Food Republic at Causeway Point

With a total of 17 stalls and 3 mini restaurants among its tenant mix, Food Republic at Causeway Point serves up a variety of local food delights as well as restraint style Korean food at affordable prices. In August 2012, Food Republic has opened it 9th outlet at level 4 of the newly revamp  Causeway Point Shopping Mall which brings in new dining concept as compared to the previous food mall.

Below are some of the stalls that we have tired during the media tasting which is organised by Food Republic, Causeway Point.

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I LOVE YOO!

"I love Yoo!" has an very unique Chinese name call 老油鬼鬼 which translate as "Lao You Gui Gui". Although causeway point outlet is their first branch in Singapore, but I love Yoo! has been serving well-loved traditional Malaysian dishes and snacks in Malaysia since 2007.

Above are some of their signature items such as You Tiao - 油条 (S$0.90 each) and Mix Bun - 夹粽 (S$1.00 each). This is my first time trying mix bun and I love the combination of the fragrant bun skin that surrounds the chewy mochi like dough in the center of the bun.

On the other hand, they also have freshly made Sesame Balls with assorted fillings such as:- red bean, lotus and peanuts at S$1.10 each.. To enhance the taste of these traditional snacks, I would recommend you to order a cup of their fresh soya bean milk which freshly made daily. For a more filling breakfast or brunch, grab a bowl of their Dried Oyster Peanuts or Dried Scallop porridge together with their freshly made You Tiao would definitely satisfy your craving too .

FUNAN WENG IPOH HO FUN

When this dark sauce hor fun arrived at our table, the first thought that comes to my mind is the Crayfish Hor Fun from Hong Lim Food Complex which I love when I used to work around that area. Above is the Signature Prawn and Chicken Ipoh Ho Fun (S$$4.80) from Funan Weng that served with their specially brewed herbal dark soy sauce, ultra-smooth ho fun and fresh tiger prawns as well as tender chicken meat.

If you love prawn dumplings, remember to order a bowl of their Gourmet Dumpling Soup (S$5.50) where the dumplings are made with fresh pork and shrimps to retain it's freshness and taste.

LI XIN TEOCHEW FISHBALL NOODLE

For a non fish ball fan, I always avoid ordering fish balls noodle whenever I could but after trying Li Xin's Fish Balls Noodle (S$4.00), it actually changed my mind set on this. I love the springy noodles which coated evenly with their special homemade chili sauce as well as the crispy lard that perfect the taste of this simple dried noodles.


According to the Li Xin's boss, their fish balls are made twice daily using superior yellowtail fish and kept chilled in cold water rather in the freezer. Most of us loves their Fish Ball Soup (S$4.00) which comes in a bowl of 8 bouncy fish balls that soak in tasty soup broth.

MIAN MIAN JU DAO

I have tried this Dao Xiao Mian (Knife Shaved Noodles) once at Food Republic (VivoCity) and it does not taste as good as the one over at Causeway Point outlet as the noodle were rather overcooked.

Just to share for those who had not tried Dao Xiao Mian (Knife Shaved Noodles) before, the one shown above is their Stewed Beef With Noodle Soup (S$6.00). If you like herbal broth base with handmade noodles and beef, perhaps you would like to give this a go.

PADANG RAYA

Padang food is well known for its robust flavours that come from the use of rich coconut milk, chilli and aromatic spices. The folks at Padang Raya are committed to using only natural ingredients to retain it's original taste and health benefits. Ikan Asam Pedas Set (S$5.00) serve with Rice, Ikan Asam Pedas (sour spicy fish) and Cabbage.

Curry Ayam Set (S$5.00) on the other hand is serve with Rice, Ayam Curry Drumstick and Long Bean Balacan. Their Ayam Curry is fragrant and not too over-power with the spices and coconut milk taste. And the Long Bean Balacan is just nice with at crunchy texture which I love.

SHAMI BANANA LEAF DELIGHTS

Shami Banana Leaf Delights is one of the popular food stall in Northpoint Shopping Centre since 1993. I still remember during my secondary school days, a group of us would always order their Chicken Briyani which was only S$5.00 pet set.

Now with another two additional outlets at Sembawang Road and Food Republic Causeway Point, patrons can easily enjoy their favourite briyani at more convenient locations without joining the crazy queue over at Northpoint. For us, my all time favourite is their Chicken Briyani Set (S$7.00) which I would always ask for more gravy to go with the rice.

If you don't fancy chicken you could also choose from other optional such as Boneless Mutton Briyani Set (S$8.00), Mutton Briyani, Tandoori Chicken Set or Sambal Fish Set.

GORYEO KOREAN RESTAURANT

A few months ago I was catch with Korea fever that watching a few Korean drama which inspired me to cook a few of their local dishes such as Bibimbap, Ginseng Chicken (samgyetang), Korean Rice Cake (Tteokbokki) and etc.

Kimchi Soup (S$7.50) served with steamed rice is perfect for raining day or when you crave for something spicy and yet light from the usual meaty soup.

Bibimhap (S$7.50) which is also known as Hot Stone Pot Rice comes in either  chicken / pork / beef  that you could choose from. The bibimhap sauce is served separately with kimichi as banchan (side dishes) so that you could add the amount of sauce into your rice according to your preference.

Andong Jjimdak Set (S$11.90) also known as Andong Steamed Chicken is serve together with steamed rice. This Korean style steamed chicken consists of spinach, carrot, potato, chicken and glass noodle which is a prefer one dish meal with meat and vegetable all in one.

Bulgogi Salad (S$8.50) is something light for weigh watcher who still want to have some bits on meat other than rice or noodles. I love the refreshing dressing and the bulgogi indeed added some bite and taste to the salad.

CAFFE REPUBLIC

Most of my friends told me that when ordering dessert at Food Republic, Chendol (S$2.80) is a "must try" on the list as they have quiet a good reputation on serving decent Chendol that you would fall in love with. Overall the coconut base is just smoothing without overpowering the taste of the red beans and gula melaka and indeed it's something nice to have after a hearty meal.

We are surprised and delighted to find an ice cream counter over at Caffe Republic where they offer warm Belgium waffles with a choice of 18 different flavour of Gelato Ice Cream such as chocolate, cookie and cream, strawberry, green tea and etc.

Personally I love their Chocolate and Green Tea Gelato which is taste quiet decent as compared to those branded Gelato stalls.

Another key point of Caffe Republic is their style mod cafe showcasing popular Western coffees such as Cafe Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso and etc which you could get a cup to perk up your day with some snacks or after meal drinks.

Below are another 2 stalls that my family and I tried on during another visit to Food Republic, Causeway Point.

SERGEANT HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

My boy loves the Chicken Rice from Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. Their rice is infused with lemongrass fragrant and it's not greasy as compared to some other stalls. They have quiet a range of items to choose from such as Steamed Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Cutlets, Curry Noodle, Thai Sauce Tofu and etc.

GRANNY FINE SOUP

As a herbal soup lover, my attention was draw to this Granny Fine Soups during our tasting at Food Republic. Although the price might be slightly higher as compared to other herbal soup stalls but I still decide to try this Double-boiled Black Chicken With Cordyceps Flower which is around S$8.00 per serving. The soup taste quiet decent, but for personal preference I would prefer more herbal taste which would be better.

A3 Signature Combo Set Meal @ Promotion Price S$6.80 (Usual Price S$7.60)

Apart from the chicken rice and herbal soup we also tried the combo set from Funan Weng Ipoh Hor Fun Express mentioned above and overall it still taste great as compared to what we had during media tasting.

Lastly I would like to thank Food Republic and Touch Communications for the invite media tasting.

Singapore Food Festival 2011 - Official Opening 15 July 2011

Although it was a raining evening, it did not reduce the number of visitors gathering around Clarke Quay Read Bridge to discover the journey of this year Singapore Food Festival 2011(SFF11) "CURRIES AND SPICES" theme during its Official Opening on Friday, 15 July 2011.

Introducing different types of ground spices for making curries and cuisines near the main entrance.

From the name "SPICE IT UP!" you are able to discover Singapore ethnic curries and cuisines using different kinds of whole or ground spices found in their cuisine which they will showcase it on most of the participating stalls. Example: These are the spices and ingredients used for making Chinese Herbal Mutton Soup from one of the stalls.)

As compared to last year(read more HERE) statistic of 30,000 visitors, this year we have over 35,000 visitors crowding at the stalls on the Clarke Quay Read Bridge during yesterday night official opening.

Before the Guest of Honor arrival at the Singapore Food Festival Village, there is a short 5 minutes band performance where the drummers dressed in chef outfits accompany by two dancers to SPICE up the HEAT for the event.

This year Singapore Food Festival logo is given an updated look to reflect to the theme of SFF11 after 17 years. The brand new logo is a colourful amalgamation of Singapore’s Best-loved Spices in a traditional mortar and pestle. Every member of the launch party will be given a piece of a puzzle to fit onto the “Spice Backdrop”. These 5 pieces of puzzle will form the new SFF Logo when pieced together and at the same time officially launching SFF11.

The order of the pieces of puzzle are:-

~ 1st Piece: Cinnamon Stick (by Ms Le Thi Thanh Thao)
~ 2nd Piece: Chilli (by Chef Milind Sovani & Mr Shanmugam)
~ 3rd Piece: Ginger (by Mr Ng Yong Hwee)
~ 4th Piece: Cardamom (by Ms Melissa Ow)
~ 5th Piece: Coriander Leaf and Star Anise (by Minister S.Iswaran)

After Minster S.Iswaran and the rest of the launch party finished touring the "Curry and Spice Street", they headed to the cooking demonstration area to observe SFF Consultant Chef Milind Sovani prepares a Fish Head Curry dish.

Zalina's Specialties has a good range of local Malay Cuisines where you will indulge with the sambal chilli, rendang, chili prawns and etc. Our set meal consists of :- Turmeric Rice, Rendang Chicken, Sambal Prawns and Egg which cost S$6.50. 

Local favourite Ngoh Hiang that you can have it anytime of the day with a accompany spicy dipping sauce with hint of crashed peanuts.

Spice Sutra offers a range of North Indian food such as Butter Chicken, Assorted Skewers, Mutton Curry and etc.

Other than spicy curries you can also try the Chili Crab from Jumbo Seafood, Claypot Fish Head Curry from Chng Kee, and Fried Carrot Cake from Lim Hai Sheng. But if you keen in trying some Indian food, look up for the stalls occupy by the Indian Restaurants Association Singapore(IRAS) where they offers array of Indian cuisines.

For those who love Ice-Cream there is an Gelato stall that sells a few types of "spiced ice-creams" such as Wasabi, Vanilla Saffron and Chocolate Chilly(where you will get to see real red chili in it) for a single scoop at S$4.00 per cup.

If you are someone who love SPICES and SPICY food, do come down to the Singapore Food Festival Village and experience your journey with all the different types of curries and cuisines are you can find there.

SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL VILLAGE

Date: 15 - 24 July 2011
Time: 4.00pm - 11.00pm(weekdays) / 12.00pm - 11.00pm(weekends)
Venue:Clarke Quay Read Bridge And Along Central River Promenade
Admission: FREE (Pricing of the food starts from S$2.00 onwards)
Website and Details HERE.

Singapore Food Festival 2011 - Journey of CURRIES and SPICES

This year the Singapore Food Festival(SFF) 2011 returns with Singapore's Multicultural heritage and culinary diversity under the theme of "CURRY AND SPICES" starting from 15 to 24 July 2011. Targeting to have at least 400,000 turn-up, the SFF teams will take your gastronomic journey on LAND, WATER and AIR where you can experience the magical spices in food for this year event.

Below are some details of this year SFF events which I have gathered from their Media Conference on Tuesday, 05 July 2011. Do check it out and see which event and timing suits your preference to embark your SPICY journey for this year Food Festival.

Panelist Discussion about this year Singapore Food Festival and it's highlight on each core events starting from 15 - 24 July 2011. The panelist on stages are Mr Andrew Phua(STB), Chef Milind Sovani (SFF 2011 Food Consultant), Mr Luke Lee(SPOC) and Mr Shanmugam(IRAS).

During the cooking demonstration Chef Milind Sovani shares the purpose and benefits of adding Spices in Indian Cooking. Above photo show the process of cooking Paneer Makhani which is Cottage Cheese in butter gravy.‏

For the second cooking demonstration we have Flying Roomali which is a Chapati that is thin like handkerchief.

Singapore Food Festival 2011

CORE EVENT #1

Commencing on 15 July 2011, the Singapore Food Festival Village will be the biggest Food and Beverage event ever at Singapore River with more than 60 food stalls and 130 over 100 participating Food and Beverage outlets from the surrounding malls. So don't miss the opportunity to satiate your craving with mouth watering array of curries and favourite local delights infused with SPICES.

SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL VILLAGE

Date: 15 - 24 July 2011
Time: 4.00pm - 11.00pm(weekdays) / 12.00pm - 11.00pm(weekends)
Venue:Clarke Quay Read Bridge And Along Central River Promenade
Admission: FREE (Pricing of the food starts from S$2.00 onwards)
Website and Details HERE.

Jumbo Seafood which will be one of the stalls at the Singapore Food Festival Village with their signature Singapore Chilli Crab and Singapore Black Pepper Crab which I am sure will be well-received by both tourists and local Singaporean.

If you are looking for some new dessert I strongly recommend you to try this Gelato, Spiced Ice Cream which is specially designed for the Singapore Food Festival 2011. There have about 5 different flavour to suit ranging from Vanilla Saffron which shown on the above on the left side, Sansho Pepper (top right corner), Raspberry Ginger, Wasabi and Chocolate Chilly. I have tried both the vanilla saffron and sansho pepper and personally I prefer the later which a hint of fresh lime scent and a cinnamon secondary taste.

Singapore Food Festival 2011

CORE EVENT #2

As for the Singapore Food Festival Culinary Adventures it will allow those looking for a more personal culinary experience to embark a gastronomic journey which takes them high into the SKY, cruising leisurely on WATER or a LAND adventure with Masterchef on either one of the following event:-

TIFFIN CRUISE (WATER)

Date: 15 - 24 July 2011
Time: 4.00pm - 10.00pm
Duration: 45 minutes per cruise
4.00pm - 4.45pm; 5.00pm - 5.45pm ; 6.00pm - 6.45pm
7.00pm - 7.45pm ; 8.00pm - 8.45pm; 9.00pm - 9.45pm
Venue: Singapore River Cruise Liang Court Jetty
Pricing: S$38+ per pax (Inclusive of a free tiffin and meal and drink. Pricing subject to Goods and Service Tax)
Website and Booking HERE.

For those who enjoy cruise ride this Tiffin Cruise will surprised you with mouth-watering curries and dishes that infused with spices while relaxing a ride along the Singapore River. There will be a chef on board making piping hot and delicious Naan(Indian flat bread) to go with the food selection served in the Tiffin carrier. After the cruise ride you can keep the Tiffin carrier as a memento too.

You'll find that different cultures of food made with spices presented in the tiffin carrier such as -
* 1st Layer: Satay and Ngor Hiang
* 2nd Layer: Chicken Bryani and Fish Curry
* 3rd Layer: Nonya(Peranakan) Kueh

Here are some of the sample dishes for the Tiffin Cruise during the Singapore Food Festival 2011 Media Launch.

TRISHAW HERITAGE TRAIL @ LITTLE INDIA (LAND)

Date: 16, 17, 23 and 24 July 2011 (ONLY)
Time: 10.00am - 1.30pm
Venue: Little India
Pricing: S$88+ per pax (Pricing subject to Goods and Service Tax)
Website and Booking HERE.

Immerse in the scents of spices and the colourful heritage of Little India with hearty breakfast at Komala Vilas Restaurant before the walking tour around Little India to learn more about the unique ingredients, spices and kitchenware used. In this heritage trail you also get to blend your own spices, enjoy a trishaw ride, observe a cooking demonstration by a Masterchef before enjoying an authentic Indian cuisine lunch at Muthu's Curry.

Here are some of the sample dishes from Muthu's Curry Restaurant during the Singapore Food Festival 2011 Media Launch. I love their Chicken Tikka

SPICE AND CANAPE IN THE SKY

Date: 16, 17, 23 and 24 July 2011 (ONLY)
Time: 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Singapore Flyer
Pricing: S$108+ per pax (Pricing subject to Goods and Service Tax)
Website and Booking HERE.

Embark on a sky-high culinary affair on board the Singapore Flyer and learn how to enhance flavours, colours and nutritional value of canapes through the use of spices with Masterchef.

Ticket includes:-
1. Ride on the Flyer (2 rotations);
2. Canapes making session (30 - 40 minutes);
3. Ingredients for hands-on Canapes making session;
4. Catered Canapes as snacks; and
5. Beverages such as soft drinks, wine and beer

Singapore Food Festival 2011

EVENTS AT LITTLE INDIA

LONGEST TABLE
Date: 23 July 2011 (ONE DAY ONLY)
Time: 6.00pm - 10.00pm
Venue: Race Course Road, Little India
Pricing: S$80.00 and S$100.00* sit down buffet dinner (*exclusive seating on the Guinness World Record Table)
Website and Booking HERE.
~ All participants will receive a goodie bag.

Ending the food festival on a high note will be the Longest Table at Little India which held on 23 July 2011 along Race Course Road where diners will be treated to a sumptuous buffet spread inclusive of a free flow of chilled beer, wine and refreshments.

Participants will get a chance to be part of a Guinness World Record by dining on the world's SINGLE longest table at 120 Metres long to cater for 400 guests to sit side by side comfortably. On the same day, President S.R. Nathan will be making a special appearance to launch and sign 30 copies of the cookbook shown below that features favourite dishes of Singapore's past and present ministers, professionals and celebrities.

Renowned Indian restaurants will each contribute their signature dishes to the buffet so that diners can look forward to sampling the best Indian dishes that Singapore has to offer. Here are some of the dishes featured out of more than 50 dishes that will be served at the Longest Table. (Top Right Down: Freshly made Naan with mint sauce, Jalebi (fried sweet dipped in sugar) and Appam with either red sugar or stew)

SPICE POTPOURRI COOKBOOK

In conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival 2011, the Indian Restaurants Association Singapore (IRAS) will be launching a cookbook, titled "Spice Potpourri" at the Longest Table at Little India on 23 July 2011. This cookbook includes the favourite dishes and recipes from President S. R. Nathan, Singaporean Ministers and other well-known Singaporean personalities.
Pricing: S$35.00(hard cover copy), S$25.00(soft cover copy)

Singapore Food Festival 2011

EVENTS AT KAMPONG GELAM

Kampong Gelam presents Rendang Tales and Spices which will be held at the historic Kampong Gelam area where participants can immerse themselves in enriching cultural through fun and engaging activities. They also get to learn the essential of Malay cuisine and discovering the art of perfumery. More details can refer to the link HERE.

From Gourmet Port we have some Hummus Bruchetta which is an Italian hearty starters with Hummus spread(a popular Middle Eastern dip) and Roti Jala with Rendang.

Some of the yummy snacks and finger food from Bushra Cafe such as Thai Chicken Wrap(top right) and Falafel(bottom left).


FOOD SAMPLED AT THE MEDIA CONFERENCE

Lastly these are some of the food that we have sampled from some of the participated restaurants and eateries during the Singapore Food Festival Media Conference on 05 July 2011. If you like SPICES and CURRIES, do hurry and grab your seat(s) for the Longest Table Buffet or any one of the Culinary Adventures events lining up for you.

P/s: Some Photos are Credited to Word Of Mouth Communications and Singapore Food Festival