A Magical Christmas Beckons at Park Hotel Group

Posted on December 9, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

This holiday season, Park Hotel Group transforms into a magical wonderland brimming with a symphony of palate-pleasing Yuletide gastronomy, Santa’s favourite goodies and hampers, as well as luxurious room escapades.

Bloggers were invited to a festive gathering at Park Hotel Clarke Quay’s Cocobolo Poolside Bar & Grill. With exultant holiday greetings and heart-warming gatherings with friends and family, relish an irresistible ensemble of barbecue treats as the stars dance in the sky.

We were treated to some of the festive highlights that will be made available to the public at Grand Park Orchard and Park Hotel Clarke Quay.

Roasted Spanish Paprika Crispy Pork Belly stuffed with Apricot

Roasted Chilled Grain-fed Australian Beef Prime Ribs with Bones

Glazed Five Spice Bone-in Gammon Ham with Orange Cinnamon Sauce

Asian-flavoured Turkey with Cumin & Ground Hazelnut Sauce

Some of the seafood that misterchewy had. I could only envy those who went for several helpings of the fresh seafood selection.

My favourite was the crispy pork belly which I felt was the most well-executed.

First time eating a plum pudding and I love it!

With the plenty of gastronomical Christmas offerings, do consider making reservations early to avoid disappointment. And if you are looking for something funky to wear for your Christmas party celebrations, head over to Zalora now! Check out Zalora’s Christmas gift guide and place your orders by December 20th to receive your purchases before Christmas 🙂

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy

Open House (Level 4), Grand Park Orchard

Countdown to Christmas
Date: 1-23 Dec 2013
Price:
$48++ per person for All-you-can-eat Festive Lunch.
$32++ per person for All-you-can-eat Festive High Tea.
$58++ per person for All-you-can-eat Festive Dinner.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Date: 24 Dec 2013
Price:
$48++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Eve Lunch.
$108++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Eve Dinner (free flow wines, juices & soft drinks)

Kris Kringle’s Christmas Day
Date: 25 Dec 2013
Price:
$68++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Day Lunch.
$68++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Day Dinner.
*Top up $50++ for free flow champagne, wines & soft drinks.

New Year’s Eve All-you-can-eat
Date: 31 Dec 2013
Price:
$25++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Eve Lunch
$148++ per person for All-you-can-eat Christmas Eve Dinner (free flow wines, juices & soft drinks till 1230am)

Brizo Restaurant & Bar (Lobby Level), Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Exuberant Festive International Buffet (Mon-Fri)
Date: 16-20 Dec 2013
Price: $35++ Adult, $18++ Child (Lunch)
Date: 16-19 Dec 2013
Price: $48++ Adult, $24++ Child (Dinner)
Date: 20-23 Dec 2013, 27-30 Dec 2013
Price: $58++ Adult, $29++ Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.

Christmas Eve
Date: 24 Dec 2013
Price: $78++ Adult, $35++ Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.
**Free flow of soft drinks for children aged 6 years and below.

Christmas Day
Date: 25 Dec 2013
Price:
$52++ Adult, $26++ Child (Lunch)
$58++ Adult, $29++ Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.
**Free flow of soft drinks for children aged 6 years and below.

New Year’s Eve
Date: 31 Dec 2013
Price: $80++ Adult, $40++ Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.
**Free flow of soft drinks for children aged 6 years and below.

Cocobolo Poolside Bar + Grill (Level 2), Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Festive BBQ Dinner
Date: 6, 7, 13, 14 Dec 2013
Price: $52++ Adult, $26++ Child
Date: 20, 21, 27, 28 Dec 2013
Price: $58++ Adult, $29++ Child

Christmas Eve
Date: 24 Dec 2013
Price: $68++ Adult, $34++ Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.
**Free flow of soft drinks for children aged 6 years and below.

New Year’ Eve
Date: 31 Dec 2013
Price: $80++ Adult, $40 Child (Dinner)
*Top up $38++ for free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Wine and Beer.
**Free flow of soft drinks for children aged 6 years and below.

Grand Park Orchard
270 Orchard Road
Singapore 238857
Tel: +65 66038855

Park Hotel Clarke Quay
1 Unity Street
Singapore 237983
Tel: +65 65938855

Village Hotel Katong Singapore Staycation Review

Posted on December 5, 2013 by missuschewy

– Sponsored Staycation –

It had been a good 3 months since the last time misterchewy and I went on a romantic staycation in Singapore. It’s always nice to spend quality time with your spouse over the weekend, experiencing a totally new yet comfortable and chic environment such as the newly launched Village Hotel Katong, which is the latest addition to Far East Hospitality’s growing portfolio of hotels and serviced residences.

Located in the eastern region of Singapore, Village Hotel Katong is a non-smoking property housing a total of 229 hotel rooms and is integrated with the family-friendly shopping mall, Katong V. Being just a 15-minute drive to the Changi International Airport, Central Business District and Orchard Road, the hotel provides excellent connectivity to key business and leisure locations. It is also within a 5-minute walk to the Parkway Parade Shopping Mall and 10-minute walk to the East Coast Park. Superb for family staycations as well.

My parents dropped us off at the ground floor of Katong V and we took an escalator up to the lobby of Village Hotel Katong. The husband and I waited in line for quite sometime and we both thought that the check-in process could be faster and more efficient.

This was our lovely home for one night, an expansive 35 square metre Club Room on the 6th floor of the hotel. Do note that the larger rooms are all situated on the lower floors. Our club room, in a soothing shade of blue, was not only cosy but very homely. I was already making notes for our future abode! We certainly don’t mind coming home to this every night 🙂

In line with the Village brand’s philosophy of drawing inspiration and vitality from its surrounding neighbourhood, Village Hotel Katong reflects the strong Peranakan heritage of the surrounding Katong and Joo Chiat district in Singapore.

The larger rooms are also designed with a comfortable couch sitting area where you can relax with a good book and a pot of hot tea.

Adequate supply of complimentary coffee and tea.

Clearly, misterchewy was very impressed with this. He exclaimed, “WAH! New one! For iPhone 5!” The iPod docking systems that we encountered during all our previous staycations were designed for the older iPhone models and not suitable for iPhone 5.

A sliding glass door separates the bathroom from the room.

Our room didn’t come with a bathtub. The husband phoned reception in order to satisfy my curiosity and they mentioned that rooms with bathtubs were not ready yet. We weren’t exactly affected anyway because of my pregnant state, it’s not advisable for me to take hot baths.

All bathrooms are equipped with a powerful standing rain shower to revitalize and refresh tired guests after a long day of work or shopping.

My OOTD for this staycation was from Maternity Exchange! Absolutely love this black number from my maternity sponsor as the cut is flattering and it accentuates my baby bump. Best of all, the material is light and stretchy (made of lycra fabric if I’m not wrong) which does not trap heat or cling to my skin. To jazz up my outfit, I paired it with my black and gold necklace from Diva 🙂

I would also like to thank Beauty Direct for the Star Lash falsies in Dark Brown #17 which is very natural-looking.

I was kinda starving as we didn’t have lunch. It was almost 4pm when misterchewy came back with 328 Katong Laksa! He took only 20 minutes (including having to wait for the food). Plenty of eateries around the area! It’s too good to be true! Anyway, I have been avoiding cockles ever since I became pregnant. Somehow, laksa doesn’t taste as shiok without cockles but this was quite good. Very satisfying lunch for the both of us 🙂

Not only is Village Hotel Katong integrated with Katong V, NTUC FairPrice Finest is just directly below the hotel, on the ground floor. Talk about ultimate convenience. For those who have always wanted to check out Group Therapy Cafe, it’s there too!

Staying in the Club room combines exceptional comfort with a host of exclusive privileges like access to the Peranakan Lounge for daily breakfast and evening cocktails from 6pm to 8pm, in a comfortable environment, both for both work and leisure that will make you feel right at home, Peranakan style.

We popped by the Peranakan Lounge for some light bites at 6pm and saw that finger food such as cold cuts, chicken satay, seafood quiche and pastries were available. The husband had two cans of beer while I opted for freshly squeezed orange juice.

We were supposed to check out a newly opened restaurant for dinner at 8pm but we changed our minds since it was raining and also because of the fact that we were kinda full from the numerous sticks of delicious chicken satay. Earlier in the day, Judy the baker from Happy Avenue delivered her homemade kueh lapis and cupcakes to us. My intention was only to try a few slices of kueh lapis but misterchewy and I ended up finishing up the whole box! :O

We felt so guilty that we woke up at 6am the next morning to… take photos of the gymmasium.

Just pretending to be working out.

I was quite amused by the swimming pool. Does swimming around the circumference count as one lap? 😛

Katong Kitchen, located on the 4th floor of the hotel, opens as early as 6am for breakfast. I’m glad we woke up really early for our best meal of the day!

This is by far my favorite at Katong Kitchen, the Nasi Lemak station! 🙂

If you have enjoyed our Village Hotel Katong staycation review, check out the opening promotion valid till 9 February 2014 or take advantage of the Holiday Savers+ and get 25% off per night when you book now till end January 2014!

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Village Hotel Katong
25 Marine Parade
Singapore 449536
Tel: 6344 2200
Email: info.vhk@fareast.com.sg

Morganfield’s Singapore: Morgan’s Christmas Platter

Posted on November 29, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

Thanks to Morganfield’s, we got to try out their Morgan’s Christmas Platter after work last week! 🙂 Since the platter was good for four, I asked Bee along while misterchewy extended the invitation to his colleague CS.

This photo was taken near closing time, hence the empty table. It was previously occupied by an all male group.

Morganfield’s at Star Vista looks like a pretty popular place as the restaurant was 90% filled during dinner time on a weekday.

To kick things off, we had a round of Christmas drinks. I only had the non-alcoholic Red Christmas Cooler ($8.90) which is a fruity mix of lemon, watermelon and cranberry juice, Italian soda and garnished with blackberries. Loved it so much that I finished half my glass while waiting for the food to arrive. Also available is the White Christmas Sangria ($12.90), a refreshing mix of white wine, peach puree, diced green apples and oranges.

Introducing the Morgan’s Christmas Platter ($149.90++ for 4 persons) – Christmas Thyme Sticky Bones (half slab), Christmas Cranberry Sticky Bones (half slab), Special Sausage Platter (6 sausages), Honey Baked Ham Slices, Turkey Drumsticks (2 pcs) and sides consisting of roast pumpkin, roast potatoes, corn bread and broccoli.

It was my third visit to Morganfield’s and it’s really amazing how their pork ribs are always so tender that they fall off the bone. It’s true! CS sliced the ribs, picked it up, and the meat slided off the bone even before he could place it on our plates. So you can just imagine how wonderfully tender they were! The fruity sweet sauce from the Christmas Cranberry Sticky Bones (left) complements the slightly smoked flavour of the ribs really well. We preferred the Christmas Thyme Sticky Bones because the savoury sweet BBQ sauce works better with the ribs.

I’m not so much of a turkey meat fan but Morganfield’s turkey drumsticks were very juicy! There were 4 slices of ham, which turned out to be not overly dry and they were well infused with the sweetness of honey. It is definitely not something you think you can get from the supermarket.

Even the sausages were humongous. There are 6 different types and all of them are made from pork. Our favorites are the bier sausage and cheese sausage.

The sides are also worthy of mention. I totally adored the potatoes and were picking on them throughout our dinner. The corn bread (refer to platter pic) is also Morganfield’s specialty. It looks plain but you really gotta leave some room for it!

The boys drinking their beer from the Santa’s Big Mug ($21.90). It is a smooth mix of American craft stout beer and Kronenbourg Blanc in one-litre frosty mug. So sad that I cant drink this. I love Kronenbourg!

With every order of a Morgan’s Christmas Platter, you can enjoy a Festive Dessert Platter at just $10 which consists of a brownie, christmas pudding, bread pudding and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. The brownie was moist and crumbly but a little bitter. Perfect when eaten together with ice cream!

We found the christmas pudding too sweet and it tasted just like fruit cake.

Bread pudding was very good too. It was my favorite of the three.

If you are a hardcore carnivore, you really ought to head down to Morganfield’s this Christmas! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Pezzo: A Carnival of Exceptional Pizzas

Posted on November 27, 2013 by missuschewy

– Sponsored Review –

Pezzo, the home-grown pizzeria chain has been serving up freshly made affordable pizzas since December 2012. It currently has 13 convenient pizza-by-the-slice kiosks and 6 delivery stores. Hoping to recreate the convivial experience that a box of pizza brings, Pezzo has designed new carnival-themed boxes that showcase the brand’s emphasis on fun and enjoyment. I had the wonderful opportunity of sharing the joy that Pezzo brings with my fellow colleagues recently. Pezzo is halal certified and also has vegetarian options. Very good! We had an awesome pizza party in the office! 😀

The Ho Ho Hola Hawaiian ($29.90) is a pizza lovingly created for the festive season and with a fresh new look that aims to inject a little fun into your pizza eating experience. The sumptuous festive pizza topped with turkey Ham, turkey bacon, green pepper, fresh peach, cherry tomato and mozzarella cheese will only be available at the Pezzo kiosks and for takeaways from now to 31st Dec 2013. My colleagues and I were tickled by the cute appearance of this pizza!

The name Hot Chick reminds me of the comedy starring Rob Schneider but this is a whole lot easier to stomach. Topped with spicy chicken strips, special chilli sauce, red chillies, green & red peppers, roast garlic topped with cheddar & mozzarella, the Hot Chick is definitely a safe choice if you are ordering it for a large group because it’s the pizza that will be wiped clean in a matter of minutes!

Hats off to the genius who created the Sambal Ikan Bilis! It consists only 3 basic ingredients – sambal, ikan bilis and mozzarella cheese but the explosive and fiery taste that it brings sure got everyone clamouring for a second slice.

My colleague who is on a vegetarian diet got to enjoy Pezzo’s Very Veggie pizza made of onions, mushrooms, green peppers, sweet pineapples and diced tomatoes.

With this season of giving and receiving, stand to win a whole year’s supply of free Pezzo Pizza with purchase of a whole Ho Ho Hola Hawaiian, 3 slices from any Pezzo outlet, or expenditure of at least $20 on delivery orders. Lucky draw ends 31 December, and 50 winners will be announced. For a list of Pezzo kiosk locations, visit http://www.pezzo.com.sg/ or call 66656565 for delivery.

We are giving Pezzo Pizza a thumbs up! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

The Joy of Giving Campaign by Cadbury

Posted on November 21, 2013 by missuschewy

– Media Invite –

Received an invitation to hop on board the Cadbury Joyville Bus last week! I have always wanted to go on a Cadbury Joyrider and was very excited because I knew it was going to be fun! 😀

Pick-up point was outside The Cathay and we snapped a couple of photos before boarding.

In the spirit of Christmas, all of us donned party props that we found on the Cadbury Joyville Bus!

As we were taken on a one-hour ride around the city area, Cadbury unveiled the results from a poll conducted amongst Singaporeans to discover what the “Joy of Giving” means to them. Many believe in the joy of giving, with the act of gift giving being one of the best ways to share joy. 91% of Singaporeans prefer to give presents as opposed to other means of giving and 76% like giving gifts as they are able to share joy with others.

On the receiving end, nearly 90% of the respondents expressed that they like receiving gifts because of the joy it brings. The poll also reported that almost 50% of Singaporeans like making donations as an act of giving. In view of this, Cadbury will be launching its “Joy of Giving” campaign now till 31 December, donating $1 for every $15 purchase of Cadbury products. All proceeds (up to $30000) collected from this campaign will be donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

After the unveiling of the poll results, the workers from Joyville, Uncle Joe, Mister Nutpod and Miss Hazel Nuttypants entertained all of us with games and prizes!

We had a really good time roaring away with laughter and winning ourselves more chocolates!

The Cadbury Large Heart 180g ($8.90) is one of the four key Christmas products that are launched this year.

You will never go wrong with these heart-shaped chocolates with hazelnut praline! Don’t forget that $1 will be donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund with every $15 purchase of Cadbury products! 🙂

Thanks Cadbury for the chocolaty treats and cute thumbdrive! 😀

As part of the “Joy of Giving” campaign, the popular Cadbury Joyrider will be making its appearance to the public again from 21 November 2013. The public will be able to hop on the Cadbury Joyrider Bus for free, which will bring everyone on a fun-filled journey into the mythical and joyful land of Cadbury – known as Joyville. Details on the locations, routes and times can be found on the Cadbury Facebook Page.

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Chicken Rice Festival Buffet at The Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant

Posted on November 17, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

Chicken rice fanatics will get to enjoy a sumptuous Chicken Rice Festival Buffet at The Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant now to 24 November 2013. The restaurant’s signature Hainanese Chicken Rice and four other delicious local variations of the dish will be available during lunch and dinner.

The spread of flavourful chicken rice dishes reflect the unique characteristics of the diverse local ethnic cuisines in Singapore. If you love your chicken, it is a chicken rice feast you never want to miss!

Popularly known as the ‘national dish’ of Singapore, Town Restaurant’s Signature Hainanese Chicken Rice is prided by the culinary team as the Best Chicken Rice in “Town”. Only the freshest chicken is used and the secret to achieving maximum juiciness and tenderness of the meat is by poaching the chicken in hot water for 50 minutes before soaking it in ice water for another 20 minutes. We tried it for ourselves and were pleasantly surprised by how tender and succulent the chicken was! Here’s a tip: go for the chicken drumstick! The accompanying rice is cooked with pandan and lemongrass, which is very fragrant and flavorful.

While I’m inclined to favor the Hainanese white chicken over the other variations, the roasted chicken and soy sauce chicken are also very delectable and juicy.

The Chicken Devil’s Curry is an Eurasian dish made with fresh chilli, blue ginger, lime juice, candlenut and mustard seed, cooked with chicken and bacon bone. Living up to its name, this dish is so devilishly spicy that makes eating it extremely pleasurable. The chicken devil’s curry is best enjoyed with steamed Jasmine Rice and pickled white radish.

The Chicken Nasi Briyani is a popular Indian and Malay dish which includes Saffron Basmati rice, an intense spiced flavoured chicken, crispy papadum and mango pickles. While I felt that the chicken could do with a more intense spiced flavor, this dish was mouthwatering enough for me to grab a second helping.

It was my first encounter eating the Ayam Cincalok in Penarakan Style. The spring chicken is braised for 2 hours with preserved spicy shrimp paste or Cincalok, a famous Penarakan paste made of fermented shrimps or krill. The cincalok has a very unique salty and mildly sourish taste which I find very addictive!

Also available at at the Chicken Rice Festival buffet spread is the traditional Indonesian Ayam Penyet (Crispy Fried Chicken) with Sweet Java Chilli Sauce.

Don’t forget to leave some room for desserts!

Town Restaurant’s Chicken Rice Festival buffet is taking place now to 24 November 2013, which includes a local spread with favourites like Laksa (Spicy Noodle Soup), Singapore Satay (marinated chicken or beef on bamboo skewer accompanied with spicy peanut sauce) and Bak Kut Teh (pork ribs served with spicy broth).

In addition to the spread of Chicken Rice dishes, enjoy ocean fresh seafood every Thursday to Saturday and an assortment of barbecued items including grilled lobsters.

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy

Town Restaurant
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
1 Fullerton Square
Reservations: 6877 8128
Chicken Rice Festival Buffet
Available 11th to 24th November 2013

Mon to Fri:
Lunch (11.30am to 2.30pm)
Sun to Wed:
Dinner (6.30pm to 10.30pm)
Adult : $53++ Child : $26++

Thus to Sat:
Includes spread of fresh seafood
Adult : $69++ Child : $34++
Includes barbecued items & grilled lobsters
Adult : $89++ Child : $44++

The Body Shop School Project 2013: Give Joy to Everybody

Posted on October 14, 2013 by missuschewy

– Media Invite –

Hello chewys! It’s 72 more days to Christmas! And now the question is: Have you been good this year? Haha. Well, it’s not too late to redeem yourself now! Will tell you how you can do so in just a bit 😉 Anyway, Christmas came early for the Singapore beauty bloggers last Thursday, thanks to The Body Shop! We were invited to The Body Shop School Project event which was held at Skyve Wine Bistro. I took a cab from my workplace because it was pouring but the wet weather didn’t dampen my spirits 🙂

Glad to have the company of Michelle that evening! Busy taking photos while waiting for the other bloggers to arrive 🙂

Very cool vanity table!

Special Edition 4-Step Smokey Eye Palettes in Brown and Plum.

Soon, it was time for our Social Studies class, conducted by Headmistress Linda Black. The Body Shop has been supporting education for over 20 years. ‘Giving Joy To Every Body’ is a campaign to bring the gift of education to the rural communities that produce Community Fair Trade loofahs, cocoa butter and other ingredients. This Christmas, The Body Shop Foundation will contribute S$ 400,000 from gift sales to build 5 schools for kids in Ghana, Honduras, Nepal and Northern and Southern India where regular kids and those with special needs have little access to education or have to walk as far as 5km to get to school. With education, their futures will be brighter when they are able to earn a regular income, which will also help to raise their self-esteem, build confidence, and increase their standard of living!

How can you help? Simple! By buying a gift from The Body Shop for those we love, we will also be buying the precious gift of education for those who could really use it!

During Home Economics class, our school prefect introduced us to The Body Shop’s Christmas seasonal special editions namely, Cranberry Joy, Vanilla Bliss and Ginger Sparkle.

The much-loved, delectable Cranberry Joy collection is back for the holidays, so get ready to sweeten your senses and treat your body to a taste of sweet indulgence. This luscious line-up of bath, body and home fragrance treats containing cranberry extract and a raft of skin-beneficial Community Fair Trade ingredients has a mouth-watering fruity fragrance.

Pamper yourself and have a sensorial, top-to-toe experience with wonderfully indulgent Vanilla Bliss. Enriched with vanilla extract and a host of richly decadent Community Fair Trade ingredients, the lavish collection has a delicious gourmand fragrance. Time for some delicious me-time!

Tis’ the season to indulge yourself and thrill your body with The Body Shop’s special edition Ginger Sparkle. Spice it up and be sweet to your body with the most festive, ginger-infused special edition collection ever. With lavish, textures and a warm, spicy fragrance, these indulgent goodies are a feast for the senses.

Makeup artist Peter Khor was invited to perform a step-by-step makeup demonstration on one of the beauty bloggers.

Peter Khor taught us how to achieve the smokey festive look by using The Body Shop’s 2013 Winter Trend Special Edition Collection.

Recess time! Even Gingy the gingerbread man looks ecstatic! 😀

Some finger food and nibbles.

Christmas goodies for the guests who turned up for the event!

During recess break, we queued up for our recyclable bags which could be customized. Really cool!

Time for some yearbook photos with the other bloggers – Jacelyn, Nadia, Jermaine and Michelle! 🙂

By uploading our photos onto Instagram and including the hashtag #tbsgivejoysg we could collect our instant prints within minutes!

I found Gingerbread woman! So cute! Nom nom nom.. Oops! 😛

Remember to give joy this Christmas and shop away at The Body Shop!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant Food Review

Posted on October 3, 2013 by missuschewy

– Tasting Invite –

From its beginnings as a humble abode for many hungry late-nighters, Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant has dedicatedly served up delectable eats to its loyal customers and foodies alike. The Taiwanese-Singaporean restaurant first opened its doors in 1971 at Oxley Rise, and became well known to Singaporeans, many whom would trek from all over the island for dishes like the braised Pork with mei chye and fresh cockles with the Chef’s special sauce.

Goldleaf Restaurant is not without a strong heritage either. Diners would fondly remember its distinctive entrance, fitted with red doors and gold knobs, inspired by its Taiwanese roots. Many dishes also have a history behind its origins; the sweet potato porridge served with the dishes can be traced back to the hard times in the ‘30s and ‘40s, while the pomfret with black bean sauce was served only during special occasions in the family.

We were served Braised Beancurd as our appetizer. Beancurd cubes were firm and drenched in thick braising sauce. You can either eat it on its own or pair it with your bowl of porridge later on. Kindly note that the prices of each dish are not reflected in this post as Goldleaf is currently revamping its menu and reviewing its prices.

My friends and I had a good time analyzing the various types of porridge that we have eaten and finally came to a conclusion that Taiwanese porridge is like somewhere in between Teochew muay and congee (chok). I love my porridge with sweet potato as it lends a nice subtle sweetness to it.

I have never had Minced Pork With Olives to go with my porridge before and it was a first for me. Surprisingly, the minced pork was very flavorful and it was a joy eating this with porridge.

The Traditional Shrimp Rolls kinda reminded me of Teochew ngoh hiang, which was crispy on the outside and crunchy within. Deep it into the accompanying sweet sauce for that extra oomph factor!

I almost always have Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Egg Yolk whenever I eat out at porridge places. Goldleaf’s rendition is not bad, although I thought the minced pork patty could be softer.

The Cod with House Specialty Sauce was one of the highlights at our dinner table. I have always thought that the best way to cook a cod is to steam it. What truly impressed me was that the moisture and firmness of the cod fish were both retained even though the fish was being deep fried.

We were a little puzzled when the plate of Goldleaf Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables Buns was served because who in the world eats buns with porridge? Well, we did! Not to worry, the pork belly is usually served on a bed of preserved vegetables, without the buns. This is another dish that Goldleaf does exceptionally well. The pork belly was tender and had absorbed the wonderful flavors from the delicious marinade.

Do not be deceived by the plain-looking Chye Por Omelette because it is really fluffy and is packed with loads of ingredients such as preserved radish which goes really well with porridge.

The 3-cup Chicken is typically prepared with rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, basil leaves, chilli, ginger and garlic. Supposedly a hearty dish, but the version that we had was pretty much a subtle one.

By now, we were all bursting at the seams but the Oyster Mee Sua was almost impossible to resist. The soup is lightly spiced but a little on the watery side.

I didn’t quite like the Sambal Seabass because I kinda think it was over-fried which toughened the skin of the fish.

The Chinese term for Volcano Beancurd Ring is 火山豆腐 and it sure sounds like a very fiery dish! With kung pao chicken atop cripsy fried beancurd, I reckon this dish will taste equally good with plain rice too.

What’s a meal without some veggies? The Taiwan Lettuce is light, crunchy and quite refreshing as compared to other vegetables like cai sim and xiao bai cai.

We sampled a range of desserts namely Green Tea Pudding, Red Tea Pudding, Herbal Jelly, Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts and Longan Jelly Pudding. I would recommend the red tea and green tea puddings for their novelty factor and the orh nee was very light and smooth.

*For readers of www.missuschewy.com*
From now till 31 October 2013, Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge is happy to extend 10% off bill to all dine-in customers upon quoting ‘missuschewy‘ when making payment (only applicable for food, with minimum spending of $50).

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Goldleaf New Taiwan Porridge Restaurant
110 Amoy Street
#01-00
Singapore 069930
Tel: 6324 8310

Opening Hours:
Daily
11.30am – 2.30pm
6pm – 12 midnight

Fiji Water Signature Creations Expedition Event Coverage

Posted on September 30, 2013 by missuschewy

– Media Invite –

It is certainly a privilege and honor to be invited to the inaugural FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition which took place on Saturday afternoon. As I had shared earlier on, each ticket costs $180 and all proceeds will go to FIJI Water’s selected beneficiary, Children’s Cancer Foundation. In a nutshell, all guests got to enjoy signature dishes of 6 top restaurants in a half-day road trip. I needed my lifelong companion with me and since the money spent would be for a good cause, misterchewy had absolutely no qualms about joining me 🙂

I shared this on my Facebook page and two of my big-hearted friends dropped me a message and expressed their interest two days before the event. This is Adelene, my primary school friend and also one of my bridesmaids and Desmond, my secondary school friend. And no la, they are not a couple. Hahaha. Thanks for the support, friends! 🙂

Free flow FIJI Water to keep everyone hydrated throughout the event! I have a friend who is a huge fan of FIJI Water but I was skeptical and thought, how awesome can water be? I was so wrong! FIJI Water has that soft and unique silky mouthfeel that you wouldn’t be able to get out of drinking other brands of water. Oh here’s a tip: FIJI Water tastes better at room temperature. So don’t chill it! 😉

Our first stop was Absinthe at Boat Quay. After registration, we had to climb two flights of stairs and make ourselves comfortable at the communal table.

Prior the event, leading food critics came together to sample the six restaurants’ signature dishes and each of them was responsible for selecting a signature dish from each restaurant in order to make up the expedition menu. Foie Gras Terrine with Warm Brioche by Chef Francois Mermilliod was picked by Don Mendoza of TODAY. The foie gras terrine had a smooth and elegant texture with a delicate taste. Paired with the brioche which was fluffy and crusty, I couldn’t help but wish I could have this for breakfast every morning!

After about an hour of eating and chatting over drinks, we were chauffeured in a coach to our second stop, Hashi along Bukit Pasoh Road, which was not very far away from Absinthe. I love Japanese cuisine!

This time, I got to sit with the other female bloggers, Charleen, Nadia and Dawn 🙂

Fresh Live Prawn, Hokkaido Scallop and Mixed Vegetable with Japanese Jelly by Chef Tadashi Takahashi, picked by Marcus Yeo of Lianhe Zaobao, was clearly a winner and everyone was seen wiping their plates clean. Many of us loved the dashi stock which was presented in the form of cold jelly. Extremely refreshing and it made me yearn for more. It was also Chef’s brilliant idea to grill the eggplants for that delicious smoky flavor.

We couldn’t resist a photo with Chef Tadashi Takahashi because he was very hospitable and went round the communal table kanpai-ing. Hehe! 😛

I was looking forward to our third stop, Tippling Club at Dempsey because rumour has it that the restaurant has a very strict no photography rule and this has kinda deterred me from visiting the restaurant.

Chef Ryan Clift giving a brief introduction on his signature dish.

Forgot to mention that there was also an Instagram “Snap & Win” contest. We had to upload photos of our expedition experience at each restaurant. Grand prize was one year’s supply of FIJI Water and dining vouchers from the restaurants. This certainly upped the fun element for this expedition.

Picked by Sylvester Ng of The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel, I reckon the Pigeon, Celery, Quinoa, Goats Curd is an acquired taste, at least for me.

Despite all the food that we had, we were still going strong and soon, we found ourselves at the fourth stop, The Pelican at One Fullerton.

The Pelican Lobster Thermidor by Chef Issac Tan, picked by Adeline Wong of Epicure, was a splendid dish that won praises. The double cream and Parmesan cheese complemented the sweetness of the lobster meat beautifully. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes!

Our fifth stop saw us at Fat Cow, a Japanese inspired steakhouse within Camden Medical Centre.

The cute and animated Chef Dan Segall spoke very quickly and gave us an idea as to what to expect for his signature dish.

As some of my readers know, misterchewy and I don’t eat beef due to religious reasons. I admit that I miss eating beef. Haha. Anyway, Wong Ah Yoke from The Straits Times Life! selected this Wagyu No Kakuni dish. From the description, the Japanese wagyu rib meat had been simmered in a sweet, ginger soy with fresh yuzu. Heard some mixed reviews for this dish. Some enjoyed it as it was tender while retaining some bite, while others thought that it was not well marbled with sufficient fat.

After more than 5 hours of feasting, we were at our sixth and final destination, Prive Grill at Keppel Bay!

Chosen by Evelyn Chen of Zagat Guide, the Hokkaido Corn and Shrimp Fritter with Lime Aioli by Chef Robin Ho, when paired with a glass of Konrad Riesling 2009, ended the FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition on a sweet note.

Special thanks to Leroy and the rest of the FoodNews PR team for doing such a great job! My friends and I had a lot of fun and we are looking forward to the next one already!
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Gusto Italiano’s Culinary Masterclass by Chef Mario Caramella

Posted on September 27, 2013 by missuschewy

– Media Invite –

Attended Gusto Italiano’s Culinary Masterclass by Chef Mario Caramella last Saturday afternoon at TOTT Cooking Studio. To be honest, I’m not a fan of cooking demonstrations but Chef Mario was highly entertaining and it was a pleasure being able to watch a talented chef like himself in action. A little background info on Chef Mario: Originally from Milan, he is a renowned chef within and outside native Italy. Chef Mario has headed the kitchens of some of the most well known and awarded restaurants in Hong Kong, Sydney, Thailand and Bali. He arrived in Singapore in January 2011, as a chef Patron of Forlino at One Fullerton. His new venture at inITALY sees his signature style in full flight, combining authentic Italian ingredients with culinary integrity, alongside a deep understanding of the art of hospitality.

The husband and I woke up early for this! Our usual practice is to sleep in on weekends and then head out for brunch. Hehe.

Chef Mario explained that Italians would know that Orecchiette “Carburrata” is a dish that does not exist. He invented this recipe one Sunday afternoon by using whatever ingredients that were available in his home to whip up lunch for his family members. “Carburrata” is essentially a Carbonara sauce with Burrata. The husband and I loved this dish!

(Recipe makes 4 portions – cooking time approx 30 mins)

Ingredients

100 ml extra virgin olive oil
8 slices pancetta or parma ham, diced
2pcs small shallots, chopped
8pc cherry tomatoes, chopped
1pc burrata
280gm Giuseppe Cocco Orecchiette
50gm rucola lea
50gm grated parmigiano reggiano
2pcs red chillies, sliced
Italian parsley, chopped
Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan. Add the pancetta and the chopped shallots and shallow fry until crispy. Add the cherry tomatoes and keep cooking for 2 more minutes over low flame.

2. Add the burrata, and then split it with a wooden spoon and cook until it melts to become a creamy sauce.

3. Add the pasta and saute. Add the grated parmigiano reggiano, sliced red chillies, the rucola leaf and Italian parsley. Mix and serve in a deep hot pasta bowl.

4. Finish with black pepper grounds.

Next up was the Chitarra Antica Cocco Spaghetti with Shiro Lobster, Botarga, Broccolini, Garlic & Chili.

(Recipes makes 4 portions – cooking time approx 30 mins)

Ingredients

240gm Giuseppe Cocco spaghetti chitarra antica pasta
60ml extra virgin olive oil
200gm broccolini floret, pre-cooked and chopped to your liking
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
200g pachino cherry tomatoes
1pc whole Shiro ‘naked’ Boston lobster
Fresh basil leaves
Dried chilli, to taste
Grated botarga

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water.

2. Heat a large saute pan with the extra virgin olive oil. Add in the chopped broccolini florets, garlic and cherry tomatoes. Saute until fragrant and then add in dried chilli to taste.

3. Strain the spaghetti and add to saute pan with the lobster. Add in a few spoonfuls of water and saute until no more water is in the pan. Add the fresh basil leaves, grate some botarga on top and serve.

4. Do not serve parmigiano with this pasta.

Chef Mario told us that pasta is an ingredient that does not cost much but that doesn’t mean that we should only respect certain types of food based on its monetary value. Food should be respected based on how it tastes in our mouth. So that was the take-home message for most of us that day. Some food for thought!

Ending this post with a photo of us with Chef Mario Caramella! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

missuschewy

Singapore Lifestyle and Travel Blog

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Gusto Italiano’s Culinary Masterclass by Chef Mario Caramella

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