Category: Singapore Food Haven

Pasir Ris Will Be Getting Its Own Version Of Timbre+, But With More Diet-Friendly Options

It’s time to make hawker centers cool again.

A new hawker center is scheduled to open in Pasir Ris Central in November, and it sounds like the next up-and-coming hipster enclave.

Divided into two stories, the Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre will offer both traditional hawker fare and more ‘hipster food’ and is the first . The hipster food area will be called Fareground, and will house 22 stalls featuring modern Singapore cuisine (read: fusion food). 

NTUC Foodfare, who will be managing the space, intends on using Fareground to host arts and crafts markets and music gigs. Good news for Easties because the fairs and markets are finally heading your way!

Making life easier for you

Becuase we are in the Smart Nation age, the hawker centre is all about making eating out a breeze.

All stalls will offer cashless payment through Plus! Cards/ Plus! Pay and DBS Paylah! You can also redeem your Link Points at the hawker centre – your meal is pretty much free!

https://giphy.com/gifs/singapore-11gj07TLSDeily

Even hawker food is now becoming healthy

Hawker food has a history of being unhealthy, oily and really salty. But not Foodfare and Fareground.

Every single stall must have at least one Healthier Choice meal under 500 calories on the menu. All hawkers must also use healthier oil in their food preparation. Eating out is now possible, even for those health buffs!

If you ever wanted to open up a new stall, now is the time. Foodfare and Fareground is opening up applications for their stalls on Monday, 11 September. Stalls are a good chance to tread the waters in the F&B industry if you are not confident about committing to a cafe.

Applications will close on 22 Sept, and you’ll be able to view a list of all the exciting food offerings then.

Based on what we’ve heard, we think everyone will be rushing to visit Pasir Ris this November. Healthy hawker food? We’ll be there.

Also read Placing Your Order In Sign Language Will Get You A 10% Discount At This Cafe

(Header Image Source: NTUC Foodfare)

After You’s Thai Thai Must Try Shibuya Toasts Are Coming To S’pore For One Weekend

As part of The Finest Thai Festival organized by the Royal Thai Embassy, After You will be bringing their sweet desserts to Singapore so that you don’t have to step one foot off the island to feast on their legnedary Shibuya Toasts.

This weekend, from 8 to 10 September, stop by the Thai Embassy in Orchard to explore the best of Thailand.

There’s always room for dessert

This is the first time ever that After You will be coming to Singapore, even if its just for one weekend. This is your chance to eat all the Shibuya toasts!

Their most popular item is the Shibuya Honey Toast, that comes in all sorts of flavors like sticky toffee, cheese, strawberry cream and nutella. There’s even a durian sticky rice shibuya toast!

The Shibuya Special Black Toast is for those wondering how charcoal toast would taste like.

If that’s too much bread for you, After You also has other desserts like buttermilk pancakes, brownies, and an absolutely delicious chocolate lava cake.

Eat, shop, try the lucky draw. Repeat!

Besides After You, there are plenty of other Thai food stalls, local brands and fashion designers that will be at the festival.

Aromatherapy label HARNN is one to look out for if you love natural, soothing skin care. They carry everything from essential oils to body scrubs, so that you can recreate the spa experience in the privacy of your own home. April’s Bakery will also be bringing their trademark pork pies that currently aren’t available at the Singapore outlets – be sure to grab one while they’re hot!

Another reason to stop by the festival is the Thai traditional lucky draw at the Soi-Dao Tree by the Sansiri Family, where you stand a chance daily to win a round-trip to Bangkok from Singapore.

If you are planning on stopping by The Finest Thai Festival, remember to bring loads of cash as NETS or credit cards are not accepted.

It’s going to be an exciting weekend, so be sure to go early so that you won’t miss out anything.

The Finest Thai
Address: Royal Thai Embassy, 370 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238870
Date: 8-10 September, 12pm – 9pm
Website

Also read Prodigal Roasters Has The Most Bizarre Cheese Tart Flavors To Complement Their Seasonal Coffee Menu

(Header Image Source: beterinaryo/ After You)

Prodigal Roasters Has The Most Bizarre Cheese Tart Flavors To Complement Their Seasonal Coffee Menu

Prodigal Roasters pride themselves on their own roasted beans, which differ every single month as they are constantly getting in new beans from all over the world.

But we think its the ultimate pairing of their freshly brewed coffee and interesting bizarre cheese tart flavors that got to us.

Their bizarre cheese tarts somehow works 

Get this, their bestseller is a Miso Cheese Tart, which tastes as delicious as it sounds bizarre. The miso caramel sauce is drizzled over a creamy cheese tart before its served. The sauce is kind of similar to salted caramel, but miso-style.

If you prefer your tarts to be on the chocolate-y side, go for their Rocky Road Tart. The thick and fudge-like chocolate is slightly bittersweet (it uses dark chocolate), and is full of crunchy nuts and chewy marshmallow.

Another interesting one to try is the Sweet Potato Tart, which is mixed with chocolate and tinged with the mellow sweetness from the sweet potato.

On a superfood diet? Get the Acai Cheese Tart.

Classic flavors like lemon meringue and creme brûlée are also on the menu if you want to play it safe.

Something more substantial?

Prodigal Roasts started out selling tarts, but have since expanded to selling hearty mains in limited portions. Just like everything else, the menu is not fixed, so there’s no saying what you’ll get.

The chefs at Prodigal Roasters are very open to ideas from customers, which results in pretty unusual dishes. If you really want to be kept updated on their latest food creations, follow their Instagram!

Just a couple weeks ago, they had an interesting burnt cream pasta, which comes topped with pomegranate, one week old fermented onions, capers, celery and dusted with coffee grounds. Your tastebuds will be working overtime! 

The only drawback is that these creations are not permanent fixtures on the menu (even though we think they deserve to be), but don’t be afraid to ask the chefs to whip something up on the spot.

They’ll try their best to oblige, although this is not always possible as they might not have the ingredients on hand.

Journey all over the world with their seasonal roasts

The guys at Prodigal Roasts love experimenting with their coffees as much as they love experimenting with their foods.

You can expect new coffee flavors every month as they are constantly trying out new bean profiles from all over the world. Taste coffees from Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Ethiopia, Thailand, Rwanda and more.

They also sell freshly roasted beans if you can’t get enough of your brew. Get some beans so that you can make your own cuppa whenever the cravings hit you.

Whether you’re a coffee lover or just want to try something new this cafe is definitely worth a trip to the heartlands for!

Prodigal Roasters
Address: Blk 625 Ang Mo Kio Ave 9 #01-112, Singapore 560625
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, 12pm – 10pm; Sat – Sun, 9am – 5pm; Closed on Wednesdays
Instagram

Also read Japan’s Famous Blinged Out Soft Serves Are Here, And They’re Sure To Give You A Gold Rush

(Header Image Source: Prodigal Roasters)

At Just $10 A Bowl, This Wagyu Beef Donburi Will Have You Dashing For It Like A Mad Cow

If you’re a meat lover and your ideal meal is one that’s piled high with meat – and specifically beef – Gyu Nami is a lunch spot we think will quickly become one of your favourites.

Newly opened in Amoy Street Food Centre, Gyu Nami is easy to spot with its minimalist white, black and red signboard, and logo resembling Japan’s famous wave print, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa“.

Priced at an affordable $10, the young foodies behind Gyu Nami wanted to make high quality gourmet-fare available for the masses – and they do not stinge on their ingredients.

A Mountain Of Beef

Order a bowl of their Beef Donburi and you’ll find your bowl piled high with slices of beef so that you can barely see the rice beneath!

Slow roasted to a nice medium rare, the beef is tender and juicy.

A creamy yoghurt sauce is poured over the mountain of beef, with a sous-vide egg to go along. If the thought of eating so much meat puts you off, don’t worry, the bright, tangy yoghurt sauce offsets the meatiness of the dish, while also giving it that extra dimension of flavour.

The next time you’re in Amoy Street Food Centre for lunch, stray from your typical order and try one of Gyu Nami’s beef Donburi bowls! Delicious and great value for money, your first time at Gyu Nami will likely not be your last.

Gyu Nami
Address: Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111 
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 3pm 
Contact no.: 9066 3566
Facebook

Also read This Local Instagram Account Is Turning Dabao-ed Hawker Food Into Works Of Art

(Header Image Source: @gyunamisg)

This Cafe’s Unique Éclairs Will Have You Choux-ing Them Over And Over Again

When you think of éclairs, a cream-filled pastry with chocolate icing probably comes to mind.

Made the same way in pretty much every bakery that sells its, there’s a cafe in Singapore that’s re-energising the pastry, one unexpected flavour at a time.

L’éclair is Singapore’s first éclair specialty store and cafe. Set up by a duo that was trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, the two are all about discovering and expanding the possibilities of the éclair.

Their inventive handcrafted éclairs are not only an exquisite treat for the tastebuds, they’re also extremely easy on the eyes and look great on the ‘gram.

Located at Dhoby Gaut, this cafe is a short 5 minute walk from Dhoby Gaut MRT Station.

A Taste Of Paris

While L’éclair has created quite a variety of éclairs to date, you’ll find that they only serve 10 flavours each day – a blessing, considering that you’ll have enough trouble picking just one to eat.

One day, you’ll find a Kaya Pandan Éclair, a fancy twist on Singaporeans’ favourite breakfast toast; and another, you’ll find a Baileys Cheesecake Éclair that’s filled with baileys pastry cream, topped with baileys cheesecake cream, and drizzled with baileys ganache for good measure – a triple hit of the delicious Irish cream liqueur.

Some of the customers’ favourites here include the Ispahan, a pretty pink éclair filled with a light rose cream, cut lychees and fresh raspberries. Another beaut is the Matcha flavour, which comprises a smooth, premium matcha cream and white chocolate – a match made in dessert heaven.

Made using only the finest and freshest ingredients, you get all your money’s worth off these éclairs that are priced between $8 – $9 each.

A Mid-Autumn Special

Limited edition flavours are not unusual for the creative team at L’éclair.

To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, they’ve created 3 brand new flavours: Salted egg yolk lotus, black sesame red bean, and taro macadamia.

Available from 9 September onwards, you can pre-order these éclairs for first dibs on these mooncake-inspired éclairs!

In the past, they’ve also created a bunch of Chinese New Year-themed mooncakes, with CNY staples like pineapple tart, bak kwa, and pork floss making an appearance in these typically sweet pastries.

High Tea Degustation

Can’t quite decide on just one? Treat yourself to a whole meal of éclairs with L’éclair’s High Tea Degustation!

Savour an assortment of 5 assorted mini éclairs, alongside savoury bites including a Truffle Egg Mayo Choux Puff, Foie Gras Pate & Tomato Relish Crostini, Roasted Mushrooms Vol au Vent, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Signature Chicken & Bacon Pie, and Smoked Salmon & Dill Mousse Tartlet. You’ll also get one beverage per person to go with your elegant bites.

Super Insta-worthy individually and as a whole set, you’ll want to keep your phones on standby because you won’t be able to get through this tea without snapping at least a couple of pics.

The degustation will set you back $50 on weekdays (Tue – Fri) and $60 on weekends and public holidays, and are 9101 1971

Also read Lady M Created A Light-Up Lantern For Its Mooncakes, Because Boxes Are So Mainstream

(Header Image Source: @leclairpatisserie)

Placing Your Order In Sign Language Will Get You A 10% Discount At This Cafe

You can order in English – or sign language if you prefer – at Puzzles.

If you order in sign language, you’ll get an additional 10% discount.

Don’t know how to speak sign? Don’t worry, as there is an instruction board at the counter to guide you. The servers will be super appreciative that you tried to converse in their language, so take your time.

A Cafe With A Cause

Puzzles, a cafe that serves up pizza bombs and other snacks, was started by two Ngee Ann Polytechnic graduates, Suzana Slemat and Shazlina Sulaiman, who wanted to shed some light on the struggles that deaf people face when interacting with service staff.

Pizza bomb toppings (or fillings in this case) are constantly on rotation, which means you’ll never get bored by the selection. You can expect flavors like salted egg, Hawaiian, chilli crab, beef satay, black pepper chicken, and cheesy spinach.

Other than pizza bombs, there are all sorts of snacks and desserts to sate your appetite in a long lecture. Think glazed chicken bites, brownies, meatball puffs, and mac and cheese.

Sometimes, they will have an all-day breakfast menu going on, with offerings like breakfast buns, roti johns and the super popular hashbrowns.

For now, Puzzles only operates in Ngee Ann Polytechnic during term time as that’s when they get most business. Puzzles takes a break during school holidays, but is still open for catering orders.

Suzana and Shazlina has plans to continue operating Puzzles for two more years, and hopefully expand to other tertiary institutions. Soon, you might even be able to see Puzzles at other universities and polytechnics!

Till then, you’ll have to make do going to Ngee Ann Poly for your pizza bomb fix while learning some sign language on the side!  

Puzzles
Address: Ourspace@Ngee Ann Poly, 535 Clementi Rd, Singapore 599489
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 10am – 6pm (during school terms)
Website

Also read 10 Quirky Mooncakes That Break Tradition With Flavours Like Bubble Tea, Chilli And Salted Egg Yolk

(Header Image Source: Images from Puzzles Instagram)

Japan’s Famous Blinged Out Soft Serves Are Here, And They’re Sure To Give You A Gold Rush

If pretty food excites you, there’s a new Insta-worthy dessert in town you’ll want to hear all about – gold leaf ice cream cones.

While we’ve seen various coloured foods – from black foods to pink foods – go in and out of trend, gold never goes out of style.

Small Potatoes Ice Creamery has recently launched Japan’s famous Kinkaku Soft Serve Ice Cream in Singapore, and in two delectable flavours: Sea Salt Caramel With Gold Leaf ($12), and Purple Potato With Silver Leaf ($10).

Available at both Small Potatoes Ice Creamery branches at Somerset 313 and Novena Square 2, you’ll feel all kinds of fancy when you down these icy cold cones.

Go For Gold

Not only do these ice cream cones look luxurious; with a soft serve that’s made with Hokkaido Milk, they taste luxurious as well!

The soft serve is coated with gold or silver leaves that are imported from Japan, and that are made from edible 24k gold.

Shimmery and shiny in the light, be sure to capture these photogenic treats from every angle – you’ll be kicking yourself for it if you don’t!

A word of warning for those of you who are keen to try these metallic cones – these are available in limited supply and will only be available in stores until they sell out.

To avoid disappointment, we suggest you make your way down to either branch ASAP!

Small Potatoes Ice Creamery
Address: 313@Somerset, #B3-48, Singapore 238895
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6634 3168

Address: Novena Square 2, #B1-131 Square 2, 10 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307506
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 10pm
Contact no.: 6352 2661

Also read 10 Quirky Mooncakes That Break Tradition With Flavours Like Bubble Tea, Chilli And Salted Egg Yolk

(Header Image Source: @gcdwilson,

10 Quirky Mooncakes That Break Tradition With Flavours Like Bubble Tea, Chilli And Salted Egg Yolk

As Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around, it’s once again time to binge on mooncakes!

While we love a good traditional lotus paste mooncake, we have to admit, it’s the novel, intriguingly flavoured mooncakes that tend to grab our attention – and this year, there are plenty of these out there.

Alcoholic mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes, ‘liu sha‘ mooncakes… The list goes on.

Here are some of the most outrageously untraditional mooncakes we could find, and we think you’ll be hard pressed to pick just one to try.

1. Mandarin Orchard – Red Wine Cranberry Paste With Japanese Yuzu and Lemongrass

Alcoholics, now you can even get your buzz from mooncakes!

Mandarin Orchard‘s range of Mini Snow Skin Mooncakes includes two boozy flavours – Lychee Martini And Chocolate, and Red Wine Cranberry Paste With Japanese Yuzu and Lemongrass.

The Lychee Martini And Chocolate Mooncake releases a burst of crisp, citrusy chocolate into your mouth with every bite, while the Red Wine Cranberry Paste With Japanese Yuzu and Lemongrass Mooncake leaves a lasting impression as each mouthful reveals yet another layer of subtle flavour.

Mandarin Orchard Singapore 
Address: 333 Orchard Road, 238867
Contact.: 6831 6320/6831 6262
2. Grand Hyatt – Violette & Gin

Ain’t nobody got time for old school mooncakes when there are alcoholic snow skin mooncakes to be eaten.

[caption id="attachment_29501" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Pretty mooncakes in a pretty box (Image Credit: Grand Hyatt Singapore)[/caption]

Grand Hyatt is adding a new creation to their growing list of alcohol infused mooncakes: Violette & Gin, which comes infused with Tanquert No. Ten Gin and a crème de violette liquor for a delicate, floral twist. 

Another must-try is the Strawberry-Lime-Tequila Truffle, a fruity yet intense mooncake with a kick. Their snow skin mooncakes are available at $69 for a box of eight.

Grand Hyatt Singapore
Address: 10 Scotts Road, Singapore 228211
Contact.: 6738 1234
3. Bakerzin – Butterscotch Baileys Snow Skin

Can a person get drunk on mooncakes? Probably not.

[caption id="attachment_29502" align="aligncenter" width="460"] (Image Credit: Bakerzin)[/caption]

But that’s not going to stop us from trying all the alcoholic mooncakes out there.

Bakerzin‘s Prestige Collection ($56) will make your inner alcoholic rejoice, with four different spirits to try. Each box comes with two pieces each of Apple Vodka Snow Skin, Butterscotch Baileys Snow Skin, Coconut Liqueur Snow Skin, and Latte Kahlua Snow Skin mooncakes. You won’t even know where to start!

Bakerzin
Contact.: 6455 8885 
Website

4. Old Seng Choong –  Cranberries With Choya

Old Seng Choong may be well-known for its old school bakes and cakes, but head pastry chef, Daniel Tay, definitely knows how to take things up a notch.

[caption id="attachment_29503" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Alcohol heaven with the Four Heavenly Beauties (Image Credit: Besides the usual mooncakes, Old Seng Choong wants you to meet the Four Heavenly Beauties ($60.80), a quartet of snow skin mooncakes that will stimulate your senses. The flavours are Cranberries with Choya, Passionfruit with Martini Mint, Coffee with Whisky, and Chocolate Rum, all of which are as aromatic as they are flavourful. 

Old Seng Choong
Address:#05-04, 171 Kampong Ampat, KA Foodlink, Singapore 368330
Contact.: 6282 0220
5. Shangri-La – Yuzu Bird’s Nest

While it seems like everyone is trying to one up each other in terms of who can come up with the most outrageous, most unexpected mooncake filling, we think Shangri-La‘s ones take the cake.

[caption id="attachment_29504" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] (Image Credit: Shangri-La’s latest Mini Snow Skin Eight Treasures ($88) features two new flavours.

The first is the more typical Chocolate Salted Toffee, which comes encased in a layer of crisp milk chocolate – perfect for sweet tooths. The other is a more luxurious and interesting blend of Yuzu Bird’s Nest that is both tangy and sweet. Who knew bird’s nest would go well with a mooncake?

Shangri-La Singapore
Address: Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Contact.: 6737 3644
6. The Pine Garden – Pearl Milk Tea Snow Skin

If you love bubble tea and have $17.20 to spare, try The Pine Garden‘s Pearl Milk Tea Snow Skin, which is infused with tea, and comes with bits of chewy boba. Yum!

[caption id="attachment_29506" align="aligncenter" width="380"] (Image Credit: Pine Garden)[/caption]

The more health-conscious can opt for the Purple Sweet Potato With Ginger Mooncake, which you can choose to have either with a baked or snow skin. No more calorie counting this Mid-Autumn season!

The Pine Garden
Address: #01-2369/ #01-232, 529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, S560529
Website

7. Thye Moh Chan – Chef’s Private XO Recipe

Go old school, but with a twist with Thye Moh Chan‘s traditional Teochew-style mooncakes.

Teochew mooncakes typically see a sweet filling encased in a flaky crust pastry, unlike the baked skin mooncakes we typically see during mooncake festival.

[caption id="attachment_29507" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Thye Moh Chan’s secret recipe with XO sauce[/caption]

They come with various fillings, including an all-new Chef’s Private XO Recipe ($40.80 for four pieces), a Salty Tau Sar With Egg Yolk ($29.80 for four pieces) and the Teochew Mooncake ($18.80 for one piece), which uses a traditional recipe of maltose, citrus strips and five-spice powder.

Although we were at first unsure about how XO sauce would fare in a mooncake, the Chef’s Private XO Recipe completely won our hearts and was a favourite in the office! Unlike most of the mooncakes listed here, these ones lean towards the savoury side, with delicate hints of har cheong (shrimp paste) that is simply addicting.

Thye Moh Chan also has a Mao Shan Wang Durian mooncake ($40.80 for four pieces), which infuses durian and mung bean paste.

Thye Moh Chan
Address: #01-45, Chinatown Point; #B1-12, Paragon
Contact.: 6604 8858/ 67328858
8. Cat & The Fiddle – Cream Cheese Mooncakes

It only makes sense for a bakery famous for its cheesecakes to create cheesecake-filled snow skin mooncakes – and they’re actually quite legit.

[caption id="attachment_29510" align="aligncenter" width="497"] Each mooncake comes with an adorable cat embossing (Image Credit: Cat & The Fiddle)[/caption]

The Cow Jumped Over The Moon-cake selection from Cat & The Fiddle features 4 different flavours filled with cream cheese and lotus paste.

The mooncakes come in a Blueberry Cream Cheese and Lotus Paste with White Chocolate and Dried Cranberry Truffle, an Oreo Cream Cheese and Lotus Paste with Dark Chocolate Truffle, a Strawberry Cream Cheese and Lotus Paste with Mint and White Chocolate Martini Truffle, and a Chocolate Cream Cheese and Lotus Paste with Orange Vodka and Dark Chocolate Truffle.

Each flavour has a personality of its own, with some of them even containing hints of alcohol! You can order the mooncakes online, or by phone at 6287 0077.

Cat & The Fiddle
Address:#05-04, 171 Kampong Ampat, KA Foodlink, Singapore 368330
Contact.: 6287 0077
Website

9. Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant – Mini Salted Egg Custard Mooncakes

Here’s one that you can Boomerang.

[caption id="attachment_29520" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sweet and salty? (Image Credit: Sheraton Towers Singapore)[/caption]

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant will bring your Instagram game up a notch with their Mini Salted Egg Custard Mooncakes.

As you break open your mooncake, watch the gooey molten lava center come flowing out. Each box contains eight pieces and goes for $72. You can order them Mini Snowskin Green Tea White Lotus Seed Paste with Passionfruit Truffle, and a Snowskin Mini White Lotus Seed Paste with Strawberry Sea Salt Truffle that is sure to intrigue your tastebuds with a mix of fruity and salty flavours. 

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
Address: Sheraton Towers Singapore, 39 Scotts Road
Contact.: 6839 5636/ 6839 5623
Website

10. Summer Palace – Pineapple & Pink Peppercorn Chocolate Snow Skin 

The people at Summer Palace are always shaking things up with their mooncake offerings year after year.

[caption id="attachment_29522" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Spicy mooncakes anyone? (Image Credit: Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715
Contact.: 6725 3239
Also read This Poke Stop Serves Aburi-Style Poke, And That’s Not Their Only Twist On The Trend

(Header Image Source: Bakerzin)