Nicole Bernadette

It's been a while, again.

So many things have happened and I don't think I'll be able to tell you everything but basically, JC life has been a roller coaster ride. And it's only been about 2 months.


Anyway, I'm here with a high-carb low-fat brownie recipe. Not only is it oil-free and super healthy, it's also really delicious and filling! The bananas give it a natural, delicious sweetness and the texture of the brownie is really dense and fudge-y. I topped my brownie with dark chocolate squares (vegan)- it melts in your mouth when you chew into the brownie, it's really really good. I also added chia seeds to give the brownie a nutritional boost.

These brownies are also delicious if you put them in the refrigerator and eat them chilled!!


I've been trying to get back in shape and I decided to start my 'journey' by switching my regular vegan diet to a high-carb low-fat one.

If you have any other great HCLF recipes you'd like to recommend, please comment down below! I could use some help haha :))

It kinda looks like a heart-shape, doesn't it? ;)

Recipe adapted from here.

1 1/2tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees F). 
2. Puree the bananas in a large bowl.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until everything is combined.
4. Spread the batter into the 8x8" square pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Add toppings of your choice. I used chocolate chips/squares and chia seeds.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes.
7. Let them cool before cutting into squares.

I actually tried the HCLF lifestyle for a week, back when I first turned vegan. It didn't go very well because it was a pretty tough time for me.
But I'm hoping I'll be more successful this time :)  I don't want it to be too restrictive though. I guess I'll stick to an 80-20 rule; low-sodium and oil-free 80% of the time when I can help it and I'll let myself eat 'unhealthy' fried food (and cup noodles) 20% of the time. Sounds like a good plan :)

I even made datetorade (is that how you spell it?) last time when I was on the HCLF diet.

I miss it!!

Why, hello! It's been an awfully long time since I've blogged.



JC has been slowly, but surely, killing me. But this isn't going to be a rambling post where I complain about school, it's a post for me to share a review of this awesome fine-dining restaurant. It's on the expensive end of the dining spectrum but if you're celebrating a fancy occasion, and want good veg food, this is the place baby.


I mentioned 'fancy occasion' and today, 18th March, is my birthday!! I can't believe I'm 17, it's crazy. A post on what I did on my 17th birthday is here.

Anyway, on to the food!

Joie provides an elaborate six-course lunch or seven-course dinner. We went for the lunch. And the ambience is lovely and peaceful. The lighting from the private room we sat in made the pictures turn out pretty good :)

If you're vegan, I recommend that you specify that you are. The waiter/waitress will hand you a separate menu with vegan options :)

Before the six-course lunch, they serve this crunchy snack. Vegans beware: The thicker strands are the soba sticks (vegan-friendly) while the thinner ones have cheese (non-vegan).

Starter
Chef’s Selection of Assorted Platter
The staff at Joie are also very friendly and informative. The waiter instructed us to start with the item from the middle, then the cracker on the right and end off wit the item on the left.
First impressions really count and when I took a bite out of the orange thing (I think it's carrot? I can't remember what the waiter said) in the middle, I think I died of happiness. I don't know how they do it but it tastes a LOT like salmon (which I used to looove to eat). The texture and taste is on point. My expectations for the rest of the food were set so high after that first mouthful of that starter.
The starter, overall, was really great!

Side Dish
Matsutake Cake
~steamed Japanese mushroom with rosemary gel, golden enoki and crème patissiere, pistachio crumbs
 This was really delicious as well. Everything tasted so fresh and nourishing.
One thing that I found very consistent in all the food in Joie was that the texture of the food is always so perfect. And that really enhances the flavour and overall experience :)

Tempura Platter on Mash
~charcoal coated yam, eggplant, apple, banana with Japanese orange sesame dressing
 My first thoughts were, "Why is it black in colour?" And the answer is, it's covered in charcoal! No, it's not burnt, it's just the way it is and it tastes so good! The gold flecks make it look so pretty too. The crunchy exterior compliments the flavours of the food so well and I definitely recommend trying this, especially if you're a tempura fan.

Soup
Snow Pear and Napa Cabbage Consumme
~double-boiled rich vegetables stock with baby pear and almond
 This soup has been getting numerous praises and I can see (or taste) why. After pouring the soup into the bowl with the pear, the waiter told us to wait for a few seconds to let the natural sweetness of the pear sweeten the soup. It was so delicious and I think it's something I wouldn't mind drinking everyday, hahaha.

Infusion of Cepes and Truffle
~cepes mushroom perfumed with white winter truffle oil and black truffles
 I love truffle so I had to try this soup. The truffle oil really enhanced this soup and made it unique, different from other regular mushroom soups.

Main
Truffle Risotto
~risotto with black truffle, cepes and edamamme with mascarpone cream, parmesan crisp
This risotto was so creamy and hearty! The truffle taste really came through, making this dish absolutely delicious :)  The portion was also just right!

Grill Bai-Ling Steak on “Pu-Ye” Hot Stone
~bai-ling mushroom on granite stone serve with mash
 This is one of their signature dishes. Like I said before, the texture of the food in Joie is amazing and I like the fact that they used mushroom and not just mock meat. It tastes really fresh. The mash potato is probably my favourite part! It's so creamy and delicious!!

Drink
Ice Rose Lemon Tea
~lemon tea infused with pink rose buds
I loved this tea so so much!! It has the perfect amount of sweetness and tanginess. The rose taste also made this even tastier. It was a lovely beverage to accompany the meal :)

Dessert
Poach Pear (ask for vegan option)
It was sweet and slightly crunchy. If they poached it longer, I think that'd be great but it's still alright :)  I just wish they had more vegan dessert options at Joie because it's currently quite limited.

Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (non-vegan, for my mom)

Because it was my birthday, they gave this little brownie slice with a birthday message written on the plate with chocolate sauce. It was probably the best brownie I've ever tasted :))

Overall, Joie was really impressive and the food was delicious! I would love to go back again the next time there's a special occasion :)

That's all for this post, bye for now!!