Food – The Hype Traveler

Sunday Brunch @ Tiong Bahru Bakery

Weekends are everyone’s favorites, and what’s better to start off your Sunday than a brunch in a cafe!

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I’ve headed to Tiong Bahru Bakery @ Eng Hoon Street. Reached around 9am and there were some queues already.

The service was quick and great (even with the crowds). The staffs were friendly and helpful, they will assign you a table while you’re in the queue. Ordering was easy and simple and quick! Payment was done in a breeze, with drinks being delivered to you in a short amount of time.

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The bread was freshly baked! Ordered Croissant, Le Parisien (Ham & Butter Baguette), Croque-Monsieur and Kouign Amann. Definitely a very filling brunch!

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Tiong Bahru Bakery is rated as one of the best cafes in Tiong Bahru area, and also in Singapore. Worth a visit! They have branches at Eng Hoon Street (Tiong Bahru), TANGS Orchard, Raffles City Shopping Centre, and Chip Bee Gardens. All branches open at 8am.

Wheeler’s Estate: An Instagrammable Café In Seletar

Heard of Wheeler’s Yard? The café located near Balestier Road. The creator of Wheeler’s Yard has opened another Instagrammable cafe – Wheeler’s Estate in The Oval @ Seletar Aerospace Park.

item_3.thumbnail.image-path1.700.394 — *Source: Visit Singapore Website*

Arrived on a rainy afternoon, thus unable to snap photos of the silver camper van… But anyway, the ambiance of the café is really really good, it doesn’t disappoint the expectation I had before reaching the café!

The service was good, even though it’s quite busy around when we arrived. The menu could be found from HERE. We ordered three dishes, the prices were a bit overpriced, but come on, with this environment and food quality, I think it’s still alright lah.

Fish & Chips (S$23)

This dish arrived in a wooden boat-like plate, and all I can say is that the fish is huge, looks more like it’s for sharing for 2. The fish has a super crispy exterior, while the inside was fresh, soft, tasty and well-cooked.

Black N White Burger (S$25)

The black buns were something familiar, but what’s in between those buns that I would like to give a thumbs up to. I’m a beef-lover, and really enjoyed the Angus Beef steak that was thick and juicy. Well, as for the onion rings, they were so-so, nothing really special, even with the help of some sauce.

Pork Jowl (S$23)

The pork came with a thin layer of fats, while the lean meat is very moist. I love this dish the most, it’s delicious and very tasteful. The pork is just very addicting! Would really recommend this dish if you are heading down.

Overall, I would say that the prices here are a bit overpriced. However, the ambient and nearby environment is really great! For people looking for a place to Instagram and take #ootd, here is the place! And definitely, an ideal place for you to hang out and slack away your weekends!

Wheeler’s Estate isn’t hard to find, it’s easily accessible by cars with ample parking lots, and can be reached by public bus services 103 and 117 (from Yishun, Sembawang, Serangoon and Punggol Bus Interchange).

Wheeler’s Estate

2, Park Lane, Singapore 798386

Reservation Tel: 62620001

Gong Cha Is Finally Back!

Gong Cha has finally returned to Singapore, with the opening of its flagship store at SingPost Centre a week ago, with super long queues on the opening days.

But fret not, if you are lazy to join the queues.

Gong Cha has opened their second branch ‘Gong Cha Classic’ in town! Located at Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya Food Hall @ Basement 2.

And I believe that they will be opening their third store at Yishun’s Northpoint City on Dec 11, and with more stores opening in 2018 (e.g. NUS University Town & Westgate).

So what’s special about the comeback of Gong Cha Singapore?

They have brought in new drinks like Purple Sweet Potato Milk Tea, Matcha with Red Bean, Brown Sugar Fresh Milk Oolong.

Our all-time favorites will still be available like Royal Milk Tea with Pearl, Earl Grey Milk Tea with 3J, Cheese Foam Tea, QQ Passion Fruit Green Tea.

100% Angus Beef Comes to McDonald’s Singapore

Firstly, sad news… McDonald’s has axed the ‘Quarter Pounder with Cheese’ burger on Dec 6 prior to the release of ‘The Original Angus’ burger today (Dec 7).

‘The Original Angus’ burger features juicy thick 100% Angus beef patty with melted cheese and onions. Topped with classic tomato sauce and pickles. This would be their permanent item to replace ‘Quarter Pounder with Cheese’.

‘Classic Angus Cheese’ burger is an aromatic glazed bun with juicy 100% Angus beef patty, layered with Colby cheese, grilled onions, crispy chicken bacon, tomato jalapeño relish, and creamy garlic aioli sauce.

Alongside, McDonald’s Singapore has also launched a limited-edition ‘Angus Mushroom Supreme’ burger. It also features the 100% Angus beef patty and features grilled mushrooms, onions, and lettuces. It’s drizzled with herb aioli and sandwiched between the sesame bun.

Lastly, upon ordering those burgers above, you could complete your meal with the limited-edition ‘Cheesy Loaded Fries’, which features McDonald’s all-time favorite fries, topped with chicken bacon bits, nacho cheese, and sour cream sauce.

‘Angus Mushroom Supreme’ Extra-Value Meal & ‘The Original Angus’ Extra-Value Meal, served with ‘Cheesy Loaded Fries’ and Coke (S) are available from S$9.30 and S$8.75 respectively. The burgers are also available A-la-Carte from S$6.70 and S$6.20. The ‘Classic Angus Cheese’ burger is priced from S$8.95 (A-La-Carte) and from S$10.95 (Extra-Value Meal).

‘The Original Angus’ burger is available permanently daily after breakfast hours in all restaurants and via McDelivery / UberEATS, while ‘Angus Mushroom Supreme’ burger & ‘Cheesy Loaded Fries’ will be available for a limited time, while stocks last.

So, will these new burgers be able to replace the ‘Quarter Pounder with Cheese’ burger?

llaollao is Out, Yole Singapore is taking over!

So today is the day that llaollao is being replaced by Yole, a new European froyo brand.

All 29 llaollao outlets will be converted to Yole by Dec 9. So what will Yole be selling, you may ask?

In fact, Yole Singapore will be serving natural frozen yogurt, similar to llaollao, as well as coconut soft-serve ice cream. There will be new frozen yogurt flavor and toppings, made from Italy & Spain that will be introduced on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.

Prices are range from S$2.50 to S$6.95 for tubs and smoothies.

Will it be a success like llaollao or just another ‘Gongcha-LiHo’ saga?

Will we see llaollao coming back in the near future? Only time will tell~

[Media Invite] Amara Singapore’s Element Restaurant (X’mas Eve & NYE Buffet Dinner)

Looking for somewhere to dine before partying thru Christmas Eve or counting down to 2018? Why not try Amara Singapore! They have tons of festive treats up their sleeves, but first, let me talk you through their Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner menu for Element Restaurant.

There are tons of different cuisine selections in the buffet. Let’s start off with the yummy appetizers being presented.

Cocktail Prawn & Crab Meat with Duo Melon (X’mas Eve Buffet Dinner)

I’m always a fan of seafood! The cocktail prawns are fresh and crunchy, mixes well with the crab meat. A very well prepared appetizer dish.

Marinated Duck Rillette with Red Wine Dried Fruits Chutney and Gherkin Salsa (X’mas Eve Dinner Buffet)

This is one of my favorites, the duck rillette taste good, and even better when dipped in the aromatic sauce, and it melts right in your mouth!

Honey Baked Butter Squash with Honey Mustard and Pumpkin Seed *(X’mas Eve Dinner Buffet)*

Tuna Tataki with Cucumber Ribbons & Puffed Quinoa (NYE Buffet Dinner)

As for soups, there are 2 choices to choose from. One is Double-boiled Seafood Soup with Shark’s Fin (NYE Buffet Dinner) / Double-boiled Black Chicken Soup with Ginseng (X’mas Eve Buffet Dinner) and the other one is Cognac Lobster Bisque.

Cognac Lobster Bisque (X’mas Eve & NYE Buffet Dinner)

Cognac Lobster Bisque is dope, is a must-try!!! Abit spicy after few mouths, but still it was good!

As for the mains – the hot selections. You will be served with a feast of delicious food of different cuisines.

Steam Broccoli with Conpoy & Chinese Mushroom *(NYE Buffet Dinner)*

A very authentic Chinese dish served in many Chinese restaurants. The broccoli is crunchy, but not hard (unlike some that are). I loved it!

Steam Groupa with Lime Beurre Blanc Top with Tomato Vierge (NYE Buffet Dinner)

Stir-fried Moreton Bay Bug with Salted Egg (NYE Buffet Dinner)

A must-try for salted egg fans!

Tajima Wagyu Beef with Foie Gras, Truffle Mashed Potato & Port Jus *(NYE Buffet Dinner)*

This is my favorite hot selection dish! The Wagyu Beef is well-cooked, the sauce, truffle mashed potato, and foie gras topped the flavor of the dish! It’s just like the ‘perfect marriage’, super yummy! Thumbs up for this dish!

Roasted Chicken with Meat Floss (X’mas Eve Buffet Dinner)

And last but not least, it’s the desserts time!

It won’t be Christmas if you didn’t have any log cakes. And Amara Singapore presented to us with 3 beautiful, cute log cakes this year!

Amara’s Signature Chempedak Yule Log Cake

This year, Amara Singapore has introduced 3 different log cakes. My favorite got to be the Dark Chocolate Cherry Yule Log Cake! The Pink Champagne Lychee Yule Log Cake & Dark Chocolate Cherry Yule Log Cake cost S$52 (1kg), while Amara’s Signature Chempedak Yule Log Cake cost S$58 (1kg). They can be ordered here.

Chempedak Cream Brulee (NYE Buffet Dinner)

This is Amara Singapore’s signature dessert! Definitely a must-try! Anyway, Chempedak is Jack-fruit, which you can expect it to be tasty & addictive!

I’m not a very sweet-tooth guy, so I usually don’t eat alot of desserts. But the dessert items here got me munching down some of them!

Amara Singapore’s Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner is priced at S$108++ for Adults, S$54++ for Child. Other notable food in the buffet includes Boston Lobster, Roast Turkey, Sambal Stingray, Alaska King Crab Legs, Spanner Crabs, Tempuras & Sashimi etc.

Thinking of ordering the log cakes, turkeys, hams, Christmas cookies or assorted macarons? BOC, DBS/POSB, and UOB cardmembers are entitled to 15% OFF for the festive goodies! (now till 25 Dec)

Wanna have a staycation at Amara Singapore this holidays? Executive Rooms are from S$380++ per night with complimentary in-room minibar, Christmas Eve Buffet dinner for 2, Hi-Tea Set at Tea Room for 2 on Christmas Day, an X’massey Fruit Cake and a double chance of winning cash prizes of up to S$500!

Not sure where to countdown to 2018? Why not take part in Amara Singapore’s F.U.N.O.L.O.G.Y 2018 Countdown Party for S$68++ per Adult and indulge yourself with free flow draft beers, sparkling and house pour wines. With entertainment by Lemon Jelly Pop, DJ party mixes and lots of fun!

Click here for more promotions from Amara Singapore!

Amara Singapore

165, Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088539

*Really wish to thank the folks at Amara Singapore for giving me this opportunity on inviting me to the Christmas Dinner media food tasting event.

Hope there will be more opportunities to come! 🙂

Häagen-Dazs Festive Limited-Edition Flavours

The festive season is coming, and Häagen-Dazs has introduced 2 new limited-edition mochi flavors weeks ago, namely – Green Tea Mochi and Azuki Mochi.

Green Tea Mochi ice cream was made with ceremonial grade Matcha from Kyushu, Japan, together with the highest quality, delicately-sized, steamed soft Mochi pieces.

As for the Azuki Mochi ice cream, it uses supreme quality Azuki paste that was grown in Hokkaido, blended in creamy ice cream, mixes together with soft Mochi pieces.

Each pint of 473ml cost S$14.45. Mochi Collection Pack each contains 4 mini-cups of 100ml cost S$17.90 (with 2 of each flavor).

Festive Party Pack costs S$32.90, comes with 10 mini-cups of 2 x Azuki Mochi, 2 x Green Tea Mochi, 2 x Caramel Biscuit & Cream, 2 x Belgian Chocolate, and 2 x Cookies & Cream flavors. Available in major supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores.

Apart from the new flavors introduced, Häagen-Dazs had also launched a new range of limited edition in-store creations including Love You So Mochi Ice Cream Fondue, Pink Mochi Garden Cake, Green Tea Milk Shake & Festive Flower Mochi Tree. The perfect place for quick Christmas gathering with your friends & family, while enjoying the delightful ice creams.

HAAKON – Healthy, Filling Meal In Town

Decided to eat-clean today. Thus, headed over to HAAKON at 313@Somerset for lunch. HAAKON is a small cafe situated at Basement 2 of the shopping mall, opposite OWNDAYS. They have another branch at Holland Village!

HAAKON strives to serve healthy, nourishing food while not compromising the taste of their food. They serve All-Day Breakfast, Smoothies, Juices, Superfood Bowls, and Salads. The concept of this cafe is based on Scandinavian’s style of minimalist and healthy-eating.

Ordered 2 different DIY Salad Bowls (one Small, one Regular).

The small size DIY salad bowl cost S$11.90 without any extra add-ons, that comes with 1 Base, 1 Main, 1 Premium Side and 2 Toppings.

The regular size DIY salad bowl cost S$13.90 only, you get to choose 1 Base, 2 Mains, 2 Premium Sides and 2 Toppings.

They also sell large size DIY salad bowl for the big appetites, which cost S$16.90, that comes with 1 Base, 3 Mains, 2 Premium Sides and 2 Toppings.

In the menu, you get to choose from different selections of items like Grilled/Smoked Salmons, Sirloin Steaks, Zoodles, Brown Rice, Onsen Eggs, Beetroot Hummus, Avocados, Cherry Tomatoes, Chicken Breasts, Corns, Carrots, Edamame and many more.

The steak I had was tender and tasty, the grilled salmon was cooked just nice, with a little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The greens are fresh and mixed well with the sauces. Somehow, I felt that no matter how you mix the different food items in the salad bowl, it turns out to be perfect and delicious. HAAKON simply nailed it!

Verdict Time! I find that HAAKON is an interesting concept, bringing a new choice of healthy food in town and also combining healthy greens with proteins, making it the perfect, healthy meal for everybody. The only downside I’ve found is that it took me awhile to locate the menu for their DIY salad bowl, which wasn’t prominent to see. The environment at 313@Somerset was great, you still able to enjoy your food in peace while looking at shoppers rushing about to get their shopping done.

I highly recommend HAAKON to everyone! Trying out healthy-eating? Definitely, make a visit to HAAKON!

HAAKON – Superfoods & Juices

313@Somerset, 313, Orchard Road, #B2-14, Singapore 238895 (10am – 10pm daily)

Raffles Holland V, 118, Holland Avenue, #01-03, Singapore 278997 (9am – 10pm daily)

Launch of eBODUM in Singapore

In November, BODUM had launched their line of electrical appliances – eBODUM in Singapore.

The most notable product being launched is the ePEBO Vacuum Coffee Maker. It’s a modern version of BODUM Santos, and with this new product. You don’t need any paper filter or capsule to make your coffee. The funnel is made of borosilicate glass, and it has a permanent plastic coffee filter in it. Its stain resistant heating plate keeps your coffee warms for as long as 30 minutes.

With this new product, you can simply make coffee without a fuse. Simply add water, follow by coffee powder. Brew it and ta-da! Your coffee is ready for your consumption! ePEBO Vacuum Coffee Maker is available now with an RRP of S$369.

Other electrical appliances launched includes Blade Coffee Grinder, Burr Coffee Grinder. Both may sound the same, but they are totally different. Blade Coffee Grinder is small & compact with its power cord can be tucked away within the grinder so it will be tidy and neat after each usage. It has an easy, push-button control allows for pulse action by strong, durable stainless steel blades that spin at a precise RPM. Available in 3 different colors, and cost S$79 only.

As for Burr Coffee Grinder, it’s a bit larger in size compared to Blade Coffee Grinder, it can hold 220gr of coffee. There are 12 different settings and a programmable timer function for easier handling.

Not a coffee lover? No worries, as eBODUM also launched with Water Kettles and Toasters, with some costs less than S$100!

Christmas is coming, and you might be thinking of giving someone an eBODUM product? Which I think is a great idea, especially for Gift Exchanges of less than S$100. Head over to TANGS, Robinsons, Popular, Courts Megastore, and Metro to buy them!

HonestBee Delivers Hawker Food

Recently, HonestBee has started a new service whereby it delivers hawker food for its customers who are working within the CBD.

You can place your order from 3 pilot-phase food centre within the CBD area. They include Amoy Street Food Centre, Maxwell Food Centre & Hong Lim Food Centre.

This service will be available Monday to Friday, 11am to 2pm.

Is this going to be your new excuse for not heading out for lunch, and wait for your dabao food? Only time will tell. 🙂