Yu Sheng

My family has never been big on having Yu Sheng during Chinese New Year, but in recent years, it seemed to be a "must-have" everywhere now.

Last year, I must have tossed so many yushengs that I don't even remember the quantity. Besides doing it with family, we were doing it at work too. That is, during the business luncheons that we had with business partners.

This year, I have tossed it 3 times so far. At Hock's place on the first day.

Look at the beautiful picture it made, with the colorful shredded veggies and the condiments and raw salmon to accompany it. That is home-made, shredded by my niece Charmaine and helped by others too.

There is a meaning to having yu sheng. Basically one has to toss the ingredients to mix them all up, and the higher you tossed, the better luck it will bring in the new year. Also, while tossing, you are supposed to say all the good things or fortune you would like to happen in the new year.

It is a salad of thinly sliced raw fish, finely grated vegetables, red and white pickled ginger, pepper, pomelo sacs, sesame seeds, peanuts, plum sauce, crackers, all tossed in a dressing. I can't remember all the specific meanings for each items, but this is what I recalled.

The fish is to represent abundance in the new year
Plum sauce - sweetness in the new year
Crackers - gold in the new year as it looked like the taels (money) in old China.


It is a pretty sweet salad filled with crunchy veggies and nuts and fish. I like it, makes me feel healthy having that. Hehe.

Online Shopping

I just ordered this top today from GoJane. The marvel of internet and credit cards have made online shopping so easy. Add a group of shopaholics and makeup junkies and you can have sprees everyday. Great of sharing the shipping cost.

From only ordering from La Senza and Cows on my own previously, now I am ordering from GoJane, Girlactik, Benefit Cosmetics, Victora's Secrets, ASOS, Gap, Old Navy, etc. Not sure if this is really good or bad. You decide.

CNY Eve

I had 2 rounds of reunion dinner for Chinese New Year as I also went to my cousin's place for dinner. This year it was slightly different. We are definitely moving away from the roasted duck, roasted chicken and roasted pork and the various cooked dishes. Usually there will be a mixture of those with steamboat.

However, it was steamboat and BBQ (we have an indoor hotplate for grilling/bbqing). And we didn't even have the usual bee hoon/noodles to cook. So there were abalone, scallops, prawns, chicken breast, beef slices, pork slices, fish slices, veggies, mushrooms (enoki and another Japanese mushroom which is smaller than a portobello) and sausages. We can't totally do away with the cooked stuff as my dad and uncle like that, so there was a dish of sea cucumber with pork and chicken curry. For dessert, there is home made dumplings with black sesame or peanuts stuffing cooked in peanut soup. The black sesame is much better as the peanut stuffing dumpling is too thick.

I didn't really eat much as my cousin and I were the designated grillers for the family. We were too busy cooking for the rest to really eat. Oh, and the soup is so tasty this year. Instead of the usual pork ribs/bones soup base, we used ikan bilis (anchovies) and fish bones to make the soup. The end result is so sweet and delicious.

I went over to my other cousin's place for the reunion dinner after the session at home. I am not sure when I started this, but I think it was after I came back from Canada, and I could finally drive. Reason for going over is cos they are like my family since I grew up with them and we considered each other more like brothers and sisters rather than cousins.

So onto round 2. My niece waited for me to start round 2 with her too. In the end, the boys also joined in, plus some of my other cousins. It was steamboat too. I just had a bowl of soup with mee tai mak (mouse tails) and some slices of fish, beef, fishball, crabmeat and veggies. Besides that, I also shared a slice of butter cake with fresh cream with my niece and had some of the new year goodies (e.g. pineapple tart, loveletter, sugee cookie...) The ultimate dessert was this chocolate fudge caramel chocolate shortcake. It is just so sweet and sticky and chewy. Absolutely sinful. Took a lot of willpower to say no to take some back. Hehe.

And now I am wearing my new Victoria's Secret chemise, all ready for bed. This is really comfy and feels so girly. Maybe it is because of the cotton material. Feeling so full and sleepy.

And it is 12midnight now, so Happy Lunar New Year to one and all. May the year of the Doggie bring lots of good fortune and prosperity and all good things.

Crazy Horse Paris in Singapore

Singapore was all aflutter late last year when it was revealed that Crazy Horse will be coming to Singapore shores - the first to be staged in Asia. Being "straitlaced" Singapore, the reporters and public had a field day. Not that topless dancers are new here, in fact there is the Neptune Theatre here which features topless dancers, cabaret style (have not been there before, so I have no idea what it is like exactly except that there are plenty of old men ogling the girls).

For the uninitiated, Crazy Horse Paris celebrates “l’art du nu” (the art of the nude). It is a dazzling cabaret show of highlighting the female form through the use of sound, dance and lighting. Tickets to the show is not cheap, starting at $65 + charges (includes 1 drink). I was fortunate enough to get a teaser of the performance when I attended the Life! party on Monday.

The place reeks of opulence and grandeur, with scarlet and gold all throughout. Plush carpet, chandeliers, English-styled boudoir, velvet chairs which swivel 360 degrees, silk drapes and lamps all over. It certainly did a good job of transporting one to a grand opera house. It was full house during the event with over 700 guests, and the theatre is meant to hold 450 people. But I guess the free flow of champagne, sparkling rose wine, regular wine, beer and sweets did well to soothe any ruffled feathers.

We were treated to a 15 minutes performance by the Crazy Horse Paris dancers, who did 3 acts:
God Save Our Bareskin (see right picture)
But I Am A Good Girl
Va Va Voom (finale)

The performance was breathtaking. The clever use of lighting and colors on the dancers lent artistry to the show. The sound system could be better though, in one segment, the sound was cut off and you could see the dancer lip-synching to it. To give her credit, she continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary. What amazed me was how "perfect" their breasts looked (Ok, yes I know I'm a female, but I was seated at the first row, so I could see everything :p), and no I do not think all had implants as they were of all sizes. The skin was just so smooth that I thought maybe they did wear body stocking or something. But apparently not. Someone told me it could be the play of lighting which created that illusion. Certainly it was very professional, impersonal even. Pure dancing and performance throughout the 15 minutes. No "come-hither" looks or winks at the audience, very different from what I expect (a la Show Girls).

The usual performance is actually 100 minutes and consist of 16 acts. I am not sure how long this will last or if it will make it. But everyone should at least see it once to experience it.

Operating Hours:
Tuesdays to Sundays 1st show: 7.30pm, 2nd show: 10.00pm
Additional show on Saturdays at 12.30am

Address:
Crazy Horse Paris
3B River Valley Road, #01-01
Clarke Quay
Singapore 179021

Telephone:+65-6336 1800

Website:www.crazyhorseparis.com.sg

DURATION OF SHOW: 100 minutes
Restricted to audiences aged 21 years and above

Dress code: Smart Casual

Cafe Iguana again, and again and again!

I can't believe I went to Cafe Iguana 3 times this week! That shows how much I really like the food there, or is it the tequila calling me back? Hahaha.

I went there on 23, 25 and 26 Jan (Mon, Wed and Thurs) with my (ex) colleagues. I tried something new on those visits, so it was good.

New things I tried were the Camarones al Diablo, Queso Fundido, Carne de Puerco en Chile Verde and Mini Chimichangas. All appetizers. Also sampled the mint chocolate shooter and pink guava frozen margarita. Yummy!

Camarones al Diablo - Prawns sauteed with fiery habanero chile, capsicum, ginger, cumin and lime, served with cheese quesadillas.
This is really good. The prawns are huge and juicy and fresh. The quesadillas are lovely, as usual. The sauce was not as spicy as it sounded from the description.

Queso Fundido - Spicy cheese dip served with corn chips.
Absolutely delicious. Warm toasted chips just hit the spot, and the dip is so creamy and went down smoothly. A new fave.

Carne de Puerco en Chile Verde - Spicy pork stew served with flour tortillas, sour cream and rice.
I like this too. I don't really take pork because of the smell/taste of it, but this does not have any of that at all. I even had the rice, and I try not to take too much rice usually. The pork pieces just melt in your mouth, and the rice is so flavorful you can't help but gobble it down.

Mini Chimichangas - Fried flour tortillas filled with cheese and chicken
I don't really like this, maybe because it is deep fried. It just felt oily or maybe we had too much tortillas by then we didn't really like this.

We also ordered the Sopaipilla (fried pastry served with house made ice cream and honey topping). This is the 2nd time I had this, it is not bad, but nothing to really rave about. It reminded me of A&W waffle with ice cream :) A huge round flat pastry with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the centre and drizzled with honey and cinnamon topping.

Cafe Iguana is definitely one of my favorite restaurants

New offering from MacDonalds

Now I rarely take fast food, but I just have to try this from MacDonald's. It came up with 2 types of rice patties burgers - Chicken and beef. I tried the beef fan-tastic burger. It is surprisingly succulent and flavorful. Tasty even. I had heard bad reviews about it, that the rice patties fell apart and the meat wasn't great.

The one I had stayed put, and there were so much veggies that I am impressed. Much more than Mos Burger. Overall, I like it. Nice.

Orange Lantern - 22 Jan 2006

Too tired to write much, so here are the pictures first. Vietnamese food on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

3 types of rolls for appetizer

Mango salad

Feast that we had.

Drinks - Vietnamese coffee and Three Colors (aka Vietnamese bubor cha cha)

Beef and beefballs noodles

I like Orange Lantern ever since I first tried it a few months ago. The pho came with the right condiments (very important) which made the dish absolutely divine. The beef is tender and kinda melts in your mouth. The broth is tasty and not too beefy. It could be a bit hotter so that the bean sprouts would be more cooked and less raw tasting.

The appetizers of the 3 types of rolls were delicious, especially the net roll. Crispy and fresh. The spring roll is so-so, nothing special. The paper rice roll is alright, I'm not really a big fan of the rice vermicelli.

The mango salad was absolutely yummy! Tangy but not overly sour. I like the bits of dried crispy fish sprinkled over it. Gives a crunch and refreshing taste.

Ellenborough Market Cafe - Merchant Court Hotel

I went to Ellenborough Market Cafe at Merchant Court Hotel for a buffet lunch with Nicole, Geri and Doreen yesterday. It was great fun, we got there early and took a table outside for a drink. I love the Clarke Quay area on weekend morning, it is always so tranquil and you actually get to see it in daylight. Clarke Quay is more known for its nightlife with its row of cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs.

There are less people, and it is cool to just chill by the riverside, watching the world goes by, bumboats idling or moving up and down the river, ferrying passengers, watching life slowly stirred to life as it gets pass noon and there are more tourists exploring the area.

I ordered the ice mocha with vanilla ice cream while Nicole had a ice coffee. It took about 20mins before they arrived, and we thought they had forgotten our orders. Found out the drinks are actually from another cafe, hence the time it took. Doreen had the camomile tea while Geri had a latte. I am not that impressed with the way the drinks were served. Remembered my mocha latte and the presentation? The cafe definitely is not big on presentation.

I would expect better from a hotel's cafe and would think the glass will at least
be placed on a coaster. And since there was ice cream in the drink, where is the spoon? There were lumps of ice in the ice cream too. Terrible!


We moved into the restaurant when the buffet started and were given a table close to the "action", right across from the sashimi section. For a moment, I wondered if N actually told them that we wanted a table near the food when she made reservations earlier, and I was kidding her about getting a table near the food she she can check out her sashimi which she loved. She didn't - talk about coincidence - or the waiter being able to read her mind ;)

I like the buffet lunch at Ellenborough as the price is reasonable, and the food is peranakan/international. The spread may not be as much as The Line at Shangri-La, but it is more than enough. Quality-wise, I found the food to be alright, not too bad. Ellenborough is famed for its durian puree dessert (see left) and it always get empty very fast but the staff will refill it very often. I like the salmon sashimi and the chicken buah keluaks ( a very peranakan dish which supposedly is very tedious to prepare).

Plate 1 - salad, samosa (very nice!), spring roll, otak roll, beef salad, some chicken thing, and sharkfin egg omelette in center.

Plate 2 - assam fish, chicken buah keluak, something i don't remember, clams, prawns, baby crabs claws in black pepper sauce.

Dessert 1 - cheesecake (that is good too), fruits in chocolate cup, chocolate mousse cake, banana chocolate trifle (very light, I didn't really like that).

Dessert 2 - Dumpling ball with black seasame filling (aka Ah Balling) coated with crushed peanuts, bread & butter pudding with raisins and almonds flakes and vanilla sauce, jackfruit creme brulee.

I also tried the soup (something with fish maw, not bad), and laksa (thick white noodles with prawn, slices of fishcake, bean sprouts and a piece of otak in a coconut based gravy and sprinkled with laksa leaves).

We were so stuffed after that. Good thing I didn't have any breakfast at all. There were of course more food available, but I did not take those. The durian puree was a bit of a disappointment as it was a bit sour and had a "fizzy" sensation. We thought it was off, and feedback to the waiter. He brought out the chef and he explained that there were different varieties of durians used, and this particular puree was different from previously, hence the sour taste and fizziness. He said if the puree is spoilt, it will be very watery. We told him we preferred the previous type and about 5 mins later, the waiter actually brought out 2 bowls of durian puree (1 was of the previous type, and the other the current version), compliments of the chef, that was certainly unexpected. Kudos to the chef and service staff for that.

The laksa was pretty good, very lemak (coconutty) but the otak was a bit of a surprised. The soup was tasty and thick, it would be great if there was a dash of vinegar too. The sashimi was fresh, we shared 2 plates of that.

Overall, my fave dishes were the samosa, salmon sashimi, chicken buah keluak, assam fish and the cheesecake. This meal lasted me for the entire day. Haha. The bad thing about buffet is stuffing myself as I like to try everything, but of course that is just simply not possible.

Thank you girls, for the treat. I had a wonderful time *hugs* Gonna miss you girls after next week. The next one will in end Feb ;p

P.S: I still dislike using blogspot, so hard to attach and place the picture. Took pictures without flash, hence the darkness.

Spas in Singapore

Spas are mushrooming in Singapore, and even more so after the papers reported the millions of turnovers the big established spas are raking. Now, any beauty outlet with a jacuzzi on the premise will call themselves a spa and widen their services to include massages. Many are jumping onto the bandwagon without doing research, similar to when nail salons are booming. Nail salons are cheaper to operate as one does not require much capital, unlike opening a "spa".

While spas slug it out in a price war, consumers are enjoying the variety available right here in Singapore and at a "cheap" price (if one know where to find it ;p )

I started going to spas after my first visit to Zen Spa somewhere near KL, Malaysia in 2000. That was one of my most "spur of the moment" trip, but that is another story. Anyway, I was utterly captivated by my experience there, I was so thoroughly destressed and relaxed after the treatments. After visiting so many spas in Singapore since then, I have yet to find one that can match up to that first time.

I will post more on my experience in the various spas I have been to, both in Singapore and overseas.

In Singapore (places I went to for body massages/scrubs, didn't include facials):
Amrita Spa, Raffles the Plaza
Asian Spa, Fullerton Hotel (under the Aspara Group)
The Aspara, Goodwood Park Hotel (pre-renovation period)
The Aspara, Amara Hotel
Renewal Day Spa, UE2 Shopping Centre
Rustic Nirvana, Cantonment Road outlet
Spa Esprit Downtown, Paragon Shopping Centre
Spa Esprit, Holland Village
The Ultimate Wellness Haven (formerly known as Inner Harmony), Shaw Center
Inner Harmony, Far East Plaza
Andana @ Orchard, Paragon Shopping Center
HelioAsiaSpa, Paragon Shopping Center
Elements Spa, Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade
Elements Spa, SAFRA Town Club
Spa Botanica, Sentosa
Amore Day Spa, Parco Bugis
Body Sutra, Carpenter Street
The Red Peach Boutique Spa, Chinatown
Body Wellness, Stamford Court
Subtle Senses, Chinatown
Body Contours, Roxy Park Hotel
Aromatic House Day Spa, Serangoon Gardens
The Retreat, Grand Hyatt Singapore
The Retreat, Marriott Hotel
My Summer Spa, Tanglin Mall
One Beauty Place, Tangs
Mahogany, Winsland House
Lender's Bodyrite (name has been changed, can't remember now), Pacific Plaza
The Good Earth Day Spa, Forum Shopping Center


I think that is about all I can remember trying. I will be trying another new spa this Sunday. True Spa, opened by the people behind True Yoga. It looks promising, when I went for the preview. I am still deciding on which spa to go to for my birthday. It has become a yearly ritual for me since 2001 when my group of pals got me a spa voucher for The Aspara for my birthday. Ever since, I make it a point to go to the spa on my birthday or thereabouts.

2001 - The Aspara, Goodwood Park Hotel
2002 - Renewal Day Spa, UE2 Shopping Center
2003 - either I skipped it as I was going to Oz or it was Rustic Nirvana (Can't remember)
2004 - Spa Botanica, Sentosa
2005 - Spa Esprit, Paragon
2006 - ??? (leaning towards Andana again)

ETA: I keep adding and adding and I can't believe I spent so much on spas since 2001!

S & S (Spizza & Starbucks)

Had a late dinner with Sharon on Sunday night, a total spur of the moment thing, arranged quite last minute. My date was cancelled, and I didn't particularly want to stay home the entire day, so called up Sharon, checking when she will be available for dinner before she flies back to Sydney. Her schedule was tight too as she is interning (read= free labor) at the local vet clinic (I think) for 6 days a week for about 12hrs a day IIRC.

Anyway, I got the car and picked up her. Initial plan was to go to the Adam Road Hawker Center as I had a sudden craving for prawn noodles soup and I have heard raves for that stall. Alas, I missed the exit so we continued on to Holland Village instead.

It has been a few months since I last went there and there were quite a number of changes. The multi-storey carpark is finally built, and the hawker center has re-opened (in early Jan 2006). So many choices. Spied a new Mexican restaurant, can't remember the name though..."El something...". In the end, we settled for Spizza. I love the pizzas there as they are thin crust and baked in a firewood oven. Fresh, warm and not too heavy. Perfect for a light meal.

We ordered the award winning calamari "Pompilio" - deep fried calamari served with with "Pizzaiola" Sauce - and a regular sized pizza "Franca" - Tomato, Mozzarella, Porcini mushrooms and Pancetta bacon.

The pizzas are all named after women, and the starters are named after the emperors of Rome. Cool eh, you can say I want a Helena or Isabella or Cesare...

The calamari is pretty good, not too chewy or cold. It is downright crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside. The dip tasted like fresh pizza sauce, none of those bottled pasta sauce sold in supermarkets, only downside was that the out of the fridge coldness. Then again, maybe the contrast between the warm squid rings and the cold sauce made a nice companion.


The pizza arrived 20mins later (they did warn you on the menu it will take 20 mins), piping hot. The pizza was good, we loved the thin crust - crunchy and crispy like biscuits (read English biscuits or American crackers, not American biscuits). The porcini mushrooms were flavorful, but there was a hint of tartness to it, we were not sure if that was the way it was meant to be. The Pancetta bacon was bit too salty though the sprinkle of chili flakes and parmesan cheese helped to mask the saltiness.

www.spizza.sg

We skipped dessert at Spizza and instead went to Starbucks for a quick coffee and chat. I finally got my Mocha Valencia (orange flavored mocha drink) - only available during CNY period. Why it is not a year round item on the menu, I have no idea. It used to be on the menu in Vancouver years ago before it was taken off it too. Mocha was my fave drink then (I guess it still is :p). We shared a slice of low fat mango cheesecake. Once we had our first bite, we figured out why it was low fat. The fat was probably reduced as it was layered with sponge cake, hence low-fat! Lol.


If you think the mango cheesecake looked unappetizing, you are probably half right. The mango added a certain subtle sweetness which blended nicely with the cheesecake parts. You can see the sponge cake in the middle and bottom part of the cake. So it is not too "jelat" or too cheesey.

Royce Chocolates

Ok, I broke down and polished off the entire box of Royce Chocolates *guilty look* But hey, so now you get to see what it looks like inside the packaging :p

Look at the fantastic packaging which only the Japanese can come up with (you have to agree that they are into packaging). Besides sealing up the delectable morsels, they also very thoughtfully provided a "pick" for you to consume the chocolate on the spot. Hahaha.

Check out the website www.e-royce.com It is in Japanese though, but who cares if you can feast your eyes on the various chocolate available.

Okay, so I actually ate all that, but it is just too good to resist or to stop at two. Btw, there is a plastic cover after you tear open the plastic wrap, so you can actually keep them in the fridge for another day. The chocolate is smooth, and can melt in your mouth.

Despite me raving all about Royce, I actually only consume like 1 to 2 boxes per year. Yes, I only indulge during the festive periods. Maybe it is a good thing Royce is only available at 2 locations in Singapore (Suntec City and Takashimaya) as it is quite a hassle to buy it.

The chocolate needs to be kept at a cool temperature (preferably fridge temp), so the SA will actually wrap the chocolate in an ice/freezer bag with dry ice which will allow the chocolate to remain outdoors for 2-3 hours.

Christmas presents (2005)

Ok, so this is a belated post as I was procrastinating about taking a pic of the presents I received....errrr....and some have disappeared since they are food. :p


Missing from the pic is another box of the Kit Kat in Wine flavor, a Champagne flavored Royce Chocolate, 2 candy canes, Giftcard from Borders, a face massager and bookmark from Egypt. Disclaimer: I didn't eat all that. Hehe.

Present from myself: a package from Elements Spa (10 sessions). And probably the numerous clothes and accessories which I got too ;p

I love the Anna Sui Eye Cream Color from Vel. I have never used a eye cream gloss before, but this is pretty easy to use. It is mauve (plummy) with gold sparkles, a very lovely shade. It dries to a powdery finish.

Looking at the picture, I'm not too bad. It has been 3 weeks since Christmas, and I still have 2 boxes of chocolates, plus the Meiji Melty Kisses, unopened, untouched. We shall see how long that will last.

Mai Vietnamese Restaurant

Was out with the girls for a day of shopping (yay! I finally got my winter* coat though I have no idea where or when I will be traveling :p). We caught the sneak preview of Memoirs of a Geisha. I like it, the Chairman is so charming. Hehe. Very interesting as I never did get to read the book, so everything is fresh for me.

We had a late dinner at Mai Vietnamese Restaurant at The Atrium, next to Plaza Singapura. I have not been to Mai for ages, the last time I was there was mid 2004 (I think). There has always been raves about Mai, that it serves pretty authentic Vietnamese food. Having never been to Vietnam, I can't really comment on the authenticity. Plus my taste buds were used to the Vietnamese food (or rather pho bo) that was served in Canada.

I have always been disappointed by the Vietnamese food in Singapore as the pho just do not taste the same as in Canada or even America for that matter, and they do not have the same condiments too (the chili with the rooster picture and green cap, the dark prawn paste sauce (?), basil leaves, bean sprouts, lime and cut green chilies). But Mai...the food is good.

I ordered the beef shin stew with noodles and shared the net spring rolls with Celest. The spring rolls were nicely done. Warm and crispy, yet not oily at all. The beef stew noodles came in a generous serving, and it is soupy, a nice surprise as I was kinda expecting a starchy gravy type of stew. The beef was tender, with a "melt in your mouth" quailty to it, and the soup was flavorful without it being too salty. I would want to go back there again to try other stuff.

The menu is extensive, with many mains, not the regular run-of-the-mill restaurants that only serve pho bo.

No pictures as I was too busy devouring the food to remember to take them :p

*HK Winter since coat is from HK, apparently is only for temperature of 15C or thereabouts.

Melty Kisses

My MSN nickname has been garnering lots of queries and silly lame remarks (usually from guys) as I have it as "carolyn loves melty kisses"


One asked isn't it smelly kisses? Another asked if I have a bf now? Yet another mentioned from which guy? Tsk tsk. So here begins the education on melty kisses.

I first discovered Melty Kisses on 23 Dec 2005 when a gf gave me a piece during the girls christmas gathering. It is from Meiji (Japanese confectionery brand), and is only available during the Christmas period.
The Melty Kiss is a creamy dark chocolate with just a slightest hint of bitter aftertaste, and coated with cocoa dust. It is heavenly, the description on the inside of the box said "gently melts in your mouth like a snowflake" I would not really describe it to that having tasted snowflakes before. Hehe, but it sure is pure bliss, to savor the smoothness of the truffle, plus I like it that it is not too sweet.

Some compared it to Royce truffles. Another premium chocolate from Japan. I love Royce VSOP chocolate and orange chocolate truffle. It is absolutely yummy, even better than Godiva I feel. Royce has a slightly richer taste and feel, compared to Melty Kisses, but Meiji version is a right affordable substitute.

Bread & Butter Pudding Recipe

I have not make this in a while now, but by special request from a friend. Here is the recipe for Bread & Butter Pudding. Errr....hope it works as I usually cook based on estimation :p

I learnt this from my cousin and I like her version as it is not very sweet and it has a crispy crunchy crust, not those spongey softness.

Ingredients:
bread slices (estimate the amount to cover the pie plate/baking pan)
milk (enough to cover the bread, but not too much)
cinnamon sugar
butter
1 egg (2 if you are using more bread)
raisins, candied fruits (optional)

Method:
1. Trim away the crust from the bread (if you like it soft and crustless). I usually keep the crust, and I like to use the ends of the bread too.
2. Butter 1 side of the bread, and cut into squares or fingers.
3. Place the bread (butter side face-up) on the pan (greased) - 1 layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (I prefer this instead of regular sugar). Top with remaining bread, and sprinkle with sugar again.
4. Mix milk and egg together. Pour over the bread; not too much that it becomes very soggy.
5. Let it stand for about 30mins, for the bread to soak in the liquid.
6. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 mins, temperatue 220C (I use a microwave convection oven) or till the pudding is set and top is brown and crisp.
7. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream.

I hope that helps :) I don't have the recipe for the vanilla sauce though.

Other options: Can also add bananas and caramel sauce to the layers. Or spread nutella for a chocolatey taste.

Enjoy!

Too much food

I think I eat out too much. So many posts in just 11 days. If I have my camera with me daily, I think it will be filled with food pictures :p

Don Chicken Pie

Chicken pie. I have never been a big fan of it until I tried Don's chicken pie. The full name of the company is actually Don - Your Personal Pie Club (a bit of a mouthful if you asked me). The usual chicken pies sold in Singapore are miserably small, with more pastry and potatoes than real meat and not very tasty. Exception is maybe Prima Deli Chicken Pie, but that is probably because of the sweet crust.

http://www.donpieclub.com.sg/

I was at China Square/Far East Square area today (I love the area - likely for the chicken pie, hock lam beef kway teow and teh tarik...hahaha) and decided to pop into Don's for a pie or a quarter pie. Now what is inside Don's chicken pie which made it so much better than others? Don's pie is huge, similar to the regular pie plate size. The crust is flaky and thin, the filling is full of real chicken chunks, carrots, potatoes, peas, corns, mushrooms, celery, egg, peppercorn and spices. Yes, peppercorn though it is quite miniscule it can barely be seen. But you can taste the slight peppery heat of the spices, maybe that is another reason why I like it.

The price is also reasonable at $3.80 for a quarter size, think it is likely $15 or so for a whole pie. Besides pie, they also sell cakes like kueh lapis (multi-layered cake), cheesecake, chocolate cake, etc. I have never tried that though today I bought the prune lapis for my mom. According to the SA, it is different from the Indonesian style as it s without cinnamon and other spices. I felt it was alright; moist and sweet though the layers came off easily. Very different from my aunt's version. I rarely eat lapis (maybe once a year?) and the only one which I ate more often is my aunt's. Her mom actually makes them and sells too, that is in Indonesia of course. Their version has more layers, and each layer is very thin, so everything is more compact.

The prune lapis is $12 while the regular lapis is $10. With Chinese New Year round the corner, they are also selling pineapple tarts, prawn rolls and other goodies.

Location:
20 Cross Street, #01-34/35/36, China Square Central, Singapore 048422
25 China Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048422
Tel: 63274344
Mondays to Fridays - 8am to 9pm; Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays - 8am to 5pm.

Pasta with Salmon & Mushrooms

Ok, I have no idea what I just made for dinner. I saw a salmon steak (supposed to be for my lunch, but I had something else instead) defrosting nicely in the fridge, and decided to do something with it. Broil it? Pan fry it? Bake it in oven? Looking thru what I have, I decided to marinade it with some Italian herbs, cracked black pepper and lemon juice.

I browsed through the fridge and came across a small tub of cooked pasta, and was thinking if I should just make pasta with salmon. Rummaging thru the pantry closet, I spied a bottle of Spinach, Asparagus Ricotta sauce from Marks & Spencer and it is going to expire soon. So that settled it. Pasta in the ricotta sauce, topped with salmon and mushrooms.

Marinated salmon; sliced mushroom and onions waiting to be saute

Pan-fried salmon

sauteed mushrooms and onions

Pasta in ricotta sauce with salmon and mushrooms

Carl's Jr - 7 Jan 2006

Carl's Jr finally made its way to Singapore in July last year at Marina Square. Now there are 3 outlets (Robinson Tower, Marina Square and Suntec City), I believe there will be more to come as the guy who brought in the franchaise mentioned something about opening 25 outlets in Singapore and possibly Malaysia too.

http://www.carlsjr.com/home/

This is the only fast food joint which I do not mind going, not that I go there that often as I don't really take fast food now. I went there last night with Celest after our afternoon of shopping (we have been deprived - hahahaha) at the Marina outlet. I think we got there around 830pm or 9pm and we were not that famished so we didn't order the burgers at all. Instead we shared the chicken breast strips, fried zucchini, chili beef fries and an iced tea.

Chili beef fries, chicken breast strips and fried zucchini, plus 3 dips (BBQ sauce, honey mustard and house dressing)

Close up of the food

I like the chicken breast strips as they are very tender, but the batter is just a bit on the salty side. Not too taken with the chili beef fries as the fries are a bit soggy and the chili beef is very mild, doesn't have the ooomph factor. The zucchini is nicely done, I like that. I love the drink fountain at Carl's Jr as it is self-served and is refillable. The tea is lovely as it is freshly brewed (not plasticky tasting like Seasons or at times Liptons). Now I refused to drink iced tea which is not brewed or home-made. I dislike the instant taste of iced tea. It just isn't the same. At Carl's Jr Singapore, it followed the typical American way. You add your own sugar/sweetener, creamer/milk and lemon, which is good as not everyone likes it that sweet or if they have diabetes or other health problems, they can't have the regular sugar, etc.

So far my fave burger is still the guacamole bacon burger, but alas, it contains a whopping 1120 calories *faint*. Hence I have decided to restrict myself to either sharing that or only having it for lunch where at least it can be burnt off. The bulk of the calories probably come from the avocado. There is something about avocado which tastes so good. The creamy light texture combined with the succulent beef burger just go so well.

I tried the sourdough bacon cheeseburger (550 calories for those interested to know) before and it was quite a disappointment. The sourdough bun tasted like regular bread, unlike the usual sourdough. Have not ordered that since, then again I have only had Carl's Jr food 4 times so far, so I have not tried everything on the menu :p

For sides, the criss cut fries are yummy, especially if they are served warm, fresh from the fryer. Same goes for the onion rings. The onion rings are huge, made with real onions. Basically everything at Carl's Jr is big-sized, not puny like the other fast food joints.

Spageddies - 7 Jan 2006

It was a reunion of sorts on Saturday, 7 Jan 2006. MH organized a lunch gathering for the Bronte graduates (those living in Sg, obviously), WY chose the location: Spageddies at Paragon

http://www.spageddies.com.sg/webtop/

It was a bit awkward, as there were a couple of people whom I have not seen or hardly spoken to in like 12 years, yes, 12 years. So there were WY, PY, WH, MH & wife, Jack & partner, Thomas & wife and myself (10 of us only). Of these, the only person I see/speak to regularly (as in at least once a year...hahahahah) is WH. I seriously thought MH had left Sg and went back to Msia. I have not seen Jack and Thomas since 1994 or 1995 (not after we graduated from high school). WY since 2001? PY - we exchanged msgs on and off, so not too bad, but it was not like we are super close or anything. It is funny how life is as WY was my roomie back then, and we were quite close, but I guess we just grew apart over the years. It wasn't too bad for me as at least I knew the people there, but for WH, I think he felt awkward too as he only knows me and MH better. The rest he either had not met before or were more like acquaintances.

Anyway, onto the food...hehe. I ordered one of the specialties "chef choo's special" - black pepper soft shell crab served on a bed of spaghetti, tossed with chopped garlic, olive oil, prosciutto ham, mushrooms, with spicy neapolitan sauce. I changed the spaghetti to linguine instead.

It was a toss between this and the chicken caesar salad with fried calamari. This place served one of the best calamari I have ever had and I am not a huge fan of calamari in the first place. Another recommended dish is the dessert - tiramisu. Very nice presentation and filled with espresso and kahlua (then again, I love kahlua so that probably explained why :p)

The spaghetti vongole is apparently very good too, highly commended by my Maltese friend (Maltese, as you know, is very close to the Italians). I have tried the chicken fettucine before but I was not too impressed by it (chicken is too tough, and the pasta is so-so). Maybe I had better one before. I love the one at Kelsey's, even though I only had it once, I loved it so much.
Cajun Chicken Alfredo
sauteed mushrooms, green onions, tomatoes and basil tossed with linguine noodles in a creamy alferdo sauce. topped with sliced cajum chicken breast and shredded parmesan cheese

http://www.kelseys.ca/home.html

Hmmm...just checked the locations, and they have expanded. Available in BC too. Yay!

Idol Night at Shangri-La (6 Jan 2006)

I was invited to my friend (V)'s company dinner last night, which was held at the Shangri-La. The company is not huge, but it has a staff strength of almost 100. What amazed me was that the company is big on family and staff welfare as not many companies will actually invite the family (it is 1 guest for this) for their events.

This is the 3rd time I have been to their functions and I always had a good time. The first time was their family day to Bintan in 2001. She asked me along and since I have never been there, I took the opportunity to visit then. It was cool, single employees got a room and they can invite a guest while married employees had 2 rooms for their family (spouse, children, parents, etc). The second event I attended was another dinner in 2004, which was held at Grand Hyatt. The theme was Arabian Nights. What impressed me was the staff actually came up with the concept and decor without help from an events company. They did everything themselves. Then again, we are talking about a MICE company, plus special events too.

For this year, the theme was Idol Night (I thought it was a bit cheesey, as there had been a pleathora of such themes for many companies). The event was well-organized and much efforts had been put into the decorations and seating arrangements, plus necessary voting equipment, and of course, the people. They were all very vocal and sporting, which made it a fun night. Of course, it helped that alcohol flowed freely too ;p

I was at table 8 and it seated 7, chairs only occupied half the table in a semi-circle shape so that everyone can watch what went on on the stage. Party packs were given out so that everyone can create louder cheers with poppers, clappers, horns etc. It was fun. Okay, okay, I should get on with the food instead of describing the evening.

Table number (taken at the end, so the voting cards were gone)

Table Centerpiece (taken with flash, so the dim blue romantic effect is lost)

Menu

Plating

Plating - without flash(you can spy my glass of white wine *hic*)

I like the setting, with 2 sets of salt & pepper so that everyone can reach for them, with the tealights and proper cutlery and plates, etc. The bread roll (the server will come by for you to select the type of bread you want) was delicious. I chose the nuts/pumpkin seed coated roll which gave a nutty flavor, and the butter was great when spread on it.

Appetizer - Baby salmon cake, bean sprouts and salmon spring roll, mango dressing

The appetizer was nice, but I think I still prefer crabcake from SALT restaurant (sadly that has closed down :( ). I guess one can't really compare salmon cake to crabcake since they are different. The bean sprouts/salmon spring roll was refreshing, for a moment, it looked and tasted like sushi.

New England corn and clam chowder, creamy leek stew

The soup is slightly watery, not as thick as the clam chowder from The Soup Spoon. It went well with the breadroll.

Main Course

Chicken Teriyaki Macaire Potatoes, braised endive, assorted mushroom ragout

The main was pretty good, tender chicken (just a tad too much teriyaki sauce making it sweet) and very nice potato patty and mushroom.

Strawberry and mango creme brulee tartlet, praline custard

I love creme brulee, so this was great. It was not too eggy with slices of strawberries and mangoes hidden inside the creme brulee. The mixed fruits (esp blueberries and raspberries) were a bit tart, so it contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the creme brulee. The meal ended with coffee and 2 pieces of pralines.

A totally satisfying and nice meal. Then again, I do like the food at Shangri-La (love The Line and Blu Restaurant).