Festive Occasions

In collaboration with @leeweebrothers, @auntieannesg ‘s National Day special is one that you should not miss. The Otah Seaweed Pretzel celebrates local flavours with the aromatics and spiciness of Lee Wee & Brother’s signature otah paste on its handmade pretzel filled with lightly salted seaweed nori flakes. Surprisingly, the otah was not overly spicy nor was it overpowering. In fact, with each bite full of seaweed, I thought the combination was quite complementing with an umami kick. Perhaps it was only its shape that was a little unusual.

Available till 31 August at all stores.

To celebrate the opening of their Margaret Drive outlet, @creamier_sg is offering a 1-for-1 ice cream cone/cup promotion this weekend! Since National Day is right around the corner, Creamier pays homage to our nation’s heritage through 3 limited edition National Day flavours - Waffled Putu Piring and Sesame Tang Yuan, and Pulut Hitam.

Imagine a traditional sesame tang yuan dessert translated into a frozen dessert; Rich nuttiness of black sesame as if a black sesame paste, encompassing tiny balls of chewy, glutinous rice, reminiscent of Mochi.
Interesting while retaining its cultural identity.

I was, in fact, looking forward to the waffled putu piring, a collaboration with Bege Rack’s Chong Pang Putu Piring. While I enjoyed the bits of grated coconut in caramelised gula melaka that wasn’t cloyingly sweet, I thought the nuances of pandan and coconut in the ice cream could be stronger.

Other than the August specials, you can also get your ice cream fix with their usual delectable flavours at the new Margaret Drive outlet.

Created specially for Christmas and will only be available for a limited period of time, the dark chocolate mint croissant is an indulgence for every dark chocolate mint lover. Extremely flaky, the twice baked croissant is filled with nothing but dark chocolate decadence and an infused mint syrup that you could choose to add based on your liking. It felt like a taste journey, as I first tasted the bitter but richness of the dark chocolate on top and from the filling, before the mint emerged and leaves a cooling sensation. Embellished with golden coco nibs and charming Christmas colors. Perfect for a Christmas pastry dream. 🎄

Highly recommending the all time favourites (Christmas edition) that consist of a Pistachio Chocolate Croissant, Mixed Berries & Coconut Croissant, Dark Chocolate Mint Croissant, and a Strawberry Cheese Croissant. All you need for a merry Christmas!

Happy National Day! 🇸🇬 What’s your favourite local inspired food amongst these treats to celebrate our nation’s 57th birthday?

Only available this August, the coconut pandan gula melaka cream puff by @baristartcoffee_sg is one not to be missed! Made using their signature premium Hokkaido BIEI jersey milk, you’d find the local flavours-inspired custard smooth, light and slightly milky. Featuring a pandan and coconut infused custard, coupled with a Gula Melaka filling, all encased in a uniquely crispy Choux topped with desiccated coconut. The luscious, oozy custard all revealed upon the first cut, exuding hints of earthiness symbolic of ondeh ondeh without being cloyingly sweet. Recommended for sharing.

Happy Father’s Day!

Had an advanced celebration with this Father’s Day Set from Breakthrough Cafe, a non-profit social enterprise under religious organization Breakthrough mission, to help former drug addicts reintegrate into society through providing employment opportunities. Coincidentally, mum had always wanted to support them, while not knowing that they serve Chinese dishes that were some of dad’s favourite.

At $87 nett, the Father’s Day set feeds up to 6, with 6 portions of rice and 5 different dishes; Otah, curry fish head (large), vinegar pig’s trotter, sesame chicken and mixed vegetables with fermented fish sauce. Dad felt that the curry fish head seemed like it had an Assam element with pineapple slices added to the thick, creamy curry. Personally enjoyed the sesame chicken that was really tender, and the spiciness of both shredded and sliced ginger. Not a fan of vinegar pig’s trotter, but this one was particularly sweet, though the gigantic trotter was kinda intimidating. 😂

Islandwide delivery is still available in Phase 2. Delivery charge was included for this set. Check out their Facebook page at Breakthrough Cafeteria for more details.

#savefnbsg #loveyourlocalsg

Another signature not to be missed is the sliced fish pao fan. The sweet fish broth, was packed separately from the rice and crispy rice puffs. Really appreciated this gesture in order to retain the original crispy texture of the rice puffs, which was brought along a toasted aroma that was rather dominating. The broth was light on the palate, without much MSG detected that made my mum really happy. They were also generous with the fresh fish slices and dried sole fish! A heartwarming dish.

A classic Chinese dish, the roast chicken was served with crispy keropok and the dipping salt and pepper. The chicken was already adequately salty on its own without the salt and pepper, especially the skin which I thoroughly enjoyed although it was no crispy. Even as we reheated the leftovers from the day before, the chicken meat remained surprisingly juicy. The keropok turns soggy rather quickly, so it’s best to consume as soon as possible!

As a BBQ crab specialist, I had total faith in their steamed crab with vermicelli that surely didn’t disappoint! Even before tucking in, aroma of the crustacean with garlic in abundance was already filling the air. Crab wasn’t as big as expected, but its flesh was fresh and firm. Adding to the oomph was chili padi, especially in the rich flavoured garlic oil that seeped right into the vermicelli underneath.

Both dessert choices weren’t too flattering, unfortunately. No doubt the butter cake itself was nicely executed with a moist inner texture, the remaining components were just overloaded with sugar; sweet brûléed meringue, with a sweet ginger butterscotch and a dried tangerine ice cream which I had expected to be light on the palate. Additionally there was also an oozy orange jam, way too sweet.

Just as its name suggests, the bone-on turbot was easy to handle as the bone was left right in the middle, and the fish was so well-cooked till moist and tender to rip off the flesh. However, the Sarawak pepper soubise sauce was overwhelmingly salty despite adding a nice touch of pepperiness to the fish, but it was also possibly the saltiest dish on the entire menu. Served with fleshy mussels and spring onions.

Chef Woo gave a whole new definition to Hongshao, or Chinese braised, by utilizing this cooking cue on Ibérico pork. My first impression tells me that it resembles char siew with a delicate caramelic sweetness and a heavy saltiness. Unfortunately, its texture was also disappointing, making it really hard to chew. The Chinese bacon just adds on to the overall savouriness. Perhaps the charred Brussel sprouts was the only thing that worked for me in that entire dish, especially when it tamed all the other saltiness.

This dish was essentially the essence of the ocean with an explosion of umami. Sweet, tender scampi seasoned with some Szechuan peppercorn served on a tangy tomato confit. Somehow reminds me of a seafood pizza, except missing the crust. Check out the alluring Oscietra caviar that sits beautifully on top, delicately rich and sweet, which brings along a popping sensation. One of the highly prized caviar in the world, simply lost for words.