Colonel Sanders Loves to Play Dress-Up in Japan!

We all know that Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has that iconic mascot, who is Colonel Sanders. Some outlets even have a statue of the man displayed at their entrance.

My first encounter of the Colonel Sanders statue playing dress-up in Japan, was at one of the KFC branches in Kyoto.

I was walking past and did a double take, as the statue was decked out in a Japanese outfit, complete with a sword.

My next encounter was in Tenjin, Fukuoka and this time he was all prepared to celebrate Halloween!

Next was during the Sendai Tanabata Festival「仙台七夕まつり」, which is an annual event held from August 6-8 and I found the man dressed to celebrate the festivities, complete with a colourful festival streamer and a festival fan, which is a popular accessory for most people during the summer months.

The staff at this Sendai branch seem to move the statue around! Some days he’s found along the shopping arcade (see above), but on other days he can be found just outside the entrance to the store, with a slight variation to his overall look.

Why do I get the feeling that he went a little overboard with his merrymaking, as his cheeks were flushed and he had a necktie wrapped across his forehead?

I’m still on the lookout for more of the Colonel with his variations in outfits. Have you come across any interesting ones?

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I just found it amusing and decided to compile all my encounters to-date.

Christmas Wonderland at Gardens By The Bay (2019)

Christmas Wonderland at Gardens By The Bay has been one of the highlights for the year-end season in Singapore and this year’s 6th edition features the debut of the Christmas Parade and a brand new interactive Santa’s Workshop!

Apart from expecting to take Insta-worthy photos of the light installations, visitors can also enjoy feasting at the various food kiosks at the venue, watch some theatrical productions, do a spot of shopping or play some traditional carnival games and rides.

Taking centrestage at the Supertree Grove, is the 21-metre tall Spalliera luminarie light sculpture, which is modelled after San Gimignano, an Italian hill town in Tuscany and the tallest luminarie Christmas tree in Asia. The stunning luminarie sculptures are handmade by Italian craftsmen using white wood from the south of Italy.

The Walk Of Peace is a 50-metre long light tunnel installation, inspired by the glow of sunset at the Gardens. I didn’t realise that it was made using 60,000 lights!

Do note that this is an extremely popular selfie/wefie spot and you’ll need a lot of patience and quick reflexes to be able to take pictures without getting photobombed by the other people around you. The best time would probably be just before closing time and you can almost get the entire tunnel to yourself (compare the photos below with the one above).

   

Whilst in this area, you may also rub shoulders with some interesting characters, who add to the carnival atmosphere.

   

Over at The Meadow, visitors can enter Santa’s Workshop and be transported to the North Pole upon stepping into that igloo.

Meet some reindeer and penguins on your way to meet Santa!

 

Don’t get distracted by the gingerbread men and colourful cupcakes on your way to find the man in the red suit!

This year, you can watch some animatronic elves packing presents for Christmas.

  

Finally, get to take a photo with Claus and he will tell you whether you’ve been naughty or nice.

For the first time at the Gardens, we finally have a Christmas Parade!

This comprises of a small float procession, featuring festive characters on three floats.  The parade will start from the Supertree Grove (near The Klook Express) and make its way down to The Meadow.

Look out for penguins, snowmen and igloos on the first float.

Next is a group of bear friends gathered around a campfire at the Gardens.

(hmm… but why am I reminded of Alvin and the Chipmunks when I look at them?)

The third and last float features Santa on his reindeer sleigh.

This provides another opportunity for visitors to take some pictures with Santa, if the float is stationary – i.e. when the float is parked, just before or after the parade.

Do note that the parade only takes place at 8pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

On weekdays, Santa will be making his rounds on his reindeer sleigh float.

Also accompanying the floats are a wacky bunch of elves, santarinas and some costumed animal characters.

You can find them dancing to the catchy music before the parade at the Supertree Grove and also after the parade at The Meadow.

Over at The Klook Express, visitors can go on a holly jolly ride around the globe and take in the sights from the world’s best scenic train rides, from the breath-taking Swiss Alps to Japan’s famous Sakura scapes. Download the Klook app and sing a song at the Carol-oke booth here and share your rendition to win travel vouchers for your next holiday.

If you do walk past this booth, be warned that you could encounter some cringeworthy renditions of your favourite Christmas carols!

Do take note of the following timings for Blizzard Time (presented by Haagen-Dazs) and Garden Rhapsody The Christmas Special:

To soak in the festive atmosphere, do catch this year’s new Garden Rhapsody – The Christmas Special, which features a medley of familiar Christmas tunes accompanying the light and sound show at the Supertree Grove.

   

Take a break from walking around and enjoy Yuletide Sessions and Christmas Carols under the magical Cassa Armonica gazebo, right in the heart of the Spalliera. There are performances by Inch Chua, Jana Ann & Joy Alexis, Sam Driscoll, Two Cheers and a Toast, The Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) Choir, EVOKX, The NTU Alumni Choir, and more.

A perfect spot to get out of Singapore’s hot and humid weather is to head to the Haagen Dazs Pop-Up Store. Two new limited edition mochi ice cream flavours are available here – Azuki Mochi ice cream with smooth Hokkaido Azuki bean sauce and steamed mochi pieces, as well as the French dessert-inspired Crème Brûlée Mochi ice cream with aromatic burnt sugar sauce and steamed mochi pieces.

In addition, three limited edition festive ice creams are also available – Frozen Snowman, Santa’s Reindeer and Fruity Escape.

My sister and I both thought the Frozen Snowman looked cute, so we each ordered our own versions of it! You can choose any 2 flavours of ice cream (except for the two new mochi flavours) to “build” your snowman, which comes with a chocolate-coated marshmallow top hat.

     

If you are feeling lucky, do note that there are two Lucky Draws that you can participate in at this pop-up store. The first requires you to fill up your details, plus your favourite ice cream flavour on this tag (see below) and hang it onto the Christmas tree. The other draw requires you to post a picture of your ice cream on Instagram with hashtag #hdandme and there is another card that you will need to fill up and return to the staff.

Go look for this photo spot before you order your ice cream, because when you snap a picture here and show it to the cashier at the pop-up store, you will receive a 10% discount off your bill.

If you’ve never experienced “snow” in the tropics, you can do so during Blizzard Time in the heart of the Spalliera at the Supertree Grove. I was too busy enjoying my Frozen Snowman cone and by the time I was done, I exited from the pop-up store to this sight.

Head over to The Meadow if you want to enjoy a magical gastronomic evening under the stars, surrounded by 50 magnificent Christmas trees. The Christmas Tree Café offers a selection of tantalising gourmet festive food and drinks from $6.

Sinfonia Ristorante strives to deliver a fine dining experience that is accessible for all gourmands.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Chicken Wings with Tomato Blue Cheese and Roasted Beef Ribeye in Veal Jus

Mr. White, a pop-up restaurant conceptualised by WMartin and Taste Singapore, specialises in fusion cuisine that extracts the best elements of different culinary traditions to create a wholly unique multi-sensory experience.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Wild Honey Hammer Wings, Smokey Sausage and Wagyu Beef Burgers

London’s Burger & Lobster has long queues at their outlet at Jewel Changi Airport. However, the queues here are shorter, if you haven’t yet tried their delicious burgers and lobsters!
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Brisket Roll, Original Mini Lobster Roll and Grilled Prawn Skewers

I couldn’t help ordering the combo comprising of a Beef Brisket Roll and Original Mini Lobster Roll ($25).

The beef brisket roll was flavourful and juicy with every bite! I enjoyed it as much as I did the lobster roll.

Dessert Wonderland – a first ever collaboration between iconic brands N2 Extreme Gelato, Happitea, Durian Edition and Tokyo Lamington.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Durian Kakigori, Bandung Lamington and Malt-coated Roasted Sweet Potato

Lychee Oolong Tea

Head over to the Meadow Theatre for some theatrical productions (additional tickets are required to be purchased). Check the official website for show timings and prices.

The Old Shoemaker (SG) – 29 November to 1 December 2019
Snow Play (UK) – 4 to 8 December 2019
Trash Test Dummies (AU) – 11 to 26 December 2019
Vitaly – Pure Wonder (US) – 20 to 26 December 2019

Festive Market
Experience a truly authentic Christmas atmosphere with a total of 24 festive huts at the Supertree Grove, featuring speciality food and beverages, plus an opportunity for visitors to shop for Christmas gifts, all at one location.

Savoury dishes and returning favourites include the succulent Jumbo Turkey Drumstick from The Beast, Christmas Roast by Fat Belly, Garlic Onion Rosti from The 6ixs Rosti, a Street Food Circus version of Butterscotch Beer Fish & Chips, Mac Taco’s Christmas Taco perfectly paired with Turkey and Cranberry, Shiso’s Meatless Meatball Skewers and Pita Tree’s Chicken Paella.

Dessert lovers can indulge in sweet treats like the Rainbow Candy Cane Prata and Waffles from Fooditude, Pancake Hut’s (by Sofnade) own version of a Christmas Tree Pancake Stack and kick back with a glass of wine and classic panettone by Vino Amore. The Swag Social returns with their sinful Red Velvet and Mochi Donut Balls, Coffee Bandits entices with their Snowy Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich and waffle lovers can try the Signature Hot Chocolate and Buttermilk Waffles from French patisserie, Paul. Those who need a bubble tea fix can sip on Brown Sugar Deerioca and Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca from The Alley, whilst admiring the view of the illuminated fairground.

The Beast prides itself on serving true blue Southern comfort food that warms your soul and puts a smile on your face!
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Jumbo Smoked Turkey Drumstick

Besides providing amazing and delicious food, The Swag Social also believes in providing food that puts a smile on your face, like a glow in the dark candy floss!
Christmas Wonderland Featured Items: Red Velvet & Matcha Mochi Donuts Balls

The Alley is renowned for its intensive tea selection, premium handcrafted ingredients and combination of artisanal and creative brewing practices. Some of their popular beverages include Brown Sugar Deerioca & Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Chocolate Wonderland

Brewerkz, Singapore’s longest-running craft brewery experience, returns to Christmas Wonderland this time with an event-exclusive bespoke craft brew.

Named after the age-old tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, the Brewerkz Mistletoe Kiss White Beer features a refreshing plexus of cloves, vanilla and banana, brewed to conjure the familiarity and warmth of Christmas celebrations.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Item: Full Bar, Cocktails – Mistletoe Margarita, White Christmas Mojito (Rum), The Grinch Vodka, Snowman’s Gin.

Enjoy the sweetness of Christmas served to you in one bite at a time at Sofnade’s Pancake Hut! Don’t forget to grab their mini pancakes as well.
Christmas Wonderland Featured Items: Christmas Tree Pancake Stack

Carnival Games
18 traditional carnival games and rides are available to all visitors of Christmas Wonderland to enjoy. Tokens are required to ride and play.

Lucky Draw
All visitors to Christmas Wonderland stand a chance to win one of 12 prizes in The Great Christmas Wonderland Giveaway in four draws conducted on 6, 13, 20 and 26 December. Prizes include a 3-day trip for two to Bali, Pattaya or Penang, inclusive of a two night stay at Hard Rock hotel and return flight tickets, 3-day staycation with Hilton Singapore, weekend drives with Volvo as well as shopping vouchers. Terms and conditions apply.

Just make sure you collect one of these pamphlets at the admission gates, as it contains the lucky draw participation form.

Christmas Wonderland runs from 29 November to 26 December 2019.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 5pm to 11pm
Friday to Sunday, Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec): 4pm to 11pm
Christmas Eve (24 Dec): 4pm to 12.30am

Venue:
Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953.

Ticket Prices:
Standard Admission (Online): $6 (29 Nov – 12 Dec), $8 (13 Dec – 26 Dec)
Standard Admission (Onsite): $10
Concession – for senior citizens (Onsite): $6 (29 Nov – 12 Dec), $8 (13 Dec – 26 Dec)
*Entry is complimentary for up to 2 children under 0.9m for each paying adult.
*Separate charges apply for certain Christmas Wonderland attractions, OCBC Skyway and Gardens by the Bay conservatories

BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AND SAVE
Purchase admission tickets online to enjoy savings of up to 40%. Additional charges for some attractions within the event grounds as well as into the Conservatories apply.

For more information and to book tickets for Christmas Wonderland, visit www.christmaswonderland.sg or official ticketing partner KLOOK at www.klook.com.

Enjoy Soft Serve with Chicken and Fries at Shake Shake In A Tub

Shake Shake In A Tub specialises in finger food items and its first outlet opened at Northpoint City on 27th July 2019. If you are one of those people who grew up with the childhood habit of dipping your fries into ice cream at fast food restaurants, you will probably enjoy some of the food combinations being offered here!

Various types of fries (Shoestring, Curly and Criss-Cut options), popcorn chicken and chicken tenders are available in 4 different tub sizes (i.e. Regular, Large, Huge and Giant) and how they will taste can be customised to your preference, by selecting from a choice of available flavours. Those who want a little something extra, can purchase the Giant tub, which allows one to have the best of both worlds – i.e. indulge in having soft serve ice cream added on to your fries/chicken for a different dimension of flavours! Other items on the menu include buffalo wings, milkshakes and soft serve ice cream on its own.

The food is prepared upon order, so that they are served piping hot to customers. In order to maintain a standard consistency in their serving portions, the ingredients are first weighed before they are put into the fryer.

Weighing in progress…

With considerations to provide the healthiest fried food possible, Shake Shake In A Tub uses a state-of-the-art fryer, AUTOFRY® MTI-40C, with cooking oil that has earned a Healthier Choice Symbol from the Health Promotion Board.

When the fries/chicken have been cooked and are taken out from the fryer, the next step will be to coat the food evenly with the customer’s Shake Shake seasoning of choice. First, place the fried food into the tub, then put in the seasoning.

A selection of eight different seasonings that are available are BBQ, Mala, Sour Cream & Onion, Truffle, Curry, Kimchi, Salted Caramel and Cheese. Customers can either select the flavours as is, or choose to be a little creative and mix several seasonings to become a new flavour, for example Truffle with Cheese, Mala with Kimchi, or Mala with Curry.

In the next photo, we can see the seasoning being scooped into the tub.

Then, the lid is put on and the contents in the tub are given a good **shake shake**.

Here’s what we tried…

Curly Fries
Regular size tub – $4.30 (choose 1 flavour)
Large size tub – $5.80 (choose 1 flavour)
Huge size tub – $7.90 (choose 2 flavours)
Giant size tub – $11.20 (choose 3 flavours + 1 soft serve dip)

Ordered the Regular sized tub with Salted Caramel seasoning and found it to be quite an interesting combination, as I’ve never eaten fries with this flavour. These curly fries somehow still remained crunchy even if you have left them sitting for a while.

Criss-Cut Fries
Regular size tub – $4.30 (choose 1 flavour)
Large size tub – $5.80 (choose 1 flavour)
Huge size tub – $7.90 (choose 2 flavours)
Giant size tub – $11.20 (choose 3 flavours + 1 soft serve dip)

This was a Large sized tub with Truffle seasoning. Just like the curly fries, these criss-cut fries still remained crispy for a while. Although the truffle seasoning gave the fries a lovely aroma, I felt that it was a bit too salty.

Shoestring Fries
Regular size tub – $3.30 (choose 1 flavour)
Large size tub – $4.50 (choose 1 flavour)
Huge size tub – $6.90 (choose 2 flavours)
Giant size tub – $9.80 (choose 3 flavours + 1 soft serve dip)

I decided to be a little adventurous and ordered the Giant tub, with Sour Cream & Onion, Curry and Cheese flavours and Bubblegum Soft Serve dip. The bright blue Bubblegum soft serve tasted more like a caramel flavoured ice cream and was a sweet dip to the savoury fries. I found that shoestring fries tend to lose their crispiness once they have cooled down, so if you order this, you’ll need to try to eat quickly, before the fries turn soggy.

Popcorn Chicken
Regular size tub – $4.80 (choose 1 flavour)
Large size tub – $6.80 (choose 1 flavour)
Huge size tub – $9.90 (choose 2 flavours)
Giant size tub – $15.80 (choose 3 flavours + 1 soft serve dip)

The Huge size tub comes with a choice of 2 flavours and thus I opted for Mala and BBQ. Both were good, but the Mala was quite spicy, so do have a drink on standby especially if you have a low threshold for spicy foods. I loved the crunchiness of each bitesize morsel and they were still crunchy even when they had cooled down.

Buffalo Wings
4pcs – $5.50
8pcs – $10.20
12pcs – $14.60
16pcs – $18.70

As there is only one default flavour for the buffalo wings, the only decision you’ll have to make is on how many pieces you want to order. Tastewise, it was quite normal and will be good as a light bite, or as a snack in-between meals. This portion below contains eight pieces.

Soft Serve
If you’re not in the mood for chicken or fries, ice cream lovers can choose to indulge in this dessert, which is available in Yoghurt and Bubblegum flavours ($3.80 per Cup/Cone). As I’m not particularly a fan of yoghurt, I decided to have Bubblegum, but it turned out tasting like caramel, instead of how I had initially imagined it would taste like. Still, it was a nice smooth soft serve and great for cooling down on a hot day!

Milkshake
Similar to the soft serve, their milkshakes are available in both Yoghurt and Bubblegum flavours ($5). As mentioned earlier, the Bubblegum flavour tasted more like caramel, but on the other hand, the yoghurt flavour was a little sourish, as what you would expect yoghurt to taste like.

Overall, my favourites out of all that we had tried were the Popcorn Chicken, Curly Fries and Criss-cut Fries. In terms of seasoning, I liked the Curry, BBQ, Mala and Salted Caramel flavours. I won’t comment on the milkshake and soft serve flavours, as I am biased towards sweet stuff and will choose sweet over sour anytime, but the drinks and desserts were pleasing to the palate in terms of their consistency and smooth texture. My only grouse is that this is a takeaway kiosk and you will need to eat on the go, so it could be a balancing act if you order too many items and try to eat them all at the same time.

**Disclaimer** This was an invited food-tasting, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Address:
Shake Shake In A Tub
930 Yishun Ave 2, Northpoint City (South Wing), #B2-139, Singapore 769098.

Operating hours: Daily, 10am – 10pm

Six more Shake Shake In A Tub outlets are expected to be opening soon in heartland malls and more details will be announced in the near future, but I do know that one of the upcoming outlets will be at Suntec City (opening 23rd Aug at #B1-K6).

[Halal] North Indian and Chindian food at Copper Chimney

Copper Chimney, located opposite Mustafa Centre in Singapore’s Little India, has been around since 2012 and specialises in North Indian and Chinese Indian (or some may use the term “Chindian”) food. It has since grown to become one of the best Indian food chains in Singapore and the restaurant was recently awarded halal certification, so that more people can get to enjoy their food.

Their menu has a diverse selection to cater to different palates and strives to retain the authenticity of its dishes.

Drinks
We started off by trying their Mint Calamansi and Mango Lassi. I’m usually not a hugh fan of lassi, but this version was just right, as wasn’t too sweet and neither was the yoghurt too sour. However, between the two, I still preferred the Mint Calamansi, as it was quite a refreshing drink.

Sides and Breads
For starters, we had Masala Roomali ($8), a thin bread filled with onions and tomato baked till crispy over an inverted oven and topped with a Masala seasoning. It was my first time trying this and I felt as if I was eating a piece of keropok or crispy cracker! This is a perfect dish for sharing with friends/family.

Just break it into smaller pieces and everyone can get to enjoy a piece of it!

Another side dish is the Kurkure Bhindi ($5), which comprised of sliced lady’s fingers that have been deep-fried until golden brown. This vegetable dish was surprisingly very crispy and can be enjoyed as snack on its own! I enjoyed munching on these, but would have preferred if they were less generous with the salt.

An interesting option to try will be the Chilli Cheese Naan ($6.50), which incorporates dairy with spice! Pair it with a dhal of your choice or just enjoy it on its own, like what I did and I found that the cheese was quite light and not overpowering, plus it wasn’t spicy at all.

Curries and Mains
Cooked in Copper Chimney’s custom made tandoor, these chunky morsels of Salmon Fish Tikka ($18) were cooked just right and the flavours were delicious! Yumm…

Next was an eye-opener for me, as it was an Indian-Chinese fusion dish! Triple Szechwan Rice is an iconic Mumbai street food delight where fried rice, hakka noodles and spicy gravy are combined together and diners can choose from vegetarian, chicken or prawn options ($15/$16/$17). Haha…I’ve never eaten this kind of combination before and was initially quite skeptical when I heard about this dish!

We had the chicken version and it was surprisingly good and very tasty, so we thoroughly enjoyed this!

Those who love eating briyani can order the Sultani Seekh Rice Platter ($29), which is cooked using premium basmati rice and topped with lamb and chicken kebabs.

Look at those kebabs! I preferred the chicken over the lamb, but overall it wasn’t my favourite dish out of all the available main courses.

Those who love curries can order a variety and enjoy them with either rice or naan. We had ours with both plain naan ($4.50) and garlic naan ($5).

Diners who can’t handle spicy food can order the Lucknowi Murg Korma ($16), which is a butter chicken dish, topped with a touch of saffron.

It was creamy, but I thought the flavours leaned towards the sweeter side.

The Chicken Lababdar ($15) is a more savoury version of butter chicken, with just the right amount of spice. I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous curry.

Prawn lovers will enjoy the Madras Prawn Curry ($17), which is also a crowd favourite! Out of the three curries that we had tried, I liked this the most and the gravy makes a very good dip to go with the breads/naan.

Those who finds naan a bit on the thicker side and prefer a thinner type of bread, can order the Rumali Roti ($6), which reminded me a little of a non-oily version of our local Singaporean roti prata. Very good for mopping up the last few drops of the prawn curry!

Wash down your meal with some Masala Tea, which has anti-oxidizing properties, aids digestion, improves metabolism and prevents bloating.

To complete the meal, those with a sweet tooth can indulge in some traditional desserts.

Jalebi ($7) is a freshly made deep-fried crunchy snack filled with a rich syrup that oozes out with every bite. It was a little like eating a sweet pretzel and if you order the version with Rabdi (+$1.50), dipping the Jalebi into the condensed milk (i.e. Rabdi) is supposed to balance the flavour by cutting out the overt sweetness of the former. I think I prefer the Jalebi on its own and somehow munching on it gave me an unexplainable kind of satisfaction, but you’ll probably need to have a sweet tooth to thoroughly appreciate this.

Diners who prefer something less sweet, can order the Pista Rasmalai ($7.50), a traditional dessert which is a combination of a soft and spongy milk curd soaked in a creamy milk sauce with pistachios. It was my first time trying this and the experience felt like I was eating a soggy taupok soaked in a liquid form of kulfi. Pardon my description of this dessert, but it was actually not bad!

Overall, this was one of the better Indian restaurants that I have tried in Singapore and I would certainly go back again for their Triple Szechwan Rice, Madras Prawn Curry, Salmon Fish Tikka and Kurkure Bhindi.

Address:
Copper Chimney
100 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207676.

Getting There by MRT: Farrer Park station
Nearest Carpark: Public carpark @ 44 Sam Leong Rd, Singapore 207934.

Reservations/Contacts:
Tel: (+65) 6294 8891
WhatsApp: (+65) 9238 1272

Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11:30am – 12 midnight
Friday to Saturday: 11:30am – 1am
Sunday: 11:30am – 12 midnight

Copper Chimney Express outlets are also available at Asia Square and Marina Bay Financial Centre, to serve the busy corporate crowd during lunch. However, to enjoy the full variety of dishes, it is best to make a trip down to Little India.

**Disclaimer** This was an invited food-tasting, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sakura Japanese Sake KitKat「キットカット 桜日本酒」

Many KitKat fans will know that Japan has over the years introduced many different flavours of this chocolate covered wafer biscuit and this year, the Sakura Japanese Sake KitKat was released for the cherry blossom season.

I managed to get my hands on a packet containing 12 individually wrapped mini bars.

As soon as you open the packaging, you will be greeted by a strong smell of sake, with a slightly floral accent.

Upon unwrapping, you will find the wafers covered in a pink coating of white chocolate. Somehow I felt that the taste of sake wasn’t as strong as their previous sake versions and this one tasted more like cherry.

As these KitKats contain 0.07 percent alcohol content, they are deemed to be unsuitable for children and also people who are alcohol intolerant.

Although this flavour is only available for a limited period, you may still be able to find it at some of the shops in Japan. I did see some at the Don Quijote store in Nagasaki City on 29th April and there are also several online stores that may still have some in stock.

Exploring Christmas Wonderland at Gardens By The Bay (2018)

Christmas is the time of year when Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. For many other people, it is the time for holidays, merry-making, spending year-end bonuses and catching up with family.

For those who are in Singapore and in need for some festive atmosphere, Christmas Wonderland, an annual year-end event held at the Gardens By The Bay since 2014, has officially opened and there are many activities that cater to varied interests, but the main highlights would be the 7-storey high luminarie mirror maze, a brand new “Garden Rhapsody – The Christmas Special” light and sound show at the Supertree Grove, a magic show by world-class illusionist Rob Lake, an outdoor skating rink specially flown in from Switzerland, German kinetic light installations at Santa’s Grotto and getting to meet Mr. Claus himself!

If you start your visit from the main drop-off area, near the Visitor Arrival Centre, you will find Asia’s tallest golden luminarie Christmas Tree, which stands at a height of 20.7 metres.

Look for the grand luminarie archway nearby and the path will lead you to one of the entrances to the Christmas Wonderland.

I’m not sure how many people share my view, but I feel that the sky looks best when taking pictures during the “blue hour”.

If you do a bit of walking around, you can also find various lighted archways around the park (do be mentally prepared as there will be many “photo bombers” around).

The places that you’ve seen up to this point, can be found at the non-ticketed area at the Gardens By The Bay.

Do note that Christmas Wonderland is a ticketed event and the prices will vary depending on the dates of your visit. More details on ticket prices can be found at the end of this post.

The festivities are spread across the Supertree Grove and The Meadow, so there’s a fair bit of walking to be done.

At the heart of the Supertree Grove stands a 22-metre high luminarie mirror maze, the biggest in South-East Asia. Visitors can navigate through this maze of mirrors without worrying about getting lost inside, as the layout isn’t complicated at all! (a slight disappointment for me, as I do love a challenge!)

The lights were quite mesmerizing to look at and I couldn’t help taking a few more shots from different angles!

Even a furry friend could be found enjoying the festive atmosphere, as well as the lights!!

Other light displays can also be seen as you make your way around.

Although it doesn’t snow in this part of the world, visitors during this period can experience the wonders of “snow” at the Supertree Grove during Blizzard Time.

“Snow”fall timings (schedule is subject to change pending weather conditions):

• 6:30pm – 6:35pm
• 7:55pm – 8:00pm
• 8:55pm – 9:00pm
• 10:00pm – 10:05pm

Garden Rhapsody – The Christmas Special
This ongoing light show now has a festive feel, with a repertoire of familiar Christmas songs.

• 7:45pm
• 8:45pm

Festive Market
A total of 24 wooden huts can be found in the vicinity and these are modelled after the traditional Christmas markets found across European cities. Shopaholics can look for unique Christmas gifts here, whilst the foodies can enjoy specialty food and beverages.

I usually can’t help ordering a serving of rosti whenever I can find it and there was a stall by The 6ixs Rösti, which serves this traditionally Swiss dish, with a South-East Asian twist!

However, I decided to go with something more traditional to go with the festive season and thus I ordered an “Original” Rosti with Turkey Breast.

As you make your way towards The Meadow, you will find traditional Carnival Games and Kiddy Rides. Tokens are required for these – games start from $4 and rides from $6.

Skating Under The Stars
Specially flown in from Switzerland, this outdoor skating rink features an 8-metre tall illuminated Christmas tree.

Open from 30 November to 26 December 2018, 4pm to 11pm daily.
Admission (Tickets available on-site only):

• Adult $10/session
• Child (12 years old and below) $8/session

There are about eleven skating sessions held daily.

I like the feeling of peace and tranquility when all skaters have been cleared from the rink.

Santa’s Grotto
This is the place to visit if you want a short break from Singapore’s hot and humid weather!

Meet Santa in air-conditioned comfort and along the way to meet the-man-in-the-red-suit, selfie/wefie enthusiasts can be kept busy with several festive installations and a kinetic light installation from Germany.

Meeting Santa Claus…

Slice of SAVOUR
“Slice of SAVOUR” is a bite-sized version of the SAVOUR Gourmet Festival and foodies can sample modern French cuisine by Michelin-star chef Emmanuel Stroobant’s Saint Pierre, contemporary Italian cuisine by Chef Simone Depalmas from Sinfonia Ristorante, modern Chinese bites from Blue Lotus by Chef Ricky Ng, juicy burgers from Three Buns by Potato Head Singapore, all-day café-bistro favourites from Bee’s Knees and artisanal Christmas cocktails by Three Wisemen (prices from $6 onwards).

Festive Entertainment
The Cassa Armonica, an 8-metre high illuminated gazebo, plays host to various carolling groups, as well as seasoned performers like Rani Singam, Joanna Dong, Sara Wee, JAWN and several others (check the official website for the performance schedules).

Tip: Try to time your meal time with one of the performances, so that you can enjoy some musical entertainment with your food and drink!

Magic Show
Catch “The Magic of Rob Lake” at the performance tent at The Meadows. Rob Lake was a quarter-finalist in America’s Got Talent 2018 and in 2008, he was the youngest magician in history to receive The Merlin Award as ‘International Stage Magician of the Year’ from The International Magicians Society – one of the industry’s highest accolades and the equivalent of an Oscar.

Duration: 45 mins (Daily, from Tuesdays to Sundays)
Showtimes: 7pm and 9pm
Additional 45min Shows (select days) at 5pm (on 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 Dec).
NO SHOWS on 3, 10, 17 Dec.

	ONLINE	ONSITE
Adult	$12	$14
Child (12 years old and below)	$8	$10

Prices are not inclusive of Christmas Wonderland Admission ticket.

Lucky Draw
From 30 November to 26 December, all visitors will stand a chance to win one of ten prizes in three Christmas Wonderland Giveaway draws conducted on 7, 14 and 27 December. Prizes include three Genting Dream cruise holidays for a family of four worth $4,600 each, a 3-day trip for two to Bali, Pattaya or Penang, inclusive of a two night stay at Hard Rock hotel and return flight tickets worth up to $2,500 each as well as shopping vouchers.

Overall, the Christmas Wonderland is good fun for both young and old and puts you in a festive mood. My only grouse is that the weather isn’t cold enough to match the magical holiday atmosphere, but that shouldn’t put you off from visiting and soaking up the atmosphere! ^_^

Opening Hours:
30 November – 26 December 2018, 4pm to 11pm daily

Location at Gardens By The Bay: Supertree Grove and The Meadow

Admission Ticket Prices:

DATES	ONLINE	ONSITE
30 NOV – 6 DEC	$4	$6
7 DEC – 13 DEC	$6	$8
14 DEC – 26 DEC	$8	$10

* Entry is complimentary for up to 2 children under 0.9m for each paying adult.
* Purchase entry tickets online at least 1 day before your visit. Same-day admission tickets can only be purchased at the ticketing counters onsite.
* Separate charges apply for certain Christmas Wonderland attractions, OCBC Skyway and Gardens by the Bay conservatories.
* Separate charges apply for tickets to The Magic of Rob Lake. Save up to 30% with the special Family & Friends online bundle.
* Tokens are required to play the carnival games and rides.

Tickets can be purchased at www.christmaswonderland.sg or at on-site ticketing booths.

Note:
The luminarie light sculptures are lit from 30 November to 26 December 2018, 7pm to 12am (daily), except for the luminarie at the Gardens by the Bay visitor arrival area at the Main Entrance, which will remain lit till 1 January 2019.

Enoki-Tei Honten「えの木てい 本店」

Enoki-Tei Honten「えの木てい 本店」 is a cafe that resides in the former residence of an American public prosecutor in the early 1900s. This house was built in 1927 and designed by Japanese architect Yoshizo Asaka, who also constructed Bluff No. 234, which is located nearby.

There is an outdoor dining area, that welcomes those who want to bring their fur kids along.

We stepped into the house and at first glance, it looked we had the place all to ourselves. The cafe is located on the first floor and there is a takeout corner on the second floor.

Since this door on the left was labelled as the “Tea Room”, we decided to open the door to take a peek… (even the door knob looks like it is from another era)

Upon entering, we found a quaint and cozy interior with beautiful antique furniture. Seating is limited and most of the tables were already occupied when we arrived, so we were thankful to be able to secure one of the few remaining available tables.

Looking around the room, we found that there was even a fireplace!

Menu:

A cake set is available on the menu and this is usually cheaper than if you order a slice of cake and drink separately. I wanted to try some of the rose-themed drinks, but they weren’t included in the set, so we ordered ala carte instead.

One of the cakes that we tried was the “Opera”, a delightful coffee buttercream sandwich layered with an almond chocolate ganache.

Paired this with a cup of Rose Coffee, an unimaginable combination but it works! It was an interesting experience to be sipping coffee with the fragrance of roses.

Next was a yummy Rose Lychee Cake, which combines both rose and lychee flavours in a framboise mousse.

Washed this down with some Rose Lemonade, a drink that is especially refreshing on a hot summer’s day!

Time seems to pass slowly in this Tea Room, which invokes a feeling of nostalgia.

If you are visiting Yokohama, Japan, do check out this cafe, which remains one of the few original Western-style buildings in the Yamate area.

Address:
Enoki-Tei Honten「えの木てい 本店」
89-6 Yamatecho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0862, Japan.
[Map]

Telephone: 045-623-2288

Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm

Getting There:
About a 10min walk from the Motomachi-Chukagai Station (Minato-mirai Line). Take exit 6 for the America Yama Park「アメリカ山公園」.

POMPADOUR「ポンパドウル」 – home of the best Curry Bun in Yokohama

Pompadour「ポンパドウル」 is a popular bakery chain, which has its roots in Yokohama, Japan and has over the years opened many branches across the country. Within Yokohama itself, you can find many of its outlets scattered across the city, but I decided to go check out the shop where it all started from.

This very first store was opened in 1969 along the Motomachi shopping street, about 5 minutes away on foot from Japan’s largest Chinatown.

There were many varieties of breads and pastries that were available, but one will need multiple trips to the bakery in order to try them all.

These were some of the items that I had bought… (you can tell which are the most popular items from the half-empty trays)

Rare Cheese Lemon Pie – this had a flaky pastry with a nice citrusy flavour.

Mochi Cheese Bun and Camembert Cream Cheese Bun – I had bought one of each and found the mochi cheese bun had a chewy texture, with a light cheese flavour.

Camembert Cream Cheese Bun – this was quite enjoyable, as I love cream cheese and have a strong preference for Camembert, so it was somewhat of a comfort food.

Yokosuka Navy Curry Bun – it took me 2 visits to the bakery before I managed to buy this bun! On my first attempt to purchase this, it wasn’t available at the time I was there and I was told that the next batch of buns would only be out of the oven 40 minutes later, but unfortunately I had an appointment to get to and couldn’t wait, so I went back again on another day. On my way out, I overheard other customers (local Japanese), who were also enquiring about the availability of this curry bun, so I concluded that it must really be popular!

Japanese curry is said to have originated from Yokosuka’s Navy curry and the curry in these buns was made using the navy’s recipe. Its ingredients include wheat, milk, egg, soybean, beef, pork, chicken, banana and apple.

Thankfully I managed to purchase the curry buns on my second visit, although half of the tray’s contents had already been sold!

This fried curry bun was very tasty and the bread still retained its crispiness even after it had cooled down. I will definitely buy several more of these buns when I visit Japan again.

Address:
POMPADOUR 元町本店
171, Motomachi, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
〒231-0861 神奈川県横浜市中区元町4-171
ポンパドウルビル1階

Telephone: 045-681-3956

Opening Hours: 9:00 – 20:00 / Café: 9:00 – 18:00 (last order 17:30)

Getting There:
7 min walk from Ishikawacho Station (JR Keihin Tohoku Line / Negishi Line) – Motomachi Exit
7 min walk from Motomachi Chukagai Station (Minato Mirai Line) – Motomachi Exit

Elephant-shaped Ice Cream at Zou-no-Hana Cafe「象の鼻カフェ」

Located along Yokohama’s waterfront between Yamashita Park and the Red Brick Warehouses, Zou-no-Hana Park was the site where Commodore Perry landed on his second visit to Japan from the United States on 31st March 1854. Yokohama was subsequently selected as one of five main ports in the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States in 1859 and this area became the port of Yokohama.

Zou-no-Hana Cafe「象の鼻カフェ」 resides at Zou-no-Hana terrace, which was named after the original dykes constructed along this waterfront that resembled the shape of an elephant’s nose (in the Japanese language, ‘zou’ means elephant and ‘hana’ means nose).

My never-ending quest for cute food led me to this cafe, as it serves elephant-shaped ice cream!

Attempting to cool off from the summer heat, I couldn’t help ordering a cup of non-alcoholic Mojito (¥500), but was too thirsty and thus had already drunk more than half of it, before I remembered to take a picture!

However, the main highlight of my visit to this cafe was this Zou-no-hana Soft Cream「ゾウノハナソフトクリーム」costing ¥400.

This comprised of Hokkaido Milk ice cream, shaped to look like an elephant’s head, with chocolate chips for its eyes and disc-shaped waffle wafers for its ears.

Too cute, but I had to devour it before it started to turn into a milkshake!

Overall, this cafe is a nice and quiet place to chill if you want to take a break from your explorations of the town.

Address:
Zou-no-Hana Cafe「象の鼻カフェ」
1-1 Kaigandori, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0002, Japan.
〒231-0002 神奈川県横浜市中区海岸通1丁目 象の鼻テラス内
Located at Zou-no-Hana Terrace in Zou-no-Hana Park.
[Map]

TEL:  045-680-5677

Getting There:
3-5min walk from Nihon-Odori Station. Follow the directions for Osanbashi Pier「大桟橋ふ頭」.

(Only in Summer) Refreshing Bear-shaped Shaved Ice at Japanese Ice Ouca「ジャパニーズアイス櫻花」

Summer is my second least favourite season, but funnily enough, I found myself melting under the sweltering heat of Tokyo’s summer this year! Always on the lookout for kawaii (i.e. cute) themed food and also in search of something to cool me down, I managed to find a place which satisfied both criteria!

Japanese Ice Ouca「ジャパニーズアイス櫻花」 typically sells ice cream throughout the year, but in summer, they also offer shaved ice desserts (kakigori) on their menu.

These were no ordinary looking kakigori and they were shaped like bears’ heads and aptly named as “Bear Kakigori“「くまちゃんかき氷」! Various flavours were available and I was in a dilemma as to which one I should order, as I wanted to try everything!

Still undecided, I then asked the guy at the counter to recommend me a flavour, since it was my first time there. He told me that both the white one (milk) and the green one (matcha) were good. After some quick deliberation (‘cos there was a queue behind me), I decided to go with Shirokuma (literally translated as “white bear”), which was milk flavoured shaved ice with a scoop of milk ice cream for its snout. You can choose whether to have a “small mouth”, “large mouth” or “big mouth” and this will determine the scoop size of the ice cream for the bear’s snout. I went with the “small mouth”, as I had just finished lunch and wasn’t sure if I could finish the dessert if I went overboard with my order.

Seating is quite limited at this shop and as it is usually packed with customers, the only seat I could get was a bench outside the shop, which meant that I had to eat fast before the ice started to melt under the heat!

I do have to say that this bowl of shaved ice is just too cute to be eaten! However, it was really refreshing and tasted great! Apricot was used for the ears and the eyes and nose were actually black beans!

Do give this a try if you visit Tokyo during summer!

Address:
Japanese Ice Ouca「ジャパニーズアイス櫻花」
〒150-0013 東京都渋谷区恵比寿1-6-6 土田ビル1F
1F, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0013, Japan.
[Map]

Tel: 03-5449-0037

E-mail: info@ice-ouca.com

Opening Hours:
Spring & Summer (March to October)   11:00～23:30 (last order at 23:00)
Autumn & Winter (November to February)   12:00～23:00 (last order at 22:45)

Getting There:
3-min walk from Ebisu station (both JR and Tokyo Metro lines).