Penang Hawkers’ Fare at York Hotel Singapore

The Penang Hawkers’ Fare at York Hotel Singapore is back from 5th to 21st September 2014, ready to satisfy the deepest cravings. Occurring twice yearly, this buffet promotion has consistently been pulling off the best of Penang flavours to Singapore since 1986, and has never lost its appeal.

This September, a new stall joins in the kaleidoscope of Penang specialties, without additional cost, still affordably priced at $25.80++ (weekdays) and $28.80++ (weekends) per adult.


Nasi Lemak served with Nonya Chicken Kapitan

The new Nasi Lemak served with Nonya Chicken Kapitan wins votes with the intensely flavoured Nonya Chicken Kapitan with a spicy kick, and fragrant Nasi Lemak (coconut rice). Continue reading

Xin Wang Hong Kong Café’s ‘Fly Me To Hong Kong’ Lucky Draw

Autumn sales, endless shopping sprees and a tantalising array of food await your indulgence as you stand a high and tempting chance to win a fun-filled holiday in Hong Kong. Xin Wang Hong Kong Café – best known for their satisfying Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Singapore’s street favourites – introduces the ‘Fly Me To Hong Kong’ campaign. In collaboration with travel agency Focal Travel, Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe will be awarding 48 lucky diners and their partners with flight tickets and accommodations at The Oriental Pearl, worth a total of $30,000 to be won.


Crispy Prawn Noodles

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe further spur diners to participate in this grand lucky draw by adding tempting options to its menu. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Yan Ting of St Regis Singapore

Mooncakes from Yan Ting of St Regis Singapore arrive in style, housed in an artful Chinoiserie-inspired box coloured in elegant shades of turquoise and gold. The packaging can be beautifully transformed into a lantern that one can proudly parade the gardens with on that special evening of Mid-Autumn Festival coupled with tasty treats and Chinese tea.

Mooncakes at Yan Ting are meticulously crafted to meet high demands and expectations of fastidious consumers. Expect premium quality from ingredients like Mao Shan Wang durian, alcohol-spiked chocolate truffle, macadamia, Yunnan ham, black sesame paste, wolfberries, red dates, and chestnut. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Flaky Yam and Purple Sweet Potato Mooncakes from PUTIEN

Food that never fails to bring immense comfort and pleasure is food from the heart and for the soul. Come Mid-Autumn Festival, PUTIEN touches hearts with mooncakes that fit seamlessly in that category of food, made with love and dedication.

PUTIEN decides to hand over the important role of taking charge of mooncakes to the longest serving stalwart, Madam Leng Ah Eng, a motherly figure well loved by her colleagues. She has entranced both colleagues and patrons with her homemade mooncakes for the past decade. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Antoinette

Macarons are many girls’ (and even guys’) ultimate weakness. Showering someone with lots of macarons is akin to showering that person with love. I would relate buying macarons for yourself on any given occasion to buying a rose for yourself on Valentine’s Day. (Well, sadly I’m always buying macarons for myself to satisfy that craving.) Last Christmas, I received my first box of macarons (he got it from Antoinette!) and was instantly entranced, and felt loved and pampered. Receiving macarons to me is way better than receiving a diamond ring or a luxury purse. Not all macarons can charm the way Antoinette’s do though.

Already known for its great finesse in French pastries, Antoinette’s artisanal mooncakes further showcases the fine craftsmanship of French patisserie. Award-winning Chef Pang Kok Keong of Antoinette brings an array of mooncakes from the traditionally baked mooncakes to the mini snow skin mooncakes in tempting flavours (like Pandan Kaya with Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Seaweed with Southern Almond, Osmanthus Marble with Goji Berry and more), to the avant-garde mooncake that combines the classic French pastry with time honoured Chinese tradition. Let’s give it up for the Macaron Lunar. Continue reading

SeafoodFest and International Buffet at The Square restaurant of Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay (July to September 2014)


Singapore Chilli Crab

Calling the attention of seafood lovers! Every Friday and Saturday night from July to September 2014, “SeafoodFest” meets International Buffet at The Square restaurant of Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay.

Work your way from the Seafood on Ice section that features white clams, tiger prawns, baby lobsters and plump juicy oysters. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) East Ocean Teochew Restaurant

It feels like I’ve struck gold with the varieties of East Ocean Teochew Restaurant’s mooncakes I had, namely the Crispy Yam Mooncake with Whole Egg Yolk and the Mini White Lotus Paste Mooncake with Egg Yolk. Always the case, the epicentre of that coveted salted egg yolk instantly elevates the mooncake.


Mini White Lotus Paste Mooncake with Egg Yolk ($42 for 9 pcs) Continue reading

Duck Specialties by Roast Master Chef Nobuyuki Sato at Shisen Hanten of Mandarin Orchard Singapore

One of the best things that’s happened to Singapore’s dining scene this year is the opening of Shisen Hanten at Mandarin Orchard Singapore. Shisen Hanten (or Akasaka Szechwan Restaurant) is an establishment of great esteem, started in 1958 by the late Chen Kenmin who is regarded as Japan’s “Father of Sichuan Cuisine”.

A bit of history: Born in the Sichuan province of China, Chen Kenichi perfected his craft in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China before settling in Yokohama, Japan. The legacy is passed down to his eldest son, Chen Kenichi, who is one of Japan’s most celebrated iron chefs. To date, there are a total of 14 Shisen Hanten branches in six cities across Japan. Chen Kentaro, son of Chen Kenichi, picked up the tools of the trade through observing his father in the kitchen and learning by experience. He further honed his skills by working in Sichuan restaurants around the Sichuan province in China from 2005 to 2008.

Shisen Hanten at Mandarin Orchard Singapore is its first debut outside of Japan. The extensive menu features innovative and modern Sichuan cuisine, as well as dim sum favourites, seafood and all-time favourites (such as Ma Po Dou Fu, Gong Bao Ji Ding, La Zi Ji and more).

Set lunches are priced at $42++/$50++ per person. Set diners are priced at $68++/$98++/$138++ per person.

This August, Barbecue and Roast Master Chef Nobuyuki Sato presents a special line-up of signature duck specialties, which include the Shisen Hanten Roasted Duck ($16 per portion/$32 for half/$62 for whole), Szechwan Tea-smoked Duck ($16 per portion/$32 for half/$62 for whole), Osmanthus Pipa Duck ($32 for half/$62 for whole), Whole Duck stuffed with Hokkaido Rice and Goose Liver ($78 for whole), and Duo Braised Duck, Local and Hong Kong Styles ($20 feeds 2-3 pax/$30 feeds 4-6 pax/$60 feeds 7-10 pax).

Chef Kentaro travels to Singapore frequently to oversee the restaurant to ensure that quality remains at the high standards they’ve set. So fortunate to be able to meet him in person!


Osmanthus Pi-Pa Duck ($32 for half, $62 for whole)

Shisen Hanten serves Pi-Pa duck at its best. Coated in a sweet savoury glaze, the Osmanthus Pi-Pa Duck is roasted together with osmanthus flowers with aroma that seeps into the meat during the roasting process. The result is tender succulent meat with a floral hint. The accompanying osmanthus sauce may come across as overwhelming to some with its excessive sweetness and overly generous osmanthus specks. The meat itself needs no sauce –it’s perfect on its own.


Cold sliced jellyfish with sweet & sour sauce

While you’re there for the glorious roasted duck, don’t forget to check out the rest of dishes on the menu, which are equally impressive.


Foie Gras Chawanmushi with Crab Roe Soup ($28)

The Foie Gras Chawanmushi with Crab Roe Soup is a must-try. Multiple hidden layers include foie gras at the bottom followed by smooth silky chawanmushi, topped with a thick and chunky crab roe soup. Amazing.


Stewed fish fillet in super-spicy Szechwan pepper sauce ($26/$39/$52)

The stewed fish fillet in super-spicy Szechwan pepper sauce is another dish ubiquitous on any Sichuan restaurant menu. Tender succulent and thick slices of fish are served in a broth laced with spices. Here, the spice level is slightly toned down to cater to the constant stream of Japanese clientele.

Chen’s Mapodoufu “Stir-fried tofu in hot Szechwan pepper-flavour meat sauce served in Claypot ($20/$30/$40) is expertly done. One would usually consume Ma Po Dou Fu with plain rice. Here, rice is served in a stone bowl that’s topped with some vegetables and beansprouts. Chen’s Mapodoufu “Stir-fried tofu in hot Szechwan pepper-flavour meat sauce is poured over the rice and mixed up like a “bibimbap” (Korean mixed rice).

This ingenious way of eating Ma Po Dou Fu is oddly delicious and comforting.


Chen’s original spicy dry noodle ($12)

Another staple on the menu would be Chen’s original spicy dry noodle, tossed in an assertive sauce with bits of well-marinated minced meat.

Shisen Hanten truly impresses, with Sichuan cuisine executed with the finesse of Japanese cooking. Singaporeans are in for a treat.

The Roasted Duck Specialties menu by Master Chef Nobuyuki Sato is available for a limited time only from 12 August 2014 till the end of the month. For reservations, call /6266 or email

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium

This Mid-Autumn Festival, Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium showcases Chef Cheung Kin Nam’s creativity and adept culinary skill. A master of dim sum and pastries, Chef Cheung displays his capabilities in a range of mooncakes. What really impresses is his signature creation Xin’s Special Mini Custard Mooncake, which has been a huge success over the past years.

Worth trying are the fruit-incorporated snowskin mooncakes, such as the Soursop and Chocolate Crunch Snowskin Mooncake and the tangy Passionfruit Paste Snowskin Mooncake. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Jade Restaurant at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

Lunar New Year is not the only occasion for family reunions. The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has specially designed a 6-course Mid-Autumn Dinner Feast ($88 per person) that encompasses thoughtful elements inspired by Chinese folklores and traditions. (Let’s talk about mooncakes later…)


Shredded Chicken with Preserved Fruit in Honey Mustard Dressing

Kicking off the meal is the appetising starter – the Trio of Mid-Autumn Combination – that includes petite portions of Steamed Sea Prawn Roll with Capsicum and Mushroom, Shredded Chicken with Preserved Fruit in Honey Mustard Dressing, and Tea-smoked Bean Curd Carrot Roll. Continue reading

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2014) Hello Kitty Mooncakes by The Icing Room

I am not going to rave about something that tastes bad just because it comes in the shape of Hello Kitty, just because I’m a fan of Hello Kitty (don’t judge). Thankfully the Hello Kitty mooncakes from The Icing Room did not need to use the Hello Kitty logo as its saving grace at all, because the mooncakes are decently done and would not incur strong rejections.

The Hello Kitty mooncakes come in two flavours: White Lotus with Cranberries and White Lotus with Macadamia Nuts. I prefer the former for its sweet fruity bits with pastry and lotus paste reminds me of the well-married “raisin in bread” combination. Continue reading