Sunday, May 11, 2014

Chocolate Review~~~a dream come true

Recently , I have been invited by Choc Gourmet Chocolate to do a review on chocolates. However, I was really sick at that point before the tasting session so I asked one of my friend, Arifin who had done food review with me before to do the tasting.  Thanks to James and Mr Benny for the invite  and allowing my friend to do the tasting on my behalf.


Here's a little back ground of Chocz Gourmet Chocolate

Started by Mr. Benny Chua, who has had experience importing European ingredients, his goal of starting Chocz is to educate Asians on the art of appreciating fine chocolate.  By immersing yourself in the culture that the Europeans have cultivated, we can then reach a higher level of appreciation.  To that end, Benny has setup both a retail arm as well as wholesale business to reach his aim.  Also, by conducting Chocolate Appreciate as well as Chocolate Making Workshops, he hopes that more Singaporeans will be able to differentiate between fine chocolate, and the kind of additive-laden chocolates found in retail shops and supermarkets.  If you are interested in attending such a workshop, register at http://www.chocz.com.sg/chocolate-workshop/.  Because Chocz also caters to major hotel establishments in Singapore, don’t be surprised if you might have had a taste of the creation made by Benny’s company.


** Note: For the month of May except for Mother's Day , anyone who likes the facebook page of Choc Gourmet is entitled to a 10% discount.

Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/#!/chocz.sg
 
Here comes the review from the guest blogger for the day on his review for the chocolate tasting session.

Chocolate Heaven By Arifin




If you are a chocolate lover and are looking for seventh heaven, Chocz at Esplanade Mall might just be the place you are looking for.  Located at unit #02-13/15, it is next to the escalator from level 1 of the Mall.  Here, they serve not only just chocolate cakes, but also pralines, fondue as well as drink concoctions made from the best beans of cocoa on this planet.  As it is found in the heart of the Central Business District, if you need to have a meet outside of the office, make your way to this place.  It seats 20 to 30 people nicely.  They are also willing to host you should you need a place to conduct some discussions outside the office setting for 5 to 8 people.







How can you describe an establishment like Chocz, besides being a Shangri-La for fine chocolate?  Let me count the ways …

Firstly, they only use imported dark chocolate from Europe, Africa and also cocoa beans harvested in Java.  Chocolate was first introduced to Europe in the 1500s when the European explorers brought back the treasures from the New World.  Because the exploration business was expensive, it was mostly sponsored by the royal families and aristocrats. So, when we partake in these wonderful creations created by Chocz’s chocolatiers, we have to remember we are taking in something that is steeped in history.

Take for example, their Chocolate Drink.  Unlike a cup of hot chocolate you get from a fast food outlet or a coffee shop, at Chocz, they make it to order here.  So, instead of getting a drink that is in powdered form, what the staff will do is to making it from their imported chocolate bar.  They will make it from the finest dark chocolate (between 55% to 60% of dark chocolate) using a recipe from Switzerland.  For us Asians, unaccustomed to such quality products, we might find that the taste is too rich and bitter.  My first sip of this hot chocolate, it felt slightly bitter.  But a second sip, when the taste of cocoa gets to my palette, it is both rich and satisfying, and the luxuriousness of the chocolate envelops your mouth.  That’s when you want to wrap your hands around the unique cup that it has been served in.  The cup does not have a handle, so that you can wrap your palm around it.  If you were at Zermatt, a ski resort on Matterhorn (a mountain in Switzerland), you would welcome the warmth the cup of hot chocolate brings you!  Because they do not use vegetable fats, unlike the chocolate bars you might find at your convenience store or neighborhood supermarket, they achieved this result by using only the freshest of dairy cream.  Also, as this is unlike your typical Mars bar, it has a lower melting point.  A tip to enjoying such exquisite chocolate, it is best to eat these chocolates after you have let it warm up to room temperature.

If you like your hot chocolate to have a higher percentage of cocoa, you can create your own DIY hot chocolate too.  Add as much cocoa to your heart’s content!  You can even go up to as high as 72%!

 
 
                                           Figure 1: Hot Chocolate, in a handle-less cup

If you like dipping your food into warm liquid chocolate, then yes, they have got fondue too.  And they have 3 varieties to choose from – Standard, Venezuelan and Madagascar.  The differences are in the taste, color and viscosity of the liquid chocolate. 

The Standard, which uses a mixed blend of beans from Africa, is thicker and has a stronger taste, even though it uses the standard amount of dark chocolate, which ranges from 55% to 60%.  For us Asians who are used to spicy food, the Standard isis something familiar. 

The Venezuelan, using cocoa beans from the South American country, has a stronger aroma, lighter in color, even though it uses about 64% of dark chocolate, is more runny, and the tastes will linger in your mouth longer.  So if you are a health conscious chocolate lover, go for the Venezuelan, and watch the chocolate drip from your fruits and marshmallow. 




                                      Figure 2: Standard Fondue, using Dark Chocolate



Figure 3: Venezuelan Fondue, with a lighter viscosit of Dark Chocolate

Of course, the best is saved for last.  Cakes!  And they have a variety of cakes, and their signature line is, what else, a chocolate cake, it is topped with a ball of chocolate truffle!  It is a wider slice compared to other cake shops, and a slice retails for $6.50 for a slice of heaven!  It is rich and luxurious, but if you are sharing, 1 is not enough.  Weighing in at between 120 and 130 grams, it uses pure chocolate.  For me, having had 1 slice, makes me realize how much more time I have to spend at the gym and the extra laps in the pool!  But I would say, it is worth it.

 

                                          Figure 4: Chocz's signature line Chocolate Cake


I would call them a specialty shop, as they do not produce their cakes in large batches.  As such, if you would like to buy a cake for a special occasion, like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it is best that you place your order in advance, so as not to be disappointed!  This is because they want to ensure freshness in their cakes by producing only in small batches.

For Mother’s Day, they have made a special creation, a heart-shaped Chocolate Truffle Cake, made of dark chocolate and truffles, topped with shavings of white chocolate and nuts all over the side of the cake.


                                            Figure 5: Creation by Chocz for Mother's Day

Dark chocolate has been scientifically researched to be good for your heart and it helps to control your blood sugar, while being full of antioxidants.

So, if you are in need of some chocolate pampering, head down to Chocz today!  They are open from 11am to 11pm everyday.  The best time to pay them a visit is just after lunch at 2pm or before the start of any show at the Esplanade.  Then you’ll be able to enjoy such sinful pleasures that will only benefit your heart!


Pricing of the items tasted
 
Item
Price
(Excluding GST & Service Charge)
Chocolate Cake (slice of 120 to 130gms)
$6.50
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – ½ kilogram (14cm)
$33
Chocolate Cake (heart-shaped) – 1 – 1.2 kilogram (20cm)
$52
Fondue
$25 - $28
Hot Chocolate
> $10

 
 
 Location of the 2 outlets

Esplande Mall                                                   Leisure Park Kallang
8 Raffles ave                                                      5 Stadium Walk
#02-13/15                                                          #01-13 Leisure Park Kallang
S(039802)                                                          S(397693)
Tel/ Fax: 62380803                                           Tel/ Fax:62420135

 

Thursday, May 08, 2014

What does your cup of coffee says about you?




For me , I am between a cappucino and a frappucino as it depends on my mood. I would say that the capuccino drinker seems quite accurate for one of my friend who loves to drink cappucino.

My latest buy -the xiao mi's redmi handphone

With all the recent advertisement of Xiaomi's red mi on the facebook so frequent on my facebook, I was lured into getting one myself as the specs where pretty not bad for a smartphone without contract.

Today marks the first month that i am holding on to a redmi. So far the only thing I would want to complain is the volume of the phone is too soft. However, it can be done by doing some changing of the settings in the phone. Here's the link http://en.miui.com/thread-17459-1-1.html.

Given for the fact that it is a China brand phone, I would not expect much. However, I really like the user interface ....so nice got so many cute cute cartoon theme for me to download.

Here's some photos i took using the redmi








 

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

For those who love taking selfies

For those who love taking selfies , please do take note that AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION MAKES IT OFFICIAL: ‘SELFIE’ A MENTAL DISORDER.
 
Levels of the disorder can be rated in the following
 
  • Borderline selfitis : taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day but not posting them on social media
  • Acute selfitis: taking photos of one’s self at least three times a day and posting each of the photos on social media
  • Chronic selfitis: Uncontrollable urge to take photos of one’s self round the clock and posting the photos on social media more than six times a day

  •  
    I guess why taking selfie can be considereed as a mental disorder is because of this mental disorder called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD for short).
     
    Body Dysmorphic Disorder  is a pre occupation with some imagined defect in appearance by someone who actually looks reasonably normal. The person afflicted with this disorder is concerned by skin and hair, doing a variety of checking or compensating rituals to alleviate their concerns, becoming house bound for fear of showing themselves to others, - excessive grooming and skin picking are also common,imagined bodily defect was real and reasonable source of concern and avoid looking into mirror.
    Statistics- onset during adolescence peaking between 16-17 till 20s, chronic, men focus on body build , genitals, thinning of hair and women focus on varied body areas and more likely to have eating disorder, reluctant to get treatment , easily to get depression and substance abuse.
    Causes could co–occur with obsessive compulsive disorder( concern with intrusive thought and also compulsive checking looks) and it displace mental stress to physical symptoms.
    Treatment –Medicine to prevent the reuptake of serotonin, plastic surgery, skin treatment, dental surgery, cbt.

    Monday, April 07, 2014

    Easter Presentation True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre

     

    Have you wondered sometime whether if you showed others your true colours will they leave you ? Sometimes, it is better to show your true colours rather than keeping it under wraps then you will know who are actually your real friends . It is the acceptance which is genuine just like Jesus loves us. With this, I would like to invite all to go and view the Easter Presentation , True Colours by Trinity Christian Centre . The above trailer is a sneak preview of how this presentation is done.

    Just a side note of what is my daily reading from the bible about character building and helping others:
    It is coming from Proverbs 3:27 -28 New Living Translation 
    27Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
    when it’s in your power to help them.
    28If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
    “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

    Friday, March 21, 2014

    Talent management - part 2 (competency model)

    Competency model ? How many of us who have worked in our own company understand that the

    company that we worked in has a competency model ?  I bet there is rarely a handful of us.

    Competency model is a model for the foundation for staff planning, career management and staff development management. After the development of the competency model, the competencies can be integrated into the recruitment process. Recruitment must be aligned to the businesses strategy and not based on any other requirement. Identifying the key competency of the present/future employees enables the company to determine if the current or new hire is right- fit.  Setting a performance target for every single employee not only improves the performance of employees, it also improves the organisation as a whole. With goals set, appraisal must be done periodically to let every employee not only gauge of their individual performance but also areas requiring further improvement  Through appraisal, areas where they are lacking can be improved with training  and development plans. The performance of an organisation is based on the quality of its values, employees’ competences and their ability to lead and excel. As organisation leaders, HR executives have to implement the appropriate competency framework/model and align the employees’ competencies to meet the business objectives.


    Thursday, March 20, 2014

    Review of the show Mr Peabody and Sherman




    I have watched the movie last sunday. So thought of writing it down for you guys out there. This show talks a little about how parents would sacrifice for their kids and also how kids get to understand their parents a little bit better only after they see how the parents rescue them from danger encounters.

    Although this is an animated movie, i kind of like the animation.  There is a little tiny weeny bit of history that was been shown in animated form. However, I do not really like the way the language that was been used. It is kinda of coarse for kids to learn that especially for those aged below 5.

    Anyway, it is time to spend some time bonding with the kids before school holiday ends.


     

    Tuesday, March 11, 2014

    Haze is back!


    This is the status that at around 8.53pm which i have gotten from this website http://aqicn.org/map/singapore/. If you are feeling itchy around your eyes area, perhaps you might want to go to the link to check on the PSI level.

    For sore , itchy throat,  perhaps you may want to try this herbal drink.

    Ingredients:

    prunella (selfheal spike), 夏枯草 (Pinyin: xià kū căo)
    honeysuckle flower,金银花
    chrysenthum 菊花
    black sugar

    you can just boil it with water and drink it to clear your throat.


     

    Friday, March 07, 2014

    Apprentice need for restoration industry

    Hi all,

    I am helping my friend to advertise for an apprentice for the restoration industry. Here's the following criteria he needed.

    4 hours 5 days a week afternoons  12-4pm
    No work experience required,  will teach on the job.
    Requirements:
    Good manual dexterity
    Good colour perception
    Punctuality and Thoroughness a must.
    Some office work.
    Remuneration depending on experience. 
    Minimum 1 year for PA.
    4 Years for Apprentice


    Interested parties please contact him with CV at  info@faltermeier.biz

    Dr.  Robert B.  Faltermeier
    36 Moh Guan Terrace #01-34
    Singapore 161036

    Tuesday, February 25, 2014

    Nice instrumental song


    It so happened that i chanced upon this while on you tube and the music is fabulous to me . It helps me to be creative in writing my answers for assignments when i am stuck.
     

    Saturday, February 01, 2014

    Valentine's Day Program

    Usually Valentine's Day is a day where florists and shopping malls make most money. This year it so happen that the chinese valentine's day and the english one falls on the same day. So what do you guys out there plan for your valentine?

    For me, I will plan for a personal 'me'  time before school . Cos personnal time is so important that if you can't love yourself , it is hard to find someone who loves you .

    Maybe all of you out there trying to find a program for the day, you might want to try this app dating go where? from the android play store.

    Seriously, I do like the idea of having night picnic. It feels so romantic. One suggestion is to do it at the botanical gardens where you can view flowers and also enjoy the tranquility.


    Anyway  Happy Valentine's Day you people out there. Loving people does not mean only loved ones but also the community and self!
     

    Tuesday, January 28, 2014

    Word of the day - Stellenbosch

    "Stellenbosch”, which means to relegate someone incompetent to a position of minimal responsibility.

    Guess this word can be frequently used in the workplace than scolding someone moron or imbecile.

    Derivatives: Self-Stellenbosch, UnStellenbosch, Un-instellenbosch, Non-Stellenboschable, Stellenboschalicious

    Have fun with English !

    Review of Oral Botanica

    Oral Botanica is a product which aims to prevent bad breath, swollen gums, receding gums, and gingivitis. It is an anti bacterial oral care product.



    As this is the first time I am doing a review on oral products. Excited cos first time I am doing a review that is not on food though it is a bit related to food cos I am using my gums and tongue to review.

    I would say that as I am more concerned with bad breath when after eating garlic. Thus my first usage would be right after a meal of garlic fried rice which is something i love to eat .As Oral botanica is made of organic oils like almond ,clove, myrrh, tea tree, peppermint and spear mint, it literally kills the garlic smell. This would last about 2-3 hours. For kids, the taste might be a bit too spicy for them. However, I feel that it would be good if the packaging would be that the bottle cap was attached with the dropper. It would makes it easier for people who wants to use oral botanica as
    breath freshner.

     


    My next attempt on trying to use oral botanica as tooth paste does not really work well cos it was hard to get the drops of oral botanica right onto the tooth brush thus wasting a few drops of precious oral botanica.

    Overall, my experience with oral botanica as a breath freshner was good. I would rate it 3 out of 5.
    As I am always able to produce a smile like the following picture for photo taking with my friends.







    For more info about oral botanica, please do not hesitate to visit the website http://www.botanicaculture.com.





    **Disclaimer: The above review is solely on my own experience when I am trying out the product.

    Friday, January 24, 2014

    How to improve your body fat metabolism process?

     By having variety of protein , you can actually increase your body fat metabolism process by maintaining lean muscle mass and burning more body fats.

    Here's the list of food that you can take to burn more body fats

    1. 1 glass of soya milk
    2. 1/2 cup of lentils
    3. 1/2 cup of quinoa
    4. 1 piece of tofu
    5. 1 egg
    6. 1 cbow of cup of plain yoghurt
    7. 1 bowl of artichokes
    8. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled broccoli
    9. 1/2 cup of sweetcorn
    10. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled aspargus
    11. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled brussels sprouts
    12. 1 bowl of water cress
    13. 1 bowl of collard greens
    14. 1/2 cup of sliced carrots
    15. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled cabbage
    16. 1 bowl of kales
    17. 1 bowl of romaine lettuce
    18. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled turnip
    19. 1 bowl of alfafa
    20. 1 bowl of cooked and boiled spinach
    21. celery
    22. cucumbers
    23. green beans
    24. garlic
    25. onions
    26. parsley
    27. tomatoes

    For those of you who are planning your diet for weight loss program, you may want to find receipes to make dishes which you are comfortable with to eat.  Happy weight loss cos I use the food list to make dishes that helps me to lose 2 notches of viseral fats. 

    Tuesday, January 21, 2014

    Recipe of Bak Kwa adapted from Cheekiemonkie.net

    Bak Kwa is a delicacy which a lot of people cannot afford to miss when visiting relatives. It is my favourite snack when visiting the relatives. Sometimes in order to get to eat to good bak kwa like those from Lim Chee Guan as it is not so oily as compared to their competitors, one might have to queue more than 10 hours to get it.

    As such, I went surfing for recipe for bak kwa and chanced it upon via Cheekiemonkie.net. Here's the recipe:

    Ingredients

    1. 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
    2. 1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce
    3. 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce
    4. 1/2 tablespoon of rice wine
    5. 75g of sugar
    6. 250g of minced pork
    7. A drop of red colouring

    Steps

    1. Mix all of the sauces & sugar together in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.

    2.Then add in the minced pork and continue to mix with gusto!

    3.Set aside the marinated meat for at least 2 hours. For best results, you can leave it overnight in the fridge.

    4.Flatten the minced meat with a rolling pin on the parchment paper.

    5. Put it into the baking tray and grill it at 150 degrees for an hour and turn it onto the next side  and bake again .


     

    Saturday, January 04, 2014

    The current trend of the 52 weeks money challenge

    Recently, there has been this posting of the current trend to keep savings for 52 weeks with the starting of each week with the amount from either $1 or from $52. Here's the table how it looks like:



    52 Weeks Money Challenge








    WeekDate to DepositAmt to DepositCash BalanceWeekDate to DepositDeposit AmtCash Balance
    16 Jan 2014$1$1277 Jul 2014$27$378
    213 Jan 2014$2$32814 Jul 2014$28$406
    320 Jan 2014$3$62921 Jul 2014$29$435
    427 Jan 2014$4$103028 Jul 2014$30$465
    53 Feb 2014$5$15314 Aug 2014$31$496
    610 Feb 2014$6$21328 Aug 2014$32$528
    717 Feb 2014$7$283318 Aug 2014$33$561
    824 Feb 2014$8$363425 Aug 2014$34$595
    93 Mar 2014$9$45351 Sep 2014$35$630
    1010 Mar 2014$10$55368 Sep 2014$36$666
    1117 Mar 2014$11$663715 Sep 2014$37$703
    1224 Mar 2014$12$783822 Sep 2014$38$741
    1331 Mar 2014$13$913929 Sep 2014$39$780
    147 Apr 2014$14$105406 Oct 2014$40$820
    1514 Apr 2014$15$1204113 Oct 2014$41$861
    1621 Apr 2014$16$1364220 Oct 2014$42$903
    1728 Apr 2014$17$1534327 Oct 2014$43$946
    1820 May 2014$18$171443 Nov 2014$44$990
    1912 May 2014$19$1904510 Nov 2014$45$1035
    2019 May 2014$20$2104617 Nov 2014$46$1081
    2126 May 2014$21$2314724 Nov 2014$47$1128
    222 Jun 2014$22$253481 Dec 2014$48$1176
    239 Jun 2014$23$276498 Dec 2014$49$1225
    2416 Jun 2014$24$3005015 Dec 2014$50$1275
    2523 Jun 2014$25$3255122 Dec 2014$51$1326
    2630 Jun 2014$26$3515229 Dec 2014$52$1378

    I think it is a good way to save money too. However, I would save coins in the different denominations in different piggy banks and then go and change it with hawkers. Firstly, the hawkers reduce some transaction fee from changing coins. Secondly , you can see how much u can save. There was once i use at least $15 worth of coins to buy some stuff. It was in the denominations of $1 and 50 cents.

    I would always look forward to thurs or fridays newspaper advertisement from Ntuc or Cold storage to determine how much my grocery money for the week is going to be. Like right, it is the best time to look for scallop offer or abalone.

    Let's see how much I can save by end of this year!