Tims Restaurant & Cafe
a hidden heartland gem uncovered!
Now, you don't have to head down to town just for a decent western meal. Mum's recent recommendation of an unpretentious western cafe at Toa Payoh managed to wow.
Almost every aspect here is meticulously made to resemble the higher-class restaurants; starting from the extensive menu to diningware to food quality and even the service. According to mum, the chef Tom previously worked for The Vines Restaurant before deciding to venture out on his own.
The menu is packed with lists of western delights at very affordable prices. Being a Nepalese, the chef also included a couple of authentic Nepalese dishes apart from the range of seafood & steak selections.
My first visit was an awesome experience. The attentive service was impressive; very amicable staffs with quick and efficient service. Mum and i both had their Value Main Course and added $2.80 for a complete Set Meal (today's soup, dessert & coffee/tea/milo).
Clam Chowder
Mum's soup-of-the-day with carrot and clam bits.
Cream of Mushroom
I chose to change my soup with an additional cost of $1. Served steaming hot in a deep bowl was a diluted soup with mushroom bits so tiny that its practically negligible.
Grilled Fish with Black Pepper Sauce ($5)
Two crustily battered fish fillets over a healthy range of red & white carrots, potato chunks and longbean stalks with a neat finish of blackpepper sauce. Was particularly drawn to the flavoursome homemade sauce which contained many coarse black pepper bits- it paired well with the fish.
The soft moist fish mushes in the mouth to give a very special milky aftertaste. nice!
Grilled Chicken with Field Mushroom Sauce ($4.50)
Mum's order was pretty appetising as well.
After our plates were cleared, the waitress came over to check how our meal was going and also to serve the dessert. Mine came along with tea and i enjoyably started on my dessert.
Banana Cake
Truthfully, i was rather disappointed to see this being served. Banana cakes were never my kind of thing but an adventurous bite brought me further.. whoa, and it sure changed my impression.
the cake just of the right texture; slightly crumbly but still moist and was rich in banana taste! Checked with the waitress and she said that it was homemade by their chef. It was really good and even came with almond flakes and a icing sugar topping.
Revisited as a family of four after they were featured on the i-weekly magazine. The influence of the media was obvious, but at times it does more harm than good. I was disappointed to see how their service deteriorated but at least the food quality maintained.
Complimentary Garlic Bread
One of the best i've tried! Its toasted to perfection, resulting in cripsy edges, a soft centre and with just the right amount of garlic spread.
Cream of Chicken & Mushroom
Sis' soup came with real mushroom and chicken slices.
Momo ($3.50)
Ordered an interesting Nepali-styled steamed meat dumplings to share. Shaped like our typical xiao long baos but consisted of a coarse minced meat, chopped coriander, ginger and garlic filling. It had a very distinctive spice taste and came with a special homemade achar dip.
chunky interior with the juices intact.
Lobster with Fish Fillet ($14.80)
My lobster with 2 fish fillets, a heap of mashed potato and seasonal vegetables. Sadly, the highlight of the dish- lobster with mango salsa wasn't fresh enough. Those pathetic dry meat were forgettable. But lobster at $14.80, where else can you find that?
New Zealand Sirloin Steak ($10.80 for 220g)
Tantalisingly served on a sizzling hotplate, topped with homemade gravy and onion slices. A plain baked potato and seasonal vegetable came by the side.
Now for the interesting part, the nepalese waiter would actually come to add the toppings on the spot. Based on your preference, you may choose from sour cream, bacon bits and spring onions.
Chicken Cutlet ($4.50)
The size of the cutlet shocked us, it is really super value for money! Their version of homemade fries that came along were very hearty and crispy.
Grilled Fish with Field Mushroom Sauce ($5)
Sis had the same thing which i ordered the previous visit, but with mushroom sauce instead. I still feel that the black pepper sauce was better.
Dessert of the day
The dessert-of-the-day was supposed to be a brownie but it was sold out! This is just some cocktail cubes in a cream dressing that came in place of the brownie.
Teh Tarik
Had a foamy top layer but was too sweet.
Overall: The influence of the media was obvious, but at times it does more harm than good. My second visit was far less pleasant- the service was extremely slow and we had to quickly clear our seats for those who are waiting. Worse, i didn't get to taste their brownie!
Nevertheless, the food here is definitely better than what most would expect. Every dish is worth its value, especially with no service charge or GST. So skip the ERP, and head down to the heartlands whenever a western crave strikes!
Tims Restaurant & Cafe
Blk 95 Toa Payoh Lor 4 #01-52
11am-10.30pm
a hidden heartland gem uncovered!
Now, you don't have to head down to town just for a decent western meal. Mum's recent recommendation of an unpretentious western cafe at Toa Payoh managed to wow.
Almost every aspect here is meticulously made to resemble the higher-class restaurants; starting from the extensive menu to diningware to food quality and even the service. According to mum, the chef Tom previously worked for The Vines Restaurant before deciding to venture out on his own.
The menu is packed with lists of western delights at very affordable prices. Being a Nepalese, the chef also included a couple of authentic Nepalese dishes apart from the range of seafood & steak selections.
My first visit was an awesome experience. The attentive service was impressive; very amicable staffs with quick and efficient service. Mum and i both had their Value Main Course and added $2.80 for a complete Set Meal (today's soup, dessert & coffee/tea/milo).
Clam Chowder
Mum's soup-of-the-day with carrot and clam bits.
Cream of Mushroom
I chose to change my soup with an additional cost of $1. Served steaming hot in a deep bowl was a diluted soup with mushroom bits so tiny that its practically negligible.
Grilled Fish with Black Pepper Sauce ($5)
Two crustily battered fish fillets over a healthy range of red & white carrots, potato chunks and longbean stalks with a neat finish of blackpepper sauce. Was particularly drawn to the flavoursome homemade sauce which contained many coarse black pepper bits- it paired well with the fish.
The soft moist fish mushes in the mouth to give a very special milky aftertaste. nice!
Grilled Chicken with Field Mushroom Sauce ($4.50)
Mum's order was pretty appetising as well.
After our plates were cleared, the waitress came over to check how our meal was going and also to serve the dessert. Mine came along with tea and i enjoyably started on my dessert.
Banana Cake
Truthfully, i was rather disappointed to see this being served. Banana cakes were never my kind of thing but an adventurous bite brought me further.. whoa, and it sure changed my impression.
the cake just of the right texture; slightly crumbly but still moist and was rich in banana taste! Checked with the waitress and she said that it was homemade by their chef. It was really good and even came with almond flakes and a icing sugar topping.
Revisited as a family of four after they were featured on the i-weekly magazine. The influence of the media was obvious, but at times it does more harm than good. I was disappointed to see how their service deteriorated but at least the food quality maintained.
Complimentary Garlic Bread
One of the best i've tried! Its toasted to perfection, resulting in cripsy edges, a soft centre and with just the right amount of garlic spread.
Cream of Chicken & Mushroom
Sis' soup came with real mushroom and chicken slices.
Momo ($3.50)
Ordered an interesting Nepali-styled steamed meat dumplings to share. Shaped like our typical xiao long baos but consisted of a coarse minced meat, chopped coriander, ginger and garlic filling. It had a very distinctive spice taste and came with a special homemade achar dip.
chunky interior with the juices intact.
Lobster with Fish Fillet ($14.80)
My lobster with 2 fish fillets, a heap of mashed potato and seasonal vegetables. Sadly, the highlight of the dish- lobster with mango salsa wasn't fresh enough. Those pathetic dry meat were forgettable. But lobster at $14.80, where else can you find that?
New Zealand Sirloin Steak ($10.80 for 220g)
Tantalisingly served on a sizzling hotplate, topped with homemade gravy and onion slices. A plain baked potato and seasonal vegetable came by the side.
Now for the interesting part, the nepalese waiter would actually come to add the toppings on the spot. Based on your preference, you may choose from sour cream, bacon bits and spring onions.
Chicken Cutlet ($4.50)
The size of the cutlet shocked us, it is really super value for money! Their version of homemade fries that came along were very hearty and crispy.
Grilled Fish with Field Mushroom Sauce ($5)
Sis had the same thing which i ordered the previous visit, but with mushroom sauce instead. I still feel that the black pepper sauce was better.
Dessert of the day
The dessert-of-the-day was supposed to be a brownie but it was sold out! This is just some cocktail cubes in a cream dressing that came in place of the brownie.
Teh Tarik
Had a foamy top layer but was too sweet.
Overall: The influence of the media was obvious, but at times it does more harm than good. My second visit was far less pleasant- the service was extremely slow and we had to quickly clear our seats for those who are waiting. Worse, i didn't get to taste their brownie!
Nevertheless, the food here is definitely better than what most would expect. Every dish is worth its value, especially with no service charge or GST. So skip the ERP, and head down to the heartlands whenever a western crave strikes!
Tims Restaurant & Cafe
Blk 95 Toa Payoh Lor 4 #01-52
11am-10.30pm
posted by Elaine Ng. at 5:20 AM
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