Crystal Jade Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Culinary Carnival

In celebration of Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holding's 20th Anniversary, the home-grown restaurant chain is holding it's very first 3 Days Culinary Carnival at the atrium of NEX shopping mall. This carnival starts from 05 - 07 August 2011 and will feature a wide range of Crystal Jade dishes, cooking demonstrations, quizzes and competitions. Most importantly the profits will be donated to World Vision, an international aid organization.

As part of Crystal Jade's focus on corporate social responsibility, the restaurant chain will donate the event's profits to World Vision whereby 80% of the anticipated 100,000 dollars raised will go to the One Life Fund bursary scheme while the rest will go to World Vision development projects in rural Vietnam.

The Carnival coupon is available for sales at all Crystal Jade outlets, Carnival Hotline @ 6512 0800 and Ticket Booths located at atrium of NEX shopping mall at a value of S$30.00 per booklet including 1 FREE bottle of 500ml Sunbeam Oil while stock last.  Please note coupons purchased are for one "specified" day only and you will get another Extra S$5.00 coupon by using Citibank Credit Card to make payment for the S$30.00 coupon booklets too. More details of the Culinary Carnival, please refer to Crystal Jade website HERE.

The Carnival will have 12 food booths offering a wide range of cuisines, each representing a different Crystal Jade concept. This is also the first time members of the public will be able to sample such a wide range of Crystal Jade dishes all in one location - with selections from its fine-dining outlets to its casual and family restaurants and bakeries.

La Mian Demonstration by Crystal Jade Chef on 3 different types of La Mian, including the fine Dragon Beard Noodles(longxu mian)that can thread those needle. After some impressive demonstration by chef, there is also a La Mian Competition whereby audiences would get a chance to hands-on.

So remember to hop down to the Crystal Jade Culinary Carnival from today onwards till 07 August 2011 to savour a spread of Crystal Jade favourites, and as well contribute your share to the society by purchasing some carnival coupons and be part of the profits given to World Vision to help those who are in needs.

Season 2 of Family Cook Off Sponsor by FairPrice And HPB

"FairPrice Family Cook Off", a Singapore version of family cooking competition, returns for a second season on Asian Food Channel and E City airing on Starhub TV from 25 October 2011 to 06 December 2011. Same as last year the show will be bought to you by NTUC FairPrice and produced by Brand New Media. But this year there will be a partnership with Health Promotion Board (HPB) to increase the awareness of using healthier ingredients in cooking.

The second season of Family Cook Off will be hosted by celebrity couple Evelyn Tan and Darren Lim, who are both household names in local English and Chinese television circles. Whereas the Judge will be Fay Khoo, author and television host for various Malaysian food guides and television programmes.  She is also the founding partner of her own brand spices "Miss Khoo's Asian Deli" and currently food editor and columnist for TIME OUT KL and Esquire.

Filming of FairPrice Family Cook Off Season 2 will take place at the Marina Bay Golf Club, with the first episode scheduled to air on 25 October 2011 on the Asian Food Channel and E City. Subsequent episodes will be broadcasted on both channels every Tuesday thereafter at 8pm. Recipes from each episode will also be available at selected NTUC FairPrice stores or on http://cookoff.com.sg/ and http://www.hpb.gov.sg/

Similar to previous year, the FairPrice Family Cook Off follows a knock-off competition format. Each week, two families will go head-to-head in three 20 minutes cook off challenges using mandatory ingredients provided to create their dish. The breakdowns of their tasks include:-

~ A Family's Signature Dish;

~ A recipe makeover challenge that requires the cooks to put a health spin on a Popular Singapore Dish (example: Laksa); and

~ A mystery ingredient challenge by using four ingredients and five minutes to plan and cook up a creative dish.

Registrationis opens to public from 15 July 2011 to 05 August 2011 via their official website at http://cookoff.com.sg/. Participants will be picked through a process that includes interviews, and tests on their skills and ability to work as a team. In addition to winning the grand prize of an "all-expense paid trip" to a mystery location, the winning family will receive S$1,000 of FairPrice gift vouchers too.

Cooking Demonstration by

Winner of FairPrice Family Cook Off 2010

COTTON BLEU FAMILY

The Cotton Family, winner of FairPrice Family Cook Off Season 1 shares they experiences and thoughts about last year event. Father, Herve says that they didn't expect to win the Family Cook Off Championship but they really enjoy whole process of bonding and fun time shared as a family during the cooking event.

Above shows a live cooking demo on their finale signature dessert done during Family Cook Off Season 1 which is known as Floating Iceberg. According to Herve this a family recipe pass to him from his mum and it is actually poached egg white served with custard, fruit and caramel sauce.

And fresh from their win last year, they also opened a French-style family restaurant known as "Cotton Bleu" at 205 Upper Thomson Road with range of choices from Appetizer, Main Course to Dessert. Will share more on their menu on the next post.

In order to participate in this year Season 2 Family Cook Off. Click on their official site at http://cookoff.com.sg/registration-form for more more detail and registration form. Good Luck.

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

RSAF Open House 2011

On 28 and 29 May 2011, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) opens its doors to the public with the RSAF Open House 2011 at Paya Lebar Air Base. So with this great opportunity, we decided to join in the crowds and went all the way to the East to participate in their activities.

Despite of the "HOT" sunny afternoon there are still large crowds of people flooding to the RSAF Open House to get a closer encounter with the aircraft rather than cooling themselves at the air conditioning shopping area. Below are some photos taken during the RSAF Open House......

The New F-15SG fighter aircraft

The engine view of F-15SG

Super long queue waiting to up the Boeing KC 135R Stratotanker to take a look at the interior layout.

CH-47 Chinook helicopter

Long queue lining up to go on board the C130 Hercules for photo taking and etc.

F-15SG getting ready for action in the Air Show.

CH-47 Chinook enter with 2 light strike vehicles and their crews in the field during battle.

AH-64D Apache Super Puma doing air support during the Air Show.

Winner of the BK SHOTS Burger Giveaway plus Voting of BK Ladies’ Night

Follow by the current BK SHOTS Burgers campaign on “What Women Want, Women Get”, Burger King(BK) also hope to engage consumers in a more personal way by organizing their first public event targeted towards women. BK Ladies’ Night is a upcoming event where ladies get to enjoy the promotion of their choice, interact with hunks as well as decide where they would like to house the session. So wait no more, starting fom 06 May 2011 onwards, simply visiting their official voting site at www.bkladiesnight.com to cast your vote on the poll and decide on the preferred promotion and location for the session.

Voting ends at 17 May 2011, 2359 hours and the most-voted location and promotion will be revealed at 2.00pm, 18 May 2011 on the website. Further all ladies who pre‐registered will also receive an eDM invite to the first‐ever BK Ladies’ Night held on 24 May 2011.

For more information regarding this campaign you can refer to either one of the following links:-
Official Voting Sites: www.bkladiesnight.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BurgerKingSingapore
Youtube Video: www.youtube.com/BurgerKingSg

GIVEAWAY RESULTS
For the BK SHOTS Burger Vouchers!!!!!

CBTL Innovative Single Serve Beverage System from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

On Tuesday, 29 March 2011 - The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has launched their New CBTL single serve beverage system in Singapore after their first launch market in U.S last December. I am honor to be invited as one of the media guests to witness and try out their innovative single serve system during the Media Launch event held at one of their Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf outlet at ION Orchard.

It's the first time a global coffee and tea chain company launching this single serve machine which makes coffee, espresso, tea and specialty drink. And this machine also blends modern technology and functions to create the perfect cup with just one touch that allows users to to enjoy their favourite Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf espresso, brewed coffee or tea from the convenience of their home or any locations.

Upon stepping into the outlet I was amazed by the classroom lab style setup where we are seated in pairs of two sharing one CBTL machine together with individual test kit and utensils. Each participant is given 2 types of Espresso (Italian and Premium Espresso), 1 House Brew and 1 Moroccan Mint Tea, 1 each of Chocolate and Vanilla Powder Sweetener together with different sizes of cup for making different drinks.

Here we get to test out different brewing methods using the given CBTL Capsules while the presenters explain and demo on the different functions of the CBTL machine. In the short demo we also learnt how to prepare "Cappuccino" using the Premium Espresso Capsule and the CBTL Milk Frother. Overall this is indeed a very good presentation where everyone gets to know more in depth about coffee and tea products as well as the art and knowledge of brewing a cup of premium coffee.

This CBTL Machine (http://cbtl.com.sg/machines.php) features easy capsule insertion, a large capsule drawer that holds up to 10 used capsules and with built in energy saving function too. The new KALDI edition comes with an ultra-sleek design which available in Metallic Red, Metallic Blue/Silver and Metallic White/Silver at S$389.00 each whereas the CONTATA model is available with Gray/Black at S$299.00 each. Look at the bright colour design and innovation functions, are you tempted to get a set for preparing your own premium coffee/tea too?

Furthermore with the add-on CBTL Milk Frother it produces just the right amount of heated or frothed milk for your favourite beverage such as Cafe Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Cafe Mocha, Chai Latte like those sold at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf outlets. This cordless frothing pitcher is available in Black and White at S$149.00, but if purchased together with a CBTL Machine it is priced at S$99.00 each.

Here are some sample of the CBTL Capsules from the media kit. The in store CBTL Single-serve Capsules are available in a box of 10 at a retail price of S$9.10 with varieties include "Four Espressos, Four Brewed Coffees and Four Teas": Italian Espresso; Continental Espresso; Premium Espresso; Premium Decaf Espresso; Viennese Brew, French Brew; House Brew; House Decaf Brew' Chai Tea; English Breakfast Tea; Tropical Passion Tea and Moroccan Mint Tea.  I guess this price is quite reasonable to have a cup of freshly brew cafe standard coffee or tea for less than a dollar per cup (S$0.91 per capsule) which can be served at any time for our convenience at home or office. 

For your information, each capsule is hermetically sealed to prolong freshness and preserve the delicate aroma of coffee and tea. In additional, the internal double filtration system also ensures evenly balanced extraction and optimal flavour. These capsules also have a roughly 2 years shelf life from date of manufactured. For more related information about this CBTL Machine, Beverage Capsules and it's accessories, do visit their Singapore website HERE. (http://cbtl.com.sg/index.php)

Lastly I would like to thanks Eugene Tan and Joey Wong from Catherine Ong Associates Pte Ltd and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for the invitation.