Cleanse Bar...

After all the binge-eating, my weight rose from 62kg to 68kg in just a short span of one year. The changes/symptoms were very prominent. Besides growing horizontally, I realised I was easily out of breath and I wasn’t as agile as before. This was a wake-up call for me to stop my unhealthy lifestyle. I began exploring dieting methods on the net and I came across an article talking about ‘Juice Cleansing Diet Plan’ which instantly sparked my interest. Apparently, it is a detox program whereby you slowly eliminate solid (toxic) food for a liquid (juice) diet. Even though this program may appear to be very easy, you still have to go through all the trouble of cutting the fruits, ensuring the correct proportion of fruits to mix, and spending money on a Cold Press Machine. Why go through all these hassle when you can get the juices conveniently?

Located within myVillage Shopping Centre, Cleanse Bar offers an extensive range of freshly squeezed juices at a very reasonable price. Their special bundle - Beauty Up, Body Shaper & Cleanse Body is relatively affordable, going at 5x500ml bottles for only $35 which I believe all health-enthusiasts will be excited about. Just tell them your preferred detox program, they will prepare your cold-pressed juices in no time! Also, the management of Cleanse Bar are advocates of customer loyalty, therefore utilizes Advocado (www.advocadoapp.com) to retain and reward their loyal customers. Do you want to redeem a Free Bottle of Freshly Squeezed Cold Press Juice from Cleanse Bar? Read on to find out more! It is as easy as 1,2,3!

Your healthy diet starts today! Here is Cleanse Bar's 1 day Kickstart Programme! 6 Bottles for $60! The juices are labelled from 1-6, and you just have to drink accordingly to the numbers. Strictly no intake of solid food in order to achieve maximum effect. I know it’s really hard (because I’ve try it) but it is worth it. No pain no gain! You don’t have to worry about how awful the juices are going to taste because they were really quite nice. I was initially very sceptical about the juice that was made from different vegetables but it turned out perfectly fine. Honestly, it was very refreshing, especially on a scorching hot afternoon! Verdict: Not all healthy drinks are disgusting! 

The fruits are blended via the Cold Press Machine. All the nutrients are trapped in the machine!

The residue (solid remains of the fruit) exits from the pipe, as seen in the picture.

Look at the fresh juice coming out from the machine. Anyway, this was the ‘Cleanse Up’ juice, made mostly from vegetables. 


They are making the juices from the “Body Shaper” category. I bet all the ladies will be interested in this!  

At the end of your cleansing week, reward yourself to an iced cold avocado milkshake! Cleanse Bar has a $3 (S) & $4 (L) Durian Avocado Milkshake which was super addictive. The durian flavour was strong and rich. 

*HOW TO REDEEM A FREE BOTTLE OF FRESHLY SQUEEZED COLD PRESS JUICE?

Don't say I BOJIO! Click on my referral link and you will get a Free Bottle of Freshly Squeezed Cold-Pressed Juice. Here's how you can claim it. https://www.advocado.me/#/refer-invite/89dc27fb-731f-4e1f-9073-f45a741a80ce




Nearest Mrt Station: Serangoon
Location: 1 Maju Ave, Singapore 556679 #01-08
What To Order: Cold Press Juice
Overall Rating: 8/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Crab Corner & Heavenly Duck Corner...

Father’s Day is just a few weeks away and have you planned a surprise for your dad yet? If you haven’t, you might be interested in this article, especially so if you are residing in the West. Nestled in the extreme West of Singapore, Crab Corner & Heavenly Duck Corner is a dual restaurant that offers an extensive range of affordable Chinese delights bound to tantalise your taste buds. You can satisfy both your cravings for crabs (Crab Corner) and authentic Hong Kong cuisines (Heavenly Duck Corner) under the same roof. So, surprise your dad with a sumptuous spread of Chinese dishes at Crab Corner & Heavenly Duck Corner this Father's Day!

Your dad will definitely be happy and impressed with the food at Crab Corner & Heavenly Duck Corner. The Executive Chef has a strong and rich culinary background in Hong Kong, and that explains why the dishes here are top-notch. My tummy was very satisfied and I believe you will too!






Four Heavenly Kings Platter // $48
When you can’t decide which to order, just go for the platter because you get to try everything. Honestly, the Four Heavenly Kings Platter is really very value-for-money! At only $48, you get to sample Roasted Duck, Char Siew, Pork Belly and Roasted Chicken. Since its Father’s Day, you should surprise your dad with this platter. Trust me, he will be very impressed. It’s really hard to pick a favourite because every meat was so delicious. If I had to choose two, I would pick the Pork Belly and Char Siew. The Pork Belly was very crispy and it was not oily. Its inner layer was soft, juicy and tender. The Char Siew was well-marinated and flavourful. The sauce wasn’t too sweet and it complemented the Char Siew very well. This platter is a MUST TO ORDER!

Honey Sauce Pork Ribs // $14.80 (S) & $20.80 (M) & $26.80 (L)
The picture tells you everything. Just look at the glossy glaze on the pork ribs and you know it is going to blow your mind away. The pork ribs had a subtle tangy flavour and it wasn’t too sweet. The meat wasn’t too tough or too soft, and it was very flavourful. Definitely goes very well with a bowl of rice, or maybe two!

Claypot Curry Fish Head // $26.80
You can easily eat two bowls of rice with the curry sauce alone. It was very addictive! The curry was aromatic and flavourful. On the other hand, the fish head wasn’t overcooked – the meat wasn’t too tough or too soft. It also has this natural sweetness which goes well with the curry! 

Claypot Chilli Crab // Seasonal Price
If you prefer your Chilli Crab sauce to be a little too watery, you will love this version of Chilli Crab. Even though it was fragrant and flavourful, I found the sauce to be too watery for my liking. Perhaps watery because of the fried mantou? The crab was fresh and the meat falls easily from its shell. 

Stir Fried Mushroom Fish Maw with Broccoli // $10.80 (S) & $15.80 (M) & $18.80 (L)
I was glad that the sauce wasn’t too starchy or sticky. The mushroom and broccoli wasn’t overcooked.


Prawn with Cereal Flakes // $14.80 (S) $20.80 (M) & $26.80 (L)
They were very generous with the portion of prawns they gave. The only thing I thought could be improved was the crispiness of the cereal flakes. If it was crispier, I would have love this dish even more since it was already fragrant and flavourful.




Nearest Mrt Station: Joo Koon
Location: 1 Joo Koon Circle #03-26, Singapore 629116
What To Order: Four Heavenly Kings Platter, Claypot Fish Head & Pork Ribs
Restaurant Rating: 3/5
Food Ratings: 8/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Hyde and Co...

With the recent economic downturn, we witnessed a huge surge in the number of F&B businesses ceasing their operation. Running an F&B business is never an easy task. You have so many things to worry about – lack of manpower and tough competitions. Since I’ve been in the industry for quite some time now, I know exactly how difficult it is to find a committed and passionate full-time staff nowadays. Even if there’s a pool of readily available foreigners, you might not have the sufficient funds (levy) or quota to hire them. Besides, you also have to constantly revamp your menu to stay competitive in the market.

With that in mind, Hyde & Co returns with an entirely new digitalized concept – “Take Hyde Out”, which features a takeout concept with its unique Modern Singaporean cuisine offerings packed in customised and quality take-away boxes, providing guests an option for dine-in or takeout. They will also be moving towards more technological innovations such as using Facebook Messenger Chatbox to strengthen customer engagement and marketing efforts as well as introducing a 100% online platform to solve manpower issues.

Hyde & Co.’s new menu will only feature a creative and mouth-watering selection of Pastas and Pizzas which includes Modern-Singaporean creations like The Bomb (essentially Chye Poh Prawn Omelette Pizza) and my favourite – Geisha (Salmon Mentaiko Pizza). Nestled at 785 North Bridge Road, Hyde & Co. is the place you should check out for lunch next week. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

This is the customised packaging you will see when you dine in or take-away at Hyde & Co.. It’s very environmentally-friendly!

Hyde's Chilli Crab Pasta & Firecracker // $22.90 each
This picture actually shows two different types of pastas (tasting portion) available in Hyde & Co.’s new menu. Personally, I preferred the Chilli Crab one to the Firecracker one. The Chilli Crab Pasta was aromatic and very flavourful. I love the subtle spiciness that hits right at the end. It was really addictive. On the other hand, the Firecracker was not too bad but I thought it was a little bit too spicy for my enjoyment. If you are one that can take spicy food, you would probably love this!

Gnocchi "Mee Rebus" // $21.90
This picture (tasting portion) does not do the mee rebus any justice! The sauce was really good, not jelat after a few mouthful. I love the sambal sotong which was spicy and flavourful! I could lick the whole bowl clean.

The Bomb // $13.90 (S) & $26.90 (L)
If you are a hardcore Chye Por fan, you will fall in love with this! They were very generous with the ingredients (chye por and prawns) on the pizza. If I can have a cider or beer with me, I can easily finish half of the pizza by myself. The chye por flavour was really strong and it matches the pizza very well. A must-try!

Geisha // $14.90 (S) & $27.90 (L)
Everything in this pizza works perfectly! I was initially quite sceptical about the burnt broccoli but it matches the Norwegian Smoked Salmon and Mentaiko Mayo very well. One bite of it and you can’t stop. 


Hyde's Kaya Toast // $15.90
What I need to satisfy my sweet tooth. The kaya toast was soft and fluffy, and it goes very well with the coconut & anzac cookie ice cream in which the texture was very consistent! 

This is what an actual portion will look like. The sauce will be separated from the pasta if you are having it take-away, preventing you from having soggy pasta! You will be served similarly (in their customised packaging) if you dine in at Hyde & Co.




Nearest Mrt Station: Bugis/Lavender
Location: 785 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198753
What To Order: Chilli Crab Pasta, The Bomb & Kaya Toast
Café Rating: 3.5/5
Food Ratings: 8/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Gills N Shells...

It’s been two years since I last visited Gills N Shells and I must say, they have definitely improved over the years. Tucked at the back of Hotel Boss, Gills N Shells is a laid-back and modern restaurant bistro that offers Western-Asian seafood fusion dishes at a very reasonable price. Their attractive happy hours promotion also makes them a popular spot for office personnel to hangout after work.

Gills N Shells has recently revamped their menu, with the addition of several new bar bites as well as the ‘All in One Seafood Basket’ for the seafood-lovers. Their signature dishes (also my favourites) such as the Grilled Tiger Prawn with Salted Egg Pasta, Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab and Spicy Buffalo Frog Legs are still available in their new menu. So, celebrate your TGIF with your friends at Gills N Shells this coming Friday!


In frame, the new ‘All in One Seafood Basket’ and Gills N Shells’ signature dishes – Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab & Maine Lobster Aglio Olio. Of course, you need drinks to go with your food. I would highly recommend their Beergarita which I always order everytime I visit Gills N Shells. Away from the hustle and bustle, you can spend some private & quality time with your friends!


Beergarita
This is what you will need on a hot scorching evening! This drink is super refreshing!

Salmon Skin
This is one good bar snack! When you are in a bar, you would definitely want to munch on something when you drink. The new Salmon Skin from Gills N Shells is so addictive that once you start, you can’t stop! It was flavourful and very crispy!

Crab Nachos Chips
The combination was flavourful! The shredded crab meat was sweet and juicy, and it paired well with the spicy jalapeño which hits right at the end. The chips were also very crunchy. Ps, soggy chips are horrible! This definitely calls for an iced cold beer!

With such serenity and view, you can definitely unwind yourself after a long day of work! By the way, I really liked their Long Island Tea!



Grilled Tiger Prawn with Salted Egg Pasta
This is one of my favourite dish at Gills N Shells two years ago and I finally got to try it again. Like what I have said earlier, they have really improved! The salted egg flavour was very aromatic and it was very strong. You can taste the salted egg flavour in each strand of pasta. Very flavourful! Highly recommended!


Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab
You will either like or dislike this dish! Not many people can take the smell and taste of Hae Bee Hiam. The Hae Bee Hiam flavour was really strong and rich. The soft shell crab was super crispy, even though we left it on the table for quite a while!



Maine Lobster Aglio Olio
If you compared this pasta to the ones that I have mentioned, this pasta will be at the losing end. I thought the flavour can be a little stronger and the lobsters were really tough. 


All in One Seafood Basket
For only $88, you get to have a basket of Boston Lobster, Snow Crab Leg, Prawns, Salmon Fillet, Oysters, Mussels, White Clams and Scallops. My favourite has to be the Mussels, Salmon Fillet, Prawns and Scallops. The mussels were really soft and juicy. The salmon fillet wasn’t fishy and it was very soft. The prawns were very fresh and the scallops were huge. This seafood basket is very value-for-money. Great for sharing within 3-4 people!

So what are you waiting for? Head to Gills N Shells for some good food and drinks this Friday!




Nearest Mrt Station: Lavender
Location: Hotel Boss
What To Order: Salmon Skin, Salted Egg Pasta
Restaurant Ratings: 4/5
Food Ratings: 7.5/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)

Nesuto...

Whenever there’s a new dessert café in town, my antenna picks up straight away. Located at a corner in Tras Street, Nesuto is a cosy and dainty café that specializes in exquisite cakes and entremets. I fell in love with their pastries when I visited them during their soft launch. Not only were the pastries aesthetically-pleasing, they were very pleasurable to the taste buds. Also, you get to pair your pastries with teas from Antea Social. What I liked most about Nesuto is that they are very receptive to customers' feedback. Improvements were made to their pastries after looking through all the customers' response and opinion.


 I foresee myself returning for their pastries a few more times. Definitely not sick of the desserts here!



Madeleine
Simple-looking but this Madeleine was jaw-dropping delicious. It was soft, fluffy and not too sweet. I need a pot of tea right now!

Noisette Rocher
Chocolate-lovers will fall in love with this! It has a strong hazelnut flavour which lingers in the mouth. I thought it was going to be sweet and jelat but I was wrong. It turns out to be very addictive. The crust and mousse definitely complemented one another very well.

Suzette
The newly-improved Suzette is so much better than the one during their soft launch. It was not sweet and the flavours were well-balanced. I love the subtle flavour of the Orange Caramel as well as the crunchy Chocolate Pearls which made the Suzette very memorable.


Le Omm
This was my favourite dessert at Nesuto. The Matcha Cake was super delicious. If you prefer your matcha cake to be sweeter, you will definitely like this! The azuki beans and rum matches the matcha cake very well. It was soft, fluffy and not too watery. A must-try!

Blush Berry
The Blush Berry was nicely baked, a balanced sweet-sour flavour, and a nice smooth and soft texture which was very pleasurable to the taste buds. Also, it is super pretty. 

 
Coco Nata
If you are a fan of coconut, you might want to try this! Behind the light silky coconut mousse lies an aromatic caramelised banana cream imbedded in the centre!  

Goma Cake
As usual, the cake is moist and fluffy. The Goma Cake was soaked with a strong black sesame flavour which hits the palette very well. One bite calls for another!


Yuzu Raspberry
Didn’t expect Yuzu to marry so well with Strawberry. Both flavours complemented one another very well. It was not overly sweet and very flavourful. I could finish one slice all by myself!

Chocolate Fondant
Nesuto is launching their plated dessert soon and here’s a sneak preview of one – Chocolate Fondant. It was moist and chocolatey rich!




Nearest Mrt Station: Tanjong Pagar
Location: 53 Tras St Singapore 078992
What To Order: Cakes & Entremets
Café Rating: 4/5
Food Ratings: 9/10

Written by: Yong Wei Kai (Follow me on Instagram @yongweikai or @sgcafehopping)
Powered by Blogger.