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Showing posts with label Savoury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savoury. Show all posts

12 Jul 2014

Marriott Cafe Lunch Buffet - 1 for 1 with the Entertainer

Back to my buffet hopping days when I had another buffet session right the week after a previous buffet.
No choice, the Entertainer 1 for 1 was really too irresistible. Anyway, the application only have 2 buffet places - At Lime Restaurant (Parkroyal on Pickering) and the other is Marriott Cafe! The 1 for 1 applies to lunch, high tea as well as dinner buffet!

This time I had lunch with my friend who was super bad with his photography skills. Gosh, he had to retake my picture like 10 times before 1 decent one came out. Not again! I was once again too engrossed in taking pictures of all the appetizing food that I neglected taking a decent shot of the layout/interior! The place have been renovated, from a dim to a bright dining environment. No wonder it looked so different from the last time I came for its dinner buffet which was a few years back.

The usual starter for me and my friend would be the salmon sashimi, smoked salmon, szechuan salmon and the other salmon. Careful of high sodium content! There were the usual cold cuts, salad station, some cheese and a variety of bread which I did not take, fearing that they would take up too much stomach space. 

My #Fotd (food of the day, not exactly) shot which my friend took. 1 out of 10 shots passable...I supposed.

Just random pieces of different food for tasting purpose. If the food is to my liking, I would definitely go back for second and even third round. The usual laksa and a pasta station was available too.

Besides a selection of soup to choose from, there were also a couple of Korean dishes too! Bibimbap available too! Any Korean food fans around?!? 

For beef lovers like me, go for the medium rare slices of beef! I had 3 slices and I just love the tender chewy meat with blood tainted juices seeping out. Don't go 'eeewww' on me...

The ice cream tasted inferior, like those from an ice cream cart along the roadside. Skip them if you do not want too much trans fat in your diet. 

I tried the whole selection of cakes available, but only posting the little red velvet cupcake just because it looked the prettiest. There were 6 cakes that came in rectangular log form, for self-cutting and looking like a pile of mess when you placed them onto your plate. 

The Entertainer application which I redeemed for the 1 for 1! Like a half price only after dividing by 2 with my friend!

Not to forget the selfie shot after the lunch buffet! I guess I should go for a jog soon! 

10 Jul 2014

Parkroyal on Pickering - Lime Restaurant Dinner Buffet

Thanks to the Entertainer application, I get to enjoy the 1 for 1 voucher! 
Check out my previous post link for more information on the Entertainer!

A large wooden table packed with a huge variety of sweet treats is really a seductive way to welcome people into a buffet. Provided that you do not enter by the back door which my friend and I did...
I purposely did not zoom into the picture, just to leave you to guess what sort of dessert they were.

The interior was a blend of modern metallic and rustic woodenness, rather dim and lit up mainly by spotlights. The place was so spacious and the buffet spread was nicely spread out.  

I had a beautiful night view of the streets out there while my friend get to 'ogle' at a group of aunties (tais tais) in their seventies, celebrating an occasion.    

Nowadays I seldom want to blog about buffets since the dishes often rotate. (I have a buffet label at my blog's side bar though.) I will just throw in some food pictures to satisfy your cyber hunger! A international buffet with seafood, bread, cheese, Japanese, Western and Peranakan.

The place was so dim that I had to place my plate right beside the table light to capture a clear shot.

Some of the Peranakan style food which tasted really yummy! Laksa, kueh pie tee, rojak and more...

While people love to take #ootd (outfit of the day), I would prefer to take #fotd (food of the day).

Sashimi indulgence! A must have for me at every buffet!

A peek at the some of the desserts available! I basically tried every dessert and the key lime tart was my top favorite, followed by the durian pengat and the strawberry ice cream! (Forgot to try the nonya kuehs...) 

How can I not resist to take a picture with this grandeur towering green tea fondue! 

Ending the post with 2 more selfies! The pathway with really comfortable seating  facing the outdoor!

Artificial leafy greens along the walls! Stay tune for the update of my lunch buffet at Marriott Cafe, also using the Entertainer 1 for 1 application!

23 Jun 2014

Chicken Up - Calling All Chicken Lovers! (Korean style)


I was quite surprised that the entire street along 48 Tanjong Pagar Road had tons of Korean restaurants. Despite such competition, Chicken Up stood out from the rest, specializing in a huge variety of Korean style chicken dishes. 
For all buffet/chicken lovers out there, there is a all-you-can-eat chicken buffet!
($25 for weekday, $30 for weekends)

The Watermelon Soju made a grand entrance onto our table with smoke produced from dry ice. Soju is originally from South Korea and is traditionally made from rice, wheat or barley. With blended watermelon flesh that gave a less boring texture to the drink, the overall feeling was crisp, clear and definitely refreshing.

Besides the Watermelon Soju, I also tried the Yakult and Pear Soju. The yakult soju could be defined by its milky white colour as well as its taste. My personal favorite would definitely be the pear soju, which I would highly recommend to ladies, since it was so soothing and sweeter as compared to the others. Soju made great accompaniment to chicken dishes!

A popular snack that has been highly raved is available here too! The Truffle Fries, with its thick cut and perfumed with the earthly truffle fragrance.

My personal favorite was the Soy Sauce Chicken Wings! Firstly marinated and then deep fried, this combination really made the wings distinctive. Not only that, I just loved the umami sensation from the juices of these wings due to the naturally occurring glutamate found in soy sauce. Thankfully I did not leave it on the table for long or else the marination would start to make the semi-crispy skin soggy. 

Up next with its deep fried crispy skin would be the Spicy Up. One would clearly be reminded of KFC, Popeyes or any other fast food establishments that serve a similar crispy fried chicken. Just be reminded that not all fried chicken would taste the same since the tender flesh and the batter would be the deciding factors. Thankfully it wasn’t spicy at all, not that I could take spicy.

Another favorite of mine would the Yangnyum (Korean fried chicken)! It was glistening due to the lovely coating of the sweet and spicy sauce. Although a bit messy to eat, it proved to be worth it and for non-spicy eaters, rest assured that you won’t have a hard time.

Last but not least would be the Andong Chicken Stew. The first thing I noticed was the generous sprinkling of sesame seeds, as well as the entire pot was brimming with tons of ingredients such as chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice cakes and thick glass noodles. I guessed they were quite generous with the chilli padis as well since my mouth was burning hot after a sip of soy sauce broth. (The soju saved me!) The chicken was fork tender and managed to absorb the spiciness too.

(A post which did not get posted, thanks for the invite.)

25 May 2014

Artisan Boulangerie Co - I am a Crust Lover

Back here again at Artisan Boulangerie Co's Great World City outlet with another group of friends! I just love baked crusts, no matter they are from flaky dough or mealy dough.

Although the peach tart was petite in size (to me), the sweetness was well balanced with the tart shell. Too bad the somewhat firm tart shell was a bit underbaked at its base that day (did not really affect the taste). Burnt or caramelized at its surface would be up to you to judge.     

The same old smoked salmon and dill quiche which I had tried the previous time I was here. To be honest, it was not exactly the same as last time. It felt drier, shrank a bit in height and had dropped in standard. Kind of disappointing I would say.

Looking like a solid foundation silo structure, the chicken pie was nicely caramelized, perhaps a bit too dark to some people. I could not wait to destroy a segment of the wall to reveal what laid inside! 

The dough was in between flaky and mealy, containing a mixture of chicken chunks, carrots, peas and creamy sauce! It was a challenge trying to be neat while eating as the compact fillings toppled out slowly. I ended up eating the crust and the piping hot fillings separately.   

9 Apr 2014

Orh Nee Roll - My Rendition of Orh Nee

Decided to do up a post before going to dreamland to recharge my energy for a crazy day of work tomorrow! It is FHA week and the morning crowd is so CRAZY! Too bad my off days are after FHA and I could not go although I had complementary ticket from my chef. (Gave away the ticket already...) I posted about my last day of school and my presentation previously (click here to view) and below is the dessert I created. The recipe I used included if anyone want to try making it?  


(Picture taken from my school instructor's album.) Nicely taken from his DSLR! 


A summarized version of my report (modified)

Orh Nee Roll is my rendition of the popular Teochew dessert that goes a long way back.
Orh Nee in Teochew means Taro Paste and memories of this dish come from attending
wedding banquets, where it is almost customary for it to be served as the last course in resturants.
The main ingredient used is yam, which is one of the oldest food plants known. It is also a common plant found around the rustic and rural kampung environment in the past. Yams are a good source of potassium, manganese, copper, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and vitamin B6.
The other secondary ingredients used are coconut cream, pandan leaves, shallots and pumpkin seed (to replace the actual pumpkin flesh).   
Since the past, coconut cream is added to Orh Nee to enhance the flavor, giving it a creamier texture. As for shallots, when fried, they produce a fragrant aroma which would mask the undesirable smell of the yam. Pandan leaves are used as additional flavoring for the skin.

To further depict the kampong style, I choose to present my Orh Nee rolled up in light pandan fragrance snowskin, looking like a piece of home made traditional kueh. It is also to break the monotonous habit of serving Orh Nee in a bowl, looking like a pile of unappetizing dull looking gooey mess. The spongy texture of the snow skin with fried shallots and pumpkin seed provide a slight contrast to the rich creamy texture of the yam paste itself. This sweet as well as savory dessert is made from scratch, just like from the kampung days.


Dessert name: Orh Nee Roll (About 100 pcs)
(Adjust oil and coconut cream base on your desired consistency.)

Ingredient List

Yam Paste 

Fresh Yam        1200g
Caster Sugar        200g
Peanut Oil            300g
Shallots             15 no.s
Coconut Cream    600g
Salt                    A pinch

Snow Skin

Fried Glutinous Rice Flour (Kou Fien)          600g + (100g for dusting)
Icing Sugar                                                   750g
Shortening                                                    180g
Water (Cold)                                                 600ml
Green Colouring                                            Few drops
Pandan Leaves                                              100g


Method

1)      Peel taro and cut into thin slices. Arrange on a dish/tray and steam for 20-30 min until soft.
2)      Once the taro slices are out of the steamer, mash them up with the back of a fork, adding caster sugar at the same time. Taste and add more caster sugar if required. Tweak the level of sweetness to personal preference. Cover with clingfilm.
3)      Peel shallots and finely slice them.
4)      In a wok or wide saucepan, add oil and sliced shallots. Gently stir-fry on medium low heat until the shallot discs begin to brown and crisp up. Strain the shallots from the oil.
5)      Return oil back to the wok, turn down the flame to low. Add mashed taro paste and mix until well amalgamated. Taste again and add more sugar if required. Also, if coconut milk is used, it can be added at this point with a pinch of salt. Cut back the oil by half if so and add accordingly until the desired texture is achieved.
6)      Allow the taro paste to cool down considerably. Transfer into a food blender and blitz until smooth. Chill the mixture till firm.
7)      Sift the flour and mix with icing sugar and add into a bowl
8)      Blend the pandan leaves for its juice, add into the cold water with a few drops of colouring.
9)      Add shortening and water to the flour mixture, mix together to form a smooth dough and keep aside for 30 minutes.
10)   Roll out the dough into a rectangular flat surface, spread the taro paste across it and roll it up like a swiss roll.
11)  Chill before slicing into portion and serve. 


(I had my reference from http://travelling-foodies.com)

2 Mar 2014

Finalized Bak Kwa


Quite an obvious delayed post on Bak Kwa since Chinese New Year had passed more than a month ago.
Anyway, this was the finalised version which tasted as good as the actual commercialised ones out there!
Tested and many tasted!! (For method 2b below) Satisfied!

I guessed this was the final form... 

My reference for different types of meat for Bak Kwa trial can be found here.
The second post on the more complicated version using dehydrator and smoking of Bak Kwa can be found
here.

The finalised version (the picture above):

Ingredients:

300g Minced Pork
1 tbs Thai Fish Sauce
1 tbs Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
120g Caster Sugar
1 drop of red food colouring

Method:

1) Marinated overnight (or a few hours, up to you)

2a)  Spread on tray, placed into the oven for 10 mins at 100 degrees. Flip over and place back into the over
       for another 10 minutes till a bit charred.

(Better Results)
2b)  After spreading on tray (your desired thickness), dehydrate using your dehydrator for 3 hours, medium
       heat about 55 degrees. (Want to dehydrate longer to remove more moisture also can.) After that, place
       it over a bamboo tray (for better results) and cook/smoke over charcoal, which is about 200 degrees 
       for up to an hour. Remember to oil your bamboo to prevent sticking. Grill on pan a while before serving.