Beansprout's Cafe

The Wedge Espresso

2012-09-27T07:30:00.000+10:00

Okey, finally I push myself to blog today... As some of you may know, apart from Surry hills area, Glebe also is the place for cafes. After I left Sydney, many new places opened. One of them is The Wedge Espresso. If I am not mistaken, 2 of baristas from Le Monde owned this place.

I dragged Ping to join my breakfast cuz its really near our house.

The place is really small yet cool.

My cappuccino, beautifully made :)

Ping's Latte

^____^

We shared the lemon taragon poached chicken sandwich (since I wasn't very hungry).. Looked normal but it was delicious, very nice soy lin seed bread (I guess from Sonoma) with the moist & well seasoned chicken...

The Wedge Espresso

53-55 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, Sydney, Australia

Reuben Hills & Campos

2012-09-26T07:30:00.000+10:00

Off from Melbourne to Sydney. Wednesday morning, I called N'Ping and luckily she was free to have brunch with me. I walked from Central station to Reuben Hills.

My skinny cappuccino, miss this kinda coffee so much.

A long black for Ball

Hot chocolate for N'Ping

Doggs Breakfast; Ice cream sandwich with sated caramel

We actually wanted this become our dessert but it came first...hehe

Love the salted caramel, really nice.

Soft baked eggs with Jamon, spinach, ranchero & rye

Eggs were perfectly cooked !

My a-must-order : The NOT reuben wagyu salt brisket, pickled slaw, manchego & horseradish cream on rye

Look at the fatty juicy meaty... yummy !

After brunch, N'Ping & Ball needed to go back to work, then I called another friend, Ping (guy) and he took me to another my favourite place, Campos !

Always busy.

Ping (guy) ordered a cold drip coffee, I think, not really know about it.

For me, of course ! The best Affogato in town !!!!

Also nice croissant :D

The Hardware Societe (revisit 2012)

2012-09-25T07:30:00.000+10:00

If someone ask me about my favourite places in Melbourne, one of them surely is The Hardware Societe. The first time I went there the place was so cute but this time it is even cuter & bigger !

Last day in Melbourne, I had a class at Savour chocolate school at 9.00 am - 4 pm. which means I got 7.30 - 8.20 am period of time to enjoy my last breakfast in Melbourne. Joyce & Brenny didn't want to wake up early so only lovely P'Krit joined my crazy early breakfast :P

A minute I walked in to the cafe, I knew a big smile was on my face :D

My skinny cap, isn't it cute? (coffee from Prade)

P'Krit had a hot mocha which seemed different from what I had last time, looked thicker (better), Once it was getting cold, it started to set ! Just like pure chocolate (in a nice way) haha.

Before I came here, I had what I wanted to order in my head, Fried brioche ! Deryk shown me his picture of fried brioche described as Deconstructed Cheesecake on Brioche with Grand Marnier oranges, looks so amazing ! But then I realized that they change menu seasonally :'(

Fried brioche with lemon curd, cloud meringue and passion fruit.

Luckily I like my brioche, sweet & sour, crispy & soft, buttery & tangy, Oh my ! (however, its way too big for me lol)

P'Krit had a baked eggs with chirozo?

We found it was a little bit overcooked and P'Krit thought it could be added something more interesting. Still not bad.

The place is super cute & cozy, staff is friendly, food & coffee is nice. I would come here every time I visit Melbourne :)

The Hardware Societe
120 Hardware Street, Melbourne
Tel : (03) 9078 5992

The Premises

2012-09-24T14:45:00.000+10:00

The Premises was on my list of a wanna-go cafe in Melbourne but I was no idea where Kensington is. Until I knew that Deryk's new house is in Kensington area... Yes !!! I definitely hit this one.

The place is just at the corner opposite the train station, so easy to find. Even my schedule in Melbourne was very tight, I still managed to have a quick-visit there twice.

My skinny cappuccino, well made !

My second time here, had the skinny magic. Nice and strong (Seven Seeds beans).

The food menu looks interesting but unfortunately I had no time :(

The Premises
202 Bellair St
Kensington VIC 3031 Australia
Tel: (03) 9376 7565

Opening hours :
Tuesday to Friday, 7am – 4.30pm
Saturday to Sunday, 8am – 4pm

Squires Loft Steakhouse

2012-09-23T19:30:00.000+10:00

Worked at Bacco 2 years ago, now its time to catch up with my dearest Brenny & Juju at Squires Loft, P'Krit's workplace. (Does he allow me to post here? haha)

We had a bottle of 2010 Stumpy Gully "Magic Black"

Warm bread, I like.

Tiger prawn kebab : char-grilled with Squires Loft baste and served with garlic sauce on the side

Not a big fan of prawn but this was surprisingly good. Their special sauce brings the dish !

Baked mushroom & Fetta with garlic butter

The mushroom was so plump and juicy by it own, pairing with Fetta & garlic was even better. Some more it was a very healthy dish, wasn't it? ;P

Pork spare ribs (500g) : marinated in Squires Loft baste then char-grilled

Okey, once this one arrived at the table.. We were like.. "Ooohhhh..." It definitely was a huge portion of an appetizer. One bite, Juju & I made an eye contact ! Love the smokiness, tenderness of the pork.. and again, love the marinated sauce :)

Don't really need an effort to eat it, not too soft, not too tough, just nice.

If you know me, whenever I got a chance to see the kitchen, my camera is always there ^ ^

Here they are, Brenny, Juju & P'Krit

Come to the main !

Vegetarian Meal : 2 kebabs of mushroom, capsicum & zucchini served with grilled pumpkin and fried onion

Really like this one, good for sharing. All the veggies were sweet and flavoursome.

Rib eye on the bone (400 g). We ordered it with mushroom sauce and garlic butter sauce.

Such a big portion, lucky me sharing with P'Krit

Mine

Side salad

Sticky date pudding with extra ice cream lol

My cap :)

Such a lovely meal, thanks ka ^____^

Squires Loft Steakhouse

166 Toorak Road,

South Yarra Vic 3141 Australia
Tel :(03) 9824 0999

Taiwan Cafe Taiwanese Street Food

2012-09-22T19:00:00.000+10:00

After had such a big eating day from Chez Dre and Burch & Purchese, we still hadn't stopped the day yet. Since everyone left, only P'Krit was the victim who had to be with me for dinner lol.

We were actually not really hungry, then ended up at Taiwan Cafe on Swanton St.

The place is quite small but luckily we can get the table without waiting.

My favourite Taiwanese dish : Braised pork on rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯: minced pork stewed with five spice and soya stock served with soya marinated egg on rice.

I first had this one at Cho dumpling King and fall in love with it ever since. Here was not bad but still far from many places in Sydney.

Beef wrap : Spring onion wrap with soya marinated beef slices garnished with spring onion and plum sauce.

Recommended by P'Krit and I love it ! Tasty and interesting cuz they use the hoisin sauce reminded me of a Peking duck. And it was a very heavy dish... I think only half piece already enough for my dinner...haha

Xiao long bao : steamed soup dumplings

Nothing special about it.

Taiwanese beef noodle soup : tenderly braise beef in an authentic herb and spice noodle soup

I was too full for this dish, then had only a few sips of the soup ;P

Even really full after the meal, we managed to get our dessert, a golden sand bun from a shop in China town which I didn't take a photo ^ ^"

Taiwan Cafe
273 Swanston St.
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Tel : 03 9663 6663

Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio

2012-09-22T14:39:00.001+10:00

Our sugary day is still continuing after had a big brunch at Chez Dre. Watching Australian Masterchef, Burch & Purchese became in my a-must-go place in Melbourne.

Extremely excited and noticed that there was a very big smile on my face even we only were in front of the shop ^_____^

I took pictures almost every corners of the place... haha

Happy face :)

Chocolate, strawberry & balsamic vinegar jam! Doesn't it sound awesome? I grabbed this one but still haven't tried it yet ..(too many food in my fridge now :P)

It took us quite a while to decide what to have. 4 of us means we can have 5 pieces? lol (okey, its after a huge brunch, otherwise we could get more). Burch & Purchese does only take away, so we bought the cakes and went to Food court opposite the shop.

Explosive Milk Chocolate & Raspberry

Milk choc & raspberry mousse, exaggerated rasp cream, milk chic Sacher sponge, fresh raspberry compote, chocolate royal biscuit, raspberry marshmallow, chocolate coated pop rocks, mirror chocolate glaze

I chose this, raspberry & chocolate is always my favourite... The mousse is very airy and light, and wasn’t overly rich. The chocolate coated pop rocks, I love pop rocks! It creates mini explosions in your mouth. Such a great way to play with the texture and surprise people.

I also love the fresh raspberry compote, which is a really refreshing raspberry compote. The compote is quite tangy but perfect with other two layers of the different textured chocolate elements.

Milk Chocolate, Pumpkin, Bacon & Maple

Spiced milk chocolate cream, bacon, pecan & milk crumble, pumpkin cream, pumpkin seed cake, smoked maple jelly, milk chocolate mousse, candied pumpkin seed

Such a very tempting name indeed ! Might a bit unusual flavour but I think it is quite nice and very interesting. All the components quite works well for me and candied pumpkin seed adds extra crunch. However, for me, the layer of crumble is too thick... Even you try to get everything in one spoon, still get so much crumble.

Gin & Tonic

Gin & Tonic jelly, juniper berry crumb, lime curd, Gin caviar, lime jelly, lime & white chocolate mousse, brilliant white chocolate spray, lime streusel

Ricky : Oh, it really tastes Gin & Tonic

P'Krit : Yeah, Gin & Tonic

Me : Ummmm (thinking...) Ok, I don't know what Gin & Tonic taste like.

Ricky & P'Krit : ............................

Haha, anyway, I know how a lime taste like :) Lime & white chocolate is a great combination. Gin caviar is actually like tapioca pearls. How clever chef add juniper berry into a crumb as it is commonly used to flavour gin.

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Eclair

Chocolate choux pastry, salted caramel cream, dark chocolate, gold encrusted Murray River sea salt

Everyone loves salted caramel. Just having salted caramel eclair at Chez Dre this morning makes me wanna try B&P version too. In my opinion, salted caramel here is more intense and saltier while Chez Dre's one is milder. The choux pastry at B&P is a bit chewier because they put like a glaze I guess. Chez Dre's pastry got an extra score from Daisy cuz the cookie dough on top makes it crispier.

Baked Lemon Tart with Raspberry Macaron

Sweet vanilla shell, baked lemon custard, glazed meringue and raspberry macaron

Don't just the shell by its look, even it seems really pale but it is quite good. The custard is also nice in texture and flavor.

Sugar overload !

Cute spoons

Ja with Daisy & P'Krit. Really thank Daisy & Ricky to take me taste all beautiful goodies. Thank P'Krit who being not a sweet tooth person joined my day with this much sugar :P

Yummmm...

Really appreciated your friendship, see you again somewhere :)

Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio
647 Chapel Street, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia

Phone: (03)9827 7060

Hours:

Mon	Closed
Tue-Sun	10am–6:30pm

Chez Dre

2012-09-22T10:30:00.000+10:00

Looking in those instagram pictures of Chez Dre makes me really keen to come here. On Saturday morning, P'Krit and I arrived there at 10.30 am and Bryan was already at the queue (I was so excited meeting Bryan for the first time, I am his fan, his blog is amazing). Then Daisy and Ricky came, followed by other 3 friends of P'Krit so there were 8 of us in total... Yeah, more people, more food :P

Gosh, it took us about 75 minutes for the table !!! yeah, 75 minutes.. I was standing there quite a long time, after chitchatting with new friends, ok I should go inside to take some photo.(actually I wouldn't mind waiting since I had a good time with my new friends)

Looks at those beautiful eclairs !

I found cakes here today looks a bit monotone?

One interesting thing is most of the kitchen staff are girls.

My magic.

Believe it or not, we waited for another hour for the food :P

Tropical Bircher Muesli for Daisy

Grand Petit Dejeuner: Poached eggs on sourdough, bacon, spicy herb lamb sausages, potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, smashed avocado with goat cheese & tomato relish.

Poached eggs on Brioche, grilled asparagus, salt cured salmon & lemon caper dressing

Okey, this one is very funny. P'Krit & Bryan ordered this and when the food arrived... We were like.. eh.. where is the brioche? We kept finding, flipping up the salmon to see underneath and still couldn't find it lol So we asked the waitstaff, she left and brought us a piece of brioche without an apology or anything...

My dish: Ricotta stuffed mushrooms, black truffle salsa poached egg, confit truss tomatoes with toasted sourdough.

I was quite enjoy my dish.. cheese, mushrooms.. <3 p="p">

Now come to desserts !

Caramel dome, sorry but I couldn't remember how it taste like :P

Dark chocolate tart

This one is nice, perfectly shiny glaze, crumbly tart shell and nice layers of chocolate ganache and mousse

Tonka bean mousse

Quite interesting for the Tonka flavour compared to the usual vanilla bean.

Salted caramel eclair

My favourite ! Really like this one, the choux were nicely baked with a cookie dough on top. Inside, got a sweet and salty caramel pastry cream and salted caramel..

Lemon meringue tart

My least favourite, too sweet.

French toast with berries compote. 2 thumbs up !!! Another winner for me, the crispy caramelized sugar at the brioche was sooooo yum.

Bostock, not bad but I was too full by this stage ^ ^"

haha, see the long list ! We had done a pretty great job !

After brunch (supposed to be breakfast), we walked to South melbourne market. Ricky stopped by at the seafood kiosk... haha

He still can eat !!!

Me & Daisy :)

Chez Dre

285-287 Coventry Street
South Melbourne, VIC, Australia 3205
Phone: +61 (0) 9690 2688

Rouge Cafe

2012-09-21T13:26:00.000+10:00

After having a big breakfast at Proud Mary, I had another eating meeting lol with P'Krit. I first knew him at a language school in Melbourne since 2007 and last time we met was in 2010. He has been working in Melbourne since then and kindly enough to spend his time with me during this trip.

P'Krit took me to this lovely cozy French-inspired cafe, Rouge, near Toorak station.

Pretty window display

When I came inside, I couldn't stop taking pictures... really cute, this place. When I said I took a lot of pictures, I mean a lot !

ok, after I came back to the table, P'Krit asked me if there are any corners of the place that I don't like... haha

We both had a soy mocha... I love Bonsoy <3>

I think it was the braised duck with mash... even butter was good.

Inside the toilet..hehe

Really like the place. The staff is very friendly too, next time I will have their croissant :)

Before we came here, I have heard so many good things about Macarons at La Belle Miette. We went there to buy some.

Couldn't really remember the flavours but all tastes very nice. Perfect shell and nice filling.

Rouge Cafe

14 Beatty Ave
Armadale VIC 3143, Australia

(03) 9822 3310

La Belle Miette
30 Hardware Lane Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

(03) 9024 4528

Proud Mary

2012-09-21T10:00:00.000+10:00

I maybe the only coffee lover who had never been to Proud Mary? This time I made sure I gotta go there so I asked 2 brothers to take me...

We arrived there around 10.30 am since Deryk said it will be very crowed afterward.

These 2 cups were ours :)

Our table were at the corner, quite dark and not nice for taking pictures ><

My skinny cappuccino... Sadly to say but I don't really like my coffee here... I found it very sour and got some taste I don't like.. but later I talked about this to Bryan, he told me that first you taste it, you will feel like that but the more you drink, the more flavours you will get and it will be very interesting... ummm, I need to practice more of coffee tasting.

Deryk loves his latte.

Potato Hash: a thick hash brown, grilled bacon, spinach, a poached egg, bagna cauda (a light italian sauce, made up of anchovies, cream and garlic)

Oh dear, looks at that goodness hash & bacon ! Love the way they cut their hash, like a noodle..haha. Our table had a conclusion that this way will make you less filling.

Henrik have the roasted wild mushroom, brioche, chipotle butter, whipped goat cheese and poached egg

I really like this, always love wild mushroom.

My dish : Crispy pork belly sandwich with smoked paprika relish and aioli

Deryk told me that I had to try their pork belly sandwich, it is the winner (also the pork belly sandwich at Earl Canteen)

Ok, it was pretty yummy. The pork is twice cooked I guess. All the fat is rendered from the cooking process which make you feel less guilty :P However, it was too much for me for breakfast, so I gave another half to Henrik..lol

Henrik had their magic mocha.. I tried, very chocolatey but again.. got the sour taste.

Even I don't like my coffee this time, I wouldn't mind come here again to learn more about how good coffee supposed to taste like... Everyone say the coffee is great, so it gotta be great :)

Proud Mary172 Oxford Street, Collingwood VIC 3066, Australia

Phone: (03)9417 5930

Hours:

Mon-Fri	7am–4pm
Sat-Sun	8am–4pm

LuxBite

2012-09-20T13:23:00.000+10:00

Ahem... I haven't update this blog for ages... But hey, I am still alive :) Actually I just came back from visiting Melbourne & Sydney since my last stay there in 2010. Miss over there so much... During this trip, I have only 5 days and a half in Melbourne (3 days in Savour chocolate school with Jerome Masterchef) which means I have only 2 days and a half to complete all my long list of the places I want to go? Ok, that's impossible... Hiah.. I kept thinking what should I do.

Here is how an Instagram helps me... Lucky enough, I follow one Melbourne blogger, Daisy from Never Too Sweet (I follow lots of Melbournien & Sydneysider by the way). I don't know what make me brave enough to comment in her instagram's picture asking her to be my Melbourne eating company (That might sounds insane for others but I think its quite normal for food bloggers? or just me think that :P) . And yeah ! She replied me then we tried to manage our plan via an email.

I arrived Melbourne around noon on 20th Sep and after putting all stuffs at my friend's house in Kensington, I quickly took a train (oh this was my first time using Myki card) to the city to get a mobile sim card and straight to South Yarra to meet Daisy.

LuxBite is in one of the places I wanted to go... It was opened just before I left Australia and many people blogged about it... Here we come !

Bernard Chu and Yen Yee are the visionaries behind LuxBite, originally from Malaysia then moved to Australia, worked with many great chefs both in Sydney & Melbourne... After reading their profile, wow, I am so impressed by their young age for being this successful.

So many, which one should we get?

Daisy introduced me Kirk, her friend who is also a pastry chef at Spice Temple. We 3 people ordered 4 cakes with 3 pieces of macarons lol

Salted caramel, Green tea Pistachio and Ribena Lemonade

Caramel cravings : Caramel lovingly placed between winning chocolate and coconut base

The caramel center is fudge-like, for that much amount, we found it too sweet, if one consumes this by himself, I think he can get diabetic.

Endless love : Giant macarons, lychee ganache, rose cream, lychee and raspberry

It was my favourite out of 4, as you know, it can't go wrong with perfect macarons shell, rose and lychee.

Supersized love : Ferrero Rocher with housemade nutella, praline cream and Piedmontese hazelnut

This one is also nice, like you eat a big piece of Ferrero Rocher !

Apple of my eye : Chamomile cream cheese mousse, kiwi jelly, spiced apple compote, green apple glaze, caramelized apple skin as the stalk

I quite like this one (but not for daisy). I think it was quite refreshing compared to others. I tasted chamomile, I tasted spices and especially, I like its look.

Really like this Ribena Lemonade. I had no idea what Ribena is.. Everyone said it is a drink.

Bernard kindly gave us try his new creation of macaron... Moon cake flavour ! I know, it sounds awesome, rite? There is a Lotus paste in the filling...I like !

I was too full then skipped my dinner, and ended up very hungry around 10 pm... hahaha

LUXBITE SOUTH YARRA
38 Toorak Road
South Yarra, VIC, 3141 Australia
P: +61 398 675 888
E: info@luxbite.com.au
Open 7 days, 10.30am - 7pm

Paris Paris Part 2

2012-09-06T00:36:00.000+10:00

Ok.. more photos... I quickly update this post since I just came back from Melbourne & Sydney... Lots of great food post is coming ! ^ ^

Paris Paris Part 1

2012-09-05T23:38:00.000+10:00

When an unexpected trip came to me, of course I grabbed it. Unfortunately, August is the worst month to go to Paris (if you are there for eating !) because it is the vacation month for French people... Most of the shop, patisseries and boulangeries are closed for a month T___T

Nevertheless, it is, still, a wonderful trip :)

Magnum Chocolate Masterclass

2012-06-07T20:00:00.000+10:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Belgium chocolate workshop which was a part of the press conference launching the new Magnum that replace the chocolate coating with the real Belgium chocolate. The event was held at the Okura Prestige Bangkok, Wireless rd.

Sorry for the quality of the photo. Forgot to bring camera, so all photo is from iPhone.

Gotta have some savory things before sweets, right? My friend, Pink, said that here serves one of the best cocktail food for this kinda event.

After filled up our tummy, we entered into the room... chocolate room?

I thought there would be a few people, but I was wrong. There were only 5 bloggers but lots of other guest.

Belgium chocolate, so who else can present it better than Belgium chocolatier? Chef Jean-Louis Graindroge, the head chef from ‘Duc de Praslin Belgium’ Chocolaterie of course suits the event.

One of the cutest thing I have seen... Magnum flash drive ! Happy me :)

Chef Jean-Louis taught us the history of chocolate and the way they were processed. And of course, we couldn't truly know about chocolate without tasting ^__^

As we all know, chocolate basically can be categorized in to 3 ; Dark chocolate, Milk chocolate and White chocolate. A box of 6 pieces of chocolate was placed in front of us with a cup of black tea to clean our palate for each tasting.

1. Swiss White Chocolate (claimed to be made from the best milk, tastes sweet and creamy with a hint of vanilla.)

2.English Milk Chocolate (Chocolate with a caramel-ish character)

3.American Milk Chocolate (Chocolate with more nutty than English one)

4.African (Peru) Dark Chocolate (64% quite green and strong flavor)

5.Asian Milk Chocolate (Compound chocolate with vegetable oil. Fake chocolate. Taste like plastic)

6.Belgium Milk Chocolate (56% rich chocolate flavor. Creamy. Slowly melt in your mouth.)

Here come to wine pairing.

White chocolate with Proseco

white chocolate with the raspberry ganache & berries... love love.

Milk chocolate filled caramel which taste stronger, paired with Proseco.

Dark chocolate with hazelnut praline paired with red wine.

All bonbon tastes quite yummy ..hehe

Now it is time for us to create our own Magnum plated dessert.

My dish, I just took the things I wanna eat... like buffet, huh? lol

The new Belgium chocolate Magnum will be launch around end of June. There are 3 flavors; Chocolate truffle, Chocolate with almond and Classic... Stay tuned to try them :)

5 of us (food bloggers) N'Mee, N'Boong, P'Wan, Me and K'Pink :)

Special thanks for K.Fern and K.Ann, PR Team for inviting us :)

Wild Honey, Singapore

2011-10-23T22:27:00.000+11:00

Lucky enough, the last day I was in Singapore fulfilled my tummy and my heart. The lovely breakfast remind me of a wonderful time in Melbourne, lunch also. Heidi and I came to Wild Honey since she had a good meal there before.

In Mandarin Gallery

The cafe was crowded with hungers. And oh, we have to line up at the counter, browsing menu on the ipad and pay there :)

Some tables were reserved for others.

Here was our seats.

Hot mocha, I can tell from its look that it not gonna be good.... and I was right, very watery mocha.

There are tons of good liking photos on the menu... Here are what we ordered.

French Toast stuffed with mango served with vanilla mascarpone cream and berry coulis.

One of the best french toast ! the bread was so light and fluffy, the mango was not too sweet, a hint of sourness, eating with the sweet syrup and a tangy coulis... HEAVEN !

Ciabatta with mozzarella and spinach.. looks simple but I tell ya... AWESOME !

Can I say it again? The best sandwich ever... keep dreaming about it.

I wanna go back again and try all there food... Oh, I bought back a ciabatta loaf... So good !

Wild Honey
333A Orchard Road, #03-02 Mandarin Gallery, Singapore
Tel: +65 6235 3900 (no point calling; you’ll have to queue)
Open daily: 9am – 10.30pm

The Plain, Singapore

2011-10-22T22:10:00.000+11:00

Heidi took me here, The Plain... and we just realized it is very near to Heidi's workplace.

We arrived there at 7 am and found out that the cafe is opened at 7.30... haha

Being the first customer, we can take the photos inside without hesitate :)

The cafe is Aussie style, the owner used to live in Melbourne... no wonder !

Heidi's latte

My skinny cappuccino.. Oh my, the smile was on my face when I first sipped it... Not so often you smile naturally when you have food.. gotta be the great one.

Love love it... such a long time for a really good coffee since I left Sydney !

Salami : Salami, sweet chilli relish, roma tomatoes, cheese and rocket.. exactly what you have in Melbourne.

Love the atmosphere, the coffee and food !

The Plain Cafe
50 Craig Road #01-01 Singapore
(Near the intersection with Duxton road)
Tel: +65 6225 4387

Waku Ghin, Singapore

2011-10-21T21:35:00.000+11:00

This post is way behind for the time I went to Singapore (in May) I am lucky enough to join Heidi for her mum's birthday dinner at Waku Ghin, opened by Chef Tetsuya Wakuda who also own one of the country's best, Tetsuya's in Sydney.

There are 4 private rooms that can serve only about 25 people at one time.

Chef bring us a huge tray of these beautiful fresh seafood which going to be cook for us tonight. We are excited already :D

First course : Flan of Oyster with Bacon and Spinach

A combination of Silky Japanese Chawanmushi and a crisp & juicy Oyster is new to me, spinach & bacon rounded up the dish. Good start !

2nd course : Marinated Botan Ebi with Sea Urchin and Oscietre caviar, Signature dish.

OMG, this one is sooooooooo good ! Every components in the dish are very fresh. A very creamy sea urchin, a very sweet Botan Ebi and a salty (not too salty) caviar plus an rich frozen egg yolk underneath... I slowly ate this one as if I don't want it to finish. (actually I think more than this serving will be too much cuz of the richness of it)

Grilled Anago with Foie Gras and Confit of Zucchini

Anago is soft and mild in flavour, pared with the richness of Foie Gras is just nice. Zucchini makes the dish lighter.

Don't you excited when seeing these?

Tasmanian Abalone with Polenta, Tomato and Garlic Cream

The best Abalone I would say. Being a fan of Polenta, nothing to blame about the dish. Love the vibrant colour !

Oh YES !

Braised Canadian Lobster with Tarragon

Not being crazy about Lobster, but I can say this is the best one (am I use too many "the best''? lol) So fresh as Lobster can be. Gosh, until now, even the dish is so good, I wish it is smaller serving...

Sharkskin wasabi grater.

Charcoal Grilled Duck with Potato

Looks quite simple.. but the oh-s0-crisp skin is to die for !

The Australian Blackmore Wagyu Beef Marbling score 9 !!!

The way he cooks is so neat & professional !

Australian Blackmore Wagyu Roll with Wasabi, Citrus Soy Sauce and Grated Radish

When I see the beef, I know it must be good.. but when I put it in my mouth, wowwww, that's called "melt in the mouth"

Citrus soy sauce and grated radish have a lovely acidity, cut through the richness of the beef.

and he asks "Would you like another piece?"

Consomme with Rice and Hirame

Wahh...my stomach can't fit another more (really?). I just have a few spoon of it...

Gyokuro

I can't remember about the tea :P but what Heidi wrote in her blog is "A type of fine and very expensive tea from Japan that is grown under the shade rather than in full sun. Chef Cory explained that this tea requires a low brewing temperature of about 40℃, any higher it would release too much catechins and would result in a bitter taste"

and it tastes like salty seaweed...very interesting !

ok, now that is all for savoury dishes o_O We do need some exercise... Kitchen tour, yeh!

Now you know why the ingredients here are very fresh.

Pastry section.

Beautiful writing !

and now, in dessert room ...

Granita of Grapefruit with Chartreuse Jelly

very refreshing, I like !

Dark Chocolate Mousse with raspberry compote

Ghin Cheesecake, an airy light Japanese cheesecake with a hint of citrus.

Very Tetsuya's style.

Petit Four : Macarons, Green tea truffles and snowballs

I like them all esp the snowball, so buttery with a macadamia nut.

A box of Petit four to take home :D

What a great time !

Waku Ghin
Marina Bay Sands. Casino Level 2, Bayfront Ave Singapore 018956, Singapore
Tel: +65 6688 8507
Open Monday to Saturday from 6pm

2am : Dessert Bar, Singapore

2011-10-20T18:25:00.000+11:00

I had to admit that I couldn't really recall all the details for the dishes I had here. Anyway, only 1 word in my memory for that night is "AWESOME !"

2am:dessert bar is located in the Holland Village.

Pastry chef from Noma, Denmark. Lucky she was there since the Food summit festival.

4 desserts from Rosio (wine matching) & 4 desserts from Janice

Bitters Dessert....Winter Version : whey discs, bitters syrup, milk crumbs, sorrel

Interesting flavour... the sorrel soup was tangy, the milk inside was creamy..like it!

The broth was poured at the table.

Hay Parfait & Strawberries : chamomile broth, lemon balm, oregano, bronze fennel

The wild strawberries have been my favourite since I first tried it at Quay (but I had the frozen one before at my workplace) , so I couldn't be happier when I saw the menu. Densely packed with flavour compared to their industrially grown one. The whole plate is again, interesting. Combination of the herbs and fruit.

Milk & Grains : milk ice cream, biodynamic grains

mmm.. I couldn't remember much but I think I like the grains.

We moved the table to the counter to see how they prepare the dessert. and a better light !

Janice Wong and Rosio Sanchez

We have the desserts with wine matching.

Huldreost Brown Cheese & Beet : brown cheese custard, beet granite, licorice

Love the presentation ! So many textures of beetroot and lucky the licorice is subtle (I am not a fan of licorice in dessert).

brown cheese for sample...

and then we moved on to Janice's Degustation.

Shades of Purple : purple potato, cassis parfait, lavender marshmallows

The plate consists of purple potato puree, blackberry parfait, leather, lavender marshmallows and fruit of the forest sorbet. I like the creamy purple potato puree underneath the most but I am not a big fan of parfait and marshmallows.

Basil White Chocolate : textures of passionfruit

Really like this... so many textures and flavours; passion fruit leather,coconut ice-cream, the puffy meringue, the sauce, the mousse and a tiny cluster of sea grapes! I especially liked the passion fruit leather. It's my first time having Sea grapes which are apparently a kind of seaweed. Delightful.

Cheese Avalanche : biscotti, marinated figs, cantaloupe

Now it is the 3rd plate of Janice's creation, when I was having the last one, Basil White Chocolate, I thought I like it..this one, I like it even more...Mix of sweet and savoury, fruity and dairy tastes, and crunchy and creamy textures.

The biscotti is nicely paper thin, crisp and got a chewy texture from fruits... Love this !

Chocolate H2O : caramel truffle, yuzu sorbet

OMG, what a beauty ! This is the beautiful finale..The consistency of an almost crunchy outer layer and the gooey goodness inside is sublime ! Inside, there is a chocolate caramel truffle. Having it with small balls of yuzu sorbet and gel and bits of praline is heaven !

Once I have this, I can die happily :)

ok.. it was about 1 am. something.. my stomach was full and my head was dizzy .

Rosio's desserts were very interesting, opened my world to the new flavour while Janice's were more familiar and easier (for me) to understand .. All I can say is I love every single detail of her works... Janice !

2am: Dessert Bar
21A Lorong Liput, Holland Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6291 9727

Operating Hours: Mon to Sat 6pm – 2am (Closed on Sun)

Pierre Hermé's Plaisir Sucré

2011-10-19T00:38:00.000+11:00

There is no need an introduction for Pierre Hermé, The Picasso of Pastry ! Sadly, I have never tried any his creations "yet"... However, if I can't try his, why don't I make it myself?... haha

Plaisir Sucré, one of Pierre's masterpieces is in my to-bake list long time ago. I saw it has been replicated in the most patisseries. After saw a few people attempted making it at home successfully.. ok, here we go !

As I still have a big chunk of dark chocolate in my pantry, I decided to make this Plaisir Sucré with dark chocolate instead (which would be good since I don't like very sweet desserts)

Things to Improve : Chocolate sheets are a bit too thick (and not shiny enough, actually it was more shiny when I took it out from an acetate), the nozzle for chocolate whipped cream is a lil too small (I don't have a big one) and... Gold leaf is so difficult to use, keep flying !

The most important thing.. the way I cut Dacquoise and praline...haha, bad bad

Nevertheless, I am very pleased for what I have done :)

layers from top : milk choc sheet, milk choc whipped cream, milk choc ganache, hazelnut praline feuilletine & hazelnut dacquoise

Even though I have the "Chocolate Dessert" book which has Plaisir Sucré 's recipe in .. I followed and adapted the recipe from Bossacafez and the recipe below is from there, thanks Evan ^ ^

Plaisir Sucré

recipe source : chocolate desserts by pierre hermé

Ingredients (makes four 11x3cm individual entremet) :

The milk choc sheets :

at least 260g milk couverture choc, preferably valrhona jivara lactée 40%, finely chopped

The milk choc whipped cream :

143g milk choc

218ml whipping cream

The hazelnut dacquoise :

35g ground hazelnuts

50g icing sugar

45g egg whites, room temp

1.5 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted, skinned & halved (I didn't use them all)

The hazelnut praline :

100g nutella or hazelnut praline paste

25g milk choc, melted & cooled til lukewarm

1/2 cup rice krispies or 1/4 cup feuilletine flakes

1/2 tbsp butter, melted & cooled

The milk choc ganache :

95g milk choc

83ml whipping cream

Directions :

1. To temper the milk choc, get ready a candy thermometer as well. place the choc in a clean bowl, then either double-boil or microwave it in short intervals until the temp reaches 49C (120F). Be careful not to let even a drop of water get into the choc as it will seize and render unworkable. remove choc from heat and continue stirring until the choc has cooled to a temp of 27C-28C (80-83F). You'll know the choc is nearing the right temp when it begins to set around the edges. reheat the choc again until it reaches 29-31C (85-88F). It is now ready for use.

To test if you've gotten it right, dip a knife into the choc and put the knife in the fridge for a few secs. it should emerge coated with a shiny nonstreaked layer of choc. Get ready some A4-sized acetate sheets and spread the choc onto the acetate with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for abt 30 secs or until the choc is half set, then remove from fridge and score twelve 11x3cm rectangles with a knife onto the choc. Refrigerate until firm, then remove the choc by peeling off the acetate sheet and breaking them along the score lines. Refrigerate again until ready to use.

2. To make the choc whipped cream, place choc in bowl. Bring cream to boil then pour onto choc. Mix well then place plastic wrap directly onto the choc mixture & refrigerate for 5-6 hrs or overnight. Before using, whip mixture until almost firm then re-refrigerate if not using immediately.

3. To make the hazelnut dacquoise, sift ground hazelnuts & icing sugar together & set aside. In a bowl whisk egg whites until foamy then gradually add in sugar and whisk until stiff peaks. Fold hazelnut mixture into the whites then spread mixture evenly onto a 6-inch baking tray lined with parchment paper. Scatter hazelnut halves on top then press down slightly. Bake in a preheated oven of 165C for 25-30 mins or until browned. leave to cool.

4. To make the hazelnut praline, place nutella/praline paste in bowl then add in the remaining ingredients the order they're listed. Mix well then spread the praline evenly onto the dacquoise, working from the center and spread as far as it will go to the edges. Refrigerate the dacquoise for at least 30 mins.

5. To make the choc ganache, place choc in bowl and bring cream to a boil. stir the cream into the choc until the choc is completely melted. allow the ganache to cool & thicken or refrigerate until pipeable consistency.

6. To assemble, trim the dacquoise along the edges and slice into four 11x3cm rectangles. fit the piping bag with a 1/4 inch (7mm Ø) plain tip and fill the bag with ganache. Pipe a zigzag of ganache over the 4 dacquoises in the middle (go easy on the ganache). Place a milk choc sheet on top, shiny side up and pipe another zigzag of ganache onto the choc sheet. Place another choc sheet over. fit the piping bag with a 1/2 inch (14mm Ø) (I have only 12mm Ø) tip and fill the bag with choc whipped cream. Pipe two straight lines of choc whipped cream on top and top with one last piece of choc sheet. Decorate with toasted whole hazelnuts if desired.

The left over, I just tried to make something fun :P

Chicken Farm Baker's Project # 40 : Play me please!!, Pâte à choux, Passionfruit Meringue Eclair

2011-10-18T23:18:00.000+11:00

Halooooo, I am alive ! hehehehe. Had been so lazy updating the blog (also the suck internet)... Some of you may know that recently I am mad of making a good croissant at home...Yesterday was already my 8th attempt and I still haven't get it right. Whenever I succeed, I will post about it :)

Anyway, today is not about the croissant, its about Eclair ! The thing that sounds simple but hard to make it perfect. My ideal eclair is hollow and neatly puff up with a minimal crack. It is so frustrating if you end up with big cracks on the surface of the eclairs or other choux products which makes it difficult to glaze. (and I still got that crack -*-)

This is my first post of Chicken Farm Baker's Project, a group of people who love to bake (also to eat I think ^ ^) and this time... is about choux. I love making choux pastry since their versatility, you can make many different products out of it... profiteroles, crouquembouches, eclairs, St. Honore, etc.

I was thinking what to make...and I saw Adriano's new product from my friend's facebook, the lemon meringue eclair... ok, I wanna make that one. In my freezer, a bag of frozen passion fruit puree was sitting...

Passion fruit Meringue Eclairs
(inspired by Adriano Zumbo)

Passion fruit curd (recipe by Bacco Winebar Pasticceria)

160 g Passion fruit puree
48 g egg yolks
60 g eggs
48 g granulated sugar
60 g unsalted butter
2 g gelatin (bloomed)

Whisk together sugar, egg yolks and eggs in a bowl. Boil the puree and temper the egg mixture. Pour back into the pot and keep stirring with the wooden spoon until the mixture is a bit thicker (not so long about 2-3 mins and don't let it boil). Take off the heat, stir in gelatin and butter.

Transfer passion fruit curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold.

Vanilla pastry cream (recipe by Adriano Zumbo)

500 ml milk
125 g egg yolks
125 granulated sugar
50 g corn flour
50 g unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean

Place milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan. Heat gently until the milk boils, remove from the heat. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl until thick and pale. Gradually whisk in the milk. Return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium heat until the custard boils. Spread over a tray to cool rapidly.

Cover the surface of the custard closely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, at 55°C transfer to a bowl and stir through butter and refrigerate to cool completely

Passion fruit pastry cream

Mix the Passion fruit curd and pastry cream with 1 : 2 ratio

(these recipe, you will get more passion fruit cream as you needed, who cares... just use the rest spread on toast ^_^)

Pate a choux (recipe by Tiny Bakery)

50 g unsalted butter
75 g water
50 g milk
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
75 g Cake flour (I used All purpose flour)
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 200ºC . Lightly grease 2-3 large oven trays and set aside.

1. Combine the water, milk, sugar, salt and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and using a wooden spoon quickly beat in the flour. Return saucepan to the heat and continue beating until the mixture comes together and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cook stirring over low heat for a further 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture to release any more heat. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well between each addition until all the eggs have been added and the mixture is thick and glossy. Beat for a few more minutes, or until thickened.
3. Pipe the batter using a large plain or star tip on parchment lined sheet pans. Brush with egg wash lightly if desired.
4. Bake until the products are crisp when pressed on the sides about 35 minutes.
5. When cool, fill with Passion fruit pastry cream

Italian Meringue

150 g granulated sugar
52 g water
75 g egg white
pinch of salt

Cook the sugar and water until 118C (soft-ball stage). When the syrup reaches 110C, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on low speed until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites, and beat on high speed until mixture has cooled. Use immediately.

Verdict : Taste-wise, I quite like it but in term of presentation, I think my eclair is too small compare to the meringue. I used St honore tube to pipe the meringue and found it too big. I should find some smaller tube next time :)

sorry guys, forgot to take picture of the filling :P

Intensement Chocolat

2011-08-31T23:54:00.017+10:00

Feel like baking something complicated as well as want to get rid of my 2.5 kg of chocolate I bought back from Singapore, once I saw "Intensement Chocolat", the elegant looking cake in Laduree Sucre book, I knew I had to make it !

This decoration was not my first plan, I wanted to do it like the one in the book. But because I glazed the cake not so neat, I had to conceal it by making some tempered chocolate which you can see in the picture... another failure...haha. When I took it out from the acetate, it was broken :P

One more thing, the recipe is called for 70% dark chocolate but I had only 57% one, that is why my cake looks more lighter in colour. I also reduced the sugar a bit but the cake still was too sweet for my liking but very okay for others. They all love it !

Put a macaron on top might make it look better. Which one do you prefer?

The original, perfecto !

Just took it out from the fridge, so you can see the white chilled glaze, but can't help. I need to cut it after this.

Now... I am revealing the recipe... which took me more than 30 minutes to type >< (seriously they are 10 pages in the book !!!!!)

Intensement Chocolat

For 8 people

Preparation: 4 hours Cooking time: 37 minutes Resting time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

Chocolate macaron

85 g ground almonds (almond flour)

80 g confectioners’ (icing) sugar

5 g unsweetened cocoa powder

20 g chocolate (minimum 70% cacao solids)

2 egg whites + 1tbsp whipped egg white (I just mixed it all together)

70 g granulated sugar

Dark chocolate sponge cake

20 g all-purpose flour

15 g potato starch (I used corn starch)

10 g unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

50 g granulated sugar

Cocoa syrup

25 g granulated sugar

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

5 tbsp water

Dark chocolate ganache

125 g chocolate (minimum 70% cacao solids)

125 ml heavy (double) cream

30 g butter

Chocolate mousse

4 eggs

40 g granulated sugar

160 g chocolate (minimum 70% cacao solids)

40 g butter

1 pinch of salt

Dark chocolate glaze

100 g chocolate (minimum 70% cacao solids)

80 ml heavy (double) cream

40 g whole milk

20 g granulated sugar

20 butter

Dark chocolate flakes for decoration

Equipment

Round ring mould 8-inch diameter, 1.5 inches high (I used 7-inch diameter, 3 inches high)

Piping bag fitted with a 10-mm plain tip

Round cardboard cake board

Pastry brush

CHOCOLATE MACARON

1. a. Combine the ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor and pulse to obtain a fine powder. Sift through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water or in the microwave oven until it is lukewarm (35c)

b. In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites to a foam. Once they are frothy, add a third of the granulated sugar and whip until sugar is dissolved; add another third of the granulated sugar, whip for another minute; finally add the remaining granulated sugar and whip for 1 more minute. Pour the melted chocolate over the whipped egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, roughly incorporate the chocolate, and then immediately and delicately fold the sifted mixture of ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder into the chocolate and egg white mixture. In a separate small bowl, beat the remaining 1 tbsp egg white until just frothy. Then add to the final mixture, folding gently to slightly loosen the batter.

c. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch diameter circle on each. Transfer macaron batter to the piping bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe a disk onto one of the sheets, filling in the drawn circle. Bake for approximately 25 minutes (at 300F l 150c l gas mark 2). Allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

2. Preheat the oven to 340F l 170c l gas mark 3.Sift together the flour, potato starch and cocoa powder.
Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks to liquefy.

3. In a large clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites to a foam. Once they are white and frothy, incorporate the sugar and continue to whip until firm. Immediately add the egg yolks, lightly folding in with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle in the flour, potato starch and cocoa powder mixture and gently combine.

Transfer batter to a clean piping bag fitted with a plain tip. On the second prepared baking sheet, pipe another 8-inch diameter disk. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes.

COCOA SYRUP

4. In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the water and bring to a boil. Allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

5. Using a knife, finely chop the chocolate on a cutting board and transfer to a large bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate in 3 parts, making sure to combine well with a wooden spatula after each addition. Mix until homogenous. Cut the butter into small pieces and stir into the ganache until smooth.

BEGINNING OF ASSEMBLY

6. Cut the disks of chocolate macaron and chocolate cake to fit properly in the mould. Place a cake board the size of the mould on a round platter. Line the mould with aluminum foil to make unmoulding easier and place on the cardboard. Place the macaron disk in the mould and pour in the ganache. Put this assembled preparation in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

7. a. Using a knife, chop the chocolate on a cutting board and place in a large heatproof bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to bowl. Place over a pan of gently simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter, stirring together.When the mixture has melted, remove from heat and allow to cool to barely lukewarm (18c to 20c)

b. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place in a bowl. Set egg whites a side.

c. Lightly beat the egg yolks to liquefy.
Place the egg whites in a large clean, dry bowl with a pinch of salt. Whip to a foam. Once they are white and frothy, add the sugar and continue to whip until firm. Immediately add the egg yolks, incorporating delicately with a whisk, but do not whisk; simply start with the whisk in the center of the bowl, work up the sides of the bowl and bring back down towards the center, all the while turning the bowl regularly. This will result in a smooth and homogenous mixture.

d. Incorporate ¼ of the egg mixture into the butter and chocolate, by gently folding in with a rubber spatula. Pour this entire mixture back over the remaining ¾ of the eggs, always mixing gently, by starting with the spatula in the center of the bowl, working up the sides and bringing the preparation back down towards the center.

e. Remove the assembled preparation from the refrigerator. Transfer the chocolate mousse to a clean piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe a thin layer of mousse in a spiral into the mould. Place the chocolate cake on top. Using a pastry brush, soak the cake with cocoa syrup.
Fill with remaining chocolate mousse to the top of the mould and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take out of the refrigerator and remove the mould and aluminum foil.
Cover cake with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.

DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE

8. Using a knife, chop the dark chocolate on a cutting board and transfer to a large bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk and sugar to a boil, then pour this hot liquid over the chopped chocolate. Add the butter and combine until smooth. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

9. Place a wire rack on a clean baking sheet.
When the glaze is barely lukewarm, remove cake from the freezer and place on the rack. Remove plastic wrap. Using a ladle, immediately coat the entire cake with glaze. Use a palette knife (or offset spatula) to spread the glaze and smooth the surface. Allow to rest for 2 minutes to set.
Slide the tip of a knife between the cake board and the wire rack to slightly lift the cake. Using the knife, scrape the excess glaze off the bottom and apply chocolate flakes around the base.
Decorate the top with a line of white chocolate and dark chocolate shavings.

The texture was incredible ! The whole process is not too difficult to attempt, just a bit more works.. I think I would make it again only when I got 70% dark chocolate, just to make sure how delicious this recipe can be :)

YUM !

Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin

2011-01-18T18:43:00.009+11:00

There are 2 Thai restaurants managed by foreigner that came up to my mind, Naam & Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin. The first one offers an authentic Thai cuisine whilst the latter one serves you the modern Thai cuisine in degustation style. I told Nut we should start with the fancy one first. Chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Chef Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong from Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen chose to opened their second restaurant at Siam Kempinski Hotel.

Sra Bua offer 3 courses lunch at 1,500++ and 10 courses dinner at 2,400++ at the time we went there (in January 2011). We came here for lunch.

Chilled Lemongrass & Pandan tea, subtle and not too sweet.

'ข้าวเกรียบสาคูกรอบ' Seaweed Tapioca, battered and deep fried seaweed like the Japanese snack.

Nibbling : 'ขนมกรอบถั่วเหลืองเมอร์แรงกับเม็ดมะม่วง' Soy Meringue Roasted Cashews, 'รากบัวกรอบรสมะกรูด' Keffir Lime Leaf Scented Lotus Root and Oyster Dip

The soy meringue was sweet & salty. If you like Tom yum (Thai spicy soup), you will like the lotus root. For me, the oyster dip was the highlight. It tastes like fresh oyster with Thai seafood chilli dipping sauce but in light airy version.

Love it!

Starter: 'ยำกุ้งแม่น้ำกับส้มโอและดอกไม้' Yam goong river prawn salad with pomelo and orchids

Thinly shaved cucumber, daikon, and celery dressed in a spicy dressing added the crunchiness to the dish. First I tasted it "oh, this is spicy !" This made us believed that this place definitely provide us the real Thai flavour, not compromise to the western tongue. However, there were too little pomelo in the dish.

Starter: 'แกงแดงเย็นกับกุ้งมังกร' Gang dang frozen red curry with lobster salad

The way they present the dish made it look a bit messy as you can see the sauce from the lobster at the rim of the plate.

We dig into the middle of the plate and found the red curry ice cream underneath the foam (forgot what flavour of the foam). A little sweet (maybe too sweet for my liking) and spicy as the red curry should be.

Main course: 'ต้มข่านกกระทา' Tom Kha Quail, quail in coconut milk with galangal and mushrooms

There were 2 pieces of quail in different style of cooking; poached breast and confit leg split by super crispy thin skin. The broth was poured by the waitstaff at the table. I am not a big fan of Tom Kha but really enjoy this. The broth was light, flavourful, slight sour and spicy. The meat itself were juicy and chef also gave us a surprise of small pieces of stock jelly at the bottom of the dish.

Main course: 'แกงเขียวหวานปลาแฮรีบัทใส่บีทรูท' Halibut fish in green coconut curry and beetroot

Have you ever seen red green curry? haha. Underneath the foam was green curry and roasted pureed eggplant (which I love) gave a smokiness to the dish. It was quite tasty and need to eat with rice. (We each were served a bowl of rice). The let down thing was the 3 piles of beetroot which were tasteless.

Here come desserts ! I had to admit that I didn't expect about desserts at all. But....

Dessert: 'เค้กกล้วยหอมกับกะทิ' Banana Cake with Salted coconut ice cream and caramelized milk

We were ooh and aah when the huge wooden plate was brought to our table. But it was even better once I tasted the first spoon. Really like this ! The warm banana cake was made from 'Pisang Mas' bananas (กล้วยไข่) which made it more special than normal banana cake. Eating with the salted coconut ice cream and the sauce, Oh my ! Sweet & salty, hot & cold, smooth & crunchy (from the toasted coconut flakes).... What else can I ask for?

Dessert: 'ไอศกรีมชา กิน กิน' Cha Kiin Kiin Jasmine and Earl Grey

While the first dessert was rich and hearty, this one was so light and subtle. The waitstaff told us that the dish consists of Earl grey tea, Thai tea and Jasmine tea. Without asking, we thought that the ice cream was flavoured with Earl grey tea and Thai tea and the white foam was Jasmine tea flavour sprinkle with white chocolate. Another great dessert !

We were so full at this stage but still discussed about having coffee & petit fours (additional 325 Baht++). Finally our gluttony won !

Nut had Doi tung espresso and I had ginger tea.

Petit fours Clockwise - Marshmallow dusted with shredded coconut, White chocolate coated frozen green grape, White chocolate crispy rice, Peanut butter truffle, Coffee macaron (the middle) and Salted & Sichuan pepper chocolate

Sorry to say but they were all disappointing. If I could change, I would stop at the dessert to make the meal happy ending.

Overall, we had a great time enjoy the food which taste authentic but presented in the modern way. I really like the nibbling and the dessert. If they improve their petit four, that would be great !

Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
991/9 Rama I Road, Bangkok, 10330
Tel : +662-162-9000

Ohana Fresh Cafe'

2010-12-05T14:12:00.007+11:00

The best coffee I have had in Bangkok !

As you may know, living in Sydney & Melbourne, 2 seriously good coffee cities creates such a troublesomeness for you to have coffee. Fortunately, many friends of mine recommend me this place since when I was in Sydney.

Walking about 10 minutes from Phrompong BTS, finally you will see the glass-box entry hidden among beautiful greens. The menu is simple; pastas, sandwiches, salads, soups and some homemade style desserts.

As the owner is so into the coffee, of course you gotta try it when you come to Ohana. This was my second time here. The first time I had a skinny cappuccino and a croissant. I tell ya, both were great. The smooth creamy shiny milk froth with an aromatic strong coffee, the french-made buttery, melt in the mouth croissant... heaven ! I immediately thought that I had to take my mum here, she also loves coffee (also I can try more food :P)

A cup of lovely cappuccino ฿90, took the picture from another end of the table... blur.. haha

Mum's flat white ฿90. Not so many cafe in Thailand serve flat white, perfect for the people who don't like lots of milk froth as in Cappuccino and too weak in coffee like latte. (my mum is one of them)

Oh la la.... My mocha ! ฿110

It was the darkest cocoa powder on the coffee I have seen. Once I sip... OMG, sooooo goooooooood ! Not too sweet, just perfect ! I couldn't stop sipping it, finished it in one go.

Ohana also serves a good looking green tea latte and iced coffee, I wanna try as well but can't help myself from not ordering cappuccino or mocha... haha... We did try some food. There are lunch sets which are quite value for money.

Spinach soup

Pumpkin soup

Both soup were not so fancy, quite light and easy to drink.

Spaghetti with chicken & mushroom cream sauce.

mmm.. too light for my liking.

I couldn't remember what this sandwich is -_-'' I think it was roasted beef with ham? Whatever it be, it was so delicious. Love the balance of toasted bread and tasty filling.

Duck confit sandwich with onion marmalade, grilled cos and melted cheese

Looked really good but it would have been done better. The buttery bun would be a lot better if toasted and the duck smell was a bit too strong for me, maybe it was like that only that day.

A not-so-wow brownie. I heard that they do the good waffle, should try next time.

Since then until now, I keep telling people where the best coffee place is.... Now you know :)

Ohana Fresh Cafe
50/4 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Wattana, Bangkok
Tel : +662 661 1930

ISAO Japanese restaurant

2010-12-04T13:56:00.008+11:00

I am always happy when my mum come to Bangkok with me, why? It means I will have chances to go eat at many fancy places with no guilty. Bringing mum to eat a good food, such a great daughter :P

At 5 pm. I was trying to make a booking at Isao, the modern US twist sushi place for 5 at 8 pm. (I know it was a bit late). The other end of the line said that they were fully booked till 8.30 pm. but they will call me back if there are any seats available before that. Mmm... I thought I'd better find another place, don't wanna have dinner that late.

About 7.30 we parked our car and about to enter to another Japanese restaurant. Suddenly my mobile was ringing. Aha... the staff from Isao called to let us know that now they had some seats ready for us. I asked mum whether she mind to go Isao since we were at Sukhumwit 55 and Isao is at Sukhumwit 31. She said just choose the one I want ;)

Finally we were here.

The place is more relaxed homey feel than what I thought, informal style.

The warm welcome from the attentive staff is impressive. We asked for the recommendation and got a detailed explanation of the entire menu. One of us is allergic to prawn, the staff pleased us by making sure that all dishes we ordered had no prawn in.

Seaweed salad ฿100 : marinated seaweed piled upon a bed of cucumber.

An oldy goody.

Gomaae ฿60 : Blanched spinach chilled and served with sweet sesame sauce.

This dish here was a bit different from the one I have had before. Normally the sauce was white, sesame taste. This one was on the sweet side and got miso taste. Still like it.

Fried tofu ฿100

It was hard tofu which I less prefer than the soft one.. but the flavour of the sauce is awesome.

Gy0za ฿100

Mum's the must-order dish in Japanese restaurant. I did not try it but believe it was good.

Vocano ฿250 : Baked scallop in spicy sauce. (sorry for the blur picture)

It was a bit sweet and spicy yet so creamy. Not everyone's cup of tea but I do not mind :)

Winter ฿250 : Ebi, crab meat, spinach, avocado, kaiware, carrot, daikon, wrapped with cucumber sheet served with miso sauce.

Really like it, super refreshing. First I was a bit worried about the crab meat that gonna be fishy but it was not. Love the crunchiness of the cucumber and all those fresh ingredients.

Sushi sandwich ฿300 : Spicy Tuna and Salmon stuffed between layered of sushi rice with tempura batter, ebiko and scallion.

My mum who is not a raw food fan, however, really like this dish. The crunchy of the tempura batter, the fresh soft texture of the fish and their special sauce easily win one's mind.

Dragon ฿ 420 : Prawn tempura, ebiko, crab meat and cucumber wrapped with fresh water eel and avocado.

My all time favourite, eel & avocado, how can this combination go wrong?

Chicago spicy crazy ฿ 295 : Salmon, tuna, white fish, avocado, scallion with ebiko.

I don't think I detected the spiciness, nevertheless, it was nice as it should be.

Spider ฿290 : Soft shell crab roll with avocado and ebiko.

Most of the time I eat sushi roll, I tent to order Dragon & Spider. Juicy crispy soft shell crab... yum !

Blurry me and my mum

Mum's young friends ... hehe

ISAO Japanese Restaurant
5 Sukhumvit 31. Khlong Tan Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel : +662-258-0645

THANN Boutique Cafe

2010-12-01T11:51:00.005+11:00

Thann is a famous brand for a spa product, the cafe is also very impressive with the decoration of myriad cardboard leaves

The place makes me feel calm and relax.

We came here for an afternoon tea, sadly looking at the cakes display, not many cakes were there.

N'Dream had a cup of tea. I couldn't remember, maybe it was an earl grey.

I, of course, opted for a cappuccino. Not too bad.

Brownie Trifle caught our eyes, it looked very attractive among all those typical cakes. The chocolate brownie & chocolate sauce at the bottom, white chocolate custard and whipped cream. Once my spoon dig through the whipped cream, I felt it was interesting, I even took the picture of the cream before I tasted it, it looked very different from whatever cream I had ever seen. After we tried that whipped cream..... speechless. It got the weird gritty texture, imagine the over whipped cream that the fat & the water separated, fold-in nuts into it, even worse. The rest of the dessert was okey though. We asked the waitstaff about the cream (it was that bad) and we were more surprised to know that it was their signature dessert and the weird texture whipped cream is the chef's intention o_O

Sorry we couldn't eat it, the waitstaff was professional enough unexpectedly offering us a brownie instead.

Luckily the Blueberry cheese pie was well-balanced flavour.

The brownie with a too icy vanilla ice cream

Sorry, are we too picky? Maybe we expected a lot more from this hi-class place. By the way, my friend told me that the food there is sensational. Okey, we chose the wrong thing.

THANN Boutique Cafe
1/F Gaysorn Plaza 999 Ploenchit Rd., Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel : 66 2656 1061