Emicakes Gets Cute with Daddy's Day D24 Durian Cake

Emicakes has come out with an adorable New Happy Face for the "Dashing Dad" cake (15-20cm sizes). You can try the Choco Truffle or Classic D24 flavours. The D24 durian cake is deliciously light with layers of whipped cream and durian mousse. Some of you will be glad to know the durian flavour is not too overpowering, so even people who don't like durian can enjoy this.

Emicakes Family Card and selected credit card holders get 15% off for delivery or self-collection orders between 1 to 16 June 2013. Check the website for branch locations. Orders can be placed online as well.

House at Dempsey Hills - Have You Tried The New Menu Yet?

House at Dempsey Hill revamped more than 80 per cent of its six year old menu earlier this year. The ensemble now is a bit more grown up and more elegant, with a focus on familiar comfort enlivened with a dash of quirky flavour.

Asparagus, Serrano Ham and Crumbed Egg ($22.00, above)
Take for example, the sublime combination of ham, egg and asparagus. They've managed to deep-fry a poached egg in crumbed batter, but the yolk is still molten. Break open the crust and let it all flow over the scrumptious Serrano ham and beautifully grilled shaved asparagus. This kind of breakfast deserves to be enjoyed at all hours.

Weekend Prosecco Brunch at LaBrezza of St Regis

Breakfast!


Oh yeah. A good breakfast should consist of a healthy amount of protein.

Meat Meet Controfiletto ai ferri: US Striploin (done here medium rare), at LaBrezza of the St Regis Singapore. This is part of the grill selection of the Prosecco Brunch happening every Saturday and Sunday noon to 3pm.

Hanoi Street Food - A Photo-Essay on Makanation

My photo slide-show on Hanoi street food is up on Makanation! Vietnam has so many cheap and tasty eats by the sidewalk, all so full of character. It's an amazing country.

http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/photos/hanoi-street-food-slideshow/

I'll soon be writing about the best eats that I encountered in the Vietnamese capital. Stay tuned.

McDonald's Heats Things Up with Red Peri Scorcher

Looks like McDonald's is set on spicing things up. On Monday night, we had a Face-Off between the popular McSpicy (second from left) and the new RED PERI SCORCHER (far right)! The two models used to represent the burgers in the TVC made an appearance at the Bishan Park outlet where this event took place.

I was surprised that McSpicy has already been around for 10 years or more. That long? So I guess it's high time this burger had some competition.


He might not be too pleased.

McSpicy won the previous Face-Off with Black Pepper Flamer, but now there's a new contender - the Red Peri Scorcher - and it's been a secret until now. You all can vote again on the Spicy Face-Off Facebook page when she's officially unveiled tomorrow.



So here it is! The tangy and spicy Red Peri Scorcher. It's a whole muscle chicken piece marinated with red peri chili, cumin, coriander, capsicum and lemon, cooked in a crispy batter with cracker wheat.



It's slathered with a spicy hot red peri sauce, all between a lightly toasted long single-split bun with wheat topping. It's spicy enough for most people without being too stinging. Some will get a higher endorphin buzz than others.



I requested a McSpicy just to compare. I remembered it being more spicy. But I realise the chili heat in this is more straightforward - basically chili powder seasoning - whereas the Red Peri Scorcher has more complexity in its spice mix. Have a go and see which one you prefer. I like both.



This is still the reigning favourite for many people, so it's bound to stay on the menu. The Red Peri Scorcher is only here for a limited time period.



The MC and McDreamy, I mean, McSpicy dude. He looks like a sweet and spicy version of Nat Ho, no?



The MC went around asking people which burger was hotter. It's a tough question when you could be influenced by the hot chick and cool dude models. This guy seated is Australian and said he couldn't take much of the Red Peri heat. And the McSpicy totally killed him previously. I think he could do with some spice training.



The evening ended with a raucous performance of "kitchen music". The instruments are real kitchen utensils. It was quite fun.



Photo op! Miss Red Peri Scorcher and Mr McSpicy. Who do you think is hotter? They both look equally dangerous!

The Red Peri Scorcher meal (from S$6.50) will be available in outlets from tomorrow, 16 May 2013, for a limited time period. Have it with the Passionfruit McFizz (S$2.40) and Citrus Thai Shaker Fries (S$2.75 a la carte).

Happy Mother's Day

Happy mother's day to all moms out there. Kudos to anyone who has embarked on this monumental journey of parenting, and are still surviving. In my case, it's my children who are special, not me. I've been blessed with Jolie (left), 5, who is educating me on all things pink and girly, and Nadine, 6+, who has shown me how amazing children with Down Syndrome are.

Nadine is impish for sure, and way too smart and fearless for her own good, but she's also incredibly tender and loving. Today, while doing research on the computer, I put my head on the table briefly to rest. She looked at me, came over and asked me gently, "Mommy, tired?"

As a friend of mine described, "If anyone takes the time to truly get to know (kids with special needs) for who they are, then you are overwhelmingly in love with them for their personality, intelligence, and all the other joys that they bring to the planet." Thanks, Michael. I could not have put it better.

My own mom passed on a few years ago. I miss her, and always wish I could have done more for her. All I can do now is be a good person to everyone in my life.
http://www.camemberu.com/2009/04/mama-1935-2009.html

We are all someone's child. Happy celebrating, everyone.

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons Opens 10 May

Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons opens 11.30am today at Bugis Village (facing Rochor Road). This fourth venture in Singapore by Keisuke Takeda seeks to celebrate the beauty of the seasons that dress Japan in absolute splendour. See how festive the shop is?

You may have known that his third ramen shop Tori King focused on chicken broth. In fact, every branch he owns features something unique. Keisuke-san's back to using pork bone broth here, because his Tonkotsu King at Orchid Hotel is such a runaway success (hey folks, we gotta do something to ease the queues there). But take note that the tonkotsu at this new outlet is 1.5 times thicker (the pork bone stock gets boiled 11 hours compared to the normal eight), and comes with creative flavours to reflect the characteristics of the four seasons.



It is a gorgeous spread. All five offerings on the menu taste very distinct from one another. Keisuke-san personally devised all the flavours to best represent the season it's named after.

Spring: basil and parmesan cheese (S$11.90)
Meant to evoke the colours of spring (green and pink). Originally, they wanted to use green shiso (a common Japanese leafy herb), but it is hard to find good quality shiso all year round in Singapore, so they used basil instead.

Summer (S$13.90): spicy minced pork
Summer is hot in Japan, so three different kinds of spice mixes are used here - the Japanese shichimi, Szechuan pepper and Cayenne pepper.

Autumn (S$12.90) Pork mince with bonito flavour and fried mixed mushrooms
Three different kinds of mushrooms are used, to reflect the abundance of mushrooms in the fall.

Winter (S$10.90): pork broth ramen
A simple broth is most comforting during the cold season.

King (S$13.90): stir-fried pork with ginger on top
Not tied to any season, but looks like this is the one to rule them all.



My favourite is the Ramen King. It features beautiful ribbons of buta shogayaki (ginger stir-fried pork), fried mushrooms and shallots. Makes the broth really addictive.




Spring (bottom right) - tastes a little Italian, almost like pasta in cream of tonkotsu!
Summer (top right) - the spicy mince is utterly delicious, I like this one too.
Autumn (top left) - with seasoned pork mince, bonito and fried mushrooms, this is probably the most umami of the lot! The bonito is so strong that the broth is almost sweet.
Winter (bottom left) - This is the closest to the Orchid Hotel Tonkotsu King formula, but is much thicker.

Add S$1 for Japanese seaweed and S$2 for the runny tamago (eggs). As usual, you can choose the level of thickness, amount of oil and noodle doneness. Help yourself to free marinated bean sprouts and boiled eggs while you wait for your order.



You'll see a progression of seasons as you walk through the eatery. First is spring (see first photo), then summer, and autumn (above) with all the momiji foliage, and lastly winter at the back.



Snow monkeys in an onsen. What else could you ask for?



Keisuke also bottles his own Green Tea Cola (S$3.80) which helps cut through the grease. It's produced in Shikoku. Tastes like Sprite spiked with green tea.

Oh they just posted a promo:"When you order Ramen bowl at Keisuke Four Seasons, please tell us that you have seen our Facebook page. You will be given “a bottle of Green Tea cola” per one bowl of noodle. (Promotion period 5/10-5/31.)"



Also you could win a ticket to Tokyo, one of these gorgeous Arita porcelain bowls (Arita is a famous pottery town in Saga prefecture, Kyushu. This stuff dates back to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's time!), and S$50 dining vouchers. Just post a creative photo when you visit the ramen shop! You have til 10 June.
Details on their Facebook page.



Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King Four Seasons - sounds like a mouthful, but what a tasty mouthful it is. I reckon there are going to be queues here just like at Orchid Hotel. But I'll be back for sure.


RAMEN KEISUKE TONKOTSU KING FOUR SEASONS

158 Rochor Road
Bugis Village
Singapore 188433

Tel: +65 6333-5740

Opening hours:
Weekdays  11:30am to 2:30pm   and　5pm to 10:30pm

Sat / Sun / PH  11:30am to 10:30pm

Camemberu Celebrates 6th Anniversary in Kagoshima, Japan

OK, so I did something a little different this year. I celebrated this blog's anniversary in my favourite country, Japan. Camemberu turns six in 2013. As was appropriate, I had some meltingly gorgeous Japanese Camembert cheese, deep-fried and served in an addictive soup curry. This was at Goya Restaurant (Kagoshima-shi, Nakamachi 2-13, Nakazono Building, B1) in Kyushu. No website or any other reviews elsewhere, but the food is so good. It's a surprise find, and an absolute gem of a place with great staff. I will put up a more detailed review (we liked the place so much, we actually went back a second time).

Moving forward, the blog will probably focus more on travel, but of course, I won't forget to point out notable eateries or interesting local food to try.