[Singapore Cafe] Vegetarian Chocolate Truffle Logcake from Metta Cafe

 

Thinking what to get for the year-end gathering?  Consider this.  I bought this for a recent gathering and most people couldn't believe that this vegetarian (eggless) chocolate truffle logcake tasted as good as any other chocolate logcakes.  Best of all, the price wouldn't burn a hole in your pocket.  500g at $30 and 1kg at $42.

 

Contact mettacafe@metta.org.sg to entire or drop by the café located at 32 Simei Street 1.

 

Have a great holiday!

[Australian Cafe] Pie Face in Singapore!

If chicken pie, mushroom pie, apple pie and perhaps yam pie are the types of pie that you've eaten all your life, does (spicy) Tandoori Vegetable pie or (sweet) Thai Green Curry Chicken pie or (savoury) Chicken + Peppercorn make you feel a little more excited about eating pies?

 

Leading micro-bakery café from Australia, also the world's largest pie chain, has just arrived in Singapore.  2 outlets were opened in Singapore in November and they are conveniently located at 313 Somerset and Bugis Village.

 

With the eye-catching signboard, you can easily spot Pie Face (Bugis) from BHG's entrance facing Victoria Street.



 

Pie Face doles out pies in a multitude of flavours.  The pies come in regular and mini sizes (from $4.90 and $3 respectively).  The pie flavours include:

- Tandoori Vegetable Pie  (Regular and Mini)
- Thai Chicken Curry Pie (Regular and Mini)
- Chicken + Mushroom (Regular and Mini)
- Chicken + Peppercorn (Regular and Mini)
- Chunky Steak (Regular and Mini)
- Creamy Vegetable (Mini)
- Steak + Peppercorn (Mini)
- Chilli Chicken + Corn (Mini)

My personal favourites are the Tandoori Vegetable (filled with delicious chopped carrots, capsicum and mixed beans) and Thai Chicken Curry (filled with carrots, onion, garlic, coconut milk and chicken) pies.  Like my friend ever commented, I seem to prefer "exotic" food, which I interpret to mean food with stronger or spicy flavour.

Different playful expressions are featured on the pastry crusts, making the pies fun to look at even before eating it.

Sad faces, happy faces....Are you able to guess what type of pie each facial expression stands for?

The reason for success for Pie Face is probably the delicious puff pastry.  It is said that the dough of the traditional French puff pastry takes 3 days to prepare.  The kitchen team is required to fold the special blend of butter to create 48 layers!

Encased within the flaky crust are fresh and chunky ingredients.  Pie Face serves the pies in 2 ways:
1. Either by itself in a cardboard sleeve; and
2. Top the pie with mash potato and gravy.

Besides the savoury pies selection, you get to enjoy sweet treats under the same roof.  The café serves 8 sweet pies, crumbly cookies and moist cakes too!  The cheese sticks (suitable for cheese lovers) and almond sticks are worth trying!

And if you are a sausage person, try the Chicken + Cheese Sausage roll (with some tomato ketchup)!

The sweet pies are really pretty.  Available in pecan, butterscotch, lemon, chocolate, raspberry, apple crumble, green tea + red bean and coffee!  I'm sure there's one flavour that whets your taste bud.

Finally, the banana bread (aka banana cake) is one of my favourites!

Need some coffee to end a good meal?  Pie Face serves freshly brews such as cappuccino, café latte, long black, mocha and macchiato ($4 onwards).

Pie Face Outlets
313 Orchard Road #B3-10 (313 Somerset)
Singapore 238895
Operating Hours: 10am to 10pm
Getting there: Directly connected to Somerset MRT station

249 Victoria Street (Bugis Village)
Singapore 188034
Operating Hours: 10am to 10pm
Getting there: Alight at Bugis MRT Station.  Turn right at the entrance and head towards BHG department store.  Take the escalator to Level 1 of BHG.  Exit BHG using the exit facing Victoria Street (near bags section) and cross the traffic light.  You should be able to see Pie Face while at the traffic light.

URL: http://pieface.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piefacesingapore
Instagram: @pieface_sg

Handy Bread-Making Machine by Panasonic



I am not quite into kitchen gadgets since I have always prefer to eat than to cook.  Cooking is time-consuming and there is no guarantee that the final product will turn out the way you expect it to be.  But this cooking demonstration got me curious as to how a home bread-maker can bake delicious bread.  Some friends have got their own bread-making machines at home and it gave them the flexibility to bake bread of their choice.

 

So, here I was at the Panasonic cooking demonstration, organised by omySG.  4 recipes were shared and we were really impressed with the soft texture of the bread loaf, focaccia (flat bread), bun and even muah chee which was the biggest surprise to me.  I would have never thought that a bread-maker machine can be used for making muah chee!

 

 

Panasonic Bread Maker SD-P104 is an automatic bread-maker that has 13 menu (for bread, dough and dessert), 13-hour digital timer and has separate dispensers for raisins/nuts and yeast.  Using the dough cycle, we can even use this machine to make dumpling skin and pizza dough.

 

The metal container is where the ingredients will be placed in and where the kneading process will take place inside the bread-maker.

The control panel looks simple enough and instructions on the display panel looks rather straight forward too.  Our cooking instructor, Theresa, shared that when the cover is cover is shut, the panel will indicated the current preparation stage so that user need not open up the cover to check.

One of the recipes shared during the session was the Fragrant Mixed Wheat Bread.  The good thing about making your own bread is that, you know the actual ingredients used and the freshness of the bread.

Ingredients for the bread include:

75g  Whole Wheat Flour
175g Bread Flour
10g Butter
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Castor Sugar
1 tbsp Milk Powder
200ml Cold Water (ensure that the water is chilled)
1 tsp Instant Yeast

Mix together:
30g Sunflower Seeds
10g Melon Seeds
30g Raisin
10g Black Sesame Seeds

Method:
1.  Place the above ingredients (except the mixed nuts and yeast) into the bread pan.

2.  Place yeast into the yeast dispenser and mixed nuts into the nuts dispenser.

3.  Select Menu no. 2 for "Rapid" mode, and select "Raisin" mode, next press start.  [The reason for selecting "Raisin" mode is so that the bread-maker will automatically dispense the mixed nuts at the later stage of the 2-hour process.]

4.  Once ready, remove bread from the pan.

5.  Leave to cool before cutting!  Enjoy the super-soft wheat bread!



 

The good thing which I really like about the bread-maker is that cleaning seems quite easy too.  None of the dough got stuck to the bread pan and so washing can be quite fast too.  For those who are into bread-making and would like to improvise with new bread recipe, I think it is worth to get this machine which is retailing at $329 at Isetan, Takashimaya, Tangs and selected Best Denki, Courts and Harvey Norman outlets.

[Korean Bistro] Korean-inspired Tapas Menu at SYNC Korean Tapas Bar

Tapas, commonly referred to appetisers or snacks, isn't an unfamiliar offering at western restaurants or bistros or bars.  SYNC is Singapore's first ever Korean tapas bar with a range of Korean-inspired tapas with specially crafted Korean-inspired cocktails.  It's first outlet is located at Westgate Mall and blends food with technology using the latest Samsung gadgets.  The success of the first bistro has led to the launch of the Korean-inspired tapas bar.  Both outlets have their own signature dishes.

 

Located at the cosy little town, Serangoon Gardens, SYNCTapas has newly launched several festive cuisines which is available from 12 Dec 2014 to 2 Jan 2015.



 

(Front entrance of SYNC Tapas Korean Bar)

(Modern and Cosy settings) 

(Simple decorations yet complete with antique chairs) 

The main counter is in the middle of the bar.  Towards the end of the bar, there is a "private" section although it isn't separated by any partitions or doors, which sits up to 8 persons.

Mains and tapas selection are quite affordable and starts from $9.90 onwards.  The Christmas Salad ($9.90) is a refreshing and colourful mix of fruits (pomegranate and orange) and salad leaves.  It is topped with citrus dressing which added to the refreshing finish to the salad.  Pomegranate is a popular fruit in Korean which has, in recent years, been added as an ingredient to some skincare products.

Korean sweet potato has always been one of my favourite root vegetables.  For this festive season, SYNCTapas has introduced that Sweet Potato Croquettes ($10.90).  This dish is prepared by frying Korean sweet potatoes with cheese and chorizo (pork sausage), topped with apple salsa for a festive taste.

Clay Duck Saam (a Korean expression which refers to wrapped food) ($10.90), blends the traditional Korean food with Christmas flavour by serving the duck meat with Korean daikon and perilla leaf.

Turkey is a common dish served during Christmas.  For this Turkey Risotto (an Italian rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency) ($26.90), Korean barley was creatively used in place of rice.  The dish was topped with sautéed mushrooms and cranberries.

Complete the meal with a sweet ending, Chestnut Crunchy Bar ($10.90), which is actually chestnut mousse in a chocolate tart shell, topped with crunchy pearls, orange gel and a piece of sesame-filled fragrant thin cookie.

(cross-section of the Chestnut Crunchy Bar)

While these are the festive selection, the bar also serves regular menu which include popular Korean dishes such as Budae Jjigae (Army Stew), Ddeokbokki (Spicy rice cake), Kimchi Fried Rice etc.  Value lunch set, including an appetiser, main and drinks, at $9.90 is available everyday from 11am to 5pm.  Add-on options are available for side dishes and desserts at $2.50 and $5 respectively.

Immerse yourself in non-stop popular K-jazz and K-pop as you enjoy your lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or even supper.


SYNC Korean Tapas Bar
12 Maju Avenue (Serangoon Garden estate)
Singapore 556690
Tel: 62820612
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syncbistro

Opening Hours:
11am to 11pm (Mon, Wed, Thu)
11am to 12am (Fri to Sun)
Closed on Tue.

Getting there: 2 minutes walk from Serangoon Garden Circus.  Buses that go there includes 73, 136, 315 and 317.

[Singapore] Korean Food Fair 2014

The 2-day Korean Food Fair is happening now at the entrance of Ngee Ann City.  Loaded with food samplings, which majority are not for sale.  Red ginseng drink, black tea, paprika (we commonly call it capsicum) juice,  fresh korean fruits (persimmon,  pear and apple) and tasty dried fruits.  Challenge yourself at the game stations or enjoy the power-packed performances by Korean artistes.

The food fair will end on 2 nov, 8pm.

Vegetarian Foodhunt of the Year! Registration is now open!

Hey foodies, here's your chance to take part in a foodhunt with a special food theme ~ vegetarian food!  Show your prowess on Sunday, 26 October 2014 on how you can find interesting food with your creativity and resourcefulness and win Capitamall vouchers! 

 

Registration is now open until 19 October 2014!  If you're between 17 to 35 years old, sign up for the foodhunt!  Details are available at http://youth.kmspks.org/y-lifestyle/vegetarian-food-hunt/

 

 

 

[Singapore Restaurant] Experience Korea's Most Beloved Dishes from Bibigo

The wave of Korean Fried Chicken + Beer has hit the sunny island of Singapore when this food combo known as Chimaek (치맥) was featured in the popular Korean drama "My Love from the Stars" (별에서 온 그대) earlier this year.  The word "Chimaek" originates from the word Chicken (Koreans pronounce the word as Chikin) and Maekju (which means beer in Korean).  Chimaek is especially popular during the summer seasons when the heat wave is up and the beer has the cooling effect.  It is so popular that an event "Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival" is held annually! 

 

Being summer all year round in Singapore, it is timely that Bibigo has added Chimaek to their menu starting from September!



 

What's unique about Bibigo's version of Chimaek is that, you get to eat the fried chicken with 2 different sauces (soybean and sweet & spicy) and salt!  Personally, my preference would be the soybean sauce, followed by the sweet & spicy sauce.  The salt is dry and doesn't quite stay on the chicken.  The plus point about having Chimaek is the refreshing pickled white radish.  But honestly, the plain fried chicken itself is already quite delicious and addictive.

Order the Gangnam Chicken as an ala carte dish (6-piece chicken) at $10 or top up another $10 for 2 bottles of iced-cold Hite beer.  Hite beer is really popular in Korea!

For an authentic Korean meal, order a Spicy Kimchi Stew ($10) and Kimchi pancake ($9).  The stew comes with a bowl of Korean short grain rice and a kimchi side-dish.  In fact, these 2 dishes have been newly added to Bibigo's menu and they are quite decent, although I think the pancake would have tasted even better if it was crispier. 

 

Just a small tip to share.  The Kimchi pancake does not come with any dipping sauce.  But not to be disappointed, the soybean sauce from the Gangnam Chicken dish is a perfect dipping sauce for the pancake!

 

For non-spicy food lovers, another dish on the limited-time menu would be the Seafood Noodles ($9).  Udon is used as the main staple, cooked with seafood and a generous portion of green veggies, it makes a good option on days when you just feel like having something light and soupy.

 

Overall, the pricing for these new dishes are quite affordable and there is no price differentiation between lunch and dinner.  The food portion is easily sufficient for those with small to moderate appetite.  Head down to Bibigo with 2 to 3 other friends to experience all these dishes!

 

 

Website: http://sg.bibigo.com/index

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bibigo.singapore?fref=ts

 

Bibigo Suntec City

Suntec City Mall Tower 3 #B1-107 Singapore 038983

Tel: 65-6338-5809
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: Promenade Station on Circle Line)

Bibigo NEX Shopping Mall

23 Serangoon Central, #03-08 NEX Shopping Mall, Singapore 556083

Tel: 65-6509-8272

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: Serangoon Station on North-East Line)

 

Bibigo Raffles City

252 North Bridge Roadm #B1-74 Raffles City Shopping Center Singapore 179103

Tel: 65-6336-4745

Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm

(Nearest MRT Station: City Hall Station on North-South Line)

 

 

Like my post?  Follow me at Instagram (@joslovesfood), Facebook (Joslovesfood) and Twitter (@Joslovesfood)!



Airline Promotion from Singapore to Korea (Seoul/Busan/Jeju) in Spring 2015

It's really advance and very early to make travel plans yet but why not? :D


Singapore Airlines

Singapore to Seoul
From $768
Outbound Travel: 23 Apr to 28 May 2015
Min passenger: 1
Min/Max duration: 3 / 10 days
Ticket sales period: 16 Apr to 21 May 2015

http://www.singaporeair.com/booking-flow.form?execution=e1s1


Singapore to Seoul
From $798
Outbound Travel: 2 Jan to 31 Mar 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min/Max duration: 3 / 14 days
Ticket sales period: 15 Dec 2014 to 12 Jan 2015 (Promotion Ended)

http://www.singaporeair.com/jsp/cms/en_UK/promotions/2015-twotogo.jsp


Singapore to Seoul
From $748
Outbound Travel: 2 Jan to 31 Jan 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: 3 / 14 days
Ticket sales period: 14 Nov to 14 Dec 2014 (promotion ended)

http://www.singaporeair.com/booking-flow.form?execution=e1s1


Singapore to Seoul
From $648 (Early Bird Promotion)
Outbound Travel: 2 Jan to 27 May 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: 3 / 14 days
Ticket sales period: 15 to 28 Sep 2014 (promotion ended)

http://www.singaporeair.com/jsp/cms/en_UK/promotions/bookearly.jsp


Asiana Airlines

Singapore to Seoul
From $870
Travel period: 1 Jan to 27 May 2015
Min. passenger: 1
Max duration: 1 month
Ticket sale period: 1 to 31 Jan 2015 (promotion ended)

http://ea.flyasiana.com/C/en/boardContents.do?menuId=004002001000000&menuType=BOARD&boardCode=BOARD_EVENT&eventCateCode&eventSeq=2822&boardCmd=VIEW


Singapore to Seoul
From $788
Travel Period: 2 Jan to 27 May 2015 (blackout period: 17 to 20 Feb 2015)
Min. passenger: 1 pax
Max duration: 1 month
Ticket sale period: 26 Nov to 20 Dec 2014 (promotion ended)

http://ea.flyasiana.com/I/en/DiscountTicketDetail.do?menuId=001004000000000&menuType=LINK&departure=SIN&arrival=ICN


Cathay Pacific

Singapore to Seoul/Busan/Jeju (For UOB Credit Card Members Only)
From $608
Departure Period: 14 to 29 Apr; 3 to 27 May; 26 to 30 Jun 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: up to 1 month
Ticket sales period: 9 Apr to 5 May 2015

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_SG/flightoffer.getaway-surprise-uobcards.html


Singapore to Seoul (For OCBC Credit Card Members Only)
From $558
Departure Period: 20 Mar to 1 Apr; 9 to 29 Apr; 3 to 27 May; 26 to 30 Jun 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: up to 1 month
Ticket sales period: 3 Mar to 7 Apr 2015 (Promotion Ended)


Singapore to Seoul
From: $553 / $573
Departure Period: 5 Jan to 10 Feb 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: 2 days (min) to 7 days (max) / 14 days (max)
Ticket sales period: 18 Dec 2014 to 13 Jan 2015 (Promotion Ended)

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_SG/flightoffer.smart-saver-north-asia-and-china-two-to-travel.html


Singapore to Seoul/Busan/Jeju
From $712 / $718
Outbound Travel: 1 Jan to 31 Mar 2015
Min passenger: 2
Min / Max duration: min. 2 days, max. 1 month
Ticket sales period: until 31 Oct 2014 (promotion ended)

http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_SG/latest-offers/flights/promotion-code-multiple-diy-fares/two-to-travel-year-long-fares.html

Related Post:
- 2015 Summer/Autumn Airfares to Korea (click here)

[Singapore Cafe] Eggs & Berries Cafe at Westgate

The café culture is really getting vibrant and we have to acknowledge that the variety of confectionery is growing and some do look really appetising.  Besides waffles, which are being served in a number of cafes in Singapore already, how many giving pancakes a try?  All-day pancake sounds good isn't it?

 

At Eggs & Berries, selected pancakes, waffles, crepes and desserts are at 50% discount between 3pm to 5pm daily, including takeaways!   





 

This is the Tutti-Frutti pancake, essentially mini pancakes served with a huge fruity platter with strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, bananas, pineapples and peaches plus whipped cream.  Sounds healthy enough? 

This is a pretty cosy and quiet place to hang out during tea time, and with reasonable price.  Service staff are rather attentive and polite.


Eggs & Berries (Westgate Branch)
3 Gateway Drive #02-06 Westgate Singapore 608532
Tel: 6636 4212
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eggs.and.Berries?fref=photo
Website: http://www.eggsnberries.com/

Getting there: 2 minutes walk from Jurong East MRT station. 

[Singapore Cafe] Mooncakes from Metta Cafe

More traditional baked mooncake choices from Metta Cafe which offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian selection.

The Milk Tea Mixed Nuts, Osmanthus Seaweed King Melon Seeds and Green Tea Pistachio Nuts flavours sound interesting.  Shall check them out soon!

 

 

 

 

Metta Cafe

32 Simei Street 1, Singapore 529950
Email: mettacafe@metta.org.sg
Tel: 6580 4624
Website: www.metta.org.sg 

Pu Jue Vegetarian Mooncakes (普觉素月饼)

Mid-autumn festival is approaching again!  What mooncakes are you planning to get?  Baked vs snow-skin mooncakes?  For the past many years, my preference have always been to go for baked mooncakes.  But recently, I discovered the yummilicious vegetarian snow-skin mooncakes from Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, the largest Buddhist Monastery in Singapore.  The prices are really reasonable too.

Prices for baked mooncakes range between $32 to $45 per box of 4 while for snow skin, the prices range from $38 to $40 per box of 4 or $30 per box of 8.  This is probably one of the most pocket-friendly mooncakes that you can find in town these days.  If box of 4 is too much, you can get them in single pieces, also at very reasonable prices.

The choice of mooncakes include:

- White Lotus Paste
- Red Lotus Paste
- Hawaii Nut White Lotus Paste
- Olive Seed Red Lotus Paste
- Green Tea Paste with Melon Seed*
- Coffee Paste with Melon Seed
- Mixed Nuts Paste
- Durian Snow Skin*
- Pandan Snow Skin
- Mint Paste Snow Skin*

* Recommended Flavours

(Durian Snowskin Mooncake)

 



The packaging boxes are nice and elegant-looking. 

Sale of these vegetarian mooncakes are available from now until 8 September 2014 at the monastery's dining hall, between 9.30am to 3pm daily.  For enquiries about the mooncakes, please call 6849 5300.


Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
88 Bright Hill Road Singapore 574117
Website: http://www.kmspks.org/about/visiting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmspks?fref=ts

Getting there: Take the MRT to Bishan MRT station.  Walk to Bishan Bus Interchange and transfer to bus 410W.  Alight at the monastery gate's bus-stop .

[Korean Museum] Be (Dis)illusioned at Alive Museum

Now you see it, now you don't!  Have you ever been disillusioned by what you think you saw?  Get imaginative and let's see how your eyes can play tricks on you (or your friends), at the Alive Museum Singapore!

Located at Suntec City, downtown of Singapore, Alive Museum Singapore is South Korea's first and original 3D illusionary museum.  This is the place where 3D art (including trick art, digital art, object art and experimental art) comes alive with clever painting, shading and drawing techniques.  Globally, Alive Museum has 15 branches spreading from South Korea to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and now Singapore!

Believe it or not, all the artworks are hand-painted and hand-crafted by the museum's dedicated R&D team.  To keep up the exciting experience, 30% of the exhibits are refreshed every year!  To kick start, the following are my 10 favourite exhibits:

 

Number 10: Help!  Don't eat me!

 

 

Number 9: Contortionist at the Circus

 

 

Number 8: Table Tennis Match

 

 

Number 7: Mermaid under the Sea

 

 

Number 6: Push!

 

 

Number 5: Mini Me!

 

 

Number 4: Stepping into a Bottomless Pit

 

Number 3: Elephant Taxi

 

Number 2: Baby Armstrong

 

Number 1: Dodging a Flying Foot

With over 80 masterpieces including 9 local-themed exhibits unique to Singapore, be prepared to spend about 3 hours to comfortably experience all the exhibits.  Especially for visits during weekday evenings or weekends, some exhibits will have longer queues.  If you are going in small groups (eg. 2 persons), the friendly staff are always ready to help with photography.

If you can't get enough of the exhibits in thie 10,000 sq ft museum, you should consider making a trip to visit the largest branch at Jeju Island, which is 4 times bigger!


Alive Museum Singapore
Suntec City Mall #03-372 (Between Towers 3 and 4)
Operation Hours: 10am to 10pm daily (Last admission at 9pm)
Ticket Price: $25 (Adults), $20 (Children between 3 to 12 years old)
Website: http://alivemuseum.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alivemuseumsingapore?fref=ts

Latest promotion: http://alivemuseum.sg/news-events/

Getting there: Take the MRT to Promenade Station (Circle Line or Downtown Line) Exit C.  Walk 5 minutes towards the direction of Suntec City.  Take the escalator to level 3.