Singapore Food Expo 2012

Brought some foreign visitors to the Singapore Food Expo 2012 at Singapore Expo. There were more than 100 exhibitors participating, showcasing a thousand different quality products. With so much food to indulge in, we were spoilt for choices.

Unfortunately, the whole hall was so packed and crowded that there was hardly room to walk and we had to jostle with the crowds as we shop from booth to booth. We managed to taste some new food products and bought quite a lot to distribute to friends and colleagues.

New product - concentrated herbal chicken soup from Eu Yan Sang and Maggi. 3 different favours available - American Ginseng, Lingzhi and Cordyceps. I bought it because it is convenient and economical (S$7.50 per bottle). Just add a litre of water to the concentrated chicken soup to boil and the family can have nourishing soup in a jiffy.

Lots of booths offer food-tasting, my friends and I found the behaviour of some visitors disgusting. They dipped into the food samples with their toothpicks or spoons repeatedly. Some even stood waiting for refills and refused to budge for others to have a taste. We were appalled when we overheard a mother telling her 3 children whose faces were practically in the trays of seaweed salad to eat their fill as that would be their dinner that evening.

There were lots of stalls offering free coffee samples. The Nestle booth offers a pretty fragrant coffee sample and there was a constant long queue for it.

One booth was selling durian coffee from Penang, I tasted and then bought a packet. There is a distinct durian fragrance, not too overpowering. I bought it for my colleagues to try, I want to see their faces after they taste it. :)

We bought a crispy Taiwanese chocolate and banana crepe. It was popular and the young couple worked non-stop to feed the long queue. We couldn't resist the aromatic Penang Laksa and the yummy Penang rojak. The kind vendor offered us seats in her kitchen located behind the exhibition hall.

While enjoying the good food and good value purchases, there were also lots of entertainments and fun-filled stage activities by both local and overseas artistes, as well as TV celebrities.

I was glad to see Chef Eric Low who has a new look after losing weight. As usual he was desmonstrating his cooking skills, and also his 'Aunty-killer' charms. :D

There are still 2 more days before the exhibition ends. So go take a look and enjoy the good food!

Singapore Food Expo 2012
Singapore Expo Hall 5
25 May - 29 May 2012, 1100hrs - 2200hrs

Some Famous Places in Malacca - PH

PhotoHunt theme : Creative/ Famous Places

My recent weekend trip to Malacca was memorable and fun. I stayed within the Chinatown area where the famous Jonker Walk was two streets away. On weekend nights the whole street is closed for traffic and turns into a lively night market.

Malacca was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO on 7 July 2008. It is a favourite destination for short getaways for many Singaporeans. I love its heritage buildings, cultural enclaves, places of worship and its wide selection of yummy cuisines.

This Peranakan museum was the filming site for the famous Singapore-made TV drama, The Little Nonya. Sadly, there was no long queues to visit it.I didn't have a chance to visit it as I was herded along with the other bloggers on a quick walk around Chinatown.

Many tourists would visit this Geographer Cafe which is conveniently located in a conspicuous corner pre-war shophouse right in the heart of Jonker Walk.

On my last day in Malacca, my fun Malaysian buddies Jason and Robin brought us to this famous dessert shop, Jonker88.com.

On that extremely humid afternoon, there was a loooong queue outside this shophouse. I almost wanted to give up as I have a bus to catch to the bus terminal but Jason was adamant that we eat this famous dessert before we depart for home.

crowded at the back of the shop

crowded at the front of the shop

Jason managed to cut queue and he generously gave us a treat of this famous icy dessert (RM3 each). Many customers were waiting for seats in the packed and crowded dessert shop. We couldn't find an empty seat and our Cendal was melting .....

Cendol..... Looks good right!?

Jason (left), Robin and Chris wolfing down their Cendol, standing

We had no choice but to eat our delicious dessert standing in the middle of the room. I wish I had the time to  savour the yummy Cendol but alas, eating it standing up is also an art as I have to keep avoiding the diners with their trays of desserts. I was doing a Waltz with my Cendol. :D

 The ice shaving machines and the workers worked non-stop to cater to the long queue of customers.

The Cendol is the most popular item on the menu. There was a selection of desserts which I find a creative use of their local ingredients.

I am going to come back for the rest of their desserts!! Thanks Jason for the treat!

A Date With Bloggers@Malacca 2012

ECL at Uncle Keong dessert shop

My husband and I drove up to Malacca in the early morning hours of 19 May (Saturday) for a bloggers' event. It has been several years since I last visited this fabulous city.

Malacca was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO on 7 July 2008. I am fascinated by its heritage buildings, cultural enclaves, places of worship and its wide selection of yummy cuisines.

Group photo with the management of Perfect Food Manufacturing

After arriving at Malacca Sentral, we were chauffeured to Julie's Biscuit Factory by Jee Shen. We were taken on a tour of their humongous manufacturing premises and treated to a buffet lunch.

ECL stayed here.

We checked into our accommodation after lunch. We stayed at Sayang-Sayang Youth Hostel @Riverside. Initially I was in shock when I opened the door to my room. Used to staying in at least 3-star hotels with attached bathrooms on my travels, I wanted to check into a nearby hotel but hubby persuaded me to rough it out and appreciate the backpacker experience.

I should be thankful to Kent Lee, the young boss of Sayang-Sayang Youth Hostel. He sacrificed his earnings on a busy Saturday to provide accommodation for 40 plus people. My hubby and I are getting old and have aching knees, the climbing up and down of the stairs to the loft is a task.
Queuing to use the toilet gets a little tricky for us, because we older folks have a problem holding our bladders. :P Still, I want to thank Kent for his generosity.

In the evening, we attended the opening ceremony of A Date With Bloggers at Melaka 2012 located at Mahkota Parade.

ECL chatting with witty Datuk Wira Latiff Tamby Chik, Chairman of Malacca State Tourism, Culture and Heritage 

and Dr Yee Kok Wah.

After the ceremony, we stopped by Jonker Street to soak in the night market atmosphere. It was an extremely humid night, we returned to the hostel for a much needed bath and I immediately dozed off the moment I hit the pillow.

We had breakfast at the awe-inspiring Cheng Ho Cultural Museum where a free guided tour was offered to us.

Traditional Hainanese dishes prepared with love by the Women's Wing of Malacca Hainan Association.

We proceeded to Malacca Hainan Association after our museum tour. The hospitable ladies from the Women's Wing were busy cooking up a feast for us. I was getting hungrier as each dish was placed on a table for us to take photos. 

We learnt how to shaped the famous Hainanese chicken rice balls, taught by two lady seniors.

Love the authentic Nyonya food prepared by Mdm Lucy Wee of Anak Nyonya Restaurant.

Talented Mr Low K.P. of Mei Zhong Yuan Confectionery Sdn Bhd gave us a hands-on demonstration of his delicous Sun Cake with durian or coffee filling. Later in the afternoon, we went to his shop to buy his famous snacks.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam joined the bloggers for lunch at Malacca Hainan Association.

We took a walk along Jonker Street after our lunch to buy some souvenirs for our friends and colleagues in Singapore. Some bloggers left early for home.

Within a short span of 24 hours, many of us have become friends who were sharing and looking after one another. It was wonderful meeting these beautiful people from Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.    

Before we bade our farewells and headed for home, we had our last group photo at Kota A'Farmosa.

ECL gives the thumbs-up for Lim Kang Xiang (left) and Steven Tan (right)

Special thanks to these two well-brought-up, adorable young men who gave their best efforts to make our trip a memorable and enjoyable one. They did a good job despite being first time organisers of such a event. I will always cherish the memories of this trip.

I would also like to thank their friends who came to help out in this event. They are a bunch of truly remarkable young people to hang out with. *Applause*

Thanks to all the sponsors who made our trip in Malacca a memorable one. I went to Malacca carrying one luggage bag but came home laden with bags of goodies and lots of heartwarming stories.

Niceties over, the reviews will begin in my next post. :D