Travelerintransit 2016 travel count: 9 countries, 16 cities. Pretty much the usual stellar performance in terms of traveling. :)) Question is, how did i do it without taking extra leave or bank loans to sponsor my trips? Well it's all about smart planning and short getaways now and then! For short weekend trips, i almost always fly with Jetstar Asia because they have those ungodly flights in and out of Singapore (think Fri nights departures and early Mon morning arrivals and a zombie at work the next day).

As with these late night flights, there is a tendency for one to get peckish, or starving if you were rushing right to the gate from work. For that, Jetstar has a pretty decent in flight menu that changes now and then. I previously wrote about the Jetstar inflight meals here, and on my recent escapade to Phuket, i noticed that they have recently changed their menu on the 3K flights.

We had the Black Pepper Chicken and Shrimp Pineapple Fried Rice on our way out. Well, portion wise, they could do better with the black pepper chicken (which was like 2 bites). The black pepper sauce was punchy but i was assaulted by the sodium.

A life of leisure requires a spot of tea every now and then and Colony at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore proved to be quite satisfactory. If you're looking for a full on buffet, you should head over to the Sister restaurant that is Chihuly Lounge. The Colony is for people who wanna exercise a little more self control because it offers a small tea set with 5 pieces of savory items, small free flow sweets section, and 2 coffee/tea, plus a glass of Moet Chandon champagne. 

The Afternoon Tea starts with a wooden case of savory items, all of which exquisitely crafted. 

I'm an English Tea girl and sandwiches are a must. Colony's Iberico ham sandwich was gorgeous with a fluffy and slightly cakey sundried tomato focaccia. The light tangy sweetness of the bread goes perfectly with the salty nutty Iberico. 

There's also the giant bite luxe version of the regular chili crab in the form of a Chili Lobster on a fried mantou. The lightly battered chunk of meat was coated with one of the most well balanced Chili crab sauce that I've tasted- tart, sweet, and spicy. Someone needs to bottle this and sell it. And that crisp morsel of fried bun.. Can we have this as a burger already?

Of the lot, the Chicken Satay Uttapum looked and sounded the most blah. Well it's a brown disc with more brown sauce.. But the flavors are perfectly blended and we loved the nutty and savory sauce with a hint of spice. There were bites of meat in the potato disc and on the whole it felt like a deconstructed satay! Lovely.

The Shepard's pie was decent but nothing to shout about. The luxurious looking steamed charcoal Xiao long bao turned out to be the worst performing dish only because the thick and soggy dough was a disappointment, BUT the Bao was bursting with well marinated meat, we simply had to remove the dough and discount it. 

Our only complain for the savory set? Couldn't we have more?! We can easily do at least another serving of each piece. :(

Now on to the sweets, which I actually started on while waiting for the savory bites to arrive. The scones, like what I remembered of Chihuly Lounge, have much to be improved on. Texture wise, they are a little dry and dense. Thankfully that was semi resolved by the variety of jams (but there was no clotted cream in sight). The small selection of Nyonya Kuehs were pretty and decent. I couldn't stop snacking on the kueh lapis which imo is one of the best ones around. 

The semi buffet of unlimited sweets, with various panna cotta (silky milky and wobbly goodness); rich velvety chocolate bites in the form of brownies, cakes and tarts; and mango mousse cake and cheesecake. 

There was also a live Crepe Suzette section! The mandatory flaming looked cool but didn't add much flavor to the flavor (more alcohol needed surely). That said, the toppings of brûlée banana, apple cinnamon, and tart berry jam were well enjoyed by us.

We managed to get through almost every item between the 3 of us. Not bad hur!

The tarts were pretty good despite using central kitchen made tart shells (think well balanced lemon meringue and chocolate opera). The creme brûlée was superb with a silky rich vanilla bean cream . There wasn't that crusty burnt top but we pardoned them because it was replaced with a smoky toffee sauce. I'm not a panna cotta fan but the milky raspberry panna cotta won me over. Oh don't miss the mango pudding! It sure beats many Chinese restarants'! 

Save some space for the house made ice cream! They are on the icy side, but the flavors were intense and not too sweet. Favorites included the milk tea and sesame flavors. Make sure you grab one of those cones. :)

Colony’s Champagne Afternoon Tea are served from Mondays to Saturdays with and comes with a glass of Moet Chandon champagne (priced at $49), and 2 coffee/tea. If this doesn't suit you, there's over at the Chihuly Lounge, there's also the eight-course Weekday Afternoon Tea from 2.30 - 5pm; or 

Weekend Afternoon Tea Buffet from 2.30 - 5pm.

Colony

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 7 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039799

Tel: 6434-5288

Mon - Sat: 3.30pm – 5.30pm 

Poke bowl is the fashion. If you haven’t caught the wave due to the fishy bits that rule most poke bowls, fret not. The meaty version has landed, and with punchy Spanish flavors too. Mercado Spanish Food Market is a market you don’t want to miss if you are working in the CBD area. Run by Chef Jean-Philippe Patron (JP), the king of nose to tail dining at Dehesa, Mercado has the feels of a Spanish market, and hearty food that compliments the vibes.

Your “One bowl of happiness” goes at an easy $16.50. Choose from one base, one meat, one hot vegetable, two cold vegetables, one topping and one sauce. You can’t say no to these vegetables. For the cold selections, there’s pickled cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, coleslaw, pasta salad, brussels sprouts and beetroot while the hot sides include lentils, corn, potatoes and carrots. Complete your bowl with toppings such as salted almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and raisins, and sauces such as spicy tomato, garlic aioli, ginger mayo and asian dressing.

Fancy healthy grains for bases? There’s cous cous, chickpea, quinoa and bulgur. Tasty proteins include beef meatballs, chicken paprika, pulled pork and salmon.

I MUST mention the ginormous pan of paella that greets you at the door. It was a meat paella when we visited. Generous slabs of chicken, sliced sausages and chunky meat pieces with greens embellish the paella—the colours so vivacious that makes it irresistible. It can easily be a meal on its own, but the paella is only considered one base and one meat. Thus, you can still select one hot vegetable, two cold vegetables, one topping and one sauce for the same $16.50!

Complement your healthy grain bowls with a selection of super fresh, cold-pressed juices (from Daily Juice) although I have made a mental note to drop by on Sangria Fridays for Sangria ($8/glass; $36/jug). Ready-made Hola bowls ($14.50) are available for convenient take-outs too. 

Mercado Spanish Food Market

50 Market Street 01-23 Singapore 048940

Tel: +65 9655 8092

Mon - Fri: 8am - 7.30pm 

Telok Ayer, Amoy, and Gemmils is dining hotspot central. The number of restaurants and cafes that I fancy there is astonishing- Moosehead, Maggie Joan's, BoChinche to name a few. And now adding to the favorites list is the super underground French-Japanese tapas bar Le Binchotan!

Underground it is with a dark cozy speakeasy vibe- a common bar counter runs through the entire length of the restaurant, with smaller enclaves built into the walls for semi-private gatherings over binchō-tan (white charcoal) grilled skewers of meats and seafood.

The flavors are largely Japanese, no surprise actually since the menu is created by Chef Atsuhiko Hagiwara from Ginza Tokyo restaurant en.terrible; together with Singapore Head Chef Jeremmy Chiam. Meats and seafood are smoked over binchō-tan (white charcoal) and ingredients like uni (sea urchin roe), daikon and miso have also been infused into the dishes. 

Myoban Uni ($23)- Corn Mousse, Grilled Corn, Sudachi, and Shoyu

Dinner started proper with drinks while we waited for the small plates to be fired. 

Cocktails and wine pairings by Head Bartender Sugar Ray Ruban is available. Ladies, start with the Freedom of Peach, a blushing Rose that will sweeten your night. The cocktails were all very refreshing. My preferred? The Sake My Cucumber ($21), a Japanese G&T; and the Leon: Tea Professional ($21), an Earl grey infused whisky with lemon egg white, and spiced apple.

If you're looking for a restaurant with the most out-of-Singapore vibe and view, then it's definitely The Knolls at Capella Sentosa! The South China seafront setting and the Mediterranean fine dining experience help to trick your mind into thinking you're on a holiday (a good enough alternative if we really can't escape the island). 

What i like about The Knolls is that on top of the regular offerings, they also provide diners with exclusive culinary experiences from around the world. I previously had the chance of sampling the dishes created by British 2 Michelin Starred Celebrity Chef Tom Kerridge of The Hand & Flowers. This weekend, one-Michelin-starred Chef Alain Llorca from Nice will dish out a slice of Provencal Michelin together with Capella Singapore's Culinary Director David Senia, presenting diners with a line-up of contemporary French Mediterranean cuisine. The events include gourmet lunch (4 course $78/pax) and dinner set (5 course $98/pax) menus at The Knolls for the public as well as an intimate MasterClass at Chef’s Table perfect for group sessions. For Sunday Brunch, there would even be a live demonstration by  Chef Alain. Here's a look at the dinner set menu with wine pairing ($198).

The meal started proper with the starter of a Hot Foie Gras from Chalosse cooked on embers to give it that lovely sear all around. The creamy slice was then topped with a crunchy hazelnut crumble, and glazed with an intense bittersweet coffee jus for that kick. Dig right through the liver to reach the tangy earthy mushrooms and send the whole spoon of goodness into your mouth.

The berry component as with most foie gras dishes came in the form of a Churchill's 20years old Tawny Port. Port is typically served at the end of the meal but it works here too due to the light sweetness.

Next, the Langoustine cooked with a sweet crunchy chutney of peppers and fruits. The tangy juiciness complemented the salty-sweet crustacean and the crispy sesame tuille provided an added fragrant crunch to the dish.

The question that always comes up (eventually) when people hear that i'm a food blogger- "Can you cook?" Well well.. there's a reason why i'm a food blogger instead of chef right? HEH. Well somehow i got myself into Season 2 of Food for Life TV's Blogger Cookoff and you can now see how i fare as a cook here! 

20 minutes, 2 bloggers and only 1 winner! How does this food blogger fare against TreePotatoes' Janice. Watch Singapore’s favorite food blogger (that's me!) and internet stars (Eden Ang, Aaron, and Janice) go head to head in the ultimate cooking challenge who can actually walk the walk and make great tasting food.

More on the series here http://www.foodforlifetv.sg/series/blogger-cook! Stay tuned for the other episodes! 

@foodforlifetv www.foodforlifetv.sg

Solo un poco picante, por favor! For the non-Spanish speakers, that means “just a little spicy please!” and you are well-advised to learn that phrase well if you can’t handle the heat at the newly opened Coyote Tex-Mex Grill & Bar at Phoenix Park. Order a round of shooters and get ready for a brand new Mexican experience!

Tex-Mex night doesn't start proper until nachos are brought to the table!

Live life on the fun side at the live guacamole station! Mash the avocados to your preferred mushiness, throw in some onions, derive some extra kick from chopped chili padi- it’s your way or the highway!

We also recommend the gorgeous Mexican grilled corn rubbed in mayo, Cotija cheese, chili pepper and served with lime wedges. The smoky sweetness of the corn melded nicely with the creamy mayonnaise and the savory but light cotija cheese, and the flavors were given a lift with a squeeze of the lime!

With 6 levels of spiciness to choose from, there is something for every wing lover at Coyote! Dig into finger-licking good fried chicken wings tossed in orange & lime, tequila, jalapeno, chipotle, or habanero sauce, though we would advise having some margarita on standby to douse the fire! For those chili lovers out there, sign on an indemnity form and order the level 6 Scorpion wings, which are tossed in scorpion chili sauce made from one of the spiciest chilies in the world. Be warned: the slow burn is real, and long-lasting.

Organic food lovers will love the Organic Healthy Menu that has launched at Peach Blossoms for the month of September. This menu is created by Chef Francis Chong, who was previously with Long Beach. Although there seems to be many items that highlight vegetables, the seafood flavors in the stocks are evident.

Warm the stomach with Double-boiled Sea Whelk Soup with Black Chicken, Fig and Black Garlic 黑蒜螺头无花果炖黑鸡汤 ($16/pax). Black garlic is definitely our favorite type of garlic as it adds a natural sweetness to the broth, plus it has high nutritional value

Need to increase your protein intake? The bean curd items on this menu are certainly impressive. Now what would you choose? The chic black bean curd in Braised Charcoal Bean curd with Garden Green 碧绿千层炭废豆腐 ($24) or the silky elegant bean curd skin in Braised Marrow Gourd with Bean curd Skin, Shimeji Mushroom and Tomatoes 西红柿鲜腐竹松菇烩胜瓜 ($24)? We say BOTH!

A simple dish of vegetables stir-fried with garlic, Stir-fried Lotus root, Celery, Chinese Yam and White Fungus with Organic Pumpkin Puree 有机南瓜茸炒爽菜 ($24) is a good option to have the family (especially the kids!) eating more vegetables.

Skip the Steamed Live Prawns with Black Garlic and Glass Noodles 黑蒜粉丝蒸开边虾 ($28) unless you like mushy prawns and chalky glass noodles. 

Do not miss out on Braised Lala Clams with Chinese Mustard Green served in Claypot 粥水啦啦芥菜煲 ($26). Huge juicy clams, dried scallops and goji maketh this seafood-licious broth. A porridge-like dish, this claypot will be popular with the old and the young.

 

Desserts on the Organic Healthy Menu include Refreshing Lemon Grass Jelly with Peach Gum and Black Chinese Wolfberries 黑杞子桃胶香茅冻 ($12/pax) and Double-boiled Hashima with Honey Locust Fruit and Peach Gum 雪莲子桃胶炖雪蛤 ($18/pax). The former is served with theatrical misty dry ice that looked more refreshing than it tasted. Both desserts were way sweet for our liking. 

 

I would recommend the claypot and beancurd dishes from this Organic Healthy Menu in addition to your dim sum or usual favourites from the main menu. 

-Zen 

Peach Blossoms

Marina Mandarin Singapore

6 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039594

Tel: +65 6845 1118

Lunch: Mon-Fri 12-3pm; Sat, Sun and PH 11am-3pm

Dinner: 6.30-10.30pm daily

Fetish Chocolat. Just the sound of it makes me weak in my knees. No naughty thoughts my dear, I’m referring to the Fetish Chocolat at Antoinette that is happening from 1 September till the end of October. Following the success of Fetish Matcha that ended last month, Antoinette has partnered Valrhona (THE chocolate for any chocolate creation) to bring you Fetish Chocolat that promises more savory indulgence.

Artistically plated, Roasted Carrot with Balsamic and Dark Chocolate Dressing ($18) was a light dish to start with. The dish bursts with distinct flavors of Serrano ham, strawberries and feta, and I would have missed the Equatoriale 55% chocolate in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing if I had not read the menu.

Chocolate and pasta do not sound like a match made in heaven but this pairing on Chef Pang’s menu tastes brilliant! In Chocolate Ravioli filled with Wild Mushroom Ragout and cooked in a Light Sausage Cream Sauce ($22), Caraibe 66% chocolate is used as a coloring in the making of the pasta, hence the taste of chocolate is subtle.

In contrast, Braised Wagyu Brisket with Mustard and Dark Chocolate served with Buttered Parpadelle ($30) has strong earthy Guanaja 70% dark chocolate notes in every bite of brisket. Now which will you pick?

Dazzling Cafe's natural association with desserts (think thick towering honey toast) is hard to shake off given the insane dessert queue that formed when they first opened. BUT this Taiwan branded cafe is more than just the sweets now that Chef Cliff Tan has taken over the kitchen at the Capitol Piazza outlet! I discounted Dazzling before, but with their new western fusion menu, you can consider me dazzled. 

The new plates at the flagship store use only quality ingredients (carefully sourced and imported, or made from scratch) but are extremely affordably priced (think regular cafe prices).  

A light start to the meal is the Mozzarella & Cucumber Granita Salad ($10). Cool and crunchy it was, with cucumber swirls, cucumber sorbet, loose leaves, beetroot jelly, olive crumble, and balsamic reduction. We could certainly see Chef's past experience in the fine dining scene coming through in his pretty plates.  

What I'd recommend though is the Shrimp Paste Winglets ($11) which is even better than the Har Cheong Gai sold at many zi char stores! Love that pungent and savory fermented prawn paste in that marinate and the CRUNCHY skin and juicy meat. That lemongrass sweet chili sauce was the icing on the cake. LOVE!

We see strong French and Italian cooking in the mains but with well integrated Asian flavors. While the Scallop risotto in prawn miso broth ($24) may be more than al dente (towards the more mushy end of the spectrum), but that rich crustacean broth and perfectly seared fatty pieces of scallop more than compensated for it. 

If you want a creamy based pasta, the Fregola Sarde Grande Pasta ($25) is yums. This is a seldom seen type of pasta which is imported from Italy (of course) and provided a chewy and interested texture to the dish, plus it' so easy to pick up and send into your watering mouth. Simply scoop up some of that pasta with the garlic white wine cream sauce, Parmesan, and that earthy flavorful mushrooms. It may be a vegetarian dish, but it was certainly not lacking in the flavor department. We did not even miss the meat in this one!

Like spice? Then the Spicy Thai Tom Yum Seafood Rigatoni ($21) is a must. The tubular Rigatoni picks up the fiery sauce so well! The sauce is made from scratch btw and I think Chef can open a Thai restaurant if he wants! Very very addictive I say!

 

Boys, if you're worried that cafe food ain't gonna fill you, well, the portions are quite big imo. Also, you can protein load with the hearty meaty meals. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu ($23) has this tendency to be dry because the traditional recipe calls for breast meat. However, there were no issues with this particular rendition due to the use of the French yellow Poulet chicken, and it certainly helped that the meat wasn't deep fried. Expect the cheesy Gruyere flow when you cut into the Parma ham wrapped meat.

The Dazzling Potato Doughnut with Bratwurst filling ($21) looked better than it tasted. #eggporn BUT the dense and slightly undercooked dough, plus oily taste isn't quite worth the calories. 

The Pork bratwurst was also on the dry side and the sauce was kinda sweet. Meh. 

Another dish that showcased Chef's fine dining background is the Butter Poached Salmon ($23)., in terms of the plating that is. I thought the meat was a tad overcooked and thus more flaky.. The squid ink cous cous is made to look like caviar, and this was accompanied by a naturally sweet carrot purée and mustard Beurre Blanc.

Dazzling Cafe is not a bad spot to chill over drinks and sweets as well. Their Forget Me Not iced tea is a refreshing light floral sakura green tea sweetened with brown sugar. For something sweeter, the Rose latte with baileys and espresso is quite wicked. 

But of course, the famous Honey Toasts, which are priced from $17 onwards. Honestly, toast shouldn't be this expensive even if it's tasty or pretty but yea it's quite enjoyable with the filled chocolate center. 

Regardless, I'm dazzled now. Go check Dazzling Cafe out for yourself! 

Dazzling Cafe Mint Singapore 
15 Stamford Road, #01-85 Capitol Piazza, Singapore 178906
Tel: +65 6384 3310
Sun - Thu: 12 - 9.30pm
Fri – Sat: 12 - 10pm

Dazzling Cafe Pink Singapore 
#01-12/13/14 277 Orchard Road Orchard Gateway, Singapore 238858
Sun - Thu: 11am - 9pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 9.30pm
Tel: +65 65 6385 3639