[Day 3] Chao Phraya Princess II Dinner Cruise, Bangkok

On Day 3 evening of our Bangkok trip, we booked a Dinner Cruise for Chao Phraya Princess II via our hotel concierge and they even arrange a van picked up from our hotel to River City Pier. Upon arrival, the driver bought us to the check-in counter to collect our boarding tickets and stickers for the cruise.  After which we waited for quite sometime (it's slightly behind schedule) before the cruise arrived at the pier and the queue was rather chaotic with everyone pushing just to get aboard first.

[Day 3] Afternoon Tea At Agalico, Bangkok

Agalico has been around for over a decade and it is owned by Thailand's most prominent landscapist and interior designer, ML Poomchai Chumbala, whose famous works include the exquisite gardens of Mrigadayavan Palace in Hua Hin. Other than in-door dining, Agalico also has a well-designed topical garden with gazebos, siting area, birds, flowers, fountain and etc for guest to enjoy an idle afternoon with exquisite tea and desserts.

After our visit to Siam Ocean World we decided to take a train ride to Thong Lo where Agalico is just 5 - 7 minutes walk away from the station. I have being looking forward to visit this cafe ever since my brother shared his photos with me during his last visit.

5 Assorted Chiffon Cakes Recipes plus A Demo Clip And Giveaway

These two weeks I was on Chiffon baking mood together with Maameemoomoo where we troubleshoot problems like our oven temperature, baking time, cake texture and etc which was indeed a fun and fulfilling experience for both of us.

And as some of you might know, I am an adventure baker/cook who always like to experiment with new ingredients, kitchen gadgets and etc. So for this post, I would be sharing 5 different chiffon cakes recipes from traditional Pandan Chiffon to something fusion like Rose Tea Chiffon which I hope there is at least one that captures your heart.

[Day 3] Exploring Siam Ocean World, Bangkok

Siam Ocean World is one of the largest two-storeys in-door aquarium in Southeast Asia which is located at the basement of Siam Paragon Shopping Mall in Bangkok. The exhibit is divided into 7 zones with individually designed theme and apart from its recreational options, it also proves a very good learning center for kids too.

With our Day 3 schedule packed with fun at Siam Ocean World, afternoon tea at Agalico and cruise dinner on board Chao Phraya Princess, I am sure you will be excited to follow us through the posts and read about our experience in those places.

Kimbap - 김밥

Kimbap (김밥) is a popular Korean dish/finger food made from steamed white rice (bap) together with various other ingredients and rolled in seaweed sheet (gim/kim), sliced and served in bite-size. Often kimbap is prepared as one of the picnic food or eaten as light lunch with together with kimchi.

While doing some read up on Kimbap, I also learn that although it might look similar to Japanese sushi roll but their rice are actually seasoned with sesame oil rather than rice vinegar which is commonly found in Japanese sushi rice.

BULGOGI KIMBAP

Above was my first Kimbap inspired by my IG (Instagram) friend, @honeybeesweets88 who always whip up mouth-watering dishes and bakes for her family. And since I am looking for some Korean flavour, I wrapped my version with Bulgogi, spinach, carrot, egg and kimchi, whereas for my kid's non-spicy version, I use kani (crab stick), egg, cucumber and carrot.

(Serves: 3-4  | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Uncooked Short Grain Rice, rinse and soaked
• 1 - 2 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil, optional
• 5 Sheets of Nori (seaweed)

Fillings:
• Beef Bulgogi
• Some Japanese Cucumber and Carrot Strips
• Egg Omelette, Julienne
• Blanched Spinach
• Kimchi

Method:-
1. For Rice: Cooked the rice in the rice cooker till done and leave it to stand in the cooker for at least 10 minutes before stirring in sesame oil and mixed well.

2. For Spinach: Blanch it in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove and drain well with kitchen paper towel. Season it with some mixture of light soy sauce, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

3. For Bulgogi: Stir-fry the marinated meat with some oil over medium heat till cooked through.

4. Next place a sheet of seaweed with shiny side down on a bamboo sushi mate. Divide cooked rice into 5 portions and evenly spread one portion of the warm rice on the seaweed sheet leaving about 2" space allowance on top (facing the far end).

5. Layer the fillings lengthwise on the rice (refer to the photo above) and gently roll up from the bottom end (close to you) using the bamboo mat as support (apply some pressure to secure the roll with both hands) and tuck in the fillings using your fingers.

6. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients and rice. Lastly, rub some sesame oil on your knife before cutting the roll will prevent the rice from sticking on to the knife.

Note:
~ I used the standard rice cooker cup to measure 3 cups of uncooked rice.

~ Rinse and soaked uncooked rice in the rice cooker with water measuring to "mark 3" for at least an hour before cooking.

~ You can either get marinated bulgogi meat from local supermarkets or stay tune for my upcoming recipe on bulgogi.

Beside Bulgogi Kimbap, I also made another version using Fried Rice for one of our weekday lunch. It's pretty easy using some left over rice which I stir-fry it with beaten egg and garlic then wrapped it up with kani (crab stick) and asparagus.

If you are interested you could also check out my previous recipes on Korean Dishes or common Korean Ingredients too.

[Day 2] Health Land and Mahboonkrong (MBK)

After spending the whole morning at Chatuchak Weekend Market till almost 1.00pm, we decided to visit Health Land which is located near Asok Station (about 10 minutes walk) where we could pampered ourselves with Foot Reflexology And Body Massage to re-fill our energy level and continue the shopping spree. Furthermore, foot reflexology is one of the common spa services that tourists love and it could be easily found at most shopping malls, shops along the streets and even in their night/weekend bazaar too. And the face is it really cost much cheaper (around half the price or less) then what we usually paid in Singapore.

Mayer Expo Extravaganza

This weekend if you are looking for some kitchen appliances (such as blenders, toast oven, electric kettles or build-in oven and hobs and etc) for your kitchen, do head down to Singapore Expo Hall 4B to check out Mayer at Expo Extravaganza starting from 12 - 14 July 2013 (Fri - Sun), 11.00am - 9.00pm. This year they featured well-known brands like Bugatti, Bamix, Ariston and KitchenAid.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Some of the featured brands

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Ariston

At the Mayer Sales you would also be able to preview Ariston new "Luce" series with a range of sleek built-in ovens, hobs and hoods plus Ariston's Hotpoint small appliances like slow juice, soup maker and kettle.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] KitchenAid Mixer

KitchenAid's collection of colourful trendy mixers are on discounted price of SG$649 for their KSM 150 Stand Mixer which I think is a good steal. Other than their well-known mixer, KitchenAid also launched some new products such as food chopper, automation toaster, food processor with easy adjustable slicing disc, induction cookers and etc all available in KitchenAid's signature Artisan styles and vibrant colours.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Trendy Kitchen Appliances from Bugatti

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Some of the discounted kitchen appliances

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Range of products under Mayer

For busy homemakers or working adults, Mayer has specially developed these innovative products like smokeless grill, soup maker, automatic bean-to-cup coffee maker, mini cupcake and donut maker, auto program cake maker and etc to meet their daily needs.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Sampling and Cooking Counter for Mayer products

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Food sample from baked by the Mayer new products

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Naturai P-10 Machine from, Mistral

The all new Naturai P-10 Professional high speed nutrient machine is tailor made to incorporate the healthy blending method devised by a phenomenal expert in naturopathy and nutrition. It is designed with unrivaled high speed and specialized extraction functions to retain the living properties of raw food, providing the whole nutritional value. You can hands-on trying out the machine and sample the end-product too.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Naturai P-12 Machine from, Mistral @ SG$599 each

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Cooking Demo using Bamix hand blender

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Bamix Magicwand (hand blender) @ SG$299 each

Bamix Magicwand is a multi-purpose blade, whisk, beater and straight cordset which comes in three colours of lime green, red and black.

[Mayer Expo Extravaganza] Mistral and Honeywell products

For those who loves to bake, you could also join in one of the above "hands-on" baking workshops by KitchenAid at a discounted price of SG$20.00 each workshop.

Recently, Mayer also launched a Mayer Friends App which is an opportunity for Mayer Friend to enjoy a myriad of rewards offered by all the brands Mayer represents. Below are some benefits of being a Mayer Friend and you could read more on Mayer website here.

Mayer At EXPO Extravaganza
Singapore EXPO  Hall 4B
Date: 12 - 14 July 2013
Time: 11am - 9.00pm
Admission: FREE

Sunday Brunch @ LIME, PARKROYAL on Pickering

Lime Restaurant is situated on the street level of the iconic PARKROYAL on Pickering Hotel which launched earlier this year. And with their long-awaited Sunday Buffet Brunch launching last month (June 2013), it's International buffet has a range of appealing dishes and desserts for guests to indulge with.

Dining Setup at Lime, Park Royal on Pickering

Every Sunday from 12.00pm to 3.00pm, Lime will be lining up array of international delights including Seafood on Ice, Wok Station, Mushroom Risotto and tempting treats such as a Foie Gras Terrine, European Cheeses (12 different varieties) Cakes and Pastries. 

Furthermore with a choice of Champagne Brunch Buffet (SG$128++), guest(s) would be able to enjoy free flow Piper Heidsieck Champagne and House Wine too.

[Salad/Appraiser] Seared Tuna with Apple and Avocado

[Salad/Appraiser] Vine Tomatoes with Crab Rillette

[Salad/Appraiser] Thai-style Salad

[Salad/Appraiser] Coppa Ham

[Salad/Appraiser] Homemade Graviax

[Salad/Appraiser] Lobster Bisque Vs Mushroom Soup

To begin we start with the Salad Station which featured both Western and Asian delights such as Cold Cut Ham, Seared Tuna, Thai-style Salad and etc. We also tried both soup of the day and we preferred the Mushroom Soup more than Lobster Bisque because of it smoothing broth which is not too thick, salty nor creamy and it leaves the palate with a fragrant mushroom aftertaste.

[Highlight] Cook Station for Foie Gras and Risotto

[Highlight] Pan-Seared Foie Gras with Passion Fruit Sauce

If you are a fans of foie gras remember to head towards the Western Cook Station where the chef will take your order and prepare it right on the spot. We love the fruity taste of the passion fruit sauce and soft pear which blends well with the quick seared foie gras that has a crispy outer layer and yet moist and almost melt in your mouth texture combination.  

[Highlight] Cook station for Mushroom Risotto with Jamon Iberico Ham

[Highlight] Mushroom Risotto with Jamon Iberico Ham

I love risotto especially those cooked with seafood or mushroom. Overall the risotto from Lime taste quite decent with it's smooth and creamy texture that pairs with a slice of the Jamon Iberico Ham. But we felt the grains were a bit hard which affect the overall texture of the dish so if the grains would slightly softer, it would have definitely perfect this dish.

[Highlight] Norwegian Benedict

Quite disappointed with their Noreweigan Benedict as the poached egg yolk was way too overcooked rather than runny and I would preferred more Rosti at the base too.

Another highlight at Lime is from time to time, friendly waiters will move from table to table offering freshly baked pizza with assortment of toppings such as Hawaiian, Seafood and etc.

[Carving Station] Grilled US Asparagus and Assorted Vegetables

[Carving Station] Herbal Crusted Lamb Rack vs Cajun Roasted Chicken

[Carving Station] Whole Red Snapper with Shallot Sauce

Lime’s carving station has a wide selection of roasted meats including US Prime Rib, Guinea Fowl and Rack of Lamb. Other than the mentioned we tried the Grilled Vegetables, Potato Gratin and Red Snapper with Shallot Sauce during our visit last Sunday. And I love their Grilled Asparagus which is a great side dish for my Herbal Crusted Lamb Rack.

Seafood On Ice Station

Seafood On Ice Station (Top right: Marine Lobster, Pacific Oysters and Assorted Sushi)

There is a Seafood On Ice Station for seafood lovers featuring Tiger Prawns, Marine Lobster, Clams, Mussels, Pacific Oysters, Assorted Sushi and Sashimi. Since I am not in mood with sushi nor seafood except some Oysters, I did not venture much into the seafood station.

Asian Cooked Food Station

[Asian Cooked Food Station] Array of Asian Dishes (Top left: Lo Han Chai, Seabass Curry with Okra and Egg Plants, Stir-fried Chicken with Curry Leaves and Beef Rendang)

[Asian Cooked Food Station] Singapore Laska

Lime's Aisan Cooked Food Station has captured the heart of both my mum and I with their Singapore Laska which has a fragrant gravy that is not too spicy or over power in taste. Their Stir-fried Chicken with Curry Leaves is also another delicious Asian dish as each chunk of the fried chicken is coated with a layer of their special sweet and sticky sauce, making it a great dish to go with rice .

[Asian Cooked Food Station] Chef Wok Creation - Wok Fried Fresh Seafood

Another highlight for the Asian Cooked Food Station is their mixed and matched Chef Wok Creation where you could pick up your choices of ingredients and the station chef will cook the dish base on your selection of sauce from Sambel Chilli, Kung Po Sauce or Ginger and Spring Onion. We simply love their spicy Sambel Chilli Sauce. It's Shiok! (meaning delicious)

[Dessert Station] Green Tea Chocolate Fountain with Fresh Fruits and Marshmallow

It's our first time seeing Green Tea Chocolate Fountain as compared to the usual Dark/Milk Chocolate Fountain.

[Cheese Station] Jam and Spread, 12 Different varieties of Cheese, Dried Fruits and Nuts

Cheese loves would be able to savor 12 different types of cheese such as Brie, Comte and etc together with a choice of some dried fruits like apricot and assorted nuts. These go well with a glass of sparkling champagne for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

[Dessert Station] Colourful Assorted Macarons

Champagne and Macarons

Instead of having champagne with cheese or nuts, I choose to pair it with my beloved macarons.

[Dessert Station] Strawberry Tartlets, Passion Mango Mousse and Green Tea Tiramisu

[Dessert Station] Opera and  Fruit Flan

[Bread Station] Featuring Array of Freshly Baked Bread

After all the savory dishes, it's time to indulge in some sweet treats. The dessert station at Lime has quite a wide range of cakes, tartlets, tarts and pastries to satisfy ones craving. Moreover you could also get a cup of coffee (latte, cappuccino and etc) or premium tea to go with the dessert.

Personally from their dessert range, we preferred the Fig Tart, Cream Brulee, Passion Mango Mousse, Opera and Macarons. On top of these, they also have Pandan Kueh Lips, Raspberry and Mango pate de fruit, Triple Chocolate Ice Cream and Assorted Fruit Sorbets which we did not try (too full for those).

[Sunday Brunch] Piper Heidsieck Champagne

[Sunday Brunch] Selected Red/White House Wine

LIME @ PARKROYAL on Pickering
3 Upper Pickering Street
Singapore 058289
Telephone: 6809 8899
Website: LIME, Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch Buffet is available form 12.00pm - 3.00pm
- S$88++ per person (including free flow juices, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea)

- S$128++ per person (including free flow Piper Heidsieck Champagne, Red/White House Wine, juices, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea)

- S$44++ for Children (6 to 12 years old) and it includes free flow juices, soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea.

UOB Credit Cards Promotion:
~ Exclusively for UOB Cardmembers, from now until 30 September 2013, enjoy complimentary dining for every fourth guest with three paying adults for buffet lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch using UOB credit card at Lime.

Lastly I would like to thank Lime and Mango PR for the invited tasting. For more photos related to Sunday Brunch @ Lime, please refer to our Facebook page, here or you could view a short clip rom my instavideo (here) taken from my Instagram (@cuisineparadise).

*All opinions expressed in this post are based on our own dining experience and the taste of the dishes might vary from individual. But I do hope you have a great experience trying this Brunch Buffet if you are planning to visit Lime soon.