Has anybody heard of The Old Brown Shoe? A very good friend of mine, Nicolez, was raving about the fish & chips served at this small and cosy British pub located along Bukit Timah Road. Even though she did not go into the specifics, she managed to convince me and the rest, as they say, is history 😛

Look! Fish & Chips ($12.50) wrapped in newspapers! By wrapping it in greaseproof paper, followed by a layer of newspaper, this seemed to be the traditional way of serving fish & chips. It is also a good and clever way to keep your food hot! 🙂 In colder countries, it helps to keep one warm I guess? Imagine ordering fish & chips as takeaway, you can conveniently carry it under your jacket to keep your body warm on your way back home or to the office!

Now let’s take a peek inside! Oops I had the fish cut up into two. Anyway it was a pretty huge piece of fish served with thick cut fries. It certainly does not look like much.. But I only managed to finish about two thirds of the fish. Hehe maybe I drank too much beer 😛

I really like how the fish was done. I must say that the slab of dory fish was wonderfully coated with batter that was thin, light and crispy on the outside. I’m not a fan of hard crackling crumbs and amazingly, there were none. And underneath that thin crisp batter, was an extra moist and juicy layer, with a bit of that oiliness from the fish itself. Worthy of mention is how buttery the fish tasted! I guess it must have something special in the recipe that made me satiated so quickly. You really ought to try this out for yourself! 🙂

Even though there was a wide range of pub grubs available on the menu, all eight of us had fish & chips. The Old Brown Shoe is a nice place to chill out with friends over a couple of drinks. You can also watch live rugby, F1 and other sports on their big screen. The waiter was very friendly and made us feel at home. I love this place already! 🙂

The Old Brown Shoe
619F Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269726
Tel: 6468 4626

Opening Hours:
Mon, Tue & Thu
4pm – 12am
Wed & Fri
4pm – 1am
Sat
12pm – 12am
Sun
12pm – 11pm

Now you can have your Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Beverages however you want it! Starbucks is reinventing its fraps, giving you more options to create your perfect beverage. Made from high-quality ingredients including Starbucks signature roast coffee and personalized milk options, the However-You-Want-It Frappuccino blended beverage allows you to order your favorite blended beverage with a variety of syrups, toppings and intensities. Whether you’re craving a delicious light option or an especially indulgent treat, the new However-You-Want-It Frappuccino Blended Beverages are just as you like it!

Extra Coffee Caramel Frappuccino Blended Coffee ($6.60 – Tall)

For an extra bump with a side of decadence, try this delicious treat of Caramel syrup combined with the new Starbucks Frappuccino Roast coffee and whole milk, blended with ice and finished off with whipped cream and a ribbon of buttery caramel sauce. It will melt your heart faster than a Frappuccino blended beverage on a hot day.

Soy Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino Blended Cream ($6.80 – Tall)

Soy lovers rejoice! Your favorite coffee-free beverage is even more delicious with this option. This classic recipe is made with Starbucks’ strawberry sauce, soy milk, blended with ice and topped with whipped cream is sure to surprise and delight. To keep this beverage free from dairy, order it without whipped cream.

Happy Hour at Starbucks
To celebrate the launch, Starbucks will holding a week-long Happy Hour event. From 16th May (Monday) to 20th May 2011, 3pm to 5pm, customers can enjoy their personalized Frappuccino at any Starbucks store for half price. Have some fun, and experiment with personalization options that will make the beverage truly yours.

Ranked as one of the world’s Top Ten Best Restaurants by The New York Times, the celebrated restaurant has its roots dating back to Taiwan more than 40 years ago. With its famous signature Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork dumplings) and steamed chicken soup, Din Tai Fung makes waves with branches in Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea , USA and Australia.

In the meantime as we know, Mother’s Day is just around the corner and to celebrate the love for our mothers, the restaurant has prepared a special promotion and an interesting event to give the important women in our lives the little surprise.

Promotion: P.S Mummy I Love You

In the week of Mother’s Day, indulge your mum with delectable tastes of Din Tai Fung dishes as the family spend some quality time together. End off the satisfying meal with a mango mousse cake as a sweet treat. The little gestures we make can make a big difference to reward our mums.

Duration: 1st – 8th May 2011
– Citibank Card Members:
Enjoy a complimentary mango mousse cake (worth $14.80) with a minimum spend of $70.

–All customers:
Enjoy a complimentary mango mousse cake (worth $14.80) with a minimum spend of $80.
Or purchase it at $8.50 with a minimum spend of $50.

–On 8th May: all dine-in mothers will receive an exclusive complimentary mini bouquet (while stocks last).

Mother’s Day Culinary Workshop

Treat your mum to an afternoon of fun culinary workshop and scrumptious high-tea at Din Tai Fung! Watch the master chefs in action as they perform the art of making La Mian and Xiao Long Bao. The fun part is, participants will have the chance to get their hands on making Xiao Long Baos! After all the hard work, sit back and enjoy the high-tea prepared for you. On top of that, all participants get to receive a goodie bag worth $50. Seats are filling up as registration is limited to first 40 participants.

Date: 6th May 2011

Registration Fee: $35 nett per pax OR $60 for 2 pax (inclusive of high-tea and goodie bag worth $50)

Call-to-action: Call 64357351 to register or for more information

Happy Mother’s Day to all wonderful mothers out there! 😀

Looking for a healthy snack for your busy lifestyle? Grab a delicious bite of nature with Nature Valley’s granola bars, made with real fruits, nuts and whole-grain oats. While you enjoy Nature Valley’s natural goodness, you can also stand a chance to win $13,000 cash. Just buy any two boxes of Nature Valley granola bars to enter this island-wide promotion, which is valid from 18 April to 29 May 2011.

Nature Valley is also launching a new chewy bar, available on selected supermarket shelves from 8 April 2011 onwards for a limited period only. The chewy bars come in two flavours – Mixed Berry and Fruit & Nut. The bars are made with all-natural ingredients, such as almonds, peanuts, cranberries and blueberries and whole-grain oats.

Radio 91.3FM listeners can also get complimentary Nature Valley granola bars when they tune in to the station for the car decal giveaways on 21 and 28 April 2011.

Nature Valley Chewy Bars are priced at $6.30 per six-pouch box and are now available for sale at major supermarkets for a limited time only, while stocks last. For more information on the Nature Valley island-wide promotion to win $13,000, please visit Nature Valley’s Facebook page from 18 April onwards.

My secondary school buddies and I were thinking of going to a nice place for dinner that can accommodate a fairly large group of people on the day of CY’s convocation. To aid in the decision making process, I narrowed down to two main choices and asked the star of the day if he would prefer pizza or German sausages and he went for the latter 🙂

Located at Millenia Walk, Paulaner Brauhaus is a German microbrewery and restaurant that offers a wide range of original Bavarian dishes. We were seated on the second floor, where the restaurant is. We did not see anybody up on the third floor but the dining setup looked pretty intimate. The pub is on the first floor (not in photo) and you can choose to either sit indoors or outdoors. If you, like me, love loud blasting music, you will probably love hanging out and drinking at Paulaner’s pub! 🙂

It was a Thursday night and we had work or school the next day, but a little beer wouldn’t hurt right? 😛 Hehe it was also our way of welcoming the weekend! We opted for Munich Lager which is a bright, golden brew with a very nice, smooth and light taste.

This is the Bavarian Sausage Platter ($25.50 per pax) for two. I don’t think anybody complained about the assortment of Cheese Krainers, sausage Snails, Kolbazi sausages and Nurnberger grilled sausages. We sliced the sausages for sharing and they promptly ended up in our mouths. I can’t decide which I liked best; all were equally juicy, but the spicy sausage was indeed something different. The sausages were served with sauerkraut which is finely shredded cabbage with a distinctively sour taste. Really, I would have preferred rosti! 😛

Ok at least there was yummy and thick mashed potato which was served separately 😀 I’m a potato loving person!

I had been eyeing the Crispy Pork Knuckle ($29.50) for a very long time! We had it cut up for us as seen in the photo. The pork knuckle was rather tender and the best part was the crunchy and crackling roasted skin! It might take some getting used to, as the skin is quite thick. Sauerkraut came along with this. Anyway, you really ought to share this among your friends! Wash it down with some beer and you will go….ohmygawd shiok ah! 😛

If you are not so much of a pork eater, you can also try Paulaner’s fish and seafood dishes. This dish is all about simplicity. I liked the crispy texture of the Pan-fried Trout ($29). The fish was topped with cloves of almond butter, which is considered to be a healthier form of fat than saturated fat.

The Atlantic Salmon Fillet ($26), with a generous serving of iceberg lettuce, is probably one of the healthiest options on Paulaner’s menu. I love pan-fried salmon but a couple of us felt that the salmon was slightly overcooked. Perhaps, you could make your preferences be known to the waiter upon placing your order 🙂

We enjoyed the food and beer! Additionally, the waiters were very prompt and attentive to our needs. To sum things up, all of us had a jolly good time at Paulaner Brauhaus! 😀

Paulaner Brauhaus
9 Raffles Boulevard
#01-01, Millenia Walk
Tel: 6883 2572

Bar –
Sun to Thu
11.30am – 1am
Fri, Sat & PH eve
11.30am – 2am

Charity Drive in Aid of Japan Relief Efforts

Last Friday and Saturday (25th and 26th of March), Si Chuan Dou Hua and Tian Fu Tea Room conducted a two-day Imperial High Tea Charity Drive, raising $10,162 for victims of the recent Japan earthquakes and tsunami.

Encouraged by the overwhelming support of the public, the restaurant will hold a second charity drive on 2nd and 3rd April 2011, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. Funds will be raised through sale of limited edition Royal Copenhagen Danish Plates and cash donations.

The two-day drive will feature its popular and classic high tea menu of dim sum and tea pairing, available at $10++, down from its usual price of $20++. Tian Fu Tea Room’s Executive Tea Connoisseur He Zheng Hong will also be on hand to share the benefits of tea drinking.

In return, guests are encouraged to purchase limited edition Royal Copenhagen Danish Plates at $88 each, for which 100 per cent of proceeds will go towards the Singapore Red Cross in aid of relief efforts in Japan.

As each design is available only in limited quantities, each Royal Copenhagen Danish is a piece of collector’s art, handmade and printed in specific years. The elegantly designed plates come in several themes including Mother’s Day and Christmas, and make for great conversation starters when displayed at home

Other than Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Si Chuan Dou Hua is also present in Tokyo. Through the charity drive, Si Chuan Dou Hua hopes to make a positive contribution to the community in which it operates in, and to bring relief to co-workers and friends in Japan.

The Si Chuan Dou Hua Imperial High Tea Charity Drive will be held from 2.30pm to 5.30pm on 2nd and 3rd April at:

PARKROYAL on Beach Road7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591

Reservations are strongly encouraged. Please contact:
+65 6505 5722

I was invited by Cozycot.com to be a guest writer for its Food column. My review on 2D1N Soju Bang, an affordable and value-for-money Koeran BBQ Buffet, was published last Friday. It’s a very short review but if you are interested, you can read it here!

P.S: Photos were taken with an iPhone because I didn’t want to expose my dslr to oil that was spluttering everywhere.

2D1N Soju Bang
44/46 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel: 6227 6033

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri
11.30am – 2.30pm
5.30pm – 3am

“In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.” – Andy Warhol, 1976. 15 Minutes is a cafe situated in Lasalle College of the Arts and is designed to serve good food, good music and good art. Pertaining to the quote by Andy Warhol, 15 Minutes allows aspiring musicians to showcase their talents and earn their 15 minutes of fame. Gotta love the architecture too!

Fancy trying 15 Minutes’ ‘Bak Kua’ Pasta ($11.90)? The ‘bak kua’ is actually chicken made to look and taste like sweet barbecued pork. Spaghetti is done aglio olio style.

Apart from the standard Western fare that dominates the menu at 15 Minutes, the Crispy Dory in Sweet Chilli ($15.90) stood out from the rest of the items. Deep fried dory was moist and juicy. Tasted even better with the Thai style sweet chilli! Served with fragrant herb rice and green mango salad.

At first glance, this probably looks like fried chicken more than anything else. 15 Minute’s Fish & Chips ($12.90) is touted as one of their popular items and is highly recommended. The deep fried dory is crumbly and crispy, while its fresh juiciness is retained within. The accompanying cajun fries were pretty addictive too! Portion is hearty. Highly recommended indeed!

If you want something extra to share with a group of friends, the Oriental Duck Pizza ($13.90) would be an awesome choice! Who would have thought of making pizza with glazed duck breast and mandarin oranges? We all loved it! The cashew nuts gave an nice crunch to the pizza.

15 Minutes – Friends, Food & Fame, indeed! 😀

15 Minutes
1 McNally Street,
Blk D, #01-01
LASALLE College of The Arts
Tel: +65 6333 5915

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sat
10am – 10pm
(Closed on Sun)

Recently, my brother completed his Basic Military Training (BMT) and we had Dim Sum for brunch after his Passing Out Parade (POP) at the Marina Bay Floating Platform. Victor’s Kitchen opens at 10.30am. When we reached there slightly before that, there was already a queue..

It’s funny when we looked through the menu and to think how Victor’s Kitchen tries to convince its customers to tick off some of the items listed. How could anyone resist a Tasty Queen Size Siew Mai ($3.50) and Victor’s King Prawn Dumpling ($4)? Some might laugh it off, thinking that Victor’s is probably suffering from delusions of grandeur. Size wise, Victor’s is bound to impress as it certainly lives up to its name. Siew Mai was nice but the prawn dumplings are a bit salty.

Haha.. Teochews must order the Yummy Teochew Steam Dumpling ($3.50). Honestly, I can’t really remember what else was inside apart from vegetable, but the dumplings tasted quite decent.

Unwrapping the lotus leaf revealed a very fragrant Chicken & Sausage in Glutinous Rice ($4). The glutinous rice here was sticky and soft, unlike some places where sticky and hard glutinous rice is the norm.

Would you be surprised if I told you that this is carrot cake? This is actually Scallop, Sausage Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($4). Carrot cake was submerged with XO sauce. Look what happened when we didn’t eat this immediately..

I guess the carrot cake soaked up all the XO sauce. Carrot cake was soft and mashy, unlike the pan-fried kind. XO taste was mild.

Yummy Chicken Roll ($4) was prepared with fish bladder, baby corn, fresh chicken. Chewy Charles and I thought that it was not yummy at all. We just didn’t like it. Bleah 😛

I don’t really fancy vegetable in my dumplings but the Fresh Vegetable & Scallop Dumpling ($3.50) tasted pretty good for it was juicy and moist and scallop bits were crunchy.

They had to emphasize on the word ‘yummy’ didn’t they? The well-marinated Yummy Yummy Phoenix Claws ($3.50) are a must.

Another dim sum item that we never fail to order is the steamed pork ribs. Fresh Ribs with Black Bean Sauce Steam Rice ($3.50) with bits of fat were tantalizing but a little bit salty.

I really liked this Fresh Chicken with Wolfberry Fruit & Rosey Wine Steam Rice ($3.50). Chicken was tender and I wished that the steamed rice had some of the gravy that was used to prepare the chicken.

We loved the texture of the Char Siew Cheong Fun ($3.50). Rice roll was firm to the bite. It really stands out from the rice roll served at other dim sum places!

The same can be said for the King Prawn with Vegetable Cheong Fun ($4).

I am not sure if I would recommend the H.K. Style Pan Fry Cheong Fun ($4). Didn’t find this remarkable. It’s kinda like zhai er (commonly served with vegetarian beehoon).

This is my first time seeing such a dim sum dish. I kinda liked the Yutiao Cheong Fun ($3) for its two contrasting textures.

I was looking forward to the Yummy Milky Custard Bun ($3.50) but it was just plain custard bun. Nothing exciting about it.

Now, this is definitely the best among all the Dim Sum items that we had eaten at Victor’s Kitchen. The Golden Egg Yolk Lava Bun ($3.50) arrived piping hot and we had to be careful not to spill the molten egg yolk lava. A little sweet and salty, I wished I had more space in my stomach for more of these!

Victor’s Kitchen
91 Bencoolen Street
#01-21
Sunshine Plaza
Tel: 9838 2851

Opening Hours:
Tue to Sun (Closed on Mondays)
10.30am – 8pm