Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Great Singapore Cupcake Hunt

Singapore is always going through food fads, and the current one that is slowly but surely gaining momentum is cupcakes! Forget about donuts (pshhh so 2009) or bubble tea, cupcakes have always been my favourite. What's not to love about single-serve cakes in pretty paper cups, complete with a good dollop of icing? There are a gabillion ways to make really good cupcakes, but that's the best part! It's all about the variety, and the infinitesimal possibilities between cake and icing flavours. The greatest thing about cupcakes is that if you don't want to leave your house you can even whip up your own batch with a basic list of things you have in the pantry. Flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and some cocoa powder or vanilla essence and you're good to go.

But my favourite cupcakes so far are from Trophy Cupcakes, a little specialty cupcake store in Seattle. I used to walk down this treacherous slope from my dorm to the U.Vill just to get me a cupcake ( although walking down was the easy part, it was the walking back up that I always dreaded). Their triple chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes are the best EVER. I torture myself constantly by going to their facebook page and looking at all the special flavours, like raspberry lemon, or magarita with tequila lime buttercream, or lemon meringue, or smores. The list never ends. But sadly I'm back in Singapore for good, so I guess I'll have to go on a cupcake hunt right here in my own city (hehehhehe yayyy!) 




Saturday, May 12, 2012

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chop House

Usually when a restaurant has the words "Oyster Bar" in its name, I'm sold. I love love love oysters, especially after I studied and lived in cities like Sydney and Seattle where oysters are a mainstay at the markets and restaurants. When Luke's popped up in Singapore a couple of months ago I knew I had to try them, but apparently its quite difficult to get a table unless you make reservations, or if you head down early to put yourself on the waitlist. A couple of weeks ago I met with Yvette & Deb for a spontaneous dinner and Yvette kindly went down early to get a table while Deb and I rushed down from work, for a pre-graduation-dinner celebration since Yvette was about to head back to Sydney for her ceremony (yay! graduation!). 


Shared a dozen oysters and clams, and had a main each. Girls being girls we picked off each other's plates hehe love it. I ordered the scallops, which is one of my favourite things ever, while Deb had the pork chop and Yvette the crab cakes, and I'm really impressed when I say nothing disappointed us at all. Everything was delicious, but the worst part was eyeing the super yummy looking aspargus side dish that our neighbours over at the next table ordered. 


Deb's pork was so tender and fat enough in the right places to just be served on its own, and the apple relish it was topped with was absolutely delicious with the meat, I only wish they gave more of it! Yve's crabcakes were large and flavoursome, almos 98% pure crabmeat, yummm. My scallops were ace, even though I really hate capers (i pushed everything to the side) but the sauce is amazing-- tangy, creamy and seafoody-sweet if that makes sense. The only downside is how expensive it is. While the quality if undeniably good, I'm not quite sure if it warrants $48 for a dozen oysters. Maybe I'm just spoilt by how fresh and large the $12/dozen oysters are back in Sydney. Also, $60+ for a pork chop regardless of how large the portion is, is frankly a little intimidating. Not to mention the lack of sides! Maybe if they threw in more salad or some mash with your main I wouldn't feel so reluctant at paying those prices. Now to only wait for another special occasion to make a return trip!