I can’t believe I took so long to blog about Todai even though I’ve been here like four times. The first time was when the husband decided to try out his first ever eating challenge at the Todai Spicy Sushi Roll Competition. He won the challenge and received free dining vouchers. The 2nd time, we had to come back before the vouchers expired. The 3rd time? We brought the parents here to celebrate the new year because I couldn’t think of another buffet place that could satisfy their fussy taste buds. And my most recent visit? It was the parents’ request as they really enjoyed the buffet the previous time.

If you ask the parents or husband to name their favourite buffet restaurant, I’m very sure they will (unanimously) say it’s Todai. And it is one of the rare occasions that I’m not quite with them. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy dining at Todai and the variety of the buffet never fails to impress me but….let’s read on to find out more.Nestled in one end of The Shoppes at Basement 2 of the Marina Bay Sands, Todai Singapore is a spacious 400-seater restaurant with a 87m long buffet line which apparently is also the longest buffet in Singapore.

“Todai” means “Light House” in Japanese. From where we are seated in the Western Zone with a maritime/nautical theme, we can see the keel of a ship on the ceiling with blue wavy light effects to signify we are ‘under the sea’ which is cleverly designed since Todai specialises in fresh seafood.

A paper place mat on the table shows you a self-explanatory map of the restaurant with the locations of the various food counters – Seafood, Sashimi, Korean, Chinese Hot Food, Western Hot Food, Oven Hot Food, Grill, Fry, Salad & Cold Appetisers, Sushi, Noodle, Churrasco, Dim Sum, Soup, Pizza, Pasta, Desserts and Beverages.

I do like the structure of the buffet line as it’s grouped into different sections that requires some walking between one another. I think it’s a plus point to have a large space so you don’t have to ‘rub elbows’ with other diners. And it is a good form of exercise (for digestion) as you scan through the buffet – extremely important when you have had too much to eat!Needless to say, the seafood section is the most popular counter that most people swarm to and the good thing is, replenishing of food is very quick so the buffet line never appears to be too empty. Thumbs up.

The counter boasts of an impressive bed of fresh, chilled seafood like snow crab legs, shrimps, half shell scallops, green mussels, blue mussels, clams, baby octopus and freshly shucked oysters. All beautifully presented with labels so you know what you’re taking. While the available variety and presentation are remarkable, taste wise, they are either so briny or bland that they don’t deserve a second helping. Pity.

It’s my first time seeing such a huge spread of freshly pressed sushi. Most of the times, I only see one tray with a small assortment of standard nigiri so for sushi lovers, you’d have to check out the sushi section because they are quite tasty. I do like the few saucy ones. I normally skip rice in buffets but I just couldn’t resist the unique flavours and mouthwatering sights of some.Just tell the sashimi chef what you’d like and he’d slice them up for you on the spot. The cuts of the sashimi aren’t great, in fact a few pieces have chewy veins in them. Also, it is quite obvious they haven’t been thawed properly as some parts still taste icy cold so it’s definitely not of premium air-flown standard.The cold appetisers and hot food sections compensated for the mediocre seafood. There is a great use of seafood in the various appetisers but because most of them have flavoursome dressings and seasonings, they manage to mask the lacklustre taste of the shrimps, squids and/or mussels. I enjoy the refreshing seafood salad, terrine, smoked salmon, caprese salad and assorted cold cuts.

The first dish that goes the fastest is the chilli crayfish. We just happen to sit near the hot food section so we are able to land a few servings of the crayfish when the chef brought it out, fresh from the wok. The crayfish is meaty and cooked to perfection so the flesh tastes just right, neither too soft nor chewy. The sauce is exactly the same as the chilli crab sauce that we are familiar with. It has the right amount of spice in it and is not too starchy.

The next must-try which I had seconds and thirds is the beef short ribs. Very well marinated and nicely grilled with a smoky flavour to it. It’s like the perfect thing to go with beer!

I ordered the laksa from the noodles counter which is made to order but the seemingly diluted gravy lacks punch and is too coconut-milky for my liking. Adding extra chilli doesn’t help either.

There is also abalone porridge but I don’t see where the abalone is. It is just bland, not worth any stomach space.

The Chinese dishes are surprisingly above average. Some notable ones would be the Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms & Broccoli, Prime Ribs, Abalone Mushrooms which are of a good restaurant standard.

To continue reading, please visit http://springtomorrow.com/2013/11/26/todai-international-cuisine-seafood-sushi-buffet-restaurant-marina-bay-sands/

Tea Lounge at the Regent Singapore serves an eclectic mix of food – English, European, Japanese and Singaporean local delights. The variety of food is pretty decent for afternoon tea. At S$52++ per person for weekend high tea, your tummy will be thoroughly spoilt for sure.

As Tea Lounge only serves high tea buffet on weekends, be prepared to make an advanced reservation of at least one month ahead.The open-concept lounge is located at the lobby level of the hotel. The bookshelves filled with literature and art pieces make this feel like a cosy living room. The wooden furnishings and warm lighting exude an old English vintage grandeur. Certainly a lovely setting for relaxing over tea with family and friends.

The high tea buffet includes free flow serving of freshly brewed coffee, fine tea selections and hot/cold chocolate.Tea Lounge is famous for its English scones and clotted cream but I beg to differ. I have rather high expectations for scones after having tasted really good ones in England so unfortunately, these scones have not quite made their mark for being fluffy and moist inside. And their clotted cream is also no where near Rodda’s which is commonly sold in UK. But if I were to compare with other scones I have had in Singapore, these would probably be the best among all. Well, at least they know how to pair them with clotted cream and jam!

Anyway, despite the scones being unexciting which is not a big loss to me, I’m thrilled with what the rest of the buffet has to offer. Savoury sandwiches, refreshing appetisers & salads, caviar, delicious pate, smoked salmon & sushi, carving station, Asian corner, quiche & pot pie, cheese board, huge array of lovely desserts, gelato & freshly made crepes & waffles and dainty cookies. Did I miss out any? There’s just so much food, I don’t think I even manage to try every single bit of them!Some notable items that I went back for seconds and thirds include the seafood salad with the freshiest scallops and crunchiest prawns ever, the ‘unsightly yet most delightful’ duck rilette with melba toast and the always-popular smoked salmon. Simply scrumptious!

The Avruga caviar looks luxurious but it’s not really my cup of tea. Except for being salty, salty and just salty if you just eat it on its own, there’s really no other flavours to boast of. Neither does it enhance any other dishes because it just leaves you a briny aftertaste on the tongue. It’s probably an acquired taste. Either you love it, or you hate it.

The cheese board is worth mentioning. The Wensleydale cheese with cranberries rocks. I don’t really like strong cheeses so this is a real delight for me with a mildly sweet taste from the cranberries. The smoked cheddar is quite a hit too.

To continue reading, please visit http://springtomorrow.com/2013/08/26/weekend-high-tea-buffet-tea-lounge-regent-hotel/

The moment I set my eyes on the Napoleon a few years ago, Rive Gauche (pronounced as ‘Reeve Go-sshh’ in French) has become my go-to patisserie for this French classic mille-feuille pastry. It has never failed me to date whenever I need that occasional sweet treat to reward myself.French puff pastry with soft, moist sponge cake, whipped cream and fresh strawberries. How delectable can this not be! It is a challenge to eat the Napoleon (without mess) because the pastry is not fork-friendly and the cream is easily displaced if you stick your fork down. Even if you pick up the whole thing with your hands to try and take a bite, it will be equally messy. So what I do is to start with the top half and then eat the bottom half. I love the layers in the Napoleon – the flaky pastry, soft sponge, light cream and the sour-sweet strawberries – all come together in one bite. The strawberries neutralise the sweetness with their slightly soury flavour, making this dessert not cloyingly sweet at all. I love!

For full review and pictures, please visit http://springtomorrow.com/2013/11/29/rive-gauche-patisserie-takashimaya/

I’m getting more and more sentimental recently. I wonder if this is all part of aging as I approach my mid-30s. Nostalgic stuffs really draw my attention these days, so does this quaint looking coffee shop with its traditional signboard.

I was at Kandahar Street as I wanted to buy some swiss rolls from the Rich & Good Cake Shop but the queue was so long, it stretched all the way to the end where the popular Rumah Makan Minang Nasi Padang is. I thought of coming in to Dong Po for a coffee and pastry while waiting for the swiss roll queue to be shorter.

My husband ordered Set D (any 2 pastries with coffee/tea at $5.00) and Set F (Bostock with coffee/tea at $3.50) plus 2 extra pastries (optical box and long cup at $1.70 each) to share between two of us.The long cup is specially made in that elongated shape so we can dip it in our coffee, just like how we’d eat it in the old days. It has a lovely buttery flavour and the texture is fluffy and moist BUT it is very oily (the parchment paper surrounding it is all soaked in grease). I could easily eat a few more if it’s not that greasy!

I requested for kopi with less sugar as I expected some of the pastries to be sweet so in this way, the flavours balance up. To my delight, the coffee is one of the best I’ve tried in ages. It reminded me of happier times when my father used to take me to his favourite coffee shop when I was 5 or 6, and he’d order coffee black (less sugar) that was served in similar traditional cup and saucer and because the drink was hot, he’d pour some onto the saucer so I can slurp it up with a spoon. Oh yes, I was quite a coffee drinker since I was a kid in the 80s!

The butterfly cupcake is probably my favourite among all on the plate. Moist and buttery with rich cream in the middle. What can be better than this!

The optical box which comprises of chocolate ganache filling between two sponge fingers is my least favourite. The fingers are very dry and the filling is just not chocolatey enough.

I first had lamingtons when I was in Australia more than a decade ago but it was a chocolate version. This strawberry one is definitely my first. Even though it looks pink enough, I just couldn’t taste the strawberry flavour in it. Nevertheless, it’s still a delightful piece of sponge.This is Dong Po’s local version of the almond brioche bostock that uses normal white bread. On top goes a layer of fragipane almond cream made of almond, sugar, butter, egg & flour and a generous handful of sliced almonds. This is only made upon order so be prepared to wait a while for it. It is guaranteed served hot and crispy to your table. Every bite of it spells nutty flavour with a delicious richness to it. It’s definitely one of the best pastries here. A must order!

For full review and pictures, please visit http://springtomorrow.com/2013/11/24/dong-po-colonial-cafe-kandahar-street/

During my Tiong Bahru estate roaming tour, I came across this lovely bakery just opposite the Tiong Bahru Market after whiffing a slight aroma of chinese herbs as I was walking past it. I then realised that this must be the (first) bakery in Singapore that specialises in various healthy breads that are made of different traditional chinese herbs for overall wellness.Though the variety is not huge, there is a good assortment of interesting new flavours that you probably won’t see in other established bakeries.Shaped just like a roasted sweet potato. I love the combination of the purple sweet potato and Japanese potato that is naturally flavoursome and sweet. And the pumpkin seeds on top just lends an extra crunch to the texture. The best part is that the bread is very fluffy and airy inside. This is definitely one of the best breads I’ve had in a long while. I don’t know if sweet potato really helps to lower cholesterol and the risk of colorectal cancer but I do know it is great in easing constipation and help improve bowel movement. So no harm in eating more of this!

For full review and pictures, please visit http://springtomorrow.com/2013/11/08/traditional-chinese-medicine-tcm-breads-dough-grains-bakery-tiong-bahru/