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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

City Square Mall presents… Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

December 9, 2013 / Articles, Singapore / 0 comment

The following article was first published on Material World – a fabulous online magazine 🙂

—-

Is your kid into Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends?

City Square Mall is the place to be next week! Hunter has been a MASSIVE fan since he was a baby, so he was totally stoked to go check out the Thomas show there – never seen before worldwide!! Trust me your kid will be in total awe during the show.

The performance’s premise and theme surrounds around City Square Mall’s values – which is to care for the community and save the environment. And so we kick off with Chad, asking us to help him sort through what is recyclable and what is not. I was impressed with the kids around us – they were all spot on with their answers!

There was a surprise naughty cat that made all the kids squeal with glee, but I won’t give too much away 😉 There were also some (easy) Q&A for the kids, to win a bunch of Thomas bags.

But the kids saved their biggest cheers for…. THOMAS! He arrived in a puff of smoke and was a HUGE train. He’s trundled out to the middle of the stage, and his eyes move and he speaks and puffs away. You’ll see the Fat Controller there, but it was Rusty and Dusty the characters that really stole the show with the kids – thanks to their crazy antics.

There’s a little special surprise for the kids at the end… a flurry of snow! Truthfully, the first thing I thought was “Oh nooooo! This is gonna get messy.” But, oddly, the ‘snow’ dried off and vanished, leaving zero residue or water spots on my clothes and bag, and left our hair looking normal afterwards (despite us being covered in the stuff). I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s pretty impressive technology!

My kids were so surprised with the snow that they just had this shell-shocked looks on their faces the whole time 😉

The Meet & Greet Session (just spend a minimum of $50 at the mall) is straight after the show and, boy, people are fast to jump into that queue! The characters are hilarious and come up with an infinite number of silly poses for every group of kids that come on stage.

I was pretty shocked my kids were OK with going up (the Thomas train does seem a lot bigger the closer you get to it!) and taking a photo, but they were actually really happy to do so and posed accordingly… in their Thomas tees!

And, if you spend $200 at City Square Mall, you get a free Thomas & Friends cushion and a Christmas Carnival coupon (worth $4) for a ride or game. UOB debit/credit cardmembers need only spend $180 to quality. Limited to one redemption per shopper per day.

So what did we make a beeline for afterwards?

Yep. The Christmas Carnival in the Park! It has super cute rides for young kids and both of mine loved them. It’s all so cheerful and colourful! Carter even managed to sit still for a whole 3-mins during the train ride – I was astounded.

We got an opportunity to Meet the Cast afterwards as well. Considering their thick English accents on-stage, I was surprised to hear…. Australian accents when chatting with them! They hail from Sydney as well 🙂

Here are some little tidbits I learned from them:

They get equal numbers of boys and girls to the Thomas show.
Dusty and Rusty, the dock station hands, are unique characters created for this Thomas show.
They listened to cockney accents on YouTube to perfect theirs.
Kids in SG are more in wonderment during showtime, compared to other countries’ kids.

The kids and I had a ball during the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends show! It’s highly-engaging, very lively, and (bonus points here) has the Thomas theme song performed both the traditional way as well as a beatbox way – hilarious! Pop on down to City Square Mall with your kids to check out the show…. and remember to go early to secure your seats 🙂

EVENT: Christmas with Thomas & Friends Live Show
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily except Mondays): Tue-Fri at 2PM & 7PM, Sat-Sun at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM
VENUE: Level 1 Atrium
DETAILS: Free seating. Go early!

EVENT: Meet & Greet with Thomas & Friends
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily except Mondays): Tue-Fri at 2PM & 7PM, Sat-Sun at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM
VENUE: Level 1 Atrium
DETAILS: Happens after the Live Show. Redeem an exclusive pass for this meet & greet session with a minimum spending
of $50 (50 passes will be given out 45 mins prior to each show)

EVENT: Christmas Carnival in the Park
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily): 1-9PM
VENUE: Level 1 City Green (outdoors)
DETAILS: Kid-friendly and super cute carnival rides, as well as game booths with prizes. $4 per coupon.

EVENT: Festive Light Show and Snowy Playtime
DATES: From now to 15 Dec (daily): 8PM & 9PM
VENUE: Level 1 City Green (outdoors)
DETAILS: A beautiful light show with a kaleidoscope of colours…. and snow!!

COLBAR (revisited): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 8, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Our lovely guest reviewer Debra first wrote about Colbar, so I got excited and wanted to bring my kids there too! Mum pointed out that it’s actually a bonafide old school cafe, which has been around for decades. It’s changed locations down the road, but still preserves all its vintage charm.

It is REALLY fun for the kids.

The cafe isn’t air-conditioned, but that’s just fine at this time of year-end, when the weather is actually really cool and breezy. It’s very outdoorsy which makes if excellent for the kids to stretch their legs in before and after the food arrives.

Video of the kids around Colbar

The interior is full of old world vintage charm. You could poke around for ages looking at all the knick knacks and vintage posters and photos!

The food is a mix of Western and local dishes. It’s a pretty extensive menu, which left us debating over what to order for ages. In the end, we decided on the Chicken Merry Land ($15.50), simply because quite a few other tables had ordered it. You get pretty good bang for your buck here – the chicken cutlet was breaded well and really crispy, topped with a jaunty sunny side up egg. A scoop of baked beans, a grilled tomato and some potato wedges made for simple but tasty sides, and the dessert portion was a deep-fried battered banana. An excellent dish to get if you’re a big eater.

We also got the Chicken Curry Rice ($11) because it appeared on other tables (yes, I am one of THOSE nosy people that checks out what everyone else is ordering!). I’d definitely get this one again. It was a Japanese-style curry in the sense that it was creamy (made so with potatoes?). It was beautifully rich, and had just the right amount of spice for me. The chicken leg was meaty and tender, and the curry gravy was delicious with the plain white rice. Mmm…

The kids enjoyed the Fried Ho Fun ($8) which came in a decent portion and was studded with lots of chicken and prawn meat. Sadly, it also came with bean sprouts (must remember to ask them to omit these next time). It’s a tad on the oily side, but then again, all fried noodle dishes are.

Colbar do beer. A LOT of beer. A whole fridge stocked full of the stuff.. which you can just go up and select from. Excellent for sitting outside and sipping/chugging from.

The area outside is like catnip for kids. Something about the bits of pavement and drains seem to appeal to them… they had loads of fun pottering around there and getting busy with the grass and dirt.

Right across the road is the Temasek Club! Actually, Hunter spotted it cos he saw their epic playground from across the road at Colbar. He made a beeline in, and, I didn’t realise at first it was part of the club, and thought it was a public playground. I think you actually need to be a member of the club to use it, though! But, errmm… I didn’t know that until we were leaving (I got suspicious cos it seemed too nice to be a public thing).

Anyway, the kids got a couple of minutes of good fun in there!

Last Bite: Colbar is a retro lover’s delight, and the outdoor area is great fun for the kids! Except simple but tasty fare.

Highchairs: No
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Colbar
9A Whitchurch Rd
Singapore 138839
Phone: 6779 4859
Prices: $$
Hours: Closed on Mon. Tue – Sun: 11:00am – 10:00pm

Representing Your 'Hood: The Brooklyn Block Scarves

December 6, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Fashion, New York, New York Food, News, Product Reviews / 0 comment

One of the crappiest things about crappy weather is having to do all your usual toting around of your kid, but now with tons more layers and accessories. The one bright spot? Winter layers that have style and street cred, like these scarves from The Brooklyn Block.

The Brooklyn Block folks have created a line of scarves that represent different neighborhoods in Brooklyn, like DUMBO, Red Hook and Clinton Hill. The process is something to geek-out about: First, they take videos of the various locations across Brooklyn, then they process them into code to generate specific patterns. The generated pattern is then printed on a scarf, reflecting the colors, layers and textures of that particular neighborhood.

Since we’re full of Brooklyn pride, Alexis and I were eager to take these scarves out into our own ‘hoods; Alexis in DUMBO, and me in Clinton Hill.

Each scarf is its own little work of art. Notice how beautifully each scarf picks up the colors of the specific Brooklyn neighborhood it represents. In DUMBO, Alexis’s scarf picked up the mellow shades of blue and grey of a late winter afternoon. And in Clinton Hill, Christine’s scarf played off of the subtle purples of the brownstones, and the grays from the wrought iron railings on the stoops.

The Brooklyn Block scarves are currently available online. Current blocks you can wear are Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, Red Hook, DUMBO and Dekalb Market. No news yet on if Park Slope will make the cut.

GIVEAWAY: 5 Skibz bandana bibs (worth $20 each)!

December 5, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 54 Comments

Hailing from the UK, Skibz bandana bibs are really blimmin’ good.

Let me explain..

If you’ve seen Carter in real life, you’ll know he’s got some sort of…… drool issue.

He was an epic drooler since 4 months old. He’s drooled every day since (he’s now 15 months), a constant free-flow leaking tap, at every waking moment. And it shows no signs of abating. Frankly, I’m impressed he has that much liquid in him! I’m also surprised he hasn’t shrivelled up like a prune.

Because of this, I have an entire drawer stuffed to the brim with bibs. About 90% of them are really insanely cute, but are not usable – he soaks through them in an hour, tops. The remaining 10% of bibs are those double-sided ones or have the waterproof backing… except they’re all the regular U-shaped bib and look, well, baby-ish.

I was pleased with Skibz because:

Skibz look good. I fully admit I like nice-looking stuff. The bandana style is just so *rockstar*! Plus, the adjustable press stud fastening works well for a growing kid.
Skibz soak like crazy. The double-layer backing is highly absorbent and Carter wears this for a TEN-HOUR DAY without the back side getting damp. It’s impressive.
Skibz look good. Oops. I said this already. But really, they’re so freakin’ cute!!!

Rockabye lane are giving away FIVE winners a Skibz bib in your choice of design
(worth $20 each)

a Brunch with my baby 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 6 Dec to 12 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Rockabye lane will send each of the five winners a Skibz bib of their choice from available stock, to their nominated Singapore address.

So here’s Carter in his Skibz Red & Blue Stars Bandana Bib. The vibrant star print had me sold! I like pairing it with a solid coloured top, so it really shows off his bib. You have no idea how many times I’ve been asked by strangers “Is that a bib? Really? Where is it from?!” whenever he wears this out…

And the more understated but very dude-ish Skibz French Stripe Bandana. I reckon this looks nice paired with printed tops, because it doesn’t clash and just looks like a cool lil bandana!

There’s a variety of designs, which you can check out below. I just noticed they even have an organic version – oooooh!!!!

Thanks Rockabye lane!

ROYAL CHINA @ RAFFLES HOTEL: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Bugis, Singapore

December 4, 2013 / Bugis, Food Reviews, Singapore / 4 Comments

We used to yum cha all the time in Australia. But, for some reason, we hardly do since we moved to Singapore two years ago. Partly due to the fact that I’m not very familiar with such places in Singapore, and partly because my girl friends and I tend to end up at Western brunch places instead. Frankly, I get sick to death of Eggs Benedict! I’ve eaten it ten too many times…

So I was simply gagging for some good ‘ol Chinese dim sum!!

Royal China at the Raffles Hotel came highly recommended by word-of-mouth of my friends, all assuring me “you’re gonna LOVE the turquoise interior!”. They were right. I give the place top marks based on their decor alone. Beautiful Tiffany-blue everywhere, down to the water’s uniforms. High ceilings give it an airy, refined ambience. It’s a real experience to step in…

Because we had two young kids with us, we ordered the for Fish Congee ($7.80) for them to share. As one of the most expensive dim sum items, it was pretty skimpy on the fish – 3 slices and that was it. The rest was just rice. We were rather woeful, as the kids slurped the dish up with gusto and could have easily eaten double the amount of fish.

The most expensive item we ordered was the Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8.80). This is not to be confused with the carrot cake dessert by the way. This Chinese dish uses turnips which are stir-fried, in this case with egg and *horrors* beansprouts. I don’t recall this being mentioned on the menu, and I have a massive aversion to nasty little beansprouts, so this dish made it to my no-go zone. That said, it was tasty (albeit spicy) so if you don’t mean beansprouts, you’ll probably enjoy this dish.

I was so pleased we ordered the Cheong Fun with Prawns ($5.80). The flat, wide strips of rice noodles were delicate and silky, balanced well with fresh prawns and a drizzle of light soy sauce. A simple but satisfying dish on the palate and I’d order this one again.

The Siew Mai with Goji Berries ($5.60) were delicious and steamed well. The goji berry was pretty redundant, apart from adding a cute pop of colour to this otherwise simple-looking dish.

The Yam Puff with Scallops ($5.60) will satisfy those deep-fried lovers out there. It’s so airy and crispy, with a soft interior filled with mince and mushrooms. The scallop on top was, again, redundant – it was pretty dry and did not lend a lot of flavour to the yam puff.

Boasting an ultra fluffy bun, the Steamed Pork Buns ($4.80) were a hit with both adults and kids. The savoury filling and gravy paired very well with the plain steamed bun, and we all wolfed this one down.

Ahhhh.. the best for the last. I’ve recently discovered the joys and wonder of Egg Yolk Custard Buns. This makes me wonder what I’ve been doing in the past three decades of my life. Not much, clearly. BECAUSE THESE BUNS ARE AMAZING!!!!!! Royal China’s Egg Yolk Bun ($4.80) was a delight. Different to other restaurants, they inject some mango juice in theirs, which sounds weird but it works. The sweetness and freshness of mango somehow takes away from the heaviness of the egg yolk custard. And ohhhhh that ooze!! I could eat four of these at one go.

Last Bite: Royal China do quality dim sum in an elegant setting within Raffles Hotel. Their Egg Yolk Buns are a must for dessert!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Royal China
Raffles Hotel
#03-09
1 Beach Rd
Singapore 189673

Phone: 6338 3363
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sat: 12:00 – 15:00, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 15:00, Mon – Sun: 18:00 – 22:30

The Ultimate Gift Guide For Foodies Of All Ages, Thanks To Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

December 2, 2013 / New York Food, Product Reviews / 0 comment

Looking for a gift for the foodie in your house? Our friend Ann Cantrell of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in Brooklyn has rounded up the absolute ULTIMATE in foodie gifts for all ages, even babies.

Foodie Gifts For Dad
1. Mason Shaker: $34

2. Shake (Cocktail Book from Mason Shaker): $25
3. Tool Kit: $28

4. Brooklyn Slate Cutting Board: small 7″x12″ $26 or large 10″x14″ $30

5. Cheese Knives: $15

6. Brooklyn Brew Beer Making Kit: $40

Foodie Gifts For Mom
1. Edible Brooklyn: $18.95
2. Produce Bags: $11.50
3. Edible Food Wheel: $7.50
4. Easy as Pie Tea Towel: $25
5. Falcon Pie Set: $75

Foodie Gifts For Older Kids
1. I Cookie Cutter: $16

2. DIY Stamp Tea Towel: $32

3. Feed the World Cookie Cutter: $20

4. Frrrozen Hot Chocolate: $6

Foodie Gifts For Toddler

Kids Butcher Apron Butcher Apron: $45

Build your Own Epic Burrito: $22

Safari Cookie Cutter: $13

Foodie Gifts For Baby
Wooden Animal Face Plates (1. Rabbit or 2. Monkey): $18

The Foodie Gift For Everyone
Cheese Socks: $12

If you’re in Brooklyn, drop by the storefront in Park Slope (be warned, you won’t be able to leave empty handed!

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store
232 5th Ave (Between President and Carroll),
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone:(718) 522 9848

Ann Cantrell - Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store — Ann Cantrell, owner of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store.

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store : a modern general store for a well lived life. We have something for everyone on your list!

THE MARSHMALLOW TREE (by guest writer Delphine Tan): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Telok Blangah, Singapore

December 1, 2013 / Food Reviews, Guest Writers, Singapore, Telok Blangah / 1 Comment

Today, we have one of those super mums where you wonder how they can do it all yet look so put-together (ie. not a frantic mess). Delphine Tan of the popular blog Life In The Wee Hours has 2 kids, with a 3rd on the way, works, and still finds the time to go out brunching. Some people are just overachievers, you see.

She has taken the time to write us a fantastic review an adorable cafe. I am soooo going to check it out asap!

The following review is by guest reviewer Delphine Tan:

The Marshmallow Tree is a little café in the quiet housing estate of Telok Blangah, just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle Vivocity and Harbourfront.

The Marshmallow Tree is a whimsical place: a swing in one corner, cozy mismatched chairs, a chalkboard wall, street lamps, a ceiling painted like the sky and a huge Domokun plush. Anya made a beeline for the brown creature and harassed it (him?) for a bit before settling down to draw at the chalkboard wall.

We weren’t particularly hungry so we ordered a chicken pie and a domo cup. There’s no real hot meal on the menu and savoury items consist mainly of pies, wraps and sandwiches. As the name of the café indicates, the focus here is on marshmallow-based desserts. Every drink ordered also comes with a complimentary toasted marshmallow on a stick.

The café latte ($4.50) was very decent. Those who prefer a drink without caffeine may want to try the pretty pink rose latte which I saw quite a few diners ordering.

The chicken pie ($4.50) was quite ordinary but Anya enjoyed it. It makes a good snack for the kids.

The domo cup ($4.80) was a yummy and decadent dessert of toasted marshmallows, cream cheese, Mars bar with a biscuit base. Some people may find it a bit too sweet but Anya and I were quite happy to eat it all up.

Anya kept herself entertained by annoying giant Domokun, swinging on the swing and drawing on the chalkboard wall so I could enjoy my latte and dessert in relative peace. I am quite fond of toasted marshmallows so I wouldn’t mind dropping by again for coffee and dessert after I’ve had a proper meal somewhere else.

Last Bite: The Marshmallow Tree is great for those with a sweet-tooth but doesn’t offer much in the way of proper meals. Kids won’t be bored though!
Highchairs: No
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

The Marshmallow Tree
46 Telok Blangah Drive #01-82
Singapore 100046
Phone: 98521210
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 10:00 – 22:00, Sat, Sun & PH: 09:00 – 22:00

Delphine is married to Adrian and mother to Anya & Adam (with another kiddo on the way). She spends her free time reading and collecting matryoshka. Besides being addicted to caffeine, Delphine also suffers from the compulsive need to Instagram every single plate of food that she eats. Read her ramblings at: http://intheweehours.wordpress.com

GIVEAWAY: Holsters ‘getaway’ flats in your choice of colour! (worth $69.90)

November 29, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 101 Comments

Holsters were launched on our fair shores earlier this year and, boy, have they taken Singapore by storm!

With their signature look so identifiable, I’ve spotted them on so many women (and their daughters) everywhere – be it in the mall, or outdoors in the parks.

Nobody I know owns just one pair. I guess it’s hard to stop! Almost all my girl friends own Holsters, and all of them own multiple pairs.

Why?

Firstly, they are COMFORTABLE. As someone that is on her feet for almost the entire day – either walking or chasing after kids – I can wear my Holsters from morning to evening, and I get zero blisters, chafing, sore feet, etc. A lot of jelly flats bite at my feet, and if you walk outdoors (helloooooo sweatsville), it gets all mushy and nasty in there. Not Holsters. They wick sweat away easily, and are as comfortable for me indoors as they are outdoors. Even when I’m literally running around.

Secondly, they actually LOOK GOOD. Most flats (the SAHM choice of footwear) are just….. meh. They look too casual, and you run the risk of looking like you’ve just grabbed the nearest pair of shoes without a care for fashion. OK fine, that may be the truth, but I don’t want people to know that!! Holsters come in an array of gumdrop-happy colours, as well as love muted classics like black/white/champagne/silver. They come decorated with sparkling crystals (so pretty) or studs (so badass).

Thirdly, they are WASHABLE and DURABLE. This is so important if you find yourself traipsing around in the park, or your kid does the dreaded drop-drippy-food-on-your-feet act. You’ll be thanking your lucky stars if you’re wearing your Holsters – simply whack them under water and they are as good as new.

The multi-label kids boutique nottoobig are giving away one Holsters ‘getaway’ flats in your choice of colour! (worth $69.90)

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 29 Nov to 5 Dec 2013 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Colour choices available in Singapore are: White, Solid Black, or Capri turquoise.
Winner may collect their prize at the nottoobig boutique, and may select any size/colour from the available stock.

These particular Getaway Jelly Flats (below)are my perfect pick-me-up. Look how cheery they look in the Capri colour! It really gives me a pop of colour when I head out, and they are so comfy. I’ve worn these day-in day-out with no issues whatsoever.

I particularly like wearing them to the pool. They just scream “summer’! Plus, they’re fine to get wet, and wash clean easily.

Some Mothercare stores stock Holsters, but the largest selection is at the nottoobig boutique at Forum The Shopping Mall. A huge variety of designs (flats, low heels, pumps…you name it), and in an explosion of colours. It’s hard not too miss them when you walk past.

Psssstttt! The nottoobig boutique also stocks the ‘getaway’ flats for little girls! They come in White or Coral and are priced at $49.90

Thanks nottoobig!

SINPOPO BRAND: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Joo Chiat, Singapore

November 25, 2013 / Food Reviews, Joo Chiat, Singapore / 0 comment

I made the epic journey from one side of the country to the other…. to check out the Ni-Night End of Year Clearance Sale earlier this week. It was a multi-brand market with loads of bargains, so my girl friends and I snapped up quite a few pieces.

Since we were in the area, we decided to pop by Sinpopo Brand, which was a 10 minute walk away, down Joo Chiat Road which incidentally is such a fun road to poke around in!

Decked out like an old-school eatery, it’s kitchy but super cute. Everything is vintage inspired – from the cutlery and mugs, to the decor from Singapore’s yesteryear. We had a bit of fun having a look around! They even had vintage posters of….. ‘hot guys’? Famous celebrities from decades ago?

The staff there, especially our guy waiter, were SUPER friendly and helpful. We couldn’t understand half the menu!!! I consider myself pretty savvy with local Singaporean food.. but I couldn’t decipher a whole bunch of items there. So either I’m not as “down with it” as I thought, or they’ve cryptically named their dishes..

At least there’s photos of some of their more popular items, which is a huge help!

My unpronounceable Sng muay pop ($3.90) was explained to be “lime juice with sour plum in it”. It initially turned me off as the thought of sour plum in there didn’t sound appetizing. But I was pleasantly surprised – it was a very refreshing drink, like a sprite + lime concoction. I could barely taste the sour plum in it (though there were pieces lurking in the drink), so I was happy.

I will do a disclaimer here that the food photos look horrible. I’m sorry. We sat waaay at the back in the corner, and I didn’t realise that they had horrid neon lighting that cast strange hues on the dishes and made it look.. awful. I should’ve sat near the front, where there was lots of natural light! Oh well.

So, yes, the Zi Pao Kai with bee hoon ($8.90) looks TERRIBLE in the photo below. It was tasty though, promise! The dish was described to me as “paper wrapped chicken, and true to their words, the chunks of boneless chicken meat came wrapped in parchment paper. The chicken was fragrant and went well with the plain bee hoon noodles, but there was copious amount of oil inside each little package, which I had to drain off.

I thought the Black carrot cake ($6.90) was pretty superb. A carboholic’s delight. The squares of… errrmmm.. what ARE those things?? Something like radish and something else. I guess almost like a rice cake in taste and texture. They are cooked beautifully – soft and slightly chewy. I love the topping – which included scrambled eggs and… something else. I apologise. I know I should be more informative in a food review and all, but I honestly have no idea what’s in this dish, apart from the fact that it tastes yummy.

This would be a re-order for me!

We weren’t impressed with the John eh roti ($6.90). Large slices of baguette fried, french-toast style, with a small scattering of onions and mince beef. It was basically like filling yourself up with heavy-feeling bread.. with minimal taste, apart from the lashings of chilli sauce on top. The dish was more-ish and left us disinterested after a few bites.

Big thumbs up, however for their Gula melaka soft jelly ($4.90). Silky smooth sweet jelly, with a rich caramel taste, smothered in coconut cream. This was light and a fun dessert to have. Hunter loved it!

The Ais bor ($3.90) is basically a hard ball of crushed ice, covered in coloured syrups and housing atap seeds, and bits and bobs inside (I couldn’t really identify them!). It’s an excellent dessert to have on a hot day. Open it up gently with your spoon – you don’t want to send the ice ball flying off to the next table!

I loved the Cendol ($3.90). Served in a bowl, the green jelly ‘worms’ and red beans are smothered with lashings of shaved ice, and drenched with syrup and coconut cream. It’s DELICIOUS. So refreshing and tasty, this was my favourite dessert. I’d definitely get this again!

Last Bite: Sinpopo Brand is all kitschy-cute retro in decor, serving up local Singaporean dishes. The main meals are decent though, but it was their desserts that were the most enticing.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Sinpopo Brand
458 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427671
Phone: 6345 5034
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun – Thu: 12:00 – 22:00, Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 00:00, Eve of PH: 12:00 – 00:00