Crusty’s Chilli Cra Flavoured Popcorn

Hot and Shiok!

Place of Origin: Singapore
Where to get this: SPC Petrol Stations

Kane Mochi - Mochi + Ice-cream = Thumbs-up

Thin glutinous rice dough wrapped around ice-cream really yields a yummy treat. In fact, I feel it is better than those filled with bean paste only. I like the creaminess of ice-cream, paired with the stretchy, chewy dough skin for variation in texture and taste. Another plus point is that there are lots of flavours to choose from! Perfect for giving as gifts due to the variety, catering to different taste buds.

Thai Ice Tea is the must-try of Kane Mochi’s repertoire. For one, it is unique. I mean, where else can one get Thai Ice Tea ice-cream mochi? Thai Ice Tea is liked by many due to the creaminess and aroma of tea. And Thai Ice Tea ice-cream is exactly the same.

Salted Caramel is interesting due to the saltiness plus the richness of caramel. If one likes salted caramel desserts in general, then the Salted Caramel mochi here will not disappoint.

Lychee mochi features the flowery aroma of lychee. But the ice-cream tastes more like sorbet than ice-cream. Somehow, it is just not that creamy as I would like.

My family members have tried strawberry and blueberry, and they say the are good. Well, now I know what to get for them when I am at Jewel.

All in all, I am still looking forward to try the other flavours and buy more for my loved ones to enjoy.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Click here for link on location of the stores.

Uni Gallery by Ooster Bay - Sweet Uni Dreams Fulfilled

Since my visit to Sushi Kimura, I had this strong craving for uni. But for the longest time, I could not satisfy that craving, until I come to Uni Gallery, where I do not need to burn a hole in my wallet just to savour one morsel of that sweet uni. I had been to other establishments to try to get my uni fix, but that one little piece in thirty dollars plus or more expensive chirashi bowl is hardly enough to satisfy me. But at Uni Gallery, for thirty dollars plus, I can get a bowl of chirashi filled with six pieces of uni! Imagine my joy when I can finally submerged myself in sweet uni dreams. And best of all, the uni here is super fresh and sweet! Way better in quality than the one piece I got in the chirashi I had ordered in other establishments. More on that later. Let’s talk about my favourite dish first, which I order after I have happily finished my chirashi bowl.

Le Tetsuya is so exquisite in taste, showcasing the nuanced multifaceted flavours of the sea. The combination of the sweetness and umami of bafun uni, hokkaido crab and Serbian sturgeon caviar is unbelievably sublime. So subtle yet so complex in taste. And the flavours of each ingredient is very distinct without eclipsing the taste profile of the others. The appetizer to order for some serious indulgence.

Oyster shot, an all-time favourite of the restaurant, is a decadent treat that fully engages one’s taste buds. This is like the da bomb of the gastronomic journey at this place. The briney flavours of the oyster actually go pretty well with the sweetness of the bafun uni. The ikura gives pops of excitement to the overall taste. As compared to Le Tetsuya, this appetizer seems louder in terms of taste, since both ikura and oyster are stronger in taste than caviar and crab meat, thus creating a strong impression. Though I have to say that I prefer the subtlety of Le Tetsuya.

2 Types of Premium Uni Chirashi is what brings me to this restaurant, and it does not disappoint. I am so delighted to see lots of uni sitting on top of the starchy, smooth, pearl-like rice. Bafun uni is sweeter of the two kinds while murasaki uni is both milder in colour and taste. But I actually prefer murasaki uni since it is more creamy. Nonetheless, I love both types of uni presented here. The shredded egg, fried white bait and flying fish roe add extra textures to the dish. The good part about these additional toppings is that their tastes do not distract one from appreciating the goodness of uni. The half portion is pretty small, but it is enough for me, especially when there are six pieces of uni.

The salad that comes with the chirashi bowl is very flavourful due to generous amount of creamy sesame sauce added. Miso soup is kind of a tad too salty though. But I do not really care for that as long as I get my fill of fresh, awesome uni.

I love this place. It is like the ultimate place to get one’s fill of uni without breaking the bank. It is uni dream comes true. The Plaza is pretty run-down and the basement, where Uni Gallery is located, feels a dungeon, but I sure do not mind as long as I continue to get my uni at affordable price. The place does remind me of Cuppage Plaza, which is one of my favourite, but dingy, place, to get good Japanese food at great price. This kind of buildings is like best place to suss out hidden gens. The interior of this place is cozy though. And the service is great. The staff takes pride in introducing the types of uni and ingredients added to the dishes. There are also other kinds of value-for-money set lunches available, so I can bring my loved ones to here to enjoy the food even if they are not into raw seafood or they want to be real kind to our wallets.

My Thoughts: Awesome!

Nearest car park: The Plaza’s car park

Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway

7500A Beach Road

The Plaza #B1-313

Contact No: 9838 8209

Majestic Bay Restaurant - Unique Dim Sum

I was pretty critical of Majestic Bay Restaurant when I first visited it. The second time I visited this place, the service had gotten better, but since I ordered too much food on the second outing, I was feeling too stuffed to remember much about the food, except that the sweet Nutella bun is very filling. Guess third time is the charm, in which I can update more on this place.

Purple sweet potato dumpling with duck meat is definitely a dim sum of novelty. The sweet earthy flavours of purple sweet potato goes very well with the strong taste of duck meat that is submerged in sweet savoury sauce. My only issues with this dish are that the layer of sweet potato is too thick and there is too little duck meat. Can be very filling due to carbs from the sweet potato.

I love the crispy soft shell crabs in lemon butter sauce since I like eating soft shell crabs—nothing beats bitting through the crispy exterior to release a burst of umami encapsulated within the soft shell. And the lemon butter sauce adds an iota of zest and lots of creaminess to complement the flavours of the sea from the soft shell crabs.

Steamed butterfly pea flower prawn dumplings come in beautiful hue of deep blue that was extracted from butterfly pea flower. And besides the colour, what makes this prawn dumpling different from the usual haw gao is the generous addition of chopped vegetables, which is soaked with the meat juices and seasoning, yielding succulent, moist filling. I like the slight variation in taste due to the vegetables added.

Honey Pork Buns are pretty good, the soft fluffy bun is being filled with lots of sweet BBQ pork. But it is not exactly unique or outstanding as compared to other dim sum items. While Crispy Seafood Roll in Salad Sauce is one of the highlights of the repertoire of dim sum. First of all, I love the unique wrapping of this roll, it is like the filling is rolled with breadcrumbs before being deep-fried. This yields crunchy exterior that hides a treasure of prawn bits soaked in creamy salad sauce. The difference in texture between the exterior and filling lets one enjoy the wonderful marriage of two textures.

Mango puree with ice-cream in whole young coconut is definitely the dessert to try for tourists. Sweet mango goes pretty well with the creamy flesh of the young coconut. Yes, it is a must to scrap the flesh, which is full of nutty goodness and has a good bite, off the inside of the coconut because it is so good that it is worth the effort. If one is not into bitterness in this kind of dessert—I am one of them, then requests not to add in the pomelo bits. I find the taste of pomelo too sharp to be in harmony with the taste of the coconut.

I love going to Gardens by the Bay, and this restaurant proves to be a great dining option that makes my trip there a thoroughly enjoyable one, both for the eyes and the palates.

Nearest car park: Gardens by the Bay’s car park
Nearest MRT: Bayfront

18 Marina Gardens Drive
#01-10
Singapore
Contact No: 6604 6604

New Zealand Natural

I was actually checking out the ice-cream & cookie co’s selection of ice-cream at NTUC when I noticed New Zealand Natural ice-cream stashed in the neighbouring freezer compartment. Curiosity prompted me to pick up a tub to check the ingredient list, where there is no sight of artificial colouring and flavour, plus the fact that there was 2-for-1 offer, I ended buying three tubs home. Guess what, this brand of ice-cream is fast becoming one of my favourites.

Forestberry yoghurt is very creamy, so thumbs up to this one. The same goes for vanilla ice-cream. The big surprise comes in the form of Lychee & Passionfruit ice-cream. This is the must-try of New Zealand Natural’s lineup. The sweet floral taste of lychee will please any palates while the swirls of passionfruit jam adds mild citrus tangy flavour to perk up the taste. The result is creamy yet refreshing treat.

I also highly recommend Buttermilk and Raspberry. The nutty flavour with a bit of tang from the buttermilk makes for a interesting yet delicious treat.

Country of origin: New Zealand
Where to get this: NTUC or Cold Storage supermarkets

Third World Practices - Nope!!!

Live crabs are not toys to be played with, so House of Seafood at Punggol, you now officially drafted into my boycott list, along with that unethical New Thai Tanic Hotpot restaurant that let customers pick out live seafood from the tanks beside each table—its advertisement is also so crass and cringe-inducing. Oh yes, Sea Tripod Seafood, you are in it too. These kind of restaurants make first world Singapore look like a Third World country with their irresponsible practices, which have no value, except to get attention. For goodness’ sake, stop encouraging people to play with their food! Yes, I also hate it when people take lots of food from buffet trays and yet unable to finish it. This is why I do not go to certain buffet places because I will most probably be thoroughly disgusted by some Third World antics sighted there.

Just because these machines and practices are popular in Third World countries does not mean it is acceptable in Singapore.

And people who supports this kind of practices probably still has their mindsets trapped in stone ages.

I do not usually criticize restaurants on here, but there are some issues that I need to take a stand against, and this is one of them.

Update: House of Seafood at Punggol had ceased the operations of its live crab claw machine. Good for you. To be fair, I changed the title since this will be a criticism against unethical restaurants in general, rather than House of Seafood specifically.

Tokyo Banana Hello Kitty Apple Cake

Yes, the famed Tokyo Banana! Actually, I had tried the original version and it did not leave a lasting impression on me, and I still did not become a fan of banana confectionery. However, I absolutely love this version of Tokyo Banana because the apple jam stuffed into the soft eggy cake sponge does wonders to the overall taste. The jam not only adds a dimension to the taste and also injects additional moisture to the cake. It also goes very well with the banana custard, highlighting the creaminess of the custard. A must-buy if visiting Japan.

KitKat Nuts and Strawberry

I like munching on these every now and then.

Kele - Swiss Roll Bliss!

A must-try for swiss roll lovers! I only got to know about kele when I tried their mooncakes that my sister had brought for us. The special fillings of those mooncakes left a deep impression on me since it is like no others. I mean, where else can you can rose or avocado filling? So when I googled on this company and found that they sell swiss rolls with the same type of fillings, I know I got to get my greedy hands on them. But I do not have the time to go there despite my cravings. So imagine my surprise when I see kele’s booth at Yishun Northpoint, near the famed Tiger Sugar. And I hardly hesitate to buy three rolls at one go.

I love the cream to cake sponge ratio of this swiss roll, which is lots of cream in proportion to the cake sponge. The cake sponge of this swiss roll is pretty okay, but what seals the deal is the thick, rich dollop of cream with a ring of cake sponge wrapped around it.

Avocado Gula Melaka absolutely blows me away with the combination of the buttery goodness of avocado and the aroma of caramel in gula melaka sugar. It is so rich and favourful. Definitely a must-try of kele’s repertoire.

I like Rose Cream Cheese a lot too as I am a fan of rose desserts and this swiss roll is packed with the sweet fragrance of rose.

Strawberry Cream Cheese, made with real strawberries, looks so pretty. It has the tangy taste due to the strawberries added. I like it that it tastes natural. But it does pale in comparison to Avocado and Rose Cream Cheese due to the lack of novelty in taste. It works very well in mooncakes, but with cake, it is nice, just that I had tried lots of strawberry cakes, so it does not woo me over like the other two favours.

The swiss rolls here are probably one of the best, only rivaled by Chateraise’s Berry Rare Cheese Fluffy Roll.

Nearest car park: Vivovity’s car park
Nearest MRT: Habourfront

1 Habourfront Walk
Vivocity #B2-K10
Singapore