for the love of...calories and weighing scales

Royal China Revisited @ Raffles Hotel

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000+08:00

Royal China always brings a smile everytime a meal is arranged there. Was expecting a CNY Dim Sum lunch over CNY Set Menu though but anyway here's what we had this year!

Same decor.

Mighty love of their robin blue walls and pillars.

Menu!

Yearly favourite of these sugary treats, personal favourite goes to sugared lotus seeds.

Bountiful Harvest Salmon Yusheng

A must have every single year, none too spectacular. Portions were somehow too much for the table of us.

Braised Shark's Fin with Fresh Crab Meat in "Tan Jia" Broth

With many hotels taking their stand on removing Shark's Fin from the menu, Royal China has continued to serve this delish delicacy. Adored the rich broth, two thumbs up.

Steamed Live "Soon Hock" With Minced Garlic and Diced Chilli

Flesh was too soft and somehow a mismatch with the minced garlic and diced chilli pairing.

Wok-Fried King Prawns in Home-made Western Sauce

Fresh prawn with a delectable sauce.

Chef's Signature Barbecued Crispy Chicken In Sesame Sauce

One letdown of a dish, barely crispy skin with tender chicken. Would have preferred the original crispy skin chicken with seasalt.

Braised Golden Oyster with Sliced Abalone, Black Moss and Garden Green

Great effort was placed into this dish - bean curd jacket stuffed with oyster, mushroom and black moss. Looked like an ingot! Pity the abalone was sliced too thin but otherwise a pretty well executed dish.

Wok-Fried Glutinous Rice with Diced Preserved Meat

Soft chewy grains heavily flavoured with preserved meat, I liked it but response for this was split.

Chilled Fresh Mango Juice with Sago and Pomelo

Thick mango juice with sour mango cubes and sago, a great refreshing dessert. I like how there are two variations of dessert - hot and cold to please the tastebuds!

Pan-fried Royal China Chinese New Year Cake

Still as coconutty as I remember it to be. Tasted quite like nonya kueh here.

After two consecutive years of the same set menu, I came to realize set menus are not a good gauge of Royal China's prowess. They are capable of so much more...ala carte dimsum soon!

$728++ for 10 persons

Royal China
Raffles Hotel

Alsalam Restaurant @ Changi Road

2012-01-29T21:46:00.000+08:00

Opposite Kembangan station are streets of good food which I have yet to seriously sit down and try them all. Laziness I say when people from near and far patronize it so regularly. Alsalam is an Indian Muslim eatery, with a range of malay and indian dishes.

Plain Naan ($1.40)

Purportedly famous, the naan smelt heavenly. Really chewy without a trace of oil...blimey! I healthier option to prata. This came with fish curry which upped the tantalizing-factor by a couple of notches.

Tandoori Chicken

A tad dry and too salty.

Burgerdil

Mashed potato was a little too loose, otherwise not too bad.

Curry Vegetable

I thought this was done really well - flavourful with a lot of spice. Generous portion of vegetables and tau kwa.

Chilli Egg

Chilli was quite well done with the appropriate amount of spice and oomph. Great with rice.

The waiters took the liberty to reheat the food and serve them piping hot. All in $9.90 for a meal that fed three and left us stuffed, surprisingly. Good deal methinks!

Alsalam Restaurant
457 Changi Road

Full Month Package @ Bengawan Solo

2012-01-29T10:30:00.000+08:00

Issuance of Full Month cake vouchers have come a long way. Great for parents who do not want the fuss of getting the cakes delivered and having to head down personally to pass the cakes. I received the voucher way earlier into the year and thankfully for flexibility, the voucher's validity was a year so I could claim it anytime.

For this particular cake choice, the order had to be placed 2 days in advance. Not much of a choice though, just design. Between a blue teddy and pink booties...

Regardless of design, the filling was still the same - Vanilla sponge cake with butter cream. True to its signature, the sponge was fluffy and soft, certainly not as soft of the Japanese sponge but the same old sponge cake that I grew up with. Tradition that defied age, it really tasted the same as it did! I remember my pink 21st birthday cake tasting this way, same goes for all the birthdays that passed and I wanted the cutesy Minnie Mouse or Tweety Bird design.

It suddenly dawned on me, I grew up with Bengawan Solo. Here I am celebrating yet another circle of life with it.

Bengawan Solo

Baked Fish Crackers

2012-01-28T21:30:00.001+08:00

Baked not fried.

These thai snacks are incredible beyond comprehension.

Just the right bite without the greasy icky fingers you end up with.

Original or spicy.

Did I already say how addictive they are?

Six packets and going strong.

Junk food, redefined.

The dietician would berate me for indulging in them in between and after meals.

Staying off the scales for a darn long time!

A great pity they do not have a physical store..slowly but surely infiltrating each household.

Catch them if you can...

3 for 10 buckeroos.

tasty_right_trading@yahoo.com

Paradise Inn @ Suntec City

2012-01-28T21:30:00.000+08:00

Replacing Tang Dian Wang at Suntec City is Paradise Inn. I am not too sure when the switch took place but this was a pleasant surprise.

They have retained much of the same decor (not that I patronized Tang Dian Wang) but handmade streamers were adorned for that added festive feel.

Like the sauce holder best.

Braised peanuts as starters were slightly salty but easy to eat.

Rudimentary.

Came in such a huge bowl, perfect for tossing high with minimal spillage.

The mess.

Prosperity Salmon Yusheng

Slightly sweet but nonetheless a delicious one!

Traditional Double Boiled Soup

MSG-laden soup with a delish fall-of-the-bone pork rib.

Steamed Silver Cod Fish in Superior Soya Sauce

Fresh cod with a simple yet tasty soya sauce pairing.

Braised Tofu with Seafood and Pork Floss in Mini Wok

Loved the tofu best - silken smooth.

Imperial Pork Ribs

Not a fan of this soggy one - could have been miles better.

Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio in Superior Stock

A lighter take on this heng hwa signature.

Homemade Style Fried Vermicelli

Chewy strands of vermicelli, lacking in wok hei somehow but decent.

Red Bean Sago

To round off the meal on a sweet note.

Chilled Homemade Barley

Plain tasting barley to wash down the grease. One of the few places that offer beverages in the set menu without extra surcharge.

Portions tend to be on the small side for a table of ten, suffice for all ladies but not for the men. Homecooked fare by Paradise Inn once again, the last visit to Bedok Point was mediocre..Suntec's outlet was marginally better. Still, an affordable option during this festive season!

$268.80++ per table of 10

Paradise Inn
Suntec City

Chingchong New Year - Dragon breathes fire

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000+08:00

A delayed shoutout to everyone - Happy New Year and Huaaaaaaaaat ah!

For this year's Chinese New Year, we decided to change the table snacks quite abit - change is good for sure! Instead of the usual pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit...and suggee cookies, we headed different. Takashimaya Food Square is a good avenue to sample as much as I need to and make the purchases within the day. Nothing beats having a whole row of pineapple tart shops and trying them all until I reach the eureka moment. Alternatively, the family will usually head to the market next to Fu Lu Shou Complex to stock up on dried goods and during CNY, there are tons of knit knacks going for a fraction of those found at Takashimaya.

Fried Rice Paradise ($45)
Cookie Museum

Savoury cookies seem to be inching their way into the cookie platter this year with quite a number of places offering. I reckon this is easier to accept than savoury mooncakes, somehow. Herbs or meat in mooncake still needs more getting used to. Cookie Museum has long had a range of savoury cookies with flavours like laksa, fried rice and even nasi lemak - Uniquely Singapore I say! Down to the last 3 tins, this cookie cleverly captures the flavours that makeths a plate of fried rice paradise.

I have to admit this is probably the most expensive tin of cookies ever purchased and I never quite got the reason for its following - at $1.40 each, it is mad pricey but so very worth it.

Prune Lapis ($48)
Blue Magnolia

Tightly wrapped.

I only know Blue Magnolia for its outlet at Macpherson and recently chanced upon it at Market Street. Not much is known to me about them but their kueh lapis was arguably the most memorable. Buttery and moist, fattened with a generous portion of prunes.

Pork Floss Knots ($16/kg)

Incredibly crunchy and tasty, sore throat alert for this one! No oily taste either, two thumbs up. Instead of lobster rolls which seemed to have faded off the radar in the last couple of years, this year's new addition are these knots.

Sweet Macadamia Nuts ($32/kg)

These tasted a tad oily though still crunchy.

Sweetened lotus seeds for a good year ahead, always!

Loveletters, Giant

As much as I love my cheap and good Giant love letters, these were a tad over baked.

I lamented over twitter on the neverending queues at bak kwa shops and even questioned the need for it over a festive period that not only inflats the price but causes much emotional upheaval - a friend queued eight hours for her lim chee guan and suffered swollen legs because of that! Unfortunately, bak kwa completes new year, whether I like it or not. Unless a substitute gets discovered soon enough to relieve us all of this stressful purchase.

Kim Peng Hiang

They ran out of pineapple bak kwa this year, by the time we got to the store. Down to the last 1.5 kg of regular bak kwa - take it or leave it. These were originally a tad saucy, methinks they were packed too early since demand would outstrip supply anyway. After some panfrying, these were alot better - tender and fragrant bites. Still as delish but pineapple is still a personal fave. I wonder how more tender can their kurobuta bak kwa taste!

Bee Cheng Hiang

For novelty's sake and possibly one of those without a queue at all - thanks to their online ordering system, buying from Bee Cheng Hiang is a breeze. Yet, standard has dropped so drastically - too salty for comfort though has the bite I love.

Let the dragon year bring us all the fire we need in what we do - meanwhile, I am back to tucking into these yummies till the new year ends!

Taiwan, Hualien and Taichung Souvenirs

2012-01-26T13:30:00.000+08:00

Pineapple Tarts were the main must-buys in Taipei. Truth be told I had a laundry list of places to get the pineapple cakes or tarts (however they are known)...which ranged from Chia Te to Lee Chi or even SunnyHills but none of which were near us.

Headed straight for Jiu Zhen Nan, available at the airport at the highest recommendation of a dear friend who loves Taipei as much as I love Hongkong.

Royalty packaging - from the purple box to ingot like boxes.

At NT400 for 12 pieces, this was pricey. Yet worth every penny - rich butter fragrance engulfs the senses, the pastry by itself is divine. Pineapple jam so pulpy and decadent. If the expiry date were any longer, I would have lugged back boxes!

Travelling out of Taipei to the other countys proved to be quite a rewarding experience, though some would insist "see one see all", I beg to differ on that. Hualien for Taroko Gorge and Cingshuei Cliff while Taichung was for Sun Moon Lake though Cingjing Farm did not materialise due to unforeseen circumstances.

Hualien

Just opposite Hualien Station is an entire row of their local products - handmade mochi!

Ah Mei Mochi was quite a stand alone, found their mochi a tad hard. Seemingly pricier than the rest too.

曾记's!

http://www.tzen.com.tw/

They have both freshly made mochi and pre-packed ones. These freshly made ones have to be consumed within 24 hours.

The latest brown sugar jelly-like confectionery, denser than mochi and refreshing to taste!

Mango jelly which we fell in love with at Jiu Fen but did not buy.

Best eaten chilled but these had a certain plasticky smell about it.

Handmade nougats with a variety of flavours - macadamia, peanut and almond.

Moo printed wrappers!

I like how these nougats are not too sweet though only available soft. I very much prefer my nougats crunchy but these are way cheaper alternatives to the Aussie imports. They do harden rather quickly over time but I guess that is the downside of freshly made anything!

Red Date Sweets with Walnuts are my favourite. I usually get my sugar fix from Hongkong but these from Taiwan are a lot friendlier on the gums - not too sweet and easy to chew.

Their handmade fresh mochi had to be consumed within the day which was perfect for the trainride back to Taipei but also meaning we could not bring any back home!

All ready for the train ride!

Green Bean mochi.

Fresh chewy mochi skin with a generous ball of green bean paste.

Same floury mess.

Utterly delicious.

Thankfully they had prepacked mini mochis with a longer expiry date - just in time for CNY!

No samples were given for this so we were under the impression that they will be as good as the freshly made ones. It could be the flavours but the fruit flavours had cream and a slice of preserved fruit inside making it too sweet. Yam flavour also repeated the sweetness, all too sweet!

Colourful!

Yellow.

Mango with cream.

Yam! The fresh one far exceeds this in taste.

Strawberry.

Melon.

Somehow these did not fare as well as the freshly made ones, certainly miles away from the Japanese equivalents too.

Souvenirs are relatively cheaper here, each packet went for approx NTD 100. Perfect for gifting too!

Taichung

一福堂

http://www.iffood.com.tw/index.htm

Only available in Taichung, this particular outlet was isolated.

檸檬餅

Shaped like a lemon, this zesty lemon cake was uber fluffy with a lemon chocolate shell. Best eaten chilled.

太陽餅

Their sun biscuits are way different from those I have been gifted. Flaky pastry with a molten filling within! Not too sweet once again, we all loved it.

Emperor Cake

One of the stall's specialities, this milk custard cake is best eaten at room temperature. Pleasant tasting custard meets milky pastry.

The next most famous Taiwanese export after pineapple cakes!

Sunshine pastry for this was so very different from the rest attempted, the molten filling was uber delicious though the fine layers were a tad plain tasting.

Taiwan

Convenience stores

2012-01-25T18:00:00.000+08:00

Family Mart, Hi-Lite and 7-11 are probably the more well known convenience stores around Ximending. Trust me to raid them for localised products to attempt.

Chocolate Milk Tea by Lipton! The chocoholic thought the consistency of milk tea was too thin.

Undetered, Strawberry Milk Tea next which also faced the same sorry fate!

I stuck to their milk variations - papaya milk! The cool thing is these can be reheated in the microwave if you want them warm. Loved the papaya flavour here, down to the last drop I really enjoyed this!

Almond milk was pretty good too! I love almond-flavoured anything so this worked for me.

Everyone whom I know that has been to Taiwan has raved about their instant noodles big time - so much so, lugging back a couple is completely not an option.

Started off at supper with 花雕雞面...as herbal as it sounded, it really was herbal!

Completely floored - look at those chicken chunks and wolfberries thrown in too! Talk about making it as real as possible. Tastes just like my Mom's homemade noodles - goodness all thrown in.

These are priced more premium than the regular instant noodles, well worth the price I say! NTD 50 onwards per bowl which may be the equivalent of a piping hot bowl of noodles in the night market, convenience overrules for me.

Herbal Duck

Priced much cheaper than the rest, this came without the chunky meats, only cubes like above. Nonetheless, still delicious though lacking in wholesome.

A winter specialty - Sesame Chicken flavour!

I really do not know how they nail it, but they do it so well right down to the colour, fragrance and taste! This was great as well but a pity noodles went soggy too fast. Would have been better if noodles were thicker in consistency.

Here comes 维力's Braised Beef Noodle!

Matching the picture completely - they did deliver what they said they will afterall! Thick noodles with a bite and uber hearty broth.

Now for the big brother of all brothers, 满汉大餐's range of instant noodles! They do retail in Singapore at a select of food fairs.

These satchets that make the huge difference.

A complete meal on its own - look at the pile of ingredients!

Mamma mia kind of good. I really regret not lugging back a carton's worth!

What's going to a country without trying their beer? No Tsingtao, I headed for their Gold Medal beer, loved lager! Not too bitter and a tad too fizzy but one of the preferred lagers around.

Taiwan

Mister Donut @ Ximending

2012-01-24T19:00:00.000+08:00

Mister Donut and Dunkin Donuts are the two donut franchises dominating the 甜甜圈 industry in Taiwan and with only one convenient outlet near me, I spent most of the time after dinners indulging in these sweet treats. Did not help they issued a loyalty card which I did not finish collecting! Prized at NTD 35 each, I only zoomed in on their mochi donuts having tasted the rest in Bangkok.

Promotional offer!

Soybean - Mildly flavoured and dusted with soybean flour.

White Chocolate - Just a white chocolate shell around the donut.

Double Green Tea - Two layers of green tea, green tea infused donut with frosting.

Strawberry - Delish strawberry shell.

Double Chocolate - Once again double layers!

The taiwanese really know how to do their QQ products so well, from tapioca pearls to mochi donuts yet the irony is Mister Donut is a Japanese donut franchise.

Mister Donut

Sun Moon Lake Eats @ Taichung

2012-01-24T10:04:00.000+08:00

The rock that symbolises having step foot on the gorgeous Sun Moon Lake.

I thought only skies like these belonged to Europe.

More of the lovely skies.

Understandably why Sun Moon Lake is such a picturesque spot for wedding photos. The cruise that we hoped on had two stopovers and in the pamphlet, each stopover had a sightseeing spot and some recommended eats.

First stop!

The only recommended eat was Granny's Mushroom Tea Egg! Looks like even Coca Cola is also being endorsed.

Priced at NTD 10 each, considerably a steal! Word has it at they have sold a record breaking 15,000 eggs on a certain New Year's Eve. I wonder how many chicken farms they need to work with.

Close up of the banner.

Simmering in the herbs and tons of mushrooms.

If only they sold the mushrooms alongside, I would have gladly eaten them!

Scalding hot tea eggs!

No different from tea eggs except they were overall salty. The fragrance of the mushrooms were well infused.

The designated yacht picked us up 45 minutes later, so it was time to visit yet another stopover. The stopover featured attractions like a cablecar ropeway to a certain Aborigine village. As much as I would have loved to spend tons of time at this particular stop...I soon realised how much of a dead town it was.

Recommended by TVBS but closed.

Yes, a handmade mochi was a recommended eat but those open were clearly swapping flies.

More stalls recommended stalls but they decided to shut the doors too!

The only signs of activity...but these had visitors because they were amongst the first few stalls that visitors would see upon setting foot on the island.

Finally one that was crowded!

A delayed Halloween treat!

Pumpkin Bun with an oriental twist - Wild Boar Meat, Preserved Vegetables, Onions and Cheese. Yet another of those chinese hamburgers but it was all too mushy to even make sense of the flavours. For the testosterone-raging teenage boys who were ordering this in the dozens, I figure they just wanted something to fill their stomachs more so than taste.

Tea18 was recommended!

A Sunmoonlake menu!

Quaint shophouse.

阿薩姆紅茶 had a certain fragrance I cannot identify what exactly but otherwise was ordinary. The hilarity of the situation is a bunch of other Tea18 shops also popped up along the way so you really cannot tell which is the recommended tea house.

Handmade loveletters using the fragrant tea leaves too!

Sweeter than those tried elsewhere.

Too crumbly!

So that wrapped up the half day tour of the gorgeous Sunmoonlake! It was a great pity the foodstalls were mostly closed, makes you ponder if the list of recommended eats was all part of a gimmick.

Sunmoonlake

Banana New Paradise @ Taichung

2012-01-23T15:30:00.000+08:00

It is no open secret how much a fan I am of all things nostalgic - I cound Food Republic and the food court at Singapore Flyer as my favourite food courts because of the decor. Likewise, Yokohama Ramen Museum blew me away with the old fashioned time casule concept that got me all giggly and excited. Until Banana Paradise came along to complete the picture, that is.

Aimed to replicate old Taiwan in the 1920's or older, there are so many antiques stored in this place that makes it a mini-museum on its own!

Totally looks like a set up in some old film. Details, details!

They could have just used wooden chopsticks.

A sprinkling of black sesame seeds on top a bowl of rice (NTD10)...artistic much!

油淋去骨雞(NTD 138)

Fried chicken with a scattering of fried chives! Super delicious.

果律明虾球(NTD 228)

Fresh prawn balls with an equally appetizing mayo sauce to match.

三杯板豆腐(NTD 168)

Enough wok hei even in a hotpot like this. Tasty max.

Even with a tasty meal like this, I still gobbled down my food for more time to explore the place!

Old photos that line the walls.

Even the toilet does not resemble one!

A collection of toys, magazines and posters.

Such impressive details they pay attention to.

Movie tickets?

Dentist!

Utterly charmed.

Doctor?

And my favourite part of the tour - candy shop!

At least I could identify with some of the candies.

More!

Truly a perfect haven for those in love with all things nostalgic. Does not hurt that food is equally good and prices are so very affordable.

http://www.vernaldew.com.tw/

Banana New Paradise
111, Shuang Shih Road, section 2

Bubble Tea in Taiwan!

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000+08:00

Taiwan is the motherland of bubble tea which is no known secret by now. Bubble Tea to Taiwan is as iconic as Singapore Sling to Singapore. Okay, the equivalent. Not that I would drink Singapore Sling everyday!Yet with brand names like Koi and Artease flooding the shores the second time round with taiwanese support being spinoffs from brands like 50 Lan, I was still apprehensive of our local drinks not matching up in standard.

As fate would have it, a daily bubble tea was required to keep the doctor away and of course, with those weighing scales stashed beyond sight. The good news is, you can choose the level of sweetness and amount of ice to go with the drink which does help you manage the sugar intake quite a bit. Tempering with the sugar levels also do mean one thing - if it does not taste as good, it's your fault!

OTea
http://www.otea.com.tw/

OTea outlets are not as common as 50 Lan or Ding Tea, in fact, I only spotted one in Jin Shan District throughout the trip.

Milk Tea with bubbles, the only way to gauge its authenticity. I adore how their milk tea leaves a fragrant and milky trace. QQ pearls were chewy. I did not feel the urge for a second cup after this though!

Specialised Tea Club

Located in Shih Lin night market, Specialized Tea Club's existence was also quite niche.

Has to be the best of the lot - from the chewy pearls to milk tea, just the right balance of tea and milk. Most of the milk teas consumed had alot more milk taste than tea.

50 Lan

50 Lan, found after the week in Taipei whizzed past. Truly, it's when you stop hunting it down that they start appearing every where. As ubiquitous as Koi.

Grape Yakult with Boba

Unlike the other bubble tea shops, 50 Lan gives you the option of toppings: Boba (Huge pearls), normal sized pearls or coconut jelly. Grape Yakult with less ice was not quite the best option for a sweltering day that averaged at 31 degrees (in winter no less!). The boba was honestly, not much bigger than the usual pearls. Disappointment!

Chocolate Milk Tea with Boba

Thin milk tea with boba, I say stick with their traditional milk teas. Odd that when flavours are added in, taste changes quite a bit though the milky finish is still evident.

好口杯

A popular choice in Ximending with most customers carrying at least a cup from this particular stall.

Honeydew Milk Tea

The second time our point was proven - stick with the traditional milk tea though the colours make it look better.

橘子工坊

The only shop that specialises more in fruit based drinks than milk tea. Healthier presumably.

Lemon Juice with Aiyu Jelly

I opted for 30% sugar and less ice - hence a really sour juice but particularly loved the aiyu jelly! Slurpworthy and mildly sweet. Tasted like sea coconut jelly with a lot more wobble.

福哥牛肉麵 Fu Ge Beef Noodle @ Ruifang

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

We were in complete luck with this particular beef noodle store - 30 years in heritage and guaranteed good by the cabdriver. I trust the cabbies quite a bit when it comes to sussing out great eats, afterall they are on the road most of the time and surely know what is good...no? 福哥牛肉麵 in Ruifang we headed!

The humble stall that specialised in beef noodle.

An appetizer of century egg (NTD 15 each) served chilled and absolutely tasty.

I have to point out there is a stark difference between 牛肉麵 and 牛肉汤麵. As Singaporeans would interpret is as noodle dry and soup respectively, the taiwanese's interpretation is literally 牛肉汤 with 麵 for the latter, loosely as beef soup with noodle. Hence, the latter would not get any beef in it!

Here's 牛肉麵 with the beef. Incredibly tasty broth, methinks it has been simmering for hours and absorbing all the wondrous flavours. Slurpworthy bouncy noodles and for the first time, beef with tendons that was melt in my mouth. One thing though, I am a fan of five spices powder which they used quite generously in the noodles so for non-fans, it may be an overkill.

福哥牛肉麵
台北縣瑞芳鎮民生街21號

Train Bento Set!

2012-01-21T21:47:00.000+08:00

Since Europe I have been intrigued by trains and stations. Not until Japan did I get fascinated with train bento sets.

Train stations in Taiwan are a lot less impressive architecturally but still has that old charm about them!

Had the privilege to dine at a restaurant with a nostalgic theme (will be covered separately!) but they had a replica of the old train stations.

Counter tickets anyone?

Loosely translated at Metal Bento Sets as they used to be served in round metal containers.

I bought mine just outside the station. Unlike Japan, there are no price differences if you were to buy outside the station or inside or even on board. Not much choice, there were just two. Either 4 or 6 dishes.

排骨饭 with greens, beancurd and a braised egg! All for NTD 60, I found it delicious even with the soft rice, hard pork rib and egg. Tastes really homemade but it is really just the experience of having a bento set on a train ride that makes the whole difference.

六洲面线 @ Behind Taipei Main Station

2012-01-21T10:00:00.000+08:00

Finding food in taipei is not difficult, given the number of pushcarts selling food - legal and illegal. Especially on a shopping rampage in Wu Fen Pu or whole sale markets like the one behind Taipei Main Station...having mobile hawkers like this one is godsent!

Mee Sua with prices lower than Ay Chung's!

Does not lose out in terms of taste. Opted out of the innards so this was just a bowl of tasty mee sua! I thought it was cute sitting infront of the cook as he prepared your food. Pretty interactive and informal too. Dawned on me that Ay Chung may be famous but the other mee sua stalls may not be too far off either.

See if you have the luck to chance upon this makeshift stall!

六洲面线
台北市大同區太原路22巷4號（後車站附近）

Shenkeng Tofu Street Eats

2012-01-20T15:59:00.000+08:00

Many moons ago, Mediacorp formerly known as TCS and SBC had a television serial 豆腐街. The name somehow stuck on until the cabbie casually mentioned he would be dropping us off at 深坑豆腐街 for a glimpse of their tofu shops that I became uber excited.

The front of the street undergoing some construction, hidding a happening street completely. Until this day, it baffles me so when heavy construction is going on and the shophouse opposite continues selling his dishes - part of the cleanfreak in me thinks that the additional flavouring would come from the dust particles and - okay, I shall not indulge in such thoughts.

One of the first few restaurants that line the entrance. Decided to make it our dining place - the crowds seemed to be a good gauge of its standard.

Set menus perfect for the confused - we opted for tofu done three ways and topped it off with a smelly tofu order too!

Mini bowls.

肠旺麻辣臭豆腐
Stinky tofu when simmered in broth not only loses its stench but also the texture of the beancurd. In exchange I got a rough beancurd with a broth that reeked of gameyness. Not a fan of the intestines here nor pig's blood which had a really odd texture.

豆腐捲
Fried tofu fritters stuffed with pork and fat. A completely "ewww" moment when the inedible bits turned out to be hardened fat.

臭豆腐
Some form of normalcy resumed with stinky tofu! Crispy exterior with soft tofu.

豆腐羹

Quite a delish soup after the initial frights we had.
A beancurd meal like this set us back by NTD 340, while the rest of the diners seemed to enjoy every bite, we found it acquired.

Muah chee and loads of it in various shapes and forms lined the streets. We found one with a really pretty lady who also had a glib tongue.

All sorts of shapes and colours.

Orh Kueh as I know it - a savoury one with yam bits. Yum!

This, takes on a tale of its own. Fluffy egg white sits on top red bean chunk. Not quite what I was expecting in all honesty, the egg white blob had a rough texture and sweet.

The more normal and familiar muah chees. The fillings though substantial were rock hard - yam, peanut and blacksesame in that order.

I had these in Japan before and the Taiwanese replicated this quite brilliantly. Soft chewy chunks of cold mochi in artificially enhanced flavours (pink for rose, yellow for lemon).

Every store usually begins with handmade.

The colours which makes buying them so irresistible.

Peanut candies that Taiwan seems to be famous for, spotted them throughout the tourist attractions that we visited! 郭金山 was one of the more popular ones down the lane.

Work in progress as their nuts got packed.

Samples so generously given out as they were working on a fresh batch of roasted peanut candies.

Came in tubs like these or bags like those further in the picture.

Lost count of how much I ended up buying. I remember chewing till all of them tasted roughly the same.

Peanut with white sesame block! Love how mildly sweet these are.

The only store selling handmade black sesame paste.

With promises of jet black smooth shiny hair amongst others...not that either of us were tempted.

How about some freshly made loveletters? I found them too crumbly and sweet.

Oooh and century eggs too!

Totally Yung Kee equivalent - molten center and all. At 7 for NTD 100, complete steal!

Some other shops that lined the walk way - perfect for those seeking nostalgia!

Stole a peek of someone's unattended shop!

Apart from being a food street that would please any tourist, they do have just one umbrella shop which retails really affordable and technologically advanced umbrellas! Those that can withstand even a typhoon! I am so tired of buying $5 brollies only to have them flip belly side up during torrential rains.

Shenkeng Tofu Street

Modern Toilet Restaurant @ Ximending

2012-01-19T14:30:00.000+08:00

I am a fan of themed restaurants. Okay, depending what theme actually. Modern Toilet is at Ximending but not within the central area though so it look us more than one concentrated attempt to find this!

Hard to miss poop mascot!

Poop surely runs throughout the restaurant. Details like lamps and bathtubs that double up as tables. There is a minimum purchase per person again, though depending on the amount per dish they may not be that anal.

Fancy a drink out of the latrine? Honey lemon with aloe vera drink was not too bad.

Appetiser platter of overfried cheese sausages, chicken nuggets and french fries. None too spectacular but we were simply too stuffed to attempt their famous hotpots.

Poop icecream! The only association will be the poop icecream swirl and the design of the plate - made to look like a serious case of diarrhoea. Would have been far worse with strawberry sauce and icecream! Pretty to look act, almost impossible to finish. One portion can easily feed 3 and the shaved ice was more of an ice kachang consistency than their melt in your mouth snow ice. Dang!

For a cheap thrill, a visit may be suggested but I would not suggest setting your expectations so high.

Modern Toilet
Ximending

Din Tai Fung @ Taipei 101

2012-01-18T16:30:00.000+08:00

To be honest, Din Tai Fung in Singapore does not impres inspite of their neverending queues across their outlets. Friends have been nudging me to give Din Tai Fung a try especially in Taiwan, where they have been awarded 1 Michelin Star. I am not too sure which particular outlet was awarded but here's the outlet at Taipei 101. Packed to such madness, queue numbers are issued together with the menu.

The queues moved quite briskly, I reckon it is the turnaround time that is hugely shortened since your orders are collected way before you are seated and food is served almost immediately.

Their signature open concept kitchen for prying eyes to check out the making of the 18 fold delicacy!

Very thoughtful gesture of having bag-coat chairs for every table. Comes with a napkin to cover it too!

Every table gets a side of ginger and vinegar for obvious reasons.

The famous xiaolongbao!

It probably is brilliant marketing on their end - every time I eat a xlb I am so tempted to see if the skin breaks being lifted by its tip.

Two steamers worth - the original and crab roe.

Crab roe is richer in flavour though it is really just crab roe topping. Credit to be given for their xiao long baos tasting so much better than those in Singapore. Call in quality control? Whatever it is, loved them juicy buns! Each xlb still remained as delicious up to the last remaining lone ranger - shame on you paradise dynasty.

Dumpling Soup Noodle

Hearty broth meets smooth noodle and equally tasty pork wantons.

Fried Rice that I hardly understood everytime the companions used to order. Slightly oily, the rice grains are pearl shaped and tastes just like glutinous rice. Tasty combination here.

DTF is definitely worth a try in homeground, prices are slightly cheaper too and service is miles better. I am not sure if merchandise is available in Singapore but they do have quite a cute range in Taipei!

Ding Tai Fung
Taipei 101

Melange Cafe @ Zhongshan Rd

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000+08:00

Melange Cafe was highly recommended by 食尚玩家 and their must-eat waffles are described as waffles that even celebrities would wait 2 hours for! Even blogs raved about them so I had to squeeze it in, at the expense of a two hour wait. It is a stone's throw away from Zhong Shan Station. Even at an early 9am, the cafe was bustling with people who were there for their breakfast menu.

Melange Cafe!

Feeling all festive.

A reminder on the minimum beverage expenditure of NTD 100.

Take a queue number for waffles as non-breakfast items get served only after 930am and it was at a separate cafe a couple of doors away! Thankfully no 2 hour wait was required!

Jars and bottles of ingredients.

Liked the cosy ambience the cafe exuded.

Newspaper-like menus, so very Skinny Pizza.

Different types of sugar to flavour the drinks.

Hot Green Tea Au Lait (NTD 120)

Rich in green tea, the mellow creamy undertones of this made it one of my favourite green tea drinks around. Surprisingly good warm beverage!

Passionfruit Lemon Juice (NTD 130)

I realise how much of a non-passionfruit fan I am, did not like the seeds nor the tingly sensation that the drink evokes.

Iceblended Fruit Tea (NTD 160)

I would consider this a summer drink with all the tropical fruits from limes to apples and pineapples soaking in one tea drink. Best of all, there was an unmistaken fragrance too!

Iced Coffee (NTD 120)

Seriously good coffee too!

Ham and Vegetable Quiche (NTD 130)

Sweet potatoes formed the vegetable component for this quiche, while the buttery crust was evident I thought it lacked bite and flavour.

Club Sandwich (NTD 140)

I am usually wary of club sandwiches or triple deck sandwiches that come with off the can ham. Not to say the quality of ham was subpar but it was not that great either. Loved the combination of salad and omelette as well as teriyaki chicken. The amusing bit of it is, this came with exactly four pringles.

Strawberry Waffles (NTD 150)

The star of the meal and very rightfully so! Unlike any other waffle eaten, this packs a lot more bite...almost cake-like and dense! This ain't no belgian waffle but has taken waffles to an entirely new dimension. Paired with juicy strawberries and strawberry icecream with custard...this is one mighty set of waffles worth getting out of bed for!

Hardly resistible vanilla macaron (NTD 50) that was served in a champagne glass. Too crumbly and was filled just with buttercream. Unimpressed.

The breakdown of the bill.

Tea time specials!

I am usually a stickler when it comes to eating western breakfasts in Asian countries. Would prefer to head for their soyabean curd or doughsticks in this case. It was one truly memorable and hearty breakfast! Head straight for the waffles to get the maximum experience. If I can, if there will be a second visit...waffles only!

http://www.melangecafe.com.tw/

Melange Cafe
Zhongshan Road

Aoki Sadaharu @ Bella Vita

2012-01-16T14:30:00.000+08:00

From Paris to Japan and finally Taipei, Aoki Sadaharu has been on the list of "to-track-down". Paris mainly because of the macaron madness that I was inflicted with, Japan because that's where Aoki came from but they ran out of eclairs and macarons (like what are the holy odds?) and Taipei, I had to just track it down and stuff just one macaron down the system.

Tracking Aoki Sadaharu down is no brainer, head to to the basement of Bella Vita in their posh shopping district and you are refused photography, almost immediately.

Sneak shots as you can tell further into the entry.

In the basement full of temptations, Aoki Sadaharu stands out for having crowds like that. Mull over what you want and probably have to fight tooth and nail for a seat in their small cafe. Complete tea or tunch within 2 hours, you are gently reminded.

As much as I was rushing for time, I could still spare enough time for a clueless waitress who had the ~~audacity~~ ~~cheek~~ ~~nerve~~ ettiquette to nod so intently without jotting down our orders only to forget every single item the moment I finished babbling.

Getting a glass of water took quite forever, as with the laying of tea table.

Finally our orders arrived in such pretty colours, all unhappiness went up in smoke.

Bamboo Eclair (NTD 140)

Famed for eclairs and matcha no less, we had to have it! I wish I could take a bite of everything under those glass counters. For a wish, will always remain a wish.

Eclairs are by no means simple pastries, or so the rest of the confectioners or bakers claim they are. Aoki Sadaharu must be quite a genius then.

An eclair with density and flavour - chockfuls from the green tea frosting on top to the green tea filling. Completely floored. The best eclair ever stuffed into my mouth? Amen. Flavours hardly contradicted with the frosting being lighter than the filling.

YUM.

Moving onto the macarons which were hollering out so loud at me.

Personal favourite of the lot - Caramel Sale (NTD 90). Enough savoury infused into the macaron. Nailed it! I am a total fan now.

Sesame Noir, Pistache and Rose, all flavours well captured within.

Flavours wise, Aoki Sadaharu is not as audacious as Pierre Herme but the macarons are done well. Did not fancy the crisp shells and texture of the innards though, it could do with some bite though.

There you have it, the personal favourite on take-away! Sigh, even the nothing-fanciful packaging gets me going gaga.

Here's the streets of Hermes, Chanel and Mitsukoshi departmental store at night. Love!

And of course the lovely Taipei 101 which looks so much better at night than in the day.

Aoki Sadaharu
Bella Vita

于記杏仁豆腐 (Yu's Almond Tofu) @ Ximending

2012-01-15T20:57:00.000+08:00

Yu's Almond Tofu caught my eye - located in the next lane from the hotel. I was secretly hoping a Laoban-equivalent.

They promise all things healthy and good.

We were the first customers for the day! Procrastination usually ends up with me missing out completely as history would prove.

熱杏仁豆腐(冬季限定) (TWD 58)

Almond milk with almond tofu served hot. A seasonal new dish which they very annoyingly officially launched the next day with a 1-for-1 promotion! The crunchy almonds gave it a crunchy bite but the tofu had a weird texture. Like kueh, almost. Almond milk was too mild too.

yustofu.com.tw

Yu's Almond Tofu
Ximending Station (Exit 3)

赵記菜肉馄炖大王 (Zhao Ji Wanton) @ Ximending

2012-01-15T09:30:00.000+08:00

Searching for breakfast in Taipei's version of Orchard Road is pretty limiting to fastfood options like KFC and Mcdonalds. We were lucky to chance upon a whole lane of dumpling stores!

Spick and span.

The lady boss was busy wrapping her ingot shaped dumplings outside. More vegetarian than carnivore.

Price list with a website too!

Huge vegetable pork dumplings! Particularly love the QQ skin, miles off better than our wanton skins.

The rest of the hearty medium bowl breakfast.

One thing about their noodles - incredibly smooth. Broth is cleart tasting too!
http://www.chao60.com.tw/

赵記菜肉馄炖大王
台北市中正区桃源街5号

Yeh Liu Souvenir Market

2012-01-14T20:00:00.000+08:00

Yeh Liu is one of the must-see attractions in Taipei..for a better idea of nature's best. They conserved an area with preserved rock formations. The famed queen's head was alas, a fraction of what it used to be. Nonetheless, we found time to do some shopping at the marketing just acoss it.

Like any other wholesale market, the wares are so repeated.

Piles of fish floss.

Or fried fish snacks?

Cod fish slices that were perfect train ride snacks. Sweetened and absolutely chewy, yum!

Or sesame-speckled preserved fish? These were a tad sweet.

The more adventurous may want to head over to their row of seafood shops just nearby for seafood meals. I hear the main source of income of these people is fishing.

Yeh Liu

Partyworld @ Ximending

2012-01-14T09:00:00.000+08:00

Partyworld in XMD is huge, with an entire building dedicated to them. At least being an anchor tenant, the brand name is plastered all over. Piqued to try out their ktv since it is their national pastime. Rates are more competitive especially past midnight though there are minimum food and beverage expenditure requirements.

For two, the room was big enough to accomodate up to 6 people and they charge you by room rate which is awesome for big groups. I remember ever paying $50 per pax for kbox past midnight!

Easy to navigate system but I admit defeat with the way they romanize their chinese characters, more like dialect? Either way, I still made my way through 60 odd songs for our three hour song-a-thon!

I hardly pay attention to karaoke-food because they are usually overfried and greasy. Potato wedges (NTD 60) or termed french fries were pretty good!

Deepfried Chicken Dice (NTD 120) with mayo was finger licking good. Crisp meaty bites, seriously I would not mind having dinner in the ktv at this rate!

Worked out to be SGD40 for 2, close to 4 hours of singing and such decent food...do give their ktvs a try! Oh yes, the room came with a private toilet too which got me really impressed. One minor grouse though, they do use non-official mtvs for some dated songs which really is not such a great deal.

Partyworld

Gayke @ Ximending

2012-01-13T15:38:00.000+08:00

Trust the taiwanese to come up with something so outrightly vulgar! Hard to miss in Ximending, especially with huge boards like these being propped up at strategic locations.

Hidden in an alley of nail parlours, this stands out for the crowd. Gayke - stands for gay cake (or so I read online, apologies I forgot whose blog!).

The media naturally picked it up - much to the amusement of the public. Naturally with detractors saying it is too vulgar for comfort. If this concept ever made its way to Singapore, I trust it'll be forced shut down faster than you can say Abercrombie and Fitch.

Perfect for those who want to spread the love at home!

Merry Christmas anyone?

Most of the customers were there for this 大雕燒. Penis-shaped cake with a german sausage and cheese. Graphical as it is and perhaps invoking all sorts of naughty thoughts, this is truly all in the name of fun. They could have trimmed off the excess for a more exact replica though!

Finish it off with a squirt of mustard, gayke is really delish! With a thick like cake-consistency dough which was also sweetened, I found the german sausage a more palatable alternative to their fat-laden taiwanese sausages. The mustard gave this snack a much needed punch, yummy.

NTD 50 for a bit of fun, why not? Reminded me of the really hilarious visit to Amsterdam's sex museum, life sized male genitalia. Within ear shot, a couple of local army boys pre-ordered seven boxes for the next day's breakfast!

Gayke
Ximending

Jiu Fen Eats

2012-01-12T16:23:00.000+08:00

Word has it that Jiu Fen, north of Taipei rains 11 out of 12 months a year and I guess we were in luck. Jiu Fen Old Street is famous for its alleys and shops and for being located on top of a hill, chilly temperatures for a weekend getaway from hot Taipei in Summer!

Torrential rains that averaged the day's temperature at a freezing 9 degrees when all I was prepared for was 15 degrees. Fog that plagued most part of Jiu Fen and made photo taking cumbersome. Not to include the throngs of tourists that got offloaded into the already narrow streets every now and then. Shopping within the area became problematic when shelter is not their greatest strength - imagine raindrops trickling down your neck every now and then.

The doorway into Jiu Fen.

The only souvenir shop that has quite a huge variety of snacks ranging from mochi to nuts to jellies. One of the stops by tourist groups.

The lovely parrot that caught my attention! Poor fella was terrorized by the crowds.

Pre-packaged mochi that came in so many flavours - if only the expiry dates were not so close! We had a taste of the fruit jellies here and on hindsight, should have bought them! Penny wise pound foolish move by purchasing them elsewhere cheaper.

The stop that snitched the most out of our wallets. 张师傅 for handmade pastries, tarts and...nuts!

Gifts of freshly made pineapple cakes - a clear indication how much splurging was done at the shop!

Piping hot pineapple tart - buttery crisp crust with a mildly sweet pineapple jam within. Anything fresh off the oven is a good friend of mine.

Amongst the pile of damage done, bought them in two thickness.

Somewhat poetic packaging.

All that glitters is gold.

Little boxes of yum.

Which we promptly devoured on the train to Taichung and Hualien. I would have kept them for CNY if possible.

Unlike Kee Wah, this is not so sweet. The buttery fragrance gets stronger as the days go by and for now, I am a bigger fan of taiwanese pineapple cakes to hongkong's!

Peanut candy (NTD 80) that was not too sweet, the priciest of the lot we bought!

Chewy taro balls alert! This is one of the two stalls in Jiu Fen.

Very old school indeed, from the outlook to the making of the balls to decor of the place.

Chef hard at work with such a huge mass of sweet potato dough.

Something oldish about this shot that I like!

Get what I been by downright oldschool? Tables and chairs even!

Ginger soup with balls (NTD 20)

Perfect antidote for rainy weather and even winter! Ginger soup warms the tum greatly and their balls come in various flavours - yam, black sesame and sweet potato. Love how substantial these taste; very chewy but the fibres of their root vegetable origins can be tasted too! It is a mystery why this is not as crowded as

Here's another called Lai Ah Po Yu Yuan just further into the street.

Packed with tourists.

The mess of balls!

Claiming authenticity, this was alot sweeter and less chewy than the first stall. Preference goes to the other stall!

Chockfuls of bland tasting glutinous balls.

Time for some fishballs as this was possibly the next most famous Jiu Fen eat!

Spot 古早? Traditional olden ways of making a particular dish, this is exceptionally popular amongst the street eats throughout Taiwan.

Famous given the numerous snaps that the owner put up, I am assuming they are celebrities.

Hordes of people crowd the shop, so much so we had to head upstairs.

Get thrust a menu and make your way downstairs to pay.

Bowled over by the owner's narcissism. Tons of self taken photos.

Mismatched tables on the second floor.

A bowl of everything - five different flavoured fishballs and tung hoon (NTD 70). Not the most memorable of fish balls, these had too much flour.

貢丸湯 (NTD 50) comprised of just 3 pork balls! These mushroom infused pork balls were still better than their famed fish balls. At least these had a bite!

Simply too stuffed to make an attempt on their popiah icecream.

Watching them prepare the dessert was quite therapeutic!

I wonder how many icecream popiahs have to be made for that entire peanut candy block to be shaved down to its last bit.

A sweet take on our usual savoury delight.

The trip to Jiu Fen was fulfilling though the rain did mar the experience quite a bit. The night view would have been gorgeous for phototaking!

Tam Shui Old Street Eats

2012-01-11T19:00:00.000+08:00

Next to Fisherman's Wharf is Tam Shui Old Street when it comes to the iconic of Tam Shui. In fact, the old street is pretty much a night market of its own that spans 3-4 streets worth. The signatures of Tam Shui are
阿給, fish balls, iron eggs, 虾卷 and icecreams.

Soon I realise 阿給 was so ubiquitous and queues were no longer a good judgement of its standard.

I sell, you sell...everyone sells the same!

Decided to go with the one with more crowds.

Takeaway or dine in goes through the same queue.

All the flavours available.

原味阿給 (NTD 35)

Simply beancurd stuffed with tung hoon and doused in sweet sauce. Nothing too fantabulous about this snack.

Fishballs next! With 40 years of heritage...oh well, nearly every other stall has that long history.

I bet the menu hardly expanded since the day they started business.

Fishball Soup (NTD 30)

Further reaffirmed, whether it is at Tam Shui or Jiu Fen their fishballs have too much flour in them.

Pork Bun (NTD 10)

My charsiew pau would be a better option anyday over this. Minced meat which made this all too soft for comfort.

Even for 虾卷, every single one was a 阿香franchise!

Ended up buying from this stall. Brush the prawn fritters with a garlic sauce - crunchy delight!

How to tell which one is good?

I remember an ex-colleague microwaving her prized bull-horn croissants lovingly brought back from Taiwan by her husband. The fragrance emitted was drool-inducing and in the most cruel manner ever, she had none to offer me.

Paper packaging.

金牛角 so gorgeously browned but hard as a rock. Was bread based rather than layers of buttery pastry. Mega disappointment!

The only 阿婆铁蛋 shop! Each packet of small or large eggs went for NTD 100.

Macau portuguese egg tarts and crepe cakes were quite a mismatch in this place. Well, at least there was a sweet faced lady selling them!

Shih Lin brought to Tam Shui!

Fried quail eggs!

I honestly wonder how she manages to flip such small eggs.

All over Tam Shui.

Finally settled for the cheapest at NTD 10.

Mango and Yam though described as milk icecream barely tasted like any milk was added.

Queues like these are too distracting to ignore.

NTD 10 each!

Look at the mountain of fillings.

Red Bean Pancake so stuffed with fillings, every mouthful was red bean. Complete dream come true, those in Singapore have too much though. This had enough filling and the crisp dough was just so good.

No, it is not a hattrick, the same magic continued with the custard.

I tried pork sausages but how about wild boar sausages?

Watching and hearing them sizzle under fire...oohlala!

A ridiculously cute packaging.

NTD20 is a ripoff to pay for a sausage filled with so many fatty chunks.

Even on the way out, the eyes were kept peeled for this shop! Traditional cake shop.

Freshly made!

Salty?

Sweet?

Claims of no preservatives and a promise of a bite of tradition.

That's NTD 50 worth.

Not a butter cake, this foamy spongey cake was as described 綿密. Really good stuff!

Tam Shui

阜杭豆漿 (Fu Hang Dou Jiang) @ Huashan Market

2012-01-10T15:33:00.000+08:00

Undeterred by the crowds as seen below, we returned for a second visit as early at 830am to beat the morning office crowds if any!

阜杭豆漿 is the country's and tourist's favourite for traditional breakfast. The insane queues over a weekend.

There is only one reason to be at Huashan Market.

阜杭豆漿 very cleverly draws us the queue plan, just in case the crowds get unruly.

Clear signages in place for the blur.

Unbelievably early they open! Very clear ordering instructions they have; the first two ladies will only entertain soyabean drink orders.

An easy queue for a weekday.

Closed every monday!

Do make a mental note what to order - having a bunch of taiwanese ladies firing off at you in chinese what you want to eat can get too mindboggling. I ended up with too much of the same thing.

Doughsticks - done really well, not too oily and chewy!

Soyabean savoury and sweet! The sweet soyabean milk was thick enough and mildly sweet.

The savoury came in a beancurd form topped with crunchy doughsticks and a dash of soya sauce. A hearty morning perk me up.

I got lost in the world of 烧饼. Fu Hang confused me with a thick and thin version anda myraid of similar stuffings. This is probably the thin 烧饼 with egg and doughstick.

And this is the thick 烧饼 with the same ingredients. Chinese burger, I would conclude. Loved the density of the carb here, doughsticks eaten slightly soggy actually taste quite good.

烧饼 without anything, even on its own I laude it for not being greasy and so easy to eat.

More of them buns - sweet and savoury. I prefer the sweet one, tasted just like lotus paste tau sar piah!

I can only imagine how the weekend crowds are like. With 阜杭豆漿 dominating the floor, I should think they deserve the long queues.

It was one really hearty and wholesome breakfast, miles better than Yong He!

阜杭豆漿
Huashan Market

永和豆漿大王 @ Fuxing South Rd

2012-01-09T15:30:00.000+08:00

Soyabean drink and doughsticks are quite the national breakfast staples common in Taiwan. Locally, we do have a Yong He spinoff as well, supposedly from Taiwan but its authenticity remains questionable especially since their standards seemed to have dropped at such alarming rates.

According to the few taiwanese cabbies we spoke to, most claim that 永和豆漿大王 is an overfranchised brand, in fact none of which are related to each. 永和, a part of Taiwan does not even specialise in soyabean! Smart branding on the part of the founder methinks, whoever he or she is.

Nonetheless, we still gave 永和豆漿大王 a go since 阜杭豆漿 just opposite, threatened with an hour over wait.

Seemingly empty but was soon filled with people doing takeaways.

They even have xiaolongbaos!

Everyone has a designated job.

Getting a table was no monkey business, simply wait around and you should get one in 5 minutes flat.

Thin soyabean milk which was okay, not great. Jollibean would have been a more gao option.

燒餅 - light flaky layers that was surprisingly not oily!

油条 that was not too extraordinary either.

蛋餅 was the closest to our egg prata only with spring onions tossed in for better fragrance. This was on the oily side though but otherwise the yummiest of the breakfast table items.

小籠包 that was no Din Tai Fung standard or intricacy, I gave up trying to spot even 8 even folds. Rough workmanship but these were quite decent - chewy skins, soupy fillings and of course, the meatball.

永和豆漿大王 does triumph the Singapore outlet tons but on its own, it's just ordinary Taiwanese breakfast fare at best.

永和豆漿大王
Fuxing South Rd

Jin Shan Old Market @ New Taipei City

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

Jin Shan Old Market was one of those adhoc attractions that was kindly included in the itinerary by the driver who insisted that we gave the duck stall a try. Located just outside a temple, business was too brisk for comprehension, yet with utter orderliness.

Hard to miss sign.

It's all about the duck, folks.

Rest of the menu.

Plates and plates and plates of piping hot dishes get churned out by the kitchen so readily. Most of which include innards which until the very last day never quite developed a love affair with.

The more friendly dishes.

Duck is sold at a separate corner, diagonally from the main stall.

So here's the deal, grab plates of what you want and find a seat in the separate coffee shop. They trust you not to bail on the meal. Absolute trust - loving that!

Stir fried cabbage with white bait

So simple, yet so good! Two plates of this.

Their famous duck. Just like the yellow skinned chicken, the duck tasted super tender despite being marinated in what tasted like brine.

Stir fried noodles which was a tad soggy and less appetizing than the other dishes. NTD 360 for a meal like this, value for money!

Do save your stomach for more goodies that line the street which drags on for quite the equivalent of eternity.

Fresh yam kueh anyone?

I wonder who ever buys yam kueh in such huge blocks!

Each morsel was filled with grated yam and panfried. Delish! Should be served with sweet sauce or chilli!

How about some souvenirs?

Generous samples of peanut or black sesame flavoured rice crispy balls.

I succumbed to the friendly salesman!

Like 米通, this hollow snack had a chewy caramel-ish flavour to it. Not too sweet too!

Stumbled upon a homemade muah chee stall and...

These bags of muah chee were irresistible.

I would prefer kneading them myself from the bags as these prepacked ones turned out slightly harder than those sampled.

Spotted at least 3 stores selling the same at different prices.

3 scoops of ice-cream, not quite icecream I must add. More like slurpee only in a more solid form.

Cactus - Coloured a shade of purple, this was eye catching but not distinctive in taste.

Salted caramel - Not too bad!

Pumpkin - My favourite of the lot with pumpkin shards embedded.

Huge pineapple tarts anyone?

Hawkers like those above are a dime too many, from fruits..

To crabs even!

Peanut candy anyone?

I wish I had a go at these brown sugar cakes - mega spongey and chewy!

This old market was totally worth the while with a lot more other food options that the night markets do not normally offer and prices are a fraction lower too!

Jin Shan Old Market
New Taipei City

刘家肉粽 @ Taipei

2012-01-08T09:17:00.000+08:00

We were privileged to have a foodie for a cab driver and he insisted on letting us try as many flavours of taiwan as possible. Pulling up next to 婚紗廣場 which is quite a pretty spot for those taking wedding shots. We witnessed a couple braving the cold for their memories.

Right opposite is the famous dumpling shop!

At NTD 10 each, these were insanely cheap! No bigger than our palms, these are different from the heavy weights in Singapore.

The rice is chewy and not as sticky as the glutinous rice grains we use here. Flavoured with five spices powder, one needs to adore the ingredient to consider this yummy. Stuffing consists of just one pork cube and the rest rice, simple tasty rice dumpling which tastes quite different from the nonya bak zhangs or Ho Kee ones!

http://www.liujiarice.com.tw/

石門富基店:02-2638-0888 Fax：02-2638-3667
新北市石門區崁子腳58-18號
石門店:02-2638-1088 Fax：02-2638-0538
新北市石門區中央路30號
士林分店:02-2832-4060 Fax:02-2835-2503
台北市士林區文林路726號
板橋環球專櫃:02-8969-3638
新北市板橋區縣民大道2段7號B1

天祥餐厅 (Tian Xiang Eatery) @ Hualien

2012-01-07T20:53:00.000+08:00

It was a choice between Aboriginie cuisine and 天祥. Had I known it was an eatery with zi char, I would have opted for aboriginie food! Our hualien guide insisted that she only provided her customers with economical and good tasting meal options, well...here's a review of what proves to be taste is continents-apart subjective.

Packed for some reason and strangely, mostly Singaporeans.

Zichar.

Or order off the menu and get them cooked on the spot. Choose to fill the plate with half dishes or full dishes and each plate cost NTD 60 if memory serves me well.

Reeked of the sea, this seaweed looking cousin was crunchy and slippery.

Cold pickled cabbage which served as a better appetizer than mains.

Bamboo rice that was plain tasting save for the few scattered shrimps.

Our request for the dishes to be reheated either fell on deaf ears or they do not believe in reheating till you see steam. Brinjal - okay at best.

Pork cutlet that was way too oily for comprehension.

A combination of beancurd strips and beancurd rolls, though neither struck a chord.

White bitter gourd and some taiwanese vegetable which tasted the best of the lot.

Service was horrible, hardly prepared for a crowd at all. The lady boss was frying her rice all over the place, out of sheer frustration and panic methinks. They may be better off selling prepacked meals.

I was dumbfounded with the guide's food expectations by the end of the meal. Surely there were more options in Hualien! The cabbie simply brushed it aside as Hualien had nothing delicious to offer. 扁食 and 公正包 that the Taipei cabdriver had told us to took out for? Disappointing food-expedition in Hualien.

鬍鬚張 (Formosa Chang) @ Yong Ji Road

2012-01-07T11:00:00.000+08:00

魯肉飯 was one of the must-tries for me in Taipei, having heard the taiwanese hosts rave heaven and earth about it. One claimed he could consume it every single day. Formosa Chang was one of those that specialised in it with outlets all over Taiwan. This was strategically opposite Wu Fen Pu outlets.

Packed at night and every table had at least an order of it.

Menu on the wall for easy reading.

Everything is branded...right down to the chopsticks.

魯肉飯(小) (NTD 30)

For 魯肉飯, the pricing is considerably higher than the night markets which usually price it between NTD 15-20. I thought this was quite decent, after the disastrous attempt at Raohe Night Market. Richer in flavour and colour, the lard and meaty bits were easier to consume somehow! Rice was on the chewy side. Now I get what they mean by slurping it down so easily - everything is so soft...chewing is hardly needed.

Will I eat this every other day? Thinking twice about it.

http://www.fmsc.com.tw/

Formosa Chang
台北市永吉路533號

Rao He Night Market Eats

2012-01-06T17:30:00.000+08:00

Getting to Rao He is no easy feat...especially if you are walking from Houshanpi station like we did. It is more convenient for commuters taking the railway though, being right smack outside Zhongshan Railway Station. Be prepared for an approximately half and hour walk during winter. I would love to think that Rao He was exceptionally crowded because of the weekend when we were there.

胡椒饼 spotted before the entrance but the famous one is located behind the entrance arches!

Through and through so famous, from the moment we stepped in till the moment we stepped out, queues were unforgivingly long!

Hands made for kneading-twisting-moulding of buns!

Prized buns.

With a texture of a crispy bun and doughy innards, the black pepper only hits you much later into the juicy meat bun. Well worth the queue and definitely a must eat at Raohe!

The news featured a popular winter dish earlier in the day - 麻油雞. 麻油王 is one of the many stalls selling it at Raohe.

Everything with sesame oil!

麻油雞 and noodle (NTD 110), generous portions of both noodle and chicken! Only sesame oil fans need bother.

More of the hearty portion. Taiwanese chicken are much bigger than our kampung chickens and juicier too.

Call me weird but the craving for 滷肉飯 superceded that of pork ribs so we ended up with a bowl from a pork rib stall?!

Boring looking 滷肉飯 (NTD 20). Totally disgusting with almost no meat but all lard bits and the bowl reeked of the pork smell. Completely baffles me how all the pork rib diners could pair this with pork ribs! First attempt that was super disappointing.

Can you guess what was next on the agenda?

At a stall that specialised mainly in smelly tofu and duck's blood...

Yes, oyster egg (NTD 50)! Increasingly so, we found outselves fulfilling the must eat wishlist from places that hardly specialised in them!

Just the way I envisioned it - more goo than egg and oysters. The orange sauce was more sour than savoury actually and the starch was honestly quite delish.

Next on the list...was icecream popiah (NTD 40)!

Well by this time I have learnt not to trust queues nor paper clippings nor television mentions anymore but I feared I may have to leave Taipei without trying this.

Wrapped so snug just like a popiah.

Amazing how chewy the popiah skin is, and how finely grated the peanuts are...the vegetables tossed in actually taste quite good and finally icecream that goes so well.

Two thumbs up!

My favourite couple highly recommended 狀元糕! He seems to have moved from the end of the market to the beginning so watch out for him!

Black sesame or peanut.

Almost like kueh tutu but chewier and the fillings are more evenly spread out. Of the two, I actually preferred peanut better.

The thing differend about Raohe Night Market is, they have alot of stalls encouraging diners to sit down for a proper meal. What I disliked most was the throngs of people making their way through the night market - I literally inched my way in and out of the maze.

And of course braised meats which are a common sight across all nightmarkets.

I'm undecided if Rao He or Shi Da is a personal favourite. Rao He specializes more on food whilst Shi Da encourages shopping and eating at the same time.

Rao He Night Market
Near Houshanpi Station

Shida Night Market Eats

2012-01-05T15:52:00.000+08:00

Getting to Shida Night Market requires a fair amount of walking needed from Taipower Building Station. Famously patronised by Cat B taiwanese actresses (won't name who but if you follow 女人我最大, you'd know who exactly!) for accessories and bags, Shida Night Market caters mainly to the university students studying nearby. What differentiates Shida from the other Night Markets is, things have to be cheap and good since students have an eye for value-for-money anything!

Right at the entrance lies two stationery shops which were impossible to penetrate or even attempt to buy anything - really cheap stationery and festive related paraphernalia. Queues were insane.

Here's one of the few stalls that allows you to quickly grab a bite whilst seating down.

30 holysmokes years of history!

Tasty broth with radishes and fishballs. A more decent fishball than those attempted throughout the trip, at least the level of flour was not over powering.

A tip to note, any stall with a queue - whether food or not, usually is worth the while with exceptions. Patronise at your own discretion!

Hsu Ji dishes out advice for first timers.

MUST TRY!

Since 1984, they must have done it so right to last through the years and only specialise in 生煎包.

Say hello to these uniformly kneaded buns.

Queue number, I felt really bad ordering just one when even the ang moh next to me gamely went for eight! With the copious amount of food scheduled for this night market visit, you'd understand why I stopped at one by the end of this entry.

Yes, I kick myself for ordering one of this. Chewy exterior with a really appetizing minced meat filling. Flavourful pop of heaven this is. Stopping at one should never be an option. I wish I had thirds of this.

The amazing bit about night markets is, having a paperbag of something hot in hand and shuffling through the crowds to the next eat-stop.

I would not even classify this crowded - hordes of people.

Lantern Braised Meat! The stall that garnered most raves online and join the queue we did!

Redefining mind-boggling but at least there was some order in terms of ordering and the lady behind the counter hollering out recommendations on their best sellers.

A rather sheepish selection of greens, some signatures and 王子麵. Supposedly taiwan's famous brand of instant noodles.

Pass over your basket and wait in line.

So your basket of goodies gets placed in line in the most extraordinarily orderly fashion, gets cooked according to your place in line. Almost like a magician pulling off a trick, after that cloud of steam...

Your dish gets cooked after saying V-I-O-L-A. A quick squirting and bathing of gravy and sauces together with a scattering of preserved vegetables and chives, your dish is presented back to you.

NTD 100 for a plate of this and that and all things delicious. I like 王子麵! Chewy and bouncy that did not succumb to the boiling temperatures of the gravy. Preserved vegetables were appetizingly good too. Thumbs up for affordability and tasting so hearty!

Punishment for not taking away - every diner needs to order NTD 30 worth of drinks, yet the irony is nothing in the menu costs NTD 30!

Honey lemon which tasted mountains better than milk tea - the worst milk tea attempted so far.

Slightly further down the street is yet another outlet selling the same - 大台北.

Does not lose out to Lantern in terms of queues.

An equally maddening range of ingredients though somewhat similar.

YES you guessed it right - join the queue we did! The experience at 大台北 was alot less orderly, infact they seemed to thrive on chaos. I lost sight of my basket of goodies but the workers could identify, thankfully. The trick is trying to remember what you even put into the basket...what if someone really does order the same combination?

Stand around and literally wait till you can identify and recall what you really ordered. I'm not too sure if prices are the same as Lantern but we did not order the same fare for a fair comparison.

The same pile of ingredients that gets tossed in too.

The same Prince Noodle here was soggier beneath the pile of ingredients and gravy.

Somehow I love the taiwanese greens which are different from those we have in Singapore. This was alot more shoddy than Lantern, parts of it were tastier than the rest.

The same requirement for drinks.

Comes from the stall just next to it.

Nothing memorable.

Every meal without dessert is sin so trot we did till we found one!

i-Baked (http://ivybaked.com/) is unique in a manner that there are no other competing stalls. Cookie icecreams they sell! Apparently this is opened by a celebrity called Ivy, not that I know who she is!

I smell christmas already.

Choose your cookie flavours over the counter.

And then icecream flavour.

Find a seat in their cushy cafe and enjoy the dessert!

Sticky Hicky - Almond Cookie with Toffee Candy
Eat My Nuts - Walnut White Chocolate Cookie

Both cookies were soft baked cookies and were hinging on the suicidal sweet, honestly with both equally sweet it is quite hard to differentiate the flavours. Vanilla ice was milky though not the bestest icecream eaten. Not too bad a dessert (NTD 90) - you need to throw the calorie counter out for this one!

Crepes or 可麗餅 as they are known as forms one of the longest queues at the entrance and queues for this are more insane than maddening. Order from one counter and wait at the other.

Two helpers manning the exterior grill and I was hoping so bad that this dude would be making mine - the lady ended up with overbaked crepes!

水粿樂園 (NTD85) consisting of strawberries, peaches and bananas, a generous dollop of whipped cream, biscuits and marshmellows and two scoops of mango icecream. The icecream tasted more like sorbet though. Huge portion of what looked better than it tasted.

Special mention goes to this uber duper freaking cute corgi called Ma-lu! Very tame sweetheart!

Shida Night Market

Shih Lin Night Market Eats

2012-01-04T16:39:00.000+08:00

Shih Lin Night Market has to be Taipei's most famous. Located near Jian Tan Station and not Shih Lin, of the few I headed to, this is the closest to the station.

One of the most famous - Aptly named Hot Star Large Fried Chicken. In fact, franchises of this can be found at other night markets too, the most touristy thing to do however is, buy it where it originates from!

A rather brisk queue.

Massive sized chicken cutlets at NTD 55 each. They insist on no chopping or cutting it up, saves time for sure!

Fried till golden brown and dusted with spices.

Thick juicy chunk of chicken with a really spicy flavouring to make this night market favourite so good! The main grouse is it does get soggy towards the end. One draw about this - the portion of chicken is unbelievably huge, I wonder where these chickens are from. Besides, these patties are not blended ones, comes with the soft bones intact!

Just two doors away is their "Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage". I skipped "Big Bun Wrap Small Bun" after hearing all the negative reviews.

Busy at work.

Two specialties - diced sausages or the rice sausages with meat sausage.

Accreditation.

Long and fat.

So here's the deal, at NTD 50, you get a bak zhang equivalent of a glutinous rice roll brushed with a delectable sauce and filled with pickled vegetables. The cherry on top of the icing - that chewy meaty grilled pork sausage. Arguably the best across all night markets. I kid you not when sheer disappointment sinks in when all there is within the sausage are fatty chunks.

Crowd favourite and probably so because of the novelty - coffin bread!

Tools for temptation.

Everything at NTD50, when in doubt go for the one with all flavours.

Nicely deepfried - oh so love the golden brown!

Abit of this and abit of that.

Swiftly it gets cut with such precision.

Everything goes into the coffin.

A ladle of goo, literally. A starchy gummy blobby mess.

For as long as the theatrics lasted, it was interesting to watch.

CHEY! Honestly, tasted like chunky soup with bread. Bread bowl would have been more wholesome but I guess, novelty does sell.

Innovative way of keeping the chopstick wrappers from being littered all over.

Possibly the only peanut candy store there is within the main Shih Lin Market grounds. Freshly made on the spot, this was also the most expensive of the trip. My suggestion - head elsewhere!

Oh hello you!

Soon you'd realise so many stalls have stamps of approval from all over - it's just how familiar you are with these variety shows and the hosts.

Walking away from the main building just diagonally across brings you to almost two full streets of eats. Good heavens!

We literally squealed in delight when we spotted Prince Cheese Potato from afar. Read on...

Loads of toppings.

Easy to order menu.

These two folks are on 食尚玩家, used to be in a boyband called Tomorrow. Anyway, we spotted this online and tracked it down.

What goes into the delectable cheesy topping.

Decadence much!

Final product with everything you can imagine in it and on it.

Simply a deconstructed potato spud, they deepfried the mashed potato to recreate the spud, topped it off with a mountain of ingredients and drenched it in 4 cheese sauce. Yet, it was all mush. Soft-soft-soft and saucy. Flavours were not distinct and disappointing. At this juncture, we were already beginning to question the validity of all the raving reviews these taiwanese food hosts gave.

Fried milk!

Cubes of solidified milk.

Final product after all that frying.

Crisp shell hides a molten milky stuffing - sweet! I actually liked it.

卤味 is one of the must eats and this Kao Hsiung stall is a definite must try!

Take your pick in all that pile.

They refry it, chop it up and toss it into a bag. We were probably the only ones in the queue with such a miserly portion!

Caramelized duck wing was finger licking good! Loved how the spices permeated every bite. Duck tongue too wowed, soft and tasty...yummy!

Some random sugarcane stall.

Comes with a sugar cane bottle too!

The rest of the stalls at the main night market.

Spotted along the streets - fried pumpkin balls.

The eating continues...anywhere, everywhere.

If eating is not quite your thing, how about some childhood carnival games?Shih Lin Night Market is the grand dame of all them all, not quite in history but popularity amongst tourists. There are snacks that are only available there but by and large, most of them are available at the others as well.

Ay Chung Mian Xian @ Ximending

2012-01-03T16:30:00.000+08:00

I had a laundry list of things to eat as usual, and Ay Chung Mian Xian ranked tops...even more so when the hotel we stayed was just located minutes away! With quickening footsteps, the crowd outside this national favourite is hard to miss. Patrons sitting outside with haphazardly strewn chairs slurping mee sua is quite a sight.

Watching him scoop out bowls of mee sua was quite a sight - the theatrics he did with the ladle and bowl. Not just simply scooping and dishing out.

Make a beeline for payment before heading over to the next counter to collect your order.

Make your way to the side to lace the piping hot bowl with either their signature chili sauce (retails at NTD 120 per bottle), garlic sauce or what looked like soya sauce. Find a seat and slurp away.

I am not one who adores food that can be slurped, for the simple reason it lacks bite. Yet for Ay Chung, a totally different story awaits. Served tongue scalding hot, slurping becomes the only way to eat this. Waiting for the bowl to cool is not quite an option - eternity may be the answer for a growling tum. Though slurpworthy, the mee sua has quite a bite on its own. Paired with a broth so rich and tasty, methinks they included squid and probably scallops in it for such a wonderful broth! For the first time ever, I relished the intestines. Chewy innards without the gameyness, I actually liked it.

Oh yes, chilli sauce that doubles up the lip burning sensation and sets the nose on fire, awesome stuff! Seconds we returned for, though I really wish there was more time for thirds, forths and more!

Well worth the hype and returns.

Ay Chung Mian Xian
Ximending

SIN-HKG-TPE: Cathay Pacific

2012-01-02T17:00:00.000+08:00

Time for the annual year end holiday again and this year, we ended up in Taipei! It is one of those places like Korea that at some point in time I would have traded off my tresses even to go because of their idol dramas. Well, I was there almost a decade too late.

Flying Cathay again, one of my favourite carriers to fly by...awesome landing and take off! Been through enough ear shattering landings to pay for a good one. The entertainment onboard fell short of expectations though - nothing much to catch nor listen too!

There was an option of Fish Congee or Omelette for breakfast and we all headed western.

Came with Meiji Strawberry Yogurt which was different from all the other Meiji Yogurt products bought off the supermarts. Raisin croissant was unfortunately dry and fruit salad was boring.

Lunch onboard turned out to be refreshment - still miles better from UA's meal packs! Heated packs of ham and cheese bread. Loved the toasty sides, chewy texture and cream cheese. Orange juice and delish bun makes me a happy traveller.

On the way back, we had refreshment once again in the 1.5 hour flight. This time chicken ham bread with BBQ sauce which I thought was not too complementary.

Peanuts were served as appetizers after the plane delay - by the time proper dinner was served...was almost 11! Supper methinks.

I still cannot figure out where does the meal trolley honestly start - the front or back? Every time I choose a seat near start of the row, the trolley starts behind, so on and so forth.

Fish with Rice and Chicken with Potatoes were offered but by the time it reached us, the latter ran out. The very kind steward took the initiative to help us search high and low and most apologetically returned with Business Class options - brownie points for Cathay Pacific!

Duck with Rice or Fish with Potatoes - we tried them both! Sounds super noob saying this but every differentiation is made for each class of cabin - right down to the porcelain plates. Until someday I decide to pamper myself completely - business class shall remain a frivolous dream.

Well simmered duck with yam and bean curd skin, this oriental dish was well executed.

Likewise with the fish, though mildly fishy was no usual dory fish, adored the grilled potatoes and vegetables too.

Pity they had no other dessert choices but chocolate icecream. We ended the flight back on a lucky note - awesome light as a feather landing...! Kudos Cathay Pacific once again!

Tatsuya Revisited @ Goodwood Park Hotel

2012-01-01T16:30:00.000+08:00

Back at Tatsuya's for a christmas lunch, reservations are still highly recommended judging from the crowds. Counter seats and table seats were equally popular.

Back at the same cosy corner!

One of the many dignitaries who also adore Tatsuya.

Hand towels.

Toothpicks and soy sauce, though no relation.

Flip it over for lunch bento sets or head ala carte and be pampered by the chef!

Chawanmushi that accompanied all sets. Liked the faint zesty fragrance and taste which reminded me of Japan, greatly. Light wobbly custard with an unmistakenable fragrance.

Sashimi Unajyu Bento ($30.90)

The main draw of this set - sashimi air flown from Tsukiji and Fukuoka market. I miss Tsukiji market so! Never ever look at sashimi the same way again, most unfortunately.

Sushi Bento ($30.90)
Likewise, the sashimi is so fresh, sushi hardly tastes the same again. The companion was pleased as punch.

Ladies Lunch Set ($26.80)

The ladies lunch set came with sushi and seafood pancake. Sushi once again wowed. Seafood pancake had korean hints to it but I loved the juicy seafood chunks and how this was still crisp after laying out in the cold.

Raw quail egg to mix in with the dipping sauce - does wonders to it! Though I would never eat an raw egg without gagging.

And a portion of inaniwa udon. Sooooo good!

Slurp it all up!

Portion of fruits that came with it. Possibly the only part of the meal that fell short of expectations.

The waitresses took eternity of a lifetime to present a dessert menu and waited for us to decide on cheesecake and pudding, only to be met with a straightfaced "We are only left with icecream."

Honestly, then say so earlier!

Black sesame icecream and green tea with red bean both had their fans. I personally favoured black sesame for the rich creamy taste and fragrance.

The great thing about their bento sets is the numerous compartments of bite-sized heavenly portions which comes at pocket friendly prices. The amazing part about their bento sets is, everything tastes so good! Having a bit of everything is still my notion, until the next visit for ala carte perhaps. I have heard so much about their famed ala carte dishes that it is high time for one!

Tatsuya
Goodwood Park

Foodtake of 2011

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000+08:00

Twenty eleven by far has been quite a year of its own - the eating continues of course from 2010. Eating as much as it is part of life, has taken on quite a journey on its own. Who would ever know that when I started this, I would have amassed such a shocking number of entries and containers of food consumed in totality!

Alot more travelling required which brought me to several places, a couple of repeats though that gave me the freedom to pick and choose the favourites. Just one restaurant made it to my black list, but let bygones be bygones yea!

Fewer buffets consumed...the lousier metabolism rate bans it. Checking out watering holes seemed to take quite a focus in 2011 as well, I believe I have visited the favourites to death already. 2011 has been a year of Laoban soyabeancurd, molten custard paus and roasted pork amongst other things!

To the travel partners who made it through 2011 with me, I know it has been a great honour letting me decide what and where to eat. Still heartfelt thanks for letting me ruin the first most precious ten seconds when the dish is laid on the table.

To the family especially the sis for still being the greatest and most supportive dining partners, thank you for joining me on this gastronomical journey.

Food bloggers whom I hang out with, one passion, many black knights...may 2012 be even better than this year! Keep eating, keep dreaming of what to eat next...we are what we truly eat. :)

As per tradition, I shall list the Top Eleven that made the year so very spectacular;

One. Andre

Not exactly homegrown per se but Chef Andre, at long last! Birthday or not, he made it to one of the most memorable meals. Dinner in 2012? *hopeful!*

Two. Group Therapy Cafe

Found my comfort hole! Though it's only been 3 visits to date but consistently good food and such warm service...keep the awesome job up ladies! Dreaming of that insanely good carrot cake, always!

Three. Bo Innovation, Hongkong

The shimmer of this michelin starred restaurant probably outdid the quality of food but it was an experience not to forget - ever.

Four. Ember

Yet another that falls snugly into the comfort zone. Every course wows. Every single visit leaves me drooling over the next. So glad I ended the year with such a big delicious bang! Such great pity I only discovered it this year but better late than never right?

Five. Cityspace

How can I ever ever ever ever forget about my favouritest bar! Swissotel owes me a membership card for such ardent support. Bubble tea...so awesome!

Six. Morton's Bar

No hidden secret, awesome appletinis, to die for filet mignon sandwiches. I've become such a rambling machine about this place. Only good memories here.

Seven. Da Dong, Beijing

Motherhood of all roasted ducks.

Eight. Naughty Nuris, Bali

All ribs should taste this way! Not just being in such a magical island like Bali but the ribs till today remain so deeply etched in my memory.

Nine. Cherry Garden

My favourite dimsum place this year, though it does not offer my favourite molten custard paus.

Ten. Meng Kee Char Siew, KL

Finally gotten down to eating a piece of heaven. Fats, meat and charred bits...all in one incredulously bombastic bite!

Eleven. Lao Ban Soyabean

The number of repeats done on this one has been beyond numerous. Defying tradition, soya beancurd never did taste the same again.

It is a pity that restaurants continue to open and close so rapidly...but here's to the food scene, only better days await! Happy new year in another couple of hours, here's to happy new beginnings!

Ember Revisited @ Keong Siak Road

2011-12-31T12:00:00.000+08:00

It was down to the last Christmas meal of 2011 and to tie in with the heralding of the new year as well, the companions chose Ember - which was and still is always top of the list choice for me. I can probably head back 10 times and still lust after the next visit. Reservations are hard to get, yet another friend was told "full house" when the night drew past without being full.

I am totally crushed that the camera decided to die on me before the meal started, as much as I would have loved to remember it graphically. Make do with the grainy iPhone pictures and probably let the words sugar-tempt you.

Requests for bread were made so early into the meal and the kitchen was perhaps still kneading dough but it took almost eternity to arrive. Nothing can stand in between me and my carbs - especially for their tomato bread!

Ohhh-lala.

Crispy chip!

A delicious mess.

Pan-roasted Foie Gras with Fried Maitake Mushroom, Porcini Sauce, 1 Hour Poached Egg and Truffle Salt ($24)

So many times I have missed out on their foie gras dishes, this time I had to have it. The only pity about this incredibly aromatic dish is it was not served hot. I was told to break the egg and mix it up. 2011 taught me to eat runny eggs and the yolk was slightly overcooked but I loved it all the same. An atas version of the half boiled eggs in the kopitiam with a whole lot more sass. Don't get me wrong, the whole dish was faultless...flavours worked right down to the crispy parma ham that came with it and of course, that slab of piquant velvety foie gras. Good heavens, I rest my case on livers. Goose livers.

12 Hour Cooked Pork Belly with Savoy Cabbage, Apple Puree and Spiced Calvados Jus ($36)

I felt pork-ish as much as beef is the usual calling. It could be the plating but the portion seemed slightly smaller than the last.

All of the best captured in one plate - crispy skin, well seasoned meat and best of all, awesomely executed. I felt this was better than the last attempt and officially, picking this as my consistently favourite one from Ember!

On hindsight, the companions did comment that their famed tenderloin underperformed. A conclusion reached about beef is, the accompanying sauces can make or break it which is usually highly dependent on the diner's tastebuds.

Warm Banana Tart with Vanilla Icecream ($14)

Having tried most of their dessert items, I was toying between fig cake and banana tart given these were the only two new additions. Their tarts have been so amazing thusfar, that crispy buttery mindblowingly addictive puff pastry meets bananas. Banana, Apple, Pear Tart...all great!

Here's what the rest of the gang tucked into and wiped their plates clean for.

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Sweet Wasabi Aioli ($13)

Roasted and Poached Foie Gras with Mirin and Shoyu, Shiitake ($26)

Crispy Cinnamon Apple Pie with Homemade Icecream ($14)

Apple Tart Tartin with Vanilla Bean Icecream ($14)

Three visits later, I am officially truly, madly, deeply infatuated. Albeit service level seems to take a nosedive for dinner, Ember's food just keeps me going back time and again. Certainly does not help that the companions are all huge fans. Head for lunch for the same fare and better service though dinner goes at a leisurely pace. Either meals, I am still hooked.

2012, Ember is so on my list of to-return.

Ember
Keong Siak Road

Jiang Nan Chun @ Four Seasons Hotel

2011-12-30T15:34:00.000+08:00

The thing about festive seasons is, one tends to indulge in too much of a good thing whether it is turkey for Christmas or bak kwa for Chinese New Year. The companions had some foresight to avoid the regular operating procedure of finding a swanky restaurant with christmas jingles and diners all dressed to the nines with a turkey dish on every table. We headed chinese instead! I reckon I will not be heading chinese for Chinese New Year then!

Hosted on the second floor, the entrance is easy to miss.

Table setting.

The lack of a good view but ambience was good.

They have a limited menu of dimsum selections priced from $14 for 2 pieces. With premium ingredients like perigord truffle, abalone and foie gras, at $7 a pop...it is considerably well worth the price tag. For hardcore dimsum lovers, there is a dimsum menu going at $68 that comes with glutinous rice and mango sago which is a considerably better deal than heading for dimsum ala carte.

Thoughtful towels.

Complimentary appetizer of mushrooms which tasted like a cross of figs and mushrooms, particularly tantalizing.

Beautiful spring onions.

Armed with an insatiable hunger, we headed straight for a full peking duck ($68) in much gusto. Done two ways, the crepe was incredibly delicious.

Chewy crepe with a crisp duck skin and four servings later, I was ready to take on the rest of the duck. We had it cut up instead of panfried with vegetables, in its absolute natural glory - tenderworthy bites.

The clear sauce that came with it surprised me for being so tasty and not the least bit sticky. The norm goes with plum sauce, yet this wowed in all simplicity. Totally regretted ordering too much and having to pack the rest of it.

Condiments to go, particularly loving the shrimp chilli paste.

Steamed Mee Sua and Crab Claw with Egg White in "Hua Diao" Wine ($14/portion)

Highly recommended by JNC fan and the chef, this arrived in a green bell pepper shaped serving dish. The crab claw certainly caught the attention. Bland like plain water, the broth was and we sent it back to the kitchen. Second attempt surely did better, flavourful broth though crab was slightly overcooked. Would not consider this a must try per se.

Braised Eggplant with Scallops in Spicy Plum Sauce ($28)

Tasted quite like bittergourd sans any of the bitterness. Homecooked and heart warming dish.

Complimentary petit fours of an overly sweet pineapple tart and red bean jelly served with a palette cleanser of lime juice. I thought the red bean jelly was more outstanding.

JNC is fairly packed for a weekday night, a rare sight across chinese restaurants especially. Service is faultless and standard of food above average. Dimsum's on the agenda!

Jiang Nan Chun
Four Seasons

Shin Minori @ UE Square

2011-12-29T15:00:00.000+08:00

Shin Minori started out quite a number of years back when Japanese buffets were all the rage for me and the companions - if memory serves me right, the chef from Minori used to be from Hanabi.The post- Wong Ah Yoke article syndrome waved me off from patronizing and it was until this day that I paid it a visit.

Spacious restaurant that fills up quite fast. Reservations are highly recommended.

The pair of chopsticks that would last me the whole meal.

The long list of dishes - try them all at your own risk.

Green tea for neverending and prompt refills.

Sashimi Moriwase
Assorted Raw Seafood - Tuna, Salmon, Yellow Tail, Snapper, Swordfish, Octopus, Cuttlefish

Pretty fresh sashimi which prompted re-orders of this.

More of the appetizers to fill the table!

Chawanmushi
Steamed Egg Custard

Not usually a fan but this was alright.

Edamame
Japanese Peas

Perfect for nibbling whilst the other dishes arrive.

Momo Sarada
Peach Salad

For the psuedo healthnuts.

Tori Sarada
Chicken Salad

Spot where the chicken slices are! Lost in a bowl full of lettuce leaves and delectable Japanese salad sauce. The salad sauce is one of those lifesavers for any bowl of drab salad, just like mayo.

Agedashi Toufu
Deep Fried Bean Curd in Chicken Broth

The broth was oddly too clear and plain tasting. Tofu though fried was not great. Not a fan.

Miso Shiru
Bean Paste Soup

Ton Shiru
Bean Paste Soup with Pork Belly

Asari Shiru
Bean Paste Soup with Clams

Kani Miso Shiru
Cream of crab bean paste soup

Ok, all tasted the same. I could not tell the huge difference between any of that. Miso soup is miso soup, especially for buffets.

Spider Temaki
Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab

Ebi Tenpura Temaki
Deep Fried Tempura Prawn

Shoddy work expected, shoddy work delivered. At least seaweed was crisp.

Ebi Tenpura Maki
Deep Fried Tempura prawn

Decent-tasting sushi though the uneven sizes and thickness was annoying.

California Maki
Crab Meat Stick/Avocado/Cucumber

Either the skill of the chef or the mat was the culprit.

Norwegian Shake
Chizu Maki Salmon with Cream Cheese

More of these plates to silence the hunger. Cream cheese with salmon is an interesting combination.

Tori Wasabi Mayo
Chicken Pieces with Wasabi Mayonnaise

As literal as it looks, pity the wasabi mayo did not pack a punch.

Tori Karaage
Marinated Chicken Pieces

Perfect with beer!

Kisu Tenpura
Fish Tempura

Did not attempt was this was supposedly huge shisamos.

Kani Tenpura
One Mouth Crab Tempura

Now this is a must order and must-reorder! Not quite widely found across places, in fact this is the first time I am eating them at a buffet. Loved these little crunchy crustaceans, fried to such crispness.

Tenpura Moriawase
Assorted Tempura Prawns/Fish/Vegetables

At least this was crispy, nice dipping sauce to go with it.

Tori Teriyaki
Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce

Nicely charred edges though this ain't no Tori-Q.

Shake Teriyaki
Grilled Salmon with Sweet Soy Sauce

Snapped up too fast to attempt, so I reckon it must have been really good.

Gyuniku Shogayaki
Beef with Special Sauce

Surprisingly tasty, a bowl of rice with this would have been ideal.

Tori Teriyaki
Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce

Sweetened chicken chunks, oiishii much!

Their yakitori items come with a variety of seasonings - tare and shio yet the differences can barely be discerned.

Nasu Dengaku
Eggplant with Yuzu Miso

Miso-flavoured eggplant cubes, meant for the sweet toothed.

Tsukune
Chicken Meat Ball

Dry meat ball.

Uzura
Quail Eggs

Nothing to scream about.

Shishamo
Pregnant Capelin

These pregnant fish are always so irresistible, especially on skewers.

Hotate Be-kon Piza
Scallop Bacon Pizza

Thick biscuit base defines this pizza, very japanese in ingredients. I actually liked it enough - melted strands of cheese, plump scallops and barbeque sauce.

Ninniku Yaki Meshi
Garlic Fried Rice

Pretty well done, considering how the rest of the dishes actually turned out. Despite being one of the last few dishes to arrive and a carb dish as well, this was polished off quite fast. Loved the chewy grains.

Mentai Supagettii
Cod Roe Spaghetti

Surprisingly tasty, done al dente.

I am definitely past the stage of gorging myself silly with every buffet or attempting every single item they have - pick and choose wisely to maximise the tum space for the meal. Otherwise, Shin Minori is average at best. No major surprises.

146 dishes to conquer, if you have the guts. If not, pick good company to enjoy the meal. Service gets increasingly slipshod, orders get forgotten and remembered only to be served after the hunger has disappeared. Like most other Japanese buffets, desserts are nowhere to be found.

Shin Minori
UE Square

Cedele Logcake

2011-12-28T14:00:00.000+08:00

I already hate turkey by the time this post goes out. Too much of a good thing becomes bad - consecutive meals of turkey made me sick of it. The interest in logcakes nosedived this year, surprisingly.

Year after year, Cedele logcakes passed us by. They completely sold out on their logcakes last year so we decided to jumpship. We probably mastered enough courage to switch allegiance to Cedele from the hotels.

Grand Pistachio Orange Logcake ($63.60)
Orange cake layered with rum liquer cream, rich pistachio frosting

The fruit adornments looked drab and dowdy, somehow. Almost as if they had been assembled for days and left to preserve in the chiller.

Dense logcake this is, coarse layers of orange cake with diced pistachios and soggy chocolate pearls embedded. I am no fan of this dense cake, a tad crumbly and coarse in texture. Pistachio frosting was overwhelmed by the orange flavour, this did not pull off the desired delectable stunt.

Cedele Depot

Group Therapy Cafe Revisited @ Duxton Road

2011-12-27T15:30:00.000+08:00

Christmas Day all early at Duxton Hill!
The ladies behind Group Therapy have been tempting me so with brunch call outs via their regular facebook updates. Even after the last futile attempt on a weekday evening, I promise to return soon enough. Christmas Day brunch was a legitimate excuse since the affable ladies promised "brunch, longweekend and christmas" all over brunch.

Earlybirds.

Their doors swing open at 9 for brunch which works perfect for earlybirds like myself. Just in time for a hearty meal after the morning activities.

Note the opening hours.

Christmas Day Brunch Menu.

Table essentials.

Table christmas tree.

Rest of the living room concept.

Mini tree.

Candy canes for grabs.
GT folks brought in a range of beers and champagne to spread some festive love but I was not up for it - great pity!

Toasted Hazelnut Latte ($6.50)

An absolute festive drink...yum!

Christmas Plate ($24)

This required a 20 minute wait. I reckoned this was their interpretation of the must-eats for this festive season - which I completely agree. Turkey and ham are the common suspects.

Casually plated, I was bestowed the best part of the Turkey - drumstick for being the first customer to order it.

Initially put off by its raw pinkness, they were kind enough to regrill them for me. Tender juicy turkey meat with a yummy drizzle of sauces.

This came with a saucer of cranberry sauce - very homemade indeed! Thick slices of mildly salty ham makes this all the more hearty. No, the wholesomeness does not end there - butter mashed potatoes with ham bits and ratatouille makes breakfast ho-ho-ho-hearty.

Would not say this is the bestest christmas breakfast ever consumed but it was good.

Food porn starteths.

Yeowch-moment.

Watch it flow.

Drip.

Croque Madame ($17)

Until today I have not sorted out the difference between madame and monsieur though linguistically it is a lady and a gentleman. So this lady comes with an extra sunny side up egg slapped onto chewy toasts sandwiching cheese and ham. I wish the bread would be harder but this was fingerlicking really delish! Comes with their regular sides of couscous and chips.

4 Layer Carrot Cake ($8.50)

Charmed over and over and over again, I cannot say how awesome this is, enough. Made yet another convert for this, hooray! It should have been cranberry pumpkin pie for the festive mood but I caved in on this still. No regrets.

Once again, Group Therapy has wowed. Once, Twice, Thrice. No need for anymore flattery, brunch and lunch conquered! Probably their special oyster or booze nights next!

Group Therapy Cafe

Post Bar Revisited @ Fullerton Hotel

2011-12-26T18:54:00.000+08:00

CBD has a ton of watering holes yet somehow I always end up at Post Bar at Fullerton Hotel. Let me just narrate how we ended up at Post Bar...

Lantern at Fullerton Bay was lacking in view given its 5 storeys.
1-Altitude was closed because of the rain.
Five Izakaya was crowded with smokers and bankers.
City Golf gave us a table right at the entrance next to the musicians - boo!

Back in familiar ground!

Headed for a strawberry daiquiri that would not pass off as frozen but icy. Thought this was just alright...still martini-champagne glasses yummier than lychee martini! A tad too potent and hard to ingest. Hyatt Bar's anyday!

A fruity one that was so easy to like.

Seemingly miserly portions of nibbles for a weekday night. Refills were not volunteered and we did not bother either.

The best entertainment of the night - witnessing a lady getting picked up. Service was mostly detached.

Post Bar
Fullerton Hotel

Garrett Popcorn

2011-12-26T08:30:00.000+08:00

It is no secret that Garrett has taken Singapore by storm. Popcorn used to be purely cinema food for me. I once walked past Garrett and claimed nobody would pay for such premium-priced popcorn. Popcorn is well, popcorn. You get a bucket of those, munch through half if not three quarts of it during the movie. It is normal to get even less than half caramelized ones and the rest are tasteless.

Not until Garrett's. The Americans really know their junkfood best - and they do it so awesomely well! They have out-smelt their humble neighbours - Famous Amos! I never thought popcorn could overpower cookies.

Every single morsel is evenly coated with caramel. The fragrance drives me mad, literally.

Personal favourite goes to Crispy Caramel with Almonds, the almonds does break the sweetness quite abit. A word of warning though; jaws may ache from chewing through the bag in one seating. Never ending bag of yum, I call this.

I find cashews and macadamias lacking in the same bite that almonds do.

Festive packaging to spread some christmas cheer to us popcorn fans!

Chicago Mix for the indecisive! Nacho Cheese was a tad oily for comfort eaten alone yet when paired with Crispy Caramel, the sweet and salty went so well together!

Perhaps the sugar level rocketed to suicidal heights thereafter but it was so darn good. I wonder if I'll have the guts to take on the tins next!

Garrett's..I'll never look at popcorn the same way again.

Garrett's Popcorn

Provence Cafe @ Ion Orchard

2011-12-25T22:30:00.000+08:00

The concept of a cafe in a bakery is not new to Provence though this is only available at Holland Village and Ion Orchard. One of those rare days came by when both the companion and I had no particular craving or dining place to strike off the list, we traipsed into Provence for a bite.

Handwritten number tags.

All sets come with a drink - pick from quite an extensive list.

Always a Qoo fan.

Ham Katsu Sandwich ($4.80)

Breaded katsu of a stack of ham slices, toss in a pile of shredded cabbage and served in between toasted slices. Chewy toasted bread is a plus, hearty fix!

Garlic (Ham and Cheese) Sandwich ($4.80)

Until the very last bite, I questioned where was the garlic - of which the companion mused it could be the name of the set. Unlike ham katsu, the sides of the bread wree kept intact - not that it is a great deal but such variations are stark.

Their sandwiches are wholesome affairs yet you cannot help but realise how homemade they are - throw everything into a toaster and viola! Nonetheless, was a pleasant lunch!

Provence
Ion Basement

Annam Vietnamese Restaurant @ Shaw Center

2011-12-25T11:01:00.000+08:00

Ever since the visit to Vietnam, I have been laying off Vietnamese food. Partly for the simple reason that I already did not fancy the localized interpretations much less the authentic ones so when Annam came along, I nearly waved off the visit. Then again, with Wong Ah Yoke and being part of Les Amis also did add some shimmer to the feather cap. Located along the sidewalk of Shaw Center, this joins the rest of the Les Amis stars - La Strada, Annam and Bistro Du Vin side-by-side.

The decor of the place was pretty casual and reminded me of a kopitiam with the tiles and fixtures. At best, an upmarket Peranakan restaurant.

Loving these matt cutlery!

Dishes were presented as part for a customized menu -

Selection of Appetizers

Southern Roll
Goi Cuon
Stuffed with vermicilli, this was rather plain tasting.

Sri Lankan Crab Roll, Minced PorkCha Gio

Crabmeat was barely discernible for this.

Prawn Sugar Cane
Tom Bao Mia

We were taught to hold up the cane and use the chopsticks to scrape the meat before dipping into the sauce and wrapping it with a lettuce leaf. Found the meat a tad loose though tasty.
I thought the appetizer was alright overall.

Salad of Pomelo, Sri Lankan Crab, Water Chestnuts
Goi Buoi Cua

Fruit salad mainly with a generous scattering of shredded crab.

Refreshing salad which went really well with the basket of plain tasting crackers.

Live Venus Clams, Star Fruit, Silky Bean, Curd, Dill Soup
Sup Ngheu Thi La

A prettyfully assembled bowl of soup. Starfish was quite the star, literally though it was more ornamental. Clear tasting broth with fresh venus clams to match - one of the few clear soups I relish.

Sizzling Pancake, Prawns, Pork, Bean Sprouts
Banh Xeo

I failed to track down the Banh Xeo shop in HCM and did not have a go at it. Simply egg omelette with crispy edges and an unmistakenable greasy finish. The accompanying sweet peanut sauce was baffling. The least favourite of the meal.

Beef Noodle Soup

Pho Bo

Each bowl was served steaming hot and medium rare beef slices topping the dish. Tripe and tendon were part of the vietnamese deal but I slurped it up so readily and effortlessly, I may have fallen in love with Pho without knowing. Richly flavoured broth meets chewy ribbons of noodle...for an ala carte of $28, it is premium beef noodle.

Guess what!

Palette cleanser of longan soaked in lime juice and lime pearls. Albeit small in portion, this was really good. Popping them lime pearls were addictive.

Yam icecream was made for yam lover's like myself. Luciously thick and rich in flavour, grated yam would have nailed it completely.

Warm Manioc and Tapioca Pearls, Sweet Potato, Coconut
Che Ba Ba
Tasted like a really gao version of bubor chacha complete with chewy tapioca pearls, sweet potato and jelly bits. Liked it!

Skipped tea or coffee, felt it would have rendered me a sleepless night.

Lots of details paid to pairing which sauce with what dish, the waiters were kind enough to advise on the proper way to consume it. Annam is tweaked for the local palette, another mused and agreed. I actually enjoyed a Vietnamese meal without scoffing at the raw vegetables or finding the dishes too sweet. A price to pay for Singaporean-Vietnamese food. Service is too prompt though, the moment your chopsticks are laid down, it is cleared almost immediately.

Annam
Shaw Center

Eats @ Pek Kio Market

2011-12-24T21:00:00.000+08:00

Pek Kio market is another of those packed with food gems and affordable too! The popular stalls are easy to spot with snaking queues.

Ng Seng Heng Assorted Seafood Soup, #01-46

They specialise in Teochew Fish Porridge and Seafood soup. From $3.50, each bowl is filled with seaweed, bittergourd slices, lettuce, fishballs, fish slices, scallop cakes and a fresh prawn. I thought it was ordinary at best, not worth the wait.

Yean Heng Pancake #01-32

I love Minjiang Kuehs and when the companions let slip of a particular stall at Pek Kio Market, I was thrilled. Pancakes go for $0.60 each, reservations only possible if you are longtime patron of the auntie. They have two versions available - original and crispy.

For those who want a taste of both, request for the edges. These are significantly slimmer than Jollibean's, in fact half in height! Yet, the density of the kueh is not compromised.What is double love is the generous peanut stuffing that is almost with a texture of peanut shavings and mildly sweetened. I cannot decide if I like the original or crispy better. The crispy biscuit reminds me of a thicker version of loveletters.

Blk 41A Cambridge Road Pek Kio Market and Food Centre

The Ultimate Ramen Challenge @ Illuma

2011-12-24T09:30:00.000+08:00

Having been to Ramen Museum in Yokohama and kicking myself for not attempting all they had to offer. Afterall I was already in the land of best ramen and only attempting one stall was unforgivable...even on hindsight.

Posters all over.

I was delighted to know that there was a Ramen Challenge going on in the country! Until June 2012 before the winner is declared and is invited to join the likes of Ippudo, Nantsutei, Marutama, Santouka, Yoshimaru and Baikohken for a slurp of the ramen bowl.

Tap away!

Make your order and either queue or come back later.

Bario (Tokyo)

Bario Ramen
Cha Shu, Garlic, Beansprouts, Cabbage

Fit for a man, literally with portions like these. The noodles are made from bread flour and are thicker and flatter than the usual ramen I'm familiar with - almost like flat yellow noodle that is used in dark Hokkien mee. The seemingly oily broth is actually very light tasting, not overpowering in miso nor flavouring. Fact is, it complimented the noodle well such that there was nary the dreaded alkaline taste. Strangely or not, when I dipped Tetsu's noodle in the broth, the alkaline taste was evident.

The chashu from Bario was much like pork belly, more fat than meat and lacking in char.

Only the ravenous need apply for Bario.

Tetsu

Very Rich! Special Paitan Tsukemen
Pork, seafood and chicken broth

I was most looking forward to Tetsu since their version of ramen came with a dipping sauce - almost like eating cha soba with sauce. What is amazing about the broth is, while it is too thick and salty to savour by the spoonful but it went so perfectly well with the springy noodles. Loved the rich flavours of the broth, instead of the usual pork bone soup...here's one packed with pork, seafood and chicken! Would have preferred if the noodles were piping hot but these were served lukewarm. The flavoured boiled egg was atad overcooked as well, missing out on the gorgeous orange.

Chashu for Tetsu was least inspiring - lacking in taste.

Ikkousha

Big Fried Chicken ($5 for 3)

Thick juicy fried chicken chunks, perfect with beer!

Chicken Gyoza

Rather ordinary.

Menya Iroha (Tokyo)

For consecutively two years, Menya Iroha has been Champs in Tokyo.

Negitama Ramen
Chashu, Bamboo Shoot, Leeks, Egg

This was the most ordinary tasting of the lot, homemade and reminiscent of instant noodles. Could be the shoyu-based That being said, the egg was the most ideal - solid on the outside and daffodil orange in the center.

Liked the chashu here though still miles away from that memorable bowl in Kyoto.

Traces of Japan via Qoo, so very deliberate but it was the cutest drink there! I thought they would have stocked up on their Calpis Soda at least!

No doubt it is a Ramen Challenge, I was actually itching for a sweet finish thereafter. Cannot wait to try the remaining three contenders!

The Ultimate Ramen Challenge
Illuma

Cupcake Fetish

2011-12-23T11:06:00.000+08:00

Cupcakes came and went a couple of years back, just like bubble tea. Not that this chapter has taken off yet again. I combed the island for these little things with swirls of cream and sized just perfect for tea. Unlike bubble tea, these things called cupcakes have long won a softspot in my heart - marmalade pantry, being on of the earliest invaders. Limonata always remains close to the heart for my kind of sunshine cupcake - one that lifts the appetite and mood!

So that being said, I had to head back to Marmalade Pantry to see if standard is the same.

Marmalade Pantry, Ion Orchard

Visited when Marmade In the City was still known as Marmalade Pantry.

I have not been back at MP for quite awhile after the string of inconsistencies. Was there initially for their high tea sets which I came to realise they are only valid on weekdays. Dang!

Granny's Apple ($4.20)
Spiced apple and cinnamon cake with cream cheese

I remember trying this before and thinking this was not a great deal. Once again a disappointment - way too dry! Loved the frosting though.

Geisha ($4.20)
Buttermilk and pandan cupcake with greentea and coconut frosting

Yet another bummer with dry cupcake and awesome frosting. Finger licking good. Overall the cupcake was alright just that the cake when eaten alone was dry.

Limonata ($4.20)
Tart lemon glazed cake

I wish I could say my all time favourite managed to pull it off yet again but it was not the case - significantly dry-er this attempt. I wonder if all is lost with these previously to-die-for comfort cupcakes. The only thing consistent? Their consistently bad cupcakes. Frosting rocks, most unfortunately.

It takes alot for me to switch camps and sadly, Marmalade Pantry has lost its case.

Whips, Icon Village

This little shop has been open for quite some time now, judging from the quick turnover rate of tenants at ICON Village...Whips must have something good to stay. They have minis and regular sized cupcakes for takeaway and ordering.

Attempted Apple Crumble, $3.50 (above) and Red Velvet. While the crumble toppings were delectable, the cake itself was dry. Same goes for the red velvet - too dry! Frosting was good though. I wonder how the minis would taste if the larger ones are already dry.

Twelve Cupcakes, United Square

Opened by celebrity duo - Jaime Teo and Daniel Ong, this shop has been gaining much buzz. They have been selling out on their cuppies daily and I headed down to suss out the fuss. With daily shoutouts of special flavours like Lychee, Cherry Chocolate or even Lemon, they keep the interest up. Specials go for a pop of $3.50 whilst all other regular flavours are $3. There are package prices for six and above.

Boxes are available for 3 pieces, otherwise, you get them in individual cups like mine! Just to sidetrack, their pink boxes are....sooo girly!

No Jaime nor Daniel in sight when I popped by, instead they've gone all cute and energetic with a young server - all smiles and friendly.

Strawberry Vanilla over Rainbow Vanilla that was described as "plain and simple". It smelt so sweet upon unveiling the cupcake lid. Cupcake was soft but slightly dry but frosting was delicious. Strawberry purree infused frosting with white chocolate shavings.

Chocolate chocolate over PB chocolate for the "ultimate chocolate lover". Same consistency repeated, soft but dry.

I would not deem these as to-die-for, yet good enough for that afternoon tea fix. Their cupcakes are mostly chocolate cake based so limiting my options gravely.

Cedele Depot

Lemongrass Pistachio Cupcake ($3.80)

Being on a cupcake ~~rampage~~ ~~craze~~ fetish is, everytime I spot one...I'm tempted to eat it. Cedele Depot had the most beautiful row of cupcakes sitting prettily in a row - ready to be bought! I zoomed in on the non-chocolate one - yes just one flavour. Lemongrass Pistachio - reads like a poem, and images of the most lushious delicious tasting cupcake comes to mind.

And comes to a screeching halt when I took my first bite.

Lemongrass infused frosting is acquired. More than unusual, it has a knack of turning the appetite off. As bad as it sounds. Together with barely crunchy pistachios...I can barely bring myself to finish the frosting - aren't all frostings supposed to be like icing on the cake, the most amazing part of the cake? This one was horrific. The cake itself even without fanciful flavours tasted ohmygod good.

All these took place after the first scare of the Golden Pumpkin Roll. As I munched the roll and checked the website on the specific name of my roll, I swear I am a sucker and magnet for great sounding-poor tasting food. "Sugarless and Eggless. An unusual sandwich/snack bread." Enough of UNUSUAL!? Ok, here's it. Dense chewy tasteless bread but it was hearty with the sunflower seeds.

I usually am a huge fan of Cedele, well their cakes. Note to self with neon yellow and green headlights blinking: Please please please remember not to attempt anything beyond their cakes and icecreams. Oh wait, their sandwiches are actually quite good. Ok, just avoid the gourmet bread.

Double Bay Australian @ Raffles City

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000+08:00

I visited Double Bay when they first opened for business year back. Until one day when I chanced upon their brunch menu and then dessert and there was the irresistible - Sticky Date Pudding! The way Christian Louboutins would charm the socks of me, Sticky Date anything has that same draw.

Onion Rings

Theirs are fried so crisp, eating onion rings become so addictive. With a batter so light, the only grouse was they should have left the oil to settle before serving.

Sticky date pudding! I have issues with pocky sticks stuck into the presentation of any dessert - works like an artificially red cherry, ruins. Anyhow, the pudding was light and soft but lacked the presence of dates. Not the greatest, neither the worstest.

Odd that this visit was purely for their non-signatures...perhaps next time!

Double Bay Australian
Raffles City

Mel's Bistro @ Kuo Chuan Ave

2011-12-21T14:43:00.000+08:00

Mel's Bistro has been around for a long enough time for me to attempt it one evening. Just like how certain places have withstood the test of time and competition and you finally decide to give it a go. The gf deemed the place "more than decent" so I had to check it out.

The place reminds me of a beer garden or Villa Bali of the East, with a resident band that plays daily. Good accompaniment with beers or tapas but a notch lower than lounge musicians.

Bemusing for smoking areas to be sheltered whilst non-smoking areas are not.

Snooker anyone?

All things simple.

Chicken Porcini ($21.50)

Panfried tender chicken with wedges and root vegetables...tasty!

Rip Those Ribs ($25)
Homemade BBQ Sauce and Fries

Known for their grilled meat, their ribs fall under the category of "fall off bone" tender. Decent tasting ribs with old fashioned criss cut fries.

House Pizza ($12)

Befitting of the bar menu that they had, the pizza had a thin cracker base (think Harry's) with very homemade ingredients - a touch of hawaiian with pineapples, a touch of italian with an egg cracked in the center and a touch of american with chipolata sausages. A dish the more culinary-inclined can whip up in a jest.

Mel's Burger ($17.5)
200gsm USDA Beef patty, cheese, mushrooms, bacon, egg, fries

Open-faced burger with a minced meat beef patty and the works of bacon, cheese and sunny side egg. Enjoyed the burger quite abit - for its heartyness and chargrilled fragrance.

Food at Mel's hovers above average though not spectacular. Service is friendly and prompt with minor glitches on communication. Otherwise, an eager to please hangout.

Mel's Bistro
2A Kuo Chuan Avenue

Udders Revisited @ Goldhill

2011-12-20T14:30:00.000+08:00

I remember vaguely how Udders' waffle at Siglap did not live up to the hype, and then I spied delicious photos of its new shape - okay, what a frivolous excuse to re-try the waffles and reconnect the missing link. So, I digress. I thought they tweaked the recipe along with the shape of it, instead of the blockish rectangular shape, it now came almost circular.

Waffle ($2.90)

Peanut butter to go with my freshly made waffle. I have to give Udders credit for the icecream - I fell head over heels, fork over spoon in love with it. Crunchy whole peanuts in peanut butter blended into the milky icecream, holy grail yummy! Credit once again given for the icecream lasting through the piping hot waffle, at least it did not melt away before I finished it.

So it seems, the same consistency as the last - no density just fluffy pancake texture. Me not a fan, unfortunately. Icecream Chefs, show them how to do it! As I type this, the mind is wandering off to making my next visit to ICC to curb the insane craving for a good Belgian waffle.

Liquer toppings did pique the interest greatly though!

Udder's
155 Thomson Road, Goldhill Shopping Centre

Swensens

2011-12-19T22:00:00.000+08:00

Swensens and secondary school go so hand in hand..like Breeks and Seoul Garden and Sakae sushi buffets. Most if not all the time, I head back just to reminisce the past...in a nostalgic way..though secretly I wished they did not change so much!

Fish and Chips

Breaded fish cutlets with tartare sauce and coleslaw..all the usual fish and chip works. Surprisingly, the dory fillet did not reek of its fishy origins like most overfried fish cutlets do.

Grilled Salmon

Evenly seared, the salmon was fresh and well cooked.

Lamb Chops

Decent food at Swensens though it has seemed to have lost its footing in positioning itself. I can possibly rattle off half a dozen similar concept dining places and Swensens probably will not come in tops. Well one thing's for sure, many years later I'll still remember Swensens for its Earthquake icecream creations.

Swensens

CitySpace Revisited @ Swissotel Hotel

2011-12-18T20:30:00.000+08:00

No amount of revisits can change my mind about this addiction to CitySpace. Visit after visit, I am still so dead attracted. In addition, converting the companion to being a huge fan just spells more danger.

All too familiar table light.

Headed straight for the window aisle seats - be gently reminded of the additional $20 surcharge should your bill not exceed $60 for two. A major pity the window panes were clouded with the intermittent rains.

Homemade Smoked Ham and Pork Bacon with Sour Cream ($33)

Craving for their pizzas, we attempted a different flavour from the last visit. Please prepare for a 30 minute wait at least, the kitchen's from New Asia Bar! Took us two refills of their addictive nibbles and tons of verbal diarrhoeaing before the pizza arrived!

Tastes just like a potato spud on a pizza - delish smoked ham and pork bacon which gave this a hearty meaty touch. Slice after slice, very gratifying.

Plans to return to try the other flavours are in the works!

Shimmer ($16)
Moet and Chandon Champagne mixed with pureed lychees and Prucia Umeshu Plum Liqueur

I am really not a champagne cocktail girl, tried and proven tons of times over. Could be the fizz or lack of sweetness. The companion liked this though.

Bubble Tea ($15)
Sakura! Sakura! Tea infused Tanqueray Gin with fresh grapefruit juice, cranberry and our own pomegranate grenadine

Never can go wrong with my personal favourite! Still as wonderfully good. The novel bubbling still gets me excited with each attempt, still.

Happy Hour is until 8pm, with fingerlicking food, amazingly delicious drinks and wonderful music and night view...CitySpace is re-re-re-re-loved all over again!

Oh yes, did I mention their resident band plays great too? They take dedications too. If only every single weekend could be spent there, Mondays will never ever be blue.

CitySpace
Swissotel Hotel, 70 Storey

New Asia Bar @ Swissotel Hotel

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000+08:00

New Asia Bar is the highest that Swissotel has, a floor higher than City Space. There have been occasions that I've seen party goers head in the direction of New Asia Bar while I made my way to CitySpace yet the interest was not piqued till this particular visit.

Empty dancefloor at sundown.

Very spacious bar with lots of room for late night partying. One of my major pet peeves in a club is not having enough space to loiter around!

The other side of the Singapore view from on top, a more residential side.

Most tables were already deserved by 630pm, we were given the table on the pretext that we cleared it by 730pm, before the next reservation.

Curry crackers, awesome for nibbling!

Mango and Chilli New Asia Bellini ($19)
Classic sparkler of fresh pureed fruits and Moet Chandon Champagne

I went for a daring mango chilli fruity drink as opposed to the other tamer options of lychee, spiced pineapple and passionfruit. Pureed fruit or not, the fruity undertones were evident throughout the drink whilst chilli was lacking in punch.

Lychee New Asia Fruit Martini ($16)
Russian Standard Vodka

This was fruitier and sweeter on the palette. One forgettable martini.

I like how the bar dimmed and changed colours once past 7pm.

Gorgeous shot of the night view!

New Asia Bar is probably better for clubbing than chilling per se. Would still very much prefer CitySpace in comparison. Otherwise, the view from Swissotel is still top of the list for me.

Dining menu was the same for both New Asia Bar and CitySpace...not too sure about IntroBar at the ground floor though. The minor peeve was hearing the kitchen clingclang their way through their cooking adventures - walls are probably not too well sound proofed for the early evening!

New Asia Bar
Swissotel

L'Angelus Revisited @ Club Street

2011-12-17T21:30:00.000+08:00

Finding a dessert place at ASH on a Saturday night can be quite a task. Dropped by L'Angelus for some quiet time - without the half drunkards lining the streets creating a ruckus or some boisterous crowd trying to celebrate someone's birthday.

There's something about the service at L'Angelus that puts me off. Bordering on artificial and contrived, they slang their way through the exchanges. The bartender claimed they were full house for the night and offered us a makeshift table. Yet, throughout the couple of hours that we were there, it was not full. Three quarts full, at best.

We shared a pot of chamomile tea that did not allow for refills of hot water. Came with three dainty cups and three dainty chocolate cups.

None of us bothered enough with this.

Our dessert made on the spot! Desserts like baked alaska and crepes suzette that get made on the spot pique my interest muchly.

Orange suzette

Three dense crepes drizzled in orange sauce. Thought these crepes had a slight rubbery texture.

Still a fan of their apple tarts! Insanely crispy pastry layers.

L'Angelus...their apple tarts still have me at hello. Their service needs heaps of improvement but it'll still be on my list of regular hangouts.

L'Angelus
Club Street

Wedding Dinner @ Shangrila

2011-12-17T09:30:00.000+08:00

The final wedding dinner to wrap up 2011 - at. long. last. Back at Shang for the third time this year and after the stunning display the last round, I was looking forward somewhat.

Snowglobe for wedding favours with the shimmer to bring a weebit of excitement about Christmas. The ballroom was done up quite gorgeously, it had a secret enchantment forest touch to it. Naise! This time round, ala carte portions were dished out which proved to be a far worse option. Food ended up barely lukewarm throughout the meal and the inexperienced servers seemed to make things far worse - odd proportioning which resulted in leftovers or delays made too long that our table seemed to always be the last to be served.

The uber grand ballroom!

The centerpiece made this wedding dinner annoying - ala carte portions dished out meant longer than normal waiting time required.

Shangri-la Appetizers Delight

I drool at the mere thought of suckling pig, the only correlation was the crispy suckling pig skin with an equally thick layer of jellied fats to match - eeks.

Jellyfish, seafood roll, octopus and prawn salad were commonfare.

Braised Shark's Fin with Shredded Abalone and Forest Mushroom

Like fish out of water mismatched. The broth and shark's fin were speaking different languages - tasted more like seafood broth with shark's fin tossed in.

Baked Sea Perch with Teriyaki Sauce

The greatest pity had to be it served barely warm. Flavours were spot on here.

Deepfried Golden Prawns with Wasabi Mayonnaise

The rare times where wasabi mayo packed enough punch.

Crispy Mongolian Chicken "Pik Fong Tong" Style

Pretty well done I must say, tender meat with crisp skin.

Braised Baby Abalone with Seasonal Greens garnished with Wolfberries

None too spectacular though baby abalone was the main draw.

Ee Fu Noodles with Shimeiji Mushrooms and Honey Peas

Luckily not soggy.

"Or Nee" Sweetened Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts

By the time this was served, at least half the guests had already left. A first for orh nee so gao (thick in hokkien), the orh nee lover in me is not complaining. Hearty rustic teochew dessert to end the night.

Service at weddings is hardly an indication of the service level of the hotel, that night was no exception. Let's just hope I will not get anymore invites to Shangrila...thrice in a year is an overkill, especially with such fluctuating standards!

IKEA eats

2011-12-16T15:30:00.000+08:00

Truth be told, I love IKEA. Each visit is hardly complete without dropping by the cafeteria for a bite or two, or leaving with something from their gourmet store. Like the chinese idiom goes - 醉翁之意不在酒, the intent of the tipsy is not on the wine.

Their cafe seems to be the main crowd puller - all the time, breakfast, lunch and dinner you probably still have to wait for a table or fight for one. Menu has taken some tweaking through the years but there are just some items that will always be there and make it to the dining table each visit.

Swedish Meatballs (10 for $5.40)

This is one of those things that remains on the menu through the years and justifies its existence by being so very consistently good. I honestly have never walked away from the cafeteria grumbling about their meatballs - that being said, their frozen meatballs have become such convenient dinners that the family and I simply love this unassuming meatball! Perfect with cranberry sauce and boiled potatoes. Comfort food, so simplistically.

Chicken Wings

Yet another of the classic IKEA must eats. Juicy wings, one that I'd gladly chomp down to the bone.

Poached Water Prawns ($4.20)

I had this just once and never looked back. Judge this bowl of cold prawns kindly, you will be surprised how amazing these are! Mildly salted, these poached prawns make awesome appetizers. Drizzle some lemon juice, makes a perfect salad with the lettuce.

Well the thing about dining in the cafeteria is - feeling guilty staying beyond your tray's worth of food. People hog tables with strollers, wailing kids and whatnots - for the less thick-skinned, buying food off the stands and walking around sounds like a more comfy idea. Prices have taken a slight adjustment down - HOORAY! They have removed my favourite curry puff and tollhouse cookies - BOO.

Hotdog ($1)

Nobody does hotdogs quite like IKEA, quite honestly. Boiled chicken hotdog slapped onto soft bun - that simple but what they do so right is the sauce stand! Trying to squirt my mustard and chilli sauce in that desired zigzag fashion has been the to-do task for YEARS - and I always end up in a saucy mess. All part of the whole hotdog eating process - double yums for this. Still loving it!

Crowd puller.

Soft serve icecream ($0.50)

The brainy IKEA folks have now made this more interesting - get a token and watch your icecream being dispensed. Carnival-like? You bet, an absolute crowd pleaser and puller. My thoughts of dispensing the world's tallest icecream cone were deflated when I spotted the tokens.

Scrutinizing her icecream cone.

Simply place the cone in the holder, slot in the token, hit the button and you get one of the most uniform icecream cones formed. No such thing as lady over counter showing favouritism by giving the one before you more icecream. DAMN.

At 50 cents, I really cannot hiam but this had a whipped cream taste and consistency...variantly different from the last tasted!

These are the reasons why I so abashedly and shamelessly love IKEA for.

IKEA Tampines

Brunetti @ Tanglin Mall

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000+08:00

Brunetti reminds me of Carlo's Bakery in Cake Boss set in New Jersey or a more mind sparkling version of Cova. From the gelatos to the columns of sweet nothings and finally a panel of savouries, deciding what to get is stressful. Yes, you heard me right. S.T.R.E.S.S.F.U.L. When given too many choices, I end up getting lost in wonderland.

The first visit there was slightly after their brunch hours of 9-12pm so that greatly reduced the savoury options by more than half. I reckon Brunetti specialises in Italian sweets more than savouries judging from their full day menu which is equally restricted. There are miniatures available too for sampling portions. Certainly was not complaining since that gave me the complete liberty to order all the lovely sweets to fill the plates.

Macarons...definitely a must since their bright bursts of colours were so irresistible on the eye.

Salted Caramel ($2)

I knew I had to get it - salted caramel being salted caramel. Came across as a completely sweet macaron.

Rosewater ($2)

This was mildly sweet with an amazing fragrant aftertaste.

What I did not like about the macarons is their crumbly texture and buttercream fillings, density hugely lacking. No surprises with the fillings either.

Cannolli Vanilla ($2.50)

Crumbly pastry plumped with vanilla cream, was expecting the fried pastry to be crunchy with a bite. In colloquial terms - "lao hong".

Shortchanged with the emptiness.

Boc di Nono ($1.50)

At the insistence of the server, she recommended I tried their cookies in particular this. Marzipan wrapped around a cherry.

Even for a sweet tooth for me, I found this over the top sweet. Would not consider this a cookie or biscuit equivalent.

Pistachio Bigne ($2.50)

Choux pastry glistened with fondant and plumped with pistachio cream.

Though the filling lacked flavour though it made up for it with a green pea coloured thick filling.

For takeaways, consumption is recommended within 4 hours. Brunch hollers...soon!

Brunetti
Tanglin Mall #01-35

Koorimo Icecream

2011-12-14T14:30:00.000+08:00

Product of Poland, Koorimo Icecream is the latest icecream invasion into supermarts.

The flavours all revolve around vanilla and chestnut swirls, varying only in toppings.

KuriVanilla

Topped with white chocolate shavings, the toppings are easy to miss.

KuriCaramel

Crunchy caramel coated morsels define this flavour.

KuriCafe

Chocolate coated coffee beans adorned this.

KuriStrawberry

It could be me and strawberry icecream that aren't BFFs. I find it hard to like strawberry icecream, could be the numerous artificially flavoured ones that I have eaten. Apart from the scattering of dried strawberries on top, there was no other mention of it towards the bottom of the tub.

The base icecream hovered on a creamy buttery texture and taste. Chestnut swirls were plentiful yet you really need to love your chestnuts to go nutty over this. The various toppings were purely ornamental though. A Japanese-inspired icecream with ingredients sourced from faraway Europe, perhaps a nearer Japan would have made it more distinctive. Confused icecream lacking in character though.

$16.95 for 4 tubs.
Available at all leading supermarkets.

Dairy Farmer's Yogurt Series

2011-12-13T16:30:00.000+08:00

Dairy Farmer's Australian made, the yogurts are purportedly thick and creamy. Have to say that having choices beyond Meiji, F and N and Yoplait is a welcome find! Especially so when the flavours have gone a notch wider.

Citrus Cheesecake

I was sold on the title, to be honest. If someone came up with a variety of yogurt flavours that sounded like a OPI's nail polish collection - you bet, they will fly off the shelves. The usual boring flavours are strawberry, berries...tropical, aloe vera and here comes citrus cheesecake!

Totally having your cake and eating it without the guilt. I have been so used to Low fat and Non fat options, it was indeed bewildering eating such a full-flavoured yogurt! Adored the milky aftertaste and zesty fragrance. Almost like cheesecake? You bet.

Fields Strawberries

Plumped with strawberries, this was one of the more decent strawberry yogurts around...hearty!

Banana Caramel Pie

Unlike Citrus Cheesecake, this dessert yogurt smelled better than it tasted. Somehow the bananas were too mashed and caramel was too mild.

Orchard Peaches and Mangoes

This was rather ordinary as compared to the other flavours, lacked the vanilla fragrance evident in the first two flavours.

Personal favourites of the range goes to Citrus cheesecake and Fields Strawberries...certainly not looking at yogurt the same way again!

$2.85 at Cold Storage and NTUC Finest for small tubs.
$7.20 for large tubs.