Merry Christmas: Chopsuey, Singapore

Before, after and during… Ok maybe context is irrelevant……..

I spend an undisclosed amount of time trawling through #sgig, seeking out the latest must-try eating spots in the eclectic foodie scene of Singapore.

I spied a number of brunch and dinner posts featuring a new addition to the scene, Chopsuey, a new ‘East meets West’ concept restaurant established by the people behind P.S. Cafe.  For foodies unfamiliar with P.S. Cafe, there were originally three sites in Singapore, boasting to-die-for Truffle Fries, however one of their branches was transformed into Chopsuey.

Christmas Eve 2013 approached much faster than I expected it to and before in knew it I was completely behind in finding somewhere to celebrate…. Until I remembered this venue and made a last minute booking which was accommodated for efficiently!

Set in Dempsey Hill, an area of restored army barracks which is now home to many other interesting eating venues, the restaurant interior is truly unique.  High ceilings and an airy old-time bungalow accommodates for diners ranging from small to large groups with beautiful marble tables.

Practice makes…almost perfect: Pandan Chiffon Cupcakes

After each semester has come to an end, I instantly enter kitchen/baking mode while trying to organize numerous meetings with my dearest but ‘long-time-no-see’ friends.  Believe it or not, I was an avid violin student for the twelve years which span from primary to the end of high school.  Over this time I both Mumma and I formed a strong bond with my teacher.  Each holiday I look forward to morning teas with her and her son, the cutest kiddie one will ever meet!

This meet up, Mumma and I were pondering upon the numerous morning tea options we could provide… Muffins from Cre Asion, Devon…. until…..through the gift of photo uploads Facebook, we decided to take the challenge and bake our own Pandan Chiffon Muffins.  My Singaporean background means I have grown up with this distinctive and unique Asian flavor which I love so much. 

A quick round up of ingredients, perhaps a secretive purchase of an electric whisk and an hour or two in the kitchen resulted in my first batch of Pandan Chiffon Cupcakes*.  My heart was mildly fractured when I was unable to achieve the airy consistency of chiffon and troubleshooting led me to realize that I had made the rookie error of beating insufficient air into the egg whites. <face palm>

Nevertheless, due to the integration of fresh pandan leaves the flavor made up for this and the denser ‘kueh**-like” texture was rather enjoyed at our morning tea.  It was a catch-up that we were all reluctant to end, however the challenge to create the perfect or rather ‘better’ chiffon still weighed heavily in my mind.

That afternoon Pandan Chiffon: Take 2 began.  The final result was as I had hoped for but alas I am no chiffon expert.  Visually it looked much better and the distinct Pandan aroma blanketed the kitchen.  Might I say that ‘practice makes … almost perfect’!

End of 2013 Reboot

I have been pondering upon this post for a long while now – how to approach a ‘conversation’ after 6 months away from the world of WordPress and the blogosphere.  Upon embracing the mantra of my mother “just go for it”, I am rather excited to ‘resuscitate’ this ‘friend’.

It would only be fair for me to explain to my absence; which can be summarized succinctly in one simple yet daunting noun…UNIVERSITY. When people tell you that second year will be breezes compared to first year DOO NOOOTTT believe them!  While it seems that my entire life had become consumed by the domino effect of assessments, practicals, lectures and exams last semester and ‘hello it’s ming’ was placed on the backburner, I truly did enjoy completing the last component of second year university despite the constant whining and complaining to my patient and supportive mother!

Over my blog detox, I had time to consider my outlook on this space.  Originally I had seen this space as a rather ‘text-based’ method of sharing of my foodie journeys and life in general, and with the encroaching clouds of study the perfectionist within me was reluctant to post anything that I was not entirely satisfied with.  My epiphany came when I realized I had forgotten that what I have most enjoy about the experience of blogging is the ability to share an experience, whether it be through words or simply an uploaded Instagram image and the animated banter shared with a community of individuals I have connected with over the past year and a half.

I am hoping to return to this space with a flexibility in format of posting.  Each post does not need to be in the meticulous detail which I am usually so particular about.  Whether it be a full fledged account of my escapades with a common theme or a photolog with a few vignettes, I wish to continue sharing my experiences whether they be about food or life (food :P).