Kimchi Soup @ Northpoint Shopping Centre~

A delicious bowl of piping hot kimchi soup filled with lots of ingredients. The glass noodles are thick and springy, which gives mouthfeel than the thinner version that is commonly served in most foodcourts. The kimchi is nicely done, not too sweet or sourish, just nice. Hmmm... if only the anchovies were larger :x

The kimchi soup set ($4.90) is served with a bowl of rice, however, i chose for additional glass noodles to replace the rice.

Giant Pumpkin~

With halloween just round the corner, i spotted this giant pumpkin at a cold storage supermarket, just look at how huge it is. i couldn't resist to take a picture of it, like how often do we see giant vegetables or fruits in our local supermarket right?

Gelare @ Suntec City Mall~

Gelare outlets are usually exceptionally crowded on tuesdays because of their 1/2 price* waffles special, so in order to avoid the queue, we decided to roll over early to have dinner before our waffles :p~

~*Chef's Salad*~

i enjoyed the fresh greens with cheese, ham, grilled chicken, tomato and olive serve with thousand island sauce. The only thing lacking was a hard boil egg.

~*Black Pepper Chicken Spaghetti*~

This was quite good. The texture of the spaghetti was just right. And the black pepper chicken had a rich peppery flavour that was not too overwhelming.

~*Waffle with Passionfruit and Wild Strawberry Ice cream*~

Alittle indulgence... Freshly baked plain waffles drizzled with maple syrup with wild strawberry and passionfruit ice cream.

The passionfruit was pleasantly sourish and not too sweet, the wild strawberry was sweet and refreshing.

The texture and flavour of the ice cream was like as they have promised~

Gelare @ Suntec City Mall

3 Temasek Boulevard#02-084/086/088

Suntec City Mall

Singapore 038983

Tel/Fax: 6336 5615

Operations Hours: Mon to Sun: 9.30am - 10.00pm

*1/2 Price Waffles Terms and Conditions: • Only valid for plain waffles with syrup and cream • Dine In only • Not valid on public holidays • Not valid with any other vouchers, discounts or privileges

Lunch Take-away~

Hmmm... what could one do on a saturday morning?

Make a trip downtown to and fro Isetan Scotts supermarket with an ice box just to enjoy good quality japanese sushi and sashimi lunch take-away feast in the comforts of the living room.

~*Salmon sashimi, maki, kani nigri, maguro, kimchi and pickled seaweed & cucumber*~

Apart from the kimchi and pickled seaweed & cucumber, the rest were all freshly prepared on that morning. Check out the generous amount of crab meat in the nigri!

All these at $45 is not exactly cheap but it is well worth the price (satisfaction guaranteed)!

Isetan Scotts basement 1

350 Orchard Road, Shaw House, Singapore 238868

Open daily 10am - 9.30pm

Cafe Cartel @ Marina Square~

Cafe Cartel, a restaurant that specializes in western food, they're known for their free flow of bread and dishes such as the supreme platter, pork ribs and a variety of finger food.

~*Oriental Chicken Salad*~

A serving of seasoned chicken breast, onion ring, lettuce, tomato and shredded carrot.

i was expecting the oriental chicken to be savouring but it turned out SUPER sweet... didn't like it at all.

Cafe Cartel (marina square)

6 Raffles Boulevard
#01-208 Marina Square
Singapore 039594

Tel: 6338 9396

Operating hours:
Mon - Thurs: 11.30am to 11pm
Fri to Sun, eve and Public Holiday: 11.30am to 11.45pm

Mini Raisin Scone Cookies~

i haven't been baking much this few days... here's a little update on my latest baking experiment :p

~*Mini Raisin Scone Cookies*~

Sweet little treats, crunchy at first then it simply melts in your mouth :p~

Keke... out of shape mini stars :p

Adapted from Florence's Do What I Like blog - Raisin Scone recipe.

Some modifications to the recipe:

Ingredients

• 100g Self-raising flour
• A pinch of Salt
• 25g Sugar
• 25g Cold butter flavoured shortening (Crisco brand)
• 1 egg (lightly beaten and remove 2 tsp for glacing use)
• 3 tsp Fresh milk
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 1/2 tsp Honey (for glacing)

Method

1. Sieve flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
2. Rub in the shortening till bread crumb state. Add in the raisins and mix well.
3. Make a well in the mixture.
4. Add egg and fresh milk to make a soft dough.
5. Knead quickly and lightly until mixture is smooth.
6. Flatten dough to about 2cm thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutter (2cm in diameter).
7. Glace with a little beaten egg mixed with honey.
8. Bake on a lined tray at 200 degree celsius for 7 - 9 minutes or till cooked and golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving. Or cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

PastaMania @ Kallang Leisure Park~

A quick dinner with the girls before Sandy Lam's concert at Singapore indoor stadium...

The place was relatively packed with people (mainly hungry concert-goers i guess...) in the early evening. And over at PastaMania, there was already a queue at the order counter. Thank goodness the service crew were prompt in handling the orders and we didn't had to wait too long for our food.

~*Mixed Side Salad*~

No frills... simple iceberg lettuce, red pepper, tomato and carrot.

~*Combo A*~

1 Drink, soup-of-the-day and garlic bread.

~*Linguine White Wine Vongole*~

Hmmm... the pasta was average, could barely taste the white white wine...

~*Pasta Special Promo*~

Creamy spaghetti with crab meat.

PastaMania

Kallang Leisure Park
5 Stadium Walk
#01-05
Singapore 397693
Tel: 6348 6698

RedDot BrewHouse~

A chill-out session at Red Dot BrewHouse...

The restaurant's open air and alfresco setting is filled with lush greenary that adds a touch of nature, as we dine and unwind. Oh! And as the name suggests, they brew their very own beers from their microbrewery too.

~*Drinks & Food Menu*~

~*Red Dot Salad*~
A serving of fresh greens, olives, sundried tomato, onions, fennel, parmesan cheese
and cherry vine tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette.

~*Baby Lamb Rack*~

Australian lamb rack served with yoghurt mint sauce.

The grilled lamb was nicely browned on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Fantastic!

~*Tagliatelle Prosciuttu e Fungi*~

Cream based pasta with assorted mushrooms
and ham, topped with shaved parmesan cheese.

~*Pollo*~

A thin crust stone oven pizza topped with
BBQ chicken, mushroom, onions and bell pepper.

~*Prosciatto Cotto e Ananas*

A thin crust stone oven pizza topped with ham, pineapple and mushroom.

~*Monster Green Lager*~

This pilsner was brewed and lagered with spirulina, hence its unique green appearance.

~*RedDot Lime Wheat*~

A refreshing beeru infused with the zesty lime.

~*Weizen Tower*~

Chilled refreshingly fruity wheat beer.

~*Potato Cheese Ball & Calamari*~

Some finger food to accompany the beer~

RedDot BrewHouse @

Block 25A Dempsey Road

#01-01

Singapore 249679

For enquiries of bookings, 6475 0500

Ma Maison Restaurant @ The Central

My second visit to Ma Maison in less than a week, but this time it was at The Central. The cosy decor and friendly service were pretty much comparable to the standards of the Bugis Branch, except for the slight difference in special promotions and fewer salad options @ The Central.

~*Tuna Salad*~

For starters, a simple fresh salad drizzled with tangy dressing.

~*Hamburger Steak with Egg*~

Juicy and rich hamburger steak served with special demi glace sauce, a wobbly sunny side up egg, grilled veggies and potato salad.

Hmmm... the only minor "boo-boo" was the dou miao stalk that was alittle dehydrated and looked kinda sad :x

Note: Ma Maison @ Bugis Junction serves grilled potatoes instead of potato salad.

This was the key to "check-in" to a good dinner at our table as well as the key to check-out at the billing counter~

Ma Maison Restaurant
The Central @ Clarke Quay
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-96
Singapore 059817
Tel: 6327 8122

Paper-Lined Sponge Cake~

Oops! Uneven shade of brown!

i guess the heat wasn't evenly distributed in the oven :x

These were inspired by Amanda from 'Held by Love, Baked from Scratch' blog. Her paper-lined sponge cake look so pretty. Hence, i adapted her modified version of the original recipe (from Hugbear's Baking Mum blog) and viola! i totally agree with her, the recipe is extremely simple and the best part of all, these traditional chinese sponge cake are super delicious, soft and fluffy.

~*Paper-Lined Sponge Cake*~

Yummie-licious! A simple eggy sponge cake... awww~ comfort food for this 'lil longan :p

Ma Maison @ Bugis Junction~

A splendid double b'day celebration dinner at Ma Maison @ Bugis junction. We were awed by the cosy setting, there were just so many things to look at around the restaurant, old cricket bats, table lamps, toys...etc. The service staffs were really warm and friendly too.

~*Cha Soba Salad*~

This kind of reminds me of Yu sheng minus the raw fish...

Simply toss the ingredients together with the japanese mayonnaise...Tah dah! A refreshing starter to kick start the dinner~

~*Tonkatsu Set & Condiments*~

A satisfying and value for money deep fried pork fillet set, a must try for first timers.

It comes with a scoop of green tea ice cream served in a cute 'lil tea cup.

Check out the condiments that was served together with the tonkatsu set.

From left: Special sauce for the pork fillet, raw salt and japanese dressing for the cabbage salad.

~*Hamburger Steak with Cheese*~

Rich and juicy cheesy hamburger steak served with demi glace sauce and grilled potatoes and veggies.

~*Hamburger Steak with Egg*~

Lip smackingly good hamburger steak served with demi glace sauce, a sunny side up egg and grilled potatoes and veggies.

~*Tuna & Prawn Salad*~

A simple fresh green salad served with shrimps, tuna chunks and japanese salad dressing.

~*Brownie with Ice cream*~

Yummie!!!

The brownie was soft, slightly moist and not too crumbly... splendid!

The combination of smooth vanilla ice cream + brownie cake with walnuts :p~

hurrr~ simply divine~

Be sure to make reservations or be there just before dinner time, if not be prepared to wait in queue for a table.

Thankie, K, H, C, S & J! :)

Ma Maison Restaurant
Bugis Junction
200 Victoria Street
#02-51
Singapore 188021
Tel: 6338 4819

Brotzeit @ Vivocity~

A mini get together with S & V at Brotzeit.

My apologies for the poorly taken grainy and dark pictures...

~*Roasted Mixed Vegetables*~

While waiting for S to arrive, V & i had something light to accompany the beer.

The seasoning was alittle too salty for our taste and i guess the veggies were boiled/steamed then tossed with olive oil and seasoning instead.

~*Halbe Bier*~

This german beer is an Oktoberfest special and will only be available till the barrel runs dry. Prost!

~*Wurstelplatte*~

A platter of assorted sausages served with braised white german cabbage (sauerkraut).

i like the sourish flavour of the sauerkraut best! The greasy and rich flavours of the sausages that were too sinful for me but comfort food for others :p

~*Wiener schnitzel*~

If you're thinking, "Woah! What a gigantic serving of breaded fish this is!" i'm sorry it's not. Breaded veal served with potato salad and cranberry sauce.

The veal was nice and tender, a perfect match with the potato salad.

~*Meeresfruchtesalat*~

This was my personal favourite of the night...

A large seafood salad consisting of mixed fresh greens served with smoked salmon, tuna, a prawn, olives, semi-dried tomatoes, grilled zucchini, oranges and sour cream dressing. i like the way the tuna was done, lightly browned on the outside and raw on the inside, yum!

Dragonfruit Cake~

keke... i intended to bake a mango mousse cake but the mangoes were not ripe yet, hence this little creation with dragonfruits.

Trivia question: How can you tell the colour of edible portion(which is rich in vitamin C) of the dragonfruit just by its external appearance?

Answer: By looking at the shape and the number of "scales".
The white dragonfruit is slightly oval in shape and few scales whereas the red dragonfruit is rounder and has more "scales" (which are shorter than the white dragonfruit).

~*White Dragonfruit*~

~*Red Dragonfruit*~

~*Dragonfruit Cake*~

A three layer sponge cake sandwiched with red dragonfruit mousse and white dragonfruit cubes, topped with fresh sliced white dragonfruit and strawberries.

A refreshingly fruity light cake! A second serving, anyone?

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Basic sponge cake (click here for Aunt Yochana's recipe)
• 200 g Red dragonfruit
• 300 g White dragonfruit (sliced)
• 100 g White dragonfruit (diced into mini cubes)
• 200 g Whipping cream (Unsweetened)
• 2 Tbs Water
• 3 tsp Gelatine powder
• 5 medium size Strawberries (sliced)
• 100 g 65% Dark chocolate
• 30 ml Fresh milk
• 3 Tbs Honey

Method

1. Slice the sponge cake into 3 parts and leave aside.
2. Dissolve the gelatine powder in boiling water and leave aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Mash/blend the red dragonfruit with a fork/blender into puree form. Add in the honey, gelatine solution and stir to mix well.
4. Whisk and whipped up the whipping cream. Gently mix in the red dragonfruit puree mixture and white dragonfruit cubes. Divide the red dragonfruit mousse into 2 parts.
5. Place an 8 or 9 inch cake ring (depends on the diameter of your sponge cake) on a cake base. Lay the base layer of the sponge cake within the cake ring.
6. Pour and spread 1 part of the red dragonfruit mousse over it.
7. Place the next portion of the sponge cake slice over it and repeat step 6 again before sandwiching it with the top piece of the sponge cake.
8. Decorate the top layer of the sponge cake with the white dragonfruit and strawberry slices. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
9. Microwave to melt the dark chocolate in milk, leave it to cool slightly before refrigerating in the freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour.
10. After 2 hours, remove the cake ring and apply the dark chocolate ganache all over the circumference of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

RiverView Hotel~

A rainy sunday afternoon..

Lunch at the River Garden Coffee House & Terrace which operates 24 hours and is located at level 1 of RiverView Hotel. We were greeted with a big smile and ushered into the cosy restaurant setting.

~*Bak Kut Teh*~

My parents and bro had ordered this set,

Pork meat soup served with fried you tiao, pickled vegetables, yam rice and dark soy sauce with sliced red chilli. The meat was boiled till very tender (the flesh was came off the bones without much effort), the soup was filled with the richness of the pork and herb spices.

~*Seafood Salad*~

i had a heavy breakfast in the morning, hence i opted for something light and chose this,

A bed of sliced red tomatoes topped with rocket salad, fresh spinach, mango cubes, cooked fish slices, prawns, cuttle fish and dressed with olive oil and red wine vinaigrette.

RiverView Hotel

382 Havelock Road, Singapore 169269

Tel : +65-6732 9922 Fax : +65-6732 1034

Email Address : reservation@riverview.com.sg

Food & Beverage / Banquet: +65-6349 4896 / 7 / 8