A Dramatic Sunset…

03 JAN 2010

Brought Brother up to the top of our world (Pinnacle@Duxton)… to have a walk-around… and was greeted by this dramatic sunset… Simply breadth-taking!!

Dramatic...

For a larger picture… click here and here

Isetan Private Sale, Picking the Keys, & Clearing Defects…

18 DEC 2009

D-Day… Key Collection… But before that, we have to survive the Isetan private sale!!

If there’s a sale to save up for, it got to be this huge sale!! It starts at 8:30 am, I thought we were Kiasu to be there before 8:00 am… but the queue was already TOO LONG. Now I am wondering… what time does one have to get there to be FIRST in the queue… Hmmm…

We were focused. Very focused… and in 2 hours, we managed to go through three waves of buying and got all that we wanted to get from Isetan with at least an overall saving of 50% regular retail price. I even managed to get a DKNY pants for $30 (less than 10% original price) and two DKNY long sleeved Tee for $10 each…

Rushed home and rush to HDB hub for our appointment at 1 pm. Went through all the paperworks… and we were off to our new place… Pinnacle @ Duxton.

Pinnacle @ Duxton - our new address...

The place was small. Can’t expect too much from 91 sqm… Decided we may have to do some hacking. I guess we will let our ID propose some ideas on our next meeting. After he left, we checked for defects. There were some minor ones, but nothing as drastic as what some owners reported.

A few defects to clear...

Aunt and Uncle came over for a brief visit, and everyone including wifey thought the unit was handed over to us in a decent condition… If we aren’t too picky, I think we can even start renovating immediately! But we decide to go ahead with the defect clearing and was told it may take up to 3 weeks! Will be looking forward for the day renovation starts!

From the top of my world…

16 DEC 2009

Finally found the time to make my way up to the Sky Garden of our future home…

From the Top of Pinnacle@Duxton

Sunset from the Top of Pinnacle@Duxton

From the Top of Pinnacle@Duxton

The Sky Garden on the 50th Floor… Now isn’t this a pretty sight…

Starting up again… with a worthy post…

13 DEC 2009

Ever since my last blog a few months back sometime in mid-Aug, I have been busy… VERY busy… Busy looking for a better job (AUG-SEPT)… It was a rather harrowing period. Thankfully, I found a better position, and I was busy handing over (Early OCT), Once I took up my new appointment, I was again busy… busy getting up to speed with my current research job and concurrently getting myself eye-deep with renovation stuffs…

Now, everything is beginning to fall into place… and I will slowly back-blog (if I have the time). For now, a few 3-D rendering from my Interior Designer to share… and I thought it’d make a worthy post for my return to blogging…

Proposed Dining Area

Proposed Living Area

Proposed Master Bedroom

Well, the meeting with my ID was excellent… Just need to sort out the overall color scheme and then look at his detailed drawing… But most importantly, we can hardly wait for 18 DEC 2009 where we will be taking possession!! It is going to be a long week!!

A leap into the unknown

16 OCT 2008

I have always been fascinated by the concept of Blogging. I guess we all have to start somewhere… Lets see how this thing drives…

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Hmmmm… the initial surge of information available for blogging in the beginning is indeed mountainous. I am sure this is experienced by most. Sifting through whats worth blogging (my whole life before today), but I guess the past has passed, and I will start blogging the passing moments prodically starting from this instance.

So welcome to my passing momentos. In it will be a collection of entries experienced by me and my wife (Wifey). Hope whoever comes by enjoys what I put out there.

To end, a little something that I have been working on… a Bridal Calendar in the making to be given out on our Lunch Reception in Singapore and in Hong Kong.

Jan2009 - Jun2009

Jul2009 - Dec2009

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Buffet @ Suanthai Restaurant

19 OCT 2008

Initially, I was planning to introduce the family to one of my favourite Japanese joint at Robertson Quay for lunch… Alas, it rained heavily and in the end, we opted to go some place where it is fully sheltered – Liang Court.

Located at one end of the basement, there were Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant, Tampopo Deli, and Suanthai Restaurant. Suanthai was offering a special weekend high-tea buffet (2:30pm – 5:00pm) consisting of 15 dishes. But, what made us went ahead with Suanthai was the fact that the waitress notified us that we could actually start immediately (even though the time then was only 1:45pm). Awesome!

Suanthai @ Liang Court

Stepping in, Suanthai was nicely deco’ed, dimly lit, with a soothing 70s-80s music running in the background. The interior is very spacious and is baby-tram friendly.

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Protected: GrandPa… Rest in Peace

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Makan @ Clementi Food Market…

24 OCT 2008

Had lunch @ Clementi Food Market (Clementi Ave. 3, Blk 448) today with Wifey…

Clementi Food Market @ Ave. 3 (Blk 448)

There are a few rather nice stalls here. Today, I had their Char Kway Teow, and wifey ordered from a Ba Chor Mee (Rice Noodle varient). Initally, we wanted to try one of the carrot cake stall there, but old uncle seems to be packing up. So we stuck to the two items we tried before.

Kohi Ten – Tokyo Cafe Culture

Kohi Ten

Cuppage Terrace

Today, we went to Robinson @ CentrePoint VERY early in the morning for a mini event organised by Lancome. The initial promise of free Lancome samples resulted in spending of over $200.00! Nice marketing! But that entitled Wifey to more free gifts… As long as she’s happy!! Anyway, after the brief event, we headed over to the newly revamped Cuppage Terrace in search of some breakfast… and decided on the cozy/classy looking Japanese Cafe “Kohi Ten” which we walked pass a couple of months ago.

Menya Shinchan @ Robertson Quay

Riverside View

I keep returning to Robertson Quay… and its all because of the Ramen @ Menya Shinchan! So, on this Sunday, I found myself going there again to this rather hidden Japanese Ramen Shop. I think I am ADDICTED to the ramen at this place. Both me and wifey loves their Ramen. Located within the courtyard of Riverside View, I found it to be rather secluded.

Robertson Walk

I actually got lost in my first attempt to locate it. Then again, I thought it’s along the riverside when it’s not! However, once you reached the place, you’d know you found the ramen place!

Deepavali, the Festival of Lights

27 OCT 2008

Deepavali - the Festival of Lights

Ah… Today is Deepavali, the festival of lights… So a happy Deepavali to all my Hindus friends.

There is an interesting legend behind this festival. The story goes that Narakasura ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. The villagers were tortured and suffered much hardship under his rule. The women were imprisoned in his palace… Seeing this wickedness, Lord Khrishna set out to destroy this evil, and the day Narakasura died was celebrated as Deepavali, signifying the triumph of good over evil!

One key practice the Hindus follow during Deepavali is to light oil lamps in their homes on Deepavali morning. By this act, they are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received. The Hindus consider Deepavali as one of the most important festivals to celebrate. More about this festival can be read here.

 

Laurent Bernard Chocolatier – Dessert @ Robertson Quay

Name Sinful Desserts within...

26 OCT 2008

Aimlessly strolling around Robertson Quay after the excellent Ramen lunch, brought us to Laurent’s Cafe & Chocolate Bar. Wifey was like “Hmmm… Their box… seems sooooooooo familiar…” “Tiffany” I cut in… Although set in a different shade of blue, rather more toward greenish-blue colour, both the colour intensity of Laurent’s and Tiffany’s boxes give a sense of similarity between the two.

Happy Second Anniversay

How time flies… I remember this time last year, we were miles apart from each other… You got a job in Singapore and I was drowning in papers, trying to tie up my PhD alone in Melbourne… Ahhh… Has it been a year already?

I thought we’d be able to properly celebrate for this year, but alas, this week is clouded by the passing of GrandDad… Well, let’s see what comes of tonight. We really should do something…

A Low-Key Anniversay @ Da Paolo Bistro Bar (Rochester)

After all, we did do something for our Anniversary be it a low-key one. After surfing through HGW and asking a buddy in there… I decided on somewhere in the west, which dwindle the selections to Holland Village (again), Dempsey Road, and Rochester Park. Initially, I decided to go to Friends @ Jelita but was totally threw off by their address (ok I got lost… well, I actually assumed it was in Holland Village, above the cold storage there… but it was actually above the cold storage building further down Holland Road). Oh well… By the time I realised the dumbness, we were too late for their 1-1 promotion offered in the ‘promotional booklet’ found in this month of Women’s Weekly. Apparently, promotional orders must be filled by 9:00 pm.

So… next stop, Rochester. Initially, three caught my attention: Eden Sanctuary, Da Paolo Bistro Bar or North Border Bar & Grill… Entering Rochester Park @ around 9:00pm gave me an eerie… almost ominous feeling… The place was just SO DARK…. If this wasn’t Singapore, I’d have left for somewhere brighter. So we strolled up the slope towards Eden Sanctuary, but it appeared to be closed and so we decided on Da Paolo Bistro Bar instead.

The Ambience of this Da Paolo Bistro Bar is really something. Lit only by candle lights, the place gives out a totally different atmosphere… dark… almost gothic yet romantic… As it wasn’t a hot stuffy night, we opted to sit outside. There were only 2 other groups of people there, another couple like us, and a large group of japanese celebrating a birthday.

Wifey was having so trouble reading the menu as it was too dark. The flickering candle light caused by the fan overhead did not help at all. But after some time, we decided on a Tagliatelle Granchio – pasta ($26.00), a Tagliata di Manzo – Steak ($36.00) and a Hoegaarden for me. Frankly, I don’t understand any of the names in the menus… it was the descriptions in the menu that helped me understood what they were ordered.

Tagliatelle Granchio [Rating: 7/10]
From the menu, this is a home made egg pasta dish with crabmeat, tomatoes, cream and vodka. Generally it tasted good. Though I felt that creamier might have been better. Can’t really taste the vodka but quality of this pasta was still very acceptable and greatly enjoyable.

Tagliata di Manzo [Rating: 7.75/10]
This is actually a grilled prime ribeye with wild rocket and shaved parmesan, and I wanted it medium rare. The meat was nicely cooked.. tasted awesome, and very succulent! As it was so dark and wifey can’t see how ‘bloody’ the dish may have been, she actually tried a piece of medium rare ribeye… and she ACTUALLY liked it… then again, it was really good… ESPECIALLY the JUICY, FATTY PARTS… :swoon: The veg and the shaved parmesan went really well with the nicely grilled ribeye.

Is this a place I’d return to? Perhaps, but maybe only on special occassion or if theres some on-going credit card promotion or something. Then again, there’s also a few other joints in Rochester which I want to try such as the North Border Bar & Grill…

 

Dinner @ Bosses (VivoCity)

Originally, the 7 of us, including Baby Desiree were suppose to have dinner together at Bosses in VivoCity… However, Baby Desiree decided to give it a miss by throwing a pretty loud wailing tantrum, taking out Bro and JJ from the original dinner plan. Oh well, the meal must go on!

Bosses @ VivoCity - Interior

 Well, I have to say, the place is nicely decorated in dark colours… and I really liked it… just like the name of the restaurant… fit for bosses of the 黑社会…

Honey Roasted Nuts with coated with Sasames Seeds

I usually very much enjoy starters like this, but this was rather flat. The level of crunchiness was next to zero… Definitely not worth the $3.80++ they charged. ARGH! :FUME:

A pot of Tea that only serves 2...

Thinking back, this actually pissed me off… we were actually told by the waitress that a Pot of tea will only serve 2, meaning for 4 people, we HAVE to order 2 Pots @ $4.00 a pot. What kind of freaking logic is that? Utterly -DUMB- I say!!

Fried Salted Egg Pipa Bean Curd

This Fried Salted Egg Pipa Bean curd ($14.00) was acceptable… barely… The size of each of their Pipa Bean Curd was rather small (I had much bigger elsewhere). Also, we can’t really taste any salted egg… just some minced/mashed stuff… 

Baby Pak Choy with Salted Fish

The Baby Pak Choy with Salted Fish ($10.00) was rather nice. Crunchy Baby Pak Choy with a nice level of saltiness to it. More salted fish would’ve made this dish perfect!

Shanghainese Claypot Braised Pork Ball

 Admittedly, the Shanghainese Claypot Braised Pork Ball ($12.00) looked and smelt nice. Sadly, thats about it. The taste of the Pork Ball was nothing spectacular, and was kind of soggy… Mom actually refuse to finish her share! I guess it must have been THAT bad!!

Chilli Prawns with Golden Buns

Thank goodness they didn’t screw up the chilli prawns. For a medium-sized dish ($22.00), there were ample amount of prawns and plenty of heavenly chilli prawn gravy!

Golden Buns

The 4 Golden Buns that came with the dish was barely sufficient, and we ordered 4 more at the cost of $3.20. 

Finally, for dessert, I ordered my personal favourite – the Red Bean Pancake ($6.00), and it was nicely done. Not too oily, not too sweet.  

Red Bean Pancake

To me, this was a below average meal for the price we paid ($98.15). I don’t think we will be returning here for dishes. However, we might check out their dim sum in the afternoon if the 50% discount offer for dim sum is still on…

Hong Kong… Here we come!!

Woooo Hooo!! Hong Kong!! Here we come…

All Ready to Fly...

Hong Kong 3K695

All Packed!!

Going to visit the in-laws and really to ‘officiate’ our marriage of two years in Hong Kong with a tea-ceremony & mini-wedding ceremony. Can’t wait!

Too bad my side of the family cannot be there (except for my uncle & his family- maternal side)

So much to do in Hong Kong… so strapped for cash already… hehehee… I think I am going to be broke till 2009…

HK-Macau Interlude…

Wow… Didn’t know I actually snapped so many photos of this Hong Kong trip… Many of which are photos of good food at various restaurants… Hmmmm…

The short Macau trip was quite an experience. Visited two of the casinos and the gambling areas were rather pathetic compared to Melbourne’s Crown Casino in term of variety. It seems like the 5 major games in Macau include Slots, Roulette, 21, Bacarrat, and Sic Bo.

The Venetian of Macau is huge… and very lavishly decorated Renaissance Venice-themed luxury hotel and casino resort.

Venetian of Macau

A Huge Golden Statue in the middle of one of their numerous Lobby

One of the many towering Chandeliers...

Artistry... on the ceiling in the middle of the gaming area

Having a 24-Hours Day... A fake sky within The VenetianEven a fake river can be found within The Venetian!

The Venetian is a venue of extravagant, ostentatious magnificence.

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The following day, we took a walk around Macau before heading back to Hong Kong… and walked towards one of Macau’s most famous landmark: the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s a 17th century Portuguese cathedral in Macau dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle. History about the Cathedral can be read here…

Ruins of St. Paul's... from a distant.

Cathedral of St. Paul's... Up close...

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Continue walking around Macau brought us to a stretch of relatively preserved back-alley way with striking red doors and windows…

A street with pretty red doors & windows

... and the pretty wifey...

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Not forgetting Macau’s famous Portuguese Egg Tarts…

Fresh Portuguese Egg Tarts can be bought everywhere!!

Some other random shots of our walk-abouts in Macau…

Many euro-influenced structures can be found in Macau

"Santa Casa Da Misericordia"

Hmmm.. what statue is that...

Unwinding… and the Break is over…

Just returned from Hong Kong… and 2 weeks flew by just like that!!

It was a great trip visiting Maggie’s family, relatives and all the fooooood…

So many pictures to sort through…

Maggie's Mom - (Linda)

Maggie's Dad (大哥成)

I havn’t even dare step on the scale. I bet I gained at least 5 pounds pigging out (Over 95KG for sure!!!) Lets see…

Whoa!! Still hovering around 93KG… thats a miracle considering the amount of food ordered every meal!!

Will be busy with Back Blogging Fun fun fun!!

Dominic Yu

Ryan Lee

Dinner @ Crystal Jade – La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Holland Village)

12 OCT 2008 (Back-Log)

One of the Crystal Jade closest to where I stay is at Holland Village. It is a rather nice place to have some of their dumplings and noodles, and the three of us (me, wifey and bro) came down one evening to grab a simple dinner.

Not so appetising peanuts ($2.00)

Their small serve of soft peanuts as appetiser, IMO, should just be returned… Totally not worth it even before factoring in the ++   

La Mian – Pork & Veg Wanton ($7.50)

 Bro ordered the Wanton La Mian, which actually came last. Perhaps by that time, I was already quite full, and when he gave me a spoonful to taste, it felt average to me… both the wanton and the soup. The noodle however, was very thinly pulled and had a very nice feel and taste to it.

La Mian – Stew Beef ($10.00)

 A normal Stew Beef La Mian usually cost $7.50. However, wifey and me decided to share one, so we ordered an extra serving of noodle. It tasted excellent. The soup stock was solid, tasty and there are several thick pieces of tender stewed beef cubes. The noodle we ordered was differnt from Bro’s. Generally, there are 8 different types of noodles to choose from and simply put, the varieties can be summarised based on their thickness. We got the ’udon’ sized and it was Q and nice. 

Chilli Sauce Pork Dumpling ($4.80)

One of our all time favorite is their Chilli Sauce (红油) Pork Dumpling. The few condiments that come together with the 8 pork dumplings go extremely well with the spicy chilli sauce. This is one of the MUST TRY item.

Pan-Fried Pork Dumpling ($3.50)

This time round, we did not order the Xiao Long Bao. Instead, we tried their Pan-Fried Pork Dumpling. It didn’t leave a deep impression, which means that it is average at best. However, three pieces for $3.50 may be a littler pricy compared to other eateries.

Deep-Fried Scallion Pastry ($2.80)

The deep-fried scallion pastry… There are two different versions to 葱油饼, and majority of them are usually pan-fried. Some of these can tend to be oily or blend. The other type are pastry type, which are deep-fried. I simply love the latter, and the ones served at Crystal Jade has yet to disappoint! IMO, this is another one of the MUST TRY item…

In total, we spent $38.85 for a very satifying meal.

Popeye’s Fried Chicken @ Airport T1

30 OCT 2008

Awaiting our flight to HK, we were looking around for something light to eat. There were many choices, but we finally decided on Popeye’s… even though the queue seemed long. Why activate only 1 counter during peak hour?  Pffft…

The Lunch Queue @ T1

After sometime, we got our light lunch… A chicken burger, 3-pieces chicken with biscuit, upsized both the drink and their mashed potatoes to share…

Great Tasting Chickens and Mashed Potatoes...

I think the turnover of their chicken pieces is rather fast, so we were given piping hot crispy chicken. I must say, their stuff was finger-licking good! I’d say it was as good as KFC if not better. The upsized mashed potato (2 large scoops) was quite nice, and I think it all lies within their unique Cajun gravy…

The hidden small Biscuit...

This meal came with their signature biscuit, and it was quite disappointing this time round. Last time I tried their biscuit, it was much better (without the obvious floury taste).

Won't waste $ on this next time...

The weakest link… was their burger… If I run a fastfood/burger chain, I’d be really ashamed to serve something like this… Basically, its a just a bun with a piece of fried chicken breast, a few weak strand of chopped lettuce (don’t seem very fresh), with a blob of mayonnaise… I think I can make a better chicken burger. Very disappointing indeed!!

Overall, their fried chicken and mashed potatoes were very nice. There seemed to be some inconsistency in the standard of their biscuits. Their chicken burger totally cannot make it, and if I ever return, I’d stick to their chicken pieces!

Island Creamery… Unique flavours!!

Brother brought me down to Island Creamery a little over a month ago, and I must say they have some very unique ice cream flavours.

Island Creamery - Frozen Dessert!

A healthier choice!

 Upon entering, the place looks cozy… in a way… probably due to the thousands of customer’s photos pasted on the wall.

What caught my attention, painted on a wall by the counter was that their ice cream is “freshly made and contains no preservatives, artifical colouring, artificial flavouring, eggs, gelatine, and NO CHINESE DAIRY PRODUCTS!! hahaha!!

The apple pie with a scoop of ice-cream from afar looks so desirable!

Hmmm... Yummy!!

The close-up looks even better!! OK I have to be frank. The apple pie was not out of this world spectacular… Well, I love my pastry, and I suppose if they re-heat the apple pie with a mini-oven instead of a microwave, the pastry would have a better feel to it?

What impressed me was the Teh Tarik ice cream!! WOW! Smooth! Creamy! Just like a Teh Tarik smoothie!! Just a perfect scoop of ice cream on a sunny stuffy afternoon

Apple Pie & a scoop of Teh Tarik ice cream!

Even though the apple pie was so-so, it went down well with the Teh Tarik ice cream, and its al gone in no time!! 

All gone in no time!!

We also bought a tub of cookie and cream home… and GOSH it’s actually seriously NICE as well!! Really love the big chunks of cookies!! Its definitely one of the ‘Must Try’!!

To me, what really stands out and sets this place apart from the international chain of ice-cream brands such as Swensen and Haagen-Dazs is (1) the unique local flavors, (2) prices – I am sure for a price of an ice-cream creation in Haagen-Dazs, one can probably get their mud pie + apple pie/ice cream scoop combo + another scoop of ice-cream… and (3) short and simple: NO GST!!

Well, I will definitely be returning to try the other flavours (Targeting ‘Chendol’ and ‘Pulut Hitam’ next). Can’t wait for my next visit already

Thye Hong Hokkien Mee @ Newton…

A week ago (22 NOV 2008), wifey and I went down to a ‘BigEatOut‘… an event organised by HungryGoWhere.com in conjunction with the Singapore’s Peranakan Museum. Amongst the food we stuffed ourselves with… wifey was particularly impressed with Thye Hong Hokkien Mee. I later learnt that Thye Hong has a few branches and the main one is at Newton Food Centre.

Yesterday, we went down to Newton with mom, to have a taste of Thye Hong’s Hokkien Mee on location. It was actually not hard to find our target stall, but what’s irritating is the rather aggressive hard-selling from waiter/waitresses of a few Zi Char stalls.

Thye Hong Hokkien Mee @ Newton Food Centre

The stall offers Fried Hokkien Mee ($4/$6/$10), Fried Kway Teow ($4/$6/$10), Fried Oyster/Oyster Omelette ($5/$7/$10), Satay ($5 for 10 pieces/$9 for 18 pieces/$15 for 30 pieces), and something known as Crystal XO Sauce ($5/$8/$10). Of these, they also offer Set Meal A ($12) and Set Meal B ($20). From what I understand, Set Meal A allows you to choose small serving of any 3 items, whilst Set Meal B: any of the 5 items).

As we were not particularly starving, I ordered Fried Hokkien Mee and Fried Kway Teow (both medium) for the 3 of us to share.

It actually took awhile before we got our food. Their business is just too good! Plates after plates, and packets after packets of Hokkien Mee were constantly being dispatched!!

Soon, our orders came. Now.. I won’t say much about their Char Kway Teow, since they are known for their Hokkien Mee and not CKT. Anyway, their CKT was the dry type, and it was a tad too dry for my likings. But for $6 bucks, the size served was acceptable with enough of the mini-cockles and prawns. 

Char Kway Teow

Next, the Hokkien Mee… Hmmm… Nice… actually… EXCELLENT! For $6, the size served was good with at least 5 prawns and many slices of cuttlefish. Wifey isn’t really a Hokkien Mee person, and initially, I thought her reaction to Thye Hong’s Hokkien Mee last week (on the 22nd NOV) was a one off thing… but once again, Thye Hong’s Hokkien Mee won her over. How different is this Hokkien Mee to the next? Is it the use of the fresh prawn stock? Is it the chilli used? Is there a difference in frying technique? I don’t know. I am just glad wifey gets to enjoy something I liked since young.

Hokkien Mee

Here’s a little write up taken from here. Profiles of the other Heritage Hawkers can be seen there too (as long as the link remains active…

THYE HONG FRIED HOKKIEN MEE

Frying since 1970 at his original stall at Koek Road using a push cart, Mr Lau Thye Hong steadily built his name over the decades to become one of Singapore’s leading Fried Hokkien Mee exponent. In between, he moved to the famous Orchard Road carpark hawker centre (next to the former Specialist Centre) that many people still remember today, before settling in 1977 at his present location at Newton Hawker Centre. With his superior frying technique, the use of fresh prawn stock and chilli, his Fried Hokkien Mee has kept regulars coming back again and again over the years.

Tong Shui Cafe (@ Liang Seah Street)

Actually had a meal at Tong Shui a little over 1 month ago (18 OCT 2008)… The food is acceptable by my standards, but frankly, it was nothing spectacular except for its small minute tiny-weeny serve size!

So, Tong Shui in Cantonese means “Sweet Water – or Dessert”. However, the Tong Shui cafe is not limited to just dessert, but includes items ranging from Thick Toasts, Noodles, Cheese Oven Baked Rice, Pasta… etc.  Decor wise, it felt like a traditional coffee place, but with a serious case of mis-matched colour – pink/green!

Anyway, wifey wanted to try this Hong Kong-styled cafe ever since we saw it, so we gave it a shot that Saturday. A “Stephen Chow” classic was running on their huge Plasma TV to a almost packed dinning audience. After going through the menu, I ordered a Beef Brisket Noodle, and wifey ordered a Chicken Chop Baked Rice.

Beef Brisket Noodle ($9.88)

Beef Brisket Noodle (Rating: 5.25/10)
My beef brisket noodle was served in a gigantic bowl. HUGE!!! But one can BARELY SEE the Noodles hidden under the egg, fishcake thingy, and beef!! I was almost like “Errr… Helloooo!! Why skimmed my noo000ooodles!!” I mean… come on… I know prices for EVERYTHING is on the rise; but please don’t cut the serve size like this!! Seriously, I can finish it ALL UP in ONE gulp!! Taste-wise… It’s acceptable… The beef is tastefully done. However, the egg splatted on the way in, the fishcake thingy was a little rubbery, and the 2 mini wantons… average. But for $9.88, I definitely have had better… or rather… a MORE fulfilling serve!!

Chicken Chop Baked Rice ($10.88)

Chicken Chop Baked Rice (Rating: 6.25/10)
Wifey’s chicken chop baked rice came as a BIGGER serve compared to my pathetic noodles… The cheesy rice was baked for just the right amount of time, and tasted excellent. The chicken chop however was mediocre at best… Hiaz!!

Appetizer ($1.88)

In all, the bill came up to $26.61 including $1.88 for that few pieces of preserved cabbage, plus the 10% service and 7% GST… Rather pricy for mediocre sub-standard HK-styled food.  Such a meal in cafes like these in HK would’ve cost $15 MAX. I highly doubt the chance of us returning…

EVERYTHING about Tong Shui Cafe can be read here.

 

CentrePS – Excellent Macarons and Cakes (Grand Cru Royale)

Yesterday was Sis-in-Law’s birthday… So after considering some recommendations from a friend with a sweet tooth, I went down Centre-PS to see what I can get my hands on.

It’s located within the ‘older’ part of Tiong Bahru, and there’s a direct bus from NUS (one bus-stop after the Tiong Bahru MRT bus-stop). Finding the place wasn’t too hard, but for someone like me who don’t really know the area, it can be hard to find… and it DID felt like a maze in there!! Luckily I took the correct path and thank goodness the gloomy weather held. I can’t imagine searching for the shop in the rain if it started raining and if I took a wrong turn…

Centre PS - Stall Front

Centre PS in Tiong Bahru

The modern shop-front of CentrePS stood out distinctively from the rather ‘aged’ neighbourhood. It did seem a little out of place.

Following a brief chat with the lady sales person, I realised the bigger cakes are all ‘hidden’ away in the back. After looking through their folder, I was still clueless. I wanted something chocolaty and she recommended the Grand Cru Royale and Chocobanane (Grand Cru Chocolate and Banana Mousse with Hazelnut Macarons and Candied Pecans). I didn’t think my Sis-in-law liked banana, so buying a cake with banana mousse is out. Moreover, how well will banana mousse on a chocolaty cake combine? I guess I will have to find out some other day!

Eventually, I settled on a 1KG Grand Cru Royale (Fine Premium Chocolate with Hazelnut Pralines Crunch). Whilst waiting for the cake to be prepared, I looked at the other items available there. There are cookies, and Christmas cakes. What caught my attention was the macarons of various colours… priced at 5 pieces for $10.00 or 10 pieces for $18.00. Quite reasonable I thought. After some hard selling by the salesperson, and failing to my curiosity (Frankly both wifey and me NEVER had macarons before)… I decided to get the pack of 10 pieces.

Pack of 10 Macarons

The damage for the 1Kg cake ($65.00) and 10 pieces of macarons ($18.00) came to $74.70 (less 10% UOB credit card discount). I have to say… I really thought there’s a 20% discount for anything over $60. I hope its just a genuine mistake. Either way, its a little pricey I thought, but gosh was it all worth it…

The Macarons

First up, the macarons. I have to say, the macarons were… GREAT!!! Frankly, my initial perception of macarons, how they tasted and felt was totally off! The thin crispy light outer layer combined well with the chewy spongy sweet inner layer that just melts away in my mouth… Ahhhh… Truly Wonderful! The different flavours reminded me of fruity jelly beans!! Of course, some are sweeter than others… but its a great sugary experience!! The range 20 different flavours available can be seen here…

Macarons... Up REAL Close!!

The Grand Cru Royale

WOW! This cake is simply unique and absolutely divine!! It is presented as a square chocolate cake, with solid milk chocolaty shavings. What a beautiful creation!

A beautiful creation - The Grand Cru Royale

Dissecting the two layers apart, I’d say the top layer of soft, smooth chocolate mousse was a little too bitter for my liking. On the other hand, the ultra crunchy hazelnut praline base (which also reminded me of the hazelnut kinder bueno chocolate bar) was a little too sweet… However, these two layers coupled perfectly together in term of overall sweetness and texture.

A closer look...

Everyone enjoyed the cake… except mom, insisting that this IS A BISCUIT and NOT a cake (just because it does not have a sponge cake layer… hahah!!!). One little negative thing was the way sister-in-law’s name was written on the piece of white chocolate. Somehow, her name “Jing Jing” read so much like “Sing Sing” which meant “星星 – Stars” or “猩猩 – Gorilla” Muwahahha!!

Well… It will take a few days to finish up the 1KG worth of Grand Cru Royale… But I will definitely be back for more!! ALOT MORE!!

Pyramisa @ The Foundry – Clarke Quay

10 DEC 2008

It has been exactly 2 months since our last food-outing with fellow-foodies of HGW…and today, thanks to cloudgal & macadamia^n, we get to feast in Pyramisa, a rather unique Egyptian concept restaurant. 

Pyramisa @ Clarke Quay

Pyramisa aims to bring ancient, mystical Egypt into Singapore. I thought it’s a job done well. Their effort resulted in the creation of a cozy Mediterranean-like setting with pretty wall-paints and carved ‘Egyptian symbols’ like those you see in “StarGate – SG1″.  

Beautiful lightings, settings & decor!

The menu was definitely authentic- for without the English descriptions under each dish, I’d have absolutely no idea what to order. I mean… can one differentiate between a “Kohtar Makhli” or a “Foul Medamas” without knowing the language? I do know for sure “Foul Medamas” shouldn’t be as “Foul” as it sounds…

A grand feast was what we had. The night started off rather timidly with an initial conservative order of 2 appetizers – Fatouches (I think) and a Mix Hot & Cold Platter consisting of 3x dips: Hummus, Batata Salatis, Laben, and 2x Sambousek, 2x Spicy Chicken Wings and 2x Merguez. However, the Merguez was not available that night, and was replaced with 2x Fattayer Sabanikh plus 2x Falafel.

Fatouches ($8.00)

Fatouches (Rating: 7/10)
I am quite sure it was Fatouches that was ordered as it fits the description of: a dish of freshly chopped salad with black pitted olive and pita crouton… Taste wise, its uniquely tangy and fresh. Acceptable to me, but wifey liked it alot.

Mix Hot & Cold Platter ($24.00)

Mix Hot & Cold Platter (Overall Rating: 8/10)
The cold platter, -3x dips-, was served with warm Pita Bread:
Hummus: chick pea puree
Batata Salatis: potato salad
Laben: greek hung yogurt – rather unique
Overall, their dips were not too bad. But I think we have had better elsewhere…
Now for the killer part of the platter – the hot stuffs!!
Sambousek: pastry puff with feta cheese stuffing << Wow!! These tasted excellent! If you are a fan of feta cheese, this is definitely for you… and remember to EAT IT FRESHLY SERVED!!
Fattayer Sabanikh: spinach samosa – did not get to try this…
Falafel: deep fried chick pea – not spectacular to me.
Spicy Chicken Wings: chicken wings marinated with harrisa and Arabic spices << Another Winner!! The deep fried chicken wings were deeply marinated with the unique harrisa/Arabic marinate. I think anything marinated like this will be a winner every time. It was so good 2 whole plates of these Spicy Chicken Wings were added to our order for the group to share.

Spicy Chicken Wings (part of the Mix Hot & Cold Platter)

Potent 'Arabian Wasabi'!!

Tahini sauce – The Tahini sauce was served with the dish, and we concurred that its the Egyptian version of wasabi… Egyptian Tabasco or something… To some, it packed a punch, but both me and wifey simply looooved it!!

a nice looking Cocktail creation...

From here on, we each ordered the mains. Wifey ordered a Kreidess Bi Cosbara (Grilled king prawn with cilantro on harrisa bed pita; $36.00) and I ordered a Dijaj Mashi (Pine nut pilaf rice wrapped with oven baked chicken; $25.00). A few others also ordered the Dijaj Mashi, and a couple ordered Meshawi (Mix of grilled lamb, chicken cubes, beef and prawn; $36.00)

Meshawi ($36.00)

Meshawi (Rating: ?/10)
I did not get to try out this dish, but it sure looked delicious!

Kreidess Bi Cosbara ($36.00)

Kreidess Bi Cosbara (Rating: 8.75/10)
WOWOWOWOW!! The presentation of the dish was just too much! ALMOST immediately, two more orders were filled for the whole group to share!! Consisting of 9x king prawns, each was nicely grilled to perfection. A dollop of spicy sauce (Tahini.. I suspect) on the neck of each king-sized prawn adds depth to its natural flavor. The harrisa bed pita was yummy as well, though I’d preferred it a little crispier.

Dijaj Mashi ($25.00)

Dijaj Mashi (Rating: 9/10)
To me, this IS the winner for the night. This happens to be their house signature dish as well, and it was perfect. Described plainly as pine nut pilaf rice wrapped with oven baked chicken, it was much more and very desirable…

The Pine Nut Pilaf Rice Escaping the Chicken

The rice within, infused with the succulent flavor of the oven baked chicken… Oh soooo gooooood!! The well-marinated chicken, oven-baked to perfection… tasted excellent…

The next two items ordered were the desserts: Baklawa ($8.00) and Uma Ali ($9.50).

Baklawa ($8.00)

Baklawa  (Rating: 5.5/10)
This dessert served was an Arabic-styled pastry filled with crushed nuts… sweeten by honey. Not really my type of dessert. It was rather hard, not easy to share, and almost impossible to ‘fractionate’ the chunk of pastry without the whole thing ‘exploding’!! The vanilla ice cream that came with it was…hmm… different, but not spectacular.

Uma Ali ($9.50)

Uma Ali (Rating: 5.75/10)
So… this is described as the mother of Ali’s baked bread pudding. Very different to any of the bread pudding I had in Australia… Not trying to be funning or anything… but to me, this dessert totally tasted like warm oat-like cereal sweeten with condensed milk!! Its totally something for Breakfast!! Not what I would order for dessert!!

===

In the end, the bill came up to ~$802 for 11 of us. Expensive you might think, but this includes alcohol (wine / beer), cocktails and REALLY, taking into consideration the obscene amount of food ordered… I think it was acceptable. So, what started out, to me, as a conservative night… cascaded and balloon out of hand as soon as the Kreidess Bi Cosbara was served (I saw that as the turning point). By the time the belly dance commenced, with DG & Hoongy! taking turns to entertain, the night is but complete!

Will I be back? Perhaps. I am already missing their spicy chicken wings and the signature dish!!

Absolute Haven – Food Tasting Session

11 DEC 2008 - [NEW MENU PREVIEW SESSION]

Ahhh!! Another day of GREAT eat-out thanks to the lobang of PANERAI… - A food tasting session to preview a new set of menu, presented by the new chef @ Absolute Haven, showing off some scrumptious new creations. I have to say, it was absolutely heavenly!!

Absolute Haven is at 70, Prinsep Street. Really, and its a part of town which we don’t really go to much… The place is rather simply yet cozily laid out with candle-light setting and everything.

Candle-light Settings...

* 5-course Dinner @ Absolute Haven *

Lobster bisque with prawns and scallops

SOUP: Lobster Bisque with Prawn and Scallops (Rating: 5.75/10)
The soup came with a light but nice aroma. However, all of us found it to be very bland. If anyone looked over our table, they’d be amused by the two ladies sitting there doing a feverish salt-shaker dance. To me, the overall flavor of the lobster bisque lacked depth, and it’s not just at the salt department… However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The prawns and scallops used were indeed very fresh and the sweetness of the seafood was very appeasing. Fair to say, this was the weakest link of the 5-course dinner presented. If this is to be a regular on their new menu, I think more has to be done to it.

Awesome Starter - Braised Abalone with Deep fried White Bait

STARTER: Braise baby abalone layered with crispy white bait base on a bed of asparagus and egg tart top with a spoon of artichoke sauce (Rating: 6.75/10)
To me, the weakest link of this dish was the bland egg tarty thingy. It was NOT bad or anything but it was just shadowed by the braised baby abalone… which was shadowed by the heavenly crispy white bait. I do agree that the baby abalone was a little too weak in flavor. Perhaps the chef wanted a subtle build-up in the overall flavoring, that’s why the bland egg-tart with artichoke sauce and the subtly braised abalone. No matter what’s the chef’s objective was, I really liked the deep fried white bait… but that just reflect my overall preference of deep-fried stuffs. OH! I forgot to add, the sun-dried cherry tomato was really flavorsome and a really nice addition to the creation!!

The absolute winner of the night - Foie Gras & Pasta...

PASTA: Homemade Gnocchi with Stew Spring Chicken topped with Foie Gras (Rating: 10/10)
The subtle build-up… if intended… was an absolute success leading into the WONDERFUL PASTA!! To use one word to describe this pasta will bring forth the word: “PERFECT”. Gnocchi was excellent. The thick chicken stew added depth and the Foie Gras… :FAINTED: OHHH… the Fooooooie Graaaaaaasssss… HEAVENLY… :SWOON:
Wow, I really wanted more of this brilliant pasta!! If priced decently, I am sure this dish will be one of the shining stars of the new menu!!

Main Course 01 - Roasted lamb rack

MAIN COURSE 01: Roasted crown rack of lamb crusted with fresh oreganos, macadamia nuts, serve with a glacey red wine sauce and lemon mint jelly (Rating: 8/10)
Of the three main courses, I think the Lamb was the outright winner. Both I and brother really liked the crusted oreganos and nuts. The red wine sauce was nice and the lemon mint jelly added another dimension to the flavor department. Both the different “done-ness” requested were presented perfectly. Part of the lamb rack was rather marbled too and those sinful fatty parts were sinfully good too. I can say this is main-course is absolutely done well and I can sink my teeth in crown rack like this whenever…

Main Course 02 - Baked Codfish

MAIN COURSE 02: Cod cheek quazetto with braised pricked cabbage, lobster bisque top with a generous portion of baked codfish (Rating: 7/10)
The baked codfish was all right (based on Jing Jing’s feedback), but I think it was kind of let down by the weakness of the bisque.

Main Course 03 - Beef Tenderloin

MAIN COURSE 03: Grain fed beef tenderloin on a bed of temptation “baked potatoes” potatoes glazes with glossy beef and fig sauce (Rating: 6.25/10)
The beef tenderloin was acceptable but like what the other reviewers wrote… not the BEST. It was further marked down here as Wifey’s order of medium-well was served closer to medium-rare bloodied: which to me is something to take note of this exercise. Nevertheless, the baked potatoes were very nicely done, and turned out to be a star especially with the help of the beef / fig sauce.

Dessert - Tiramisu

DESSERT: Authentic Tiramisu (Rating: 7.75/10)
Now, there is something unique about this Tiramisu, and that’s the sago-like jelly embedded in the top-layer of the Tiramisu… Hmm how authentic is that? :SHRUG: One thing about the Tiramisu, something to look at is its presentation. Out of the 4 served, only 1 stood ‘firm’… the other 3 were ‘not standing up straight’ hehehe. Still, to sum it up, this is probably one of the better Tiramisu (Top 5 perhaps?) we came across in Singapore.

Overall, I think it’s a successful food tasting session with some really top notch creations. Outright winner to me HAS TO BE the Pasta, followed by the Roasted crown rack of lamb. The rest of the dishes were good in one way of another with the exception of the Lobster Bisque which IMO needs some serious reconsideration.

Kampong Carrot Cake @ Tiong Bahru Food Center

13 DEC 2008

Tiong Bahru Market

Finally… stumbled upon the exact location of Tiong Bahru Market & Food Center on my way to CentrePS a few days back. Frankly, we never knew this part of Tiong Bahru and this is probably due to the fact that we hardly go beyond Tiong Bahru MRT and Tiong Bahru Plaza.

This relatively new market was recently upgraded in 2006 and I heard it houses several nice hawker stalls… I guess we will be coming here more often in search of those hidden gems.

===

Kampong Carrot Cake (#02-53)

Kampong Carrot Cake

The carrot cake here is probably as good as any others you can get elsewhere, but I do prefer my fried carrot cake chunky… and/or crispy… Hence I won’t be raving about this one.

Fried Carrot Cake - $2.50

Available in $2.00, $2.50, $3.00 and $4.00, their serve was relatively large for $2.50! I wonder how many people can $4.00 worth of Kampong Carrot Cake feed!! The carrot cakes there come in both the white & black version… but I always prefer mine black – love the sweet thick black sauce – and their… well… was decent enough. But like I said, chunkier and/or crispier would have been perfect for me. What I really like about this place was that self service applies to their spring onions too!!

Mykii @ Holland Village

20 DEC 2008

Whilst surfing the net & checking emails in the morning, I got a message through MSN from a fellow foodie telling me about this new place Mykii @ Holland Village serving up a killer Seafood Linguine… Since we were thinking of brunch, I thought why not… Moreover, it’s just round the corner for us and I decided to go explore this restaurant after running a few errands…

Mykii @ Holland Village

Mykii, pronounced as “mee-kai” is derived from “Mykonos” and “sky”… very fitting in terms of its decor & ambiance. The colour combination of bright matte white walls with brilliant sky blue cushioned seats brought to mind some bridal photographs which I seen a few months back that were taken in Santorini.

Mykii - Interior... all neat and tidy...

Like most restaurants in Holland Village, there is an alfresco dining area out by the patio. Its indeed a great place to totally chill out… especially to the soft soothing jazz.

The waiter that took our orders seemed a little ‘spaced-out’… hehe… perhaps he was enjoying the fabulous working environment or perhaps it was still quite early (we were their first customer for the day). Wifey didn’t really know what to order… Like… She’s sure about the Seafood Linguine… just not sure how the Laksa Pesto will go with it! Eventually, I went ahead and ordered for us a Mezze platter and a Seafood Linguine with Laksa Pesto to share.

Mezze Platter - ($10.80)

Mezze Platter – (Rating: 7.25/10)

The platter comes with 3 different types of dips – salmon, garlic, and chickpeas, and served together with grissino (crispy bread-sticks), lavosh (crunchy crackers) and minty basil.

Garlic Dip | Salmon Dip | Chickpea Dip

My favorite here has to be the smooth Salmon Dip followed closely by the Garlic and the Chickpea. The minty basil go really well with the dips too. I liked it very much.  

Seafood Linguine with Laksa Pesto - $15.80

Seafood Linguine with Laksa Pesto - (Rating: 7.75/10)

Served in a piping hot stone bowl (which reminded me of the Korean hot-stone rice), the distinct aroma of the Laska was evident. The way the al dente linguine was presented… Hmmm I thought they were very “aglio olio-like”. Nevertheless, a very delightful dish.

Though, one thing I learnt today, wifey isn’t into fusion food. She did however, enjoyed the strong pot of Earl Grey tea ($6.80). All in, we spent $39.30, but we ordered rather conservatively. If we had ordered a full lunch: appetizer to share, mains for both and a dessert to share, the bill would have been around $50.00-$60.00. But whatever it is, I can see myself returning for their macarons and perhaps some of the small cakes that were on display ($2.00 per piece), as well as the very appealing dessert Granny Smith & Aloe Vera Crumble!

178 Lor Mee @ Tiong Bahru Food Center

’178′ Lor Mee (#02-58)

A long queue for '178' Lor Mee

After discovering Tiong Bahru Food Center (last week), we walked around to look at some of the stalls operating there. One of the stall selling Lor Mee had this long queue… and on a Sunday afternoon when all the other stalls seemed relatively quiet!! Impressive I thought. They must be selling some pretty nice Lor Mee, and I vowed to return!

Fast Forward >> Today (13 DEC 2008), we returned and ordered a $3.00 worth of Lor Mee. Interestingly, there were not much of a queue… Perhaps it is quieter during dinner time.

Without a queue, I got my order of Lor Mee in a flash.  I did not forget to load up a big spoonful worth of chopped garlic and chilli as these goes really well with Lor Mee…

Loaded up with Chopped Garlic & Chilli Sauce!

Diving into the Lor Mee, their thick gooey sauce appeared to be a little to thick (initially). I think if I scoop a handful of it then and fling it against the wall, it will take some time for the thick sauce to slideeeeeeeeeeeeee down! However, half way through the Lor Mee, the sauce became much less viscous.

Lor Mee - $3.00

Apparently, the fried fish fritters where shark meat! (Kind of reminded me of the Fish fritters I used to eat in New Zealand so many years ago). There were also plenty of crunchy and crispy bits and pieces swimming in the thick sauce. Well… overall, I liked it, but Wifey was put off by the initial extra gooey sauce. However, it does not beat my all time favourite Lor Mee from Amoy Street Food Centre!

Crispy Skin Suckling Pig (沙皮猪) from Tiong Bahru

20 DEC 2008

One of the roast meat stall in Tiong Bahru has caught my attention all these while, and I thought it’d be a nice surprise to get Brother a Crispy Roast Suckling Pig for his birthday…

The Banner that caught my attention

A rather odd gift I know… but he did mention how he missed the crispy roast suckling pig rice he use to eat @ Ang Mo Kio Hub food court.

½ of the shop front

Negotiated briefly with the lady boss (well, she seemed to be the boss… wielding a cleaver and all from behind the chopping board), and the order was made for a crispy suckling pig (沙皮猪) for $150.00. Now, I have to add: there’s another roast pig specialist stall within this food center which charges $128.00 for their roasted pigs (plus $5.00 for delivery). The one from this shop was $22.00 more expensive but we managed to get them to deliver for free (I think they decided to deliver for free because we are not too far away from them). Hmmm… now I wonder… if I pitted the price of the other stall against this stall’s $150.00… would I get a better deal? Maybe next time!

21 DEC 2008

The delivery of the suckling pig was greatly anticipated… It came right on time and it was still warm!

Crispy Roast Suckling Pig

Another angle of the beautifully roasted 沙皮猪

To be frank, I can’t really tell if it is worth the extra money, but this pig got the nod of approval from everyone in the family including mom. The meat was really tender, and it went really well with the sweet sauce and the killer chilli sauce. Personally, I thought the skin could’ve been slightly more crispier, but that is probably high expectation on my side.

See almost smell it from here...

Well, I think that was definitely worth the $150.00 for sure. In the end, it was more than enough to feed 6 hungry adults for dinner… with enough left-overs for mom & dad’s lunch the next day. Mom even stewed the pig’s head with mei cai 梅菜 as a extra dish for our subsequent dinner. How about that!

Hmmm… I can foresee myself returning for their roast ducks and roast chicken rice in the not too distant future!!

Winter Solstice (冬至) and a Birthday

21 DEC 2008

What is Winter Solstice (冬至) ? Well, the seasonal significance of winter solstice is the reversal of the gradually lengthening nights and shortening days. Worldwide interpretation of this event varies greatly from culture to culture, but many cultures regard this day as a day of gatherings, festivals, holidays, rituals, or other celebrations around this time. More about Winter Solstice can be read here and here.

It has been awhile since we celebrated the Chinese version of Winter Solstice (冬至) with the eating of TāngYuán (湯圓). I think it must have been over a decade… TāngYuán are glutinous balls made from glutinous rice flour and is usually served warm. There are a few varieties including those with no filling, or those with fillings such as red bean paste, sesame paste, creamy or even crunchy peanuts paste.

TāngYuán (湯圓) - glutinous rice balls

More importantly, the eating of TāngYuán really symbolises reunion and the elders say it also signifies that one is now another year older!!

Happy Birthday Bro!

So like… if one’s birthday (like my brother’s) falls on Winter Solstice… does it mean Age +2? Muwahahaa… Not funny… I know hehehe… Anyway, have a Happy Birthday brother, and may your year ahead be filled with many wonderful returns!!

Prosperous Kitchen (天旺) @ West Coast Plaza – Dim Sum

25 DEC 2008

HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas!! Went down to West Coast Plaza in the morning and couched ½ of it away at Starbucks sipping Coffee and Hot Chocolate with Wifey. Like all places, Christmas decorations with pretty lights brighten up the whole place.

Christmas Tree @ West Coast Plaza

Hmmm… This Christmas tree is actually as tall as I am… How come it looks like a miniature tree here? hahah!

Giant decorated "Donut" in the sky

More Decorations...

Mini Pearls on Golden threads with Chirstmas Lights...

There’s a Cold Storage there and we spent sometime grocery shopping, stocking up on snacks and stuffs we can’t get in NTUC or Sheng Siong. Come lunch, we were deciding between Prosperous Kitchen (天旺) and this Korean-styled BBQ chicken joint. I wanted the chicken, but Wifey wanted Dim Sum… and so Prosperous Kitchen it is.

Prosperous Kitchen (天旺)

The place gives a feel of a ‘tea house’ of the ancient era with wooden chopsticks, tables, chairs and high hanging red lanterns. Many waiters & waitresses were employed on this day and everyone was attentive to the patron’s needs. Since Wifey wanted Dim Sum, she did all the ordering… and the dim sum there were actually quite nice. Frankly, it was quite a nice surprise considering some of the items we ordered were very well-priced.

Crispy Carrot Cake - $3.00

 Crispy Carrot Cake (Rating: 8.25/10)

Very nice ‘Crispy’ Carrot Cake that was not as crispy as I hoped for… BUT still quite impressive as it is not the traditional pan-fried type. It was not oily at all. I think this has to be best of the lot in terms of overall taste and value.

Spicy Chicken Claw - $2.80

Spicy Chicken Claw (Rating: 7.25/10)

The Spicy Chicken Claw was not that spicy at all. The color, edging towards a fake orangey-red was not very appealing. That aside, it tasted quite good.

Glutinous Rice - $2.80

Glutinous Rice (Rating: 7.5/10)

For $2.80, it was a huge Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice, and the sticky rice was cooked just right. Down side to this was that there wasn’t much ingredient within. Then again, for $2.80, what more can we expect! heh…

Fresh Prawn Roll - $2.80

Fresh Prawn Roll (Rating: 5.75/10)

I found this to be a rather average Crispy Skin Prawn Roll.

Chives & Meat Dumpling - $3.00

Chives & Meat Dumpling (Rating: 6/10)

Now, the chives & meat dumplings were relatively huge as well. However, its not the best I tried before. The meat was a little too lumpy and I’d prefer more chives.

In total, the Dim Sum came up to $19.77 (including $1 each for Tea (x2),  $0.20 each for the wet towers (x2) and GST). Overall, I think it is quite a decent ‘budget’ Dim Sum in the vicinity of West Coast and it seems that way too -everyone knows – around 80% of the restaurant were occupied by the time we leave.

Alegro @ Clarke Quay

29 DEC 2008 - [INVITED SESSION]

We were invited to a “Word of Mouth Session Review” organised by HGW, and this brought us to Alegro: a Spanish-styled street food bar.

Alegro - Spanish Street Food

Alegro is literally a street food bar… with only alfresco dining area, but this allows patrons to mingle over a variety of authentic Spanish ‘party’ snacks and a range of interesting cocktails including custom-designed ones if you are feeling inventive. Alegro brings a touch of vibrant Spanish culture, personified by the charismatic and charming  boss… Jaime.

Bocadillo, Tortilla, Olives and Zesty Fries Platter

To start the night of food tasting, we were presented with 3 mixed platters. Two of the platters consisted of toasted Bocadillo (Baguettes), Tortilla (Spanish potato omelette), Olives, and their unique Zesty Fries (seasoned with black pepper and lemon). The toasted Bocadillo (Chorizo Baguette… I think) was served with their special homemade Tomaca, a unique tomato, bell pepper and garlic spread. The tortilla is often served as a staple bar snack in Spanish bars and cafés, and bite-size ones served here with this platter is really a must-try. The zesty fries, with the subtle pepper and lemon seasoning were actually one of my favorite for the night.

Empanadas, Tuna Croquetas and Calamari Rings

The other platter was filled with different deep-fired snacks including Empanadas (both chicken & tuna), Croquetas and Calamari Rings. Empanada, a Spanish stuffed pastry, looked very much like a curry-puff. However, it did not leave too much of an impression. Perhaps I was totally indulged in their Croquetas which were much more flavorsome.

Churros and Cheese Cake Bites

For dessert, we were served Churros con Chocolate and Cheese Cake bites. When I first had Churros or Spanish donut in Australia, I simply loved them. However, I felt that the Churros here lacked something… perhaps the dough-mix is different or perhaps I am used to those served in Australia which were totally loaded up with icing sugar! Nevertheless, I now know where I can get us a dose of Churros when Wifey craves for some Spanish donut! The other dessert served were some chocolate drizzled bite-size Cheese Cake bites. Hmmm… they were actually great tasting… Kind of like a deep fried cheese ball that melts in your mouth! Fun and Delicious!  

Tequila Sunrise and a parade of other cocktail mixes

Throughout the night, various cocktail mixes were served. Some were better than others, but it is really a matter of personal preference. However, one that left a very good impression, at least for me, was the Hanizest (tequila, gin, triple sec, schnapps, and lime juice). Its a very nice sparkling, zesty cocktail with a kick!

It was indeed a fun-filled night. Thanks to HGW and of course Jaime for show-casing what Alegro has to offer. We will definitely be going down again soon in the not too distant future… perhaps to catch one of their on-going promotions… such as Monday Madness where you buy 1 Cocktail or Spirit Mixer and get 2 free!! What an absolute winner!!

Hong’s Oyster Pancake Shoppe @ Amoy Street Food Center

31 DEC 2009

New Year’s Eve… The last day of 2008…

Met wifey near her work place for lunch and decided to get something inexpensive (been spending way too much recently… hehe) and that brought us to Amoy Street Food Center for some of our favorites Hawker goodies!

Blue Urban Oasis @ Century Square

06 JAN 2009 - [INVITED SESSION]

Blue Urban Oasis is located at the east side of Singapore, in Tampines (within walking distant from Tampines MRTstation). To me, this place is an oasis of sorts for ‘easterners’ to relax nearer to home without having the need to mingle in the city/central area after a long day work.

We were lucky enough to be invited for a food tasting session organised by HGW and were hosted by the very cool, calm and collected Sydney-educated boss: Eugene. He promised us that he will stuff us silly and that he did. In total, we dine through a total of 8 mains, a snack, 2 desserts and various cocktails.

Going through their extensive beer & drink list – cocktails, mocktails, shooters, alcoholic coffees & drinks will take some time… As I was in need of a caffeine fix, I started the night with one of their alcoholic coffee - a sweet creamy Kahlua Frappe and it was excellent! Basically, strong enough to give me a jump-start without being over-powering. Wifey started off with a mango puree fruit punch thingy and it was quite nice too. Apparently, the signature drinks here are the 4 seasons… I got the chance to try Spring…

A touch of Spring...

Perla’s Pastry Boutique – Impressive…

13 JAN 2009

In the quest to search for good Tiramisu, Bro & I went down to Perla’s Pastry Boutique after reading Sihan’s review on HGW on their Tiramisu.

Perlas Pastry Boutique

Finding the place at night was not too hard and did not take too much time AS LONG AS you drive. VERY pretty in pink, the place is very nicely decorated. Too bad its solely for take-away (no seating available). However, the posh-ness of Perla makes it an extremely pleasant place to be in!

Olive Vine Pasta Fusion @ Great World City

B1-16/17 in Great World City

03 JAN 2009

Great World City… was rather obscure to me until recently… Now that I know the place better, it feels like an Oasis of sorts lying just outside the city fringe…

There are many of restaurants there, but right now I find myself returning to Olive Vine Pasta Fusion (Stall 19) within the Food Junction in the basement (B1-16/17) every time I am in Great World City.

One of the cooks (a Chinese National I suspect) was very sporting… As soon as he saw me with my camera, he threw up a huge flame-wave whilst creating his pesto sauce!! FLAME ON!!

Its actually quite a sight!!

Free Fire Show...

Ristorante De Parma – Tiramisu is a must!!

11 JAN 2009

I have always wanted to try the Tiramisu from Ristorante De Parma (RDP) after seeing the great reviews and specially the absolutely mouth-watering pictures taken of their Tiramisu (as seen here)… 

Finally… the chance came along after we managed to jiggle our schedule to fit my baby niece’s timing… for a night out at RDP. It’s actually quite a distant for us (West side), but for the sake of a good Tiramisu, both me and bro are willing to drag our wifies all the way to Serangoon Garden Estate plus a baby in tow!!

Ristorante De Parma

Perla’s… Second Visit for Tiramisu and a delightful Berry Tart

16 JAN 2009

I have been itching for their Tiramisu… and with this as my only reason, I find myself going back to Perla’s just 3 days after my initial visit. Wifey came along this time…

I got 2x Tiramisu ($8.80 ea) and wifey decided on a pretty looking custard tart, a 5″ Crostata Ai Frutti Di Bosco ($10.80) and all that cost $21.60… Pricey… but is it worth it?

Tiramisu from Perla Pasticceria

Pineapple Tarts from Perla…

22 JAN 2009

More Pretty Boxes in Pink...

After pondering several days, I finally gave in and went down to Perla for their Pineapple Tarts on the last day before their closing over Chinese New Year. Pricey… but the thought of having something unique won out! As usual, we ended up spending more as wifey bought some nice goodies for her Temp. attachment from work! Humph! I want to be attached to her too!!

Jones the Grocer… a touch of Australia in Singapore

25 JAN 2009

The eve of the Lunar New Year…

After running some errands, I took wifey up to Dempsey Road in search of some Aussie-styled brunch. I have long read about Jones the Grocer and thought they might satisfy wifey’s craving for a touch of Aussie brekkie of scone or pancake…

The place is not hard to find once you drive up to Dempsey Hill. Driving is necessary unless you don’t mind a long walk up from Holland Road.

Smoochies @ 991B Alexandra Road

09 FEB 2009 - [INVITED SESSION]

Thanks to the invite from HGW, I find myself heading towards Alexandra to this relatively new eatery… Smoochies Bistro and Bar is REALLY well hidden away… deep within the compound of 991 Alexandra Road. So, my advice to all is: Make sure you have the number of this Bistro if you do not know its EXACT location. Here, its: 6276-7337.

Refreshing feel of the Interior

Pretty Pearly White with touches of Deep Dark Purples...

This secluded Bistro offers a nice alfresco dining area, with a live band playing on Tuesday and Thursday. The interior is very nicely done up, set in pretty pearly whites and accented with touches of purples and soft neon lights. Very refreshing feel if you ask me! The staffs were attentive & polite. The place is co-managed by the cheerful & cheeky Ivy and the insightful Max…

Peng Lai Ge 蓬莱阁 @ Joo Chiat

31 JAN 2009

Went down to the East side in search of dinner along East Coast Road. From memory, there seemed to be many nice eateries there. After exploring a little, we decided to try something different… something we missed… It was going to be either Korean or Taiwanese. In the end, we decided on the simple Taiwanese ‘Peng Lai Ge’ over Korean BBQ buffet considering the amount of sinful good food we had just consumed over the CNY week.

Peng Lai Ge

There is nothing extravagant about the setting of Peng Lai Ge 蓬莱阁. The place has a very Taiwanese feel to it (very much like a medium-sized eatery in one of the smaller Taiwan Town). Its a simple shop along Joo Chait road managed by a friendly Taiwanese couple.

Canopy @ Aramsa

01 FEB 2009

My take on The Canopy… Yes its a very nice and relaxing place to laze around and chill with families/friends over brunch, lunch or tea.

It was a Sunday on my visit, and they seemed a little under-staffed… either that, the staffs were just not too attentive. I am QUITE sure it just slipped our waiter’s mind to set up our table and bring us water… Then again, it is NOT his fault two pretty babes sitting diagonally adjacent to us got ALL the attention… Kids now adays… Hiaz…

Sparkling Kir Pètillant

To go in line with consuming lesser after CNY, we opted for a light brunch… A Caesar Salad – $13.00, and a Steak Sandwich – $16.00 to share. Wifey ordered a glass of Sparkling Kir Pètillant thats screaming ‘TRY ME” which was on promo at $7.90. Food actually took a while to come. Thankfully, we were able to indulge in each others company in such a nice garden setting.

Dallas Restaurant @ Boat Quay

10 FEB 2009

Bro’s been craving for some Baby Back Ribs… and what better time to see the promotion at Dallas – 50% discount on Baby Back Pork Ribs on Monday & Tuesday nights… After juggling our schedule around, we made time for a Tuesday dinner at Dallas.

Well-Lit Second Floor of Dallas!

Dallas is structured like a bar on the ground floor, allowing drinking under the stars… Next level up appeared more comfortable, and its pretty well-lit,. The top floor is dim, and cozy… rather romantic I’d say especially if you sit by the balcony over-looking the river line and the Asian civil museum. Service staff was helpful, polite and generally good that day.

Reservist… ICT… New mates… and New Flat!

16th FEB to 27th DEC

Finally… I am called up to serve the nation as a reservist… Its a brand new feeling being called back for the first time after 14 years. Initially, I was all excited… but slightly fearful of whats installed. However I was pleasantly surprised. It was VERY interesting and it was really hard work for the whole of the 2 weeks. Literally no time to sit around! Got to know a few good men too!

Pinnacle @ Duxton...

The dream of getting a place of our own is a step closer now… We were called up to choose a flat in one of our earlier ballots (when HDBwas priced during the peak). But is it a price that is worth paying… to call Tanjong Pagar home…? Pinnacle @ Duxton… I guess only time will truly tell… 

Tian Tian Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre

01 MAR 2009

Tian Tian Chicken Rice...

Been hearing heaps about Tian Tian chicken rice and finally get the chance to try it.

Finding the place isn’t hard. Its located within Maxwell Food Centre and its one of few stalls that has a perpetual queue. The wait was long (almost 30 mins) even on a Sunday! There were people in front of me ordering Chickens from Tian Tian by the boxes… But, it was all good.

7atenine @ Esplanade Mall

21 FEB 2009

7atenine...

Lunch unlimited… @ 7atenine was a rather wondrous experience… Basically, you get to stuff yourself silly with the chef’s masterful creations that is not just enticing to the palate, but also pleasing to the eye. This is not your typical buffet, and there are over 20 different tapas on the menus. Alas, we did not get to try all of them. On this trip, we managed 16 (by my count) and we were pretty full by then. I did not agree with all the dishes, but for $37++, I think it is well worth the money!

Fook Seng GoldenHill Chicken Rice @ Jalan Rumah Tinggi

08 MAR 2009

Jalan Rumah Tinggi...

When bro first told me (a few days back) about this pretty decent chicken rice place in Jalan Rumah Tinggi… I was like… “Huh? Where’s that?”… Next question naturally was “Decent? Sure or not?”… I knew I have to give it a shot… Why? because I love my chicken rice!!

It was actually a relatively long drive up towards Jalan Rumah Tinggi… and on this Sunday afternoon, all other shops were closed except Fook Seng GoldenHill Chicken Rice. Whats really surprising to me was… there were actually quite alot of patrons there! A good sign! Also, they are actually online and you can read all about Fook Seng GoldenHill Chicken Rice here… In their website, the claim to be ‘probably the best chicken rice in Singapore’ can be seen… Well, I shall will not draw that conclusion here…

Naïve @ East Coast Road

06 MAR 2009 – [INVITED SESSION]

Thanks to the invite by the dudes from HGW, we made a trip down towards the Eastern side of the island… to a restaurant with an interesting name: Naïve. This place is not too hard to find if you know the area. It has an address relatively easy to remember: 99, East Coast Road. There are ample parking spots (IF you know where), and it is more accessible via Bus compared to MRT. To make our life easier, we took a Cab from Eunos MRT (cab fare was less then $6.00 at peak hour).

NAÏVE @ 99, East Coast Road

The name of the restaurant is indeed intruiging… Naïve. It made more sense after Restaurant owner & host for the night Phyllis explained the concept behind the name: Simplicity of nature // absence of artificality… which is very well reflected by the decor of Naïve, as well as the plant-based ingredients (no meat, no seafood, no eggs, no onion, no garlic & no MSG). Initially, I thought the name “Naïve” was created as a cheeky jest – ‘Don’t be naive! vegetarian food can be good too! ‘

SzeChuan Kitchen (四川小厨) @ Fairmont Singapore

13 FEB 2009

SzeChuan Kitchen (四川小厨) @ Fairmont Singapore

Walking around Raffles City, I was looking to use my newly acquired Feed@Raffles card… Basically, holder of Feed@Raffles card can split the bill by ½ in some of the restaurants within Raffles City.  SzeChuan Kitchen (四川小厨) is one of those restaurant.

Pâtisserie Glacé @ Chinatown Plaza

15 FEB 2009

I came across several reviews on Pâtisserie Glacé recently, and it got my sweet tooth buzzing… For someone in the process of re-familiarising Singapore, I actually thought Chinatown Plaza to be somewhere near Chinatown Point… I went in blind on my first attempt to find Glacé, end up getting frustrated and gave up looking!

Armed with the relevant information, I fared better on my second attempt. I managed to find the place after a short walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT, though it may be closer walking from Outram Park MRT.

Revisiting Smoochies…

Neon Lights & Bar Seats

17 Mar 2009

After the initial Food Tasting at Smoochies, we returned for a nice dinner on a Sat evening (28 FEB 2009) and tried out their 2 & 3 course Set-lunches (17 MAR 2009)

Smoochies really provide a nice environment to hang out and relax… It’s a very cosy place especially with the evergreen 80′s & 90′s music running in the background. Then again, there weren’t any live band when we visited. So if you want a peaceful, quiet, romantic setting, Smoochies (no live band nights) is a great choice. The staffs are always nice, positive and cheery. One of them even remembered me!

The Soup Spoon @ Raffles City

14 FEB 2009

Backlog – We were down in Raffles City on Valentine’s Day and decided to stop by The Soup Spoon for a quick light lunch. Prices of the soups ranged from $5.60 to $6.90 (Regular) and $6.80 to $8.20 (Grande). As we were not that hungry, we thought of just sharing a large soup with a combo meal by adding $3.80 for an iced tea and a half-sandwich. I was tempted by their warm naans and ordered a serving of those as well.

 

Hearty Creamy Chicken Soup!!

Plaza Market Café @ Fairmont Singapore

21 MAR 2009

I was quite excited to try out the dinner buffet of Plaza Market Café @ Fairmont Singapore. Well, it’s a freebie as part of the Feed @ Raffles Gourmet Card I purchased recently. However, after reading several dismal reviews on the place, I made my reservation and went down to the place with no expectation.

Plaza Market Café

Crystal Jade Kitchen (翡翠小厨) @ Holland Village

04 APR 2009

Went for a family dinner @ Crystal Jade Kitchen… Finding a parking spot in Holland Village on a Sat evening is impossible… By the time I parked, the family’s already seated. Crystal Jade Kitchen was perpetually busy… Service was competent initially until they completely forgotten one of our order… Food wise was not spectacular, but decent enough.

Steam Pork Rib in Black Bean Sauce

Yoshimaru Ramen Bar @ Holland Village

05 APR 2009

Yoshimaru Ramen Bar (Holland Village)

Walked pass a rather new outlet ‘Yoshimaru Ramen Bar‘ yesterday and decided to give it a go today. Apparently, Yoshimaru originates from Hakata, Kyushu, and Hakata Ramen is a distinctive ultra thin ramen served in a rich tonkotsu (pork bones) broth. Their menu is not as extensive as some of the bigger Ramen chains, so it is easy to decide what to go for.

Go India @ VivoCity

09 APR 2009 – [INVITED SESSION]

Thanks to the invite from the guys of HGW, we headed to Go-India @ VivoCity on the eve of Good Friday. (Seem like they are in the process of revamping their website…) Anyway, this is actually one of many restaurants I wanted to visit, but kept missing out time and again for one reason or another…

Go-India @ Vivo City

Dian Xiao Er @ West Coast Plaza

29 MAR 2009

We went down to Dian Xiao Er (DXE) @ West Coast Plaza for a simple meal with the family.

Dian Xiao Er

Like all DXE in Singapore, the decor is similar, rustic woody. The only difference is that it did not seem to be as crowded as the other DXE branches…

BBQ Chicken @ West Coast Plaza

22 FEB 2009

We reached BBQ Chicken @ West Coast Plaza a little over 2:00 pm.  Initially, I thought we missed the set lunch promotion, but the manager was kind enough to extend the set lunch which supposingly ended at 2:00pm. Each set lunch included a soup, a main dish, a drink and a single scoop of ice-cream.

Interior of BBQ Chicken

Shang Palace @ Shangri-la Hotel

19 APR 2009

Dim-Sum time at Shang Palace on Sunday with Bro & his family. Wifey missed out due to work… yes… on a Sunday…

Shang Palace

We came in for their first-seating (10:30 am) without any reservation and was fortunate enough to get a seat. Apparently, there’s an early bird discount of 30% if you settle the bill before 12:00 pm. I guess its good to be an early-bird…

Revisiting Absolute Haven

26 APR 2009 – [INVITED SESSION]

First up, thanks to Panarai for the invitation which prompted us to revisit Absolute Haven and sample their new weekend brunch (Sat – Sun, between 11:30 am to 3:30 pm). This weekend brunch is really a semi-buffet, with an evolving Buffet menu of over 20 items (that I counted… yes I can count…), and includes a choice of scrambled or fried egg, a selection of 5 mains and 2 desserts…

Absolute Haven

Choupinette @ Bukit Timah

18 APR 2009

Wifey has been working too hard during her peak period. We decided that she has to pamper herself with a decent breakfast before going to work this Saturday… With that, we headed down to a French Cafe we walked pass a few days ago, Choupinette, for brekkie…

Choupinette

Café De Amigo @ Funan Digitalife Mall

08 MAY 2009

Dim and dusky, the mood changes as we stepped into Café de Amigo… The weariness that accumulated over the long week slowly eased away as we enjoyed the soothing, refreshing and classy live Jazzy 2-piece performance. 

Looking through the menu, I get the feeling that any affair @ Café De Amigo will not be merciful to the wallet…

Café De Amigo

Thai Express @ West Coast Plaza

10 MAY 2009

Initially, we thought of having a Mother’s Day meal with some of our relatives, but alas, it did not happen… So, at the last minute, Bro managed to make a reservation at Thai Express in West Coast Plaza…

Thai Express @ West Coast Plaza

Sage @ Mohamed Sultan Road

Prologue:

I have always been very curious about what lies behind the frosted glass doors of Sage, the Restaurant everytime I walked pass… To me, the simplicity of its exterior gives it a sense of solitariness… exclusiveness… Its a place we would never have ventured in by ourselves…  

Sage, The Restaurant...

The introduction to Sage came over a casual meal with Dave which really stemmed from a candid discussion about the Duck Confit served in another restaurant… He highly recommended that we try the Duck Confit at Sage, and suggested Sage’s Executive Set Lunch… We set a day, a time, and I awaited with rather high expectation…

Teahouse, the Asian Kitchen @ Raffles City Shopping Centre

17 MAY 2009

Had a simple lunch at Teahouse, The Asian Kitchen… The size of this joint is rather small, and the place was pretty packed… with many staffs buzzing around… Thankfully, we managed to get a seat…

Teahouse, The Asian Kitchen

Your Woul @ Goldhill Centre

16 MAY 2009

Been a while since we last had Korean food… Happen to came across an advertiser of HGW (Your Woul) with somewhat believable reviews and decided to try it out with wifey…

The closest MRT was Novena, and its a 5 mins walk to Goldhill Centre. However, “Your Woul” was rather hard to find as we were unfamiliar with the area… After asking around, we managed to reach our destination.

Your Woul

Chalk Restaurant @ Mount Sophia

24 MAY 2009

Wifey has been craving for a decent sticky date pudding for sometime now… She kept going on about that sticky date pudding we fell in love with in Melbourne… So one of my mini-quest is to find her a replacement or something close… That quest has been a measly failure until I chanced upon ’Chalk‘… Some of the HGW reviews I read of this restaurant seem promising…

Chalk Restaurant

Marmalade Pantry @ Palais Renaissance

31 MAY 2009

After reading a comment about Marmalade Pantry’s sticky date toffee pudding, I knew I have to try it for myself… Even though I felt a little under the weather, I dragged wifey along for this food escapade… to Palais Renaissance… to Marmalade Pantry.

Marmalade Pantry @ Palais Renaissance

Sakae Sushi @ Compass Point

07 JUN 2009

Sakae Sushi (Compass Point)

Decided to grab a simple, hasty, & early dinner at Sakae Sushi (Compass Point) before the crowd comes in. Seems like the business here is always pretty darn good as evident by the constant long queue I observed every other week that I am in Compass Point visiting Grandma…

We went in at around 5:30 pm and the place was already 75% filled!! We were seated in a corner and were soon forgotten… It took some effort to catch the attention of the busy staffs… The place was rather noisy, but that totally due to the family seated adjacent to us… A family of 6 include 3 hyper-active kids… :groan:

Cha Cha Cha @ Holland Village

10 JUN 2009

After my initial visit to Cha Cha Cha with Dave, I know I have to bring wifey her for the chips, the salsa, and the fajitas…. I know wifey is really craving for some of the simple things we could get in Australia which actually include cheap snack food like corn chips and salsa sauce that are so readily available  in Australia’s supermarket.

Cha Cha Cha

Peking Room @ Tanglin Halt

14 JUN 2009

As wifey was feeling unwell, we went for a simple dinner nearby… Its the first time we try this relatively new-ish economic rice /Teo Chew porridge stall which is housed within the coffee-shop by the name of Peking Room…

Peking Room @ Tanglin Halt

Cugini @ Robertson Walk

21 JUN 2009

Been reading quite a few reviews about Cugini @ HGW and have always wanted to try the place out… Finally found the opportunity to have a little romantic dinner at Cugini with wifey… Apparently, Cugini serves Southern Italian cuisine focused mainly on the region of Sicily & Sardinia… and it was an interesting night… specially the Cugini Special we ordered…

Cuigini @ Robertson Walk

Shinobu Dining @ PSA Building

17 JUN 2009

Shinobu Dining is located on the 4th storey of PSA Building. Apparently, it current name was changed from Yuzu-Shimizu Japanese Restaurant… Anyway, thanks to Dave for this introduction to Shinobu Dining… Frankly speaking and like many hidden eateries out there, I will have never known of its existence otherwise!

Shinobu Dining

Koryo Restaurant @ Fusionopolis (Connexis Tower)

22 JUN 2009

After watching this Korean series about food yesterday, we got this crazy craving for some KimChi… and decided on the Korean restaurant in Fusionopolis…

Koryo Korean Restaurant

Bergs Burgers @ Far East Square

23 JUN 2009

After reading about Bergs Burgers, which basically stemmed from 2 Aussie’s ideology of finding the perfect burgers, I got a feeling that wifey and I may just like this burger joint!! Since I’m on leave, we decided to head down Far East Square for some Aussie-styled burgers for dinner…

Bergs Gourmet Burger

Food Shoot @ Smoochies Bistro and Bar

13 JUN 2009

Smoochies Bistro and Bar… Took some food photos for their current menu today. The presentation of the spread was simply awesome… Smoochies Bistro and Bar is now on Facebook… Become a fan to receive updates on up-coming events and current promotions. Check out pictures of some of the scrumptious selections on their current menu there too… Enjoy some soothing live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in their alfresco garden area…

Smoochies Bistro & Bar

Read my previous reviews on Smoochies here & here… Five items high on my recommendation list: Smoochies Crispy Chicken Wings, Beef Carpaccio in a Soy-Foie Gras Truffle Dressing, Any of their Pizzas with extra cheese, Baked Pork Ribs, and their Honey-Soya Chilean Cod! 

Smoochies may be hard to find if you are unfamiliar with the area… However, you can call 62767337 for direction and for reservations… Enjoy!

Address:
991B Alexandra Road, #01-10, Singapore

Asia Grand @ Odeon Towers

27 JUN 2009

Asia Grand… a place we planned to have some dim sum since the beginning of the month, but had to for-go due to a nasty non-H1N1 flu-ish bug… followed by some last minutes errands… and a severe hangover…

Asia Grand

Today… YES!!… Today is the day… we are all set for dim sum at Asia Grand, and no nasty H1N1 or any amount of binge drinking is going to stop us now!! I was actually looking forward for this dim sum session as I have heard good things said about the dim sum and dinner here coming from various friends and relatives…

Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant @ Suntec City

28 JUN 2009

After a not so satisfying dim sum session yesterday, Wifey jumped at the thought of my random suggestion of having another dim sumsession today when we walked passed Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant whilst hunting for our next meal… I was like… “Huh?! dim sum a.g.a.i.n….?! Seriously!??” Oh well, whatever that keeps Wifey happy!

Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Restaurant

Zento @ Dempsey Road

01 JUL 2009 – [INVITED SESSION]

Thanks to the invite from HGW, we approached Zento @ Dempsey, highly charged with keen anticipation for the food tasting session. One may ask… Why the anticipation? Well, Zento’s Chef Gunawan Wibisono did a stint under Iron Chef America – Masaharu Morimoto (perhaps better known as the third Iron Chef Japanese on the show Iron Chef)… We followed the earlier Iron Chef series when we were in Australia, and were constantly fascinated & enticed by some of the mouth-watering themed-creations produced… To have the opportunity to experience contemporary Japanese cuisine created by someone trained under a creative Chef with such credential… Need I say more?

Zento @ Dempsey Road

Royal China @ Raffles

05 JUL 2009

It has been 368 days since my last visit… Finally get the chance to bring Wifey to Royal China… I called in advance to reserve a table of 2… Once arrived, we were quickly shown our seats… Once seated, we ordered some Chinese Tea ($2.00 each)… After looking through their main and dim sum menus, we decided to go for the dim sum as they were quite well priced considering a classy restaurant like Royal China…

Royal China @ Raffles

Fruit Paradise @ Orchard Central

05 JUL 2009

Orchard Central… a new mall… which means its a place to explore! Then again, all malls are more or less similar in one way or another… After a couple of hours wondering through Orchard Central level by level, we came across Fruit Paradise… The place was packed… and looking at the tarts on display I guess I know why… Even the fake ‘look-alike’ tarts, so typical of the Japanese, looked delicious! After a minute of “hmmmm”… “should we”… “maybe”… we decided to go in for a pit-stop! The tarts just looked so darn good…

Fruit Paradise

Lawry’s @ Paragon

12 JUL 2009

Whilst waiting for Wifey’s as she pamper herself and her hair at Shunji Matsuo, I strolled around Paragon. Walking towards Lawry’s, I saw an eye catching brochure… “Afternoon Indulgence… Only at Lawry’s“!!

Lawry @ Paragon

Served daily between 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm, a choice of 1 Savory and 1 Sweet cost $12.00 per person!! That also include a choice of Italian Coffee, Assorted Tea, Soft drinks or Juices!! For the full Afternoon Indulgence menu, click here… “Whoa” was my initial thought and with that, I found our afternoon tea destination for the day! I reported back to Wifey of my find and she was delighted… So, Lawry’s, here we come!!

Soup Restaurant (三盅两件) @ Compass Point

11 JUL 2009

As a belated birthday dinner celebration with some of my aunts and uncle, we went to Soup Restaurant @ Compass Point… Well, I am not exactly a herbal soup person, so Wifey & I have yet step into any of the Soup Restaurants since our return to Singapore… Then again, after such a heavy durian afternoon tea break, why not have some soup and something light!

Soup Restaurant 三盅两件 @ Compass Point

Sage Revisited…

15 JUL 2009

Ever since my first visit to Sage (exactly 2 months from today), I wanted to bring Wifey along to this wonderful restaurant to experience their Executive Set Lunches… and specially their exceptional Truffle-infused Scrambled Eggs…

Sage, the Restaurant

That day finally arrive… We took a day off to run some errands… Even though the timing was a little tight, I made sure we lunched at Sage… I even called in a day before to make sure the truffle infused scrambled eggs were available for us during lunch – The side of truffle-infused scrambled egg normally comes together with their Mushroom Cuppacino during dinner…

Deli @ Goodwood Park

11 JUL 2009

Wifey’s recent purchase in DFS Galleria got us a $50.oo discount voucher for any of the F&B chain by Goodwood Park Hotel… and that brought us to Deli… What better chance to try out one of the 50 yummiest cakes in Singapore – the durian mousse cake…

Deli @ Goodwood Park

We were pretty much mesmerised by the wide selection of goodies… with many durian as well as non-durian cakes, puffs and tarts… After some feverish calculations, we decided on a whole range items, paid up and headed to grandma’s for a little afternoon delight!

Big O Cafe @ Wheelock Place

19 JUL 2009

Stepped into Big O Cafe & Restaurant for an afternoon tea after walking around town with Wifey & Mom… I was lured in by their display of cakes…

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Whole Earth @ Peck Seah Street

17 JUL 2009 – [INVITED SESSION]

Whole Earth… a rather Zen name… was somehow associated with organic food when I first heard about it… Well, thanks to the invite from HGW, I soon realise that it’s a Vegetarian restaurant that serves Peranakan-Thai food…

Located just a stone throw away from Tanjong Pagah MRT Station, it is not too difficult to find… Even though Whole Earth recently moved to the current location at Peck Seah Street, a healthy lunch crowd was there when I arrived for the food tasting session…

Whole Earth @ Peck Seah Street (Tanjong Pagah)

Seoul Yummy @ The Central

18 JUL 2009

Received a promotional email regarding Central Food Festival which is held in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board… One of the featured restaurant: Seoul Yummy, had a fantastic looking mixed Hot Stone pot rice on it… and that got me drooling… *slurp* After successfully selling the idea of Korean food to Wifey, we head down to The Central to check out some of the promotions Seoul Yummy and the rest of the restaurants in The Central are running…

Seoul Yummy @ The Central

Gusttimo Di Roma @ ION Orchard

25 JUL 2009

Gusttimo @ Orchard Ion

Exploration of the new in-place in town – Orchard Ion… can be rather harrowing, especially with an endurance shopper like Wifey… Even though it was only 30 minutes into the excursion, I felt the need for sustenance…

A strategic right turn coming out of Miu Miu brought us towards Bally which is just opposite Gusttimo and I refuse to budge until I was fed something sweet – and a kiss is not enough!!…

Gusttimo is rather classy with the high ceiling and the huge chandelier… The staffs are patient, polite and cheery… There was a queue by the Gelato counter probably due to indecisiveness of the patrons with the flavours and the availability of tasters – Imagine each indecisive patron (including myself) test-tasting at least 2 to 3 flavours before deciding… I actually saw someone with 6+ tasting spoons!! The flavours available (list here) are quite extensive, with the majority in the cream family (96% fat free). There were also gelato of the fruit and yogurt family (zero fat).

Canton-i @ ION Orchard

01 AUG 2009

Continuing our exploration of ION Orchard, we came across the newly opened pretty-in-pink Canton-i. We browsed through their menu and found their price to be quite acceptable… considering the all-out-no-expense-spared decoration of the restaurant in white and pink… It really looked and felt very impressive to me and we decided to try it out…

Canton-i @ ION Orchard

Stanford PhD… now a Cab Driver…

20 AUG 2009

It is kind of worrying waking up one morning to see a friend’s facebook link saying how a Stanford PhD, with 16 years of research experience in IMCB (A*Star) ended up deciding to drive a cab… Though many application letters and CVs were submitted to universities, government agencies, and private companies, it appeared that very few responded. Those that did never materialised into anything positive… Dr Cai Ming Jie’s blog of a Singapore Taxi Driver’s Diary can be read here…

Many left comments with words of encouragement and advice. Some left down emails with offers of possible job opportunity… A few dissed and jested… But what really intrigued me, or rather enlighten me were some of the very revealing comments posted within and on some other online forum… Indeed food for thoughts since I walk a very similar Post-doctoral research path… and I have to agree that a research is indeed unstable as it is contract based… I think I better get my international licence converted to a Singaporean one just in case… 

On Route to LA…

… for a Conference… Going to be exciting!!

Alas its in the middle of renovation, but on the bright side, I may just return to a ready-to-move-in place!!

Missing Wifey already though…