When Your Chocolate REALLY Says I LOVE YOU!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by workingwithgrace

Last month, I got more chocolate bars from Cocoa B. If you have never heard of them, you have to check out my first blogpost about Cocoa B here. Since the first blogpost, Cocoa B has added smaller chocolate bars to its range and MORE creative toppings! Think Garlic Granules and Wasabi Nuts, among others!

And this time, I thought of spreading the joy to people around me.

(I’m a huge chocolate fan so usually there isn’t enough to go around. Heh!)

Customized one bar for the fiance, one for the gym buddy and gummy bear fan (Chris), and one smaller bar to share with a girlfriend.

As they say… if you can’t bother with losing weight, just make your friends fatter!

First up:

Dark Choc + Gummi bears + Jelly Beans + Macadamia Nuts + Bacon Bits + Wasabi Nuts -> For the gummy bear fan, Chris:

I think what he did was to remove the gummy bears and eat them first. (@_@)

2) Smaller 50g Milk Choc + Sea Salt + Oreo Pieces + Wolfberries + Pumpkin Seeds + Raisins

Milk Choc + Sea Salt is just MAGICAL! You have to try it to believe it!

3) White Choc + I Love You Plaque + Red Heart Sprinkles + Sprinkles (Balls) + Wasabi Nuts + Almonds

Yes, the chocolate really says I LOVE YOU!

Isn’t that sweet? Perhaps, Cocoa B can also come up with “Will You Marry Me?”, “Forgive Me”, “For My Sweetheart” plaques as well.

I don’t think I will ever buy chocolates off the supermarket shelves for friends anymore. Why not customize chocolate to show (off) how much you know about your pal?

Want some yummy chocolates and out-of-this-world chocolate toppings?

Visit Cocoa B’s website HERE.

Domino’s Pizzas – A Taste Of The Mediterranean!

Posted on April 30, 2013 by workingwithgrace

I’d never thought I’d ever eat pizza for dinner. But like many things in life, there’s always a first time, eh? I’d finally caved in and decided to go for one of the food tastings organized by Omy.sg at Domino’s Kovan.

Thankfully, the experience was worth the calories, I think.

The four Mediterranean pizzas at Domino’s, available for only a limited period, are very tasty indeed. My favorite has to be the “Portofino Prawn”! It comes with succulent prawns, cherry tomatoes, belgian spinach (yes!), onions and feta cheese with Napolitana sauce. I would even go so far as to say that, yes, Domino’s pizzas taste better than Pizza Hut’s! [Please note that Domino's isn't paying me to say this. I did not receive a single cent] Of course, Pizza Hut is welcome to invite me to a food tasting and make me eat my words.

All pictures will come with a Hello Kitty theme, well, ‘cos I was wearing my Hello Kitty specs at the event.

You will surely be tempted by the yummy pizzas. Just give in.

No escaping their drumlets too:

The best part is… the pizzas, while tasty, aren’t expensive. There’s a special promotion right now – you can get 2 regular pizzas for just $22 or two large pizzas for $33! How awesome is that?

You can place your order by calling Domino’s at 6222-6333, via their website www.dominos.com.sg, or order via their iPhone app! Sorry, Android users won’t be able to access the app – I tried.

And not to be missed is their awesome Chocolate Lava Cake at an unbelievable price of S$3.80 (seriously?!).

Us bloggers had a really good meal at Domino’s Kovan. Lots of love to Omy and Domino’s for arranging this!

Review: Blisshouse Theme Restaurant @ Clarke Quay The Central Mall

Posted on April 27, 2013 by workingwithgrace

I was saddened by the news of Fullhouse Cafe’s closure but delighted to find that there’s a new theme restaurant that I’d dare say is much prettier than Fullhouse was. Located at Clarke Quay’s The Central Mall, Blisshouse theme restaurant is HUGE and oh-so-pretty. Be warned though – you may start fantasizing about your dream wedding when you step into this restaurant. Pictures don’t do this place enough justice so do head down to the restaurant yourself!

[Above] One of the rare times I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt! It was kindly sponsored by Accidentally Three. I wore the shirt for Ch U filming too.

I’ve visited Blisshouse on at least three occasions and I must say that it serves good food, is great for photos and it’s like an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I love the many photo opportunities!

That’s me pretending to play the piano and my sis actually trying on masks!

Check out my sister’s blogpost about Blisshouse.

The food and drinks here do not disappoint. I find that most places with good food tend not to have satisfactory drinks, but here at Blisshouse, you’ll find MIXOLOGISTS (actually a fancy term for “bartenders”) so you can expect yummy concoctions!

Now, the food…

Everything you see in the picture above tastes good, ‘cos they were recommended by the lady boss herself! The pork, sea bream, scallop and prawns were yummy! But what really took the cake, ha, was the cake itself – I am not a fan of tiramisu (yes, indeed!) but I LOVE the tiramisu here. The flourless chocolate cake is also delightful. Whatever you do, make sure you leave some space in your tummy for dessert!

Do let the mixologist know what your preference for drinks is so he can concoct something you’ll like. I have a sweet tooth so I’ll like anything that is sweet (but not artificially sweet).

The mixologist, Yishu:

Drinks:

The Melon & Rosemary drink is my favorite! It contains fresh melon, orange juice and gin, and it is so refreshing! Just what I need on a hot day in SG! The Blueberry Tea Party is another wonder altogether – it is made from blueberries infused in tea for TWENTY-FOUR hours, plus lemon juice and homemade soda. Yumz!

You can also try their Somersby Cocktail or just get a bottle of Somersby goodness.

The restaurant is great for birthday parties, solemnizations and gatherings. So if you want to experience a little bliss amid your hectic schedule, you know where to go.

Blisshouse is located at:

6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #03-21 Tel: 62255532

Visit Blisshouse’s website or facebook page here.

Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura – Will You Queue For One Hour Just For Dim Sum?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by workingwithgrace

My newly-minted tai-tai friend, Amelia, jio-ed me for dim sum at Tim Ho Wan for two reasons. One, it is apparently a tai-tai thing to queue for dim sum, and I am one of the few people who would be free to accompany her for the long wait. And two, her hubby would not bother queuing for dim sum (actually, my fiance wouldn’t too! That’s why we need girlfriends! HAHA!).

I arrived before she did, just before 10am and tah-dah… Singaporeans, and their love for food… So apparent:

Q-ing even before the restaurant was open for business!!!

Probably 30-40 people!!!

We waited for 1 hour and 15 minutes before we finally got a table. Thankfully, I came prepared for the long wait – wore flats from Haute Shuz Bar, instead of heels.

Here’s most of what we ordered:

Actually, it wasn’t THAT good. The Vermicelli Roll with Beef aka Beef Chee Cheong Fun, was so tasteless that we wanted to douse it in soy sauce! The Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver was slightly better, but those who aren’t fans of liver should *not* order this dish. And the Prawn Dumpling and Pork Dumpling with shrimp were just so-so. The Beancurd Skin Roll w/Pork & Shrimp was ok. The drink (Iced Barley) was HORRIBLY diluted. Instead of paying $2 for barley water, pay 50cents for plain water!

But the saving grace was the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (3pcs for $4.50 before tax)

Too yummy!!!

Here’s Amelia with the super yummy pork buns aka char siew pau:

However, every person is only allowed 3 pork buns. So if you want to get some for takeaway, too bad! We were desperate enough to ask a stranger at a table nearby to order some for us and we paid her in cash. Desperate times call for desperate measures. LOL!

If you are curious about the pricing and menu, here it is:

(front)

(back)

And when we left, the queue had grown even longer:

Would I go back again? Erm…. not for the rest of the dim sum. For the pork buns, maybe. Then again, only if they remove this silly restriction of maximum 3 pork buns per pax. Alternatively, I can bring the entire family!

Tim Ho Wan is at Plaza Singapura (extension wing), #01-29A

*NO Reservations*

- Join The Q, Folks! -

Have A Candylicious Easter!

Posted on March 15, 2013 by workingwithgrace

Delivered to my home yesterday was a delightful Bunny-rific surprise!

A bag of goodies to remind me to have a Candylicious Easter!

Totally LOVE the Reese choc + peanut butter eggs! The size of quail eggs, they make me feel less guilty than after I’ve eaten the bigger Reese peanut butter cups.

Kitty, despite lacking a mouth, should have some too. LOL!

Go grab your Easter goodies from Candylicious – there’s a huge range to choose from, at affordable prices!

p/s: The mini Reese bunnies got a little squashed and the chocolate and peanut butter was peeking out from under the rather thin foil. A less messy alternative would be the Reese eggs in the tray. The Hershey’s Cookies & Creme bunnies were delicious!

IKEA elegantly returns meatballs to our dining tables, at 10cents a piece today!

Posted on March 8, 2013 by workingwithgrace

When my sister told me last night that IKEA is selling its meatballs at just 10 Singapore cents a piece today, I didn’t quite believe the news. Seriously? !

And the ads in the papers today proved she was right…

I love the ad’s humorous take on the horsemeat scandal, by the way!

We reached the restaurant at 10am and the place was almost full, with about 15 people ahead of us in the queue for the food. I also spotted some photogs (not surprising, as I’d expected today’s 10cent meatballs to make the news multiple times)

Naturally, I had to order the meatballs (they taste pretty yummy, horsemeat or not) but the organic mushroom pancake was a letdown (it was runny, sticky and unappetizing).

But what shocked me most was the number of people seated around me who had brought tupperware and even ziplock bags with them to ‘save’ their meatballs for later. I thought IKEA has a takeaway service?

So, yes, while IKEA has elegantly and very generously returned meatballs to our dining tables at just 10 cents a piece, I wish my fellow Singaporeans would not go to such extremes. Tupperware, really??!!

*Update* Spotted a ‘conversation’ on IKEA Singapore’s Facebook page:

Have You Met ‘Ang Ku Kueh Girl’? :D (Part One Of The ‘Local Creations’ Series)

Posted on January 31, 2013 by workingwithgrace

[Part One of a 'Local Creations' series]

The character, Ang Ku Kueh Girl, was designed right here in Singapore by Ms Sheryl Wong and her team. Inspired by a local pastry, the Ang Ku Kueh Girl has distinctive Singaporean characteristics, such as wearing her slippers everywhere she goes. She also has a brother, Ang Ku Kueh Boy, and friends like Png Kueh Girl! How cute!

Some products featuring Ang Ku Kueh Girl also involve a creative interpretation of Singapore’s national campaigns in the 80s, such as the “Stop At Two” and “Speak Mandarin” campaigns.

Besides the A4-sized folders and eco-friendly notebooks, there are also bags and wristlets with the ang ku kueh designs outside, and ang ku kueh girl printed fabric inside. The attention to detail is fantastic!

Sheryl sent me some of the products and I instantly fell in love with them. You’ll see why:

Folders: S$3.90 or 3 for S$10

I’ve never owned prettier folders! I’d initially thought I’d give at least two away but no, I’m keeping all three ‘cos they are so cute!

Eco-friendly notebook: S$6 or 2 for S$10

Ang Ku Kueh Girl Wristlet! I’m so gonna bring it with me during CNY visiting!

Very roomy! It’ll be great for stashing all my ang pows!

I asked Sheryl about why she decided to create Ang Ku Kueh girl.

Here’s what she said:

“I have always been interested in creating Singapore-themed products. I started doing it as a hobby from 2004, making Singapore-themed red and white rings and necklaces, complete with stars and the works.

Gradually, the idea evolved into Ang Ku Kueh Girl when I thought it will be fun to incorporate Singapore’s food culture into a cute cartoon character; this is something that Singaporeans can relate to and which showcases a part of our local culture to visitors from overseas. I thought that it would be interesting to create a character with a local flavour.

The team behind Ang Ku Kueh Girl is led by me; I provide the creative direction, ideas and concepts”.

Sheryl also shared that the ang ku kueh signify longevity and good fortune, besides being one of our favorite kuehs.

And here’s an Ang Ku Kueh Girl + Ang Ku Kueh Boy + Png Kueh Girl Birthday Card

You’ll have to get one to ooh and aah over the details, such as Png Kueh Girl’s white school shoes!

To purchase the Ang Ku Kueh Girl products or to find out more, head over to AKKG’s Facebook Page by clicking HERE

*I’m looking for more local companies with interesting Singapore-themed creations to feature here. To get in touch, email me at gracewwg[at]gmail[dot]com.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this ‘Local Creations’ series!

Baking Bread with Bakerz@Work – A Satisfying & Yummilicious Experience

Posted on January 10, 2013 by workingwithgrace

I’ve made cupcakes, chocolate truffles and cookies before [a long time ago] but I’d never tried baking bread, until Tuesday’s Practical Bread Baking (Foundation) class at Bakerz@Work.

Here’s my workstation, right at the front:

All the equipment was pretty foreign to me but making my own bread from scratch was a very satisfying experience.

Round and round it goes…

Here’s the instructor and my friend, Chef William (doing his best to avoid the camera!!!)

Fellow student, Kelly (a property agent) all amused that (1) I’m snapping a picture of her and (2) the dough’s sticking to her fingers!

Kelly settling her dough into the container behind William’s ginormous dough:

And attentively listening as the chef explains:

I took more pictures with Kelly in them as she was the more cooperative photography subject. The two other guys in the class tended to shy away whenever I readied my camera to snap pictures, William hardly looked at the camera and since I’m the photographer, there aren’t many pictures of me. LOL!

Here’s William (actually, his hands) making a chicken ham bun:

He taught us how one simple recipe can be used to make many different varieties of bread. Here, the same dough is used to make many different buns, combined with a variety of ingredients and sauces on top:

Here’s the brioche (before it’s baked):

And… in the oven:

Want to see what they look like after being baked??

Here are those I made (the buns with fan-like wings are those containing cheese, which melted during the baking process) oops:

I’m especially proud of my Hello Kitty bun and the one in the picture above which has 7 round balls forming a chain (each ball has a different surprise inside – it could be raisins, red bean paste, lotus seed paste or green tea paste! You’ll never know what you’re gonna get!)

Creative eh??

I’m also very proud of the plaited loaves…

[In the oven]

[Done]

In the picture above, you’ll see one small bun in the bottom left-hand corner. It’s a baby plaited bun I made with the excess dough. LOL!!! Cute or not?!

I also made a floss bun (not as awesome as BreadTalk’s legendary one but I ate it all)

And here’s Kelly making one too:

Because I wore a Hello Kitty tee to the class, and also ‘cos I love the mouth-less cat, I made a Hello Kitty bun!

Initially, I used some bean paste to make a ribbon for my HK bun, but it fell off during the baking process. So sad…

So I used some chocolate and strawberry jam for the ribbon:

Another of my creations:

Bread shouldn’t just talk, it should smile at you…

An awesome spread made by all of us who attended the class.

I loved how the class provided a truly hands-on experience. And I’m very glad that all nail art and nail polish was removed before I attended the class (Plus, I trimmed my nails too!).

Here’s what we did whether Chef William was watching or not…

Felt the dough, kneaded it, stretched and folded it, made all sorts of buns out of it:

A most fruitful session.

To enquire about this Practical Bread Baking (Foundation) class, contact Joalin or Agnes at 68207578.

Upcoming classes also include:

1) Festive Cookies like Pineapple Tarts, Cookies and Biscotti

2) Fondant Cake

3) Artisan Bread

Will you rise to the challenge of bread-making? XD

Bloggers Appreciation Dinner at NYDC Holland Village

Posted on December 31, 2012 by workingwithgrace

The folks at Singapore Poly are simply too sweet. On top of awarding 2 of us prizes for the best blogposts about SPELL’s fashion show, all bloggers and their partners were invited to a dinner at NYDC at Holland Village.

For starters, we had this platter:

The fiance loved the cheesy baked potato skins(?). The dip for the nachos was incredibly watery though, and the chicken wings were greasy and not flavorful enough.

Andy ordered The Meatball That Ate Manhattan (S$17.50) – The tennisball-sized meatball reminds you that size really matters. Everyone wanted a photograph of this dish.

I ordered The Prawn Who Got Creamed (S$17.80)

It was very ordinary-tasting pasta though NYDC was generous with the capsicum, mushrooms and prawns. The fiance helped me finish up this dish though – he claims the cream sauce is yummy.

What he ordered was the I’ll Be Home For Christmas Steak (S$22.80) *prime ribeye*

The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the chocolate cake:

NYDC’s Boo Boo cake *a must-try!*

Decadent. Rich. And oh-so-yummy! The piped swirls of whipped cream also seemed to contain marshmallows, I think. My blogger pal Melvin told me it had marshmallows, I said it looks like it’s all whipped cream, had a bite, and wow, it did seem as though there are marshmallows within – awfully sweet though!

And to top it all off, Yvonne from SP gave everyone who attended a bottle of SP’s newest His & Her perfume – Romance II. This perfume is available at duty-free stores so watch out for them.

It was a lovely evening with good company. Thank you, Singapore Poly!

Also, I’ll definitely be going back to NYDC again – just for the cakes, this time.

THANK YOU!

Posted on December 26, 2012 by workingwithgrace

3 days’ ago, I was awarded the FIRST PRIZE in The Icing Room’s DIY Yule Log Contest!

Honestly, I’d wanted very much to win but didn’t think I stood a chance. There were people with over 100 votes for their log cake creations. And there were some really lovely log cakes, such as these:

I guess I won because the top 3 prizes were “awarded based on creativity and selected by judges”. Based on votes, I was probably ranked 9th. But I was the only one who sliced up the log cake and made it resemble something else (a train).

Anyhow, A BIG THANK YOU to the people who voted for me and loved my log cake, and to the judges (whoever you are) for picking my log cake creation! This is the first log cake I’ve ever decorated in my entire life and winning first prize for it makes me feel super lucky and happy!

I love the party that The Icing Room threw for the top 10 winners!

Chef Kelvin made a VERY long log cake train for us to decorate: