[Moments And Memories] March School Holiday 2016

Time flies when you are having fun and now we are into term 2 of school weeks where the boy needs to prepare himself the primary school leaving exam (PSLE) in another 6 months time. To me it seems just not long ago that I shared a post on 2015 March school holiday and here is another a new post for this year memories.

Not much of adventures for this year school break because the boy still goes for his tuition classes as usual. But despite of the rather "boring" schedule we managed to go for some food fun, catch up two movies and explore one of the new nature reserve near Punggol Park. Below is our journal for the week which I pen down as a memory to look back.

[Mid-Autumn] Mooncake Festival 2013

[Crystal Jade] Mystical Treasure Set

Time flies, in another month's time most of us will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival where friends and family gather to enjoy assortment of mooncakes and food. And during this period of time getting mooncakes for friends and business associates has also become a tradition routines. Below are some Traditional and Contemporary mooncake variety which you might be keen to take a look while placing your orders.

[Crystal Jade] Magnificent Five

[Photo: Crystal Jade] With gifting in mind, this year Crystal Jade has introduce their Mystical Treasure Set (SG$89.00 per box of 4 pieces) which comprises four premium flavours of Gold Leaf Mooncakes encased in a newly-designed, limited-edition treasure chest (shown on the first photo above). Each set includes Crystal Jade’s premium offerings such as: Gold Leaf White Lotus Paste with Double Yolk, Gold Leaf Red Lotus Paste with Double Yolk, Gold Leaf Plain White Lotus Paste, and Gold Leaf Mixed Nuts and Ham.

On top of that The Magnificent Five (SG$69.00 per box of 5 pieces) also makes another great gift that is packaged in a luxuriously quilted gold box. This set includes: Super Five Yolks with White Lotus Paste, Plain White Lotus Paste, White Lotus Paste with Double Yolk, Red Lotus Paste with Double Yolk, and Mixed Nuts and Ham.

[Crystal Jade] Snow Lotus Konnyaku Mooncake

[Photo: Crystal Jade] For a twist and something with lighter taste, you might want to consider the new Snow Lotus Konnyaku Mooncake (SG$20.00 per box of 4 pieces) which is under Crystal Jade Floral Tea Konnyaku Mooncakes range.

Crystal Jade Mooncake
Hotline: (65) 6512 0800
Online Brochure: Mid-Autumn Festival 2013

Mondays to Fridays: 
9am – 6pm

[Thye Moh Chan] Mid-Autumn Pastries

For something different than the usual baked mooncakes, you might consider getting one of these handmade Teochew pastries that comes with a selection of silky-smooth fillings wrapped with a layer of flaky pastry skin  from Thye Moh Chan. Below are the range (detail here) that you can choose from:-

Sweet or Salty Tau Sar (single yolk)
Pick your choice between sweet or savoury mung bean filling which has been prepared from scratch. Each piece of mooncake is wrapped with a single salted egg yolk with the sweet rendition topped with white sesame. Whereas for the savoury one, it is blend with salty mung bean paste, fried shallots, white sesame and seasoned with white pepper.
Medium (4 pieces per box) @ SG$24.80, Large (1 piece per box) @ SG$22.80

Yuan Yang
Make with generous filling of savoury mung bean paste, fried shallots, white sesame, spicy pork floss and salted egg yolks, this novel creation is also accented with a proprietary spice mix.
Medium (4 pieces per box) @ SG$24.80; Large (1 piece per box) @ SG$22.80

Double Delight
Wrapped with double delights of red bean paste and a unique ‘crystal’ filling made with winter melon, melon seeds, dried orange peel, white sesame, spring onions, and glutinous rice flour.
Medium (4 pieces per box) @ SG$24.80

Durian
For durian lovers, this is a contrast between smooth D24 durian-infused bean paste and crispy pastry.
Medium (4 pieces per box) @ SG$35.20

Traditional Teochew Mooncake
An old-time  favourite with combination of maltose, white sesame, dried kumquat and five-spice powder, rendering a unique and unforgettable taste.
Large (1 piece per box) @ SG$18.00

Promotions:
From 13 July to 31 August, enjoy 25% discount for purchase of 10 or more mooncake vouchers. Mooncake collection date: 5 August – 15 September

Corporate Sales Discount:
- 25% for 10 boxes and above
- 30% for 50 boxes and above

OCBC Cardmembers Privileges:
From 13 July to 31 August, OCBC Cardmembers enjoy 20% discount for purchase of 2 boxes or more.

THYE MOH CHAN
Chinatown Point
133 New Bridge Road, #01-45
Singapore 059413
Telephone: (65) 6604 8858

Operating hours:
10am – 10pm daily

[BreadTalk] Hello Kitty Mini Mooncakes

[Photo: BreadTalk] This year BreadTalk will be lunching their "limited edition" Hello Kitty Mini Mooncakes @ SG$25.00 per box of 4 pieces from 07 - 19 September 2013. These mooncakes comes in 4 different flavour such as:- Azuki Milk and Nuts, Green Tea Apricot, Chocolate Walnut and Glutinous Rice Yam specially packed in the Hello Kitty designed carrier so fans remember to grab them while stock last.

[Mandarin Oriental] Green Tea Paste and Japanese Kyoho Grapes

[Photo: Mandarin Oriental] This year apart from the traditional baked mooncakes, Cherry Garden also introduces the Homemade Mooncake with Green Tea Paste and Japanese Kyoho Grapes. This pairing between the sweet green tea and refreshing plum wine-infused grapes is pricing at S$62.00 per box of 4 pieces.

[Mandarin Oriental] Snow Skin Mooncake with Ginseng Egg Custard

[Photo: Mandarin Oriental] As for the premium snow skin selection, Cherry Garden also introduces Imperial Treasure Mooncake with Mangosteen Rind and Durian Paste as well as the Snow Skin Mooncake with Ginseng Egg Custard which is a luscious yellow delight that captures the velvety smooth essence of egg custard, along with crunchy bits of pine nuts, tinged with the aromatic herbal notes of the ginseng pricing at SG$62.00 per box of 8 pieces

CHERRY GARDEN
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue
Marina Square
Singapore 039797
Telephone: (65) 6885 3541
Enquiry: mosin-mooncakes@mohg.com

[Photo: Din Tai Fung]

[Din Tai Fung] Baked Mini Mooncakes Treasure Set

Fans of Din Tai Fung, for this coming Mid-Autumn Festival you will be able to try their very first Baked Mini Mooncakes which comes in two new flavours such as White Lotus Seeds Paste with pineapple fillings or pine seeds and orange peels. Personally I prefer the one with orange peels which balance the sweet, savory and tangy taste of this festive treat.

[Din Tai Fung] White Lotus Seed Paste with Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Filling (left) vs White Lotus Seeds Paste with Pine seeds, Orange Peels and Quarter Yolk (right)

Each box of their Baked Mini Mooncakes Treasure Gift Set consists of four mini mooncakes (two of each flavour) pricing at SG$23.80 nett and it will be available from 01 August - 19 September 2013 at all Din Tai Fung Outlets islandwide.

[Updated on 31st August 2013]

[Eater Palace (食珍)] Flaky Teochew Yam Mooncake

Eater Place (食珍) is one of the pioneer brand that offers Flaky Teochew Yam Mooncake or also known as Or Nee Mooncake.  This has always being my favourite mooncake because it's quite different from the usual baked mooncake that is make with lotus seeds paste. I love it's layers of flaky skin which enclosed the smooth and fragrance yam paste and pumpkin which makes it just like having my favourite Or Nee (yam paste).

[Eater Palace (食珍)] Yam and Pumpkin Flaky Teochew Mooncake

The mooncake comes in a box of either two or four pieces with flavour such as:-
- Yam
- Yam And Pumpkin
- Yam Salted Egg Yolk
- Vegetarian Yam

You can sample these flaky mooncake at Takashimaya Mid-Autumn Festival (basement event hall) and grab a box or two back as gift too.

[St Regis - Yan Ting] Royal Milk Tea Snowskin Mooncake with Red Bean Paste and White Chocolate Champagne Truffle @ SG$68.80 per box of 8

[St Regis - Yan Ting] Assort Snowskin Mooncake

This year Yan Ting has introduce five new snowskin creations  using quality ingredients with flavours such as "Mao Shan Wang" durian (SG$108.00 with box of 8 snowskin mooncakes), mixed berries, green tea, purple sweet potato and royal milk tea with chocolate champagne.

And if you can't decide on what flavour to choose, you can also grab a  box of a Assorted Snowskin Mooncake (excluding durian snownkin mooncake) shown above at SG$67.80 with 8 mini mooncakes in it.

[St Regis - Yan Ting] Four Traditional Baked Mooncakes Premium Gift Set

Yan Ting also offers exclusive premium gift box set together with your selection of 8 snowskin (SG$138.00) or 4 traditional baked mooncakes (SG$158.00). The gift set comes with a charming oriental teapot with two tea cups and a canister of Dongding Oolong Tea.

Yan Ting mooncake will be available at Yan Ting Restaurant located at level 1U or the Mooncake counter next to The Drawing Room located at the lobby from 19th August to 19 September 2013.

Yan Ting - Fine Cantonese Cuisine
The St. Regis Singapore
Level 1U
29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911
Telephone: (65) 6506 6887

[Hong Kong Mei Xin Mooncake] Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks

Mei-Xin Mooncake (美心月饼) is the Hong Kong's leading brand of mooncakes and this year I an si glad to receive a box of the Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks (retail price: SG$51.00 for a box of 4 mooncakes) from our Hong Kong relative who visit Singapore two weeks ago. Indeed their lotus seed  paste is smooth with a delicate fragrance and it pairs well with the salted egg yolks in it.

If you are keen to sample of their baked and snowskin mooncakes, do visit their booth at Takashimaya Mid-Autumn Festival (basement event hall) from Now to 19 September 2013, 10.00am – 9.00pm.

Thye Moh Chan Cake House @ Chinatown Point

I love Tau Sar Piah especially those Traditional Salty Tau Sar Piah which is infused with fragrance fried shallot aroma that binds together wtih blend mung bean paste. Since my in-laws are staying in the East side, my mother-in-law used to buy my favourite Tau Sar Piah from Thy Moh Chan Cake House which was previously located at Geylang Lorong 27 until it closed for retirement during September 2011.

But about a year after it closed for business, this well-known traditional tau sar piah was bought over by BreadTalk ground and it was relaunched again in December 2012 with it's main outlet at Chinatown Point and another retail at Parkway Parade's Food Republic.

Traditional Sweet Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

While staying true to original recipes the relaunched Thye Moh Chan also brings in new flavours which is tastefully packaged in contemporary style too. And on our first visit to the new outlet, I decided to grab a box of 8 pieces (S$10.80) with mixture of traditional and new flavour to satisfy my craving on missing their Tau Sar Piah for a year.

Traditional Salty Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

Melon Seed Red Bean @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

Cranberry Tau Sar Piah @ S$1.60 each OR a box of 8 @ S$10.80

On top of the all time classic flavour, they also add in new innovative fillings such as Cranberry, Spicy Pork Floss, Salted Egg Yolk, Assorted Nuts and etc. I have tried the Cranberry Tau Sar Piah but for me it don't think the taste blend  well (too sweet) with the traditional fillings but I would still like to try their Yuan Yang which is a pairing of savoury bean paste with spicy pork floss and salted egg.

For me to find and able to eat my favourite Tau Sar Piah again is definitely something good to share but on the other hand because of the take over and relaunched the price of the pastries also increase as compared to those sold in the old outlet.

THYE MOH CHAN - 泰茂栈
133 New Bridge Road
#01-45/46
Chinatown Point
Singapore 059413
Telephone: (65) 6604 8858
Website: thyemohchan.com

BreadTalk's Unveil The Generation4 Concept and New Menu Highlight

Since its inception in 2000, BreadTalk has continuously honoured the art of bread-making by giving life to its novel creations. Over the last 12 years it has been encapsulated through three distinctive Generations. And now, BreadTalk is proud to unveil the Generation4 Concept, championed in the campaign ‘Get Talking’, a global initiative that aims to alter the way customers see, feel and taste the brand.

“Get Talking” showcases multiple changes such as the exciting Euro bread series with a twist of Asian flavours like drunken longan, black sesame, spinach and sweet potato. On top of it, BreadTalk also introduced their new toasts like Chia Seed Toast, Soya Toast and Pumpkin Toast which have recently been awarded the Healthier Choice Symbol by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB).

BREADTALK'S NEW TOAST

Chia Seed Toast - 亚籽土司 (S$3.60, 4 slices) is one of their HPB Healthier Choice toast which is generously filled with Chia seeds that provides high fibre and Omega-3 as well as zero trans fats and cholesterol. With two slices a day, it provide you with 44% of your daily whole-grain requirement too.

Apart from Chia Seed Toast, there are another 2 new toasts on shelf which are Pumpkin Toast - 金瓜土司 (S$3.40, 4 slices) and Soya Toast (S$3.60, 4 slices). Out of these 3 new items, our family favourite is the soft and fragrant Soya Toast which is made with golden soya flour, whole eggs and butter.

While enjoying all the healthy toasts from BreadTalk, my boy also love to collect their cute and innovative "name tag" that tied together with the Toast packaging. Guess from these tags you could spot our favourite "Toast" too!

BREADTALK ASIAN FLAVOUR

Claypot Chicken - 沙锅鸡 (S$2.00) is made with bamboo charcoal infused bun which resemble black colour "claypot" which wrapped up the unique fragrant threecup chicken fillings together with fresh basil to excite your taste buds.

Yam Tornado - 山药棒 (S$2.00) comes in a spiral-like bun which filled with Chinese yam paste that brings up it's natural sweetness on eat bite. To add extra crunch, almond flakes are also added as topping and bake till golden brown.

BREADTALK EURO BREAD SERIES

Spinacheese - 芝士波霸 (S$2.50) is a signature item of BreadTalk, this savory Cheese bread receives a healthy serve with the addition of Spinach in the recipe which makes eating vegetables a delicious treat for non-veggie lovers.

Sausage On French - 法式香肠 (S$2.20) has a nice golden and crispy crust that combined generous amount of herbs, spices and meat in one. It consists mixture of Chicken Sausage Filling, diced onion, shredded Cheddar Cheese, Black Pepper and Oregano Herb. This is best to be eaten slight warm in order to enjoy the soft and fluffy texture of the bread.

Drunken Longan (S$3.50) sounds and look good but personally I found it a bit tough and dry towards my preference. Perhaps I still cannot get use of this fused bread with added Chinese ingredients. I still I would still prefer my cranberry or walnut bun.

Cranberry Country makes every bite a crunch with cranberry in between the wholesome bun.  A healthy alternative that retains the natural sweetness of the berries.

Sweet Potato Pot - 金盆甜薯(S$1.80) is always one of my favourite pick other than Berries and Walnut when I am looking for crusty bread in BreadTalk. I love the nutty crust that is coated with fragrant sesame seeds and it taste absolutely delicious when it is freshly out from the oven.

BREADTALK ONLINE COMPETITION

In like with BreadTalk new Generation4 concept, BreadTalk has also commissioned a microfilm that unveils the new brand concept via a whimsical tale between a baker and customer. The microfilm (you can watch the film here) will be shown globally across various platforms as part of its integrated digital campaign, i.e. high traffic websites, social media channels and at selected BreadTalk retail spaces with broadcast facilities to elevate and share the brand experience.

Viewers are warmly welcomed to participate in an online contest to craft the ending of the microfilm through the use of manga storyboards. The online contest will be held at the microsite, www.gettalking.com.sg from 5 October 2012 to 2 November 2012 with attractive prizes such as iPad2, Beats Studio Over-Ear Headphones and other prizes up for grabs.

Lastly to celebrate this new interactive application, BreadTalk is giving away a complimentary S$2.00 e-voucher to the first 1,000 customers who download the BreadTalk app on their iPhones and iPads.