CAMEMBERU

Fun Pancake Art for Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T10:13:00.001+08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Having said that, I don't believe in celebrating love only one day in a year. It should happen spontaneously as often as you like.

I contributed this pancake recipe to Breathe.sg (the Health Promotion Board's website for the young on healthy living and loving). Go there and see how it's done.

These pancakes are inspired by Jim's pancakes. Check out his site for even more ideas (including a 3D Millennium Falcon!). They're just too fun not to try.

Winter Robata at Mikuni Japanese Restaurant (Fairmont Singapore)

2012-02-12T23:45:00.001+08:00

This place is so good, I must tell you about it now. Mikuni replaces Inagiku at the Fairmont Singapore and is seriously one of the best Japanese restaurants in Singapore, for me. This is their robatayaki room, and it is splendidly breathtaking. I took out my camera immediately.

The name Mikuni (みくに) is a reference to Mi (三) Kuni (国), meaning Three Kingdoms. Not so the Chinese version, but a legend from the oldest book in Japan, about a place of wondrous produce from the all three realms of earth, sky and sea. The key focus at Mikuni is indeed the produce - the freshest and best will speak for itself.

Right now, they are bringing in Hokkaido's best winter produce, and have pulled together a selection of wonderful grill delicacies for a "Winter Robata" promotion. You'll get to enjoy ingredients from Sapporo, Tokachi, Rishiri and Hakodate without having to endure the freezing temperature (although I'd love some of that now in our scorching weather).

Here's Chef Yamamoto who is from Osaka. He heads the robata grill operations, and will serve you your food on a paddle and hearty cheer, as per tradition.

But before I go into our 11-course kaiseki-like meal, let me show you how gorgeous the restaurant is. Yeah, I really couldn't help but take loads of photos.

There are several dining areas carved out of the entire place. Very classy and elegant decor in bold contrasting hues of dark and light, punctuated by spots of bright turquoise blue.

This is near the entrance. A simple small table near the sake bar for pre-dinner drinks. Love the painting.

The sushi counter is also near the entrance, to the right.

Further in, you will find the teppanyaki counter, where the chef will perform with outstanding flair and precision.

There are just so many beautiful details. Even the little details, like the flower arrangements above you near the lights.

Does Winter Robata make you think of Winter Sonata? Maybe the Executive Chef will. Fresh-faced Korea-born Chef Moon Kyung Soo looks like he just stepped off a K-drama. But he brings over 16 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, and was most recently Head Chef of "Hashi" Japanese Restaurant at the Armani Hotel Dubai.

Chef Moon relies heavily on century-old culinary techniques but also ardently follows modern movements in gastronomy. So you'll find a combination of both in the food.

Back to the food! With such wonderful produce laid before your eyes, you are already enjoying a visual feast before the dishes arrive.

Spotlight on 和牛 wagyu!!! My kind of "lollies", oh yes.

There are various kinds of sauces to go with the robata grills - Aji-panca (a spicy Brazilian style dip), Aji Amarillo (a spicy lemony sauce), aka-miso (red miso), and ponzu. Also, three kinds of flavoured salts (garlic, seaweed and pepper). But honestly, the grilled items were so good on their own, I forgot to use these!

OK, on with the first course!

Apéritif: Sapporo Classic Beer with Dry Scallop. What an umami mouthful. The dry scallop is nicely tender with just enough chewy interest.

Starter: Salmon Roe with Hokkaido Smoked Camembert Cheese.

They've managed to seal this mini-jar with smoke inside! Firstly, the whiff of aromatic charcoal smoke greets your nose, and then you taste the delightful smoky hint in the roe and cheese.

What a beautiful pairing.

Yes, it's some real "Camemberu" in there - Camembert cheese from Hokkaido! Very few people catch the meaning of my blog name. They either don't know Camembert cheese, or don't know it's a Japanese word. But that's ok. I quite like it being mysterious and unpronounceable. I do have to say Japanese dairy products are just amazing, as are many things the Japanese adapt and make their own. I like. Very much.

Soup: Potato Pork Gyoza with Mushroom Broth

A very "cheng" or clear-tasting broth with a lovely dumpling. Warms you up nicely.

Sashimi: Giant Scallop and Sea Urchin

How do you describe freshness? The scallop is that lovely balance of tender and firm, so refreshing and sweet. And the uni is the absolute best I have ever had. I don't even like uni at most places, but this is superb stuff.

Sapporo dish: Salmon Chan Chan Yaki

This Sapporo classic is normally a hotpot dish, but Chef Moon has given it a Robata twist by soaking the salmon with various Japanese vegetables and mushrooms. He wraps them in cooking leaves and grills them ever so lightly.

The salmon is incredible - the surface is elegantly and delicately crisp, giving way to tender flesh. The minute you eat it, you wonder why you can never get this kind of perfection at home. And the miso ensemble is an intense burst of flavour.

Mr Nobuhiko Sano, Mikuni's General Manager is their resident Kiki-sakeshi (certified sake sommelier). He can help recommend sake to be paired with your dishes.

This one is really great with the salmon - it's almost like white wine, with a sweetish tinge.

From Hakodate: Hoki Shell Soy Yaki

This succulent large clam is grilled in a sublime butter onion sauce. It's been conveniently cut into bitesize chunks, so just tuck in and enjoy.

Tempura: Potato and Crab Cream Kromeski

Pomme noisettes with a creamy crab centre? Yum. You know that three is just not enough! The exterior is very crunchy, and the insides practically molten. Be careful though, they are served piping hot!

And now from Tokachi: a lovely package...calls to mind images of samurai carrying lunches of onigiri or tonjiki wrapped in bamboo leaf, but this is certainly far more elegant.

And what a sight as you unfold the leaf...

Wagyu Beef with Hokkaido Wine Sauce!

Squeeze some of the sauce in the dropper onto the meat, and enjoy it with a bite of the young ginger root provided. The robata grill crisps the surface of the beef, but the inside is so full of juices.

Well, the samurai never got to eat this for sure!

From Rishiri: Abalone and Uni, Seaweed and Shio Gama Yaki

Chef Moon really knows how to extract the maximum from every ingredient. He steams the prized abalone in sake for five hours to achieve a tender and creamy texture. The shiogama is a traditional Japanese salt cauldron that keeps both abalone and uni moist while being grilled. Imparting flavour to the seafood is a shiso leaf and bed of seaweed underneath.

The result? Great taste and texture for the abalone - more like mushroom, less like rubber (as often happens in many places). The uni is nice for a touch of flavour, but I think it's still better eaten raw, like in the sashimi earlier.

Noodles: Taraba Kani wtih Uchiko Egg and Sapporo Miso Seafood Ramen

The broth has undergone 16 hours of preparation, but feels surprisingly light. The highlight of this dish is actually the egg - so silken and flavourful. It is melt-in-your-mouth. Even people who hate runny eggs will fall in love with this.

Hokkaido has three main kinds of ramen flavours according to region - Sapporo (miso), Hakodate (shio or salt), and Asahikawa (shoyu or soy sauce). Their noodles are also thicker and curlier. This dish uses ramen imported from Hokkaido, and is cooked a little on the soft side. Do let them know if you prefer firmer noodles. バリ方おねがいします！

Dessert: Milk Pudding and Apple Cake

You know they used Hokkaido milk for this. It just tastes different. The milk pudding is so fragrant and sweet, you'll be scooping every last bit. The apple cake is just so-so, after all the spectacular dishes that came before it.

Final palate cleanser of matcha.

Mikuni's Winter Robata promotion runs from 1 to 29 February 2012 with set menus

priced at $280+++ per person and $350++ per person with sake pairing. It's a short promotion, as this is the time period the Hokkaido winter produce is at its optimum.

Ah Mikuni, I so want to come back.

MIKUNI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
Level 3, Fairmont Singapore
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189650
Tel: +65 6431-6156
Open daily
Lunch: 12:00pm to 2:30pm (Last Order 2.15pm)
Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm (Last Order 10.15pm)
Dress Code: Smart Casual

Many thanks to Kit Lei and the team at Fairmont for hosting the media tasting. Chef Moon's photo courtesy of Fairmont Singapore.

My Suite at the Maxims Tower, Resorts World Manila

2012-02-08T12:05:00.000+08:00

This was the most wonderful part of the familiarisation trip to Resorts World Manila. Getting to stay at the luxurious all-suite Maxims Hotel. We stayed on the Tower side, facing the villas across the pool.

I love the bright red hues that greet you in the wide hallway.

It's reds and golds, actually. Colours of opulence. The beds and pillows are so nice to sink into, and the linens feel wonderful.

The suite comes with an iPhone/iPod charging dock/music player, and a wireless keyboard for surfing on the 42-inch HD LCD TV. You even get free on-demand movies, in addition to the usual cable channels!

Of course, here you get your 24/7 butler service too, summonable via an electronic touchpad (not shown here) that we saw in the earlier post.

Mini-bar area with fridge, stemware, cutlery, safe and DVD player all hidden neatly inside the sideboard counter.

I like the sleek black and metal tea and coffee making ensemble. The water boiling pot has its electric base built right in, so it's really neat.

Welcome fruit platter with tropical vibe! An entire half pineapple (pre-sliced and wrapped), a whole mango that's so fragrant and various mandarin oranges and longans.

Oh, and over at the Remington Hotel, the electrical sockets are the American type two narrow pin type. So you'll need a travel adaptor, like this one, which I borrowed from Alvin (thank goodness he is kiasu and brought two!).

But over here at the Maxims....

Voila! Multi-socket adaptors built right into the wall! No worries if you didn't bring any. This is something every hotel should have!

The bathroom is super spacious, with his and her washbasins and a centre vanity area.

BATH SALTS!!! You can bet all of us indulged in this that evening!

All your toiletry supplies and more. Even loofas!

There is even a nail kit (with nail buffer and nail clipper), and hairdryer, all bundled in plush black velvet with gold embroidery.

Even the trash bin is electronic. Press a button and the lid opens (or closes) automatically. OK, this is a bit too much, but I suppose good for those who don't fancy touching the lids with their hands.

The shower stall is all decked in black marble. And I don't know if you can see it, but there is a sitting ledge on the opposite end. Great for those who prefer to sit while bathing!

There is a separate mini-room for the toilet. It's a bidet as well, so you can jet-spray yourself clean. But don't try to test the spray without sitting on the thing. You will have a messy wet floor (and possibly self!). Yeah.

What I like are the little touches they put. Even the little flower arrangement is lovely. Honestly, after checking in, I didn't want to leave the room. But we had sightseeing and shopping to do (those posts coming up). It's a different world from the Remington Hotel. That one meets all the basic needs, but if you want some pampering, go for the Maxims.

Right now, there is a promotion going on - the romantic Suite Escape at Maxims Hotel. For P14,800++ (about USD346++), enjoy a romantic dinner for two, an overnight stay at a Maxims Suite and a sumptuous breakfast. This offer is valid until February 29, 2012.

Contact your local travel agent, or the hotel directly.

RESORTS WORLD MANILA
Newport Boulevard, Newport City. Pasay 1309, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: (+632) 908-8888 or (+632)908-8000 loc. 8220
maximshotel@rwmanila.com

The 5-Star Marriott Hotel Manila at Resorts World Manila

2012-02-07T18:48:00.000+08:00

Today we take a look at the Marriott Hotel Manila, which is one of the three hotel properties at Resorts World Manila. The main focus of this hotel is probably business meetings and social events like weddings.

The lobby lounge is spacious with several zones marked by the different furnishings.

One of the areas is at the far end, near the garden with floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow you to enjoy the greenery and sunshine in air-conditioned comfort.

Fancy a glass of wine? Help yourself! This is a nifty wine dispenser, the first I've ever seen in a hotel.

The Marriott Cafe is on the ground floor.

This is where you get to enjoy your buffets (especially breakfast!) and all-day dining.

If you fancy fine-dining, there's Cru Steakhouse just around the corner from the cafe. A certified US Angus ribeye (250g) goes for PHP2,200 (about US$52). The Australian Tajima Wagyu will set you back PHP3,500 (about US$82).

Of course, the Marriott comes with a fully equipped Business Centre (left), and a spa. Quan Spa includes a 24-hour gym, sauna, steam and hot whirlpools. Work up a sweat and then relax. Sounds great.

The outdoor pool is a little small though.

But let's head inside and check out the rooms. Here's one of the one-bedroom Executive Suites.

Enter and you'll see a work area that's set in warm woods with elements of glass and steel. Internet access (high-speed, wired and wireless) is available for a fee.

Facing that is a TV lounge for you to kick back and relax after your work is done.

A nice king-size bed in this 72sq m suite.

Bathrooms are neat and elegant.

And you can see through the bathroom to the bedroom and vice versa. No worries, there is a retractable shade if you prefer privacy.

This is the only one of the three hotels we didn't get to stay at, but it's a five-star business hotel and the Marriott name we are all familiar with.

MARRIOTT HOTEL MANILA
No. 10 Newport Boulevard, Newport City Complex
Pasay City Manila, 1309 Philippines
Tel: +63 2 9889999

Resort World Singapore's Malaysian Food Street

2012-02-05T23:00:00.000+08:00

I'm sure by now you've all heard about the new Malaysian Food Street at Resort World Singapore (RWS) which opened last month. Like this lovely video, the place is all done up to evoke nostalgic 1950s-60s style street dining.

But the highlight? They've gathered some 8 famous names from Malaysia to set up there, mostly from KL and Penang. Names such as Jalan Alor Hokkien Mee, Kuala Lumpur’s Huen Kee Claypot Chicken Rice, Fung Wong Confectionery, Penang Lim Brothers’ Char Koay Teow, Penang Ah Mei Hokkien Prawn Noodles, Penang Ah Long Lor Bak, and the original purveyor of lor mee in Penang — Hai Beng Hainan Lor Mee.

But will the food be as good? Now that they've had some time to settle in, I'll be bringing some Malaysian friends next week to try out the food and see if it can stand the authenticity and taste test.

I have sampled some of the dishes done by the original hawkers themselves. It will be interesting to see if the standard is the same after some time. Meanwhile, if any of you have tried the food there, let me know what you think of it.

The food street also has two halal-certified stalls showcasing Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Nasi Briyani. But those (and the more generic sounding stalls) are handled by RWS' kitchens. There are 17 stalls altogether at the Food Street. Prices are from S$4 onwards, similar to food court charges.

The Malaysian Food Street is located at The Bull Ring and is open daily from 11am-10pm (Monday-Thursday); 9am-12midnight (Friday to Saturday); 9am-10pm (Sunday).

Resorts World Manila: Maxims All-Suite Luxury Hotel

2012-02-03T15:37:00.000+08:00

Resorts World Manila has three hotel properties. You've seen the value hotel, the Remington, at which we stayed two nights. They also showed us the luxurious all-suite Maxims Hotel. Here's our tour of the higher end suites. We got to stay one night at a regular suite, which is also gorgeous, and I will show you the full details in a separate post.

First up, the Villas. There are three of these, and they are housed separately from the main tower.

You get your own little pool with lounging chairs and sofas.

The beds in the Villas are so luxurious. You have a master bedroom on one end, and another bedroom with twin beds on the other end. Both have their own bathrooms.

Over at the main tower, there are quite a few different suites. Like the one in the first picture. I like the bright reds, beige neutrals and dark woods in the decor.

Marbled bathrooms with gold trimmings scream ostentatious flamboyance.

But this little corner feels so peaceful.

Some of the higher end suites have private patios with hot tubs.

There is a private mahjong room for you to indulge in.

Outside, you have the main pool where you can kick back and enjoy the sun. Several cabanas or pavilions are around for shaded relaxation too. There's a small corner with a large hot tub or jacuzzi. I saw some kids having fun there.

And here we are, checking out the presidential suite. It's called "The Mansion" and is 600 square meters with a private pool, two pavilions, and a garden. You also get a dining area, a bar, and kitchenette in addition to the mahjong room.

The furnishings are even more super luxurious here. There's lots of space and nicely appointed furniture.

What women want - a jaw-droppingly spacious walk-in wardrobe.

For the ultimate pampering, there is a special room just dedicated to massage!

The bathrooms in The Mansion are not only roomy and well-equipped, but also come with water jet jacuzzis!

All the suites come with 24/7 butler service, and you can summon them via a touchscreen pad in the room. The butlers could be lovelier than Jeeves (ok, he's a valet), but no less resourceful, I'm sure. The touchpad also lets you order room service.

The view of the pool from the presidential suite.

Right now, there is a promotion going on - the romantic Suite Escape at Maxims Hotel. For P14,800++ (about USD346++), enjoy a romantic dinner for two, an overnight stay at a Maxims Suite and a sumptuous breakfast. This offer is valid until February 29, 2012.

Contact your local travel agent, or the hotel directly.

RESORTS WORLD MANILA
Newport Boulevard, Newport City. Pasay 1309, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel: (+632) 908-8888 or (+632)908-8000 loc. 8220
maximshotel@rwmanila.com

Many thanks to Star Cruises for hosting the media fam trip.

Cebu Pacific going long haul in 2013!

2012-02-03T14:38:00.000+08:00

Wow, budget airline Cebu Pacific Airways is going long haul next year. The airline will lease up to 8 Airbus A330-300 aircraft capable of 11 hour flights to serve new markets such as Australia, Middle East, parts of Europe and the US.

“The A330-300 will give us the lowest cost per seat, allowing us to drive long-haul fares 35% lower than those currently offered by other airlines, and as much as 80% lower when CEB offers promo fares. This aircraft type is very well suited to the kind of network we want to build and the routes we want to launch,” said Lance Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO.

Since I am currently writing about my Manila trip, this certainly piqued my interest. Cebu Pacific Airways is the largest national carrier in the Philippines, even bigger than Philippines Airlines, which I took. The latter is one of the oldest airlines in Asia (established 1941, smack dab in World War 2), but I guess these days budget airlines rule.

Cebu Pacific operates the most extensive network in the Philippines with 34 domestic destinations and hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao. It also offers 19 international destinations, namely Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon (Seoul), Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei and Xiamen.

Photo courtesy of Cebu Pacific Airways.

My first Krispy Kreme doughnut

2012-01-31T12:35:00.003+08:00

Yes, finally. The famous original glazed doughnut. Can't believe it took this long for me to try Krispy Kreme. I never thought it would be in Manila (well, I didn't want to join the queue in Shinjuku years ago).

I have to say I understand why people love it. It's amazingly soft and satisfying, as you sink your teeth into it. I like that gorgeous glaze that's so crinkly light. On the whole, it's a tad too sweet for me, but yeah, I'd eat it again.

Fried Nian Gao with Crispy Batter

2012-01-25T19:54:00.003+08:00

Are you eating this today? If you have leftover or hardened nian gao (glutinous rice cake), as we often do after Chinese New Year, there's no better way to revive them than giving them a coat of batter and frying them up! A crispy coat on the outside, and gooey sweetness on the inside. Best way to have nian gao, I say!

It's just a simple coat of batter, but I never realised there were so many variations! I found one post that tested 5 different batter recipes.

I just used this:

40-50g flour (all-purpose should be fine, I just used cake flour since I had some open)
1 egg
half teaspoon baking powder (this makes it extra crispy!)
half teaspoon salt (optional)
2 ice cubes (stir until almost melted, but make sure batter remains cold)

So it's a bit like a tempura batter. Stays crispy for a bit longer after frying too.

Here's wishing everyone 年年有余! May you all have abundance year after year.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T00:30:00.000+08:00

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic lunar new year! I have a feeling the Year of the Dragon is going to be absolutely roaring. Just that it's a water Dragon, and looks like it is already making a splashing entry, creating ponding situations all over Singapore.

Nonetheless, I hope everyone is enjoying the festivities, reunion with family and visiting with friends. We are over in Malaysia, where the kids are visiting grandpa.

Some time ago, Mr Brown posted about the difficulties of photographing for passport purposes his kid Faith (who has autism). I know exactly what he is talking about. We had to take Nadine's photo because her passport had expired (my gosh, it's been five years already since she did hers as a baby).

Nadine doesn't have autism; she has Down Syndrome. But the difficulty in getting her to pose properly is not due to her special needs condition. It's just because she's an imp!

She understands the instructions perfectly. Because for a mini split second, she complies. But then she finds it heck of a lot more interesting to do something else.

And here's Jolie. We took like one shot.

Too bad she's not the one needing her passport renewed.

Speaking of passports and traveling, I must apologise for my Hong Kong and Manila posts being hijacked and interrupted. But now that I've cleared all the CNY-related stuff, I'll be back posting about them. Looking forward to that!

Bengawan Solo - An Inside Look

2012-01-20T23:45:00.001+08:00

There is an old school Bengawan Solo shop in my Marine Terrace neighbourhood that is just different from the rest that are located in the malls. Someone told me that is the very first outlet, so they have always kept it.

And recently, my friend Joanna introduced me to the Liew family that owns Bengawan Solo, and they confirmed the story. Bengawan Solo opened here in 1979, which makes them as old as Red Star Restaurant down at Chin Swee Road.

The founder Anastasia Liew, now in her 60s, still runs the business with tremendous passion, energy and attention to detail. Her son, Henry Liew, is also working with her, as are five other family members.

Now Singaporeans are all very familiar with the brand and the kuehs, cakes and cookies they make. These are so readily available (44 outlets all over Singapore), and so uniformly consistent, that we sometimes tend to dismiss them as "mass-produced" goods. But did you know that some of the items are still handmade?

Yes, there is a central factory up in Woodlands, supplying the outlets. But as the Liews showed us, it's not all machines at work, because there are some things machines just cannot do. And they refuse to compromise the quality of the products, so some things are still painstakingly done by hand.

Their ondeh-ondeh, for example, are rolled and cooked individually - all 11,900 of them per day every day! To do this by machine would require a less desirable texture for the dough, so that was unacceptable.

Have you ever had fresh and warm ondeh ondeh? It's like coddling a sweet piece of heaven in your mouth.

The kueh dadar is also made by hand. You can see the saucepans with the crepes or green skin being made, and once these are ready, they add the coconut filling and roll them up.

Hand-made. Every one of them.

The lapis sagu has many thin layers. They've got a clever way to make this. Trays and trays of it go around on a conveyor belt being steamed as they go, and a new layer is freshly poured on with each loop. Very efficient.

And guess what - each of these are hand-cut too. Seriously, there is a guy here that specialises in cutting the lapis sagu, and I saw how he chopped each one of them into uniform pieces with practiced precision. The sagu is too soft for machines to handle, and so they would rather do this by hand, than make lapis sagu that's less delightful to chew.

The premium (round ones) pineapple tarts are also finished by hand.

Yummy.

Well, attention goes not just into the preparation, but also ingredients. Bengawan Solo insists on using freshly pressed coconut milk instead of pre-packed ones, and real pandan juice instead of essence. For their cakes, they mix an Australian premium butter with a certain Dutch butter that costs four times as much but has incredible buttery aroma and taste.

But the most fun part of the factory has got to be the icing room.

See all the Disney cakes come to life!

It's like an art studio in here, with so many fun colours! Edible colours!

Only freshly baked sponge cakes are used. Unlike many places, they don't use cakes that are not baked on the very same day.

Ever wonder how they get the likeness down pat for the cartoon characters? They use this thing like an overhead projector to project the image onto a cake and frost the outlines. But even so, it's still not an easy job. Trust me, you still need some skill to do this, and do it quickly.

There are also the "printed" cakes. Much easier to make, and madly popular. Some little girl called Chloe is getting this one.

And another lucky boy has got this coming for him. Who doesn't like Toy Story?

Look at this 3D airplane cake! Yes, they are now making 3D cakes as well.

Their ever popular kueh lapis is also made by hand, using a similar conveyor belt system - a smart way of saving a lot of effort! Instead of opening and closing ovens all the time to pour in each new layer, the cake makers have a whole line of cakes on the move. They add a new layer, send it off to be grilled, and work on the next, and repeat until the cake is completed (takes about 2-3 hours).

There's a prune lapis as well. And they've introduced a cranberry lapis too, which doesn't use any spices, but is fragrantly buttery. I love it! See it in the second photo (the row in the middle of the platter).

One of my family's perennial favourites is their walnut cake. It's just one of those simple pleasures in life.

Nadine and Jolie always run into the Marine Terrace Bengawan Solo shop, yelling, "Cake!"
It's the only shop in the neighbourhood they instinctively love dashing in to.

For Chinese New Year, they have an airconditioned tent outside the factory at 23 Woodlands Link (take shuttle bus 964 from Admiralty MRT or Woodlands interchange), selling CNY goodies at a 10% discount. Visitors have been thronging there for to buy stuff in bulk. They also have festive hampers you can pick up. Interestingly, Bengawan Solo does not raise their prices for the festive season, except for the last two days before Chinese New Year.

It's ironic that they don't make as much profits during Chinese New Year, despite the increased sales. That's because they have to pay a lot of overtime for workers to cope with the orders.

But anyway, here's what we bought.

Fish keropok (ball-shaped) using fish from Bangka (near Palembang) where Anastasia was born. The fish there is particularly sweet, it seems.

Casava Cheese Cookies. These were new to us, and had a most unusual taste. I can't quite describe it, but has a delicate savoury touch from the cheese.

The "hae bee hiam" spicy dried shrimp mini-rolls. So tedious to make, but so easy to eat.

If you like belinjo crackers, you will love these "Emping Manis" or sweet crackers. They're made from the same fruit.

It was a very enlightening visit, and I now have a new appreciation for Bengawan Solo and the way they are such sticklers for quality. Philip, Serene and I were very pleased to meet Anastasia and Henry Liew. They are wonderful folks. I'll be back hopefully to do a personality profile on Anastasia.

Meanwhile, enjoy the Lunar New Year festivities! 恭喜发财 in the year of the Dragon!

Photo credit: first and last photo from Bengawan Solo.

Justin Quek Showcases Kagoshima's Finest Produce at Sky on 57

2012-01-18T10:42:00.000+08:00

Justin Quek visited the beautiful Kagoshima prefecture in Japan last year and loved it all. He's incorporating some of their best marine and farm produce into his cuisine at Sky on 57 as it goes into its second year of operation at the Marina Bay Sands.

For his support, Chef Justin Quek received a Certification of Recommendation from Kagoshima Governor Yuichiro Ito. This is only the second time such a certificate has been presented (the first one went to a five-star hotel in Hong Kong last year).

To mark this event and to welcome the Chinese New Year (CNY), Chef Quek will be presenting a special five-course menu (S$138++) inspired by the various products from Kagoshima. The menu will be available for from 17 January to 7 Feb 2012.

Some of the produce are real eye-popping wonders, like this enormous Sakurajima Daikon. Sakurajima is an active volcano at Kagoshima Bay. I think it's that mountain in the background of the first picture. Kagoshima is so beautiful, I want to go there too!

The supermodels of produce. Vegetables from Kagoshima.

Various Shochu labels from Kagoshima.

At the press luncheon, we were treated to some dishes that are in the CNY menu.

We started off very well with the Ceviche of 'Buri-OH' marinated in lemon dressing (foreground) and Steamed bamboo Shoots in Truffle Dressing with Micro Greens. Buri is Japanese amberjack, and is refreshingly sweet. The lemon dressing is a perfect match. You'll find a variation of this in the CNY menu - Prosperity Salad with Sliced Buri-oh fillet and jellyfish.

Spring Salad with Kagoshima Vegetables - sweet potato and cheese croquette, snow peas, fava beans, fried leeks and grilled pumpkin. Amazingly fresh and beautiful. I love the croquette. What a lovely combination of cheese and sweet potato, and it wasn't oily at all.

Organic Kagoshima Pumpkin Veloute with Crabmeat Custard - smooth and very savoury. The crabmeat custard is interesting. It almost tastes like very tender half-boiled egg white. Goes well with the breads here, which are excellent, by the way.

The highlight however is the Kurobuta pork. Oh, the wondrous little black pig.

Grean Pea Risotto: Sauteed Kagoshima Kurobuta Confit, Green Pea and Bacon, Natural Meat Jus (extracted from pork bone).

Kagoshima exports some of the world's best kurobuta, and it is very evident here how good it really is. The surface is seared to a gentle crisp, and the juicy fat and tender meat inside is absolutely divine. Sweet and clean-tasting. My last meal on earth - yes, can I have this please?

This dish is in the CNY menu too, as is the wagyu below.

Kagoshima Wagyu: Grilled Minute Steak with Kagoshima Vegetables. Kagoshima also has very good wagyu, and the robust flavours here will thrill your tastebuds almost as much as the kurobuta pork.

Dessert was Chilled Musk Melon and Mousseline and Sauternes Jelly. The natural sweetness of the fruit was allowed to come through in this.

It's not just the food that's pleasing. Feast your eyes on the unbeatable view from the top of Marina Bay Sands. Sky on 57 is very open and spacious, designed with dynamic flowing forms. It's my first visit, but won't be my last, given that Chef Quek will continue to use Kagoshima's produce in his dishes even after the promotion.

SKY ON 57
Sands Skypark
Tower 1, Level 57
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018956
Tel: +65 6688 8857 (reservations highly recommended)
Open daily
BREAKFAST: 7AM TO 10.30AM
LUNCH: 12PM TO 2.30PM
DINNER: 6PM TO 10.30PM
BAR: 11AM TO MIDNIGHT

Warmest thanks to the Marina Bay Sands team for inviting me to the press luncheon.

Xin Cuisine CNY Highlights

2012-01-16T00:52:00.000+08:00

Familiar faces, familiar places.

I was glad to be able to have an early lo-hei with some fellow blogger friends at Xin Cuisine. We had good memories of the food from last Chinese New Year at this Holiday Inn Atrium restaurant.

So are you ready to charge into the new Dragon year?

This lobster certainly looks so!

It's the star in Xin’s Gold Leaf Australian Lobster, Canadian Geoduck Clam and Salmon Yusheng, which is part of its most lavish Bountiful Harvest set (S$3,999++ for 10). They use a whole lobster for this.

Side view of the impressive ice tower upon which the various sashimi slices nest. I first saw this last year, and was totally blown away.

This year's yu sheng comes assembled in the shape of a dragon. There's more of the pickled and sweetened vegetables in order to provide the vibrant colours. But last year's pyramid-shaped offering tasted more refreshing because it didn't have so much of these.

But it makes for a festive-looking dish nonetheless. Later on, we asked for extra crispy fritters. More symbolic "gold" too!

Xin Cuisine has also included in its festive menus certain customer favourites that are on the regular menu. Pan-Fried Scallop with Eggplant in Japanese Miso Sauce is one of those - each bite of these is somehow very comforting, like a homemade dish.

Steamed Garoupa Fillet with Beancurd with Light Soya Sauce - this dish has a very nice name in Chinese ending with 老少平安 (old and young peacefully safe). It somewhat alludes to the fish and beancurd as similar to parent and child in terms of colour and texture.

And here is the Prosperity Pen Cai (S$398 for 10 pax, S$298 for 6 pax). It features a whopping 17 ingredients: Lobster, Abalone, Shark’s Fin, Fish Maw (two kinds - 花胶 and 鱼肚), Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster, Dried Scallop, Wolf Berry, Fresh Scallop, Jelly Fish, Mushroom, Sea Moss, Bamboo Pith, Radish, Sea Whelk and Chinese Cabbage.

This is more of a delicate seafood-based pen cai. If you prefer something more robust and meaty, they have other versions like the Imperial Pen Cai, which has deer tendon and goose web among its ingredients.

And what's Chinese New Year without some nian gao? These were nice, because they weren't too sweet or sticky.

The dessert you do have to try is the Fried Sesame Ball with Red Bean and Chocolate Liqueur Filling. Inside this innocuous exterior is a champagne-infused truffle. Very potent!

Or soothe your satiated tastebuds with this Bird’s Nest with Almond Cream. Your skin will also thank you for it.

If you are still looking for a restaurant to celebrate Chinese New Year at, well, you shouldn't tarry. Xin Cuisine itself is almost fully booked. There might be a couple more tables for New Year's Eve, but that's about it.

Wherever you decide to celebrate - have a wonderful feast and fabulous reunion with friends and family!

XIN CUISINE
Level 4, Holiday Inn Atrium
317 Outram Road
Singapore 169075
Tel: +65 6731-7173

Thanks to the lovely team at Holiday Inn Atrium for hosting this dinner!

Delicious Hong Bao Packets from &PlentyMore

2012-01-15T13:43:00.001+08:00

Ooh stop press! Look at these deliciously themed "hong bao" or red packets, by a local quintet of young designers called "&PLentyMore". They got featured in the Wall Street Journal blog! OK, that post is a little snarky of Singapore and the tacky side of Chinese New Year, but is such a boost for the designers who face the uphill challenge of selling "ang pao" envelopes that are freely available from more companies than we can count.

But you know, it is so cool to hand out a slice of photogenic bak kwa or kueh lapis, instead of cartoonish or red-gold embossed prints. For once, recipients might actually be more distracted by the envelope than what's in it.

The ang paos come wrapped in that old school pink paper wrapper used by the Chinese for various things from candy to traditional Chinese medicine.

Open the packets, and you'll see witty or cheeky descriptions of the food printed at the back.

They do cost more than ordinary ang baos - S$5 for a pack of eight designs (four square ones - pineapple tarts, nian gao, kueh bahulu, mandarin orange; and four rectangular ones - kueh lapis, bak kwa, mini shrimp rolls and love letters).

But good design is always worth that little bit more, and you get volume discounts:

A single set of 8 angbao packets - S$5
A happy pair (two sets) - S$8.80
3 happy pairs (six sets) - S$25.80
5 happy pairs of sets - S$41.80 (i.e. 10 sets of 80 envelopes)

Plus, it's nice to support local designers while making a tasty statement. You can buy them online or at these retail outlets:

Arbite
66A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555962

BooksActually
No. 9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru, Singapore 168645

Drips Bakery Cafe
82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05, Singapore 160082

The Garden Slug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau #01-59/61 Bright Centre, Singapore 425500

Group Therapy Coffee
49 Duxton Road, Singapore 089513

Old School Delights
215M Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349

Pause Cafe
5 Jalan Kilang, Singapore 159405

Scoop of Art
278 Marine Parade Road, #01-03, Singapore 449282

Many thanks to my friend Yvonne who passed me two packs.

Resorts World Manila: The Remington (Budget Hotel)

2012-01-12T15:46:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Manila, where it is apparently still Christmas (almost ten days into January)! Christmas decorations are still everywhere.

Seriously, I kid you not. But hey, it's kinda nice to have that jolly Christmas feeling lasting this long, no?

Anyway. We reached Resorts World Manila (RWM) in the afternoon. There are three hotel properties here. This is the Remington Hotel, their value hotel which aims to offer its guests a safe, comfortable and convenient stay. There is the luxurious all-suite Maxims Tower, and the Marriott as well.

I had my first intriguing moment. They had K9 dogs to "welcome" our luggage! Looks like drugs are an issue in the Philippines.

We also had to go through metal detectors, bag searches and a quick body search. Why the meticulous scrutiny? I learned that, just like in the U.S., you have the right to bear arms in the Philippines (you can read @TLWH 's post on this issue). Yeah, guns are everywhere here. So EVERY TIME you enter the hotel or the mall, you will be searched.

Well, that's us! After your body search, you can proceed to check in.

The procedure is pretty efficient, even for our fairly large group of travel agents and media from several countries. This familiarisation trip was organised by Star Cruises, which is under the Genting Hong Kong umbrella, together with RWM.

I was glad my friend Alvin was also on the trip, and was pleased to meet another blogger, Sheila Mandy, who came with her boyfriend.

The welcome drink was most welcome. Manila is just as sweltering as Singapore.

We got to stay two nights at the serviced apartment, which comes with a small sink, fridge and electric kettle. You get bottled water but no tea or coffee sachets. No minibar either. Note that the electrical sockets here are of the two-pin narrow blade type (similar to American sockets). Bring a travel adaptor!

The average room size is 21 sq meters, and it can take two adults and two children. It's got a queen-sized bed and a sofa bed. I like the wooden slatted sliding dividers.

There are 89 of such serviced apartments, and 623 standard rooms (two queen-sized beds) which are about the same size but do not come with the fridge, kettle or sofa bed.

Nice, clean bedlinen and a decently comfortable bed. You can adjust the air-conditioning with a remote like home units.

You have a 32-inch LCD TV with loads of cable channels. There is in-room wi-fi available at additional charges, but I found my connection only working within the lobby, so I'm not sure if it's early teething problems.

A peek inside the bathroom - pretty nice fittings for a budget hotel. However, it's pretty spartan. You are given dental kits, dispenser-style shower gel, two bath towels, toilet paper, and that's it. If you need anything else, bring your own.

The bathroom is small but functional. This is the shower stall.

All in all, not too shabby for a budget hotel. It offers all the barebone comforts you'll need. If you're out and about most of the time, this could be a good choice.

The Remington Hotel itself has no F&B outlets, although I see a McDonald's being built on the ground floor. But there are plenty of food choices just across the road at the main Resorts World building itself, which also houses the Newport shopping mall, four high-end cinemas, a performing arts theatre, and the three-storey casino.

Right now, the Remington has a "Holiday Saver" promotion until 31 January (excluding 22 and 23 Jan, of course). The Php 3,200++ (about US$73) package includes

Overnight stay in a standard room
Php1,000 (about US$23) worth of dining credit at participating RWM F&B outlets (Impressions, Passion, Ginzadon, Mercado, Noodle Works, Prosperity Court, Cafe Maxims and Bar 360)

You'll need to book at least 10 days in advance. There might be more promos later on too. Call your travel agent for bookings. Rate is subject to 10% service charge and 12% VAT (but if you are a foreigner, you will be exempted from the 12% VAT).

RWM also has a free shuttle bus to and from the three international airport terminals, as well as pick-up points within Metro Manila.

Coming up next...shopping, sightseeing, and one luxurious night at the Maxims Tower!

RESORTS WORLD MANILA
Newport Boulevard, Newport City, 1309 Pasay City, Philippines
Tel: +63 2 836-6333 / +63 2 908-8833

Many thanks to Star Cruises for arranging and hosting this media familiarisation trip.

Scoot has new uniforms!

2012-01-11T21:00:00.000+08:00

Scoot has revealed cabin crew uniforms! The medium- to long-haul budget carrier is looking to combine its perky attitude and practicality (to better serve passengers) in the uniform design. I quite like the girls' uniform - looks like a casual cheongsam tee with a curvy splash of yellow.

Flights begin mid 2012 and tickets should be available this quarter. It earlier announced Australia and China as destinations it will start with.

Photo courtesy of Scoot.

Philippine Airlines and Askinosie Chocolate

2012-01-09T00:34:00.001+08:00

[post uploaded using the Blogger App and iPhone 3GS photos, with layout adjusted afterwards]

The Philippines Airlines plane trundled in half an hour late to the gate at Changi Airport. It was a rainy morning, and the plane's fragile-looking windshield wipers waved frantically as though trying to make up for the delay.

It was a simple, small plane for the flight that was just over two hours. No personal video screen, so it was perfect for a snooze.

The inflight meal - fish in white sauce which turned out to be a mild coconut-like curry - was canteen fare, but edible.

There are lots of starving schoolkids in the Philippines who would cry in gratitude if you were to hand them this platter.

I was reading in the inflight magazine how one chocolate maker is helping poor and hungry children in Davao City. No, no, the kids are no eating chocolate!

Shawn Askinosie asked the PTA (parent-teacher association) of a school there to create tableya - tablets of ground roasted cocoa beans used to make hot chocolate. He sells them on his website and sends the entire profit of US$9 back to them. Each tableya makes possible 232 meals!

Askinosie is the first chocolate maker to import cocoa beans from The Philippines. He and the school are working towards funding an entire year of school lunches for all 579 students.

You can help too. Visit www.Askinosie.com to find out more. Buying Davao single-origin chocolate products, the Davao 77% bar and Hey Hey Hazelnut spread also helps.

Mabuhay! I'm in Manila!

2012-01-08T17:23:00.001+08:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! I am on my first visit to the Philippines! Am here on a 4D3N media fam trip to Resorts World Manila.

I'll be doing some short preview posts using the Blogger iPhone app. So you can see some semi-live updates. I will post the nicer photos when I get back to Singapore.

Sunnyhills Pineapple Cakes in Singapore

2012-01-07T22:38:00.002+08:00

What a festive pack to greet the Year of the Dragon! This box of 20 pineapple cakes is from Sunnyhills, a Taiwanese brand.

Last year when I blogged about the Sunnyhills Pineapple Cakes, they didn't really have a shop in Singapore yet. Now, they have a prestigious address - Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade.

I asked why they chose such an expensive location to start out. Well, apart from the classy image and upmarket feel, it is also an endorsement for Sunnyhills as it is not easy to qualify for the Raffles Hotel address - they have to meet certain branding and hospitality criteria. So far their clientele has been an equal mix of Taiwanese living in Singapore, Japanese and locals. They see lots of corporate clients for special occasions.

If you think Raffles Hotel is grand, well, their next store will be in Omotesando in Tokyo! One of Japan's top architects, Kengo Kuma, will be designing their store. I wish I could see it.

But let's get back to the cakes!

They are as delicious as I remember - made from pineapples from the Nantou County in Taiwan, using flour from Japan and butter from New Zealand. The crust is so fragrant, and the filling is pleasantly sweet with the right balance of citric tang.

The pineapple cakes are still made in Taiwan and airflown here. Each golden brick is individually packed, and while they seem like large pieces, it's really hard to stop at just one.

The packaging for the CNY edition features their four founders doing a dragon dance to usher in the Year Of The Dragon, and wishing all a prosperous new year. Cute.

The good thing is prices have not gone up by much (despite food cost increase - flour and butter especially!).
Box of 10 (about half kg) - S$25 (up from S$23 last year)
Box of 15 (about 750g) - S$37.50
Box of 20 (about 1kg) - S$50

Specials: 10% off on all orders of $200 and above. Free Delivery on all orders of $100 and above.
(Standard delivery fee is $8)

SUNNYHILLS
Raffles Hotel Arcade
Unit #03-05
328 North Bridge Road
Singapore 188719
Tel: +65 8522-9605

Thanks to Sunnyhills for sending the pineapple cakes!

Viva Japan Cafe at Orchard ION Sky (56th floor)

2012-01-05T12:14:00.001+08:00

"Our Strength Within" - that is some awesome calligraphy. From the darkness, Japan's inner strength rises.

I am reminded of Japan choosing the word "Kizuna 絆 meaning "bond" as best representing 2011", when we saw strangers banding to help each other in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

It's going to take a while before East Japan fully recovers. Once so rich with harvests from land and sea, it is now striving to recover and re-energise itself.

Meanwhile, we have Cool Japan which is a series of initiatives aimed at promoting Japanese culture and Japanese products to the global public. Cool Japan is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

Under this umbrella, comes several projects by Viva Japan Pte Ltd (a social e-commerce services company) and Cafe Company, Inc., which owns one of Japan's largest community cafe chains. These include:

1) Viva Japan Cafe: a 50-seater cafe on the 56th floor of ION Orchard (ION Sky), which is open for four months from Dec 16, 2011 to March 31, 2012. This is a contemporary "chaya" or teahouse that will serve Japanese teas and drinks, along with light bites and desserts.

2) The Cool Japan 100 Ambassador Official Online Store: featuring unique items with Japanese craftsmanship and design techniques passed down many generations. It's in Japanese though (you can run it through an online translator).

3) 100 Ambassadors: a community of selected influencers active in Asia, and based out of Singapore, with keen interest in and familiarity with Japan and Japanese culture.

Media, ambassadors and friends attended the Viva Japan Cafe launch last month.

The cafe also has a small installation of Japanese products featured in the online store. These are Nambu Cast Tekki (Ironware). Looks so dainty and yet is so much stronger than pottery or porcelain.

Rie Sakamoto's Collection. Sakamoto and her husband have created many award-winning pieces, some of which are in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Aizu Lacquered Glass Crafts. Nouvelle lacquerware fusing Western glass with Eastern lacquer.

As you can tell, these are fairly high-end products of craftsmanship. If you are looking for bargains, Daiso is downstairs.

The view from the 56th floor is quite something. It normally costs S$20 for entry to ION Sky, but with the cafe installed here, the entry fee is now only S$16 per adult, and you get S$5 off your F&B with your ticket. Children aged 4-12 pay S$8. You can use the S$5 rebate to offset the kids' entry fees too, if you prefer.

The Viva Japan Cafe is also the setting for "Special Chef's Events" where a celebrity chef will be flown in to showcase his best to the ambassadors, media and guests. Sorry, it's not open to the public, but you may be able to order some of the ingredients online via Viva Japan.

We were treated to a ramen demonstration by Chef Yasuji Morizumi, owner of Japanese ramen chain Chabuya and Michelin-starred restaurant MINT. From winning a national ramen competition (TV Champion) to owning the first Michelin-starred restaurant, Chef Morizumi is a legend in the world of ramen. First of all, he's trained for almost ten years in classic French cooking, which is seen as fine-dining in Japan, but he eventually decided to go into ramen, a working class food. But he has transformed ramen into something a little more unusual with his in-depth know-how.

Witness the Umami Ramen (Bamboo Charcoal Noodle) served with roast pork. This is a "dry ramen" featuring noodles made with "natrium water". It doesn't leave you feeling as carbo-laden somehow after consuming it.

Other chefs in the line-up include Yosuke Imada, who is chef-owner of the renowned Ginza Kyubey, and Hironobu Tsujiguchi who is one of the most successful patissiers in Japan.

We had a lovely time at the Viva Japan Cafe. Here's wishing them all success in creating a community where people who adore all things Japanese can come together and enjoy Japanese food and products together.

VIVA JAPAN CAFE
56th Floor, ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn,
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65-6636-5156
Open daily 10am to 10pm, until 31 March 2012
Entrance fee S$16 per adult (you will receive a S$5 rebate on F&B); S$8 per child aged 4-12

My New Oven, the Sharp Healsio

2012-01-01T13:16:00.000+08:00

After suffering a few months, we finally got an oven! It's a hit to the wallet, but it is a beauty. Here's a quick, unedited shot from my aged iPhone 3Gs - which would have seen an upgrade to the 4S, if not for my budget being eaten up by this oven.

But! The Sharp Healsio can bake, grill, roast, steam, microwave and even proof bread! I think I need this more than a better phone.

You can cook stuff with superheated steam (literally a very hot colourless air). Like air-fry stuff, without oil. Yes, it gets things crispy...well, crispy enough. So here's to healthier eating in 2012.

And since it can inject steam into the oven, I'm hoping it won't spoil like my old Rowenta when I put water in to bake bread. Oh well. Breaking in starts today. Fingers crossed. Anyone else has this oven and can share their experience? From what little I've read, everyone who has this oven just raves about it.

P.S. I never thought the name Healsio was appealing, but I learned recently it is an approximation of the Japanese phrase for "reducing salt" (that explains the "sio" or shio). Well, that's one of its features. Reducing salt, and fat too. Well, I don't always want to remove fat from my food (especially omega-3 oils!) but I suppose my weighing will thank the oven for it.

Happy New Year and Good Luck for 2012 !

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000+08:00

A little Instagram photo I did for yesterday's flash mob new year party #sg2012.
Yeah, IKEA motifs do come in handy!

Here's wishing everyone a fabulous new year with some roaring dragon chi and vigour!

I've stopped making resolutions for a long time. You know how well they work. Every year it is the same recycled wish list.

But I still want to make some changes. For this year, I told myself to make habits instead. It takes three weeks to develop one (doing something consistently every day). So maybe I can have a nice new habit each month. Like sleep early every night. Teach the kids yoga.

And I want to focus. No long laundry lists. No more than three things at at time on the to-do slate. Steve Jobs was the master of focus. Laser beam-like focus! There's no point frittering yourself across too many things. When you pare down and focus on what's truly important, you will likely not only get it done, but do it better.

So then I was very happy to read Zen Habit's new year post, which talks about the same thing, but with lots more tips.

Also, take a look at what it's like to live 100 days without goals. You'd be surprised.

Well, happy first day of the year, and enjoy whatever you are doing!

Happy New Year's Eve! Best of 2011

2011-12-31T22:59:00.003+08:00

What are you eating for New Year's Eve? We just made a simple curry fried rice. It's got 5Cs - carrot, cabbage, corn, curry and coriander leaves! Oh, and some crispy "chao-ta" bits (the best part)! Photo from my Instagram.

It's the final hour of 2011. Some will be partying, some will be cosying up at home. Quite a few perhaps contemplating what's past, and what they want in the new year.

As I look back in the blog, I see some of my favourite experiences this year. Here they are, roughly in reverse chronological order...

Armani/Prive in Hong Kong: fabulously surreal rooftop bar
Kuriya Penthouse: my first fugu
il Lido: best pasta of 2011
Jane Thai at Orchard Towers: superspicy, simple but good Thai
db Bistro Moderne: lunch with and by Daniel Boulud himself.
Chengdu Restaurant: authentic Sichuan that will put fire in your belly
My baking fervour, especially artisanal breads! Pity it ruined my oven...
Meeting Chef Mak of Tim Ho Wan fame: he is so down-to-earth!
Meeting Joel Robuchon again, this time with both his restaurants launched!
Meeting, OK, Glimpsing Donnie Yen at Wuxia Movie Gala Premiere. Right, it's not food, but some would say still delicious...
The Battlestar Galactica Ride at Universal Studios: you might spill from the thrill
The French Window in Hong Kong: sublime modern French with utterly romantic ambiance
and kicking off the year with my all-time most visited post - The List of Japanese buffets! This page alone got almost 70,000 views!

This is also the year I finally created the Camemberu Facebook page. Thanks to all who "liked" it.

As a family, we explored the rustic resort at Telunas, and also the Banyu Biru Villas on Bintan.

So there have been some memorable highlights, but 2011 was also the year in which some devastating events happened, like the 3.11 Japan earthquake and tsunami. It was absolutely crushing, and we scrambled to help even as we felt so small and distant. We also lost Chef Santi Santamaria.

I don't know what next year will bring. But right now, I am just treasuring whatever moment I am in.

Let me leave you with something cheerfully lucky from traditional Japanese pantheon. The Seven Lucky Deities (Shichifukujin) travel on their treasure ship (Takarabune) on New Year's night, bringing gifts and good luck. It's like they have seven Santa Clauses. I just saw this on Muza-Chan and thought it was really cute. I so want to go back to Japan...I miss it so much.

あけましておめでとう！Happy New Year!

image from Muza-Chan.net

Pine Court Is Now Mandarin Court; Has Bak Kwa Nian Gao!

2011-12-30T22:11:00.000+08:00

Isn't this the biggest yu sheng serving platter you've seen? It is for me! Talk about living large. This is the Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng at Mandarin Court.

Awesome platter aside, I was intrigued that Pine Court at the Mandarin Orchard had changed its name to Mandarin Court. But the chef is the same, and so is the menu by and large. Even the serving staff are the same (many of whom have been there a long time too). The name change is to better reflect the Mandarin branding, say the PR folks.

Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong has crafted 10 different signature menus ranging from a
$98++ per person menu (minimum 2 persons) to a luxurious $1,888++ meal for 10 persons. These will be available from 13 January to 6 February 2012.

These are some of the highlights from those menus.

Ah, what's Chinese New Year without pen cai? The Baby Abalone Fortune Pot is a huge bowl of many goodies. The only thing I miss here is some roast pork.

This is the "Bi Feng Tang" or "Typhoon Shelter" Roast Chicken with Minced Black Bean, Garlic and Almond Flakes. I love typhoon shelter anything. All that garlic. Dracula has no chance with my breath.

Stewed Fish Noodle with Conpoy and Enoki Mushroom. Fish noodles have more textural bite to them, but these were quite tender in general. A very healthy-tasting dish.

They have some really good XO sauce. We kept asking for more, because it just gives all the dishes extra zing.

There is a pretty good Red Bean Soup with Green Tea Glutinous Rice Ball Dumplings for dessert.

Last but not least, the CNY offering that I thought was most interesting: Bak kwa nian gao - sweet glutinous rice cake with dried BBQ pork! The pork gives a complexity to the sweetness plus a savoury edge. It works very well, and is especially good pan-fried. Like!

MANDARIN COURT
Level 35
Mandarin Orchard
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: +65 6831 6288/62
Open daily
Lunch
Monday to Friday
12.00pm to 2.30pm

Dim Sum Brunch
Saturday, Sunday & public holiday
11.00am to 2.30pm

Dinner
Monday to Sunday
6.30pm to 10.30pm

Thanks to Mandarin Orchard for the media tasting.

Wagyu Beef Yu Sheng at Peach Blossoms, Marina Mandarin Hotel

2011-12-28T13:17:00.000+08:00

Are you tired of the usual, predictable lo hei with salmon or other raw fish? How does some char-grilled wagyu sound instead? Yes, Peach Blossoms at Marina Mandarin Singapore is shaking things up a little by going wagyu!

It certainly is unconventional, given that a number of Chinese (especially Buddhists) do not take beef. But these days, even non-Chinese partake in the lo-hei ritual, especially as part of a company get-together. And for those of us who do love beef, this option makes a nice change indeed.

The wagyu beef "yu sheng" comes with Hong Kong style sesame dressing instead of the usual plum sauce.

牛气冲天！Embrace the new year with bullish vigour!

It helps that this beef salad is really tasty. The crisp, cold vegetables are perfect with the sesame dressing and wagyu slices. I appreciate that it's not doused with cloyingly sweet sauces.

炭烧和牛捞生配港式芝麻酱
Char-grilled Wagyu Beef Yu Sheng
served with Hong Kong-style Sesame Dressing
$68++ (4 to 6 persons); $118++ (10 persons)

But if you still prefer the traditional fish-based yu sheng, tossing to 年年有余， they have that as well.

At the media tasting, we also got to preview some of the dishes that will be available during Chinese New Year.

福果虫草花鸡炖翅
Double-boiled Chicken Broth with Ginkgo Nuts and Cordycep Flower
$35++ per person

The Cantonese are fastidious about soups, and this one feels really fortifying with lots of cordycep flowers at the bottom.

飞跃龙门（白松露油蒜片焗开边龙虾） 
Baked Lobster with Sliced Garlic and White Truffle Oil
Available within Harmonious Set Menu at $1488++ for 10 persons

Lobsters will probably be very popular next year (Year of the Dragon), especially since its name in Chinese is 龙虾, the "dragon prawn". This baked lobster is delicious, but slightly on the chewy side. If you prefer, there is also a steamed lobster with superior sauce, and lobster yu sheng too.

鸿桃轩发财鹌鹑鲍鱼盆菜
Peach Blossoms Abalone Treasures Pot - $248++ (4 to 6 persons); $398++ (10 persons)

10-head Quality Whole Abalone, Fish Maw, Quail, Sea Cucumber,
Dried Scallops, Marinated Soya Chicken, Roast Duck, Roast Pork,
Deep-fried Live Prawns, Flower Mushrooms, Black Moss,
Abalone Mushrooms, Radish, Lotus Root,
Baby Corns, Pig’s Tongue, Fried Bean Curd Skin

I don't know about you, but this pot just makes me want to go, "HUAT AH!!!"
What a beautiful "pen cai" with layers of auspicious ingredients.
My favourite item in there? The crispy skin roast pork - it's so good, I'll trade abalones for it!

Peach Blossom's newly appointed Chef, Chan Shun Wong (陈顺煌), is from Hong Kong. He looks deceptively young (I hear he has an 11 year old kid). Chef Chan will keep to preparing authentic Cantonese food but will add a modern twist to create interest.

年年添有余（金银蒜蒸笋壳） 
Steamed Marble Goby with Fragrant and Raw Minced Garlic
Available in both A La Carte (market price) and Set Menus (from $388++ for 4 persons)

Of course, the Chinese must have a fish dish. This one is superloaded with garlic! You can request for it to be less intense, if you like.

We also got to sample their 年糕 Nian Gao in two very pleasing flavours:
Front *桂花马蹄糕 Water Chestnut Cake with Osmanthus ($28.80 per cake)
Back *椰汁枣皇糕 Red Dates Cake with Coconut Milk ($28.80 per cake)
I thought the red date cake was quite interesting.

You can have other desserts too. The hashima comes in the traditional hot version with red dates, and also a cold one with almond cream in a young coconut.

There are also colourful cold desserts - avocado, strawberry and mango with scoop of ice cream. I can see these being a hit with kids!

四色年饼
The Four Treasures Pastry ($18.80 per box) makes a nice gift when visiting.
*莓果酥 Mixed Berries Pastries*
*凤梨酥 Pineapple Tarts*
*腰果酥 Cashew Nuts Pastries*
*莲蓉核桃酥 Walnut with Lotus Paste Pastries*

Peach Blossoms itself has undergone a S$1 million makeover to usher in the new year. It's got a brand new menu and now seats 180. The four renovated private dining rooms will welcome guests with a choice of 11 premium teas.

The Chinese New Year menu, including orders for take away starts from 16th January right up till 6th February 2012.

PEACH BLOSSOMS
Level 5, Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6845-1111
Open daily
Lunch
Weekdays, 12.00pm – 2.30pm
Weekends & Public Holidays, 11.00am – 2.30pm

Dinner
Daily, 6.30pm – 11.00pm (Last order at 10.30pm)

Thanks to the lovely folks at Marina Mandarin Singapore for the CNY preview tasting.