Gold Kili Traditional Kopi-O Coffee Review

Today I decided to man up and try a straight up black coffee aka the dreaded Kopi-O. 

Gold Kili Traditional Kopi-O Coffee

It's not even a soluble powder! Old skool lah!

Tell me that ain't road tar

While waiting for the brew to steep... I was curious about the instructions and whether it'd be the same as typical soluble instant coffees. Andddd.... well it's kinda the same. Amount of water is similar but they don't state what temperature should be used.

Also the instructions are very universal. Pictures only!

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

It's got a good decent strength coffee aroma that is the signature, unmistakable, pure unadulterated smell of a good kopi (aka local coffee if you only speak white people's language). Medicinal & turpeny. This brew is obviously very different from other instant blends that contain milk.

Taste - 8/10

Sweet at first followed by a medium acidity and bitterness which lingers. I was kinda surprised by the sweetness then I realised this is a 2-in-1. Surprise surprise! There was sugar in the pouch. That sweetness really helped ease me in before the other flavors hit. The combination of bitter and sour notes after the sweet is quite characteristic of some local brews. This mimics that well. 

Cost - 10/10

I got mine at $2.55 for 20 sachets. That's $0.1275 per sachet which is 10x cheaper than heading down to the kopitiam! If your kopitiam serves shitty kopi, then this is for you! And yeah I have tasted some really really shitty coffee in kopitiams. Not all are good you know.

Tasting Notes

This stuff usually smells like liquid tar, tastes like liquid tar and I always suspected it to be liquid tar. It's a drink for masochists or old people whose taste buds are long dead. But I gotta say, this Gold Kili's blend is pretty ok. I could drink this.

TLDR version
A gentle introduction to the world of kopi-o, land of the brave and masochistic.

Super 3-in-1 Low Fat Instant Coffee Review

Another ubiquitous pantry favorite, cos you know, it's cheap ass. It's Super coffee mix!

Super 3-in-1 Low Fat Instant Coffee

Nothing special to see here except the packet is a fugly yellow

Nice colour there

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

A pretty neat aroma. It actually smells distinctly different from the Nescafe instant coffee. It's got a slightly richer bolder aroma with just the right hint of caramel sweetness.

Taste - 6/10

A mellow sweetness followed by a milky smooth finish. No bitterness at all. Oh wait. The aftertaste does have a little teeny bit of bitterness, like its trying to tell you it does contain some coffee in it. 

Cost - 10/10

At an offer price of $8.95 for 2 packs of 40 sticks each, this comes to $0.112 per stick. This is really cheap.

Tasting Notes

This actually reminds me of Taiwanese coffee. Very mellow. Quite nice if you like a smooth coffee with just a little bit of Singapore kopi flavor.

TLDR version
Very smooth but not much coffee kick.

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee Review

The ubiquitous Nescafe original! Found in office pantries island wide and bane to office workers who don't BYO instant coffee or whoever ran out of coffee. Cos this thing is mofo cheapass.

I am, of course, also a cheapass and I swiped one from an office pantry. 

*cough* Not my office pantry but an office pantry. 

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee

Looks like milo

Brews like milo too

Taste Review

Aroma - 6/10

It's got a pretty standard local kopi coffee aroma. A sweet caramel aroma that says I'm coffee made with a condensed milk base! So yeah it's got a kopitiam kopi smell which is pretty nice except it's not strong enough imho.

Taste - 5/10

The first taste you get is sugary sweetness, then a mild nutty coffee flavor before ending with a very very faint bitterness which then abruptly disappears which is... a bit unsatisfying. It's got a clean taste but it is also sorely lacking in character. The coffee taste just doesn't stay with you and it's really an instant hit. 

Cost - 9/10

$5.75 for 35 sticks when there are no promotions. That's $0.164 per stick. It's surprisingly more expensive than Indocafe but will probably be much cheaper when there's some promotional offer though seriously... who buys this?! Just grab a few from your office pantry! Haha

Tasting Notes

Mild in strength, flavor and aroma, this coffee feels like it's trying not to piss off anyone and would be, I guess, a good place to indoctrinate any non-coffee drinker. Seasoned coffee drinkers would scoff at this.

TLDR version
Wussy coffee for people who have never ever drunk local kopi and needs hand holding for their first drink. 

Melinda's Gluten-Free Goodies Lemon Mug Pudding Review

I've never really tried making a mug cake / pudding in the microwave before so I picked this up from the discount cart in Cold Storage for a steal at ~$1.70. 

It had an expiry of 25 Jan 2017 so its still not expired yet! Cheapskate ftw! lol

Melinda's Gluten-Free Goodies Lemon Mug Pudding

Reduced to clear! Favorite words of mine

Instructions... right. I can do this. 

Mug. Check. The ever reliable Brother

I think this is ~20g... I just kinda loped off a chuck and tossed it in.

Nuked it in the microwave to melt the butter and in goes the mix.

Oops forgot to add milk. Just tipped in some milk. I guess it's about 30ml. lol. Stir to mix.

End result after nuking

Taste Review

Taste - 6/10

As you can see mine turned out all fugly. Maybe that's why they recommend putting a scoop of ice cream on top... Colour is a nice alluring yellow though. I'm not a very good baker too so mine turned out smelling quite buttery and milky. Probably cos I added too much milk and butter lol. The lemon scent is light so that's actually a little disappointing. It was very sweet. Not surprising as its top ingredient is sugar. Gluten-free health food be damned if its chock full of sugar!

Texture - 4/10

It's very sticky, sweet and a bit lumpy. I bit into quite a few sugar clusters which makes it even more cloy. I'm not sure if this was cos I messed up the steps or if the product is just like that. 

Cost - 5/10

I got it at a steal of $1.70 cos it was reduced to clear. It's usual price is $4++ for 4 puddings. I probably wouldn't have bought it then.

Tasting Notes

It's quite fun and easy to make. I think it'd be great for kids plus which kid doesn't like a sugar bomb. I had to start and stop my nuking cause the mixture will overflow if it's a conical mug. This won't happen with bowl shaped mugs. So... extra fun!
Here's a video of the nuking process.

TLDR version
Fun activity for kids or the kid in you. I won't eat this often. Too sweet. 

Killiney 3-in-1 Premium White Coffee Review

You know how Pokemon has different versions. Killiney's White Coffee also comes in two forms. This review will be shorter and more succinct as its essentially the same as the Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee but with sugar. Previous review here. 

Killiney 3-in-1 Premium White Coffee

Unappetizing orange package lol

The coffee does have a nicer dark brown colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 10/10

Excellent aroma just like its sugarless cousin.

Taste - 7/10

The taste is much sweeter (Duh) and interestingly, its bitterness is more pronounced. The sweetness also does not sit quite well in the coffee. The sweetness kinda clashes with the rest of the flavors swirling in the brew. And this time round, there is that signature nauseating aftertaste which I have experienced before. It's an unmistakable sweet bitterness that sticks to the back of my throat. Urgh.

Cost - 4/10

It's the same as its sugarless cousin too. A box costs about $7.90 for 15 sachets. That's about $0.527 per sachet. Not a cheap brew.

Tasting Notes

It maybe personal preference but I very much prefer the sugarless version. The sugar in this coffee really doesn't sit well with the rest of the brew.

TLDR version
This is like the evil sugared twin of the Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee. I did not like it. 

Farmland Snow White Corn Review

Another quick fix meal that can also double up as an ingredient! As Alton Brown says, no unitaskers! Heh. I love Alton Brown. :D

*If you're a home cook with even a tinge of science geekiness to you and haven't discovered Alton Brown, go check out his Goodeats series neowwwww!

Farmland Snow White Corn

Atas packaging that promises a sweet sweet deal

If you don't like butter with your corn, you ain't human

Hmmmm not as white as I'd expect...

Taste Review

Taste - 7/10

Tbh I actually expected more out of Farmland's corn. The packaging just shouts SWEET goodness! But in the end the sweetness rating I'd say is about a 7/10. It's not as sweet as another brand of frozen corn which I've had and which has slipped my mind now. A bit disappointing actually. The corn isn't actually bad, it just didn't live up to my hyped up expectations. 

Texture - 7/10
Decent corn texture cos well, it's corn! Corny a not? hur hur hur. Some corns kinda pop in the mouth while most are kinda ok. Good, just not wow.

Cost - 6/10

I got it on offer at NTUC at... I think $2.85 for 400g. Pretty decent price. It can't beat the NTUC housebrand of course but that one... you don't even a smidgen of sweetness. You can find the Fairprice Corn Kernels review here. 

Tasting Notes

Nothing much to add to the above. It's got good taste, texture and sweetness. Its decent, just not super. Like all things white, it promises a lot but delivers ok. (Geddit?! Hur hur hur)
Very handy to have in the kitchen since you can add it to all sorts of dishes like pastas, salads and corn fritters. But if you're looking to make a bowl of steamed corn with butter (Heaven!)... You've to look elsewhere.

TLDR version
Decent corn to keep in your freezer to accompany dishes but not as a main star on its own.

PSA! How to... Made Instant Coffee for Dummies

Public Service Announcement!

How to Make Instant Coffee for Dummies

Did you know you can read instructions?

Did you know most instant coffees have instructions on how to best make that perfect cuppa?

There're usually instructions printed on each stick or sachet and the golden ratio is usually 150ml of water at 80deg Celsius.

Ok End of PSA!

Essenso 2-in-1 Microground Coffee Review

Super brand instant coffee goes atas with this 100% Arabica coffee. I first heard about this during a coffee appreciation class at Highlander Coffee (this was the course I took) and I remember the barista saying some positive things about it so of course I had to give it a try and I got to say Essenso is pretty good! 

Essenso 2-in-1 Microground Coffee

White goodness. Like crystal meth. Except legal

It's got a good milo like colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 8/10

Very nice aroma. A good balance that tells this is a nice roast without being too cloyingly sweet or milky.

Taste - 9/10

It has a very good strong pleasant nutty taste that goes down with a nice milky smoothness. Very clean after taste that leaves a slight lingering bitterness that reminds you of the small piece of heaven in a cup that came in an instant coffee stick.

Cost - 8/10

This is quite friendly on the wallet at $5.95 for a pack of 25 sticks while on offer at NTUC. This comes up to $0.238 a stick. While it is double the price compared to the cheaper varieties. If you're feeling rich, just chug this every morning. If you want to skimp and save, then keep this in your pantry and have it whenever you need to treat yourself better.

100% Arabica beans cos its atas

Tasting Notes

The coffee actually feels quite strong BUT being made from Arabica beans, its caffeine count is very unlikely to be high. Typical coffees found in Singapore are made from Robusta beans which have a much higher caffeine content than Arabica beans.

TLDR version
This is high up on the list for quality instant coffee if you can spare a few extra cents. 

Kettle Chips Baked Camembert & Oak Smoked Garlic Review

Presenting another atas potato chip review. 

I bought this together with the Bacon & Maple Syrup flavor (review here).

Kettle Chips Baked Camembert & Oak Smoked Garlic

It always sounds nicer when you over play the ingredients and cooking methods

Taste Review

Taste - 8/10

As with all cheese flavored snacks, a strong cheesy aroma attacks my nose when I opened the bag. That's pretty typical but the smell is actually distinctively different from the usual cheddar flavorings used in most chips. This smells... well kinda similar to... surprise surprise! Baked camembert. The taste was good. The smoky garlic taste comes through quite well, followed by a pleasant sweet cheesiness followed by a creaminess finish. Certainly a very happy ending to each crispy bite.

Texture - 9/10

Solid thick chunky signature Kettle chips texture. QC pass.

Cost - 2/10

Same damage of $5.95 per bag like the bag of broken dreams that is the Bacon & Maple Syrup except this actually tastes like what it promises. Camembert happiness.

Tasting Notes

It's definitely a unique potato chip for an occasional indulgence though it lacks a certain kick that keeps it moreish like its more common cousin, the Honey Dijon. That's why I gave it an 8/10 for taste. I'd buy it for parties to be a talking point but I won't stock up on it at home.

TLDR version
Good for a passionate fling once in awhile but not a keeper. 

Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee Review

Like a rare Pokemon, this is a coffee that's hard to find... It's the Killiney 2-in-1 premium white coffee! It's only sold at some NTUC and Killiney outlets and if you've ever tried to order white coffee at any Killiney outlet, they just break out this sachet and add hot water too! So erm I guess legit? Lol

Killiney 2-in-1 Premium White Coffee

The sachet is really big

The brown is quite intense

Taste Review

Aroma - 10/10

Once you pour in the hot water and start stirring, the rich strong wonderful aroma will freaking assault your senses. You will smell it. Your cubicle neighbors will smell it. Your whole damn office will smell it. Everyone will come around seeking the source of this holy smell. You'll be like the Pied Piper.

Taste - 9/10

Taste is STRONG and robust with a nutty finish lurking beneath a medium bitterness. The coffee is thick too. I could feel it sliding down my throat almost like a piece of jelly. Though this may be because I am using less water as the cup I am using it a bit smaller than a normal coffee mug...

Cost - 4/10

This can only be found in selected NTUC supermarkets and selected Killiney Kopitiam outlets. A box (yes it comes in a box) costs about $7.90 for 15 sachets. That's about $0.527 per sachet. This is not kind on the wallet at all.

Tasting Notes

By far THE most aromatic instant coffees of all. I think Killiney just puts in a ton of coffee in that huge sachet. There's no denying its rightful place as the instant coffee with the most powerful aroma.

Now there is a quirk to this coffee. I've ever drunk this 3 days in a row and somehow, the aftertaste started to change and it actually became nauseating. There is a sickly bitter aftertaste that is a bit like a badly prepared powdered milk drink. I don't quite know how to describe it but urgh it was bad. Put me off this coffee for a long time. However, after going about 3 months without drinking it, it was fine again. No idea what's going on but that was my experience! Honest truth!

TLDR version
Super strong aroma that is irresistible but watch out for that weird aftertaste if you drink it often. 

Fairprice Corn Kernel Review

Housebrands are almost always the cheapest amongst the brands and sometimes they are quite good. NTUC corn just isn't one of them.

Fairprice Corn Kernel

Wayyyy big pack 

Cheap too

Taste Review

Taste - 4/10

Bland and unimaginative. This is frozen corn at its most bearable. No sweetness, just the taste of corn.

Texture - 3/10
"Corn is a vegetable that provides fibre." Each bite just keeps pushing that message home as I munched on fibrous kernel after fibrous kernel. These are corn kernels alright. I could feel each kernel on my tongue as whole and ermmm... unpopped or squished. NTUC corn kernels are tough mofos and I mean tough.

Cost - 10/10

Nothing beats this housebrand. It's cheap-ass. $6.55 for 2 packs of frozen 1kg corn. 

Tasting Notes

You know how corn can be oh so nice, soft, fluffy and sweet? Not this one lol! It's the opposite of all of em! Treat yourself better and buy a better brand like this one.

TLDR version
Use this corn if you need to feed your enemies or if you hate yourself. Or use it as a filler. 

Kettle Chips Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup Review

Some days you just want to have a bit of atas (high class) potato chips so I made a detour to Meidi-ya at Liang Court to browse their chips selection. I'm glad to say I found a couple that I deem fit to stuff my face silly with. 

This is one of those coveted special flavor Kettle chips that just calls out to potato chip collectors like me. What's a potato chip collector you say... well it's nut cases who die-die must try (absolutely have to eat) all potato chip flavors they see. 

Kettle Chips Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup (with bacon from Norfolk)

Why pink?!

Taste Review

Taste - 3/10

It starts off well enough with a good hit of smokey bacon-y goodness followed by a faint whiff of maple syrup when I opened the bag. Then the taste... oh the taste... OMFG why... the chips had a bad burnt bitter taste with a slight hint of bacon. These tasted like burnt Marmite flavored chips! And not in a good way!

Texture - 9/10

At least this had the solid thick chunky signature Kettle chips texture. No fault here. 

Cost - 2/10

This was a freaking $5.95 for a bag of disappointment and wasted dreams of pink porkiness.

Tasting Notes

If you know how Marmite tastes like, burnt Marmite is just ridiculous. And I like Marmite! This is just bad. I think they overdid the smokiness to try to evoke the feel of bacon-y goodness and forgot to follow through with actual bacon flavors. No no no no!

TLDR version
Save yourself the money and heartache. Just get regular Kettle chips.

G7 Trung Nguyen 3-in-1 Instant Coffee Review

Another day another instant coffee. What's life without a bit of variety eh. Today I'm having communist coffee!

Nothing says communist like the red star. Erm kinda?

Yes I'm talking about G7 coffee!

G7 Trung Nguyen 3-in-1 Instant Coffee

That huge amount of white should mean a lot of milk or something.

Very nice strong brown

Taste Review

Aroma - 8/10

Very strong distinct fragrance that tells you this is Vietnamese coffee. It's unmistakable. Also comes with a strong caramel coffee fragrance.

Taste - 8/10

Very sweet and milky with just a light hint of bitterness lurking in the back. The after taste is sweeeeeet but quickly fades. Very clean tasting which is an odd term to use for coffee. Surprisingly easy to go down. Why? Because if you have ever drunk Vietnamese coffee in Vietnam, it delivers caffeine content that is feels enough to kill a horse. 

Cost - 6/10

When it's not on offer, it costs $6.60 for 40 sachets. That's exactly $0.165 per sachet. Not too bad!

Tasting Notes

Nothing beats the real Vietnamese coffee experience of watching black tar coffee drip into sweet white condensed milk while watching the world go by.
This instant version does a decent job of mimicking the Vietnamese coffee taste for plebeians like you and me but much faster like 10,000x faster cos it's instant! (hur hur hur)
Connoisseurs will probably stick their noses up at this but we working class have limited precious coffee time to escape our slave jobs for our economic masters.

At $0.165 per sachet, the communist revolution has succeed on this front in bringing coffee to the masses!
Eh wait or should this be attributed to Capitalism... Since they are exporting this to make money... wait... or are they.... maybe they are exporting this at a loss but doing so in a bid to spread influence and instill communist sympathies within the local population...

Ermmm....

Viva La Revolution!!!!

This one's just totally out of point :p

TLDR version
A very good instant coffee version of Vietnamese coffee. G7 hits the spot if you want some strong stuff. 

Obasan Crispy Beancurd Skin eview

I love beancurd products, especially beancurd skin. You can fry it or add it to soups so it's superbly versatile.

Obasan Crispy Beancurd Skin

Obasan's a cute name though I'm pretty sure this ain't a Japanese brand

Taste Review

Taste - 7/10

Very faint taste. Slightly sweet

Texture - 4/10
Decent beancurd skin texture. If you fry it, well it gets crispy but its also a bit thick so the crunch is not as satisfying. If you put it into soups... it has hard bits in places so I guess the sheets aren't very even.

Cost - 6/10

$2.20 for a 176g pack at Sheng Siong. Decently priced I guess.

Tasting Notes

Tasted ok but the hard bits really get to me. It's kinda irritating. I've tasted better.

TLDR version
I've definitely tasted better. Keep looking...

Tasty Bites Seafood Sticks Review

To hedge my bets, I actually bought this together with the Li Chuan seafood sticks.

Tasty Bites Seafood Sticks

Cheap looking but tasty indeed

Taste Review

Taste - 9/10

Similar to the Li Chuan brand but just a little bit fishier which is good.

Texture - 9/10
Firm texture that allows the seafood stick to flake off in layers just like the Li Chuan brand.

Cost - 10/10

Even cheaper! $1.65 at Sheng Siong!

Tasting Notes

Nothing much to add apart that it's decent.

TLDR version
Similar to Li Chuan except cheaper. You can find the Li Chuan review here. 

Li Chuan Seafood Sticks Review

Another common ingredient for instant noodles! Seafood sticks! And... so many different brands out there too!

Li Chuan Seafood Sticks

That little chef image! Cute!

Taste Review

Taste - 9/10

I like this one. The sticks have just the right fishy taste that's not overpowering.

Texture - 9/10
Firm texture that allows the seafood stick to flake off in layers. you can roll it out when cooked! Not too tough and not spongy at all! It's not as tender as the premium seafood sticks that try to mimic crab leg but hey, this is a non-premium item and I think they hit the texture spot on.

Cost - 10/10

Cheapppppp! $1.95 at Sheng Siong!

Tasting Notes

It cheap and it tastes good. It's a good safe choice for soups and noodles. However, if you're thinking of frying them into those super tasty heart attack inducing CNY treats, they apparently fall flat as Budgetpantry here has tried.

TLDR version
Cheap and good. Totally fits the theme of instant noodles. 

WK Muar Minced Fish Otak-Otak (Standard) Review

Who doesn't love Otah-Otah!
This here is the green one aka the cheapskate version. I normally steamed the whole block for a meal so it doesn't get the proper roasted Otah-Otah taste cos I no have the banana leaves (Where can you get them anyway?!).
I'm pretty sure the texture will improve if I had something to roast it in and roast it with, like an old fashion charcoal stove. But... It'd be quite a lot more work to smear the paste between the banana leaves, pin them in place with toothpicks and then roasting them over a fire which I'd have to watch. Meh too much trouble.... So I just steam it.

WK Muar Minced Fish Otak-Otak (Standard)

Green packaging = cheaper version

Taste Review

Taste - 8/10

Bear in mind I just steam the heck out of this all the time, the otah-otah comes out decent tasting with a good coconut-ish creaminess without being too fishy and it also has just the right tinge of chili burn. I like this one.

Texture - 7/10
Good firm meat that's not spongy or too tough even if I leave it steaming for too long. Good!

Cost - 10/10

It seems to be the cheapest option out there. Frequently on offer at about $7.80 for 3 x 180g blocks at NTUC.

Tasting Notes

It tastes good, hits the spot when I want Otah-Otah and its cheap. I love it! I may change my mind if I find a better one out there though heh. Oh I've also tried the more atas version aka the blue version which has chunks of fish added to the Otah-Otah. The review for the premium blur version can be found here.

TLDR version
Keep a block or two in the freezer for when you feel like Otah-Otah or need an additional dish at no hassle for a meal. This is a keeper!

WK Muar Fish Otak-Otak (Premium) Review

I've had the cheaper green version and now I'm having the more expensive blue version which has fish chunks in it. Preparation method is the same. I just steam it.

WK Muar Fish Otak-Otak (Premium)

Blue = atas

Taste Review

Taste - 8/10

Similar taste as the green version except there are chucks of fish which taste quite nice actually. The fish should be mackerel. The fish chunks have a good clean fishy taste without being too overpowering.

Texture - 7/10
Also similar to the green version. Fish chunks are nice and soft so that's a thumbs up. BUT! I've encountered fish bones in the fish chunks before and that's wayyy not cool. So don't feed this to your kids.

Cost - 10/10

A good price when on offer at about $6.65 for 2 x 180g blocks at NTUC if you covert those fish chunks. That's $3.325 per block, making it about $0.70 more expensive per block as compared to the cheaper green version.

Tasting Notes

It is indeed more atas than the green version which only has minced fish meat in it. The down side and the reason why I don't buy this anymore is that I've encountered fish bones in the fish chunks on more than one occasion. We don't normally expect to find bones in Otah-Otah so this is a huge minus point for me. I just stick to the cheaper green version. The review for the standard green version can be found here.

TLDR version
If you covert fish chunks in your Otah-Otah and be mindful of bones, then get this instead of the cheaper green version.

Nescafe 2-in-1 Original Zero Sugar Added Review

So I am also a person who's addicted to free samples and I got this in the mail. Am so drinking it.

Nescafe 2-in-1 Original Zero Sugar Added

Usual flat lay lol

Oooh nice brown

Taste Review

Aroma - 7/10

pleasant sweet caramel fragrance

Taste - 6/10

Very mild creaminess and mild coffee flavor that starts off with a light bitterness that puts you into a false sense of comfort before it progressively starts to kick you in the shins harder and harder with a build up of medium strength bitterness that lingers for a short while of approximately 10sec or so.

Cost - 9/10

Nescafe is like the flies of coffee. It's everywhere and has a huge variety. This one's $5.75 when on offer and they throw in 8 extra sticks too. So average cost comes up to.... $0.13 per stick. Ha! It still loses to Indocafe White Coffee!

Tasting Notes

Just like Indocafe, this is another working man's coffee that's cheap and gets the job done. The difference between this and Indocafe is the level of bitterness so choose your poison.
Coffee strength seems stronger than Indocafe and it should keep you running for the better part of the day.



TLDR version
This coffee is basically a master piece, it's engineered to mimic the relationship of an abusive spouse. Gentle and loving at first and then the bitterness builds up and wham! You get a hit of caffeine and peak bitterness then that bitterness and hate just dissipates. Now repeat daily. 

All Big Mini Chikuwa Review

Nothing is as lifesaving as instant noodles if you need to fix a meal in a jiffy. And unless you're some pathetic kid who has never cooked before, you will know that with just a few added ingredients, instant noodles can be elevated from cancer causing desperation food to amazeballs wtf-did-I-just-eat kind of meal.
Chikuwa is one of the most common ingredients and there are a crazy load of brands out there. I just grabbed the cheapest one this time and it's called...

All Big Mini Chikuwa

Sad sack of disappointment!

Taste Review

Taste - 3/10

TASTE OF DISAPPOINTMENT!
Ugh... You won't taste much fish in this one. In fact, you won't taste anything at all but at least it doesn't taste foul. All you get are fleeting images of roasted briny chikuwa... in your dreams.

Texture - 2/10
It's like biting into a slightly spongy tau kwa. I've eaten enough chikuwa to know that's not right. This is some serious corner cutting here. In a normal chikuwa, that middle brown part is supposed to be well roasted and there should be a firmer outer sleeve that covers the chikuwa. This pirated sorry piece of flour stick has tasteless brown paint standing in for that roasted segment.
This gets a 2 because its not completele inedible.

Cost - 10/10

It's dirt cheap alright. ~$2.60 for 250g. 

Tasting Notes

Not worth the money or the calories!
Save your money and spent it on a better quality chikuwa (no idea which one yet. I've to finish this pack first... It's still edible so I can't wait it... least the thunder god heh.)
Either that or spend that money on some other ingredients that taste better and cost about the same!
This is the first and last time I buy All Big Mini Chikuwa. Bleargh!

TLDR version
This is a piece of shit. Do not buy shit like this. It is bad for your sanity!

Indocafe White Coffee Review

For my very first review, it's going to be something we all can't live without. COFFEE!

One of the most common ones you're bound to encounter will be Indocafe. It's cheap, ubiquitous and exists in a few varieties. The one I always stock at home is Indocafe white coffee which is actually a 2-in-1 coffee.

Indocafe White Coffee

Very distinct white and black powder

Nice light brown colour

Taste Review

Aroma - 6/10

light sweet caramel fragrance

Taste - 6/10

Creamy with a mild coffee flavor and light bitterness that lingers

Cost - 10/10

Frequently on offer for $5.95 for 2 packs of 30 sticks each. Averages about 0.09cents per stick. This is waayyyyy cheap. It's like 10-12x cheaper than the coffeeshop! And I'll bet this is actually better than some of the horrible brews made by dispassionate kopi kias in some coffeeshops. 

Tasting Notes

It's a working man's coffee in that its cheap as hell and I mean real cheap. You can buy a truck load of this and literally guzzle it without burning a hole in your pocket. Taste won't be your top priority if you buy this but it will do a decent job of getting your engines started. The strength seems to be mild but baring any lab analysis, it's all just guess work and my guess is you'll need a midday pick me up with this coffee. Probably one that tastes better and also gives you an excuse to leave the desk for a coffee run to the coffeeshop or office pantry peppered with some small talk along the way. Contains instant coffee (probably mainly Arabica beans + the usual nanyang style coffee fillers of maize / corn and roasted with butter?) and a non-diary creamer. Definitely not for fussies!

TLDR version
This is a workhorse coffee that's cheap and decent. Get it to save your pocket!

Hello world!

Hello world!

I'm a relatively new homeowner learning the ropes of cooking and cleaning. It's been about 2 years since I've starting going groceries shopping proper and it's been a confusing experience.

There are just sooooooo many products out there for coffee, tea, milk, sugar, detergent, washing powder... the list goes on. It can get a bit confusing to decide which basic necessities to buy. Hence this blog!

I'm starting this blog to document my experiences with various household goods, food and SNACKS! to record data (cos I am damn forgetful) review and share which coffee, fishballs, seafood sticks, soy sauce, instant noodles... is the best! (or at least the best!)

So join me and be auntie auntie to share what best to get for your family!