Talk about going loco over avocado.
If there are 2 things I must have when I come to the US each time, it's stopping by Cheesecake Factory and swinging by a couple of real good Mexican restaurants.
They all have one thing in common which I absolutely love.
Yup, you got that - avocado.
On the drive into New York from DC, we googled for a Cheesecake Factory along the way and promptly swung by to pick up some good food.
Cheesecake Factory is probably my favourite American dining chain of all time. In fact, while it's cheesecakes are really pretty darn good (it's called Cheesecake Factory after all!), I think their appetisers really take the cake here. (No pun intended!)
My favourite - the Avocado Egg Rolls.
Creamy, fresh avocados and sundried tomatoes fully encased in an eggy spring roll wrapper and deep fried. Served with a sweet and sour sauce on the side.
Mind you, these aren't small bite sized rolls. They're hearty American-sized jumbo buggers. Even more satisfaction :)
Oh, just thinking about it gives me heart palpitations.
My other favourite at Cheesecake Factory is their Kahlua Cheesecake.
Rich (very rich in fact), creamy with just the right amount of kick from the coffee liqueur, it's a great way to end an already very satisfying meal at the Factory.
Now, I wish someone would bring the franchise to Singapore. I'd be a gold status member.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tokyo Transit: Coffee Woes, Sushi Joys
Stopped by Narita on the way to DC.
I was totally looking forward to enjoying a nice hot steaming cup of caramel macchiato from Starbucks near Gate 51 of the departure lounge at the international terminal; for years as I transited through Narita on my way to many other parts of the world, I always relied on that mid-journey coffee boost at this particular Starbucks. I got good Japanese coffee without having to get out into the city.
Japan has the best Starbucks coffee in the world.
Wait a minute....isn’t Starbucks an American brand?
Indeed it is. But there’s something about the coffee that they serve in Starbucks Japan that really puts it way above any other country’s Starbucks.
I swear it’s the milk and the water that they use in this country. The cows probably enjoy a great life roaming freely in some premium grade pastures as they much on luxury grass, thus producing delicious milk.
The water probably comes straight from some spring source.
Actually I have no idea. But it’s seriously good.
Except that as I strode purposefully towards Starbucks, I was confronted with hoarding where my expected green lady should have been.
I couldn’t believe it!
I even went to the information counter to ask where my coffee disappeared to.
The lady at the counter probably took pity on me when she saw my crestfallen look of utter despair and gently said that Starbucks was no longer operating in the departure lounge.
As I moped internally for a while, I decided to kick in Plan B earlier.
Sushi. Mmmm.
Granted that it was 8am Tokyo time and I’m not usually one to have rice for breakfast.
I was told by several people that I should stop by this sushi place when I’m in Narita airport.
Kyotatsu Sushi is located right across from Gate 33. A long sushi counter greets you upon entry, echoed by friendly staff chiming welcome in Japanese.
I decided to err on the side of prudence and have just one plate of maki first.
The Avocado and Tuna roll (6 pieces, ¥840) caught my eye.
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| Avocado and Tuna Roll |
Oh and what an excellent choice that was.
Fresh, plump, melt-in-your-mouth tuna sashimi coupled with creamy avocado. A delightful combination all at once.
The seaweed was very fresh too as it bit off easily. It annoys me when you take a bit of your sushi and then the seaweed refuses to break and ends up mangling the whole piece of sushi.
After I downed all 6 pieces, I decided I was going to have more.
The Dragon Roll was in order – freshly grilled eel, cream cheese, avocado and lettuce (8 pieces, ¥1,260).
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| Dragon Roll |
Warm unagi, paired with cold cream cheese and the surprising crunch of lettuce made this roll quite the delicious adventure.
I walked out a very satisfied customer. Who would have thought airport transit food could be so good?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tian Tian eat wanton mee
Tian tian means daily in Mandarin.
And I could definitely eat this wanton mee (dumpling noodles) daily if given the choice. Well, almost daily I suppose, until the law of diminshing marginal returns or choked arteries / obesity sets in - whichever comes first.
Located in the very old (almost decrepit, if you ask me) Queensway Food Centre, across from the library, Tian Tian Wanton Mee stall is located in the centre row of hawker stalls, right smack in the middle aisle cross-junction.
The friendly husband-wife duo dishes up $2.50 dishes of wanton mee - a steal by Singapore's hawker standards, especially considering the luxury you get in your dish.
As you order, the uncle picks out a handful of yellow egg noodles, each clump almost perfectly alike after years of honing his skills. He dunks each portion into boiling hot water, then in a minute or so, takes the noodles out and runs them under cool running water.
The result - delicious al dente noodles, with just the right amount of chewiness. You don't need to have Italian to get a great noodle fix!
The auntie then generously adds slices of fresh char siew (bbq pork), boiled vegetables and 2 pieces of fried wantons to your noodles. Another 2 pieces of boiled wantons come along in the accompanying bowl of chicken broth.
All for $2.50!!
I like my noodles with their secret "sweet" sauce; although in typical Singaporean style, they serve a good version with chilli too.
And for another $2.50, you could get an entire bowl of fried wantons (12 pieces) to eat to your heart's (un)delight!
In case you intend on patronising them soon, take note: they're closed in the month of November as they move to Alexandra Food Village to set up their new stall that will start operating from December onwards.
See you there! :)
And I could definitely eat this wanton mee (dumpling noodles) daily if given the choice. Well, almost daily I suppose, until the law of diminshing marginal returns or choked arteries / obesity sets in - whichever comes first.
Located in the very old (almost decrepit, if you ask me) Queensway Food Centre, across from the library, Tian Tian Wanton Mee stall is located in the centre row of hawker stalls, right smack in the middle aisle cross-junction.
The friendly husband-wife duo dishes up $2.50 dishes of wanton mee - a steal by Singapore's hawker standards, especially considering the luxury you get in your dish.
 |
| Tian Tian wanton mee |
The result - delicious al dente noodles, with just the right amount of chewiness. You don't need to have Italian to get a great noodle fix!
The auntie then generously adds slices of fresh char siew (bbq pork), boiled vegetables and 2 pieces of fried wantons to your noodles. Another 2 pieces of boiled wantons come along in the accompanying bowl of chicken broth.
All for $2.50!!
I like my noodles with their secret "sweet" sauce; although in typical Singaporean style, they serve a good version with chilli too.
And for another $2.50, you could get an entire bowl of fried wantons (12 pieces) to eat to your heart's (un)delight!
In case you intend on patronising them soon, take note: they're closed in the month of November as they move to Alexandra Food Village to set up their new stall that will start operating from December onwards.
See you there! :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Food for Thought
I love the name of this restaurant.
And particularly because of how poignant its name is, synonymous with the social causes that it supports through its business takings.
So as you tuck into good, hearty fare, is it not worth stopping to realise that we have so much more than many other underprivileged human beings who live way below the poverty line and do not have the access that we do, nor the knowledge perhaps to obtain such access, to basic amenities?
Food for thought indeed.
From the moment you seat yourself, your entire experience with Food for Thought and social entrepreneurship of this kind, begins.
First, the table placemats send such thought-provoking messages that you cannot but be intrigued.
Then when you flip open the menu to the page on beverages, the first item very simply tells you that a $2 donation for free-flow water will go towards blessing one African with the same privilege for one whole year.
It tugs right at your heartstrings.
Tucked into a snug little corner of Waterloo Street occupying the storefront of 8Q @ SAM, the second branch of Food for Thought boasts an interesting, yet cosy interior decor.
Flower pots hang upside down from one-half of the ceiling; glass bottles hang from the other half, adding an arty-farty dimension to the place. It is, after all, sitting right in front of the Singapore Art Museum!
The founders of Food for Thought originally opened an educational centre called School for Thought, with an adjacent cafe for the parents to have a cuppa while waiting for their kids. Who would have thought that their cafe became so popular that they spun it off into a separate food business!
I was still having a basil pesto craving (read the earlier blog entries!) and decided to go for the Basil Almond Pesto Chicken Sandwich ($9) with grilled eggplant and roasted tomatoes on toasted foccacia bread.
The sandwich was delicious, the pairing with grilled eggplant a very novel and successful initiative. Although I would have personally preferred a stronger and nuttier pesto paste. But nonetheless, the sandwich was worth its weight.
We also ordered the Crispy Curry Chicken and Spicy Chilli Fries ($18) served with buttery corn salad and roasted tomatoes. C'mon....fried chicken and fries...who can resist???
YUM!!
The fried chicken was perfectly done: brown and crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. And very tasty to boot!
A meal isn't a meal without dessert, to which we happily asked for the Butterscotch Apple and Mixed Berries Crumble ($10).
It was like a blast from the past. The generous scoop of ice cream reminded me of the old-school Wall's/Magnolia/King's raspberry ripple ice cream that the old uncle used to sell outside our school gates.
Warm, buttery pastry together with a tart berry mix contrasted wonderfully with the sweet caramel-ly baked apples at the bottom of the dish. Mmmmm.....
The rest of the items on the menu sound really interesting and delicious too....I'm definitely coming back to try everything else!
And particularly because of how poignant its name is, synonymous with the social causes that it supports through its business takings.
So as you tuck into good, hearty fare, is it not worth stopping to realise that we have so much more than many other underprivileged human beings who live way below the poverty line and do not have the access that we do, nor the knowledge perhaps to obtain such access, to basic amenities?
Food for thought indeed.
From the moment you seat yourself, your entire experience with Food for Thought and social entrepreneurship of this kind, begins.
First, the table placemats send such thought-provoking messages that you cannot but be intrigued.
Then when you flip open the menu to the page on beverages, the first item very simply tells you that a $2 donation for free-flow water will go towards blessing one African with the same privilege for one whole year.
It tugs right at your heartstrings.
Tucked into a snug little corner of Waterloo Street occupying the storefront of 8Q @ SAM, the second branch of Food for Thought boasts an interesting, yet cosy interior decor.
Flower pots hang upside down from one-half of the ceiling; glass bottles hang from the other half, adding an arty-farty dimension to the place. It is, after all, sitting right in front of the Singapore Art Museum!
The founders of Food for Thought originally opened an educational centre called School for Thought, with an adjacent cafe for the parents to have a cuppa while waiting for their kids. Who would have thought that their cafe became so popular that they spun it off into a separate food business!
I was still having a basil pesto craving (read the earlier blog entries!) and decided to go for the Basil Almond Pesto Chicken Sandwich ($9) with grilled eggplant and roasted tomatoes on toasted foccacia bread.
 |
| Basil Almond Pesto Chicken Sandwich |
We also ordered the Crispy Curry Chicken and Spicy Chilli Fries ($18) served with buttery corn salad and roasted tomatoes. C'mon....fried chicken and fries...who can resist???
 |
| Crispy Curry Chicken & Spicy Chilli Fries |
The fried chicken was perfectly done: brown and crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. And very tasty to boot!
A meal isn't a meal without dessert, to which we happily asked for the Butterscotch Apple and Mixed Berries Crumble ($10).
 |
| Butterscotch Apple & Mixed Berries Crumble |
Warm, buttery pastry together with a tart berry mix contrasted wonderfully with the sweet caramel-ly baked apples at the bottom of the dish. Mmmmm.....
The rest of the items on the menu sound really interesting and delicious too....I'm definitely coming back to try everything else!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Amidst the Lofty Heavens
The only centrally located restaurant that would take a reservation of 10 on a Friday night got our business by natural process of elimination.
We streamed into Heaven's Loft, located on the 8th floor of Orchard Central. I had pretty much resigned myself to expecting NYDC-standard food (ie bad diner food priced more than it should) but was pleasantly surprised at the variety and the quality that was served.
Funnily enough, the meal got better as we progressed through the different courses.
We started off with nachos and fries. Both were pretty decent, but nothing particular to shout out about.
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| Cheesy Nachos |
Oh, it was worth the wait. Seriously.
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| Basil Pesto Chicken Spaghetti |
Served with sundried tomatoes (what's not to love about that??), sauteed chicken, basil pesto and topped with parmesan cheese, the dish exceeded all expectations. Each mouthful was a delightful intake -- perfectly al dente spaghetti, a beautifully moist pesto with enough olive oil that wasn't too overwhelming and succulent pieces of chicken.
I only wished there were more sundried tomatoes. Then again, that's because I could eat sundried tomatoes (and avocados) all day long.
We also got pizzas to share. Decided to go to 2 extremes and get an all-vegetarian one, and an all-carnivore one.
The Farmer's Market Pizza ($15.80) was all veges - zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, onions, sundried tomatoes and loads of mozzarella cheese.
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| Farmer's Market Pizza |
The Meat Lovers Pizza ($19.80) had 3 types of meat - bacon, salami, bbq chicken - together with onions, mushrooms, and of course, loads of mozzarella cheese.
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| Meat Lovers Pizza |
Both pizzas were really good!
The pizza base was nice and crisp, although it did start to get a little soggy in the centre due to the condensation from the heat of the pizza against the porcelain plate.
Nonetheless, Heaven's Loft was generous with the pizza toppings in both cases, and I didn't feel jelat (nauseous from rich food) after eating them. I did prefer the Farmer's Market one slightly more -- because it had sundried tomatoes! :)
Then the time for dessert came. There's always room for dessert!
Heaven's Loft has a pretty extensive dessert selection, helped no less by the Ben & Jerry's counter that shares the same premise. Almost all their dessert options are served with at least a scoop of B&J's.
We decided to try a sampler since it was our first time there -- The Loft's Experience ($20.90) -- surely that should summarise it all, right??
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| The Loft's Experience |
The 8-item dessert sampler included pint-sized versions of apple crumble, raspberry tart, vanilla creme brulee, 3 types of cheesecake, chocolate mousse and a scoop of B&J strawberry ice cream.
Decadent :)
The apple crumble was the best of the lot. Warm with enough tartness and great crunch from the crumble.
The cheesecakes were forgettable, though.
Decided to also try out the Pear Temptation ($13.90) based on its description: pear and almond cream enclosed in a crispy puff pastry, served warm with B&J strawberry ice cream and home-made caramel.
How can one not order something that sounds like that??
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| Pear Temptation |
Temptation lived up to its name.
Heaven't Loft clearly only baked it upon order - the pastry was warm, fluffy and crisp, and the pear filling oozed out from the sides. The caramel drizzle gave it the perfect ending note.
My advice is to go in a group and order several items to share - the servings are pretty decent and the desserts especially, are sized to share.
I'll be back!
Photos taken with Nikon D5000
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