Dessert Review: Smoulder Lava Cakes

I love sweets and I go by the motto "Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." I'm a rule breaker when it comes to the sequence of my dining courses and desserts sometimes (actually most of the time) come before any other dish. Why should we stick to the standard and the norm? That's plain boring. Smoulder is a rebel just like me. These softcore bakers have taken a restaurant dessert favorite, chocolate lava cake, and transformed it into a bite size snack to be enjoyed on the go. 

I would say they are absolutely guilt free but who am i kidding? Though i must say that the smallness in size definitely helps with easing that nagging voice in my head. Maybe just 1.. or 2? :)

Smoulder uses the under baking method instead of the ganache one. This ensures the consistency in the batter and molten center. Of course, the technique and temperature has to be monitored very carefully and i would say that Smoulder has perfected them both. The crust was a little crispy and it readily gave way to the warm gooey heart within.

The soft-core cakes are baked fresh daily and are handmade with only premium ingredients and zero preservatives. Barry Callebaut Belgian chocolate is used instead of Valrhona to give it the sweeter taste.

There are currently nine flavours available: Dark Chocolate (50% cacao content), Intense Dark Chocolate (70% cacao content), Dark Chocolate Black Forest (with alcohol), Milk Chocolate Mocha, Milk Chocolate Rum and Raisin, White Chocolate Matcha, White Chocolate Raspberry, White Chocolate Pistachio, and White Chocolate Lemon.

I love their dark and milk chocolate base cakes but i was thoroughly impressed with the white chocolate flavored ones. The flavors are so intense that i forgotten that they were chocolate lava batter. I would say that the Lemon is comparable to Baker & Cook's lemon tart filling, with a creamier texture due to the chocolate and a little more tang. Pistachio and Matcha were equally intense in flavors because these folks are really generous with the ingredients.

At S$3.90 a pop, i would consider it to be a little pricey but they are oh so delicious. It sure does help that they're cheaper when you buy in bulk. Spread the love i say!

There is a new flavor in the house, Milk Chocolate Hazelnut! If you like Ferrero i think you'll dig this. :)

Price: S$3.90 each, S$10.90 for 3, S$29.90 for 9.

Thanks to the Smoulder folks for the invite! :) I would have featured them even if they didn't.

Smoulder
China Square Food Centre
51 Telok Ayer Street, #01-04, Singapore
Tel: +65 6225 6422
Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm
Sat: 11am to 3pm

Hippie Bar Review: Colbar

To escape the crowd and enjoy an ice cold beer (or cider for me) the laid back way, without too many of the CBD worker bees or the local coffeeshop flock, I would head to Colbar at Wessex Estate, an up and coming dining estate. This is probably the most laid back hippie bar, old school Colonial style, in Singapore.

Colbar, or Colonial Bar as it is officially known, was the canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops while it was still at Jalan Hang Jebat. The whole bar was literally dismantled part-by-part, and all the tiles, timber screens and swing doors were used for the reconstruction of the new Colbar. I'm glad they did all they could to preserve this bit of history. 

Simple and old furnishing- Formica tabletops, mini pale green tiles, faded old photographs on frames. Love the air of nostalgia and days long gone. I wish i could travel back in time..

Basic Western and Asian fare is served here. The cooking isn’t great but really, who goes to a bar for food? The highlight here is the impossible selection of imported beers and ciders (mostly English and Irish). Beer lovers rejoice! I saw my favorite Brothers Toffee Apple Cider here. Oh yea.

The outdoor area is very open and i love how it's surrounded by an oasis of green. Listen to the birds and crickets sing in the background and occasional tune from the arty group next table (highly possible considering the crowd) while enjoying your happy juice. Cheers! You deserve it. ;)

Colbar
Wessex Estate
9A Whitchurch Road, Singapore 138839
Tue-Sun: 11am - 8.30pm

Best of Croatian Ice Cream

Ice cream. What's not to love? Imagine an cold creamy sweet liquor sliding down your throat, cooling that internal inferno caused by our sweltering and humid environment. Ahh. We do have pretty decent ice cream in Singapore, but Croatian ice cream? They blew me away with their intensity in flavor, the smoothness in texture and generosity in their servings. Is it better than Italian Gelato? I'll leave it to you to find out. Travel to Croatia, try them and then let me know. ;) Here is my Best of Croatian Ice Cream list! Definitely amongst the Best Ice Cream in Europe.

Zagreb- Slastičarnica Zagreb

Masarykova 4, Zagreb Upper Town, Croatia

8am-11pm

This was a stumbled upon but it turned out to be a well known slado establishment in Zagreb. Long time favorite place for pancakes and other sweet temptations, Slastičarna Zagreb was refurbished in 2011 and is now one of the swankier city-centre spots for a little (or not so little) desserts indulgence.

Huge servings of Croatian ice cream (slado). Slastičarnica Zagreb does these interesting sundae creations that we couldn't get enough of. Individual scoops are merely priced at 7KN (1Euro or S$1.40).

Zadar- Slastičarna Donat Review

Trg. Sv Stosije 4,  Zadar 23000, Croatia

Located just around the corner of the St. Donat lies this famous slado parlor, reputed to have the best ice cream in Zadar. People know them from all around ice cream crazy Dalmatia due to their creative flavors and funny (sarcastic is my funny) scoopers. We had 2 scoops each per day when we were here. Go figure.

Restaurant Review: Open Door Policy

Morning Folks! Another weekend and another brunch session is due. This early bird is up early to catch the worm for you lazy birds still nesting under the covers. This weekend's brunch destination is Open Door Policy at Tiong Bahru. The Tiong Bahru area is no stranger to many locals, and is often known  as the hippie enclave in Singapore, where the mix of new and old, yuppies and elderly, rich and poor converge.

New kid on the block (or not too new kid) is Open Door  Policy, an open-planned restaurant framed by an aquarium-style show kitchen which runs the length of the shop. Chefs push out dishes to diners from behind the brick and glass wall, the only physical demarcation between the 2 parties. It does feel very much as we were dining with the chefs as we took our seats at the counter. It's an intimate setting, and i would think it's a little intimidating as well for both parties alike. 

The interior- Portuguese-inspired tin sheets were used overhead and that leads to a glass-roofed area at the back. The effect of worn wood and red bricks balances the heavy iron tables to give the place a cosy atmosphere. 

 

We began with a starter from the lunch menu to go with our brunch food. My overeating meal accomplice, the Stupidgirl, was happily rambling on the dishes she wanted to try and i had to prevent her from making both of us fat. 

Papaduck papadum with crusted duck fillets & mint yogurt dip (S$18) was a nice and crunchy start to our meal. Some indian influence is seen in this dish though the papadum isn't the real papadum that we get at the prata shops. The duck fillets were tender and juicy and i love how well it went with the mint yogurt dip. You could do without if you aren't into that cool and light vege taste. I was starting to get a little full after 2 pieces.. 

Brunch is never complete without some eggs and i love mine scrambled. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted ciabatta with spinach and fresh herbs (S$19) succeeded in scaring the hell out of my small stomach for it was HUGE. 

That is only a quarter of the entire dish and it kinda filled the entire eating plate. Egg lovers would rejoice at the height of the scrambled egg. I think it's at least 5cm tall? Well to achieve that sort of elevation, the creaminess was compromised a little but it tasted ok. On the other hand, i thought the salmon was a tad too fishy for my liking. Didn't finish all of it. 

We also had the ODP Pancakes with black berry and chocolate (S$17). A lot of work goes into making this little babies. They are first cooked over the grill in little molds and then they were popped into the oven to give it that golden brown, crusty exterior. I like that it's fluffy and a little moist inside but i thought the batter could be slightly more savory and buttery. I still like my buttermilk pancakes best. 

The caffeine addict in me ordered the Affogato (S$8) to go with my meal. Yes i have desserts before, in between and after meals. The coffee here is prepared by the 40 HANDS team, which is just across the road.  I didn't like my affogato though. The acidity of the espresso was impossible to neutralize even with the homemade caramel vanilla ice cream. Trust me, i tried. This was pretty bad for me even though i do think that the rest of their coffee are good. 

ODP does cocktails as well but the both drinks we had, Peach Bellini and Pimm's Club (S$17), were quite diluted. The Pimm's club tasted a little like cough syrup.

Would i go again? I think the food is alright but it was kinda expensive (we spent S$60 each). Skip the drinks and i think you'd be fine.

Sorry for the bad quality pics! Forgot to stuff my camera into my baby YSL easy. :P

Open Door Policy

19 Yong Siak Street
Singapore 168650
Tel: +65 6221 9307

Lunch: 12pm - 3.30pm
Dinner: 6pm - 11pm

Fri and Sat – bar open till 12am

Weekend Brunch: 11am to 4pm 

Last orders 30min before closing

Closed on Tuesdays

Travel Review: Genting Highlands (Part 1)

It's been 5 years since I last visited Genting Highlands but that was for an entire week of work (was interning at MTVAsia). There was hardly any time to simply relax and enjoy even though I did sped a lot of time at Highlands Hotel The Bakery (they have decent sandwiches and desserts) and Coffee Terrace for their International buffet.
Fast forward 5 years and I was given the opportunity to visit the place again as a tourist. Was invited by Nuffnang to join LadyIronChef for a foodie trail plus catch Khalil Fong's concert. It couldn't get better than this.
Decided to bring my aunt (affectionately known as my Mama) with me on the trip. This is the most important woman in my life (mum comes second) and I love to bring her out to experience new things like trying new cuisines or visiting new places together.

Anyway, Genting remained the same as I remembered. Best way to get away from the heat in Singapore, thanks to the cool weather. I'm not too sure if predictability and consistency are good traits that RWG should maintain (in certain aspects) because the facade was as dated as back when I was a kid. It's almost like stepping into a time capsule. A little nostalgic but I don't quite appreciate it that way.
I stayed at Resorts Hotel previously which has quite decent amenities and the interior was a little more polished. This time we were put up at First World Hotel and let's just say this would never be on my accommodation list if I were given a choice. Even the easy going Mama was complaining about the lack of bath items and how spartan the deluxe room was and she is a very simple lady. Well I guess it really boils down to your budget. If you want a cheap and no frills lodging, this would be it. It's comfortable enough for a short weekend. If you want something more luxe, go for the better rooms/suites at Highlands Hotel, Resorts Hotel or The Maxims.

Lodging aside, the plus points of First World Hotel is that it has the largest shopping arcade and tons of dining options ranging from fast food, hawker to mini restaurants. Entertainment wise, there is 1 cinema and a karaoke lounge as well as an indoor theme park which is perfect for the kiddies. In fact, the Mama and I woke up early to catch the 4D Little Prince ride because she really enjoyed the Shrek one at Universal Studio Singapore. For RM8 per pax, I think it's inexpensive for a 20min ride and thus I can discount the lackluster 4D experience (to me it was just 3d with the rocking chair motion). We spent more money on the photograph they took of us (rm30).

What we both enjoyed was our little excursion to the Farms. Along with some other bloggers and Brad, we headed to the lower Skyway area and that's where the Strawberry, Lavender and Mushroom farms were located.

The simple pleasures in life. Plucking our own mutant strawberries. It's RM6 for 100g. We only picked a few because the prettier ones are already in boxes (RM15/box). Well I still prefer those that I had in England. These are skinnier and more tart.
Marveling at the wonders of Nature's creations.
The Mama has green fingers and she loves the fruits and plants in the farm. She kept wishing she had a pair of scissors so she can graft the roses back home. Haha.

The Lavenders were not in season yet and we only saw a few pitiful stalks. This made me miss Croatia with all her vibrant and flourishing wild lavender bushes.
Too bad they don't have a mushroom restaurant here. They really ought to do something like Mushroom Pot here though. I would love to sample the fresh fungi. That would definitely trump the diluted strawberry milk tea that they were selling just next door.

How to get there- cab from the resorts on meter would cost you about RM20. To prevent us from getting conned, the Genting people helped us book cabs for our journey. It costs RM35 per way. Just tell the driver that you want to go to the Lower Skyway Strawberry Farm, which is together with the mushroom and lavender farms.
Another highlight was obviously the Khalil Fong concert. I love this dude even though I haven't been following him actively. The other bloggers were surprised to know that Mama actually knows this guy. This lady watches Taiwanese variety shows. She was clapping enthusiastically during the concert. So cute. The bloggers were given different class tickets from our plus 1 and I wasn't very pleased about leaving her somewhere else during the show. Zyon, an ecoblogger, was really nice to exchange tickets with us so that Mama can sit in front with me. Anyway, i gotta say that the Arena of Stars is quite a good place to have a concert. Hsiao Jing Teng is gonna be performing there soon.

We even managed to grab a backstage pic with Khalil after the show.
Bleah. Too many cameras and they didn't coordinate at all so I ended up looking at the wrong cam. Grr. Nevertheless, cool dude, great songs and performance. I like how he's a little awkward and in his own world.
So yeap. This is what we did other than all the eating. It's supposed to be a food trip after all. Thanks for Nuffnang and Resorts World Genting for the trip. My little old lady enjoyed herself quite a fair bit and that's what matters to me the most. More on my favorite eats in Genting in the next post!

Malaysia on Dwellable

Hawker Review: Food Republic Wisma Atria

Was invited to a tasting at recently reopened Food Republic Wisma Atria. It has been closed for a facelift to provide diners with a more comfortable dining experience. Missuschewy was so nice to ask Celes, Alexis and i along to share the wonderful food. Food Republic is my top choice hawker center (if i really have to eat at one) ever since i found out that they have all my favorite stalls in 1 convenient location. Plus i'm really quite the brat when it comes to eating hawker food. :P Read about how i became a FR covert in my 112 Katong Food Republic review here.

The revamped Food Republic at level four of Wisma Atria sits hundreds and is now open to serve  favourite snacks and meals from 23 food stations, three mini restaurants and one kiosk for visitors. Patrons can look forward to revisiting their favourite stalls including What You Do Prata, Capitol Phuay Heng, Thye Hong, Formosa Delights, Huat Huat Barbeque Chicken Wings, Ice Shop, Koh Grill and Sushi Bar and Toast Box. And i found out that my favorite Yong Soon You Tiao stall is here too! Yay!

New tenants include Hyangtogol Korean, Odeon Beef Noodles, Toa Payoh Lorong One Fish Porridge/ Fish Soup, He Niu Teppanyaki and Soup Guru.

We sampled a total of 13 dishes from various stalls. I will just tell you what i like because there are too many pictures. Let's start with my top favorites.

From the multiple food award winner Koh Grill and Sushi Bar...

Shiok Maki (S$16.80)- Each piece of maki was creamy, moist and full of flavors. Unagi and avocado wrapped in a seaweed roll, covered with a gratinated Aburi Salmon with a Mayonnaise/Hollandaise? sauce and topped with flying fish roe. All my favorite ingredients in 1 maki. I foresee myself eating this every time i have a sushi craving.

The Swordfish and Tuna Carpaccio (S$18) was very refreshing. It had a strong citrus taste which makes this a very good appetizer. Sesame oil, maybe yuzu as well and garlic were used in this one. The ingredients are flown in from Japan, Norway, Australia and Canada to ensure fresh food anytime of the year. The affable Chef Patrick often offers special creations so do look out for them.   

From Odeon Beef Noodle, we had the Beef Noodle Dry (S$5) and Beef Organ Set (S$7). I usually have my Beef Noodles at Hock Lam and i think this is pretty good. The beef slices were very tender and we especially love the huge and succulent beef balls. The soup is not as herby as Hock Lam's but it's flavorful and there is a light sweet herbal taste. Only qualms is that i would love to have thicker beef slices. I'm such the carnivore.

From Hyangtogol Korean, we had the Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup-S$18). I wasn't impressed by this one though. Couldn't taste the ginseng at all. We did find a piece of the ginseng later one but it was tasteless. This is unlike the traditional Samgyetang which stuffs glutinous rice in the chicken. Would skip this and go for the Soondubijigae (Beancurd soup- $6.50). This is my usual order at any Korean restaurant. I think they executed the soup quite well. It had the right amount of spice and there were little clams and shrimps in it. Well for S$6.50 i wouldn't really be expecting huge pieces of seafood. I would order this again. In fact, i was the one who finished more than half of this during our meal.

The Bulgogi Marinated BBQ Beef (S$7.50) was so so. Felt that it could do with a little more spice.

I've previously tried the sister branch of Indonesian Padang at 112 Katong and i wasn't impressed then. This however was much better. The beef rendang in the Nasi Kuning Set (S$7.20) was tender and nicely flavored with coconut and chili. Love the little crispy side with nuts and keropok. The rice is also more fluffy and moist.  

The Ayam Merah Set B, 1 Meat 1 Veg 1 Rice (S$5.50) was also quite palatable. I like the curry that the chicken drumstick was cooked in but i thought the chicken was on the dry side and a little tough. 

We didn't have this but the Suckling Pig at Guan Chee looked fabulous. Where else can you get an individual portion of suckling pig in a Singapore food court!  Guan Chee has been specializing in roasted, charcoal-burnt and smoked ducks since 1980. I would definitely come back for this next time.


Thye Hong hardly needs any introduction. I finally tried their Char Kway Teow (S$4.50/ $6.50/ $8.50) which was decent. I really can't judge this because i don't eat enough CKT to give you a good sense of its taste. It tasted less oily than what i thought CKT would be and that is always a good thing. Fresh cockles included in this one.

Fried Prawn Noodle (S$5.20/ $7.20/ $9.20). I think the Hokkien Mee is ok but if it works for the masses, i think that will do. I think the coffeeshop near my place does a better one though. 

The main disappointment was probably the Toa Payoh Lorong One’s signature fish porridge and fish soup. Tried the Double Fish Soup delight (S$6) and it was bland and diluted. It tasted more like fish water more than fish soup. Definitely didn't have the sweetness of the fish, which didn't taste fresh as well.


Overall, the quality of food at Food Republic did not disappoint me. Thanks to Touch Communications for the invitation.

Food Republic  
Wisma Atria Level 4
435 Orchard Road, Singapore 238877 
Monday – Thursday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 10am – 10pm
Friday, Saturday, Eve of Public Holiday: 10am-11pm

Fashion: YSL Arty Ring

Every girl should own a Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ring, or at least any one with a great fashion sense and appreciation for the finer things in life. Just like how we love little jewelry pieces that come in baby blue boxes, the YSL Arty ring has attained the same IT status in a short span of time.

Photo: net-a-porter.com

The classic ring is the Arty Oval, a glass cabochon stone set on the bright golden, organically textured band. Even without a logo, the ring is easily distinguished by those with a good eye in fashion (or not). The authentic ones would have an embossed YSL logo at the back of the stone.

The ring is expensive enough to be considered a luxury item, but not so expensive it breaks the bank. It's currently retailing in Singapore for S$400 and the price is set to go higher according to the SA. It was only going for S$285 2 years back? Grr.

Photo: inlovewith-fashion.com

There is a variety of colours, shapes and materials for the rings. These were what greeted me when i 'randomly' stepped into the Ion Orchard YSL store for browsing. Of course.. you know what happened next.

My very first Blue Arty Ring. Got chided by S for randomly buying things again, especially after losing my diamond ring. :/ Of course he did agree that the ring is pretty. I was really lucky to get this in Size 4 (their smallest size) and in the colour that i wanted (they only had 1 size 4 ring). Whee! It's still a little loose for my fattest finger but it'll do. :)) I love how it's so bling and opulent.  

Ta da! I just want to get them all. The other 2 rings belong to Stupidgirl, who was persuaded to buy another one with me. The power of persuasion. Haha. I'm such the good marketer. ;) The ring also retails on Net-a-porter.com for 158GBP. I think it's about the same price after you factor in shipping. It's also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave etc. Now, go grab yourself one. We all deserve a little pampering sometimes. I'm already looking forward to my next one.

XOXO,

C.