Green Juice Mornings

One of my favourite ways to start off my mornings is with a fresh green juice.

Green juice in my Nara Yoshitomo glass

My favourite green juice combination of late is a mixture of spinach leaves, pineapple and coconut water. The beauty of the green juice is that you can mix in pretty much whichever fruits and vegetables you like and it still tastes delicious. I'd recommend kiwi, green apple, or wheatgrass in particular.

What goes into the juice

I'm fortunate enough to live in a place where fresh coconuts are easily available. When I travel though this is not always the case. I find that packaged coconut water brands like Wong Coco or CocoMax work well enough as substitutes.

Just blend

I roughly put in one generous handful of spinach leaves, 3/4 of a glass full of coconut water and a few pineapple slices into the blender and blend until everything is mixed well.

Pollen @ Gardens by The Bay

I've visited Gardens by The Bay twice so far this year. Once was with an out of town visitor to catch the tulips flown in from Holland; the other time was to see the orchid show.

Some of the prize-winning orchids on display

People seem to love taking pictures outside amongst the Avatar-esque surroundings, but I'm more interested in what's inside. The temperature inside the domes is a pleasant change from the humidity outside and feels less artificial than regular air conditioning.

I'm not a huge ice cream fan, but I have to admit the gift shop has an interesting selection of alcoholic ice creams. They carry flavours ranging from the staple rum and raisin to the more unfamiliar soursop vodka. There are also non-alcoholic ice creams available for those who don't particularly fancy alcohol in their dessert.

The Terrace menu

If you ever need a break from being on your feet or from the swarms of people, I'd recommend popping in to the Pollen cafe at the Flower Dome.

The food menu isn't extensive, but is more than serviceable for teatime or a simple lunch. If you're looking for something more filling, there's always the actual restaurant which has a wider selection of dishes. Personally, I prefer the cafe which is perfect for a little chat with friends or for people-watching.

Mixed almonds & olives with manchego cheese

I've tried the linguini alla puttanesca, the mixed almonds & olives with manchego cheese, and focaccia with olives. I guess it depends on how peckish you're feeling, but my favourite was the linguini alla puttanesca which is a simple dish but not always executed well. I'm pleased to say that the puttanesca sauce was on point and that I devoured the linguini. The other olive dishes are also tasty, but best for sharing as they are more like appetizers or snacks.

Flat white & focaccia

Both times I had the flat white which was very satisfying. Perhaps I'll try the white ginger lily tea or the pollen colada (malibu, coconut water, coconut flesh and pineapple) on my next visit.

The Terrace @ Pollen
Flower Dome, Gardens by The Bay
18 Marina Sands Drive #01-09
Singapore 018953

Maki-San

Maki-San is great for a quick lunch although the queue has a tendency to wrap around the corner during office lunch hours on weekdays.

Unagi, spring onion, avocado & other trimmings

What the customise your sushi menu looks like

I was pretty pleased with my mega-san with grilled eggplant, avocado, sweet corn, boiled egg, grilled unagi, spring onion and some spicy mayo. I also have heard that the soy wrap with brown rice is no less tasty than the more traditional nori wrap with white rice.

For those who have trouble making decisions, fret not since there are also interesting rolls like the Kevin's Bacon-San or the Miso Hungry-San available for those who aren't interested in ticking a bunch of boxes.

The decor

The adorable boxes that the sushi rolls are served in

If you're in the mood for some Japanese fusion rolls, I'd definitely recommend Maki-San for a quick and easy meal. Oh, and the website is definitely worth checking out.


Maki-San
2 Handy Road, #B1-17/18
http://www.rollwithmakisan.com

Innisfree Jejuhouse Green Cafe

On my recent trip to Korea I was struck by the number of cafes there were. Various types of cafes ranging from chains like Starbucks to indie coffee shops line pretty much every street. My favourite out of those I visited was probably Innisfree's Jejuhouse Green Cafe which my friend J. brought me to.

Even without the interesting choices of drinks and organic desserts that the green cafe serves, I'd be hard pressed not to like a cafe selling natural beauty products and cute decorative plants.

The interior is lovely with lots of light and wooden surfaces. The decor is really well done as well with an array of cute miniature plants and interesting food products (some of which you can purchase as well) lining the shelves.

 Cafe on the 2F

J. and I were lucky that there weren't a lot of people around when we came in so we were able to have a nice long conversation over tea. We split a Jeju orange patbingsu or shaved ice for dessert. The cafe menu not only emphasises organic ingredients, but also uses many ingredients from Jeju island such as the Hallabong tea, which I ordered. J. opted for a chilled orange juice since it was such a hot day.

The Hallabong tea was delicious and the shaved ice perfect for the weather. The orange rind in the patbingsu was delightfully chewy and the overall effect was not overly sweet, which is how I like my desserts to be.

I was also able to do a little shopping on the first floor since they carry the usual range of innisfree products in addition to a few store exclusives. Some of the exclusives I just had to pick up were the clay mask base that you can customise; I chose mugwort and olive since they are meant to be a good combination for sensitive skin. There is also a section for decorative plants towards the back of the store that was awfully tempting, if only I lived nearby.

Store exclusive products that you mix together

All in all, I'd say it is a very cute cafe with a solid concept that works even if you're not really interested in the innisfree range of beauty and skincare products. I'd definitely make the effort to pay this cafe another visit on my next trip to Korea.

Innisfree Jejuhouse Green Cafe
Samcheong-dong, Seoul
http://jeju.innisfree.co.kr/jeju/way/location2.jsp

Tiramisu a la Teacup

Tiramisu & Me (taken by Domkeykong)

I've been my family's designated tiramisu-maker for well over a decade now. Over the years, I've adapted a recipe that my mother's Italian teacher passed on to her. In keeping with my preference for simplicity, I've pared it down to six quality ingredients: eggs, mascarpone, lady's finger biscuits, a sweetener like sucanat or xyla, espresso, and cocoa powder. 

Tiramisu ingredients (missing coffee & xyla)

While I occasionally experiment with substitution, I haven't been terribly adventurous. When I first started making tiramisu I was a little young for alcohol so as a result, I've grown used to not including it in my recipe. I've often thought about including the traditional brandy, marsala, or rum in my recipe, but I somehow always end up following my same trusted recipe. I don't think mine is the best tiramisu out there, yet I believe there is something to be had of a recipe that is simple, tasty, and unfailing.

Adding xyla to the egg yolks

Ingredients for a large tiramisu (roughly serves 12)
Eggs (3 large ones)
Xyla/sucanat or your sweetener of choice (2 tablespoons or more depending on your taste)
Mascarpone (500g)
Lady's finger biscuits (1.5 packets)
Espresso/americano for dipping
Cocoa powder

1. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks and the whites into two different bowls.
2. In one bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
3. In the other bowl mix the xyla or sucanat and mascarpone with the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.
4. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Dip the lady's finger biscuits into the espresso/americano mixture and layer them in a dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with coffee-dipped biscuits. Next, layer the mascarpone mixture on top. Then add another layer of coffee-dipped biscuits. Finally, layer generously with the mascarpone mixture on top (depending on size of your dish, you can layer 2 or 3 times).
6. Place the tiramisu in the fridge and allow to set overnight. Add cocoa powder on top before serving.

Kilo @ Pact

M. with her hat on while examining the menu

Today I had post-gym brunch with M. and D. at Kilo at Pact. Since moving back to Singapore I've been meaning to try out some new cafes and restaurants and write about them, but have put it off until now. Hopefully this will change.

Kilo's Orchard Central location was definitely a plus for the three of us since it is in such close proximity to our respective gyms and yoga studios. On this particular Saturday during the long weekend, the cafe was thankfully not too crowded. All the tables in the space were occupied, but the bar area was fairly empty.

The weekend brunch menu

M. was disappointed to learn that the lunch set combo inclusive of a drink, dessert and a salad or sushiro or bowl is only available on weekdays. However, they did have the brunch menu since it was the weekend.

Salmon Avocado Sushiro

M. settled for the Salmon Avocado Sushiro. It seemed to be more similar to an asian-style rice burrito than a typical sushi roll. We were surprised by the size of the portion, since M. and I expected a single sushi roll despite the waitress saying that it is actual quite a substantial serving.

Pork Belly Bowl

D. ended up going with the pork belly bowl that is served with sweetcorn, radishes, sugar peas, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, avocado, shimeji mushrooms and avocado sprouts. The balance of the protein and veggies is appealing, but D. felt that the sauce was a tad too sweet for her liking. I had a taste and found it tasty enough, but sure enough a little overly saccharine especially considering that the sweetcorn and cherry tomatoes have a natural sweetness of their own. This might just be a matter of personal preference though.

I ordered the Shakshuka off the brunch menu. My love for Shakshuka is so great that I typically order it whenever I see it on a restaurant's menu. Alongside Eggs Norwegian (a variant of Eggs Benny), it's my go-to brunch staple.

Shakshuka

As a result, I was a little disappointed with my order. I felt it was lacking some bite and couldn't taste the usual spices that one finds in a Shakshuka. It wasn't bad by any means, but it certainly wasn't tempting enough for me to finish the entire bowl. Perhaps the Portobello Benedict would have been a better choice.

The verdict: the ambiance at Pact was nice and it was interesting to take a peek at the adjoining hair and nail salon and shop. However, as much as I'm tempted by the sound of the mentaiko spaghetti tossed with cod roe and spring onions or the ebiko cream angel hair pasta with sauteed prawns on the dinner menu, I'm not exactly in a rush to go back to Kilo anytime soon.

Kilo@Pact
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central #02-16/17/18/19
Open Tuesday-Sundays 11.00-22.00 (closed between 15.00 and 17.30)
http://www.visitpact.com