punch.

♪♫ headlights – robin schulz ft. ilsey

Final Sydney Post of 2014: Rushcutters Restaurant and Market Place

A final post on Sydney brunch for 2014…

It took me a significant amount of persuasion in order to convince my Dad to leave his study for a final Sydney brunch together.  After my first dining experience at Rushcutters for a friend’s 21st, the birthday girl herself (Hey Pip!) had me determined to revisit the cafe/restaurant/market place for brunch.

I must admit that I am susceptible to the luring decor and ambience of any dining location.  The high warehouse like ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass panels created a spacious and almost al-fresco atmosphere.

Paramount Coffee Project: Life happenings with a side of brunch

Hello desolate space…apologies for the prolonged hiatus. As per usual university ‘nerding’ was to blame. The final semester of degree was nothing short of exhausting and stressful but I can very happily say that those days are now behind me! Following my final set of exams I indulged in a glorious period of brunching with friends before the highly anticipated arrival of my mother who I have missed dearly.   A hectic week of packing ensued. ‘Why?’ You may ask.

After much thought and changes of heart I finally decided to take the leap of faith <insert that unforgettable scene in How I Met Your Mother where they leap onto the neighboring apartment roof top>

…and venture over to Singapore for one year of work.

Now that all crazy shenanigans have ended I can rekindle my love for this blog, which is in dire need of some TLC.  So hello again … but from Singapore!

Over the past year my foodie appetite was stunted due to much time devoted to study thus I was determined to tick off a number of places on my ‘wish-list’ yet to be tried. Let us start with my trip to the famously instagrammed Paramount Coffee Project in Surry Hills.

My dear friend Queen P was visiting from Thailand and for the first time in three years the stars finally aligned and we were able to embark on a chat-, food- and retail-filled day. Queen P is one of those friends that exudes a confidence and energy that is truly wonderful to be in the presence of, much like Queen B(eyonce) herself and a perfect fit for the vivacious environment of PCP. Located in the previous Paramount Film Offices in Surry Hills, the high ceilings and infiltrating sunshine generated a fantastic ambience.

Mornings with Ming: Oat Series 2014

The month of June was saturated in copious amounts of studying with specks of excitement as I made a last minute trip to Singapore to celebrate Mumma’s birthday with her and of course visit Lil’ Bro who has less than a week left before graduating from Basic Military Training!

While in Singapore there were many dinners and celebrations of which one was a wedding, thus one could infer that it was indeed a fortunate coincidence that my ‘study vacation’ was abnormally long due to the dear old exam timetabling system.

Fast forwarding through a whirlwind trip, I landed back in Sydney with the prospect of 3rd year exams looming and three weeks of study hibernation clawing me into a draining ordeal.  Only joking, it was not that dramatic but it was a tiring yet productive few weeks.

Over the past two years I have learnt the importance of fueling the brain with the right foods during this time.  Not only does it provide for a productive session but allows me to take a breath, albeit quick.  Time spent in the kitchen in the mornings before a day of study and during lunch hour somehow provides some form therapeutic relief from the technicalities of biochemistry and pharmacology.

Most mornings were filled with warming oats; eaten with pure class straight from the pot.  As they say ‘practice makes perfect’ and I found myself discovering delicious combinations and improving in the ‘art of oats’.   Given the wintery chill enveloping Sydney I would say that this breakfast staple was my survival aid and comfort.

Tips for Oat-Making Beginners

1. The amount of water you use will determine the texture that you achieve
For oats with more ‘chew’ use less liquid and for super creamy oats use more liquid
2. Cook on LOW heat i.e. cook with LOVE
Even if you use less liquid you can still achieve a creamy texture! In addition, you don’t want to burn your oats!
3. If you don’t have milk don’t stress
Using water will still produce a delicious bowl of goodness. In fact, I prefer to use water as my primary liquid and add my milk at the very end. I feel that this retains the fresh taste of the milk but of course it is all up to personal preference.
4. Add in your bananas/apples (fruit of choice) at the beginning and cook together with your oats
This allows your fruits to ‘stew’ and soften, releasing flavours into your oats. I always used to chop up my fruits as a topping, but realised how much flavour was infused via this method.
5. Toppings – anything goes!
I have always loved to add nut butters, but have recently discovered the beauty of Nutella. Lil’ Bro left many tubs behind when he headed off to Singapore so I have been trying to find easy ways of using this delicious treat (other than the obvious toast spread).
Fresh fruits are also great – save some from the fruit you cook with your oats!
Finally, to balance out the soft textures I like to add a sprinkle of granola. At the moment I am very much enjoying the new Woolworth’s Home Brand Orange Granola Clusters and Coconut Macadamia Toasted Granola.
6. Cinnamon and ginger
This warming and comforting combination of spices not only adds to the overall flavour but they also provide numerous health benefits! I always mix these in before I cook the oats.
7. Sweetness can be added in many forms
I love to use dates as a natural sweetener as they provide my digestive system with a good dose of fibre. If dates are not being craved I use honey or maple syrup. I have yet to try adding some good berry jam on top…but there’s another idea!

Favourite Combinations
1. Apple + Date + Peanut Butter
2. Banana + Honey + Nutella/Peanut Butter

Thus comes an end to Mornings with Ming and my 2014 Oat Series!  Hopefully I have not bored you all 🙂

I am now in the antithesis of Sydney winter and back in Singapore!  More posts to come 🙂

If you’re sick of looking at oats, I have provided a photo of toast hehe.

Ming xx

Winter ‘Chills’: Devon Cafe

The end of semester arrived after what felt like an endless three weeks of study and exams.

Third year has definitely provided its challenges and pressure is most definitely mounting – as my Pharmacology lecturer expresses, “You guys are on the market next year”.  So, between study, more study and planning for 2015 (it seems early but as usual application deadlines and New Years will arrive with little warning!!), there has been little time for anything else!

Completing my final paper on the painfully timetabled final Saturday morning of exam period, I met one of my oldest food ‘partners-in-crime’, M for brunch on this chilly Monday.  Being my third visit to the increasingly famous Devon Cafe (Mama and I have have enjoyed both their brunch and lunch), I was eager to introduce M to this brunch haven.  We agreed that after a hectic semester, the feeling of being able to simply “chill” over winter break (excuse the pun) was more than welcome in a widespread embrace!

My insta-surveying had me eyeing the “Ultimate Toastie” special BUT to my the disappointment of my increasingly large winter appetite, I was told that this highly photographed dish is only served on Friday to Sunday!  No matter, this momentary sadness was salvaged by the prospect of trying the “Eggs Blini”; Buckwheat blini, cured king salmon, salmon caviar, broccolini, sauce Mikado and poached eggs.  Usually, ‘Benedict-type’ eggs are sometimes rather heavy, but thisdish was quite the opposite.  Eggs were poached to oozing perfection, blini was fluffy and slightly sweet and was complemented perfectly by a tangy sauce and delicious cured salmon.  Never having seen this on a cafe menu before, I thought it was rather unique and definitely something I would recommend for poached egg enthusiasts and those looking for a dish that is not the ‘run-of-the-mill’ brunch option.

Rojak Round-Up

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!  I have a celebratory post coming up soon but thought that a little local hawker fare needed to be injected into this space.

In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the post and that the Year of the Horse brings happiness, health, success and wealth in all aspects of life to you all!

Each trip to Singapore holds minimal ‘clean eats’ but maximal taste and enjoyment. Rojak is my attempt at incorporating a salad type meal into my day….but who am I kidding? It tastes too good to be true.

In regards to the ‘technicalities’ of this hawker dish, Singaporeans gravitate towards the ‘Chinese-style’ Fruit Rojak, which traditionally consists of:
• Cucumber
• Pineapple
• Bengkoang (turnip)
• Taupok (a puffy and deep-fried tofu)
• You Tiao (Asian dough-fritters)
• Chopped nuts
• Dressing – haeko (shrimp paste), sugar, chilli and lime juice

Some places like to include more unique additions:
• Raw mango
• Green apple
• Century Egg
• Cuttlefish
• Jellyfish

The typical Rojak-stall set up

All the ingredients are tossed together in the dressing, which is hopefully plentiful until the flavours of the dressing are absorbed into the more ‘neutral’ tasting dry components.
This trip, I have undertaken the tough task of deciding upon the (subjectively) Best Rojak in Singapore, so I visited three Rojak stalls which were either recommended to me or which I had discovered on previous trips.

A Surprising Detour – Necessary Provisions, Everton Park

It is a rare occurrence when Lil’ Bro and I have the chance to go on a food related outing together. With Papa Ho returning to Sydney and Mama off being a busy bee, we decided to venture around the area of Kampung Bahru before Lil’ Bro’s ‘work training’… Yes, embarrassingly for jobless me, my little brother secured an ‘intermission’ job before starting his internship as he waits for his army enlistment in May.

Originally, I was planning on heading towards a cafe hotspot around Duxton Road. Sometimes I become caught up in my determination to check out one of the many locations on my foodie ‘wish list’, which ends up in hungry stomachs and walking around in an endless search for a well hidden cafe. On this occasion, I was reminded by Lil’ Bro that time was limited so as I was about to turn back and settle for a cafe near his work place, I spotted ‘The Provision Shop’ hiding behind a bus stop and underneath a towering block of HDB flats. As per usual, I had been enlightened of its existence by the wonderful world of Instagram and immediately rushed towards this surprise discovery.

At 5pm on a Tuesday, the cafe was relatively busy. After teaching Lil Bro how to differentiate between different types of coffee, he decided upon an Iced Latte while I chose the Iced Long Black…yes the climate is rather warm here! Both were enjoyed and I definitely appreciated the break from milky coffees.

In addition, the growing boy had his heart set on the Chocolate Cheese Cake from the minute we entered. From my sample of the cake, it was not overly rich and had a great texture that lay in the spectrum between the dense New York Cheesecake and light Japanese rendition. Lil’ Bro was definitely a fan.

After talking to the friendly staff in charge I was informed that the cafe was very new and only open for about 2.5 months. My first impression was that it was definitely holding its own for such a new kid on the block. In addition to usual cafe items, The Provision Shop is also open for dinners offering pasta dishes until 8pm. Hopefully I’ll be able to make my way there with the parentals for a meal before I leave!

Oh Yes….Lil Bro has caught the Instagram bug….. Hehe

So I suppose the moral of the story is sometimes when we stop searching we stumble upon just what we are looking for. Enjoy the journey because you never know when life may take you on a pleasant detour.

Address: #01-79, 3 Everton Park

Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail I: Flock Café, Singapore

Hello and Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season and 2014 has taken off with success :).

In parallel with the start of a new year I thought it would be appropriate to share with you all a ‘fresh visit’ to a place which I have explored before…

What is a new year better for than discovery?

In the past, I have written about what has been described as the ‘achingly hip’ suburb of Tiong Bahru, Singapore.  Each trip to Singapore usually includes a stroll through the neighborhood, however this year Papa was determined to follow the ‘Heritage Trail’.  Thus an ordinary family outing become one which provided new experiences and discoveries.

With what seems to be a perpetually developing café scene in Singapore, we stumbled upon a spot which I had been meaning to track down last year!  To my surprise I crossed a small laneway and found ‘Flock Café’ at the corner of an old apartment block.

A quaint and narrow premises holds what has become a foodie hot-spot as well as a hit with the expatriate crowd.  

Features: Mumma reckons their coffee is one of the best that she has tried in Singapore and my ‘Iced (Flat) White’ made the humid and warm exterior a distant memory.

Must-try dishes: Eggs Benedict and Pancakes

Perfectly poached eggs and a perfectly balanced (not overly rich) Hollandaise

Fluffy…I mean ‘cloud-like’ fluffy pancakes and a generous amount of compote

If you have enough stomach space….: Big Breakfast

If you are looking to experience something other than the hawker scene in Singapore, which in my case I have eaten quite repetitively, this is the perfect location.  Good food at modern café appointed in an area with old-time charm….yes please…

More on Tiong Bahru to come!

Ming xx

P.S. Photos taken with an iPhone 5….have been slightly poor at lugging my DSLR around hehe

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’!