Friday, December 29, 2006

HOT off the press!


The Return of the Donut to our Krispy Kreme starved island!!!

These donuts were featured in today's URBAN and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them ;D With Singaporeans craving for these freshly made calorie laden treats after Dunkin Donuts closed shop, The Donut Factory (located at Raffles City Food Marketplace) couldn't have opened at a better time. With the festive season in full swing, the shop actually had to limit customers to whatever donuts were left on the shelf - good thing I was able to snap up a Peanut Butter Chocolate & Glazed Donut at $1.2o each :D While the taste wasn't as mind blowing as Mister Donut from Japan, I still savoured the soft texture and the salty contrast of the peanut butter... mmm

stormiii at 1:15 am

0cups of tea

Friday, December 15, 2006

Birthday Blitz 2: One Rochester

(Top L to R: Kaman & Minghui outside One Rochester; the Playroom)
(Bottom L to R: Christmas spirit; chocolate addicts - Huiting & Yingz)

We made it to One Rochester (1 Rochester Park, Tel. 67730070) on my actual birthday! Slated as one of the hip and happening nightspots, I'd been wanting to check the place out for the longest time :D Rochester Park is one of the few remaining places that boast colonial black and white bungalows dating from the British days. As a kid, I remember my Dad driving up there on one of those lazy Sunday afternoons and I would dream of owning one of those beautifully restored houses, complete with wicker furniture and a dog ;D Well, things have changed and half of the park has now been given a makeover as exclusive dining spots e.g. Graze and Minjiang.

One Rochester is made up of different function rooms - one can choose to lounge in the main area, the balcony or garden. I decided on the "playroom" which is a cosy corner filled with 3 comfortable sofa beds and taffeta curtains that offer a certain degree of privacy (couples, take note!). We started off with $10+++ martini specials (from 5-9pm) served with cocktail nuts and fish in salsa sauce tapas. Everyone got hungry at that point so we went for their spiced potatoes (wedges in spice, 10/10!), seafood papads (wantons with a tiny filling of seafood, 5/10) and crab cakes (9/10).



The highlight was definitely a huge surprise for me - Yingz and Dee smuggled in the "Chocolate Addiction" cake from NYDC (a yummylicious treat filled with 3 layers of white and dark chocolate) :D Thank you gurls, for making my special day even more memorable!

stormiii at 2:12 pm

1cups of tea

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Gabriel & Grace


 "I, Gabriel take you, Grace...." - We attended the wedding of Gabriel and Grace one blustery Saturday afternoon. It was a lovely wedding and you could really feel the couple's joy on their special day :) I love the stain glass window, which is in the shape of a huge cross.


 After the matrimonial ceremony, we adjourned to The Jewel Box/Altivo Bar right at the top of Mt Faber. It was smart of the cable car company to develop their beat up station (where one can hop into cable cars to enter Sentosa Island) into a trendy night spot with killer views. That's the view of our southern islands, which will doubtless evolve dramatically, what with the proposed IR amongst other things!


Seok Shin and her inquisitive son, Anselm.

We were given the upper viewing deck to dine and mingle around. Getting to the Western buffet spread (located one floor below) proved to be a challenge and the skies threatened to pour a few times. Still, the alfresco concept and live music was a breath of fresh air to the typical sit down dinners at hotels ;D

stormiii at 1:23 pm

0cups of tea

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Birthday Blitz 1: Barefoot cool at Lagnaa


It's the start of my birthday week again ;D I was torn between the spicy meatballs from Lagnaa (barefoot dining) or posting about a place that I've never been to - Bombay Woodlands. The spicy meatballs won and I pulled two colleagues Somika and Smitha to the heart of Little India for dinner. At least I won't be lost when the ordering is done ;D


Lagnaa (6 Upper Dickson Road, Tel: 62961215) appears as a surprise find as you wander down the side roads off Upper Serangoon Road. The first floor of the narrow shophouse cafe houses the kitchen, a few more tables and chairs and an interesting looking wall filled with scribbles and drawings from satisfied customers.



It is the second floor that cocoons you away in another world. You sit barefoot on plump cushions and eat at low tables. The atmosphere on weekdays is quiet with only three or four tables being occupied. But it is a meditative kind of quiet as customers chill out to the soft sound of Indian classical tunes in the background.



(L to R): Spicy threadfin curry, spicy meatballs, pepper chicken and paneer butter sauce.

The main thing that sets Lagnaa apart from the multiude of north/south Indian restaurants in Little India is its warm and attentive service. A former banquet chef, the owner Kaesavan and his wife attend to you like old friends, giving recommendations on the day's specials or tailoring your menu such that you get to taste various spice combinations.

We started off with spicy meatballs (chilli level 3; ranges from 1 to 6!) and pakoras (a deep fried mixture of vegetables). The meatballs were not as good as I'd remembered but nevertheless my tastebuds cried out in sheer happiness at the treat ;D The three curries we ordered came soon after, together with some garlic and butter naan. The threadfin curry was exceptionally spicy while the pepper chicken was milder and had a creamy sauce; probably the first time I've had a pale looking Indian curry. I enjoyed the paneer butter sauce, which contained chicken and tiny cottage cheese pieces and was made using a cashew nut base.

We finished off the meal with cheesecake and chocolate-misu (adapted from the tiramisu) and a good dose of yummy mango lassi :) Lagnaa also serves chocolate fondue peppered with Indian spices, curry fondue (for dipping naan into) and for the Christmas season, turkey curry fondue!

stormiii at 1:35 pm

0cups of tea

Monday, December 04, 2006

Peach Garden

My sister and her Kodak moment ;D

Another family gathering last weekend saw us at Peach Garden (273 Thomson Road, #01-06 Novena Garden, Tel: 62543383). We celebrated the 10th wedding anniversary of my cousin, whose parents-in-law had come down from Denmark to see their two adorable and troublemaker grandsons :) Peach Garden made headlines recently for their affordable yet modern twist to Cantonese cuisine. It is also located away from big city restaurants, although the carpark fee did not reflect that difference!


An 8 course dinner was served, starting with deep fried eggplant and siew yoke (roast pork) appetisers. Next, double boiled soup served in a winter melon bowl. I'd thought that the melon only contained the clear broth, but then my spoon re-surfaced to reveal chopped pieces of prawn, scallop, mushroom and bamboo shoots. Some bowls also had tiny slivers of shark's fin. Definitely a nice surprise :)


I read about this dish in other food blogs so I was only too happy to see that it was part of the menu! Deep fried prawns coated with a thick layer of wasabi mayonnaise and a generous sprinkling of fish roe... my mouth still waters at the memory of the contrasting tastes - tart, salty, spicy and creamy :D I think I would return just for this dish alone!


 This was also another clear favourite - homemade spinach tofu and tender vegetables served in a crabmeat, egg white sauce.


Pan fried cod fillet accompanied by fresh canteloupe pieces. Mom commented that they sliced up the cod in such a manner that allowed the meat to flake off easily.


The ubiquitous noodle dish did not disappoint either. Succulent scallop and prawn served on a bed of vegetables and crispy noodles. The thick sauce was wholesome but perhaps a tad too flavourful. For dessert, we had a choice of mango and pomelo or bubur hitam (black rice cooked to the consistency of porridge) . The mango dessert was alright as it only had a little amount of pomelo. The bubur hitam was served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream instead of coconut milk, which went down better with the more health conscious ;)

stormiii at 5:34 pm

0cups of tea