Krispy Kreme Singapore: Part I

Krispy Kreme has got plenty of fans in Singapore and it's little wonder why. When they opened their first store at Tangs Orchard, it was to much fanfare! And even more joy when their 2nd store opened in the CBD!

And now, as you would probably have heard by now, Krispy Kreme Singapore is opening its 3rd store and it's going to be at Changi Airport Terminal 2! Set to open in early August!!

And to celebrate Krispy Kreme's first store in the east side of Singapore, we've decided to give a rundown on some of the staple range of doughnuts on offer! Plus it's a chance to look at some photos of some realy yummy doughuts! LOL!

And we start with what is our fave doughnut and probably the same for a lot of you as well.

Original Glaze

One of the simplest yet most delicious confectioneries on the face of this planet.
The Original Glazed from Krispy Kreme is a legend. Just a nice thin layer of sugar glaze on a super soft doughnut. No way you can go wrong. So simple and so good!

Powdered Strawberry Filled

A doughnut with Strawberry Jam filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar!
A classic for sure! They have a Blueberry version too by the way!

Chocolate Iced Glazed

Chocolate lovers looking for something simple but still getting your chocolate fix?
Well, this is the doughnut for you!

Red Velvet

 

I'm guessing this is another fan favourite. But I think most people tend to forget that this a cake doughnut so it tends to be a bit more crumbly since it's pretty much a cake. Read more about our first encounter with it HERE.

New York Cheesecake

Cream cheese filling in a doughtnut topped off with some apple crumble!
Definitely one of the more creative and tasty doughnuts on the line-up!

Chocolate Dreamcake

Another one for you chocolate lovers! Chocolate Icing with chocolate filling and chocolate shavings! No wonder they call it the Chocolate Dreamcake!

Cinnamon Apple Filled

I actually quite like this one. Maybe because I like apple fillings (like apple pie) and I also like Cinnamon too!

Well there you have it people. Part I of our rundown of the doughnuts you might get yourself at Krispy Kreme! Hope we get to go through Part II soon!

And don't forget to visit Krispy Kreme's newest store located at Changi Airport Terminal 2 set to open most probably in early August! Look for out a special contest on The Halal Food Blog's Facebook page where you stand a chance to win some Krispy Kreme merchandise!

Penang Culture Part II

Earlier this year, my darling wife and I visited Penang Culture for the first time.
We enjoyed it so much that we went back again and this time we brought the whole family!

Armed with a hearty appetite and a whole menu of goodies to choose from, we were in the mood for a feast! We ordered some familiar favourites from our first visit like the Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles, Char Koay Teow and Penang Assam Laksa.

These are the new dishes we tried for this visit;

Assam Curry Fish Head ($25.95)

The biggest dish we ordered for the night's meal was the Assam Curry Fish Head.
Quite a few Fish Head expert eaters in my family (not me by the way) so this was an obvious choice for the Penang Tze Char section of their menu.

The fish head was really fresh and a good size. The menu says it's enough for 2 pax but I think you can easily share between a few more (unless you think you can whack the whole head alone!).
The Assam Curry was also very tasty and even though I am not a fan, I found myself scooping up the gravy more than a few times myself.

Penang Special Fried Rice ($7.65)

You'll find pineapple, raisins, chicken and prawns in this special fried rice.
I guess it's something to order if you're not in the mood for just plain rice.

Penang Thai Apple Chicken with Rice ($6.95)

Mein Brudder decided to order this dish because it actually sounded quite nice when we chanced upon it in the menu.

You have a nice chicken fillet that has been coated and fried to a nice crispy outside but still tender on the inside. Then it's topped off with some special 'homemade' sauce made up of apples and onions.
I guess this kind of reminds me of Thai Style Chicken when we have Tze Char but instead of the sweet Thai chilli sauce, we have this special apple sauce instead. Not too bad actually.

Gong Bao Mantis Prawns ($10.65)

This was a dish we didn't get to try on our first visit because it was sold out.
That's right - this dish is so popular that it sells out!!

And I have to say - I can see why it's so popular.... It's delicious!
It's actually prawns that have been coated in this special batter and then fried to perfection. And it's still crispy eben though it's completely covered with sauce! For this one, it's Gong Bao sauce but they also have Black Pepper and Lemon versions too!

Mein Brudder made a good observation when he compared this to the Coffee Chicken from Royal Kublai Khan restaurant.

Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong ($7.95)

Here's a favourite with a lot of people but it's becoming quite difficult to find a Halal place which has it. Well at least now you know you can come to Penang Culture!

Generous serving of greens but as usual there's never enough cuttlefish to go around.
Cos we're all so greedy :P

Pink Guava Ice Blended, Lychee Ice Blended, Bandung Chin Chow Ice Blended ($5.95 each)

Some cool refreshing drinks to wash down all the yummy food!
The Pink Guava was tangy and the Lychee was great because it was tasty and you actually get bits of the fruit so you know they use the real fruit in the ice blended.

The Bandung Chin Chow was a bit disappointing because it ended up being a little bland.
Maybe we've all got a sweet tooth.

Adam's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 5/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 3.5/5 --
Penang Special Fried Rice 2/5 -- Assam Curry Fish Head 3/5 -- Lychee Ice Blended 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 4.5/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 2/5 --
Penang Special Fried Rice 3/5 -- Assam Curry Fish Head 2.5/5 -- Pink Guava Ice Blended 3.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 5/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 0.5/5 --
Penang Special Fried Rice 2/5 -- Assam Curry Fish Head 1/5 -- Assam Laksa 1/5
Penang Fried Koay Teow 1/5 -- Penang Thai Apple Chicken with Rice 2/5

Yana's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 4/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 1/5 --
Penang Special Fried Rice 3/5 -- Assam Curry Fish Head 4.5/5 -- Assam Laksa 4/5
Penang Fried Koay Teow 3/5 -- Penang Thai Apple Chicken with Rice 3/5 --
Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles 3/5 -- Bandung Chin Chow Ice Blended 0.5/5

Dad's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 3/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 1/5 --
Assam Curry Fish Head 3.5/5 -- Assam Laksa 3/5 -- Penang Fried Koay Teow 3/5

Mum's Verdict:
Gong Bao Mantis Prawns 4/5 -- Penang Cuttlefish Kangkong 1/5 --
Assam Curry Fish Head 3.5/5 -- Assam Laksa 2/5 -- Penang Fried Koay Teow 3/5 --
Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles 2/5

Both my Dad and Mum agree that the dishes here due have some authentic flavours of Penang but because they do mix it up (e.g. Thai cuisines etc) perhaps some of it is lost in translation. Short of making a trip to Penang, I guess this is a pretty good place to go to for Penang cuisine.

 Penang Culture

Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure
Viewing Mall Level 3
#036-087-01

Tel: 6546 7793
www.penangculture.com.sg

Operating Hours: 10.30am til 10.00pm Daily
Last order at 9.30pm

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

Swensen's - Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Spaghetti Aglio Olio ($12.50)

Okay so Swensen's is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of pasta.
But since the revamped their menu a few years back, they have quite a few pasta dishes to offer.

Favourites include their Crayfish Pasta, Black Pepper Seafood Pasta and Baked Rice choices.
But one pasta dish that most people seem to enjoy is Aglio Olio.

The Spaghetti Aglio Olio at Swensen's is quite a generous serving actually.
The pasta was okay and the mushroom and garlic flavour really do come through very well. A little bit on the salty side though...

One thing to note is that it is quite spicy! If you look closely, you can see the cut chili padi!

Maryah's Verdict:
Spaghetti Aglio Olio 2/5

I guess there may be other places for you to have a better dish of pasta but if "you're SO going Swensen's" then you know that have a pretty decent one to offer if you really want some pasta.

Swensen's

Changi Airport Terminal 2
Mezzanine Level, Arrival Hall North,

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

Operating Hours: 24 Hours Daily