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Welcome to Joyville (I drew this!). This is a joyous magical place where Cadbury Dairy Milk is made. A place where workers whistle to chocolate, milk is stored in hillsides and chocolate is transported via purple pipelines and purple vehicles of all shapes and sizes. There are mountains of the finest Ghanaian cocoa, orchards made of pure chocolate and lakes of fresh milk.

Joyville lies just beneath the surface of our world: its workers pass between here and there via purple portals which look familiar; they could be a man hold cover in a pavement, or a gift box on the side of the street. If you keep your eyes open, you may just catch a glimpse.

With the invention of the chocolate-powered engine came the first fleet of Joyville trucks. They may not be fast but they smell amazing.

The unique ingredient to making good chocolate in Joyville is JOY. Joy creates chocolate and chocolate creates joy and it is in every bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk they make.

In the Marvellous Creations mixing room at Joyville, it is a truly magnificent place. It is where all the chocolate magic happens. And now, we can enjoy the Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations Chocolate in Singapore!

2 weeks ago, we spent a fun-filled afternoon with other bloggers at The Most Marvellous Bloggers’ Party. We had so much fun and enjoyed an unlimited amount of Marvellous Creations Chocolates!

Ladyironchef, Beatrice and I are the ambassadors of the respective Marvellous Creations flavours – the Jellie Crunchie Bits, Jelly Popping Candy Beanies and the Peanut Toffee Cookie.

The Marvellous Creations bars are not only made with Joy, but also combines with the little bits of jelly, crunchies and very very thick chocolate for a really long lasting and marvellous mouthful. Crunch, chewy, fruity and fizzy!

At the party, local band After Hours brings down the house with some M.A.R.V.E.L.L.O.U.S tunes.

Blind Tasting Test – can you identify Marvellous Creations Chocolate?

We also played an ice breaking BINGO game to get to know other bloggers.

Here’s the three of us sharing about our favourite flavour!

Not forgetting the stunning magical act by renowned street magician Huron Low. So Valerie tore a small corner from a poker card and it amazingly appeared in my Peanut Toffee Cookie Chocolate!

Last but not least, we spent most of our time at the Hello Stranger photobooth, taking photos with the fun Cadbury choc props!

Well, that is not the end. Many bloggers came to the event with Joyrider! It is not just a normal chartered bus. When you board the bus, you feel like you are in Joyville! With nicely decorated purple interiors, you can enjoy a chocolate-fill journey!

Share the JOY with your friends by spending a minimum of SGD20 on Cadbury chocolates and you will be able to charter the Joyrider for your party or girls’ night out for an hour! Whatever it may be, have fun on Joyrider with the different party packages that can be customised according to your needs. Visit joyrider.sg for more information.

Speaking about my represented Marvellous Creations flavour – Peanut Toffee Cookie, it is perhaps the simplest block among all. But it is definitely well loved by many. The crunchiness from the salty peanuts, with the union of well flavoured cookies and bittersweet dark toffee, provides a buttery not-too-sweet note.

And what makes it special is, it is the only flavour that only has 300g block! Eating this reminds me of my primary school days where I always have big block of chocolate that can last me for a few days. And with the Peanut Toffee Cookie, I can finish the entire block within 2 days!

For more information of Cadbury, “like” Cadbury Dairy Milk Singapore’s Facebook page or follow Cadbury Dairy Milk on Twitter & Instagram: @CadburySG

Thanks to Cadbury, I am giving away 5 Marvellous Creations Hamper worth S$50 each. All you have to do is to answer a simple question:

Question: Name one flavour from the Marvellous Creation.

Closing date: 30 April 2013 (Tuesday), 23:59

Yummy Claypot fans, listen up! Famous for their yummy claypot dishes, owner of Yummy Claypot is making waves in the F&B industry again with the opening of its up market Chinese restaurant – YUMMY RECIPES. Although it is located in the industrial estate, it is not difficult to spot Yummy Recipes. The hundred years old elm main door welcomes you to the restaurant with its wooden floorboards that are made from century old recycle planks of railway sleepers which are quality hardwood that are still in a perfect condition.

Upon entering the restaurant, it feels like I am transported back to the olden days of China. The owner spent a lot of time travelling around China to collect these master art pieces. The status of the Dragon’s Nine Descendants greet you at the enterance and the restaurant’s furniture are also made of yellow rosewood while the beams supporting the roof are made of durian timber which is a solid and light hardwood.

Our dinner started off with some Roast Pork Cubes ($10) which has a noisy crunching sound on the first bite. The meat is well seasoned with juicy layers under it.

Yummy Imperial Chicken ($18 for half, $35 for full) was tenderly soft with addictive garlic dips.

My favourite for the night is definitely Yummy’s Signature Chicken in Pig Stomach Soup ($46). The chicken is stuffed into the pig stomach and cooked till tender. The idea itself is already unique. Totally reminds me of the pig stomach soup my Grandpa always cook for us during festive occasions. The waitress will remove the pig stomach, placed it on a plate and cut open it. The white milky soup, boiled for many hours, has a mild peppery taste, and it was so smooth and thick which made me have a second serving.

Their Salted Egg Yolk Crab ($4.80/100g) has a thick sauce of a salted egg infused with butter for a wonderful flavour – sounds sinfully yummy! The saltiness does not overpower, but brings out the sweetness of the succulent crab meat.

So much meat for the night, a plate of Double Prosperity Baby Kai Lan ($12) made me feel less guilty! The Baby Kailan is cooked in two ways – one stir fried, one deep fried (which I thought it was seaweed). While the deep fried one seems pretty interesting, I still prefer the ordinary stir fried vegetables.

Not forgetting the beautifully displayed Fragrant Steamed Rice in Bamboo Basket with Prawns ($36). The prawns has a lovely garlic flavour but I was too full for the rice already.

Don’t forget to end your meal with their Steamed Custard Bun. The mini buns has delicious custard lava filling and it was so yummy that I savoured it before taking a photo.

Yummy Recipes (品珍私房菜)
Address: 47 Kallang Pudding Road #01-08
Tel: +65 63431818

Located at Alexandra Retail Centre, ROOM is a destination where artisan coffee and no-nonsense nosh meet. It has a spacious layout with lot of natural light which makes you feel like you are in a comfy room, chilling out.

The cafe was previously located on the 5th floor of a quaint little location along Carpenter Street called ‘Room With A View’. But the owners wanted to look for a space where they could meet more of the baking demands, hence they needed more space for a larger oven.

Our quiet dinner started with a plate of Chicken Wings ($7.50) which we thought the batter was too salty.

However, we love the Prawn Laksa Pesto Spaghetti ($14). The laksa leaves give a strong Asian accent to the pesto and complement the fresh sauteed prawns atop the al dente pasta.

Another worth trying pasta dish is Basil Pesto Spaghetti ($14.50). The al dente pasta, paired with homemade basil pesto, and topped with right amount of pine nuts, has the potential to convert non-pesto lovers.

Carbonara ($12.50) is accompanied by a generous amount of chopped bacon. Creamy and ordinary.

All cakes here are done on site and they bake in small batches to maintain the freshness of all the products. We recommend the ROOM Carrot Cake ($6/slice, $60 whole) which is enjoyably spongy and soft; plus the cream cheese icing is light and not too rich, so it’s no chore to finish up this teatime treat. There is also red velvet cake ($6.50/slice, $65 whole) and citrusy lemon slice ($5/slice, $50 whole).

ROOM coffee . bar;s coffee is organic (USDA Certified) and has Rainforest Alliance certification. I ordered a cup of Caffe Latte ($5.50) which is a decent caffeine fix.

ROOM coffee . bar
Address: 460 Alexandra Road #01 -18, PSA Building (Alexandra Retail Centre)
Tel: 6438 4230
Operating hours: Mon – Fri 8am to 8pm; Sat, Sun & PH 9am to 6pm

Where do you usually go for brunch during the weekends? If you are bored with the usual egg benedict, how about trying out some eastern and western international cuisines at Azur?

Azur at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is an all day dining concept built around two show kitchens with chefs presenting a lively multicultural theatre of international cuisines. I have been to their weekend brunch last year but they have lately revamped their menu.

The Weekend Changi Brunch experience is not complete without Azur’s unique interpretation of hawker favourites. Last year, they have a live popiah station and this year, Azur has a noodle station where you can try a bowl of prawn noodles with sweet and juicy prawns in a flavoursome broth. You can also wrap your own kong ba pau which comes with very succulent Braised “Dong Po” Pork Belly or do up your own plate of rojak!

The chaffers will be filled with an array of Asian and Western food. Indulge in Asian dishes like (from top left) Wok Fried Black Bean Chicken with Bittergourd, Steamed Fish in Hong Kong style, Herb Roasted Five Spice Duck with tangy plum sauce, Sauteeed Seasonal Vegetables. There are Chicken Malai Kebab and Nasi Briyani from the Indian Cuisine Claypots!

For a taste of the west, head to the western show kitchen and taste their German Sausage with Juniper Berry Sauerkraut and Beef Jus from the Butcher’s Carving Station, Baked Mussels with Aioli Herbs, Oven Roasted Chicken with Green Pepper Jus and Pan Seared Australian Beef Steak with Black Pepper Cream Sauce. Not forgetting the fresh seafood section.

Heavenly desserts are the best way to end off your indulgent meal. Some highlights include Durian Profiteroles, Crème Brulee, Miniature Pastries, Desserts in Mini Shooter Glasses and Chocolate Walnut Brownies. You can even make your own an icy cool Singapore Ice Kachang and pile on your favourite condiments, syrups and carnation milk for a decadent sweet treat.

The Weekend Changi Brunch is available every Saturday and Sunday, 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Each adult costs $45.00++ and each child costs $22.50++.

Azur
Address: 75 Airport Boulevard, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport
To make a reservation at Azur, please call 6823 5354 or email azur@cpchangiairport.com

For the first time in three years, there’s a new restaurant on top of the world.

El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain, took top honors at the annual “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards, which were announced Monday evening at Guildhall in London.

El Celler de Can Roca supplanted Noma, the Denmark restaurant that has ruled the top spot since 2010, which settled for second place. El Celler was in second place last year.

2013 is a great year for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants: this year, in fact, started the first edition of the dedicated award in Asia at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The top 50 list is a reflection of the finest dining establishments in the world and is selected by The Diners Club Worlds 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The voting academy is comprised of more than 900 international leaders in the restaurant industry, each selected for their expert opinion of the international restaurant scene.

A chairperson from each region is appointed for their knowledge in the fine dining space and restaurant world. These chairs each selected a voting panel, who cast a total of 6,552 votes.

Diners Club International is the proud sponsor of The Diners Club International World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy and “The Official Financial Services Sponsor” for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

El Celler de Can Roca in Spain is the work of the three Roca brothers. Joan is the head chef, his little brother Joseph is the sommelier, and the youngest of the brothers, Jordi is the pastry chef.

The Celler’s first ever dish, created back in 1986, was hake with rosemary and garlic vinaigrette. He spent the next 25 years developing his own style of Catalan cuisine and eventually help develop the Roner – a piece of Sous Vide equipment for controlling the exact temperature of water and something now used throughout the world’s best kitchens.

I have never been to their restaurant but will definitely visit some day. One of the dishes which I want to try is their grilled sole (picture above) with olive oil and Mediterranean flavors: fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nuts and green olives.

The Rocas are coming out with a brand spanking new cookbook this year, and, oh yes, congratulations on being the NUMBER ONE. Rock on, you Rocas!

Photo Credit: OnEdition

World’s 50 Best Restaurants

1. El Celler De Can Roca, Spain
2. Noma, Denmark
3. Osteria Francescana, Italy
4. Mugaritz, Spain
5. Eleven Madison Park, USA
6. D.O.M., Brazil
7. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, England
8. Arzak, Spain
9. Steirereck, Austria
10. Vendome, Germany
11. Per Se, USA
12. Frantzen/Lindeberg, Sweden
13. The Ledbury, England
14. Astrid Gaston, Peru
15. Alinea, USA
16. L’arpege, France
17. Pujol, Mexico
18. Le Chateaubriand, France
19. Le Bernardin, USA
20. Narisawa, Japan
21. Attica, Australia
22. Nijonryori Ryugin, Japan
23. L’astrance, France
24. L’atelier Saint- Germain De Joel Robuchon, France
25. Hof Van Cleve, Belgium
26. Quique Dacosta, Spain
27. Le Calandre, Italy
28. Mirazur, France
29. Daniel, USA
30. Aqua, Germany
31. Biko, Mexico
32. NAHM, Thailand
33. The Fat Duck, England
34. Faviken, Sweden
35. Oud Sluis, Netherlands
36. Amber, China
37. Vila Joya, Portugal
38. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
39. 81/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana, China
40. Combal. Zero, Italy
41. Piazza Duomo, Italy
42. Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland
43. Mr & Mrs Bund, China
44. Asador Etxebarri, Spain
45. Gerandium, Denmark
46. Mani, Brazil
47. The French Laundry, USA
48. Quay, Australia
49. Septime, France
50. Central, Peru

Iggy’s at The Hilton clocked in at number 65, Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands is in 68th place and Les Amis at Shaw Centre is 81 on the 50 to 100 list.

Lifetime achievement was assigned to the French chef Alain Ducasse, sponsored by Diners Club International. He began his culinary at the young age of 33. Back then, he was awarded three Michelin stars for his 33-month old Le Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco. And now, Alain Ducasse is one of the world’s most successful, influential and respected chefs and restaurateurs.

The Italian Nadia Santini, chef of the “Dal Pescatore” is the winner of the Veuve Cliquot World’s Best Female Chef Award.

World’s 50 Best also announced they’ll be doing Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in September in Lima.

Famous for their unique tea selection and pioneer offering of social painting in Singapore, Arteastiq Boutique Tea House is making waves in the F&B industry again with the opening of MUSEO at the Quayside Isle on Sentosa Island.

MUSEO, pronounced as “Moo-Zay-O” means museum in Italian, brings to mind fine exhibits by world-renowned art masters, all displayed in an elegant and refined setting. It is the first to serve food in exquisite glass cups.

We ordered a set of appetizer to share ($39) which consists of barbequed squid with chilli and pepper ($12), tuna tataki ($10), deep fried silver fish served with hot sauce ($12) and smoked roast pork belly served with hot sauce ($12). I like the tuna tataki which has attractive seared slices of tuna and some mayo to perk it up with some flavour. Its pork belly has skin perfectly roasted to a biscuit-like texture.

My friends and I ordered a variety of mains. I had the Pan Roast Cod Fillet ($33) which comes with baked scallop on half shell with onion relish and mushroom risotto. Even though the cod fish was delicate, I find the portion too small for the given price and the risotto was too dry and hard that night.

Hoong An’s River Prawns and Linguine ($28) was probably the best main for that night. The lobster that was picked was a fresh water lobster. Be sure to toss the pasta with the lobster broth to ensure a fuller taste on the dish.

Jin Hua’s Sliced Beef with Mushroom “Zurich-Style” was served with pan roasted rosti potato. Actually I would prefer my beef and mushroom to be tossed with some red wine sauce instead of the cream sauce. But well, that’s personal preference lah. The only complaint was that the rosti potato cannot hold well together and it came off in shred and pieces.

For dessert, we had Strawberry Crumble ($12), Green Tea Creme Brulee ($12) and Vodka Chocolate Lava Cake ($12).

The Strawberry Crumble had traditional red wine stewed strawberry served in a gelato of your choice. I love the cumbles on the top, and when you put a big mouthful of strawberry cream with crumble, it tasted great! But when I finished the crumble and start to eat the stewed strawberry, it felt like I was eating strawberry jam.

If I were to choose a dessert, I would prefer the Vodka Chocolate Lava Cake which had warm chocolate oozing out.

Frankly, this is not the place for good quality food. Yes, dining in a cup is an interesting concept but the food and price doesn’t justify. But if you want an escapade and looking for the ideal sanctuary to while away your lazy weekends, MUSEO is definitely perfect. You can spend hours doing a piece of art at the social painting studio while enjoying some food.

They have an extensive high-tea buffet menu, available only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1.30 to 5pm. Each diner gets to enjoy an elaborate range of intercontinental dishes, afternoon treats and desserts, perfectly complimented by Arteastiq’s signature range of tea sets for just $48 per person. I assume that will be better than having ala-carte dishes.

If your meal is not yet complete without a beer, MUSEO also has a Weekend Beer Retreat buffet option available for these beer lovers as they get to wind down their mind and body with free flow of beer.

Or if you want a romantic date with your loved one, you can enjoy sunset dining in the plush and luxurious setting, topped off with the perfect selection of house music and magnificent view of the marina littered with beautiful yachts, that is sure to put all stressed out souls at peace.

Museo
Address: #01-22 Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way (Sentosa Cove)
Tel: +65 6734 8066
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 1.30pm to 1am; Friday and Saturday 1.30pm to 2am

Last year, while I was judging Food Republic Hawker King Challenge with Chef Daniel Koh and Chef Violet Ooi, I remembered we loved the Ayam Merah by Padang Padang at Food Opera ION Orchard. So it was run by Java Kitchen Group, which has 13 casual eateries in Jakarta, 5 nasi padang stalls in food courts. And last year, they opened a restaurant called IndoChili along Zion Road.

This 90-seater restaurant space has a touch of Indonesian flavour in its décor, which makes it feel like you’re dining in a modern Indonesian setting rather than an ethnic restaurant. Most importantly, they serve traditional Indonesian food!

Sate Ayam Madura ($7.80) is a very traditional dish among the Maduranese people. In Indonesian term, “sate” means a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meats, served with a sauce or no sauce. At IndoChili, this light meal features charcoal-grilled chicken skewers dressed with peanut sauce. Well marinated and tender, it tastes good on its own even without the peanut sauce. I was just hoping the meat to be more chunky so as to have a fuller bite.

I have been trying alot of Indonesian restaurants lately. And IndoChili’s Tahu Telor ($8.80) is probably the best I have had so far! I always thought Tahu Telor is a no-fail dish. But it was after trying out different restaurants’ Tahu Telor, I found that a good plate of Tahu Telor is not easy to be done.

Firstly, Tahu Telor can be very oily. It can be so oily that once you bite into the tahu, oil ooze out. Secondly, the peanut sauce can either make or break the dish. But we really enjoyed our Tahu Telor for the night. It is not as oily as compared to Far East’s Lucky Surabaya, and the savory sweet peanut sauce is damn shiok. It is garnished with refreshing cucumber, bean sprout, carrot, and crispy prawn crackers.

Sop Buntat ($14.80) is one of the best oxtail soups in Indonesia. The broth is thick yet clear in colour and has no odour. The oxtails are rich, surprisingly fatty meat, yet the broth is light and fragrant with spice. Here’s a little secret, squeeze a bit of lime, add a few drops of sweet soy sauce and mix a little bit of sambal. It will give you a different punch to the hearty soup.

Ayam Bumbu Rujak ($8.80) is savoury and spicy. This East Javanese food tradition reflects the character of its people. It is very tasty and not for the faint hearted.

Adding some vegetables to the meal, we ordered Cah Kangkung ($8.80) cooked with chili and shrimp paste.

Last but not least, here is their popular ugly Betty: Ikan Bakar Kecap ($21.80). The pomfret fish is grilled with Indonesian sweet soy sauce. The fish has a mild smoky flavor and remember to have some sambal for an extra kick.

We had Pandan jelly coconut milk with palm sugar ($5.80) and Red ruby ice with coconut & jackfruit slice ($6) for dessert. If you like their Facebook page, you will get a FREE Ice Chendol with every meal purchased. There is also a small retail counter by the restaurant’s entrance, where traditional kueh lapis cakes and cookies.

Nothing fanciful here, what you have are good quality Indonesian dishes. It is definitely a place worth recommending for anyone who wants to have a good meal in town.

IndoChili
Address：54 Zion Road
Tel: 6445 1766

Thanks to IndoChili, I am giving away FIVE $20 dining vouchers, with NO minimum spending. All you have to do it to answer a simple question below and you will stand a chance!

Question: Where is IndoChili located?

Deadline: 8 May 2013 (Wednesday), 23:59

Tampopo is a long contender among the Japanese restaurants in Singapore. Serving an extensive menu of Japanese cuisine, Tampopo operates on casual dining with a focus on seasonal fresh ingredients prepared in Kaiseki style. Although it is not a purely Ramen restaurant, the restaurant has made a name for itself with their Black Pig shabu ramen. And lately, they have introduced some new items on their menu.

Being the pioneer to introduce and serve Kurobuta black pig, one of the items to look out for is definitely its signature item Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu ($27.80 ala carte, $31.80 set). It has higher fat content than normal black pig which makes every bite tastier and juicy. Even the bread crumbs are imported from Hokkaido, along with the tender and thick meat, this pork cutlet has an added crunch to its taste.

Sushi and sashimi will be delivered straight from the sushi counter to their table. Our dinner started with Kiku Sashimi Mix ($38) which has a selection of fresh sashimi such as salmon, tuna, yellowtail etc. Grilled Pure Hokke Mackerel Fish ($19.30) has a rather leathery skin and it will take some getting used to. We also had Salmon Sashimi Salad ($9.80++) and Cold Ramen ($11.30).

We didn’t have their famous Black Pig shabu ramen, but ordered a variation — Black Pig Koumi Fry Ramen ($15.80++) instead. The broth is made from pork bones and cooked for 2 days, giving a milky and light flavour. The thin kyushu noodles were great as usual, just the right springy texture. Frankly, the ramen didn’t excite me, perhaps it was because the ribs were too oily and salty that night.

However, we got was a nicely seared medium rare slices of Wafu Steak ($17.80). The meat is fatty and chewy at some parts but the flavour is robust.

We heard they have a new item in the menu — Black Pig Truffle Fried Rice, unfortunately it was out of stock on the day we went.

If there is one dessert I need to recommend, it will definitely be the Scoop Cake ($6.50). It is a fresh cream chiffon cake topped with strawberries, apricot and orange. The cream is rich and fragrant. You can get it at their deli too.

Other desserts we had that night included Aloe Vera Orange Jelly ($6.80), Milk Pudding ($5) and Chewy Warabi Mochi ($4.90). The warabi mochi is soft, while the orange jelly has a refreshing taste.

Tampopo (Liang Court)
Address: 177 River Valley Road
#01-23/24 Liang Court
Tel: 63383186

I hate farewells, especially for someone close to my heart. After bidding farewell to a colleague last month at Bistro Du Vin, I bidded farewell to another colleague last week and lunch was at You Huak Restaurant eating their famous Sembawang White Bee Hoon.

This colleague of mine is a dear to me. I started from a newbie and she gave me lotsa advice along the way. The 4 years of commaderie is precious and it’s hard to find the words of appreciation to say as there are lots that come to mind. But I am happy for her and I am sure all the good things will come her way and our friendship will never end.

How nice isn’t it? To have colleagues become friends. I like this kind of relationship, rather than having to draw a line between colleagues.

Although it is not a joyous occassion for me having to fight the battle alone next time, we still must eat something good to reward ourselves. So we are here for their sedap Seafood White Beehoon (small $4.50, medium $8, large $10).

We decided to have lunch because it is forever super long queue at night. The white bee hoon may look very plain, but trust me, the noodles are full of flavour! Squeeze some lime onto it, mix well and enjoy! The broth is very rich and thick which makes you wanting to have more. They are generous with their ingredients as well. We have prawns, squid, egg, vegetables all soaked up nicely in the stock.

The meat and seafood rolls (small $10, medium $15, large $20) are also done well. It is juicy and crunchy. It comes with a sweet chilli dip which makes the hei zou more tasty. But actually I like to eat without the sauce.

Sambal La-La (small $9, medium $13, large $18) comes with a sweetish sambal taste which makes it easy to eat the lala without having to wipe off any sweat or drink too much water.

They really make nice sambal. Take a look at their Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves (small $7, medium $10, large $12), the amount of sambal they put in, not the spicest I’ve tried but spicy enough and has a kick!

You Huak Restaurant
Address: 22 Jalan Tampang
Tel: 98434699

When you miss your mother’s homecooked food, what do you do? For Momma Kong’s owner Edmund Kong, he attempted to recreate his mother’s recipe and hence, Momma Kong was born.

Crab lovers should give Momma Kong a try. This local Singaporean restaurant located in Chinatown offers a relaxed and laid back setting while guests savour on local crab delicacies such as Black Pepper Crabs, Steamed Crabs and Momma Kong’s signature Crab Bee Hoon soup.

What comes next after triple date? Well, Nadia, Charlene, Derrick and I had a quadruple date with our partners at Momma Kong one Friday evening. Eating crabs is definitely not something top of my list actually. The thought of having to make a mess, biting the crab shells, dirtying my hands makes me stay away from crabs. But having read about the reviews in Business Times, I thought I should give this a try!

Our dinner started with Deep Fried Ikan Bilis (anchovies, $6) mixed with either a selection of homemade chilli sauces of sambal chilli paste or belachan paste. The ikan bilis look like a humble dish but it is crispy and crunchy.

If you love spicy and tangy snacks, you can also try their Top Shells ($15) which is a can full of escargots topps with chilli padi this is mixed with fresh onions, sesame oil, lemon and some other secret ingredients. This can be very addictive.

It is said crabs are best enjoyed steamed so as to let you taste the sweetness of the meat. The Steamed Crab ($38, $110 for 3) here are so fresh and is comes with fragrant Huadiao wine, its flesh extremely chunky and the flavour intense. Each dish has about 650g of pre-cooked Sri Lankan mud crab, which is enough for two ladies. Or if you are hungry, you can probably finish one all by yourself.

Black Pepper Crab ($38, $110 for 3) is the winner among our friends. The addictive black pepper sauce is potent but I thought it was too numbing for me that I can’t taste the sweetness of the crabmeat.

Momma Kong’s Crab Bee Hoon Soup ($38, $110 for 3) is a hit for me. The thick vermicelli absorbs the superior stock with Huadiao wine and definitely a hot favourite during rainy days. The crabs were medium-sized, sweet and meaty and can probably feed two pax.

You probably also want to try their Chilli Crab ($38, $110 for 3) because they have very shiok fried man tou ($1.50 each, minimum 2 pcs). The crabs are bathed in a bright red, sweet yet mild spicy gravy. I wished they have more gravy, I have a hard time digging for gravy for my man tou.

One interesting note, Momma Kong also sell frozen crabs and require just minutes in the microwave. And the restaurant serves alcohol! So you can spend your dinner and the rest of the night at Momma Kong, chilling out, eating crabs, drinking beer.

Momma Kong’s Crab Shack
Address: 34 Mosque Street
Tel: 6225 2722
Opens 6pm to midnight; closed on Mondays

Mother’s Day is only a few days away and it’s time for us to give these lovely ladies a well-deserved treat! If you have problems booking for a dinner this weekend, why not buy some take-home food for your Mom?

Tunglok’s first-ever Harmony Treasure Bowl contains 16 ingredients: Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Fish-Paste Gluten, Kampong Chicken, Deep-fried Fish Maw, Scallops, Prawns, Bean Dough, Smoked Duck Breast, Vegetarian Gluten, Yam, Winter Melon, Chinese Cabbage, Chestnuts, Edemame Beans and Red Dates. It is filled with an abundance of the freshest seafood and selected savoury delicacies, perfect for the whole family! Price: $198+ (for 6 persons) and $338+ (for 10 persons).

If you have a big family, purchase the Mother’s Day Take-Home Set this year includes Harmony Treasure Bowl, Fried Fragrant Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf, Braised Pork Shank, Longevity Buns with Salted Egg Yolk Filling and two bottles of TungLok X.O. Sauce. Price: $288+ (for 6 persons) and $428+ (for ten persons).

The Harmony Treasure Bowl and Mother’s Day Take-Home Set are available from 1 to 12 May 2013 (while stocks last) at all TungLok restaurants (except Tóng Lè Private Dining, Garuda Padang Cuisine and Ruyi).

In addition, the restaurants under the group is also having dine-in Mother’s Day set menus. Visit http://www.tunglok.com for more information.

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mio TV celebrates five years and 400 000 households. To share their appreciation and thanks, they’re bringing what their subscribers love to life. In this installment, mio TV is offering a lucky subscriber a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong. 3D2N return tickets and accommodation included.

All you have to do is whip up their own crazy food creations, take a picture, and tell them what the meal is. The top 5 most bizarre food art will be shortlisted and invited to a showdown, with the Judges’ top pick winning a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong.

We have always been wanting to dine in Chef Alvin’s Bo Innovation because we really admire this molecular cooking method. The only time I tried his dishes was in Savour 2013 where I had the Molecular Xiao Long Bao and Bo Chicken Rice with Abalone Jelly. So I am excited about this and hope to win!

The boyfriend was suggesting me to cook bak kut teh jelly (inspired from Chef Alvin’s abalone jelly) and I think he thinks too highly of his girlfriend who knows nuts of molecular cuisine! It made me ponder for a day how to make the jelly! In the end, I decided to dump his idea and do what I do best – BENTO.

I always wanted to do a Cartoon Psy Bento and after doing some research, I did it. Before that, it’s time to do some cooking! Found some remaining Japanese curry cubes in the fridge and decided to cook it with potatoes, carrots and chicken. Definitely very easy to do and sauce and carrot makes it very sweet!

Ingredients (Serves 2):
4 Japanese curry cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut to small chunks
1 potato, peeled and cut to small chunks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
200 to 300g boneless chicken fillet, cut to large chunks
3 tbsp cooking oil
700ml water

Method:
1. Heat wok with oil. Sauteed onions till soft.
2. Add in chicken chunk and stir fry till cooked.
3. Add potato and carrot, mix evenly.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add in Japanese curry cubes. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Note: You have to be careful for burning the curry. Because the potatoes and curry will make the curry thick and starchy, so do not simmer for too long.

Bento making:
1. Add some tomato sauce into rice, mix well.
2. Separate into 1 big portion and 2 small portions. Make the face and 2 hands.
3. Cut out the sunglasses, hair and nose from nori. Cut out the mouth using cheese.
4. Slowly pour the Japanese curry into the plate.

Here’s my creation!

So if you want to meet and dine with 2- Michelin star chef Alvin Leung in Hong Kong, send in your wacky food creations HERE.

Top five more bizzare food art will be shortlisted and invited to a showdown, with the Judges’ top pick winning a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong. 3D2N return ticket and accommodation included.

Join join join or you can VOTE FOR ME LAH! I WANT TO WIN!

In Japanese cuisine, yoshoku refers to a style of Western-influenced cooking. Best known for its Yoshoku-style Japanese cuisine, Shokudo Japanese Coffee House has introduced a revamped menu with over 130 items treat their diners to a delicious trip down oishii lane. With sections from Conversation Starters, Bites of Life, Fushion Favourites, Hearty Specials and the most spectacular Oishii Japan, diners are in for a delicious treat ranging from snacks to mains and lip-smacking desserts.

Our lunch started with Ebi Tempura and Mango Haru Maki ($9.80). Wrapped in Japanese rice paper instead of the usual seaweed wrap, the tempura prawns were crispy. Couldn’t really taste the mango in the salad though, my mouth was full of lettuce.

Japanese Mushroom Soup ($6.80) has shiitake mushrooms in smooth creamy bonito broth.

I love their Hakodate Seafood Cheese Pizza ($13.80) with generous amount of scallops, squid, prawns and clams on cheesy crispy pizza. The pizza was so cheesy and its crust so thin and infused with flavours and texture. It is good as a snack. If you prefer something hawaiian, go for their Aloha Sausage Cheese Pizza ($11.80) with pineapple and chicken sausages on cheesy crispy pizza.

Some worth trying appetizers include Tamago Tofu ($5.80) and Shokudo Uzu Chicken Wing ($7.80). Similar to Agedashi Tofu, Shokudo’s Tamago Tofu has deep fried egg tofu rolled with bonito flakes and topped with fish roe. The home made yuzu marinated chicken wings is refreshing and served with wasabi mayonnaise.

A notable new highlight that will blow away all curry lovers, is the Mount Fuji Curry Omu Rice ($16.80) which features Shokudo’s very own omelette rice topped with thick beef patty, cheese and greens soaked in their signature Japanese curry served with potato salad and pickles. The curry is slightly sweeter and of a thicker consistency.

Unagi Rice Burger ($12.80) has grilled unagi layered with lettuce and egg on rice burger. Unagi has wonderful melt-in-the-mouth textures and the delicious smokey sweetness of the teriyaki sauce that covers it.

I thought their Tonakastu Donburi ($14.80) can be better. The deep fried pork cutlet did not have a beautiful crunch and the meat was not juicy. Other donburi choices include Tori Teriyaki, Unatama, Buta and Tori Karaage.

Lunch ended with Shokudo Original Tofu Cheese Cake ($5.80). The cheesecake was exquisitely light and delectable coupled with the firm crumbly biscuit base, and drizzled with some strawberry sauce. To beat the heat, try their Iced Lychee Float (S$5.80).

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House
Address: Bugis Junction #01-53
Tel: 6338 9216
Opening Hours:
11.30am to 11.00pm (Sunday to Thursday)
11.30am to 12 Midnight (Friday & Saturday, Eve of PH)

Other outlet:
Address: Cathay Cineleisure Orchard #02-06A/B
Tel: 6736 0971
Opening Hours:
11.30am to 2.00am (Sunday to Thursday)
11.30am to 3.00am (Friday, Saturday & Eve of PH)

If you are a fan of Shokudo Japanese Coffee House or would love to try their new dishes. Here’s your chance! Thanks to Shokudo Japanese Coffee House, I am giving away $30 dining vouchers (with NO minimum spending) to THREE lucky readers. All you have to do is to answer a simple question:

Question: Name a dish you would like to try in Shokudo Japanese Coffee House.

Giveaway ends on 16 May 2013 (Thursday) 2359. A random generator will be used, everyone has an equal chance of winning. Winners will be notified by email.

Hello world, it’s bento time again! Got a Pink Animal Rice Mould ($17) from Jmama&Baby, so I made something really simple. Received some emails from parents asking about bento making, so I thought I can use this chance to answer some of them!

Q: How long did you take to make the bentos?
I took about 15 minutes to make, about 15 minutes to shoot. If you are going to make bento for your kids in the morning, you definitely want to get it done within 15 minutes or so. But you don’t want to just do a normal looking bento for your child, so these moulds come in handy.

Q: Do you use any tools?
Yes, besides the moulds, I use bento knives and bento scissors to cut the nori and stick it to the rice. Also, I use a face cutter to punch out the emotions from the seaweed.

Q: How do you know what ingredients to add in?
Depending on what you want your kids to eat. For me, because I make it for the boyfriend or myself, I will put what I want to eat. In this case, I had indian rojak. The rule is, try not to have soup or something with too much sauce. Because by the time you start eating, all your food will turn soggy.

I don’t have much time to do nice colouring for the rice, so I make do with whatever I can find in the kitchen then. Anyway, I am just going to mix them up and eat altogether. Because the moulds doesn’t come with face cutter, so you can put on your creativity cap and stick any expressions you want!

Hope you like my bento!

Nestled in the heart of foodie haven, 21 on Rajah is a vibrant new restaurant at the Days Hotel Singapore. The restaurant marries the best of nature and modern architecture with a menu of wholesome and hearty Mediterranean cuisine coupled with local favourites and South East Asian delights at affordable prices.

The restaurant has launched a delicious Sunday brunch inspired by Mediterranean flavours. There are unlimited servings of appetizers, hot dishes, desserts available from the homely kitchen counters.

Diners can begin with the appetiser buffet of salads, cold cuts, soups served in tasteful portions as well as the seafood highlights such as fresh prawns and mussels on ice. Enjoy ham on honeydew, crab salad, potato salad, cold pasta etc.

The hot dishes are not very extensive, but there are adequate and delicious. For example, the Lamb Navarin is a beautiful classic lamb stew with sweet carrots. There is also paella which boasts fresh seafood and the use of fresh herbs and spices. You can also request for freshly cooked pastas from the kitchen.

Being a egg lover, I hop to the Egg Station immediately. There is a choice of omelette, sunny side up and egg benedict for you to choose from. Condiments include onion, tomatoes, mushroom, ham, cheese, parsley.

Love their waffles and it will taste better if they are hot! Must-trys include the custard in a cup and kueh lapis. End your meal with FREE FLOW Sangria, a flavoured wine punch that is commonly found on the tables of diners in Spain, Argentina and
Portugal.

After a scrumptious meal, bring your kids to watch the magic show!

The sumptuous Mediterranean buffet costs $38++ for adults and $19++ for children (7 – 12 years old) with free flow of chilled juices and Sangria selection at the Bar. At $58++ per person, brunch comes with free flow of sparkling wine. Children under the age of 6 dine for free.

Days Hotel is also offering Sunday Brunch Staycation at only $198++ inclusive of a night stay at Days City View Room, Sunday Brunch for 2 at 21 on Rajah, and guaranteed late check out at 3pm.

Mediterranean Sunday Brunch
Address: 1 Jalan Rajah Road, Lobby of Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park
Reservations: + 65 6808 6838
Website: http://www.21onrajah.com

Just beside Boon Keng MRT, there is this famous bak kut teh stall called “Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh”. Frankly, I will never know about this place if not for RJ. I met her for lunch one day and she told me about this famous bak kut teh stall in Whampoa. So we decided to check it out.

This stall is located in a coffee shop, and the business is good especially during lunch time and weekends. Our lunch there includes two bowls of bak kut teh, you tiao, braised pork trotters and preserved vegetables.

I am quite extreme when it comes to bak kut teh. I love those that is super peppery or those which is super herbal. Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh was too bland for my liking. The teochew style soup is clear, but not peppery. Instead, the soup was pretty sweet with tender and succulent ribs, good for those who prefer less peppery soup.

Although Lau Ah Tee’s bak kut teh isn’t to my liking, I enjoy its pork trotter is very tender and well-braised. I chose the less fatty variation which was surprisingly soft and easily removed from the bones.

We also had the preserved vegetables which is stewed just right for the nice crunch and not too salty. There is also steamed fish wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed squid which is quite rare in bak kut teh stalls.

By the way, these photos are taken using my iPhone. Pardon the blur images.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh
Address: Block 34 Whampoa West #01-67
Opening hours: 7am – 3pm daily (Closed Monday)

There are more and more young restaurant owners in Singapore. Some of them have totally no idea on how to run a restaurant but took the plunge. I really admire their courage because restaurants are a very high-risk business. If a restaurant doesn’t survive within its first year, they usually just shut down.

But often, the stories from these restaurant owners are the most inspiring one and demonstrate that anyone can open a restaurant if they put their mind to it, have a good plan and are persistent enough to overcome the challenges they will face along the way.

For Tien Garden, it is founded by Gen Y entrepreneur, Sharon Tan, with a die hard passion for food. Guess what’s her previous job? She works in the finance industry! Fortunately, her parents used to be doing F&B in food court, so she kinda have the F&B business sense. And Sharon definitely knows what attract customers is the quality of food. Hence, she invited ex Red House chef to join the team and created a range of delicious Chinese favourites.

We don’t eat ribs with coffee, but when the two ingredients come together, the sparks they create is amazing. The ribs are marined with coffee, honey and other secret ingredients and when stir fried, it retains an attractive reddish brown colour. Tien’s Almond Coffe Rib (small $12, medium $18, large $24) has a good bite. The meat holds gently to the bone but is tender enough.

Sauteed Prawns with Pumpkin Sauce (small $20, medium $30, large $40) may not be the best I have eaten, but it tastes pretty good. The thick pumpkin sauce is well coated around the prawns. It’s a pity there wasn’t any deep fried curry leaves or chilli in it, it would have provided a punch if any of those were added.

Even though Tien does not make their own tofu, but the texture in every mouthful of Braised Beancurd with Minced Pork (small $12, medium $18, large $24) make this a great dish to order. Their tofu is expertly fried and smothered with stir-fried minced pork sauce. Yes their tofu is not super smooth, but their tasty sauce makes up for everything.

When it comes to salted egg crabs, I prefer the wet version where I can actually spoon up the sauce. So when Tien Garden Special Salted Egg Crab (market price) came, I was slightly disappointed. But when I had a bite of it, I couldn’t stop. Big chunks of meaty crabs fried with salted egg. The addition of crispy eggs over the dish gives it interesting texture.

Vegetables with Preserved Egg (small $10, medium $15, large $20) has Chinese spinach cooked with century egg, egg and salted egg. Together with the three very different eggs, the flavour of the spinach is brought to a whole new level, enhancing it amidst the saltiness and creaminess of the eggs.

Yam paste with gingko nut ($4/pax) is smooth, soft yet sticky. You can enjoy free dessert when you dine at Tien Garden.

Thank you Sharon and boyfriend for hosting us. There is free wifi in the restaurant and customers can purchase their VIP card at $32 and get a $50 voucher with no minimum spending. The VIP card entitles you to 10% discount.

Sharon and team’s dedication is unwavering. And I must say I really enjoy the food here. Great for family gatherings, I will be back!

Tien Garden
Address：351 Changi Road, Lor Marzuki, Singapore
Tel: 6746 5088
Opening hours: Tues to Sun 11 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm

If you would like to try the dishes at Tien Garden, here’s your chance! Thanks to Tien Garden, THREE lucky readers will walk away with a $30 dining voucher each. No minimum spending required. All you have to to is answer this simple question:

Question: Where is Tien Garden located?

Giveaway ends on 24 May 2013 (Friday), 23:59. A random generator will be used, everyone has an equal chance of winning. Winners will be notified by email.

Dumpling Festival (or Duan Wu Jie) is an important date on the Chinese lunar calendar. It is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The legend of the Dumpling festival lives on at Man Fu Yuan, as the hotel celebrate the tradition of ‘Duan Wu Jie’ with a distinctive collection of rice dumplings created by Dim Sum Chef Simon Poon, filled with premium ingredients and unique flavours for every generation, available from 13 May to 12 June 2013.

Inspired by InterContinental Singapore’s Peranakan heritage, the newly created Babi Pongteh Dumpling (娘惹猪肉粽, $8.80+ per piece) is filled with the well-loved Nyonya speciality of braised pork with fermented soy bean paste, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of gula Melaka – Babi Pongteh, producing a wonderfully rich and sweet tender meat, well-paired with the flavourful glutinous rice.

Returning again by popular demand is Man Fu Yuan’s best-selling XO Sauce Nyonya Dumpling (XO娘惹粽, $8.80+ per piece). The irresistibly fragrant and aromatic bundle is filled with generous portions of roasted pork, marinated in our special homemade X.O. sauce, together with sweetened strips of winter melon and dried shrimp.

Not to be missed is their signature luxurious offering – Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Goose Web in Abalone Sauce (鲍汁鹅掌粽, $12.80+ per piece). Made with premium gelatinous goose web imported from France, glutinous rice is lightly tossed in abalone sauce to soak in its rich flavour, then wrapped together with other traditional Chinese delicacies such as pork belly, peanut, mushroom.

The all-time favourite, Traditional Pork Dumpling (咸肉炒米粽, $8.80+ per piece) will be made available as well. Savoury roasted pork and braised pork belly is complemented with green bean, chestnut and salted egg, all embedded in a bed of glutinous rice.

And unravel the ultimate feast in a bundle with Man Fu Yuan Jumbo Dumpling (满福苑裹蒸粽, $24.80+ per piece), packed with bountiful Chinese delicacies that include roasted duck and pork, pork belly, chestnut, green bean, mushroom, dried scallop and salted egg yolk, ideal for sharing with loved ones and family.

Pair the delicious dumplings with Man Fu Yuan’s signature Five Elements Tea or range of fine teas like Royal Red Robe and Wuyi Royal Daffodil, and make this Dumpling Festival a truly memorable one.

And if you are planning for large family gatherings or corporate celebrations this season, Man Fu Yuan’s grand dining table seats up to 30 guests comfortably in a spacious and elegant suite. Customise your menu according to your tastes and enjoy the festive mood with everyone around the table (minimum spend applies).

For enquiries and purchases, please contact Man Fu Yuan at +65 6825 1062 or via email sinhbmanfu@ihg.com

Known as the “Rose of the North”, Chiang Mai is a wonderful small city with a history more than 700 years old. Visitors to Chiang Mai are sure to find themselves busy exploring old temples, bustling markets, enjoying traditional food and having some adventure fun.

Big thank you to Chan Brothers and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), I am honoured to be part of The Young Explorers project to Chiang Mai. The ‘Young Explorer Project’ is a joint collaboration by Chan Brothers Travel and the Tourism Authority of Thailand; it’s all about travelling in Thailand from a foreigner’s opinion.

This joint project aims to introduce Thailand’s attractions and culture in a fun and engaging way through the eyes of 6 bloggers; to introduce free and easy travel in Thailand; to emphasize it isn’t THAT difficult to plan a free and easy trip to Thailand. (Perhaps if it’s still a hassle for you, you may wish to opt for Chan Brothers’ free and easy holiday packages to Thailand).

Shiberty and I, together with 4 other bloggers were sponsored air tickets and hotel accommodation to different parts of Thailand. I have never travelled to Chiang Mai prior to this trip. Bangkok yes, Phuket yes, but I have never read about Chiang Mai. I am so glad that I agreed to take up this challenge because there are just too many fun things to do in Chiang Mai! So here I present to you, my TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN CHIANG MAI!

While planning for this trip, one of the activities I really wanted to do is to learn Thai Cooking. By now, you should know my love for Thai food and I thought it will be great to learn cooking from a real Thai.

Chiang Mai is bursting at the seams with cooking schools these days. There are many operations conveniently run out of guesthouses and hotels in town, as well as outright cooking schools. Most are on an equal par with each other and will deliver a great half- or full- day of fun and food. I googled and picked Baan Thai Cooking School because their timing suits us best!

Baan Thai teaches how to cook real Thai food in a traditional Thai setting. I emailed them to make reservation and they reply very promptly! We picked the evening course (5pm – 8.30pm, 700baht / person) and the staff will pick us up from our hotel about 4pm. Then, we choose the different types of dishes we want to cook. Each person has to prepare a stir-fried, soup, appetizer and curry.

After choosing the dishes, we take a walk to Sompet Market (Moonmuang Road) which is just a few streets away. They have excellent quality fresh produce, fruits, very colorful flower stalls. Here, the instructor will explain to us some ingredients used for Thai cooking.

Look! They have pink eggs! It is just like our century eggs!

After the market tour, we are back to the school to start cooking!

Here are the dishes I prepared that night. I cooked stir fried prawns with curry powder, tom yam soup, green curry and papaya salad! ALL OF THEM TASTED VERY GOOD! Because I cooked them with heart and soul ok! I even have to pound the green curry powder and squeeze fresh coconut milk! Anyway, if you like to learn the make the simplest dish, I shared the recipe for Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) here.

WE HAD FUN! And we made new friends! It’s something completely different from the usual touring activities, and it’s nice to give yourself a break from aggressive touring. Be sure not to plan any makan following the cooking class because you’re sure to walk out feeling stuffed from eating all of your delicious food in class!

Oh, what I like about Baan Thai is, they take pictures of us in action and post them on their website free of charge, So we get to download and share with our friends!

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is Chiang Mai’s most famous shrine. The temple is often referred to as “Doi Suthep” because this is actually the name of the mountain it is located on.

Legend has it that, back in the 14th century, one of Buddha’s bones was brought to the area by a monk. Just before it was to be enshrined at nearby Wat Suan Dok, the bone split in two. King Nu Naone placed one piece on the back of a sacred white elephant, which was then allowed to roam. The elephant climbed Doi Suthep, trumpeted, and died on the spot. The King took this to be a sign from the heavens, and ordered the construction of the original chedi on Doi Suthep.

From the car park, we need to climb 309 steps to reach the pagodas (or you can pay 50 baht for a two-way tram). Once inside the temple grounds; visitors must take off their shoes and be appropriately dressed.

Here, we see about 50 mural paintings to illustrate the lives of Buddha before he reached the state of Nirvana. Although he lived many lives, it is the ten immediately preceding his birth that are most important to Thai Buddhists.

We also walked around the golden shrine 3 times, praying for our wishes to come through.

In Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, there is this famous golden elephant which is said to do fortune telling. Basically, you think of a wish in your head and raise the elephant up with your last finger. Then you think of the same wish again and raise the elephant for the second time. If you can raise the elephant for the second time, it means that your wish will come true. If you cannot raise the elephant for the second time, it means that your wish will not be granted. Amazing, isn’t it?

No trip to Chiang Mai should be without trying khao soi or khao soy. This delicious noodle soup is so iconic of the northern Thailand city that it is often simply called “Chiang Mai noodles.”

It is basically a coconut milk curry base soup with hearty egg noodles. You can choose chicken or beef. It is topped with crispy deep-fried noodles and always served with condiments such as lime wedges, pickled mustard, sliced shallots, chili paste etc.

Khao Soi Samer Jai (391 Charoenraj Road, Tambon Fahham) is one of the most famous Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. It broth is thick and flavourful, rich with spices and low on coconut milk. Closest I can think of is Curry Lor Mee! Each bowl is about 40 baht.

Tip: Don’t forget to also try the yummy grilled satay skewers with peanut sauce.

If you prefer a touristy and aircon environment, can try Just Khao Soi (108/2 Charoenphratet Road). It follows a standard recipe of a medium spiced turmeric based soup, thickened by additional coconut milk, flat noodles, with commercially farmed chicken as the main ingredient.

One interesting ingredient served is slices of BANANA which is said to soothe the tongue from spicness. Food is served on an artist’s palette, just like a piece of art. It costs 150baht. How does this taste? Most like laksa to me, the soup is more watery. If you ask me, I prefer Khao Soi Samer Jai.

Tip: You can also try their appetizer The Artist’s Paintbox which is a combination of four favourites: vegetarian spring rolls, sundried beef strips, crispy fried fish, spicy northern thai sausage.

Maesa Elephant Camp is a privately owned elephant camp less than one hour from Chiang Mai. We started our morning up on a 30 minutes elephant ride. It is my first time up on an elephant and I was all trembling and screeching on the top of my voice. But after a while, it is not as scary anymore.

The camp has about 70 plus elephants and 80 mahouts. Although technically owned by the camp, most of the elephants go home with the mahout to their villages each night.

Food is supplied twice a day for the elephants at the camp. There is a full-time vet who constantly checks on the elephants. The mahouts are also very aware that the elephants must not be abused and they check on each other to make sure the elephants are all treated well. Everything here is very clean and well managed.

Big thanks to Toto who offered to drive us around. He is a Taiwanese but has been living in Chiang Mai for many years. He runs a tourism company (click here) but offers to bring us around without any charges. He has brought us to so many fabulous places less known to tourists.

After the elephant ride at Maesa Elephant Camp, we drive up to the peak of the mountain and arrived at Mon Cham (also spelt Mon Jam) for lunch. This is definitely the most enjoyable lunch we had in Chiang Mai – beautiful scenery and delicious home cooked food!

Lunch was at the charming open air bamboo restaurant while enjoying to cool air and and drinking in glorious views. Not a bad way to spend a lazy day there. There was an old lady selling strawberries just outside the restaurant and we bought one to share while enjoying the breeze.

They cook very traditional Thai food such as tom yam, kang kong, omelette etc. But each dish is well executed and you feel like you are having home cooked meals (with scenery). And it is so cooling up here!

Tip: Walk around Mon Cham and you will be able to spot some lovely flowers and take photos! The most fantastic lunch I have in Chiang Mai! Thank you Toto for bringing us here!

Wat Chedi Luang is made up of three temples — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin.

They have such lovely trees there that I can’t stop taking pictures of them!

The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, it took until mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of King Tilokaraj.

It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and some parts of the temple were chipped off.

Chiang Mai’s X-Centre is the one stop of all adrenaline junkies as it provides a wide range of activities such as paintball, bungy jumping, Xorb balls, indoor drift karts, ATV etc. Well I may look like someone very sporty and adventurous but in actual fact, I VERY TIMID ONE! I didn’t dare to do any of the heart pumping activities and poor shiberty has to join me for the least adventurous one — Indoor Drift Kart.

LOOKS PRO RIGHT? But actually I drive very slowly! And keep stepping on the brake until the staffs there buay tahan, have to stop me and ask me to just step the drive pedal and go! Then I got worried and keep thinking if the car will explode if I keep stepping drive-brake-drive-brake. #fail

I may not dare to do bungy jump but I good at gun shooting ok! DON’T PLAY PLAY! I always have a secret desire to handle or shoot a gun or rifle once in my life but because of the safety and legal aspect of firearm, it stops me from satisfying this hankering. I am so glad I had my dream fulfilled in Chiang Mai, when I visited The Shooting Club, which was one of shooting range licensed for budding shooters and marksmen to use live ammunition.

They have a wide range of guns to choose from – at least 15 different types and plenty to go around. Every shooter at The Shooting Club is provided with an individual instructor from the military base, free of charge. Safety equipment and professional instruction are provided. 30 bullets cost 1.700 baht.

It was MY FIRST TIME holding & shooting a real gun and I chose a Glock 19. The instructor carefully demonstrated the proper stance and grip, within 15 minutes, I am all ready. I took a deep breath, set my sights on the bull’s eyes, take another deep breath again and squeezed the trigger. I was pretty taken aback by the recoil but after a few shots, I was starting to enjoy it and surprisingly, my shots are pretty accurate for a first-timer (got potential ok)! SHIOK! Now I feel like learning gun shooting in Singapore!

One of the great things to rise out of efforts to preserve and showcase Northern Thai (Lanna) pride is the khantoke dinner. The traditional “khantoke” serving tray has many small dishes of various foods would be brought out to be sampled by diners seated on the floor at dinner time.

At Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre we can eat from the khantoke while watching an enchanting show. You can choose a traditional floor seating or being seated in western style in chairs at a table.

During the meal you’ll get a chance to sample several typical Northern Thai dishes. My favourite is pork curry. There are usually two chili dips served with the meal – one green, and one red. The green dip is made mainly of roasted green chilies and garlic, and is normally quite spicy. The second chili dip is made of ground pork, tomatoes, and red chilies and is sweet. Both of these dips are traditionally eaten using the hands to dip steamed vegetables, fried pork skins, or sticky rice in them. Our khantoke dinner also includes fried chicken. And we ate sticky rice, not the normal fluffy white rice. Last course is sliced tropical fruits.

As you dine, you will be treated to a show with many different classical dance routines. The dances will highlight things specific to the local Thais and hill tribes from the North.

Chiang Mai is not all about temples and adventure. If you want to do some shopping, be sure to visit the Walking Street Night Market which is only opened on weekends.

And surprise to find people selling vegetables too! Like a night time supermarket! There is an abundance of food, handicrafts, fashion items, games etc in the night market. You will spend your whole night there. They close about 11pm.
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It has been an amazing 4 days in Chiang Mai. Before this trip, I knew nothing about this place and was so worried that it would be a boring holiday. But as I travelled to different parts of Chiang Mai, I discovered so much beauty in it. And of course, there are so much more yet to be discovered and this gives me a reason to revisit Chiang Mai soon.

Hope you enjoyed my Chiang Mai blog post (you can view the photos on our instagram under the hashtag #youngexplorerchiangmai). We have also done a video to show snippets of our trip. Be sure to vote for us HERE and you could walk away with $100 Chan Brothers Travel Vouchers! Voting ends on 2 June 2013.

Thank you Chan Brothers & TAT for this opportunity. For more information about The Young Explorer Project, please visit http://www.chanbrothers.com/tye/.

Katong is well known for its rich peranakan heritage. If you are a huge nonya fan like me, you will be delighted to know that Feast@East at Grand Mercure Roxy is having Peranakan Food Festival from 13th to 26th May 2013.

All these dishes are prepared using the recipe from 78-year-old Mrs Jane Quek. Being an original Peranakan woman, this is her forth year collaborating with Grand Mercure Roxy to promote the peranakan food festival.

Mrs Quek takes pride in her cooking and is very meticulous in the preparation of the dishes as she really believes in serving the ultimate authentic Peranakan dishes for a true Persnakan gastronomic experience.

My lunch started with some ninja achar, papaya salad, pineapple with cucumber, spicy shredded chicken salad, marinated jellyfish, sambal quail egg.

At the live cooking station, chef prepares nonya laksa and Mee Siam which are must-trys. Especially the nonya laksa, it has super thick laksa soup with fragrant coconut milk in it. You can choose to add cockles or go without it.

Deep fried crispy ngor hiang.

Popiah for you?

Here, you can definitely find some popular Peranakan dishes such as chap chye, Babi Buah Keluak, Satay Ayam, Assam Pedas Tengiri, Prawn Nanas, Itek Sio etc. All these recipes are from Mrs Jane Quek and she makes sure there is quality control in the dishes served.

Very happy to find Nasi Ulam because this fried rice requires a lot of work and not many Peranakan restaurants sell it. The rice is stir fried with many vegetables and herbs to give it a light and fluffy texture.

And don’t forget to have a bowl of Salted vegetables and duck soup which is very flavorful and the peranakans pair it with some green chili.

Last but not least, enjoy traditional nonya kuehs such as ondeh ondeh, rempah udang, steamed tapioca, pulut kaya, kueh koswee, kueh rainbow, kueh dadar etc. My favorite is rempah udang which comes with spicy hei bi hiam.

Monday to Sunday (Lunch): $44++ per adult, $22++ per child, $35 nett for senior citizen.

Monday to Thursday (Dinner): $46++ per adult, $23++ per child, $36 nett for senior citizen.

Friday to Sunday (Dinner): $48++ per adult, $24++ per child, $37 nett for senior citizen.

Each diner will receive a complimentary can of coconut juice each (300ml) and additional can will be charged at only S$3.80++ per can. Draught beer – special price at S$5.00++ per glass and a jug at S$22.80++.

Feast@East Buffet Restaurant
Address: 50 East Coast Road, Grand Mercure Roxy Level 3
Tel: 6340 5665