Fish & Chicks is the humble Western food stall at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 which propelled into instant social media fame for its Salted Egg Yolk and Chilli Crab Sauce Fish & Chips.

It has opened another outlet at the basement of Orchard Cineleisure.

The owners probably didn’t expect their stall to be such a hit. A 2 hour wait? Frankly, I didn’t too.

Food bloggers from RubbishEatRubbishGrow, SethLui, and recently TheSmartLocal gave the thumbs up, and parts of their posts can be seen quoted on the walls, including… “the crunch (of the fish) could be heard from the other side of the kopitiam”, “great fish and chips foundation plus a killer fusion combination…”.

Articles went super viral. Tah-dah.

When that happens, diners should also manage their expectations that a one-two hour wait, may not translate into food of that imagined quality.

The ‘innovative’ food items probably rides well on the salted egg yolk food wave in Singapore. Well, even McDonald’s has jumped on the bandwagon with its Salted Egg Chicken Burger.

And we shouldn’t forget about zhi char stalls like KEK Keng Eng Kee which has much earlier introduced a salted egg + chilli crab + black pepper sauce combination on their seafood platter.

As the shop at Orchard Cineleisure has yet to be widely publicised yet, the wait was about 20 minutes. You will be sms-ed to know your order is ready.

I had the Best of Both Worlds ($13.90) which included Fish and Chips with Salted Egg and Chilli Crab Sauce and two sides including fries.

To be really honest, it was okay, like-that, but to be fair, 2 points higher (out of 10) than the average kopitiam/food court Western food stalls.

The fish tasted fresh and juicy, and fries dusted with Cajun herbs and spices remained crisp.

Between the two sauces, I preferred the salted egg marginally better.

The chilli crab sauce, also little in proportion, was nondescript and quickly (and fatefully) turned the batter soggy. To lift up the taste, it really needed that ‘wok-fried’ character.

The Salted Egg Sauce, supposedly made daily, lacked that distinct salty-grainy-robust quality.

I suspect that Fish & Chicks probably delivered much better quality in its early days before it got overwhelmed by the hype.

Both the fish and chips actually fare well on their own. My humble suggestion would be to work on the flavours of the sauces, and provide options for dips so that the batter does not turn soggy.

Fish & Chicks
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard 8 Grange Road Basement 1 (Koufu), Singapore 239693
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

Blk 531, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Happy Hawkers 喜多福, Singapore 560531
Tel: +65 9828 3490
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5pm -10pm

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A burger café opens quietly in the far West, at Nanyang Community Club (Jurong West) taking over Coffee:Nowhere.

You know you can find hipster cafes sometimes in the strangest, furthest places in Singapore.

This locally-owned burger joint is actually opened by the folks behind Archipelago Creamery (upstairs).

A selection of gourmet burgers such as Salmon Ikura ($16.90), Mega Bello ($11.90), Camilla’s Flight ($12.90 – that is grilled chicken thigh), Baconator ($14.90 with bacon-stuffed pork patty) and Sir Charles’ Swiss ($13.90) is available.

The signature is said to be “The Burger” ($14.90) which has a *secret* patty topped with American cheese and apple-wood smoked bacon. A double patty would have cost $19.90.

All served with fries, and done medium-well unless specified.

With a sign that printed “Best Burger”, I looked with slight skepticism.

The following feedback may offend many other burger joint owners in Singapore, but I find burgers in Singapore lacking in 3 main things: juiciness, smokiness, consistency.

Most patties were somehow drier and tougher than expected, without that distinct smokey taste that would differentiate them from the typical fast-food joints. There were actually some gourmet burger places which started off well enough, but ended up being averagely mediocre after time in operation.

WHY.

Anyway, Pit and Pan’s burger had some good components – a suitable type of cheese that provided both stretch and saltiness; and marinate of the patty.

I was neutral towards the whole-grain bun. Some would like the perceived healthiness, but soft always work better for me. The patty could have been more moist and robust.

Good burger yes. Worth the trip – not too sure, unless you are around in this part of the country.

Pits & Pans
60 Jurong West St 91 #01-04, Singapore 649040
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Tues – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)

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When I first wrote about Thai Iced Milk Tea more than a year ago, I have the inkling that the drink will become BIG in Singapore.

Singaporeans are fans of Thai cuisine (and beverages), and taking away big cups of drinks after lunch has become a habitual thing for many.

Tuk Tuk Cha opened by the same people behind Thai Boat Noodle, probably entered the market the right time, right place.

I think the team has also managed to modify the taste of their Cha-Yen to something that the masses would generally enjoy – subtle bitterness, not overly sweet.

If you have Thai Milk Tea in Bangkok, you would have realised it is usually a whole lot sweeter.

Also, they keep on expanding their menu, which now includes Golden Toast with Pandan Kaya ($4.20), Tom Yam Toast ($4), Panna Cotta ($4.80), Shibuya Toast ($11.50) and Golden Toast ($4.20).

After branches Suntec City, Sun Plaza, Raffles City, Tampines 1, Junction 8, all in less a year in operation, Jurong Point is the newest outlet set to corner the West maret.

Their signature Thai Milk Tea comes in both hot ($1.70) and cold ($2.80) versions. An up-sized cold drink is an additional $0.40. (A Thai lady stands behind the cashier, and that makes us feel it is more authentic. Yeah, we are superficial.)

Toppings such as pearl, coconut jelly, caramel jelly and mango pearls were available at an additional $0.50. We tried both with and without toppings and preferred the latter for a more unadulterated taste.

Latest to the menu are Waffles ($9.80), supposedly only available at the Jurong Point outlet.

Choose 2 waffles from a selection of original, chocolate, matcha and red velvet; and one scoop of ice cream (vanilla, choc, mango, coconut, Thai Milk Tea, Thai Green Milk Tea).

While I liked the Thai Milk Tea ice cream which was both creamy and had a lingering Thai Milk Tea taste, let’s just say their waffles are not the best around.

Had both the match and red velvet base (which actually didn’t make a whole lot of difference other than colours), the outer layer could have been a lot of crisp, with fluffier texture.

What’s for sure, we will see more of Tuk Tuk Cha around.

Tuk Tuk Cha
Jurong Point #02-K9/K10, 1 Jurong West Central 2, Singapore 648886 (Coming out from Hong Kong Street, turn left. They are next to the Chinese dessert place Ji De Chi.)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

Other branches
Suntec City Tower 3 #02-605A
Sun Plaza #01-15
Raffles City #B1-68
Tampines 1 #B1-K2
Junction 8 #02-20A/21

Other Related Entries
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”So cute!” My female friends squealed in delight at the sight of these hipster-ish light bulb bottles for bubble tea.

The common reply from them was, “You drink the bubble tea and we will keep the bottle”.

So guys, you know what to do.

Some called this Instagram-worthy, some regarded this as wa-yang aka “for show”, but nevertheless, these cute light bulb bottles caught our attention.

Located out of sight within a building at Tai Seng , with office workers populating on weekdays, Bubbs recently opened their doors there.

As their name implies, Bubbs sells a variety of bubble tea such as Black, Green, Oolong Tea ($2.20), Milk Tea ($3.20 – $3.50), Fruit Tea ($2.70 – $2.90), Yakult ($3.50) and Ice Blend ($4).

The cute little light bulb bottles ($3) are available for all drinks except Yakult and Ice Blend, and we believed that most people are there for the bottles.

Similar to other bubble tea shops, toppings (white pearls, rainbow jelly, grass jelly, aloe vera) are available at an additional $0.60.

We get to choose between 5 different sugar levels: 0%, 30%, 50%, 80% and 100% and the amount of ice.

We had the Thai Milk Tea and Thai Green Milk Tea which were uncommon flavours in bubble tea shops.

Made using the Thai Number One Brand, flavour and texture were decent and we loved the idea of a customised sugar level as Thai Milk Tea tends to have a sweeter profile.

The drinks here were pretty much similar to other bubble tea shops out there, except their cute little light bulb packaging which was a novelty.

Bubbs
1 Irving Place, #01-06, Singapore 369546
Opening Hours: 11am – 6.30pm (Mon-Fri), 11am – 2pm (Sat), Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/Bubbs-520146131520901/?fref=nf

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* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary’s Cafe Correspondent Nicholas Tan @stormscape

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If you have yet been to Raffles City in a while, do go to its B1 and B2 (connected via an escalator from B1) and you may be surprised to see a myriad of new shops from fashion, beauty, décor to FOOD.

Conveniently located right next to City Hall MRT station, the restaurants promise a great gathering place for family, friends and colleagues for a meal-out; and the various kiosks provide fuss-free, tasty and affordable meals for quick takeaways, desserts and drinks.

Here are 10 NEW Food Places At Raffles City You Must Check Out:

Riverside Grilled Fish 江边城外 B1-06/07
Popular Chinese restaurant Riverside Grilled Fish 江边城外 with 54 outlets in China, has set up its first overseas outpost in Singapore at B1 Raffles City. The concept involves the traditional Chongqing method of grilling fish and topping it off with Ma La (spicy) sauces.

Here’s how the ordering works: Diners can choose to pair their selected fish – Red Tilapia ($35.00), Sea Bass ($35.00), Black Pomfret ($38.00) or Garoupa ($42.00) with any of the 8 accompanying sauces of their choice.

The base includes the Signature Fragrant Spicy Sauce (spicy and sweet), Black Bean Sauce (non-spicy), Unique (sweet, sour, and mala TOGETHER), and Ma La (intense spicy).The fish was juicy and fresh, the sauce tasted authentic enough. Though I must encourage you to come with a bigger group to share-share.

WHEAT B1-78
WHEAT continues to be my go-to place for Japanese and Asian styled salads, which opened another branch at Raffles City B1.

Compared to other salad shops you may be familiar with, WHEAT’s unique factors include its attention on noodles such as green soba, shirataki and ramen; Japanese-inspired sauces of yuzu, sesame and teriyaki; and most noodle items are actually $10 or less (with the exception of more premium ones such as barramundi, salmon sashimi and striploin).

WHEAT’s most popular item is grilled Salmon Soba ($10.00, add on $1 for egg) with a huge slab of fresh, sweet salmon on soba tossed in a specially-made Japanese sauce.

Andong Zzimdak B1-44F
Andong Jjimdak is a famous Korean dish, known to be served in a HUGE plate with plentiful of ingredients of chicken, vegetables marinated in a ganjang Korean soy based spicy sauce. If you have been shopping and dining at Myeong-dong, it is almost impossible to miss some of their branches. They are almost EVERYWHERE.

This very first Andong Jjimdak restaurant in Singapore started at B1 of Raffles City, a franchise from the popular Andong Zzimdak (note the ‘z’) restaurant in Korea.

There are 4 varieties of Andong Jjimdak – The original ($40.90 for 2-3 pax, $50.90 for 3-4 pax), Boneless Jjimdak ($45.90, $55.90), Seafood Jjimdak ($48.90, $60.90), and Mayak Jjimdak ($42.90 and $52.90).

For a limited period, try the ‘newbie’ Byol Byol Jjimdak, Cheese Jjimdak ($52.90, one size only) where a layer of melty cheese cover the pieces of sweet and savory braised chicken, potatoes and carrots.

Teppei Daidokoro B1-56
Are you a fan of Teppei? Teppei Daidokoro is the latest offering from Chef Teppei Yamashita, inspired by traditional yakitori-yas found all over Fukuoka, Japan where Chef Teppei hails from.

This concept of Daidokoro (meaning “kitchen” in Japanese) focuses on yakitori skewers with charcoal infused yakitori sauce, with a selection of chicken meatball, chicken thigh, and chicken with Japanese leek, pork belly, pork sausages, salmon belly, and quail eggs.

A basic Yakitori Don goes for $8.80 per box.
Of course its popular Kaisen Don topped with generous portion of sashimi is still to be dished out.

Seoulroll B1-58
Jinja? Korean Kimbap or Gimbap can be found at this modern Modern Korean rice roll kiosk at B1 of Raffles City.

‘Kim’ means fried seaweed while ‘bap’ refers to rice. Kimbap can be filled with anything from seasoned and fresh vegetables, egg, tuna, chicken, crab sticks to meat, usually taken as a light meal.

Seoulroll serves a variety, including Spicy Pork, Nuts & Anchovy, Crab Salad, Cuttlefish, Bulgogi, Crispy Shrimp and Tuna Salad, with price range from $4 to $4.50. Great for a quick fuss-free meal option.

Milk & Honey – Artisan Yogurt & Dessert Bar B1-70
Milk & Honey serves yogurt parfaits where many toppings such as macaron, marshmallows, crumbles, meringue, and chocolates are handcrafted by their dessert chef with “5 star hotel experience”.

There is an element of fun where customers can design their own parfaits which are available in regular, petite or mini sized.

Their 3 most popular flavours at Raffles City include the Royal Honey, Nuttilicious, and Chocolate Divine. I am all for the Healthy Mix, a fruity colourful treat with oranges, bananas, strawberries, orange chip topped with raspberry sauce.

Bonheur Patisserie B1-72
Totally cute! Other than the best-selling Cookie Monster macaron, Bonheur Patisserie has fine-tuned more than 25 flavours of macarons based on their ever-expanding array of innovative recipes.

Classical favourites include Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Pistachio to Asian flavours like Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Thai Iced Tea and Yuzu.

Beside perfecting the assortment of flavours, they emphasize on using natural ingredients for both the Macaron shells as well as fillings. The use of natural ingredients not only contributed to the attractive outlook, it brings out an authentic taste.

Alongside French macarons, Bonheur Patisserie also specialises in other pastry items such as cakes, tarts and pound cakes.

Barcook B2-17
Barcook Bakery is famed for its Raisin Cream Cheese Bun – cotton-like soft and slightly chewy, filled with light creamy cheese and raisins. Simple ingredients which work perfectly together.
Barcook has other interesting offerings such as Cheese Croissant, Salty Egg Yolk Bun, Polo Char Siew Bun, Mix Berry Cheese Bun and Liu Sha Bun.

The chain uses a ‘sponge and dough’ baking method whereby yeast, flour and water are first mixed together and left aside to rise before adding the rest of the ingredients.

While it is more time consuming, it is said that the dough remains moist, soft and better flavoured. (You can watch the baking from a side window.)

Tuk Tuk Cha B1-68
When craving for a cooling drink, go for Tuk Tuk Cha’s signature drink – the Thai Milk Tea (Cha- Yen) that comes in both hot ($1.80) and cold ($3.00).

Toppings such as pearl, coconut jelly, caramel jelly and mango pearls are also available at an additional $0.50. We tried both with and without toppings and preferred the latter for a more unadulterated taste.

One of their NEWest item is Cocoyolk ($5.80). This dessert contains coconut ice cream mixed with egg yolk drizzled with coconut milk, and topped with a generous amount of peanuts and coconut.

The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. B1-48
Homegrown brand The 1872 Clipper Tea Co recently launched a boutique outlet at Raffles City, offering fresh and high quality tea products and customized tea blends.

At its tea bar, you can sample teas from the essential Masala Chai, Assam, English Breakfast and Earl, to Tropic flavours of Lychee Fiesta, Passion Fruit and Mango Tea.

Check with the in-house tea connoisseur for best recommendations.

Grandma’s B1-76
(One more.) Diners should be familiar with Grandma’s for its ever popular Nasi Lemak, Nasi Bukhari, Laksa in curry or Assam gravy, Char Kway Teow, and Cendol.

Check out their NEWest items – The Durian Pancake ($8.80) and Gula Melaka Pancake ($6.80), which will give the European styled pancakes a run for their money with indulgence of coconut shavings and drizzled Gula Melaka sauce.

Food Meet Fun at Raffles City This July
Indulge in delicacies at Raffles City, and stand a chance to win exciting prizes with every $50 spent. (American Express Card Members enjoy double chances.)

The Grand Prize includes a WMF Brilliant 4pc Cookware Set and NESPRESSO Inissia & Aeroccino Milk Frother Bundle from ROBINSONS worth $900.

Also, look out for special Weekday Treats from 3pm – 5pm at Barcook Bakery, Costa Coffee, HIC Juice, Marche Movenpick, Milk & Honey, ThaiExpress, The Soup Spoon, and Tuk Tuk Cha.

What’s more? Weekend Specials from 9am – 11am at Barcook Bakery, Costa Coffee, The Soup Spoon and Tuk Tuk Cha.

Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103 (City Hall MRT)
http://www.rafflescity.com.sg

*This post is brought to you partnership with Raffles City Shopping Centre.

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Japanese food lovin’ Singaporeans will find more reasons to get really excited, especially with the launch of Japan Food Town at Wisma Atria Orchard.

This is a 20,075 square feet food hall on the 4th level of Isetan Singapore (next to Food Republic), which will offer authentic Japanese cuisine at affordable prices.

The concept does remind us of Emporium Shokuhin at Marina Square, and Eat At Seven at Suntec City. Some more no-business than the others. Opps.

Japan Food Town’s location is not a bad one – town area, right next to Ngee Ann City where the Japanese are known to hang out and shop.

Having 16 dining restaurants in one place, instead of the typical food court style, can mean that each outlet will have certain level of quality and consistency, and diners will likely make return visits. (Even if you decide to ‘restaurant hop’, the max any group could handle is probably 2-3.)

The food outlets appear to be well-curated, with a level of variety and affordability.

You can expect Dassai Bar (sake), Hokkaido Izakaya (Hokkaido produce), Inaniwa Yosuke (udon), Bonta Bonta (onigiri), Yomoda Soba (soba), Nabe Seizen (the original being a 2 Michelin stared Kaiseki restaurant), Sabar (mackerel), Osaka Kitchen (Teppanyaki), Sushi Takewaka, Machida Shoten (ramen), Temura Tsukiji Tenka (tempura and donburi), Yakiniku Heijyoen, Shabu Shabu Tajimaya, Rang Mang Shokudo (fried chicken), Anzu (farm to table concept).

Here is a first look at some food outlets which are already opened at Japan Food Town:

Machida Shoten #04-40
The ambience here was boisterous and buzzling, which reminded me of ramen shops in Japan. Machida Shoten from Kanagawa prefecture specialises in Iekei ramen, which directly translates to “house-type” from its kanji characters.

This means that noodles are cooked to diners’ preferences, just like how one’s mother might cook it at home. They come in a tonkotsu and shoyu stock, with spicy miso and shio options.

I was recommended the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen, in which I chose the Special All-In ($17).

The cha-shu indeed tasted like what grandma would have spent hours cooking at home, superbly tender though notches too salty for the average Singaporean’s taste buds.

The slightly thick and flat Yokohama-style yellow noodles reminded me of a slight thinner version of the Hokkien-style noodles, which I did not quite mind. The soup was invariably thick and on the saltier side, so be mindful before slurping the whole spoonful down.

Yomoda Soba #04-53
“Yomoda” supposedly means many things – Carefree, Easy-going – but most of all, it is a word to be used for friends, to see things on the lighter side of life.

Okay, while service was adequate, maybe more than be purported to deliver that warm, carefree sense of fun.

The recommended dishes include Kake Soba ($10.80), Hote Pork Nanban Soba ($16) and Hote Picy Soy Milk Chicken Soba ($22). You can choose either hot or cold versions.

I ordered a Cold Katsu Soba which supposedly came in hot and juicy pork cutlet dunked within the dashi soup.

Enjoyed the bite of the thin and slippery buckwheat soba. The dashi stock made from mackerel, sardines, bonito, kelp and shiitake was expectedly refreshingly.

Tempura Tsukiji Tenka #04-42
Tempura Tsukiji Tenka which specialises in Tempura and Donburi, is run by graduates of the Tokyo Sushi Academy, one of Japan’s top traditional culinary institution.

The recommended dishes are Kaisendon ($24.80) and Tendon ($19.80).

I liked the freshness of the ingredients used in the Tendon – the prawn was sweet, and squid surprisingly tender and NOT rubbery (my friend commented finally no ‘jun jun’ bite). The batter could have been crisper and less oily though.

It is almost for certain Japan Food Town will pack in the crowds during opening days. Hopefully, the quality will not let us down.

Japan Food Town will officially open on 16th of July 2016, from 11am. Bookmark this page for further updates.

Japan Food Town
435 Orchard Rd, #04-39/54 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre, Singapore 238877
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

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Getting into the teenager’s heart and tummy can be tricky. I meant food. Sure, selling some ‘instagrammable’ food (gosh, starting to dislike this word) can work during the initial days, but needing to keep being updated is equally important.

In case you have yet to realise, candy store Sticky has left Orchard Cineleisure, and is replaced by 1460 Tteokbokki.

The Korean street snack kiosk is owned by the same company behind Sticky anyway, Joo Bar and E!ght Korean BBQ.

Going Korean isn’t exactly foreign to them.

1460 Tteokbokki sells a variety of youth-friendly takeaway food items such as Tteokbokki rice cake sticks ($5), Potato Tornado ($3), Korean Fried Squid ($5), Slushie ($3) and Bingsu ($6). Rainbow Bingsu is just out.

The crowd and social media buzz, I have observed, is moderate at best.

Hip food, not overly expensive, centralised location – what’s missing.

Although I am going to sound superficial, I think they need an ‘instagram wall’ and to work on their social media accounts. Just saying.

Retro may work for the the crab ramen shop next door, but I think this place needs a brighter look to appeal to the youths. The ordering system could have been more straight-forward. And where’s the menu board?! Oh, at the side.

I tried the Chicken and Tteokbokki skewer ($4) – not bad, saucy, chicken rather tender, rice cakes could have been softer. But messy to eat, especially when there is only a standing table around.

The Korean Fried Squid ($5 – I requested not to cut it up) didn’t look as big as what some of the other stalls offer, and could have been crispier.

The good thing is, despite being new, the menu has been updated several times. Rainbow Bingsu is on their cards. The question is… what is next then.

1460 Tteokbokki
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road, #01-02, Singapore 239695
Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm Daily

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Ice Lab (Somerset)

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Blu Kouzina, a favourite destination for authentic Greek cuisine in Singapore for the past few years, has moved from Bt Timah to a new location on Dempsey Hill (next to Portico Prime).

Such a wonderful space, I almost felt like I wasn’t in Singapore anymore.

It was a leisure Sunday brunch when I visited – the entrance graced with two Mycaenian Lions, black-and-white tiled flooring, surrounded by decorative Meander patterns.

The indoors was like a huge living room, filled with groups of families and friends sharing plates of Tzatziki, Bifteki Stin Sxara, Baklava, dipping breads into the signature olive oil.

Lighting was yellowish and warm, and thus had welcoming aura. Contrastingly …

Walked to the back and took a deep breath. THIS WAS IT.

A Mediterranean meets garden setting, the sunrays shining in, and green grass in a distance. Many expats around dressed in their weekend casuals. Santorini was near again.

I quickly took many photos of the interior. Perhaps it was the colours blue and white, I imagined having a future place like this. Relaxing, open, stress-free.

Best to come with family or a couple of friends, to share plates of Kalamaki Souvlaki ($15.80) – beef kalamaki served with fresh onion, sliced tomatoes and inhouse bread; Greek Grilled Fish ($45.80 for 400g sea bream) and Jumbo Prawns ($17.80, $32.80, $48.80).

The group of us won’t claim that we were experts in Greek cuisine (as none of us have been there – a trip soon?), and thus cannot feedback on absolute authenticity.

Some of the dishes ordered tasted both unfamiliar yet pleasing.

The Melitzanosalata ($15.80) which literally means ‘eggplant salad’, was a classic delectable eggplant dip mixed with herbs. Smooth with slight smokiness, excellent to pair with grilled pita bread.

This bowl was placed in front of me the whole time, perhaps also because I am really starting to like salads.

The Greek Salad Horiatiki ($21.80) was a bowl of refreshness, featuring sweet-tasting tomatoes, creamy feta cheese and such delicious olives, all topped with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Do not leave without trying some grills, such as the Kalamaki Souvlaki ($15.80) which was a beef kebab served with fresh onions, sliced tomato, and lemon.

The show-stopper was the Xtapodi Shara ($29.80) which was marked “fresh fish from Greece” on the menu.

This octopus must had a good swim and then time in the pan, because the grilled tentacle had a differentiating texture that had a light crust outside the tender meat with a chewy bite, yet not rough or rubbery. Not much additional seasoning needed, to savour taste of the Mediterranean.

Lovely space. Blu Kouzina with its family-style Greek offerings can take you on a short retreat away from work, right on to vacation mode.

Blu Kouzina
Blk 10 #01-21, 10 Dempsey Rd, Singapore 247700
Tel: +65 6875 0872
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm (Fri – Sun), Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

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[Sydney] Messina, Aqua S, N2 Extreme Gelato, Good Times Artisan Ice Cream, Chanoma, Cow & The Moon, Zero Degrees… Sydney has no lack of instagrammable gelato and soft serves. But this takes the cake.

Flower gelato. FLOWER gelato.

I Creamy closed its original Bondi outlet and has reopened within Sydney’s CBD at Skyview Plaza, also finding its way to many instagrammer’s feed.

There are at least 24 flavours of gelato available out of the 96 rotating, all made in store everyday, from Black Sesame, Blueberry Cheesecake, Caramel Choc Chip, Durian Coconut Crunchy, French Vanilla, Strawberry Panna Cotta, and Young Coconut.

The chef is Thai Ben Chitmitrechareon, who studied at Carpigiani Gelato University where he was taught by Gelato Messina master Nick Palumbo. (Trust the Thais to come out with creative desserts.) Therefore, you would find a row of Thai girls making your flower gelato at the store.
Petal by petal.

For AUD$8.90, you can choose to have 3 flavours, and decide what goes to the inner layer, what goes out. They would take some time. I waited about 20 – 25 minutes for mine.

Some issues. Not all flavours can be made into flowers. Many are sold out early. The server told me “Rainbow cannot”, “Young Coconut cannot”, then I saw another customer had Young Coconut Gelato made into a flower.

Life is not always fair, yah.

I had a Thai Milk Tea, Green Tea and Lemon Lime. Also because I didn’t have many choices left. Thai Milk Tea was great – milky and not too sweet. Lemon Lime gave an extra ‘zing’ on the final bite. Green Tea was forgettable.

7/10 for taste. 10/10 for effort. We wondered whether Flower Gelatos would come to Singapore. Then my friend remarked, “Many servers cannot even do a softserve upright, let alone a flower.”

True that, we need that patience too.

i-Creamy Artisan Gelato
Shop 13 Skyview Plaza 531–551 George Street, Sydney
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

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The post i-Creamy Artisan Gelato – Flower Gelato Done Petal By Petal. So Pretty! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Five and Dime at River Valley has changed name and concept to Fat Lulu’s, focusing on grilled food over charcoal and a dessert bar.

On a business level, the owners were looking at moving away from the over-saturated café scene. Understandable.

On my personal take, I actually prefer its previous incarnation and reckon that Fat Lulu may need some work on shaping her identity.

I digress: Those who grow up with a staple of local dramas, with find the name “Lulu” unfortunately tied to a certain occupation in the red light district.

Not surprising that one of local host Michelle Chong’s most famous alter ego who is a KTV hostess from Mainland China, is also named “Lulu”.

We asked the server and gathered that “Fat Lulu” is a confident Asian woman in NYC who is free-spirited and bold. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a clear idea who she was from the décor and menu.

Small plates were offered, such as Tomatoes & Burrata ($15), Tuna Tartare ($15), Burnt Corn ($9), Nori Crusted Salmon ($17), Pan Seared Beef Tongue ($16), Burnt Squid ($12), Fried Cauliflower ($12), and Roasted Potatoes and Mushrooms ($12).

On the mains were Ikan Bakar ($18), Herb Crusted Lamb Rack ($26), Open Beef Ravioli ($22), Duh Meat Board ($28).

There were some bright sparks. The Ikan Bakar ($18) – parrot fish with garlic chilli butter and cumber achar, was flaky and moist, with a likeable spicy element.

Some of the others bordered on being ordinary, if we would to compare with similar establishments.

Based on the menu alone, the food selection may garner to a very specific type of crowd, lacking mass appeal or a level of uniqueness.

The other component which could attract diners would be the desserts with a 3-course dessert menu priced at $35.

Certainly marks high in terms of affordability, and possible gimmickry.

The Black Forest ($16) with chocolate mud, kirsch cherries and complete with the nitrogen frozen Chantilly chocolate ice cream was possibly razzle-dazzle in terms of presentation.

But yet, it wasn’t something we never tried before.

Perhaps it is because Five and Dime has been a relatively known café name in Singapore, and thus we would come expecting more.

To get more people curious about their food, Fat Lulu’s would need to pull more culinary tricks out of her bag.

Fat Lulu’s
297 River Valley Road, Singapore 238338
Tel: +65 9236 5002
Opening Hours: 6pm – 11pm (Tues – Thurs, Sun), 6pm – 12pm (Fri – Sat)

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The post Fat Lulu’s – Five & Dime Changes To Grill and Dessert Bar, Lacks Surprises appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Are they too late in milking it in Singapore?

Café Patissez in Manuka, Canberra first gained internet stardom with their milkshakes piled with cakes, cookies, Nutella and whipped cream.

The originator of the famed “Over The Top Milkshakes”.

A ‘freakshow’ literally as huge toppings piled onto the overflowing milkshakes aka Freakshakes.

The Freakshakes would probably be a big hit if it came to Singapore a year earlier, when our local versions of Over The Top (OTT) Milkshakes from Benjamin Browns, Cake Spade and many more were in the craze, as multi-coloured jugs of shakes appeared on social media feeds.

Right now, in the middle of 2016, the ‘era’ of these OTT Milkshakes is considerably much over?

Located at Holland Village (as Barbarella would say “where the ang mohs love to hang out”), the Singapore outlet is the second outlet outside Australia. The first being in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Freakshakes ($16) are definitely the highlight, as seen at every table.

Muddy Pat for the chocolate lovers, Pretzella with a balance of salty-sweet Nutella, Mint Condition for a refreshing take and the Sneaky Freak for the Snicker lovers.

Our favourite was the Mint Condition ($16) topped with a mint chocolate semifreddo and chocolate cookie sandwich.

The outward appearance was less elaborated (aka less toppings) compared to our local OTT Milkshakes, but at a similar price point.

For comparison, the Freakshakes at Canberra cost AUD13.90, approx SGD$14, whereas the ones at Kuala Lumpur outlet is priced at RM23, approx SGD$7.80.

Singapore Freakshakes? Freak! SGD$16!

The milkshake was smooth, slightly creamy and not as jelak (rich). The minty flavour was distinct, yet not overpowering whereas sweetness level was on point.

Considering the amount of toppings, perhaps $16 was a tad steep.

Apart from their Freakshakes, All Day Breakfast ($13 – $25), Burgers ($19 – $25) and Salad ($15) are also available.

We had the Freak Burger ($25), as their name implies, was freaking huge, with 2 beef patties, crouble crispy bacon, bcaon jam, American cheddar and BBQ sauce.

While we liked the soft and fluffy brioche buns and the crispy bacon, the medium rare beef patty but it turned out raw on the inside, with blood trickling out as the patty was sliced apart! Uh-no.

Will the Freakshakes bring all the boys (and girls) to the yard?

Sometimes it is all about the correct place at the correct timing.

Patissez Singapore
118 Holland Avenue #01-06, Singapore 278997
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm (Mon-Wed), 10am – 10pm (Thu-Fri), 9am – 10pm (Sat-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/PatissezSG/

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* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary Cafe Correspondent Nicholas Tan @stormscape.

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Don’t we all need some sweet tendon love?

Tendon, short for tempura donburi, wasn’t that BIG in Singapore until Keisuke-owned Tendon Ginza Itsuki opened, and continue to attract queues.

We haven’t seen a strong, worthy Tendon competitor in a while. Kohaku, the newest entrant at Eat at Seven Suntec City, I boldly predict, is likely to give Tendon Ginza Itsuki a run for its money.

Kohaku specialises in Edomae Tendon, where bowls of Hokkaido rice piled with tempura drizzled in a specially made sauce are served. So, so good.

The options are straight forward – the signature Kohaku Tendon ($15), Vegetable Tendon ($14), Spicy Flavour ($15) and Vegetable Spicy Flavour ($14).

A set comes essentially with an additional bowl of udon, costs $4.50 more.

If you are not familiar with Eat at Seven, stop at Tower 1 and get access to Level 3 (opposite the gym).

A word of caution: Kohaku smells (exhaust system doesn’t seem to work well) and you are likely to walk up smelling like fried battered prawns.

Okay with that? Then order the Spicy version if you can take that kick.

The portion was generous, as I saw my bowl topped with ingredients from pumpkin, long beans, mushroom, chicken breast, squid, crab stick, baby corn, and shrimp.

VERY filling, very fulfilling.

The Nanatsuboshi rice used is imported from Hokkaido – fluffy and fragrant. If there is not enough taste for you, drizzle some of the sauce available in small bottles.

This is for once that I liked almost every piece in the bowl, from the sweet soft pumpkin, crunchy long beans to fresh-tasting squid.

My friend didn’t quite like the chicken breast which she thought was dry and chunky, but I found the piece acceptable (maybe because I am so into protein of late).

The tempura is fried in a blend of high-grade sesame oil and cooking oil, and Kohaku utilises a special cooking technology that ensures the oil is kept clean and fresh even after repeated frying.

Even the side accompaniment tasted fad – picked radish with yuzu.

I know that more diners will visit them soon, and I only hope that their portion and taste will stay consistent. And they probably should do something about the exhaust.

Kohaku Tempura
Eat At 7, 3 Temasek Boulevard #03-311 Suntec City Mall Singapore 038983
Tel: +65 6333 4386
Opening hours : 11am – 10.30pm (Last Order 10pm)

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The post Kohaku – Edomae Tendon Arrives In Singapore, Probably One Of The Best Around appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Bangkok] After You Dessert Café has done it again. After capturing Bangkok (and perhaps many parts of the world including Singapore) with their signature style of Shibuya Toast, they have introduced the Mango Sticky Rice Kakigori (265 baht) which is indeed the next best thing they are offering.

With a tagline of “There’s always room for desserts”, there is always a queue for their sweet treats from shibuya honey toasts, buttermilk pancake, chocolate lava, brownies, to cakes like mille crepe.

Japanese style iced dessert Kakigori is the current trending dessert in Bangkok (and Hong Kong), but After You’s version brings it a step further.

This combination includes fluffy ice shavings (not Korean bingsu soft, but good enough), with coconut milk cream, fresh mango pieces, and mango sauce.

The coconut cream brings out the entire taste, giving the dessert both soft creaminess and a sense of familiarly. The entire combination is not too sweet as well.

Wait till you dig in further… I totally wasn’t really expecting mango sticky towards the bottom of the bowl, which completes the whole experience.

In Singapore-terms, it is mai tu liao – Don’t wait as this is seasonal.

After You
7th floor Central World Plaza, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 252 5434
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily

Other Branches: La Villa Aree, J Avenue Thonglor 13, Siam Paragon, Crystal Park, Central Plaza Lardprao, Int Intersect Rama 3, Silom Complex, The Mall Bangkapi, Siam Square One, Crystal Ratchapruek, Tha Maharaj, Mega Bangna, The Mall Bangkae, Future Park Rangsit

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The post After You – Mango Sticky Rice Kakigori Is The Bomb, The Trend In Bangkok appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Venchi needs little introduction, and the Venchi Gelato is one way you can taste the flavours of Italy. That dense creaminess that lingers on the tongue. Woohoo.

So yes, we finally can get some real Venchi Gelato at Takashimaya basement. It is very near Godiva which is popular for their chocolate softserve.

Dang, dang dang… Time to bring on the competition.

There is another Venchi at Robinsons under Le Chocolatier, but this is a shop all on its own.

Venchi’s gelato… made using no industrial bases, natural ingredients, fresh dairy creamy, quality ingredients, IGP-certified Piedmont hazelnuts, and their famed chocolates.

3 sizes are available, priced at $5.90, $7.50 and $8.90. Additional toppings such as Whipped Cream, Grains and Chocolate Spread are at $1 each. However, when I asked, response was ”Dunch have. No more”

Choose from the 10 gelato flavours including Cuor Di Cacao, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Azteco, Cremino Venchi, and Vanilla.

My Italian tour guide once told me how to spot a good gelato shop
– Gelatos are supposedly stored better and fresher within those metal containers
– If gelatos are piled up like small mountains, nope, they are not as fresh.
– If the colours are bright and artificial, nope, no good as well.
– If the shop offers genuine nocciola (hazelnut) flavours, go for it.

I had a Chocolate and Pistachio, two of my favourite flavours. One was richly seductive and could also cause a high, the other just pleasurable. You can guess which is which.

Venchi Singapore
Takashimaya Basement 2, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238873
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

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[Bangkok] While Hong Kong and Singapore were still in a Salted Egg Croissant food craze a couple of months back, let us not forget about Bangkok, where many food fads go a level UP.

So here’s CODE, short for Café Of Dessert Enthusiasts at Jas Ramintra and Siam Paragon which sells all the possible instagrammable food all at once.

Here’s presenting the Lava Toast, oozy Croissants, Bingsu, Snow Ice and pretty cakes.

That is not enough. The Lava Toast comes in flavours of Salted Egg, Thai Tea, Matcha and Chocolate, coloured in Charcoal or half-and-half.

CODE claims to be the first to introduce the Lava Toast. Put 3 things in trend – Shibuya Toast + Salted Egg + Charcoal, and this is the almost the formula of success.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. BUT I was wrong…

The Thai Tea Lava Croissant (120 baht) required a 15-20 minutes wait, but when it arrived, we could almost see the steam rising out of the black surface.

Cut through – it was actually crisp! And the lava oozed, and oozed, and oozed, and oozed.

Compared to those I normally have, this croissant was swimming in a pool of lava.

I swept a piece across the messy plate and was in joyful mode. The entire combination came together well, sauce flowy smooth with fluffy bread, topped with crunchy crumble.

On the other day, the Salted Egg Lava Toast (165 Baht) was comparatively disappointing as the bread tasted dry and could be less tough. I was also more indifferent towards the salted egg sauce.

My friend ordered it because he thought it would look good for photos as it was the only half-half toast combi. I know, how superficial we have become.

CODE (Cafe of Dessert Enthusiasts)
The Jas Ramintra, Lat Pla Khao Rd., Bangkok, Thailand
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)
Google Maps – Cafe of Dessert Enthusiasts

Pop-Up Café: Siam Paragon G Floor (Opposite Haagen-Dazs)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

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Joël Robuchon Restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa RWS is Singapore’s 1st and ONLY 3 Star Michelin restaurant in the Singapore Michelin Guide 2016. (Read: Michelin Singapore – Restaurant Reviews for restaurant reviews of other Michelin restaurants and hawker stalls in Singapore.)

Next door L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is awarded 2 Stars.

No major surprise. Joël Robuchon himself is one of the world’s most decorated chefs with more than 30 Michelin stars – the most of any chef in the world.

Singapore’s inaugural Michelin Guide is not without its fair share of controversies.

The fact that RWS is a sponsor (though Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin Guides has on record said that “independence from sponsors or partners is non-negotiable”); the lack of Italian restaurants on the list; and that Restaurant Andre which was expected to get 3 stars, went home with ‘only’ 2.

Did Joël Robuchon the Restaurant, or Joël Robuchon the person win?

Let us leave those aside for now.

The masses are seemingly more keen in the 2 hawker stalls (Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle) given the 1 star, and fine dining establishments such as Joël Robuchon Restaurant remains out of reach or reserved only for very, very special occasions. (Even press coverage big and small went for everything else, but for Singapore’s 1st 3 star Michelin restaurant.)

According to the Michelin Guide inspectors, ”As one would expect from celebrated French chef Joël Robuchon, only the finest available ingredients are used in the preparation of dishes such as bonito broth with poached lobster and roast guinea fowl with foie gras. Vegetarians have a special 8 course tasting menu and the hugely impressive wine list contains more than 1,000 labels. The sumptuous dining room is inspired by art deco; the indoor winter garden room is particularly attractive.”

The dining room is indeed classy, luxurious and elegant, designed like a family dining room in an art deco-style hotel.

The group of us particularly liked the outer winter garden room which felt more private and cosy, enhanced with natural lighting and a fake tree.

Mood was also not stiffering.

While some fine dining restaurants in Singapore actually suffer from a lack of manpower and attentive service, the standard here was adequate, though not as detailed and personable YET expected of a restaurant of this caliber.

Good enough, though didn’t WOW.

Can we say that about the food as well?

Lunches are available only during Saturdays, with menu priced at $128, $148, $168 (We shall see how much this increases over time.)

The $168 Menu comes with appetizer, soup, seafood main, meat main, cheese or dessert, dessert trolley and selection of petit fours. Wine pairing at $48 for 2 glasses, $68 for 3, $88 for 4.

The Dinner Menu is priced at $208, $288, $308 for the “Menu Appetit”, and $438 for a full tasting menu. A Vegetarian 8-course tasting menu is also available at $208. (Prices subject to prevailing service charge and government taxes.)

Months down the road and if you ask what I (and my friends) would remember of this meal, the reply would be – the breads (oh yes, the breads), the famed mashed potato and the dessert trolleys.

See it as a good or ‘bad’ way.

Both the start and end of the meal were impressive. Those in the middle, some forgettable. What did I just have again?

Almost all the warm breads served, from spinach, foie gras, and onion flavoured ones had varying merits of buttery-ness, aroma, fluffiness and taste.

Like a child in a toy shop, we were easily thrilled by the selection in both the dessert and petit four trolleys, where we could pick our favourite (ie most appetising looking) sweets and chocolates.

Chocolates were of top-notch quality, while cakes contained some hits and more misses. Mainly too sweet, also lacking in aesthetics. So it depends what you pick.

Some of the stand-out dishes included Le King Crabe – Seasoned king crab meat, avocado and crunchy vegetables on tomato coulis; Le Caviar Imperial – wild salmon tartare with Imperial caviar and saffron crisps; Le Black Cod – caramelised black cod with bok choy and Malabar black pepper sauce.

I particularly liked the Le King Crab which had a balanced play of textures and taste, the king crab coming across as fresh, meaty and sweet, avocado for that suitably added creaminess, and tangy coulis for a spring in the final step.

While tartare is not my typical order, this version came luxuriously presented, every caviar neatly in placed and lined up to enter the mouth.

The mouthful was sublime – creamy, velvety smooth, and full of flavour and freshness.

At the end of the meal, we all thought that it was a predictable but respectable classic French meal. Perhaps lacking in some surprise elements, and more dishes that would truly stand out.

Back then, I figured that Joël Robuchon Restaurant would comfortably land itself 2 Michelin stars, and perhaps 3 if there was nobody else. ”It’s a …. 2.5?” was what I told my dining partners.

Of course, we know what the inspectors think now.

Joël Robuchon Restaurant
Level 1 Resorts World Sentosa, Hotel Michael (Resorts World Sentosa), 8 Sentosa Gateway Singapore 098269 (HarbourFront Station)
Tel: +65 6577 6688
Tel: +65 6577 7888
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm (Every Sat), Dinner 6pm – 10:30pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun-Mon, except Public Holidays

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Restaurant Andre (Bukit Pasoh Road)

* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

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Tempura Tsukiji Tenka at Japan Food Town Singapore Wisma Atria which specialises in Tempura and Donburi, is run by graduates of the Tokyo Sushi Academy, one of Japan’s top traditional culinary institution.

The recommended dishes are Kaisendon ($24.80), Bara Chirashi ($21.80), Tendon ($19.80) and Sea Eel Tendon ($26.80) sets.

Talking about Tendon, it is unfortunate (for Tenka) as Kohaku Tendon suddenly became very popular when this piece when viral, and Tendon Ginza Itsuki at Tanjong Pagar continue to pack in the crowds.

Well, the main advantage that Tenka has over the other two is, you are likely not to walk out smelling like oily fried ebi.

I liked the freshness of the ingredients used in the Tendon ($19.80) – the prawn was sweet, and squid surprisingly tender and NOT rubbery (my friend commented finally no ‘jun jun’ bite).

However, for a place with links to a Sushi Academy, I was surprised that the rice was the weakest link – dry, not fluffy enough.

The batter could have been crisper and less oily though, and the sauce was unimpressionable.

With the word ‘Tsukiji’ in the name, you would invariably have high expectation for the Kaisendon ($24.80).

The bowl with mixture of tuna, salmon, crab, tamago, Scallops and Ikura was adequately average, and could have been elevated with better tasting rice. Presentation looked amateurish unfortunately sad.

Same goes with the Bara Chirashi ($21.80).

There are high expectation amongst local foodies with Japan Food Town Singapore, and let us hope that they would be able to iron out opening jitters, and stay in the game.

Tempura Tsukiji Tenka at Japan Food Town
435 Orchard Rd, #04-39/54 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre, Singapore 238877
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

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A buffet line-up of international fare and local favourites, with over 300 buffet items and 29 categories.

Buffet Town at Raffles City B1 has introduced a “Singapore Food Fare” theme that you can jio your friends and family to.

Think Chili Crabs, Roti Prata with Braised Lamb with Asian Spice Curry, Chef Fish Curry, Tau Hu Goreng, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, Satay Bee Hoon, Singapore Hokkien Mee, Fish Head Soup and DIY Yong Tau Fu.

Mai tu liao.

The “Singapore Food Fare 狮城美食 will be available from 5 July to 31 August 2016 at Buffet Town.

To commemorate Buffet Town’s 5th birthday, their All-You-Can-Eat Lunch is priced at $50 nett for 2 pax and Dinner at $75 nett for 2 pax.

This is an incredible deal for buffet lovers.

Yes, all prices are NETT. (Wah) The promotion applies during Weekdays (Mon – Fri) from 11 July to 4 August 2016.

Just because there are over 300 items (which we can’t eat all at one go), we decided to pick out 10 of our Singapore Food Fare favourites from Buffet Town here:

Roti Prata with Braised Lamb with Asian Spice Curry & Chef Fish Curry
Instead of the usual chicken curry or mutton curry to complement the thin and crisp Roti Prata, the braised lamb comes with a special Asian Spice Curry.

The lamb is cooked with this pasty-sauce that is sweetish-spicy, with a tinge of turmeric and lemongrass flavour. May need some getting used to for curry-lovers, but worth a try and grow on you.

If seafood is your thing, go for the Chef Fish Curry as a complement to the prata.

Singapore Chilli Crab
The iconic and signature dish that many overseas friends will insist on devouring during their visit to Singapore.

Packed with a fiery punch, matched with gooey sweet sauce which you can dip the mantous in, the signature Chilli Crab should be the crowd favourite.

If you come during weekend dinners, there will be Black Pepper Crab option with a bold, rich sauce made with Sarawak black pepper.

(The Chilli Crab dish is available daily for the buffet dinner, while the Black Pepper Crab is limited to Friday to Sunday dinners.)

Assorted Satay
Choice of beef, chicken or pork that are grilled upon order and served with peanut pineapple sauce for extra tanginess.

Laksa
Another one of our local delights with tau pok and beansprout in thick coconut gravy. Not forgetting to add the extra chili for more spicy kick!

Tau Hoo Goreng
The tofu are deep fried to a gold brown hue, garnished with beansprouts and cucumber.

Steamed Yam Cake
Yammy? Yummy. Sprinkled with shallots, spring onion and chili, the Steamed Yam Cake was one of our favourites for its soft and smooth texture.

Hainanese Chicken Rice
Another one of our local’s favourites – Hainanese Chicken rice with chicken boiled to give it a more tender texture.

Eat it the hawker-style with specially made chili, ginger and dark soy sauce for additional pleasure.

DIY Yong Tau Foo
This is probably one of the few chances to pile up with your favourite YTF ingredients.

With 15 different liao (ingredients) to choose from, we can add as much as we want without being afraid of burning a hole in our wallet. #BuffetGoals

Rojak in Clay Bowl
Deep fried You Char Kway with tau pok, cucumber, pineapple, sweet turnip in prawn paste and grated peanuts.

Ice Lolly
Reminiscing our childhood memories? These ice lollies come in 6 different flavours: Pineapple, Bandung, Coffee, Caramel, Sour Plum and Ribena! So nostalgic.

Hint hint. These ice lollies are kept within a fridge next to the Yong Tau Foo store and not at the dessert section.

Other desserts available to satisfy sweet cravings include DIY Ice Kachang, homemade Red Bean Soup, Cheng Teng, Cempedak Mousse, and Chilled Mango Pudding.

Thinking of taking a rest from all the eating?

Head towards the Games Corner next to the dessert section for some childhood games: Five Stones, Aeroplane Chess, Chaptek and yo-yo.

Don’t forget to pick up a game card (limited to 1 card per dining receipt) and identify all 10 games on it.

Each game card allows you to take part in the lucky draw on 1 September 2016 and 10 lucky winners will walk away with a food hamper each.

Pricing for Buffet Town
Lunch (Mon-Fri) – Adult: $26.80++; Child: $18.80++
Lunch (Sat, Sun, Eve and Public Holiday) – Adult: $33.80++; Child: $19.80++
Dinner (Mon-Thu) – Adult: $36.80++; Child: $21.80++
Dinner (Fri-Sun, Eve and Public Holiday) – Adult: $42.80++; Child: $22.80++

(Note: The “Singapore Food Fare 狮城美食 will be available from 5 July to 31 August 2016 at Buffet Town. Due to popular demand, Buffet Town has closed reservation and set aside tables for walk-in customers on a first come first serve basis. Reservations still available for 23, 24, 30 & 31 July.)

Buffet Town
Raffles City #B1-44E, 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103 (City Hall MRT)
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 3pm, last order 2.30pm; 6pm – 10pm, last order 9.30pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/BuffetTownSG/

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape. This entry is brought to you in partnership with Buffet Town Singapore.

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This is for the Pizza Lovers. Yes, yes, PizzaExpress has finally opened in Singapore at Scotts Square Basement. (Still soft launch, they officially open this weekend.)

With over 50 years of history and more than 500 restaurants across the United Kingdom, Europe, Hong Kong, India and the Middle East, this is PizzaExpress’s first foray to Singapore.

PizzaExpress specialises in handmade pizza, founded by Peter Boizot who opened its first restaurant in London’s Wardour Street after being inspired by a trip to Italy. Decor wise, the features include black and white logo, and use of signature monocromatic stripes for the uniforms and interior.

The secret to success, is said to be in the dough – all kneaded fresh, made in-house.

The local PizzaExpress restaurant also serves up tasty pastas, salads and desserts. Know not what to eat? Here are some of PizzaExpress Singapore’s highlights

The Calabrese
My personal recommendation? Definitely The “Hero Pizza” – The Calabrese ($26).

The distinctive feature is that the Calabrese ($26) is rectangular in shape. My mind goes “Easier to cut and divide.”

This contains toppings of Calabria-style sausage, spicy Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, jalapeno peppers, roasted peppers and red chillis.

Two things I liked about this pizza, amongst others: That it is robustly spicy, and delightfully thin crusted.

Calabria-style sausage is already known to be particularly spicy, added with jalapeno peppers, they make every bite excitable and gratifying.

Singaporeans should like this – don’t we love our spices?

American Hottest
It’s all about that base, ‘bout that base. The signature dough of PizzaExpress is stretched, making it thinner and crisper (I like – not so heavy), so as to allow the full flavours of the ingredients to be brought out.

The American Hottest ($24) should be another crowd-pleaser. The portion is HUGE by the way.

This contains pepperoni, hot green and roquito peppers, fresh red chill, spicy Italian sausage, passata and buffalo mozzarella.

While the name may suggest that this IS HOT, I like to think it is ‘softly fiery’. Meaning not over in intensity, suitable for the group.

Spaghetti Fruitti di Mare
My attempt to stay away from carbs (if possible) has proven to be furtile.

Is this what you call “umami”? Maybe “shiok” may be a better word.

I like how saucy this pasta is, filled with thickened spiced Pomodoro sauce, coated evenly around the pasta which had large crunchy prawns, clams, mussels, squid all swimming in the dish.

Farfalle di Calabria
If you are a sausage lover, then go for this pasta which includes spicy Italian sausage and salami with fresh basil.

The Pomodoro sauce is similar to the above, but this has a creamier take.

Leggera Superfood
Not kidding, I ta-baoed the salad back.

Just LOOK AT THE PORTION of this salad. The Leggera Superfood ($13/$20) comes in this base plate as big as the pizza’s, and filled with some of my favourite superfood ingredients.

There is spinach, cumber, fresh mozzarella, butternut squash in balsamic syrup.

But I really just want to highlight the avocados and beetroot. Has been a long time since I had such creamy avocado pieces in Singapore. (I really hope the quality remains consistent, because I am coming back for this.)

Pollo Affumicato
Comparing between the two salads, this has more ‘taste’ and protein. Smoked chicken is good for those who are building your muscles, and not eating beyond (Resistance is futile with the smell of the pizzas, I tell you).

The base sauce is more tangy, with mint, olive oil, chilli oil and lemon juice. Oh, those purplish things you see – pomegranate seeds. Not commonly found in salads here.

Friends who frequent London are already very excited about the opening of PizzaExpress in Singapore.

Things working in their flavour – freshly made pizzas, comfortable environment, ability to accommodate large groups for sharing, mostly-affordable pricing for the portion and quality, and centralised location within town. (Will be back. Look for here for further updates.)

PizzaExpress Singapore
Scotts Square B1 08-09 Scotts Road Singapore 228209 (Orchard MRT)
Tel: +65 6538 0083
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00am
https://www.facebook.com/PizzaExpressSG

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with PizzaExpress.

The post PizzaExpress – World Famous Pizza Restaurant Finally Opens In Singapore At Scotts Square! Must Go appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

In a country crowded with buffets of all kinds, Penang St has hit the right note by offering a ALL YOU CAN EAT CRAB Buffet, that is Halal, with variety, that offers not just crabs.

The Crab Buffet has proven to be so popular, the Penang-style restaurant at Woodlands Causeway Point has offered quite a few runs of it.

The kitchen team actually took the effort to churn out new flavours and items every round, so that regular diners do not get bored and always have something to look forward to.

To be honest, I DO have my reservations about seafood buffets ”Enough crabs? Got quality? Got variety? Value for money?

What I observed when I visited on a Friday night was, the containers were all piled with crabs, and also quickly refilled.

The crabs imported from Sri Lanka and Indonesia were both fleshy and fresh-y. The restaurant works closer with the suppliers to ensure that.

For this present “Crab Madness” theme, the buffet includes all the fans’ favourites and more.

That means Salted Egg Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Chilli Crab, Butter Crab, Golden Sand Crab, Kam Heong Crab, plus new dishes Typhoon Crab (HK Style), and Tom Yam Crab.

Even if you are lazy to pluck crab, there are offerings like Penang Fried Kway Teow with Crabmeat, Baked Seafood Rice, Kailan with Crabmeat, Seafood Roll, satay, pizzas, noodle from live noodle station, grilled items and desserts.

Salted Egg Crab
Definitely the IT Crab of the moment, and the Salted Egg Crab has a zhi char ‘flavour’ to it. My main qualm about Salted Egg Crabs outside typically is.. too little sauce.

Penang St’s crabs were lusciously, generously coated with the salted egg cooked with curry leaves and buttery fragrance. Not the grainy type, but still worth getting your fingers dirty over.

Stuffed Chicken In Crab
I reckon this was my favourite crab in the entire buffet. Make a wild guess why.

Well, other than the fact that they are NEW additions, there is no need to use hands while eating. (Yeah, for the lazy people.)

The crab shells are stuffed with juicy (slightly salty though) minced chicken and crab meat, then deep fried with egg wash. This is the type of food I will eat congee with – meant it in a good way.

Golden Sand Crab
There are two types of crabs that are quite similar – The Golden Sand and Butter Crab. I preferred this version because of its buttery, creamy milky finish moderately on the sweeter side. Children should enjoy this too.

Sometime, the sauce went well with the sweet-savoury crab meat, especially moments when you had to *suck* the juices out. Slurp.

Butter Crab
To differentiate, these Butter Crabs do not come with the flakey ‘golden sand’ and has chilli padi in the mix.
Therefore, you would taste this tinge of spiciness within the creamy sauce that provided this added kick.

Black Pepper Crab
There are two types of Black Pepper Crabs I usually come across – the fried-till-very-dry, or the wet and saucy. This belongs to the latter.

The crabs were steamed, and therefore still retained that juiciness one could expect.

Chilli Crab
Compared to the Singapore style of Chilli Crabs, these are said to be Penang-styled, which has a sweeter aftertaste, perhaps due to the addition of plum sauce and tomatoes.

Typhoon Crab
This is NEW. Typhoon Crabs originate from Hong Kong (sometimes known as “Under Bridge Spicy Crabs”, and Penang St Buffet wanted to expand their variety for their regular diners to have a taste of HK style crabs without leaving the country.

Fried with corn, carrots, potato, black soya bean, chilli padi, onion and garlic… I thought the dish might have lacked one important ingredient which was the scallion for that added crispiness.

Other than crabs, there are other crab dishes…

Crab Bee Hoon Soup
Thick white vermicilli cooked in milky, ‘super’ crabby broth.

Penang Crab Noodles Soup
I prefer as the stock was more robust and tasty, which brought out the freshness of the crab.

Chilli Crab Sauce with Spaghetti
Kids’ favourite, as I would suppose.

Not crab, but I would like to give this dessert a special mention (don’t want you to miss it)… DURIAN CENDOL!

CRAB MADNESS 2016
Period: 15 July to 02 Oct 2016
Mon to Thu: $59.90++ (Adult) / $19.90++ (Child)
Fri to Sun, PH & Eve of PH: $63.90++ (Adult) / $20.90++ (Child)

Dinner Sessions:
Session 1: 4.45pm to 7.00pm
Session 2: 7.30pm to 10pm.
(10% discount applicable for all Session 1 reservations.)

Penang St. Buffet
Causeway Point #05-12/13, 1 Woodlands Square Singapore 738099 (Woodlands MRT)
Tel: +65 6894 7872
reservations@gdgroup.com.sg
(Reservations via email is recommended as the restaurant may be experiencing high call volume during peak hours.)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Penang St. Buffet.

The post Penang St Buffet – All You Can Eat CRABs. Halal, With Salted Egg Crab & Durian Cendol appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.