Orange Chiffon Cake

My love for baking Chiffon Cake is always inspired by passionate chiffon cake bakers such as Small Small Baker, my bestie @ahpoohbear and a few others. Their love for chiffon cakes could be shown through their recipe posts or photos of the chiffon cakes that they baked. And as you realise from some of my post I love citrus fruits such as Lemon and Orange which I often incorporate it into my bakes or dishes.

Since there was a special offer on oranges last week which I bought for making fresh orange juice, I decided to bake an Orange Chiffon Cake to pair with it for afternoon tea and at the same time make use of those lovely orange rinds which enhance the taste and aroma of the cake.

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.

Homemade Granola By Maameemoomoo

Granola is a popular breakfast choice or snack in western countries. It usually consists of rolled oats, nuts, honey and sometime dried fruits such as raisins, dates and etc are added to it. Recently one of my bestie Sherie, from Maameemoomoo is selling her homemade Granola (read more here) to friends and readers who loves this delicious breakfast snack.

As you can see from the photo above, Sherie is very generous with her Granola ingredients and you can easily spot Rolled oat, almond, cashew nut, sesame seed, cranberry, wheatgerm, Flaxseeds and even wolfberries! Occasionally, Sherie would also add in a "surprise" ingredients on top of the usual ones to surprise the customers too. And guess what I think I found dried Jack fruits in my recent pack that I have purchased :p Below are some of the ways that I have incorporate these delicious healthy snacks into my daily meal.

{For Breakfast/Dessert/Snack} You could serve Granola together either Oats Porridge or Plain Yogurt (such as Greek Yogurt). I love mine with either homemade (recipe) or store bought yogurt from Yogurt Place, Yammi Yogurt or etc.

{For Breakfast/Snack}This is super yummy! I love to scatter some Granola on top of my Peanut Butter Toast for that extra crunch and texture. Imagine biting the crust of the thick toast with generous spread of peanut butter together with those crunchy oats and almond....... Yummy!

{Salad} Instead of adding Crouton (small pieces of sauteed or baked bread) to your usual salad, why not try to add in one or two tablespoon of Granola plus some strawberries or orange segment to perk up your lunch diet. I love the mixture of the greens, with juicy fruits and crunchy bits of tasty Granola.

{Dessert}Trust me, if you have not try adding Granola to ice-cream before, you have to try this. The sweet, smooth and icy ice-cream makes it a prefect match to go with the Granola which is a tiny bit of salty plus caramel flavour from the honey. Great match!

For those who are new to Granola, perhaps you could go for the "Try First" pack at S$9.90 weighing 320g.

This is the "Wah, I like!" pack at S$15.90 weighing 500g with huge arse juicy figs, weight (80-90g) excluded from the 500g weight.

GRANOLA In 3 sizes:

~ Try First : S$9.90 per 320g pack

~ Wah, I like! : S$15.90 per 500g pack
(with huge arse juicy figs, weight (80-90g) excluded)

~ I want moreeeeee! : S$29.90 per 1kg pack

{To Order} You can email Sherie, maameemoomoo@gmail.com for more details, or you could check out her post on Granola HERE. Till then, have a great weekend everyone!

4 Quick Recipes On Soup And Dishes

Weekend is approaching and I am sure most full-time working mothers are looking forward to prepare some quick and easy nutritious dishes for the family during weekend lunch or dinner. In this post, I would be sharing 4 quick recipes (2 soup, 2 main dish) to inspire your weekend cooking for the family.

Since working mum has a lot of household chores to take care during weekend, I specially pick up dishes that required minimum preparation time and use "steaming" instead of "stir-fry" to avoid oily kitchen stove. So I am sure these 4 simple soup and steamed dishes would come in handy for your weekend meal ideas.