alexis blogs: October 2012

Event Report: DBS NFC One.Tap at Shaw Lido

October 31, 2012

Advertorial

A couple of weeks ago on a Friday evening I was at Shaw Lido when I saw this DBS NFC one.tap booth outside and it was pretty amazing! I only knew about Visa Paywave (and only recently did I try it at Cold Storage, and that was cool as well) so when I heard that you can tap to pay with your phone I wanted to try it!

What is NFC you ask? It means Near-Field Communications, which essentially is a short-range wireless communication technology that transmits data between a mobile device and a reader.

Unfortunately my iPhone 5 has no NFC. Boohoo!

I saw so many people win free movie tickets and moviebites combos. Even IMAX vouchers! There was also a guy who was wearing an NFC sticker on his shirt, so you just gotta find and tap him (with your phone!) to win. Hurhur.

All you need is an NFC-enabled phone like the Samsung Galaxy or Sony Xperia. Basically most smartphones that run on Android or even Blackberry. NOT apple.

Here's my colleague Mark who tried out the one.tap with his HTC phone! He won movie tickets!

I also found later that there's a video of the event. Those people who won are so surprised when they got red carpet mobbed, lol! I wish it was me too...

I grabbed one of the signboards that people are carrying. It's quite hilarious. Now, perhaps I should consider an NFC-enabled phone the next time so I can put all my DBS cards into it so there's more space in my wallet for taxi receipts -_-

There are over 30,000 merchants in SG that accepts NFC payment, including Comfort/CityCabs (no more stretching across the seat to punch in numbers on the machine, just tap!). You can also tap at Watsons, Shaw Theatres (when you are late that is very important).

There are also mobile coupons that you can redeem with one.tap. All of these tap transactions are possible because of collabs between DBS + MasterCard + Starhub + EZLink with the phone app "SmartWallet".

You can view more of what DBS one.tap is about here:

SIGN UP for this amazing service on the DBS site now!
There's a promo for free popcorn when you use One.Tap at Shaw Theatres to buy a pair of movie tix from now till end of the year. That's super awesome. GGGMTL!

hawker

Hawker Feature: Chong Boon Market & Food Centre

October 28, 2012

You know what is great about living in the heartlands? You get great local food from food centres that has been around for decades. My favorite thing to do on weekends (other than going for brunch) would be to go to a nearby coffeeshop or food centre, and eat ALL the good food! You'll be spoilt for choice at these places.

I'm also doing a series of hawker centre features precisely because there's so many stalls in there that you might wonder, which are the ones really worth your $2.50-$4 to try? You can only eat so many dishes. Well, I am trying them, and telling you which are the ones to look out for!

Also because of some friends from overseas who would love to try out local food. Well today we are starting with Chong Boon Food Centre. I went at noon and it is packed with heartlanders. I love it!

Of course there is the famous Chia Keng noodles as covered by ieatishootipost. You have to queue at least 15-20 minutes for it. Some like it, like my brother, but I've tried it before and found it too oily.

For today, we ordered the kway chap (look for this plate's colour). It is... average.

The Chwee Kway was really good. It is rice flour cakes with chai poh (preserved vegetables) on it. The kway is very soft, and the chai poh slightly sweet, very finely minced and not too salty. It was just a bit oily at the end with the chili (also good!). Recommend! It can be found at the last row, corner, with a white signboard with 2 chinese words which means chwee kway.

Next, the prawn and pork rib noodles at the last row of the food centre. Look for the purple bowl, that's the right one! It is the same row as the chwee kway. It is very delicious according to my sister and dad. Many people were eating it too. I'll hedge my bet that it's awesome.

I ordered the Chinese mee siam ($2.50) from the stall that had many accolades and press coverage stuck on it. It's a pity, it wasn't really that good. It does not have the "shiokness" from a tangy, spicy mee siam. This was in fact a bit too 'milky', even though the eggs were sliced nicely.

Chong Boon Market & Food Centre

Blk 453A Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Singapore 561453

That's about it for the coverage! On the way to eat, there's also a bird singing competition at the void deck. No wonder I woke up to ferocious singing in the morning. There must be at least 30 bird cages. I find it very culturally interesting that we have such things happening.

mikmikk

Adventures of MikMikk: Saturday at Sentosa!

October 28, 2012

food review

Food Review: El Toro Latin-Mexican at 7 Purvis Street, Singapore

October 18, 2012

food review

Restaurant Week '12 Dinner: Bronte at 8 Greenwood Avenue, Singapore

October 16, 2012

Visited Bronte again this time round for Restaurant Week dinner after having a good one at Chef D'Table. I've also been to Bronte for their brunch, which was pretty good. Hence I booked this even though it had a 'surprise' menu. And also because it was the one of the most available timings for dinner on Wednesday and had no extra $20++.

I took a bus, and even though I thought I was early, I walked up the wrong road and was lost! Even though Greenwood is supposed to be really near my old junior college.

The appetizers were served really quickly that night.

Here's the menu of the night. Very simplistic. We had one of each.

The place was rather empty even though it was said to be fully booked. We noticed most people were not there for Restaurant Week as well other than another large group. Most were there for regular dinner.

The garlic prawns cooked in white wine butter was quite good, with a very sinful butter sauce that went great with the toasted bread.

The salt and pepper calamari with lime aioli dip was very mediocre. The only good thing was the calamari was not rubbery.

The braised beef cheeks with mashed potatoes, spinach, portobello mushrooms and madeira jus was a bit too gelak for us. The beef cheeks was really soft though. The mashed potatoes could be fluffier.

The baked barramundi fish with lemon buttered mushrooms, sauteed spinach and potatoes was quite a good dish comparatively. The fish was quite fresh. The lemon butter sauce could easily go on a baked salmon fillet as well. Very simple dish.

Trying out different angles with my Panasonic Lumix GX1.

Lastly the dessert - pistachio panna cotta with poached pears. Well, firstly it should have been pear. Singular slice! There was no sauce on it, and the pistachio flavor was not in the panna cotta, but more of a sprinkling of it. It is so underwhelming. The panna cotta itself is too firm, and lacks any type of flavor.

Overall I was pretty disappointed with Bronte's showing. Restaurant Week is meant as a way for diners to find out more about a restaurant at an affordable price, so they can go back next time for the full menu. But Bronte did not step up, so I will not be going back there for dinner in future.

food review

Restaurant Week 12: Chef D' Table at Chijmes, Singapore 187996

October 13, 2012

One of the hottest week for checking out new places has just passed. Did you try any of the Restaurant Week places this time round? In Singapore there are 2 times a year in which quite a lot of restaurants will offer lunch at $25++ ($29.40 inclusive of GST, service charge) and dinner at $35++ ($41.20). The starred restaurants will offer it at $40++ ($47.10) and $55++ ($64.70) accordingly.

All of them have to be booked via the website. If you are not fast, the good ones will be snapped up really quickly! Then you have to leave it to random chance that what you've booked is good. Consider also the menu.

For this Restaurant Week, my colleague booked for us a lunch at Chef D'Table at Chijmes. I've never heard of the restaurant before. The place looks like a very classic French bistro. The service was quite attentive, and it was rather bustling when we arrived at 1.45pm. It wasn't too noisy or packed though, just the right amount of people who no doubt are there for Restaurant Week too.

First up, the Cold Salmon Roulade:

With assorted olive salsa and port wine raisins compote, laced with parsley and tomato oil, balsamico reduction. Apparently it is an award-winning dish represented by Singapore in Las Vegas. It looks really good! Taste-wise, I felt that the salmon was a bit dry and though quite a good appetizer, did not really impress me as much as the menu description did.

My colleague topped up an additional $6 for the lobster bisque which she mentioned is very thick and flavorsome. Well done.

For the mains my colleagues ordered the roasted orange duck leg with sauteed wild mushrooms and asparagus, laced with orange cream sauce. It was rather average, according to my colleagues. Not badly done or anything, the meat was tender and juicy, but again, nothing amazing about the dish. It is actually quite difficult to be amazing with duck confit to be honest, after trying so many in Singapore, I concluded that a good one is truly hard to come by.

Me and another colleague ordered the beef loin fillet with white bean puree and parma ham chips, with garlic sauteed broccolini and thyme scented red wine sauce. Wow, that's a mouthful. To be frank the 'parma ham chips' tasted like tapioca chips, and the white bean puree.. I thought was mashed potatoes? It has to be!

But this dish was saved by the beef fillet that was pan-seared to seal in the juices and left a deep dark pink inside. It was super tender and beefy. Very satisfying as a piece of steak. I enjoyed it very much.

Next up, rather mediocre desserts. If only they had creme brulee instead!

There was the home-baked cheesecake with raspberry couli. The cheesecake was quite light, but did not go to the fluffy level.

The passion fruit panna cotta with seasonal fruits, tropical fruit coulis, was a bit too dense. The flavor was quite intense though and the presentation well done, but underwhelming. I would have preferred a traditional panna cotta that is more well-done, actually.

Overall out of 3 course I would say just go straight for the steak. The rest are forgettable. But for restaurant week, this $25++ meal is really worth it!

Chef D'Table

30 Victoria Street, #01-29 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996
Tel: +65 6338 4898
Mon - Sat: 11:30 - 14:30, 18:30 - 22:30

beauty

Beauty Review: October 2012 Bellabox

October 13, 2012

food review

Food Review: Fern & Kiwi Restaurant at #01-02/03 The Cannery, Clarke Quay, Singapore 179024

October 07, 2012

Was kindly invited by the folks from Fern & Kiwi Bar and Eatery again for a proper food tasting after they had their Grand Opening in September. Spoke to many people that night - the very friendly PR guy, the restaurant manager and the chef.

The big question was "What IS New Zealand food?"

Being the first authentic NZ restaurant to set up shop in SG, they are by default a representative of the country. Huge responsibilities!

After some explanations and the proof in the pudding, the answer was clear.

New Zealand food is quality.
It is the best of nature's offerings because the country is in the middle of no where but receives the best in rainfall, clear ocean waters and rich volcanic soil. What that gives is rich agricultural produce, good beers, the best fish and cattle.

Even though they are also very close to Australia in the types of food, in terms of cooking style they have more Maori influences.

Well then, let's walk my epic meal of that night then shall we?

The restaurant was moderately filled on a Wednesday night. The tables and chairs are laid out quite comfortably on the second level above the bar.

We started with a Super Cold Steinlager. It was.. really quite cold. A very light beer that is not too dry, which I liked a lot. But this has to be drunk before it gets warm!

Here's the menu to give an idea of their repetoire. At first glance, it is very 'Western', with the usual entrees, salads, pizzas and main courses of meat. But if you look closer you will see that the items are there for a reason.

Prices are slightly on the high side, but that is because most of the ingredients are imported from New Zealand, and very fresh.

Now on to the dishes! First up - hand cut 'lady claire' fries ($8). Apparently they tried to use the potatoes from around here but found it unsatisfactory so they flew in their own. It had a stronger 'potato' taste to it, and was very satisfying. It also goes very well with beer!

Next we tried the Pizza Flatbread ($14) which is caramelized onions with Gruyere cheese and rock salt. It is a very interesting pizza as an appetizer - the caramelized onions was sweet and lent a fragrance to thick crispy pizza bread.

We then had the mini burgers or sliders in the 2 flavors - the Cajun Kingfish sliders ($16) and the NZ Beef and Venison Sliders ($15). Notice the beetroot in the beef and venison slider in the middle. It's inserted on purpose to give the slider that twinge of sweetness that comes from beetroot. Very creative, and the pairing is perfect. I also really liked the fish slider with the homemade tartare sauce. Super fresh fish and its gone in a bite!

Next up, the Green Lip Mussels ($17) coated with tomato sauce. Shellfish is not my favorite, but I had a couple because I don't mind it that much when cooked this way. I do find them a bit tough though and would advise that you check out other entrees if you do not have a craving for mussels.

You might find yourself having a craving for.. pork ribs perhaps?

The classic pork spare ribs - a Lone Star classic ($18.50) was obviously also a Fern and Kiwi hit because almost every table that night had a rack of it. For a ENTREE it is also humongous! 2 people can eat this as a main course, really.

Coated with honey bbq orange glaze, the pork ribs were simply amazing. The meat melted off the ribs so easily in a medley of fats, tender fibers of pork and juice. If you ever had a hankering for pork ribs, you know where to go. It's really good. Highly recommended!

Hot off the heels of that amazing rack of meat is finally a main course dish - the 'Canterbury Plains' rack of lamb ($37) with port wine jus and twice roasted potato mash. Don't you think this looks like the paw of some monster?

Oh but, the lamb was so good. Mary must have been proud. It was soft and the gamey taste of lamb just enough to differentiate it from beef, but not too strong to overpower. It was juicy and not too salty. The buttery potato mash also acts as the perfect background to the masterpiece. Again, I have to recommend this if you are looking for some lamb in your belly!

You would think the delicious overeating will be over after all that but no! The kicker of the night and the most surprising part came in the form of desserts. Well, there is always room for some.

The desserts blew my mind. I don't say this lightly, but they did.

It's probably the best desserts I've had in 2012.

We start with the Miniature Pavlovas ($12). It is like a giant macaron with the sugar hard crust outside, that is filled with diced kiwifruit and passion fruit with chantilly cream inside. You will not expect how they complement each other so well, with the different textures and taste of sweet and tangy and creamy all together. It's a party in my mouth! All the time!

And then came the Moro bar and Kahlua Cheesecake ($13) with moro bar and kahlua, finished with a ginger syrup and an orange mint salad. This made ZQ make a very funny expression as well. And so did I because the first thing you experience when you put it in your mouth is ok, cheesecake. Then it kinda swirled around and you will taste the texture and richness in flavour. And then it finally hits you that you just had the most amazing dessert ever. WOW!

Just. go. eat. it. already.

And so that officially concluded our meal. It was really quite epic. I hope you've made it to the end of this post even.

Consider Fern & Kiwi Bar and Eatery next time you are thinking of a great place for a authentic NZ meal that is full of goodness from the Earth itself. Prices might be high, but if you order wisely and try their desserts, you can be assured of a good time.

Fern & Kiwi Bar & Eatery

3E River Valley Road, #01-02/03 The Cannery, (opposite TCC at Taxi Stand)

Clarke Quay, Singapore 179024

Tel: +65 6336 2271 | Menu

Mon – Thu: 4pm – 2pm , Fri – Sun: 4pm – 4am

This is an invited food tastings but all opinions are my own and honest.

Event Report: DBS NFC One.Tap at Shaw Lido

Hawker Feature: Chong Boon Market & Food Centre

Adventures of MikMikk: Saturday at Sentosa!

Food Review: El Toro Latin-Mexican at 7 Purvis Street, Singapore

Restaurant Week '12 Dinner: Bronte at 8 Greenwood Avenue, Singapore

Restaurant Week 12: Chef D' Table at Chijmes, Singapore 187996

Beauty Review: October 2012 Bellabox

Food Review: Fern & Kiwi Restaurant at #01-02/03 The Cannery, Clarke Quay, Singapore 179024

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