After our morning outing to the River Safari on my birthday, the husband and I headed home to get changed and left for the Fullerton Bay Hotel where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, indulging in an elegant high tea in full view of the waterfront panorama of the Marina Bay.“Built in 1933, Clifford Pier was a landing point for immigrants and other sea passengers. The Landing Point derives its name as it signifies the long passage way the early settlers took upon setting foot at the pier.” – Fullerton Bay Hotel

We love the breathtaking architecture and ambience of the hotel (in fact, there were a couple of times when hubby and I just stopped by the lobby area to rest our feet) that exudes this refined elegance and luxurious grandeur.While waiting for our high tea set to arrive, we were first served a plain scone and a raisin scone each. Not the best scones I’d eaten but at least they were warm and fresh.The unique part about the high tea here was that food would be served on this three-tier stand instead of a buffet line so we could just sit back, relax and indulge without the need of walking around to grab bites or catching the attention of a service staff to place our orders.This mini lobster cone was filled with succulent pieces of lobster meat in a crispy outer covering. The cone itself had a lovely aromatic flavour of black sesame that was a little overpowering in flavour.The duck rillette crepe was my favourite among all savouries. I can never resist soft, moist, rich and creamy duck rillette! This was beautifully rich and flavoursome that would leave behind a salty after-taste just like luncheon meat.Another winner if you like prosciutto. The bagel was a little soft for me (I prefer mine firmer) but I loved the combination of the ham, with cheese, tomato and lettuce in between. Salty and sweet.These tarts were kick-ass! The creme brulee with a nice caramelised top was just delicious! I could eat more of these creme brulee (without the crust) anytime! The chocolate crusts weren’t too bad, crumbly enough but could be slightly more moist.I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the cross-section of the salted caramel tart because it just looked delish. Bottom was a layer of gooey sweet caramel, followed by the dark chocolate custard and then sprinkled with some sea salt on top. Every bite was a burst of flavours in the mouth.

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/09/exquisite-afternoon-high-tea-the-landing-point-fullerton-bay-hotel/

I remember when I was little, Granny would sometimes buy orh luak (oyster omelette in Teochew) home for supper (only when she won at the mahjong table so supper was always a rare treat!) and it was one of the few foods that I didn’t know how to appreciate because I just didn’t like the texture of the sticky and gooey potato starch. I’d then pick out the egg bits and eat that instead. Over the years, orh luak still hasn’t made it to my list of preferred hawker fare.Last week, the husband and I were at Whampoa for dinner and he wanted to eat oyster omelette so I recommended him this popular stall which many have recommended. I told him to only order one plate because I would only try one mouthful as I wasn’t a big fan of it.It really wasn’t a pretty sight when this was served to our table. And despite the humble portion, we were really surprised that there was a generous serving of oysters (at least 5-6 pieces) in it that tasted fresh, soft and juicy, definitely not overcooked.

What really stood out was the sweet potato starch that was fried in pork lard. It had a good crisp to it with a slightly chewy, springy texture in the middle and every bite gave a crunching sound in the mouth that was unparalleled plus it had really fragrant wok hei too. The chilli sauce was a good balance of spicy and sour. It wasn’t spectacular but we didn’t really need the chilli anyway because the omelette itself had a lot of flavour to it. Anyway I was wrong. I didn’t just have one mouthful. One plate wasn’t even enough for us! Too addictive!

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/20/ah-hock-fried-oyster-hougang/

Recently, I accepted an invitation for an interview with a food blog and I was asked to name three dishes that are classic Singapore cuisine. Chilli crab just naturally came to my mind, so did the craving. So the husband and I headed to Jumbo at The Riverwalk for some crabbing business. The last time I came here was in 2011 while my last blog post on Jumbo was dated December 2010. A perfect time to revisit the restaurant again.This is one of my must-order dishes whenever I’m at Jumbo. The scallops are fresh and succulent. The yam rings are crispy on the outside. smooth and soft on the inside. The sweetness of the scallops and of the yam are a perfect harmony with each other. Though this may be fried, it doesn’t taste overly greasy at all. A wonderful starter to begin the meal with.This is fried spinach tofu topped with a trio of mushrooms (enoki, shimeji & shiitake) in a oyster sauce flavoured gravy. The tofu reminds me of the same from Rabbit Brand Delicacies at Circular Road. It is fried to golden brown on the outside while the middle remains wobbly and soft. Except for the sauce which I find it a little too starchy, I love the different textures of the tofu, mushrooms and steamed broccoli.I ordered this because it is the husband’s favourite. He loves anything with salted egg, be it a dry or wet version. The medium-size prawns are packed with a crunch and are really fresh. The sauce is creamy and buttery with the right amount of salted egg yolk. Overall it’s more on the sweet side and I would have loved this more if curry leaves are used to give it that extra aroma.I can never resist these fried mantous especially if we are having chilli or butter crabs. These are deep fried to a nice crisp with an even golden colour and it is moist and fluffy on the inside, perfect for soaking up flavoursome sauces.Despite the chilli crab being an iconic Singaporean national dish and that Jumbo’s chilli crab is also an award-winning one, when celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was in Singapore last year for a cook-off with our local hawkers, his version of chilli crab actually triumphed over Jumbo’s which I wasn’t too surprised to know of. Jumbo’s chilli crabs never taste the same every time I have it. Sometimes, the sauce can be terribly starchy that I just hate it. Other times, the sauce was of my desired consistency with the crabs being really fresh and meaty. Thank goodness, this time I hit the jackpot again.

The sauce is sweet, spicy and eggy, not overly starchy. The crab is big, meaty and succulent. This is how chilli crabs should be!

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/21/jumbo-seafood-restaurant-the-riverwalk-revisited/

While I love my greens, I have never thought of going vegan or vegetarian because I always think plant foods will not be able to satisfy me as they don’t give me the same texture and bite like meat. Recently, I started on my exercise regimen (yes, finally after being a couch potato for too long!) and decided to incorporate a few low-carb, vegan or vegetarian meals into my weekly cooking just to cut down my overall intake of carbs and meat. Two weeks into it and I feel good!

So for yesterday’s day out with the husband, I suggested that we go for a vegan burger at The Grandstand since I saw VeganBurg there the last time and was quite fascinated with the menu. He didn’t look too keen but was willing to give it a try anyway.VeganBurg is the world’s first vegan burger fast food joint. Currently it is only available in Singapore but people in Los Angeles could soon enjoy its burgers when it hits the US shores this October. Something to look forward to for those residing in LA!These are little balls of mashed potato and spinach, deep fried to a lovely golden brown colour. The exterior is hot and crispy while the middle is moist and fluffy. Absolutely delicious! The oil these are fried in is fresh so there is no old oil smell at all plus these balls don’t feel greasy too. I like the topping of alfalfa sprouts that has a nice crunch to it. Two thumbs up!Similar to a Mushroom Swiss, this burger consists of a crispy-fried vegan patty topped with fresh button mushrooms and a dairy-free cream sauce, peppers and lettuce in an organic whole wheat ciabatta bun. It claims to be rich in copper (to keep nerves, blood vessels, immune system and bones healthy) and potassium (to help maintain blood pressure and aid digestion). There’s no reason not to eat this. It just looks and tastes so wholesome and nutritious.

Though the patty is made of soy and mushrooms, it does have an interesting, firm bite to it. The patty itself doesn’t have much seasoning. In fact, the creamy sauce doesn’t have much flavour too. Overall, this burger is quite bland but the good thing is that you can taste the freshness and original flavours of the ingredients. I like the bun best as it is soft and moist.This burger is supposed to be high in anti-oxidants and it consists of a char-grilled vegan patty with satay sauce, lettuce and onions and is a complete opposite of the Creamy Shrooms as this sauce is very rich, nutty and flavoursome with spices. The only thing that I don’t enjoy is the pungent, raw onion that kind of spoil the entire burger for me but overall, I still prefer this burger to the shrooms one because of the satay sauce. Also, as the patty is grilled here instead of fried, it tastes more moist and juicy.Hot and crispy fries sprinkled with 100% organic seaweed flakes. Somehow I can’t taste much seaweed flavour in this (or perhaps there’s too little flakes?) but I do like that these fries are not salty, soggy or greasy.

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/23/veganburg-the-grandstand-organic-vegan-guilt-free-fast-food/

It was a lazy Sunday morning but I woke up early feeling bright and cheery. The husband and I had been ill and got no choice but to stay home over Christmas and do nothing. BORING was the word. When I felt myself in top form on the weekend, I was excited to make the most of the day and so I dragged the sleepy husband out of bed and headed to Orchard for some shopping to grab some belated festive gifts.

An impromptu decision brought us to Paris Baguette Cafe which was the perfect move as there wasn’t any queue at all (and with plenty of empty tables) when we were there. So folks, Sunday morning is the key. Lol.What a joy to see chefs scurrying out of the kitchen with fresh-from-the-oven pastries and I just love the smell of these pastries in the air!Ordering is pretty simple. Just have a look at the array of available pastries and let the counter staff know what you want. He/she will grab your orders and place on a tray on top of the display shelves. Then you just take the tray to the cashier at the end, order your drinks, make payment, get a number plate and find a place to sit.

As my husband and I were marvelling at the pastries, I was quite amused by the young boy who was serving us because he literally followed us when we paced up and down in front of the display shelves, trying to make up our minds on what to order.

I have heard stories about their bad service which I feel is more of a lack of experience. The counter staff looked like students on vacation jobs and were quite shy in behaviour when communicating with us. Service wasn’t impeccable but it didn’t put me off either.The Hannam-Dong Hotdog is a rolled-up cheese sausage hotdog with marbled beef whereas the Sweet Bacon Roll is a crispy bacon and egg roll, probably basked in glistening sugar syrup or honey.

The cheese-oozing sausage was moist and juicy. Every bite of it was like a snap, really crunchy. The marbled beef was very well marinated and was full of flavours. The crust was like a thin pita bread. Everything just married within that roll. This would be one thing I’d come back for.

The bacon roll on the other hand tasted too sweet for my liking. I love eggs and bacon very much but just not when they are sweetened. Something just didn’t taste right for me. The husband loved it though. The egg mixture was stuffed compactly in the roll so every mouthful was brimming with eggy aroma. If this was more savoury, I’d probably enjoy it more.What really enticed me on this pastry were the big cubes of apples that looked so beautifully caramelized. Normally, we’d only see apple slices on similar pastries so this was really a generous helping. The apples were nicely baked and retained a lovely crunch. The sugar, raisins and a touch of cinnamon gave the apple cubes a rich, divine flavour without being too sweet. The best part? The crust or puff pastry gave a sound of crunch when you cut it through with the fork and knife. And gave another crunch when you chew on it. How did they manage to make the pastry so crispy despite the top being laden with heavy syrup spiced apples? A dust of icing sugar made the whole pastry even more intoxicating. It’s probably my first time enjoying and actually liking an apple pastry!Well, the coffee wasn’t spectacular but good enough to give me my caffeine kick.The husband ordered the mango latte at an unbelievable price of $9.00. It was like a mango milkshake made of fresh mango puree and milk. Not sure why this would cost so expensive. It tasted pretty good though. The mango was rich, not diluted. If you’re a mango lover, this would be perfect for you.

For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/01/01/paris-baguette-cafe/