Monthly Archives: September 2013

Penang Food Promotion: Buffet at Cafebiz, Traders Hotel, Singapore

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From 13th September to 31st October 2013, Cafebiz and Ah Hoi’s Kitchen of Traders Hotel, Singapore will showcase the much-loved flavours of Penang.


Penang Assam Laksa

Guest chefs Lim Thow Shong and Ridzuan Bin Mat from Golden Sands Resort have specially been invited on this ocassion to prepare the Penang-focused menu.

Popular dishes such as Char Kway Teow, Assam Laksa, Hokkien Mee, Assam Prawns, Chicken Curry Kapitan, Rojak, Tau Kwa Sumbat, Nasi Goreng Teluk Bahang, Loh Bak, Mee Goreng Mamak Penang and Curry Mee will be featured on a rotating menu at the Cafebiz buffet on top of an international buffet spread, while a selection of six dishes will be available for dinner at Ah Hoi’s Kitchen.


Jiu Hu Eng Chai (Cuttlefish Kang Kong with Prawn Paste Sauce)

Talk about Penang and instantly images of hawker and street food come to mind. Its wide-ranging cuisine owes its origin to the diverse multiracial population of Malay, Chinese and Indian, as well as influences around Asia such as Thailand.


Penang Fried Kway Teow

Apart from the food, Penang is renowned for its tourist attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Diners of the hotel’s Penang food promotion qualify for a lucky draw, where prizes include two-night stays at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, Golden Sands Resort, and Traders Hotel in Penang –a dream come true for ardent lovers of Penang food! Continue reading →

(GIVEAWAY) 5 pairs of Snax! By CP vouchers to be won! (Each pair worth $30)

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Snax! By CP is the latest food concept launched by CP Foods, one of Singapore’s most popular and leading food brands.

The fast food store serves up hot, flavourful, crispy, comfort food that you can consume on the go.

Thanks to the generosity of CP Foods, Melicacy is giving away 5 pairs of Snax! By CP vouchers. Each voucher, worth $15, entitles a Snax! value meal, 3 seafood or chicken skewers of your choice, an 1 set of the new ‘Chicky Chix’. Continue reading →

Gusto Italiano Flavours of Italy Culinary Workshop: Gabriele Piegaia of Burlamacco Ristorante (Recipes included)

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In conjunction with the month-long gourmet programme Gusto Italiano – a series of dinners and culinary classes featuring outstanding local culinary stars and renowned Italian restaurants across the island – the Flavours of Italy Culinary Workshops held at ToTT offer gourmands an opportunity to interact and learn from their favourite Italian chefs.

Read about my Gusto Italiano dinner experience at Il Lido here: https://melicacy.com/?p=6194

I recently attended the Flavours of Italy Culinary Workshop featuring Gabriele Piegaia of Burlamacco Ristorante.

Some background info on Chef Gabriele: He started out at Michelin-star kitchens in Italy, namely Ristorante Antica Zecca and Ristorante Antica Osteria del Bai, before arriving in Singapore in 2001. His previous appointments were at Senso Ristorante, Hotel Michael and as Executive Chef at Alkaff Mansion Restaurant before Gabriele decided to strike out on his own. The Tuscan-born chef now shares his native tradition and food as Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Burlamacco Ristorante.

Here are two recipes to share: Continue reading →

TOBY’S The Dessert Asylum (3-Course Set Lunch from $14.95)

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Looking for a quaint and casual restaurant to settle down for a value-for-money lunch in the bustling Parkway Parade shopping mall? You can consider TOBY’s The Dessert Asylum.

3-Course Set Lunches start from $14.95, where diners can choose from a wide variety of mains from pasta to pizza, salads to meats, and sandwiches to burgers, valid for dine-in only from Monday to Friday, 11.30am till 3pm.

Each Set Lunch comes with ‘Soup of the Day’, Choice of Main Course, and Coffee, Tea, or Fountain Drink.

Set Lunches are categorised into three groups: Platinum ($19.95), Gold ($16.95) and Classic ($14.95). Continue reading →

Singapore-born Contestant of MasterChef Australia Season 4, Audra Morrice, shares her Nonya Chicken Curry Recipe

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MasterChef Australia Season 4 draws on the success of the past series, adding a few new twists and turns along the way while delivering exciting challenges.

Lifetime, a leading channel for women in the U.S featuring high quality dramas, movies and reality series that are inspirational and empowering, is finally lunched in Asia (Channel 514 on Starhub TV).

Lifetime Asia brings the highly anticipated MasterChef Australia Season 4 to our television screens, along with other reality hits including My Life is a Lifetime Movie, The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet, Be The Boss, Dance Moms, and The Week The Women Went.

I had the privilege of meeting up with Audra Morrice, a Singapore-born contestant of MasterChef Australia Season 4, who shared with us her background story and her cooking influences –which revolves hugely around Indian spices and fresh Asian ingredients.

We took a stroll along the streets of Little India, where we discovered new ingredients, and also bagged home ingredients to cook Nonya Chicken Curry. Continue reading →

Brasserie Les Saveurs presents contemporary French indulgences crafted by Chef de Cuisine, Antoine Bonnet

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Brasserie Les Saveurs, the signature restaurant of The St. Regis Singapore, announces a new culinary experience with its latest a la carte menu featuring brasserie-style contemporary French indulgences specially crafted by Chef de Cuisine, Antoine Bonnet.

Before I begin raving about the gastronomic experience, the opulent surroundings and luxurious settings at Brasserie Les Saveurs is simply enchanting. The alluring live singing and melodious tunes from the grand piano further adds to the mood of elegance.


Amuse Bouche

Our meal commences on a high note with the Amuse Bouche creating a sweet dance of sensations on the palate. Continue reading →

“Hawker Heritage – The Next Chapter” Buffet Spread at The Line on 21 & 28 September 2013

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As part of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s commitment towards preserving Singapore’s hawker heritage, the hotel stages a special promotion, “Hawker Heritage – The Next Chapter” at The Line on 21 and 28 September 2013.

Nine young hawkers from six famous eateries will present local hawker dishes at The Line. They are the new generation of hawkers who are either taking over the reigns from their successful seniors, or dauntlessly striking out a career path in the hawker industry with relentless hard work, determination and passion.

The inaugural “Hawker Heritage – The Next Chapter” at The Line embraces Singapore’s food culture, adding variety to the restaurant’s 16 theatre kitchens, showcasing traditional hawker dishes in addition to the array of crustacean favourites, freshly shucked oysters, sashimi and a variety of cuisines. Continue reading →

LÈ Restaurant and Asian Tapas Bar by Paradise Group

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The well-established Paradise Group unveils LÈ Restaurant and Bar, a tapas bar and fine dining concept that’s set on raising the bar high for contemporary Chinese dining.


Braised Cherry Foie Gras with Red Wine ($26)

LÈ Restaurant and Bar portrays refined modern Chinese fine dining as an exciting and voguish affair –a stark contrast to the conventional and dated Chinese cuisine that we are accustomed to.

You are greeted by a chic lounge upon entering LÈ, where you can enjoy an extensive range of cocktails and wines alongside appetising light bites. Continue reading →

RWS Food Affair: RWS Celebrity Chefs Dinner (18 September 2013)

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Resorts World Sentosa puts up a spectacular display of culinary finesse with six celebrity chefs joining forces for this one-night-only gastronomic event –the RWS Celebrity Chefs Dinner, part of the inaugural RWS Food Affair.

Read more about the RWS Food Affair in my previous blog post.

One of the highlights for me was meeting the legendary Chef Joël Robuchon in person.

The S.E.A. Aquarium’s Open Ocean habitat transforms from a viewing gallery to a massive dining room, enthralling diners with the magnificent view of marine animals including manta rays, leopard sharks and goliath groupers. Continue reading →

Siam Kitchen

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Being a regular visitor to the Nex Shopping Mall due to its close proximity to my home, I’m thankful for the wide variety of dining options available there. When craving for Thai cuisine, Siam Kitchen is the go-to place.


Green Mango Salad ($8.30)

Native cooks from Thailand have gone through studious culinary training in their home country before they are qualified to helm the kitchen at Siam Kitchen in Singapore. Continue reading →

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2013) Mini Mooncakes from Din Tai Fung

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Almost every hotel and eminent Chinese restaurant is showcasing their mooncake-making prowess this Mid-Autumn Festival, and how can the michelin-starred Din Tai Fung exclude itself from this important festive season?

Unlike other establishments who’ve come up with a wide range of mooncake flavours, Din Tai Fung lays out just two flavours that they are confident will be widely favoured.

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Baked Mini Mooncakes Treasure Set ($23.80)

Mooncakes are sold in boxes of four, in the Baked Mini Mooncakes Treasure Set ($23.80). Each box comes with two flavours each – the White Lotus Seed Paste with Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Filling, and the White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Seeds, Orange Peels & Quarter Yolk.

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Mooncakes are baked to a gorgeous shade of golden brown, embossed with intricate patterns.

That familiar fragrance of the baked crust wins the first battle against contenders, while its texture wins the second. It is crumbly and less dense compared to many others.

Attributable to its petite size, consumers will not find these mooncakes cloying. The White Lotus Seed Paste with Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Filling is especially addictive, with the slightly tart pineapple filling counterbalancing the richness overall. The White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Seeds, Orange Peels & Quarter Yolk manages to incorporate a quarter of a yolk in this tiny mooncake so as to please egg yolk lovers.

The Baked Mini Mooncakes Treasure Set ($23.80) is available from now till 19 September 2013 at all Din Tai Fung outlets in Singapore. Customers are entitled to a 10% discount with a minimum purchase of 2 boxes.

Gusto Italiano: “Gifts of the Forest with the wines of Fontodi” at Il Lido

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From 1 September till 3 October 2013, the spotlight is on Italian gastronomy. Gusto Italiano is a new gourmet programme that showcases the food, culinary talents and produce of Italy in new and exciting ways, bringing you a series of dinners and culinary classes that will feature outstanding local culinary stars and renowned Italian restaurants across the island.

Interested parties may take a look at the event calendar and book through here: http://www.gustoitaliano.com.sg/index.php/events/event-calendar. Tickets are selling fast!


Truffle Arancini – Canapé from Il Lido

I recently attended the “Gifts of the Forest with the wines of Fontodi” dinner at Il Lido, which was one of the most palatial dining experiences I’ve had in awhile.

Chef Beppe de Vito of Il Lido celebrates the cuisine of his home region Puglia during this exquisite dinner, showcasing a range of ingredients that have been foraged from the forest and flown in specially for this occasion. The highly regarded wines of Fontodi offers the perfect complement to each well-crafted course. Continue reading →

(GIVEAWAY) 4 x $50 Shopping Coupons at Deal.com.sg for SAFRA members

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SAFRA collaborates with Deal.com.sg to introduce SAFRA Exclusive Deals (), which gives you more reason to shop online for the best discounts.

Under the special SAFRA category at Deal.com.sg, SAFRA members are exclusively entitled to up to 80% off normal prices. Unlock deals on dining, travelling, shopping, and much more!

Thanks to SAFRA’s generosity, they are sponsoring Melicacy 4 x $50 credits for you to shop at http://www.safra.sg/deals.

How to win:

1) Like SAFRA Deals’ Facebook Page ()
2) Like Melicacy’s Facebook Page ()
3) Like and share this .
4) Comment in this blog post and tell me why you want to win this!

Contest ends 30 September 2013.

*A SAFRA membership is required for the redemption of the shopping coupons.
*Credits are to be redeemed by the end of October 2013.

Giveaway results:

Congratulations Alison Liew, John Khoo, Fion Teo and Brian Koelsch Ho. Please email me at to claim your shopping credits. Happy shopping!

(Mid-Autumn Festival 2013) Hello Kitty Snowskin Mooncakes from The Icing Room

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These adorable squeal-inducing Hello Kitty mooncakes from The Icing Room will make the best gifts to hello kitty fans this Mid Autumn Festival.

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Priced at $23.80 nett for four flavours, the Hello Kitty Snowskin Mooncake Collection comes in a pretty-in-pink carrier box that you can re-use a couple more times for future girly picnics.

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The lovely pastel-coloured mooncake collection comprises four flavours –Cranberry Cream Cheese, Yuzu Lemon, Coffee Chocolate and Classic Seed Melon Lotus Paste.

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Coffee Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake

The Coffee Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake kind of brings back memories of an old childhood coffee candy, “Kopiko”, if anyone still remembers its existence. The sweetness of the coffee-infused lotus paste supersedes the bitterness often associated with coffee. Molten chocolaty goodness ensues from the puncturing of the chocolate-filled sphere in the epicentre of the mooncake.

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Cranberry Cream Cheese

The mooncakes veer slightly high on the sweetness Richter scale, but not sickeningly sweet. It is unchallenging for those with a sweet tooth to pop multiple portions of these like oversized candies.

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Classic Seed Melon Lotus Paste Snowskin Mooncake

Strict traditionalists who are fans of Hello Kitty but at the same time hankering for old-fashioned lotus paste mooncakes can go for the Classic Seed Melon Lotus Paste Snowskin Mooncake.

The Hello Kitty Snowskin Mooncake Collection ($23.80 nett) is available till 19 September 2013 at all The Icing Room outlets islandwide.

For a full listing of outlets, please visit: http://www.theicingroom.com/locateus.html

RWS Food Affair: A 9-day showcase of 6 Celebrity Chefs (14 to 22 September 2013)

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The inaugural RWS Food Affair takes place from 14 to 22 September 2013, showcasing the prowess and expertise of six celebrity chefs with their specially crafted menus exclusive to this gastronomic event.

The climax of the RWS Food Affair is an opulent 6-course dinner in a magnificent setting at S.E.A Aquarium, happening on 18 September, which features the cuisines of Chef Joël Robuchon, Chef Sam Leong from Forest, Chef Li Kwok Kwong from Feng Shui Inn, Chef Cat Cora from Ocean, Chef Douglas Tay from Osia and Executive Pastry Chef Kenny Kong, who each designed a course for this dinner.

The 6-course set dinner is priced at $288++, which includes free flow Ayala Brut Majeur NV Champagne for pre-dinner cocktails and free flow Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvrdre & Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling for dinner.

I attended a media preview, which brought us to four participating restaurants to get a peek of the dishes that are going to be served during the RWS Food Affair. Continue reading →