Cliff(y) Goes Dining

'Kolo mee' with smoked duck better than the premium version! I'm a sucker for  kolo mee , a dry egg noodle dish hailing from Sarawak, Malaysia, which I very much prefer over other types like wanton noodle. Traditional Sarawak Kolo Mee has got two branches that are located pretty near each other at the point of writing: one at Fusionopolis that I visited, while the other is at Biopolis.

When childhood candy dreams hop into mooncake reality! As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches on 6 October, it's time once again for the annual tradition of this blog: delving into a selection of mooncakes. While snowskin varieties have often taken the spotlight, I'm turning to the baked classics this time round, and what better way to do so with something that stirs up childhood nostalgia: the beloved White Rabbit brand!

Vietnamese sticky rice for breakfast! I had a quick stopover in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam before flying home with Singapore Airlines the next day. For the night, I stayed at Le Saigon Hotel (3*), which is located not too far from Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The stay came with a buffet breakfast that offered quite a good spread for a simple hotel.

Cantonese cuisine not quite as outstanding as expected... Housed within the National Gallery in the Civic District of Singapore, Yan blends classic Cantonese recipes with modern culinary innovation. Its menu showcases a balance of tradition and creativity, from roasted meat to hand-crafted dim sum . The restaurant is part of the AMEX Love Dining programme.

'Tie guan yin' and lychee are besties! Welcome to this year's edition of our Mid-Autumn mooncake post! With just a week to go until Mid-Autumn Festival 2024, let's take a look at some pretty duo-tone snowskin mooncakes offered by Luna, a proud local patisserie that made its debut at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Indulging in delicious Chinese noodle with 'wok hei'! You might think I'd dive straight into local food upon reaching Bogota, the capital city of Colombia. However, the very first thing that I had was actually Asian cuisine. Since 1998, Wok has taken pride in introducing a diverse range of Southeast and East Asian dishes, from the bold flavours of Indonesia to the refined delicacies of Japan.

Lavender apricot for the win! Happy birthday to Pikachu! With Mid-Autumn Festival on the horizon, and Melon's birthday in exactly two weeks' time, it's customary for the two of them to celebrate with mooncakes. This year, we shall look at the snowskin mooncakes from the sweets boutique by Janice Wong, a Singaporean chef, chocolatier and artist.

Blown away by the delicious local and international food! Thanks to airline miles, my BFF and I'd be flying in style with Turkish Airlines, though not directly to Singapore. Because of that, we also had the opportunity to visit Turkish Airlines Lounge at the new Istanbul Airport in the Arnavutkoy region, trying all sorts of dishes and beverages offered inside the massive lounge.

Make your own 'laksa' before flying off! When was the last time I posted on an airline lounge? Today's post shall kickstart the short series on post-COVID-19 pandemic travel to Azerbaijan, a country in the Caucasus that was formerly part of the Soviet Union. I could finally make use of my Priority Pass membership once again to have dinner before flying off from our beloved Changi Airport.

The hotel's signature cocktail in a truffle! This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner, and that means a post on mooncakes is in order. I didn't have much difficulty choosing, for the assorted snowskin mooncakes offered by The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore (5*) caught my attention early last month. Two boozy and three non-boozy flavours are offered this time round.

Of 'laksa', 'pulut hitam' and 'teh C'! Hi, folks! It's been a while since my last update. I'm still in the midst of tidying up the photos from my last trip, so stay tuned! For today, let's talk about McDonald's again. In conjunction with Singapore's 57th National Day this year, our local Golden Arches decided to infuse local elements into some of their items. 

Breakfast with a golf course view~ Last year, I had the opportunity to go for a 2D1N staycation at the serene Orchid Country Club (4*) as I managed to score a fantastic deal. The room rate didn't include breakfast, but I went for a la carte breakfast at one of the eateries called Vanda Terrace. Breakfast items are served there from 7.30am to 11.00am daily.

Bring out more of the explosive Red Hot Firecracker! Happy Lunar New Year to those celebrating this joyous occasion despite the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic! May the courage and the strength of the Water Tiger carry us through our journey ahead. For reunion dinner, I went back to one of my favourite vegetarian restaurants two months after Christmas in 2021 with friends. Say hello to panda-in-bamboo for making its debut here! No, it's not the elusive Bao Bao in Google Pay.

The legacy of Master Chef Au Yeung Tin-Yun continues~ Words can't express how much I miss HK, and I really wonder when I'll be able to go for my annual trip again. Let's talk about Tai Cheong Bakery today, which is well-known for its egg tarts. It was established in 1954 in the city state, and subsequently opened its first permanent store in Singapore in July 2016.

Not the best 'kolo mee' experience for sure... Here's the first post of 2022! I hope everyone has been having a great start to the year so far. Following the last post on Haig Road Putu Piring  at the end of last year, I'm going to briefly touch on another stall that I patronised at Haig Road Market & Food Centre. It specialises in two noodle Sarawakian dishes from the eastern part of Malaysia: kolo mee and laksa .

Motto: "Love Self, Love Earth" A modern dining concept focusing on creative interpretation of vegetarian cuisine, Elemen promotes a more harmonious and sustainable environment through its wholesome dishes. It offers value-for-money multi-course meals, with each item being meticulously prepared using natural, meatless ingredients.

Tasty 'chee cheong fun' worth queueing up for! Chee cheong fun  is a Cantonese dish of steamed rice noodle rolls originating from Guangdong Province in southern China and Hong Kong. I love them doused in soy sauce and sesame oil. Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun at Pek Kio Market & Food Centre has been dishing out lovely ones for more than 10 years.

Do you love White Rabbit candy? I do! Hello, folks! I hope all of you're doing fine and staying safe. Together with Pikachu and Melon, I'm back for a short while today to share with everyone the snowskin mooncakes from Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel as we herald this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which is going to fall on 21 September.

"A bento meal. A music tune. A piece of memories." UPDATE (01/12/2023):  The eatery has closed down. A rather quirky café that's located across the street from Amoy Street Food Centre, Taiker Song is a portmanteau of Taiwan, Rocker and Song. I suppose music must be an important part of the café experience, but that's something that I didn't get as I had to do takeaway due to the no dine-in rule.

Thai Pan's butter squid for the last time! I hardly write about the same restaurant twice, but here's a tribute to Thai Pan Restaurant that I've known since my secondary school days. Though not entirely shocking given the current COVID-19 pandemic, I'm certainly saddened by the news that they'll only be around till 30 June 2021 after a good 18 years of operation.