Awfully Chocolate @ Upper Thomson, Singapore

Regardless of how sinful chocolate could be, it is no doubt that they serve as a great delectable, comfort food. Till now, Awfully Chocolate has became more than an average shop that was tucked away in the back streets. Over the years since 1998, the brainchild of Lynn Lee - a local entrepreneur who took the great leap of faith by leaving her law profession and enter the chocolate business, has transformed into a household name. Mention chocolate, and Awfully Chocolate comes to your mind, almost automatcically.

Nestled at the serene vinicity of Sembawang Hills, Awfully Chocolate makes a great place for residents and university students to hang out whilst enjoying their creative variations of chocolate-inspired bites. Lining their blackboard menu are (just to name some) chocolate cakes, truffles, brownies and premium ice-cream.

[GIVEAWAY] La Tarte Tropezienne

French are good at artistically portrayed romance, that's one. But do you know the pastries that we consume today are mostly inspired by the French? Take for example - the souffle, tartes, crepes, brulees, and the list goes on infinitely. Little do I know about the Tarte Tropezienne, when I was invited to sample these adorable treats from the lovely people at La Tropezienne.

I utilised my research skills by searching them on Google (now, how hard was that..), and found out that they are not really "tarts" at all, but rather a circular disc of brioche, sliced horizontally and filled with buttercream. Tarte Tropezienne derives its name from Saint-Tropez, where it is said to have originated in the 1940s from the place itself.

Photo by: La Tarte Tropezienne

Different from the original version of Tarte Tropezienne, which is about 9-inch in diameter, their rendition of the buttery-rich brioche pastry filled with flavoured cream is of bite-sized. And yes, meaning there is no need for fussy utensils and better, it is mess-free!

If you are still wondering why these little treats look familiar, the reason is because of the close resemblance of the French macarons. However, the tartes are much lighter on the tastebuds with lesser sugar content and coloring, and to a certain extent, packed with a whole lot more of textures - from the sugar sprinkles, down to the rich and tender-crumb of the brioche and finally - the thick, luscious cream. Flavours include The Original, Chocolate, Lime, Hazelnut, Coffee and Green Tea.

For orders and furthur enquiries (deliver options, etc.), do visit La Tarte Tropezienne's site here.

As you all would have known, selfish is probably the last description of myself, that's why I have asked the lovely people at La Tarte Tropezienne, and they have kindly agreed to share their dainty French treats with 5 of my lucky readers. So without further ado, here's 3 simple task that you have to do:

_________________________________________

How to Win?

1. LIKE Thenomsaurus Facebook page and La Tropezienne

2. SHARE this post on your page!

3. Leave a COMMENT on this post!

__________________________________________

The Tarte Giveaway will end at 31 July 2013 (2359hrs, GMT+8).

Winners are selected by random and will be notified via Thenomsaurus Facebook page by 1 August 2013. Prizes will be sent to the winner's residential address (in Singapore only), or if they can't resist the urges, self-collection can be made at La Tropezienne's booth at Pasarbella @ The Grandstand on 3 - 4 August 2013 and 17 - 18 August 2013.

So what are you waiting for? I mean how hard is it, seriously? It doesn't even take a minute.

"Forget macarons, Let them eat Tarte"

Gardens by the Bay: Photo Journal

If you have not check out my review on Gardens by the Bay, please do so here (opens up in new window).

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of Singapore's newest and greenest attraction once again, this time with the company of my dear aunt and grandmother, who was so adorably afraid to step on the 6-storey high platforms at the Cloud Forest. Besides that, she did enjoy the vibrantly-coloured flowers to a great extent, as well as aunt and myself did. 

Look, I am not going to make this photo journal look like a blog post describing our journey to the gardens, so without furthur I present to you some of the wonders of God (aye, Christian here), which includes some of the very beautiful flowers and cacti (mostly nestled at the Flower Dome.) And obviously, these are not all of the sceneries you could expect!

BLIC Ice Cream Cafe @ Simpang Bedok, Singapore

The eastern side of Singapore is somewhere that I would rarely head to. Firstly, I reside in the west and secondly, I barely see a reason why should I travel to the other side less for a good reason. Well, they say good things are worth travelling for, I guess good ice cream is one valid reason.

Located at Simpang Bedok, somewhere about a short 5-minute walk away from Tanah Merah MRT, BLIC Ice Cream Cafe is well-known for its good service it has done for the residence at Tampines, serving authentic homemade ice-cream and sorbets of various creative flavours, such as SCaM (Soursop, calamansi and martini), Seasalt Malt, Dino Milo, Mao Shan Wang (Durian King) and the list goes on, reaching unimaginable flavours with a local twist, take for example - Sambal Sorbet and Chocolate Chip Chicken Rice.

Prices are affordable as well, with a scoop of classic flavour and premium flavour going as low as S$3.20 and S$5.20 respectively. Diners can also opt for BLIC's speciaility milkshakes, waffle or brownie combination as well, dosed with a lethal satisfaction for your sweet tooth.

All in all, BLIC proves to be a hidden gem in the east (and I bet that there are many more for myself to discover), as well as a great hangout place to chill-out after a dinner at the nearby Simpang. 

BLIC Ice Cream Cafe

312 Bedok Road

The King Louis Bar & Grill @ Vivocity, Singapore

If you are intrigued by all those medieval knights donning a hardened suit of crimson at Vivocity, you are not alone. Those man-sized armoured models are actually advertisements or signboards for the first and only medieval castle-themed restaurant in Singapore, also known as The King Louis Bar & Grill. To have another restaurant by the name of Queen and Mangosteen, which is nestled at Vivocity fascinates me for some reasons.

That is not all, stepping into The King Louis is similar to entering a world of medieval in Ancient Europe - furnished with classic, specially crafted wooden furnitures, accompanied by a life-size white tiger model. What is a castle without knights? Well, the restaurant is guarded by knights as well, so don't try to think of any funny ideas. Ah yes, it features a scenic view of the harbourfront as well. Therefore, if you want the best seats, do yourself a favour by placing reservations early.

Singapore Favourite Food 2013

In this exciting month of July - from the 13rd to 22nd, foodies can look forward to savour some of our local delicacies - which are voted by thousands of foodies themselves, including the mouth-watering Leo Satay, Leng Kee's BBQ chicken wing, rojaks, roti pratas, or how about some tantalising chilli crabs from House of Seafood? Besides the good food, the inaugural Singapore Favourite Food 2013 which is held in conjunction with the 20th Singapore Food Festival, also features live cooking demostrations, community challenges and several other promotions.

If you're a food lover, head down to Singapore Favourite Food 2013 now!

For more information about the festival, visit their official website here:

http://singaporefavouritefood.com/2013/index.html

Bangkok Jam @ Plaza Singapura, Singapore

Yet another venture by CreativEATeries, Bangkok Jam serves a wide array of contemporary dishes  in a modern bistro-styled restaurant, completed with interesting props, such as wires and cables, road signs scribbled in Thai and even a signal head of a traffic light. 

Their dishes are inspired from none other than Thailand (otherwise known as the "city of angels") itself, combining the usage of Thai classic spices and herbs with a Western twist, take for example the unique creation of Prawn Spaghetti with Coconut Base and of course not leaving out Thailand's famous street food, like Deep Fried Spring Rolls and their speciality - Fried Chicken Wing marinated with fish sauce.

MADO @ Jem, Singapore

Nestled at the ground floor of Jem - Singapore's third largest suburban shopping mall that officially opened recently, the first local MADO prides itself with the "world's best (and real) ice cream" made with mixing high quality goat milk and "schlep" that is harvested from the hillsides of Ahirdagi. Besides a wide variety of ice creams, MADO Cafe also attracts hungry diners with its limited number of main courses and side dishes, such as Kebabs, Prawn Aglio Olio and Caravan Grilled Lamb. But what lacks in quantity, I do, however, expected them to do well with the quality.

Chin Chin Eating House @ Purvis Street, Singapore

For me, the basis of Hainanese cuisine lies none other than the famed chicken rice itself. While the debate for the best chicken rice in Singapore is a never-ending process, I was introduced to the ones at Chin Chin Eating House  recently, a classic restaurant that brings the nostalgia back from the 1980s. Located at the corner of Purvis Street, Chin Chin is no stranger to Hainanese food lovers, who swear by their authentic chicken rice and signature sweet-and-sour pork chops.