Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Simplest Portobello Mushroom Burger Recipe

6 large portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 tablespoons vinegar 
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 onions, chopped
fresh herbs 
6 slightly toased toasted buns
6 slices of cheddar cheese

Put a little amount of salt in mushroom and let it sit for 15 minutes. 
Combine garlic, shallot, vinegar, olive oil and a liberal pinch each of sea salt & black pepper. 
Saute the chopped onions until transculent and caramelizing. Set aside. Use the same pan to fry the musroom. 
Fry the mushroom using a little amount of olive oil, while frying, brush on the combined sauce. Fry for 7-10 minutes each side.

Serve hot. 


VEDRICT:
ABBEY: First time we ate this is at Handmade Burger. So we thought of having this cooked at home. 

Wilma showed again her cooking skills. It was delicious. The texture of mushroom mimics the meat. We sandwiched it on burger buns with slices of cheese. Best to eat them hot.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

National Gallery Singapore - Reframing Modernism

ABBEY: At last we set foot at National Gallery Singapore during their Open House last June. This is our sidetrack before we go to the Piano Festival at Victoria Concert Hall

We were given a pair of tickets for the DBS Singapore gallery which showcases Art in Singapore since the 19th century. In UOB Southeast Asia Art Gallery, I'm very proud to see Pinoy masterpieces from the likes of Hidalgo and Amorsolo. 

It was a joyous moment. I'm able to see the real thing not only in books.



Supreme Court Holding Area 




WILL: National Gallery of Singapore open its door for free to awe its visitors. 

Our jaw dropped when we saw the masterpieces of well-known artists of our lifetime. I am stunned to see the paintings from the Philippines. Abbey can easily pin-point what is made by Filipinos. I am glad to see some of the works by Juan Luna. One of Philippines' National Hero. 

Bad thing is we are out time to check-out Pablo Picasso obra! 

Thanks National Gallery for this opportunity! This is once in a lifetime experience. :)


***
National Gallery Singapore
1 ST. ANDREW’S ROAD SINGA­PORE 178957
(H) SUN – THU, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 10AM TO 7PM
    FRI – SAT, EVE OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 10AM TO 10PM
(T) 6690 9400
(E) info@nationalgallery.sg

Monday, July 18, 2016

Simple Recipe of Tuna Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

8 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 chopped regular tomatoes 
500g pkt pasta (of your choice) 
2 cans of tuna, drained
handful of basil leaves
20 pcs cherry tomatoes (cut into half)

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Saute onion until translucent. Stir in the garlic, then after few minutes add in the tuna. Throw in the regular size tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Give it a good stir, simmer for 5 minutes.

Add your cooked pasta in the sauce and add on the basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper. 


Simple and Yummy Pasta
VERDICT
ABBEY: Another kitchen skill was shown here. This very simple and easy to do but elegant. Aledente pasta, olive oil, tuna chucks, cherry tomatoes, and basil; there you have an aromatic and healthy dinner. 

Thanks Chef Wilma. Can we try spicy tuna next time?

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Coney Island Park - Parks & Nature Reserves

ABBEY: We set out Coney Island tour on a Saturday after Wilma's office. So we headed to Punggol Bus Interchange, took Bus 84 and alighted at Punggol Road End. You will know that it is time to alight as most of the passengers will do the same :) 

We rented 2 bikes from Go Cycling at 8SGD per hour for 2 hours. The third hour is free. But there are other shops for bike rent. Biking at moderate speed and following the main path, you can cover the 2.4km-island end to end within less than an hour. 

Going back, we did our sightseeing; their beaches, boardwalk, and the serene and quiet surroundings. Unfortunately, we didn't catch a sight of the brown cow only snake, lizard, and turtles. We're not able to dine as well to eat white bee hoon. The queue is so looooooong. It was fun; I'm able to ride a bike again and breathe fresh air.


Coney Island Entrance Gate
WILL: Coney Island opened its gate to public since last year and I am apologising for not  checking it out sooner than usual. Hahaha. This is an island just off the tip of Punggol area. 

So what can you expect while roaming this island? Well, I am recommending for you to bring your own bike or rent one for $8/hour. The nest time go in there is 4pm, the sun is not that hot because of the shades that were provided by the trees. 

You might see a cow, monkeys, lizards or just like me, I saw a snake (arggh). In my estimation, that is a three-foot snake. Yikes! 

You can check out their boardwalks and beaches. Well, after I saw a snake, we went straight home and never visited what is up for any turns. Hehe. 

Cycling is a good exercise for our heart. If you love nature and like to see new parks of Singapore, go in here, you will not regret to see a fabulous scenery. 




***
Coney Island Park
How to get there: Punggol interchange, take bus 84 to Punggol Point Park/Punggol Settlement. 
Walk about 500m east along the Punggol Promenade Nature Walk to get to Coney Island West Entrance.
(H) 7AM - 7PM

Monday, July 11, 2016

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (The Centrepoint Branch)

ABBEY: After a great workout in Bounce we replenish our energy with bah kut teh. We dined at Song Fa Bah Kut Teh (The Centrepoint). 

I got big serving of pork ribs. I ignored the pork as I enjoyed sipping the peppery hot soup. I think I had 5-6 bowls of soup and then I indulge in the tender meat and youtiao dipped in sweet soy sauce. 

It was delicious and refreshing. Special commendation to Irene for keeping the soup flowing.


Abbey, Benjie and Chat


Dough Fritters 
Pork Rib Soup


Menu
Pork Tenderloin
WILL: I am wanting for so long to dine in here and I got a chance to taste those famous bak ku teh when I attended Peng Joon's III last January. But Abbey is not with me back then, so no review about it was published. 

We planned to dine at a burger stand, but because of tiredness we felt after our trampoline madness at Bounce, we decided to get some hot soup. 

We headed at The Centrepoint, Song Fa Bak Kut Teh's newest branch. 

Our visitor from Middle East was astounded on the soup. We all liked that peppery and tender pork meat. Dipped that into a thick soy sauce! Yum,yum,yum,yum! Oh! Don't forget to soak the dough fritters at the soup before eating! 

Happy dining guys!


***
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
The Centrepoint
176 Orchard Road #02-29/30
(T) 6734 8498
(H) 1030AM - 930PM 

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Wing Zone Singapore - Buangkok Branch

ABBEY: Wing Zone announced that they holding their 5 cent chicken wing promo. We went to their Buangkok branch July 6 (Hari Raya Puasa) and we're first in the queue :) Opening is at 11AM but got delayed for 10mins. 

Instead of picking up my order at the counter, the staff went an extra mile to deliver it to our table. Our table is the one nearest to the counter. Maybe that's the reason, but still kudos to the staff. 

I had five Honey Q chicken wings, a cup of rice and drinks. I enjoyed the sweet flavor and the nasi lemak flavored rice. The sauce covered the chicken well as well as my fingers :) I hope next time it can be taken away not only for dine in.


Abbey

Honey Q Flavor

Menu
Tokyo Dragon Flavor
WILL: I am always delighted whenever a non-working holiday hits the calendar but I am happier when Abbey took a leave just to be with me on those days. 

Wingzone still run their promotion even it is holiday last July 6 (Hari Raya Puasa). They still offer Wings @ 50cents. As early as 10:30, we are already there to prevent any queue. The staff arrived at 11am and they opened their doors 30 minutes later than usual. 

Abbey is first in line and I want to taste the Tokyo Dragon wings for myself. It is not that spicy and the flavor of their rice is more prominent than the chicken. Their wings have blood issues too. Hehe. 

Anyways, I enjoyed seeing my husband eating all my leftovers.


***
Wing Zone Singapore
Blk 277C #01-13 (2C)
Compassvale Link
(Buangkok MRT - Exit B)
(H) 11:30am - 10pm
(T) 6481 4439
(W)http://wingzone.com.sg 

Saturday, July 9, 2016

23rd Singapore International Piano Festival 2016 Kalaidoscope: Cédric Tiberghien

ABBEY: As a friend of SSO, we have this perk to have a free pair of concert tickets. We chose to attend a piano concert as part of 23rd Singapore International Piano Festival : Kaleidoscope. The artist is Cedric Tiberghien. He had the following repertoire:

MOZART - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K.457
BEETHOVEN- Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major “Waldstein”, Op. 53
CHOPIN - 24 Preludes, Op. 28

He explained how universal key of C is and it reflected in his performance. Thank you SSO. Your friend, Abbey.


Grand Piano Use By Cédric Tiberghien

WILL: This is our third free concert ticket and we are super happy to stumble upon Singapore Symphony Orchestra and its awesome benefits when you registered to be their SSO friend.  

Husband is the one who chose this concert, obviously. Well, he is more of a piano guy while I am fond of violins. We watched Cedric Tiberghien to represent the last show held for Piano Festival. 

What I can say?! Superb talent! I am awed of the fact that he can do that magnificent music on a piano..alone! Haha! I appreciated it but not as enjoyed when I am hearing violins (clearly). 

On the next day, I felt more relax. Maybe because once again, I heard Mozart's piece that always keeps me calm. Haha! 

Till next time kind, sincere and ever systematic people behind SSO! We had a wonderful experience with you!


***
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
For a minimum donation of $75, 
All Friends enjoy all the Privileges above
Get your form here and fax to 6602 4222 or 
email at friends@sso.org.
RECOMMENDED BY: WILMA LAPUZ 

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

BOUNCE Singapore - A Massive Trampoline Park & Adrenaline Arena

ABBEY: When I first saw an ad about people jumping on trampolines, sure it was fun and cool. The tricks are enticing to do and it seems so easy. But reality hits when we went to Bounce (9th floor of Cineleisure Orchard). 

We were given a pair of non-slip socks and waited for the earlier "Bouncers" to clear the place. We tried our skills in the Big Bag. It was hilarious. The trampoline is telling me that I don't have any rhythm in my body. The first jump was pathetic. But after few more tries, it improved as the staff told be to bend my knees a little bit. 

I also tried the slam dunk. Yes, it was easy....on tv. But I struggled on the higher rim. So what I did I slam the ball in the lower one. That's a win. But the staff put me up to another challenge: to put the ball behind the knee then front then slam it. Seriously? Haha. 

I didn't try the Wall bounce and X-Park. Too tired and I feel my knees are giving up. It was tiring but fun.

Dodgeball Arena


WILL: Abbey and I were eyeing for this place since they announced their opening date. Luckily, our friend Chat gave her interest too. Together with her boyfriend (Benigno Betasolo) we booked a schedule last Saturday, 2nd July. 

We arrived early but just on time to check-in at their counter, sign a waiver on their iPads and change socks. 

Exactly 2pm, we invaded Bounce! We bounced, laughed and bounced and laughed. It is like we time-travel back to our childhood! Do you know that we went for a dodgeball competition with kids? Haha! Lots of fun! 

We checked out the extreme park. And yes! I found out that it is an extreme one!!! Jump here, reach there, swing out and slide! I am overwhelmed with it. It is ninja-like or takeshi castle thingy. Haha. 

We went back to bounce out the trampoline. What can I say? I love the feeling of "flying"! Haha. 

We shall return!!! Ooppps, before I forgot.. My body ached for two days because of this activity. It only means that this is a good and enjoyable exercise for everyone.



***
BOUNCE Singapore
Cathay Cineleisure #09-01, 8 Grange Rd, 239695
(H) 10AM - 10PM
(W) www.bounceinc.com.sg 

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Watch Finding Dory (2016) Singapore

ABBEY: I believe that Dory will find her way to her family given what was the result of finding Nemo. But how will they find her family is totally exciting. 

The story is great. Old characters where shown: the fish in the tank at Finding Nemo, Nemo and Marlin.

You'll have lots of fun with the new ones as well: Destiny (whale shark), Hank (octupus), Bailey (beluga whale) and his great pair of glasses; wooooooo,  Becky and her focus, Fluke, Rudder, and Gerald (seals), and the otters. You'll definitely laugh and maybe cry. 

I'll not put any spoilers in here or maybe one; wait for the end credit. Worth to watch in cinema.

Golden Village Suntec City
WILL: Abbey is fan of one of the coolest celebrity of Hollywood. Who am I pertaining to? It is Ellen Degeneres. And of course, being a fan, Abbey demands to watch Finding Dory. Haha.

There are many good points that this fish movie tackled. Gosh! I am on the verge of tears when Dory found her mom and dad. 

I enjoyed the movie but it is quite short, ahmmm, I mean is I want more time to be with this fish and the vast ocean. 

Hope everything is fine now with Nemo and Dory.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Pork Giniling Hardinera Recipe

1 serving or pork giniling (cooked with tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots)
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (depends on you if you want more)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 sweet pickle relish
3 raw eggs
4 hard boiled eggs
Llanera

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half (lengthwise). Arrange them in llanera yolk facing down. Set aside.
Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl.
Fill up the llaneras to the brim.
Steam them for 30-45 minutes.
Let it cool in room temperature. Serve it in a plate like an upside down cake.




VERDICT
WILL: Am I the only one who's mouth waters whenever seeing a food being cooked in Facebook newsfeed? Well, I do not think so. This is one of the food I directly requested abbey to do... Hardinera.  

The taste? I can eat it for a week, non-stop. This is a sweet kind of viand. I do not even need a ketchup or any condiments for it. Hardinera is perfect. Thanks to my own Chef. Haha. 

I will suggest to do this meal for your kids. They will surely love it. :)

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Burger Joint Singapore – NYC Burger

ABBEY: Ok. This New York burger joint is unusual with respect to the entrance of the store. Its address is 115 Amoy Street but you have to go at the back (Gemmill Lane) to enter. You will not be lost just follow the neon sign. It was raining when we visited but the ambiance is cozy and homey. 

We got hamburger, bacon cheeseburger, fries and Dr. Pepper soda for 44SGD. It was expensive compared to others. Make sure to make up your order before you queue or else you'll go again at the end of the line. They even have post on the wall for that. Lucky us as there is no queue so we took all the time we want. 

Choose your burger, doneness of the patty, vege (you can say "The works" if you want all), sides, drinks, and then you pay. Wait for your queue number to be called and then enjoy your food. The beef patty is juicy and moist and their serving of fries is big. There are also markers so you can write messages on the wall. My mistake is that I didn't order the Doubles. But still it is a nice experience.

Bacon Cheeseburger



WILL: If you can only see Abbey's list of restaurants he wants to dine in, you'll be shocked. It is a long list of diners that I never heard of. Haha! 

Anyways, this review is all about the Burger Joint of NYC newly opened here in Singapore. It was located in not so obvious place and have black door with a glowing hamburger sign. No words or even a single letter..just a burger sign. 

We walked in and viola! There is an almost packed area. Kids will love in here, they are not prohibited to right on anywhere. Just request colored pens at the counter. 

So how's the food? Hmmm, there is nothing unusual on its taste. The size is just the same with other fastfood burgers. The price? You will spend $$ in here. 

Been there and tried it! Am I going back? Not so soon...




***
Burger Joint Singapore
115 Amoy Street #01-03 Singapore 069935 (Entrance from the back on Gemmill Lane)
Opening Hours: 11am – 12am

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Bismillah Biryani Restaurant

ABBEY: My boss told me that Bismilah Briyani is the best briyani there is. So from that on, I plan to have an order of that rice delight. It happened after we went to Sim Lim Square to buy my latest toy. So we crossed Rochor Canal Road and headed to the shop at the intersection of Dunlop street and Perak road.


We got 2 chicken briyani for 16 SGD. Even though it is raining that day, I still bought a stick of kulfi (ice cream on stick). It was creamy and sweet. I'm not able to finish the srving of briyani. It has 2 cuts of chicken and a hard boiled egg. It is spicy but you can cool it down with the raita that comes with it. The rice is not also oily which is very different from other briyani that I had. You can eat it on its own even without gravy. 

Next time I'll try mutton and vegetarian variations.


Chicken Briyani
Menu
WILL: Abbey is succumbed in addiction with Indian Cuisines. He is always up in searching the best of the best around here in Singapore. So, do you wonder where are those food? Of course, you can find those at Little India. 

After we bought his new GoPro stabilizer at Sim Lim Square we walked straight to Bismillah Briyani. While waiting for Abbey's order, one man started a conversation with me. He informed us that many Filipinos working at Singapore Gen that dines at their restaurant. As our talk goes by, I felt that he is the owner of the restaurant. Haha! Then I dropped a bomb question, "Why you put 'probably the best briyani' on your banner?" And outstanding answer was replied. It is because the word 'probably' represents that he is up and ready for changes and improvements of his famous briyani. Few minutes of talk and laughs make my husband and my day more colorful. ;) 

When we went home we're ready for the taste test. After I consume a portion of it, I asked Abbey when we will visit the store again? Their briyani is awesome, it is not that spicy and not oily unlike others. It is indeed a yummy experience.

Will surely be going to back to this store. Wohhhooo!!


***
Bismillah Biryani Restaurant
50 Dunlop St
(H) · 11:30AM–3PM, 5:30–9PM [Tuesday - Closed]


Monday, June 27, 2016

Just Dough (Bun & Soup) - Suntec City Singapore

ABBEY: When we shoot Fountain of Wealth for our Singapore Flash Foward series, we found Just Dough bakery. It was recently opened and they're handing out samples. 

Without understanding what the staff is saying I grabbed a piece and put it on my mouth. I realized a familiar taste: shrimp. Haha. The staff got nervous when I told about my allergy. Who would have thought that the "siopao" can have tons of variations. We bought curry chicken, cream cheese, and cheesy chicken for not more than 2.60SGD a piece. 

The cream cheese tasted the best. The bakery also offers cakes. The takeaway buns should be resteamed before eating.




WILL: While walking at Suntec basement after our Singapore FlashForward shot at Fountain of Wealth, Abbey suddenly stopped and looked into a store offering steamed buns. He was given a sample that have shrimp (he is allergic to that) and the girl who offered that was so shocked when I informed her about my husband's allergy and it seems she wanted Abbey to spit it out. Haha. 

Anyways, we bought some of its variants. For only $1.90 I got to enjoy their Fruit Cheese bun. It is yummy that one is not enough. I like their Cheesy Chicken too. 

This is a great alternative on burgers or doughnuts for snacks or high teas. You will never go wrong on any flavors of this. :) 

I got to buy more when I got a chance to visit Suntec again.


***
Just Dough
3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall #B1-169/170
(H) Monday - Fridaay 8am - 10pm ; 
Saturday - Sunday and Public Holidays 10am - 10pm

Friday, June 24, 2016

Simple Chicken a la King Recipe

1/4 kg chicken (diced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1/2 green bell pepper (sliced) 
1 can of cream of mushroom 
5 cloves of garlic 
2 onions 
4 tbsp dissolved flour  
Salt and pepper to taste 

Boil chicken in 4 cups of water with salt until it is tender. Sauté garlic, onions and sliced peppers. Pour in the chicken together with its broth on to the sautéed spices. While boiling pour in the dissolved flour until it thickens. Add on the cream of mushroom. Keep stirring up to a couple of minutes. 

Serve on top of your hot rice. Enjoy!




VERDICT
ABBEY: I'm happy whenever Wilma is telling me that she'll cook because I know that'll be tasting new food. She cooked Chicken ala King. She got scared when the flour formed lumps but managed to dissolve them into a thick cream. 

It was delicious. The strong mushroom flavor blended well with the chicken. Serve it on newly cooked rice and it's heaven.


Thursday, June 23, 2016

GoroGoro Steamboat & Korean Lunch Buffet

ABBEY: This is where we treated Ate Pres for lunch upon their visit. This Korean restaurant is at 4th storey of Orchard Gateway.
This is one thing to take note of : No food wastage. A 100-gram of leftover costs 20SGD. This is a good policy so guests will take only what they can consume. Anyways you can go back to the buffet anytime.

I had spicy rice cakes, jap chae and some kimchi. But what I enjoyed the most is their steamboat. Tofu, chicken and pork balls in collagen soup is delicious. I also made a dipping sauce with sesame oil, chili, vinegar, and soy sauce. I waited for their Korean chicken but only chicken nuggets were served. My dessert is sweet watermelon. One pax is $16.90++.










WILL: Nieces, nephew and in-laws surprised me here in Singapore. They visited the Little Red Dot with little time. Haha! So when they gave me a chance to plan for their Monday schedule I did not hesitate to look for available slots for a lunch buffet that is just right for my budget. 

And then I took the opportunity to finally dine in at Goro-Goro. This place is pretty famous with people who offers Korean Steamboat at a very low cost. They get their pricing lower "some more" if you are a student. Deal? Deal! 

Our group, consisted of seven,were entitled for 4 soup flavors: we chose Mala, Ginseng, Tomato and Collagen and get lucky that the collagen soup was served in front of me(Good for the skin).  

Their buffet offers not so much that time but I enjoyed the meal. Specially when I got their dumplings!! Tasty! I can eat those dumplings cooked at collagen straight for 2 hours. Haha! Then their fishball and their omelet. Juices are refillable too! 

Guys, guys! You do not need to spend a fortune just to eat to a buffet restaurant. Try GoroGoro and enjoy your Korean Cuisine food while watching K-Pop artists! :)


***
GoroGoro Steamboat & Korean Buffet 
218 Orchard Rd #04-01 Gateway@Emerald

Lunch
(Mon-Fri)
Adult $16.90 ++
Child $9.90 ++

Lunch (Sat/Sun & PH)
Adult $25.90++
Child $16.90++

Dinner (Mon- Thurs)
Adult $25.90 ++
Children $16.90 ++


Dinner (Fri-Sun, Eve PH & PH)
Adult $27.90++ 
Child $16.90++