Kite-flying with kids

I took a break from the monotony of Saturday mornings by doing some volunteering work. I went on a kite-flying activity with the kids and my colleagues at the Marina Barrage which ended in the afternoon with a tour of the area. The kid assigned to me, Ethann, who have never flew a kite before surprised me when he managed to fly it at the second attempt without my help and he stayed a good few hours under the sun after that. Ended the day in the cinema with the hubby to watch The Bourne Legacy. It was a Saturday well spent indeed.

Tonkatsu at Saboten

Curiosity has been satisfied last night as we were able to try out Saboten's tonkatsu dishes at the Changi Airport. From their website, " the deep-fried breaded pork cutlet comes in tenderloin and loin. The darker tenderloin has less fat, marinates well and makes for a leaner tonkatsu that is soft to the bite; while the lighter colour loin is firmer and is the choice pork fillet for the perfect traditional Tonkatsu. Pork of selected breeds is used and barley is added to the pig feed to give sweeter and tenderer meat and ultimately more delicious pork. And only mature pigs (180 days of age or older) are used for their juicier pork, which comes about from the higher fat content. More mature pigs also give pork meat of softer textures."

That explains why their meat is tender, juicy and has a soft texture which makes it seem like you are not at all eating pork. Despite being deep fried, you wouldn't get feel that oily taste lingering in your mouth at every bite. We were also instructed to pound the sesame seeds given to us in a bowl and pour 3 scoops of the tonkatsu sauce over it once done.

We had the Saboten Special set ($25) which consists of deep-fried breaded prawn, creamy crab croquette, deep-fried pork loin and pork tenderloin. The hubby ordered the seasonal Ebi Katsu Tenderloin set ($26) which has ebi katsu and tenderloin.

We started off the with the shredded cabbage salad which comes with two dressings: the yuzu and goma. You can combine them both but we preferred just using the former as it has that refreshing peanut, sesame flavor. Yuzu, on the other hand, is soya with lime. The rice, shredded cabbage salad and miso soup are of unlimited serving.

The deep-fried breaded prawn taste like your usual shrimp tempura but this one is more filling and crunchier to the bite. The rest of the fried stuff were not bad. Eventhough, we took time to enjoy our meal (read: eat at a turtle-like pace), the food remained crunchy.

Overall, the food being offered in Saboten didn't disappoint. And just us we are about to leave, we were reminded that the sets that we ordered came in with a dessert - a scoop of green tea ice cream which we  weren't able to finish as we are already full from all that tonkatsu goodness.

Hokkaido Fair at Tampines Mall

The Hokkaido fair is back in Tampines mall. And that means, I'd get to have that steaming bowl of miso ramen goodness again. I was there for lunch on a Saturday and only a few bowls were left. They only serve 30 per day per variant. Aside from ramen, there are other items on sale such as frozen seafood items, sauces, ice cream, croquettes, cakes, cookies, chocolates, snacks etc. The fair will run until 8th of July 2012.

From wiki: Hokkaido is renowned for the high quality and freshness of its seafood, as the cold waters surrounding Japan's northernmost prefecture are ideal for fish and sea vegetation.



Tonkotsu Spicy Miso Ramen at $13







 



long queue at the Zundo Ramen eat-in counter 

Food Post: Nando’s Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken

I am not really fond of chicken dishes and more often than not, when an all-meat buffet spread gets really overwhelming, I usually make a beeline for beef and pork instead. But with Nando's, it never fails to make my mouth water. The chicken meat is tender and grilled to perfection.

So, what makes the flavor really special? It's because of the peri-peri or the African Birds Eye Chilli which according to their website was discovered in Africa by the Portuguese. The news is, peri-peri doesn't contain any preservatives, colourants or artificial flavours.

The chicken is good as it is but if you are more adventurous, you may opt for the other peri-peri sauces: hot and extra hot.

The staff in Bugis Junction mall are attentive and the service is commendable. We went there on a Sunday evening. Although we always frequent the branch in Tampines mall, the experience is always good each and everytime.



Lemon and Herb variant





Medium Hot variant



Side dishes: Mediterranean rice and Peri-peri chips





Sauces



The Weekend That Was

Last weekend was a productive one in my book with the hubby being dragged into the activities lined up for two days. It started with an acupuncture session on a Saturday morning to a business talk then off to a dimsum buffet dinner with friends which led to a late night movie/drinking session in our flat. Having only a few hours of sleep, I was up early the next day, hours prior to my alarm clock going off. Fixed myself breakfast and managed to squeeze in skype sessions with my family and in-laws at the last minute before we headed to the Kerygma church service in Expo but not before grabbing a quick bite along the way as the hubby hasn't eaten anything decent after waking up late. The service started with a mass at 2:30pm followed by praise and worship. It was a good thing we made finally made it as our friend, Dennis has long been inviting us to attend. We left the "feast" with a light feeling after listening to the talk and being welcomed by new acquaintances and even by the pastor who took the time to talk to us. We had a bit of shopping at a nearby mall and tried some snacks while scouring about.

We ended the night with a hearty dinner with super friends at 5 Drunken Rabbits which is located near Car park D, Pasir Ris Park. As it was already dark, we had difficulty finding the new place. We find ourselves stuck in the middle of nowhere (mangrove area where you can barely see a thing). After scaring ourselves silly and finally being able to come out of that maze alive, we hailed a cab to get to the meeting place. We were the last ones to arrive but our orders came right on time as our friends had a good mind to order in our behalf.

We started with a platter of all things fried as a starter - calamares, fries, ebi tempura. I'm not sure about the rest as there were only a few left when we got in.

Pasta Carbonara

The Pasta Carbonara is better than Pasta Mania's. Generous serving. The strips of bacon and mushrooms were cooked well and not overdone. The cream was a bit on the heavy side and a bit salty for my taste buds.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

The thin crust was burnt and tasted like burnt crackers. The chicken toppings, generous. This tasted a bit bland though.

Ribeye Steak

The steak is good - moist and tasty with asparagus, dried tomato and fried potato chunks on the side. The sauce which came with it complemented the flavor.

And here we are with our friends halfway through our meal. The dinner is a pre-birthday celebration of Mitch who will be spending her birthday with the family in the Phils.

Overall, our dining experience was good. We just have one minor problem with the staff who doesn't seem to be happy being of service. But that is not a reason enough to spoil the mood. After all, it is the company not the food which makes up the dining experience. Our bill came up to $200 something with GST.

Asked if we will be coming back again, perhaps if we happen to be in Pasir Ris Park anytime soon.

The R&R Home: our biggest project to date

We're officially adults!

Sometime in April this year, my family went to Laguna to see how far along our Nuvali home is to completion. My sister gave a detailed account on her blog during their ocular visit. Aimee's post here



It started out like this



http://www.avidaland.com/Avida-estates-nuvali.php
http://www.avidaland.com/Ridgeview-estates-nuvali.php?press-release&id=3161

Happy Father's Day to my two fathers!

To Papa whose happy demeanor I probably took after, may you continue to be the voice of reason; the mediator or just simply the one who tells the corniest jokes even when the situation doesn't call for it. Creating this post brought up a Pandora-box worthy of memories like the time when I figured in an accident in high school and knowing that you've rushed to my aid had made that ugly experience less traumatic. You have been with me when I took 2 college entrance tests at that time when I have to get used to commuting which I really hate as I am prone to motion sickness even when still a child. Those plastics bags you kept with you became really handy. You were also with me come enrollment time in the university. It wouldn't really bother me if the rest of the kids don't have anyone with them and I was the odd one out.  When I was in college, you bought me a blouse and slacks which fit perfectly and have proudly showed it off to my classmates. You hated it when I come home late but I don't get a scolding (as you've already let off some steam having Aimee as the poor victim haha). And while you are out tonight with the family celebrating, may you always feel how well you are loved even when I'm not always there by your side.

To my other Dad who is miles away from us, I have been in awe as to how you command everyone's respect with your gentle-mannered ways. Whenever we talk on the phone, you always dispense sensible advices which I took to heart. Thank you for treating me as part of the family even way back.

Papa and Dad. Photo taken May 2011