dairy & cream - A Singapore + Japan Food Blog : Eat, Write & Relish

Beanstro, the bistro concept of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, has whipped out new enticing breakfast specials from now till July 31. With our Singaporeans' love for their runny Egg Benny, the bistro has thoughtfully included 2 poached eggs in every set, served with tomatoes and greens to fulfill our daily healthy intake.

Out of the four breakfast permutations, we loved the Egg Beef Patty ($13++) the most. With a distinct crust on the surface, the interior had a lovely hints of spices that cut though the richness of the egg. To add to the allure, this had an extra golden layer of beautifully torched hollandaise sauce.

The Egg Florentine ($12.50++) came with folded browned ham with nicely charred edges, distinguishing itself from the light pinkish version. The unseasoned poached eggs married nicely with the savoury ham and wilted spinach, though the latter was slightly over-salted. The egg yolk was flowing very quickly but we mopped it clean with the pillowy soft toast (not dry English muffins) within seconds.

I love smoked salmon but I must admit that the tastebuds lost its direction between the Egg Royale ($13.50++) and Egg Salmon & Asparagus ($14.00++). Both were similar except for the asparagus in the latter that offered an extra crunch. Some dashes of pepper that I've added in later, perked up my appetite which was unexpectedly overwhelmed by the creaminess of smoked salmon and eggs.

Apart from the hearty breakfast, BeanSTRO also offers a selection of desserts which we bought some to try though they were not part of the review. (Scroll to bottom for details)

Egg Salmon & Asparagus ($14.00++).
In short, if you are craving for good-quality and affordable breakfasts, Beanstro fits the bill as compared to the average $20 brunches nowadays. The impressive thing is how the chef consistently delivered perfectly poached eggs that oozed egg yolk profusely for every single dish.I am not a beefy person but should I return here for breakfast again, I would definitely pick the Egg Beef Patty---Sinful pleasures at its best. Lastly, Beanstro is Halal-certified, so muslim-friends are welcome to enjoy the food here!

Available only at

Beanstro Takashimaya S.C, #B1-37,

Breakfast Specials: 8am-11am daily (Wake up earlier to grab the bite)

Regualar Menu: 8am-11pm daily

Thank you Herbert and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® for the invite.

****

Post Review:

The Tiramisu ($10) was too dry and lacked coffee aroma, though the sweet Chantily cream served alongside was a nice touch.

The filling of the Cream Puff ($8) between two dry shells was rather cloying, but not too sweet.

The Mango Almond Tart ($8) had a nice crumbly texture but passable. The breakfasts are more enjoyable than the desserts, which could have tasted better if not served too chilled.

Besides Esquina, the Retrospective Bar is another of the hippie restaurant at Keong Saik Street that had a vintage American rock-and-roll vibe.

After dinner at Chinatown Hawker Centre, we strolled here for nice desserts......and some rather bland cappucino.

The Vanilla Creme Brûlée with Chai Biscotti ($11) was the earliest dish to be wiped off. While the basic standards of a crackly crust and smooth custard filling were met, the scents of vanilla was pleasant and strong. The Chai biscotti was not a common pairing but lost its crunch that day.

How could we miss the Bread & Butter Bread Pudding especially when it is served with butterscotch sauce and peanut butter ice cream? Unfortunately, both the ice cream and gooey sauce residing on top were too little to go with the bread pudding. Also, the soft custard mixture was lacking in the pudding so we ended up with dry & doughy cake.

The not-so-new chocolate fondant cake was the latest addition on their menu during our visit then in March. The pistachio nibs and salt grains scattered on the plate gave a pleasant savoury contrast to the chocolate cake.

But just like the dessert at Halia, it would be more ideal if the ice cream was served in a bowl to delay melting time and unnecessary wastage

Conclusion: The price of the desserts ($11 each) is quite reasonable and perhaps even a bargain, considering the fact that many similar restaurants price their desserts from at least $15. However, despite few customers, waiting hours were slightly too long, especially when we order only desserts. The savoury menu with comfort food such as Mac & Cheese or Retro burger looks not too bad either.

Retrospective Bar
21 Keong Saik Road (Nearest to Outram Park or Tanjong Pagar Station)

Mon - Thu: 12:00 pm - 12:00 am

Fri - Sun: 12:00 pm - 1:00 am

Menu: http://www.retrospective.com.sg

FB : https://www.facebook.com/retro.sg#!/retro.sg

Sakae Sushi and its green frog mascot is a familiar brandname to many Singaporeans. For me, I remembered it as one of the first few places in Singapore besides Yaohan (demolished) where I head to satisfy my sushi cravings. They have recently launched anew menu and here are some of the dishes.

I tend to jump straight to the sushi or sashimi when I visit Sakae. But this time round, I realised that the appetisers were pretty tasty too, and in fact better than few of its sashimi items. For instance, the Asari Miso ($6.29) were tiny springy clams seasoned in miso paste that dominated the flavou
Perhaps I was the only one at the table who enjoyed the stickiness of the Ika Okura ($6.29)--ladyfingers mixed with squid. It was a light dish without need for extra seasoning.

The Honey Sakura Ebi ($6.29) is simply a pot of sweet crunchy prawns that are so good for snacking that I doubt nobody will dislike unless he/she is allergic to crustaceans.

Kohada,小鰭 literally "small skin", is the generic name of a small fish that is rarely served in Singapore. Shinko (young gizzard shad) grows to become 小鰭 which subsequently matures as Konoshiro.

Marinated with soy and vinegar, the silvery sashimi ($4.29/3pcs) already has a mild sourish and salty taste, so I suggest you to enjoy the original flavour without soy sauce.

Oysters fans may be delighted to know that there are mouthwatering raw oysters from Hiroshima here at $8.29(4pcs). I am not a fan of oysters but those who did found them fresh and delicious.

Perhaps most Singaporeans recognize Katsuo (Skipjack Tuna) as the bonito flakes on top of Okonomiyaki or the key ingredient powder for ramen broth. The strong fishy-ness of the tuna ($6.29/4pcs) may not appeal to everyone.

Alternatively, there is the seared katsuo on sushi rice($4.29/2pcs), though some soy sauce and wasabi did help the wash off lingering fishy-ness.

Something new and interesting that I learnt that day was: If you order any items with the electronic machine, it will be sent from the kitchen on the conveyor belt and stopped directly in front of you.

Anything smeared with creamy mentaiko(cod roe) is bound to be a hit and this Mentai Kamo Sushi is no exception. Part of the Mentai Combo ($7.99), this Japanese-French fusion sushi featuring medium-sliced smoked duck was flavorful and not too dry.

For the Aburi Hotate Sushi, they were fortunately not over-seared. Fresh, plump and succulent, the scallops caused me to forget about the salmon roe. For a bit of everything. the Aburi Combo ($7.99)allows you to enjoy this with other seared items (salmon, tuna and skipjack tuna).

From the side menu, the Ooba Tempura ($4.29) is a white fish battered in Ooba leaf. The deep-frying have eliminated any bitter taste of the leaf and so this should satisfy any fussy kids who hate their greens.

The ramen tasted more like Korean style noodles rather than Japanese tonkatsu ramen. Both the Seafood (above) and Wagyu Beef ramen used the same kimchi soup base that was not spicy.

Though the Seafood($15.90) is packed with more ingredients, I liked the Beef version ($16.90) for the thinly-sliced grilled beef that reminded of bak kwa(pork jerky)

The Chicken Ramen ($14.90) would suit those who prefer something light. Though all three ramen were not as flavorful as tonkatsu ramen, they were significantly less salty and greasy.

Did you know that Sakae Sushi now offers Sake as well? It took 3 years for the founder, Mr Douglas Foo, to convince the Japanese sake owner to distribute this Junmaishu ($15.99/bottle) in Singapore. I am not a sake expert but it was sweet and mellow.

The mango pudding ($3.59) can be misleading as it was actually made with apple and mango purée. For the pear pudding($3.59) , the liquor was not strong enough but overall both are sweeter than average.

I always thought that Sakae Sushi only served sushi but now it has a wider variety menu with some dishes like the Kohada sashimi and Smoked Duck Sushi that caught me by surprise. In fact, Premium Wagyu and Oyster sushi are also new items on the menu.

Wish to try some of the new items here? Sakae Sushi has generously offered 3 sets of $20 cash vouchers (without minimum spending) to lucky readers!

To win, simply:
1) Like "Dairyandcream" Facebook Page.
2) Share this post on Facebook.
3) Leave a comment below on which new dish you would like to try. (Pls include email)

Contest closes 17th June (next Mon), 12 Noon. Winners will be contacted by email.

Sakae Sushi

Various Outlets including Marina Square, Woodlands, Boon Lay & Clementi

Find out your nearest outlet at http://sakaesushi.com.sg/locator.php

Thank you Sakae Sushi Holdings for the invite.

Yet another visit at Tiong Bahru to discover the good food. Formerly located in Marina South Food court, Marina South Curry Delight shifted to TB Hawker Centre due to Marina Bay Sands construction project.

Loaded not only with the usual actors such as tomatoes, lady fingers, eggplants and tau pok but also sweet chunks of yam, the curry fish head claypot was reasonably priced at $18

Nice addition of yam and choke full of other ingredients

The leading star was none other than the Red snapper fish head. Fresh and meaty, the fish was drowned by the gravy which was so thick that residues of curry spice paste stubbornly stuck to the the inner side of claypot.

The curry was not full of chilli but spicy and flavorful. But Old Ma felt that the excessive use of coconut milk had overpowered the aroma of curry leaf

Though the uncle also sells mini claypots of vegetables or chicken, I suggest sticking to his curry fish head to avoid disappointment. After all, this stall is named after its curry fish head, isn't it?

With the free bowl of old-school toasted plain roti, this set can easily feed 2-3 stomachs and to me, that's simply the best way to enjoy a pot of curry goodness.

Marina South Curry Delight

30 Seng Poh Road 02-14

Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre

Riding on the wave of steamboat in Singapore, Shabu Sai has opened a second outlet at Orchard Central. Quite unlike the shabu shabu in Japan, the version here reminded me of the Sichuan Yuan-yang Pot, in which diners can choose 2 different types of soup.

free flow of pork, chicken or beef upon order
From the six regular soup base including curry dashi, tomato, seaweed, tonkotsu, We picked theSpicyand also theSpecial flavour for May/June-Yuzu Saltwhich claimed to contain collagen.
While waiting for the soup to boil, one can start selecting from the buffet counter of fresh vegetables, includingJapanese shoots(竹の子) and white radish (daikon). Other unique items include the orange fish balls and thevegetable balls.
Themeat are served in bamboos, not purely for presentation, but because it has anti-bacterial properties to keep the meat fresh. One was the normal fish paste, while the other was the minced beef with lotus.
One thing that differs from the first outlet at Causeway Point is the addition ofassorted sushi. The rice lacked the acidity of vinegar and was rather dry. I prefer themini donburiwith bits of unagi and eggbut the sauce was too little.

The largest disappointment of the day, unfortunately, was theSoup base. Both theSpicy and Yuzu salt we had chosen were extremely salty, and tasted no different from each other. The Spicy version lacked the spice while the latter had no yuzu fragrant or flavour.

The tasting samplers of other soup baseshad the same problem: too much MSG, except for theseaweed soupwhich was very bland. The seasonings were excessive to the extent that the salty juices infiltrated all the vegetables and meat which were "shabu-shabu".

As a result of the soups, the wide variety of sauces, from the standard Japanese ponzu dressing to korean chilli bean paste became wasted or rather redundant.

Unless you bring your own water, free flow of drinks and ice cream are available when you topped up $1.99. The food kept me very thirsty until the next morning. To put it short, the soup bases still has plenty of room for adjustment. Otherwise it would be good if there are kettles of hot water on the buffet table for standby to prevent a salt attack.

Lunch:
Weekdays (Mon-Fri) Adult: $16.99++ Child*: $9.99+

Weekends/PH Adult: $16.99++ Child*: $9.99+
Dinner:
Weekdays (Mon-Fri) Adult: $24.99++ Child*: $9.99+

Weekends/EvePH/PH Adult: $29.99++ Child*: $9.99+
*Child: Between 5-9 years; those below age of 4 dine free

SHABU SAI
#08-09/10/11 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Rd.
Tel: 68846760
Mon-Fri : Lunch 1130-1500 (Last Order 1430) Dinner 1800-2230 (Last Order 2200)
Sat/Sun/PH: 1130-2230 (Last Order 2200)
This was a media tasting session.

Patisserie G is a hot French-style patisserie had been featured so many times on the newspapers, variety shows and magazines. After so many months, I finally paid a visit but the steep prices of the individual cakes ($8.50-$9) looked quite scary.

To avoid huge risks, I opted for the Macarons, albeit still not cheap for the petite size at $3. Having read so much about the excellent macarons by the chef who had trained under World Pastry Master Pierre Herme, I must admit that I felt underwhelmed after a few bites.

(From R-L) : Salted Caramel / Cherry Matcha / Yuzu Raspberry/ Pistachio/ Peanut Butter Chocolate/ Mandarin Orange Cheese

Not that they were biscuit-dry but not the best-for-value ones. The texture was crumbly, slightly chewy. Some were more delicate than the others because ganache was used instead of buttercream.

But putting ganache implies that the macarons do not last long at room temperature. My favourite Salted Caramel was almost disfigured after a 45-min train ride home (my fault...luckily, it still tasted wonderful). But what I would remember about G's macarons is their eye-catching colours and uncommon flavours like olive and milk choc miso.

On my 2nd visit, I was determined to get myself a cake no matter what. And it was the Douceur Chocolate: milk choc mousse on a hazelnut dacquoise that changed my overall impression of the pastries here.

This ultimate hazelnut combination brings to mind Pierre Herme'sPlasir Sucre, but I was so happy that the version here was even better as it was not overly sweet or cloying. The extra crunchy praline in the middle had no signs of staleness.

The (not-new-by-now) flavour--Salted Hazelnut was better than the macarons on 1st visit

I liked all the macaron flavours, but I'll pick the salted caramel/salted hazelnut again (as always). After these two visits, I returned for a massive eat-out on the third visit (probably due to desperate longing for cakes in Japan). Click here more delicious items from G :)

Patisserie G

9 Raffles Boulevard, #01-40 Millenia Walk (Nearest MRT: Promenade)

www.patisserieg.com/

Following up to previous post on G, here are the rest of food on a sweet Sunday.

The widely-reported signature item, G Spot, was a dark chocolate mousse with chocolate meringue, sitting on a chocolate hazelnut praline crunch $9. It had a lingering sweetness and was not as bitter as we expected. Perhaps due to the use of French Michel Cluizel cocoa products, the flavours were robust.

That spongeless G Spot was a pure chocolate bliss but the richness might overwhelm if you were to have it together with the French hot chocolate.

Not because both are chocolate, but because the barista really served the drink in the French way-->not cream but thick pot of ganache. Now I understand why there is only a small portion for $4.50. It was way richer than a normal cup of chocolate. A perfect dip for the croissant ($3), which deserved to be noted for its golden-brown crispy exterior and soft elastic interior.

For other savoury selections, we enjoyed the bacon quiche ($6.50, there is also mushroom version) because the crust did not succumb to the lightly-salted eggy custard and remained crumbly. The ratio of filling to crust is balanced, and thus the thick creaminess did not overwhelm.

Requested some 3D Latte Art for our coffee but unfortunately the staff said that they no longer do it so had to settle for the cappucino $5.

The Triomphe ($8.50) was not as exhilarating as the real monument in Paris. With only 2 components- slightly burnt caramel mousse and hazelnut sponge, the salty accents were muted. Perhaps some extra crunch would spice up this otherwise safe, normal cake.

It was a relief that the sugar level of the chestnut mousse cake-Marron D'Orange ($8.50) seemed to be toned down to suit local palates just like the ones at Canele. But, this was incredibly lighter and more complex, with a sour orange jelly to zap the sweetness of the chestnut orange sponge and mousse. Remember to attack the crumble at the base.

Rest assure that the golden caramelised top from this Saint Honoure $8.50 will not cause a sugar spike and it had such a perfect texture that we forgot the dry choux shell. Sitted below the chantilly-cream piped chouxs, the sable base made with Normandy Flechard butter was plain but aromatic. This disappeared in a mouthful and you would wish portions are bigger.

We sank our teeths through the crunchy canele- $3.50 each and reached a very sweet and custardy interior. The scents of rum were evident and what impressed was the shell which was thinner than most sold outside, but yet looked like a sturdy shield.

Conclusion: A place with above-average pastries to indulge when you need to destress or relax with friends. Whether the food justify the price tags depends or what is ordered. Most are quite impressive, including the savoury ones.

My top 3 pick would be the Doceur Chocolate, Croissants and Hot Chocolate. Would definitely return for more since the cake quest is still uncompleted. Dine-in spaces are limited but with no 10% service charge. Would be nice to spend every~~day~~ Sunday here.

Patisserie G

9 Raffles Boulevard, #01-40 Millenia Walk (Nearest MRT: Promenade)

www.patisserieg.com

Helmed by Chef Lau who is the brainchild behind the award winning lobster porridge at 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wan He Lou serves up wallet-friendly Chinese cuisine within comfortable air-conditioned environment. After opening for about a month, the team has created new dishes that seek to capture local tastes.

Of course, the all time signature dish was the Lobster Porridge(Good for 2 pax-$29.90). Though the lobster meat was isolated from the porridge, the yellow broth enhanced with lobster roe had hints of freshness from the sea. It does lack a bit of peppery kick, but on the very least it did not taste full of MSG.

Speaking of the Teochew-style porridge, each grain was distinct and easy on the bite. In any case should you find that this looks somewhat familiar, it is whipped up by the same chef behind The Orange Lobster at Orchard Central.

The Pan fried Garoupa Slices with pomelo sauce, mangoes and dragon fruit ($19.90) is a lighter and more refreshing twist of the usual sweet and sour garoupa, but the batter was slightly too doughy.

The Signature Chicken (about 6 pieces for $12.90) are deboned chicken wings filled with home made stuffing mixed with some carrots. Slicked with a sweet sauce, the meat was slightly dry and perhaps overcooked that resulted in a bitter charred taste.

Similarly, the Kurobuta Pork with Garlic Shoots ($14.90) was a pity because the deep frying did not bring out the tenderness of this premium cut. The lashings of mildly-spiced brown sauce with some acidity of the sliced apples did help to cut the greasiness.

A safe dish that is difficult to go wrong is this Crispy Seafood delight ($10.90), a well-seasoned seafood cake wrapped in crepe skin. Which fried food would disagree with mayonnaise?

The Crispy Lotus in Salted Egg Yolk ($10.90), with doses of chilli padi made a very good dish to go along with rice, or even a snack if you have high tolerance of salt. The extra bits of aromatic curry leaves were a bonus.

My favourite dish was the Stir Fry French Beans $8.90. It might be a common dish in many restaurants but to skills and experience are required to execute it well. What made this dish stood out was the super fragrant dried shrimps, garlic nibs and chilli padi. And...it actually had milky scents that reminded me of cereal prawn!

Beancurd in Crabmeat and Yellow Gravy ($10.90)
The chef made extra effort to make the beancurd from scratch but further pan-frying might produce more interesting textures to pair with the thickened yellow stock gravy, crab meat and wolf-berries.

The Prawn in Hawthorn sauce ($15.90) was quite similar to the Kurobuta Pork and the hawthorn flavour was elusive. It tasted more like a sweet tomato sauce and perhaps this seafood needs some reworking to break through a uniform sweetness in some dishes here

Try the Vegetable Juice $2.50, a mixture of chye sim, pineapple and sour plum with no sugar added, for a sweet-saltish treat.
Not all dishes may be perfect but this place is certainly promising enough for a casual gathering with family or friends. Apart from the Lobster porridge, the Crispy Lotus in Salted Egg Yolk and the Stir fried French beans are dishes not to be missed.

Understandably, the restaurant is still at its experimental stage. Given more time, I'm sure the experienced chefs will be able to neat out the minor details and deliver consistent Chinese fare.

*This place does not charge for service or GST. All dishes here are nett price.

Wan He Lou
65 Maude Road (Walking distance from Lavender MRT /Farrer Park MRT)
Tel: 6294-8057
Mon-Sun
Lunch 11am-2.30pm
Dinner 5pm-10.30pm
http://www.wanhelou.com/

[Special thanks to Streetdirectory and Wan He Lou for the invite]

This summer, be mesmerized by the galore of Mediterranean dishes and desserts at Chihuly Lounge. Regulars of Ritz Carlton will know that the widely popular afternoon tea here are inspired by the seasons and once again, the talented Executive Pastry Chef Terence Pang has rolled out ten whimsical desserts, tricking not only your taste buds but also your eyes.

From Olive Macaron Starfish to Seaweed Slippers in cherry orange tones, these petite sweets definitely awaken your inner kid and drift you into a beautiful sandy landscape by a romantic sea.

Every lady's favourite--Caramel Mediterranean Salt Truffle Pearls

Pop one of this silvered pearls into my mouth and you know this is worth more than the real thing. The bursting flow of Salted Caramel is irresistible.

Roasted Yellow Squash

The Mediterranean focus extends to savoury delights and one of the must-try is the fist-sized Moroccan Style Stew Stuffed Chicken Wings permeated with herbaceous notes of coriander and some perky sour lemon. The innovative vegetable yellow pot was actually Roasted Yellow Squash stuffed with Pimiento and Manchego Cheese.
Canapes Selection: Marinated Feta Cheese with Olive Tapenade

Apart from the above, I loved the buttery crumbly shell of the Chick Pea Hummus with Olive Oil in Caviar Tartlet. The Olive and Sun Dried Tomato Quiche was a sheer comfort food.

The Batata Harra (Spicy Potato) may resemble any other potato wedges but has absorbed the essence of garlic, chilli and olive oil. Other new dishes include Braised Chermoula Lamb Shank and Mint Couscous in Flaky Pastry and the Grilled King Prawns with Iberico Chorizo Butter Sauce that was bouncy on the bite.

Get cheesy with the special crepe flavour of Ricotta Cheese Filling and Candied Fruit topped with Mascarpone Cheese Sorbet at the live station.

Of course, nothing counts as afternoon tea without tea. Under my favourite category of green tea, there are already at least 6 types of blends. Alternatively, there are over thirty blends of loose leaf teas from the Ronnefeldt tea collection, served on elegant France-imported tea porcelain. A perfect complement for their lovely golden-raisin studded scones.

Satiated of savoury bites? Return to the desserts such as sourish Lemon and Vodka Lemon Cup or sail on calmly waves with the Raspberry and Fig Tart.

I was quite impressed with the Rosemary Panna Cotta with Peach Jelly as it was so luxuriantly creamy that it did not disintegrate instantly in the mouth.

This summer weekend afternoon tea is available till 1 September from 2.30pm to 5.00pm, at S$52++ per adult and S$26++ per child (six to twelve years of age), inclusive of freshly brewed and decaffeinated coffee and a selection of teas. For weekdays, they are serving 3-tier afternoon tea at $42 per person.

Do not leave without this colourful beach ball filled with Pistachio Crème, nutty pistachios, buttery crumbles and ooh...juicy liquor-soaked cherries

Having visited Ritz Carlton afternoon tea twice previously, I am truly impressed by how the quality and creativity of the food gets better each round. Not only the desserts but even the savoury selections are meticulously taken care of--both visual and the taste. That is why this place has always topped my list for afternoon tea recommendation(even before this round of tasting).

More than just whimsical. It's simply Mediterranean Magic.

Chihuly Lounge
The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
(Accessible from: Promenade/Esplanade/ City Hall MRT Station)

For dining reservations, please call (65) 6434 5288 or email rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com
*Special thanks to Ritz Carlton Singapore for the invite

A month ago, a group of people gathered at Hong Lim Park. We were not protesting but......doing something "fishy". I'm quite sure anyone could smell us far away. It's a picnic with durians, or more precisely Durian Taste Test organised by Hungrygowhere. I was excited to join in the team to help pick up the King of the King.

There were 11 types of durian. Each type was kept anonymous to the testers, only to be identified by the star stickers labeled with number. So everyone went around with a paper plate and a fork, mobilising all our sense to figure out the characteristics.

So here are the results of the best and worse durians, based on both quantitative and qualitative judging. The marks range from 3.8-5.9 out of 10 (10 indicates “Definitely Recommend” and O indicates “Not Recommend”) Hence, you can see that there was a close fight between the durians.

Hong Xia Wang 3.8/10

Clear flavours, but flat. Not bitter, moderately sweet. For durian beginners

$10/kg

Lian Hua Chun 279 Balestier Point Tel: 9060 6405

Daily 2pm-midnight

Shan Ba (aka kampong/village) 4/10
Pungent, creamy, fibrous. Not very custardy. For those who like Malaysian varieties.

$5/durian

Ah Hung Company (also rated best stall)

204 Geylang Road Tel: 6743 3509

Mao Mao Wang 4.2/10 (funny name--cat cat king or hairy king?)

Flat. Not value for $. Too light. Little flesh. Not special.

$30/kg

Durian Culture (also rated worst stall)

77 Sims Avenue Tel: 6744 5232

Daily 24 hours

Sultan Wang 4.3/10

Good for ice cream. Mixed review: fishy? plasticky? Bittersweet aftertaste.

Soft, creamy flesh.

$15/kg

Wonderful Fruit Enterprise

147 Sims Ave Tel: 6474 0191 or 8437 3888.

Hu Lu Wang 4.9/10

A hit and miss. Lack bitterness. Sourish?

For those with a sweet tooth for Chinese desserts.

$10/kg

Lian Hua Chun

279 Balestier Point Tel: 9060 6405

Daily 2pm-midnight

Sultan aka D24 5/10

Fail to impress despite being D24. Fibrous. Powdery? watery?

Some felt it had not ripened.

$10/kg

Wonderful Fruit Enterprise

147 Sims Ave

Tel: 6474 0191 or 8437 3888

D13 mix 5.3/10

BEST FOR FIRST-TIMERS

$12/kg

Kean Lye Fruit Trading

766 Upper Serangoon Road Tel: 6284 4007

Daily 11am-10pm

Butter Durian 5.3 /10

Price Bargain-able. Moderate bitter-sweet. Strongest aroma. Creamy

$38/ box

Metro Trading

Blk 531 Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Complex

XO Durian 5.5/10

moderate-to-very sweet flesh, with little/no bitterness. As creamy and buttery as Mao Shan Wang.For those who do not like to feel too full after eating durians.

$15/kg

Ah Hung Company (also rated best stall)

204 Geylang Road Tel: 6743 3509

Mao Shan Wang 5.6/10

BEST STALL / DURIAN SELLER

Most appetizing looks. Buttery-textured flesh. Moderately sweet and aromatic

$18/kg

Ah Hung Company

204 Geylang Road Tel: 6743 3509

Hong Xia, CROWD FAVOURITE 5.9/10

Price: $10/kg

Recommended eaten cool a candy-like taste and a "floral" aftertaste. avocado-like texture

Penang hybrid is, again, not any like red prawn

Teo Boon Teck

Albert Street, along Short Street Tel: 9873 8466 or 6396 6321

Till 11pm daily

___

Overall, it was really an eye opener for me as I did not know so many varieties exist here. Furthermore, it was the first time I concentrate so hard to eat a fruit (lol...) I hope this information will be handy for durian lovers to smell out some good durian stalls in Singapore.

For full detailed report of these durians: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/what-to-eat/everything-you-need-to-know-about-durians-*aid-77763f00/

Just in case some might not have read about this, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has accepted the challenge issued by Singtel and some food bloggers here to compete with top 3 Singapore hawkers in a culinary contest.

If you wish to witness the cookoff LIVE between Chef Ramsay and our local hawker heroes, find out how to win tickets at : http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/food-contests-and-giveaways/secure-vip-seats-at-the-hawker-meal-by-gordon-ramsay-*aid-0f773f00/

*Special thanks to Hungrygowhere for the invite

In conjunction with Singapore Social Media Day 2013, omy.sg has partnered with premium food brand, CP Food to promote home cooking through social media.  The objective is to spread the message of family and social bonding.

To celebrate this campaign, I have made several dishes for my entire big family using the products that CP Food has generously provided. And for the month of July, I'll be posting some simple recipes which even you can whip up at home for your loved ones!

Since part of my blog is about food in Japan, let me start off with two Japanese-inspired dishes:

1) Tori Karaage with Japanese Potato Salad

The image of tori karaage (Japanese fried chicken) came to my mind when I saw the packages of CP Popcorn Chicken. Tori Karaage are served as simple side dishes in izakaya or family restaurants. I thought serving it with chilli sauce/ketchup would be pretty boring, so why not make a tangy Japanese potato salad to go with it? ( hehe...its actually an excuse to eat the salad because I am missing this dish badly in Singapore)

Ingredients: Serves more than 10
This recipe can be halved but better to make more as they are so delicious that they are gone in seconds

For Tori Karaage : (Please defroze in advance)

1 Pack CP Popcorn chicken
1 Pack CP Golden Fried Chicken (Exclusive at NTUC)

For Japanese Potato Salad:

4 Russet Potatoes
3/4 canned corn drained (or use fresh corn=more tedious)
2 Japanese Cucumber (cut into 2-in slices, you don't have to measure as you can just cut it as thin as you like)
2 medium sized carrots (same logic above applies, but microwave or steamed a little for easy bite)
2 boiled eggs
Salt
24 Tb Japanese Mayonnaise (non-Japanese version would taste different, really)

STEPS: (adapted from Nami-san of justonecookbook)

1) Prepare Potato: Peel Potato Skin and cut into chunks. Throw all into boiling water and cook till soft (able to poke through with a chopstick or any utensils)

2) Mash the potato with a fork/spoon till the consistency you like (i prefer smooth but still with little bits for texture)

3) Mash the boiled eggs.

4) Dunk everything (potato, eggs, cucumbers, corn, carrots) and mayonnaise and mix with all force.

5) Season with salt (I skipped black pepper and ham as I did not have them) and chill till ready to serve.

6) Prepare Chicken: Deep fry the chicken after thawing for the best crispy texture (I tried both deep frying and microwave but the latter method resulted in soggy chicken bites)

7) Assemble the chicken with the potato salad. Plate with tomato, lettuce and cucumber as you like.

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For the 2nd recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Kong Ba Bao

This easy-to-prepare dish marries the two traditional dishes of Japan and China into one which you can make at home. No cooking is involved, except for the teriyaki sauce ( as there is not much sauce in the package to go with the steamed buns)

Ingredients

CP Teriyaki Chicken + CP Teriyaki Chicken Rice Set (Optional as I wanted to cook for more people, so I used the chicken and saved the rice for another time)
Steamed Leaf Buns
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
2 Tb Sugar
Fresh Lettuce
Parsley for garnish

STEPS:
1) Microwave chicken for 4-5 min on HIGH Heat

2) Combine all soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a saucepan and cook on medium heat till the thick consistency that you like
3) To assemble : Place lettuce and teriyaki chicken into the steamed bun. Drizzle as much sauce as you like. Garnish with parsley before serving. Itadakimasu!~

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Don't you think these recipes are so easy to make? If you don't have microwave, fear not! CP packages can be heated by steaming. What's more, the ingredients are easy to find and minimal cooking involved so that you don't have to worry about scrubbing an oily kitchen.

Join in this meaningful social campaign and start cooking for you and your loved ones now! 12 home cooks who submit the best photos and captions of your home-cooked meals on Instagram will stand to win attractive prizes:

1 x $1,000 CapitaMall shopping vouchers and CP Foods product hamper worth $100 for Best Submission using CP Foods product in their home-cooked meal (product name must be included in the photo caption).

1 x $500 CapitaMall shopping vouchers and CP Foods product hamper worth $100 for Best Submission using non-CP Foods product in their home-cooked meal.

10 x CP Foods product hampers worth $50

Official hashtags: #SGSMD2013 and #CPFoodsSG

Closing date for submission:31 July 2013

For more details :http://project.omy.sg/sg-social-media-day

The Singapore Social Media Day is part of a series of events branded under Social Media Fiesta (http://project.omy.sg/social-media-fiesta), an omy.sg social media initiative.

**Special thanks to omy.sg and CP Foods for organising and sponsoring the food.

For Part 2 of this cooking series, click here!

During one of the family food hunts at Lavender Food Centre few months ago, one of our surprise finding was Ju Hao Xiao Long Bao stall. Compared to other stalls, you can actually watch how the food is made LIVE like an open kitchen as the owner from China makes all the dough from scratch.

The Xiao Long Bao ($5.50 for 8) are much bigger than those found in restaurants. Though some may find the skin a little thick, the ratio of dough to meat is well proportioned.

The lighter meat colour indicates a lesser use of soy marinade and thus the natural pork juices are preserved. Another "HOT" item is the 旦旦面, or spicy bean paste noodles with minced meat ($4.50).

However, the thick red gravy is sweeter and less fiery than it looks. That said, the yellow noodles were well-pulled and had a nice texture. Old Dad who loves his cuisine from China found this rather average.

Overall, I like this place because one can find (authentic) quality Chinese food at wallet-friendly prices. Out of the two items, I would also recommend the Xiao long Bao more than the noodles. Nonetheless, there are many items including pan fried spring onion pancake, etc that would draw me back. If you come across any other good items from this stall, do drop a msg on my fb page.

Ju Hao La Mian Xiao Long Bao聚豪拉面小笼包

Lavender Food Square Blk 380 Jalan Besar, #01-29
Opening hours: Daily 11:00am-11:00pm

In conjunction with Singapore Social Media Day 2013, omy.sg has partnered with premium food brand, CP Food to promote home cooking through social media. To celebrate this campaign, I have made several dishes including fried chicken with Japanese potato salad and teriyaki chicken in the first post. In this second post, I shall be covering Vietnamese and Italian food.

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Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll) with Peanut Hoisin Sauce (adopted from Rasa Malaysia)

This is inspired by Vietnam's top chef, Vo Quoh, who made a similar dish during his masterclass at World Streetfood Congress 2013. Goi Cuon is atraditional Vietnamese delight wrapped with grilled pork, vegetables, rice vermicelli and herbs. One can easily find this in Vietnam homes.

Do you know that it was one of the World's top 50 most delicious food by CNN GO?What is great about this recipe is that the CP charcoal grilled chicken products are already marinated and cooked, and thus saving us the time to prepare the meat from scratch.

Ingredients: Makes around 24

For Spring Roll:

2 packs 16-cm Vietnamese Paper Roll (Found at Dried Goods Section of NTUC--don't head to the freezer section where they usually stock spring rolls or wanton skins)
1 pack dried bean vermicelli (Soaked in water to soften, then drain water)
1 cucumber (Cut lengthwise)
2 medium sized carrots (Cut lengthwise)
Fresh lettuce (1 regular size is more than sufficient)
1 pack CP Charcoal Grilled Chicken

For Peanut Hoisin Sauce :

1 cup hoisin sauce (300g-about entire bottle)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 garlic, minced
1 packet crushed peanuts (my left-over from glutinous ball package)

1) Prepare Meat : Microwave and break them into smaller pieces . Set aside

2) Prepare Sauce: Mix all the ingredients for sauce together until smooth. ( I did not use blender to maintain some texture in the sauce--saves washing time too)

3) Assembly: In room temp water, dip each rice paper wrapper for about 10 seconds (vary on thickness) till gelatinous and pliable. Do not over-soak. Set it on a work table/big plate.

4) On 1/3 side closest you, lay lettuce, spread some sauce, then meat, cucumber, carrots and vermicelli. Roll up spring roll about 1/3 way through and fold in one side ( you can fold both like popiah if you are using larger 22-cm rice paper or your vegetables are trimmed shorter).

5) Serve with peanut hoisin sauce and crushed peanuts.

My house ran out of herbs and rice vinegar, so I did not use them this time round. I skipped the minced thai chilli in the sauce so that the kids can enjoy this too. I was quite surprised too that the dishturned out to be delicious despite replacing the marinated pork with frozen product. The chicken was extremely flavourful with glistening sweet glaze after microwaved. What's more, the meat was tender and not too dry.

As what the chef had said, what matters in Vietnam cuisine is the sauce, while the main food stays quite light. And yes...the sweet-saltish dip has officially become one of my favourite dip too! No deep frying, No red meat and full of vegetables--A healthy dish that you can prepare way in advance as they are usually eaten at room temperature.

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Spicy Chicken Aglio Olio
Since Aglio Olio is considered one of the spicy type of pasta, it would be suitable to add some spicy or pepper flavored meat besides the usual seafood. Chilli padi replaces dried chilli flakes to spice up this dish.

Ingredients:
1 Pack CP Black Pepper Chicken (pic below)
1 Pack CP Spicy BBQ Chicken (pic below)
500g spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil (120ml)
10 garlic cloves, diced
3 dried chili peppers, crushed
10 chilli padi, minced
Salt to season

1) Bring salted water to a boil, and cook spaghetti for about 8 minutes. Remove just before the al dente stage. Drain but reserve a few ladles of pasta water.

2) In another pan, heat olive oil and combine garlic and chilli. Cook for a few minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Do not burn the garlic; otherwise it will become bitter.

3) Add spaghetti to the pan with olive oil and mix well. To prevent dryness, ladle some pasta water to the pasta. Cook for another minute or until desired state of al dente.

4) Tossed in shredded chicken and parsley before serving.

**** ****

Honey Chicken Napoleon
This is an extremely easy yet delicious canapé that you can served during party to impress your guests. The sweetness of the honey chicken complements the tangy sour cream.

Ingredients
3 Russet Potato
210 g Sour Cream
1 Lemon Wedge
1 bottle chinese spicy mustard
1 Pack CP Honey Chicken
Chives for garnish, sliced diagonally

CP Honey Wings

1) Sliced the potatoes into thin wafer rounds and pan fried till crisp.

2) While waiting for the crisps to cool, heat the honey wings according to instructions on package and peel the chicken into bite-size pieces.

3) Make sauce: mixed sour cream, minced mustard vegetable and dash of lemon juice. (Store-bought Tartar Sauce is a good substitute)

4) To assemble: Place one potato wafer as base, topped with mustard sour cream then honey chicken. Repeat for another layer and garnish with chives before serving.

**** ****

1 x $500 CapitaMall shopping vouchers and CP Foods product hamper worth $100 for Best Submission using non-CP Foods product in their home-cooked meal.

10 x CP Foods product hampers worth $50

Official hashtags: #SGSMD2013 and #CPFoodsSG

Closing date for submission: 31 July 2013

For more details :http://project.omy.sg/sg-social-media-day

The Singapore Social Media Day is part of a series of events branded under Social Media Fiesta (http://project.omy.sg/social-media-fiesta), an omy.sg social media initiative.

**Special thanks to omy.sg and CP Foods for organising and sponsoring the food.

For Part 1 of this cooking series, click here!

Starting next week, Liang Court will be organizing a food trail every Wednesday till 7 August as part of its annual Oishii@Liang Court. From Tanyoto Sichuan Specialities to volcano ramen by the soon-to-be-open Tonkatsu Kazan, shoppers are treated to a variety of cuisine at Liang Court.

Sample of coupon

Just purchase the dining coupon at $30 from the Level 2 Customer Service Counter and you can enjoy meals at 3 different restaurants! A copy of the Food Trail Guide will be given after purchasing coupons.

At the media preview session, I went to 3 places, starting with Taiwan cuisine at Shin Yeh, a prestigious Taiwan restaurant under Tung Lok group in Singapore. We were surprised that a typical four-course set menu was already dished out right at the first pit stop.

The appetizer was a cold platter of oyster mushrooms with herbal sauce, poached savoury kampung chicken and chilled fresh bamboo shoots salad. I was glad that the chicken was something different from the drunken wine chicken dish and it went well with special dark soy sauce.

The next dish, Crisp-fried Prawn Rolls with Yam Paste, was my favourite dish of this set. A light, fragrant fritter of yam wrapping around small-sized prawn, that was not oil-logged or too starchy.

The classic comfort food, Lu Rou Fan (卤肉饭) was delicious too. Nearly every grain was coated with the mildly sweet brown stew sauce and the pork tasted more like meat floss. This looked just like any typical version one can find on Taiwan streets so it was a surprise to find it at this classy high-end restaurant.

Dessert was the signature Mango and Milk Shaved Ice made with 100% mango. I am not a mango lover but cleared everything easily as it was not too sweet. However, the mango taste is quite intense and thus one might thought this was chilled purée mango instead of ice.

If you head to Yayoiken, you would get this Nasu Miso & Hokke Set (up to $15.90) which contains stir fried pork and eggplant in miso and grilled mackerel. Every dish was tasty and the miso soup was not too salty. For those who are missing Japanese rice, here is a good place to get free refill of rice (if you still have space for more).

For those craving for desserts, Dulcet and Studio, the sister outlet of Tampopo, allows food trail participants to choose any 2 slices of cake and a regular coffee (up to $16.60) between 3-10pm.

Chocolate Marble Chiffon

Besides the signature scoop cake that is a fruity Japanese shortcake, their tall & fluffy chiffon cakes in various flavours are really worth trying too.

I wrote about the Cream Cheese chiffon previously and the quality is still good this time round. If you haven't try their cream puff ($2.60) yet, be sure to get one if you see them on the shelves as they usually run out very fast.

Overall, I believe this food trail offers a great opportunity to try out various restaurants at Liang Court and Japanese food lovers especially, should not miss this event. Do note that the first stop is a secret fixed place but you can pick the other two stops from any remaining 11 F& B shops on the list.

The 12 restaurants are:

Dulcet & Studio #01-41
Marutama Ramen #02-01
Okinawan Diner Nirai-Kanai #B1-01
Ryoshi Sushi Ikeikemaru #B1-31/50
Saizeriya #02-22
Shakey’s Pizza #02-32
Shin Yeh #02-19
Tamoya #01-32
Tampopo Deli #B1-16
Tanyoto #01-25
Tonkatsu Karzan Ramen #01-10
Yayoiken Japanese Restaurant #B1-31/50

Over 60 International Beers to Choose from
Before leaving, get your omiyage (souvenir) at Thirsty the Beer Shop, which is giving a free beer to every participant. Those under 18 will, of course, receive a non-alcoholic drink instead.

Sweet Fruit Beer (Peach flavour)...don't stare too long guys
I love the fruity beers such as the Peach and Framboise. But seasoned drinkers might prefer the bitter range.

Be sure to keep your stomachs empty for the feast or grab some friends to share the food (i.e. 2 persons can share the portion of food for a $30 set coupon). If you wish to find out about the food selection from Shakey's Pizza, Marutama Ramen and Saizeriya, do check out Ai Ling's blog. They looked really delicious to me!

This food trail is held every Wednesday from 17 July-7 August. Other concurrent activities include Japanese chef class, dessert workshop at Dulcet and Studio, Design Onigiri Contest (27th July) and children cooking workshops.

For more details, visit here.

Liang Court
177 River Valley Road
(Near Clarke Quay MRT)
Opening hours: 10am-10pm daily

**Special thanks to Leslie from SG Story and AsiaMalls for the invite.

Signature Costa logo on latte art with the unique coffee ring

With its humble beginnings as a small family business in London since 1971, Costa has leaped forward to become the world's 2nd largest coffee chain, boasting over 1700 stores in 25 countries.

Signature Flat White ($6.30)

Finally, Costa landed on our sunny island last August 2012 and has since become a hit with some kopi lovers I know. What makes Costa unique is its emphasis on the quality experience of coffee drinker.

Every coffee here is made with precision from their special blend of coffee beans, Mocha Italia. For instance, my cup of Hot Mocha ($6.50-above pic) is brewed according to its golden formula of espresso to hot chocolate milk to foam. It was more intense and less sweeter than the Flat White.

Do you know that each Costa barista goes through training and rounds of test before they are qualified? That may explain why the coffee here tastes different from other mass franchises.

Have a coffee chat with Khai, the pioneer barista of Singapore Costa and also a coffee guru himself. His passion translates into flair and creativity in every cup of coffee.

Besides coffee, they have a series of savoury food that are not only suitable for dine-in but also good for takeaway. The Summer Vegetables Wrap **NEW** $6.90, is a filling roll of nicely grilled zucchini, eggplants that tasted better than its rustic looks.

**NEW** Honey Djon Mustard Chicken Foccacia

I was quite amazed to find Sous Vide Chicken at this cafe as this style of vacuum-steaming cooking takes place mostly at restaurants. Sandwiched between wholemeal ciabatta, the chicken had a smooth tender texture, though I wish there were more honey djon mustard.

But out of the sandwiches, I would recommend the Grilled vegetables and mushroom panini ($7.20). The not-too-thick bread makes it easier to chow through and its pizza-like taste will ring a familiar note in many people.

On the menu includes this healthy Caesar chicken salad that tastes as good, if not better than many other places

To beat the hot weather, go for the cold drinks such as this Strawberry Creamy cooler ($6.30) a refreshing strawberry smoothie crowned with whipped cream. The Mango & Passionfruit Cooler ($5.60) for a less sinful treat.

Like every other cafe, there is always cakes to complement the coffee/tea. Double Chocolate Brownie ($6.50) and Apple Crumble($6.50) are classic sweets that you can indulge with an additional topping of ice cream.

Signature 4-tier carrot cake($7.20) that are generous on the walnuts with very fine cake texture. I prefer to enjoy it warm. Others include this Brownie cheesecake ($6.50, below pic) that would satisfy cheesecake and chocolate craving at one shot.

When the hot meets the cold with this affogato

Muffins are easily overlooked at a cafe but the ones here actually comes with filling. For instance, this blueberry muffin($3.90) most likely won't catch your attention but it is unexpectedly fluffy with sour blueberry jam inside. After this, I am curious to try the triple chocolate one that boasts gooey chocolate filling.
As I recall my favourite items that day, I realise they could make up a full course set menu (from Chicken Caesar salad to Grilled panini and end of with the Affogato or their hot mocha). Though the food might not be extremely fantastic, the cosy ambience and service did not give me a "mass-franchised" feel. A good location for not only work discussion but also leisure afternoon coffee just to spend time away.

Have you had your cuppa today?

Costa Coffee Outlets:
Vivocity #01-100 (Harbourfront MRT)
Chevron House #01-37 (Raffles Place MRT)
Raffles City #01-45/45A (City Hall MRT)

More details, visit :
https://www.facebook.com/CostaCoffeeSingapore
http://www.costacoffee.com.sg

**Special thanks to Devries PR and Costa Coffee SG for the invite

This dessert hideout at a secluded corner of Holland Village had been on my list since it was opened years ago. The chef-owner Janice had won numerous awards for her pastry creations. However, there seemed to be less positive reviews than negative ones.

Some felt that the quality/portions of the desserts did not justify the expensive price tag while some felt the service was lacking. Finally mustered the necessary courage to visit and well, our experience was not fantastic but not too bad.

The Red Miso Caramel ($15) with mustard crumble sparked my curiosity as saltish desserts often excelled better than purely sweet desserts. The miso lemon foam was robust enough to pair with the slightly tangy mustard yuzu meringue, though my partner found the match rather odd.

This interesting dessert would not dull your taste buds, even though the mustard taste was faint.

This Southeast Asian style dessert is named "Shades of Green" ($14)
had nothing to do with trees but 2Ps--pistachio and pandan.

The pistachio sponge and coconut mousse were quite forgettable, but what I remembered was the sweet and aromatic pandan gula melaka custard. Overall not too dense nor overly sweet. If you like kaya toasts or nyonya kuehs like ondeh ondeh just like me, you might love this one.

There was a petite tasting menu, from which we ordered the sticky toffee pudding. But at $10 for a small slice, it was pricy and I should have stuck to the regular menu.

The Cheese Avalanche $18 was recommended by the staff as one of the larger-sized desserts. Though the portion was not much different, the cheese mousse was rich and dense, and thus need not be eaten in copious amount.

The cantaloupe, or more simply, melons injected a refreshing sweetness to the dish. Topped with some candied figs and hard biscotti, this appeared to be spun off from the usual cheese platter (dried fruits, cheese and biscuits).

With some wacky combinations of ingredients, I would not say that the desserts are extremely overpriced but more or less, on par with most western restaurants and even cafes here.

At least they are not boring repetitions of molten lava cake, creme brulee or apple crumble. That said, don't be like me who wanted to save money by ordering the cheaper petite tasting creations.

2am Dessert Bar
21a Lorong Liput S'pore 277733 (Nearest MRT: Holland Village)

www.2amdessertbar.com

I'm sure everyone here must have seen or heard about this Koala Bear Biscuit from Lotte. These everyday snacks have been one of my favourite brand because they are not only tasty but offer great entertainment. And I would definitely grab any limited edition/seasonal flavour whenever they hit the shelves.

I always call it Koala Biscuit but do you know the actual name is Koala no Machi (Koala's March)? According to the official Japanese site, these bears do not literally march like soldiers but they symbolize motivation to progress forward. They are usually given to friends at the start of school semester or new job to wish them a good head-start.

These two are my favourite characters
Available in 3 flavours-chocolate, strawberry and milk, the koala biscuits sold here are imported from Thailand and occasionally Japan (for limited edition/seasonal flavours). Somehow, with the unique koala bear imprint on each biscuit, they could have a psychological effect of making any kids smile at the cute image. Do you know that there are amazingly more than 365 characters?!?!

I was surprised to find these cards at the lid and base with assigned koala characters. I guessed the specific-print koala biscuit had been mixed into the package.

Could you find the correct one that matches the photo card from this plate of chocolate koala biscuits below?

I've searched high and low but in fact none of the biscuits in the package match the picture cards.

If you have watched the video about the Koala Chocolate Ball experiment, you would have seen how a packet of biscuits could become a chocolate ball simply by shaking. I was sceptical but was determined to try it! So I used the strawberry and milk flavour.

I shake. I smash. Being too impatient, I threw the strawberry pack on the floor and some crumbs scattered from the pack. Moral of the story: don't try to take shortcut and just shake.

After 1 hour of vigorous shaking, the milk flavoured chocolate ball was BORN!!!!

Woohoo!!~~ I can't believe it actually works! And......the shape was not the only thing that changed. Both the taste and flavour did.

The sweet milk cream binds the crumbs together and the taste becomes stronger! Reminds me of chocolate crispy rice ball.

Holes on the back--Could this be a reason why the giant ball could be formed by just shaking?

After much salvaging in various paper bags and plastic, the strawberry ball took shape but took a much longer time than the milk. Even though it was not the perfect ball, my family had a fun time trying to play with these biscuits!

Try the Lotte Koala's March now!

*Special thanks to omy.sg for the biscuits

Want to have some American Tex-Mex style food but too lazy to step out of house? Singapore's leading food delivery company Foodpanda-Singapore Dine has launched a successful collaboration with Chili'sto add another new and exciting menu to the list of over 130 restaurants.

So what is Foodpanda?

It is a fast and convenient online platform where you can navigate at ease. There have already been many good reviews/testimonials about their service, one of which was written by my friend Sihan at fundamentally-flawed :)

To celebrate this joyous occasion, a media launch party was held atChili's Central @ Clarke Quay, where guests sipped cocktails such asMojitoand interchanged merry conversations over the in-house Tostada Chips with zingy tomato salsa.
The food served that evening were available on thedelivery menu.
Take for example theBig Mouth Bites,mini burgers with made withUSDA ground beef. I digged excitedly into this slider but the too-thick beef patty did not shine as it was under-seasoned and dry.

But theQuesadillaswere a hot favourite. The gooey jack cheese binds the chicken and grilled onions into a delicious mess within well-toasted buttery tortillas.

Not sure if theBoneless Chicken Wings in Texas are usually heavy on the seasonings but the deep-fried nuggets here did. As a result, the blue cheese dip had to sit on cold bench. Nonetheless, thechicken breast meatwas sure juicy and I'm sure those who prefer strong flavours will like this.

The Southwestern Egg Rollslooked like an open-faced Chinese spring roll with a riot of colorful vegetables including black bean, corn, red pepper with smoked chicken and japelano jack cheese. Indeed a verybusy fried fritterwith tinge ofIndian spices.

I did not spot signature items from Chili's such as theBaby Back Ribs thrice basted in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce at the party. But when the craving hits, I can solve it with just a few mouse clicks.

Browse full delivery menu online here or search complete listings of restaurants on www.foodpanda.sg

Chili's Singapore
Central @Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #01-18 The Central
Sun - Tues 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Wed - Thur 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 12:00 am

(Last orders will be 30 minutes before closing)
Tel : +65 6225-1687
Other outlets: Tanglin / Resorts World Sentosa/ J-Cube
More details : http://chilis.sg/index.php
*Special thanks to Antoniya and team from Foodpanda-Singapore Dine for the invite

Spizzico is a cosy Italian restaurant located at UE Square which has been established since 2000. I was quite surprised by its extensive selection of food and it even has an alfresco dining area for those who prefer outdoors. The menu stays close to a traditional Italian style, from soup, salad, cold appetizer, hot appetizers... to risottos, pastas, seafood, carne (meat) and of course desserts.

But we could not wait and jumped right into the hot appetizer section. Nothing could go severely wrong when fresh squid is used to make this Golden Calamari rings ($18) instead of rubbery frozen kinds. These lightly-battered sotongs are better off on its own instead of being dipped into the Diabolo sauce, which may overpower the original taste the meat.

Handmade flat pasta sautéed with prawn, scallop and sundried tomato in a saffron sauce $28

Not sure if the flat pasta was undercooked as it was rather tough and not anywhere near "char kway teow" nor "hor fun" like the owner humorously quipped. However, the saffron sauce with sundried tomato was not too cheesy along with some fresh, bouncy scallops & prawns.

Cod Fish with Cream Wasabi Sauce $38

For my main course of seafood, I tend to avoid cod fish but this was not overwhelming rich with nicely browned edges. The Cream Wasabi Sauce was slightly too sweet and would prefer it to be sharper.

Pan fried NZ beef tenderloin with duck liver in red wine sauce $48

From the Meat, the highly anticipated beef tenderloin was too thick and thus there was not much taste from the meat or the little sauce. At $42, the quality was not convincing and thus I would still recommend their thin crust pizzas.

We were surprised when the Smoked Salmon Pizza ($20) looked like it had just travelled out from the forest with the lush canopy of wild rocket. It was not spicy as I expected, but the bright flavors of capers and onions complemented the smoked salmon very well.

Not everyone might be fond of the wobbly Pannacotta ($12) but I do. It was not sweet at all and the dark golden brown caramel sauce was bitter, just the way it should be.

On the hindsight, the Cassata($12), a traditional Italian dessert of semifreddo, dried fruits and chocolate sponge was nothing very special. Think ice cream parfait with harder texture.

After coming across many mediocre tiramisu at restaurants, Spizzico's version ($12) was a pleasant surprise with moist sponges and traceable amounts of coffee liquor. A simple yet delightful end-of-meal desserts to have.

Overall, the food here is relatively sound and I would stick to the pizza, pastas and desserts instead of the seafood/meat course. But what is heartening to know is that the ingredients used at Spizzico are fresh and the sauces are made from scratch. While this place gives me a prim and proper feel with neatly ironed table sheets and heavy utensils, I can imagine it to be a suitable location for families and couples to enjoy quality fare away from the crowds.

Spizzico Ristorante Italiano
81A Clemenceau Avenue #01-13,
UE Square, S(239918)
Tel: 6333 6174 / 6333 6833

Mon to Sun:
11:30am - 2:30pm, 6pm - 10:30pm
http://www.spizzico.sg/contact.html
**Special thanks to Haren and Spizzico for the invite.

Came to Pita Pan, a Mediterranean bistro which offers salad, falafel and hearty Middle-East/Lebanese stews because I was craving for hummus. Pita Pan sounds like Peter Pan to me but it's not any happy fairyland restaurant. It was the poor service which ruined what could be a more pleasant experience.

This is less like a restaurant at MBS and more like a fast food outlet as diners have to find their own seats and order from the counter (no signs stating that it was self-service). What was more hilarious was the servers at the salad counter told us to order at the cashier, but yet the cashier had been ignoring us as she was busy counting the cash.

What can we do but wait before they were ready to key in our orders? The HALF-POCKET SANDWICH ($7.90), was assembled gradually like a subway sandwich. First, half a pita bread was filled with three chickpea falafel. Then, pick all-you-want from the salad counter ( I chose nearly everything), and lastly the dressing (I opted for the tahini dressing also known as sesame paste).

The end result looked totally different from the menu but was very delicious, especially the golden-brown falafels. They had a crispy coating but were not too dry inside.

Instead of the Middle Eastern breakfasts, we had the Hummus with Mushrooms served with pita bread ($11.90). The bread version here was warm, soft and fluffy. The hummus here was better than Onaka's version because they are not chilled nor too salty. It was extra creamy with generous amount of mushroom toppings. Not quite sure how healthy this was but my tummy was satisfied!

Conclusion: Service aside, food was not too bad and portions are quite substantial. Unless they fine-tune the service here, I don't think eating here is any beneficial, especially for our mental health. For those who wish to check this out, bring your own water as they don't serve it.

Pita Pan

Bay Level, 01-87,

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (In front of ArtScience Museum)

www.pitapan.com.sg

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