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28 Jul 2015

More opinions on Cafe Hopping (Food deals definitely attract my attention!)

Despite blogging for almost 3 years, I still felt that my blog is still lacking of something, something that would stand out from the pool of other food blogs out there. I tried limiting my blog to focus on desserts, partly because I am lazy since I tend to edit every single picture via Photoshop and adding in my own logo at the bottom of every picture. So does a dessert theme blog work? I doubt so since my rate of consuming desserts has been dropping due to being a bit health conscious these days as age is catching up on me. I wouldn't mind sharing my sugar diet with others but sadly, among my network of friends, I am considered the hardcore spender on food itself. Maybe once in a long while... Strangely, most people I know don't usually eat dessert!? Why is that so?
Another reason could be that café hopping is an expensive hobby. In order to survive the high rental rates in Singapore (to break even?) leads to expensive food and there is a need to keep an eye on our spending. I tried café hopping on a solo mode a couple of times, not that I did not manage to get any café kakis to accompany me. There is NOTHING wrong to be alone at times, which many people would find awkward or afraid that others might think they had no friends. I just enjoy my alone time at times. 
Right now, instead of the usual picture + description type of posts I usually did during my early entries when I first started my blog, I felt that there was a need to express myself more since I worked in the food and beverage field before but decided to leave. (More stories other time)

Some pictures of my solo café hopping mode below. (I self timer those selfies.) Every cake / dessert felt so mundane nowadays. Easy to guess the name of those desserts just by looking at the picture at times.
Café: Room for Desserts

Very small café with just 2 tables.



Café: Butter Studio


Bing Bing Ice Cream gallery (United Square outlet)

Bailey flavour

It definitely must be peer pressure from my friends that restrict me from café hopping and spending too much. However, in order to save a bit, I love scanning through those deals that has a % discounts where I don't have to pay the full amount! It is just normal of us to be cheapskate savvy, probably trying to get the best deal out of everything.

Criollo Cocoa Cafe - Nuffnang Lovin' Invite

I attended my first 'Nuffnang Lovin'' Event (hosted by Nuffnang) last Saturday at Orchard Gateway and am glad bring a +1 along. Dragged my blogger friend who had to book in to camp that night. My opinions will be as usual, based on my personal experience and nothing against anyone. Why I state that? You will find out right below.
Before the first dish arrive, the chef made the effort to explain to us about the first dish as seen below. Mainly about the description as well as the ingredients used in this dish. I wasn't exactly attentive to the details since the taste would be what matters to me most.
(Note each dish is shared among 4-6 people)

Breaking through the hard cheesy surface laid the watery-soupy tomato-based vegetables. Mainly the taste of green pepper which I did not mind. I felt like I was having minestrone soup since there were identical resemblance of the two. The yolks were over and did not exhibit fluidity as expected. 

Together with the crispy bread, it was comfort food to me.

A vegetarian option since the patty was actually portobello mushroom overlaid with cubed-cut vegetables (tomato, pepper, etc) and covered by a slice of cheese. (Double check if the dressing is mayo.) A smart move to prevent the cubed ingredients from toppling all over, provided if its for a single pax. As for the fries, the salt was slightly too generous...

So far this dish fared much better as compared to the rest in my opinion. The laksa inspired pasta was rich, had that kick of spiciness as well as fragrant from the coconut cream or milk. I would prefer this dish to be serve warm and not room temperature for a better taste. (Not quite sure how long it was on the table as my group went to view and had a bit of hands-on with latte art.)

The lovely red hues from the strawberries was eye catching but my eyes went towards the waffle since it was chocolate. I wondered if cocoa powder was used? It definitely acts as a drying agent in this waffle recipe, resulting in crisp, almost biscuit-like texture. Average chocolate ice cream with the passionfruit flavour macaroon being soft.

The other table had this plain waffle that could be drenched with syrup. Like a 'fruit basket' to me and I won't judge something I have not try.

The barista was really friendly and patient as she taught us how to do latte art in groups. One of the cuter designs she did was the 3 bears shown here. I did not try the coffee since I wasn't a coffee person but I did try doing the latte art too! (Picture still in my friend's camera.)
 
I enjoyed myself getting to know some of the other bloggers. However, my friend was pissed off with the service staff. He requested for a refill of water and the service staff told him to take the jug of water from the other table of bloggers. I even had to request for them to clear the table after watching them placing the waffle and going off without clearing the few empty plates that hog the table space.
Anyway,
 
Criollo Cocoa Café is offering SG 50 promotion right now! Quote ''Nuffnangxcriollo'' to enjoy 20% discount of your total bill!
 
Thank you #CriolloCocoaCafe and #Nuffnangsg for the invite.
 
 

5 Jul 2015

Cafe Hopping with Another Blogger #1 - Little Ice Cream Kafe

The term café hopping is already so mainstream, especially among teenagers? Not quite, but young adults who are more than willing to indulge into good food. At the same time, capturing insta-worthy images to boast a little.

 ''Oh, I have been to that café, check out my instagram images.''
 ''I had brunch there the other day with who-n-who and the waffles were so darn good that I would definitely go back!''
 ''Must choose the outdoor seatings! See my drool worthy pictures? All thanks to the natural lighting!''

Admit it, such typical statements of café hoppers which include me of course. Many other non-café hoppers would have only thought about the above point - The boasting rights. Seriously, there are other more meaningful reason other than that. The one and main thing I seek from sitting in a café is the interactivity part instead of the food. Sorry to say most places serves mundane food or copies that has no juxtaposition. I am totally bored and have zero interest in what's new in the menu. It's just about compositions and add on of ingredients.

Anyway, I went to meet another blogger friend of mine for a casual hopping session the other day. We knew each other on instagram and mutually know each other through our blog. Still stuck with the 2 years duty to serve the country, which makes him younger than me, just by a little. Edward, who blog on thedessertprince was also a hard core café hopper before he got bored of the now-stagnant trend. His posts are more towards the 'family orientated', emo, or should I say sentimental style?

It is not often that I café hop with someone who I do not know... or should I say it is always fun to try something new? I picked Little Ice Cream Kafe since I have wanted to try an ice cream buffet for quite a while. My second time travelling to Tanjong Katong area because it was so out of the way. I was early after reaching Paya Lebar MRT and thus decided to walk over. Walking over is not ideal and advisable unless you are prepared to perspire a little. 

I was still early and decided to take a selfie....

When he finally arrived, we chatted a little before heading to be overwhelmed by the selections of ice cream! Alright, he was gyming before heading over to meet me to indulge in our icy guilty pleasure. At least I also exercised by walking over right?  

I couldn't recall exactly every flavours that I had eaten.
(The order which I ate)

Green Tea Oreo - I would prefer pure green tea because the oreo was just too sweet
Black Sesame - Kind of decent and less sweet 
Lychee Martini - The lychee taste was just too subtle, same for the really light alcoholic kick
Chocolate Brandy - Not chocolaty enough, alcohol not strong enough as well (I am not even an          alcohol person)
Frosty Watermelon - Not my liking since watermelon is just not a popular type of flavour
Thai Milk Tea - I am just bias towards 'tea' desserts and I love them all
Creamy Caramel Crunch - It was just extremely salty that I couldn't continue after 2 mouthful
Butterscotch - Overly sweet for me
D24 Durian - Just average (best to eat last)
 

Just some random pictures despite them being just ice cream. How fanciful can a scoop of ice cream look anyway? We take pictures just because we are bloggers? 

Thanks for helping me take selfies! I know you don't take any since you hardly have any pictures of yourself in your blog..

Anyway, not forgetting to mention that the waffles were really to my liking. Crisp, fluffy, those usual descriptions everybody just used repetitively in almost every food blogs? I won't deny the fact that the vocabulary used to describe is just limited.
Time just flies when we were eating and chatting. 2 hours of camping in this ice cream café. For those who are interested, the buffet is only available on Fridays from 2 - 4pm or 6 - 8pm. Each pax is about $12 (couldn't remember the exact amount). We had our fill of desserts, but still, a proper meal after that. Yes, dinner after desserts. Typical desserts/food bloggers! 
 


15 May 2015

Bistro 1855 - Salad Bar by Day, Wine Bistro by Night

             Salad Bar by Day
                              Wine Bistro by Night
 
An interesting double concept.
 
Salad bar buffet with more than 50 items to choose from for lunch. Or you could enjoy the buffet with your main course. By nightfall, it is transformed into a wine bar, serving tapas, mains as well as sharing platters, paired perfectly with their 1000+ labels in their wine cellar. What's best would definitely be costumers are allowed to select their choice of wines from the cellar and drinking in at Bistro 1855, at pocket friendly retail pricing.  


Check out their selection of wines available!


Having a large table would mean a privilege for group gatherings. Especially to unwind and relax after a stressful day at work. Hmm that large screen projector would definitely be useful for company's meeting as well as for soccer screenings...
 
How about a random wefie shot with Samuel before I carry on babbling about the food!?
 
Rustic Fries made from 100% russet potatoes was a pretty decent appetiser to start the meal with. The accompanying signature 1855 sauce is said to be a combination of sweet, tangy, spicy, smokey and savoury, all at once. Since I am a low spicy tolerance person, I felt that the spiciness being dominant, followed by the lovely smokiness.

The next finger food that would easily compliment well with alcohol would be the 1855 chicken wings! Going through 24 hours of marination before being deep fried to a super crispy exterior while retaining its juices within, I swear I could finish the whole basket of wings easily. 

Not so much of a cheese person, the cheese board served with 4 different types of cheese. As we know the taste of each cheese is unique and it is also an acquired taste. Either you learn to enjoy them or don't bother eating them at all. 

Crispy Pork Belly have always been one of my favourite type of dish. Not to mention Bistro 1855's version has super crispy skin! Not melt in the mouth but still tender meat, layered with that glistering fats, I definitely wanted more.

The Duck Confit that day was kind of disappointing. The duck leg was kind of dry and tough, perhaps too scrawny to begin with. There was also an unusual gamey taste and being cured could be the reason.

My favourite among all would definitely be the Lamb Shank! Slow braised in red wine and much to our delight, extremely tender and fall off the bone easily. I tried hard to detect even the slightest hint of gaminess but to no avail. Give me some bread and I could wipe the plate clean of its gravy! Definitely the highlight of the menu.  
 
My theory of enjoyment over glamness! I would love to use my hand to pick up the shank and bite the tender flesh off the bone. (Bone for posing purpose in here.) I actually did bite off some small bits from the leftover bone...
 
Unleashed the carnivore in me!

Not forgetting the 2 performers who entertained us with a couple of lovely songs!

Posing with the 1855 background!!! Like a graffiti wall! Thank you Samuel for letting me use his camera since mine sucks due to dim lighting conditions.
 
If this post already made your mouth water from all those delicious food, why not check out The Entertainer app to explore more 1 for 1 restaurant, leisure, body as well as travel deals!? 
The retail pricing for The Entertainer (Singapore) app is $60 and The Entertainer Singapore book is at $75. 
For a further 10% discount, remember to key in the promo code 2015ALVIN when you purchase!
 
If you need a tutorial on how to use the app, click this link here!
 
Thank you Bistro 1855 as well as the Entertainer App for the invite!

28 Apr 2015

Buffets with Yakitori in Singapore - Sumire Yakitori House, Shin Minori and En Japanese Dining

Any yakitori fans around here? If yes, you would love to read on since the post will be a personal review on 3 yakitori buffets found in Singapore that I have personally been to! I tank all the calories so that I could review these! (I did not put on a single kg anyway.)

Let me roughly share my experience!

Sumire Yakitori House

Price: $34.90 ++
Location: Icon Village
Meal of the day: Dinner
Variety: Middle range

The complimentary starter of cabbage given at the start of the meal tasted horrible to my friend and I. It was said to act as a 'cleanser' during our yakitori meal. Mainly easy-to-eat snacks such as this gyoza which was one of my favourite dish that day.

Their yakitoris were quite decent and refined, such as this bacon wrapped golden mushrooms. The only complaint I had was that they were too generous with their sweet sauce, resulting in overly sweet yakitoris that day. They were also not stingy with salt since their scallops were also slightly unbearable or I would have ordered more.

I was quite delighted to spot desserts in the Ipad menu! I had this soft mini taiyaki (waffle fish filled with red beans paste) as well as 5 scopes of ice cream! 


En Japanese Dining and Bar

Price: $38.90 ++
Location: Icon Village
Meal of the day: Dinner
No. of visits: 2
Variety: Limited range

One of the higher quality buffet around to make up for its limited range from its menu. I have been to this buffet twice, once in early 2012 and the other time was near the end of 2013. So far, I doubt there is a change in menu items. 


Sorry sashimi lovers, the sashimi platter is a 1 time serving only. (For 4 pax in this picture)

The menu also features salad and pasta that tasted of decent standard. 

Best pick for me would be the beef which were really juicy and tender, the scallops, salmon and meatballs. Check out these link for more information! (Round 1 and Round 2)

Shin Minori

Price: Lunch  $34.00 ++
          Dinner $37++ (Mon to Thur)
                      $39++ (Fri to Sun)
Location: UE Square
Meal of the day: Lunch and Dinner
No. of visits: 2
Variety: Huge range



The menu really wowed me and I was totally spoilt for choice and I only ordered the same few favourites of mine due to limited stomach space. Sashimi were not the freshest but decent. Swordfish available here, which is my all time favourite!


Too bad the pork belly we had was tough and dry, so my friend and I did not bother trying the rest unless it was stated that the grilled items were their specialty. (Check out my post here!)

Might have more Yakitori Buffets in Singapore next time??

9 Apr 2015

Orchard Central Food Trail - Green Rabbit Crepe and Salad Gastro Bar, I WANNA (cupcakes), Yi Li Pao Pao Ice

I always thought of town whenever I felt like window shopping. If you don't know me, my window shopping actually meant hunting around and 'shopping' for edible items. I was invited to a food trail, allowing me to taste from 3 (somewhat) new food establishments located at Orchard Central basement.

The healthy trend has been spreading like a wildfire throughout the CBD area for quite some time. Now it's town area too? It really seems that people who wish keep a healthy lifestyle has been on a constant rise, leading to the demand of salad outlets. The first tasting was at Green Rabbit - Crepe and Salad Gastro Bar, B2-06. I tasted 3 bowls of salad since the crepe batter wasn't ready due to manpower shortage. Is that a justifiable reason? A top view shot would be most decent since a close up on each individual bowl would definitely look like a huge mess of different vegetation. What's most attractive about salads before tucking in would usually be the vibrant colours.

Naturally the first thing to do with salads would be to toss and mix them well right after the photography session of course. The 3 salads I tried were 'Mona Laksa' (laksa inspired ingredients and dressing), 'Tom Yummy' (tom yum inspired ingredients and dressing) and Koi Nippon (Japanese style salad). The dressing were really unique and my personal favourite was the tom yum! Strong flavour and spicy level just right for me. 

Next stop is I WANNA, #B2-04. I admit that I am no fan of cupcakes and my blog content could easily prove this point. However, who could resist liking these cute petite bite size delights? I have already seen girls going crazy over such cuties and no surprise the other female bloggers were smiling in delight!

Their signature would be the lychee rose and red velvet! Check out the nicely piped glistening cream on these cupcakes! Despite being petite, there were dense, rich and sufficient to satisfy my sweet tooth! 

I just need a picture with these lovely cupcakes! Evilbeany took this picture for me... too bad he did not capture the lovely Greece painting on the wall behind... O well..
These red velvet cupcakes were ordered by a customer and we bloggers quickly capture a picture of them with this cute pinky sheepy... Meh.. (I wanna eat too!) 

Last but not least was one of my favourite icy dessert! Alright, I love eating all chilled/icy desserts. Yi Li Pao Pao Ice, #B2-05 is the first store out of Taiwan in Singapore, being one of the most popular shaved ice in Shilin Night Market. I tasted most of its flavours and my top favourite was taro and mango! (Yup, that was what I had in my cup) The ice was so delicate and it felt a bit foamy when melting in my mouth. Try different combination or even add your favourite toppings to enhance its appearance/taste.

This was the strawberry which one of the blogger had (forgot who). Yi Li Pao Pao Ice uses real fruits resulting in such pronounced and natural taste (try their mango ice ; mangoes imported from Taiwan and you will understand what I meant.) Check out the heart-shaped spoon imported from Taiwan too!

I just love to enjoy such soothing dessert. Thank you Evilbeany again to help me take these pictures despite the amount of people walking through this path along Orchard Central Basement!

Just love taking fotd (food of the day) pictures with beautiful background!

Simply spend a min. of $30 (max. 3 same-day receipts) at selected Basement 1 and 2 Food & Beverage stores to receive a $5 Far East Organization Mall Voucher. Limited to 1st 200 shoppers only. *Terms & conditions apply*

Thank you Orchard Central and Alvin Lim for the invite!

*Update* How to resist such soothing icy dessert? I went back again with a friend and had the valentine fruit (green mango) and passion fruit combo! The sour combo with the latter being more sour. My friend had the strawberry and passion fruit and he really enjoyed his shaved ice!!!