I totally forgot about my birthday wishlist until someone asked me what I wanted for my birthday. Hmmm....as mentioned before, I think it is so hard to buy things for people when one is older as the ideal ideal gifts will be too expensive. Hahahaha.
Anyway, here is my wishlist for 2009.
Trip to Maldives (Banyan Tree, W or someplace equally nice)
Anna Sui Secret Wish fragrance (I love this and am already on my 3rd bottle which is finishing soon)
OPI 90210 collection (all 3 nail colors)
Trip to Greece and Italy
Decleor eye gel (Harmonie Soothing Eye Contour Gel)
Phytomer eye gel (Cernes Contour)
Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can - 2000 Jewel Doll
Barbie Loves Stila Talking Palette
Stila - The Precious Pearl Palette
Tocca candles (Mimosa, Cleopatra, Florence, Stella, Bali, Montecristo)
Dior Addict 2 fragrance
Gucci Envy Me fragrance
Portable slim lightweight hard disk (250GB is more than enough space) -- BOUGHT IT
Netbook or Sony Vaio super slim notebook
Blackberry Pearl (yes! Still on my quest to find it)
Thomas Sabo charms (I already have star, glam girl, credit card, dragonfly, shopping victim bag)
Agatha pink/white pearl dog charm
That is about it for now :)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Ristorante de Parma
We finally made it to Ristorante de Parma for dinner over the weekend. It was empty when I arrived at 645pm or so but people started streaming in after 730pm. 
The focaccia bread was warm and brushed with olive oil. It was aromatic with the herbs but the dish of dipping olive oil with vinegar could be better with the proportions. I could hardly get to the vinegar at all. Maybe it would be better to have the bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for diners to pour out for themselves.
Close up of the bread with the herbs.
While waiting for JK, I ordered the Pomodori al Forno which is tomato baked with crabmeat and topped with mozzarella cheese with a side of salad.
Close up of the tomato with the baked cheese. Again, lots of olive oil. In fact, I think they were very generous with the olive oil for all their dishes. This was not too bad if you like tomato as it could get to you after a while.
Pizza Bianca or white pizza which was brushed with olive oil and 3 cheeses (smoked scamorza, parmesan & mozzarella) and topped with semi-dried tomatoes & mixed herbs. It was light and crispy. Good for a light meal. Best to share with others as there were 8 slices. I was not totally wowed by this yet and JK felt it could be better if it was not so dry. Then again, since it was the first time we had the white pizza, we could not really compare with others.
Close up of a slice of white pizza. I need to head back to East Coast USA to try the version there as white pizza is more prevalent than the West Coast.
JK ordered the set dinner which she upgraded for a foie gras salad. I tried the foie gras and I didn't like it. Lol. I just was not a fan of liver (duck or otherwise) unless it was done Sun Moon way, with the Japanese sweet sauce or something. That foie gras was more palatable for me.
The black cod which was pan seared and served with mashed pumpkin or sweet potato and vegetables. The cod was flakey and a bit dry and tough, unlike other cods. The server was not really able to explain when JK asked what was the difference between black cod and other cod. But at the end of the meal, Ping did come over to explain why it could have been tough (i.e. overcooked as the cut was different from the usual which was thicker), and gave a 10% discount off the set. That was a nice gesture. Thank you, Ping.
I ordered tiramisu to finish off the meal and it was huge! JK liked it more than I did. It was the wet type and infused with alcohol and espresso. It was creamy and good. This was the first time when the dessert was too much to be finished. But it also meant it was great to be shared.
My after dinner drink of cappuccino. It was not too bad after adding sugar, especially since I preferred sweet coffee.
I did not try the pastas or other pizzas, maybe that would be better? I am guessing they specialize more in pizzas and pastas as the selection of mains were limited.
The focaccia bread was warm and brushed with olive oil. It was aromatic with the herbs but the dish of dipping olive oil with vinegar could be better with the proportions. I could hardly get to the vinegar at all. Maybe it would be better to have the bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for diners to pour out for themselves.
Close up of the bread with the herbs.
While waiting for JK, I ordered the Pomodori al Forno which is tomato baked with crabmeat and topped with mozzarella cheese with a side of salad.
Close up of the tomato with the baked cheese. Again, lots of olive oil. In fact, I think they were very generous with the olive oil for all their dishes. This was not too bad if you like tomato as it could get to you after a while. 
Pizza Bianca or white pizza which was brushed with olive oil and 3 cheeses (smoked scamorza, parmesan & mozzarella) and topped with semi-dried tomatoes & mixed herbs. It was light and crispy. Good for a light meal. Best to share with others as there were 8 slices. I was not totally wowed by this yet and JK felt it could be better if it was not so dry. Then again, since it was the first time we had the white pizza, we could not really compare with others.
Close up of a slice of white pizza. I need to head back to East Coast USA to try the version there as white pizza is more prevalent than the West Coast.
JK ordered the set dinner which she upgraded for a foie gras salad. I tried the foie gras and I didn't like it. Lol. I just was not a fan of liver (duck or otherwise) unless it was done Sun Moon way, with the Japanese sweet sauce or something. That foie gras was more palatable for me.
The black cod which was pan seared and served with mashed pumpkin or sweet potato and vegetables. The cod was flakey and a bit dry and tough, unlike other cods. The server was not really able to explain when JK asked what was the difference between black cod and other cod. But at the end of the meal, Ping did come over to explain why it could have been tough (i.e. overcooked as the cut was different from the usual which was thicker), and gave a 10% discount off the set. That was a nice gesture. Thank you, Ping. 
I ordered tiramisu to finish off the meal and it was huge! JK liked it more than I did. It was the wet type and infused with alcohol and espresso. It was creamy and good. This was the first time when the dessert was too much to be finished. But it also meant it was great to be shared.
My after dinner drink of cappuccino. It was not too bad after adding sugar, especially since I preferred sweet coffee.I did not try the pastas or other pizzas, maybe that would be better? I am guessing they specialize more in pizzas and pastas as the selection of mains were limited.
Location
Ristorante De Parma
14B Kensington Park Road
Ristorante De Parma
14B Kensington Park Road
Serangoon Gardens
Singapore 557265
Tel: 6281 3380, 6280 1096
Closed on Wed, except on the eve of a Public Holiday
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Hediard Lunch Set
It was more than half a year since I last went to Hediard for a meal and I was surprised to see the differences. It was not packed with diners like usual and the clientele seemed to have changed.
They messed up my reservations. I had requested for the table by the window (only 1 window in the entire place) and they gave that table away. I was left thinking why bother making reservations or requests if they would not be adhering to that. The staff was apologetic and said she thought they would be done with their food when I got there. But...my reservations was for 12:15pm and their breakfast ended at 11:30pm, so how could you expect the people to finish their food by 12:15pm? Also when I got there, they seemed to just get started on their dishes.
That pretty much left a sour taste and it continued to get worse in there. The diner was oblivious to her surroundings and how her bag and the menu she placed next to the bag actually encroached onto my seat. So I had to kinda sit in the middle of the 2 tables I was given. I could not be bothered to ask the lady to move her things since I had no wish to sit so close to her anyway. But seriously, basic courtesy, anyone?
It got worse. At the table next to mine sat another lady who actually had her feet up. She was sitting cross-legged in a public restaurant! Hello?! You could get comfortable, but to sit cross-legged? With these kind of diners, it was not too much to wonder why it was no longer as popular. My gf who made her first visit to Hediard the weekend before for lunch commented that it was equally empty then and she was the first customer for lunch on a weekend at 1pm. That was totally unheard of when I went there for brunch last year.
I decided to have the same set lunch (available only on weekdays) as my last visit - French Onion Soup and Croque Ferdinand with a glass of rose.
The rose was horrible, not as good as previously. The french onion soup did not taste as good as I remembered. Then again, maybe my mood has destroyed my sense of taste too. The onions did not seemed a caramelized or soft. It was still nice, but just not as good as I remembered it to be.
The croque Ferdinand was still good. It was served warm and the crust of the bread was toasted to a crisp.
I loved the gruyere cheese and mornay sauce. Somehow the 2 dishes were able to sustain me for the entire day. This was my first meal of the day and I was still feeling full after 6 to 7 hours. Amazing. The hot chocolate which I ordered was still rich but again, not as great as memory.
They messed up my reservations. I had requested for the table by the window (only 1 window in the entire place) and they gave that table away. I was left thinking why bother making reservations or requests if they would not be adhering to that. The staff was apologetic and said she thought they would be done with their food when I got there. But...my reservations was for 12:15pm and their breakfast ended at 11:30pm, so how could you expect the people to finish their food by 12:15pm? Also when I got there, they seemed to just get started on their dishes.
That pretty much left a sour taste and it continued to get worse in there. The diner was oblivious to her surroundings and how her bag and the menu she placed next to the bag actually encroached onto my seat. So I had to kinda sit in the middle of the 2 tables I was given. I could not be bothered to ask the lady to move her things since I had no wish to sit so close to her anyway. But seriously, basic courtesy, anyone?
It got worse. At the table next to mine sat another lady who actually had her feet up. She was sitting cross-legged in a public restaurant! Hello?! You could get comfortable, but to sit cross-legged? With these kind of diners, it was not too much to wonder why it was no longer as popular. My gf who made her first visit to Hediard the weekend before for lunch commented that it was equally empty then and she was the first customer for lunch on a weekend at 1pm. That was totally unheard of when I went there for brunch last year.
I decided to have the same set lunch (available only on weekdays) as my last visit - French Onion Soup and Croque Ferdinand with a glass of rose.
The rose was horrible, not as good as previously. The french onion soup did not taste as good as I remembered. Then again, maybe my mood has destroyed my sense of taste too. The onions did not seemed a caramelized or soft. It was still nice, but just not as good as I remembered it to be.
The croque Ferdinand was still good. It was served warm and the crust of the bread was toasted to a crisp.
I loved the gruyere cheese and mornay sauce. Somehow the 2 dishes were able to sustain me for the entire day. This was my first meal of the day and I was still feeling full after 6 to 7 hours. Amazing. The hot chocolate which I ordered was still rich but again, not as great as memory. I am not sure if I would want to go back to Hediard so soon with such service and clientele around. The standards seemed to have dropped totally.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lunch at Kopi Tiam (Swissotel Stamford)
We decided to have lunch at Kopi Tiam over at Swissotel the Stamford after collecting the pineapple tarts from Fairmont. It was quite busy with many tables occupied. That also meant the service was a bit slow as they did not seem to have enough staff to cope with the lunch crowd. It took a while for them to set the table with the cutlery and to fill up the glasses with water, take the order and serve the food and present the bill. 
MN ordered the bak kut teh which was what she wanted if we went to the Empire Cafe at Raffles Hotel. The version at Kopi Tiam was much better if you prefer a bigger portion (5 pieces of ribs/meat) and came with tau pok too. It was much more herbal and not as sweet unlike the Empire Cafe which had wolfberries in the soup. The bowl of dough stick fritters was crispy and they soaked up the soup nicely.
We shared the eggplants with minced meat. This was so good! The edges of the eggplant were crispy and the inside was soft. I wonder how they did it but I liked it.
I ordered the beef rendang which came with a side of achar. The achar was ok but the beef was so tender. It was not very spicy so those who could not take hot stuff could eat it too.
MN ordered the bak kut teh which was what she wanted if we went to the Empire Cafe at Raffles Hotel. The version at Kopi Tiam was much better if you prefer a bigger portion (5 pieces of ribs/meat) and came with tau pok too. It was much more herbal and not as sweet unlike the Empire Cafe which had wolfberries in the soup. The bowl of dough stick fritters was crispy and they soaked up the soup nicely. 
We shared the eggplants with minced meat. This was so good! The edges of the eggplant were crispy and the inside was soft. I wonder how they did it but I liked it.
I ordered the beef rendang which came with a side of achar. The achar was ok but the beef was so tender. It was not very spicy so those who could not take hot stuff could eat it too.A very filling lunch on a weekday. Not a good idea as we had to go back to work after that :p Again, with the FAR card, it came to about $28 for 2 of us which was not too bad.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sushi Tei - Hokkai Chirashi
I had the chirashi a few weeks ago from the Hokkaido promotion menu at Sushi Tei Raffles City and liked it a fair bit and so ordered it again at the Paragon outlet.What a difference between the 2 outlets. Maybe it was dependent on the timing too. It was non-peak hour when I went to the Raffles City outlet and the portion seemed bigger there. Or at least the bowl looked bigger. The presentation was so much better too.
The bowl served at Paragon during peak dinner time seemed haphazard. The uni (sea urchin) was not in the middle and it covered the scallops. There were 3 pieces of scallops and 3 pieces of the salmon. Definitely not enough so I ordered another dish of salmon sashimi to go with the chirashi. It was still not too bad and the uni was nice, likewise for the salmon roe, salmon and scallops. Sweet. Yummy.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Happy Ox Year with Fairmont Pineapple Tarts
Happy Chinese New Year! It is the year of the Ox. A new beginning to end a tumultuous Rat year (even though analysts have commented the Ox year is typically recession period too but at least the end is in sight).
I redeemed the Fairmont pineapple tarts via DBS credit card points. Finally I got something which was timely and useful :) I was pleasantly surprised by the packaging, especially the glass bottle which I could re-use again to store other things. 
The buttery scent of the pastry wafted out immediately when I opened the bottle. The aroma was enticing and it smelled like freshly baked goodies - totally unexpected. The pastry part was soft, not too crumbly and the pineapple filling was sour-sweet. That was good for those who prefer a bit of tartness and not total sweetness. Sunday, January 25, 2009
Kenny Rogers Roasters
I probably only ate at Kenny Rogers Roasters like once or twice a year now. It is not a place I would immediately think of if I am wondering what to eat. Anyway, we decided to make it easy and just have a late dinner at the Kenny Rogers Roasters outlet in Great World City while waiting for our movie to start. 
I went with the traditional classic of a quarter chicken with 2 sides. Did the chicken shrink? Nonetheless, the meat was still moist with its signature herbs. The corn muffin tasted strange though with crunchy sticky bits like sugar crystals. I always did like the mac and cheese and somehow I had went off the mashed potatoes.
Our 4 sides - long beans, steamed veggies which were cold and hard, sour cream and dill pasta salad which was too rich and the mac and cheese.
CL ordered the chicken pot pie. I didn't try it but it should be not too bad as she polished the entire thing save the bread :p
The other dish which I usually ordered was the chicken caesar wrap. That was for days when I wanted to feel healthy with its greens.
I went with the traditional classic of a quarter chicken with 2 sides. Did the chicken shrink? Nonetheless, the meat was still moist with its signature herbs. The corn muffin tasted strange though with crunchy sticky bits like sugar crystals. I always did like the mac and cheese and somehow I had went off the mashed potatoes. 
Our 4 sides - long beans, steamed veggies which were cold and hard, sour cream and dill pasta salad which was too rich and the mac and cheese.
CL ordered the chicken pot pie. I didn't try it but it should be not too bad as she polished the entire thing save the bread :pThe other dish which I usually ordered was the chicken caesar wrap. That was for days when I wanted to feel healthy with its greens.
I am not sure if the restaurant is still around as when we left Great World after the movie, we saw workers dismantling the place and renovating?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Asia Grand - Office pre-CNY lunch (part 2)
We ordered so much food, and then my camera battery died. So didn't take some other dishes.
Dim Sum - veggie dumplings for our vegetarian colleague.
Some lobster puffs or something with the deep fried vermicelli and lobster meat inside. Quite nice, not too greasy and it was crispy.
I love this! Custard bun.
It was still warm so the bun was soft with the crispy top. The custard inside was also warm and gooey almost flowing out when bitten. Utterly delicious! I liked this so much better than the one at Shang Palace.
Carrot cake...mmmm...you cannot go wrong with this too. Soft and chewy on the inside but crispy at the edges.
BBQ pork rice rolls. This was not too bad too. The rice roll was soft and not dried up at all, but the bbq meat inside was a bit too porky for my liking.
The dishes proper now - shark fin soup. There were whole tiny pieces of the fin and the soup was not too starchy.
Steamed fish. I am still trying to figure out what this fish is. They called it "La-Ping". It is rich in omega-3 as it has the same fatty taste of salmon and cod. Very nice.
This was the only thing that marred the entire experience. A colleague found a strand of hair in the dish. So we told the restaurant manager who replaced it with another veggie dish. I didn't eat it as the hair quite turned us off.
This was the replacement dish that we chose. 3-eggs veggie. I think this was spinach or something. I loved the salted egg yolk.
I didn't take pictures of the chicken dish and the ee-fu noodles and the red bean soup with sesame dumplings dessert.
Another dessert - nian gao slices with crushed nuts. I didn't like this at all. Somehow the nian gao was not very sweet? Quite tasteless to me.
Dim Sum - veggie dumplings for our vegetarian colleague.
Some lobster puffs or something with the deep fried vermicelli and lobster meat inside. Quite nice, not too greasy and it was crispy.
I love this! Custard bun.
It was still warm so the bun was soft with the crispy top. The custard inside was also warm and gooey almost flowing out when bitten. Utterly delicious! I liked this so much better than the one at Shang Palace.
Carrot cake...mmmm...you cannot go wrong with this too. Soft and chewy on the inside but crispy at the edges.
BBQ pork rice rolls. This was not too bad too. The rice roll was soft and not dried up at all, but the bbq meat inside was a bit too porky for my liking.
The dishes proper now - shark fin soup. There were whole tiny pieces of the fin and the soup was not too starchy.
Steamed fish. I am still trying to figure out what this fish is. They called it "La-Ping". It is rich in omega-3 as it has the same fatty taste of salmon and cod. Very nice.
This was the only thing that marred the entire experience. A colleague found a strand of hair in the dish. So we told the restaurant manager who replaced it with another veggie dish. I didn't eat it as the hair quite turned us off.
This was the replacement dish that we chose. 3-eggs veggie. I think this was spinach or something. I loved the salted egg yolk.I didn't take pictures of the chicken dish and the ee-fu noodles and the red bean soup with sesame dumplings dessert.
Another dessert - nian gao slices with crushed nuts. I didn't like this at all. Somehow the nian gao was not very sweet? Quite tasteless to me.Friday, January 23, 2009
Asia Grand - Office pre-CNY Lunch (Part 1)
We went for a company's lunch in celebration of Chinese New Year on Wednesday. After tossing a few ideas, we settled on Asia Grand Restaurant at Odeon Towers. Being a CNY do, we ordered Yu-Sheng. I think many people will need all the luck and prosperity they can get, especially in this economic climate. 
I always do like the plate and table setting over at Asia Grand. There is a certain sense of elegance in a Chinese restaurant, not like the usual Chinese restaurants where appearance did not really matter. To me, somehow it is the little details which made the meal all the more enjoyable.
The Yu-Sheng. I was busy snapping away while the waitress was busy putting the various plates and condiments.
Finally, all done, with the oil, pepper, salmon, lime, honey, crackers all on the table. I like the little gadget to squeeze the lime. More hygenic and less messy. Everything was removed from the plate with the use of chopsticks by the waitress so she did not touch anything with her bare hands.
All ready to be tossed for good luck and blessings and wealth and health and whatever else.
Hmmmm....not everyone was tossing the yu-sheng. Mix and mix till everything was very well coated with the various condiments.
My portion on my plate. Actually I find that I am not such a big fan of yu-sheng after all. A little goes a long way.
I always do like the plate and table setting over at Asia Grand. There is a certain sense of elegance in a Chinese restaurant, not like the usual Chinese restaurants where appearance did not really matter. To me, somehow it is the little details which made the meal all the more enjoyable.
The Yu-Sheng. I was busy snapping away while the waitress was busy putting the various plates and condiments.
Finally, all done, with the oil, pepper, salmon, lime, honey, crackers all on the table. I like the little gadget to squeeze the lime. More hygenic and less messy. Everything was removed from the plate with the use of chopsticks by the waitress so she did not touch anything with her bare hands.
All ready to be tossed for good luck and blessings and wealth and health and whatever else.
Hmmmm....not everyone was tossing the yu-sheng. Mix and mix till everything was very well coated with the various condiments.
My portion on my plate. Actually I find that I am not such a big fan of yu-sheng after all. A little goes a long way.Part 2 will be on the dim sum and dishes we had. Lots of food.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sentosa - cruise ship life
Sentosa has changed a fair bit too, with the construction of IR and the various beaches and resorts.
We went on the luge which came with a skyride which was similar to a ski lift.
See how far up we got to. Scary!
And so much further up to go.
A kelong style hut. Not sure what those were though.
Nice view of the Rasa Sentosa.
This was when we took the cable car from Sentosa to Mount Faber and back again. On the way to Harbourfront, I saw the cruise ship.
You could see the pool on deck.
Another view of the waterway.
Getting closer to harbourfront buildings
Other cable cars and the cruise ship again.
Zooming in on the pool. You could see people sunbathing and just chilling. So nice.
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