PUTIEN – Feast To A Prosperous New Year [MEDIA INVITE]

PUTIEN Pot of Goodies - Abalone

Well-loved for its quality cuisine and warm service, PUTIEN will once again be hosting Lunar New Year celebrations with a bountiful spread of festive delicacies. The highlight for this year includes ‘Pot of Goodies’ and Prosperity Yu Sheng.

PUTIEN Pot of Goodies - Abalone

Pot of Goodies Abalone ($498 for 10 pax) is PUTIEN version of Pen Chai, filled to the brim with top-grade ingredients such as Abalone, Dried Oysters, Scallops, Roast Pork, Prawns, Fishcake, Seaweed, Shiitake Mushrooms and Chicken Wings. The broth base used to braise all the ingredients are robust and filled with collagen. As a fan of Pen Chai, I am just salivating when I am writing this review.

PUTIEN Pot of Goodies - Abalone - My Serving

Of course, Chinese New Year celebration in Singapore is not complete without the Prosperity Yu Sheng ($49.80 for Large). The vegetables are fresh and crunchy. The sweetness level of the sauce is just right, on top of that, PUTIEN also added their signature seaweed in their Yu Sheng.

Prosperity Yu Sheng

Prosperity Yu Sheng - Ready for Tossing

Steam Soon Hock in soya sauce. The fish is fresh and steamed perfectly, the superior soya sauce just enhances the natural sweetness of the soon hock. Spring onions are added for finishing touch. Simple, yet perfectly executed.

Steam Soon Hock

PUTIEN Style Pork Ribs. Tender and succulent pork ribs braised with gooey sweet sauce. Keep a look out for the surprise ingredient at the bottom of the ribs, Wai San. This root vegetable helps to thicken the gravy and balance the fattiness of the ribs.

PUTIEN Style Pork Ribs

Stir-Fried Yam. One of 10 PUTIEN Signature dish. Caramelised externally, yet soft and moist internally plus filled with the delicious flavour of the yam. Yammy!!!

Stir-Fried Yam - Yammy!!

Conpoy with White Mushroom and Broccoli. What a delicious way to cook broccoli. The broccoli is crunchy, while the flavour from white mushroom, combines with conpoy (dried scallops) and abalone sauce made this gravy so heavenly. This is a “Rice Thief” dish, where I can polish off a bowl of rice with the gravy alone.

Conpoy with White Mushroom and Broccoli

Longevity Noodles. Looks similar to PUTIEN Lor Mee, the broth is milky and robust, the combination of the eggs, peanuts and seaweed is just signature PUTIEN. However, the noodle texture is too mushy for my liking.

Longevity Noodles

White Fungus Soup with Longan and Red Dates. The red dates and sweet broth are very sweet indeed. However, as the sweetness represents diners with the outlook of a sweet and successful new year, I just enjoyed it.

White Fungus Soup with Longan and Red Dates

Feast To A Prosperous New Year

When: Now until 19 February 2019 (Closed on the 1^st day of CNY, 5 Feb 2019)

Where: All PUTIEN Outlet in Singapore

For more information: http://www.putien.com/event/chinese-new-year-set-menu/

CNI Set Menu Page 1 - Image Credit: PUTIEN

CNI Set Menu Page 2 - Image Credit: PUTIEN

Thank you very much to Relish PR and PUTIEN Team for the tasting invitation.

Food: 7.75/10

Value: 9/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

PUTIEN

127 Kitchener Road

Singapore 208514

T: +65 6295 6358

W: http://www.putien.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/PUTIEN.RESTAURANT/

IG: @putien_sg

OH: Daily, 11.30 – 15.00 (LO 14.30), 17.30 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

CNYDelivery.com – Delivering CNY Goodies to Your Doorstep [MEDIA INVITE]

Almond Cookies

Image Credit: Cnydelivery.com 

This New Year has been a hectic period for me. It seems the days have gone in a flash, it is almost February. The preparation checklist of things to buy and prepare for Chinese New Year are getting longer and longer. Don’t you wish that there is a shop that can deliver your Chinese New Year Goodies and delicious in taste as well?

I was contacted to do a review for CNYDelivery.com, delivering Chinese New Year goodies made by Poon Confectionary. I thought it was interesting and I agreed to it. My package contained Almond Cookies (杏仁酥饼) ($15.50 / $14.41), Pork Floss Roll Snack (肉松粒) ($16.90 / $15.72), and Cheese Pineapple Tarts (起司黄梨饼) ($17.90 / $16.65)

A few facts about Poon Confectionary:

• It is established in 1971 in Pahang Malaysia.
• In 2018, started their CNYDelivery.com in Singapore
• Their Goodies contain No Preservatives and No Added Flavouring & MSG.
• Every Single Cookie Homemade.
• They are delicious. Their Almond Cookies are superb, according to Chubby Botak Koala.
• One of the most affordable homemade CNY Goodies in Singapore and they are offering 7% OFF for 2019 CNY Launch Promo. 

Almond Cookies definitely got my two thumbs up. The exterior is crunchy, and once you bit into it, it just crumbles and melts in your mouth. The almond is fragrant, has a perfect balance between almond and butter. I brought it to LD office and our colleagues just keep popping them in like no tomorrow.

Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies - Up Close

Pork Floss Roll Snack looks like a mini wanton. It is crispy externally and filled with sweet pork floss internally. Unlike the triangle version, the wrapper is very minimum as to allow the maximum pork floss fillings. Good to nibble on.

Pork Floss Roll Snack

Pork Floss Roll Snack - Up Close

Cheers Pineapple Tarts, only for those who like a combination of pungent and sweet. The pastry is buttery and crumbly, while the layer of cheese coating externally infused the pungent aroma to this pineapple tart. The pineapple fillings are light in colour and not as sweet as I expected. I personally prefer the one with a darker colour and dense filling. I think I will prefer the Golden Pillow Pineapple Tart or the normal Pineapple Tart instead of the Cheese Pineapple Tart.

Cheese Pineapple Tarts

Cheese Pineapple Tarts - Up Close

Image Credit: Cnydelivery.com 

Overall, CNYDelivery.com definitely give a good option for us to order our Chinese New Year Goodies. From what I have tasted, the quality of the CNY goodies is good as well. Make use of their 7% OFF for the order this year. $6.90 Delivery fees are chargeable for order below $100. Free Delivery for order above $100. Cheers and Happy Chinese New Year!!

CNY Goodies: 7.5/10

CNYDelivery.com – Poon Confectionary

502 Macpherson Road

Singapore 368204

WhatsApp: +65 9762 6523

W: https://cnydelivery.com/

F: https://www.instagram.com/cnydeliverysg/

IG: @cnydeliverysg

OH: Daily 10.00 – 22.00

Delivery Charges: $6.90 per delivery, Free Delivery for order above $100.

Merchandise: Not Just Peripheral Any More

Every parent knows the pain of having their child become attached to the latest movie hero, cartoon series or game release. Not only will they 'need' the game cartridge, DVD, or box-set, but they will also have to have all the accompanying merchandise: tee-shirts, stickers, lunch-boxes and water bottles, mugs – you name it, if there is the right demand for it, people will buy it. All of it, in some cases!

There's An App For That

If you have released an app or smartphone game, and want to diversify your income stream, merchandising is one way to go. First of all though, make sure that your app is the best that it can be. Perfect the software and make sure that it runs smoothly without glitching or freezing. Consumer frustration at having a glitchy app will see you receiving hundreds of angry complaints and bad reviews: not the ideal start to the life of an app into which you have sunk many hours and a lot of effort!

Image Credit: Rawpixel on Unsplash

Once the app is running optimally, pinpoint the characters or features that people like the most. It might be the quirky side-kick, it might be the love interest – it might even be the villain of the piece who has more fans than the hero! Take your ideas to a supplier and ask about the logistics of having pieces made up. You may need to consult a designer and go to the supplier with a fixed set of images, or your chosen supplier might have design contacts on their end. Before you commit to anything, make sure you understand the pricing structure and that you can afford the payments.

Use the Right Platform

You have the app, doing well and being downloaded and used often. You have chosen your most popular characters and features to be commemorated as merchandise. How to sell the products now? The obvious answer is: via a website, of course. When shopping around for a website, do be wary of the overly cheap offerings. Sometimes they are what is needed, but it is usually programmers or those with very specific and unusual needs who will use these 'blank canvas' style web pages. At the worst, if something goes wrong while you are setting up your site, these cheaper sites tend not to offer very much in the way of customer support unless you pay for it: and this is where they make their money, so it will most likely cost you more in the end.

Image Credit: Charles PH on Unsplash

Instead, opt for a purpose-built ecommerce platform like www.shopify.com.sg. These platforms are ideal for small businesses that cannot afford a whole IT department, as they allow even relatively inexperienced people to set up and lay out an online shop that looks great and works efficiently. Customers can navigate through the products, selecting the ones that they want, then go to the checkout page and pay for the items, secure in the knowledge that their bank details are securely encrypted and safe from hackers.

Teaming a successful app with popular merchandise is a great way to maximise the profit on your work – choosing the right website on which to host your shop can make this even more profitable!

This post is brought to you by Jessica Williams

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh – Klang Style BKT in Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh originated from Seremban, Malaysia where it has been serving Klang (herbal) Hokkien style Bak Kut Teh (‘BKT’). The outlet in Singapore is their first overseas branch, opened up by their relatives.

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh

While our Singapore Bak Kut Teh is known for the clear and peppery broth, the Klang version is known for its dark colour broth and strong herbal flavour. The one in Klang even served their BKT with coconut rice, which adds another flavour to the overall dish.

The Menu 1

The Menu 2

The Otder Sheet

For your first visit, it is better to order Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh ($8.80 for small, $15 for big). The version in the photo is the big portion, good for 2 pax. The first sip of the broth, you can taste the strong, robust herbal infused broth with a hint of sweetness from the pork bones. According to Elwin, one of the bosses, they use 10 different types of herbs to cook the broth. The ingredients include short pork ribs, pork belly, pig stomach, small intestines, beancurd and pigtail.

Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh

The ribs are juicy and succulent even though it looks lean. Meanwhile, the pork belly has the right fattiness where it just melts in your mouth. The pig stomach and small intestines are crunchy, springy and absent of foul smell. Apparently, pig’s tail is popular ingredients for BKT in Malaysia, however, if you don’t like it, better to let them know in advance to exclude this.

The Interior

The Interior

Jia Bin also offers dry BKT ($8.80). The ingredients are the same, however, it is cooked special dark soya sauce. Expect a dark, sweet and intense gravy coating the ingredients infused with herbal flavour with a hint of spiciness from the dried chilli. The dry BKT goes well with a bowl of white rice.

Jia Bin Dry BKT

Jia Bin Spicy Pork Belly ($8.80). The pork belly is thinly sliced cooked with dried chilli. It is spicy and a bit on the salty side. However, for those that can take more spicy, don’t hesitate to ask them for more chilli.

Jia Bin Spicy Pork Belly

Spicy Pork Belly

Jia Bin Hua Diao Wine Chicken ($8.80). This dish is served piping hot, with the gravy still bubbling and exudes the fragrant aroma from the wine. The chicken is tender and succulent, and the springy skin texture is just irresistible. The gravy itself is so good, you can finish a bowl of rice with it. Definitely a “rice thief” dish.

Jia Bin Hua Diao Wine Chicken 

Pig Hock ($10), it is their version of Braised Pork Knuckles. Robust braising sauce filled with collagen from the hock. The meat fall of the bone, while the fats and skin melts in your mouth.

Pig Hock

Check out the fats

If you are looking for the soup version of the pig’s trotter, order the braised pig’s trotter ($7.50).

Our Spread

For the side dishes, I recommend their Crispy Beancurd ($2.50) and Salted Vegetables ($3.50). The beancurd is good to soak up the broth of the BKT, while the crunchy salted vegetables will overcome the “jelakness” from the meat and fats.

Crispy Beancurd

In summary, with the presence of Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh definitely bring good news for Klang style of BKT lovers. They do not have to travel far and across the causeway to satisfy their cravings. It is a good alternative from the peppery version in Singapore. Cheers!!

You Tiao

To Fu Po

Thank you very much to Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh for the tasting invitation.

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 6/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh

嘉宾 巴生肉骨茶

62 Rangoon Road

Singapore 218352

T: +65 6900 7708

F: https://www.facebook.com/JiaBinKlangBakKutTeh/

IG: @Jiabinklangbakkutteh

OH:

Mon – Fri: 10.00 – 15.00, 17.00 – 22.00

Sat & Sun: 10.00 – 22.00

Golden Peony – Blossoming Fortune for Year 2019 [MEDIA INVITE]

Eight Treasure Congee

Conrad Centennial Singapore ushers in the Year of the Pig with creative and delicious culinary delights that will spice up your Reunion Dinner and Chinese New Year Celebration.

Lo Hei of Fortune Piggy ‘Yu Sheng’

Fortune Piggy ‘Yu Sheng’  Salmon, Crispy White Bait and Fish Skin
Image Credit: Conrad Centennial Singapore

We started the Media reunion dinner with a super long Lo Hei of Fortune Piggy ‘Yu Sheng’. The Yu Sheng is big enough for 30 people with plenty of leftovers. The combination of fresh and pickled vegetables, together with abalone, salmon, crispy whitebait and fish skin are good to starter for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner. On top of that, we have this mini pig made from chocolate to commemorate the Year of the Pig.

Yu Sheng - Individual Portion

Instead of a soup dish, Golden Peony present vegetarian Eight Treasure Congee. The whole dish presentation is just beautiful, like Golden Peony version of Bibimbap. You can taste the robust broth used to cook the smooth and silky congee. Served with pickled vegetables and charcoal fried dough.  The final touch is the shaved truffle and truffle oil. Not an auspicious dish served during CNY, but it was just so yummy.

Eight Treasure Congee

Steamed Star Grouper and 8-Head Abalone. This fish really represent abundance through the bounty of the sea. The flesh of the grouper is firm and springy, while the abalone is well braised. Unfortunately, due to the firmness of the fish, the abalone braising sauce is not well absorbed in the fish. Feels like two separate dishes, instead of one.

Steamed Star Grouper and 8-Head Abalone

Golden Maine Lobster, Butter Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs. Deep fried lobster flesh, coated with pumpkin sauce with a sprinkle of curry powder. Fragrant, crunchy, with a bit of curry kick.

Golden Maine Lobster, Butter Pumpkin Sauce, Crispy Potato Crumbs

Roast Whole Suckling Pig, Fragrant Coconut Rice. One of the most anticipated dish for CNY gathering at Golden Peony. This is Suckling Pig x Nasi Lemak. The suckling pig is thin and crispy. It excites everyone just by listening to the crackling sound when the pig was being cut. It is stuffed with rich lemak flavour of the coconut rice and to make it more interesting, fried otah is perfectly inserted in the middle of the rice stuffing, looks like egg yolk.

Roast Whole Suckling Pig, Fragrant Coconut Rice

Roast Whole Suckling Pig, Fragrant Coconut Rice

It is then served with sambal that is sweet and fragrant. I am not a chilli eater, however, eating this dish without the sambal is just incomplete. I gave the sambal two thumbs up. Yum Yum.

Roast Whole Suckling Pig, Fragrant Coconut Rice

The first dessert is ‘Koi’ Soya Pudding, Hasma, Peach Resin and Red Date Broth. Representing a good fortune for Chinese New Year, the soy pudding Koi brings abundance of luck to the diners. The Koi soya pudding is smooth and creamy while the lightly sweeten soup bodes well with the hasma and the sweet red date broth.  

‘Koi’ Soya Pudding, Hasma, Peach Resin and Red Date Broth

The second dessert is Osmanthus Broth, Rainbow Crystal ‘Tang Yuan’. The three different types of Tang Yuan are black sesame, pumpkin and sweet potato. The flavours are lighter, not as bold as traditional tang yuan. I like the QQ texture of the Tang Yuan.

 

Osmanthus Broth, Rainbow Crystal ‘Tang Yuan’

Osmanthus Broth, Rainbow Crystal ‘Tang Yuan’

Overall, another excellent Chinese New Year dishes curated by Executive Chef Ku Keung and his team. They really showcase their creativity in assembling the giant Yu Sheng. The boldness in showcasing the delicious Eight Treasure Congee for Chinese New Year definitely need to be applauded, and their “Nasi Lemak” Sucking Pig is just amazing. Golden Peony at Conrad Centennial Singapore is definitely a place to consider for Chinese New Year Celebration.

Thank you very much to the Conrad Centennial Singapore for the tasting invitation.

CNY Nibbles

Blossoming Fortune at Golden Peony

When: 21 January to 19 February 2019.

Where: Golden Peony and Festive Takeaway Conrad Centennial Singapore

Price: Lunar New Year Menu from $118++ per person or $1,398++ for table of 10 pax.

Reservation: www.connoisseur.sg or call Golden Peony at +65 6432 7482 / 88

For Festive Takeaway: Email: sinci.festive@conradhotels.com / call +65 6432 7489

The CNY Menu and Brochure are available at www.connoisseur.sg

Food & Drink: 8.75/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 9/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 and Above

Golden Peony

2 Temasek Boulevard

3F, Conrad Centennial Singapore

Singapore 038982

T: +65 6432 7482/88

W: http://bit.ly/cbk-GoldenPeony

F: https://www.facebook.com/conradsingapore

OH:

Mon – Sat: 11.30 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30

Sun: 10.30 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30