Garden Picks SG : Tasty Soy Crisps and Gourmet Nuts

Snacking can be a healthy affair if we picked the right type of snack at the right amount. Instead of grabbing for potato chips, why not try the all-new soy crisps from Garden Picks? 

Available in four assorted flavours, I first tried the lighter coloured Honey Mustard, which had a smoky allure, though a tad salty for me. The Sweet Lime Chilli takes on a bright red coating but it is not too fiery, with a refreshing acidity from the lime juice powder. But I knew straightaway both soy crisps are good when I could not stop eating it. So I am glad they come in friendly zip-lock bags to prolong its freshness for other days.  

But there is more than just soy crisps at Garden Picks, the leading online retailer for good quality dried fruits and nuts. Its clients include corporate customers, government ministries, schools and hotels in Singapore. 

You can find assorted dried fruits and nuts ranging from wolfberries, dried cranberries, dried kiwis and natural USA walnuts. They work great as your granola ingredients or simply on its own as healthy snacks that will fuel your busy working days. 

Though I understand a need to be health-conscious, sometimes plain nuts can be a little too boring and thus I was delighted to find a good range of Gourmet Nuts including French Vanilla Almond and Wasabi Green Peas. 

The Salted Caramel Nuts and Manuka Honey Cashews tick all the right boxes for me as they are crunchy and hold the perfect sweetness in the thin sugary coating. I plated them using the colourful RICE kitchenware which is also available at Motherworks Singapore

In fact, there is no limit to how you want to enjoy the nuts and dried fruits. You can use the dried blueberries to make some Blueberry and Cream Cookies or nutty Florentine bars like what I did! 

But one fact remained unchanged--they are dangerously moreish no matter what form they take! 

Standard packs are sold at 3 for $10

Shop online for your healthy snacks from Garden Picks 
@ http://www.gardenpicks.com.sg/

For latest updates, check out their facebook @ https://m.facebook.com/gardenpicks

Shiseido Parlour Tokyo (Since 1902): Not Make-up Products but SWEETS and PARFAITS

Do you know that Shiseido isn't just a cosmetic brand but also a full fledged restaurant in Tokyo? It started serving western fusion dishes such as croquette and omelette rice since it opened its doors in 1902, which is even much older than the famous Taimeiken in Nihonbashi.

Maquillage: Not your make-up base but edible chocolate...even more attractive than macarons!

Occupying one entire building in the premium streets of Ginza, each floor is dedicated to a specific concept, for instance 1F is the retail space for souvenirs and petit entremets while 4/5F are reserved for fine-dining guests. 

Nope, of course I did not have the time and money to travel all the way to Ginza. Fortunately, the only pastry boutique is opened in Isetan Shinjuku and I would usually take a look to see if there is any interesting items. On a random visit, the shop was retailing two award-winning cakes produced by its young in-house chefs at the 2013 Japan Cake Show Contest Petit Gateau Section.

 

As you may tell from the name Ananas Coco, it is a caramel coated coconut mousse with mango and passionfruit centre on a tart shell filled with tarty pineapple chunks. I do not usually fancy pineapples but the use of vanilla beans soften the edginess of the fruit to my delight. However, the pastry tart has succumbed to some moisture attack and the coconut allure had not been fully extracted. 

Despite the all-too-common pistachio-raspberry pairing, this Pistachio cake was very captivating. Compared to the usual light fluffy mousse, this one is dense but not cloying.  

From the sponge wall to the filling to the rooftop pool of green sauce, every bit adhered obediently to the theme of pistachio. Not much textural contrast here but you know that the chef was not stingy on the pistachio paste. 

Nonetheless, there is still a wider selection of items at the main outlet in Ginza. It was love at first sight for Azuma Odori, a pretty cake with a mesmerizing oriental charm.

The components of white chocolate mousse, matcha mousse, vanilla custard and sponge cake might bring no surprise but I like the exceptionally milky scent in the matcha layer. Anyway, sorry to inform you that this is a limited edition item only available last summer in 2014 ! Hope you chance on something better next time.

Shiseido Salted Caramel cheesecake (Tokyo Station Limited Edition) The team behind Shiseido really knows how to market the popular flavours as limited edition items. These petite baked square cheesecakes are so dense and rich that having one at one time is more than sufficient. 

But instead of the cheesecake, I think their La Ganache Petit is definitely a more worthy investment. With a intensely dark ganache filled center, this resembles a deluxe version of a chocolate crunchie.

"An amazing, unique texture with rich flavour?" I am glad these are not just merely marketing slogans but these Chokaki (a word play of Chocolate + Okaki) are probably one of the most successful hybrids experimented by the quirky Japanese. They are not as hard as typical rice crackers but disintegrate into shambles in a few bites. The cheese version has a bonus dust of cheese powder that intensifies the balance of taste. Available only at Tokyo station and Haneda airport. 

Matcha Parfait

The quality is more like a casual cafe that does not pays too much attention to matcha. To put it bluntly, it is a cheap sundae in disguise, filled with vanilla ice cream, azuki bean paste, green jellies without shiratama dango. The warabi mochi on top were strange as it does not have any elastic stretchy texture. But for ¥920, I guess one can't bargain much. 

Do you know that Okinawa is another prefecture that produced excellent mango? This is a seasonal edition parfait featuring the sweet juicy Okinawan mango. It did burnt quite a big hole in my wallet but it was worth at least a try.

From the ice cream to the mousse, everything is made of the prized fruit, not the Creme de la Creme of the crop (i.e Miyazaki's Taiyo no Tamago Mango), but already good enough to help me tide through the sticky heat in July. 

Shiseido Parlour 資生堂パーラー

[Address] Ginza Shiseido Bldg. 3F, 8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

[Direction] Ginza Station; Shinbashi Station

[Telephone] 03 5537 6231

[Open] 11.30am-9pm (Sun & holidays until 8pm)

[Holiday] closed Mon (except for holidays)

http://parlour.shiseido.co.jp/ginza/

Latest updates on FB page--> https://www.facebook.com/shiseidoparlour

Gobuylah : Shop Online for Food and More!

A new wave of online groceries ranging from Japanese ingredients, halal food to gourmet meats and organic vegetables has swept the local market scene in recent years. But where should one go when you need to get an assorted items from local snacks to overseas gourmet produce?

Much to my delight, I learnt about this one-stop online supermarket gobuylah.com where I can look for daily essentials or some exotic gourmet ingredients without stepping out of my house!

 

After a quick browse through the site, I realize that it actually collaborates with such a wide variety of brands ranging from mother/baby products to IT/electronics and even Fashion!  

As a food shopaholic, I immediately jumped to the food section and discovered hundreds of items there, some of which are not even easily found in local supermarkets. 

There is even a hot deals section where you find items at a discounted price. Navigating around the website is very easy as there is a search bar at the top for you to look directly for the item you want.

At the check out counter, I can also choose to pay via cash on delivery, apart from the usual virtual methods. 

Items that I bought include Eden Natural Black Beans; Eden Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Barley  Malt; Natural Glory Organic Red Wild Rice and Organic Honeydew Honey; Whittard Chocolate Chai Tea; Verace Wild Honey; Papitto's Ice Cream and even kitchen appliances like Waffle Maker and Stylux Fruit Dessert Ice Cream Maker! 

What I like best about gobuylah is the free delivery service regardless of the amount spent. Unless some of your products are out of stock, the goods are delivered quickly within 5-6 days. Some of the goods are even delivered in a very nice packaging with recipes, just like the products I received from VERACE.

That said, it would definitely benefit customers more if they can update the inventory stock online so that it eliminates the hassle of searching for timely substitutes. Also do note that your order might not arrive on the same day/time as gobuylah arranges directly with the different supplier of the goods for the delivery. 

 

First time members get to enjoy $5 OFF and key in "Dairy05" to enjoy additional $5 discount!  (= $10 OFF at no minimum spending!)

Valid from 28th May~28th June 2015 on www.gobuylah.com

Win Win Snacks: 100% Halal and Vegetarian

I never thought much about potato chips until I chanced upon these wafer-thin Potato Crisps produced by Win Win Food. Baked with real potato, they actually tasted a little like cookies but so crisp and light, without any trace grease or heavy seasonings. Out of the four flavours--sour cream, tomato, vegetable and BBQ, I tried the latter two and was instantly attached to them. 

In fact, these potato crisps are only one of the many brands under Win Win Food, an established manufacturing company that produced snacks that are 100% halal and vegetarian. These products with a touch of Asian flavors are made in their main factory in Johor Bahru and distributed to various countries including Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, etc.

Some of their brands like Happy Moo biscuits (chocolate/plain) are packed in small bags like those mini snacks meant for kids--a good thing as it helps in portion control.

I love cream filled biscuits and these flaky Mini Pockets (vanilla/chocolate) are also good, though too generous on the sugar level. 

I am always partial towards any chocolate crunchies and thus I was delighted to discover that Win Win Food has introduced the Nutri Cereal Crisp. The original flavored bar has a milky fragrance with lingering the notes of salt that teases the palate and encourages one to keep eating bar by bar. Same goes for the chocolate, which are cheaper alternatives to Royce's Potecrunch without compromising on the quality. 

The Crisp Maker Puffed Corns is also another new item that I highly recommend to anyone, especially to those who loved popcorns. But don't get be wrong. These are not popcorns, but something even better and won't require any effort to chew.

They are like light crunchy air sacs that disappear in seconds. I can't decide between caramel and sweet corn but if you fancy sweet-savoury treats like me, then sweet corn would be an arduous challenge for you to stop devouring. 

Win Win Snacks are available at all major supermarkets

and online at www.gobuylah.com

More info : www.win2food.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/win2food

Fumon-an 普門庵 : Kyoto Cafe with a Hundred Blessings

Most people easily walked past this place while heading towards the Kiyomizu shrine but I highly recommend anyone to drop by for a visit because the concept revolves around "fuku" 福. This site is believed to be blessed with fortune and luck being situated (not directly) in front of Kyoto's most renowned shrine. Walk into the retail area and you can find an array of samples for its unique snacks such as the Hyaku-fuku Manju, a traditional bean paste wagashi which has a very nice and chewy skin.

The matcha flavour is made from Ichiban-cha, the first batch of green tea leaves that is harvested and thus widely prized for its clean taste and aroma. 

Meant to be paired with a bowl of matcha or the unsweetened matcha latte shown in the picture, these kind of Wagashi may not be the cup of tea for everyone since their sweetness are dialed up, so just be forewarned. This Hyaku-fuku Manju set is available at their cafe right next to the shop. 

八福細めうどん。本わらび粉入りうどん。鱧と鮎のおだし

The menu offers only one savoury option but this is a case of simple dish done well. You won't demand for other options once you take a sip of the dashi broth that is made from two types of fish (Hamo "pike eel" and Ayu "sweet fish"). Clear and hearty, the soup embraced the chewy Hachifuku thin udon made with warabi-mochi flour.  In fact, Fumonan takes pride in the warabi mochi flour that it uses and you can enjoy it more in their signature warabi mochi that comes along with the set as dessert. 

Despite having so much green tea and parfaits up till the point I came here, I am still very impressed by the Ofukuhan Matcha Parfait (¥980), even much more than Iyemon or Marufuji. Everything from the crispy Matcha Cream Wafer to the Warabi mochi and jelly is produced in house. The more parfaits you eat at these places, the more you realize how poor most parfaits at Izakayas or cafes fare in comparison. 

The matcha soft serve is also available for takeaway with black beans and red bean paste. Skip those soft serves ice cream at those average souvenir shops along the trek and come here for the real good stuff. It is unlikely that you will walk away empty handed as there are plenty of yummy snacks to load in your shopping cart. 

Fumon-an 普門庵
10am-5.30pm daily
〒605-0862
京都市東山区清水2丁目246番地
246 Kiyomizu 2-chōme, Higashiyama-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 605-0862, Japan
TEL：075-533-8282 

http://fumon-an.co.jp/index.html