Cafe Iguana: Authentic Mexican Grills & Margaritas

Roti prata with Marsala prawns? Nope, this is Camerones al Diablo ($23), a classic Mexican appetizer of sauteed prawns in bright red sauce made of chilli, capsicum, ginger and lime served at Cafe Iguana. Located along the idyllic Clarke Quay River since 2000, this restaurant (not any hipster cafe) is opened by an American and a Chilean who felt that there was a lack of good authentic Mexican food at happy hour prices. 

With a good selection of Mexican special cocktails and Margaritas, it is not surprising to see that business is booming even on a Tuesday night. 

Red Snapper Burritos ($25) made a stunning entrance like a curvy oblong-shaped parcel, only to reveal a luscious interior of fish, borraco beans, Mexican rice and strands of Mozzarella-cheddar melting mid-way. This could be a potentially great dish if the snapper was not too dry. 

Puerco en Chile Verde ($14) sounded exotic but it striked a nostalgic chord even if you had not experience any Mexican life before. There isn't so much firepower in this spicy pork stew. But being thick and warm, it goes ideally with the toasted tortillas or simply a direct fast track into your mouth. 

How does having some tequila in your seafood sounds? The Prawn Brochette ($35) is a skewer of roughly 5-6 lime marinated prawns with smoky tequila glaze, served with grilled vegetables on a stick. It has a heady aroma, though the glaze was short of the wild character of liquor. Nonetheless, the Tequila glaze was an instant hit with the 1/2 Chicken ($28) as the toasty caramelized taste emerged from the skin which retained the moisture of the meat. 

 The standout dish was the Shredded Steak Chimchangas ($25), a golden crispy flour tortilla that is deep-fried to perfection such that it kept the juicy strands of beef warm and comfortable while displaying resilience any sogginess. Drenched in generous amount of sour cream and guacamole, this giant plate of meaty "Popiah" roll is messy but speaks right to your soul. 

I don't fancy banana desserts but I may have to take back my statement on the Banana Chimichangas ($14) here. Just like the earlier savoury chimichanga, the filling is substituted with bananas, deep fried till the shell turned into a crunchy fritter. Wallop a huge scoop of fragrant and buttery avocado ice cream and you'll get something that is ten times better than any chocolate lava cake or any hot-cold dessert. 

There is also theSauteed Kahlua-glazed Bananas ($14) for those who are less keen on deep-fried food. This ain't no flouncy haute style ala minute flambé bananas but a rustic tropical dessert that sits on a rich and decadent sauce. Other selections include a gluten-free Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake ($14) and Churros ($12) but the former two banana desserts are more satisfying for the bucks and calories.

Spice-wise, the dishes are tuned to a temperate palette, yet there were moments during the feast when I thought I was eating Indian briyani. No wonder they say that Indian and Mexican cuisine are actually quite similar! In fact, I was told that about 50% of the customers are Indians. 

Well, there are three different kinds of authentic Mexican hot sauces aplenty of the table for you to adjust the heat to your preference. Both indoors and outdoors seating are non-air-conditioned but I highly recommend the indoors seating if you want to enjoy the food heartily away from any outdoor smoking.

Cafe Iguana

30 Merchant Road, #01-03 Riverside Point, Singapore 058282

Mon - Thurs 4pm-12am

Fri & Eve of PH 4pm - 3am

Saturday 12pm-3am

Sunday 12pm - 12am

Make your online reservations with hungrygowhere

http://www.cafeiguana.com/

Facebook --> https://www.facebook.com/CafeIguanaSg

Gobuylah : Shop Online for Food and More!

A new wave of online groceries ranging from Japanese ingredients, halal food to gourmet meats and organic vegetables has swept the local market scene in recent years. But where should one go when you need to get an assorted items from local snacks to overseas gourmet produce?

Much to my delight, I learnt about this one-stop online supermarket gobuylah.com where I can look for daily essentials or some exotic gourmet ingredients without stepping out of my house!

 

After a quick browse through the site, I realize that it actually collaborates with such a wide variety of brands ranging from mother/baby products to IT/electronics and even Fashion!  

As a food shopaholic, I immediately jumped to the food section and discovered hundreds of items there, some of which are not even easily found in local supermarkets. 

There is even a hot deals section where you find items at a discounted price. Navigating around the website is very easy as there is a search bar at the top for you to look directly for the item you want.

At the check out counter, I can also choose to pay via cash on delivery, apart from the usual virtual methods. 

Items that I bought include Eden Natural Black Beans; Eden Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Barley  Malt; Natural Glory Organic Red Wild Rice and Organic Honeydew Honey; Whittard Chocolate Chai Tea; Verace Wild Honey; Papitto's Ice Cream and even kitchen appliances like Waffle Maker and Stylux Fruit Dessert Ice Cream Maker! 

What I like best about gobuylah is the free delivery service regardless of the amount spent. Unless some of your products are out of stock, the goods are delivered quickly within 5-6 days. Some of the goods are even delivered in a very nice packaging with recipes, just like the products I received from VERACE.

That said, it would definitely benefit customers more if they can update the inventory stock online so that it eliminates the hassle of searching for timely substitutes. Also do note that your order might not arrive on the same day/time as gobuylah arranges directly with the different supplier of the goods for the delivery. 

 

First time members get to enjoy $5 OFF and key in "Dairy05" to enjoy additional $5 discount!  (= $10 OFF at no minimum spending!)

Valid from 28th May~28th June 2015 on www.gobuylah.com

Win Win Snacks: 100% Halal and Vegetarian

I never thought much about potato chips until I chanced upon these wafer-thin Potato Crisps produced by Win Win Food. Baked with real potato, they actually tasted a little like cookies but so crisp and light, without any trace grease or heavy seasonings. Out of the four flavours--sour cream, tomato, vegetable and BBQ, I tried the latter two and was instantly attached to them. 

In fact, these potato crisps are only one of the many brands under Win Win Food, an established manufacturing company that produced snacks that are 100% halal and vegetarian. These products with a touch of Asian flavors are made in their main factory in Johor Bahru and distributed to various countries including Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, etc.

Some of their brands like Happy Moo biscuits (chocolate/plain) are packed in small bags like those mini snacks meant for kids--a good thing as it helps in portion control.

I love cream filled biscuits and these flaky Mini Pockets (vanilla/chocolate) are also good, though too generous on the sugar level. 

I am always partial towards any chocolate crunchies and thus I was delighted to discover that Win Win Food has introduced the Nutri Cereal Crisp. The original flavored bar has a milky fragrance with lingering the notes of salt that teases the palate and encourages one to keep eating bar by bar. Same goes for the chocolate, which are cheaper alternatives to Royce's Potecrunch without compromising on the quality. 

The Crisp Maker Puffed Corns is also another new item that I highly recommend to anyone, especially to those who loved popcorns. But don't get be wrong. These are not popcorns, but something even better and won't require any effort to chew.

They are like light crunchy air sacs that disappear in seconds. I can't decide between caramel and sweet corn but if you fancy sweet-savoury treats like me, then sweet corn would be an arduous challenge for you to stop devouring. 

Win Win Snacks are available at all major supermarkets

and online at www.gobuylah.com

More info : www.win2food.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/win2food