Dining At The Kitchen

Treating myself to a nice meal is something I look forward to at the end of a busy week. I think  a little pampering is what I deserve after a week's hard work. With my friend gone, I have been eating out solo. I am discovering new places to dine in my favorite hang out place in Chaweng, a short trip on a songtaew (taxi) from where I live.

Just recently, I found a place called The Kitchen, one of the many restaurants at the ground floor of Central Festival Mall. I had walked past it a few times before but it didn't cross my mind to try their food. I only had one meal and I thought  I was missing out on the good stuff all this time. The restaurant is definitely worth another try.

Time For A Break

I can't remember the last time I made chiffon cake.  All I know is that it's been a while but I still remember the exact amount of ingredients to use. How could I forget? It's the type of cake I would most often make while working at a private bakery in Bangkok. Almost two years have passed and it's only recently when I decided to go for chiffon cake instead of sponge cake.

Chiffon cake needs a good quality of meringue to achieve that light and springy texture it is known for. It was a bold move on my part to make it without  practice. I thought I might have lost my meringue making skill after a long break.  Well it turns out I still got it. Yay!

Sprinkles Cookies

Being a baker gives me a chance to unleash my creativity.  I have discovered ways to hone  my baking skills and develop my artistry. It is not easy given my prior career but the repetitive work helps me tackle whatever issues I come across with.

As for turn down treats, I find it challenging to think of  what to serve our in-house guests.  Cookies are well- loved so I am not crossing it off yet from the list of my daily turn down treats.  Making a cookie with the same stuffing could be boring so I came up with the idea of changing the stuffing every now and then. I did some trial and after getting the result I was looking for, I decided to use similar  recipes but add different stuffing in the batter to achieve a new look, taste and texture.

Hexagonal Bavarian Cream Cake

The off season has began. We have  low occupancy rate and fewer events at the resort. My schedule is less hectic now that high season and  wedding season have come to a close. Since I  have enough time to spare, I get demands for extra work like  birthday cakes.  They are usually outsourced but whenever possible, I accommodate a guest's request.

As I take a break from making wedding cakes and treats, I find myself enjoying creating something new for our guests. Like this chocolate bavarian cream cake I made for a guest last Sunday. The design may not pass artistic scrutiny of highly talented pastry chefs but given the infrequency of making such cakes, I considered it a masterpiece.

Wedding Cake # 17 Chocolate Mint

Finally it's here - the picture I had been waiting for. It took a while before a colleague sent me this. The wedding was on Saturday so I didn't get the chance to take a picture of the cake with the flower accent. But it's never too late to post a nice creation.

If you've read my post on fondant-covered chocolate cake in March, you would know that the recipe was adapted from addapinch.  I followed the same  recipe but made a small tweak once again. Instead of adding freshly ground coffee beans, I opted to use freshly brewed espresso. I reduced the amount of boiling water called for to a half and replaced half  with espresso,  giving the cake a fuller flavor. To achieve the minty taste, I ditched vanilla and added mint extract. I iced the cake with mint flavored Swiss meringue buttercream. Yummers!

Mud About Chocolate

I must admit I have been slow lately. I  burned myself  out because of the demands at work. I have yet to fully recover and I know it would take time for me to recharge.  As the resort's occupancy rate is dropping, I am finally getting a little break from the high season madness.

Just when my rigid work schedule is easing up a bit, I was commissioned yet again to make another wedding cake. It would probably be the last wedding of the year before the holiday season starts. When I got the email regarding the style and flavor, I was relieved to know that the couple wanted chocolate mud cake covered in white icing. Making the cake several times in the past  has got me familiarized with the ingredients and procedures. It would be easy. I have worked with fondant so many times already.and did not have any problems. There was no reason for me to fret. So I thought...

Visiting Lamai Walking Street

Wide selection of Thai noodles

Lamai Walking Street turns into a buzzing night market on Sunday. The place attracts foreign tourists and locals alike. Stalls selling variety of goods and food lined the streets. What I like most about it is the wide array of food choices. From Thai appetizers to desserts, the night market is the right place for a local food experience. If not in the mood for it or want to try something different, then a visitor can  have kebab,  pizzas and sausages at reasonable prices.

Here is a peek of what the place offers foodwise. I don't know the names of each dish. I just want you to have an idea what local food is like. Enjoy!

OXA Italian Restaurant

As evidence that low season is approaching, the resort had very few bookings for brunch this past Sunday. Doing overtime work was not required. I was able to leave  on time and join a  friend for early dinner. I let her choose between Thai and pizza. She wanted the latter. I know a German restaurant another friend and I used to go to in Lamai walking street. They make good pizza and I couldn't wait for her to try it for herself.  She skipped lunch. I knew she was starving.

We left the apartment hurriedly. I was disappointed when we got there. The restaurant was still closed but I wasted no time. I took her to another pizza place just around the corner, a few steps away from the German restaurant. People raved about it. I hadn't had a chance to go so it was a perfect time to check it out.