I have openly declared my love for Song Zhou black carrot cake at Bedok Interchange. Yesterday, while we were at Redhill, we tried the mickey mouse carrot cake which is very good too!

Why mickey mouse carrot cake? Because the stall’s signboard has mickey mouse character! I ate it once when a few years back and totally forgot about it till today. So last evening, while waiting for another friend, we ordered a plate of black carrot cake to share.

Unlike Song Zhou Carrot Cake where the carrot cake is chopped into very small pieces, Fu Ming’s version has bigger pieces which allows us to taste the soft texture of the cake and the flavour of the radishes. I love those big egg pieces and the sweetness from the black sweet sauce. Apparently they add the sweet sauce twice.

After our quick meal, we walked past the stall and saw that the stall is steaming their own carrot cake. It is so rare nowadays because majority of the hawkers will simply order from factories. We ordered a $3 plate, which in in my opinion, has a smaller portion than what I expected. Nevertheless, I will come back for a plate of carrot cake when I am in Redhill.

Fu Ming Carrot Cake
Address: Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane #01-49
Tel: 64758653
Opening hours: Mon to Sat 3pm-1am, Sun 6am-1am

“Food Republic Hawker Kings” is an initiative to motivate existing food operators within the Food Republic chain to enhance their offerings to the patrons. It started last year and we have crowned 109 Teochew Yong Tau Foo (Food Republic @ Suntec City), 3rd Generation Laksa & Prawn Mee (Food Republic @ NEX) and Padang Padang (Food Opera @ ION Orchard) as the kings of Hawker 2012. This year, I am very honoured to be part of their judging team again!

How this works is, the public can vote for your favourite hawker in May and propel them to the top 10 list! Following that, we went through a taste test together with Marcus Yeo from Zao Bao, on-air host Anna Lim and Chef Pung Lu Tin. The dishes were scored based on taste (40%), quality (30%), presentation (20%) and service (10%).

The top 10 finalists for Food Republic Hawker King 2013 is: Guan Chee Roasted Meat (NEX), Odeon Beef Noodles (Wisma), Koh Grill & Sushi Bar (Wisma), Fortunate Restaurant (Parkway Parade), Old Days Minced Pork Noodles (St James), Thye Hong Fried Hokkien Mee (Vivocity), Lixin Teochew Fishball Noodle (Food Opera), Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (I12 Katong), Cho Kee Wanton Noodles (I12 Katong), Fragrant Hot Pot (313@somerset). Apologise for the photo quality, I was using an iPhone.

The 3 winners are: Koh Grill & Sushi Bar (Wisma), Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (I12 Katong), Fragrant Hot Pot (313@somerset).

We really really love Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice for its succulent roasted chicken rice. Its flagship store is in thomson road, opposite the Novena Church but has now moved to United. If that is too far, you can have your chicken rice fix at I12 Katong’s Food Republic. Here, the rice is cooked just nice to give you a delicious meal and its chilli sauce complements the meal perfectly to give you the best chicken rice you can ever ask for.

Fragrant Hot Pot is also our hot favourite because its Mala sauce which is made from over 20 different herbs and spices and cooked overnight to infuse all the flavours. We felt like a mini buffet where we can choose a variety of meats, vegetables, seafood and other ingredients, and the chefs will stir fry the ingredients together. The hot chilli peppers in the sauce give an extra kick but the recipe has been tweaked to suit the local tastebuds, toning down the ‘numbing effect’ one would normally find in a spicy Mala sauce.

Last but not least, Koh Grill & Sushi is a small Japanese eatery in Wisma Atria Food Republic that serves pretty good Japanese Food at very reasonable prices. We had the Shiok Maki made up of avocado, unagi and aburi salmon, drenched with cheese sauce that is a mixture of mayo and mentai, and completed with a generous topping of tobiko.

It was definitely a enriching experience! Thank you Food Republic and congratulations to all the Hawker Kings!

I have two aunties – one long hair, one short hair. The short hair aunty is an active member in Women Executive Committee at community centre, where they plan activites and programmes to build strong bonds among women. Every month, the committee members will gather for meeting and each of them have to bring some food to share. So ever since I got an oven last year, my aunty has been constantly asking me to bake some cupcakes for their meeting.

This is a good exposure for me because she usually needs about 20 cupcakes so it really test my skills and time management. But things are not that rosy sometimes, especially when the cupcakes I baked are not of a liking for the aunty. Or, when I try to disobey her instructions and tried baking a big cake for her instead of 20 cupcakes, we usually end up in an unhappy situation.

A few days back, Aunty requested me to bake cupcakes again. So I baked the most common and well liked flavour – pandan coconut cupcakes! The pandan plant outside my house is going botak very soon and I reckoned that I would need much more this time. So I took short cut here by using the pandan paste instead. I really salute my grandpa because he is seriously very good at portioning the batter into the muffin plate using the ice cream scoop. If it was me, I would have dirtied the whole muffin plate already.

RECIPE – PANDAN COCONUT CUPCAKES
Adapted from In Love with Cakes, by Alan Ooi

INGREDIENTS A (makes 12)
200g plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

INGREDIENTS B
4 eggs
180g caster sugar
100g corn oil
50g desiccated coconut
1/2 tbsp pandan paste
1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar

FROSTING
300g unsalted butter
180g icing sugar
1/2 tsp pandan paste

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius.

2. Blend A in a mixing bowl till well combined. Add in B and mix well.

3. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes till cooked.

4. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy. Add in pandan paste and mix well.

5. Fit piping bag, spoon in frosting and pipe on top of cupcakes. Sprinkle some desiccated coconut over cupcakes. Enjoy!

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Since I am at the topic of cupcakes, I wanna show you guys my cupcake nails which I did a few days back. I was introduced to PRETTIFY ME at Concorde Hotel & Shopping Mall so I requested to do some food art on my nails. My manicurist, Joan, fulfilled by dream by giving me little 3D cupcakes on my nails. She is very talented! I am so so so happy with my nails and I feel like eating them!

It is so difficult to take my own nails, I think I do better at taking food photos. But the more I look at my cupcake nails, the more I love it and can’t help but to take more shots of them. If I can eat them, I will probably start with the macarons, then move on to the one with chocolate cream on top. Slurps!!!

They are having promotion now from 5 Nov to 4 Dec 2013! Gelish manicure with nail art for $70* with classic pedicure for $30. Promotion is applicable only from Mon to Wed 11am to 4pm. *Terms & Conditions applies*

Prettify Me
Concorde Hotel & Shopping Mall #02-64
Tel: 6735 7728

New executive chef Melvin Lim has launched a new a ala carte menu at Flavours at Zhongshan Park in Ramada Singapore, bringing diners a bigger selection of Straits Chinese delights. It’s my first time here in the restaurant and I am pleasantly surprised by the combination of Peranakan dishes that the restaurant offers, while maintaining a carefully selected mix of international and western favourites.

Our meal starts off promisingly with Nonya Pork Salad ($12.90) and Kerabu Green Mango Salad ($13.90). The former uses slow cooked pork belly tossed with crispy shallots and sambal belachan; while the latter has thin shreds of green mango and crab meat tossed with tamarind sauce and served with dried shrimp sambal on the side. The tangy tamarind sauce refreshes your taste buds whilst the dried shrimp sambal adds a little spice to the dish, making this full flavoured started a must-have to begin your Straits Chinese dinner with.

Clear Oriental Oxtail Soup ($13.90) is infused with herbs and spices. Note that the photo above is a tasting portion. Their original portion has got oxtail in it. Not too greasy, it warms up the tummy instantly.

The Braised Beef Cheek Rendang ($24.90) is perfect. The fork tender beef cheek is first sous vide to retain its flavours and then simmered in a homemade spice paste with lemongrass infusion. It is best to eat with rice.

Competing for rice space is the Ayam Buah Keluak ($19.90) which has a distinctive and complex flavour. Unfortunately, the chicken meat I had that day was tough and did not absorb the flavours well.

Tamarind Prawns ($22.90) uses fresh prawns cooked in tamarind gravy with pineapple and ginger bud. The tamarind gives the prawns a subtle sourness, which gives a tangy and bold coat.

Slipper lobster with chilli ($25.90) is one of the signatures of the restaurant. Resembling our local chilli crab, the succulent slipper lobster is stir-fried in a thick, savoury paste of tomatoes and chilli served with deep fried mantou. Not spicy at all, which is good for people who cannot handle chilli well. And the price we are paying, it is pretty worth it.

For the dessert lovers, Chef Melvin has created the Pandan Tiramisu ($12.90). By infusing mascarpone with home made pandan essence, the resulting dessert wafts with aromas of pandan leaves and gula melaka that is smooth, rich and yet light on the palate.

In order to maintain the freshness of the pandan essence, only 15 portions of the Pandan Tiramisu are available each day. Other desserts include the crowd favourite Durian Pengat ($10.90), Sago Gula Melaka ($10.90) and Dark & White Chocolate Mousse with Cherry ($13.90).

The durian pengat here is very smooth, with hand-peeled durians blended and mixed with gula melaka and pandan jelly. The dessert is chilled for at least 4 hours to ensure a light and moist texture. It’s rich, flavourful and but I prefer to have some fibres of that of the durian in it!

Dinner at Flavours at Zhongshan Park is an enjoyable one. The space here is huge with a contemporary setting, so you can have business meals here or a casual meetup with friends.

Flavours at Zhongshan Park
Address: Level 1, Ramada Singapore, 16 Ah Hood Road
Tel: 6808 6846

Japan’s cuisine is deeply linked to Nature – to the land, sea and seasons. Four distinct seasons and a diverse landscape foster an amazing variety and abundance of food.

IKYU Japanese Restaurant is having a Gourmet Traveller Menu from 13 to 30 November 2013, featuring best of 15 Japanese prefectures in one meal. Located in hip, fashionable Tiong Bahru and opened in August last year, IKYU – Japanese for “take a break” – has an edgy, coolly-lit interior and offers “contemporary Japanese cuisine with a touch of discovery.”

For this unique promotion, Chef Seki has selected ingredients from 15 prefectures across the entire geographical extent of Japan, from the North Island Prefecture of Hokkaido, to the South Island Prefecture of Kagoshima, to the outermost South- West Prefecture of Okinawa. Each ingredient represents the finest of its kind, a product of the best – the most famous – provenance.

Food is closely tied to season as well. Winter – from November to February — is when many ingredients take on an added richness, depth and intensity. The Japanese refer to food in season as shun — when it is at its best; when there is no better time to eat it. Chef Seki picks products that are not only the best in each prefecture — but the best in Japan.

The menu of 8 courses in omakase presentation engages all five senses in culinary and aesthetic enjoyment. Seafood plays a starring role. Among the three chinmi, or appetizers, is ankimo, the liver of deep-sea monkfish. Ankimo is foie gras-like: rich and buttery in flavor and texture. And it is famously at its biggest and best in winter in the waters off Ibaraki Prefecture.

Another chinmi is mentaiko or marinated cod roe. Do you know, mentaiko originated from Korea! It became popular in Japan after World War Two and mentaiko is first introduced in Fukuoka, where it remains, until today, unsurpassed in quality. It is mixed with Japanese mayo, gives a good crunch and is slightly spicy.

As for the white colour appetizer that looks like octopus, well… I am contemplating if I should tell you. I remembered during one of the workshops I conducted, someone from the audience asked if there are things I don’t eat. My reply was, as long as you are a food writer, you have to eat everything. And that includes…. Hokkaido Shirako, which is cod fish sperm. I think if I wasn’t told that it is cod fish sperm, I would innocently thought it was another unique kind of sashimi. I stared at my small plate of Shirako for a while, took a deep breath, carefully picked it up using my chopsticks and sending it into my mouth. I chewed a few times and swallowed. No, it doesn’t take anything similar to cod fish. It is soft and mushy, quite tasteless on its own, the ponzu dip makes it more tasty.

The following sashimi course of Kagoshima blue fin tuna and buri (five-ray yellow tail) from Chiba Prefecture, pairing it with Koshu White Wine. It is accompanied by freshly grated wasabi from Shizuoka — where the root was first used and enjoyed as a condiment — and umi budo, a seaweed native to the warm waters of sub-tropical Okinawa.

Umi budo is known as sea grape or green caviar. Its strings of tiny green pearls pop in the mouth like caviar, making it beautifully redolent of the sea. It is also high in minerals and low in calories. I didn’t finish it initially but Chef Alvin insists me to eat it as it is good for the skin! Haha!

In the Gourmet Traveller menu, they will also be serving steamed echizen snow crab from Fukui Prefecture. Unfortunately, on the day we went, it was not available so we had king crab instead. Pairing with Junmai, the crab meat is plump and sweet. I am sure it will taste much better with snow crabs.

The yakimono (robata grill) course offers the diner a choice of two meats of connoisseur’s renown – Miyazaki Champion Beef and Kagoshima Kurobuta Pork. Either of the dishes can be paired with Dai Ginjo, which is a very fragrant sake.

This is the highlight of my dinner. Miyazaki Champion Beef is an exclusive fixture on IKYU’s menu. It is considered the finest beef in Japan, having won multiple national competitions including the National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu (Zenkoku Wagyu Noryoku Kyoshinkai) known as the “Wagyu Olympics”, for which it was unprecedented twice-consecutive winner. Using A5 meat, it has a lovely marbling that delivers a distinctive rich and tender flavor. The dressing for the beef is made from the famous yuzu, or Japanese citron, that grows in Kouchi Prefecture. Kouchi yuzu is much prized for its zesty yet delicate aroma and flavor.

The other grilled option, Kagoshima Kurobuta Pork, is a superior 400-yearold pig breed that is the pride of Kagoshima Prefecture. It is partnered with seasonal vegetables such as carrot and radish, for which Kyoto is famed.

As for the agemono (deep-fried) course, this time off snowy and northerly Hokkaido — Panko oysters at their fat, creamy, seasonal best. Pairing with it is chef’s homemade tartar sauce which is made with boiled eggs, onions, mayo, mustard and some yuzu sauce. Chef has kindly given me the recipe for the tartar sauce, can’t wait to make it and share with you guys!

Finally, we have reached the main course. Seriously, I am already quite full by now! So we had Kaisen Chirashi Don with Toyama shiro ebi (white shrimps), Hokkaido uni (sea urchin), Ikura (salmon roe), and Kagoshima Maguro (tuna). Chef Seki only uses Niigata “Uonuma” Koshihikari, the highest grade of rice in Japan, commonly referred to as the ‘jewel’ rice. It is paired with the most expensive grade of sake, called junmai dai ginjo, and with miwa somen from Nara Prefecture.

Miwa somen are string-like wheat noodles that have been produced for more than 1200 years in the Miwa area (present-day Sakurai City). At no more than 1mm thick, miwa somen is credited as being ‘the thinnest noodles in the world’. The noodles is served hot, in soup.

Last but not least, a plate of rice ice cream and seasonal fruits to end the meal. The ice cream is made from the highest grade of rice in Japan: Koshihikari rice from Niigata Prefecture, known as ‘jewel’ rice. Freshly cooked, this rice is resilient and fragrant with a fragile sweetness; as ice cream, it is delicate, subtle and refreshing. he dessert was paired with a fruit sake that was delightfully sweet and ending the dinner with Yamazaki Whiskey. Perfect!

Food here is sincere and uncomplicated. Love Chef Seki’s and Chef Alex’s sense of humor which made our dinner extremely enjoyable. IKYU’s Gourmet Traveller Menu runs from 13 to 30 November 2013. It is priced at $188, with a beverage pairing option available for an additional $98++. Served during lunch and dinner, call ahead to book as limited portions are reserved per day.

IKYU
Address: 5 Yong Siak Street
Tel: 6223 9003
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 11.30 am – 2.30 pm; 5.30 pm – 10.30 pm. Closed on Mondays

With the head chef formerly of Mandarin Gallery’s Thai Thai restaurant, Royal Thai serves up good quality and authentic Thai food. Owned by a husband and wife team, together with a friend of 20 years, they decided to open a Thai restaurant with an insistence to stay as authentic as much as possible. They even have a plot of land nearby the restaurant where they plant our own thai herbs and spices too.

Located off Bukit Timah Rd and right at the end of the Fairways, Royal Thai is certainly out of the way. But it really feels good to be a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoying my Thai food. Feast on Thai favourites such as Thai Prawn Cakes ($14/4pcs), Papaya Salad with Dry Shrimps ($12), Tom Yum Seafood ($19) and Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables with Garlic ($15).

The papaya salad is as good as those I’ve eaten in Thailand. The dressing of lime juice, sugar and fish sauce is heavily spiked with chilli padi, which is pounded lightly with shredded green papaya to release the juices and better soak in the flavours. There’s good texture and a step of crunch in each bite, followed with flows of fruity sweetness, the savoury flavour from the sauce and then the spice from the chilli. It is sweet, sour, fresh green and spicy in one mouthful.

Tops on the chilli chart for me is the tom yum seafood. Unlike the tom yam soups I have tried in many places which are usuallly quite diluted, the tom yam soup here is very flavourful with fresh servings of seafood, and authentically spicy. This is my favourite for the night.

The prawn cakes were also done to expectation with a firm and generous bite. Grilled Chicken served with Thai Chilli Sauce ($20) has a marvelous crispy skin and tender meat. Not forgetting the Green Curry Chicken ($17) which is a common find at Thai eateries, but this version takes you back to Thailand immediately. A little sweet, creamy with the tender notes of savoury chicken and basil immersed all about. It goes perfectly with rice.

Phad Thai Noodles with Prawns ($20) had springy noodles and great texture and flavour. And the fragrance from Baked Honey Pork Ribs ($24) is distinctive, and the glimmering reddish brown colour, tantalizing.

Deep Fried Garoupa with Thai Chilli Sauce ($49, 800g to 900g) here does not disappoint.. The fish is fried till crispy skin and the tangy dressing wakens your mouth and add extra dimensions of flavour. Stir Fried Minced Chicken with Hot Basil Leaves ($20) brings a welcome change to the usual dishes with lime dressing.

The popular desserts here includes Thai Red Ruby ($8), Sweet Tapioca Served with Coconut Milk ($7) and Mango Sticky Rice served with Coconut Milk ($10).

Love the honey sweet mango that complemented with the chewy sticky rice. The flavours escalates with the sweet combination of mango, and topped with the sweet salty fragrance of coconut cream that harmonizes both ingredients together.

Thai Red Ruby is a rather light dessert. We wished it was sweeter. My favourite is the steamed tapioca. The tapioca is sooooo soft and sweet, topped with coconut cream, I think I can finish the whole plate myself.

Dining amidst nature makes me think that I am at a Thai Resort in Thailand! The food in Royal Thai is generally good and prices are reasonable. Also, a number of the dishes stay faithful to traditional Thai recipes. It is also great to know that Royal Thai do not have service charge and GST.

Royal Thai
Address: 60 Fairways Drive
Tel: 9235 9797
Opening hours: 11am to 10.30pm daily

Hello world! I am very happy to share with you today about my Samsung Smart Oven (MC32F606), kindly sponsored by the Samsung team. I have been thinking of getting a new oven and this came just in time. What’s more, this oven is very smart as it can identify the food’s surface temperature – whether frozen, chilled or fresh, and cook any dish at the appropriate temperature, eliminating over- or under-cooked meals.

I love its Slim Fry technology which prepares crisp meals without the use of additional oil! This is especially important for the ladies! And you can even make your own yoghurt using the oven! The Smart Oven combines a grill with warm air circulation to envelop foods, allowing them to become crispy inside out. As you continue reading, you will read about my fried drumstick which tastes soooo good without any additional oil!

Also, defrosting is made easier thanks to sensor technology that detects food surface, with control settings for “hard,” “mid” and “soft.” Additionally, the Smart Oven temperature control allows consumers to do everything from melting butter and ice cream to reheating baby milk with ease. This oven is so convenient; I can just prepare all my meals using this 32L box. The ceramic enamel surface allows grease and oil to be easily cleaned off. The coating also helps prevent bacteria and odour transfer, which means less time is needed for cleaning.

I have prepared a lunch for my family of 4 (including for myself) using just the Samsung Smart Oven. It is soooo easy and fast and my family love it. It is a 4 course lunch, and I shall end this blog post with a recipe of my pretty SUSHI CAKE, so please read till the end!

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I didn’t plan to make this dish. In fact, I simply wanted to bake some tomatoes with eggs on top of it. But, while I was shopping for ingredients, I couldn’t find fennel in supermarket. I wanted to add fennel into my salmon dish which you will see later in this post. And coincidentally I walked past the vegetable section in the supermarket and asparagus caught my eyes, so I decided to cook it with bacon and eggs! This seems to be a perfect Sunday brunch menu, isn’t it? In case you are afraid of breaking the egg, crack the egg into a cup first, and then pour it on the asparagus.

INGREDIENTS
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• 8 slices of bacon
• 6 pcs asparagus
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Some salt
• Some ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon parsley

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Using Samsung Smart Oven, press SMART COOK (code 2-3: bacon) and place bacon on the low rack. The cooking process is controlled by the sensor and it should take less than 5 mins. Alternatively, you can opt to grill the bacon for 8-9 minutes at 200 degrees.

STEP 2
After cooking the bacon, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towel and set them aside. Using the same pan (with the aroma from the oil of the bacon), add asparagus in a single layer. Sprinkle thyme and some ground black pepper on the asparagus. Grill for 8-10 minutes or until the asparagus are tender.

STEP 3
Return bacon to pan. Crack an egg without breaking its yolk and gently place it above the asparagus. Sprinkle some black pepper and parsley on egg. Carefully return the pan to oven and grill for another 5 mins or until whites are set and yolks are still runny. Serve.

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Seriously, I am so happy that I found this recipe on Eating Well website because this is one of the best recipes I have ever tried for chicken wings. I just have to marinate the wings long enough, coat with batter and off it goes into the oven. NO OIL IS USED. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk to keep it juicy. I like my wings slightly burnt as in the photo, so as to have the smoky flavour. So so so crunchy and flavourful!

Once it’s in the oven, the aroma of the wings permeated the entire kitchen. Aunty and I were literally walking around the whole kitchen exclaiming “很香 HOR” to each other and waiting impatiently for the wings to be ready so that we can savour it. This, I think I can confidently call it food perfume – its intense fragrance that perks up our Monday blues.

INGREDIENTS
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• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 pcs drumsticks
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Some ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Mix buttermilk, mustard and garlic in a bowl. Add drumsticks and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours (best to do it overnight).

STEP 2
Mix flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in another bowl. Place one drumstick at a time onto the pan and coat generously with the batter. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the pan.

STEP 3
Using Samsung Smart Oven, press SLIM FRY (code 8: drumsticks) and adjust the knob according to the serving size of your drumsticks. Put them on a high rack and press start. The oven will automatically detect the cooking time based on your serving size. In my case, it is about 20 mins. Once you hear the beep sound, turn over the drumsticks and continue cooking. Serve.

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Initially, I wanted to do herbal chicken wrapped in aluminium foil. But I gathered that there will be too many dishes using chicken, so I did a salmon one instead. I love having my food cooked in a foil bag because the flavours are beautifully intense. Plus the white wine makes everything perfect!

INGREDIENTS
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• 250g salmon fillet (can also use haddock or halibut)
• 1 potato
• 1 asparagus
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Some olive oil
• Some salt
• Some ground black pepper
• 1 splash white wine

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Sprinkle salt, olive oil, ground black pepper into salmon and marinate for 20 mins.

STEP 2
Using Samsung Smart Oven, press SMART COOK (code 2-2: potatoes) and place potatoes on the low rack. The cooking process is controlled the sensor and it took less than 5 mins. Alternatively, you can cook it in hot water till it turns soft.

STEP 3
Place all the ingredients together in an aluminium foil. Pour in the wine and seal the aluminium foil. Using Samsung Smart Oven, press SMART COOK (code 2-4: salmon) and place salmon on the low rack. The cooking process is controlled the sensor and it should take about 5 mins. Alternatively, you can bake for 20 mins. Once cooked, place the bag on the serving plate and open to release the steam. Serve.

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I was craving for brownies one night and we decided to bake it. When we offered my brownies to Tony Uncle, who is supposed to be a chocolate fan, he took it home and didn’t touch it. Aunty wondered why and his reason was, he likes chocolates but not brownies because he didn’t find them tasty. So Aunty grabbed a slice herself and just offered a mouthful to Tony Uncle out of kind gesture. Guess what happens next? He took a slice himself and finished it. He loves it! This brownie is rich and dense, studded with chocolate flakes for extra decadence.

INGREDIENTS
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• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 340g chocolate chips
• Some chocolate flakes for garnishing (optional)

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Preheat the Samsung Smart Oven to 180 degree celsius. Line a 9 inch pan with aluminium foil. Cream butter, slowly add in sugar, eggs and vanilla essence.

STEP 2
In another bowl, add in flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and stir until combined. Fold into the wet ingredients and stir in half of the chocolate chips. Spread the mixture in a pan.

STEP 3
Bake for 35 minuts or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate chips melt. Spread the chips evenly over the surface of the brownies with a spatula. Let it cool for 30 minutes before garnishing it with chocolate flakes.

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My blog post should end by now but I really wanted to share with you my latest creation using the Samsung Smart Oven. And that is, I BAKED A SUSHI CAKE!

On Tuesday, I got a request from Chiew Mei, asking if I could bake a sushi cake by Thursday morning for Celine’s birthday. I was like, what is a sushi cake?!?! I am only an amateur baker and this is totally mission impossible for me. Chiew Mei gave me the confidence and provided a tutorial by Shrimp Salad Circus to help me with it. After brainstorming, I accepted the challenge and baked a pandan kaya cake, decorated to look like a huge sushi.

There were many hiccups along the way and we only finished decorating 3/4 of it by Wednesday midnight. First, my pandan kaya was burnt the first round, so I had to redo it again. Then, I overwhipped my whipping cream and it curdled. I failed three freaking times and it was already 10pm on a Wednesday night. I was feeling very ganchiong and lousy. So I decided to change to a cream cheese frosting and it turned out perfect. My biggest problem was the “salmon roe”. Seriously, it was so difficult to find a circular mould. I went to many places but can’t find a normal looking egg mould which will give the pretty round shape. In the end, I decided to just crack the eggs and pour my orange jelly into the egg shells. It was a bad move because the jelly was so soft and when I tried to break the shells, the jelly came off with the shells! So the “salmon roe” didn’t have a smooth round surface. Having said all that, I felt so happy, relieved and accomplished that we managed to do it. Thank you aunty who has been helping me the whole night, I am glad it turns out well.

During the entire process, baking the cake is the smoothest step. I simply have to mix the ingredients and send it into the oven to bake. And it’s ready by 20 mins! I have tried many ovens and many of them need me to turn the knob to a certain temperature and time. However, it is often not accurate because the gap between each line is too small. So I have to turn on my handphone’s alarm clock to remind me when the cake is ready. Sometimes it is really frustrating. I really like Samsung’s Smart Oven because I can just turn the knob and the temperature and time will be automatically recorded. So now, I present to you my PANDAN KAYA CAKE RECIPE.

For making Pandan Sponge Cake (9 inch)

INGREDIENTS A
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• 6 yolks
• 50g sugar
• 5 tablespoons corn oil
• 120g flour
• ¼ baking powder
• ¼ salt
• 60g coconut milk
• ¼ pandan paste

INGREDIENTS B
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• 6 egg whites
• 80g sugar
• 1/8 tsp sugar

INGREDIENTS C (PANDAN KAYA)
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• 100g sugar
• 375g coconut milk
• 200g water
• 30g hoon kueh powder (green bean powder)
• 38g custard powder
• 4g instant jelly
• 1/8 tsp pandan paste

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius. Beat egg yolks and sugar before combing the rest of Ingredients A. Mix till smooth.

STEP 2
In another dry bowl, whisk Ingredients B together till stiff. Fold Ingredients B into A. Pour the mixture into a pan and bake for 20-25 mins. When it is done, cool it on the rack.

STEP 3
Mix all the Ingredients C together and make sure all the powders are dissolved. Heat and stir the mixture. Keep stirring to prevent burning. When you see bubbles forming, stop the fire.

STEP 4
Cut the pandan sponge cake into half. Place one of the cake back into the pan. Pour the pandan kaya over it. Gently cover it with another layer of the cake. Chill it in the fridge for at least 3 hours before coating it with frosting.

For making light cream cheese frosting

INGREDIENTS
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• 80g cream cheese, softened
• 20g unsalted butter
• 200g icing sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Whisk the cream cheese till soft. Add in butter and mix well. Slowly add in icing sugar and whisk till the frosting become smooth.

Assembling the Sushi Cake

INGREDIENTS
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• A box of orange jelly powder
• 100g desiccated coconut
• Some pandan leaves, lightly blanched in hot water

DIRECTIONS
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STEP 1
Using an egg tray, make “salmon roe” using orange jelly powder. Follow the instructions on the box.

STEP 2
Frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting. Stick the softened pandan leaves around the sides.

STEP 3
Sprinkle desiccate coconut on the top (leave out the center part). Place the orange jelly in the middle. Decorate it with chopsticks. You can cut some kiwi and place it at the sides to resemble wasabi. Chill it in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

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The Samsung Smart Oven (MC32F606) is now available at $649 at major consumer electronics stores. For further information, please visit www.samsung.com/sg

From 11 to 24 November 2013, The Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant is presenting a splendid CHICKEN RICE FESTIVAL BUFFET. Available for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is offering its signature Hainanese Chicken Rice, Ayam Penyet, Chicken Devil’s Curry, Chicken Nasi Briyani and Ayam Cincalok, reflecting the unique characteristics of the diverse local ethnic cuisines in Singapore.

Known as the national dish of Singapore, Town Restaurant’s Signature Hainanese Chicken Rice is prided as the best chicken rice in town. Using the freshest chicken, the chef poached the chicken in hot water for 50 minutes before soaking it in ice water for another 20 minutes. The chicken is succulent, and the poached skin is smooth and not too fatty. When ready, it is served with fragrant rice that is cooked with pandan and lemongrass, and a piquant chilli and ginger sauce.

Another of my favourite in this Chicken Rice Festival Buffet spread is the Ayam Cincalok in Peranakan Style. The spring chicken is braised for 2 hours with cincalok (preserved spicy shrimp paste) and accompied with fragrant steamed jasmine rice, pineapple achar and crispy prawn crackers.

Ayama Penyet (Crispy Fried Chicken), a traditional Indonesian dish, is accompanied with a spicy sambal sauce made of chilli, tomatoes, onion, garlic, belacan, assam and lime juice. I wished the chilli sauce would have a more spicy kick.

Chicken Devil’s Curry is an Eurasian dish made with fresh chilli, blue ginger, lime juice, candlenut and mustard seed, cooked with chicken and bacon bone that tastes distintively spicy, tangy and gratifying.

And not forgetting Chicken Nasi Briyani, a popular Indian and Malay dish, served with Saffron Basmatic rice, instensed spice flavoured chicken, crispy papadum and mango pickles.

Since it is a buffet, you definitely will be eating more than the 5 chicken rice dishes lah! The restaurant has a good variety ranging from seafood on ice, sashimi, sushi to hot dishes, other asian delights like bak kut teh, desserts, fondue, ice kachang etc.

Town Restaurant’s Chicken Rice Festival buffet will take place from 11 to 24 November 2013, from 11.30am to 2.30pm for weekday (Monday to Friday) lunch, and from 6.30pm to 10.30pm for dinner from Sundays to Wednesdays at $53* per adult and $26* per child (6 to 11 years old).

In addition to the spread of Chicken Rice dishes, enjoy ocean fresh seafood every Thursday to Saturday at $69* per adult and $34* per child (6 to 11 years old), and an assortment of barbecued items including grilled lobsters at $89* per adult and $44* per child (6 to 11 years old).

Town Restaurant
Address: The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square
Tel: 6877 8128 or town@fullertonhotel.com

Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant is not a stranger to many of you. Up at the 9th floor of M Hotel, it had its glory days when the restaurant was voted Best Japanese Restaurant in 2009. In June this year, the restaurant underwent a change in management and since then, there has been many changes to the menu with introduction of many new dishes.

Executive Chef Thomas Kok prides his food on the use of fresh quality ingredients along with skillful technique and creative flair in executing his cooking. His passion for authentic Japanese cuisine started early at a tender age of 16 when he was merely an apprentice at Nantei, one of Singapore’s pioneering Japanese restaurants. Gifted for the art of Japanese cuisine, he was awarded Best Cook within his first 2 years in the industry. Chef Thomas’s talent and passion in Japanese cuisine has gathered him loyal regular customers.

We had the pleasure to enjoy the Hokkaido Kaiseki Course ($68) which has appetizers, sashimi, Hokkaido Ginkarei Shioyaki, Char-grill Ohmi, Signature Prawn and Hata Tempura, Bara Chirashi Sushi Bowl and Miso Soup.

Our seasonal appetizer includes pumpkin tofu, handmade noodles with foie gras and vegetables with sesame sauce. Its signature prawn and hata tempura uses wild prawns which has a lovely sweetness. The pleasure of tempura lies in its crispy texture and savory nature. The tempura here is airy and light.

Halibut is a versatile fish and can take on so many different flavors. Hokkaido Ginkarei Shioyaki is tender that goes wonderfully well with teriyaki sauce.

What we particularly like is the Char-Grill Ohmi – extremely tender and juicy and comes in small cubes. The beef is supple and tender and the cubes of fat have a slight crunch before they melt in the mouth. Don’t be fooled by its size – it may be small, but by the time you finish it, you would have satisfied your beef craving.

The boy absolutely loves the Bara Chirashi Sushi Bowl which has thick slices of salmon.

If you prefer sushi, you can take the Otoro Set ($68) where you will be served 6 pieces sushi (2 pcs otoro, 2 pcs otoro aburi, 2 pc tai). Fish is fresh and each piece generously covers the rice completely.

Tai Nyumen Mushi is basically wild snapper fish with fish noodles cooked in bonito broth. No MSG is used. The noodles are rather interesting, not the usual soft texture. It is rather crunchy.

The highlight of my lunch is non other than Ohmi Wagyu Don. Ohmi beef is one of the three most famous type of Japanese Wagyu (Ohmi, Kobe and Matsuzaka). It contains fine marbling between high quality fat and muscle, making the tenderness of the meat texture. When slightly grilled, the meat melts, giving a rich aroma and sweetness.

The Ohmi Wagyu Don has a perfect blend of ohmi beef on top of sushi rice. At Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant, they uses Hokkaido Rice, which is a better grade rice that is gaining in popularity. The rice is glossy, sticky and sweet, which pairs well with the beef. You can order a Ohmi Wagyu Don Set ($78) which is served with sashimi, ikura chawanmushi, pitan tofu, salad and miso soup.

And a bowl of green tea creme brulee to end the lunch.

Will I come back? Yes, definitely! Chef Thomas’s passion is demonstrated when he came to us almost every meal to explain the dishes. You can see how much I love their Ohmi Wagyu Don and the restaurant owners are coming up with more affordable bento sets without compromising on the quality. Their omakase dinner ranges from $68 to $108.

HOKKAIDO SUSHI RESTAURANT
Address: M Hotel Singapore Level 9, 81 Anson Road
Tel: 6500 6121
Opening hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6.30pm to 11.30pm

Joo Chiat is a foodies paradise with so many new and interesting eateries. But more and more bak kut teh stalls are also appearing. So one fine Sunday morning, Derrick, Kai and I went to try this new bak kut teh stall called “Wang Jia Shan Jiao Bak Kut Teh” (皇家山脚肉骨茶).

Teochew style bak kut teh is served here. Clear and peppery soup it is! Not very peppery lah, in my opinion. On the scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the least peppery, 5 being the most peppery. I would rate Ng Ah Sio as 5 (most peppery), Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha as 3, Wang Jia Shan Jiao Bak Kut Teh would be 2. The owner explained that they have toned down the pepper level after gating feedback from customers. Well, it is good to be listening to customers but I feel this bowl of bak kut teh will taste better if there is a stronger peppery kick. So they have Pork Ribs Soup ($5.50) and Prime Ribs Soup ($8.50) which came in a pair. You Tiao ($1) is also available for those that likes to dunk it into the hot piping soup.

And I love my bak kut teh with Pig Trotter ($5.50). Look at the thick collagen loaded skin. It is well braised, meat is tender and goes well with my white rice.

Besides the Pig Trotter, we also had Pork Belly ($5) which was packed with all the lovely flavours.

My favourite is the Teochew style Steamed Fish ($12-$18 each) where the fish steamed with tomatoes, salted plums, salted vegetables, chilli peppers, ginger and green onions, so the flavours are savoury, sour, spicy and altogether very appetising. We are rewarded with soft, succulent, smooth flakes of aromatic fish.

It is a tough competition for Wang Jia Shan Jiao Bak Kut Teh as there are another 2 Bak Kut Teh restaurants in the area. However, one plus point for them is, they are opened until the wee hours at 2am, which gives foodies more choices.

Wang Jia Shan Jiao Bak Kut Teh (皇家山脚肉骨茶)
Address: 169 Joo Chiat Road
Tel: 63488158
Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 10am – 2am, Closed on Mon

Nestled within the tranquil and historical old Turf Club stables, Roundhouse Pizza, Bar & Grill is the new Bukit Timah neighbourhood watering hole and family friendly restaurant. Owned by local celebrity Vernetta Lopez, and husband Wayne Gladwin, RoundHouse opened its doors for a soft launch on 22nd July (also Vernetta’s birthday!).

I love their new Seafood Bouillabaisse ($32) which is chock full of fresh seafood. The broth is fortified with lots of seafood shells such as halibut fillet, prawns, mussels, and flavored with saffron rouille.

We ordered one of their mains to share and the waiter recommended Whole Sea Bass ($34). It was delightful with succulent and smoky fish eaten together with aromatic orange barley risotto and grilled vegetables. Though the fish skin looked slightly too charred, but this dish is a wonderful and tasty mix of textures.

The 10 light crust pizza choices will please all palates. A signature pizza to try is the Loco Lopez ($24) which is specially created by Vernetta Lopez. The ultimate skinny pizza that holds steady under the weight of cheddar, capers, beef salami, jalapeno and chilli padi is SUPER SPICY BUT SHIOK. Its fresh and spicy flavours meld together as you bite into it.

They ran out of quite a few desserts that day so we settled for Apple Stew with Green Apple Sorbet ($12) which is refreshing granny smith apple with raisins and cinnamon.

They were quite busy on a Sunday night so service was a bit slow. Nevertheless, it is a great place for a relaxing meal or a casual drink to round off the day or while away the weekend. And there are plenty of space to keep the kids occupied.

RoundHouse is offering new brunch menu which is available on weekends and Public Holdays from 9am to 5pm, with European-Spanish inspired menu like Tuna Tartar ($20), Lamb Shank ($38), Pork Belly Cassoulet ($36) or Beef & Guinness Pie ($26), definitive dishes for a happy belly.

The restaurant also offers healthier option of Sunday Roast Buffet (available from 11am to 3pm) which includes premium angus roast rib eye with multiple servings of all the traditional trimmings – mashed/roast potato, mushroom ragou, cauliflower au gratin and Yorkshire pudding with lashings of gravy.

What is interesting is, the restaurant has i Quiz Night held every Wednesdays evening. Round up a team of 4-6 players and win $200 off your tab if you manage to outwit the other contestants.

RoundHouse – Pizza, Bar & Grill
Address: 100 Turf Club Road
Tel: 6466 0966
Opening Hours: Weekdays 5pm – 12MN; Weekends 12Noon – 12MN

It is getting harder to meet the girlfriends for dinner because we all have our own commitments. I called for a last minute KTV session during one of the public holidays and what I got was, as expected, rejections. So after one whole freaking month of liaising, we finally met. Nevertheless, I love meet ups with girlfriends because we always get to try something unique. This time round, we went to Kombi Rocks at Yio Chu Kang Road.

This is a vintage cafe that I have always wanted to visit. And I convinced the girls to have dinner there because we can see many vintage cars! LOL! Not the best bait I am sure, but I am glad we are here! Kombi Rocks took over an old school kopitiam-style restaurant called Koon Kee which started in 1971. Many of the future and posters have still continue the vintage feel – retro coffee tables, barber chairs, old clocks etc.

Because our other girlfriend was late, we spent some time taking photos with the vintage cars before the sky turned dark. If you are wondering, we actually went to this cafe 2 months ago, I slimmed down abit after that! Haha!

Besides doing the restaurant, they also allow rental of these vintage cars, be it for wedding or for events. Oh mine, these vintage cars are sooooo pretty! I hope I can do my wedding photoshoot with them! Vintage theme, maybe?

I didn’t have a look at the menu prior our dinner, so I thought we will be eating Fish & Chips or steak. Neither did I went to read the reviews and recommendations because I don’t want to be influenced by it. But I was pleasantly surprised by the Asian menu. Perfect, just what I prefer!

We started our dinner with Kombi Nation Platter ($30/4pax, $50/8pax) which came with handmade Thai fishcake, Handmade Prawn roll, pork ribs with lychee, Thai style vermicelli salad, crabmeat omelette. It kinda reminds me of the cold dishes we have in Chinese wedding banquet. These dishes are the popular appetizers from the menu. Love its prawn rolls for its tightly packed minced prawn and pork. And the pork ribs with lychee was pretty unique for its hint of fruity flavour from the sauce.

Haha, it does feel like I am having wedding dinner when our next course was servd – Signature Fishmaw & Crabmeat ($13). No sharks’ fins here, don’t worry.

Crispy Beancurd with Thai Dip and Ground Peanuts ($5/4 pcs, $8/8pcs) has nothing much to shout about except for its appetizing Thai dip.

Fish slices with ginger and onions ($15) is sauteed till fragrant and goes well with a bowl of white rice.

Signature Red Wine Fried Chicken ($15) is our favourite. Having red wine in fried chicken sure makes the dish sound luxurious, and it also makes the meat tender.

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts ($16) gave a sweet ending to the meal. They are made from scratch with vegetable oil. Moderate sweetness, wished the yam was more fragrant.

Prices here are pretty affordable and service is efficient. Very pretty vintage cafe, wished there are more such cafes in Singapore! Many of you recommended me to try their hor fun, looks like I must visit it again with my hor fun khakis! I used to be called “Hor Fun Mei” (河粉妹) during my secondary school days by a teacher because she always sees me queuing for hor fun in school canteen. LOL!

Friends for 14 years, since Secondary 1. How time flies. In the past, we used to be talking about projects, subjects or our crush on some guys in the school. But now when we meet, our topics are about husbands, housing, wedding. I think 10 years later when we meet, we will be talking about kids! Regardless, I love my girlfriends! They are people who still remain so true and never fail to give each other support when we needed.

Kombi Rocks
Address: 66 Yio Chu Kang Road
Tel: 6288 1206
Website: http://www.kombirocks.com

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Met a reader, Serene, last week who made me a little MISS TAM CHIAK TOY that looks like my logo head on my Facebook Page! SO CUTE RIGHT! She has just started Ponde & Donut, where she makes all the handcrafted dolls.

I asked her how long does she take to do my little toy? She said she did this everyday after work, for about a week! I am so so so impressed by it, and what’s more, she specially sewed a cupcake to the hands! Ok lah, I think my logo head has a bob hairstyle while the toy has a straighter cut. But I think it looks very much like my logo and I love it so much!

Serene’s dolls are very affordable and she ships internationally. Support local talents! Check out her website: https://www.facebook.com/pondeNdonut

Competition is heating up in Tampines Street 81 with another Thai eatery appearing just a few doors away from Soi Thai Kitchen. Bangrak Thai Kitchen, which opened its doors just a few months ago, offers traditional Thai dishes at HDB price, prepared by chefs from Thailand.

In Thailand, Bangrak is the district famous among Thais for its diverse local flavors. The area is a true melting pot, where you can find Thai delicacies from various regions and ethnicities. So how does Singapore’s version of Bangrak Thai Kitchen fare?

Our appetizers begin with Pandan Leaf Chicken ($5.90/2pc) which is highly recommended. Not bad, it has a sweet, unique flavor and the meat is moist and tender. The Red Curry Prawn ($11.90) was creamy and fragrant.

However, Thai Prawn Cake ($6.90) was lack lustre. The skin was thick while the prawn paste was not packed, which makes it unsatisfying.

Some dishes here is best to go with rice, such as the Stir Fried Chilli Basil with Chicken ($5.90) which has an aromatic basil fragrance. And Fried Squid with Salted Egg Squid ($16) which is an Asian inspired dish. The squids are generously coated with salted egg mixture which gave a burst of flavor and a delightful texture which contrasted well with crunchy squid texture.

I was expecting to have a fiery kick for the bowl of Clear Tom Yam Soup with Seafood ($7.90) but this was very mild. Good for people who can’t handle spice well but I really think they can be more generous with their spice because that is what Thai food is all about – spicy enough, sour enough!

The Phad Thai ($5.90) here is not bad, pretty decent with generous portion and good wok hei.

My favourite for that day was Steamed Fish with Spicy Lime Sauce ($22). Maybe because I was disappointed with the tom yam soup, when I first had a taste of the spicy lime sauce, I literally woke up. “WAH, THIS IS SHIOK!” That’s what I tell my dining partners. Spicy but super shiok. We have the whole fresh fish drenched with spicy lime sauce, definitely a highlight.

Tapioca with Coconut Cream ($7.90) gave us a sweet ending to the meal. The tapioca was soft and sweet.

Bangrak Thai Kitchen probably still needs to fine tune some of its dishes if they want to offer authentic Thai dishes. Service is also something that they have to look into. Nevertheless, it is a pretty decent meal to satisfy my Thai food craving.

Bangrak Thai Kitchen
Address: Blk 824 Tampines Street 81

Two weeks ago, I am honoured to be invited as one of the juding for SCS first exclusive baking event “Sweet Culinary Sensation” at Capella Hotel.

The afternoon started with Chef Sam demonstrating how to bake the beautifully delectable Fraisier cake that will win over any cake lover out there. What follows will then be an exciting ‘Bake-OFF’ amongst 5 pairs of participants who would have the daunting task of replicating the Fraisier Cake in just under 45 minutes.

Here’s a photo of us judges: Michelle Lim, Chief Creative Officer of Auric Pacific Group Ltd, JJ MeatMen, a popular food videographer blogger, and me!

Each team is given ready made sponge cake. What they have to do is, make their own pastry cream and decorate with the berries given, after the demonstration by Chef Sam. All the teams are judged mostly based on taste and presentation.

In the bake off, there are participants who are avid bakers and some of them are doing it for their first time. It is interesting to see how they allocate their time to whip the cream, cut strawberries and decorate them.

With the sponge cake being the constant, their pastry cream is the determining winning factor. After tasting all the five pastry cream, we can really taste the subtle difference each of them. Some are too bland, some too sweet, some did not mix well. In addition, there were groups who were very creative when it comes to cake presentation. One of the teams was carving rose design using strawberries!

This inaugural event is hosted by JiaHui of YES933. It will be aired by MediaCorp Channel 8. THANK YOU SCS for the invite! It was definitely a great experience!

Having delighted connoisseurs of Zhejiang cuisine a year ago, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake Chef Wang Yong returns to Jiang-Nan Chun November 21 to December 1, 2013. A menu of all-time favourites from the award-winning Jin Sha restaurant offers a breadth of dishes steeped in authentic flavours.

An appetiser combination whets the palate with sweet and savoury flavours that are the hallmarks of the cuisine. The platter showcases deep-fried grass carp in sweet soy, dried bamboo shoot, and hazelnut goose liver pâté served with spring onion pancake.

The grass carp is coated with an irresistible sauce which will have you licking your fingers and yearning for more. It is somewhat similar to wuxi spareribs, but replaced with fish. Hazelnut goose liver pâté served with spring onion pancake seems like a east-meet-west dish, and is a delightful combination.

Equally nourishing yet light on the palate, we had the beancurd broth with cod and wild vegetables. Don’t get turned off by the colour. The broth is an amazingly simple and tasty Chinese soup.

While the seafood selections are replete with deep-fried Mandarin fish with orange sauce, and sautéed river shrimps with green pepper in soy sauce, to name a few; the dish that is unanimously favoured is the sautéed river shrimps with “Long Jing” tea. The Mandarin fish is drenched with a slightly sour orange sauce, which is definitely something different from the usual.

There is also sautéed string beans and bamboo shoots with minced pork which is a staple dish.

My favourite is the Noodle Soup with Sliced Pork, Bamboo Shoots and Preserved Vegetables (Pian Er Chuan, 片儿川). Pian Er Chuan is popular Hangzhou noodle loved from century ago, one of Hangzhou people’s favorites. Chef Wang uses a fatter version of the wheat noodles which absorbs the flavours of the tasty soup. There is also refreshing taste of preserved vegetables and sliced bamboo shoots.

If you love the western version of creme brulee, how about trying the chinese version of Long Jing cream pudding. It is a fitting end to a memorable meal. “Authentic Flavours of Zhejiang Cuisine” promotion is available from November 21 to December 1, 2013.

Jiang Nan Chun
Address: 2F, Four Seasons Hotel, 190 Orchard Boulevard
Tel: 6831 7220

The Silk Road of China has a rich and colourful history spanning thousands of years from the Great Han Dynasty in the 2nd Century to the 19th Century. Reminiscing the rich and colourful history of the Silk Road, Silk Road Restaurant at Amara Singapore is proud to present the best of Chinese provincial cuisine.

I have been wanting to try Silk Road for the longest time and was finally here for lunch with some friends. Showcasing the best cuisines of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Liaoning and Beijing, the menu at Silk Road boasts of the culinary expertise and masterful skills of the specialty chefs from China.

Visually appealing cold appetisers that tease the palate and whet the appetite include Jelly Noodle in Sour & Spicy Bean ($8), Black Fungus with Garlic and Aged Vinegar ($8), Chinese Lettuce with Sesame Sauce ($8) and Garland Chrysanthemum (Tong Ho) tossed with Sesame Oil ($6). Served and presented in elegant dainty portions, the wonderful aroma of each dish beckons with the promise of gastronomic pleasure, and prepares the diner for more splendid things to come.

Signature Golden Pumpkin Soup ($30 per portion) is hearty and delicious, made velvety by the soft puree of pumpkin. However, I felt it was too expensive.

Shanghai Xiao Long Bao ($10) sees thickish skin with a slightly see-through texture after steaming. The broth that bursts into my mouth after the first bite.

Sichuan Minced Meat Dumpling ($10) is made with fresh pork is slow-boiled and flavoured with flecks of chilli oil, soya sauce, garlic and black Sichuan peppercorn.

This classic Sliced Fish with Sichuan Spicy Pepper Sauce ($28) has generous amount of dried chilli and Sichuan pepper. Boldy augmented with red-hot chilli oil, it was a near knock-out. The level of heat and numbness was enough to make us sweat.

Now Stir-fried French Bean with Minced Pork ($14) may sound boring but chef has gave the french beans a tasty crunch while the finely minced chicken provides textural contrast, turning the dish into a tasty accompaniment for plain rice or porridge.

Silk Road Restaurant’s Traditional Beijing Roast Duck ($52 for whole duck) is as good as any good specialised Peking duck restaurant in town. It features crispy skins, tender meat, and eaten with a dark sauce rolled in crepes, along with shallot and cucumber slices. It is very tasty.

I was intrigued by its Handmade Jade Noodle with Prawn, Fragrant Oil, Garlic and Chilli ($7 per portion). Handmade la mian is a specialty of Shaanxi province. The dense spinach noodles are prepared a la minute, boiled and served with fragrant oil, garlic and chilli.

Silk Road Restaurant’s menu has an enthralling medley of inventive and traditional creations, in addition to time-tested classical bill of fare. A special eye-catching feature of the restaurant is its showcase-kitchen concept, where customers can see the food being prepared. In particular, the chefs demonstrate their skill at the special handmade noodles and juicy dumplings.

No complaints about the service. The waitress who served us has knowledge of every dish and when each dish is served, she speaks with elegance, as though she is reading a poem. Great for lunch and dinner!

Silk Road Restaurant
Address: 2/F Amara Hotel, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: 6879 2655
Opening Hours: 11am-3pm; 6pm-10:30pm daily

Advertorial

Meiling and I have been friends for 14 years, we knew each other from Secondary school. I still remember we will always travel to school together and every Saturday, I will wait for her to finish her choir before we head out to eat and play.

Even though both of us are super busy with our own work and life now, we still meet up. In fact, we meet up very often recently. Because we stay very near to each other, we meet every week at AMK Hub to have some tea time snacks together. I am a huge fan of Gelare, especially on Tuesdays when they are having half price. But Meiling said she hasn’t tried Fruit Paradise, so last Saturday, we went to Fruit Paradise together.

We are a huge fan of mango and banana, so this mango and banana fruit tart ($6.80) is the perfect choice for us.

I wanted something brighter to welcome the lovely Saturday, so I ordered a Strawberry Tiramisu ($6.80) as well.

Believe it a not, Meiling doesn’t have mobile banking. Her reason is, so she will think twice about online shopping. True in a way lah, but mobile banking makes things so much easier and faster! Especially now there is Maybank Mobile Money (MMM)!

Yes! Maybank Mobile Money (MMM) allows the Sender (Maybank customer) to send money via his mobile phone to anyone with a local mobile number. MMM is available via Maybank Mobile Banking App (search for ’Maybank SG’ in App Store or Google Play). Because Meiling foot the bill, I paid half of it to her via MMM. To send funds via MMM, you have to be a Maybank Online Banking customer. Activation of service via Security Token (Transaction signing) is required. But… Any party can be a Collector! You need not be a Maybank customer! How cool is that!

From Me

This MMM is super safe because in order for Meiling to collect the money, I have to give her the PIN provided by the bank. So let’s say if you send the money to a wrong mobile number, you don’t have to worry because the other party cannot collect the money without the PIN.

From Meiling

For Meiling, she just have to download the App, key in the transaction code that is sent to her mobile phone and get my PIN, whoola~ she can collect the money! Super easy right!

This MMM is so easy to use and payment can now be made to a mobile number. We can collect the funds into any local bank account or credit/debit card (by December ’13), which is super convenient. No need to provide his/her bank account information to the sender, this is better than interbank fund transfer, cheque and cash. As this is a micro-payment money transfer service, sender can only transfer a maximum of S$500. The service is free to both Sender and Collector.

When can you use MMM?
• Pay for your child’s lessons/tuitions
• Pay the plumber and other home service providers
• Pay for your online shopping from Facebook, Instagram, blog shop sellers
• Share the cost of a gift or split the restaurant bill with friends and many more

Daily Draw
Registration for the Daily Draw starts on 18 November . The contest runs from 21 November to 18 December 2013 ( only on weekdays), any time between 12 noon till 2 pm, there will be winning number (0 to 9) release in Maybank SG Facebook site www.facebook.com/maybank.sg. If the participant’s last digit of his/her mobile phone number matches the magic number, he/she gets to win up to S$100.

This contest is open to residents of Singapore, who are 18 years old and above with a Singapore registered mobile phone number and a Singapore bank account.

Between 12 noon till 3 pm the same day, participants who have registered for the contest can “Submit” to claim the prize money if the last digit of their mobile phone match the winning number. The winner will be notified by phone and announced in Maybank SG Facebook page www.facebook.com/maybank.sg on the next day. The first 5 qualified winners each day will each win S$50.

Winners who have made a Maybank Mobile Money transaction (either send or collect) before the date of winning will get additional S$50, making the total winning to S$100. Participants can only win one daily prize throughout the contest period.

Grand Draw
From all who have registered for this contest, including past winners of the daily prize, 10 qualified winners will be picked, each will win S$100.

Winners who did a Maybank Mobile Money “send” or “collect” transaction before the date of the Grand Draw will get additional S$100, making the total winning to S$200.

Maybank Magic Number Roadshow
The roadshow will be held at selected Maybank Branches hourly for 5 times per day during the Branch Saturday Road shows. Details of the road shows, venue and time will be published at facebook.com/maybank.sg

Starting from 16 November 2013, there will be an hourly draw conducted at the selected branch road show operating hours. A number will be released at the road show site. Participants whose’ last digit of their mobile phone match the winning number will receive the prize money of S$5. There will be up to 10 winners at each hourly draw. Winners who credit their prize money to a Maybank Saving account will double the winnings to S$10.

When the girls from Nuffnang first asked if I was keen to do a Xmas Gathering cum Meet-The-Fans session at Pizza Hut, I was excited and scared. Excited because it is my first time doing such event and I am excited to meet my readers. Scared because, I am not sure how will the response be. What if no one signs up? Then I will have enjoying the great pizzas alone.

Thank you Nuffnang and Pizza Hut for the confidence, we confirmed the party. Initially, they said I can invite up to 50 pax, including my friends and families. My capable manager, Amantha, did up a nice poster for me and we posted it on Facebook. At first I thought, ok if there are not enough registrations, I ask all my family and friends to come lor!

But, I was wrong. Within FOUR days, I received close to 150 registrations (Some readers from Malaysia thought I am having it at Johor Bahru City Square and they signed up for it. I am so sorry! Hope I can see you guys in Malaysia next time)! THANK YOU EVERYBODY! I guess it must be the yummy pizzas they are looking forward to lah! Then, I had another headache. I can only pick one-third of those who registered! So after all the negotiations, Pizza Hut has gladly hosted about 70 people for my FIRST EVER MISS TAM CHIAK’S XMAS PARTY!

Held at Pizza Hut @ City Square Mall, readers start streaming in at 6.45pm. I am happy to meet every single one of them for the first time. Some of their names appeared in my blog’s comments and giveaways so many times that it feels like we are already friends. Now, I am so happy to be able to put the name to the face.

We took up most of the seats in Pizza Hut!

I picked two lucky readers to join me in making the DOUBLE DECKER PIZZA! Assembling the pizza is so much fun! We must put 30 pieces of pepperoni, and 8 pieces of Turkey ham and Adam cheese and I can’t remember the rest of the proportions. LOL! Then our pizzas are sent to the oven and we can bring it home! YAY!

Great party comes with delicious food! All Miss Tam Chiak’s readers get to have a preview of Pizza Hut’s Christmas Menu! Each table was first served with a Christmas Platter which is a trinity of delights that consist of crispy tempuras, savoury baked baby potatoes and spicy BBQ drumlets.

And then came Truffle Mushroom Baked Pasta which is my favourite. Anything with truffle, I will finish it all! So this pasta is cooked with chicken Ham, turkey bacon and button mushrooms, smothered in truffle flavored white cream sauce.

So what does Double Decker Pizza has to offer? 2 layers of delicious Christmas toppings! Savoury Turkey Pepperoni with cheesy stuffed crust and a layer of tortilla with Christmassy Turkey ham and Adam cheese. Drizzled with mango sauce to pack a sweet and savoury punch. Double decker pizza, double the joy!

We also had quiz during the party where we asked readers to guess the ingredients of Double Decker Pizza! Each of them walked away with Pizza Hut vouchers!

And all of them are supposed to take a shot of the Double Decker Pizza on instagram, hashtag #mtcpizzahut and the most creative caption wins a Set of Christmas Fiesta Meal for 4 (U.P. $102.10)! Congratulations Priscilla, I love your caption “Just like every child who gets excited taking a double decker bus. Now we have double decker pizza at #pizzahut! Double the sensation, double the goodness!”

THANK YOU Pizza Hut team for planning this, trusting that I can do it and helping out along the way! Thank you for letting my readers enjoy the pizza and food. Without your kind sponsorship, there is no way this party is going to happen. Thank you to all the staffs on that day for helping to serve the pizzas! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

THANK YOU nuffies for the opportunity! Thank you for helping out in the event! Especially to Amantha who helped me to decorate the poster, do registrations, host the event. THANK YOU SO MUCH! And also to Alvin who always does a great job in hosting! And also to the rest of the nuffies who came to show support! GAN DONG!

If you are wondering who did my hair for that night, THANK YOU Phyllis from Comb Head who gave me such a nice hairdo for the party!

And of course, to my family and friends who came that night. Thank you aunty for always being so supportive, taking so many photos! Thank you Tony Uncle for entertaining my friends! Thank you Rae for helping to take photos! Thank you Calvin for showing your support by coming! Thank you Yan Cai and Xu Lan for coming! Thank you dear for being the main photographer! THANK YOU, LOVE U ALL!

Last but not least, THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS WHO CAME! I know majority of you rushed down after work and I really thank you for doing so. Without every single one of you, the party won’t be a success. I am sorry that I didn’t manage to really sit down and have a proper conversation with every one but I hope you enjoyed the night and love the pizza! Thank you for reading Miss Tam Chiak! XIE XIE! Till next time!

*FULL set of photos up on Miss Tam Chiak’s Facebook Page! Check it out!*

Tucked away in a corner of Liang Court is this bright red ramen shop – Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen. I was very attracted by its decor when I walked in. The ceiling resembles those patterns in a kaleidoscope and it feels like I have walked into one of the shops in Tokyo Ramen Street.

Tonkotsu Kazan originates from Osaka, Japan. They do not have a physical shop in Japan though. They started their flagship in Singapore. Its first branch locally is at Novena Square 2. So what is their unique selling point? It is non other than the Ishiyaki Ramen (hot stone roast ramen) that looks like kazan (volcano)!

Our Kazan Kaisen-Shio ($18, $15 small) arrived in a preheated 300 degree celsius stone bowl, served without soup. At the table, the waiter will pour in half the soup, covered it with an inverted fennel looking lid. When there is steam coming out from the lid (they call it FUNKA, which means volcano eruption), let it cook for a minute and it is ready!

Their tonkotsu or pork bone broth is simmered using the finest pork bones for 10 hours daily. Unneccessary oil and resiue is skimmed off. The result? A wonderfully consistent and flavourful thick broth that is rich in collagen and protein. It is very rich, but without the floating pieces of solid fat chunks. With the tonkotsu broth as the soup base, you can then pick from different flavours: shio, shoyu, miso or curry.

Kazan Kaisen-Shio is served with tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended salt paste and seafood. It is lighter on the palate as compared to our second kazen ramen – Kazan Karamiso. You can also enjoy the Kazen Ramen twice by adding rice into the left over soup mixture to make delicious Zousui (soupy rice).

I prefer the Kazan Karamiso ($18, $15 small) much better which comes with tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended spicy miso paste.

Their chashu (roast pork) is flavourful. Well marinated pork belly is first boiled in hot water to remove the odour. To lock the flavour and juice, it is simmered overnight in their special sauce, then hand trimmed daily. It doesn’t melt in you mouth as you can see from the texture, but it is flavourful and makes me yearn for more.

The ramen used here is flat and fat like the mee pok in our Chinese meals. If you are a fan of Ramen Champion, I am sure this entire bowl of ramen will remind you of Bario Ramen, which is also heartily thick and curly. I think for a thick and flavourful soup like Kazan Karamiso, the thick ramen provides a chewy texture that blends well into the soup and is particularly good at absorbing the flavours from the soup.

However, I feel that these mee pok style ramen may not be suitable for a lighter soup, such as Kazan Kaisen-Shio, the ramen we had earlier. If you prefer a thin noodle too, order the usual ramen that comes in a bowl.

Since this place is know for their hot stone bowl, they have also cleverly included rice items such as Hot Stone Rice with Pork and Kimchi ($10). The hot stone is not only visually appetizing, it also retains the heat throughout the meal.

A highlight beyond the volcano ramen is the Yaki Gyoza ($5/6pcs). The meat dumplings are delightfully pan-fried – loving its thinly crisp outer layer with skin freshly made daily. The inner filling with pork and some cabbage and garlic. It is moist and juicy.

I am already very full by now. But as the saying goes, ladies always have another tummy for desserts. Most of the time, it is not true for me. But this time, it is soooo right. When Strawberry Shiratama with ice cream ($8) arrived, I was WOOOOOOW-ing with excitement. I have never seen such a huge dessert! With so many pieces of icy strawberries and ice cream, I can’t help but to keep digging for more.

I enjoyed my dinner at Tonkatsu Kazan Ramen because it was fun and prices here were affordable! Taking its massive proportions into account, it’s a dish that can probably fill two ladies’ stomach or very filling meal for a guy.

Tonkatsu Kazan Ramen
Address: Liang Court, #01-09/10
Tel: +65 6397 6636
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

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IT’S TIME FOR GIVEAWAY AGAIN! Christmas is coming and it is about sharing the joy with others. Big thank you to Tonkatsu Kazan Ramen, FIVE lucky readers will each walk away with $50 dining voucher (no minimum spending)!!!

HOW TO WIN?
Tell us why you should win the $50 vouchers and best five answers win!

Very simple, isn’t it? Come up with the most creative answers you can ever think of! Closing date: 5 December (Thursday), 23:59. Good luck!

Hello world! It’s cooking time again! In my “5 Dishes I Cooked with Samsung Smart Oven” blog post, you have seen the amazing functions of the Samsung Smart Oven MC32F606. I “slim-fried” chicken, cooked salmon and even baked a sushi cake with it!

This time round, I am going to share another 5 recipes which you can try doing for brunch. We all love brunch, don’t we? But sometimes, after waking up in the late morning, I feel it is so troublesome having to dress up and travel all the way to a cafe to have my brunch, especially when many of them are often very crowded during weekends.

So sometimes, I prefer to prepare simple brunch items at home. With the Samsung Smart Oven, cooking becomes hassle free. Using the Slim Fry function, you can fry frozen food with no oil and fresh food with very little oil. The Smart Oven combines a grill with warm air-circulation to envelop the food, making it crispy inside and out. Fried food has never tasted so good, yet so healthy!

Whether your food is frozen or chilled, the Smart Multi Sensor defrosts it evenly from the surface to deep inside and enables optimal defrosting according to the type of food. The Soft Reheating function lets you have easy temperature control. All food gets evenly cooked, even in convection mode. And dough making is made easier and quicker with the dough proofing function. A built-in yoghurt maker removes the need for a separate device to whip up fresh homemade yoghurt any time of the day.

Let me share my 5 brunch items with you!

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Sweet Potato Fries IS THE NEW THING IN TOWN! I have practically stopped eating French fries when I tried sweet potato fries in one of the restaurants. They taste so sweet and are very addictive! But why spend so much money paying for it when you can simply do it at home?

INGREDIENTS
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-wide inch strips
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil, for tossing

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven up to 200 degree celsius.
2. In a large bowl, sprinkle with all the seasonings and toss it with olive oil.
3. Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking pan, be sure not to overcrowd.
4. Select the Slim Fry programme on Samsung Smart Oven, turn the knob to Code ’6′ which is for frying handmade french fries. Set plate on low rack and press start. When you hear the beep sound, turn over the fries. It will take about 20 minutes for the sweet potatoes to become tender and golden brown. Let it cool off in 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

My aunt and I recently went to a pizza-making demonstration and we were inspired. But we didn’t want to buy the original pizza crust from the supermarket, so we just made use of the hotdog buns to create cheesy bread. It is sort of a cross between garlic bread and pizza. It’s a great way to help feed a lot of hungry people, and easy to pull together, even at the last minute. You can also add some cheddar cheese if you want to. I only love mozzarella cheese!

INGREDIENTS
2 hotdog bread, cut into half
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup spring onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tomato, cut into small cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
some butter
some ground pepper

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius.
2. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, tomatoes, garlic and spring onion together.
3. Coat the bread with some butter. Pour the mayonnaise mixture on top of the bread.
4. Cover the bread with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some ground pepper.
5. Using Smart Cook programme on Samsung Smart Oven, turn the knob to Code ’1-10′ (frozen pizza snacks). Place your plate of bread on low rack and press start. The length of cooking time depends on the serving size. In this case, the bread will be ready in 5 mins.

I am a big fan of minced meat and egg, be it steamed or fried. It reminds me of my childhood when my grandfather would deliver lunch to school for me and there was always a dish with minced meat and egg. So I created this fried meat patty which can be eaten on its own or paired with buns to make it a burger.

INGREDIENTS
300g minced pork
1/4 tsp salt
100g onions, chopped
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumb
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

METHOD
1. Add salt, pepper, onions and Worcestershire sauce into minced pork. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Remove from the fridge, add in 1 beaten eggs and stir well.
3. Use your hand to scoop up the mixture and make small round patty.
4. Coat the patty in following sequence: flour, beaten egg, bread crumbs.
5. Select Slim Fry programme on Samsung Smart Oven, turn the knob to Code ’8′ and brush with some oil. Set plate on low rack and press start. When you hear the beep sound, turn the patties over.

My brunch is perfect with a bowl of Oyako Don (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl). The literal translation of Oyakodon (親子丼) means “parent-and-child rice bowl.” The typical ingredients include chicken (as in parent), egg (as in child). It’s a very common Donburi dish and is served at most traditional Japanese diners. You can choose to just simmer the chicken in the sauce, or in this case, I grilled it in the oven. The ingredients are simmered together in a sauce then served on top of a bowl of rice. The boy loves Japanese food so I am trying to cook more for him instead of eating out. This is very easy to cook so I hope Oyako Don will be your go-to recipe when you are busy.

INGREDIENTS
200g chicken breast, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp ginger, minced
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 egg
1/2 stalk spring onion, chopped into small pieces
1 onion
1 garlic

METHOD
1. Mix soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, pepper, minced ginger, onion, garlic. Marinade chicken for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place the chicken on high rack. Grill the chicken for about 10 mins on one side, and 8 mins on the other side. When done, cut the chicken into strips.
3. Fry the egg according to your preference.
4. To assemble, place the egg and chicken on a bowl of rice. Sprinkle some teriyaki sauce and spring onion. Serve.

This apple pancake is a quick and easy way to enjoy a pancake brunch, because it cooks all at once in the oven. Serve this pancake with your favorite syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

INGREDIENTS
2 apples, peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter, melted

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius.
2. In a bowl, combine the apple slices with brown sugar and cinnamon; toss gently to coat well.
3. In another bowl, mix flour with salt.
4. In a large cup or small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter together. Mix it together with the flour mixture.
5. Coat the baking pan with some butter. Arrange apple slices over the bottom of the pan. Pour batter over apple slices. Bake for 25 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Serve with syrup or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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The Samsung Smart Oven (MC32F606) is now available at $649 at major consumer electronics stores.