First 25 Café boosts a casual dining environment with an elegant touch and all white interior in the vicinity of Tanjong Pagar. It is just a stone’s throw away from the Pinnacle @ Duxton, as well as, Tanjong Pagar MRT station. The Victorian mirror you would notice on the left side of the café upon entering, contributes to the café’s elegance.

As you walk into the café, the bright interior welcomes you all the way to your seat. With acoustic music playing in the background, it’s a great place to relax and unwind after a hard day’s work. Although their Ala Carte Menu was pretty focused, be blown away by their Asian Fusion dishes. It’s a fusion between Korean/Japanese and Italian.

We started off with Ice Salted Caramel Coffee ($6.90) and Ice Orange Chocolate ($7.50). They have quite a reasonable number of coffee, tea and other beverages. The reason as to why First 25 Café stands out is due to the fact that their coffee and chocolate drinks are specially flavoured. While the former was soothingly sweet and satisfying, the latter was refreshingly chocolatey!

We shared a plate of Kimchi Cheese Fries ($10). On our first bite, we didn’t find it spicy but subsequently, the kimchi certainly packed a good punch! What a successful idea of mixing kimchi with fries and sinfully topped with truckloads of cheese!

When our mains arrived, we were awed by the onsen egg atop our Smoked Uni Carbonara ($26). This dish also consists of sage, slipper lobster and sea urchin. Simply fantastic! We love how creamy the sauce was.

Their signature First 25 Porcini Burger ($21) came with a generous side of fries in white truffle pumpkin mayonnaise. The meat patty was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Coupled with their home-made secret recipe sauce, we don’t mind returning for a second serving however sinful it is!

A pity we had dinner ‘cause having looked through their lunch menu, we felt very tempted. The good news is that their set lunch menu changes every two weeks! Good food puts everyone in a good mood right? If we were working in the stressful CBD or had a bad morning, heading here for lunch would instantly lift up our moods.

First 25 Café
Address: 7 Hoe Chiang Road, Singapore 089313
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 10pm (Mon-Fri). 12pm – 8pm (Sat). Closed on Sun and Ph.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/first25cafe/

The post First 25 Café – Chillax in the CBD appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and it is yet another season to binge on goodies! With relatives and friends visiting, no doubt it is important to get the best goodies to serve them. Thankfully, with so many roadshows around the island, we do not have to travel too far to get these goodies. For the pineapple tart lovers, we have already compiled a list of 10 Best Pineapple Tarts in Singapore. But that’s not all! Here is a list of 5 Love Letters that you should not miss for CNY 2016!

Baker’s Well
Address: 35 East Coast Road, Singapore 428754
Phone:6348 6864
Website: www.bakerswell.com

Located at 35 East Coast Road is a bakery which was opened in 2004 and owned by a fellow Singaporean, Virginia Cheng. Together with her team, they strive to produce wholesome and truly homemade baked goods. For this Chinese New Year, Baker’s Well has prepared an extensive variety of goodies for you to choose from. For the love letters, they offer Traditional flavored, Charcoal flavored and Hei Bee Hiam flavored. The Hei Bee Hiam Love Letters ($23) are rather unique, as they are savory unlike the common ones which are sweet. The batter is mixed with spicy dried shrimp sambal, hence every mouth will be filled with the fragrant taste of hei bee hiam. The love letters are a little spicy, so be sure to keep them away from the young ones!

Kele Confectionery
Address: 517 Jurong West Street 52, Singapore 640517
Phone:6560 1249
Website: www.kele.sg

With a strong dedication to use the best quality ingredients in making delectable products, Kele Confectionary’s pineapple tarts were voted the best in Singapore. Not only do they have a good reputation for their pineapple tarts, Kele also has delectable love letters for those who prefer the traditional flavor. Cooked with an iron mold over a charcoal flame, their Premium Love Letters ($17.80) were made crispy with a fragrant eggy taste. We like!

Kee Wah Bakery
We bought from Takashimaya B2 Square

Kee Wah began as a small neighborhood grocery store on Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. With the hard work and perseverance of Mr. Wong Yip Wing, the founder and his workers, the business began to grow in size, diversifying to include other products such as bridal cakes, mooncakes and seasonal goods like Chinese New Year products. Hong Kong style love letters are also different from the traditional ones, as they are light and flaky. Kee Wah Bakery offers 3 different flavours for their love letters. Their unique Coffee Love Letters ($21) stood out from the rest, as you could taste the fragrance from the butter, along with the sweet, coffee flavor. Their Butter Love Letters would also make a great choice for those who love butter.

Lavender Confectionery & Bakery
We bought from Takashimaya B2 Square

Lavender Confectionary & Bakery is a family-owned company, with several dining concepts located around Johor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They are also proud of their time-honored traditions and skillfully crafted products such as their Traditional Love Letters ($18.80), which were made over charcoal stove. It is crispy, fragrant and the sweetness is just right. The best part is, the love letters were packed into small packages, with 6 rolls in each pack. This is to keep the rest air tight and maintaining the crispy quality, while you slowly savor one pack. They also have Pandan Love Letters sold at same price, but we felt that it was a tad too sweet for our liking.

Rasa Sayang
Address: 31 Jalan Keli #03-01, Singapore 577931
Tel: 9222 2106
Website: http://rsayang.com

Founder, Madam Lai first started as a home based confectionary in Jakarta, Indonesia. Through word of mouth, her baked products began to gain popularity and in 1998, this was introduced to the Singaporeans. To those who frequent to Jakarta or have friends and relatives who do, you would have heard of or tasted her delicious homemade Kuih Lapis. Now with her extensive selection of snacks, Rasa Sayang also offers delectable Black Sesame Love Letters ($19). The aromatic black sesame seeds enhance the flavor of the eggy love letter, and it leaves a fragrant aftertaste. The love letter is also light and crispy, great to crunch on while watching CNY shows!

♥♥♥

Hope you love our recommendations, do share with us your favourite love letters brand if you have any. We will also be sharing our favourite CNY goodies this week, stay tuned!

The post 5 Love Letters to try this CNY 2016 appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

With the conclusion of contract at Golden Mile Hawker Centre, the famous Fishball Story has moved to University Town at NUS. Young and passionate hawker Douglas Ng makes his own fishballs, the way his grandmother used to make them.

His fishballs uses pure yellow tail fish with no flour. This young chap comes to the stall at 4am everyday and starts making fishballs. He blends fish paste, hand press the fishballs and fishcakes, makes the sambal and lard… so that he will be ready to serve by 8am. Hard work, isn’t it?

For $3 a bowl, you get a bowl of handmade fishballs, fishcakes and mee pok tossed with sambal chilli and lard. The fishballs are firm and my mee pok is al dente and has a QQ textue. I love the fishcakes, it’s soft yet roughly textured and speckled with chilli and scallions. The lard and fried shallots seem to be lesser, and the sambal chilli was a little too gentle for me. But for the students, they have no quarrels about it, hence forming the longest queue in the canteen.

Being a hawker is not an easy job – the long hours and the heat are but some of the challenges hawkers face daily. Young hawkers like Douglas are what we need to preserve our Hawker culture. His insistence to make his own fishballs by hand shows his dedication and gives light to our vanishing hawker heritage. There will be exciting plans for Fishball Story in April near Fusionopolis, stay tuned!

Fishball Story
Address: 2 College Avenue West #02-01, Stephen Riady Center, University Town @ NUS, Singapore 138607 (Entrance is Opposite New Town Secondary School along Dover Road)
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 8pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fishballstory/

The post Fishball Story Opens at NUS – Longest Queue in the Canteen! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

From its humble beginnings in 1998 as a modest patisserie supplying French bread and pastries to restaurants and hotels, Bakerzin has since grown into a franchise with multiple shop locations selling French baked goods, desserts and a menu of savoury dishes.

This Chinese New Year, Bakerzin is proud to launch its range of Lunar New Year cookies, tarts and cakes – all aimed to make every celebration with family and friends an extra special one. There are a total of NINE different cookies, two special pineapple tarts and two exceptional lapis Surabaya that are must-haves at every family gathering and office party.

These are also ideal as thoughtful gifts during home visits or for corporate clients. To ensure freshness, the confections are individually wrapped and keep very well for the duration of the month long festivities.

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TASTY NIBBLES GALORE!

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Traditional Pineapple Tarts

Parmesan Cheese Pineapple Tarts

Awarded as Singapore’s Top 3 Best Pineapple Tarts by The Straits Times in 2014, Bakerzin’s Traditional Yuan Bao Pineapple Tart ($29.80 nett/21 pcs) is back! Each is baked into the shape of an auspicious golden ingot and every bite into the buttery pastry gives a sweet burst of slow-cooked pineapple filling. It’s so addictive!

In addition, Bakerzin has introduced the all-new Parmesan Cheese Pineapple Tarts ($29.80 nett/21pcs). The buttery pastry is rich with Parmesan cheese and the combination of the salty cheese and light spiced pineapple filling is a marriage made in heaven.

Bakerzin has created a variety of nine Good Luck Cookies to thrill those who love their sweet bakes. Each variant comes in air-tight wraps with eight pieces per pack and each box is priced at $29.80 nett.

Cookies come in a box with all NINE flavours including: –

• Choco-Nutty Oat Cookie (NEW)
These crunchy cookies are redolent with chocolate, desiccated coconut, walnuts and oats.

• Long Jing Cookie (NEW)
Each lovely tea-infused cookie is perfectly matched with hints of fresh lemon zest. For the tea lovers!

• Almond Cookie (NEW)
These traditional buttery nuggets are choc-a-bloc with crunchy almonds.

• Lovely Lavvy Cookie (NEW)
These flavoursome bites feature subtle hints of lavender.

• Rosey Posie Cookie (NEW)
My favourite among the collection as every cookie has highlights of rose in each bite.

• Perky Citrus Cookie (NEW)
Refreshing nibbles with refreshing hints of lemon.

• Peanut Choc-Chip with Sea Salt Cookie (NEW)
Hints of saltiness and sweetness dots this peanut and chocolate chip cookie.

• Nutty Cashew Cookie (Encore)
These melt-in-the-mouth cookies are ideal for those who love this delightful nut.

• Mac-Coconut Cookie (Encore)
Each cookie has luscious bits of coconut with crunchy macadamia.

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Vanilla and Coffee Lapis Surabaya

Vanilla and Chocolate Lapis Surabaya

The team at Bakerzin has taken the recipe for a well known and beloved Surabaya lapis cake and put their unique spin on it to create two exceptional bakes.

The new Vanilla & Coffee Lapis Surabaya ($48 whole; $26 half) is a rich, delicious cake featuring double layers of vanilla and coffee lapis Surabaya cake with chocolate ganache filling.

Or try the Vanilla & Chocolate Lapis Surabaya ($52 whole; $28 half) featuring double layers of vanilla and chocolate lapis Surabaya cake with raspberry jam in the middle to balance the sweet cake with hints of refreshing tartness.

You can now place your orders online at http://www.bakerzin.com or at any of the SEVEN Bakerzin outlets islandwide. A delivery charge of $30 (subject to GST) is applicable for all deliveries from 23 Jan to 5 Feb 2016. An additional delivery charge of $8 (subject to GST) is applicable for deliveries to Sentosa. Last day for outlet order is 4 Feb 2016. Please allow 1 working day for all CNY collections deliveries.

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DOWNLOAD BAKERZIN MOBILE APP

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Enjoy exclusive Bakerzin membership privileges and get your sweet craving fixed.

Find yourself in the wondrous world of sweet treats with the official Bakerzin SG app. Enjoy exclusive Bakerzin membership privileges with this card-less system and earn valuable reward points with every purchase online or at any of our outlets.

From getting rewarded with sweet treats to getting updates on new products and exciting promotions, the app is full with features that you’ll love. Download it today to feed that sweet craving! (App Store / Google Play)

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Bakerzin Outlets: Jurong Point – #03-58 ; United Square – #01-07/60 ; Vivo City – #01-207 ; MyVillage (Serangoon Gardens) – #01-27 ; Gardens by the Bay – #03-03 ; Connexion@Farrer Park – #01-05/07 (closed on every Sunday) ; Century Square – #01-19/22

The post BAKERZIN welcomes CNY with Cookies, Tarts & Cakes! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

In less than 2 weeks’ time, we are celebrating the most important Chinese festival – Lunar New Year. Celebrate a good start with the all-important reunion dinner. If you have no time to cook, there’s a growing number of Chinese New Year takeaway options for you to enjoy family get-together time with good food right in the comforts of your home. If you are looking for good takeaway goodies (be it savouries or sweets), here is a list of our 8 favourite Chinese New Year takeaways to treat your family and friends.

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GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL

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As the Year of the Monkey draws near, this grand dame on Scotts Road welcomes all to feast joyously on its 2016 range of sweet and savoury delights that will make a much-awaited comeback. For hosts with the most, this beautifully presented Festive Appetiser Takeaway Platter (五福拼盘, $108 for six to eight persons) brings flair to any gathering. Available for takeaway only at Min Jiang, the platter comprises five delicious bites of drunken chicken roll, deep-fried prawns coated with salted egg yolk, deep-fried ‘ngoh hiang’, sautéed Kurobuta pork loin with coffee sauce and marinated jellyfish.

Fans of the thorny fruit can rejoice with the return of Durian ‘Nian Gao’ Roll (榴梿年糕卷, $28 for two rolls for takeaway). It is made with luscious D24 durian paste embraced by layers of divine gula Melaka-infused ‘nian gao’ and sprinkled with coconut flakes. Our favourite treat! Available at the Deli.

Guests can contact Min Jiang at (65) 6730 1704 / email: min_jiang@goodwoodparkhotel.com, Min Jiang at One-North at (65) 6774 0122 / email: mj1n@goodwoodparkhotel.com, and the
Deli at (65) 6730 1786 / email: deli@goodwoodparkhotel.com to place reservations or takeaway orders. Alternatively, please visit festivepromotions.goodwoodparkhotel.com for online takeaway orders.

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GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE

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Enjoy modern, delicious and conscious dining this Chinese New Year at Grand Hyatt Singapore. Select from a range of Chinese classics made with sustainably sourced seafood at mezza9 and the halal-certified StraitsKitchen; each restaurant offering an international menu and a truly Singaporean touch respectively, for guests to enjoy Chinese New Year with a cosmopolitan twist.

With an impeccable mix of fresh ingredients and flavourful broth, Clay Pot Braised Sea Cucumber, Pig Tendons, Fish Maw, Tiger Prawns & Conpoy ($48 small; $98 large) is an unanimous favourite among foodies. All the ingredients were cooked to perfection, especially the sea cucumber, which had a gelatinous bite to it. The seafood was fresh and well-seasoned and they soaked up the richly flavoured broth very nicely.

Need more gift ideas? There are aplenty here at the Grand Hyatt’s takeaway racks! Everything is packaged so elegantly, they make great gifts for your loved ones. Pick from a selection of kueh bangkit ($28), Love Letters ($32), and our favourite Mahjong Praline Set ($168) – as the saying goes, this is so “full of win”. Just make sure you put the right thing into your mouth. To order or for enquiries , please call +65 6732 1234 or visit singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com

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HOLIDAY INN ATRIUM

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Usher in the Lunar New Year with a selection of festive goodies and delicacies from Holiday Inn Atrium which will make great gifts for loved ones and business associates. Xin’s Home Style Roast Duck with Tea Leaves (故乡茶皇鸭, whole duck $68) is definitely a must-try in the takeaway menu. The secret of the duck lies in the usage of three different tea leaves, namely Pu’er, Jasmine and Chrysanthemum, which gives rise to the noticeable yet very light Chinese tea scent in the juicy and smoky meat. I really enjoy the crispy skin with tender meat. It is specially created for those who wish to enjoy reunion dinner at the comfort of their home,

Xin Cuisine’s signature Pan-fried Yam and Pumpkin Cake (新故乡秘制金瓜芋头糕, $48 per box) is my favourite amongst all. While many yam cakes are mashed into paste, Xin’s version still allows you to taste the solid yam and pumpkin slices. The combination of both sweetens up your palette and goes very well with their homemade XO sauce. To order, please call 6731 7173 or visit singaporeatrium.holidayinn.com/festive

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PIES & COFFEE

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Celebrate Lunar New Year with Pies & Coffee! Add four different types of cookies and Wheel of Fortune Pineapple and Coconut Flourless Cake to your line-up of festive goodies. The irresistible flavours are Salted Egg Yolk Cookies, Parmesan Cheese Cookies, Pineapple Parmesan Tarts and Green Pea Cashew Cookies. More than just a delicious snack, the cookies make great gifts too. Two beautifully packed gift boxes — Prosperity Bundle and Happiness Bundle — can be gifted to loved ones, business partners, and clientele as a token of your sincerity.

A must-try is the Salted Egg Yolk Cookies ($22 for approx. 42 pieces, 420g). Made with butter pastry, corn flour and morsels of salted eggs, the cookies are flavourful and fragrant. They hit the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. They crumble with each bite, and each addictive bite leads to another one. All-time favourite Parmesan Cheese Cookies are bound to delight ($22 for approx. 42 pieces, 360g). Boasting a crisp and ethereal texture, these handmade cookies give a burst of happiness. The traditional butter cookies are baked with egg yolk and parmesan cheese, both of which lend a robust flavour.

Pies & Coffee’s newly launched Green Pea Cashew cookies ($22 for approx. 45 pieces, 460g) have a cross between melt-in-your-mouth and crunchy texture, as it contains a balanced amount of roasted green peas and cashew nuts, hence providing an enticing crunchy bite. Salt, peanut oil, icing sugar and egg imbue the cookies with a robust, piquant taste. Order online at www.piesncoffee.com or at any of the four Pies & Coffee outlets islandwide.

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RED HOUSE SEAFOOD

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Bringing families together since 1976, Red House Seafood (小红楼) is one of the most reputable seafood restaurants in Singapore that continues to attract diners with scrumptious local seafood fare. This Lunar New Year, you will be able to take away prosperity dishes in style with the Reunion Takeaway Tiffin Set Reunion Takeaway Tiffin Set (六六大顺套餐外卖, $188) for six persons.

This three-tiered custom-made ‘tingkat’ consists of wok-fried Sautéed Fresh Lily Bulbs, Wild Mushrooms with Asparagus, Sautéed Trio of Seafood with Pineapple in Chef’s Spicy Sauce and Braised Pork Belly with Special Sauce – a beautifully-braised slab of pork belly in a tangy-sweet sauce reduced from lemon juice, fresh oranges and Chinese herbs. These three newly created dishes, together with Prosperity Raw Salmon Yu Sheng, Steamed Fried Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf and Mandarin oranges make the complete Reunion Takeaway Tiffin Set.

Two types of Yu Sheng are available for takeaway – Prosperity Raw Salmon Yu Sheng and Double Happiness (which comes with salmon and ikan parang). Priced at $48 and $78 for six and ten persons respectively, each set of yu sheng is brimming with traditional ingredients such as candied winter melon, preserved cucumber and leek, shredded carrots and white radish, lime leaf, pomelo, golden ‘pillows’ and crushed nuts. Shredded deep-fried yam provides an extra crunch, while the refreshing homemade plum sauce blended with fresh dragon fruit gives the Yu Sheng a delightful piquancy. To order, call the Prinsep Street outlet at 6336 6080 or The Quayside at 6735 7666, visit www.redhouseseafood.com or email Red House Seafood at prinsep@redhouseseafood.com / quayside@redhouseseafood.com for all takeaway orders.

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SINGAPORE MARRIOTT TANG PLAZA HOTEL

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Reunite with family and friends, and celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Monkey with tempting celebratory takeaways. Making a debut this year is Wan Hao’s Deluxe Pen Cai with Nourishing Pig Trotter at $738nett (6 persons)/ $1388nett (10 persons). Suitable for the whole family with 14 luxuriant ingredients served communal-style in a festive casserole hot pot, this delicacy is not only steeped in symbolisms of goodness and auspicious meanings, it boasts the ultimate in taste and presentation, and is brimming with collagen. Pig trotters are rich in collagen which helps your skin to retain moisture and it is the connective protein that holds muscle tissue together. A gastronomical centrepiece perfect of your Lunar New Year Table, this pot of prosperity is also filled with 3-head Australian Abalone, Japanese Large Conpoy, Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Dried Oyster, Black Mushroom, Prawn, Whole Pig Trotter, Roast Duck, Chinese Cabbage, Black Moss, Mustard Greens, Japanese Turnip and Bean Curd.

Choose from perennial Lunar New Year favourites such as the Auspicious Salmon Yu Sheng with Shredded Cod Fish ($68nett – small, $136nett – large); Prosperity Tuna Yu Sheng with Jellyfish ($68nett – small, $136nett – large); Good Fortune Abalone Yu Sheng with Bonito Flakes ($88nett – small, $176nett – large); Wan Hao’s Signature Roast Duck ($96nett); Glutinous Red Rice with Chinese Sausage, Dried Shrimps & Mushroom ($78nett for 6 persons); Longevity Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage, Dried Shrimps & Conpoy ($38nett for 6 persons); Lunar New Year Koi Fish – Nian Gao ($42nett for 6 persons); Koi Fish Fresh Mango Pudding ($52nett for 6 persons); Water Chestnut Cake with Rose ($42nett for 6 persons) and more. For pre-orders, please call 6831 4605 or email mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@marriotthotels.com

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THE FULLERTON HOTEL SINGAPORE

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Jade brings back the signature Yam Paste Nian Gao Tart (好年圆芋泥年糕挞), a delicate pastry tart which can be savoured in one bite. In addition, Chef Leong gives the Nian Gao (Glutinous Rice Cake) a modern twist with pandan and sweet potato filling (香兰甜薯年糕挞) within a buttery crust oven baked to perfection. Packaged in an attractive box for gifting, our signature Yam Paste Nian Gao Tarts and Sweet Potato Pandan Flavoured Nian Gao Tarts are available at S$28+ per box of 8 pieces.

Filled with freshly homemade Peach Jam and buttery crust oven baked to perfection, the Honey Peach Pastry (仙玉蜜桃酥) can be savoured on its own or an afternoon tea snack. Available at $26+ per box of 8 pieces. Inspired by the 88 koi fish (popularly known as carp) in the koi pond at the lower lobby of The Fullerton Hotel, Chef Leong has custom-crafted a Harmony Koi Fish Nian Gao, a colourful round glutinous rice cake ornamented with a pair of koi fish. Available for takeaway at $38+ each. For enquiries or orders, please call The Fullerton Cake Boutique at (65) 6877 8943 or email fullertonshop@fullertonhotel.com

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BAKERZIN

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This Chinese New Year, Bakerzin is proud to launch its range of Lunar New Year cookies, tarts and Lapis Surabaya – all aimed to make every celebration with family and friends an extra special one. Awarded as Singapore’s Top 3 Best Pineapple Tarts by The Straits Times in 2014, Bakerzin’s Traditional Yuan Bao Pineapple Tart (招财进宝, $29.80 nett/21 pcs) is back! Each is baked into the shape of an auspicious golden ingot and every bite into the buttery pastry gives a sweet burst of slow-cooked pineapple filling. It’s so addictive! In addition, Bakerzin has introduced the all-new Parmesan Cheese Pineapple Tarts (金芝玉叶, $29.80 nett/21pcs). The buttery pastry is rich with Parmesan cheese and the combination of the salty cheese and light spiced pineapple filling is a marriage made in heaven.

The team at Bakerzin has taken the recipe for a well known and beloved Surabaya lapis cake and put their unique spin on it to create two exceptional bakes. The new Vanilla & Coffee Lapis Surabaya ($48 whole; $26 half) is a rich, delicious cake featuring double layers of vanilla and coffee lapis Surabaya cake with chocolate ganache filling. Or try the Vanilla & Chocolate Lapis Surabaya ($52 whole; $28 half) featuring double layers of vanilla and chocolate lapis Surabaya cake with raspberry jam in the middle to balance the sweet cake with hints of refreshing tartness. You can now place your orders online at http://www.bakerzin.com or at any of the SEVEN Bakerzin outlets islandwide.

The post 8 Chinese New Year Takeaway Goodies You Should Not Miss appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Chinese cuisine is full of bold, varied flavors and rich dishes, and it’s often served family-style so you end up with a meal overflowing with seafood, meat, rice or noodles all competing for your palate’s attention. Instead of matching a brew to each dish, I prefer to find a beer that works for the meal as a whole.

Blue Lion may be the most versatile beer with a Chinese meal. The earthy hop bitterness and carbonation are moderate, but enough to cut through any heavy sauces or rich meats.

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About Blue Lion Beer

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Blue Lion Beer is the brainchild of the Singapore and German offices of the Shriro Group, which has more than 3,500 staff in 15 markets across 4 continents. A family-owned business with more than 100 years of history, the Shriro Group owns businesses in diverse industries.

The idea of crafting a German brew customised for the beer-loving Asian palate emerged when Singaporean and German office colleagues were having a company dinner. It was unanimous among them that German lager was delicious but may be slightly heavy for the Asian palate. From a simple company-bonding dinner, it gave birth to a vision of using expert German brewing techniques to create a lager suited for the Asian market.

To understand how well Blue Lion pairs with Asian Food, we visited Swatow Teochew Restaurant to have a taste test.

Available during the Chinese New Year period is this classic Teochew-style abalone yusheng that uses freshly grated vegetables dressed with a homemade plum sauce. Such a great palate opener for us and the fruity malt base of Blue Lion complements the Yu Sheng as every bite was refreshing.

Teochew cooking uses less flavouring than most other Chinese cuisines and depends much on the freshness and quality of the ingredients for taste and flavour. “Through methods like poaching, slow-braising and steaming, we were able to extract the natural flavours of ingredients in Teochew cuisine,” Owner of Swatow Jimi Tan explains.

I get what he means when our cold crabs arrives. The crabs have been steamed, and cooled. What you taste is sea sweet flavors of the fresh crab meat that are intensified by a long cooling. Packed with roe, the meat was firm, and relatively fleshy for their size. Diving into the pile of crabs with a cold beer is bliss.

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PROMOTIONS:
– Flash this post and enjoy a Blue Lion beer bucket promotion of $30++ per bucket of 5 (U.P. $42.50).
– From now to 22 February 2016, spend a minimum of $250 in a single receipt (food & Blue Lion beer) and stand a chance to win a pair of return air tickets to Hong Kong.

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The Blue Lion project took two years to incubate, with a whole year spent on tasting through hundreds of beer samples using the same traditional Bavarian brewing recipe, used by various breweries in South-east Asia.

To ensure authenticity of the Bavarian identity, all ingredients, from hops, barley to malt are imported from Munich, Germany. The final result is a beer recipe made up of 95% malt and 5% rice, boasting citrus and floral notes with a less bitter and slightly sweeter finish. To achieve a purer and crisper lager style, the water used for brewing the beer is first passed through the state of the art 0.0014 micron liquid filtration system.

Some snacks to go with beer? Try Swatow’s Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Sauce with Blue Lion, and I guarantee you can’t stop at just one. Every fried fish skin is thoroughly coated in salted egg sauce yet the skin maintains its crunch. Best beer food ever!

Serving the four stars of the quintessential Teochew-style bites are Chilled Jellied Pork Knuckles, Teochew Sliced Pork, Crispy Pork Roll and Swatow Kampong Chicken. Blue Lion citrusy and floral flavours are great with it, it matches up with things like the braising sauce and mellows things like chilli sauce.

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German recipe designed for the Asian palette.

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Classic fish dish is one of the best representations of Teochew cuisine. At Swatow, the silver pomfret is huge with shiny white flesh, decorated with plum, tomatoes and pickled vegetables. The saltiness of the pickled vegetable subtly plays up the savoury notes of the ginger, and acts as a layer of protection to seal the moistness and sweetness of the fish.

Crispy Oyster Omelette uses more eggs than flour, they are deep fried to a crisp exterior and served as an accompanying sweet and sour sauce with juicy oysters. Because of the sauce, I would reach for Blue Lion which can cut through that richness while grabbing onto the savoriness and matching the touch of sweetness.

Not forgetting the Stir Fried Hor Fun, which is pure comfort food: greasy and savory, rich and mild. It’s delicious with a glass of Blue Lion. The wok hei in the noodles melds seamlessly with the flavors in the beer. Plus I think it works well with garlic and other spices in the noodles.

Chinese food is one of the oldest and most diverse styles of cuisine in the world, varying immensely depending on region. But I am clearly surprised at how Blue Lion is suited for the Asian palatte as the dishes we tried in Swatow has proved that its flavours are a good complement to many dishes in the menu.

Blue Lion beer is available in both pint bottles and 330 ml cans. The brown tinted bottles ensure little to no light infiltration so that the most authentic taste is preserved. The eminent Blue Lion is printed on the front of the cans which come in an attractive silver.

For all your party and social needs, Blue Lion Beer can also be purchased online in a carton of 24. Blue Lion beer can be enjoyed island-wide in various retails, bars, clubs and restaurants. Find out if one is near you: http://www.bluelionbeer.com/our-presence/

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PROMOTIONS:
– Flash this post and enjoy a bucket promotion of $30++ per bucket of 5 (U.P. $42.50).
– From now to 22 February 2016, spend a minimum of $250 in a single receipt (food & Blue Lion beer) and stand a chance to win a pair of return air tickets to Hong Kong.

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Swatow Seafood Restaurant
Address: Blk 181 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #02-602, Singapore 310181
Tel: +65 63631717
Website: http://www.swatow.com.sg/

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This post is brought to you in partnership with Blue Lion. For more information, visit http://www.bluelionbeer.com

The post Blue Lion Beer – First German Beer Crafted for the Asian Palate appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Setting itself apart from indulgent family feasts, Tian Fu Tea Room introduces its unique take on Lunar New Year Celebrations. Its popular Reunion Imperial High Tea (团圆宫廷下午茶) returns from 8 to 22 February 2016, 2.30pm to 6.00pm, served up in the warm and tranquil setting of its three Tian Fu Tea Room outlets in Singapore.

The oriental high tea set menu features a thoughtful line-up of all the festive season’s auspicious must-haves, as well as the tearoom’s exquisite dim sum creations, paired with three premium Chinese brews at a pocket-friendly price of only $38 per person.

We visited Tian Fu Tea Room at PARKROYAL on Beach Road yesterday for a taste of their Reunion Imperial High Tea. Located within our Chinese restaurant, Tian Fu Tea Room is an ideal prelude to a delectable meal at the Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant. The talented dim sum chefs then take diners on a journey of exquisitely handcrafted dim sum creations in both Sichuan and Cantonese styles, before the high tea wraps with a rice or noodle – a staple in Chinese cuisine – and a New Year Cake (年糕) that symbolises rising prosperity.

The delectable midday feast begins with a Prosperity Yusheng (鱼生) specially customised for the number of diners in each party, signifying an abundance of wealth in the coming year of the Monkey. After tossing for good fortune, we were served with salted egg wrapped with sliced duck and chilled chong qing chicken with spicy bean paste. At first sight, chong qing chicken can appear terrifying but this is what Si Chuan Dou Hua does best! Serving you something spicy, but carries so much flavour. Yes, it is extravagant with the oil and chillies, but what better occassion to cook it at home than the traditional feast for CNY? Bring the firecrackers!

Don’t worry about having mala throughout your tea, because up next, it is steamed sliced prawn in black bean sauce and steamed fish balls with black moss, both bringing good luck for your new year. The sliced prawn is huge and fresh, carrying much aroma and fragrance from the black bean sauce. The steamed fish balls decorated with some broccoli are milder in flavour, and doesn’t have any fish aftertaste.

Take a bite on the deep fried radish puff with dried scallop, it’s sooooo soft on the inside and the radish kinda cleans the palette a little with it’s light and refreshing note. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of their pan-fried glutinous pancake with minced duck meat. The fried rice with waxed meat wrapped in lotus leaf was a little dry for me. But the finale is excellent – a platter of pan fried new year cake (specially nian gao) and deep fried crispy custard bun. Peel open the custard bun with caution as the golden yellow lava is hot, creamy and runny!

The sumptuous food menu is paired with a combination of three premium Chinese brews that will introduce you to the world of Chinese tea, which is full of depth and flavours. The Bi Tan Piao Xue (碧潭飘雪) is a delightful flower tea from the Xinjin county in Sichuan, boasting digestive and anti-ageing qualities. Its name is a reference to ‘snowflakes’ because it resembles snowflakes falling when infused. The Dong Ding Oolong (冻顶乌龙) on the other hand, is a tea from the Nantou county of Taiwan, with low tannic content and hence suitable for those suffering from gastric problems.

The Reunion Imperial High Tea (团圆宫廷下午茶) is available from 8 to 22 February 2016, 2.30pm to 6.00pm at all three Tian Fu Tea Room outlets in Singapore. UOB Cardmembers enjoy a 4-dine-1-free privilege. Menus differ in all three outlets. For more information or dining reservations, please call Tian Fu Tea Room at:

PARKROYAL on Beach Road 
7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6505 5724

PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road 
181 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170

TOP of UOB Plaza 
80 Raffles Place, #60-01, UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: +65 6535 6006

The post Tian Fu Tea Room – Reunion Imperial High Tea at $38 appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

[HONG KONG] We all know that France is famous for their macarons, eclairs, mille-feuilles and buttery croissants, its influence has reached Hong Kong as many French patisseries are now popping up in various locations around town. One of them is À La Bakery, opened by a TV veteran Robert Chua. Using all products made with French ingredients and imported directly from France, enjoy a range of bread, pastries, cakes and macarons, including Croissants, traditional Baguettes, original Palmiers, fresh Apple Turnovers, premium Pains au Chocolate, delicious Eclairs and many more. They also offer a selection of healthy organic breads and ‘gluten free’ products. The dough is made in France with French water by top French bakers, and exported to Hong Kong to bake it fresh. This symbolizes quality and refinement at good value.

France without bread is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower. At A La Bakery, when it comes to baguettes and croissants, there is no equal to France’s famous bakeries and patisseries where both baguette and croissant are award winners, served in Michelin stars restaurants throughout France. This traditional croissant is made with 100% certified pure fine butter, crunchy on the outside, fluffy and flaky on the inside. It is light and crispy, not very oily hence it serves as a perfect breakfast food for us.

Other signature items include Palmier, a unique butterfly puff pastry made with 100% natural ingredients. Using top quality fresh apples, the Apple Turnover is a delicious pastry with natural, rich and intense flavour. Chocolate lovers should try Le Pain au Chocolate. A true classic made with fine premium chocolate, the taste is light, moist and yet perfectly balanced.

À La Bakery Artisan Macarons are made in France from a centuries-old recipe containing only fresh egg white, top quality ground almond and fine raw sugar. These Glutin-free premium organic macarons use no cream, no butter, no chocolate, no jam and no artificial flavoring or coloring.

They are handcrafted, made with the highest-quality, 100% pure and Natural Essential Oils extracted from aromatic plants from the South of France. They are crisp on the outside, moist and soft in the middle with just enough chew. Besides the usual flavours, I decided to be adventurous to try their Rose Champagne Macarons, Figs Foie Gras Macarons and White Champagne Macarons.

NEW! A La Bakery has recently launched a French handmade ‘Gold Cookies’, without eggs, preservative and is GMO free. All handmade to perfection, each piece of gold cookies has a buttery fragrance and it is not too sweet. Take a slow bite onto the crisp cookies and embrace the melt in your mouth texture.

A La Bakery
Address 1: Two Chinachem Plaza, Connaught Road Central 68 (Facing Connaught Road West Bound), 852 Central District, Hong Kong
Address 2: Shop GA05, G/F, The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Website: http://www.alabakery.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alabakery

The post A La Bakery @ Hong Kong – French Pastry Shop by TV Veteran Robert Chua appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Fu Lin Men (福临门) symbolizes fortune bestowed upon one’s home while Dou Lao (豆捞) is a kind of steamboat concept that is widely acknowledged as the “royals” of steamboat in modern China as it focuses on improving one’s health and vitality through food. The term, Dou Lao, is also a play of words, meaning scooping everything – health, wealth and fortune – together.

The brand was founded by orthopaedic specialist and senior researcher, Professor Zhang Ming. Prof. Zhang is the head of Taizhou Orthopaedics Hospital and Dafeng Tongren College Hospital. He comes from a family of medical academicia who treasures their pot of nutritious home brew more than its weight in gold. During his visits to Singapore, Prof. Zhang struggled to find a healthy soup close to his liking. Hence, he decided to build his Dou Lao steamboat brand based on traditional broths in Singapore through a business partnership with a like-minded gourmet and former banker, Simon Lim.

The 220-seater 3-storey corner shop house has 7 private rooms and each table is fitted with personal hot pots, complete with its individual temperature control knobs. The fundamental difference of their Dou Lao concept lies with their use of rare, top-drawer ingredients in its broths and the platters of freshly harvested meat, greens and seafood. There is no processed food, preservatives or chemical additives. They are strict to the extent that all instant noodles have no layer of wax and are healthier than the usual ones we find at supermarkets. Each simmering personal Dou Lao pot is layered with skin-boosting collagen, easily digestible vitamins, protein, minerals and antioxidants. The tastes are enriched dynamically by the individual guest’s picks of fresh seafood, silvers of marbled beef, freshly cut vegetables of varied colours, handcrafted dumplings, meat-balls and rare seasonal mushrooms.

Fu Lin Men Dou Lao actually opened its doors last April but Prof. Zhang and Simon decided to do their media launch and grand opening only on 16 January in order to time it with Chef Nian Shu Jian’s arrival. Master Chef Nian, 35, is the two-time winner of the grand Manchu and Han royal imperial court feast (known as “Man Han Quan Xi”) culinary quest in 2007 by China Central Television. In 2015, the in-demand chef was also one of the top 8 culinary representatives who joined the current Premier of State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Ke Qiang, on his official visit to Paris, France. During the former cultural and culinary exchanges, Chef Nian’s “Celestial Dumplings” (水中仙) won China and him the prestigious “Golden Award” by the international panal of experts at the 2015 Paris International Cup – Chinese Food International Cultural Festival.

There are five different broth bases but Chef Nian highly recommended Fu Lin Men’s Signature Golden Imperial broth. He explained to us that this broth is a Manchu and Han Imperial Feast classic favoured by the royals, especially the concubines, during the Qing dynasty. This broth is painstakingly brewed for over 12 hours with fresh red carrot puree, chicken bone marrows, pork shin and thigh with skin and dry-aged cured ham. It is presented with gold flakes on top of the broth. This broth represents the element of gold and the other four broths here are created and named after the four remaining elements in the ancient study of Feng Shui. Wood is represented by the Vitality Wild and Cultured Mushroom Broth, water element is embodied in the milky Longevity Toufu Broth, fire is appropriately represented by the Sizzlingly Chilli Broth and lastly, earth is represented by the Nourishing Tomato Broth.

For just $2, you get free flow appetizers, fruits and 16 different kinds of sauces for you to mix and match. There are also unlimited Tauhuey and Mango pudding desserts too! Lunch sets are available at $18.80 but dinner will be ala carte style. Their spicy Black Fungus packs a good punch and it’s so appetizing. Our first dish was Family Bliss Freshly Handcrafted Dou Lao Meat Balls 六六⼤大顺滑丸 – 全家福丸滑 ($7). There are six different flavoured meatballs such as prawn meat ball with golden roe, beef meat ball with cheese, squid meat ball with chocolate, chicken meat ball, pork meat ball with waterchest nut & white black fungus and seafood meat ball with golden mushrooms. Our favourites are the squid meat ball with chocolate and beef meat ball with cheese. The former has a good balance of savoury and sweetness, quite a unique flavour and we believe ladies will love this! The latter might suit guys more but we like it for the cheese, which gives the beef a salty flavour.

We also had their Beer Marinated Marbled Beef 啤酒牛肉 ($28) and this was marinated to perfection. The beer taste is so mild such that you find the beef a little sweet. We like how succulent and tender the meat is. There is a Freshly Cultured Sea Prawns with Marbled Beef set ⾦金丝极品肥⽜牛凤尾虾 ($18). Their Premier Oxtail 养生牛尾骨 ($10) was very well done too.

The presentation of the next dish, Fresh Live Seabass 金目鲈 ($38) might not look too appetizing unless you’re a fish lover but it tastes so wonderful. The fish is very fresh with thinly sliced meat so tender it simply melts in your mouth after you cooked it in your individual steamboat pot. Do take note that fresh live stock of seafood is based on first-order-first-serve basis and while stock lasts.

If you love your greens just like we do, go for their Fresh Oriental Greens and Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms ⽥田园什锦蔬菜拼盘 ($10) or Bountiful Blessings of Three Treasures吉祥三宝（⽺羊肚菌、松茸菌、猴头) ($28). These treasures are Morel, Matsutake and Lion’s Mane Mushrooms.

Next up was a unique dish, Wild Bamboo Pith with Fresh Prawn Paste 经典野生⽵竹荪虾滑 ($18). This is truly a great combination as we like the texture of the wild bamboo pith, as well as, the flavourful taste of their fresh prawn paste. Simply match-made in heaven!

Other dishes were their Fresh Beancurd Pockets with Fresh Seafood Paste ($10) and the House of Gold Pineapple Glutinous Rice ($9). Check out the exquisitely delicate sculpture of the Buddha, it’s made using salt! WOW! Both were delectable and we really liked the pineapple glutinous rice, which was a little sweet-sourish, very refreshing! It’s a perfect way to end your meal with great level of satisfaction. Overall, Fu Lin Men Dou Lao stays true to its brand mission by focusing on fresh and live produce from the region. The good news is, they are open everyday throughout Chinese New Year!

Fu Lin Men Dou Lao
Address: 16 North Canal Road, Singapore 048828
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm (lunch) and 6pm – 10pm (dinner) daily
Website: http://fulinmendoulao.com.sg/

The post Fu Lin Men Dou Lao Steamboat (福临门豆捞) – Bespoke Pot of Brew in North Canal Road appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

I hardly travel to the West but when I do, I plan a whole day trip just to explore enough food places to recommend. Fei Fei Roasted Noodle is definitely one of the stalls in my to-eat list. Located at Yuhua Village, you are bound to see a snaking queue upon arrival.

This popular wanton mee stall is run by Tommy and her wife for more than 40 years. They are famous for their roasted meat which they still roast it in the stall using charcoal fire. They used to sell sio bak which was highly raved by many, but as Tommy’s age catches up, they only sell roast duck and char siew now. His 24-year-old handsome son now helps out with the roasting and cooking. Talking about young hawkers yo!

On a beautiful Saturday, we came early in the morning at 9am to Yuhua Village to eat Feifei Roasted Noodle. But they only had roast duck and we were told that their charsiew will be ready after 10am. So we returned just in time for lunch to have the best of both worlds.

There is a slight crisp on the duck skin and bite from the meat. The springy egg noodles are cooked till al-dante and well coated with the savoury sauce. The sauce was a little too salty in my opinion, but yes, it’s quite aromatic.

It was the right decision for us to wait for the char siew. Tommy roasts his meat from 3am every morning using charcoal. It’s hard work, but he says there is no short-cut to good food. Using the meat from the armpit, what you get is nicely marbled and well marinated meat. True enough, each tender piece has enough charred bits to make you go for more. It has a good proportion of fat and lean, every bite is sooooo juicy with a hint of juiciness. Go early if you want the premium cut. The noodles are tossed with the char siew sauce making it extra tasty.

A wanton mee is never complete without wanton. Each decent size of homemade wanton is filled with juicy prawn paste, minced meat and dried sole fish wrapped within the skin. A plate of freshly roasted char siew with juicy wanton and springy noodles only costs you $3. Remember that charsiew only available from 10.30am but sells out usually around 12pm.

Note: This Fei Fei is NOT that Fei Fei, if you get what I mean. LOL

Fei Fei Roasted Noodle
Address: Yuhua Village Food Centre Stall 28, 254 Jurong East Street 24, Singapore 600254
Opening hours: 9am to 1pm, closed on Tuesdays

The post Fei Fei Roasted Noodle – Their Char Siew is Usually Sold Out Within 2 Hours! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Finally! Our wedding photos for dinner is ready! You have probably seen our wedding in the day where we went wild singing and dancing and eating with our friends. The initial plan was to do everything in the day but halfway through our planning process, we reckoned that a dinner banquet will be more appropriate for our families and relatives. We went around sourcing for a good dinner banquet location, but nothing seems to catch our eye until Minru told me that Royal Pavilion is planning to start doing wedding banquet. PERFECT! Because I have been to the restaurant a few times and I am so in love with their decor and the delicious food by Executive Chef Chung Ho Shi.

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Location: Royal Pavilion
AD Photography (Night): Stephen Chin Photography
Wedding Planner/Coordination: The Wedding Concepteur
Bridal Gown & Suit: Bridal Veil by Michelle HuiMin & The Men’s Club
Bridal Car: Volkswagen

Thank you The St. Regis Singapore for the hotel stay. Stay tuned for the upcoming post!

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Located on the ground floor of Park Regis Singapore, Royal Pavilion is a contemporary dining venue serving modern and timeless Cantonese creations. The intricate chandelier statement pieces and bespoke cloud-motif wall panels within the luxurious looking restaurant are so gorgeous, making my dinner banquet looks grand. We brought our own floral centrepieces for the dining tables & reception table which we used during the day, and it was enough to decorate the tables.

Because it was their first wedding banquet, we had a few meetings to set our expectations right. But the owner Catherine is not new to wedding planning, so all was settled very quickly as she knew what was needed for a dinner banquet. I wanted a very intimate session with only about 10 tables, which was perfect for the restaurant. There is a VVIP room where we had our tea ceremony and the main dinner table with our closer family members. Besides that VVIP room, we didn’t make use of the other private rooms, but that can be an option as well for guests who prefer some privacy. I specifically didn’t want a stage, and requested for no cake cutting nor champagne fountain. I like it that I can go to table by table to chat with my guests. My cousin who hosted my wedding made us play some games, so we roam around the restaurant easily. Yes, sound system and cordless mike is provided.

Our Royal Pavilion Combination includes Marinated Jelly Fish with Spring Onion, Crispy Spring Roll, Royal Smoked Duck, Egg Fu Yong and Fresh Prawn Salad. I specially requested to include Royal Smoked Duck because I am really in love with it. The smoked crispy skin carries the aroma of the rich lychee wood and leaves that are used and enhances a pleasantly moist and flavoursome red meat without overpowering any palates. Very juicy and tender meat!

Saying no to shark’s fin soup, it was replaced with Braised Fish Maw Soup with Dried Seafood & Conpoy. It was thick and gooey with generous amount of dried seafood and conpoy.

Roasted Crispy Chicken with Golden Dried Garlic was like chicken done suckling pig style, with the wafer-thin crispy skin and the moist meat underneath. There was practically no fat in our half chicken, and the crispy garlic partnered the meat beautifully. Steamed Patin Fish with Spicy Yellow Bean Sauce is also excellent. The freshwater catch has no trace of muddiness, which will please most people I expect. Plus the spicy yellow bean sauce is tangy with a mild sweetness.

Other popular dish includes Stir-Fried King Prawn with Oatmeal, a generous scattering of aromatic, crispy cereal is so moreish we scoop it up by the spoonful and marvel at how light and how greaseless it is. Other dishes we had in the banquet is Stewed Mixed Vegetables topped with Winter Melon served in Light Sauce and Braised E-Fu Noodle with Bean Sprouts & Yellow Chives.

Ending the night with Chilled Sea Coconut with Red Dates Sweet Soup. For a lot of couples, they probably didn’t have time to sit down and eat the banquet food. But because I had such a cozy session like a family gathering of sorts, I had the time to sit down and try every single dish. And our photographer Stephen also had time to take some nice shots of us and the food!

Group photo taking session. We went to individual table to do our toasting. YUM SENG!

Thank you Yan Cai, Yuan Ting and Cheryl (The Wedding Concepteur) for their help.

A shot with both our parents while waiting for the guests at the entrance.

Last but not least, big thank you to the Royal Pavilion team for such a wonderful night. Service was excellent, food was food and everything was seamless! I don’t have to worry for anything and I thoroughly enjoyed the night with my family and relatives. Thank you for being so accommodating to all my guests’ requests. Thank you Catherine for letting us hold our wedding at Royal Pavilion!

Royal Pavilion
Address: Park Regis Singapore, 23 Merchant Road Level 1
Tel: 6818 8851
Website: www.royalpaviliongroup.com
Opening hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6:00pm to 10:30pm, Mondays to Sundays

The post Our Wedding Banquet at Royal Pavilion appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Starting from 25th January 2016, Bakerzin has introduced their dine-in only Spring menu! This a-la-carte selection will be available all day in celebration of the auspicious season. Beginning with their Spring Salad ($15.80), which is Bakerzin’s version of “lou hei”, you get to enjoy fresh silvers of vegetables such as carrots and crunchy purple cabbage topped with lightly poached, shelled prawns and sprinkled with crush peanuts, pickled ginger and winter melon strips.

This is brought together with their homemade blood orange dressing before the dish is finished with crispy golden puffs and sesame seeds. We had to talk ourselves into having more servings as vegetables are considered healthy no? Haha! This dish is ideal for two to share!

Next up is the Braised Pork Buns ($15.80). Imagine sinking your teeth into tender pieces of braised pork belly sandwiched between crispy mantou layered with house-made hollandaise sauce! Simply scrumptious! This is served with a side of fresh garden salad.

White Miso Grilled Salmon with Soba ($16.80) is our favourite. Plump fillet of salmon is first marinated in a luscious white miso mayonnaise and roasted to perfection. The fish is then sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and served with tender soba noodles and julienne of carrot.

This is followed by their Pasta Vongole ($17.80), which is re-introduced due to over-popularity, as well as, Chicken Mousseline with Curry Foam ($18.80), boosting finely chopped chicken that is seasoned with fresh cream and herbs and rolled into a delicious roulade. This tasty treat is accompanied with a helping of quinoa sauteed with red and green peppers and a light curry foam.

We cannot agree more that Lunar New Year festivities are made perfect with Bakerzin’s cookies, tarts, cakes and dine-in meals. This year, there are a total of nine different cookies, two special pineapple tarts and two exceptional cakes that are offered. Check out our article about Bakerzin CNY pastries.

Bakerzin
Address: #01-19/22, 2 Tampines Central 5, Century Square, Singapore 529509
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Fri). 9am – 10pm (Sat, Sun & PH).
Website: http://www.bakerzin.com/

The post Bakerzin – Spring is in the air! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Waterway Point has four storeys, and two wings, West Wing and East Wing, and they are connected on the first floor, B1 and B2. Many shops are catered to young families and students; most things are affordable. It houses many international brands, such as Daiso, H&M, and Uniqlo. There are Shaw movie theatres, including IMAX sitting, and NTUC Fairprice Finest.

Perhaps because of high rental, most shops, including the F&B establishments, originate from mega-corporations. While it is convenient to have such shops, it also means that Waterway Point isn’t very interesting. The most interesting shop is perhaps Allscript (East Wing, #B2-11A), a hipster magazine stand under an escalator, selling hipster magazines like Monocle and Kin Folk. It also sells “Neh Neh Pop,” the popular popsicle from Chef Bjorn Shen of Artichoke and Bird Bird. That’s how hipster Allscript is.

Foodwise, again due to high rental, you’d see chain restaurants, or restaurants owned by conglomerates, so the most interesting food are surprisingly found in takeaway kiosks. One good thing, however, that comes out of the chain restaurants is that the prices are kept affordable for students and young families.

In this article, food is categorized first by kiosk/restaurants, and then by the types of cuisine.

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Kiosks

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Many of the kiosks are chains, such as Blackball Express (East Wing #B1-K6), Dunkin Donuts (West Wing, #B1-K3, yet to open), Shihlin (West Wing, #B2-K3), Gong Cha (East Wing, #B2-K10), and Koi Express (West Wing #B1-K2). Strange to find two bubble tea shops in a shopping mall; usually it’s only one.

But at the entrance of Waterway Point, you’ll see a rare Thousand Taste Shan Dong Da Bao (千味山东大包, #01- K3, 6am-10pm). When I asked what their signatures are, the server introduced me everything. Let me inflict the same pain on you. They sell 4 items: mantou ($1), da bao of different flavors ($1), cong you bing of different flavors ($1.50-$2), and interesting porridges ($1.50) such as red dates and pumpkin. We tried a da bao and a leek pancake 韭菜鸡蛋盒子. They were alright.

CocoCane (West Wing, #B2-K7) is a new concept outlet in Singapore, riding on the coconut trend. It specializes in 100% pure and fresh coconut and sugarcane drinks, juiced daily. We tried the half-and-half ($2.70), and surprisingly, the coconut did not drown and lost itself in the sweetness of the sugarcane.

Taste Better (West Wing, #B1-K1) claims to be Malaysia’s #1 durian puff store, and the original puff store at Jonker Street at Malacca. This is their second outlet in Singapore (the first is at Vivocity.) Two durian puffs ($3.90) were watery; I think I prefer Four Seasons’.

A kiosk to watch out for is the yet-to-open Squeezed! (East Wing, #B1-K8). This is the fourth outlet in Singapore, and its speciality is frozen yogurt squeezed! between hot brioche buns. It may give Llao Llao (West Wing, #01-63) a run for its money.

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Cafes, Fastfood, & Food Court

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KFC, Mcdonald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway – all here. Starbucks and Coffee Bean – also here. Nothing really interesting at Cookhouse by Koufu but they have some famous stalls like Yu Kee Duck, and Lam’s Signatures.

One Ice Café (West Wing, #01-K16), also found at Jcube, sells Korean bingsu, starting from $6.80. Must be one of the more affordable bingsu. Unfortunately, when we were there, it was closed. But since it is situated at an open space, people sat at their tables, ate Llaollao, and left the cups there. Please be more considerate. At least clear the cups.

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Vegetarian Restaurant

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Just beside Koufu, Grove / Utopia (West Wing, #02-21) is a two-in-one concept. Grove sells vegetarian food, baked rice ($8.80), burgers ($7.80), rice ($6.80-$8.80) and noodles ($6.80-$8.80). Tried the kung-pao monkey-head mushroom noodle ($8.80). Didn’t taste like kung-pao, but it was tasty: sweet and peppery. The mock meat is made from beancurd skin, which surprisingly crunchy, and its texture is really like meat.

Utopia is an in-house bubble tea brand from Australia. Tried salted caramel milk tea with homemade red bean sago ($4.60). It’s hard to fight with the two superior Gong Cha (East Wing, #B2-K10), and Koi Express (West Wing #B1-K2).

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Japanese Restaurants

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Competition among the Japanese restaurants is stiff. I counted 6 of them, and they are all big chains: Genki Sushi, Ichiban Boshi, Sakana (yet to open, same parent company as Ichiban Boshi), Kuriya, Menya Mushashi Kinko, and Osaka Ohsho + Ajisen (they are same company, and side-by-side. If there is a queue, just queue at the shorter one. You enjoy the similar dishes.)

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Chinese Restaurants

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Chain restaurants: Din Tai Fung, Dian Xiao Er, Lao Huo Tang, and Uncle Leong’s Signatures. London Fat Duck is opening soon.

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Halal Restaurants

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There was a queue at Encik Tan the two times we went, but there are other halal restaurants, such as Fish & Co, Papparich, Swensen’s, and So Pho.

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Singaporean Restaurants

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The Coffee House (West Wing, #B2-05) sells Singaporean classics like laksa, and char kway teow. Then there is Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh (East Wing, #B1-23).

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Other Asian Restaurants

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Ministry of Food has two restaurants here, Daessikin Korean BBQ, a buffet place, and Social Square, a western food. Besides Korean, So Pho serves Vietnamese. There are two Thai restaurants: Bali Thai, and Zakka Modern Thai.

Zakka (East Wing, #01-29) is a new concept, created by Table Concepts who also owns The French Table next door. Although it advertises itself as a modern Thai restaurant, my basil pork rice ($10.50) isn’t very modern; it tastes okay at an affordable price for lunch.

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Western Restaurants 

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It is a tough fight at basement 3, all vying for the Muslim Money: three chicken restaurants in a row. Tenderfresh classics, an established name, and the halal chicken supplier in supermarkets VS BurgerUp (halal, first outlet at Yishun Ten) VS Chop Chop, not yet halal.

Chop Chop (East Wing, #B2-01) is a new fast-food concept under Han’s Group. Like BurgerUp, you order on your own, using a touch-screen. The menu consists of chicken with rice or chicken burgers in different permutations. (There is a fish burger, and they have bacon on their breakfast menu, but I suspect they will take it off, or change to turkey bacon to get halal-certified, since their specialty is the chicken.)

The server said the secret ingredient is in the sauce… but it tastes like a spicy, tangy mayo. Nothing very special, but decent. $10.90 gets you a chicken rice bowl with poached egg and a drink. Not that cheap, considering that proper restaurants that we ate at (Zakka and Grove) cost the same.

Other Western restaurants include Buddy Hoagies, and Miam Miam.

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This article is written by Aaron Nathanael Ho, who blogs at rubbisheatrubbishgrow.com

The post What to Eat at Waterway Point Punggol appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Fresh air? Fresh idea? Fresh talent? Fresh start? Here wishing a marvelous Monday, tasty Tuesday, wonderful Wednesday, thankful Thursday, friendly Friday, successful Saturday and sweet Sunday! Happy Chinese New Year! No matter which day of the week, you’ll still have to fill up your tummy. Why waste calories and stomach space on food that doesn’t deserve your enjoyment nor fulfill your satisfaction?

For this Chinese New Year, we have hunted down twenty restaurants/eateries that are bound to tantalize your palates. We know that most shopping malls and restaurants will be closed, especially on day one and day two of the Chinese New Year. Well, you don’t have to stick to Chinese cuisines during the New Year if you are planning to head out for gatherings with family and friends! Please read on to find out what’s available.

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Heng Long Teochew Porridge
Address: 1006 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534744
Opening hours: 24 hours daily with the exception of 7th February (closed). 8th to 10th February opens after 5.30pm till late night. Business resumes as per normal from 11th February onwards

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Upper Serangoon Road (after Kovan) has a two rows of shop houses, offering many scrumptious dishes. Everyone should know about the popular Punggol Nasi Lemak, as well as, the oyster omelette and hokkien prawn mee. Joining this list of worth-to-recommend stalls is Heng Long Teochew Porridge. Located at a corner coffee shop, it offers a wide variety of dishes at reasonable prices. It does not look very fanciful nor is it air-conditioned yet, the good food is what draws the crowd. The food is prominently displayed, with numerous trays of cooked food under very bright lights, so that even old Teochew Ah Peks will not have difficulty seeing what’s available. Although every dish is affordably priced, please don’t kena ketok by ordering their ridiculously priced fish.

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The Black Swan
Address: 19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704
Tel: 6438 3757
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 11pm (Mon), 11.30am – 12am (Tue-Thu), 11.30am – 1am (Fri), 5pm – 1am (Sat). Closed on Sundays

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The Black Swan launches a new menu dedicated to grand bistro classics executed with a contemporary twist. Indulge in small and large plates that will suit your every fancy, such as Char-Grilled Beef Tartare, Pan-seared Foie Gras with Yuzu Marmalade, and Whole Cracked Maine Lobster. Or delve into platters of freshly shucked oysters, gourmet charcuterie and house-made crostini. Some classics are untouchable, such as Caesar salad served with one-hour poached egg. There’s little point in trying to improve on perfection. The restaurant now offers a lavish spread, to feed as many as eight, centered on a half suckling pig. Made using pork air-flown from Spain, the meat is painstakingly brined for 24 hours with herbs, sous vide and then roasted to crisp perfection on the outside while it remains tender within. 2 days advance order is required. A signature that you must not miss is The Black Swan Burger with seasoned chuck, mature cheddar, bibb lettuce, sunny side up egg, streaky bacon, toasted bun and served with fries.

Check out my Hens Night Party at The Black Swan.

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Tomo Izakaya
Address: 3A River Valley Road, #01-04, Singapore 179020
Tel: 6336 0100
Opening Hours: Opens throughout the entire CNY. 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 1am (Sun-Thu), 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 3am (Fri & Sat).

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Japanese food is still the favourite cuisine amongst many Singaporeans. If you are tired of having Yu Sheng or Pencai, Tomo Izakaya offers small plate dishes such as robatayaki, yakitori, sushi, ramen, soba chazuke and karaage which can be paired with sakes, shochus, beers, wines and spirits. The food from Tomo Izakaya is prepared with the freshest ingredients air-flown twice weekly from Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji Market. I enjoyed dishes like Tori Karaage, Yakiniku and Gyu Nikomi. The garlic fried rice was very fragrant too. Tomo Izakaya captures the essence of the traditional izakaya with its chic, minimalist Zen-like décor while injecting youthful fun in its overall vibe.

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Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Address: 500 Jalan Sultan Hotel BOSS, Singapore 199020
Opening Hours: 11am to 7pm daily.

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The famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice has opened in Foodclique Food Court located in Hotel BOSS (500 Jalan Sultan). Their steamed chicken is served slightly chilled which is very refreshing and light on a hot day. Their chicken has a firm texture with slight sweetness and juicy meat. The soothing coolness is also a perfect counterpoint to the “fierceness” of the chilli. Most important of all, and setting this delectable dish aside from the rest, is the Hainanese rice. Light, smooth and slightly buttery with just a hint of garlic. The rice is cooked in the chicken stock to perfection – full of flavour and oily as the way Hainanese chicken rice should be. Even celebrity chef and host Anthony Bourdain said that the rice here is so good that you can eat it on its own.

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Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak
Address: #01-106, Boon Lay Food Village, 221B Boon Lay Place, Singapore 642221
Opening hours: 6am – 3am daily. Closed on Mondays

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At the mention of Boon Lay Food Village, most people would instantly associate it with Boon Lay’s Power Nasi Lemak. With a snaking long queue of customers eagerly waiting to place their order, it is hard to miss this stall. This stall maintains the freshness of their Nasi Lemak ingredients and ensures that the ingredients served are kept sizzling hot. The well marinated chicken was deep fried to a nice crisp yet still tender on the inside. Ikan Bilis and roasted peanuts were nicely done. The Otah paste was accented with coconut milk and not too spicy. The rice was fragrant with a pleasant coconut aroma. The sambal chilli is superb! It has a little sweetness that is balanced out with spiciness. This Nasi Lemak is a great supper place and definitely worth a second visit.

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Beng Hiang Hokkien Restaurant
Address: Blk 135, Jurong Gateway Road, #02-337, Singapore 600135 (shifted from Amoy Street)
Tel: 6221 6695
Opening hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm and 6pm – 9.30pm daily. Closed from 7th to 10th February.
Website: http://www.benghiang.com

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Started in 1978, Beng Hiang Hokkien Restaurant has since established itself as one of the best Hokkien restaurants in Singapore. The chefs uphold years of culinary tradition, using only the choicest ingredients and preparing each dish with skills honed by decades of experience. Their Hokkien cuisine has thus, gained both local recognition and international acclaim. Their menu consists of a plethora of authentic Hokkien cuisine, beginning from cold dishes such as lobster salad and cold jelly fish in special sauce and moving on to their fresh seafood (abalone, sea cucumber, prawns etc) and meat variety before ending off with desserts like yam paste with gingko nuts and many others. Chinese New Year sets beginning from $428++ are available from 27th January 2016 to 22nd February 2016.

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Founder Bak Kut Teh
Address: Hotel Boss, 500 Jalan Sultan, #01-19, Singapore 199020
CNY Opening Hours: 7th February 11am – 3pm. Closed on 8th February. 9th February onwards, resume normal operations 11am – 5am daily.

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Celebrity-favourite Founder Bak Kut Teh opens its second restaurant at Hotel Boss (500 Jalan Sultan) yesterday. Since 1978, Founder Bak Kut Teh has been consistently dishing out bowls of its delectable Teochew-style pork rib soup to legions of fans. Using only superior cuts of meaty long ribs or premium short ribs in its clear soup, the peppery soup isn’t as intense but still gives that solid rush that will wake me up. The long ribs are notably tender, and goes well with the tea from Pek Sin Choon. A smorgasbord of side dishes makes for perfect accompaniment, such as Braised Pig’s Intestines, Braised Pig’s Trotter, Pig Intestines Soup, Braised Bean Curd Skin, Salted Vegetables, Lettuce with Oyster Sauce and You Tiao.

Check out my latest review on Founder Bak Kut Teh.

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Brussels Sprouts
Address: 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-12, The Pier @ Robertson, Singapore 239013 / 31 Ocean Way, #01-01, Quayside Isle, Singapore 098375
Tel: 6887 4344 (Robertson), 6684 4344 (Sentosa)
Opening hours: 5pm – 11pm (Mon-Fri), 12pm – 11pm (Sat&Sun). Closed ONLY on 7th February 2016. / 5pm – 11pm (Tue-Fri), 12pm – 11pm (Sat&Sun). Closed on Mondays and from 8th to 11th February 2016.
Website: http://brusselssprouts.com.sg

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Being located near the waters, Brussel Sprouts is a place for chilling with your buddies after work or over the weekends. This place is very kids friendly as there is a mini indoor play area and their kids’ menu is very interesting with dishes such chicken Florentine and meatball spaghetti that will capture kids’ attention. Their menu is full of Belgian delights, with the star of the show being mussels! There are also around 200 brands of beer featured in their drinks menu. We love ending our meal with their memorable desserts, especially the banana split waffle, which was crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and went really well with the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream and Chantilly cream. Such a family-friendly place with great views and ambience, better make your reservations quickly or you’d have to give this place a miss.

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Xin Wang Hong Kong Café
All outlets islandwide operating as per normal during Chinese New Year except for Fairprice Hub, JEM and NUH Medical Centre which will close on 7th February 2016 and resume operations on 12th February 2016.
Refer to http://xinwang.com.sg/restaurants/ for their operating hours and addresses.

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Drawing inspirations from the contemporary yet traditional food culture in Hong Kong, this café started up to be more than just a normal “Cha Chaan Teng” in mind. A decade has passed and this brand is still standing very strong till date. With 186 items in their menu, you’d be spoilt for choice! One of their signature items is the Pork Cutlet Dry Curry Ramen ($10.90). Combining Eastern and Western cooking style, the springy ramen is bathed in a pool of Xin Wang’s thick curry and served with crispy pork cutlet and vegetable to top it off. Slurp-licious! Assemble a group of seven or eight friends, though really, the more the merrier! Please go hungry so you can try as many dishes as possible! The plus point is that there is free wifi and opens till 2am!

Read about Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe #Awesomely10 Menu review.

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Spize Supperclub
Address: 336 Bedok Road, Singapore 469512 / 409 River Valley Road, Singapore 248307 / 131 Rifle Range Road, #03-04, Singapore 588406
Tel: 6445 3211 (Bedok), 6734 9194 (River Valley), 6337 7493 (Rifle Range)
Opening hours: 12pm – 2am (Mon-Fri), 12pm – 3am (Sat&Sun) / 12pm – 5am (Mon-Fri), 12pm – 6am (Sat&Sun) / 8am – 11pm daily.
Website: http://spize.sg

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Conceptualized with the status of our nation as one of the most metropolitan and globalized city-states, Spize is a melting pot for East and West tastes. This restaurant has built a solid restaurant for its quality, value-for-money authentic Singaporean, Thai, Indian, Western and Mediterranean food. We’re in awe! Usually, a restaurant will choose to specialize in and focus on only one style of cuisine yet Spize is so daring and challenge itself to whip up multiple sumptuous cuisines. Well done, thumbs up for Spize! They do not only serve at their outlets, Spize delivers everything on their menu till the wee hours of the morning! Impressive service with a team of dedicated and passionate employees! Nestled in the heartlands, it is ideal for a chill-out session with friends and family alike.

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Zam Zam
Address: 679/699 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198676
Tel: 6298 7011
Opening hours: 8am to 11pm daily

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Named after a well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Zam Zam is established in 1908 and is one of the oldest restaurants that is still in the same spot since they started. The way they make their Murtabak is different from other prata places. They add an extra layer of prata kosong at the base of the Murtabak, break an egg and sprinkle minced meat on top before frying. The results? You can a huge and thick layer of murtabak that is bursting with flavours. As you take a mouthful of the thick and hearty creation, it felt like comfort food in the most sinful manner. I like it with a plate of curry and a cup of Teh Tarik.

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Al Azhar
Address: 11 Cheong Chin Nam Road, Singapore 599736
Tel: 6466 5052
Opening hours: 24 hours daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Al.Azhar.Restaurant

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At the mention of prata, we’re certain that every Singaporean has their personal preference, from Casuarina along Upper Thomson to Jalan Kayu’s prata shops. So what’s Al Azhar’s specialty that helps retain their loyal customers? They not only serve their signature Butter Chicken Naan, Mee Goreng, Murtabak and prata, their menu is extensive and include Western dishes too. We really like their Butter Chicken Naan as the spices were well-balanced and gives the curry gives a creamy and smooth texture. Yumyum! Diet can always start tomorrow! Haha! Al Azhar is different in providing great quality food and warm service to their customers. The waiting time for the food is a short 10 minutes, even though they are always so packed with customers.

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Spuds and Aprons
Address: 109 Mount Faber Road, Singapore 099203
Tel: 6377 9688
Opening hours: 11am – 11pm daily
Website: https://www.faberpeaksingapore.com/eat-drink-shop/spuds-and-aprons

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When the hunger pangs peak and you just wanna indulge without a care of the amount of calories intake, just let yourself go! This fun and playful restaurant at the top of the hill at Faber Peak Singapore provides diners with a picturesque view of Singapore’s Keppel port and our beautiful Sentosa Island. This restaurant is perfect for couples as the magnificent postcard perfect sunsets in the evenings create a romantic atmosphere. Their menu offers both Eastern and Western dishes such as Chilli Crab in a Tux appetizer ($14). Tender and fragrantly spicy chilli crab is stuffed in crispy potato skins. What a great way to begin your meal. A couple of the mains also left a deep impression on us – Tobiko Crusted Cod Fillet ($32) and Oven-Roasted Mustard Marinated Chicken ($19). To make eating a comforting affair, you can opt to chill out at the air-conditioned dining room or relax at the alfresco garden, especially on windy nights.

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El Mero Mero
Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-20, Chijmes, Singapore 187996
Tel: 6337 1377
Opening hours: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 11pm (Sun-Thu), 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11.30pm (Fri&Sat)
Website: http://www.elmeromero.sg

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El Mero Mero, which means “the best of the best” in Mexican slang, aims to excite and delight diners with the very best in contemporary Mexican cuisine. Many of the ingredients used in the dishes are sourced directly from Mexico and all salsas and sauces are made fresh in-house. To keep their food items fresh and exciting, El Mero Mero changes their menu each month and adapt to all kinds of restrictions under reservation. Botanas (small plates) starts from $14 for grilled baby corn, huitlacoche donuts, cotija and chilli mayo while Tacos starts from $18. Their mains are charcoal-grilled and for ribeye orders, you get to choose the accompanying sauce between epazote béarnaise, Mexican herbed butter, fire-roasted mortar salsa or chipotle veal jus. This Mexican dining experience is indeed different from the other cuisines, worth a try!

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Spruce
Address:320 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247980 / 260 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #01-01, Singapore 588190
Tel: 6836 5528 (Tanglin) / 6466 5582 (Bukit Timah)
Opening hours: 11am – 10.30pm (Tue-Fri), 9am – 10.30pm (Sat, Sun & PH). Closed on Mondays. / 11.30am – 12.30am (Tue-Thu), 11.30am – 1am (Fri), 9am – 1am (Sat), 9am – 12.30am (Sun & PH). Closed on Mondays.
Website: http://www.spruce.com.sg

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Dedicated to serving wholesome Italian fare alongside a heart American brunch on weekends, Spruce Ristorante at Phoenix Park celebrates fresh ingredients and warm hospitality in a unique heritage spot nestled amongst lush greenery. From a casual weekend brunch with close friends to a romantic night out, Spruce never fails to deliver quality comfort classics for the discerning diners. The second outlet, Spruce at Fire Station, is a casual dining extension and tucked away amidst lush landscapes along the Rail Corridor, with live music playing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays between 7.30pm to 10.30pm. Spruce combines family recipes and iconic dishes and uses fresh, quality ingredients that are directly imported from Italy weekly. Their cooking remains MSG-free, with condiments and sauces made fresh and from scratch in their kitchen. The Affettato all Italiana ($25) is a cold cut platter of parma ham, mortadella, cooked ham, salalmi, marinated vegetables, olive, sundried tomato and Olivier salad, good for sharing. There are pastas such as their Lasagne Portofino ($18), Risotto Milanese ($19) and Ravioli Bolognese ($21) available too. Meat lovers can opt for their lamb shanks, stuffed pork tenderloin, pan-seared duck breast and steak etc. With desserts on the sweet side, what’s not to like about Spruce?

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Fika (Halal)
Address: 257 Beach Road, Singapore 520728 / #01-02, Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596 / #02-K3, OneKM, Singapore 437157
Tel: 6336 7234 (Millenia) / 6702 2456 (OneKM) / 6396 9096 (Beach Road)
All outlets opened throughout CNY with similar opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Sun-Wed), 11am – 11pm (Thu-Sat).

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Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a coffee with one’s colleagues, friends, date, or family. Take a break from work at Fika Swedish Café & Bistro where they serve the best halal meatballs in Singapore! (And they have an option for gluten free pasta too!) Owner / Graphic artist Tasneem Noor opened a Nordic cafe in 2009 when she was learning to cook Nordic food to feed her homesick husband, who is a Swedish artist. Her food is authentic homemade Swedish and you won’t find fusion here. The juicy meatballs is served with potatoes and lingonberry jam, and gone in a mouthful! It’s a plate of comfort food, simple but the best! They also serve classic Swedish coffee, and Swedish imported sodas.

Check out our article on 20 Halal Cafes in Singapore.

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Loving Hut (Vegan)
Address: 229 Joo Chiat Road #01-01 Singapore 427489
Tel: 6348 6318
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm; Sat & Sun 11am – 10pm

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Loving Hut is a vegan restaurant chain serving gourmet cuisine made with wholesome vegan ingredients, offering an accessible starting point for those making the noble transition to a plant-based diet. All of the dishes in Loving Hut restaurants are purely plant-based (vegan), lovingly prepared, and served in a beautiful, friendly and tranquil atmosphere. Enjoy sides such as Royal Satay, 5-Spice Roll, Bali Bliss Soba Salad or California Mango & Orange Salad. For the main, the Banana Leaf Nasi Campur features scrumptious Indo-style mixed rice dish topped by fruit achar, spicy eggplant, seasonal green veggie, scrambled tofu and nyonya rendang and served with organic brown rice. Other mains include Aglio Olio, Tandoori Flame Burger, Almond Crumb Fillet, Nyonya Laksa, Nasi Campur, Tomyam Ocean Hotpot Set, Char Kway Teow Set & Lor Ark Noodle. Don’t forget to end your meal with their signature authentic teochew oh-nee (because the owner’s father used to run Mong Hing Teochew Restaurant).

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Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant
Address: 19 Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207478 / 190 Fortune Centre, #01-07, Singapore 188979
Tel: 6396 7769
Opening hours: 10.30am – 10pm daily
Website: http://gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com

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Founded in February 2003 on the strong conviction that vegetarian food need not be bland or boring, Gokul has constantly introduce new and endless variety of choices for customers. They have reached the standard of recreating the same sensory experience and ecstasy that many of their customers are not aware that the food is vegetarian. Food items here are authentically Northern, Southern and Asian Fusion Nonya Vegetarian cuisine priced reasonably. Their menu is extensive with perennial favourites which include vegetarian chicken rice, butter chicken, Chinese Rojak etc. All vegetarian! They have a unique preparation style where their food is freshly prepared and served on the spot. Customers get to customize their food the way they want too! We are very impressed with the top notch quality of food at Gokul as they source the world for the best and freshest ingredients and ensure that their chefs never stint on quality. This is easily one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Singapore!

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Da Paolo Bistro Bar
Address: 3 Rochester Park, Singapore 139214
Tel: 6774 5537
Opening hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm (Mon-Sat), 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 9pm (Sun)
Website: http://www.dapaolo.com.sg

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Alfresco dining at Bistro Bar boasts exceptional cuisine in a stylishly laid-back environment. You get to experience an exciting European menu featuring flavours from the Mediterranean, with a creative flair. This is a good place to get away from the fast-paced and stressful city life and unwind over Bistro Bar’s fresh fruity cocktails on weekends. The lovingly prepared dishes will tickle your palates and whet your appetite for more! They offer set lunches and Sunday brunches as well. With a winning combination of culinary delights, heavenly drinks and a breezy ambience, Bistro Bar is an ideal location for hosting memorable events.

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Privé
Address: Marina at Keppel Bay, No. 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382 / #01-33, 30 Victoria Street, Singapore 187996 / #01-02, 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555
Tel: 6776 0777
Opening hours: Privé Café: 9am – 12am (Mon-Fri), 8am – 12am (Sat, Sun & PH), Privé Grill: 11.30am – 3pm, 6.30pm – 11.30pm (Mon-Fri), 6.30pm – 11.30pm (Sat). Closed on Sundays & PH. ONLY Privé Grill is closed from 7th to 9th February. / 11.30am – 12am (Mon-Thu), 11.30am – 1am (Fri), 10am – 1am (Sat & PH), 10am – 12am (Sun) / 8.30am – 10.30pm (Mon-Thu), 8.30am – 12am (Fri, Sat & eve of PH), 9am – 10.30pm (Sun & PH)
Website: http://theprivegroup.com.sg/prive.html

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Whether you prefer to relax by the water’s edge at Marina at Keppel Bay, bask in the rich history at CHIJMES or take in the majestic views of the Singapore River at the Asian Civilizations Museum, Privé offers delectable food, friendly service and unforgettable experiences. We especially prefer Privé at Keppel Bay due to the tranquil and relaxing surroundings. Their all-day breakfast boats eggs benedict/royale ($16), Privé’s ultimate brekkie ($20) and homestyle pancakes ($13) and many more. Their menu is quite extensive with many varieties of burgers, sandwiches, quiches, stone-baked pizzas, pastas etc. This is a great place for catching up and for holding birthday parties or any corporate events. There were even weddings held at Privé at Keppel Bay! What to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life? This is a perfect “hiding” spot!

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J’s
Address: 7 Purvis Street, #01-01, Singapore 188586
Tel: 6887 4787
Opening Hours: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10pm (Mon-Thu), 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm (Fri), 6.30pm –
10.30pm (Sat), 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm (Sun)

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Located at Purvis Street, J’s Restaurant offers classic Latin American influenced food, inspired by the owner’s travels through South America. Their Paella has a generous servings of chicken, barramundi, salmon and chicken sausage. The colours are bright and enticing, and the aroma is seductive. The churros here is a MUST TRY. These chunky churros may seem like it’s hard to savour, but never read its book by the cover. They are crispy on the outside while fluffy and moist on the inside. The accompanying salted caramel bananas, fresh mangoes and coconut-infused mascarpone sabayon is delicious.

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If your Chinese New Year is already packed with visitations back-to-back, you can always bookmark our list down for future references! These eateries and restaurants will continue providing you with quality food and high levels of service. Satisfaction guaranteed! Well, days are getting busier and hours too few but there’s always time for us to wish you a very HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR once again! HUAT AHH!!!

Compiled by Maureen & Mu Qin

The post 21 Eateries & Restaurants that are open during Chinese New Year 2016 appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Salted egg croissant was started by Urban Bakery in Hong Kong. The wave has then moved to Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Many flocked to these cafés for a taste of the croissants. It was such a great idea. We had salted egg fries, salted egg chips, salted egg crabs, salted egg donuts etc…I had been wondering, how come no one does salted egg croissant in Singapore?

Now, it’s finally here! After the launch at Flavour Flings, many cafes are serving it as well. You see queues of people lining up for the limited supply of the pastry. If you don’t know what is salted egg croissant, well it’s a marriage of two different cultures of pastries – the French croissant and the Chinese liu sha bao (salted egg yolk custard bun). Here are the list of cafés that serve salted egg croissant, the list will be updated regularly. Note: Limited supply daily, go early to avoid disappointment!

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Antoinette
Address: 30 Penhas Road, Singapore 208188
Tel: 6293 3121

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Chef Pang Kok Keong, chef-owner of Antoinette has given Antoinette’s well-loved croissant the perfect companion, in the form of a smooth, creamy and decadent salted egg yolk flling oozing out of its light and airy centre. Using traditional French methods of laminating high quality French butter and dough at controlled temperature, the croissants have crispy and flaky crust. To achieve the perfect oozing centre, the croissant flling is made with real natural salted egg yolks, sugar and milk, and hand-sieved to give it a silky-smooth texture which tasted just like the custard bun (liu sha bao). The croissant is priced at $6.50++ for dine-in and $6.50+ for take-away. It is available at its Penhas outlet at 11am daily. Antoinette’s Mandarin Gallery and Softel outlets will retail from 10th February at 1pm daily.

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Flavour Flings
Address: #01-1348, Block 121 Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 530121
Tel: 6286 0051

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Photo Credit: @FlavourFlings

This halal cafe at Hougang Avenue was the first to introduce the pastry in Singapore. Unlike Antoinette, they do not bake their own croissant. They got it from supplier and piped the salted yolk custard into the croissant, then baked before it’s served. It is only available for takeaways from 5.30pm daily excluding Tuesdays, Sundays and public holidays.

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Black & Ink
Address: 168 Changi Road, #01-01/02, Singapore 419730
Tel: 9620 1022

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Photo Credit: @EatwithRoy

Located along Changi Road, this laid back cafe and coffee bar has also introduced their salted egg croissants ($5.50). Break it apart, tear into it – you will not long resist this divine treat of savoury and sweet. We heard there are only 20 pcs available daily, it’s sooooo limited, so you better grab it quickly before it’s gone!

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Bridge
Address: 31 Seah Street, Singapore 188387
Tel: 6333 4453

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Photo Credit: @hazelleo

One of the latest cafe to offer salted egg croissant ($5.90) is Bridge. Our writer Hazel says this is made in-house with 2 salted egg yolk. It has a more buttery taste but lacks sweetness and crispiness. The salted york seems more watery and milder in flavour. It is available from 3-6pm on weekdays and all day on weekends. If you aren’t a fan of salted egg, try their new truffle honey custard croissant ($6.50).

P/S the salted egg croissant is available on 6th & 7th Feb 11am onwards. They are closed on 8th and 9th.

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Kokomama Marketplace
Address: 1 Zubir Said Drive #01-01, School of The Arts, Singapore 227968
Tel: 6835 7898

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Photo Credit: @Kokomama.marketplace

SOTA students rejoice because you don’t have to travel far to get your salted egg croissant fix! This cafe at the School of the Arts launched a few different flavours for their croissant. Priced at $6.50 each. Besides the popular salted egg flavour, the cafe has also introduced croissants filled with peanut and custard.

P/S closed on 7-9 Feb (Sun-Tues) for the CNY Break

The post Where to go for salted egg croissant in Singapore appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

[ Danang, Vietnam ] There’s no denying it, pristine beaches, rolling waves, luxury sea view hotels, chic resorts plus copious amounts of sunshine, all make for a super relaxing beach holiday. After a 3 hours flight to Danang in Jetstar, we arrived at Vietnam’s fourth largest city – Danang. Sandwiched between the coast and the Central Highlands, this beautiful city has got long and quiet beaches. We enjoyed a three nights stay at the courtesy of Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa.

Poised on a tranquil stretch of white-sand beach, between the Marble Mountains and the sun-kissed beachscape of renowned Non Nuoc, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa is only 15 minutes from Danang International Airport and is situated only moments away from the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Hoi An and two international class golf courses.

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Room

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First, the room. We had a standard room facing Vietnam’s most spectacular oceanic views. How awesome is that! The room is spacious with modern room furnishings and décor that complements the sea-scented light. The mattresses are firm while the pillows are soft and feather-down. There is a bathtub, rain showers, sizable walk-in wardrobes and all the expected luxuries of a five-star resort are at your disposal. At the balcony, there are deckchairs for us to chill while I do my work.

We had access to the club lounge which serves up loads of finger food, deserts, and drinks each afternoon/evening. It’s great to just chill out in the couch areas and have a drink while reading some magazines. The lounge staff are sweet and helpful, as you would expect from Hyatt.

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Pool

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Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa has five pools in total, including the Beach Pool, the Garden Pool, the Fitness Pool, the Regency Club Pool and the Residences Pool. The main pool at the resort is located a few steps away from the sand and offers a spectacular beach view and various small connecting water features in a unique labyrinthine design. I had brought along my swimsuit but the weather has been cranky throughout our stay, so we decided to stay in the room most of the ti,e instead.

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Green House

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There are both upscale and casual dining options located around the pool, all with views of the ocean. For breakfast, we ate at The Green House, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant. The dining room offers a comfortable and inviting atmosphere, with locally-inspired wood furnishings, warm textures and stone from the iconic Marble Mountain. Ceiling to floor windows overlook the main pool and beach, and allow plenty of natural light to stream into the restaurant. Whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner, the cuisine has been carefully crafted to serve a ‘light’ style of fare, offering both the taste of Vietnam and the Italian highlighting the flavours and produce of these warm climate regions.The restaurant spills out on to the terrace where diners can be seated in Vietnamese style basket boats and enjoy a view of the beach across the main pool of Hyatt Regency Danang Resort.

Everyday from 3 – 4pm, the restaurant offers pizza making session for kids to allow them to customise their own pizzas using a variety of topping options. The activity is priced at VND150,000++ per child, inclusive one soft drink. Every Saturday from 6 – 10pm, the restaurant features a sumptuous Italian Buffet at the price of VND790,000 net per person, inclusive of soft drinks, either a half-bottle of wine or two Peroni beers per person.

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Pool House

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Adjacent to the main resort pool at Hyatt Regency Danang, Pool House is my favourite restaurant amongst all. You can enjoy a breathtaking, uninterrupted view of Non Nuoc Beach while having a range of authentic local Vietnamese dishes.

We started our lunch with appetizers such as grilled squid with kumquat and salt dip, crispy baby shrimps with garlic and chilli, and grilled clams with scallion oil, toasted peanuts and sweet chilli fish sauce. We cannot resist the squid. It is done so well that no part of it is rubbery or tough. And the tangy and a little spicy kumquat sauce pairs perfectly with it. There is also juicy braised meat balls in spicy tomato sauce to pair with local baguette.

It was our first time in Vietnam, the restaurant has given us a great overview of the dishes here. We were served Mi Quang, a Vietnamese noodle dish that originated from Quảng Nam Province in central Vietnam. The dish is made with rice noodles tinted yellow with the use of turmeric. Here, you get to choose from chicken, pork or prawns to pair with your Mi Quang. It is served with very little broth and almost like a dry noodle dish to bring all the flavors together.

What impressed us, was the Hoi An Chicken Rice. Chef tears the chicken meat into small pieces and then mix the pieces with onions, Vietnamese coriander and the other spices to absorb their flavors. The dish is then served up with their chilli jam and served with fragrant rice. It has a complex mixture of flavors and texture. There is also a Singapore style Bak Kut Teh with tender young ribs in dark herbal soup.

The restaurant offers an array of grilled specialities from a live barbecue station alongside fresh seafood, salads, sides and desserts. The barbecue is priced at VND830,000 nett, inclusive of free-flowing soft drinks and two bottles of Bière Larue per adult. It is available every Friday from 6:30pm to 10pm (subject to weather conditions).

As the sun sets, the atmosphere transforms and Pool House becomes a bar offering both indoor and alfresco seating and serving classic cocktails and exceptional wines, accompanied by live entertainment from the resident band. Live music is performed by a duo at Pool House from Tuesday to Sunday every week from 8pm until late. If you come a little earlier you can enjoy a buy-one-get-one offer for beer, cocktails and wine during happy hours from 6pm to 9pm.

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Beach House

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The Beach House is idyllically located right on the beach with uninterrupted views over the sea to the Son Tra Peninsula. With its open design and rich décor, it’s the perfect place to sample the best seafood Vietnam has to offer. Couple this with Western offerings from the grill and the perfect evening awaits at the first Hyatt beach resort in Danang.

The beachfront restaurant offers fresh and healthy family-style Vietnamese cuisine and seafood. The signature restaurant also offers a European speciality: Brittany lobster prepared in a variety of styles — grilled, poached or flambéed with local spices — allowing guests to choose their preference.

We had a really tasty tiger prawns with garlic, thyme and olive oil, bamboo chicken with glutinous rice, grilled squid with cucumber, garlic and chillil and green mango salad. Prices for a Vietnamese set dinner range from VND730,000 to VND830,000 per person; a BBQ set dinner is priced at VND1,030,000 per person. Children 6 to 12 years old pay half price; children younger than six eat free (minimum 2 adult diners).

You can learn how to cook Vietnamese cuisine taught by native chefs at the resort. Each class requires a minimum of two attendees and is priced at VND1,700,000 net per person, or VND2,150,000 net per person for the inclusion of a pre-class market visit. Classes can be arranged on any day from 9am to 1pm.

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Baguette

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Baguette is conveniently located within the retail area of the resort and offers home-made bakery and deli items. This European-style eatery is perfect for a quick breakfast or a light lunch; dine in or takeaway. Baguette also functions as a local convenience store for villas and residences owners, stocking traditional Vietnamese grocery products, plus hard-to-find Western items for expats and tourists.

Baguette is the resort’s convenience store, where you can find home-made ice cream, bakery and deli items, plus a wide range of retail items. Enjoy a 50% discount on bread, cakes, pastries and other selected items during Happy Hours, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm.

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VIE Spa

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Cradled by the mountains and the sea, VIE Spa is designed to help you immerse yourself in the local traditions of wellness and healing. There is a range of spa treatments to cater to your path to personal wellness. There is also a fully equipped gym with contemporary design offering the very best in cardio and weight equipment.

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Non Nuoc Beach

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Our stay at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa, we were simply blown away. The service was impeccable, rooms were large and luxurious, pool and beach areas were enjoyable, dining options were fantastic.

Tourists often missed out on the long and quiet beaches as we are always in a rush to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An and the imperial city of Hue. So the next time when you visit Danang, take a break and enjoy the beautiful coast.

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Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa
5 Truong Sa Street, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District
Danang, Vietnam
Tel: +84 511 398 1234

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Da Nang is just under three hours from Singapore and is the perfect getaway for the busy executive looking for the relaxing weekend golfing or beach combing. Jetstar flies nonstop between Singapore and Da Nang three times weekly, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The post Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa – Our dream home with spectacular oceanic views appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Created by the same team behind the acclaimed Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, The Chop House is a gastro bar that serves classic feel good fare and an impressive range of ice cold draught beer. Following the success of its VivoCity flagship, the popular gastro bar has opened a new outlet at I12 Katong.

Situated in our culturally rich Katong area, where there is a good mix of locals and expatriates staying around the neighbourhood, the second outlet of Chop House boasts a modern industrial outlook with both spacious indoor and outdoor dining areas that provide an ideal setting for laidback, relaxed meals and cozy gatherings all day.

What’s interesting about this new outlet? Well, their menu has been revamped and improved on. On top of that, the addition of a Southbend broiler from United States of America (same model that sears Wooloomooloo’s famous steaks to perfection) is in the bar’s kitchen. Doesn’t this sound exciting?! This reflects The Chop House’s commitment to serving the best meats at affordable prices for discerning diners. We started with appetizers for sharing.

The Filet Mignon Salad ($16) consists of pan fried filet mignon with argula, romaine lettuce, shaved fennel, baby spinach, roasted peppers and cherry tomatoes and tossed with aioli while their Mussels Mariniere ($24) is cooked in white wine with garlic, shallots, celery and parsley. My favourites are the Crispy Pork Belly ($18), served with apple jam and an apple radish salad, as well as, the Roasted Bone Marrow ($18) which is topped with salsa verde and served with toasted garlic herbed baguette. The former is sinfully delicious, with the right balance of flavours and nice texture while the latter uses goat’s bone marrow?! Yes! You read me right, G O A T! We were all amazed by this uniqueness as only a very minority of restaurants uses goat’s bone marrow. This appetizer was simply melt-in-your-mouth tender!

Moving on to the mains, we had the USDA Prime Grain Fed Rib Eye ($38) that is served with watercress, grilled tomato and a choice of bearnaise, red wine or black peppercorn sauce. Thanks to the high speed Southbend broiler that can reach temperatures of about 980 degree Celsius, The Chop House ensures that its grilled meats are always succulent with a slightly caramelised surface. The high temperature helps to quickly seal in the juices within the meat while creating a flavourful crust. Here’s a fact for you! The USDA Prime ranks as the top 2% of all beef produce in America.

In addition to beef, diners can also indulge in the meaty goodness of The Chop House’s signature Pork Knuckle Platter ($85)! This platter comes with 1.2kg grain fed Australian pork knuckle, smoked BBQ baby back ribs, assorted sausages (pork, beef and lamb) and served with coleslaw and truffle potato. Their pork knuckle is steam baked, hence, pull-apart tender yet so tasty you just can’t stop at one mouthful. We really enjoyed their truffle potato. This portion is sufficient for sharing between 4-5 pax so if you’re calculating, the meat here isn’t that expensive actually.

We also tried their Garlic Prawns, sautéed with tomato, chilli, parsley and olive oil and served with saffron rice. This reminds us a little of those Spanish paella, with just the right amount of spiciness. Another main that is worth recommending is the Aussie Burger ($26), featuring a generous half pound beef patty topped with tomatoes, lettuce, onion jam, beetroot, sunny side up and bacon. This dish will be very popular among children and teenagers!

Finally, we finished our meal with The Chop House’s memorable sweet desserts such as Churros ($6), Apple Strudel Tortillas ($8) and Hot Chocolate Brownie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The deep fried cinnamon sugar coated donuts served with chocolate dipping sauce stood out for us as these churros were dense and moist. Its middle was not airy and not too dry nor too crispy unlike those that we get elsewhere. The chocolate sauce has a pinch of paprika so it does not taste too flat. We’ve currently gone to desserts heaven!

To provide a complete culinary experience, The Chop House offers an extensive selection of drinks at their bar counter. There are draught beer, wines, cocktails, and other refreshments ready to complement any meals. Overall, it was a pleasant experience dining at The Chop House at Katong!

The Chop House
Address: 112 East Coast Road, #01-13, I12 Katong, Singapore 428802
Opening hours: 12pm – 12am daily.
Website: http://www.wooloo-mooloo.com/sg/the-chop-house-katong.aspx

The post The Chop House – Meat lovers, rejoice! appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Valentine’s Day is just round the corner! Falling on a Sunday this year, we’re pretty certain that everyone has gotten themselves booked for dates with your other halves or with your beloved friends and family. If you haven’t, why not head down to Wheelock Place, which has a tranquil yet romantic ambience, and also filled with some great dining choices. So you can get into the lovey dovey mode without having to jostle your way around and escape from the hustle and bustle of city life (even though you’re still in the city). Here’s our list of cafes and restaurants in Wheelock Place to celebrate your V Day date at!

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Bangkok Jam
Unit: #02-04/05
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursdays 11.30am – 3.30pm; 5.30pm – 9.30pm. Fridays – Sundays 11.30am – 9.30pm
Contact Number: 6836 0989

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Bangkok Jam has recently expanded its menu with 12 new dishes ranging from Thai street favourites, to decadent salads, specialty main courses, classic noodles and desserts.

Notable dishes include the Crying Tiger, which features a grilled Australian Wagyu beef short plate served with romaine lettuce ($26++). The Wagyu is grilled carefully over an open fire until medium rare, leaving a slightly crisp but melt-in-your-mouth texture. Word has it that this dish is so good, a tiger was seen bursting out in tears after devouring it, thus earning its name Crying Tiger.

Another potential bestseller is the mouth-watering grilled pork spare ribs tossed with rice powder and spicy lime dip (now available at $18++ till 29 Feb, usual $28++). These tender ribs are marinated with an assortment of Thai herbs, then grilled to leave a delectable crust on the outside and a wonderful a smoky aroma. This umami-filled dish is good for sharing with your loved ones. Maybe you’d prefer something to share with your special someone. If that sounds more like it, then consider the three-hour slow braised beef shin, served with baby bok choy and smothered in delicious brown sauce ($19++). The pad cha seafood dish ($18++) is a great choice for those who want a little heat, as well.

The two new desserts in the updated menu are not to be missed if you have a sweet tooth! Similar to goreng pisang, the crispy banana balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese and honey ($8++) are prepared using ripe bananas coated with tempura batter, and then deep-fried. The smooth and creamy mozzarella is a good accompaniment, balancing the natural sweetness of the banana to perfectly please the palate. The Pandan Pancake ($8.50++) is sprinkled with fresh coconut flakes on every layer, giving them an extra crunch in every bite. The pancakes are also served with coconut ice cream and honey to give a complete taste of Bangkok!

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Bangkok Jam at Wheelock Place is offering a 30% discount on all new dishes on the 12 to 14 Feb when you dine in a group of two or more!

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Cedele by the Bakery Depot
Unit: #03-13A/14
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Contact number: 6732 8520

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Cedele in Wheelock Place is designed to look modern yet cosy and comfortable. Its spacious dining will ensure that your romantic sweet-nothings will not be overheard by your ‘neighbours’. This café exudes an intimate vibe and their window seats provide a great view of the outdoors!

Serving classic comfort food with a creative twist, each and every of their ingredients is carefully selected for its nutritional richness and exceptional flavour. Trans-fats or artificial ingredients are never used. Their recipes are taste-tested and made from scratch each day so you can be guaranteed of their freshness.

While Cedele doesn’t have a special Valentine’s Day menu, their limited edition Lunar New Year dishes make great alternatives for those looking for something different. Each dish is available ala carte or as a set with a festive drink.

Salmon Prosperity ($28.80 as a set; $25 ala carte) is a superfood-rich dish of salmon, brown rice, quinoa, gingko nuts, goji berries and osmanthus honey. This dish is not only loaded with nutritious ingredients, it is full of flavour and texture with every bite!

Sea Fortune Pasta ($23.80 as a set; $20 ala carte) consists of grilled scallops and prawns with cream pasta, edamame, ginger-infused goji berries, poached egg and truffle oil. This is our favourite as the lightly creamed pasta was tasty and yet not the kind that you’ll feel “gelat” after eating a few bites! The scallops and prawns were fresh and simply well done. The best part was the poached egg – imagine the runny yolk oozing out like a small stream, yums!

Cedele is very thoughtful as the third dish, Plentiful ($21.80 as a set; $18 ala carte) is a vegetarian platter of lentil cakes, crispy Portobello mushroom, caramelized onions, spiced eggplant topped with garlic flakes, maple plum dressing and osmanthus honey dressing. Vegetarians will be able to dine with Cedele too! There are two options for their festive drinks – Green Tea Latte and Coconut Matcha Smoothie. The former is a smooth and creamy beverage available hot or chilled while the latter is milky and refreshingly fruity.

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NamNam Noodle Bar
Unit: #B2-02
Opening hours: 10am – 9.30pm daily
Contact number: 6735 1488

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NamNam Noodle Bar has been serving up a variety of Vietnamese street food, including Vietnam’s famous pho and savoury baguettes known as Banh Mi. Founded by Director and Owner Chef Nam from Vietnam, this joint is known for authentic Viet cuisine at affordable prices. We also like that NamNam doesn’t use MSG.

For starters, we really enjoyed the pomelo salad ($6.90) which is a refreshing mixture of pomelo pulp, prawns, shredded chicken and peanuts that is perfect with a squeeze of lime. The prawn rolls ($5.90) were also really fresh and went well with the dipping sauces. Besides the pho, other yummy noodle options include the Spicy Hue beef noodles ($10) or Quang style egg noodles ($11), which are recipes from southern and central Vietnam. The food at NamNam made me miss Vietnam so much.

There are also many Banh Mi(s) to choose from such as lemongrass tofu, egg omelette and braised mushrooms ($6.90) for vegetarians, Vietnamese pork ham with cream cheese ($6.90), Wagyu beef, braised mushrooms and pig’s head terrine ($12.90) and their chilli-lemongrass chicken, egg omelette and chicken floss ($6.90) pictured here. Quick service, yummy Viet dishes, pocket-friendly prices, NamNam is a great choice for a fuss-free meal with your loved one.

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O’Coffee Club
Unit: #01-K1 & K2
Opening hours: K1 (24hours), K2 8am – 10pm daily.
Contact number: 6836 5737

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O’Coffee Club has been around since 1991, sourcing its coffee bean supplies and premium products from the Bean belt. The coffee beans are freshly grinded in-store, hence having absolute control over the quality and freshness of their coffee. Coffee lovers who patronize O’Coffee Club have a wide variety of beans to choose from, including Jamaican Blue Mountain, the rare Ethiopian Yirgacheffee with its unique fruity flavour and their very own O’Coffee Club classic blend.

Dishes offered at O’Coffee Club are created with a twist of local flair by their very own in-house chef. There are two joints at Wheelock Place. The open-air outlet facing Orchard Road is open 24 hours and offers the full menu, the air-conditioned one inside, just past Marks & Spencer, is open from 8am to 10pm daily.

To start off our meal, we had their Frozen Espresso Latte ($6.40) and Very Berries ($6.90) ice-blended drink. The latte was an instant energy booster. It was very fragrant and smooth, we were instantly addicted and wanted to go for a second cup. Very Berries was so refreshing, with a good balance between berries’ sweet and tart flavours.

For people who love sleeping in on weekends, fret not as you can still head over here for their all-day-breakfast menu. The Eggs Benedict ($10.90, only available at #01-K1) allows you to choose either smoked salmon, ham or bacon and it isn’t expensive for such a generous portion. The Waffle Stacker ($19.90) serves 2 to 3 persons and is made with O’Coffee Club’s house waffles stacked with bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee maple syrup. What an amazing way to start the day! We also indulged in their chocolatey rich Muddy Mud Pie ($11.90) which has cappuccino and chocolate ice cream on cookies and cream base, topped with chocolate sauce. Super indulgent and super good!

Since the open-air outlet is opened 24 hours, it is a great spot to chill and catch up with friends after a late-night movie or a day of shopping!

Just for the V Day weekend, O’Coffee Club is giving a 15% discount on ala carte items with a minimum of two diners from 12 to 14 Feb!

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Sakae Sushi
Unit: #02-13
Opening hours: 11.30am – 10pm daily
Contact number: 6737 6281

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The first thing that comes to our mind when we mentioned Sakae – SUSHI BUFFET!!! Sakae Sushi’s buffet is so affordable that we remember it used to be one of the few places we could afford during our student days. If you’ve met your partner during the school days and have eaten Sakae Sushi’s buffet together, isn’t it a good idea to return to the same place to reminisce your “childhood” memories?

Start your meal with their Sparkling Sakura ($4.99), a sparkling soda immersed with fragrant Sakura flower, pomegranate and Aloe Vera bits. This is quite fizzy yet refreshingly good. If you prefer something to cleanse your palate before starting on your savoury feast, try their Passionfruit Ice Jelly ($4.99). The passionfruit soda layered with cooling ice jelly and is slightly tart.

Sakae Sushi’s a la carte menu is so extensive that we’re spoilt for choice! Our two sushi picks sure didn’t disappoint. The Sunshine Maki ($7.99) is a cheery sushi rice roll with crispy tempura prawn and shredded Japanese cucumber, topped with fresh mango slices and flying salmon roe. We really liked the vibrant colours of this maki and how it is presented. It has a good balance of sweetness from the mango slices and saltiness from the prawn and salmon roe.

The Aburi Salmon Maki ($14.99) consists of torch-seared salmon, layered on Japanese omelette and crabstick sushi rice roll. The colours and presentation make it very appealing to the eyes. We couldn’t wait to savour it even though we know that our cameras get to “eat” first!

Valentine’s Day is also about being sweet, loving and everything romantic and Sakae Sushi has their Sakae Fondue ($19.99 for a small portion) which will give you a sugary boost should you need help in sweet-talking your partner! The fondue consists of a smooth chocolate sauce for you to dip an assortment of ice cream, cookies, marshmallows and fresh fruits such as bananas and strawberries.

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Starbucks Coffee
Unit: #B1-01
Opening Hours: 8am to 11pm daily
Contact Number: 6884 3424

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Photo credits: Starbucks

Coffee lovers, Starbucks has created a couple of romantic drinks for you with the strawberry red velvet mocha and chestnut white chocolate truffle! The former combines a deliciously rich red velvet sauce with mocha, steamed milk, Starbucks’ signature espresso and is lovingly topped with cheese whipped cream and bits of luscious, ripe strawberries.

The chestnut white chocolate truffle is made with Starbucks’ signature espresso and steamed milk, combined with decadent white chocolate sauce and roasted chestnut flavour, finished with whipped cream, roasted chestnut drizzle and sweet crunchy toppings.

Conveniently located at Basement 1 of Wheelock Place, you can make a quick pit stop to grab your favourite cuppa if you’re spending V Day in town.

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Sufood
Unit: #B2-01
Opening hours: 9am – 9.30pm daily
Tel: 6238 8308

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Hailing from Taiwan, Sufood is an Italian-inspired meat-free restaurant located in Basement 2 of Wheelock Place. Emphasising basic cooking techniques and fresh ingredients, the meat-free dishes are healthy and innovative, yet rich in flavour.

From 12 to 14 Feb, Sufood offers a special meal for all the lovely couples out there! The menu consists of two appetizers, one salad, two main courses, a dessert and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. The appetizers are Sufood’s Signature Starter, which comes with a twist featuring a lady’s finger replaced by silky tofu wrapped with Oreo crusts, and a refreshing Strawberry Kisses salad with Italian baby greens, strawberries, pineapples, shredded taro and drizzled with strawberry sauce.

The mains include the Angelic Truffle Mushroom Pasta, a flavoursome dish with angel hair pasta complemented by mixed mushrooms and vegetable balls. Pizza lovers will love the strawberry clover pizza with cheese baked rice, which delivers tinge of sweetness from the fruit jam sauce. End your Valentine’s Day meal with a strawberry flavoured jelly specially crafted into two heart shapes, and exquisitely decorated with strawberry, mango and fresh whipped cream. As you can tell, because it’s the season of love, most of the dishes feature strawberries like the refreshing salad with strawberry sauce, strawberry clover pizza and the sweet strawberry flavoured jelly. So romantic lor!

Diners who order Sufood’s special Valentine’s Day five-course meal will receive a complimentary pair of Sufood bird magnets per table. This offer is only good for the first 100 diners who dine in on 13 and 14 Feb at Sufood’s Wheelock Place branch.

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Sun with Moon Japanese Dining & Café
Unit: #03-15 to17
Opening hours: 12pm – 11pm (Sun-Thu), 12pm – 11.30pm (Fri&Sat)
Contact number: 6733 6636

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Sun with Moon is my favourite restaurant in Wheelock Place and this is its only outlet in Singapore! Having been established in Singapore for many years, this Japanese dining and cafe concept’s menu is very comprehensive and reservations are recommended for lunch and dinner hours.

The Premium Sushi Mori ($48.80) is Sun with Moon’s premium sushi platter with medium fatty tuna, yellowtail, tuna, conger eel, sweet shrimp, scallop, salmon, salmon roe, horse mackerel and minced fatty tuna with green onion roll. What a spread! Their sashimi is so fresh and sliced to the perfect thinness such that it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and smooth. The slice of conger eel is so generous that it stretches as long as from our palm to the tip of our middle finger. It’s marinated very well and not too salty, suits our palate incredibly well.

We were very satisfied with their US Prime Beef Steak ($23.80) featuring tender grilled US Prime beef steak (150g) served with mash potatoes, corn and florets. You get to choose two sauces of your choice between black pepper, goma mustard, red wine and cheese. End your meal on a sweet note with their Matcha Tiramisu ($7.80), boosting luscious mascarpone and green tea sponge cake topped with black berries and lightly dusted with green tea powder. Green Tea fanatics will definitely love this!

Cocktail fans will appreciate Sun with Moon’s oh-so-yummy version of the Bellini cocktail, a lovely mixture of Prosecco sparkling wine and peach purée/nectar.

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The House of Robert Timms
Unit: #01-02/03
Tel: 6735 9201

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Since the weather is so nice and cool nowadays, why not visit The House of Robert Timms at Wheelock Place which has a lovely alfresco area perfect for outdoor dining. The cafe has a special Valentine’s Day three-course set menu is available at $58++ per couple from now till 14 Feb too!

The menu starts with beet and goat cheese salad with chilled poached beetroot, crumbed goat cheese with pecans and mesculin mix. Share a bowl of creamy mushroom soup served with toast. Next up are the mains with two Aussie classics – oven-roasted spring chicken and baked white snapper. The spring chicken is roasted to perfection and served with truffle cauliflower puree, roasted vegetables and bacon red wine sauce. Our favourite is the baked white snapper. The fish is moist and tender, with truffle cauliflower potato puree and roasted vegetables with sweet strawberry-apricot sauce.
Finish off the meal with Hugs & Kisses – a duet of lemon tart and chocolate raspberry cake, guaranteed to delight your senses. The portions are VERY generous so make sure you come ready to feast!

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Wicked Kitchen
Unit: #02-19
Opening hours: 11:30am to 9pm
Contact number: 6684 0980

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New in Singapore and Wheelock Place, introducing Wicked Kitchen! This new dining concept is brought to you by the Big O Group, a brand many would be familiar with. Marrying East and West flavours while retaining traditional, local flavours, Wicked Kitchen is a great place to enjoy an unpretentious meal with your loved one.

Opening just in time for Valentine’s Day, Wicked Kitchen presents a special three-course Valentine’s set menu at $32 per pax. The menu consists of an appetizer, a choice of your desired mains from three options and a dessert. The appetizer is their smoked salmon salad with sesame balsamic vinaigrette. This was very palatable and whetted our appetites for the rest of the meal.

For the mains, you can choose between carved roasted ribeye with mushrooms and crispy fries, grilled bacon wrapped chicken with fragrant rice and red wine sauce, and pan fried red snapper fillet with Shitake mash and lemon butter sauce. The special butter peppercorn that comes with the beef steak is homemade by Wicked Kitchen’s chef.

Grilled bacon wrapped chicken is a well-loved dish at the Big O Cafe and is specially available at Wicked Kitchen for this romantic occasion. The meat is roasted in the oven before being drizzled with red wine, and is served tender and oh-so-yummy. The accompanying sauce is their special homemade chutney sauce which adds a tangy flavour.

The dish that stood out most to us was their pan fried red snapper fillet as the Shitake mash is so unique. Spinach is blanched and chopped up, together with Shitake mushrooms before being mashed with potatoes. Simply delightful! Their lemon butter sauce also has raisins in it which is rather special. Oh, we really liked their Baked Apple Cinnamon Feuillete dessert which is served with vanilla ice cream. Looks pretty and tastes good too!

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Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, may all of you feel the love on this special day! Don’t forget to make use of the exclusive promotions in Wheelock Place. Enjoy the festive season, XOXO!

The post Celebrate love at Wheelock Place appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Bangkok certainly lives up to its reputation as a travel hot spot in Southeast Asia, boasting a plethora of night markets and floating markets offering tourists and locals numerous varieties of street food. The streets marry the traditional and the modern as ramshackle buildings crouch next to magnificent holy shrines, overlooked by modern skyscrapers and offices. Cafés definitely added a twist to their modernization, which further develops Bangkok into a magnet for food lovers of all origins. There are many cafés popping up and certain areas such as Thonglor, Ekkamai and Siam are packed with many hipster cafés. We have hunted down 12 cafés with Instagram worthy desserts that you must try.

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Perhaps Rabbits’
Address: Ekkamai Soi 10, Werng Boran Community Mall
Nearest BTS: Ekkamai
Opening hours: 9am – 9pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perhapsrabbits/

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If you like rabbits and desserts, this is a café tailor-made for you. Welcome to the world of Alice in Wonderland! Each and every corner of this café, including their menu, is designed to resemble Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, too pretty and unforgivable cute we just can’t resist taking lots of photos.

Have a mad tea party with your girlfriends with wonderland-themed desserts such as Bluebunny Egg (220 baht), Green Tea Bush (190 baht), Mad Hatter Mousse (160 baht), Keyramisu (160 baht), Rabbit Hole Mud Cake (160 baht) and many more, which names are aligned with the theme. The Bluebunny Egg is a blueberry cheese pie covered with purple chocolate eggs. We love the cheese pie that wasn’t too “gelat”, yet flavourfully light on the palate. Green Tea Bush has a perfect balance between the dessert’s sweetness and a tinge of bitterness from the green tea, which we quite liked. Whole cakes can be ordered and customized here and drinks such as coffee, Italian sodas and teas are available as well. Do note that only cash payment is accepted.

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Vanilla Cafeteria
Address: Emquartier Shopping Complex, The Helix Quartier, 2A08, 2nd Floor, No. 693 Sukhumvit Road
Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Contact number: 02-003-6124

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Vanilla Cafeteria is an unpretentious café located in an “atas” environment, yet keeping their cuisine deliciously simple and their outlook welcoming. This café exudes a rather moody and grown-up feel, with lots of dark marble and equally dark wood furnishings. You can find casual high tables in front of their open kitchen, while opposite are curvaceous, elegant dining tables with views of Emquartier’s waterfall. You can also choose to relax at the terrace outside with more seating.

Take your time in this comfortable setting to savour their Signature Spicy Carbonara (280 baht) topped with fresh egg yolk or Herbs Grilled Chicken with Truffle Cream (380 baht) served with sautéed cherry tomatoes and string beans. Don’t forget to complete your meal with their desserts and crepes. Mango Sticky Rice Crepe (360 baht) contains chocolate crepe with mango, sticky rice, macadamia nuts and homemade ice cream while Charcoal Pavlova (220 baht) is a fresh cream filled charcoal meringue, topped with passionfruit. The latter is super soft and fluffy. Its passionfruit toppings give it a refreshingly sourish twist and the server explained to us that passionfruit is used to cut down the greasiness from your meal.

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Mokuola Hawaii
Address: Siam Paragon, Food Passage Zone, 4th Floor, Rama 1 Road
Nearest BTS: Siam
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MokuolaHawaiiThailand

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Due to the existence of many shopping malls and back alleys near Siam, this area is basically a lady’s shopping paradise. Well, your legs got to rest after hours of walking non-stop and your tummy needs some fuel too! The colourfully cutesy Hawaiian setting of this café is a perfect place for taking a break from shopping. Putting the focus on Western classic dishes, Mokuola Hawaii offers fusion dishes, added with a Japanese twist. Its mains are delectable but the ultimate draw here is their buttery and fragrant Japanese pancakes, which they grouped into four different categories offering a wide variety of flavours you get to select from. There are tropical, fruity, chocolate and Japanese-style pancakes.

The most eye-catching dessert is their Tropicana Pancake (250 baht), which consists of mixed fruits such as apples, strawberries and kiwis, a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream and berry sauce. The whipped cream is light and complements the pancake very well. Vanilla ice cream gives the entire dessert its sweetness but it isn’t overwhelming due to the slightly sour berry sauce. What a great combination! Fruity fanatics can opt for the Berry Blossom Pancake (190 baht), consisting of strawberries, blueberries, white chocolate chips, topped with berry whipped cream and berry sauce while chocolate lovers have a choice between Gateau Choco Pancake (220 baht) and Choco Banana Pancake (190 baht). Besides, there’s free wifi available here!

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Vanilla Bakeshop
Address: No. 53 Ekkamai 12, Sukhumvit 63 Road
Nearest BTS: Ekkamai
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Website: http://www.vanillaindustry.com/

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“Every girl needs … The Ring!”

Going by this tag line, it’s no surprise that Vanilla Bakeshop’s signature dessert is “The Ring” and there are three options you can select from – The Ring Original, The Ring Salty Caramel and The Ring Bacon Maple (all at 280 baht each). The Ring Original is Vanilla’s signature croissant doughnut, floating in vanilla custard sauce, topped with home-made ice cream and glass caramel and sprinkled with crunchy macadamia nuts. The Ring Salty Caramel is their croissant doughnut in salty caramel sauce, topped with homemade ice cream and glass caramel and sprinkled with macadamia nuts and marshmallow. The Ring Bacon Maple is their croissant doughnut in vanilla custard sauce, topped with homemade ice cream, glass caramel and maple syrup and sprinkled with cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

All of Vanilla Bakeshop’s desserts are hand-crafted and freshly baked daily. The industrial style interior and the open-concept baking room brings out the atmosphere of a vintage bakery factory. We have to admit that it’s torturing for our tummy to experience the sweet aroma of freshly baked delicacies while eagerly waiting for our meal at the table. Besides desserts, those who prefer savoury dishes can enjoy Vanilla’s Big Breakfast Set (550 baht) or their Oven-baked Pasta with their special sauces such as Baked Pasta Garlic Butter Clams (340 baht) and Baked Mexican Pork Lasagne (340 baht). You can also ask the servers for the chef’s special menu! Besides mains and desserts, Vanilla Bakeshop is famous for their Frosty (180 baht each), which consists of homemade ice cream blended with ice, syrups and their signature sauce before topping with meringue cream. There are four flavours mainly Salty Caramel Frosty, Chocolate Macaron Frosty, Strawberry Mint Cream Frosty and Lemon Caramel Frosty. Sweetness overload!

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ONCE Social Bar and Café
Address: 308 Thonglor Soi 10
Nearest BTS: Thonglor
Opening hours: 12pm – 9.30pm daily
Website: http://www.oncecafe.com/

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Those who frequent the Siam area during your trip to Bangkok would be familiar with Once Cuisine and Café located in Siam Square. Opened in October 2015, Once Social Bar and Café is the second outlet but offers an entirely different dining experience, including draft beer and other booze which the original outlet doesn’t sell. This outlet focuses more on proper meals in the form of all-day brunch dishes, pastas and burgers, as well as, their desserts highlight, pointing to their monstrous Egglette Towers (starting from 325 baht), consisting of three layers of egg waffles and four scoops of ice cream that are made in-house and their crazy Einstein-looking Explosion beverages (starting from 175 baht), which sees everything from lemonade to milkshakes served in tall mason jars, topped with a scoop of ice cream, plenty of whipped cream, a waffle cone and cotton candy.

There are eighteen flavours of ice cream to choose from and we really like their Extraberry, Blue Hawaii, Thai Tea and Matcha Green Tea flavours. The flavours we chose allowed our palates a taste of the 酸甜苦辣 (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy) package, just missing out on the spicy part. Well, if some Chilli flavoured ice cream is created, won’t it be fantastic?! Remember to request for sampling before deciding on your desired flavours. Please share the Egglette Towers with two to three friends, don’t let it go to waste if you’re feeling too full. With a distinctive decorative style, this café is ideal for working-age group seeking out places to chillax after work or on weekends.

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Stickhouse
Address: Ground Floor, Food Hall Zone @ Siam Paragon, beside Garrett Popcorn and opposite Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Nearest BTS: Siam
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stickhouse.th

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It’s hard to walk by without noticing this café’s bright pink decorations, with white-washed bricky walls. What a girly and sweet interior! Under their two wide glass panels are rows and rows of creamy-looking gelato pressed into the shape of a popsicle. This brings us back to the childhood days of purchasing popsicles from the ice cream cart man. The distinct difference, however, lies in the taste. The packed density and texture of these handcrafted, daily fresh gelato sticks are a complete contrast to typical mass produced posicles. This is “Love at First Bite!” You can really taste its full richness and flavourful bursts which delivers what fruit and cream flavours are really supposed to taste like, unlike the artificial or sugar-clad version we get elsewhere.

Beginning from 89 baht, everyone’s favourite is the Thai Flag, which requires more craftiness and takes at least ten minutes to create each layer. The three layers are strawberry gelato, butterfly pea sorbet and coconut sorbet. The usual classics offer typical flavours such as chocolate, coffee and vanilla but some unique ones that captured our attention are the avocado and mango flavour with sticky rice bits. Stickhouse also serves up pleasurable Tiramisu cake, Strawberry Cheesecake and Matcha Redbean cake at 99 baht each. Stickhouse stands by its aim to be authentic so strictly no artificial colourings or flavourings are used.

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Patisserie Rosie
Address: 113/2 Thonglor 10, Sukhumvit 55 Road
Nearest BTS: Thonglor
Opening hours: 12pm – 9.30pm (Tue-Sun). Closed on Mondays.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosiepatisserie

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Patisserie Rosie just turned one this January, boasting contemporary French pastries, tea room and crafted coffee. Thonglor is a rowdy area, popular with nightclubs but this new patisserie, with award winning desserts, has proven itself to be strong-standing. Situated in a rustic-looking shop house, Patisserie Rosie serves up classic desserts with modern twists. The interior is designed to match elegant Oriental and European vintage style, decorated with cute and bright objects such as teapots, cooking ware and picture frames. There are two levels so if you want more privacy, go get comfortably settled on the mezzanine. The servers are knowledgeable and gave a very detailed explanation for each dessert before allowing us to make our selections.

We had their signature Cherry Ripe (200 baht) and Pear & Blackcurrent dessert (200 baht). The former contains cherry mousse, cherry compote and chocolate ganache while the latter is similar, just that it is pear and blackcurrent flavoured. Both desserts are full of creamy richness. The highlights of Patisserie Rosie also include Mont Blanc (160 baht), Apple Mousse Tart (190 baht), Yuzu Tart (210 baht) and Lady Bug Tart (200 baht). According to the server, every piece of cake are made from premium quality ingredients sourced from different parts of the world such as vanilla from Madagascar, chocolate from Tahiti and rose syrup from Bulgaria. The team behind Patisserie Rosie really goes all out to ensure that their desserts are fresh, special and of good quality, bravo! They also have more substantial bites like sandwiches and quiche with salad, as well as, weekend brunch for the big eaters. Do note that only cash payment is accepted.

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Wicked
Address: 388 Siam Square One, 5th Floor, Rama 1 Road
Nearest BTS: Siam
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Fri). 10.30am – 10pm (Sat&Sun).
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedSQ1

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Which café comes up with such a name, calling themselves Wicked?! After our visit, we can safely say that their staffs are friendly and very polite, far from the café’s name but desserts here are wickedly sinful. Here’s an interesting fact – this is another restaurant/café opened by celebrity chef Phol Tantasathien. Locals have been going crazy over his cooking show, Phol Food Mafia for years as his presentation for desserts are impressive. This new café is spacious and brightly lit, and given that it’s located within the crowded Siam area, you can expect a steady flow of teenagers, mainly students and early twenties, who patronize Wicked mostly for desserts.

One of the highly raved about items is Bla Bla (170 baht). It is a deconstructed banana choco panna cotta and arrives amazingly presented in a cute glass cup fogged up with dry ice. The layer of banoffee ice cream is wickedly sweet, topped with chocolate powder. The cookies gave the entire dessert a good crunchy texture. Wicked also has playful desserts such as the “BTS” (150 baht) which they claim is Better Than Sex! It’s actually chocolate pastry cream so expect a chocolatey rich dessert, which leads to an after effect of sugar rush. The names for their desserts are gimmicky and girls would definitely go for the “First Kiss” (160 baht) – greek yogurt panna cotta with a sauce made with orange and raspberry so expect it to be tangy, if not, too sour. There is ice cream available as well, beginning from 80 baht per scoop.

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Tealily Café
Address: Sukhumvit 39, Soi Prommit
Neaerest BTS: Phrom Phong
Opening hours: 9.30am – 6.30pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tealilycafe/

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It’s quite tough searching for this café as it’s hidden amidst rows of terrace houses in a back alley located 15 minutes away from Phrom Phong BTS station. Upon entering the house, you’ll be greeted with a Japanese-styled garden, where there’s a mini swing where you can sit and chill while getting away from Bangkok’s busy and noisy city life. When you step indoors, expect wooden tables with simple white interiors, that is well maintained.

In the beginning, we mistook the owner, Bow, as Japanese but after a short conversation with our hospitable host, we learnt that her mother is a Chinese while her father is a Thai and she loves Japanese food and fashion. Cat lovers would be ecstatic to know that the resident cat loves mingling around with customers, from table to table, looking at you with “puppy eyes” like Puss in Boots waiting for you to give it a stroke. This adorable cat is named Mochi.

Tealily is well-known for their premium green tea from Kyoto and their Matcha desserts. Green tea is served both hot (100 baht) and iced (105 baht), with Japanese treats such as Goma Dango Set (105 baht) and sweet potato (100 baht). We shared the Uji Matcha Kintoki (255 baht) which consists of Matcha shaved ice, Matcha ice cream and 3 colours Dango. Dango is a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from Mochiko (rice flour) and is often served with green tea. It is eaten all year round by the Japanese, with different varieties traditionally eaten during different seasons. Three to four Dango are often served on a skewer. Being fans of green tea desserts, Tealily definitely met our expectations! Although its location isn’t very accessible, we would still brave the heat just to return to this café for their premium green tea desserts. Tealily also sells some clothes that are in line with Japanese trending fashion and Japanese-styled ceramics.

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Karmakamet Diner
Address: Sukhumvit 24, 30/1 Soi Metheenivet
Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong
Opening hours: 10am – 11.30pm daily
Website: http://www.karmakamet.co.th/

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This restaurant tries to bring back homemade old-fashioned baked goods and add a modern twist to the flavours. As quoted from the founder, Natthorn Rakchana, “The nostalgia of how we had so wonderful life when we were little, life where it’s all about giving and sharing, when things were pure and beautiful, always strike me and make me want to reassemble the idealistic life again.” Following this thought of his, is what created Karmakamet’s concept, as a shelter of happiness, where everyone is influenced to believe that peace is the true beauty of life and the true meaning of life is all about sharing and giving away to those who is in need. This little gem has a rustic, laid back environment, located a stone’s throw away from Emquartier shopping mall. We heard that many Singaporeans love flocking here for their high standards of food and desserts and their Strawberry in the Clouds (390 baht) has got to be one of the mostly Instagram-ed desserts, since forever! This wonderful creation is made with strawberry short cake, amaretto cream, strawberry ice cream, walnut crumbles and rainbow cotton candy.

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Pastel Paris Eclairs
Address: Ground Floor, Sweet Avenue Zone @ Siam Paragon
Nearest BTS: Siam
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pastelbkk

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There used to be the donuts trend, followed by Korean’s bingsu and now comes Éclairs. So, what makes a really good Éclair? This might be our personal preferences but we like our Éclair to have a textural contrast between the pastry and the crème. The pastry should be a golden-dark brown, thin and slightly crunchy. It should be perfectly straight, long and free from cracks. Under no circumstances should any éclair be flat. And also, éclairs should have a clear separation between the glaze and the pastry, especially at the edges. On top of this, the glaze should sparkle in the light, which gives it the WOW factor! Finally, we like our éclair not overly sweet so that other flavours used will be elevated. Pastel Paris Éclairs satisfied all our criteria for a perfect éclair. The store is not big but it’s beautifully decorated with Paris related photos and numerous Eiffel Tower models that makes you feel like you’re enjoying an afternoon tea in the Champs Elysees. With 30 different flavours and designs to choose from, you’d be spoilt for choice. Éclair pricing starts from 95 baht per piece. They also have a dessert called Cube Choux, which originated from Japan and is served with their signature Parisian Diplomat cream.

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Issaya La Patisserie
Address: 5th Floor, Central Embassy
Nearest BTS: Phloen Chit
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issayalapatisserie/

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This café exudes a very happy atmosphere, with colourful furniture in different shades of red, blue and yellow. The focus here is on creating Thai style desserts with a modern twist. Although it was difficult to converse with the servers due to both of our language barrier, we still understood from their explanation that all of the offerings at Issaya La Patisserie are made fresh every day at the pastry kitchen attached to the Issaya Cooking Studio on the lower level of Central Embassy.

The menu offerings range from plated desserts, pastries, macarons, all-day tea sets, ice cream and savoury snacks to eat in the café or take away. They highly recommended us to try the Sai Sai set (290 baht) which comes with a coconut mousse filled with kra-cheek, a twist of traditional Thai pastry, coconut pandan marshmallow, white sesame tuile and fresh coconut juice. The coconut juice is da bombxxx!!! So good we wished we could have more! Som-Jid (165 baht) caught our eyes immediately and we even thought of buying it back as a Chinese New Year “decoration” as the tangerine balls with deconstructed coconut sable and condiments are super in line with the festive decorations.

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There you have it, 12 Instagram worthy cafés in Bangkok! There are so many more cafés to explore but let’s leave it to next time! Thanks for reading and we really hope this helps if you are travelling to Bangkok soon!

The post 12 Instagram Worthy Desserts in Bangkok appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.

Sunday brunches are getting lavish with many hotels serving wide variety of food options, ocean-fresh seafood, champagne and best, a buffet that comes with a spectacular views of the sparkling sea and landscaped gardens, along with fresh, cooling sea breezes.

Available every Sunday, from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Kwee Zeen at the new Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa is serving the Magnifique Sunday Champagne Brunch.

There are a total of 16 different ateliers to choose from, ranging from Live Seafood, French Stove, a Foie Gras Gallery, Fromage & Charcuteries, Tandoor, Chinese, a Dessert Trolley, and a Chocolaterie that serves up hand-crafted truffles. Such a dizzying spread! We started with fresh bread baked in house and mouth-watering charcuterie. A highlight here is the smoked coffee salmon that is a refreshing change from the usual. Fresh sashimi and sushi are also available among the buffet spread.

The seafood on ice section is really impressive with the 4 different types of crustaceans. There are Mud Crabs, Tourteax Crab, Boston Lobster, Brown Crab, Dungeness Crab and Flower Crab. My favourite is the Dungeness crab which has a lot of eggs and roes within the shell. They also have different types of oysters from Irish, France, New Zealand and Canada.

The hot section has a mix of western and asian dishes such as the beef rendang, chilli crab, braised pig trotter, sambal long beans, baked fish, beef stew etc. While it is limited, we are impressed with the good flavours especially from Asian dishes.

Kwee Zeen’s outdoor deck is exactly where we’d spend our Sunday afternoon. Chefs will come round each tables perodically to serve you food like the pan fried foie gras and dim sum while interacting with you. Talking about adding a little human touch into the massive buffet spread, I think Kwee Zee has done it well.

Just look at that orange roe in the crabs. Hold on, let me enjoy a glass of premium Taittinger Champagne first.

The noodle and live seafood station allows you to pick the ingredients you want and how you wish to cook it. For instance, the sambal mussels that the chef prepared a la minute is excellent. There is also roast meat and Indian section with tandoori and prata.

What got everyone excited at the end of the Sunday brunch is the handcrafted truffles. The sweet delights come with varies flavours in it and everyone was popping one after another truffles. My suggestion? Go for their most premium flavour – the durian truffle! We were also intrigued by the gold coffee machine that was placed at the entrance of the restaurant. The handsome restaurant staff has proved to us that it is not only for display by serving decent perk-me-up.

After a great brunch, we walked around the hotel a little and spotted a beautiful peacock!The Magnifique Sunday Champagne Brunch is available on Sundays from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Diners will also receive additional perks that include a rebate on the Sentosa entry fee with a car pool of 4 persons, complimentary parking, complimentary use of the hotel’s swimming pool, and Wi-Fi access.

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Pricing
$138++: Adults (Free-flow soft drinks and juices)
$168++: Adults (Free-flow Tattinger Champagne, wine and non-alcoholic drinks)
$58++: Children aged 5 to 11 (Free-flow soft drinks and juices)

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Kwee Zeen
Address: Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, Sentosa Island 2 Bukit Manis, Singapore 099891
Tel: +65 67088366

The post Sunday Champagne Brunch at Kwee Zeen, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa appeared first on Miss Tam Chiak.