found kith

bubbly heart

the interior of the cafe

woo... protein shake

It has been quite sometime since I last update the blog due to my work.  I just spent my splendid week with 2 guest from Japan on a very special project.  Though it was tired, I really enjoyed spending time with them, showing them around this little island that I lived in and most important of all, its this wonderful friendship that we built throughout these few days.  I hope they enjoyed themselves here and hopefully we can meet each other again.  I am now trying to post up about the cafes or restaurants I had been to recently, so please do bear with me if you see a few posts within a day... It's just me, too eager to share with you all everything.

This is the second branch of Kith cafe located at Parkmall, near Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.  I have not been to their very first branch at Robertson Quay, but read so much about it and finally I'm here at the branch.

Upon crossing the road to Parkmall, the cafe is just located at your left hand side, and there's a sign board there to direct you too.  This branch is not really big but they have ample outdoor seats, I love them placing different types of magazines at the back of the seats, so that you can enjoy your coffee and relax.

Looking through their menu, I realised that they do serve Protein Shake.  Seeing it reminds me of my ex-colleague who will make protein shake every evening to replace his meal.  Though it looks interesting, but the protein shake don't come cheap.  Guess, I don't really need this after all.  Anyway, I got a cup of Mocha, while Y.B got herself a cuppa Latte.  The coffee was really good and aromatic, even Y.B whose initial thought was just to accompany me, enjoyed her cup of Latte.  There isn't much cakes available when I was there, but well, they just start operation few days ago when I was there.  I hope to go back there again to try their breakfast and not forgetting my cup of Mocha.  Going to love this place~~~

KITH CAFE @ PARK MALL

Park Mall, 9 Penang Road #01-01E

http://kith.com.sg

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lunching sakae sushi

kaki fry don

fried kaki (oyster)

california roll

Both Y.B and I had been craving for some Japanese food and we decided to walk a bit further to Parkmall's Sakae Sushi for our lunch.  The weather has been quite hot recently and the walk from our office to Parkmall takes about 10-15 minutes, but for the sake of our cravings, we just go for it.

This Sakae Sushi at Parkmall was not really crowded at that point when we were there.  This particular branch have sushi buffet too, but we decided to give it a miss and order from the ala carte menu.

As Y.B decided upon her Tempura Udon, I decided to try Kaki Fry Don.  Kaki Fry is actually fried oyster and they try to make it like Oyakodon with egg and onion and place on top of a bowl of rice.  There were 3 pieces of fried oyster on my Kaki Fry Don and it tasted so yummy when it first serve to me, however, it started to get soggy as I was eating the rice as the sauce sipped into the fried oyster.  The sauce used to cook this tasted a bit sweet and left a plastic after taste and I decided to stop eating it.  I was glad that Y.B and I shared a plate of California roll before my don has been served, otherwise, I think I will walk off as an angry customer.

Other than that, Y.B did enjoy her Tempura Udon and the sushi was quite good.  It's up to individual on how they like their food to be, but for me, I will not order this particular dish again.

SAKAE SUSHI @ PARKMALL

9 Penang Road, #01-15/15A

http://www.sakaesushi.com.sg/

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traditional chinese pancake on busy weeks

thickly spreaded pancake

Its has been a busy week trying to rush for deadlines and making sure all things are in proper at work.  Being a super workaholic at times, I find myself falling sick twice within 3 weeks.  Fever, throwing out and cold shivering, I think its a way that my body is telling me to slow down my pace. 

Anyway, I made Traditional Chinese Pancakes on last Sunday with sis and it's only until now that I realized I forgot to post it up.  Bad me, bad me... Anyway, this Traditional Chinese Pancake is a very well-known Singapore snacks which we usually called it as (Bee Chian Kueh) and the usual filling is crushed peanuts and sometime shredded coconut.  But sis love to eat it with red bean paste, I got the recipe from a Happy Call Pan Fans Group on Facebook and decided to give it a try.
So there we go.... Red Bean Paste Bee Chian Kueh. 

ingredients

- 150g plain flour

- 1 egg

- 30g sugar

- 185mls water

- 1/2 teaspoon yeast

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- some red bean paste (depends on what you like for the fillings)

method

- mix everything except for the red bean paste into a bowl

- mix well and cover the bowl and leave it for 45 - 60 minutes

- make sure the batter bubble-ed up, otherwise leave it a bit more longer

- pour the batter onto Happy Call Pan

- cook on low heat for about 6-8 minutes

- remember to move the pan to the left than right then left for even coloring of the pancake

- don't have to flip the pan

- remove from pan and cool

- spread the red bean paste or crushed peanut or anything you like~~

crazy over muah chee

soft, hot & chewy muah chee topped with aromatic crushed peanut

This local snack that makes my sis go crazy about is called - Muah Chee.  You can find this easily at local snack shops or night market where you can see the lady snipping some white sticky dough in a pan of crushed peanuts.  My sis always could not get enough of it, so today we decided to make this together at home and you should see how we enjoyed one big plate of the hot Muah Chee together with our family.

I got the recipe from Ellena at her blog Cuisine Paradise.  Over at her blog, she has a step by step photo guide to follow.  We used Happy Call Pan to make it, but in Ellena's blog, she also have links to the recipe for those who do not have Happy Call Pan.

ingredients

- 1 cup glutinous rice flour

- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

- 3/4 cup to 1 cup of water

- 4 shallot, thinly sliced

- 2 tablespoons of oil

- 2 cups of crushed peanuts (I used ready made crushed peanut with sugar)

method

- saute shallots and oil on HCP over low heat until golden brown, remove the shallot and leave the oil in the pan

- mix glutinous rice flour with sugar

- slowly add in water and mix with whisk until smooth, I used about 3/4 cup of water

- pour the mixture into the pan and stir it with a wooden spoon

- continue to toss the dough at low heat and cook until the surface of the dough become transparent.

- coat the bowl you intend to place the dough with some oil

- remove the dough from the pan and place it into the oil-ed bowl

- in another bowl, pour in the ready made crushed peanut

- use a scissor and cut the desired amount of dough into the crushed peanut 

-snip the dough as you coat it with the peanut and serve it while hot.  Enjoy~~

exploring flor...

Mango Pie

Waguri Mille Feuille

shop front

different types of pretty delicacies 'seducing' me

my cup of latte

This is an unplanned trip to Duxton Hill today.  My sis, little nephew and I were wanting to go for some Korean BBQ for dinner along Tanjong Pagar Road, but find ourselves arriving too early, therefore, we intend to look for a place to relax and sit down for some drinks.

Flor Patisserie is a Japanese Patisserie serving Japanese inspired French pastries and cakes.  You can choose to have it take away or if you have some time like us to spare, there are little sitting corners for you to relax and enjoy the beautiful and delicious cake.  

I ordered a Mango Pie and Waguri Mille Feuille along with a cup of Latte.  The Mango Pie is a Baked creme d'amande tart filled with pastry cream, and topped with fresh ripe mango and blueberries.  The mango is sweet and juicy and the combination of the sweetness from the fruit and the pastry goes so well that you just can't get enough of it.  

Sis fell totally in love with their Waguri Mille Feuille which is a pastry with delicate strands of French chestnut cream carefully piped over a sandwich of crisp, flaky puff pastry and pastry cream, topped with sweetened Japanese chestnuts.  This pastry looks somehow similar like Mont Blanc, a friendly Japanese staff explained to us that the difference between WMF & Mont Blanc is that Mont Blanc is with the sponge cake whilst WMF is using the flaky puff pastry, though both were using chestnuts, the texture is totally different.  Sis love it so much and we decided that we will order this cake for our birthday in September.

Overall, I love the coziness of this patisserie and the warmth of the staffs serving in the little shop.  Though the sitting place is not a lot and the pastries might be a bit pricey, but it's still alright for a once  in a while indulgent.  I really love it and I recommend you all to try the pastries there, and who knows, you will be the next one falling in love with Flor...

FLOR PATISSERIE

2 Duxton Hill #01-01

http://www.cakeflor.com.sg/

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disappointing chicken chop meal

side dishes

chicken chop with mushroom sauce

A quick lunch with Y.B before she need to rush back to office for more photo taking.  I used to like coming to this restaurant for meals when I was young.  However, as times goes by, not only the prices of the meal went up, the meal shrunk down.

I ordered a set of Chicken Chop with Mushroom sauce which comes with a soup, drink and fruit.  The soup was quite blend and it took sometime for Y.B to realise that what we were drinking was corn soup.  The garlic bread was over toasted, hence it turns out to be very hard and making it very difficult to bite.  The side vegetables were tasteless, think they just boiled and no seasoning was added.  Overall, I was so disappointed with my meal.  The restaurant do serve other type of food, but I will not order this particular set anymore.

colour me up, hot choco



colourful marshmellow floating on creamy hot chocolate



scooping up the colourful marshmellows

A friend of mine S.T blessed me with some hot chocolate which she brought back from her holiday trip to United States.  I really love these yummy and colourful Marshmellow.  It really brighten my night and warm me up for a good night sleep.

admiring my cornish pastry

my big and filling cornish pastry

look at the inside of this giant

Today's lunch is a simple Spicy Chicken Cornish Pastry, basically it looks like an enlarge version of curry puff just that the pastry is lot more smoother and softer.  My first experience with Cornish pastry was when I was in my Secondary School. Back then during our Food & Nutrition class, we learn to make all sorts of pastries using different type of dough.

Anyway, back to my Spicy Chicken C.P, I like it that the pastry is not really think and the spicy chicken filling is tender, juicy and piping hot.  I think it will take about 2 person to finish it if you like to have it for tea, but if if you are as hungry as I was then, then one of it can really fill you up.  The cafe serve original and spicy chicken C.P and each cost $5.20++, go try and see if you like it.

THE SECRET RECIPE @ PLAZA SINGAPURA

68 Orchard Road #03-18

http://www.secretrecipe.com.sg/default.asp

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slow afternoon at McCafe

beautifully decorated mochacchino

my promotion set deal

the berries cream cheese melt

Recently, I have been finding myself craving for some good coffee, but most of the places I'm at don't seems to be near any nice cafe.  Desperately, I wanted to have some coffee today and I don't care much about anything, I find myself walking straight into McCafe.  

This particular McCafe is located in a Business city at the west, there isn't much crowd there as most of the people must be up at their office desk doing their work at that point of time.  I took the promotion of  Strawberry Cream Cheese Melt and Mochacchino which cost less than $5.  The Mochacchino was great but I don't really like my Strawberry Cream Cheese Melt, personally I find it too oily.  Other than that, I quite enjoy the slow afternoon in a surprisingly not crowded McCafe, just so relax...

MCDONALD'S SINGAPORE @ PSA

460 Alexandra Road, PSA Building #01-25

http://www.mcdonalds.com.sg/mccafe.html

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aromatic banana cake

banana cake in the process of cooling down

freshly out from the oven

The bunch of banana placed on the dining table gave me an idea on making Banana Cake for my family.  This is not the first time I'm making Banana Cake, however, this time round I tried to use this recipe from Wen's Delight.  I did a little bit, just tiny bit of modification to the recipe but it still turns out alright.  Here you go..:

ingredients

- 200g of ripe bananas, cut into small pieces

- 130g of brown sugar (you may use granulated white sugar)

- 3 medium sized eggs

- 150g of plain flour

- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

- 100g of vegetable oil (in Wen's recipe, she stated any oil except olive oil)

- 1/8 teaspoon of banana essence (optional)

method

- grease baking with butter, you may use 8" round cake tin, I used loaf tin

- pre-heat oven to 160 degree Celsius

- sieve plain flour, baking powder and baking soda and leave a side

- whisk sugar and banana

- add in eggs, one at a time and whisk till smooth,

- whisk the mixture until stiff or ribbon state

- fold in the flour and mix well

- add in the oil and mix until batter is shiny and smooth

- add in banana essence and mix well

- pour the mixture into cake tin

- bake it for 40 - 45 minutes

- insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean, the cake is done

- remove cake from cake tin, cool completely before cutting it. enjoy~~

street galore : hoddeok - korean sweet pancake

just out from the frying pan

sweet yummy cinnamon and sugar filling

Hoddeok 호떡 (Korean Sweet Pancake) is a very popular street vendor food in Seoul, Korea.  Sis who just came back from her holiday in Korea was craving for it and after seeing that Maangchi also made this on her Youtube video, I am eager to try my hand on it.

The last time I handle yeast was when I was still in my secondary school.  All I can remember is how I need to spent time for the yeast to rise and beat off the air, everything in my memory about yeast was troublesome.  The way Maangchi handed the yeast seems quite simple, so after many years later, I decided to abandon my laziness thought and just do it.

ingredients (make 8)

for the dough

- 1 cup of lukewarm water

- 2 teaspoon or 1 packet of dry yeast

- 2 tablespoons of sugar

- 2 pinches of salt

- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

- 2 cups of plain flour

for the fillings

- 1/4 cup of brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

method

- in a big bowl add in lukewarm water, dry yeast, sugar, salt and oil and mix well

- add in plain flour and mix well into a sticky dough

- cover the bowl with a cover or cloth and leave it for an hour

- after an hour, mix the expanded dough and beat off the carbon dioxide out of the dough

- leave it for another 10 minute

- make the filling by mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon and leave a side

- on table top, dust some flour, place dough on it and knead lightly till smooth

- divide dough into 8 equal size dough

- flatten the dough, place filling in the centre and warp up

- heat the frying pan, place one filled dough on the frying pan with the wrapping side facing down

- after 30 seconds, flip the dough over and flatten it with spatula

- pan-fried till both side of pancake are golden brown

- eat it hot.  Enjoy~~

my first taste on burbur pisang

bubur manis

This sweet Malay dessert is called Bubur Pisang meaning Banana Porridge.  Basically, it's banana and some sweet potato boiled in coconut milk and sugar.  This is my very first time trying this dessert through recommendation by Y.B.  Take a while for me to get used to it, but after a few mouthful of the dessert, I seems to be able to accept the taste of it.