Mid-Autumn 2018

Yesterday was the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 though it usually takes place after Hungry Ghost Festival – today is the last day. Two more weeks to buy mooncakes as Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 24 Sep (Mon). What stood out at this year's Takashimaya Mooncake Fair was that many added macadamia nuts to their traditional mooncakes without salted egg yolks, and most of the lotus paste was too sweet for my liking. To indulge your loved ones who should not be eating sweet stuff, try the a-tad-sweeter mooncakes from Shangri-La Hotel or The Ritz Carlton. Or get the ones from Mandarin Orchard, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant by Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel or Golden Peony by Conrad Centennial Singapore if you do not have a sweet tooth. Could not resist the latter's 40% discount and got its Golden Peony Traditional Baked Treasures, choosing the champagne cream box over the crimson red one for the 4 pieces of mooncakes in different flavours. Hoping to reuse the box, just like the one from Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore that I bought 2 years ago.

Chinese New Year 2018 – Goodies Galore

Familiar names at Takashimaya's Chinese New Year Festive Celebrations include Bengawan Solo, Christine's by The Cookie Museum and Home's Favourite. Instead of presenting two boxes of cookies in a tiffin-looking tall box, HarriAnns uses real tiffin this year. There were also many salted egg yolk baked and fried goods, and more stalls selling healthier choices. Despite reducing the amount of sugar in its eggless cookies, Divine Cookies' cookies were not bland – crumbly Coffee Baileys cookies with a lovely aroma and taste of coffee, and refreshing Yuzu Orange. A tad expensive though. I like Coco & Frank's flourless cookies without colouring and preservatives, and will be buying its Macadamia and Earl Grey Almond cookies (could smell and taste the tea with real leaves in it). As three beautiful tins can be packed into a complimentary gift box, which can go into a "Fu Dai" bag, am undecided between the Salted Egg and refreshing Tangerine Dark Belgian Chocolate cookies for my third tin.

Mid-Autumn 2017

It is the time of the year again, to visit Takashimaya Mooncake Fair. Loved Shangri-La Hotel's handcrafted silk boxes with pearl buttons as handles to pull open drawers of mooncakes, and Peony Jade's baked premium mother of pearl white lotus paste with melon seeds mooncake. New flavours from the latter include mini snowskin mango mousse, passion fruit and coconut as well as mini snowskin crème brûlée and blueberry cheese. Not only are Sze Chuan Court by Fairmont Singapore's snowskin and baked white lotus paste with single yolk and macadamia nuts mooncakes shaped like peaches, its boxes (except the premium mooncake box) is also shaped like a peach. Reminiscent of the spice trade along Singapore River in the 1800s, Summer Palace by Regent Singapore's mini- and regular-sized mooncakes are individually packed in round and square metal tins respectively inside a carry-and-go pine wood box. I liked its mini snowskin signature black sesame paste mooncake but found the baked white lotus paste mooncake a tad sweet.

Chinese New Year 2017 – Goodies Galore

Now that the Christmas feasting is out of the way, it is time to indulge in Chinese New Year (CNY) goodies. There were a few stalls at Takashimaya this year that I do not recall seeing previously such as Frenzies, Kele and Nature's Krafters. The latter is a Singapore company that harvest Bentong ginger from the foothills of Malaysia's Bukit Tinggi where the air is crisp and the water pure, into different forms – powder (also available with molasses sugar), fermented slices (with honey or honey and lemongrass) and mixed with other natural ingredients. Probably the beverage we would need to aid digestion after over-eating. Tried Kele's golden pineapple balls, supposedly the best in Singapore, for the first time and was surprised I did not find them earlier. Now, it ranks among my favourites.

Mid-Autumn 2016

Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 15 Sep this year. While the Takashimaya Mooncake Fair usually starts during the Hungry Ghost Festival, the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown only take place after. Was looking for above-average mooncakes in beautiful packaging and settled for Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore – two doors with knobs open to reveal two drawers that contained two mooncakes each. I would prefer two baked mooncakes each of white lotus paste with single yolk, and low sugar white lotus paste with macadamia nuts. However, flavours could not be mixed so bought the latter. At 25% off, it was reasonably priced. Grand Hyatt stood out from the rest in that there are 9 snowskin and 4 baked flavours for you to choose from. 8 mini snowskin or 4 traditional mooncakes fit into an exquisite box and flavours include snowskin black sesame, Buddha's hand truffle mooncake and traditional baked sesame lotus double yolk with bamboo ash mooncake.

Chinese New Year 2016 – Goodies Galore

With Chinese New Year (CNY) round the corner, have you bought festive goodies and new clothes? While I would not be able to help you on the latter, could share on the former. I went not once, not twice or even thrice but four times to Takashimaya's CNY Festive Celebrations. There seemed to be fewer stalls selling nuts, baked and fried goods. Instead, there were more dried goods and frozen seafood stalls with even SK Jewellery jumping on the bandwagon. What stood out this year was many stalls were baking pineapple tarts on the spot, so the place was filled with the aroma of butter and sweet pineapple. I ordered the ones from SunnyHills, and kueh lapis from Bengawan Solo. As Kee Wah Bakery did not bring in its Chinese sweet crispies, I bought its pineapple shortcakes and almond crisps which I fell in love with after someone bought and brought it back from Hong Kong as souvenir.

Ginza Kuroson

Another new addition to the food and dining scene at Takashimaya is Ginza Kuroson, with another branch at Robertson Quay, by Henry Bros. Also behind Ryoshisushi Ikeikemaru at the basement of Liang Court and 3rd floor of Westgate, it is known for fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Opposite Patties and Wiches on the 3rd floor, the Japanese restaurant occupies the space vacated by Kinokuniya (on the 4th floor now) with French confectioner La Cure Gourmande's 1st Singapore store and Asia's 2nd after South Korea among others. Dropped by for late lunch on a weekend and was led to the long marble counter facing a display of gleaming seafood on ice. Could see the chefs prepare cold dishes and grill my order over charcoal though hot food is mostly cooked in the kitchen. Could neither fault the appetiser, salad and miso soup nor rave about its rice and pickles. Loved the chawanmushi and succulent salmon teriyaki with crispy skin but found the dessert of coffee pudding too milky for my liking.

Mid-Autumn 2015

The light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2015 on Sunday marked the first day of the 8th lunar month, though its festive bazaar and carnival started one day earlier. At the month-long Takashimaya Mooncake Fair that runs 'til 27 Sep, there are a few new participants such as Mandarin Orchard and Pantler. While some seemed to have used the same packaging as previous year(s) or made such minor tweaks that I was oblivious to, Tung Lok Group has new ones this year for its Perfect Duo and Bite-Sized. Loved Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore's tin box where local illustrator Jacqueline Goh captured the hotel's rich heritage, arts and culture in the multifaceted façades of the historic Bugis district. Interestingly, Sze Chuan Court by Fairmont Singapore's boxes reminded me of cheongsams and The Cookie Museum's resembled large books.

Three Little Pigs

I was at Takashimaya recently and saw many new additions to the food and dining scene there. One of them that caught my eye was Three Little Pigs, located at B2 where MOS Burger used to be and opposite Italian restaurant Domani. Dropped by today for a late lunch and was glad to be seated immediately as I was famished. While the menu was pork-centric, diners who are not fans of the meat need not worry as beef and chicken are also available. In fact, there are also seafood and vegetarian options. As for its signature tender pork chop, it is served with smoky sauce (supposedly) and sides of Submarine Baked Potato, House Pickles and Market Greens. And there are six toppings to choose from – Onion Marmalade at $16.80, Apricot Delish and Sultana Petso at $17.80, Garlic at Fungi at $18.80 and Champignon Red Wine at $19.90. My choice of Apple Beurre Blanc ($17.80) had crunchy, juicy and more-sweet-than-tart Granny Smith apples with white wine apple sauce.

Haha Thai

Chanced upon Haha Thai, on the 5th floor of Takashimaya where Korean restaurant Nolboo Hangari Galbi used to be, on a weekend night. Actually, it was the bicycles that caught our attention. The layout remained largely the same though yellow chairs now contrasted with grey upholstery, just like yellow cutlery holders in the shape of elephants on wooden tables. Black exposed ceiling, old-school "pipes" and naked bulbs stood out against exposed brick walls that had been given a white coat of paint. Having moved from Changi Village to Foch Road in Jalan Besar, this family-owned Thai restaurant used to be known as Hahaha Seafood Restaurant. Since the business branched out from a seafood supplier, seafood is a star on the menu. Upon placing our orders, a complimentary drink reminiscent of tom yum soup was served. This was followed by appetisers of otah, mango salad and clear tom yum soup (which we requested with chicken instead of the seafood options on the menu).

Chinese New Year 2015 – Goodies Galore

The Cookie Museum was strategically located at the main entrance of Takashimaya's Chinese New Year (CNY) Festive Celebrations so customers could sample and purchase without squeezing through the alleys. But there was none to speak, potential or otherwise, when I was there over the weekend. Could it be because most people would have tried its cookies before and needed no more convincing to buy? Doubt it was due to its atypical of the usual CNY goodies' packaging since Christine's by The Cookie Museum and Home's Favourite use similar colourful metal tins, and their stalls were packed with people jostling for samples. Near a side entrance where one of the cashiers was, Christine's by The Cookie Museum were giving out freshly-baked mini versions of the actual cookies. They were good, just like The Cookie Museum's sakura apple cookies, though I found both price tags too steep.

Mid-Autumn 2014

I have tried the traditional baked white lotus paste mooncakes in previous years and highlighted a few noteworthy ones including new creation flavours. As such, I only sampled a few at Takashimaya Mooncake Fair 2014 which runs from last week to Mid-Autumn Festival on 8 Sep. The white lotus paste this year was generally not too sweet with Cherry Garden by Mandarin Oriental's Traditional Mooncake with Low Sugar Silver Lotus Paste that stood out as the best for people who really do not have a sweet tooth or are not supposed to eat sweet stuff. Its Oriental Mooncake with Silver Lotus Paste, Yuzu and Melon Seeds was a tad sweet as regular (and not low sugar) white lotus paste was used. But none of the samples had such thin skin with a nice aroma that my eyes lit up. Most were just palatable, with some too thick and one even reminded me of the piglet in basket – a new flavour from Summer Pavilion by Ritz Carlton, Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin.

Chinese New Year 2014 – Goodies Galore

I know I should be writing about Chinese New Year (CNY) but have been dragging my feet on it and now, the festival is less than a week away. As I have tried most of the CNY goodies from stalls at Takashimaya's CNY Festive Celebrations in previous years, I would just highlight the new participants this year – 3 Bites Full, Fresh Seafood House, Kuuki which offers cookies (I tried and like the hazelnut ones) in transparent bottles with metallic covers and brightly-coloured stickers or colourful metal tins, Kuo Yuan He from Taiwan, Serenity Spanish Restaurant that opened its 2nd branch on the 5th floor of the shopping mall after VivoCity, and Yi Lai.

Mid-Autumn 2013 Part II

Today is the 1st day of the 8th lunar month, which means Mid-Autumn Festival is just 2 weeks away. Fret not if you are still undecided on what mooncakes to get this year because here, I highlight a few noteworthy ones from samples tried at Takashimaya Mooncake Fair 2013. For those who have settled on your choice, see Mid-Autumn 2013 Part I for local bank credit card discounts. Having already eaten traditional baked mooncakes from Hua Ting Restaurant by Orchard Hotel and sampled a couple from Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore, these were posted on my Facebook page. Of the traditional baked mooncakes I tried from Jiang Nan Chun by Four Seasons Hotel, Silver Lotus Paste with Honey and Pine Nuts as well as Silver Lotus Paste with Cassia Flowers, Oolong Tea and Melon Seeds stood out for their faint aroma. I liked Mini Snowskin White Lotus Paste and White Lotus Seed Paste with Black Sesame from Ritz Carlton too.

Ambush

I was intrigued by the catchy name of this casual European restaurant located on the 4th floor of newly-opened Jem, one of Singapore's largest suburban malls. After checking out its menu, my dining companions and I decided to eat there. Weekday lunch sets include a complimentary soup of the day and drink each. À la carte menu reminiscent of old-style newspaper offers a variety of fares such as Belgium moules and palourde (French for mussels and clams respectively), French entrées like Confit Duck Leg, Italian pastas, Spanish paella and Swiss-German wurst. The latter also includes German chicken schnitzels and pork knuckles as well as Swiss rosti among its choice of accompanying starch – other options are mashed potato, fries or pasta. Among us, we had three lunch sets and an à la carte dish. Except Ambush's Paella, the rest were pastas where we could choose fusilli, linguini, penne or spaghetti so our food was served quick enough.

Pique Nique

After a day of eating and shopping, my dining companion and I were more tired than hungry. It was time for dinner and we were in town where snaking queues were the norm for most restaurants. Pique Nique is no different most of the times I passed by the casual laid-back American eatery and whenever I went to buy its cookies in pretty boxes as gifts for friends. The branch at basement 1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City where Mac Donald used to be and opposite Kentucky Fried Chicken has a setting inspired by the Central Park in New York City. While that at JCube is a blend of nature with SOHO living so customers can experience the outdoors in the comfort of indoor dining. I have tried the afternoon tea at JCube before and did not think much of its sweets and coffee. As such, I ordered a Big Breakfast during my 1st visit to the one at Takashimaya.

Paul

More than a year since Paul opened on the 3rd floor of Ngee Ann City (better known as Takashimaya), queues could still be seen at this French bakery café unlike Ladurée that opened two months ago. Both are owned by French company Holder Group but the latter in Singapore only has a counter and a boutique on the 1st and 2nd floor of the same shopping mall. My 1st experience with Paul was in France and fond memories of its tarts and sandwiches meant I had them more than once during my Europe trip. In fact, was happy to see it in Kobe while on holiday except I was then looking for a place to eat Kobe beef. Visited the boulangerie / patisserie a few times in Singapore when the queue was short, so the wait time was still reasonable but I haven't had the chance to sit by the window yet. Could see splatters of gold against dark wood in the brightly-lit (with sunlight streaming in, ceiling chandeliers and wall lamps) place with comfortable seats and simple yet lovely table set-up.

Ladurée Revisited

It has been a week since the renowned luxury patisserie chain credited for inventing the double-decker macarons opened at Ngee Ann City, commonly referred to as its anchor tenant Takashimaya. Snaking queues could be seen at both the counter on 1st floor between Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and the boutique on 2nd floor. These are well-managed by staff despite having to split the queues so as not to block the escalators and other shops within the shopping mall. Without a tea salon for dine-in, I wondered why the queue was slow-moving. While some customers knew exactly what they wanted, others were not sure of the cost and packaging options. Hence, they could only ask the staff upon reaching the counter before deciding on the number of pieces and flavours to get. No matter how many the customers bought (a few were helping family and friends get their hands on the dainty macarons, might as well) and how fast the staff packed, there is only one cashier at each location.

Things you might want to know before joining the queue

New Kid on the Block – Ladurée

You might have already heard that renowned luxury patisserie chain Ladurée has opened today in Singapore. With a counter on the 1st floor of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City, between Chanel and Louis Vuitton and a boutique on the 2nd floor (will mostly be closed on 16-17 April for a private event). The former sells macarons while the latter, not a dine-in café, also carries non-food items such as home fragrances, tote bags and trinkets. Founded in 1862 and bought over in 1993 by French company Holder Group who also owns Paul bakery, it already has presence in Asia – Japan, South Korea and most recently Hong Kong. So this, in collaboration with luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass, marks its 1st foray into South-east Asia. Paul is on the 3rd floor of the same shopping mall while The Hour Glass has a shop on the 1st floor.

Chinese New Year 2013 – Goodies Galore

Used to bask in Chinese New Year (CNY) atmosphere at Chinatown's Festive Street Bazaar every year but now prefer the CNY Festive Celebrations at air-conditioned Takashimaya Square (B2) with tamer crowds. A smaller affair with fewer stalls and none selling clothes, potted plants and pomelos meant customers get a bit of everything here and less of the same. No more dizzying choices with just one to three stalls each hawking dried and waxed products, canned abalone and frozen seafood as well as mandarin oranges, noodles and decorative items. Other than a few Japanese stalls, participants this year include Macau's Choi Heong Yuen and Taiwan's Isabelle. Interestingly, Hong Kong's Eat Drink Tea sells neither tea leaves nor tea bags but sachets of organic white, green, red and black tea essences in pretty boxes. The only traditional nuts and preserved fruits stall, by King of Melon Seeds, also has childhood munchies in sampler packs.