SG | Hai Tai Honey Tong Tong Potato Snack

Another fad I've noticed here in Singapore is the rise in popularity of Korean snacks. Sure entertainment, cosmetics, and fashion have been prevalent here even before; but nowadays, I find that their snacks have also created quite a huge following, with most major department stores carrying all types of Korean goodies.

The more recent one I've bought are these Hai Tai Honey Tong Tong potato chips.

SG | Drinking Chocolate m&m's

Everybody loves m&m's!  What's not to like?  They're chocolatey with a colourful shell.  Truly addictive!  I'm a fan!

So imagine my surprise when I came across this bottle while grocery shopping -- a chocolate m&m's drink!

SG | Chir Chir 치르치르

Is it just me or does it seem there are a lot of Korean chicken places sprouting up here in Singapore?  Case in point, Chir Chir 치르치르.

SG | Toast Box Ham and Cheese Set

Breakfast is an indulgence for me.  Mainly because I am super lazy to have breakfast.  But when I do, there is no better start to your mornings than with Toast Box's ham and cheese toast set.

Similar to their Kaya toast set, this one comes with your choice of drink (kopi -- coffee with condensed and evap milk -- all the way!) and 2 soft-boiled eggs. A set costs S$7.10 (Php241.40).

Yummy! Even the Daughter is fan.  😃

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Toast Box
W     http://www.toastbox.com.sg/

SG | Saizeriya

You can never tell but this Italian restaurant has its roots in Japan.  Called Saizeriya,  this cozy restaurant sells affordable Italian cuisine. 

SG | Irvins Salted Egg Potato and Fish Skin Chips

I must admit, after my 1st taste of a salted egg potato chip a few months back, I have been a bit hesitant of trying out another one of those things (read about my The Golden Duck's Salted Egg Yolk Potato Chip review here).

In a nutshell, my previous experience was nothing much to hark about and left me feeling solely cheated (these salted egg chips don't come cheap, you know!)  So imagine my surprise when the Husband brought back home a bag of the same kind of chips.  This time, though, it came from Irvins.

SG | Jamie's Italian

Singapore does not lack of celebrity chefs opening shop here.  Jamie Oliver is no exception.  This well-known British chef has brought his Jamie's Italian brand to the good people of the Lion City back in 2013.

SG | Carol Mel Cafe

My work is located in a small industrial area in Singapore.  Not really in the Central Business District (CBD), but still considered a bit in the Central area.

Now there are definitely advantages to this.  Mainly is that I can eat lunch on the cheap.  Compared to the Husband, whose office is located right smack in the CBD area and whose lunch costs anywhere from S$10.00 to 15.00 (approx Php340.00 to 510.00), my lunch can cost as little as S$3.00 (Php102.00).

This is all fine and well most of the time; but there are days when I'm craving for a bit more variety (and am in a slightly more generous mood).  In cases like these, I head on over to The Commerz building (about 3 blocks from the office) and grab a bite from one of the restaurants there.

It was on one particularly generous mood (that plus the Husband meeting me on those rare occasions for weekday lunch together) that we decided to try Carol Mel cafe.

SG | Fiesta Filipino

For an OFW, any food that reminds me of home is heaven-sent.  Simply put, it drives the homesickness at bay (for a few days, at least).

I'm not usually picky when it comes to choosing a Filipino restaurant to dine in here in Singapore.  Hey, Filipino food is Filipino food even if it doesn't exactly taste the way I am used to.  Because like all restaurants, there are the great ones and the not-so-good ones.

I wasn't picky, that is, until I tried Filipino Fiesta.

SG | CoCo ICHIBANYA

Japanese businesses thrive here in Singapore.  Shops/fashion, food -- they are all well-received.  So when CoCo ICHIBANYA came to these shores, it was no surprise they'd be packed!

Coco Ichibanya

SG | Monster Curry

I love curry!  You see, like most Filipinos, my curry exposure (then) was limited to a milder local version my dad used to cook back home.  It was usually with chicken, loaded with potatoes and carrots, and had runny, less spicy curry sauce.

Another one was the Japanese kind.  Sweet, thick demi-glace sauce that came in a convenient pack that coats each delicious meat and morsel to perfection.  These 2 types where what I grew up eating.

But ever since moving to Singapore and being introduced to the real, authentic kind from India by my office mates, my palette has since changed.  I eventually got used to the spiciness and have since enjoyed its rich, bold flavor.  I've come to crave it so much, that I once ate a curry dish 5x a week for month!  (I swear I would never find a cheap an affordable Indian restaurant back home; but here in Singapore, it's in almost every hawker centre!  I'm so lovin' it!!!)

But the Little Girl is (still) not a fan of spicy curry.  So to slowly introduce her to it, we brought her to try the Japanese kind at Monster Curry.

Monster Curry

SG | Chic-a-boo Fried Chicken

When you have a kid, fried chicken is always a surefire hit, albeit a bit on the unhealthy side.  Not something a good parent will always serve, but when out and about and wanting a fuss-free meal with the kiddo, we go fried fowl.

And so it was after the Little Girl's (a.k.a The Little One) gym class, we decided on getting a piece at Chic-a-boo Fried Chicken.

Chic-a-boo Fried Chicken

SG | Tamago Gani Snack

Ok, not really a snack locally made in Singapore but it is in one of the country's numerous Expo sales that stumbled upon the Tamago Gani snack.  Thought they looked for adoringly unusual that I just had to buy a bag and blog about it!

Tamago Gani

SG | Tom's Palette

Ice cream is just one of those desserts that will never run out of style.  You'd be hard pressed to find someone who is not a fan.  So it's no surprise that ice cream parlors are a dime a dozen, especially in tropical countries like Singapore.

So how can you stand out from the crowd?  Make your own ice cream flavors, of course!  And Tom's Palette is an expert of such original creations.

Tom's Palatte

SG | The Golden Duck's Gourmet Salted Egg Yolk Potato Chips

A fairly recent food fad spreading over Singapore is the salted egg anything.  Yes, you've heard me right.  Itlog na maalat in our shores.

Sure, it's not really such a new thing for us but here, salted egg sauce is dished on to almost every imaginable thing.  It's made its appearance in paos, McDonald's burgers, and, my personal fave, Breadtalk croissants, among others.

Why is it so popular?  In the right hands, salted egg sauce provides the perfect combination of sweet and salty, making it a tasty accompaniment to various dishes.

One of the more famous egg salted covered eats to come out of this fad is the salted egg yolk potato chip.   And here in Singapore, one of more well-know brands is by The Golden Duck.

The Golden Duck's Gourmet Salted Egg Yolk Potato Chips

SG | Quick Bites | SWAG (Salad, Wraps and Greens)

NOTE: Quick Bites are short posts about anything and everything; on things I don't exactly have much information on but have photos or short snippets I want to share.

SWAG, short for Salads, Wraps and Greens, is truly heaven-sent for those of us working near the industrial area surrounding the Tai Seng MRT station here in Singapore.

Sure hawker centres (local food stalls) are a dime a dozen in the area, but nothing sure beats the crunch of fresh vegetables during lunchtime.

SWAG's Ceasar Chicken Wrap

My fave is the Ceasar Chicken Wrap.  At S$10.50 an order (of which I will almost always order a soup of the day side, too, making my total bill a high of S$13.50), it's something my budget can't allow everyday (my lunchtime fare would usually be something from home or some good old hawker staple costing me S$5.00 or less).  But on days when I'm feeling especially wanting a health kick, I sacrifice the moolah for this one enjoyable healthy lunchtime treat.

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SWAG (Salad, Wraps and Greens)
The Commerze @ Irving 
1 Irving Place #01-26 
Singapore 369546
T:     +65 6941 6126
W:   http://swag.oddle.me/

SG | Quick Bites | AnnaBella Pâtisserie's Macarons

NOTE: Quick Bites are short posts about anything and everything; on things I don't exactly have much information on but have photos or short snippets I want to share.

AnnaBella Pâtisserie is a Singapore-based, Japanese-French-inspired bakery well-known for their macarons.

AnnaBella Pâtisserie's Macarons

SG | Quick Bites | Kueh Lapis

Nonya Kueh are local bite-sized delicacies sold in Malaysia and Singapore. Think their equivalent to our native kakanin (they use a lot of asian ingredients like coconut milk, rice).   These tasty snacks are great options for merienda or whenever you feel like having a sweet treat (although, there are also savoury types).

My favorites?  

Rainbow Lapis (top and bottom) - think sapin-sapin.  Tastes exactly as such but is not as chewy.

 

Nonya Kueh

 

Kueh Salak (middle) - a rectangular layered block of pandan custard and coconut rice cakes.  The pandan part is the sweeter of the 2 and has a thick pudding-like texture.  The other part, is a mix of coconut cream rice flour and sugar (among others).  My way of eating it is to have a bit of both portions in one bite. 

Yummy!

SG | Quick Bites | Dimsum at Tanjong Rhu Pau & Confectionery

NOTE: Quick Bites are short posts about anything and everything; on things I don't exactly have much information on but have photos or short snippets I want to share.

Two blocks away from our place here in Singapore is a quaint little dim sum shop called Tanjong Rhu Pau & Confectionery.  It's a small place, no seating inside and only take-away (or take-out in our part of the world) allowed.

My favorites?  Their Char Siew Pau (or asado siopao), big Chicken Pau, Siew Mai (siomai) and those green meat and chives rolls (not sure what they're called).

Assorted dimsum

Their food's so good, it's no wonder there's always a line of people.  Warning: they charge a bit higher than most neighborhood dim sum shops (S$1.40 for a "big" chicken pao but you definitely get more meat than dough) and the staff are moody (depending on the day, I guess).  But all in all, so worth it!

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Tanjong Rhu Pau & Confectionery
389 Guillemard Road
Singapore 399788

SG | Quick Bites | Emporium Shokuhin

NOTE: Quick Bites are short posts about anything and everything; on things I don't exactly have much information on but have photos or short snippets I want to share.

Emporium Shokuhin -- an integrated Japanese Emporium with a grocery store (selling mainly Japanese goods) and 8 restaurants.

The cafe's where we go to mostly.  Called Kohi Koji, they sell parties, cakes and drinks.  Offerings are ok, but the presentation's superb!

Emporium Shokuhin

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Emporium Shokuhin
6 Raffles Avenue #01-18 Marina Square
Singapore 039594
T     +65 6224 3433
E     contactus@emporiumshokuhin.com.sg
W    http://www.emporiumshokuhin.com.sg