I could live and breathe matcha #alldayerrday and upon hearing that Chef Pang of Antoinette has created a Fetish Matcha series, i promptly sprinted over. With 22 matcha creations, expect a full-sensorial sweet green tea experience from now till end July 2016.

The selection is insane with hot items, cakes, pastry, confectionery and drinks. I was amazed at how the lovely tea (from Nishio Japan) was showcased in each of the items: some flavors bold and expressive, others subtle and unexpected. 

My my all that green! 

Starting with the hot items, the one and only savory green tea item is the Matcha Pasta ($26). The hand-cut pasta is made with a matcha and flour dough, then garnished with marinated konbu and sakura ebi with matcha powder on the side. The morel mushrooms and black truffle paste give a deliciously earthy hint to the dish. Umami flavors in this one with a light green tea scent. Lovely.

Capella Sentosa is my piece of un-Singapore in Singapore. That ocean view and lush greenery gives Bali a run for her money and the Knolls has a great pool and ocean view the last time I dined there. This time I checked out their fine dining Cantonese restaurant Cassia and sampled some signatures and seasonal dishes. 

The meal started with dimsum and these were lovely crafted pieces of joy. My favorite would have to be the Signature Steamed Barbecued US Kurobuta Pork Bun with Black Truffle 黑松露蚝皇克猪叉烧包 ($4.80 for 2 pcs). It's so hard to get a simple bao skin right but this was light and fluffy and chef nailed the bun to char siew ratio. The truffle perfume was intoxicating when I broke the bun open to reveal that dark brown sauce with black fragments of the prized fungus. Oh and juicy Kurobuta pork... 

Usher in SG50 at The Halia at The Singapore Botanic Gardens over gorgeous orchid-infused teas, cocktails, and desserts specially created for the grand occasion. Afternoon tea is certainly a leisurely activity i approve of, especially in the lovely environs of our national park. 

I'd recommend you getting started on some light bites and the soothing Orchid teas created by 1872 Clipper Tea Co. There are 3 blends currently available, the White, Red, and Gold Orchid Tea, each using a different tea base with varying strengths. 

The Orchid White is the most delicate mix of green and white tea; the Orchid Red will awaken you with the strong Rooibos and Pekoe; while the Orchid Gold is a zesty mix which showcases the notes of cream and blueberries perfectly (80g, $28).

Of course, light bites are mandatory. The Broken baguette bruschetta ($10) provides the perfect crunch with its crisp and airy texture. Rub some of that garlic confit onto it for that savory pungent flavor, dunk it into some chilled tangy tomato compote for that explosion of flavors. 

Something more sinful is the Chili Crab dip ($15), a Halia signature. We couldn't get enough of the lightly spiced chili sauce with convenient chunks of crab meat. 

Now that your stomach is lined, it's time to cool that heat with some Orchid Tea infused mocktails/cocktails. Check out the Singapore Jubilee ($10), a refreshing Vietnamese honey homemade lemonade which has this amazing vanilla and blueberries perfume.

We were thrown back to 1965 ($25), with this cool Hendrick's Gin base, modern day Long Island Tea. This is the perfect afternoon tipple in my opinion.

Something sweeter would be the Yam Seng ($23), a Sailor Jerry spiced rum with Orchid Red tea, lemon juice and grenadine.

What's an afternoon tea without desserts. Be refreshed with the Ginger & Gold Orchid Tea Granita ($12), an mild black tea ice kachang with an acidic yuzu gel, lychee fruit and tea jelly. 

Skip the White Orchid tea and lapis ($14). The layered cake we had was terribly soggy and bland (of course i ate it without the ice cream to be certain). Stronger flavors are definitely required here as we couldn't taste the tea in the ice cream. Also the textures of banana, especially the dehydrated one, was strange (it was kinda stale).

The Orchid Tea Gift Set, 30g x 3, ($42) are the perfect gifts for friends back home and i'd recommend you get them from the Botanic Gardens Shop. If you do not fancy the food items created for SG50, i can assure you that the regular Halia Afternoon Tea set is amazing (read about it here). The items do change with the season but i have faith in the team. Can't wait to be back for tea soon. I'm severely missing their scones. 

Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens

1 Cluny Road Singapore 259569

Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens (enter via Tyersall Avenue)

Afternoon Tea: 3 -  5pm (Weekends & Public Holidays)

Tel: +65 8444 1148

I promise this will be the last of my Chinese New Year posts (i think). Frankly i'm pretty sick of eating yu sheng already and we are still a week away from the Lunar New Year! BUT BUT BUT, if you don't really want all that typical cny feasting but still want to feel like part of the festivities, head down to Tian Fu Tea Room for their Reunion Imperial High Tea from 18 Feb to 5 Mar 2015. P.S. i think their yusheng is one of the best i've had this season. ;)

I'm sure we are all used to the concept of an English Afternoon Tea. Well if you're not, you certainly have to be acquainted with this concept! But if you have parents/grandparents who're not that into the English thing with scones and cakes, here's an Asian tea for you/them. Pan Pacific Singapore is celebrating National Day with the introduction of the new Peranakan Afternoon Tea at Pacific Marketplace. From 16 June to 9 August, nibble on some Nyonya delights served in tiffin boxes.

Well I wanted to bring my dearest mama for this Peranakan tea because it's certainly be up her alley but she turned me down because she was gonna hang out with her gal pals. Sobs. Thankfully I've no lack of foodie friends and L came along with me. The key highlight is the aromatic Nonya Chicken Curry served with freshly-baked French Baguette. Asian spices including cumin and turmeric used to make the rempah paste lend their aromatic lift to the succulent chicken pieces, giving the dish an added dimension in flavour. We loved the rich coconut sauce that had the right spicy twang and the chicken pieces were tender and succulent. We weren't that impressed with the rest of the savory items though. The Kuay Pie Tee shell had an oily taste; epok epok crust wasn't thin enough, and the Open-Face Otak Sandwich with Quail Egg was more an afterthought.

The sweets fared better. The Kaya Pandan cake was delightfully fluffy and airy with an intense pandan flavor. L gave the onde onde a stamp of approval as the gula melaka oozed out of the soft shell. The skin could be thinner though, it was rather chewy IMO. I was sufficiently satisfied with the Kueh Lapis too.

We also made use of the opportunity to test the regular tea set at Pan Pacific Marketplace and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the scones! And they serve it with clotted cream, lemon curd and a jam! Loves! The sandwiches were so so but we liked the truffle egg on baguette. The chicken and truffle one was too bad as well with the generous filling though I thought its little bland. The puff pastry was amazing though. 

I was again won over by the sweets. The cupcakes were pretty amazing, especially the toffee date cupcake which was dense with dates and really moist. Even though L doesn't like dates, she couldn't stop eating the toffee cream frosting. The red velvet cupcake was ok too. I concluded that the desserts are good to take away as well after sampling the cakes. The chocolate fudge hit the right spots and the lemon tart had the right zing to it. The graham base needed some tweaking though as it was a tad soggy. 

I preferred the Classic Afternoon tea but would love for the Nyonya curry to be offered as a special a la carte item! Both teas are extremely affordable and it's only $58 for 2 pax inclusive of tea/coffee. Wine and champagne options are available too.

Overall, I find that the tea offering at Pan Pacific Hotel Singgapore was affordable and decent. If you're interested in the Nyonya Tea set, it's available till 9 August 2014 and served daily from 3pm to 5pm. Prices are the same at $58 for two adults with tea and coffee.

Pacific Marketplace 

7 Raffles Boulevard, Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore 039595

Tel: +65 6826 8240

Tea: 3-5pm daily 

Happy Easter Month of April 2014! Back at my favorite tea spot for Easter Tea and it's no other than Axis Bar & Lounge at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. I've always been impressed with Axis Bar's all rounded 3 tiered classic afternoon tea (read it here) and was delighted to know they introduced something new for Easter. More excuses to head back. :)

This time we were seated in a small private section that gave us a partial view of the Marina.

This seats 4 comfortably but could accommodate more if necessary. 

Here's a look at the menu. There's a selection of Mariage Frères and TWG teas. I had the White Night Jasmine which had a soothing jasmine perfume. Very light and fragrant tea. Coffee is also available but what's Tea without tea yea?

We started with the Cherry Blossoms Champagne Jelly which was rather bland and missing everything champagne. But once the food started coming, we forgot about that misstep.

From left to right. The Egg salad sandwich with watercress had a nice creamy texture. I loved the Lump crab meat and avocado sandwich which was 1/3 part sweet crab meat. Bresaola and gem lettuce mini wrap with cheddar and the cucumber and cream cheese sandwich were fillers but they didn't do that bad on their own either.

More savory stuff! From top to bottom: Poached lobster with coriander mango salsa. The Carbonara Eggs en Cocotte deserves a highlight. Loved the garlic carbonara sauce at the bottom of the egg. Mix everything together and slurp it down. Satisfaction guaranteed! The Duck rilette and foie gras mousse terrine was also delightful. 

The scones made my day and i devoured my share before Stupidgirl finished her first. Oh but that wonderful crunchy buttery goodness was just irresistible. There were 2 flavors, a Strawberry yogurt scone and a Citrus peel and Tahitian vanilla scone. I preferred the strawberry yogurt which was lightly sweetened and was good on its own. BUT i can't resist smearing it with the lovely clotted cream! And there's also the slightly tart lemon curd and the fresh raspberry jam.  

For puffs, we had the Easter ham and green pea pie and the Chicken and potato turnover. These are ok items though I preferred those on the regular menu.

ON TO THE SWEETS!

The fancy macaron with pear liquor fillings has a popping surprise in it. You gotta try it to find out. I went gaga over the presentation of the edible Easter egg basket with gianduja chocolates.

The big one had an amazing caramel filling! 

Kids will go nuts over the Vanilla financier with rhubarb marmalade and the Easter Carrot Cupcake. Too cute to eat really. This is more for presentation than eating though..

Blueberry and black currants cremeux mini gateau and Sable almond berries fruit tart. The mini gateau had a light berry tartness that blended well with the bitter dark chocolate. I also enjoyed the buttery sable.

Can't think of a better way to celebrate Easter! The Easter Tea will run for the month of April 2014 and it costs $42 per person ($80 for two). Hope you enjoy this! 

Thank you Mandarin Oriental for the invitation!

Axis Bar & Lounge
5 Raffles Avenue, Mandarin Oriental
Singapore 039797
Tel: +65 6885 3098
Daily Afternoon Tea: 3pm–5pm
Additional seating on weekends: 12.30 - 2.30pm

Tea (the event) is the best thing that the English have invented. Nothing beats whiling the afternoon away in the garden with buttery and crusty scones, clotted cream and jam. Best place to do it in Singapore? Try The Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens, a romantic and picturesque restaurant tucked away in in the lush foliage centrally located in town.

What was supposed to be a stroll in the park turned out to be an amazing race when the GPS directed me to the wrong location. Halia is situated at the Ginger Garden, which is nearer to the Tanglin gate and not the Cluny one.

My frazzled nerves were soothed by the Chilled Halia Infusion, a lightly spiced tea sweetened with honey, while we waited for our tiered tea set to be served. You could pick other teas or brewed coffee as part of your set. I much prefered the chilled version over the hot one that i had during brunch the last time (read review of Brunch at The Halia, Raffles Hotel here)

The Halia Tea Set (for 2). Individual portions come in the tiers too!

There's something romantic and decadent about eating off a tiered tea set don't you think? I'm a sucker for pretty things i guess but it adds to the overall experience of a meal, as do ambience and service.

Always start with the scone when doing tea. It kind of sets the tone for tea (that and you really should eat it when it's hot) and i knew i was in for a great time when i bit into the crusty and dense pastry slathered with chantilly cream and a tinge of orange ginger jam.

There's a nice balance of sweet and savory bites in the tea set, which i alternated between. It's a quirk that i have and i always start with something sweet.

From the savory plate (CW)- House-cured salmon, pickled cucumber and toasted rye. Smoked trout parfait, cucumber, apple and lime that was presented as a piece of tofu. Love the smokiness followed by the refreshingly sweet apple. It was certainly a surprise. The Gorgonzola and caramelized onion quiche had an absolutely buttery tart with a light blue cheese filling. This should be acceptable by normal human standards (i go for really strong blue). There's also the poached chicken and smoked paprika finger sandwich and the meh-ish Wagyu beef rendang samosa. Fennel custard with parmesan and almond in an egg shell was a creamy and nutty affair.

The sweet plate consists of the delicious scones, the towering coconut panna cotta with mango, passion fuit and lychee. I quite enjoyed the moist carrot cake with crème cheese icing and certainly wouldn't mind seconds. The toasted Walnut Quince and Almond cake with crème fraiche contained the stewed fruit from the pear family, which according to Chef Peter Rollinson, the quince had been given a 24h treatment to give it that softness. New Opera Chocolate sponge layered with raspberry buttercream (new flavor and hence the 'New' Opera). I was impressed by the Ginger flower macaroon which had quite the perfect candy shell and slightly chewy center.

For $28 per individual set, I have to say this is a steal for tea. I'll definitely recommend this for a tea party with the girls! Think S would love this too. :) Don't miss out on this lovely tea at The Halia, Singapore Botanic Gardens which is available every weekend and Public Holiday from 3 - 5pm. Reservations are not accepted for brunch and tea service though.

The Halia at SBG
1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden
(enter via Tyersall Avenue)
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: +65 8444 1148

Weekday Lunch: 12- 4pm – Mondays to Fridays, 12 noon to 4pm (set lunch till 2 pm)
Daily Dinner: 6.30 - 11pm
Weekends & PH: Brunch 10am - 4pm, Tea 3 - 5pm

The long weekend that passed some time ago provided an opportunity to get away. However, our escapade failed because we thought of that too late and tickets were really ex and mostly sold out. In an attempt to satisfy our wanderlust, we headed out of the city to W Hotel at Sentosa Cove for an afternoon of decadent tea.

It is easy to feel like one is out of the country on this off shore island. W may not be the most ideal though. I would suggest Capella because it feels so remote and calm, nothing like the craziness in the city. W still feels like a regular hotel. 

Anyway, we headed to Woobar for their 3 tiered high tea which they have weirdly named DROP THE T². Being a sucker for all things pretty, what got me interested was the presentation of the food. Take a look for yourself. 

Silver bird cages holding the sweet delights line the dining area. Ladies of leisure sip on tea and nibble on little bites while enjoying a bird's eye view of the outdoor marina and yachts. For S$58 for 2 pax, you can feast on the good looking people, not so much the food.

Tea and coffee are free flow and you can change the drinks whenever you want. Fine Dilmah tea is served here and they fared better than the coffee.      

The savory bites were very limited. The 3 pieces were (from left to right) the Chocolate Foie Gras Ganache Tart with Port Wine Jelly and gold leaf, Smoked Chicken Brioche and the Sliced Gravlax Salmon with Soft Goat's Cheese Roll. The foie gras tart was more of a sweet dish than a savory one due to the double combination chocolate and port wine. It wasn't too bad imo but not fantastic either. The brioche was too dry and it's filling pathetic. Of the lot, my favorite was the the smoked salmon and goat cheese roll. The cheese was a little tart but goes well with the smokiness of the salty salmon. I didn't think it was too strong tasting but i love my cheeses so yea..

The sweets were alright if not for the fact that the huge marshmallow balls were disgusting. The airy puffs were waaaaaayyyy too sweet. I can't imagine anyone liking the mint green one unless you like eating toothpaste.

The egg mayonaise sandwich was fine with its almost cake like texture though it was nothing spectacular. A little on the bland side but my friends were ok with it. The Crisp Mango Katafi Roll is kinda like our chinese fried dim sum.

The better items includes the Torched Lemon Meringue Tart which was refreshing and sharp. The crunchy pastry base was buttery enough for my liking. If you like chocolates, there were plenty of big cubes though one was more than enough for me.

I like their scones as well, plain and cranberry were served with passion fruit curd and clotted cream (so they say but i tell you they are whipped for sure). Though the pale looking scones lacked the crunch that i much preferred on the outside, they were dense and had sufficient moisture on the inside. The pairing with the sweet and sour passion fruit curd made them taste way better than they were on their own. 

Now their macarons are actually pretty good. Way better than the regular Antoinette, Bakerzin and Canele. I put them on par with Obolo's and that's something for a locally made macaron. I love the dense chocolate with blueberry center in the blueberry macaron. The Strawberry one was alright as i never fancied cream fillings. 

My verdict? WOOBAR is not a good place for tea. Food isn't great, ambience isn't that fantastic as well. That price will get you better tea somewhere else. If you are in the area, i'd suggest Kith Cafe or another restaurant at Quayside Isle.

WOOBAR
21 Ocean Way, Sentosa Cove, W Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6808 7258
Sun - Thu: 8am - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 8am - 1.30am