Food

Given that the public is now advised to stay home with work-from-home once again the default, many now have little choice but to re-train their culinary skills to fill their time while indoors. A popular, and in most cases, necessary activity, is cooking one’s own / the entire household’s meals. If you prefer to have the convenience of fresh ingredients delivered to your doorstep instead of having to go for grocery runs, here are some establishments / online butchers that offer islandwide delivery of fresh meat – in some cases for free once you hit a certain order amount.

Do note that the establishments listed here are for fresh and frozen meat delivery in Singapore. Fresh seafood, vegetables and fruits will be covered in separate articles so watch out for those as well….

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I love matcha. I seek it almost on a daily basis, having prowled all the matcha tea houses in Singapore and even cafes that sell matcha latte or offer it as a cold brew. I recently came across Craft Tea Fox. The brand specializes in matcha and hojicha and their product line-up revolves around that – from powder to cold brew. 

Craft Tea Fox sells Matcha Latte (S$7) and Hojicha Latte (S$7) and they also sell oat latte versions of the same at S$8 per bottle. As I am lactose-intolerant, I tried their oat latte range. 

hojicha oat latte craft tea fox

Their Hojicha Oat Milk Latte was smooth to the taste, with a creamy finish. While I did note that it was slightly sweetened, it was not too sweet that I could easily make out the nutty taste profile of the roasted green tea as it sunk in.

matcha oat latte craft tea fox

The Matcha Oat Milk Latte hits you immediately the moment you drink it. The delightful bitterness of the tea was clearly perceptible, indicating a generous concentration of matcha. Compared to the hojicha, the matcha latte seemed less sweeter. 

Craft Tea Fox operates primarily as as a delivery service but they do make their matcha and hojicha lattes available in certain cafes and bakeries like An Acai Affair, Morimori Yogashi Patisserie, etc. Islandwide delivery is free for orders of S$40 or more – or roughly 6 bottles of their latte. Otherwise, an S$8 delivery charge applies. My matcha and hojicha latte bottles were packed nicely in a styrofoam box when it was delivered to me, with the bottles still chilled inside and ready to drink. Craft Tea Fox delivers from Mondays to Fridays, from 11AM to 7PM. I was initially concerned that I might not be at home when they deliver but their website states that the bottles can still stay cold for a few hours when inside the styrofoam box.

Aside from single orders, Craft Tea Fox also has a subscription system where customers can automatically have their matcha or hojicha latte bottles replenished every 1,2,3 or 4 week intervals at 10% off the ala carte prices. For matcha purists, Craft Tea Fox sells matcha and hojicha powder, including ceremonial grade ones. Customers can also choose to order these powders as a DIY set inclusive of a bowl and whisk, similar to how they do in matcha tea houses.

Order from Craft Tea Fox here.

Dumpling Festival 2021, also known as Dragonboat Festival or Duan Wu Jie (端午节) in Chinese, falls on the 14th of June 2021 and this is the time that families and friends come together to enjoy exquisitely handmade sticky rice dumplings or zongzi (粽子). Traditionally, there are 3 types of rice dumplings:

• Nyonya – Often has a blue tip. The interior features minced meat.
• Hokkien – Juicier than the Nyonya rice dumpling due to the presence of pork belly brimming with fat. The juices get soaked by the rice.
• Sweet – Filled with various beans, nuts or even dates. Vegetarian-friendly.

If you were to choose to buy your rice dumplings from hotels, expect luxurious ingredients such as scallops, abalone and even duck. This year, a couple of outlets have introduced some unique flavors. Many of the bak chang listed below for Dumpling Festival 2021 are available not just for takeaways but also for deliveries. Here is a list of rice dumplings being sold this year:

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As traveling to Japan is implausible these days, the past 8 months has seen greater demand in omakase-style dining in Singapore. Establishments offering omakase tend to feature rare ingredients flown in from various parts of Japan, drawing in diners who miss getting traveling to Tokyo, Osaka and other cities to get their fix. 

The Gyu Bar which is located within the same grounds as Novotel Singapore on Stevens differentiates itself from other Japanese restaurants by specializing in beef. The restaurant opened some 3 years ago as a yakiniku joint and bar but has since diversified its menu to offer other types of seafood. The Gyu Bar is also offering omakase in its repertoire but because of its “beef-y” proposition, their omakase is distinct from the bulk of sushi / seafood dining that other Japanese restaurants have.  The Gyu Bar’s omakase is 9-courses and all but two (the dessert and soup courses) have beef in them. 

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15 Stamford by Alvin Leung – the inhouse restaurant of The Capitol Kempinski Singapore has taken a relatively bold move in its Sunday brunch by presenting it in a slightly different format from the “hotel norm.” The Sunday Brunch at 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung is presented as an ala carte “set” semi-buffet with 6 courses rather than a full-fledged buffet. The highlights – such as the mains and seafood – are limited to just one serving per person but after having tried this brunch myself, this decision seems to surprisingly work in the restaurant’s favor. 

This review is a course-by-course run through of the Sunday brunch at 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung to help readers decide if it is a brunch worth going to. I will also share my opinions on each dish and my overall verdict at the end.

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Tuxedo Cafe at Carlton Hotel Singapore has revamped its pastries menu and now features up to 20 new creations for the public to enjoy. Launched in April 2021, these pastries are a mix of some bestsellers as well as new recipes formulated by the inhouse pastry chefs.

The new menu selection was deliberately crafted to showcase a diversity of flavors. Here are some of the highlights to look forward to: 

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