Sunday 28 July 2024

Allo – Delicious French Food


Allo is a French bistro located in shophouses along Desker Road, Little India. I was attracted to Allo when I saw a posting on Allo’s dish on social media and added it to my list of places to try.

Allo
When you reach the front door of Allo, you will be welcomed by a nice al-fresco dining area, complete with rattan chairs and white round tables, just like those found in France. The indoor dining area is separated by white steel doors with glass windows. In the evening, the ambient of the indoor dining area is dimly lit. It is furnished, with square tables, rattan chairs and long banquette seats, for seats against the wall. Though not an open kitchen, through the pass, you can see the chefs at work in the kitchen.

Allo's Al-fresco dining area
We started the meal with Pan Seared Foie Gras [$26] - Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Figs Compote, Rice Crackers. A generous serving of foie gras, cooked to perfection. It has a lovely crisp externally, smooth and creamy internally. The figs compote is sweet and bodes well with foie gras and crispy rice crackers.

Pan Seared Foie Gras 
Warm Oven Truffled Camembert with Figs Compote [$28] - Camembert Cheese, Truffle Paste, Figs compote. The camembert is sliced evenly like a muffin and generously slathered with truffle paste. It is then baked, to the point where the cheese is warm and gooey. Eaten together with crispy sourdough and figs compote, it is just delicious.

Warm Oven Truffled Camembert with Figs Compote 
Moving to mains Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Pomme Puree & Seasonal Vegetable [$38] - Sirloin, pomme puree, brandy sauce. The steak is cooked to medium-rare, as ordered. It is nicely seasoned, juicy and succulent. The pomme puree (French mashed potatoes) is creamy, velvety and ridiculously delicious complemented by the crunchy seasonal vegetables. Yummy!!

Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Pomme Puree & Seasonal Vegetable
Beef Tenderloin with Potato Dauphinoise & Seasonal Vegetable [$38] - Brandy Sauce. The thick beef tenderloin is meaty and succulent. Unlike the sirloin which has more fats, the tenderloin offers a nice meaty texture. The Potato Dauphinoise (Potato au Gratin) has a crisp exterior, followed by a creamy interior, which complements the beef tenderloin nicely. The seasonal vegetables are crunchy, while the brandy sauce binds all the ingredients nicely.

Beef Tenderloin with Potato Dauphinoise & Seasonal Vegetable 
The service is friendly but minimal. On that night, we only have 1 service staff covering 4 tables.

Overall, Allo served delicious French cuisine in a French café atmosphere. The food is fairly priced and we will surely return for more. Santé!! Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 6.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Allo French Restaurant
72 Desker Road
Singapore 209595

T: +65 8897 9230
OH:
Tue – Thu, Sun: 11.00 – 15.00, 18.00 – 22.30
Fri – Sat: 11.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – Midnight
Closed on Mondays

Wednesday 17 July 2024

Permata Singapore – Enchanting Malacca Cuisine [MEDIA INVITE]

In the month of July, Permata Singapore (which means “Jewel” in Malay), led by culinary director Chef Mel Dean invites us to savour the enchanting Flavours of Malacca in the 1-FOR-1 Halal buffet format. Malacca cuisine offers a unique blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian and Peranakan culinary influences that most Singaporeans are familiar with.

Flavors of Malacca
There are a lot of foods to try on this amazing culinary adventure, and here are some of the highlights:

Starters
Asam Pedas Daging Tetel. It is a spicy and tangy dish made from beef trimmings, including tendon, tripe, offcuts and fats stewed over a long period to extract that delicious flavour. The spicy and tangy gravy is irresistible and goes well with bread or the aromatic Nasi Goreng Kerabu. I went back twice for this dish. Yummy!!

Ayam Pedas Daging Tetel
Nasi Goreng Kerabu
Nyonya Chang. This halal version of Nyonya Chang is just superb. The sticky and moist glutinous rice is divided into two parts. The top part is coloured with blue pea flowers, while the bottom part is just natural. The fillings consist of tender and succulent chicken, cooked with shitake mushroom and packed with umami.

Nyonya Chang
Chicken Rice Ball. The famous version of chicken rice in Malacca. Deboned succulent poached chicken accompanied with a fragrant chicken rice ball. Complete with the dark soy sauce, crushed ginger plus spicy and tangy chilli.

Chicken Rice Ball
Ayam Buah Keluak Risotto. The new interpretation of Ayam Buah Keluak by Chef Mel Dean. Think of it as truffle mushroom risotto, but using Asian truffle.

Ayam Buah Keluak Risotto
Chicken Curry Devil. The most famous Eurasian chicken recipe. The chicken is tender and absorbs the blend of spices. Not forgetting it can be super spicy as well.

Chicken Curry Devil
Medan Bakar Parameswara. Inspired by the popular outdoor bbq eatery in Malacca, complete with a nice cool sea breeze atmosphere. The Udang Bakar is fresh and spot on. You can dip it with kicap cili padi, but I enjoyed mine without any sauce. Meanwhile, the Chargrilled Striploin is tender accompanied by rich and spicy lemak cili api sauce.

Udang Bakar
Chargrilled Striploin
Pengat Durian. This is the more traditional version of pengat durian. Thick, gooey and served warm, just like those dips with Kuih Serabai. Since we did not have kuih serabai, I end up eating it with Roti Jala.

Pengat Durian
While the Flavours of the Malacca are the main theme for July 2024, you can also try the delicious International and Nusantara food served in Permata; such as Seafood on Ice, Tulang Merah, Soup Hayam, Laksa, Satay, Beef Rendang and many more.

Seafood on Ice
Tulang Merah
Laksa
Beef Rendang
Satay
Overall, it was a delicious journey to savour the Flavours of Malacca. LD and I enjoy the food, the taste and the experience. Don’t miss out on this! Cheers!!

Mains
Flavours of Malacca (1-FOR-1 HALAL BUFFET)
When: 1st July to 31 July 2024
Time: Lunch, Daily, 12.00 – 14.30
Dinner, Mon – Fri, 18.30 – 21.30
Dinner, Sat – Sun, 1st Seating 17.00 – 19.00
Dinner, Sat – Sun, 2nd Seating 19.30 – 21.30

Price: Lunch, Daily, $88++ Adult - $15++ Children 6 yrs - 10 yrs
Dinner, $98++ Adult - $15++ Children 6 yrs - 10yrs
(1-FOR-1 Buffet Promotion)

For Reservation:

Thank you very much to Chef Mel Dean and Permata team for hosting us.

Desserts
Food & Drink: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 8/10
Budget per Person: $51 - $80

Permata Singapore
73 Sultan Gate
Singapore 198497

T: +65 9082 9941
OH:
Lunch, Daily, 12.00 – 14.30
Dinner, Mon – Fri, 18.30 – 21.30
Dinner, Sat – Sun, 1st Seating 17.00 – 19.00
Dinner, Sat – Sun, 2nd Seating 19.30 – 21.30


Thursday 4 July 2024

MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN [PRODUCT REVIEW]

A massage gun is one of the best equipment to have when your muscle is feeling sore and in need of quick relief. I like a good body massage, but sometimes it is just not practical to spend 60 minutes on a massage table when only a small area in your body needs to be “tenderised”.

MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN
The team from MYODIVE offered to send MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN for me to review. After a quick check on their product, I agreed to the offer. I purchased a budget massage gun previously and was unhappy with the result. The budget massage gun feels heavy and the vibration only touches the skin’s surface instead of going deep into the tissue. The battery also does not last very long, usually I need to recharge it after 30 minutes of use.

In the box
So, what do I like about MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN
· SeamlessTrack™ German Brushless Motor Technology
· The premium feel. It is made with best-in-class materials and parts.
· It is very quiet, just like the sound of my standing fan and it delivers a great power. The technical term is arguably the highest power to sound and power to weight ratio of any massage gun on the market, Myodive Sonic™’s incredible engineering enables the massage gun to extract an astonishing 18kg of force below 45 db.
· It is ultra-light 800g of net weight. I can hold on to it for a long time without getting your wrists sore.
· It comes with 5 speeds, 1300 up to 3200 RPM
· Long battery life, up to 6 hours working time.



In the pack, MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN comes with 5 types of Attachment Heads. They are the Ball Head, Fork Head, Bullet Head, Flat Head and Air Cushion Head. Please refer to the picture below for the type of muscle. I like those with wider surfaces, like Ball Head and Air Cushion Head because I have lower pain tolerance.

Image Credit: MYODIVE

Image Credit: MYODIVE
Which area do I use MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN most:
1. Neck and Shoulder. Working on my laptop over a long period, I easily get stiffness around my neck and shoulder. Other than stretching, the MYODIVE helped me to ease the stubborn stiffness during the long break.

Shoulder Massage
2. My lower back. Another area that gets stiff after a long period on the chair. It is hard to reach this area on my own, so I need LD’s help with this.

Lower Back Massage
3. My thigh. This helps to reduce my post-exercise muscle soreness.

Thigh
So, how much does this great gadget cost? The regular price is $284 and it is currently on sale at $199. This includes 30-day risk-free trial, 1.5 year warranty, free shipping in Singapore and free return & exchanges within 30 days. You can purchase MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN from their website or click here.

CBK Verdict: I am loving it. It is light, powerful, easy to use and it looks sleek. If you are looking for a massage gun, you must strongly consider MYODIVE SONICTM MASSAGE GUN!

Thank you very much to MYODIVE team for the offer. For more information, you can visit https://massagegun.com.sg/

MYODIVE
105 Sims Avenue
#02-09
Singapore 387429

M: +65 9180 4209

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