The Weekly Grub: Your Midweek Foodie Pick Me Up

From Goodwood Park Hotel’s annual durian confection extravaganza to new dessert kiosks in the heart of town, the focus this week is definitely on the sweet treats. If you’re missing the yummy hawker food in Penang, we also up a buffet up your alley while our favourite makgeolli bar in Singapore has launched a new range of cocktails.

Goodwood Park Hotel Durian Fiesta

Durian fans, it’s a bumper crop of durian goodness this year at Goodwood Park Hotel from now till 2 August 2015. On top of returning favourites such as the star that launched the inaugural Durian Fiesta in 1983 Durian Mousse Cake ($11.75 per slice), they’ve introduced six more new creations like Durian Macarons ($22.45 for 6 pieces), Mini Durian Chocolate Wafer Rolls ($32.10 for 10 pieces), and the D24 Durian Egg Tartlets ($6++ for 3, available only dine-in at Min Jiang). Psst, Goodwood Park Hotel’s Coffee Lounge will also be serving their Dessert Buffet with durian pastries from 30 May to 2 August 2015 so stay tuned!

Cocoa Colony

The new chocolate café located at Shaw Centre on Scotts Road serves up (for the lack of a better word) avant garde cocoa beverages, crafted chocolate bars, and gelato. We rather like the Hazelnut Cocoa ($6 for hot and $7 for iced) and dripping the Amazonian Gold Dark ($2), the gourmet dark chocolate sauce, on top of our ice cream. Hungry? They also have a small selection of gourmet sandwiches like Chicken & Avocado ($7.80) and Truffle Egg & Cucumber ($6.80/)

Nookie Yogurt

After the influx of froyo and soft serve imports like Llao Llao, Honey Crème, and Milkcow, we finally have a homegrown froyo brand. Nookie Yogurt has cleverly set up shop at PoMo along Selegie Road to target students as well as white-collar workers in the area – but marketing strategy aside, we have to say that their deconstructed dessert froyo (all $6.90) is actually delicious! Our favourite is the Mango Sticky Rice, which features diced mango and kiwi, coconut cream, mango passionfruit spheres, butter crumble, and mochi.

Penang Hawker Fare at York Hotel

A perennial favourite with foodies of all ages, York Hotel’s Penang Hawkers’ Fare Buffet at White Rose Café is happening again till 29 March 2015. 22 of Penang’s famous hawkers will be flown in so you can expect authentic street food. We personally always go back for the char kway teow, the Penang prawn mee, and the min jiang kueh (a buttery, savoury and sweet pancake filled with peanuts). Priced at $25.80++ for weekdays and $28.80++ for weekends per adult for both lunch (12-2.30pm) and dinner (6.30-10pm).

Makgeolli Cocktails at Joo

We love Joo, and we can’t wait to try their new range of makegeolli cocktails by Korean bartender Eddy Jang. Their fermented rice house brew (aka Joo Brew) is featured in a collection of five tipples inspired by districts in Seoul and other Korean cities. Hip ‘hood Hong Dae gets a nod in Hong Dae Tripping ($24), a mix of Joo Brew, Grey Goose vodka, apricot brandy, cherry blossom syrup, lemon, and fresh rosemary. Busan Breeze ($20) reflects the coastal city’s beauty with Joo Brew, Tanqueray No. 10, peachtree schnapps, and blue curaçao.

Top Image: Goodwood Park Hotel and Cocoa Colony


Chief Editor

Emily heads the editorial team on City Nomads by being a stickler for details, a grammar Nazi, and a really picky eater. Born and bred in Singapore, she loves cats, the written word, and exploring new places. Can be bribed with quality booze across the board.