Easy Monin Martini

Ric bought me some Monin Fruit Syrup for my new acquired interest in drinks mixing.

We uses the Strawberry Syrup (1 part) with Gin (3 parts) to create a simple Martini from its recommended recipes.

The gush of 47% alcohol Gin burns my throat; reminds me of the days when i first started drinking at Pubs.

Now, i would have preferred drinking in the comfy of home with close friends.

Yoshinoya Rice Bowl

I love the unpretentious cooking from Yoshinoya, since day 1. The simple tasting food appeals to me whenever i just wish to fill my stomach with nothing too fancy.

As Asians, our staple food would simply be 'Rice'.

Salmon Bowl Set, with Miso ($6.20)

I love my Salmon raw; Yoshinoya is the few eatery that cooked its Salmon to my liking, albeit the small piece of serving.

Gyudon Beef Bowl Set, with Miso ($6.20)

And Ric never gets tires out on their Beef bowl.

We often get these 2 bowl option to share :) Sadly, these healthy, oil less small bowl left us hungry pretty fast.

Yummi Chiffon Cakes

Chiffon Cakes ($1.60 each)

Having been just featured on TV "Driving Miss Foodie" last Wednesday, Brother brought us these colorful Chiffon Cakes; Donuts look alike. Each color tells a different flavor. We have here (from the top), the Cheese, Strawberry, Pandan, Orange, Banana Chocolate, Chocolate and Cranberry. Our favourite - the Banana Chocolate.

These Cakes have to be consumed within 2 days as they don't contain Preservatives. It's also less sweet than our usual Pandan Chiffon and it's ultra soft and spongy; you could melt it in your mouth.

Brother bought these again on 9th July. With an addition of Hazelnut and Oreo flavours; their best would still be the Chocolate and Chocolate with Banana Chiffon.

All in all, $1.60 is still pretty expensive for a palm-sized Chiffon Cake. What says you?

Buy these at :
Tanjong Pagar MRT #B1-04 or Alexandra Technopark #01-12.

World's Friendliest Restaurant

As we picked Mc as our Tea Break venue, it dawns on me that McDonald's Fast Food Restaurant deserves to be reign as the World's Friendliest.

McCafe Cappuccino ($2.50)

Whether in overseas or local, don't we just found great ease strolling into any of its restaurant for a respite or a quick bite.

Friendly Pricing and Services always. And it's one eatery that you wouldn't worry about being shoved away even if you are not making any purchases :)

Today, at their Liang Court outlet, they had made an effort doing a heart-warming Coffee Arts on our Cuppa. It makes Ric so happy; he found his Cappuccino totally worth its value ;)

So, there's a kid in him sometimes too...

Simple effort, amplified Joy; service goes a long way.
Keep it up Mac!

Samsung - World's Largest FULL HD LED

We saw this display demonstration at the Audio House of Liang Court Shopping Centre.

The World's Largest Full High Definition Light-emitting Diode (LED) TV from Samsung!

With a video presented from a Blu-ray Player and surround sound supported by slim stylish Home Theatre System, i couldn't resist not sitting into the comfortable sofa for the free entertainment.

This 70 Inch" baby is retailing at $88,888.

Lunch at Meidi-Ya

We were at Liang Court to pick up my Watch Boxes from Audio House and decided to lunch at the Food Hall of Meidi-Ya Supermarket.

The Sushi counter was selected.

Ika Teriyaki Set ($10)

Akauo Mirin Set ($8.80)

An ALL Fish menu is only available at the Sushi counter.

Set comprises of Cabbage Salad, Pickles, Rice and a bowl of rich Miso Soup (as seen in the top picture). With free flow of hot Green Tea.

For a welcoming change, try this Japanese Grill - light yet aromatic; tasteful in its own way.

Eggy Porky

It's ultra disappointment that my newly brought Panasonic FX38 broke down just after 3 months into using it; dampens my spirit in seeking out new food tries :(

Well, home early from work today, i've promised Mom to help out for Dinner; she would be worn out after her usual Monday session of Acupuncture treatment.

And i've got the opportunity to learn this dish of Fried Eggs with Minced Meat; our childhood favourite - even until now.

Simple Steps, Simple Ingredients:

1. Beat up 3 Eggs with Minced Meat; sprinkle a dash of Pepper Powder and Salt. Mix well.

2. Heat up a Spatula full of Oil in a wok and pour in the above mixture.

3. As it cooks, turn the 'Egg Pancake' about, don't worry about breaking it - you are suppose to anyway :)

4. Turn to low heat; continue frying and tossing (about 25 mins)

5. When it achieves your required browning, turn up the heat to force out the excess Oil from the fried Meat (2 mins). Done!

It was such a simple dish to cook; but the time taken to brown the Eggs is a little lengthy.
But i bet your Kids would love you for this dish, so would your Hubby :)

Fishing at Swensen

Catching Swensen's 1-for-1 Lunch Treats Promotion before it end this month, we were at their Funan IT Mall outlet.

Despite having some disagreement with Ric earlier, the tasty platters served here is a Spirit lifter; hope Ric is feeling the same. Let no argument hurt our feelings further than it should.

Chili Fish Pasta ($14.50++)

This is Ric's but i really loves this dish.

Its sweet, mildly spiced Oriental sauce is appetite whetting. Deep fried Fish Nuggets is a perfect foil for this tangy Spaghetti set.

Grilled Fish Samba ($14.50++)

Ric had recommended this strongly for its tasty Sambal and succulent Dory fillet. He rated it above a similar Samba Fish dish we last had at Fish & Co.

It was noteworthy also that the accompanied Vegetables were fresh, sweet and crunchy.

Delights at Swensen's :)

Bakerzin - NY Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake ($39+)

Boy! It seems a long time since i last had a proper Cheesecake!

Soft creamy Cheese upon a layer of nutty crunch, sweetened by a coat of tangy Strawberry glaze. Yum!

In the size of 18cm dia, we had it for $19.50+ after Bakerzin's monthly 50% discount off their featured cake. It's definitely a good bargain for value.

Even Mom who repels Cheese took a few mouthfuls. I had promised her an Oreo or a Chocolate flavored Cheesecake one next round :)

For her love of Cocoa, she may grow to accept Cheesecake ;)

How to... Cut Pineapple.

So PioneerWoman taught how to cut up Pineapple also, read here!

We have just bought a Malaysia Crystal Pineapple ($1.80 from Giant) and i can't wait to employ what i've learned :)

The tricky part would be the cutting between the hard rind and the good part of the fruit.

A thick part of the rind have to be remove to obtain the clean sweet Pineapple flesh; an average sized Pineapple therefore do not yield much edible serving.

It's my first attempt and i can't help feeling proud of it; though it really is an easy feat. But i've got to be more careful next time, bristled my right index finger that's still hurting as i'm typing now...

Teo Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle

Ric led me to the Tampines Round Market for the much acclaimed Pork Rib Noodles at stall #01-05. They operate till 2pm daily and rest on Monday.

Despite what its signboard reads, almost NObody have Minced Pork Noodle here :)

Pork Rib Noodle ($3)

Luscious Pork Rib is its Signature. They serve up braised soft bone portion that's cooked so soft, you particularly finish the bowl without leaving any bony remains! Amazing!

Chicken Feet Noodle ($2.50)

Another Collagen fix would be the braised Chicken Feet. Equally well-braised yet never over salted.

Egg noodles used here adds flavor and texture to our bite. Yum.

Hock Lam Beef Soup

Yeah, i'm guilty for being a sucker for 1-for-1 makan deals. That's the reason why we're here within such a short frame of time from our last visit.

On top of that, i do, of course misses eating their Beef Noodles :)

Beef Noodle (Soup), with Mixed Beef & Tendons ($8.50)

The 1-for-1 Dinner deal is for Weekdays only, after 6pm; where the area is mostly deserted save for the nearby clubbing patrons. Condition being: Large bowl had to be purchased for the deal.

We had a try of the soupy version today. It was a lighter eat yet equally enjoyable compared to the dry version we had previously.

Read here for my more detail review.

Chen Fu Ji Noodle House

The much anticipated Singapore PC Show opens today in Suntec City and the place is crowded. Yes, the area carparks are all packed and roads are jammed.

We purpose to lunch at less heaving Sky Garden on level 3 of Suntec where Chen Fu Ji Restaurant is offering a 1-for-1 for their "Hand-pull" Lan Zhou Noodle (by RBS credit card).

Beef Noodle Soup ($9.80+)

The top photo is by Ric. Light flavorsome broth with generous portion of well-roasted Beef!

It's aplenty. We registered 12 slices of Beef pieces vaguely :)

Beef Noodle in Tomato Sauce ($9.80+)

I love my bowl of sweet and lightly sour Tomato tang! It's a wonderful fusion of Italian Tomato Spaghetti sauce and Chinese Tomato paste cooking.

It was a totally appetizing and refreshing experience; i hate to swap bowl with Ric :) And Chen Fu Ji does impress today.

It was to the Computer Fair after Lunch, of course :)

东京烧, Tokyo BBQ

It's been a long, quiet day at home and i was hoping to draw some excitement from sizzling seafood at this well-favourite seafood bbq stall in Ayer Rajah Food Centre, blk 503, along West Coast Drive, stall no. #01-07.

Yep! From this fresh selections you would have your BBQ Stingray, Grilled Crab, Hotplate Squid, Oyster Omelette, Sambal Cockles, Hotplate King Prawns, BBQ Crayfish!

BBQ Stingray, 方鱼 ($8)

Oily as dished everywhere; i particularly enjoy scraping the tender gooey flesh off the cartilage, even devouring the soft cartilage at times :)

Hotplate Sambal Squid ($8)

Oh, they serve up one of the plumpest Squid! All juicy and chewy, in sweet spicy sauce that reminds me of Satay sauce?!

There's also some bits of the Squid that look gelatinuous and translucent; this gummy part is an acquired taste. I quite like it. Is it the Eggs?

Cincaluk is replaced by their Chili dipping sauce with Shallots & Anchovies here. This stall however, could well be the better ones around as i revisit my post of Rong Guang BBQ & Lee's BBQ.

Breakfast - Egg-in-a-Hole

Mum was standing by, watching as i carve out a hole in the centre of our Bread with a Soup Spoon and cracking an Egg over it subsequently.

Exclaiming repeatedly, "So elaborated." :)

Don't i just love recipes from the PioneerWoman's blog! Here's another one of Breakfast, named Egg-in-a-Hole, read here for the recipe + step-by-step illustrations!

Butter used for frying gave a warm and delicious look to the piece. Not mentioning the sinful buttery crunch.

HOLD the Salt, if you've got a healthier taste buds like us; Butter alone is suffice in salting up. The smidge of Pepper however, offers a mildly Spice tang. Mmmm...

Heavenly!

Both in the fun of cooking and the taste of it.
Love to do this everyday, haha...

And Mum had enjoyed this Breakfast as much, reminiscent her the taste of American Styled Breakfast :)

You should enjoy this too.

How to... Aloe Vera Dessert

Sister has an enormous Aloe Vera Plant sitting in our garden that was bending over under its overbearing weight. So mom and i decide to trim away its steams and prepare 1 big pot of Aloe Vera dessert for the family tomorrow.

The Herb Society of America believes that Aloe (Aquilari Agalloche) to be the only tree descended to man from the Garden of Eden!!


From the morning, we cut 10 thick steams from the plant and set to work, skinning, cutting and rinsing away the aloe vera sap. Skinning the steams is the most tricky part of the process, but once you have done that, all is plain sailing. No cooking required.

Aloe Gel, after rinsing away of slimy sap.

Skinning the Steams - Firstly, remove the stretch of thorns by its margin with a Potato skin peeler (now, you could hold the Aloe safely), followed by the green covering from the faces of its steams with a plastic/ wooden Knife.

Cutting - Cut the white fiber flesh of the Aloe in manageable bite sizes.

Soak & Rinse - A repeat process of soaking and rinsing away the sticky sap from the Gel (flesh) with water. This process uses lots of water, depending on the amount of Gel you are clearing and how well you wish to remove the slimy sap. (Alternatively, cooking the Aloe Gel over fire in sugared water help rid the slimy sap immediately.)

Sweeten Up - We harvested the Gel that have been cleared from most of its sticky sap and poured a can of Longan Fruit Syrup to it (Canned Fruit Cocktail give you a beautiful mix, or ANY sweet Syrup of your choice). Do NOT add additional water to the mix; the Aloe gel will melt slightly over time to form part of the syrup.

Chill Up - Chilled up the dessert for 12hours in the refrigerator as we want the Gel to absorb sweet flavors from the sugary syrup and wipe it of its raw grassy taste. Serve over ice!

Aloe Vera Dessert with Longan canned fruits.

BONUS: While preparing the Aloe Vera, do your complexion a BIG favor by applying those sticky saps over your skins. Yes, meaning your face and any rough spots on your skins.

The cooling sensation of the sticky saps is quite pleasant as it gets absorbed fast, leaving behind nothing, you don’t even have to wash it off your face. However if you have got sensitive skins, rinse off after 10mins of application.

When applied on the skin, the sap is believe to heals minor burns, wounds, improve skin conditions and rejuvenates skin. It also believes to have anti ageing properties by feeding our body cells...!

My skin does feel so much tighter and facial pores minimizes after my 30mins therapy :)
Read here, for 40 more uses for Aloe Vera!

Fried Carrot Cake

I've learnt how to prepare Fried Carrot Cake!
Having assisted Mom with the cooking yesterday, i'm doing this for Ric today.

STEPS:
1. Purchase plain Carrot Cake kueh from stall; ours was Home-made kueh.
2. Oiled the Non-stick Pan, browning the sliced pieces of Kueh slightly on both sides. This should take some cooking time.
3. Add generous minced Garlic to the centre of the Pan.
4. While the Garlic sizzles, break up the Kueh into smaller bite size.
5. Break 2 Eggs to the Pan and give a toss to everything like how the hawker does!
6. Sprinkle Light Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce to taste. (Add Dark Soy Sauce now if you are doing the Black version of Carrot Cake)
8. Add chopped Chinese Celery while tossing and cease fire.

This healthy Home-cook dish come close to the fare you get from the Hawker Centre and your MSG over-induced taste buds would thank you for the change :)

For you, my friend.
Good Health!

Hock Lam Beef

Yeah, we have a hard time locating Hock Lam at China Street.

The brand name that's been around since 1911 and counting, famously specialising in Teochew Beef Kway Teow; this is but our first try.

Beef Noodle (dry) with Mixed, 牛杂 ($5.50)

Our mixed beef bowl includes sliced Beef, Tripe, Shin and Beef Balls but without the Tendons. Noodles with Tendons are favorably priced at $6.50 and $7.50 per Small bowl serving.

Their age old recipe in original Teochew style comes with salted vegetables strips and plenty of crushed ground nuts. The broth was equally good, flavorful yet without a tinge of MSG.

A dribble of Lime juices and their spicy sour Chili mix to the thick broth ascends one to Heaven...

Seemingly pricey to us initially, we were won over after savoring our generous serving bowlful!

Enjoying almost a Century old recipe. Priceless!

Bread of Life Bakery

Right at the walkway of Queen's Bubble Tea in Far East Square (while i waited for Ric), there's this Push Cart full of lovely baked bread for sale, named Bread of Life.

Friendly food samplings were offered and it was good! Having generally fluffy texture and flavorful taste, i would wish to savour more of it, haha...

Mini Custard Ball ($2)

Happy Face Cake -Blueberry ($1.20), Golden Chocolate Cake ($1.50)

While i understand this being only their 2nd day in operation, i witnessed returning customers who buy without hesitation. Wow...

Mum would love this, Bake Tapioca Cake ($1)

So if you love freshly baked bread with no preservatives, come down to support this new entrepreneur. Prices start from $1.50 for White Bread.

Queen's HK Bubble Tea Cafe

In Tropical Singapore, one of the best businesses to go into would be that of blended ice drinks. It's ever popular as a thirst quencher; tasty, economical and fashionable to be spotted with :)

Queen's is one such popular stall at Far East Square drawing a queue from the lunch crowd.

Chocolate Snow Blended ($1.50)

What's fascinating me is their inclusion of traditional chewy Black Pearls for ALL their drinks concocts! Super cool & tasty. With multiple flavor choices at $1.50 only.

My Chocolate Snow Blended came chocolaty, with fine snowy ice; a far cry from Gloria Jean's coarse Ice Blended drinks.