Voyager Of The Seas - Royal Caribbean International [Part II - Dining Options]

Onboard dining is not just on food but the ambiance, variety and the flexibility to decide when and what we like is also into consideration. In Voyager Of The Seas, it includes dining from casual to sophisticated, cupcakes to canapes and etc (many of them included in the price of your cruise). And if you prefer soft drinks, wine and etc to go with your meals, you can choose to pair meals with a beverage package and enjoy up to 25% savings on your favorite drinks.

In this Part II of my "Voyager Of The Seas - Royal Caribbean International" post I will be sharing some of the Dining Options we had tried during our trip onboard the Voyager Of The Seas.

Chiso Zanmai Japanese Buffet Restaurant

During June School Holidays we have quiet a number of activities such as the Angry Birds Cable Car Ride (HERE), 6 Days Cruise Trip (HERE), exploring the new Ice Skating Rink at JCube (HERE) and etc. And just a week before the school holidays ends, my brother organized a buffet lunch meetup over at "Chiso Zanmai" since he knows our family loves Japanese cuisine.

Above shows my plating of "Kaiseki" which is a traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine where we just grab a big tray at the counter and pick-up our favourite Kaiseki dishes and enjoy our meal like what the Japanese Emperor did in the olden days. (All photos in this post are taken using iPhone since it is just our causal family gathering)

Chiso Zanmai is a Japanese Buffet Restaurant located at The Central, Clarke Quay which overtakes it's previous owner where Fisherman’s Market used to be. For the price of S$14.90++ to enjoy a Japanese style lunch buffet which serves up more than 80 varieties of food and desserts is definitely worth trying. And moreover Chiso Zanmai is originated from Osaka and this is their first branch outside of Japan.

Appetizers Counter

As usual to start off the buffet, I will pick up some cold dishes from the Appetizer Counter and enjoy it before heading for the hot dishes. For the appetizers, other than the above they also have cha soba, potato salad, mixed salad, deep-fried eggplant with bonito broth and etc. But my favourite choices are those shown above. 

These are my little boy's favourite and indeed they have quiet a good spread of Sushi upon selection too.

Hakkaido Ishikari Nabe is a common seafood and vegetables soup served in Hakkaido and most of us on our table loves this seafood pot with it's sweet and flavousome clear soup broth. As you can see from the photo above, there are prawn, flower crab, tofu, leek and etc in it which makes it prefer to go with steamed rice.

Ramen lover, you can choose between either Tonkotsu or Shoya soup base to go with your Ramen. For me, I will prefer the Tonkotsu which is pork base with a thicker and stronger taste compared to Shoya. Surprisingly the noodles are still quiet springy when bite so overall it still blends well with the broth.

Traditional Japanese Counter

There are basically two sections on the Hot Food Counter where you can grab some Traditional Japanese Cuisine or Teppan. Above shown a selection from Braised Squid with White Radish, Corn Cream Croquette, Stewed Pork And Potato, Crab Shao-mai and etc.

Hot Food

I did not snap much on the Teppan Counter as there are quiet a number of people around queuing for the food. But you can find yummy Takoyaki(octopus balls), Stir Fried Noodles, Tempura, Fried Pumpkin and etc. Above are some of the items from the Hot Food Counter that I love.

Mum loves these Deep Fried Yam which she mentioned is quiet similar taste to our Chinese Abacus Seeds.

Love this crispy and delicious Chicken Karaage that dipped in some Ponzu Sauce (citrus-based sauce) which gives it a similar taste like our Asian Lemon Chicken.

Dessert Counter

After a hearty meal, it's time to pamper yourself with some "sweet" dessert such as cake, tart, pastry or ice-cream. At their Dessert Counter, items are routine frequently through out the buffet and you can find some fresh fruits, cheesecake, mochi, eclair, jelly, ice cream or etc.

Since for the month of June they are having this "Matcha Fair", you could find most of their desserts are made with matcha theme. Out of those shown above, I love their matcha mochi, matcha tofu as well as the matcha tiramisu. Too bad I didn't get a chance to try their Matcha Panna Cotta which might be rotating in their dinner menu instead.

CHISO ZANMAI

6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#02-17
The Central @ Clarke Quay
Reservation: +65 6221 3177

PRICE:
Lunch (12.00pm - 3.00pm)
Monday - Friday
Adult: S$14.90++   Child(below 1m): S$9.90++   Senior (above 60): S$12.90++

Saturday, Sunday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$19.90++   Child(below 1m): S$9.90++   Senior (above 60): S$17.90++


Dinner (6.00 - 10.00pm) SASHIMI (DINNER ONLY)
Sunday - Thursday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$24.90++   Child(below 1m): S$14.90++   Senior (above 60): S$22.90++

Friday, Saturday, Sunday And Public Holidays
Adult: S$29.90++   Child(below 1m): S$14.90++   Senior (above 60): S$27.90++


Top-Up $1.99++ For Free Flow Of Drinks
Cold beverages such as green tea, iced lemon tea, root beer and etc
Hot beverage such as coffee (black, cappuccino, latte) and tea


So if you are looking for some Japanese Style Buffet at an affordable price, perhaps you would want to consider Chiso Zanmai which I personally think it worth what we pay for. Will check what's on their July / August dinner menu soon as I eying on their SASHIMI!!!

Tastes Of Penang At Sentosa

Tastes of Penang is the first of Sentosa's 40th anniversary food events to be held by the sea. And for the ongoing 11 days event, patrons can enjoy buffet spread and live cooking stations of Penang hawker favourites and scrumptious home-style dishes such as Char Mui(fried porridge), Char Hum(fried cockles), Nasi Kander and etc by a team of expert Penang chefs, who cook these authentic dishes that are not commonly found in Singapore.

TASTES OF PENANG AT SENTOSA

For appetizer, we start off with "Fruit Rojak" which consists chunks of fresh fruits such as pineapple and rose apple together with cucumber, stuffed beancurd puff and etc mixed with their special spicy sauce and generous amount of crashed peanuts. Just a note, this Penang style fruit rojak does not contain the usually "shrimp paste" like we we had in Singapore.

At the buffet spread you can find two different flavour of Char Hum(fried cockles) such as the Penang sweet version vs the Singapore spicy choice.

First we have Char Hum (fried cockles) with sweet sauce from Penang which is something new to me as I have never eaten cockles prepared in such manner before. The sauce is quiet tasty and it blends well with the fresh cockles to brings out it's flavour. Moreover these cockles are all opened so as to make it more convenience for everyone to consume.

Although the "sweet" version taste good with the extra nutty flavour from the crashed peanuts but we still preferred the "spicy" version where deep-fried pork lard and curry leaves are added to enhance the flavour.

Lok Bak or also known as "Ngo Hiang" (which we are more familiar) is made with mixture of minced and chunk of meat together with five-spice powder instead of minced meat, prawn, water chestnut, yam or etc that we used to eat in Singapore.

Char Mui (fried porridge) is one of the "unique" dish which is hard to find in Penang nowadays. This dish is made with some prawns, meats, dried cuttlefish, black soy sauce together with porridge and etc. The mixture is then "stir-fry" until thicken and fully absorbed the flavour from the cuttlefish and the rest of the ingredients before loading it with lots of chives (ku chai) and serve hot. Emmm perhaps I can try to replicate this at home.

Penang Bak Kut Teh  has a fragrant Chinese herbal broth that goes together with some Pork ribs, Pork Belly and black mushrooms . Each mouthful of the soup leaves your mouth lingering with the aroma from the nourishing herbs like dang gui and yuzhu. Personally I enjoyed the taste of this soup which is not very peppery as compared to some that I have tried.

Penang Hokkien Mee (Prawn Noodle Soup) has a flavorsome broth which simmer with pork ribs, prawn shells, prawn heads and etc. The bowl of noodle soup usually consists of prawn, sliced pork, kang kong(Chinese spinach), hard-boiled egg and yellow noodle served with generous amount of broth and topped with some crispy deep-fried pork lard.

Penang Char Kway Teow is a "must try" because it is individually fried upon order to maintain the taste and quality of each serving. We simply love this especially it's fragrant "wok hei" plus the thin rice smooth noodles which infused the flavour of the cockles, prawn and egg, definitely this has won our votes for second helping.

Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish which originates from Penang. It consists of steamed rice which served with a variety of curries and side dishes. Although I prefer to have individual dishes separated from the rice but the idea of eating this in a new way indeed surprised me with his unique combination of flavours when everything is mixed up before consuming. Somehow or rather it gives me a thought like eating "bibimbap" using different ingredients.

Above are some of the side dishes for the Nasi Kandar where you can see:- Sambal Fish, Udang Sambal, Spicy Cabbage, Curry Brinjal and etc.

Penang Assam Laksa has a bit different taste which is a little more spicy and sourish than those sold in Singapore. No wonder the Chef suggest that I should only eat this as the last dish so that it would not affect the taste apart from the rest of the dishes.

DESSERT AND BEVERAGE

Chendol is a very delicate and fragrant dessert which served with shaved ice and drizzled of Gula Melaka(coconut sweet) syrup and coconut milk. According to the chef, the Chendol strips used are imported from Penang instead of the usual darker colour chendol strips used in Singapore. Over the taste is quite but I would prefer less coconut milk so that I could enjoy the unique taste of the gula melaka syrup.

So excited to spot "Durian Pengat" at their dessert counter and I find this year's pengat is much better and stronger in taste compared to what I had last year during "The Ultimate Crab & Durian Buffet @ Sentosa Boardwalk".

Nothing fancy about these Assorted Nonya Kueh so you can left this out if you are too full for any dessert.

This is my favourite cooling drinks which I often grab from my market fruits' stall. To me, nothing beats some cold fresh coconut juice to quench your thirst during warm weather. And also this works well for the body while we gets to enjoy the spicy and strong flavour from the Penang food. Other than the refreshing juice, there are also some wobble jelly in it which makes you go "crazy" to scoop more and more, perhaps you might even go for a second order as this is definitely a refreshing drink.

For more photos related to the "Tastes of Penang At Sentosa" you can click on the facebook link HERE. Lastly I would like to thank Lisa from Sentosa Leisure Group for the tasting invites.

TASTES OF PENANG

Date: 10 - 20 May 2012
Time: 6pm - 11pm (Mon- Thu), 4pm to 11pm (Fri - Sun)
Venue: Tastes of Asia, Level 2 (near Beach Station)

Price: S$42.90++ per adult; S$19.90++ per child (5 to 11 years old)
(Includes admission to Images of Singapore and complimentary parking at Beach Station. Sentosa Island Admission charges apply.)

For reservations, call 6279 1767 or email carla_cardona@sentosa.com.sg.

Seafood Galore at Plaza Brasserie

For this coming Mother's Day you can make your mum feel special by treating her a sumptuous seafood spread on either lunch/dinner at Plaza Brasserie (Park Royal, Beach Road) from 12 - 13 May 2012. And on top of the wide range of buffet spread, each mum also gets to enjoy a complimentary glass of cocktail or mocktail on the two mentioned dates.

SEAFOOD GALORE

Good News! For your information, Plaza Brasserie's popular Seafood Galore buffet is back from 01 May to 30 June 2012 in conjunction for the celebration of Mother's and Father's day. And to whet your appetite, Savour Executive Chef, Jackson Goh's signature dishes such as deep-fried prawns with garlic sauce, claypot braised fish head, alongside an array of fresh oysters, shellfish, chilli crab and baked whole salmon will be on the ordering menu on top of the usual buffet spread.

From Mondays to Thursdays:-
pair your selection of fresh fish with a preferred sauce and allow their chefs to whip up your dish.

Sweet and Sour fish is always one of the popular dishes among kids and adults due to its crispy deep-fried texture plus sweet and savoury sauce which makes it a great pair.

Cantonese Style Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce is definitely something on your ordering list for mum and dad to enjoy.

But out of the 3 "fish" dishes we had that day, I personally preferred the Braised Fish Head With Yam which consists of most of my favourite ingredients such as Yam, Chestnut, Button Mushrooms and etc. And I am sure both mum and dad or anyone in the family would loves this dish to bits.

As From Fridays to Sundays:-
You can indulge in the 'Crustacean Selections', ranging from bamboo clams to juicy crabs prepared in your favourite choice of sauce.

This Cereal Prawns is sure to be on the "Must" order list where you can find dish, you can find big and fresh succulent prawns hiding below a pool of crispy and fragrant fried cereal. Each prawn taste so juicy and crunchy especially with the combination of those delicious fried cereal.  

Although I am not a fan of "shellfish" but this Stir-fried Bamboo Clam and Lala has indeed bought up my attention with its natural sea flavours, sweetness and some extra spices to lighten up this dish.

PREVIEW OF WHAT'S ON THE BUFFET SPREAD

Bread and Salad Counters:- I guess most of you would prefers to start off the buffet by having some refreshing salads, bread or cheese before the main course comes into picture. 

Like all other buffet spread, this one at Plaza Brasserie also consists of both hot and cold stations where you get to enjoy their signature "Soft Shell Crab with Tobiko Mayo", "Braised Sea Cucumber". "Chicken Rice", "Fruit Rojak", "Fresh Seafood on Ice" and etc.

Dessert Counter:-  Provide a range of Western and Local dessert such as Mango Pudding, Mini Pancakes,  Chocolate Mousse(Must Try!), Fresh Cut Fruits and Daily Tong Shui like; Cheng Tng, Sesame Tang Yuan, Tau Suan and etc.

WHAT'S ON MY PLATE!

At the Chef's cooking station, you pick up your desire choice of freshly made Roti Prata from the wide varieties such as Chocolate, Durian, Egg, Onion, Plain and etc. But if you love Durian like me, you must try their Durian Prata which consists of "real" durian pulp in between those flashy skin.

Something Extra!

CARROT CAKE

(Not included in the buffet spread)

This is something extra apart from the buffet spread that we are having. Indeed Park Royal has a very unique Carrot Cake that is rich and moist in taste plus it is full of grated carrot and toasted nuts in between each layer of smooth and silky sweet cream cheese frosting.{Must Try!}

SEAFOOD GALORE @ PLAZA BRASSERIE

Mondays to Sundays (excluding the following dates)
Dinner Adult: S$52.00++            Child: S$31.00++(4 to 12 years old)

Mother's Day Special

12 and 13 May 2012
Lunch
Adult: S$58.00++          Child: S$35.00++(4 to 12 years old)
Dinner 
Adult: S$58.00++          Child: S$35.00++(4 to 12 years old)

Father's Day Special

16 and 17 June 2012
High Tea
Adult: S$42.00++           Child: S$25.00++(4 to 12 years old)
Dinner
Adult: S$55.00++           Child S$33.00++(4 to 12 years old)

For enquiries and reservations, please call 6505 5710 or email fb.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com

What we EAT during Chinese New Year

Every year throughout the 15 days of Chinese Lunar New Year(CNY) celebration we would have some house visiting and food gatherings among relatives and friends. As usual from reunion dinner onwards everyday there is at least 1 food gathering where we get to feast different kinds of CNY goodies or special new year dishes.

This post shows how our family feast during the 1st 7 days of Chinese New Year.

EARLY REUNION DINNER @ JING LONG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Again this year our reunion dinner with in-laws is at their favourite Jing Long Seafood Restaurant (last year dinner HERE) located at Bedok North Ave 2. But this year their service was rather bad due to poor planning of dine-in timing and lack of serving staffs.

Deep-fried Soon Hock with Garlic - Crispy outer layer with tender and juicy meat inside.

Deep-fried Prawns with Special Sauce - Love these prawns that soak in tom yum taste gravy together with dong fen(冬粉) in it. The dong fen taste so delicious while soaking up the gravy.

Prosperity Seafood Noodles - This braised  Longevity Noodles with seafood is something new to me and I would want to replicate this yummy dish at home. For the sweet version of this longevity noodles you can refer HERE.

OUR REUNION DINNER AT HOME

This year I have prepared two simple dishes for our reunion dinner which is this Stir-fry Fu Gui Cai and Stuffed Mushrooms with Black Moss. (please refer to recipe HERE)

Second dish is this traditional Hakka Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken(黄酒鸡) where homemade rice wine is used to simmer the chicken pieces with ginger and perhaps some red dates for Chinese New Year auspicious colour. (please refer to recipe HERE)

CHINESE NEW DAY 1 - LUNCH

Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms, Fish Maw, Abalone, Pork Tendons(猪脚筋), Dried Scallop(干贝), Black Moss and etc.

Love this Stir-fry Broccoli with Scallop. Very quick and simple homecook veggies.

One of the traditional Hakka dish - Braised Mushroom with dried oyster, roast pork and black moss.

CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 2 - DINNER

Since the coffee shop below mum's place is not opening during Day 2 of Chinese New Year, she has to source for another catering to provide the food for evening gatherings. Here are the food that she ordered from "Feng Wei Seafood(Block 5 Tanjong Pagar Plaza)".

Braised Tofu with Mushrooms - Accordingly to mum the stall owner told her that they made this tofu themselves instead of store bought. The tofu is very silky soft and fragrance which blends well with the stewed mushrooms and sauce.

CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 6 - UNCLE ALAN'S HOUSE

For a chance Aunty Grace did not order her Chinese New Year Buffet from the usual cater company this year. Instead she tried another food catering which is smaller in scale and provide quality style of homecook food buffet.

We all love this Braised Pork Belly(Kong Ba Bao - 扣肉包) which is well-season. Each piece of the pork belly is so soft and tender and it goes very well with the white steamed bun. Can't resists to eat more but have to control :)

This round we have Pork Ribs Curry instead of the usual Chicken Curry. Taste wise still acceptable but there is still room for improvement on their curry spices.

Yummy homemade Cheng Teng(清汤) which is not too sweet and yet taste great with generous amount of ingredients such as dried longan, gingko nuts, barley and etc.

CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 7 - UNCLE LIANG's HOUSE

Uncle Liang is my mum's 2nd brother who is also known as "2nd Uncle" to me. Every years during Chinese New Year he would invited everyone to his house for lunch where Aunty Irene (aunty-in-laws) would whipped up spread of delicious homecook food for us.

Aunty Irene is very thoughtful and she would always prepared some of these finger food for kids(we always have around 10 young cousin).

This "Braised Sea Cucumber" together with lot of other ingredients such as clam, mushroom, black moss, roast pork and etc is one of Aunty Irene signature dish. Everyone I would look forward to eat this dish and I have tried to replicate once using her recipe too. If you are interested to read up more please refer to the link HERE.

Aunty Irene's fried chicken wings is also another of her signature dish. Her chicken wings is very flavorsome and remains crispy even if it is cold. Everyone loves this and we can have 4 to 5 in one go.

Very colourful homemade YuSheng (鱼生) prepared by my 2nd Aunty-in-laws and everyone praised for its' taste and freshness.

My cute and forever young mum, aunty and aunty-in-laws: (Left from back: Small Aunty, Mum, 2nd Aunty-in-laws and 6th Aunty-in-laws; Left from front: 3rd Aunty-in-laws; Small Aunty-in-laws and Big Aunty-in-laws)

My uncles and uncle-in-law: (Left from back: Big Uncle, 6th Uncle, Uncle-in-laws; Left from Front: 2nd Uncle and Small Uncle)

Although different people has different view of Chinese New Year, some might look forward while others might being "running" away from this festive season. But no matter which category you belong to, my advise it family bonding is always something heartwarming and it's good to gather everyone together and enjoy even a simple homecook meal. For more photos of our Chinese New Year celebration, you can check it out at Cuisine Paradise Facebook page "Usher Into the Year of Dragon" album HERE.