Indulgence after work-out...

Lunar New Year Goodies From Carlton Hotel

2012-01-15T01:10:00.005+08:00

-Introduction-
Caramelized walnuts aren't very common and I recall this is a favourite snack of my parents and grandparents and we used to get it from medicinal halls. It was during our 2009 trip to Hong Kong that the F&B manager of Eaton Hotel recommends this snack once more as the restaurant, Yat Tung Heen prepares them in-house.

Since then, I realized this is not only a favourite for my family but also my in-laws. I bought this last year from Peony Jade as a gift for them and it turns out that the caramelized walnuts were sticky and not crunchy, leading to a huge disappointment.

This year, I was oh-so-glad that Carlton Hotel is selling them for this Lunar New Year and since the Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant is quite popular in Singapore. This shouldn't be disappointing.

If you are looking for an alternative snack for Lunar New Year, consider the caramelised walnut from Carlton Hotel. ($23.80+ per bottle) The walnuts are well defined and the sugary coating is thin, evenly coated and not sticky. Most importantly, the walnuts are very crunchy and has no doubt made the top of my highly recommended and addictive snack for this Chinese New Year.

Signature Pineapple Tarts, sold in a bottle of 20 pieces ($23.80+) turns out to be Yuan's favourite. With a generous serving of homemade pineapple paste, the cookie crust stands out from most of the tarts we had so far. The pastry melts delicately in the mouth and shares the same effect as eating the shortcrust pastry of the Hong Kong egg tart.

Carlton Hotel Singapore
76 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189558
Order hotline: 6349 1292
Order hotline operating hours: 10am to 9pm

For more information, click here

Prosperity Pineapple Tart From Hilton

2012-01-12T22:43:00.002+08:00

The Lunar New Year is round the corner and you may be wondering which goodies to buy.

Hilton Singapore's creation this year is the Prosperity Pineapple Tart ($58+). This is a western variant of the pineapple tart. Essentially this is very similar to Hilton's lemon meringue tart except that it is pineapple filling instead of lemon. Nonetheless, it still contain the sharp sour taste coupe with the sweet meringue. Each mouthful is full of flavors, from the crisp buttery tart pastry, the tangy fibrous pineapple filling to the smooth meringue. In addition, the white chocolate, shaped like a Chinese Coin, gives an oriental feel and the texture of the white chocolate is of no doubt. Further since it is the Lunar New Year, the tart is topped with a carp and mandarin oranges.

An ingenious twist to this classic pineapple goodie.

Special thanks to Yen Lin, Marketing Communications Executive for the complementary pineapple tart.

Purchases are to be collected from 3 January to 6 February 2012 only at Checkers Deli located on the lobby level of Hilton Singapore.
Advance notice of 3 working days is required for all orders.

For queries and orders, please contact
Checkers Deli
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3392
Email: sinhi.checkers@hilton.com
Operating hours - 11:00am - 9:00pm (daily)
Website

Blueberry Lace by Breadtalk

2012-01-04T21:50:00.002+08:00

The blueberry lace was bought by one of our friends for Fen's birthday. This cake reminds me of a tiramisu. (i.e lady finger sponge biscuit) The blueberry lace is surrounded by lady finger sponge biscuit and vanilla mousse with hints of blueberry. The mousse is dense and refreshing but may be a little sweet for some. Of course the picky ones could comment on the thick chocolate sheets on top blah blah... But overall, I think this cake deserve a try.

Breadtalk
Various outlets across the island
WebSite

A year of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

2011-12-31T20:52:00.003+08:00

Fen and myself were very fortunate to have one year of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and rightfully I think I should do a grand summary of the flavors which I ate this year. Here are my comments of the 12 flavors which I tried. They are ranked according to my preference. (1 being my favorite flavor)

1. Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry & a Thick Cookie Swirl. This one is one of the rare flavors without chocolate and nuts. What I really like about this is that it is not too sweet and it cookie swirl resembles the butter shortbread in a cheesecake. The smoothest of the ice cream also makes it a good alternative to cheesecake itself.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Vanilla Ice Cream with chunks of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. This flavor is actually very close to the other 2 flavors (Half baked and A Cookie Affair) I preferred this one over the other 2 as the Cookie is more distinct and there were generous chocolate chips. This is similar to eating cookies and cream with cookie dough.

3. Triple Caramel Chunk
Caramel Ice Cream with Swirl of Caramel & Chocolatey Covered Caramel Chunks. Ben and Jerry's is typically rich and chunky, this one is a must for Caramel lovers. It is caramel, caramel and caramel.

4. Chubby Hubby
Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels in Vanilla Malt Ice Cream with Fudge & Peanut Buttery Swirls. This one is a little closer to a peanut butter flavored Ice Cream. What I liked about it is the Crunchy Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels. It is liken to having cadbury crunchie in the ice cream.

5. Phish Food
Chocolate Ice Cream with Gooey Marshmallow, Caramel Swirls & Chocolatey Fish. Initially I felt that the chocolate bits which resembles a fish was too hugh but slowly I grew to like it. The combination of caramel and chocolate ice cream was good. This was topped with the crunch from the chocolate.

6. Clusterfluff
Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Buttery Swirls, Marshmallow Swirls and Caramel Cluster Pieces. This one is similar to eating peanut candy. One thing to note is that it is nicer when it is fresh as the Caramel Pieces are crunchy. After leaving in the fridge for sometime, the pieces become soft.

7. Chunky Monkey
Banana Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks & Walnuts. This is an all time favorite for many. Banana is not as rich as opposed to the other chocolatey flavors,

8. Half Baked
Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams Mixed with Chunks of Chocolate Chip cookie dough & Fudge Brownies. The first impression I had was that it was like eating the choco-vanilla cone at Mac with bits of cookie and brownie. I kind of preferred the more pure version of cookie dough. i.e. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

9. A Cookie Affair
Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl & Chocolate chip Cookies & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. I kind of preferred the half bake kind of cookie rather than this version. It is a little like the ordinary cookies and cream.

10. Dublin Mudslide
Irish Cream Liqueur Ice Cream with chocolate chocolate Chop cookies & a Coffee Fudge Swirl. Used to be my favorite but this time I could not feel the liqueur and it was just too sweet for my liking.

11. New York Super Fudge Chunk
Chocolate Ice Cream with white & Dark chocolatey chunks. chocolatey-covered Almonds & Pecans, Walnuts. You must really like nuts to like this. Almost every other scoop had a nut - almond, pecan or walnut.

12. Chocolate Macadamia
Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams with Fudge Covered Macadamia Nuts. This one is not too sweet and generous with Macadamia Nuts.

Well that raps up my Ice Cream feast for 2011. Of course, as you can see that my preference is bias towards caramel and cookie. Hence you may not agree with my pick but hope it helps when you are considering which yummy flavor to pick when you are at the supermarket. Following a year of Ice Cream, I think my new year's resolution must be to lost weight. Happy New Year to all readers and thanks to the folks at Unilever for a fantastic year of Ice Cream tasting.

Paris in Winter @ Canele

2011-12-12T10:13:00.006+08:00

The reason why we bought Canele's log cake was because of the triple chocolate cheese cake which I tried earlier this week.Since Chef Christope took over the helm at Canele, the mousse at Canele has improved. I.e. It has become very smooth.

The Paris in Winter ($72.90 for 1kg) contains a layer of chestnut cream and sponge between a thick coat of 75% dark chocolate mousse and filled with Lychee Mousse. The chocolate mousse is no doubt one of smoothest in town. The most outstanding thing about this log cake is the Lychee Mousse with a very strong flavor comparable to eating the fruit itself.

If you have not been to Canele for sometime, we urge you drop someday.

Pâtisserie Chocolaterie
Shaw Centre
1 Scotts Road
#01-01A, Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208
Tel: 6738 9020
Website

Hilton Singapore 2011 Logcakes

2011-11-24T23:00:00.004+08:00

Hilton Singapore new Executive Pastry Chef Romain Laloue came up with 5 logcakes creations for this Christmas. We were honored to be one of the first to sample his creation - The Swirl. The Swirl is a fruity pink cake that captures most girls' heart, presenting a light sponge swiss rolled with refreshing fruit jelly made from fresh fruit puree laced with strawberry and raspberry mousse. This cake is then covered with a velvet Venezuela chocolate for a polish finish. Though the cake was light and refreshing, Yuan found it too sour for his liking.

Would say that this will appeal to those who likes berries or more tang than sweetness in their desserts.

The other flavors are:

1) Cheese: Essentially this is Hilton's renowned American Cheesecake with raspberry jam centre.

2) Jonconde: A traditional French pastry named after the famous Mona Lisa, featuring a cake with a variety of textures to delight the palate. Chef added a modern twist to this almond sponge cake by adding whisky to give a bitter-sweet aftertaste before encasing it with glossy chestnut buttercream.

3) Matcha: Green Tea lovers will definitely be thrilled with this fresh combination of match with chestnut. Savour rich aromatic chestnut cream made from Cuneo chestnuts generously spread between soft layers of ladyfinger sponge cake laced with jewels of glazed chestnuts. Sink your teeth into the light sponge to reveal a specially prepared green tea mousse made from the finest matcha in the cake centre.

4) Sensation: A true indulgence for chocolate lovers, featuring mousse made from premium Manjari cocoa from Madagascar and Caribe chocolate paired with rich vanilla cream made from Tahitian Vanilla Beans. These specially imported beans give the cake an additional sweetness with its natural caramel flavor. And if these are not enough, every bite of this cake is studded with chunks of soft brownies to satisfy any sweet-tooth.

Special thanks to Yen Lin, Marketing Communications Executive for the complementary log cake.

Checkers Brasserie
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3390

Apple Frangipane Tart

2011-10-30T21:52:00.007+08:00

Haven't been baking for some time and realized that almond powder was about to expire. Hence I surf the web and come across the recipe for Apple Frangipane Tart.

Do note that the recipe is taken from Joy of Baking's Apple Frangipane Tart and I have decided to incorporate the Almond Short Dough (taken from Tartlette’s Strawberry Lime Tartelettes) to compare the two types of pastry shells.

For short notes and photos on the almond short dough, please refer to our previous post.

- Short notes on Pate Brisee -
According to Joy of Baking, this is a French short crust pastry made from a mixture of flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, and ice water and the video posted by Stephanie is extremely useful. Through the video, I confidently used the food processor to make the dough and everything goes well.

Being an amateur baker, as what Stephanie has mentioned, it is not easy to roll the dough into a nice big round and after making it thin, it was quite a challenge to line it on the tart rings so from the picture, you can see there are many fingerprints and patches of dough.

Recipe (For six 8-cm tarts)
Pie Crust: (half of Joy of Baking's original recipe)
Ingredients needed:
87.5 gm plain flour
7 gm granulated white sugar
56.5 gm salted butter
15 ml ice water

Steps
1. Cut the butter into cubes and chill it in the freezer
2. Place flour and sugar into the food processor. Pulse to combine
3. Add butter into the food processor. Pulse (in quick and multiple times) to combine until coarse meal is obtained
4. Add ice water to the coarse meal. Pulse to achieve crumbs that holds together when pinched
5. Transfer the mixture to a plastic wrap, gather it into a tight ball and refrigerate for an hour or until firm
6. Roll the pastry and cut out six 3-inch rounds to form the base of the tart crust
7. Press in some dough at the side of the tart rings, patting the dough with fingertips
8. Put the lined tart rings into the refrigerator to relax the gluten

P.S. As mentioned, I didn't manage to get a nice big round as what the video has shown and I would prefer to make it into small tarts to reduce the baking time.

***

Frangipane (Almond Cream): (this amount is sufficient to make twelve 8-cm tarts as two type of dough were used in this attempt)
40 gm salted butter
12 gm plain flour
50 gm granulated white sugar
50 gm almond powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps
1. Combine flour, almond powder, sugar in a mixing bowl
2. Rub in butter
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract to get a paste

***

1. Slice the apples and add some lemon juice to prevent oxidation of apples
2. Mix the sliced apples with cinnamon
3. Remove chilled pastry (in tart rings) from the refrigerator and spread the frangipane onto the crust
4. Arrange sliced apples and sprinkle some icing sugar before baking
5. Bake it for 20 minutes at 190°C

Note: The recipe for the almond short dough can be found here. As mentioned, the tart shells were blind baked for 10 minutes at 175°C. After assembling the tart with frangipane and sliced apples, the tarts were baked for 20 minutes at 175°C.

- Ending Note –
Both type of tart pastry taste just as good with apples but for a lighter taste, I would prefer the pie crust over the almond short dough. The effect of the buttery crust makes it akin to eating a shortbread that is lightly sweetened by the frangipane and tangy apples (due to the use of Grammy Smith Green Apples and the addition of lemon juice). For sweeter tooth, the almond short dough is still an all time favorite and naturally with more sugar and almond powder, this has a richer taste.

Ben and Jerry's Chunk Fest 2011

2011-10-18T21:34:00.000+08:00

The much anticipated Ben and Jerry’s ChunkFest 2011 is back again for another year of ice-cream domination. ChunkFest was held this year on October 15th 2011, from 2pm till 10pm at the Promontory @ Marina Bay. Fairness is the theme for this year. Helping to spread the fairness message this year are the Fair booths, and singing about it are local bands who will battle it out fairly for a chance to perform at Sundae on the Common in the UK in 2012!

Anyway since this is a dessert blog, we should focus on the 11 flavors which are specially flown in from the USA and not available yet in Singapore. If you cannot make out from the photo above. The 11 flavors are

(1)Spice chocolate - Chocolate Ice Cream with a Hint of Moroccan-Style Spice and Loaded with Almonds
(2)Late Night Snack - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with a Salty Caramel Swirl & Fudge covered Potato Chip Clusters
(3)Froyo Choc Fudge Brownie - Chocolatae Low Fat Frozen Yogurt with Fudge Brownies
(4)Coffee - Coffee Ice Cream
(5)Froyo Half Baked - Chocolate & Vanilla Low Fat Frozen Yogurts with Fudgey Brownies & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
(6)Butter Pecan - Rich Buttery Ice Cream with Coconut & Roasted Pecans
(7)Bonnaroo Buzz - Coffee & Malt Ice Creams with Toffee Chunks & Whiskey Caramel Swirl
(8)Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl - Chocolate Ice Cream with Thick Peanut Buttery Swirl
(9)Coconut Seven Layer Bar - Cococnut Ice cream with Coconut & Fudge Flakes, Walnuts and Swirls of Graham Cracker & Butterscotch
(10)Americone Dream - Vanilla Ice Cream with Fudge Covered Waffle Cone Pieces & a Caramel Swirl
(11)Vanilla Frozen Yogurt - Creamy Low Fat Frozen Yogurt

Yuan's stomach could only manage 4 scoops and his choices in order of preferance are (1) Bonnaroo Buzz, (2) Butter Pecan, (3) Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl and (4) Late Night Snack. Bonnaroo Buzz is one of rare Ben and Jerry's flavors with liquor. Whiskey and Caramel is really unique. On the other hand, the Late Night Snack is a little extreme. Potato Chip with Ice Cream tasted odd. What surprised me was that chocolate and peanut butter complemented pretty well and would be better than their other peanut butter flavors.

Anyway for those who missed out on Chunk Fest 2011, do look out for it next year. Also as the year comes to an end, I will be doing a review on all the Ben and Jerry's which I tried this year. Do look out for it.

Scoop Cake By Tampopo Deli

2011-10-14T21:40:00.002+08:00

Though we previously reviewed the scoop cake from Tampopo Deli, we really felt that we needed to review this again as I was rather amused by the presentation. When I received this as a my birthday cake, I really cracked my brain to ask which bakery serve their cake in an aluminum tray. Hence I was surprised to hear that it was the Scoop Cake. Without doubts, it has one of the best cream. The cream has a scent similar to those found in Meiji milk. I later compared with their cream puff and it turned out that the one in their cream puff has vanilla beans. To quote Fen. Having eaten a couple of cream cakes back to back, I think this is really one of the cakes which deserved special mention for its consistency over the years.

I posted this photo as I found it ironic that I literally scooped the cake out with a spatula. Anyway a medium sized scoop cake like this costed $44.80. Quite ideal for around 10 pax.

Tampopo Deli
177 River Valley Road #B1-16
Liang Court Shopping Centre
Singapore 179030
Tel: 6338-7386

1 Caramel at 1 Rochester

2011-10-01T18:25:00.000+08:00

We were invited to tasting at 1 caramel along with some of the fellow bloggers. The location of 1-caramel replaces the former pastry bar at 1 Rochester. The layout is nothing near the former, you will catch a full view of the kitchen before reaching the seating area. Hence if you see the kitchen, don't be alarmed, you are in the right place.

The concept of 1-caramel is different from our last visit. Their cakes are served in petite form and there are more cupcakes in the display. Further, 1-caramel also introduced their brunch menu.

Not to be missed in any brunch menu is the Traditional Eggs Benedict. Poached eggs on toasted English muffin with hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon. 1-caramel's version of the Eggs Benedict is blend but when paired with ebiko and smoked salmon, the effect is quite good.

If you are sharing you can consider The Posh Platter. Smoked salmon tart with creme fraiche and ocean trout caviar, asparagus wrapped in basil and prosciutto, truffled brie and cherry tomatoes on a toasted brioche. An ideal platter for sharing and light snack for the sunday brunch or afternoon tea.

The Miso soufflé with yuzu ice cream is still very consistent and has the unique salty sweet taste in the soufflé. Also available is the Hazelnut soufflé with chocolate Ice-cream and Passion fruit soufflé.

If you cannot make up your mind on which sweet to have, you can consider the 1-Caramel Assiette. The platter contain Petite-sized desserts. Our platter contains the following:
(1)Tropical vodka trifle. Pineapple gazpacho jelly, pineapple sponge cubes with crystallized baked almonds topped with coconut sorbet.
(2)Earl Grey creme brûlée. Infusion of earl grey tea leaves in a traditional French baked custard dessert served with grissini cheese straws dusted with tea and icing powder.
(3)1-Caramel Baked Alaska. Combination of homemade chunky strawberry and vanilla Madagascar ice-cream coated with rhum Italian meringue on top of a nutty chocolate brownie.
(4)Raspberry lychee rose pannacotta, lychee-lemon compote. A combination of 2 exquisite puree scented with the essence of rose in a classic Italian cold pudding served with chunky lychee and lemon compote.
(5)Death by chocolate: Valrhona Sofiato molten cake with dark chocolate sorbet.

Special mention must be made for the Raspberry Lychee rose pannacotta which is pretty similar to the Lychee rose which is our favourite at 1-caramel.

Special thanks to Denyse and Chiew Yen for the invite and hospitality.

1-caramel
1 Rochester Park, Level 2
Singapore 139212
Tel:67741302

Hilton Seafood Brunch

2011-09-06T08:47:00.001+08:00

Our 3rd visit to Checkers Brasserie and from now till 16 October 2011, Checkers Brasserie introduces a new theme to their Sunday Brunch, The Seafood Sunday Brunch.

For those who are familiar with Hilton Hotel's buffets, one will know about their Friday's Seafood Buffet Dinner. While the Friday's Seafood Buffet Dinner focus more on the fish market, this Sunday Brunch offers not only a luxurious seafood on ice including fresh oysters, mussels, clams and Alaskan king crabs but also a series of hot food which includes a wide array of live stations, presenting seafood hot dishes, prepared a-la-minute.

While more players emerge with buffets priced affordably, Hilton Hotel decided to take a different approach by introducing more live stations. Apart from the brunch items (e.g. Raclette cheese, Japanese teppanyaki, sashimi and sushi, pan-fried Foie Gras and famous roasts such as the Leg of Lamb and Veal) they have introduced previously, the hotel aims to share with their diners some of the more uncommonly seen items such as the Northern Indian street food, Tawa, Iberian ham, Scrambled Egg with Vodka, Pasta prepared by the crew from the hotel's poolside Italian restaurant, il Cielo.

Although the layout of Checkers Brasserie does not permit many live stations, credits have to be given to Indian Cuisine Chef Santosh to introduce Tawa, a Northern Indian street food prepared using convex disc-shaped metal griddle.

With your choice of vegetable or meat (Chicken, Mutton or Prawn), Chef Santosh uses his home-made spices to prepare the curry according to one's preference. According to Chef Santosh, preparing the curry on the spot retains the aroma of the spice in the curry which would otherwise fade with time.

Served to your table, the splendid bowl of curry is perfect with piping hot naan bread (Cheese, Garlic or Plain), making this station one of the main highlights of this buffet.

What we like about the freshly made naan is the "clean" taste unlike some with a "smokey" and charred finishing. In addition, the naans are of a good thickness and are not overstretched.

Cheese naan is soft and chewy, well-stuffed with cheeses while the garlic naan outshines with its garlic buttery herb toppings.

Sunday brunch at Hilton Hotel would mean a bigger spread for Kaspia Bar (which is located outside Checkers Brasserie) opens up to cater more selections.

Unlike the regular Sunday brunch that features Mediterranean food and roasts, this section of the buffet now houses several live stations, featuring Chinese-styled prawns freshly prepared upon order, Seafood Paella, Italian pasta and risotto prepared by the chefs from il Cielo.

I first fall in love with the hotel's risotto when I had it at the Christmas Media Event last year and since then, it has been the best one I have ever come across. In fact, I briefly made a comparison with the ones I had in Italy and have not found one that second to this. The smooth and rich cream-textured base with al dente grains easily earns a mention for this buffet. This station also features Iberian Ham shaved on the spot and a selection of pastas prepared in various style upon order.

Brunch will not complete without eggs and unlike the regular omelette and poached eggs served in most brunches. One can expect Volka in the scrambled eggs. Topped with caviar and sour cream, this is indeed something different.

Grilled Foie Gras has become a permanent feature at Hilton's buffet for its popularity with the diners. Served with balsamic and chips, the foie gras is nicely seared with a meltingly core, making it one of the better ones which we have eaten so far.

Seafood Paella, also available on the Friday Seafood Buffet, is another station that deserves a shout out. As mentioned in my previous post, one can expect this to be extremely flavourful with just the right amount of Australian Mussels, Squid and Prawns. Like the risotto, what I like about the Seafood Paella is that the rice is not exceedingly soft nor mushy.

Live Drunken Prawns in XO Chinese Wine and Large Prawns with Salted Egg are the highlights of the Chinese station. These are prepared upon order and the freshness is of no doubt for the live prawns are kept in a tank and cooked upon ordering, ensuring the prawns serve to be at its freshest.

Black Pepper Flamed Duck is another new introduction to the buffet.

As mentioned in my post on Hilton's Sunday Brunch, the hotel uses slow cooking to prepare their meat and the famous Leg of Lamb and Veal are available at the craving station.

Senior Chinese Chef Aw Yeong also showcases his specialities in this buffet which include 48-hour Braised Baby Abalones and Baked Cod with Fried Ginger and Caviar. While the baby abalones are succulent and juicy, the baked cod is slightly sweetened with a crisp seared exterior.

Rum Baba is the highlight for the desserts. Using a dry dough sponge which is cooked in butter, sugar and orange juice, this dessert is subsequently flambé with the rum. This caramelized dessert has a nice orange tang that finishes with a strong doze of rum.

The selection of desserts, though small but memorable. The hotel makes it a point to present a selection of delicate creations to allow their guests to try the sweets that are not sold at Checkers Deli. For instance, the lemon tart has more sugary crumbles in its tart base while the Strawberry Cheesecake is a lighter variant than the ones available for take-aways. In addition, one can also expect the popular mille-feuille and is often the first dessert to run out.

Checkers Brasserie offers a very unique selection of seafood dishes and to make sure the food is served at its best, the hotel has introduced several hot stations to ensure the food to be served at its freshest. Despite being the third visit to Checkers Brasserie, there are a few items which are my must-haves and I will never mind the multiple helpings, which includes the Raclette cheese, Risotto, Seafood Paella, Roasts, Pan-fried Foie Gras and desserts such as the signature Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecakes.

It has been a wonderful Sunday afternoon to be able to dine with Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and we would like to thank her for her time and the complementary meal.

Sunday Seafood Brunch Buffet
Available from now to 16 October 2011, every Sunday from Noon to 3pm.

Prices:
$85++ per person (with free flow of juices)
$110++ with free flow of wine / 3 glasses of Louis Roederer Champagne
$160++ with free flow of Louis Roederer Champagne
$35++ for children aged 6-12 years

Citibank Cardmember gets to enjoy a one dines free for every 3 paying adults for the Sunday Brunch from now to 16 October 2011.

Checkers Brasserie
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3390
Website

Pastry Demonstation by Chef Stephane Glacier

2011-09-04T22:46:00.000+08:00

This September, Executive Pastry Chef Alejandro Luna of Marina Bay Sands is partnering with world renowned artisanal Pastry Chef Stephane Glacier to bring about a series of chocolate signatures.

Note: The entire set of photos for this post is done by my daddy
A quick introduction, Pastry Chef Stephane Glacier was awarded the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in 2000, making him the Best Pastry Maker in France. In addition, he owned Patisseries et gourmandises located at the fringe of Paris in Colombes (66 rue du progres, 92700 Colombes, France) and a school "patisseries et gourmandises, l'école (20 rue rouget de l'isle 92700 colombes) for amateurs and professionals.

If Paris is out of reach for the time being, his five chocolate-themed desserts, which are served at Patisseries et gourmandises in Paris, are available at three Marina Bay Sands eateries, The Chocolate Bar, Sweetspot and Rise, the buffet restaurant.

Apart from being able to try some of Chef Stephane's signatures, we were elated to receive an invitation to Chef Stephane's Pastry Demonstration. This demonstration focus on the use of Felchlin Chocolates, a Swiss-based chocolate-maker which uses some of the world's finest and rarest chocolate in their production.

Setting aside the technicalities of single origin chocolate, Chef Stephane provided a sampler portion of a freshly-made Chocolate mousse made of Felchlin Maracaibo 65% during the course of the demonstration. The initial taste of the chocolate mousse leaves a distinctive milk aftertaste, which I would labelled it as a strong characteristics of Swiss Chocolates and in general, very balanced, light and pure in its taste.

I may not be a baker myself and don't deny a lack of culinary knowledge but the style of Chef Stephane focus mainly on the use of very basic components such as hazelnut to introduce crispy into chocolates, fruits for some tang in his summer creations, sometimes coffee to bring out the quality of the chocolates used. From making the chocolate mousse to chocolate glaze, it was an eye-opener to see Chef Stephane making the various components of his creations and assembling the cake live.

Chef Stephane shared with us the use of Italian meringue to make his signature pastry, macarons; this type of meringue is generally stable and resistant to mixing using a electric mixer. In addition, he also recommends the use of silicone mats for it will not absorb moisture during the course of baking, thereby maintaining the shape of the shells.

In addition, Chef Stephane is also a man of humour for he relates the application of chocolate glaze to applying make-up. The more rounds one attempts to smooth the glaze using a palette knife, the more smudges one can expect from the chocolate glaze.

Some other tips include the importance in boiling cream and raspberry puree separately for acidity of fruits will break down the cream during boiling. The pointers he gave goes on and on and I am simply astonished by the speed he worked at and also the knowledge he has in every step of pastry making.

While Pastry Chef Alex of Marina Bay Sands consistently pushed the boundaries with each creation, Chef Stephane tends to keep his creations simple to bring out the quality of the chocolates.

The above is the Hazelnut Croustillant Bar with Blood Orange Sorbet and what is splendid about it is the use of

Praline Croustillant to give a crispy crunch,
Hazelnut Dacquoise for a soft nutty texture,
Praline cream for a hazelnut aftertaste to create the "noisette" effect,
Maracaibo Chocolate Mousse and Gianduja Chocolate Glaze for the finishing oomph factor.

The overall texture is so velvety smooth and that the chocolate sheets used in the decoration of this cake is paper-thin that melt on the tongue, allowing the palette to take in the diversity of aromas slowly.

Le Petit Antoine (a bigger individual sliced is sold at $9.10 at Sweetspot) is a creation Chef Stephane has been making for the past 15 years and is acclaimed to be his best seller. Similarly to the Hazelnut Croustillant Bar, it contains the Praline Croustillant and Hazelnut Dacquoise as its base but instead uses the Maracaibo Cariolait 38%. The use of this chocolate allows one to enjoy the full-bodied milk taste with subtle note of honey and caramel, which is a strong characteristic of Switzerland chocolates (in general).

Similarly to the Hazelnut Croustillant Bar, the beauty of this lies in the extreme thinness of the chocolate sheets and its ability to diffuse the chocolately goodness rapidly across the palette.

Chocolate Tartlets (sold at $6.00 at Sweetspot) is outstanding in its pate sablee pastry dough. The crispy sweet crust with the smooth and rich blend of Maracaibo Cariolait 38% and Maracaibo 65% makes every bite an addictive one and once again, the tart finishes off with Chef Stephane's signature chocolate sheet.

Chef Stephane firmly believes that a good macaron does not only lies in the shells but also the filling and using caramel filling in his macarons, the chewy texture of the filling does bring out another dimension of textures in his macarons.

Praline Tendresses (as shown on the right) is also available at Sweetspot for $6.00.

It was fabulous to be able to spend an afternoon with two world-class pastry chefs, Pastry Chef Stephane Glacier and Executive Pastry Chef Alejandro Luna.

Many thanks to Executive Pastry Chef Alejandro Luna for his warm hospitality and time to share with me his passion and concepts in his pastries. Also our heartfelt thanks to Communications Officer, Ms. Venetia Chung for the invitation to this wonderful chocolate event at Marina Bay Sands.

As mentioned earlier, this is an exclusive collaboration between both Chocolatier Masters and one can expect an exquisite chocolate event from now till the end of September 2011.

Guests can experience a new array of confectionery at the Chocolate Bar, available nightly from 8pm at The Club at Marina Bay Sands.
Website for the Chocolate Bar

During the day, chocolate lovers can enjoy the indulgent bites at Rise Restaurant or pack home these exquisite works of art from SweetSpot.
Website for Rise
Website for SweetSpot

For more information on Rise Restaurant and the Chocolate Bar, please call +65 6688 5525 or +65 6688 8858 respectively.

Marina Bay Sands Snowskin 2011

2011-09-03T11:32:00.001+08:00

Just when we thought we are done with mooncakes for 2011, we received a complementary box from Marina Bay Sands (MBS). For snowskin, there are only 2 flavours available - Dark Chocolate Orange Grand Marnier and Salted-Caramel Almond Crunch. As MBS does not have a Chinese restaurant, the mooncakes come from Sweetspot, the hotel's European Espresso, Bakery and Dessert Bar. Sweetspot is helmed by talented pastry chef Alejandro Luna who has worked in various pastry kitchens in America and Europe.

Chef Alex wants to create a signature for MBS - a flavour which you will associate with MBS just as you would associated Champagne Truffle with Raffles Hotel. Chef Alex feels that one of the best combination is to combine chocolate with orange. I am not a fan of fruity flavors with chocolate but I personally feel that the ratio is just right for this mooncake. The taste of the chocolate is retained but at the same time, you can feel the orange. Further there are chocolate bits which adds some crunch to the chocolate ganache.

These mooncakes were consumed after a chocolate event at MBS and having ate several creations made from Switzerland Chocolate, Felchlin. The quality of the chocolate used in these mooncakes continues to wow and this is of no doubt made from good quality chocolates.

Those who like salted caramel should try the Salted-Caramel Almond Crunch. The caramel is smooth and not too sweet. The outer layer contains almond which is similar to eating the almond snickers bar but the buttery goodness lingering in the palette.

Marina Bay Sands probably has the most elaborated mooncake box for 2011. Designed by Chef Alex himself, this box will certainly impress friends and relatives. With a tiffin-like container housing the mooncakes, this entire thing fits into a lattern-like packaging with a Chinese knot suspending it, making it a perfect decoration for this festive event.

Many thanks to Executive Pastry Chef Alejandro Luna and Communications Officer, Ms. Venetia Chung for the complementary box of mooncakes.

Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018956
Tel: 6688 5668
Website for Sweetspot

Mooncake Galore 2011

2011-08-30T23:52:00.001+08:00

This is the last entry for mooncakes 2011 and is a very nice summary for it is a gathering with our foodie friends. Like last year, each pair of us decided to bring a box of mooncakes and under the warm lighting with tea, we savour them all.

White Lotus Paste with Double Yolk and Melon Seeds from Regent Hotel (Courtesy of Phoebe and Chloe from The Food Chapter)
Huge egg yolks with smooth lotus paste and I must say that I liked the contrast between the melon seeds and lotus paste.

Regent mooncake order form 2011

Mandarin Orchard's Mixed Nuts and Jamón ibérico (五仁) mooncake was contributed by Yuan and myself. The reason for selecting this mooncake was because it is our favourite among the mooncakes which we reviewed for 2011. According to a source who is working in the F&B industry, Mandarin Orchard is one of the five hotels in Singapore which still hand-crafts and bakes their mooncake in house.

Mandarin Orchard mooncake order form 2011

Eater Palace (食珍)'s Teochew moon cake (Yam with Salted Egg Yolk and Yam with Pumpkin, Courtesy of Daniel and Lay Sian from Memoirs of Food).
I kind of liked the combination of yam and pumpkin though it is a little oily for my liking.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate Mini Assorted Snowskin Mooncake (Courtesy of Charlene and Zhi Hao from missuschewy).
As usual, the Champagne Truffle is a crowd pleaser and Zhi Hao just gets hook onto the Salted Caramel Snowskin.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate mooncake order form 2011
At the end of the day, the taste of the mooncakes is secondary, what's important is the friendship and to share it with family and friends during Mid Autumn Festival. Looking forward to Mooncake Galore 2012.

The foodies as usual with their big smiles. You may view their reviews here:
The Food Chapter
Memoirs of Food
Missuschewy

10 Scotts at Grand Hyatt Singapore

2011-08-26T13:54:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in our mooncake post, it was nice of Grand Hyatt Singapore to invite us to the hotel's residential-style lounge for an evening chill out.

Unlike most hotel lounges that adopts an open concept at hotel lobby, 10 Scotts comprises of different sections, with the theme of a home.

The main entrance of 10 Scotts brings one to the library with wireless internet access and rental of personal laptop computers and iPads (upon request). Furnished with sofas and a range of magazines within reach, this is definitely a nice place for a quiet read.

Photo is obtained from the hotel's press release kit
The main area of 10 Scotts is what the hotel calls the living and dining room. At the end of the dining room, one can enjoy a simplistic view of a waterfall and for more oriental feel, the collection room is just round the corner.

The main highlight of 10 Scotts would be the communal table at the dining room which also serves as an open kitchen, allowing guests to see the chefs in action.

Photo is obtained from the hotel's press release kit
The entire layout of 10 Scotts emits an intimate ambience and be it an afternoon tea or a leisure evening cocktail, we can't deny that it feels being in a luxurious home.

The following dishes are available every evening from 6pm till late on the à la carte menu.

Crab Cakes are a must-try for this is the signature of the hotel. Generous crab meat, fried to perfection, no doubt an all-time favourite. The accompanying remoulade sauce gives a nice tangy aftertaste. Addictive, I would say.

Hand-carved Loch Fyne Scottis Salmon would be something not to be missed for salmon lovers. This premium cut salmon are fresh and light on the palette to go with an evening cocktail.

Duck Rillette is both Yuan's and my favourite for this is not overly salty and does remind us of the appetizers we had in Florence. Generous servings of the meat, with the moisture content just right. This is one where we cannot resist multiple helpings, especially when eaten with the in-house bread.

Chorizo Sausage, might be salty to some but wows when it comes to its flavour.

Yuan and I are not frequent lounge goers and when it comes to snacks associated with cocktails, we are not familiar at all. However, the experience 10 Scotts provides is something very different from the previous few lounges we have visited.

Unlike the regular finger food such as potato wedges and chips, 10 Scotts aims to bring about a different selection of snackers, priced between $18++ to $24++ and are available daily from 6pm till late. To a certain extent, the dishes available on the evening à la carte menu does resemble the appetizers we have came across in Italy and the buffet lunch at Basilico, The Regent Singapore so thumbs up to the menu.

A meal would not be complete without sweets and the homemade tart is something we recommend. The fruits that comes with the tart varies from afternoon to evening and is made fresh daily.

With a nice thin crust filled with frangipani and fresh fig, the contrast of textures is splendid.

We were also honoured to be able to chat with Executive Chef Lucas and it was interesting to hear his team of 180 chefs working together to bring about high quality food to the hotel guests.

It was of no doubt a beautiful evening spent at Grand Hyatt Singapore and we would like to express our biggest thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Patricia Yong, Assistant Manager (Public Relations), Ms. Melissa Tan and Ms Sandee Goh for their time to host us, not forgetting Executive Chef Lucas Glanville to take his time off to chat with us.

Breakfast is available from 7am to 10:30am daily with an option of a continental buffet at $28++ per pax or from the à la carte menu.

Lunch is available from 11:30am to 2pm with a selection of appetisers, main courses and desserts. à la carte dishes are priced from S$14++ onwards, which includes a coffee or tea.

Afternoon Tea is available from 2:30pm to 5pm daily. Priced at $38++ or $68++ (with free flowing champagne) from Mondays to Fridays and $48++ or $78++ (with free flowing champagne) on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. The menu features a pleasing mix of both local and international favourites with homemade scones with raspberry jam, kaya and clotted cream a must-try.

Evening Cocktails and the above dishes are available daily from 6pm till late.

10 Scotts
Grand Hyatt Singapore
10 Scotts Road
Singapore 228211
Tel: 6732 1234
Website

Peony Jade's Mao Shan Wang Snowskin

2011-08-24T22:27:00.001+08:00

Organic Pandan Snow Skin 100% Pure Top Grade Mao Shan Wang Durian Mooncake. Though the name is quite a mouth full, I think durian lovers will not mind a mouth full of this.

Unlike the usual durian mooncakes which I tried which are sweet, this one is slightly bitter. Hence if you like bitter durian flesh, give this a shot. Apart from thick creamy durian pulp, the Pandan Snow Skin compliments well with the durian. Originally I only wanted 2 pieces but Yuan bought 4 after tasting the sample, need I elaborate further?

Do purchase this early if you are keen as this was sold out for the past 2 years.

For more information on promotional discounts or credit card discounts, click here.

Peony Jade's mooncakes are available for sale with 16 booths set up round Singapore.

For pre-orders and pricing of the mooncakes, here is their online mooncake webpage.

Tai Chong Kok Mooncake

2011-08-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Having eaten a series of snow skin mooncakes, we decided to switch to some of the traditional favourites. Most Singaporeans should be familiar with Tai Chong Kok and have grown up with their mooncakes. Tai Chong Kok's lotus paste is probably one of the most fragrant which I have tried. The paste is smooth but is very oily. In general, I found the lotus paste a little sweet but if eaten with the salted egg, it neutralises the sweetness.

Mooncakes can be bought separately, $8 for a piece of Double Yolk and $7 for Lotus Paste. They still come in the traditional Tai Chong Kok Paper Bag which is suitable for gifts.

Tai Chong Kok
34 Sago Street
Tel: 6227 5701

Grand Hyatt Singapore's Snowskin 2011 Collection

2011-08-21T21:36:00.001+08:00

It was nice to receive an invitation to Grand Hyatt Singapore to visit their new residential-style lounge, 10 Scotts and after tasting several of Grand Hyatt Singapore's mini snowskins, we decided to purchase a box to share with our readers some of their interesting flavours.

Before we move on to the mini snowskins, Grand Hyatt Singapore introduces a Chinese Chess Set made of Chocolate Pralines or Traditional Mooncakes, something that is very unique and presentable as gifts for families and business associates.

I am not sure about most but Yuan and I thought that this would be an entry on halal mooncakes but we were surprised that the bulk of the snowskins contains liquor. While the popular Straits Kitchen is halal, Grand Hyatt Singapore is also famous for their martini and cocktails served at Mezza9. In other words, these snowskins are inspired from their popular cocktails and offers as many as 6 alcoholic snowskins and 3 non-alcoholic ones.

Popular favourites such as Champagne truffle (pink), Lychee Martini (yellow) and Sakura Flower Cherry (purple) are back in action and the most outstanding flavour would be the Lychee Martini. Not only is the snowskin the softest among the 5 flavours we have gotten, the skin remains as it is despite being kept in the chiller for 4 days. Of course, the winning factor would be the chocolate ganache filled with strong lychee flavour and alcoholic punch.

Sakura Flower Cherry (purple) would be the other interesting one to highlight. Setting aside that it is alcoholic, the sakura flavoured ganache is memorable for the flowery goodness while the creamy texture contrasts well with the sweet lotus paste.

Apart from the regular favourites, Grand Hyatt Singapore also launched new flavours such as Chocolate Crispy Truffle (brown), Mocha Kahlua, Coconut Malibu (white) and Blueberry Cassis. Among them, we felt that Coconut Malibu (white) is unique for its distinctive and strong coconut fragrance.

In general, the lotus paste is sweet but the chocolate ganache that is housed in the core of their snowskin is smooth, distinctive and rich with an alcoholic punch filled generously in every bite.

These mooncakes are available for sale from now to 12 September at the ground level of the hotel and also the mooncake fair at Takashimya.

From now to 28 August, UOB, DBS and Maybank cardholders are entitled to 20% discount and 10% disount from 29 August to 12 September.

*Based on our past experience, most will not offer discounts at the mooncake fair at Takashimaya so do check with the staff if you are purchasing the mooncakes from the fair.

Many thanks to Ms. Patricia Yong, Ms. Melissa Tan and Ms Sandee Goh for their time to host us and introduce us to the hotel's mooncakes

Grand Hyatt Singapore
10 Scotts Road
Singapore 228211
Tel: 6887 5492

Jewels Artisan Chocolate's Snowskin 2011

2011-08-18T22:36:00.000+08:00

Mooncake goes healthy this year for Jewels Artisan Chocolate has introduced Korean Black Garlic to this tasty treat. Known to have high levels of anti-oxidants, this fermented garlic might be the most interesting flavour for this year.

Upon fermentation, black garlic has a texture close to preserved plums with a hint of sweetness and tangy aftertaste (similar to balsamic vinegar). With soft chewy snowskin and green bean paste, there is a generous serving of black garlic at the centre of the mooncake and to a certain extent, this is quite acquired and different from most snowskin flavours.

Apart from the black beauty, the signature Snowskin Mooncake with Champagne Ganache Truffle is something not to be missed and just like last year, this has not disppointed.

Snowskin Mooncake with Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl (green), Mini Snowskin Mooncake with Espresso Truffle (yellow) and Snowskin Mooncake with Salted Caramel Truffle (pink) are also back in action.

Snowskin Mooncake with Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl has a nice contrast of smooth lotus paste with crunchy chocolate pearls and having use Valrhona Crunchy Dark Chocolate Pearls, it does help to reduce the sweetness alittle.

Snowskin Mooncake with Salted Caramel Truffle has been the next popular flavour after the signature Champagne Truffle as the smooth salted caramel ganache contrast nicely with the lotus paste for the distinctive caramelized and lightly salted aftertaste.

A box of assorted mini snowskin will have 2 Korean Black Garlic, 2 Champagne Ganache Truffle, 2 Salted Caramel Truffle with 1 of the Espresso Truffle and Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl each, priced at $56.80.

Following discounts are applicable for the purchase of 3 boxes and more,

5% off total price for 3 to 4 boxes purchased
10% off total price for 5 to 9 boxes purchased
15% off total price for 10 or more boxes purchased

Apart from Jewels Artisan Chocolate @ Orchard Central, these mooncakes are also available at the mooncake fair at Takashimaya from 18 Aug 2011 to 11 Sep 2011 and Entertainment Centre Atrium (Outside Carrefour, Suntec City) from 29 Aug 2011 to 11 Sept 2011.

Last but not least, we would like to thank Chef Then Chui Fong for the complimentary box of mooncakes.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily

Mandarin Orchard Singapore's Mooncakes 2011

2011-08-15T22:40:00.001+08:00

Our favourite baked mooncake among all we have tried for the past 3 years, the Baked Mooncake with Macadamia Nuts and Low Sugar White Lotus Paste from Mandarin Orchard. Just when I thought that Shangri-la's baked mooncake was easily the best when a vendor gave a box to my boss last year, Mandarin Orchard's Low Sugar Macadamia Nuts proved me so wrong when I ate this back to back at the Mooncake Blogger Outing held at Daniel's place last year.

What is good about it is the not-so-sweet white lotus paste and to make it less boring, macadamia nuts are thrown into the filling for the extra bite.

Created by Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong of Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant, Baked Mooncake with Mixed Nuts and Jamón ibérico makes a debut to the classic mooncakes selection. Being a non 五仁 ("mixed nut mooncake") fan, this is a surprise thumb-up for me. Often, I would complain the maltose syrup (that holds the nuts) to be very sweet, sticky and overwhelmed with spices but Mandarin Orchard's Mixed Nuts and Jamón ibérico is the complete opposite. Apart from the maltose syrup having the right amount of sweetness and spice, the nuts are fresh and crunchy. In addition to the nutty flavour, Iberian ham provides the savoury goodness.

Among the 4 flavours of the mini snowskin, the Purple Sweet Potato & Amaretto Truffle and Almond with Black Sesame Paste caught my attention for these are favourites of Yuan.

This creation is inspired by the much-loved Cantonese dessert, Yuan Yang, a combination of black sesame paste and almond paste. However, Yuan is neutral towards this for the sesame paste is quite rich and hence not as smooth as the classic dessert but we have to admit that the fragrance of the almond does make it outstanding among most snowskins.

Similarly to the Almond with Black Sesame Paste, the Purple Sweet Potato & Amaretto Truffle is rich in its flavour and the alcoholic white chocolate ganache brings about the smoothness and the additional oomph to the taste buds.

Back by popular demand, the Mini Snow Skin Green Tea with Melon Seeds Mooncake is a blend of green tea-infused lotus paste and crunchy melon seeds.

Mini Snow Skin Lychee Martini Mooncake, on the other hand is a very nice mimic to the popular cocktail, not forgetting that the combination of white lotus paste and alcoholic chocolate ganache is easily accepted by most.

In general, our preference is more inclined towards the baked mooncakes for the snowskin is slightly rough and dry in its texture, which is similar to Kueh tutu. However, having said that, I cannot deny the fact that the flavours that Mandarin Orchard has created for their snowskins leave the next deepest impression after Carlton Hotel's Marigold Snowskin for its flavour and strong alcoholic kick (after sampling 6 mooncakes from various sources).

The above mooncakes are available for sale at

Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant, Level 35, from 12pm to 10pm
Deli Counter, Hotel Lobby
outside Mandarin Gallery Main Entrance from 11am to 9pm

Many thanks to Ms. Janice Azupardo, Regional Vice President, Branding and Communications of Meritus Hotels & Resorts for the complementary boxes of mooncakes.

Mandarin Orchard
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: 6831 6266
Website

Goodwood Park Hotel's Mooncakes 2011

2011-08-13T22:12:00.013+08:00

Goodwood Park Hotel will launch a new flavour to their regular snowskins every year and apart from the signature D24 Durian, Cempedak and hot favourite, Mango with Pomelo and Sago, one can expect a refreshing newcomer, the Lychee with Lime Marshmallow Snowskin this year.

Among the new flavours (i.e. Soursop in 2009 and Apple Caramel in 2010) we have tried, the Lychee with Lime Marshmallow Snowskin is easily the most memorable. With the sweet lychee filling surrounding the homemade lime-flavoured marshmallow, this is an interesting combination of sweet and sour. In addition, the additional bits of lychee provides an extra crunch on top of the chewy snowskin, smooth filling and soft marshmallow core.

The 12-cm mooncake was first introduced last year to commemorate the hotel's 110th anniversary, and this year, the pastry chefs of Goodwood Park Hotel have decided to create the Mega ‘Mao Shan Wang’ Snowskin. Similarly to last year, this is presented in an elegant gold silk drawstring pouch, making it a perfect gift for family, friends and business associates.

Each mooncake is of no doubt rich and flavourful; and without fail, a crowd pleaser. However, we personally felt that the filling of these snowskins are slightly more "kueh"-like and there were mixed reviews from our family members and friends.

Do note that the above review has a sample size of more than 15 people. Goodwood Park Hotel has given us a box of assorted and one Mega Mao Shan Wang Snowskin Mooncake which we collected on the 14 August 2011 and we purchased three boxes of assorted and one Mega Mao Shan Wang Snowskin Mooncake on the 5 August 2011. The above pictures were taken with the first batch of mooncakes.

Available from 5 August 2011 to 12 September 2011, the 4 snowskins are sold either in a pair or in 4s in a gold and yellow packaging, adorned with an elegant peony design and Chinoiserie-inspired motifs.

There is 15% discount on all mooncakes for UOB, Citibank, DBS, CapitaCard Credit & Debit Cardmembers and 20% discount on all mooncakes for Goodwood Park Hotel Gourmet Cardmembers.

To order,

guests may visit the Deli from 9am to 9pm daily
contact the Mooncake Call Centre at 6730 1867 / 1868 from 9am to 7pm (Mondays to Fridays) and 9am to 1pm (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays)
place an online order here

Last order date is 7 September 2011, 12noon

Before signing off, we would like to thank Ms Justina Loh, Marketing Communications Manager of Goodwood Park Hotel for the complementary boxes of mooncakes.

Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: 6730 1786

Operating hours - 9am to 9pm daily

The Fullerton Hotel's Snowskin Series 2011

2011-08-11T22:04:00.001+08:00

One of the things I remembered greatly about The Fullerton Hotel's mooncakes is the presentation. Pastel coloured in the shape of a teardrop. To think that I just purchased one Rose Red Bean Snowskin last year and globbed it up immediately so much so Yuan could only manage a picture on his handphone before it was completely gone.

In general, the flavours for the snowskins in The Fullerton Hotel change every year. While the hotel focus on fruity flavours in 2009 and floral flavours in 2010, the hotel unveils a new range of tropical fruit snowskin this year. The theme is to bring about healthy goodness and nature's best for the Mid Autumn Festival.

Durian mooncakes have been making appearances aggressively for the past few years and just a walk through the most talkabout mooncake fair in Takashimaya will get one to sample various durian fillings from at least a quarter of the booths.

Instead of following the masses with rich durian filling, The Fullerton Hotel presents their Durian Snowskin (green) with Red Bean Paste whereby durian puree is enveloped with a thick and rich red bean paste.

Speaking of Mango (yellow), one will draw its association with the popular dessert Mango Pomelo with Sago and the hotel transforms this popular local dessert into a refreshing treat. In our opinion, this seems to be green bean paste infused with mango and pomelo.

Honey Pineapple (white) comprises of caramelised pineapple and white lotus seed paste and we have to give a big thumbs up to the smooth lotus paste and for that, we would assume the baked mooncakes to be very good. As for this one, the tangy shredded pineapple goes well with the sweet lotus paste.

Lastly, Chocolate Banana with Chocolate Chips Snowskin (pink) is a combinaion of chocolate, bananas and chocolate chips. Chocolate-banana-infused lotus paste forms the core of the mooncake and surrounding it is the same white lotus paste as the Honey Pineapple.

Most would remember the traditional jade drawer box that housed The Fullerton Hotel's mooncakes (at least I did). For this year, the hotel has launched another mooncake packaging and should you be keen on the jade drawer boxes, do check with the staff when placing the order as we were told by the staff that there will be additional cost incurred.

I will upload the new order form as the previous one is inaccurate in the prices of the mooncakes and packaging.
Both baked and snowskin moonakes are available for sale at The Fullerton Shop located at the lobby level of The Fullerton Hotel from 8 August 2011 to 12 September 2011.

The Fullerton Shop
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Tel: 6877 8178
Website

Taiwan Porridge @ Goodwood Park Hotel

2011-08-08T22:16:00.002+08:00

We were first introduced to the Taiwan Porridge buffet when we visited the hotel in 2009 to blog about their famous durian desserts and it was then we realize that the Taiwan Porridge at Goodwood Park Hotel has been popular since its debut in 1984. In fact, we were surprised that there is no international buffet at Goodwood Park and the buffets offered in the hotel are the Taiwan Porridge Buffet and High Tea Buffet at L'Espresso.

In general, the hotel has a lovely colonial elegance and it is extremely pleasant to have a bowl of hot porridge with a selection of 28 dishes cooked a la minute. Do note that it can be extremely crowded, especially on Sunday afternoons so reservation is a must.

One of the niches of this buffet is that the dishes are cooked a la minute and served hot to the table. From our experience, this buffet seems to be best enjoyed with a minimum of 4 diners as the dishes are in (relatively) huge portions. For people with small appetite, Coffee Lounge serve a “Design Your Own Local Degustation Set Menu”, allowing tasting portions of each dish in 4-Course and 5-Course sets. Be it the porridge buffet or the degustation set menu, a mini dessert buffet is included.

The menu is split into various categories and for the appetisers, one can expect the following,

Salted Fish with Salted Egg
Taiwanese Sausage
Baby Squids in Sweet Oyster Sauce
Fried Taman Fish with Sesame Seeds

One of the must-trys is the Fried Taman Fish with Sesame Seeds and according to Yuan, it is rare to come across such huge and crispy fish; and he gave a huge thumbs up on all 3 visits. Consistent and good.

Three types of omelettes are served in this buffet and I can only say, choose wisely as the serving is still large for 4 diners.

Fried Omelette with Prawns & Onions
Fried Omelette with Chye Poh
Fried Omelette with Silver Fish

Among the beancurds served, my personal favourite goes to the Braised Beancurd with Minced Meat. The beancurd is smooth and the fried exterior is well-soaked with the Meat Sauce. Other beancurd dishes offered are

Chilled Beancurd in Japanese Soya Sauce & Pork Floss
Braised Beancurd with Chicken & Salted Fish

The porridge buffet offers a wide range of vegetables and depends on your personal preference, the choices are as below,

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Garlic
Stir-Fried French Beans with Dried Shrimps
Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish
Stir-Fried Eggplant with Minced Pork
Stir-Fried Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce
Stir-Fried Kang Kong with Sambal

The buffet offers 3 dishes each for chicken, pork and beef respectively.

Sauteed Chicken with Dried Chili
Sauteed Chicken with Spring Onion & Ginger
Fried Chicken with Prawn Paste

Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soya Sauce
Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Egg Yolk
Mui Choy with Pork

Braised Beef Brisket with Brown Sauce
Wok-Fried Beef with Black Pepper
Wok-Fried Beef with Spring Onions & Ginger

Both the Chicken with Spring Onion & Ginger and the Beef with Spring Onion & Ginger are our personal favourites for a reasonable degree of Wok's breath. In addition, the meat is tender and the sauce is sufficiently salty to eat with the porridge.

Since the dishes are served hot, one can expect the Fried Chicken with Prawn Paste to be of reasonable tenderness and what makes it convenient is that the chicken are served boneless. These bite-sized chicken can be addictive on its own.

Among the pork dishes, the Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soya Sauce is a must-try. Tender and well-marinated; the porridge tastes even better with the sauce.

The buffet includes Sauteed Prawns with Dried Chili but the main highlight of the buffet are the Deep-Fried Pomfret with Black Soya Sauce and Steamed Sea Bass with Crispy Bean Paste.

Do note that one can only order EITHER the Pomfret OR Sea Bass and is limited to one order per table. One serving is served for 2-4 person and two servings for 5-8 persons.

To a certain extent, the Deep-Fried Pomfret with Black Soya Sauce does stir some childhood memories. Simple as described, the fish is fried to crispy with almost no traces of oil.

On the other hand, the Steamed Sea Bass with Crispy Bean Paste is tender and juicy. This steamed fish goes extremely well with the accompanying crispy bean paste.

Note that these two fishes are from two independent visits to the buffet (i.e. the first one was during the durian fiesta in July 2011 while the second one is visited today) and given how close the two visits were, the dishes served on our second visit is slightly salty than the first. Apart from that, all are consistent and good.

This station would be a major highlight during the durian fiesta for it showcases 6 of the hotel's durian desserts, including a live station of the durian pancakes. Since the durian season is over, one can expect a selection of 8 non-durian pastries, which includes the signature Chocolate Crunchy Hazelnut and Bread & Butter Pudding.

The non-durian pastries are pretty much the same on both visits and Yuan enjoyed the Pandan Praline Cake and Maple Pecan Nut Tart the most. Yuan likes the Pandan Praline Cake for its light hazelnut mousse which is akin to Kinder Bueno with the texture close to a 九层糕 (Jiu Cheng Gao or 9 Layered Cake). As for the maple pecan nut, the tart pastry is thin and crisp with buttery fragrance; on top of the pineapple-flavoured filling, this tart is topped with sugary crumbles, making it a variant to a pineapple crumble. Other desserts available at the buffet line include the Raspberry Mascarpone Cake, Dark Cherry Tart, White Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Cake, Cinnamon Apple Cake and Banana Peanut Cheesecake.

In addition, there is also two Chinese desserts rotated on a daily basis. Barley with Ginko Nut & Quail Egg and Pulut Hitam (Black Rice Pudding) were served on our visit and complements well with the Chinese dishes served in the porridge buffet. Not forgetting the selection of fruits and Movenpick ice-cream as part of the dessert buffet.

Porridge buffet is available from noon to 2:30pm (last order at 2pm) for lunch and from 6pm to 10:30pm (last order at 10pm) for dinner; and is priced at $35.00++ per adult and $17.50++ per child. The buffet includes unlimited serving of porridge and dessert buffet (min 2 persons).

In our humble opinion, this buffet is definitely not cheap but what makes it special is to be able to enjoy a fare of popular Chinese dishes with zero MSG. Unlike most international buffets that are rich with seafood and cholesterol, the concept of porridge buffet seems to be a good alternative to dine in hotel comfort. In addition, with the dishes served a la minute, the quality offers is of no doubt. However, since the dishes offer may be simple and common, the novelty factor may diminish after repeated visits.

Many thanks to Marketing Communications Manager of Goodwood Park Hotel, Ms. Justina Loh for allowing us to take photos of the porridge buffet and the complementary tub of Homemade Durian Ice Cream.

Coffee Lounge
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: 6730 1746
Website

P.S. Do note that the second visit was dined as anonymous customers.

Carlton Hotel's Mooncake 2011

2011-08-06T10:12:00.002+08:00

The selling point of most mooncakes lies in its packaging and taste.

This year, Carlton Singapore has introduced a lovely packaging for their mooncakes. Inspired by traditional Mid Autumn festival lanterns with Carlton's brand and "star" logo, these hexagonal Tiffin-like packaging is die-cut with shapes of similar rice grains, allowing the box to glow beautifully when lit up.

However, the packaging is not only the selling point. We were pleasantly surprised by the Walnut Moontart and the newly introduced Marigold Snowskin.

Carlton Hotel’s signature and all-time bestseller, the Walnut Moontart is indeed a crowd pleaser. Topped with a sugary crispy crust, the fragrance diffuses strongly the moment we remove the Moontarts from the packaging.

Setting aside the shape, this is a good alternative to the traditional baked mooncake. Apart from the smooth and rich lotus paste, the walnut provides the additional crunch and the salted egg yolk finishes the taste with a savoury aftertaste.

This may be slightly sweet when eaten back to back with Hilton’s Cheese Snowskin but fret not, this all-time favourite also comes in a low sugar option and without egg yolk so there is no excuse to give this a miss.

The egg yolk may be small to some but it is the overall combination that blew us away. Also, there was a slight difference when we consume it on the day of collection and the following day so we would advise not to keep it for too long. After 5 days, we decided to warm it up in the oven and the crispy crust with the fragrance of the walnut makes it tastes better.

Carlton Hotel’s snowskin did give a lasting impression for the Wheatgrass and Lavender Snowskin launched 2 years back and this time round, tea lovers will be delighted with their newcomer, the Marigold Snowskin. With Oolong skin, Osmanthus (桂花) – infused lotus paste and a Marigold centre, the combination of two delicate flowers from the East and West provides a nice fragrance and is definitely a splendid treat for tea lovers.

With fragrant Osmanthus-infused lotus paste enveloping the crunchy Marigold ganache made of petals and hazelnut croquant, this combination works well for me and my mother-in-law but Yuan felt that the Osmanthus is too strong to his liking. Between the two, he would gladly gobble down the signature Walnut Moontart.

From now to 29 August 2011,
- early birds get to enjoy 15% off all mooncakes.
- exclusively for Starhub customers, Citibank, DBS and UOB card members, there is 20% off for the first 25 boxes purchased and 25% off for 26 boxes and above.

From 29 August to 12 Septmeber 2011,
- all customers get to enjoy 10% off all mooncakes
- exclusively for Starhub customers, Citibank, DBS and UOB card members, there is 15% off all mooncakes

Note that there is
- free local delivery for 50 boxes and above to one location for purchase of 50 boxes and above
- a surcharge of $35 per location is applicable for delivery with less than 50 boxes
- 3 working days is needed to process orders of more than 10 boxes

Before signing off, we would like to thank Ms Leung Yi Wen, Marketing Communications Manager of Carlton Hotel for the complementary boxes of mooncakes.

The mooncakes are also available at the following booths,
Carlton Hotel Lobby, Café Mosaic Entrance, Level 1
8 Aug to 12 Sep 2011
Daily, 11am to 9pm

IMM, Atrium A, Level 1
29 Aug to 11 Sep 2011
Daily, 10am to 10pm

Junction 8, Main Atrium, Level 2
29 Aug to 11 Sep 2011
Daily, 10am to 10pm

Suntec City Mall, Entertainment Centre Atrium, Level 1
29 Aug to 11 Sep 2011
Sundays to Thursdays: 10am to 9.30pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 10am to 10pm

Mooncake 2011 by Hilton Singapore

2011-08-03T22:54:00.000+08:00

It was quite an honour to receive an invitation to Hilton’s Mooncake Media Event and from our experience with their Snowskin Cheese Mooncakes last year, we are pretty sure that this will not disappoint.

This year, Hilton Singapore has launched a new mooncake packaging. Decorated with red silk and gold material, this will appeal to most as a gift for the elders and business associates for this 3-sections box is designed to bring good fortune and prosperity. While the flowers on the Chinese silk represent nobility and value, the Chinese ancient copper coin has “招財進寶” imprinted on it to symbolize good tidings of prosperity.

It is a known fact that the hotel is famous for their cheesecakes and hence, the chefs decided to conceptualize Snowskin Cheese Mooncakes to be the representative of Hilton Singapore for the Mid Autumn Festival.

This year, there are 4 new snowskin cheese mooncake flavours and the special thing about them is the surprise gem in each of the new mini cheese mooncake.

Cheese and chocolate never go wrong in Hilton and when you have Dark Chocolate and Cream Cheese combined together, the outcome is obvious.

Do note that lotus paste is not used in Hilton's snowskin mooncakes and may not be a “mooncake” to the traditionist and purist but it is also this filling that makes it distinctive and special from most mooncakes.

Anyway, back to the Dark Chocolate Snowskin, this combination of chocolate cream cheese and homemade chocolate truffle is heavenly. While the cream cheese filling gives a slight savoury effect to the mooncake, the dark chocolate makes it not sweet. Moreover, the core of the mooncake has a dark chocolate truffle for a deeper flavour and I would say it is a good alternative to mooncakes, appealing to chocoholics.

Photo is obtained from the press release kit provided by Hilton Singapore
Caramel VSOP is not only the most talk-about flavour in the media tasting but also the favourite of Hilton’s staff during product development. Caramel VSOP is created with inspiration from the champagne truffle snowskin which we are so familiar with but Hilton Hotel felt that there is so many to offer in the market right now and hence offer something new and different. Set inside the mooncake is a truffle made of homemade caramel and VSOP; and the resulting effect is a luscious smooth and bitter-sweet liquid.

A note of caution, do not underestimate the alcoholic kick of this mooncake and to some, this may be appealing more than the champagne truffle snowskin.

Mango Passion Fruit is my personal favourite among the snowskin collection for a good contrast of textures and flavours. Like the other cheese snowskins, the mango-blended cream cheese is of no doubt smooth and creamy but what makes it different from the regular mango snowskin lies in the chewy home-made passionfruit jelly bonbon incorporated for the extra bite. Love the tangy aftertaste, making it light to pop the entire thing in the mouth.

Cookies “n” Cream is inspired from one of the best selling cheesecakes in the hotel, the Oreo Cheesecake. This was created to have something familiar and popular and for the extra crunch, one can expect a generous chunk of oreo cookie in the centre.

Hibiscus Orange and Berry Treat are back by popular demand. Like the Mango Passion Fruit, Hibiscus Orange is slightly tangy. While the fragrance of the dried Hibiscus is negligible, the candied orange in the cream cheese filling earned nods among the tasters. In fact, my mother-in-law prefers this over the Dark Chocolate Cheese Snowskin.

Berry Treat, a combination of raspberry and cranberry is the most intense among the fruity snowskins. These mini cheese mooncakes will be sold in assortment of six flavours at $48.80+ per box.

Apart from the cheese snowskins, Baked Mooncakes are also not to be missed during Mid Autumn Festival.

One of the popular items among the Baked Mooncakes is the Assorted Nuts and Jin Hua Ham. With generous addition of Jin Hua Ham in the mooncake, the mooncake has a nice fragrance and savoury goodness . Moreover, the nuts are not exceedingly big with the aftertaste of the spices distinctive but not overwhelming.

The baked mooncakes are sold at the price range from $52.80 to $58.80+.

Senior Chinese Chef Aw Yeong Kin is the man behind Hilton’s mooncakes this year. Previously from Marina Mandarin, Chef Aw has more than 20 years of experience with Chinese cuisine.

Before signing off, a big thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo for the invitation to the Mooncake Media Tasting.

Hilton mooncakes can be purchased from the Checkers Deli, Hilton Singapore from 15 August 2011 to 12 September 2011.

Early bird promotion starts from now until 31 August
- 10% off on every box of mooncakes
- 15% off with a minimum purchase of 4 boxes
- Collection of mooncakes from 15 August to 10 September

For purchases or enquiries please contact
Checkers Deli
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3392

Operating hours - 11:00am - 9:00pm (daily)
Website

Strawberry Shortcake from The Regent Singapore

2011-08-01T11:49:00.000+08:00

I haven't been eating alot of cakes lately, apart from the few birthday cakes I had and it could be due to me fearing disappointments. Strawberry Shortcakes and Chocolate Fudge Cakes are often the safest bet in most cake shops and since my mum is not too big of a chocolate fan, the choice is clear.

Something To Go is one of the hotel bakeries I will consider to pick up a whole cake as the cakes are reasonably priced. A 500gm Strawberry Shortcake cost $28 while a 1kg one is sold at $55.

Would say that my family enjoyed the cake thoroughly and it is hard to find fault with a cake that has soft vanilla sponge and light fluffy chantilly cream. Moreover, for the price, there is reasonable chunks of fresh and refreshing strawberries, not forgetting the crunshed peanuts for a nostalgic touch.

SomethingToGo
The Regent Singapore - A Four Seasons Hotel
One Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: 6720 8000

Operating hours - 9am to 9pm (daily)
Website

P.S. Yuan did highlight that there is a slight buttery aftertaste in the cake sponge which he dreads of so he would prefer Hilton's Strawberry Shortcake or Chef Yamashita's version (He is currently at Flor Patisserie).

Strawberry Shortcake from Hilton Singapore

2011-07-28T10:53:00.000+08:00

This cake caught my attention when I swing by Checkers Deli for a cake fix and this strawberry shortcake is only available in 1kg. This cake is sold at $80 with 10% discount for UOB cardholders.

This is easily the most beautiful and expensive strawberry shortcake we have ever come across. Topped with white chocolate and layered generously with strawberries, vanilla mousse and vanilla chantilly cream on a sponge base, this impressed all my 12 diners.

The vanilla-infused chantilly cream is so light and goes well with the refreshing mousse and fresh strawberries. Do note that unlike the regular Japanese-style strawberry shortcakes that are mainly sponge cake with chantilly cream, this version focus more on the vanilla mousse and hence may not appeal to people who prefers more cake content.

In our opinion, be it taste or presentation, this is something to consider for a special occassion.

Checkers Deli
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3392

Operating hours - 11:00am - 9:00pm (daily)

Chocolate Origin

2011-07-26T23:02:00.000+08:00

Having eaten so many chocolate fudge cakes, this one from Chocolate Origin left a deep impression for its thick layer of chocolate ganache. The ganache layer is actually thicker than the sponge as opposed to most other fudge cakes. For someone like Yuan who prefers mousse and ganache over sponge, this chocolate fudge cake earns a thumbs up from him. A 6-inch cake goes at $29 which is certainly value for money.

Chocolate Origin
Blk 4 Changi Village

#01-2084
Singapore 500004
Tel: 6542 2939
Email: cakes@chocolate-origin.com
http://www.chocolate-origin.com/

Fullerton Chocolate Buffet 2011

2011-07-23T22:53:00.003+08:00

Fullerton Hotel's signature chocolate buffet is something most chocoholics would not want to miss. Since our last visit in 2009, this is one of the buffets that has left a very deep impression, be it the desserts, ambience and experience.

This chocolate buffet has a legacy of nine years at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and is available on Friday and Saturday evenings at the charming Courtyard located at the hotel lobby.

These four cakes are the must-try in the entire buffet as they are the signatures of the hotel.

Starting from the left, Coffee Chocolate Fudge is a newcomer. Using Fudge Chocolate as the theme, the resulting effect is heavy but extremely smooth on the chocolate sponge. With a chocolate content of 75%, the coffee fragrance comes naturally from the cocao bean with no added coffee extracts nor espresso. In addition, the coffee glaze is prepared by boiling fresh coffee beans for 3 to 4 hours to get the coffee essence before incorporating with the other ingredients to form the glaze.

Fullerton Chocolate Cake, is a classic combination of rich chocolate ganache, crispy feuillantine, chocolate sponge, finished with a dark chocolate glaze. The richest cake among the 4 that bound to bring your level of endorphins to the maximum.

Manjari Lavender has a unique 7 layers with the focus on the chocolate mousse. To incorporate the floral beauty of lavender, fresh lavender flowers are dried and dehydrated before boiling with the cream for 3 to 4 hours. The lavender-infused cream is then used to prepare the chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse is so smooth and melts in the mouth with a nice floral aftertaste lingering in the palette.

Espresso Coffee Cake, the creation that earns a big thumbs-up for the delicate inter-layers of soft chocolate sponge and chocolate mousse. Like the Coffee Chocolate Fudge, the cocao bean used has a natural fragrance of coffee with no added extract nor components. This 64% bitter chocolate cake is amazingly delicate and fine with its layers that it is bound to make one carve for more. To create the shiny glaze of this cake, the hotel's Executive Pastry Chef Chris Busschaert prepared clear jam (made from pure fruits) and extracted the flavour of the jam before cooking with sugar, glucose and 100% cocao powder.

Apart from the absence of artificial extracts and components, Chef Chris makes sure each of the cakes are different by adopting different recipes and techniques in making the chocolate sponge, mousse, gauche and glaze so as to ensure that each of the chocolate creations are different and not repetitive.

Assorted Valrhona pralines are also part of the buffet selection.

For those who prefers their macarons shells to be lightly crisp, floral and chewy with a thin layer of chocolate filling, do not miss them out while visiting the chocolate buffet.

Banana Chocolate Tart and Salted Caramel Tart are delicious in our opinion. While the former has a light chocolate mousse infused strongly with banana, the latter earns the nods for the molten core of salted caramel oozing out to bring out the good contrast.

While the cakes are stronger in its chocolate content, the shooters are lighter and combined with various components to savour different flavours in a mouthful. One of the shooters is even topped with wasabi sponge and served with chocolate and lime to cater to the Asian crowd of this buffet.
Others that left an impression were the Lychee Tiramisu and Salted Caramel Popcorn with the use of lighter ingredients to complement the white chocolate mousse.

The cherry component of Hazelnut Chocolate Exotic Shooter, Cherry, Pistachio White Chocolate Shooter and Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Cherry brings along some tang and twist, making chocolate not so cloying nor boring when consumed in huge quantities.

The highlight of the chocolate buffet is the Hot Chocolate Connoisseurs' Bar, where a chef creates a bespoke cup of premium hot chocolate a la minute for guests who can choose from a selection of eight different percentage of cocoa. The selection includes

Ivory (white chocolate)
Noisette 32% (as the name suggests, with the fragrance of hazelnut)
Jivara 40% (with notes of malt and vanilla)
Tainori 64% (with strong fruity overtones)
Abinao 85% (for strong, lingering bitter intensity)
Araguani 72% (another one with fruity overtones)
Guanaja 70% (with floral notes)

This is one of the stations which we enjoyed for each of the chocolates are distinctive in its own way and by drinking it back to back, it does allow one to distinguish the unique characterisitcs of each chocolate. To spice up the experience, don't miss out Xocopili (Chilli Chocolate).

Chocolate fountains are also available and don't miss out on the chocolate madeleines, orange madeleines and plain shoe puff pastry for chocolate dips.

A new live station introduced to the buffet, Crepe Suzette with Caramel Orange Sauce. This is one station that served the crepe flambé with orange sauce and alcohol.

Another favourite dessert of ours, Hot Chocolate Souffle, baked a la minute. This fluffy, light chocolate dessert is only baked upon ordering and served hot to your table by the service staff. This indeed completes the entire experience with great satisfaction.

With the orchestra trio playing in the Courtyard, the experience offered is beyond words. Although the selection has reduced compared to our last visit, most of the chocolate desserts were better and have left a very deep impression. It is amazing to have several chocolate cakes eaten back to back and yet each of them are distinctive and unique. In addition, the Hot Chocolate station allows one to appreciate the characteristics of chocolate and it was only after our visit in 2009 that makes us realize that chocolates is not just sweet nor bitter.

Many thanks to Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. Denice Lim for her warm hospitality and the complementary chocolate buffet. The photos would not have been possible without all her arrangements. Special thanks to Executive Chef Chris Busschaert for his time to introduce us to his creations.

Chocolate buffet is available on Friday and Saturday evenings from 8pm to 11pm and is served with unlimited coffee and tea at $38++ per adult or $46++ with a glass of dessert wine.

North Courtyard
The Fullerton Singapore
1 Fullerton Square Singapore
Singapore 049178
Tel: 6877 8129

Ben & Jerry's - Milk Us A Flavor Name

2011-07-21T23:14:00.002+08:00

Ben & Jerry's has launched a new flavour and this time round, it came nameless. From 18 July 2011 onwards, Singaporeans get to name this latest flavour via Twitter and before we continue with the details of the naming campaign, here is a short description of what it is.

Vanilla ice-cream packed with generous slabs of chocolate-coated toffee crunch, might be sweet to some but this flavour earns a thumbs-up from Yuan and my family. The toffee crunch resembles to eating caramelized popcorn and as usual, one can expect huge chunks of these in the ice-cream.

Starting from 18 July 2011, this flavour will be available at all Ben & Jerry's scoop shops. At the same time, the naming campaign starts on Twitter.

It is very simple to participate. All you need to do is swing by any Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shop, sample the flavour and tweet a name using the hashtag #benjerryflavor. To qualify for the contest, fans have to first follow the Ben & Jerry's Singapore Twitter page at www.twitter.com/BenJerry_SG. The first 500 tweeters to suggest a name will receive a virtual "cowpon" which entitles them to one scoop of the new flavour at the Ben & Jerry's scoop shop in VivoCity.

Apart from having an ice-cream named after you, a Ben and Jerry's hamper worth $300 (includes a personalised Ben & Jerry's ice-cream scoop) is waiting to be won.

On 29 July, submissions close and the top five suggestions will be chosen. In the interest of de-moo-cracy, these five names are then offered back to the public for a round of voting. Fans can cast their vote by retweeting their chosen entry on Twitter. The voting period ends on 5 August. After a cooling off period of three days, the winning entry will be announced on 8 August and the new flavour will be officially named on 15 August 2011.

As part of the moolet program of Ben and Jerry's, we were invited to the Milk Us a Flavor Name Moolet Gathering. It was nice to catch up with the crew of Unilever and GOODSTUPH. With unlimited supply of ice-cream and moo-licious milkshake, it was very nice of them to prepare lots of topping for us to design our own sundae.

Like little kids, everybody was drawn to the colourful toppings and Yuan decided to be adventurous with the savoury toppings. He topped the new nameless ice-cream with 旺仔小馒头 (Hot-Kid Baby Melt), Prawn Crackers, Twisties, Bacon Bits, Potato Chips, Dried Anchovies and Tomyan Seaweed.

An interesting combination of savoury and sweet.

Surprisingly the bacon bits goes well with the ice-cream as the sweetness makes it tasted similar to Pork Floss; while the neutral tasting 旺仔小馒头 compliments with the sweet creamy base. As for the rest of the toppings, it was disastrous and we concluded Ben and Jerry's ice-cream to be good on its own.

Anyway, we are suppose to share this sundae recipe with our readers and garner votes through our comments section. Though it is something that you may not want to try, we do hope to get some support to get the Ben and Jerry's ice-cream vouchers to share with all of you. So, 請多多指教 and drop us a comment.

Should we win this "Let's milk em sundaes" contest, we will drop you an email to ask for your mailing address and pass you the vouchers. =) So don't forget to leave your email address behind.

Last but not least, many thanks to Jean and Kenneth from Unilever Singapore and Pat, Daphne and Cheryl of GOODSTUPH for the invite and their wonderful company.

Ben & Jerry's
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-135
VivoCity
Singapore 098585
Tel: 6376 9917
Website

and other Scoop Shops...

Triple 3 Brunch 2011

2011-07-18T21:30:00.000+08:00

Triple 3 has always been our favourite when it comes to buffets and each visit has been a pleasant one. One of the niche that Triple 3 has are the live stations where most of the food are served hot and presented nicely.

Having blogged about Triple 3 before this visit, it is important to note that this entry highlights some of the new additions and must-try in this buffet brunch. In other words, what was blogged previously are still available in this buffet.

There are two additional stations set up in other sections of the restaurant so as to make more room for the savoury and one of them is the cheese station. With a selection of more than 15 different types of cheeses, Triple 3 is making sure that their diners are spolit for choices.

Sushi and sashimi has been constantly fabulous in all 3 visits and this is no exception. The selection of sashimi is pretty much the same but some of the makis are replaced with King Crab Rice Don.

In any buffets, seafood on ice is often not missed but there are so many things to eat in this buffet brunch that we had no room for this station. Anyway, for record purposes, Triple 3 has put up a selection of Crystal Bay Prawns, New Zealand Mussels, Alaska Snow Crabs, New Zealand Oysters, Oysters Shooters and Snow Clams.

Although the egg station is no longer new, the style of serving the poached egg has changed slightly. Instead of serving with truffle and caviar, the Hollandaise sauce is torched to give a nice crisp topping.

As mentioned in our previous post, Sunday Brunch at Triple 3 offers the hotel's Signature Roast Prime Rib and Executive Sous Chef William's Honey Baked Glazed Ham.

Teppanyaki Station has always been a highlight in Triple 3's buffets. On top of the Wagyu beef that was introduced in Triple 3's brunch last year, diners can expect new additions such as Sausages, flavourful Lamb Chops and tender Beef Filet Mignon in this station.

Pan-seared scallops is another new addition to the buffet brunch and is also one of my favourites. Not only are the scallops succulent and fresh, each of them are well-seasoned and nicely seared with crispy chopped garlic.

Another new addition to the buffet, escargots. We can't comment much as this is the first time we ate these and are not comfortable with the idea of eating snails. Nevertheless, the garlic and parsley butter did left an impression.

This time round, the Pan-fried foie gras comes in bigger portion. Kudos to the Truffle Miso Sauce and the accompanying White Radish (in Dashi), this definitely tastes better than our last visit. With the foie gras melts in the mouth with the essence of the sauce, we literally enjoyed this with an omph.

Sad to say, we are allergic to lobsters but we would like to highlight that this buffet serves Mentaiyaki Lobsters and Grilled Boston Lobster with Garlic Pepper Butter Sauce. Based on our observations with the surrounding diners, we assume this to be hot favourites.

The classic Peking Duck, a specialty of Pine Court's Executive Chinese Chef Sunny Kong is still available in the buffet brunch and as good as before. Other items not to be missed are Chef De Cuisine Liew Tian Heong’s roasted barbequed meats which includes Char Siu, Crispy suckling pig and Roast Pork.

The buffet also serves Dim Sum from Mandarin Court. E-Fu noodles and Braised Pork Belly were the dishes for the Wok Station.

Previously from Grand Hyatt Singapore, Chef Suraj Kumar Negi is here to present his specialties. This station serves a good range of Northern Indian dishes such as Prata, Naan, Fish Curry (i.e. Seabass Fillet in Gravy Coconut infused with Yellow Mustard and Goan Spices), Tandoori Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Prawns, Fish Tikka, Tandoori Lamb, Bean Chutney, Vegetable Raita (Yogurt mixed with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Roasted Cumin Seeds), Papadum, Chana Kabuli and Mutton Briyani.

Although we have not find one that can second to Chef Ashouk's Assam rice, we have to admit that the Fish Curry is rich and tasty but yet not salty while Tandoori Chicken Tikka is tender and not overwhelmed with spices. These Indian dishes were so delicious that I couldn't resist a second helping.

In addition, the naan tastes good on its own and the tissue prata is a must-try. The soft, chewy naan is just right with a nice fragrance of the dough while the crispy tissue prata is coated with just the right amount of sugar and is not oily.

Desserts have easily doubled in terms of variety. One of the items not to be missed is the hotel's signature chocolate tart. Although the ones sold at Coffee & Crust have greater amount of chocolate ganache, the mini ones served at the buffet are not too far off either. These double chocolate tarts have smooth filling served the crisp tart shells are crisp.

There are also more desserts served in bite-sized portions, giving more rooms for sweet-toothed diners.

Apart from the International pastries, there are also the Asian desserts which includes Kueh Lapis, Nonya Kueh, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Aloe Vera with Ice Jelly, etc. Crepes (Live Station), Ice-cream and Chocolate Fondue are also available but what is new in this buffet is the Croquembouche.

Be it quality or variety, this is of no doubt one of the most impressive buffet but we were equally surprised by its price tag. We personally felt that this is a good buffet for special occasions and that some of the dishes are indeed mouth-watering but it is important to be mentally prepared to pay this much as it is impossible to try everything in one meal. Do note that there is a 1-for-1 promotion for OCBC cardholders, so do make good use of this promotion to bring friends and family members along.

Last but not least, thank you Executive Sous Chef William Tan for his warm hospitality and his time to introduce the new additions to the buffet brunch.

Buffet Lunch
$68++ per person (Mon-Thurs)
$72++ per person (Fri, Sat & Eve of PH)
$28++ (for children below 12 years old)
$9.99++ (for toddlers occupying highchair)

Sun Brunch*
$99++ (inclusive of coffee/tea, *note that the 1-for-1 promotion does not apply)
$138++ (inclusive of free flow Chandon Sparkling Wine, beers, fresh juices, soft drinks and coffee/tea, *note that the 1-for-1 promotion does not apply)

$188++ (inclusive of free flow Chandon Sparkling Wine, beers, fresh juices, soft drinks and coffee/tea, *there is a 1-for-1 OCBC promotion for the $188++ brunch)

$42++ (for children below 12 years old)
There is a la carte menu available for kids between 2 to 6yrs old.

Buffet Dinner
$89.90++ per person (Mon to Sat)
$108++ per person (Sun)
$33++ per person (for children below 12 years old)
$9.99++ (for toddlers occupying highchair)

Currently from now to 31 August 2011, OCBC is offering a 1-for-1 Lunch, International Sunday Brunch (only $188++ is entitled to the 1-for 1)* and Dinner Buffet at Triple Three.
Note that this is subjected to a maximum of 8 diners and children are not included in the 1-for-1 promotion. This promotion is not valid for dinner on Fri, Sat & Eve of and day of Public Holidays.

However, on Friday and Saturday, OCBC offers a 1 dines for free during dinner with every 3 paying adults promotion and this is also valid till 31 August 2011.

Other credit card promotions include
American Express - 15% discount on total food bill (valid till 31 Dec 2011)
Standard Chartered - 15% discount on total food bill (valid from 1 March to 31 March 2012)
Citibank - 15% discount on total food bill (valid till 31 Dec 2011) and also 1 dines for free during lunch with every 4 paying adults (valid from 10 June to 31 July 2011)

Do note that the above American Express/Citibank/Standard Chartered credit card discounts are not valid on Eve of and day of Public Holidays.

Triple Three
Mandarin Orchard Singapore
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: 6831 6288/71

Operating Hours-
Noon – 2.30pm (Lunch)
6.30pm – 10.00pm (Dinner)
Noon - 3pm (Sunday Brunch)
Website

Carlton Durian Dinner Buffet

2011-07-10T22:40:00.008+08:00

From now to 15 August 2011, Carlton Hotel brings back the popular durian buffet at Cafe Mosaic. Before tempting you with a huge variety of durian desserts, several things have changed since our last visit in 2009. The hotel's cafe has undergone a major make-over and this newly renovated Cafe Mosaic awaits to bring in more dining comfort and live stations to satisfy the hungry.

Durian lovers will only be delighted for the extensive selection of durian desserts with more than 20 varieties. Since this entry is to highlight the creative and mouth-watering durian desserts, the first half of the entry will briefly highlight the new stations introduced to Cafe Mosaic.

The new Cafe Mosaic showcases a new section of the buffet, featuring live stations serving clams and mussels cooked a la minute upon request; BBQ chicken wings, Veal Sausages, Beef Steak, Mee Siam, Sambal Stingray, Baby Back Ribs and Fresh Oysters are also available along this new stretch.

Served with Sambal Belacan, local favourite, Sambal Stingray is a dish not to be missed for the thick slab of stingray being succulent and fresh.

The other highlight of this area is the Clams and Mussels station, featuring a selection of New Zealand Green Head Mussels, Pacific Clams, Local Brown Mussels, Local Flower Clams and Fresh Cockles.

Apart from the extensive selection of shellfish, 4 styles of cooking is available, namely Ginger Oyster Sauce, Black Pepper Sauce, White Wine Sauce and Sambal Chili, served with condiments such as Chili Lime Sauce, Cincalok and Calamansi.

The new Cafe Mosaic also presents a bigger variety of hot stations and the Braised Oxtail is one of the dishes not to be missed. While the other dishes are rotated, this signature dish remains on the buffet line everyday for being the most popular item.

Starting from the front,
Deep Fried Oat Fish Fingers, Braised Beef Oxtail, Wok-fried Chicken Diced with Yam Ring, Crispy Ngoh Hiang, Yong Tau Fu with Spicy Seafood Sauce, Braised Pork Belly with Mushroom, Mutton Ribs Curry, etc
Now to the star of the buffet, the amazing spread of durian desserts. Do note that these desserts are also available during weekday teatime from 2:30pm to 5:30pm so it is something that durian lovers would not want to miss.

One of the more interesting dessert would be the Durian Beetroot Tart for its interesting mix of sweet and savoury.

Durian Chocolate Cream Puffs is another that caught our attention for its presentation and outstanding choux pastry. Like the Tarte Tatin, the cream puff is presented in an upside-down manner with soft chewy choux pastry, durian puree and chocolate cream (to moisten the entire pastry).

Durian Gula Melaka Panna Cotta has a local flavour for the use of Gula Melaka and coconut milk. The Gula Melaka is well-prepared and has a liqour-like taste which is not too sweet and the slight bitterness makes the durian akin to the popular XO durian.

The Durian Swiss Roll, though on the mild side for durian lovers, the sponge is meltingly soft, rolled finely with the durian puree.

Carlton's signature durian cake is also available in the buffet and is another light durian dessert served with a light sponge cake, durian puree and mousse.

One of the must-try items in this buffet is the Durian Roti Jala. Roti Jala is actually a Malay snack that is usually eaten with curry but in this version, the slightly sweetened soft dough has been wrapped with durian puree with a texture smooth like custard yet taste like the real fruit.

Apart from the Durian Roti Jala that is made fresh at this live station, Deep-Fried Durian Sesame Ball and Durian Fritter deserved a huge thumbs-up. Apart from the same durian filling as the Durian Roti Jala, it is interesting to enjoy the King of Fruits in a similar manner as our local snacks such as the Fried Glutinous Rice Sesame Balls (Ji Zhou) and Banana Fritter.

Durian Pengat, a very common durian dessert, is outstanding for its thick, flavourful and pulpy texture. One of the more popular item in the buffet line for the generous chunks of durian that appeal greatly to durian lovers.

The list of durian desserts goes on and on; and the style of Chef Jackie is focused on creativity. To a certain extent, some of the durian pastries are inspired from popular desserts. The Durian Cone (Durian puree served in a waffle cone, topped with meringue) mimics a lemon meringue tart while Durian Frangipane Meringue tart, Durian Millefeuille, Durian Creme Burlee Tart and Durian Chocolate are classic desserts coupled with durian goodness.

To cater to local palette, Chef Jackie also incorporates the use of Jackfruit, Pandan and Sweet Potato for his Durian Jackfruit Tart, Durian Pandan Cream, and Durian Bo Bo Cha Cha.

Although the fresh shuckled durians are no longer available in Carlton's Durian Buffet, the amount of durian desserts this buffet gets to offer is bound to satisfy durian lovers.

Non-durian lovers do not have to dread for this delectable international buffet spread has a good selection of desserts which includes Bread and Butter Pudding, Chocolate Fondue, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu. Chendol and Ice-Cream.

Do note that this durian-themed buffet is only available till 15 August 2011..

Special thanks to Ms. Leung Yi Wen, Marketing Communications Manager for acceding to our photography request, her time to introduce the durian buffet and the complimentary buffet dinner. Also a big thank you to restaurant manager, Mr. Lucas, Exeuctive Chef Kelvin and Pastry Chef Jackie for warm hospitality to make this meal enjoyable.

Durian Buffet Dinner
15 June 2011 to 15 August 2011 (6:30pm to 10:30pm)
$58++(A) $29++(C, 5 - 12 yrs)
For Durian Dinner Buffet, UOB and Citibank card members get 10% off the total bill.

Durian Dessert A La Carte High Tea Buffet
15 June 2011 to 15 August 2011 (2:30pm - 5:30pm)
$29++(A) $15++(C, 5 - 12 yrs)
For Durian Dessert High Tea Buffet, UOB and Citibank card members get 15% off the total bill or 1 dines free with every 3 diners.

Note that the following durian desserts are available for take-away,

Café Mosaic
Carlton Hotel Singapore
76 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189558
Tel: 6311 8195
Website

Kampong Lunch Buffet @ Saltwater Cafe

2011-07-06T22:05:00.001+08:00

When asked for buffet recommendation, particularly one that is not painful for the pocket but satisfies one’s tummy, Saltwater Café would be one of them.

I have come across online review(s) condemning Saltwater Café to serve “hawker food” at a hefty price tag. In our humble opinion, we felt that it is important to appreciate the specialties of the Executive Chef and in any buffets it is unfair to rate a buffet on the quantity of oysters, seafood, sashimi along with its price tag and credit card promotions (i.e. as I quote from one of the Executive Chef of a major hotel, the hotel only needs a good logistics executive to source out for fresh seafood at minimum cost).

My main point of such an introduction is to highlight Executive Chef William’s intent of launching the Kampung Lunch Buffet that is, to have three generations to dine together. The main theme of the buffet is to reminisce the carefree kampong days and Chef William has put in the extra effort to bring about the good old days atmosphere by introducing old-school savoury delicacies such as Ayam Gulai, Sambal Kembong Fish and even Kachang Puteh. That explains why the weekend lunch buffet is priced only at $38++ for adults and children below 5 years old get to dine for free while senior citizens (above 60 years) to enjoy a 1-for-1 promotion.

There are several DIY sections (i.e. Kueh Pie Tee, Noodle and Rojak) to incorporate the fun of customizing these local dishes. The noodle station is rotated among Satay Bee Hoon, Mee Sian, Laksa and on our day of visit, this station served prawn noodles with the soup base brewed from lots of prawn heads, giving the soup an intense sweetness and flavor. The soup is different from ones available from food centres and hawker centres for this is not laced with MSG, hence not feeling thirsty after drinking the entire bowl.

This is served to the table to allow families to engage in some fun by rolling one’s own Popiah. Since the proportion of each ingredient has been arranged neatly, the taste is close to a perfect one.

Chef William incorporates ”grandmother’s flavour” in his dishes and uses a lot of shallot, garlic and traditional method of preparation to reproduce his perception of "grandmother’s flavour". Some of his signatures includes Ayam Gulai (a traditional Indonesian Curry, originated from West Sumatra (Padang)), Sambal Kembong Fish (Spicy Fish originally from Sumatra) and even Braised Pork Belly.

In general, the meat is not extremely tender so as to ensure that the presentation will not be compromised but be it the Ayam Gulai or Beef Rendang, each of these dishes is well-braised and the distinctive characteristic of each dish is presented nicely to the palette. Just like our previous visit, Penang Kuay Tiao is still a must-try for the soft and springy Kuay Tiao, evenly coated with pork lard and sweet black sauce.

From the porcelain bowls with chickens printed on it, containers to hold the classic Bandung and Lychee drink to the glass display of the Roast, Chef William put in his effort to bring in the classic outlook we have come across during the 80s and 90s of Singapore markets. The only difference is that being in a hotel; the food served is less oily and not flavoured with MSG, making it very home-cooked.

To relief childhood favourites, Achar, Pickled Mango, Bittergourd, Sweet Corn and Pickled Papaya are introduced into the buffet line. Soup is rotated among Duck with Salted Vegetable Soup, Spaghetti Squash Soup, Winter Melon Soup, White Fungus Soup and Chef William’s signature Pig Stomach Soup (Zhu Du Tang). The soup is something not to be missed, especially for those who are craving for a good bowl of soup prepared at home by our mothers.

With many years of experience and hailed from South India, this station boast one of the most flavourful fish curry we have come across.

Not forgetting the various types of pratas the chef will make at intervals. In general, the pratas are not oily and are fluffy.

Another item that is served to the table upon ordering. With generous amounts of salted fish, the claypot rice is served piping hot. Despite the amount of salted fish put in this dish, this is not salty at all but instead has a nice fragrance. Unlike the ones that has excessive dark soya sauce, this is on the lighter shade and one portion of claypot rice is more than enough for 2 pax but note that this can be addictive, making one full after cleaning the claypot clean.

To bring in more local flavour to this buffet, the outdoor area of the Saltwater Café has live stations of satays and teh tarik.

With pork, chicken, beef and lamb satays available, the highlight of this dish is not only the sweetened, tender meat but the satay sauce with pineapple puree. The pineapple puree not only adds a slight tang to the peanut sauce but also reduce the heatiness of peanuts. According to Chef William, this is how the satay sauce was served in the 70s but most of the satay stalls have omitted this component for convenience.

Unlike our previous visit, Saltwater Café has introduced their very own durian puffs and durian pengat. Durian pengat has a very light texture with a strong fragrance of coconut milk. In addition, sago is added to make the dessert more refreshing and this goes very well with the Ice Kachang Station.

Apart from the Nonya Kuehs, dessert shooters and DIY Ice Kachang Station, one of our favourite desserts in this buffet is the Bo Bo Cha Cha. With sufficient body of the coconut milk, this dessert is generously served with yam and sweet potatoes, but most importantly, tapioca cubes which is often replaced with sago in most dessert outlets.

As a parting treat, Chef William has made his very own Kachang Puteh stand and each serving of nuts are wrapped in magazines paper. To ensure that these paper “funnel” are of the same shape and size, they are all hand-made by Chef William himself.

My only complaint for this buffet is the inaccessibility of the hotel but that is what makes it idyllic. Apart from the tranquility of the surroundings, Saltwater Café also arranges balloon sculptor, children corners and even activities such as cooking and batik demonstrations on weekends.

This is indeed an array of humble fare but at the same time, these dishes will never fade with time. Having being exposed to European cuisines for more than 3 weeks, we were simply excited when we saw our favourites in the buffet line. Moreover, from Yuan’s experience, there are several hotels that feature local favourites but the dishes served in these hotels are definitely not as delicious as what we had that afternoon.

Having to dine at Saltwater café twice, Chef William’s freshly fried Penang Kway Tiao is definitely one of our favourite Fried Kway Tiao and this second visit makes us crave for his Claypot Rice, Chinese Soups, Pork Satays and Ayam Gulai more.

Our heartfelt thanks to Executive Chef William for the complementary lunch and his time to share with us his childhood favourites.

Saltwater Café
Changi Village Hotel
1 Netheravon Road
Singapore 508502

Kampong Buffet Lunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm. Pricing of the buffet is as follows,

$38++ (A) or $58++ (A) Free Flow of beer and house wine
$19++ (C) Free flow of juices and soft drinks (12 years and below)
Free for Children (5 years and below) and 1-for-1 promotion for Senior Citizens (60 years and above)

Basilico - Lunch Buffet

2011-07-04T21:32:00.000+08:00

After coming back from our trip, Basilico was the first restaurant we have visited to celebrate my sister’s birthday and before going further, we would like to give a big thumbs-up to the service and complementary cake the hotel has given us to make this celebration memorable.

Saturday lunches attract a huge crowd to this contemporary Italian restaurant in The Regent Singapore Hotel and one quick glance of the buffet area transports their diners to Italy. The spread offers is amazing and having just visited Italy barely a month apart, this indeed reminds us of what we had during our trip.

It is nice to explore the restaurant for the unique and distinct furnishing of each section. A circular room that fans out into various sections, catering to crowds of different sizes, each of the section is distinctive in its own manner. While the Espresso Bar is cosy with glowing floor lamps and a traditional bar; the private rooms give complete privacy adopting a walk-in wine cellar concept; not forgetting the main area that overlooks the poolside, an alfresco-like dining in the comfort of air-conditioning.

Upon entering the restaurant, one will be welcomed with a centre round buffet table featuring mostly regional Italian antipasto, appetizers and greens.

Sous Chef Macro with the Parma Ham slicer
One of our favourites for this buffet lunch is the freshly shaved Parma Ham. Be it having it on its own or with Rock Melon, these thinly shaved hams are so tender without being overly salty.

Apart from the signature Parma Ham, the antipasto station also serves a selection of cured meat which includes Salami Calabrese, Cooked Ham and Mortadella (Pork).

This section also includes a wide selection of bread, which includes Lavosh, Grissini, Foccacia, Ciabatta and Lilicchio Bread. Among all the bread, Ciccio caught our attention for this “naan-looking” bread which has tomatoes and herbs toppings, making it tastier than the pizzas served in the buffet. The soft dough is slightly chewy and soft with a slight tang of the tomato puree.

Unlike most hotel buffets which serve fresh seafood, oysters and sashimi, this is distinctively themed Italian and Roman. Hence, one can expect an array of Treccia, Pomodor Sardo, Ricotta, Pomodoro San Marzano, Tomino and Mozarella, which remind us of the appetizers we had in Rome.

The selection of salads is also extensive, ranging from Octopus Salad, Anchovies Salad, Prawn Salad, Artichoke Salad, Asparagus Salad, Barley Salad, Mussels Salad and Zucchini Salad, not forgetting the Duck Carpaccio and Smoked Salmon.

Although the full buffet is not available during dinners, the antipasto and desserts stations are still available. Main courses, on the other hand, are ordered a-la-carte.

The cheese station, described by Chef Macro, can be either appetizers or pre-desserts. According to chef, it is recommended to enjoy a young cheese (e.g. Robbiola Di Bufala) with a strong honey such as Chili Honey or Truffle Honey. These honeys are made in-house and the reason for eating cheese with honey before dessert is to prepare the palette to receive sweets so as to make the desserts more tasteful. A wide selection of cheeses including Pecorino, Gorgonzola, Asiago, Puzzone, etc.

Tuscany in Central Italy is one place with lots of olive tree plantations and often the Italians do not eat their bread with butter but instead with olive oil. Hence, one can expect a decent selection of olive oil, not only to accompany the bread but also the grilled meats.

This part of the buffet line will feature Asian food on weekdays and Italian food on weekends. On the day of our visit, the Roasted Cod with Pizzaiola Sauce is a worth a mention. Apart from the fish being extremely fresh and succulent, the accompany sauce is light and tangy (made of olive oil, chopped onions and garlic, tomatoes and herbs). Apart from that, the juicy Wagyu Beef Balls and Chicken alla Cacciatora are worth a mention.

The main highlight of the buffet features an open kitchen with the chefs preparing the grill, pasta and pizzas constantly, making sure that the food is served warm but yet not too long under the warming lamps.

Seafood and fish dishes have always been prominent in Mediterranean cuisine. Therefore it is not surprisingly when Chef Macro proudly presents the Sole Fish cooked with the classic combination of olive oil, garlic, herbs and tomatoes.

The grills is one of the main highlights. In general, the Snapper, Pork Rib, Salmon and Beef are nicely done with just the right amount of herbs and salt. Since this is eaten on its own without any sauce, the natural sweetness of the meat can be felt in every bite.

Although the pizzas are made at regular intervals, this falls short of expectation, for the other stations are just too outstanding. The dough is too thick and the toppings weren’t generous enough.

On the other hand, the lasagna is worth a mention for the sheets are cooked just right with sufficient meat sauce. In short, the balance between the lasagne sheets and sauce is optimum.

My visit to the Tea Lounge's high tea buffet is just in April, hence, I was quite surprised by the desserts available for this buffet. Prepared by the hotel’s Pastry Chef Phillip, this is completely different from I have came across in the high tea buffet. Unlike the regular favourites of fondue, cookies and mousse, the desserts served here seems to be distinctively Italian.

For instance, Chocolate salami is said to be an old dessert from Southern Italy. This is basically chocolate and biscuits shaped and looked like salami. Although the chocolate has a sugary after-texture, this is very close to eating a unsweetened chocolate crisp.

Talking Italian, how can one miss out Gelato, the Sicilian Cannoli rolls filled with Ricotta, the Meringue-based Strawberry Pavlova and the Florentine Chocolate Zuccoto. Indeed an eye-opening display of desserts.

Sfogliatelle, is a must-try in our opinion. Not only is this pastry painstaking to make but each pastry sheet is so thin and puffy. According to the waiter that served us, these shell-shaped filled pastries are native to Italian cuisine and was created in the 17th century.

This may not be a buffet that may appeal to regular buffet goers, particularly for those who are into seafood and sashimi but is a good Italian buffet to experience the style of cooking and some of the interesting way of eating cheese (with honey) and parma ham (with rock melon). In addition, the antipasti, home-made pasta, rotisserie meats, wood-fired oven pizzas and Italian desserts are pretty extensive and having dine in a restaurant with different dining ambience, one can imagine the experience awaits is quite an eye-opener.

Before signing off, we would like to thank Mr. Anshul Kaul, Director of Food and Beverage for granting us a photography opportunity of Basilico's Saturday Buffet Lunch and Sous Chef Macro for his warm hospitality and time to introduce us to some of the dishes in this lunch buffet.

Buffet Lunch
$39++(A), $22++(C) per person (Mon to Fri)

$42++(A), $28++(C) per person (Sat)
$48++(A), $28++(C) per person (Sat, non-alcoholic)
$88++(A) per person (Sat, alcoholic)

$69++(A), $35++(C) per person (Sun)
$139++(A) per person (Sun, champagne)

Lunch is available from Noon to 2:30pm from Mon to Sat and from Noon to 3pm on Sundays.

Basilico
The Regent Singapore - A Four Seasons Hotel
One Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: 6725 3232
Website

London (UK): Harrods

2011-07-03T06:00:00.001+08:00

Harrods is described by the Londoners a must-visit place for this is one huge and posh shopping mall. Although most of the items sold in this mall are branded and expensive, the food hall is worth a visit for it being ornately decorated with its wide range of gourmet items. However, one huge flaw about eating here is that there is no sitting area except some benches or the Hype Park Corner within the vicinity.

However for those who are keen to find a place to sit down and enjoy some sweets, Harrods Chocolate Bar, located at the second level of the mall, sounds good for chocoholics. Alternatively for those who are into coffee, Italy's oldest cafe, Caffe Florian has a branch at the third level of the mall. And for macarons lovers, Laduree is at Harrods but located outside the mall.

Anyway, I didn't visit any of the above for I was combing the food hall for interesting finds and what screamed for my attention was the huge selection of cakes by Harrods bakery and I have to say that each of them are visually tempting in their way. This bakery offers a number system, meaning to say, grab a number, wait for the number to be reflected on the screen and your orders will be taken.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse (3.95 GBP, SGD$7.90) caught Yuan's attention and surprisingly, the chocolate cake is very moist. The outer couverture-like layer is actually a thin layer of jelly and the bulk of the cake is salted caramel mousse. Taste-wise, it does resemble like coffee just like the same way we felt towards Pierre Herme's salted caramel macaron.

Red Fruit Flan (3.95 GBP, SGD$7.90), is basically a frangipane tart topped with fresh fruits. There isn't any pastry cream and the frangipane layer is relatively small in comparison to the sweet pastry base. This is nice but maybe too common to justify a trip to Harrods.

That is pretty much the pastries we had during our trip and we hope you have enjoyed reading them. Time to work on our regular buffet and desserts entries.

Harrods Bakery
Located at ground floor of Harrods

87-135 Brompton Road

Knightsbridge

London Swix 7XL

Tel: 020 7730 1234

Paris (France): Macarons

2011-07-02T06:00:00.002+08:00

Macarons have always been a must-have in Paris so we took away two boxes of macarons and consumed it on the very night. Frankly speaking, these have to be consumed on the very day of purchase to do justice and the reason for saying this is due to our previous experience with Laduree which the macarons were only consumed 3 to 4 days later.

We bought similar flavours from both Laduree and Pierre Herme, namely Rose, Pistachio and Salted Caramel for we prefer our macarons to be simpler and surprisingly both are unique and distinctive in their own way.

While Laduree's macarons (12.10 EUR, SGD$21.45 for 8 macarons) are clearly softer and chewer, Pierre Herme's macarons (11.39 EUR, SGD$20.20 for 7 macarons) tends to have a crispier shells. From the picture, Laduree's macarons can be distinguished from the thinner filling while the buttercream in Pierre Herme's macarons are extremely generous.

Flavour-wise, rose was subtle between the two for both were outstanding and just right in its flavour despite the big difference between the two Ispahans we had earlier the day.

Laduree's pistachio, though more crisp than its rose macaron, retains the distinctive chewy interior. On the other hand, Pierre Herme's macaron is surpringly softer than its rose macaron. Comparing both back to back, Laudree's macaron has a stronger nutty aftertaste with its buttercream almost negligible while Pierre Herme's buttercream turns out to be more outstanding than the shells.

Lastly, setting aside the chewy and thin buttercream Laduree's macarons and crisp and rich buttercream Pierre Herme's macarons, the salted caramel of Laduree has a slight saltiness of the buttery caramel while Pierre Herme's salted caramel disappointing resembles the flavour of coffee.

In general, we thought that the entremets of Pierre Herme's was memorable but Laduree seems to satisfy better when it comes to macarons. Anyway, Yuan and I concluded that regardless of what one reads from a blog, trips to both Laduree and Pierre Herme is definitely an experience for any dessert lovers and we will for sure not miss a French cabaret show, Laduree and Pierre Herme for our next visit to Paris.

Pierre Herme
72, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
Tel : +33 (1) 43 54 47 77

Ladurée Champs Elysées
75, avenue des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
Tel : +33 1 40 75 08 75

Paris (France): Pierre Herme

2011-07-01T06:00:00.006+08:00

It was a tough choice choosing between Pierre Herme and La Nouvelle Eve. On one hand, Pierre Herme was one of the reasons that got me excited to come to Paris but on the other hand, missing the French cabaret show seems like a taboo. Well, the fact that you see this post means I have forgo the latter. Question is, is it worth it?

Definitely, desserts lovers should not give this Pierre Herme a miss. My only complain was this is only a take-away outlet, thus explaining why we took a cab back to our hotel to enjoy them. Anyway, the location of Pierre Herme is slightly off the city centre and it seems to be a heartland and less crowded from Champs-Élysées.

In terms of shop space, it is distinctively smaller than Laduree at Champs-Élysées but the cakes displayed is simply mouthwatering. Since we had 3 pastries previously at Laduree, we have decided to get 3 from Pierre Herme as well. However, since they all looked so good, we just seeked for Pierre Herme's bestsellers and signatures.

As expected, Ispahan (6.90 EUR, SGD$12.25) is one of our orders for this is the signature of Pierre Herme. Having ate Laduree's version on the same day, this was fabulous. Although it is just the same old combination of rose macaron biscuit, rose petal cream, whole raspberries and litchis. This was simply outstanding from the rest for most ispahan has slices or chunks of litchis, while this one has its rose cream flavoured with litchi and the cream is so smooth that is spreads like molten butter. Simply divine!!!

Tarte Infiniment Vanille 6.90 EUR, SGD$12.25) was another amazing creation of Pierre Herme. Described on Pierre Herme's website to be a sweet tart crust with a very rich, dense filling of white chocolate flavoured with vanilla ganache and vanilla-flavoured mascarpone cream and a biscuit moistened with a vanilla juice. One can expect a contrast in textures yet great lightness from the vanilla-flavoured mascarpone cream. In addition, Pierre Herme defines an ideal vanilla to be a combination of vanilla from several different provenances (Mexico, Tahiti and Madagascar), thereby creating his version of "house vanilla".

So in layman terms, what is our degree of likeness towards this one? If 10 is our max, this hits a 11. We have never come across something that gives such beautiful surprises. Don't underestimate its simplicity, this tart will tell you how real vanilla is supposed to be like. The overall is very soft and light; despite being kept in shape for an 1 hour at room temperature, the vanilla mousse and marzipan-like layers (seems to have a almond-icing sugar effect, not sure if that is the effect of a vanilla juice-moistened biscuit) just melt in the mouth, releasing the fragrance of Pierre Herme's house vanilla. There is no word nor photo to describe it, the moment you put that in your mouth, the omph factor will magically comes. But having eaten this after the Ispahan, this is sweeter than the former.

Carrement Chocolat (6.50 EUR, SGD$11.50) was another memorable pastry we had for the entire trip and coming from Pierre Herme, this is no disappointment. Although this is humbly described to offer tender, creamy and crisp textures of intense bitter chocolate, this is made of delicate layers of chocolate cake, chocolate cream, chocolate mousse, chocolate crisp and thin wafers of crisp chocolate.

Surprisingly, the chocolate does not melt instantly and has a distinctive woody aftertaste. With a slightly sweeter converture layer, the entire combination, including the cake, releases the goodness of the chocolate slowly and this is followed by crunch derived from crushed hazelnuts and cocoa beans to have a slight bitter aftertaste.

Although our comments towards Laduree isn't that positive, these two pastry makers are definitely a legend for we wiped clean our plates clean for all 6 cakes without feeling the slightest cloyingness but in fact, craving for more.

Macarons' entries is coming soon, stay tune.

Pierre Herme
72, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
Tel : +33 (1) 43 54 47 77

Operating hours:
10am to 7pm (Mon to Sun)
10am to 7:30pm (Sat)
Website

Paris (France): Laduree

2011-06-30T06:00:00.006+08:00

Warning: This is going to be a lengthy entry so for those who are only curious about Laduree, please pull your mouse to the right scroller and drag it down until you see the picture of the celadon green Ladurée pastry shop at Champs-Élysées.

Having visited Prague, Budapest and quieter cities / towns such as Bruges, Burano, etc., I can’t help but to describe Rome and Paris to be touristy. Most of the attractions are filled with people and I agreed with the guides that these are the most visited cities in Europe. However, having said that it was only when I came back sorting my photos that I appreciate the beauty of these two cities.

Just when I thought the crowd at the Vatican was bad, Paris was flooded with people as our stay coincide with a long weekend in Europe, so the Seine river cruise, the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, were extremely packed with people.

Anyway, the word “Habsburg” would be the highest frequency word to be heard throughout the entire trip for they ruled the "Austrian Empire" from 1804 to 1867 and "Austria-Hungary" from 1867 to 1918; and it is amazing how the attractions of Paris get associated with the Schonbrunn Palace and the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. There were two marriages involving the Habsburg and the French and it all started with Maria Theresa (female ruler of the Habsburg) who believed in making love, not war.

Picture is obtained from a CD, Schonbrunn Photo Gallery
To cut long story short, Maria Theresa married her daughter, Marie Antoinette off to Louis XVI and this family was living in the Palace of Versailles until they were brought to the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. While we have heard about the art museum, Musée du Louvre (perhaps through the novel and movie, The Da Vinci Code), this art museum was a former royal palace, Louvre Palace. Tuileries Palace, on the other hand, was subsequently built for the wife of Henry II of France and when Tuileries Palace was expanded in the 17th century, the southeast corner of the Tuileries get connected to the Louvre Palace.

During the invasion of the Tuileries Palace to capture Marie Antoinette and her children, the Swiss Guards were massacred during their attempt to protect them. This brings the lion monument (in Lucerne) into picture for it was constructed to dedicate the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss. Hence, the lion was portrayed to have been impaled by a spear and was covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis of the French monarchy. Beside the lion lies another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland.

Although Place de la Concorde (in Paris) is known to be the largest square in the French capital, this was the execution ground for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.

Lastly, as Marie Antoinette was part of the Habsburgs, the portraits of Marie Antoinette can be seen in both Schonbrunn Palace (in Vienna) and the Palace of Versailles (in Paris).

Photo is downloaded from Wikipedia
During the later stages of the French Revolution, Napoleon I married Marie Louise, a great niece of Marie Antoinette, and had Napoleon II. However, after the collapse of First French Empire, Marie Louise and Napoleon II were exiled back to Austria. Hence, there is a room in the Schonbrunn Palace that is dedicated to Napoleon II for he was not allowed to have any contact with the outside world and sad to say, the poor chap died at the age of 21 due to tuberculosis at the Schonrbrunn Palace which the Habsburgs felt that it was the best way to end this.

Picture is obtained from a CD, Schonbrunn Photo Gallery
Although Napoleon II was first buried in Vienna, Adolf Hitler transferred the remains of Napoléon II back to Paris as a gift and both the father and the son are buried in Les Invalides.

Since we are on the topic of Napoleon I, there is a distinctive arc, called Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel facing the famous glass pyramid of Musée du Louvre. Right on top of this arc, there are four horses sitting on it. This bronze statues of the four horses are also known as the Horses of St Mark's. Napoleon I marched on Venice, ending the 1,100 years of Venetian independence by forcing its surrender in 1797 and he had these horses forcibly removed from St. Mark’s Basilica and carried off to Paris, where they were used in the design of this arc to mark his victory on the Venetian.

History-aside, being dessert-lovers, how can we miss out the flagship store of The Macaron Inventor and The Picasso of Pastry?

Since there was no metro lines linking Laduree, Champs-Élysées and Pierre Herme (along rue Bonaparte in the Saint Germain des Prés) directly, we have decided to walk from the Eiffel Tower to Laduree, Champs-Élysées (2.2km) and then to Pierre Herme via Boulevard Saint-Germain (4.1km) and the reason why I blah blah so much in this post is that we passed by Les Invalides on our way to Laduree and we spotted more Laduree(s) while we were in the Palace of Versailles and on our way towards Place de la Concorde.

Laduree seems to be the Louis Vuitton of macarons. Upon entering the store, we were surprised by the twin long queues. One for take-away and the other for dine-in. There were so many tourists buying macarons in bulk and I am dead serious about it. Imagine spending more than 200 EUR on macarons. We noticed that was how the Chinese spent while we were queuing for our take-aways.

The restaurant is worth a visit for the different sections of the restaurant and bar were decorated elegantly. However, we were disappointed how close the tables were placed and there was clearly some bias in their service for the Caucasians that came later than us got their orders taken promptly while we waved for their attention for a good 10 minutes.

Plaisir Sucré, Strawberry Napoleon and Isaphan were our orders and frankly speaking, we were disappointed, considering how much raves we have heard about the place. It might have been good if we have not set such high expectations and I could easily list the good alternatives we have back home.

Plaisir Sucré (7.70 EUR, SGD$13.65) was the best pastry we had during our trip (till that point, you will know why when you read my post on Pierre Herme tomorrow) for the smooth and creamy milk chocolate whipped cream but what was disappointing was the thick tempered milk chocolate and that the crispy praline and almond meringue sandwich cake with crushed hazelnuts weren't contrasting. It was good as a chocolate treat but this creation was supposed to have 5 distinctive layers, which was not in this case.

Millefeuille Fraise (8 EUR, SGD$14.10), generous servings of strawberries, sweet and ripe; caramelized puff pastries with nice sugary fragrance and vanilla fine mousse of the right consistency and sweetness. With such fabulous combination, what was it that was disappointing. The puff pastries were soggy so imagine having your fork piercing through this slice of creation, yes, everything collapsed or got mashed up. It was good but minimally I expected the puff pastry to retain a certain level of crispness.

Isaphan (8.60 EUR, SGD$15.25) was a sore disappointment all together, the rose macaron shells were hard, lacking the meaty crust and the rose petals cream not being smooth at all. We are not sure if such thoughts came because of the high expectations we had since Paris is known for their pastries and Laduree has been quoted by many to be one of the best. I checked with my colleague who visited Laduree last year and she is no food blogger. She was very frank with me to give me a thumbs up for their macarons but not their cakes.

Now where are the macarons? Well, we wanted to save some room for Pierre Herme so we bought some macarons for take-away and raced towards Pierre Herme which is more than 4km away with less than 2 hours before they closed.

Ladurée Champs Elysées (within walking distance to Arc de Triomphe)
75, avenue des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
Tel : +33 1 40 75 08 75

Ladurée Versailles (in the courtyard of the Palace of Versailles)
Château de Versailles
78 000 Versailles
Tel : +33 1 30 83 04 02

Ladurée Royale (within walking distance to Place de la Concorde)
16, rue Royale
75008 Paris
Tel : +33 1 42 60 21 79

Ladurée Bonaparte (within walking distance to Pierre Herme)
21 rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
Tel : +33 1 44 07 64 87

Ladurée at Harrods (for this is a must-visit mall in London)
87/135 Brompton Road
London SW1X 7XL
Tel : (0) 203 155 0111
Website

Lucerne (Switzerland): Confiserie Bachmann

2011-06-29T06:00:00.002+08:00

Our first encounter with Bachmann was a box of macarons bought by Yuan's parents after their Switzerland holiday and frankly speaking it was just average in our opinion. This time round, having been in Lucerne, we can understand why they bought us a box of macarons.

Bachmann is one place you will not missed for it is almost found everywhere in Lucerne. On our way to Museum of Art early in the morning at 6am, most of the Bachmann outlets which we came across are already opened and the display is filled with sandwiches and bread, with very little cakes available for sale. Hence, Yuan couldn't help but to associate Bachmann with our local BreadTalk.

It was in the afternoon when we decided to pop by a visit and were welcomed with a delightful selection of cakes. Not knowing what to order and that the names are in German, we asked for recommendations and here they are...

Since Bachmann is very famous for their chocolates, it is obvious why we have chosen Truffesschnite (CHF 3.90 (SGD$5.70) for takeaway and CHF 4.50 (SGD$6.65) for dine-in). Setting aside the dry chocolate sponge, this is akin to eating Toblerone. To a certain extent, we thought it was disappointing as the chocolate did not have a melt-in-your-mouth effect.

Toblerone Mousse (CHF 3.90 (SGD$5.70) for takeaway and CHF 4.50 (SGD$6.65) for dine-in) is the other recommendation and as the name has suggested, this is the lighter version of Truffesschnite. This light chocolate mousse accompanied with vanilla mousse, in general is creamy, so much so that the amount of chocolate present is negligible.

Schwedentorti (CHF 3.90 (SGD$5.70) for takeaway and CHF 4.50 (SGD$6.65) for dine-in), a strawberry tart turns out to be my favourite for the refreshing pastry cream. Served in a tart shell made of puff pastry, the entire combination is similar to a Strawberry Napoleon. The strawberries are juicy and sweet; and unlike the previous two desserts, the various components are distinctive in its own way.

Bachmann publicize their macarons greatly and our curiousity leads to taking away two of their macarons. Charged by weight (CHF 2.75 (SGD$4.00) for 4 pieces), these bite-sized macarons are good for its meaty crust and light butter cream but the flavour falls short in intensity, leaving a strong almond fragrance in both the vanilla and pistachio macarons. .

Lastly, since Bachmann's chocolates (CHF 2.75 (SGD$4.00) for 3 pieces, charged by weight) are highly recommended by our tour director for they are hand-crafted in some of their bigger stores, we have decided to try their plain, hazelnut and champagne chocolate. Texture is good with it melting slowly in the mouth and not sticking to the teeth with a slight woody aftertaste. Champagne chocolate caught us by surprise for the core of the chocolate is the liquor itself.

In general, the place offers a nice ambience to chill out and given how expensive the stuff are in Switzerland, we won't be surprise if this is a "BreadTalk" for the Swiss as the demand for their sandwiches seems to be alot greater than the cakes and pastries.

Lastly, Lucerne is the most beautiful and scenic city we have came across for the entire trip but the weather was quite drastic during our two nights stay. With the first day, scorching hot at 31°C, the entire afternoon for our second day was freezing cold (16°C) with heavy rain. Lastly, be it rain or shine, who can resist the charm of Chapel bridge?

Confiseur Bachmann AG
Viktoriaplatz - 6002 Luzern
Tel: 041 227 70 70
Website

San Gimignano (Italy): Gelateria Di Piazza

2011-06-28T06:00:00.002+08:00

San Gimignano is an amazing town in the sense that this town is quite inaccessible and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This used to be a fortress with more than a 100 towers but most of the towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes, or urban renewal and through these years, only fourteen towers of varying height have been preserved.

We were even more amazed by the fact that this small walled medieval hill town actually houses the world famous home-made gelato and are world champions in 2006/07 and 2008/09.

Like Vivoli, the gelato melts fast but has more interesting flavours such as Malaga, Amedei Chocolate, Pink grapefruit with Sparkling Wine, Vinsanto Eggnog, Saffron Cream, etc... Yuan has sticked to Amedei Chocolate, Caramel and Hazelnut while I took Pistachio, Pink grapefruit with Sparkling Wine and Wild Berries.

The fact that we can remember the flavours more clearly than Vivoli indicates that the flavours were more intense. While Amedei Chocolate is indeed a potent smooth chocolate gelato, Caramel is the favourite for Yuan as the buttery fragrance is strong but yet lacks the burnt sugar effect. On the other hand, popular Pink grapefruit with Sparkling Wine is icy and tangy when compared to the other 5 flavours and hence Pistachio and Wild Berries outshine in both texture and sweetness for my combination.

Setting aside the ice-cream, should one has the chance to visit this place, one should attempt to climb the bell tower of 218 steps for the view offers after the climb is breathtaking. Imagine being at the top of the hill with a miniature bird-eye view of the small town, the background stretches till infinity with the fields and greenery which is so serene.

And like all small towns like Bruges and Burano, one can expect lesser people with ample walking space. With a good gelato place and a nice town to walk around, have we tempted you enough?

Gelateria di Piazza
di Dondoli Sergio
Piazza della Cisterna 4
San Gimignano
Tel: 0577 942244

Florence (Italy): Vivoli Gelato

2011-06-27T06:00:00.002+08:00

Our introduction to Florence started with a bird-eye view overlooking the medieval city with River Arno in the middle. After which, it was an interesting drive-in to the city square as the coaches are not allowed to drive within the city square for the streets are very narrow, in fact about the same width as most tour coaches. However, having said that, our coach still drove into the city square to drop us right in front of Grand Hotel Cavour and interestingly, Grand Hotel Cavour will pay the fine imposed on our coach. Since coaches are not allowed in the city square, one can imagine the astonished look some of the Florentines or tourists were giving us when our tour director came down to move away some of the obstructions and barricades.

Anyway, Michelangelo and Galileo are the names commonly mentioned by our Italian guides for the former contributed to the magnificent paintings done in the Sistine Chapel and the famous statue, David while the latter was an amazingly mathematician, physicist and astrologist. A trip to Florence will allow one to hear more of their stories as these two great men are buried in Santa Croce, a church located in the city square of Florence. And one of the things highlighted is that the year which Galileo was born is actually the same year when Michelangelo died so when one genius leaves, another genius is created.

Ok, setting aside the blah blah on our tour, gelato is a must-try when one comes to Florence but surprisingly our local guide told us to avoid gelato that are beautifully presented, the higher the gelato is, the more chemical and preservatives are present in them, making them not as nice. Hence, we were told to drop by Vivoli which is in a quiet corner of Florence, between Piazza Della Signoria where David is and Santa Croce. Anyway, ask the shopkeepers and they will be able to lead you there and when you see many eating ice-cream outside a humble looking shop, you are on the right one.

As what the local guide has described, the gelato are "ugly" and flat. To order, one pays at the cashier, pick up your receipt and order from the counter.

Apart from ice-cream, cakes and pastries are available which we didn't try.

2.50 EUR (SGD$4.40) for a cup with 2 flavours. In general, the gelato is light and the sweetness is within acceptable range. Vivoli focus alot on the flavour and hence each of the flavour is distinctive. The gelato melts fast and are generally "thin" for the milk or cream content is low.

Vivoli Jl Gelato
Via Isola Delle Stinche, 7r
50122 firenze/italy
Tel: 005 292334
Website

Rome (Italy): Antico Caffe Greco

2011-06-26T06:00:00.003+08:00

If you are in Vienna, you shouldn't give the Sacher Cafe a miss.

If you are Venice, Cafe Florian (established in 1720) is not to be missed for being the oldest cafe in Italy. Moreover, to be able to spend a night in St Mark's Square, sitting under the stars listening to the orchestra play, is a magical moment one would not want to miss.

Now, if you are in Rome, Antico Caffe Greco, located right opposite Gucci, is a must-visit for it is perhaps the best known and oldest bar in Rome. Why so? According to our local guide, Merissa, this cafe is opened by a Greek which is also the inventor for espresso.

Anyway, for those who are curious where this cafe is, it is near the metro station, Spagna but here is a warning, although the tourist maps and website mention that this mode of transport operates till 11:30pm, Line A actually operates till 9pm everyday except Saturdays. Anyway, upon exiting near the station, one will not miss the Trinità dei Monti with the famous Spanish Steps leading towards a square (Piazza di Spagna) with The Fountain of the Barcaccia in the centre. A quick glance will allow one to spot Gucci along the stretch of big names and Antico Caffe Greco is just round the corner.

For those who has watched Angels and Demons, Piazza di Spagna is within walking distance to

the Pantheon (the mistaken "Earth place"),
Piazza Navona where the Fountain of the Four Rivers is ("Water place") and
Piazza del Popolo ("People's Square) where one can locate the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo which houses the Chigi Chapel ("Earth" place)

Anyway, we concluded this place to have the best coffee for this trip, decent cakes and a unique ordering system. Although the items served are not cheap, there is no one at the door so one is free to enter the cafe and just pick any seats. A waiter will just take the order for your drinks and one will need to proceed to the counter to order the pastries or cakes. An order chit is given to you and this needs to be passed back to the waiters.

Italy is the only country in Europe with no Starbucks for they believe coffee is to be served plain, with milk or with cream. Hence, we did what the Romans do and ordered a cup of Caffe Espresso (6 EUR, SGD$10.60) and a cup of Iced Cappuccino (8 EUR, SGD$14.10).

What can I said, this is the first time I have enjoyed a coffee so much with no additional flavorings nor chocolate. The coffee is not at all overpowering nor heaty and the taste of the coffee is just so fragrance, leaving a nice aftertaste after taking every sip.

No fanciful names, ordered a chocolate cake (10 EUR, SGD$17.65), which is made up of a simple sponge, raspberry jam, chocolate cream with peanut bits. Overall, a light taste and we described it to be simple with a bit of old school touch. Yea, we know, the price tag is alittle steep for such a description but trust us, don't miss out on their coffees.

Fruit tart (10 EUR, SGD$17.65), is a typical tart with a soft pastry shell and although there is nothing to shout about, it is the same simplicity shared with the chocolate cake that makes us wipe our plates clean. Get the hang of it?

Antico Caffe Greco
Via Condotti 84,
00187 Rome
Tel: 06 6791700
Website

Burano (Venice): Essi and Copeta?

2011-06-25T06:00:00.003+08:00

If there is a place I wish to return for cookies, it will have to be Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon. Most tourists would visit Venice between 10am to 5pm, for the hotels at mainland Italy would be cheaper. To avoid the mad crowd of Venice, our tour director has arranged for a ferry or "water taxi" to explore the Venetian lagoon, bringing us to Murano, the island of the glass blowers and Burano, a colour island traditionally known for lacemaking and fishing,

We had lunch in one of the restaurants called Trattoria Raspo De Ua (Alloggi Salone Interno, Tel: 730095) for a fabulous meal of Italian cuisine and being a fishing village, one can expect lasagna, risotto, calamari and grilled sole, all made of seafood or are seafood. But what was surprisingly was not the main courses but the "desserts" served.

Pardon me if I get the names wrong but I am merely copying the labels I have gotten from the tags in some of the pastry shops. In addition, google doesn't seems to help me much but I can rest assure you that you will not miss these pastries when you step afoot onto Burano. The "S" Shaped Cookies seems to be traditionally Italian for we not only see it at Burano but also in Florence and San Gimignano. These cookies are meant to be dipped in white wine before consumption and are sold in a box where they bundle a packet of these cookies and a bottle of wine.

Apart from these "S" Shaped Cookies, it is the caramelized almonds crisps that makes me so addicted. I am not sure about the name but such cookies seems to be called Copeta in some websites. Anyway, shortly after our meal, we swing by Panificio Pasticceria Savina which is just two shops space away from the restaurant we dine in and a small packet of these almond crisps (about 10 pieces) costs 6 EUR (about SGD$10.60). If you happen to be there, make sure you grab a few packs of these goodies, our regret was not buying enough to feed all our hungry family members.

Anyway, apart from these caramelized almonds, there are many traditional pastry shops which sells the "Essi" like the one shown in the picture. We asked the shop owner for his recommendation and gotten ourselves a piece of Cantucci Alle Mandorle (1 EUR, SGD$1.75). Made from ground almond, this cookie has a crisp crust and slight chewy interior, a must-try in our opinion for we couldn't find a similar taste in other parts of Italy.

Panificio Pasticceria Savina
Savina Di Palmisano Luigi
Via B. Galuppi 670
Tel: 041 730060
Burano Venezia
Partita Iva 036 466 702 77

Anyway, if you happen to be in Florence, there is a store that sells similar pastries but pricier and that the biscuits / cookies has a distinctive nutmeg and cinnamon taste.

According to the local guide, Migone is recommended and that Biscotti is an Italian word that translates to “twice-baked.” In the past, wheat flour is strictly used to make bread and the excess bread is sliced and soaked in syrup before baking the second time. Hence, this double-baking gives biscotti its dry and crumbly texture.

Lastly, this shop can gift-wrapped it for you and even packed it nicely into a cardboard box, making it easier to bring it back home.

Migone
Via Calzaiuoli, 85/R
50122 Firenze (Italia)
Tel: 055 214004

Vienna (Austria): Sacher Cafe

2011-06-24T06:00:00.002+08:00

Vienna, a place where one will associate with the classical music, in particular The Blue Danube written by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II. Apart from that, the Habsburg empire will ring a bell if one has visited the Schonbrunn Palace. Lastly, the Viennese cafe is something not to be missed during one's visit to Vienna as these cafes are described to be a second home to the Austrians.

Recommended by both the locals and most travel guides, Sacher Cafe is a must-visit place for this is the birth place of the Original Sacher Torte (4.90 EUR, SGD$8.60). This is described to be not just a piece of culinary history but also a major export product and an economic factor for that more than 360 000 cakes are sold in Austria and abroad every year. Apparently, the cakes are still produced by hand today just like how it is supposed to be like in the 19th century with the recipe being a well-kept secret of the Hotel Sacher to this day.

First time visit with two diners? Well, the Suber Sacher Turm (21.00 EUR, SGD$37.05) may be a good order for you get to try the Hotel's chocolate bonbon, the Original Sacher-Torte, a small bite-sized Viennese ring cake with sweet spices, the Bohemian pancakes with plum butter and plum sorbet and the Original Sacher ice-cream cake.

Sounds too rich, fret not. We were told by the local guide that it is alright to order a cup of cuppa and this cafe serves the coffee on a sliver plate with a glass of water. The glass of water is refillable "n" times and hence allow one to laze around for as long as they want, that is why the Austrian considered these cafes to be a second home. Sacher Hotel is a good place to have a coffee for they have a good selection of beverages made of coffee and apparently all their coffee specialities are made of Original Sacher Cafe.

Anna's Kaffee (4.90 EUR, SGD$7.60), a combination of egg-rum-liqueur, small espresso and foamed milk, seems to strike the right chords for Yuan. While the egg makes the drink rich, the liqueur provides the kick and the espresso is presented to the palette subtly.

On the other hand, my choice is simple. I just needed a cold coffee drink and hence took the Wiener Eiskaffee (7.00 EUR, SGD$12.35) which is basically a drink made of home-made vanilla ice-cream doused with cold mocha coffee and topped with whipped cream. The resulting effect is a splendid dessert with a hint of coffee to perk me up.

Anyway, there seems to be some taxes but since I am not sure about the breakdown, a slice of Sacher Torte, the dessert platter for two and the two coffee beverages cost 37.80 EUR (SGD$66.70).

For those who are wandering where this place is, it is very near the the metro station, Karlsplatz. Look out for the distinctive Opera House and Hotel Sacher is just behind the Opera House.

Cafe Sacher Vienna
Philharmonikerstrasse 4, A-1010 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (0)1 - 51 456 0
Tel.: +43 (0)1 - 51 456 0
Website

Budapest (Hungary): Szamos Marcipan

2011-06-23T06:00:00.002+08:00

Szamos Marcipan is located at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Budapest and this cafe offers such a wide variety and we don't know how to go about ordering, particularly the labels are not in English.

Well-furnished dining area and also a nice chilling place after a day of sightseeing.

And for those who prefer chocolates, the cafe has a decent selection of chocolate bonbons, not forgetting the fact that the cafe is very famous for their marzipan creations, including the Parliment made of sugar and almond meal.

If one takes a closer look at the selection of cakes offered, there seems to be a variant of the same flavour cake. For instance, the walnut cake is said to be one of the favourites and the cafe manager recommends the Esterhazy torte. This cake is said to be a Hungarian and Austrian cake named after Prince Esterházy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Sounds historical and according to wikipedia, this is one of the most famous cakes in Europe. What we like about this is the fine layers of walnut sponge cake with vanilla buttercream, topped with the patisserie's famous marzipan. Not overly sweet, light taste and a soft walnut sponge.

Szatmari Szilva Torta, a plum cake, was described as unique by Yuan and was one of his favourites during this trip. Layered with chocolate buttercream and a marzipan cream (does resembles the pastry cream found in fruit tarts), the richness of the cream complements pretty well with the slight tangy sponge and surprisingly, we only saw plum cake in Budapest during the trip.

Budapest, in general, is an easy place to travel around since it has many distinctive landmarks and are generally well connected with the metro system. In addition, Budapest consists of a highland which is called "Buda" and a flat land called "Pest" and these two regions are separated by the famous Danube river.

Apart from the cakes, like the Czech Republic, the food is very distinctive and memorable. Hungarian dumplings / noodles (nokedli), resembling like irregular shaped macaroni or pasta is a favourite of Yuan for it being bite-sized and hence less rich. As for me, I prefer the Czech dumpling for a richer flavour and that the Hungarian dumplings was alittle hard to my liking.

Paprikas chicken and the Goulash soup are the other must-trys.

Szamos Marcipan
Erzsébet körút 43-49
Budapest H-1073
Hungary

Tel: +36 1 479 4860
Hotel Website
Website of Szamos Marcipan

Prague (Czech Republic): Kavarna La Torta

2011-06-22T06:00:00.005+08:00

Prague is of no doubt one of my favourite place during this trip and what makes it special is the buildings of the different eras (e.g. Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic, etc).

When it comes to food, Roast meat with dumplings and Sauerkraut is a must-have. Interestingly, when we first heard the word "dumpling", we were expecting some filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough but this Czech dumpling looks more like a pancake and it was so delicious that it is one of the items we miss from the trip. When served with the meat gravy, this springy, high carbohydrate treat is so flavourful that it actually taste better than the meat.

Anyway, being a dessert blog, we take the opportunity to visit a cafe that serves gelato and cakes and this cafe is very near to the famous Astrological Clock, located at the Old Town Square.

Very friendly staff and we took the waitress suggestion to try the Banana Chocolate Cake (65 Kc, SGD$4.70) and the Zavin Tvaroh (55 Kc, SGD$4.00) which is basically a cheese strudel. The Banana Chocolate Cake is a simple chocolate cake with layers of whipped cream, topped with 2 slices of bananas. Comparing to the cakes we have in Singapore, the texture is somewhat similar to what one's get from an old school neighborhood confectionary.

As for the cheese strudel, this is not something that I like as the cheese filling is salty and curd-like. Since it is not sweet, this doesn't register as a dessert in our mind.

By the way, this cafe requires a plain sliver coin to open their toilets and we were given one by the waitress. Interesting way of locking their toilets for the non-diners.

Kavarna La Torta
Melantrichova 20,
Prague, Czech Republic
Tel: +00420 224 214 152

Nuremberg (Germany): Apfelstrudel

2011-06-21T06:00:00.003+08:00

One of the most common pastries we came across during our trip is the apple strudel and believe it or not, the nicest one we had is actually from Casa Pane, located in Nuremberg (Germany), for the chunky, juicy apple and thin pastry dusted with icing sugar (1.60 EUR, about SGD$2.80).

Although the pastry does not have many layers nor it being flaky (if you know what I mean), it is the thin crisp crust with a soft dough just beneath it that makes it different and more yummy from the rest.

Anyway, if you are keen to try, Nuremberg has a distinct fountain, Schöner Brunnen which was built between 1389 and 1396. If you see this distinctive pyramid with a Gothic-like steeple top, you are within walking distance to Casa Pane.

The other one that was good was the one served at Astoria Hotel at Lucerne. However, I am not sure if this is available for sale or take-away as this is the dessert that came with our 3-course meal, included in our tour package. Served warm with crisp, puffy pastry, this falls short slightly for the small chunks of the apple but the overall is still worth a mention.

For record purposes, here are the pictures of the other apple strudels which we had:
From Hotel Sudrast (our highway stopover point, 2.90 EUR, SGD$5.10)

One of the restaurants along Schlossergasse in Lucerne.

Not forgetting, Rosenberger @ Vienna (Maysedergasse 2, A 1010 Wien), 3.50 EUR, about SGD$6.10

Casa Pane
Hauptmarkt 3,
90403 Nürnberg, Germany
Tel: +49 911/6607037
Website

Rhine River Cruise (Germany): Blackforest

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000+08:00

Before setting off for our Rhine River cruise, we spent awhile in a town called Boppard and amazingly, this small town has lots of patisseries and cafes. Alas, too little time but we were satisfied with the fantastic bratwurst and curry-flavoured chicken sandwich. If you happen to be there, keep a look out for a small take-away counter with lots of people.

Our comments to this Blackforest is pretty similar to what we felt towards Four Leaves' version. In general, the cream is not sweetened and the chocolate sponge is slightly moist with the cherries.

What was memorable is the Rhine River Cruise as the view offers is magnificent, with the steep vineyards, prehistoric fortifications and medieval castles to the Loreley Rock, we promptly finished the cake and went back to the top deck to enjoy the scenery this place has to offer.

Bruges (Belgium): Waffles

2011-06-19T06:00:00.001+08:00

Travelled with Insights Vacation, the Romantic European tour (for obvious reasons), and the first destination they have planned is to visit the medieval Bruges.

A beautiful place for its miniature bridges, gabled houses and The Church of Our Lady, plentiful of restaurants, small take-away outlets and of course, freshly made waffles available almost every corner of this little Flemish-speaking town.

What makes the waffles in Bruges good (also applicable to the one we had in Brussels) is that they are freshly made and generously topped with fruits and fresh cream. But our main reason for featuring this store is the friendliness of the owner instead of the one in Belgium.

He was so happy and poised at every step of his process of making the waffle and naturally when you encounter such welcoming service on the first day of your trip, you can expect that the waffle taste just as good.

Don't get me wrong, mood does affect one's perspective towards food. Moreover, how can one complain a piping hot waffle (Note: the dough is slightly saltish) and is sweetened with the generous toppings of maple syrup and strawberries.

Dubai International Airport: Paul Patisserie

2011-06-18T23:20:00.003+08:00

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past 6 weeks. Good news to share, Yuan and I are married and are back from our honeymoon so the upcoming posts will be focusing on our food spree during our 24 days spent in Europe. Do bear with me for adding a personal touch to these posts as this is more than just a food trip to Yuan and I. In addition, the subsequent posts are mainly to serve as a diary of where we have been and what we had so we shan't go into details on how good nor bad, considering food is a preferential thing.

Took Emirates to Heathrow Airport, London and one can expect a transit at Dubai International Airport. If you have more than 2 hours to spare and a sweet tooth, one can consider a short tea break at Paul Patisserie. If the time is too tight, consider a take-away which we did.

Naturally being dessert lovers and having heard that Europe to have many fantastic patisseries, one can visualize us combing the Dubai International Airport for a slice, or maybe 2 desserts and my vague impression from Harris' blog tells me there is one lurking around.

Had the Strawberry Charlotte (AED 17, about SGD$5.70) and the Chocolate Tart (AED 15, about SGD$5.00). Frankly speaking, we can't remember the exact taste of this but in general, Strawberry Charlotte is a refreshing contrast from the Chocolate Tart for its Chantilly Cream and Vanilla Sponge while the Chocolate Tart is similar to eating a smooth chocolate bar that gently melts in your mouth.

Paul Patisserie
Dubai International Airport Terminal 3
Tel: +971 4 2203 360
Opens 24 hours
Website

High Tea Buffet @ The Regent Hotel

2011-05-12T01:33:00.002+08:00

I have never been a fan of high tea buffets but the great reviews stirred my curiousity. Not only that, one of my friends is willing to accompany me for this high tea despite her visiting this place barely a month ago.

Located at the ground level of The Regent Hotel, the ambience this lounge provides is somewhat like a study room furnished with wood furniture and comfortable sofas. Apart from that, the glass panels on one side of the hotel provides sunlight, making it a nice place to chill out with friends.

It is no wonder why this is highly recommended for the wide variety of both savoury and desserts, ranging from Live Carvings, Asian, Japanese, on top of the English High Tea and desserts crafted by the hotel Pastry Chef Phillips.

Scones are one of the must-haves of this buffet and this buttery pastry that melt-in-you-mouth comes with a good selection of clotted cream, lemon curd and an extensive selection of Tiptree Organic Jams. For your information, the scones are available for take-away at Something To Go from noon onwards daily.

One of the items which I truly enjoyed are the puff pastries which are so light and crisp, be it the Sausage Rolls or the delightful Beef Pot Pies, I went back for a second serving despite a full stomach. The buttery pastries are so thin that goes particularly well with the mashed potato and addictive beef stew. Quiche was the other top favourite of mine for that afternoon.

Baked Salmon and Roasted Leg of the Lamb were the highlights during my visit and it is indeed an added bonus to have these stations served during a high tea buffet.

While the variety is extensive, the selection of sandwiches is alot lesser than what is offered by L'Espresso. Judging from how much I enjoyed the Egg Mayonnaise served on a slice of soft white bread, I am curious with the other types of open sandwiches The Regent Hotel can offer.

Japanese station serving salmon sashimi and sushi is popular among the diners and hence is of no surprise that this is one of the stations that ran out of stock.

Chicken satay and the spicy mid-joints at the Asian station is another thumb-ups for me. Well-marinated meat, tender to my liking. Lovely, I would say.

The selection of desserts is pretty extensive with live stations featuring waffles, pancakes, crepes and souffles. With an option of complimenting with chocolate or vanilla ice-cream, sauces and fruits, I have to admit that I enjoyed the crepe served with sweet strawberries, vanilla sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The texture of the crème brûlée and soufflé are fantastic but sad to say, passionfruit isn't my favourite fruit, hence sour to my liking.

Having eaten Hilton's array of desserts the night before, I have to admit that the desserts were a little disappointing when compared to the savoury. Not because they are not good but most of the desserts which I have took were sour to my liking (*Note that I didn't try all the desserts and this comment is based on the 8 desserts I have took). But I have to admit that I love the chocolate fudge cake for its soft chocolate sponge with a chewy fudge and the blueberry pavlova for its melt-in-your mouth meringue.

Coffee, hot chocolate and a good selection of tea are also served with the buffet and reservation is a must. This is no doubt a nice place to unwind on a weekend afternoon and in this case, it is the savoury that left a deeper impression, making me so full till I have no room for desserts. In addition, the service is fabulous and I agree with the masses this is one of top when it comes to a weekend high tea buffet.

Weekend High Tea buffet is priced at $44++ with no credit card promotions.

Lastly, many thanks to Ms. Siew Leng, Public Relations Manager of The Regent Hotel for acceding to our photography request and also to Mr. Anshul Kaul, Director of Food and Beverage and Ms. Phoebe, manager of Tea Lounge for the warm hospitality and introduction to the high tea buffet.

Tea Lounge
The Regent Singapore - A Four Seasons Hotel
One Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: 6725 3245 / 6725 3246

Afternoon Tea is avaiable from Noon to 5pm on weekdays while
High Tea Buffet starts at 1:30pm to 5:30pm on weekends

Seafood Buffet @ Hilton Singapore

2011-05-09T10:18:00.000+08:00

There are changes to Hilton's buffets. Although the daily themed buffets are still available, buffet dinners are only restricted towards Friday and Saturday evenings, featuring the theme, Seafood and Japanese respectively. Not forgetting to mention that the Sunday Brunch is still available and apparently there are some new changes introduced to it.

Having being allergic to prawns, Seafood themed buffets will often not crossed my mind and this visit is due to 2 of my friends whom I would like to give a treat to.

When Seafood buffet is concerned, one can expect an extensive variety in this station. Chef Sandro called this a Little Sea Port, featuring a fresh selection of Homemade Mediterranean Salmon, Lobster, Alaska Crabs, Canadian Oysters and many more. To make this is more special, there are homemade cuts of tuna marinated with salt, sugar and herbs, which is sealed quickly before some sprinkles of pepper.

Executive Chef Sandro has always focus on Mediterranean and Asian food and this time round, there are a few live stations introduced with the Spanish and French stations welcoming at the main entrance of Checkers Brasserie. Using Chicken, Australian Mussels, Squid and Prawns, the Seafood Paella is one not to be missed with freshly made portions at 20 minutes interval. Full of flavours with me going for the second serving.

Sashimi, Sushi and other Japanese delights are available to avoid disappointment among buffet goers.

Following down the trail, most dishes are fish cooked in various styles such as Baked Salmon with Saffron sauce, Cod Fish cooked in Tandoori style and Grilled Snapper.

The main highlight of the entire buffet is the Fish Market Station. Chef Sandro is one person who is very particular with the freshness of the fish and not only is this station beautifully presented, there is a wide selection of fishes cooked in various style. All you need to do is to choose your fish, get a number and the dish is prepared a la minute.

The variety available is Garoupa, Red Snapper, Cod Fish, River Prawns, King Prawns, Sting Ray and Fresh Squids. Razor Clams, highly recommended by Chef Sandro is minimally marinated to highlight the sweetness of the seafood. A little chewy on the teeth with each bite being succulent and additive.

Other cooking style includes, Sambal, Black pepper and Chili XO sauce to suit the local palate and is fantastic when applied to fresh Squids and Stingray. Something to note, this is different from what is served in most hawker centres for the absence of MSG. Although it is on the bland side, one will appreciate not feeling thirsty after a seafood feast.

As expected by some, Mediterranean style is available as an option, with the fish baked with herbs, garlic, olive oil, fresh tomatoes and shallots.

Another must-try in this buffet is the Live Drunken Prawns Station. Using lots of Chinese wine coupled with the hotel's stock (said to be a secret recipe), this is of no doubt good. Freshness is guaranteed, for the prawns are freshly caught from the tank.

The dessert section is meant to be small as Pastry Chef Christophe wants his diners to focus on some of his special creations. In addition, to ensure that the desserts are presented at its best, there are designated chefs to serve.

As seen from the photos, one can expect surprises from this humble station, ranging from Mango Panna Cotta served with fresh mango bits and mango jelly to Chocolate Mousse shaped into a lollipop coated with peanuts. Millefeuille is one of the main highlights for the evening and the crisp pastry with its heavenly delightful custard was no doubt a crowd attractor.

Chocolate lovers will be further delighted with a good selection of chocolate desserts, featuring Crispy Chocolate which is different from the classic Hazelnut Royaltine in terms of the cream, buttery crumble and the type of chocolate used. In short, a lighter alternative.

3 kinds of truffles are also introduced with flavours, such as Plain, Milo Caramel (to cater to the local taste) and Whisky chocolate, all meltingly addictive till the extent Yuan came back with a bowl full of the Milo Caramel Truffles.

When it comes to cheesecake, Hilton has always been a known favourite and this time round, Chef Christophe has decided to use the same recipe and steam the cheesecake to achieve a light aftertaste. In addition, the base is made of crumbles, which is further mixed with butter, to make it extremely crumbly

Diners with a sour tooth will not want to give the Blackforest shooters and Chou Pastries a miss for the former is assembled with Chocolate Cream, Crumble, Marmalade and Vanilla Chantilly and the latter has Raspberry Sauce encapsulated using a thin layer of Gelatin, creating a lava effect on the vanilla or strawberry choux pastry.

It is always nice to visit a good buffet with a different theme and concept. Comparing our last visit, the overall feel of this place is so different and new, making us so curious about the new stations introduced. The fact that we didn't manage to try all the dishes and that we have given the cheese, soup and even some of the seafood on ice a miss just concludes that this is worth a mention and is bound to bring in nice surprises even for those who has tried Hilton's buffets previously.

Thank you very much for Ms. Joyce Moo, Marketing Communications Manager for acceding to our photography request, the complimentary bottle of champagne and the arrangements to get Executive Chef Sandro Falbo and Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo to introduce us the various stations and highlights of the buffet. Not forgetting the warm hospitality of Ms. Yeo Yen Lin, Marketing Communications Executive of Hilton Singapore and all the chefs and service staff for making this meal so wonderful and memorable.

Looking forward to blog out their new Sunday Brunch. Stay tune.

Checkers Brasserie
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3390
Website

Seafood buffet is priced at $52++ with a 10% discount for major cardholders.

Flor Patisserie II

2011-05-03T17:12:00.000+08:00

Flor Patisserie is one place that most would recommend for good Japanese cakes for Chef Yamashita prides on using the freshest and best quality ingredients in their pastries that have been sourced from overseas (Japan, Belgium, and France), and locally.

Every visit to Flor Patisserie has always been delightful for me as this patisserie has been constantly introducing newcomers on their shelf. Placing strong emphasis on using fruits as the main ingredients, the shelf is always filled with colour, making it a visual treat before we lay our hands on the cakes.

The only problem lies in them closing early at 7pm (from Monday to Saturday) and 6pm (on Sundays) so it can be hard for me to pick them up after work. As for weekends it would be a trip specially to Duxton Hill since there isn't any reasons to be in the vicinity.

From the selection of cakes, one can expect that I am in the mood for Matcha and coming from a chef with over 20 years of Japanese baking techniques, and has spent a year and a half tailoring their cakes to suit the climate and local palette, you can roughly guess what I am going to write next.

A good green tea cake in my opinion is a rare gem in Singapore as it can be too mild in its flavour or the texture is horribly wrong. Vert ($6.50) from Flor Patisserie achieve this two aspect positively for a slight rough green tea sponge base, layered with a yummy-licious vanilla cream and green tea mousse. As an added bonus, the think layer of green tea layer has a slight chewy texture, mimicking the texture of a mochi.

Wakakusayama ($6.80), further emphasize the beauty of a good green tea sponge for its intense green tea flavour with a decent degree of softness. This swiss roll of honey-infused green tea sponge coupled green tea and red bean cream, is a real treat for green tea lovers.

However, when it comes to chocolate, somehow or rather, Japanese patisserie isn't our cup of tea for the chocolate is often weak to our liking. Hence, this chocolate pudding ($6.50) aught Yuan's attention more for its pudding which forms the lower layer and when eaten with the fresh cream and sponge, . Chocolate mousse was just average in his opinion.

Flor Patisserie
2 Duxton Hill
#01-01
Singapore 089588
Tel: 6223 8628

Operating hours:
11am to 7pm (Mon to Sat)
11am to 6pm (Sun)
Website

Brasserie Wolf

2011-04-23T18:27:00.000+08:00

This is an invited food tasting by ATE consulting and we greatly appreciated this invite as it does make us ditch our wrong perception towards French cuisine after a wonderful conversation with Head Chef Claudio Sandri.

Located at Robertson Quay, Brasserie Wolf has undergone a major renovation, bring in more space and an outdoor terrace within its premises. A varying ambience offered, depending on whether you are here for a cosy dinner or to chill out.

According to Chef Claudio, French cuisine has two major categories, namely the bistro style which serves Mum's cooking and the gastronomic style which places heavy emphasis on tasting portions and presentation.

In addition, the word brasserie is derived from the material, brass and hence the restaurant retains the use of having brass handles at certain part of the restaurants. Apart from that, the indoor dining area is decorated with overhanging lamps, plush leather seats and maple wooden flooring to excude a very comfy and casual mood.

There is a private dining area which Chef Claudio calls it Paris in short for the painting featuring the streets of France with The Eiffel Tower in the background.

The restaurant also has striking wall of framed accolades, memorabilia and quirky French icons to emphasize further on its Parisian charm.

Beetroot Cured Salmon, served with Horse Radish has an interesting way of presenting a poached egg. Nicely done with a half-cooked yolk, this is relatively light when eaten together with the beetroot and smoked salmon, which is unlike of the buttery and rich hollandaise sauce.

Note that the serving shown in the picture is only half the original portion.

The style that Chef Claudio adopts is a comtemporary way of cooking but the final result is a traditional taste to reflect the classic French charm. Hence, it is no surprise that old favoirites such as the Traditional French Onion Soup is highly recommended.

Made from onion and beef broth, this soup is slightly sweet by nature and what makes it so different from the other soup we had was the a slice of bread with a generous layer of cheese. The heat is well maintained beneath the bread and when eaten together with the melting cheese, the resulting effect is so flavourful.

But a word of caution, it can be alittle salty to some given how long this soup has been simmered with the ingredients.

Beef Bourguignon, another speciality of Chef Claudio, is what I will simplify as a beef stew. What strikes both Yuan and I was the extremely tender beef that is well-braised in red wine, beef broth, bacon, mushroom, baby onions and carrots. Initially, Yuan felt that the beef was too tender to his liking and it was through our conversation with Chef Claudio that we realized it was intended to be in this way.

Vacuumed pack and cooked slowly at 75°C in the oven for more than 6 hours. The structure of the meat is retained despite it being so meltingly soft.

With great reviews of the previous dishes, this is no exception. The fish is so tender and juicy, what's more can we add.

What is interesting lies in the patty next to the fish. We didn't catch what it's called but it is made of corn flour, butter, milk, parmesan and mascarpone cheese. It is somewhat similar to a dense pancake.

With such fantastic appetizers and main courses, we were to an extent, disappointed when two sundaes were served.

Although the Peach Melba is considered traditionally French, we felt that the overall combination seems to be a messy mixture of raspberry sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The only thing that I enjoyed completely in the sundae is the white peach which is refreshing, juicy and sweet but apart from that, it pretty much stops there.

Chocolate and Coffee Liegeois did satisfy Yuan's chocolate cravings and setting aside the rich chocolate taste and smooth ice-cream, we don't really know how to describe further as our expectation of a good ice-cream lies in a smooth texture which both sundaes have.

By the way, don't get us wrong with our comments towards the first two desserts as what follows after those were lovely and interesting.

While hearing Chef Claudio sharing with us the origin of the Tarte Tatin and for those who are curious, Tatin is a name of a French restaurant opened by 2 sisters. The reason why Tarte Tatin is an upside-down tart is due to an accident. According to him, the sisters dropped this tart on the floor and when served, the dessert became inverted and was well-received by their guests.

Anyway, back to Chef Claudio's Tarte Tatin. the same ice-cream that was served in the Peach Melba was heavenly good when eaten on its own. The apples were well-caramelized and when we wiped our plates clean, we can only say that we enjoyed this dessert thoroughly.

When Chef Claudio first describes this dessert to us, it was quite hard for us to imagine that the meringue is steamed to give a texture of a marshmallow but a less sticky version. The reason why it is called a Floating Island lies in the steam meringue being sandwiched with salted caramel. Moreover, this steamed meringue "floats" on top of a layer of custard. Indeed an interesting way of eating a meringue.

This meal would have been so different without the great company of Chef Claudio Sandri and we would like to thank Chef for his time to chat with us and share his experiences. Also to Danielle from ATE Consulting for the invite. Not forgetting the warm hospitality of Sihui (also from ATE Consulting) who was there to ensure that everything was perfect for the dinner.

Brasserie Wolf
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
The Pier at Robertson
#01-13
Singapore 239013

Tel: 6835 7818
Website

Herbe Charteuse Chocolate Crispy Cake

2011-04-12T22:00:00.000+08:00

Introducing Hilton's Easter Creation - Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake ($45+). Fusing choclate with Chartreuse, a French herbal liqeur that is produced with extracts from 132 medicinal and aromatic plants, the layers of milk chocolate, flourless chocolate sponge and crispy chocolate crumble result to a smooth, velvety and crispy delight of dark chocolate flavours.

Our readers would know that we are impressed by Chef Christophe's works especially when you consider that it is smooth chocolate mousse and yet managed to stay in shape for some time. What is outstanding is the moist chocolate sponge in between. The herbal liqueur infused in white chocolate is unique but it is also an acquired taste. I found it a little similar to those tea infused dessert taste but Fen found it too strong for her liking.

Apart from the Herbe Chartreuse Chocolate Crispy Cake, other Easter goodies include hot cross buns and kouglof, a celebratory brioche bejeweled with dried fruits from Northern Europe. Also not forgeting Chef Christophe's Easter macaroons - Apricot and Cherry Kirsch & White Chocolate.

Apart from Desserts, readers may want to take note of Hilton's Easter Sunday Brunch. The brunch features special roasts such as Roast Leg of Young Veal, Spit-Roasted Whole Young Lamb and Baked Salt-Crusted Whole Cod Fillet, along with Fresh Burrata Cheese, Premium Cured Meats including Parma Ham and Pata Negra as well as a Seafood selection including Oysters and Canadian Maine Lobsters. Completing the fiesta, diners can take their pick of anything within the Deli for dessert.

Easter Sunday Brunch
24 April 2011, 12 noon-3pm
Checkers Brasserie, Hilton Singapore
$105++ for adults and $35++ for children 6-12 yrs

Special thanks to Ms Joyce Moo, Marketing Communications Manager for the chance to taste this wonderful cake.

Easter Treats Promotion
Checkers Deli
4- 24 April 2011
For Enquiries and orders, call 6730 3392 or email Checkers.Singapore@hilton.com

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day 12 April 2011

2011-04-10T23:55:00.002+08:00

Clusterfluff - Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Buttery Swirls, Marshmallow Swirls and Caramel Cluster Pieces.
The Free Cone Day was held as a show of appreciation to its customers. This year, Ben & Jerry's has decreed that all do-gooders pass on the goodwill the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS)

We were thrilled to hear of this at the Moolets meetup which was attended by fellow bloggers.

Naturally I helped myself to more ice cream. Chocolate fudge brownie with Chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. To be honest, i think i should have paired the brownie with a lighter flavoured ice cream. The overall impact is as good as eating brownie since it is brownie plus chunks of brownie.

Special thanks to the folks at Unilever and to Daphne and Pat from Goodstuph for the invite.

Lastly we also had the opportunity to take photos with the Ben and Jerry's van and the moo girls.

Participating Scoop Shops
12pm-5pm
1. Sentosa
2. Zoo@Entrance
3. Jurong Bird Park @ Hawk Cafe

12pm-7pm
4. VivoCity
5. Raffles City
6. Dempsey
7. The Heeren
8. Great World City
9. The Cathay
10. United Square

Chocolate Fondue @ Jewels Artisan Chocolate

2011-04-10T01:00:00.000+08:00

A new addition to Jewels Artisan Chocolate's menu and this is nothing but a pure delight to chocolate lovers.

Having spent the Earth Hour at Max Brenner the previous day, the chocolate fondue offered at Jewels Artisan Chocolate was so much more mindblowing, be it the quantity and quality.

Available in 3 types, namely milk, dark and brandy, this $18.80++ dessert comes with a generous pot of chocolate, served with fresh seasonal fruits, marshmallows, seaweed crackers and wafer sticks.

This is by far one of the richest chocolate fondue we have came across and what we like most about the chocolate is slight bitter taste with hints of fruity notes. Though it doesn't come with many complements, the velvetly thick goodness gives you more reasons to reach for your spoon.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Website

Manjari Chocolate Banyul @ Chihuly lounge

2011-04-05T08:00:00.003+08:00

Was looking for a dessert place after a meal at Marina Square and I was cracking my head for somewhere which I have not been before.

For those who have followed my blog, you will have realize that I do have high regards to the pastry chefs in hotels and this time round, I decided to try my luck at Chihuly Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore.

This isn't really a dessert place and they only have 4 items on the menu when it comes to desserts, namely Churros served with Lemon Curd and Chocolate Sauce ($16+), Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote and Sour Cream ($16++), Manjari Chocolate Banyul ($16++) and Seasonal Fruit Platter ($18++).

Manjari chocolate lovers will adore the Manjari Chocolate Banyul ($16++) for its chocolate core. The outer layer is akin to eating a donut except that it is not oily and the dough is chewy.

Despite the limited dessert selection, I didn't regret coming by for a dessert fix, for the service for fabulous and the ambience this place offers is one to unwind and indulge every single bit of it.

Chihuly Lounge
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: 6434 5288
Email: rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com
Website

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery

2011-04-03T10:41:00.001+08:00

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery, located at NEX, a new shopping mall in Serangoon, might be interesting to some for its wide array of bread and cakes.

I first read this bakery on Daniel's blog and had made a mental note to drop by this place should I be in the vinicity. Great service I would say as I made my reservations of 4 cakes and a bread via the telephone with no credit card verification. To think that I collected the cakes so late that they were just 30 min away from their closing hours.

Selection of cakes offered here is pretty interesting and extensive, ranging from mousse to tarts.

Strawberry Cake ($5.80)

Sponge cake with strawberry and sponge cream

Strawberry Shortcake has always been the more popular choice among the array of Japanese cakes and depending on individual's preference, it can be either your cup of tea or a disappointment.

I would associate this with what I had from Sun Moulin, dense sponge with a decent quality of chantilly cream but to travel all the way to Serangoon, I would prefer to have my strawberry shortcake fix elsewhere.

Sakura ($6.30)
Cherry Blossom buttercream cake with caramelized walnuts

This could be my favourite among all and the biggest shortcoming of this cake is that buttercream isn't really my cup of tea.

Setting aside the buttercream, this cake is unique in terms of its texture and this combination isn't common in most patisseries. The floral buttercream compliments nicely with the chunky walnuts and the sponge cake completes the overall taste.

Pumpkin Mont Blanc ($5.80)

Pumpkin paste, apricot and whipped cream cake

We didn't try this as we kept this for Yuan's mum. On the contrary, we had the signature green pumpkin bread which was lovely.

The green portion of the bread or rather the "skin" is a chewy sweet dough, making it an alternative to the Hong Kong Pineapple Bun.

Green Pumpkin cakes are attractive in its appearance and flavours but are in general very sweet. Hence, the Mont Blanc is no exception and the sweetness was so overwhelming that we have difficulty finishing the cake.

Yuzu Cream Cheese was Yuan's favourite for it being a light and refreshing treat. With a thin layer of cake as the base and a molten core of yuzu encapsulated with cheese mousse, this is small and light enough to be a post-dinner delight.

Other items that are available on their shelf are Berry Tart ($4.80), Vanilla Custard Pudding ($3), Baked Cheesecake ($4.20) and Chocolate Mousse ($6.30).

Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery Cafe
23 Serangoon Central
#B1-K1 NEX
Singapore 556083
Tel: 6634 7990

Operating hours:

10:30am to 10pm (daily)
Website
Introduction to Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery on their Facebook Fan Page

Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff

2011-03-31T17:40:00.007+08:00

We haven't really talked about it on our blog but as you can see the cute icon on the right side of sgdessert.com, you would have guessed that we are Moolets for Ben and Jerry's.

Being a Moolet, we are so pampered with pints of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream and the perks don't just stopped here.

Last Friday, we had a little ice-cream surprise as Ben & Jerry's has launched a new flavour and it was indeed sweet of Woody, the cow to deliver the sweet treat to our workplace.

I shared the ice-cream with several of my colleagues who have been eating lots of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream lately and they agreed unanimously that the peanut butter base was lovely but sweeter than the good old favourites such as Chocolate Macademia and Strawberry Cheesecake.

I guessed the sweetness is unavoidable due to the marshmallow content and for those who loves S'mores and Peanut Butter Cup, this might be a lovely fusion for you.

This new flavour, "Clusterfluff" is slated to be launched on 4 April (ie: next Monday!) and as part of the launch of this new flavour, Ben & Jerry’s is giving away free scoops of ice cream to all who play a mini game on Ben & Jerry’s Singapore Facebook page.

This is really simple, just hop on to Ben & Jerry’s Singapore Facebook fan page and you will see the game, “The Missing Clusters”.

The task to "find" the missing ingredients of Clusterfluff and with a few clicks and a bit of luck, you will be rewarded with the coupon to redemn a free scoop of Clusterfluff at the Ben & Jerry's at Vivocity.

The launch game screen shows a map of the city. Clicking the map will trigger a countdown timer to start immediately, giving the player three seconds to click on any of the five highlighted boxes on the map.

There are three levels – each dedicated to uncover a missing ingredient – to complete the game. The player gets four chances at each level. Upon clicking the correct highlighted box, the player moves on to the next level to find the next missing ingredient.

Upon completing a game, the player will be prompted to enter his/her email address to receive a coupon for a free scoop of Clusterfluff ice cream!

Ben & Jerry's
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-135
VivoCity
Singapore 098585
Tel: 6376 9917
Website

Jean-Philippe Darcis @ Marina Bay Sands

2011-03-23T00:07:00.004+08:00

Chocolates and macarons lovers will be delighted to know that Jean-Philippe Darcis has opened officially at Marina Bay Sands (27 February 2011). Being the first chocolatier in Belgium and has won the title of "Ambassador of Belgian Chocolate" for life, Jean-Philippe Darcis gives you more reason to like chocolates.

Using pink as the main colour theme, the entire cafe is dolled with arrays of chocolate pralines and macarons. These, are flown in directly from Belgium to ensure the same quality as their flagship store and is something not to be missed.

Having tried Darcis' chocolates and macarons last year, I was more interested in the items listed in Darcis' menu. A range of Belgian Waffles, Sweet Crepes and Ice-Cream to choose from, not forgetting the list of coffee, tea, milkshakes and smoothies to be enjoyed with the sweets.

Among the list of Belgium waffles ($9.30), Banana Chocolate is one of the bestseller and it is only on this visit that we realized there is a difference between Belgium Waffles and Liège waffle. Slightly salty by nature, this waffle is generously served with fresh bananas, hot chocolate sauce and chantilly cream. The light batter goes very well with the toppings and does not turn soggy with its topping.

For Liège waffle, do swing by Darcis on Saturdays where freshly made ones are available at the cafe.

Ice-cream is another highlight. Chocolate Au Chocolat ($13.50) is a sundae made of three generous scoops of Chocolate Ice-Cream and Orange Sorbet. Topped with fresh orange and chantilly cream, this is another popular favourite in the cafe. Setting aside the huge servings, one can expect lusciously smooth and rich chocolate ice-cream, complemented with a tangy and refreshing sorbet.

On the day of our visit, Madelines ($2.90 each) was available in the cafe and two of the flavours (Raspberry, pistachio, Coffee, Chocolates and Original) will be rotated among the Sundays. This item is rotated among the Liège waffle, and Finanacers.

Naturally being cake lovers, we were eyeing the verrines and cakes on the display. The selection is relatively limited as the focus of Darcis is not on their cakes but more on the Belgium-imported macarons and chocolates. Nevertheless, these are freshly made in-house and delightful in their way.

Montilaman
Chocolate Mousse, Bavarian Lightened Nougat with Madeleine Biscuit

Passion Exotique
Passionfruit and Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Mango

Lastly we were honoured to have met Jean-Philippe himself who was in town for Darcis' official openning. Also we would like to thank Gery for his hospitality.

Jean-Philippe Darcis
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
#01-38
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Tel: 6688 7202

Operating hours:
10am to 11pm (Sun to Thurs)
10am to midnight (Fri and Sat)
Website

P.S. The cafe offers nice private corners with cushioned chairs and partioned nicely with shelves of chocolate products. At times, the cafe do accommodate customers beyond their opening hours.

Betrothal Gift Exchange (Guo Da Li, 过大礼)

2011-03-13T15:58:00.001+08:00

Betrothal Gift Exchange (过大礼) is the day where the groom (with his friends or matchmaker) delivers the betrothal gifts to the bride's family and often the items to be exchanged in a Chinese Customary Wedding depend on the dialect group.

Although most 过大礼 is done 1 month to a few days before the wedding day, there isn't any auspicious dates in April due to the Qing Ming Festival. Hence, explaining ours to be 2 months before our wedding day.

Wedding cakes (礼饼) is one of the items the groom will have to bring over and this is distributed along with the wedding invitations to relatives. This is a common practice for the groom to give bridal cakes to the bride's family for the bride's family to distribute the cakes to relatives and friends, informing them that their daughter is getting married. To make things convenience, we have opt for wedding cakes for our immediate relatives and subsituted the rest with gift vouchers from Bengawan Solo.

Yuan's parents have ordered these wedding cakes from Gin Thye Cake Maker and apparently, the combination varies with dialect groups.

For Cantonese couples, Gin Thye offers the "4 colour biscuits" (四色饼) and according to my aunt, there is a total of 8 different types. In this combination, there are two different coloured types with red bean paste and green bean paste. These Chinese style wedding cakes are often printed with double happiness (双喜) or with dragon and phoenix imprint.

Taste-wise, these pastries are not sweet and are generally fresh as the pastry skin not soggy or oily. But comparing these with the Tau Sar Piah sold along Balestier Road, these fall short on the fragrance and intensity of the red bean paste.

For Hokkien couples, the confectionary offers traditional Hokkien candies wrapped with red paper. There are six types of candies: Mi Fang (米方), Dou Tang (豆糖), Ruan Tang (软糖), Dou Sha Bing (豆沙饼), Xiang Gao (香糕) and Gong Tang (贡糖).

Would have prefer the candies over the biscuits since most of the candies are vacuumed packed. Moreover, these are the candies we ate when we are young so to a certain extent, it does carry some nostalgic feeling when unwrapping these.

But of course, there is always hits and misses. While the Gong Tang (贡糖) was not crisp enough to Yuan's liking and is soft and sticky, Dou Tang (豆糖), on the other hand, is the nicest for the not-so-sweet, crunchy caramelized nuts.

A box of Cantonese Wedding Tradition cost $10 while each Hokkien Wedding Tradition is $11. The smallest domination for the Bengawan Solo vouchers is $7.20.

Gin Thye Cake Maker 锦泰西果饼家
With 4 branches located at Sembawang, Bukit Batok, Bangkit (Bukit Panjang) and Bishan.
For more ordering informations, do check out their website
Do note that the Sembawang outlet is their main outlet while the others are more to the neighbourhood bakeries. Hence, for enquiries and ordering of the wedding pastries, it is better to visit their Sembawang outlet.

Chin Deh (煎堆), also known as Hainanese Sesame Ball, is one of the items requested from my parents. This is a very traditional pastry and not many confectionaries make this anymore. Apart from the technique required to make, a huge wok is required to fry this glutinous rice pastries.

Gin Thye Cake Maker doesn't make this but do collect orders to get other confectionaries.

Through forums, I managed to find out that Neo Kian Guan does sell this at $15 each. Note that these pastries require 15 days advance notice. Since this is only presented on the actual wedding day, I will post the photos then.

Neo Kian Guan Confectionery and Cakes (梁建源餅家西果店)
Blk 7
Hougang Ave 3
#01-50
Singapore 530007
Tel: 6382 4352/ 62887041

Operating hours:
8am to 8pm (Mon to Sat)
8am to Noon (Sun)
Website

***
For those who wants to know more about the Betrothal Gift Exchange (过大礼), read on...

Prior to the Betrothal Gift Exchange (过大礼), most would have taken advantage of the banquet food tasting to allow both parents to meet and discuss the wedding details such as the types and quantities of the betrothal gifts, the dowry, bride's price (娉金) and the number of tables at the wedding banquet to be given by the groom's parents to the bride's parents.

Through internet searches, there are different lists of items to exchange. Hence, to make things simpler, we stick to the SOP provided by our geomacer (whom we engaged to selected auspicious dates for the Chinese wedding, betrothal and installation of the bridal bed)

These are the items Yuan brought over,

Bride's price as a gift from the groom to the bride's parents for bringing her up
娉金 - 感谢父母的养育之恩

Two pairs of dragon and phoenix candles to signify the couple is a perfect match
龙凤蜡烛 - 天生一对, 龙凤配

To most dialects, it would be 2 pairs of candles with the bride's family keeping the dragons and returning the phoenix to the groom's family.
男方入门,龙凤烛一对
女方出嫁, 双凰烛一对

For all dialects, Mandarin Oranges refers to good fortune and hence are often presented in even numbers.
桔子 - 大吉大利, 吉祥如意, 花开富贵

2 bottles of Brandy are often the standard items for this exchange while 6 types of grains consisting

1. Red Dates - symbolizes the bearing of a male child
红枣 = 生男孩

2. Red Beans and Green Beans - represents offsprings
红豆和绿豆 = 子孙满堂

3. Dried longans - often with their shells to represent completeness
龙眼干 = 圆圆满满, 完完整整

4. Lotus Seeds - symbolizes the bearing of many child
莲子 = 连招贵子

5. Lily Bulbs - symbolizes everlasting marriage
百合 = 百年好合

For Hokkiens, one of the items given by the groom's family is Pig Trotters. This is serve as a gift to the bride's mother for washing and cleaning the bride when she was young.
(福建人习俗) 猪脚罐 = 洗屎肉

Cantonese will opt for a Whole Roast Pig and this is presented to the bride's parents after the bride has served the tea to the groom's family. Upon receiving the Roast Pig, the brides' family will have to
- Slice off the tail and the head to return to the groom
- Keep the body and distribute to the relatives
- Wrap the Ang Bao, a pair of Pants and Belt in a red paper and placed it in the centre of the roast pig with the head and the tail at each end
- Place 2 oranges beside the head of the Roast Pig

(广东人习俗) 三朝回门, 给烧猪
With the receiving and exchange of gifts, it means that the family is always keeping in touch (i.e. 有来有往)

The symbolism of the 3 items that is returned with the Roast Pig means...
红包 = 金
Red Packet represents "gold" in Cantonese

裤子(衣服) = "服"跟广东的"福"童谣
Pants (Clothes) is a homophone for "fortune" in Cantonese, meaning the wife will bring the husband fortune

皮带 = "带"跟广东的"戴'童谣
Belt is a homophone for "pockets" in Cantonese, meaning his pockets will always be filled

Other items which you will come across for other dialects are

A pair of pineapples representing prosperity (Cantonese)
凤梨一对 - 新旺到来

A pair of old coconuts is a homophone for grandfather in Cantonese, hence, signifies three generations living happily together
老椰子 - 有爷有子, 老少同堂, 三代乐融融

Banana is a homophone for "bring" in Teochew
香蕉 - 连招贵子

Apart from returning half the gifts the groom's family has given, the bride's family will also present the bride's dowry (嫁妆), which is mainly interior ornaments or daily necessities. This is also an opportunity for the bride's family to display their love for their daughter as well as their wealth.

Baby prosperity set (Potty/basin/baby bath tub) to symbolise healthy offspring and represent good fortune & prosperity.
子孙桶 (马桶，脚盆，水桶) = 早生儿女, 健康富足, 事业有成

Bedside lamps for a blissful future with healthy offspring (to be lighted on the wedding day)
子孙灯 = 添丁添財

Wooden clogs represent smooth career advancement
木屐 - 事业顺利

A set of bowls with chopsticks represent an abundance of food and drinks.
龙凤碗筷 = 丰衣足食
These bowls will also be used on the actual wedding day for the couple to eat rice ball soup to wish the couple a complete and sweet marriage
汤圆 = 吃甜甜, 生儿子 (也可以是圆圆满满)

One tea set to be used to serve tea to elderly on wedding day so as to represent gratitude and respect for them
"一杯好茶祝公婆富贵寿万年"

Faith Coins (i.e. ‘Yuan Qian’), these small pieces of ‘gold’ resembling coins are placed in most items of the dowry to symbolize the affinity between the couple and also family bliss.
缘钱 = 夫妻结善缘, 家和万事兴

Sewing Kit (consisting of thread, needles, pin cushion, scissors, etc) to indicate a capable wife.
针线包 = 妻子娴熟

There are several rulers which I have come across, some refers this ruler to be the descendant ruler which is used during the hair combing ceremony while the one that is given during the exchange is actually a measuring tape (part of the sewing kit). Whatever the case, the ruler that is given during the exchange is meant to bless the couple with great wealth.
子孙尺(梳头) = 良田万顷, 百子千孙

Other items which the bride's family will provide are the beddings (such as pillows, comforter, bedsheets and blankets) for An Chuang (i.e. Install the bridal bed, 按床) and a set of pyjamas, a pair of home slippers and comb for Shang Tou (i.e. Hair combing ceremony 梳头).

My chinese is not very good and pardon if there is any typos. For new couples who are reading this thread, there are shops (as listed below) which sells these items in bundles and provide advise on how to execute each event proper.

Amanda Dreamweaver II
101 Upper Cross Street
#02-07
People's Park Centre
Tel: 6532 0027

iDear Collection
14 Scotts Road
Far East Plaza
#04-32
Singapore 228213
Tel: 6835 7720

Pavé Chocolates

2011-03-01T01:00:00.013+08:00

Four friends with a common dream, to share their experience from all over the world and here it is, they put it into a cafe.

Baby blue walls and pink counters; these four owners emphasize strongly on every single detail of the shop. While the local carpenters aren't good with curves, the owners make it a point to import some of the cafe's furnishings.

Was told by the cafe chocolatier, Chef Nick Lam (who studied chocolate-making in Spain) to pop by after 3pm on weekends for Pave's freshly baked goods (e.g. Caneles Bordelais, Croissants, Pain au Chocolat and Scones (made with Le Gall Butter)). Note that these are only available on weekends.

And we were pleasantly surprised for this cafe uses premium ingredients. For instance, the crossiants ($3.50 each) and Pain au Chocolat are made with a 3 day fermentation using Echiré Butter. Though it may sound extremely expensive to some, this is one of our favourites and is highly recommended for its light, fluffy pastry. Caneles Bordelais, on the other hand has a crisp caramelized crust with a soft and tender custard center. We tried the ones from Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie the next day and though the overall taste is pretty much similar, the crust of the latter is soft, not sure is it due to the humidity in Singapore. Anyway, for fresh Caneles Bordelais, drop by Pave, after 3pm on weekends and you can be assured to enjoy these French cakes straight off the oven.

Hot Chocolate is highly recommended by Nick ($6.90 per cup, $12.90, $17.90 and $22.90 for a jug that can serve 2, 3 and 4 respectively) and we were amused by the Molinillo, a chocolate frothing stick imported from Mexico for whipping air into hot chocolate, giving it a rich and frothy texture. Moreover, this drink is made with 72% Venezuela Chocolate and is set for 5 to 6 hours before serving.

Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Yen Kok presents her array of creations with the cafe's bestseller and signature, For Alice ($8.50). A cake made specially for the cafe's strawberry mentor. Consists of Dark Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Creme Brulee and Willamette Raspberries.

I subconsciously finished two-thirds of the cake while Yuan was busy with his photos. In short, love it for its smooth (52%) chocolate mousse with a slight tang from the raspberries. Yuan described this to be somewhat similar to eating a Black Forest cake: Fine chocolate shavings, raspberries and chocolate mousse, giving a nice blend of bittersweet and sour aftertaste.

Nutty Putty, a combination of Coconut Caramel, Peanut Praline and 'Dark' Milk Chocolate is another bestseller of the cafe but we have decided to give it a miss for the cafe's seasonal addition, Strawberry Shortcake (named as Wow! Ichigo 100%), made with a mixture of Korean strawberries and wild strawberries. This delightful treat is only going to be enough for one. Not only is the cream lightly whipped with 2 layers of cake sponge, the strawberries are so fresh and sweet. Splendid.

Pave has very interesting flavours for their chocolates and the selection ranges from chocolate bars to chocolate pralines. Everything about this shop is so creative and one will definitely be amused by the names the owners have coined.

One of the owners, Joshua Choo generously served us a platter of chocolates for sampling and some of the ones that left an impression were the
- Cognac, a house blend of single plantation chocolates paired with 20 years aged Fins Bois cognac
- Brambles on Fire, which is to describe the presence of smokey raspberry
- Chocolate-coated Coffee Beans
- Chocolate-coated Blueberries
- Oooze for Sea-Salted Caramel lovers (mixed with Cocoa Crunch, encased in Dark Chocolate, drizzled with Cocoa Nibs)
- Mr Gobino, a classic favourite where Dark Chocolate is incoporated with in-house freshly roasted hazelnuts and sea salt
- Yen for those who have an adventurous tastebuds as this is a white truffle bonbon with earthy dark chocolate
- Heather Haggis which contains anti-oxidant honey from Scotland

From the description, one can expect surprises from each and personally we would described these to be unique and different from the regular chocolate bonbons. As a purist, we do have mixed feelings and naturally our favourite among the entire sampling platter would be Mr Gobino and Heather Haggis for a more neutral combination.

The cafe has a nice cosy level 2, allowing the diners to unwind and relax. Saturdays have never been so great to be able to talk to the owners and what makes it more perfect are the desserts and bakes Pave has put up.

From our understanding from Nick and Joshua, the ingredients are imported all by the owners and they are always looking for a tastier species of fruit, different plantation's chocolate or a terroir where the alcohol comes from.

Many thanks to Chef Nick for the invitation to drop by Pave. Also, not forgetting the warm hospitality of the owners, Chef Yen, Joshua and Sandora have showered us during our stay at Pave.

Pavé Chocolates
93 East Coast Road
Singapore 428792
Tel: 6342 0677

Operating hours:
12:30pm to 10:30pm (Tues to Sat)
Closed on Mondays

Website
Facebook Page

P.S. Apologize for the incomplete listing of the pricing as Yuan has misplaced his receipt.

Cafe Ma Maison

2011-02-26T23:34:00.000+08:00

Described by the cafe to be made from top quality Thailand mango with a Creme Brulee Base, this tart shares a common characteristic with Mangoesity. That is, the mango is really sweet and offers generous chunks of mango. The pastry base is closer to that of a puff with a chewy interior. Sad to say, the initial bite was heavenly but you will find it oily on the second bite.

As for the Mont Blanc tart, this uses a thin crust with a domanda cream as its base, and is topped with creme de marrons, fresh chestnuts and gold flakes. Similarly to the Mango Brulee Tart, the Mango Brulee Tart is too sweet and has a similar puff-like tart shell. No doubt the chestnut cream is smooth but sad to say the sweetness is just not for me.

Interesting combinations but only recommended for people with high sugar tolerance.

Cafe Ma Maison
Parco Millenia Marina Bay
9 Raffles Boulevard
#P1-27
Singapore 039596
Tel: 6336-8260

Operating hours:
11am to 9:30pm
Website
Facebook Page

Macarons from ET Artisan Sweets

2011-02-22T09:59:00.004+08:00

Henry's Park Apartments is a good place for chocolate fudge cake fix and macarons given how near Vicky's is to ET Artisan Sweets.

Apart from macarons and cupcakes, they used to have a list of cakes posted on their website and I recalled emailing to them to ask them about it. Should you see this list of cakes once more, the shop requires pre-ordering for whole cake orders and do not have sliced cakes for sale due to their small production kitchen.

The other niche that ET Artisan Sweets has is the lovely customized cakes which you can view on their facebook page. Be warned, you will be blown away by their beautiful collections.

Anyway, back to the macaron talk, personally, I thought that the colour was way too vibrant. Available in a good range of flavours such as rose, mocha chip, summerberry, lemon raspberry, vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut, mint, raspberry, etc, these macarons are sold in boxes of 5 ($11), 9 ($19), 15 ($30), 18 ($36).

Made from 100% Californian almonds with either 70% chocolate ganache or whipped cream, the general texture of the shells is coarse and just slight chewy. Resembles closer to a cookie with an extremely dense shells and when compared to the others, this is definitely an above average macaron.

Blackforest, a liquor macaron with generous servings of cherries was highly recommended by 8 days some time back (pitted against Jewels, Canele, Carousel, TWG and other big names), is outstanding for its good contrast of sweet, chocolate and liquor. However, for liquor macarons, Cream Cheese macarons remains our top favourite.

Vanilla Bean is lovely in its way for the crunchy bits of chocolate balls in its filling and it being the least sweet.

Finally, rose was ok in our opinion as we recalled the good old Canele (texture of macaron is very close to Canele's violette but the flavour of flavour is more outstanding, thereby leaving a deeper impression) and the recent Blush, Hilton Singapore's Valentine special leaving a deeper impression.

In summary, it still voices down to individual's preference and I would prefer a softer, chewier macaron with powering flavours.

ET Artisan Sweets
32 Holland Grove Road
Singapore 278807
Tel: 6468 6700

Website
Facebook Page

Mangoesity

2011-02-19T11:01:00.001+08:00

Mango lovers will certainly be delighted to be overwhelmed by so many variants of mango desserts. In addition, this mango-themed bakery actually guarantees its mango to be sweet and will do a 1-for-1 exchange if their mangoes are sour.

They have quite a fair bit of selection with 12 of them being featured on their poster.

As I was there before noon, there was 7 mango items and I gladly take-away one of each to share with my family members. In general, the desserts are priced between $2.80 to $4.80. At the point of purchase, there was a 20% discount. So, $24.30 for a total of 8 mango desserts.

Mango Millefeuille ($4.80), my parents' favourite for the generous slice of mango. The sweet juicy fruit fits pretty well with the crisp pastry.

Mango Gelée Cake ($3.80) said to be Mangoesity's best seller, comprises of mango gelée, chantilly cream, sponge cake and fresh mangoes. The overall combination is refreshing with emphasis placed on the sugary sponge cake. Sliced mango and mango gelée finish the taste with a nice juicy punch.

At the point of my visit, there is a 15% discount for pre-ordering of whole cakes and the pricing is attractive.
400gm - ~~$15.80~~ $13.40
600gm - ~~$23.80~~ $20.20
1kg - ~~$39.80~~ $33.80
2kg - ~~$79.80~~ $67.80

Mango Pavlova ($3.80) turns out to be Yuan's favourite. This meringue-based dessert is not overly sweet and the idea of using a crispy meringue as a tart shell to house a generous serving of fresh mangoes makes this the most creative treat among the 7.

Mango Tango Cheesecake ($3.80) is slightly disappointing when compared to the rest. It has an oreo-base tart shell paired with cream cheese (flavoured with orange juice) and fresh mango. Don't be misled by the lonely mango ball placed on top of the creation as there is a generous slice of mango sandwiched within the cheese cake.

A slight variant to the Mango Tango Cheesecake ($3.80) but instead has a thicker bitterish chocolate shell.

I didn't get to try the last two desserts but my sister described the Mango Panna Cotta ($2.80) to be light and not cloying.

As for the Mango Yogurt Cheesecake ($3.80), my sister summarized it with a nod in her head.

Pretty impressed by the variety this shop has put up and the effort the shop has placed to ensure the mangoes to be fresh and sweet. Definitely recommended in our humble opinion, particularly when a good mango creation is so hard to come by. Apart from the mangoes being fresh and juicy, my family members pointed out that the mangoes aren't fibrous.

Mangoesity (closed)
Lot 1 Shoppers' Mall, #B1-K1
21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
Singapore 689812

Operating hours:
11:30am to 9pm daily

Website
Facebook page
Email address: enquiry@mangoesity.com

Vicky's Chocolate Fudge Cake

2011-02-16T21:15:00.002+08:00

Chocolate Fudge Cake is one type of cake that I started to enjoy only after the birth of this blog and prior to that, I simply cannot understand how these one product shops (or rather close to) can survive on just selling chocolate fudge cakes.

Searching through the internet, forums will mention big names such as Lana Cake Shop, Jane's Cake Station, Choc.a.Bloc, Awfully Chocolate when asked for recommendations for chocolate fudge cake.

I can't remember the details of each cake but for sure, I am one that fancy soft and moist chocolate sponge so Lana Cake Shop is the least favoured among the four but that is also one cake shop whom many has grown up with and has stirred a fair bit of rebuttal in the internet community.

Whenever, Lana Cake Shop is mentioned, Vicky's Chocolate Fudge Cake will definitely be seen somewhere in the same post and it is also through the comments on my Lana Cake Shop that makes me purchased a cake from them.

Now I know why, apart from Lana Cake Shop adopting a rectangular shape for their Chocolate Fudge Cake, this is the other that is in the same shape.

As described by most, this is extremely soft and moist with a smooth chocolate fudge. Comparing this with Awfully Chocolate's All Chocolate which Yuan had on the same day, he felt that Vicky's sponge is slightly salty and chewy while he described Awfully Chocolate's to be a sweeter and more moist variant.

To me, my preference inclined more towards Vicky's and this is definitely a good alternative to my favourite Choc.a.bloc for both convenience and pricing. While Choc.a.bloc priced its 800gm cake at $32 and Awfully Chocolate selling their 1kg All Chocolate at $51.60, Vicky's 1kg Chocolate Fudge Cake cost merely $35. In addition, with Vicky's pleasant service as what most has highlighted, this definitely worth a trip and many thanks to my readers for recommending their Chocolate Fudge Cake to us.

Vicky's
28 Holland Grove Road
Singapore 278805
Tel: 6466 4000
Website

Sour Sally

2011-02-13T23:50:00.000+08:00

Before Sour Sally, my knowledge of frozen yogurt is only limited to Yami Yogurt and Frolick. It was only after this media invite from Sixth Sense Communications then I realized that frozen yogurt has been the latest trend. While others may have think that Sour Sally is joining in the frozen yogurt fever, this yogurt brand has a very strong foothold in Indonesia with 27 outlets from cities naming from Bandung, Surabaya, Bali and Medan.

Sour Sally adopts a different concept from the other new frozen yogurt outlets for Sour Sally is a name of an adorable quirky girl and the concept of this yogurt chain is to allow their yogurt fans to associate themselves with the character, Sour Sally whose persona showcases a fun-filled panache for life. In addition, Jocelyn and Donny, the owners of Sour Sally aims to bring in Sour Sally merchandise ranging from dolls, T-shirts, shawls and stockings, EZ-link card stickers, notebooks, Tote bags and more.

Apart from Sour Sally merchandise, here comes the main highlight. Complementing the four different flavours of U.S. Premium Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt, Sour Sally offers 24 exciting toppings, with hot favourites such as Mochi Mix and Sally's bubbles.

A tasty attraction at Sour Sally's is the Shaved Iced Escapade which is made of smooth layers of shaved ice (with condensed milk) crowned with a choice of yogurt and three toppings. Priced between $8.80 for a Shaved Ice Escapade in original yogurt flavour to $9.80 for a Candy Mix Yogurt flavour, the idea is inspired from the local Ice Kachang.

Another interesting item of Sour Sally is the thirst-quencher, Sour Sally's smoothies ($5.90). This is made with Sour Sally's yogurt, blended with fresh fruit such as Mango, Strawberry, Longan or even a blend of two. We tried the Longan and when consumed back to back with their yogurt, this is slightly more milky and watery. However, for Singapore's hot weather, it is a healthier alternative to soft drinks.

Candy Mix - Pinklicious and Melon Mint (with Nata De Coco and Granola)
Yuan fancy this more than me for its texture is creamier and the flavour is more intense.

Twist - Original and Green Tea Yogurt (with Sally's bubbles and Mochi Mix)
Comparing with the regular Green Tea Soft-Serve, one can expect this to be weaker in this flavour. Comparing this with Yigloo's Green Tea Yogurt, I prefer Sour Sally more but for ice-cream lovers like Yuan, his choice would be the latter.

As for the original, this is alot lighter and tangy than both Yigloo's and Sogurt's, preference depends greatly on whether you are a yogurt or soft-serve fan.

But I have to emphasize the the mochi mix offered by Sour Sally is alot more addictive than Sogurt for a chewier texture. Sally's bubbles is even more interesting as each "bubble" contains mango syrup, literally pairing its yogurt with a bursting effect.

Last but not least, many thanks to Shauna for inviting us to try Sour Sally's media event.

Sour Sally
Wisma Atria
435 Orchard Road
#B1-47
Singapore 238877

Operating hours: 11:30am to 9:30pm
Website

Valentine's Day Special - Hilton Singapore

2011-02-10T00:11:00.000+08:00

Saint Valentine's Day is just a week away and I still remember the good old days in school where the boys appeared in schools with chocolates and flowers while among the girls, there were exchanges of handmade gifts and gerberas.

In addition, as I grow older, I came to realize that February 14th is not the only Valentine Day. To the Chinese, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month is also known to be the Chinese Valentine's Day (i.e. 七夕节 or Magpie Festival).

Whichever the case, pastry lovers will be delighted that this is the time to go dessert hunting as cakes, chocolates and macarons start appearing in the form of pink hearts.

Valentine comes early for us as Hilton Singapore has generously delivered Executive Chef Christophe Grilo's Valentine's sweet pastry creations to us.

Our favourite among the three, Two's A Company, a duo of heart-shaped passion fruit, banana and caramel cake. As we have always highlight in our previous entries, Chef Christophe has never disappoint with his use of ingredients and it is an understatement to say that this is beautifully executed.

Light banana sponge cake is glazed with tangy homemade banana-passionfruit jam, and filled with white chocolate mousse and passion fruit-banana caramel. The fruity caramel is a delicious marriage of caramel cream, banana puree and passionfruit puree. A layer of blush-hued white chocolate dust on the outside mirrors the warm and fuzzy feeling of love.

The plus point, it comes as a pair and that this cake is sturdy enough to withstand our humid weather for more than 4 hours but yet the cake remains meltingly smooth and soft. The minus point, since white chocolate mousse is used, it might be alittle sweet to some.

Forever Yours, a chocolate creation consists of a heart-shaped chocolate shell encasing raspberry and coconut truffles. The use of homemade ruby-red raspberry dust made from real raspberries, provides a nice tang to neutralize the sweetness of the white chocolate and coconut milk ganache.

I have previously raved about Hilton's cream cheese macarons and this Valentine, Chef Christophe introduce Blush, a rose and raspberry macaroon. Instead of cream cheese filling or buttercream, white chocolate cream infused with rose water from Lebanon and tart raspberry marmalade is used as the filling to complement the light pink shells to resemble the glow of couples in love.

For those who are looking for set meals on this special day, Hilton Singapore is offering two types of dinner menu at il Cielo Italian Restaurant and Checkers Brasserie respectively.

Located by the poolside on top of the 24-storey hotel, il Cielo Italian Restaurant is an ideal choice to dine under the stars. With the menu designed by Hilton Singapore Executive Chef Sandro Flabo and Italian Chef Stefano Arrigoni, this $238++ five-course dinner includes,

An Antipasto Platter of Love -
Oysters, Caviar, Foie Gras and Crystal Bay Prawns.
***
Homemade Heart-Shaped Pasta filled with Alaskan Crab in aromatic Saffron Caviar Sauce
***
A Choice Of Mains -
Vanilla-flavoured Lobster and Rose Petal Potatoes and Seabass on Barley Risotto
or
Pan-fried Veal Tenderloin with Parma Ham, Porcini and Truffles
***
A Raspberry Vanilla and Rose Cake for two
__________
Alternatively, Checkers Brasserie offers a four-course Valentine's Day dinner for two ($188++ per couple). This menu features

Starter - Scallops and Salmon Carpaccio with Caviar
***
Mains -
Baked French Seabass
or Braised Lamb Ribs
***
Dessert - Bouquet of Roses made from a Raspberry, Vanilla and Rose Mille Feuille
Last but not least, we would like to express a big thank you to Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. June Wong for the kind generousity for the Valentine pastries. Do note that 2 of the photos that are uploaded on this post is obtained from Hilton Singapore's press release and it is obvious which are the two. =)

Dining Under the Stars
il Cielo Italian restaurant
Five-course dinner at $238++ per couple
7pm - 10:30pm
For reservations, call 6730 3395

Valentine's Day Dinner
Checkers Brasserie
Four-course dinner at $188++ per couple
7pm - 10pm
For reservations, call 67303390

Valentine-inspired sweet pastry creations are available at Checkers Deli from 8 February.
Checkers Deli
11am - 9pm, daily
For orders and enquiries, call 6730 3392