Tech Dining With Your Valentine

If you are trying to find a place for dinner with your date this Valentine’s day, look no further than Sumiya, a new Japanese grill restaurant at the recently revamped Suntec City.

Sumiya literally means Charcoal (sumi) house (ya). As the name suggests, the restaurant uses an ancient style of grilling called Irori Genshiyaki where fish is vertically placed surrounding the charcoal bed (Irori).

Fishes are placed vertically upright around the charcoal
Fishes are placed vertically upright around the charcoal

An evening at Sumiya @suntec is exceptionally pleasing. No noisy diner. People who were there in the evening are usually in a small group of not more than 3-4 pax and you could really enjoy your dinner in a peaceful and quiet environment. The open kitchen gives a clear view of the entire Irori Genshiyaki process. This is also a good conversation starters for the couples. (Note: The fish are grilled in the vertical positions so that the surface of the fish stays crisp while maintaining the succulence of the meat inside).

Char-grilled Amberjack Head
Char-grilled Amberjack Head

You could start off with skewers (for individual) followed by char-grilled (Irori Genshiyaki) fish which could be shared between both of you.

Ryoshi Mushi
Ryoshi Mushi

Iori Genshiyaki will take approximately 20-40min. While waiting, try their Ryoshi Mushi, traditional Japanese fisherman’s cooking style of seafood steamed in can.

A romantic dining experience won’t be possible without wine. To cater for a wider group of diners in Singapore, Sumiya offers various types of sake

Sake Dispenser
Sake Dispenser

imported from Japan. If both you and your partner are not familiar with Sake, fear not! Sumiya offers sample through the use of electronic sake dispenser by Enomatic. To work the dispenser,  just insert a post-paid card into the machine and select the preferred sake to be meted in a selected portion.

For sample tasting, you could select the smallest portion (20ml). The machine is also able to dispense in half glass (60ml) and full glass (120ml) portion offering greater flexibility to those who want to try different sake without breaking the bank.

Sumiya is also the first Japanese restaurant in Singapore that introduces the circular sake dispenser which offers 16 specially-selected varieties of rice wines ranging from lighter, easy-to-drink brews to premium, more full bodies varieties. With the proprietary technology from Enomatic, the machine is capable of preserving the wine up to weeks without compromising the wine qualities while at the same time, assuring no wastage of the opened bottle. (Hey! technology is not just being cool! It has tangible benefits as well! That’s why it is not surprising that many F&B operators are jumping into it!) 

Last but not least, end the dinner with Sumiya’s very own Tropical Dessert which is served in a hand-carved ice bowl filled with sweet red bean and sago in the coconut milk sauce.

Sumiya Tropical Dessert
Sumiya Tropical Dessert

 

 

 

Press Release – Spinacas, Online Salad Delivery

spinacasSingapore, January , 2016 – Set up in June 2014, Singapore-based Spinacas has been bulking up its salads and sales since. Completely self-funded and bootstrapped by its founders Phyllis Chua and Ng Wei Lieh, they tossed Spinacas into the black in September 2015 and been growing it steadily since. There are now plans to expand the humble salad delivery service by renting larger premises with a bigger kitchen to cope with the increase in demand.

The Story Behind Spinacas, Hearty Salads Delivered

What started out as a 2-month sabbatical in Spain spun into a healthy salad delivery concept for former architect Phyllis Chua. Inspired by her trip to Europe where she discovered healthy good food as a way of life and was exposed to a variety of fresh whole produce and readily available meats used in the salads, she attempted to recreate the meal experiences back in Singapore but without success.

 

“Salads that were nutritious and hearty just didn’t exist. Most of them were too protein-light and carb-heavy, and I would always be hungry by 3pm,’ she remarked. It was then that the health and fitness fanatic begin creating her own salads, always adding more meat cooked in flavour-packed mixes. She packed some for friends to try and before she knew it, she was making deliveries around town on her red Vespa scooter, and Spinacas, Hearty Salads Delivered, was born.

 

For single salads or below $30 minimum orders, as well as non delivery locations, customers can drop by the centrally located commercial kitchen just outside the CBD at Pearl’s Hill Terrace to do a self pick up. Alternatively, Spinacas also recently signed on with Deliveroo (a food delivery service) as a further option.

 

Payment can be made securely online by PayPal (without signing up for an account) or by Credit Card (via BrainTree)

To read the full press release

[pdf-embedder url=”https://theneodimension.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Spinacas-2016-Press-Release-edit.pdf”]

Press Release – FBSG gets transportation boost from GoGoVan this CNY



 

Singapore – January 19, 2016 – The Food Bank Singapore (FBSG) has announced a collaboration with GoGoVan that meets FBSG’s transportation requirements for Project GoGo Gongxi this Chinese New Year (CNY).

GoGoVan, a tech start-up that pioneered point-to-point, same-day delivery services through a mobile app platform, will support FBSG’s transportation needs by collecting donations from FBSG’s Bank Box locations and selected GIANT hypermarkets and transporting them to the FBSG warehouse. This is part of GoGoVan’s corporate social responsibility efforts this festive season.

To further encourage food donations, a unique discount code will be created for corporate donors this festive period. This can also be used by FBSG and beneficiaries for the delivery and collection of food donations.

“With the goodwill and enthusiasm of our crowd-sourced drivers, GoGoVan is delighted to partner with FBSG for this meaningful initiative,” said William Ban, Singapore Country Manager of GoGoVan.

“GoGoVan’s founding vision is to empower the community, so FBSG’s mission is exactly what we stand for as a company – sharing our resources as a community, which goes a long way towards enriching our society. The GoGoVan team and all our drivers are culturally diverse, and we believe in the importance of connectedness in our society. We look forward to more collaboration opportunities in the future,” he added.

Project GoGo Gongxi will run from January 18 till February 29, 2016.

“We are truly delighted to collaborate with GoGoVan this festive season. This marks a major milestone for us, as our first collaboration with a logistics partner. This partnership has significantly reduced delivery costs, which may have discouraged companies from donating in the past,” said Nichol Ng, Chief Food Officer of FBSG.

She hopes that more donors will be encouraged to donate their excess foods for the good of the community.

Corporates or individuals can donate at selected GIANT hypermarkets at VivoCity and Parkway Parade, and Bank Boxes at:

  • City Square Mall: Level 2, besides the Customer Service Counter
  • Quayside Isle, Sentosa Cove: B1, outside Management Office
  • NUS OC Techno Edge (Engineering Canteen)

Alternatively, donors can drop their excess food at the FBSG warehouse at 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #01-2/04, Singapore 089065.

About GoGoVan

GoGoVan enables last-mile, point-to-point delivery through a pioneer mobile and web app. The platform bridges consumers directly with drivers for their real-time logistic needs. Leading the market in response time and island-wide coverage, GoGoVan Singapore also has the largest driver base of motorcycles, vans, and lorries.

Established in Hong Kong since 2013, GoGoVan has a network of more than 74,000 commercial vehicles and 100,000 registered drivers. It is present in Taiwan, China, South Korea and India.

About The Food Bank Singapore Ltd

Established in 2012, The Food Bank Singapore (wwww.foodbank.sg) is Singapore’s first food bank and aims to be the prevailing centralised coordinating organisation for all food donations in Singapore. Its mission is to bridge potential donors and members (beneficiaries). It complements charities’ food donation efforts by helping them to obtain better access to excess food. The food bank is also looking at finding creative and alternative ways to maximise use of excess food. Besides collecting, storing and distributing donated food, Food Bank Singapore aspires to be the voice of food resource planning and management, and spread the word on its importance to ensure long term providence of food for everyone.

Entrepreneur’s Insights: Interview with Mr Isaac Tay, Co-Founder of honestbee

honestbee isaacTime flies and without you knowing, it is about time to say good bye to 2015. It is also time to get busy with Christmas shopping! But, how are you going to bash through swarm of shoppers during this festive season especially in a shopping place like supermarket?

That’s market’s need that honestbee is trying to fulfil. Our latest episode of Entrepreneur’s Insight, we interviewed Mr Isaac Tay, Co-Founder of honestbee.

 

 

  1. honestbee has been receiving a lot of media attention ever since the receipt of USD 15M funding. However, many people know the name but might not exactly know what honestbee is doing. Do you mind give a short description of the company?

We are the first on-demand, concierge grocery delivery service that is able to deliver to your doorstep on the same day, typically within the hour following your order. Our goal is to get you what you need, when you need it. In-store concierge shoppers trained by honestbee make sure the items in your shopping cart, including meat and produce, are carefully handpicked for you with freshness guaranteed.

 

  1. Technology sector is growing exponentially in Southeast Asia region. Rising affluence, rapid urbanization and population growth pose opportunities for e-commerce, m-commerce or these days, people call it “social commerce”. What’s your view on this?

Southeast Asia is not the only part of the world where the technology sector is experiencing growth. In this market though, we see that different parts of Southeast Asia are progressing at varying speeds and in multiple directions. That said, there are two constant areas of growth – mobile and online shopping – in the world of e-Commerce.

 

Logistics and payments are two important aspects of e-commerce. In Asia, however, different countries have different methods and systems. For us to succeed in Southeast Asia, local knowledge and partners are very important, and this is something technology cannot replace.

 

The opportunity as an Asian company headquartered in Singapore is that we are well-positioned to learn what works in the Western innovation hubs such as Silicon Valley, then tailor it to the local context with our understanding of the social fabrics of the various Southeast Asian countries honestbee is in.

 

  1. There are other online grocery shopping sites in the market? How is honestbee different from other online platforms?

We aim to bring convenience with the best service to our customers so that they can spend more time on what matters most to them. This includes bring fresh produce to them, as if they are shopping at the stores for themselves.

 

Ordering via honestbee is simple:

  • Enter your address and start shopping online at any of honestbee’s partner stores.
  • Choose a 1 hour delivery window to have your groceries delivered.
  • Once the order is placed, an expert honestbee concierge shopper immediately starts picking out your selected items. (Do note that like shopping on your own, some products may invariably be unavailable. Customers are able to choose similar replacement products when ordering, making it both interactive and intuitive to your needs. Additionally, your shopper will call you if necessary to ensure you get what you want.)

 

  1. What are the challenges or opportunities for honestbee in the next 3 years?

Recruiting the brightest young talent is a major challenge as we are competing with more established brands for their attention. However, with our recent funding announcement that we are backed by world-class Silicon Valley investors, this will change.

 

  1. What is the expansion plan for honestbee?

We intend to expand our business across Asia. We recently just launched in Hong Kong and will be extending our services to Taiwan and other parts of Asia.

 

  1. What is your view on IoT? Do you see any unexplored market in this space for honestbee to fulfill?

We are in the very early days of IoT, so there is definitely a lot of room for growth – not just for honestbee, but for the other brands as well. When the technology catches up and becomes more accessible, it will make our life better and more efficient be it at work or at home.

 

Our mission is to create happy homes with delightful services and flexible jobs. IoT, with its promise of better sensors and data, will definitely provide opportunities to create new services that can improve homes.

 

  1. Our Singapore readers could be interested on honestbee’s plan in Singapore. With the fresh injection of fund, do you plan to expand your workforce here?

Singapore is our headquarters – our founders are Singaporeans and all of the people in our senior leadership team are Singaporeans. This is something we’re proud of as we all want to put Singapore on the world map as a place with strong start-ups. With the funding, we will expand our business and workforce locally and in Asia. We plan to attract back the best engineering talent who have been working in the top companies in Silicon Valley; this will facilitate knowledge transfer.

 

  1. Hiring and talent retention are one of the challenges that startup faces. How did you manage such issue?  

We are very humbled by our low attrition rate here at honestbee. We are also proud to say that there is a strong bond and camaraderie between everyone, where we work hard and play hard.

 

We will also regularly organise get-togethers for our team to catch up and get to know each other better. Just recently, we had a family Halloween event where everyone was dressed to the nines. One of the teams even came in as zombies from The Walking Dead.

 

The most important thing is to understand the aspirations of all the members in my team. I’ve aimed to recruit motivated people with a shared vision, and have constantly ensure that the company’s goals are aligned with their individual’s aspirations.

 

Alignment is something I take very seriously, and within three months of joining a company, every member of my team has had at least three ‘health checks’ with me. During these sessions, the members of my team are unreservedly candid, and we have made countless improvements from the feedback.

 

For example, we noticed engineers were being interrupted with questions and it was hard to get into a rhythm of coding. We instituted no-speaking hours between 2pm-4pm on Tuesday and Thursday. This has also created the side effect where folks make better use of meetings.

 

  1. What advices will you give for our budding entrepreneurs or people who want to start a business? 

I would say, if you dare to dream, then go ahead to aim and build. Don’t waste time thinking too much about it or you will never start. Of course, it is also important to build strong and meaningful relationships. You’ll be surprised how powerful this is.

 

  1. It is said that every entrepreneur has their own set of checklist while evaluating a venture. As an entrepreneur, do you mind sharing with us yours?

For me, it’s two key points:

  • Will this improve people’s lives
  • Are there people willing to pay for this improvement to their lives

Indulge in @HotelRe ’s Exclusive Selection of #Mooncakes to Celebrate #MidAutumn2015

Singapore, September 2015 – Celebrate this mid-autumn festival with Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill’s exclusive selection of four detectable mooncake flavours. Now available for purchase till 27 September 2015, this year’s exciting line-up consists of White Lotus Single Yolk, Green Tea Mochi, Pure White Cranberry Lotus and Bamboo Charcoal.

Hotel Re! Assorted Mooncakes
Hotel Re! Assorted Mooncakes

The White Lotus Single Yolk mooncake is made with traditional white lotus paste, mixed nuts and single yolk. Baked to a golden brown, this classic flavor promises a smooth blend of natural sweetness, savory and crunch.

For green tea lovers, don’t miss the Green Tea Mochi mooncake, featuring a pampering mix of rich green tea lotus paste with chewy mochi filling and sunflower seeds.

Want to taste something extraordinary? Have a go at the Bamboo Charcoal mooncake, a delicious combination of dried scallop lotus paste with salted egg filling.

Last but not least on the spotlight is the Pure White Cranberry Lotus mooncake. Using premium cranberry lotus paste mixed with tangy flavours of dried apricot and sunflower seeds, you can anticipate a delightful and refreshing twist to your taste buds.

Each set of the four irresistible mooncakes is presented in a specially designed premium gift box with papercut vase printing and auspicious wishing in Chinese characters, perfect for gifting to families, friends and business associates.

Guests may purchase Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill’s mooncakes at Re!Fill Restaurant. Each box is priced at $58.85 nett. Re!Fill Restaurant diners and hotel room guests get to enjoy a special discounted rate of $47 nett per box while Re!Members are entitled to the members-only price of $40 nett.

In addition, the mooncakes will go on sale at Compasspoint Mall and Sun Plaza Mall from 14 September to 27 September.

 

#IHG Adds Two Michelin-Star Restaurant Chefs to its Culinary Panel – Chefs Vikas Khanna and Takagi Kazuo

IHG Culinary Ambassadors to bring Japanese and Indian flavours to the programme, with new dishes available at hotels in Asia, Middle East and Africa

Singapore, 27 May 2015: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has added two new star chefs to its growing IHG Culinary Panel; an initiative that sees renowned chefs develop an array of signature dishes for guests dining in IHG’s hotels across Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA).

Chef Takagi Kazuo


Chef Vikas Khanna

The latest Culinary Ambassadors will introduce a range of signature dishes that IHG guests can enjoy. Chef Vikas Khanna’s restaurant, Junoon in New York City, has been awarded with a coveted Michelin star for four years in a row and serves a range of authentic and inventive fine dining Indian recipes. Chef Takagi Kazuo is famed for his two Michelin star restaurant in Osaka and will supply seasonal Kyo-style Japanese cuisine to the programme.

The seven IHG Culinary Ambassadors on the panel are all award-winning chefs and represent a diverse range of cuisines:

Each Culinary Ambassador has created 20 recipes ranging from appetisers to main courses and desserts. Guests can enjoy a selection of these dishes in select restaurants at InterContinentalCrowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts in the region.

Chef Vikas has made culinary waves the world over for his award winning cuisine and critically acclaimed and widely awarded cook books on Indian cuisine. He will soon be launching his 21st book Utsav – A Culinary Epic at Cannes Film Festival- the first Chef to launch a cookbook at Cannes. He will be adding heat and spice to the IHG Culinary Panel recipes with dishes including his signature 7-Spice Lamb Shank, made with a medley of spices, in a burgundy-hued curry that coats the slow-braised meat and his Tellicherry Duck Breast, a classic Indian duck dish spiced with long pippali peppercorns from southern India and balanced with a creamy coconut-milk sauce.

Speaking about his new role as an IHG Culinary Ambassador, Chef Vikas commented: “Food and dining is constantly evolving and it’s important to keep pushing the bar at being more innovative and creative yet building the essence of fine dining and luxury. The dishes that I want people to enjoy are often contemporary reinventions of classic Indian dishes, and being able to share these more widely through the IHG Culinary Panel is a fantastic way to get people even more excited by the exotic Indian cuisine beyond the clichéd and standard.”

Chef Takagi’s Kyo style cooking, which has its roots in the Kyoto prefecture of Japan, is recognised for its seasonal dishes that appeal to all the senses such as his signature Japanese Pepper Beef with Foie Gras Dengaku, a beef sirloin with pan-fried foie gras, topped with Japanese pepper and miso paste and his Potato Salad, made with steamed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, shrimps and edible flowers.

Alan Watts, Chief Operating Officer, Asia, Middle East and Africa, IHG said: “With the addition of Chef Vikas and Chef Takagi our IHG Culinary Panel represents seven celebrated chefs, a myriad of exceptional cuisines and an opportunity to discover even more authentic flavours and tastes. We are constantly evolving our culinary proposition for guests, continuing to raise the bar and bolster our hotels’ reputation as world class dining destinations.

“Our philosophy is to work with partners that represent the best of food and beverage in order to offer new options and programmes that encourage our guests to explore and enjoy new culinary experiences, which includes our Bar150 mi xology platform with Pernod Ricard as well as our new Penfolds partnership to expand exclusive wine options at InterContinental hotels and resorts.”


FABER PEAK SINGAPORE CELEBRATES WITH SINGAPORE

As Singapore turns 49 in the coming weeks, let’s reminisce all that has come through as a nation, and look forward to the celebrations planned around the nation’s big fifty next year.

Ready to rock and roll? Paying ode to Singapore’s 49th birthday and extending all the happy moments from Singapore Cable Car’s 40th Anniversary, here are more treats for everyone:

A. Cable Car Joyrides

49% discount on second ticket for every full-priced adult ticket purchased, i.e. $14.80 (U.P. $29.00) and $9.20 (U.P. $18.00) for 2nd adult and child respectively. Book from the comfort of your own home at: https://booking.mountfaber.com.sg/main

Senior citizens aged 60 years and above get their tickets at only $4.90. Applicable upon presentation of NRIC/Senior Citizen Concession Card at our ticketing counters.

B. Food, Glorious Food!

Free Jar of Happiness (a jar filled with Häagen Dazs vanilla ice cream, shortbread biscuits, almond flakes, mixed berries topped with warm berry compote and salted caramel. That’s right, happiness in a jar with every $49.00 spent at Spuds & Aprons (Mount Faber, Level 2).

C. For Shopaholics

49% off PictureMEX Video – the latest in green screen technology that lets one ‘fly’ like a Super Hero!

Purchase an adult Super Heroes T-shirt; enjoy 49% discount on the second piece (same or lower value)

Promotions kick off on 8 August and end on 11 August. Shopaholics rejoice because retail promotions continue till 16 August. Wear white and red, take a joyride, savour Happiness in a Jar, and celebrate with Singapore at the top of Faber Peak Singapore – 100 metres above the sea!

Keeping you posted too, the DC Super Heroes are still on their mission to conquer evil which is scheduled to be completed next March. While they continue to hunt for the green-haired mischief maker, there are plans to set a new record this coming Mid-Autumn festival.

Hungry Go Where Big Eat Out! II

 

It is another hot Saturday afternoon! However, the hot weather didn’t stop us from eating all the good foods during this HungryGoWhere Big Eat Out!  Thanks to BLOG2u for inviting me to this event!

 


  Mark Lee’s visit to Po Piah Stall. Hmm…Yummy!!  


Wow! A lot of people!!! Indeed, Singaporean love to eat!! 


Picture of the Old Chang Kee truck

 


It is powered by Biofuel!

Well this event is not only about Food! All the foods you have purchased during this event will be donated to Andrew and Grace Home. You are doing your part for our society!

 

Besides good foods, the highlight is the heritage tour of the Peranakan Museum. Well, the tour is guided by Mark Lee (so you can expect a lot of jokes and laughter) I feel that the tour is pretty educational and Mark Lee has done a terrific job in introducing the custom and practices of Peranakan. (Who say Mark Lee can’t speak good mandarin??)

 


 

 


 

 


Mark Lee’s Tour (Mandarin)

 

Picture with the other 2 bloggers – daintyflair  (left) and Ms Tam Chiak (right) 

 

 

HungryGoWhere Big Eat Out! is one of the exciting events from Explore Singapore! It is held in conjunction with National Heritage Board. For more information, please visit the official site at http://www.exploresingapore.com.sg/event-details.php?event_id=1

 

This is the sponsored review by BLOG2u (website: http://blog2u.sg)

HungryGoWhere Big Eat Out!

Are you a food gourmet? Wondering where to find good hawker food? Look no further for the HungryGoWhere Big Eat Out! this Saturday(22 Nov 2008) at Peranakan Museum.

 

Besides indulging in the most happening Heritage Hawker foods from around Singapore, you may get to meet Mark Lee, Singapore’s most famous comedian and Dr Leslie Tay, Singapore’s top food blogger!  Early birds could even get a special tour of the museum guided by Mark Lee!

 

 

HungryGoWhere Big Eat Out! is one of the exciting events from Explore Singapore! It is held in conjunction with National Heritage Board. For more information, please visit the official site at http://www.exploresingapore.com.sg/event-details.php?event_id=1

 

BLOG2u (website: http://blog2u.sg) is the social media agency for Explore Singapore!

 

 

Date: 22 Nov, Sat

Time: 12 pm – 5 pm

Venue: The Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian Street

Fees: Discounted Museum Admission – $2 per person (Usual: Adult – $6, Concession – $3)

 

p.s. I am going down for the Mark Lee’s tour. If any of you guys are interested to go with me, please drop me a note.

 

Don’t know how to go to Peranakan Museum? click 39 Armenian Street for directions.