AquaMarine @ Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore - Old School Hong Kong Delights

For a limited period from 5 April to 30 April 2019, AquaMarine at Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore will be offering Hong Kong cuisine of yesteryear to their Halal-certified buffet. The buffet spread will consists old school Hong Kong delights such as quail egg siew mai, braised beef rib with mui choy, claypot lamb brisket with bamboo shoot and more.

Chui Chow Oyster Porridge 4.2/5

Warm up the stomach with a bowl of comforting Chui Chow Oyster Porridge. The addition of fresh oyster provided the additional boost to the flavourful broth while the rice puff gives it a delightful finishing crisp.

Hong Kong Cart Noodle 4.2/5

A must try is the Hong Kong Cart Noodle, a popular street food originating in the 1950s. What stand out is the superb broth that is packed with depth and robustness. The beauty of cart noodle is that one can add anything into their bowl of noodle, and this comes with the choice of braised chicken wing, curry fishball, cuttlefish and braised beef. I love this so much that I gone back for a second helping.

Quail Egg Siew Mai 3.5/5

Pan Fried Abalone Cheong Fun with XO Sauce 4/5

Hong Kong cuisine is known for the dim sum and its inevitable that these needs to be on the buffet spread. The Quail Egg Siew Mai is a traditional dim sum that is hardly seen on the menu nowadays. My favourite goes to to the Pan Fried Abalone Cheong Fun with XO Sauce for its wok-hei, complemented by the excellent XO sauce.

Baby Lobster in "Bi Feng Tang" Style 3.8/5

Only available during dinner is the Baby Lobster in "Bi Feng Tang" Style. The bouncy flesh of the baby lobster is coated with lots of garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onion for an aromatic finish.

Braised Beef Rib with "Mui Choy" 3.8/5

While the Braised Beef Rib with "Mui Choy" is cooked until very tender, I feel that the braised beef rib shines on its own even without the accompanying Mui Choy.

Egg Waffle 3.5/5

For the dessert section, you can also find popular and traditional Hong Kong street snacks such as Egg Waffle, Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding, Bolo Bao, Egg Tart and Walnut Cookies. Let you into a secret, I like to have the egg waffle together with the durian pengat. It is just an heavenly combination.

Hong Kong Red Bean Rice Pudding, Bolo Bun, Egg Tart, Walnut Cookies

I would also recommend getting a cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea to go along with the desserts. It is a good chance of the usual kuehs and cakes on the dessert line.

Pricing
$60++ per adult and $30++ per child for lunch daily
$73++ per adult and $36.50++ per child for dinner Monday to Thursday
$83++ per adult and $41.50++ per child for dinner Friday to Sunday, Public Holidays and eves of Public Holidays

Note: This is an invited tasting.


AquaMarine
Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Level 4
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 68451111
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Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Matchaya @ Icon Village - The Must Go Place For Matcha Lover

Matchaya at Icon Village is opened by Kaelyn Ong and Kevin Chee. I got to know the couple through the many media events we attended as Kaelyn is a fellow food blogger who writes at https://myfoodsirens.wordpress.com/. The couple has since quit their full time corporate jobs and dedicate their time fully into the business, building up the brand from scratch. They even went around Japan to source for the best premium ingredients for their teas.

Matcha Milk 4.2/5

Matchaya started with doing pop ups and flea markets, followed by online retailing before moving into its current location. One of the earliest product is the Matcha Milk ($4.90) featuring premium and high quality milk tea. The strong and distinct matcha flavour gives the milk tea a bitter sweet note that is very refreshing. You can even opt to add an additional shot of matcha at $1. The other milk tea flavours on the menu are Houjicha, Royal Milk and Kuromitsu.

Houjicha Soft Serve 4.8/5

A must try at Matchaya is their Houjicha Soft Serve ($5.90). I have never known soft serve can taste so good with the nutty flavour of the houjicha, complemented by the smooth and creamy texture. This is probably the best soft serve I have ever eaten. I am so going back for more.

Black Sesame Tart 4/5

With the new location, Matchaya is able to offer more delectable bites on top of their milk teas and soft serves. There are Macarons, Ganache Tart and Brulee Toast on the menu too. I had the Black Sesame Tart ($6.20) which comes with a thick black sesame ganache. Every bite into it has that roasty aromatic perfuming the whole enjoyment.

Besides serving high quality premium products sourced from Japan, Matchaya also uses raw ingredients that are organic certified. No preservatives are used, and the sugar level in their teas is minimal.


Matchaya
Icon Village
12 Gopeng Street
#01-72
Singapore 078877
Tel: +65 98373187
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 8pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station: Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Peck Seah Street. Cross the road at the junction of Peck Seah Street and Gopeng Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Seasonal Tastes @ The Westin Singapore - A Taste of Taiwan

For a limited period of 10 days only (6-10 March and 13-17 March 2016), Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Singapore will bring the taste of Taiwan to Singapore. Playing host to W Taipei's Sous Chef Daniel who will be preparing authentic dishes from his home city on top of the International buffet spread.

Oyster Vermicelli 4/5

Oyster Egg Omelette 4/5

Mentioned Taiwan cuisine the first thought would be their popular street food. Bringing the night market snack such as the Oyster Vermicelli and Oyster Egg Omelette to the buffet table, means I need not buy an air ticket to fly to Taiwan to enjoy these well loved snack.

Braised Beef Noodle Soup 4.2/5

The highlight of the Tasty Taiwan has to be the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. The broth was rich and flavourful with a hint of spiciness. The chewy and stringy noodle, soft beef and most important the salted vegetable made this a delicious bowl of noodle.

Vegetable, Pork Strip, Crispy Fried Egg Soup 4/5

An interesting dish is the Vegetable, Pork Strip, Crispy Fried Egg Soup. This is a dish that I have not seen before. The thicken soup is hearty and comforting. The starchy soup reminds me of the Taiwanese Geng, soup thicken with starch. A popular street food in Taiwan.

There are many other Taiwanese cooked dishes among the buffet spread such as the Five Spices Cold Pork Sausage, Taiwanese Run Spring Roll, Popcorn Chicken, Four Assorted String with Herbs. Fried Bee Hoon etc.

Dragon Phoenix Leg 4/5

A classic Taiwan dish is the Dragon Phoenix Leg or simply Crispy Stuffed Pork Drumstick. Back then chicken was considered expensive, hence the local created the dish using minced pork in lieu of chicken thigh.

Milk Tea 3.5/5

Besides the well-loved Taiwanese street food, Milk Tea is also globally popular, especially with the youth. Hence it is not surprise to see many milk tea stalls even in Singapore. Therefore it is fitting to have these popular drinks available for diners showcasing the taste of Taiwan.

Peanut Mochi 3/5

Wrapping up the journey to Taiwan is a selection of the desserts such as The Peanut Mochi and Pineapple Cake. These are iconic Taiwan pastry even holiday makers will bring back as souvenir for friends and family members. Now you can eat to your content at Seasonal Tastes.

Pineapple Cake 3/5

Tasty Taiwan is available for dinners only from 6-10 March and 13-17 March 2016 from 6pm to 10pm at Seasonal Tastes, Level 32 at $78++ per adult.


Seasonal Tastes
The Westin Singapore
Level 32
12 Marina View
Asia Square Tower 2
Singapore 018961
Tel: +65 69226968
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Nearest MRT: Downtown (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Downtown MRT station. Take Exit E. Turn left and walk down Marina View. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]