Our Food Feast Journey around Cafe Asia 2019 & Restaurant Asia 2019
Hey people!
Last year, YX and I had a fantastic, eye-opening experience at Cafe Asia 2018, so we were thrilled to join the media tour for Cafe Asia 2019 and Restaurant Asia 2019 this year.
Restaurant Asia 2019 was a new addition, with the objective of showcasing the latest culinary equipment and technologies, as well as supplies for distributors and restaurant owners. There were also industry shows such as the International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo and the Sweets & Bakes Asia. Thus, we were prepared for a lot of cakes, gelato, coffee and tea.
Selfie Coffee by Ripples
Let me introduce some of the more interesting booth vendors we have seen. First up, check out this super cool Selfie Coffee by Ripples.
This is the first time we had our photo printed on the foam of our coffee. Really couldn't bear to drink this so we had to take a photo for keepsake!
Apparently, you can download a Ripples - Drink Personalization app, take a selfie and send your photo to the Ripple Maker. It will then transfer your photo onto the foam of your coffee cup.
I don't exactly know the technicalities of the Ripple Maker but I supposed it works like a photo printer, except that your printing base is a foam instead of a piece of paper. What an intelligent invention. :D
Gelato & Pops from Momolato
We knew that there would definitely be gelato suppliers in Cafe Asia. The gelato creations by Momolato was by far the prettiest ones I have seen during the event.
They are akin to works of art - how can we bear to eat them?
They also have very exotic gelato flavours as well.
I was obviously drawn to their Acai Sorbet (because Acai is love, Acai is life) but the Black Yuzu was the flavour that eventually won our hearts.
This latest creation contains fresh yuzu imported from Kochi, Japan and is mixed with activated charcoal. It was very refreshing and I foresee that it would be a hit among patrons. So glad I had the chance to try it!
Millac Gold from Phoon Huat Pte Ltd
I was told that I would be trying the best pasta in Cafe Asia next, so we headed over to Phoon Huat.
The pasta chef turned out to be my Brother-in-law's elder brother! What a coincidence!!!!
Phoon Huat was promoting Millac Gold, which consists of a blend of buttermilk, vegetable fat and dairy cream. It served as a chef's alternative to dairy cream.
As the Millac Gold is highly versatile and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes, it is ideal for cooking, whipping or pouring.
Added a bit of garnish and our pasta was good to go.
The creamy texture was just right and the taste was heavenly! I wished I could have more but a crowd was slowly forming around my relative by then. HA HA!
Frozen fruits from ASC Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd
ASC Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd supplies frozen fruits and I thought that these frozen mangoes were DA BOMB.
They were awesomely delicious and I loved their taste and texture.
They also had frozen strawberries, although I didn't fancy their texture. I still prefer strawberries that are soft on the inside.
Nonetheless, these frozen fruits would make great instant smoothies. You need not prep your fruits or prepare any ice since they are already pre-cut and frozen. How convenient!
WE Cater
In my years of arranging catering orders for company events, I never knew about WE Cater so I was happy to learn about them during this event. WE Cater provides one-stop catering services, suitable for all kinds of functions. Be it company events, parties or wedding celebrations, they've got you.
They also have a Mobile Barista Cart service which can provide professional barista service at the location of your choice.
As part of the Mobile Barista Cart, they serve coffee like Espresso, Long Black, Cafe Latte and Cappucino. We went for a Cappucino that came with pretty coffee art.
For non-coffee drinkers, you can look forward to other options such as Matcha Latte, Hot Chocolate, English Breakfast Tea or Chamomile Tea.
WE Cater had some very instagram-worthy desserts that got people like me so trigger-happy.
Check out their centrepiece - a vibrantly coloured rainbow cake. A pity we couldn't taste them!
They have an extensive dessert table with all sorts of sweet treats as well. I was very enticed by their macarons.
Besides desserts, they also have savoury food too. In case you are wondering, they are halal-certified so our Muslim friends can definitely consider their service!
Food Evolution
Headed to Food Evolution which supplies an assortment of food products from savoury to sweet.
We tried this crispy tofu that was pretty addictive, and it came with a variety of sauces that you can dip the tofu into. I wanted to go for a second helping, but similarly, there was a crowd of people going for them already.
They also serve fragrant glutinous rice!
I normally love glutinous rice but unfortunately, I was feeling too full to have them.
Pure Circle - Everything Stevia
Stevia is a plant-based natural sweetener and is commonly used as a replacement for sugar. I would think that they are healthier as well since they do not add calories.
Some of the products that use Stevia sweetners can be found on the shelf in the picture above.
Where does this natural sweetener come from?
It comes from this Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant which originates from South America. It has since been cultivated in many other countries such as USA and Kenya as well as Asia like China, India and Vietnam.
We tasted the leaf of the plant directly and it was sweet indeed!
Do you know that 3 Stevia leaves can replace 25% of the calories in 1 glass of soda? Try adding a sachet to your coffee and tea, without the guilt and the worry of developing sugar-related health problems.
Since it is a zero-calorie sweetener, it is safe for consumption by children, pregnant and nursing women as well as people with diabetes. Best of all, it does not compromise the taste in your drinks since it tastes like sugar! :D
Kampung Chicken from Aqina Farm
Aqina Farm left us a very interesting impression, because it was possibly the only booth vendor that supplies Kampung Chicken.
What's special about their Kampung Chicken is that they feed on digestive enzyme Bromelain, which is obtained from premium MD2 pineapples. Bromelain helps the chicken to absorb nutrients and boost their immunity, giving rise to firm and lean chickens which taste naturally sweet.
We tried a bit of the Kampung Chicken and gosh, its skin was so smooth and its flesh was so tender.
I just realized that I sounded like a pervert describing the Kampung Chicken in this way, but mannn... I really loved its taste. Even the chicken breast was tender instead of dry. Yums yums!
Thank you for the pineapple ice-pop as well!
Ruhrfeuer Gourmet Currysauce
O-kay, don't ask me how to pronounce the name - I have absolutely no idea.
All I know was that the German curry sauce was really exotic and the spiciness level was surprisingly tolerable. You can trust me because I am terrible when it comes to having spicy food so if I can take this, everyone can too.
They go marvellously well with baguettes, and I envision that this will make a good veggie dip as well.
They are looking for Singapore distributors at the moment so who knows, we might see them in our local stores very soon.
Luxe.Brew
I'm not much of a drinker but I do like the espresso martini from Luxe.Brew. The espresso martini is made with roasted arabica beans and brewed over 48 hours using chilled, filtered water.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Luxe.Brew not only sells unique coffee liquer but a range of coffee and tea blends as well. My brother-in-law is a coffee connoisseur and he really enjoyed their Cold Brew Coffee!
Roastedly
Speaking of Cold Brew Coffee, Roastedly came up with a Make Your Own Cold Brew Kit, coupled with instructions on how to go about doing it.
Time for some D-I-Y, Cold Brew Coffee lovers?
The kit comes with 5 packs of coffee, each with a different flavour.
You can scan the QR code to read on the origins of the coffee beans or its taste notes. My brother-in-law was very intrigued by this kit.
Since I prefer hot coffee to cold coffee, I was more attracted to these Coffeestry Boxes. They come in 4 types, based on taste notes, namely Chocolatey, Floral, Fruity and Assorted.
Similarly, each box contains 5 different coffee packs within the same category of taste notes. If you have a friend or family member who can appreciate coffee, these boxes will make wonderful gifts.
Rice Straws
I was really excited when I saw Rice Straws, because they do look like a promising and environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic straws.
The Rice Straws are very sturdy and you can eat them once you finish your drink. The bottom part of the straw would have been soaked by then so it would turn soft, although disclaimer: the taste was bland. I supposed the straw needs to be bland so that it does not mess up the taste of your drink but that also means we cannot count on users to eat them even if they are edible. Nonetheless, if you throw the straw away, it is biodegradable and wouldn't do harm to the environment. I heard from the suppliers that the Rice Straws are comparable to regular plastic straws in terms of cost so I guessed there's some motivation for doing a switch.
Bonsoy
Three years ago, I did a collaboration with Nature's Glory and had the opportunity to try Bonsoy, an organic soymilk.
My family and I loved it so much that we visited Nature's Glory's outlet to stock up on it. I was happy to drop by Bonsoy's booth towards the end of the media tour because I knew that I would love their drinks!
This time, Bonsoy came up with Organic Coconut Milk in Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Chocolate.
I tried the Chocolate flavour for breakfast few mornings ago and it tasted like a lighter version of a regular Chocolate Milk. I liked the taste as it wasn't so overwhelmingly sweet. Perhaps I'll try the Vanilla and Salted Caramel flavours next time!
Once again, thank you The Rainmaker Marketing Group for having YX and me on this insightful media tour, and for making sure that we were well fed with 'main course, dessert and drinks'. Many thanks to the booth vendors for introducing your products to us as well. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and we're looking forward to Cafe Asia 2020 already. :D
Disclaimer: Event feature is done in collaboration with The Rainmaker Marketing Group. Review is based on personal experiences.
Last year, YX and I had a fantastic, eye-opening experience at Cafe Asia 2018, so we were thrilled to join the media tour for Cafe Asia 2019 and Restaurant Asia 2019 this year.
Restaurant Asia 2019 was a new addition, with the objective of showcasing the latest culinary equipment and technologies, as well as supplies for distributors and restaurant owners. There were also industry shows such as the International Coffee & Tea (ICT) Industry Expo and the Sweets & Bakes Asia. Thus, we were prepared for a lot of cakes, gelato, coffee and tea.
Selfie Coffee by Ripples
Let me introduce some of the more interesting booth vendors we have seen. First up, check out this super cool Selfie Coffee by Ripples.
This is the first time we had our photo printed on the foam of our coffee. Really couldn't bear to drink this so we had to take a photo for keepsake!
Apparently, you can download a Ripples - Drink Personalization app, take a selfie and send your photo to the Ripple Maker. It will then transfer your photo onto the foam of your coffee cup.
I don't exactly know the technicalities of the Ripple Maker but I supposed it works like a photo printer, except that your printing base is a foam instead of a piece of paper. What an intelligent invention. :D
Gelato & Pops from Momolato
We knew that there would definitely be gelato suppliers in Cafe Asia. The gelato creations by Momolato was by far the prettiest ones I have seen during the event.
They are akin to works of art - how can we bear to eat them?
They also have very exotic gelato flavours as well.
I was obviously drawn to their Acai Sorbet (because Acai is love, Acai is life) but the Black Yuzu was the flavour that eventually won our hearts.
This latest creation contains fresh yuzu imported from Kochi, Japan and is mixed with activated charcoal. It was very refreshing and I foresee that it would be a hit among patrons. So glad I had the chance to try it!
Millac Gold from Phoon Huat Pte Ltd
I was told that I would be trying the best pasta in Cafe Asia next, so we headed over to Phoon Huat.
The pasta chef turned out to be my Brother-in-law's elder brother! What a coincidence!!!!
Phoon Huat was promoting Millac Gold, which consists of a blend of buttermilk, vegetable fat and dairy cream. It served as a chef's alternative to dairy cream.
As the Millac Gold is highly versatile and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes, it is ideal for cooking, whipping or pouring.
Added a bit of garnish and our pasta was good to go.
The creamy texture was just right and the taste was heavenly! I wished I could have more but a crowd was slowly forming around my relative by then. HA HA!
Frozen fruits from ASC Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd
ASC Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd supplies frozen fruits and I thought that these frozen mangoes were DA BOMB.
They were awesomely delicious and I loved their taste and texture.
They also had frozen strawberries, although I didn't fancy their texture. I still prefer strawberries that are soft on the inside.
Nonetheless, these frozen fruits would make great instant smoothies. You need not prep your fruits or prepare any ice since they are already pre-cut and frozen. How convenient!
WE Cater
In my years of arranging catering orders for company events, I never knew about WE Cater so I was happy to learn about them during this event. WE Cater provides one-stop catering services, suitable for all kinds of functions. Be it company events, parties or wedding celebrations, they've got you.
They also have a Mobile Barista Cart service which can provide professional barista service at the location of your choice.
As part of the Mobile Barista Cart, they serve coffee like Espresso, Long Black, Cafe Latte and Cappucino. We went for a Cappucino that came with pretty coffee art.
For non-coffee drinkers, you can look forward to other options such as Matcha Latte, Hot Chocolate, English Breakfast Tea or Chamomile Tea.
WE Cater had some very instagram-worthy desserts that got people like me so trigger-happy.
Check out their centrepiece - a vibrantly coloured rainbow cake. A pity we couldn't taste them!
They have an extensive dessert table with all sorts of sweet treats as well. I was very enticed by their macarons.
Besides desserts, they also have savoury food too. In case you are wondering, they are halal-certified so our Muslim friends can definitely consider their service!
Food Evolution
Headed to Food Evolution which supplies an assortment of food products from savoury to sweet.
We tried this crispy tofu that was pretty addictive, and it came with a variety of sauces that you can dip the tofu into. I wanted to go for a second helping, but similarly, there was a crowd of people going for them already.
They also serve fragrant glutinous rice!
I normally love glutinous rice but unfortunately, I was feeling too full to have them.
Pure Circle - Everything Stevia
Stevia is a plant-based natural sweetener and is commonly used as a replacement for sugar. I would think that they are healthier as well since they do not add calories.
Some of the products that use Stevia sweetners can be found on the shelf in the picture above.
Where does this natural sweetener come from?
It comes from this Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant which originates from South America. It has since been cultivated in many other countries such as USA and Kenya as well as Asia like China, India and Vietnam.
We tasted the leaf of the plant directly and it was sweet indeed!
Do you know that 3 Stevia leaves can replace 25% of the calories in 1 glass of soda? Try adding a sachet to your coffee and tea, without the guilt and the worry of developing sugar-related health problems.
Since it is a zero-calorie sweetener, it is safe for consumption by children, pregnant and nursing women as well as people with diabetes. Best of all, it does not compromise the taste in your drinks since it tastes like sugar! :D
Kampung Chicken from Aqina Farm
Aqina Farm left us a very interesting impression, because it was possibly the only booth vendor that supplies Kampung Chicken.
What's special about their Kampung Chicken is that they feed on digestive enzyme Bromelain, which is obtained from premium MD2 pineapples. Bromelain helps the chicken to absorb nutrients and boost their immunity, giving rise to firm and lean chickens which taste naturally sweet.
We tried a bit of the Kampung Chicken and gosh, its skin was so smooth and its flesh was so tender.
I just realized that I sounded like a pervert describing the Kampung Chicken in this way, but mannn... I really loved its taste. Even the chicken breast was tender instead of dry. Yums yums!
Thank you for the pineapple ice-pop as well!
Ruhrfeuer Gourmet Currysauce
O-kay, don't ask me how to pronounce the name - I have absolutely no idea.
All I know was that the German curry sauce was really exotic and the spiciness level was surprisingly tolerable. You can trust me because I am terrible when it comes to having spicy food so if I can take this, everyone can too.
They go marvellously well with baguettes, and I envision that this will make a good veggie dip as well.
They are looking for Singapore distributors at the moment so who knows, we might see them in our local stores very soon.
Luxe.Brew
I'm not much of a drinker but I do like the espresso martini from Luxe.Brew. The espresso martini is made with roasted arabica beans and brewed over 48 hours using chilled, filtered water.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Luxe.Brew not only sells unique coffee liquer but a range of coffee and tea blends as well. My brother-in-law is a coffee connoisseur and he really enjoyed their Cold Brew Coffee!
Roastedly
Speaking of Cold Brew Coffee, Roastedly came up with a Make Your Own Cold Brew Kit, coupled with instructions on how to go about doing it.
Time for some D-I-Y, Cold Brew Coffee lovers?
The kit comes with 5 packs of coffee, each with a different flavour.
You can scan the QR code to read on the origins of the coffee beans or its taste notes. My brother-in-law was very intrigued by this kit.
Since I prefer hot coffee to cold coffee, I was more attracted to these Coffeestry Boxes. They come in 4 types, based on taste notes, namely Chocolatey, Floral, Fruity and Assorted.
Similarly, each box contains 5 different coffee packs within the same category of taste notes. If you have a friend or family member who can appreciate coffee, these boxes will make wonderful gifts.
Rice Straws
I was really excited when I saw Rice Straws, because they do look like a promising and environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic straws.
The Rice Straws are very sturdy and you can eat them once you finish your drink. The bottom part of the straw would have been soaked by then so it would turn soft, although disclaimer: the taste was bland. I supposed the straw needs to be bland so that it does not mess up the taste of your drink but that also means we cannot count on users to eat them even if they are edible. Nonetheless, if you throw the straw away, it is biodegradable and wouldn't do harm to the environment. I heard from the suppliers that the Rice Straws are comparable to regular plastic straws in terms of cost so I guessed there's some motivation for doing a switch.
Bonsoy
Three years ago, I did a collaboration with Nature's Glory and had the opportunity to try Bonsoy, an organic soymilk.
My family and I loved it so much that we visited Nature's Glory's outlet to stock up on it. I was happy to drop by Bonsoy's booth towards the end of the media tour because I knew that I would love their drinks!
This time, Bonsoy came up with Organic Coconut Milk in Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Chocolate.
I tried the Chocolate flavour for breakfast few mornings ago and it tasted like a lighter version of a regular Chocolate Milk. I liked the taste as it wasn't so overwhelmingly sweet. Perhaps I'll try the Vanilla and Salted Caramel flavours next time!
Once again, thank you The Rainmaker Marketing Group for having YX and me on this insightful media tour, and for making sure that we were well fed with 'main course, dessert and drinks'. Many thanks to the booth vendors for introducing your products to us as well. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and we're looking forward to Cafe Asia 2020 already. :D
Disclaimer: Event feature is done in collaboration with The Rainmaker Marketing Group. Review is based on personal experiences.