Posh Nosh

Well, we celebrated my hubby's birthday a couple of months ago at Nosh Restaurant & Bar a couple of months ago. It was our first time in this restaurant and we were charmed by it. To be frank, this was not the intended restaurant we wanted to go. It was the first time we explored this Rochester Park though I used to stay pretty near. We were having problems locating the intended restaurant.  He used GPS and that GPS led us here instead. Though that GPS is not working too well but we were glad we settled here. 

Nosh (meaning meal or light snack) , located at 9 Rochester Park, serves modern bistro fare in a beautiful historic black-and-white house that is set in lush green surroundings. We hesitated but stepped in nevertheless as hubby says mosquitoes were most active at evening. He feared Little One would be bitten by mozzie since she is very prone to getting mozzie bites. 

Upon entering, Little One saw a 2 seater swing near the black and white house and immediately sat on it. After some short fun, we climbed up the stairs to the reception area. We were greeted by a waiter almost immediately and was led to the air-con area. On the way, I was wowed by the romantic candle lights and lush greenery. Pretty relaxing and romantic if you ask me. Perfect as a wedding venue!

The country decor is extended indoors too. Though there is no candle lights here, the lighting is pretty soft. It is as if we are dining in someone's home at the countryside! 

Enjoying her drink

Our starters came together. After we finished these, our main dishes came together too!

Kurobuta Pork Belly - S$29.  Hubby said this is nice! Like char siew. 

Herb Roasted Chicken- S$28. Rather juicy and tender

With stuffing in it. 

Although the food is expensive (We spent about $$90+), we enjoyed ourselves very much that night with good food and laughter. The waitress who served us was very attentive. She provided kid tableware for Little One. When we were mid way through our dinner, she was kind enough to come over to enquire how the food was. She had certainly made our day too!

Operating Hours:

Dinner:
Tuesday – Thursday & Sundays : 6pm – 10.30pm
Fridays and Saturdays : 6pm-11pm
Last Orders for Dinner: 10pm

Brunch:
Saturday & Sunday: 10.30am – 2.30pm
Last Orders for Brunch: 2.15pm

Closed on Mondays

Address:
9 Rochester Park Singapore 139220 (next to Rochester Mall)

Website

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Anna's Neighbourhood -Introducing Ice Kachang to Little One

We read up the book, Anna's Neighbourhood (one of the book in the EFI early readers series). We decided to explore our own neighbourhood and learn a bit more about ice kachang, the dessert that was mentioned in the book.

We are reading this set of books! It comes with an activity book and a parents' guide

There is a short paragraph in the book describing ice kachang as colourful snow mountain with red beans, yellow sweet corns, soft green jellies and sweet sticky seeds (presume it's attap chee/ seeds of nipa palm). We have in fact eaten this dessert 3 times at different locations ever since we have read the book. Reason being: I can't find soft green jellies in any of these. Do you know of any places that sells ice kachang with all the ingredients as mentioned in the book?

Our last location was at Golden Swallow Desserts in Ghim Moh market. This market will be close end of this month and relocate to the temporarily market across the road.

Little One loves eating ice kachang after being introduced to the dessert. However, due to the huge amount of ice, I have to share with her. Otherwise, she would develop a cough. The ice kachang featured in this picture is bought from, Golden Swallow Desserts, located in Ghim Moh Market, a place which I am familiar with. It has been around for as long as I remember. Coming back to this market always brings back fond memories. I love their Bo Bo Cha Cha and Chendol. The market would be closed by this month's end for renovation. I am not sure whether the owners would move to the temporarily market which is located opposite the current location. Even if they are, I am not sure whether pricing would be the same. If you are around the region (15 min walk from Buona Vista MRT) this weekend, do drop by to the market before it is closed for renovation!

Hill Street Coffee Shop

This was one of the places which I used to patronise with my colleagues. 

Hill Street Coffee Shop at Chinatown Point. They have another branch at SuperTree Dining at Gardens by the Bay but I have yet to visit.

I love the ambience, old school setting.

My favourite order would always be the Rendang * Chicken Nasi Lemak**   with Coffee. It taste so yummy that whenever I am around the region during meal time, I would just pop in and order this. The only complain I have is that I wish the peanuts were crunchier!

*spicy meat dish
**Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf

Probably you would like to read on the article on which the food is served?

Locations:
Chinatown Point
133 New Bridge Road #B1-52 Singapore 059413

Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive Singapore 018953

Simple Wanton Mee Sua

We had an excellent lunch last Saturday- Wanton Mee Sua. It is something different from what I would usually cook. 

Ingredients: ( for 2-3 adults and 1 kid)

Minced Pork ( I used 1 whole packet from Seng Siong supermarket.)

Chopped Thai Chives (Chinese Chives)

1/2 packet of washed Xiao Bai Cai (Cut up, separate the stems from green leaves)

1 packet of Wanton Skin

1 packet of Mee Sua 

Seasoning for Marinating the Meat

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

2 dashes of pepper (according to your preference)

Ingredients

Procedure

Marinating the meat.

1.  Put in the seasoning, mix thoroughly and marinate the meat for 20 mins.

The Making of Wanton

1.  After the chives are chopped up, I mixed them with the meat as well. 
2.  Scoop about 1 teaspoon of  the meat mixture and put in the centre of the wanton skin.
3.  Wet the sides of the wanton skin so that you can wrapped up the meat by pinching the sides together to make something like the ones below.
4.  Set 2 pots of water to boil. One for Wantons, the other for Mee Sua. Once the pot for Mee Sua starts to boil, you can add in meat to make a broth. (I used meatballs derived from the leftover minced meat which is not a lot. I would boil the meatballs at an intense heat for about 5-10 min ,then simmer for 15-20min )
5.  Put the wanton into the boiling water. Once the wantons float up, it is cooked. (About 4-5 minutes)
6.  Drain away the water.

Pre-cooked wanton

 Cooking Mee Sua
1) Mee Sua is soaked in tap water (Singapore's water is quite clean) prior cooking. The water is drained away.
2) The Mee Sua can be thrown into the meat broth together with the stems of Xiao Bai Cai bringing to boil. It will cooked in 2-3 minutes.
3) Adding the leaves of the Xiao Bai Cai last. I have extra chives, I add those in as well.
4) Serve Mee Sua either with soup or without. Add some sesame oil if you like.

Ta-dah!!! All done

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Food Review : The Basement Cafe

This cafe is one cafe that I am going to miss. It is listed in one of the 7 things that I miss now that I stopped working. It's last day of operation will be on the 11 Apr 2014. I will definitely go down some day to say goodbye. This Saturday, 22/Mar/2013 (tomorrow), they are opening  for their first and probably the last time for lunch serving 11:30am to 4:30pm.

Located at the basement ,80 Stamford Road #B1-62, Singapore 178901, it is within Singapore Management University (SMU) campus. Not surprising, if you walked through the basement, you would be drawn soon to the oh-so-good smelling aroma that comes from The Basement Cafe.

I was brought here by my ex-colleague when she said we were to lunch at the basement of SMU. As I had never really explore the basement of SMU then except to Koufu, I thought she meant to have lunch at Koufu. What a surprise when I knew of this hidden gem! From then on, I explored other eateries in the SMU campus. Still I couldn't one any other eateries in the region that is comparable to this cafe. Read on to see what I mean?

1. Lovely Ambience

Once you stepped into the cafe, you would soon be wowed by the ambience. Warm lights, comfy sofas and benches that are perfect for gatherings. The cafe is well decorated and has a casual feel. It has a mini stage at the farthest end from the entrance whereby live band could play. By the way, they have a workable typewriter in the cafe too.

2. This cafe serves the best Eggs Benedict I have eaten.

I couldn't resist their Eggs Benedict. I have eaten others but in my opinion, The Basement's eggs benedict taste better than other cafes or restaurants which I have been to. Can you believe I patronised the cafe almost every week ever since I that fateful day?

I had this variation of Benedict when I was still working in that region last year.

3. Value for Money

You will noted their menu is not the same as what you would find in restaurants or cafe. It is actually menu in a clear L-shaped folder, exactly the same way a student would put their own notes in. Choices is not a lot but enough to satisfy your hungry , rumbling stomach. I recommend especially, any of the Eggs Benedict and Chicken Roulade. 

Menu

Hey! Hey! Probably the menu would have given you a slight hint. You could have guessed it! Now comes the interesting part, this cafe is actually a student run cafe, founded by 5 SMU students. I didn't know this initially but I am so obsessed with the cafe that I started to do a google search. In the end, reading almost every blogs that blogged about this cafe and yes, I like their facebook page too! I am totally amazed how they could make it work juggling both business and studies together! Not only they are very successful, these kind souls donates 30% of the profits to charities.

After I stopped working, I started to miss their food so much that I brought my family to eat on Lunar New Year's Eve!

To our surprise, Chief Yi Yi served us bread with olive oil! Yes, their service have been excellent. I was always served with a smile.

Bread with olive

Sous Vide Pork Cheek Ragu

Eggs Benedict Royale, don't they look perfect? 

Chicken Roulade

With these pictures, have I tempted you enough to get down to The Basement?
Their lease would end soon, due to school regulation, they would have to handover by 11 Apr 2014.
I wonder where they would be going after they graduate since this is their final year? Will they still be business partners and set up a cafe again? Anyway, good the bests to them and wishing them success!

The Basement Cafe
(Opening hours: 11.30am to 5pm, last order at 4.30pm)
80 Stamford Rd #B1-62
School of Information System
Singapore Management University

Accessible via MRT, @ Bras Basah Station.

Website: thebasementcafe.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/thebasementcafe

Update:

It is unlikely they would come together to work as a team but some of them will go into F&B services.

Wishing them the best of luck to them in their future endeavours.

A glimpse at what I usually cook for lunch- Home Cooked Spaghetti

It had been quite some time I last made lunch for little one. Little one had been in the afternoon school whereby lunch is served, so most of the time I dine out instead. Finally, it is the last day of school and decided to cook this. Usually, I will make my own spaghetti sauce.

Minced meat (this time I used pork shoulder), chopped garlic and mushroom, halved tomatoes, chopped sweet basil, mixed frozen vegetables (not shown)

Making the sauce

Ta-dah! All done. I do not blend the sauce. I just scoop it over onto the spaghetti

Time taken: 45 min

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Simple V-Day snacks a kid can do... chocolate dipped strawberry and Tang Yuan

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Ingredient:-

I have not stated the amount because it is according to preference. 

Melted sweetened chocolate

Strawberries

Procedure:-

1. Hold the leaves of the strawberry. (Best way to do is to hold all the leaves so you have a stable grip)
2. Dip the strawberry into the melted chocolate, careful not to coat the leaves.

                   




















3.  Wait till the chocolate stop dripping and transfer onto a plate. Make sure to space the coated strawberries apart. Chocolate liners are optional.

4. Put in the fridge for half an hour.

Tah dah!!!

Tang Yuan

I actually wanted to make Yuan Xiao instead of Tang Yuan. However, due to having the wrong equipment, I have to abandon the plan and make Tang Yuan instead. Little one is helping me out to roll the read bean paste and hazelnut filling into balls. She did the same for the dough.

I love playing  experimenting with food. I suspect Yuan Xiao and Tang Yuan would probably taste the same.
Yuan Xiao's skin is coated by rolling the fillings on high side tray or large flat bottom serving bowl. As for Tang Yuan, it is made by rolling the dough into balls instead. In my personal opinion, making Tang Yuan is less messy and easier to make. Attaching a video to show the process of making Yuan Xiao.

.

Below are my trial and error result for Yuan Xiao Making. After which turn into various variety of making Tang Yuan

Red bean and Hazelnut paste

Try mixing flour in a 20cm bowl 

Try mixing in a 20 cm plate yields better result

Very lightly coated, powdery coating makes them look like mochi

After steaming.... it's a no wonder they say need to coat more than 10 rounds.

In the end make Tang Yuan instead. The middle one is Xiao Yuan.

Dump all the 7 balls into the soup... and after 10 mins... what happen to my Yuan  Xiao? It had dissolve completely in water, turning the water brown!

My very big boiling Tang Yuan

Steamed Tang Yuan 

Steamed Tang Yuan and Muah Chee

Little house of dreams

I had been wanting to go to this little bakery for tea. Look at their facebook page. With such tempting desserts, wouldn't you wanna give it a try? ~wink~

When I first pass by during lunch time, the shop seemed empty, no one was dining in. I am pretty shy. If I see not much people in the cafe, I probably will not step in. However, on several occasions, I see it prettily decorated as if there was soon to be a function there. Strange place it seem not much of a crowd and I never pick up my courage to enter the shop. Until one day, I brought my little fellow along and she saw the fake rainbow cake on the display window. Below is not the exact display we saw. It was only 1 slice of the cake.

Credit: Little House of Dreams

What wonderful colours, so tempting to be eaten. My little one fell in love with it and wanted to eat it. So in we go, together with my hubby.

Star Vista, here we go again!

We had visited Star Vista for the nth time because it is the closest shopping centre to my home. Usually, we visit during the weekends to dine.

Star Vista ( Nightview)

One day we went for breakfast, as Ah Kun was quite crowded, we dropped by the nearest bakery at the same level, i-Bake.

Outside i Bake

Christmas Tree Dish

Last Christmas