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

Bonjour La Semaine Franҫaise! So excited that you have finally been conceived! Supported by The French Ministry of Agriculture, Sopexa and DiningCity, La Semaine Franҫaise promises you a week of French classic and fusion gastronomy.

OCF

From 10 -17 September, enjoy specially crafted menus from participating restaurants such as Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF), Lewin Terrace, Violet Herbs and Restaurant Absinthe. 3-course lunch goes at $40++ while dinner is an easy $58++. Charcuterie and a complimentary glass of French Red or White wine is served with each lunch or dinner set menu ordered.

The Disgruntled Chef

Do you need any more reasons to book a table? I think not.

Hop on to www.thefrenchweek.sg to make a your reservation(s) now. The full list of restaurants and other information is also available at the url.

Bon appetit!

Durian lovers, you need to run down to the Resorts World Sentosa Durian Fest NAO! The festival is back bigger than ever, as aficionados line up to pay tribute to the King of fruits during this annual bonanza.

The world’s largest stack of durians takes center stage, with 21 tonnes of the fruit imported specially from plantations in Pahang, Malaysia. Besides the durians, specialist supplier Durian 36 also provides staff who will expertly pick out the variety of durian you want. Simply walk up to the mounds of durians and ask for the one (or more) of your choice, and the staff will crack those pesky shells open for you. 

Besides the perennial favorite Mao Shan Wang, this year’s durian selection also includes the D13, Red Prawn (Ang Hei), Golden Phoenix (Jin Feng) and the Bamboo (Tekka). Each variety of durian comes with their unique properties- the Mao Shan Wang undisputedly the crowd favorite for its creamy and rich taste. Just 2 seeds and you're mostly full! However, fans have also expressed their love for the sweet and intense flavor of the Ang Hei, a fleshy orange hue fruit with small seeds. 

Gonna be kept awake all weekend because it's the first Singapore Coffee Festival (SCF) 2016! From today till 12 June at the F1 Pit Building, coffee lovers and industry movers and shakers can look forward to the exciting activities at SCF with over 100 exhibitors from the coffee and café industry sharing insights over many cuppa of joe. 

Experience the vibrant local coffee scene at the SCF with names like Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Common Man Coffee Roasters, Smitten Specialty Coffee, Royz Et Vous, Knockhouse Supply Co, Dapper Coffee, Killiney Kopitiam, Oriole Coffee + Bar and many more

DRINK

Of course what is a coffee festival without lots of coffee and food right? CSHH and their Kopi C ice cream; Dapper Coffee and their experimental drinks like Earl Grey Yuan-Yang; Slayer Coffee and their rare Sweet Potato Latte; KUVO and their caffeine martinis; Oriole Cafe and their Taisho Cold Brew plus that DEATH CREAM!

Don't want coffee? There's also beer. ;)

Weekender Foodmania Awards is back for the third year running. And what's special about it this year? Ms Skinnyfat is gonna be a judge on the panel, along with my favorite foodies The Ranting Panda!! :)))) 

Obviously you can expect us to be sharing with you the best of the lot from over 80 of Singapore's restaurants across 9 dining categories. Check out the list of restaurants here! http://weekender.com.sg/foodmaniaawards/fma2016-categories/. I'm looking forward to all that amazing Japanese food and steaks! 

In addition, there will be 3 Special “Weekender’s Choice” Awards. The top 3 most-voted-for restaurants will be reviewed by us too. So do let us know what is your favorite restaurant so that they can be recognized for their good food!

Vote for your favorite restaurants from now till 3 Jun and stand to win the prizes above. The judging period will be from 13 - 30 Jun, during which i'd be stuffing my face with food to make sure that the best gets awarded. The winning restaurants will be announced after 8 Jul. 

What are you waiting for? Start voting now at www.weekender.com.sg/fma2016.

Weekender is Singapore’s largest circulation lifestyle paper inspiring weekend happiness, with a circulation of 230,000. FB and IG @weekendersgp

Mark your social calendar, lovers of all things alcoholic! Singapore Cocktail Week returns from 12 to 19 March 2016. Gear yourself up for a week of heart-pumping events with the various cocktail workshops, bar tours, supper clubs, brunches, pop-ups, and international guest bartender appearances. If last year’s was amazing, this year’s will be mind-blowing! With 60 participating bars and restaurants and almost 20 cocktail events, the question is: Which one to pick? 

If you're like us and need nibbles with your tipples, then here are some restaurant-bars that we've checked out. Have breakfast any time of day at Tanuki Raw with their Bakon and Espresso drink made with bacon-flavored vodka and Red Espresso, Fortune Cookie Chai Syrup and egg white. We got a kick to the night with the espresso shot but where is the bacon? Nevertheless, we wouldn’t mind having this for breakfast, every day. 

If you're more the juicing sort, then think of the Tanuki Garden (Vodka, Celery Juice, Green Apple Juice, Lime, Absinthe, Basil and Coriander) as your green juice for the day. Well, it's all made from veg no? ;) 

The signature Truffle Yakiniku Beef Donburi was delishly comforting. Digging into the bowl of rice and meat isn’t my thing, but if I had finished it, you can bet it was heaven. The umami truffled rice had a hint of furikake, the blushing slices of meat were sliced to perfect thickness, and the egg oozed and coated every single grain. Definitely a satisfying bowl to prep the stomach for more drinks!

Diablio @ Lucha Loco

At Lucha Loco, be greeted with Mexicano music and sombreros. Here, five drinks are available—Margarita Último, Frambuesa, Loco Pisco Sour, El Megroni and Café Diablo. The El Megroni (Mezcal, Italian Aperitif, Vermouth) and Café Diablo (Mezcal, XO Café dark cocoa, Cynar liqueur, egg white, flamed orange) stood out for me. I must state that the El Megroni leans towards the bitter, so if you aren’t a fan, then stay clear. The other three cocktails were just too fruity or/and romantic for my taste buds.

When life gives you lemons, you whip out your cocktail shaker and make yourself a mean lemon tea cocktail (lemonade are for kiddos). I recently rekindled my love with Lipton, a brand that i grew up on but like any childhood friendship, we drifted apart. Well that is till i realized how much has changed with his outlook i.e. flavors.

I was introduced to the many possibili-teas by George Young, who worked with The Cufflink Club to create 18 recipes of the best Mocktail and Cocktail mixes using a variety of Lipton products. 

Of course we had to work for our drinks. It made me believe that i possess bartending potential. Hmm..

Here's the Lipton Fruitea Red Crush which is made from raspberries, strawberries, Lipton Forest Fruits Tea, Vodka, Honey syrup and lemon juice.

Looks pretty decent hur? This is a great cooler for summer days aka everyday in Singapore. Woohoo.

I liked the Lipton Maple Twist which is a grape based drink with Lipton Yellow Label Tea, Maple syrup, lemon juice and plum bitters. Well, i'd say add in your choice of poison!

George's favorite tea is the Lipton Mo-Tea-To, a refreshing twist on the mojito. This is made using the Lipton Refreshing Mint Tea.

Other than drinking tea, you can also eat your tea. Told you i take caffeine in all forms. These tea infused desserts were amazing.

Did someone say Lipton Russian Earl Grey creme brulee??

So as you can tell, there's plenty you can do with Lipton teas. Check out the recipes on http://www.liptontea.com/recipes for more inspiration! Or if you're too lazy, try a different way of drinking your tea today! Here's my tea in milk.

Steam your milk and then steep your tea in it. It's perfect if you need your calcium booster. Warning- Not for the lactose intolerant! 

Enjoy your Lipton Moment!

#HIPSTERALERT CREATORY, a weekend festival that showcases an integration of Singapore’s top creative minds in the areas of food, music, art, design, architecture, entertainment, beverage and retail is happening right now from 23 - 24 August 2014.

Things are gonna get really delicious at Tasty Plaza where Creatory is going to be located at. Nothing screams more hipster than a repurposed industrial building that house a like-minded community of tenants passionate about the craft of creating tasty products. Oh and guess where it's gonna be? The upcoming hipster enclave Macpherson estate. So yes to the latest local food incubator where factory meets art and design. 

So here is what's up at Creatory. There will be over 40 participating partners presenting innovative food & beverage experiences from some of Singapore’s most popular chefs, restaurants and bars, live art installations, DJ and music performances and also opportunities to attend pop-up workshops.

I'm started with some food and shopping at the same time. Desserts first! Here's an innovative dessert by Artichoke, a coconut ice cream with corn, caramel and fried chicken skin. It works surprisingly!

Then we moved on to the more substantial stuff. The sandwiches from Park Bench Deli was pretty yums. There's the beef pastrami and the braised pork belly, both good options to eat on the go. They may be a little salty but you can always wash it down easily with the alcohol that's everywhere. Or, there's always the trusty FIJIWater to keep you hydrated!

While waiting for our Lim Peh Sliders from South East Sliders, we checked out the edible art created by  Janice Wong of 2am:dessertbar and Desinere.

We happily helped ourselves to the marshmallow clouds and white chocolate petals in the freezing room.

The LIMPEH sliders were worth the wait with the spicy and fragrant beef rendang with nacho cheese. Well the queue speaks for itself. Will be certain to check them out at ION Orchard. Other noteworthy munchies to check out would be the  Japanese roast pork by Preparrazi (very limited qty!) and gourmet sausages by &Sons. 

Shopping for food while eating as usual. Check out The Hunters' nuts and spreads, Joogo cold pressed juices and also homemade granola by Eastern Granola.

I've been in love with the plates from Supermama ever since i saw them and you can grab yours here too! I also spotted my favorite local jewelry brands such as Carrie K. and Saught. 

After dinner drinks are a must. Well you could get started right from the start actually as there are bars on most levels. But i'd certainly recommend you head to the rooftop for some drinks by 28 Hong Kong and nibbles by Morsels. 

L'Aiglon made me very happy with their potent drinks as well. For $16/9oz pop, it was on the small side but we were happily buzzed. Operation Dagger is something to watch out for as well (i recently checked them out at their super cool bar).

Also, do not miss KULT's Frankenstein gallery!

Be Hipster, Support Local. And i'll see you guys there this weekend. ;)

CREATORY

37 MacTaggart Road

Tasty Plaza

23-24 August 2014

11am until late

$28 for day pass, limited tickets at door

A complimentary shuttle service will also be provided to and from Tai Seng MRT station

It’s the Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day again! For those of you who don't already know about this regular event, B&J will be providing all ye faithful moo-niacs a free scoop of ice cream on them on 8 April 2014. From 12pm to 8pm, free scoops will be dished out at four locations- VivoCity, Dempsey Hill, Great World City and Singapore Zoo (till 6pm only).

At the same time, join B&J in giving back to the community by donating what you can for the Children’s Charities Association of Singapore (CCA)!

CCA is an organisation which works to help the physically, mentally and socially-disadvantaged children of Singapore through fundraising efforts and programs, in order to educate, train and assist them to become independent adults who can contribute to society. The six member charities are: Singapore Children’s Society (SCS), Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), St Andrew’s Mission Hospital (SAMH) and Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN).

B&J will also be bringing Free Cone Day on Wheels for the very first time in Singapore to visit the member charities under CCA to make sure that no hand is left unconed! How lovely is that!

Well so go on down to Ben & Jerry's, enjoy a free cone on them and at the same time do your part for charity! These kids really need your help. Please do not be a cheapo and just have an ice cream cone for free please. Donations are certainly welcomed even if you're not gonna join the queue for the ice cream. :))

Chope-ing tables is a uniquely Singaporean thing. Nowhere else can you find tables being reserved by packets of tissue paper, umbrellas or random personal items that aren't too expensive to be stolen or easily mistaken as garbage. Well well, you can now chope tables in a more glamorous and convenient way with Chope.
Chope is Singaporeʼs favourite online reservations provider for diners seeking a curated selection of the cityʼs best and hottest restaurants. There are currently over 250 restaurants that span nearly every cuisine and corner of Singapore and Chope keeps adding more and more awesome restaurants to the mix! They have quite a number of my favorites e.g. Disgruntled Chef, Esquina, Pollen, Fordham and Grand.. and also a long list of restaurants that i wanna visit! Hello Black Swan, dB Bistro, Kaixo and more!

Making a reservation cannot get easier with Chope. All you need is the app, which is downloadable from iTunes or the Google Play Store and you are ready to make a booking anytime and anywhere. I'm sure you have been in situations when you need a last minute reservation but can't get away to make the call. Or sometimes even when you do, nobody picks up the phone! Or if you are like me, i would have sudden cravings in the middle of the night and the Type A in me simply need to make a reservation immediately. Well all these problems are solved with Chope. :)

Simply select a restaurant, enter your details, click Book, and you will instantly receive email confirmation! If you need to make a change or cancel, simply use the links in the confirmation email.

With the crazy number of F&B outlets opening every month, it is helpful that Chope features the new restaurants they add to their plate on their main page. An easy A-Z list and a Search Nearby function also come in handy. I found their new Search function extremely useful because it provides me with all the reservations available at my preferred time and party size!

To narrow the search, go with Cuisine and Area and wala!

I don't even have to call the restaurant to negotiate my reservation anymore. Perfect for planning a gathering with friends. It's also great because Chope provides me with options that i may not have thought of before. 

You can find more information on the Chope website but the app is such a life saver for busy diners like me. Oh what's cool is that Chope has also expanded into Hong Kong! I'll definitely be using this app when i'm there! 

Hungry? Book a table using Chope.com.sg now!

If your instagram, twitter or Facebook feed haven't been taken over by droolicious food pictures from SAVOUR 2014 yet, well, here's some (more) food porn from the annual gourmet food festival. Held from 5 to 9 March 2014 at the new location of The Promontory @ Marina Bay, SAVOUR is back with more Michelin-starred chefs, award winning restaurants, culinary activities and international food producers.

The highlight of the event was certainly the Gourmet Village for me, since i can't cook for nuts and thus demonstrations are wasted on me. I picked my dishes based on the mood of my tummy. I don't quite consider where the chefs hail from or their background. I only care if the food is good. Oh and i'd forgo the restaurants that i've visited. 

We started with desserts first because that was the first thing that greeted us. Oxwell & Co's Valrhona Chocolate Pot with fresh cream and homemade honeycomb gave us the smooth and sweet start to our night. I loved the slightly bitter mouse with the airy light sweetness of the honeycomb. Lovely.

Well i can't believe i haven't visited The Disgruntled Chef till now. Well, after sampling Chef Daniel Sia's food at SAVOUR, i'm sure i'd be back for more. The Braised Pork Cheeks with Miso Daikon and Mousseline Potatoes hit all the umami notes. The meat fell easily and i loved how the daikon had soaked up all that delicious stew.

So we went back for a second dish, the Crispy Lamb Short ribs with cumin and mint yoghurt. I liked the spices but we found the ribs to be too fatty. More yoghurt will be great to balance out the dryness.

We decided to go with the Tatin De Boudin Noir Aux Pommes by Chef Christophe Paucod from Lugdunum Bouchon Lyonnais, Japan. Not for the faint hearted or uninitiated, this is their house made Blood Pork Sausage with Apples, Tatin's Tart style. Well the sausage isn't as dense as the Scottish Haggis (which i love). It had more of a powdery pate texture and it's really savory (aka salty). Interesting pairing with the slightly acidic apple slices. My advice is not to have this as an individual main course. S and i only got through half of it because it was too much.

Chef Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation Hong Kong is a SAVOUR favorite. I didn't get a go at the molecular Xiao Long Bao last year so i had to this time round. We also ordered the Lap Mei Fan, a foie gras foam, rose wine jelly and crispy rice pops dish.

Well, i guess i can conclude that i'm not that into molecular gastronomy. The XLB broth was delicious (though a little sour) but why would i only want to taste the flavors without getting the real texture of the dish? The lap mei fan just didn't live up to my expectations. Now can i have the real XLB and claypot rice?

I quite enjoyed the Linguine Crab & Nduja by &SONS, the bold Italian Bacaro, but it's a little on the oily side. Do not miss out on the home cured Salami platter with Soprassata Veneta, Salame Dolce and Salame Piccante. Perfect beer or wine food! Will definitely check them out at the China Square outlet.

If you still aren't quite satisfied at the end of your meal and need something really filling and comfort-food-ish, grab the gourmet Bubbledogs. The 4th of July is every bit the sodium and fat packed hot dog (i meant it in a good way) that will satisfy any cravings.

There are many other notable restaurants and dishes like Mikuni (Kanpachi Truffle Soya and Braised Short Rib), JAAN (Organic Egg), La Cantine (because Bruno is awesome), Kiin Kiin (Frozen Red Curry)... So yeah.. don't miss out.

If you are inspired by all the delicious dishes and wanna give it a go at honing your culinary skills, head on to Tools of the Trade (ToTT) to pick up some toys. This is the first time SAVOUR is presenting a cookware retail section since its debut in 2012. Don't know what to get? Check out the products by interacting with the QR Code shopping wall or browse products at the iPad station. Live product demonstrations are also available.

ToTT is offering free delivery with just $80 worth of purchase at the SAVOUR ToTT's booth via ToTTstore.com instead of the usual $200 spending requirement! Free ToTT Home Chef membership is also available and new sign ups can stand a chance to win exciting prizes including a SousVide Supreme Demi in a lucky draw.

Well if you are tempted by the offerings available, SAVOUR is still on for the weekend! Check out their website for more information and start planning your menu. ;)