[Media Food Tasting] An Exciting New Menu At Swensen's Awaits To Delight Your Senses

Great new readers!


Swensen’s launches an exciting new menu this July, serving unique breakfast options, an extensive array of delectable main courses, and sweet treats guaranteed to delight your senses. 

When I received the media food tasting invite from the awesome people in Touch PR & Events, I immediately rsvp so that I could try the food and update everyone here.  Thanks Swensen's and Touch PR & Events for the kind invite!

As the Swensen's in ION Orchard located at unit B1-31 doesn't serve the salted egg lava rolls, I didn't have a chance to test it out but here is a photo of it.  Just looking at the photo makes me want to go Swensen's to eat this right now!

I tried the Chicken N Waffle ($13.90) as my first choice after looking at the new menu offerings.

This dish comprises of chunks of fried chicken stacked on a golden waffle, drizzled with butter lime dressing. It is also served with buttered potatoes, creamy mushrooms and cheesy sausages. 

Even though the chicken was fried, they didn't taste oily at all.  Hence the waffle which was placed at the bottom didn't become soggy even after I took some time to take some photos of the dish.  It was still crispy and went very well with the maple syrup.

I also tried the BBQ Chicken (S$15.20).  it is grilled chicken generously brushed with BBQ sauce infused with guava, served with buttery mashed potatoes and vegetable-of-the-day.  The guava balanced out the sweetness of the BBQ sauce such that one can finish the chicken without the sweet clogging taste.  The chicken thigh meat was tender so I could easily finish the whole plate.

Another hot favourite for me was the Teriyaki Salmon (S$17.90).  The Grilled salmon was topped with julienne ginger and leek and glazed with umami teriyaki sauce. At the side was mashed potatoes and vegetables-of-the-day.  The salmon was done perfection such that the meat flaked off nicely and it was soft to the bite.  The teriyaki sauce was not the usual super sweet type but instead it had different nuances of umami flavour which gave the salmon more character. 

And when you thought that a hawaiian pizza is too common, Swensen's brings it to a higher level with its Hawaiian Special (S$15.90).  Chicken ham, green peppers, pineapples, mushrooms, onions and cheese on charcoal dough crust... what more can I ask for?

Swensen's was super generous with the cheese.  Just by looking at the goofy cheese made me so happy as I am a cheese lover! 

A visit to Swensen's is definitely not completed without checking out the sundaes.  On the new menu were new creations like Yummy Sticky Coco Yam Sundae (S$11.80) and Salty Eggy Creamy Sundae (S$11.80)

It was so hard to make a choice so I decided to try both!

Coconut yam ice cream layered with fragrant Thai sticky rice, red beans, coconut bits and fresh coconut milk is perfect for people who love coconut and yam and prefer a taste which is more familiar.

Salted egg ice cream sandwiched between layers of waffle cubes, topped with salted egg pieces and butterscotch was a very innovative creation and surprisingly the salted egg ice cream tasted amazing, with the light fragrance of salted egg without being overpowering.

Besides the above dishes, Swensen's new menu also offers Seafood Arrabbiata Pasta ($16.20) made for the seafood aficionado.  I considered this dish as comfort food which will never go wrong.  The spicy tomato cream sauce might be too overwhelming for some so if you prefer something mild, you can ask the kitchen to go easy with the chilli.  Again, Swensen's is generous with the ingredients like fresh blue mussels and succulent prawns, which makes this dish value for money.

Indulge in tummy rumbling additions to the Swensen’s menu such as Pulled Chicken Salad ($12.50) for a healthier option and not forgetting the crowd pleaser Meatballs in Tomato Sauce ($9.60). 

The Swensen’s New Menu is available at all Swensen’s outlets island wide from 1st July 2016. 

Swensen’s Outlets

Ang Mo Kio Hub 53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #B1-25/26	Bedok Mall 311 New Upper Changi Road #01-77	Bugis Junction 200 Victoria Street #01-68
Bukit Panjang Plaza 1 Jelebu Road #03-04	Causeway Point 1 Woodlands Square #02-08/09	City Square Mall 180 Kitchener Road #03-37/38
Clementi Mall 3155 Commonwealth Ave West #05-31/32/33	E! Hub @ Downtown East 1 Pasir Ris Close #02-121/122	IMM 2 Jurong East Street 21 #01-111
ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn #B1-31	Junction 8 9 Bishan Place #01-39	Jurong Point 63 Jurong West Central 3 #B1-64
Marina Square 6 Raffles Boulevard #01-206/207	Nex Mall 23 Serangoon Central #02-07/08	Parkway Parade 80 Marine Parade Road #B1-33/34
Plaza Singapura 68 Orchard Road #03-23	Tampines Mall 4 Tampines Central 5 #03-30	The Seletar Mall 33 Sengkang Avenue #02-11/12
The Sun Plaza 30 Sembawang Drive #02-21/22	Thomson Plaza 301 Upper Thompson Road #03-23	Waterway Point 83 Punggol Central #02-35
West Mall 1 Bukit Batok Central Link #02-05	Compass One *NEW (Opening September 2016)	Northpoint *NEW (Opening end 2016)

24 hours Swensen's Outlet

Changi Airport Terminal 2
Mezzanine Level, Arrival Meeting Hall North

Spend time with loved ones today over a scrumptious meal in Swensen’s fun and friendly casual-dining atmosphere, with its exciting new menu offerings.

Continue reading

Swensen's

Emirates Singapore Derby 2016 Soars to Greater Heights

Emirates Singapore Derby 2016

No prizes for guessing where I was on 10 Jul 2016.  Even if I were given a choice to be somewhere else, I would still choose to go for the Emirates Singapore Derby 2016 at the Singapore Turf Club, one of the most anticipated events on the local racing calendar.  Thanks Jessie and Hong Peng for the kind invitation!

This year was very different because for the first time in Singapore Derby history, there were two public roadshows which boasted a series of fun-filled equine activities and interactive sessions with horses at lifestyle destinations over two weekends, before culminating in the running of the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby over 2,000m on turf at the Singapore Racecourse on Sunday, 10 July 2016. 

Race Excitement and Glamour Goes Hand in Hand on Derby Day

Besides being a premier racing event, Emirates Singapore Derby is also a covetable social event as well.  Here you will be able to see ladies all dressed up to the nines donning their hats and fascinators, while gentlemen wore smart looking suits.  This adds to the glamour factor to match he exhilarating action of the thoroughbreds vying for the $1.15 million prizemoney in the final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge.

Even though the dress code for ladies was 'elegant dress', I decided to be a bit different from the rest by wearing a nicely fitted bustier top with a gold belt matched with a pair of white pants.  

As for my headgear, I picked a black coloured hairband that had some ruffles at the top and a white pearl.  

Since my ensemble was all white, I chose to go with a pair of colourful heels with golden studs to add some colours to my outfit of the day.  My Hermes Birkin bag with a cute dangling accessory in a horse shape which was just apt for this occasion!

My outfit of the day

My bag of the day

Transportation was provided from the main entrance of Singapore Turf Club near the taxi stand to bring us to the Marquee located on the same level as the race track.  Thanks so much for the kind arrangement!  I doubt I could walk far in my four inch high heel shoes... hahaha!

Just look at our happy faces!  With Tony, food and lifestyle instagrammer and Leong and William, famous lifestyle influencers.

 After a short ride, we reached the Marquee, where we were greeting by a wonderful sight.  The Marquee offered such close proximity to the pulsating racing action that I couldn't wait to see the horses in action and take some instagram worthy shots.

Thanks William for taking this photo for me!  The sky looked so clear... nice weather to be out under the sun.

The Marquee in Singapore Turf Club 

When we reached the Marquee, many were already there to catch the action by purchasing the Emirates Singapore Derby Marquee Package at S$98 (early bird discount before 30 June) or S$118 (normal price) per person.

Racegoers enjoying their buffet spread while waiting for the race to begin

Leong looking intensely at the 21st Emirates Singapore Derby Official Programme booklet  

We were treated to a lavish buffet spread and free flow of beverages like wines, alcohol and soft drinks.  Lucky us!  Looking at the photos make me salivate already.

Part of the spread

One of my favourite soups... French onion soup

Japanese food was available too!

Live station for beef

The bar where drinks are concorted.

Dessert station with fresh fruits, cakes, bread pudding and ice jelly

Close up shot of the tandoori chicken

Close up shot of the rendang lamb

Seafood paste on bread

My favourite dish... cereal prawns

Broccoli with mushrooms

Sushi!

Racegoers had a chance to take part in the Emirates Prediction Contest and stand a chance to win a Chopard watch for the Emirates Singapore Derby race and an Emirates cardholder for the other races on that afternoon.

I decided to try my luck to predict the winners for the races.  Wish me luck!

Trying my luck!

Racegoers can also bet with real money at the betting counters, conveniently located inside the Marquee at both ends.

Betting counters inside the Marquee

While we were waiting for the next race to start, we enjoyed the afternoon with glasses of wines and amazing food.

A glass of wine on a well spent afternoon at the Emirates Singapore Derby

Just look at the awesome food we got to eat!

I went for two bowls of French onion soup!

Besides catching the intense racing action just steps away from the Marquee, it was great to bump into friends and other social media influencers and bloggers who were invited to the event.

Andrew Chow, a plus-one guest of a invited influencer.  We were connected via Facebook and it was great to meet in real person.

Sandwiched in between two gorgeous influencers/blogger friends, Kaiting and Claire.  Oh boy, if only I were a man that day!

Always great to hang out with them!

Special thanks to Hong Peng for his kind invite to this event.  Our birthday is just one day apart!

I have actually known Feliza for many years since 2006 where we took part in a contest together.  Great to see her again!

After taking many photos with friends, it was time to take some photos of the horses in action. I was so lucky to get a vantage position that gave me close-up views of the intense racing action just steps away from the Marquee.

 I could feel the excitement in the air as the horses appear on the tracks doing their warm up exercises.

Jockey riding the horse to the starting gate

Horses doing their warm up routines before the actual race starts

Let's ride away!

 The horses getting ready to start the race at the starting point.  Everyone was looking at the horses being moved into the starting gate, while praying for their favourite horses to win the race.

This was the first time I see the horses getting ready at the starting gate.  It was indeed an eye opener!

 The moment the gates opened, the horses galloped rapidly to reach the finishing line.  You could feel the adrenaline rush as the audience cheered for their favourite horses to win!

It was an intense competition!

May the best horse win!

The horses pulling apart in terms of positions

After watching the horses galloped to the finishing line, we went back inside the Marquee to continue our feasting and look... who was with us?

Yes, it was the exclusive Emirates Bear which was included in the Marquee Package.  An exclusive Emirates Cap was also given as a memento.

Just look at the doeful eyes of the Emirates Bear. It melted my heart when I lay my eyes on it.

Exclusive Emirates Cap and Bear

 Emirates Singapore Derby would not be completed without a photo with the two lovely Emirates flight attendants.  I love how they wore the official uniforms with pride and elegance!

I'm so much in love with their headgears!

Jessie was very busy hosting the guests and I was lucky enough to catch hold of her for a photo together.

Jessie looking splendid in her lovely dress and sparkly shoes!

As invited influencers, we were given a chance to take a tour in Singapore Turf Club to get up close and personal with the horses.  Who would miss the chance of that?  Let's go!

Walking towards the building where the masses are gathered to watch the horse racing

Open air area where people can choose to sit to watch the horses in action

 OMG... nothing beats seeing the horses this close!

Photography was allowed but no flashes should be activated so that the horses were not affected by the bright lights.

Besides the exciting pulsing racing Emirates Singapore Derby, all the influencers had a chance to win the Best Dressed E-fluencers Contest and the two best dressed E-fluencers get to bring back a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck champagne each.  

Guess what? I won this!

I didn't even pay close attention when my name was announced as I thought there were better dressed influencers.  I actually got a shock when Hong Peng announced my name, as I didn't expect it.  I guessed my partner added points to the reason why I was chosen as he was wearing a hat to match the occasion.  Thanks Tony!

Thanks Jessie and Hong Peng for choosing me as one of the winners!

The other winner, Karen, also received her bottle of champagne from Jessie.  Congrats Karen!

Karen in her lovely well matched ensemble

Now into its 21st year, the Emirates Singapore Derby ranks as Emirates’ longest- established relationship in its global sports sponsorship portfolio. The extension in Emirates' partnership with the Singapore Turf Club will also cement Emirates as the longest-standing sponsor in Singapore horse racing history.

By integrating sports and fashion with a dose of Emirates' signature hospitality, the Emirates Singapore Derby has grown to become a highly anticipated event on both the racing and social calendars. 

How often does one get to stand on the Singapore Turf Club stage?  Time to grab a photo!

One of the most memorable events for 2016!

It has proven to be yet another memorable event, both on and off the tracks.

I can't wait for next year's Emirates Singapore Derby to come!

Continue reading

sports