Gadget Geek – SerSiTiv.com

Here goes the GST hike as of 1st July 2007, Singaporeans now play 7% GST for things they purchase rising from the previous 5%. The great part about this is the the government is very nice to give us a “package” to cushion the “blow”. Well there is the best part about this, in order to prevent oneself from paying more then what the offset package provides you can only spend SGD$10,000 so that the SGD$200 covers your hike of 2%. Well that being said, it is good as at least I can save more and spend less. Those who are poorer and do not even get SGD$10,000 a year would definately benefit from this program and it becomes an ideal situation as the poorer would benefit from this. Yay for being poor ya?

NOT…

Why do I say this? reason being the GST only went up by 2% but vendors have already started to take advantage of this hike and make ridiculous and blatant increases in their prices. I’ll cite an example, I went to Maxwell market to have a Po Lo Bao, so prices were usually SGD$1 for the bun which I felt was just okay, I mean it’s just a bun and some char siew inside it. So I paid up and was stopped by the kind auntie who said, sorry mister the price has risen to SGD$1.40. I was taken a back and being the nice guy I paid up and then started to do some maths.

The bloody bun went up 40%! 40 freaking percent, I mean come on using the hike to create an opportunity to exploit the public. If I want to pay SGD$1.40 for a freaking bun from a hawker center I rather give it a miss and just have something else. It’s a bloody rip off if you tell me, please wake up your idea and think about it. I can get something of a even higher quality at breadtalk and still show off that I’m eating expensive bread. They should be fined for making such blatant increases!
Consumer protection is really poor in Singapore and retailers will continue to do as they please. I feel that one day I’ll be one of the poor ones in this country. Prices are just going to continue rising in this cut throat society. It will just suck and suck you dry, one day GST will go up again and it’s all right because they say so and retailers will continue to play games with the consumers. If nothing is done about “controlling” the retailers the consumers will just suffer, this is one of the perhaps many other cases I have yet to encounter.

This is probably the largest “tart” I have seen in a while, I guess to shorten the production process and save cost, some retailers have started to produce the traditional pineapple tarts within the crust, unlike the open face concept where the pineapple “sits” on top of the pastry.

These tarts are the proud production of LE CAFE CONFECTIONERY & PASTRY situated along middle road. The tarts look like golf balls, large and juicy. I would have thought that it were more crust then fillers, but I was pleasently surprised by the generous amount of pineapple within the thin crust.

The crust of the tart crumbles nicely when poped into the mouth, I find the pineapple a little too sweet for my taste, it’s also kinna smooth like Jam, I prefer those with a little bits of pineapples which release the beautiful juices when you sink your teeth into them. Overall I would say that the tarts are average, generous amount of pineapple and a great crust makes it deserve a 2nd serving.

Address:

LE CAFE CONFECTIONERY & PASTRY
264 Middle Road
Tel: 6337-2417

It’s located around Selegie area. So if you know how to find the Parklane wanton mee at Sunshine Plaza, it’s just around the corner.

U know Tur Kua or Pig Liver is something which I do not really like eating, maybe because it gives off this flour like feeling when I chew into this pig organ. Kinna makes it quite repulsive in my own opinion. Well some like it and it is suppose to be a big source of vitamins and good for you etc. But I still do not really like it, Mr Brown however has changed my views on this with a very nicely done image of a Tur Kua. Well lets just hope that a cute tee will be derrived from the art work. I also espicially enjoyed the tur kua episode and now with a cute Tur Kua as my wall paper I’m not so repulsed by it but I would still refrain from consuming it if possible.

At least now it’s too cute to it and not too disgusting to eat

Photo/Art work from MrBrown.com

But the Tur Kua plays an important role in because Sorry also must explain. Enjoy Mr.Brown’s persistently non-political podcast (6) on the Ba Chor Mee Man (Mince Pork Noodles) and Jeff Lopez as they have a conversation that revolves around the mighty Tur Kua and the shop CCTV.

I’ve created a new category for my readers, this is a food section as I recently got a camera, or should I say a better one perhaps I’ll share more eating places with all those out there, I would like to make good recommendations for fabulous eating places, if you have been to somewhere that is worth mentioning perhaps you would like to tell me about it and I would go do a little write up with pics of course about that place. So you’ll start to see more stuff in this blog about food cuase good food makes me happy and I want others to be happy too, of course dun kiasu and go snatch the place with me hor! So the current 2 I have is one Azabu Sabo (A nice new restaurant in Marina Square) and Corduroy & Finch. So lets start he ball rolling with these 2 and when I do eat I’ll blog about it! Cheers.

We had a thanksgiving dinner at Azabu Sabo, this is a nice new place at Marina Square. Well lit and nicely decorated, which gave somewhat a modern oriental feel to the place.

The shop serves Japanese food with great looking deserts that taste just as well. Quite a night of fun and getting to know people even as we tucked into the food. Taste was pretty decent and the ingredients were fresh. But as a dessert freak, or somewhat dessert freak their desserts were the stars of the show. What I really liked was a dessert that consist of red beans, mochi and green tea ice cream. All these 3 simple ingredients just blended nicely into a great dessert anyway enough chatter take a look at some pictures.

I think this would be my first food blog entry. Food is something that I really enjoy, in fact I’m quite picky when it comes to food. My enjoyment of food extends to cooking for others as well and not just eating them, the enjoyment and satisfaction derived from friends enjoying your food is priceless. Dinner was at this nice Japanese restaurant and was for my brother to celebrate his 21th birthday with his God mom. It was the usual Japanese stuff, Sashimi, Tempura and Tofu but the main difference was that the Sashimi was fresh. Sam tried something new, Sea Urchin, kinna tasted like fishy smelling egg roe or something like that. Mustard in color, and aparrantly it’s suppose to be a delicacy. Dinner was nice, but it was just the start of things to come.

The highlight of the night was actually the desserts, the initial though of the nice and delightful cocolate cakes at Coffee Club, but a nearby eatery came to mind and we headed there. The place was dimly lit and the doors were closed, a small amount of fear set in as we thought the place was closed for the night. Approaching closer to the destination, peered into the tainted glass into a cosy place where people were enjoying drinks, food and converstaion. When I first saw this place it struck me as some very expensive, only for upper class citizen place. But I was wrong, expect to pay prices closed to those you find in desert cafes all over Singapore, except this place is nicer.

The staff were nice and the place was fantastic, like a lost child who just found his way home, contentment filled even before the dessert arrived. I looked at all the cooking equiptment, spices, pasteries, wines and all things nice. Ordered some desserts, chocolate truffle special, baked apple crumble with vanilla ice cream, milk shakes and chocolate cream puff thingy. Exploring the place a little the pastry chef poped out of his kitchen, taken a back as I wondered if I explored too deep into their scantuary. He asked “Is there anything I can help you with?”. “Just looking around.” I replied, it then started a conversation of who he was and what he did there as we marveled at the stuff on sale.

The chef we spoke to served us our desserts making that warm connection always needed in the F&B industry, just a simple gesture bring the service up a long way. All I can say is that the desserts tasted heavenly and as my brother would say “tear inducing”. It’s so good that you can tear. I think we let the pictures paint the thousands of words I would like to use to discribe my experience to you. Just enjoy the photos.

Juicy tomatoes!

Look at all that cheese, think it’s for some cheese platter.

OM! Truffles, these little stuff dun come cheap, at $75/bottle

Warm berries over ice cream with delightful chocolate truffle, not to be mistaken for the truffles above.

Hot apple pie crumble, with fresh vanilla pod ice cream, heavenly! The crumbles just melts in your mouth with the ice cream and apples.

Milkshakes, 3 handsome strawberries and a pretty pink one.

Up close and personal, the strawberries that is.

This chocolate puff is filled with coffee cream with berries, the chocolate on top has a hint of whisky. The strawberry ice cream is the best, even Hagen Daz bites the dust!

PS: The strawberries are so juicy, it’s quite hard to eat without juicy strawberry goodness dripping onto your plate. It’s nice place for a date, we’ll leave it all to fate. Cause I’m not gonna tell you where, perhaps if you bring me there with some cash to spare I’ll give you a share.