Miss Tam Chiak | Singapore Food Blog | Best Singapore Food | Singapore Food Reviews

Food For Thought (Queen Street)

2012-01-29T21:44:00.001+08:00

Sunday is perfect for brunch and I met up with my lovely cousin a few weeks back for brunch at Food For Thought. This outlet at Queen Street has a really simple and interesting layout and it is always serving to a full house, especially during weekends or public holiday.

I remembered when we were here the previous time, it was a public holiday and we were told to wait for 1 hour 30 mins. But we were too hungry so we settled for Victor's Kitchen instead. This time, we were told that the average waiting time was 40mins. Thankfully, we only waited for 15 mins and we got our seats.

We started with crispy french fries are flavored with Rosemary Garlic ($5). Nothing much to rave about, but I prefer the white truffle fries at The Tastings Room.

Food For Thought serves all day breakfast at a reasonable price. Full Works ($18) comes in a generous portion which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, garlic mushrooms, chunky chicken sausages, hash browns, toasted brioche with thyme tomato salad. I like the garlic mushrooms and scrambled eggs but the other finger food had nothing much for me to shout about.

Hoisin Har Cheong Baby Back Ribs ($24) is well executed. The hoisin har cheong sauce on baby back ribs is tasty and the ribs are tender and meaty.

I like the cosy atmosphere in the restaurant, I will be back to try their dinner menu.

Food For Thought

Address: 8 Queen Street

Tel: +65 6338 9887

Website: www.foodforthought.com.sg

Paradise Inn - Bedok Point

2012-01-28T00:10:00.000+08:00

Having tried Seafood Paradise, Paradise Pavilion and Kungfu Paradise, I was pestering the boy to bring me to another restaurant under the Paradise Group. So we ended up in Bedok Point's Paradise Inn for lunch on a Sunday.

I think Paradise Inn is highly suitable for family as it offers simple and affordable (as compared to the other Paradise Group restaurants) chinese food in restaurant settings. Paradise Inn at Bedok Point has a contemporary oriental ambience with red cushions sofa and traditional Chinese lanterns.

The restaurant offers an extensive gourmet menu of traditional and popular Cantonese cuisine which includes 10 kinds of traditional and nourishing double-boiled soup.

I was having a very bad cold on that day, so we order a Double-boiled Black Chicken with Spare Ribs and Ginseng ($17.90 per pot). Flavoured with traditional Chinese herbs like wolfberries, ginseng, yuzhu etc, this soup is saiourishes "yang", restores "qi", stimulates physical vigour and strengthens internal organs. But well, I guess 2 bowls doesn't help much right?

I grew up watching my Grandfather make his own prawn roll, so I am rather picky about the ingredients. I like those with water chestnut added in, and the prawn rolls shouldn't be too oily. The Teochew Style Crisp-fried Prawn Roll ($8.90 per portion) is okay, but I felt it was a lil' salty.

Steamed Minced Pork with Water chestnut and Salted Egg Yolk ($8.90 per portion) is comfort food for me and I guess it can never go wrong. Now, just give me a bowl of rice.

Ok, this Sambal Kang Kong ($8.90 small) is way too expensive and too small portion. I don't know why I always love to complain when my plate of vegetables are costing so much yet the portion is so little. Vegetables shouldn't be costing that much, and the belachan is too oily.

Lastly, we shared a plate of Supreme Seafood Fried Rice ($12.90 small) which was just nice for two of us (yes I am tam chiak, but not big eater).

If you are a tea lover, try their aromatic chrysanthemum, jasmine, osmanthus or dried longan teas. Their fruit-infused teas like the eclectic lemongrass and passion fruit iced tea are refreshing too.

Paradise Inn @ Bedok Point

Address: 799 Upper Changi Road

#02-01/04 Bedok Point

Tel: +65 6447 8083

Website: http://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/inn/index.html

Absolute Thai (313@somerset)

2012-01-26T21:47:00.000+08:00

I had a craving for Thai food and since I was going to meet Fiona at 313@somerset, I suggested to have lunch at Absolute Thai.

A simple but nice clean setting, we tried the Tom Yam Seafood Soup ($9.90 for individual bowl, $21.90 for 2-3 pax sharing). It has a distinct spicy and sour flavors, with fragrant herbs generously used.

Stir Fried Kang Kong with Shrimp Paste ($9.90) is considered small portion for that price. It has a fragrant belacan flavour but too watery.

Phad Thai Fried Noodle with Prawn ($12.90) was disappointing. The noodles were very dry and not chewy at all. There was no wok hei flavour.

Stir Fried Minced Chicken with Hot Basil Leaves served with Sunny Side Up ($12.90) was spicy but tasteless.

The Tom Yam soup was too spicy that we had to order cold drinks after the meal. Aiya, please don't remind me of the calories...

Overall, I think the price for the dishes here are too steep considering we can have cheaper yet better quality food at Nakhon Kitchen.

Absolute Thai

Address: 313 Orchard Road

#01-29/29A/30/30A 313@Somerset

Tel: +65 6509 6623

Korea Part 3 - Gyeongbok Palace / Street Food

2012-01-25T08:52:00.001+08:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous CNY break! Back to my final Korea post where I will share some of the street food I have tried in Korea. Before that, here are some pictures of Gyeongbok Palace which is said to be one of the most beautiful palaces in South Korea.

Gyeongbok Palace was built in 1395 and the premises were destroyed by fire at the time of Japanese occupation from 1592-1598. However, the palace was later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong (1852~1919).

Korea has a lot of tasty street food. You can never get hungry while shopping! When we were in Myeongdong, we tried some of the yummy street food.

This was one of the most yummy street food for me. During winter where everywhere is so cold, the Fish Bread came right. It is a pancake-like mix with red bean paste.

And there is Ho Ddeok which is flour shells filled with cinnamon and sugar.

Corn dogs are very popular. They are deep fried and served on a stick. If you don't like hot dog, there is chicken, shrimps etc.

Mandu is the Korean word for dumpling. It comes in different shape and can be steamed or fried. The one we tasted is pan fried with turnip, similar to our local soon kueh, but too oily for me.

And there is Dak-kkochi which is Korean skewered chicken. Pieces of chicken are brushed with sweet sauce then grilled over the open flame.

If you prefer the Japanese style skewered chicken, there is also teriyaki chicken stick which the boy likes very much.

Myeongdong is a shopping paradise, I can spend whole day there going into every shop to look at accessories, handphone covers, clothings etc. The Evisu jeans there is also much cheaper than Singapore. So remember to buy a pair of jeans!

On our last day, we visited the Kimchi school and wrapped our own kimchi. Our products were packed in plastic bags and sent to the nearby orphanage to bless the children there.

Then we proceed to try out the hanbok and take some fun photos.

These are our tour friends which we became really close after the trip. Despite the not-so-convenient hotels, not-so-yummy food we had, their company made our trip memorable. We went around all the 7-11 stalls near our hotels every night, ate the super yummy "believable quality" fried chicken in ski resort, sat at a cafe and talked for hours... can't imagine how our trip will be like without them.

And lastly, here is a photo with our tour guide Vincent. He doesn't have the perfect English but I thank him for trying.

Alright, that concludes my Korea trip. If you missed any of the previous posts, you can click the links below to read more!

Korea Part 1: Jeju Island - Land of Mountain and Sea

Korea Part 2: Ski Resort / Everland

Happy New Year!

2012-01-22T22:53:00.001+08:00

How's your reunion dinner?

Every year without fail, my grandfather will cook a delicious reunion dinner for all of us. These includes fish, prawns, sea cucumber, abalone, chicken, duck, prawn roll etc. All of us are so busy with work that we don't get to sit down and have a dinner together. And reunion dinner is the only time that we forget about our work for a while and enjoy the company of each other.

Dragon year is expected to be a very busy year for me. I hope everything will be smooth sailing and everyone is blessed with good health.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sentosa Flowers 2012

2012-01-21T09:00:00.001+08:00

Celebrate the arrival of spring when you step into the world of "Enchanted Spring" at Sentosa Flowers 2012. This annual flower festival brings to you some of the rarest and most unique flowers of spring, coming in all colours of the rainbow.

Returning for the 7th time and bigger than ever, you can get a glimpse of what’s in store when you take a walk from Imbiah Station to Mount Faber. The adventure will begin with three playful kids who stumbled upon a beautifully decorated Dragon Gate and met the most powerful creature: Giant Floral Dragon. They were amazed by the ancient dinosaurs, took a peek into the deep Sea World and marvelled at the rest of their journey.

As we entered the Tea Journey, we get to learn more about Xi Hu Long Jing Green Tea (West Lake Dragon Well Tea) and how tea is made. Long Jing Green Tea is the most famous green tea in China, with more than a thousand years of recorded history. Prized for its aroma, flavour, and health benefits, it was even granted the status of Imperial Tea, during the Qing Dynasty by the Chinese emperor.

What's special about this year's event is the majestic sand sculpture of a dancing dragon just outside Images of Singapore by internationally-acclaimed sand sculptor JOOheng Tan. This sand sculpture took about 10 days to finish and is 10m long and 3m tall.

And everyone, Sentosa definitely has this flowers in full bloom line in this tunnel of love.

Sentosa Flowers is also making its debut at Mount Faber where guest who bought the cable car tickets can enjoy free tea in Jewel Box;s very own Dragon Gate Inn. You will also see a rainbow of interesting and intricate traditional kites in the sky.

If you are a flower lover and an avid photographer, this floral extravaganza is not to be missed!

Sentosa Flowers 2012

Date: 22 – 29 January 2012

Time: 10am to 10pm

Venue: Merlion Plaza, Imbiah Lookout, Beach Plaza, Resorts World Sentosa and The Jewel Box (Mount Faber)

Admission: Free entry (usual island admission charges apply)

Website: flowers.sentosa.com.sg

Malaysian Food Street @ Resorts World Sentosa

2012-01-20T08:30:00.001+08:00

If you miss the hawker food from Malaysia, you no longer have to travel hundreds of miles to Malaysia to enjoy them. Resorts World Sentosa has gathered the best of Malaysia's hawkers under one roof in its own Malaysian Food Street.

Standing at 22,000 square feet, the Malaysian Food Street is fully air conditioned, and designed to evoke the look of streets of Malaysia, with facades of old shop houses and replicas of 1950s coffeeshop. There are a total of 17 stalls which includes legendary Malaysian favourites such as Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee, Huen Kee Claypot Rice, Penang Hai Beng Lor Mee etc.

Penang Ah Long Lor Bak（戏班脚阿隆五香卤肉）

Lor Bak Set $8; Individual items from $1

Lor bak is marinated pork rolled in soybean sheets and deep fried. It is served with a thick pork broth with corn starch and beaten eggs. On busy days, the stall owner can sell up to 1,000 lor bak in Penang.

Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Mee（亚妹福建虾面）

Hokkien Mee $5; Hokkien Mee with Pork Ribs $6

Here we get to taste a bowl of very traditional prawn mee. The soup is cooked with crushed prawn shells, pork bones and dried chilli for 3 hours. It was then pour into a bowl of kang kong, bean sprouts, prawn, hard boiled egg, pork ribs, vermicelli and egg noodles.

Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee

Hainan Lor Mee $6, Hainan Lor Mee with Pork Belly $7

I have a soft spot for lor mee, as long as there is vinegar and garlic, I will be a happy girl. Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee is the oldest signboards in Penang. The starchy gravy involves boiling the pork bones for 11 hours and stirring tapioca starch into it, hence giving a thick and heavy gravy.

Huen Kee Claypot Rice

Claypot Chicken Rice $6; Claypot Chicken Rice with Salted Fish $7

The committee went Malalysia to track down the best hawker food. They actually tried 10 different places of claypot rice and settled for Huen Kee. Huen Kee has a unique two-way heating technique which not only uses a burning charcoal stove but coals are placed on top of the claypot to lock the moisture and flavours of the rice and well marinated chicken.

Penang Lim Brothers' Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow $4; Char Kway Teow with Egg $5

This brothers-run business has achieved much fame in Penang and won many fans over with its char kway teow. Unlike the local char kway teow which uses thick dark soya sauce, Penang char kway teow is saltier and lighter in colour.

Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee（厨留鲜）

Fried Hokkien Mee $6

This was one of the best dish we tried that day. Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee started in 1976 at Kuala Lumpur, the noodles has a good balance between light and dark soy sauce. The noodles are served with a homemade chilli balachan.

Petaling Street Famous Porridge since 1949（茨厂街靓粥 - 老字号 1949）

Porridge from $4.50

I kinda enjoyed the porridge more. The recipe has been passed down for 3 generations. The stock are boiled with chicken and pork bones for 3 hours. Then 3 types of grains are added and cooked for 2 hours. The end result is a hearty, flavorful porridge full of goodness.

Chendol

Penang Chendol $2.50

The stall makes green chendol jelly from scratch by boiling green bean powder, alkaline water, pandan leave and green colouring over low heat. Drizzled with coconut milk, this dessert is great especially during humid weather like Singapore.

Buah Long Long drink we love!

Fung Wong Confectionary（凤凰饼家）

From $1.20

After a hearty meal, don't forget to drop by Fung Wong Confectionary to buy some pastries. Trust me, even if you are very full, remember to grab their baked char siu bao. It is very moist with tasty barbeque pork to satiate the palate. And the fresh egg tarts are baked till perfection with crispy tart shells.

Here’s the full list of all the stalls at Malaysian Food Street:

1. Famous Jalan Alor KL Hokkien Mee

2. Fung Wong Confectionery

3. Petaling Street Famous Porridge since 1949

4. Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice

5. Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Mee

6. Penang Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee

7. Penang Ah Long Lor Bak

8. Penang Lim Brothers’ Char Koay Teow

9. Roti Canai & Nasi Biryani

10. Kampung Nasi Lemak

11. Malacca Chicken Rice Ball

12. Petaling Jaya Dim Sum and Drinks

13. Ampang Yong Tau Foo

14. Klang Bak Kut Teh

15. KL Wanton Mee

16. Penang Cuttlefish Kang Kong

17. Desserts/Fruits

*Roti Canai & Nasi Biryani and Kampung Nasi Lemak are halal-certified stalls.

Malaysian Food Street @ Resorts World Sentosa
The Bull Ring (next to Universal Studios)
Opening hours: Mon to Thu 11am – 10pm; Fri to Sat 9am – midnight; Sun: 9am – 10pm

Chinese New Year 2012 - Chinatown

2012-01-18T08:50:00.004+08:00

When it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year in Singapore, the best place to go is Chinatown. Last Sunday, my family and I visited Chinatown to enjoy the CNY feel and buy some CNY goodies. We were first greeted by a 350-foot-long illuminated "Water Dragon". The place is filled with bright red decorations and interesting street bazaar in Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street within Chinatown.

The street bazaar has more than 500 stalls selling traditional foods, flowers, Chinese handicrafts, and customary New Year decorations. It runs from now till 22 January (CNY Eve). Opening hours 6pm to 10:30pm, the bazaar will extend its operating hours to 1am on CNY Eve.

Shopping Tips:

1. Visit Chinatown on Chinese New Year Eve, the stall owners will have big discount when the clock strikes 12am!

2. Don't buy from stalls which are near to MRT or main road, they tend to be more expensive.

Events not to be missed:

1. Stage Shows

At Kreta Ayer Square, there will be cultural performances every night which includes, opera, lion dances etc. It will run from now till 22 Jan 2012, from 7.30pm to 10pm.

2. Chinatown Chinese New Year's Eve Countdown Party

It will take place on the evening of January 22, along Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, from 9:30pm to 12:30am.

Website: http://chinatownfestivals.sg

3. Singapore River Hong Bao Carnival

If you have nowhere to go on Chinese New Year Day 1 and 2, visit River Hong Bao Carnival at The Float @ Marina Bay. There will be fireworks on 21 Jan 8pm and 22 Jan 12am.

Website: http://www.riverhongbao.sg

How to beat the crowd:

1. Go light: If your purpose of visit is to shop for Chinese New Year goodies or decorations, please go light. Carrying a camera bag with tripod or a heavy school bag will make your shopping less enjoyable.

2. Arrive early: If you don't want to face the human jam, go as early as 2pm, and leave at 7pm. You can shop at ease. But, be prepared for the heat!

3. Do not wear slippers: If you just did your pedicure or fear the mad human jam will cause someone to step on your toes, wear covered shoes.

4. Take care of your belongings: You don't want your bag or wallet to get lost or stolen in the crowd. And make sure you always have your mobile phone, in case you and your family/friends lost each other in the crowd.

Enjoy the Chinese New Year everyone!

Ju Chun Yuan - Best Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in Singapore

2012-01-17T08:45:00.004+08:00

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall（佛跳墙）is a festive dish from Fujian province. It is known for its rich taste and uses high quality ingredients. Do you know how the name of the dish came about?

One popular story was about a scholar who preserved his food during his travel. When he came to Fuzhou, the scholar started to cook the dish and the aroma travelled to a monastery nearby. One of the monks was so tempted by it that he jumped over the wall! A poet among the travelers said that even Buddha would jump the wall to eat the delicious dish: 坛启荤香飘四邻, 佛闻弃禅跳墙来...

With Chinese New Year approaching this Monday, treat your family to the best Buddha Jumps Over the Wall at JuChunYuan (聚春园). Since 1865, JuChunYuan has stood for the finest in Fuzhou cuisine. The famous "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" was said to be created in JuChunYuan restaurant in 1876 and has continued to set the standard for fine Chinese restaurants around the world.

JuChunYuan Salmon Sashimi Yu Sheng Platter

JuChunYuan's culinary team led by Master Chef Li Yan from Fuzhou has created 3 special menus to delight your palate and to welcome an auspicious Lunar New Year. Start the feast with JuChunYuan Salmon Sashimi Yu Sheng Platter.

Braised Monkey Head Mushroom in Imperial Stock ($32)

The nutritious and intense flavour of Braised Monkey Head Mushroom is cooked over a long time in imperial stock. The meat-like tender mushroom is braised for 30 hours, giving it a very juicy texture.

Steam Bird's Nest Crab ($78)

You have tried Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Salted Egg Crabs... how about Steam Bird's Nest Crab? The 800g of crab is steamed with eggs, minced meat, spring onions and water chestnut. The steamed eggs is full of flavours and water chestnut gives the crunchiness.

Original 1876 Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (single portion $98)

JuChunYuan's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall has 8 different ingredients which includes pork tendon, dry scallops, abalone, cuttlefish, mushrooms, sea cucumber, shark's fins and fish maw. Each ingredient is socked individually and the soup is boiled using mother hen, duck and pork's bones. From 2007, JuChunYuan Singapore has sold 16,488 bowls (and counting) of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. WOW!

"Pa Shao" Stewed Pork Belly ($24)

For those of you who knows how to appreciate a mighty good brew of pork belly can try JuChunYuan's meltingly tender Stewed Pork Belly.

Stir-fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon ($12)

I was actually very full after finishing the whole bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Initially, I decided to give the Heng Hwa Bee Hoon a miss but eventually, I finished the whole bowl and wanted more.

The Heng Hwa Bee Hoon uses less oil and the chef uses chopsticks and big fire to fry the bee hoon, hence it was soft but springy. Thinking that it was just another plate of bee hoon, the manager said the garlic vinegar soy sauce makes the bee hoon very delicious. I poured a little, tried it. Then I poured 2 tablespoons, because it really makes the bee hoon very tasty and refreshing.

Fuzhou Yam Pudding ($5 per pax)

Last but not least, my favourite yam dessert. If you are always skipping this dish because of the coconut cream, don't worry this time as JuChunYuan's Yam Pudding uses only yam, no lard, no coconut, only sprinkled some sesame seed.

Not only are these dishes available during Chinese New Year, they are also available in the ala carte menu. If would like to book a table during Chinese New Year, make your reservations fast.

Choose from: Prosperity ($1,588+ for 10pax), Fortune ($1,888+ for 12 pax) and Imperial ($3,888 for 14pax) sets. JuChunYuan is also opened on Chinese New Year Day 1 and Day 2 for dinner.

JuChunYuan (聚春园)

Address: 130 Amoy Street, #01-01 Far East Square

Tel: +65 6536 2655

Website: http://www.juchunyuan.com.sg

Chinese New Year 2012 - Yu Sheng

2012-01-16T14:21:00.004+08:00

Yusheng (Chinese: 鱼生), or Prosperity Toss, also known as lo hei (Cantonese for 捞起) is a raw fish salad eaten during Chinese New Year. It usually consists of strips of raw fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments. Yusheng usually served as the appetizer due to its symbolism of "good luck" for the new year because "Yusheng (鱼生)" has the same pronunciation as "余升", which means increase in abundance.

If you looking for some nice Yusheng for the Chinese New Year, here is my list of recommendations.

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Red House Seafood
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Celebrate in extravagance with Red House’s newest deluxe creation - 8 Treasure Seafood Yu Sheng 八宝开运鱼生 ($288++) which boasts of eight superior ingredients such as abalone, lobster, geoduck, tuna, salmon, Ebi, arctic clam and ikan parang. Perfect for a table of 8 to 10 guests to share, this sumptuous dish will surely impress diners and their guests.

A highlight this year allows diners to enjoy the reunion feasts in the comfort of their homes with Red House's two exclusive family reunion dinner menus- Fortune Celebration Set (S$228++ for 6 persons) and Abundant Wealth Set (S$338++ for 10 persons) which are available for takeaway only on 22 January 2012. Festive delights include Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng, Crispy Roast Chicken and Traditional Lotus Leaf Fried Rice.

Other Lunar festive specials include the perennial favourite Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng三文魚发财鱼生 ($38++ / small & $76++/ large) and Red House Special Treasure Pot 小红楼聚宝盆菜for sharing ($238++ for 6 persons / $398++ for 10 persons) are available for dine-in and takeaway at both The Quayside and East Coast outlets from 8 January 2011 to 6 February 2012.

TEL: 6442 3112 (East Coast Seafood Centre), 6735 7666 (The Quayside)

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PARKROYAL on Beach Road

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Back by popular demand, Plaza Brasserie is bringing back the Three Kingdom Yu Sheng which consists of shredded abalone, sea cucmber and sharksfin. Alternatively, toss to an auspicious new year with Chef Jackson's news creation of the XO Yu Sheng. This new creation symbolises an abundance of wealth and features special ingredients such as lobster, salmon, silver fish, chicken floss, chinese sausages, daikon sprouts, crispy fish skin, shredded red and white carrots, Enoki mushrooms, enhanced with Chef's secret sweet sauce and XO sauce.

Pre and post CNY buffet (9 Jan - 6 Feb):

Lunch - Adult $42.80; Child $25.80

Dinner - $52.80; Child $31.80

CNY Eve buffet (22 Jan)

Lunch - Adult $42.80; Child $25.80

Dinner - $72.80; Child $43.80

CNY 1st & 2nd Day buffet (23 & 24 Jan)

Lunch - Adult $58.80; Child $34.80

Dinner - $58.80; Child $34.80

TEL: 6505 5710

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Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

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Welcome the Dragon year and delight your senses with a delectable feast by award winning restaurant, Azur at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Along with the special festive buffet menu, diners will enjoy complimentary Prosperity “Lo Hei” Yu Sheng prepared fresh at a live station. Paired with imported Norwegian salmon and a special “Ginger Shoyu” dressing created by Chef Alvin Leong, this Yu Sheng is available for either dine-in or takeaway. There are also other choices such as Abalone and Salmon Yu Sheng and Abalone Yu Sheng.

Prosperity “Lo Hei” Yu Sheng (available for takeaways from 15 Jan - 6 Feb, serves 8)

“Double Happiness” Abalone and Salmon Yu Sheng: $88++

“Wealthy Crowne” Abalone Yu Sheng: $68++

“Eternal Prosperity” Norwegian Salmon Yu Sheng: $48++

TEL: 6823 5354

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Royal Plaza on Scotts

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Toss to good health in the Year of the Dragon as Carousel introduce the Eight Treasures Lobster Yu Sheng, which is symbolic of the dragon year as lobster translated in Mandarin means, “long xia” where “long” also refers to dragon. These 8 treasures include fresh lobster, ginseng, almonds, longans, red dates, salsify, silver fungus, wolfberries and angular solomon’s seal. These ingredients are specially selected by the Culinary Executive Chef and known to be beneficial to the body and immune system.

Prosperity “Yu Sheng” (available for takeaways from 16 Jan - 6 Feb)

Eight Treasures Yu Sheng: Small (4 - 6 pax) $150++; Large (8 - 10 pax) $180++

Salmon Yu Sheng: Small $58++; Large $88++

Tuna Yu Sheng: Small $58++; Large $88++

Abalone Yu Sheng: Small $88++; Large $128++

TEL: 6589 7788

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Crystal Jade

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Crystal Jade's Hearty Five Treasures Yu Sheng (Big $118.80; $68.80) is out to melt your heart. There are fresh mangoes with pine nut, sun flower seed and pumpkin seed with white sesame & crunchy peanut. Hazelnut oil with plum sauce with falkes of gold leaf to give it a prosperous finish, with toppings of Premium Amberjack & salmon.

Website: http://www.crystaljade.com

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Peony Jade

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Peony Jade has crafted a dragon-shaped “Harvest Your Riches Abundantly” Lo-Hei Yu-Sheng (S$288++). It is made of 10 premium ingredients like Australian lobsters, Australian sliced abalone, Atlantic salmon, ikan parang, sea bream, swordfish stomach, tuna fish, octopus fillets, sweet shrimps and squid fillet. What makes this yu-sheng truly luxurious is the edible golden leaves, topped with a secret home-made sauce from the kitchen of executive chef Ryan Shiu for a multi-sensory yu-sheng experience. Other choices include “Reaping Longevity and Abundance Prosperity” Eight Treasures ‘Lo Hei’ (S$198++).

TEL: 6276 9138 (Keppel Club); 6338 0305 (Clarke Quay)

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Hope you have found your favourite Yu Sheng for the year! :) HUAT AH!

Food Styling - Roast Chicken

2012-01-15T09:23:00.001+08:00

And my food styling assignment continues... This time, it was to style a grilled chicken breast with sides using different plates or bowls.

The instructor actually gave us tips on how to brown and grill the chicken. But I am sorry ma'am, I cheated a little by buying a box of grilled chicken from Nandos Chicken. Yes I am a bad student but I don't have a stovetop grill or metal skewers to grill the chicken.

It was a Saturday morning. I woke up craving for some Nando Chicken (they just came to Singapore). So I took a cab to Plaza Singapura, ordered a box of 1/4 chicken done mild and head to Daiso to look for some styling inspirations.

Nandos Chicken originated from South Africa and I really like the chicken. The meat is butterfly cut, flame grilled and doused in a special kind of Peri-Peri sauce that makes magic in your belly. I had Peri Corn, Peri 3 Bean salad and bread as side dishes.

Peri-Peri is the heart and soul of Nando’s. It began centuries ago, when Portuguese explorers were looking to add a little spice to their meals, and they started adding this fiery ingredient into their cuisines. In Singapore, Peri-Peri is available in these flavours: Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot, Extra Hot.

If you are wondering, yes, I applied some oil on the surface to make the skin "glistering". Styling one plate needs alot of brainstorming. I have to first decide on the background and the size and type of plates/bowls to use. This will dictate the size of the chicken. And I have to think if I should add the sauce or place it in the saucer. If you have the time, try grilling your own chicken.

Hope you like my food styling shots. I actually like the first photo more. What about you?

Bistro Petit Salut - Affordable French Food

2012-01-13T11:36:00.003+08:00

Bistro Petit Salut is the affordable offshoot of the high-end french fine dining restaurant Au Petit Salut. This laidback bistro serves authentic French a la carte dishes and set meals at very friendly price. Last Monday, I brought my girlfriend there for her birthday treat and we tried the 3 course set lunch at $28++.

Half dozen baked Burgundy snails with tomatoes and garlic butter

Each course came with six choices and we had a really hard time picking our choice. Then I spotted "Burgundy snails" in the appetizer section. "$28 set lunch and you can get to eat snail? Are you kidding me?" Nope nope, I am not kidding!

These half dozen Burgundy snails are baked with tomatoes and garlic butter. You can't go wrong with escargots in garlic butter because garlic butter is a winner in whatever occasion. It was really fragrant and the snails are already removed from the shells, so convenient.

Grilled marinated baby octopus served with couscous salad, basil dressing

The rich and tender taste of the marinated baby octopus comes with couscous salad. I am not a fan of octopus but I like the couscous salad.

"Minute" onglet beef with French mustard jus and mashed potato

It took me some time to decide on the main. To have Braised Pork Shoulder Provencal Style, Chicken Leg Confit or Onglet Beef? Wait, Onglet beef, what's that? I have no idea but according to google, the Onglet is "the French cut of a Hanger Steak". So we decided to give that a try and it was succulent and tasty.

Seafood risotto with light cream emulsion, Parmesan cheese

The risotto is scrumptious with a rich selection of clams, prawns, squid with light cream emulsion. I am not a fan of creamy stuff, but I love the risotto from Halia so much that I thought I should give this a chance. The dish is quite balanced in flavor with a generous amount of seafood.

Choux buns with vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce and sliced almonds

The choux buns is stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with choclate sauce and almonds. Eating this always reminds me of the ice cream seller riding a motorbike, selling the ice cream in a bread. I don't think they make their own choux bun here, which is a pity!

Chocolate and pear mousse cake, Creme Anglaise

It is a triple layer mousse cake with a delicate balance of pear mousse.

Overall, I think they serve quite good quality food at a friendly price. I hope my girlfriend enjoyed it as much as I do! They also serve executive set lunch at $38++ :)

Bistro Petit Salut

44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-54 Chip Bee Gardens
Tel: +65 6474 9788

Bountiful Harvest Feast at Xin Cuisine, Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore

2012-01-12T10:02:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year is a time to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate any negativity from the past. And of course, it is a year where everyone in the family gather and feast together.

If you are still thinking of the ideal place for reunion dinner, or planning to buy a bowl of pen cai back, Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant at Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore has kicked off their CNY dragon feasts with many culinary treasures to welcome the Chinese New Year!

The restaurant offers 9 different set menus from 2 pax ($188++) all the way to 10 pax ($2012++). If you are bored with the traditional looking Yu Sheng, try Xin’s Gold Leaf Australian Lobster, Canadian Geoduck Clam and Salmon Yusheng found in Bountiful Harvest set ($3999++ for 10). These sashimi appeared in a beautiful ice carving, together with a lobster head. Thanks to the folks from Holiday Inn, we got an additional sashimi ingredient in our Yu Sheng!

It was said that Yu Sheng (Prosperity Toss, also known as lo hei in cantonese) originated from the fisherman of Guangzhou feast on their catches on the 7th day of the Chinese New Year. It was then improvised by local chef Than Mui Kai as a symbol of prosperity and good health amongst the Chinese. However, when my Guangzhou relatives visited us last year, they have never seen nor tried Yu Sheng before! They were afraid to eat raw fishes but they certainly like the idea of coming together and lo hei.

This was a long lo hei for us because each blogger has to snap some pictures while the rest continue lo-ing. But we sure enjoyed mixing them and wishing for more money and better grades. HUAT AH!

After all the fun we had, dinner finally started proper with Pan-Fried Scallop with Eggplant in Japanese Miso Sauce arriving on our table. Fresh scallops were pan fried and topped with miso sauce, and placed above the eggplant. Put the whole thing into your mouth, the flavours simply complemented each other.

Next we had Double-Boiled Shark’s Fin and Baby Cabbage in Chicken Broth which was rich in flavour. The broth was boiled for a day to bring out the richness.

I like the Steamed Garoupa Fillet with Beancurd with Light Soya Sauce. The delicate and fresh garoupa was served with beancurd and chestnut paste, which added a crunchy taste to it.

Here comes the love: Xin’s Prosperity Pen Cai ($398 for 10, $298 for 6). It has a total of 17 ingredients which includes lobster, abalone, shark's fin, fish maw, sea cucumber, dried oyster, dried scallop, wolfberry, fresh scallop, jelly fish, mushroom, sea moss, fish maw, bamboo pith, radish, sea whelk and chinese cabbage, such a wholesome dish!

After the pen cai, I was already very full but Bird’s Nest with Almond Cream is certainly a dish not to be missed. The delicate and lovely bird's nest comes with a thick and nutty almond cream. It was very soothing and this dish is said to improve complexion. Can I have another bowl, please?

Nian Gao is said to bring good luck because it is a homonym for "higher year." Deep Fried Xin’s Nian Gao has a crispy outer coat and a gooey inner core. It doesn't stick to my teeth and it's not too sweet.

Last but not least, treat yourself to the Fried Sesame Balls with Red Bean and Chocolate Liqueur Filling. One bite and the filling came oozing out. It literally melts in your mouth, with a strong champagne taste.

Dining at Xin Cuisine is an enjoyable one. The yu sheng and pen cai are very unique and challenges to surprise and tantalize the palettes.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Chinese New Year!

Xin Cuisine

Address: Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore Level 4
317 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6731 7173

Korea Part 2: Ski Resort / Everland

2012-01-10T08:45:00.002+08:00

After spending 2 days in Jeju, we are back in Seoul and heading to the Ski Resort! First time seeing snow, first time skiing, how great!

Before we made our way to the ski resort, we stopped by 汉阳蔘雞湯 for their famous Samgyetang, which is Korean Ginseng Chicken. The dish consists of a whole young chicken which is stuffed with glutinous rice and then boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng. A very comfortable meal in winter!

Here is the boy trying to act like a Korean -.-

Then we proceed to a long drive to our Ski Resort. Halfway through the journey, our BUS BROKE DOWN! How unlucky can we get. We were stuck in a expressway and our resort was only 15 mins away.

No choice, we kept ourselves entertained on the bus, talk and joke and waited for towtruck for 1.5hours! By the time we reached our restaurant, it was already 9.30pm!

Dinner was pork roast meat at Meonan Pyeongchang Hanwoo Village. I think we were hungry but the meat was well marinated.

Ski Resort

We stayed in Phoenix Park Ski Resort. Our room's window opened up to a magnificent view.

The next day, we were all geared up and ready for skiing! We had our mask, goggles and gloves. If you are wondering who is the girl all covered with a victory sign, it's me!

The tour guide took 1 hour to teach us how to ski. Seriously, it is not easy! The ski boots are so heavy!

Before we ski, we must learn to fall! And when we fall, we must learn to stand up! And if you can't stand up, just remove the ski boots and stand up! Look at all our mission impossible faces!

I can't ski for nuts, so I just lie on the snow and take photos!

Just by skiing for 1 hour makes us hungry. Dinner was free and easy, so a group of us headed to a korean restaurant nearby to eat buckwheat noodles.

The buckwheat pancake tastes like our typical soon kueh (turnip dumpling) with a lot of vegetables and turnip in it.

Boiled Sliced Pork Belly

The soup and dry wheat noodles is a acquired taste, too healthy for me.

After dinner, we took a cable car ride up to the top of the resort. IT WAS SO COLD! It did snow a little! BRRRR

Thinking that that was the end, we were wrong. The next morning, we headed to snowmobile rafting ride. Gosh, a merely 3 minutes ride round and round, I can feel my breakfast up in my throat!

Everland

Then we visited South Korea's largest theme park, Everland. It is divided into 5 distinct zones; Global Fair, Zoo-Topia, European Adventure, Magic Land and American Adventure.

Lunch was within Everland where we had curry rice,

and (very) spicy seafood ramen.

The grilled sweet corn in Korea is different from the ones we have in Singapore. It is not crunchy at all, very soft.

We took a Safari Advernture Bus and watched the lions and tigers up close. The photo you see above, the tiger and lion is a couple! Now I wonder why doesn't Singapore has day safari? We can see animals clearer.

We didn't take any roller coaster rides but our friends did. So we gave them our moral support!

Okay, that's the end of my Korea Part 2 post. The last one will be coming up soon. And there will be lots of food shots!

Yum Cha Garden Restaurant - Kurobuta Pork Sake Tapino

2012-01-09T10:07:00.002+08:00

Following the success of Tapino series, Yum Cha has rolled out a new variation of their specialty hot pot: Sake Tapino (清酒黑豚打边炉). With sake as its soup base, diners can now enjoy the hot pot with Kurobuta pork from America, tiger prawns, Yum Cha’s homemade tofu, as well as Japanese udon. When I was there for work a month back, I felt in love with the Sake Tapino and was telling my friends about it. So last Saturday, 6 of us were there for dinner.

The pork bones soup was laced with sake, poured from a traditional tokkuri. The first bowl, we had all the Kurobuta pork cooked to perfection, and the soup had a strong sake flavour. Then comes the second bowl, where we has cabbage, prawns and homemade tofu. The broth was so much sweeter. Lastly, we had a bowl of ramen and we were all sipping the soup away!

We actually ordered a Set Menu for 6 at $218++, it comes with their Signature Pomfret Tapino but the waitress has kindly allowed us to change to Sake Tapino. If you aren't ordering a set meal like us, the Sake Tapino comes in 2 sizes, regular for 2 to 4 persons ($78) and a large for 6 to 8 persons ($156). This will only be available at Yum Cha Garden, their Serangoon Garden outlet.

Besides the Sake Tapino, other dishes in the set menu includes the Prawn and Beancurd Skin Pancake (鲜虾天妇锅饼) which is fresh prawn paste wrapped in beancurd skin and fried till golden brown.

Next, we had Wine Sauce Chicken served in Hot Stone (石锅百叶酸醋鸡). It arrives with a strong coffee flavour and we thought it was coffee pork ribs. We find the chicken too tough for our liking.

However, we enjoyed Tofu with Mushroom and Vegetables (百菌皇汤双层楼). I guess Yum Cha is really good with their homemade tofu. The silken tofu were soft and delicate and it is topped with ginger crisps and golden mushrooms.

Black pepper crab (驰名黑胡椒) is one of the two most popular ways that crab is served in Singapore. This is a scrumptious dish that combines butter with lots of garlic, oyster sauce, ginger and fragrant, crushed black pepper to create this delicacy.

By this time, I was already filling to the brim. The last dish before dessert was Braised Eefu Noodle with Mushrooms and Conpoy (金菰尧柱焖伊面).

Dessert for the day was chilled Mango Sago Pomelo which was thick and creamy and had generous toppings of cubed mangoes and sago. It is absolutely essential for hot summer like here.

And that's us, satisfied after a heavy meal!

Yum Cha Garden is actually in Serangoon Gardens Country Club but it is opened to public. So if you are nearby, do drop by for some dim sum or their signature Tapino!

Yum Cha Garden Restaurant

Address: 22 Kensington Park Road (Serangoon Gardens Country Club)
Tel: +65 6343 1717
Website: www.yumcha.com.sg

SunnyHills - Gourmet Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes

2012-01-05T23:31:00.002+08:00

It's time of the year to eat pineapple tarts again! I am real excited when Chinese New Year is coming. Not because of the collecting Ang Bao part, but the joy of buying CNY goodies.

All of you should know I am a pineapple tart fan. I still remembered during one of the Chinese New Year, I lost my voice after eating 8 bottles of pineapple tarts. Yes, that's how much I love it. I don't need bak kwa (barbecued pork), I don't need egg rolls, I just need pineapple tarts.

Yesterday, a kind friend of mine offered to help me call up some popular confectionaries to order pineapple tarts for the new year when the bad news struck us. All of them are not taking any more orders for CNY! *traumatized*

Feeling very panicky and bothered, a little surprise appeared before me when I reached home: SUNNYHILLS PINEAPPLE CAKES!

You know, it's like a gift from heaven. One moment when I thought I won't be eating a single pineapple tarts this Chinese New Year, the next moment two complimentary boxes of pineapple tarts appeared before me! How lucky I am!

SunnyHills shouldn't be a stranger to you (read my post last year). Set up in 2008 in Nantou, Taiwan, SunnyHills is a specialty bakery offering authentic and fresh pineapple cakes that are traditionally sourced, made and baked in Taiwan.

Eating the pineapple cake is like biting into a buttery smooth crust that crumbles into a dense, fibrous, rich, sweet pineapple centre. Each "yellow brick" is not too sweet and just nice for me! I love the crust especially, as it is very fragrant and buttery.

All Sunny Delights are made from Taiwanese indigenous pineapples, grown naturally and organically on the farm of SunnyHills Estate. Each pineapple takes 18 months to reach full maturity and it can only be used to make 6 or 7 cakes. So natural are these pineapples that the cakes either carry a mellow sweetness in the spring harvest, and a zestier tang in fall.

Premium New Zealand butter, Japanese gourmet flour, and the healthiest plump-yolked eggs all go into batter without additives or preservatives. The freshest, healthiest eggs and the best Japanese flour are combined and baked a crust that is especially fragrant.

The dialect for "pineapple" is "wang lai" - meaning prosperity arrives - an auspicious name that makes pineapple cake a favourite festive gift during Chinese New Year. This year, SunnyHills has introduced a collection of special gift sets designed to make gifting and sharing extra special.

Inspired by the Year of Dragon, the collection features artwork depicting the auspicious Chinese dragon in the full glory of the Dragon Dance - a traditional ceremonial dance performed during festivites for good luck.

Sunnyhills' Festive Sets are available in box of 10, 15 or 20, and all boxes come packaged with the special festive lable, a SunnyHills Gift Card, and a handy festive bag.

Advance orders can be made until 7 January 2011, after which, orders will be accepted until sold out. So if you are interested, please order now, to avoid disappointment like me :(

SunnyHills

Address: Raffles Hotel Arcade #03-05, 328 North Bridge Road

Website: www.sunnyhills.com.sg

Ordering Hotline: +65 8522 9605

or order via email: service@sunnyhills.com.sg

OTTO Ristorante

2012-01-05T08:45:00.001+08:00

One of Italy's smallest regions, Liguria stretches west in a narrow ribbon along the coast from France. It is well known for its beautiful beaches, picturesque towns and good food. OTTO Ristorante launches new menu inspired by Liguria, featuring seafood entrees - a main staple of the region. Using only seasonal ingredients imported directly from Italy and its surrounding neighbours, the dishes on the new menu are simple yet indulgent at the same time.

OTTO's Italian maestro Michele Pavanello is a very humorous chef. His fun and spirited personality is communicated through his dishes, where he creatively experiments with native Italian foods and places the utmost importance on perfect ingredients.

Using premium tuna imported from Indonesia and Italian tomatoes, Tuna Carpaccio ($26) comes with tuna sauce and arugula. This classic recipe of veal tonnato is refined to make it lighter and more jelly like.

The Pan Roasted Foie Gras ($28) is the ultimate gourmet starter. Paired with grilled pineapple and vincotto, this dish is sinfully delicious.

If you are a fan of Vongole, how about trying the Carnaroli Rice Risotto with Clams in White Wine and Taggia Olives Pesto ($28)? The Carnaroli rice is cooked with fresh clams and the special pesto sauce is made from black olives sourced from Taggia. The dish is too salty for me.

I enjoyed Squid Ink Spatzli ($28) more because spatzli is not common in Singapore. Spatzli is actually made of a batter of flour, eggs and water or milk and dropped into boiling water until they're cooked. They are then tossed with squid ink, roasted bell pepper, anchovies and mascarpone.

The Ligurians are seafarers and their fish dishes are superb. The Slow Cooked Loch Duart Salmon Fillet ($36) is almost like raw and it is so moist and literally melts in your mouth.

Suckling Pig is not only common among Chinese, you can find it in OTTO Ristorante too! When Chef Michele Pavanello came to Otto Ristorante two years ago, he’s the first chef to introduce suckling pig — a piglet slaughtered when it is two to six weeks old — to an Italian restaurant’s menu in Singapore. The Crispy Suckling Pig lacquered with acacia honey and balsamic vinegar ($48) is a true delicacy. The meat is tender and the skin is very flavourful.

Valrhona 60% hazelnut praline is beaten with eggs and cream to create a rich and nutty Hazelnut Parfait ($14). It is served with crispy biscuit and frangelico sauce, giving it very rich and creamy taste.

OTTO Ristorante

28 Maxwell Road, Red Dot Traffic Building

Tel: +65 6227 6819

Website: www.ottoristorante.com.sg

Watching The Viral Factor with Bausch + Lomb High Definition Optics Contact Lens

2012-01-04T22:11:00.001+08:00

Malkov photo

I used to have perfect eyesight (both my parents have perfect eyesight), but I felt it was "cool" to wear spectacles so I started to lie on the sofa to watch TV. At 10 years old, I wore my first pair of spectacles.

As I grew older, I realize wearing spectacles is NOT COOL at all. I came to know about contact lens. Seriously, it is the greatest invention on Earth. I first tried on it because my friend said contact lenses will make my eyes bigger. And to look pretty on prom night, I survived on CONTACT LENS.

If you have been wearing spectacles for a long time, or thinking of changing to another brand of contact lenses, Bausch + Lomb has recently launched their radical High Definition Optics Contact Lens, Purevision 2 HD, capable of providing crisp, clear vision, especially in low light condition.

Incredible Vision

PureVision2 HD contact lenses feature High Definition™ Optics, designed to help reduce spherical aberration – which can be a barrier to high-quality vision in low light and result in blurred vision, halos and glare. 77% of wearers agree PureVision2 HD reduces halos and glare even in low light.

City living has conditioned us to accept less-than-ideal low-light challenges, more common than you think. With Bausch+Lomb’s range of contact lenses with HD Optics, you now have the opportunity to have superb vision with the most superior comfort.

HD Optics provide crisp, clear vision, especially in low light condition

- Reduced halos and glare while driving at night
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And if you are a fan of Jay Chou, remember to catch his latest movie from 19 January 2011 with Bausch + Lomb High Definition Optics Contact Lens.

Directed by Dante Lam and starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse, the Hong Kong action film is about an elite counter terrorist unit based in Hong Kong heads to the Middle East to find a deadly virus. When one of its members (Nicholas Tse) betrays the team, the team leader (Jay Chou) must stop his former comrade before he unleashes the virus.

Here's another photo of Jay Chou to let you drool!

Join to Win!

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Korea Part 1: Jeju Island - Land of Mountain and Sea

2012-01-03T08:30:00.005+08:00

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!

I am back to the sunny island and down with 39-degrees high fever, sore throat, running and bleeding nose for the past 2 days. The cold winter in Korea is taking a toil in my body and even though I wear 4 layers of clothings everyday (i look like a ba zhuang), I still fell ill when I am back. It certainly feels shitty to take sick leave on the first day of work (sorry boss!) but I think I need some serious recuperation.

Anyway, my Korea trip ended with a blast! The food we had was mediocre, the hotels we stayed in are mostly very far away from the city, the tour guide's english cannot be understood... but during this trip, we met many many new friends and our trip rocks because of them! This post, I will first share my Jeju travel photos with you, enjoy!

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Yongduam Dragon Rock

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Yongduam Dragon Rock is the famous tourist site in Jeju. There are many legends on how the dragon head came about. One of which is that a dragon stealing precious jade from Mt. Halla was shot down by an arrow from the mountain deity. When he fell down on Yongduam, his body immediately sank into the ocean and his head rapidly froze looking at the sky.

The tour guide said, Jeju men don't work, they only sit around while their wife work and cook for them. How lucky! In Yongduam, there are Haeneo women divers working on catching seafood. There are many cafes and seafood restaurants.

Everywhere in Jeju, we will definitely see Dolhareubang, they are old grandfather stone statues which offers both protection and fertility. They are sometimes serious-looking and sometimes almost comical.

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Mysterious Road

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The Mysterious Road is an optical illusion. The countryside makes the road appear like it’s traveling uphill, but in reality the road is on a downward slope. Cars roll uphill with the engine turned off.

And guess what, this is the only place that snowed heavily during my trip! SNOW! SNOW! IT'S MY FIRST TIME SEEING REAL SNOW! The tour guide said, it hardly snow that heavily in Jeju and it's also his first time seeing so many snow in the area. We are so lucky!

Such a pretty place, how can I miss this chance playing with snow and kissing my love? :D

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Teseum Safari

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Teseum Safari is a teddy bear museum and it is one of the first museums in the world to exhibit all sorts of teddy bears and stitched dolls like wildlife animals, flowers, birds etc.

The museum has teddy bears shaped liked tigers, elephants, sharks, dolphins and even teddy bears based on characters from Greek mythology.

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Submarine Ride

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The very next day, we hop on a submarine, where we can see the interesting marine life in the ocean. It starts off with a boat ride out through the harbour to the submarine docking area.

For those of us who don't scuba dive, this is a great way to see the beautiful underwater flora and fauna around the island. We even saw abandoned Christmas tree and some beautiful corals.

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Sunrise Peak

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Jutting out of the eastern shore of Jeju Island is a tuff cone, a bowl-like crater, formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions thousands of years ago called Seongsan Ilchulbong, or Sunrise Peak in English. It is nicknamed so because the sunrise is such a spectacular sight to see from the top of the peak.

I came to the same place in 2005 but only spent time taking photos at the bottom of the peak. But this time, the boy literally dragged me up the peak and I was panting like mad. I guess I need more exercise.

The boy, on the other hand, climbed up as easy as ABC!

It is definitely worth the view, even if you do not make it in time for the sunrise.

On the way down, we can't stop taking more photos.

At the Sunrise Peak, remember to grab some Jeju orange chocolates!

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Jeju Folk Village

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After the tedious climb, the BBQ lunch at Jeju Folk Village turns out to be super delicious.

With a total of 117 houses and facilities, Jeju Folk Village Museum has restored the scenes of the village to that of the 1890’s.

The village has no doors because Jeju is very safe. These wooden poles actually tell us if anyone is home. If all the three bars are all up in their holes and blocked the passage, it meant that the family is away from home for a long time. If only two poles are up and one poles down, it meant that the family are away for a moment and will be back in the evening. If one bar is up meant that the family is around and will be back soon. All three poles down meant 'Come on in'.

This village has some of their own language, lets say a man, they call them "wang bali", for women is "pi bali", for little kids, "tong bali", etc.

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Trick Art Museum

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The last place we visited in Jeju is the Trick Art Museum. Before we entered the place, we were wondering what boring things do they have?

As we enter, we realize it is an unusual collection of paintings, exhibits, and artworks that tricks the viewer into believing that you’re part of the painting.

It looks like a normal painting right?

Actually, it is a 3D painting! Can see?

The museum is sandwiched into different zones, each having its own unique theme such as the parody zone, aquarium zone, animal zone, Egypt zone, magic zone, Jurassic zone, and illusion zone.

Yes, the intention is to fool the naked eye. You can stand at designated spots, pose, and take pictures or videos.

This is just a flat floor!

I think this is the coolest. This is actually a landscape photo with the paintings placed sideways. I just have to lie on the floor, take the photo, tilt it to portrait and it looks like I am levitating!

Then, we headed to their cafe and they actually sell Lord Stow Bakery's Egg Tarts!!

Hope you have enjoyed my Jeju post! Keep a lookout for Part 2!

Looking back at 2011...

2011-12-31T23:00:00.001+08:00

2011 -- the year I just blasted through. Life was busy but I am happy. I am doing the things I enjoy, meet many new friends, learning new things, traveling, eating, taking photographs...

Here, I have consolidated the important events in 2011 for Miss Tam Chiak.

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Trend of the Year

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In my FM 100.3 interview with Ban Ban, he asked me what I think would be the craze of 2011. I immediately replied beancurd!

It has to be the beancurd pudding craze! Everyone is talking about it and there are more stores appearing in hawker centres. People in forums are sharing recipe and even I join in the beancurd craze too. I have already lost count on the number of puddings I have eaten till date. But I clearly remember how I went crazy and bought about 25 cups of beancurd pudding from Lao Ban on one Saturday morning.

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Restaurants of the Year

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It has been a wonderful year. We see many new restaurants appearing in this small island, while the existing restaurants underwent some revamp to make things better. I am thankful for all the opportunities given by PR and owners for inviting me to review your food. Not only do I get to share the new places to all my readers, I get to meet many many people who eventually became my friends.

Here, I have picked out my top 3 most memorable restaurant for the year. These are the restaurants that really keeps me going back.

1. The Tastings Room

6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square #01-08

Tel: 6338 1829

Website : http://www.thetastingsroom.com

It didn't take me long to choose my favourite restaurant for the year. The Tastings Room had all I need: good food, good wine & affordable price. There have more than 50 kinds of wine and each glass is only $7. The dishes here are of quality and affordable. I enjoyed the White Truffle Salted House Fries, Egg Royale, Duck Two Ways and D24 Durian Cake.

2. Graze

Address: 38 Martin Road

Tel: +65 6509 1680

Website: http://www.graze-martin38.sg

Graze at Martin No.38 offers the best of Australian cuisine with strong emphasis on fresh, quality produce enhanced with uniquely balanced flavours. My favourite would be Pan-seared barramundi, Sumac seared scallops and Kurobuta pork.

3. The Halia Restaurant

1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Tel: +65 6476 6711

Website: http://www.halia.com.sg

After an alluring decade at the Botanic Gardens, The Halia Restaurant has rejuvenated itself with a new look, menu and culinary team. I first came here for tasting after the revamp, and came back again in November to celebrate the boy's birthday. We love their Blue Fin Tuna Tataki, Rangers Valley Black Angus tenderloin and Sauteed risotto soja with mascarpone and parmesan.

And not forgetting my hawker posts which I alwas learnt something new from every conversation I had with the hawkers.

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Travel of the Year

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I went KL in March, Hokkaido in June, Cameron Highlands in July, Hong Kong in August (that was when I injured my leg). Now I am in Korea, I can't really reflect much about my current trip but between Hokkaido and Hong Kong, I really enjoyed Hokkaido. Travelling alone is not easy but I am sure the experience that I have gotten was much more than other trips.

I have seen the most beautiful sakura, experience the most cooling temperature, soak myself in hot spring everyday, tastes the freshiest seafood...this place is so beautiful and I certainly want to go back there again. To read on my Hokkaido posts (sorry it's in Chinese, but you can still admire the photos), please click here.

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Event of the Year

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I don't have time to cook and I don't have oven to bake. But cooking my pot of curry to support the Facebook event "Cook A Pot of Curry" was very meaningful. It was actually a request for you to cook a pot of curry on 21 August 2011, in silent protest of what a Singaporean Indian family has had to put up with, due to a request from their neighbor, who has just recently moved in from China.

I hope this event spread the message of love, tolerance and acceptance, and get your foreign friends and neighbors, get them to appreciate curry and also appreciate the cultures of the various ethnic groups in Singapore.

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Fun of the Year

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I have been thinking real hard to come up with a title for this. This is what I have done in 2011 to make my blog more interesting, as well as doing some work to make myself better.

If you have been following my blog closely, you would know that I was crazy about Food Clay Art in 2011. I took up lessons and made chicken rice, noodles, dim sum, bread etc. You really need a lot of patience and nibble hands to do this and I really enjoyed myself. If time permits, I hope to do more of it in 2012.

And also, I took up online Food Styling lessons this year and this is something which I always want to learn. I have completed my Foundation course and I will save up more to move on to Beginners class.

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Wish for 2012

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I made Sweet Corn Cake by steaming because I don't have an oven. But I really wanted to own an oven and take up some bakery class. Looking at all the cupcakes, cake pops, cakes made by my friends, I really want to try create them myself.

So my wish for 2012: OWN A OVEN

If you have a good oven model to recommend me, please drop me a comment!

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2011 has been very exciting. Like most of you, I’m spending more time lately with social media — Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Twitter has become my favorite social-media platform as it is a super-fast way of keeping up with the news, interact with people and seek out ideas.

Thank you to all my Twitter friends and blog readers for keeping me busy and for giving me the confidence to carry on. This is priceless and I look forward to another interesting 2012 with you.

Happy New Year!

Countdown Party for 2012

2011-12-30T08:45:00.008+08:00

With less than a week left to 2012, are you still thinking what to do or where to party during New Year Eve? Here are some recommendations for Countdown Party to 2012!

1. Celebrate 2012

From 8pm, The Float @ Marina Bay

Hosted by Michelle Chia and Gurmit Singh, Celebrate 2012 is the BIGGEST New Year’s Eve party in town. Come to The Float @ Marina Bay with your funkiest clothes and dance the night away with extraordinary music and spectacular fireworks! 7 hours of non-stop partying!

Price: $25

2. Siloso Beach Party

From 6pm, Siloso Beach Sentosa

Want to show off your hot body? Bring out your sexiest beach wear and celebrate with your friends at the Siloso Beach with a splash. Some of the coolest DJs will bring the house down with 12 hours of non-stop music. The 1.2km sandy dance floor will be filled with sizzling dance moves.

Price: $49

3. SkyPark Observation Deck

From 10pm, Marina Bay Sands

Party up high at the ultimate deck party overlooking the best city views, and rock out under the stars till late! Every admission includes a glass of complimentary champagne and party favors. $98 for public, $88 for hotel guests and Sands Rewards Club members

4. Sky Symphony Countdown

The Jewel Box, Mount Faber

Start off the New Year on a high note at Singapore’s iconic hilltop destination, The Jewel Box. The annual Sky Symphony Countdown has one of the longest fireworks showcases in Singapore. You will also get to witness a dazzling display of colours and light set to the tune of a symphony against the backdrop of the starry night sky.

5. Boogie Countdown

From 6.30pm, Universal Studios Singapore

Bring your whole family to Universal Studios where there will be the official launch of the Hollywood Dreams Parade, fireworks, tribute band performances and access to all of Universal Studios Singapore’s rides and attractions.

Price: from $58

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Countdown for FREE

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1. Countdown @ Boon Lay 2012

From 7pm, Boon Lay Place

Organised by The Youth Club @ Boon Lay, Countdown @ Boon Lay 2012 is one of the largest heartland countdown in Singapore. This year’s theme is “Hours to Remember”, there will be exciting games, performances, food and fireworks that allows you to experience Retro, Kampong, Futuristic and New Millenium for FREE.

2. Happy 3+65 Countdown Show

From 6.30pm, The Promontory @ Marina Bay

The Happy 3+65 countdown show is a showcase of local talents (including my favorite Blackforest band) who have worked hard to fufill their dreams throughout 2011. Booze, food and drinks will be available at special prices.

3. I Love New Year Countdown Party

From 10pm, Clarke Quay Central Fountain Square

Nothing better than a night of lights, fire and music at one of the coolest nightspots to bid farewell to 2011 and say hello to 2012! Join hosts Jeremy Ratnam & Cheryl Miles from 91.3FM as they usher in the new year. There will be colorful pyrotechnic displays, live performances by local band Goodfellas etc.

4. New Year Countdown 2012

From 7pm, The Esplanade

This New Year's Eve, Singapore Idol alumni Syltra Lee will perform a string of inspirational songs from the 60s to the present to usher in the New Year. There will also be film screening: The Journey. Join Don Richmond in a lighthearted yet heartwarming documentary as he embarks on a journey around Singapore to collect wishes made by Singaporeans from all walks of life.

HAVE FUN!

Ali Nachia Briyani Dam

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000+08:00

If you miss the famous Briyani Dam from Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, here's a good news for you! The stall has actually shifted to Tanjong Pagar Plaza (same coffeeshop as Homebaked Dough)

Ali Nachia Briyani Dam started operating at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in 2002 and is owned by 61 year-old Mohammed Ali, who is the dad of the famous football player Rafi Ali. For the past few years, business has been very good for Cik Ali but unfortunately, the railway station has to close down.

Cik Ali's wife

Cik Ali used to be a butcher, so he always deliver mutton to the local restaurants and suppliers. From there, he picked up from different chef on how to cook Briyani, and later improvised and came up with Dum Briyani.

So what's Dum Briyani?

Well, the basmati rice is cooked with layers of marinated chicken or mutton meat in a wide, heavy bottomed vessel on a low flame. So the flavour from the meat will be infused into the rice and there is where it gets the taste from.

The rice here is just nice and fluffy. Please try the mutton instead of chicken because the mutton meat is very very very tender (there's enough fats!) and well marinated. Don't worry, no mutton smell!

Raita (a sourish cucumber yogurt) and achar along with biryani are complements, without which biryani can not be enjoyed. The stall serves chicken and mutton briyani everyday. On Friday, there is also Fish Briyani. Each plate of Dum Briyani costs $6.

Ali Nachia Briyani Dam

Address: Blk 5 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-04

Tel: +65 9389 2615

Opening Hours: 10am to 2pm, Close on Sunday

《贪吃妹寻美食》专栏每逢星期二会在《我报》刊登。专栏会邀请不同领域的名人分享他们喜爱的小贩美食，根据他们的要求寻找一些“走宝”的小贩摊位。如果你错过了之前的文章，请点击这里阅读。

Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village)

2011-12-27T08:50:00.021+08:00

Bearing the best traditions of a good italian restaurant, the Da Paolo Ristorante is a true depiction of the original Trattoria Da Paolo that was established in 1989.

With 2 locations in Singapore, the original Club Street and Holland Village, the menu bears reference to the European/Italian Chef Gleb Snegin and heads the kitchen at Holland Village. His risottos is one of his most accomplished dishes.

Capesante Arrostite con Crema di Cavolfiore ($26)

These asian influenced scallops are pan roasted and served with cauliflower cream and red sweet-sour onions, giving it a balanced yet elegant meal. Cauliflower cream is a good alternative to potato if you are trying to cut down on carbs. It has a sweet and clean taste.

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia ($26)

Squid ink pasta is a dish made for poor people in Venice as they used unwanted scraps of squid. The restaurant's squid ink is collected by squeezing out the fresh ink from squid. It adds both a sea tang and a deep black glow to the dish.

Branzino alla Mugnaia con Creama di Sedano Rapa ($32)

For something lighter, go for pan fried sea bass with celeriac cream and celeriac chips. The sea bass is soft and tender, and the chips added a little crunch to the dish.

Prosciutto di Parama e Melone ($22)

Parma ham with rock melon salad is one of the favourite starter that is served in most Italian restaurant. The melon plays a important part of bringing out the taste of the parma ham. The savouriness of the prosciutto offers an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the melon.

Risotto di Spinaci con Aragosta ($24)

Lobster risotto is a fantastic way to use the lobster meat. I think the most important factor of making a good plate of risotto is the stock. Here, carnaroli rice is cooked in lobster bisque with tomato paste. Well executed!

Ravioli con Guancia di Manzo ($26)

There were too much pasta on our tables that day but I must say all of them taste good. The guys seem to enhoy the beef cheek ravioli more than the ladies. Perhaps the ravioli gives a good texture and is flovoured with veal jus and shaved parmesan.

Cernia con Asparagi Grigliati ($32)

If you aren't a fan of celeriac, go for pan fried grouper. It has a firm meaty texture and is paired with grilled asparagus and season greens.

Tagliatelle al Granchio ($26)

Although this photo is not well taken, but I have to show you guys my favourite dish for that day: Tagliatelle al Granchio ($26). With lots of juicy crabmeat, tomatoes and cream were blended to give a aweet and rich texture. The fresh egg tagliatelle makes a big difference!

Ossobuco di Vitello ($34)

The braised veal shank is comforting and paired well with a glass of red wine. It is tender and succulent.

Da Paolo Ristorante has daily specials too. We had Mushroom Risotto, a delicious variations from the classic risotto. The risotto was richly flavoured with wild and dried mushrooms, adding some truffle oil to go with it would be nice.

After a heavy meal, don't forget to have some desserts. There is Tiramisu ($12), Cheesecake with raspberry and rose jelly ($14), Homemade crepes with citron sauce ($12), Coconut Pannacotta ($12) and many more. The restaurant also offers set lunch at $28/pax, which includes choice of daily appetizer or soup, choice of daily pasta, risotto or fish and daily dessert.

Da Paolo Ristorante

44 Jalan Merah Saga, Holland Village #01-56

Tel: +65 6476 1332

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6.30pm to 10.30pm

Website: http://www.dapaolo.com.sg

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:00:00.004+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

By the time you read this blog post, I am already on the plane to KIMCHI LAND - KOREA! Yes I am going Korea! This is not my first time there but it is definitely my first time seeing SNOW! No words can describe how much excitement I am feeling right now. I just want to go there, build snowman and eat ice cream in the cold weather.

Okay okay, I shan't to make any of you jealous anymore. I promise I will be back with many wonderful photos.

Because I won't be around to enjoy Christmas here, I met up with a group of friends early December to have a Christmas photography shoot. We had fun playing with the Christmas lightings on the street. If you are wondering, that's me posing for the camera. I wanted to pose like those in jewelry ad, but too bad I wasn't wearing any jewelry, haha!

And this is my favorite shot for the night. It was drizzling a bit and I was doing my long exposure on the street. If you are spending your Christmas in Orchard tonight, don't forget to take some time to admire the lights. And if you are still pondering where to go for dinner, here is my list of Christmas Dinner Recommendations for you.

Though I will only be back in Singapore 9 days later, please continue to come back and read my blog during this period. I have prepared some interesting restaurant reviews with lovely photographs for all of you. You can also follow my twitter (@misstamchiak) for instant updates on my Korea trip.

Once again,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Pondok Rasa - Traditional Medan Food

2011-12-23T08:45:00.003+08:00

Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, is a melting pot of cultures with more than eight ethnic groups living there, this makes the city a foodie's haven. Because of its wide variety of delicious of cuisine, a group of young and talented Medan people living in Singapore decided to open a restaurant called Pondok Rasa, to share the food with the locals.

Pondok Rasa offers a range of authentic Medan food, with traditional home-style recipes handed down over generations and exotic local spices imported directly from Medan. The chef is only in the 20s (and younger than me). Oh mine, so young and can cook so well! All the dishes, including the sauces here are prepared by him, and he picked it up from his grandmother.

Nasi Tim Ayam (Stewed Chicken Rice, $5.30)

Nasi Tim Ayam (Steamed Chicken Rice) is a Chinese Indonesian dish, and very similar to Lo Mai Gai (but it doesn't use glutinous rice). The chicken, button mushroom, black fungus and shiitake mushrooms are well seasoned in garlic and soy sauce and served with fragrant rice and pickled vegetables.

Ayam Bakar (Grilled Chicken Set, $6.80)

The Ayam Bakar is one of the popular dish in the restaurant. Though the skin is a bit burnt, the chicken is well marinated with a good char-grilled flavour. The meat can almost fall off the bone, but still retains a nice bite. The homemade chilli is the thing to die for. It is spicy enough and makes you crave for more!

Soto Medan ($5.80 - $6.80)

This Soto Medan is other variant of Soto. Coconut was added into it which gives it a very sweet flavour. You can choose to cook it with prawns or chicken, in this case, the prawns are very fresh.

Nasi Goreng ($5.30)

Something new on the menu is Indonesia Fried Rice. I think Singaporeans (like me) are always happy when we see our plates full. This dish gave me a happy feeling because there is achar, prawn crackers and sunny side up. The rice is fried with shredded chicken.

Pecel (Vegetables in Peanut Sauce, $5.80)

Pecel is similar to the sauce used in Gado-gado but it is served with long beans, bean sprouts, tapioca leaf, cucumber, round cabbage, tofu, tempeh and peanut crackers.

Mi Sop Ayam (Chicken Noodle Soup, $5.30)

Mi Sop Ayam (chicken noodle soup) is a popular and affordable street food with bits of shredded chicken, carrot, spring onion, fried shallot, prawn crackers, yellow noodles and rice vermicelli. The chicken stock with well flavoured as compared to our local Mee Soto and the crackers gave an additional crunch. If you love chilli, add some dark sweet sauce and homemade chilli to go with it.

Kari (Curry, $5.80 - $6.80)

I am not a fan of this because I find it too watery and too little ingredients. You can choose either rice or vermicelli to go with it.

Perkedel (potato cake, $2)

Perkedel (potato croquette) is Indonesian side dish that is originated from dutch food's frikandel. The mashed potatoes is mixed with spices such as shallots and garlic, and then shaped into round patties before deep-fried till golden.

Sekoteng ($3.50)

Corn Kernal, dried orange skin and slasih are served with in a clear drink. I was actually hoping that they served with crushed ice, it will taste much better.

Pisang Bumbu (Banana Fritter and Peanut Sauce, $4)

We certainly like the banana fritters but when mixed with the savoury peanut sauce from Pecel, it didn't go well together. I think the thickness and flavour of peanut sauce was too heavy and it covered the sweetness from the banana.

Kolak Pisang ($4)

Kolak pisang is simply braised banana with palm sugar and coconut gravy. It is a local Medan dessert but resembles our bo bo cha cha (can't help it, I always try to link to food I have tasted before). In this dessert, there are also sweet potatoes, tapioca and corn kernel.

Not only for the food, Medan is also one of the best for its beverage products. Here we can find Jus Terong Belanda (Tamarillo Juice, $2.50) and Jus Markisa (Passion Fruit Juice, $2.50), two of the more popular drinks for the hot weather. The passionfruit are specially imported from the homeland, very refreshing indeed.

Pondok Rasa

Address: 103 Beach Road #01-02 (Marrison Hotel)

Tel: +65 6333 1239

Website: www.pondokrasa.sg