Marble Slab Creamery: Free Scoop Day (18 Jul 2015)

Marble Slab Creamery

Marble Slab Creamery: Free Scoop Day From 12pm To 3pm (18 Jul 2015)

- Valid on 18 Jul 2015 from 12pm to 3pm
- Free scoop includes a free topping too!
- Valid only at Clarke Quay Central, Junction 8, Kallang Wave Mall and The Star Vista
- While stocks last

Coconut Milk Agar Agar Recipe - Using Agar Agar Strips

Coconut Milk Agar Agar Jelly

Most of us have probably eaten Agar Agar before. Agar Agar is a translucent gelatinous (jelly-like) substance, obtained from algae. In Singapore (also Asia), it is commonly made into a dessert cuisine. Agar Agar comes in several forms; strips or powder form. 

Agar Agar jelly is fairly easy to make so long as you have measured the ingredients and mix them correctly. 

In the past, before the agar agar powder became more popular, agar agar jelly was made using agar agar strips. These agar agar strips are washed and dried before being packed into packages. Using agar agar strips require more time and effort. Today, most people would use agar agar powder as it is easier, simpler and quicker to make the agar agar using powder form.

Agar Agar Strips

My family uses this particular brand of agar agar strip. I had a hard time looking for this particular brand. When searching around for it, several stall owners said they have the powder form and asked if I would like to buy powder form instead. Two persons even told me in Chinese that using the agar agar strips was so troublesome and that they thought only the older generation uses agar agar strips (-_-").

Agar Agar Strips

Note that the packaging indicates the amount of water to add.

Coconut Milk Agar Agar Jelly (note photo was taken on another occasion, hence difference in colour)

I particularly like our own homemade chilled Coconut Milk Agar Agar Jelly which I have been enjoying since young.  The addition of the coconut milk resulted in a two layers. The coconut milk will be at the top layer. This provides an additional dimension (layer) to the taste. This is a very addictive dessert. It is taste best when it is chilled and is a welcome relief in this period of warm weather. The recipe is appended below. Have fun!

Ingredients required:

1) 1 package of agar agar strips (32.5 grams)
2) 4 to 6 Pandan leaves
3) 1.7 litres of water
4) 320 grams of sugar, to taste
5) Red food colouring (optional), to preference
6) 500 ml of Coconut milk

Steps:
1) Soak the agar agar strips in a pot of water for 30 minutes to soften the strips. After that remove the strips from the water and squeeze the excess water out.
2) While soaking the agar agar strips, wash the pandan leaves and fold them.
3) Place the agar agar strips into a pot filled with 1.7 litres of water.
4) Add the pandan leaves into the pot
5) Heat up the pot and bring it to a boil. Stir and ensure that the agar agar strips have melted completed.
6) Once all the agar agar strips have melted, removed the pandan leaves
7) Add in the sugar and ensure that all the sugar has melted. Taste the mixture and ensure that the sweetness level is to preference. More sugar can be added if its still not sweet enough.
7) At this point the heat should be lowered and the mixture should no longer be boiling.
8) Add in the red food colouring and stir the mixture to ensure that the coloring is properly mixed.
9) Add in the coconut milk slowly. After all the coconut milk has been added, give it a quick stir (i.e. stir it just once - 1 round) and off the heat.
10) Pour the mixture into the molds and allow it to set.
11) After the mixture has cooled, keep the agar agar in the fridge.
12) Chill them until ready to be served.

Tips:
1) Different brands of agar agar strips have different quantity and the amount of water will differ.
2) The taste of the sweetness changes after the mixture is cooled and chilled.
3) After coconut milk has been added, do not over stir or boil the mixture vigorously. Else, the agar agar would not have two layers.
4) This agar agar jelly tastes best when it is served chilled.
5) If you  agar agar jelly turns out to be too firm (hard) or soft, you will need to twig the water and agar agar strips ratio.

The below pictures show some of the cooking process:

Step 4

Step 5

Step 5

Step 8

Step 9

Step 9

Step 10

OLDTOWN White Coffee Singapore: Monthly $0.10 Coffee and $10 meal for 2

Source:  OLDTOWN White Coffee Singapore

OLDTOWN White Coffee Singapore: Monthly $0.10 Coffee and $10 meal for 2

- Valid on 10th of every month till Dec 2015
- T&Cs apply

Springleaf Prata Place (Upper Thomson Road)

Egg Prata $1.90 (per piece)

Springleaf Prata Place specialises in serving Indian cuisine such as pratas, thosai, goreng goreng and murtabak. I have been visiting this eatery since young and love their roti prata. Regulars would know that this eatery used called The Prata Place and is halal certified.

Menu

Over the years, the variety of roti prata has increased. They now offer pratas such as Chicken Floss Prata, Portobello Mozzarella Prata and Plaster Blaster which was created for the Ultimate Hawker Fest.

Menu 

Plain (Kosong) Prata $1.10 (per piece)

They serve one of the best Plain (Kosong) Prata. The Prata was crispy on the outside (including the edges) and fluffy on the inside. Moreover, it was not oily, they certainly managed the heat well. Dipping it into the aromatic curry made the Prata taste even more heavenly.

The Egg Prata was huge and elongated rectangular in shape! It was crispy but not as fluffy as the Plain Prata at the areas where the egg was. Nevertheless, it was delish and one of the better egg pratas around.

2014 Plaster Blaster $5

The 2014 Plaster Blaster was created for the 2014 Ultimate Hawker Fest. This is the most unique fusion Prata I have ever tried! It is essentially plain prata with turkey ham and egg benedict! Yes, you read this right! It's poached egg with hollandaise sauce! Surprisingly, it tasted delicious. The different taste complemented each other perfectly! What a creation! Genius!

Portobello Mozzarella Prata $5

The Portobello Mozzarella Prata was recommended by a reader on FoodieFC Instagram account. It consisted of plain prata with portobello mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. This need to be eaten immediately when it is served so that the cheese inside is still warm. I am a huge fan of mushroom, needless to say I love this! At $5, the price is a little steep. 

Springleaf Prata Place certainly does not disappoint when I need to satisfy my prata cravings. Although the eatery is air-conditioned, you would smell of curry and prata as it is not well ventilated. But its worth it as the food (prata) is too good to resist and its well worth the calories gained.

Springleaf Prata Place (Upper Thomson Road)

1 Thong Soon Ave 

Springleaf Garden 

Tel: 6459 5670 

Opening Hours:Daily 7am to 12am

Website

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BaaMee Bangkok (Jalan Besar)

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

BaaMee Bangkok located in Jalan Besar along Syed Alwi Road opened in late 2014. It seems to be the only stall (besides the drink stall) in operation at that coffeeshop. Hence, there would be plenty seats available.

BaaMee Bangkok's menu is limited with just 6 dishes on the menu. The more prominent dishes are theThai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5 and Kaa Moo (Stewed Pig Trotters) $6.

 It seems that the food at the stall is dished by a Thai chef.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

 I ordered the Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

 It was beautifully plated on a flowery bowl and served with a bowl of wantons and wanton soup.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. This Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) was incredibly fiery (spicy). The addition of the chilli & pepper powder, garlic infused oil, pork lard, peanuts and garlic sauce lead to a complexity of taste. I was wondering why I did not find it very spicy. The spiciness set in half an hour after my meal, when I felt my stomach burning.

Although the slices of Char Siew was a little on the dry end, they were still tasty. As for the egg noodles which looked dry, they were surprisingly springy and tasty when well mixed.  

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

The wantons provided was bigger and plumper compared to other stalls. 

This bowl of Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) was beyond my expectation in terms of taste. It was just so delicious and addictive. I had wanted to rate this as a must try. But on my second visit, I felt that the standard had dropped (or was inconsistent). Found out much later that they had opened another branch in Toa Payoh Central. I hope that the standard and taste is not compromised by this expansion as this could eventually hurt their business even at their main outlet.

BaaMee Bangkok (Jalan Besar)

45 Syed Alwi Road

Singapore 207636

Tel: +65 9636 0048

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 11am to 9pm

                           Closed on Mon

BaaMee Bangkok (Toa Payoh)

Blk 177, Toa Payoh Central 

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 8am - 330pm 

                           Closed on Monday

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Llaollao Singapore: 1 For 1 Smoothies at NTU(till 27 Jun 2015)

Source: Llaollao Singapore

Llaollao Singapore: 1 For 1 Smoothies at NTU(till 27 Jun 2015)

- Valid till 27 Jun 2015 from 3pm to 7pm
- While stock lasts

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) is a well known kelong seafood restaurant located in Johor Bahru. Although this restaurant is located around 30 minutes drive away from the checkpoint, it is popular among Singaporeans. At the car park which is unmarked, you are likely to see more Singapore registered cars compared to Malaysia vehicles.

Restoran Todak is unique as the whole restaurant located along the coast on kelong stilts.

The restaurant is located directly opposite Singapore's Sembawang Coast and provides a picturesque view. As you can see from the photo above, those cranes in the background are from Sembanwang shipyard.

Although the restaurant has indoor seats, most of the tables and chairs are located outside (without a roof) - alfresco style dining with the sea breeze. We arrived early for dinner as we were aware that the restaurant would be packed and some of the seafood would be sold out if we arrive late.

The live seafood are displayed with the prices indicated. For their crabs, they have different pricing depending on the prices. The cheaper ones typically get sold out before 730 pm. The you will need to wait and see if new stock comes in in the next couple of hours or order a more expensive crab.

We used the big menu (above) and ordered our food based on the recommendation of the type of cooking style for the food.

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

The Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry were delicious! The prawns of different sizes were relatively big and very fresh; succulent and sweet tasting meat!

Fried Buns (Man Tou)

We ordered fried buns (man tous) which complemented perfectly with the Indonesian Curry gravy.

 Salted Egg Crab

The Salted Egg Crab was unique. I was expecting this to come with sauce and was surprised when it was a 'dry' dish. Taste wise, there was just a slight hint of salted egg flavour. Initially, we thought that the wrong order was delivered to us as this tasted more like fried garlic crab! I was not too impressed with the taste. But the saving grace was that the crab was so fresh! The meat could be easily extracted from the shell and was so tender.

Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) Gong Bao 宫保Style

The Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) was cooked Gong Bao 宫保style. This dish was very well executed. The Japanese snail had a smooth texture and was springy! The Gong Bao style complement the Japanese Snail quite well. If the sauce was slightly more spicy, it would be more ideal!

Egg Omelette (Fu Rong Egg 芙蓉蛋)

Egg Omelette was fluffy and addictive - very well executed.

Butter Crayfish

Had great expectations for the Butter Crayfish. But it disappointed in terms of presentation and taste. I was expecting a more buttery flaovour that would make this addictive.

Lala

The Lala too was just 'meh' disappointing. The Lala were not meaty and plump enough. This is definitely not the best lala; is average.

Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan

The Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan was well fried. Cooked and tasted just right. It complemented the plain rice extremely well.

Complimentary Fruits

After each meal, every table would be served with a plate of Complimentary Fruits.

Receipt

The total cost of our meal. Relatively cheap after converting to Singapore dollars considering this meal fed five persons.

This restaurant is definitely worth coming back to. I saw several tables ordering their fish and oysters. The oysters were huge! The downside is the distance from the causeway; you would probably need a vehicle. 

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

No 1 Kampung Orang Asli, 
Telok Jawa, Masai 
81750 Johor Bahru
Tel: 07 386 3696

Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 1130pm

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928 Yishun Laksa (Yishun Central) 3rd Post

Laksa $2.80

Posting about this well-known laksa outlet in Yishun for the 3rd time. I have been eating this laksa since I was in Secondary School (that is more than  17 years ago)! You will not see any shop name but you will be able to know that you are at the right stall when u spot everyone eating the Laksa in a red bowl! Also, at the stall menu statues "Laksa" clearly. Over the years, this stall gained a following through word of mouth among those living in the north (Yishun). Gradually, everyone started calling this laksa stall as '928 Yishun Laksa' as the stall is located under Blk 928 in Yishun. This laksa stall is located just behind the Yishun Interchange, a stone throw away from Yishun MRT station.

I visited on a Sunday afternoon at 330pm. I normally visit at this timing as this is normally the timing with the least people; I can escape squeezing/queuing with the lunch/dinner crowd. But I was wrong that day. There was a long queue of more than 9 persons in front of me! Amazing how popular this stall gets through word of mouth!

 It was a 20 minutes wait.

The price of the Laksa has increased recently to $2.80 or $3.30 (for a bigger portion). Used to be $2.20 and $2.50 for the smaller bowl of laksa.

Dessert Menu

There also offer dessert. But I have never try their dessert before. If you want any dessert, you should just pop over to the next shop as the dessert stall there is more popular. Most people would have their laksa at this stall and then go over to the next shop for dessert. In the past, both the laksa and dessert stalls were located in the same shop.

Laksa $2.80

This is my bowl of Laksa which cost $2.80. It consists of fish cakes, crab sticks, dried toufu, hum (cockles), beansprouts, hard boiled eggs and thick bee hoon. The laksa gravy was light and rich. With fresh coconut milk, chilli and lots of dried shrimps that made the gravy so tasty and fragrant yet spicy. Also, the gravy was not oily. Despite the spiciness, the more gravy you savour, the more you will love it. It was so addictive that I would always finish the whole bowl of laksa gravy (not something which I normally do as its not healthy).

Do note that this eatery is not air-conditioned. Also, there are few fans. You will likely sweat, so wear something comfortable! This is worth sweating for! Still the best Laksa in Yishun.

Laksa $3

I also packed a bowl of laksa back home. The good news is that you can request for the gravy to be packed separately!

928 Yishun Laksa (Yishun Central) 

Blk 928 Yishun Central 1 

#01-155

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 11am - 7pm

                         Closed on Mon

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