Dumpling Festival (or Duan Wu Jie) is an important date on the Chinese lunar calendar. It is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The legend of the Dumpling festival lives on at Man Fu Yuan, as the hotel celebrate the tradition of ‘Duan Wu Jie’ with a distinctive collection of rice dumplings created by Dim Sum Chef Simon Poon, filled with premium ingredients and unique flavours for every generation, available from 13 May to 12 June 2013.

Inspired by InterContinental Singapore’s Peranakan heritage, the newly created Babi Pongteh Dumpling (娘惹猪肉粽, $8.80+ per piece) is filled with the well-loved Nyonya speciality of braised pork with fermented soy bean paste, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of gula Melaka – Babi Pongteh, producing a wonderfully rich and sweet tender meat, well-paired with the flavourful glutinous rice.

Returning again by popular demand is Man Fu Yuan’s best-selling XO Sauce Nyonya Dumpling (XO娘惹粽, $8.80+ per piece). The irresistibly fragrant and aromatic bundle is filled with generous portions of roasted pork, marinated in our special homemade X.O. sauce, together with sweetened strips of winter melon and dried shrimp.

Not to be missed is their signature luxurious offering – Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Goose Web in Abalone Sauce (鲍汁鹅掌粽, $12.80+ per piece). Made with premium gelatinous goose web imported from France, glutinous rice is lightly tossed in abalone sauce to soak in its rich flavour, then wrapped together with other traditional Chinese delicacies such as pork belly, peanut, mushroom.

The all-time favourite, Traditional Pork Dumpling (咸肉炒米粽, $8.80+ per piece) will be made available as well. Savoury roasted pork and braised pork belly is complemented with green bean, chestnut and salted egg, all embedded in a bed of glutinous rice.

And unravel the ultimate feast in a bundle with Man Fu Yuan Jumbo Dumpling (满福苑裹蒸粽, $24.80+ per piece), packed with bountiful Chinese delicacies that include roasted duck and pork, pork belly, chestnut, green bean, mushroom, dried scallop and salted egg yolk, ideal for sharing with loved ones and family.

Pair the delicious dumplings with Man Fu Yuan’s signature Five Elements Tea or range of fine teas like Royal Red Robe and Wuyi Royal Daffodil, and make this Dumpling Festival a truly memorable one.

And if you are planning for large family gatherings or corporate celebrations this season, Man Fu Yuan’s grand dining table seats up to 30 guests comfortably in a spacious and elegant suite. Customise your menu according to your tastes and enjoy the festive mood with everyone around the table (minimum spend applies).

For enquiries and purchases, please contact Man Fu Yuan at +65 6825 1062 or via email sinhbmanfu@ihg.com

But often, the stories from these restaurant owners are the most inspiring one and demonstrate that anyone can open a restaurant if they put their mind to it, have a good plan and are persistent enough to overcome the challenges they will face along the way.

For Tien Garden, it is founded by Gen Y entrepreneur, Sharon Tan, with a die hard passion for food. Guess what’s her previous job? She works in the finance industry! Fortunately, her parents used to be doing F&B in food court, so she kinda have the F&B business sense. And Sharon definitely knows what attract customers is the quality of food. Hence, she invited ex Red House chef to join the team and created a range of delicious Chinese favourites.

We don’t eat ribs with coffee, but when the two ingredients come together, the sparks they create is amazing. The ribs are marined with coffee, honey and other secret ingredients and when stir fried, it retains an attractive reddish brown colour. Tien’s Almond Coffe Rib (small $12, medium $18, large $24) has a good bite. The meat holds gently to the bone but is tender enough.

Sauteed Prawns with Pumpkin Sauce (small $20, medium $30, large $40) may not be the best I have eaten, but it tastes pretty good. The thick pumpkin sauce is well coated around the prawns. It’s a pity there wasn’t any deep fried curry leaves or chilli in it, it would have provided a punch if any of those were added.

Even though Tien does not make their own tofu, but the texture in every mouthful of Braised Beancurd with Minced Pork (small $12, medium $18, large $24) make this a great dish to order. Their tofu is expertly fried and smothered with stir-fried minced pork sauce. Yes their tofu is not super smooth, but their tasty sauce makes up for everything.

When it comes to salted egg crabs, I prefer the wet version where I can actually spoon up the sauce. So when Tien Garden Special Salted Egg Crab (market price) came, I was slightly disappointed. But when I had a bite of it, I couldn’t stop. Big chunks of meaty crabs fried with salted egg. The addition of crispy eggs over the dish gives it interesting texture.

Vegetables with Preserved Egg (small $10, medium $15, large $20) has Chinese spinach cooked with century egg, egg and salted egg. Together with the three very different eggs, the flavour of the spinach is brought to a whole new level, enhancing it amidst the saltiness and creaminess of the eggs.

Yam paste with gingko nut ($4/pax) is smooth, soft yet sticky. You can enjoy free dessert when you dine at Tien Garden.

Thank you Sharon and boyfriend for hosting us. There is free wifi in the restaurant and customers can purchase their VIP card at $32 and get a $50 voucher with no minimum spending. The VIP card entitles you to 10% discount.

Sharon and team’s dedication is unwavering. And I must say I really enjoy the food here. Great for family gatherings, I will be back!

Tien Garden
Address：351 Changi Road, Lor Marzuki, Singapore
Tel: 6746 5088
Opening hours: Tues to Sun 11 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm

If you would like to try the dishes at Tien Garden, here’s your chance! Thanks to Tien Garden, THREE lucky readers will walk away with a $30 dining voucher each. No minimum spending required. All you have to to is answer this simple question:

Question: Where is Tien Garden located?

Giveaway ends on 24 May 2013 (Friday), 23:59. A random generator will be used, everyone has an equal chance of winning. Winners will be notified by email.

Just beside Boon Keng MRT, there is this famous bak kut teh stall called “Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh”. Frankly, I will never know about this place if not for RJ. I met her for lunch one day and she told me about this famous bak kut teh stall in Whampoa. So we decided to check it out.

This stall is located in a coffee shop, and the business is good especially during lunch time and weekends. Our lunch there includes two bowls of bak kut teh, you tiao, braised pork trotters and preserved vegetables.

I am quite extreme when it comes to bak kut teh. I love those that is super peppery or those which is super herbal. Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh was too bland for my liking. The teochew style soup is clear, but not peppery. Instead, the soup was pretty sweet with tender and succulent ribs, good for those who prefer less peppery soup.

Although Lau Ah Tee’s bak kut teh isn’t to my liking, I enjoy its pork trotter is very tender and well-braised. I chose the less fatty variation which was surprisingly soft and easily removed from the bones.

We also had the preserved vegetables which is stewed just right for the nice crunch and not too salty. There is also steamed fish wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed squid which is quite rare in bak kut teh stalls.

By the way, these photos are taken using my iPhone. Pardon the blur images.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh
Address: Block 34 Whampoa West #01-67
Opening hours: 7am – 3pm daily (Closed Monday)

Nestled in the heart of foodie haven, 21 on Rajah is a vibrant new restaurant at the Days Hotel Singapore. The restaurant marries the best of nature and modern architecture with a menu of wholesome and hearty Mediterranean cuisine coupled with local favourites and South East Asian delights at affordable prices.

The restaurant has launched a delicious Sunday brunch inspired by Mediterranean flavours. There are unlimited servings of appetizers, hot dishes, desserts available from the homely kitchen counters.

Diners can begin with the appetiser buffet of salads, cold cuts, soups served in tasteful portions as well as the seafood highlights such as fresh prawns and mussels on ice. Enjoy ham on honeydew, crab salad, potato salad, cold pasta etc.

The hot dishes are not very extensive, but there are adequate and delicious. For example, the Lamb Navarin is a beautiful classic lamb stew with sweet carrots. There is also paella which boasts fresh seafood and the use of fresh herbs and spices. You can also request for freshly cooked pastas from the kitchen.

Being a egg lover, I hop to the Egg Station immediately. There is a choice of omelette, sunny side up and egg benedict for you to choose from. Condiments include onion, tomatoes, mushroom, ham, cheese, parsley.

Love their waffles and it will taste better if they are hot! Must-trys include the custard in a cup and kueh lapis. End your meal with FREE FLOW Sangria, a flavoured wine punch that is commonly found on the tables of diners in Spain, Argentina and
Portugal.

After a scrumptious meal, bring your kids to watch the magic show!

The sumptuous Mediterranean buffet costs $38++ for adults and $19++ for children (7 – 12 years old) with free flow of chilled juices and Sangria selection at the Bar. At $58++ per person, brunch comes with free flow of sparkling wine. Children under the age of 6 dine for free.

Days Hotel is also offering Sunday Brunch Staycation at only $198++ inclusive of a night stay at Days City View Room, Sunday Brunch for 2 at 21 on Rajah, and guaranteed late check out at 3pm.

Mediterranean Sunday Brunch
Address: 1 Jalan Rajah Road, Lobby of Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park
Reservations: + 65 6808 6838
Website: http://www.21onrajah.com

Hello world, it’s bento time again! Got a Pink Animal Rice Mould ($17) from Jmama&Baby, so I made something really simple. Received some emails from parents asking about bento making, so I thought I can use this chance to answer some of them!

Q: How long did you take to make the bentos?
I took about 15 minutes to make, about 15 minutes to shoot. If you are going to make bento for your kids in the morning, you definitely want to get it done within 15 minutes or so. But you don’t want to just do a normal looking bento for your child, so these moulds come in handy.

Q: Do you use any tools?
Yes, besides the moulds, I use bento knives and bento scissors to cut the nori and stick it to the rice. Also, I use a face cutter to punch out the emotions from the seaweed.

Q: How do you know what ingredients to add in?
Depending on what you want your kids to eat. For me, because I make it for the boyfriend or myself, I will put what I want to eat. In this case, I had indian rojak. The rule is, try not to have soup or something with too much sauce. Because by the time you start eating, all your food will turn soggy.

I don’t have much time to do nice colouring for the rice, so I make do with whatever I can find in the kitchen then. Anyway, I am just going to mix them up and eat altogether. Because the moulds doesn’t come with face cutter, so you can put on your creativity cap and stick any expressions you want!

Hope you like my bento!

In Japanese cuisine, yoshoku refers to a style of Western-influenced cooking. Best known for its Yoshoku-style Japanese cuisine, Shokudo Japanese Coffee House has introduced a revamped menu with over 130 items treat their diners to a delicious trip down oishii lane. With sections from Conversation Starters, Bites of Life, Fushion Favourites, Hearty Specials and the most spectacular Oishii Japan, diners are in for a delicious treat ranging from snacks to mains and lip-smacking desserts.

Our lunch started with Ebi Tempura and Mango Haru Maki ($9.80). Wrapped in Japanese rice paper instead of the usual seaweed wrap, the tempura prawns were crispy. Couldn’t really taste the mango in the salad though, my mouth was full of lettuce.

Japanese Mushroom Soup ($6.80) has shiitake mushrooms in smooth creamy bonito broth.

I love their Hakodate Seafood Cheese Pizza ($13.80) with generous amount of scallops, squid, prawns and clams on cheesy crispy pizza. The pizza was so cheesy and its crust so thin and infused with flavours and texture. It is good as a snack. If you prefer something hawaiian, go for their Aloha Sausage Cheese Pizza ($11.80) with pineapple and chicken sausages on cheesy crispy pizza.

Some worth trying appetizers include Tamago Tofu ($5.80) and Shokudo Uzu Chicken Wing ($7.80). Similar to Agedashi Tofu, Shokudo’s Tamago Tofu has deep fried egg tofu rolled with bonito flakes and topped with fish roe. The home made yuzu marinated chicken wings is refreshing and served with wasabi mayonnaise.

A notable new highlight that will blow away all curry lovers, is the Mount Fuji Curry Omu Rice ($16.80) which features Shokudo’s very own omelette rice topped with thick beef patty, cheese and greens soaked in their signature Japanese curry served with potato salad and pickles. The curry is slightly sweeter and of a thicker consistency.

Unagi Rice Burger ($12.80) has grilled unagi layered with lettuce and egg on rice burger. Unagi has wonderful melt-in-the-mouth textures and the delicious smokey sweetness of the teriyaki sauce that covers it.

I thought their Tonakastu Donburi ($14.80) can be better. The deep fried pork cutlet did not have a beautiful crunch and the meat was not juicy. Other donburi choices include Tori Teriyaki, Unatama, Buta and Tori Karaage.

Lunch ended with Shokudo Original Tofu Cheese Cake ($5.80). The cheesecake was exquisitely light and delectable coupled with the firm crumbly biscuit base, and drizzled with some strawberry sauce. To beat the heat, try their Iced Lychee Float (S$5.80).

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House
Address: Bugis Junction #01-53
Tel: 6338 9216
Opening Hours:
11.30am to 11.00pm (Sunday to Thursday)
11.30am to 12 Midnight (Friday & Saturday, Eve of PH)

Other outlet:
Address: Cathay Cineleisure Orchard #02-06A/B
Tel: 6736 0971
Opening Hours:
11.30am to 2.00am (Sunday to Thursday)
11.30am to 3.00am (Friday, Saturday & Eve of PH)

If you are a fan of Shokudo Japanese Coffee House or would love to try their new dishes. Here’s your chance! Thanks to Shokudo Japanese Coffee House, I am giving away $30 dining vouchers (with NO minimum spending) to THREE lucky readers. All you have to do is to answer a simple question:

Question: Name a dish you would like to try in Shokudo Japanese Coffee House.

Giveaway ends on 16 May 2013 (Thursday) 2359. A random generator will be used, everyone has an equal chance of winning. Winners will be notified by email.

mio TV celebrates five years and 400 000 households. To share their appreciation and thanks, they’re bringing what their subscribers love to life. In this installment, mio TV is offering a lucky subscriber a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong. 3D2N return tickets and accommodation included.

All you have to do is whip up their own crazy food creations, take a picture, and tell them what the meal is. The top 5 most bizarre food art will be shortlisted and invited to a showdown, with the Judges’ top pick winning a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong.

We have always been wanting to dine in Chef Alvin’s Bo Innovation because we really admire this molecular cooking method. The only time I tried his dishes was in Savour 2013 where I had the Molecular Xiao Long Bao and Bo Chicken Rice with Abalone Jelly. So I am excited about this and hope to win!

The boyfriend was suggesting me to cook bak kut teh jelly (inspired from Chef Alvin’s abalone jelly) and I think he thinks too highly of his girlfriend who knows nuts of molecular cuisine! It made me ponder for a day how to make the jelly! In the end, I decided to dump his idea and do what I do best – BENTO.

I always wanted to do a Cartoon Psy Bento and after doing some research, I did it. Before that, it’s time to do some cooking! Found some remaining Japanese curry cubes in the fridge and decided to cook it with potatoes, carrots and chicken. Definitely very easy to do and sauce and carrot makes it very sweet!

Ingredients (Serves 2):
4 Japanese curry cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut to small chunks
1 potato, peeled and cut to small chunks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
200 to 300g boneless chicken fillet, cut to large chunks
3 tbsp cooking oil
700ml water

Method:
1. Heat wok with oil. Sauteed onions till soft.
2. Add in chicken chunk and stir fry till cooked.
3. Add potato and carrot, mix evenly.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add in Japanese curry cubes. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Note: You have to be careful for burning the curry. Because the potatoes and curry will make the curry thick and starchy, so do not simmer for too long.

Bento making:
1. Add some tomato sauce into rice, mix well.
2. Separate into 1 big portion and 2 small portions. Make the face and 2 hands.
3. Cut out the sunglasses, hair and nose from nori. Cut out the mouth using cheese.
4. Slowly pour the Japanese curry into the plate.

Here’s my creation!

So if you want to meet and dine with 2- Michelin star chef Alvin Leung in Hong Kong, send in your wacky food creations HERE.

Top five more bizzare food art will be shortlisted and invited to a showdown, with the Judges’ top pick winning a pair of tickets to dine with Alvin Leung in Hong Kong. 3D2N return ticket and accommodation included.

Join join join or you can VOTE FOR ME LAH! I WANT TO WIN!

Tunglok’s first-ever Harmony Treasure Bowl contains 16 ingredients: Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Fish-Paste Gluten, Kampong Chicken, Deep-fried Fish Maw, Scallops, Prawns, Bean Dough, Smoked Duck Breast, Vegetarian Gluten, Yam, Winter Melon, Chinese Cabbage, Chestnuts, Edemame Beans and Red Dates. It is filled with an abundance of the freshest seafood and selected savoury delicacies, perfect for the whole family! Price: $198+ (for 6 persons) and $338+ (for 10 persons).

If you have a big family, purchase the Mother’s Day Take-Home Set this year includes Harmony Treasure Bowl, Fried Fragrant Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaf, Braised Pork Shank, Longevity Buns with Salted Egg Yolk Filling and two bottles of TungLok X.O. Sauce. Price: $288+ (for 6 persons) and $428+ (for ten persons).

The Harmony Treasure Bowl and Mother’s Day Take-Home Set are available from 1 to 12 May 2013 (while stocks last) at all TungLok restaurants (except Tóng Lè Private Dining, Garuda Padang Cuisine and Ruyi).

In addition, the restaurants under the group is also having dine-in Mother’s Day set menus. Visit http://www.tunglok.com for more information.

When you miss your mother’s homecooked food, what do you do? For Momma Kong’s owner Edmund Kong, he attempted to recreate his mother’s recipe and hence, Momma Kong was born.

Crab lovers should give Momma Kong a try. This local Singaporean restaurant located in Chinatown offers a relaxed and laid back setting while guests savour on local crab delicacies such as Black Pepper Crabs, Steamed Crabs and Momma Kong’s signature Crab Bee Hoon soup.

What comes next after triple date? Well, Nadia, Charlene, Derrick and I had a quadruple date with our partners at Momma Kong one Friday evening. Eating crabs is definitely not something top of my list actually. The thought of having to make a mess, biting the crab shells, dirtying my hands makes me stay away from crabs. But having read about the reviews in Business Times, I thought I should give this a try!

Our dinner started with Deep Fried Ikan Bilis (anchovies, $6) mixed with either a selection of homemade chilli sauces of sambal chilli paste or belachan paste. The ikan bilis look like a humble dish but it is crispy and crunchy.

If you love spicy and tangy snacks, you can also try their Top Shells ($15) which is a can full of escargots topps with chilli padi this is mixed with fresh onions, sesame oil, lemon and some other secret ingredients. This can be very addictive.

It is said crabs are best enjoyed steamed so as to let you taste the sweetness of the meat. The Steamed Crab ($38, $110 for 3) here are so fresh and is comes with fragrant Huadiao wine, its flesh extremely chunky and the flavour intense. Each dish has about 650g of pre-cooked Sri Lankan mud crab, which is enough for two ladies. Or if you are hungry, you can probably finish one all by yourself.

Black Pepper Crab ($38, $110 for 3) is the winner among our friends. The addictive black pepper sauce is potent but I thought it was too numbing for me that I can’t taste the sweetness of the crabmeat.

Momma Kong’s Crab Bee Hoon Soup ($38, $110 for 3) is a hit for me. The thick vermicelli absorbs the superior stock with Huadiao wine and definitely a hot favourite during rainy days. The crabs were medium-sized, sweet and meaty and can probably feed two pax.

You probably also want to try their Chilli Crab ($38, $110 for 3) because they have very shiok fried man tou ($1.50 each, minimum 2 pcs). The crabs are bathed in a bright red, sweet yet mild spicy gravy. I wished they have more gravy, I have a hard time digging for gravy for my man tou.

One interesting note, Momma Kong also sell frozen crabs and require just minutes in the microwave. And the restaurant serves alcohol! So you can spend your dinner and the rest of the night at Momma Kong, chilling out, eating crabs, drinking beer.

Momma Kong’s Crab Shack
Address: 34 Mosque Street
Tel: 6225 2722
Opens 6pm to midnight; closed on Mondays

I hate farewells, especially for someone close to my heart. After bidding farewell to a colleague last month at Bistro Du Vin, I bidded farewell to another colleague last week and lunch was at You Huak Restaurant eating their famous Sembawang White Bee Hoon.

This colleague of mine is a dear to me. I started from a newbie and she gave me lotsa advice along the way. The 4 years of commaderie is precious and it’s hard to find the words of appreciation to say as there are lots that come to mind. But I am happy for her and I am sure all the good things will come her way and our friendship will never end.

How nice isn’t it? To have colleagues become friends. I like this kind of relationship, rather than having to draw a line between colleagues.

Although it is not a joyous occassion for me having to fight the battle alone next time, we still must eat something good to reward ourselves. So we are here for their sedap Seafood White Beehoon (small $4.50, medium $8, large $10).

We decided to have lunch because it is forever super long queue at night. The white bee hoon may look very plain, but trust me, the noodles are full of flavour! Squeeze some lime onto it, mix well and enjoy! The broth is very rich and thick which makes you wanting to have more. They are generous with their ingredients as well. We have prawns, squid, egg, vegetables all soaked up nicely in the stock.

The meat and seafood rolls (small $10, medium $15, large $20) are also done well. It is juicy and crunchy. It comes with a sweet chilli dip which makes the hei zou more tasty. But actually I like to eat without the sauce.

Sambal La-La (small $9, medium $13, large $18) comes with a sweetish sambal taste which makes it easy to eat the lala without having to wipe off any sweat or drink too much water.

They really make nice sambal. Take a look at their Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves (small $7, medium $10, large $12), the amount of sambal they put in, not the spicest I’ve tried but spicy enough and has a kick!

You Huak Restaurant
Address: 22 Jalan Tampang
Tel: 98434699