HOUSE@Dempsey: Vintage High-Tea Buffet

It’s time for an extremely overdue post! This review on the hightea at HOUSE@Dempsey got pushed back by almost a whole year because I kept eating good food that I wanted to share with you all immediately.

Well, get comfortable, cause you’re in for a treat. HOUSE@Dempsey is the high-tea buffet to go for, and judging by the influx of nomworthy photos you’re about to see, I can already foresee that you will need little convincing to go and try this high tea buffet for yourself.

Above, you’ll see empty plates…that was all we left behind after enjoying 3 hours of non-stop eating. We definitely left with our bellies filled, and smiles on our faces.

High tea is quintessential to any lovely lady’s life. Whether or not guys enjoy it is another matter. For us ladies, we love to dress up in pretty little dresses, and sit down with a cuppa, nibbling on sweet pastries and cake as we chatter with our girlfriends. What makes it even better would be the presentation and ambience at HOUSE@Dempsey. They take the effort to lay out their delectable treats on vintage plates, and offer the most adorable decorations like flags, books and picnic baskets to complete the vibe.

Flowers, vintage plates and books…simple decorations, yet it is easy to find beauty in such simplicity.

Even their drinks are well presented, with a self-serve area of various types of teas to go along with your sweet treats.

Here’s one of their dishes, a simple creamy canape topped with smoked salmon, and embellished with a little egg mayo.

I suppose, I am quite a fan of savoury food. I would gladly choose a savoury sit-down meal, over a slice of cake. Perhaps that’s why my favorite part of the high tea buffet was the Bread Corner!

Freshly baked bread all sliced for you, and an assortment of savoury toppings to go with your bread. Think truffled mushrooms, bolognese sauce, fresh cheese, dried fruits, creamy crabmeat, and even cold pasta for a side. Mmm, heaven.

For the sweeties out there, who love their cakes and cookies, fret not! This buffet was made for you. Majority of the buffet offers sweet desserts, with mini cakes and cookies all decked out like there’s no tomorrow.

Jammie dodgers anyone? Or perhaps some citrusy Orange Cake to add some kick into your life?

Another favorite was the oh-so-decadent chocolate cake which was so rich and good. Just look at that dark beauty, basking in all its glory. Chocolate lovers —  Attack!!!!

I’ve always loved Madelines as a kid, and judging by the perfectly-browned base of these madelines, these are yet another must-try at the buffet.

Truth be told, the hardest part about going to any restaurant is having to choose. Everything just looks so amazing that you want to eat everything. Luckily that won’t be a problem here since you can try everything they have to offer, no holds barred. Yes, that means even these lovely chocolate truffles can find their way to your plate, and you don’t even have to think twice about gobbling them down.

In the background, you can see jars of cookies on offer as well, but I recommend their cakes instead, after all, it’s not everyday you see cakes lined out so prettily for you eh?

Some of their savoury offerings are canapes topped with all kinds of things, like sausages as seen below.

Another perennial favorite is their mini Skinny Pizzas. Cute to look at, but sadly not as nice to eat since the crispy base became soggy after being left on display.

Here’s another shot of the Smoked Salmon Canape from earlier on, twas some good stuff.

I didn’t take a photo of every single plate of food, unlike the other girls there, all equipped with their humongous DSLRs (Notice the hint of jealousy here haha) who were busy snapping away. I needed my food, stat. So here are more photos of what they have to offer, from the close-up view of… my plate!

I don’t really like mixing sweet and savory, so the plate below are my savouries! All were delicious, especially the vietnamese springroll.

For my first round of sweets, I went on a chocolate spree.. mini chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate cake. They were good, but not jaw-droppingly amazing.

Just for the fun of it, I tried mixing a plate of both sweet and savory to balance things out. I still stand by having separate plates for sweet and savory food.

The marble cake in the foreground was worthy of a mention. It was rich and buttery like butter cake, with a nice hint of cocoa.

I liked this mini lemon butter cupcake! Tiny and delicious. 

Pretty little jammie dodgers which were chewy and sweet. Not sure if these are the best, since it was my first time eating a jammie dodger. I had my jammie dodger with a side of a pistachio cream trifle.

Now, back to a few savouries to balance it all off. Don’t mind my alternations between sweet and savory, that’s my secret method to eating more at a buffet, so I don’t get sick of a particular taste.

I topped the freshly sliced bread with some bolognese sauce. Simple homely fare. Mmmm. Sprinkle on more parmesan on top, and it’s like a cute lasagna/pasta canape.

Their truffled mushrooms were scrumptious, but were a tad salty.

Ah yes, you were expecting it this time, I’m shamelessly back to the sweet delights! This pistachio cake was average, not very memorable to be honest, so go ahead and give it a miss.

If something’s good, I’ll have it again. So guess which little bugger made a reappearance?

Here stands their Squid Ink Skinny Pizza. The squid was nicely roasted, not too chewy/rubbery. The base was disappointing though, since it was soggy, and tasteless. I had high hopes for such an interesting dish!

Another skinny pizza I tried fared a wee bit better, with a slight crunch in the base, and the sharp salty kick from the cheese.

Remember the vietnamese spring rolls I mentioned earlier? Well, I had to go back for seconds and thirds… till they stopped replenishing it. The freshness of the crunchy vegetables went perfectly with the sour and spicy Thai Chilli dipping sauce. By far my favorite dish of the lot.

The whole package was completed with the view of the lush greenery surrounding the restaurant. You don’t feel like you’re in a busy city at all!

Even their toilets were well planned out, with vintage hairdresser chairs on display.

What’s more? Their Vintage High Tea Buffet is extremely affordable at just $30++ on every Tuesday and Friday from 3-530pm. They change their menu and decoration every time though, so what you see here may not be what you get on the actual day you visit. Do call in advance to book though, since they are in perpetual demand.

A much younger photo of me. Good food = Happy Girl 😀

Rating: 7.5/10

Alfero Gelato: Even the Godfather loves it!

I’m not really sure who the Godfather is…but I’m with him on this one.

Just a side note, I’m guessing the Godfather refers to Marco Alfero, the man behind the delicious gelato. Apparently he loved eating gelato since he was a kid, in fact, he still loves gelato as much today.

Located along Lorong Kismis, near the row of shops such as Carpenter and Cook as well as Nook DIY House of Pancakes, Alfero Gelato is quite easy to miss out. While they may not have as many customers, since U.D.D.E.R.S has a more prime location, their gelato doesn’t fail to please.

Their tubs of gelato are covered, unlike most ice-cream eateries where the tubs are open for all to see. Here, they only open the cover when you ask for a sample, or to scoop your gelato for you.

They even offer the option of cart rental for your events. Want a rustic looking cart to serve up gelato for your guests? Just give the Godfather a call! This is a brilliant addition to any party, I mean, who can top a gelato cart? It’s great for all ages, and will get your guests all excited.

Here’s a little sneak preview at what I ordered. Any guesses for what flavor it is?

I sampled a few other flavors as well, one of them being Avocado. I was rather impressed by the creaminess of the gelato, considering that there is no cream used. Here, they offer the option of Premium Flavors such as Pistachio and Tiramisu, but you’ll have to fork out a little more for them.

They even serve fudgey looking brownies, which I didn’t have a chance to try. These generous slices of brownies look so dense, I can just imagine how chewy they will be. I’ll be back to try these!

Pistachio (Premium) Gelato and Chocolate Gelato.
The serving cups here are rather small, but the gelato is generously piled on, so don’t worry about feeling unsatisfied. Gelato is very rich, so a small amount is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Chocolate Gelato
The chocolate flavor was very pronounced in this. I liked the full-bodied flavor, which made me feel like I was eating a high-quality piece of chocolate, like Royce Chocolate. Because it’s very rich, I suggest you savour this slowly, with a glass of water, rather than wolfing down huge mouthfuls.

Pistachio Gelato
Oh my, this was heavenly. The pistachio flavor was clearly there, without being overpowering, and the gelato was incredibly smooth and creamy. It was just as rich as the Chocolate Gelato, but the pistachio flavor was so well brought out, I was very impressed.

When you eat gelato, really take a moment to enjoy it. Slowly savour each mouthful, and taste the love and quality of the ingredients used. As the cold, creamy goodness enters your mouth, marvel at the smoothness of the gelato…Now, feel it sliding down your throat, the sheer perfection of the rich decadent dessert you were craving for. Pause to enjoy the lingering after taste. None of that chemical, sugary backwash, just pure gelato heaven.

As you can see above, gelato is a healthier choice when compared to ice cream, since it is denser as less air is incorporated into it. Even though cream isn’t used, Gelato tastes even creamier and richer than ice cream. Although the portions are slightly smaller, with such great quality, you won’t miss your ice cream one bit. Alfero Gelato has done a brilliant job in creating such a velvety smooth texture, and full-bodied taste. Do yourself a favor and walk a few shops down from U.D.D.E.R.S to try Alfero Gelato instead. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Rating: 7.5/10

Lorong Kilat
Address: 21 Lorong Kilat #01-01, Singapore 598123
Contact: +65 64633835
Opening Hours: Sun – Thu 12pm – 11pm / Fri & Sat 12pm – 12am

Marina Square
Address: 6 Raffles Boulevard, #02-226A/B Marina Square, Singapore 039594
Contact: +65 6338 5828
Opening Hours:  Mon – Sun 12pm – 10pm

MacPherson Lane
Address: 81 Mac Pherson Lane #01-37, Singapore 360081
Contact: +65 6848 4269
Opening Hours: Tue – Sun 12pm – 9pm (Closed on Monday)

Baja Fresh: Let’s Salsa!

Not many people know about Baja Fresh, this simple Mexican eatery hidden at a corner of Rendezvous Gallery along Bras Basah Road. I first tried Baja Fresh from a small stall in a food court in Dubai… I shared a wrap and a salad with my mother. It was pretty good, so I wanted to give them another go, so that I could share them with you guys!

I love how the eatery is very clean and airy, creating the perfect relaxed environment for dining. The glass windows also allow lots of natural light in, making photo taking a breeze!

Every order comes with a side of tortilla chips for you to nibble on, while you wait for the main course to arrive. They even have a salsa corner for you to help yourself. They offer 3 different kinds of salsa, ranging in spiciness levels. Do note that their idea of spiciness is different from Asian spiciness. Lime wedges are also offered at that cold salsa counter.

The salsa was displayed in large bowls on a bed of ice, so your salsa will be cold. I took one of each kind, non-spicy, medium, and spicy. I can’t remember what they labelled it exactly, but that’s just what I’ll call it.

The non-spicy salsa was basically just fresh diced tomatoes, seasoned with herbs, and mixed with chopped onions. ‘Refreshing’ would be the best word to describe this.

The medium salsa was more watery, and more finely ground, and had a slight kick to it. Not strong enough to make your eyes water, and make you choke, but just a nice wake up call for your tastebuds.

The spicy salsa was the most finely ground (the salsa gets more paste-like as the spice level increases), and resembled a less chunky version of Chili. It wasn’t that spicy to me, but if eaten too fast, has potential to make you cough and sputter. I’m speaking from experience, embarrassingly.

Their tortilla chips were nothing spectacular. Just your typical tortilla chips, light and crispy, perfect for dipping!

Then, the stars of the show decided to make their appearance. Check out Mr. Chimichanga, and Ms. Tostada.

As you can see, the portions here are very generous. (YAY) And the Chimichanga even came with heaping helpings of tortilla chips and side salad. Mexicans are well-fed people indeed.

Let’s meet our first date. Mr Chimichanga. Weighing in at half a pound, this well built hunk is for the ladies. He looks tough, but he’s actually quite the softie. You can rely on him to satisfy your hunger pangs.

For the readers who are new to mexican food, a chimichanga is savoury burrito filled with meat and vegetables which is then deep fried, and drenched with more sauce and cheese. Definitely not friendly for your waistline.

This was my first time trying a chimichanga, and it was a unique experience, I must say. I was expecting it to be crispy, but it was soft, and easy to cut through. Maybe they don’t deep fry it here? I loved how it was chock full of vegetables, the slight redeeming factor in an otherwise artery-clogging dish. They were also generous with juicy prawns (my choice of meat). Grilled prawns may sound strange, but it certainly tasted good! You have the option of chicken, fish, and even beef for the meat filling. Vegetarian options are available as well, so vegetarians are welcome!

There was guacamole and sour cream served with this monster as well. I loved their guacamole! It was very fresh, and their sour cream was light as well. Both went deliciously with the chimichanga. A match made in heaven.

I would recommend this dish to you, although its pretty unhealthy, just so you can try a chimichanga for once! Moist, and bursting with ingredients, this is a good bet.

Do share this with a friend though, along with another dish. The gargantun portions means that you’ll probably get sick of it halfway through, that’s why its best to share. After all, sharing is caring.

Now, on to our second beauty of the day, Ms. Tostada. By the way, the names on the menu don’t have Mr and Ms, I just added that for fun. This dish is the Tostada Salad. It’s a salad served on a deep-fried tortilla shell.

Wait a second before you give me that look, I know that the deep fried shell negates the health factor of a salad… but hey, who said I was here to diet. You either go all the way, or not at all. This is indulgence at its maximum.

Loaded with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese, this baby is a crowd-pleaser. The combination of textures and flavours is a party in your mouth. I use that phrase pretty often, I better find a new catchphrase haha.

Hahaha, actually this is kinda true. The base of all their dishes is a tortilla, and the same kind of fillings. Just depends on whether you have the tortilla as a wrap, or fried in taco form, or fried and drenched in sauce like a chimichanga.

Ah yes, one more thing, Baja Fresh has good service. In fact, I would even go so far to say that they have impeccable service. The staff patiently explained the menu to me, since I don’t have much experience ordering mexican food. I must warn you first, their food must be loaded with MSG or sodium (or at least the things I ordered were), cause I had a reaction afterwards. But you could always go for the healthier choices like ensalada, and wraps, instead of the rich foods that I tried. If you are there to try indulge in a full out mexican feast though, then do try the dishes I ordered! Maybe they should start selling breakfast to cater to the office workers, I mean, breakfast burritos loaded with eggs, ham, sausages, peppers.. the works! Who can say no to that?

Rating: 7/10 

Qiji: Good food, and its halal too!

Hello everyone! Today’s post is special since I’m writing this from the SQ SilverKris Lounge.  I feel like a businesswoman, sitting here amidst the frequent travelers, busy typing on my laptop.

I had the worst dream ever last night. I dreamt that I was late for my GCE A Level Economics Paper 2, and that for some reason, I forgot EVERYTHING. I was desperately trying to get to the exam hall, but I couldn’t get there. There were so many obstacles along the way, parents delaying, traffic jams, slippery wet floor from the rain. When I finally entered the exam hall, sopping wet for some strange reason, all eyes were on me, and there was this deafening silence. I hurried to my seat, but the examiners refused to give me the paper. I can’t remember what I said, but eventually they relented and passed me the question paper. Well, guess what. Before I even glanced at the questions, my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember any of my syllabus, my hands froze… Not that any of this mattered cause the examiner announced “Pens down, EVERYONE, pens down.” before I even had time to begin. They refused to consider my attendance, since my name was not even written. Do you know what that means? My A level exam would not even be considered, since I had ‘missed’ a paper. I was devastated. All my hard work had gone to waste.

And then I woke up, my heart racing like I had just sprinted across the track or something. I have never felt so freaked out in my life. This is what A levels does to you. :O

Anyway, enough about my dreams, on to the food!

I’m sure you have heard of the chain, Qiji? They have quite a few outlets around Singapore, unfortunately located in the less central areas. I’ve heard rave reviews about their popiah, so being a huge fan of popiah, I decided to give them a try.

Just a side note, for those of you who don’t know what popiah is, its a chinese spring roll, that isn’t fried. Similar to a burrito or a wrap, just that the base is a rice-flour skin, and the fillings range from turnips, carrots, prawns, nuts, crispy fried bits, shallots, chinese sausages, eggs and of course, sweet sauce and chili. We like to enjoy our popiah as a family, where you roll your own popiah, adding your choice of fillings from the prepared selection. When ordering popiah outside, you don’t have the choice as to what goes in, but you are often given the option of adding prawns for a slightly higher price. Although it sounds simple, every family or hawker stall has their own secret blend of ingredients which goes into the stock when stewing the vegetable base. Stewed turnips make up the main filling, but loads of other ingredients are added to the stewed vegetables to achieve a flavorful stock. I would say its healthier than a burrito!

All I can say is that I love love love their popiah. Its longer than most hawker popiahs, and they charge $2 for one popiah, which is very reasonable. What’s even better is that their popiah can be kept for a long time, even up to 5 hours, and it retains it shape! The popiah skin that they use is very sturdy, and remains chewy, but not tough, no matter how long you keep it. I like how their popiah doesn’t fall to pieces when you pick up a piece with chopsticks. I think their secret lies in how they stuff the popiah skin with vegetables, and roll it up really tightly so the vegetables stay compact. The generous amounts of sweet sauce they use also help to act as a layer to prevent the popiah skin from softening from the moisture of the vegetables. There’s a science behind the construction of the perfect popiah. Whatever it is, they know the secret!

Qiji also offers other food, such as Tauhu Goreng, (pictured below), Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Mee Siam, Mee Rebus, and even snacks like Yam Kueh and Chee Cheong Fun. Considering that they are a chain eatery, I give them two thumbs up for consistent service, and good food. Their food is affordable and quality is guaranteed across the various outlets. Their success lies in the way they have Mcdonald-ized the way the way they run their eatery. One person prepares the popiah, another prepares the rice sets, another focuses on the noodles. Drinks are pre-packed, and are kept in a chiller where you help yourself. Service is efficient, and the food is affordable, honestly, what more can you ask for?

Qiji is often bustling with life, with customers from all races, since Qiji is halal-certified, so Malays, Chinese, and Indians can all enjoy the yummy local fare. I would definitely recommend that you try Qiji’s popiah, as well as their other dishes of course, but to me, their popiah is a must.

Rating: 7/10

VeganBurg @ The Grandstand: Healthy fast food?

I’m typing this post at an ungodly hour, but I couldn’t sleep for some strange reason… and I really want to do a post on last night’s adventures while the memory is still fresh in my mind!

Well, last night I headed down to the Grandstand (aka Turf City) with my buddy, Cassandra. We went to VeganBurg for dinner and then roamed around PasarBella for awhile. I haven’t been to Turf City in ages so I was really surprised by how much it has changed since I was younger. The place is full of newly opened eateries, and it has this lovely laidback atmosphere. Since its so far in, it takes you away from the reality of civilization to a certain extent, and you feel like you’re in another country. On a saturday night, most of the eateries weren’t very crowded, which was great (not for them though), considering that I don’t like crowds.

Upon entering, you will be greeted with this huge poster right next to the counter. I ended up ordering the burger in the poster (Hawaiian Teriyaki) Strategic marketing I must say!

At VeganBurg, you have the option of making your burger a meal, by adding $3.90. For the meal, it comes with a side of fries or broccoli and a drink. They don’t offer soft drinks like Coke or Sprite here, but they have options like Citron Cooler, Miami Peach and Lemon Loco. They are like fruit teas/juices, which are supposedly healthier than soft drinks.

I had the Citron Cooler which tasted like lime/lemon juice from concentrate. I liked how it was really sour, which made it even more refreshing. I would have hoped for even healthier drink options, like fresh fruit juice perhaps? But I guess that would defeat the idea of a fast food concept.

The drink station is self-service, similar to Subway. So after you get your cups at the counter, you just move a little over to the right to get your drinks. Like other fast food outlets, serviettes and condiments are all self-service. They even have paper bags available in case you can’t finish your food and want to bag your leftovers.

This outlet is pretty big, possibly slightly larger than Mcdonald’s at Alocassia. They have several seating options, like the high chairs above, and even comfy sofa-like low chairs nearer the glass window. I went for the boring old normal chairs cause I can only eat swallow my food when I’m seated at certain heights.

Nah, I’m kidding as usual. Heh. But I’m sure the normal seating would be more comfortable for eating.

Oh yes, how could I forget the elephant in the room… or in this case the giant motorcycle sitting in the centre of the restaurant. I have no idea how this contributes to the concept of VeganBurg and healthy living, but it looks pretty rad.

Food’s here! As I mentioned earlier, I had the Hawaiian Teriyaki while my friend had Char-grilled Satay. Both our burgers came with the pan-grilled soy patty, so texture-wise they should have been pretty similar.

Let me start off with the sides. The broccoli was undercooked, and tasteless. Perhaps if they sourced for fresher produce it would taste much better. Fresh vegetables taste great on their own!

As for the bun, I was impressed by how soft and fluffy it was. It nearly couldn’t support the dense soy patty. I have no qualms about that though! Except maybe that it made the burger a little harder to eat since the burger was so flimsy. But I’d just be picking on the nitty gritty details. Seriously, who analyses a burger to such depth?

My burger came with a nice juicy ring of grilled pineapple. Grilling it brought out its sweetness which was a surprisingly nice addition to my burger! I never thought of adding fruit to a burger. But if you’re not a fan of savoury-sweet things, I wouldn’t recommend this for you since the teriyaki sauce was sweet as well. 

Pardon this ugly photo, but I wanted to let you guys have a look at the patty before I devoured it. The photo is blur because the burger was so heavy it wouldn’t stay upright when I held it with one hand. I’m no burger expert, but surely this is a sign of a good burger? A dense patty would count a plus point to me!

There was quite a lot of sauce so it was dripping all over, making this quite messy to eat. Apart from that, the soy patty really impressed me! Its texture resembles meat both visually and gastronomically (?), haha basically it looks and tastes like chicken.

I also liked how they served their burgers on Mess Tins, which added to the unique vibe of the eatery. What I didn’t like was how they dusted flour on top of the burger buns, which did absolutely nothing for the burger. In fact it tasted like chalk. Not that I’ve tasted chalk before, but if I had, this is what I would imagine it to taste like.

ENOUGH WITH THE RAMBLING. WHAT’S YOUR VERDICT?? I can imagine you yelling that at me in your head. Well don’t get your knickers in a knot. My verdict is…

VeganBurg is definitely a place I’ll visit again. Its not like the typical fast food restuarants you go into, where you can feel a layer of oil thickening on your skin the longer you stay there. It resembles a cafe since you have to wait for your food, only collecting it from the counter when the buzzer sounds. Foodwise, I would say its healthier than fast food (if you order broccoli instead of fries), and it leaves you with a much better after taste.

Rating: 7/10 (+1 for health factor)

For those of you who like to sit at home reading about other people’s fun adventures, wishing you could be a part of it… here’s something fun for you to read while you eat ice cream out of the tub.

Presenting Pasarbella! My friend and I headed down to Pasarbella to walk around after dinner since we both love the atmosphere there. It was astonishingly quiet for a Saturday night. I later realised that it was because stalls close at 7pm, so only the restaurants were open by the time we went in. Pasarbella is the closest we are ever going to get to a Farmers Market in Singapore. I love wandering aimlessly around Pasarbella, just looking at the eclectic decor, or simply people-watching. What’s more, they have lots of good food for you to try! I saw Hubers’ Butchery, Shiraz Mazzeh, Gastronomia da Paolo, Le Patio and this huge Japanese section up front. We were too full after dinner, so we didn’t eat anything, but Pasarbella is on my list of places to try, so I’ll be back!

We decided to walk around Giant (the supermarket), for a while since there wasn’t anything else to do at Turf City. It would be nice if they added a cinema or some shops so that people have somewhere to go to after having their meal.

First up, we saw this GINORMOUS teddy bear, and we just had to take a photo with it. I have always wanted a huge stuffed bear, but I never got one of course. There’s no practical use for one, except on the occasions when you feel like nobody loves you and you need a great big hug! I love this big guy.

Basically we just spent close to half an hour roaming around, looking for our childhood snacks and cereals. It was fun! We felt like little kids again.

{Disclaimer: None of the photos from this point onwards belong to me! Credits to the respective owners.}

Let me just share a few of my most memorable childhood treats before I end off…

Anyone remember…

Solero Shots

This was the best photo I could find of the interior… so don’t mind the face at the back 😛

Gosh I loved this when I was young. The sour burst of icy cold balls of icecream? Yes please! It was the cool way of eating ice cream. Why did they stop selling this 😦

Fruity Pebbles

I can’t believe I ate this when I was young. It is diabetes in a box. The cereal is clearly artificially flavoured and coloured, and it tastes like rainbow sugar. Rainbow cereal which left you with rainbow milk. Ah, I see why I liked it as a kid. I was clearly a gay kid, even back then. I guess, nutrition and what not didn’t really matter to us then. We just ate anything we wanted!

Potong

Well, I still eat this now… but this is the epitome of old school ice cream, in addition to the ice cream sandwich they sell along the streets in Orchard.

Nissin Instant Cup Noodles

Chicken flavour was my favourite!

Cheez Ballz

Was I the only one who ate these bright orange cheez ballz? The ones that stained your fingers a luminous orange, and probably damaged all your internal organs. But they were fun to eat when I was young(er)!

Ritz HandiSnaks

I’m confident I’m not alone here… I think everyone grew up eating this!

Oreo Cereal

Anyone remember this guy? I know Oreo cereal came and went pretty fast so I’m not sure who else had this in their childhood.. but I certainly remember it was in mine! I loved the bittersweet taste of the cereal which didn’t turn soggy as quickly as real Oreos.

Old school snacks

Iced gems, White Rabbit sweets, orange crackers, Haw Flakes and an endless list of snacks that I can’t put a name to.. but I’m sure this is a familiar sight for all my fellow Singaporeans. Good times good times.

Woah, that was an unexpected trip down memory lane!

Hope you guys had fun seeing your childhood snacks 🙂

******************************************UPDATE 26 DEC*********************************

I returned to Veganburg again to try a couple more of their burgers on Boxing Day, so here’s what I thought the second time round.

I had the Smoky BBQ Burger which had the same patty as my previous burger. I also sampled the Satay Burger and Creamy Mushrooms Burger which had the same patty as well, except the patty in the Creamy Mushrooms Burger was coated in a crispy breadcrumb coating. The only difference between the burgers is the sauce they use… and it is for this reason I would say that Greenzilla is a better choice than Veganburg. Greenzilla has different patties, sauces and buns for each burger, and their burger patties are definitely more flavorful than Veganburg.

I also took the liberty of trying their Tofu Franks ($3.90) which are sausages made of tofu, instead of processed meat and a truckload of preservatives. 

 

 

I must say I was rather impressed by how well they managed to replicate the taste and texture of sausages! I wouldn’t have known if was made of tofu. Perhaps we should replace the processed sausages in the supermarkets with these tofu franks, and no one would know the difference. The tofu franks were just a wee bit mushier on the inside as compared to most meat sausages.

I think they were boiled, so when it was served, the thinly sliced tofu franks were glistening (in water, not oil, I hope). It was rather off-putting to see wet franks… I immediately associated the tofu franks with soggy mush, when I was first served.

What’s more, for $3.90, the serving size was so tiny! Compare the drinking cup to the serving cup. I think they probably sliced no more than two sausages thinly, and scattered a measly portion of damp lettuce on top. Presentation wise, these tofu franks would get a zero. 

 

I would give these a miss the next time I visit VeganBurg though. They simply aren’t worth the money. 

Freedom tastes so good.

Guess what? A levels are over!! Woohooooooo. I am so happy! To celebrate, I threw away at least 2kg worth of assessment books. Well, that’s not exactly my idea of celebration, but I didn’t have any space on my shelves, so to the bin it was!

While I have enjoyed the past 5 hours of freedom, I’m actually quite bored now. Freedom may taste good, but there’s a limit to it. I’m the kind of person who needs my day to be filled with activities if not I’ll just rot. So I decided to write a post on all the food places that I want to try/food related things that I am planning to do so that I don’t waste my holidays away. Hopefully I’ll get to try as many of these eateries as possible during my break. I’ll be posting reviews as I go along, so feel free to join me in my food escapades.

I suppose this is more of a personal list for myself to keep track of places I want to visit and the food that I want to try… BUT it could be useful for you foodies who want to join in the hype and go cafe hopping.

If you’ve been planning to try any of these places as well, do give me a shout out! We could organize a foodie outing together 😀

ANTOLIYA’S FOODIE WISHLIST:

Cafes to try:
W39 Bistrobar
This cafe looks so pretty, and the food seems rather affordable. I’m quite keen to go there for a lazy Sunday brunch.

La Ristrettos
This hidden gem in Novena Square seems like the perfect hideout for one to enjoy a slow meal, while reading a book or just chilling!

Real Food
I’ll be going here sometime in December, so stay tuned for a review! They sell healthy, wholesome and tasty food. Well, that’s what I’ve heard at least. I’ll let you guys know once I’ve tried it. Signatures are supposed to be their Vegetarian Dumplings.

Cups N Canvas
Well, to be honest, this is on my list because of their Sweet Potato Latte. I saw a photo of the lilac beauty, and it was love at first sight. Hoping their other items are good too!

Arkadas Cafe
I’m just going there for their fluffy pita bread and hummus. Any one knows of eateries in Singapore which serve up awesome hummus?

Riders Cafe
Their french toast looks divine! Plus, what could be better than watching horses gallop by as you enjoy your breakfast/brunch in a chill atmosphere?

Nassim Hill Bakery and Bistro
Their Hot Reuben sandwich looks really good, and huge! Their egg white omelette and Egg Benedict looks rather promising as well.

Caffe Beviamo
I have a friend who’s a regular here and I’ve been meaning to check this place out. I’m planning to try one of their sandwiches. The only thing holding me back is that it costs $14.

The Rotiserrie
I just like the ambience here! I’ve walked past their Rochester outlet several times, but never stopped by to try. Their Roasted Chicken Leg and Paninis look like they have potential.

Buttercake N Cream
I can’t really remember why I noted them down, but I do know that they were an unexpected find when I was at Sunset Way some time back.

The Muffinry
Without a doubt, I’m all for their savoury muffin, “Green Eggs and Ham”. I mean, what can go wrong with anything related to Cat in the Hat right? 😛

O’Bean Soya Organic Store
Have you guys seen the size of their glutinous rice balls? The dish is called Black Marbles, and they look so amazing. I can just hear them calling out to me.

Pita Pan
Their Shakshouka and Hummus platter is definitely on my list of food to try

The Orange Thimble
This quaint cafe looks like a nice place to hangout… plus their cafe’s food looks decent as well.

PasarBella
Well, this isn’t a cafe as you might know, but its still going on my list cause it has all the amazing food in one place. Ooh yeah.

The Pantry at Loewen Road
I plan to try the Pantry and check out the farmers’ market as well! It looks more homely than Pasarbella so the experience will probably be different, even though they are both farmers’ markets.

Creamier
So this isn’t a cafe either, but I’m dying to try their ice cream which always seems to be scooped perfectly and perched precariously on two crisp (looking) waffles.

Brownice
Yet another ice cream place… but this is vegan! I’m eager to see if they can still make ice cream taste good even without dairy. Ooh, and I hear they have added new savoury items to their menu, hummus toasties anyone?

Sarnies
I’ve heard about their ginormous portions of sandwiches and salads. I think that speaks for itself 😛

Bakeries to try:

Bunnies
I’m not too sure about the name of this bakery, but I know its located in Chinatown, and that they sell yam buns. Well yam sounds good enough to me!

Barcook Bakery
Yeah, its been awhile since the hype, but I still want to try a freshly baked bun from them. I’ve tasted their famous Cream Cheese Bun, but it wasn’t hot… so I suppose that would be an entirely different experience.

Tiong Bahru Galicier Bakery
Their lemper ayam, ondeh ondeh and kueh dardar look really good.

Tong Heng
Need I say more? Of course I have to try their famous egg tart!

I feel hungry thinking of all these places to try! I’m going to have to eat quite a few skinny people if I want to make up for it. Haha. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to roam around and spend my holidays chilling at various cafes, signing up for random activities and meeting up with (old and new) friends. Hope this post gave you some good ideas for your next food outing 🙂

Freedom is strangely exhausting. I think I’m going to crash and make up for all the lost sleep this whole year. Good night, and keep your eyes peeled for loads of reviews which I have been piling up over the course of the year!

Hawker Heritage: Pau (Steamed Buns)

Good morning to you all! I’m back again.

I’m on a roll.. 3 posts in 2 days? That’s a rarity.
Studying must be taking a toll on me :O Well, blogging about food is the perfect way for me to destress.

Since today is National Day in Singapore, its the perfect day to launch yet another series, Hawker Heritage, where I will share more about a hawker food so that you can learn about a unique Singaporean dish you have never heard of. This will be a fun read if you’re a foreigner, or.. if you’re reading this in the future, and this dish has been lost, at least you’ll get to know about it. Even if you are a local, it’ll be interesting to read about the history of a certain dish for a change! Basically, what I’m saying is…I’m sure this will be an enjoyable read for everyone. 😛

I think its extremely sad that we are losing our hawker heritage. With so many young adults only looking at office jobs, there is no one to take over our hawkers. That being said, it is not easy teaching someone else the tricks of the trade, especially is the hawker has been cooking for 30 years. Its difficult to pass on the “wok hei” to a new cook.. after so many years, the hawkers have developed some kind of intuition of when the food has been perfectly cooked. Its no longer a recipe, or a job, its become second nature to them.

Sure, you may say that there are up and coming young hawkers who are setting up stalls here and there, but these few are far from enough to replace the older generation of hawkers. I shudder at the thought of losing the delicious and affordable hawker food to commercially produced food, over-priced restaurants and… *gulp* run-of-the-mill food courts. The concepts in food courts may be similar to hawker centres, but there is absolutely no way the ambience and the food can match up to our mouthwatering hawker food.

If we ever lose our hawker heritage, (please let that not be so), may this series serve as a reminder of what we had, and what we will always love.

To the parents out there, do not belittle family gathering or the making of traditional recipes.. these little things define our childhood. Who doesn’t love popiah parties, making love-letters, or crafting delicious bak zhang with your family and friends? And to the children out there, be willing to learn and try new things, find out as much as you can about Singapore’s traditional food, and pass on the tradition to your kids. It would pain me to see Singapore lose our hawker heritage like how we are losing our ability to speak in dialects.

Enough of the gloom doom, let’s start today’s post with one of my favorite foods, PAU. (or Bao, Baozi)

Pau or chinese steamed buns, are buns filled with all kinds of fillings, and steamed in a huge wooden steamer. Nowadays, most people use the modern steamers which look like metal drawers. The fillings range from meat fillings, like barbequed pork (charsiew), to vegetable fillings, either turnips or mixed shredded veggies, to dessert like buns filled with red bean paste, yam paste or custard. There are so many variations, I couldn’t possibly list them all out!

This is a Tau Sar pau (red bean paste). As you can see, the fluffy white bun encases a sweet red bean filling. This was one of the best red bean paus I had.. you can even see the chunks of red bean, and a slight tinge of redness. Some commercially made paus barely resemble red beans, the filling looks more like a smooth black paste, and is overly sweetened.

My favorite part of eating a pau is tearing it in half and watching the steam rise out from the centre of your pau. Piping hot is the way to go! Everyone has their favorite pau, and my favorites would be yam pau, lian yong pau (lotus paste), and vegetable pau. Unfortunately, since I love these paus too much, I don’t have any photos of them, since they somehow find their way into my mouth way too quickly. All I have is the poorly taken photo of an average looking vegetable pau below.

For the health conscious, vegetable paus would appeal to you. Filled solely with cooked vegetables, you can get one of your five-a-day! There are even wholemeal options to healthify it even more. Since these buns are steamed, they can be considered relatively healthy too.

Paus were first created about 2000 years ago, believed to have been invented as a portable meal for soldiers in third century A.D, Now, paus are a delicacy enjoyed by all, in China, Another story goes that in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, mantou was also said to be associated with the famous strategist Zhu Ge Liang, 诸葛亮, who supposedly made ritual offerings of mantou stuffed with meat (meat pau) in place of human sacrifice. (Mantou is a steamed bun without any filling)

This variation is the Charsiew Pau (barbequed pork), and is loved by many for its slightly sweet taste which compliments the charred meaty goodness. The best pau would have a thin casing and loads of filling, such that it is almost spilling out.

Pau are commonly eaten for breakfast, and can be found at dimsum restaurants. These buns are about the size of a tennis ball, so two of them would make a substantial breakfast.

For the bigger eaters, there are even Da Paus (big pau) which are much larger, and are filled with meat. I love these paus as they are a meal in itself, sometimes even coming with an egg! The juices from the meat soak into the bun, without making the entire bun become soggy. Even Bruce Lee loved some good pau.

 as touted by Johor Bahru Hand made Pau, who also sells giant paus (inspired by Amy Yip’s.. uhm.. assets).

Everybody raves over Liu Sha Pau (salted egg yolk custard bun), which is fun to eat cause of the way the filling flows like a river of golden sand. Never bite straight into this or you risk burning your throat as the hot lava goodness rushes down. Honestly, I’m not too sure why everybody loves this, it was too rich for me, but as a foodie, I had to get some to see what the hype was all about.

Some of the good pau stalls in Singapore include TIong Bahru Pau, Teck Kee Pau, Commonwealth Pau and Tanjong Rhu Pau. Sadly, a common trend I have noticed is the shrinking of the paus, and the rise in prices. Some stalls even try to add their own twist, such as adding Lor Mai Kai (glutinous rice and meat) into a steamed bun casing.. which was not very popular, probably cause it was a carbo-overload. Call me old fashioned, but I still love the simple, traditional flavours the best.

You can find paus at most drink/snack/dimsum stalls in the food courts, or you could travel specially down to the above mentioned stalls to taste the real deal. If you’re lazy, the supermarket sells frozen paus which you can just steam at home. Of course, commercialised paus can’t beat the handmade versions, but they are a close enough substitute given their convenience.

As I end off, I just want to leave you with this visual:

Imagine holding a fluffy, steaming hot bun in your hand… you gently tear the bun into half, watching the steam rise from the centre of the bun, as the smell of the sweet sweet red bean wafts into your nose. Oh, nostalgia. You bring the bun to your mouth, and take a bite. The soft bun gives way to the generous red bean filling.. so smooth, so flavorful, and perfectly sweet. Before you know it, the sweet paste has made its way to your stomach, before you know it, you’re reaching for another, and another.. Savory? Sweet? They all stand no chance. 

Have I made you crave pau yet? 😉 I think I’ll go and steam some for breakfast.

WIAW: Mix and match

Good day everyone! Its my second round joining in the WIAW party, with the brilliant Jenn who’s hosting as always. I think WIAW is a brilliant way for bloggers to learn more about each other, even if its just by seeing what one another eats in a day. Kudos to Jenn for dreaming up such a fun event on the blogosphere.

Breakfast:

2 Weetbix topped with a cold banana, and soya milk. So simple and so delicious. I have a big appetite though, so I had two Jollipancakes to follow (below)

A Jollipancake is a thin pancake which is spread with peanut jam (crushed peanuts mixed to form a thick paste), and rolled up. The crunch of the crushed peanuts and sugar takes pancakes to a whole new level. I still prefer their normal traditional pancakes though, as you can see. But if you like western pancakes, then this would be a better bet.

Lunch:
I had hawker food for lunch today! I went to ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, which has loads of good food. Lunch for me was Handmade Fishball noodles which were spectacular. The soup was tasty, and the fishballs were springy and stuffed with ingredients, unlike their processed counterparts.

If you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, should you ever come to Singapore, do get your hands on some fishballs. Fishballs are made of fish meat, which is ground up into a paste, so it does not have a texture like meat at all. Sometimes, spices like chopped red chillies and green onions are added for a flavor boost. My favorite kind is the FuZhou Fishball, where the fIshball is stuffed with minced meat. When you bite into it, the juices from the meat just ooze into your mouth, and its like a party for your taste buds. They may sound and look strange, but they are fun to eat (be careful not to stuff the entire ball into your mouth though, or the Heimlich maneuver may come in handy). While fishballs are considered simple fare, they are still a novelty since you probably will not be able to find them outside Asia.

Woah. that was an unexpected paragraph on fishballs. Haha, well moving on, here’s what I had for dessert!
I got these bowls of deliciousness from a stall called “Creo Desserts“. With stalls like Blackball, and Beanstalk taking Singapore by storm, I have to say, this is my kryptonite. Affordable, and in my opinion, better than Blackball and Beanstalk (*gasp*), these are just plain delightful. Crushed ice drenched in syrup, and topped with grass jelly, red beans, and taro balls (or taro for my foodie-in-crime)… the ideal dessert for a hot day in sunny Singapore.

Here’s a close up! Isn’t it pretty? 🙂

Dinner:
For my fellow health nuts, this should ring a bell. Sumo salad for dinner anyone? Here are the few variations I’ve had lately. I love how generous they are with the portions, literally stuffing the box with the salads of your choice.

Kumara/Sweet potato Couscous, Jamaican Chicken and Pumpkin with chickpeas. Eating the rainbow indeed! This was my favorite combination.

Chicken avocado salad, Couscous and Jamaican Chicken. Still loving the Jamaican Chicken.

Chicken Avocado Salad, Chickpeas, Couscous with Sausage, White bean and Kumara. I got greedy and mixed 4 types of salad together. Don’t follow my lead.. sometimes, less is more.

And, if you have leftovers, what better way than to add more veggies, and serve it up again the next day? The perfect way to get more greens into your diet. I’d say this WIAW has more greens than my previous WIAW 😀 Achievement unlocked!

Well, all good things come to an end, and this concludes my WIAW #2, I certainly hope you had fun reading 😀 or at least looking at the photos.

Have a brilliant day, may God bless you always.

Product Review: Sunnyhills Pineapple Cakes

Its a sunny yellow banana day… Sound familiar? Anyone else remember the hilarious commercial with the dancing cow advertising HL’s banana milk? Oh dear, looks like I’ve gone on a tangent before I’ve even started my review.

Well, I was blessed with the opportunity to try Sunnyhills Pineapple Cakes after winning a box of 10 Pineapple tarts in a giveaway by Palate. This box of 10 is worth SGD$25, and are individually wrapped. I was not paid to review this, and all thoughts and comments about this product are my own 🙂

Their shop is located in a quiet stretch of shops on Level 3 of Raffles Hotel, do look out for it cause its rather easy to miss!  Sunnyhills pride themselves in freshly baked pineapple cakes made with natural ingredients and red-yolk eggs. In fact, they recently became Halal-certified, so this could be a go to place for Hari Raya gifts!

Honestly, I have absolutely no idea why its called a Pineapple Cake, when it looks and tastes like a Pineapple Tart, with the buttery casing and all. For those of you who have no idea what a Pineapple tart is, it is a small pastry either topped with pineapple jam, or in some cases the pastry encases the jam, which is commonly eaten during Chinese New Year.

Each Pineapple Cake comes individually wrapped in paper, which allows for easy, mess-free consumption. I really liked their cardboard box which added a sort of down-to-earthy yet classy feel to the packaging. Since no preservatives are added, the pineapple cakes are good for 3 weeks at room temperature. My recommendation is to consume them as soon as possible as the quality does drop over time.

The pineapple jam is surrounded with a flaky, buttery crust.. a rather sturdy crust I must add, since it kept its rectangular shape. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The crust was dry, and the pineapple filling did not fare much better, since it was dry and fibrous as well. One thing that I liked was that it wasn’t overly sweet, like many of the commercially made pineapple tarts.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of preservatives, and the fact that the box I received was already a week old… nonetheless, despite their not-so-spectacular pineapple cake, I would like to commend them for their excellent service.

Since it was my first time to Raffles Hotel, Little Ms Blur here ended up at the back door of the shop. Yet, the shopkeepers gamely led me in from the back, all the while smiling, and not the slightest bit annoyed that I had entered their work space. They offered me a cuppa tea and a tart to try before I collected my box, but I politely declined since I had to rush off elsewhere. The two lovely ladies efficiently gathered my goods, while chattering away about how the pineapple cakes were made, and how soon to consume them. Their amiable service was much appreciated, and I definitely felt more than welcome in their cosy little shop.

If you plan on giving them a try, do take time to sit down in their shop and enjoy the laid back vibe and eclectic furniture as you have your tea and cake.

For those of you who are more health-conscious, the nutrition facts are quite a shocker. Despite the short ingredient list, and the all-natural ingredients, one pineapple cake along will set you back 205 calories. That is one very calorie dense pineapple tart!

Great service, but not so great food? It pains me to give them a bad rating, but its all about the food isn’t it? I would like to give them a raving rating like all the other food bloggers out there, but I have to be honest. Their pineapple tart/cakes were not up to standard. Nonetheless, I’m willing to give them another go, hopefully when its fresh, so I can taste it at its best! But for now, Sunnyhills loses out to L.E Confectionery’s golf ball sized pineapple tarts for sure. Buy it or fly by it? I’d go with fly by it. Its not worth 205 calories.

Rating: 4/10