Live to Eat, Eat to Live

Play McDonald’s Monopoly now! If you get a Chance card, you’ll win $100 & a chance to win all unclaimed prizes. More info here

2011-10-08T15:34:00.000+08:00

Play McDonald’s Monopoly now! If you get a Chance card, you’ll win $100 & a chance to win all unclaimed prizes. More info here

There can only be ONE! vote now

2011-06-15T15:37:00.002+08:00

There can only be ONE! Vote 4 yr fave M&Ms character to win $1000 in e-shopping vouchers at M&M's World #voteNwin http://bit.ly/lLUQOC

I need another 30 days this December!!!

2010-12-20T22:40:00.002+08:00

This is the craziest December in my entire working life. I have never been this busy and stressed in December ever before.

Everyone is taking leave except me :(

I need to clear 10 days of Annual Leave, I think 5 days of Childcare leave and 2-3 days of off-in-lieu.... before the year ends. And how many working days left? 7! SEVEN!

I need another 30 days this December!!!

Popeyes

2010-10-27T00:55:00.000+08:00

Just found out that Popeyes now has an outlet at Square 2. Great news for me as I no longer have to take a taxi to Singapore Flyer just to satisfy my craving during lunch.

Ordered the 2 piece meal. Can choose between New Orleans Spicy and Louisiana Mild. Tried the spicy one. There is also a choice of side dish: corn, mashed potato, coleslaw and french fries. Of course, the set is not complete without the buttermilk biscuit.

Chicken is nicely fried, not too oily, very crispy and yet juicy. Even the breast meat was not tough.
The fries are crispy and they stay crispy throughout the meal.
The biscuits are warm, buttery, flaky and melts in your mouth.

While you are not supposed to compare Southern Fried Chicken with KFC, one just can't not compare. LOL. Price-wise, for a 2 piece meal, I think Popeyes is a tad more expensive than KFC, but I can assure you that in terms of quality and satisfaction, Popeyes is miles ahead.

The Handburger at Raffles City

2010-10-25T23:49:00.000+08:00

Tried The Hand Burger at Raffles City last Sunday.

According to them, everything at The Handburger is made with hands, thus the name.

Creamy Mushrooms

Kids Meal - Fish Burger with fries, Buffalo wings with cupcake

Original Hand Burger with Bacon

Ryan ordered the kids meal. It comes with a choice of cheeseburger or fish burger, with chunky fries, buffalo winglets, a cup of freshly squeezed apple juice and a cup cake. Not cheap at $9.50 but I guess it was pretty good value for money.

The mushroom soup was thick with chunky pieces of mushrooms.

I ordered the Original Hand Burger, which was made up of 150g of grilled NZ ribeye beef patty, sweet onion jam, cheddar cheese, homemade bbq sauce, lettuce, tomato on a toasted caramelised onion bun. Of course, I could not resist adding bacon to my order!

It was a delightful meal. The bun was tasty, the beef patty was juciy and not dry, just nice serving of veggie.

Next time got to try their The Works Burger and some of the interesting looking drinks on the menu.

Wife Biscuit (老婆饼 ) from Wing Wah (荣华）

2010-10-25T08:23:00.000+08:00

Legend has it that back in feudal China, a daugther-in-law offered herself for sale in return for money to cure her ill-health father-in-law. IN a desperate attempt to redeem his wife, the husband created a gourmet cake for sale in the bazaar. His product did pay off with the proceeds saved. The couple was able to get together again and lived happily ever after. His recipe later spread from place to place, winning the name "wife cake".

Got this sweet flaky pastry from HK airport. I bought the traditional version, there are so many varieties and flavours to choose from : sesame, white lotus, red bean..... etc Went with the original flavour which is winter melon paste. Found it a little dry, probably due to use of less oil. Sweetness was just about right for my liking.

Maybe will try the other flavours when I return to Hong Kong in December.

Afternoon snack at home

2010-10-25T00:21:00.001+08:00

Belgian chocolate chip cookies bought from NTUC. Cheap and good, taste better than Chipsmore.

Added 20 Dec 2010
Brand is 365

Starbucks II

2010-10-18T02:52:00.000+08:00

Belgian Waffles with Latte

Creme Brulee Machiatto

Dinner 13 October 2010

2010-10-13T21:19:00.001+08:00

Home cooked fried bee hoon with Otah

Pizza Capers Gourmet Kitchen

2010-10-12T01:13:00.001+08:00

This Australian gourmet pizza franchise has 100 outlets down under and have huge expansion plans to bring their pizzas to Southeast Asia. Looks like they chose to kick off in Singapore. I pass by their outlet along East Coast Road, everyday on the way to work. Decided to give it a try one after receiving their delivery menu in the mailbox.

Prices looked reasonable and the menu and variety did look interesting. They even have a Singapore section: Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Beef and Chicken Satay! Didn't try those yet as I was sharing the pizza with wife and Ryan.... duh.

Settled for Tropo (aka Hawaiian - Ham, golden pineapple, mozzarella and bacon) and Capers Superemo (Ham, roasted capsicum, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, Kalamata olives and mozzarella. Garnished with fresh garlic, herbs and parmesan). Oh, you have do half and half for the pizza for an additional of only $1.

Definitely worth a revisit.
http://www.pizzacapers.com.sg/

Dunkin Donuts

2010-10-04T23:35:00.000+08:00

1-Altitude

2010-10-03T00:49:00.000+08:00

Located at the Level 61-63 levels of 1 Raffles Place, 1-Altitude is the world's tallest al fresco bar. Consist of 3 concept bars and restaurant, this venue offers unblocked and unrivalled view of the CBD and the harbour.

Currently planning a client event so been going there for meetings. Had lunch at Stellar on 62 level.

Ocean Trout Gravadiax with baby potatoes and spring onion salad

Pan Fried foie gras with pear capaccio and jamon infusion

Wood-fried Kurobuta pork belly with roasted garlic mash, apple and pear jelly

4 hour rib of beef with a grain of mustard and horseradish crust with porcini risotto

Chocolate amere with raspberrywith summer berries compote and dark chocolate sauce

Considering the view, ambience and food quality, the set lunch price is actually quite good. $32 for a 2 course, $38 for a 3 course, complete with coffee or tea. Though you need to pay a supplement for certain items like the foie gras, beef ribs etc.

I had the foie gras, pork belly and the chocolate amere. Serving of the foie gras was very generous, absolutely satisfying. Didn't have to think twice when I saw Kurobuta pork belly on the menu. Didn't taste oily or fatty at all, and it combined very well with the very smooth and tasty garlic mash. If you are a chocolate lover, then you have to try the chocolate amere. 2 layers of thick/dense chocolate mousse and 2 layers of rich chocolate cake.... oooo, yummy.

Gotta go back another time to try the other items on the menu and sip cocktails at the Gallery after dark.

View from Stellar

View from Gallery

Brunch 2 Oct

2010-10-03T00:11:00.001+08:00

Bakerzin - United Square

2010-09-30T22:08:00.001+08:00

Have not ate at Bakerzin for a while, was happy that the vendor suggested we meet there for lunch. Food is still good. Menu pricing especially their set lunches are quite attractive. Service was a little .... hmmm... ok, they are nice, but quite a number of new and not too experienced staff.

Cream of Asparagus

The soup came with the set lunch, very creamy and little chunks of asparagus.

I cannot remember the exact name of the pizza. I choose it because it was ham and bacon. It is different from other pizzas as it is a flaky pastry base instead of your regular dough or crispy crusts. It was very tasty and did not taste oily. Really good for a light lunch as the portion is not too huge.

The next time I want to try Braised Pork Belly rice, which I see seem to be a popular dish.

Big O Cafe

2010-09-21T07:35:00.000+08:00

Mushroom Soup

Chicken Fillet wrapped in Bacon

Relaxed atmosphere, good food and good desserts. Seems like they often have promotions with credit cards. I know DBS used to have a 1 for 1 offer there. Currently, both Citibank and UOB has a voucher for return visit.

Mushroom soup was a generous serving that came in a large bowl. Despite being the soup of the day, this is not those diluted watery soup. It was thick, creamy with lots of chopped mushroom.

I am a sucker for bacon, so the chicken fillet wrapped in bacon was absolutely delightful for me. The chicken pieces were lightly panfried and then wrapped with bacon so it retained all the freshness and was not too dry. The sauce was citrusy and was very appetitising. The black pepper sauce was served at the side so you determine how much you want to add. Topped by a side serving of mashed potato.

Mooncakes from Peach Garden

2010-09-21T00:24:00.000+08:00

Assorted mini snowskin mooncakes - champagne truffle (yellow), chocolate (brown), black sesame (pink) and regular (white lotus)

Assorted

Golden Lotus Paste with One Yolk

Premium (White) Lotus Paste with 2 Yolks

Premium Lotus Paste with Black & White Sesame plus Premium Lotus Paste with Ginseng, completes the assortment in a box.

Slightly oily and a little on the sweet side.

Mango Cheesecake from da paolo Gastronomia

2010-09-07T22:10:00.000+08:00

Quick post.

Was at Great World City saw they were selling cakes at da paolo Gastronomia. All looked tempting and interesting.

Bought a slice of mango cheesecake. Quick snapshot before I attacked it.

I think it is value for money. Not too sweet, firm enough and the base it not too wet or loose.

Pu Tien Restaurant 莆田菜馆 (Marina Square)

2010-09-06T00:54:00.002+08:00

Pu Tien has always been known for quite quality food. I tried the one at Tampines Mall which was extremely crowded and did not really enjoy my meal then.

Quite a large bunch of us descended upon the Marina Square outlet for dinner one night and we were pretty lucky they had a table that could accommodate all 12 of us.

Food was quite good. The garlic prawns and drunken cockles were amongst the best dishes. I am not a cockles person, but the way the cockles were prepared with the garlic masking all odour, it was simply fabulous. The deep fried duck with yam is another must try.

Steam cold pork belly with garlic - 蒜泥白肉

Mixed cold pork intestine - 八宝罗汉肚

Braised pork intestine 九转小肠

Drunken cockles -

Steamed prawns with minced garlic - 蒜茸蒸虾

Deep fried duck with yam - 芋香鸭

Fried "Hing Wa" bee hoon - 兴化米粉

Golden Peony at Conrad Centennial Singapore

2010-09-05T12:19:00.000+08:00

"Golden Peony is an award-winning Cantonese restaurant that exudes a sophisticated charm through the use of teak screens and a porcelain display of Chinese mythology. Located on level 3 of the hotel, Golden Peony is a picture of charming elegance and serenity.

Offering a unique Cantonese cuisine, Golden Peony is famous for its extensive East-meets-West menus, delicately prepared by top Hong Kong chefs. Providing a dining experience like no other, the restaurant offers superbly crafted Cantonese dishes prepared from only the choicest ingredients, some of which are specially imported from diverse regions in China. Significantly, the Hong Kong dim sum specialities served at the restaurant are unusual and not commonly available in Singapore."

Think we went there for lunch in May this year. Service level and pricing is what you expect from a restaurant in a 5 star deluxe hotel - high. Food quality, taste and presentation definitely lived up to expectations. Dim sum preparation is definitely authentic Cantonese way and the ingredients were very fresh.

Ichiban Boshi

2010-09-05T00:02:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite Japanese chain restaurant. Good food and reasonable pricing.

These were taken quite some time back when I just got my LX3.

California Maki

Tuna and Bacon salad

Amaebi sushi

Spicy tuna sushi

Add caption

Marutama Ramen

2010-08-17T12:16:00.003+08:00

Passed by Marutama Ramen at United Square, decided to pop in for a try. Was surprised by the menu, it is Ramen and nothing else. Ok, there was a special curry rice and a steamboat which is served only in the evening. But otherwise, it is just Ramen and side dishes. Even Ramen has basically 2 choices of soup base - chicken or chicken with 7 kinds of ground nuts mixture. Or, you can have a choice of spicy or non-spicy. That's about all the possible combination.

Ordered a Marutama Ramen (non-spicy) and a Nama Karashi Ramen (spicy) - one is spicy, one is not, other than that, both are exactly the same. A generous serving serving of noodles in a large bowl. Noodles are pretty springy but looks like instant noodles! haha. Served with vegetables and seaweed toppings plus a slice of char siew. The soup was quite tasty but the char siew was a little too salty for me.

Nama Karashi Ramen

The wait staff also recommended the Yaki Char Siew. OMG, it is a must-try. Nicely grilled roast pork, thinnly sliced, succulent and melts in the mouth.

Yaki Char Siu

The Dashimaki which is an omelette was also nicely done.

Dashimaki

Karaage

Overall food is good but a little pricey considering you pay $12 for a bowl of no-frill ramen.

Peranakan Fusion at InterContinental Singapore

2010-08-17T01:21:00.000+08:00

from the hotel's website "A PERANAKAN-STYLE LANDMARK IN SINGAPORE’S BUGIS PRECINCT InterContinental Singapore, the only world class hotel in Singapore to preserve Peranakan artistry in a shophouse-style setting, is located next to Bugis Junction shopping complex, Singapore's first glass-covered, air-conditioned shopping street. Descendants of the Chinese traders and local Malay women from as early as the 17th century, the Peranakans blend Chinese art and Malay style harmoniously to create a unique architectural look."

So it is only natural that they serve Peranakan during their InterContinental Meeting Launch.

Capaccio of tuna and scallop with brown butter and soja dressing Herb lettuce, Sevruga Cavier

Pandan infused poached Halibut with Israelis Cous Cous with pickled Cucumber, Mint and Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Braised Wuxi Bangalow Pork Belly with Clams and Celeriac puree

Bubur Cha Cha

Starbucks

2010-08-17T00:01:00.001+08:00

Some shots from my various visits to Starbucks.

Oozie-licious Lava Cake

Oreo Cheesecake

Molten Chocolate Cake

Potato Curry Puff

KL Aug 2010 - U-Village Restaurant 又一村

2010-08-12T01:18:00.001+08:00

After our event and all official commitment, we have half a day of free time to roam around a little. Andrew brought us to this little Hong Kong Cafe at Sungai Wang Plaza. He highly recommended this place . On arrival, realised I have been here with him before.

A typical Hong Kong cafe with almost all the regular noodles, dim sum, buns, toast and drinks. Price was reasonable. Was surprised we didn't have to wait for a table at around 12.30pm. But within 3 minutes of sitting at our table, there was a queue of almost 15-20 people waiting for tables.

Island Coffee

Char Siew and Roast Pork

We ordered a 双拼(double combination roasted item). The char siew was sweet, nicely roasted . Similar for the Roast pork, it was tender, soft to bite. My only gripe was the skin was not crispy enough. Probably the way they store/hang the roasted items, or not enough heating in their display area.

The fried chicken wings were a little on the salty side. Tasted more like 虾酱鸡。

Shrimp Dumpling Noodles

The shrimp dumpling noodle 水饺面 was the main delight for me. The size of the 3 huge dumplings put a smile on my face and they were really succulent and tasty. The dried noodles were prepared the correct Cantonese/Hong Kong way with black sauce. Instead of char siew, there was a topping of minced meat. So it also felt like eating bak chor noodles with dumplings. ha

The rest of the guys ordered baked rice, pork ribs rice and peanut butter toast.

Great variety, tasty food and reasonable pricing. Definitely worth a return visit the next time I am back in KL.

U-Village Restaurant

LB, Sungai Wang Plaza,
Jln Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2148 9686

KL Aug 2010 - Hakka Restaurant

2010-08-11T08:02:00.001+08:00

Hakka Restaurant (yes, simply known as this) is near to KL Convention Centre, just behind the Pavilion shopping mall.

Looks like a large beer garden, with a small air conditioned section inside. This place serves traditional Hakka cuisine with a pretty large selection of seafood. There were so many items on the menu and so many dishes that the servers were rattling off the many recommended dishes. Took us a while to decide what to order.

sharksfin omelette

Deep fried minced pork with salted egg

Sambal Prawns

Homemade tofu

Food was tasty and the ingredients were fresh, though it was a little on the salty side.

Address: 6 Jalan Kia Peng