There has been a slew of Japanese dessert cafes and bakeries opening in Singapore and one of the latest is Pantler, a little outfit in the Tanjong Pagar/ Telok Ayer area. Opened by young (and cute) baker Matthias Phua and helmed by Chef Tomoharu Morita (both previously from Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Joel Robuchon Singapore), Pantler features high quality baked goods using ingredients from Japan and France.

The sweets selection was well balanced between pastries and cakes.

Expect croissants, tarts and danishes. Coffee is from Dutch Colony ($3.50 for Espresso, $5.80 for Café latte and Cappuccino). 

The Pithivier ($7.50) filled with almond frangipane was a nice layered pastry with a generous filling. The Frangipane wasn't too sweet which was great but I thought it could have more crunch and bite to it.

Something refreshing (or bitter) would be the Ruby Tart. 

Pound cakes are $22 each but also available in slices. The Madeleines are a whopping $3.50 each (are you for real)! 

The Choux bun ($5.50) is only meant for eating in. The thick vanilla perfumed cream is only piped in when ordered to ensure the crispiness of the Choux pastry.

Everyone loved the flavor of this but only the girls are willing to pay $5.50 for this. I think the boys will be happy with the regular Beard Papa. That said, the cream was much better in terms of flavor and quality though!

The Yatsura ($8.50) was my other favorite. The intense dark chocolate will hit you squarely on your first bite but it mellows out. And i loved that cunchy hazelnut feuilletine.

The Pantler cheesecake ($6.80) was similar to the regular light Japanese cheesecake in terms of texture but you could still taste the distinct sharpness of the cheese. That said i'm not a fan of this one. 

The other cheese option is the Ricotta Cheese Tart ($8.50) which had a light moussy filling. The sharp contrast between that airy ricotta and that crisp short crust tart threw the balance of the dessert off. A thinner crust would have made the dish a perfect alternative to the cheesecake. 

Of the lot, I thought the Pantler roll cake ($4.80) fared the worst because it was too sweet. The cake however was delightful if you eat it without the cream or icing. It's typically Japanese in terms of the texture but with the french butter flavor once again. If you have eaten those Hokkaido cakes, you'd know what I mean.

In all, Pantler is not a bad spot to satisfy your post lunch sweets craving. I'd certainly pack and go if i'm in the area but make sure you eat that choux bun on the spot.

Pantler
198 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068637
Weekdays: 8.30am - 5.30pm
Sat: 10.30am - 5.30pm

Jing Hua, established in 1989, started from its humble beginnings at Qun Zhong Eating House, a restored shophouse at Neil Road. I did not know about this famous Xiao long bao and dumpling stall until they opened their third outlet at Palais Renaissance but I heard that the original outlet is super famous and there would be snaking queues especially at meal times. Well well town is more accessible for me and I found Jing Hua to be a good alternative to the crowded and noisy Din Tai Fung.

The Orchard outlet departs a little from the 小吃店 style of the other outlets. The ambience is certainly more posh and retro-chic (it reminded me of the mod 茶餐厅 decor of a particular Starbucks in HK). Premium beverages e.g. Pu'er tea, are offered here along with spirits. Pick from the Chinese Shao Hsing wine, Baijiu ,and Japanese whisky, and shochu. If you're thinking why Japanese drinks? Well fried dumplings are like gyoza and dumplings are great bar bites.

So let's start with my picks. Do not miss the Little Juicy Steamed Meat Dumplings (小笼汤包) ($5/4pcs, $8.80/8pcs). The first thing I noticed was the delicate skin. It was thin, smooth and slightly chewy. The texture resembled a thinly rolled out chinese kueh without the stickiness. The skin is made from a special recipe and used in most of their flour products. I cannot stop raving about that texture! The lightly marinated pork meat wasn't too minced (slightly coarser than din tai fung) and hence the sweetness of the pork does come through.  

If I were to grab a quick bite, I'd certainly go for the Boiled Mixed Seafood and Pork Dumplings (三鲜饺子) ($5/4pcs, $9/10pcs) or the Pan Fried Mixed Seafood & Pork Dumplings (三鲜锅贴) ($6.50/6pcs, $9.50/10pcs).

I can't decide which I prefer. The boiled ones were fat and juicy, and they make for a delicious and healthy snack. The fried ones maintained the juiciness of the fragrant meat filling and the bonus was the added crunch. What's great was the shell maintained that light chewiness on the interior. These little crispy poppers were quite irresistible.

The Noodles with Minced Pork & Soya Bean Sauce (炸酱面) ($6.80) didn't wow me. It wasn't the fault of the yummy noodles (made from the same dough), the downfall was the sauce. Perhaps I'm accustomed to the rich soy bean sauce that comes with the typical 炸酱面 so this was kinda bland for me. More sauce was needed to coat the noodles as well. I'll suggest you add some of that soy bean chili paste (it was good with the noodles and gyoza) to boost the flavors.

The problem with many dumpling stores is that the flavors get boring after a bit due to the usage of the same filling. Even though the seafood, minced pork, and chives paste was used in several items, including the Chinese Pizza (三鲜盒子) ($10.80), the differing textures arising from the methods of preparation made each dish different. That said, the chinese pizza didn't do so well as the puff pastry was a little thick and dry (think epok epok skin) and hence I left it mostly untouched. The meat to pastry ratio could also be worked on (too little meat, too much dough). 

The Sweet Osmanthus Flower Rice Ball Soup (桂花汤圆) ($4) was a lovely way to end our meal. I loved that fragrance of Osmanthus in the soup! The dish may look bland with the white mochi balls and clear soup but it was anything but simple. The glutinous rice balls were filled with peanuts, red bean paste, lotus and walnut paste, and black sesame. Most pastes were smooth (loved the lotus walnut) with the exception of the powdery sesame.

Crispy Red Bean Pancake (豆沙锅饼) ($10.50) was alright. Made from glutinous rice flour, the texture was slightly airy, with a keropok texture. The inner layer still maintained the mochi-like chewiness. I thought the texture of the pastry paired nicely with the slightly coarse red bean paste. 

I usually don't have steamed sweet buns for desserts but the Green Tea Red Bean Steamed Dumplings ( 绿茶豆沙小笼包) ($4.50/4pcs) sounded too enticing. Great skin again and the red bean paste was fine, smooth and a little more fluid than the regular baos. The green tea flavor could be enhanced though. 

In all, Jing Hua Restaurant is a great spot to grab a quick bite in town. It may be slightly off the Orchard Road belt but you would get away from the madness. I'll pick this over Din Tai Fung if i have a dumplings craving.

Jing Hua Restaurant

Original Chinatown Shophouse

21 Neil Road, Singapore 088814

Tel: +65 6221 3060

Rochor Road

159 Rochor Road, Singapore 188434

Tel: +65 6337 7601

Orchard Palais Renaissance

390 Orchard Road, B1-04/05 Singapore 238871 

Tel: +65

6733 8231

Way overdue post but I'm looking at the messy state of affairs which is my hair, thinking that I desperately need a visit to Geri and Wendy at Silkcut Salon and that's when I remembered the lovely hair treatment these ladies did for me some time back.

This is sort what my hair looks like currently as well. Faded colors, overgrown roots and hair that goes in knots!

Wendy suggested the 2 step Collagen Keratin treatment to tame the messy bed of hair I had. 

Followed by an overall coloring of copper color. Something warm this time! Color suited me fine even though the ladies didn't quite like it.

Love the smooth and silky hair as usual when I left the salon. They always treat my tresses well here!

I went back a couple weeks later to do another color treatment which is the Goldwelle Elumen Color Treatment to give my hair a brilliant touch. I must have mentioned how much I love the color treatments here to death already but it is just perfect since I have slightly bleached hair so the color really shines.

So we went for orange on top of my copper (which didn't show too well). This was really fantastic. Even Wendy who dislikes copper had to agree that the color looks good on me. :)))

Imma current and I love it. Hee. Still a tinge of purple from my highlights which refused to go away even after I added blue on top of it. But I sure do love how the purple highlights go with the orange. 

Silkcut Salon is located in the fringe of Tiong Bahru and just a few shops away from the newly opened The Tastemaker Store. Be sure to grab something to eat (heard the yam cake is good) before your session.

Silkcut Salon

22 Havelock Road #01-693, Singapore 160022

Tel: +65 6275 6108

Weekdays: 11am - 8pm

Weekends and PH: 11am - 7pm

Festive season is so bad for the waistline so if you have to put on weight, then you better make sure it's worth it! Here's something that's worth your calories. Pan Pacific Singapore celebrates All Things Nice with their traditional Christmas favorites at the seven live food theatres at Edge, whimsical Imaginary Friends Afternoon Tea and the yummy festive takeaways at Pacific Market Place.

The massive spread at Edge cannot be missed. The month of December offers a mouthwatering array of Christmas delights. You don't even need to think about individual guest's preferences because there's something for everyone. Creamy pumpkin soup with cream cheese and chestnuts and a lovely sundried tomatoes foccacia, fresh seafood, amazing spread of cold cuts, Honey and Pineapple-glazed Gammon Ham, Crispy Spice Pork Knuckle (a little dry for me), and sweet treats including Aniseed Ginger Vanilla Cheese Log Cake. Yums! 

For New Year, there's Whole Roast Beef Tomahawk, Iberico Crispy Roast Pork, Omi Wagyu, Alaskan King Crab, Boston Lobster and more. Check out the Edge webpage for more details! Do not miss out on the Champagne meals with free flow  with unlimited Veuve Clicquot Champagne, alone with selected red and white wines, cocktails, beers, fresh juices and soft drinks (from $150). The regular Festive Lunch and Dinner are priced from $58. 

For something more dainty, there's the new Imaginary Friends Afternoon Tea inspired by the characters from home-grown author Melanie Lee’s book Imaginary Friends. Octopus Mirin Quiche with Bonito Flakes, and Durian Puff with Spiked Meringue? This is certainly a twist on the typical tea. Book your tea with Pacific Market Place daily from 3-5 pm. 

Home celebrations are made easy with the festive takeaways at Pacific Market Place. Do not expect yours truly to be roasting any turkeys. Instead, i'll recommend the Roasted Turkey with Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing (4.5kg, $148). The big bird was surprisingly flavorful and sufficiently tender. And that stuffing had me going back for thirds! 

Other traditional roasts includes the Honey-glazed Ham with Granny Smith Apple and Raisin Chutney (LOVE!) (2kg $128). I love the idea of carving my own ham though i've not tried doing it myself before. For 2014, there also a Limited Edition Cinnamon-glazed Gammon Ham with
Persimmon Chutney (2kg $158). Their Brandy Fruit cake is also wickedly alcoholic. hic. Check it out on pacificmarketplace.sg.

Time to get your Christmas meal shopping done!

Pan Pacific Singapore 
7 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039595
Tel: +65 6336 8111

Festive season calls for a color update! I got a little sick of my ash hair which was looking kinda washed out. Ash is a wonderful cool color but it does turn yellow rather easily and one would look ashen and sallow and your hair may look dry as well. After a long discussion with the wonderful ladies at Silkcut Salon, Wendy and Geri finally decided on giving me some vibrant but healthy colors.

And I went back to being a red head! Just look at how vibrant the dye is.

Lots of work going on right there. Being pampered like a princess as always.

My head was on fire with that fiery engine red dye. What's life without some fun colors right? If you're wondering why the top was bunned up, well that's because it was gonna be purple on top! Of course it wouldn't take that long for the girls to come up with just plain old boring red. ;)

And as usual, hair care is a must following any dye job and Wendy recommended the Moistcare hair treatment. This treatment from Japan contains collagen and keratin to hydrate and strength the hair. The result? Shiny, glossy and super smooth and silky hair, just like in a shampoo ad. It was so satin-like and i cannot even bun my hair up because my hair tie kept slipping off! 

I love how Geri and Wendy did my hair with the darker purple top and the fire engine red under. Put it down for a slightly serious look at work and up for more fun the rest of the time. I already know that red  is a great complement to my skin tone and even Geri, who is extremely fond of cool colors, had to agree that this warm (more like hot) color is perfect for me. ;)

The purple has faded a bit and it looking a bit more strawberry on the top, but it still holds nicely at the ends. Be careful when you do reds because it will keep bleeding till it's completely gone so no white tops unless your hair is completely dry.

Thank you Silkcut Salon for the stellar hair work as usual. My friends have been raving about that insane hair color and molesting the smooth locks as well. I highly recommend the Moistcare hair treatment! It's only $115 for my hair length (super cheap!) and definitely something that i'll keep going back for.

So it's bright hair, bright skin (I use Derma-Rx products) and a brighter smile (thanks to Invisalign). On a side note, my Invisalign treatment has ended and I'm just waiting to do my refinement. Whee!

Time to get yourself ready for the hols! What's your prep strategy this holiday?

Silkcut Salon
22 Havelock Road #01-693, Singapore 160022
Tel: +65 6275 6108
Weekdays: 11am - 8pm
Weekends and PH: 11am - 7pm

Neighborhood cafes are a hit with the cafe hopping Singapore these days and here's another quarter for you to explore- Everton Park. This seemingly sleepy estate is now populated by hipster cafes and bakeries and even a lifestyle shop! My CSI experience led me to The Provision Shop, the most promising cafe of the lot (the others were practically empty on a weekday) for a brunch date with Z.

To draw the office crowd in, The Provision Shop does a weekday set lunch at $15 nett and it includes a sandwich of the week, soup, and a long black.

Well i was picky about what sandwich i wanted so i didn't bother with that. You have to get the Reuben for sure. Let me start with the bread. It was AMAZEBALLS. Super springy, lightly chewy and incredibly buttery brioche. I could tell its awesomeness from the slightly layered bread crust, which i left none behind. The corned beef  was more like thinly sliced pastrami instead of the lousy mashed up canned rations. The garlic mayo/aioli gave the salty meat that right amount of punch.

What's different about this Reuben sandwich is the asian flavored sauerkraut which tasted a little like chinese preserved salted vegetables or mui choy. That sesame oil coleslaw on the side gave this dish a fusion edge over the regular versions on the market.

Other savories to order are The Belinda's Perogis ($6), a traditional hot polish dumpling filled with mashed potatoes and ricotta cheese, topped with bacon, onions and sour cream. This was a favorite at the next table. They ordered 1, then another, and another... I reckon it must be pretty damn good.

I would also go for the Burrata and Homemade Walnut Pesto ($18) with warm bread (more of that brioche please). Well because there's cheese and who can say no to pesto right? Oh and definitely a side of prosciutto (+$3).

For something heartier, i would go for the Butternut squash and zucchini lasagna ($14) with sun dried tomato pesto, fresh pasta sheets and mozzarella. Well they had me at squash.

We wanted to go for something other than the usual Blueberry lemon cake ($6.50) so we had the Cherry Almond Cake ($6.50) instead. Z wasn't happy with how the cake sank in the middle (it means that it's no good apparently). I thought the cake was alright. It was certainly moist but not overly wet. There was a hint of the grainy almond but the nut was overpowered by the cherries (real ones).  

Coffee was really strong and that kept me going for my yoga classes. 

I will not bother introducing the other cafes which don't seem too promising. Shops that i'll head straight for in Everton Park includes: Audacious Cakery at Blk 2, Nylon Coffee Roasters at Blk 4, and The Redundant Shop at Blk 5.

The Provision Shop

Block 3 Everton Park #01-79
Tel: +65 6225 9931
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 9pm
Sun: 9am – 6pm

Gone are the days when i would expose myself to the harmful sun rays without any sunscreen protection. It was only when i started my skincare regime with The DRx Clinic did i notice that my skin tone was uneven and there are some pigments from sun damage. GASP. THE HORROR. Thankfully, within a month of using the Derma-Rx skincare products, my skin showed significant improvement and i swear by it. 

I still have some pigmentation issues but nothing that the latest Derma-Rx Illuminator and Intensive Lightener cannot solve. This power duo can combat any melasma, age spots, freckles and more.

Say goodbye to sallow skin and hello to radiant and brighter complexion. It sometimes scare me how fair i've become and how i illuminate under white lights. No kidding. Of course one should never complain about brighter skin. Heh. The Illuminator contains Resveratrol, a highly potent antioxidant from grapes and berries, which has been clinically proven to have brightening and anti-ageing properties. A unique stabilized Vitamin C also helps to stimulate collagen growth and inhibits the production of melanin (which causes spots and pigments). 

I see myself using the improved Intensive Lightener to combat dark spots and pigmentation caused by genetic or cellular reasons. I still have some stubborn spots that refuse to go away! :( Active ingredients include 4-n-Butylresocinol (de-pigmenting ingredient), Alpha arbutin (to decrease melanin synthesis) and Phytospingosine (a natural occurring ingredient in our skin to help boost our skin tolerance to the environment). It is also Hydroquinone-free to help lighten skin and improves your skin tone. 

If you have problems with dull skin or uneven skin tone and need some advice, do look for my pretty girlfriend Dr Yanni at The DRx Clinic. Remember to quote my name when make your appointment for a waiver of skin consultation.

The DRx Clinic Singapore
302 Orchard Road, Level 16
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

I love dimsum but the format of the meal is not very single or couple friendly- items come in threes and you can't maximise variety if you have a small stomach. #firstworldproblems Dimsum buffets also do not work well for us. Thankfully, i've found a solution! Tian Fu Tea Room by Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant offers a Dim Sum High Tea set that works perfectly for even the single diner.

From now till 31 Jan 2015, enjoy the Sparkling Imperial High Tea (梦幻宫廷下午茶) at Tian Fu Tea Room for $38.80/pax. This festive high tea menu marries the tea room’s reputed premium Chinese brews with exquisite handcrafted dim sum and desserts featuring luxurious bird’s nest from all-new bespoke bird’s nest brand Long Ming Xuan (龙明宣).

We started with a Torresella Prosecco Extra Dry NV, a delectable sparkling alongside a light floral tea. Bi Tan Piao Xue is a easy to drink green tea with a lingering jasmine fragrance. While i understood the pairing of tea with dimsum, i felt that the prosecco was a random throw in to market the tea as a festive product.
Each diner gets a single piece of each dimsum, which is perfect since you'll have space for more. Only downside is that you don't get more of your favorite. As the festive menu focuses on birds nest, the delicacy was in practically in all the dimsum. The goldfish looking steamed dumpling with minced chicken and birds nest had a skin that wasn't too cooked. For dimsum fillings, i believe that pork is always the way to go, which is why the following items were better.

Juicy pork filling in the Xiao Long Bao and Siew Mai. I liked the chunky meat texture in the siew mai and that the meat filling wasn't fatty at all. There was a lot of birds' nest in each dumpling and it added a light crunch to the texture.
Tie Guan Yin (oolong tea) was served next for the heavier dishes. The teas get stronger as the meal progresses. This Tie Guan Yin changed my opinion of this tea as i thought it to be usually very heavy and metallic. The one served at Tian Fu was light with a little woody taste.  Some fried goodness to break the monotony. This pan fried crab meat puff is like a gyoza with a crispy and thin filo skin. I liked this one because it was filled with a huge chunk of crab meat and you could taste the sweetness of the seafood.

Even though the dumplings look similar to each other, it's good to know that the meat fillings actually differ. The boiled minced meat dumpling with chinese cabbage had refreshing greens and some ginger in it. Cooked in a superior chicken stock, the dish was very comforting to the tummy. 

A staple is included in the tea set in case one gets too hungry. The Sichuan noodle with onion sauce had a superb texture. It's what the chinese would describe as 弹牙 and that's because the noodles, like all the other dumpling skin, are hand made. I thought the dish could do with a little more seasoning though. 

Rounding up the meal, we had a red tea by the name of Yunnan Dian Hong. This tea is supposed to rid the palate of all oily remnants of the previous dishes to prep us for the dessert.

I love love love the Boiled Pear with Bird's Nest. I would pick this over the sugary western poached pear dessert. Chinese pears have this refreshing and juicy quality that makes me want to take bite after bite. The double boiled method is also the best way to prep birds' nest imo.

What's coming to Si Chua Dou Hua without some homemade beancurd with wolfberries right? This is not included in the set but we couldn't resist a bowl of this freshly made beancurd with a light sugar syrup and sweet and plump wolfberries. No preservatives are used and the texture is amazingly silky and smooth. The kitchen makes this twice a day and the morning batch gets thrown out by noon so you can be guaranteed of fresh dessert any time you visit.

I loved the exquisite teas and beautifully crafted dim sum at Tian Fu Tea Room. Although the dimsum may not be as traditional as those you get at dim sum restaurants, it's perfect for a chi-chi afternoon tea by yourself or with your mother, aunts and grandmother. Trust me, they'll love it. 

Tian Fu Tea Room is adjoined to each of the Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurants in Singapore.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6428 3170

PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
181 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170

TOP of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place #60-01, UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: +65 6535 6006

Daily: 11.30am - 10.30pm
High Tea: 2:30 - 6:30pm