I was having my lunch at Popeyes located at Tebing lane when I saw this newly opened cafe, Whisk & Paddle, situated at one corner. (Oops.. New owner again! The previous few management of that unit all didn't last long.) This W & P cafe wasn't very obvious because the view was eventually blocked by the steamboat restaurant next to it, they are co-sharing.
The overall deco of W & P was cozy, relaxing and of course the beautiful scenery around it is a plus point Browsing through the menu, one conclusion, prices are on the high side but they do serve from starters/snacks to mains to desserts.
Since my fried chicken lunch not yet digested, I could only squeeze in desserts! I ordered a Passionfruit tart with Hot Cuppucino while my younger brother ordered their Honeycomb vanilla milkshake.
For the Passionfruit tart, although the crust is abit too hard for my liking but the Passionfruit curd is good. Combination of sweet & tangy, it's perfect! The chocolate macaroon on top of the tart is choco-licious too. The fragrant Cuppucino together with the pretty scenery makes me immersed in own my coffee-island!! Hahaha..
As as for my youngest brother's choice of Honeycomb Vanilla milkshake, he loves it lot.. After I took a sip from his glass, I totally understood!! It's sOooo sweet & my brother has a sweet tooth Comes with chocolate pocky sticks too!
Overall experience here at Whisk & Paddle was pretty good. Staff are very friendly too. I will come back for their mains real soon!
Happy Cafe-ing, Folks!

[ Mother's Day Dim Sum Specials at Yum Cha ]

This year's Mother's Day falls on 8 May, have you made any plans yet? Yum Cha, one of our local biggest dim sum player, came up with new Dim Sum items specially for this upcoming Mother's Day.

These specialty items, namely:
[1] Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Green Bun 梅菜扣肉包
[2] Almond Tarts 杏仁挞
[3] Minced Pork Bun with Salted Fish 咸鱼猪肉包; were available from now till 14th May 2016.

The purpose of presenting these nostalgic items was to bring back some good old memories of food from our parents era.

[1] Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Green Bun 梅菜扣肉包 ($2ea)- Peeled open this bun and found myself a fatty slice of pork belly. There was more fats then meat, thus the achieved tenderness. Personally loved fats but it may not be a healthy choice for seniors. Pork belly was well marinated but preserved mustard green very bland to get any distinctive taste. *Rating: 3/5*

[2] Almond Tarts 杏仁挞 ($3.20/ 3pcs)- Tarts' center fillings were really power packed with strong almond taste and could be overpowering if you had more than one. Fillings texture was soft like tofu but I love the crust part more as it was crispy and flaky. With a choice of having them hot or chilled, I chose the hot ones as I felt it brings out the flavour better. *Rating: 4/5*

[3] Pan -fried Salted Fish Bun 咸鱼猪肉包 ($5.00/ 3pcs)- Compared to the steamed 梅菜扣肉包, these pan fried ones flared better. Overall taste was good, with salted fish fragrance in each bite but flavour could be stronger. I believed more salted fish input will do the trick. *Rating: 4/5*

Other than these above mentioned specialty dim sum, we also had some of their usual signature dim sum selections together with mains from their dinner menu. The mains we had were all in large portions, suitable for 10pax.

[4] Steamed Prawn Paste with Fish Maw
($4.80/ 3pcs)- The prawn paste were really fresh, firm with a little crunch from the prawn bits. Fish maw below the paste were steamed till soft and almost melt in the mouth. The accompanying golden gravy was flavorful with hints of sweetness too. *Rating: 5/5*

[5] Crispy Fried Tofu 七味脆皮豆腐
(Regular$16 M$24 L$32)- Tofu, a very common ingredient on the table, was well executed and made into a unique dish here at Yum Cha. The highlights here were the 7 different elements used to make the orangey powder scattered on top of the tofu. Other than the obvious ones such as sesame and paprika powder, the rest of them were deemed secrets by the chef. Tofu were deep fried till very crispy batter, together with the secret powder, it gave off a unique taste combination of sweet, salty and the least spiciness. I love this but not its $32 price tag! *Rating 5/5*

[6] Stir-fried Beef w/ Black Pepper 铁板黑椒爆牛柳
(Regular$23 M$34 L$46)- As i don't consume beef, I could not give my comments for this dish. Appearance looked appealing, don't you think so?

[7] Salted Egg Prawns 沙翠葱片咸蛋虾
(Regular$23 M$34 L$46)- I was really exciting when I was told Yum Cha version of salted egg prawns were very different from those cze char stalls. But after served, I was disappointed. Not only the shells had no salted egg taste, the prawns' flesh were dry also after the deep frying. The consoling parts were the pretty plating and the stir-fried onion slices placed in the center of bowl as they were the only part of the whole dish coated with salted egg bits. A controversial dish indeed. *Rating 1/5*

[8] Stir-fried Mee Sua w/ Assorted Seafood 海鲜桂花炒面线
(Regular$14 M$22 L$30)- Wowwww! The big amount of seafood made your saliva drool, right? A nicely done noodle dish with the "wok hei" aftertaste. Everyone on the table enjoyed this mee sua, especially with the generous seafood. If this dish could be a little less oily, it would be perfect! *Rating 4/5*** It was an enjoyable night at Yum Cha's. Dim sum standard was good and reasonably priced. There's hits and misses for the taste of mains, high price tags but still, they were enjoyable. Staff attending to us were definitely with great service and positive attitude. Yum Cha main branch at Chinatown can accommodate more than 150pax! If you have yet to find a venue to celebrate Mother's Day and budget wasn't an issue, you could consider going to Yum Cha. **

🚩 Yum Cha Chinatown
20 Trengganu Street
Unit 02-01 (off Temple Street)
Singapore 058479
Tel: 6372 1717
www.yumcha.com.sg

- Monday to Friday
From 11am to 11pm
- Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays
From 9am to 11pm

[Chicken Up]
Chicken up started their chicken journey in year 2010, introducing casual Korean dining to the world with modern fusion Korean cuisines. From their first outlet at Tanjong Pagar, now they have expanded to 07 branches islandwide, at Tampines, Jurong East, Buangkok, Bugis, Dover & Parkway Parade respectively.It was my visit to Chicken Up and was at Parkway Parade branch. The restaurant itself was cosy, lit by dim yellow lights. Colour-painted wooden furniture were used throughout the whole space and i love the many bottles of preserved fruits on their cupboard display.
We went in a group of 13 and tried out the following 11 items.
(1) Pineapple Soju $30- Comes in a whole pineapple, the presentation was pretty indeed! Fresh pineapple fruit was blended into juice, thereafter mixed in with half a bottle of Jinro soju and ice cubes. First sip was sweet, followed by slight bitterness and pineapple pulp at the end of my drink. My first unique experience with soju.
(2) Makguksu $12- A big bowl of salad filled with cold buckwheat noodles, cabbage slaw, shredded carrots, cucumber, seaweed, sprinkled with lotsa sesame seeds and topped with a half hard boiled egg. You have to mix and toss everything together to get the best taste. Buckwheat noodles was quite al dente, firmness still there when bite and the shredded veggies gave us that additional crunch. Dressing was sourish, mild spicy, with elements of yellow mustard, Korea chilli and vinegar.
(3) Topokki with Cheese and Seafood $20- A hearty bowl of soup filled with fresh seafood such as mussels, scallops, squids, prawns, together with Korean rice cake Topokki, glass noodles and shredded cheese. Although the gochu jang (chilli paste) used for this soup was spicy but due to the generosity of seafood portion given, you could still taste the seafood sweetness in the broth despite the spiciness.
Topokki was very soft and chewy, I ate it with the melted cheese and it was yummy! Glass noodles was savoury too as they soaked up most of the soup.
(4) Ganjang Chicken Wings $12- Per portion comes in 4pcs, served in a basket, this Ganjang chicken wings was Chicken Up's bestseller. These wings were big and juicy, deep fried till crispy then dipped in Chicken Up's special soya sauce blend. The soya sauce aroma was fragrant. Although the seasonings was slight salty for me but it's definitely a great choice to flush down with beer!
(5) Yangnyum Chicken Wings $12 {4pcs}- Other than coated with Korean sweet chilli sauce, texture for these wings were no difference from the Ganjang's. Portion was the same too. The overall taste were more sweet than spicy, no wow factor, I've tasted better ones elsewhere.
(6) Bulgogi Fries $18- A basket of crispy unsalted fries, covered with generous portion of thinly sliced beef, topped with mayonnaise dressing then sprinkled with spring onions and raw onion bits. This combination was delicious. Bulgogi were well marinated with soya sauce and cooked till perfection, they brighten up the lives of the plain fries.
(7) Kimchi Fries $18- Femented Kimchi with fries didn't really work for me. I rather have them seperately. The taste was like having chinese fermented beancurd with potato. We have different opinions across the table so it's a either you "Love it" or "Hate it" snacks.
(8) Haemul Pajeon $18- This plate of seafood pancake was one of my favourite dish for the night. It comes in 4 cut squares served with their secret recipe chilli sauce dip. With squid, shrimps, bell peppers, chives mixed with Korean batter mix plus beef seasonings, they were pan fried till crisp on the outside but remained soft moist texture inside. Each mouthful was filled with fragrance from the chives, crunch from the shrimps and mild spiciness from the chilli dip. The pancakes tasted good alone without sauce, I couldn't stop my fork from getting another piece.
(9) Ugly Tang Stew $30- "Army stew" I would call it, a small pot filled chicken broth, accompanied by pork belly, luncheon meat, sausages, topokki, baked beans, enoki, spring onions, noodle, macaroni, cheese slices and a ball of Korean chilli paste. A common yet tummy-warming dish, great to have it on a cold day. I quite like Chicken Up's version because it was more spicy, their chilli paste was good! This army stew portion wasn't very big, although it says for 2 pax but may not be enough if you guys were big eaters.
(10) Jabchae $14- Another of my love, this plate of glass noodles won over my heart. Stir-fried with carrots, chives in special blend of soya sauce plus beef seasonings, these glass noodles were so flavourful and springy. Looks ugly but tastes great. Never judge a dish by its colour! Hahahaha!
(11) Watermelon Soju Shell $38- After all the heavy dishes, we ended our meal with this watermelon soju. So chilled and refreshing, with bits of watermelon flesh in it, I want MORE!

Verdict: A great place to chill at for after-work gatherings or birthdays, not really suitable for teenagers/ youngsters because it was too pricey for them to afford. Food quality was pretty good and majority portion great for sharing. Their strengths were in their special blend soya sauce and spicy chilli paste, I will come back for other dishes and bingsu when I have more budget on hand

Chicken Up
-Parkway Parade Branch-
#01-10 Parkway Parade Shopping Mall
80 Marine Parade Road
Singapore 449269
Tel: 63480460
More info at http://www.chicken-up.com
 

This year, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) collaborates with some renowned chefs to start a culinary journey of specially crafted creations for diners around Asia.
These specialties by IHG Ambassadors will be featured at all intercontinental and Crowne Plaza Hotels/resorts in Asia, Middle East and Africa.
In Singapore, diners whose interested in this culinary journey have a choice of 2 courses meal at S$35++ or 3 courses meal at $45++ per pax. If you like some alcohol to go along with your meals, you could order chef's favourite cocktails at S$15 each or selected wines at S$15 a glass/ S$80 a bottle. It's my honour to enjoy the 3 courses meal at Hotel Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium along Outram road. We chose Chef Vikas Khanna's Indian cuisine and Chef Sam Leong's Chinese cuisine.
Chef Vikas Khanna creations:
Appetizers
(1) Tandoori Malai Chicken- Chicken were prepared in small chunks, about 2" each piece and torched on the surface to get that additional char, smokey taste. Meat was well marinated with tandoori but texture abit dry, maybe because it's breast meat. Take the chicken with the mint chutney and pickled onions, not only it helped to reduce some of the dryness, it also brings your tongue to another level of your palate.
Main
(2) Chicken Tikka Masala- Personally, I love Indian dishes. I love how the many different spices were prepared to create a curry dish that carries a strong taste and delightful aroma. But this chicken tikka masala dish we had smells fragrant yet taste wasn't what I expected. Presence of masala and turmeric was strong and distinctive but this dish lacks spiciness. There wasn't any naan or prata to go with also. The oven baked vine tomatoes paired with this masala chicken were so sweet, overall causes this dish to taste sweet rather than savoury. This dish wasn't bad after all but still I preferred a spicier version to this.
Dessert
(3) Masala Chai Brulee- Creme brulee I tried a lot but with indian spices, this was the first. The appearance was ordinary and without torching on the surface therefore not impressed. It was served cold, with cracklines, seemed to be fridged for too long, not freshly made. Texture was slight coarse, not smooth nor creamy. Chai taste was mild and had a peppery aftertaste after consuming. Felt weird on my tastebuds but it was a new experience.
Chef Sam Leong creations:
Appetizers
(1) Signature Wasabi Prawns- Whole prawns were de-shelled and deep fried to golden brown, then tossed with creamy wasabi mayo sauce. The batter coating the prawns was very crispy, prawns were flesh and crunchy. Wasabi ratio was little therefore didn't make me tear. The mango salsa that came with this dish tasted like Thai sweet chilli dip. Slight spicy and zesty, together with the sweet mango cubes, it was awesome.
Main
(2) Pan-seared Lamb Chop- Marinated with lemongrass, the natural citrus flavour was cleverly used in this dish to cover the lamb stench that I hated most. Meat was well marinated, tender and pan seared to perfection. No complains, we really enjoyed this course.
Dessert
(3) Mango Pudding- Served chilled from a jar, it looked rather unprofessional for a dessert by renowned chef. Texture was firm, like those Japanese konnyaku jelly and mango taste not distinctive. Overall tasted more milky than fruity. Mixed berries were laid on top of dessert but I felt that it would be more appropriate if fresh mango fruits were used.
Verdict: Overall dining experience at this IHG Culinary Journey was pleasant. If I were to compare between the two chefs, my personal opinions were Chef Sam Leong's dishes flares better than Chef Vikas Khanna's Indian recipes. I'm more impressed with the chinese cuisine. And priced at $45 per pax for a 3 course meal, it's was quite affordable too.
As for the service at Atrium restaurant, it was good too. All staff on duty were very polite and attentive. Atrium restaurant do serves ala carte dishes and bbq buffet on weekends, do try them out.

[ Chocolate Mark ]
8 Wilkie Road
#01-11 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095Situated at one corner of Wilkie Edge, Chocolate Mark sits at the end of the stretch from the main mall entrance on ground level. The whole cafe unit wasn't very big in size but can catered to at least 25pax. Furnished with wooden tables and chairs, the whole cafe gives out a very cosy feel to patrons.
(1) Firstly, the boss, Jeffrey, introduced us with their main highlights, Hot chocolate drinks. We tried 4 different types of hot chocolate drinks:
Artisan Chocolate:(A) Simply dark- Smooth texture but not dark enough. Contains only 56% cocoa.
(B) Milky touch- Too milky and sweet for me.
Premium Origin Chocolate:
(C) Saint Domingue- A surprisingly interesting chocolate drink with wine note aftertaste. Best of all, it's non-alcoholic!! I recommend you guys to try this.
(D) Equateur- I love this dark version most. Contains 76% cocoa, very thick yet tastes smooth down the throat. How I wish I have marshmallows to dunk in this luscious drink! (No picture provided. Go try it yourself! *wink* )

(2) Next, we have the snacks and mains.
(A) French fries $4.90- Skinny type of French fries. Air-fried made them tastes more healthy & less oily.
(B) Sweet potato puff $6.90- The common ones you can find from supermarket frozen section. Done by air-frying too. It's crispy on the outside & sweet inside.
(C) Earl grey waffle $11.90-Crispy texture on the outside, fluffy inside. Earl grey infused waffle was not distinctive in taste but got an unusual peppery aftertaste. Vanilla ice cream was common.
(D) Chicken sausage waffle $12.90- Waffle texture is chewy rather than crispy. Slices of chicken sausages are mixed in together with the waffle mixture. I find the overall taste rather bland, best to go with the bbq dip provided. Portion of chicken sausages can be more. The shredded cheese below the scrambled eggs didn't spark any fireworks in me too. Boss Jeffrey also includes a small piece of chocolate together with their savoury waffles. His idea was to let all his customers taste a hint of sweetness after the food. It also links up to what they're popular for: CHOCOLATE.

(3) Lastly, girls' best friends, DESSERTS! As told, all the desserts sold here are from suppliers, not made in-house.
(A) Triple crunchy chocolate $4- The portion of white chocolate layer in the centre was too much, causing it to be overly sweet. Ratio of the dark chocolate mousse vs white chocolate should be adjusted. I like the crunch base which helps to improve the overall biting sensations when cake is put into my mouth.
(B) Matcha Azuki cake $7.90- Cake texture was crumby and matcha taste wasn't distinctive. You can only taste it in the buttercream part which was seen here as too little in this cake. The overall sweetness comes from the red bean fillings.
(C) Chocolate Lava cake $5.90- Cut across the lava cake and chocolate flows out nicely. Yum! The chocolate filling was dark, very thick and causes some choking effect in our throat. But I still love it most among the rest of the desserts Paired really well with the vanilla ice cream scoop provided as it balances the sweetness.

Verdict: Overall experience was good. The boss, Jeffrey, was very friendly and approachable. He is also knowledgable, did a great job in explaining the different types of chocolate drinks they selling to us patiently. I was really impressed with their chocolate drinks. I will definitely come back for more chocolate as I'm a chocolate lover.
A pity that Chocolate Mark doesn't have a proper hot kitchen, therefore most food are from air fryer, oven. Therefore, main food wise, there's still room for improvement.