Matcha with Red Bean Agar Agar Mooncake

For this recipe, I'm using the small mooncake mould which able to make about 16 pieces.

Unused Red Bean Paste is able to keep in freezer and store for about a month

Suggest everyone to try out the recipe first and adjust the sugar level to your liking.

Enjoy making the agar agar mooncake for the upcoming festival.

Red Bean Paste:

100g Red Bean                                30g Sugar                  10g Oil

Instructions:

       1)   Red Bean soak overnight ( min 6hours)

       2)   Steam the Red Bean with 1cm of water cover above the red bean. Steam still in can be mash.

3     3)   Add Sugar and oil into the mash red bean and stir well.

4     4)   In a non-stick pan, fry till the paste stick together.

Red Bean Agar Agar Filling:

2tsp Agar Agar Powder                 100ml Water           150ml Coconut milk ( i use Kara brand)

30g brown sugar               2 Pandan leaves                  80g Red Bean Paste

Instructions:

1)    Put everything except red bean paste in a pot and bring to boil.

2)    Remove the pandan leaves, and add in the red bean paste and stir well.

3)    Pour into a small mould  and let it set.

Matcha Agar Agar Skin:

150ml Coconut milk           1.5tsp Green Tea Powder

2tsp Agar Agar Powder     250ml Water            2 Pandan leaves  60g  Sugar

Instructions:

1)     Mix Coconut milk and Green Tea Powder evenly and set aside.

2)     Bring Agar Agar Powder, water sugar and pandan leaves to boil.

3)     Stir in stir in green tea mixture and mix evenly. Discard pandan leaves.

4)     Pour mixture into agar agar mooncake mould to cover the base design. Set slightly. Place in red bean filling and fill up the mould with balance green tea mixture. Chill till set.

Baking at Phoon Huat

For those that would like to learn baking at an affordable price, the first place that comes to mind is Phoon Huat. Their charges are reasonable at $55/session. Bring home a cake and bread.

Red Velvet Cake

Spring Onion Bread

This is what I made and bring home from the class.

Mango Tango @ Siam Square Soi 3

Dessert at Mango Tango

Mr Mango Tango welcome the guest

Got to come across this shop that specialise selling Mango Dessert.
The shop looks modern and seems to have quite a fair bit of crowd.
So Alan and I just hop in to give a try.

One of the Best Ramen in Tokyo - 一蘭拉面

There are many ramen shops in Tokyo.
During my trip in Tokyo, I had been hopping from one shop to another to try the ramen. Many have their special unique broth which almost all I feel tasty.

But there is one particular shop that I love the most which is Ichiran Ramen  一蘭拉面

The Famous Ramen Shop logo ( obtain from their website)

Kaiton Pratunum Chicken Rice and Mango Sticky Rice - Bangkok

Well Singapore had many nice Hainanese chicken rice, so do Bangkok.
This is the super well known Chicken Rice by the local and tourist at Pratunum Area

People known it as Kaiton, but the actual shop name is called:

Go-Ang

What Do You Buy When You Go Bangkok??

It is alway irresistible not to buy things when you are oversea. We tend to over buy, or buy on impulse when we see things.

Below are what I got in Bangkok, after spending 3 days.

Day 1 purchase

Focusing mainly on snacks as these are the nice goodies you shouldn't miss.
Especially, Mama Tom Yum Noodle, Tow Kay Seaweed and Bento Cuttlefish. These items can be easily bought from their supermarket called "Big C"

Day 2 purchase

Time to buy some souvenirs.  I love going to Platinum Mall, where there is one big wholesale store that sold lots of fancy stationary, bags and ornaments. So here I got luggage tag back for our friends, cute notebooks for my niece.
If you wondering what are those red-orange packets.... they are the local delights which are pork floss. Some ppl say the shape they make look like "dog poop". Anyway, the cheapest place I find so far is at Platinum Mall as well. At the top floor same as the food court and is at a corner. The food goes well with porridge, so we often buy a few to stock at home.
Medicated ointment is also one of the top items to buy. ( I bought a few dozens which special request by friends)

Day 3 purchase

Last day of shopping is like a relaxing day for me. Thailand is full of nice snacks.
Since I still got some space in my luggage, so why not pack more snacks.
Pocky and Pretz is some of the most common things to pack home. They had so many flavors and the price is really cheap.
Wu Fu, is something that we first time try. But I really want to say it taste really good. Downside, such a big packaging only have 3sticks inside. I find it abit expensive for just 3 pieces.

Thailand is famous for tom yum soup, so suggest to get some of the tom yum paste so that you are able to cook at home. No harm trying out right... if you buy in Singapore will be more expensive.

So that all for my small intro on the things I bought.

ART BOX @ Bangkok

ART BOX

For the past 2 years, everyone is raving about ART BOX when they are in Bangkok. This is consider one of the newest night market. But before you go, do check out where they are locate at through their Facebook. as these night market is mobile, there is no fix location.

For this time, i went to the ART BOX at EM District. The location is very convenient where i take BTS and alight at Phrom Phong. Just follow the crowd and less than 5min walks will reach the ART BOX.

The moment you reach the entrance, you will see the neon light where you cant miss it. In fact they have staff to guide us in and also they seems to check the bag for security reason when you carry large bag.

We were there quite early, thus able to snap lots of photo to show the area before nite fall.

The place is segregate into few sections where you had the food, live band, live dwg and fashion buys. I would say that for the ART BOX @ EM district is not huge, maybe within an hour you can tour finish unless you sit back relax and have a beer there, listening to live band.

Also for those who are looking for bargain buys, this is a wrong place for you. Over at ART BOX, it is more about fashion and unique items. A totally different environment and feel compare to those night market where you expect things selling at 100 baht. 

 This is what i call creativity, where they sell drinks in the drip/transfuse bags.

 Another items i try is their drink, where maybe they had add some special ice to have the smoke effect.

Also we pack back some korean fried chicken which i feel super awesome. Great taste at minimum price.

If you like to have a drawing of yourself, get hold of any artisit here to have your caricature drawing. 

Found a spot to have some cool picture taken.

People sitting around waiting for live band

Does it worth the Hype???

Well i would say, do come to experience a different feel of night market.  Probably the food attract me more as they are really good and unique compare to other place i went.

Hello Kitty Cafe in Singapore

Hello Kitty Cafe had arrived in Singapore. It is located at Changi Airport T3 arrival hall public area...

Visited it on the 2nd day of opening. Is it worth the Hype???

Well, unless you are a big fans of hello kitty that will go crazy with it, otherwise I would say, only go when the que is very short for a drink.

Compare to other Hello Kitty Cafe, I would say this is way too small to excite me.

We got there at 9pm and we only manage to get a table at 12am. It is not super long que like a snake but the move is slow.

By 12 midnight, they have the midnight menu. The variety is much lesser than the normal menu.

The most saddest things is when we would like to order the cooler drinks, everything is sold out.

We like to have some sides to munch on, everything is sold out except fries.

Kind of disappointed with that. And when drinks are been serve, all coasters  are run out. Maybe they are not well prepare for this overwhelming response. I excuse them for this time and hope they improved.

The only things I enjoyed in this cafe is photo bombing. So here are the photos I told in the cafe.

Dinner @ NOX - Dining in the Dark

This year darling had wanted to bring me for a special dinner for my birthday.

He keep mum till i pester him where we going.

Only till the very day, he mention that we going for dinner which is dining in the dark.

At first i still thought that it would just be a dim place, with less lighting, but sound romantic, so i feel alright to try it out.

When we reach NOX, we were welcome warmly by the people. I feel so comfortable and the place seems posh with high rise sofa back chair. Look more like a lounge than a dining place.

The reception area - Photo from NOX website

We were than been brief of this restaurant concepts, and we get to select the drinks menu. As this is our first time here, we just selected 3 mocktails pairing which is specially prepare by the bartender to go along with our, appetizer, mains and dessert.

Doesn't it sound adventures that dining at NOX, you will never no what you will be eating and drinking? We trust and leave everything to the chef and bartender.

While waiting for our dining table, we were been serve an amuse-bouche which meant to neutralize our taste bud.

Before we are been lead to the dining area, we are to put our belonging and any device that will generate light into a locker provided.

We were than introduce to Afiz ( i guess that how it spell) who is visually impaired to lead Alan and I to our seat. I was so scare as we were to walk up the stairs where i just had my hands tap on Alan shoulder while Alan hands on Afiz shoulder to lead us into a pitch of darkness. Even though Afiz say that it is safe to walk in larger steps, i still shuffle my way in. Worry that i will fall or knock onto something.

Finally i manage to get seated and wait for our food to be serve. While waiting, the darkness have really start to make me feel so unsecured, and i can feel my heart pumping faster and trying to catch my breath. Alan try to calm me by chatting with me, telling some lame jokes to distract me.

Soon Afiz return with a our first glass of mocktail for our appetizer, where he request for our hand to be hand over to us. Slowly i try to locate a nice location to place it on the table. And not long he request our hands off the table so that he could place our appetizer on our table.

For each course, there will be 4 different items place in a bowl. We were to start the food from 6 o'clock direction clockwise till 3o'clock direction. I was so excited when the food serve n start dunk in. Alan and I were trying to guess the food, i told him is slightly warm n mushy, but he say no, it should be cold. we keep argue and i try to feel around, then notice i had started off with 3 o'clock food. So i quickly drink more water to wash off the taste, so that i can enhance my taste bud to try the first dish. 

It was so fun that we keep guessing the food, trying to see who had a better instinct in taste.

And the most amazing things we ask each other, in such a dark place, are you dining with your eyes close or open?? We both had our eyes wide open throughout even is a pitch of darkness where we cant even see our hand. Maybe that is what a sighted person will do, trying hard at all times to see.

At the end of the dinner, we were lead back to the lounge area. I feel so much relieve to enjoy the brightness again. 

The service manager then approach us again to write down what we think we had ate just now for every course. It is really a tough guessing game.

But not bad, at least i can guess correctly 50% of the items i ate. the service manager nicely explain all the dishes and show us how the food look like when it is been serve. Ooops... i guess i had just keep using the fork n poke at the food, hopefully to pick up anything to my mouth.

Overall experience:

1) We definitely recommends to friends as this is a totally different experience you will never get.

2) Food and drinks is fantastic and i really miss it now

3) It is on a pricey side, but the food you get is of a high grade, eg. foie gras , blood orange, waygu beef, cod fish etc are all been serve. ( We spend a total ~S$280)

4) Super friendly crews that you hardly get else where

They will change their menu every 6~8wks.... just cant get enough of it.

POM POM Purin Cafe in Tokyo

One of my favorite Sanrio Character is Pom Pom Purin. This cute pudding dog just make you feel like giving him a big hug.



When i get to know that there is this cafe in Tokyo, immediately i put it inside my "To Go" list.
If you are wondering where it is, there is one at Harajuku, a building call Cute Cube at level 3.
( here a link of the cafe: http://pompom.createrestaurants.com/jp/index.html )

Very prominent sign of the building and the Pom Pom Purin sign on it.



Immediately when we are at the door step, I get super excited and would love to be immerse in this kawaii place. Lucky the Que was not super long, and we manage to get seated in less than 15min.

So here the meal we order... it so cute..

The little pom pom purin cup also available for free when you order the set. But please don't take away the one on the plate.. the staff will specially prepare a brand new pom pom purin cup for us to bring home.

Well with such a cute environment, I'm so crazy but to have photo bombing.

Super enjoy been there. How I wish I'm working there.

Dinner At CHEVAL

Feeling nice to wind down myself at Cheval on Monday. Break away those stressful life and had a nice relaxing dinner with hubby. CHEVAL is quietly sitted inside the Singapore Turf riding center where not many people had thought of. Looking out of the cafe is a nice horse training ground. We came slightly before the sunset and manage to snap a few good view of the environment.
As we walk down the stair from the car park here we see the cafe welcoming us for a relax dinner.
A simple deco cafe with yummy reasonable price food. We got set the set dinner which come with the soup of the, a main course, dessert and glass of beer /wine of your choice.
The chicken is tasty where I believe they use the thigh meat... well season with herbs. Soup was ok but will be great if the bread is toasted with garlic. The dinner ended with a nice yummy mango mouse cake. With the cost of $38++ I believe is worth especially when u select the lamb chop. Really a big piece where I still manage to take a bite as I really afraid of smell. The mint sauce is really a great help to cover the smell and make the lamb refreshing. Overall I would still go again on special occasions.

Bangkok JAM @ PLaza Singapura Review

I'm a person that love Thai food a lot, despite I can't really take spicy food. It was a weekend which I feel like shopping at the new extension of plaza singapura.

As it was almost dinner time, walking a few rounds at the extension, we finally settle down at Bangkok Jam.
It was quite crowded but less than 5mins queuing, we were lead to the seat.


Feeling super hungry, I quickly make some orders - Pineapple Rice, Green Curry Chicken with steam rice, mix seafood platter, Clear Tom Yum Soup and Red Ruby, and was been alert that waiting time is about 20mins before the food will be serve. Well in that case I had requested the Red ruby to be serve immediately , at least I can have something down my tummy first.

The Red Ruby dessert was unlike those normal that you get in outside dessert stall. Something worth to try. Instead of having ice, it is served with coconut flavor ice-cream. Light in taste but you can feel refreshing and yummy. At that moment, I thought me and hubby choose the right place to have dinner.

It was only after 20mins, we start asking for the food we had ordered that made me flare up. Food was not serve, and we still need to wait. and in almost 45min we finally got our pineapple rice, and before we start to cool down, why is the table that came later than us have the seafood mix grill first?  Well since I don't want to spoil my mood, I continue to eat while waiting for others food to be serve.

Pineapple rice was quite yummy, except for one scoop which I ate seems like the salt did not mix evenly.

And in around 15mins later, we finally had our next dish serve, which is the mix platter.

For this dish, was rather disappointing. With the price and such portion, really not worth it. Taste was normal as it seems like just putting on top of the charcoal and grill with nothing. Maybe some people will comment that this is how it should be. But frankly speaking, I been often traveling to Thailand for business trip, even those road side stall that charcoal grill the food is better than the plate I had in Bangkok Jam.

It took quite sometimes before another dish was been served, which is the green curry chicken.
Again to my disappointment of the food.

And when we almost finish all the food, my Tom Yum Clear Soup had nowhere to be seen. Doesn't Soup should be served first? And it is rather standard that all restaurant boil a big pot of soup base, and when you order seafood favor, all they need is grab the ingredient and heat it up? I really wonder why it came in the last dish and also not serving piping hot.

The portion is so small that both of us quickly finish up and wanted to leave the place immediately.


The experience with this Bangkok Jam is really bad. Food is so-so, speed is the worst and if you would like me to comment whether value for $$$?? A definite no-no.

With the same amount, I could go Bali Thai have a nice food and good service.

So I'm sorry that Bangkok Jam is coming under my ban list.