Eat All The Curry! The Inaugural My Curry Rulz Cook-Off

We had a My Curry Rulz cook-off about a couple of months ago. Here is a picture blog showing what went down.

To recap:

• There were 12 people in attendance, with 6 who cooked different curry dishes.
• There were no set rules prior to the event
• We ended up putting 6 names on paper. The people who didn't cook drew the names out of a hat to decide the order of the tasting (as in the order of the pictures below).

1.  K's curry. A dry Chicken Rendang with Cinnamon, Lemongrass, Ginger, various other spices and a splash of coconut milk.

2.  L made two curry dishes

• Thai Green Chicken Curry with Lemongrass and Aubergines (her official entry)
• Chicken dish with Mushrooms and loads of Ginger for those who didn't like spicy food.

3.  J's curry.  Traditional Singaporean Chicken Curry with Potatoes.

4.  D's Curry.  Chicken Thai Penang, topped with sliced Red Chilli, Thai Basil Leaves and Sliced Kaffir Lime Leaves and drizzled with Coconut Cream.

5.  G went way out of his way to impress. He made four curries and a sambal.

• Seafood Curry, which was full of Prawns, Squid and Fish (his official entry)
• Cashew Nut and Pea Curry
• Sri Lankan Dhal
• Beetroot Curry (which was surprisingly yummy)
• Sambal

6.  Last but no least, M's curry. He also had two entries.

Last contestant was M, and he also had two entries!

• Pork Amok (which we nicknamed Ang Mo Pok Amok)
• North Indian Chicken Curry (his official entry)

The winner of My Curry Rulz was L, with her delicious Thai Green Chicken Curry. This was her prize:

Can't wait until the next 'My Curry Rulz' cook-off!!!

GastroSmiths (formerly The Humble Loaf)

You may remember The Humble Loaf, a small bakery, tucked near the back of Katong Shopping Mall, which ceased its operations on 30 April 2014.

They have some good news!

This update from The Humble Loaf's Facebook page:

A space at Beach Road/Bugis has been secured. Not exactly in the East, but not that far off either!(Peace.) Full Address to be announced soon.

There will be a name change, because the new place will be more than a sandwich place and The Humble Loaf may be an inappropriate name in the long run.

We are currently in our R&D /set-up phase and there are more things to be confirmed. Meanwhile, we have a little information about the new place to share.

• In addition to sandwiches and coffee, we are now able to offer stews, soups, steak, pasta, roast, ice cream and great pastries.
• It seats 50.
• It is easily accessible.
• There are both air conditioned and outdoor seats.
• We are getting wines and beers. (TBC)
• Parking is sufficient, buses and trains are adjacent.

GastroSmiths will be opening its doors sometime in July 2014. Check out GastroSmiths' Facebook page for further updates.

Sweet Tooth Calling - Honeymoon for the Tastebuds

Savoury meal done and it means that it's time for the best part of the meal...... Dessert! It isn't for everyone but when the sweet tooth comes a calling, sometimes you've gotta comply.

On this occasion, it was decided that one should step outside the usual Desserts and grab some Asian inspired sweets. The Honeymoon Dessert stall beckoned and I responded. 

The menu was pretty extensive so it was hard to decide. It was a variety of sweet Soups, Pancakes and Ice Cream.

The choices were made!

Started off with the Banana Pancake. 

Pretty yummy, not too sweet. The Pancake was nice and thin with a chewy texture. On the inside Cream and Banana :) My biggest wish was that it was real Cream not the "mock" stuff.

Then there was Mango Pudding with Sago (little Gelatinous beads) and Pomelo. 

This was the fave, very yummy with real Mango pieces. The Pomelo adds to it; a bit of acidity, it was very good. Again not too sweet.  This one, I could eat all day :) It is served cold.

Next up; yup there's more, was the Vanilla Sauce with Thai Black Rice Pudding and Durian Ice Cream.

When there is Durian involved, it'll most certainly be an acquired taste. The Thai Pudding was nice, giving the Dessert a "chewy" texture due to the Rice. The Durian was of average quality but still has a strong distinctive taste. There wasn't too much of a smell. It was pretty good with the sauce as well. The Vanilla made it less "pungent". In the end though, the 3 were meant to be mixed so scoop some Rice pudding, some mashed Durian, dip in the sauce and eat. It actually works :) As mentioned, it is an acquired taste so give it a try if you're feeling adventurous. I didn't mind it at all. The Dessert is served cold, as there is Ice shavings in the Vanilla sauce.

There are some special Desserts as well which are brand new. If you pay Honeymoon Dessert a visit, look out for these new additions.

Honeymoon Dessert is worth a try. With such an extensive menu there must surely be something for everyone; hot or cold. 

The branch I went to is at I12 Katong. 

Have you tried any Asian Desserts and did you like it? 

Cheers

Auspicious Banana

(Find me on Twitter @SGVekNZ)

Weeked in Pictures - including a Tweetup

Our weekend started off with pink skies, followed by Fried Calamari, Pizzas, Virgin Mojitos and Custard Apple for dessert.

Dinner on Saturday night was at our favourite restaurant, we had tofu with gravy and egg and squid rings and prawns, Emerald Kai Lan (or Fried Kai Lan) and Sambal Stingray.

We went to a tweetup on Sunday, down by the Singapore River.

And finished off the night with a Tempura Udon from one of the restaurant down in the basement of Liang Court.

RSAF Flypast Schedule and Rehearsal Schedule for NDP 2014

It's coming up to that time of year again. When we hear the roar of the fighter jets as the RSAF rehearse for the National Day Parade flypast.

Singapore celebrates its National Day on Saturday 9 August 2014.

If you're keen to catch a glimpse of the fighter jets in action, the CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) have released an Air Supplement schedule for airspace closure for the event. 

PUB have also released a schedule of restriction of kite flying activities at the Marina Barrage.

Republic of Singapore Air Force will be conducting fly pass rehearsals on these days for

National Day Parade 2014

The National Day Parade will be held at the Float @ Marina Bay. 

 

The first rehearsal is Saturday 21 June 2014, and for those who want to see what all the fuss is about, or are wanting to photograph the fireworks, this would be a good time as there aren't any crowds. 

 

The NDP Preview is definitely a date that you do not want to miss, as this is when they do a final, full dress rehearsal before the big day.

 

Marina Bay will be closed to all water traffic for the following event days during

the times specified below:

 

Fireworks will be launched at the Preview Parade (2 August 2014) and the National Day Parade (9 Aug 2014).

 

 

Beerfest Asia 2014

Beerfest Asia 2014 kicked off last night at the Marina Promenade, which is located near the Singapore Flyer.

The story behind Beerfest Asia started six years ago to raise the profile of the beer industry. Since then the festival has grown bigger each year with an increasing level of consumer interest and appreciation, and a wider range of business opportunities for trade. 

There are over 500 different kinds of commercial and craft beers and ciders to sample at this festival.

 

Beerfest Asia 2014 is on now until Sunday 15 June 2014 at Marina Promenande.

• Friday 13 June 2014 - 6pm to 2am
• Saturday 14 June 2014 - 6pm to 2am
• Sunday 15 June 2014 - 12noon to 10pm

Weekend in Pictures

Inspired by Bangkok Girl and A British Girl in Bangkok, I decided to attempt my own Weekend in Pictures blog post.

It was another long, slow but busy week last week, and it was yet another weekend where I felt the need to catch up with friends and spend time with Hubby.

Prawn Won Ton LaMian & Beans, stir fried with Sambal

Orchard Central current has the Orchard Central Highway Bazaar, which is on now until 6 July 2014.

The OC Car Boot Sale is on now until 24 June at The Discovery Walk on Level 1.

Happiest Happy Hour deals at Tanuki Raw, which happen daily from 5pm to 8pm:

• $2 for freshly shucked oysters (limit 6 per drink)
• $7 for 5 slices of salmon sashimi
• $10 martinis
• $10 pints of beer
• $11 classic cocktails