Living It Up

MC was all geared up to watch F1 from home!

Sylar was here…

The Apple and Rhubarb pie from Aerin’s.  YUMMLICIOUS!  (And the cause of my tummy overwork)

I’m absolutely convinced my soft toys are alive… I came home and found MC sleeping on my pillow…

That’s all the pics for now. 

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I can practically taste the F1 mania arriving on our shores…

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Here’re some pictures took in the month of July (and the first 2 days of August)… finally got the chance to upload them. 

This is apparently a Teochew dish… braised duck with kway teow soup or rice.  Side dishes complementing the dish are kiam chye (salted veg) and beancurd.  Never saw this in Singapore before… tried it in JB when Iceman & I went to check out wedding banquet venues.  (Reminds me of kway chap!)

This pic didn’t come out too well unfortunately.  There were these really miniature bananas.  Eye-catching.

Open air area near Peking City Restaurant in JB (one of our wedding dinner venue considerations).  Check out the pillars!  They’re made up of different coloured stones.

Fell 2 Fridays ago when the heel of my left shoe caught the hem of my right pant leg.  Sustained 2 big bruises on my knees… erm.. I thought the pattern of this bruise was kind of pretty… flowery looking… :P  (I’m fascinated by bruises).

There was this photo exhibition at the National Library today.  Rather small exhibition showcasing photos (old & new) and some documents (birth certs, vaccination docs, etc from yesteryear) reflecting the various "Singaporean moments".

Scrap all the glam shots of our city skyline.  This, was my favourite - (by Tay Wee Kiat Benjamin)!  For the non-initiated, this is a pic of a poor driver getting a summon from the traffic police for not putting a valid parking coupon.  Haha.

The usual glam shots…

Our armed forces… drinking Heaven & Earth green tea.  I think Heaven & Earth should consider paying the army to endorse their products… chao slacker…

5 stones!!  Anyone remembers how to play? 

Hawker Licence

Ration Card

Iceman & I also checked out this restaurant called Food for Thought that’s located opposite the National Library.  Yummy food  and funny characters found inside…

Sigh.  I actually placed the camera on the table ‘cos I wanted to take photos of the food.. but we were hungry… and when I suddenly remembered I wanted to take photos… we had finished our main course and this was all that was left of Iceman’s mango cheesecake.

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I did manage to get 1 shot of our 2nd dessert - Butterscotch Peach Crumble.  It has peaches & raisins inside.  Totally delicious!

Normal looking customer.

Same customer with a panty over her head… maybe the fan was too strong…

More photos of the Night Fest coming up!

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Ah!  Another pic from the hp.  I used to like to go to this corner coffeeshop that’s opposite Katong Mall for its Western food stall.  The food is cheap & good but I stopped going in the past year ‘cos it’s really difficult getting cheap parking there.  Anyway, the good news is, the Western food stall has set up a branch at Tampines St 11!  Woohoo!  Check it out if you’re ever at Tampines St 11!

I had the spicy chicken spaghetti when I was there last week.  All pastas come with a Soup of the Day (which you’ll find out is always the Cream of Mushroom Soup) and a slice of garlic bread.  The meal costs $6.50.  Worth it right?

My parents had a steak each.  The steak comes with 2 side dishes (you can choose from a very delectable selection of hot/cold side dishes like potato salad, garden pasta, corn on the cob - reminds me a lot of Kenny Rogers).  Price of the meal?  Around $10 each.  Really yummy too!  (I love the potato salad!!  The dressing was fantastic!  *Slurp*).

I think Astons Express has a few more branches around Singapore so be sure to try it if you come across the stall!

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Had lunch with my ex-shifu last week and tried this new drink at TCC.  It’s called the Perfect Match - a latte infused with rose syrup (Ok.. not the bandung type.  Something lighter).  It’s really pretty good.  Quite liked it. 

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Was transferring some of the photos i took recently from my hp to my laptop and decided to post some of the latest things that caught my eye here.

This is the view from a window in my office.  It would’ve been clearer if the windows were cleaner!  Sigh.  Funny thing is, i took this photo on Thursday night when i worked till pretty late… and on Friday, i saw a poster with the same scene, i.e. a pic taken at the same angle!  Hehe.  What a coincidence!

Was at Din Tai Fung with Booze Queen & Iceman and we saw this other table drinking Chinese wine.  We ordered a bottle to try and it was really smooth!  Hua Diao Shaoxing Wine (8 years).  Really good.  Goes extremely well with the Beef Brisket soup from Ding Tai Fung.  *Slurp*

Can’t remember what is the official name of this dish from Crystal Jade Macau Kitchen @ Bugis Junction… Spicy Chicken in Stone Pot or something.  Really yummy.  The gravy goes especially well with white rice!

This was something Prawns on Hot Plate.  Had this slight curry flavour to it.  Very tasty too!

This was the "weakest link" amongst the dishes.  Seasonal Vegetables cooked Portuguese style.  Funny sweetish taste.  Iceman & i had to put a lot of chilli to help us finish the dish.

Mango Sago Dessert.  Classic Crystal Jade dessert.  Can’t go wrong with this choice!  Yummy.  The slightly sourish taste of the mango with the sweet sago soup makes it really refreshing after a heavy meal.

This was the double-boiled Egg White & Milk.  Iceman found it bland, tasteless… but i thought the slightly sweetness in the smooth custard was nice.

Last shot of Mister Bunny before he gets eaten…

Watching Lost 3: Expose on Ch 5 now.  I am lost!  It’s not a show that’s meant for people to just pick up halfway i guess… Sigh.  Lots of eye candy though.  Hehe.

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Azure was in Bangkok for work the past 3 days and she very kindly, braving unknown dangers at the customs and immigration, snuck a bunny back for me.  Her ingenuity at disguising and hiding the illegal immigrant bunny is amazing.  Check it out man!  No wonder those silly folks at immigration couldn’t find it!

Hehe.  Hidden amidst 24 Bavarian munchkin donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts, is Mr. Bunny from Mister Donuts.  Cute hor?  Hahahaha.

Speaking of donuts… after the traumatic incident, where my dad stole my precious donuts, i go on the defensive whenever i have donuts in my house - i separate the donuts into 2 boxes, 1 box for me, and 1 box for my parents. 

When i bought donuts back from HK, i labelled my box “Uptowngal’s.  Do not eat!!!”.  And on my parents’ box, i wrote, “For consumption”.

I then kept the boxes in the fridge.  A couple of days later, when i took out my box of donuts, i saw something my dad wrote below my message.  It read:

“For looking only”.

My dad can be really funny.

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My dad celebrated his 58th birthday today.  Wow.  Time sure flies… i find it hard to believe that my parents are that old… ‘cos they still look pretty young to me.  In fact, when i look at my oldest uncle, i find it hard to believe that he’s about 70!  Heh. 

My dad’s actual birthday is 18 Aug but he decided to give my uncles a birthday treat at Marina Mandarin Hotel today.  The buffet was good!!

1st dish i attacked of course, were the oysters!  Not bad… fresh (fresher than the ones at The Line, surprisingly).. but not as huge as the ones in Makati.

The boiled prawns were really good too.  The flesh was succulent & sweet.  Sedap!

The assortment of cheese & ham was good too.  Really satisfying!

The black pepper crabs were not too bad… tasty but the crabs were too small!  Didn’t have much meant despite the effort in tearing apart the shell.

The dessert was excellent… chocolate fondue, mousse, cakes (u MUST try the cheesecake!), haagen dazs ice-cream, etc.

My parents and i seldom take photos together ‘cos all 3 of us have horrible smiles.  But this was a pretty ok group shot. 

I also tried the tempura & sashimi (both were excellent) though i didn’t have enough space in my stomach for the other western & indian food.  Overall, i think the buffet at Marina Mandarin (#3) is better than The Line at Shangri La.  I think it’s $42+++ on weekdays and $52+++ on weekends… either that or $47 and $57 respectively.  Worth it.  Perhaps this could be the next outing for my Buffet Buddies? 

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Brushed my teeth and was going to bed when the craving for Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur struck.  Went to the kitchen to get a litttle bit of it.  Finally mastered the art of pouring more coffee than milk in the cup.  Previously, i think i poured like 1/2 milk, 1/2 coffee… which doesn’t make sense since the bottle has 3/4 coffee, 1/4 milk.  Anyway, with the right tilt / angle, the mix is ooh so good!  Add ice and it’s perfect.

 Here’s a bottle (again) of Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur for all to admire.  I highly recommend it! 

*Bliss*

Oh and since we’re on the topic of coffee… have u tried Vietnamese coffee?  The one i had in Ho Chi Minh was fantastic… thick, very sweet, with a mocha aftertaste.

Tried the one at this authentic Vietnamese Restaurant at Boat Quay (forgot the name of the place… it’s between Smile Clinique and TCC).  Taste of the coffee is ok… but diluted compared to what i had in HCM.  The hot coffee’s ok… but once u pour it into the cup of ice, the coffee becomes like drain water… way too diluted.

Took this photo discreetly during lunch.  That’s the contraption that the Viet coffee is “dripped” from.  The coffee powder is added with boiling water into the small little “pot”… and it slowly drips into the cup below.  After all the powder / water flows down, the coffee is ready. 

Anyhow, i’m no big coffee fan.  Coffee to me has always been “medicinal”… as in.. it’s a drug to keep me awake.  Heh.  That’s all.  I don’t appreciate coffee ‘cos of the bitterness… and i think coffee drinkers would agree that the amount of sweetener/sugar i add takes away the natural flavour of the coffee. 

Heck… i don’t care.  Just give me my Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur… ooh…

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Finally opened the bottle of Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur that Sharky bought for me.  Heh.  My mom said it was too sweet… and that she couldn’t taste the alcohol.  Amazing ‘cos i sure could taste the alcohol (15.5%) before i added ice!

My dad said it tasted like Kahlua!  What a horrendous blasphemy to my precious Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur.  Sigh.

Oh well… more chances to stock up when i go HK in Sep and when my mom goes on holiday in Oct.  Heehee.

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My latest hobby… writing food reviews… though i don’t think it’ll last very long.  It’s kind of tiring and not spicy nor saucy at all.  Yes, pun intended.  Anyway, if u have that teeny weeny bit of confidence in my taste in food, u can check out my (so far 2) reviews at www.hungrygowhere.com.  Just do a search for “UptownGal” under Reviewer’s name. 

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Booze Queen, Iceman, GG, Bubbs and i went to this Jap buffet restaurant called Minori last night.  I was tempted to try the restaurant after reading Wong Ah Yoke’s review in the Straits Times.  And my sudden inclination to try sake helped of course.  Haha. 

A spanner was almost thrown in the works when Boeeze Queen and Iceman read lousy reviews about the place at www.hungrygowhere.com.  But after our dinner last night, we concluded that the bad reviews were largely unjustified.

The selection of food was good, ranging from sashimi, teppanyaki (u’ve gotta forgive my spelling.  I’m xenophobic and don’t intend to learn Jap), noodles, sushi, handrolls, tempura, etc.  The sashimi (i loved the salmon and tuna) was very fresh.  The meat of the fish was also tender but not mooshy.  The flesh of the salmon tore away gently with each bite… which is important to me ‘cos i really detest salmon that’s chewy and tough. 

Especially noteworthy were the grilled mushrooms (but be prepared to wait for a long long time for it!!  Order many sticks in advance!), the chawanmushi and the warm sake (housepour).  Ok… so the sake is debateable ‘cos Booze Queen and GG preferred the cold sake that we picked off the cold shelf.

I’m pretty sure i’ll go back there again.  I know Iceman is keen to go back to the restaurant too.  Heh.  Yummy! 

Told u Iceman will definitely be going back didn’t i?

The wonderful sashimi spread!

GG enjoying the food.

Yummy sushi, kimchi pork, beansprouts…

Bubbs, me, and Iceman’s Asahi.

Booze Queen (formerly known as WC :P) looking really coy… heh…

We spent $255 last night, which i think is reasonable for the food we had.  (The buffet was $32++/pax and alcohol was charged separately).  Paid using UOB card which gave us a $10 voucher.  Yay!

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Today was the first time i reaped the fruits of my trip to Manila.  Nope… didn’t close any deals arising out of my Manila trip yet.  But when an underwriter gave a really really high price for a Terrorism Liability Insurance cover that i’m desperately scouring the insurance markets for, i managed to bring the price down by USD30k.  Hehe.  All ‘cos i was familiar with the client’s assets in Manila and i could give a very expressive description of all the wonderful buildings and places owned by the client, and the strict security measures they have in place.  Hiak hiak.

The Singaporean u/wer i spoke to was rather taken aback when i told her Manila (well, at least Makati area) was really safe and i even walked around there on my own at night.  It is lah.  I mean, it may not have as low a crime rate as Singapore but compared to pretty much the rest of SEA (Thailand, Malaysia, etc), i really don’t think it’s any more dangerous.  Hold your handbag close to you, don’t flail your handphone about, and you’re all right.

In fact, i felt safer in Makati than in KL.  ‘Cos not many people ride motorbikes in Makati.  Which (in my opinion), translates to lower risk of snatch theft. 

Anyway, met up with a client from the Philippines, and 2 of our Manila office colleagues today.  They’re all in town for a presentation and i had dinner with them at the  No Signboard restaurant at the Esplanade.  The chilli crab was realllllly good.  The fried mantou (buns) was lagi best.  *Salivates*.  I liked the baby squid too!  Really yummy.  Sambal kangkong wasn’t too bad… white pepper crab was decent enough and the fried rice was really tasty - especially when eaten with the sambal kangkong.  SLURP!! 

Ok.  I went a little off track.  Heehee.  Yummy food has that effect on me. 

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Went to The Line for the Oyster Night with Azure, Iceman and BAT (whom i may have to change the nick soon ‘cos he’s been going to the gym and his derriere is getting smaller!).  The buffet spread was pretty decent - sashimi (not very good… tough and chewy salmon, not very fresh sword fish, acceptable tuna), dimsum, Indian cuisine, Western cuisine, etc. 

There were oysters from 11 different locations in the US, France and Canada.  The American oysters were a waste of time… small, and generally not very palatable.  The French and Canadian oysters… ah… those were worth our while.  Big, juicy and succulent, they were a delight to savour with tabasco sauce and lemon.  Yummy.  (Though the ones i had in Philippines were STILL fresher!!).

Dessert was fantastic too… the chocolate fondue was great though the stuff u could coat the choc with was limited.  Only strawberries and biscuits!  The other desserts available were things like crepe, apple pies, tiramisu, mango pudding, lemon pudding, etc.  Pretty good.

Conclusion is that it isn’t worth paying $68++ for the buffet.  HOWEVER, if u have a HSBC card, there’s a 4pax for the price of 3 promo… which means the bill comes to $60/pax.  Now THAT, is worth it. 

A very happy trio…

Someone’s diet got ruined tonight… check out the dessert!

I was happily re-arranging the plates of dessert before taking the above shot.  Hehe.

We were REALLY really stuffed…

Broke my record of 18 oysters in 1 sitting in Manila!

BAT ate the least no. of oysters… negligible compared to the rest of us… Azure did well with 21 (i think).  Iceman and i broke even - 26 oysters each.  Hehehe.

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I’ve been haunted by the wonderfully yummylicious oysters i had in Manila since i got back to Singapore.  Asked & surfed around for recommendations on where to find the best fresh oysters in Singapore and i came up with this list:

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore - Sunday Champagne Brunch

Where: Greenhouse (tel: 6434 5288 / 6337 8888)
Enjoy all-day dining at Greenhouse, which showcases international flavours and local favourites on buffet or á la carte. Seafood aficionados may dive into our delectable buffet dinners and savour Singapore’s iconic dish – chili or peppered crabs, along with a rotation of scallops, oysters, slipper lobsters and Japanese sushi and sashimi.

• All-day á la carte: 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
• Buffet breakfast: 6:30 – 10:30 a.m.
• Buffet lunch: Noon - 2:30 p.m.
• Buffet dinner: 6:30 - 10.30 p.m.
• Saturday Teddy Bear Tea buffet: Noon - 3 p.m.
• Sunday vintage champagne brunch: 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., offering an unlimited flow of Moët & Chandon, wines and selected cocktails accompanied by freshly shucked oysters, seafood, roasts, 80 French farmhouse cheeses and freshly baked soufflés
• Advanced reservations recommended

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore - Sunday Brunch At One-Ninety

Where: One-Ninety (tel: 6831 7250 / 6734 1110)
International and Singaporean specialties such as spicy laksa, fragrant chicken rice and wonton noodles are available all-day. Breakfast features a buffet of Asian and contemporary western favourites. On Saturdays, a high tea buffet of local and international delicacies take centre stage. Sunday brunch, complete with champagne, juices, appetisers and buffet stations of Asian and international delights, has something to please every palate.

Meritus Mandarin Singapore - International Buffet

Where: Triple 3, The Buffet Restaurant (tel: 6831 6271/88)
Featuring the widest and most imaginative buffet spread of Eastern and Western flavours with a fresh selection of cold cuts and seafood as well as mouth-watering desserts which will have you lingering for more!

Relish different monthly cuisine coupled with refreshing, new dishes to further appease your discerning palate. A choice to dine al fresco by the pool or in an air-conditioned comfort, Triple 3 is the only buffet restaurant in town to be awarded the ‘Best Buffet’ title by Wine and Dine magazine.

Oyster Nights at The Line

The Line’s gastronomic dinner spread will be enhanced every Tuesday night with over 10 varieties of freshly-shucked oysters from Australia, New Zealand and France, priced at SGD 68 per person. Guests will also enjoy delicious champagne cocktails from The Line Bar at the special price of SGD 10 per glass.

With 16 theatre kitchens offering a range of cuisine from local delights, Chinese delicacies, exquisite Japanese, hearty Western, healthy salads, fresh seafood and decadent desserts including unique ice cream teppanyaki and a chocolate fountain, diners are suitably spoilt for choice.

Valid Dates

Sunday, July 01, 2007 - Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Contact

For reservations, please call The Line at (65) 6213 4275.

So i’ve decided to go easy on my alcohol intake and spend money on oysters instead!!  I mean… mnoney spent on drinks and money spent on oysters is still money spent right?  Shall start with the buffet at Meritus Mandarin and come July… i’ll be at Shangri La’s The Line every Tue!  Woohoo! 

Oh damn!  I have tennis on Tue too… maybe i should postpone tennis for 1 mth.

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