Man Fu Yuan Mooncakes

If you can convince a non-mooncake lover to eat mooncakes and recommend them willingly, it must mean that your mooncakes are pretty awesome right? The nice folks at Man Fu Yuan, InterContinental Singapore, were kind to send their latest sweets my way and the obligatory bite(s) ended up doing some serious damage to my abs and cheeks. And i'm not even the mooncake monster S is.

This season, InterContinental Singapore’s award-winning signature restaurant Man Fu Yuan unveils a divine collection of handcrafted mooncakes in a specially designed box created in collaboration with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, featuring a winning calligraphic design inspired by ancient legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

What i like are the snowskin mooncakes, which were easy on the vanilla essence taste in the skin (thank god). The Snowskin Mooncake Combination ($54.80 for 4pcs) includes Green tea Paste with Dragonball Jasmine, Pulot Hitam, White Lotus Seed Paste with Macadamia Nuts and Sesame Paste with White Sesame Seeds.

My favorite of the lot? The Green Tea Paste with Dragonball Jasmine which is so aromatic. You can taste every bit of the intense green tea flavor and be refreshed by the lingering jasmine perfume. What's best is that it isn't too sweet.

The Black and White Sesame was my other favorite. This is a savory sweet mooncake and certainly the first one of its kind that i've tried. Just make sure you don't eat this on your first date. 

It has that malt candy filling taste actually, very similar to that of the Chinese pastries (pong pia).

The new creation which is the 'Pulot Hitam' mooncake, a Peranakan dessert made from black glutinous rice, didn't fare too well with me. I found the filling too hard; it was impossible to cut through it even after defrosting it for a bit and the skin melted beyond recognition as i was trying to get a slice out. It also lacked the richness of the actual dessert. Such a pity.

Durian fans rejoice. There's also the Snowskin "Mao Shan Wang" Durian Mooncake with Coconut ($54.80), which is a decadent blend of premium durian pulp and fragrant coconut milk. 

If you are calorie conscious, Man Fu Yuan also has a new range of low sugar white lotus seed paste mooncakes, made with 50 percent less sugar and with all-natural ingredients. I'm still not a fan of the baked mooncakes and the yolk is all i take. I found the baked mooncakes oily (not in a smooth way). I'm not sure if they used lard in their traditional mooncakes because that's how the traditional ones are made (so i've been told). 

Man Fu Yuan mooncakes are available for online purchase at the ICSingapore FB page, The Teahut, located at the entrance of InterContinental Singapore from Bugis Junction, and selected

locations across Singapore, with boxes of 2-piece from $29.80 and 4-piece from $48.80.

Exclusive pre-sale release at 30% off total retail price now available till 12 August (with purchase of two

or more boxes of 4-piece mooncakes).

Man Fu Yuan

InterContinental Singapore

Tel: +65 6820 8519
Tea Hut Tel: +65 6825 1008

St. Regis Singapore: The American Kaleidoscope

[Giveaway]

The St. Regis is celebrating the sixth installment of its signature Arts Celebration series, with a week-long tribute to the culture and arts of the US of A this year from 29th July 2013 to 4th August 2013. The American Kaleidoscope will present distinctive American flavored experiences in culinary, visual and performing arts at The St. Regis Singapore. 

As part of the Arts Celebration, I was invited to the exclusive preview of The American Kaleidoscope special menu created by Chef Chris Kurth of The US Grant, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego at Brasserie Les Saveurs. The 5-course Dinner is based on Chef Chris' interpretations of iconic American favorites.

For $188 per pax, guests can look forward to a degustation dinner paired with boutique American wines during this period. The wine pairing changes every night so go check out the list. I enjoyed the Beringer's Chardonnay very much.

Our Amuse bouche of Smoked salmon, cucumber with yogurt dressing and pear.

Amazing bread that is crispy on the outside and airy but doughy inside. We couldn't stop pinching this.

The Baked Red Beet Root was absolutely delish. This was certainly my favorite course. I love the mix of flavors and texture in this one. A light sourish Ricotta wrapped in sweet and crisp Feuille Brick Tarragon. An airy and innovative Chive meringue with arugula. Pieces of juicy sweet beetroot and some California dates with sea salt. Truly amazing dish.

Second course was the San Diego 'Mock Turtle Soup' which is made from braised US Black Angus Beef and Tongue to replace the actual turtle which was used in the past at the San Diego US Grant hotel. I was told that tongue has a similar texture to turtle (which i have never had). Robust flavors in this fish stock dish.  

Next was the Pan seared Albacore Tuna.

I'm not a huge fan of tuna but this was palatable enough. The meat was simply done and i could taste the freshness of it. The powdered brown butter was subtle but went very well with the fish. Oregon Pinot noir reduction and pickled strawberries and a purée of cilantro and sweet onion garnished and added interesting flavors to the dish. 

The Charcoal-Grilled Colorado Lamb Saddle was my other favorite. I've never had lamb that is so simply done and yet tastes this amazing. Chef used a Mediterranean style of pairing with the sweet dried fruit preserves which worked extremely well. 

We concluded lunch with the Almond Brown Butter cake with a milk confiture and apricot sorbet with caramelized white chocolate ice cream and black cherry beignet. The dessert was on the whole rather sweet except for the tangy sorbet and the lovely beignet which was like a tempura cherry. Nevertheless, great dense and moist texture from the cake and lovely caramel white choc ice cream.

Thanks Chef Chris for preparing the wonderful meal for us! :) 

On the Arts front, acclaimed artist and Paralympian swimmer Gregory Burns will also be showcasing his exhibition “An Insight to the Athlete’s Journey”.

The Whiffenpoofs, the world's oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group from Yale, will also be performing at a recital in the majestic John Jacob Ballroom at The St. Regis Singapore on Saturday, 2nd August 2013 as part of the celebrations. The purchase of each ticket ($60) will see The St. Regis Singapore donating S$10 to UNICEF, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's adopted charity. To enjoy the celebration in its entirety, you should get a seat at the St. Regis Midnight Supper, the gala dinner held at Brasserie Les Saveurs on 2nd August. This includes the front row seating at The Whiffenpoofs recital and the 5 course degustation menu by Chef Chris, complete with wine pairing. The St. Regis Singapore will be donating S$100 to UNICEF for every seat purchased at $288.

Giveaway I'm giving away 2 tickets to The Whiffenpoofs recital on 2nd August, 7pm. I'll be picking 1 winner using a random generator. To win the tickets, simply like and share this post (publicly) on my Facebook page (click here). Giveaway ends 1 Aug 2013, 12pm. Winner will be notified and you can pick up the tickets at The St. Regis Singapore. For more information on A St. Regis Arts Celebration- The American Kaleidoscope, visit their website at http://www.stregissingapore.com/arts-celebration.

Cafe: Symmetry

I decided that I liked Symmetry when i first set sight on the cafe but by the time i left, i decided that i was in love with it. You know that feeling when you met someone for the first time but felt comfortable talking about everything and anything like you've known each other all your life? That was Symmetry for me. It knows me inside out.

Cute rag dolls with their masks on greeted me at the door. It was after THE sad hazy period. Those dark days..

Café by day, restaurant bar by night, Symmetry is a cosy and laid back spot in the Bugis area, situated within Jalan Kubor. The decor, the vibe and the music were all too familiar to me. We have the same great taste in music for the songs they played were all on my favorite playlist. ;) 

The lunch menu isn't as extensive as the brunch one but the selection is still wide. I had to have my eggs regardless so it was the Poached Eggs for me. The waiter recommended this over the Croque Madame and i must say that i was very pleased with this.

I'm usually not a poached egg fan because i can't be guaranteed that the eggs won't turn out papery or too acidic. But the ones served at Symmetry were great. These were runny as though they were more soft boiled than poached. The creamed potato mash went nicely with the sunshine yolk. The spicy chorizo and caramelized shallots were amazing with the sweet and smoky flavors. Bacon was honey glazed but still maintained the saltiness. Oh and the blueberry butter cream was a nice touch to the entire dish. I really loved how the different flavors came together. 

G's Truffle Eggs and Mushroom ($21) was stellar too. Though the truffle taste wasn't too strong, the texture of the eggs was marvelous. I'm taking to the buttery sorta scrambled these days and these were great. Just look at that amazing moisture of the eggs!

The coffee tasted good but the foam wasn't made well. As i was trying to get a good shot of the latte art, i noticed that my foam started to sink and bubbles started popping. Hmm... They took quite a while to get our coffee and it was only served after our mains have arrived. Something needs to be done about that.

I will probably be back to try the other items on the brunch menu. They look too good to be passed over. See you guys there sometime! 

Symmetry
9 Jalan Kubor #01-01 Singapore 199206
Tel: +65 6291 9901

Tue - Thu: 11am - 11pm

Fri: 11am - 12am

Sat: 10am - 12am

Sun: 10am - 7pm

Zespri Amazing Blogger Dinner at Fern and Kiwi

It's the kiwifruit season again! Ok i'm a little late because i've been busy for a bit. Anyhoo.. As the alum of the first Zespri 14-Day Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge (read about my experience here), I was invited back for their Amazing Blogger dinner which was held at Fern and Kiwi, a New Zealand restaurant in Clarke Quay.

As usual, i was excited about the kiwifruit incorporated dishes. I tried to do some fun dishes with the Zespri kiwifruits that were sent to me but i'm obviously not that talented a cook. The best i did was a Kiwi fruit salsa? Check it out here. Haha.. 

First up, the Seafood Salad.

It was a rather bland dish as the seafood weren't really seasoned. I liked the sweetness from the kiwifruit though and i discovered that seafood (especially scallops) go pretty well with kiwifruits.

The pan seared pacific snapper was really well done IMO. Nicely pan fried with a golden crust and then topped with a sweet kiwifruit coulis. The taste of the purée was quite similar to that of an apple pie filling. I reckon this was made using the golden kiwifruit as it is sweeter and smoother.

S took the lamb dish so that I could sample something different. I thought the meat was very nicely grilled and juicy but we weren't that big a fan of the kiwi relish.

You will get BIG biceps if u eat more kiwifruits. Haha. :P

The duo of kiwifruit panna cotta was very interesting. One side was the cream version and the other was a kiwifruit pudding with a meringue base. O delightful sweet aerated puffs.

Even Darth Vader wanted some Zespri kiwifruit!

Reunited with friends- Alexis and Shanice. I attended my first group tasting with them and haven't met Shanice since.

Anyhoo, remember to get your dose of vitamin C with Zespri kiwifruits. It has the most amount of vitC in any fruit! Small and powerful (just like me!) If you are afraid of turning green from the overdose, have the golden kiwifruits. Heh. The quantity of golden kiwifruits this year is smaller so grab them before they run out!

Oh the food at Fern and Kiwi wasn't too bad. Wouldn't mind checking their menu another time as the dishes shown were specially prepared for the Zespri Dinner.

Fashion: Warby Parker x Donors Choose

I'm always for fashion with a good cause. It's good to know that someone out there is also benefiting while i splurge on frivolous things. Anything to take the guilt away from the spending. :P Just like how TOMS is my preferred footwear, Warby Parker is fast becoming another favorite of mine. This NYC exclusive eyewear brand subscribes to the one-for-one model as well and partners with non-profits like VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

Today marks the launch of Warby Parker's latest collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online non-profit organisation that funds educational projects in public schools in America. I'm honored to collaborate with Warby Parker to launch their latest design online. The Gardner is their most flattering sunglasses yet. Definitely something that I'm sure Ryan Gosling will approve of.

I love the tortoise shell design and the angular shape of the glasses. I'm all for that additional pop from the school bus yellow-inspired line. What's the point of sunglasses if they are not fun?

This pair of sunnies is for the preppy kids, playground rascals, and even comedy writers, like DonorsChoose.org supporter Mindy Kaling (from NBC's The Office and The Mindy Project).

A A little more on DonorsChoose.org. CEO and former teacher Charles Best founded  the organisation when he noticed how often he and his teaching colleagues were struggling to fund classroom projects because there was no place to go to get the micro funding they needed.

With DC, public school teachers across the country crowd source materials and experiences for their classrooms by posting their requests online. In turn, DC vets the projects, and anyone can donate. Once the request is fulfilled, DC purchases and ships the materials to the school, and teachers update project backers with dispatches from the classrooms. The donor, aka YOU, will make an impact directly and tangibly to the group in need. This is also why DC caught Kaling's attention.

With every US$95 frame purchased from this collaboration, Warby Parker will be donating $30 so that each customer can contribute to the DonorsChoose.org project of his or her choice. And as always, for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

Here's my little contribution and i foresee many more pairs to come.

This is the Vintage 1922 Porter. They must be the smallest pair of sunnies in the store. Perfect for my little face. :) S got himself 2 pairs too.

So please do head on down to the nearest store if you're in the Big Apple or go online to warbyparker.com to get a pair. They do prescription glasses as well and all glasses are only 95 bucks. 

Everyone has the right to see.

Beauty: The DRx Clinic

Pimples, the bane of every girl's fabulous life. You could plan all you want for the perfect night out and then out comes a random red zit that makes you go RWARRR (well i do). A good skincare regime helps with that but i'm really no frills (lazy) when it comes to that. I was recently convinced by Yanni, my pretty doctor friend, to visit her at The DRx Clinic for a consultation and she promised that she'll make me prettier. Heh.

DRx is centrally located on the 16th floor of Tong Building in Orchard, right next to Paragon. I felt like i was transported to the future once i stepped into the pristine white environment. The service staff signed me in while i waited to be shown around.

I've never seen Yanni at work before but she's the same bubbly and friendly babe to her patients too.

Telepathy between friends! We happened to be in floral prints for the day. :) So anyway, she whipped out her magnifying glass and donned her surgical gloves to scrutinize my face. Obviously i got nagged at when i explained my skincare routine (or lack thereof).

I'm a boy when it comes to stuff like that. I was using the Avene cleanser (as recommended by the senior consultant at NSC), together with my Clarisonic brush and that was all. No toner, no moisturizer, no sun screen. I can hear your gasping in horror already.. :/ Well.. i didn't see the need to and it takes up sooo much time! Meh.
Yanni suggested that i use the Derma-Rx products to prep my skin before we move on to any other treatments. The Derma-Rx range is exclusive to Derma-Rx affiliated clinics around the world and prescribed by medical doctors. Their skincare programs are based on a tried and tested system that have delivered results for countless patients from all over the world for a myriad of conditions from pigmentation disorders to acne, pores and scars to fine lines, wrinkling and other aging symptoms.

After the consultation, i had my face photographed so that we could do a comparison study at the follow up session. I haven't seen the before pictures but i'll consider posting it up next time. Then Lorna, the CSO sat me down to explain the various products to me.

I have been tasked to apply 7 different products on my face every night and day and there are steps for that! Oh the horror! To get the steps into the patient's head, especially one as lazy as i am, a pictorial instructional sheet would be given to you. Lorna was clear in explaining what each product does and how to apply it on my face.

So here are the products that i've been religiously using for the past couple of weeks. The order is from left to right.

Step 1: Milk Cleanser 1B ($45) to remove make up. Even though i only use a cream concealer and occasional mineral powder and blush for my face, this milk cleanser will ensure all impurities are removed at night when my skin is resting. It contains Papaya and Mulberry extract to soothe and lighten the skin, it soothes and lightens the skin, leaving it soft and velvety smooth.

Step 2: Foaming Cleanser 1 ($40) is a hydrating cleanser for all skin types and it contains Marine Algae extracts to gently exfoliate the face. 

Step 3: Toner 2 ($40) is an alcohol free with Glycolic and Salicylic acid. Do not use an alcohol based toner e.g. SKII if you have oily skin. That will give you pimples. This contains Allantoin to restore moisture to the skin as well.

Step 4: Comedone Formula CF ($73) is applied to the T zone and open pores to reduce the appearance of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). It assists in dissolving and softening comedones and prevents new comedone formation by loosening the follicular plug and also by reducing sebaceous activity

Step 5: MAX-C *C ($158) is a potent anti-oxidant formula based on the highest possible stable concentration of Vitamin C. It counteracts free radicals, encourages collagen and elastin production to control the adverse effects of photo-damage, including wrinkling, sagging and other symptoms of premature skin aging. This was prescribed to help me even out my skin tone and texture. It also has a whitening effect. I apply this to my whole face and neck.

Step 6: Acne Spot Lotion ASL1 ($25) is used on those angry hormonal spots. The redness goes away a lot quicker than using a prescribed pimple cream like Epiduo. Like!

Step 7: Blemish Formula BF ($70) is applied to the T zone and oily areas to control and reduce occurrence of blemishes and breakouts.

I was also reminded again the importance of sun screen. I hate using sun screen because they are so oily! Boo.. Nevertheless, i've been slapping my face with a ton of sunscreen (from DRx as well, $58) before i leave the house every morning. I swear i'm turning into Snow White already. This is such a 180 change from my brownie days from playing Hockey and suntanning. 

The products have been working fine for me so far. Stay tune for my follow up treatments. DRx also offers many other non invasive treatments like Botox, fillers, lasers and ultherapy. In addition to that, they also have a medical spa that does facials and they even tackle hair loss! More on that next time round. 

If you are facing any issues with your skin, do make an appointment at The DRx Clinic and look for Dr Yanni Xu. :)

The DRx Clinic
302 Orchard Road, 16th Floor
Tong Building (next to Paragon Shopping Centre)
Singapore 238862
Tel: +65  6733 1555
Mon to Fri: 10am to 8pm 

Sat: 10am to 5pm

Closed on Sun & PH