Bread Talk

For those who can't get enough of the floss bread at Bread Talk, there's a promotion going on to celebrate their 12th birthday! 1 bread/bun for $1.10 storewide and 12 buns for $12! Whether as breakfast, lunch or dinner, $1 a bun (assuming you buy 12) is going to stretch your dollar! 

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Singapore Garden Festival 2012

The Singapore Garden Festival is an event that I never miss. For its vibrancy, its tranquility and its creativity. This is the fourth time I'm visiting the festival since 2006 and once again, it lives up to expectations.

At the Entrance

There are several highlights in this show, spanning two floors. Fourth floor is where there are tonnes of orchids and where the marketplace is, whereas sixth floor is where many of the themed gardens are. 

Here are some of my favourite exhibits.

Garden of Tales by Damian Tang

Time and time again, I never fail to be impressed by the fact that even with the space constraints in Singapore, it is possible to create a green oasis within your own little space. I was really intrigued by these little baubles but the toilet bowl one seems pretty impossible. Other exhibits also give some inspiration on ways to create greenery on your balcony.

The Ferris wheel also seems to be a perennial theme. I somehow remember seeing a ferris wheel exhibit the last round too! 

For bonasai lovers, you'll be in for a treat! I have no idea how bonsais are judged but I love the fact that they are so immaculately trimmed and shows the meticulous nature of the green hands at work. 

One of the more interesting exhibits was by AVA. It shows you where your food comes from! From huai shan (a chinese herb), to potato, to rice, to oats- you can see the base ingredients of a lot of food that we consume. How often is it that you see rice plants? 

If you happen to be seeking some inspiration for your wedding dress, you might want to consider this (although I'm not sure of its lifespan). 

Beyond White, Zita Elze

I think it's not an understatement to say that there are many thought-provoking pieces throughout the exhibition. It's not about flowers, flowers, everywhere. But it also involves an exploration into the creator's mind as well as trying to interpret the exhibition via your own lenses.

Incredible Lightness of Being, Per Benjamin

There was an exhibit with all the famous landmarks in the world and presumably the flowers that grow in the country. A pity the tulips at the windmill (Holland) looked kind of sad, probably because they have been there for quite a few days. My friend commented that it looked as though some fat kid fell into the bed of flowers. But otherwise, it was an interesting exhibit. 

If you are interested in getting your hands on some plants or other plant-related things, be sure to go to the marketplace. Although the orchids were labelled chocolate smell, I couldn't smell anything!

There are several multimedia exhibits that you should catch, including Upturned Splendour, Eliam Eng which incorporates light, music and water fountains (plays every 10 minutes). The Kaleidoscope is also pretty neat. And although I didn't really feature any of the orchids in this post, but that doesn't mean that it isn't beautiful! Don't miss them!

Entrance fees are also reasonable and affordable. What are you waiting for? 

• Passion Card Holder- 20% off
• Holders of NTUC, SAFRA, Home TeamNS and Civil Service Club cards- 15% off
• Staff of Suntec Singapore- 15% off
• Staff and guests at Conrad Centennial Singapore, Pan Pacific Singapore, Mandarin Singapore, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz Carlton Millenia- 15% off 

Singapore Garden Festival

7 July to 15 July 2012

Suntec Convention Centre

10am - 10pm 

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Tao's Restaurant

We were looking for somewhere nice to go and Tao's Restaurant appeared at the top of the list. We were particularly attracted by the fact that it was $21.80++ for lunch, 6 course meal. Sounds like a great deal, doesn't it? Modern interior with interesting lights. Here's the menu. (Click here.)

The fare here is fusion and the name Tao comes from 陶瓷 Tao Ci (pottery plates), which is the whole dining concept over here.

The starter was Bacon & Mushroom Gratin. I couldn't really taste the mushroom possibly because it generally had a mushy texture. That said, I nearly finished the entire plate even though I'm not a fan of cheese. The only reason why that could have happened was because of the fluffy bread! 

The bread was so thick, so warm and lightly toasted, it was totally perfect with the gratin.

The Prawn Roll with Pork Floss had mango sauce drizzled over it with small pieces of prawns which had a good bite to it. The saltiness of the pork floss together with the sweetness of the mango sauce made this a rather delightful dish, although at risk of shifting the focus away from the prawns!

At this juncture, the Iced Rose Apple Tea was served. I liked this tea very much. It was cooling, refreshing and  not too sweet. The little tea cups they provided also gave a longer break in between each dish as you had to keep refilling it! After you are done (or maybe even before!), you can open the container and eat the little pieces of apples. 

The Cream of Mushroom was pretty good too. The last time that I tasted mushroom soup that was worth noting was at The Handburger. This is slightly more dilute, but still with mushroom chunks. While I prefer the one at The Handburger, I find this mushroom soup decent.

The main I ordered was Grilled Sea Bass with Japanese Sauce. The sauce was compatible with the fish but the fish was a little hard, probably overcooked. 

Dessert was unfortunately a complete letdown. The Tiramisu had too thick a layer of cream. There was also no distinct coffee liquor flavour in the soaked biscuit fingers. 

Overall, I think it's worth it to come here for decent food and a nice experience overall. Plates were cleared quickly, just like how food was served efficiently too.

Tao's Restaurant
PoMo
1 Selegie Road
#B1-19
Tel No: 6339 8858 

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Food Anytime (Dessert Story) (Junction 8)

I didn't even know how to title this post. On one hand, while the name shown on their logo is Food Anytime, the contact card they left was that of Dessert Story. When I checked out their website, it turns out that the original stores were known as "Anytime Food" and I guess it implies that it's now known as Dessert Story. 

When I tried to fish out the Glutinous Rice Balls ($2.80), I was shocked to see that they were so tiny. These had to be the smallest tang yuan I ever saw. To make up for it, there were 5 or 6 of it in the bowl. They tasted ordinary but there was now less kick now that they are in mini size. The peanut soup was also very little. 

The glutinous rice balls had nothing to rave about although my friend found the Mango Sago ($4) she ordered good. Maybe their cold desserts are better? 

Food Anytime (Dessert Story) 

Various locations 

Junction 8 

9 Bishan Place 

BI-K12 

Tel No: 6356 8775 

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Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee (Hong Lim)

My first memories of curry noodles started when I was in secondary school. Every Thursday, they would sell curry noodles and I would definitely queue for it. Today, I tried the famous Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee. In prices of $3.50, $4.50 or $5.50, I opted for the smallest bowl. You can also choose from different types of noodles.

Don't go there without a packet of tissue paper. First, to wipe your perspiration from the spicy gravy. Second, to wipe the curry away from your mouth. Third, what else? To chope seat!

I haven't tasted curry noodles as spicy as this. The gravy is very slurp-worthy (those who are watching their waistlines please don't eat this) and is completely absorbed by the thinly sliced tau pok. There are also other ingredients, such as potato, chicken and fishcake. They don't skimp on the ingredients. The uncle also makes it a point not to scoop the layer of oil in the big pot into the individual pots.

For $3.50, this portion was just right for me although those with bigger appetites should get a bigger bowl. I was lucky to get my food within 5 minutes before the queue got long. But there's usually a queue so run to Hong Lim to get your food! Tasty and worth its price.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee 
Hong Lim Food Centre
Block 531A Upper Cross Street
#02-58
Tel No: 9243 0601 

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Ambush (Junction 8)

I haven't been to Junction 8 for a few years now, and when I exited Bishan MRT, I was like, "Now, where am I supposed to go?" Junction 8 has become more crowded than I last remembered it to be. 

I met a good friend for dinner, someone who I've known for more than a decade. Decided on Ambush, a restaurant selling European cuisine, because the reviews were pretty good. 

It's the first time I've seen menus in the format of newspapers. There are four pages worth, and there is a variety of European fare for you to choose from. 

Here's my friend's review on the Smoked Bratwurst ($12.20):

My order consisted of two bratwurst with rosti, sauergraut (sour cabbage), a small portion of salad on the side and a dollop of sour cream. The sausages were fresh with a a flavorful smoky taste. The skin was not charred but crispy enough, while the insides were still tender and juicy. These were pretty decent bratwurst! The sauergraut had a good tang to it but they could have been more generous with it, as with the salad. The light sour cream also complemented the buttery fried rosti.

The waiters here could be a little more attentive though..we were pretty much invisible for about 10minutes after being seated.

I got myself a Farmer Mushroom Bratwurst ($12.80). Either they didn't state it on the menu, or I'm severely short sighted. I didn't see anything that said what accompanied the bratwurst. So, when I asked the server whether it came with rosti (the picture seemed to suggest so), he said yes. And he continued, "Okay, so you chose rosti." And I replied, "Umm... You mean you have other choices?" It turns out that there's fries and mashed potato to choose from as well.

Rosti is one potato dish that I really like. I tried recreating it once but failed miserably. The rosti was fried to golden brown and the sides were crispy. The potato taste was also strong and that was good. But, I wish it were less oily. The sour cream was also underwhelming.

I couldn't taste the mushrooms in the bratwurst at all. Nonetheless, it's not too salty and had a nice flavour to it. Now, if only they could upsize the rosti and downsize the bratwurst. The sauerkraut is a welcome accompaniment because of its sour taste and crunchy texture.

  
If you want to come here, I think you should come during lunch because the price of the set lunch is perfect.

The food is pretty worth it for the price. A particular server was friendly but we took a very long time to attract their attention to order the food. The place was not totally full but they seemed to be shorthanded. The guys at the table next to us also got fed up trying to attract their attention to pay the bill. 

Ambush (Junction 8) 

Junction 8 

9 Bishan Place 

#02-19/20//27

Tel No: 6 353 3960 

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Teahouse- The Asian Kitchen

There was a queue forming when we met at Asian Kitchen at 7 pm. Then again, nearly all the stalls at Raffles City Shopping Centre had queues, especially Din Tai Fung. We were seated in around 15 minutes.

The Garlic Pork Ribs was sweet and did not have an overpowering garlicky taste. It went extremely well with rice and was one of my favourite dishes. I also liked the fact that it didn't have bones that you had to navigate around. 

The Sweet Potato Leaves were fried well and the sauce accompanying it was flavourful.

The Crispy Duck wasn't very crispy. Nonetheless, it went well with the chilli provided at every table. Nothing spectacular about the duck although it's supposedly one of their best dishes.

We paid around $45 for these dishes plus four bowls of plain rice. Between the four of us, the amount of food was okay although it's not necessarily filling. Service, while very rushed, was acceptable. Do expect a very crowded place if you go during dinner time.

TeaHouse- The Asian Kitchen
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-15
Tel No: +65 6336 4838

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Island Pacific Hotel (Hong Kong)

We booked two nights at Island Pacific Hotel and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

1) How to get there

We bought an Airport Express Travel Pass online for 285 HKD (it's cheaper online) with 50 HKD being refundable when you return the card at the airport. This is only useful if you intend to take MTR most of the time and if you are there for three days. 

From the Airport Express Hong Kong Station, you can either take a taxi or walk back to the hotel. Taxi costs about 30 HKD, depending on traffic. 

You can also walk from the Sheung Wan and it takes around 15 minutes if you walk at a moderate speed. 

I read some reviews stating that you could actually take a tram which gets you somewhere near the hotel or that there is a bus from the airport. However, when I sent an email enquiring about public transport options to the hotel, the only answer I got was that I should take a taxi. 

2) Location 

The thing you will realise about this place is that it sells plenty of dried seafood. Everytime we walk back to the hotel, we will smell the dried seafood smell. I'm not particularly adverse to it, but just thought I should mention it. Sometimes, you will see some seafood being dried by the side of the road as well. 

Safe neighbourhood, with bakeries, convenience stalls, dessert stalls and restaurants all in the vicinity. 

Shuttle bus from the hotel to various locations, but not from various locations to the hotel. For example, you could take a shuttle bus to Sheung Wan, but you can't take a shuttle bus from Sheung Wan to the hotel, unless you call them. Here's the shuttle bus guide. 

3) Service 

Excellent service. Everyone from the concierge to the receptionists were very friendly and polite. The concierge were also responsible for asking you where you were going if you wanted to take the shuttle bus. 

4) Room 

The room was well stocked. When we reached, we had three complimentary fruits and two bottles of water. It oversees the harbour and you can also see the buildings in the neighbourhood. There is an iPhone dock which was really convenient because you didn't even need a charger. 

Only gripe was that the thick curtains couldn't close fully such that we got awaken by the morning sun daily. 

5) Bathroom 
The bathroom was quite small but suitable for all purposes. Toiletries are also provided. Hairdryer available.

6) Other amenities
A swimming pool and a gym is also present in the hotel but we didn't get to use them because we didn't have the time to.

Overall
This isn't exactly the best location to stay at, if you are looking at shopping near the Kowloon area. However, the presence of shuttle buses to Central MTR may alleviate that problem slightly. Nonetheless, you have to also keep in mind that the shuttle bus ends pretty early so you would have to settle your own transportation back to the hotel.

Other than the location (which really isn't that inconvenient if you don't mind a 15-20 minute walk), everything in this hotel was pleasant and worth the price we paid.

Island Pacific Hotel
152 Connaught Road West
Tel No: 2131 1188
Hong Kong 

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Sang Kee Congee 生记粥品 (Hong Kong)

I love eating porridge from Dim Sum restaurants and decided to head down to Sang Kee Congee to have a bowl of its famous fish porridge. Open for over 40 years, the crowd inside is unlike the breakfast crowd you see at a normal cha chan teng. The shop space is very small and people just quietly slurp their porridge, unlike the noisy crowd in a cha chan teng. 

The soup stock, made of lean pork bones and dry scallop is simmered for four hours. The rice porridge is then made by Thai rice and bean curd sticks in the stock for at least another three hours. Unfortunately, I didn't taste all that flavour when I ate the Fish Porridge (27 HKD). 

Furthermore, I would have preferred it if the fish was in larger chunks instead of being in small pieces. A small bowl of fresh ginger and soya sauce acted as a complement to the porridge. The You Tiao (Deep fried crumpler) (5 HKD) was kind of disappointing because it was cold. It was easy to tell why because many bowls were filled with you tiao and just left in the open. 

The congee is a lot thinner than I'm used to. I'm guessing that with different cooking styles for congee, you either love it or be indifferent about it. I'm the latter and found this place overhyped, but it's more of a personal preference thing.

Sang Kee Congee 生记粥品
G/F 7-9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan
Closed on Sundays 
Sheung Wan MTR Station, Exit A2
Tel No: 2541 1099

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Maxim's Palace City Hall 美心皇宫 (Hong Kong)

The bell boy at the hotel we were staying at must be earning quite a bit of dough. When we asked him for a dim sum recommendation, he recommended us Maxim's Palace. When asked further whether it was expensive, he replied, "No. It's reasonable and affordable." Well, technically it's really not that expensive but we could possibly have at least 2 meals of dim sum at a decent cha cheng teng for the same price. 

This place is perfect for a wedding. Unlike many old Chinese restaurants which may be draped in gaudy red, this place has huge chandeliers above and you get a fantastic view of the harbour outside. You may have to queue for a place in this place though. We waited around 10 minutes when we reached at around 1 pm. This place is pretty old school, where servers push the carts around and you choose what you want. The interesting thing is that they paste pictures with English and Chinese words on it so that you can place your orders. 

We ordered the Lotus Leaf Chicken.The glutinous rice was moist, unlike some places where it can be too dry. The chicken was accompanied by some salted egg yolk.

The Rice Roll with Prawn was quite good with fresh and big prawns. 

After my encounter with Tai Cheong Bakery (which was far too buttery for me), the mini egg tarts here brought me much comfort. Warm egg custard with a flaky crust.

We also ordered some Deep fried Taro Puffs which had a very crispy and light exterior. The mushroom bits in the puff added to the flavour of the puff.

All of the above, plus a bowl of beancurd, added up to 223 HKD, which is a lot more expensive than normal dim sum. If you are looking for a place with plenty of seats and don't mind spending a little more, this place is an ideal choice with its good dim sum. However, once is enough for me because I don't think it's worth it to pay so much more because its quality isn't far much better than a good dim sum restaurant such as Tim Ho Wan. On the other hand, if you are looking for variety, this is probably the place for you.

Maxim's Palace City Hall 美心皇宫
Various locations
2/F, Low Block, City Hall
(Near IFC/Central MTR)
Tel No: 2521 1303 

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Tim Ho Wan 添好運點心專門店 (Hong Kong)

For people like me who don't or can't afford to spend an arm and a leg on their food, eating at a Michelin Star restaurant might be a dream that is nearly unattainable. Oh, but hold on! Did you see the word nearly? Helmed by the chef formerly from the Four Seasons Hotel, Tim Ho Wan is a definite must-go when you go to Hong Kong. But don't forget to get there early! 

When we reached at 5 pm (that's not really dinner time by any standards), there was a crowd outside. But we only waited 10-15 minutes which is really really really short compared to the hours that many spend queueing if you go at normal meal times. 

You can order from outside on a slip of paper with the menu on it (English/Chinese). When we went in, we were tucked in some corner and promptly served tea.

Here's a menu with pictures, just in case you don't know what the food looks like! The options are pretty limited though. 

We ordered the very famous Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (17 HKD). It's texture is like a po lo bun (pineapple bun) which is slightly hard on the outside and chewy in the outside. I loved this dish because of the skin and it's generous filling of char siew in it.

The Vermicelli roll stuffed with Shrimp (22 HKD) had very fresh prawns tucked in the skin.

We also opted for the Steamed Pork Dumpling with Shrimp (24 HKD) which tasted like typical siew mai served in good dim sum restaurants.

I didn't really enjoy the Pan Fried Turnip Cake (12 HKD) because I found the turnip a little bitter. But that might be because I had just eaten the very sweet char siew before this dish.

Our dessert was the Pan Fried Red Bean Dumplings (15 HKD). The glutinous rice skin was of an appropriate thickness and was a great complement to the red bean.

The food here is good and cheap. We spent 94 HKD between the two of us. Yes, you have to battle the queues but do yourself a favour by going earlier!

Tim Ho Wan 添好運點心專門店
Various locations
Shop 8, Taui Yuen Manion Phase 2
2-20 Kwong Wah Street, Mongkok
Hong Kong 

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