During the month of June, UNA rolls out its Summer Series to offer customers a vibrant taste of Spain’s summer. Revellers and food enthusiasts can expect no less than sumptuous Spanish fare and a wide range of drinks on offer to beat Singapore’s sweltering tropical temperatures and make it a summer to remember.

It’s not difficult to tell when a restaurant concept is chef-driven. The food tends to be better. Such is the case at UNA, where Chef Jean-Philippe Patruno was plucked from his previous post at BOMBA Paella Bar and given free rein to indulge his creative side.

Chef Patruno and the 1-Rochester team gave this Rochester Park bungalow a whirlwind makeover that centers on an alfresco lifestyle. With an elegant cozy dining ambience, with the downstairs patio and dining room hedged by immaculately kept gardens, it is a stunner radiating romantic allure.

Just ask any restaurant owner, the food industry is competitive and difficult to maintain. It’s not easy to create a beautiful spot using a small piece of land, and serves food loved by a local community. Every time I visit UNA, I am in love with its bright and happy ambience and cool chic design. Honestly, I can’t contain my excitement. This is going to be my wedding venue! omg omg omg!

No, I am not here to try my wedding menu. I am here at UNA to try their new Sunday Buffet Brunch which is available from now till 6 September 2015. A tranquil and secluded garden setting in Rochester Park, and a wide range of Spanish food – what could be better on a sunny Sunday? I chose the outdoor table where I can enjoy a glass of sangria, read the newspapers or catch up with friends while enjoying the sunshine.

Brunch is a delicious affair for the whole family or gathering of friends to enjoy. The boqueria (marketplace) style brunch channels the rustic Ibiza vibes, offering a full buffet with live stations of an array of authentic Spanish fare. I started my brunch with a selection from the Ocean, including oyster, red prawns, razor clams and mussels. There is also a range of greens such as cucumber with watermelon & mint, seafood salad, green beans, soft cook eggs & tomato basils, potatoes, red onions with grilled tuna and more.

The tapas selection is enough to fill your stomach. Besides the sourdough bread, marinated olives, there is also crispy yet creamy croquettes in three different flavours – ham, crab, or asparagus. I like its salt cod fritters. Deep fried yet light, it adds flavour to the bland potatoes. There are also pinchos in different ingredients like anchovies, tomatoes and jalapenos.

Eggs to order will be available at the live Egg Station ranging from UNA’s Signature Egg Benedict & Spanish Baked Eggs. Warm and comforting, I enjoyed the spanish baked egg and can have it all by myself. The signature egg benedict includes flat bread, smoked mackerel, poached egg, paprika hollandaise and bonito flake.

If there is something I would recommend, go for the grill section as Chef Philippe stays at the grill to whip up juicy goodness like chicken wings with mojo picon, pluma iberica, pinchos morunos, chicken legs with UNA’s herb rub, smoked quails, spanish meat balls with bravas sauce.

Chef does Spanish meatballs very well. Cooked in a tasty in bravas sauce, it is extremely moist and juicy. We also had the tender squid that is grilled till nicely browned with the rich flavour shining naturally. On some weeks, chef serves UNA’s signature Seafood and Chicken Paella at the Paella Station.

Nothing much to shout about are the desserts. They have a range of fresh fruits, flan, chocolate tart, meringue, turron and more. UNA’s Summer Sunday Brunch is priced at $88++ per adult and $48++ per child (for children 6-12 years old), inclusive of free flow of soft drinks and juices. Top up $48++ for Free flow of Wines, Cava, Beer & Sangria. Children under 6 years old dine for free.

The Summer Series consists of four main offerings, with the highlight being UNA’s Summer Sunday Brunch, followed by the pop-up World Beer Series Bar, Wine Market and culminating in the joint milestone anniversary bash, UNA Noche, for UNA and the One Rochester Group.

World Beer Series Bar

UNA’s pop-up World Beer Series Bar on its entrance patio is a hot stop to cool off and quench that thirst on a wide selection of ice cold beers and ciders from around the world, all cooled in minus 6-degrees ice and at an unbeatable price of $10 nett per drink. The World Beer Series Bar is open from Monday to Friday, 5pm to 8pm from 29 May 2015 onwards. The Wine Market will feature tastings of exquisite wines and sherries, as well as organized workshops for Sherry appreciation and how to make Sangria.

UNA Noche

On 10 July 2015, the One Rochester Group is celebrating its own 10th anniversary and UNA’s first anniversary with UNA Noche, a Spanish boqueria style party. For this ticketed one- night-only event, the garden at One Rochester Park transforms into a vibrant and colourful marketplace – Singapore’s only Spanish night market. You can enjoy live music and explore artisanal stalls of Spanish produce, arts and crafts, wines and cheeses, Sherries and more. The highlight, of course, is a free-flow feast of UNA’s fabulous signature dishes, including the restaurant’s famous Paella, roasted suckling pig, assorted tapas and plenty of seafood.

UNA Noche will be held on 10 July from 6pm onwards. Entry into UNA Noche is priced at $65++, which includes free-flow food and 1 glass of sangria. Wines and other beverages are priced separately. Tickets may be purchased online through www.chope.co.

UNA
Address: One Rochester, 1 Rochester Park, Singapore 139212
Tel: 67730070
Website: http://una.sg
Email: una@onerochester.com

Ramen Keisuke, a wildly popular ramen chain in Singapore, has launched its eighth new concept outlet Ginza Tendon Itsuki. Located in Tanjong Pagar, this new 24-seater outlet is Ramen Keisuke chain’s first concept in collaboration with the highly acclaimed Ginza Itsuki Sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Japan.

This is the fourth outlet to join neighbouring Ramen Keisuke outlets such as Keisuke Tori King, Keisuke Gyoza King and Takeda Shouten Sake Bar – the first bar concept under Ramen Keisuke, located at Orchid Hotel. The Keisuke group has transformed Tanjong Pagar into a Japanese food street where you can find a stretch of many small but comforting restaurants in the area.

Tendon, otherwise known as Tempura Rice Bowl, is often regarded as delightful one-bowl soul food meals for many Japanese around the world especially during summer. It’s a shortened word for tempura donburi. In my opinion, tempura in Singapore is not a hot trend, as compared to ramen. Or probably because most Japanese restaurants do not take great care in making real good tempura to begin.

So how do you take effort to make quality tempura? The art of frying at the right temperature plays an important role, because each ingredient takes different timing at different temperature to reach its optimum. For example, when I arrived at Ginza Tendon Itsuki for a tasting, I was told that they fry meat and vegetables in different pans. And even within the vegetables, they fry pumpkin and corn separately from spinach because the temperature and timing differs. That is how detailed Keisuke is to ensure everyone gets a good bowl of Tendon.

Together with Mr Keisuke Takeda’s childhood friend and chef-owner of Ginza Itsuki Sushi – Mr Naoki Takaku, these Tendon creations are crafted using the freshest ingredients and will be served in porcelain bowls by Arita – a 400-year-old porcelain brand from Japan.

Here, you can look forward to authentic Japanese Tendon – Special Tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl, $13.90) and Vegetable Tendon (Vegetable Tempura Rice Bowl, $12.90) creations. Yes, only two options in the menu. You don’t have to flip the huge menu and not sure what to order. It’s either you go for the meat one or the vegetarian one. The heavy and thick bowl helps to keep the temperature and heat within the bowl for a longer time.

Only Japanese flour is used to make the batter. No, the restaurant uses only local vegetable. Unlike many other Japanese restaurants which has a heavy and thick batter, the batter at Ginza Tendon Itsuki is light and allows you to still be able to taste the freshness and texture of the ingredients. It is not very oily and drizzled with their homemade seasonings. My only gripe is that, the ventilation is really bad here and I leave the restaurant with smoky shirt and hair. On the bright side, it adds to the experience because when I returned home, my family asked where did I go that made me so smoky. -_-

If you ordered the Special Tendon, there is a surprise onsen egg covered by the bowl of prawn and chicken tempura. I am surprised that the chicken breast can still be tender and moist after deep frying. Japanese rice is cooked in small portions and the chawanmushi here is specially silky smooth because Chef added more egg yolks in the recipe. This new offering will add another dimension to its Japanese soul food offering in Singapore.

Tendon Ginza Itsuki
Address: 101 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088522
Tel: 6221 6678
Opening hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm; 5:30pm – 10pm

Brasserie Les Saveurs, the signature restaurant of The St. Regis Singapore, welcomes new Chef de Cuisine, Thomas Cruise. Growing up in Canada, Chef Thomas has been crafting European favourites for over 10 years in renowned dining establishments in Canada and the United Kingdom. While Cruise isn’t looking to change the restaurant’s focus on classic French fare accented with contemporary touches, he’s brought new dishes to the fore, illustrated through a la carte and degustation selections.

Thank you The St. Regis Singapore for their invitation, I got to try some of Chef Thomas Cruise’s signature dishes. For entrée, we had the Duck Foie Gras ($28) and Poached Boston Lobster and Langoustine ($32). The former was such a sinful dish with delicately prepared “au torchon”, served with butter brioches, schnapps-marinated peaches and roasted pistachios. The smooth texture was easy on the palette and everyone on the table finished it. For an alternate taste, delight in the Poached Boston Lobster and Langoustines Roulade, masterfully wrapped with mango and paired with shaved daikon and salmon roe. The ingenious use of Mango gives the lobster meat an added refreshing touch.

Perfect for special occasions, relish in the perennial favourite Lobster Bisque ($26), served with fresh crab, dill, thyme-scented crouton and radishes. It is really the embodiment of a perfect, old fashioned bisque – thick, full-bodied with a little swirl of cream on top. The result is a broth that has oomph and flavor, with a rich and velvety texture.

The main I enjoyed most is the Grilled Lamb Cutlet ($46), which uses high quality milk-fed lamb cuts with bell pepper ragout, polenta galette, roast garlic and Provencal olive sauce. No it doesn’t have a gamey taste and it is cooked till a perfect doneness with good proportions of lean and fat around it.

Another main was the Butter-Sealed Dover Sole Fillet ($63), served with seared potatoes, brown butter, parsley and capers. Fish and butter go very well, in moderation of course. Actually butter goes well with everything, from bakes to coffee to seafood! I like how the chef goes light on butter so we can still taste the essence of the fish. The menu also has a few Vegetarian options, such as the Truffle Ravioli ($34). The combination of truffle infused ricotta cheese ravioli and mushroom cream sauce provides a rich explosion of flavours.

Other than the à la carte menu, Brasserie Les Saveurs also offers a dinner Degustation menu (5-course at $148++/person, 7-course at $168++/person) and The St. Regis Connoisseur Dinner experience, which includes a choice of mains and a wide spread of hors d’oeuvres and dessert ($73++/person).

Brasserie Les Saveurs
Address: 29 Tanglin Road, St. Regis Singapore
Tel: +65 6506 6866
Website: www.brasserielessaveurs.com

In Hong Kong, wanton noodle is a simple dish filled with shrimp dumplings and served with chewy egg noodles in a savory broth. But simplicity doesn’t mean every stall can do it well. If you were to visit the stalls, you will realize that each stall has a different touch in terms of flavor and texture.

Mak’s Noodle is one of the top 10 wanton noodle stalls in Hong Kong. Even though it looks like every other mom-and-pop noodle shop in Hong Kong, it continuously attracts endless stream of customers in a day. And it even has its own Wikipedia page! How power is that! If you have been a fan of Mak’s Noodle, now you don’t have to travel all the way to Hong Kong because they have just opened their first outlet in Singapore! *pops champagne*

Mak’s Noodle has its roots in a Guangzhou eatery established before World War II by Mak Woon-chi. Its founder had served this dish to the former president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. Mak Woon Chi’s son, Mak An, succeeded his father’s business as the second generation of Mak’s Noodle. Mak An managed to create Mak’s Noodle to be a household name for wonton noodle in Hong Kong. He then handed the business over to his son-in-law, Tony.

Tony brought Mak’s Noodle to greater heights. From a small eatery, Mak’s Noodle expanded to a chain of 6 eateries all over Hong Kong (The Peak, Tsium Sha Tsai, Causeway bay, Jordon, Tin Hau, including the original eatery in Central). Mak’s Noodle was also branded to be the “Best Wonton Noodle in Hong Kong”. With Tony ensuring to follow the exact recipe being handed down to him from the founder of Mak’s Noodle, its taste remains unchanged for almost 100 years. Together with Asia Gourmet, Mak’s son-in-law Tony Yung brought the brand to Singapore and opened their first outlet in Centrepoint.

You either love Mak’s or hate them. Because their wantons are not the biggest and for the price you are paying, you get a relatively small bowl of noodles. But hey, what you are paying is good quality wanton, so why not?

In Hong Kong, a bowl of noodles is priced at HK$36 (approx S$6.25) and in Singapore, it will cost $6.90. The noodles and wonton skin are specially imported from Hong Kong. To ensure smooth operations, the 70-year-old chef from the flagship Wellington Street outlet in Hong Kong will be based in Singapore for two years.

The wantons are stuffed full of juicy nuggets of pork and shrimp, folded into little round wrinkled parcels. I loved how slippery and salty the skins would get. As you bite through the thin skins, you get the crunch from the shrimps. Quite shiok! If noodles is not your cup of tea, go for their Wonton soup ($6.90). The broth has a clean and thin in texture, but deeply flavored with dried flounder and yellow chives, giving it a slight ocean-y aroma and savoriness. The soup has a hint of the lye-water (jian shui) aftertaste but not too overpowering.

We also try their Tossed noodles with shrimp roe and oyster sauce ($8.30). Do eat it while it’s hot. The roes are not very salty and compliment the noodles very well. In fact, I won’t know it was roe if not for the menu. Personally, I prefer the soup version than dried noodles. The oyster sauce and chilli sauce are quite lack lustre.

Beef brisket and tendon ($16.50) is definitely part of the menu in all wanton noodle stalls in Hong Kong. It is stewed in traditional Cantonese style with turnip and star anise. It takes a long cooking process for the brisket to break down the fats and turn tender. This is good, the brisket is soft and tender, juicy and beefy, with a nice mouth feel from the tendon!

I am not a wanton specialist but personally, I think Mak’s Wanton Noodle Soup ($6.90) is good enough to eat like a meal for ladies. Yes the bowl is petite and you should eat it while it’s hot to prevent the noodles from absorbing the soup and turn soggy. Most of us on the table preferred the soup version rather than the dry ones as the noodles was firm, al dente to the bite, and had a distinct kee taste. It was chewy and quite slurp-able! It did absorb some of the wonderful piping hot broth.

P/S Fans living in the west, good news for you! They are opening their second outlet at Jurong Westgate!

Mak’s Noodle Singapore
Address: 176 Orchard Road, Centrepoint #01-63/64 Singapore 238843
Tel: 6235 5778
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm daily

Tucked away in Siem Reap’s old market area, AHA’ (which means ‘food’ in Khmer) is one of the restaurants operated by the Shinta Mani Hotel. It is one of the rare air-conditioned restaurants in town, so it’s a perfect place to escape from the tropical heat.

Tastefully decorated with waved wooden walls, the restaurant is famous for its Western, Khmer and fusion tapas and extensive wine list. For appetizers, we ordered four sets of small plates, with each set containing three different dishes. For Khmer style food, enjoy the beef skewers with green papaya pickles, deep fried chicken with coconut spring roll, and green mango salad with dried snake. Yes, your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you. I thought it was cuttlefish, but it was shredded dried snake on the green mango!

There were also contemporary, vegetarian and cheese sets. I thoroughly enjoyed the unagi roll with pickled vegetables which gives it a bit of tangy kick. The cashew nut prawns with a sexy purple raspberry dressing was a fruity touch to the deep fried fritters. If you are a cheese lover, go for their cheese sets which includes gorgonzola with crushed cherry tomatoes, crepe with brie cheese, and marinated goat cheese with honey. The goat’s cheese set off the sweetness of the honey perfectly. The small plates ranges from $5 to $9 each set.

By the time we reached our mains, we were already too full from the appetizers. But I can’t resist the chicken with curry paste and pineapple ($7), served with traditional sticky rice with bamboo. Kroeung, the Cambodian curry paste, has an amazing blend of spicy flavours that are unique to this country, including turmeric, lemongrass and galangal. For a western dish, go for their Australian beef sirloin with creamy potatoes ($16) or the pan roasted pork escalope ($7) with braised tomato concasse, ginger soy reduction and steamed rice. The presentation is great and the flavours are well balanced. The tang of the ginger, the umami of the soy and the blend of other flavours made my lunch an enjoyable one.

Even though we were full to the brim, we still had some sweets to end the meal. Their homemade honeycomb ice cream ($3) is smooth and rich. For the quality, presentation and price, there was nothing much to complain about. This is definitely worth a try, especially if you fancy some tapas and wine. Note that there are two entrances to this restaurant, one in pub street alley and the other in Road 9, just across the Old Market.

AHA Restaurant & Wine Bar
Address: Pub Street Alley, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +855 63 965 501
Open daily for lunch and dinner

Read other Cambodia posts here.

I studied near Mayflower Market & Food Centre, ate many meals here when I was a student, but I have never noticed Zhen Ming Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (真鸣肉骨虾面) until Uncle Smart introduced it to me recently. The stall used to be at Tampines before moving to Serangoon and finally settled down at Ang Mo Kio Ave 4.

The owners have been doing this for more than 20 years and let me be honest with you, if you are someone who got used to Wah Kee’s robust big prawn noodles, you probably won’t like Zhen Ming’s version. Because here, you don’t get big and huge prawns which costs a bomb. Rather, you can a bowl of traditional mild tasting prawn noodles with down to earth ingredients.

The bowl of dry Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Dry comes with slices of fish cake, lean meat, pork ribs and prawns. Remember to sprinkle for some fried shallots for more shiokness. Prawns were cooked till just nice and the pork ribs were sourced from Brazil. It’s so tender and moist. If you don’t mind having a smaller bowl of soup, you can go for the dry version. The sambal is not bad but not wow.

If you truly know how to appreciate prawn noodles, go for the soup version. The brown soup is sweet, not only from the prawns, but the owner also added “special” ingredients into it. He took at least 6 hours to simmer the soup with pork ribs, pig skins, red dates, prawn shells and black sugarcane. Huh? Black Sugarcane? Yes, they don’t use rock sugar. Instead, they get the natural sweetness from Malaysian black sugarcane.

 

A video posted by Maureen Ow (@misstamchiak) on Jun 27, 2015 at 6:04pm PDT

My simple bowl of prawn noodles must have a mix of yellow noodles and rice vermicelli. The blanched noodles are then topped with prawns, kangkong, pork ribs, pig skin before the hot soup is ladled over and garnished with some crunchy PORK LARD. You can also spice up with chilli power to enhance the flavour. Each bowl of prawn noodle starts from $3.

The pig’s skin had the nice chewy texture. If you can really appreciate the innards, go for their Pork Tail Soup which combines the medium bodied soup with collagen-filled tail. This is always the first to sell out.

Zhen Ming Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (真鸣肉骨虾面)
Address: Mayflower Market & Food Centre, Blk 162 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4 #01-04, Singapore 560162
Opening Hours: 8am – 1pm, closed on Wednesday

I don’t frequent Ann Siang Hill much because there are too many food choices in Chinatown, I am always full before I can reach there. So when Shilin suggested going Lolla for lunch, it’s a double yay for me. I honestly don’t think small plates take off very well in many restaurants but for Lolla, they are definitely one of the more successful ones that serve simple yet confident small plates, that focuses on exceptional produce. Plus, they were featured in NY Times, how can I not give it a try?

Drawing from its underground supper club roots, we sat at the bar to see the chefs getting busy with our orders in a compact kitchen. If there is one dish that makes this restaurant famous, it’s definitely the savoury squid ink custard with creamy sea urchin that was mentioned in NY Times. It surely doesn’t look like the most appetizing appetizer, but trust me, you will love.

The Char Grilled Coquelet ($28) does full justice to Lolla with a nice smoky flavour and tender meat. The Slow Cooked Short Rib ($18) is a worthy choice, comprising a nicely pan-grilled short rib. It has an excellent texture – tender without breaking up under the knife. And it tastes marvellous too, with silky-smooth smoked potato. To assuage the guilt from the beef and chicken, we also ordered a small salad of Beetroot Carpaccio ($15). It is a brilliant idea for a vegan starter. It’s simple but a power salad with lots of vitamins and antioxidants. Not forgetting the Sourdough with Kombu Butter. They use fresh bread from Maison Kayser.

The creamy Angel Hair ($32) with slow cooked egg is ultimate brunch. Special on the menu, it is finished with winter truffle and aged parmesan. If I am not wrong, they get their cheese from Ceneri, a family-run cheese refiner in France. With truffle added in, this dish is quite pricey.

Food here is simple but well executed. I have tried most of their items on the seasonal menu, look forward to coming back to try their permanent ala carte menu. I heard the Scrambled eggs with Bottarga di Muggine is one of the must-trys!

LOLLA
Address: 22 Ann Siang Road, Singapore 609702
Tel: +65 6423-1228 (please make reservation)
Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays for lunch (12pm to 2pm) and dinner (6pm to 12am).
Closed Sundays and public holidays.

There is a growing number of Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore. As the buzz increased, there are more new and interesting food concepts coming up. One of them is Vietnamese BBQ. Làng Nuöng Việt Nam is the first traditional Vietnamese BBQ restaurant located along Jalan Besar. You get to experience first-hand the famous Vietnamese “street-food” charcoal-barbequed gourmet meat that can only be found in Vietnam.

Vietnamese food is a seductive food genre. It tends to be less spicy, lighter, fragrant and fresh. I haven’t been to Vietnam, but the ambiance here does look like a restaurant in Vietnam. The clay stoves, cutlery, signage and even all the fans are all imported from Vietnam to bring out the culture and feel. A mixture of Vietnamese popular and old songs will be played too.

Barbeque is by old-fashioned clay stoves from Vietnam which is slowly diminishing over time. Here, the meat is marinated in a range of homemade Vietnamese sauces. It’s different from Thai BBQ, as this marination is much more intense for Vietnamese BBQ. Grilled over charcoal, you can smell it from a block away.

The real magic happens when you cook the meat on the charcoal grill at your table. It’s the smoky hiss of charcoal and the tantalising aroma of slowly barbecuing prawns and chicken on the grill, giving passersby a bird’s eye view of all the action. We ordered a Premium Mixed Platter ($39.90 for 2-4 pax / $69.90 for 4-6pax) which has a combination of pork, chicken and seafood, accompanied by a freshly prepared set of vegetables. They also have Vietnamese Hot Pot ($15.90 for 1 pax / $35.90 for 2-3 pax).

All the special dipping sauce and ingredients for the secret marination are imported from Vietnam. Dunk the grilled meat into the chilli sauce and follow up with mouthfuls of the accompanying rice. If you close your eyes, you do feel like you have travelled to Vietnam.

Lang Nuong Vietnam
Address: 18 Foch Road, Singapore 209260
Tel: 9235 3548
Opening hours: Mon – Sun 11:30 am – 5pm; 5:30 pm – 11pm

I wouldn’t have know about Ikoi if not for Michelle HuiMin, my bridal gown designer from Bridal Veil. I casually asked her about her favourite restaurant and on my next fitting session, she jio-ed me for dinner at Ikoi. Located in the lobby of Hotel Miramar, Ikoi serves Japanese buffet at $38++ with a good range of sashimi, sushi, handrolls, grilled dishes, fried dishes and noodles. I was taken aback by the crowd I see that day. We went for the second seating (8pm) and it was full house!

The sashimi is pretty good, with the raw fish expertly sliced and boasting clean, fresh flavours. We also ordered some side dishes of lightly battered prawn and apple tempura. The exterior of the tempura is attractively light, but our first order plate was cold and puts me off when I bite it. But our subsequent tempura dishes were served fresh and crispy, I like the apple tempura very much, it feels like I was having apple pie (in a good way). We also had some garlic ($6/2 sticks) and ginko nuts ($8). Trust me, order the stick of roasted garlic cloves. It smells delicious right out of the oven, and there is no smell at all!

Because we ordered a la carte, we requested for Salmon Skin Temaki without rice. The combination of the crispy salmon skin, crab meat, crunchy cucumber and tinge of mayonnaise makes it so addictive. We also had the fatty salmon belly sushi and grilled cheesy prawns.

Kama Shioyaki ($18.50) is a very simple dish. Kama is the ‘collar’ of a fish, and has the most succulent meat. It is sprinkled with salt and grilled till the skin becomes crispy and slightly charred, and the flesh inside is flaky, moist, juicy and the meat is gently teased out with chopsticks.

Dobinmushi is perfect for bringing out the delicious aroma of mushrooms. The dashi-based broth, served in a teapot, is delicate. Paper Fish ($5/pc) sounds fancy, but it’s just paper putting the fish in parchment paper which help to keep the flavour of the fish and make it moist and tender. Our final dish for the night was Zosui (Japanese Rice “Porridge”. It’s a wonderful, heart-warming dish, simple and yet so good. Indeed a taste of home.

Thank you Michelle HuiMin for the treat! As the restaurant is highly popular for its buffet, it is best recommended to make reservations at least one week in advance due to the limited seatings at Ikoi.

Ikoi Japanese Restaurant
Address: 401 Havelock Road, #01-01 Hotel Miramar Singapore 169631
Tel: 6887 3788
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 11.30am – 2.30pm; 6pm – 11pm

Greetings from Australia! I am back here to this beautiful country during winter time to attend TASTE Food Festival at Kingscliff. While my memory is still fresh, I thought I should start blogging about some of the nice cafes and restaurants that I have tried during this trip.

I flew to Gold Coast twice to travel to Tweed but has never walked around Gold Coast. This time, after the festival has ended, Michaela has brought me to this ‘craft beer and burger’ joint called “Ze Pickle” for a quick meal. Located in the heart of Burleigh Heads, the restaurant is opened by three friends Nathan, Aaron and JD, who needed a place to go and drink quality craft beer but couldn’t find one. So they came together and transformed a run down secondhand bookstore into the current funky and cool Ze Pickle.

The space looks more like a nightclub than cafe, probably because of the copper pipes and black timbre walls. Most diners are seated outdoors on highchairs, soaking up the laid-back atmosphere. The menu consists of top quality burgers and alternating tap beer menu which offers the best craft beers around the world.

The owners are always coming up with something interesting to make the diners excited. Taking inspiration from United States, their recent creation is da bomb. Using mac n cheese bacon laced waffles as bun, with crispy fried chicken, double jack cheese and flowing smoked honey, this is sooo sooo good! I hope someone makes this in Singapore.

Runner up was the 3AM burger with hand pressed wagyu beef pattie, maple smoked bacon, Kanye’s fried cheeze sticks, guacamole & zp sauce. Because what else would you rather bash your face with at 3am after a thousand beers. These crumbed and slightly crunchy cheesesticks oozes out stretchy cheese when bitten.

Ze Pickle have secured a venue in Fortitude Valley, which will be bigger than the Burleigh Heads location. Expect to find sweet buns in town around late October.

Ze Pickle
Address: Connor Street, Burleigh Heads, Queensland 4220
Tel: +61 07 5659 1091 (they do not take reservations)
Email: info@zepickle.com

Hidden behind a big barn door, Etsu is a little piece of Japan. Inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya bars where men gathered after work to sit around, talk, eat and drink sake, this cool Japanese bar has certainly captured the same essence of it. Once I opened the door, I was hit by the loud music, the interesting Japanese wall design, a well-stocked bar and of course, the sumptuous plates to share.

Etsu’s dishes are designed to be shared. You can choose from sushi and sashimi, tempura dishes, salads and meat and seafood from the Robata grills. Begin your night with a plate of spicy edamame ($6) and pork gyoza ($6).

These small bites can be enjoyed with your favourite Japanese beverage. They have a number of Japanese beers on tap including Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo beer, and other options include sake and shochu. I had the Yona Yona (“Night after night” in Japanese) Pale ale which is medium bodied American Pale Ale with generous amount of cascade hops. It is citrusy and has a well-balanced bitterness and sweetness.

Do yourself a favour and sample the Beef Tataki ($15). The sliced beef is seasoned and seared then cut thinly and served cold with a ponzu dressing. It’s one of the 50 dishes to try by Gold Coast Bulletin. If you wish to have something more premium, they also have Wagyu Tataki ($22) sprinkled with some onions. The Tuna Tataki ($22) is a great option too.

The skewers of chicken, seafood and vegetarian goodness all cooked by Robata Grill. At Etsu, they use binochotan charcoal which adds a sweet, smoky flavour to the dish. We had some skewers to go along, including cherry tomatoes ($5) and Tsukune ($8). Nothing much to shout about unfortunately.

Along with the Robata grill skewers, they offer Wagyu Ishiyaki ($60). This stone cooked steak is an event in itself. The meat is cooked on a hot stone, and finished off with the sprinkling of brandy to flambe the meat, leaving it with a nicely charred fragrance. The lamb cutlets ($20) came out deliciously tender and juicy, flavoured with kochijang (spicy paste) to cut the gamey taste.

If you’re looking for a totally different Japanese dining experience, then this is the place for you. The service, the food, the music, the drinks are all worth coming back for. Make sure you make your reservation early. Don’t try to find the sign for Etsu if you’re driving because they don’t have one. But it’s not hard to spot with a red lantern shining brightly on the dark street. Once you open the doors, it’s becomes a crazy loud Japanese Izakaya.

Etsu
Address: 2440 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Australia
Tel: +61 (07) 55260944
Website: www.etsu.com.au

*Feel the excitement of life in the fun lane on Australia’s Gold Coast, where the sun shines on an incredible variety of things to see and do all year round. Scoot flies from Singapore to Gold Coast from SGD79. For more information, check out their website.*

Tweed is an ideal location for food production and has a diverse and evolving farming sector, with high emphasis on sustainable food production. The area’s incredible beauty has also drawn many creative souls to the Tweed, including culinary geniuses. There is a growing number of cafes and restaurants emerging in towns and villages throughout Tweed. It is an ideal venue for celebration of food.

I have been to Tweed last year for a culinary adventure (read part 1 & part 2), trying all the different restaurants that the area has to offer. This time round, I am very honoured to be back again to attend TASTE of Kingscliff & Tweed Coast Food Festival 2015, all thanks to Destination Tweed, Aria Events, Salt & Peppers Resort and Scoot Airlines for their kind hospitality.

The 10-day food festival featured a series of food-inspired, family-friendly beachside events throughout the Tweed and Tweed Coast, and showcases the region’s amazing fresh local produce and features special guest appearances by talented chefs and restaurateurs. When Jayne from Aria Events asked me for recommendation of a local Singaporean chef, I thought of Shen immediately and both of us flew to Tweed to do cooking demos over the weekend. Shen is one of my favourite Chefs in Singapore. She is a real foodie and a self-taught chef who does excellent modern Singaporean dishes.

During the official opening, we did a quick and simple cooking demo of the Yusheng Salmon Ceviche and Salad. Yusheng, meaning “raw fish”, is a Chinese New Year dish traditionally served on the seventh day of Chinese New Year. It is a salad dish comprising thin slices of raw fish and various spices, tossed to prosperity and longevity, all adding to the good wishes for the new year. A play of the traditional flavours, we used sashimi grade salmon dressed in spicy plum sauce, the salad is served with crunchy cucumber and salad leaves, it’s a great way to kick start the night!

There is also a demo of prawn linguine by the chef from Babalou, using the produce available. It was a great night with good food and lots of fun! We went back to take a rest at our lovely suite before the actual event happens the following day. My accommodation at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa is definitely the most comfortable option. It is located 20 minutes south of the Gold Coast Airport and 30 minutes drive from Byron Bay. I laze my mornings away by our resort and lagoon style pools before taking a stroll down to the Kingscliff Beach.

The following day, we were all up and early to prepare for the festival. Following the success last year, Taster @ Salt has been expanded to a two-day event, in the beautiful Central Park at Salt Village. There was a variety of fresh produce for purchase and a number of general market stall for those who like to shop. Guess what, I met my barista trainer at the festival as well and he is now working for Zeta’s Coffee, which owns coffee farm and does tasting tour. There is also Ilias Katsapouikidis, or Ilias the Greek, a passionate food lover who creates a delicious range of sweets and pastries including baklava, halva, nougat and pastelli, all based on traditional family recipes.

Craft beers are taking over the taps in bars and restaurants across the Gold Coast, as locally produced brews rise in demand. Stone & Wood from Byron Bay have burst onto the craft beer scene and they came to the festival with some fantastic hand crafted beers. Salumi Australia which produces some of the finest pork in the world is also here for the festival. I also tried the super tasty seafood paella from Samba Catering Co.

There was a series of cooking demonstrations by different culinary talents happening throughout the event, including: –

– Debra Allard (Cheeses Loves You): making mozzarella and cultured butter
– Ilias the Greek: display of Greek dancing and sweet making
– Tropical Fruit World: tasting of locally grown produce
– Graham Terrey (Chef from Ripples Restaurant): preparing a whole chicken for loads of dinner options
– Steven Snow (Chef from FINS Restaurant): cooking seafood dishes
– Craig Scott (Chef from Tumby Sauce Co): preparing a Thai inspired dish featuring fresh produce and his sauces

Of course, both Shen and I took part in the cooking demonstrations as well. We did our local favourite – kaya (coconut jam) and chicken rice! Shen is the one who does all the cooking, while I was just a little helper and sharing with the audience about Singapore food.

Kaya

2015-07-17 22:21:01

A taste of Singapore - coconut jam

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Ingredients

1. 20 egg yolks
2. 500g gula melaka
3. 10 pandan leaves, tied into two bunches
4. 500g coconut milk

Instructions

1. Place gula melaka and coconut milk into bain marie and whisk until sugar is melted.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and pour it into the coconut milk and gula melaka mixture.
3. Cook mixture, whisking from time to time. When it has thickened to a custard consistency, reove from heat and let it cool.

By Shen Tan

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

Amazing festival and I truly enjoyed myself to the great food, great beer and music. Gold Coast and Tweed are endless playgrounds, with an array of fabulous restaurants and dining delights for everyone. Scoot flies from Singapore to Gold Coast daily, for more information, visit www.flyscoot.com.

I have to admit, I didn’t do much homework before my trip to Sydney. I was tied down with work and all I wanted to do was to get out and go on a wild ride. I have no idea what I will eat or who I will meet. I have only planned 1 or 2 must-do activities, and just let the universe determine the rest.

Thankfully, I get to meet up with Shen Tan. We initially wanted to try Miss G because everyone was raving about it being the best Chinese restaurant in Singapore. But I wasn’t keen after having a so-so meal at the overrated MissChu. So I asked her if she can bring me to her favourite restaurant in Sydney, and we ended at Bills @ Crown Street on a windy night.

I am sure Bills is not a stranger to the foodies. Bill Granger is a self-taught cook who takes pride in presenting delicious food that is simple, fresh and looks irresistible. The dishes in his restaurants are produce-driven food and Shen told me that, Bill’s cookbook is one of those she bought when she first started learning cooking.

We love the dinner and decided to go to his Darlinghurst outlet for brunch the following day. No trip to Sydney is complete without breakfast at a Bills. Bill Granger’s scrambled eggs has been described as the best scrambled eggs in the world. The scrambled eggs is amazing, it’s so soft and smooth. I was told that he doesn’t use water, just simply butter and a cup of cream to do the job. Indeed, it was very creamy and light. The eggs come with thick toast and there are sides available including bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados etc.

Sweetcorn fritters is another dish that Shen recommended me to try. I wasn’t keen about it initially because in my impression, corn fritters are usually too oily. But here, Bill uses very sweet corn to taste their best and this combination works very well with bacon and avocado salsa.

We ended our lunch with another famous dish – fluffy hotcakes with honeycomb butter melting over the top. The hotcakes are fluffy and moist, while the ricotta filling wasn’t overpowering at all it, the ultimate Sunday morning treat. I love the simplicity of his dishes that I bought two of his cookbooks home. I can’t wait to try making the scrambled eggs and hotcakes soon!

Bills Restaurant @ Darlinghurst
Address: 433 Liverpool St. | Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9360 9631
Website: www.bills.com.au

I got a taste of Cioppino Seafood Stew about 5 years ago when a friend cooked it during a gathering. Then it has always been on my mind because I love the richness of the flavours and freshness of the seafood. So when we were doing a tour in Sydney Fish Market, we decided to cook Cioppino Seafood Stew for dinner!

Sydney Fish Market is one of the most impressive fish markets in the world. The range of Australian and international seafood is mind blowing. It’s the best value seafood in town, you can select your own lunch from the range or even buy home and cook fresh.

So after our barista class that night, we went home to whip up our seafood stew. It was fun cooking together at our apartment and definitely much cheaper than eating out. Feel free to experiment with your favorite seafood and don’t forget to buy the toasts slathered with butter to soak up the flavorful broth.

Cioppino Seafood Stew

2015-07-21 02:07:18

Serves 2

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Ingredients

1. 1 blue swimmer crab
2. 150g skinless white fish fillets (such as red snapper, sea bass, or halibut), cut into bite-size pieces
3. 8-12 large tiger prawns
4. 6-8 green lipped mussels
5. 200g clams
6. 2 tbsp butter
7. 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
8. 4 garlic cloves, minced
9. 1 green pepper, diced
10. 2 tbsp bay leaf, coarsely chopped
11. 4 tbsp parsley, coarsely chopped
12. 1 can tomato paste
13. 1 can of diced tomatoes
14. 2 cups red wine
15. 2 cups fish stock
16. 1 cup water
17. 1/2 cup lemon juice
18. Black Pepper Corn (to taste)
19. Sugar (to taste)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a pot on medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onions and green pepper. Saute until onion is translucent. Stir in parsley and bay leaf.
3. Add in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, lemon juice, fish stock and red wine. Bring to boil and simmer it for 20mins, stir occasionally.
4. Add crab, mussels and clams. Simmer, covered, until crab shells turn bright pink and clam shells open, about 10 minutes.
5. Add fish and prawns. Simmer, covered, until fish is opaque and prawns are pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove pot from heat. Season with salt and pepper, decorate with parsley.

Notes

1. Stock can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. When you are using it, bring to a simmer before adding seafood.
2. You can add in chilli flakes to taste.
3. Add more red wine to taste if you like.

Miss Tam Chiak http://www.misstamchiak.com/

The Ground of Alexandria is one of the highly anticipated cafes-to-go during this Sydney trip. Big thank you to Destination NSW for the cab charge vouchers, we hop onto the cab and reached the cafe at 8.30am, before the crowd arrives. Located in a former industrial precinct from the 1920s, The Grounds of Alexandria is a landmark coffee roaster, café, bar, eatery and kitchen garden known for its abundance of fresh produce and hands-on experiences. The cafe hosts a coffee research and testing facility, artisan bakery, luscious open garden of heirloom vegetables, fragrant herbs, fresh fruit, flowers and a small animal farm.

Before we went around to take photos, we grab a quick breakfast at the cafe. The Grounds provides a wholesome and produce-driven menu that’s fresh, fun, innovative, complimented by the overall vision of The Grounds of Alexandria. The menu is rustic, wholesome and focused on a paddock-to-plate philosophy. The abundant garden is overflowing with fresh produce used daily in the seasonally driven menu with finest coffee and ever changing menu of breads.

Coffee was first served to our table. They roast fresh coffee beans in the Research Facility and has two espresso stations – one for in-house and one for take-aways. A cappuccino and flat white please! Besides roasting their own coffee, the exciting thing about the cafe is that they bake all their own bread in-house and make all their own pastries as well. So much dedication for cooking and growing.

The menu contains elements common to most Sydney cafés, but well executed. The Signature Avocado ($16) is served with thick avocado, heirloom tomato, feta, za-atar, garden mint and micro herbs with The Grounds signature bread. I don’t really love eating avocado in Singapore but this one is so rich and creamy!

I had the visually stunning Grounds Baked Eggs ($18). Served on a wooden board, the dish features two free range eggs baked in a skillet with a rich tomato sauce, buffalo mazzarella, white beans, dried cherry tomatoes and basil. The vibrant red cherry tomatoes provide a nice contrast to the baked eggs. Alternately, you could go for their hearty Chef’s Breakkie Pan ($19), featuring two free range soft-poached eggs, kassler bacon, roast roma tomatoes, button mushrooms, chicken chipolatas, hollandaise sauce and baby italian loaf.

Isn’t this place so beautiful for a wedding photoshoot?

The downside of coming here after 9am, it will get crowded and you probably have to queue. Thank goodness there’s a large outdoor terrace for alfresco eating. It’s roomy and felt like being in a huge farmhouse. How perfect it would be if I can hold my garden wedding here. If you can’t stand the wait, go for The Potting Shed which offers homely and produce-driven food.

Alexandria has always been an industrial suburb but it has definitely gone through some transformation, thanks to The Grounds. Don’t forget to say hello to Kevin the pig or his friend Bradley the sheep, while you drink a cup of icy cold lemonade after brunch or pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers. The service is friendly and efficient, will definitely come back again!

The Grounds
Address: 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia
Phone:+61 2 9699 2225
Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 7am – 4pm; Sat & Sun 7.30am – 4pm

Mookata restaurants have been gaining popularity in Singapore in recent years. In Jalan Besar Food Centre, there is a stall called “Sedap Thai” selling Thai mookata. And what’s the best thing? It’s halal-certified! Mookata – Moo means pork and kata, skillet, in Thai – refers to a dome-shaped grill with a soup trough that is placed over fire.

Okay, it is not exactly mookata, because there is no pork in their BBQ. That’s why, it should be called ayam-kata or kambing-kata or simply halal certified Thai BBQ instead. A special feature of Mookata is the use of pork lard in place of oil. Instead of using pork lard, chicken oil is used here. We ordered a platter ($20) which consists of chicken, lamb and beef, with some prawns and vegetables, enough for 2 pax.

The marinade is more pepperish and because chicken powder is added into the marinade, when the meat juices flow to the soup, it feels like I am having maggie mee soup. While it may not work too well for me, some of my friends like it. The sweet tangy chilli sauce is pretty mild, and more towards the sweet side. I hope they have a more spicy chilli sauce next time. Finally, a place where our Malay friends can enjoy Thai BBQ!

Sedap Thai
Address: 166 Jalan Besar Food Centre #01-08, Singapore 208877
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 4:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Whether you’re a veteran chef or you prefer to have others do your cooking for you, you know the basic steps of making a meal for yourself or others. You have to decide what you’re going to serve, gather your ingredients, and do your prep work before you go near the stove or oven. It may sound funny, but the same is true of starting a food blog.

Instead of choosing a meal, you’re going to choose a niche and a focus for your blog. Then, instead of eggs, meat, flour, fruits, or vegetables, your blog’s “ingredients” will consist of your passion for delicious foods, your blog’s name, its platform, attractive images, and engaging writing.

Starting and running a successful food blog is not a difficult process, but you really do need to know a few things before you get started. For example, do you know where you’ll host your blog or what software you’ll use to make sure that your website is attractive and easy to read? Are you prepared to take beautiful, clear pictures of the food that you write about? Do you know what topics you’ll want to cover or which angle you want to choose for your blog?

So….I WROTE AN EBOOK for all beginners: Food Blogging 101 – Your Recipe for Success: Tools, Techniques & Tips For Making Your Food Blog A Success From The Start.

Yes, finally I published an ebook! In this book, I’ll walk you through all of this and more, and you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started, write great content, market your blog effectively, grow it, and even make money with it, if that’s your goal. I’ll be your guide as you journey into the world of food blogging.

If you have a passion for delicious dishes, exquisite restaurants, local and international cuisine, and travel, you’ve probably considered starting your own food blog. If that’s the case, then you owe it to yourself to read my book, Food Blogging 101 – Your Recipe for Success. Whether you’re a talented chef with your own spin on traditional dishes or you’re a restaurant enthusiast with a flair for words, you can be a successful food blogger if you have the right tools to get started.

In this book, I will take you through the step-by-step process of creating, writing, and running your food blog. We will begin with how to create your blog online, including which tools you might want to use and how to get started. Then you’ll learn about what makes great content for a food blog and how to write compelling posts that will keep your readers coming back for more. Then, because photography is such an integral part of food blogging, I’ve included an entire chapter to help you get the perfect shot.

Once you have all of the tools necessary to create your blog, write great posts, and take amazing photographs, you’ll then learn all about social media marketing and how to build your audience through Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks, as well as how to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) to get better rankings in Google search results.

Then, finally, I’ll go through tips and techniques for continuing to grow your food blog over the coming months and years. Including tips and strategies for monetizing your blog, once you finish reading Food Blogging 101 – Your Recipe for Success, you’ll have all of the knowledge and information you need to create, build, and grow a highly successful food blog. Why not get started right now?

Download the ebook!
US :- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0124XFNSY
UK :- http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0124XFNSY

Hong Kong actress Amy Yip has always been known for her busty figure. And we often create jokes out of it, including this Ye Zhi Mei Handmade Dim Sum (叶子楣手工包点) at Jalan Besar. This jumbo-sized pau became popular in Malaysia during the 1990s and it has attracted many fans (especially the male ones haha). We went there for supper with the foodies after a delicious plate of fried oyster at Jalan Besar Food Centre. Supper was eating such a huge pau? There goes my diet plan again.

But I can’t deny that it was good. The size of the pau is as huge as a soup bowl and it is packed with juicy pork and chicken, hardboiled egg, some mushrooms and Chinese sausage. The marination was slightly towards the sweet side but it is juicy and the skin is so soft. It’s 500g worth of goodness – oh my! For me, I find it very hard to finish the entire pau for myself. We also went for their lo mai kai (glutinous rice with chicken) which was soft and well-seasoned, and the chee cheong fun which works well for breakfast.

Ye Zi Mei Handmade Dim Sum
Address: 208 Jalan Besar
Tel: 62942210
Opening hours: from Tue to Sun, open for 24 hours

Keng Eng Kee. Finally. I have known Chef Wayne for some time and have visited some of the pop up stalls that he had done, but somehow or rather, I didn’t have the chance to try Keng Eng Kee. So right after our wedding photoshoot that day, we invited the team to join us for late night dinner at Keng Eng Kee.

Keng Eng Kee started by Chef Wayne’s grandparents in the 1970s, along Old Havelock Road. Upon the demolition of the former Havelock Road Hawker Centre, Keng Eng Kee Seafood shifted to Alexandra Village. With their good quality zichar, they have grown from a small rented stall to a bigger premise.

Dinner started with a plate of crunchy Cuttlefish Kang Kong ($10 / $15 / $20) with a tasty sauce which was spicy and savoury. This is real sinful because underneath it was generous amount of pork lard. But you know, when you are tired after a long day, all you want is good food. So let’s whack it!

My friends love their Coffee Pork Ribs ($12 / $18 / $25) very much. When it arrived at our table, the coffee aroma lingered. The pork ribs is coated with oyster sauce and coffee powder which gave a sexy caramel robust. If you like coffee, I am quite sure you will like this. The coffee flavour was very strong, so I only had a few bites to prevent myself from staying awake throughout the night

Another signature item at KEK is the Mingzhu Roll ($12 / $16 / $20), which felt like the asian burger. The dried beancurd was stuffed with lots of ingredients such as salted egg yolk, prawn, ham, mushrooms and parsley. When you get a huge bite, it’s party in your mouth. But I thought it was too huge for me and I wasn’t able to identify with the ingredients, except for the crispy beancurd skin. 

This Salted Egg Sotong ($18 / $28 / $38) is one of the better ones I have had. They deep fried the squid rings and tossed them with salted egg sauce, chilli padi and curry leaves. The flavours are bold and it makes for an addictive snack because of the slick of salted egg yolk that coats each crunchy piece.

I am a fan of pig liver. I have been eating it since young but I know it is hard to get it right. Because alot of stalls tend to overcook their pig’s liver. But Keng Eng Kee’s version is done just right. The Claypot Liver ($12 / $18) is drizzled with some wine and it has got just the right texture with a robust sauce. A bowl of rice please!

The finale was Fried Hor Fun ($5 / $8 / $12 / $16) which I have been looking forward to. Just like the cuttlefish kangkong and mingzhu roll, this has been part of KEK’s menu since the 1960’s when they were still in Havelock road. And what makes it the star of the dinner was because of the WOK HEI. The wok hei is excellent, if you take a peep into the kitchen, you can see the chef tossing the hor fun under big fire till it gets slightly charred. You get a smoky flavour from the flat noodles that was stir fried with lard, chinese sausages, prawns, squid and dark sauce. Add the egg yolks in the middle, mix it up with the noodles and you get an excellent plate smooth and delicious hor fun.

Is this one of the best cze char in Singapore? Certainly. Most dishes are excellent, very hearty, with bold flavours. It’s definitely a great place to bring my foreigner friends here for dinner. Chef Wayne will be opening a new modern zichar concept this October, looking forward to it!

Keng Eng Kee Seafood
Address: Blk 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-136, Singapore 150124
Tel: 6272 1038
Opening hours: 11:30AM to 1:45PM; 5:00PM to 10:45PM

The first-ever overseas outlet of Osaka’s Japanese bakery Delicius Pasticceria opens in Singapore. Owner Sueharu Nagaoka has been working for 20 years as a cake chef in top hotels he started his own business in 2002. Although his first shop was a small set-up in a residential area, Delicius earned loyal fans from its early beginnings and became one of the most popular cake shop in Osaka.

Nagaoka-san was attracted by Singapore’s vibrancy and decided to set up a branch here. The kitchen team has underwent training in Japan with him and now they are able to run their own show, while Nagaoka-san visits Singapore monthly to check on the quality. Big thank you to the Kopitiam group for the invitation, we had a chance to try some of the sweet creations just last week.

It’s always comforting to have a slice of cheesecake after meal but the question is, is it cloying? Try the signature Apple Cheese Pomme Fromage cheesecake ($6) which uses Brie de Meaux from France. Delicius’s version is definitely light in texture and not cloying. The addition of apricot jam to the cheesecake changes the dimension and made us crave for more. For a variation, they also have Fruit Cheese ($4.50) and Montelimar ($4.80).

For more creamy option, they have the Chestnut Tart ($6), Caldinard ($5.80) and Embassy ($5). I thought the chestnut tart and strawberry shortcake was too overloaded with cream. I still prefer the usual Mont Blanc with rich chestnuts puree. They also have the Pudding ($2.50) and Creme Brulee ($4).

However, Delicius fare better with their tarts. Figs are a thing of beauty. Their fig tart ($5) has a balance of light crust with not-too-sweet chunky figs. This has got to be my favourite. If you need a cake to please your girlfriend, you will probably want to try Rouge 50 ($5). It’s refreshing with bright, sweet and tangy flavors.

For chocolate lovers, go for their Raspberry Chocolate ($5.80) which has a layer of tangy raspberry mousse for the refreshing mouthfeel. We were also joking about Saint Marc ($5.50), which looks like a piece of sio bak (call us hawker food siao). There’s vanilla crème Chantilly and crème chocolat sandwiched between layers of biscuit joconde. It sweet and intense, you get a slight hint of bitterness from the caramelized sugar.

The owner is especially well known for his apple cheesecakes, hence he uses apples for logo and even draw an apple tree in the shop. There are some hits and misses of course, but I think the Pomme Fromage cheesecake is not bad. I like that they have a cafe space for me to enjoy the cakes with a cup of matcha latte and do some people watching. After a full meal at Lau Pat Sat, remember to save space for the picture-perfect cakes from Delicius Pasticceria!

Delicius Pasticceria
Address: 18 Raffles Quay, Lau Pat Sat
Tel: 6702 7329
Opening hours: 10:00 am – 10:30 pm daily