Food for Thought

Found this lovely eatery around busy Bras Basah Road while downtown. This place was started by a group of friends as another of their attempt at a social enterprise and boasts of serving some great comfort food to make people happy with a good cause of devoting 10% of their profit towards their noble areas of interest:

1. Support Clean Water
2. Feed Good Food
3. Help End Poverty
4. Educate the People and
5. Encourage Good Acts.

Very nice people or so and we thought they deserve a visit ....

In we went. Ted and me. This was our first visit. Not knowing what to order. We browsed the menu that was placed on the table. We understand later that we had to place our orders at the counter. The chef specials and other recommended items/set specials were written on the chalkboards hung on the walls behind the order counter.  Free clean water was served at the counter (DIY) but a small donation would be nice to be placed into the piggy bank there with this proceed to be contributed towards the Support Clean Water Funds. Not very sure how the funds gets there though.

We stood at the counter for a while comtemplating what to order. Finally I decided upon the combo sets which were like "half-and-half" sets comprising of a sandwich served in half its normal size, add on with another side order of either your choice of the salad or soup. There are 3 sandwich categories: the House, Special or Premium which consists of different types of sandwiches under each category. Details of their menu can be found at their website. The House seems the likes of the usual roasted chicken breast, pork sausages or vegetarian sandwiches. The Special Sandwiches seem inclined towards the local flavour - which are the roasted pulled pork, spicy braised pork (something like the local "kong bak pao" - braised pork buns in Hokkien) and roasted beef striploin flavours. The Premium ones definitely have to be the best and consists of cuban ham and pulled pork.

My Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Special Combo Set served with

Bacon, Potato and Baked Onion Salad

I found the Special Sandwiches really something pretty local and interesting so I went for the slow roasted pulled pork special combo set (at S$11.90) with sweet potatoes. I also got to choose the Soup or a Salad similarly under the Special categories. I took the Bacon, Potato and Baked Onion Special Salad to complete my set order. It came wonderful and did not disappoint.  (See above photo) I especially liked the bread which was soft and warm. The pulled pork slices were just nicely pulled to fit every mouthful you take and the flavour is quite local as I expected it be but blended with a nice mix of western bread.  Lovely. The salad was peppered black vinegar and there were roasted potatoes with bacon and nicely baked soft onion slices. Nice.

Ted's Delicious Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

Ted found his favourite Shiitake Mushroom Pasta (at S$13.90) and wasted no time digging in the minute it was served. A heavenly creation too. Look at what we had above.

We were two very satisfied person though Ted thought he still has stomach for more. I thought it was a good hearty meal for me. We did not burn any holes in our pockets at about S$25.80 plus 7% GST totalling to about S$28 for 2 person. We were sure we will be back for some nice bread and pasta there again. Good food for a good cause. Definitely.

Food for Thought we visited was located at 420 North Bridge Road, North Bridge Centre #01-06, Singapore. Tel: 6338 8724. They have another outlet at 8 Queen Street, Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Squeezed to join the crowd at the newly opened Marina Bay Sands, Singapore over the weekends. The Sands was opened on April 27, 2010 Tuesday at the fengshui auspicious time of 15:18 hrs. Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sheldon G. Adelson and other company officials had flown in and officiated the opening of the Marina Bay Sands, the most ambitious and architecturally-stunning leisure and convention facility ever built.  Enthusiastic guests and excited gamblers spilt all over the new hotel and convention centre when the celebratory ribbon was cut.

Marina Bay Sands will open progressively over the course of the year, with the first phase including 963 hotel rooms, parts of the shopping mall and convention center, some restaurants and bars, the Event Plaza along Marina Bay, and the casino. On June 23, during the official grand opening celebration, the remainder of the property’s 2,560 guest rooms, more shops from the world’s leading retailers, additional dining options, and exciting nightlife offerings, will open. The Sands SkyPark, which sits 60 stories off the ground and is perched atop the property’s three hotel towers, will also debut on June 23.

The hotel had received rave comments about the place and its service as a whole that day. Despite a recent hiccup over electricity being cut off at one of the meetings, I thought I still need to see it for myself.
 

The building is indeed a beauty by itself. And architecturally challenging I believe too. Within the hotel itself, there are public art collection and artefacts beautifully decorating its interior. The ambience is really nice but I think the place is not fully ready yet as there were still minor renovation works with signs here and there around the hotel and convention centre which does not appear too sightly. There are quite a few storeys of shopping at the mall. Quite of the shops in the mall were not opened yet but I believe it will be a pleasing shopping experience when they are all fully opened. 

 

 

On the third floor of the shopping mall, walking outside of the mall at one point, we had a real nice night view of the Singapore River. It was an amazing view! I dont think anywhere else in Singapore can we find this view. Its really beautiful!

 

My impression of the place was definitely one of praise. There were nice restaurants, pubs and even thoughtful small local delight cafes lining the mall for those who do not want to dig into their pockets. Though I did not step into the Casino yet that evening, I could already feel all the excitement building up at the Sands.

 

When its fully open, I shall visit this place again. I understand there will be a floating canal in the mall too and I look forward to visit the Sands living up to its expectations to become the leading business, leisure and entertainment destination in Asia. Some info on the Casino to share: 

CASINO ENTRY LEVY*

*Casino entry levy is payable only by Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Foreigners should carry a valid passport. Casino patrons must be 21 years old or above. Other rules and regulations apply. Levy can be paid online from Tuesday 27th April, at AXS machines or at on-site kiosks.

HOW TO GET THERE

TO SINGAPORE

By Air from Changi Airport

Marina Bay Sands Airport Shuttle Bus* (24-hr service from all terminals), or Taxi.

By Coach from Malaysia

Our coach partners include Compass Coaches, First Coach, Gunung Raya, Luxury Tours and Travel, and Super Nice Express. (Click here for more information)

WITHIN SINGAPORE

Public transport is recommended as parking may be limited during peak hours. Costs about $8 per hour for parking. For detailed information on Transportation click here

TAXI

Take taxi to one of the four designated drop-off points at Marina Bay Sands.

PUBLIC BUS

Take bus number 97, 97e, 106, 133, 502 or 518.

MRT

NORTH SOUTH LINE – Exit at Marina Bay MRT Station and board the public bus* outside the station.

NORTH SOUTH LINE - Exit at Raffles Place MRT Station and board the public bus (SBS 97) at the bus stop opposite Oglivy Centre along Robinson Road or at the bus stop in front of The Sail along Marina Boulevard

CIRCLE LINE – Exit at Promenade MRT Station and take a 10-minute walk to Bayfront Avenue or board the public bus* outside the station on Temasek Avenue

Marina Bay Sands is located at 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018970. 

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup

Always wondered why this little restaurant manage to draw such a crowd, as its located at this awkward little corner just beside the slip road to CTE along Race Course Road. We happened to pass by that way the other day and so we decided to try its Bak Kut Teh.

We were asked by the staff if we were willing to share tables before we were put into the queue. We thought we had better share tables else the wait could be even longer. Mind you, we were there for lunch on this normal weekday and there was still a queue! We also saw many towkays who had driven their Mercedes and BMWs there for lunch. Surprisingly, there were even Indonesian Chinese couples there queuing for lunch too!

Luckily we managed to get a table after about 15 minutes wait. We quickly made our order. Traditional Bak Kut Teh at $7, Braised Pig's Trotters at $8.50, Peanuts at $2 and Vegetables at $3. The Bak Kut Teh was wonderful! The taste is quite different from the usual others. Its not too peppery but with enough spice which brings out the flavour. The meaty and slightly fat pork slices (bah kut) were tender and not hard, unlike those at the normal coffeeshops. The braised pig trotters were also very well cooked with spices. I believe whats so special about the dishes here is really in its spices! The vegetables were soft and nicely flavoured though the peanuts were quite the usual.  I enjoyed my meal a great deal here due to the great spices used in the Bak Kut Teh. I will definitely be back again!

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup is at No. 208 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218453 Tel: 294 7545, 6291 4537. Business Hours: 6am - 2pm (Closed on Mondays)

Shan Tou Shi Teochew Fish Head Seafood

We went to this coffee shop called "Wong Poh Kopitiam" at Kovan Centre the other day. This hidden coffeeshop located at one corner in the Centre had also been previously featured in one of the local food hunt TV show for its superb culinary skills in preparing the delicious Oyster Egg Omelette and Fish Head Soup. The stall is probably there for easily about 10 years but we only discovered it recently. When we reached the place for dinner at about 630pm, there was already a large crowd of patrons waiting for tables and to order the Fish Head Soup. We understand from the staff that the queue never ends and they have to continue to operate even on weekends. Business is especially good on Friday and weekend nights.

We quickly grabbed a table and placed our order. The ordering is a bit chaotic here because you cant really tell who is taking the orders from customers. Most of the staff are busy clearing the tables for new customers and most staff are so busy in their own chores that you will be ignored. You really have to spot and hunt the order-taker down yourself! Alternatively you can go to the main stall front and place your order there with the staff but using this way will usually end up waiting longer as I have tried. We had to try the well-rated Fish Head Soup and chose the red grouper at $20 (small portion for 2 person). We also ordered the famous Oyster Egg Omelette at $8.

It was not too long a wait luckily for the food (maybe because our order was taken down by a very efficient lady staff) and the Oyster Egg arrived first. This dish was cooked very special indeed. The fried egg came looking and tastes like a flat hive. Delicious and crunchy fried egg is something rather extraordinary indeed. A handful of oysters were placed on top of the egg and garnished with lettuce. The dish is simply wonderful and all blended very well together, especially with the garlic chilli.

Then came the delicious hot fish head soup! The hot metal steamboat was boiled with traditional charcoal. The soup was very tasty and pretty rich in flavour. Understand from the food hunt TV program then that the owner painstakingly spends many hours brewing the delicious fish soup base. The soup came with fresh vegetables, fried yam and of course, the fish fillet slices. The fish slices were a little tough, in my opinion but rather chewy. All in all, the soup was well done, just nicely flavoured and eaten together with the fantastic Oyster Egg Omelette – it was a wonderful meal for two indeed at only $28 (excluding rice, hand towels and drinks). Take note you can have additional serving of the soup at no extra costs and you can DIY yourself using the soup kettle or ask for staff to give you extra soup when the steamboat is slowly depleting.

Great taste especially full marks for the Oyster Egg!

Shan Tou Shi Teochew Fish Head Seafood is at Blk 203 Hougang Street 21, Wong Poh Kopitiam, Singapore Tel: 6748 3139 (Opening hours: 5pm – 10.30pm)

Resorts World Sentosa

Gong xi fa cai! Strawberry Moments wishes everyone a Happy Lunar New Year of the Tiger and a prosperous and fulfilling year 2010 ahead!

2010 was a roaring start for us! Ted and me headed to the much anticipated new attraction at Sentosa Integrated Resort (IR) - the Resorts World (owned by Genting Singapore Public Limited Company (PLCHoldings Ltd) ) on 17 February 2010 and to visit the Casino which was newly opened on 14 February 2010 (First Day of the Lunar New Year). We had to take a look at the latest hype and to also visit the new 4 Resorts World Hotels, the shopping galleries and the much awaited "Universal Studio Singapore"!

It was a smooth ride into the Sentosa island. Surprisingly, there were no island entrance charges, as we all Singaporeans expected when we drove in to the island. We found out later that if you were to visit the Resorts World and follow the track in, there are no entrance charges. But if you drive in to Sentosa on the other path, there will be $7 island entrance charges though. 

In we went, and we were met with a huge carpark. It was as if we were going to the checkpoints to visit Malaysia. Very interesting. The helpful guards gave us useful directions that if we were to visit the hotels and to see the Resorts World / Casino, we can park at the end of the East Carpark.  If we were to visit Hard Rock Hotel, we can head for the West Carpark instead. (Daily max carpark charges is only $20) We finally were able to find carpark lots at the Green Zone after making about 3 rounds around the huge carpark. There was really a huge crowd that day! We then walked in to the basement of the Resorts World and we were greeted with the MGM and Casino.  

Crockfords Tower

We strolled the entire Resorts World, splurging money at the souvenir shops, shopping galleries beside the Crockfords Tower, Hotel Michael, Festive Hotel.

As the Preview Universal Studio tickets at $10 were all snapped up for this Lunar New Year festive period, we were unable to get in to the Studio. We were able to see the entrance and could only envy those who can go in. Instead, we hung around and indulged in the delicious Hershey's Chocolate World. I found my long-lost heavenly Reese buttercup chocolates at the Chocolate World and I couldnt stop eating away! Yummy.   

After, we finally headed to the highlight of the evening - the CASINO! Singaporeans had to pay a $100 Casino Entrance Levy (for an unlimited 24 hour visit) to get in the Casino. Despite that, it was no deterrent for the many curious Singaporeans. We were one of them too! Passing through a train of semi-circular hoops, we had to show our NRIC for registration and to pay our levy.

Many security guards were stationed outside the Casino. There were 2 paths, one for Singaporeans and the other for overseas visitors. Singaporeans had to scan their NRIC to go in and we have 24 hours to the Casino. No photos allowed so I wont be able to share what I see there. Jackpot machines and many gaming tables lined the Casino. For hungry guests like me, there are 3 eateries, a cafe, bar, lounge, Japanese restaurant and also a foodcourt, much to my delight! (For Casino dining, please refer to Resorts World dining here)

Most of our time was spent standing around the tables and looking at people play as the place was just too crowded. It was quite fun observing the games though! We tried our luck at the Blackjack table (at minimum $10 per game) and Lady Luck was shining at us! We won a few games and left the Casino with some good money but still unable to cope back our Levy though ... Jackpot machines were simply impossible for you to touch as there were long queues and all the people seem stuck to their chairs (at 5 cents per games, it is no wonder!) Many gamblers were practically shouting away in the Casino with the excitement getting thicker into the night! It was a fun experience overall. Entertainment of a different sort in Singapore now. That said, its provided you know your limit and where to stop.

Resorts World is at Sentosa Integrated Resort, 39 Artillery Avenue, Sentosa, Singapore 099958 Tel: +65 6577 8888.

You Huak Sembawang White Bee Hoon

Found a wonderful local delight at faraway Sembawang, serving delicious Teochew Seafood White Bee Hoon!  This place is a coffeeshop located just at the corner, at the street opposite the Sembawang Shopping Centre.  Its located at the You Huak Restaurant and you cant miss it because the restaurant has such a huge signboard in Chinese saying "White Bee Hoon" (Ba Mi Fen in Chinese) just outside it! And of course, its packed with people too!

Curious as to what everyone is having, Ted and me also joined the people sitting in the packed coffeeshop or waiting around for a seat...  Most were waiting for their food to be served (as I found out later that you will probably have to wait about 20-30 minutes - but its not too bad if its a wait for delicious food!). So we joined the queue!

We ordered the MUST-EAT "Teochew Seafood White Bee Hoon". Very delicious, soft and slurpy bee hoon cooked with egg and fresh ingredients like prawn, sotong (squids) and vegetables. Its a very simple dish yet of great taste and cooked in light gravy.  Believe this is due to the credit of the chefs who must have flavoured the dish well.  Do not think there is MSG as I did not feel thirsty after that.  Its quite rare to be able to find white bee hoon cooked in this manner.  Reasonably priced at $4, $7 or $10. We took the $7 dish (more than enough for 2 person, without you feeling hungry in the night!) plus added on a side-dish of "Sweet & Sour Pork Chop" at $10.

The place offers other side-dishes like the "Fried Prawn Roll" (heh-chor in Hokkien) or "Sweet & Sour Pork" (ku-lor york in Cantonese) also at $10 too. The popular dish seems to be the Fried Prawn Paste as there seems to be 1 plate of this on everybody's table! But we beg to differ and tried the "Sweet & Sour Pork Chop" instead which also turned out great.  The other food in the menu are also pretty reasonably priced from $6 to $8 onwards for egg omelette and vegetables. There are also seafood; like crabs served at the restaurant too! This place is definitely worth a try! And you maybe yearning for it like me after that...  While you are there, dont forget to also try the sweet Lime Juice offered by the coffeeshop.

 

You Huak Sembawang White Bee Hoon is located inside You Huak Restaurant, 22 Jalan Tampang Singapore 7899666 (opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre). Closed on Wednesday.

Happy New Year 2010 at Canopy Garden Dining & Bar

Strawberry Moment wishes all belated Merry Xmas wishes and a Happy New Year 2010!

For a good start to the year 2010, Ted and me decided to go for a healthy delicious meal so we headed to Bishan Park. We had a great healthy breakfast at Canopy Garden Dining & Bar ! Canopy is the newest addition to the Asmara Group serving an Australian style café food complimented by a wide variety of new world wines. Its a perfect place offering a great dining experience in a peaceful garden setting providing the perfect getaway for families, couples and pet lovers alike and for lounging outdoors at their outdoor bar and dining area too.  We tried their breakfast set @ $14/set. The set consists of a toast and choice of sunny-side eggs or scrambled eggs, 2 choices of either baked beans, mushrooms, spinach, bacon or sausages. Ted went for baked beans and mushroom.  My healthy choice to start the year was naturally the mushrooms and spinach with sunny-side eggs! Cheers to a healthy 2010 !

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar is at Bishan Park II, 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Singapore 569931 Tel: 6556 1533. 

First Love with Lee Min Ho in Singapore

I was swooned off my feet at Lee Min Ho’s First Asian Fan Meeting on 21 December 2009, Monday 8PM held at MAX Pavilion. Literally, by the 1.86m tall suave 22 years old actor!

The doe-eyed boyish actor who won the hearts of many from his role as the F4 leader, Gu Jun Pyo in the Korean blockbuster “Boys over Flowers” was in town for his first Asian Fan meeting with Singapore, as one of its leg. Die hard fans definitely would not miss out the opportunity to see the prince charming in person despite the hefty ticket prices of $98, $148 and $188. Definitely not me .. Continue at Star-Waltz blog
 
[Extracted from Star-Waltz blog. More photos and details there]