Lunar New Year Lo Hei At Grand Park, City Hall

Chinese New Year is about less than a month from now and most of the hotels and restaurants are all coming up with lists of attractive Luna New Year Lo Hei menu catering for everyone preference and budget. And just last Saturday, I have attended a Media Lunch at Park Palace where I would share some of their highlight New Year dishes which you might be interested with.

金箔顺德黄尾鱼捞起
Golden Shunde Yu Sheng

This Spring Festival, Park Palace brings you the the art of tossing Yu Sheng where you would get a shimmering gold boost with its Golden Shunde Yu Sheng (S$88.00++).  As what shown above, their yu sheng was quite different from the usual one we had as they replaced shredded lettuces with crispy fried vermicelli. On top of it, this dish was also given the finishing touch with gold dust and gold flakes.

The Golden Shunde Yu Sheng also comes with two plates of Fresh Yellowtail rather than salmon slices.

Tossing our way "High Up (撈起)" together with a list of auspicious wishes hoping that each and everyone of it will come true soon.

Other than crispy fried vermicelli, Golden Shunde Yu Sheng also consists slices of ginger, spring onion, crunchy capsicums and finely grounded peanuts which tossed in their special combination of fragrant peanut oil and premium soya sauce.

乐宫乳猪皇
Imperial Suckling Pig (first course)

I am sure most of you love Suckling Pig especially it's thin and crispy outer skin which goes well with the steamed pancake and savory sauce. At Park Palace, the piglet used for the Imperial Suckling Pig (S$238.00++) weighs about 5kg and it was air-dried and roasted in the restaurant itself. So in order to avoid disappointment, guests are advisable to make reserve for the order at least one day in advance. 

Some of us were amazed by the thinly sliced cracking skin which we could hardly see any fats or meat on it. The skin was also flavoursome even without the accompany serving sauce and it leaves you craving for more servings too.

乐宫香茅翻烧
Imperial Suckling Pig - Oven Baked with Lemongrass (second course)

Other than the crackling skins, the left over portion (the meat) was then made into another dish by oven-baked it with lemongrass and other seasonings. Each piece of the meat was infused with lemongrass fragrance and the taste was also not too overpowering.

鱼跃龙门庆丰年
Golden Happiness Crispy Garoupa

Even though I am a fish lover, I don't really fancy this Golden Happiness Crispy Garoupa  perhaps it was a bit too dry towards my liking even though it was served together with some special sweet and sour sauce drizzling on it.

火焰乐宫团圆盆菜
Chinese New Year Flambé Pen Cai

Prosperity Flambé Pen Cai was the highlight of the day where it boasts 18 luxuriant ingredients and with a twist it was infused with Cognac, and flambéed to bring out the rich flavours and tastes of its ingredients with a tang of alcohol.

Prosperity Flambé Pen Cai is available for both à la carte and takeaway from 21 January to 24 February 2013 at:-

~ S$268++ (for six persons)
~ S$428++ (for ten persons)

As you could see from the above, this delicacy is brimming with 18 luxuriant ingredients including Sliced Abalone (鲍鱼片), Sea Cucumber (海参), Whole Conpoy (柱脯), Prawn Balls (明虾球), Scallops (带子), Roasted Duck (烧鸭), Roasted Pork Belly (火腩), Duck Web (鸭掌), Soya Chicken (油鸡), Sliced Sea Perch Fillet (鲈鱼片), Fatt Choy (发菜), Black Mushroom (北菇), Lotus Root (莲藕), Broccoli (西兰花), Radish (白萝卜), Beancurd Skin (豆筋), Gingko Nut (银杏), Black Fungus (云耳) and Tien Shin Cabbage (津白) with quality stock in a casserole pot.

The pot we had (refer to above) was actually for 6 persons serving and yet the 10 of us at the table can't even finished it! So you roughly could gauged there were indeed a lot of treasures in the pot and you might be surprised on what you could scoop out from it too!

鹅肝腊味糯米饭
Auspicious Glutinous Rice with Foie Gras And Preserved Meat

As usual the second last dish is always either noodle or rice, and on that day we had something fusion which served in individual portion that was known as Auspicious Glutinous Rice with Foie Gras and Preserved Meat.

Each glutinous rice ball was wrapped with diced preserved meat fillings, pan-fried till crispy at the base and served with a generous slice of Foie Gras on it.  The juice and fragrance from the preserved meat had definitely enhance the taste of the glutinous rice but most of us find portion of the rice was a bit too much for an individual serving.

南瓜庆团圆
Steamed Mini Pumpkin Dumpling with Green Bean Paste

Dessert was served in a bamboo steamer and when the lid was opened, everyone was in excitement because of the bright orangey pumpkin alike dumplings. These Steamed Mini Pumpkin Dumplings were made using the natural colour from the pumpkin puree and wrapped with generous amount of green bean paste which is lightly fragrance with tangerine peel or something similar.

Lastly I would like to thank Jean (Assistant Marketing Communication Manager of Grand Park City Hall) and Park Hotel Group for the warm invitation and hospitality at Park Palace.

If you are planning for family,  office gathering or business lunch this coming Chinese New Year perhaps you would like to take note of their Early Bird Special: Book now and dine in from 21 January to 07 February 2013 and enjoy 20% off Lunar New Year Set Menus and a la carte at Park Palace.

Chinese New Year Set Menus (view full menu details here)
~ $78++ per person (a maximum of two persons)
~ $288++ per person (for four persons)
~ $438++ per person (for six persons)
~ $588++ per person (for eight persons)
~ $788++ to $2388++ (# for ten persons)

*Orders to be made at least one day in advance
# Enjoy a complimentary bottle of house wine per table with booking of ten tables or more (ten pax per table)


PARK PALACE
Grand Park City Hall
Mezzanine Level (level 2)
10 Coleman Street
Singapore 179809
Telephone: (65) 6432 5543
Website: http://www.parkpalace.com.sg/

Huiji Mui Fan

Mui Fan (烩饭) is one of my favourite childhood dish and even until now I still love this dish despite of whether homecook or store bought from the Cze Char stall(煮炒摊). You can easily create your own style of Mui Fan with different ingredients such as seafood, meat or vegetables. In this post, I would share with you a new version of my "herbal flavour" mui fan using Huiji Waist Tonic and Red Wine Lees.

HUIJI MUI FAN

With a twist and inspiration from my usual mui fan, I decided to come out with something herbal and nourishing for the family. Also mui fan can be consider as a quick one dish meal which consists of cooked rice, meat, vegetables, egg(optional) and gravy in a plate. I love this type of comfort dish which is so easy to prepare and with less washing up to do too.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
150g Pork Fillet, thinly sliced
60ml Huiji Waist Tonic
2 Serving Of Cooked Brown Rice
4 Slices Ginger, shredded
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into sections
2 Tablespoons of Hong Zao (red wine lees), optional
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 - 2 Eggs

Method:-
1. Preheat frying pan with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, sauté ginger and spring onion till fragrant.

2. Stir in pork slices and cook 10 seconds, add in the red wine lees if using and continue to fry till meat is cooked.

3. Pour in 60ml Huiji Waist Tonic, crack in egg(s) and gently give the mixtures a few stirs. Simmer the mixture for 10 seconds.

4. Off the heat, season mixture with salt and pepper before spooning it on top of the cooked rice.

5. Garnish with some chopped spring onion, cut chilli and serve immediately.

As for this dish, try to use either pork or chicken fillet so that the meat can be easily cooked and remains tender when bite. And also for those who like pork liver, you can add in some together with the pork fillet to create a better flavour and texture for this dish.

Oatmeal Fish Porridge

If you have being following this blog, you can find another similar Savory Oatmeal Porridge which I had shared the recipe a few years back. I still remember that recipe was taught to me by my ex-boss wife who always include it in their breakfast menu. And since we can easily purchase either Instant/Quick Cook Oatmeal from leading supermarkets and they both works well on Sweet (recipe) and Savory (recipe) dishes, hence oatmeal became one of my favourite pantry ingredients.

OATMEAL FISH PORRIDGE

This Oatmeal Fish Porridge can act as a great idea for weekend brunch or you can even serve it for dinner too. The idea of using fish slices is because I wanted to create something similar to Fish Congee but with more nourishing ingredients like carrot, wolfberries, gingko nuts and egg. But then it is still up to individual to mix and match with the ingredients that you prefer.

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of Quick Cook Oatmeal (Quaker brand)
750ml Chicken Broth
150g Mackerel Fish Slices
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into sections
Some Diced Carrot
Some Gingko Nuts
Some Wolfberries
Some Chopped Spring Onion

Method:-
1. Lightly marinate fish slices with salt, pepper and sesame oil, cornflour and set aside.

2. Preheat a saucepan with some oil, lightly fry the diced carrot and spring onion till fragrant, add in soup broth and gingko nut, simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until carrot is soften.

3. Next add in quick cook oatmeal and continue to simmer till almost done (if the mixture is too thick, add extra 150 - 200ml of hot water/soup broth to dilute), add in fish slices and wolfberries.

4. When fish is cooked through, switch off the heat, drizzle beaten egg and give it a quick stir.

5. Ladle oatmeal into serving bowls, top with some chopped spring onion and fried shallot, serve immediately.

I guess for a change, this is not a bad idea for rice replacement as it look and taste somehow or rather similar to congee. And if you prefer more dilute version, add in either more chicken broth or reduce the amount of oatmeal. For me, I prefer a sticky texture if I am looking for some comfort food during cold weather.

SunnyHills 2013 CNY Special Edition Pack

Welcome to 2013 and I wish everyone a fruitful year ahead. As you know Chinese New Year (CNY) is approaching in roughly a month's time and you can also notice most of the bakeries and shopping malls are all getting ready for new year too.

Recently we have received a complimentary box of Pineapple Cakes from SunnyHills as a snack preview of their 2013 CNY Special Edition Pack. I love their CNY edition pack which brings in colours of spring that cheers up your day and makes you feel that CNY is around the corner.

As usual their pineapple cakes taste great like what we had previously and it is definitely made with real pineapple fruits without any artificial flavouring. And also with its buttery crust it goes well with the generous amount of pineapple fillings which enable to satisfy your craving for a good quality of pineapple cake.

Moreover these buttery pineapple cakes also resemble "Gold Bars" from it's shape and colour which are auspicious for Chinese New Year gift. If you are considering to get some, below might be some useful information for you. These pineapple cakes are available in boxes of:-

~ 10 pieces per box @ S$25.00
~ 15 pieces per box @ S$37.50
~ 20 pieces per box @ S$50.00

There will be FREE delivery (to one location) for orders above S$100.00 or a delivery fee of S$8.00 per location. But if your order is above S$350.00 they will be free delivery plus 10% OFF.  To make orders or queries you can either email: service@sunnyhills.com.sg or call/send SMS to (65) 8522 9605 between 10.00am to 6.00pm.

SUNNYHILLS AT RAFFLES HOTEL
Raffles Hotel Arcade
328 North Bridge Road
#03-05
Singapore 188719
Telephone: (65) 8522 9605
Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/SunnyHills.At.RafflesHotel

Opening Hours:-
Tuesday to Saturday - 11.00am to 8.00pm
Sunday and Monday - 11.00am to 6.00pm

Pumpkin Granola Bar

My family loves granola and our my favourite granola supply come from "maameemoomoo" who always surprise us with her innovative flavoured granola like honey, pumpkin and chocolate. And since we have missed out Sherie's pumpkin granola during Halloween orders, I decided to try making something similar to satisfy our craving. So with a twist and some research which I Google, I manage to bake some decent Pumpkin Granola Bar instead.

Although my granola bar might not taste as good as Sheri's but at least I happy with the end result and also it's a challenge for me to bake something with such a long ingredients list too.

McDonald Birthday Party

I am sure many of us loves McDonald from it's Hotcake to Big Breakfast or Double Cheese Burger to Filet-O-Fish Meals.  No matter which is your choice there is always something for everyone in the family. My kid loves their McChicken and Chicken McNugget meals which often comes with hot and yummy fries plus a regular drink.

Since McDonald is one of his favourite meals, we decided to hold a McDonald Birthday Party for him last weekend to celebrate his Birthday.

Upon discussing with the staff in-charged of the party, we were told that the McDonald's Party included things like:-
~ Choice of Happy Meal (Cheeseburger or Chicken McNuggets)
~ McDonald Design Party invitations cards (minimum 12 pieces)
~ Exclusive gift for birthday child
~ Gifts for invited guests
~ Game prizes
~ MINIMUM booking for 12 children per party package

*A deposit of S$14.40 (non-refundable) which is also known as the surcharge is required upon confirmation of booking

And as you see from the list above, McDonald required at least a MINIMUM of 12 children for the party package so even though if your invited kids are less 12 pax you still have to pay for the 12 sets of Happy Meal at S$9.00 (including surcharge) per child which is about S$108.00. I find this criteria is NOT flexible for those who do not meet the minimum requirement of 12 kids, perhaps they could allow/consider some swap or combination of kid and adult meals for some situation.

For your information, in order to bring in Birthday cake to the Party the cake has to be ordered from one of these Halal certificated bakeries shown above.  So when you are hosting a McDonald party for your kid(s) or friend, remember to double-check with the staff in-charged.

Since my boy is old enough to write his own invitation cards, I leave the task for him to in-charge of his invited guests list.

As an Angry Birds, Green Piggy fans my boy decided to use green piggy themed design tags for the guests to write their names for the lucky draw.

These are some food stuffs and stationary that we prepared as lucky draw gifts as well as goodie bags of sweets and chocolates for the guests. 

Upon arrival of the Birthday kid and invited guests, the staffs in-charged would assigned the sitting arrangement for the kids and get them to write down their name on the party hat in order to address and recognise them while serving the meals later.

All Happy Meals for the party comes with choice of either Cheeseburger or 4 pieces Chicken McNuggets together with a regular drink (coke, milo, ribena or milk) and side (cup corn or fries). While the kids are having their meal, the serving staffs at Yishun Safar McDonald are very patience and helpful by taking the imitative to make sure that all the invited kids and host are well taken care of.

15 minutes later, everyone almost settled down with their food orders and the kids also started to mingle among themselves with fun, laughter and food. 

After the meal, the serving staffs do a quick clear up and get ready to gather the kids around to participate some simple games for about 15 minutes before cutting the Birthday Cake.

Although the games might be simple due to the space constraint, but the kids definitely have a great time among themselves.

The last 10 - 15 minutes of the party are usually reserved for photos taking and cake cutting where everyone would gather around for Birthday songs and group photos with the birthday kid.

Angry Birds Space designed cake from Polar Puffs And Cakes Pte Ltd which is one of the bakery in their suggested Halal bakeries list shown above. 

Invited Guests received extra gifts like McDonald themed pencil, drinking straw and etc on top of the usual Happy Meal toy.

Birthday child received an Exclusive Birthday gift on top of the items in the Happy Meal goodie bag.

This is the actual Birthday Cake which my boy requested and I managed to order and custom made by Wai Fong from Fong's Kitchen Journal and if you are interested you could also read more about how she assemble this cake at her post HERE.

As you can see above, this is a 3-layer Chocolate Sponge with Dark Chocolate Ganache filling because my boy only loves chocolate cake but due to his favourite King Pig is green in colour we have to cover the chocolate cake with green coloured butter cream. Overall the sponge cake is fluffy and the ganche is great too but just that perhaps a little bit too sweet on the fillings.

Lastly we would like to thank everyone who came and joined us for the party last weekend. Thanks for all your lovely gifts and thoughts. Hope everyone of you have fun!

Nana's Green Tea Cafe At Plaza Singapura

Nana’s Green Tea Cafe is well-known in Japan as the “Japanese Starbucks” amongst a new generation of tea drinkers who are looking for tasty and artistic matcha creations. And on 21st December 2012, the cafe opens it's flagship store at the newly renovated Plaza Singapura which is located near Dhoby Ghaut Mrt Station. For information, other than Green Tea (matcha) beverages, they also offering food items to compliment the beverages and desserts too.

All green tea leaves served in Nana's Green Tea Cafe are imported ONLY from Kyoto (most famous production center of 'Matcha') where the cafe aims at delivering genuine Japanese taste and health to modern consumers. Matcha is a finely ground and powdered green tea which has many health benefits such as controlling high blood pressure, cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes, improving mood and alertness, boosting immune system and metabolism, reducing strokes by 21% as well as supporting anti-aging and etc.

Matcha Latte (Hot/Cold) @ S$7.00

I always love the Matcha Latte from Starbucks but now after trying the above I knew I am going to switch my choice to Nana's since both are of similar pricing but taste wise Nana's has a more fragrance and smoothing aftertaste when compared with the rest I tried.

Locomoko Don @ S$15.80

During the tasting we had two rice don and and one cold noodle dish. The first dish that arrived was Locomoko Don which is beef patty (burger) served on warm Japanese rice together with lettuce, cherry tomato, broccoli and a sunny-side egg. The beef patty could be slightly more juicier but overall it still goes well with the warm premium Japanese rice and accompany tomato sauce.

Our tasting portions of the Mini Locomoko Don

Salmon Don @ S$14.80

Next we had Salmon Don which was my favourite among the three tasting dishes. The bowl of Japanese rice was topped with fresh Salmon Sashimi and garnished with Japanese pickled ginger, spring onion, Daikon Cress and a touch of mayonnaise sauce

There is also an accompany sauce which taste similar like a mixture of Japanese Soy Sauce and roasted sesame seeds which goes well with the Salmon Don.

Mushi-Dori Goma Dare Udon @ $13.80

Lastly we had this Mushi-Dori Goma Dare Udon which was one their cold noodle dish. The Udon noodles was topped with steamed chicken fillets and garnished with cucumber, cherry tomato and served in Nana’s special sesame sauce.

This is one type of my favourite Japanese cold noodles which soaked in light and fragrance Japanese sesame sauce. The crunchy cucumber strips and tender steamed chicken makes it a prefect dish for hot summer meals. But personally I felt the sesame sauce could have be slightly better if the taste is stronger.

Matcha Shiratama Parfait @ S$11.80

Their new menu also offers a range of delightful dessert creations that are artistic and healthy like the Soft Cream Anmitsu, a soft serve vanilla ice-cream with red bean paste, white mochi and ‘Kanaten’ (traditional Japanese herbal jelly).

As a matcha lover especially on desserts and ice-cream, the Matcha Shiratama Parfait above definitely captured my attention and I really love the texture and taste of their matcha ice cream as well as all the surprises that I could dig out from the parfait. I would re-visit the outlet soon to try out other items on the dessert menu!

NANA'S GREEN TEA CAFE
The Atrium @ Orchard
Plaza Singapura
60B, Orchard Road
#03-80/82
Singapore 238839
Telephone: (65)6684 4312
Site: http://www.facebook.com/NanasGreenTea


Lastly I would like to thank Nana's Green Tea Cafe and Alisa from Publicist PR Consultants for the invite tasting.