December 2013 - Page 2 of 4 - Adventure, baby!

Month: December 2013

NADAMAN @ SHANGRI-LA HOTEL: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Orchard Road, Singapore

December 19, 2013 / Food Reviews, Orchard Road, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore / 0 comment

(photo credit: Shangri-La)

I’ve been to Nadaman at the Shangri-La a couple of times now, but have never managed to take photos and/or review the restaurant. I finally did this time, but only managed a few photos, and ZERO photos of the Kaiseki… whoops. I blame it on being distracted by both kids – either trying to get one to nap or one or both to eat, etc, etc. I regret it, because the presentation of their dishes (especially in our Kaiseki) is beautiful!!

The kids appreciate the place because it’s quiet (we always go for weekday lunch) and the service is top-notch. They are extremely attentive, very patient with children, and give an all-round pleasant experience.

Nadaman started in Osaka, Japan, 180+ years ago. The restaurant here, too, boasts refined Japanese cuisine that will delight any Japanese-food lover.

Obviously, their Kaiseki is top-notch and what I always get. Their Seasonal Kaiseki menu ($60) includes an appetiser, soup, sashimi, grilled dish, simmered dish, rice, pickles, miso soup and dessert.

However, this time, I decided to do something different and get the Bara Chirashi (diced raw seafood on sushi rice, with appetiser, deep-fried bean curd, salad and miso soup). At $50, you get a huge amount of sashimi that’s disproportionate to the amount of rice. What can I say? It’s a sashimi lover’s delight!! You won’t be disappointed nor will you leave hungry.

This is the deep fried beancurd that comes with my Bara Chirashi. It’s silky and delicious, and is a hot favourite with my kid (though they eat just the inside tofu and not the deep fried exterior).

We got the kids a set lunch each, of Grilled cod fish (Gindara Teriyaki) ($35). They can polish off a whole set each by themselves!! I discovered I can dip the sashimi into the piping hot miso soup, and it lightly cooks it, resulting in a gorgeously poached slice of fish… yummmm. And that cod fish? Delectable. Silky. Smooth. The perfect kids food.

Last Bite: Nadaman’s refined and elegant ambiance, coupled with delicious food, is a must for any Japanese cuisine lover. Get their lunch sets or kaiseki!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the hotel)
Kids’ menu: No

Nadaman
Shangri-La Hotel
22 Orange Grove Road
Phone: 62134571
Prices: $$$$
Hours: Daily: 12:00 – 14:30, 18:30 – 22:30

Home For The Holidays: Pediped Review & Giveaway

December 17, 2013 / Fashion, Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 28 Comments

Baby, it’s cold outside! While you’re pulling on the boots and wrapping yourselves in the warmest possible coats you can, you still need to dress up for the holidays (or, if you’re anything like us, dress your kid up and then throw on something passable for yourself as an after thought).

Big boots are great for the cold, but they are NOT great with indoor heating, which is why Missy Cheese will be wearing a pair of Pediped Flex Janes for all her holiday functions (this toddler keeps a busy dance card). She’s such a super active kid that she will only tolerate comfortable shoes that let her move freely and climb things that toddlers aren’t meant to climb (like, say, kitchen stools, or Christmas trees . . . but, I digress). The Pediped Flex Janes are not just pretty-looking shoes for looking good in photos, they’re also so practical and comfortable that kids won’t refuse to wear them. Added bonus — these shoes double as school shoes, so Cheese will be wearing them to school in spring.

Pediped shoes feature a Flex Fit System™, which is an additional insole that can be inserted into the shoe for a snug fit and then removed to make room as your child’s foot grows. These insoles can reduce shoe size by almost half a size, extending the life of the shoe. When you’re forking out big bucks every few months for even more shoes, you really want those babies to last as long as possible!

It’s also worth noting that the makers of Pediped have been hearing for years from their “grown-up” customers that they want nice-looking, comfortable shoes, too. Pediped’s answer? A shoe line for adults, called Brian James, which launched last spring. We were sent a pair of Brian James 3.0 Booties to test drive, and I have to say, they are so comfortable — made from soft leather, and with a heel that is easy to walk in — plus they make my legs look great (woo!). The magic is in the making: Extra padding on both the ball and heel of foot. My feet are thanking Pediped’s consideration.

GIVEAWAY
The kind folks at Pediped are giving Brunch With My Baby readers the chance to win their own pair of Pediped kids’ shoes. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Entry open to US mailing addresses only.

Giveaway open Wed Dec 18, 2013, to 11:59pm EST Tues Dec 24, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brunch With My Baby were given a product sample for reviewing purposes. All opinions are our own.

WILD HONEY: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Orchard Road, Singapore

December 17, 2013 / Food Reviews, Orchard Road, Scotts Square, Singapore / 0 comment

Just a quick and cheerful post today, on an oldie but a goodie – Wild Honey at Scotts Square.

If you’re a brunching mum, you’ll probably be well acquainted with Wild Honey. It seems to be the place to be for mums with bubs in tow! It’s not hard to see why – with an all-day brunch menu and a casual ambience, it’s very popular at lunchtime among mums and also the working crowd.

Me? I’m a fan of their hearty portion sizes and how kid-friendly the food is!

Wild Honey do a decent iced latte, but what transfixes me is the cool duo-coloured straw (see below)! I know these straws don’t come cheap, so I was pretty impressed they popped them into each of our drinks. A simple touch but I was adamant it made my coffee taste extra nice 😉

It’s the little details that count!

The Boulevard St Michel was Savoury French toast with double baked cheese & spinach soufflé, parmesan crumbed poached egg, slowroasted tomatoes, grilled back bacon & spicy tomato chutney. Whew, what a mouthful!

It was a HIT with Hunter, and he ate half of the dish. In particular, he loved the double baked cheese & spinach souffle, which had a mousse-like texture. I was personally impressed with the parmesan crumbed poached egg, which oozed molten egg yolk when cut open. Nice!!

The Spanish Hash sounded tasty but salty, as it was Diced Chorizo, house corned beef & potato, two poached eggs & Hollandaise Sauce with grilled ciabatta. Oddly, it was very bland! To the point where it tasted like we were eating…. nothing.

The eggs were perfectly poached (a huge plus), but the tumble of corned beef and potatoes was largely tasteless. It was odd considering I’d expected corned beef to be pretty salty. It was also rather tough and chewy, and largely uninteresting.

Last Bite: Wild Honey’s relaxed ambiance and all-day brunch is their calling card, and we give them thumbs up for their well-sized portions and interesting dishes.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Wild Honey
#03-01/02 Scott’s Square
6 Scott’s Road
Singapore 238897
Phone: 6636 1816
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

Signs Your Two-Year-Old Is Trying To Kill You

December 17, 2013 / Kids / 4 Comments

It dawned on me today that two-year-olds are actually geniuses. They are slowly taking over the world, starting with the destruction of the two people who stand in the way of their plans for total world domination – AKA their parents. Don’t be fooled by your toddler’s small stature and cute lispy voice – they’re actually very subtly (and not so subtly) destroying your will to live. Be warned, and watch out.

Method 1: Sleep deprivation
By age two, most kids are regularly sleeping through the night. Not all of them, however. Some kids are just BAD sleepers from birth, like they come out of the womb knowing that as the years drag on, their parents will slowly but surely succumb to their every whim out of pure exhaustion. Accumulate two years of constant night waking and you’re so tired that you literally don’t know what’s going on every day. “You want puffs for breakfast, sure, go for it. While using my toothbrush to clean the floor. Great. Can I go back to sleep now?”

Method 2: The “No” word
Is there a two-year-old out there who doesn’t use this word to answer every single question and statement that’s thrown out there? It may sound like typical toddler defiance, but it’s actually a subtle way of exerting their dominance over you as the pack leader. After hearing “NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO” fifty million times a day, you’re so happy that they’ve stopped yelling at you that you willingly hand over the iPad and queue up the PlayDoh and Disney egg videos.

Method 3: Non-Stop Go Go Go
If you weren’t already exhausted from the constant night waking, you’re pushed over the edge by the boundless energy of a two year old. Up and down stairs over and over and over and over. Endless games of catch in the living room, just to put their shoes on. Never stopping still for a second until they pass out from exhaustion themselves (and you collapse right afterwards). You’re being slowly and surely worn out until you’ve aged a decade and they’re only starting pre school.

Method 4: The Wet Noodle
This clever tactic saves toddlers from leaving any place where they’re happy. Toddler goes completely limp and boneless, like said “wet noodle”, sliding through your hands into a puddle of whiney child on the floor. The wet noodle is sometimes accompanied by the more traditional tantrum of lying face down and pounding ones hands and feet on the floorboards. Designed to embarrass the crap out of you in public, this highly tactical maneuver guarantees that your two-year-old gets to stay in the playground/toy store/ice cream shop as loooong as they want.

Method 5: Nap Refusal
For two years now, you’ve been surviving day to day based on one constant – the sacred nap. At age two, something happens. The nap isn’t a guarantee anymore. It’s now a battle of the wills between you and your toddler. And as with all battles with toddlers, you already know who’s going to emerge the victor – the little voice that’s yelling “muuuuuuummmyyyyy …. NO NAP!”.

Method 6: Hunger Strike
Kind of like the Hunger Games, it’s a battle to the end, with only one winner. The toddler who has refused all the nutritious food you’ve lovingly slaved over by shoving frozen mini pizzas in the oven, then condescendingly agrees to only eat, you guessed it, more puffs.

Method 7: Cuteness
Here is the true genius of the toddler. Just when you’re ready to give up and you think you can’t take it for another minute, they do something that is just so INCREDIBLY cute that you forgive it all (SUCKER) and give them your exhausted heart to trample all over again.

Game, set and match.

BWMB RECOMMENDS: Elly CNY 2014 ‘The Horse Parade’ launches today!

December 16, 2013 / BWMB Recommends, Singapore / 1 Comment

Elly, the popular childrens boutique, officially launches their Chinese New Year 2014 collection TODAY!

Titled “The Horse Parade”, it’s a total eye-candy extravaganza. It’s cute. REALLY cute. It also made me wonder where my invisible daughter is.. because OH MAN THE GIRLS STUFF IS SERIOUSLY CUTE. If you have a daughter, be warned – you’ll be stumped as to how to stop at just one piece. If you have a son, take comfort that there’s still cute boys stuff (especially their shorts!), albeit less designs.

We got a little preview of the clothes in real life, and did a mini photoshoot right there and then after a hearty brunch at GRUB!

The kids are wearing as follows:

Carter (16 months) wears Bermudas in White Horses, in a sz 2. It fits him perfectly around the waist (he wears a diaper), but you’ll see that the shorts go below his knees. I love this size because I’m sure I’ll get at least a year’s wear out of this!
Hunter (2 years) wears Bermudas in Red Horses, also in a sz 2. It’s interesting to see how the same size shorts look different on both kids! On Hunter, it fits around his waist (because he wears underwear), but looks more like fitted shorts on him.

Made of soft but durable cotton, these shorts are easy-wearing and comfy. The kids didn’t fuss in them and I like how the shorts will keep them cool when we’re not in air conditioning.

In particular I LOVE how these are appropriate for Chinese New Year, yet perfectly wearable year-round. They have that cool preppy vibe and I intend to send Hunter to his play school in them.

There are MANY more designs for the boys – in both shorts and shirts. Check out the full range (and buy online with free shipping) at the Elly online boutique.

And the girls? Oh man, oh man. So many pretty prints and colours, you’ll wish they came in larger sizes for yourself 😉 Here we have pictured the Girls Cheongsam and Boys Shirt in the ‘White Horses’ print.

And a photo of the clothes we were going craaazzzzyyyy over!!

The boys went to a birthday party after that, and I changed their tops to give them a sailor look. You’ll see here how the shorts are versatile and how they can be worn with ‘regular’ clothing.

Bummer they don’t do mens sizes in the shorts. I would totally force my husband into a pair to go matchy-match with the boys – teehee!!!!

Elly’s CNY 2014 launches today (16 Dec 2013) in their boutique and online. Hundreds of pieces have been snapped up for reservation already, so get yourself in there quick!

Holiday in Paradise: Mayakoba, Mexico

December 16, 2013 / Cheese, Family, Mexico, Travel / 1 Comment

It’s been a long time since we’ve been on a holiday – not a trip, where our purpose is to see family, but a vacation where our only intention is relaxation.

We booked a stay at the Rosewood Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya, following a recommendation from our close friends who vacation there frequently. Sunning ourselves in the warm Mexican sun by a pool and doing nothing else sounded exactly what we needed.

It was the first time in Mexico for all of us. I usually prefer traveling where I see a lot of the local culture and history, but this time, with a very energetic two-year-old, all I wanted to do was relax and swim.

Mission accomplished at the Rosewood Mayakoba, where we spent four blissful days doing absolutely nothing. Our routine: wake up in the morning, take a dip in our personal plunge pool, then stuff ourselves at the buffet breakfast (there were CRONUTS every day!). After lunch, stroll on down to the beach and spend the afternoon having lunch, playing with Eloise in the Rosebuds playroom if the sun was too hot, then playing on the beach and swimming in the pool.

We booked a babysitter three nights out of five so we could have some together time, and enjoyed some amazing meals around the resort and at the neighboring Banyan Tree (Saffron Restaurant was amazing). Our last night we had room service, which I actually thought was the best meal we had all trip.

We’ve stayed at a lot of hotels and resorts in our years of travel, but this trip to Mayakoba was special. The Rosewood is set up to pamper guests, and help them fulfill their every need. Every staff member went above and beyond to take care of us, remembering our names, that I was vegetarian (!), and continually trying to make our stay the best it could be. The end result – we had never felt so relaxed, welcomed, valued and pampered.

At a fancy resort, you expect that little kids might not be welcome. The Rosewood however also went above and beyond to make Cheese feel special (if a spoiled toddler can possibly feel even more special, that is!).

Kiddie pack (also included a beach ball). Robe and slippers for loan.

A sweet kids’ kit on arrival, a clean and well-stocked playroom, constant effort by the staff to make sure she was catered for – milk in our room, kiddie cups everywhere we dined, staff remembering her name and greeting her all throughout the resort, and fun activities like a special eco tour of the lagoon by boat, just for kids. By making Cheese welcome, we all felt comfortable and welcome.

At such a relaxing resort, it was impossible to resist the siren call of the spa, where I had a massage and a pedicure like no other. I was reclined backwards in a zero gravity chair, with a weighted mask over my eyes and my feet pampered. I was so relaxed I think I might have fallen asleep.

Alec and I both agreed that our Mayakoba vacation was possibly the best trip we’ve had, and can’t wait to visit again next year.

Juliana’s Pizza, Brought To You By The Grimaldis: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, DUMBO, New York

December 14, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, DUMBO, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

There are always famous food institutions that you think you should try when you visit a city. People walk over the Brooklyn Bridge just to try one such spot: Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in DUMBO. It’s impossible to walk past the restaurant without stumbling over the queue of people waiting patiently for their slice of famous pie. I get it, I love trying food that I’ve been told is great — but I really, really, really hate lining up for it.

So the secret I’m letting you in on here is huge: Right next to Grimaldi’s is a little pizzeria with a red awning called Juliana’s Pizza. It’s run by the actual Grimaldi family — the ones who started, and then sold, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. Yes, let that all sink in for a minute, and then ponder, like we always do, how they ended up situated next to each other in DUMBO.

Juliana’s is owned by Patsy & Carol Grimaldi. They sold Grimaldi’s Pizzeria over a decade ago to a customer, but it seems that their passion for pizza never quit, as they partnered with a long-time collaborator to open Juliana’s. The Grimaldis wanted to create a neighborhood pizzeria, preparing and serving pies the way Patsy had for generations. Their new endeavor, Juliana’s, was named in honor of Pat’s mother, Maria ‘Juliana’ Lancieri, and has found its home in the Fulton Ferry Historic District, in the building that was once home to Grimaldi’s.

Juliana’s is usually busy and tightly packed, making it hard to move around with a little one. It does however mean that they have lots of tables constantly turning over and makes it easy to get a table on weekdays. if you’re visiting on weekends, be prepared to wait. Call ahead and put your name down, but make sure your party is all there or they won’t let you sit down.

We don’t usually let Cheese have juice since it makes her totally hyper, but we relented this time because we were dining with friends whose kids were having juice, and Cheese was desperate for juice too. We totally regretted it about an hour later when she was high as a kite, but sometimes it’s worth it to keep the peace at the table.

We ordered a simple large classic Margherita ($19). Tomato, mozzarella and basil — the only ingredients needed for the perfect pizza. Juliana’s produces a flavorful, thin crusted pizza, topped with locally and internationally-sourced toppings, and cooked inside a hand-built, coal-stoked hearth. Locals know that Juliana’s is a source for great pizza, and are known to pick up pizza and drive it home, not letting the fact that they don’t deliver stop them from getting their hit of tasty mozzarella and crispy dough.

Looking for somewhere nearby to play? In colder weather, let little ones run around (indoors) at Jane’s Carousel. If it’s warm enough for playgrounds, take your pick between the toddler playground at Pier 1 and the Main Street pirate ship playground in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Last Bite: An alternative to the long lines of tourist-destination Grimaldis; with reasonably priced, delicious pizza that hits the spot.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Not in the restaurant if it’s busy (especially on weekends). Be prepared to leave your stroller outside.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Juliana’s Pizza
19 Old Fulton St,
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 596 6700
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11:30am-10:30pm Fri & Sat 11:30am-11pm
Get directions

GIVEAWAY: One Y Velo Balance Bike (worth $139)

December 12, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 105 Comments

Hunter is a supremely cautious kid. He’s worried about…. pretty much everything. However, I’ve noticed that when it comes to moving toy vehicles, he becomes quite the speed demon!

He became a pro with his scooter at a very young age, and adored his Ybike – zooming all over the place. It came to a point when I felt the Ybike was too ‘basic’ for him, and he needed a proper bike.

So there’s 2 ways for a child to learn how to ride:

Balance Bike – these are bikes without pedals. The idea is for kids to feel and learn balancing, to be able to kick off and let the bike cruise along, keeping their balance.
Training Wheels – these are bikes with the extra wheels on either side. As the kid gets used to pedaling, you raise (and eventually) remove the training wheels.

Personally, I’ve always preferred Balance Bikes. I don’t like the look of training wheels, and those bikes are really clunky and heavy. I like the idea of learning the courage to balance first (because that’s often the most fearful and difficult part), then putting on the pedals once kids are confident.

Also, I knew Hunter was good with his balance, since he was good with both his scooter and Ybike.

Here’s what I like about the Y Velo Balance Bike:

The seat and handlebars are adjustable – the bike grows with your child.
It’s extremely lightweight – at under 4KG, Hunter can lift it up by himself.
It’s sturdy – made with aluminium, it’s really solid and doesn’t tip over when Hunter rides it, and takes up to 25KG in weight.
It’s the most appealing of all the balance bikes out there – Hunter whole face lit up when he saw it! And I like how it looks like a real bike.

The Y Velo Balance Bike comes in two sizes and colours:

Green (3 years+) ($139)
Blue (18 months+) ($119)

There are only 50 Y Velo Balance Bikes available for sale in Singapore!

These limited bikes are only available (they launched this week!) at multi-label kids boutique nottoobig, as well as selected Mothercare shops. But guess what…….

nottoobig are giving away one Y Velo Balance Bike (worth $139)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 13 Dec to 19 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winner may pick up the Y Velo (green $139, or blue $119) from the nottoobig boutique at Forum The Shopping Mall.

Hunter was delighted with his Y Velo the moment he saw it, and to this day, is still extremely attached to it. It mustn’t look too daunting to a toddler, because he’s under the recommended age of 3 yrs old, but eagerly climbed on and whizzed around.

This photo was taken mere minutes after it was presented to him, showing how he can easily lift and walk around with the bike:

And then when he first got on the bike, taking it for a spin:

These three videos will give you an idea of his progression on the Y Velo..

The first video is his very first time getting on the bikie – you’ll see how slow and careful he is:

This second video shows him riding his Y Velo after a few days of practise – you’ll see how much more confident he is:

And this third video shows him after yet a few more days of practise – you’ll see how he zooms around with BOTH feet off the ground. He’s balancing!!

Carter is too short to use the bike, but it doesn’t stop him from sitting on it and being pushed along by Daddy:

And here’s my friend’s 4+ year old riding it. The bike is set to the lowest setting though, it should be raised higher since he’s much taller than Hunter.

I was surprised by how Hunter, being a cautious kid that shies away from ‘scary’ stuff, was dead excited and hopped onto the Y Velo immediately. It also amazed me that he learned it so quickly and can balance easily on it. If you have an active and/or daring kid, I bet they’ll pick it up even quicker than Hunter did!

The bike’s also quite a hit with other kids and adults.. kids always want a go on it when Hunter brings it out, and parents always admire how it looks and ask me where to get one. It’s definitely eye-catching!

Thanks nottoobig!

BWMB RECOMMENDS: GRUB’s limited-edition Christmas menu!

December 11, 2013 / Bishan, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

What’s that you say?

A fun Cake Pop making session for the kids?

An epic multi-course Christmas set meal, from GRUB’s limited edition Christmas 2013 menu?

A fabulous ‘ol time with the kids running in the park and chilling with coffees and icy cold beers?

Yes. Yes. And yes!

Us mummies and our kids donned our aprons, cracked open a couple of cold beers (only one beer each okay, we don’t promote drinking on the (mummy) job here at Brunch With My Baby!), and rolled up our sleeves for a fun afternoon with the kids at GRUB.

What a blast we had!

The Cake Pop making session captured the kids’ full attention. And ours too. It was actually a very simple process, but I wouldn’t do it at home because it’s just too much prep work and fiddly. Much better to do it in an organized environment like at GRUB!

First we rolled the cake into balls, then chilled them in the fridge.

Then, we stuck a straw into each one and dipped them into liquid white chocolate.

Finally, we decorated them with pretty sprinkles!

SO PRETTY, RIGHT????

It wasn’t much effort, and you don’t need to be a creative genius. Everything just looks pretty with sprinkles, you see. Hunter had loads of fun meticulously dotting his cake pop with silver sprinkle balls. I was delighted, because it kept him occupied for a good 20 mins.

After that, the GRUB crew cleaned up the area (thank goodness for them, and kudos to their patience considering the tables and floor was covered in liquid chocolate and sprinkles!!)…. whilst all of us took the kids out to play in the park right outside. It was perfect, because the kids got a chance to stretch their legs and run up and down and get some fresh air.

After the place was cleaned up, we were ushered back in again (though it was a bit of a challenge herding our active kids back!) for their………. Christmas set meal 🙂 This 3-course set meal is exclusive for December 2013 only, so get yourself down to GRUB asap!

And this is GRUB’s kitchen.. where all the magic happens!

I opted for the Soup of the Day, a Potato, leek and gorgonzola soup. It was my favourite item on the menu, which is a big thing for me as I’m not even a soup person! Hunter polished off the fluffy foccacia bread, and more than half of the soup. With gusto.

The soup was creamy and rich, without being too heavy on the palate. And the gorgonzola was very very subtle but lended a delectable twist to the soup. It was delicious and so comforting. I’m hoping they put this on their regular menu, because it was a total hit with all the kids!

I was suspicious about the Slow-roasted juicy turkey breast with gravy on sweet potato mash and pea tendrils shoots. Turkey is not my thing. To me, it’s like the drier, tougher version of chicken.

I’m not sure what GRUB did with the turkey breast here, but it was soft enough to be cut with a fork, and it was, yes, juicy! Very moist and tender enough that Hunter ate a whole piece himself. It had me astounded, since Hunter is not really a meat eater, let alone a kid that would sit and chew on meat. But he gobbled it up, along with the creamy sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce.

Colour me impressed!

And considering turkey is low-fat and high in nutrients, I’m very pleased that I can order this for my kids whilst it’s available in December.

Everyone gave big thumbs up for their Honey baked ham on mash, apple sauce and french beans. Cast aside your ideas on a ham dish being highly processed and salty. This ham was fat and freshly cooked, and wasn’t salty like what you imagine ham to be. It was very tender too, and was well received by the kids.

I particularly LOVED the french beans it came with, and wanted more! And more of the delicious apple sauce too please! I like lashings of it on my ham 😉

I’m not a Bread and butter pudding lover, so was a bit meh when it came out as a surprise extra dish. I personally am never a fan of bread and butter pudding, because I don’t like the mushiness of it and the raisins in the bread completely freak me out.

Not that it mattered, because Hunter ADORED it and polished it off!! It’s not a small portion either, especially for a 2 year old!!

My favourite dessert was the Banoffee – banana and toffee trifle with freshly whipped vanilla cream. Shhhhh….. I actually scraped most of the cream off (a travesty, I know, since it was freshly whipped!) because I don’t like cream, but I loved loved LOVED the banoffee below!! The delightful salty-and-sweet biscuit base crumbled delightfully on my tongue and was so good I wanted twice the amount. It paired very well with the sweet banana slices also in my glass cup.

GRUB’s new dessert (also on their regular menu now) was also served, the Sticky date cake with burnt caramel, vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds. It’s served very cutely in a coffee cup, and is a combination of hot and cold that really hits the spot. The sticky date is soft and moist, and you really need to eat the sticky date, ice cream, and burnt caramel sauce to appreciate this dessert properly.

The last time we got this (when we were dining at GRUB for dinner), Hunter ate the entire thing. It’s good.

Bellies aching from our meal, the kids and us were sent home with our cake pops! Aren’t they adorable?

The most-heard feedback at the end of the session: PLEASE do more kid-friendly events and lunches! The kids had a fab time and it’s even more fun if you get a couple of friends together for some mess-making and food-eating.

GRUB’s limited edition Christmas 2013 set menu is available from now til 31 December 2013. At $30++ per set meal, it’s a real deal considering the fine-dining quality and presentation you get. It’s also extremely kid-friendly.. all our children ate all the dishes!

Remember to bring your scooters/bicycles/etc so the kids can have some fun at the park too 🙂

CANTON PARADISE @ STAR VISTA: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 10, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I’ve been on a bit of a yum cha frenzy as of late. I hadn’t eaten it in years, then suddenly went mad with cravings over it. I’m not pregnant, so I have no idea why this is happening!

And so I’ve been dragging family and friends all over Singapore in my efforts to eat all the dim sum in the country.

We did a quickie at Canton Paradise, located at the Star Vista mall. It was relatively quiet when we rocked up at 11-ish in the morning, but quickly became packed to the brim by the time we were leaving towards 1PM. Guess I’m not the only one that’s a bit of a yum cha fiend!!

Service at this branch was impeccable. Extremely friendly and helpful, and food arrived swiftly. Exactly what you need when you have young children in tow!

Our iced coffee ($3.20) and iced tea/coffee mix ($3.60) was delicious. Well worth it.

The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling ($12.80) was outstanding. It works out to just over a buck per morsel, but it’s so good I’d order it again. The skin was as crisp as potato chips, and the pork wonderously tender. There was a thin layer of melty fat to bring all the textures together, but not too much to gross you out.

My Egg Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce ($8.00) was very tasty but also very oily. It came in a portion to be shared, I suspect.

The Prawn Dumpling Noodles ($7.80) was a hit with the kids, who slurped it all up. I liked the mild taste of the dish, which accentuated the freshness of the prawns.

And…. the best for the last…… the Custard Egg Yolk Buns ($5.20)!! I was fantasizing about this all through my meal, and insisted we ordered it.

The bun was fluffy and light, and the interior molten and yellow. There is a very strong taste of egg yolk, which can feel a bit heavy if you’re not into the high-calorie stuff. You also need to eat them (carefully) whilst they’re hot, because they go rather powdery and weird when they cool down.

Last Bite: Canton Paradise offers impeccable service and an array of lovely dim sum dishes. The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling is a must!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Canton Paradise
The Star Vista #B1-45/46
1 Vista Exchange Green
Singapore 138617
Phone: 66942915
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun: 10:30 – 22:00, PH: 10:30 – 22:00