Playing mahjong at @liltune’s inevitably means eating non-stop throughout the afternoon till night. I’m not complaining of course! Just saying it like it is and appreciating how blessed @ckaliva and I are 😁 On Friday this week, it was two kinds of cuisines from opposite ends of the world that we enjoyed. The first was @ahlianahfah’s homemade Glutinous Rice. Ok, to be frank, I am not usually a fan of this traditional Chinese dish but theirs was really good as it tasted extremely fresh. The ratio of ingredients like “lap cheong” and mushrooms etc. to rice was about 1:1, so there was plenty of “liao”. To add as we please, the ladies provided crunchy peanuts, crispy-fried golden-brown shallots, chopped spring onions and fresh cut red chillies in the attractively packaged box. These were instrumental in why I ended up loving #AhLianAhFah’s #glutinousrice. A vibrant Mexican feast was the other cuisine Tina had in store for us. With the exception of the tortilla chips and saltine crackers, everything was made from scratch by her husband @derricknguyen13 (he is the friendly American-Vietnamese dude behind @greenlotuskitchen.sg). Loved the bright flavours that popped from his #ShrimpCocktail which he created with a lively Mexican twist. The #salsa and #guacamole he concocted were super fresh and bursting with mouthwatering flavours too, which meant they were amazing as dips and also when used to top the piping hot beef steak #Tacos he grilled for dinner. Thanks so much for always over-feeding us, Tina and Derrick!

Since I enjoyed @mannafromoven’s food so much the last time, I made it a point to order the latest items in her revamped and expanded menu which also features food from Goa. Not only did my parents and I enjoy every item very much but I also learnt that if you plan on gifting someone her food, you can expect it to be attractively wrapped, like what she did for our “Miss Martin’s Prawn Pilau” ($25). The hearty and very tasty rice with prawns, which is based on a handwritten recipe from her friend’s mum (she is the owner of “Martin’s Corner” in Goa) came in a charming earthernware typically found in that region. It could even be placed into an oven for heating up. We really liked the Chicken Cafreal ($18) too. It’s very fragrant and none of us found it too spicy. The boneless pieces of tender meat made it even easier to enjoy. Knowing that the recipe for the #LambVindaloo ($30) we were tucking into has also satisfied a few generations was most heartwarming. Cooking it is a time-consuming process as the meat requires overnight marination. It wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be, and the meat which had zero gaminess, was so soft from being finished over a slow fire. Thanks Mandira for letting us try your Goan Prawn Curry ($19). Its tangy and medium-spicy style reminiscent of the curries found at Goan seafood shacks that line the beach in this coastal city of Western India, was really appetising - we couldn’t stop slurping the gravy. And nothing paired better with it than the puffed Goan rice. Of course I had to re-order #mannafromoven’s Baingan Raita ($9) - my favourite #raita ever! Those dried chillies and mustard seeds in the yogurt elevates it to something mouthwateringly unique. We ended the meal with the bestselling dessert of Mango Trifle ($8). Chockfull of fresh mangoes, the multi-textural dessert was wonderful and not too sweet which is how I prefer things. Thanks again for the thoughtful surprise, Mandira.

G I F T Last December, I had the good fortune to receive the Christmas Trio set of homemade laksa rempah and sambals from @2mamasandawok. More recently, it was their Dry Laksa that I had the opportunity to enjoy, thanks to @chanksters’ kind arrangement. It’s obviously a hot seller because last I checked, this item is marked as “sold out” until the end of July. Totally understandable though given how attractively presented the packaging is and more importantly, how deeply aromatic and tasty the laksa noodles are. The amount of toppings is generous and there’s a good balance in terms of “lemak-ness” and spice level in the dish. It’s a crowd-pleaser for sure.