Luckin Coffee Available at NTUC

 I was somewhat surprised to see Luckin Coffee beind sold at NTUC. Heh nope not the normal version at the Luckin shops, but rather the different instant mix version. Even the Coconut flavour version (I thought unique and seasonal?) is available - per box of 9 cups being sold at $10.90 (discounted from $11.90). Not a bad thing but I wouldnt feel that uniqueness (or should I say experience) of getting a Luckin coffee via such an instant mix isnt it?

Luckin Coffee Coconut at NTUC

I can understand why Starbucks x Nespresso capsules work for some (me included) because all you want is a traditional coffee made quickly at home, i.e. an instant "cappuccino". Whereas the Luckin coffee experience is a different one - one order from their app prior to reaching the store with different vouchers to offset the price plus getting some varied flavour of the month. The latter would not be offered via a box of instant mix.

Oh well, who knows, maybe there are as many varied coffee drinkers with different preferences who might like it. Besides Coconut flavour, the mix traditional black coffee version is also available at $9.90 for 8 cups. Nope I didnt buy either - would still buy from their shop instead.

Luckin Instant Black Coffee

I think normal grocery food items being packaged with known brands is a thing - so while I was looking for that Demon Hunter Instant Ramen (not available yet), I came across this macadamia mixnuts with the Netflix brand instead. Maybe give them, i.e. Netflix, another month or so to get that spicy ramen flavours in all three versions right, and we would see them in stores all over. Heh with likes of Saja Boys' Your Idol topping the US charts, I think the related KPop Demon Hunter merchandise should be something made widely available soon.

NTUC Netflix Macadamia Mixnuts

Korean Food (by the Roadside) - Part 2

Finally here comes Part 2 of the Korean Food experience. The month long absence was due to a combination of factors, including job, computer malfunction, and others.

There are quite a number of road side stalls with somewhat unique korean food. There is this bbq squid cooked using hot stones (instead of naked flame). The squid is the raw un-dried version, and after being cooked on the stones, there is this combination of slightly crispy taste for the skin with the chewy texture of the squid. This will be one of the Korean food I missed.

There is also the Yakitori / satay version roadside stall in Seoul. There is this stall near a park, where passer-by could just ordered the skewers of meat and ate them on the spot. The stall also offers plain soup to wash down the food.

The roadside stalls offer not just food, but also some form of entertainment, as the would be buyers would crowd around the stall to look at the entire food making process. This is especially true for this Myeong Dong fishcake. The food is freshly made on the spot, and we witnessed the entire process of mashing the fish paste into tubular forms before the stall owner deep fried it. The aroma alone is already enticing enough to draw the long queue.

There is also thsi stall which sells twisted potato on sticks! There is a machine to slice the single potato nicely while twirling it on a stick. After deep frying it, we can dip the potato onto cheese and enjoy it on the go.

After we came back to Singapore, I realised that the Korean food outlet at Kallang Leisure Park is also selling the same twisted potato. I guess it is a Korean thing.

See related:

- Korean Food from Seoul Trip - Part 1

Korean Food from Seoul Trip - Part 1

After a good long holiday in Korea / Seoul, it took some adjustments when one is back to the humid and hot Singapore. Nonetheless there are lots of photos that capturedthe  moments of Korea trip, and here's some of the food photos.

Let me show the non-spicy dishes first. Hotpots are fairly common in Korea when you have groups of people sitting together to enjoy a meal. These hotpots are fairly standard, with clear flavourful broth and meat / vegetables simmering in the metal pans while the diners pick pieces of the different accompanying dishes as appetizers. The Koreans do have a lot of different appetizers to try, including the many varieties of kimchi, fish cake, bean sprouts, fish slices...etc.

At times they would add a big squid / octopus into the hotpot for variety sake. What is surprising is that their shrimps are really small. I thought the easy access to the seas should yield bigger prawns instead of really mini-size shrimps. Hmm.

Of course, another popular non-spicy Korean dish is the ginseng chicken. The Koreans enjoy it by adding in a small cup of ginseng liquor that helps to bring out the flavour of the hot soup in the stone bowl. The glutinous rice stuffed in the chicken serves as the carbs for the meal. For those who are hungry, portions of noodles can also be added.

The Koreans have a lot of spicy food actually, and I will introduce them in the next post.