Gusto Italiano 2013 Giveaway - 2 pairs of passes to Chef Mario Caramella's culinary workshop.

If you are a fan of Italian cuisine, you will be glad that there's great offerings now at the inaugural Gusto Italiano. There's going to be lots of 'Eataly' Dining Promotions, Italian Culinary Masters Worshops, Italian Wines Pairings etc.

Readers of Keropokman.com, here's a giveaway for you!

If you have been following me on Instagram, you would know that I like attending culinary workshops. I find myself always so excited when I am at a class. It's also very enriching to learn from the masters themselves. They have so much tips to offer you. Looking at this list of "Flavors of Italy Culinary Workshops" listed at their website, there are 4 workshops a day on the weekend of 21 and 22 September 2013. I am going to the one by Chef Mario Caramella. He was previously at Forlino and now at "inITALY Ristorante". He's going to prepare 2 dishes: Dish 1 - Chitarra Antica Cocco Spaghetti With Shiro Lobster, Botarga, Broccolini, Garlic and Chilli Dish 2 - A Carbonara Recipe, With Burrata

The organisers of Gusto Italiano 2013 are giving readers of Keropokman.com a pair of tickets (worth $50++ per pair) to 2 winners. All you need to do is just fill up this FORM HERE! They will take care of all the logistics and contact you if you are a winner too!

Here are the details:

Gusto Italiano Culinary Masterclass by Chef Mario Caramella of inITALY Ristorante
Date: 21 Sep 2013 (Sat)
Time: 12 pm
Venue: TOTT Cooking Studio, 896 Dunearn Rd, Singapore 589472.
Entries close at 11.59pm on 31 Aug (Sunday).

I'll see you there if you are the lucky winners!

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Looking through the interesting line up, I am also going to "Gifts of the Forest with the wines of Fontodi".

Chef Beppe de Vito of ilLido will be featuring a range of ingredients from his home region. Take a look at the menu that's been published. It looks like my kind of food. I think you would be quite tempted too! Date: 11 September 2013 Time: 7pm Venue: ilLido

If you want to read more, you can visit http://GustoItaliano.com.sg/
Prefer getting Facebook updates instead? Visit https://www.facebook.com/GustoItalianoSG

Supreme Pork Chop @ 67 Beach Road (Basement)

The wife always complains that every time a food court near her work place renovates, the prices of food goes up double digit in percentage. So when it's not too busy a day, she and her colleagues will walk a bit further to get cheaper food.

She was telling me that she has been she has been eating the Pork Chop Rice and Fish Fillet Noodles since it was from Shaw Towers to Bras Basah Food Court to Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park, Middle Road and now to 67 Beach Road.

It's something that she and her colleagues are familiar and enjoy the taste of the food because it's come a familiar taste. I finally got to try it the other day when we were in the area and I thought might as well try it.



Pork Chop with Fried Rice, Coleslaw and Egg. ($4.50)

A reasonably priced meal for folks who work in the Suntec area where food court prices are around $6-8 for something similar.

I ordered the works because I wanted to try the egg too. Without the egg, it's $4.
The fried rice is so so, but what people like is the deep fried pork chop.



You can see there's no thick layer of flour coating, it's simply meat.
The flavour is that of simple home cook meal. A simple but well seasoned piece of meat that has been deep fried. Brings back memories of childhood kind of food.



Noodles with Fish Fillet. ($4.00)

It's thick noodles with slices of cabbage and simple brown sauce over it.
The wife orders this just because of the "mala" chilli paste that comes with it. That shiokness and numbness attracts her. She likes the fish that's deep fried too.



She and her colleagues will always order an extra portion of the fish ($3) to share. She did the same thing when I was there eating with her.

The pieces are big, with a medium size piece of fish and quite a bit of batter that that has some sesame seeds. I am 'pai kuan'. I ate the crispy part of the batter and the fish but not the batter, cause I am not a fan of doughy stuff. I know many love doughy stuff just like the wife.


Supreme Pork Chop
67 Beach Road
(enter via the steps that goes to the basement)
Singapore 189688

Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) Triple Benefits Discounts

How many of you are 'points and miles' junkies like me? I was influenced because of one colleague whom we call him 'Miles' because he's a points and miles addict. He has incredibly accumulated so much Krisflyer points, he flies Business and First Class for free. He also has 'diamond' and 'platinum' depending on which hotel loyalty program you are looking at. During our lunch time, we hear about his experiences in staying in upgraded suites in hotels etc. The effort and calculation of maximising earnings is incredible that it's beyond us, totally another league of craziness.

I am not that crazy in my miles and points collection. I only have 'Gold' for HiltonHonors, which I quite enjoy the privilege it gives me. Recently I found out that I could just stay one night more and I could also get 'Gold' for my Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) loyalty program. I have booked a holiday in a Le Meridien property on a nice little island 3 hours from Singapore, as I wanted to travel there as Gold, so I have booked myself that one more stay to get myself upgraded first.

Following the footstep of my colleague, I was clicking around calculating points when I realised that I could request for my physical loyalty card now. It arrived last week and I got to design my own card. I chose the photo of the card, and it's one of the destinations I want to go!



Oh what a coincidence when SPG PR company emailed me if I could share the SPG Triple Benefits Discounts with my readers. I saw that it's quite attractive, so here it is.

Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®), which is the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, just announced its new “Triple Benefits” dining offers for members. For three months, starting from 1 July, 2013, SPG members will enjoy three exclusive benefits whenever they dine at one of 650 participating restaurants and bars in Starwood Hotels and Resorts around the globe.

In Singapore, St Regis Singapore, W Hotel Singapore and Sheraton Towers Singapore, all under the shelter of Starwood brand is participating this campaign.

More from their press release:

Each participating venue will offer three Food and Beverage (F&B) benefits, including a standard venue discount of 15-30% discount. During this three-month promotion, SPG members enjoy additional 2 other perks ranging from a free meal for kids under six, 50% savings for kids under 12, bonus Starpoints when dining in a group, a 15% discount on a relaxing spa treatment, and a complimentary glass of wine or a cheese platter.

It does sound like a good deal doesn't it? If you have kids, the deal looks good. I have recently dined at La Brezza and Brasserie Les Saveurs at St Regis and also Skirt at W Hotel Singapore. The wife said it's been some time since we dined at Yan Ting (St Regis) and Li Bai (Sheraton). I was at Li Bai recently but she hasn't. So a 15-30% off dining here would be good isn't it?

If you are traveling overseas, you can also save a bit when you dine at restaurants in the Starwood properties you are staying in. It's quite a good deal isn't it?



This is one of the 2 SPG cards that I have. One a member since 2003 that I use for hotel stay. This one since 2012 that I use when I dine at SPG. I should merge my accounts to get maximum benefit.

For more information:
- SPG Restaurants and Bars, visit SPGrestaurantsandbars.com
- SPG Triple Benefits, visit spg.com/triplebenefits

Mooncakes Season 2013

The Mooncake season is almost here again and everyone's starting to think of where to buy this season's mooncakes from. Some people will stick to the same one and some will try new brands that they did not try last few years.

This week, the wife and I are already going to place orders so that we can get the both sides of parents, our uncle and aunties mooncakes. Yes, every year we do spend quite a bit of money on giving gifts. It's good that both the companies we work for, our HR organises bulk purchase that gives up to 30% off. We need to order them early to get discounts.

Here's some Mooncakes that my family and I have tasted over the few weeks. It's also to help you as you navigate through varieties available for sale.

1) The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Mooncakes by Summer Pavilion

We know of a friend whose family only gets Summer Pavillion's goodies. Some of you regular customers will be glad to know there's new flavours to try this season. Summer Pavilion has a new signature "Mini Snowskin Royal Milk Tea and Seaweed Mooncakes with Snow Lotus Seeds". Yes, it's a mouthful. That's the long name of one mooncakes and not two. (6 pieces for $48)



Also, regulars will be glad to know that their old favourites like Snowskin Lycheetini and Green Tea mooncakes will still be on sale this season.  The Summer Pavillion Mooncakes are handcrafted by Chef de Cuisine Fok Kai Yee and his team.

My mum used to make her own mooncakes and yes, I do know how to make them too after watching her. It's hard work. It might look easy as you see them knock the mooncakes out of the wooden or plastic moulds. It's not really that easy. I have destroy and wasted quite a few mooncakes. Sometimes it's easier to leave it to the professionals to do it. 




Many people decide on what to buy because of the boxes. My wife is one of them! You might be one of them as well. I am sure you have many colleagues who 'chope' boxes that your vendors might have deliver to your office too.

The Ritz Carlton boxes this year has a leather like cover with velvety feel inside. A very classy and yet contemporary gift for someone important. Maybe your boss, your future in laws.



Doesn't it just look beautiful? No restaurant name or brand stamped on to it, just a nice flowery design.

What about the taste of this new flavour: "Mini Snowskin Royal Milk Tea and Seaweed with Snow Lotus Seeds"? Someone was asking me and I replied it this way. If you have tasted the higher end Milk Tea (hint, the Japanese brand that starts with K, that also sells beer), it's almost like that. It has a aromatic fragrant yet it was not too overpowering taste.



That's how it looks when you cut it open. The bits in the centre are the seaweed. I was wondering wondering why the seaweed was not as I imagined. I am not a pastry chef, so I talked to one. I explained the texture and Aha!  she knew what it was, but was not going to let out their trade secrets. So I still don't know what kind of seaweed it is.  The 'seaweed' is crunchy,  delicate birds nest kind of crunchy, but without the salty taste you associate with seaweed. Go sample and try it out. Interesting!

For more information, surf on to Ritz Carlton's dedicated Mooncake website (https://www.rcmilleniapresents.com.sg/mooncake/index.html) for prices and early bird discounts. 

If you want more detail ordering information, you can call Summer Pavilion at +65 6434 5286 or email them at rc.sinrz.summerpavilion@ritzcarlton.com


2) Sheraton Towers Singapore Mooncakes by Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant

If you are looking into old classics, Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant might be what you are looking for. Probably suited for older folks or people you know are more traditional. Maybe if you have a traditional boss.



This year's box is a nice auspicious red box that is rectangular, compared to last year's squarish box. It has a nice Li Bai logo in the middle on top of the box. Classic, clean lines box design.

Li Bai's mooncakes are handcrafted by Chef Chung Yiu Ming and his culinary team.



It fits 4 mooncakes inside and the box also has a soft feel to it. It has 4 compartments after taking out the mooncakes, so ladies know what they can do with it.

OK, I admit, guys do like boxes too. I also know what to put inside, my techie stuff that I feel deserve a nice cosy resting place. It's upcycling these boxes right?

Out of the 4 flavours that Li Bai provided us, here's two that took to our family's delight.



I had more senior folks come over our place to try out these mooncakes. This was their pick. My uncle likes this Traditional Baked Mixed Nuts. Yes, it's an acquired taste and only certain people will like it. This year, they have a new twist to it, it's Mixed Nuts with Iberico Ham.  (4 pieces for $60)



I have tasted some of these mixed nuts mooncake since young, all sorts from different places, but I still it's not for me. My parent's generation who knows how to appreciate will says it's nice. Maybe when I get older, I will start to appreciate it. Of course different people likes different combination or ratio of the nuts and ham. This version is with Iberico Ham was OK with them. Do you think your folks will fall in love with it?



For some reason, this "Traditional Baked Yellow Lotus Seed Paste with Black Dates, Dried Longan and Wolfberries" did resonate with me.  (4 pieces for $57)

It's simple, yet I found it pleasantly good. I think it's probably the yellow lotus seed paste has a slight hint of the other ingredients. The lotus seed paste is still the main star here. I imagine if there's too much wolfberries, dates and dried longan, it will taste like a longan and dates drink instead. This was just nice for me.



Very nice thin layer of skin and the yellow lotus seed paste that has dates, dried longan and wolfberries in it. It was not too oily nor was it too sweet for me. Go try and see if you like it.

For more details, surf on to Sheraton's Tower Singapore's website.
If you want more detail ordering information, you can call Li Bai at +65 6839 5636 or email them at mooncake.singapore@sheraton.com


3) Butt Mooncakes by Hong Kong's Goods of Desire.

These are the cheekiest mooncakes I know this season. Definitely not for your bosses or parents / grandparents. Unless you are known to be the cheeky ones at home.

These mooncakes are made in Hong Kong and shipped in. They are made by Mei-xin Fine Goods which I read is a household brand in Hong Kong.



If you are a bit more 'banana' like me, you won't know what 'Ba Ye Shi Wu' (15th of the 8th Lunar Month) means. My colleagues saw this package arrive in the office and was laughing away. I asked why and he told me, if you wear your shorts or pants and accidentally exposed your buttocks, most people say, 'ba ye shi wu'. 

Now that you know it means exposing your butt, Goods of Desire is play with the word and created these Butt Mooncakes. Each mooncake has a lotus seed paste with a single egg yolk.



There are 4 'butt' designs available, namely一筒Bunny, 不求人Cover-Up, 单吊T-back and卡窿The Split. The one above is 'Bunny'. They cost $14.50 each or a box of 4 for $52. Creative and cheeky eh?

I wanted to laugh with all the comments that I got when I posted this on Instagram and my Facebook page. From a butt that's so lumpy to full of cellulite. Would you buy it?

Surf on to Goods of Desire Singapore's Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/goodsofdesire.sg
If you want more detail ordering information, you can email them at singapore@goodsofdesire.com


You know where to try these mooncakes out now. A few places, for example Takashimaya Square has sampling stations for most of the restaurants, bakeries and hotels selling mooncakes. Enjoy your mooncakes! Now to top up our Chinese Tea leaves as we prepare for the Mooncake season.

SG Memory Bank - Your contribution to 'i remember sg' will last a long time....

National Day is almost here. We can't help but think of the current Singapore, those who have made Singapore what it is, and also the future generations. Do you want to be part of those who will save our memories for the future generations?

Let me introduce you to the Singapore Memory Project (SMP). It's a nationwide movement that aims to capture and document precious moments and memories related to Singapore, Singaporeans as well as organisations, companies, associations and groups.

One of the current initiative of the Singapore Memory Project is the SG Memory Bank Facebook App. Using the App, you can easily deposit your photo memories using your existing photos using a social media tool that you are familiar with, Facebook!



Photos contributed will be able to be viewed by others and inspire them to submit too. Also, if you submit more than 30 photos, you also stand to win $200 worth of vouchers weekly. So load up the photos that you have!

I was recently looking at some old photos and I thought I will love to share them with others too. I shall refrain from posting photos of the exact dish I ate, but some of the places I have been that's food related and also Singapore's National Day.

Here are some of the photos I loaded.
Some photos of the NUS Arts Canteen of yesteryears!



The NUS "Heaven, Earth and Hell" Arts canteen!
Those of you who have studied in NUS in that era will know why it's heaven, earth and hell!
I love those brick pillars!

The current Arts canteen is totally revamped and is Singapore's first eco food court.



Ah.... the mad queues at the Arts Canteen. It was so so hot at times, but people still love that canteen. I remember this area was always so jam packed! Anyone remembers what stores were at this row? 

Even non NUS folks will come here to eat! DanielFoodDiary dropped a note on my Instagram that he will travel from NTU to NUS to eat. Hmmm it's Arts Canteen, so I wonder if he's here only for the food. haha....



The fruits and drinks stall at the 1st stall was always so popular too!
Hidden behind the pillars and walls, was the super long queue Char Kway Teow stall!




I loaded also some Singapore Food Festival photos from the year 2005!

That's a long long time ago eh? It's so different from the ones we have these few years at Reed Bridge at Clarke Quay.  The 2005 Singapore Food Festival was at Bugis Junction.



These few weekends has been the National Day Parade rehearsals.
I have these 2007 NDP photos too! These were in Suntec, and Suntec of today is totally changed!



I love this photo! So neat and smart on escalators!
Were you there too?

Photos to bring back lots of memories. Do you have some photos to share with others and make them last for a long time?

Head on to the SG Memory Bank Facebook App now. View what others have loaded. Load some photos yourself too! If you load photos, you get a change to win $200 worth of vouchers weekly too!

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore - Summer Afternoon Tea @ Chihuly Lounge

The weekend is almost here. If you have no plans yet, surprise your other half or your family to a nice quiet elegant treat. If you have seen my Instagram (@keropokman) photos a few weeks back, you would have seen I was at The Ritz-Carlton Milennia Singapore's Chihuly Lounge for Afternoon Tea.

It's the Summer with desserts inspired by the Mediterranean. The Summer treats ends on 1 September, so you got 1 month worth of weekends to try it out.

The Afternoon Tea buffet here serves tempting Sandwiches, Canapes, Savories, Live Station desserts and to me, the star of it all, the Desserts that brings out the exotic sandy beaches. The Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Terence Pang and his team has created 10 I would call, 'too beautiful and cute to eat' desserts to first feast your eyes and then to whet your appetite.



The "Dessert Table".

For the sweet tooth, this is the table you would need, a few pieces would hit your daily calorie limit. If you believe in a 'cheat' day, indulge in a few pieces more.

Where do you usually start your buffet? Sweet or Savoury?
For most people they prefer to start with the savoury and end on a sweet note.

* Sandwiches *

Smoked Salmon and Egg in Olive Focaccia

Beautiful smoked salmon and egg sandwiches between olive focaccia.
A nice combination of salmon with the olive focaccia.


Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese Sandwiches

Something really simple and yet tasty. If you are one who can imagine taste, you know that they have combined two ingredients, tomato and cheese that has rich natural umami compoments into this sandwich. Of course your tongue will transmit to your brain it's nice.


Iberico with Pickled Gherkin in Mini Croissant

For those who loves Iberico and Pickled Gherkin, the stuff the ingredients in a mini croissant. Probably the one with the most calories of it all.

Here's 3 out of the 4 or 5 sandwiches that they prepare.

* Summer Beach Inspired Desserts *

Caramel Mediterranean Salt Truffle Pearl

It's so pretty isn't it? I always think the pastry team here is one of the most creative ones in Singapore. My wife loves oysters and can eat many at ago, I usually take 1 or 2. When I see this, I can take a few, but she will at most take 1.



Shh.. I did not start with the Savouries, but with the Sweets!
This was what I had on my plate!


Olive Macaron Starfish

It's tempting too isn't it? What's with stars that captivates us?

Probably because when we were young, we were brought up with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars" nursery rhyme. We were rewarded with Stars when we could spell as kids. Or Star stickers our piano teacher pasted on our books.

Now reward yourself with a Starfish.


Raspberry and Fig Tart

So eye catching as well. I don't need to describe how they taste right?
These desserts are just so beautiful.


Pistachio Crème with Griottine

I was quite tempted by this and I knew I just had to try this!
They used a combination of different sugars to create the sand on the beach that the balls were resting on.



The folks that I was having the afternoon tea laughed when they saw me bringing this back with the 'sand' as well. Of course you need some sand, or the beach ball won't look correct. Also the sand prevents the beach ball from rolling to the floor when I hold it on my plate right?



The reward you get when you crack open the beach ball. A very delightful pistachio creme with griottine as well. *hic*


Seaweed Cake Sand-als

They come all in size 4 only. Your feet will automatically shrink as you put it on your plate. It's one size fits all. So cute right?


Lemon and Vodka Lemon Cup

Harmless looking but the bottom is heavy stuff. Lemon Vodka Jelly below the innocent looking fruits!


Rose Almond Sun Hat Cake

What a beautiful sun hat. I don't know why, but I was very tempted to try this.
I knew something was special but not sure what it was when I took it.



Surprisingly, it's not overly sweet. After cutting it, it was aha!
Look at the layers in the pasty below!



Look at the layers. I assume it's hand made themselves and that must have taken lots of rolling and folding!

I have only shown you a few and there are more! Go see and taste it in person.

* Savoury *

Grilled King Prawns with Iberico Chorizo Butter Sauce

There are also different kinds of Canapes to try. Here's two of the savory items I really liked.
Who can resist King Prawns?

(Now I know what I can do with the Chorizos I brought back from my recent holidays, make a nice butter sauce and drizzles it over prawns!)


Moroccan Style Stew Stuffed Chicken Wing, Green Olive, Sour Lemon and Coriander

Call me lazy, but the stuffed chicken wing's really tasty and oh yes, so easy to eat!
I should have taken photo from another direction to show you how beautiful it looked.

* Live Station *

Something captivating in live stations. Someone preparing food right in front of you just as you order it. Especially when it's crepes, the appeal is even stronger.



The chef preparing a crepe. Do you like crepes?


Fresh Crepes with Ricotta Cheese Filling and Candied Fruit

I know it's suppose to go with candied fruit, but I opted for fresh fruits.
If you are a cheese person, try the ricotta cheese filling inside!

* Coffee & Tea *

It's called Afternoon Tea, but you can have Coffee. I know so many of you are addicted to coffee like my wife. There's decaffeinated coffee too for those who need the kick of coffee but not the caffeine in the afternoon.



There's quite a nice selection of teas. A great range from Ronnefeldt Teas. They have over thirty blends of loose leaf teas here. I had an ice version of one of the teas. I believe I order the Rooibos Lemon.


I should talk about the tea pots and other porcelain used here. I realised I don't have a nice photo of the tea pot. The squarish plates that you see I had my food on, they are the elegant chic ‘Feuille d'or’ line of Bernardaud Porcelain imported from France.

If you are there at the lounge at any time, you would see that their tea is called "Bernardaud Afternoon Tea" named after Bernardaud of Limoges, France. That's for some of us who love to know such details.

I love the 'vastness' of this lounge. A nice place to meet up or a date with your love ones.
A nice selection of savouries that you can try and even if you are not a sweet tooth person, admire the sweet dessert creation by the chefs. So pretty. Yup, whenever you are there, I always see Japanese tourist. They can't be wrong when it comes to cute stuff!


The Price:
S$52.00++ per adult (inclusive of freshly brewed and decaffeinated coffee and a selection of teas)

S$26.00++ per child (six to twelve years of age)

All prices are subject to a 10% Service Charge and Prevailing Government Taxes




Chihuly Lounge
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799

Tel: +65 6434 5288
Email:  rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com



A note of thanks to The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore marketing folks for the invite to this tea and answering all the questions we had.