Tang HK Cafe at Neil Road - Superb Roast Duck

I met the owner of Tang HK Cafe, Benson Tong at a radio station and remembered him bringing us his roast duck for us to sample. We thought it would be just a regular roast duck, but was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.

And so it was, we eventually patronised his HK styled cafe at Neil Road a few weeks later to sample his full range of dishes and food. And it was a really delightful discovery.

The place itself was small but rather cosy, and while it does serve a range of standard HK cafe fare like spaghetti and instant noodles, the really good stuff here are the zhe char dishes.

Benson himself has been on TV and radio before, and used to be in the navy like myself. Since his departure from the naval forces, Benson has been hard at work honing his craft and learning from other chefs, and this is well reflected in his food.

Vinegar Pig Trotters

This was one dish that I thought I would not enjoy, as I have never been a fan of vinegar pig trotters. But here, Benson has a nicely balanced dish where the acidity of the vinegar is not too strong that it overpowered everything else, and the pig trotters were nicely cooked and the pork flavors came out well and nicely balanced with the vinegar.

Spicy Coconut Prawns (Regular)

This was the regular version of his popular spicy coconut prawns, and it was already very good. Well marinated and seasoned, that nice mix of coconut flavor combined with the heat and the textures from the prawns made for a really appetizing dish.

Roasted Duck

The star of the day was this fabulous roasted duck plate, and it was even better here than at the radio station, prime reason being it was served hot from the oven.

The skin had a beautiful and aromatic crisp, and the meat was nicely tender and moist, not powdery like other places and there was also a nice hint of marinate which was simply delicious.

This is certainly one of the best roasted ducks that I have had, and considering Foong Kee was just around the corner, if only I could combine the char siew and sio bak of Foong Kee and this roast duck, then you will have roasted meat nirvana!

Special Spicy Coconut Prawns

His other version of the coconut prawns requires special pre-booking. And it was just as good as the regular version, although I will be hard pressed to say which is actually superior.

This version has the shells on, and thus, it elicited a more intense shrimp flavor throughout. The marinate tasted similar, but with the shells on, it was harder to eat but that was balanced out by the stronger flavors of the dish. Excellent.

Tang HK Cafe is really a warm and cosy place to relax in, and serves more than the usual HK cafe stuff. There are also the regular HK french toast and all, but the real delights are the dishes highlighted above.

If Benson keeps on improving his force, I reckon he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. For now, I have no qualms bringing good friends here for a meal to savor and relax.

Tang HK Cafe

116 Neil Road

Ice Edge II - Upper Thomson Outlet

One of my favorite chill out places has always been Ice Edge Cafe at Simon Road near Novan, and when I heard that Damien, the owner, was opening a second outlet at Upper Thomson, I was absolutely ecstatic.

The main reason for my elation is that I stay in Bishan, and having an Ice Edge outlet in the heart of Thomson means I can patronize it very easily and it is also a stone's throw from Pauline's office, meaning she can lunch there very often and easily.

This new outlet has been opened for over a month, and already, it is already seeing decent crowd traffic, and despite my misgivings about its very orange exterior, the place is significantly larger than its Simon outlet, and hence, much more comfortable.

Nice and Cosy

Damien spends most of his time here while his wife runs the Simon outlet, and just like its first outlet, Ice Edge II serves mainly cafe comfort food that comprises mostly pastas and pizzas, finger food and a great selection of homemade gelato.

Apart from that, they are also trying a number of new menu items, and also trying out different new flavors for their gelato. I am always very encouraged for folks like Damien to keep experimenting and trying new things to keep their customers' interest piqued.

Mushroom Soup

The mushroom was as delicious as I remembered from the Simon branch, and here, it was full of mushroom bits neatly blended and garnished with a touch of dry herbs. Hearty and earthy, and a great way to start a meal here.

Seafood Aglo Olio

The seafood aglo olio pasta is one of their bestsellers, and it was easy to see why. The flavors were very clean, and the fragrant aroma of the generous amount of chopped garlic were well cooked, and the shrimp were succulent and juicy. 

Pizza

The pizzas were generally very good, and made for a very good alternative to the Pizza Huts in town as the dough was fresh, but somewhat doughy still. If they can improve the dough, the pizza here would be excellent. Nevertheless.

Laksa Risotto

The laksa risotto dish is very close to my heart, as it was a dish I had suggested to Chef Peter Neo last year and was featured in a Hong Kong magazine and was roundly praised.

Damien has continued to evolve this dish on his own here and despite my misgivings about having sausage on the plate, the risotto itself was flavorful with the spicy aromas of laksa leaves and the combination of risotto rice and spicy laksa flavors was simply irresistible.

Durian Lava Cake

One of the newer items was this magnificent Mao Shan Wang lava cake, and it was simply delicious. The durian ooze coming out of the fragrant sponge of the cake was beautiful and smooth. Coupled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this made for a fantastic combination!

Waffles

Their waffles was something I have not tried till now, and it was great as well. Crisp, fresh and served with your choice of gelato, this classic dessert was well served here. Simple and effective.

Personally, I am delighted to see Damien doing well and beginning to expand his cafe outlets slowly but surely across our island. This latest outlet at Thomson showcases his great comfort cafe food very well, considering this stretch of eateries is well suited to his style of food.

Ice Edge II is a great place for youngster to hang out for some delectable desserts, but it is equally homely for family dinners as well.

Ice Edge II

203 Upper Thomson Road

Fatty Cheong - One of the Best Char Siew and Sio Bak

Ever since I have been to Foong Kee and savored what I consider to be the best char siew in Singapore, I have always been recommended to try Fatty Cheong's Cannot See Daylight Char Siew at Brickworks Food Market.

Well, I have finally made this culinary pilgrimage with my regular food kaki, Ken and I was certainly not disappointed. But is it as good or even better than Foong Kee? Read on to find out.

We went there on a Saturday late morning and as expected, there was a long queue of eager patrons waiting to get their hands on this popular char siew. Thankfully, the folks at the stall were razor quick and we got our food in no time, despite the queue.

Cannot See Daylight Char Siew

The reason its being coined as Cannot See Daylight, is that it refers to a cut of the pig that is beneath the pork shoulder where there is just an equal amount of fat and lean meat, which is neither too greasy fat or too chewy meat.

The first thing that hit me was the beautiful sauce that came on the plate with the meat, and it had a beautiful caramelized and sweet flavor. The char siew itself was quite tender but somehow, it was not as charred as the Foong Kee's version, which some may actually prefer.

All in all, I have to rate it as the second best in Singapore, as I still prefer Foong Kee's more charred and slightly more bitter version, which gave a better balance. Fatty Cheong's version is still excellent, and far exceeds any other char siew stall in Singapore, including Shunfu's Fu Shi one by a long mile.

Sio Bak

The sio bak was equally brilliant, and was exceptionally crispy on the skin. The meat portion was also well done, not too tough and not too much fatty meat and had a nice balance of fat and meat to give you that perfect texture and bite.

Wanton Noodles

We also tried out the regular items like rice and noodles, just to make sure that this would be more than just a char siew stall and they were uniformly excellent. I am glad to report that despite having a reputation for being a roasted meat stall, standard dishes like noodles and rice here still provide a good value and quality as well.

So, in the end, Foong Kee still reigns supreme for me, but make no mistake, Fatty Cheong is popular because it is almost every bit as good in their char siew and sio bak.

Between Fatty and Foong Kee, I think there is really no need to visit any other char siew stall in town, and yes, you cannot eat this every day, so it has to be a really good one to visit to have your char siew and sio bak fix.

Fatty Cheong
ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-120 

Soon Heng Rojak at Toa Payoh HDB Hub

I never knew how handy the ieat hawker app was until recently, when I was at Toa Payoh HUB and thinking that there won't be any good food around, seeing there was only a basement food court.

And quite frankly, how many food courts in Singapore can boast of a fairly famous and popular hawker stall that will get queues the likes of Tian Tian Chicken Rice in Maxwell Market? Not many, I guess.

Well, guess what? Gourmet Paradise food court, which is situated in the basement of the Toa Payoh HUB has just one such stall when I was there, and thanks to the iphone app, pointed me to one of the best rojak I have had in years.

Speaking of rojak, I was never a fan of this local delicacy until I met my wife, Pauline. And that was because, I always thought it was such a messy dish, and with so many different ingredients, it would be something that would not be focused and specific.

Pauline then got me to try a few one night and, despite the fact that I still think it is messy, at least I have gotten around to the fact that it is a unique "salad" dish that tries to blend different flavors and textures together.

The Long Queues

And if you notice, you cannot find rojak so easily in most hawker centres or food courts. So, nowadays, when I do find one,  I will endeavor to ta pau back for Pauline. And I must say, over time, I have gotten to like this dish more and more.

So, back to Soon Heng. As you can see from the picture above, the queue for this was just amazing. At least a dozen people were in front of me when I first reach the place, and the waiting time amounted to almost 45 minutes before I could get packet of rojak! Was it really that good? And worth the wait?

The Best Rojak

Well, I had my first plate and I was totally won over. The prawn paste was thick and sweet, and had the ability to throughly coat all the ingredients within, which was not the case with most watery rojaks that I have eaten.

The peanut shavings were generous and plentiful, and gave a nice crunch to the entire dish. The you tiao were also generous, and were very well coated, which was also above the norm. And the turnips, pineapples and cucumbers all tasted fresh and the pineapples had just enough acidity to counter the sweetness of the prawn paste.

Pauline's verdict was equally positive, and had her total seal of approval. We loved it so much we did not even leave any remnants of the sauce behind, and basically used a spoon to finish every drop of it. 

Best rojak? You bet.

Soon Heng Rojak

480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh

#B1-23 Gourmet Paradise

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee

For quite some time now, I have thought that the char kway teow in Meng Kee in Beo Crescent was far and away the best and my own personal favorite for CKT.

This week, I was finally brought to the famous Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee stall, and boy, was it superb. So much so, that I probably will tie it for first place among the best CKT in Singapore

They originated in the now demolished Outram Park block of HDB flats, where I think I remembered being there when I was very young, though I probably could not have appreciated fare like this then.

Today, they are situated on the second floor of Hong Lim Food Market, and judging from the long queue waiting for this delectable dish, it probably had lost none of its following as well.

Delicious Char Kway Teow

As for the dish itself, it was simply superb. The noodles were slippery smooth and had an amazing texture. The cockles were plenty and the sweet sauce was just delicate enough to flavor the noodles without being too overpowering.

The bits of fried pork lard gave it an intense and aromatic flavor to lift the dish sufficiently without being too greasy. In fact, for a CKT dish, it did not feel oily at all for some reason. Lastly, the garnishes of the bean sprouts just gave it enough crunchiness to bring a variety of textures to the dish.

CKT is something that you either love or hate, and if you belong to the camp of lovers, this place is right up your alley.

Nothing else more needs to be said really. Just go and find out for yourself.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street
#02-17 Hong Lim Food Centre

Pietro - MasterChef Peter Neo's New Italian Restaurant

Over the last year or so, I have had the good fortune and opportunity to know and work with Masterchef Peter Neo on a number of occasions, both tasting his great food, and conducting cooking lessons with him.

And it is without doubt that my cooking skills have improved immeasurably from watching him work and cook for his loyal fans and followers.

Despite all that, it was known to me that Chef Peter has always harbored the idea of owning his own establishment, and while the restaurant owners he worked for have profited immensely from Chef Peter's skills, I was also secretly hoping that he will have a restaurant to call his own.

Classic Italian Furnishings

Today, after months of planning, Peter has finally opened his new Italian restaurant, simply named Pietro. Pietro is, of course, Italian for Peter and it is clearly styled after him and his incredible personality.

The place is spacious and comfortable, and yet, never seem aloof or too posh. It is just the perfect place for a family dinner, and despite being in a quiet neighborhood off Yio Chu Kang, it is extremely soothing and a terrific place to chill.

Chef Peter at Work

His kitchen is also equally large in dimensions, and that allows Peter to perform his culinary magic. In the main dining area, he has also included a gas pizza oven and even a table to make fresh ciabatta and other fresh breads. He is certainly very well equipped.

As for the food, it is classic Italian. The menu comprises of classic Italian starters, pizzas, Italian styled mains and his signature pastas. There is too much to go through in one blog post, but I will attempt to summarize his best dishes.

Classic Carbonara 

His classic carbonara still stands out as one of the best, rich in flavors from the bacon and egg yolk, but never too creamy and nicely balanced. The fine pieces of grated parmesan just finishes this dish off delicately.

Seafood Aglo Olio

I mentioned before, that a true pasta chef is tested solely on his aglo olio dish, and Peter's simple but effective seafood aglo olio just rises everyone else's in town.

His mastery of heat and fire can be truly extracted from the plate, and the garlic and seafood pair well together and the flavors nicely extracted from one another.

Do note that Peter tend to cook his pasta in a more traditional manner, meaning its al dente, and you will need to inform him to cook it more soft if you like it more tender like wanton noodles.

Seafood Pasta in Tomato Wrapped in Paper

His signature paper pasta dish is reproduced here in all its glory and visual splendor. The acidity of the tomato paste is just the perfect way to bring out the sweetness of the seafood, and a light touch of herbs finishes it off with a gentle perfume.

Mushroom Risotto

His mushroom risotto has got to be the absolute best in town. Beautiful to look at, and even more delicious to eat. The earthiness of four types of mushrooms he use here are truly evident in every mouthful of this dish.

The risotto is perfectly cooked, gorgeously infused with the mushroom flavors and stock that was used to cook the rice with. It is harder to find a better risotto in Singapore than this one here.

Roasted Pork Belly

One of his famous dishes from his previous places is also found here. The aromatic roasted pork belly that is great as a dish to share among group of diners.

The pork is steamed, then roasted and because of this, it is able to produce a moist and tender meat texture that is lovely and melting. Coupled with a crispy skin and a tangy apple sauce which helps to counter the rich fat, this dish is heavenly.

Breaded Pork Rack

A new dish that Peter has come up for his new place is this excellent breaded pork rack that is not removed from the bone. Nicely seasoned, the pork is still left on the bone that almost resembles a lamb rack.

The meat is perfectly fried until there is a tenderness that surprisingly remains without being too dry or tough. The seasoning is flavorful and the meat is also paired with a fresh apple sauce that Peter cooks from scratch. Beautiful.

Chocolate Fondant with Fruit Fillings

His classic chocolate fondant has been updated with a fruit filling that is interesting, but I still prefer his previous pure chocolate and rum fillings. You can still ask for those if you prefer, but Peter is clearly keen to try with different flavors even for his most famous dishes.

Orange Panna Cotta

Something new that works really well is this orange panna cotta that we both have the privilege to teach at a recent cooking demo. Instead of just pure cream, the infusion of orange flavors gives it a zing and zest that totally transforms the classic Italian dessert.

Paired with a simple but effective raspberry coulis, this dessert will bring a delightful end to a meal that will simply refresh your palate.

Masterchef Peter Neo

Seeing Peter in his element and in the kitchen again, truly is a sight to behold. His dedication to his craft and to his food is unsurpassed. And seeing him in his own establishment is equally gratifying for all the years and hard work he has put into his craft.

In his own place, he still exudes the same charm and friendliness and will often go to the diners personally to solicit feedback and have a chat or two.

While still new, crowds are already starting to come in even despite the location. It goes to show that Peter has a fantastic following that enjoys his food. 

Classic Italian cooking can never be as fancy as modern cuisines that tries to be clever and gimmicky, for at the end of the day, great food is determined by great flavors, and not just great looks.

After being at World Gourmet Summit this week and seeing lemons deconstructed and reconstructed for an entire audience's entertainment, the greatest pleasure is to simply tuck into Chef Peter's food and see the magic being performed in your palate, not on your eyes.

Pietro is a great sign that classic traditions never go away, and modern culinary tricks are just fads of the culinary and gastronomy scene.

Pietro Ristorante Italiano

12 Jalan Kelulut

Zam Zam Murtabak

It's been awhile since I last blogged about a prata place, and while my all time favorite will still be Sin Ming Roti Prata, I am beginning to find other very good alternative prata houses.

This one happens to be opposite the Sultan Mosque towards Bugis Junction, and is reputed to be one of the most notable prata houses in town. I decided to give it a try one evening after work.

Situated at a corner of a shophouse, the place was filled with a huge crowd, which is always a sign of a good prata place.

The aroma of the pratas and murtabaks were enough to convince me that this was worth trying, and unlike Sin Ming, it was not self service.

Egg and Onion Prata

My standard fare for prata has always been egg and onion, and I ordered this to see how it would stand up against their competition.

It was good, very good, but sadly, not as excellent as Sin Ming. I liked the fact that it was not greasy and the color looked just about right. Some places like Casuarina and Prata House Thomson tended to look too dark.

Here, it was more traditional, and hence, not as crispy as the aforementioned ones. Which happens to be the way I like it. I always think that crispy pratas were geared more towards a younger audience.

The fragrance of the egg and onion managed to shine through the prata dough, and while the dough was slightly dry, it still had a good flavor and texture.

Murtabak

The murtabak was on another level, however. Zam Zam apparently is more noted for their murtabaks than their pratas, and I could see why.

It was fried and neatled wrapped in a roll and it looked just heavenly. It still had a nice crispy crust and the meat underneath provided the necessary texture and flavors.

Unlike most other murtabaks, where you will enjoy the first few bites, but then you tend to have a hard time finishing the rest, this murtabak was just delicious from start to end.

The final conclusion is that while Zam Zam has good traditional prata, it is their murtabak that shines. Definitely a great place to go to manage your murtabak fix!

Zam Zam

697 North Bridge Road

Dove Desserts - Chendol at its Best!

In the concluding part of my Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre trilogy, I want to focus on desserts. After all, I practically started with an omelette appetizer, followed by a beef noodle main.

What better way to end this trio of food delicacies than to talk about one of the best chendols you can find here in Singapore, and I am talking about Dove Desserts.

Situated just a couple of stalls from Ah Chuan's, this humble looking hawker serves up a favorite that has many people raving about it and I have only just begun to realise how good it is.

Chendol

The chendol here is homemade from pandan leaves, and it certainly showed, both in looks and in taste and texture. It did not exhibit any of the artificial coloring that permeates most local chendols.

Instead, it had a natural, almost pale green look. Texture wise, it was just about right. It had that nice bouncy crunch without being too hard and had the slightest hint of pandan fragrance.

As for the gula melaka and coconut milk combination, it also had a right balance to give it that classic chendol sweetness. The gula melaka was not as bitter as some, and compared to the ones I had in Melaka, it was not as intense.

Somehow, that lack of intensity worked and coupled with the lemakness of the coconut milk and the natural chendol, it exuded a very perfect balance of flavors that reminded me of a well made bandung drink.

I believed I have waxed enough lyrical prose on this fabulous dessert. All that is left is for you to visit this place and try it out yourself.

Dove Desserts

Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre

#01-21

Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles at Toa Payoh Lorong 7

In my second of 3 reviews at Toa Payoh Food Centre, I want to talk about this very well known beef noodle stall that a number of my friends have been raving about.

It used to hail from the famous Cuppage Centre hawker centre many eons ago, and it continues to ply its trade now at the crowded hawker centre here in Lorong 7 of Toa Payoh.

Truth be told, ever since I posted my favorite hawker food in Singapore to be Kovan's Ri Yi Beef Noodles, quite a few people have been quick to point out to me other notable beef noodles.

And so it was, that I decided to try out a few other alternatives to see if there is one that can match, or even surpass Ri Yi's beef noodles.

Beef Balls Noodles

The beef ball noodles were inviting, and despite the fact that the beef balls were outsourced, they did still give a lot of flavor when combined with the heavy beef gravy and pickled vegetables.

The sauce did taste a bit more sweeter than I would have liked, but somehow, this sweeter variant does go down well with a number of customers and younger folks.

Sliced Beef Noodles

The real test for me has always been the standard sliced beef noodles and here, it certainly did not disappoint. Whilst the stock was still sweeter, the beef slices were cooked just about well done and thus, had a good texture and bite.

Most beef noodle stalls tend to overcook the beef slices till they are really overdone and chewy, so it was a pleasant surprise to find it done well here. Still, Ri Yi still holds the crown for the best medium cooked beef slices in town.

So, the final verdict is this popular and well known beef noodle stall, for me, is rated higher than more popular ones like the 2 Hock Lams, but still a grade below Ri Yi.

It is still very good though.

Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles

Toa Payoh Lorong 7 

Blk 22, Food Centre

#01-06

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette at Toa Payoh Lorong 7

Pauline has a penchant for oyster omelette, and yet, ironically enough, she would always leave the oysters to me as she just wants the non-oyster portions of this dish.

For me, I do not always enjoy this delicacy as I find most stalls do not have the right balance of flavors, and mind you, this is not a dish that is easily mastered.

Thankfully, and thanks to Les and Greg, I managed to discover this wonderful place in Toa Payoh that finally gave me a near perfect oyster omelette plate.

It is run by an elderly couple, and I was reliably informed that they do not always open everyday. In fact, we were just trying our luck the other day, and lady luck was smiling on us as they were opened and the steady stream of customers on a week day afternoon clearly showed that they were really popular.

Ah Chuan over his stove

Ah Chuan himself was busying over his stove, continuously cooking plate after plate of this local favorite dish. The thing that impressed and amazed me was how relaxed and steady he was, no sweat, no fussing, just pure coolness.

His wife, meanwhile, was all smiles and was thrilled to see familiar faces returning to their food, and one can see how such warm service can really bring people back.

Gorgeous Oyster Omelette

As for the omelette itself, it looked temptingly beautiful. Adorned with luscious and huge fried oysters, the aroma was the first thing that hit me and boy, was it aromatic!

The textures of this egg dish was multi-layered, and the real testament was how delicious and fragrant the eggs were cooked and fried, and mixed with the batter and came together with the sweetness of the oysters.

Generously garnished with chinese parsley, the entire plate was wonderfully balanced and tasty, and pairing it with the sharpness of the chilli sauce, you simply cannot ask for a better oyster omelette.

Located in the Lorong 7 food market, this is one local hawker that is destined to be legendary. Both for its incredible dish, and their warm nature of the owners who were both chatty and friendly.

The best oyster omelette anywhere. Hands down. Just hope you are lucky when you are there.

Ah Chuan Oyster Omelette

Toa Payoh Lorong 7 Food Centre

#01-25

Nespresso at ION Orchard

Personally, I have never been an avid coffee drinker, and apart from the Starbucks and Coffee Bean craze in the mid to late 90s, I have rarely ventured into coffee territory.

Pauline, however, is almost coffee dependent, and needs a shot everyday to get her engine going. And every once in a while, she would brew a nice cup of Illy coffee, which is temptingly aromatic and I would steal a sip or two.

Recently, my mum acquired a Nespresso machine and she herself has been rather hooked on this expresso maker of sorts.

And when the opportunity came to attend a special bloggers' session on Nespresso held at ION a couple of weeks ago, I simply could not refuse.

Coffee Specialist, Kai

I first encountered Nespresso here in the basement of Ngee Ann City, and used to remember that George Clooney being featured in their ads. It felt classy and premium, and thought it was probably quite an expensive coffee gimmick.

Then when ION opened, I used to frequent a gelato shop there and just across, I could see a much bigger standalone Nespresso outlet filled with an assortment of their patented machines and colorful capsules.

Coffee Capsules

It was the capsules that always captivated me visually about Nespresso, and I never did know how it all worked, until I attended the special session.

It seems that that making an expresso at home could not be easier or simpler. Just take one of the capsules and pop it into one of their many Nespresso machines and all you need to do is just press a button and the expresso is instantly made.

Nespresso Machine

The machine, as you can see from the picture above, has a container for you to fill up with water to make the coffee with. On the top, is an opening for you to insert the coffee capsules, and once you close the lid, the capsule will be pierced for the coffee powder to be extracted.

Hot water is then pumped in at high pressure to make the expresso shot, and in a matter of seconds, your coffee glass will be instantly filled with enough for either an expresso short, or a lungo, for a less concentrated but larger shot of coffee.

Nespresso Coffee

The capsules themselves come in a selection of 16 different flavors, that range from the acidic and fruity variety to the mid-range balance of fruity and body, and the very intense full bodied expresso ranger.

As I am no coffee expert, I shall not endeavor to explain what each flavor tastes like, but for me personally, I especially enjoyed the Rosabaya from Colombia flavor most.

As a guide, there are basically 3 distinctive categories for Nespresso coffee:

a. Pure Origin

b. Espresso Range

c. Lungo Range 

As for myself, I find myself getting hooked on Nespresso so much so that Pauline has just bought one machine home over the weekend and we have been enjoying quite a fair bit of expresso over the last couple of days.

One thing to note when you drink expresso, is to enjoy the crema, which is the froth that is on the top of the coffee first to have a taste of the coffee aroma.

I was told by Kai, the coffee specialist to slurp the coffee to enjoy the full explosion of coffee aroma in your palate, and though somewhat inelegant, it is the best way to savor good coffee.

Speaking of which, Nespresso has coffee specialists at their outlets to cater to your every enquiry and I must say that Kai was not only knowledgeable, he was also very friendly and charming in taking care of the customers at the outlet.

All in all, this experience has opened up my eyes and taste buds on coffee, and like wine, good coffee should be savored purely on its own. Which means, drinking Nespresso straight up is the best way, all black and no sugar or milk.

It sure beats Starbucks and Coffee Bean anytime!

Nespresso
ION Orchard