.Food.Tasting.at.Taste.Paradise.

Posted on August 9, 2015 by ving

Ola!
So, having been missing from this scene for quite awhile, I’m back now to bring you saliva-inducing snippets from my recent food tasting session at one of the establishments under the belt of Paradise Group.

Taste Paradise (味之楼) opened its doors in 2006 as a cozy and intimate restaurant in Chinatown. With good reviews and at the encouragement of many satisfied customers, the restaurant was relocated to ION Orchard in 2009 to serve diners in a grand and majestic ambience, at a more convenient location.

Marking 9 years of establishment with tens of thousands of satisfied diners, Taste Paradise embarks on a new journey of providing an exceptional dining experience that engages all senses with a new menu, refurbished restaurant interior and the usual excellence in service.
As Paradise Group’s Brand Ambassador, I was really elated to be invited to this food tasting session for its new menu launched recently, showcasing more Cantonese delicacies and refreshing takes on modern Chinese dishes.
Our sumptuous 7-course meal kicked off with Crisp-fried Soft Shell Crab (肉松软壳蟹) tossed with Pork Floss for our appetiser. (S$15.80 per serving)
As the name states, the soft shell crab was crisply fried well, and coupling with pork floss was a match-make in heaven.

Our starter was a Combination of Pan-seared Foie Gras, Wasabi Mayonnaise Prawn and Sliced Peking Duck. (味之楼经典三品 — 煎鹅肝，芥末奶滋虾，北京片皮鸭) (S$22 per serving)
We were advised by our friendly server Vincent Lee, who also happens to be the supervisor of this Taste Paradise outlet, on the sequence in tasting this dish for the utmost experience. So we had to start off with the foie gras, which literally melted in our mouths. I was never a foie gras person, but I finished this in record timing.
Next would be the peking duck skin, which was crispy and yet with some juicy fats to add to the taste.
Followed by the succulent prawn, in which matching with wasabi mayonnaise never goes wrong. Lastly, eating the chunky watermelon piece which helped to prep our palette for the dish to come.
For the soup, we decided to go for the Double-boiled Whole Yellow Melon Soup with Assorted Seafood and Diced Mushrooms (海鲜炖金盅), as I’m not a fan of shark’s fin. (S$18 per serving)
Having boiled the melon as a whole for hours with generous amount of ingredients (lots of dried and fresh scallops, fish maw, crab meat, diced mushrooms and duck meat), the soup tasted heavenly. And when we scooped the soup up the long melon ‘passageway’, some bits of soft melon flesh were scraped off onto our spoons too, adding even more melon taste to the whole experience.

Up next! Pan-seared Kurobuta Pork with “Dang Gui” Sauce (当归黑豚肉) for our meat option. (S$22 per serving)
This dish was SO. GOOD. The pork fillet was really tender with bits of fats in between, and the “dang gui” sauce was an interesting and refreshing twist. Something which I hadn’t tasted before elsewhere. *thumbs up*

Our 5th course was Crisp-fried Edamame Tofu with White Truffle and Mushroom Sauce (白松露翡翠碧玉), because I love truffle be it white or black. *cues Michael Jackson’s song “Black or White”* (S$8 per serving)
It didn’t disappoint me! The white truffle taste was strong enough yet not overpowering, and went really well with the crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside edamame tofu. I can have 2 to 3 servings of this at one go.

Because I really love truffle, I chose for my main dish to be Stir-fried Angel Hair Pasta with Black Truffle Sauce with Assorted Seafood (黑松露海鲜天使面) (S$12 per serving)
Lovely truffle smell whiffed past my nose, and its taste filled up my whole mouth when I tasted the pasta. Plus I’m more of a seafood than meat person, hence I was happy to see chunks of fresh scallops and prawns in this dish as well (as with all the previous dishes with seafood too).

Sadly, we’ve come to the last course of this sumptuous meal for the day. To end on an sweeter note, we chose 2 different types of desserts to try out.
Warm Double-boiled Hashima with American Ginseng and Red Dates (温泡参红枣炖雪蛤). (S$12.80 per serving)
Coupled with a generous portion of hashima, I can already feel the collagen taking their spot under my face skin after consuming it.

Combination of Chilled Mango Puree, Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream and Pumpkin Pastry (甜品三品 — 杨枝甘露，黑糯米伴雪糕，南瓜饼). (S$10.80 per serving)
One scoop of the refreshing mango puree, one bite of the chewy pumpkin pastry, then one small spoonful of the black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream. More than perfect ending! So satisfying! *smack lips*

Next time when you are having a headache on where to bring your family and friends for celebrations and gatherings, why not go to Taste Paradise and check out their exciting new menu! I guarantee you will not be disappointed! *wide grin*

.days.of.ving’s.life.:.hongkong.episode.3.

Posted on January 25, 2014 by ving

欢迎回来！！！

Day 3 of my Hong Kong trip!
(Here are Day 1’s and Day 2’s…)

After catching a horror flick on one of our hotel’s TV channels while preparing (yes they showed it during morning), we proceeded in making our way to a famous tourist spot.
Changing trains at one of the MTR stations… Reached the station! Surroundings of the tourist spot… I’m sure by now you would have already known what place this is.
Yes yes…
Introducing……. WONG TAI SIN TEMPLE ! ! !

Address: 2 Chuk Yuen Village, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon
Station: Wong Tai Sin (Exit B2)
Hours: Daily 7am – 530pm
Contact: (852) 2327-8141

I want the black/bronze dragon as my pet! Statues of the 12 Chinese Zodiacs! Took lotsa pictures of the temple…
Pretty infrastructure with all the intricate details! And I went for fortune-telling!!!
There were like hundreds of them operating there, so I simply chose based on my feel.
Initially I chose this very old and pleasant-looking grandma, but sadly she only helps to decipher those Chinese Fortune Sticks (解签) and doesn’t do fortune-telling.
I like that she’s honest about it.
In the end I decided on this elderly grandpa called Uncle Chan (陈叔).
I was glad I went with my instincts and chose him.
It wasn’t crowded at all that day but he had another customer when I reached so I had to wait quite awhile for my turn.
I don’t exactly like those who’ll wave/signal you to go over to their stalls, so usually I won’t consist them. Conclusion from the fortune-telling:
Overall not bad!!
I hope the new year comes soon. Last year hadn’t been rather good, which Uncle Chan also mentioned, and he told me that this year will be very good.
We shall see!!
Meantime on my own part, trying to hypnotise myself in staying optimistic!

So famished after the temple visit.
Lunch please………..
Mix Grill / Abalone Fried Rice
So hungry I don’t remember what was the Hong Kong cafe’s name.
Anyways the food was mediocre so don’t bother. To adhere to the “Tourist-sy” theme for the day, we visited yet another famous tourist spot!
En route to the place….
About a 10-minute walk from Central station.
Nice little small church spotted along the way. Tadah!!!
A place which I’m sure many many of you had already been to before.
This’ my 1st time there!! The interiors while waiting for the Peak Tram.
I swear I almost murdered a bunch of very rowdy and loud tourists.
Let’s not name which country they were from. Victoria Peak!!!
We bought the package that came with a round-trip peak tram ticket, as well as an admission ticket to the Sky Tower.
Felt like on top of the world!
*takes in the scenery and screams to myself* “YOU CAN HANDLE ANY SHIT!!!”
Rather foggy that day…. Climb at your own risk…
Didn’t get to take any night shots from the top.
Had ice-cream in this cold weather though!!
After a couple of hours there, time to leave!
Hello Mr. Operator!
Back to the McDonald’s near our hotel for dinner!
They got rice and wrap dishes here!!
And pork chop and mushroom corn soup haha!
It actually tasted not bad!
Plus they happened to be having the Monopoly game thingy!
I only won a small fries I think. *chuckles*
Night trip to the supermart…..
Snacks for friends and family back home.
They filled up my whole cabin bag!
Episode 4 will be out real soon! Stay tuned!!! *juggles snacks*

.days.of.ving’s.life.:.hongkong.episode.2.

Posted on January 22, 2014 by ving

WELCOME BACK ! ! !

In this post, I’ll share with you guys what I did / where I went on the 2nd day of my Hong Kong trip!!!
(In case you missed out Day 1’s, here’s it!!!)

After a good night’s rest, we begin the day with a hearty meal at this Golden Sand Restaurant (or rather, a Hong Kong cafe) that’s just across from our hotel!
Glimpse of my jacket for the day that comes with a big hoodie!!! Love it!!!
Address: 85-87 Ivy Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
Station: Olympic (Exit B1/C1)
Hours: Daily 630am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2392-4919

Big portions of food!!
Black Pepper Chicken Chop on Hotplate / Seafood Baked Rice
Happy with my food choice!!!
Also, bonus point for this restaurant was that it came with 2 cute chefs!
The kitchen was kinda open concept so I fed my eyes very well too! *chuckles*
After filling our tummies, time to explore some parts of Hong Kong!
1st stop: Sham Shui Po area.
This area came into the headlines last year end ‘cos some scenes for a Hollywood mega blockbuster were being filmed there.
Can you guess which movie is it??? *drumroll*

TRANSFORMERS 4 ! ! ! ! !

Check out these links if you are interested to know more about the filming!
English: http://as.reddit.com/r/Moviesinthemaking/comments/1oy6a1/transformers_4_being_filmed_in_sham_shui_po_hong/
Mandarin: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20131021/18472226

Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po is more commonly known as 鴨寮街, a street consisting of a large flea market selling ALL sorts of electronic/electrical components and related products.
I bought 2 casings for my Note 3 from here!
Another known street in Sham Shui Po is Yu Chau Street, 汝州街.
Most people who are the crafty type will, in one way or another, know or have heard of this street.
It is literally a treasure heaven for them (me included!), with shops and shops selling beads, ribbons, buttons, fabrics, and lotsa party items!
The huge selection range for any single item is AMAZING…..
I totally resisted myself from buying ALL the colors/styles back.
Do check out the area if you are in Hong Kong and looking for materials for your handicrafts!
Next up on our list was a place which I’d been super looking forward to go even before the trip.
It is often in the Top 3 places to go to if you are looking for those collectors items.
Come to think of it, I’d been to Hong Kong couple of times but this was the 1st time I got to visit this place.
If you guys have followed my stuff, you’ll know I absolutely LOVE toy figurines and have a small collection of them.
So……. No prizes for guessing correctly the place which I’m referring to! *drumroll*

CTMA CENTRE ! ! ! ! !

Address: 1N Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok
Station: Yau Ma Tei (Exit A2) / Mongkok (Exit E2)
A heaven for figurine collectors…….!
I WANNA CREATE A SPACE IN MY HOME FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. . .
*building-castles-in-the-sky-in-progress*
Do. Not. Disturb.
There’s an area for some women’s wear too!
When I finally managed to tear myself away from CTMA Centre, I realised my tummy’s orchestra was happily churning out lovely music.
Time for dinner!
Walking along the happening street towards dinner place (which was just a short walk over from CTMA Centre)…
Almost missed this huge ass signboard of our chosen buffet dinner venue.
I’d heard good reviews on Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot, so here I was!

Address: 16, 16A & 16B Argyle Street, Mongkok Commercial Centre, G/F to 4/F, Shop E, Mongkok
Station: Mongkok (Exit C4)
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am – 12am / Sat-Sun 10am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2396-8816
I don’t usually eat mutton ‘cos there’s always this smell in the meat (I wasn’t exactly a meat lover to begin with).
B U T
I actually wiped out countless thinly-sliced mutton pieces from this hotpot place.
Combined with the soup bases, S O G O O D . . .
I can feel the warmth of the sun that appeared behind me after consuming this delish dish.
(Or maybe it’s the warmth from the Ma La soup base in my tummy.)
After staying for almost 3 hours at Little Sheep, I went back to the hotel with a tummy that grew twice the size.
Couldn’t resist a round at 7-11 before bed-time.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!
Tidbits with my current obsession!!!
N A M E K O . . .
(Recently a friend discovered a shop at Dhoby Ghaut Xchange selling these snacks too!)
Favorite Dreyer’s in a cone!!!
Y SINGAPORE NO HAVE? ? ?
Loot of the day!!! *throws confetti*
Got a whole box with 8 different designs! Couldn’t resist!
Episode 3 of this trip will be out real soon! Stay tuned!!!

.days.of.ving’s.life.:.hongkong.episode.1.

Posted on January 20, 2014 by ving

大家好！！！(Please read/say/think of/exclaim this in Cantonese, if you know Cantonese.)

In this series of “Days of Ving’s Life“, we are going to HONG KONG!!!
Yes, again, if you have been following my site.
What to do? I like going to Hong Kong for it’s food and shopping………
Plus it’s only a short flight from Singapore, and at times you can get a rather good deal for both the airfare as well as accommodation.
Like this time round!!!
I actually got my plane ticket (flew via United Airline) plus hotel accommodation (stayed at Dorsett Mongkok Hotel for 7 nights) for about S$800!!!
Awesome deal huh???

Waiting for our 5+am flight at Changi Airport Terminal 3…
Introducing Zock the Joker, my travel companion for this trip!
He totally enjoyed the flight.
Finally reached Hong Kong International Airport at 9+am! Good timing!
Gotta love the cooling weather during this period…
Got a calling card that came with data network for only HKD80!
It lasted me throughout my whole trip!
Realised I didn’t take any pictures at all of the hotel room haha…
It’s relatively small (as of most hotels/hostels in Hong Kong), but very clean and well-equipped.
Dorsett Mongkok Hotel is situated near Olympic MTR Station (about a 10-minute walk), away from the town area but not any less of the Hong Kong style of hustle and bustle.
There are many food eateries options around the hotel area, with a supermarket, two 7-11 outlets and a 24-hour McDonald’s opposite it.
The hotel also provides shuttle bus service to and fro the airport, as well as to places like Langham Place, Ladies Market, Canton Road, Elements, etc.
To add, the hotel staff were very nice, friendly and professional.
Our check-in time was supposed to be at 2pm but we arrived earlier at about 12 noon.
Thinking we can just leave our luggages with the hotel and and go for lunch, then return at 2pm again.
However, the receptionist pleasantly informed us that we can check-in straight and proceed to our room as it was ready.
Our luggages were brought up to our room by the hotel staff, without us having to lug them up ourselves.
I would totally stay at this hotel again the next time I return to Hong Kong!
(Website: http://www.mongkok.dorsetthotels.com/en/home/ )

Ok didn’t notice I blabbered so much on the hotel itself hahaha….
Moving on……..

We went to explore a new area which we’d never been to before — Tuen Mun.
Truth be told, the very 1st time I heard of and got to know about Tuen Mun was ‘cos of a serial rapist-cum-murderer case that happened like 20 years back.
It was famously being adopted in the Hong Kong movie titled “Tuen Mun Sik Mo” (Tuen Mun Rapist) in 1994.
If you are interested, you can read about it here.

It’s actually a rather nice and quiet environment to live in.
Took this small train to V City at Tuen Mun Station for lunch!
Drinks first before going for the main highlight of the 1st night in Hong Kong!!
I actually like this drink!! Sweet milk with raw egg haha~~
Took the Ding Ding Bus to our destination!
Tadah!!!
Happy Valley Racecourse!!! =D
So happening!!!
Since it’s my 1st time to Happy Valley and I’ve never bet on horse-racing before, decided to try it out!!
Betting slip!!
Call it beginner’s luck or woman’s instinct, the horses I chose for both races came in FIRST!!!
So happy can!!! *pops champagne*
The atmosphere at the racecourse was really high too, with people shouting the numbers of the horses which they placed bets on.
I didn’t stay to watch all the 9 races that night though.
Happily went for supper after collecting my winnings! *teeheehee*

Supper was at Bon Bon Cafe which was famous for its 车仔面 (Che Zai Min), one of the must-try eateries on my list.
So lucky it’s just across the road from the hotel!

Address: 92 Ivy Street, Tai Kwok Tsui, Hong Kong
Station: Olympic (Exit B1/C1)
Hours: Tue-Fri 1pm – 4pm; 630pm – 1130pm / Sat-Sun 130pm – 5pm; 630pm – 1130pm / Closed on Mondays
Contact: (852) 2180-9655
Fake shark’s fin soup!
These pickles were DA BOMB. I was so addicted to them.
They look harmless, but after you put them in your mouth and bite them, the spiciness steadily creeps in and lingers in your throat.
Beware of being choked by them.
Goes very well with the smooth and comforting porridge.
And here’s the main lead of the night! *drum rollsss*
Mr. 车仔面！！！
You can choose from the list on what ingredients you would like coupled with your noodles.
Comfort food on a cooling night!
For those who like it spicy, try it with the curry sauce.
It’s nice and rather chokeful too!
Cannot end the night without a visit to 7-11 for snacks and more snacks!
Why do the supermarkets/7-11s/Cheers in Singapore not sell those small cups of Dreyer’s ice-cream???
I can only satisfy my craving for it whenever I get to visit Hong Kong (which isn’t exactly often)! >.<
Episode 2 of this trip will be out real soon! Stay tuned!!!

.Mad.Season.1.:.Building.Series.Ep.5.

Posted on November 4, 2013 by ving

CIAO!!!
Welcome back, and to the 5th Episode of Building Series in Mad Season 1!!!
Have you been building or fixing anything up on your own recently???

For today!!!
Ving gonna use the colored ice-cream sticks which didn’t get to be used during the 1st Episode of this series.
I’ve here with us, a small figurine named Fortune Teletext.
I ended up making a Life Buoy lookalike thingy for Fortune Teletext.
Happily in different positions…
How do you find our versatile Life Buoy???
Muahahahahaha……….
Why. So. Serious. ???