London Calling

I gone MIA again.

This time I was put on a west bound flight right after I returned from my family vacation at Club Med. I was expecting to have a nice warm summer in London, just like the sunny Cherating I basked with my family the week before.

But I was so so wrong, I had a miserably cold summer this morning. For tempearture of 16C, I was shivering all the way from hotel to the office. Lucky me it was a short 3 min walk!

Here's some pix taken at this trip:

nice new lounge at the Terminal 3!

going for healthier choices... or rather wanting to look classier snacking on fruits. :-)

Most ppl I know hates the airline meals, but I am among the few rare species that really enjoy the food served at 40,000 ft!

Buckingham Palace, London

Parliament Sqaure, London

The Millenium Eye, London.
taken this pix from my hotel window.

I was pleasantly surprised that the room is actually quite spacious.

You know what I did in the 13+hour flight? Listened and watched Jerry Yen through and through!

Wordless Wednesday - Assorted sausage bun

My ABin5 which didn't quite make the cut...

I am using exacting the same instant bread recipe which I successfully got it right several times. But not this time, which you can already see.

The only thing I did differently was that this dough sat in the fridge for about 10days before it was baked. But this shouldn't be the cause of failure cos the recipe clearly says that it can be kept upto 14days.

So, my fellow friends who ranted endlessly about the bread failure... now you know you are not the only one!

Ding Tai Fung@Jurong Point

This is the first time I went to Jurong Point Extension since the new wing opened few months ago. I am quite happy to find some "downtown" eateries, like this taiwanese dumpling joint 鼎泰丰, now being closer to the heartlanders.

We ordered the famous xiaolongbao, steamed spicy pork and vegetable wonton (紅油抄手), vegetable dumpling, fried rice with eggs, shrimp and pork wonton noodle

The xiaolongbao is juicy if you can finish them in a jiffy. Else, the thick "skin" dried up and hardened when it's cold. In that sense, 紅油抄手 fared better cos it is sitting in the sourish and spicy gravy. Good till the last moment!!! Ya, that's my fav... (ever since I watched Meteor Garden)!!!

Veg dumpling and noodle are decent fare. But fried rice is awesome. Sheen whacked 2 bowls very quickly!

A well-fed boy is a happy boy!

The butter cake to resist effect of alcohol...

Yep, that's what I read- "... something that’s 100% resistant to the effects of alcohol and it tastes way better than rice or bread". Ummm.

With such magic, I knew I got to make this. And I did, for a friend's birthday... who told me he may come Singapore.

But the trip was disrrupted by the unexpected snow (in London)... so I frozen the cake.. I have almost clean forgotten about the week-old cake until last night!

Today I brought it to office, and all I got was a small slice. The rest??? the V-sign says all about the cake!

Recipe is here.

PS: It tastes so dejavu... then I found out that this recipe is almost identical to Carol Durst's "I knew you were coming so I bake a Cake"!

恭贺新喜

Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year to All.
My bakery is closed for the rest of the month so that this exhausted baker can take a break!

See you back in February. In the meantime, do enjoy some family time with your loved ones!

Making the most of...

I recently get to know Skinnymum thru her blog.

Skinnymum was asked to give up her banking career to provide for her daughters 6 years ago and till now she is still trying to fit into the new lifestyle. By most social standard, Skinnymum is a tai-tai. Many (including me) would envy the leisure & pleasure she gets to enjoy, without having to worry about the office politics, endless housework or the world economic.

As I read her blog, an image comes alive in my head - Kym Ng in the movie "Gone Shopping". Kym played the rich tai-tai who turned to the shopping mall to past time and to run away from her troubles.

I dreamt how nice if I am in her shoe.... and a long list of to-do if I could live her life of leisure! Yes, I have a career in a respectable company, but I also have a 1001 list that I am sullenly discontented about. Then I gave myself a hard pitch. Get real. Stop looking at what you don't have and focus on what you get to enjoy.

In case you are wondering, I am not judging her or anyone for that matter. What rights do I have, by the way... ahemmm!

Like in the movie Madagascar, the old wise lady who was stranded in wild africa told the group, "You can let the nature get the most of you or you make the most of nature".

Skinnymum, the wise saying is for you and me. And whatever you choose for your life, I wish you happiness!

7 (Useless) Facts About Me

I always read their bloggers 7 facts with interest... it's fun prying into other's life but now my time has come... All thanks to Gina :-)

1. I am more of a scientist than artist when it comes to baking. I always copy someone else's design. But no one ever tell me stop, cos it's such bad copy that they couldn't believe it comes from them :-)))


2. Despite my blog named Happy Cup, I am never really happy. I am a born worrier, constantly worrying about what may or may not happen, and how I can pre-empt that!


3. It is my wildest dream to have my own business, Just so that I can "mind my own business". But I could never garner enough courage to leave my day job. And my excuse is "the opportunity cost is too high!" Haha, lying to myself!


4. I love handbags, I have amassed many IT-bag like Neverful, Suhali, Spy Bag, Multicolore Speedy but I only carry my HP backpack (comes with my notebook) and a Ferragoma Toiletery pouch (Free from SIA) to work.





5. I would not hesitate to go for the botox jab when the first wrinkles appear but would not endure a facial!


6. I shun sharkfins at wedding dinners but never resist feeding it to my son.


7. If I had not gone on to earn my degree, I would have been a brisk operator at Times Printers. It was my first job after completing my 'O'Levels and had marvelled at the $1000+ salary for the strenuous 12-hour-a-day work. It was a large sum of money for me back then, you bet!

To play this forward, I am tagging my fellow blogger:

Art of Eating
Cupcake Loft
Jo's Deli
Little Corner of Mine

Here are the rules for tagging:

1. Link to my blog (tagger) on your blog.


2. Give seven facts about yourself.


3. Tag another seven bloggers by leaving a comment on their blogs and letting them know they were tagged and listing them (and their blogs) on your blog.

I do hope you guys take this in good fun!

My latest splurge - another Voyager Bag.

Another Chapter in my Life

I just had a long 2-hour session with my Dutch boss. 2 hours! Yes, it is a long 2-hour, and it is a big deal since our conversation rarely exceed 6 minutes,!!!

"How's the OTIF going to look like this month?" "...likely to be a few percent higher than last month, boss"

"Inventory is far too low, are you sure we are keeping enough?" "Boss, prices are falling, gonna cut back on the inventory."

That's the typical conversation we have... never more than 6 minutes on our monthly country reporting. The rest of the time, it's either he can't reach me, or I can't reach him! *haha*

So what's special that this respectable Dutch man would invest his 2-hour of his time on me? My job tenure is coming to an end come next Jan. And we were mulling over the options and opportunities. Not an easy task.

To me, this is big big bag of mixed feelings. Just Nov 4, I gave a heartening speech to the 200-staff plant, highlighting our achievements, sharing our success story. In no time, I am leaving the team with whom I have spent 7 years together setting up the operating processes, debottlenecking the hardware, strategising the portfolio, building competency etc. I am proud that today the Singapore Plant is the crown jewel in the entire global manufacturing network. To leave the place is like throwing away your favourite birthday present! Being a hoarder, it just mean harder for me to let go.

I know if many who are firm believer of greener pasture but I am stumbling with fear and uncertainty as I move into an uncharted territory.

But life goes on. I am going to take with me the years of experience and knowledge to build another sucess story. This I know for sure. :-)

Ho Chi Min City Survival Guide

This is the first time I tag along with J on his business trip - not for the interest in the city... its for the VIP who's travelling together:



I went with the expectation to see watch the prima donna behaviour but much to my surprise, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is an unbelievably down-to-earth person; he asked no special arrangements for him throughout the trip. i.e. He waited for his table at dinner like all of us and we travelled together in the same coach. Yep, no designated seat for him also.

Let's back to the trip iself:

• Forget about buying Dong, the vietnamese currency, in Singapore. I stride up and down the money changers at Chane Alley with little luck. I sms-ed my vietnamese colleague who then told me to buy the Dong at the airport which I did. Anyway this is something you could worry less cos the exchange rate at the hotel was even better (and less hassle).

Btw, sgd1 = ~11,000 dong. We were all overnight millionaires!


• If you love bargain hunting, bring lots of Dong to Ben Thanh Market. They accept usd but not to your favour. Ben Thanh Market is the "Chatuchak" in HCMC; now you know what you can find there. If you still do not know what is chatuchak, you probably don't need to visit this place *grin*
  
  Those stores dotting the circumference of the market are owned and operated by a company, benthanhtsc , whose goods are all "fixed price". No need to bargain but also means that you pay about 10% than if you drive a hard bargain in the smaller store.
  
  I bought this lightweight waterproof bag at the market for usd20. I love it's retro look.
  
  
  There are some tough sellers in certain isles - we were literally mobbed; they will just put the items in your hand and expect you to pay for them. Or simply pull you to their stores. Luckily this only happen at one of the many lanes in market.



• Traffic rules are non-existence in HCMC. There are motorist riding on the foot path, cars driving against the traffic direction, and zebra crossings where no cars ever bother to stop. To add to all, they are perpetually sounding the horn at one another... so noisy.

Someone shared this joke with me: The traffic police stopped a driver who crossed the red light. Police asked if he saw the red light, and the driver answered nonchalantly: "I saw the red light but I didn't see you".

It is complete choas as far as traffic is concern.

When crossing the road, always keep checking both left and right and walk slowly. As a predestrian, every traffic crossing is an adventure to test your gluts and bravery:-)


• Massage is good value (aka cheap) in HCMC. The published rate is S$12 for 1 hour. But a poor lady in my group was made to pay $10 in tips before the masseur would let her leave. To me, that's daylight robbery. BTW, this massage parlour is located in our hotel, not those sleazy ones and yet... a lot more work by the authorities if they want to promote tourism.



• Lacquer ware: If your travel itinerary include a half day city tour, chances are you will be taken to the lacquer ware factory. The price there has been grossly inflated to pay for travel agency's commission but the design and quality is certainly better than those from Ban Thanh Market. This replica of Der Kuss (The Kiss), original work by Gustav Klimt, was spotted at the Lacquerware factory with a price tag of usd300. You can get one for usd100 at the market but the quality is a no-no.
  
  These are some pix taken at the factory:
  
  
  This "double happiness" tray costs usd10 and the word is made with egg shell:
• 
• 
  Replica of Der Kuss - very nicely crafted:

• Do not drink the tap water, especially after flooding. By the same token, do not take the ice when drinking at less accomplished F&B outlets. BTW, ice coffee in vietnam is very popular, just make sure you go to an established cafe.

• Leave your valuables behind before a night out. J's colleague was held up in HCMC before :-o

• If not for the accompanying little one, I would have tried this local snack... many students were seen munching them. The tour guide said it is rice flour with dried turnips (chai-po) + egg + ???
  Pardon for the blurry pix - it was taken from the coach, behind the window pane.
  
  

• If you have sometime to spare, you should make a trip to cu ci tunnel. This is a great work by the guerillas during the US war. The labyrinth system of tunnel has 3 levels running operation from clothes-making, food to weapons to fight the battles.
  
• Another good place that I hear is Ben Nay Restaurants - quote "Located on a tranquille and beautiful island surrounded by 2 small rivers, Ben Nay restaurant offers to tourist a unique buffet combined with show games. Tourist should be very interested and pleased with typical scenery of vietnamese coutryside. During the buffet, they can enjoy the beautiful view of vietnamese countyside life: local girls rowing small boats full with tropical fruits, floating market crowded with local products, boys on buffalow playing on the rice field, traditional musical performance, water puppet and traditional boxing." unquote
  

Bevis with his power ranger stunt:

OK, this has nothing to do with HCMC *grin*

Have a good time in HCMC!

Happy Anniversary!

I made a cupcake for my wedding anniversary. I made the Kahlua Choc Cake into the heart shaped silicon cup, and decorate simply with candy quins as J enjoy neither cake nor cream.

Just made this for token celebration only ;-)

Cinnabon from KL

I love cinnamon bun... I had it almost everyday during my 1-year posting to KL.
What a shame they do not have any outlets in Singapore.

Peanut Cinnabon

Classic Cinnabon.

Baking Supplies

These are some of the good baking supplies that I have visited. I will update as and when I find out something new.

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Coyaku Food Products Pte. Ltd
No. 1, Sims Lane #01-11
Singapore 387355
Tel: 67470069 (Anna Phua)
somewhere near Aljunied MRT (next to Phoon Huat)

Anna Phua has the best Konnyaku powder in Singapore - it's very chewy.
(Thanks Aunty Yochana for this "secret"!)

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Ailin Bakery House
#01-47/48 Tanjong Katong Complex
Tel: +65 6743 2693

Good for:

• vanilla essence - I hear from the users in KC that this is far better than Phoon Huat and Bake King.

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Sun Lik Trading
33 Seah Street (behind Raffles Hotel)
Tel: +65 63380980

Good for :

• easy going boss - I brought back the baking tray which couldn't fit into my oven over a month later, and, yes, the boss allowed me to exchange for something else!


• pineapple paste - if you are not prepared to slog over the oven to make pineapple paste for your pineapple tarts, get one of the best pineapple paste here.


• Chef Master colouring - this is far far cheaper than Wilton's food colouring. Good if you use alot of dye.

I only wish the boss can stop pushing his ready-muffin-mix each time I am there. I have nothing against it, but I love to play with all different ingredients... and the unpredictability!

BTW, if you buy your flours (bread flour, plain flour etc) from Sun Lik, I strongly suggest that you sift them before use. I won't tell you what I see in my fresh pack of bread flour ! *ugh*

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Bake-It-Yourself
182 Bt Timah Rd,
Tel: +65 61002253

Good for:

• Friendly staff
• Neat and tidy layout.
• Rental service - baking mould, cupcake stands, and books are avail for rental.
• Full range of Wilton products

Not so good for:
Price - most items are generally dearer here then elsewhere. e.g. I bought Valrhona 70% at SunLik for $10.80 (300g). 500g pack here costs $20+.


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Jones the Grocer
B9 Dempsey Road #01-12 Dempsey Hill S247697
Tel +65 6476 1512

This is not a baking supplies store but has a small baking section carry quality ingredients.
Great for :

• vanilla extract - this is the real stuff ok :-)
• taking a break when you are tired after groceries shopping - there's long tables all around the store, and an extensive menu for you to rest and recharge! They have very pretty s'mores cupcake too!

Only grouse is it's out-of-the-way location!
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Kwong Cheong Thye
61/63 Lorong 27 Geylang
off Sims Ave (near Aljunied MRT station)
Tel +65 6748-0128
http://www.kctsoya.com/

Great for getting all the mooncake-making stuff; the different types of ready made filling, snow skin mix, boxes etc.

I will probably use only the snowskin premix from KCT from now on - really soft skin for days!

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StarNet
2 Jurong East St 21 #04-33V
IMM Bldg
Singapore 609601
Tel: 6562 0438 Fax: 6562 5439
http://www.starnetmarketing.com/product_of_star_net_bakery.html

• The packaging materials like cookie bags and plastic containers etc are cheaper here than other retail stores.
• They also provide edible imaging printing service.

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SKP - Packaging Supplies
Check website for store locations: http://www.partyware.com.sg/

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On-line Bakery Products - Malaysia
http://bakeryproduct.blogspot.com/

• 16-hole cupcake box (with the cupcake insert to hold cupcake in its place) for RM2.70 !!!
• 25-hole for RM3.00!
• The wedding cupcake box (on right) is RM1.50 each!

PLS NOTE THAT THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED TO PUBLIC.

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Updated 25 April 2014