MOTHER'S DAY Healthy Cake Options from Pine Garden's 2014

What are your plans for Mother's Day this year? Pine Garden's has a few new healthy creations for your consideration. Options include yummy cakes inspired by Kyoho Grapes and Peaches. Find out more selections and why they are considered healthy by clicking this link to simplybeautyinfo.

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#pinegardens #mothersday #cake #foodporn #singapore #2014

What nibbles would you serve at a get-together or the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations?

About Parties, Celebrations and Snacks and #VivaLaPapa chips

Are you in celebratory mood yet for the upcoming Lunar New Year?
(Image courtesy of duron123 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

What I love about #parties and #celebrations especially Lunar New Year visitations is the snacks I get to try at the various homes. This year instead of the usual Love Letters and ground nuts, what I'll definitely stock up are new snacks that have arrived on our shores - organic Viva La Papa #potatochips from #Peru. 

A guiltess chip party, perhaps?
(courtesy Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Sustainable Origin

These chips are sustainable varieties of native potatoes and other roots originating from grown by the Andean communities in various colourful and nutritious variaties. Viva La Papa potato chips from Peru are also Kosher accredited.

Moreover, with each pack of Viva La Papa chips sold, Viva La Papa! makes a contribution to Andean children’s charity Amantani. This wonderful organization provides schools and boarding houses for under-privileged children in remote Andean regions. So not only are we eating healthy chips with Viva La Papa, but also helping the needy.

How are they Cooked

They are hand cooked in small batches with pure sunflower oil with a hint of delicious natural Peruvian flavours. Every pack is filled with natural goodness, free of Gluten, GMO
, Trans Fat and artificial additives. 

Flavours Available

1 Andean Pink Salt Potato Chips

2 Anticucho BBQ Potato Chips

3 Chillies & Lime Potato Chips 

4 Exotic Sweet Potato Chips 

5 Andean Native Potato Chips

Below are my tasting reviews of my favourites:

VOTED Most Healthy

1 #AndeanPinkSaltPotatoChips

Unlike most commercial potato chips, I love the great crispy texture with bite. With each bite I could feel the texture of the potato. Best of all, this pack of chips is flavouried by Andean Pink Salt. Pink salt is healthy than the normal table kitchen salt. Here's a list of them:

a. Minimises effects of stress on the body

b. Removes cellular acidity in brain and kidney

c. Contains essential minerals to replenish vital electrolytes

2 #AnticuchoBBQPotatoChips

This pack of chips is the most flavourful of the lot. What's great is that it's NOT too salty.

VOTED Too Good to Keep for Tomorrow

4 #ExoticSweetPotatoChips 

This is actually the first pack of chips I got a potato lover to try. It is loved for its lack of excess saltiness. What's great is each bite is crispy and he could feel the texture of the root. It's so good to him that it was polished off in one sitting. Need we say more?

 5 #AndeanNativePotatoChips

This pack of #chips is #crispy, yet it has the texture and bite of sweet potato chips. I love its clean, natural taste. In fact, as it is less salty than most chips I've tried, while still maintaining natural flavours, I feel healthier eating it and could easily polish off a pack without feeling guilty. The chips in this pack have tints of natural purple and pink in the potato. If you are aware, these natural colours represent the presence of healthy anti-cancer nutrients.

These chips are available only at reputable and quality outlets like:
Real Food Grocer
CENTRAL @ 6 Eu Tong Sen St, The Central #B1-52/53, T: +65 62244492
SQUARE 2@ 10 Sinaran Drive, Square 2, #B1-105/106/129, T: +65 63972289
KILLINEY @ 110 Killiney Road, Tai Wah Building, T: +65 67379516
WEST COAST @154 West Coast Road, West Coast Plaza  #B1-06/07, T: +65 68721440
SPRMRKT @ 2 McCallum Street, T: +65 6221 2105
The American Club @  10 Claymore Hill, T: +65-6737-3411 
Swiss Butchery @  Greewood 30/32 Greenwood Avenue, T: +65-6468-7588. Tanglin 6 Tanglin Road, #01-02, T: 65-6235 8080 

Details at: 
Instagram: #vivalapapa #lebonocollection
Facebook: @Le Bono 

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DRINKS Wednesday Special At Prive Waterfront

Wednesday Special @ Prive Waterfront Bar

Unwind and recharge midweek at the breezy outdoor area of Privé Waterfront Bar. 

Catch up with friends over sips of Chandon Brut NV @ S$12 per glass and enjoy unblocked view of the marina. 

Order any alcoholic drink and enjoy fresh Canadian oysters at S$2 each 

(limited to 3 oysters per alcoholic drink ordered). 

Other than its signature cocktail Habibi, Privé Waterfront Bar also offers an extensive selection of unique champagne cocktails, martinis, mojitos, coolers and classics. 

Happy hours start at 5pm. Wednesdays have never been this good.

SHOP Petite Bakehouse Unique Mooncakes

MOON CAKES WITH A DIFFERENCE

Are you looking for a unique moon cake gift for your parents and in-laws? Check out Petite Bakehouse's mooncakes shaped into pigs or bunnies:

Baked-Skin Mooncakes (Piggy & Bunny), S$40 per box of 8 pieces handcrafted Petite Piggy and Bunny mooncakes (Individually packed)

Classic shaped snow skin mooncakes are available too. Pandan Snow-skin Mooncakes, S$24 per box of 8 pieces handcrafted Petite Pandan Snow-skin mooncakes with white lotus paste filling (Individually packed)

Place your orders at Petite Bakehouse

Delivery charges @$25 from Monday to Saturday between noon to 6pm. Sunday and PH @$30 but depending on staff availability. Other terms and conditions apply.

KIDS Another restaurant kids and adults will love, especially on Sundays

Sunday High Tea for Kids

Parenting is a  24/7 commitment and can be tiring sometimes. If you are hoping for some relief and looking for some distraction for your kids on Sundays, American restaurant Privé Cafe hears you. Other than quality American cuisine adults can savour, and kids' meals to suit children's palette, there are activities planned for them.  

With effect from 4 August, 2013, kids having a meal at the cafe between 3-5pm will be treated to activities such as balloon sculpting and magic trick performances, other than play at the playground. Only on every first Sunday of the month.

Privé Cafe is located at 2 Keppel Bay Vista and is open to public.

Make your reservations @ at least 24 hours in advance: 6776 0777 (Telephone) or reservations@prive.com.sg.

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Travel Seoul - Food

Seoul Food (sorry can't resist the pun) I just can't get enough of Korean Food. Have I shared with you how gracious and hospitable Koreans are? At least my hosts (Mr and Mrs Lee) are extremely hospitable. 

Feast 1

Thanks to my hosts, a few hours after we touched down we treated to a huge feast at a local family restaurant. This restaurant is known for this delicious stuffed duck

(please see picture below). With this dish are also many other dishes which are just too many to capture as it is really disruptive to the lunching atmosphere. But I swear they are simply lipsmacking :)

Feast 2. Home Dining

Before we flew back home, Mr and Mrs Lee graciously invited us to their humble abode for dinner. And again it's a big affair. The whole table was packed with so much food (for 6 of us) I just didn't know where to start. Being a small eater my hosts must have gotten the wrong impression as I didn't eat a lot. But I really love the food -- if only I can eat them over a few meals :p

Sorry I captured the spread only midway through the feast as I just too tired by the 1 hours bus ride from town. But I guess you can get a good idea from here.

Feast 3. www.marushabu.co.kr

Here is another great place to dine at near Ilsan (outskirts of Seoul)

Marushabu is known for fusion cuisine. The ambience, food and view are all great here. This time, Mrs Lee and her colleague Matilda surprised me with this set meal. I'll leave you to enjoy the pictures of a few of the nice dishes I managed to capture while minimising meal disruption by my trigger happy moment :p 

View Captured with panorama feature in Samsung Galaxy SIII

A few of the tasty dishes from the set meal.

FOCUSSED MEAL
I was pleasantly surprised that this barbecue restaurant is very focused. Our choice was pork. We barbecued three servings of pork with free flow of salads and side dishes were more than enough to fill my belly.

 

Snacks

Each time I passed by this truck of titbits I was tempted to buy something. And finally on the eve of our departure came the chance. Don't be deceived. The truck may be simple, but the wafer biscuits we bought taste as good as those from Swensen's. We can have a mix of any two kinds of wafer of our choice for 4,000kr. There is also a variety of nuts like ground nuts, almonds etc. They are sold separately from the wafer.

Side Dish Shop

Shops offering dumplings and Korean noodles are a common sight in Ilsan (outskiets of Seoul).

This is Spicy Beef Soup served at a higher end eatery in Seoul.

 

Street Food

Below are a couple of local dishes loved by locals

(top) rice cake in spicy-sweet sauce; hot soup to warm your stomach

Yummy Barbecue Chicken (or satay, Singaporean term)

This store was one of the many dotted around Korea. We passed by this one when we were in the Ehwa Womans University. Notice how Koreans crowd around the store to finish their food before going off on their way. It is considered not very elegant for one to eat as one walks.

When the temperatures dip to below 10°C, having some hot food from stores like these is not only a treat, but also a necessity to warm up the body. 

Sugar coated Fruits (at Ehwa Womans University)

1,000 kr for a string of sugar coated fruits. We bought the strawberries which were the only option available that day.

Travel Seoul - Real Live K-Drama Link

Now for some real-life links to Korean Drama

Ear Muffs 5,000kr each. Leave me a message by end of this week, if you are keen on getting the orange muffs  from me.  Both are unused.

Character from Samsaengi wearing ear muffs similar to those I bought . (top and below)

1. Props
I bought these ear muffs at 5,000kr each pair. I later found them retailing at 3,900kr at a few of the shops near Ehwa Womans University. Don't they look the same at the ones this little gal was wearing in the KBS World drama Samsaengi?

Tip: At 1 degree Celsius and with some breeze, we were soon thankful for these to keep our ears warm.

2. Korean Lunch

Posters next to the door with evidence of the filming done a few years ago.

 

We had quick lunch at a Myeongdong food outlet where a drama was once filmed.

It was packed during lunch hour. We had the beef soup served with rice and kimchi. If you do not have much time, this is said to be the best choice. Ask again before confirming your order. 

Location: 
next to Bee Cheng Hiang Barbeque Pork standalone store at Myeongdong. This store was opened in 2010.
(http://www.timesdirectories.com/hotel_restaurant_catering/news/Seoul%20far%20so%20good%20for%20Bee%20Cheng%20Hiang/668337)

They serve great tasting food here.

Food On The Cheap

Escape For Affordable Brekkie

Today we shall deviate from makeup and skincare and talk about wonderful brekkie one can find in JB.

The customs clearance was quick and fast, although the traffic cameras showed a line of cars waiting in line before Woodlands customs. Within 15mins we were driving on Malaysian road and heading towards Taman Melodies.

I love the fishball kway tiao served here at a small hawker place in JB. The food is tasty and cheap. For once I am not overwhelmed by a bowl full of carbo and a few slices of fish cake. For RM4 the portion of dry kway tiao and a bowl of fish cake slices and fishball was proportionate.  I love the springy texture of the kway tiao and tasty sauce.

We also had a plate of delicious fried carrot cake for RM3.

A low cost meal as good as  this always makes my day.

Surprise Grocery Shopping
While trooping over to our car we spotted a wholesale shop (Grand Meltique) retailing frozen ingredients for Japanese and Korean cuisine. The items were slightly cheaper than what we saw at Jusco Supermarket. Not a bad place to top up on quality groceries.

Do you love food from Malaysia? Please share with us your experiences too.

NB. You are welcome to leave a comment or note in the comment box below with a forwarding link. Look forward to meeting your interests in my upcoming posts, where possible. Simply Beauty