tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79466096467038035272024-03-14T13:45:28.621+08:00Indulgence after work-out...SLYuanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17635542756162645354noreply@blogger.comBlogger638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-68284502862679301662013-02-25T23:50:00.000+08:002013-02-26T00:00:06.269+08:00TortaPistocchi Chocolate Week at Hilton SingaporeIn collaboration with TortaPistochhi founder and producer Chef Claudio Pistocchi, il Cielo restaurant chef Omar Bernardi and Hilton Singapore pastry team will serve an array of chocolate sweets and savouries. From Sunday 31 March 2013 to Saturday 6 April 2013, Chef Claudio will be in Singapore to promote his chocolates. We were honoured to be invited for the prelude in January.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8482428460/" title="Chef Claudio making Hot Chocolate by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Chef Claudio making Hot Chocolate" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8482428460_3c762cb769.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Torta Pistocchi made its debut 22 years ago in the city centre of Florence and knowing that most will feel guilty of eating desserts, he decided to create something chocolate with minimal calories with no additional ingredients. According to him, the best way to enjoy chocolates is to temper and blend them and since there is no intention of baking it in an oven, flour and eggs are not required.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481341153/" title="TortaPistocchi (Classic) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="TortaPistocchi (Classic)" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8481341153_659e07bcb7.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Said to be a chocolate cake and not a cake with chocolate, 60 kinds of chocolates are used in the classic Torta Pistocchi as chocolates with different regions are said to have different level of bitterness, acidity and cocoa butter. By blending many types of chocolates, the cake is able to bring out the different characteristics of the chocolates and provide a sophistication of taste. To distinguish himself with major players in France, Belgium and America, the cake only contains chocolate with 100% cocoa butter. In addition, it contains neither eggs, nor butter or flour, no sugar, preservatives, just the finest dark chocolate, bitter chocolate powder and a little cream. Hence it is technically not a cake but chocolate in a cake form.<br />
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One of the more amazing things to hear from Chef Claudio is no change has been made to the recipe and since the original recipe is meant for 100 cakes, they strictly adhere to making 100 cakes at a time, purely hand-crafted apart from using an electric pump to dispense the cake. For those who missed the cake after this Easter period, this cake has more than 400 sellers, mainly in Milan, Rome and Florence.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8482427988/" title="Door Gift for Media Event by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Door Gift for Media Event" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8482427988_aa7002cd46.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Sounds divine isn't it? Well, this cake, together with Chef Claudio's other chocolate products are available for sale at Checkers Deli from now till April 2013 so chocolate purists, do take note. This chocolate cake is also available in different flavours and intensity to bring chocolate out in dark, milk, white, spicy and tangy manner.<br />
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His latest creation dedicated to his daughter Lisa pairs Yuzu, candied pineapple, orange and pear with 9 different spices ranging from ginger, lemongrass, nutmeg, etc. The resulting flavour is exotic and oriental, making it very unique from most of the chocolates available in the market.<br />
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<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8507615686_ea05f9d94a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8507615686_ea05f9d94a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<photo cheesecake="" of="" the="">In addition, beginning 15 March 2013, Easter Sweets made of TortaPistocchi chocolates will take centre stage at Checkers Deli. A collaboration between Chef Claudio and Hilton pastry team presents the Pistocchi Cheesecake which combines the hotel's famous cheesecake with the luscious yet crispy dark chocolate with rice pops by Torta Pistocchi. Other highlights include the Pistocchi Sacher cake and Pistocchi Chocolate Macarons.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8482430660/" title="Hilton Pastry Chef with Sachertorte (with TortaPistochhi used) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Hilton Pastry Chef with Sachertorte (with TortaPistochhi used)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8482430660_bd93b71492.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Apart from the sweets, Hilton's Executive Chef Sandro, il cielo Chef Omar and Chef Claudio have worked together to create a 4-course Pistocchi Cioccolato Dinner to enjoy TortaPistocchi chocolate in different intensity and flavours where it can be enjoyed sweet, savoury, dark and white. Here is a snapshot of the dinner offered at a one-night only dinner at il Cielo (priced at $88++ per person) on Thursday, 4 April 2013.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481337755/" title="Chef Omar and Chef Claudio by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Chef Omar and Chef Claudio" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8481337755_a13653bf50.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Savoury with chocolate, sounds impossible but in this special dinner, one can expect fresh vegetables to be paired with chocolate and spice. To strike a balance between savoury and chocolate, Mesclun, Wasabi, Goat cheese, Pistocchi-coated Pecan, Cherry Truffle Vinaigrette are added to the antipasto.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481339007/" title="AntiPasto and Insalata by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="AntiPasto and Insalata" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8481339007_3049cc0dcb.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Assorted Vegetables dipped in various Pistocchi Chocolates (foreground)</b></i></span></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Mesclun, Wasabi, Goat Cheese, Pistocchi-coated Pecan, Cherry Truffle Vinaigrette (background)</b></i></span></center>
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Pistocchi Cacao Tagliatelle with Wild Game was something that left an impression.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481339733/" title="Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8509/8481339733_0ff60c713a.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game</i></b></span></center>
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Using dark chocolate to make the tagliatelle and replacing parmesan cheese with dark chocolate shavings, the sweet and and bitter contrast to savoury does leave an impression.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481339435/" title="Chef Omar adding chocolate shavings to Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Chef Omar adding chocolate shavings to Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8481339435_99239573ca.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pistocchi Cacao Tagllatelle with Wild Game</span></i></b></center>
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Serving beef with 99% chocolate and vinaigrette vinegar, surprisingly brings out the natural sweetness of the meat and it took us a while to register that the sauce that goes with the beef is actually made of chocolate.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8481340221/" title="Wagyu Tagliata, Goose liver, Coffee Pistocchi Chocolate Aromas by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Wagyu Tagliata, Goose liver, Coffee Pistocchi Chocolate Aromas" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8481340221_db38bc1b7c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wagyu Tagliata, Goose liver, Coffee Pistocchi Chocolate Aromas
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Apart from the Easter selection at Checkers Deli and the Pistocchi Cioccolato Dinner at il Cielo, Hilton is also presenting Pistocchi Cioccolato Workshop. This is available on Monday, 1 April 2013 to Wednesday, 3 April 2013 from 10am to 12:30pm, followed by Pistocchi cioccolato Lunch menu. In this workshop, Chef Claudio will share about his passion for chocolates and share tips on making a basic ganache and chocolate desserts. Following the workshop, attendees will enjoy a special Pistocchi Cioccalto lunch designed by il Cielo Chef Omar.<br />
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Before signing off, we would like to take the opportunity to thank Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo for the invitation to the TortaPistocchi Chocolate Media Tasting.<br />
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For the purchase of TortaPistocchi chocolate treats and Easter selection,<br />
<b>Checkers Deli, Lobby</b><br />
Opening Hours: 11am-9pm (daily)<br />
Tel: 6730 3392<br />
Email: sinhi.checkers@hilton.com<br />
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Pistocchi Cioccolato Workshop and Pistocchi Cioccolato Dinner will be held at<br />
<b>il Cielo, Level 24 </b><br />
Opening hours:<br />
Lunch
12noon - 2:30pm (Mon to Fri)<br />
Dinner
7pm - 10:30pm (Mon to Sun)<br />
Tel: 6730 3395<br />
Email: ilcielo@hilton.com<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">P..S. This will also be our last entry for sgdessert.com and we thank all our readers for the support.</span></i></b></div>
Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-58420044668303555772013-01-14T23:48:00.003+08:002013-01-14T23:48:57.253+08:00Lunar Treasures 2013 @ Mandarin CourtI have <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2013/01/wrapping-up-2012.html">vaguely</a> mentioned about Mandarin Court in one of my posts and highlighted the weekend lunch buffet the restaurant has put up. Helmed by Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong, one can expect classic Cantonese style of cooking and we were privileged to be invited to Mandarin Orchard's Chinese New Year Media Tasting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8377282364/" title="Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8377282364_f8998dc859.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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In this post, we would like to share with you the special ingredients for this year's Lo Hei and also some of the dishes available in the a la carte menu crafted by Chef Kong.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8379839523/" title="Yu Sheng with Roselle (洛神花魚生) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Yu Sheng with Roselle (洛神花魚生)" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8379839523_8241f200e8.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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First up, Chef Kong has decided to introduce dried Roselle into his Yu Sheng (洛神花魚生) to provide a natural sweetness and slight crunch in contrast to the freshly shredded vegetables. These are imported from China and apart from making it drier, there is no additional processing and are not cut to retain the original shape. In addition, fried fish skin is introduced for the additional crunch, apart from the all-time favourite deep-fried flour crisps.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8380894356/" title="Fried Fish Skin by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Fried Fish Skin" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8096/8380894356_d4a5408e15.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The Prosperity Roselle Salmon Yu Sheng, served with traditional plum sauce, virgin olive oil and spring onion oil, is also available for take-away ($68+ for 2-4 person, $108+ for 8-10 persons) with optional top-ups such as Salmon ($18+ per portion), Lobster ($48+ per portion) and Abalone ($68+ per portion).<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8379846961/" title="Mini Fortune Pot by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Mini Fortune Pot" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8379846961_ee34c9e789.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The media tasting gives us a prelude to the Baby Abalone Fortune Pot and in this miniature version, it came with Brocoli, Scallop, Baby Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Goose Web. Goose web was used as it is bigger and meatier than the regular duck web and the Baby Abalone Fortune Pot is available for take-away at $368+. The serving is good for 5-8 persons with over 20 treasured delicacies, including Dried Oysters, Baby Abalones, Drunken Chicken Wings and Chinese Sausages. 3 working days is required for processing of orders and is available from 18 January 2013 to 9 February 2013.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8379852051/" title="Sea Perch with Barbecue Sauce by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sea Perch with Barbecue Sauce" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8379852051_40143fa829.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Chef Kong's Baked Sea Perch is always my favourite and is something not to be missed should one visit Mandarin Court. As a Chinese New Year special, Chef Kong has decided to serve the Sea Perch with Barbecue Sauce (燒汁焗鱸魚). The uniqueness of his sea perch lies in the crisp skin but yet the fish is moist, succulent and generously coated with his signature sauce. According to him, the trick lies in air drying the fish after soaking the fish with the sauce before baking it to make the skin crisp.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8380939804/" title="Stewed Boston Lobster Tail with Lemon Sauce by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Stewed Boston Lobster Tail with Lemon Sauce" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8359/8380939804_cd57eeb62a.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Stewed Boston Lobster Tail with Lemon Sauce (香檸龍蝦尾) is one of Chef Kong's new fusion creation, where Chinese style cooking meets Western style of making the lemon sauce.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8380947976/" title="Wok-fried Glutinous Rice with Hong Kong Cured Sausages by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Wok-fried Glutinous Rice with Hong Kong Cured Sausages" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8380947976_35c15ee071.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Wok-fried Glutinous Rice with Hong Kong Cured Sausages (生炒臘味糯米飯) earns a thumb up for me for the glutinous rice is not overly sticky and adopts a fried-rice texture. This grainy texture is achieved by first soaking the rice in water before steaming, chilling overnight, washing and stir-frying. Think of it being like the Japanese Okowa but flavoured in an Oriental manner.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8379869469/" title="Glutinous Rice Dumpling in Almond Tea by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Glutinous Rice Dumpling in Almond Tea" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8379869469_f392f480c7.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Glutinous Rice Dumpling in Almond Tea (杏仁茶湯圓) came to me like a refreshing warm dessert and the almond tea is simply divine in my opinion. For those who likes almond cream, this is one not to be missed for the strong almond fragrance with a light and not overly creamy texture.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8379874743/" title="Steamed Peanut ‘Nian Gao’ by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Steamed Peanut ‘Nian Gao’" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8212/8379874743_76936d9e0f.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Steamed Peanut ‘Nian Gao’ (花生年糕) does not appear to be the "Nian Gao" I have grown up with which is sweet and sticky. This turns out to be very soft and mochi-like. Moreover, when served with peanut, this is somewhat like a healthy version of muah chee.<br />
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Well, having to share with you some of the dishes that is available for Mandarin Court's dine-in. The other plus point about the Chinese New Year menu is the flexibility. There are a total of 10 menus catered for a minimum of 2 persons charged by per pax and also menus for a table of 5-10 people charged by per table. Pricing ranges from $98++ per pax with about 6-8 dishes (depending on the menu).<br />
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In addition, Mandarin Court offers both private dining areas and having located 35 levels above Orchard Road, do make your reservation early to enjoy the spectacular bird-eye view of the Orchard shopping belt.<br />
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Before signing off, many thanks to the invitation and warm hospitality by Ms Ruth Soh and Ms Crystal Lim from the Marketing Communications of Mandarin Orchard Singapore.<br />
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<b>Mandarin Court</b><br />
Mandarin Orchard Singapore, by Meritus<br />
333 Orchard Road<br />
Singapore 238867<br />
Level 35<br />
Tel: 68316288 or 68316262Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-50761515114702718412013-01-07T23:27:00.001+08:002013-01-07T23:27:52.214+08:00First Love Patisserie<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8357182323/" title="Original Mille Crepe by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Original Mille Crepe" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8494/8357182323_fc9266e324.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The Mille Crepe Cake trend seemed to be on the raise recently and one of the new entrants is this Indonesian brand - First Love Patisserie. At the time of visit, they sell four flavours: Original, Strawberry, Oreo and Expresso.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8358248628/" title="Strawberry Mille Crepe by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Strawberry Mille Crepe" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8358248628_0fdc229a49.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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This is one of the few dessert that made me pay them a visit the second time within a week. What impressed me was the thin layers of crepes and the fragrant vanilla cream. This was made even better by the caramel crust on top. I also tried the strawberry flavour which may be a little sweet for most.<br />
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The down side is that they serve the cake close to frozen, hence it is better consume it when you are home.<br />
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<b>First Love Patisserie</b><br />
Ion Orchard Food Hall B4-63<br />
www.facebook.com/firstlovecake
Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-74011868448485475692013-01-02T22:43:00.000+08:002013-01-03T08:34:49.894+08:00Chinese New Year 2013 highlights @ Hilton SingaporeOne of the major highlights in the local Chinese New Year celebration would be the Yu Sheng, made of colourful shredded vegetables which is tossed with well wishes. This year, Hilton Singapore presents the Fortune Coin Yu Sheng (鸿运吉年齐捞起), that is specially designed and created by Senior Chinese Chef Toh Choon Hock.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8316749780/" title="Senior Chinese Chef Toh Choon Hock by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Senior Chinese Chef Toh Choon Hock" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8081/8316749780_8f525c5e84.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The presentation of the Yu Sheng is of no doubt spectacular and requires a whole day of preparation including 4-5 hours of craftsmanship to assemble the coin and the Chinese quote. Written on the Yu Sheng is 福临财到, which augurs good fortune and prosperity in the New Year. Apart from the elaborate assembly of the Yu Sheng, this is also served with generous slivers of whole fresh lobster, tuna and two-head abalone as well as salmon roe, served alongside with a bottle of truffle oil and gold flakes.<br />
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However, the highlight of the Yu Sheng lies in the special plum sauce made of fruits, Taiwanese plum juice and sesame sauce to provide a very light and refreshing taste, unlike the sticky and overly sweet Yu Sheng which is commonly encountered. In addition, fresh mangoes, strawberries and green apples are introduced to the traditional recipe to give a fruity twist.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8316747422/" title="Salmon and Tuna Yu Sheng by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Salmon and Tuna Yu Sheng" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8493/8316747422_c2339dca4d.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The Fortune Coin Yu Sheng is designed for 30 people and is available throughout the celebration period beginning from the Eve (9 February 2013) to the 15th day of Chinese New Year (24 February 2013). Do note that this is only available for order only when you book the hotel's dine-in prosperity banquet menus. Also since Hilton Hotel does not have a Chinese restaurant, the Chinese New Year banquets are served in the hotel's function rooms and is subjected to availability<br />
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The following dishes (except the Home-Made Style Steamed Live Garoupa and Braised Baby Abalone with Dried Oyster and Black Moss served with Garden Green) are available in both the banquet menus and also the Reunion Feast buffet at Checkers Brasserie on Chinese New Year Eve, 9 Feb 2013.<br />
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Crispy Katafi Prawns and Scallop Roll (家合添贵子), was a crowd pleaser for the contrasting texture between the crisp Katafi and soft interior housing the scallop and prawn. However, what earns nods from the diners is the accompanying sauce which is not mayonnaise but rather yoghurt blended with peach and chili sauce.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8315693169/" title="Crispy Katafi Prawns and Scallop Roll by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Crispy Katafi Prawns and Scallop Roll" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8357/8315693169_18077fe355.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Inspired by the popular Hokkien dish, the Braised Pork Belly, Stewed Pork Knuckle with Mantou (横财易就手), is my personal favourite among the dishes served and I am pretty sure this will be likeable among our elders. According to Chef Toh, what makes a good braised pork lies in the removal of fats which is between the skin and the meat and he does so by using low heat to melt away the fats. To achieve a soft, melt-in-the-mouth skin, apart from the tender meat, Chef Toh steamed and then braised the pork knuckle for at least 4 hours so that it is 肥而不腻 (fatty yet not cloying).
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8315810287/" title="Stewed Pork Knuckle with Mantou by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Stewed Pork Knuckle with Mantou" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8076/8315810287_e9bee8e0c5.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Home-Made Style Steamed Live Garoupa (成名扬四海, not available at the Reunion Feast Buffet), is described to be a Chinese New Year dish served in most households (家乡年菜). Simplicity to keep it light and Chef Toh incorporates home–style cooking with no use of MSG, chicken stock, salt or sugar to retain the natural sweetness of the fish.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8315810687/" title="Home-Made Style Steamed Live Garoupa by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Home-Made Style Steamed Live Garoupa" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8315810687_eb7b769101.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Poached Live Prawn with Enoki Miso Soup (龙马精神), focus on incorporating vegetable stock with the traditional Chinese analogue of miso (豆酱) and Chinese Corriander (芫荽) to give a very tasty broth that can be drank directly like a soup. Interestingly, we learnt from Chef Toh that the difference between the Japanese Miso and the Chinese 豆酱 lies in the way it is processed. While the Chinese 豆酱 is coarse and chunkier, the Japanese miso is said to have a delicate and precise way to make them very fine and smooth and hence, often used in soup.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8316748854/" title="Poached Live Prawn with Enoki Miso Soup (Top) & Braised Baby Abalone with Dried Oyster and Black Moss served with Garden Green (Bottom) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Poached Live Prawn with Enoki Miso Soup (Top) & Braised Baby Abalone with Dried Oyster and Black Moss served with Garden Green (Bottom)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8080/8316748854_9662d71926.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Braised Baby Abalone with Dried Oyster and Black Moss served with Garden Green (包君年年发, not available at the Reunion Feast Buffet), is a dish where the individual ingredients are carefully prepared. Not only is the abalone carefully simmered with chicken and pork to obtain the natural sweetness, dried oyster is also introduced in the dish for the Chinese pronunciation sounds similar to “good” (“蚝=好”). In addition, oysters are considered as a delicacy, making it an appropriate ingredient for Chinese New Year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8316749370/" title="Chilled Black Sesame Pudding with Mango Sauce by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Chilled Black Sesame Pudding with Mango Sauce" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8316749370_691c9a3006.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Chilled Black Sesame Pudding with Mango Sauce (延年谦益寿), is made to be healthy and the choice of mango and black sesame is to allow contrast in taste. While the ground black sesame releases fragrance when the pudding is consumed, the mango sauce that goes with it, provides a refreshing tang.<br />
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It is interesting to know from Chef Toh his reasons behind his choices of ingredients and healthy cooking style. For those who are unable to clock a minimum of 5 tables to enjoy the dine-in prosperity banquet menus, the reunion feast buffet offered at Checkers Brasserie showcases New Year Specialities, mentioned in the post (unless stated). In addition, one can also expect Nanjing-style Braised Duck with Chinese Herbs and Steamed Rice with Assorted Preserved Meat at the buffet line. In addition, apart from the Chilled Black Sesame Pudding with Mango Sauce, one will be pleasantly surprised with the hotel's signature cheesecake to be flavoured with persimmon.<br />
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For enquires with regards to the dine-in prosperity banquet menus, do call 6730 3269 or email Sinhi.Checkers@hilton.com.<br />
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Last but not least, a big thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo for the invitation to the Chinese New Year Media Tasting.<br />
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<b>Reunion Feast at Checkers Brasserie</b><br />
$88++ per adult<br />
$48++ per child aged 6-12 years old,<br />
which includes one serving of Mini Buddha Jump Over the Wall.<br />
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<b>Hilton Singapore </b><br />
581 Orchard Road<br />
Singapore 238883<br />
Tel: 6730 3390<br />
Email: Sinhi.Checkers@hilton.comFenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-24926986605430192212013-01-01T19:33:00.001+08:002013-01-01T19:34:33.485+08:00Desserts we have tried in 2012This is an entry on some of the desserts which we tried but didn't find time to blog about in 2012.<br />
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Starting from the most recent is the Cheesecake from Ruth's Chris Steak House. I liked the sour cream layer which paired well with cream cheese. Though I must admit that the mini cheesecake given to the birthday person is actually richer than the original sized one. Nonetheless this is still one of the better cheesecakes in town.<br />
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Next is Noel Treasures Cake from <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/~%20Hagan%20Dazs">Haagen Dazs.</a> This was one of the festive offerings for this year. It is made up of six chocolate balls which contain 2 Haagen Dazs Ice Cream flavours in each of them. Macadamia nut is paired with strawberry cheesecake and the caramel biscuit with chocolate. I believe I need not elaborate further on the ice cream but special mention must be made for the hazelnut praline biscuit at the base. Though sticky, it is crisp and goes very well with the ice-cream. This is also a very creative way of presenting a festive cake as it has 4 flavours with minimal contamination and easy to serve (simply halve the Christmas baubles).<br />
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The other memorable cake is the BananaRama from <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/%60%20Shangri-la">The Line - Shangri La Hotel</a>. This was the cake of the month for October 2012 and the cake which Fen bought for my Birthday. I liked this cake for its strong flavour - rich chocolate mousse as well as sweet banana puree. This was one cake which even my parents asked for a second serving. Though this may be the cake of the month, the Line Shop may allow pre-ordering of the cake as Fen has ever ordered the hotel's Strawberry Vanilla Streusel Cake (needs to be ordered one week in advance) which was no longer sold in the Line Shop. So no harm sending an email to The Line Shop for enquiry.<br />
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Throughout the year, we continued to frequent our favourites such as <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/~%20BakerZin">Bakerzin</a> and <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/%7E%20Canele">Canele</a>. Specifically After recruiting former <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/11/christmas-2010-sweets-at-hilton.html">Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo</a> from Hilton Singapore, there was a major change to their array of cakes. Not only the outlook has changed for their signature cakes, there seems to be interesting new creations. The Le Royale has gone through many modifications since we started blogging. Comparing with the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/02/le-royale-by-canele.html">previous entry on the Le Royale</a>, there is now a second layer of chocolate mousse and there are improvements to the texture of the mousse.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8332911514/" title="Triple Chocolate Cheese Cake by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Triple Chocolate Cheese Cake" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8332911514_573968d7e6.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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As for the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, there is now a layer of chocolate fudge as compare to the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/07/triple-chocolate-cheesecake-canele.html">previous version</a>. There is also more chocolate which may delight the chocolate fans as oppose to the cheesecake fans.<br />
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Last but not least, Fen's favourite cake of the year. Tuxedo cake, ever since her <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/08/tuxedo-cafe-carlton-hotel.html">first encounter</a> with the cake, she has minimally made me return to Carlton 4 times last year to curb her cravings. According to her, she adore the moist chocolate cake which is not overly sweet nor cloying. This is one cake she recommends greatly to chocolate cake lover for the rich and moist texture which to a certain extent resembles a good toffee pudding.<br />
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Finally Happy New Year to all and I hope 2013 will be a fulfilling one.Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-38016881673186087362013-01-01T16:09:00.000+08:002013-01-01T16:09:05.521+08:00Wrapping up 2012...To some in the internet community, blog posts on invited tastings are bias and we guess that our readers are disappointed with the lack of posts and that the recent entries were all invites. Hence before we publish our next two posts which covers the media event for the Chinese New Year specials, we thought that it might be good to share with you some of our foodie experiences which we did not blog about as a wrap-up for last year.<br />
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Our bundle of joy arrived in April 2012 and life is never the same again. Priorities have changed and thoughts of shutting down the blog has been going through our mind again and again but because of the rapport we have built through the years of blogging, we have decided to attend some of the media events to relish the good old days of phototaking and catching up with some of the chefs. </div>
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We do dine out but time spent in the restaurant is precious when our baby is soundly asleep and as he grows older, he starts to be curious with the surroundings and wanting a share of our meals. Hence, we have decided to use the camera for his candid moments and enjoy our food when he is settled.</div>
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Being parents, considerations such as the restaurant being child-friendly, space for strollers to park and nappy changing stations within a mall became our considerations rather than good food, ambience and novelty. Crystal Jade, Ding Tai Feng, Swensens and Starbucks became the most frequent visited eateries for this year with occasional indulgence at <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/09/a-la-carte-buffet-brunch-dolce-vita.html">Dolce Vita</a>, il Cielo, Tonkichi, Cherry Garden, Ruth Chris Steak House, Coffee Lounge, Chatterbox and Mandarin Court.<br />
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Anyway, we shall sum up some of our experiences in the mentioned restaurants and for those which are not covered, we realised we didn't take any photos so we shan't bore you with our words.<br />
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First up, Chef Omar's signature Tomahawk from il Cielo was an eye-opening experience, not forgetting Hilton's Executive Chef Sandro grilling the meat on a special hot plate, that was specially hand-carried from Italy. The ambience of the restaurant is lovely with a semi al fresco concept to the hotel's swimming pool. The entire restaurant feels like a comfy attic that uses wood and glass as its concept. The only frustrating thing is the ballroom between the lift lobby and the restaurant which can be crowded at times whenever there is a wedding banquet.<br />
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Celebrating my dad's birthday at Mandarin Court was another memorable moment for our family. The weekend buffet, priced at $48++ per pax (additional $10 per pax on public holidays), has an extensive menu that is not only limited to dim sum (18 varieties) but also more than 35 dishes to choose from. Some of our personal favourites includes Traditional Pig Trotter Vinegar, Crispy Squid coated with Salted Egg Yolk, Pan-seared Sliced Sea Perch in Superior Sauce, "Wu Xi" Roasted Pork Ribs, Poached Spinach with Trio of Eggs, etc.</div>
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For a restaurant with its buffet menu unchanged for so many years, we agree with their followers that it has a special niche on its own. <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/taiwan-porridge-goodwood-park-hotel.html">Goodwood Park's porridge buffet</a> remains one of my top favourite and it is no surprise we went there twice this year. That was one of my cravings when I was pregnant. I recalled Yuan was starving with me that morning for my check up. The second visit was a lovely birthday celebration with my dearest colleagues.<br />
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I was curious about steakhouses and I proposed to visit Ruth Chris or Morton's. The steak is of no doubt good but also pricey. If memory didn't fail me, T-bone and Porterhouse are from Australia and the other signature steaks are imported from the US. The uniqueness in their steaks lies in cooking their steaks in a broiler at 980<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">°</span>C so that the juices remains on the meat, rather than dripping onto the baking pan. In addition, the steaks are served on plates heated to 260<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">°</span>C so that one can enjoy the beef hot and sizzled in butter.<br />
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We have both our petite fillet and ribeye served medium and surprisingly, Yuan's ribeye was close to medium well, not sure if this is due to the heated plate. Ruth's Chop Salad was good but the Au Gratin was ordinary. Anyway, Yuan will have a separate post on their signature's cheesecake and some of the sweet treats we had during Christmas.<br />
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Anyway, dining-out aside. Nothing beats wrapping the year with us working in the kitchen for the first time after our boy is born. While Yuan whipped out my favourite <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/12/baked-salmon-with-parmesan-and-parsley.html">Baked Salmon with parmesan and parsley crust</a>, I attempted two new dishes, namely the Parmesan Spring Chicken and Pork Chops with Caramelised apples and onions.<br />
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The rest of the items we have prepared for that afternoon includes Marks & Spencer's Rosti and Breaded Cod, Waitrose frozen vegetables mix and rice prepared using chicken broth, capsicum and McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix.<br />
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<b>Parmesan Spring Chicken</b><br />
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<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
Parmesan Spring Chicken (for 8 chicken fillets)<br />
3 Egg White<br />
100-120gm Parmesan Cheese (We use Perfect Italiano)<br />
8 Chicken Fillets<br />
Black pepper<br />
Mixed herbs or Rosemary<br />
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<b><u>Steps</u></b><br />
1. Marinate chicken fillet with grounded black pepper and mixed herbs, set aside<br />
2. Dip chicken fillet in egg white<br />
3. Coat the chicken fillet with parmesan cheese<br />
4. Pan-fry the coated chicken until brown and crisp<br />
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Comments: We felt that this is a nice variant from the regular oven-grilled chicken thighs we have prepared previously for our gathering. The parmesan cheese forms a nice crust and additional saltiness to the overall taste.<br />
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<b>Pork Chops with Caramelised Apples and Onions</b><br />
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I first tried this recipe posted by <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/342231/pork-chops-with-apples-and-onions">Martha Stewart</a> but realised the chicken broth makes it no different from grilled pork chops with herbs. Subsequently, I replaced the use of chicken broth with apple juice and caramelised the apples and onions with sugar after finding this <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4053/sticky-calvados-pork-chops-with-caramelised-apples">recipe</a> from BBC good food. Seems to be better.<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
2 bone-in pork chops (preferably 3/4 inch thick)<br />
Mixed herbs or Rosemary<br />
Black pepper<br />
25gm butter<br />
1 apple, cored and sliced<br />
1 large white onion, sliced<br />
125ml apple juice<br />
1 teaspoon sugar<br />
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Steps<br />
1. Sprinkle generously with herbs and pepper on both sides<br />
2. Pound the chop with the meat hammer or the back of the knife to make it tender<br />
3. Sear and brown the pork chops (about 2-3 minutes on each side)<br />
4. Swirl the butter into the pan<br />
5. Add the onion and apples<br />
6. Saute until the onion slices are lightly caramelized and the apples have begun to soften<br />
7. Sprinkle sugar over the onions and apples<br />
8. Stir in apple juice<br />
9. Return chops to the pan and simmer the pork chops for about 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through and covering the chops with the apple mixture<br />
10. If the apple mixture needs a little thickening, transfer the chops to the warm plate again and simmer the mixture on high for a few minutes to reduce<br />
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Comments: Caramelised apples and onions are nice condiments and being slightly sweet due to the use of apple juice and sugar, we thought it is easier to prepare than char siu.<br />
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Alright, guess I will stop writing here and leave the sweets for Yuan to continue. <br />
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Happy New Year to everybody.</div>
Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-39304657927338882672012-12-19T23:52:00.000+08:002012-12-19T23:52:47.012+08:00Festive Dinner Buffet at NovotelPrior to this tasting, my impression of Novotel (when it comes to food) is mainly wedding banquet but little did I realise there is a very comfy restaurant located at level 7, serving a lovely international buffet.<br />
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Adopting a minimalistic decor with tables comfortably spaced and the buffet spread presented neatly at a corner, I adore the light hearted setting. The choice of maroon and black gives a nice contrast between homely and stylish. In addition, the balcony area at the other side of the restaurant brightens the restaurant in the afternoon and dims the restaurant at night, providing a nice transition from dusk to night.</center>
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<span style="text-align: left;">With Christmas round the corner, the festive dinner buffet at The Square can be considered as an option for large families and gatherings. With an affordable price tag, The Square will blow you off with a simple yet extensive selection, not forgetting the usual christmas offerings at their live stations. Both the roasted turkey as well as the baked gammon ham deserved special mention for their tender, succulent and nicely-marinated taste.</span><br />
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Apart from the festive roasts, we were quite surprised by the selection of appetisers offered. We are usually not big fans of appetisers but the wide selection of Italian starters ranging from cold cuts, salads, sandwiches, and anti-pasta intrigue us to try. Among the extensive selection, some of the items that are worth a mention were the potato salad, which is light on the dressing and generously tossed with bacon bits; bruschetta where the bread is contrast nicely with cheese and tomato; the refreshing pasta salad and parma ham though would have been better if it is shaved more thinly.<br />
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The house specially is the risotto which is prepared a la minute and stirred into the cheese bowl for the additional cheesy effect. However if you are not a cheese fan, this is probably not for you. It also comes with the special variant of laska sauce. Those who loved their laksa sauce rich with shrimp taste may find this novice.<br />
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The seafood section consists of fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, tuna sashimi and the poached salmon. One of the must-trys in the buffet would definitely be the poached salmon for its soft and juicy meat. This simple dish retains the sweetness of the fish but yet does not have an overpowering fishy aftertaste.<br />
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Within the hot food section, Fen's favourite was the Irish Mutton Stew. Though most would have dreaded the gamely taste of the mutton, this is surprisingly acceptable to non-mutton lovers like me. The stew is so intense with the flavours that Fen ends up slurping the gravy. According to her, the meat is tender, the potatoes are well-soaked with the essence of the stew, the carrots are juicy. Perfect combination. <br />
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The buffet also offers Asian dishes such as fried rice, mee tai bak, beef rendang, sweet and sour pork and kimchi chicken. Kimchi chicken caught my attention for the mild spicy flavour but didn't earn a thumb up from Fen as she is not a kimchi lover. On the other hand, beef rendang earns her nods in this station.<br />
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Since it is nearing Christmas, you will find log cakes, christmas pudding, christmas cookies on the dessert bar. We personally found the log cakes unique as it is made of strawberry sponge and pandan sponge (separately) as opposed to the usual chocolate/vanilla sponge. While the sponge is soft and "old school", the downside would be the large amount of buttercream for the pandan log cake which would have been perfect if they replace the filling with kaya.<br />
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You will also find chocolate fondue which often appeal to kids. However what really steals the show is the durian pengat. The paste is so smooth but yet does not compromise on the durian content.
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All in all, the selection is pretty extensive considering this is pitted against mid range buffet suspects such as <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/10/straits-cafe-rendezvous-hotel.html">Straits Cafe</a>, <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/07/carlton-durian-dinner-buffet.html">Cafe Mosaic </a>and <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/07/sunday-brunch-m-hotel.html">Cafe 2000</a>. While most of these mid range buffets focus on local specialities and seafood, The Square aims to bring in a variety of cuisines to their buffet line.<br />
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In addition to the lovely Italian starters, traditional Irish Mutton Stew and the marriage of Kimchi & Chicken, Chef Jean-Philippe Couturier, a French, has also introduced a few memorable fusions such as the Laksa Cheese Risotto and Seafood (mussels are served in their buffet line while cod is available in their a la carte menu) with Spicy Coconut Cream sauce. Another plus point of the buffet is having an in-house pastry chef that brings about a decent selection of pastries and also the local favourite, durian pengat.<br />
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In short, the ambience is simple, the dishes are memorable and the price tag is affordable.<br />
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Special thanks to Mr. John Paolo Tan, Marketing & Direct Sales Manager of Novotel Singapore for the invite to enjoy this festive dinner.<br />
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<b>Festive Dinner Buffet</b> is available from now to 1st Jan 2013, everyday from 6pm to 10pm.<br />
$52++ (Adult) / $35++ (Child/Senior Citizen), from Sunday to Thursday<br />
$62++ (Adult) / $38++ (Child/Senior Citizen), Friday and Saturday<br />
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For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year Eve Dinner,<br />
$68++ (Adult, buffet only)<br />
$88++ (Adult, with free Prosecco Sparkling Wine, Tiger Draught Beef, house wine and 2 kinds of juices)<br />
$48++ (Child)<br />
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<b>The Square Restaurant</b><br />
Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay<br />
177A River Valley Road<br />
Singapore 179031<br />
Tel 6433 8790<br />
<a href="http://www.thesquarerestaurant.com/">Website</a>SLYuanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17635542756162645354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-60559537408969352472012-12-09T11:52:00.000+08:002012-12-09T11:57:43.584+08:00Blackforest Log Cake from PrimaDeli<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8253726647/" title="IMG_1453 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1453" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8344/8253726647_a0a8ae67f0.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Christmas is round the corner, and this year PrimaDéli sent us the Blackforest Log Cake to sample. We were impressed by the elaborated design on the Log Cake which even includes Santa on his sleigh. This chocolate Log Cake consist of chocolate sponge filled with dark cherries laced with chocolate cream. Compared with the Log Cakes from the hotels which uses mousse and premium ingredients, this one may not give that wow factor. However at $35.90 (Std)/$46.90(Per Kg), this is certainly value for money.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8254801706/" title="IMG_1471 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1471" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8352/8254801706_8e31b585f4.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Apart from the Blackforest Log Cake, PrimaDéli offers a fine range of Christmas Log Cakes. There is the Truffle Log Cake - a decadently rich chocolate sponge cake covered with velvety truffle cream. If you are not a fan of chocolate; the Vanilla Mixed Fruit Log Cake would make a perfect alternative. The harmonious combination of exotic fruit generously spread between layers of fluffy vanilla sponge and smooth vanilla cream will keep it light on the palate yet satisfyingly enjoyable.<br />
<photo><photo><photo><photo><br /></photo></photo></photo></photo><photo><photo><photo><photo>The PrimaDéli’s Christmas Collection 2012 will be available at all PrimaDéli bakeries from 17 November 2012 to 20 December 2012. Orders must be placed at least four working days at the various outlets prior to collection. Closing date for orders is 20 December 2012. </photo></photo></photo></photo><br />
<photo><photo><photo><photo><br /></photo></photo></photo></photo><photo><photo><photo><photo>For general and corporate enquiries, please call PrimaDéli’s hotline at 62763333 or visit <a href="http://www.primadeli.com/">www.primadeli.com</a>.</photo></photo></photo></photo><br />
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<photo><photo><photo><photo>Special thanks to Celina from Foreword Communications for the complementary Log Cake.</photo></photo></photo></photo>SLYuanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17635542756162645354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-36601538782698667162012-11-30T00:19:00.000+08:002012-11-30T00:19:38.231+08:00Takeaway Specials for this Christmas @ Goodwood Park HotelWe were privileged to receive an invitation to Goodwood Park Hotel's Christmas Event and for those who have been a follower of the hotel's Christmas treats, one will not be surprised by the creativity of the chefs. For the past few Christmas, the hotel has surprised us with Hainanese Turkey with chicken rice balls, inspired by our local favourite chicken rice; Turducken, a meaty combination of turkey, duck and chicken; Poached soy sauce turkey with "tau kua" and fragrant rice, an ingenious twist to the popular Cantonese -style braised soy sauce chicken.
This year, 2012, the hotel presents the Baked "Singapura" Turkey with homemade pineapple-cucumber achar, yellow basmati rice and curry as their Asian-inspired turkey creation.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126568650/" title="Baked 'Singapura' Turkey w homemade pineapple-cucumber achar, yellow basmati rice & curry by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Baked 'Singapura' Turkey w homemade pineapple-cucumber achar, yellow basmati rice & curry" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8126568650_c793be4458.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo taken from Goodwood Park's media kit</i></span></center>
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Masterminded by Executive Sous Chef Foo Jong Kwang, this uniquely Singaporean turkey is made with delicious mix of spices used in popular local cuisines such as curry powder, turmeric powder, chili lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Accompanied with long-grain rice perfumed with pandan leaves and studded with dried cranberries, Peranakan-inspired pineapple-cucumber pickles as well as richly textured curry, this dish definitely leave an impression when it comes to creativity.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126535440/" title="Executive Sous Chef Foo of Coffee Lounge by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Executive Sous Chef Foo of Coffee Lounge" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8126535440_f190a20859.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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I am not sure about your family but when it comes to our elders, potatoes and sides do not seems to be their cup of tea but rice will be out of place since most Christmas offerings are the traditional roasts. Hence, the hotel's Asian-inspired creations are always much sought-after and we can understand why. Although we give a big thumbs-up to incorporate our local "nasi briyani" into the must-have Christmas turkey, we felt that it is too localized that it is akin of eating chicken briyani.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126570036/" title="Mustard Crusted Spanish Pork Rack w Smoked Gravy, Cabbage, Pickled Apples & Potato Gratin by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Mustard Crusted Spanish Pork Rack w Smoked Gravy, Cabbage, Pickled Apples & Potato Gratin" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8126570036_ec289157c8.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo taken from Goodwood Park's media kit</i></span></center>
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If there is a must-try among all the mains, it will have to be Executive Chef Gan's (of Gordon Grill) Mustard Crusted Spanish Pork Rack, served with smoked gravy, cabbage, pickled apples and potato gratin.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126535656/" title="Executive Chef Gan of Gordon Grill by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Executive Chef Gan of Gordon Grill" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8126535656_4b5cf4d0b5.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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This easily earns both a second helping and a big thumbs-up for the melt-in-the-mouth meat. Marinated with only brine and gently roasted at 67°C, the cooking stops when the interior reaches 58°C. The pinkish pork is so tender due to the slow cooking and it is no surprise that the juices are locked within the crackling of the Spanish Iberico pork. The accompanying apple sauce (apple puree with black sugar) provides the additional zing and the potato gratin and homemade smoked gravy just round up to give a memorable oomph factor.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126535922/" title="Director of Kitchen Chef Maximilian by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Director of Kitchen Chef Maximilian" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8126535922_a8e0e18761.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Black Pepper-coated Roast Prime Rib with savory Thyme-Merlot Sauce was the recommended item when we approached Chef Maximilian Schwaighofer, Director of Kitchens at Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore. The quality of the Australian grain-fed beef is said to be the finest and is only marinated with black pepper, salt and chopped thyme to allow one to enjoy the beef with minimal seasonings. Similarly to the Spanish Pork Rack, this is slow roasted at 67°C to ensure full tenderness and according to Chef Maximilian, beef are often served medium rare (at most, medium) in Europe. Being a German himself, he shared with us to enjoy this signature item with just the sauce and may add mustard to the sauce unlike the English who eats their beef with mustard and horse radish separately.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126509213/" title="Black Pepper-Coated Roast Prime Rib by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Black Pepper-Coated Roast Prime Rib" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8126509213_78c0a2648e.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Although Roast Beef Prime Rib may be common in most international buffets and are available in most hotel's takeaway, we have to admit that this is one of the more tender ones we had. The only shortcoming is that the redness of the meat may not be acceptable to most elders but that is how good beef are supposed to be enjoyed.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126509657/" title="Black Pepper-Coated Roast Prime Rib by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Black Pepper-Coated Roast Prime Rib" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8194/8126509657_44c50a3ddc.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Christmas will not be sweet without desserts and this year, Pastry Chef Joe Tan tempts our palate with his White Chocolate-Coffee Log Cake with Kahlua Profiteroles and Espresso Genoise and viola, it was a crowd pleaser.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126509901/" title="Pastry Chef Joe Tan by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Pastry Chef Joe Tan" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8468/8126509901_fd27b63c32.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The overall combination is light and we are sure tiramisu lovers will not want to give this a miss. With coffee beans blended into the white chocolate mousse, the Kahlua mousse in profiterole gives the additional boost to the overall taste.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126536102/" title="White Chocolate-Coffee log cake by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="White Chocolate-Coffee log cake" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8476/8126536102_196b954be1.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Santa's Sleigh caught my attention as a splendid gift as this hazelnut pound cake is not as delicate as the log cake and can be kept in air-conditioned room for 3 days. Topped with macarons and candied strawberry-orange jelly with the side of the sleigh made of chocolate, the presentation earns a thumb-ups from us. Moreover, the cake is sufficiently dense to support the structure but not at all dry.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126510071/" title="Santa's Sleigh by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Santa's Sleigh" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8126510071_2a6f375d8a.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Sherry Trifle, another signature dessert of Goodwood Park, is a traditional and authentic dessert from England. Unlike the regular custard that is baked with hardener, the custard served in this dessert is softer with little hardener. Topped with raspberry jam and jelly liquor-soaked sponge, it is no surprise this light dessert goes very well with a meaty meal.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126535072/" title="Sherry Trifle by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sherry Trifle" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8126535072_be8616b4bb.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Another must-try among the sweets would be the Walnut and Chocolate Chip Tart. With the addition of maple syrup, this crunchy and moist tart earns nods with most of the guests present at the event.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8126508145/" title="Sweet Treats @ Goodwood Park by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet Treats @ Goodwood Park" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8323/8126508145_b64b7a6f0a.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Last but not least, <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/12/durian-profiteroles-xmas-tree.html">Durian Profiteroles Christmas Tree</a> and <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/12/d24-durian-christmas-log-cake.html">D24 Durian Christmas Log Cake</a> are the must-haves for durian lovers. The difference between the two? Well, if you are a fan of durian mousse, the Durian Profiteroles Christmas Tree will not be diappointing. For those who prefer more cake in their durian creation, go for the classic D24 Durian Christmas Log Cake.<br />
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The takeaway gourmet treats will be available at the Deli from 1 to 26 December 2012.<br />
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Refer to the <a href="http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com.www.travelclickhosting.com/d/goodwoodpark/media/GPH_Christmas_Takeaways_Order_Form_2012.pdf">order form</a> for a full list of takeaway items and orders which are fully paid for by 9 December 2012 will be accorded a further 5% discount (not applicable for cash & online orders).<br />
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<b><u>Card Promotions at the Deli </u></b><br />
Goodwood Park Hotel Gourmet Cardmembers enjoy 20% off takeaway Christmas treats from 1 to 26 Dec 2012<br />
UOB Credit & Debit Cardmembers enjoy 20% off from 1 to 14 Dec 2012; and 15% off from 15 to 26 Dec 2012, for takeaway Christmas treats<br />
Citibank and DBS/POSB Credit & Debit Cardmembers enjoy 15% off takeaway Christmas treats from 1 to 26 Dec 2012<br />
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Many thanks to Ms Justina Loh, Marketing Communications Manager of Goodwood Park Hotel for the invitation to attend the wonderful Christmas luncheon.<br />
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<b>Goodwood Park Hotel </b><br />
22 Scotts Road<br />
Singapore 228221
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For more information, please refer to the hotel's <a href="http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/promotions/celebrate-christmas-and-new-year-at-goodwood-park-hotel%21-,diningOffers_viewItem_102-en.html">website</a>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-73637246966354118342012-09-23T18:59:00.002+08:002012-09-23T21:18:45.418+08:00Peony Jade Mooncake 2012<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8014935920/" title="Angry Bird Mooncake by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Angry Bird Mooncake" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8014935920_cf16a273ff.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Peony Jade is typically known for their signature <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/peony-jade-teochew-yam-paste-mooncakes.html">Teochew "Orh Nee" mooncakes</a>. But I personally think what Peony Jade stands out is for their creativity every year. One of this year's new flavour is based on the popular game "ANGRY BIRDS". They are probably the world's first 3D Egg Custard Snow Skin Mooncake. In a box of 4, you will receive the Red, Yellow, Blue and Red Angry Bird. Unfortunately, there are no pigs. Below we see the cross section of the angry bird which made of coarse egg custard. I think the texture is compromised so that the bird stays in shape. Nonetheless, this would probably bring the smile out from your young children at the expense of your pocket.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8014938273/" title="Angry Bird Mooncake 2 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Angry Bird Mooncake 2" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/8014938273_ca9e833d94.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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I personally felt that Peony Jade's <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/peony-jades-mao-shan-wang-snowskin_24.html">Durian Mooncake</a> series are better than their "Orh Nee" flavours. That is assuming that you are a durian fan. Among the durian mooncake which I tried, theirs is closest to the real fruit. This year, Peony Jade improved on their recipe and introduced the Pure "King of Kings" Durian Snow Skin Mooncake. This caters to the group which liked their durian slightly bitter.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8011902789/" title="King of Kings Durian Snow Skin by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="King of Kings Durian Snow Skin" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8011902789_ebca327a3b.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The other new flavour for 2012 is the fragrant Premium Lychee. It is light, refreshing and you can feel the lychee pulp. The caution however is to eat it soon after cutting it as it turns bad pretty fast. Once the filling is exposed, it starts to release water.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8014945352/" title="Premium Lychee by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Premium Lychee" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/8014945352_c29a09ce24.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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For more information, you may refer to the order form below:</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8007798025/" title="Peony Jade Mooncake Order Form 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Peony Jade Mooncake Order Form 2012" height="354" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/8007798025_3c5410615c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<b>Peony Jade @ Keppel Club </b><br />
Bukit Chermin Road, Keppel Club<br />
Singapore 109918<br />
Tel: 6276 9138<br />
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Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-80856114393012522262012-09-23T10:11:00.000+08:002012-09-23T10:11:51.158+08:00Sze Chuan Court Champaign Truffle 2012<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8012034958/" title="Sze Chuan Court Champaign Truffle by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sze Chuan Court Champaign Truffle" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/8012034958_7926a92cf9.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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It was <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/raffles-plaza-mooncakes-2009.html">three years back</a> since we blogged about Sze Chuan Court's Campaign Truffle. This flavour has always been pit against Raffles Hotel due to their common history. Having eaten both again this year, I must say that both mooncakes are fair consistent and are easily the better mooncakes with alcohol content. If you prefer stronger flavour, then Sze Chuan Court's version is for you. Strong liquor within a white chocolate truffle awaits you as you munch through the smooth and rich lotus paste.</center>
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If you are still keen to pick up a box, you may access their online order form <a href="https://www.fsfestiveorders.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=10">here</a>.</center>
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<b>Szechuan Court Mooncake Booth</b><div>
Level 2, Fairmont Singapore</div>
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From 15 Aug - 30 Sep 10am - 10pm</div>
Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-90540248814562396062012-09-22T21:59:00.001+08:002012-09-22T21:59:54.621+08:00Golden Peony Mooncakes<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8011903734/" title="Golden Peony Snowskin by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Golden Peony Snowskin" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/8011903734_6c038450e3.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Golden Peony new flavour for this year is the Osmanthus in White Lotus Paste. Osmanthus is an acquired flavour and may not be everyone's cup of tea. The plus point is the soft snowskin. If you are not a fan of osamanthus, green tea maybe be a better choice.
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The Mango with Pomelo and the Oreo Cheese were slightly disappointing. This is probably due to the paste which doesn't hold pretty well. Hence it can be messy and the mooncake sticks to your fingers.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8011894193/" title="Golden Peony Box by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Golden Peony Box" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8011894193_263f514a2d.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The mooncakes are presented in this lovely draw box above. For more ordering information, refer to their brochure below.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/8007802728/" title="Conrad Centennial mooncake order form 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Conrad Centennial mooncake order form 2012" height="354" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/8007802728_1004af2d09.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<b>Conrad Centennial Singapore</b></center>
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Two Temasek Boulevard Singapore 038982</center>
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Tel 6334 8888</center>
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singaporeinfo@conradhotels.com</center>
Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-75163894638361116252012-09-18T21:14:00.000+08:002012-09-18T21:16:11.973+08:00 A La Carte buffet brunch @ Dolce VitaAll our dining experiences with<a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/%60%20Mandarin%20Oriental"> Mandarin Oriental Singapore</a> have been pleasant and the most recent Sunday Brunch at Dolce Vita was no exception. I am glad that the restaurant allows babies in the dining premises and I can push the stroller or coax the baby outside the restaurant without much hassle. In addition, the friendly service and the comfy corner the restaurant has allocated to us makes a long meal with an impatient baby comfortable and manageable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991696170/" title="Dolce Vita, Mandarin Oriental by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Dolce Vita, Mandarin Oriental" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7991696170_085725acdd.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Our <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/12/dolce-vita.html">first visit</a> to Dolce Vita was 2 years back during Christmas and I would say it was memorable. As the restaurant does not offer the regular a la carte menu on weekends afternoons, we have no choice but to opt for the a la carte buffet and we didn’t regret it. On top of that, the restaurant is located at the poolside with views of Singapore’s skyline, featuring the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands, indeed dining in the day and night provides a very different atmosphere and I have to say both has its beauty.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991695618/" title="Dolce Vita, Mandarin Oriental by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Dolce Vita, Mandarin Oriental" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/7991695618_50c8d2fc80.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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I am not sure about the majority but at least for me, I am one that goes straight to the main courses or highlights at buffets and leave no room with appetizers and starters. When I visit a restaurant, I will usually stick to a main course and perhaps a dessert. Call this ignorant or lack of exposure but in short, I don’t usually go through a course of starters, soup, main course and desserts unless a set meal. The reason why I said this is because the niche of Dolce Vita’s a la carte buffet makes me dine in this manner and I gave a big thumbs up for that.<br />
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The buffet starts with a list of starters serving in an orderly and well-paced manner, allowing one to enjoy the food slowly and appreciate these combinations of small bites. It is indeed a perfect way to slow things down, making the afternoon a laid back one where one gets to enjoy the company of our dining companion.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991696496/" title="Traditional Italian antipasti platter by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Traditional Italian antipasti platter" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/7991696496_cbcc783082.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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A simple display of cured meats on a plate, these paper-thin slices of meat surprises us with a nice texture and a good distribution of fats. In addition, the meat is not dry nor stringy and the presentation of the dish gives it a visual bang to kick start the meal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991696792/" title="Foie gras mosaic, Timbale of crab, Tartare of Angus beef tend loin & Traditional Apulia burrata mozzarella cheese by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Foie gras mosaic, Timbale of crab, Tartare of Angus beef tend loin & Traditional Apulia burrata mozzarella cheese" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/7991696792_b2338434d7.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The starter platter consisting of (from left to right)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Foie gras mosaic with cranberry coulis, dried fruits and sesame tuile</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Traditional Apulia burrata mozzarella cheese, served with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, sea salt and oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tartare of Angus beef tenderloin with quail eggs</span></div>
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Foie gras turns out to be Yuan’s favourite for the rich and buttery texture for the liver complements nicely with the tang of the cranberry coulis and dried fruits; and this is slightly less cloying than the seared foie gras that comes with a bit of crispy fat on the exterior.<br />
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The burrata served with cherry tomatoes is refreshing while the beef tartare is tender and well seasoned. Just like my first encounter with their beef tartare, this is not at all “bloody” but actually taste wonderful.<br />
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However, it is the crab timbale that steals the limelight among the four. The juicy crab meat is sweet and succulent and when eaten together with the mango salsa, the refreshing twist makes us request for a second round of serving. Unanimously agreed with two of my other friends.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991688609/" title="Starters by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Starters" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/7991688609_7c664482c5.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Other starters serve for the afternoon includes (from top left, clockwise),</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Veloute of roasted butternut squash</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wild forest mushroom soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing</span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tasmanian rock oysters on ice with traditional condiments</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marinated grilled prawns with romaine salad and spring baby vegetables, marinated with a light beetroot juice dressing</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Carpaccio of Australian beef tenderloin with arugula salad, shaved Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991699008/" title="Pasta by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Pasta" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7991699008_c55cbf7733.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The main courses started off with several dishes of pasta dishes, namely (from top left, clockwise),</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Homemade green pea-potato gnocchi with prawns and saffron</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Orecchiette pasta with spring vegetables and Tuscan pecorino cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Homemade linguine with finest selection of seafood, Italian parsley and garlic-olive oil glaze</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Acquerello risotto with black truffles</span></div>
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Have to admit that the pasta were not to our liking and made the meal heavy on the carbohydrates, leaving almost no room for the subsequent fish and meat dishes. Homemade linguine was tasty but was also very filling. The sauce for the gnocchi was too overwhelming and I reckon that I am not a fan of saffron since I felt the same towards the Salmon. Orecchiette pasta earns a thumbs up from Yuan for the addition of Pecorino cheese to the pasta.<br />
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However, despite the rants, this also reminded us the meals we had in Italy where two main courses were served. The first being the pasta and the second being a meat dish. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991697912/" title="Grilled yellow fin tuna arrabiata style by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Grilled yellow fin tuna arrabiata style" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7991697912_3b570b9532.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Grilled yellow fin tuna was splendid in its texture. The varying texture between the seared and raw left an strong impression. With the tuna is nicely seasoned, these juicy chunks of tuna were enjoyed without much fishy smell. Do note that this is not available in the regular a la carte menu and is only served during their weekend brunch buffet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991689285/" title="Main courses by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Main courses" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7991689285_4c798a2a7c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Main courses for the afternoon includes (top left, clockwise), </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni with baby spinach and Parmesan cheese cream </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Norweigian Salmon with market fresh vegetables and saffron veloute </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Roasted rack of New Zealand lamb with Sicilian style egg plant caponata, sauteed new potatoes and rosemary sauce </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Braised barramundi with thyme scented vegetables and la ratte potatoes </span></div>
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Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni is one of the signatures of Dolce Vita and the meltingly tender oxtail simply sublime on the palette and goes very well with the baby spinach. Easily a crowd pleaser among the mains.<br />
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As mention earlier, the Norwegian Salmon isn’t my cup of tea for the overwhelming sauce which practically masks the sweetness of the fish. For both the Norwegian Salmon and the Roasted rack of lamb, the meat is close to medium rare where the centre part of the meat is raw and we felt that this isn’t very well accepted as compared to the other mains.<br />
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Braised barramundi, another dish that earns a thumb ups for its flaky and juicy meat. The freshness and the natural sweetness of the fish makes this dish simple yet memorable. In addition, the potatoes served have a nutty flavor and the cooking is just right without having the potatoes overly hard nor extremely soft and mashy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991688229/" title="Red wine braised wagyu beef cheek with gratin potatoes and wild forest mushrooms by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Red wine braised wagyu beef cheek with gratin potatoes and wild forest mushrooms" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7991688229_fb88dde86e.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Red wine braised wagyu beef cheek, of no doubt is another main course that warrants a second helping. Just like the Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni, the meat is rich in its seasoning and tender that a knife is not needed to slice the meat. In addition, the gratin potatoes served were seamlessly layered, giving this simple potato dish another dimension of presentation and texture.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991687169/" title="Dessert buffet by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Dessert buffet" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/7991687169_605d142b7c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Desserts are presented at the kitchen counter in a buffet format where one can expects a cheese platter, a hot dessert (either bread and butter pudding or rice pudding) and a selection of miniature shooters and tartlets. The selection of desserts is specially put up by Mandarin Oriental’s Executive Pastry Chef Cassian Tan.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7991687631/" title="Ricotta cheese tart by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Ricotta cheese tart" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7991687631_f41389fca0.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Do not miss out on the heavenly tiramisu that has chocolate balls embedded with the fluffy mascarpone layer with liquor-soaked ladyfingers and the signature Riccotta cheese tart. Yuan loved the tiramisu the most for the high expresso content.<br />
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Though there are hits and misses, this meal is memorable for the way the buffet is served as it allows one to appreciate antipasto before starting the meal proper. Though it was painful for Yuan's pocket, he was satisfied by the quality of the food, the presentation of the food and the pace of the meal. Last but not least, the bulk of the items served in the buffet are available in the regular a la carte menu, allowing one to sample several dishes in miniature portions all in a go.<br />
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The weekend Champagne brunch at Dolce Vita is available from 12pm to 3pm every Saturday and Sunday. Pricing as follows,<br />
$108++ per person, food only<br />
$148++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices<br />
$248++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices<br />
$488++ per person with unlimited free flow of Dom Perignon 2003 champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices<br />
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We would like to express a big thank you to Director of Communications, Usha Brockmann and Public Relations Manager, Shu Yun to allow us to take photos of the restaurant prior the start of the buffet and the meal couldn't be any much better without the warm hospitality of Assistant Restaurant Manager, Giuseppe Guida.<br />
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<b>Dolce Vita</b><br />
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore<br />
5 Raffles Avenue<br />
Marina Square<br />
Singapore 039797<br />
Tel: 6885 3551<br />
<a href="http://www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore/dining/dolce_vita/">Website</a>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-91495924820462143512012-09-14T21:35:00.000+08:002012-09-14T21:35:25.762+08:00Mezza9Mezza9, the signature restaurant of Grand Hyatt Singapore, serves a variety of Japanese, Chinese, Western and Thai food under the same roof. This 15 years old restaurant provides a different level of dining experiences with multiple show kitchens specialising in their own cuisine, allowing diners to sit in any area and still order from any of the show kitchens. With a setting to please every palate, Mezza9 prepares each cuisine in its authentic manner by having each show kitchen to be managed by head chefs from the country itself.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961778880/" title="Mezza9 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Mezza9" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7961778880_9a6c5b13fb.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Apart from the variety, Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beer of Mezza9, shared with us that the selling point of Mezza9 lies in the simplicity of the dishes and the personality of the restaurant. He prides that the best and simplest ingredients are treated as minimal as possible to retain the natural flavour. Among all the stations, the Western kitchen steals the limelight for its daily seafood counter and the fierce fire action happening at the wood-fire ovens, rotisserie and western open grills. Apart from steaks and seafood, one can also expect popular items such as Parma Ham, Foie Gras, Oysters, Salads and Smoked Salmon at this station. In general, there is no crazy combinations but simiplicity to offer a diner to feel like he is eating in his favourite restaurant back home.<br />
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During our conversation with Chef Stefan, we touched on an interesting point. While Mezza9's niche lies in its multi-national varieties, Yuan was curious why Mezza9 chooses to focus on Japanese, Chinese, Western and Thai dishes but not other cuisines such as Indian, Korean, etc. Apparently this concept of Mezza9 is 14 years old and Chef Stefan felt that having being in Asia for 5 years, it is of no doubt that all nations have a great cuisine. However, it is the Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines that are more talk-about outside of Asia and more commonly found in other parts of the world. He added that most international diners would have a certain knowledge about these 3 cuisines and are more acceptable to them as compared to the other Asian cuisines.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961774762/" title="yam som o by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="yam som o" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7961774762_ff95d65127.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Starting off the meal, we were presented with a refreshing starter, yam som o. This spicy pomelo salad is served with Thai pink pomelo, shredded chicken breast meat, chili padi and a special sauce that is prepared with hours of simmering. A seemingly simple dish but the bulk of the preparatory work goes to making the sauce where the tamarind paste is boiled and cooked with palm sugar for about 4-5 hours before serving with roasted dried coconut, peanut, deep fried shallot and dashes of Thai fresh lime.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961776282/" title="Sushi & Sashimi Platter by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sushi & Sashimi Platter" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7961776282_a5be9a347c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Japanese Head Chef Jems Bong wows us with his sashimi and sushi platter for both the cut and the freshness. On the platter, there were sashimi prepared from Yellow Tail belly, Tuna belly, Salmon belly and Flounder fin; and also sushi served with raw tuna and salmon and roasted yellow tail and swordtail. We were surprised how crunchy and springy the Flounder fin sashimi are and the rich, fatty tuna belly that simply sublime on our palette. According to Chef Jems, tamanishiki rice is used for Mezza9's sushi as it is smaller and tastier than regular sushi rice.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961777254/" title="bo biat thot by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="bo biat thot" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7961777254_bd863be96b.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Spring roll (bo biat thot) may sound simple among the dishes served in Mezza9 but this is specially created by Mezza9's resident Thai Head Chef Sitichok Panchuk using ingredients imported from Thailand. What we like about the spring rolls is the skin itself. While the exterior is crisp, the second layer is springy and chewy. With such a distinctive texture among the layers, it is not overly thick, allowing one to feel the crunchiness filling of vegetables, not forgetting the home-made sweet chili dip cooked with Thai vinegar and fresh pineapple. These spring rolls also comes in two version, chicken or vegetarian.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961779802/" title="Crispy soon hock, soy sauce by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Crispy soon hock, soy sauce" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7961779802_1e069c4f5a.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Deep fried Soon Hock (marbled goby) with soy sauce is highly recommended by Master Chef Lee Kuan Seng for its simplicity and the special sauce he prepared. The soft tender meat is so lightly marinated that the natural sweetness of the fish is felt in every bite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961780730/" title="wok-fried beef by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="wok-fried beef" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7961780730_b50fcd33fb.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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On the other hand, the sitr-fry New Zealand tenderloin beef with celery and onion is memorable for the special sauce that is carefully blended with tomatoes, carrot, garlic and onions.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961839568/" title="Slow roast pork rib by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Slow roast pork rib" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7961839568_ab7b3681b1.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Slow roast pork ribs, highly recommended for its tender meat that is so soft that one does not need a knife to cut. This signature dish of Chef Stefan adopts 24-hours slow cooking with the ribs sealed in vacuum. Traditionally, pork ribs are cooked too hot, where the meat shrinks and loses its tenderness, resulting in a tough and dry texture. To make sure the pork ribs is so tender that it just fall off from the bone, the ribs are portioned, marinated with salt and pepper, grilled and cooled before vacuum packed with stock, butter, thyme leaf. This is then cooked for 24 hours at a temperature which allows the meat to relax without the fats moving out of the meat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961781898/" title="Spätzle by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Spätzle" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/7961781898_9d0bbee778.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Spätzle, though looks simple, reminded us greatly of the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/06/budapest-hungary-szamos-marcipan.html">Hungarian noodles</a> we had when we were in Budapest. These Swiss dumpings is made of flour, egg, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and using a sieve-like apparatus with big holes, the dough is pressed through and straight into boiling water. This is subsequently pan-fried in butter. With a hint of nutmeg in the spätzle, there is a slight sweetness and according to Chef Stefan, nutmeg is often added to potato dishes and spätzle to round up the flavour and this addition is very common in Swiss cuisine.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7961787618/" title="Dessert platter by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Dessert platter" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8455/7961787618_9edf0350a9.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Signature dessert platter, consists of a selection of 4 desserts, specially prepared by award-winning Master Pastry Chef Gottfried Schuetzenberger. The combination of Apple Crumble Tart, Butter Lemon Pudding, Chocolate Pudding with Coffee Sauce and a selection of ice-cream allows one to try a diverse flavours, textures and temperatures all in a dish.<br />
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In our opinion, the most outstanding dessert among the 4 would be the butter lemon pudding. Apart from the slight tang and the sugary bits, the pudding has a very light texture that is just slightly denser than a souffle. The overall texture is fluffy and light, deserving a mention. Yuan's least favourite, happens to be my favourite among the 4, the apple crumble tart served with vanilla sauce. Unlike the regular apple crumble tart that has the crumbles on top, a puff pastry forms the cap and the crumbles is mixed in the apple and raisin filling, giving a sugary crunch with mouthful of apple chunks. Chocolate Pudding with Coffee Sauce caught Yuan's attention for the decadent oozing core and the proportion between the cake and molten core is just right. As for the Strawberry, Mango and Chocolate Ice-cream, these are made in-house with a rich fruity punch for both the strawberry and mango, pairing nicely with the butter lemon pudding.<br />
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We are not afraid to admit that this would be a painful meal for our pocket should this not be an invited tasting. However, having said that, we were glad to be able to have a dining experience in Mezza9 as it does give us an option for a special occassion. As what Chef Stefan pointed out, to enjoy various cuisines in the same place gives this restaurant a niche over most eateries and restaurants in Singapore. What was served for the night are very common dishes that are served in restaurants and what makes this meal truly enjoyable is not only the open kitchen concept but the freshness of the food and the simplicity of the ingredients used. I am definitely looking forward to my next visit and I have already thought of an occassion to get my hands on the tender pork ribs. Apart from the selection of food from the various cuisine, the martini bar and wine cellar with over 500 types of wine, gives more excuses to unwind after work. Cheers!<br />
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Heartfelt thanks to assistant manager for public relations, Ms Melissa Tan for the invitation and warm hospitality. Also, many thanks to Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beer of Mezza9 for his time to prepare such a fabulous meal. Last but not least, thank you very much to Massimo, manager of Mezza9 and all the head chefs and service staffs to make us feel so comfortable and welcome for the tasting.<br />
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<b>Mezza9</b><br />
Grand Hyatt Singapore<br />
10 Scotts Road<br />
Mezzanine Level<br />
Singapore 228211<br />
Tel: 6732 1234<br />
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<b>Operating hours</b>:<br />
Lunch: Noon to 2:30pm (Mon to Sat)<br />
Dinner: 6pm to 10:30pm<br />
Sunday Brunch: 11:30am to 3pm<br />
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<a href="http://singapore.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-singapore-grand/entertainment/dining_detail.jsp?itemDesc=fboutlet&itemId=1000313">Website</a>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-56547218198675962342012-09-13T00:25:00.002+08:002012-09-13T00:25:33.144+08:00Teochew Yam Mooncakes<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7971048756/" title="Teochew Yam Mooncakes by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Teochew Yam Mooncakes" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8297/7971048756_b03742b4eb.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Before we continue, we have to declare that we are not big fans of “Orh-nee” nor the Teochew fried mooncakes and our exposure of these mooncakes are limited to the ones that are recommended by our fellow blogger friends, Daniel and Lay Sian from <a href="http://memoirsoffood.blogspot.sg/">Memoirs of Food</a>.</center>
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The Teochew Yam Mooncakes are the all time signature of the Teochew City Seafood Restaurant. Each mooncake boast a savoury yolk at its core which complements the sweetness of yam, enveloped within a fragrant golden brown crust. </center>
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What we liked about these mooncakes is first the size. No mess cutting it, just right to have one on your own. In addition, compared to the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/peony-jade-teochew-yam-paste-mooncakes.html">ones</a> I had previously, these are not oily and naturally being slightly healthier, the yam paste is not as smooth as some of its <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/09/mooncake-galore-2010.html">peers</a>. Being not too oily, these mooncakes lasted comfortably at room temperature for a day or two without the need to be reheated.</center>
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However, despite the positive comments, the yam paste lacks the “oomph” factor and isn’t as fragrant as the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/mooncake-galore-2011.html">rest </a>so we reckon that the hardcore lovers will find it alittle blend and not too sweet but for people like Fen who are not Taro fans to start off with, this seems to be a healthier, less sugar option for her.</center>
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The Teochew Yam Mooncakes are sold at $33+ for a box of nine. There is 10% discount for DBS and UOB card holders till 30 Sep 2012. 15% discount for purchases of 4 boxes and above.</center>
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Many thanks to Ms Celina Lim from Foreword Communications for the complimentary box of mooncakes.</center>
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<b>Teochew City Seafood Restaurant</b></center>
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176 Orchard Road #05-16 The Centrepoint</center>
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Singapore 238843 </center>
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Tel 6733 3338</center>
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Opening hrs</center>
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Lunch: 10.30am - 3.00pm (Weekdays)/10.30am - 3.30pm (Weekends and PH)</center>
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Dinner: 6.00pm - 10.00pm (Daily)</center>
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Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-17403329475783416662012-09-11T08:48:00.004+08:002012-09-11T08:48:54.193+08:00Ritz Carlton's Green Tea & Lychee Martini SnowskinEvery year during this time, I will face a dilemma between novelty or signature for there is just these much mooncakes one can eat. However, from my previous mooncakes spree, it is always safer to stick to the signatures as these are often the best-selling items, liked by the masses.<br />
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Hence, for this year, apart from the complimentary boxes of mooncakes, we stick to buying our favourites instead of the new flavours for our families. Peony Jade’s <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/peony-jades-mao-shan-wang-snowskin_24.html">Mao Shan Wang Snowskin</a>, Raffles Hotel's <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/raffles-hotels-champagne-truffle.html">Champagne Truffle snowskin mooncake</a>, Carlton Hotel’s signature <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/carlton-hotels-mooncake-2011.html">Walnut Moontart</a> and Mandarin Orchard’s <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/mandarin-orchard-singapores-mooncakes.html">Baked Mooncake with Macadamia Nuts and Low Sugar White Lotus</a> made no exception for this year and when it comes to green tea snowskin, it will has to be from <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/ritz-carltons-mooncake-2009.html">Ritz Carlton Millennia</a> as (till date) I have not found one that has such strong infusion of matcha in the lotus seed paste.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7962651648/" title="Ritz Carlton 2012's snowskin selection by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Ritz Carlton 2012's snowskin selection" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/7962651648_7a75051ce2.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Apart from their signature mini bing pi Green Tea paste, mini bing pi Lycheetini paste is another flavor not to be missed for the meltingly smooth lychee-liquor infused ganache at the centre of the mooncake though Yuan felt that it can be better if white chocolate shells are used. However, we do feel a little disappointed for the snowskin and lotus paste is slightly sticky and not as smooth as my other favourites.<br />
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Lastly, another plus point for Ritz Carlton’s mooncakes lies in the packaging. Without fail for every year, their boxes are the sleekest with a size and finishing suited to be a jewellery box.<br />
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For more ordering information, refer to their brochure below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7968288506/" title="Ritz Carlton Mooncake Order Form 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Ritz Carlton Mooncake Order Form 2012" height="228" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8031/7968288506_0890412a94.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<b>Summer Pavilion</b><br />
Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore<br />
7 Raffles Avenue<br />
Singapore 039799<br />
Tel: 6337 8888Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-69504501469114104562012-09-09T22:12:00.000+08:002012-09-10T08:59:58.087+08:00Family Favourites by Prima DeliPrima Deli, Singapore's first bakery franchise, introduces a delightful trio of mini Toffee Cappuccino, Chocolate Hazelnut and Raspberry Truffle snowskin mooncakes to Prima Deli's current selection of more than twelve flavours of traditionally baked and snowskin mooncakes.<br />
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Toffee Cappuccino features toffee lotus paste with a delicate cappuccino chocolate truffle ball, nestled within a lightly infused cocoa snowskin; while the Chocolate Hazelnut consists of a blend of hazelnut paste with chocolate cream, complemented with toasted hazelnut sequins for extra crunch. Raspberry Truffle combines white chocolate and raspberry jam within a sweet lilac snowskin.<br />
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While most restaurants and hotels has their very own signature flavours, the uniqueness of Prima Deli's lies in the huge variety of mooncakes, in particular the snowskin selection. Imagine 9 different flavours, all in a single box.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7962407276/" title="Prima Deli Mini Snowskin Mooncake by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Prima Deli Mini Snowskin Mooncake" height="417" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7962407276_b428e16e3c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Having ate so many boxes of mooncakes purchased from restaurants, hotels and bakeries since <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/*%20Mooncake">2009</a>, we have become very technical in defining our favourite mooncakes, from the fragrance of the skin to the pairing of ingredients and quality of the lotus paste (smoothness, whether it is "teeth-sticky", fragrance) and in this case, Prima Deli's mooncakes proves us very wrong in our judgement. When we first tried the mooncakes from Prima Deli, we thought it pales in comparison with the ones we have from <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/raffles-hotels-champagne-truffle.html">Raffles Hotel</a>, <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/09/mooncakes-at-carlton-hotel-2012.html">Carlton Hotel</a> and <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/07/mandarin-orchard-singapores-mooncakes.html">Mandarin Orchard</a>. However, when I bought both boxes of mooncakes to share with my colleagues, I was proven so wrong then.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7962184058/" title="Golden Jade and Pure Lotus with 1 Yolk by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Golden Jade and Pure Lotus with 1 Yolk" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8449/7962184058_d8f2760964.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Mooncakes lovers can be very distinctive with their preferences, while some loves it with huge egg yolks, others prefer a lighter combination. Having shared with my colleagues with Carlton Hotel's signature <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/carlton-hotels-mooncake-2011.html">moontarts</a> when all agrees that the lotus paste was outstanding, I received another big thumbs up from them 1 week later for Prima Deli's Golden Jade baked mooncake and their snowskin selection.
Golden Jade with 1 Yolk steals the limelight among the 3 types of lotus paste offered by Prima Deli. Made with pandan flavoured lotus paste and green bean paste, most felt that the pairing was good. Although the pandan flavouring is weak, somehow or rather the green bean paste and lotus paste provides a good contrast of texture.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7962183484/" title="Snowskin Mini Series of Prima Deli by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Snowskin Mini Series of Prima Deli" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/7962183484_9993f68dbb.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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With <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/09/raffles-hotels-champagne-truffle.html">Raffles Hotel</a> triumphing with their fragrant mochi-like snowskin (Note: ate this year but didn't blog about it), <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/09/mooncakes-at-carlton-hotel-2012.html">Carlton Hotel</a> surprising us with their refreshing combination of pineapple and pandan, Prima Deli selection of snowskin wins the hearts of my colleagues. Described by them to have a fabulous variation and pairing, all the snowskin has a contrasting flavour and texture.<br />
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Nutella lovers with be pleasantly surprised by the Mini Oreo Chocolate and Mini Chocolate Hazelnut, for it is quite similar to eating a chocolate snack.<br />
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Mini Strawberry Chocolate with its jam-like filling and the Mini Raspberry Truffle were described to be a refreshing treat with ice-cream-like texture.<br />
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Mini Black Sesame with Mochi caught my attention for the chewy glutinous core which I have never come across in any snowskin till date.<br />
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While the hotels definitely triumps in terms of fragrance and texture of the snowskin as well as lotus paste, Yuan personally feel that Prima Deli will appeal to the mass market for its competitive pricing as well as their large range of flavours. <br />
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Prima Deli's mooncakes are available from now to 30 September 2012 at all Prima Deli bakeries. For more ordering information, refer to the form attached below.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7962407926/" title="Prima Deli Mooncake Order Form by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Prima Deli Mooncake Order Form" height="209" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8035/7962407926_ef1cc08e1a.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Thank you very much to Ms Celina Lim from Foreword Communications for the complimentary boxes of mooncakes.<br />
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<b>Prima Deli </b><br />
With so many branches island-wide, it is best to check their <a href="http://www.primadeli.com/home/home.asp">website</a> for more details.Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-74302434318701252962012-09-02T22:23:00.001+08:002012-09-02T22:30:40.195+08:00Mooncakes at Carlton Hotel 2012Carlton Hotel's 2012 special is the Mini Pandan Snowskin Mooncake with Pineapple Chutney. Be pleasantly surprised by the refreshing burst of pineapple flavours from the divine mix of pineapple curd and chutney packed in a thin crust of white chocolate truffle, enveloped within the sweet pandan infused lotus paste. This pairing is pretty good as the taste of the 2 key flavours, pandan and pineapple are quite distinct. Overall, you will taste the sweet and fragrant pandan paste with a slight pinch of sourness from the pineapple. Thumbs up also for the snowskin for not sticking to the teeth.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7913353078/" title="Mini Pandan Snowskin Mooncake with Pineapple Chutney by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Mini Pandan Snowskin Mooncake with Pineapple Chutney" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7913353078_6d0a531e2d.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Not to be missed is the hotel's all time best seller, the Mini Walnut Moontart with white lotus paste and egg yolk. With a crisp and fragrant crust on the outside and a smooth texture on the inside, this all-time favourite is also available without egg yolk and in a low sugar option. We preferred the original over the low sugar option. Not because we have a sweet tooth but we felt that it tasted better with the contrast of the salted egg. Similar to all pastry, it tastes the best when consumed immediately.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7894603212/" title="Walnut Moontart with white lotus paste and egg yolk by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Walnut Moontart with white lotus paste and egg yolk" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7894603212_9b5a2e5953.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<b>Early Bird Special
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1 August to 16 September 2012
15% discount - All mooncakes. Exclusively for Citibank, DBS/POSB and UOB Cardmembers.<br />
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1 August to 16 September 2012 (Early Bird Special)
20% discount - 1 to 25 boxes of mooncakes
25% discount - 26 boxes of mooncakes and above <br />
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17 September to 30 September 2012
15% discount - All mooncakes
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7913707670/" title="Carlton Hotel Mooncake 2012 Order Form by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Carlton Hotel Mooncake 2012 Order Form" height="346" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8444/7913707670_12009ef62f.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Last but not least, we would like to thank Ms Leung Yi Wen, Marketing Communications Manager of Carlton Hotel for the complementary box of <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pandan Snowskin Mooncake with Pineapple Chutney</span>.</center>
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<b>Carlton Hotel Singapore</b><br />
76 Bras Brasah Road<br />
Singapore 189558<br />
For more information, click <a href="http://www.carltonhotel.sg/specials.html#promotion10-tab">here</a>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-54846669194521326672012-08-30T23:45:00.000+08:002012-08-30T23:55:47.419+08:00Tuxedo Cafe @ Carlton HotelOne of the things we remembered deeply during our Europe trip is the coffee and pastries experience we had in Vienna and Rome. Asking around for recommendation from the locals and figuring out what is written on the menu in these cafes was something we have done every 2-3 days during our 3 weeks trip.<br />
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With the appearances of Paul Bakery, Maison Kayser and Tiong Bahru Bakery, one can't help but to be curious about the croissants, bread and pastries these guys offer.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893932474/" title="Tuxedo Cafe by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Tuxedo Cafe" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7893932474_e33bf1225a.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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With all the hype about croissants, there is actually one convenient place that offers fabulous crossiants which can be found at Carlton Hotel Singapore's latest addition, Tuxedo.<br />
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Tuxedo, in a simplistic black and white theme, offers a casual environment for coffee, pastries, cake and sandwiches.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893931920/" title="Tuxedo @ the lobby of Carlton Hotel by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Tuxedo @ the lobby of Carlton Hotel" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7893931920_c2244a50e3.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The cafe offers a decent selection of hand-pulled Italian coffee ranging from Espresso to Macchiato and non-coffee drinks will be delighted to know that the cafe offers a selection of tea and juices.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893933882/" title="The Coffee Menu by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="The Coffee Menu" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7893933882_3814662acb.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Leading the team of bakers at Tuxedo is Carlton Hotel's newly appointed Chief Baker, Andrew Loong who picked up his skills in European style bread-making from the tender age of 18. He specialises in French-style breads and pastries. Hence it is no surprise Tuxedo features a decent selection of bread including bagels, baguettes, focaccia, sourdough, multi-seed and walnut breads, croissants and danishes, baked fresh everyday.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893929894/" title="Display by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Display" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7893929894_5f7fccefa1.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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One of the must-trys of Tuxedo is the hotel's very own lobster pie ($5.00++). However, non-seafood lovers like us and vegetarians will be glad to know that the cafe serves chicken pie ($3.80++) and mushroom quiche ($4.50++). While the famous western chicken pies of Raffles Hotel is on the creamy and peppery side and the chicken pies of M Hotel contains chunks of chicken meat, Tuxedo's version has a nice balance of chicken bits and potatoes. The pastry has a slight sweetness and in general the pastry is light and fluffy.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893933202/" title="Pies & Quiche by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Pies & Quiche" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7893933202_54447c0bdd.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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As mentioned in the introduction, Tuxedo serves a wide range of hand-pulled Italian coffee and Cafe Latte ($7.30++) is recommended. Alternatively if you have a sweet tooth, the Hot Chocolate ($7.30++) is an option for non coffee drinkers.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893928404/" title="Iced Chocolate & Latte by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Iced Chocolate & Latte" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/7893928404_dd1f301aa8.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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With bread freshly baked everyday, it is no surprise that Tuxedo serves good sandwiches. Focaccia with Ham and Cheese is a refreshing treat. What we like about the sandwiches is of course the freshness of the bread, the juicy Roma tomatoes, the combination of bitterness and saltiness from Rocket Salad and Ham ($9.50++).
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893929162/" title="Focaccia with Ham & Cheese by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Focaccia with Ham & Cheese" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8315/7893929162_6bb2ff6c8c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Now here is the main highlight, croissants.<br />
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Croissants lovers will be glad to hear that the croissants here have a decent web of flaky golden brown layers. While we personally find Paul's outstanding in its buttery fragrance, it gets soggy after a few hours; the croissants found in Maison Kayser suffer a collapsed structure. Lately, the croissants from Tiong Bahru Bakery has been rated to be the best croissants in town by several media, but don't be surprised that newcomer, Tuxedo is not too far off. In fact, it is the least oily among all the croissants we had so far, and at the same time retain the airy texture.<br />
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Although the plain croissant ($3.50++) and pain au chocolat ($3.50++) showed a slight collapsed structure, we suspect this could be caused by the pressure exerted when the staff halved them. The reason for making such a comment is because the almond croissants ($3.50++) we had for our take-away have distinctive even thin layers. The paper bag that was used to keep them overnight, has very minimal oil stains on it.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893930854/" title="Crossiants by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Crossiants" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/7893930854_d651ac92c6.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The towering 4-layers black and white Tuxedo Cake ($5.80++ per slice, $42++ for 1 kg) is definitely the highlight of this cafe.<br />
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If popular "<a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/06/vienna-austria-sacher-cafe.html">Sacher Torte</a>" is originated at the Vienna locations of the Hotel Sacher. This could be Tuxedo's definition of decadent chocolate cake whipped up with premium Valrhona chocolate.<br />
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What we find it unique for the Tuxedo Cake lies in its texture. To a certain extent, it has a density similar to a brownie but yet it is moist and soft without the need to be warmed up. To a certain extent, we thought that the texture is similar to eating a sticky date pudding. In addition, the cake is drizzled with milk chocolate infused with a tangy flavour.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7893931384/" title="Tuxedo Cake by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Tuxedo Cake" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7893931384_959457645d.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Coffee house culture is something that is very distinctive in European countries such as Italy and Vienna and though our local definition of coffee culture is the typical kaya toast with a cup of Kopi, it is interesting to switch our attention to cup of cuppa with the freshly baked pastries, gourmet sandwiches or even the signature Tuxedo cake.<br />
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Before signing off, special thanks to Ms Leung Yi Wen, Marketing Communications Manager and Ms Tricia Quak, Marketing Communications Executive for the invite and warm hospitality<br />
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<b>Tuxedo </b><br />
Carlton Hotel Singapore<br />
76 Bras Basah Road<br />
Lobby<br />
Singapore 189558<br />
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<b>Operating hours</b>:<br />
7am to midnight (Sunday to Thursday)<br />
7am to 1am (Friday and Saturday)<br />
Tel: 6415 7887<br />
<a href="http://www.carltonhotel.sg/tuxedo.html">Website</a>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-71775305089921854182012-08-25T23:09:00.000+08:002012-08-25T23:09:17.177+08:00Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery<center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Ang Ku Kueh (红龟糕 - Red Tortoise Cakes), something that most of us have grown up with but has eventually got overshadowed by prettier desserts such as entremets, chocolates and even macarons. Kuehs has now been defined to be "Bengawan Solo" after the opening of many branches around Singapore, convenient within our reach; and over time we have long forgotten the laborious task of making kuehs from scratch and by hand. Frankly speaking, having organised a baby shower a few months ago, it is sad to hear that most of my friends have grown to live without this sweet treat and eventually not like it anymore.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857103040/" title="Waiting to be steamed by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Waiting to be steamed" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8291/7857103040_fb755843e7.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Ang Ku Kueh as well as Nonya Kueh looks seemingly similar in most of the market or neighbourhood confectioneries, I haven't really pay attention to how good it can be and one of the better ones I have tried would be a shop in Alexandra. Believe it or not, I was craving for Peanut Ang Ku Kueh and Peng Kueh during my pregnancy but because it is so rare to find good ones and that all taste about the same to me, I just make do with what Yuan can find, be it from a humble shop in food centres or gifts from baby showers.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857106612/" title="Freshly out from the steamer by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Freshly out from the steamer" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7857106612_040c41c0f2.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">For overseas readers who are curious what Ang Ku Kuehs are, it is basically a small glutinous rice flour pastry with sweet filling such as mung bean, peanut or coconut in the centre. The Chinese often associate longevity with tortoise and hence eating these tortoise shells-like kueh are considered auspicious items. Interestingly, if these are presented as gifts during baby showers, it will tell you the gender of the newborn. For obvious reasons, the pointed ones symbolises the birth of a baby boy while the flattened ones for baby girls.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857104396/" title="Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/7857104396_ae4fb6e888.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Hence, when I received an invitation from Gavin to visit a traditional nyonya cake shop that has been around for the past 30 years. I was simply delighted. Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionary started off in a home kitchen in 1968 before moving to a proper shop in Bedok in 1987 which is also the time when they started making Ang Ku Kueh. However, during that time, this shop only serves as a manufacturing platform and the Ang Ku Kueh are distributed to small retailers for sale. In other words, Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery has spent many years optimising their recipe and their reputation is built by word-of-mouth. They only started selling their Ang Ku Kueh and Nonya Kuehs when Gavin's mum took over this shop in the 90s.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857105230/" title="Savoury Kueh by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Savoury Kueh" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7857105230_2efea189df.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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To increase the variety of what this shop offers, they introduced savoury kueh such as Peng Kueh (Glutinous Rice Cake), Ku Chai Kueh (Steamed Chive Dumplings) and Soon Kueh (Steamed Turnip Dumplings); and also Malay fritters in recent years.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857102210/" title="Moulding them into shape by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Moulding them into shape" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8281/7857102210_47a30d184e.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">This shop places strong emphasis of freshness and hand-made; and we were very lucky to have some hand-ons, wrapping the Ang Ku Kueh with the respective fillings. Talking about hand-made, I am sure some of my readers would have remembered a variety show, Man versus Machine (妙手钢厨), hosted by Cai Lilian (蔡礼莲) where the show mentions about efficiency and quality. Well, there is definitely inconsistency when we talk about things that are hand-made and Lek Lim's Ang Ku Kueh makes no exception.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857100368/" title="Ang Ku Kueh Filling by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Ang Ku Kueh Filling" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7857100368_060a9e2b72.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Wrapping the Ang Ku Kueh looks seemingly easy but to have an even and thin skin makes it very difficult for newbies like us. In addition, the glutinous dough is prepared everyday, 5am in morning by Gavin's mother and how soft and chewy depends greatly on the kneading process and of course, the recipe itself.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857101252/" title="Kueh Making by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Kueh Making" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7857101252_063539f5b6.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Next up, wrapping Pulut Inti in the banana leaf. Yuan adores the glutinous rice, sticky yet the individual grain of rice can be felt distinctively. In addition, each bite has fragrance from both the coconut milk and brown sugar.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857105954/" title="Yuan wrapping the Pulut Inti by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Yuan wrapping the Pulut Inti" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7857105954_99b5442c30.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It is amazing the amount of kueh this shop churns out everyday and Gavin never seems to run out of things to show us how the kueh are being made.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857108548/" title="Hand-made Kueh by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Hand-made Kueh" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7857108548_11ba6ea5c3.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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In general, the fillings for the Ang Ku Kueh are coarse and generous, providing a crunch with every portion of the chewy skin. While Yuan prefers his peanut to be loosely packed with sugar, I gave a huge thumbs up to the peanut filling for being a thick, rich and crunchy peanut paste. Indeed something very different from what I had previously. As for the skin, there is a slight inconsistency, the peanut ones for that day was simply divine... In short, generous crunchy peanuts filling with soft chewy skin.<br />
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However, the skin for the Mung Bean ones were too thick to my liking. Apart from the Peanut Ang Ku Kueh, Kueh Lapis is my next favourite for the soft and chewy texture.</div>
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No prizes for guessing it right, Yuan's favourite among the selection is the Kueh Salat. I think he can gobble up the entire tray of glutinous rice.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857107240/" title="Lek Lim's Nonya Kueh by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Lek Lim's Nonya Kueh" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7857107240_1a1d7e77dc.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Thumbs up to the soft, springy skin for the Soon Kueh and Ku Chai Kueh, though I would have prefer more filling for the Soon Kueh. As for the Peng Kueh, this has been something I eat regularly and the fragrance of the rice filling falls short in my expectation. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7857107874/" title="Lek Lim's Savoury Kueh by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Lek Lim's Savoury Kueh" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7857107874_c49ca8719f.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Kueh making is a dying trade and given how laborious it is to handcraft them, we are seeing less of it being hand-made.</div>
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To a certain extent, Lek Lim's Kueh has a nostalgic taste for me and in general, better than the ones made in factories. Though most people would have conveniently make do with what is available in big names such as Bengawan Solo, the experience is different eating Lek Lim's Nonya Kueh. For me, when I peel the individual layers of the colourful Kueh Lapis, I can't help to think of those days when I return home from the market with my grandmother.</div>
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Also, if you happen to be in Bedok area, don't give the piping hot spring rolls amiss. If you are wondering where are the photos of those spring rolls, well they didn't make it safely back home. We finished all up on our way back.</div>
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<b>Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery</b></div>
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Block 84 Bedok North Street 4</div>
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#01-21</div>
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Singapore 460084</div>
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Tel: 6449 0815</div>
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<a href="http://amandamah1.wix.com/leklimnonya#!">Website</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/LekLimNonyaCake">Facebook Page</a></div>
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<b>Operating hours</b>:</div>
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4am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday)</div>
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4am to 2pm (Sunday)</div>
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Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-32593266535486918572012-08-24T19:52:00.001+08:002012-08-31T09:04:16.953+08:00Grand Hyatt Singapore 2012 MooncakesIn celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Grand Hyatt Singapore presents a selection of traditional and snowskin mooncake flavours. This year's four new snowskin flavours which the Grand Hyatt chefs have created are: Custard with Salted Egg; Sea Salt Caramel Truffle; Mung Bean with Coconut Truffle; and Kopi ‘O’ Truffle.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7844987506/" title="Grand Hyatt Singapore Mooncakes 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Grand Hyatt Singapore Mooncakes 2012" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7844987506_e7b44c3063.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Similarly to <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/grand-hyatt-singapores-snowskin-2011.html">last year</a>, Grand Hyatt Singapore offers a variety of 8 snowskin mooncakes, making their diners spoilt for choices. Kopi "O" Truffle with a touch of contemporary and traditional may earn a thumbs up for the strong Kopi "O" fragrance, finished with a strong alcoholic kick. Custard with Salted Egg may be a favourite for people who fancy the classic combination from the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/09/mini-egg-custard-mooncakes-from.html">Hong Kong Egg Custard Mooncake</a>. Sea Salt Caramel Truffle did leave an impression during the tasting for the distinctive pairing of sweetness and saltiness among the newcomers.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7845013510/" title="Lychee Martini Truffle by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Lychee Martini Truffle" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8297/7845013510_e921a8c86d.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Martini lovers will know that Grand Hyatt Singapore offers not only offers one of the largest selections of martinis in Singapore but has also won numerous awards for being the best bar in Singapore. In addition, with the hotel's signature martini, the lychee martini, it is no surprise that their snowskin counterpart won our hearts for the smooth and flavourful gauche.
Apart from Lychee Martini Truffle, best sellers such as the Black Sesame Yuzu Truffle, the Champagne Truffle and Durian are retained in the selection.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7845065284/" title="Baked Mooncakes Grand Hyatt Singapore by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Baked Mooncakes Grand Hyatt Singapore" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7845065284_724da4ef92.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Grand Hyatt Singapore has retained the flavours for all their 4 traditional baked mooncakes for the past 3 years and roasted melon seeds are incorporated into all 4 flavours to provide the additional crunch and fragrance. With the usual suspect such as White Lotus with Roasted Melon Seed and White Lotus Double Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed, the hotel's selection also includes Red Lotus Single Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed for those who prefer a stronger taste and Sesame Lotus Single Yolk with Bamboo Ash for the beauty conscious.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7845067100/" title="Red Lotus Single Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed, White Lotus Double Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Red Lotus Single Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed, White Lotus Double Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7845067100_81200a635f.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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The hotel retains the same packaging as <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/grand-hyatt-singapores-snowskin-2011.html">last year</a>. An acrylic box with a classic symbol of the Chinese character of the hotel but instead of orange, it is red for this year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7845011970/" title="Sesame Lotus Single Yolk with Bamboo Ash by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Sesame Lotus Single Yolk with Bamboo Ash" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7845011970_02102bd4b8.jpg" width="333" /></a></center>
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Listed below are the prices for our selection of mooncakes.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7897437996/" title="Grand Hyatt Mooncake Order Form 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Grand Hyatt Mooncake Order Form 2012" height="255" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7897437996_4bf74db2f9.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The shop at mezza9 is located on the mezzanine level of Grand Hyatt Singapore and is open daily from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. To place an order, kindly contact the shop at mezza9 on +65 6887 5492 or e-mail <a href="mailto:theshop.sg@hyatt.com">theshop.sg@hyatt.com</a><br />
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<b>Grand Hyatt Singapore</b><br />
10 Scotts Road<br />
Singapore 228211<br />
Tel: 6887 5492Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-58779392787968164252012-08-19T14:03:00.000+08:002012-09-11T13:01:58.404+08:00Mooncakes by Purple SageUnveiling Purple Sage's first ever Mid-Autumn project - Traditional Mooncakes of three. The number three because of its sacred significance of fertility and good luck. Three in Chinese, "san", is also similar to the word "birth" and "alive". Hence a beautiful gift of good fortune and great tastes.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7812982180/" title="IMG_0322 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0322" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7812982180_d071a92447.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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We are honored to be able to sample these 3 flavours. Lotus Paste with Double Yolk and Melon Seeds, Jade Custard, Low Sugar Black Sesame White Lotus with Single Yolk. Overall, I felt that the moon cakes lacked the fragrance except for the pandan fragrance which out shines the other 2 flavours. Further the lotus paste sticks to the teeth and could be improved. Nonetheless special mention must be made for the Jade Custard. The pairing of pandan and custard for moon cakes is quite good. I also like the design of wrapping the egg yolk with black sesame and in turn wrapped by lotus paste.<br />
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To place an order with Purple Sage, you may download the order form via the URL <a href="http://www.purplesage.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Mooncake-Sales-Kit.pdf">here</a>.<br />
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Special Thanks to Min Ru for the opportunity to sample these moon cakes.SLYuanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17635542756162645354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-49654322612558020422012-08-05T22:14:00.000+08:002012-08-05T22:14:22.690+08:00Charlotte Grace Cupcakes<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7717038764/" title="IMG_0036 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0036" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7717038764_162648093c.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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After reading the article on the Sunday Times, we decided to try the Charlotte Grace Cakeshop located in the heartlands of Toa Payoh. We bought the Double chocolate and Cookies and Cream. What's different from the rest is the chocolate cream topping rather than icing sugar or cream cheese. Further to the delight of chocolate fans, molten chocolate awaits you as you bite the cake. Overall, it is somewhat similar to eating chocolate cream cake rather than the typical cupcake. Hence this may appeal to those who dislike cupcakes for the icing sugar.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7717069558/" title="IMG_0056 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0056" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7717069558_c885fe8882.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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<strong>Charlotte Grace Cakeshop</strong><br />
Blk 85c Lorong 4 Toa Payoh #01-376<br />
Opening hrs 10am-10pm
closed on SundaysFenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-64921882404028158012012-07-29T11:45:00.002+08:002012-08-31T09:05:56.829+08:00Mandarin Orchard Singapore's Mooncakes 2012Enjoy this Mid-Autumn Festival with a selection of exquisite mooncakes from award- winning Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant of the Mandarin Orchard, one of the last remaining hotels in Singapore that still lovingly handcrafts all its mooncakes - from making the dough to wrapping the filling and baking these traditional pastries.<br />
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Mandarin Court's baked mooncakes left an <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/mooncake-galore-2011.html">impression</a> among the mooncakes we tried <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/search/label/*%20Mooncake">last year</a> and we are sure glad that the <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2011/08/mandarin-orchard-singapores-mooncakes.html">Baked Mooncake with Mixed Nuts and Jamón Ibérico</a> made a comeback for this is a chockfull of crunchy goodness. Well-marbled and infused with a rich nutty flavor. For those who love to do wine pairing, this mooncake tastes better when eaten together with a nice bottle of Port wine.<br />
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Baked Mooncake with Macadamia Nuts and Low Sugar White Lotus Paste continues to impress for the not-so-sweet lotus paste which does not stick to your teeth.<br />
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Mandarin Orchard adopts a red and black theme for their packaging and instead of the regular magnetic design, the box is opened from the top and secured with an elastic band tied to a colorful paperweight with the hotel's logo. The hotel designs their mooncake boxes in such a way there there is something small to keep with the hotel's logo. It was a magnet last year and this year is a paperweight.<br />
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This is the first time we tried the hotel's Baked Mooncake with Double Yolk and White Lotus Paste and we were surprised that the moon cake is not as moist compared to other double yolk mooncakes which we tried. Overall, Macademia Nut remains our all time favorite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7629700700/" title="Untitled by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7629700700_5357b4c350.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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For snowskin lovers, the hotel, this year, brings along some refreshing flavors such as the Raspberry and Citrus with cheese. Based on their press release, the Mini Snow Skin Raspberry will get health junkies to indulge without much addition to their waistlines while the Mini Snow Skin Cheese with Citrus will attract cheesecake lovers and dessert connoisseurs. Other flavors includes Mini Snow Skin Green Tea with Melon Seeds and Mini Snow Skin Lychee Martini which are back by popular demand.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7666178352/" title="Screen Shot 2012-07-29 at 11.52.18 AM by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Screen Shot 2012-07-29 at 11.52.18 AM" height="279" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7666178352_48885999e7.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Mooncakes are available for sale at Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant, Level 35, Orchard Wing and Deli Counter, hotel entrance, Level 1, from 10 August to 30 September 2012.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7897437500/" title="Mandarin Orchard Mooncake Order Form 2012 by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Mandarin Orchard Mooncake Order Form 2012" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7897437500_50b8e88d8d.jpg" width="250" /></a></center>
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Special Thanks to Ms Ruth Soh, Director of Marketing Communications and Ms Crystal Lim, Assistant Manager of Marketing Communications for the opportunity to sample this year's moon cake before its release.
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<b>Mandarin Orchard Singapore, by Meritus</b><br />
333 Orchard Road <br />
Singapore 238867<br />
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For orders or enquiries, please call 6831 6320/6262 or email
<a href="mailto:mandarincourt.orchard@meritushotels.com">mandarincourt.orchard@meritushotels.com</a>.Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946609646703803527.post-82060855619265624842012-07-22T00:06:00.000+08:002012-07-22T00:10:22.724+08:00Smoulder - Softcore BakersAs mentioned in our previous <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2012/07/swirls-bake-shop.html">post</a>, there are two establishments we would like to introduce if you like small, dainty desserts which is getting popular these days as wedding favors and gifts for birthdays and baby showers. The second invitation we have received is located at Raffles Place (former China Square Food Court) and lava cake lovers would love to check this place out.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7615507794/" title="Smoulder by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Smoulder" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7615507794_fc334ac662.jpg" width="333" /></a></center><br />
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Set up by three guys with a common passion, to provide lava cakes at an affordable price, smaller serving portion to stir cravings for one and convenience for take-aways.<br />
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In general, lava cakes have always been something that needed to be dined in and often at a decent restaurant or patisserie. Having been in London for quite a while, the trio has an inspiration to set up a take-away outlet for lava cakes with various flavors and this dream comes true as Smoulder this year in May.<br />
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Through their experience in baking, they felt that lava cakes provide more satisfaction for its intense flavor as it contains significantly lower amount of flour, butter and sugar when compared to traditional cakes. They also felt that the "molten-ness" at the centre of the cake amplifies the intensity of the flavor they want to bring out in each and every of their lava cake.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7615504432/" title="Bite-sized lava cakes by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Bite-sized lava cakes" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7615504432_efafa1662f.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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Inspired by the various pairing of chocolates in existing chocolate products such as matcha and mocha in frappuccino, fruity flavors in chocolate bars and liquor ice-cream, Smoulder brings about 9 flavors and instead of merely changing the ganache in the core of their lava cakes, Smoulder decides to underbake their cakes to ensure that the flavors is the same throughout the entire lava cake.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603259338/" title="Intense Dark Chocolate by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Intense Dark Chocolate" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/7603259338_70bced83f1.jpg" width="375" /></a></center><br />
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Apart from the various flavor they have come up with, we also have to give it to them to strike a balance between the ratio of molten content versus the cake content of each cake. As what one of their partners, Peida has pointed out, if the cake is too "molten", the cake is not structurally stable. On the other hand, if there is too much cake, then it will not have an oozing out effect.</div>
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We have tried their lava cakes on 3 different occasions and as what their shop aims to achieve, all the lava cakes we had so far has an oozing lava core and we thought that it is impressive given that the cakes are already ready for take-away and not bake a-la-minute.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603260736/" title="Intense Dark Chocolate & White Chocolate Lemon by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="Intense Dark Chocolate & White Chocolate Lemon" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7603260736_1f50c9d42f.jpg" width="333" /></a></center><br />
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However, before we start to rave about it, we cannot deny the fact that we find it pricey as we needed at least 2-3 lava cakes to satisfy our cravings and that it is a take-away outlet with no dine in (Do note that "take-away" is the concept of Smoulder). Each lava cake costs $3.90, served in a cute brown box with an option of eating it with a mini scoop of ice-cream. </div>
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Although their aim is to provide lava cakes with the same intensity as chocolate bonbons, what caught our attention were in fact the white chocolate ones. With chocolate players such as <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2008/09/chocolate-souffl-at-max-brenner.html">Max Brenner</a>, <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/02/laurent-bernard-chocolatier-pier.html">Laurent Bernard Chocolatier</a>, <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2010/03/jewels-artisan-chocolate.html">Jewels Artisan Chocolate</a> and even <a href="http://www.sgdessert.com/2009/01/giving-you-more-reasons-to-go-bakerzin.html">Bakerzin</a>, all selling chocolate lava cakes, we are definitely picky when it comes to chocolate lava cakes and in this case, we find it too small to our liking and the endorphins kick is not intense. Although the Intense Dark Chocolate is described to have 70% cocao content and that Barry Callebaut Belgian chocolate is used in their chocolate lava cakes, we personally felt that the overall and aftertaste is closer to it being bitterish unlike the fruity aftertaste we often fancy from Valrhona's Manjari and Caraibe. In addition, we prefer to savor our chocolates slowly which a take-away outlet fails to provide.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603217882/" title="White Chocolate Lava Cakes by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="White Chocolate Lava Cakes" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7603217882_d6bae280b6.jpg" width="375" /></a></center><br />
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But don't get us wrong. We do like Smoulder and here is their niche. Their non-chocolate flavors blown us away that we made a second trip back within the same week, buying more lava cakes back home to share with our family. Our family members gave a thumbs up to the non-chocolate flavors, in particular the White Chocolate Matcha, White Chocolate Pistachio and White Chocolate Raspberry. In general, they find the flavors novel for lava cakes and it not being overly sweet and cloying.</div>
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For those who love green tea latte or matcha-flavoured shakes, White Chocolate Matcha will be something not to missed. The rich creamy molten core makes it akin to eating Matcha Kit Kat or Matcha ice-cream.</div>
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Although lemon and raspberries are often described to be sour, the pairing of white chocolate with these fruits gives a light tanginess, making it refreshing and light on the palette.</div>
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One of their bestsellers, the White Chocolate Pistachio, caught our attention for the intense nutty flavor and one is definitely not enough.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603218338/" title="White Chocolate Matcha and White Chocolate Raspberry by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="White Chocolate Matcha and White Chocolate Raspberry" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7603218338_5bcddc2131.jpg" width="375" /></a></center><br />
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The distinctive 3 layers are more prominent when consumed at the shop itself. When brought home without warming up, the overall taste focus on the molten core, providing an intense, smooth texture on the palette with a thin layer of the moist cake but lacks the crisp exterior. Anyway, the boxes and their <a href="http://www.smoulder.it/#/reheating">website</a> have instructions to ensure that the quality of the lava cakes are as good as them being consumed on the spot. </div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603217248/" title="9 piece box set ($29.90) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="9 piece box set ($29.90)" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7603217248_405e07ff61.jpg" width="375" /></a></center><br />
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Last but not least, these lava cakes are available in box of 3 pieces and 9 pieces (priced at $10.90 and $29.90 respectively) which we find it just right to be presented as gifts.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fenf3n/7603216736/" title="3 piece box set ($10.90) by Fenf3n, on Flickr"><img alt="3 piece box set ($10.90)" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7603216736_4eb5c77eb4.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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Many thanks to Peida for the invitation and the warm hospitality.<br />
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Smoulder - Softcore Bakers </b> </div>
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51 Telok Ayer Street </div>
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#01-04 </div>
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Singapore 048441
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Tel: 6225 6422 </div>
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<b>Operating hours:</b></div>
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8am to 8pm on weekdays </div>
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11am to 3pm on Saturday </div>
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Website
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</div>Fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10610835135054460909noreply@blogger.com0