Showing posts with label Other fancies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other fancies. Show all posts
12 Jul 2014
Marriott Cafe Lunch Buffet - 1 for 1 with the Entertainer
Back to my buffet hopping days when I had another buffet session right the week after a previous buffet.
No choice, the Entertainer 1 for 1 was really too irresistible. Anyway, the application only have 2 buffet places - At Lime Restaurant (Parkroyal on Pickering) and the other is Marriott Cafe! The 1 for 1 applies to lunch, high tea as well as dinner buffet!
No choice, the Entertainer 1 for 1 was really too irresistible. Anyway, the application only have 2 buffet places - At Lime Restaurant (Parkroyal on Pickering) and the other is Marriott Cafe! The 1 for 1 applies to lunch, high tea as well as dinner buffet!
This time I had lunch with my friend who was super bad with his photography skills. Gosh, he had to retake my picture like 10 times before 1 decent one came out. Not again! I was once again too engrossed in taking pictures of all the appetizing food that I neglected taking a decent shot of the layout/interior! The place have been renovated, from a dim to a bright dining environment. No wonder it looked so different from the last time I came for its dinner buffet which was a few years back.
The usual starter for me and my friend would be the salmon sashimi, smoked salmon, szechuan salmon and the other salmon. Careful of high sodium content! There were the usual cold cuts, salad station, some cheese and a variety of bread which I did not take, fearing that they would take up too much stomach space.
My #Fotd (food of the day, not exactly) shot which my friend took. 1 out of 10 shots passable...I supposed.
Just random pieces of different food for tasting purpose. If the food is to my liking, I would definitely go back for second and even third round. The usual laksa and a pasta station was available too.
Besides a selection of soup to choose from, there were also a couple of Korean dishes too! Bibimbap available too! Any Korean food fans around?!?
For beef lovers like me, go for the medium rare slices of beef! I had 3 slices and I just love the tender chewy meat with blood tainted juices seeping out. Don't go 'eeewww' on me...
The ice cream tasted inferior, like those from an ice cream cart along the roadside. Skip them if you do not want too much trans fat in your diet.
I tried the whole selection of cakes available, but only posting the little red velvet cupcake just because it looked the prettiest. There were 6 cakes that came in rectangular log form, for self-cutting and looking like a pile of mess when you placed them onto your plate.
The Entertainer application which I redeemed for the 1 for 1! Like a half price only after dividing by 2 with my friend!
Not to forget the selfie shot after the lunch buffet! I guess I should go for a jog soon!
10 Jul 2014
Parkroyal on Pickering - Lime Restaurant Dinner Buffet
Thanks to the Entertainer application, I get to enjoy the 1 for 1 voucher!
Check out my previous post link for more information on the Entertainer!
A large wooden table packed with a huge variety of sweet treats is really a seductive way to welcome people into a buffet. Provided that you do not enter by the back door which my friend and I did...
I purposely did not zoom into the picture, just to leave you to guess what sort of dessert they were.
The interior was a blend of modern metallic and rustic woodenness, rather dim and lit up mainly by spotlights. The place was so spacious and the buffet spread was nicely spread out.
I had a beautiful night view of the streets out there while my friend get to 'ogle' at a group of aunties (tais tais) in their seventies, celebrating an occasion.
Nowadays I seldom want to blog about buffets since the dishes often rotate. (I have a buffet label at my blog's side bar though.) I will just throw in some food pictures to satisfy your cyber hunger! A international buffet with seafood, bread, cheese, Japanese, Western and Peranakan.
The place was so dim that I had to place my plate right beside the table light to capture a clear shot.
Some of the Peranakan style food which tasted really yummy! Laksa, kueh pie tee, rojak and more...
While people love to take #ootd (outfit of the day), I would prefer to take #fotd (food of the day).
Sashimi indulgence! A must have for me at every buffet!
A peek at the some of the desserts available! I basically tried every dessert and the key lime tart was my top favorite, followed by the durian pengat and the strawberry ice cream! (Forgot to try the nonya kuehs...)
How can I not resist to take a picture with this grandeur towering green tea fondue!
Ending the post with 2 more selfies! The pathway with really comfortable seating facing the outdoor!
Artificial leafy greens along the walls! Stay tune for the update of my lunch buffet at Marriott Cafe, also using the Entertainer 1 for 1 application!
23 Jun 2014
Chicken Up - Calling All Chicken Lovers! (Korean style)
I was quite surprised that the entire street along 48 Tanjong Pagar Road
had tons of Korean restaurants. Despite such competition, Chicken Up stood out
from the rest, specializing in a huge variety of Korean style chicken
dishes.
For all buffet/chicken lovers out there, there is a
all-you-can-eat chicken buffet!
($25 for weekday, $30 for weekends)
The Watermelon Soju made a grand entrance onto our table
with smoke produced from dry ice. Soju is originally from South Korea and
is traditionally made from rice, wheat or barley. With blended watermelon flesh
that gave a less boring texture to the drink, the overall feeling was crisp,
clear and definitely refreshing.
Besides the Watermelon Soju, I also tried the Yakult and
Pear Soju. The yakult soju could be defined by its milky white colour as well
as its taste. My personal favorite would definitely be the pear soju, which I
would highly recommend to ladies, since it was so soothing and sweeter as
compared to the others. Soju made great accompaniment to chicken dishes!
A popular snack that has been highly raved is available here
too! The Truffle Fries, with its thick cut and perfumed with the earthly
truffle fragrance.
My personal favorite was the Soy Sauce Chicken Wings!
Firstly marinated and then deep fried, this combination really made the wings
distinctive. Not only that, I just loved the umami sensation from the juices of
these wings due to the naturally occurring glutamate found in soy sauce. Thankfully
I did not leave it on the table for long or else the marination would start to
make the semi-crispy skin soggy.
Up next with its deep fried crispy skin would be the Spicy
Up. One would clearly be reminded of KFC, Popeyes or any other fast food
establishments that serve a similar crispy fried chicken. Just be reminded that
not all fried chicken would taste the same since the tender flesh and the batter
would be the deciding factors. Thankfully it wasn’t spicy at all, not that I
could take spicy.
Another favorite of mine would the Yangnyum (Korean fried
chicken)! It was glistening due to the lovely coating of the sweet and spicy
sauce. Although a bit messy to eat, it proved to be worth it and for non-spicy
eaters, rest assured that you won’t have a hard time.
Last but not least would be the Andong Chicken Stew. The
first thing I noticed was the generous sprinkling of sesame seeds, as well as
the entire pot was brimming with tons of ingredients such as chicken, potatoes,
carrots, rice cakes and thick glass noodles. I guessed they were quite generous
with the chilli padis as well since my mouth was burning hot after a sip of soy
sauce broth. (The soju saved me!) The chicken was fork tender and managed to
absorb the spiciness too.
(A post which did not get posted, thanks for the invite.)
28 Apr 2014
The Corner Place Korean BBQ Buffet - In general, I would want to avoid in future
I don't usually fancy going for a BBQ or a Steamboat buffet meal since I knew that the quality of those frozen/raw food usually sucks. I am referring to those standard $20 - $30 range of buffets which I had tried that has been listed on the side column of this blog.
You may question why I go for yet another BBQ buffet then?
You may question why I go for yet another BBQ buffet then?
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| Such buffets are mainly for gathering purposes, be it for a huge group of friends or with a bff/buddy who got lots of catching up to do over a meal. Since my friend wanted to indulge a bit on those scary quantity of over marinated meat, I just have to agree. Partly because I was too lazy to decide where else to dine around Marina Square. |
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| These were the cooked food available while waiting for our meat to sizzle till cooked. Glass noodles were thick and tasted decent, egg custard had that turn-me-off eggy stench and we did not touch the korean rice cakes. I loved the Korean spicy-sweet marinated drumlets so much that I gobbled down 10 pieces of them. Being in a buffet also means that you need to learn to be selective of the food you consume! Just pick your favorite + what you think is worthwhile! |
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| Our 'BBQ pit' was constantly filled with various types of meat, especially those tender slices of beef! We kept complaining about using those Korean flat metal chopsticks that were kind of a nuisance since they were made without considering the ergonomics factor. The service was also prompt as the staffs would change the foil once it turned semi black. |
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| Not meaning to turn you off but looking at the amount of excess oil/waste dripping out through the internal sewage system, we can't help but to imagine those waste being deposited into our stomachs. Gosh, what did we just fed ourselves with? |
2 Mar 2014
Finalized Bak Kwa
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| Quite an obvious delayed post on Bak Kwa since Chinese New Year had passed more than a month ago. Anyway, this was the finalised version which tasted as good as the actual commercialised ones out there! Tested and many tasted!! (For method 2b below) Satisfied! |
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| I guessed this was the final form... |
My reference for different types of meat for Bak Kwa trial can be found here.
The second post on the more complicated version using dehydrator and smoking of Bak Kwa can be found
Ingredients:
300g Minced Pork
1 tbs Thai Fish Sauce
1 tbs Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
120g Caster Sugar
1 drop of red food colouring
Method:
1) Marinated overnight (or a few hours, up to you)
2a) Spread on tray, placed into the oven for 10 mins at 100 degrees. Flip over and place back into the over
for another 10 minutes till a bit charred.
(Better Results)
2b) After spreading on tray (your desired thickness), dehydrate using your dehydrator for 3 hours, medium
heat about 55 degrees. (Want to dehydrate longer to remove more moisture also can.) After that, place
it over a bamboo tray (for better results) and cook/smoke over charcoal, which is about 200 degrees
for up to an hour. Remember to oil your bamboo to prevent sticking. Grill on pan a while before serving.
30 Jan 2014
Bak Kwa Madness for coming Chinese New Year??
Chinese New Year is justwith my friend since the start of January.
I came across an article on New Paper - 'Behind the scenes in a bak kwa shop' which featured Lim Chee
Guan. There was even a video to give public a peek at its HQ at Pandan Loop. Obviously the secret recipe
was not included in this article.
My eyes almost popped out of my socket when I saw that 1kg of Bak Kwa was going for $50.00 at the
shop! Gosh! Those people have been queuing for hours too and they mentioned that it was worth the wait.
Is it a tradition that Chinese New Year means Bak Kwa time?
The link of the article can be found here.
Another article which I came across last Monday with the heading
HED CHEF EXTRA: How to make your own bak kwa
HED CHEF EXTRA: How to make your own bak kwa
sparked my interest.
The recipe given was:
-1kg minced pork (shoulder butt)
-220g fine sugar
-1½ tsp salt
-1 tsp light soya sauce
-1 tbsp oyster sauce
-½ tsp five spice powder
-1½ tbsp Chinese rice wine
-Pinch of red food colouring powder
I guessed many people who tried making it would be greatly disappointed as it would never turn out the
same as those commercialized outlets like Lim Chee Guan, Bee Cheng Hiang or Fragrance Bak Kwa.
The reason of me writing this post was because I was a bit pissed off. I have already tried making Bak Kwa
even before this article's recipe was published, using the oven, even with barbecuing, and the results was so off! It could be found on my previous post here. Not to mention the texture was not right too...
Notice the article's recipe above contained sugar as the main sweetening agent? My friend and I did a batch
with only sugar and no honey (the recipe I used have), the taste turned out really flat! Honey not only
sweetened the Bak Kwa but also provides flavor. (Different brand, different flower, different flavor also.)
Be careful as honey is sweeter than sugar too.
Another thing that would happen when you place the marinated meat into the oven would be the oozing out
of marination which I experienced many times before. To prevent that from happening, I suggested using the
dehydrator which I did not expect my friend to actually buy it
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| The same dehydrator that could be used to make fruit and vegetable chips! It cost my friend about $250. Basically he dehydrated the marinated meat for about an hour, about 65 degrees (high). (Also have low and medium heat options.) |
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| After that, the marinated meat is smoked with his own-made smoker, made from a 3 tier Ikea rack, covered by some board used for artwork. (Sushi bamboo racks to place the marinated meat on.) |
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| (Top view) An opening for smoke to escape and and thermometer to determine the temperature of the smoking. |
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| Just a tin with hickory wood/charcoal to produce the smoke. |
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| Final outcome of the Bak Kwa! Do not use hickory wood but stick to charcoal instead as the smokey flavor was overwhelming. It made the Bak Kwa taste like Lap Cheong (Chinese sausages) instead. The Bak Kwa was also like a sponge, absorbing all the moisture from my mouth, making it dry. Almost there!!!! |
(Everything stated is based on personal opinion ; open to suggestions and advice)
Crystal Jade Jiang Nan - A Rainbow!
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| Visited Crystal Jade Jiang Nan at Vivocity with my friend and we shared these colourful xiao long bao! Due to the broth contained inside which make it impossible to share, I only tried 4 flavors while my friend tried the other 4. I started off with the vegetables (green), cheese (yellow), spicy beef (pink) and lastly the foie gras (brown). It happened to be the order of my favourite too! The vegetable tasted clear and refreshing, the cheese was savoury and salty while both the minced spicy beef and foie gras were tasteless and disgusting. My friend had the original (white), spicy chicken (orange), prawn (pale orange) and truffle (black). The ball in the middle was filled with custard. (Just to fill up the centre as the blankness would feel awkward.) Of course we had ordered other dishes too but I decided to post only this since the rainbow colours gave a lasting impression. |
15 Jan 2014
Bear Paw Cafe (Johor Bahru City Square) - Cute and yummy bear paws!
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| I was enjoying my 2 weeks long holiday break and that was when I decided to explore Johor Bahru for more as well as cheaper food options. It was during my virgin trip to Johor Bahru City Square when I came across this Bear Paw Cafe that sounds rather familiar. It didn't take too long for me to recall that I actually tried it before from Taiwan's Night Market (the original source)! Singapore has already opened an outlet not quite long ago at Scape, known as Bear Bites. Despite having more bun flavors, less choice of patties and different variation of sauces, I did not try the set meal because it did not seems substantial to me. |
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| Unlike Singapore, the set meal here at Bear Paw Cafe have a huge range of bubble tea to pick from! All drinks were in (L) size so you either have to finish it or complain about being too full after drinking halfway. I had the slightly sourish Assam Milk Tea while my friend choose the Brown Rice Milk Tea. |
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| It felt like a DIY burger where you can customise your own bun, patty and sauce. Just pray hard that your combination turns out delicious. (Not to worry as everything would be yummy.) My friend went for Milk bun + Fish patty + Tartar sauce while I opted for the Brown Sugar bun + Squid patty + Teriyaki sauce. |
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| The mildly sweetened brown sugar bun was so soft and fluffy that I fell in love eating it! Was it Hong Kong flour that gave the bun its texture? A bit like the Chinese version's kong bak bao but much fluffier! I went to ask if they sell the bun itself but too bad they don't. The cashier even told me that I was not the first to make such a request. Since the squid patty was slightly hard and dry, skip that and try the fish instead. |
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| The 3rd time I went to Johor Bahru City Square the following week (yes, yet another round for me), with another friend. We ate at Nandos for our late lunch and in less than 3 hours, we were already seated at Bear Paw Cafe waiting for our cute paws to be served! This time I went for Brown Rice Milk Tea which I felt it tasted a bit like hojicha (roasted Japanese green tea) while my friend had the Mango Yakult. He was too bloated and could only finish half a cup! What a waste... |
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| This time I had the Milk bun + Fish patty +Tartar sauce while my friend had the Whole Wheat bun + Fish patty + Tartar sauce. It seems like the choices were pretty default and people tend to go for the same few standard choices. Upon my first bite, I was simply impressed with the generous portion, crispy exterior and moist interior of the fish patty! My friend strongly agreed as well as he continued munching on his paw. I would definitely be back again!!! |
4 Jan 2014
Homemade meat jerky! Bak Kwa experiment for Chinese New Year!
My very 1st post for the year 2014 and I will be blogging about my homemade meat jerky process! I still
have a couple of 2013 posts which I have yet to update but this post was the priority since Chinese New
Year is approaching! My 3rd time experimenting with the seasoning quantity before finally settling with the
one below. (Note: Adjusted based on my personal preference!)
have a couple of 2013 posts which I have yet to update but this post was the priority since Chinese New
Year is approaching! My 3rd time experimenting with the seasoning quantity before finally settling with the
one below. (Note: Adjusted based on my personal preference!)
The recipe I modified into:
Pork 300g (A bit fattier would be better)
Sugar 3 tbs
Honey 3 tbs (I think malt syrup would be better, more caramelised flavor.)
Fish Sauce 1.5 tbs
Sweet Wine 2 tbs (I used a dessert wine)
Dark Soy Sauce 1/2 tbs
Char Siew Sauce 1 tbs (Removed after 3rd batch)
Five Spice 1/2 tbs
Sesame Oil 1/2 tbs (Removed after 3rd batch)
If anyone knows of any better tried-and-tested-before recipe, care to share with me so I could try?
I knew it would not be so easy to get close to the exact taste of Bak Kwa, if not everyone would be making
their own already.
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| The recipe would be for 300g of meat and I did X2 the recipe for 600g of marinated minced pork, beef and chicken. Best if you could add more fats into your minced meat as mine were all too lean! After marinating the meat overnight in the chiller, the minced chicken was a bit watery while minced beef was still rather firm. Pork was always in-between. |
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| I started off by portioning the meat into 100g - 110g so that all the jerky would be about the same size. (Too large piece would be difficult to flip over and would easily break apart.) I spread the minced meat onto an aluminium sheet, place a cling wrap over and using a rolling pin, flatten the meat evenly. About 2mm thickness for mine. |
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| After spreading evenly on the aluminium, either you could directly bbq the meat or place it into the oven to bake fully. I did half-half. About 200 degrees in the oven for 10-15 mins to firm up the meat before transferring to the BBQ pit to barbecue! I guessed that it was normal for the marination to leak out of the marinated meat during the baking process? Any ideas? |
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| Picture of myself barbecuing the meat jerky! |
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| Another selfie shot with my friend's barbecue pit! Thanks Glenn for letting me use his house to barbecue! |
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| The texture was way too smooth to be Bak Kwa and it looked more like ham instead. |
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| My friend did the baking to firm up the minced meat before I barbecued them. Kept flipping and barbecuing piece by piece as his oven could only bake a piece at a time. |
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| Glazed with honey when the meat was about to be done with a bit of charred parts appearing. Make sure the honey dries slightly or it would end up sticky. |
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| Done! Pork or beef ?? |
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| Another shot with only 2 pieces... |
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| Some of the minced chicken ended up like this, all broken apart because it was too soft to flip with tongs. |
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| Done with all the 1.2kg of beef and pork which took about 5 hours...? |
Final conclusion:
Beef - Jerky have quite a strong beefy taste and smell which could be quite unpleasant.
The meat was rather firm but soft and tender.
Easy to handle while baking and barbecuing.
Easiest to dry up and discolour after a few days in the fridge
Chicken - Became watery/mushy after marination and broke apart easily.
Tasted a bit like satay / chicken steak.
Pork - Texture a bit rubbery after a few days in the fridge.
More suitable due to having more fats (although mine still not enough)
All - Unusual smell and taste, something like hoisin sauce detected.
The texture too smooth to be Bak Kwa.
Overall taste still negative to me.