INDIAN ROJAK
I usually find the gravy for Indian rojak too sweet, so the dish is not high on my list of to-eat foods.
But a recent photo sent by a colleague of her meal from Ministry of Rojak piqued my interest. It showed an array of ingredients such as fritters and fried beancurd arranged prettily on a platter.
The dish looked very appetising, but it was also her praise for the food that convinced me to order it.
You can pick sets for two to four persons, priced from $15 to $49.90. But I go a la carte so I can choose only the items I like.
The selection is big, featuring different kinds of fritters - from plain flour to potato flour to crispy prawn - as well as things like tempeh, hotdog, beef lung and cuttlefish. Prices range from $1 for some fritters to $7 for squid.
With a minimum order of $25, I end up with enough food for two.
My favourites are the crispy prawn fritter ($2.30), vadai ($1), hotdog ($1), fishcake ($1.80) and cuttlefish ($4.50). Everything tastes fresh and nothing is overly oily.
Eaten with the complimentary cucumber, onion and green chilli, it is a feast of flavours and textures.
The gravy, a nice balance of sweet and savoury, is exceptional. It is thick enough to coat the ingredients but not too starchy.
WHERE: Ministry of Rojak. To order, call or WhatsApp 8161-2037. PRICE: Minimum order of $25.
FOOD AND GIFT BUNDLES
With friends unable to meet in the past two months, many have sent one another food gifts.
New online gifting platform Knots & Gifts has tapped into the trend by putting together hampers of baked goods and drinks from different vendors. You can choose items individually or pick one of the hampers at prices ranging from $58 to $188.
The top-end bundle comes with a burnt cheesecake from Basque Kitchen by Aitor, quiches and scones from Patisserie G, cookies from Just Like Peri, Gryphon tea sachets and fresh berries.
The pastries are great, especially the cheesecake, which was one of Basque Kitchen's hot sellers during the circuit breaker. The set also comes with a bouquet of flowers.
WHERE: Order at www.knotsandgifts.com at least 48 hours ahead. PRICE: $58 to $188 for bundles, or order items a la carte
TAKEAWAYS FROM MARRIOTT SINGAPORE TANG PLAZA
Dine-in resumes today, but the eateries at Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza continue to offer 30 per cent off a la carte orders for takeaway.
From Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, you can pack dishes such as Signature Crispy Chicken (from $29.96), Pan-Fried Crispy Wanton Noodle With Scallop, Prawn, Fish And Seasonal Vegetables In Superior Sauce (from $25.68) and Braised Iberico Pork With Chinese Sausage And Yam ($38.52).
The bento boxes go for $15 nett, but these are not discounted. You get dishes such as pork ribs with mandarin orange sauce, steamed fish fillet with cordyceps flower sauce and sauteed prawn with black truffle sauce.
There is also a $15 nett dim sum bento available from 10am to 3pm daily. You can pick seven pieces from items such as steamed scallop and morel mushroom dumpling, baked honey-glazed pork bun and steamed glutinous rice with dried shrimp, chicken and mushroom.
At Crossroads, a la carte dishes available for takeaway include Assorted Seafood Char Hor Fun ($28) and Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger ($15).
WHERE: Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza, 320 Orchard Road. Go to celebratorydelights.com to order.
BURNT CHEESECAKE
Burnt cheesecake seems to be the hottest dessert at the moment, with many restaurants and bakeries adding it to their offerings the last few months.
Originating from the Basque region in Spain, the cake is baked at a high temperature so that the top gets slightly burnt and turns a dark brown, but the centre is soft.
But nobody makes it as soft as Flourice, a new brand that sells Western and Asian food items made with flour or rice such as bak chang.
Its Original Melt Burnt Cheesecake ($58) is named for the fact that its centre turns liquid at room temperature. It needs to be frozen like an ice-cream cake and cut before it melts.
It tastes best when it is half-melted. That is when you find two different textures and flavours in the same cake and both are great.
The brand also offers a Premium Mao Shan Wang Melt Burnt Cheesecake ($88). I'm not a fan, though, because the durian overwhelms the cheese.
WHERE: Flourice. To order, call 8112-1565 or e-mail order@flourice.com.sg PRICE: $58 and $88 for a 7-inch cake
