Saturday, 28 July 2012

Toast Box @ Changi Airport

Airports around the world are infamous for their pricy food which are higher than the market rate at all time. An orange juice can cost you $8 when you can just get it for $2 in the city. Most people would refrain from dining at the airport unless it is really necessary.

The good news is now you can find cheap decent food if you happen to visit Singapore's Changi Airport next time! It is called Toast Box and they mainly serve breakfast style meals which is good enough if you just wish to get a quick bite after you have arrived from a long hour flight and do not wish to wait until you get to the city to eat.

soft bun set
The Soft Bun Set - S$4.20
Toast Box at Singapore's Changi Airport

The interior of the place is sort of antique yet modern style kind of design. All the furniture were painted white. There are many Toast Box outlets all across Singapore and there is one at Woodlands where they play nice soothing music which really makes you feel calm in this hectic city. Unfortunately the one at Changi Airport does not have piped in music. Nevertheless, it is still a good place to visit for affordable food at the airport.
 
Toast Box interior at Changi Airport

It is located at the Arrival Hall of Terminal 2, Changi Airport and opens 24 hours.

Contact number: (65) 6214 9580 

Saturday, 21 July 2012

HIGH SOCIETY @ Marina Bay Sands


Marina Bay Sands; Singapore’s Integrated Resort right at the heart of the city center is a must visit for whoever travel to the island. As its name implies, the entire complex and public spaces are envisioned to be the perfect hangout place for everyone in the family. It has a world class casino, museum, retails, hotel, public park and of course eating outlets which I’m only interested to write about for this blog.

The shopping mall complex at Marina Bay Sands is huge; you can basically do your workout simply by window shopping the entire building! Yes, it is that huge. A building that big definitely has plenty of choices to offer to its patrons in gastronomical terms. There are many restaurants with various cuisines. There is also a food court which most people decided to go to due to its more affordable prices.

However, due to the huge crowd at the food court and the near impossible chance of securing a table for myself, I opted for a restaurant nearby instead. It is called High Society right next to a CD shop outlet. It is a music themed restaurant that serves mainly modern western and Asian fine dining cuisine. 

High Society Restaurants @ Marina Bay Sands Shopping Mall
Entrance of High Society
Restaurant's chic interior.
You will be greeted by an extremely friendly waitress who keeps smiling all the time. I ordered the Summer Set Menu which she repeatedly recommended. There was a list of entre and main course for you to choose from. I ended choosing the Smoked Salmon as entre and Wagyu Beef Rump as my main course. I was then politely told that they have sold out their Wagyu beef and will replace tenderloin steak for me instead. I was initially hesitated as I have never tasted Wagyu beef before and really want to try it. However, I decided to take the risk and accepted their replacement.

First came the soup of the day to get your saliva flowing. The soup did not leave me with any unexpected impression as I only prefer mushroom soup which they were not serving on that day. Then came the Smoked Salmon entre. The thinly sliced salmon taste fantastic and together with the salad on top, this is the perfect dish for entre as your body can absorb all the nutrients of the vegetables. The saltiness of the smoked salmon worked very well with the relatively tasteless but juicy fresh vegetable.

Soup of the day.
smoked salmon entre
Entre - Smoked Salmon
Then the main course arrives which I have initially lowered my expectation as it is not Wagyu beef. The presentation of it is really creative. Instead of the usual solid green peas and cut potato, they served mashed potato and green peas as well. I’ve seen mashed potato but not mashed green peas. And they were spread out in two broad strokes on the plate as the base for the beef. It is a good contrast with the dark brown color of the beef. The two small tomato that sat on top of the beef give the final color accent to the whole plate. So far so good, the presentation was creative and above expectation. I then cut a piece of the beef and inserted into my mouth. I simply could not believe the tenderness of the beef! It was soft, juicy and without the meaty smell. Needless to say, I was glad that I’ve picked this as my main course. After finishing your meal, you get to choose your dessert from the display counter at the front of the restaurant.

tenderloin steak
Wagyu Beef Rump
earl grey tea
Earl Grey Tea
Strawberry Cheese Cake.
strawberry cheese cake

Located at B2-43, Canal Level of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
Telephone: +65 6688 7522
Business Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 10am - 11pm
Friday & Saturday: 10am - 1am

Just like Gardens by the Bay, you can get there by exiting at Bayfront Station of the Circle Line MRT.   

Sunday, 15 July 2012

VERANDAH @ Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay in Singapore
The magnificent Super Tree at Gardens by the Bay.
Gardens by the Bay; Singapore's latest tourist attraction has become the newest place to hangout for fellow Singaporeans and tourists alike. It was created to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the natural heritage towards a more sustainable urban environment.

As it is a huge park that occupies part of the famous Marina Bay, there are plenty of resting areas and eating outlets for you to take a break and refresh. The one restaurant that you may try is the VERANDAH. 

How can a visit to the Gardens be complete without having a taste of the salad at the VERANDAH? Try the Prawn Avocado Salad (S$16.00). It comes with variety of vegetables, smoked salmon, prawn and of course avocado as well. And the sauce that comes with it which is the Yuzu (Japanese mint) with Wasabi is simply fantastic! The good thing is you can have free flow of drinking water at this restaurant.

Verandah restaurant at Gardens by the Bay Singapore
Entrance of VERANDAH

Interior of Verandah restaurant at Gardens by the Bay
Interior of the restaurant with view of the gardens beyond.
Prawn Avocado Salad with smoked salmon
Prawn Avocado Salad
How to get there: Take the Circle Line MRT and exit at Bayfront Station.
Address: 18 Marina Garden Drive #02-04 S(018953)
Tel: 6636 1360

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Recipe Of Koay Teow Th'ng


When compared to other Penang noodle dishes, Koay Teow Th’ng (Flat Rice Noodle Soup) is probably the plainest of them all. It comes in a clear meat-based broth accompanied by fish balls, fish cake slices and shredded chicken although some hawker uses duck meat as well.

Stock:
·         2 liters of water
·         1 chicken, quartered
·         1 chicken carcass, in pieces
·         200g pork bones
·         1 teaspoon of smashed white peppercorns
·         1 teaspoon of sugar
·         1 teaspoon of salt
·         600g of scalded flat rice noodles (Koay Teow)
·         180g of blanched bean sprouts

Toppings:
·         300g of shredded chicken meat
·         15 fish balls
·         2 chopped stalks spring onions
·         Lard oil and crisps
·          Garlic oil and crisps

Dipping Sauce
·         6 – 8 sliced bird’s eye chilies
·         3 tablespoon of light soy sauce

How To Prepare The Stock:
After water is boiled, add in the chicken, chicken carcass, pork bones and peppercorns. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes. Strain stock into clean pot and season to taste with sugar and salt. Shred about 300g of chicken meat and set aside for the topping later.

How To Serve:
Bring stock back to a boil. Place a serving of Koay Teow and bean sprouts in a bowl. Top with shredded chicken. Cook 3 or 4 fish balls in the boiling stock and add to the bowl together with the hot stock. Garnish with spring onion, a teaspoon of lard oil and crisps, and a teaspoon of garlic oil and crisps. Serve with the chili and soy dipping sauce.