Showing posts with label Cupcakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cupcakes. Show all posts

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Top 10 Home Based Businesses (HBB) That Are Worth Ordering

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COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people's livelihood. Instead of waiting for the best for the world to turn better, many people have taken a brave and significant step forward to change and adapt to the new norm. This sees the birth of many Home Based Business (HBB), putting their baking and cooking skills to good use, supplementing some incomes for the family.

I have the chance to try a couple of these home-based businesses during this period, and here is a list of my top 10 home-based business that is worth ordering and trying.


A Sweet Mess


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A Sweet Mess caught my attention for their Rainbow Ondeh Ondeh. They are soft and chewy, with oozing gula melaka in it. Importantly, it is not using those syrup type. She actually bought the gula melaka in a block, hand grate them and cook them. Their Banana Cake, Pandan Gula Melaka Cupcake, and Basque Burnt Cheese Cake received many raving reviews too.

Order via DM on Instagram @asweetmesssg


Any Hao Bao


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To keep her parents occupied during circuit breaker, Francesca started AnyHaoBao for her parents to share their love of cooking. My favourite is their homecooked herbal chicken and achar. You get a whole chicken, cooked to tender. The herbal taste is relatively mild, so it should be acceptable to children. Interestingly it comes with two hard-boiled eggs. They also made Kong Bak Pau, but this is seasonal.

Order via DM on Instagram @anyhaobao


Edibles Bake Shop


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My close friends will know that I am not really into dessert, hence for Edibles Bake Shop to make it my list, it has definitely won me over. The cupcakes are not overly sweet, well balanced and most importantly, very delicious. Serene is a very talented baker and does check out her beautiful cake. She can also customise cakes for that special occasion.

Order via http://www.ediblesbakeshop.net
Instagram @ediblesbakeshop


Hei Piah Family


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The hardest-hit industry during the pandemic is the aviation sector. During this period, pilots and cabin crews are all grounded. Laura, an SQ cabin crew and her fashion designer husband, started Hei Piah Family to share her mother-in-law Prawn Fritter recipe. I tried their prawn fritter and fell in love. It is crispy on the outside and pillowy inside.

Order via WhatsApp +65 86964568
Instagram @heipiahfamily


Lady Boss Soy Sauce Chicken


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Lady Boss Soy Sauce Chicken is a home base business started by Sandra Sim. She is one of the owners of Sum Yi Tai. Before I tried the soy sauce chicken, I have already heard my raving reviews. When I finally get to taste it, I was really impressed. Well marinated and infused with the fragrant soy sauce, the chicken was also tender and juicy. Not forgetting that super power chilli sauce that comes with it.

Order via https://www.ladybosschicken.com


Lor Bak Mama


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Lor Bak Mama is started by Christine Yue, who has zero income when she has to closed her nail salons during the circuit breaker. Encouraged by her family and closed friends who have tried her lor bak, I am glad that I can get to savour this delicious braised pork belly that is cooked until melt in the mouth, absorbing the braising sauce that is packed with robustness.

Order via take.sg/s/6586680788
Instagram @lorbakmama


No Name Bake Store


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I have tried many home bakers' bakes during this period, and I really like the pastry box from No Name Bake Store. For $30, you get 4 different pieces of cakes. There are Kaya Butter Roll, Blueberry Hill, Brownie Cheesecake and Chocolate Hazel Royal. For the upcoming festive seasons, it is rolling up a new pastry box. Do keep a lookout.

Order via online form
Instagram @nonamebakestore.sg


Noni Home Made Cooking


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Noni caught my eyes for offering authentic Indonesia food. I tried both their Nasi Lemak and Nasi Liwet. I personally love the Nasi Liwet as this is my first time have aromatic rice with anchovies wrapped with banana leaves, cooked over the fire. It even comes with a whole grilled chicken leg and tofu. 

Order via Instagram DM or WhatsApp +6594464249
Instagram @noni.sg


Slab Some Ribs


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Affected by the pandemic, Elaine, a sales manager for a local airline has been on furlough, and on a good month may get to work up to two days a week. With the inconsistent workdays and significant financial impact, she started Slab Some Ribs to supplement her income. I have known many home-based businesses but selling pork ribs probably is the first. What's more she has an interesting flavour like Kicap Manis. I heard she is introducing a new Korean flavour for the upcoming festive season.

Order via take.sg/s/6596942060
Instagram @slabsomeribs


Two Bake Boys


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Another home-based business started by an SQ cabin crew is Two Bake Boys. There are a lot of home bakers during this period and mostly focus on bakes such as brownies, cookies and burnt cheesecakes. Two Bake Boys is different, it is probably the first HBB that offers Authentic Thai Tea Crepe Cake. Currently, it has already expanded its menu with new flavours such as Matcha, Strawberry and Tiramisu.

Order via https://www.twobakeboys.com
Instagram @twobakeboys


Monday, January 18, 2016

The Ugly Cake Shop @ GB Point (Kallang Bahru)

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Started as a home bakery, owner and baker Lisa quit her corporate job a few years back to concentrate on her baking at a licensed central kitchen in Ang Mo Kio. With the encouraging online orders and limited kitchen space, The Ugly Cake Shop took the bold step and moved into GB Point at Kallang Bahru, having its own cafe space offering its signature cupcakes and cakes.

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Do not expect any latte art or pretty instagrammable cafe food dishes at The Uglly Cake Shop. The Ugly Cake Shop is still very much focus on her bakes while the cafe space provides a convenient sitting area for guests that needs a break, to enjoy their cupcakes and cakes.

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Juliana

 If you have not known, the cupcakes at The Ugly Cake Shop are named after the owner's favourite people such as Juliana (Salted Caramel with Sea Salt Flakes),  Melissa (Strawberry, Rum & Dark Chocolate).

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Melissa

Other cupcakes available are Zesty Zee (Lemon), Jamie (Earl Grey), Sally (Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate). However the most popular cupcake is the Big Daddy (Super Chocolatey with Nutella & Valrhona), which is not in the picture. As you probably would have guessed, it is sold out.

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Zesty Zee, Jamie, Sally 

The cupcakes at The Ugly Cake Shop ranges from $3.80 to $4.50.

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Desmond

For a twist to the usual cupcake is Desmond, a grilled cupcake. The butter base cupcake is grilled and served with orange blossom cream and cherry compote. Do note that this is a special item and is not always available. Please check with the cafe.

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With a kind heart and a vision to feed the poor. Lisa has pledged and donates 20% of its proceeds towards buying meat, eggs and other much-needed protein sources for the kids in Shallom School, a school set up by Brazilian missionaries and supported by Agape Baptist Church. Every baked good you purchase from The Ugly Cake Shop will help to supplement their meals!


The Ugly Cake Shop
GB Point
535 Kallang Bahru
#01-06
Singapore 339351
Tel: +65 82288300
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT; Geylang Bahru (DT Line), Potong Pasir (NE Line), Lavender (EW Line), Kallang (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 10am - 7pm
Fri-Sat: 10am - 8pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Geylang Bahru MRT station. Take Exit. Walk to junction of Kallang Bahru and Geylang Bahru. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Potong Pasir MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Potong Pasir MRT station (Stop ID 60269). Take bus number 107 or 853. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about. 12 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Lavender MRT station (Stop ID 01311). Take bus number  61, 107 or 175. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to junction of Kallang Bahru and Geylang Bahru. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

4) Alight at Kallang MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop opposite block 2C along Lorong 1 Geylang (Stop ID 80101). Take bus number 26. Alight 3 stops later. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Spruce @ Fire Station (Upper Bukit Timah)

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This is the time of the year where restaurants are pushing out their festive menus. After my recent visit to Spruce at Phoenix Park, I am back to Spruce but at their Upper Bukit Timah Fire station outlet to try their Festive Set Menu ($38++) available from 1 to 30 December 2014 except 24, 25 and 31 December 2014. OCBC cardmembers will enjoy a 10% discount for the Festive 3 course menu which comes with a Salad, choice of main and a dessert.

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Roasted Beetroot & Chevre Salad 4/5

Starting the 3 course Festive Menu was the Roasted Beetroot & Chevre Salad. It consists of a bed of roasted beetroot, candied walnuts, arugula and white balsamic dressing. I like the roasted beetroot which still comes with a nice crunch on top of its earthy sweetness.

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Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup 3.5/5

For an additional $10, you can add the Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup to make it a 4 course meal. It was a comforting and hearty soup especially for the rainy period. If you are in the mood for some champagne, spruce offers the Pierre Paillard Cru Brut Chapagne for an additional of $45 for 375ml or $85 for 750ml.

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Smoked Lamb Bockwurst with Chestnut Stuffing 3/5

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Roasted Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing 3.5/5

The mains come with a choice of either the Smoked Lamb Bockwurst with Chestnut Stuffing or Roasted Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing. I really like the plating, the dish has the Christmas feel in its presentation. Among the two mains, I would prefer the turkey. I enjoyed how the sweetness of the cranberry sauce complemented the turkey meat.

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Pumpkin Pie 2.8/5

Drawing the curtain to the 3 course festive set menu is the Pumpkin Pie. While I enjoyed the buttery crust, I thought the pumpkin flavour was lacking. I could barely tasted any pumpkin. It probably has been masked off by the sweetness of the marshmallow.

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Ahi Tuna Tartar 4.5/5

Besides the festive menu, Spruce at Fire Station offers a lot of yummlicious dishes on the a la carte menu. One such dish is the Ahi Tuna Tartar ($22) that my friend highly recommended. 120 grams of sashimi grade raw tuna mixed with a special vinaigrette and served with a sliced avocado and toasted ciabatta bread. One word, awesome. You just need to have it.

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Signature Salad 4.2/5

For a healthy and clean diet, Spruce's Signature Salad ($19) is pretty substantial with fresh corn, dates, almonds, Momotaro tomato, cucumber, avocado mixed green and chevre cheese. I like the choice of the champagne vinaigrette dressing which is not too heavy complementing the nature flavours of the salad. I actually find the use of dates in the salad rather interesting as you don't often get it elsewhere.

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Spruce Burger 4/5

Over at Spruce @ Phoenix Park, I tried their pasta dishes so this time round I had the burgers instead. First up is the Spruce Burger ($18) which comes with a 160 grams freshly grounded Australian beef chunk sandwiched in between the black and white sesame bun that is made freshly daily. The burger is also topped with havarti cheese, bacons, lettuces etc. The beef patty itself was juicy and moist. However I felt something was missing in the burger, probably that feeling of guilt and messiness when you bite into one. I like my burger to be very big in flavour but this was more refined.

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Tuna Burger 3/5

The Tuna Burger ($24) is one item on the menu that caught my eye when I first visited Spruce. I tried the cod fish burger from market grill before and it was awesome. I was hoping the tuna burger will be something similar. Unfortunately, I felt a bit disappointed when it was served as a patty instead of a whole tuna fillet. I was a decent burger but it was not memorable.  The star ingredient, tuna was hardly noticeable in the execution.

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Red Velvet Cupcake and Latte 4/5

Don't be mislead by all the different colourful neon lights at Spruce Fire Station. This is not just a drinking place, it actually serves a cup of good coffee. The beans are sourced from Naples in Italy. We also tried the Red Velvet Cupcake which gets the approval from around the table. It was nicely balanced, not overly sweet and moist.

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Pecan Pie 3/5

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Baked Ginger Date Pudding 4/5

I have tried the Baked Ginger Date Pudding ($15) before and I still enjoy it. Warm, moist and comes with hints of ginger flavour. This is heavenly paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you like something nutty and sweet, the Pecan Pie would be a good choice too.

Having visit both Spruce's outlet, I have to say I have enjoyed both my experience. For those that drives, parking is free. Spruce Fire Station also screens live soccer matches, hence it is a good place to hang out with friends for a drink and catch a match too. Of course not to be missed is the festive promotional menu at $38++ and OCBC cardmembers get another 10% discount.


Spruce @ Fire Station (Upper Bukit Timah)
260 Upper Bukit Timah
#01-01
Singapore 588190
Tel: +65 64665582
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpruceFirestation
Website: http://www.spruce.com.sg
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok (NS Line), Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 12midnight
Sat-Sun & PH: 9am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Bukit Batok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 43009). Take bus no. 852. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 184. Alight 13 stops later. Walk to overhead bridge. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

Friday, July 4, 2014

Ugly Cake Shop + The Accessory Report

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I was invited to a very interesting event organised by Ugly Cake Shop and The Accessory Report at Working Title pairing Bakes and Bling. To be frank, I could not visualize what am I walking into when I accepted the invite. It is probably the very first collaboration when a bakery and accessories. Even not, it is definitely a first for me.

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I have been a fan of Ugly Cake since a couple of years back when the owner Lisa was still a home baker. To focus on her bakes, she has since quit her corporate job and concentrate in her baking at her licensed central kitchen at Ang Mo Kio. Now her bakes are available at various pop-up stores at Pasar Bella and other events. She has also started supplying her yummy bakes to a couple of cafes.

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Another interesting thing about Ugly Cake Shop is their is a story behind each and every cupcakes and cakes. They are all named after someone that is part of her life. Among her different cupcakes flavours, my all time favourite is Sally (Peanut Butter) and Big Daddy (Nutella & Valrhona).

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Taking the opportunity, I managed to sample some of the new flavours such as Melissa (Strawberry, Rum & Dark Chocolate), Zesty Zee Lemon and Juliana (Salted Caramel).

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Ugly Cake Shop used to only bake cupcakes but now they have expanded their bakes to include cakes. If you are interested to order the cakes, you can find out more from their website.

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Ugly Cake Shop isn't ugly at all right? Look how beautiful the cupcakes and cakes are. The beautiful accessories from The Accessory Report even made them more standout. I am sure it will look as good on the ladies and made them standout.

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If you are interested in either the bakes from Ugly Cake Shop or the accessories from The Accessory Report do check out their respective websites.

Ugly Cake Shop 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UglyCakeShop
Website: http://www.uglycakeshop.sg/

The Accessory Report
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaccessoryrep
Website: http://www.theaccessoryreport.com/

Sunday, June 29, 2014

L'Espresso @ Goodwood Park Hotel

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I was quite surprise to know that L'Espresso is established as early as 1968. L'Espresso is well known for its elegant teatime pursuits, especially their English Afternoon Tea buffet with a dazzling assortment of dainty sandwiches, salads, savouries, pastries, desserts, chocolate fountain and of course English traditional English scones.

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New to the Afternoon Tea buffet is the antipasti such as the German Black Forest ham and Rosette salami. There is even Duck Rillette to go with the fresh bread.

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The dainty sandwiches and wraps were really good. My favourite was the wrap and foie gras. I could easily have a couple of these in one serving.

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Yes known for their scones this is not to be missed. There were three different types of scones in my visit. I decided to give the blueberry scone a try. What is even more appealing is the variety of condiments to go with the scones. I took a couple of jams but what I adore most is the fresh raspberry condiments.

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There are even fried food in the Afternoon Tea buffet spread. Fried food is a favourite among Singaporean and children which definitely is a welcome addition to afternoon tea. A must try is the chicken karaage which was really delicious.

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There are even more hot food in the buffet spread such as the smoked salmon with herbs and breadcrumbs crust, and braised kurobuta pork with hungarian sweet paprika and brioche. This is turning out to be a lunch feast instead of afternoon tea. Well, I am not complaining, I appreciate the huge varieties and selections.

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Of course in every buffet spread we must have the dessert section. Perfect to go with a cup of the TWG tea selections is the various of cakes.

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There was even a chocolate corner. The chocolate corner has a chocolate fountain for the seasonal fruit skewers and marshmallows, chocolate mousse, Dulcey chocolate brownie, chocolate crunchy hazelnut dome as well as assorted pralines and truffles

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The Afternoon Tea buffet is priced at $45 per adult, $22.50 per child which includes two serving of coffee and tea from a selection of premium coffee and TWG tea.


L'Espresso
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 67301743
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwoodParkHotel
Website: http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/default-en.html
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

English Afternoon Tea:
Mon-Thu: 2pm - 530pm
Fri-Sun & PH: 12pm - 230pm, 3pm - 530pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk down Scotts Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]