Loacker Gardena Fingers

It is hard to go wrong with coconut added into food. So Loacker Gardena coconut fingers hit the right notes. The rich nutty flavour of coconut makes this an enjoyable treat.

Country of origin: Italy

Where to buy this: All major supermarkets

Hansik Korean Family Restaurant - Surprisingly Good Heartland Restaurant

This restaurant is no longer in operation 

I don't write a lot about Korean restaurants because quite a number I had visited did not inspire me enough to do so. So this says a lot about Hansik, in which I share my thoughts on this place.

I like the side dishes here since they taste refreshing—exactly how appetizers should be like, to refresh one's palates for the mains and complement the grilled items. The kimchi is not too spicy, which is how I like it.

The chargrilled chicken is fresh, succulent with hints of the burnt aroma of grilled meat. The mushrooms that come with the chicken pack lots of moisture under the grilled surface. Dip the chucks of meats or mushrooms into the sea salt sauce, the result is grill goodness.

The seafood pancake is quite a disappointment as compared to the side dishes and chargrilled chicken. Too much flour, too little seafood, I feel like I am eating mouthfuls of slightly flavoured cooked dough. This can be given a miss.

Since this restaurant has ala carte menu instead of going buffet style, the air there is fresher, with none of the smell and grease that hang in the air of lots of Korean restaurants. I actually prefer this kind of dining environment. The service is okay lah. No highlight and no lowlight.

I definitely look forward to go back to check out other dishes on the menu.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Tung Lok Heen - Luxurious Chinese Cuisine with a Twist

Ah, Tung Lok Heen. I had always passed by this place when going to Robuchon, Osia or Syun. The last time I wanted to try the food there, the restaurant was full, and after that, I stuck to my old favourites in Sentosa after that since my guy and I love the food there, and it helps that the service staffs there know us. Anyway, try to make reservations beforehand to ensure a seat. This time round, the resourceful manager managed to secure a table for us, so kudos to him.

I find that the dishes here are more of Chinese-Thai fusion rather than traditional Cantonese fare. Anyway, onto the individual dishes.

The trio Amuse Bouche hints at a promising start. Beautifully presented and looking exotic, the taste is just as exotic. The steamed shrimp dumpling in chilli oil is reminiscent of the Szechuan wanton in chilli oil. The crisp-fried beancurd skin stuffed with shrimp and crispy siew mai are prepared in such a way that yields texture unlike the traditional ones. With the zesty sauces drizzled on top, we have some pretty unique dim sum that taste pretty good.

As for the braised fish maw and abalone in noble "tanfu" broth, it is filled to the brim with luxurious ingredients, and the taste is testament to this. However, the abalones are pretty tasteless on their own, and the broth is too thick to the point that it feels like a film is left on the palates.

I love the grilled ocean barramundi in chef's specialty sauce. The fish is exceedingly fresh and being cooked to perfection. The flesh is smooth with slight firmness, a delight to bit into. The sauce is tangy and simulating. The only issue I have with this dish is that the sauce does not soaked into the fish. The two are like two separate entities on the menu.

I give thumbs-up to the braised Boston lobster tail with homemade ramen in xo sauce. The lobster meat is very well-prepared, having a firm but chewable texture and the flavours have thoroughly soaked into the meat. Given that it is not easy to prepare lobster meat, which is tougher and plainer in taste as compared to prawns, I am impressed with skills of the chefs in Tung Lok Heen. The xo sauce gives an extra kick to the ramen that is done al dente, kind of.

Chilled cream of pumpkin and purple rice topped with coconut sherbet is an excellent dessert to round up the meal. Among Chinese restaurants, this place serves one of the best desserts. This is comparable to Royal China's Japanese pumpkin puree. The addition of purple rice in Tung Lok Heen's one adds an extra dimension to the texture and taste. Though the pumpkin here lacks the inherent sweetness and aroma of the Japanese pumpkin used in Royal China. It will be perfect if premium quality pumpkin is used.

The settings of this restaurant tends more towards the posh western style than the family-friendly Chinese one. It is actually pretty great for dates.

Service wise, no hiccups reported. But I'm not impressed either. As expected of a Chinese restaurant, the staff is more interested in getting the job done over providing exceptional dining experiences. And the one serving us looks pretty sulky. The standard of service does not exactly matches the price range of the food here.

Basically, the dishes are well-executed, but the service has room for improvement. And until this area is improved, I will only put this restaurant under Recommend, not The Best. By the way, if there is 1-for-1 promotion for Invites members, don't wait, charge for it.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Resort World Sentosa's car park

Nearest MRT: Habourfront

Resorts World Sentosa

Hotel Michael

26 Sentosa Gateway

#02-142/143

Singapore

Contact No: 68847888

Kai Garden - On par with Hotel's Chinese Restaurants

Usually, for good food plus great service and wonderful ambience, I will recommend the Chinese restaurants under hotels' management because of their need to providing a flawless experience to the patrons. I notice that most of the other Chinese restaurants are very profit-driven, thus neglecting the standard of service. With that said, Kai Garden surprises me in every way. The service is excellent, in Chinese restaurant context, and the food is very good.

After trying the food in many Chinese restaurants, I have to admit that I get bored with typical Cantonese fare. Thus I will only be impressed if creative twists are incorporated into the food without compromising on the authenticity. And Kai Garden's repertoire of dishes and dim sum manages to do just that.

The mushroom bun is an absolute delight to tuck into due to the slightly crispy sweet pineapple bun top pairing with the creamy, very flavourful mushroom filling.

I am also bowled over by the glutinous rice because it is so moist in texture and packed with wholesome ingredients such as dried scallops to impart the taste of unami into the sticky rice.

Fried prawns with specialty sauce is a treat for those with acquired taste—I happen to be one of them. I can say that the prawns are fresh since no allergic reaction gotten from them. The spices-and-curry sauce drizzled on the soft yet pretty crispy fried batter gives that extra kick to the dish. But rest assured that it is not hot at all.

The unique fried skin, peppered with crispy breadcrumbs, of the scallop mango roll is what makes this dim sum worthy to check it out. However, while I like the creamy texture of filling, complementing the wrapping excellently, I could hardly find any seafood in there. It is more like mango roll than anything else. The lobster dumpling soup is quite a let-down as compared to other dishes. The dumpling arrived broken, with all the contents spilled into soup. And the bland taste did not help either.

The ambience is minimalist chic, with hints of grandeur. I like how the tables were decently spaced frim each other, unlike lots of Chinese restaurants.

Service is attentive, prompt and meticulous. The staffs even provide bag holders for our bags. Lots of restaurants don't provide these, so this extra touch of thoughtfulness is highly appreciated.

While this restaurant does not feature all varieties of tea, I am impressed with their Da Hong Pao—smooth and fragrant.

I can say Kai Garden is one of my favourite Chinese restaurants. So of course I will go back to enjoy authentic yet unique Chinese food, with good service and great ambience.

My Thoughts: Very Nice!

Note: But the experience there on CNY eve is far less than stellar. It is overcrowded, with dirty plates piled up on a platform right behind me. And we only start eating at 9pm for a 8pm slot! Not recommended for CNY reunion dinner.

Nearest car park: Marina Square's car park

Nearest MRT: Raffles City

6 Raffles Boulevard

#03-128A/128B, Marina Square

Singapore

Contact No: 6250 4826

Paradise Dynasty - Interesting Xiao Long Bao

I had tried xiao long bao, those little dumplings packed with pork and broth, in lots of places. So far, Ding Tai Feng's ones are one of the better ones because this place specializes in making xiao long bao. Paradise Group tries to challenge Ding Tai Feng with Paradise Dynasty, whose focus is on xiao long bao, to top it off, features a variety of this well-lived dim sum. Well, I was sceptical but ended up leaving the place feeling somewhat impressed.

Unlike the disappointing xiao long bao—the meat is not fresh—I had in Canton Paradise, the ones in Paradise Dynasty have thin silky dough skin wrapped around the fresh meat. Yes, they are comparable to the ones in Ding Tai Feng. What gives the dumplings here an extra edge is the array of flavours available. My favourite got to be the ginseng one. The slightly bitterness and herbal flavour goes very well with the meat. Kind of reminds me of those nourishing herbal soups. By the way, do not mix in the shredded ginger and vinegar as these will eclipsed the delicate flavour of ginseng. Another one of my favourite is the foie gras one, which surprises me on how this Western and Chinese combination works. The taste is unique yet not over the top, thus able to please my palates. The truffle xiao long bao is not bad, but this is not exactly match made in heaven. I feel the full potential of the oh-so-delightful woody aroma of truffle is not realized in the makeup of xiao long bao.

Cheese xiao bao long hits the wrong notes for me. The minced meat is too strong in flavour and too mashed in texture to complement the cheese well. The crab roe one tastes too fishy to my liking. Garlic xiao long bao is not bad, but does not offer anything unique like the ginseng and foie gras ones. The szechuan dumpling has very strong flavours. This resembles the wanton in chili oil. I like it but I can only stomach one piece because it is fiery hot.

The radish pastry has excellent crispy skin, and the filling is not too salty, which is good. Though it is not exactly noteworthy in terms of overall taste.

The service is a notch better than the other Paradise outlets, not counting in Paradise Pavilion, the crown jewel of Paradise group.

I sure do not mind going back for the ginseng xiao long bao if in the mood for a casual dining experience.

My Thoughts: Pretty Good

Nearest car park: Vivocity's car park

Nearest MRT: Habourfront

1 Harbourfront Walk, #03-08A

Vivocity

Singapore
Contact No: 6376 8103

Buzz Honey

Once I had tried raw honey, I found that all other honey cannot match up to it in terms of taste and the effectiveness of the healing properties. Besides the divine alce nero raw honey, I have just discovered another new brand in stock in NTUC. Presenting ... Buzz Honey!

I was tempted to buy a jar because of my love for raw honey. In addition, I am always up for trying new tastes. The chuck of honeycomb submerged into the golden liquid cemented my decision to buy one. I mean ... how often do one find honey that comes with honeycomb in Singapore supermarkets? Of course, I must try it.

The honey itself is very delicate in flavour. I like the lingering fragrance of blossoms inherent in honey. This is seriously good stuff. Though there is a slight sour aftertaste. It is still way better than lots of other types or brands of honey.

Filter out the bits of honeycomb before enjoying the drink because while the comb is nice to bit into savour the honey, its waxy texture is not what I appreciate when gulping down the smooth, refreshing honey drink.

All in all, I sure do not mind showing people that I have a jar of honey with honeycomb enclosed.

Meadow Honey at Limestone Coast is great stuff also. One thing is for sure, it is like magic potion curing my sore throat and ulcers.

Country of Origin: Australia

Where to get this: NTUC Xtra

Rainbow Cottage - The Selection is exactly as the Namesake suggests

Closed

Actually, I just happened to pass by Blk 452, Ang Mo Kio and immediately took note of this cafe due to the quaint wooden settings, which sets the place apart from the surrounding neighbourhood shops. I guess I can say that the ambience seems tranquil and inviting enough for me to just step in to try out a cake.

The rainbow cake looks very brightly coloured, which will win the hearts of many. However, for me, who is more into natural ingredients, the colours seem too garish to my liking. So I was pleasantly taken aback that the taste of the cake exceeds my expectations, considering that I do not have very high expectations in the first place.

The texture is not as moist as I would rave over, but it is good enough to please most people. The consistency and taste of the cake seems like a cross between butter cake and sponge cake—not bad at all. I like the buttery flavour of the cake and the exceedingly light, airy cream slathered on top and in between the layers of different coloured sponge cakes. In fact, I feel like I am eating sweetened creamy clouds when eating the cream off the top of the cake. And I appreciate that there is no chemical-like taste atypical of colour additives.

The rainbow cake here will delight the kids and make pretty nice centrepiece of parties. Maybe next time, I will try the Thai Milk Tea ice-cream.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Note: This cafe is no longer in operation.