Tao's Restaurant

The menu.


The dining setting. The cup in the background is filled with hot peach tea.


Starters: Bacon and Mushroom Gratin


Hot crispy toast to go with the gratin. You're welcome to ask for more.


Salads: Farm Boy Splendor
A fresh and zesty salad, garnished with lemon juice and chicken slices.


Salads: Fruit Salad
A classic fruit salad topped with a generous portion of crab meat.


Soups: Cream of Pumpkin
A flavourful soup served in a charming pumpkin bowl.


Soups: Cream of Mushroom
An absolutely lip-smacking soup. No Campbell imitations here; Tao's makes their own soup from scratch.


Main Entrees: Grilled Snapper with Japanese Sauce
Freshly grilled fish with crispy skin.


Main Entrees: Tao's Oven Roasted Steak
180 grams of steak, medium-well-done.


Main Entrees: Tao's Grilled Chicken
Absolutely one of the best grilled chicken I've ever tasted! The meat is tender and juicy and steaming hot, just the way I like it.


Main Entrees: Baked Flounder with Cheese
My favourite. Although it looks like fried oysters, this fish is tasty. I wish I had ordered this in the first place.


Ice Grape Mallow Tea
Cool, slightly sweet, refreshing.


Beverages: Ice Summer Peach Tea (left), Ice Rose Apple Tea (right)
Comes with slices of fruits inside.


Desserts: Creme Brulee
Much better than your run-of-the-mill egg custard.


Desserts: Yam Ice-Cream
A lot of yam went into the making of this ice-cream.


Desserts: Black Sesame Pudding
Sweet, can be scooped out in chunks.


Desserts: Snow Creamy Souffle
A small portion of cheesecake.

✫✫✫✫ (out of 5✫s)
Verdict: We enjoyed our meal at Tao's immensely. From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, the friendly and attentive service immediately made us feel at home. The starters, salads and soups were refreshingly delicious. But the highlight was the main course, especially the grilled chicken, steak and baked flounder. Another must-try is the pork-ribs, which we unfortunately left out. The desserts are so-so, but do help to round up this 6-course lunch.

Tao's Restaurant is located at:
1 Selegie Road
B1-19 Paradiz Centre
Singapore 188306
6339-8858

From their website:
Tao's Restaurant was established by Mr Huang Yen Kun in June 2003. During a date with his girlfriend while still in college, they came across a famous French restaurant that was serving 7-course set meal. Mr Huang really wanted to dine in, but at $100 per set, the price was beyond what he could afford at that moment. This incident sparked off his idea of opening a restaurant that serves full 7-courses set meals at a price that will be affordable for everyone. To further value-add the concept, the price for the set-meal is fixed. This means that customers can choose the dish of their preference for each category, without worrying about the price. In addition, there will be new dishes available for customers to choose from every 2 – 3 months. Another special concept that Mr Huang added, was to present all dishes in specially designed "Tao Tzu" (pottery) plates (thus the name Tao's). Tao Tzu plates in itself is a fine art, and most importantly, "Tao Tzu" has a high heat withstanding level which will help to preserve the temperature of the food in a very natural way. All these make up the unique restaurant that Tao's currently is, and why it is well received by all its customers around Singapore.

The Transformers

1. Transformers Takara e-Hobby Shop #91 & #92
Clamp Down & Deep Cover (2003 New Year special release, sold as a set)


2. Transformers Takara #06 & #08 Golden lagoon Meister & Animé Streak (2001 exclusive E-hobby release, sold as a set)


3. Transformers Takara #25 & #46
Trailbreaker & Hoist (2001 exclusive release, C3 exclusive Collectors Edition, sold as a set, limited to 1000 pieces)


4. Transformers Takara #98 & #99
Ironhide & Rachet (2001 exclusive release, sold as a set, limited to 1000 pieces)


5. Transformers Takara #47 & #10
Grapple & Inferno (2001 Wonder Festival exclusive Collectors Edition, sold as a set, limited to 1000 pieces)


6. Transformers Takara e-Hobby Shop Diaclone #67 Kup (Cybertronian with Orion Pax & Diaclone Wheelie) 2005 release


7. Transformers Takara e-Hobby Shop #68 Diaclone Preceptor (Joint Force Magnificus and Ga'Mede) 2005 release


8. Transformers Takara #16-S Megatron black version (2001 e-Hobby exclusive, pre-order online, limited to 1000 pieces)


9. Transformers Takara e-Hobby Limited Edition Exclusive #93 Megaplex (2003 redeco of original Japanese 1985 Megatron - Matt grey with blue inside arms & legs. Comes with all Megatron's accessories and yellow morning star weapon)


10. Transformers Takara #D-62-S Galvatron movie version. New Year special (2006). Animé redeco with additional Matrix accessory. Comes in original 1986 styled box. Has new laser sounds & new phrases from the Movie Galvatron Voice actor Katou Seizo: 1) Destron army! Transform!; 2) Mwa Ha Ha Ha! The Fools!; 3) Obtain it - it is for destruction!; 4) This person is useless!; 5) Obtain it! Crush the Cybertrons!


11. Transformers Takara #D-78 Predaking Giftset, replica of original 1986 release. This set includes die-cast metal pieces. (2004 reissue) This is a combiner (gestalt) set in which a group of smaller transformers combine to form a larger robot. The 5 Predacons (Razorclaw, Divebomb, Headstrong, Rampage and Tantrum) combine to form a giant robot called Predaking.


12. Transformers Takara #01 Convoy black version. 2000 release. Jaf-Con 8, Toyfest & Osaka Toyland exclusives, completely black convoy, limited to 1000 pieces.


13.Transformers Takara #01 'New Year' Convoy. 2002 release. With blue eyes and windscreen, die-cast metal matrix & chain, animé coloured Actionmaster Convoy, mouse mat, additional 'fat' gun accessory, and Cybertron logo sticker sheet. This toy is significant as it was the first time Takara made a toy that accurately rendered Optimus Prime according to the cartoon series. In earlier toy releases, Optimus Prime had yellow eyes and a yellow windscreen, although in the cartoon series he is portrayed as having blue eyes and a blue windscreen.


14. Transformers Takara Pepsi Convoy (2005 G1 Convoy redeco with new trailer to hold a bottle of Pepsi)


15. Transformers Takara #C-77 Rodimus Convoy (2000 Reissue of 1986 release)


16. Transformers Hasbro Cliffjumper and Bumblebee


17. Transformers Takara #90 Tigertrack Figure King #60 exclusive, yellow Lambor redeco (2002)


18. Transformers Takara MP-01 Convoy (2003) - the holy grail of Transformers, apart from MP-04, which is the exact same thing plus a real trailer. The toy weighs about 800g plus, which reflects the amount of die-cast metal that went into its construction. Add the fully articulatable body (including fingers), a real piston suspension system for the truck mode, and gimmicks like a glowing Autobot matrix of leadership, and it is clear that Takara has made an exceptional toy for collectors.


19. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #0 Optimus Prime (2003) - very hard to find nowadays.


20. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #01 Jazz (2002)


21. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #02 Prowl (2002)


22. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #03 Skids (2002)


23. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #04 Tracks (2002)


24. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #05 Smokescreen (2002)


25. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #06 Megatron (2002)


26. A look at the inleaf.


27. A look at the toy.


28. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #07 Sideswipe (2003)


29. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #08 Inferno with Bumpersticker (2003)


30. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #09 Starscream w/ DVD (2003)


31. A look at the toy.


32. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #10 Soundwave with Laserbeak (2003)


33. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #11 Astrotrain (2004). Astrotrain is a triple-changer. Besides its robot form, it can transform into a space shuttle or a train. Note the 20th anniversary logo on the top left hand corner of the box. The Transformers toys first came out in 1984.


34. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #12 Minibots Set (2004 reissue of #11 Bumble, #14 Drag, #C-62 Powerglide, #86 Adams, #87 Warpath and #85 Gears)


35. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #13 Targetmaster Hot Rod (2004). Targetmasters are Transformers whose weapons can transform into robots as well.


36. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #14 Hound (2004)


37. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #15 Stepper (Targetmaster Jazz) (2004)


38. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #16 Insecticon 3-Pack (2004)


39. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #17 Blitzwing (2005). Blitzwing is a triple-changer. Besides its robot form, it can be transformed into a MiG-25 Foxbat jet or a Mitsubishi Type 74 main battle tank.


40. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #18 Sound Blaster Diaclone Sound Wave with Buzzsaw & Ravage (2005)


41. Transformers Takara Reissue Collector's Series #19 Perceptor (2005). Preceptor can be transformed from a robot into a microscope. His other mode is a tank (after some imagination on one's part).


42. Transformers Takara #C-310 God Ginrai (2001 Reissue of 1988 release, with Super Ginrai & God Bomber). Made in Japan! This toy has a interesting gimmick in the transformation. The small humanoid figure at the bottom left (Masterforce Ginrai) must be inserted into the cab grill in order to unlock the mechanism for transformation from vehicle into robot. This gimmick simulates how robots transformed in the Japanese Masterforce Transformer cartoon series.


43. #C-310E Fire Guts God Ginrai (2001 Ehobby exclusive. Limited to 1600 pieces, red and orange redeco). Made in Japan! From the exact same mould as the previous toy, but a different colour. Cost me quite a bit more too.


44. #C-310E Fire Guts God Ginrai & #C-310 God Ginrai juxtaposed.


45. Group shot of Transformers Takara Collector's Series #0 to #19.


46. A group shot of transformers in traditional packaging.


47. All my e-hobby exclusives - the hardest to find and the most expensive, usually. If I remember correctly, the one on the top left cost me about $400. (Ignore the 2 Hasbro toys on the top right hand corner)


48. A group shot.


49. Another group shot.


50. A view of my 46 transformer toys in full splendour.


51. A better view of my 46 transformer toys in full splendour.