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Kam's Place - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Singaporean Restaurants Sushi Bars Singaporean, Sushi Bars [Edit]
1043 Davie StVancouver, BC V6E 1M5
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 669-3389
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Kam's Place
Review Highlights
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"For dessert, we had deep fried banana with mango ice cream." In 3 reviews -
"Loved the coconut rice." In 5 reviews -
"...prawns, steamed coconut rice, long bean spicy beef, lemon..." In 4 reviews
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
1/19/2011
I finally visited this place for the first time the other day. We were looking for something relatively affordable, fresh, and vegan-friendly downtown, and we wandered everywhere before finally landing at Kam's Place.
I ordered the veg green curry, and my girlfriend ordered the veg black bean. Both were chock-full of fresh, lightly steamed vegetables - carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, water chestnuts, zucchini. The sauces weren't overpowering, though I did find the curry really liquidy - it was more like a soup. Both were served with shredded lettuce with a sweet vinaigrette dressing and a dome of rice.
For $5.75 we were full and our need for fresh food had been satisfied. All of the vegetables were freshly chopped, none of them canned or frozen - which is very special for such a low price!
I would not recommend those veg dishes for someone who doesn't like the taste of vegetables. They are not overly slathered in sauce, so they really do taste like what they are. Lots of mushrooms. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 12/7/2010 4 Check-ins Here
I mourn the because-the-rent-is-too-high loss of one of my favourite West End owners, Kam. The restaurant is under new ownership and Kam is off looking for a new place to set up roots.
But while the new management has made an entirely new menu of sushi, of which I have no intention of trying, the regular Kam's Place menu still exists and with it, my two staples: ginger pork and long bean chicken.
It's all different, but the ever-sweet-old-school staff still remembers us. And for that I will keep supporting them... well, until Kam finds a new home and then who knows, maybe I'll just move too!Listed in: 5 Star Reviews - You deserve…, Casual Dining in Vancouver, Noodling it up in Vancouver, Vancouver's Cheap Eats, Vancouver's Spicy Foods
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/9/2009
My favorite, walk to place for take away. The owner knows everyone - or at the very least, makes you… Read more »
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Review from Molly W.
7/16/2009 ROTD 11/27/2009
NOTE: They do not accept debit. Have a credit card or bring cash.
I LOVE this place, and I will tell you why.
- The food is dirt cheap, ESPECIALLY during lunch hours!
- The food is too delicious to be true. It should not be this good for the price it is, but it is!
- The owner gave me a beautifully gift wrapped tea mug for free because I waited patiently while my boyfriend left to get cash at the ATM across the street. How gracious and nice is that?
- Their ginger beef is like crack in food form. I seriously can't get enough of it. It's like candy. If you're not vegetarian, eat their ginger beef.
- Their lettuce wraps are seriously to die for.
I went here with my boyfriend and two others and we cleaned our whole table in one sitting. We got BBQ pork pineapple fried rice, long bean chicken, ginger beef, lettuce wrap with pork, and a curry, I don't recall which.
The curry was lackluster but everything else was so amazing.
My boyfriend and I go here for lunch about once a week. Our typical order is ginger beef lunch special. HUGE portions; the day we go here for lunch, I usually have plenty of leftovers for dinner. I think it's only $5.75 for the plate, too, so for two people our lunch is about $13. Definitely not bad!
Seriously, folks, if you live or work Downtown, or visit often, I'm sure you've walked by this place on Davie near Burrard more than once. It's time to stop passing it by and come and and try their delicious food!Listed in: Tastiest Places in The 'Couve
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Review from Raffy E.
Vancouver, BC
My god, sometimes it pays being a cheapskate (Pays? Get it? [insert drum roll here]). Entrees that hover around the $11 range? Portion sizes that would choke a Biggest Loser contestant? If it weren't for my fevered nightly searches for joints that serve by the trough I would never have thought to check this place out.
I'm being facetious with using the word "trough", however. Don't presume for one peanut sauce-slathered second that this restaurant is anything but good eats. The interior is nicely decorated with neat Singaporean furniture, artifacts and the expected tchochkes. The reception given by who I can only assume was Kam was very friendly and accommodating. Best of all, I got a satisfying meal.
(A small caveat: While the dishes I ordered--nasi goreng and chicken in peanut sauce--were indeed good, they were a bit underseasoned. No matter; nothing a little salt, pepper and shichimi couldn't fix. Still a thumbs up from me!) -
Review from Peter S.
7/6/2009
Kam's is the Place I go when I need a guaranteed good feed.
Nothin fancy, nothin expensive, just damn good fast Singapore-ish cuisine.
I have pretty much had everything on the menu over the last three years. My top eats are: Ginger pork, Mee Siam, Sha cha chicken, Long bean spicy beef, and the mixed veg with peanut sauce.
I always leave with a smile on my face and left overs for tomorrow's lunch. Even when I am having one of my worst days, Kam can make me laugh. I wish he was there everyday!Listed in: Spicy Vancouver, West Ender, Post game bites
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Review from Sarah O.
2/10/2009
Singaporean food. While it might sound exotic, it's pretty simple. Less greasier than Chinese food and less saucier than Thai, you can still expect to find fried rice, stir fry veggies and various meat dishes. But the thing that makes Kam's a great place, is that they do simple and they do it well. Everything is always fresh and clean and fast, the workers are nice, and the portions are very satisfactory. I am a bit of a vegetable snob, hailing from an agricultural heaven called California, and I really do appreciate how this restaurant is able to cook their veggies just enough to keep them crispy and with the right amount of flavor.
And the 2 for 1 coupon? Mama mia, that's just icing on the cake. -
Review from Kris S.
11/30/2009
My wife and I tried Kam's Place while visiting Vancouver from the States last week. We selected it based on its proximity to our hotel and other Yelp reviews. This place did not disappoint!
As soon as we walked in the door, we were greeted by Kam himself, who told us he'd have a table for us in five minutes. A few minutes later, Kam seated the two of us at a nice window table made for four, despite the restaurant being very full.
We decided to start out with a calamari appetizer, and it was excellent. It consisted of tender, breaded calamari rings with a sweet dipping sauce. For entrees, we ordered the pineapple fried rice (my wife's choice) and the ginger beef (my choice, based on other Yelp reviews) along with a side of coconut rice. When the food arrived (very quickly, I might add), I couldn't believe how large the portions were. Had we known, we never would've ordered the appetizer. My wife's huge bowl of pineapple fried rice was exactly what she had hoped for. My ginger beef was a very large serving of chunks of beef in a very tasty, sweet sauce. It's a very flavorful dish, but I like a lot of flavor, so it was perfect for me. It also went great with the coconut rice, which was served steaming in a banana leaf.
As we were finishing up (with well over half of our food left), Kam stopped by to see how everything had been and to give my wife a nice gift-wrapped tea mug. We both thought this was a very nice gesture.
Overall, this restaurant more than exceeded our expectations. It's nice to dine at a place where the owner cares so much about providing excellent service and amazing food. On top of everything, it was very affordable. We will definitely be back on our next visit to Vancouver. -
Review from Le M.
2/15/2010
"Gee, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." I like Davie -- not only because it's my type of gayborhood -- but where else can you find Singaporean, Middle Eastern, Greek, Japanese, Thai, American, Vietnamese and Tansylvanian eats all within short click of your ruby red shoes!
WHY GO THERE? Big tasty satisfying meal, each entree can be shared. Very friendly and quick service. The owner Kam is a jovial guy, checking your orders and making sure you're a happy diner.
WHATCHA GOT? We had calamari, pepper prawns, steamed coconut rice, long bean spicy beef, lemon chicken -- they all didn't disappoint. I'm addicted to the nonalcoholic drink, Boo Boo's Special. Whoever Boo Boo is, I wanna hang out with him postprandial! For dessert, we had deep fried banana with mango ice cream. Yum!
YOU GOT SERVED. Kam is very friendly and attentive. Our waiter is prompt, courteous and brings out entrees with a smile. Realizing our table is a group of happy 'mos, Kam guaranteed we got the biggest bananas from the kitchen. Love it! -
Review from Katie F.
3/21/2010
3.5 stars.
Can you believe I got a recommendation to come here when I was in Mexico? I figured it must have been one heck of a place for someone there to remember it!
Great service, great prices and big portions! Lunch specials are around $7 each and entrees/a la carte dishes are around $10. There are a few items that I was surprised to not see on the menu but overall there was a good selection.
Loved the spicy garlic pork ribs to start! Hubby and I then shared the pad Thai (it's the tomatoey kind and noodles are a bit soft for me - would pass on this next time) and the sha cha peanut beef and broccoli - the broccoli was fabulous but the peanut sauce was a bit bland. Loved the coconut rice.
The food was ok overall. But the service was excellent and so were the prices so I'd be happy to come back again and try more!
(There's also a coupon in the Entertainment book to save some money!) -
Review from Mark H.
5/8/2010
It's been a while since I voyaged into the land of Davie, and I wanted to try something new. In my quick stroll I came across Kam's Place, saw it was quite busy so I figured it would be Ok.
The owner is super friendly and energetic. Really makes everyone feel welcome. I even saw him give a gift to a mom for her baby girl. I've never seen that happen before! The rest of the servers were also pleasant and attentive.
We ordered the chicken and green bean dish as well as the ginger beef (I think), though the sauce tasted a bit like licorice. Portions were large for 10.95. Having tried other Singaporean restaurants, I don't think this is very authentic. To me it actually tasted more Chinese.
Maybe I'll have to give this place another try to do it justice. -
Review from Angel C.
Vancouver, BC
2/26/2010
After much anticipation I finally had dinner at Kam's Place tonight! All I can say is that I wish I tried this place sooner. If you are looking for a delicious meal for a very resonable price you don't need to look any further.
The service was prompt and the waiters/waitresses were extremely friendly and attentive. I used a coupon from the Entertainment Book to get $15 off our total without a problem.
My friends and I ordered the House Chilli Prawns, Pad Thai, Singaporean Rice, Beef with Green Beans, Lettuce Wraps and to end it all on a sweet note we also got the Deep Fried Banana with Mango Ice Cream.
My favourites were definitely the Singaporean Rice and the Beef with Green Beans. The banana dessert was also extremely tasty.
We met Kam, the owner of the restaurant, and he made us laugh a lot throughout the evening. I think I will become a regular at this restaurant. What a great find! -
Review from Emily S.
Vancouver, BC
1/27/2010
Who cares if it's authentic... it's good food.
Like other Yelpers have pointed out - get the 2 for 1 coupon in the Georgia Straight on the way there.
p.s. Each portion feeds two people. -
Review from Rich R.
Vancouver, BC
8/16/2010
I definitely have a love/hate relationship with Kam's.
It's been about 3 years since I've eaten here, so I had a few faded memories which came rush back to me when the food hit our table.
Let me paint a picture of the evening for you first. It's a scorching hot day (one of the hottest of the year here in Vancouver). After spending all day yesterday in the sun, I had to stay inside today and try to rehydrate. But staying inside didn't prove to be any cooler. y the time supper time approached, there was no chance that my wife and I were about to fire up the oven to cook. I'm pretty sure the paint would have melted off the walls if we had.
So we debated where we could eat that was fairly inexpensive and would likely provide some leftovers for me to take to work tomorrow. We decided we would like a place cheap enough that we could order 3 dishes to ensure adequate leftovers. As any true Westend resident knows, Th Georgia Straight holds a little gem inside in the form of a 2for1 at Kam's! I'm not sure how long they've been doing this, but I know it's been in there for at least 3 or 4 years.
So off we headed to eat in a wonderfully AIR-CONDITIONED restaurant. The familiarity of it was nice. I was hoping to see Kam today, but it was Sunday evening, so I suppose he deserved the day off.
Since we had the 2for1, we decided on a peanut chicken (I forget the actual name), the ginger beef (my fav), and the house seafood combo. If that didn't sound like enough, we felt like having a spring roll to start.
Now, my memory is usually pretty good, but for some reason I forgot about the portion sizes here! Holy B'Jeezuz!
Out comes 4 ginormous spring rolls that could have been a meal in themselves! 30 seconds later, the mammoth-sized entrees arrived. I looked at my wife with a bit of terror in my eyes. Even though it was air conditioned, I could feel a bead of sweat forming on my forehead.
Well, we put forth a valiant effort, but the waitress had to pack up what looked like enough food to feed a family of 8.
So I got my wish... leftovers.
Now I'm sitting here at work, having just attempted to polish off what was left from last night, and I'm realizing that I will not be getting anything productive for the rest of the afternoon.
Overall, Kam's is great with huge portions. The best, and most important part, is that you can order anything and request NO MSG! So Kam, you lost one star for having MSG, but it is definitely nice to have the option to leave it out.
I'll see you in another 3 years once I've finished digesting last night's feast. :) -
Review from Bethel L.
Victoria, BC
2/9/2009 1 photo
Feel good place to enjoy Asian comfort food.
From the outside, Kam's Place doesn't look all that appetizing. When you step into the first door, the décor makes you wonder if you should hop right back outside. But once you step through the second door into the actual restaurant, you'll immediately feel welcomed and glad you came.
Kam's place has a warm ambiance, sweet waitresses, and tasty food. The cuisine is a mixture of Singaporean, Thai, and Chinese. Two dishes would've filled my husband and me, but we ordered 3 because we had a 2-for-1 coupon (check out the ads in your local newspaper!).
For an appy we had the fried pork, which was greasy but good (make sure to get some tea to wash down the grease and you'll be fine). I wasn't a fan of the peanut sauce beef (a bit too plain and I prefer peanut sauce with chicken), but the Laksa noodle bowl was excellent (perfect level of spiciness).
I'd give the food 3-stars, but I'm up-ing my rating to four because the management was so attentive. There was one manger always scoping the scene out to make sure everyone was taken care of, and Kam was always walking around getting to know his customers. I appreciate that :) -
Review from Alexandria M.
Vancouver, BC
11/16/2009
Great service, fantastic food, good prices. Check, check, check...
but what really puts this place over the top is Kam. He greets, seats, schmoozes, gives little gifts to the ladies, makes sure everything runs smoothly. He's genuinely happy you came. (He also looks a wee bit like Charlie Brown, so it's impossible not to smile back)
Try the Ginger Beef and the Spicy Green Beans. They're both so good, they're even delicious as cold leftovers. -
Review from BB H.
Burnaby, BC
12/8/2009
Nothing at all like Singapore food I've had in Singapore. I found the food there far too oily. It's hit and miss really. Place is always packed but maybe it's a Westerner thing but I did not find the taste at all that great.
The two-for-one coupon always in the weekly free papers draws you in but as far as that part of the world's cuisine I'll take Only Malaysia over this place anyday. -
Review from Cody S.
2/6/2011
We aren't regulars at Kam's, but, we do come here quite a bit for dinner. I enjoy most everything. The service is lacking...I really don't like waiting for a long time to get drinks or place an order. The food quality is terribly inconsistent. You can rave about one dish while the other tastes like breaded and fried cardboard. This happens to us way too much. You think you know what to avoid, but you are always terribly wrong. I still like the food here...in fact I really like the ginger chicken. That's what keeps me coming back. I don't know why the food is so different from time to time, but it is. Overall, we will keep coming back...the 2 for 1 coupon is too good to pass up.
Listed in: Davie Street Hangouts
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Review from Jason D.
Vancouver, BC
8/19/2010
I too must agree with Rich R. I too have a love/Hate relationship with Kams Place.
The main seller of this place is the 2 for 1 coupon. My friend and I would eat at Kams quite regularily up until about 2 years ago.
The servers are very friendly but Kam is very moody. In general the food is good and portions are big but the downside to it all is that the food is terribly inconsistent. My favourite dish is Pad Thai and if I am lucky it will taste awesome other times it is bland. It is very hit and miss. This is why I do not frequent this restaurant quite as often anymore. -
Review from Frans S.
Vancouver, BC
4/18/2010
If I can give less than 1 star, I would. This place simply doesn't deserve to be called a Singaporean restaurant.
My grandmother, uncles, aunts, and cousins are all currently living in Singapore and I visit them quite often. Every time I'm there, I always eat local dishes such as Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, Mee Siam, Mee Pok, Roti Prata, Bakut Teh, etc. So obviously I know a thing or two regarding authentic Singaporean dishes.
I went with my wife to Kam's Place about a year ago because I really missed Singaporean Mee Siam (a dish of thin rice noodles in spicy, sweet and sour light gravy). So I ordered one, but to my shock, what was delivered to my table was not in any way, shape or form resembled what I know as Mee Siam. I complained to the manager who explained to me that if they had offered the real, authentic version of Mee Siam, no Vancouverites would ever order one since the smell of belacan (shrimp paste) would be too strong for any local patrons. I found this explanation to be completely lame & have no basis in truth.
If you want authentic Singaporean dishes, I would recommend Hawkers' Delight on Main Street instead. I went there and ordered the same dish (Mee Siam) & what came out looked (and tasted) exactly like what I've grown accustomed to every time I visit Singapore. Now that's authentic! -
Review from Richard D.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2008
This was the first time I've ever had Singaporean food. It was excellent, and the prices were very reasonable. They had some Thai dishes, too.
In fact, the restaurant serves one of my favorite Thai soups: Tom Kha Gai, the coconut chicken soup. We ordered a beef dish and a vegetarian dish and had lots of leftovers.
We went with a friend who has occasionally been to the restaurant, and the owner treated him like gold.
Someone at the table next to us was celebrating a birthday and got nice coffee mugs.
When the owner heard that my husband and I had just gotten married and settled in Vancouver, he said he had a little gift for us. He gave us a beautifully wrapped gorgeous teapot and four mugs.
This is the type of restaurant where I could easily become a regular. -
Review from Ross H.
11/6/2009
Having visited Singapore and married a Singaporean, there were some expectations about Kam's. When one thinks about Singapore, food is the first thing to come to mind and there are three dishes which pretty much define Singapore: Chili Crab, Laksa, and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Only one of those dishes was on the menu. (Granted, they have Chili Prawns and Pepper Prawns, but we didn't try them.) My wife ordered the Laksa. I saw the reviews about the Ginger Beef and thought I would try that out.
So this is where the review gets tough. The Laksa wasn't Laksa. At least it wasn't Singaporean Laksa. My wife thinks it might have been more Malaysian influenced, but even I could tell on sight that it wasn't even close to being a Laksa you'd find in Singapore. It reminded me more of Indian flavors than Nonya.
That said, once she declared that it wasn't Laksa, she still enjoyed it for what it was. The portions of ingredients were generous. And I thought the ginger beef was tasty, but there wasn't anything about it that made it Singaporean. More Chinese, I think.
So, we'd say enjoy it for what it is, but if you go to Singapore, don't use this as your basis for your expectations. In all fairness, though, even in Los Angeles we haven't found any places that come really close. -
Review from Claudio B.
4/3/2010
I thought the food was bad with an aftertaste. This is how Malaysian girldfriend describes the experience:
"Terrible food! Dishes appeared within 5 minutes, suggesting it had been pre-cooked. The chicken satay skewers were pan-fried instead of grilled and tasted like chicken though still not quite like chicken. The accompanying peanut sauce had no peanuts and tasted like a peanut butter mixture.
The coconut rice we ordered was overcooked rice with some coconut milk on top. The shrimp with vegetables came swimming in some red liquid that almost overflowed the dish.
Frankly, the entire experience was offputting and the food so tasteless (though offered in generous portions) that we decided to leave the leftovers on the table instead of doggie-bagging it.
If I could give this place 0 stars, I would." -
Review from Jim W.
Updated - 1/22/2011
I realize my mistake now.... my default sort on reviews was by "rating" - sorting by date - shows me that there's a shift in reviews from early 2010 to late 2010. I bet I could use those reviews to identify when "Kam" left this and other owners took it over.
Won't make that mistake again! Wish Yelp would updated the survey ... under "Good For" add selections for "Never" or "Nothing" or "...a forgetful meal"1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/12/2011
Sorry - I don't know what is wrong with me - but - I did not have the same experience as many other… Read more »
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Review from Mike R.
3/17/2010
Went here based on their glowing Yelp reviews. Took everyone's advice and found the coupon in the Georgia Straight(free local paper, found a dispensing stand near Davie and Howe).
Once ordered, food was prepared in a very short amount of time. See interpretations below.
My take(fast food junkie): Ginger beef was tasty, chili prawns had a bit too much sauce. Mixed drinks are overpriced and weak, which is probably why everyone else was drinking beer. I liked how fast the food prep was. I would have given it 4 stars.
Her take(chef that would make Bobby Flay cry for mercy): Ginger beef was "weird - chewy but not too fatty or overcooked". Her opinion was that most dishes were either microwaved, mostly prepared ahead of time, or both. Sauce served over chili prawns was too tomato-ey. She's been to Singapore, and says that this place just does not compare with their local restaurants. She probably would give this place 2 stars, so it averages to 3. -
Review from Susanne J.
Hope, BC
2/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
Lovely place, lovely staff, lovely food. They handled a bunch of rowdy just lost to USA hockey fans with ease and grace. We filled up, left our boozy night behind us and left perfectly satisfied. Kam even sent us all Grand Marnier aperitifs at the end of the night.
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Review from Kimberley a.
Vancouver, BC
7/24/2009
I went at 5 pm there was a line up but it didn't last too long. The service was very friendly! I had the veggi pad thai and lettuce wraps. The portions were huge. I didnt even make a dent in it and took the rest home. The pad thai had too much tomato but was still good. The lettuce wraps were amazing. It was almost all vegtables with small bits of tofu and noodles. Really good.
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Review from Kevin H.
Vancouver, BC
8/9/2010
Three of us had dinner at this place a few days ago. The food was awfully tasteless. The tofu fried rice was as plain as jasmine rice. The service was poor as well. Will never go there again.
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Review from Eyw d.
7/5/2009
I went here on a Sunday evening with a friend, when the place was fairly packed. It was an okay experience, except that the service was lacking and the waitress was rude. The food wasn't bad though, and I'd give this place another shot (if I lived in Vancouver). Until then, the snappy attitude of the waitress leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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Review from Kris W.
Vancouver, BC
3/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Good food. Beware portions are enough for two people to share (and served family style anyway so that's appropriate) I had prawns and veggies in black bean sauce and ordered coconut rice. Was very tasty.
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Review from Warren C.
Vancouver, BC
9/29/2010
This place is totally under new management...Kam is no longer there and neither is any of the staff...decor is brighter and not in a good way. I have been going to Kam's since it opened...got to be over 10 years now and never had a bad meal until now. Last week I ordered takeout from their original Singaporean menu...unaware of change in management. I noticed food delivered was a bit different but didn't think too much of it. Just thought they had an off night. They included a Japanese takeout menu so I thought I'd try it out....oh what a MISTAKE...when I got there to pick up, they tried to charge me more than price on their menu and then when I brought food home...the quality of everything was very poor. I threw most of it out and am praying I don't get sick. My head and stomach is hurting.
