Gaston Luga : Classic Mini Bag For Travel or Daily Use

Looking for the ideal light and compact bag for traveling? Check out the classic mini bag by Gaston Luga that comes in the perfect size to fit the essential items u need. 

Being neither bulky nor heavy, it comes with a customizable FREE ADDITIONAL flap top and passport pocket at the back of the backpack to store your cards, cash or passports. 

As in every bag, there is the pros and cons depending on your needs. The pro is its compact size that makes it exceptionally convenient and fuss free if you only have minimal things to carry. It fits just nicely when I put in a mineral bottle, wallet, passport and mini umbrella. Chances of squeezing yourself onto a crowded train is also higher with such a small baggage. 

However, fitting in a laptop or big camera would be impossible. For that, you may want to consider the regular classic Gaston Luga bag shared here. 

In addition, being water-resistant means that you may get wet in a rainy day but your bag won’t. It also means any items placed inside your bag will be safe from the rain as well. 

It is priced at $199. BUT you can quote “dairyandcream15” to enjoy 15% off price after 20% off tax rebate + Free shipping (fedex/dhl)

Shop online for your ideal bag at https://gastonluga.com now! 

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Rice and Shine 2017 : 101 Guide to Japanese Rice Snacks

Do you love to snack? I do. 

In fact, not only me but my family and friends enjoy snacking, especially Japanese snacks. I know that snacking is usually considered as an unhealthy habit but do you know that snacks, if chosen wisely, can aid in hunger and weight management? 

So here comes rice snacks, a low-calorie and healthier alternative that could quell hunger pangs and avoid bingeing or overeating in the next meal. 

In a bid to raise awareness on rice snacks and their nutritional value in Singapore, a Japanese rice snack fair "Rice and Shine" was held on 23 September (Saturday) at Chinatown Point.

The event not only saw the participation of various rice snack manufacturers from different prefectures in Japan but also cooking demonstrations and nutritional talks.

According to Mr Derrick Ong (above), accredited dietician of Orchard Medical Specialists Centre, there are plenty of reasons why rice snack is the healthy choice.

1) For people with coeliac disease, rice crackers are a great go-to gluten free snack provided that there are no wheat additives.

2) For people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), plain rice snacks without wheat, onion or garlic additives are a good low FODMAP snack.

3) For people who need to watch their blood sugar levels, rice crackers which are made of wholegrains like brown rice would make a lower GI snack.
 
Here's a quick run-through on the participating rice snacks company:

Brand: Amanoya
Must-try Snack: Kabukiage
Founded in 1951 from Tokyo, Amanoya started manufacturing fried rice cracker from 1954. Kabukiage, a traditional fried and flavoured with soy sauce, was invented in 1960. This popular old school snack can be found almost everywhere including university canteen shops! 

Website: http://www.e-amanoya.co.jp/

Brand: Bonchi
Must-Try: Uni Agesen
Founded in 1931, Tokyo,  BONCHI CO., LTD have been inventing a variety of rice crackers and the most recommended product being the Uni (sea-urchin) flavoured. To be honest, I love this more than the real uni!
http://www.bonchicorp.co.jp/

Brand: Echigo Seika
Must-Try: Funwari Meijin Kinako Mochi (bursts and vanishes in your mouth)
Founded in 1947, Niigata, ECHIGO SEIKA CO.,LTD has been one of the most famous company dealing with rice products that is not limited to rice crackers. There's even dried noodles, vacuum-packed rice, rice cakes, etc.
http://www.echigoseika.co.jp/

Brand: Narumiya
Must-try Snack: Bubu Arare
Founded in 1923, Kyoto, NARUMIYA has been producing rice crackers using 100% of Japanese rice. Beyond the usual rice crackers, they also produce small rice crackers to put as rice toppings as well. Their products are loved by people in Kyoto as snacks with tea.
http://www.narumiya.co.jp/index.html

Brand: Osama Rice Crackers
Must-try Snack: Halal certified Okaki
Specialises in okaki, which is made of rice to make rice cakes. They started to export their products to Europe in 1950 as a pioneer. Their okaki products are Halal-certified and vegetarian.
http://osama-do.co.jp/index.html

Brand: Iwatsuka
Must-try Snack: RICE STYLE (p.s. go for their addictive Siracha flavour) 
Founded in 1947, Niigata, IWATSUKA CONFECTIONERY CO LTD uses 100％ Japanese rice and partners with selected farmers to supply the special ingredients. One of their signature product, RICE STYLE, is gluten free and rich in fibers. 

http://www.iwatsukaseika.co.jp/index.shtml

Brand: Kingodo Seika
Must-try Snack: Horohoro Yaki Wajio
They use specially selected Japanese rice and US rice as their ingredients. In order to avoid unwanted smell from steamed rice cake, they always use clean water to wash the rice.

http://kingodo.co.jp/

Brand: Bourbon

Must-try: Cheese Okaki (I think this needs no introduction!)

Bourbon was founded in 1924 under the name Kita Nihon Seika (North Japan Confectionery). It started making candy drops using a Japanese machine and slowly rise to popularity and entered the candy market in 1984 with its famous cheese okaki, a perfect mixture of shoyu rice crackers and cheese within

http://www.bourbon.co.jp/

Brand: Morihaku

Must-try: Kongari Corn Rice Cracker

Founded in 1948, from Gifu City. Keeping with the use of traditional method, MORIHAKU CO. aims to invent new flavour. Catch interesting ones like Salmon mayonaise, Ebi-mentaiko, tom yam goong, cheese curry, chilli oil and so on.  

http://www.morihaku.jp/

While not every snack is available for purchase yet in Singapore, most of the items can be found in major supermarkets including Fairprice Finest, Meidiya, Isetan Jurong and Iroha Mart. It was a fun and educational afternoon as the public not only got the opportunity to savour and interact with representatives from the snack manufacturing companies but also learn about the value of rice snacks.

Next time when you visit supermarkets or travel to Japan, don't forget to stock up on these healthy rice snacks!

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The Bird Southern Table & Bar Opens at Marina Bay Sands

Award-winning Yardbird has finally opened its doors at Marina Bay Sands under the name The Bird Southern Table & Bar, offering authentic Southern U.S. cuisine and warm hospitality. Think hearty, comfort flavors that are rich and leaves you coming back for more. 

On the table of almost every group of customers is the signature Chicken "n" Watermelon "n"Waffles ($45) which spells everything that you see on the plate. Brined in a secret marinade for 27 hours according to a heritage family recipe before being deep fried in an air pressure fryer, the chicken is not shatteringly crunchy but has a light crispness that retains moistness beneath the skin. Even the most challenging breast meat section was well-executed. The chicken wings are already very flavorful on its own but the honey hot sauce is readily available for that extra kick (though less spicy than Tabasco). Just as important here are the tender Vermont sharp cheddar Cheese waffles that works as an outstanding pair with the bourbon syrup.

The Macaroni n Cheese ($14) is another popular favorite (especially amongst kids) that is made with five artisanal cheeses. Probably because I had this immediately after the chicken, the taste was comparatively lighter than usual Cheese dishes elsewhere. But that's not a bad thing. Just try to dig in while it's hot before the pasta starts to dry up.

For those looking for light appetizers and drinks, The Bird's extensive beverage program serves up high quality cocktails, whisky and bourbons from the signature Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade and to the regional-inspired The Japanese Pork Chop, Ong Bak and Pandan Mule. The drinks are truly refreshing and their restrained sweetness is what I like best about them. In fact, alcohol lovers or wine connoisseurs would delight to know that The Bird boasts one of the most impressive selections of bourbon and internationally sought-after spirits. The menu even offers special bourbons to pair with the fried chicken!

Diners can enjoy them alongside appetizers such as the creamy deviled eggs and Fried Green Tomato B.L.T, of which the latter is a less common combination of house smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, smoky tomato jam all stacked on a deep fried green tomato. With plenty of umami-packed ingredients all in one bite, this dish would make you go mamma Mia. For desserts, we tried the Cafe Creme Brulee and Banana Pudding which are truly keeping up with the spirit of authentic Southern US desserts. In other words, they are extra creamy, rich, dense and sweet. Honestly speaking, I'm not a fan of their desserts. However, for their other interesting sweets that are not categorized under desserts (e.g. 77 elvis pancakes - peanut bacon butter, bourbon maple syrup, banana compote, chocolate chips) give me a call and I'll be right back anytime.

B1-07, Galleria Level

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Lunch
Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Dinner
Daily: 4:00pm - 11:00pm
Drinks and Light Snacks
Daily: 11:00pm - 2:00am
Weekend Brunch
Sat/Sun: 10:00am-4pm

Click here for updates and menu

 

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Gaston Luga: Best Women's Backpack Recommendation

Not sure if you face the same problem. But I always have a difficulty finding the right size of backpack when I travel. Laptop, portable charger, DSLR camera, passport, handphones, water bottle...I often have to divide them two bags because my old backpack gets full very easily once I slot in my bulky camera. I have another bigger size mountain backpack but it makes me look as if I am going on an mountain hiking adventure even though I maybe just walking down the streets of Shinjuku.

But now with Gaston Luga, the problem is solved. It's big enough to store everything that I need (no more for the need of one shoulder bag and one laptop bag) and yet stylish at the same time. I adore the Scandinavian minimalistic design that allows me to carry it to everywhere without feeling like a school kid. I can bring it to posh locations like hotels and carry it as I trek through forests or mountain regions. 



Most importantly, it doesn't lack in functionality. For instance, on the back of my Classic Olive and Brown backpack is the unique Gaston Luga pocket for passport, travel documents or other important belongings that need to be kept safe yet easily accessible. I no longer have to dig my passport or travel pass that's probably squashed by my camera or water bottle.

Two-way metal zipper opens the main compartment, which contains an inner 13-15" laptop compartment and 2 smaller pockets for smaller belongings such as wallet or phone.

Like most backpacks, Gaston Luga's backpack comes with an outer zipper pocket to keep other small belongings that are often used and have to be easily accessible. But what makes it special is that the extra front leather straps are held by strong magnets, adding another layer of security when travelling on the road.

Good news for all dairyandcream readers! Enjoy FREE shipping + 20% off as tax rebate (from non-EU country) + 15% off with my code "dairyandcream" on the remaining price after tax rebate. That means a whopping discount of more than SGD100! Example of a classic bag will cost $216.92 after discount (original up to $319)

Shop for your ideal backpack at www.gastonluga.com now!

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Atmosphere Bistro : New Menu, Better and More Delicious

When it comes to seaside dining experience, I tend to think of expensive and generic food that tends to play second fiddle to the ambience. But I am happily proven wrong during my recent visit to Atmosphere bistro which has revamped its menu to offer new Asian fusion dishes that more than pleases the eye.

The western-centric menu remains casual but the quality has definitely gone up notches since my last visit. Starting with the Garlic Butter Mussels ($14.80), the whole shell blue mussels were plump and fresh, with an aromatic garlic butter cream sauce that is perfect for mopping up with the crispy roti prata. Many dishes have become more instagram-worthy but thankfully they are not short of flavors. For instance, the Lava Cheese Burger ($24.80)  is something you might want to reward yourself with after sweating out at East Coast Park. Beneath the toasted Brioche Buns is an evil stack of deep fried Camembert Cheese that oozes while your knife cuts through to the beef patty.

Just like the Waffle Burger ($21.80), the beef patty here was slightly too mushy and thus my vote goes to the Mentaiko Pull Pork Burger ($24.80) as the moist pork is more easygoing on the palates and the bed of shredded carrots worked like a refreshing coleslaw that added pleasant acidity to the dish.

Fusion is no longer confusion here with the Mentaiko Waffle Pizza ($16.80) serving as another good example. The tender buttermilk waffle isn't those crispy types but that's not a bad thing at all. Together with the Pork Bratwurst Sausages, Mentaiko Mayo, pineapples, cheese and bonito flakes, this is a sweet-savory combination that resembled a Hawaiian Pizza but hundred times better than one. The Premium Seafood Rice Bowl ($24.80) is my another favorite dish that comes with plenty fresh seafood like scallops and cod fish atop of premium Japanese rice. The garlic butter sauce did not overpower the natural sweetness of the seafood and this serves as a good break from the monotony of western dishes.Considering the quality ingredients here, this is a value-for-money dish not to be missed. 

Desserts are given a serious makeover here and one should definitely not miss the Black Pearl ($16.80). Even though the idea of pouring hot sauce over chocolate sphere is nothing new, the chocolate is potent and the intense rum punches through the sweetness. I was teleported to cloud nine. The Matcha Lava Cake ($14.80) was too sweet while I preferred the Coconut Cheesy Toast ($14.80) to have more Gula Melaka to balance out the rich Mozarella Cheese. But overall with the major improvements in food, this bistro certainly offers more than just the "atmosphere" 

Monday to Thursday: 6pm to 12am

Friday and Eve of Public Holiday: 6pm to 1am

Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 10.30am to 1am

* Closing time subjected to change for LIVE sport screenings

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All The Batter: Probably Singapore's First Avocado Specialty Cafe

I often wonder why the cafe isn't called "All About Avocadoes" because All About Batter sells all kinds of desserts and drinks revolving around one of the world's superfood, avocados. Little known is that the shop has been selling avocado drinks and natural food at a kiosk in Anchorpoint since 2014. It takes online orders for cakes and caters for corporate events or special occasions.



It does not instill huge confidence to find the cafe tucked discreetly in one of the shophouses at Aldephi Park (next to Thomson Plaza), with seats and tables barely filled up on a weekend afternoon. Nor will one's heart rejoice when you browsed through the food photos posted on social media because the colors are dull and unappetizing. But once my family and I had a taste of the cakes and drinks, those initial suspicions were soon allayed.

The cakes here may not be fit into the photogenic criteria these days but they are all tasty and not too sweet at all. Above all, avocados are used to replace certain dairy products like butter and cream, making them healthier than the conventional pastries we know. What a bonus.

The Avocado Milk Ball ($2.90) is actually a choux puff filled with avocado cream. There is nothing spectacular about the choux pastry and the cream filling doesn't possess the dark green hue as shown on the official photo. But the avocado cream tastes like what it should be. The texture is dense but the flavor is pure and light, almost like eating an avocado.

The signature Avocado Rhapsody Slice ($6.50) is a cream cheese frosted chocolate sponge made with avocados in substitute of butter. I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting so I naturally swerved towards the Avocado Gula Melaka ($5.90) even though the two layers of cake here belongs the dense American style that can easily fill one up.

If I were to return again, I'll definitely order the Avocado artisan drinks that is churned from a multi-grain base. The Avocado Chocolate Ganache sounds like a super indulgent, calorie-laden smoothie but it turns out to be exactly the opposite. Barely sweetened yet rich, nutty and wholesome. The ganache (made with avocado too) is so thick that it hardly dissolves into the drink. Same goes for the Matcha Avocado that is also sweetened with honey. The restrained sweetness here is the most attractive aspect of the menu here.

Healthy and tasty. Now I know I don't have to travel too far for my sweets indulgence.

17 Jasmine Road, Aldephi Park
Weekends only 11am-9.30pm
http://www.allthebatter.com/

Matcha Avocado Smoothie

Avocado Rhapsody 

Avocado Gula Melaka

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