Chocolat N Spice’s Hummingbird and Pistachio Lover Cake – The Happiest Valentine’s Day to You All!

My first and best discovery yet of 2015, Chocolat N Spice, this morning once again surprised me with a cake still rarely found in Singapore and at an unbelievable price point. A Hummingbird Cake was the last cake on earth I expected to find at a hawker stall/ bakery in Shunfu Market. At $5 a slice or $40 for the whole cake, the discovery made my morning!

Less popular than its cousin, Red Velvet, this U.S. Southern classic consists of a banana cake fused with coconut and chunks of pineapple paired with cream cheese frosting. Wonderfully tropical and light, it’s one of my favorites that I have baked many atimes and converted many to the flavour at the same time. So far in Singapore I can only think of one other place that serves up this flavour: Cake Spade in Tanjong Pagar. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I saw this huge cake bordered with crushed walnuts priced at $5 a slice. I had to get it! Even if it meant after a huge plates of noodles and an embarrassing amount of deep-fried accompaniments.

On first bite we all squealed out “so fresh!” It really was. The clean crisp moist texture and flavours were unmistakable. Replacing the cream cheese frosting with a cost-saving airy-whipped cinnamon buttercream, thinly spread around the sponge cake and in between three layers. This could not have been more appreciated especially by my 1.5 years old nephew who would not stop picking at it. Generous chunks of pineapple found throughout and crunchy walnuts perfectly contrasted the banana sponge cake and buttercream.

Yet another wonderful find. But wait there is more. Look what I got for lunch from the same stall?!

A slice of Pistachio Lover y’all! Because it’s Valentine’s Day and this singleton needs a lover. Chocolat N Spice certainly hit a pistachio-home-run with three layers of pistachio sponge interspersed with chunks of the same nut to provide texture. To bring home the message that this was a pistachio cake, a beautiful green and thin pistachio buttercream and the best part of it all: salty pistachio crumble bordering the entire cake.

If you can finish this mammoth slice, be prepared for a pistachio-coma to hit you swiftly. I did and am now deeply worried for myself. I have better advise my parents to eschew this hawker centre for breakfast here on now if I want to save my waistline!

Before signing off, I wish you the happiest and most loving Valentine’s Day ever! ❤

Seng Kee Bak Kut Teh: Exceptional Braised Pork Knuckle!

If not for social media websites such as Burpple or Instagram, I think my life would be one boring tasteless journey. Because if not for them two, we would never have discovered some seriously sublime braised pork trotters from Seng Kee Bak Kut Teh in Chong Boon Market & Food Centre. This afternoon, my Dad needed to visit a bicycle shop nearby and our hungry selves prevented us from exploring further than the food centre just across the road. A quick Google search saw many recommendations for a particular BKT stall. Never one to resist pork, we made a beeline for it. At the stall, there was so much activity going on and the lack of menu rendered us lost. So my Dad and I stood aside to watch many bowls of Teochew-style BKT, Braised Pork Knuckle, and braised Tau Kee (beancurd skin) with salted vegetables served up; we followed suit. For $17 we got ourselves a feast!

When ordering we learned from the unbelievably kind and good-natured Uncle at the stall that we could choose between the Lean or Fatty braised pork knuckle. Thank goodness my Dad quickly said lean. If not for his health-consious self, we would have missed out on this huge piece of knuckle with the most tender meat hanging on to the bone. Plus the aromatic sauce quickly got us addicted!

When my chopsticks first pieced the leg, it met with little resistance and the meat so casually pulled apart. I was impressed right there and then! But when I bit into it, it was first-bite magic. I forgot all other pork knuckles as the deliciousness overwhelmed me.

As for the namesake-BKT itself. Not that it was bad but the broth was in desperate need of more seasoning. I like my Teochew-style BKT sneeze-inducing peppery. That, only Rong Chen in Sin Ming has achieved with aplomb so far. However the uber thick but tender small pork rib was still pretty impressive with a slight “QQ” (crunch) that could be felt on first bite. On my next visit, I will remember to throw in to the soup the little saucer of black soy sauce and red-cut chilli.

The braised Tau Kee (beancurd skin) and Salted Vegetables may have also been in a dark thick sauce but was markedly different from the Braised Pork Knuckles. ANOTHER aromatic but richer thick sauce, we liked the extra effort that went into preparing a completely different stew.

My Mum is not into BKT (I will never understand why) so she went a few stalls down and ordered an equally-highly recommended but anaemic-looking Kway Chap. For $10.50, this mammoth plate was filled with SO MANY pieces of fresh-tasting small pork intestines, firm beancurd, fishcake (yay!), pork stomach, thin strips of pork belly and…

Tongue! Oh holy pork was this pretty heavenly! YUMMMM

Seng Kee BKT surprised us in the best way possible. Good affordable food prepared with so much passion and effort. There were many big metal pots of goodness bubbling away in the little stall. This was hawker food at its finest!

Many dishes such as the large steamed fish and even the lean braised pork knuckle were sold out before 1pm so go early or be disappointed.

Chocolat N’ Spice Tarts: First Amaze Discovery of 2015

Hello friends and the happiest 2015 to you! Day three of the new year saw me accompany my parents for breakfast and swiftly ruin my traditional new year resolution: to lose weight. At Shunfu Market, a casual walk around the hawker centre led me to the display of the neatest-piped Meringues atop a tart. Famed for their muffins, I was surprised to find tart offerings at Chocolat N’ Spice. The price point of $3.50 each was too irresistible! I could not stop myself from purchasing a Lemon Meringue AND enquiring about other flavours offered. A Crème Brûlée was still being prepared in the kitchen so I milled around for a few minutes while the sugary tops were getting their torched treatment.

My parents and I were impressed by two of Chocolat N’ Spice’s tarts! We surrendered at first bite. I was seduced by the Crème Brûlée crackly caramel top contrasted beautifully with the smooth creamy filling. While Mama could not get enough of the sharp gooey lemon filling. We both agreed the sturdy buttery tart shells were simply lovely. Now we have plans to throw a party and serve up these tarts.   

Tarts that look cafe-standard but at hawker prices, what’s not to love? What a great start to 2015.