Love My Fan!

I finally bought something from Paul & Joe, just so I can get the GWP fan (don't try to understand a woman's logic) :p To make up $50, I bought the eyegloss in lilac and the 2 emery boards. Totally useless as I rarely file my own nails, but they were very cute, especially the kitten emery board.

I love the fan! Now I can carry a fan around, to fan myself when it is too warm. Very useful to have while at bellydance class. And I can probably use it as a prop too :p

I-S Dining Guide 2006

I enjoy food, and I like experiencing new places and sensations. Ever since I discovered the I-S Restaurant Guide book back in 2001 or so, I have always wished that someday I will be able to try all the places that were listed there. Alas, that is never the case. Nevertheless, it is still my dream ;p

I decided to list the places I have been to, either just for drinks or for a meal. And this is from way back in 2001 (or thereabout) till now:

*So no, I do not dine in those places very often - usually it is only once, except for a few faves*

From the list in I-S Restaurant Guide 2006:
Cafe de Amigo - Cosy place, food is not bad.
Big O - It's ok, nothing fantastic.
Blu - Love this place. So romantic!
Borders Bistro - Nice place for casual meal or drinks
California Pizza Kitchen - I love the hummous
Chatterbox - 24hrs restaurant, good for late nite food after clubbing
Chico's and Charlie's - nothing great about it
Crossroads Cafe - I like the cakes, good for high tea
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao - I like the xiao long bao
Din Tai Fung - overrated
The Dubliner Irish Pub - don't remember much of it
Fish & Co - it's ok
Hard Rock Cafe - love the cobb salad, too bad the brownie is not up to par now
Lemon Grass - it's ok
Au Jardin - another romantic place. I prefer it during the day
The Line - Wide variety of food. Yummy too!
Mai Vietnamese Restaurant - love the pho but it has closed down
The Marmalade Pantry - an ok place, but full of socialites' daughters
Mezza9 - fantastic champagne brunch
Min Jiang - dim sum is nice
Modesto's - squid ink pasta is good
My Mum's Cuisine* - love the ayam buah keluak and tofu dish
Pete's Place - another overrated place
Phochine Noodle Bar Cafe - overrated
The Rice Table - love the ayam panggang and soto ayam soup. value for money
Straits Kitchen - great selection of local food
Top of the M - very jerky revolving restaurant. food is ok
Annalakshmi Restaurant - i like the food
The Bar & Billiard Room - it's ok
Bobby Rubino's Place for Ribs - nice ribs
California Bistro - it's so-so
Carnivore - quite ok
Devi Fusion - nothing fantastic
Esmirada* - love this place and the garlic bread is awesome
Father Flanagan's Irish Pub - nothing fantastic
Equinox Restaurant - ok food but nice view
The Greenhouse - great food, has one of the best breakfast buffet in hotels
Insomnia - quite ok
Lei Garden - overrated
Kuishin-Bo - not bad
Melt - The World Cafe - very good service and fresh food
Menotti - nothing fantastic
Morton's The Steakhouse - it's ok
Olive Tree Mediterranean Restaurant - quite ok
Oscar's - quite ok
Outback Steakhouse - nothing wonderful
Out of the Pan - usual stuff
Paulaner Brauhaus - not to my liking, too much pork
Pearl River Palace - so-so
Plaza Market Cafe - so-so
Prego - overrated
Seah Street Deli - quite ok
Shahi Maharani North Indian Restaurant - love it
Sun Japanese Dining - quite ok
Tony Roma's - it's ok
Va Va Voom Cafe - never again. bad service
Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant - it's ok
Yhingthai Palace - love the fried pomfret and olive rice
Al Dente Trattoria - nothing fantastic
Bakerzin - like the warm chocolate cake
House of Sundanese Food - nice food
Indochine Waterfront - overrated
Kinara - quite ok
Restaurant 1827 Thai - not bad
San Marco at the Lighthouse - nice view
Stuart Anderson's Black Angus - very bad service
Superbowl The Art of Eating Congee - nothing fantastic
Brewerkz - it's ok
Cafe Iguana* - love the tequila and everything else
Ellenborough Market Cafe - nice peranakan food and sashimi
En Japanese Dining Bar - very good japanese food
Mama Lucia Ristorante Italiano - overrated
The Tapas Tree - not bad
The Blue Ginger - ok
Da Paolo Il Ristorante - i like it
L'Angelus - it's ok
Pasta Brava - nice homely italian place and food
Porta Porta Italian Restaurant - not bad
Restaurant J & Bar - it's ok
Soup Restaurant - nice soup
Spizza for Friends - like the pizza
Teahouse - not bad
Al Forno East Coast - overrated
The French Stall - not bad
Ivin's - not bad
Komala Villas - ok
Muthu's Curry Restaurant - nice ambience
Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant - i like the red bean paste pancake
Beads Thai and Lounge - so-so
Casa Bom Vento - it's ok
Jumbo Seafood - quite alright
The Mango Tree Indian Coastal Restaurant - nice place
The Mushroom Pot - quite ok
Peranakan Inn - quite ok
Roland Restaurant - don't remember much
The Seafood International Market & Restaurant - it's ok
Werner's Oven - nothing fantastic
The Whole Earth Vegetarian Restaurant - interesting
Olive Ristorante and Cafe - nothing fantastic
Brazil Churrascaria - nice
Halia - lovely place
Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill - it's ok
PS Cafe - nice ambience
Da Paolo La Terrazza - nice food
Foster's Cafe - love the scones
N.Y.D.C - overrated
Original Sin - love the food
Pho Hoa - horrible (North America is better)
Siem Reap I - overrated

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits Restaurant

It has been some time since I last had a meal at Popeyes. I am not really a fast food person so I tend not to eat at those establishments. But Popeyes...hmmm...I would make an exception as it is only available at the airport in Singapore. Needless to say, the one in Singapore still cannot be compared to those in America.

It was a bit of a disappointment as the cajun fries were all out, and we were given the regular fries which were not that great. Macdonald's fries were still better. The mashed potatoes were not too shabby and the chicken was alright. Crispy and the meat was not too dry. The biscuits were ok, not piping warm from the oven. Just a regular fast food joint with mediocre food.

Why was I there? Cos there wasn't much else available when I was sending Jason and Sharon off at the airport. It was around 9ish pm then and we had not have any dinner and it was the nearest available place.

Unleashing the Shopaholic

How dangerous it is to be on a shopping ban. While the concept is good, the result may be less than desirable. There seemed to always be a backlash. After a long period of not spending, one can go crazy and spend lots in a moment. I guess I am effectively off the shopping ban now, and I am browsing and spending. Very bad. I am still trying to keep to the no clothes ban, but the lemmings have been stirred for cosmetics again.

Maybe reading magazines are a bad idea, they tempt you too much. I stopped reading/buying the women's mags, and the only mags I read nowadays are work-related - CFO Asia, CIO Asia, MIS Asia, MIS Tech, Computerworld Singapore...boring stuff. Unlike last year when I had to read Cleo, Female, Style, Her World, 8 Days, FHM, Seventeen, etc for work...ahh...such hardship :p

Well, today I was reading Style and Singapore Women Weekly while having a pedicure at my fave place The Good Earth Nail Spa. I was tempted by the colors from MAC Lure, Hook and Bait collection. The greens were so lovely! So now on my makeup shopping list, I will be getting the summer duo blush from Stila, the eyeshadows from MAC, and I still want MAC Sweetiecake collection too. Die! And I need to find something (at least $50 worth) to get from Paul & Joe.

Then Celest told me about the VS Sale where the body products are at US$29.99 for 7 items. That is so cheap, as usually the lowest is 5 items for US$30 or something like that. So I am combining purchases with Davis for that. I am getting 4 items while she is getting 3.

So I am getting VS My Desire, Strawberries & Champagne and trying 2 new LE fragrances - Grapefruit Kiss and Pomegranate Pleasures.

Description:
My Desire - A romantic affair of grapefruit, jasmine and mango, with a hint of vanilla musk.
Grapefruit Kiss - From our limited-edition Pure Paradise collection. Give your skin a taste of the exotic with this ultra-refreshing, moisturizing wash, scented with grapefruit and papaya.
Pomegranate Pleasures - Bliss in a bottle. Escape to a tropical paradise with this luxuriously rich lotion, scented with pomegranate, honeyberry and verbena.
Strawberries & Champagne - An intoxicating blend of strawberry, hyacinth, cassis, white flowers and sandalwood.

They all sound so lovely. I just adore citrusy scents which are so refreshing and perk you up instantly.

Open Letter to the Management of Cafe Cartel

The feedback form didn't seem to work on it website, hence the open letter.
www.cafecartel.com.sg

To Whom It May Concern:

I am appalled by the service at Plaza Singapura outlet. It was virtually nil and I doubt I will ever go back there again. I used to patronize Cafe Cartel when it first opened at the Siglap outlet. I enjoyed my visits then, great service and food was good.

I have been to the outlets at Serangoon Gardens and Raffles City subsequently and am generally ok with the service there. This is my first visit to the outlet at Plaza Singapura, and the non-existant service has marred my experience. I have informed the supervisor who was at the cashier counter about it as the manager was not around.

What happened?
I waited by the door where it said, to wait to be seated. Instead I was told to seat myself. Seeing that it was my first visit and the outlet was busy (but not the usual packed place with long line waiting outside), I wasn't sure where to go. Plus it seemed like the system has changed, as in there are waiters to take order instead of the diners placing orders on the chit and the taking it to the cashier? I am still uncertain about that. (Maybe there could be a clearer way to communicate the ordering system?)

I was finally shown to a table by another supervisor, who did that grudgingly. And there I was left to my own devices. No one told me how to place my order, as in to go to the cashier, or that someone will be with me shortly.

On the plus side, a waitress placed glasses of water on the table after maybe 5 mins? But after that, I was once again left alone. Once I decided on what I want, I tried to catch the attention of the servers, but none saw me. This was despite 3-5 of them milling by the food counter, which was near my table.

After waiting futilely for 5-7mins, I decided to leave. I walked out and no one stopped me.
This bothered me on 2 counts. This showed the staff was so inattentive that someone could just walked out without paying after having a meal. The other was that I felt the management should know about their service level. So I went back in, and spoke to the supervisor at the cashier counter.

I sincerely hope the service will improve, and the staff will be better trained to notice any diners' needs. This is sorely lacking at the Plaza Singapura outlet.

***Close letter***

Cafe Cartel - Bad / No Service

This is a rant on the service on Cafe Cartel, I found the service to be nil at Plaza Singapura so I am amazed by the snaking line one finds there almost daily.

I used to like Cafe Cartel when it first opened at Siglap area. Then it expanded and I felt the food isn't that great anymore though it still draws in the crowd. I had a craving for pancakes and wanted to have some at the Cafe Cartel at Plaza Singapura outlet.

For once, there was no long line waiting outside. However the service was horrible. There was virtually no service at all. It has been a long time since I last went to a Cafe Cartel, and previously you had to place your order at the counter on an order chit, then you wait at your table. But it seemed like the old system has vanished, so I wasn't sure how that worked.

After waiting for a while, a guy (probably supervisor since he has on a yellow collar) told me to find a table and seat myself. I was reluctant as I didn't see any free tables, and so asked him about it. In the end, he grudgingly took me to a table. I was left there to my own devices. I pored over the menu and after a few minutes, a waitress brought over glasses of water. Kudos to her. I finally decided on what I want to order. I looked around to see how the order should be placed. If I have to go to the cashier to order, or someone will come to take the order. I noticed the staff were carrying order pad, so tried to catch someone's attention.

Amazingly, I was totally ignored though I could see 3-5 staff waiting by the food counter, waiting to serve the food. They were just not trained to notice if any of the diners need assistance. The outlet wasn't as packed as usual and there was no line outside the restaurant either. After waiting for 5-7 mins, I decided to just leave.

And when I walked out, no one questioned me either. Now I wonder if a dishonest person could also just walked out without paying after having a meal. This showed how attentive the service staff are at Cafe Cartel.

Needless to say, it will be another long long long time before I ever set foot into Cafe Cartel at Plaza Singapura again.

I walked out, then decided to turned back as I couldn't just let it go. I went to the cashier and asked to speak with the manager. The cashier (another supervisor) said the manager wasn't in. Anyway, I told her of the non-existant service I had and how it was bad for the outlet. Told her I will not ever go there again, and I will tell everyone I know of the service.

So here I am, blogging about it. I think I will send an email to the management too. It is quite a pity about this service lapse as I did like it when it was just one outlet and it was nice and cozy.

Cocktail Party - Philosophy

An angel helped to get Philosophy for me from the States. She managed to get the 3 in 1 cocktail range. The shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath come in Senorita Margarita, Mimosa and Melon Daiquiri. They smell really lovely. Can't wait to break them out!

Breaking the Ban

I finally broke my shopping ban. The last major spending I did was during the EL sale in early April. It has been about 6 weeks since, but it sure feels like a loooong time since I went shopping.
I was at Ngee Ann City yesterday and couldn't resist popping into Guess. S A L E ! ! !
I bought 2 tops. One was what I wanted back in January but I resisted getting it in 2 colors (teal and black) and only got the black. This time, I saw it in teal and bought it since it was at 50% off. Also bought another black top which was so me. Hehe. Isn't that so pretty? I like the lace bit under the bust, playing peekaboo. I do admit that I have so much clothes now that I hardly get the chance to wear them. I blame this on my previous job - retail fashion (excuses, excuses :p). I wonder when I will be able to wear this top. So far I have only worn the black version once.

Then I received news that the new summer collection is available for testing at Stila counters though they are not officially launched yet. I tried the baked eye shadows trios, not really me. But I love the baked duo blush. It is extremely pretty. It gives a soft flush to the cheeks, with slight shimmers. Very natural looking. I like! Have reserved it with my fave SA. Hehe. There goes my makeup shopping ban too, comes 1 June (though I will probably have bought something from Paul & Joe over the weekend just to get the GWP fan too)

Description of the Stila Cheek Color Duo (from Sephora.com)
Nothing says sunkissed like delicately flushed and blushed cheeks. Designed to work with any of the eyeshadow trios, this cheek color duo has been baked on a terra cotta disk for a sheer, never chalky application. The duo includes beautiful shimmering bronze and rose shades.

Zucchetto Winery

I still can't figure out blogspot for attaching pictures. I like the picture of the champagne. Here you should be able to click on it and see the actual size. I love the color contrast. Very sleek.

Champagne @ Giraffe (22 May 2006)

I met up with Grace and Jennifer for dinner at Giraffe at the Istana Park. I never even realized there is a new establishment there. It is a 2-storied glass building, with indoor and outdoor settings. It was raining earlier, so we moved indoors. It has been over a year since we last saw each other, and we have known each other since 2001. Long time, eh?

The ambience is nice, very relaxed atmosphere, a bit at odds with the decor though. The wait staff is dressed in very casual togs, similar to those Thai-styled massage/fisherman trousers and a casual top. The place is all glass and chrome, with glass plates, square-handled cutlery which are very heavy. I imagine it will be a very hot place to be when the sun is shining, due to the "greenhouse" effect of the glass.

The food is mediocre - I ordered the seafood tom yam pasta. Very bland and not spicy at all. Jennifer's reaction when she saw the angel hair pasta was that it was "mee kia" (a type of noodles in Hokkien). Lol. She had the chicken schitnzel which was ok. Grace said her seafood jambalaya was nothing fantastic either. The cheese platter starter was alright, guess one can't really go wrong with that.

Verdict: Probably better to go there to chill out and have a drink.

The highlight of the evening was the champagne, compliments from Enrico. Grace met up with him in Germany and he brought 6 bottles over. In the end, Grace took back 2 bottles (gold-foiled and silver-foiled; not sure what is the difference). The champagne (or Prosecco) was nice, ticklish bubbly. It is from his family vineyard in Italy. You can read more about it here:
www.zucchetto.com

They do not export to many countries outside of Italy. You can always contact them via the website if you are keen to import it into Singapore or elsewhere.

I believe this is what we had:
2003 VALDOBBIADENE BRUT "PUROFOL"
From the heart of historical Prosecco landmark, Follo or Fol as locals call this pitoresque little town, here's a severe selection of 100% Prosecco grapes.This elegant brut is characterized by inviting aromas of citrus fruit, especially tangerine and grapefruit, fresh vegetation and a note of rustic mint. The mouth is wide, creamy-full of fresh fruits, with a firm acidity that provides a crisp, lingering finish of lime, mineral and almond.The "Naked King", as we friendly call it, because of its very low sugar residue, that reveals all superb Prosecco taste.

Main data profile
Composition: 100% Prosecco grapes grown in Fol Vineyards
Aging: eight months in stainless steel tanks, one month in bottle.
Harvest date: 10 September 2003
Release date: 25 May 2004
Wine alcohol: 11,5% by volume
Wine acid: 0,6 grams/100 ml (6‰)
Sugar residue: 9 grams/1000 ml (0,9 %)

The matches
Perfect on its own as an aperitif for any occasion, it pairs wonderfully with pasta, simple or elaborate fish and vegetable hors d'oeuvres, first courses of sea food and baked fish, or enjoyed throughout the entire meal.Serve at 43-44°F

Dreaming of...

Picture courtesy of http://www.thetahititraveler.com

I am so tired of everything. Now I am dreaming of a 2-weeks (longer will be great too) island vacation. Clear blue sky, crystal azure water, warm sandy beach with sand so fine it is like walking on marshmallows. I will be doing nothing, except bake in the sun, plug into my ipod and arm with a good book. Getting up to have a dip in the pool or to snorkel in the sea. Watching the underwater world, marveling at the beauty below.

Of course I can't forget the spa. There will be one there so that I can have a massage or more everyday. It will be a semi-quiet place, with no crowds. Just perfect to recharge oneself and to meditate upon the beauty of nature. So I will just need my bikinis, sarongs, books and ipod with plenty of massages.

Cupcake Dolls

Bon Bon Cupcake

Besides the edible cupcakes, another cupcake came into my mind. My Cupcake Doll. Does anyone remember that? It is a doll with very pretty sparkly skirt and hat and you can flip it up and it became a cupcake. The hat will become the icing on the cupcake. It had a very sweet scent. I had that when I was 12 or so. Really can't remember now, but I guess I have given the doll away (darn! It would be worth lots on ebay now :p).

I believe the doll I had was Bon Bon (2nd from left), even then I was into purple and teal.

Cupcakes

pic from Buttercup Cake Shop

I am intrigued by cupcakes recently. Why cupcakes? I am never a huge fan of cupcake as I find the frosting too sweet for my liking. Plus it is so rare to find really nice cupcakes in Singapore, in terms of taste and appearance. They are just not so appetitizing.

The closest cupcake I fairly like is from Marmalade Pantry or Toast (sister branches). The ultimate deluxe cupcake is decadently sinful, with a square of cheesecake-like topping on the chocolate filling. The nutella version has a nutella frosting on it. The third version I tried was the lemon cupcake, which was extremely sweet. The saving grace was the lemon frosting, its tartness contrasting nicely with the sweet yellow cake.

So why cupcakes? I chanced onto a blog, with many pictures of homemade cupcakes, with so many flavors that it is mind-boggling. To most people, when I mentioned cupcakes, the first thing that came to their mind was the cupcakes featured in SATC - Magnolia Bakery in NYC.

I did more searches and found out there were a few bakeries popping up ala Magnolia Bakery, all with the same swirled frosting on the cupcakes. Apparently, they have ties to Magnolia. The cupcakes are just too pretty for words.

Pic of Magnolia Bakery cupcakes (as seen in SATC)
courtesy of http://gonyc.about.com/cs/toursbr/l/bl_satc09.htm

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker StreetNew York, NY 10014

Buttercup Cake Shop
http://www.buttercupbakeshop.com/
East Side - 973 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
phone: (212) 350-4144

West Side - 141 West 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023
phone: (212) 787-3800

Chawanmushi Set @ Hoshigaoka Shaw House

Chawanmushi set

I am usually not a big fan of chawanmushi as it is just steamed egg to me. However, as I was not feeling really hungry and did not want something too starchy, I decided to order that as it seemed to have a little bit of everything.

Close up pic

The chawanmushi set consists of a generous serving of chawanmushi and four other items - raw salmon slices and salmon roe on rice, some meatballs, ika (squid) salad sprinkled with ebiko (shrimp roe i think), tempura and a side dish of the pickled vegetables and miso soup.

It was a fantastic meal as it was not too heavy and the variety was interesting. The chawanmushi was filled with shrimps, meat, crabmeat, mushroom, etc and the egg was nicely done - silken smooth and slid down the throat easily.

Location:
Restaurant Hoshigaoka
Shaw House Branch
Level 4, Isetan Scotts
350 Orchard Road
Singapore 238868
Tel: 6734-9725

Martini and Tapas Feast

Martinis and Tapas

La Viva Spanish Bar and Tapas

I recently went to La Viva Spanish Bar and Tapas for dinner...twice in a week. It occupied the exact location as Ocho used to be in CHIJMES. Ocho was the venue for my first ever CC outing, where I met and made many new friends, back in end Oct or early Nov 2004. Ever since then, I didn't go back to Ocho again.

Ocho disappeared (well, more likely it was sold after the parent company closed down) and La Viva appeared. The layout and menu looked the same, the food was about the same too. This time, it was only Davis and I.

We shared the seafood paella and a sangria chorizo. The paella was a bit of a disappointment as the flavor was not prominent in the rice. The rice was quite soft and soggy too. However it was full of seafood (mussels, squids, prawns, fish). The chorizo fared slightly better and there was a hint of sangria in them. Very nice.

I tried the tropical sangria and it was wonderful. Instead of the usual red wine, it was white wine with pieces of lychees and pineapples in it. Sweet and packed a punch. I like.

Few days later, I was there again with Van. She has the Martini card thing where you can get 30 alcoholic drinks and 10 non-alcoholic drinks at various locations. Between the 2 of us, we ordered 5 martinis. They were surprisingly good, and I am not a big fan of martini in the first place.

I had the Midori Martini, Desire and Dessert Espanola. Van ordered Desire and La Viva Breeze. Now what are in them?

Midori Martini - 10ml midori, 10ml vodka, 5ml martini bianco, 15ml apple juice
Desire - 30ml vodka, 10ml cassis, 10ml peach liquor, 30ml cranberry juice
La Viva Breeze - 30ml midori, 30ml Absolut citron, 30ml triple sec, 45ml lime juice
Dessert Espanola - 30ml kahlua, 15ml drumbuie, 75ml milk

There are plenty more of other martinis on the menu, but we stuck with those. We order 3 tapas to go with them. We had the eggplants with goat cheese and shrimps, beef stew with wine and minced chicken and potatoes patties. They were pretty good, except for the goat cheese which has a strong taste to it.

Location
La Viva Spanish Bar and Tapas
30 Victoria Street, Chijmes #01-12/13/14
Tel: 6339 4290
Operating Hours: 5pm to 12am from Sunday to Thursday, 5pm to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays

Strawberry Margarita

I love margaritas, especially those served at Cafe Iguana. So how could I resist, when OPI has a polish named "Strawberry Margarita" ;p

I woke up early and decided to paint my nails since I have nothing to do. It is quite a bright warm pink. Different from my usual colors of red, burgundy or fushcia.

Chips, chips and more chips

If I am to compare chocolates with chips, chocolates will always win hands down. I much prefer sweet stuff rather than savory. However I do like to satisfy my chips craving, to savor the salty sensations of chips.

I grew up with Pringles and Jack n Jill potato chips. I believe there is still a discriminary picture of me digging into the can of Pringles and stuffing my face with chips when I was 3? Thank God the picture is not with me, so no, I doubt anyone will ever see that :p

I tend to prefer Sour Cream and Onion or Salsa or Spicy flavored chips. I do not really like Lays or Ruffles as they are too salty for my taste. Maybe that also explained why I rarely buy chips when in Canada. I stock more cookies in the larder instead! (Maple cookies, anyone?)

The only "chips" I like when in Canada was SunChips French Onion multigrain snacks. That was really good. Crunchy and tasty, plus of course the multigrains made it seem like it is a healthy snack :p

Recently I discovered Red Rock Deli chips from Australia, and I love it! It comes in so many flavors which are not run of the mill. My current fave is the lime & black pepper chips. The tangyness coupled with the peppery contrasted nicely. I popped into Candy Empire yesterday and found more flavors. I bought Thai Lime & Ginger (interesting taste - limey with sweet ginger) and Dijon mustard & Honey. I have not tried that yet, will probably do so within the week. Sweet Chili & Sour Cream was quite alright, nothing fantastic.