California Fitness is somewhat an interesting place for those who love fitness as well as need a place to hang out now and then. For a good price (as compared to the other mega gyms around), cali (california in short), you get to go for various fitness classes, speed down the hill on a bike with hot music and an instructor pumping down your ears with encouragements that guarantees you walking like ducks later...
Cali do have a good range of gym equipment and the bugis outlet i pretty like it as they do have a boxing ring area for those who like to down the bags once in a while. Cardio area is downstairs and upstairs you get to pump up those muscles and have a great view of muscle marys and skinny joes... If you feel bored, this is a great place to hang out. You really get to see some regular people acting differently as you normally would see. Cranging sounds of weights banging against each other, hmphing sound of raising loads and shouts of victory as well as encouraging comments such as " touch your muscle.. Is it so hard....."
This is indeed a great place to hang out... not only to spend sometime with the body you battle with everyday, i think it somewhat is therapeutic to be invisible for a while, minding your own business and doing some workout soaking in an environment of positivity towards life.
All in all, cali is a wonderful place to hang out though the personal trainers and recruiters can be irritating when they hustle you and the steel stairway up to level 2 can be a pain in the @$$. Otherwise, all is pretty nice there...
Arranged to meet up with a friend over dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine (or ITFCC for short), purportedly the crème de la crème of the Imperial Treasure group of restaurants, which of course explains the choice of location - Marina Bay Sands.
Situated alongside the celebrity restaurants on the second floor of the Marina Bay Sands shopping arcade, ITFCC's decor is reminiscent of its sister restaurant, Imperial Treasure Cantonese - modern classical with lots of glass and sombre colours.
Roasted Pork - We started off with a well known dish from the Imperial Treasure group - roasted pork, which had a good fat to meat ratio with a crisp top. Unfortunately, it wasn't served warm and that marred the experience quite a bit.
Roasted Duck - Roast goose wasn't in the menu so we had to make do with duck instead. Lean crisp skin coupled with succulent and not too gamy flesh made for a good eat. I still prefer goose though.
Sauteed Prawns with Italian White Truffle Oil - My usual order of scallops was out so the wait staff recommended substituting with prawn balls, which on paper, sounded equally enticing. But in reality, the truffle oil just didn't gel that well with the prawns however huge and crunchy they were.
Four Types of Vegetables with Oyster Sauce - Basically the kitchen chooses what four varieties of vegetables you will be getting based on what's available on that particular day. Served up with slightly starchy oyster sauce. Decent.
Yong Chow Fried Rice - Apart from the plentiful prawns and char siew (BBQ pork), I couldn't find any other reasons to like this dish. Lacking in wok hei and tasting flat throughout, the fried rice looked the part but failed to deliver.
Durian Pudding - A sweet and smooth ending to the meal and probably the highlight of the dinner. At least the quality was consistent with what I had at Imperial Treasure Cantonese.
We could barely walk after the meal. Heck, we could barely even finish the meal, all at a cost of about $130 for 2. Going by what we ordered, that's not exactly cheap and I certainly wouldn't consider it value for money for the quality of food. Don't get me wrong, the meal wasn't bad. In fact it was above average but personally I just felt it didn't warrant such a price tag. Especially since Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crowne Plaza can produce better food at that price point.
Michelin starred Daniel Boulud recently opened a branch of his award winning DB Bistro Moderne (originally from New York), at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. This top rated French- American bistro, in the words of Daniel Boulud, aims to provide Singaporeans with a "convivial, delicious and affordable" experience.
The place is reminiscent of a typical Parisian bistro with its "sidewalk" seating and striking red booth seats at the corner. Coupled with dark tones and cream backed chairs, the whole setting presented itself as soothing with a tinge of formalness. And tables are spaced far apart enough to ensure privacy during conversation, but get the booth seats if you can or the "sidewalk" seats if you are somewhat of a voyeur or enjoy being gawked at.
The Original DB Burger - Is it just me or is the size of the patty a little on the large side? Alright, large is a ridiculous understatement. The entire burger looked absolutely lopsided in favour of the beef (no complaints though!) and the buns, nothing more than puny pieces of window dressing. I asked for my patty to be done medium and it honestly looked rare but I attribute that to the sirloin short ribs being braised in red wine. Taste wise, the patty had the makings of a good burger - inherent beefy taste, juicy with bits of fat and a nice mildly uneven texture. It's only pitfall(s)? The absence of any foie gras taste (I see it, but I don't taste it) and the copious amount of salt that went into it. I like salt but trust me, this was salty. Not salty enough to keep me and my continuously refilled glass of iced water from polishing up every last morsel of it though. Ironically, the fries could have done with some salt but I guess the serving of mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup sufficed.
Profiteroles au Cafe - I am quite a fan of this classic French dessert and when I learnt that it was going to be drenched in chocolate syrup, I was sold instantly! And boy oh boy, was it drenched in chocolate. The profiteroles were stuffed with coffee rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, nuts and covered with a thin layer of chocolate. Hot chocolate sauce was then poured slowly over to melt the chocolate and coat the profiteroles were a thick layer of decadent, happiness inducing chocolate syrup. The richness of chocolate coupled with a smooth strong coffee taste - very good. Just don't consume too much as it might prove overwhelming hence the magic number of 3 per serving (I ate 4 and it really got to me).
On my part, I paid about $62 for a belly bursting brunch in a nice environment, great company and great service. My burger was decent, just too salty but the profiteroles were sinfully good. I'm not sure the burger warrants the hefty price tag of $38 though, seeing that I can probably get similar quality at Mortons and Spruce at a lower price or a significantly higher value ratio at Smokinn Frogz. However, if you are of the opinion that $38 is small change, you are more than welcome to indulge in it and for something more luxurious, there is the black truffle variant, which costs a cool $88 and is available only during dinner.
Amici, which means friends in Italian, has been around for quite a while but we've never really gotten down to trying it even though there have been quite a number of favourable reviews circulating around on the internet. That changed when we popped by the Holland Village area to buy some baking supplies and decided to give Amici a shot.
Finding the place takes some navigation skills as the place around it seems to be under construction which makes it hard to see the place until you actually walk near it. There is a small al fresco area but I wouldn't recommend that especially if you go in the afternoon and with all the construction going on. The seemingly narrow air conditioned interior lets loose a cosy vibe but watch out for the too close for comfort table spacing and the unforgiving air circulation system which will have you smelling of food within minutes.
Complimentary Bread - We got off to a nice start with the warm and crusty complimentary bread that had pockets of what seemed like cranberries. Mildly sweet and comforting.
Carbonara - The carbonara wasn't al dente but on the upside, it didn't come across as too rich which toned down the nausea inducing factor. The plentiful bacon pieces were a plus as well.
Squid Ink Pasta - Apparently a specialty at Amici, the squid ink pasta was the drenched in squid ink variant, not the made from squid ink kind, of which the latter I personally prefer. I could make out a noticeable tartness in the pasta ( I assume they probably tossed the pasta in tomato sauce first before dunking it in squid ink) which did make it more appetising. What caught my attention was the delectable pieces of cod fish that were crisp on the outside and exuded a natural sweetness from within. There was also a generous serving of squid rings which served to up the chewy factor.
Tiramisu - The desserts were certainly the stars of the evening and it started with tiramisu, which had a great sponge to mascarpone ratio. The sponge wasn't overly soaked in coffee but where's the alcohol?! Still very good though and if there's any reason I'll return to Amici, this would be it!
Cappuccino Cake - I'm no big fan of coffee but this dessert surprised me. 5 layers of sponge compacted with a thin layer of wafer in between - firm in texture with a sweet hint of coffee. The ice cream that came alongside didn't gel with me though, seeing that it was literally milk solidified and came across as overpowering.
Through the use of a voucher, we had the cheaper main course free, which brought our bill to a more manageable $56 for a 2 pax lunch. Reasonable I may say, but I'll probably only be back for the desserts. Service was decent but then again, the place wasn't packed so it's probably not a good gauge.
Chanced upon this online shop that sells various tops, dresses and bottoms. But it seems to have more tops and dresses than bottoms. Although I seldom find an item that I really like and bother to go to the trouble to purchase it (including the transferring of money, waiting for the item to be sent to my house etc. Yes I find online shopping very troublesome!), I find that Loef sells rather decent items. If I were in a shop, I would probably have tried on most of them and bought more than what I already have gotten!
I have been rather skeptical about shopping online, mostly because I can't try the clothes. So I usually limit my purchases to dresses and flair clothing to avoid fitting problems. I'm also rather concerned about the quality of the product, especially since I had a couple of bad experience over the past 3 years which contributed to my skepticism towards online shopping! What made me less worried about shopping at Loef was the fact that their items would often sell out in a matter of days after posting, which led me to infer that they have regulars who constantly go to their shop and trust their products.
What I don't like about the shop: There is additional mailing cost on top of the price stated. I guess it is common, but I tend to prefer other blogshops that have the mailing cost already included in the price.
What I like: There's honestly all to like about this shop in terms of service and quality. As for preference, it is hard to say as each individual has different taste. But if you find that their clothes is to your liking, you could consider visiting this shop more! Why? 1. Consistent. They consistently update their items twice a week - sometime midweek and end of the week. So you always have something new to look forward to! 2. Good service. I remember purchasing an item from them which was not the color reflected on their website. I was rather disappointed and wrote in to them, and was really pleased with the way they handled my "problem". They offered to refund me for the item and pay for my mailing fees. Since I already washed the dress and couldn't send it back to them to re-sell, they offered me a discount on my dress which they could send to me in credit form for my next purchase, or direct cash transfer to my bank account. This problem was settled in a matter of 3 exchange of emails! I think this is good customer service and there's much to learn from them! Also, I later realized that they included a note on their website to inform other customers of the difference between the color of the dress on the picture and the actual color. Goes to show that they are concerned about putting up accurate information and immediately made changes upon receiving feedback! 3. Quality. While I have not shopped a lot online, I was particularly pleased with the quality of the material used. There's no need to worry about the dress expanding after wash or loosing its color. 4. On time. I have made 3 purchases at this shop within a period of 1 month. As I usually make my purchase on Friday or over the weekend, they can only mail it to me on Monday and I am always very glad when I receive my package on Wednesday - showing that there is no delay in mailing the items!
All in all, I have been very pleased with the quality of the items and the service and will definitely introduce friends to this site! :)
Had dinner at Ootoya, a casual Japanese restaurant chain with outlets in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, HK, Indonesia and more recently, Singapore. I've seen the outlets in Tokyo, but it never really occurred to me to try them out, especially with no dearth of excellent food options there.
With its discreet and minimalistic frontage, Ootoya could well be mistaken for an upclass Japanese restaurant. But walk in and be greeted by a casual, almost cafe like amostphere complete with shouts of Japanese greeting and a long U shape table (a little like a teppanyaki table except that this one doesn't have a chef standing in front of you preparing food) and small "semi private" rooms for those who have a bigger group (which we were lucky to get).
Charcoal Grilled Pork with Special Sauce ($16) - To be honest, how exciting can grilled pork get? But I was quite taken aback by how well Ootoya grilled its generous pieces of hog - Relatively tender with grilled lines to show for it and a flittering taste of charcoal smokiness. Coupled with plump, mildly sticky rice grains, it made for a wonderful combination.
Banana Parfait ($8) - I am rather skeptical about Japanese desserts as they always seem to prefer form (aesthetics) over substance (might be a misconception). Ootoya's Banana Parfait sought to realign that misconception with a surprisingly good and sweet ending to my meal. The parfait didn't come across as too gelatin and sat on a bed of azuki beans which hinted of coffee. 2 small slices of banana and sponge completed the picture.
Overall I spent about $28 for a wonderful dinner inclusive of free flow green tea. Well worth the money in my humble opinion and definitely worth a revisit.
It was one of those quiet weekday evenings that we headed to town to grab a bite while running some errands. Chinese food was on the list and Tang Dian Wang (汤点王)seemed decent enough for us to pop by for dinner. This Shanghainese restaurant is owned by the folks who brought you New York New York, Xin Wang HK Cafe, Thai Express etc - restaurants that leave much to be desired in my humble opinion. But hey, life is full of second (or maybe third or fourth) chances.
Prominently situated amongst the ring of eateries that circle the Fountain of Wealth in the basement, Tang Dian Wang practises a open dining concept where passers by and customers alike are free to let their gaze roam. The decor is decidedly modern Chinese with a nod to tradition in the form of round laterns hanging from the ceiling. During our visit, the place was barely a quarter full, though I can't say the same for weekends.
Roasted Meat & Salted Egg Fragrant Rice in Lotus Wrappers (烧肉咸蛋荷叶饭) - I don't usually order rice in lotus leaf wraps (荷叶饭) when dining out because of the high oil content but apparently Tang Dian Wang is known for it so I made an exception. Oily as usual but moist with a nice lingering aroma. However I did find the roasted meat way too fatty for my liking and overall a little too bland for my liking. Decent but nothing fantastic.
Prawns with Golden Pumpkin Sauce (金瓜奶虾球) - Initial impressions of this dish were good as the prawns were crunchy with a crisp along the edges due to the light batter coating. But it soon became nausea inducing due to the starchy and bland pumpkin sauce that masked any sweetness the prawns might have to offer. Overall a rather insipid dish.
Deep-fried Bean Curd with Bak Kwa (炸肉干豆腐) - The bean curd with bak kwa (dried meat jerky) was a let down honestly. Deep fried till crisp on the outside but lacking the smoothness that I was expecting. Granted, I could make out tiny shards of bak kwa embedded within but they were too little, too small to have any impact on the dish. Although bean curd is one of my favourite dishes, I gave up after the second piece.
Sauteed Horfun with Seafood - The humble horfun(河粉) was the most unlikely star of the evening with its silky smoothness and hint of wok hei. Another plus point was the relatively fresh seafood that it came served with. On the flip side, I did think that the egg gravy was a little too starchy for my liking, which added to the nausea from the earlier dishes.
The 2 of us chalked up a bill of about $65 for dinner which I felt was a little pricey given the quality of food. Every seemed to be heavy on the starch/flour which made me squeamish after a while. Service was okay but that's not enough reason for me to ever step in again.
Specialty burger stalls are a dime a dozen these days so I procrastinated in trying out the one of the latest burger offering at Most Original Burgers (MOB for short) even though I am quite a sucker for new burger outlets. I was finally swayed when MOB ran a joint promotion with a website to offer a set meal at a discounted rate (cheapo me!)
The location isn't ideal, tucked away in a nondescript corner of Vivo City, along a small section of eateries that include the more illustrious Tung Lok Signatures. The decor reminds me of a typical fast food type casual eatery usually associated with the likes of the big M and slightly more "upclass" offerings like New York New York (yucks!).
Wild Mushroom Soup - A little runny but the generous chunks of mushroom more than made up for it. The reduced usage of cream as an ingredient was a welcome change and overall a decent rendition of this classic soup.
The Goodfellas - The Goodfellas actually refer to a trio of mini burgers, selected by the customer from a preset list of flavours/combinations. Yours truly chose the safest option - Classic Beef, Philly Cheese Steak and Grilled Chicken, all on MOB's signature brioche. Aesthetics wise, this dish as a whole was rather pleasing to the eye and the brioche came linked together, which I personally found a tad amusing. It didn't taste like the brioche I knew and instead, carried a hint of beer in every bite. And it was rather dry. I thought that the classic beef, which came in the form of a ball, was quite decent but a tad dry. The philly was just way tough and I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese even though it was visually very evident. Nothing like the real deal from Philadelphia. Best of the lot was the grilled chicken, which had a nice smokiness to it that I personally like. It also helped that the meat was tender.
Grilled Oregano Chicken - This dish seemed like a super sized up version of the grilled chicken burger and no, I'm definitely not complaining. Nicely grilled and tender with a sizeable portion to boot, the chicken was well complimented by the oregano and pommery mustard sauce, which imbued a rich saltiness to it.
Waffle with Ice Cream - Crisp but a little too hard. And the ice cream tasted like hardened milk, lacking the usual richness I would expect even from lower end brands like Kings, which is easily available at most supermarkets. I ate a quarter and gave up.
Apparently my set (mushroom soup good fellas waffle & ice cream drink) would have cost in excess of $40 without the voucher but I only paid $17, which I personally thought was still within the reasonable range. But have me pay the original price for the set and its definitely a big no no. Also, I'm not sure the grilled chicken was worth the $18.90 . Overall it is my personal judgment that this place falls into the same category as Swensens and the likes - not worth a revisit.
This bar is located at the top of Swissotel. Being the highest building in Singapore (or not?), it inevitably commands the highest power of best views in town. When I stepped out of the lift on the 70th floor of the hotel, I was impressed by the magnificent view ahead of me. One little spoiler was that there were steps down to Equinox, and steps up to New Asia Bar. In my mind, I thought they could have been more considerate to remove the steps (especially for ladies in super high heels who probably would frequent the Bar) or to have the sound from heels on the wooden steps insulated by carpet.
Stepped into the Bar, was rather impressed. But on hindsight, I think I was more impressed by the view out the full-length glass window than the place per se. It gives me the feeling like they can't decide if they should be a bar, chill-out place for drinks or a club. They have a floor area that's too small for dancing for too big as a corridor-walking space; they have couches and coffee tables that's good for putting drinks but difficult to eat from. At the same time, they've got bar counters and a couple of bar stools and tables around the place. They have quite a range of alcohol but they also serve pizzas, burgers and light snacks - and only wooden chopsticks or fingers for utensils, no forks or knives.
Sat at a comfortable couch with a window view. Must say I was lucky, there was only one table that wasn't reserved and the couple at the window just left, so I could take over that table. The whole time I was really awed by the view. Must say it was truly spectacular and if you're looking for a chill-out place, book a table early and head right up to the top of Swissotel!
For drinks, I got an Equinox Blue - ladies' favourite I was told. Fruity, punchy, but not mixed very well. The alcohol was right at the bottom. Was it a cocktail or just layers of liquid? But the blue curacao in drinks never fail to make the drink appear better than it is. Good presentation I guess, and in a cool glass with a tilted base!
For food, we had a seafood platter and a Wagyu Beef burger, with onion rings and both came with potato wedges.
It was really difficult to eat the burger. It was bigger than a double Big Mac. And it didn't help that they only served wooden chopsticks. The Burger was $48 and tasted fine, just that for the name - Wagyu beef - I was really expecting better beef. Only that I felt like I was eating beef patty with foie gras texture. I really can't decide if I had the better end of the deal or not.
The seafood platter (can't remember the price) was rather pathetic. 2 sticks of fish, 1 stick of prawn, 1 stick of squids, some wedges and that's it. So much for a platter. I only tried the squid and found it rather tasteless though chewy - disappointing.
Service was substandard for what you might expect at a "cool bar" at Swissotel. The waiter who brought us our food was really polite but there were other waitresses at the entrance were just loitering around the bar without bothering to attend to us, apart from one lady who gave us the menus we requested and walked away. I was rather unimpressed by this, given that the bar was evidently crowded by waitresses! Not even one out of, at least, 5 of them could attend to us.
On the whole, I really liked the view up at the bar and find it a great place to hang out. Just have to call early for reservations and next time, I would really avoid ordering food next time. Maybe a pizza would be the safest (with regards to taste and ease of eating). But great view, great great view. Worth a visit, at least once!
Dear Guinea Pig Lovers... If you wonder, if Guinea pigs go to heaven? I think i just walked right into GP heaven on earth...
PetXchange is the Guinea Pig HEAVEN on earth.... You turn right... there are peeking at you from their cages.. Turn left another couple eyeing you curiously and you could hear continuos happy chattering as the piggies commune in their play spaces.
I've never seen so many different breeds, adorable and active guinea pigs for sale at one shop. This is a super must go shop for those who wants to choose and buy a piggy for themself.
I was just searching online for some super affordable guinea pig wares and necessities when i 'bumped' into PetXchange. As i entered the shop i was so super shocked... and what shocked me best was the super friendly owner. While i was 'ooowing' at one of the cute looking creature in the cage, he just walked by and carried him out and put him near my feet while he explained to me his character, breed and age. I was so surprised. Matter of fact, this was the only person that did that for me when i even didn't show interest for being. Eric was so kind to let me play with his piggies and took each out for me to touch and get to know them better and at the end of it... I can't wait to get back to the shop again.
I remembered when i bought my first 2 piggies at the other shops, even after i paid for my piggies, i don't get to hold them. All i get is the box and the poor frightened little pet shivering frantically inside. But this will not happen at PetXchange. They will make sure you get connected to the guinea pig first before deciding to purchase.
After you purchase your piggy, maintainance is an utmost important thing. Food, Hay, Toys and Cat;s Litter is super important for everyday life. Ever since my first visit to PetXchange, I never step into another pet shop to buy anything else. Because, for the same price to pay for one packet of lets say food outside... You could buy at least one and half of the same brand of food here. For the brand i buy its 2 packets of food. Everything sold in this shop is so affordable and i will never buy anything else other then for this shop. Even toys like huts, balls or water bottle is SUPER AFFORDABLE. I mean why pay for the membership to get the meagre 10% or at most 20% discount when here. You get everything at minimum 40% discount without having to beg or scrimp. Cages are the super expensive things though they are one time expenses, but don't forget your pets grow and they breed.. hopefully.... and they will need a bigger playboy mansion :). i have never came across a more economical priced shop selling cage then this.
Expect no frill..... but expect good prices....
Seriously.. If you are a cavy owner or owned some small animals.... This is the SHOP TO GO.... But its mine little secret... Don't start telling everybody.......... just tell your good friends.....
Don't have too many good friends...
We guinea pig owners... buy in style..... *perspire*
1=SGD 0.0587
California Fitness is somewhat an interesting place for those who love fitness as well as need a place to hang out now and then. For a good price (as compared to the other mega gyms around), cali (california in short), you get to go for various fitness classes, speed down the hill on a bike with hot music and an instructor pumping down your ears with encouragements that guarantees you walking like ducks later...
Cali do have a good range of gym equipment and the bugis outlet i pretty like it as they do have a boxing ring area for those who like to down the bags once in a while. Cardio area is downstairs and upstairs you get to pump up those muscles and have a great view of muscle marys and skinny joes... If you feel bored, this is a great place to hang out. You really get to see some regular people acting differently as you normally would see. Cranging sounds of weights banging against each other, hmphing sound of raising loads and shouts of victory as well as encouraging comments such as " touch your muscle.. Is it so hard....."
This is indeed a great place to hang out... not only to spend sometime with the body you battle with everyday, i think it somewhat is therapeutic to be invisible for a while, minding your own business and doing some workout soaking in an environment of positivity towards life.
All in all, cali is a wonderful place to hang out though the personal trainers and recruiters can be irritating when they hustle you and the steel stairway up to level 2 can be a pain in the @$$. Otherwise, all is pretty nice there...
Rating given:
Arranged to meet up with a friend over dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine (or ITFCC for short), purportedly the crème de la crème of the Imperial Treasure group of restaurants, which of course explains the choice of location - Marina Bay Sands.
Situated alongside the celebrity restaurants on the second floor of the Marina Bay Sands shopping arcade, ITFCC's decor is reminiscent of its sister restaurant, Imperial Treasure Cantonese - modern classical with lots of glass and sombre colours.
Roasted Pork - We started off with a well known dish from the Imperial Treasure group - roasted pork, which had a good fat to meat ratio with a crisp top. Unfortunately, it wasn't served warm and that marred the experience quite a bit.
Roasted Duck - Roast goose wasn't in the menu so we had to make do with duck instead. Lean crisp skin coupled with succulent and not too gamy flesh made for a good eat. I still prefer goose though.
Sauteed Prawns with Italian White Truffle Oil - My usual order of scallops was out so the wait staff recommended substituting with prawn balls, which on paper, sounded equally enticing. But in reality, the truffle oil just didn't gel that well with the prawns however huge and crunchy they were.
Four Types of Vegetables with Oyster Sauce - Basically the kitchen chooses what four varieties of vegetables you will be getting based on what's available on that particular day. Served up with slightly starchy oyster sauce. Decent.
Yong Chow Fried Rice - Apart from the plentiful prawns and char siew (BBQ pork), I couldn't find any other reasons to like this dish. Lacking in wok hei and tasting flat throughout, the fried rice looked the part but failed to deliver.
Durian Pudding - A sweet and smooth ending to the meal and probably the highlight of the dinner. At least the quality was consistent with what I had at Imperial Treasure Cantonese.
We could barely walk after the meal. Heck, we could barely even finish the meal, all at a cost of about $130 for 2. Going by what we ordered, that's not exactly cheap and I certainly wouldn't consider it value for money for the quality of food. Don't get me wrong, the meal wasn't bad. In fact it was above average but personally I just felt it didn't warrant such a price tag. Especially since Imperial Treasure Cantonese @ Crowne Plaza can produce better food at that price point.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Michelin starred Daniel Boulud recently opened a branch of his award winning DB Bistro Moderne (originally from New York), at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. This top rated French- American bistro, in the words of Daniel Boulud, aims to provide Singaporeans with a "convivial, delicious and affordable" experience.
The place is reminiscent of a typical Parisian bistro with its "sidewalk" seating and striking red booth seats at the corner. Coupled with dark tones and cream backed chairs, the whole setting presented itself as soothing with a tinge of formalness. And tables are spaced far apart enough to ensure privacy during conversation, but get the booth seats if you can or the "sidewalk" seats if you are somewhat of a voyeur or enjoy being gawked at.
The Original DB Burger -
Is it just me or is the size of the patty a little on the large side? Alright, large is a ridiculous understatement. The entire burger looked absolutely lopsided in favour of the beef (no complaints though!) and the buns, nothing more than puny pieces of window dressing. I asked for my patty to be done medium and it honestly looked rare but I attribute that to the sirloin short ribs being braised in red wine. Taste wise, the patty had the makings of a good burger - inherent beefy taste, juicy with bits of fat and a nice mildly uneven texture. It's only pitfall(s)? The absence of any foie gras taste (I see it, but I don't taste it) and the copious amount of salt that went into it. I like salt but trust me, this was salty. Not salty enough to keep me and my continuously refilled glass of iced water from polishing up every last morsel of it though. Ironically, the fries could have done with some salt but I guess the serving of mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup sufficed.
Profiteroles au Cafe - I am quite a fan of this classic French dessert and when I learnt that it was going to be drenched in chocolate syrup, I was sold instantly! And boy oh boy, was it drenched in chocolate. The profiteroles were stuffed with coffee rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, nuts and covered with a thin layer of chocolate. Hot chocolate sauce was then poured slowly over to melt the chocolate and coat the profiteroles were a thick layer of decadent, happiness inducing chocolate syrup. The richness of chocolate coupled with a smooth strong coffee taste - very good. Just don't consume too much as it might prove overwhelming hence the magic number of 3 per serving (I ate 4 and it really got to me).
On my part, I paid about $62 for a belly bursting brunch in a nice environment, great company and great service. My burger was decent, just too salty but the profiteroles were sinfully good. I'm not sure the burger warrants the hefty price tag of $38 though, seeing that I can probably get similar quality at Mortons and Spruce at a lower price or a significantly higher value ratio at Smokinn Frogz. However, if you are of the opinion that $38 is small change, you are more than welcome to indulge in it and for something more luxurious, there is the black truffle variant, which costs a cool $88 and is available only during dinner.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Amici, which means friends in Italian, has been around for quite a while but we've never really gotten down to trying it even though there have been quite a number of favourable reviews circulating around on the internet. That changed when we popped by the Holland Village area to buy some baking supplies and decided to give Amici a shot.
Finding the place takes some navigation skills as the place around it seems to be under construction which makes it hard to see the place until you actually walk near it. There is a small al fresco area but I wouldn't recommend that especially if you go in the afternoon and with all the construction going on. The seemingly narrow air conditioned interior lets loose a cosy vibe but watch out for the too close for comfort table spacing and the unforgiving air circulation system which will have you smelling of food within minutes.
Complimentary Bread - We got off to a nice start with the warm and crusty complimentary bread that had pockets of what seemed like cranberries. Mildly sweet and comforting.
Carbonara - The carbonara wasn't al dente but on the upside, it didn't come across as too rich which toned down the nausea inducing factor. The plentiful bacon pieces were a plus as well.
Squid Ink Pasta - Apparently a specialty at Amici, the squid ink pasta was the drenched in squid ink variant, not the made from squid ink kind, of which the latter I personally prefer. I could make out a noticeable tartness in the pasta ( I assume they probably tossed the pasta in tomato sauce first before dunking it in squid ink) which did make it more appetising. What caught my attention was the delectable pieces of cod fish that were crisp on the outside and exuded a natural sweetness from within. There was also a generous serving of squid rings which served to up the chewy factor.
Tiramisu - The desserts were certainly the stars of the evening and it started with tiramisu, which had a great sponge to mascarpone ratio. The sponge wasn't overly soaked in coffee but where's the alcohol?! Still very good though and if there's any reason I'll return to Amici, this would be it!
Cappuccino Cake - I'm no big fan of coffee but this dessert surprised me. 5 layers of sponge compacted with a thin layer of wafer in between - firm in texture with a sweet hint of coffee. The ice cream that came alongside didn't gel with me though, seeing that it was literally milk solidified and came across as overpowering.
Through the use of a voucher, we had the cheaper main course free, which brought our bill to a more manageable $56 for a 2 pax lunch. Reasonable I may say, but I'll probably only be back for the desserts. Service was decent but then again, the place wasn't packed so it's probably not a good gauge.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Chanced upon this online shop that sells various tops, dresses and bottoms. But it seems to have more tops and dresses than bottoms. Although I seldom find an item that I really like and bother to go to the trouble to purchase it (including the transferring of money, waiting for the item to be sent to my house etc. Yes I find online shopping very troublesome!), I find that Loef sells rather decent items. If I were in a shop, I would probably have tried on most of them and bought more than what I already have gotten!
I have been rather skeptical about shopping online, mostly because I can't try the clothes. So I usually limit my purchases to dresses and flair clothing to avoid fitting problems. I'm also rather concerned about the quality of the product, especially since I had a couple of bad experience over the past 3 years which contributed to my skepticism towards online shopping! What made me less worried about shopping at Loef was the fact that their items would often sell out in a matter of days after posting, which led me to infer that they have regulars who constantly go to their shop and trust their products.
What I don't like about the shop:
There is additional mailing cost on top of the price stated. I guess it is common, but I tend to prefer other blogshops that have the mailing cost already included in the price.
What I like:
There's honestly all to like about this shop in terms of service and quality. As for preference, it is hard to say as each individual has different taste. But if you find that their clothes is to your liking, you could consider visiting this shop more! Why?
1. Consistent. They consistently update their items twice a week - sometime midweek and end of the week. So you always have something new to look forward to!
2. Good service. I remember purchasing an item from them which was not the color reflected on their website. I was rather disappointed and wrote in to them, and was really pleased with the way they handled my "problem". They offered to refund me for the item and pay for my mailing fees. Since I already washed the dress and couldn't send it back to them to re-sell, they offered me a discount on my dress which they could send to me in credit form for my next purchase, or direct cash transfer to my bank account. This problem was settled in a matter of 3 exchange of emails! I think this is good customer service and there's much to learn from them! Also, I later realized that they included a note on their website to inform other customers of the difference between the color of the dress on the picture and the actual color. Goes to show that they are concerned about putting up accurate information and immediately made changes upon receiving feedback!
3. Quality. While I have not shopped a lot online, I was particularly pleased with the quality of the material used. There's no need to worry about the dress expanding after wash or loosing its color.
4. On time. I have made 3 purchases at this shop within a period of 1 month. As I usually make my purchase on Friday or over the weekend, they can only mail it to me on Monday and I am always very glad when I receive my package on Wednesday - showing that there is no delay in mailing the items!
All in all, I have been very pleased with the quality of the items and the service and will definitely introduce friends to this site! :)
Rating given:
Had dinner at Ootoya, a casual Japanese restaurant chain with outlets in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, HK, Indonesia and more recently, Singapore. I've seen the outlets in Tokyo, but it never really occurred to me to try them out, especially with no dearth of excellent food options there.
With its discreet and minimalistic frontage, Ootoya could well be mistaken for an upclass Japanese restaurant. But walk in and be greeted by a casual, almost cafe like amostphere complete with shouts of Japanese greeting and a long U shape table (a little like a teppanyaki table except that this one doesn't have a chef standing in front of you preparing food) and small "semi private" rooms for those who have a bigger group (which we were lucky to get).
Charcoal Grilled Pork with Special Sauce ($16) - To be honest, how exciting can grilled pork get? But I was quite taken aback by how well Ootoya grilled its generous pieces of hog - Relatively tender with grilled lines to show for it and a flittering taste of charcoal smokiness. Coupled with plump, mildly sticky rice grains, it made for a wonderful combination.
Banana Parfait ($8) - I am rather skeptical about Japanese desserts as they always seem to prefer form (aesthetics) over substance (might be a misconception). Ootoya's Banana Parfait sought to realign that misconception with a surprisingly good and sweet ending to my meal. The parfait didn't come across as too gelatin and sat on a bed of azuki beans which hinted of coffee. 2 small slices of banana and sponge completed the picture.
Overall I spent about $28 for a wonderful dinner inclusive of free flow green tea. Well worth the money in my humble opinion and definitely worth a revisit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
It was one of those quiet weekday evenings that we headed to town to grab a bite while running some errands. Chinese food was on the list and Tang Dian Wang (汤点王)seemed decent enough for us to pop by for dinner. This Shanghainese restaurant is owned by the folks who brought you New York New York, Xin Wang HK Cafe, Thai Express etc - restaurants that leave much to be desired in my humble opinion. But hey, life is full of second (or maybe third or fourth) chances.
Prominently situated amongst the ring of eateries that circle the Fountain of Wealth in the basement, Tang Dian Wang practises a open dining concept where passers by and customers alike are free to let their gaze roam. The decor is decidedly modern Chinese with a nod to tradition in the form of round laterns hanging from the ceiling. During our visit, the place was barely a quarter full, though I can't say the same for weekends.
Roasted Meat & Salted Egg Fragrant Rice in Lotus Wrappers (烧肉咸蛋荷叶饭) - I don't usually order rice in lotus leaf wraps (荷叶饭) when dining out because of the high oil content but apparently Tang Dian Wang is known for it so I made an exception. Oily as usual but moist with a nice lingering aroma. However I did find the roasted meat way too fatty for my liking and overall a little too bland for my liking. Decent but nothing fantastic.
Prawns with Golden Pumpkin Sauce (金瓜奶虾球) - Initial impressions of this dish were good as the prawns were crunchy with a crisp along the edges due to the light batter coating. But it soon became nausea inducing due to the starchy and bland pumpkin sauce that masked any sweetness the prawns might have to offer. Overall a rather insipid dish.
Deep-fried Bean Curd with Bak Kwa (炸肉干豆腐) - The bean curd with bak kwa (dried meat jerky) was a let down honestly. Deep fried till crisp on the outside but lacking the smoothness that I was expecting. Granted, I could make out tiny shards of bak kwa embedded within but they were too little, too small to have any impact on the dish. Although bean curd is one of my favourite dishes, I gave up after the second piece.
Sauteed Horfun with Seafood - The humble horfun(河粉) was the most unlikely star of the evening with its silky smoothness and hint of wok hei. Another plus point was the relatively fresh seafood that it came served with. On the flip side, I did think that the egg gravy was a little too starchy for my liking, which added to the nausea from the earlier dishes.
The 2 of us chalked up a bill of about $65 for dinner which I felt was a little pricey given the quality of food. Every seemed to be heavy on the starch/flour which made me squeamish after a while. Service was okay but that's not enough reason for me to ever step in again.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Specialty burger stalls are a dime a dozen these days so I procrastinated in trying out the one of the latest burger offering at Most Original Burgers (MOB for short) even though I am quite a sucker for new burger outlets. I was finally swayed when MOB ran a joint promotion with a website to offer a set meal at a discounted rate (cheapo me!)
The location isn't ideal, tucked away in a nondescript corner of Vivo City, along a small section of eateries that include the more illustrious Tung Lok Signatures. The decor reminds me of a typical fast food type casual eatery usually associated with the likes of the big M and slightly more "upclass" offerings like New York New York (yucks!).
Wild Mushroom Soup - A little runny but the generous chunks of mushroom more than made up for it. The reduced usage of cream as an ingredient was a welcome change and overall a decent rendition of this classic soup.
The Goodfellas - The Goodfellas actually refer to a trio of mini burgers, selected by the customer from a preset list of flavours/combinations. Yours truly chose the safest option - Classic Beef, Philly Cheese Steak and Grilled Chicken, all on MOB's signature brioche. Aesthetics wise, this dish as a whole was rather pleasing to the eye and the brioche came linked together, which I personally found a tad amusing. It didn't taste like the brioche I knew and instead, carried a hint of beer in every bite. And it was rather dry. I thought that the classic beef, which came in the form of a ball, was quite decent but a tad dry. The philly was just way tough and I couldn't quite make out the taste of cheese even though it was visually very evident. Nothing like the real deal from Philadelphia. Best of the lot was the grilled chicken, which had a nice smokiness to it that I personally like. It also helped that the meat was tender.
Grilled Oregano Chicken - This dish seemed like a super sized up version of the grilled chicken burger and no, I'm definitely not complaining. Nicely grilled and tender with a sizeable portion to boot, the chicken was well complimented by the oregano and pommery mustard sauce, which imbued a rich saltiness to it.
Waffle with Ice Cream - Crisp but a little too hard. And the ice cream tasted like hardened milk, lacking the usual richness I would expect even from lower end brands like Kings, which is easily available at most supermarkets. I ate a quarter and gave up.
Apparently my set (mushroom soup good fellas waffle & ice cream drink) would have cost in excess of $40 without the voucher but I only paid $17, which I personally thought was still within the reasonable range. But have me pay the original price for the set and its definitely a big no no. Also, I'm not sure the grilled chicken was worth the $18.90 . Overall it is my personal judgment that this place falls into the same category as Swensens and the likes - not worth a revisit.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
This bar is located at the top of Swissotel. Being the highest building in Singapore (or not?), it inevitably commands the highest power of best views in town. When I stepped out of the lift on the 70th floor of the hotel, I was impressed by the magnificent view ahead of me. One little spoiler was that there were steps down to Equinox, and steps up to New Asia Bar. In my mind, I thought they could have been more considerate to remove the steps (especially for ladies in super high heels who probably would frequent the Bar) or to have the sound from heels on the wooden steps insulated by carpet.
Stepped into the Bar, was rather impressed. But on hindsight, I think I was more impressed by the view out the full-length glass window than the place per se. It gives me the feeling like they can't decide if they should be a bar, chill-out place for drinks or a club. They have a floor area that's too small for dancing for too big as a corridor-walking space; they have couches and coffee tables that's good for putting drinks but difficult to eat from. At the same time, they've got bar counters and a couple of bar stools and tables around the place. They have quite a range of alcohol but they also serve pizzas, burgers and light snacks - and only wooden chopsticks or fingers for utensils, no forks or knives.
Sat at a comfortable couch with a window view. Must say I was lucky, there was only one table that wasn't reserved and the couple at the window just left, so I could take over that table. The whole time I was really awed by the view. Must say it was truly spectacular and if you're looking for a chill-out place, book a table early and head right up to the top of Swissotel!
For drinks, I got an Equinox Blue - ladies' favourite I was told. Fruity, punchy, but not mixed very well. The alcohol was right at the bottom. Was it a cocktail or just layers of liquid? But the blue curacao in drinks never fail to make the drink appear better than it is. Good presentation I guess, and in a cool glass with a tilted base!
For food, we had a seafood platter and a Wagyu Beef burger, with onion rings and both came with potato wedges.
It was really difficult to eat the burger. It was bigger than a double Big Mac. And it didn't help that they only served wooden chopsticks. The Burger was $48 and tasted fine, just that for the name - Wagyu beef - I was really expecting better beef. Only that I felt like I was eating beef patty with foie gras texture. I really can't decide if I had the better end of the deal or not.
The seafood platter (can't remember the price) was rather pathetic. 2 sticks of fish, 1 stick of prawn, 1 stick of squids, some wedges and that's it. So much for a platter. I only tried the squid and found it rather tasteless though chewy - disappointing.
Service was substandard for what you might expect at a "cool bar" at Swissotel. The waiter who brought us our food was really polite but there were other waitresses at the entrance were just loitering around the bar without bothering to attend to us, apart from one lady who gave us the menus we requested and walked away. I was rather unimpressed by this, given that the bar was evidently crowded by waitresses! Not even one out of, at least, 5 of them could attend to us.
On the whole, I really liked the view up at the bar and find it a great place to hang out. Just have to call early for reservations and next time, I would really avoid ordering food next time. Maybe a pizza would be the safest (with regards to taste and ease of eating). But great view, great great view. Worth a visit, at least once!
I would give the place 3.5 instead of 3.
Rating given:
Dear Guinea Pig Lovers... If you wonder, if Guinea pigs go to heaven? I think i just walked right into GP heaven on earth...
PetXchange is the Guinea Pig HEAVEN on earth.... You turn right... there are peeking at you from their cages.. Turn left another couple eyeing you curiously and you could hear continuos happy chattering as the piggies commune in their play spaces.
I've never seen so many different breeds, adorable and active guinea pigs for sale at one shop. This is a super must go shop for those who wants to choose and buy a piggy for themself.
I was just searching online for some super affordable guinea pig wares and necessities when i 'bumped' into PetXchange. As i entered the shop i was so super shocked... and what shocked me best was the super friendly owner. While i was 'ooowing' at one of the cute looking creature in the cage, he just walked by and carried him out and put him near my feet while he explained to me his character, breed and age. I was so surprised. Matter of fact, this was the only person that did that for me when i even didn't show interest for being. Eric was so kind to let me play with his piggies and took each out for me to touch and get to know them better and at the end of it... I can't wait to get back to the shop again.
I remembered when i bought my first 2 piggies at the other shops, even after i paid for my piggies, i don't get to hold them. All i get is the box and the poor frightened little pet shivering frantically inside. But this will not happen at PetXchange. They will make sure you get connected to the guinea pig first before deciding to purchase.
After you purchase your piggy, maintainance is an utmost important thing. Food, Hay, Toys and Cat;s Litter is super important for everyday life. Ever since my first visit to PetXchange, I never step into another pet shop to buy anything else. Because, for the same price to pay for one packet of lets say food outside... You could buy at least one and half of the same brand of food here. For the brand i buy its 2 packets of food. Everything sold in this shop is so affordable and i will never buy anything else other then for this shop. Even toys like huts, balls or water bottle is SUPER AFFORDABLE. I mean why pay for the membership to get the meagre 10% or at most 20% discount when here. You get everything at minimum 40% discount without having to beg or scrimp. Cages are the super expensive things though they are one time expenses, but don't forget your pets grow and they breed.. hopefully.... and they will need a bigger playboy mansion :). i have never came across a more economical priced shop selling cage then this.
Expect no frill..... but expect good prices....
Seriously.. If you are a cavy owner or owned some small animals.... This is the SHOP TO GO.... But its mine little secret... Don't start telling everybody.......... just tell your good friends.....
Don't have too many good friends...
We guinea pig owners... buy in style..... *perspire*
G*Force RULEs............
Rating given: