Astons Empire

The success of Aston's formula of cheap, great portions and customization dishes has propelled Astons to mushroom all over Singapore. Still bringing cheap food to the masses in the city area, but still maintaining its affordable prices. They have expanded to Suntec City and a newly located Astons Prime in Centrepoint, bring the total of 3 branches in the city (including Cathay Branch).

Giving my friend more excuse to dine there. As much as I enjoy Astons, 3 visits in the time span of 2 months is one too many.

Budget Establishment is bound to be a crowd magnet, so be sure to be prepare to wait.

Sirlion Steak for my carb glutton friend

Chicken and Sausage Set.

The sausages though small were rather good, goes really well with either potato salad or smash. However this is costly then Double Chicken, makes one really difficult to decide on an addition slab of chicken or 6 aromatic sausages. Hmm...

Double Chicken with different Sides

Preshafruit Granny Smith

Spotted this rather interesting drink. Its imported drink from Australia that utilities High Pressure Processing to squeeze every ounce of juice naturally from the fruit. Unlike conventional juices which are heat pasteurised, thus resulting in lost of colour, taste, smell and nutrients.

Extraction Process

With our powers combine...

Different variety

I must say their design and marketing department did a great job. Defying from the traditional cylindrical bottle to a triangular one is certainly an eye catcher. Taste wise. Its really a shocker. The juice is pleasant, clean and refreshing. Simpler to simply biting into an apple. Really puts all the rest of juices you get in the supermarket to shame.

Back to the topic on Astons. Service is rather bad. With missing orders, long waiting time and large crowds. However, this is rather understandable due to the new and inexperience service staff. Hopefully it would improve with time.

Astons Specialities (Suntec)
3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-043/044
Suntec City Mall
Tel : 6884 8816

View Larger Map

Astons Cathay Again...

Yup. Just before the Chinese New Year come and we welcome in the new lunar calendar of the ox, my friend craves for more beef. Hopefully we don't offend any ox deity. Lol.

It seems like lots of people have found out of this location of the fairly cheap good food in the city. In the past, most youngsters use to converge on Plaza Singapura's Cafe Cartel, due to its cheap and yet "good" food (and free bread) it provides. I believe the sudden surge of crowd in Astons is due to the people being more aware of its presences in the sleepy and silent building. However, since Astons can provide cheaper and great tasting food that Cafe Cartel, I don't see why the regular people make their pilgrimage to this location, to savour some tasty steak.

Charbroiled and BBQ Chicken with Baked Potato and Potato Salad

Black Pepper Steak with Potato Salad and Fries

Seems to me that even thought Astons menu have Black pepper steak. Its just a version of the normal sirloin steak, but with black pepper sauce instead of its normal mushroom sauce. This I don't understand, why would they classify this as another dish. Instead, shouldn't they just have sirloin steak with choice or black pepper or mushroom sauce.

Ribeye Steak with...well you know
Yes. We are Potato Fanatics

Look at that beautiful marbling or medium rare doneness

I would say this visit to Aston's was a very pleasant one. Even with the long queue, we did not wait for long before we were served in the queue. That's right. The waitering staff came to us with menu and inform us to select own choice of meal, so that they can cut down preparation time and serve us better. True enough. Not long after we placed our orders, we were ushered to our table (too bad for the group in front of us, but going to Aston's with a crowd of 9 is just to plain dumb). Soon after the meals followed.

Apparently, there was some mixed up with the sauces in our order and we ended up with a complimentary baked potato again. Yes. This also happened in my previous Cathay visit. Still service is prompt. Soon all the meal arrived excepted mine. Then this man without the regular staff uniform served me. Too my pleasant surprise its Mr Aston Soon himself. Damn. I should have chat with him and took a photo.

Rating on the meal I had? Best Aston's visit by far. The Ribeye was grilled to perfection with even doneness and marbling. The steak doesn't bleed, proves that I has rested long enough, plus the fat just seeps out of its juicy succulent meat when I place it in your mouth. Heaven. Maybe Mr Aston grilled the steak himself. Lucky me.

Astons Specialities (Cathay)
2 Handy Road #04-03
The Cathay Building
Tel : 6887 5889
Website: http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/

View Larger Map

Astons Specialities @ Katong

Tuck under the small shop house next to Katong Mall, lays the first Aston's cafe which I've visited and by far my most favourite one. Now. Word of caution, this place will (I stress WILL) be pack at lunch and dinner hours, so go earlier or be prepared to wait for a very very long time. The staff here are please and polite, though they can be forgetful and miss some of your orders sometimes. Not complaining, since Aston's provide such budget meals for my enjoyment.

Sirloin Steak with Fries & Coleslaw

Sirloin Steak with Fries & Potato Salad

Fried Chicken Cutlet and Lemon Chicken
w/ Potato Salad and Fries (they forgotten about my fries...)

If you notice. Compared to the Cathay experience, Katong branch seems to shear their steaks better. Just look at the differences, the grill marks are beautifully done, dark and perfectly even. Also the steaks seems less dry and much juicer than their Cathay cousins.

Not only are Alston's steak good. They do their chicken dishes just as good. The above dish is called Double Chicken, its basically any two chicken dishes which they offer on their menu and only for $9.90 if I remembered properly. The lemon chicken is uniquely nice, with the chicken marinated in lemon and later grilled to perfect tenderness. Not some low grade chicken grilled and lemon sauce poured over it. Each bite into the meat is juicy and explodes with lemon flavor which isn't too sour or sweet, but just nice. The fried chicken cutlet is even better. Its a butterflied of the chop size, thus looking humongous huge. The cutlet isn't too dry and is evenly coated with bread crumbs. Upon sinking in your teeth, the fats flow out. ***Yum! Yum!***

Also note. Not a lot of people notice this, but Aston's also sell loafs of bread at the front of their shop. Not the fanciful sandwiches, but whole loafs of bread (regular, coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, etc). What so nice about them is that after eating so many "regular" supermarket bread, there loafs in Aston's are thick slices of bread. Not the hollow lumpy ones in the supermarket, one single slice is thick and filling with the "uuumh" feeling. Meant to be eaten with steaks, but I don't see why can we make great sandwiches or garlic toast with it.

Aston's Specialities
119 East Coast Road
(Opposite Katong Mall)
Tel: 6247 7857
Website: http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/

View Larger Map

Astons Specialities @ Cathay

Finally, we can get good steaks in the city area at affordable prices at the new opened Cathay branch. Its located at the silent corner in right of the escalator. The place is rather small like all the other branches and you can choose between indoors or open air tables. My friends went for the sirloin steak xtra cut and grilled dory fish with herbs. As for me, I'd decided to be adventurous and try the tenderloin.

Sirloin Steak Xtra Cut with Mash & Coleslaw

Same as above, but with Fries (Paprika!!!)

Grilled Dory Fish with Herbs

Tenderloin with Baked Potato and Potato Salad

I do admitted that the tenderloin is a bit small for the price you pay ($25+), but the beef texture is worlds apart from a sirloin. Its smooth, soft and melts in your mouth with great marbling between the flesh and fat making the flesh juicy and succulent with every bite. However, I was disappointed as one of the tenderloin was burned and tough to even chew. Disappointed on it. Perhaps its due to the inexperience staff in the new establishment i assume. The sides are still good though. I love the way astons does their baked potatoes, its skin isn't burned and the potato just done, not over cooked. The potato salad is great too, with every potato coated with mayo thoroughly, no unevenness.

For people who want the better experience,go to the one in east coast road. I still prefer that one.

Astons Specialities (Cathay)
2 Handy Road #04-03
The Cathay Building
Tel : 6887 5889
Website: http://astonsspecialties.blogspot.com/


View Larger Map