Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - Christmas Treats

This post is written by Pauline Ang.

Times flies when you are busy. Christmas  quietly sneaks up behind you as you go about your ways.

The first hint of the Christmas mood this year is noticeably different from previous years. The Silver Chef, aka my hubby, was invited by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaves for the Christmas party at the Coffee Beanstro at Suntec City to indulge in this year’s Christmas treats and pastries. 

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 - Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh Midview City

I have had a long affection for Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh. The original Rong Cheng stall was started by Uncle Lim way back in 1976 and has been selling their classic Teochew bak kut teh till this day.

They were also the first to have used the dragon bone, or long gu. Since then, almost every notable Teochew bak kut teh is also selling this dragon bone.

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 - Crocodile King

It's not often one gets to eat crocodile cuisine here, and it's a pity the sole crocodile hawker stall in Singapore has ceased operations since September 2013.

But Tony Tee, the owner of the previous said stall and crocodile cuisine master is still intent on spreading his crocodile dishes far and wide. And it is for this reason that he has graciously agreed to come out of "retirement" to participate in this year's Ultimate Hawker Fest.

Les Patisseries - A Neighbourhood Cafe Gem

Cafes sprouting out of neighbourhood joints are becoming common these days, but there are only a few rarified ones that actually are worthy of note. And Les Patisseries happens to be one of them.

Situated near Toa Payoh Central, it is started by 3 aspiring young food owners/bakers. Making their own pastries and desserts, it is also one of those that do not rely on outsourced bakes to supplement their menu.

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 - Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and Anxin Chicken

After our visit to the chicken farm, it was time to put the Anxin Chicken to the test at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice's outlet at Joo Chiat.

Tian Tian has been using Toh Thye San Farm's regular broiler chicken for some time now and has a great run of success with it. Currently, they do not carry Anxin chicken as it is not commercially viable.

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 - Toh Thye San Farm and Anxin Chicken

For many of us, we consume chicken almost on a daily basis here in Singapore. And yet, most of us are not aware that we are most likely than not, consuming frozen chicken flown from many miles away.

What is infinitely worse, is that most of the chicken we eat today, be it fried chicken from the famous colonel or your regular chicken rice place, uses chicken that is not naturally bred or fed.

Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 at Suntec Expo on 22 November 2014

This year's Ultimate Hawker Fest is about to descend upon us again. For those who are not familiar, the Ultimate Hawker Fest was originally started in 2012 by ieatishootipost as a charity event to showcase some of our finest street food in Singapore.

At the same time, it was also an event to raise money for Touch Community's supported charitable organisations. I am delighted to announce that I am one of the 3 curators for this year's event, along with Miss Tam Chiak (www.misstamchiak.com), who is leading this year's event  and Sgfoodonfoot (www.sgfoodonfoot.com), my dependable food buddy.

GRUB Noodle Bar - More Than Just Noodles

Formerly a cooking studio/school, the newly minted GRUB Noodle Bar at Rangoon Road is a fresh new take on noodle gastronomy in Singapore.

It is situated just opposite the popular Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh, and walking in, you get a sense of a white, cosy chic ambience that is both pleasing and comforting.