Food Tasting at PODI @ Raffles City, Singapore

Set up by The Bakery Depot which brings you familiar brand names, like Cedele and P.L.T Sandwiches, PODI is a new venture to introduce pure-offbeat-delicious-infusions through adventurous combinations of flavours and ingredients. Just before the grand opening on the 25th October 2013, a lucky group of foodie-bloggers were invited to their pre-launch event at Raffles City. What happened subsequently was a gastronomical journey which lasted for about 3 hours.

Check out their signature Duck Berry Waffle - a brilliant creation featuring gourmet duck confit, blueberry compote, egg and maple syrup vinaigrette set upon freshly baked waffles. Verdict: Waffles were a tad dry, but surprisingly, flavours and textures complement one another. But seriously, who in the right mind would have thought about throwing duck, blueberries, eggs and waffles together? Well, definitely not me. I really gotta award points for their creativeness and boldness.

Mr. Jones Orphanage @ Thong Lor, Bangkok

Step into a whimsical world filled with all your childhood fantasies at Mr. Jones Orphanage. Located at Seenspace in Thong Lor 13, this dessert restaurant is decorated with vintage prints, fluffy teddy bears and toy soldiers, that might just reveal anyone's younger self. We stopped by this quirky cafe as part of our little cafe-hopping in Bangkok, and well, as you all might imagined, once we were inside, cameras were on burst-mode, girls going crazy over the teddy bears and guys relieving the nostalgia by playing war games with those toy soldiers.

You know what? This place is magical and so alluring that once you get in, you never want to get out. Thinking about Hansel and Gretel already? Let's go!

Tamako Meal @ Casuarina Road, Singapore

The everlasting hunt for food during our long breaks brought us to a homely Japanese restaurant down Casuarina Road at Upper Thomson. Whilst the cosy interior was decorated with traditional wooden furniture, Tamako Meal offers diners a quiet getaway from their bustling lifestyles. Passed down from generations since 1994, the restaurant serves hearty and authentic, yet affordable Hokkaido fare with impeccable hospitality and humble services.

Menu items include assorted appetisers, like chawanmushi (S$3.80) and potato salad (S$3.20), and an extensive selection of bento, udon and sushi sets. With reasonably priced delicacies, it is not difficult to understand why someone might want to order more than he could finish. Take for example, an unagi bento set or ten don cost less than S$10, and the quality, less the portion does not lose out to any other Japanese restaurants.

Skip the over-rated Casuarina Curry, opt for Tamako Meal instead. The exceptional quality for low pricing is not to be missed.

*James Cook University (JCU) students get a 10% off total bill.




Tamako Meal

Tel: 6553 4128

Opening Hours
Daily: 11:30 - 15:00
Daily: 18:00 - 22:00
Closed on the first Mon of every month.

128 Casuarina Road

Sembawang Hills Estate

13 MUST-TRY Street Food in Bangkok, Thailand

I am sure by now Bangkok has a portrayed image on everyone's mind as a cosmopolitan city with busy markets and vibrant nightlife and definitely for all shopaholics - a shopping haven, but do you know that the 'land of smiles' has a lot of amazing street food? Well, what you have to do is to walk on the streets. I am not even joking, they got authentic Thai delicacies lined up all across the roads. For starters, head to Chatuchak (only opens on weekends) and experience Thailand at a gastronomical level.

Without furthur ado, here are 13 must-try street food in Bangkok. My words? Do not leave Bangkok without putting all these into your belly.

1. THAI TEA (cha-yen)

Scoring the top spot of the list is Thailand's version of iced milk tea. The distinct sweet and creamy taste would leave you begging for seconds. Moreover, it doubles as an effective thirst quencher in Bangkok's hot weather.

Here we have my bestie, Putri Melati snuggling her cup of iced tea

Scoma's @ Terminal 21, Bangkok

Located at the exclusive Sukhumvit district, Terminal 21 brings the world under one roof at Bangkok. Find your exploring this gigantic shopping mall, which houses over 600 shops in nine levels - each featuring a unique theme for each city. Say for example, San Francisco on the 4th and 5th floor is a haven for food lovers, or Rome at ground level features a variety of international and local fashion brands.

After hours of non-stop shopping, the next best thing to do is probably to find a nice cafe to have afternoon tea, as well as to rest our feet (well, unless you are a shopping machine like some of my friends are). Here at Terminal 21, we stumbled upon a dainty cafe nestled comfortably on the 4th floor. Service was applaudable at Scoma's, as we soon found the branch manager more like a friend to us. But we didn't come for the service of course, Scoma's features an array of caffeine beverages, and shelves filled with cutesy-looking cakes.

Roast Coffee and Eatery @ Thong Lor, Bangkok

A recent trip to the "city of angels" brought me to Seenspace in Thong Lor 13, a newly opened boutique mall, which housed a good number of trendy and quirky restaurants, such as every children's favourite Mr Jones Orphanage and Belon, where oysters are best served fresh. Likewise, Roast offers a gastronomical haven for both coffee and brunch lovers, serving a selection of tantalising international dishes and caffeine crafted by the hands of their seasoned barristas. Amidst their decorations of mostly rustic wood furniture, small pots of greenery, and artistic art pieces hanging from their high ceilings, lies the pride of Roast - a full fledged roast machine glistering in the colours of golden black.

Health Guide: Wisdom Tooth Extraction

According to Wikipedia, wisdom teeth usually appear between age 17 to 25. While most adults have only 4 of them during their life-time, it is possible to grow more or fewer, depending on the individual. These pesky teeth that grow unwisely might become impacted or infected, causing several degrees of discomfort and pain. Well, if you are reading this, my best guess is that you are either having a dilemma on whether to have the operation, or searching for post-operation care tips. Disclaimer: I am not a health professional, but the following tips garnered from several websites (credited at the end) have served me well during the period of my wisdom teeth extraction.

Seeing a series of wisdom teeth on a food blog might not be the most glamorous thing, but I just had to show off my art pieces derived from my mouth. Here's a heart, made up of 4 wisdom teeth, to start off.

Restoran Ya Wang (鸭皇药材烧腊大王) @ Jalan Segget, Johor Bahru

Self-declared as the "king of ducks", Restoran Ya Wang holds a high and mighty reputation for their herbal roasted duck. Furthermore, they are also the appointed advisor and consultant for Dian Xiao Er's herbal roasted duck in Singapore. Together with my friend's recommendation, that already gave us three good reasons to visit Restoran Ya Wang. The restaurant is not difficult to locate with its convenient location at 28 Jalan Segget, which is just a stone throw away from City Square in Johor Bahru.

At Ya Wang, they serve duck prepared in several ways, such as the more well-known choices of original and herbal, as well as various dishes, like roasted pork, braised tofu and assorted seafood. Besides a la carte items, two set menus are available too.