Life has been terribly busy this year. So busy it is, that I can no longer recall the exact time I last cooked at home. Saying that I really missed this usual hobby is beyond a restrained statement. Luckily, the husband celebrated his birthday recently and that gave me enough reason to reunite with my pots and pans. Without actual plannning, I prepared this pasta dish to add into our dinner repertoire last weekend. 

  

What you need : 250 g penne pasta cooked according to package directions, 1 med sized onion (finely chopped), 1 250 ml jar of bolognese sauce, 1 small can of condensed cream of garlic mushroom, 1/2 tsp ground-dry basil leaves, 2 tbsps olive oil, 250g ground beef, salt & pepper to taste, 1 cup of pasta water reserve, grated parmesan cheese for topping

How to make : Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Take out 1 cup of pasta water reserve, set aside. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Saute onions and beef until tender. Add the cream of mushroom and bolognese sauce. Stir well. Allow to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and ground basil leaves. Stir in cooked pasta and transfer to a serving dish. Add grated parmesan cheese on top.

If the Philippines has Chef Tony's, Singapore has Garret. That's for a popular Popcorn I mean. Being enticed by its sweet, buttery pleasant aroma, I was tempted to try and discover this increasingly becoming Singapore's favorite popcorn. Since my palate is more geared towards savoury, I usually prefers the salty type of popcorn. Hence, induging into a sweet version is something new to me.

I noticed from the selection that most of the flavors Garret offers are nut based. Cashew, Almond, Pecan and Macadamia. I'm beginning to be partial on the later flavor. The crunchy - creamy taste of macadamia blends well with the caramelized popped corn kernels. Likewise, there are the usual classics such as Plain Caramel and Cheese. Overall, I find it too sweet. At times, the caramel note goes beyond satiating. I can only consume a handful. Nevertheless, it's an interesting snacking option.

I found another good mid-range Japanese resto in town. Tucked at the basement level of Raffles City, Osaka Town offers good tasting Chanpon noodles and Okonomiyakis.

Although a bit oily, the Steak Combo is a filling meal to have. It's a combination of pork, chicken, salmon, baked potatoes and some vegetables.

Seafood Chanpon Noodles - it says in the menu that this type of noodles originated from Kyushu in Japan. Chanpon means to mix various things. Several ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetable are boiled in a signature thick noodle soup. The serving is huge but the noodle dish is surprisingly not overpowering. The soup is thick but not too satiating. It actually feels like a healthy food to take.

Apart from the famous Chicken Rice, there's a similar Chicken Dish that will leave you wanting for more - Samsui Chicken . I kid you not, you will love it for it's succulent, juicy and meaty character. When I first tried it at Soup Restaurant, I knew from then on that I would be a convert from the typical Chicken Rice. It's comforting to know that finally, there's a ginger chicken that I could eat sans the very oily rice. The dish is basically a steamed chicken. It's usually eaten dipped in a fragrant ginger sauce then rolled into a lettuce with some cucumber. The ginger sauce is key to this appetizing dish. It's that note that defines its overall appeal. For a more healthy bite, I usually take out the skin. Though if you would consider its simplicity and the way the chicken is cooked, it's indeed a healthier alternative from other chicken meals.

Literally, ice cream on a toast bread.  I think this isn't new at all concept wise. Perhaps an upgraded version of the local favorite one dollar ice cream? It's offered as a set with a choice of any drinks. I tried the Peanut Butter and Kaya Ice Cream. While the former was too sweet to the palate, the later was just ok. The sweetened red mongo beans on top of the ice cream added an enjoyable texture dimension. It's a definitely filling combination and the smooth mouthfeel of the ice cream gave a rich, fatty impression. With a selling price of $5.80, I would rather go for a serving of ColdStone Ice Cream though.

As cliche as it may sound, truly there's no place like home. The feeling of coming back to your roots is just beyond words. This, likewise transcends to enjoying habitual foods we grew up with. Hence, whenever we are in the Philippines we always make sure that we get to taste the foods we usually missed. We hopped from one restaurant to another to indulge into scrumptious, like no other fare. The photo above shows a typical breakfast plate of Pinoys. It has some of the most popular, uniquely Filipino breakfast items. You wouldn't go wrong with fried daing na bangus (milk fish marinated in vinegar, onion, garlic and pepper), cured meat like pork tapa and fried dried seafoods such as danggit and pusit (squid) for a morning fix. All these go well with a fried rice. Complement it with the famous kapeng barako (Filipino Coffee) and you're all set to start your day right.         

Come lunch time, we're heading for the best fried chicken in town. There might be a lot of fried chickens now in the market, but I would always vouch for the goodness of Max's Fried Chicken. Considering its staying power in the Philippines food scene for many generations, this is without a doubt a heritage name in its own right. Easily, I could trade off a 4 Fingers Bonchon Chicken for a Max's Fried Chicken. It's crispiness and soft meat character is second to none. The best accompaniment to its finger licking good character is the local favorite banana ketchup sans the typical sourish aftertaste of the more widely popular tomato ketchup. Trust me, it tastes better with the former.

It's been only a week since we came back from our short visit to the Philippines. And until  now I'm having dejavu on the much missed Filipino delicacies. The most popular among them are Puto Bumbong and Bibingka. No vacation to the Philippines will be complete without indulging on these local favorites. The former is a glutinous rice steamed in a bamboo tube. It's normally topped with melted butter served with grated coconut and palm sugar on the side. It's purple color makes it characteristically different from other form of rice cakes. Its gooey texture is something to look forward to. Bibingka on the other hand is another rice cake made with eggs and milk. It's usually cooked in a banana leaf and has its distinct charred surface that gives a very nice smokey flavor. The best place to try these heritage goodies is no other than Via Mare.

Now, if we talk about desserts, the most famous among them is Halo-halo. It's a mixture of shaved ice, fruits, and sweet treats (i.e. egg custard, ice cream, yam etc.) generously poured with evaporated milk. It's sweet, rich and creamy. The different ingredients provide a varying texture dimensions which makes it more enjoyable. Another popular one is Buko Pandan. A sweetened grated coconut with cubed jelly, sago, milk and pandan extract. It has a perfect blend of sweetness and creaminess that finishes your meal with much gusto.   

There's this particular fried chicken that's been haunting me for quite a while now. A number of blogs raved about it ergo, I was more than curious to try it. When I had my chance to finally dig into some servings of it, I somehow understood why the rave was so. Yet, a part of me is also wondering why it seemed like something is still missing.

I opted for the soy-garlic flavor and I got a crispy, sweet with a hint of sour, fatty, oily and creamy fried chicken. It's delicious to put it simply. However, I can't say that it's a supreme chicken to be had. The kind that's truly addicting. It's a bit pricey for an S$8.90 meal with just 3 pieces of chicken. Nevertheless, it's a tasty chicken treat to have every once in a while.

4 Fingers Bonchon Crispy Chicken
#B4-06A ION Orchard, Singapore

Chili Crab has long been regarded as the most popular dish in Singapore. So iconic is the dish that it's synonymous to being the country's culinary emblem. As they say, you've never been to Singapore if your palate was not romanced by this fiery, lip-smacking dish. It's normally prepared by frying the crab to crispy shell perfection then generously coated and bathed in a thick, juicy and creamy tomato gravy. There are a lot of places to savour this dish. From big chain of restaurants to open-air dining set up at Hawker Centres and Kopitiams, you'll be pampered with many variations. From those that I've tried so far, these are my top five picks.

#2 Trengganu Street, #02-01
 Singapore 058456

1. No Signboard Seafood
Esplanade 8 Raffles Avenue
#01-14/16
The Esplanade, Singapore
039802
Tel: +65 6336 9959
Inspite of the absence of a food photo, No Signboard's Chili Crab version left a remarkable memory in my palate. It's a complete version to be had. It's the most creamy and thus, most tasty of all. The level of hotness is just right and the sauce guarantees to provide a lip-smacking, finger licking experience.

Also, a Chili Crab experience will never be complete without dunking a delish fried mantou in the sauce. It's actually a pair made in gastronomical heaven.

It's that time of the year again for the grandest food event in Singapore. Last year, we were witnesses to the pride and heritage of Chinese Cuisine. This year, the Food Festival theme highlights the robust flavors of curry and spices. Thus, expect your palate to be fired up by popular local favorites such as Chili Crab, Fish Head Curry, Otah, Laksa, Kebab and a whole lot more. I sampled some of them and I was immediately transported to high level of hot & spicy goodness.

The 2011 Food Festival promises to pepper your senses with magical spices, take your tastebuds on an exotic adventure and experience it by foot, wheels and in the air."

Truly spice rich food carts can be found at the Clarke Quay bridge and it's a true feast hopping from one stall to the next. Let your tongue wander..

I can hardly believe that it really took a long while for me to discover a decent Filipino restaurant in Singapore. It's quite ironic despite the fact that Filipino community in the Lion City is relatively big. As cliche as it may sounds, it still is better late than never. 7107 Flavors was recommended by a Filipino colleague back home who happens to be a friend of the owner. We were quite fortunate that the restaurant was having a buffet at the time of our visit. They normally have buffet offerings twice a month (on first and last sundays). It's a very simple buffet yet enticing enough to bring any Filipino closer to home. The food choices range from familiar dishes of seafood, meat, vegetables, salads, soups, noodles, desserts and native delicacies. Taste wise, it's a typical home-cooked Filipino cuisine.