Little Britain

So I mentioned I joined the cirus last year.

A couple friend of mine set up a food kiosk last September selling British food, mainly pies. It all happened too fast while I was still running around in Europe on my backpack. When I got back, they already found a venue, got the recipes tested, and were almost ready to kick it off.

It is named Little Britain.

With nothing on my plates then, I decided to give them a hand. I joined my friend at the kiosk serving British food (English breakfast,pies, cornish pasty) to customers in Raffles Place, a place I used to strut around in office dresses avoiding eye contacts with people giving me flyers. I couldn't believe it when I had to give out flyers this time. LOL. But it was just part of the fun. We started with flyers, giving out food samples, we talked to people whom were curious about where we came from. Some even believed we were a franchise shop of a big brand back in the UK.

Anyhow the whole stint at Raffles Place lasted for nearly 6 months, by then we already had a pool of regular customers! Not bad I must admit, with the prices we were selling at and the quality of the food, we could have gone much further, but the rent was a kill. My friends couldn't afford it further, partly also because we were situated in the basement of the building, pretty much hidden away, we couldn't tap on the constant flux of people coming out from the MRT or office buildings.

But those months I slogged, woke up and be the first to leave the house, stood for those 6 to 8 hours continuously, I didn't have any complaint. It was probably one of the best learning experiences I had in life. I witnessed my friends running a business; we did fun things like getting a video company to come shoot our £1 breakfast campaign, remembering customers' names and building relationship with them! I even worked as pie delivery girl, our delivery platters were very popular with office parties and meetings.

I miss all those interactions we had with the customers, and those smiles we managed to bring to their faces! Sometimes they came down to get a breather and to have a short chat with us too!

For the whole time, I also helped to managed their Facebook postings and you can check out what happened over those months back at the kiosk! For now, they still do delivery from home if you're hungry for a British pie. Who knows, they might make a comeback one day!

Be a foodie in London

I came across this and just thought I should bookmark it here before I lose it in due time. Time to explore new places next year!

• Greenwich Market
• Real Food Market
• Brixton Market
• Broadway Market
• Whitecross Street Market

Gaga over Japanese sweets

It's Hokkaido Fair again! The last time I wrote about it was back in 2007!! Yea, after being back from Japan, I can't help but get addicted to anything Japanese again easily.

 

That day I read about the fair, I immediately made my way down just to purchase the mille crepe. But sadly, I did buy more than just the cake (a box of 4 for S$18). I got myself Sakura Mochi ice cream (S$5.50) which was mildly sweet, with a grainy texture and quite to my liking. I also got a few skewers of dango (something I missed out in Japan), each costs S$2.70, not the cheapest. I like the sesame one best, so rich and flavorful. The colorful ones were just pretty. The green tea with red beans were alright, very "Japanese" themed but otherwise nothing special. For the mille crepe, as no sample was available, I decided to go for the original flavour. It was so good, my family loved it. So I made another trip down for more.

I got the rare cheese flavour as well as the green tea (that comes sandwiched with two layers of red beans). I quite like the cheese, though the sister did not, it's a bit salty and cheese-y. The green tea is refreshing, something different and those red beans added some sweetness to it. If you get two boxes, it's at S$34 (S$2 cheaper, which I didn't know the first time!) and comes with a cooler bag. I feel like getting more, but I might be going to Malacca for freshly made mille crepe... So I should refrain from buying more!

Wheat Baumkuchen Pastry & Noodle Bar

I patronised this place twice, Wheat Baumkuchen Pastry & Noodle Bar, and will highly recommend it :) It's way too crowded at lunch but I'm sure they will need to expand soon, business is surely good. Besides doing noodle (in the form of salad), they also sell Baumkuchen, more information on Baumkuchen is here.

Its german name surely got my attention! So I began to do a little googling on it. So it originated from Germany, from what I read from their site. Wikipedia also has some information. Here's some excerpts I quoted from Wikipedia.

"Baumkuchen is a kind of layered cake. It is a traditional dessert in many countries throughout Europe and is also a popular snack and dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings that appear when sliced resemble tree rings, and give the cake its German name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake" or "log cake".

Baumkuchen is one of the most popular pastries in Japan, where it is called baumukūhen (バウムクーヘン?), or often erroneously, bāmukūhen (バームクーヘン?)[citation needed]. It is a popular return present in Japan for wedding guests because of its ring shape."

It resembles a lot like our Kueh Lapis in Singapore. Look here if you want a picture, actually that blog even gives you the recipe! Or get them from Bengawan Solo, they invented the prune version, see picture here. Kueh Lapis, like Baumkuchen has a complication background, they originated from somewhere and then got improvised and adapted in different places. Quoted this from the blog, "The cake which evolved from the Dutch Butter cake in Indonesia during the Dutch colonisation days."

You know what, I want to buy it as a birthday cake next time, perhaps for my mummy as she can't take the normal cakes which are too sweet.

I bought the Matcha (green tea flavour) one the day I went for lunch, it's mildly flavoured, not the bitter green tea I imagine. I could still taste the original Baumkuchen taste (I imagined!), and it's a lot like our Kueh Lapis!! It costs S$2.50 for one, and S$4.20 for a decorated one which resembles a mini cake! Of course, they also have the big version which will work as a birthday cake.

Anyway, I actually went to this place for the noodles. They have this interesting method of making noodle as salad, yes it's cold but its invigorated by the seasoning sauce they added to it. I tried the Lava set which comes with warm curry, also the Reindeer set with grey soba noodles. Both I totally enjoyed, very refreshing taste, very appetising, and very fulfilling. If your stomach can hold more, try the Ice Cube, which is a tender tofu sliced very neatly. The sets are currently S$7.80 with a drink, and I hope the prices will stay the same for as long as it can :)))

p.s: I'm not sure where it originated from, but with Baumkuchen, I would label it under german and japanese.

Chiang Mai II - Yum Yum

And here's to the topic which most people like... FOOD! Those mentioned are carefully selected from the many meals we have had during the trip. Disclaimer: We did have some very good food, though authenticity not proven :P

I adore the Thailand fruit shakes, I always without fail have them on every trip to Thailand. The best one (shown above) is at Potluck Gallery, a mini shop cum cafe we chanced upon between our temples visit. The shake is huge, I swear taller than my face! And oh so fresh!!!

We also found Khao Soi, the Northern Thailand cuisine, recommended by my Bangkok colleagues. I like it so much we had it twice at the same place. I tried the pork and beef while sister sticked to her choice of chicken. I couldn't be bothered to look for it at other places, as we found it at a local eatery very near to our hotel. For a comparison, most people compared it to our Laksa, but it's more towards curry gravy but less thick.

Superb mango salad from the food stall along the Sunday Walking Market. The walking market is an eye-opener indeed, many sold handicrafts, food, clothes and even shoes. I did not buy much except for food and a few small stuff, like an anklet and postcards. But the sister got herself tonnes of rubbish :P I am somehow glad we missed the Saturday market else she would have bought even more!

Next is iBerry, a super cool garden cafe. I mentioned in a previous post, a place recommended by my friend who went earlier. We popped by the 1st day after a temple visit, sister was fascinated by the cakes and so we did that and the drinks. But we were upset we didn't get to try the ice cream, and so we went back on the last day for a second time! The ice cream that matched my nail colors (just coincidence)! These were my picks, Blue Havana and Brownie as sister ordered the ones I had on my mind Starfruit and Guave with salted plum sorbet. So we shared them all.

This is my Phad Thai tom yum with chicken, ice green tea with honey with sister's fried rice with pineapple, ham, raisin and cashew nut from Khun Mor's Cuisine. We did this right after the iBerry, to be honest, I wasn't hungry!! But it was about lunch time and the place was packed, we reckoned we should do a proper local lunch before we were to head for the airport. The menu is impressive, so much variety... Take a look at their website, I am surprised they even have an online version of it! The food was good, I just wish I was more hungry and could have eaten more!!

Last but not least, one of the dishes I made during my Thai cooking class with Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School. Stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts. I like the fact they have a farm for students to cook at, but I did the town one for convenience. My review will be on Tripadvisor. I did this alone as the sister fancies nothing except pampering herself with foot massage. I enjoyed the experience and especially learning something from another culture, now I have a recipe book from them which I will try out when I have some spare time to cook. I also did tom yum soup and green curry. They didn't taste so bad actually and in fact better than a dinner I had outside!

Omamori

Omamori are Japanese amulets... and I have just received the third one as a gift. I just wiki-ed it and realised its said it should be replaced once a year and the old ones should be returned to the temple. How am I going to send them back?? I guess I would retire them in a box.

When one of my good friends was flying, she brought me back one. One that would bless me in getting my wishes fulfilled. It's bigger than the others I have, with chinese characters sewn on it.  Then when another friend of friend living in Japan first got back to Singapore, he gave me another, pink with a goat sewn on it and a tiny golden bell. I had no idea why I was the receipient as we weren't that close but he said he felt that I was the right person to have it. I guess it was wrong because somehow it lost me shortly. I was devastated as it was a gift and exceptionally cute. That one was meant for love, and it probably wasn't meant to be.

Last year during my trip to Taiwan, I also got myself one (similar to the Omamori) from a Chinese temple in Tainan. It's not free, you have to buy it from the counter and have it blessed in the temple by circling it around the pot of joss sticks. I don't know what it was specifically meant for, but most of them are used to ward off bad luck, so I guess no harm getting one!

Few days ago, I met my ex-colleague, a feisty young lady. I was surprised when she passed one to me, because friends whom seem to go Japan would just get that for me. This one also had chinese characters sewn on it, pink with a tiny bell and in a petite size. It's also meant for love :) Well, let's see if this works, I have to keep it well this time.

Original Tokyo Banana with Omamori

I also received this box of Original Tokyo Banana. Many thanks to Cheryl. I tried the chocolate version which is delicious but it seems like its no longer in production now. They now have the caramel version which I am not a big fan of. I still prefer the chocolate one. They are very similar, banana shaped cake with banana cream (made from real banana). Give it a try when you're in Japan!

Too much foods kill

I haven't been to IKEA for breakfast for a while. And it's a joy to go there with friends :) They always have a different breakfast menu and that is very enticing. I was late, so I got my friend to order some stuff to share. This time they were serving organic pancakes and french toasts. My friend was dying to have the trademarked meatballs and wings too... and so, I gladly obliged.

The mouths did not stop there ;)

Next, our first visit to U.d.d.e.r.s (local homemade ice cream) along Upper East Coast road, it's a hassle for me as I hate the winding bus journey. But when you have company, time on the bus flies by. I was so tempted to have a double scoop but for my waistline, I decided to just stick with one. Oh boy, what a tormentous decision to make!

Above picture shows Strawberry Field (with the real sour strawberry taste!), Orange Chocolate Bitters (intense dark chocolate with alcoholic orange taste) and the famous Rum & Raisin (yummy with real raisins soaked in rum). Very very yummy... I'm sure to revisit to try the wineberries which I tested if it's still there!

We also showed our talent on the board. The above tiny animals in bright blue were drawn by a little girl who was inspired by our mini zoo and wanted to add in her contribution :)

We walked under the scorching sun to explore the nearby restaurants and decided to head for Katong Laksa which we supposed was around the corner. Fortunately, we took a bus, because it was a long way ahead! The famous ones are the No. 328 and 49.

We settled for 328 as my friend fancied the air-conditioned seating, but the laksa didn't meet my expectation. In fact, I thought the "non famous" one at Holland Village I had over a month ago did a better job! So no no for a re-visit, no matter how many newspaper clippings you have on the wall!!

I wonder if this combination (alcoholic ice cream plus katong laksa with lots chilli) was so lethal that it made me so exhausted when I got home. After a short nap, I woke up with body ache and a headache that didn't leave me for over a day. To make it worse, I think all the walking under the hot sun didn't help! Today my face broke up in red itchy patches and pimples :( I might be allergic to something. Is it the ice cream?? Or the laksa?? Or was it heat exhaustion? I told the doctor who was amused when I said it might be allergy (haha, sometimes I'm a self doctor), he didn't think so but gave me the medicine anyway. True enough, after 2 pills and a mask I put on this morning, my skin totally recovers! Phew!

BBQ korean style

Too much to eat. So much to recommend. This is an overdue post. But better late than never :P

My buddy was craving for Korean BBQ, and so I did a little research and found a little gem along Amoy Street. Well I think it's pretty good for the first time I'm having a Korean BBQ. I read some reviews on it that its an authentic Korean restaurant owned and food prepared by Koreans. I can't remember exactly what we ate! There was a seafood pancake, a tofu soup, Red Pig meat and beef for the BBQ, with the order we also were served 6 side sides (tofu, egg, kimchi and some cold salad). We also had lettuces and sauce to wrap the BBQ meat with, now this reminds me of the Vietnamese BBQ I had!! We had to have the Red Pig meat because the restaurant is named Red Pig too, so it must be some signature dish! LOL. Anyhow, the bill came up to over $90 for 3 and we were pretty stuffed. So I guess it's not that a bad deal really...

Fated

"One peach, regular," I said to the Yami Yogurt auntie.

She didn't move for a few seconds and stared at me. Her eyes, large as goldfish, it then hit on me. Why are they so familiar?

"AAAaaahhh," I exclaimed. The auntie went on to fetch a cup of frozen peach yogurt, at the same time, she asked,"Do you remember me?" "Yes, yes, we used to work in the portuguese egg tarts cafe!" I suddenly recalled.

Oh my lord... that's almost 10 years ago. She still recognises me. This is fate, we meet again. I was having a hunger pang at 5pm, and decided to head out to Mr Bean nearby. I was craving for Yami Yogurt but I knew there wasn't any around. But I was so wrong. I stood in front of Mr Bean, and there was nothing I fancied on the menu. So I swang my head around. That instant, I thought God must have read my wishes, suddenly there is YAMI YOGURT! (I learnt that it just opened last week, so whose reading my mind!!) I was thrilled and I went up to have my usual favourite. That is how I bumped into her.

We had a short conversation and I am sure it won't be the last time I am seeing her. Yami Yogurt, here I come :)

Life indeed is a spin, sometimes it takes you round and round.

Little indulgences, not so little I'm afraid...

Yum Yum Yum...

After a few visits to dessert.cup, I can finally write a proper review. They sure know how to keep us going back. Not only do their cupcakes look irresistable, they taste just as good as they look!

Thanks to Facebook, I won their new cakes pop during one of their promotions. Cakes pop are lollipop cupcakes, in tiny bite sizes! They were coated with a layer of chocolate and covered with sprinkles. Inside the round balls, the moistest chocolate cake ever. I couldn't believe it, they taste just like chocolate balls (I would say rum balls but they have no rum!). I am so addicted.

A small selection of the variety they have... Fabulous Chocolate, Very Black Forest, Cranberry Vanille and French Earl Grey Banana. I also tried the Bailey's one the other day. But please note, these aren't as nice anymore after you put them in the fridge, I guess you have to put it at a certain temperate so the cream won't hardened the next day. They are best savoured within the next few hours after you get them ;) I like the idea that the muffins for each of them are different, one is banana muffin, the other is vanilla, dark chocolate while Black Forest's is dark chocolate with a hidden sour cherry! Don't they look so pretty that you wouldn't bear to bite into them...!! Typing this now is making me hungry (seriously!!).

Beside cute looking cupcakes, they do sell beverage and parfaits with very creative names and concepts. The one I tried above is Avocado Rum Rasin. As quoted from Wiki - "parfait refers to either the traditional French-style dessert or a popular variant made by layering parfait cream, ice cream, or flavored gelatins...", it's not really ice cream, it's like a fanciful version. I did enjoy it but too much of it got me tired of it. Still, it's quite a new idea and I haven't seen this around in Singapore! Probably best for sharing ;)

And.... I have to say I am surprised they make good drinks as well! I had the Lemonade Honey Kiss (if I still remember the name right), it was lovely but maybe just a little dilute, I love good lemonade. On the second try, I had Tokyo Matcha and it's actually green tea latte. The flavour is strong, just as I would like... and more importantly they didn't flood my cup with tower of ice cubes! Do check out more of their Artisanal Teas and Tea Au Lait on their beverage list :)

Sunday lunch

Thanks to Singapore Restaurant Week, I got to try Le Bon Marché at a much more affordable price. It's located in the upper class area of Singapore, Bukit Timah, where many posh restaurants are situated... Personally, if I were to buy myself a good expensive meal, I'd still prefer Brazil Churrasco on Sixth Avenue anytime over this (disregarding the type of cuisine).

A huge sign reads "Le Bon Marché" outside the restaurant, and you wouldn't be able to miss it! We arrived 15 minutes earlier and the bistro-style restaurant was barely full. We were then ushered to one of the reserved tables. There was no iced water available, so you have to either order a bottle of sparkling water or still water. So we made our choices and ordered, including the drinks I have been recently a bit crazy over -Grapetizer/Appertizer/Peartizer, the pear which is not found in Singapore. They are basically sparkling version of juice.

As we had to wait for the food, we started snapping pictures. Little known to us is that they disallow pictures taken of a board in the restaurant which lists their menu. Usually we just like to take the pictures for fun and memory sake, it never goes up anywhere. Anyway, we respect their rule and avoid snapping one of the board. Looking at the prices, it's insane (but it's Bukit Timah hey!). What we were paying for the meal is only the price of their appetiser on à la carte.

So the food arrived. Let me describe and comment them further with pictures :)
FYI, these are for 2, of course we had our own desserts.

Sliced baguette with olive oil & vinegar

Fresh Crab Salad with Mango & Tomatoes Dice, Cucumber Gazpacho Sauce

 This is not as special as I thought. The crab salad has a very raw smell or taste to it, I reckon its the crab. It has nothing distinctive to make me go "Mmmmmmmm, I want more of it please"... Sadly, no.

Chicken Liver Parfait served with Sourdough Toast and Mesclum Salad

 At least I thought the chicken liver parfait is better. Then again, I think they taste the same everywhere. So the starters were really just alright.

Fillet of Red Snapper, Olive Tapenade & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Lobster Bisque Sauce

 The fillet is tender, juicy and fresh, but matching with the baby carrots and vegetables gives it a very Asian feel somehow.

Oven Roasted Spring Chicken With Baby Potatoes, Green Zucchini & Tarragon Chicken Jus

 Potatoes are nicely baked. But there is NO SALT CONTROL, this is just too salty. I wonder if they put a handful instead of a pinch or did that whole load of salt got spilled on it instead of coming out from a shaker?! FAIL!!!! Fortunately, under that skin, it isn't that bad but still SALTY SALTY SALTY.

Vanilla Ice Cream Profiteroles with Warm Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Sauce

To be honest, we think that we're just paying for the dessert at the end of the meal. This is just the best thing! The money is just worth it spending on these profiteroles (skip that main course and starter, give me 6 of these!!). The chocolate sauce is warm and slightly bitter, it goes perfect with the vanilla ice cream profiteroles. GIMME MORE GIMME MORE GIMME MORE I say!

By the time, we were done, the restaurant was about 3/4 full. But having called for the bill, we almost waited for 15 minutes. Bad service - the others who ordered the bill at the same time had left and another who called for it 10 minutes later got theirs at the same time as us. There were two waitresses and a general manager out there, I guess it's understandable but hope the service can be more attentive. Also for a place as posh and costly as this, I would have expected utensils to be changed for each course but unfortunately not. There were also no napkins (not a big issue with me personally) but paper serviettes.

My verdict is to go for their dessert or have a glass of French wine... if you feel like pampering yourself! Paying so much (at its original prices) for the quality of food I got, I don't think it's worth breaking my piggy bank for. Well I have read better reviews about them, but I would rather go somewhere along Bukit Timah to better spend that amount of money unless the date is paying for it ;)

Always a second time

I'm definitely recommending these places because I've been back the 2nd time ;) I might have written about them briefly for my first visit but here's some real pictures taken during the re-visit :)

I went back to Ma Maison again, this time to another outlet with another friend, BS. This is taken a couple of months back but I still think it's worth mentioning. I ordered the sizzling steak which the waiter came over and lit my steak on fire! WOW. The service is polite and attentive, ambience is superb and cosy like the bugis outlet. The staff there are mostly Japanese as I think the Central branch has a lot of Japanese customers. Read about my first visit.

This is my dinner at Food for Thought at North Bridge Centre. Like the first time, the food is only prepared when you order, and of very good quality. The Shiitake Mushrooms (pasta) in garlic and olive oil dressing came with a side salad hence the portion is smaller. It does good for me, not sure for a big eater. I also had the Lychee Saga drink, which is a freeze but it dried up fast (gotta admit I'm a fast drinker), I think there was too much ice than juice! If you're thinking about having the fanciful looking cakes, think twice. After trying this Old Southern Red Velvet cake (photoshopped into the picture), both my friend and I didn't want to finish even half of it. I would have gone for Chocolate Banana Malteser but its not available that day, but I'm having second thoughts since the quality of the cake is greatly disappointing. But I will always go back for the food! The only thing I don't really like about dining there is sitting near the cooking area, it made us smell of grease at the end of the dinner!  Read about my first visit.

The Rotisserie, an australian place offering grilled juicy chicken (a little like Kenny Rogers but feels more like a healthier option) and a great venue for lunch. I have not written about this place before, but I have already been there twice by now. The picture above is my first visit, we weren't allowed to have chips as we opted for salads, so we must choose two salad types. Chips come as one of the choices but you are not allowed any vegetables or salads. There's the vegetables option and you can have all four of them I am surprised when I heard the staff saying that. So one could have the mashed potato, sweet corns, macaroni and cheese and califlowers if I remeber correctly. The second time, my friend had the chips while I remained with my salads so we could share :) The desserts also look tempting, and I heard the coffee's good too. Delicious and always worth revisiting as there's other stuff to try!

Dessert time

Now, let's talk about some good local finds... Not everything I listed are good, but well, it's subjective anyway ;)

Spotted this bakery near my office (this is at Raffles Place MRT underground), it's always packed with people. From breakfast, lunch to dinner time, you never fail to see people queueing up. Barcook Bakery also has another branch near my office (nearer to Chinatown), and that one offers a better variety. You will be surprised sometimes they are only baking two types of breads but everyone is already buying them like hotcakes.

One of my best friends surprised me with this delicate piece some time ago. It's from Glace and it's yummy! They have a variety of flavoured cheesecakes but this one is original as my friend does not know what's my preference. On the top right (inset), it shows how creamy and rich the cake is. Mmmmmmm...

Little sister got a craving one day and ran down to Le Cafe near Selegie to get these beancurd tarts. Unlike egg tarts, these are not as sweet, light and perfect for a dessert after dinner. Oh waooo... I think I'd like to satisfy the craving again soon.

I went by this place named Dessert Cup at the newly renovated Raffles City basement a couple of times, but never bought any. They are so pretty, alluring and tempting to add on to the waistline. Priced at S$4.50 each, I thought it was a bit hefty for just cupcake. So one day, the sister bought it and I had a sample... and I think I will come back and buy myself one or two on a sinful day.

My friend and I chanced upon this newly opened place that offers milkshake and ice cream at Raffles Place during lunch, and so we decided to give it a try since there was a opening promotion. The ice cream were too stiff for my liking, I guess that's why I prefer yogurt, sorbet and soft serve... We had cookie & cream, rum & raisin and another one which I forgot but they were a bit too milky for my preference. Maybe the milkshake would have been a better choice?

Snacks, from all over

Long long overdue... and thus I'll try to collate them in one long entry or possibly a few. Yes, yes, it's all about food and I just love talking to you about them ;)

Some time ago, boss gave this to us at work. Apparently, it's from Scotland. It's Tunnock's Caramel wafer, I normally dislike caramel because it's too sweet for me. Since it's imported, I decided to give it a try. The caramel made the wafer very sticky and chewy, unlike the crisp ones we normally get here. My colleague didn't enjoy it, however I quite like the "chewy" feel :)

Another Scottish import! Well, I brought this one back the other day... I happened to see this when I was having tea at Haddo House, it was sold in their bakery cum cafe. Apparently, it's handmade. It's more chocolate than toffee really, a misperception I had from the packaging. Milk chocolate with crunchy toffee bits, and yes it's sweet. I'm not a toffee person, bought this for anyone who likes it but ended up poor chocolate is being neglected so I had to do it. But it wasn't as bad as I thought as the toffee was minimal.

I am not sure where this box of Pocky is from (I bought it in a snacks shop), I think it's manufactured in Thailand. It has two of my favourite things, chocolate and banana - always the best combination. I always got to have it when I see chocolate banana crepe, ice cream, muffin... or anything you can think of!

A colleague got back from Hong Kong and has a whole bag of these duck tongue. She asked if I would like to try as she has too much for herself. So I said, "Why not!" Mmmmm, I kind of regretted saying that because after the experience, I didn't even want to bring the rest home for my family. I passed them on to the daring souls in the office who have acquired tastebuds for them! Fortunately, a Hong Kong girl, an Indonesian guy and another guy from China seem to enjoy them :)

Let me share with you the experience. When I opened it, it literally looked like a tongue! It was coated with some sticky syrup. So I decided to close my eyes and popped it in. It was soft and the texture felt like eating a chicken heart (if you ever tried)... except that there were bones!!! I didn't really enjoy it as I felt like I was biting some muscles (attached with bones) off an animal. Ermm... I guess let's just stop here.

Hell no... Don't underestimate these small little packets. There are very addictive. I think I had almost 30% of the whole box my colleague brought back from the Philippines.Wikipedia says Polvorones are spanish shortbreads and indeed Philippines is one of ex-Spanish colonies, so no surprise there! It's said they are popular during the Christmas season, I wonder if they have it during the normal time... If I ever visit, I will buy a whole lot of these! By the way, the original flavour is the best, I also like pinipig and cashew!

These are variation of the normal "Baby Ball" or so called "Egg Boro" snack I used to have when I was young. They melt in your mouth after some time... that's why it's a baby snack, you don't need to have teeth to eat them. But the Japanese version as captured above has exotic flavours, spinach and pumpkin. I thought these are also a more healthy type of snacks, my parents also seem to enjoy them.

I bought this the other day because it looked so queer. It's sweet potato ice cream shaped just like sweet potato. The Japanese are really imaginative! But it's not cheap, it's about S$5 for this, but just for the novelty of it, why not! I find it pretty unique, it has sweet potato flavoured ice cream and bits of sweet potato on the bottom as shown. It's also not too sweet for me.

Credits to my dearest Taiwanese friend, Carrie (I mentioned this the other day but without a picture)!! Thanks for the authentic sun biscuits from Taichung, they are simply the best :) I prefer these to wife biscuits from Hong Kong now.

This has been my dinner for some of my fat-free diet days. Oh my... I always like the Dairy Farmers yogurt; they are Australian, thick and creamy just like the tagline says. I used to buy the small cups which do not come as worthy as this. I have been dying to try this flavour ever since I saw it but it doesn't come in the small cup. So there, I just gotta have this! It has real passionfruit in it!

A Saturday in town

The Missy is in town again and we had a really fun Saturday.

First off, we had a very late lunch at this cafe named Food for Thought which is recommended by the sister. It's a tiny place in North Bridge Centre and we actually missed the entrance and only found it by chance through its backdoor! They do not impose service charge, and the quality of the food is surprisingly good. You can have free flow of water and feel free to drop a donation to their Give Clean Water Fund. I had the sandwich set which offered the choice of a soup or salad. I opted for soup, and it was really good mushroom soup (nothing like some white diluted junk you get elsewhere), instead it's the thick brown soup with bits of mushrooms - just the kind I like! I ordered the Slow Roasted Pulled Pork, Missy had the All Day Breakfast Set, and Ade chose Basil Pesto Chicken. I adore the sound of sweet potato in mine and quite enjoyed it even though the shredded meat laying between two pieces of bread could be quite hard to handle even with the fingers. We were supposed to stuff ourselves with desserts, they had a whole range of yummy looking cakes but unfortunately we just couldn't do it thereafter! So sad. I promise I'll be back for the cakies!

Next, a movie lined up... With 5 million population in Singapore, it is almost impossible to get good cinema seats when you buy them last minute. So we got the later timing, and went for Durian snow ice and Mango with pamelo sago.

Black Swan was on the plan but it didn't sound like a good choice for a relaxing afternoon, and we went for No Strings Attached casting Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. It'd be a good laugh and indeed it was. What a bargain, you could almost see both of them fully naked (not that we know this in advanced!)... Not sure how many of you had been in the same scenario, but it's somehow quite real. How long can a couple stay in a casual relationship without actually feeling anything for one another, I guess won't be that long, considering that most women do enjoy the attachment. But in this show, it's the opposite, it made Adam (Ashton) seemingly like the woman in the relationship, with him hoping for a relationship to work out instead.

After a good laugh, we parted our ways. On the way to the train station, Missy and me chanced upon this new Irish bar with live band. So we popped in for a drink. I had Cherry Brandy on the rocks, one of my favourite drinks but not easily available anywhere. I recalled the bestman trying to order it for me at Missy's wedding but failed miserably. Missy had cider, and it actually tasted a lot better than the one I ordered back in Aberdeen! After finishing my drink and helping to finish half her cider, I knew I would have to turn in with a headache. And for the Missy, the night was still young... she continued her drinking plans elsewhere!

A very well spent Saturday!

Eat & drink like the Scots

Irn-bru
A Scottish soft drink, or also an energy drink? My colleague termed it like "Red Bull", but instead of yellow it's orange. Apparently it does contain caffeine but as said on Wiki, the exported version excludes it. Kristy kindly got me one to try, after a few nights in the hotel, I finally had to courage to open it ;) It was sweet, that's my first impression, but unlike the normal soft drinks, it tastes more like a sports drink to me. Or like a combination of coke, fanta orange and sports drink! Kinda weird! They also have it in a few variety, check here.

Buttery
Flaky, buttery, salty and a crossiant which has been ran over by a truck, and so... flattened. But it feels like a compact piece of pastry that has been deep-fried till crispy. It feels very heavy, even with my tea. After a few bites, I had to chuck it in the bin because it's not doing any good to my waistline ;) Sorry, boss. But buttery is truly Aberdonian, just in case you can't find them in other parts of Scotland.

Haggis
A mash of sheep's organs, or as Wiki said, sausage in casing of sheep's intestine. I didn't have it this time but I had it over 5 years ago when I was on a tour around Scotland. I guess it's a hate or love relationship, just like the foreigners have with durian. LOL. The closest thing I tried was Haggis flavored chips and they fortunately didn't taste anything like the real thing!


On the side note, I must mention that I brought over durian sweets for my Scottish colleagues and almost all of them spat it out within seconds. This is how some people hate the taste of durians. I felt so apologetic thereafter but everyone especially boss was having a good laugh watching their expressions. One of the guys actually went red in the face... and it cracked everyone up.

Frohe Weihnachten!

It's the time of the year again!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

A festive season filled with many wonderful memories of the past... This year, it's a rather quiet one; in the past years, I spent it at dinner with friends or held a mini party at home with the sisters. But both sisters are away, so I decided to take my parents out for a meal. (As one gets older, sometimes priorities do take a shift!) Just 3 of us at a nice Chinese restaurant named PUTIEN, they seemed to enjoy it as mum was still going on about the fried duck wrapped with yam on the phone. So here's some pictures to share our joy :)

Apparently this brand derives its roots from Putian, a town in the Fujian province of China. It began as a small restaurant in Singapore and has since expanded to 7 outlets, and needless to say, the prices have also increased tremendously. I have heard many good stories about the food and so I thought I shall take the parents there. It's my first time too!

The dishes are tasty and suit my parents' tradtitional tastebuds well, though the prices are a little on the steep side. That "Deep Fried Duck with Yam" costed $15.90, the yam portion was more than the meat! Not that we mind since mum and I love yam! Those "Homemade Beancurd" were smooth and silky, we really enjoyed them. We also got "Seaweed Soup with Wonton" (forgot to name that in the picture, it's in the centre), it was quite appetising and a perfect starter. Dad has to have rice at his meal times or he would go jelly on his knees, so we ordered the only rice item, the "Seafood Fried Rice" and it was quite the standard one like everywhere else. I like the idea of "Mee Sua" (also named "妈祖面线" in Chinese, what a nice name!) since I read a review that it was quite good, so we ordered it too. It came with seafood and wasn't the usual Mee Sua mum loved to cook at home. It came last, all of us were pretty stuffed by then, but it was so delectable that we finished it all. There was no room for dessert though I really would love to have one... haha.

All in all, it was a pleasant dinner! It will be a bonus if they have some cards' promotion, then we will go there more often ;) They only take reservations for big crowd, but I rang up earlier to put my name just in case there's going to be a queue, and it did turn out there was a waiting list. Fortunately, they managed to give us a table fast enough as the old people have little patience.

Craving for cakes II

After another round of cakes from Rive Gauche pâtisserie, it is time to retire from them. I have to say I'm not impressed by the Mont Blanc, at least the Cherry Pistachio is a more exquisite flavour. I only ate half of each of them, the rest finished by the sister and parents. Somehow I can safely say for the coming 2 weeks, I'm going to stop spending on them. Great way to cut down some unwanted calories as well as saving my pocket for something else better :)

Anyway, I was looking for reviews online when I realised a Mont Blanc from them costed S$4.50 in January 2010, and in November it's already S$7! A 36% increase!!! Gosh! So where's the promotion now ya thinking? And this was how it looked like, which is so much prettier than the one they're having now. Here's what it looks like today...

My sister even threw away the chestnut on top! Oh well! It was a little too sweet and creamy and I don't enjoy too much spongecake in my cakes. I guess I'm more a mousse person. Overall, it's just a very average tasting cake, just as bad as how it looks. I somehow prefer its former look, and having read good review about their Mont Blanc, I decided to give it a go... Unfortunately, not impressed at all!

Pistachio Cherry sounds awesome from its name, and I have to say both flavours seem to blend well together. The sour cherry mousse was quite to my liking, but the top layer of pistachio was disappointingly savourless. It could be a lot better... and how about adding on some dark chocolate mousse?? I think that idea will be great, LOL.

So say goodbye to Rive Gauche cakes! I shall save my stomach for better ones.


By the way, my mum got these surprisingly super delightful fruit tarts from the neighbourhood bakery. I have to say they make indeed a lovely treat! She bought 2 some weeks ago and I had them all to myself, very greedy I know, but it shows how good they are! I told her about it and this weekend she got 4 back! Don't worry, I'm not going to eat them all up, this time I'm sharing :D

Best of all, they are cheap!!! I can't believe cheap things can taste so good but you gotta believe it, there are gems. Most neighbourhood bakeries only do mediocre stuff but I guess there can be exceptions! Here's the yummy tart, with crispy buttery crust, fresh cream and freshly cut fruits covered with a layer of jelly.