[Wordless Wednesday] Kiseki Japanese Restaurant

This is my 1st visit to Kiseki after it shifted from Heeren to the new location at Orchard Central. Although the food items seems to be a lesser as compared to what I had previously (read more HERE) but all of us are still very happy with their food and overall services. (p/s: all photos in this post is taken using iPhone)

Super long queue during one of the weekday lunch.

Assorted Tempura such as Prawns, Pumpkins, Brinjal and etc

From the Grilled Station:- Yakitori, Prawns, Mushroom and even Salmon Fish Head

{Must Try} Japanese BLACK curry to go with the tempura.

I always love the Sushi and Salmon from KISEKI!

{Pasta Station} There are 3 different type of sauce such as Carbonara, Wafu and Tomato base.

Some of the dessert items but I prefer the Black Sesame Mochi most.

{Must Try} Waffle  and their assorted flavour Japanese Gelato are two must have when settle for after meal dessert.

Kiseki Japanese Restaurant
181 Orchard Road
Orchard Central
#08-01/02/03
Singapore 238896
Reservation: (65) 6736 1216
Website: http://kisekirestaurant.com.sg

Operating Hour:
~ 11.30am to 3pm daily (Last order at 2.30pm)
~ 6pm to 10.30pm daily (Last order at 9.30pm)

Prawn Capsicum and Chilli Pizza

Pizza is an oven-baked, flat and usually disc-shaped bread typically topped with tomato sauce, shredded cheese and various toppings such as seafood, beef, chicken, capsicum, ham, olive and etc. Here we made a rectangle shape lemon scented pizza base top with succulent juicy shrimps, grated mozzarella cheese and lovely chopped fresh basil.

PRAWN CAPSICUM AND CHILLI PIZZA

Since these few days we are experiencing cold rainy evenings we decided to make something simple and yet hearty to fill our hungry stomach. So together with my boy we made this Prawn, Capsicum and Chilli Pizza using our homemade pizza dough. And in order to make a tangy pizza base to enhance the flavour of the shrimps, I have added some lemon zest and juice to make the pizza dough.

(serves: 2-4 | Preparation: 90 minutes | Cooking: 15 - 18 minutes)

Basic Pizza Dough: make 2 (30cm) base
7g Instant Active Dry Yeast
190ml Lukewarm Water
1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, optional

Method:-

1. Combine yeast, sugar, salt and lukewarm water in a measuring cup/bowl. Stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until mixture is foamy.

2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl together with lemon zest. Make a well in centre, add in yeast mixture and stir until dough comes together.

3. Next stir in olive oil and lemon juice till it form a dough. Knead dough on a lightly-floured surface for 5 - 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

4. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

5. Using your fist, punch down centre of dough and knead for another 30 seconds and divide the dough into half.

Ingredients For Pizza:
1 Portion of Pizza Base, see recipe above
1/4 Cup Tomato Paste Sauce
1/4 Cup Grated Tasty Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Red and Green Capsicum, thinly sliced
8 Medium Prawns, shell removed
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
Some Shredded Fresh Basil Leaves
*Polenta(cornmeal), optional

Method:-

1.Roll dough flat to 30 cm round pizza base or 9" x 7" rectangle and place base on greased baking tray. (I greased the baking tray with olive oil and dust with some polenta(cornmeal) to give the pizza base an extra crunchy texture)

2. Spread base with tomato pasta sauce and top with half the cheese mixture.

3. Next evenly scatter the capsicum, prawns, basil, chilli and remaining cheese on top.

4. Bake in preheated 200 Degree Celsius oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until base is crisp and cheese melted. Serve.

If you have no time to prepare the fresh pizza dough you could also replace it with those ready-made pizza dough, baguette or tortilla to act your desire base. I am sure you and your family would enjoy this quick and easy pizza with some fresh salad greens or hot pipping soup(some western cream soup recipe HERE). Till then have a great weekend ahead.

Buffet Town International Seafood Mixed Grill and Teppan Yaki

Buffet Town is a pretty new (about 3 months) buffet restaurant located on basement 1 at Raffles City where Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar used to be. The concept of restaurant is quite similar to Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant at Heeren's where you could see a spread of international food in different allocated stalls with 450 Seating Capacity. And for families with active kids, there is a mini playground where young children (between 2 to 8 years) can enjoy themselves with various games and parents can conveniently watch over them whilst eating too.

About three weeks ago we were there for a lunch buffet on Friday and have to join in a long queue(as there were about more than 50 people in front of us) since I could not get through their Reservation Hotline even after a few days of calling.

After about 45 minutes of queuing time we were finally being bought to our seats which were so cramp due to the overwhelming crowds that afternoon. But since everyone was hungry due to the long waiting hour we decided to start with the food without much complaints.

As my boy cannot find his favourite sushi over at the Japanese Counter he decided to settle with some chicken rice. According to him the rice was a oily and not fragrant compared to the usual one he loves to eat but the accompany chicken was still quite tender and juicy.  My aunty and I are both Sashimi lover so after eating the above items shown we both agreed that the Sashimi and cold seafood served are really fresh and definitely worth the price. But on the downside the replenish time was rather slow and a lot of sushi and maki plates were empty each time we went to the Japanese counter.

I was caught by this Rojak Counter while roaming around to check out the different serving counters. My favourite combination of Rojak is always fried fritters(you tiao) with the pairing sauce. But for a chance I decided to try the usual mixed combination and surprisingly the pairing here were rather good and flavorsome too.

You could find Western Food Counters at the right side of the entrance ranging from seafood/mushroom pizza, German sausages, array of pasta cooked according to your choice, soup of the day and etc. And at the back row of the buffet you could also pick up some grilled satay, salmon head, saba fish, king prawns and etc. But bewared of the food from this grilled counter as they are always being snatched off from the serving plates once the cook replenished the items.

After eating all the desire main courses, you can relax at your seats with a cup of freshly brewed coffee/tea or even homemade soya bean milk/beancurd from the beverage counters. To go with your drink, pick your choice of cakes from the Dessert Counters or any waffles or pancake.

Overall Buffet Town has a wide varieties of food which is freshly prepared and served but the only set back is the replenished time of the food is rather a bit slow perhaps due to the overwhelming of crowds or shortage of manpower. If not try to be early and get into the buffet on time in order to sample more choices of food especially those on the Grilled Counter and Japanese Counter. So is like either you get to EAT or you DON'T if you are not fast enough to get the food. Do share with us your dining experience if you have tried Buffet Town before.

Buffet Town International Seafood Mixed Grill and Teppan Yaki

Raffles City, #B1-44E
252 North Bridge Road,
Telephone: (+65) 6837 3793
Website: http://www.buffettown.com.sg/index.html

Operating Hour:
11.30am to 3pm daily (Last order at 2.30pm)
6pm to 10.30pm daily (Last order at 9.30pm)

Pricing for Lunch Buffet:-
Monday to Friday: Adult : $23.80++; *Child : $16.80++
Saturday, Sunday, Eve PH and PH: Adult : $28.80++; *Child : $16.80++

Pricing for Dinner Buffet:-

Monday to Friday: Adult : $33.80++; *Child : $19.80++
Saturday, Sunday, Eve PH and PH: Adult : $38.80++; *Child :$19.80++

*Child age 6 to 12 years old

Prices are subjected to Service Charge and any other prevailing taxes.

Mode of Payment: Cash / NETS / MasterCard / VISA /

A Day At The Universal Studios, Singapore plus Halloween Horror Night Preview

Universal Studios Singapore - 新加坡环球影城(USS) is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island. The park had its soft opening period from 18 March to 26 October 2011 and it's official Grand Opening was held earlier this year on 28 May 2011. For your information USS park contain 7 themed zones such as:- Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar all based on Universal movie hits and etc.

Since this week the lower primary are having a 4 day school break before the end year school exam I decided to bring my boy to USS as a study-break. He has being wanting to explore more and excited about those rides ever since our 1st visit last year during the After-Hour night visit(read more HERE).

HOLLYWOOD

When you first step beyond the entrance of the USS, greeting you will be the grant "Hollywood" street framed by dynamic architecture, palm trees and the famous Walk of FameTM that makes you will feel as thought you have landed in the center of the entertainment universe. If you wish to grab hold of some souvenir before heading back, remember to drop by the "Universal Studios Store" along this street for some themed collectibles, toys and apparel.

You can use any MasterCard to purchase your admission tickets in order to enjoy 20% off One-Day tickets any day of the week when you book online or purchase on-site(After discount our weekday ticket rate: Adult: S$52.80, Kid: S$38.40)! On top of that you will also receive a S$10 retail voucher and etc. Promotion ends at 18 November 2011, more detail, HERE.

MADAGASCAR

Our 1st stop is at Madagascar: A Crate Adventure where we get to board an indoor river boat ride with Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria, the four heroes from blockbuster movie Madagascar. Very fun and relaxing boat ride which suits kid even for the age of 3 - 4 years old with accompany adult(s).

After the boat ride you can catch up with the Madagascar Boogie just outside Penguins Mercantile at specify showtimes such as:- 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

At the same street in the Madagascar zone,  King Julien and the Lemurs are throwing a party for their favorite freaks from New York: Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe at the all time family Carousel - King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round. This is sure a catch for kids and adults of all ages where you can either ride and spins round and round with those cartoon characters.

FAR FAR AWAY

Movie stars, talking donkeys.…the land of Far Far Away showcases lifestyles of the rich and fairy taled whereby you will attracted by this unique castle which is the landmark of USS too. Here you can to enjoy Shred 4-D Adventure where you can see, hear and FEEL the action right from your seat such as water, hairy spiders, wind and etc. My boy and I have great fun and excitement watching this short movie.

Other than the delicious homemade recipe with 7-spice chicken at Goldilocks Restaurants (we had kiddy meal - criss-cross fries, dino nuggets and regular size drink S$9.50 serve in a cute portable lunchbox) you can also pop over to Fairy Godmother's Juice Bar to get some unique concoction of clourful elixirs at the juice bar. 

THE LOST WORLD

After lunch we move on to the next destination at "The Lost World" where we hurried ourselves to the 1.00pm showtime(showtimes: check the daily schedule for actual timing) at Water World. This is a must watch live entertaining show where we can witness a tidal wave of death-defying stunts, along with thrills and spills from real explosions of fire and water based on the blockbuster film, "Waterworld". But beware sitting at the center area or first few rows at the sides as you might get wet due to the splashing of water during the show.

Currently the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is NOT available as it is undergoing enhancement works from 10 August 2011 early 2012. So with 1 attraction down we are left with Canopy Flyer, Dino-Soarin and Amber Rock Climb. My boy loves to ride on the Canopy Flyer whereby he is not afraid of height and turns but this ride leaving mummy with wobbly feet and butterfly stomach.

Dino-Soarin can be fun too as it attracted a lot of adults in all ages whereby you ride on the back of flying dinosaurs called Pteranodons, soaring up into the sky or plunging down into the shadows.

ANCIENT EGYPT

In order to skip the long queue over at Canopy Flyer at The Lost World, we thought of heading towards the Ancient Egypt Zone and take a look before popping by to join the queue. There are total of two rides focusing Revenge of the Mummy as the main attraction and Treasure Hunters on the other hand which is more child friendly ride for the family. The Revenge of the Mummy ride is a psychological thrill ride where the roller coaster travel through a pitch black building leaving you clueless as to where you are going and what is going to happen ahead.

After asking around and seeing the some photos taken at the photo booth from the rides, we decided to give this ride a pass and head on to the "Treasure Hunters" which is a relax jeep ride which is more suitable for us. Furthermore, each young kid will be presented with a Treasure Hunters License Certifies as souvenir too.

SCI-FI CITY

With a choice of either Human or Cylon at this Sci-Fi City riders on both coasters will experience unbelievable thrills as they race towards each other and nearly collide! Zooming at speeds of 82.8 km/h, the Human Viper Mark II is a seated coaster that propels riders up to 14 storeys into the air whereas they Cylon raiders is a suspended roller coaster that will turn your world upside down as it runs through a vertical loop, corkscrew and cobra roll. Imagine with all the turns and loops....this is definitely not my cup of tea. But are you brave enough to take the challenge!!!

Giving out on the roller coasters, my boy and I decided to test our intergalactic stamina while being madly spinning on the whirling twirling attraction known as Accelerator. These individual similar "merry-go-round" ride is so fun and thrilling leaving us screaming in excitement through out the ride.   

NEW YORK

At about 4pm we are already hungry from our earlier lunch-break over at Goldilocks Restaurant mentioned above. So we decided to stop by the recommended Loui's NY Pizza Parlor to have a quick bite. As it was very pretty late in the afternoon there aren't much choices left on the shelf. Here we grab the "1 Slice Pizza Set" which comes with 1 slice of your desire pizza(i choose Tandoori), 1 dessert(either Panna cotta or Cheesecake) together with a cup of regular size soft drink at S$13.80.

As you can see the slice of pizza was quite big which is about the serving of 2 normal slices of pizza that we used to have. I love the thin and crusty base with topped with tender and flavorsome tandoori chicken, green chilli and well-blend seasonings. Worth trying this set especially with a cup of yummy Panna Cotta as dessert before heading to our show over at the opposite street at "Lights, Camera, Action!" where we get to witness the stage setting with awesome sound effect on a major hurricane hitting New York City. 

After a fun-filled day at the theme park, here is the crumbled map with marking on all the attractions that we have survive through. Friendly speaking other than the "roller coasters" I guess most of the attractions are still very family oriental where most of the family members can participate with.

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS

This October if you are looking for some terrified event for your Halloween Night, do consider joining this 1st Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios Singapore, Resort World Sentosa(Date: 21 - 23, 27-30 October 2011, Time: 8.00pm - 12 Midnight). These are some of the scenes from few of the 6 scare-zones that you will encountered during the event.

The highlights of this event are such as haunted Peranakan house to face the Vengeance of the Matriarch, Mutated zombies roam for blood in a Post-Apocalyptic Rage, Mad Scientist stalks unsuspecting victims in The Void and etc... More details of the event and ticketing information can be found HERE. Enjoy and have a fright night.

More photos of the USS trip can be found at HERE at Cuisine Paradise facebook page.

[My 1st Kids' Workshop] Pizza Toast plus Red Angry Bird Bento

Yesterday we have a fun-filled day with all the wonderful kids and their parents who attended our very 1st Kids' Pizza and Bento Workshop. This workshop has being in my wishing list for so long because I always hope to be able to conduct a hands-on workshop for kids and their parents. For me I think hands-on workshop are a great way to show bonding between parents and their kids as most of the kids enjoy the time where mummy or daddy will be able to hold their hands and work together to complete an assigned task. And during the workshop I am so happy to see some heart-warming bonding time between parents and their kids.

Great Kids Cook Out @ United Square Mall plus Junior Chef Cooking Competition

With September school holiday and a few public holidays like Hari Raya Puasa around the corner, why not bring your kids to embark a Creative Culinary Adventure as United Square celebrates its 9th Anniversary. At the event kids are able to pick up cooking techniques and explore recipes from celebrity chefs like Forest Leong and Catherina Hosoi plus Ellena(myself, a food blogger).

For this event, United Square Shopping Mall hopes that with some creativity added to those dishes it might be able to ‘help’ picky eaters by transforming eating into a fun and enjoyable learning experiences from the 4 interesting set up kitchens. And as part of United Square 9th Anniversary Celebrations, Great Kids Cook Out event are held from 26 August to 11 September 2011 where children aged 4 to 14 years old can personally prepare nutritious and creative dishes and learn basic table etiquette from experts of the field.

GREAT KIDS COOK OUT
26th August - 09th September

In order to let your kids participate and have fun in any of the kitchen shown below, you would have to spend at least $80* at United Square retail outlets to entitle a "Cooking Pass" to qualify for The Great Kids Cook Out.

For Age Group 4 – 8 years old

Pizza Making conduct by myself and my group of chef to enable kids to design their own pizza using healthy wholemeal bread with fresh vegetables topping such as Broccoli, Cucumber and Carrot together with tomato base pasta sauce and shredded cheese. (Pizza design created and endorsed by me)

Kaya Fondue Making conduct by Chef Forest Leong and her group of chef to teach kids how to cook up some health and delicious kaya using fresh ingredients and serve it on some designed cutout wholemeal bread.

For Age Group 9 – 14 years old

Next Bento Making is also another kitchen handle by myself and another group of bento chef where participant gets to learn moulding the rice ball and assemble the bento box with cooked vegetables, grilled teriyaki chicken, and quail egg.

The participant for Bento Kitchen will get to learn and bring back either one of these set of bento which I am sure they will be overwhelm of their master piece. (Bento design is created by me)

For the same age group if you are not keen in Bento, perhaps making Rainbow Snowskin Mooncake from Chef Catherina Hosoi will be great for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival too.


More related photos on the Great Kids Cook Out HERE at Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page.

For your information, this is a Daily event starting from 26 August till 09 September from :-
~ Mondays to Fridays: 11.30pm to 7.00pm
~ Saturdays and Sundays: 11.30am to 8.00pm

United Square mentioned in their facebook (HERE) that as the kitchens are always having full classes they advice parents to go early with the kids or try to avoid weekends crowds!

Junior Chef 2011

And for the coming September School Holiday, Parents World together with Untied Square Mall and Health Promotion Board there will be a "Junior Chef Cooking Competition" on 10th and 11th September where participants get to either decorate a cake or cook out a dish to impress the judges(Celebrity Chefs Forest Leong and Catherina Hosoi, plus myself) and walk away with attractive prizes and trophy.

For more details of this Junior Chef Cooking competition and registration, please refer to Parents Word official website HERE. Closing Date for registration is on 05 September 2011. For enquirers you can call 6295 0810 or e-mail to daniel@parentsworld.com.sg

[April $20 Budget Meal] Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Ham and Egg Pizza Tart

So fast, another week has past and today we are into the 3rd weeks of April where Good Friday and Easter Sunday will be on this week. Till now I have not thought about preparing anything for our Easter Sunday compared to what I have done last year on the "Chocolate Hot Cross Buns" and "Nested Easter". So I guess I have to work hard on that and find some inspiration for our Church, Good Friday picnic special.

If you followed this blog, last Monday our menu was on Asian flavour such as "Five Nuts Soup and Steamed Dumplings with Assorted Vegetables". Today we are having something western which cost around S$8.60 for 2 - 3 servings.

Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. This is the first time I  am using cauliflower to make soup and I am really surprised with it's outcome which is so tasty and it is definitely a great way to hide veggies especially in kid's meal. For this version, I have omitted the cream and replace it with extra 50g of potatoes to act as a nature thickening agent for a healthier soup.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 3)
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1cm Cube of Butter
1 Medium White Onion, roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
300g Cauliflower, cut into florets
200g Potatoes, peeled and chopped
400ml Instant Chicken Stock
150ml Hot Water

Method:-

1. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic cook and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until onion has softened.

2. Add cauliflower and potato, stir and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Next pour in stock and water. Season with pepper. Cover and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

5. Blend the soup, in batches until smooth then return to pan over low heat.

6. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve with some freshly ground pepper.


Total cost for this dish is about S$2.50 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Cauliflower = S$1.00
~ Potatoes Onion = S$1.00
~ Chicken Stock = S$0.50

Here we give a twist on the usual thin crust or handmade pizza dough by replacing it with the crispy think layer of ready-rolled puff pastry sheet. This recipe makes each and every slices of your cheesy pizza with a delightful flaky bites. So why not give this a try and I am sure all your kids and friends will love this for a chance.

HAM AND EGG PIZZA TART

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 3)
1 Sheet of Puff Pastry, partially thawed
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Barbecue/Pizza Sauce
1/2 - 3/4 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
50g Shaved Honey Baked Ham
1 - 2 Eggs
5 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 Small Green Capsicum, cut into strips

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree fan-forced and grease 1 large pizza tray.

2. Cut a 20cm round from the puff pastry sheet using a plate or bowl as a guide. With a small knife, cut a 1 cm border around pastry.(carefully not to cut through it as this will act as a border around the tart).

3. Place the round on prepared tray, spread inside circle with barbecue sauce and sprinkle it evenly with half of the grated mozzarella cheese.

4. Brush/spray border with oil. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until sides have puffed.

5. Remove tray from oven, crack egg(s) onto the center of the tart, top with shaved ham, tomatoes, capsicum strips and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

6. Bake for another 15 minutes or until egg whites have set and cheese is golden. Serve with prepared soup.


Total cost for this dish is about S$6.10 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Cheese = S$2.00
~ Shaved Ham = S$1.50
~ Cherry Tomatoes and Capsicum = S$1.60
~ Puff Pastry Sheet - S$1.00

Making pizza is one of the interesting task for kids to take part in the kitchen. They can help to spread the sauce and arrange whatever toppings that they preferred while the adults can just stand by the side and help to supervise and place the prepared pizza into and out of the oven. And homemade pizza can be even easier with ready-made pizza base or with any interesting base that you can think of, such as:- Puff Pastry, Sandwich Slice Bread, Pita Bread, Tortilla Sheet, Baguette and etc.

Since our "Easter April Budget Meal"(click the link and scroll down for the details at the end of the post) theme is using egg as a main ingredient, I have added an egg onto my pizza tart which which it a twist to the usual pizza that we often have.

Thanks for all your "BUZZ(s)" and support friends. Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Ham and Egg Pizza Tart post has make it to FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 19th April 2011.(Here)

Featured On: FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 19th April 2011.(Here)

CLOSING DATE FOR [EASTER APRIL BUDGET MEAL] EVENT:

~ Monday, 25 April 2011, 2359 hours  and all entries will be compiled and posted on 30th April 2011.