Homemade Granola - Food Revolution Day

I will be talking about revolutions today. When anyone talks about revolutions these days, you think about the 'Arab Spring', or the year of Arab revolutions that began in Tunisia in December 2010 and resulted in a wave of uprisings across the Arab world. And when you actually think about it (and it's been credited in many newspapers and other media around the world), then one catalyst for this widespread revolution was the act of one man. One man, by the name of Bouazizi, who decided one day to set himself on fire to protest, not against his government - no, it was not such a noble act, but it was specially against the confiscation of his goods and the humiliation he suffered under the government officials who came around his street to harass him. This then led to widespread public anger and violence, which led to the fall of the Tunisian government. This of course spread to other countries around Tunisia, most notably that of Egypt and Libya. 

This of course brings to mind a very often quoted phrase these days, that repression is the seed of revolution. 

On this note, I want to talk about Food Revolution Day. What is it you might ask? Well, if you're an avid fan of Jamie Oliver, you will know all about his series, Food Revolution. Basically, it’s about creating a movement to educate children about food and to fight against obesity. Honestly, if you look at the food that the American school children are eating, you won’t be surprised why obesity is such a great problem there. Children there are served sodas, pizzas, huge burgers, fries, and mystery meat – basically the epitome of a great American meal. The revolution has gained momentum in many states in America, and I particularly watching the series and reading the toolkits that Jamie has provided to empower parents and children to make a change in their schools.

This brings to mind a quote by Marianne Williamson “Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one." Jamie Oliver made food education his personal revolution, and I would like to think that he has succeeded somewhat in impacting the world. Food Revolution Day is perhaps a culmination or an extension of what has been done, it goes beyond food education to school children – it is slated on 19 May 2012, and it is a day for people to recognize that we need to start thinking about where our food comes from. It is a day for parents to realize that food habits are cultivated at home, and they too have a part to play in improving the lives of both themselves and their children.

Anyhow, I’m not sure if my own consciousness about food began before or after I watched the series or heard about it, but I have been increasingly conscious of what I am eating of late. One reason is because after starting work, I’ve been eating lunch at hawker centres and elsewhere, and this, coupled with a lack of exercise, has resulted in some weight gain. What I am about to relate is probably the story of many.

Often, when I eat at hawker centres (Lau Pa Sat and Golden Shoe for example), I can’t help but feel a tad sick at the amount of oil, salt and MSG that’s going into my body. So why not eat salads you might ask? Salad shops are abundant where I work, mainly because all of us here are white collared workers, but the cost of these salads are astronomical! A bowl of bak chor mee or wanton mee will probably set me back $3 - $3.50, but salads start from at least $8! And that’s the most basic salad with NO meats! Being the cheapo that I am, I can’t help but think that for $8, I can buy buttercup, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers enough to feed my entire family of 5! Trying to eat healthy in Singapore really is expensive! And because of my work hours (I often work till 10pm), I really don’t have the time to prepare salads or other homecooked food myself. Enter my mother. Sometimes when I don’t make it back for dinner, I get my mom to pack my dinner for lunch tomorrow, so that I can not only save money, but know that I’m eating healthy home cooked food. These are the small things that I have been doing in order to have a healthier lifestyle. For those who don’t have such nice mothers like I do, don’t fret – you can make a huge batch of pasta sauce and freeze it into meal-sized portions – I do that with my Spaghetti Bolognese which I pack to the office and heat up with the microwave in the office. You can also fry rice (not so much mee hoon and kuay teow since they don’t last long) and store it in the fridge. On weekends, I bake breads or steam paus, and these are very easily stored in the fridge or freezer.

Another thing I also do is to make batches of granola which I keep in airtight containers, and this, along with the steamed paus, makes up my breakfast for the week.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been experimenting with many granola recipes, and I have come to realize that the beauty of granola is that there is no fixed recipe. Using the granola formula as your base, you can play around with as many add-ins as you want – some think that rolled oats are a must-have for granola, but I’m telling you that I’ve used rolled barley and rolled spelt and the granola tastes equally good. You can make yourself a chocolate granola, or a nutty granola, or a fruit & seed one – the world is your oyster when playing around with granola recipes! That said, I’m still working on a foolproof granola recipe that I can publish on the blog, so please be patient while I work out the kinks :]

This recipe below is the first granola recipe that I tried, and one that I didn’t tweak too much because I knew that the sweetness would be pretty much okay for me.

Granola Recipe with Molasses

Adapted from Cook with No Books who adapted it from Melissa 

240g rolled oats

1 cup assorted nuts/seeds (I used a combination of almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, millet grains and quinoa)

½ tsp sea salt  

½ tsp ground cinnamon  

50g unsulphured blackstrap molasses*
10g honey

35g unsalted butter

30g water

½ tsp vanilla extract

Optional: dried fruits such as raisins

*You can find blackstrap molasses at organic food stores – it retails for about S$5 or less per jar.

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine together the rolled oats, assorted nuts, sea salt and ground cinnamon. I am far too lazy to chop the nuts, so what I do is to take the nuts and give them a quick whirl in the food processor to get huge chunks. At the same time, I also take a quarter of the rolled oats and blend them in the processor until I get an almost fine powder. This helps to bind the rolled oats together so that you can get granola clusters.
2. In another bowl, combine the molasses, butter and water together. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, or until the butter has melted. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Then, pour in the liquid ingredients into the large mixing bowl, stirring well until every dry ingredient is slightly moistened. It will appear as if the liquid is insufficient at first, but continue mixing and it’ll be okay. Rest the mixture for a few minutes while you prepare a baking tray lined with baking liner or a non-stick liner.
4. Pour the granola mixture on to the tray and evenly distribute it. You should also try to flatten and compact it. Try to leave gaps in the layer so that you can easily turn over the granola layer for even baking later. Bake it at 150°C on the middle rack for about 20-25 minutes, or until the granola turns a dark golden brown. (The mixture is already a golden brown before baking because of the blackstrap molasses.) If you are afraid that the bottom of the layer is not evenly brown, remove the tray at about the 15-minute mark and gently fold over the layers from the gaps you have created earlier. Be careful not to break up any granola clusters.
5. Remove the tray from the oven when it is a dark golden brown and allow the granola to cool thoroughly. If you desire, stir in the dried fruits at this juncture.

Janine's jots: 

• Taste: I actually found the recipe not sweet enough, because I reduced the sugar amounts a little. I would recommend increasing the amount of honey or sugar at least 10% more. Also, if you're new to blackstrap molasses, you might wish to reduce the amount a little because the 'iron-like' taste takes some getting used to.
• Texture: In order to get clusters, one way is to grind up some of the oats so that it forms a powder to bind the other oats. I usually grind up about 50g of oats. If you want more binding powder, do add in some flax or linseeds.
• Serving size: This recipe makes approximately 500g of granola, which is sufficient for a fortnight's worth of breakfasts for a single person.  
• Modifications: I have made many more modifications to this original recipe since the first time I made it - you can change up the amounts of fruits/seeds/nuts as well as the type of rolled grain - I have used rolled spelt and barley to great success as well.
• Storage: Once thoroughly cooled, store in airtight containers in a cool and dry place. Try to consume within a month.
• Would I make this again?: Definitely!

So anyway, the purpose of this post is not to stop you from buying cornflakes or cereal (unless I figure out a way to make them myself) or even granola right this moment, but I'm reminding you to be aware. To be aware of what you're putting in your bodies, whether it be refined products or not. And if you're interested to know what Singapore is doing on 19 May 2012 for Food Revolution Day, do check out the Singapore Food Revolution Movement here!

List of Pizza Places/Pizzerias in Singapore

Back in the day when I wasn’t so enlightened as to all things pizza, I only thought a single type of pizza existed, and that type of pizza was those served by large chain stores ubiquitous with pizza. Then came the thin-crust pizzas. And after I went to Italy, I realized how diverse the pizza culture can be. I think Americans and Italians have a different attitude towards pizza – one uses the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ method, which is basically throw in as many ingredients as you possibly can, whereas the other believes in good quality, minimal ingredients. In fact, if you pick up any book on Italian pizza, you’ll realize that most of them recommend not more than 4 to 5 ingredients on the pizza, including the tomato sauce!

Speaking about American pizza, it is a misnomer in itself because as we know, there are three main types of pizza in America – the New York style ones which we are most familiar with, the California-style ones (typically with non-traditional ingredients like Thai) as well as the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. I read somewhere that the prominence of pizza in American is probably due to the fact that there was a huge influx of Italians in America, bringing along with them their staples of pizza, which attests to why pizza is so popular and why the US has developed so many different types of pizza.


Now in Italy, there are two main camps as well – the Neapolitan pizza – that with a thick cornicone (edge or lip or what we term as the crust) and thin centre, and pizza elsewhere in Italy, typically with a thin crust. Within the different regions of Italy there are differences, but I won’t go into that today. Suffice to say, one of my favorite non-Neapolitan pizzas must be the pizza Bianca and the Roman-type pizza, which is a thin, crispy pizza which we term as thin-crust pizza here.

Anyway, this list has been long in the making. As most of my friends know, I’m rather OCD and you could say that I’m an information whore. I love collecting information and I love listing and categorizing them (yes, I’m weird that way). If only you can take a look at my drafts folder as well as my document folder, you’ll realize that I have tons of lists for everything, from things to bake (down to specific categories) to ramen places to try, etc. I’m also a tad distrustful of other people’s opinions, so when people list out ‘best [insert whatever food] in Singapore’ – you can say that I am more than a little doubtful, hence the need for me to personally try and evaluate their opinion. So this is what I have done. I have alluded to this list previously, and I’m working my way down the list, little by little. Over the past 2 years especially, after I returned from Italy having eaten the best pizzas in my life, I started a search for the best pizza in Singapore. I can honestly say that I don’t believe in ‘bests’, because best is a subjective benchmark, and best could be in terms of taste, ambience, or perhaps price. So what I’ve done is to set out the places that I’ve researched on and my brief comments on each, to let you do the deciding. You might find that there’s a certain push to a few restaurants, and that might be because some aspect of the restaurant appeals to me.

You might also note that I’ve left out Italian Restaurants which may serve pizzas on the menu, instead concentrating more on pizzerias which serve mainly pizza. This is not to say that pizza is the only thing they serve, because pizzerias in Singapore typically do serve sides, pasta, and perhaps a few desserts. You might also see a few Italian restaurants in the list, but their inclusion can only mean that the pizza is darn good or something else is ;p

Finally, you’ll realize that many pizzerias I’ve listed below are closed on Mondays, which might be because many pizzerias in Italy are also closed on Mondays, so leave your pizza eating escapades for another day! I’ve listed the pizzerias based on areas in Singapore, to help those looking for dining options. So if you’re still reading, do read on for the meaty stuff! :]

PS: in coming up with this list, I referred to lists from here and here and here, as well as numerous other food blogs whose reviews enticed me in one way or another to try the pizzas for myself.

Everywhere

1. Pizza Hut

Everyone who knows pizza in Singapore will know Pizza Hut. It’s what we grew up with. The best thing about PH in my opinion is that they have really good deals (check out their offers page), and their chicken wings and garlic bread are really not bad (from what I remember)! Lately, they’ve come up with many new menu additions like pasta (which have been reviewed to death) and their lunch offers are quite value for money too!

Plus point of course is that they’re available for delivery!

Address: Check out a whole comprehensive list here

Contact: 6235 3535 (who doesn’t remember their jingle!)
Opening hours: from 11am to 10pm daily.
Website: http://www.pizzahut.com.sg/
Price: From $18 up for a regular pizza

2. Sarpino’s Pizzeria
I’ve only had Sarpino’s a few times, and mostly because my teachers ordered them in as a treat for us and maybe because each time we were so happy and hungry, Sarpino’s tasted great. The best thing about them is that they are Halal-certified (not that the others aren’t), which is really important especially if you have Muslim friends, and that they have a variety of flavors, from the common pepperoni to more exotic selections like cheese macaroni pizza and chicken pesto pizza.

They also have deals like buy one get one free, and other freebies which come along with a minimum order. Delivery is also free for orders above $20, which is basically the equivalent of ordering 2 pizzas. This is perfect for a party, where you want variety and American-style comfort food.

Address: Check out the full list here

Contact: 6262 6767
Opening hours: from 11am to 10pm daily.
Website: http://www.sarpinos.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a regular (10”) pizza.


3. Domino’s Pizza
I’m not sure if my chronology is right, but I think Domino’s appeared in Malaysia earlier than it did in Singapore, and that was where I got my first taste of it. I love the thick chewy crust of Domino’s, which is so typical of American-style pizza, particularly how not-oily their crust is, compared to their next-biggest competitor. My favorite is still the classic Pepperoni, although their chicken pizzas are pretty darn tasty too!

There’s no extra charges for delivery, and they almost always have promotions like 2 for $40 large pizzas, etc. Oh and don’t worry, they’re Halal too.

Address: Check out the full list here 
Contact: 6222 6333
Opening hours: from 1030am to 11pm daily.
Website: http://www.dominos.com.sg/
Price: $22 up for a regular (9”) pizza (without any promotion)

West
4. Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe basically means cheese and pepper pasta in Italian, which is a rather common and popular Italian dish. This one’s pretty near my place in the West, but it’s really quite ‘ulu’ if you’re not a Westie. And even so, transport to that area is not exactly the best – you can only take several buses which are headed in that direction. Walking from Bukit Batok MRT is not advisable!

For this, I can do no better than direct you to a review by none other than Dr Leslie here. Like he said, their pasta vongole is superb and their pizza chockfull of ingredients and delicious!

Address: 3 Chu Lin Road, Singapore 669890.
Contact: 6760 3534
Opening hours: Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm, Dinner 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Mondays.
Website: http://www.cacioepepe.com.sg/
Price: $20 up for a pizza.


5. Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a place in Tuscany where I hope to go one day, and similarly, this restaurant is high up on my to-eat list. Judging from reviews from here, as well as their menu (with ubiquitous and authentic Italian names for the basic pizzas), I must say I have high hopes for this place!

Address: 5B Portsdown Road, #01-03, Singapore 138311
Contact: 64799521
Opening hours:
Website: http://www.ristorante-pietrasanta.com/
Price: $16.90 for a pizza magherita and up.


6. Rocky’s Pizza
Pretty much like other American pizza companies, they serve large pizzas with a lot of ingredients. Personal favorites include the 5 top economy, which allows you to choose 5 toppings of your choice, as well as Rocky’s mountain, when you just gotta have all the meat in the world you want (they use pepperoni, ham, sausage and chicken in one single pizza). You can also order slices and quarter servings, which is a plus for smaller eaters since the smallest pizza they serve is the 12” which is rather huge. They also deliver!

Address: Block 106 Clementi Street 12 (Sunset Way) #01-60 Singapore 120106
Contact: 6468 9188 / 6344 6868
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10.30pm
Website: http://www.rockyspizza.com.sg/
Price: $16.50 up for a regular 12” pizza

Holland Village and Chip Bee Gardens

7. La Nonna
When I head down to Holland Village, this is my top choice for lunch, and one of my top few choices for dinner. La Nonna has a 50% off ala carte items for weekday lunches, which means that their $19 pizza goes for $9.50. Like WTH so cheap right?!?!!? I love love love their pizzas – so far none of them have disappointed me, and I have written a more detailed review here.

Do reserve if you don’t want to be disappointed. And if the weather’s nice, do sit outside, it makes for a good people-watching spot ;p

Address: 26 Lorong Mambong
, Holland Village and at 76 Namly Place.
Contact: +65 6468 1982
Opening hours: Everyday, 12-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm
Website: http://www.lanonna.sg/
Price: Pasta and Pizza starts at $19


8. Wala Wala Café Bar
Wala wala isn’t exactly famous for their pizza, but it’s a bar located on a corner of Holland Village. Music’s good on certain days, and they have Happy Hour daily till 9pm, which is a definite plus as beer goes super well with pizza. Their calamari rings are awesome, as is their Seafood Pizza. Their pizzas are the paper-thin type of pizzas, which some might think equals not too value for money. But beer, pizza, good music and good company, what more can you ask for?

PS: service tends to be a bit slow when the bar gets packed, so don’t go upstairs when you’re hungry and all you want is to eat because the place is packed out on popular nights and you’ll probably have to stand. Head downstairs where there are tables and you can eat in peace (without loud music if you so prefer).

Address: 31 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore 277689
Contact: 6462 4288
Opening hours: Generally from 3pm to 2am daily (varies an hour or two depending on the day)
Website: http://www.imaginings.com.sg/ (it’s a lousy company website so don’t bother)
Price: $17 up for a pizza (I think).

9. Crust Pizza
Having had a number of good pizzas in Australia, I was very glad that Crust was opening in Singapore, with two outlets too! I haven’t been down myself to a local branch, but if the pizzas here in Singapore are as good as the ones in Australia, then they are not bad at all! Crust’s trademark is probably the rectangular size of their pizza, plus the fact that they have 10 different types of pizza sauce bases to go along with a million other varieties of toppings. You can have a whole-sized pizza, or you can go with a half-and-half, which is probably the best if you're just two people trying out one pizza. They deliver with a minimum order of $20! And if I'm not wrong, you can ask for a gluten-free option as well!

Address: 34B Lorong Mambong Singapore 27769 and 21R Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349
Contact: 64672224 (Holland Village) or 6456 1555 (Upper Thomson)
Opening hours: Check out the details here
Website: http://www.crustpizza.com.sg/
Price: $23 up for a 13”x8” pizza


10. Da Paolo Pizza Bar
Da Paolo is a rather big chain of Italian restaurants in Singapore – does Da Paolo Gastronomia sound familiar? It’s a deli selling takeaway pasta as well as an assortment of wine, and other gourmet items. Their pizza bar is located in Chip Bee Gardens, next to their restaurant and pastry shop. They have the buffalo mozzarella pizza, as well as a number of typical dolci (desserts) which go down perfect. Their pizzas are all thin-crusted – do check out these reviews for more information!

Address: 44 Jalan Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens, #01-46, Singapore 278116
Contact: 6479 6059
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Fridays from 11am – 2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm, open from 9am -12pm on weekends. Closed on Mondays.
Website: http://www.dapaolo.com.sg/index.php
Price: $17 up for a margherita.

11. Pizza Bar da Donato
They serve the pizzas by the squares, as well as calzones and other flatbreads. Their pizza is a cross between the thick Napoli type crust and the American pizza crusts and is rather ‘bready’. However, their sauces and toppings are pretty good, and they have a wide variety of them. My impression of it remains pretty good, even though the last time I ate it was probably 2-3 years ago, and I was ravenous then. The full scale restaurant at Ghim Moh also sells pasta, and other desserts. See here for a dated review.

Address: Block 21, Ghim Moh Road, #01-213.
Contact: 6219 7562/6462 0838/6465 1338
Opening hours: 10.30am to 11pm, Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays.
Website: none
Price: $6 up per slice

They also have a ‘taglio’ or hole in the wall, at 8 Sixth Avenue, Singapore 276473 selling slices of pizzas.

Central

Around Bukit Timah

12. A3 Bistro & Bar

Located next to Bar Bar (this pub selling pretty good beers and burgers, etc.), this is a relatively new place around the area. There is a laidback, casual vibe to the place, and they sell pizzas, as well as pasta and other mains like seafood and other meats. Their Spinach Pizza is pretty unique – it is not vegetarian and contains sautéed spinach along with salami and egg together with the usual tomato and cheese toppings. They also run happy hour promotion for their beers, which is lovely when eaten with their pizza.

Address: 881 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 279893

Contact: 6466 4130

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday: 1130am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10.30pm;
Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10am – 10.30pm.
Closed on Mondays.

Website: None

Price: $10-15

13. Peperoni Pizzeria
This is the type of pizzeria you’d want to go to with your family or with a large group of friends. The sole reason being the large pizza is HUGE – and really value for money if you share the cost between say, 8 friends. This pizzeria is casual, and has no GST or service charge, which is great, because it's an ideal hangout for students studying in the area, especially the Binjai Park branch.

Address: 7 Binjai Park, Singapore 589821 and 6 Greenwood Avenue 289195 (behind NJC) and 95 Frankel Avenue, Singapore 458221
Contact: 6463 7800, 6465 6556
Opening hours: Mondays to Sundays, 11am to 10.30pm
Website: http://www.facebook.com/peperonipizzeria
Price: $19 for a 9" pizza and $50 for a XXL 21" pizza!

14. Sole Pomodoro Pizzeria
Located near Little India, this pizzeria is one of my favorites! I love the atmosphere there, and their pizzas are certaintly one of the  best I've eaten in Singapore. Read more about Sole Pomodoro from my review here.

Address: 12/21 Mackenzie Road #01-01, Singapore 228678
Contact: 68843671
Opening hours: Opens 12pm till 11pm (Closed on Mondays)
Website: http://www.solepomodoro.com/
Price: $15.90 and up for a Margherita


15. Oishi Pizza
I’ve always believed that Japanese people excel at whatever they set their mind to – L’Operetta is an example of the Japanese excelling and same with Japanese patissiers with French pastries. Oishi pizzas have lots of Japanese choices, such as Teriyaki Delight and Unagi and Wasabi flavor combinations. They also do free home delivery for a purchase of $25 and up, which is essentially two large pizzas. Pretty decent prices for unique pizzas :]

Address: 10 Jalan Serene #02-12 Serene Centre
Contact: 6555 5656
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am to 8pm
Website: http://www.oishipizza.com/

Price: $15.90 for a 10" pizza.

Town

16. Tomato's Pizza
I've never eaten from Tomato's, even though I always smell it when I'm inside Cold Storage at Great World City. They have quite a variety of pizzas, and honestly, they smell very very good, and I've seen a great number of expatriates purchasing from them before. They deliver for free upon purchase of $40 and you can even design your own Neapolitan pizza!

Address: 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Great World City Mall, #B1-18/19, Singapore 237994
Contact: 6733 9719/ 6733 9729
Opening hours: Everyday, 10am-10pm
Website: http://www.tomatos.com.sg/index.html
Price: $22 up for a regular 12" pizza


17. Modesto's

I have only eaten once at Modesto's, on the terrace, and that was a long long time ago, before they revamped the entire place. So I honestly have no vivid memories of Modesto's. The restaurant at Orchard is their flagship and they have a huge branch over at Vivo. Do check out this review if you're interested. They have pretty good offers for lunch so it's a good time to try them during lunch! The foccaccia bread is not bad!

Address: 1 Tanglin Road #01-09/10 Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore 247905. Also at Vivo and Mt. Elizabeth.

Contact: 6235 7808
Opening hours: Daily, 12pm till past midnight.
Website: http://www.modestos.com.sg/
Price: $18.50 for a regular Margherita

18. California Pizza Kitchen
Conveniently located in Orchard road, California Pizza Kitchen is a good place to go for American style thick crust pizzas. Check out Brad's review here. Having tried California Pizza Kitchen in other countries, I'm not too impressed with it, so I haven't bothered trying the one in Singapore. That said, it is perhaps one of the few pizza choices in Orchard belt (closer to the start of Orchard Road and Tanglin) when you have a craving for Italian food and pasta.

Address: 583 Orchard Road #01-42
Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore, 238884
Contact: 6836 0110
Opening hours: Daily, 11.30am to 11.30pm
Website: http://www.cpk.com/locations/singapore-forum/
Price: $20 odd for a regular pizza


19. Skinny Pizza
I am not a fan of skinny thin pizzas, so I haven't had the impetus to want to visit. Nevertheless, they do have some unique flavours like squid ink, english breakfast and truffled mushroom which looks quite promising! Check out these reviews for more!

Address: At Wheelock, House, Raffles City and Great World City
Contact: Check here
Opening hours: Generally from 11 pm to 10pm, although the House outlet opens to midnight.
Website: http://www.skinnypizza.com.sg/
Price: Pizzas start from $21


20. The Pizza Place
This little pizzeria might get overlooked by most because it’s tucked in a little corner in Raffles City, slightly behind Skinny Pizza. If memory serves me right, they used to have a prominent place in the basement of Raffles City, prior to the extension renovation a few years ago. I still remember my high school friends and I would make that trip down to enjoy their pepperoni, sausage and BBQ flavored pizzas, which (at that time) used really good gourmet pepperoni and awesome sauces. They serve the typical American thick-crusted pizza with the usual sides like hot wings, chips, etc. I just went back recently to relieve old memories and either standards have dropped or my tastes have elevated. Their pizzas are so-so, but really, nothing much to write home about. It's pretty pricey (about $15 and above) for a decently-topped pizza and it's probably just enough to serve two not-so-ravenous people. Service is pretty quick, but seatings limited and you can’t really have a private conversation because tables are located very close to one another.

Good thing is of course, that this place has no GST and no service charge. This means what you see is what you get :] And for Muslim readers, they don't use pork or lard in their pizzas, so this could be a suitable place to head to.

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre, B1-16, Singapore 179103
Contact: 6336 1979
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm daily
Website: None
Price: around $15 for a personal sized pizza


21. OChre Italian Restaurant

I have been eyeing this place for a long long time now, because of reviews by Charlene and Brad among others, but have yet to find the company and time to head down for a pizza buffet. Rest assured this is on my to-do list this year! This is not exactly a pizzeria but more of an Italian Restaurant which happens to have a pizza buffet and good Italian food. They have a 1-for-1 promotion on weekdays and there's no service charge too!

Address: 181 Orchard Road, #11-03/04 Orchard Central
Contact: 6634 0423
Opening hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11pm, daily.
Website: http://www.ochreitalian.com.sg/
Price: $16 up for a margherita


Beyond Dhoby Ghaut


22. Timbre pizza
Many university students (especially those from SMU) are no stranger to Timbre. What other place can you go for good music and good food? I've to say again that I'm not a fan of paper thin pizzas, but Timbre's pizzas are really not bad. I've probably tried almost all their pizzas - but roasted duck and the shrimp/seafood pizza is especially nice. And don't forget to order fries and calamari rings on the side too :]

Address: Timbre@ Art House, @ substation, @ old school
Contact: 6336 3386, 6338 8030, 6338 0800
Opening hours: from 8pm till late.
Website: http://www.timbregroup.asia/timbresg/main.asp
Price: $18 up for a pizza

23. Gattopardo
Not exactly a pizzeria again, but Gattopardo is one of the restaurants under the Garibaldi group of restaurants in Singapore, and is one of the more upscale Italian restaurants in Singapore which serve good Italian fare and offer good service. In fact, this is one of my online foodie friend, Jacob's favorite place! I've only been there during Restaurant Week, so my experience probably isn't the most accurate since they serve a fixed menu. But suffice to say, their pasta is homemade, their pizza is thick and doughy, their olive oil is pure and yummy and prices are not too exorbitant! Plus a free flow of yummy homemade bread is a definite plus! :] The only drawback in my opinion, is that it's not readily accessible by public transport and you'll have to drive up to Fort Canning Park to enjoy Gattopardo. That said, it means that your dining experience will be all the more unique and quiet!

Address: Hotel Fort Canning, 11 Canning Walk
Contact: 6338 5498
Opening hours: Daily,12pm–3pm, 6.30pm–10.30pm
Website: http://www.gattopardo.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a pizza

24. Pizza Memoirs
You would probably have walked past this place if you love soaking up the nightlife over at Clarke Quay. I've seen the place, but have yet to eat there - I've seen a number of reviews and the squid ink dough looks especially enticing! You can check out a review here!

Address: 18 Mohamed Sultan Road, The Foundry, Singapore 238967
Contact: 6733 3102
Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays, 11am - 11pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 11am - 2am
Website: http://www.pizzamemoirs.com.sg
Price: From $15 for a 9" pizza

25. Verve Pizza 

What’s superb about Verve is that it is for the health conscious too! Their senza pizzas are all less than 500 calories, but ingredients are still plentiful! They serve a thin-crusted, Neapolitan pizza (but minus the thick crust).

The branch at Clarke Quay opens till 4am on certain weekdays, and is a superb place if you want to indulge in some gelato and pizza in between drinking and partying.

Address: at Clarke Quay, Marina Bay and one-north

Contact: see website for details.

Opening hours: Opening times vary between outlets. The Clarke Quay and Marina Bay branches open till late (after 2am).

Website: http://verve.sg/index.php/pizza/

Price: $27 up.

26. Spizza
Spizza has one of the largest varieties of pizzas - their list starts from A and ends at X! They have pretty good lunchtime and outlet promotions which vary from month to month, and they also have new pizzas out every month or so. January's special was a 'kung pao chicken with dried chilli and cashew nuts' tomato based pizza for the festive new year :] You can also check out a 2011 review here.

Address: Outlets at Club Street, East Coast, Bukit Timah and Jalan Kayu. Takeaway at Havelock Road and Pandan Loop
Contact: See here for respective contacts. Call 6377 7773 for delivery!
Opening hours: 12pm -2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.spizza.sg/
Price: 12" pizza starts from $19


27. Pizzeria Mozza
This is actually number one on my to-go-to list at the moment, but I’m still waiting for that special occasion to go down and have a complete meal with buccati mozzarella and proper pizza. Hopefully, I won’t be disappointed. Do stay tuned for a write up!
In between writing this and posting this, I managed to find that special occasion to head down and have a good meal at Mozza. Sadly enough, I wasn't too impressed with their pizzas. Admittedly, their mozzarella used was good, but the tomato sauce was just meh and truth to be told, I much prefer the neapolitan-style crust than the NY style that ... makes. However, the crostinis? I had for pre-dinner was definitely delicious, and with the barest of seasoning and herbs, they were exquisite. The meatballs also saved the day.

Address: Marina Bay Sands, #B1-42-46, 2 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018972
Contact: 66888522
Opening hours: Open for lunch on Fri and Sat, Open for dinner daily
Website: http://www.pizzeriamozza.com/singapore/dinner.cfm
Price: $16 up for the cheapest pizza.


28. South Coast Bistro and Bar
This is yet another place on my to-go-to list, so I can do no better than refer you to one of my favorite food blogs – Camemberu, who has done a wonderful review on it. I love how laidback and casual the interior looks, and I’m quite eager to try out their tasting plates which all come with their homemade sourdough bread! Do check out their website – it looks awesome and so Aussie!

Address: 10 Bayfront Ave
#L1-85 The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018956
Contact: 6688 7600
Opening hours: 8am to 1am, daily.
Website: http://www.southcoast.com.sg/index.htm
Price: $22 up for the basic pepperoni.

Tanjong Pagar area

29. Pizzeria L'Operetta
Ever since I found out that they were Singapore’s first and perhaps only VPN-certified pizza, I’ve been dying to get there. And I did. I went to the ICON village branch on a weekend and tried the Pizza Bianca (which was superb) and the margherita, and I’ve to say that although the crust won me over, their tomato sauce didn’t. I found it too sour and lacking in the typical tomato ‘smoothness’, but everything else hit the spot. They also have pretty good lunch promotions (1-for-1 = cheap pizza!) and pizzas get served within minutes because of the requirement that VPN pizzas can only take 90 seconds in the oven! (of course you have to include time for the chef to actually roll out and top the pizza). Their express lunch sets are really cheap too, at $20++ for a salad, pizza and drink :] Do check out my more detailed review here!

Address: 12 Gopeng Street, ICON Village, #01-78-81 (nearest MRT is Tanjong Pagar).
Contact: 64382482
Opening hours: Open for lunch and dinner daily
Website: http://www.operetta.sg/
Price: $18 up for a Magherita

Also fully owned by them, the Enoteca L’Operetta is a full-scale Italian restaurant at 78, 79 Boat Quay Singapore 049866, selling main courses, etc, as well as a smaller range of pizzas.

30. Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Opened by Sicilians, the Etna has a typical Italian feel to the place, albeit more high class (the usual checkered tablecloth is slightly hidden by the white layered on top of it). They serve baskets of warm bread, which you can order for $4-$9, and it’s a delight to have! They sell Pizza Biancas (mozzarella-based pizzas) and the usual tomato based pizzas, and they are pretty well known for their white pizzas. Also interesting is the prominent use of pistachios in many of the dishes – on the pizza, in their famous pistachio tiramisu, etc. This is no surprise of course, since Sicilian pistachios are perhaps one of the yummiest pistachios you can have!

Do note that the Etna that was listed as one of the Top 10 pizzerias in Singapore in the Epicure magazine is the outlet at Duxton and not the one in Siglap, because I’ve read that there are some variations in quality of the pizza.

Address: 49/50 Duxton Road and 110 Upper East Coast Road
Contact: 6220 5513/6444 9530
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm–2.30pm, 6.30pm–10:30pm
Website: http://www.sicilia-mia.com/
Price: $18 for the cheapest pizza.


31. Mont Calzone Pizza & Pasta
Catering mainly to the office crowd, Mont Calzone is a pretty decent place to have your pizza and pasta – they sell basic pastas at $13.90, with a choice of spaghetti, linguine or penne. You can add $3 if you want the more exotic ravioli or tortellini. They also have a huge variety of thin-crust pizzas, and you can make all pizzas into calzones or if you wish, make a 2-in-1 pizza just by adding $3. They probably have more than 20 pizza selections, but my advice is to stick to the more basic ones because at $15.90 for a black truffle pizza, the black truffle didn’t taste that good, whereas the basic Hawaiian pizza was loaded with ingredients. Their salmon and parma ham pizzas are not bad though!

Address: 38 Pekin Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048768
Contact: 6557 2304
Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 11.30am – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm; Saturdays from 5.30pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sundays.
Website: http://www.montcalzone.com/
Price: From $15.90 for a 8” pizza.

32. Da Mario Pizzeria
I’ve read so many good reviews about this place, which makes me sad to give it a lousy review. The 2 pizzas I ordered, a Funghi and the Bianca pizza were honestly, quite bad. My siblings who were dining with me agreed – in fact, Domino’s tasted much better. The tomato paste was bland, and the mushrooms were the tinned types. Pizza Bianca should have good quality cheese topped, and this was just plain. I honestly had to use Tabasco sauce to make the pizza a semblance of tasty. I had high expectations for this place, which makes me doubly disappointed really.

Address: 60 Robertson Quay #01-05/06, The Quayside, Singapore 238252
Contact: 62357623
Opening hours: 12pm-3pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays, closed on Sundays.
Website: www.damariopizzeria.com/
Price: from $9 for a pizza Bianca and $14 for a margherita.


33. Bella Pizza
If you head down to Robertson Quay, don't get confused if you see two outlets, one called Bella Pasta and the other, Bella Pizza along one stretch of shops. Both are essentially the same and serve essentially the same things. Do head to Bella Pizza for the greatest variety of pizza though. Word of warning - Bella Pizza is usually very very packed during the weekends, so please make a reservation before heading down or you'll have to wait more than an hour to get seated :/ You can also state if you want an inside or outside seat when reserving - the outside's good if it's late at night and the sky is clear - the river breeze would be lovely. If not, book an inside seat with air-con! ;p

Do check out my more detailed review here  - this is the second of my favorite pizza places in Singapore with good delicious pizzas and good atmosphere.

Address: 30 Robertson Quay #01-14,
Riverside View, Singapore
Contact: 6734 0139
Opening hours: Closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Friday: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6pm to 11pm;
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday: 11.30am to 11.30pm

Website: www.bellapizza.com.sg/
Price: $18 up for a margherita.


34. Boston Pizza Company
Again, typical American-type pizzas, but they also offer other things like clam chowder and pasta, which is not too bad. They cater mostly to the office crowd in the area, and the best thing about their pizzas is that they have a rather wide variety of pizzas which are vegetarian.

Address: 5 Boon Tat Street , Singapore 069613
Contact: 6219 9219
Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 1030am to 1030pm. Closed on Sundays.
Website: http://www.pizza.com.sg/
Price: $18.80 up for a 12” regular pizza

35. Extra Virgin Pizza

This is a pretty new place, and I first got to read about it from Justin's blog. The pizzas are pretty good - I didn't have a chance to try the pistachio pizza since my dining partners didn't want them - but we went with Margherita with the mozzarella di buffala and the meatball pizza. I love the high seats and if you get there after 7pm, the breeze is awesome. They have very good service too - after we were seated and the staff saw that we each carried handbags, they promptly offered us bag hooks! +1 for good service!

The pizzas are very somewhat of a cross between Neapolitan and Roman styles - not too thin crust and not too thick either. I love the large cornicones though - the blisters on the pizza prove that they are done in a wood fired oven :] The mozzarella was not the most tasty I've eaten, but I've gotta say that the tomato paste that they use is pretty good - not too sweet and not too sour! And if you get there between 5-8pm, there's Happy Hour! They have Kirin beer which is pretty good with the pizza :] I can honestly say that this ranks among my top 5 favorites!!

Address: 8 Marina View, #01-04, Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Contact: 6247 5757

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 7.30am - 11pm

Website: http://www.extravirginpizza.com/

Price: $18 up for a margherita

North

36. Buono Pizza
I’m not exactly sure if this place is still there but from what I’ve searched on the internet, this place sells good pizza and is a quaint little restaurant.

Address: Serangoon Garden Estate, 27 Lichfield Road
Contact: 6733 5646
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm–2pm, 6pm–10pm
Website: None.

PS: As you can guess, I don't really travel to the North that much, so my list of pizza places there are considerably limited. Do let me know if there's any nice pizza places there you wish to include in this list!

East

37. 12-inch Pizza and Records

Yet another venture by the Timbre Group, you can expect pizzas of the same quality over at 12-inch. I've again only read reviews - especially Justin's review and it does look pretty good! Like the namesake, it sells 12 inch pizzas named after song titles and group names. Some names include "Goodfellas" (which probably only locals will know) and The Cranbellies (presumably after The Cranberries). Some pizzas I've my eye on is the pear and gorgonzola as well as the black pepper crab. Even their  menu is a 12-inch record! This is definitely something I'm KIVing when I'm in the vicinity!

Address: 70 Jellicoe Road, V Hotel, Level 4 (near Lavender MRT)

Contact: 6296 1622 or 6352 6266 (delivery)
Opening hours: Daily: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm.
Website: www.facebook.com/12inchPizzas
Price: $22 up for a pizza

38. Bruno’s Pizzeria & Grill
I’m not really an ‘eastie’, so what I’ve tried in the East of Singapore is really limited. Do check out reviews from here and here and here! All of them have favourable reviews of the place!

Address: 338 Tanjong Katong Road
Contact: 6440 4525
Opening hours: Tues to Sun: 12 noon – 2.30pm, 6 pm – 10.30 pm
Website: None
Price: $18 up


39. Al Forno
I know this isn’t exactly a pizzeria but more of an Italian restaurant but it is a restaurant opened by Napolis and I thought it was worth highlighting. For those staying in the East, they do free delivery for orders above $40, which is pretty good if you’re too lazy to get out of the house and you want a proper, delicious Italian meal with primo plat and carne, etc.

Oh and pizza’s good too!

Address: 400 East Coast Road Singapore 428996
Contact: 6348 8781, delivery hotline 63488861
Opening hours: 12pm-2pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.alfornoeastcoast.com.sg/
Price: $20 up for a margherita


40. Pizza Capers
For the rare few people in Singapore who are gluten-free – pizza capers is where you want to have your pizza from! They not only have kid sized pizzas, they also have gluten free 10” pizzas, which cost a slight fraction more than the large 12”. FYI, their kid sized gluten free pizzas only cost $7.95! What’s more, they do delivery (though to a limited area) as well, which is perfect for parties. They also have a great variety of pizzas, as well as pasta and risotto!

Address: 226 East Coast Road Singapore 428923
Contact: 62626262
Opening hours: 10.30am to 10.30pm daily.
Website: http://www.pizzacapers.com.sg/store-location.aspx
Price: $16.95 up for a regular 9” pizza.


41. Pizza Goemon (Yomenya Goemon)
This is yet another Japanese pizza place - what is it about Japanese and pizzas in Singapore? Anyway, I've only seen this and have only tried their pasta menu, which is pretty good and value for money btw. They also have pretty good set deals for lunch at not-too-exorbitant prices!

Address: 112@Katong and Changi City Point.
Contact: 6636 3692 (Katong)
Opening hours: 11.30am - 9.30pm daily
Website: http://www.n-rs.com.sg/
Price: $15 up for a pizza

And that ends off my list of pizza places and pizzerias! Do let me know if you check out any of them and have anything to say about them, especially those places which I've not been to because I would love to hear reviews on them for me to better decide which to head to first :]

Pizzas in Singapore #2: La Nonna

This is yet another long overdue post. Like I mentioned earlier, I was on a hunt for good pizzas in Singapore, and one of the first places I stumbled upon was this place recommended by Brad, called La Nonna, which according to him, had the best lunch promotion in Singapore. The best thing was, it was located in Holland Village, which is relatively near to where I live. Since then, I've visited La Nonna more than 3 times, mostly during the lunch period (so that I can take advantage of the $10 pizzas!) and for their lovely balsamic vinegar. 

Being the bad food blogger that I am, I only had my camera on one of the occasions that I went, so I only have two pictures. I realized that I'm really quite bad at this restaurant blogging thing, because I believe in eating my food hot, so once the food lands on my table, I just go 'snap' once or twice before digging in. This is why I admire those food bloggers who make the effort to lug around their huge-ass cameras to restaurants and to take proper good shots of the food so that they can entice others to go. 

Alright, the best thing about the promotion is that all pizzas and pastas are 50% off. This 50% actually applies to anything on their ala carte menu and they also have 3-course meal offers for about $22/++, which includes complimentary tea or coffee too. This might not sound impressive, but let me tell you that their pizzas are generally $19 and pastas around the same. This means that after 50%, pizzas are super duper cheap, about $10 or so! Plus the fact that they also serve complimentary bread with the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar - this place is really a steal! (Gosh I'm using so many exclamation marks!) And if you're a typical girl eater, you probably can't finish one of these pizzas yourself, so if say you stick to plain water and order a pizza, pasta and dessert for 2 to share, it'll be definitely less than $20 per person after taxes. 

La Nonna signature pizza

Only caution though - this lunch promotion is an open secret, so La Nonna is really quite packed for lunch, especially because they don't sit too many people on the inside. There are a couple of tables outside, but unless it's a cool day, I won't advise sitting outside. Good thing is that they accept reservations, even during lunch :] So do try to make reservations if you don't wanna wait! You can also access their website to make an online reservation - it is an instant reservation system, so it's akin to calling in if you can't call ;p

The pictures of the pizzas you see are both $19 before discount, which amounts to $9.95 after discount, before taxes. If you're unsure what to order (they have a few pages worth of pizza and pasta choices), you might want to try the La Nonna signature pizza. It's a tomato based pizza, topped with Mozzarella, Parmesan, Asparagus, Egg and Black truffle. Best thing is, they are really generous with their truffle and parmesan, and if you think you need more parmesan, just ask them for more parmesan - they will provide you with the freshly grated stuff, and not those packaged parmesan you get at plebeian places, heh.

My friends and I love salty food to bits, so the other pizza we ordered was the Caprino, which was also tomato based, but had mozzarella, goat's cheese, pancetta and rucola salad. In this pizza, the goat's cheese and rucola takes the limelight, as the goat's cheese they use is pretty mature, and tastes rather tart (or what Singaporeans might terms as 'sour'). Just a tip I picked up in Italy - you can combine an equal part of balsamic vinegar together with the olive oil (that they provide for every table), and use your fork to mix them together, then drizzle over your rucola. The sweetness of the balsamic vinaigrette goes perfectly with the rucola and goat's cheese :] This is not a pizza I'd recommend for anyone who doesn't like the taste of strong cheese. But if you are a lover of strong cheese - ORDER THIS!

Caprino pizza

We also ordered their Linguini ($19), which was served with crab meat in a tomato cream sauce and fresh basil, and again, they were really generous with the crab meat. I also loved the tomato cream sauce, which was a lovely orange color. On other occasions, I have ordered their Spaghetti ($19) and Capellini ($20), which were in mixed seafood cooked in aglio olio style and scallops in fresh tomato sauce respectively - I didn't like the spaghetti too much because I tend to prefer seafood in a cream-based sauce and I found the spaghetti a little dry (not enough olive oil used). The Capellini was perfect, as once again, they were very generous with the scallops. 

I've never ordered any of their secondi (main courses), so I'm not sure how those fare, but as for other pizzas, I have had their Diavola ($19), which is a tomato-based pizza with mozzarella and spicy italian calabrese salami. I found this pizza quite plain - because there just wasn't enough mozzarella, and overly oily, because the salami oozed too much oil after being baked. I had to use the paper towel to soak up the excess oil before I was willing to eat it, although my bf had no issues with the pizza. I did however, like the spiciness of the salami, which was an interesting change from the normal run-of-the-mill salami.  

And I've probably ordered La Nonna and Caprino like a couple of times after that first, and these are probably my two favorite pizzas out of the lot :]

So if it's lunch and you're thinking of pizza, don't order Pizza Hut or Dominoes or Sarpino's, give La Nonna a try and you won't be disappointed! It's cheaper too (after the discount)! FYI though, the pizzas are the thin-crust Italian type of pizzas, and not the American thick-crust pizzas. 

Details
La Nonna
Address: 26/26B Lorong Mambong
 Holland Village, Singapore 227685
Contact: +65 6468 1982
Opening hours: Everyday, 12-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm
Website: http://www.lanonna.sg/
Price: Pasta and Pizza starts at $19

They have another outlet at 76 Namly Place.

Price Comparison of [some] Baking Ingredients in Baking Supplies Shops across Singapore

When I first posted THIS list of baking supplies stores in Singapore, I never imagined that it would be one of the most popular posts on this blog. I'm happy that it is, because it means that my list is of use to other people who may be on the search of certain baking products/goods/ingredients in certain places. Do check out the updated list - I've updated it with some additional places, as well as included the opening hours of all the places. 

Just a tiny grouse - I've seen some similar lists on other blogs (who I shall not name) who have posted similar lists - while I understand that there are only that many places in Singapore selling baking ingredients, and that such information is easily available on the www, time and effort was spent to collate the list, so it would be highly appreciated if credit is given where it is due. 

Okay, gripes aside, I thought that the list should be supplemented with additional information which I personally find helpful - mainly price comparisons for a few common ingredients. As I've said before - I'm a very 'cheapo' person - I like to think of myself as thrifty though. I like to survey prices and I like to think about buying something for some time before actually buying (though I give in to impulse buys more often than not). I have this tiny note in my phone which records the prices of certain ingredients in certain places, so that I know how much it is and if it really is on promotion (some stores have this gimmick of putting an item on offer when really it is the same price :/ ).

So for this list, I decided to use ingredients that I usually purchase, which actually are ingredients that most recipes will require - butter, other dairy products, cocoa powder and chocolate. Flour, sugar and eggs are the other typical contenders, but since these are largely the same everywhere, I've left them out. I've also included almonds and baking mats in the comparison below, just for fun and because I thought it might be useful to others as well. I still remember back when I first started baking (late last year), I spent so much time visiting each and every shop, surveying prices and jotting them down in my phone. These prices are updated as of October 2011, and should be the prices you'll see when you visit the stores yourself. 

These are the lucky seven ingredients I've decided to start with, but I'll probably list more as time goes on. I already have a number of other information in mind to post and share with you guys.

Again, please note that I am not paid by any of the shops below to do any (secret/stealth) promotion or advertisement, and these prices are the result of an extensive market survey conducted over months after my numerous visits to these places to hunt for the best prices and ingredients. 

***

Valrhona chocolate 

Some might wonder, what on earth is this Valrhona which bloggers rave about now and then? Well, it actually used to be a small chocolate producing company in the Lyon area of France, but since then, they have grown to become one of the leading producers of chocolate in the world. Renowned pastry chefs and chocolatiers from around the world use Valrhona (which is the result of pretty good marketing in my opinion) and they also sponsor many chocolate competitions around the world.

I especially remember an episode of Adriano Zumbo's short documentary where he says that he went to the factory in France to specially make his own chocolate [ETA: it appears that I must have remembered wrongly, because I read that he is loyal to Cacao Barry.] (by that he means choosing where the chocolate comes from as well as the % of chocolate and type of bean). For those still in the dark, chocolate, like vanilla pods, is highly affected by where it is being grown - so a Criollo cocoa bean grown in Tanzania compared with another grown in Madagascar might produce chocolate with different 'notes' and aromatics. How cool huh! This is especially evident if you taste-test the chocolate all at the same time. I did it with a few chocolates and oh my, in some chocolates you can even taste honey! My pastry god, Pierre Herme also swears by Valrhona of course :p

The next question that comes to mind now is, where can I get this widely raved about chocolate? Well, I believe the below is a comprehensive list of shops which sell Valrhona in Singapore.

Prices for Valrhona cocoa powder:

• BIY - $39.80 for 1kg (no smaller quantities)
• Kitchen Capers - $4.20 for 80g, $34 for 1kg
• Shermay's Cooking School - $9.95 for 200g, $18.90 for 400g (but they frequently have 20% off)
• Sun Lik - $8.50 for 250g, $16 for 500g 
• ToTT (under Euraco Fine Foods Store) - $90 for 3kg (no smaller quantities)

Please note that I'm not paid by any of the stores I've listed above (I wish!), but as you can see, Sun Lik sells Valrhona cocoa powder for the cheapest if you are buying in small quantities. So now you know where to get your Valrhona fix in Singapore! This is of course, subject to many other factors, like where on the island you live and how convenient it is for you to get to these places. Only Kitchen Capers is located in the East, BIY and ToTT are both located along Bukit Timah (but at least a 10 minute car-ride apart), Shermay is in Chip Bee Gardens, which is opposite Holland Village, and Sun Lik is opposite Raffles hotel, near Bras Brasah. Btw, nowhere in Johor is it being sold (trust me I've checked). 

When reading recipes, you might also encounter the phrase "dutch-processed cocoa powder" and wonder what in the world is it? Well, David Lebovitz has a really good FAQ - simply put, dutch-processed cocoa powder is less acidic. It is also known as an alkalized unsweetened cocoa powder, and since it's neutral, you'll need to use it alongside baking powder. Brands of natural cocoa powder include Nestle and Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and most other American brands of cocoa powder. Most European cocoa powders are Dutch-processed, so Valrhona and the rest I've listed below are usually Dutch-processed. Just keep a lookout for the words "natural" on the packaging - if it is natural, it's not dutch-processed, and vice-versa. Joy of Cooking provides a substitution between dutch-processed and natural cocoa but I haven't tried it out myself.

The below list is an almost comprehensive list of the types of cocoa powder available in Singapore. You will notice that like Valrhona, the Belgian cocoa powders cost quite a bit too - remember: you get what you pay for!

Other types of cocoa powder available in Singapore

1. Brandless cocoa powder (from Malaysia)
• Phoon Huat - $4.10 for 250g
• Sun Lik - $1.50 for 100g, $5.50 for 500g, $10.50 for 1kg
2. Van Houten cocoa powder
• Mustafa - $7 for 250g 
• Sun Lik - $3.60 for 125g, $6.50 for 250g, $10.50 for 1kg
• NTUC/Cold Storage - $5.75 for 250g
• (for comparison) in any Jusco supermarket in JB - RM7.50 for 125g, RM13.50 for 250g
3. Hershey's Cocoa Powder (226g carton)
• Kitchen Capers - $6.85
• Mustafa - $5.90 
• NTUC - $6.62 
• Cold Storage - $8.60 
• Sun Lik - $7.30 
• (for comparison) in any Jusco supermarket in JB - RM16.90 for 125g
4. Cacao Barry 
• This is a Belgian chocolate which similarly has a wide range of chocolate and cocoa products. I first encountered them in Belgium with their cocoa nibs and they're good!
• Kitchen Capers - $3.50 for 80g or $25 for 1kg
• Delicia - $20 for a 1kg pack 
• (for comparison) in Perling Indah in JB - RM58 for 1kg 
5. Belcolade 
• CocoaOrient - $37.50 for a 3kg pack of Premium Dutch Cocoa Powder (but you must buy a carton which contains 2 3kg packs - i.e., $75 for 6kg)
6. Nestle 
• Not available in Singapore, but I bought a can in Australia for about A$4 - it tastes better than Hershey's in my opinion but not as complex as Valrhona!

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Bittersweet chocolate (70%)

As I have alluded to earlier, not only are there different brands of chocolate available in the market, these chocolates have varying percentages of cocoa solids as well. Basically, the chocolate bars you see are actually a combination of cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar (mainly). So the percentages you see refer to the amount/percentage of cocoa solid (beans) within that block of chocolate.

For the purposes of price comparison, I have decided on the 70% chocolate, which I often buy because of its bittersweet qualities. I find it the most value for money, because if you want a bittersweet chocolate, you can just use the chocolate by itself, but should you want a semi-sweet type of chocolate, you can combine this with a chocolate with a lower percentage (say 40% or even a milk chocolate) and you'll get a semi-sweet combination easily.

The 70% chocolate (Guanaja) is available at 

• BIY - $27 for 500g (only 1 size)
• Kitchen Capers - $40 per 1kg block, $106 for 3kg. 
• Sun Lik - $14 for 300g (couvertures), $40 for the 1kg block
• ToTT - $114 for 3kg (only 1 size)
• Shermay's - $12.95 for 250g, $24.90 for 500g

Cacao Barry also has a 65% Madagascar chocolate, which Kitchen Capers sells at $8.30 for 200g and the 76% Equateur Chocolate which retails at $33.80 per kg. Another place that sells Cacao Barry is Delicia, an online retailer which I found through googling. They sell the 76% Equateur for $26, which is substantially cheaper than KC, but note that you have to pay for delivery charges (not sure how much though?) unless you have a minimum order of $160. Sun Lik has the 70% Cacao Barry at $8 for 250g pack and $29.80 for the 1kg original pack.

Callebaut has a 70.4% dark bittersweet chocolate, which retails at Sun Lik at $7 for a 250g packet.

ToTT also sells another brand, Belcolade, another type of Belgian chocolate which they sell for $25.20 for a 1kg pack. The cocoa content for the bitter chocolate is 71%. If you want this same brand for cheaper, you can head down to Admiralty, to CocoaOrient, which sells it for $17.50 for the same 1kg pack. They are a wholesaler, but I called to ask if they sell to walk-in customers and they do :] Just email them in advance to let them know your order before self-collecting! They open from 0830-1800hrs. Again, Sun Lik also sells Belcolade, for $23.50 per kg.

The cheapest bittersweet chocolate will be the Strong Bitter Couverture droplets by Bakeway - sold in Phoon Huat. They have a 73.5% cocoa content, and only costs $14.20 for 1kg. I personally have not tried this, but when I was in the Chip Bee Gardens and Bencoolen branch, I saw many people loading up on the chocolate when it came in stock.

Btw, if you are desperate, you can also use those confectionary chocolates - for e.g., NTUC has the Cadbury Old Gold block chocolate, which has 70% cocoa content. They also sell Lindt block chocolates with the same cocoa content. For couvertures, Cold Storage, NTUC and other supermarkets also sell this brand called "Choco Line" which has a 53% dark couverture at $4.90 for 150g. Again, they work well when you're desperate or when you're baking to satisfy a craving at say, 11pm and you run out of chocolate and there's a 24h NTUC near you :]

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Butter 

I never knew the importance of using good quality butter until I tried it myself. I have come to realize that it isn't that much more expensive. I don't always use French Butter, because it's quite expensive to use on a daily basis, but I substitute it for unsalted butter by the brand of Saputo, which retails at Phoon Huat for $4.80 per 454g. 

Other brands of butter that are available include (I've listed the more common brands towards the bottom of the list):

• Elle & Vire 
• $3.20 for a 200g block (Sun Lik)
• $3.50 for 200g block (ToTT)
• $4.32 per block for a pack of 3 250g blocks (Shermay)
• $3.49 per block for a pack of 6 (Shermay)
• Saputo  
• $1.90 per 200g block (Phoon Huat)
• $4.10 per 454g block 
• Greenfields
• $2.40 for 250g (Phoon Huat)
• Goldtree
• $2.40 for 250g block (Phoon Huat)
• President salted/unsalted butter 
• $4.50 for 250g (Delicia)
• $5.45 for 250g (Cold Storage)
• $5.40 for 250g (Shop & Save)
• Lurpak salted/unsalted butter 
• $6.25 per 250g block (Cold Storage)
• $5 (Sun Lik)
• Anchor salted/unsalted butter
•  $4.85 per 227g block (Cold Storage)
• Golden Churn salted butter 
• $4.70 per 250g block (Cold Storage)
• $4.50 (Sun Lik)
• $4.55 (NTUC/Shop & Save)
• SCS unsalted butter 
• $5.30 per 250g block (Cold Storage)
• $3.50 per 250g block (Sun Lik)
• $4.75 per 250g block (NTUC)
• $5.15 per 250g block (Shop & Save)
• SCS salted butter 
• $2.85 per 125g block (Cold Storage)
• $2.80 per 125g block (Shop & Save)
• Fairprice Pure Creamery butter 
• $3.50 per 250g block (but NTUC usually has offers for this)
• Cowhead
• $3.80 for 250g block (NTUC)
• $3.25 for 250g block (Shop & Save)
• Liv unsalted butter 
• $4.50 for 250g block (Shop & Save)
• Tinned Golden Churn Butter (no need to refrigerate)
• $8.60 for 454g (found in the baking needs section) 

Btw, if you are confused about all the various brands available, you can check out a butter taste test conducted by Weylin 2 years ago in 2009. Although I have not conducted a similar taste test, I have used most of the brands I've stated above, and like I've mentioned, if your pocket can take it, do use the Normandy French butters (Elle & Vire) because you'll get the best buttery, creamy flavor from it. If the places which sell it is not accessible, Lurpak is an often used alternative - it's a Danish butter, but the results are good. SCS is also a common brand used by many, especially in Malaysia (or rather, JB where I stay in) which might not have a similar wide range of expensive butters.

My mom used to buy Buttercup because it was cheap, but note that this isn't exactly real butter - the reason why it's so cheap is because it's a mixture of oils - it is actually termed as "dairy spread" and costs $2.25. There is a cheaper brand called Goldenmaid that retails for $1.90. The ingredients usually include butter flavor and vegetable oils.

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Cream 

Cream is also an essential ingredient if you want to make a ganache or certain types of icing or butter creams. I love the ones at Phoon Huat, because I think they're thick and cheap. 

Beware of different types of cream - there's the non-dairy type, which typically retails for cheaper and the dairy type of creams. I prefer the dairy types, because it's just hard to replicate that creaminess that comes from cows. 

The supermarkets also sell this Nestle sterilized cream, which retails at $2.15 for a 170g tin, which works perfectly fine when you need cream urgently. This is the only cream that retails in almost every supermarket, even the tiny small NTUC near my house. I've used the cream in my caramel making and it tastes almost as good as those made with fresh cream. 

Just a tip, you can freeze cream, especially the non-dairy ones - what I do is to freeze them in ice cube trays so that I can pop them out when I need them, so don't worry about buying huge cartons of cream because they can last pretty long! Do note that if you refrigerate it, once you open the carton, it has to be used within 2 weeks or it will start souring and smelling! Also, the dairy whipping cream, once frozen, tend to look curdled and will be quite difficult to whip up into soft/hard peaks, so I'd suggest using them in ganaches etc where you melt them. Non-dairy whipping creams don't have such a problem though! The visible difference between the both is probably first the color - dairy whipping creams tend to be off-white or cream in color whereas non-dairy creams are pure white. Also, dairy whipping creams taste, naturally, like milk (more dairy) whereas non-dairy doesn't have that 'cow' taste and tastes sweetener. Nevertheless, if you are lactose-intolerant, non-dairy is the way to go!

Types and prices of cream: 

• Elle & Vire (35.1%)
• $9.50 for 989g (ToTT)
• $8 for 989ml (Sun Lik)
• $9.95 for 989ml (Shermay)
• President Dairy Whipping Cream (35.1%) 
• $8 for 1000ml (Sun Lik)
• $8.80 for 1000ml at Kitchen Capers
• $11.80 for 1000ml at Cold Storage (although the packaging looks different)
• $11.75 for 1000ml at Shop & Save
• $4.55 for 200ml at Cold Storage (the UHT whipping cream, light cream and extra light all retail at the same price)
• Dairy Farmer Thickened Cream 
• $3.80 for 300ml at Kitchen Capers
• $3.75 for 300ml at Cold Storage 
• $3.65 for 300ml at NTUC
• $3.55 for 300ml at Mustafa
• Bulla Fresh Thickened Cream (35.1% fat)
• $4.10 for 300ml at Cold Storage
• $4.05 at NTUC
• Bulla Fresh Pure Cream (45% fat)
• $4.30 for 200ml at Cold Storage
• Emborg Whipping Cream (38%)
• $3.35 for 200ml at Mustafa
• $3.40 for 200ml at NTUC/Cold Storage
• Millac Dairy Whipping Cream 
• $6.45 at Phoon Huat 
• Greenfields Whipping Cream 
• $10.05 for 1000ml at Cold Storage 
• Lescure UHT Whipping Cream (made in France)
• $7.05 at Phoon Huat 
• Rich's Pride Topping/Value Pride (non-diary whipping cream)
• $5.50 (or $6) for 1000ml at Sun Lik 
• Redman Whipping Top Cream (non-diary whipping cream)
• $5.60 for 1000ml at Phoon Huat 

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Buttermilk 

Many chocolate cake recipes require this. What is buttermilk? It basically is the by-product of churning butter out of cream. Of course, it'll be dumb for us to do that ourselves, so many have come out with substitutions for buttermilk, such as the addition of vinegar or lemon juice to milk. For a long time, I used those substitutions (including a mixture of yogurt and milk), but I find that using buttermilk itself does make a difference - cakes and pancakes are a tad fluffier, and have a creamier taste to them.

There is probably just one brand available in Singapore (but I may be wrong) - Dairy Farmers, a blue carton - it retails at Mustafa, NTUC, Cold Storage, Phoon Huat, Shop & Save and Giant for the same price of $3.95 for 600ml. You can probably make over 50 cupcakes with that amount, or a huge amount of buttermilk pancakes (which are awesome btw). Btw, I did notice that there are some price variations across certain supermarket outlets even if they are the same supermarket - so prices might vary a little!

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Almonds

If you venture into baking French cakes or pastries, you'll realize that many many recipes require almonds - just take financiers or the ever-so-welcomed macarons. The French use copious amounts of almonds, and I think this stems from the fact that bakers of yesteryear had an abundance of almonds to bake with - hence you see almonds being used in the staples of French cooking, like joconde, dacquoise and praline!

Macarons are always a popular item, and they require the use of ground almonds, which some refer to as almond meal or almond flour. You can always ground your own from whole almonds, but it's quite a troublesome process, even though whole skinned almonds are the cheapest almond product you can get.

These are the prices for almond meal across various places in Singapore. You can probably deduct about 10-20% for the price of almond flakes, nibs and whole almonds (with skin or without). If you are really desperate, you can probably head to your nearest NTUC or Cold Storage branch and they'll be likely to sell whole almonds (blanched or otherwise) which you can grind up yourself.

• Phoon Huat -  $16.05 for 1kg, $4.40 for 250g 
• Sun Lik - $4 for 250g 
• ToTT - $19.80 for 1kg 
• NTUC - $4.03 for 100g Bake King pack, $2.55 for 100g whole almonds (Pasar brand)
• Cold Storage - $4.40 for 100g Bake King pack 
• (just for comparison sake) In JB - RM17.50 per 500g

***

Silpat Mat

The market is permeated with all types of 'silicone mats' nowadays, but I believe the forerunner was Silpat, which was created by Demarle in France back in the late 1960s. Nowadays, any type of silicone mat is also referred to as a 'silpat', even though they might not actually be a Silpat. The benefit of a silicone mat is of course, its non-stick surface. I've one which I use for baking cookies, sponge cakes, macarons and rolling out dough when I need a non-stick surface. After you're done, you just wipe it down and it's clean! 

In Singapore, the 2 places that retails Silpat (that I know of) is Sun Lik and Shermay's. The 12x16 inch retails at $49.95 whereas the 11¾ by 8¼ inch goes for $29.95. Over at Sun Lik, the 12x16 inch (the only size they have) retails for $35.

Over the Phoon Huat, they have their own brand of silpat, which retails for slightly cheaper, around $20 or so (I can't remember the sizes or prices sorry). Over at ToTT, they have another brand, Pavoni, which is an Italian brand. They have 3 sizes, the smallest of which is 30x40cm, and retails for $18, the medium is 51x31cm and the large is 58x38cm, which retails at $34.80.

For those without the budget for a Silpat, don't worry - greaseproof baking paper works just as well. I also like the silicone baking liners that ToTT sells - it's a pre-cut liner which you can use to line your cake trays (it's more malleable for a cake tin than the Silpat) and it works the same way. It's frequently out of stock and costs $7-8 for a square or round piece (around 30x40cm for the rectangular piece). Alternatively, just stick to those brands of baking paper you can get from NTUC or Cold Storage - they work perfectly as well. I use them for baking cookies and sponge cakes, etc. 

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And that's the end of this list! It's a really long read, but I hope this short list of the seven most common baking ingredients available in baking supplies stores in Singapore will be useful for you!