Swensen's - Lobster Roll & Slipper Lobster Roll

So we were browsing through our Instagram account earlier in the week and we saw on the @ieatandeat Instagram account that they had tried a Lobster Roll at Swensen's.

WAIT! THEY HAVE A LOBSTER ROLL AT SWENSEN'S???

Well, apparently they have a 'Rolling In The Deep' promotion going on now. We of course had to visit ASAP because it was a limited promotion. We asked the staff at Swensen's and they said it'll be until the end of the month only. But apparently, the promo will last til the end of November!!
Still got time!!!

Lobster Roll ($21.80)

We kinda have thing for Lobster Rolls since started watching Food Network Asia on cable. It really bugged us that it was so difficult to get Lobster Rolls in Singapore. Growing popularity in Singapore meant quite a lot of places now offer Lobster Rolls on their menus but so difficult to find a Halal one!

We were lucky enough to taste one at Catch 'N Bite recently but now (at least til end of next month) we can head down to Swensen's to try their version!

The first thing you will notice is that they are VERY generous with their serving!
The succulent lobster meat is mixed in with a honey lime dressing which is actually very tasty because it has a zesty but quite mild flavour which doesn't overpower the lobster. Finished off with some butter oil!! Ooooh!

I'm guessing I don't have to tell you that the lobster meat itself was excellent! A nice firm texture with a great bite.

I guess the one issue I had with the Lobster Roll (and even the Slipper Lobster Roll) was the bread.
But a little more on that later okay.

By the way, this thing is huge! I had a problem picking it up let alone taking a bite of of it. Look at that and tell me how lah to put in your mouth to take a bite??

I ended up eating it with a fork and knife LOL :/

Slipper Lobster Roll ($16.80)

 

The 2nd offering for this promotion is the cousin of the lobster - The Slipper Lobster Roll!

The slipper lobster meat is mixed in with some creamy mustard dressing which I honestly did not think went as well with the slipper lobster compared to the honey lime dressing in the Lobster Roll.
It was a nice dressing no doubt and I love mustard but just a bit too over to be honest.

Again, comparing to the Lobster Roll, I didn't quite enjoy the Slipper Lobster meatas much as its cousin. It's because I'm uppity or anything like that lah okay.

The Losbter Meat I would compare the texture to crab. Firm and with a distinct flavour.
Slipper Lobster Meat is closer to prawn meat. A little more bouncy in texture. And I'm  not really a prawn guy so I guess that influences my decision a lot.

The roll is the same for both Lobster and Slipper Lobster Rolls by the way.
And speaking of the bread...

The bun they used is definitely a plus because it was perfect for a Lobster Roll.
I'm sure it started out pretty soft but they do toast it a little or at least put it on the grill to get some butter into it. Unfortunately, that's where they fall short.

The underside of the bun was toasted great with some butter in there to give it some flavour and a great bite when you chomp down on that sucker. But.... we wish the inside was the same... Or least with a little butter and on the grill for awhile to give it a little toast.... Found it a bit weird to be clean and dry on the inside...

But in the end, this is still the better Lobster Roll we've had so far!!

Adam's Verdict:
Lobster Roll 4/5 -- Slipper Lobster Roll 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Lobster Roll 4/5 -- Slipper Lobster Roll 3/5

Even though the Swensen's staff told me it's til end of October, I'm gonna trust the Swensen's website and say this promo will run til the end of November. So get your Lobster Roll fix and head down to Swensen's ASAP!!

PS OCBC Cardholders enjoy 15% off the Rolling in the Deep promo!

Say it with me kiddies...

I'M SO GOING TO SWENSEN'S!

Swensen's (ION Orchard)

ION Orchard
B1-31

www.swensens.com.sg
Tel: 68845967

Operating Hours:
10.30am til 10.30pm Mondays to Fridays
8.30am til 10.30pm Weekends and PHs

Sunshine Bakeries - Sprouted Wholemeal Series

Sunshine is a household name when it comes to bread and all kinds of tasty goodies.
I mean, who has not heard of Sunshine bread am I right??

We ate it while we were growing up. Mum made sandwiches for the picnic and for school lunches.
Even while serving National Service and even Reservist, Sunshine Bread was there as a night snack in the form of their Cream Rolls. And by the way - Top One bread is from Sunshine too!

Another thing that the Sunshine brand is synonymous with is healthy eating.
Their range of White, Wholemeal and even their Flavoured Bread (e.g. California Raisin High Fibre, Muesli, Milk Toast etc) ranges are enriched to give us a healthy edge.

And now, Sunshine is taking it to the next level -

I know you have all heard about Wholemeal and all the benefits that Wholemeal breads provide.
Sunshine Bakeries now introduces - Sprouted Wholemeal which takes the benefits of Wholemeal breads to a whole new level.

Let me tell you a little bit more about it.

The 'Sprouting' Process

I don't want to go into all the scientific terms and all that so I'm going to break it down for you the way I understand it (which is hopefully the simplest way!)

In the picture above, you can see the Sprouting process.
Whole grains are healthy but Sprouting is what unlocks the grains' nutrients and extra health benefits including a lower glycemic index (GI) and an increase in soluble fibre . This means that we will be able to digest it more easily and not put so much strain on our digestive system.

On top of that, studies by the US Whole Grains Council have shown that Sprouting increases folate, Vitamins B and C as well as iron and amino acids. Bottom line is that this is a breakthrough that will ultimately benefit us all!

Image courtesy of Sunshine Bakeries

Sunshine's Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal bread has 80% wholemeal flour.
Normally this might mean a slightly more 'chewy' bread but this bread is super soft!!
In fact, my household has gone through 3 loaves since I brought home the first loaf!

You can see that the bread is actually sliced quite thick but is still super soft!
Not only is it healthy but also tasty too! Eat it on its own or simply spread on some butter, margerine, jam, kaya, cheese or whatever tickles your fancy!

Sunshine also gave us the chance to sample some special creations made with Sunshine's Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal bread and they were actually quite delicious!!

Queen's Coronation Egg with Cranberries

Refreshing Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon Alfalfa Triangles

Peanut Butter Banana Marshmallow Toasties

Come on. Tell me you don't wanna try those mouth-watering creations...
From savoury and even a sweet treat!! And all so easy to make too!!
(Let me know if you need the recipes! Sunshine was kind enough to pass them to me!)

And if ready and on-the-go snacks is what you're looking for, then Sunshine has you covered!

Image courtesy of Sunshine Bakeries

Image courtesy of Sunshine Bakeries

Image courtesy of Sunshine Bakeries

The Choc Wholemeal Cream Roll range is here!
And the word Choc in front means that the bread is a Chocolate Roll!!

We have 3 cream flavours to choose from - Caramel Cream, Cocoa Cream and Coconut.
Caramel and Cocoa are pretty self-explanatory. The Coconut Cream is NOT KAYA (which I'll bet some of you might have been thinking) but it's actually a cream that has some coconut flavour and even some coconut bits in it. Creative!!

And in case you were wondering...

They are NOT stingy with the cream! Plenty to enjoy!

During my visit to the launch of Sunshine's  Sprouted Wholemeal Series, I heard from experts such as Cynthia Harriman, Director of Food & Nutrition Strategies at The Whole Grains Council and Ketki Vinayachandra who is a registered Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist and Iridologist .

The one message that got through to me what that we really need to pat more attention to what we eat and this means that even a small difference like the bread we eat can go a long way in better health for us and our families.

About a week has gone past since I brought back our first loaf of Sunshine Sprouted Extra Fine Wholemeal bread and we've bought another 2 loaves since then! Not only is it healthy but it's really tasty too. A little bit extra goes a long way!

Just try it and you'll see what I mean :)

You can scan the QR code above with your smartphone and get more information on this great new range from Sunshine!

Special thanks to Sunshine Bakeries for having me down!

Sunshine Bakeries

Tel: 6257 8455
www.sunshine.com.sg
www.facebook.com/SunshineBakeries

Swensen's - Soups & Salad

Don't ask us why but this post is all about soup and salad at Swensen's

Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon ($12.50)

I guess it all started when I felt like having, of all things, a Caesar Salad.
It's not that I don't like salad or veggies. I guess that for a meat eater like me, salad is normally on the side and not really the main dish.

Well the Caesar Salad at Swensen's can definitely be the main dish on its own.
The dish it comes in is enormous with extra large utensils for tossing too!

The lettuce was extra crisp and the egg, cheese and croutons really go well together. Plus we all know what a sucker I am for smoked salmon so that was definitely a winner.

And the Caesar Salad dressing comes separately so you can choose how much you want to add. Awwww... Swensen's is so considerate!
By the way, the sauce was delicious so you'll probably end up using all of it anyways.


You can also have the version with Breaded Chicken or Fish ($12.00) or if you're feeling like a rabbit that day, you can always have the plain Caesar Salad ($10.00). No prizes for guessing which one I strongly recommend (Pssst it's the ssssmoked ssssalmon...)

Clam Chowder ($9.40)

Something I order often (more often than the salad) at Swensen's is the Clam Chowder.

I just find it so hearty and warm plus I really like Clam Chowder. Just so happens that they make a pretty good one at Swensen's! Doesn't that look so inviting or is it just me??

The chowder is nice and thick and creamy. The clam flavour is just right and it's not too overwhelming but if you'd like you can always add a nice big dash of pepper no problem. I've a feeling that once you take your first spoon, you're going to keep going until it's all gone.

The Clam Chowder is served in a Sourdough bread bowl. This means that you have some bread to dip into your chowder and you can even EAT THE BOWL too!

SERIOUSLY!! NO JOKE!!!

Well, I'm gonna stop talking about the Clam Chowder because it's making me feel like having one right now.
Let's move along shall we?

Creamy Mushroom Soup ($9.40)

Looking for something a little bit more classic?
Well, you can't get more classic than a creamy mushroom soup am I right?

This isn't exactly the stuff you get out of a Campbell's can I confirm that for you first of all.
This is a really good tasting soup which is nice and rich and has a very strong mushroom flavour.
It's served in a Sourdough bread bowl just like the Clam Chowder so you're all set to get filled up!

My Sister-In-Law even goes as far as to say this is the "best mushroom soup" she's ever had!

Adam's Verdict:
Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon 4.5/5 -- Clam Chowder 4/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Creamy Mushroom Soup 3/5

Eriyana's Verdict:
Creamy Mushroom Soup 5/5

So this post is only about a salad and some soups but you can see that even without the main dish, it could very well be more than enough to fill you up!

Swensen's

Changi Airport Terminal 2
Mezzanine Level, Arrival Hall North,

Tel: 6542 8219
http://www.swensens.com.sg

Operating Hours: 24 Hours Daily

Istanbul Gourmet

So it seems that a lot of people remember 'that Kebab shop from Simei Eastpoint' even though it closed down quite awhile back and Eastpoint itself is undergoing major renovations.

Well I'm not sure how many people knew but the one at Eastpoint was apparently just a smaller branch.
The main restaurant is actually at Joo Chiat Road! I actually walked past the one at Joo Chiat awhile back and I made a note to bring my darling wife there one day but I had no idea at all that it was the same place! Founded since 1999!

Open for so long means they should be doing a thing or two correctly am I right?

So anyways they opened a new stall at Changi City Point recently and since I spotted it, I've been hearing nothing but praises from people about their Laksa! Hmmm... well let's see what the fuss is about.

Chicken Kebab ($4.50)

So when I think Turkish food, i automatically think of Kebab.
Kebab actually refers to the sliced roasted meat so you can have many many different types of Kebab including more common ones like Doner, Roll, Kofta, Iskander and Shish.

The Kebab here at Istanbul Gourmet is the Doner version which is basically the meat and veggies in between some flatbread or pita bread.

The chicken meat itself was quite tender but I felt it was lacking in flavour. Maybe I was expecting too much after all the good reviews I had been hearing. I saw that the chicken was being cooked in the traditional way on the rotating roasting spit and the meat was definitely not over-cooked and still juicy.

Or perhaps the lack of seasoning in the chicken meat was intentional?
The description on the menu says "Freshly-baked bread with with choice of chicken or mutton. Topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes and Istanbul Gourmet's signature salad dressing".

Well I'm not 100% sure but I think it was just mayonaise and chili sauce in there.
And some pieces of potato! (Which was a welcome surprise)

Mutton Kebab ($6.50)

I normally go for the 'other' kebab instead of chicken. So this is normally lamb, beef or in this case - mutton.

As it's quite safe to say, the mutton was not cooked the same was as the chicken meat on the rotating spit.
This mutton was minced and scooped out of a warmer when I ordered so I'm not really sure how it was prepared.

Anyways I have to say that this was the first time I was having MINCED meat in any kebab.

What I can tell you is that it is definitely more flavourful than its chicken meat counterpart.
You can really taste the spices in the meat but unfortunately since it's minced, you don't really get to take a nice big satisfying chomp into the meat.

For both versions of the kebab, they give you a nice soft bun which unfortunately gets a bit soggy by the time you get home. Because there is no seating area at the Changi City Point outlet ("No Frills Dining"), you'll have a bit of a challenge if you're gonna buy back some kebabs to bring all the way home.

Maybe you might consider eating it on one of the benches in the mall so you can enjoy it fresh?
But then you'll have the challenge of not looking like a clown because kebabs do tend to be a little messy in nature if you're eating it especially in public. Having sauce dripping down your chin onto your clothes would be a nightmare so be careful! :)

PS you can add Cheese to your Kebab for an extra $1.

But hey what about this Laksa I was hearing about so much eh???

Istanbul Laksa ($4.00)

Hmmmmmmm...

Well so basically this is their take on the local favourite - Laksa.

One of the special things about it is that they put a serving of the Chicken Kebab meat and some fish cake so you have some extra bite. No prawns or cockles. Just Chicken Kebab meat.

Okay I can't avoid mentioning it anymore. What's up with the oil??
That's quite a layer of oil am I right? And I'm not sure where the oil is coming from...

Once you actually dig in, the Laksa gravy is actually quite tasty!
It's got quite a unique taste to it... Not like your typical Laksa. A bit of a tangy/spicy hint to it.
Take a bit of getting used to but I guess it was tasty enough that you keep going spoon after spoon after spoon til it's all gone!

And as you can see from the picture, the oil was just the top layer so I'm not sure where the oil came from.
Perhaps from the Kebab meat? Hmmmm.... Anyways just like the Chicken Kebab, the meat was not really seasoned very strongly so it contributed nothing to the taste of the Laksa. Just some meat to munch on.

My darling wife didn't have much but after a few spoonfuls she commented that it didn't taste the same as what she remembered from the old days at Simei Eastpoint.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Kebab 2/5 -- Mutton Kebab 2/5 -- Laksa 2.5/5

I wasn't really impressed with Istanbul Gourmet on this visit. Especially since it was the founder, top chef and big boss - Mr Henry Teo - who was behind the cooking counter when I visited (I recognize him from his picture on the name card). I guess maybe I set my expectations really high but having to bungkus makes a difference.

But I do intend to visit the Joo Chiat restaurant because I really feel not being able to eat there makes a big difference to the food. Plus there are some items that seem really interesting... Like the Beef Bomb!!
Hope my 2nd try of Laksa goes better!

Istanbul Gourmet

5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Changi City Point
B1-20

Tel: 64406026 / 98410260 (Mr Henry Teo)
www.facebook.com/istanbulgourmetsingapore

Operating Hours:
10.00am til 10.00pm Daily

EpiKebabs

Does anyone remember the kebab shop that was situated at Peace Centre along Selegie Road?
It was called Sultan Kebab and it was really popular because it had some delicious kebabs.

Well, for those of you who go to Peace Centre now looking for it (like I did), you'll find out that it's already closed and before you start Google-ing to find out where they moved to, let me save you the trouble.
The owners of Sultan Kebab actually closed shop because they returned home to their native land from what I heard.

But fret not!

Just a little further up, you'll find Wilkie Edge which houses the new incarnation of Sultan Kebab.
They call themselves - EpiKebabs. And before you start thinking that this is just a joint that's trying to capitalize on the popularity of Sultan Kebab in the area, think again.

Photo from EpiKebabs

For those of you who have ever been to Sultan Kebab, you're definitely going to recognize that dude there.
That's Safak - one of the 2 regular faces you would have seen at Sultan Kebab.

The owners of EpiKebabs are good friends with them and obviously there has been some knowledge passed down so rest assured that this is not someone trying to copy the original. Think of it more like... Kebab v2.0!

Kebab Roll ($5.50)

Just like the original Sultan Kebab, they have choices for you.
Roll, rice, sandwich or salad. And of course, either beef or chicken.
If you're really a carnivore (like us!) you can opt for the mix of beef and chicken!

So the roll is as expected. Some veggies, sauce and the MEAT!
EpiKebabs takes a new turn by throwing the roll under a Panini toaster to give the wrap a little go.

The wrap overall does bring back memories of Sultan Kebab.
The first thing I notice is that the size of the roll is a little bigger. The meat DOES bear a resemblance in taste to the original as well but I actually would have like a little more sauce.

My darling wife who normally doesn't go for kebabs actually enjoyed this one. He favourite of the day.

Kebab Sandwich ($6.00)

The Kebab Sandwich also come with your choice of meat (beef/chicken/mixed) with veggies and sauce.
It's basically a kebab with Panini bread instead of a wrap.

I'm not too sold on the Panini though. But still good for those who like something a little more filling than a roll... And speaking of filling...

Kebab with Rice ($6.50)

This is something I used to have at Sultan Kebab.
They serve some meat with veggies and rice. It used to be white rice at Sultan Kebab but they've updated it to a more fragrant and tasty rice here at EpiKebabs.

The reason I always used to order this is because I can really enjoy the flavour of the meat.
I used to get them to squirt some mayonaise over my meat at Sultan but I opted to keep it 'clean' this one time because I really wanted to taste the flavours at EpiKebabs.

I've always preferred the beef at the original shop even though it was always a bit on the dry side.
It had a good flavour and that's still the case at EpiKebabs.

The chicken is still juicy and tender and has a nice flavour to it. If you're like me, then you'll consider yourelf lucky if you get the slices where some of the outer layers have just charred up a little on the roaster.
Nice big juicy bite of flavour right there!

They also have salads by the way!

Adam's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 4/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 3/5 -- Kebab with Rice 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 4/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 2/5 -- Kebab with Rice 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Kebab Roll 3.5/5 -- Kebab Sandwich 2/5 -- Kebab with Rice 2/5

My brother really misses Sultan Kebab.
He says that everything seemed a little better at the original (like most cases).
But for those of us who still want a good kebab, at least we know we can still go to Selegie and grab one.
Or three.

And here's a tip, they always make less beef than chicken every day so if you're a beef person, make sure you go early to get your fill of cow meat. (Anyways, the chicken is pretty good too).

EpiKebabs

Wilkie Edge, 8 Wilkie Road #01-17
Tel: 8575 6393
https://www.facebook.com/EPIKebabs

Operating Hours: 11.00 am til 8.00pm Monday-Saturday
Closed on Sunday

Blue Diamond Restaurant: Naan and Butter Chicken

My Dad, Brother and myself went to Blue Diamond Restaurant with the intentions of having biryani for our next installment of the Quest for Briyani series (which will be posted soon).

But my Brother decided to try something else at the same time.

Garlic Naan ($2.50)

Oh I love Naan. And apparently so does my Brother!
There's something about freshly baked bread that just does it for us I guess. Fresh and hot!

The garlic flavour is not too strong on this one so those 'vampires' among you need not worry.
My brother says this one is a bit too dry though. And we LOVE our garlic so I guess this was a bit of a letdown for us.

Butter Chicken ($6.00)

When someone says Butter Chicken, I always imagine some pieces of chicken swimming in a butter sauce. Well technically, this is exactly the same description but definitely more vivid.

The butter sauce is delicious in my opinion. It's buttery and still have the spicy taste you expect.
It's not too spicy though so you don't have to worry. In fact, my Dad says it's sweet!

It goes really well with the Naan and surprisingly well when I paired it with my briyani too!

Adam's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 3/5 -- Butter Chicken 4/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 2/5 -- Butter Chicken 3.5/5

Zain's Verdict:
Garlic Naan 4/5

I have a feeling we will be going to a few more places for Naan and Butter Chicken..

Blue Diamond Restaurant

24 Buffalo Road
(Across from Tekka Market)

Operating Hours: 9.30am til 10.00pm Daily

Bismillah Sarabat Stall

When I was a young kid of about  8 or 9 or 10 years old, my Dad used to take my brother and I fishing or on picnics which involved fishing. And this meant that sometimes we'd end up going to Changi Beach.
And on the way to Changi Beach? Changi Village Food Centre.

For years upon years, Changi Village Food Centre was mostly known as "the place to makan Nasi Lemak".
And I guess that's definitely what it was famous for but by no means was Nasi Lemak the only thing that was worth making a stop for.

My Dad introduced us to Roti Cheese.
Seems like a simple concept right? Bread and cheese. How good can it be?
Damn good that's how good.

We're talking about Kraft cheese and Planta margerine in between original Bengali-baked bread.
A combination that really works I tell you.

And back then, it seemed like only one stall was left to carry on this tradition. I'm not sure about other places in Singapore but I've never come across another stall or shop in the East that sells this.
When the old Food Centre was going to close, we asked the people running the stall and they mentioned they probably would not be returning when the new place opened. My Dad and I thought this old tradition would be lost forever.

But great news - they lied! (Which is a good thing)

Roti Cheese ($1.00 each)

Well apparently the authentic 'Bengali-baked' bread make a difference. They were known for the breads and this stall claims to get their supply from an authentic Bengali bread-maker. It has this slight sourdough smell/taste which might put some people off I reckon but it's still delicious.

Just by the look you can tell that this stuff is the real thing.

Open it up and find the treasure.

Slices of cheese are slathered in a nice thick layer of Planta margerine.
And the secret to this special combo? It HAS to be Planta margerine and it HAS to be the box type of Kraft Cheese. Not the tin but the box!

Now I know the box and the tin varieties of Kraft cheese do taste very slightly different and I'm not sure how much difference it would make in Roti Cheese but this is the way these guys have been making it since before I was born so I'm not going to knock their best-selling method.

And the legend of this Roti Cheese?
As I was queuing up to buy some food, I noticed this old-timer going from one coffee stall to another asking if they "jual Roti Cheese?" (sell Roti Cheese?). Two stalls later and it looked like he had given up.

I called to him and pointed him towards Bismillah Sarabat Stall and told him to get his fix there.
He made his way there, looked at the signboard then turned to me and gave me the thumbs up while smiling.

They also have a Kaya version by the way but the Cheese is the bomb.

Adam's Verdict:
Roti Cheese 4.5/5

It used to cost $0.60 each when I was a kid and the price slowly went up with the times.
It's now $1.00 each which you might think is steep for some bread and cheese but those of you who have had it will know it's worth it.

A glass of kopi or teh plus some Roti Cheese and as my Dad would say, "Wah! Stoned, boy!"

Bismillah Sarabat Stall

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
Stall #01-25

Operating Hours:
6.00am til 12.00am Daily