Bakerzin Suntec City

Another makan session with my ex-colleagues this afternoon at Bakerzin Suntec City. One of them really fancy cakes so everytime we will go places that serve cakes. Today she didn't even have main course just cakes. So today in total we ordered 5 cakes wow really a lot...

2 of us ordered their All Day Set Meal @ S$13.80 which includes a soup, a pasta, a drink and free flow of bread but the bread was lousy so hard and dry.

All Day Set Meal @ S$13.80
Soup of the day - Pumpkin Soup

(I'd prefer the soup to be richer in flavor)

My main dish choice - Ham & Bacon Aglio Olio
(Quite nice, a lot of ham but a bit too much olive oil)

My friend's choice - Arrabiatta Penne
(I tried some, wow the sauce was good)

Our cakes selection:
Warm Choc Cake - S$4.90 (Promotion price)

Cookie & Cream Cheesecake S$6.50
(One of my favourite cake and I think bakerzin make quite a good one)

Tiramisu S$6.20
(too sweet & mild for my liking, I'd prefer a richer liqueur flavor type of tiramisu with bitter choc powder)

Strawberry Shortcake S$6.50
(One of their signature cake and also an all time favourite for most people)

Sweet Pleasure S$6.90
(This is very nice, not too sweet. Layers of hazelnut praline w/crunchy biscuit bottom, very addictive)

Bakerzin Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-016 Suntec City Mall
Singapore 038983
Tel: +65 6338 4656
Fax: +65 6338 2606
Operating Hours:
Sun to Thu: 10.30 am - 10 pm
Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holiday:
10.30 am - 11 pm

Cranberry & Longan Konnyaku Jelly

Thursday - 29th January 2009

Dessert for the night was Cranberry & Longan Konnyaku Jelly. Since is CNY so thought of doing something different instead of the plain jelly. I decided to use the cranberry fruit syrup given to us by my brother who bought it from his Taiwan's trip. It's turn out to be quite nice and refreshing!

Ingredients (32 Jelly):
1pkt Konnyaku powder (10g)
40g Fine sugar
900ml Water
100ml Cranberry fruit syrup
1/8tsp citric acid
1can Longan in syrup (drain away the syrup)

Method:
1. Mix Konnyaku powder & sugar together, set aside.
2. Place longan into the mini mould.
3. Boil water & cranberry syrup, slowly stir in the Konnyaku mixture (1) till boiling and sugar melt.
4. Scoop the cooked mixture into the mini mould and let it cool down.
5. Chill the jelly for at least 3 hours or till set.

Invited Friends Over For Home-Cooked Dinner

Thursday - 29th January 2009

During CNY, it's our practice to pay each other a visit. As usual, tonight I invited a few of my buddies over for a home-cooked meal. They always wanted to try my aunt's cooking.

We prepared a simple seafood dinner for them. With aunt around, as usual I'm incharge of one dish only - Cereal Prawns. (learnt from Chef Yong's Workshop) My aunt made shark fin soup again, a simple stir fry green and a fried codfish w/light sauce.

They liked all the dishes and glad to know that they enjoyed the meal very much.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich w/Red Skin Potato Salad

Thursday - 29th January 2009
I'm still on CNY holidays as I only need to start work on Monday. So today lunch was prepared by me again. I made a Red skin potatoes salad and a simple smoke salmon sandwich to go with.

I used canned smoked salmon, mix it with some chopped onion, dill & mayo spread it on toasted bread. Yummy. As for the potatoes salad was from Chef Yong's workshop so not convenient to review the recipe. Basically is a mixture of boiled red skin potatoes, green pepper, chopped onion, gherkins, sausages, spring onion, mayo & mustard. I like this salad very much even though I usually don't like potatoes and this was my 4th times making it.

Sashimi & Sushi From Carrefour

This evening I was at Plaza Singapura Carrefour shopping for a bicycle and came across their sushi counter. I think after 6pm, they will start reducing their prices and I bought some home for dinner. It's really cheap and still very fresh. The sushi only cost S$6.80 (UPS$8.90) and the sashimi S$9.80 (UPS$12.80).

Riche Raisins From Shin Factory, Japan

This was given to us by my brother on the eve of CNY when he came over for dinner. It's a soft buttery cookie with fresh cream & rum soak raisin filling from Japan. It's not too sweet and goes well with a cup of hot tea. Raisins lover will love this but not for me...

Asian Home Gourmet - Pineapple Rice

There are many types of ready paste available in today's market that make restaurant style dishes easy to prepare at home. One of my all time favourite is the spice paste for Thai Pineapple Rice from Asian Home Gourmet. I cooked this for lunch and my aunt even commented it's taste as good as those serve in Thai restaurant.

There's recipe on the package but I altered it to my liking. This is my version:
Ingredients (Serve 4-5):
1pkt Thai pineapple rice spice paste
3 rice bowl cooked rice
2tbsp sunflower oil
3-4nos shallots (thinly sliced)
2 eggs (beaten)
8nos shelled prawn (cut into cubes)-season w/pepper & sesame oil
2nos medium squid (sliced)-season w/pepper & sesame oil
200g Fresh pineapple (cut into bite size)
3tbsp Frozen green peas

For Garnishing: Coriander leaves, Cashew nuts, Pork floss & Slice red chillies

Method:
1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan to fry shallots till fragrant.
2. Add in beaten eggs and scramble it.
3. Add in seafood & stir fry for 2 mins.
4. Add in cooked rice, green peas & paste, mix well.
5. Add in pineapple and stir fry till hot.
6. Garnish & serve.

Shark Fin Soup

Monday - 26th January 2009
Chinese New Year to me is all about food, good food. I'm only in charged of making my special prawn fritters, the rest was cooked by my aunt. She made shark fin soup for us. With her ready stock, this soup is easy to prepare. Here's her recipe:

Ingredients (Serve 8):
400g Shark fin (ready frozen type)
400g Crab meat
1 egg (beaten)
1.5L Stock(5 bowls)

Seasoning:
1tsp Salt
1tsp Chicken powder
1tsp Light sauce
1/2tsp Sugar
1tsp Sesame oil
1/2tbsp Wine
Pepper
Thickening - 5tbsp Cornflour mix with 5tbsp water

Method:
1. Heat up 3 tbsp oil till very hot, add stock.
2. Bring to boil, add shark fin & crab meat.
3. Add thickening and lastly slowly stir in egg.
4. Garnish with coriander & serve w/pepper & vinegar.

Prawn Fritters Special

Monday - 26th January 2009

On the first day of CNY, we will usually prepare a simple lunch for visitors. Every year, I will definitely make this prawn fritters. It's easy to make and very yummy. This has become my specialty and most people who tasted it before love this prawn fritters very much. It's crispy on the outside and juicy & moist inside. I would like to share this recipe.

Updated on 18/2/19

Ingredients: (Serve 8-10) (Revised in Feb 2019)
1 kg Prawn (de-shelled and cut into tiny cubes)
1 med Yellow Onion (diced)
1 no Red Chilli or 3 chilli padi (diced)
3 stalks Spring Onion (diced)

Seasoning:
2tsp light sauce
1tsp sesame oil
1cube Knorr chicken stock (melt it with 1 tbsp hot water)
1tsp shaoxing wine
Pepper

Batter:
150g plain flour
2tbsp heap potato starch
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp sodium bicarbonate
1 egg
250ml ice water
1/4tsp salt

Method:
1. Mix seasoning with the ingredients, set aside.
2. Use a handwhisk to mix the batter till well mix.
3. Add the seasoned ingredients into the batter & mix well.
4. Heat up sufficient oil, use a tbsp to scoop the mixture to deep fry till golden brown.
5. Serve with chilli sauce or mayo. Taste good on its own too.

Steamboat At Home For Reunion Dinner

It's been years since we had our reunion dinner at home. For the past years we usually dine at restaurant but we don't really enjoy the meal. This year, we decided to have steamboat at our house. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the dinner very much.

Our steamboat spreads:

Clockwise: Cold Dish - Abalone Salad & Topshell, Chew Kee Soya Sauce Chicken, Assorted Seafood - Golden Pomfret, Sotong, Fresh Scallop, Sea Prawn, Flower Crab, Assorted Meat - Pork Liver, Black Pig Collar Shabu Shabu, Angus Beef, Wayu Beef, Others - Quail Eggs, Pacific Clam, Sea Asparagus, Pig Stomach, Special Fish Dumplings, Fish Balls, Porks Balls, Kanimi Crabstick, Fish Maw, Tofu, Udon and Assorted Veg & Mushrooms. Dessert of the day - Snow Jelly (by my Aunt Peggy).

CNY Bakes...

My CNY bakes ended just one day before the Eve. I had spent almost 2 full weeks baking a varieties of CNY goodies for give away. This was also my first time baking so many type and didn't even buy any from outside. It's really an achievement as in the past years, I always plan to do so but always failed to do it. This year with my aunt staying with me, I'm glad to have time to bake.

These are my OX year festive bakes - Cashew Nuts Cookies, Almond Cookies, Choc Chips & Walnut Cookies, Cornflake Cookies, Almond Sugee, Pineapple Tarts, Pineapple Balls & Closed Pineapple Tarts: