Smittened with Shoes

Recently I find myself looking at shoes and being enamored by them. Stilettos, pumps, sandals, birkies, boots, slides...the more the merrier. There is something about shoes. You can feel relaxed, casual when slipping your feet into birkies or flats. Or sexy on stilettos or heels with laced-up satin ribbon. Glamorous with crystals or sparkling stones on heels.

I didn't think I will be looking at shoes again so soon after my last purchase of 6 pairs, but what do you know. I went out and bought 2 more pairs. Yes, at VNC again. Only because those I wanted at Nine West weren't available in my size :p

I blamed that on the book I was reading, Leanne Banks' Feet First (Book 1 of the Bellagio Inc, trilogy). The story was well written, and the description of the shoes really called out to you. Heels studded with crystals, delicate straps.

"The shoes a woman wants to wear reveal her secret fantasies." -- Jenny Prillaman, designer wannabe

www.leannebanks.com

The cover of the book didn't hurt too....with the pretty pair on the feet. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be out. Just got book 2 (Underfoot) today, and the 3rd book (Footloose) will be out in September.

And this is such a Davis' drink - the queen of shoes ;p

Midori Stilleto
3/4 oz Midori
2 oz. SKYY Citrus Vodka
Splash of white cranberry juice

Shake with ice, strain, and serve in chilled martini glass.
Enjoy!

Kazbar - Lambrini Girls Nite Out!

http://www.pacbev.net/mailer_lam/mailer110806.htm
(Click for more details)

There was a Exotic middle eastern party at Kaz Bar to celebate the Lambrini Girls Nite Out last Tuesday (22 Aug) and I went with my friends. There was a free flow of Lambrini for women till 9pm and thereafter it was 1-for-1 on Lambrini for the ladies.

Lambrini is surprisingly nice. A light and bubbly drink akin to wine but is less tart and slightly sweet. Maybe sparkling wine? Did a google and found that there are many other flavors to it too. Nice! It is from the UK and the slogan is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"

http://www.lambrinigirls.com/

And what do you know. I actually won 2nd prize for the best dressed since not many people dressed up :p I was given a veil headgear to wear and was told that I will get the 2nd prize if I do that. So I did that. Lol. Easiest way to win a prize. Hehe.


I like Kaz Bar at Far East Square. It serves middle eastern food, and the decor is also in the middle eastern theme. There are little alcoves with "bed" and sheer curtain to ensure privacy and tables and sofas are scattered around the premises, creating a homely feel. Not full restaurant, and not fully a drinking hole.

www.kazbar.com

I love the falafel and hummus. The falafel is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The lemon juice in the hummus made it slightly different from the one I always had at California Pizza Kitchen. Pity the pita bread was not warm that night. It was better the 1st time I went there. Another specialty is their lamb. I didn't try that since I am not a big fan of lamb.

I would want to go back there again to try other stuff.

Chanel Fall 2006

Chanel Les 4 Ombres - Sparkling Satins 95
Pic courtesy of MUAer patentg33k

First it was Dior Secret Charm eye palette, now Chanel has something equally attractive. I tested the colors of the Chanel Sparkling Satins 95 (Les 4 Ombres) at the counter and they are oh-so-gorgeous!

I love the sparkles on the back of my hand. The palette has 4 colors - sparkling pink, taupey gold, silver and black. The sparkles particles are much bigger than the usual shimmers in Stila or other brands. They are great for layering or on its own.

Pic courtesy of MUAer pinkdaisy226

There I thought I am over my lemming for Chanel Turbulent (part of Fall 2006 Collection), a stunning fushcia pink which very much reminded me of NARS Angelika though others liken it more to NARS Desire (which is actually Angelika without the shimmers).

Am I moving into the designer brands now? First Dior and now going to Chanel? :p

Revamped! Raffles City Marketplace

Isn't the map pretty neat? It showed the entire basement of Raffles City Shopping Mall and its basement Marketplace.

The shops and restaurants available underground.

My current faves are:
Soup Spoon - delicious soups
Piper's Pies - lamingtons!
Chippy British Takeaway - Fried Mars Bars
Subway - healthy sandwiches
Gloria Jeans - yummy coffee
Ben & Jerry - utterly heavenly ice crea
Cedele - soup and amazing turkey brie sandwich
The Pizza Place - great pizza

Great World City - Around the World in Bathrooms

I am always intrigued with the washrooms in Great World City. You can be in a different country when you enter the washroom. The mall has this wonderful concept of showcasing the different country or identity of a country through the washroom.

Every washroom (there are 7 of them, known as "The Seven Wonders") has a different theme. You can find yourself in the land of the rising sun, or the land of windmills and tulips or elsewhere. They are depicted through wall murals and motifs and designs.

I don't believe I have been to all seven, but what I remembered most are the Dutch and Japanese themed washrooms.

Hmmm....maybe I should just explore all seven of them afterall, just for knowledge sake.

Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe

I went to Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe with Davis recently. That was my 2nd visit there and I quite like the kamameshi - a traditional steamed seasoned rice pot - and sushi.

I was still on a diet (the blood type thing) and so had to forego several options. Only fish for me, though I cheated with the oyster pancake and dessert!

I ordered the salmon kamameshi. I like the presentation of the food, and the timer given. Cuteness. The salmon was perfectly done, not too hard or overcooked, and the salmon roes gave a sweet, salty burst of flavor to the rice mix.

Davis ordered the beef version, which looked really nice too. At least her pot of rice has more "gravy" than mine.

The oyster pancake was huge, with succulent fresh oysters cooked in the mixture, crispy at the edges.

I didn't have dessert the previous time, so this time I ordered the green tea ice cream with red beans and green tea cake. The cake is similar to the Malay kueh we have, the same gooey softness.


I would like to go back again to try the other dishes some day.

Location
Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe
501 Orchard Road #03-15 Wheelock Place
Tel: 6733-6636

Wellness Village Spa - Pan Pacific Hotel (19 Aug 06)

I went to Wellness Village Spa at the Pan Pacific Hotel yesterday for a back scrub and body massage treatment under the UOB Card promotion. I must be getting old as I don't even remember the treatment has a back scrub at all. So it was a 15mins back scrub and 45mins of body massage.

It is located slightly away from the main hotel building on Level 4, where the swimming pool is. Not good if it is raining as there is no shelter between the two buildings. The swimming pool is a good size, not too big or too small. Unfortunately it is always crowded on weekends, so weekdays might be a better bet if you are going to the spa for treatments and to utilize the pool (spa package holders/members can have access to the pool).

Once you stepped into the spa, you are greeted by the friendly receptionist/consultants. I did not have to wait long before I was shown into the treatment room. You will be required to remove your shoes and wear the slippers provided. The decor is Asian influenced with lots of wood and carvings.

There are 7 treatment rooms, and all (except 1 which is the facial room) come with an attached bathroom. Each room has different themes in the decoration. I didn't get to see the other rooms except the couple room. The room I was shown to was the Maharajah Room, so the decor is Indian-style. Garlands of jasmine were hung along one wall, with carvings and wooden furniture. I like the bathroom, which took me by surprise. It is an outdoor bathroom, with the "heavenly" showerhead. You can look up and see the sky and feel the humidity and heat of the day, almost like those outdoor bathroom in the resorts overseas. The couple room has a jacuzzi too in the outdoor bathroom. Very nice!


The therapist (Jolene) was very good. She was able to "read" the body and "treat" the body accordingly. Though the entire treatment took only an hour, I felt refreshed and much better after that. The back scrub was good as she applied pressure and massaged/scrubbed the back thoroughly. The skin is definitely much smoother and clearer after the sloughing away of dead skin cells.

The massage itself was a mixture of Indonesian, Swedish and Tui Na. She focused on my upper back/shoulders without me having to tell her that is my problem spot. I liked that and she wasn't the chatty type, so I was able to relax and just go to my own dreamland.

And yes, I signed up for a package. This is quite rare for a hotel spa to do that. Usually spas in hotels will not try to sell packages to guests. I guess this could be a different case since I went there under the UOB Card promotion.

I was sold by the fact that I can access the swimming pool every time I have a treatment. This is similar to having memberships at Amrita Spa at Raffles the Plaza Hotel or at St. Gregory Spa at the hotels. The drawback is the lack of a proper relaxation lounge.

So now I can take 1/2 day off from work and just go to the pool for a tan before my treatment. I can have either a body massage with body scrub or a facial with eye treatment or a bodywrap with body massage. All treatments are for 90mins.

Another selling point is that I got a special deal as one of the consulatnts recognized me from the other spa which I used to frequent :) They threw in extras stuff for me besides the usual package.

Despair -- NOT!

A friend directed me to this website (http://www.despair.com/) when I told him I was doing some "HR" style cards for a company's internal communications. Isn't it funny? There are plenty of "motivational" messages posters in the website.

Here are a few of my faves (can't upload all) :

Singapore Fireworks Festival 2006

The Singapore Fireworks Festival is in its 2nd year now. It is similar to the Celebration of Lights (formerly known as Symphony of Fire) in Vancouver where fireworks display from other countries were being rated. I like fireworks, the burst of lights in the nightsky, painting it with brillant dashes and sparkles. It is just so pretty, watching the "paintings" in the sky.

Funnily enough, I never went down to the waterfront to catch a glimpse of the dazzling pyrotechnics display. The only time I saw fireworks was always by accident. I just happened to be in the area when it started, latest example was sometime in early February this year when I was at Marina Square when it happened for the Hong Bao River thing (I think).

Well, for this year SFF, 4 countries were competiting and I saw the pictures taken by a cotter (Sunkist) which he posted online and they were marvelous! Very beautifully taken and sharp and clear. I am re-posting them here with his permission.

Enjoy!

Blood Type Diet

I have heard about eating according to your blood type but I have never really follow it or pay much attention to it....until now. It does seem pretty interesting, though the book is still quite deep and confusing to dig through.

The gist of what I read in the book is that it seemed like Type A (yes, that is me) is meant to be a vegetarian. No meat or much seafood and dairy products. Just fish (esp those rich in Omega 3 and 6) and veggies and beans and starch. Woo hoo! It doesn't sound that hard to follow since I am not that big on meat, but I have to give up beef. Sob. Chicken and turkey are considered neutral food so I can still have that. I can't have any prawns and crabs, lobsters, mussels, oysters, scallops, basically all shell fish. Sad. I can't have all potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, cheese (except feta, mozzarella, ricotta), milk, ice cream.

There are lots more, but still trying to remember what I can and not eat.

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typeindexer.htm

The website contains a list of food and recipes.

Other information contained in the book is quite surprisingly. It recommends Type A to sleep early, by 11pm to be in bed. So I am way past the bedtime now :p

And that we are prone to stress and yoga, tai chi or any deep calming breathing exercises are good for us. We are also not meant to watch violent movies. So true. And it is beneficial to have aromatherapy in the room and that we tend to internalize thoughts, stress causing again. Music is good for Type A, to destress. Hehe. I find that is quite true for me.

Maybe that is why I love going to spas so much, just to relax. And why I always need to have the radio on or some music playing in the background. And why I like bodybalance and yoga class.

Fallen Cows

The cows made the news when Moove Media planted them in strategic locations in Singapore city center last year. Then the cows were of all colors and were made of probably styrofoam in 3D. Many of the cows disappeared not long after its appearance, taken by people who wanted a piece of it.

It is cute, like art installation. Even the invitation for the launch of Moove Media was cute. We received the invitation, which came in the form of a tin of condensed milk, with the label being the invite, ending in a tight scroll.

This year for National Day, they installed cows again, but this time it is just a piece of board, a 2D affair.

Few days after they were installed, some fell, probably done by vandals. Interesting way to communicate messages across.

Mr Teh Tarik

I like tea, I like most beverages. But I don't remember when I started liking milk tea. I started taking tea just with sugar when I was young. Or plain for Chinese tea.

Maybe it was during the bubble tea craze? That I had milk tea with pearls though subsequently I just requested for milk tea, no pearls. I am not a big fan of the tapioca balls.

Slowly I learnt the lingo of ordering drinks in coffee shops from colleagues. From teh peng (iced milk tea), teh si (tea with evaporated milk) to teh tarik (pulled milk tea) and teh halia (ginger milk tea).

The best iced teh tarik I ever had is from Mr. Teh Tarik at Far East Square. It comes in a huge plastic cup and can last you the whole day if you get it during lunch and bring it back to the office to savor. The first sip of the frothy milk tea gives you the much needed jolt of sugar boost. After that, you can let the ice melt and the drink will become less sweet.

Another tea I like is teh halia. There is something very comforting about drinking ginger tea. The warm spicyness added flavor to the sweet tea. It is equally nice to have unsweetened plain ginger tea like what they serve in the spa.

Besides tea, Mr Teh Tarik also serves milo, coffee and food such as murukku, nasi lemak, curry puffs, cakes etc though I have never tried the food there. I believed Mr Teh Tarik also came up with the iced milo dinosaur drink (iced milo topped with a spoonful of powdered milo)

Out of the Pan - Raffles City

I recently went to Out of the Pan at the basement of Raffles City Market Place. It specializes in crepes and waffles. I was with my temp staff and since it was her last day, I treated her to the meal as she has been a great help to me at work.

We had a nice table, right next to the fountain. Thankfully we didn't get splashed by the spray. We ordered two crepes and shared them as it can get a bit "gelat" after a while. She ordered the smoked salmon and cheese on sundried tomato crepe while I had the wild mushrooms on sundried tomato crepe. The salmon and cheese crepe tasted a bit sweet, not sure if that was due to the salmon or the cheese or the combination. The wild mushrooms crepe contained 3 types of mushrooms and they were very juicy. It also came with Gruyere cheese which contrasted nicely.

To finish off the meal, she had the strawberry milkshake and I had the iced mint mocha. That was the ultimate sweet ending.

Location:
Basement 1, Raffles City Shopping Centre
For reservations, please call (65) 6431 6156.

McCafe - Himalayan Tea Latte

MacDonalds in Singapore started some cafes called McCafes a few years back in selected locations. I did not really bother much with it as I do not take much fast food. Maybe once a month or two or three. Somehow it just didn't registered in my radar.

The most prominent McCafe for me is the one outside Isetan Scotts. I have never eaten there, but it serves things similar to what you would find in Coffee Bean or Starbucks. Cakes, muffins, sandwiches, salads and coffee, teas.

I have only been there a couple of times. So far I have only ordered the drinks. Just sugarless iced tea and recently the Himalayan Tea Latte.

That was really really yummy! I was quite surprised by the milkiness of the tea and the cinnamon (I think it was that) gave a nice hint of spice to the tea. And it is only $3.60 for a cuppa, definitely much cheaper than at Coffee Bean or Starbucks. They even serve mochaccino, I gotta try that someday.

http://www.mcdonalds.com.sg/?q=McCafe_Beverages_Menu

Hock Lam Beef Noodles

I have always like beef noodles. There is something hearty about such a simple meal. Noodles, beef slices, bean sprouts and either the gravy for dry version or the flavorful soup.

The best beef noodles I ever had has to be from Hock Lam Beef Noodles at Far East Square (or is it China Square). Much has been written about the history of this place, and how it was passed down from the current owner's father, and his other brother also operated another outlet at Purvis Street.

I have tried both Purvis Street and the one at Far East Square. Somehow I still prefer the one at Far East Square. Maybe it is the location? It is definitely bigger and has better ventilation.

I usually order the dry version as I like to add the salted vegetables and crushed peanuts to the gravy. The gravy is thick and sticky, coating the silky thin kway teow masterfully. The crushed peanuts give a crunch to the soft gooey texture. The beef slices are tender and fresh. The beefballs are not too chewy but I dislike that bits of meat tend to get stuck between my teeth when I bit into it, maybe it is my teeth that is the problem.

The soup has a beefy taste to it. I usually add a squeeze of lime to counteract the meatiness. The chili complements the meal perfectly well too.

Be forewarned that it is a very popular place and it is best to go before 12noon on weekdays, by 12:30pm there is usually a line snaking out of the shop. If you go after 3pm, the gravy for the dry version may also have been sold out.

Other good times to go are on weekends, very quiet then.

Location
Hock Lam Beef Noodles
22 China St, #01-01 Far East Square
11am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat-Sun, closed on public holidays

Moto RAZR V3i

I think I have more or less decided on my next phone, and it is way past time for me to get one, to replace my beloved "antique" phone.

Recently I flipped through the Malaysian papers (as part of my work - media monitoring) and I saw the Motorola Razr V3i being featured in many different colors. Besides the maroon (just launched in Singapore during CommunicAsia) and D&G gold, there were blue and violet. The violet is what caught my attention. I was already half inclined to get the maroon when the violet just seemed to call out my name.

Isn't the Violet so me?

I checked with M1 yesterday and the SA said it will probably be out in Singapore in the next few months. I guess I can live with the 100gm (at least I hope so) and to get used to a Moto phone. I have been using my N8250 since 2000 or 2001. Yes, it has been that long!

My first phone was a company-issed Ericsson, a super bulky and heavy phone which I think I either returned back to the company or traded in for a N3210 (another very heavy phone). Subsequently I realized the importance of weight and so got the N82650 which did not give me any problem until recently.

So a Moto it shall be unless Nokia comes up with a lighter and sleeker design soon.

Soup Spoon

I love Soup Spoon and could hardly wait for the outlet to re-open at Raffles City. It finally opened towards the last week of July to a bigger new premise in the MarketPlace section.

With the new location, there was a new menu too. I ordered the clam chowder and added a masala chicken wrap to make it a meal. I am not a very big fan of clam chowder as I usually find it watery or not much to be desired. However in Soup Spoon, it is a thick and chunky soup, full of clams and vegetables chunks and potatoes.

The masala chicken wrap was something new for me. It was pretty ok, but I would prefer the mango chicken wrap from Toast. I usually ordered the roast beef sandwich with wasabi and that was really nice, as the wasabi gaves a good contrast to the meat.


Location:
Raffles City MarketPlace, Basement
OUB Centre, Basement

Thai Express

I am still not entirely certain where Thai Express ranked in my conscious. I can't say I am a big fan of it for Thai food nor do I dislike it entirely. It is just an average outlet with decent Thai food. To me I always prefer Simply Thai (not sure if it is still around) for its simple, hearty Thai fare.

Thai Express seemed to have too many things and I am not sure if they are all that authentic. Nevertheless, it does have some pretty ok stuff.

I took this pic after eating halfway, still chockful of beef slices

I have tried quite a number of dishes over the last few years but I only tried the beef noodles soup recently and I was impressed! It came with very generous serving of beef slices which were pretty tender. There were more beef and veggies than the noodles, I like that. The soup was tasty and not too MSG-laden.

Other dishes which I usually ordered are the seafood green curry laksa. It is a mild curry that is very lemak (coconutty). Pad Thai is another item which is good.

I am not too impressed with its olive rice or shrimp belecan rice. The mango salad was not too bad, refreshing. The chicken wings are ok, tofu squares a bit boring.

I like Thai iced milk tea though. That is my usual fave drink and the beef noodles my fave thai dish. But I still think Simply Thai version of the beef noodles is better.

The tom yam soup was spicy, not bad.

Locations:
Most major malls
Paragon, Heartland Mall, Holland Village, CityLink, Bishan Junction 8, Plaza Singapura, Esplanade