after sunset

I'm never a west person for I've lived in the north since young and schooled in the east. Only of late, I got acquainted with the west due to work. And it got me interested to learn more about the west side story. I've only been to Sunset Way once but that was like 3 years ago and the sun has since risen and set countless times. The HDB estate has now developed into this so-called next Holland V with alfresco dining. Not much of a view though, but diners are pampered for choice with restaurants serving different cuisines including Japanese, Thai, Italian, etc. Ironically, my friends and I decided to settle for a more comfy air-conditioned dining instead because of our long walk earlier.

Rocky's Pizza is right at the corner of the array of restaurants. Unpretentious and in fact, feels kind of homely with waitresses in their 40-50s serving us like mums. We ordered a 12" Boston Special ($23.80) and a Lasagne ($10.70). The 12" pizza was huge! 8 huge slices enough for 4 to share! Tasty, cheesy and appetizing. The crust although was not the authentic crispy kind, was light and thin. Toppings was generous and it tasted very homestyle. The Lasagne was a delicious blend of meat, cheese and lots of sauce. We had a satisfying meal accompanied by familiar Italian tracks playing in the background.

Sorry for the lousy pictures which I shot with my handphone hastily as we were all starving.



On my second visit to Sunset Way, I brought my friends to Grill-Out. This time round, I got to enjoy the alfresco dining experience amongst lush greenery. As mentioned, not much of a view, but doesn't really matter because it was really dark. The service was excellent. From making reservation, taking orders, refilling our glasses, clearing the plates and keeping the kids entertained, they did a perfect job. The food however was a little disappointing. To begin with, there was no soup on the menu. I wonder why.

We started with with salad and bread which were complimentary. Nice. Appetisers came Clams with garlic and white wine and Kurobuta Pork Skewer. There wasn't enough garlic and white wine to cover the fishiness of the clams. I'd prefer the garlic to be finely chopped such that they'll be trapped in the clams. The pork skewer was not well-done and they were chewy. We told the waiter and he assured us it was perfectly safe to eat because it was Berkshire pig. But eating rare pork is the last thing I crave for.



I ordered the U.S. Black Angus Ribeye ($30) which was on promotion and it came twice the size. It turned out I got loads of extra fats. I washed it down with a glass of House Red ($6.80). The most affordable red wine ever. As a side note, the U.S. Kobe Ribeye ($60) was highly recommended but spending that amount at a suburban joint didn't seem rational. :P So, do drop me a note if you've tried and think it's worth the try. :)





The Yellowtail Cheek with wasabi sauce ($18.00) was the best on the table. The portion was generous. The wasabi sauce goes well with the crispy skin and tender meat. S thinks that it tasted better than the Yellowtail Fillet (more expensive than yellowtail cheek) which was on their Today's Special. I didn't try the Pork Collar which was decent according to K.



The overall dining experience was pleasant. And I believed the service has contributed largely.

All in all, Sunset Way is a great place to chill out while not having to dress up for the occasion. After sunset.

Unfortunately, the view at the restaurants wasn't this magnificent. These were shot on the deserted railway tracks 5 minutes away (plus another 5 for trembling across the rusty tracks). They don't name the estate Sunset Way for nothing.



P/S: Thank you, IL & E, for the eventful day and "homemade ice-cream". ;)