Mac Donalds' Spicy Challenge!

How HOT do you think you can go?

Can you go as hot as this?

  *Pheee Wiiiiit!!!!!*

Or .........


THIS HOT??? 

So macho!!!

I doubt anyone can beat the hotnesssssss of my male model. Instead, why not challenge yourself and see how hot you can go with MacDonald's very own Spicy Challenge?
                                                

Thank you to Macs and omy.sg for the exclusive invite to taste their latest creations.

To be honest , I wasn't very sure what I was in for because I have had such a long, tedious week at the workplace that nothing else was on my mind but deadlines after deadlines. I almost didn't want to turn up for the invite due to work commitments but I am really glad I did!

To Janet from omy.sg, THANK YOU!!!!!

When I reached the Tanjong Pagar outlet, I was pleasantly surprised to see the tables prettily decorated with lots of spices.

These made a unique but really pretty table centrepiece. I should try this for the home some time :P

If there is one thing I can never leave without , it would be chillis! Chilli padi to be exact. I put them everywhere in my dishes, even Maggie Mee. 

We were then briefed on what we were expected to do.

To cater to their consumers' needs, MacDonalds has decided to launch (they just launched, by the way!) their latest 3 Levels of Spicyness.

Each of us blogger was allowed to opt for Level 1 , 2 or 3 .... to test how much spicyness we could stomach. I was really excited because I just loveeeeeeeeeee anything spicy! 

Level ONE: Sizzling Citrus 

At level one on the heat scale of this year’s Spicy Challenge, you will expect to devour the  new Sizzling Citrus. Featuring a chicken patty seasoned to offer a delightful combination of citrus and spice, this is finished to crispy perfection, and topped with green chilli and lime sauce. All the goodness is served on fresh whole leaf lettuce and in between toasted corndust buns.

Level TWO: McSpicy® 

The current McSpicy burger

Level THREE: Flaming Green Curry 

Level three on the Spicy Challenge heat scale is the new Flaming Green Curry. Packing a punch, this burger features a chicken patty seasoned with a mouth-watering mix of spices including chili and capsicum for additional lingering heat. This is served on crisp whole leaf lettuce and topped with lemongrass and coconut sauce, in between fluffy corndust buns. 

Since I usually eat McSpicy with 2 packets of chilli sauce each time (and sometimes, sambal belacan), I was super game to try Level 3!

The cute door gift for the night.

Being in the teaching industry means most of your friends are teachers , in and out of school. Since it was a single-pax invite, it was certainly a good time to make new friends!

I was lucky to be at a table of very friendly young (yeah...I felt a little old..heheh) bloggers and we spent quite some time chatting while waiting for our burgers to be served.

Two of us opted for Level 3 and the other 2 opted for Level 1.

Friendly crew serving us with our much anticipated burgers! Bring it on! 

FLAMING GREEN CURRY 

Check out what to expect ! And I love how they name it the 'Thai Thriller'.

The whole meal with their new Yuzu concoction. I didn't try the drink though because I was already served with SPRITE earlier on and my fellow blogger needed that extra drink . Hehe.

One last look before it goes into my tum-tum.... Honestly, the burger does look extremely appetizing .

Ok...ready..get set....go! (Super tired face, btw. I had a lonnnnnnnngggggg day)

Verdict: I LOVE the Thai Thriller!!!

You can taste the distinct yet, nicely blended lemongrass and capsicum among the other spices put together. The coconut sauce on the lettuce was unique and gave a great aftertaste on your tongue after that. I love Tom Yum soup and this burger has quite a bit of its taste and aroma. If you love Tom Yum, you will love this! This was made better with the tender chicken meat and very fresh and crispy lettuce.

Spicy level:  There were quite a number of bloggers who found this really spicy. Many persevered to finish up , with an extra drink or two. As for me (and those who are used to chillis), the taste was excellent but I could do with something more spicy.

But we all know how MacDonalds is always coming up with something new. They have another surprise for all of us .... Level FOUR by end of April.

I CAN'T WAIT!

I didn't ask for a Level One burger because I was really too full. But I had a small bite from one of the bloggers' burger. It has a citrus scent/aftertaste to it but pretty harmless to me.

There was a fun quick quiz after that. They showed us some spices and we were to guess what they were. I guessed the last one correct and earned myself a MacDonalds notebook :)

New blogger friends! 

If you haven't tried the new burgers yet, wait no more! This weekend is the perfect timing to see how hot you can go!

Thank you again to Macs and omy.sg for the great night .... and also to my male model, nephew Adam Iman :P

Have a SIZZLING weekend, everyone!

TOMODACHI! @ Whitesands Shopping Centre

One of my favourite pastimes is to eat and one of my favourite food is Japanese cuisine. 

Unfortunately , there isn't much choice of HALAL Japanese food in Singapore. Thus, I go crazy everytime I go to KL.... always insisting to have a good Jap meal at least once. (I don't mind doing it all the time but husby is not really a fan)

There used to be Ramen Ten but that no longer exists. Since then , I have been a loyal costumer of Hei Sushi. I am definitely not an expert at Japanese cuisine but I think Hei Sushi is not bad. Their sashimi is always rather fresh , chawanmushi is soft and tasty...the only thing I am not satisfied with is the wasabi. I have tasted better and more powerful one and I just feel that the one at Hei Sushi is only so-so. 

I have been following @halalsg for quite some time now on Twitter (admin is really cool and funny!) and jumped when it mentioned that TOMODACHI at Whitesands has finally attained its official Halal cert. YEAH!

The first time I went there was with the husby.

It worked just like how the previous Mad Jack did at the same location - u tick your order on the given list and pay at the counter, before your food is served.

Located between Tom & Stephanie and the POSB ATMs on level 2

The weather is always hot so these are great thirst quenchers!

Chawanmushi - I prefer the one at Hei Sushi. This has a weird taste, in my opinion. 

Mushroom Itame - Shimeji, Enoki & Shitake mushrooms in buttery, light soy sauce.
It doesn't look that appetizing here but the photo does not justify the taste. I like this although I thought they could have eased off on the soy sauce a little. I could also have been biased because I simply love Enoki! For $13.90, this was worth the money. 

Favourite sashimi! Comparable to Hei Sushi

YUMSSSSSS..... The wasabi here is better than the one served at Hei Sushi, more 'kick'! I need lots of wasabi for my sushis so this was a favourite moment during the meal :)

Chicken Ramen - According to the husby , it is not bad. I didn't think much of the presentation though..

This looks good but no, it is not. Very dry. The only saving grace was the chocolate sauce which probably came straight from the Hershey's bottle. 

The next visit to the same place with my cousins and Aunt (otherwise known as 'Makan Kakis') involved a much wider variety of food. We had the tempura, soup, salad .... but I took no photos of all those because I was just so famished!

With Ainul - My partner-in-crime when it comes to food!

We were all trying to make my aunt (in blue)  eat some sushi as she has never had one before... alas..we failed even after much coaxing. What only!

She touched none of those..... ok , maybe one or two of those fish roe balls.

Looks pretty..and that's about it. We have tasted Rainbow cakes where each coloured layer carries a slightly different taste from one another. This tasted the same throughout , just like a normal sponge cake. The one at "I am" Cafe is definitely better. 

All in all, I still prefer Hei Sushi but that does not mean I would not patronize Tomodachi anymore. It is, afterall, near my home and it is not that bad. At least, it provides an alternative to just Manhattan or Old Town White Coffee each time we need to dine at Whitesands. I shall always try to support Halal establishments provided, of course, the food served is palatable. 

I am looking forward to my next makan outing with my Makan Kakis. We should be heading to Teppanyaki at Kembangan! (I've been to their now-defunct Thomson branch)

Happy Wednesday, everyone! 

REVIEW: Le Bistro Parisien

Last Thursday , I had a simple date with my best friend.

It was supposed to be some kind of a belated birthday celebration and thus, she refused to tell me where we were heading to. Very unfortunately for her, the cab driver had no idea where to allow us to alight either. We ended up pretty lost a few streets away from the destination.

After a call to the restaurant, another taxi cab ride , a walk down a lane , we finally reached Le Bistro Parisian! 

Remember I mentioned before that there was a French restaurant in Haji Lane that has since closed down? Well, this is the restaurant I meant, just that it did not close down but has relocated. The new bistro is located as part of the V Hotel at Bencoolen Street.

[There are some roadworks going on now for the new MRT line so taxis would not be able to drop you off right at the doorstep of the cafe. Lookout for 'Kopitiam' near Bras Basah train station. Just a 3-min walk down the lane]

We were there the day after Christmas and could see how cosy to it is to have a small gathering with your friends there.

I kinda like the simple wood furnishings however, I thought it would look better and cuter if they have red-white checkered tablecloths.

A little history of the restaurant's owner / founder / chef ....

Chef Jean Francois Nordin is a well-seasoned French-trained Hotelier and Restaurateur with over 38 years of experience. He has held various positions in the hotel industry , having risen in rank since 1975. As someone who is widely travelled and having managed and set up strings of successful bistros, cafes and restaurants, his creativity to conceptualise things and create delectable dishes are unlimited and boundless. Bistro Le Parisian is also the first Halal French Restaurant in the world.

We were so lucky to have met him in person. As we were devouring our entre dish, this very humble man came to our table to talk to us and asked if the food and service were alright. It's definitely a thoughtful extra step towards pleasing customers :)

Bestie and I were quite greedy that night... hahahhaa....well, to be fair, I skipped lunch so you can imagine how hungry I was. LOL.

We wanted to try the escargots under the Entres but was told the dish was unavailable that night. We must have looked really disappointed because later on, we were served their mushroom soup totally complimentary!

CREME AUX CHAMPIGNONS

Homemade cream of wild mushroom soup

More creamy than my usual like but not bad... The meaty chunks of mushrooms were nicely cut and so juicy that I finished it all up - that is not something very common when it comes to me and mushroom soup. 

Like I said earlier, we were a little greedy that night (not good!) and actually ordered an entre and 3 mains! The staff did give us a cheeky grin when she wanted to confirm if we were really having all that between the two of us.

BRANDADE DE MORUE

Baked bacalao salted cod fish with gruyere cheese 

I have always loved codfish for its dense , white flesh but I wasn't sure what to expect from this dish when I read the description. Salted fish ? With cheese? Was that going to be just a little too much?

I shouldn't have feared anything because I just kept on eating it once I started ( we were sharing though). The taste of the fish was pretty delicate yet very tasty as it mixed with the flavour of the melted cheese. I tried it out with bread halfway through and wished I had done that sooner! Yumms......
However, I found this dish extremely filling... I had to stop myself from continuing when I remembered we had not had the mains yet. 

We had three mains. I ordered the grilled salmon with linguine.

SAUMON GRILLE AUX EPINARDS EN SAUCE BEURRE BLANC

 Grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce, spinach & squid ink linguine 

I LOVE the perfectly grilled salmon and spinach ..so flavourful that I was kind of sad when I reached the last of them . Definitely recommended. The linguine was alright - I was wishing that it had been BLACK squid ink instead.

SAUTEE DE GROSSES CREVETTES A LA MOUTARD A LANCIENNE

 Sauteed large prawns with whole grain dijion mustard 

The name is quite a mouthful, isn't it?
Prawns were fresh and juicy .....and again , I attacked the absolutely yummy spinach. It wasn't overcooked and was just a perfect blend with the whole dish. My only complaint is there should have been a bigger serving of the vegetables (Did I really say that, not being a vege lover? Wonders never cease)

ENTRECOTE DE BOUEF

Australian Black Angus Ribeye Steak 200 days grain-fed(2-3marbling)

The restaurant has many varied versions of the steak ... I cannot recall and I was honestly, a little overwhelmed :P

I cannot really comment on this because this was Bestie's. However, the plate was squeaky clean when she was finally done. I guess it must have been good :)

We were so full by then that there was actually a moment of silence. I just felt like I could not talk or move.... hahhahaha....

Then , they surprised us with a complimentary Creme Brulee. Oh gawd, it looked really good but I knew I could not go on.

Crème brûlée

It wasn't too sweet so I like that but the stomach was signalling a red signal , indicating there really wasn't anymore space. 

It is extremely difficult to get a decent snapshot of Bestie. She would ALWAYS make some kind of weirdly funny faces that I just cannot bear to post it online . ALL THE TIME.

Le sigh.

Best shot of the day 

Ending of with a selfie... just because I like the way I draped my shawl..... hee hee....

Not sure if I could replicate it the next time ...anyhow wrapped it that night! 

Anyway, altogether, the meal cost us about $90. That is definitely value for money.

When we went, their NETS and Credit Card facilities were not in place yet since they just started at the new premise. Just in case, do bring cash if you are going there.

Thanks for reading, people! Have a good Sunday!

Le Bistro Parisien 

48 Bencoolen Street 

#01-02 

Singapore 189627

Contact no: 63331178 / 63333138

REVIEW: Ivy Restaurant - Halal French Cuisine!

Unfortunately this year, the husband's birthday fell on a weekday. Even more unfortunate was the fact that he was supposed to be involved in a long meeting that would only allow us to have a celebration at night. Already dampened by the fact that I could not carry out our annual go-out-the-whole-day kind of celebration, I was having problem finalizing dinner venue.

We both love to explore different places for food and I was wrecking my brains to decide which restaurant to go to have a simple dinner. 

Just in time, I got an invitation from a Ms Novell Goh for a food tasting session at Ivy Restaurant for that same night.....for authentic HALAL Southern French Cuisine!

Although many Halal food establishments have been set up in Singapore, I have NEVER been to a French restaurant before (deprived much ? :P ) . There was a Halal one in Haji Lane some time back but it has since closed down. Therefore without a second thought, I said 'Yes'!

[There are special benefits for you lucky readers at the end of this post so read on!]

This photo was taken right under the umbrella because the rain was just so so heavy! 

We did Maghrib prayers in the musollah located at the Beach Carpark (a small but very comfortable and well-lit room). We then walked in the heavy rain towards Siloso Beach till we reached Siloso Beach Resort. You can choose to take the tram from Beach Station but a little walking (less than 10 minutes) won't hurt, especially if your final destination is great food for the tum tum!

Warmly greeted by Ms Novell and Ms Hui Ping from their PR firm , we were taken on a tour around the place by the very friendly Mr Khamil Hyder, the Sales & Marketing Manager of Ivy Restaurant. 

It was evident that Ivy Restaurant was designed to give its customers a warm and relaxed feel. We were seated at the al fresco area that faces the popular Siloso Beach. With the lush greenery surrounding us ,dark wood finishings and warm lightings, it sure gives you a cosy and romantic feel, especially in the evening. 

Just perfect for any special occasion with your friends or loved ones!

According to Mr Khamil, when there isn't any need to set up tables, this area is used by Muslim patrons should they need to perform their obligatory prayers. 

What shall I call this? The verandah?  Anyway , this place is used when the first level is fully utilised or when there is any booking for event. I went to their Facebook page and saw the settings for a recent wedding...So sweet! You can either get them to find the decorators etc for you or you can just book the venue and do up the place yourself. That explains their  simple design; to allow diners to do up their own wedding / birthday  themes. Very practical, very smart move indeed.

We were eager to see what they were going to serve for the night.  As wine is an essential ingredient in French dishes, I was intrigued to know how they taste like without the use of wine (Not that I know what it is like with wine! Hahaha....).

For starters,we were served the CRAB SALAD. 

CRAB SALAD
With caramelised leeks, truffle honey, figs chutney and a hint of avocado puree

The more I look at this photo, the more I feel the compelling urge to taste this again....

The Crab Salad was soooooooooooooo good! I was a little skeptical as I am not much of a vege lover (read: leeks) but it was too delicious for me to bother about those veges. The mixture of the avocado puree and truffle honey made a unique combination - I can seriously remember how that tasted like! Oh, I love those orangey thingy at the top but I had no idea what it was. We later found out it was caviar. So that's how caviar tastes like.... slurrrrpppppp.....

Next starter ... Pan Fried King Scallops  

Pan Fried King Scallops
with parsnip puree and herbs

Both husby and I agree that this is drool-worthy and give it four thumbs up! I love scallops but sometimes the way they are cooked takes away the natural taste of the scallops. These scallops here were plump, tender and delectable and I really took my own sweet time chewing it. If we were to go back to Ivy (which we probably would), this is a must-order item. 

We were then served with two of their main courses. 

Pan Fried Seabass

With sauteed mushrooms, baked cherry tomatoes , flat beans. spinach and carrot puree.

Another favourite! So far, I have introduced 3 and all 3 are my favourites ?? :P  On a serious note, I was initially skeptical when I saw the mushrooms and the greens underneath the seabass but this is one example of how a good presentation does wonders to whet your appetite.

I totally dig it, veges and all! In fact , the sauteed mushrooms and spinach were so tasty that I feel they really added on to the taste of the crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside seabass. I left out the flat beans though..that's not so bad, is it?

Sirloin Steak

with chunky chips and mixed salad

Their Sirloin Steak is one of their more popular items on the menu. Just like all the other dishes, the Chef only uses fresh and good quality ingredients and this includes beef dry-aged for 150 days. We were told that the sauce takes three days to make from scratch.

Perfect stage between medium and well-done. 

I am not too sure if the sauce is to my taste - I would have preferred it to be a little more peppery but that could just be me. The other blogger and her mum who were seated with us love the sauce! However, I was more than satisfied with the perfect texture of the steak. ... and I was secretly wishing for another set of the crunchy fries. Fat and served warm - great to munch on, on that cold and rainy night.

I was feeling quite full at that point (yes, I get full easily but will soon get hungry again....) but I couldn't wait for desserts. Desserts always make me happy!


                                 Vanilla Crème brûlée

For all those with a sweet tooth, this would be perfect for you! Husby likes this a lot and finished up my share.... hehe.. there is just so much sweetness I can take with my desserts. 

                             

Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice-Cream

It was really sweet of them to surprise us with a birthday message for the hubby. 

Chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream can never go wrong.  This was a perfect one to end the meal with..

That's us with another blogger and her mum, and the Chef who truly deserved our compliments that night.

I was impressed with how Chef Piotr described his journey in sourcing out for suitable ingredients that will not compromise on the taste of the restaurant's fusion Halal French cuisine, even with the absence of wine. And did you know that he trained / worked with Gordon Ramsay, that famous culinary Guru? 

That's Mr Khamil and Chef Piotr. Do look for Mr Khamil for any queries on venue booking etc.

You really should consider Ivy Restaurant for your next special occasion - birthday, anniversary or corporate event. In fact , if you are just hanging out at the beach or roaming around Sentosa, this would be an ideal place to chill and have a meal because they are perfectly fine with guests coming in casually dressed. Fuss free!

Now, here comes the best part for you readers!

From now till end of the year, you are entitled to 10% off ala carte items for each visit to Ivy Restaurant.

All you have to do is mention "I'm a reader of Haryani's blog!" when you are there and you get that 10% off. Super effortless! (ok...so now my real name is out :P . But I'd still very much liked to be known as 'Fairy Queen')

Wait....there's more!

I have FIVE 20% DISCOUNT VOUCHERS for 5 lucky readers! 

All you need to do is to give me your name and email address in the comment box below this post, and I'll get in touch with you to get your mailing address. First come, first served :)

So where?

Ivy Restaurant Pte Ltd

Siloso Beach Resort 

51 Imbiah Walk (opposite WAVEHOUSE)

For reservation , call : (65) 6271-7008

Opening hours: Tue 5:30 - 10pm, Wed-Sun (12:30 - 10pm), Mon (Closed)

Price range : $30 - $50 ++ per person . Set menus are available at $38 and $45 only.

For more information, visit  http://ivysingapore.com or their Facebook page. 

I hope I have managed to whet your appetite and evoked your curiosity because this is definitely a place worth going! 

Cheers.