I dare say Alt. Pizza serves some of the best pizzas in Singapore, if thin crust ones with a variety of creative toppings are what you are looking for.

Alt. Pizza – short for ‘Alternative’ – is indeed befitting of its name. Executive Chef Matthew White spent months experimenting to create this dough, ending up with bases that were thin and crusty, yet still retaining a layer of chewiness.

While I am personally used to pizzas for sharing, Alt.’s concept of individual portioned 11” pizza should appeal to many. Initially I thought that an entire pizza on my own would be too filling, but the lightness assured I did not end up feeling too greasy.

The pizza bar, located at the newly revamped Suntec City Tower 4, had a vibrant vibes in the day, with a contrasting chill out ambience with signature craft beers at night.

The energy was ‘New-Yorky’, and thus I was surprised that prices were wallet friendly – $12 to $16 for each pizza.

Being a meat-lover, I was divergently attracted to the colours of Lean & Green ($12) and ordered one vegetarian pizza, topped with baby spinach, roasted squash, basil, broccoli, feta and roasted garlic pesto.

It was my favourite choice that meal, as the sweet freshness of the vegetables and clever mix of sauces made the pizza upliftingly tasty.

I could imagine many customers to like Truffle Shuffle ($14) best, a white sauce based pizza with fennel sausage, roasted mushrooms and onions, drizzled with aromatic white truffle oil. Are you salivating yet? You could jolly smell the fragrance between it arrived.

If creativity is in your blood, or you want to have fun experimenting, I would highly recommend the DIY Pizzas. The ‘Design It Yourself’ options start with $8, with each additional topping costing between $2-$5.

My choice – A White Anchovies, Blue Crab, Blue Cheese, with White Sauce. Wasn’t difficult to see what I am getting at. Using my favourite colours, I wanted to envisage how a White Pizza would turn out to be like. The creation unexpectedly was not too bad, especially if you enjoy a seafood-y taste.

Save some space for their “Frills with Thrills” starters, including hot sauce tossed, beer-brined wings ($12), short rib meatballs ($12), and calamari fritti ($10).

Did I not mention the Pizza Doughnuts ($8) with NUTELLA dipping sauce? Get someone to share the calories, if not you may end up finishing the whole bowl by yourself.

* One-for-One promo for the month of September at Alt.Pizza!
• A free pizza with the purchase of any pizza (higher priced pizza will be charged)
• Available all day, every Saturday and Sunday this September
• No other terms and conditions

Alt. Pizza
Suntec City Tower 4 #01-603, 3 Temasek Boulevard Singapore 038983
https://www.facebook.com/AltPizza
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily (Last order 9:30pm)

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Alt. Pizza.

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Finally, something different, and something I always imagined, La’coffee (which sounds like la kopi in Hokkien) serves traditional coffee and toast in a ‘Western’ style indie café.

If you have tried their Kaya Loti ($3.50), you would find it suspiciously similar to what Yakun is offering – the thin, brown, crispy bread. Apparently, the current owner is the daughter of a consultant to Yakun.

The difference between the two was less than apparent, though La’coffee’s kaya was sweeter and offers options of otah and egg mayo.

Here’s my gripe: Initially, I thought that the price point and vibes made it a worthwhile place to visit, toast was at $2.00, eggs $150, egg mayo toast $3.00. In a manner of less than two weeks, the prices were ‘tweaked’ to $3.50, $2.50 and $4.50. Pretty significant increase. (I hope it is not because of the rental of an auspicious unit number.)

A Kopi was priced at $3.50 and Cold Kopi $4.00. The presentation was also changed from an aesthetically better looking wooden board to an aluminium plate.

Any new cafes in Singapore would get an initial publicity and weekend crowd due to novelty. The question is: what would make customers venture for a visit to La’coffee over Yakun when the hype dies down?

Maybe it was my luck, or perhaps their luck. The first (anonymous) visit, I needed to wait 20 minutes for eggs, in which I decided not to, because I always liked them together with toast, and not separate.

My next (also anonymous) visit, the Chicken Wings ($10) which many lauded could only arrive 20 minutes after I was done with my meal. Several of the other signature items were not available. Also there was a smell of burning in the air, which the table beside me remarked “must be our wings chao tah”.

La’coffee ambience, sincerity in serving and taste of their coffee were not too bad (though still need some fine-tuning), and looked like the need to get everything quickly together, could be their weakest link.

La’coffee (Farrer Park)
88 Rangoon Rd, Singapore 218374
https://www.facebook.com/lacoffeecafe
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10:30pm (Mon-Thurs), 9am – 1am (Fri-Sat), 7:30am – 10:30pm (Sun)

Other Related Entries
20 Totally New Cafes In Singapore
20 Best Singapore Local Cafes – For Kopi & Toast
Old Hen Coffee Bar (Rangoon Road)
GastroSmiths (Beach Road)
Bridge Cafe (Seah Street)

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Delicious cheap Korean BBQ for $14.90! How to earn? Daebak or not? Daessiksin 大食神 is a newly opened Korean grill BBQ restaurant at Level 3 of Orchard Gateway, which will bring some friendly contest to its nearby neighbours.

What first attracted me to the restaurant was its prices – Weekday lunch and dinner ($14.90++ and $24.90++) and Weekends (All day $24.90++), drinks included. Children’s price ($8.90++ and $18.90++). Plus there were some credit and membership card promotions.

The competition of Korean BBQ is fierce, pushing prices down to be very reasonable. Can’t complain, considering this is right smack down town.

Key things that I look out for in such buffet restaurants – variety of food, ambience (music and space), service (how fast things can be cleared), and smell, or more correctly leaving without smelling like charred pork.

There was a selection of meats available, from chicken bulgogi, pork marinated rib, pork belly, beef bulgogi, spicy chicken collar to bacon.

I generally liked the beef short ribs best, but what impressed me was the tasty marinate and the meats did not come in unthawed chunks (which I experienced at some other places). The accompanying spicy Korean gochujang sauces and side dishes such as kimchi and sweet corn, were quite delicious complements.

One thing I noticed was that that charred items on the grills could be easily wiped off as they were specially made – clean and efficient.

Some of the cooked food however, such as the kimchi pancake and jap chae, were not so striking, perhaps because I went late afternoon and they were left in the tray for a while.

Daessiksin occupied a huge space of the mall, with tall ceiling and more open spaces, and thus you would not get that congested and crammed feeling even if you would come down during a packed weekend.

If buffet is not your cup of tea, lunch goers can also considered the sets, such as Pork Belly with Spicy Squid ($12.80++), Saba Fish ($11.80++), Bimbimbap ($11.00++) and Ramyun ($6.80++) – all affordably priced.

Daessiksin 大食神
277 Orchard Road, Orchard Gateway #03-17, Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 6702 7427
https://www.facebook.com/daessiksin
Opening Hours: 11.30am-3.30pm, 5.30-10pm (Mon-Thurs); 11.30am-3.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm (Fri); Sat: 11.30am-10.30pm (Sat); 11.30am-10pm (Sun)

Other branch: Serangoon NEX # 02-04/06 Tel: +65 6634 4608

DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 10 Buffet Dinner Vouchers for you to enjoy Korean BBQ at Daessiksin 大食神 Orchard Gateway!

All you need to do is to:
Step 1: LIKE Daniel’s Food Diary & Daessiksin on Facebook
Step 2: SHARE this entry
Step 3: COMMENT below WHY you should win the buffet voucher
(Results will be announced on 27th Sep)

*This entry is brought to you in partnership with Daessiksin 大食神.

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My friends from Republic Poly would frequently recommend Foodedge Gourmet at Woodlands Terrace to purchase Melvados items, selling many party foods from Brownies, Cheesecakes, Lava Cakes, Ice Creams, Sorbets, Breads to Ready Meals.

For those who have not heard of Woodlands Terrace, this is where many food factory outlets are located. It is not uncommon to see cars or the occasional bus diving groups of people making their way down for discounted buys. All items sold around here are at wholesale factory prices.

Cheap, budget, affordable, discounted, yet of the same quality as what you would get in the retails stores.

Melvados is the retail brand of Foodedge Gourmet which supplies to clients from airlines, restaurants, five star hotels, country clubs, to supermarkets.

I remember the very first time I went there was because I needed some ice cream to bring to a weekend gathering.

Flavours sold include Pistachio (love love), Durian (some would really like this because it does taste like the real D24), Salty Caramel, Chocolate Symphony, Chocolate Brownie, and my personal favourite – Triple Chocolate. Sorbets such as Mango, Lychee, Wild Berries, Soursop and Yuzu are also available, all costing… Between $8 and $9.90 per tub.

In fact, most tubs cost the basic $8, so so much cheaper than what it would cost outside. I initially wanted to get 2 tubs, but left with 5!

How much would it cost you to buy a whole tray of cake? $50? $80? $100 or more?

An entire tray of 1kg Double Chocolate Brownie from Melvados, pre-cut to 10 pieces is at $27.00! Each slice would only cost $2.70. Suitable for busy people, all you need to do is heat it up in the oven, and perhaps top it up with a big scoop of creamy ice cream for a more delectable treat.

Other than the usual classic rich and deep walnut brownie, those with toppings such as Macadamia Brownie ($30), Mixed Nut Fudge Brownie ($27.00), Opera ($30), Apple Crumble ($27.00), Red Velvet ($28.00), Mango Cheesecake ($28.00), and the popular Oreo Cheesecake ($30.00) are available. Prices for 1kg, pre-cut to 10 pieces.

The most crowd-pleasing dessert you may bring to a party are the Chocolate Lava Cakes ($20 for 8 pieces) which oozes (after some heating over the microwave) and in fact taste more moist than what some cafes offer.

Just when I thought that was all, Calzones ($10 for 5 pieces), Multigrain bread ($8 for 2 loaves), Pre-packed Soups such as Chowder ($12 for 5 portions), Tortilla Meat Wraps ($12 for 4), American Beef Pies ($12 for 4), Quiche ($12 for 4), and dips such as Sundried Tomato ($5.50) and Basil Pesto ($5.50) are also sold.

The products are fully cooked, and simply require heating for instant gratification. My friends who frequently organise weekend parties, potlucks and BBQs said knowing about the products from Melvados were a life-saver!

Made in Singapore using the freshest of ingredients sourced from over 15 countries, they do not use any chemical preservatives or anything artificial. All Halal certified.

Like me, you may be thinking it could be a hassle to go all the way to Woodlands Terrace. Friends in the East can visit their Joo Chiat branch. The good news is, you can purchase the products online at www.melvados.com.

There is FREE Delivery for orders above $100, or above $50 with one cake. (For orders below $100 without a cake, a delivery charge of $8.50 applies.

Melvados
Woodlands Outlet: 26 Woodlands Terrace Singapore 738449
https://www.facebook.com/Melvados
http://www.melvados.com
Opening Hours: 10am – 4.30pm (Mon-Fri), 9am – 1pm (Sat), Closed Sun, PH
Woodlands MRT station, Take Bus 964, alight when you see OLD CHANG KEE Factory. Walk into Woodlands Terrace till you see Unit 26
*Factory sale held every last Saturday of the month from 10am – 3pm

Joo Chiat Outlet: 216 Joo Chiat Road #01-11 Singapore 427483
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Tues-Sun), Opened PH

DanielFoodDiary.com will be giving away 2 x $50 Melvados vouchers!
All you need to do is to:
Step 1: LIKE Melvados on Facebook
Step 2: SHARE this entry
Step 3: COMMENT below with one of your favourite product from Melvados
(Results will be announced on 28th Sep)

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Melvados.

The post Melvados – Singapore’s Hidden Find. Gourmet Food at Wholesale Prices + Voucher Giveaways! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The truth is, the new cafes in Singapore are becoming a mixed bag, some being replicas of already existing success stories. But I usually have a greater liking for cafes which create and bake their own items. So I search.

Les Patisseries at Toa Payoh Central is adding that one bright spark. I won’t deny that little bakery cafes situated within housing estates steal my heart for being the underdogs, The Bakery Chef at Bt Merah was one of the those, this is going to be the next.

The 3 owners may be young but no novices. Jeremiah, Louis and Kenny, all in their mid-20s, graduated from culinary schools At-Sunrise and Shatec, had some prior experience in different F&B businesses and finally came together.

They saw the lack of a café in Toa Payoh Central itself, and opened Les Patisseries, which basically means pastries in French.

The menu itself did not look too inventive at first glance, the usual French Pastries, Waffles (again, help!), Eggs Ben ($11.90), Truffle Fries ($8.50), Pasta such as Carbonara (11.90), and Truffle Baked Mushroom Pasta ($9.90).

But, but, but… after I took a first mouthful of their freshly baked Croissant ($2.80), I emphasize ‘freshly baked’, I was almost blown away.

Smaller in size than usual, and was crisp, flaky and airy, that a knife across would give a crackling sauce. Light and delightful. Could even be the best croissant I tried so far this year.

All food and pastries served are homemade and prepared daily. Their cakes, while a dollar or two more than what I would have expected to pay, were layered in taste, definite, and impressionable.

The L’Rocky ($7.00), looking like an over-sized half rocher, is a delectable amalgamation of chocolate almond nibs, chocolate mousse, and sacher sponge. May sound overly chocolate, but it doesn’t overpower.

Another treat, a Dulcey Hazelnut Tart ($7.00) would delight caramel lovers with caramel hazelnut and melted dulcey ganach in a firm baked tart shell. One of the best around.

Coffee is from Bangkok-based Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters (Oz Specialty Coffee probably uses the same). Smooth yet bold, with nutty notes of roasted nuts, chocolates, butterscotch and caramel. I like.

I am one who believes that a café which pays attention to the music has a quarter of the battle won. Congratulations to Les Pattisserie for winning this battle too.

Les Patisseries
Blk 186 Toa Payoh Central, #01-428 Singapore 310186 (Toa Payoh MRT, 5-10 min walk)
https://www.facebook.com/lespatisseries.com.sg
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily

Other Related Entries
20 Totally New Cafes In Singapore
FIX Café (Balestier)
Kki (SOTA)
The Little Flower Shop (Lau Pa Sat)
Whisk Cafe (Tiong Bahru)

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[Australia] There are many food items that the Aussies are known for, and that one thing I must include are PIES. Can I whisper… Pie Face is coming to Singapore?

Any who spent their undergraduate years studying down under, would not have missed Pie Face. For me, rushing to a conference during June’s winter months meant a warm Chunky Steak pie encased in a golden puff is a God sent, to warm both the tummy and heart.

When I returned home from Sydney International Airport, the very last thing I put into my belly was a Steak and Mushroom Pie Face. Chunks of beef swimming in a thick beef stock andred wine sauce. Yum yum.

What you won’t miss are the butter based pastries with funny faces on top. Some are smiley, some sad, some angry. They were around before emoticons became popular on LINE.

For coffee, you can order based on intensity – Super Strong (‘kick my arse’), Strong (start my heart), Medium (open my eyes), or weak (still asleep).

Pies are classic Australian favourite. While Pie Face may not offer the very best around, and they may be inconsistent depending on the branch, these meaty saucy pies are still dependable favourites.

Pie Face has already signed a deal to enter in markets in Singapore and Malaysia with 50 new stores, backed by prominent businessman, Mr. Lim Beng Hian.

It looks set to open in the basement of 313@Somerset. Watch this space for more updates!

Other Sydney Entries
Bourke Street Bakery (Sydney)
Single Origin Roasters (Sydney)
Adriano Zumbo (Sydney)
The Grounds Of Alexandria (Sydney)
Bangbang Espresso Bar & Café (Sydney)

The post Pie Face – Australia’s Favourite Pies Are Coming To Singapore! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Every time I crave for Hong Kong style noodles and congee, Noodle Place Restaurant at Orchard Gateway offers some of the closest tastes you get from there. Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure are quite dependable choices, but I think Noodle Place does have a strength in noodles.

After all, their Executive Chef Chui Chuen Lai was a former chef at Hong Kong’s famous Mak’s Noodles.

The restaurant relocated from Centrepoint after 31 years to Orchard Gateway. A more convenient location, only a few steps away from the entrance of Somerset MRT. Though I thought the space was somewhat ‘exposed’ and packed, and I would have preferred a more enclosed area for Chinese style dinners.

Noodle Place Restaurant’s Shrimp Wanton Noodles ($8.00 soup, $8.80 dry) and Roast Char Siew Noodles ($8.00 soup, $8.50 dry) continue to be one of the best Cantonese style ones in Singapore.

The thin handmade egg wheat noodles remained springy with bite, lightly tossed in sauce, matched with thickly cut tender roast meat, or plump fresh shrimp wantons. Nonetheless I would have personally preferred the dumplings to be bigger.

My other favourite was the Stewed Beef Tendon Noodles ($8.80 soup, $9.80 dry), which I could rarely find good ones here. The tendons were simmered till slippery soft, embracing flavours of fermented yellow beans, sesame, and other spices.

Their Noodle Place Special Congee 招牌粥 ($12.50) had an amalgam of ingredients, from fish maw, sliced fish, sliced jellyfish, sliced cuttlefish, pig’s liver, minced pork ball, sliced abalone, sliced roast duck, shrimp, sliced chicken and egg. Quite pleasing if you are the type who enjoys a variety of ingredients in smooth thick congee.

Portions can be larger (did they take their cue from Mak’s) but Noodle Place Restaurant remains where I can satisfy my Hong Kong comfort food cravings. Beyond noodles and congee, with 30 new dishes at the present restaurant, let’s hope they can diversify for more family-friendly items.

Noodle Place Restaurant
Orchard Gateway #01-17, 227 Orchard Road Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 6733 3171
Opening Hours: 10.00am – 10.00pm, last order 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Hai Di Lao 海底捞火锅 (313@Somerset)
HonGuo (NEX)
Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck (Paragon)
Dian Xiao Er (Vivocity)
Soup Restaurant (Suntec City)

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East what? East Village, a new mall of sorts at Simpang Bedok which is still hugely unoccupied. Seldom ventured to this part of Singapore. I was there only for Sarah’s The Pancake Café, though incidentally Time Table café is a few units away.

Sarah’s The Pancake Café offers homemade pancakes and crepes with a different twist, as such the adding ‘chendol’ to a crepe. Service is personable and friendly. And it’s halal.

Indulge your appetite for sweet and savoury versions of the pancakes. The café is very focused on getting them right, so you hardly see the other usual café peripherals like wings, cakes and ice cream. Therefore, it felt one step lacking to a more complete experience.

Savoury pancakes included Wild Mushrooms ($12.00), The Benedict ($15.00), Ultimate Cheese ($13.00) and Morning Run ($12.00) – that’s with scrambled eggs, turkey bacon and mixed egg.

We were recommend the Al Istanbul ($14.00), different from the usual suspects on the list, and contained stack of grated potato pancakes with smoked Turkey ham slice.

Hmm… the pancakes were light and fluffy, and the creamy potato tasted surfaced somewhat after you dug to the bottom. Great on the first few bites, definitely one of the better ones around, but we couldn’t get pass one shared.

The plate of three pancakes felt it needed some variety, some balance, some more ingredients thrown to make every mouthful less boring.

We appreciated the creativity that came in the form of an Ala Dol ($12.00) – Chendol inspired crepe topped with sweet corn kernel, attap chee and green pandan jelly, and coconut ice cream on the side. A cut in the middle would reveal sweet red bean paste.

It was both delicious and fun, but a larger drizzle of gula melaka and (I couldn’t imagine I say this) but smaller portions would work better. I could imagine a group of 3-5 sharing this because it got ‘jelat’ (heavy).

Coffee is from a local Santino house blend, full bodied with slightly nutty chocolaty aftertaste.

Definitely a promising pancake café. Do drop by if you are in the vicinity, because once East Village gets some traffic, they will be crowded. It would have been perfect if they sold some local ice cream.

To borrow their words, good, but they can do batter.

Sarah’s The Pancake Café (Simpang Bedok)
430 Upper Changi Rd, #01-062 East Village Singapore 487048
(Nearest MRT Station – Tanah Merah followed by a bus trip Bus No. 2 or 9 and alight at only the second bus stop)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarahs-The-Pancake-Cafe/1510133592538587
Opening Hours: 8am – 10:30pm (Sun-Thurs), 8am – 12am (Fri-Sat)

Other Cafe Entries
20 Totally New Cafes In Singapore
FIX Café (Balestier)
Kki (SOTA)
The Little Flower Shop (Lau Pa Sat)
La’coffee (Rangoon Road)

The post Sarah’s The Pancake Café – They Can Do Batter appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Every time another new café opens in Singapore, my train of thought goes in two extreme way – one in anticipation of discovering something fresh; the other wondering how long that new shop can survive.

Welcome to Singapore, where new third wave coffee cafes open every other day (not exaggerating), but almost every single one of them face the same few problems – high rental, low supply of labour, close to nil marketing, lack of originality, and having more discerning customers.

Some customers are otherwise known as the “café hoppers”. There may be a certain sudden wave of customers during the initial opening, but if products don’t deliver, they will NEVER return. And also make sure their friends (and followers – everyone has followers to a certain degree) don’t return.

The Third Wave Coffee
A quick coffee history: The first wave began shortly after the World War when instant coffee was easily accessible to households and in the rage for its stimulating qualities. The second wave when Peet’s, Starbucks and the other power players introduced gourmet coffee and made coffee-drinking into a lifestyle.

The third wave coffee is brought forth by indie cafes, producing coffee which is considered ‘artisanal’ and to be appreciated for rather than a common product. These indie café serve ‘specialty coffee’ made with high-quality beans scoring 80 points or more on a 100-point scale.

Previously, we drink coffee because we need the caffeine, but now we drink coffee because it tastes good. Supposedly.

The Papa Palheta Story
Papa Palheta started as a small coffee-roasting and wholesale business at Bukit Timah. Today, the brand has co-owns 4 cafes or more – Loysel’s Toy, Chye Seng Huat Hardwave, Coast and Company, and Pulp in Malaysia, and a distributer, educator, consulter and indeed a third wave coffee market leader in Singapore.

To any new businesses and entrepreneurs, and not just new café owners, perhaps these are some 10 lessons we can learn from them.

1. Diversify
Papa Palheta started with coffee roasting, but they have diversified to café-business, wholesale, espresso machine distribution, consumer education and merchandise. This holistic approach essentially meant they are the one-stop centre.

2. Consolidate
The move to Chye Seng Huat was initially a functional one, but proved that their cards were played right. When Papa Palheta first opened their café arm Loysel’s Toy, that meant endless transportation to and fro Hooper Road where coffee was roasted in the west and Kampong Bugis in the east.

Consolidated operations at the flagship Chye Seng Huat Hardware saved times and effort in logistics, making the business more productive.

3. Set The Trend
Tyrwhitt Road. Who would have known where it was 2 years ago? Today, the Farrer Park and Jalan Besar districts has transformed into a café hotspot with no less than 10 cafes in the vicinity. They took calculated risks which worked. While there are copycats, they never quite overtook their popularity.

They were the first, and would always be remembered to be the first.

4. Be The Trend
In the past, we eat with our mouths. (Yes, duh!) With social media sharing, I can safely say we eat with our eyes, and perhaps mouths. In such a context, a cup of coffee without its latte art is unthinkable. And let’s not forget the ‘influence’ about the individual.

A young nubile ‘non-coffee’ customer may describe how ‘light’, ‘bright’ or ‘acid’ the cuppa is, takes out the handphone for the token latteart art shot, hashtag in all possible ways, and uploads to instagram. The next thing you know, friends and followers would all be down to repeat that same act.

The cycle continues. Your café becomes the next big thing.

5. Catalysing Better Workers -> Better Customers
The first thing you notice about enter Chye Seng Huat is a wide island bar providing a 360 view of the café with baristas in the middle. They are like performers. This configuration also helps to break down the barrier between the baristas and the customers. If you do not know anything, it’s okay. Just ask.

When customers learn, they become more knowledgeable, more discerning and form better relationships with the company.

6. Catalysing Better Service -> Better Customers
Papa Palheta have also launched a coffee subscription service called ‘Must. Drink. Coffee.’ that delivers 500 grams of freshly roasted beans to customers’ doorsteps each month. Such personalised service is seldom seen (especially for cafes), but really adds in building customer loyalty.

7. Workers To Upskill
“Where’s the coffee from?” Trying asking this question to a barista. The not-so-informative ones may tell you, “Errr… from Papa Palheta? From Africa?”

A true third wave café barista may say “It’s a Throwback with composition from Brazil Cerrado and Indonesia Ratawali Valley. For taste notes, it’s a dark-chocolately, rich and heavy body blend.”

Yes, we totally get it. Some baristas can tell you not only which country the coffee is from, and even farms to specific plot of lands.

8. Workers To Second-Skill
This is one business so willing to share, conducting courses of many kinds from latte art, brewing techniques, to roasting tours, to a WDA approved specialty coffee session. An attendee can understand what sets specialty coffee apart and learn to serve specialty coffee in 3 days.

Attendees have come from various unrelated backgrounds such as law and finance, and they pursue coffee courses simply because of a keen interest in making good coffee.

Taking up a second skill has been a recent hot topic after NTUC Labour MP Patrick Tay publicly asked employers and the government to give more support to PMEs for second-skilling, from making more funds available for courses to allowing learning during office hours.

Although I am just a normal coffee-drinker, I am tempted to sign on this course as it is an avenue for me to learn more from the experts, and appreciate coffee-drinking even better.

9. Go Local
Papa Palheta works with several local partners, and keep close relationships with them to form synergy – for example, space sharing in a land-scarce Singapore. Cafe Coast and Company at Siglap Drive is shared with local bike firm Coast Cycles, while its collaboration at Malaysia is with printing company Art Printing Works.

Who could imagine how coffee and bicycles can come together? And latte with ‘ang gu kueh’ anyone?

10. Go Regional
Pulp at Bangsar Kuala Lumpur supplies coffee equipment and roasted beans both at retail and commercial level, comes equipped with a cupping room, a service workshop and a cafe which serves coffee and pastries.

With the booming third-wave cafes in our neighbourhood countries, this spells opportunity for us to expand beyond our shores.

I remember going to a new café and the ‘barista’ didn’t get my coffee served until 10-15 minutes later.

“Sorry I am new. I am not sure how to use the machine.” Needless to say, my coffee tasted bad and I never returned.

Rather than just jump on the bandwagon, perhaps it’s appropriate to draw up a Progressive Wage Model where cafés invest in proper barista training, plus incentivise baristas to be more productive and responsible for their own careers in the F&B business.

There are many cafes opening up. We should be happy that these entrepreneurs are living a dream, but sometimes we can’t help but think some are moving along a trend without much training in the area, or with concrete long-term business plans.

Start a dream, live a dream, but continue to learn to stay in the dream.

The post 10 Lessons For The Potential Entrepreneur – The Papa Palheta Story appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

150 new cafés in Singapore. To facilitate your best café hopping and hunting adventures, this is a new cafes list sorted by location and district.

There are many great “best cafes” blog entries out there (Joey Asher’s one of them), so this would focus on just new openings. Part of the reason why I am doing this is because many new cafes have close to nil marketing experiences and social media exposure, so I hope this helps our budding ‘cafepreneurs’. (Read: 10 Lessons For The Potential Entrepreneur – The Papa Palheta Story)

I have included some which started operations from last quarter of 2013, the cafes I featured in June, July, August, September and some which are still undergoing renovations – we shall wait in anticipation.

There you have it. If I missed any out, it could be because
a) The café opened before the last quarter of 2013.
b) The café didn’t want any kind of publicity (True that. It happens.)
c) It’s a mass market brand.
d) It really slipped through our radar. So let me know by commenting below.

150! Did you expect more or less?

Tarts from Dulce & Sucre with flavours of strawberry, apple crumble, and sea salt caramel.

Orchard
Dulce & Sucre – #B1-01 Orchard Gateway, 218 & 277 Orchard Road Singapore 238858
Criollo Cocoa Café – Orchard Gateway, 277 Orchard Road #02-01 Singapore 238858
Latulle Café – Orchard Gateway, 277 Orchard Road #03-15 Singapore 238858
Fish Tales Café – 2 Orchard Link, #02-27,#02-18B, *SCAPE, Singapore 237978
Cuddles Cat Café – 2 Orchard Link, #02-27,#03-01, *SCAPE, Singapore 237978
Calamansi – Orchard Paragon 290 Orchard Road #B1-25 Singapore 238859
Tiong Bahru Bakery – 310 Orchard Road, #01-16B, TANGS Orchard Singapore 238864

Japanese inspired cake store Kki returned at a new home at SOTA

Dhoby Gaut, Selegie
Kki – 1 Zubir Said Drive, 02-01 School of the Arts SOTA Singapore 227968
Belgaufre – POMO 1 Selegie Road #01-22 Singapore 188306
The Assembly Ground – The Cathay #01-21/22/23, 2 Handy Road, Singapore 229233
Noir Art Speciality Coffee – 23 Mackenzie Road Singapore 228680
Whale & Cloud – 48 Niven Road Singapore 228396 (Usually only opened Saturday 9am-4pm)
The Klatch – 50A Prinsep Street, Prinsep Place, #02-01, Singapore 188680

Aussie themed The Lokal and its signature Veal Schnitzel Burger.

Outram, Chinatown, Keong Siak
Arterial - 24 Temple Street, Singapore 058569
The Company of Cats – 6B Mosque Street Singapore 059486
Bread & Hearth – 18 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089125
The Lokal – 136 Neil Rd Singapore 64239918
Roosevelt’s – 331 New Bridge Road #01-02 Dorsett Residences Singapore 088764
Seriously Ice Cream – Blk 4 Everton Park #01-44 Singapore 080004
Happy3 Bites – Blk 6 Everton Park, #01-18 Singapore 080006
Waffle Slayer – 37 Kampong Bahru Road Singapore 169356
The Dough Shoppe – 61 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 169368
The Alley Cafe – 21 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089128
The Mama Shop – Old Police Operational Headquarters, 195 Pearl Hill Terrace, Singapore 168976 (opening Oct)

Three Cups Coffee offers 3 types of coffee – an espresso Blend, Single Origin for espresso and pourovers.

City Hall, Raffles Place
Teddy and Me – 6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square #02-207A Singapore 039594
Three Cups Coffee Co – #04-31, One Raffles Place Shopping Mall Singapore 048616
JAB Brewers – #B1-39, One Raffles Place Shopping Mall, Singapore 048616
JBM Coffee & Dining – One Raffles Place Mall, 1 Raffles Place, #03-23/24/25 Singapore 048616
Three Hands Coffee – One Marina Boulevard OMB B1-04/05 Singapore 589825
Delicius Pasticceria - 18 Raffles Quay, Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, Singapore 048582
The Little Flower Shop – 18 Raffles Quay #01-42 Lau Pa Sat, Telok Ayer Festival Market Singapore 048582
Jewel Coffee – Hitachi Towers, 16 Collyer Quay #01-13 Income@Raffles Singapore 049318
8 Stanley Street – 8 Stanley Street Singapore 082001
Dimbulah Coffee – 51 Anson Road Anson Centre #08-53 Singapore 077904
Lady M – One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road, #01-10, Singapore 049213

Miss Molly’s lunch sets are quite wallet friendly.

Tanjong Pagar, Duxton
My Awesome Café – 202 Telok Ayer Singapore 068630
Pantler – 198 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068637 (Opening Oct)
Souper Sarnies – 1 Tras Link #01-07 Singapore 078867
Two Men Bagel House – No. 16 Enggor St. Icon Village #01-12 Singapore 079717 (Opening Oct)
The Quarters – No. 16 Enggor St. Icon Village #01-09 Singapore 079717
Miss Molly’s – 2 Craig Road, Singapore 089662
Farm to Table – 81 Duxton Road, S089540

PS Café Petit replaces Baker & Cook at Martin Road.

Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay
Café Ma Maison -177 River Valley #B1-19 Liang Court Singapore 179030
Yellow Cup Coffee – 20 Havelock Road #01-19 Singapore 059765
Coffeemin – 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-33 Clarke Quay Central, Singapore 059817
PS Café Petit – No 38 Martin Road, Singapore 239072
Memo – No.3 Nanson Road Studio M, Singapore 238910

Deconstructed strawberry shortcake at GastroSmiths

Bugis, Beach Road, Arab Street
Nicole’s Café By Sterling – Singapore Management University 81 Victoria Street Singapore 188065
Bridge Cafe – 31 Seah Street, Singapore 188387
Dolce Tokyo – Bugis Junction #03-10H, 230 Victoria Street, Singapore 188024
Awesome Coffee -200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021
Haven Coffee – Bugis+ Level 5, Inside FilmGarde Cineplex, 201 Victoria Street, Singapore 188067
Royz Et Vous – 17 Bali Lane Singapore 189853
Stateland Café – 30 Bali Lane, Singapore, Singapore 189866
Elffin & Elffin – 29 Haji Lane Singapore 189222
7th Cylinder – 1 Jalan Pisang #01-01 Singapore 199069
GastroSmiths – 103 Beach Road #01-02 Singapore 189704
Laffio - 337 Beach Road Singapore 199565
Mean Beans & Wicked Grind – 7500A Beach Road, Singapore 199591
De’pop Culture – 749 North Bridge Road #01-01 (off Jalan Kledek), Singapore 198717
Meomi Cat Cafe – 668 North Bridge Road, Ground Level, Singapore 188801
Hyde & Co – 785 North Bridge Road Singapore 198753 (opening Oct)
Rabbit Owl Depot – 420 North Bridge Road #01-05 Singapore 188727 (opening Oct)
Tolido’s Espresso Nook – 462 Crawford Lane #01-63 Singapore 190462

Coffee and food with a local twist at Flee Away.

Jalan Besar, Farrer Park, Little India
Rouse – 36 Dunlop Street Singapore 209364
Abite – 46 Owen Road #01-277 Singapore 210046
Flee Away – 70 Dunlop Street Singapore 209398
Two Bakers – 88 Horne Road Singapore 209083
Wood Shed Café – 204 Rangoon Road Singapore 218451
Old Hen Coffee Bar – 88 Rangoon Road #01-03 Singapore 218374
La’coffee – 88 Rangoon Rd, Singapore 218374
Eat Ripe Products ERP – 50 Race Course Road Singapore 218562

Hougang, Boon Keng, Serangoon
Hatter Street – 212 Hougang Street 21, #01-333 Singapore 530212
Three Years In A Balloon – 163 Upper Paya Lebar Road Singapore 534857
Sunday Market – 22 Lim Tua Tow Road Singapore 547772
Little Wimbly Lu – My Village 1 Maju Avenue, #01-09/10, Singapore 556679
Bloomsbury Bakers – Blk 30 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330030
Coffee Dynasty – The Verge, Serangoon #03-01 Singapore 218227
OTG House Coffee – 211 Serangoon Ave 4, Singapore 550211

FIX Café’s popular doughnuts with liu-sha – salted egg yolk custard.

Balestier, Thomson
FIX Café – 31 Ah Hood Road, HomeTeamNS-JOM Clubhouse, #01-06, Singapore 329979
Fluffy White Cloud – 11 Sin Ming Road, Thomson V Two, #01-19 Singapore 575629
November 8 – 11 Sin Ming Road, Thomson V Two, #01-30 Singapore 595629
One Man Coffee – 215R Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574349
Ply Baked Goods – 95 Soo Chow Walk, Singapore 575382 (Marymount MRT)

Les Patisseries’ hearty LP Big Breakfast.

Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio
Les Patisseries – Blk 186 Toa Payoh Central, #01-428 Singapore 310186
Niche Boulangerie – Blk 128 Toa Payoh Lor 1 #01-833
The Dream Café – Blk 163 Toa Payoh Lor 1 #01-1016 Singapore 310163 (next to CHIJ)
Shrove Tuesday – Blk 94 Toa Payoh Lor 4 #01-32 Singapore 310094
The Little Prince Creamery – Lor 6 Toa Payoh Blk 47 #01-134 Singapore 310047
Burpz Cafe & Bakery – Blk 603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5, #01-2661, Singapore 560603

Yishun, Sembawang
Holy Cow Creamery – 292 Yishun St 22 #01-291
Mootime – 8 Jalan Legundi (Sembawang) #01-15 Singapore 759274
RoyceMary Cafe – 8 Jalan Leguni #01-13 Singapore 759274 (opening Oct)

NOM’s photogenic rainbow cake has been making its rounds on instagram.

Kallang, Macpherson, Dakota
NOM No Other Meaning – Macpherson Community Club Level 1 – 400 Paya Lebar Way, Singapore 379131
Happenstance – 35 Opal Crescent Singapore 328425
Tian Kee & Co – Blk 12 Dakota Crescent, #01-48, Singapore 390012
Maple & Market – Blk 34 Cassia Crescent, #01-82 Singapore 390034
The Hideout – Blk 32 Cassia Crescent #01-50 Singapore 390032
Le Café – 66 Kallang Pudding Road Singapore 349324
Chocolate Origin – Kallang Wave 1 Stadium Place #01-31 Singapore 397628
Car-Rousel – Sports Hub, National Stadium, 6 Stadium Walk #01-03 Singapore 397698 (Opening Oct)

Artisan Boulangerie Co.’s Afternoon Delight of any 3 pastries with 2 hot beverages at $28.

Katong, East Coast, Siglap
Artisan Boulangerie Co. – I12 Katong, 112 East Coast Road #01-05 Singapore 428802
Group Therapy Café – Katong V 30 East Coast Road, #01-11
Carvers & Co – 43 East Coast Road Singapore 428764
St. Marc Bakery & Bar – Parkland @ ECP, 920 East Coast Parkway #01-09/10 Singapore 449875
Pick Me Up Cafe – Parkland @ ECP, 920 East Coast Parkway #01-02 Singapore 449875 (opening Oct)
JC Coffee Houzz – 149 Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427427
Fresh Fruits Lab – 351 Changi Road Kembangan Singapore 419818
Dutch Colony Coffee Co. – 113 Frankel Avenue, Singapore 458230
Coast and Company – 54 Siglap Drive Singapore 456176
Comestivel Desserts – 55 Siglap Road, Siglap Centre, B1-11/12 Singapore 455871
Craftsmen Speciality Coffee – 2 First Street Siglap V, #01-01 Singapore 258278

The humble Percolate at Bedok North which sells pretty neat coffee.

Bedok
Percolate – 136 Bedok North Avenue 3, #01-152B Singapore 460136
To-gather Café – 84 Bedok North St 4, #01-25/27 Singapore 460084
Sarah’s The Pancake Café – Simpang Bedok, 430 Upper Changi Rd, #01-062 East Village Singapore 487048
Time Table Café – 430 Upper Changi Road, East Village Singapore 487048
Refuel – 744 Bedok Reservoir Road #01-3029 (Opening Oct)

Changi, Expo
Fart Tartz – 1 Expo drive #02-04, Max Atria, Singapore Expo, Singapore 486150
Threefold Café – 1 Expo Drive (Hall 5) #01-12 Singapore 486150
The Pelotan - 1 Changi Village Road #01-2008 Singapore 500001

The Bakery Chef remains as one of my favourite places for cakes in Singapore.

Havelock, Tiong Bahru, Commonwealth, Tanglin, Bt Merah, Queenstown
The Tastemaker Store – Blk 22 Havelock Road, #01-705 Singapore 160022
Sin Lee Foods – Blk 4 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee #01-164 Singapore 162004
Whisk Cafe – Tiong Bahru 58 Seng Poh Road #01-15 Singapore 160058
Two Loaves – 46-3 Commonwealth Drive #01-388 Singapore 140463
The Milky Way Homemade Ice Cream and Coffee – Blk 48 Tanglin Halt Road Singapore 142048
Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee – 170 Stirling Road #01-1133 Singapore 140170
Old Habits – 38 Telok Blangah Rise #01-315
Out Of The Cake Box – 45 Telok Blangah Drive #01-173 Singapore 100045
Butter Scotch – Blk 164 Bukit Merah Central #01-3625 Singapore 150164
Pan Delights – Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central #01-3725, Bukit Merah Estate, Singapore 150161
The Bakery Chef – Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central #01-3711, Bukit Merah Estate, Singapore 150161

Curbside Café & Winebar’s red velvet cheesecake brownie.

Holland, Buona Vista, Biopolis
Craft Bakery Café – 24A Lorong Mambong Singapore 277683
Sunday Folks – 44 Jalan Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens #01-52 Singapore 278116
Baker & Cook – 44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56 Singapore 278116
Tart – #02-27C, The Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green Singapore 138617
Coffee: Nowhere – 44 Rochester Park Singapore 139248
Artisan Boulangerie Co. – The Metropolis #01-12. 9 North Buona Vista Drive Singapore 138588
Curbside Café & Winebar – 21 Biopolis Drive, Nucleos, #01-21 Singapore 138567
Envy Coffee – 1 Fusionopolis Link, #01-04, Nexus@one-north, Singapore 138542
Charlyn’s Milk Bar – 10 Biopolis Road #01-03, Chromos Building
Hoopla – 21 Media Circle, #01-05 Infinite Studios, Singapore 138562

Brew Maison’s 3D coffee art comes during special slots during the weekends.

Bukit Timah
Assembly Coffee – 26 Evans Road Singapore 259367
Brew Maison – 383 Bukit Timah Road #01-98, Alocassia Apartments, Singapore 259727
One Thing Kids Café – 170 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Bukit Timah Shopping Centre #B2-17 Singapore 588179
Lynn’s Cakes & Coffee – 11 Eng Kong Terrace Singapore 598983

Teadot Café’ vibrant coloured Dark Chocolate Rainbow Cake with Royal Earl Grey Latte.

Clementi, Pasir Panjang, Jurong
La Coffee – 41 Sunset Way, Clementi Arcade #01-01A Singapore 597071
The Tiny Roaster – 612 Clementi West Street 1 #01-288B Singapore 120612
On The Table – 118 Pasir Panjang Road Singapore 118541
Teadot Cafe – 3 Gateway Drive #01-08, Westgate Singapore 608532
Nomu Nomu Café – 3 Gateway Drive #04-37, Westgate Singapore 608532
Sync Korean Fusion Bistro – 3 Gateway Drive #03-01/01A Westgate Singapore 608532

Be happy to SHARE or BOOKMARK this listing for future uses. Have fun café hopping!

(DanielFoodDiary.com continues to be a one-man operation. Special thanks to instagrammer @elainegirlgirl for being the updated informant and recommend-er.)

Other Related Entries
June’s Café Edition
July’s Café Edition
August’s Café Edition
September’s Café Edition
10 Lessons For The Potential Entrepreneur – The Papa Palheta Story

The post 150 New Cafes In Singapore 2014 – The Ultimate, Definite Café Hopping Guide appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Western Australia is never short of extraordinary holiday experiences, especially when it comes to food and wine. It is the place to go to for some of the best seafood experiences, award-winning wines and prized black truffles.

Friends have always recommended a self-drive holiday. Imagine driving from Perth to Swan Valley for a food and wine trail, to the stunning Wave Rock and to a yabby farm. Then, canoeing, trout fishing and cycling in Karri Valley?

Here are 20 things to see, shop and savour at Western Australia, not forgetting feasting at the renowned Margaret River Gourmet Escape!

Margaret River
1. See and experience THE Margaret River Gourmet Escape. This is a MUST VISIT food and wine festival held where international culinary talents showcase the best of the beautiful Margaret River region.

2. See a star studded line-up of top international celebrity chefs at one single place: Massimo Bottura, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Davide Scabin, Jonny Lake, Clare Smyth, Frank Camorra, Peter Gilmore and Sam Leong!

3. Shop at pop-up restaurants, cafes and booths at Gourmet Village. There are over a hundred exhibitors!

4. Savour and feast on five-star, Michelin-worthy line up of fresh succulent seafood, premium beef, sweet desserts, boutique beers and fine wines, many of which created by some of Australian’s best home-grown chefs.

Albany & Pemberton
5. See Albany’s rugged coastline, known as the historic port city, carved by waves of the Great Southern Ocean and marvel at the wonders of nature at The Gap and Natural Bridge.

6. See giant windmills at Albany Wind Farm.

7. Shop for organic Australian Sandalwood.

8. Savour lip-smacking meals at Pemberton, which has earned a reputation for its fine dining restaurants or charming cafes. Many are Gold Plate Awards Winners. Or…

9. Savour your own fare at a cooking class. It will be fun!

Swan Valley
10. See the picturesque Swan Valley which is Western Australia’s oldest wine-growing region

11. See and perhaps hand-feed kangaroos, watch sheep shearing and cute koalas!

12. Shop for locally-made produce, art and craft, and souvenirs such as chocolates, nougats and honey.

13. Savour premium wines and gourmet cheese at Lancaster Wines, which produces outstanding wines including Chenin blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, and the legendary Old Vines Shiraz.

Hyden
14. See tin horses on displays (feels like Alice in Wonderland) along the Tin Horse Highway in Kulin.

15. See Wave Rock, a 15-metre high granite cliff shaped remarkably like a huge wave.

16. Savour country-style homemade pies (at The Mallee Tree Café and Gallery)

Kukerin
17. See beautiful multi-coloured wildflowers at Lake Grace, especially from September to December when flowers bloom to their fullest.

18. Savour succulent yabbies also known as mini-lobsters at award-winning Cambinata Yabbies, a worldwide leader in yabby processing and marketing.

Busselton and Fremantle
19. See the famous 140-year-old and 2-km-long Busselton Jetty, the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere.

20. Shop at Fremantle markets for Australian wares, accessories, unique gifts and produces at a variety of 150 stalls.

If you are a gourmet lover and want to discover places off the beaten track, then join me in the 7-day Western Australia and Margaret River Gourmet Escape Self-drive Convoy!

What’s included in the package are return tickets on Singapore Airlines, all accommodation, the Margaret River Gourmet Escape Gourmet Village Premium Ticket, a 6-day Hertz car rental (1.8 litre) with NeverLost GPS with maximum vehicle insurance and more.

There will also be a tour leader throughout the trip providing his or her assistance. Of course I will be there too!

If you can’t drive, simple, get some driver friends to join! The more the merrier.

Don’t miss this chance to savour the best that Western Australia gotta offer. Book now at
Chan Brothers Towards 50 Holiday Fiesta
28 September (Sunday)
10am – 8pm
Suntec Singapore Level 4 Hall 405
Free Admission!
www.chanbrothers.com/sale

Or call Chan Brothers Travel Flexi Holidays now at +65 6212 9684 for more details! Don’t wait!

The post 20 Things To See, Shop, and Savour at in Western Australia + Join The Gourmet Escape with DanielFoodDiary! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

VITAGEN is one of those drinks that I have consumed since young, for its sweet tasty flavours, its health benefits (remember those TV ads that go L-something-something), and cute bottles (which I used to put paper clips in).

Remember “V for VITAGEN”?

While I use continued to drink them, sometimes while working, sometimes a bottle after a swim, I never really found out about them.

10 Things You May Not Know About VITAGEN
1. VITAGEN is introduced in Singapore in … 1977! That was 37 years ago.

2. VITAGEN is made by fermenting skim milk.

3. The flavours that you see… grape, apple and peach, are made by using real fruit juice. (My favourite is the purple grape, what’s yours?)

4. Each bottle contains BILLIONS of live probiotic cultures.

5. These cultures are specially imported from Denmark (from Chr. Hansen’s Laboratories).

6. It is the only cultured milk drink in Singapore that is high in prebiotic fibre (dietary fibre). Each bottle consists of 7.5g of prebiotic fibre.

7. One bottle of VITAGEN Less Sugar contributes approximately 28% of one’s person daily dietary fibre intake.

8. VITAGEN Less Sugar has at least 50% less sugar than regular cultured milk drinks.

9. VITAGEN Less Sugar is fat free and does not contain any preservatives.

10. The packets can also be delivered directly to your doorstep.

I didn’t know about that! You can actually subscribe to the Home Delivery Service at $3.05 per pack, inclusive of 7% GST. (Online delivery www.VITAGEN.com.sg for more details.) Otherwise, you can always get the packets of 5 bottles from supermarkets, convenience stores, and petrol kiosks.

You can make it a habit to have a bottle of VITAGEN regularly after heavy meals.

True story. After returning from work overseas, I was starting to feel some stomach upset, churning within, and well…emm… diarrhoea. It wasn’t a serious tummy ache, but it just didn’t feel too good.

Thankfully, I found a bottle of VITAGEN in the fridge, took it, and felt much better afterwards.
One of the causes of diarrhoea could be a disturbance in intestinal bacterial level, and the live probiotic cultures in VITAGEN could help bring the level of good bacteria back to normal.

You may have seen their ads on TV, on how live probiotic cultures (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei) helps to maintain a healthy digestive system.

I know of friends who tend to eat outside frequently, and some food can be quite oily and unhealthy. Resisting temptation is difficult, but managing your digestive health isn’t.

Cultured milk drinks like VITAGEN can be consumed at any time of the day. But do you know when the best time to have them is?

Half an hour after meal.

You can have a bottle daily, say after a filling breakfast. The stomach’s acidity is lower after a meal, and therefore less probiotic cultures are destroyed by gastric juices and bile. Because of that, more live probiotic cultures can reach the intestines to fight harmful bacteria, and also help to maintain a desirable balance of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system.

Another time which I like to drink VITAGEN is, when I feel sleepy in class and need a mental boost. Try it, it works!

*This post is brought to you in partnership with VITAGEN. Visit www.VITAGEN.com.sg for more information.

The post 10 Things You May Not Know About VITAGEN. Be Surprised! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Supporters of artisan Italian gelato may remember the brand Ci Gusta! at Anchorpoint.

Closed? Nevermind. The franchisees did not let the initial closure set them down, and in turn channelled their experiences and skills of gelato-making in The Hideout cafe.

The Hideout at Cassia Crescent, distance away from Maple & Market, specializes in artisan Italian gelato made fresh in store. It also features freshly brewed coffee, pastries and foods made personally by them. No cookie-cutter items from other suppliers. Full of heart.

The menu consists of moderately priced comfort food influenced by Italian and Western cooking, such as pizzas and pastas priced from $9.90 to $12.90.

The pizzas are not the usual round shaped, but rectangular ones, crispy thin and lightly-flavoured that made it an easy-going café food which would not leave one filling full.

A single scoop of gelato was at $4, waffle with single scoop gelato $8.90, double scoop $11.90, and an additional $1 for premium selections. Insisting on freshness, the buttermilk waffles, old-fashioned butterscotch, and salted caramel fudge are all made from scratch.

The Hideout’s best-selling flavours are Dark Chocolate Sorbet, Blueberry cheesecake, Mao Shan Wang and Roasted Almond with Pistachio. You may also like the Gula Melaka with Attap Seed and Sicilian Pistachio with stock air flown from Sicily.

In an unforeseen twist, I ordered both the Dark Chocolate and Mao Shan Wang Durian in a single cup, mixed them up, and the combination turned out to be quite… spectacularly rich and actually intermingled well together!

While Singapore is perpetuated with ice cream of that certain creamy type, The Hideout’s classic gelato texture with local flavours is appealing. Dense, smooth and velvety.

On the flipside, I wished they could go with at least 20% less sugar. Perhaps it was due to my increasing intolerance with sweet ice cream.

Their buttermilk waffles would please those who prefer a crisp outer layer, with a darker finish, better than some popular cafes with never-ending weekend queues.

The Hideout offers silky gelato with a twist, comfort food, and better waffles than many others, but perhaps suffers from the state of too many new cafes around.

Location is quite hidden, making it too much of a, well, hideout.

The Hideout
Blk 32 Cassia Crescent #01-50 Singapore 390032 (Mountbatten MRT, 5 min walk from Exit A)
Tel: +65 64400971
https://www.facebook.com/thehideoutsg
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm Daily. Closed Tues

Other Related Entries
150 New Cafes In Singapore 2014
Les Patisseries (Toa Payoh)
Seriously Ice Cream (Everton Park)
The Milky Way (Tanglin Halt)
Alfero Artisan Gelato (Lor Kilat)

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Ice Queen has nothing to do with the “Let it go, let it go” Frozen’s queen, but is a liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour at East Coast.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream. While this ‘fad’ has become a been-there-done-that in other countries like Hong Kong, the response here is still kind of lukewarm, with the more noticeable stores being 320 Below and Just Like It.

This little shop at Katong East Coast Road with no seats yet (opp Chin Mee Chin, next to Spizza) is so called as a pun on the words “ice cream” and owner Ee Lin thought that her products could be fit for the royals.

She is no ‘ice queen’ herself. Instead, I saw a chirpy friendly person all smiles behind nitrogen fog.

Why liquid nitrogen?

Other than looking rather gimmicky that would cause kids to be fascinated with a theatrical smoke-filled room, the rapid freezing produces an ice cream with particularly small ice crystals which in turn produces a smoother texture.

If you have tried ice cream that has been stored in the freezer for a while and sometimes tastes “icy”, that’s because the ice crystals are very long which can result from a longer freezing process.

Apart from that, using liquid nitrogen eradicates the need for excessive chemical additives such as stabilizers and emulsifiers.

Ice Queen’s flavours include French Vanilla, Gula Melaka, Hazelnut, Mangoes and Cream, Sea Salt Caramel, along with Sorbet flavours of Coconut, Elderflower, Lemon, Passionfruit and Strawberry. A scoop is $4.90.

I would recommend the Thai dessert inspired Mango Sticky Rice ($6.50 per cup), with Mango and cream ice cream on the top, and coconut sticky rice at the bottom. Sweet and refreshing, matched with a balanced blend of textures, tasting almost like the actual Khao Niaow Ma Muang dessert.

After a taste test, yes liquid nitrogen ice cream is denser, smoother, milkier and feels more denser packed the usual, as though there is ‘no air’ with the scoop.

‘Pantang’ people may want to avoid The Death By Chocolate ($6.50), a valrhona chocolate ice cream, topped with oreo crumbs with a butter cookie that spells “RIP” stuck inside.

Superstition aside, this flavour was extremely rich, tasting intense and deep after a few mouthfuls, and would likely need some sharing. Unless of course, you live for chocolate.

The creations are very much influenced by foods that Ee Lin has grown up with, thus you would see cups like Chendol, Japan Hour (Matcha) and Nuts about Nutella.

Some of the flavours could be still in the stage of experimenting, thus the Gula Melaka tasted weirdly salty. And I would wish for a larger fuller bigger scoop for its price.

Do expect more surprises in creations in time to come. Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore.

Ice Queen
217 East Coast Road, Tides, #01-02 Singapore 428915 (opp Chin Mee Chin, next to Spizza)
Tel: +65 64408098
https://www.facebook.com/icequeensg
Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 10:00pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
The Hideout (Cassia Crescent)
Seriously Ice Cream (Everton Park)
The Milky Way (Tanglin Halt)
Alfero Artisan Gelato (Lor Kilat)
Udders (Thomson Road)

The post Ice Queen – Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream At East Coast appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

No ramen shop in Singapore can escape my sight, as I go in search for the “Best Ramen in Singapore”. Kanshoku while being new, has captured quite a bit of lunchtime crowd at Metropolis who sang praises of their noodles. (Read: 10 New Ramen Places In Singapore)

“One of the best ramen I’ve had,” as some would say. Seriously?

Kanshoku means ‘to finish eating every last bit of your food’ in Japanese, and a true test of their quality would be that customers would finish the entire bowl, without the craving for water to quench the thirst.

First things first. Metropolis is relatively easier to find, compared to other ‘polis’, right opposite Buona Vista MRT and The Star.

Kanshoku is a local brand, with owner Melvin Ang spending a couple of months both locally and overseas with different ramen chefs to learn and master the art of Ramen making. That includes cooking the broth, making the noodles, perfecting the eggs and understanding the different versions of ramen.

Their Hakata style thin straight noodles are made fresh daily. Broth is boiled with filtered water over 7 hours with no added MSG, preservatives or flavour enhancers.

The three basic mains are Tonkotsu Ramen ($12.90), Shoyu Ramen ($12.90) and Spicy Tonkotsu ($13.90) – all topped with charshu or pork belly. Ajitama egg cost an additional $2.00.

Top score goes to their Charshu, big rounded slice that melts almost like butter in the mouth, as you can feel the slippery fats lingering around.

The Ajimata egg also deserves a special mention, flavourful on its white, oozing with yolk. Almost the perfect one.

I liked the broth too, milky, not overly salty and quite umami. It could be hotter though, as some ramen broths can stay warm even if you leave it there for a while.

The spicy broth, on the other hand, was the main pitfall as it tasted clashing with the original soup base. Gyozas were also a let-down.

If I need to nit-pick, noodles could be springier. Though Melvin did say it used to be harder, but local customers preferred a softer texture. Well, the only solution would be to provide options.

No Michelin star, or some award-winning chef’s backing, but Kanshoku Ramen is easily one of the best new ramen openings in 2014. is already on its way of looking for its second store. Gambatte ne!

Kanshoku Ramen
9 North Buona Vista Drive #01-18 The Metropolis Singapore 138588 (Buona Vista MRT)
Tel: +65 66844033
https://www.facebook.com/kanshokuramen
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon-Fri)

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Talking about new cafes in Singapore, Artisan Boulangerie Co. is the up and coming star, opening seven branches in a year! Other than the main outlet at Killiney Road which I still regularly go to, ABC has made its way to Great World City, Asia Square, Vivocity, Metropolis, Chervon House, and Katong I12.

Some things you may not know about ABC: it is a homegrown bakery, Executive Chef Eran Mayer studied at the prestigious French culinary institutes École Grégoire Ferrandi and École Lenôtre, he moved his entire family to Singapore, and the flour is imported directly from a traditional flour mill outside Paris.

No preservatives, flavour enhancers, colouring or palm oil – that’s the dedication they have towards making it right.

Some may still have the impression ABC serves only bread, pastries and coffee. I remember they served brunch items such as Eggs Benedict ($19.50), Brioche French Toast ($14.00) and Big Breakfast ($18.50).

My usual order, if I am feeling in need for a healthier breakfast, is the Almond Granola ($12.00) served with generous servings of fresh fruits, and provided an enjoyable crunch of organic rolled oats, roasted almonds and sunflower seeds within.

The ABC brunch menu, served daily until 2pm, now also features Shakshouka Skillet ($16). Shakshouka Skillet! Not enough places in Singapore served baked eggs.

This is the kind of comfort food I go for when I am feeling cold (physically and metaphorically) and in need of some perk-me-ups. Two eggs baked in cumin-scented tomato sauce. Break the yolk and mix the sauces up for some oozy goodness, and dip some warm Turkish pide bread piece by piece, bite by bite. You may end up sweeping all the sauces.

I didn’t realise till recently that savoury mains such as Wagyu Burger ($24.00), Miso Salmon Fillet with creamy linguine ($22), Truffled Mushroom Risotto ($18.00), Linguine & Meatballs ($16.00) and Chicken Schnitzel ($18.00) are also available.

Their newest “star attraction” is a 250g Australian Ribeye Steak ($32.00) with black pepper sauce on the side, crispy chunky fries and a balsamic-dressed arugula salad.

It is not all the time that we would expect a bakery café to serve steaks, and therefore we initially doubted about ordering this main. The 100-day grain-finished ribeye turned out great – rich and beefy, still tender with good marbling of fat.

Typically, Artisan Boulangerie Co. attracts many Japanese female customers. (I think it’s the vibes of the place.) You almost always see them having a tart or salad. Ahhh…. The Garden Pesto ($14) came with edamame, but I liked the homemade rocket pesto with sweet cherry tomatoes as well.

If you are in search of a tai-life, the “Afternoon Delights” provides 3 pastries and 2 hot beverages at $28.00. They realized they needed three pastries to satisfy two. My personal picks would be (in this order): Lemon Tart, Chocolate éclair and New York Cheesecake, though the Fruit Crumble and Pecan Caramel are occasional favourites as well.

Artisan Boulangerie Co.
I12 Katong, 112 East Coast Road, I12 Katong mall #01-05 Singapore 428802
Tel: +65 6443 6088
http://artisanbakery.com.sg
Opening Hours: 10 am to 10 pm Daily

Other branches:
Killiney: 118 Killiney Road #01-01, Singapore 239555. Tel: +65 6444 8130
Opening Hours: 8 am – 10 pm Daily

Great World: Great World City #01-23, Singapore 237994. Tel: +65 6887 4062
Opening Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Daily

Asia Square: Asia Square Tower 2 #01-02, 12 Marina View, Singapore 018961. Tel: +65 6844 9907
Opening Hours: 8 am – 10 pm (Mon-Fri), 9am – 3pm (Sat)

Chevron House: 30 Raffles Place, Chevron House #01-34, Singapore 048622 Tel: +65 6533 0801.
Opening Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Daily

Vivocity: Vivo City #01-163/164, 1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585 Tel: +65 6278 8500
Open Hours: 10 am to 10 pm Daily

Metropolis: The Metropolis #01-12, 9 North Buona Vista Drive Singapore 138588 Tel: +65 6334 2320
Opening Hours: 8 am – 6 pm (Mon – Fri)

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Artisan Boulangerie Co.

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Many “Two”s in Singapore. Two Chefs, Two Wings, Two Blur Guys, Two Face, Two Fat Men, Two Am Dessert Bar, and now a Two Men Bagel House.

A bagel style cafe in Singapore. How, can survive? I remember years ago bagels were quite IN (you may be too young to remember), but they came and left like the wind.

The two men – buddies pals Jerome Lam and Jereborne Lam who were break-dancing friends since teenagers, saw the bagel craze in other countries and believed it would take off in Singapore.

Jerome, who is Shatec-trained and previously worked at Les Amis and Pollen, experimented and refined the recipe since last year. Jereborne is likely to be the more media-saavy guy who went in an Aussie twang “How ya doing?” as customers walk past.

The owners feel that there is a gap and barrier as bagel is not a common item here, and some locals may not even know how to pronounce the word bagel correctly. (It’s ‘bay-gle’ by the way).

For those unaware, a bagel is a bread product, first boiled and then baked, resulting in a dense, chewy, doughy interior, with a donut-like exterior.

The freshly baked variety at Two Men include Plain Bagel with Cream Cheese ($3.60), Plain Bagel with Clover Honey ($4.90), and some savouries like the Rodeo with roasted beef, caramelised onions, and greens ($12.90).

Oriole Coffee is served, though they only offer Long Black ($4.00) and Flat White ($5.00).

The Lox ($11.90) was a delicious choice – crispy crusted bagel with chewy doughy texture, topped with smoked salmon (not too salty, light cream cheese capers and onions. Part of this feels like a burger, except with a much healthier slant.

Many cafes serve soup as a ‘by the way’ product, and I wasn’t expecting much here. But the bowl of Smoked Tomatoes with Mozzarella Pesto ($3.90) almost blew us away with its fresh simplicity.

The challenges now would be to get bagels noted again by customers, and for people to actually find this place. It is at a spot of Icon Village’s extension that would require some finding.

May bagels regain its glory again, and you may prefer them over a donut.

TwoMen Bagel House
No 16. Enggor St. Icon Village Altez (new extension) #01-12 Singapore 079717 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Tel: +65 65094125
https://www.facebook.com/twomenbagelhouse
Opening Hours: 8am-8pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-6pm (Sat-Sun)

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The Little Prince Creamery is one of the few cafes in Singapore which tells a story. It is a tribute to the classic Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a story of friendship, love and loneliness.

Perhaps that is why this café has that ‘feel’ that cannot be replicated. This is where you would want to take refuge in a book to read on a quiet weekday mid-noon.

There is a painted set of stairs on the wall, symbolising the original café at Somme Road (now close) as the ground level, and the creamery as the second.

There are hand-drawn paints all over: a window with a hill view “outside”, a piano on the ice cream display. The Little Prince books in different languages were placed at the corner. Of which three are in blue, white and red. Coincidental, or carefully thought through?

This is the ice cream café with a story.

The hand-crafted gelato is said to contain only 8% fat and is eggless, with flavours of Pistachio, Hazelnut, Noir (dark chocolate), Rum and Raisins, Earl Grey Latte, Funky Monkey (peanut butter, banana and stracciatella), Fairy Berry (blueberry, strawberry and cranberry), Mango Kiss (yogurt base) and a dairy free Pineapple. ($3 for classic, $3.90 for premium).

Maybe I am bias, but I thoroughly enjoyed the waffle ($9.30 with 2 scoops of classic flavour), slightly more crisp than the usual, yet still with a soft inner texture. The gelato was milky, dense and creamy, the type that I fancy.

Sipping Rose Latte ($5) in a picture-filled cafe at an older estate feels romantic. The Little Prince Creamery is a beautiful space. Understated, but that is the way I like it.

The Little Prince Creamery
Lor 6 Toa Payoh Blk 47 #01-134 Singapore 310047
(Toa Payoh or Braddell MRT. Take bus no. 232 and 235 from Toa Payoh interchange
or no.235 from Braddell MR. From Toa Payoh interchange, if you take bus no.232, alight at Pei Chun Public School. Take bus no.235, alight at Blk 75 Lor 5 hawker centre and you will see blk 48 across the bus stop. From Braddell MRT, Take Bus no.235 from blk 101C. Alight at Blk 50 and walk to blk 47.)
Tel: +65 8684 8218
http://www.facebook.com/LittlePrinceCafe
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Sun-Mon, Wed-Thurs), 12pm – 11pm (Fri-Sat), Closed Tues

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Ah Bong Italian is one of its kind in Singapore. An Italian food stall in a Tiong Bahru coffeeshop selling pastas and crème brulee at incredibly affordable prices, and is only opened a few hours a day – though not by its own choice.

Located at the equally unique ”Two Face” at 56 Eng Hoon Street which is kopitiam by day, pizza and taproom by night.

The kopitiam remains as one of the favourite places to get my regular Yong Tau Foo fix. Though the awesome vegetarian stall holder at the corner got into quarrels with the main owner and had to move away to nearby Blk 71 at Seng Poh. (Essential skill for a food blogger: need to be kaypoh a bit and ask around.)

The varied experienced owner Chris holds a degree from the London School of Economics, and also a Diploma in Culinary Arts from at-Sunrice. Additionally, he has trained under three Michelin star chef Bruno Menard at La Cantine.

Ah Bong, is the nickname of her 3 year old daughter.

His fondest memory of Italian food was discovering an unassuming “hole-in-the-wall” pasta shop in Sicily. When he first saw the kopitiam at Eng Hoon, he felt it had that “x-factor” with that retro and rustic feel, enabling him to re-create a delightful experience at an unpretentious place.

His menu changes regularly, and you may find items ranging from Comfort Pasta of spaghetti with onion jam ($5), Spicy Tuna Puttanesca ($6), Chorizo Bolognaise ($6) and crème brulee with flavours ranging from Triple Espresso, Earl Grey and Thai Milk Tea.

I can say “Take my money” for Ah Bong’s Mac & Cheese ($6 with truffle oil, $5 without), small yet filling bowl pulsating with rich strongly-flavoured cream sauce and shitake and bacon. If you want something light, this is not for you.

My friend tried the Slow Cooked Pork Ragu ($6). She, who has dined at probably 50% of the decent Italian restaurants in Singapore, said it was pretty good for its price. Cannot compare to the high-end restaurants, definitely better than the mass-market brands __________ (fill in the blanks), and probably around Spageddies standard.

Opened at only 4 hours or so a day, one can imagine the tight margins for this budding hawkerpreneur. If you come early in the morning, you can see the humble Chris preparing, who is unwavering on serving fresh comfort food.

Ah Bong’s Italian
56 Eng Hoon Street #01-46 Singapore 160056 (15 min from Tiong Bahru MRT)
Tel: +65 96506194
https://www.facebook.com/abitalian
Opening Hours: 10am – 2:30pm

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Stepping into Earl of Hindh made me feel that I am transported elsewhere with its colonial style décor, traditional patterned flooring and grand portraits of Maharajas hanging on the walls.

I must admit that I am not familiar with Indian fine dining establishments, and was pleasantly surprised at its offerings.

The restaurant aims to present food like to the royalty, with an appetising range of Indian kebabs, curries, naan, breads and long grained basmati rice.

We thoroughly enjoyed the starters, especially the Jhinga Jaan-E-Dum ($38++), a jumbo prawn dish marinated in Chef’s secret spices.

The prices of some of the dishes might stop some in their tracks. A ‘Kakori’ kabab of finely minced lamb wrapped around a skewer and char grilled at $44, and Murgh Malal Kabab on boneless chicken blended with cream and cheese at $28 was too me, high for its portion.

Curries were delicious. The Rampuri Parantha ($8++), which means multi-layered cooked dough, when stuffed with red chilli flakes and dipped in Chicken Tikka ($34++) gravy, is sheer exotic indulgence.

You may want to consider waiting for some kind of promotion to try their North Indian cuisine. Earl of Hindh now offer a 4-course executive set lunch at $30++. That’s fine dining at affordable rates.

Earl of Hindh
#01-16 Quayside Isle Tel: +65 66816694
www.earlofhindh.com
Opening Hours: 12pm-10:30pm (Tues-Sun)
Reserve Now

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