertson Quay

2. Da Paolo Dolci at Jalan Merah Saga

3. The Scoop Shop (Holland Village and Clementi) and Cold Stone Creamery are tied for best ice creams in town

Worst 3 burger joints in Singapore for selling overpriced small burgers which don't taste fresh :-

1. Kraze Burger at Clarke Quay and MBS

2. MOS Burger - island wide

3. Freshness Burger at Clarke Quay

Restaurant Review : Jumbo Seafood, Singapore

Either you are allergic to seafood or you love it. I fall in the latter category and am almost embarrassed to state the copious amounts of well cooked seafood I can devour. Singapore is blessed with abundant restaurants specializing in this genre and each has its speciality. Within the crab world, you have the 'Jumbo' chain being masters of Chilli Gravy and Black Pepper crab and 'No Signboard' leading the charts for White Pepper crab. Some people rave about 'Red House' and 'Longbeach' but they don't impress me. The former's sauces are too sweet for my liking and the latter's crab dishes are mostly overcooked. These are of course the fancier names in the business and if you want to check out local favourites - they are all over from Joo Chiat to Newton Hawker Centre.

Jumbo is the most known amongst all seafood joints and I cannot fault their Numero Uno position. I've been going there for the past 10 years and not once have I had complaints with the food. I might moan about the need for reservations, long waiting time, tables placed centimetres away from each other, robot-like soulless service but the food always wins me over. Consistency is a big hurdle in the F&B business but Jumbo seems to have overcome it with ease. Hence, it is no surprise whenever I land at Jumbo, the manager does a double take at our order - 'Are you sure you want to order all of this?'

I frequent the Clarke Quay, Riverside Point, Dempsey and East Coast Park outlets in that order. Our order is almost always the same with only the greens varying. A large black pepper crab (sold by the weight) will set you back by SGD 45-52 and a really large one will leave you poorer by SGD 60-70. I prefer ordering two medium crabs to one large crab as you get more claws to dig into. The chilli gravy crab doesn't pass muster with me as the creamy sauce fills you up more than the crabmeat! Jumbo does a variety of prawns and on request will de-shell them for you. The salt and pepper prawns are absolutely top-class and I cannot recommend them enough. You can place your order by prawn size (S,M,L) and if you are ordering a few dishes, I reckon the medium sized serving with 6-8 pieces (SGD 20) is good enough. The Jumbo staff highly recommends the salted egg golden prawns but I find them too salty for my taste. There are enough interesting offerings from Jumbo which is why I am not a fan of ordering steamed / fried rice here. f you are a large party, I highly recommend you order one fish dish. On a manager's recommendation few visits ago, I discovered the Soon Hock or Marbled Goby and it is a must-try item. The fish comes as a whole as opposed to a fillet but the meat is so soft you can scoop it out with ease. This too is sold by the weight and a regular size would cost SGD 50-60. With all that cholesterol-rich food going into you, I advise a portion of greens. Choose between kangkong and baby kailan and you can't go wrong with either. Done in a nice oyster sauce with lot of garlic, they are the perfect accompaniment to your seafood order.

Jumbo has a wine list but I honestly think the wine taste takes away from the seafood flavour. I am not a big fan of the locally brewed Tiger beer but have to admit it goes very well with Asian seafood. But before you order that pint or jug of beer, I highly recommend you enjoy the appetizers with a Siam coconut (SGD 4.80) which is fresh, sweet and chilled at Jumbo.

Whilst Jumbo is undoubtedly one of Singapore's most popular restaurants, there are some aspects which leave you flustered. Firstly, the cut and dry attitude of the staff - be it on phone or in person - they lack warmth and go about their jobs in a robotic manner. Should you need any help or additional cutlery/aprons, be prepared to ask 2-3 waiters before you finally get it. Agreed this is not fine dining, but you do expect a minimum level of service when dining out. But what really gets my goat at Jumbo is the hidden tea / nuts charge. For those who are unaware, the moment you take a seat you'll be presented with fried peanuts and green tea. You might think these are complimentary, but unless you return them immediately you will be billed for them. It is not about the money (peanuts for SGD 1.20 and tea per head for  SGD 1.20) but when you are in a decently expensive speciality cuisine restaurant this kind of petty billing is very annoying. Thank God they have stopped charging for the wet tissues which used to be the case a few years back!

Overall, Jumbo is of course very highly recommended. American Express credit cards can usually get you some discount here so remember to ask while settling your tab. Portion sizes are big and if you are a hearty diner with friends who have similar appetite, this is the ideal restaurant for a group dinner. Take my advice : dump the cutlery and chopsticks whilst eating the crab. Put your hands to good use and forget manners and propriety in this food heaven. Go all out !

Airline Review : Air India

Air India. The name conjures up images of smelly aircrafts, delayed flights, overweight stewardesses and of late, strikes. With all the negative headlines around the airline, people are wont to think the airline has no positive attributes left. What used to be a much decorated airline in the 1970's has been reduced to a mere caricature of its former self. But with the recent induction of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, there is still hope.

Whats going for the airline :
1. Business class fares are a steal ! Compared to the national carrier of your destination, I can vouch Air India (AI) business class fare will be atleast 40% cheaper if not more. Compared to Singapore Airlines, we are talking a fare difference of 70%+! Of course, the service and swish factor of other airlines might be several notches higher, but show me another nearly flat seat at Air India's price.
2. Some of AI's promotional schemes are truly value-for-money. Sample this : you can upgrade your economy seat to executive class (subject to availability) for INR 4,000 on routes less than 750 km and for INR 6,000 only for routes longer than 750km. Of course, with all the government travellers onboard, the 'availability' is a big question. Air India's most successful campaign - 'Companion flies free' - has been ongoing for years where companion pays only taxes and surcharges of the free ticket. The scheme is valid for full fare non-Asia economy seats too.
3. Great connectivity within India also : A lot of international travellers have onward connections to smaller Indian cities. Booking the entire trip on Air India is an ultra-cheap and convenient way to get to your destination. Whats more : Air India's 'Desh Videsh' scheme caters to precisely this lot (you get an international ticket free on completing INR 100,000 worth of domestic travel in a stipulated period). If you are on holiday in India, look out for the Air India-Taj hotels package which is yet another winner.
4. Service - Now when I talk about service in the Air India context, I don't mean Miss Universe-like contestants sashaying down the aisle to provide you with gourmet food and beverages. However, some staff at Air India do take their job seriously and care about providing you with smiling and efficient service. Operating within their limited government provided resources, I have often found staff to be courteous and warm (albeit a bit too matronly sometimes!)

What can do with some help :
1. Reduce AI's cost base in a bid to make it profitable : Air India is run by a heavily unionized employee body which doesn't lose much time in arm twisting the government for more bail-outs. Unfortunately, bulk of the bail-out money goes to fund 6 figure salaries of AI pilots many of whom are just high school graduates! A more realistic cost base will give AI a realistic bottomline too.
2. Regularity of service (a.k.a no strikes) : As mentioned above, the ease and frequency with which AI employees go on strike doesn't earn it any favours with retail travellers who are looking for reliability of service apart from low fares. Inspite of so many fare promotions, load factor on AI flights is dominated by Government ministers and officials who have to travel AI as per policy and who I doubt pay anything close to published fares. Needless to add, AI's on-time record has become a side casualty of these incessant strikes.
3. Inflight maintenance : I have to admit the moment when you walk into an AI plane is not exactly a memory you'll want to cherish forever. Broken armrests held together by tape, seats which won't recline, dog eared magazines and service which has zero consistency do not make for good memories. Add to these woes, headlines like these (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Stop-eating-up-flyers-food-Air-India-tells-stewards/articleshow/16456549.cms) and you realize Air India is in a league of its own in some very unique aspects!
4. No membership of any global frequent flyer program : Talks with Star Alliance have been going on and off for the past several years with the last round seeing Air India booted out by Star Alliance for not meeting the minimum standards for entry into the group.

Overall rating : 5/10. Media reports in recent times have alluded to Air India forcibly being made the proverbial big brother who sacrifices his all to give life to younger brother (a privately owned Indian airline in this context). If this is indeed the case and it does look like it with the Indian government's somewhat adamant stand on letting Air India sink, I feel sorry for JRD Tata's vision of what could have been a world class airline. But as Lenny Kravitz crooned, it ain't over till its over.