Dim Sum at Ah Yat Seafood, Allson Hotel

We would always order a plate of fried rice when we went for dim sum as the kids preferred to have rice rather than the dim sum dishes the adults would partake in. This was our first time at Ah Yat inside Allson Hotel for dim sum and the dishes were pretty nice.

The fried rice was fragrant and filled with crunchy veggies and succulent prawns. It did take a long while for them to serve it even though we specifically requested for it to be served first so that the children will not fuss.

The century egg and pork congee was good. The rice was cooked till it almost disintegrated and was smooth and went down the throat easily. Nice.

The siew mai was pretty big and juicy, especially when you had it piping hot.

Not sure what this was called but it has scallop on top and it was really nice. I liked it.

We also had the crispy rolls where it was stuffed with shrimp and mango. So yummy.

The mini egg tart with its flaky crust and eggy custard filling.

The big dumpling soup filled with shark fin, shrimp, scallop, mushrooms, and other goodness. The dumpling skin was soft and the broth was robust and was overall so much better than the one served at Raffles Town Club.

We decided to try another signature dish - rice with abalone juice and cooked in lotus leaf. I did not know their "he ye fan" was not the sticky glutinous rice steamed inside the lotus leaf. The rice was very fragrant with the abalone juice and had bits of shrimp and mushrooms in there. Very nice.

Another speciality was the char siew bun which looked so sinful rich with the buttery glaze over it.

The char siew filling inside was sweet and the bun was soft.

Pacific Coffee Company @ VivoCity

It has been such a long time since I last went to a Pacific Coffee Company that I barely remembered it now. The outlet at VivoCity did not register in my mind even though I obviously walked past it several times.

The staff was amazed when I showed my coffee card as it was from the now defunct outlet at the airport. Kudos to them for honoring the card and they just transferred the stamps gained from that card to the new card for me.

I decided on the cappuccino and it was pretty good. I liked the froth which was not too much and was just nice. The egg sandwich (untoasted) was not that tasty at all. Maybe it would be better if it was toasted?

The place was considerably quieter on a Sunday when compared to the other coffee chains. Good place to stop for a coffee break and get away from the endless chatter at the other places.

Sin Heng Kee Again

Where do you go when the curry rice at Beo Crescent seemed to have sold out of the popular pork chop? Sin Heng Kee!

After I told a friend about the wonderful curry rice at Beo Crescent, she wanted to go there for lunch. It was such a spur of the moment decision that by the time we arrived, it was around 1:45pm and almost all the dishes were gone.

As I usually went there very early (before 12noon), I was not sure when they actually shut down for the day. When we saw the tray of pork chop was gone, we thought it would not be replenish and so decided to go elsewhere.

Being in the Tiong Bahru area, I was racking my brains on where to go when suddenly I remembered the chicken rice stall at Hoy Fatt Road ~ Sin Heng Kee. So off we went to Alexandra/Jalan Bukit Merah area for another yummy comfort food.

We told the auntie we wanted a portion for 2 persons indicated the meat we would like ~ roasted chicken, roasted pork and char siew. We didn't add on the egg and tofu and it came to $7 for the above.

The roasted pork was so good. Well I liked the crispy skin which crackled when you bit into it. There was no porky taste either. The chicken was tender and the chili was very spicy. A little went a long way. I loved the soup which was full of veggies. The char siew was nice too, it was not dry or hard and the sweet sauce was not too cloying.

Ayam Gulai, Plaza Singapura Foodcourt

This was the first time I ordered the ayam gulai from the ayam panggang stall at the food court in Plaza Singapura. It did not look as appetizing as ayam panggang but it was surprisingly tasty.

The mild curry was not very spicy and there was a light hint of coconut in the curry. Given a choice, I would go for the ayam panggang over ayam gulai just because I prefer the slightly sweet taste of the panggang gravy.

The chicken was very tender that the meat just fell off the bone. It was nice.

Blk 40 Beo Crescent Curry Rice

I went back to basics and took a friend to have curry rice at Blk 40 Beo Crescent. I kept driving to the Tiong Bahru area that I was starting to recognize and remember the area now.

All these for $4.40. The bestseller ~ pork chops so thin and crispy that I could not taste any meat at all. Perfect! This was my first time ordering, and decided to choose what a friend selected before for me. Curry veggies, a huge meat patty and over-easy egg along with the pork chop, with all the different types of gravy available.

So filling and so yummy. The curry or gravy really made a difference.

Watami, ION Orchard

You would see long line snaking outside Watami on B3 of ION Orchard when it first opened. Touted as similar to the fare served at Waraku Japanese Restaurant, people were eager to try it out. I was there around 5pm on a weekday so it was fairly empty, with about 30% of the tables taken up.

Everything looked good from the menu and we decided to just share a few dishes. The prices were pretty decent too, but then again it also reflected the quality of the food.

We ordered the scallop croquette and Irodori sushi grandeur which were their signature dish. The sushi came with salmon, scallop and eel toppings. I thought it was average. You could taste every single grain of the rice and the taste was so-so. Inagiku, Tatsuya or Japanese Dining Sun, they are not. In fact, it was similar to the sushi served at Itacho Sushi, also in ION Orchard (B2), which I felt was too terrible to even want to blog about it. The wasabi was awful too. I was not sure what was wrong but it tasted a bit powdery?

The kani and hotate cream croquette was crispy on the outside with the cream sauce oozing out when you bit into it. The sauce was not extremely creamy which might be disappointing to those expecting a rich sensory experience to the tastebuds.

The last dish was the fried chicken with rice and miso soup. The soup was average, probably from a mix and not very well done either. The chicken was juicy and crispy and tasted great with the sauce which came with the croquette.

The selection of sashimi was limited and there was no chirashi. It seemed to served a bit of everything from pizza, skewers, hotplate, grilled food to ramen and even bibimbap. The service was typical ~ polite and with the standard Japanese greetings, but they did not observe the diners once the food was served. The water glass was not topped up, extra plates were not given even though we were sharing. We had to request for that when staff should be trained to ensure a smooth dining experience.

I think I am probably a bit too spoilt with other Japanese places which served better quality food with equally attentive wait staff that other places serving average food just do not appeal to me anymore. There is nothing worse than having really mediocre food which is totally unsatisfying, because then you would keep thinking of what you could have had the entire day.

Bak Chor Mee @ Food Opera, ION Orchard

Doesn't this look tempting? I am sold by the sauce, spicy and generous enough to coat every single strand of mee pok (flat noodle) with a dash of vinegar.

I usually do not take such porky dishes but the meatball and dumpling and saucy noodle is just so enticing. See the soup which was probably cooked for a long time with pork bones. For those who are into liver and meat, this would be fantastic. The pork slice was actually very tender and not tough at all, and it did not have the usual porky taste which I disliked.

Hmmm...I wonder if I can request for just meatball and dumpling next time since I am still not a big fan of pork though this is quite alright.

I am not sure what is the name of the stall but it is the one next to the Indian stall but I think it has Teochew somewhere written in its signboard.

Christmas Lights Up

I was surprised to see the Christmas lighting for 2009 go up last week. We are barely nearing the end of October and already workers are stringing the lights and decorations across Tanglin Road and Orchard Road. Are we efficient or what?
I also saw Christmas decorations outside Tanglin Mall over the weekend. It is just astounding how the malls are getting a headstart on this year Christmas decorations.

Quiznos Once Again at Orchard Central

They should start giving out frequent diner stamps as I sure am patronizing the place almost once a week now. I was with 2 other friends and we decided to share 2 x 9" subs. Since they have never tried the zesty grill steak, I told them it was a "must-try".

It was lovely as usual with the meaty beef and sauce and toasted rosemary cheddar bread. Yummilicious!
We decided to try a chicken sub and chose the bourbon chicken. See how healthy it is with all the fresh veggies covering the chicken. The chicken was tender and moist, but after eating the steak, chicken just did not cut it anymore.

While both chicken and beef subs are nice, when there is only one option, it has to be the beef. Somehow it just tastes so much better. Maybe because the beef is always fresh and meaty and tender. Not hard and dry and tough like other places.

Snowskin Mooncake ~ Shang Palace

I am super late with this post since the Mid-Autumn Festival is over. I did not buy many mooncakes as there were so many boxes at home. However since I prefer snowskin mooncakes, I bought just one as a treat for myself as nobody else likes it.
I decided to forgo my usual purchase from Fairmont Singapore and bought this champagne truffle snowskin mooncake from Shang Palace, Shangri-La instead. It was very nice, without the cloying sweetness of the filling. The champagne was delicate and not overpowering too.

Prego, Fairmont Singapore

It was quite late by the time we ended up at Prego for dinner. We were looking for Thai food but at 9+pm, many places were closed by the time we walked to Purvis Street and CityLink Mall. And I had totally forgot about the Patara Thai at Raffles City, somehow I kept thinking it was only available at Tanglin Mall.

I was not very hungry so I only ordered the mushroom soup and a dessert.

The mushroom soup with truffle oil and a thin bread stick. I was a bit disappointed with the soup as it was not as thick as I would like it to be. I felt it was a bit thin and watery and the truffle taste was barely discernable. I much preferred the one served at Greenhouse in Ritz Carlton.

My dessert - cannolo (I found out cannolo is singular, cannoli is plural) with fresh berries and sorbet and vanilla sauce.

This was so good! I loved the sinful sweet filling (not sure if it was cream or mascopone) in the light flaky puff pastry tube. The berries were a good foil against the sweetness, as was the sorbet. I did not like the sorbet as it had a hint of spice on it.

Now I wonder where I can go look for cannoli. They are absolutely yummy.

Ayam Panggang, Plaza Singapura

Did anyone notice that the food court at Plaza Singapura has become less crowded after the renovation?

It has been some time since I last ate there and so decided to order the ayam panggang. It was still decent. Tender grilled chicken dipped in the sweet black sauce, with egg and soup. I added veggies to the dish as somehow I was so used to having veggies with any rice meal.

Quiznos and Tully's Coffee Again

I am such a fan of Tully's Coffee and Quiznos subs that I keep going back. I think I go there once a week or so now. I am so glad there is an outlet in Orchard Road as the other places are not that convenient for me at all.

I ordered a cappuccino and was so excited to see they provided fresh chocolate (likely from Ghirardelli) in a grinder that you could "shave" it. Super gorgeous!
As there were 3 of us, we decided to order 2 9" subs so that we could share. Both gfs loved the toasted brown (whole meal) bread with the spicy beef and cheddar sub. It was very nice, especially the bacon which was crispy and not limpy at all.
And of course, I just had to have the zesty steak grill again. With the spicy beef and cheddar, I could compare the two types of beef subs. The zesty steak was much sweeter (maybe from the sauce) and the rosemary and cheddar bread was softer too. I still loved it though.

Sunrise in the City

I rarely get to see sunrises, despite being a morning person, and so it was a treat to be able to watch the sky slowly brighten up. It is actually a lovely view of the city center area. Suntec City, Singapore Flyer, Ritz-Carlton...

The other view from my room. The building of Sands, Esplanade, the Cenotaph...by then the pinkish daybreak is almost over.

TWG Tea at ION Orchard

If you are a tea lover, then you will definitely adore TWG Tea for its vast array of tea blends available. With the opening of ION Orchard, it now has a boutique and salon in the heart of Orchard Road.

Established in Singapore, TWG (The Wellness Group) Tea offers over 800 types of tea. The mind boggles when presented with the tea menu.

With names such as Emerald Sun, First Kiss, Double Happiness, Magic Moment Tea, Valentine Breakfast Tea, Ocean Voyage Tea, Weekend in Casablanca Tea, Golden Rose Tea and Secret of Kashmir Tea, it is not a wonder to be drawn to the place again and again.

Besides tea, it also serves pastisseries and light meals and macarons. I love the rows of tea canisters lining up in the dark wood paneling and shelves.

Une glacé, anyone? A scoop of ice cream in a tea cup. I love the traditional proper place setting. It is the little touches which make a difference to the entire dining experience.

The shallow teacup allows the heat to dissipate faster which may not be agreeable to those who loves their tea to be super hot. For me, it is perfect as I could sip it without burning my tongue. I could not remember what I had, but it was in the white tea range with a subtle hint of floral.
We had macarons to go with the tea. The dark brown macaron had caramel in the centre and it was the bestseller. Not too sweet despite the caramel and it was slightly sticky chewy too. The other was something rose. It was a bit sweeter than the other and not too bad too.

TWG Tea was insanely crowded even on a Monday afternoon. It would be wise to make reservations.

Martini Bar @ Mezza 9, Grand Hyatt Singapore

Something blue which looked so pretty. A blue martini from the numerous available at the Martini Bar off Mezza 9 in Grand Hyatt Singapore. Besides alcohol, they also served bar snack food and coffee and tea and juices for the non-alcoholic.

The bratwurst which was pretty good. Served with sauteed sliced onions and mustard, the sausage was a tasty snack.
We also shared a mini burger which had a thick juicy meat patty topped with melted cheese and came with fries and gerkin. This was also very good as the fries were hot and crispy, and the burger was a good bite with fresh crisp lettuce.
My cup of cappuccino as it was pretty cold and I wanted something to stay warm.
Still feeling a bit peckish, I checked out the dessert counter at the main restaurant (Mezza 9) and ordered the strawberry shortcake. This was not too bad, with light vanilla sponge cake layered with fresh sweet cream and bits of strawberries.

Afternoon Tea @ Sherie's

Pretty delectable cupcakes, made by my friend Sherie. She is an amazing baker who makes the most delicious baked goods. She invited us (or rather, I self-invited and then it snowballed to an official invitation :p) to her place to try the red velvet cupcakes, in her words, we were the guinea pigs. And oh, we were such willing (guinea) pigs. Hehehehe.

Red velvet cupcake with very light cream cheese vanilla frosting. The frosting has real vanilla beans in it. See the tiny flecks of vanilla beans in them.

Our simple tea party where the cupcakes were the centerpiece. Celest and I added on the Malay sardine and potatoes curry puffs (or curry poks) and bbq chicken wings. Sweet and savory always go well together.

Then an unexpected treat ~ freshly baked bread rolls just out from the oven. Even though Sherie messaged to say the bread is ready, it did not register in my mind that she actually made it for tea. Hahahaha.

On the cooling rack. There absolutely is nothing like the scent of freshly baked rolls. These were infused with herbs and sun-dried tomatoes.

The first plate with its lovely motif on it. Cupcake and bread roll.

Slathered with generous serving of butter, it was yummilicious! Warm, soft and crusty with the little tart and sweet taste of sun-dried tomatoes and the slightly salty butter, absolutely delicious.

The red velvet cupcake with its ultra-lipsmacking frosting. Being home-made, the frosting was not super sweet like those sold outside. It was just nice. I loved the heart-shaped sprinkles too. So cute and so us! Hahahaha. The cupcake was moist and the frosting really went so well with it.

Red velvet refers to the reddish-brown hue of the cake and is thought to originate from the South (in USA). Some recipes call for red coloring or vinegar where it reacts with cocoa to form the red-brown color. Since there are many debates on the origins and traditions of red velvet cake, more information can be found here.

It is neither a chocolate or vanilla cake, and the taste is normal? Nothing too out of the ordinary, so it probably just looks pretty. More for decorative purposes?

Finally, one last surprise from Sherie. A dessert to round up the tea time feast. She called it a failed chocolate fudge and she turned it into dessert. She added alcohol and it became something like a chocolate trifle topped with a slice of orange. The alcohol content was quite high and each bite was soaked with it. A very rich and nice dessert, best to be shared.

Thank you, Sherie, for inviting us over and for such gorgeous and fabulous goodies and company.

Tully's Coffee & Quiznos Sub, Orchard Central

I probably had my sequence of food wrong but I just decided to have coffee and cake first since I got there around 5pm and it would be another hour or more before meeting friend for dinner.

I settled down with a book and a cup of caramel machiato and a slice of chocolate truffle cake. It was heavenly. To simply cosy up on a comfy chair with a good book, and great coffee and cake.

I was lucky to step into Tully's Coffee when they were grinding the beans as the place was infused with the intense aroma of fresh coffee beans. It was so aromatic that even if I was not in the mood for coffee, I would be upon smelling such tempting, teasing scent.

The coffee was topped with really whipped foamy milk that the foam did not dissipate at all, even after an hour or so. It was good strong coffee tempered with the sweetness of caramel. The chocolate truffle cake was made with good chocolate and was equally good.

I was pretty excited to see they used Ghirardelli chocolate for their beverage. Hmmm....good chocolate = good drinks.

Dinner means the sub from Quiznos. I decided to try the mesquite chicken on brown (whole wheat) bread and cheese broccoli soup. It was good too. The chicken was very tender and there were lots of veggies in the sub. The soup was too rich and cheesey though it tasted good when I dipped the bread into it.

I simply want to try all the subs from Quiznos, and the coffee too. I hope the quality will remain as they continue to expand in Singapore. The next outlet to open will be in Square 2 in Novena area.

Shimbashi Soba Dinner, Paragon

Sometimes you just want something cold, refreshing and fairly light. The only place I can think of is Shimbashi Soba (2 outlets, Raffles City and Paragon). I had one of the set which came with tempura, teriyaki chicken, salmon sashimi, soba and fruits.

I decided to have cold soba which came nicely chilled with wakame and a slice of fish cake and topped with fried tempura crumbs. The teriyaki chicken was tender and brushed with enough sauce to make it unami. The tempura was fried till it was airy soft and crispy.

It was a satisfying and wholesome meal. Simple yet delicious.