Tea break @ The Canteen

After the very nice Elvis toast I had the other day, I went to The Canteen again with another friend. I realized I tend to go to the same few places and maybe try out new places every few months.

Then again, it could be that I am always in the Orchard area and there just are not that many new places (besides ION Orchard) to try out?

Anyway, I decided to try the sardine toast tea set. It was a bit of a disappointment as the bread was thick and it was not toasted till crispy brown. So the edges were just toasted and the inside was soft though not soggy. The sardine filling was nice, a bit spicy with just a slight hint of tanginess. The regular coffee was also much better than the kopi-c I ordered previously.

Then we spilt another order of the Elvis as this was not very satisfying at all. TT was also underwhelmed by her smoked salmon on scrambled egg toast set. The Elvis was soooo good as usual. I would not bother trying the other toasts in future and just stick with the Elvis.

Saturday Dinner Buffet @ Greenhouse, Ritz Carlton

We went to Greenhouse at Ritz Carlton for dinner on Saturday since we were already right smack in the Formula 1 area. It would be a hassle to get out and get back in again. That was the quietest I have ever seen the Greenhouse.

We got there around 830pm and it was pretty empty. The diners either were staying in the area or involved in the F1 Grand Prix. I saw a very good-looking dark-haired Italian guy who looked like he is a model or racer or something. He looks familiar but I cannot place him. He was with with an older man and two beautiful blondes. F1 just brings all the beautiful people together.

My cold plate of salmon sashimi and oysters and a california roll. There were more cold food such as cold crab, clams, mussels, prawns, lobsters (or were they crayfish) and various sushi and sashimi.

I was a bit disappointed that the mushroom truffle soup was not available, but the crabmeat soup was equally yummy. It was like shark fin soup without the shark fin. I loved the tasty thick broth which was not too starchy and filled with lots of crabmeat.

My one and only main. Sin Chew fried beehoon, braised beef, miso dory and caesar salad. The beehoon was so yummy. I liked it! The braised beef was very tender and melted in the mouth and the miso dory was so good too. The salad was crisp and fresh, making it refreshing to the palate.

There were black pepper crabs, garoupa, more veggies, duck breast meat, prawns and other stuff which I did not take. Nor did I take anything from the Indian station.

Finally, my dessert of fresh fruits. Jackfruit and dragonfruit. For once, I did not take anything from the sweets section. No cakes or ice cream. I was just so stuffed from the gorgeous tea over at a friend's place that I was all "sweet-out".

This must be the most healthy meal I had at Greenhouse for a long time. I also did not take any of the coffee or tea as I already had 3 of that earlier in the day.

Note:

I did notice that the wait staff changed the cutlery when I started on the fruits/dessert section. I usually did not pay attention to that until a friend brought up that most places do not change your cutlery unless requested. And that was also the time they would usually offer you coffee or tea when they saw the dessert plates.

Canele, Paragon

Paragon has been underoing renovations and there are many changes to the tenants over there. Canele has moved from its small outlet next to Crabtree & Evelyn to the open space near the escalator, where Delifrance used to be. I like it so much better now, plus it is bigger and definitely more spacious.

I was there for tea and decided to have a cake and share a pizza. The le royale cake was so gooood. Different layers of chocolate mousse, cake, biscuit all made it an ultra sinful treat.

We decided on something simple for the pizza and chose the margherita. It was just tomatoes and cheese and pesto over it on thin crust dough.

It was really good. Fresh out of the oven, so it was hot. Crispy thin crust with warm cheese and the pesto gave a bit of difference to the otherwise normal pizza.

The tomatoes were plump and juicy. It just burst inside the mouth with its sweet and slight tangy liquid to cut away the rich cheese. Very nice indeed.

2009 F1 Singapore Grand Prix

The 2009 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix is here again. The cars, equipment, people and drivers have been trickling in since last week. This year, I will get the opportunity to be there.

Totally unexpected but definitely welcome :) I don't profess to be a big fan of F1 or car racing. I watched it on television last year and I was a bit bored. It helped that I was home and was able to multitask with reading and texting my friends about it.

I am given a pass for today's practice round and it is for the Pit Grandstand! Amazing! Being able to be there is already exciting for me, but to be at the Pit Grandstand is just awesome! It means I can access all zones except the Paddock Club area. For those who are curious, the Pit Grandstand is the 2nd most expensive ticket at $1,488 for 3 days. When you break it up, it is about $500 per day which may not be too bad for ardent fans. After all, people do pay $500 to watch Kylie in concert.

I think it is also a blessing that I am not working at the moment, as that means I can be there early and just walk around the circuit. This will be my workout of the month. Hahahahaha. I cannot wait to go later and just soak up the fun and atmosphere and generally be part of the festivities.

It is just a pity that Backstreet Boys and Travis are not performing today but I will still get to watch other performers. Now if only NKOTB is performing, then I will definitely shell out the big bucks to watch them. Hahahaha.

Last year I could only hear the sounds of the cars whizzing past from my workplace (windows faced the wrong direction) and this year I will be there. A big "THANK YOU" to my friend who had a spare pass and thought to give it to me :)

Opening Soon: Bottega Veneta, ION Orchard

I was stunned and excited when I saw this when passing through Level 1 of ION Orchard. It is official. Bottega Veneta will have another boutique in Singapore. I was told about it and then sworn to secrecy. Now it is known to the public. If my news was correct, it would open in 2010. But now I think it may open sooner, maybe in the next couple of months. To catch the Christmas rush?

And you know you are a BV fan when you can admire the workmanship of the intricate weave in this picture. Observe how real it looks from a 2-D boarding wrap around the store.

Ok, my camera is not very good in capturing the fine details. But you can see and almost feel the undulated buttery soft leather in the picture.

See the gloss. The subtle shine and the closely packed weave with no gaps peeking through. You can just want to slide your hand over it to smooth out the leather.

The image for the boarding wrap was very well taken with extremely high resolution and printed on quality paper.

I am still so in love with Bottega Veneta products. It is such an understated piece of luxury.

Stolen? Gone like the wind...

I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop across my place when I suddenly realized my ezlink card was gone.

So I had my bag containing 2 books, my card case with the ezlink card and gym card in it, key pouch, wallet and phone. Not many things like usual since I was only going to my interchange to return the books. I also had a bag with a pair of pants to be altered.

I sat down at the bus stop, opened my bag and put in the phone (I was on the phone earlier), and took out the card case with the ezlink card. I placed the card next to me and opened the bag to check on the pants, then I put my hand next to me to get the card case and came up with nothing.

Puzzled, I thought I must not have taken it out and that it was inside the bag, so I started searching my bag and the plastic bag with the pants in it. At the same time, I noticed an old lady in her 50s or 60s rummaging inside her red plastic bag (like Bee Cheng Hiang type of bag) the entire time I was searching my own bag. She arrived shortly after I sat down.

Then the bus came (feeder bus type which would go to the interchange/mrt) and she got on it. I stayed behind and continued searching. I took out everything in my bag, I looked around the seating area, I retraced my steps back home. Nada, zilch, nothing.

I got home and checked the bag which I was using before transferring the items into the current bag, thinking I could be mistaken in remembering I did put the card case in. I dumped the entire content and there was none to be found.

That was when it dawned on me that the old lady could be the culprit who took my cardcase since there were only 2 of there waiting at the bus stop. I regretted not asking her if she had seen it when I was searching my bag. How coincidental was it that while I was searching my bag, she was also digging into her own bag? It seemed like she didn't want to look up in case I make eye contact with her. So I never got a good look at her. I could only remember her hair was permed curly and short like a typical old woman, and dressed in usual nondescript floral or print type of clothes in muted dull neutral color. She must live around my place since she got on the bus which only traveled around the area.

So I decided to make a police report, not that I would get back the ezlink card. But I hoped to get back my card case and maybe my gym card. The ezlink card could be replaced, the value was not much, probably $20+ as I had topped up recently.

I was more upset about losing the card case which was a coral pink from Tod's. It would no longer be available so I could not even get a replacement at all. I guessed I just grew attached to it even though it was old and slightly dirty. Not as bright coral pink as when it was new, but a duller coral pink.

I hoped the receipt tucked inside the case contained no personal information. I only remembered I kept the receipt because it showed the expiry date of my old ezlink card which I had since changed to the new version.

Reflecting on the loss, I think it would be a toss up if I was to lose the card case + ezlink card + gym card or my phone. It is always my habit to put my phone or card next to me when I open my bag. So I guessed I was lucky that my phone was already in the bag, otherwise it would have been my phone to go missing.

Guess it is a lesson learnt. Never ever put anything next to you, someone could just swipe it away from you and you are none the wiser.

It is sad that the society is really not that safe after all. And low crime really does not mean no crime.

Twestival SG, 12 September 2009

So I was at Twestival SG, which was organized in just 4 weeks and it managed to exceed the target sum raised for charity ~ Singapore Children's Cancer Society ~ over S$17,000. It was not a big event, given the timeframe and publicity gained, but still it exuded a cozy familial feel to the event where Tweeters in Singapore got together.

We only stayed there for about half an hour or less and there were a few carnival games and food stalls. Drinks were cans of Coke sponsored by Coca-Cola. Games included shooting with rifle and cross-bow, but the highlight was the dunking machine.

There were Q&A to win Coca-Cola tee shirts, very useful for those who got dunked into the water. There was also an adult twister game on stage.

I liked this cut out of the Coca Cola bottle and thought it was very thoughtful of the helpers to pull the tabs off the coke cans before handing them over to us.

Quiznos Sub, Orchard Central

I have heard so much about Quiznos Sub, especially when I was back in Canada in 2007. Friends were raving about it, but somehow I did not get to try it in the few months I was living there. Submarine sandwiches did not factor in my dietary craving at all. I was more interested in having my fill of fresh and huge slices of sashimi and sushi, and bowls of pho.

Truly, that was always the case in Canada. I hardly ate burgers, pizzas, pastas, hotdogs and subs at all. It seemed like I would have one Western meal to 3 or 4 Japanese/Vietnamese meals. Of course, when one is living there, you do not eat out all the time too. It is so different from living in Singapore where eating out is so convenient and pretty affordable.

So it was good news when I learnt that Quiznos Sub has made its way onto our shores. I did not try it then since Far East Square was not convenient for me. The 2nd outlet at Orchard Central was more do-able even though it still took a few months before I finally got to sink my teeth into it.

Orchard Central is really a badly designed mall and is not very friendly at all. Signages are almost non-existent, unless I am blind. Anyway, I finally found Quiznos Sub on the 3rd level of the building, where Tully's Coffee was also brought in by the "good" people of Far East Organization.

I decided on the Prime Rib Cheesesteak sub and topped up to a meal. Besides the drink, you get a choice of salad, soup, cookie and chips. I chose the Chicken Noodle Soup. That was decently hearty and the pasta was short and round. Interesting.


Now the pièce de résistance of the meal ~ Zesty Cheesesteak Sub ~ it was simply mind-blowing. I loved the toasty bread with hints of Parmesan and herbs. The beef slices were tender and meaty with mustard and cheese to complete a simple but extremely satisfying meal.

After the meat and cheese were assembled on the bread, it went through an oven toaster which resembled those conveyor grilling belt (similar to those found in breakfast buffet in hotels to toast the bread). At the other side of the oven would be another staff to add the veggies and sauces before it was served to the customer. Neat.

I would say it is definitely one of the better places for delicious and hearty sandwiches. Much better than Subway whose standards seemed to have been traveling south for the last few years. Maybe this would make it sit up and take notice.

Next thing to try would be Tully's Coffee.

Gusttimo Gelato, ION Orchard

I finally succumbed and tried the gelato from Gusttimo over at ION Orchard.

One word: Mistake!

Two words: Don't try!

Three words: Not worth it!

I am not an ice cream connoisseur but I do know what I like and this is so not it. In the current ice cream/gelato world of many "home-made" ice cream stores sprouting up across the island, many would encourage you to try the different flavors before deciding on your order. Gusttimo staff standby not with tester spoons, but with the ice cream scoop. It gives you the impression that you cannot try the many different flavors available.

Maybe that is their tactic as if people get to try before buying, they would never order any at all. So I ordered all mine without testing. I based my choices on the description of the gelato. Again, you need to have 3 flavors for $5.90. I am not sure if that is really a good marketing tool for them since the 3 I had were not that nice at all.

I had the Dolcissimo (pecans + brownie), Cioccolato (dark chocolate) and Caffe (coffee).

Cioccolato (dark chocolate): How could anyone go wrong with dark chocolate, right? I almost always order dark chocolate at any ice cream place. This was really dark and bitter. It was too strong and being gelato, it was not very creamy which was fine with me. But when you compared to Bravassimo's version, they were poles apart in taste and texture.

Caffe (coffee): Again, coffee is usually a safe choice. This was not it. It was not quite 100% right, though I could not put a finger on it.

Dolcissimo (pecans + brownie): It was by far the worst. I was sorely disappointed as I was expecting a nutty taste plus the sticky chewiness of a brownie. Instead I got a very strong almond essence flavor in it. How in the world does almond essence factor into this flavor? It was like having almond jelly dessert in the gelato.

This will definitely be the first and last time I will try the gelato.

Nasi Padang at Food Opera, ION Orchard

I have not tried all the food stalls over at Food Opera inside ION Orchard. So far it has been only the beef noodles, oyster omelette and now the nasi padang.

I find the nasi padang is really good. The servings are generous and the food is fresh and warm the two times I ordered. For $6.50 (1 meat and 2 vegs), I get a pretty big piece of assam stingray, heaps of okras and sambal goreng.

I need to venture out of my usual order and try the other dishes which are available at the stall.

Molly Printed Platform Peep Toes ~ J.Crew

I absolutely adore this pair of heels from J.Crew catalog or online shopping. I guess I am always partial to polka dots and the pink bow reminds me of the bow on Ferragamo shoes.

It is simple and whimsical and sweet, all at the same time. This is going for US$250 and there are other designs too. Comfort wise, I have no idea since these are only available via catalog or online. Sometimes it is just nice to ogle and admire for its beauty.

Lunch at Sun with Moon at Wheelock Place

We went to Sun with Moon Japanese Dining at Wheelock Place for lunch last week. Being lunch time, it has its own lunch menu. I decided on the Hokkaido ramen with chicken karaage. It came with miso soup, pickles, appetizer and fruits, plus a choice of iced tea, green tea or coffee. The Hokkaido ramen was one of my favorite dishes and it was good. Al dente ramen with a slice of pork belly, half hard boiled egg, corn and a tiny slab of Hokkaido butter. The fried chicken provided additional protein and went well with the ramen. Frankly, I could never understand why Japanese restaurants always served 2 carb items for its bento.

The two girls ordered the same set ~ tempura and salmon sashimi. That looked pretty good too.

September being one of the girls' birthday month, we got a complimentary tofu cheesecake. It was supposed to be a bigger piece but somehow the restaurant staff never got the message we were using the birthday voucher which entitled us to a 20% discount and a free "birthday" cake. They honored the 20% discount upon presentation of the voucher but could not provide the "birthday" cake as it was a different size and it was not available then. So we were given the regular size cake which was fine with us as we were just sharing. Did you realize that as you get older, you hardly want to polish off an entire slice by yourself?

In the end, the staff brought over another slice of the cake for us (2 regular slices for 3 of us) and since we were sharing the 1st cake, we asked for the 2nd slice to be boxed up so she could bring it to work for tea break :p

2nd Visit to Dian Xiao Er @ VivoCity

We went to Dian Xiao Er again as I felt like having the roasted duck. We were there around 630pm and managed to get a table pretty quickly despite the long line. I guessed it helped that they allowed you to look at the menu and order while waiting for the table. Plus there were only 2 of us and their policy of only seating full parties ensured a steady turnover of customers.

We decided on the set meal where the number of dishes corresponded to the number of persons in your party. We had 5 items including rice.
First up was the soup of the day ~ pork ribs with lotus roots soup. It was actually very nice and reminded me of the soup my grandma used to cook. I liked how red dates were added to lend sweetness to the soup. The pork was fairly tender and the lotus root was crunchy.

I just loved the baby kailan with lime and salted fish. There were cut chilies in there too to up the spice factor. The tart and savory taste of the veggies went so well with the rice.

We got to choose between the Mongolian pork ribs and the Dong Po meat (braised pork belly) and we selected the pork ribs as reviews likened the sauce to be spicy like black pepper sauce with hint of coffee. I liked it! It was so yummy and the meat was generous too.

Finally, the duck. It was the duck in Angelica (tang gui) sauce. The duck was still tender and not so gamey, but the Angelica sauce was ok. I liked herby type of sauce and I much preferred what I had previously - the 10 herbs sauce. Maybe I liked dark colored gravy better than this pale colored gravy.

It was just too much food for 2 persons or girls, I wondered if we had a party of 3 girls, they would allow us to order the set for 2 persons or it had to go to 3 persons set. In any case, Dian Xiao Er could be my new favorite Chinese restaurant for simple fare and duck.

After Lunch-Drinks at Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La

Our day of lounging and chilling continued. She wanted to have a drink after lunch and I thought of Blu as I have always love the place. We went up and found out it only opened at 6pm. So off we went and ended up at the Lobby Lounge.

I ordered the Shangri-La Pimms and it was really good too. I liked it. My new found light alcoholic drink. I also loved the bar snack provided. 3 types - cashews, almonds and a sweetish spicy tapioca type of chip. Yummy!

I was quite surprised to discover the Lobby Lounge was quite spacious as I only saw the front part every time I walked past it. There was another section which was hidden. It was fairly quiet though all the tables by the glass windows facing the pool were occupied.

This section was totally empty. I just love the purple fabric for the chairs. This would be the shade of purple if I was to name my favorite color. It just made the chair looked rich and inviting without the opulence or pompousness.

Note: The drinks are mostly above $20 each.

Lunch at The Line, Shangri-La

It has been some time since I last went to The Line at Shangri-La. Somehow I just never really went back despite liking the food. One thing is certain, 17 stations are just too many and are mind-boggling. I can really never get to try everything, the eyes are always greedier than the tummy :p I was there for lunch on Monday and the spread was still huge, but with slightly less items than the dinner. My cold dish - the oysters were freshly shucked and super sweet. Plump and firm and sweet. I have not tasted such wonderful oysters in a long time. The tuna and salmon sashimi were usual. After watching The Cove, I kept thinking of the mercury content in tuna. According to a website where you could check how much mercury content is in a fish, tuna has a pretty high content too, particularly those nice cuts like otoro. Oops.

The Italian plate - the caesar salad was nice, but not as good as the one I had at Rose Veranda. The gnocchi in herb cream sauce was not too bad. I liked the pumpkin risotto which was a bit sweet. The pizza was a bit soft so it was not fantastic at all.

The roast beef was ultra delicious. I recently fell in love with roast beef and this was excellent. The tender juicy pink meat was not bloody at all and the think slice made it easier to chew too. The mustard and gravy went so well with the beef. I wished I had taken another slice. The roast potatoes were ok as was the cereal salmon.

The Indian plate - masala chicken was yummy and the naan was so nice with the spinach and eggplants. The fish was so-so. The chicken satay was grilled on the spot and was tender soft. Very nice.

Dessert time. The creme brulee was so much better when compared to Rose Veranda. It was topped with a thin layer of burnt sugar which cracked easily and was great with the creamy custard. The macaroon was not too bad. The chocolate log cake was so so so good. Dark chocolate mousse. Yummy.

I was so filled up after the Indian food but still made room for ice cream :p I tried the chocolate, strawberry and green tea with cookies crumbs topping. The ice cream was average. I much prefer the ice cream selection at Ritz Carlton Greenhouse.

So I still didn't get to try quite a lot of things. The local noodles station which people have raved about the wanton noodles and prawn mee soup. I also didn't get to the dim sum and Chinese section. There were more sushi and salad and cold seafood and desserts which I could only see and not eat.

A big THANK YOU to my friend who wanted to cheer me up by getting me out of the house. We had already agreed to meet for lunch and I thought we would be going to a coffeeshop near our homes. Instead she said to go to town (and she disliked going to town!) as she wanted to treat me to a nice meal since she knew I was feeling a bit down then. When I heard that, I was touched and immediately felt better as I certainly did not expect it at all.

I feel so blessed and thankful to be surrounded by good friends who are there for me in their own ways. I love you all :)

Rose Veranda Again (Shangri-La)

I totally forgot I had promised a friend we would go to Rose Veranda at Shangri-La until she told me she had already applied for leave. Luckily I was able to reserve a table as it was quite full. Most tables were reserved for the afternoon tea session, not many were like us who just stayed there for the entire day.

This was the first time I actually tried the caesar salad and it was the right decision. The salad was so fresh. The crisp and crunchy green lettuce looked so appetizing and whoever did the mixing did a marvelous job of maintaining a balance of the dressing, anchovies and bacon with the greens. I loved it!

As usual, I needed my sandwiches. The mini brioche was nice, but not its pairing of tomato slices with brie (or was it camembert). It just tasted wrong. In the end, I added smoked salmon to the brioche and removed the cheese and that made it so much better. The slightly sweet bread with the savory smoked salmon.

The layout of the food had changed and the sushi and sashimi were kept in a chiller at a corner next to the soup section.

We decided to break for dessert after the cold items. Macaroon was nice, as was the tiramisu and chocolate mousse thing. The creme brulee was not that great as the sugar was too thick and it stuck to the teeth.

We shared the cake and the chocolate mousse cake was still my favorite. It was so soft by the time I got to it that it just fell on its side. The black forest cake and strawberry shortcake were not too bad either.

The hot food. I was not particularly tempted by them though I liked the siew mai and samosa. The drumlet was not too bad and the roasted potato was soggy. Maybe it had been in the warmer for too long with the cover down, resulting in a steaming effect?

Took a break of about an hour and then tried the tom yam noodle which was not nice at all. So I hardly touched it. The soup was not very tom yam-y as it lacked the fiery and sourish punch. It was a bit bland. Only the prawn was nice. Big and juicy and crunchy and sweet.

My last plate. I still preferred the samosas though the black pepper prawns with the yellow rice were not too bad. The cheese tart was average and the dumplings were quite hard by the time I took them.

After about 3 to 4 pots of different types of tea out of the 102 choices available, I switched to coffee. I ordered the Viennesse Coffee which was black coffee with whipped cream.

I totally forgot whipped cream was sweet and added 2 sugar cubes, making the coffee very sweet. Good thing I have a sweet tooth ;p I loved how Rose Verandah served the sugar cubes which were individually wrapped. That was so hygenic though probably not very environmentally friendly.

I still think Rose Veranda is a nice place to just chill on a weekday if you have the entire aftenoon free and just wanted to get away from it all. The food is not special but the highlight is more in the place and the choices of tea available.

Waroeng 613, Concorde Shopping Centre

I have always walked past Waroeng 613 when I am going towards Plaza Singapura from Centrepoint, and am always intrigued by the food. It is a quite a hole in the wall type of eatery as it has no loud banners announcing its presence at the Concorde Shopping Centre (previously known as Le Meridien Shopping Centre). It is at the corner of the building right where the traffic junction is.

Last week we decided to head there for a late lunch. We ordered the grilled squid set and Asem Sayur set with a side order of beef rendang. The grilled squid was very good. Tender and with a gentle bite to it, it was not rubbery at all. The set came with a small bowl of asem sayur, rice, veggies, tofu, crackers and sambal. The veggies reminded me so much of the typical Indonesian food which I used to eat when younger. Having Indonesian relatives means regular exposure to Indo food, especially those from Jakarta.

The asem sayur set came with rice, flattened fried beef (forgot the Indo name), crackers and the sambal. The soup was quite disappointing as I was expecting more of an assam (tamarind) taste. Instead it was a bit bland and mild with a slightly sweet aftertaste. I much prefer the version over at Ayam Penyet Ria which was more like home-cooking.

The side dish of beef rendang. It looked tiny but it was actually quite substantial for two persons to share. The rendang was fabulous and went very well over the rice and the beef was quite tender and soft.

The prices were affordable with sets at below $10. We had freshly squeezed juices and they also offered many types of shakes, including avocado. Oh, the sets also came with desserts of a jelly and a piece of fruit. You could also order the grilled bananas too.

Location

100 Orchard Road

#02-69 Concorde Shopping Centre

Tel: +65.6235.1613