3 November 2015

Morganfield’s @ Star Vista

October was such a significant, but hectic month! On a personal level, I was busy preparing stuff for the solemnization, celebrating (many many) birthdays, catching up with some old-time friends and shuttling to and forth my new house to settle stuff phewww.

Despite the frantic schedule, I'm truly appreciative of friends who took time to talk to me, and gave me opinions and advice regarding EVERYTHING :`) Their experiences and knowledge certainly saves me from the headache sometimes!

As for meeting up with my friends/colleagues, I had a new-favourite place which is Morganfield’s @ Star Vista. Visited thrice in October – one was media invite to catch-up on Morganfield’s latest promotion, twice with friends/colleagues. Needless to say, I find that this place dish up really yummy food! Not just that, Morganfield’s also serves great sharing platters which makes it especially good for the group gatherings.



A popular favourite dish from Morganfield’s would be their spare ribs (sticky bones). They have quite a variety of spare ribs flavours, all of which comes with generous servings of thick fries and garden salad. 




For fish lovers, they have surprisingly great fish as well. On the menu is the Blackened salmon - Norwegian salmon seasoned with Cajun spice before grilling, and topped with Merlot garlic butter.
It comes served with unique Pilaf rice and garden veggies.


As for appetizers, I would absolutely vouch for the Sauteed Mushrooms which my friends and colleagues love too!



There is also the Russet Potato Skin which is baked potato skins loaded with cheese and crispy pork bacon bites, served with BBQ ranched sauce.



To wash the palate, my personal favored is the mock lychee mojito which is exceptionally invigorating with lime chunks and mint leaves, and real lychee fruits. The summer citrus taste pretty refreshing too, slightly lighter than lychee mojito.

To end your dinner / gathering on a sweet note, do try their chocolate lava cake :)





Moist, warm chocolate cake filled with rich molten chocolate. Served warm with vanilla ice cream & caramel sauce.

FYI, for anyone celebrating their birthdays (1 day before, 1 day after or on the actual day), and spending a minimum of $300 at Morganfield's, they can enjoy a Rib Pass that entitles a Half Slab Sticky Bones, any flavour for every month from November 2015 to October 2016. No strings attached! :)

27 October 2015

Bulgarian Rose Karlovo Tea Party @ Muffet's Room cafe

Attended a cozy tea party at Muffet's Room cafe with Mia recently.
Oh mine, life felt like a bed of roses as soon as I stepped into the cafe. The ENTIRE place was filled with one of my favourite fragrant, rose! 


It was until later I learnt that the rose scent was so strong, but still so natural and refreshing at the same time due to the fact that the scent came mainly from 100% natural rose water that was obtained by distillation of the flowers of the oil-bearing Rosa Damascena P.Mill.

Bulgarian rose oil is known all around the world as the most sophisticated essential oil or "rose attar". It contains the essence of the precious and beautiful Rosa Damascena flowers cultured in the Valley of Roses around the town of Karlovo.


The Bulgarian Rose factory was founded in 1948 on the basis of distilleries for processing essential-oil raw materials, which existed in the valley of Karlovo. 
By year 2000, Bulgarian Rose Karlovo was created to produce eits own cosmetic line. It is now a recognized manufacturer of the following:

- natural aromatic products - essential oils, natural water obtained by distillation (rose, lavender, chamomile, melissa, sage, etc.) and extraction products;

- perfumery and cosmetic products;

- synthetic flavoring substances;

- perfume compositions and flavors;

- sauces and flavors for tobacco industry

At the same time the company continues the development and production of new perfumery and cosmetics assortments.


BULGARSKA ROSA PLC - Karlovo having traditions in production of rose oil since 1948 is the holder of a protected Appellation of origin "BULGARIAN ROSE OIL" entered in the State Register of the Patent Office of republic of Bulgari with registry number 052 - 01/1994 and was awarded the gold medal for rose oil at the International Fair - Plovdiv 1981.

Now, let's focus on my favourite two products! Out of soooo many choices Bulgarian Rose Karlovo offers.

Bulgarian Rose Karlovo Rose Exfoliating Face Mask



This exfoliating gel cleanses well and yet does not feel drying on the skin at all. In fact, the skin feels soothed and moisturized afterwards, which is an essential factor when choosing a exfoliating wash! Also, the pink beads are gentle in doing their jobs to clarify the skin, that you can't feel the scrubbing of skin at all!  An additional bonus would be, it SMELLS GOOD :)


Hair Care Liquid Disperse Crystals


This nourishes and strengthens the hair, protecting against the effects of UV rays and moisture. It acts as a conditioner and protect its ends from splitting, and at the same time, gives the hair a silky feeling and brilliance.

Here is what happened after I applied one pump of it by lightly combing it through dry hair. The ends are definitely smoother and overall, the hair feels more manageable.
No rinsing required, how convenient!


Bulgarian Rose Karlovo is currently available at SASA Clementi, or online at Lazada
If you're interested to know more, do visit their Facebook page or website :)



4 October 2015

Sunrise Bistro & Bar [Media Tasting]


Was invited to chill out at Sunrise Bistro & Bar last week, an impressive restaurant located at a quaint stretch along East Coast Park.


As the name suggests, Sunrise offers both a bistro and a bar, with indoor and alfresco seats.



Helmed by 41 year-old Executive Chef & Owner Vincent Teng with an impressive 22-year culinary experience, Sunrise Bistro & Bar specialises in serving casual fusion dishes - French fare cooked with a contemporary twist and a fine blend of creativity peppered with Asian inspired flavours (the Sous Vide way). This enables diners to experience fine dining at more affordable prices!


There is a live band - The Tripsters - that performs every night at 9pm, and allows you to send song dedications. We definitely had a good time with their performance that evening! All photos credit to molly-mia's camera cos I didn't had mine. We took turns to "work" that night, haha.

We started off our fine dining tasting with a lovely cocktail - Lady in Pink.
Made up of malibu, vodka, cranberry juice, sparkling wine, and topped with sweet, juicy strawberries, I would definitely go back to Sunrise for this anytime!



Seafood Chowder Soup $12
Creamy seafood soup with seasonal fresh seafood, topped with chopped chives and extra virgin olive oil



The seafood chowder didn't come looking like the usual creamy chowder. It was quite orangey as Chef Vincent included tomatoes in the base to give it a more zesty flavour, making it more refreshing as an appetizer. The soup was served with generous amount of seafood and a bread, definitely value-for-money. One of my favourite for the night!


Seared Foie Gras $19
Seared goose liver on brioche bread layered with mango with citrus jam and berry compote



We had half the usual serving-size for the foie gras to leave more tummy space for the rest of the dishes. Sunrise uses goose liver and it was seared to perfection - so fragrant and smooth. The tangy mango slice complements the fatty foie gras flawlessly.


Sunrise "Fish & Chips" $26
Crispy fried red snapper with lemon myrtle pepper served with mango salsa tartare sauce and french fries



Again, this fish & chips was very different from what we had expected. An absolute embodiment of fusion food - Asian dish with Western presentation. I was telling Mia that it tasted like sweet-and-sour fish without the sauce, probably due to the fact that it is fried red snapper instead of the usual battered dory fish.


Cereal Crusted Cod Fish $28
Baked cod fish with cereal crust served with seasonal vegetable braised in sesame oil and giner shoyu broth


This is my favourite main of the evening. 
The cereal crust is so fragrant and crispy, while the texture of the cod fish is tender and flavourful after being soaked in the sesame oil & ginger shoyu broth.


Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit $28
Sous vide 8-hour crispy duck leg infused with five spice served with citrus salad & passionfruit sauce



Definitely sous vide for 8 hours as the duck meat was so tender. The skin was totally crispy and fragrant, making me finish up every piece of it.


Marmite Canadian Pork Shoulder $26
Sous vide and grilled pork shoulder with marmite marinate served with seasonal vegetable



The pork shoulder is marinated with marmite before sous vide. This is the first time trying marmite and it was quite good. Not too overwhelming as I had thought. The pork shoulder taste very similar to char siew, without the fattiness, reminding us again of Chef Vincent's fusion culinary approach.


BBQ Beef Short Ribs $32
24-hour Sous vide to tender and roast with homemade BBQ sauce served with seasonal vegetables



This beef short ribs were sous vide for 24 hours making it so tender and juicy. The insides of the ribs remains pink and the meat so succulent.


Tiramisu Semi Freddo $12
Semi frozen mascarpone cheese layered with coffee liquer jelly psonge topped with milo crunch and tuile biscuit



Not the first time having semi-freddo dessert, but it's my first having a semi-freddo version of tiramisu. It went well, especially with the fat, juicy raisin infused with brandy.


Salted Egg Yolk Custard Molten Chocolate Cake $14
Warm chocolate cake with melting salted egg yolk custard in the center served with vanilla ice cream




Another of my favourite for the evening. Chocolate lava cake that oozes salted egg yolk is simply divine!


Sunrise Bistro & Bar

902 East Coast Parkway, Playground @ Big Splash, Block B #01-05
Singapore 6440 9090

Opening Hours

Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 1:00am
Fri: 11:30am - 2:00am
Sat & Eve of Public Holiday: 9:00am - 2:00am
Sun & Public Holiday: 9:00am - 1:00am

Website

http://sunrisebistrobar.com/

28 September 2015

Chicken Legend SG




So in this hazy period, and where everybody is either drinking herbal tea or similar to reduce the harmful impacts on our throats or body in general, I was introduced to an yummy, cooling alternative - coconut steamboat! The steamboat base is from pure coconut water straight out of coconut itself, with no artificial sweeteners added into soup. This unique steamboat eatery can be found at a traditional coffee shop along the Upper East Coast road.




Chicken Legend

15 Upper East Coast Road

Reservation
+65 92950650


 I went for the media tasting by cab as I was in a rush to get there after work. However, after I've arrived, I realised that the stall is actually quite accessible by public transport. It's simply a minute walk away from the bus stop that has buses taking you to various popular stations like Bedok / Tampines :)

Now, let us get started on the food itself!



First, choose your steamboat set + any add-ons!



Here's a simpler illustration of their set menu.



Add-ons:


Set prices start from $20, which is the small set for two. Great for couples who wants to have steamboat by their own yet wanna avoid over-ordering!



The stall also serves its own special sauce which fuses over 10 different herbs, served with fresh condiments such as garlic, chilli and / or lime of your choice.



We had a regular set, seafood combo, as well as the meat combo.


The chicken cubes are from kampung chickens, which are said to have less fat and are healthier for consumption as they are fed with natural ingredients, rather than antibiotics-laced chicken feed. Also, they are usually reared in free-range farms, allowing the chickens to roam freely which translates to healthily ;)



The beef and pork are hand-sliced pretty evenly thin, making them great for sabu sabu ;)



As mentioned, the soup base contains only coconut, with no sugar and water added. The soup on its own is naturally sweet, and becomes more flavourful as the ingredients are added in bit by bit.



(The young, dashing boss showing us the way to enjoy Chicken Legend steamboat!)


Pot of gold!


Even mediacorp Tracy Lee was there for steamboat!



If you're going down to try out Chicken Legend coconut steamboat, do quote "HUI ZI" for 10% discount or free plate of meat worth $6 :)