W.T.F. - Wine, Technology and Food

Adventures in Coffee Part 4 : Realcup Single Serve Cup - A better K Cup alternative?

2013-01-20T21:59:00.003+08:00

The truth is I stumbled across Realcup Single Serve Cups while looking around for cheaper Keurig K-Cups. The claim is they are 100% compatible with Keurig K-Cup machines. The other claim is that they deliver a better taste experience than the K-Cup brands licensed under Keurig. Intrigued by the claim and the affordable price, I had nothing to lose by giving it a try, so I did.
Being in Singapore, I shipped it in using a 3rd Party shipper (i.e. Hopshopgo) from the US. Slightly over a week later, a DHL delivery man passed me the package.

Packaging

As you can see, it was well packaged so the cartons inside were in great shape.

Below you can see, I ordered 8 boxes of Realcups. To enjoy economies of scale, it really isn't worth your while to import to Singapore unless you get at least 6 or more boxes of single serve coffee capsules.

The Loot!

I'm not a fan of light and mild coffee, so I made sure I ordered mostly bold and extra bold coffees. Below pic shows the brands that are under the Realcup umbrella: Martinson's, Brown Gold, Marley Coffee and Higgins & Burke (Tea).

Clockwise from top left: Higgins & Burke Earl Grey Tea, Martinson's Dark Roast, Brown Gold Brazilian, Brown Gold Ethiopian, Martinson's French Roast and Marley Coffee's Variety Pack

The Realcup - the real deal?

The only way to find out is to taste the coffee. I decided to start with the Marley Coffee Variety Pack. A total of 36 single serve cups that gives you a mix of 3 flavours (as below):

"Hey Mon, No Caffeine No Cry"

If you are wondering why the name sounds familiar. Let me affirm the family connection. Marley Coffee is run by Bob Marley's son Rohan. I'm not sure how Reggae and Coffee go together but I'm not complaining :) As you can see on the lids of the cups above, they come with cool names: Lively Up! (Espresso Roast),One Love (Medium Roast) and Get Up, Stand up (Light Roast). Marley Coffee even offers a Blue Mountain Coffee in a RealCup but I didn't get it yet and it is priced higher than these.

I fired up my trusty Keurig B40 machine and popped in the Lively Up! Realcup into the K Cup slot. After the water was ready, I proceeded as normal to dispense my cuppa.

As the coffee was filling up the cup. I noticed the espresso was aromatic and the fragrance was welcoming. From the picture below, you can see it is quite a dark colour.

The taste was pretty good actually. Far from disappointing, I found it slightly bolder than some of the bold coffee K Cups I had in the past. Definitely doesn't taste bad like instant coffee. Great first impression so far!

If you notice the pictures showing where the Realcup is punctured below, it resembles a normal K-Cup.

But my tongue isn't as sensitive when it comes to coffee so I'm not sure if the better taste claim is valid. Apparently, Realcup employs a patented filter technology that allows more natural oils to flow into your cup to give a more authentic coffee flavour.

It will take me some more time to try the other Realcup flavours but if it is anything like the first one, then I would be pretty content. My wife did try the Higgins & Burke Earl Grey Tea and is starting to like the taste. I will try to update when I taste more of them.

Verdict: Realcups are shaping up to be a great value for money coffee option for Keurig K-Cup Machines. There are currently 4 to 5 brands under their stable, here's hoping they expand on that with more choices for the consumer, which is always welcome.

For a greater variety of RealCup options available, you can check out Alternative Coffee Solutions. They are also available at Amazon US too but you have to search the Brand names because some of them are not labelled as Realcups.

Do share with me your experiences, thoughts and comments if you have any. As always, thanks for reading ! :)

Restaurants: Peperoni Pizzeria @ Greenwood Avenue

2012-12-28T14:50:00.000+08:00

After all the recent articles on Biryani, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to do a post on Italian Food. Peperoni Pizzeria is run by the Les Amis Group of restaurants and concentrates on delivering hearty, affordable Italian fare. I haven't been there for some time so no time better than the present to see if they're still maintaining their standards. Luckily for me, they are. Bringing up the usual suspects!

Starters/Entrées:
Funghi Portobello con Pollo ($20):
aka Deep fried whole Portobello with sautéed chicken fillets in red wine sauce.

What a great combo! Whole Portobello mushroom coated with batter and deep fried to crispy perfection and drenched with a savoury wine sauce and topped with chicken fillets which were quite tender (as far as chicken breasts go) and rocket lettuce. What's not to love? Not for the faint hearted though, some friends of mine have commented that this is too tasty for them. Well, more for me then!

Calamari Fritti: ($14)

aka Deep fried squid rings, with lemon, mayo and arrabbiata sauce

The version here is lightly battered so the outer layer is slightly crispy yet the squid is done with the right level of springiness and tenderness. Goes really well with the accompanying sauces.

Pizzas: ($19 for 9 inch, $24 for 12 inch, $50 for 21 inch (family size))

Frutti di Mare

First up to the plate is the Frutti di Mare (aka Seafood Pizza). The toppings include Prawns, clams, scallops, squid rings, garlic and fish on a thin crust pizza base. Seafood toppings were ample and fresh. I feel this is the most value for money pizza option. All the pizzas have fixed prices here i.e. a Large 12 inch pizza is priced at S$24 whichever flavour you choose (based on the standard menu).

Capricciosa
Our second pizza of the meal has Shitake mushroom, ham, artichokes and black olives as toppings. 2 Words come to mind: "Simply Tasty!". For Pizzas, families can order the 21 inch (it is huge!) to share with the option to do Half and Half too (2 flavours).

Pasta:
Al Nero di Seppia ($23)
Fancy name for squid Ink pasta with Squid rings, garlic and tomatoes. I find the version here nicely balanced: squid ink is not overwhelming, garlic enhances the flavour. A winner in my books! Although it doesn't exactly look like what is displayed in the menu on their website.

Desserts:
Panna Cotta ($9)

You could probably call this a western version of Tau Huey(soya bean curd). However, this is a creamy eggless pudding, flavoured with vanilla grains. Not too sweet, light and the texture is velvety smooth. Yumz!

Frangipane ($12)

Another dish that looks very different from the photo displayed in the menu. It is described a warm, fluffy almond cake with sweet raspberry sauce & served with smooth vanilla ice cream.

You can see from the photo above that it looks like there are 2 layers, the darker bottom half is where the almond flavour is most intense. Not sure if it is because it is denser and sinks to the bottom. Not fluffy as stated, a pedestrian effort considering the dishes that preceded it. The vanilla ice cream makes up for it.

The restaurant does serve a variety of belgian beers so I couldn't help myself and ordered the most outstanding name that my eyes came across. Satan Beer!

Not as light as a weissbier but goes down really smoothly. A devilishly refreshing end to the meal.

Taste Verdict: Good news that the standards here are still being upheld (desserts notwithstanding). Still one of my go-to places for pizza and pasta and the ambience is still great. For a group of 4 or 5, budget about S$35 (minus drinks) per pax.

Bokhara Biryani and Kebab: Dum Biryani Journey's End?

2012-09-01T17:36:00.000+08:00

Last week, I made my way to North Bridge Road in my continuing quest for the best Dum Biryani in Singapore. Destination? Bokhara Biryani and Kebab. It's a small restaurant (5 or 6 tables that seat up to 4 people each) along North Bridge Road opposite Kandahar Street whose specialties are Dum Biryani and Kebabs.
Interestingly, Bokhara is named after a village in Uzbekistan along the Silk Route and the style of cooking originates from there. Just how good is the food here? As they say, the proof is in the pudding (or in the Biryani in this case), so bring it on!!

Mutton Dum Biryani
I ordered the Mutton Dum Biryani as usual. Here's a look at their rendition:

A large piece of bone-in mutton masked by yellow basmati rice arrives on a white plate. What I noticed immediately is that the portion of rice is smaller than that served at the other Dum Biryani places I tried and detailed in the past on this blog. You wouldn't go hungry but it is definitely not as filling. Portions aside, the taste lived up to expectations! The bone-in Mutton was quite tender and it takes little effort to get the nicely spiced up meat off the bone. It isn't as tender as the Mutton served at Bismillah but is more tender than the version served in Anjappar. The meat is quite tasty and goes very well with the rice which is slightly salty, this is quite similar to the rice served at Anjappar. Price wise, this is the cheapest of the lot, weighing in at a more wallet friendly S$6.50 (its competitors cost more than S$8) but then again you could argue that the competition serves up larger portions. My take is that if you prefer to eat less carbohydrates, then this is a great option.

They also serve you raita and dalcha which go quite well with the Biryani:

Reshmi Kebab

Bokhara also serves Kebabs so we were recommended the Reshmi Kebab by our servers.

As seen above, the plate comes with 5 pieces of flavoured barbecued chicken. The chicken meat was moist and tender except for the bits that were charred. Taste wise, think slightly salty with a nice smoked flavour and slightly sour undertones. Apparently the meat is marinated with cream and egg before grilling in the Tandoor. A great accompaniment to the Biryani but some may find it a little expensive at S$10 per plate.

Taste Verdict: The Mutton Dum Biryani did live up to expectations! The Bone-in Mutton was very tender and flavourful. Paired with the equally flavourful rice is an excellent rendition of Dum Biryani.

I give it 4 and a half out of 5 stars. This ties it with Bismillah's version and deservedly so. Taste-wise, it is a slightly different style but both are equally good. It is the cheapest of the lot but some may say it's because the portion is the smallest. The Reshmi Kebab was a tasty revelation. I will definitely try one of the many Kebabs there the next time I drop by. One tip I have is to avoid going at friday lunchtimes (unless you order and eat fast enough) as the staff do go for mosque prayers.

That good that my ex-colleague was seen doing a Biryani takeaway for the wife. :)

Where:

~~749 North Bridge Road, Jalan Kledek (Corner shop facing Kandahar Street Near Masjid Sultan) Singapore 198717~~

UPDATED 04/02/2014: (they have moved to a new location, see below)

2 Owen Road, Opp Serangoon Plaza, Fortuna Hotel Building, Singapore 218842

Email: order@bokharabiryani.com

Phone: 83997795

*Great news for those who find it inconvenient to go to the restaurant. They also do delivery. Depending on the area you are in, the delivery charges ( range from S$5 to S$7) and the minimum order amount (S$30 to S$100) vary. Do note they do charge 10% service charge on top of the total amount too. For more information on delivery, check it out here

Mutton Dum Biryani Shootout (in order of preference):

Mutton Dum Biryani: Bismillah & Bokhara (tie) followed by Anjappar

*For purposes of keeping the variables constant, I have only concentrated on Mutton Dum Biryani.

I have not been extensively tasting other types of Dum Biryanis (Chicken, Fish etc) that the restaurants serve due to the fact that I can only have one at a time. I may do updates at a later stage when I try out the Chicken Biryanis the next time I go to these places. I did return to Anjappar once after posting about it and tried the Country Chicken (aka Kampong Chicken) Biryani which I found to be excellent and much better than their Mutton Biryani. May post an update in future when I have time.

That kind of sums up the Dum Biryani quest for now. Hope you have enjoyed reading the related articles and had a chance to taste for yourselves. When I get wind of more popular options, I will definitely sniff them out to try. Till the next post, Enjoy your food!

Trudeau Aerating Pourer aka All you need is the air that you breathe

2012-07-27T00:41:00.001+08:00

This marks the first wine related article that I have posted since I started this blog. Yes though I named this blog as such, I haven't gotten round to the wine as there's so much to write about food :P
Well, better late than never and this post deals with "wine and technology", so there!!

Those who savour their wines would know that aeration ( sometimes referred to as "letting your wine breathe") is an important process in terms of enhancing a wine's flavour. In some cases, there can be a world of difference in taste when you compare an aerated wine with the same wine that is unaerated. Traditionally, to aerate a wine, most people would pour the wine into a decanter (it resembles a large lab bottle with a big wide base so as to expose a greater surface area of the wine to the air) and leave it to breathe for a certain period of time (usually at least 30 minutes or longer ). 2 problems about this method:

You have to wait a certain period of time for the wine to be aerated
If you can't finish the wine in the decanter, you had to pour it back into the bottle if you wanted to save it for another day

Lo and Behold! Enter the Trudeau Aerating Pourer, the pocket sized (ok I admit you need a bigger pocket) dynamo that you can use to impress your wine adoring compatriots with. Here's what the box looks like:

The package is sturdily constructed, professionally packaged and oozes an air of sophistication. Flipping open the lid, you would see the aerating pourer unit well padded:

They even provide a stand (the black coloured base). An additional picture to give you a better idea of its size:

How does it work? Attach the base of the unit securely to the top of your wine bottle such that nothing spills out and just pour. It is designed to fit on standard wine bottles. When you pour the wine through the aerator, you will hear the air circulation process and your glass will be filled with wine that has bubbles in it. Presto! Instant aeration. Some people claim that using this product is as good as decanting a wine for 15 to 30 mins using a decanter. See the video below for how it works:

Taste Verdict: Does it actually work? Well, I cannot say I have a well trained tongue but even I am able to tell the difference between the aerated and non-aerated version of the same wine and to me, it tastes better.
Here are some reasons why I like this product so much:

It is very portable: you can easily bring it along to wine gatherings, picnics etc.
Easy to maintain: just rinse with water and dry
You can aerate wine by the glass: The rest of the bottle can be stoppered and kept for another day if you can't finish the wine in one sitting
It is very affordable. ( less than US$25)

I whole-heartedly recommend this to wine drinkers who want an easy and effective way to aerate their wine. Remember to Drink Responsibly. Salut!

Where to get it: Amazon

Anjappar Singapore: How Dum can I get

2012-07-23T00:40:00.000+08:00

My ongoing quest to find the best Dum Biryani in Singapore led me to Anjappar Restaurant at Race Course Road. Anjappar Singapore is the local franchise of an Indian Restaurant Group famed for serving authentic Chettinaad cuisine and has many overseas branches. They do serve a whole range of different kinds of Dum Biryanis including more exotic ones like Quail and Turkey Biryani.

To be objective and to have a better comparison with the competitors, I had to try the Mutton Biryani first.

It came in a familiar serving method (see above), with the rice and meat and hardboiled egg all in a metal bowl.
I emptied the contents onto a plate for more convenient consumption. I discovered the mutton came in bite sized chunks (as below).

Most important, how was the taste? I don't know if it is because I had high expectations after hearing from friends and colleagues who frequent the place and sing the praises of how good the food is, but I was kind of disappointed. The mutton meat wasn't very tender and was on the chewy side. And to me at least, it didn't taste as if the meat chunks were really cooked together with the rice. The saving grace was the rice which was slightly moist and nicely spiced: slightly salty and you can taste the different kinds of spices as if they were layered. A Biryani Rice done in a different style from its competitors and which is more complex. Overall though, it is still a very good meal.

I discovered a new dish which we ordered based on the waiter's recommendation which is worth mentioning : Golden Crab!

Normally I don't order seafood dishes in Indian Restaurants because I usually concentrate on the meat dishes but this was a welcome discovery. The crabs were covered in a golden brown paste which is spiced to whet the appetite. I'm not very good with spices so I can't tell you what spices are used but just know that it complements the crabs very well.

Taste Verdict: I give the Mutton Dum Biryani 3.5 stars out of 5 just on the basis of the rice. Pity the mutton meat was not tender else I could have given a higher score. It is priced at S$12 per portion which is not exactly cheap. How does it compare to Bismillah Dum Biryani or Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant's Dum Biryani? It stands out with its own identity but for now at least , I still feel Bismillah edges ahead of the other two. The Golden Crab is a good discovery! Will definitely be back to try other dishes of theirs.

Where: 76-78 Race Course Road, Little India Conservation Area

Opening Hours: (Daily) 11.30am–3.30pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm

Bismillah Dum Biryani - The Best Dum Biryani in Singapore?

2012-05-14T00:02:00.000+08:00

A recent weekday lunchtime saw me being adventurous and I instigated a few of my colleagues to follow me on this jaunt to unchartered territories i.e. Dunlop Street in the quest for the best Dum Biryani. Readers of this blog may remember my previous post on Al Azhar's Dum Briyani.

Anyway, the taxi meandered through the long and winding roads (thanks to all the road diversions caused by the construction of the yet to be finished downtime line MRT) finally getting to our destination - An unassuming shophouse unit opposite Fragrance Hotel at the junction of Perak Road and Dunlop Street. Unassuming if you discount the red banner on top of the shop that proclaims that if you do a google or yahoo search for the best Dum Briyani in Singapore, you would end up here.

We made our way to the corner table in the back nearest to the kitchen area and waited patiently for our orders to be taken by an elderly chinese man, who was busy taking orders and bringing drinks to the occupied tables. This nearly had me doing a double-take to check if we were in the right location. My early apprehensions were laid to rest when I saw the Uncle bringing plates of Biryani and baskets of Papadums to the hungry customers. Those who know me, know how much I love Mutton so its a no-brainer that I ordered the Mutton Biryani while a few of my companions went for the Chicken Biryani. Pictured below is the Mutton Biryani :

Quite a sizeable portion as you can see, the Basmati rice is garnished with Fried Onion slices and comes with a Hardboiled egg and a small saucer of yogurt chutney ( I think). You don't need to dig much to find the mutton, there were four big chunks of mutton encased in the rice. Close up of a Mutton piece below:

Now to the most important part: The taste! At first glance and taste, you might think it resembles fried rice in some aspects. This rice is "deceptively" spiced i.e. the initial mouthfuls won't make you think it is spicy hot but it grows in intensity the more you eat, a slow burn. The Mutton, on the other hand, is so tender that it almost takes no effort to separate it into smaller pieces with your fork or spoon. The inner parts of the meat are slightly reddish. It is nicely spiced, not overly salty and has a slight sour taste (I'm guessing that there's yogurt in the marinade). The yogurt chutney helps to keep your tastebuds interested and prevent you from getting too "Gelak". Now complement this with papadums and you have a winning combination! You can definitely taste the effort involved in creating this dish.

As a bonus, the dish is not oily and is probably the healthiest Biryani I've tried so far :)

My Colleagues who tried the Chicken Biryani also gave it the thumbs up. When we were paying up, the owner also recommended for us to try the Kebabs, not forgetting to put in the comment that Lonely Planet rated their Kebabs higher than their Biryani! Oh, more things to try in the future. Here's a view of the menu:

A word of warning that this is not the Biryani that most people are used to in Singapore, the kind where the meat is slathered in curry gravy. There is NO curry gravy, ok? The faster you can get that into your head, the better.

Taste Verdict: Definitely a keeper, if you love Dum Biryani, this place comes highly recommended. The Mutton Dum Biryani is excellent but at S$9 a plate isn't cheap (Chicken Biryani is S$7) but considering the effort involved and the sizable portion, it is definitely worth a try. I give it 4 and a half out of 5 stars. Is it THE best Dum Briyani in Singapore? I can't say so till I've tried the competition. But as it stands, it is one worthy candidate.

Where:

Bismillah Biryani

50 Dunlop Street (Located at the junction of Perak Road and Dunlop Street, opposite Fragrance Hotel)

Opening Hours: Daily: 11.30am–3pm, 5.30pm–10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

Newsflash: Taiwan Instant Beef Noodles are OFFICIALLY back in Singapore!!!

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

To all fans of Taiwan Instant Beef Noodles (yep, the ones I mentioned in my earlier post), Kee Chiu!!! (Raise your hands in the air in Hokkien dialect). Let me show you a picture that will bring a smile to your face..TA-DAH!!

I spotted this in NTUC Fairprice AMK this evening and just had to share this with all those who have been deprived of this locally for so long. Most of us had to depend on friends or family or ourselves going to Taiwan and importing whole cartons back. Others resorted to paying people who made a business out of parallel importing these noodles to cash in on this niche in order to get their fix. Well ladies and gentlemen, wait no longer, rush down to a Fairprice closest to you to see if they have it in stock.

For so long, we have been deprived of this that I felt a great sense of liberation! I'm not sure if this is a temporary arrangement or here to stay, all I can advise is grab it while stocks last!! Yes, it is pricier than before at S$3.75 a bowl (a 50% increase over the price it sells for in Taiwan) but isn't it worth your while to get it here and save more space in your luggage to bring back other nice stuff from Taiwan the next time you are there? :-)
Price : S$3.75 per bowl
Where: NTUC Fairprice supermarkets (depending on availability)

K-Cup accessories: Refillable Cup options for Keurig brewers

2012-01-27T00:17:00.006+08:00

K-Cup enthusiasts that are not convinced by Keurig's own My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter and don't want to go through the trouble of modding it to work properly with your own coffee on your Keurig Coffee brewer have other options available.

2 of these options are
1. Solofill Refillable K-Cup:

2. Ekobrew Refillable K-Cup:

Those pondering on whether to give it a go, now's a good time to try as Amazon is having a sale on Ekobrew - an additional 10% off if you enter the code EKOBREW2 at checkout. Offer till15 Feb 2012. (see link below)
Additional 10% off Ekobrew Refillable Cup for Keurig brewers

Personally, I have not tried any of these options so I'm not sure whether they are as good as they claim to be. Perhaps if you do try, you can enlighten me by posting your experience as a comment to this post.

Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant: Chicken Dum Biryani

2012-01-21T23:39:00.000+08:00

A hidden gem tucked away in a row of shophouses opposite Bukit Timah Shopping Centre is a 24 Hour Indian Food place that goes by the Moniker of Al-Azhar.

A few weeks ago, my colleagues and I had just finished jogging at West Coast Park and were looking for a place to have dinner. One of my colleagues then suggested us to try Indian Food at this place he usually goes to.

I don't usually hang out at Bukit Timah so I wasn't even aware that there was this row of shophouses that housed lots of eating places. From the open carpark, we walked across a small lane and walked down another lane till we came to the said place. At first glance, it looked like most Indian Food / Prata Places except there is an extensive menu of drinks and western food along with usual Pratas, Curries and Naans.

On our colleague's recommendation, I plunked for the Chicken Dum Biryani and my other colleague went for the Mutton Dum Biryani. So much for our exercise :D For Dum Biryani, unlike the usual Briyanis we get in Singapore where the meat is cooked separately in curry and then added to the rice when ordered, the meat (chicken or mutton) is seasoned with spices and flavours and cooked together with the Basmati rice over coals. That way the flavors are locked in and the meat is supposed to be tender and moist.

Frankly I didn't have my hopes up on how it would turn out. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed:

As you can see, the serving is pretty large for one person. The Basmati rice and chicken were housed in this large metal bowl together with a Hard-boiled egg. It was accompanied by a yogurt salad and curry. Taste wise, you could tell that the Chicken was really cooked together with the rice. The full flavoured spicy chicken was tender and it went really well with the biryani rice. Excellent! My other colleague also loved the Mutton variation and said he could even share it with the wife. Let's take closer look at the Biryani again:

I washed down the Biryani with a Soursop drink which wasn't too bad.

Less calories than a Lassi (or so I hope).

Taste Verdict: I give the Chicken Dum Biryani a 4 out of 5 rating. More than decent portions, tender and well flavoured meat and fragrant rice. Definitely worth a try if you are in the area. The Soursop drink was not bad but nothing to really shout about. If I remember, the total meal costs about $11. Biryani costs about S$8 or S$9.

Where: 11 Cheong Chin Nam Road (Opposite Bukit Timah Shopping centre)

(Open 24 hours)

Afternote: No, I haven't dropped off the face off the earth, the last few months since I last blogged have been about change in more ways than one. 2 major changes: I changed my job and my Windows Notebook was replaced with a Mac Mini. I have long been planning to write about other stuff too so I kicked off a new blog http://tech0nme.blogspot.com to give me a platform to write about gadgets and stuff. Do check it out ! I will definitely try to post more articles as I can. Thanks and Happy Lunar New Year to all!

Bakery (Penang): Soon Hiang Tau Sar Pneah(Tambun Biscuit)

2011-09-19T00:09:00.000+08:00

If you have been to Penang, Malaysia, you would probably be familiar with their famous Tau Sar Pneah (Hokkien for Mung Bean biscuit). These are circular balls made of layers of thin puff pastry stuffed with Mung Bean filling, a mix of dried mung beans fried together with shallots in lard oil. Some shops have substituted the lard with vegetable oil to cater to the health conscious, which kind of dumbs down the taste. The most famous brands are Him Heang and Ghee Hiang.
In a trip to Penang last year, while surfing for more information in my hotel room, I came across this website which described a small shop that does things the traditional way and I decided to take a chance and check out this place.
Located along a row of 2 storey shophouses. We were met at the door by a matronly auntie who spoke in Hokkien and spoke with great pride about her products. She even gave samples of the biscuit to try. Fresh from the oven, the fragrance of the shallots and lard oil was permeating the air with a wonderful aroma. Needless to say we bought a few boxes from her.
Fast forward to this year, my friend from Penang came back with a box of her mung bean biscuit and a bag of Beh Teh Soh so we could relive the experience.
Tau Sar Pneah


	Taste Verdict: Layers of soft pastry encase the sweet and salty Mung Bean Filling which retains the distinct flavour of the shallots and lard oil. Yum! However I do find the filling a little too sweet.

Beh Teh Soh
This was supposed to be the sideline but for me, it stole the show from the Tau Sar Pneah. Beh Teh Soh is a bigger, UFO shaped biscuit with layers of crumbly pastry and with a thin layer of sweet molasses at the bottom.


	Taste Verdict: The pastry is nice and crumbly. The molasses filling is soft and sticky and you can taste a slight onion taste. Heavenly! This is unlike most of the ones we have in Singapore which have an extremely hard filling. Note to self is to try to sample the best Beh Teh Sohs from Malacca which are quite famous too.

So next time you are in Penang, you might want to drop by this home run business to try some. Just a tip that since that time last year, its popularity has grown and my friend's advice is to call up a few days in advance if you want to buy more than 1 box from them.

Where: 36 Jalan Kuantan 10150 Penang.
Tel No: 04-229 5799

Directions: From KOMTAR shopping complex, drive along Jalan Datuk Keramat past Gama Supermarket (which should be on your left). After Gama, keep an eye out for Jalan Kuantan on your left. It is a small lane just off the main road. Turn into the lane and look for no. 36 (the house/shop should also be on your left)

Restaurants: Villa Di Parma

2011-09-11T23:19:00.001+08:00

Formerly the restaurant known as Ristorante de Parma, Villa Di Parma serves Italian Home-style cuisine. About a month ago, my wife brought me here for dinner on my birthday. Excuse the grainy photos, the place is quite dimly lit and posed a challenge to my trusty Samsung Galaxy S2 phone camera.
Foccacia

The complimentary Foccacia and Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar was a pleasant combination. The bread was nice and crisp and paired nicely with the dip.

Deep Fried Calamari Rings

We decided on what we thought was a safe starter. The version cooked up here is one which comes lightly battered and accompanied by a tomato based sauce. It isn't the extremely crispy version that most of us expect but the freshness of the Calamari and its slightly chewy texture makes you want to have more.
Smoked Salmon Pizza
From what my wife read up on forums and reviews, this is one of the recommended signature dishes.

Don't be alarmed if you think they forgot to heat it up for you. We did ask the waitress just to be sure so you can be spared the blushes. They make the dough fresh and bake it on the spot. Then they actually leave the crust to cool before adding the Smoked Salmon and creamy sauce that keeps the Salmon on the thin crispy crust and top it off with onions and olives. Think of it as smoked salmon on a biscuit. Found it rather refreshing and quite tasty.

Seafood pasta

I can't remember the actual name of the dish (one year older and one year closer to Dementia) but I believe it is a variant of Seafood Marinara served with Linguine. The sauce is slightly spicy and comes with servings of scallops, prawns, mussels and squid. Not bad but not mind blowing though.
Tiramisu
Most people have high expectations whenever it comes to this dessert. While the version served here doesn't disappoint, it also doesn't dazzle either. A overall decent attempt to round off the meal.

Verdict: Nice, cosy ambience where one can have a hearty italian meal with wine and good conversation. For Food, budget about S$50 per pax (more depending on what wine you decide to have)

Where: VILLA DI PARMA

14B KENSINGTON PARK ROAD, SERANGOON GARDENS.
TEL: 6281 3380, 6280 1096.
CLOSED ON WED, EXCEPT ON THE EVE OF A PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

Check out their website: Villa Di Parma

Fast Food Escapades: The Bratwurst Shop @ Plaza Singapura

2011-08-17T01:17:00.001+08:00

Tucked away in basement 2 of Plaza Singapura Shopping Centre, opposite Carl's Junior, sandwiched(pun intended) in between "Chippy" and another stall which I can't quite remember, lies this no-frills joint that serves up hot dogs and sandwiches. From what I read up on the net, this shop has Aussie roots, being somewhat linked to a famous stall in Melbourne.

As the name of the shop proclaims, the sausages served here are mainly Bratwursts or at least the SIZE of bratwursts. Wikipedia defines a Bratwurst as a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef but I did notice some of the sausages sold here are stuffed with chicken. I have patronised them before in the past and did notice that in recent years, the menu has changed i.e. less variety but it's still worth trying. Just don't expect a huge sitting area, picture a few tables with red PVC upholstered seats. This time around my wife and I dropped by during dinner and ordered the following:
The Big "Brekky"
My wife went for the Big "Brekky" which is a Breakfast platter that is offered all day.

A hearty meal consisting of 2 sunny side-up eggs, 2 grilled tomatoes, 2 triangular slices of toast, sauteed mushrooms, a few thick slices of ham (or bacon? meat doesn't have much fat so I'm guessing it's ham) and 1 sausage. Priced reasonably at S$10.90. You get a choice of 5 sausages and have the option to upgrade it to a "Jumbo" sized sausage by topping up S$1. I chose the Black Pepper Chicken sausage from the 5, which would've been better if it was less salty. Overall, a very satisfying combo and it makes the McDonald's "Big" breakfast look like a Kid's meal.
Mushroom Swiss burger
This time around I decided to try a burger instead and opted for the Mushroom Swiss Burger.

The burger by itself costs S$8.90 and for S$2.90 you can top up to get fries and a drink. The mushrooms did not stand out but the thick beef patty(slightly pink in the centre) with a nice grilled flavour more than made up for it. The fries tasted like they were coated in batter to make them more crispy but were an adequate complement to the meat. One good thing going for it is it doesn't have the mass produced burger taste that you get from fast food joints like Burger King and Carl's Junior.

Taste Verdict: Like what I've tried here so far. Above average fare from a no frills joint at prices that are not exactly cheap. However, with substantial servings like this, you can't really complain especially when compared with other fast food joints that raise prices and reduce the size of their burgers/servings.

Where: Bratwurst Shop, 68 Orchard Road, #B2-39C Plaza Singapura
Tel: +65 6884 4093
Opening Hours: Daily: 8.30am – 10.00pm

Adventures in Coffee: The K Cup Saga - Part 3 - My K-Cup reusable coffee filter

2011-06-25T18:58:00.000+08:00

I've been too busy to remember to order more K Cups and eventually ran out of bold coffee k-cups last week. For the last few days, I was surviving on the flavoured coffee k-cups (of which I have 1 last box left) which I use more to entertain guests than for my own consumption. It dawned upon me that this would be a good opportunity to try out the My K-cup reusable coffee filter which was still un-opened since I got my Keurig Brewer.
The My K-Cup filter is made of 3 parts:

(From left to right) Filter Holder, Filter Basket and the Lid
Curious as to how to use the filter properly, I did a search on the internet and came across reviews from people who found that certain modifications had to be done to the filter in order to brew a stronger cup of coffee. The method detailed in this blog entry is just one of the options recommended.
1. Get a used K-Cup, remove the foil seal completely and empty out the coffee powder into a waste bin
2. Rinse off the remaining coffee powder from the K-cup and you will have the following:

3. Cut 2 slits on the upper, wider rim of the K-Cup like below. Bend this section and cut it away with a pair of scissors (or knife)

4. Next, start cutting along the upper rim like so:

5. Cut all the way till the upper rim is removed like below:

6. The paper filter can be removed from the cup easily as shown, you only need the white cup.

7. Place the filter basket into the white cup. (This is the geist of the mod, the reason for this if the My K-Cup filter is used as supplied, the filter basket lets out too much water at one go, making the brewed coffee diluted)

8. Next, place this into the filter holder

9. Add coffee powder up to 3/4 level of the filter basket. If you add too much powder, the powder might spill out later during brewing. I've used Starbucks Italian Blend where I have requested to have the beans ground to 1 size finer than what you would use for a french press. If the coffee powder is too coarse, water will flow through too easiy.

10. Close the lid of the My K-Cup filter

11. Before you can place the filter in the Keurig machine, you have to remove the current K-cup filter assembly, to do so, place your fingers as shown

12. The next step is to use your other hand to go below the filter assembly to where the coffee normally comes out. Need to apply pressure with your fingers as shown and press upwards to dislodge the filter assembly.

13. And with a little pressure, the filter should be released as below:

14. Now place the My K-cup coffee filter in its place like so

15. One more step before you start brewing, lower the black gasket (rubber ring) attached to the needle that you find on the top part of the brewer that comes into contact with the My K-Cup filter. The needle is normally used to puncture the Disposable K-cups.

It is important to lower it to a point just above the slanted/bevelled edge of the needle. This ensures that no excess water spills out from the top during the brewing process.

16. Finally, close the top part of the brewer, select the cup size button to start. Voila! You get a cup of coffee using your own coffee powder :)

Final Thoughts: The coffee brewed is of acceptable quality but does not match the quality you will get if you use a french press or a slow drip coffee maker as the mechanism of the Keurig is to dispense the coffee quickly so there is not a lot of time for the water to absorb the quality of the powder. There are other mods available to use your own coffee. For example, K-CAPs which are plastic caps for use on recycled disposable K-cups. Other brands have also released their own versions of filters for use in Keurig machines. Any one have experience with these? Do share with me your experiences on what is the best method you have found to brew your own coffee powder in the Keurig machine. Thanks!

Restaurants: Bistro Amigo @ Funan Digitalife Mall

2011-06-22T10:00:00.001+08:00

I remember passing by this restaurant when I was shopping at John Little's in the Now defunct Specialist Centre in Somerset. The main thing that stuck in my memory was the large selection of wines that they had but I never did try their food. Fast forward to May 2011, My colleague and I are in Funan Mall when we notice a sign that showed a set lunch promo and a line that proclaims their famous apple pie. We located the restaurant on the 2nd level (I had not been back to Funan for a few months) and the layout is still pretty much the same with the numerous wine bottles and cosy atmosphere.
After seating us, the waiter strongly recommended us to try the Chicken Chop set lunch and we did but we just had to try the famous apple pie :))
Pumpkin Soup

You could taste that it was freshly prepared and the flavours did not overwhelm. Slightly sour and sweet and a very pleasant start to the meal.

Chicken Chop

Unlike the standard chicken chop you normally get in most western food hawker stalls or restaurants here, this was not drenched in brown sauce. The sauce instead was drizzled over certain areas of the plate. I must say that the meat was tender and tasty even without the sauce which means they have marinated the meat very well. Only gripe is I still prefer a larger portion!
Apple Pie

We had to wait a while for the apple pie as they bake it fresh too but it was definitely worth the wait. Light flaky crust supported a ring of apple slices and this was topped off with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream. A surprisingly light dessert that was voted the best part of the meal by my colleague and I. Luckily for us, it lived up to the hype.
Will definitely be back to explore more dishes soon and more apple pie! :D
Price: Set lunch we had was priced about S$13++ (soup, main course and coffee). Apple pie was S$9.90++
Where: Bistro Amigo
#02-15 Funan Digitalife Mall
109 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179097

Cafeteria: AH Garden Cafe @ Alexandra Hospital

2011-06-20T12:30:00.006+08:00

Contrary to popular belief, I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Rather I have been rather busy these few weeks rolling out a project in Alexandra Hospital. So what better way to marry work and food than to feature food from the Alexandra Hospital Cafeteria which is located in the bottom of the Administration block. If you are coming from the main lobby, you have to cross the carpark to get to the building.

Hospital Food courts and cafeterias have never been famous for their food so is the food as bad as they say? So here is my recommendation if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Chicken Cutlet Noodle

The Chicken Cutlet Noodle is available from the Noodle stall (see above) which also sells Siao Wan Mian (literally Small bowl noodles), Bak Chor Mee (Minced Pork noodles) etc. But my favourite is still this dish.

The noodles are blanched and mixed in well with the sauce and chilli. The noodles still exhibit a bit of springiness. This is then topped off with slices of deep fried chicken cutlet. Pieces of deep fried pork lard are also added for good measure. I like the fact that the sauce mix is not turned into gravy "soup" which a lot of stalls have the bad habit of doing lately. Once you mix in the sauces by adding excessive soup, it kind of defeats the purpose of ordering dry noodles. This is the best dish by far in the whole cafeteria. Highly Recommended!!

Price: S$3.50 per bowl

Other Recommendations & things to note:

One hot dessert that is worth trying is the Pulot Hitam (Black Rice Porridge mixed with Coconut Milk) . When I ordered this at the dessert stall, I was expecting the small bowl you normally see at most hawker centres and food courts. Imagine my surprise when I got a bowl of this size.

This is almost a meal by itself and is only priced at S$1.20. Definitely a steal.

Other things to try: I also patronise the Muslim stall often. 3 small "epok" curry puffs (choice of potato, sardine and both) for S$1 washed down with a Kopi Gao (Thick Coffee) from the drinks stall in the morning is a good start to the day. Also tried the Lontong (Rice cakes with vegetable curry) and Mee Rebus @ S$2.50 (Yellow Noodles in thick gravy) which are safe bets too. You even have a healthier brown rice option when you order rice with dishes.

Please note as this is a cafeteria, please do your part by clearing your trays, plates and bowls after eating and drinking.

Where: Alexandra Hospital, 378 Alexandra Road, 159964. Admin Block Level 1

Fowl on a Budget :A whole roast duck for 15 bucks? Believe it!

2011-06-18T19:34:00.001+08:00

Amidst the talk about the rising cost of living, there are still bargains out there if you look hard enough. The flatted factories in Ubi house wholesalers where you can get cheap food stuffs. One such wholesaler is Yan Chuan Roaster Centre where you can get a whole roast duck for only S$15. Compare this to prices outside where half a duck already costs S$17 and you know what a great bargain this is. But of course at this price, it's a no frills setup where you go to takeaway.

The duck is quite large and as you can see from the picture above, the skin is reddish.
Taste verdict: More importantly, how does it taste? The meat is quite tender (not tough) and evenly flavoured. The skin is not crispy and cannot be compared to those from famous stalls but is pleasant to eat. The sambal chilli that they give complements the meat well. No complaints here, considering what you get for the price, it is excellent value for money!
Where: Blk 3020 Ubi Ave 2, #01-111 Tel: +65 6747 2623 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +65 6747 2623 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Closed on Mon)

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2011-05-17T00:27:00.000+08:00

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Restaurants: Loui's NY Pizza Parlor @ Universal Studios Singapore (Sentosa)

2011-05-15T16:58:00.000+08:00

A month ago, my company held a family day event at Universal Studios Singapore (USS) which is located in Resorts World Sentosa. Never one for the being the early bird, I walked through the entrance turnstill at about 3pm with my wife, avoiding both the noon heat and (to my surprise) long waiting times for the theme rides. I'm not usually the sort to try rollercoasters, but I thought to myself "To hell with it, let's make this free ticket worth my while!!". So it is with great pride that I conquered the Battlestar Galactica Cylon and Human roller coasters. My strategy was to tackle the most difficult rides and then everything else would be a cinch and it was. But I digress...

After all the afternoon excitement, we were hungry by about 6:45pm and decided to locate the Pizza Parlour in the New York Section of the park. My eldest sis had told me that on her last visit to USS, she liked the pizza smell that was wafting out of the joint.

Loui's storefront

When we entered the restaurant, only 5 tables were occupied. It's styled like an american deli and cafeteria. Pick what you want at the counters and bring your tray to the cashier to pay.

We chose one set meal each: A slice of pizza, soft drink and a slice of cake for S$13.80 and added Calamari Rings and a Caesar Salad to round of the meal. Total bill came up to about S$43 if memory serves and this was offset by the S$25 voucher that came along with the ticket.
Pizza
A slice of Pizza as pictured below is priced at S$8.50 each.

Quite a sizeable slice done with a thin crust. It may be its NY sized but I can't confirm because I've not been to the Big Apple. There weren't many flavours on the menu, if I remember there were only about 4 varieties: Hawaiian, Pepperoni (pictured above), Marguerita (Vegetarian) and I can't remember the last flavour. The Pepperoni was quite good with enough cheese and a slightly crispy crust. For the price though, they probably should give you more pepperoni. Better than average theme park fare.
Calamari Rings

Well coated with bread crumbs, these managed to be crispy and the calamari itself was done right and wasn't overcooked but you still have to chew haha. Not bad and goes well with the sauce provided. I forgot the price though..DUH....
Dessert:

The dessert came as part of the set meal. Some sort of chocolate cake, the taste was alright as far as cakes go not bad but rather forgettable. That's 2 slices pictured above.

The whole shebang

The whole meal (as pictured above) was quite filling and was made all the more enjoyable due to the cost being nicely offset by the $25 voucher that came with our entrance tickets. In the end I paid about S$17 additional. Not cheap but since when are restaurants in theme parks ever cheap? Just to add on that the Caesar salad pictured above was well done and quite appetising.
Verdict: A good place to get a bite in USS. My Advice is (if you are thinking of having dinner there) to get a seat before the rest of the crowds come out after the last few attractions close at about 7pm. Case in point: about 15 minutes after we got to the place, the place was suddenly set upon by a large hungry hoard of people crouching over our seats like vultures waiting for us to finish.

Restaurants: Park Palace @ Grand Park City Hall Hotel (Cantonese cuisine)

2011-04-28T01:17:00.000+08:00

Park Palace is a Chinese Restaurant that specialises in Cantonese cuisine and is located on the mezzanine level of the Grand Park City Hall Hotel (former premises of the Grand Plaza ParkRoyal hotel on Coleman Street). This is the same kitchen that was responsible for my wedding lunch banquet that I held in Grand Park City Hall in January 2011 to which I had rave reviews from my family and friends about the quality of the food served.This time we visited the restaurant a month ago to have dinner with my in-laws. Without further ado let's go through what we ordered:

Crispy Silver Fish

Not to be confused with the pest that you may find munching away at old books, these are actually whitebait fish that resemble baby eels.

These are fried really crispy like Keropok (crispy deep fried crackers) and can be quite addictive. A favourite with the kids (i.e. my wife's nephew and niece) and adults alike. No wonder we ordered 2 portions. Pictured above is a single portion (priced at S$8). Nice!

Peking Duck

Next up on the menu is Peking Duck. The whole duck is pictured below:

Peking Duck is prized for its crispy skin. Our waitresses promptly de-skinned the duck and cut the skin into smaller pieces that can be rolled up with pieces of cucumber in a crepe lathed in a sweet saunce. (see below)

Don't think it was the best I've tasted but it was pretty good nonetheless. Each duck will set you back S$60.

In case you are wondering, the duck meat itself is not wasted. Most restaurants would ask you how you would like the duck meat prepared. Some options are to add it to Fried rice, to Eefu noodles etc. You have to pay a little extra whichever option you choose. We chose to fry it with Eefu noodles (for an additional S$10). See below:

The noodles were done just right: not too salty nor overly wet and soggy. The duck meat complemented it very well, adding an extra dimension of "bite".
Roasted Pork (Sio Bak) and Honey Pork (Char Siew)
My inner carnivore cajoled me to order the Roasted Pork (Sio Bak in Hokkien dialect) and Honey Pork. Pictured left and right respectively.

The Sio Bak was cut into 12 small pieces and each piece had wonderfully crispy, crackly skin that was lovely to bite into. The meat was tender and didn't exhibit any "porky" smell. My main complaint is that the portion was too small. The Honey Pork, Park Palace's take on Char Siew, is drenched in Honey so it is sweet and doesn't have the characteristic charcoal burnt edges normally associated with Char Siew. On the other hand, the meat was uniformly soft and tender unlike Char Siew, and is good but different from the norm.

The portion of Sio Bak is priced at S$12 and the Honey Pork costs S$16.

Scallops with Mushroom and Asparagus

Scallops were firm and sweet. I've begun to love asparagus more and more in recent times and this was no exception. The asparagus was crunchy and exhibited a natural sweetness. Mushrooms were few and far between though. The whole mix came on top of a crispy shell (Is it made of Fried Vermicelli?). The portion pictured above is priced at S$42. One lament I have is that I still prefer the Fried Scallops and Asparagus in Spicy XO Sauce which they served at my wedding lunch but is not listed in the menu. Now that was Heavenly! BTW, for those interested, the restaurant sells small glass jars of their self-made XO sauce at S$18 a jar.
Wasabi Mayo Prawns
Next up is a dish that is fast becoming a staple in any self respecting chinese restaurant. The prawns were deep fried in batter and drizzled with a light green wasabi mayo sauce and topped off with sesame seeds.

The prawns though lightly battered, were crunchy and the wasabi mayo sauce had a nice kick to it. Worth a try! Portion above priced at S$42 so it ain't that cheap.

Dessert: Mango Pomelo

Quite commonly available in most Chinese restaurants in Singapore, the version here was more liquid (not pulpy and sticky). The sweetness and slight tang of the Mango was well balanced by the bitter sweet pomelo flesh and wasn't overly sweet.

Each bowl is priced at S$5.

Dessert: Custard Yolk Buns (Liu Sha Bao)

I've saved the best for last. This was a fortunate, unplanned discovery as it was ordered as a substitute to another dessert item that wasn't available that day. Being fans of Liu Sha Bao, my wife and I ordered some in the hope that it would be of a certain standard. 4 buns in a basket made it to the table as shown below:

They looked like little white bulbs waiting to brighten up our meal further. Although each bun is small, encased in thin dumpling skin is a generous portion of custard and salted egg yolk filling. What can I say except that it's a sweet and salty sensation that is out of this world! As you can see from the closeup below, each bun oozed with lovely molten (it's pretty hot) yellow goodness....

I daresay this was the best discovery of the evening. It ranks among one of the best (if not the best) custard yolk buns I have tried in Singapore so far. Priced at S$4.80 for 3 buns (S$1.60 per bun).

Verdict: The Food is not cheap but the prices aren't super exhorbitant either. For the above meal, the cost per pax came up to about S$43. Overall the food is pretty good and a great place to be if you want some privacy (usually the restaurant isn't crowded).
Update: I did return to Park Palace around 6pm last Sunday 24 Apr 2011 to see if I could get a takeaway for those lovely Custard Yolk buns. The waitress checked with the kitchen and they were willing to accommodate my request even though opening time for dinner is usually 6:30pm. What's more, she advised me to sit and wait and even brought me a glass of cold water to drink. What wonderful service! For the Custard Yolk buns, you have a choice to takeaway the unsteamed buns to DIY at home or to ask them to steam them for you if you are eating them soon after. Just to attest that standard for the the buns is maintained. Excellent Stuff!

Great Meal Deals: Pizza Set Meal from Swissbake @ Anchorpoint

2011-04-21T13:30:00.001+08:00

My first memories of a swiss bakery are that of the Hiestand Swiss Gourmet Bakery that used to have outlets in Centrepoint and even a cafe at United Square before they upped and disappeared from the scene. From what I gather, the new entity called Swissbake took over Hiestand's operations and distribution in Singapore and look to be doing well so far with quite a few outlets opening around the Island. Well known for selling wonderful pastries and savouries, you would probably not associate them with hot meals but this is the value proposition I will highlight to you.

At the Anchorpoint outlet, they are offering a real value for money deal for a pizza set at only S$9.90.

Pizza: Choice of 5 flavours: BBQ Chicken, Salmon (Pictured above), Marguerita (Vegetarian), Tuna and Hawaiian (Ham & Pineapples). The thin crust pizza is of a substantial size and definitely puts Pizza Hut's personal pan pizza to shame with its size and generous toppings. The Salmon Pizza had pieces of Smoked Salmon on each pizza slice.

Salad: No Choice here, it comprises mainly of rocket lettuce, tomatoes, drenched in a vinaigrette. (not a big fan of salads, felt like I was eating grass here, *LOL*)

Gourmet Coffee: I chose Swiss Coffee this time (aka Black coffee with 2 small cups of Swiss Creamer and a small biscuit) You can select an option from the hot coffee selection which includes Cappuchino, Expresso etc. Most of the coffees start from above S$3 so that makes the pizza costs less than S$6.

And as if these were not enough, they even gave us a complimentary slice of cake (sponge cake with a berry filling at the centre) during this visit.

Verdict: Excellent value for money even without the cake. Do check it out if you're in the area! You could also take the opportunity to stock up on their lovely pastries and pies. Yum!

Price: S$9.90 for a personal pizza, a salad and a gourmet coffee

Where: 370 Alexandra Road #01-05/06, Anchorpoint

Operating Hours: Daily, 9.30am - 9.30pm

I had meant to post this offer earlier in the year, but for whatever reason Swissbake decided to remove this offer soon after but have lately restored it. However I did notice that there are fewer Gourmet Coffee options now (i.e. they removed the Affogato and Irish Coffee options). Still Good value though.

Fast Food Escapades : Texas Fried Chicken (@ Nex Mall)

2011-04-19T00:38:00.001+08:00

Hey pardners, Texas Fried Chicken (can I call it TFC?) has returned to Singapore, Yee Haw! Back in the 80s, it used to be known as Church's Texas Fried Chicken and I distinctly remember the brown logo with what I believed was a picture of a cowboy. Do correct me if I'm wrong, it has been quite some time. Currently they have opened 5 outlets in Singapore and I dropped in on a Sunday afternoon for lunch at the outlet in Nex Mall. Here's what I ordered:

A 3 piece meal as shown above. S$9.60 gets you 3 pieces of chicken,one biscuit, a side (I chose Fries) and a drink. The chicken is available in original and spicy and being the asian that I am, went for the spicy. Warning: If you can't take chilli, please avoid the spicy else you may be in for an butt burning aftermath.

A closer look at the 3 pieces of chicken:

Taste Verdict: The chicken is quite juicy and that includes the breast meat which is no mean feat. The spicy flavour (I think it is some sort of chilli oil) gives a nice kick to it and when added to fresher chicken is a treat. The bones are clean and whitish, unlike the dark stained bones of a certain competitor. My only complaints are that I felt the batter could be more crispy (compared to what I've tried at the Expo outlet, the batter is a tad soft) and the pieces are smaller (again when compared to those I tried at the Expo outlet). I only ordered 3 pieces so they shouldn't be so eager to give out wings (which I find really too small). The biscuit was quite crumbly and salty, very forgettable.

Price: At S$9.60 for a 3 piece meal with a biscuit, one side and a drink, it is a sure sign that Fried Chicken in Singapore is getting less and less affordable.

Compared with Competitors: Definitely a cut above Broaster chicken (also in Nex Mall) and Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits. For me, Texas is on par with Arnold's Fried Chicken for freshness and taste but depends on the outlet you are comparing against (For Texas, Expo is the best for me and for Arnold's, the City Plaza outlet is the best) .

Where: 23 Serangoon Central, #04-18/19/20, Nex Mall , Singapore 556083.

Business hours:

10.30 am to 10.30 pm (Sun to Thur)
10.30 am to 11.30 pm (Fri & Sat)

Bonus Tip: Don't throw away the receipt so quickly.

If you notice the bottom of the receipt (see above), they ask you to complete an easy survey at http://www.texaschickensurvey.com within 3 days of your visit. Upon completion, you will get a 5 digit validation code which you can write on the receipt and use to redeem 2 pieces of chicken free with any of purchase of a combo meal.I applaud them for being sincere in getting feedback from the public and rewarding those who do so. Cheers!

Groceries: Bargain Spotting @ Valu$ Bargain - April 2011 update

2011-04-10T22:42:00.002+08:00

More value to be found at Valu$, this time I visited the branch at Nex Mall (above Serangoon MRT), Level 4. As always, there's more great stuff to be had.
Cadbury Chocolate Biscuits (Made in the UK)
Similar to their Mcvities and Marks and Spencer counterparts, these biscuits have one side coated in Milk chocolate; in this case, Cadbury Milk Chocolate. 3 flavours available are Oat and Chocolate Chip, Digestive and Shortcake.

Price: S$2.50 per pack or S$4.50 for 2 packs
Post Cereals - Trail Mix Crunch - Cranberry Vanilla (Made in USA)
Cranberry Vanilla Trail Mix Crunch is a flavour I haven't seen at the other branches of Valu$ I've been to. You can feel the package is quite densely packed with 481 grams of goodness.

Price: S$4.50 per pack
After Eight - Chocolate Mints (Made in Germany)
This is one chocolate that brings back memories for me. My dad used to buy this when I was young. I've always like Mint flavoured stuff (Aero Mint Chocolate,Chocolate Mint Ice Cream etc) and this is no exception.

Price: S$3.95 per pack or $10 for 3 packs
Lays Potato Chips (Made in USA)
These need no introduction as they're widely sold in most supermarkets here. The difference is most places sell them close to S$4. NTUC fairprice prices them at S$3.60 on offer. Flavours seen: Original, BBQ and Sour Cream & Onion
Here it is still cheaper by 65 cents

Price: S$2.95 per pack
Walkers Chocolate Truffle Liquers (Made in the UK)
Now these are new to me. Chocolates with Liquer truffle centres are always welcome though. Available in Irish Cream, Brandy and Whisky flavours. I'll try it out and let you know the verdict.

Price: S$2.90 per pack
Ritter Sport - Chocolate (Made in Germany)
These are quite popular over here and usually go for S$3.30 per pack. The selection here is limited to a few flavours such as Dark Chocolate Whole Hazelnuts, Raisin & Nuts and Caramel Nuts. Still a steal at S$2.50.

Price: S$2.50 per pack
That concludes another Valu$ post, hope you like what you see.
Bonus offer seen today (at NTUC Fairprice Nex Mall)
Yeah, I know that this post is about Valu$ offers but I wanted to share one more offer I saw today at NTUC Fairprice Nex Mall. If you have not tried Barilla Pasta, you don't know what you've been missing.If you're likely to whip up some spaghetti, why not give it a try? Especially when it's on offer. Usual price is S$3.50 i think.

Price: S$2.95 per pack

Singapore Hawkers: Discovered: Kok Kee Wanton Noodle

2011-03-29T17:00:00.000+08:00

Backtracking to a few months ago, my colleague and I were on our way to Mustafa Shopping Centre after work when we decided to head to Lavender Food Square to eat the famous Wanton Mee (Dumpling Noodles). Wanton Mee is basically noodles with Char Siew (Sweetened Roast Pork) and pork dumplings (wanton). Usually done dry either with dark sauce only or with sauce and Ketchup. I had heard so much about this stall from my uncle and I passed by the place many times but I never ever stepped in to try until that night. You can easily find this stall by the long queue of people waiting for Aunty and Uncle to serve them.

My colleague waited in line while I moved around the food court to find an empty table. Having found seats, I decided to order a plate of fried carrot cake to supplement our dinner and even after the fried carrot cake arrived, I waited quite a while more before my friend made it back to the table with the plates of wan ton mee in tow. Fast food this is NOT! Here's what I got:

The noodles were covered in an unusually orange-reddish sauce and were complemented by few slices of char siew and a few wantons.

Taste Verdict: Noodles were nice and springy, Char Siew was mediocre, Chilli was nice and the sweetish-sour gravy surprisingly goes very well with the whole package. Unfortunately, you can't eat this and expect to be full. I've categorised this as Jia Song (Hokkien/Teochew for eat to savour the taste) definitely not Jia Ba (Hokkien/Teochew for eat to be full)

Price: ~~S$3.50~~ (Just found out they raised it to S$4!! Now it's definitely daylight robbery)

Where: 380 Jalan Besar, #01-06 Lavender Food Square

Operating Hours: 12noon – 2.00am (Closed every 3 weeks on Weds & Thu)

Over 660 views thus far plus my Keurig B40 coffee maker article is now published on oncoffeemakers.com!

2011-03-28T23:15:00.000+08:00

A big thank you to my readers who find the time to read the posts on this site. I really hope you enjoyed what you have read so far and I promise to share more and more experiences with you :)
If you like what you see, please click occasionally on the Ads on this site to support me. Thanks!!

On another plus note, I received notification that a summarized article on my experience on Keurig B40 coffee maker that I submitted to oncoffeemakers.com was accepted and added to the site a few days ago. Thanks Ebenezer!
You can check it out below:

http://www.oncoffeemakers.com/keurig-b40-kcup-single-serve-coffee-maker-the-singapore-experience.html

If you have not visited oncoffeemakers.com before, it is a comprehensive website that discusses everything you would like to know about coffee and coffeemakers. Do check it out if you are a coffee aficionado!

Snack Scoop #2: Dirty Potato Chips

2011-03-28T15:45:00.001+08:00

After the last discoveries on the snack shelves of NTUC fairprice, I have been circling them repeatedly to find more offers that you can take a bite out of. The latest discovery is a true revelation:

The name may put you off a little but there is nothing off about the taste.
Inside this 150g packet, you'll find thick chunks of kettle cooked potato chips like so

It says it's cooked in a peanut oil on the front of the packet. The result is a chunkier, crispier, tastier potato chip that makes you want to eat more and more.
I've already tried Cracked Pepper and Sea-Salt, Sea Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Onion and like them all and so do my colleagues.

Taste Verdict: I give this my whole hearted recommendation. Forget Lays, Pringles et al. This brand is one of the best (if not the best) American potato chips I have ever tasted in quite a while. The chip is crunchy (some may feel it's hard but I like this and my teeth are fine) and the seasoning is quite uniformly distributed throughout the whole pack so it isn't so salty that you wonder if the salt is free where they come from.

Where to get it: NTUC Fairprice snack shelves (if it's not already gone) So, what are you waiting for? Fly to NTUC fairprice now!

Price: S$2.50 per packet (usual price is S$4.25) for a short period because expiry date is in early Jun 2011. That doesn't bother me, it wouldn't last till then anyway.

Flavours: Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt, Sea Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Onion