Snack Review - Meiji Matcha Azuki Choc

After dinner at Yayoiken, we went to browse at MEIDI-YA supermarket so I could check out what's new in the snacks scene. I found this small box of Meiji chocolates which contains sweet dried red beans enveloped by matcha-flavoured chocolate.

Meiji Matcha Azuki Chocolate

Matcha (Green Tea) & Azuki (Red Bean) has always been a brilliant pairing, so this box of chocolates did not disappoint. The matcha chocolate was not overly sweet and the dried red bean centre makes the snack feel somewhat healthy, so it was easy for me to pop the chocolates one after another into my greedy oral orifice. 

I finished the box in less than 10 minutes and it satisfied my sweet tooth sufficiently.

Dining Out - Yayoiken

Before going for the comedy show, HC and I went to Yayoiken at Liang Court for dinner. This Japanese restaurant chain is popular and well-reviewed because they serve tasty Japanese set meals at prices that do not break the bank.

I got the Saba Shio set which costs only $9.90, which is a steal compared to other Japanese restaurants. HC got the Nasu Miso & Hokke Teishouku ($15.90), which has a portion of grilled hokke fish and a stir-fry of egg plant, green peppers and thin pork slices in miso sauce.

Saba Shio Set

I enjoyed my Saba Shio set. The mackerel was cooked perfectly, with the skin crisp and the flesh juicy and tender. The accompanying miso soup was not too salty and easy to drink. I stole a few bites from HC's selection and found her choice to be tasty too.

This is a great place to grab a healthy Japanese meal without burning a hole in the wallet. I can predict I will become a regular patron of this chain of restaurants.

Yayoiken (Liang Court)

Address: #B1-50, Liang Court, 177 River Valley Road Singapore 179030

Phone: 6338 7170

Cafe Hopping - Stateland Cafe

After lunch at The Hangar, we went to nearby Stateland Cafe for dessert, which is popular because of its waffles.

To share, we got the Blackforest Waffle, which is topped with Belgian chocolate ice cream, cherry compote and chocolate flakes.

Blackforest Waffle

The waffle itself was decent and the Belgian chocolate ice cream was rich and decadent. You will enjoy this if you are a chocolate lover. Even though I only ate half, I found it to be a little too much. But to be fair, lunch was finished less than 30 minutes ago when we started on the waffle, so perhaps that was why I felt this way.

Coffee was not available when I was there, which is disappointing for a place that has the word Cafe in its name. There surly waitress did not explain the reason why, but I am guessing it was either the machine broke down or she had no idea how to operate it.

Stateland Cafe
Address: 30 Bali Lane Singapore 189866
Phone: 9296 4997

Cafe Hopping - The Hangar

After Mum's health screening appointment at Raffles Hospital, we decided to go to a nearby cafe for brunch. After seeing positive reviews for The Hangar on my food apps, I chose this cafe over the numerous other cafe options in the area.

From the Lunch menu, Mum picked the Kurobuta Ham Sandwich and I got the Lemongrass Steak Sandwich.

Kurobuta Ham Sandwich & Lemongrass Steak Sandwich

I didn't get to try Mum's sandwich but I did enjoy my own. Lemongrass grass fed steak, caramelised onions, shimeji mushrooms are sandwiched between two toasted slices of bread with homemade steak sauce. It was a tasty combination. I did not bother with the fork and knife given, but ate with my hands, biting into my sandwich with gusto.

I also ordered a special iced coffee concoction, a new invention by the cafe owners. It was their specialty drip coffee shaken with orange juice. The taste was...interesting. Not particularly tasty, but I would not say it was bad either. It was a good thirst quencher.

The friendly barista asked me for feedback on the orange coffee when I was paying and I could only offer a polite "interesting". The drinks menu also listed a couple of other unusual coffee inventions. Clearly the owners are passionate about experimenting with coffee.


The Hangar
Address: 25 Arab Street Singapore 199724
Phone: 6291 0127

Cafe Hopping - Woodshed

After our bak kut teh meal, we headed to the adjourning cafe to grab coffee. Outside the cafe, they had a blackboard sign that advertised a 10% discount for patrons who flashed the receipt of the bak kut teh restaurant.

Mum got a Hazelnut Latte, the Younger Sis got the Genmaicha and I got my usual Cappuccino.

Cappuccino

I wish I could have gotten dessert to go with coffee, but we were all too stuffed to stomach any. Mum's Hazelnut Latte was nice, but the Genmaicha was too milky for my liking. My cappuccino was good.

This entry is pretty lame. Sorry.

Woodshed

Address: 204 Rangoon Road Singapore 218451

Phone: 6299 4308

Dining Out - Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House

Brunch with the Mum and the Younger Sis today. We drove to Rangoon Road with the intention of breaking fast at one of the hipster cafes, but saw Ng Ah Sio and decided to go here instead for nostalgic reasons.

Dad used to bring us here when we were young and taught us the art of brewing tea while enjoying the delicious bak kut teh. Without him to carry out the tea ceremony, we started to bicker over the correct way to do it until the friendly server stepped in to correct us and offer her assistance.

Yummy Bak Kut Teh Spread

Apart from getting a bowl of pork ribs soup each, we also ordered pork skin (delicious collagen goodness), tau kwa pok, preserved vegetables and blanched lettuce to share.

This place made headlines when it turned down then Hong Kong Chief Executive, Donald Tsang's request to dine at the place after its usual operating hours in 2006. He eventually got to dine at the place 5 years later and his successful second visit also made the news.

Somehow in my memory, the food tasted better when I was young. How I yearn for those days and those times.


Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House
Address: 208 Rangoon Road Singapore 218453
Phone: 6291 4537

Show Time - The Lady of Soul & Her Ultimate 'S' Machine

Watched the 5th and final The Studios: fifty play with the Playmates today, which is Tan Tarn How's The Lady of Soul & Her Ultimate 'S' Machine.

The Lady of Soul & Her Ultimate 'S' Machine

The play touches on the themes of censorship, bureaucracy, sex, homosexual relations, communism - subjects that are largely taboo in our nation. It is about a nation's search for "soul" in order to become a vibrant nation, with the task executed by the ridiculously redundant committees, sub-committees and sub-sub-committees typical of those found in the local civil service.

Watching the play, I was reminded of the government spending $400,000 and months working on renaming the revamped Marina Bay area in 2005, only to conclude the massive branding exercise by deciding to stick with Marina Bay.

As S astutely pointed out, the fact that the political satire held such relevance more than 20 years after it first premiered in 1993 showed how little the civil service and our society has changed.

You would think that the funniest character in the play would be the cross-dressing Madame Soh, who sexually harassed all other male characters as part of her his in-your-face persona. But I felt that the characters that provided much of the comic relief in the show were the 2 female minions, who wayang-ed on cue. After all, the funniest jokes are also those that ring painfully true.


The Lady of Soul & Her Ultimate 'S' Machine
Event Date: Thu, 7 - Sun, 10 May 2015; Thu & Fri: 8pm; Sat: 3pm & 8pm; Sun: 3pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio