Super human efforts...

are needed to update this blog!

Although I had wanted to update this blog with the happenings building up to my wedding - the one and only one because I couldn't afford to have another one (heee...kidding...of course I want my marriage to last!) - I just couldn't find the time.

Now that the dust has almost settled, and the Hubs and me are trying to settle down and ignore each other's bad habits, I hope to find time to update.

I have a recent new love - the Happycall Pan!  Oh yes, I'm having an "affair" 5 months into my marriage, and the Hubs is perfectly elated as he gets delicious meals out of it.

Oh well, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

I will try to make it a point to update this blog at least once a week, just to keep my creative juices running.  What is life without creativity?

Stay tuned for a new post this week!  ( I wonder how many readers I have in the first place...haha!)

Neglected...

Ok, I've definitely neglected this blog for the longest time!  LIfe has been a roller coaster of emotions lately - with the wedding coming up, and house "building".

The dust should settle after 11 September 2011, and I'm so looking forward to it.

There are so many things to be done at work and at home, hope to go through this period fairly un-scathed and have peace in body, mind and soul soon.

Will try to update short posts on the blog to remember this period of time before my life takes on a new chapter...

God Bless!

General Election 2011

A lot of comments, opinions, views were thrown around the past few weeks about how unhappy Singaporeans are with the current government.

And I keep thinking, what are they unhappy about?  I simply cannot think of any valid reason that has caused such unhappiness, and at times very rude and uncalled for accusations were thrown at the government.

I firmly believe that everyone is in charge of their own lives.  Just because you cannot afford a HDB flat or own a BMW, you blame the government for it?  I do not know why people think they deserve all these when they are not putting in the effort to work hard and attain their goals or the lifestyle that they want?  Why are you even dragging the government into this?

And all the hoopla about Nicole Seah - I only have 2 words to say - "not impressed"!  Criticizing the MPs $15,000 salary is just so low class.  If she become MP one day, is she going to reject the S15,000?  Will she say: "Oh it's ok, just pay me $2,000 because I love Singapore and serving Singaporeans is rewarding enough!".

Do you not think that the current Ministers care enough about the country?  Who are helped the country weather the 2009 crisis?  You think you are just lucky that you did not get retrenched?  It was the reserves that the government had built up over the years that has helped you!  Duh!

Why do you think there are so many foreigners in Singapore?  It's because they are attracted to the stability of the country!  And now they are being insulted for coming here to do the jobs that no Singaporeans want to take up?

I have been hiring for the past 11 months, and I rarely receive a Singaporean's resume.  Do you know why?  It's because it's a customer service role, and non of the young Singaporeans wants to take up the job!  They want to be instant managers where they earn $4,000 a month, and think that they deserve the salary.  This unrealistic expectation of earning power has led the country to encourage foreign talents to come in and take these jobs.  And these foreigners are now being labelled as a nuisance who compete with Singaporeans for jobs.  I can only say - let the best man/woman win!  If you are an employer, be honest and see who are the people working really hard in your office, and who are people complaining and being a nuisance in the office?

Most Singaporeans just have no drive, and they just want to be spoon fed because they think they deserve it.

It really makes me very upset to see Singaporeans being emotional and not subjective in their rationale for opposing the government.

I totally agree with MM Lee that those who do not vote wisely will have the next 5 years to regret their decision.  I can confidently say that this will be the case because the opposition has not provided a good cause for me to sway over to their side.

The current government is obviously not perfect, but then again, are you?  I hope Singaporeans will vote wisely and not just follow the crowd, and vote for the opposition just to spite the current government.

When that happens, I know I would need to find another safe haven to live in.  May God bless MM Lee and all the Ministers.

FJ Bistro

After an afternoon of furniture shopping, a late lunch in tranquil surroundings is in order!  So we headed down to fail-safe FJ Bistro in Kemang, Jakarta.

First up, a refreshing glass of juice!  I can gulp this down in one shot!  Yes, we were that thirsty!

Next is the FJ Salad which my cousin ordered and generously shared with everyone.  The salad comes with a tangy citrus sauce, and there are loads of chunky vegetables inside.  I love the addition of "skinless" orange slices!  

My cousin's healthy main course of grilled fish.  I love how the vegetables were placed in a filo pastry basket.

And my main course is the star of the cafe - the Lobster Thermidor.  I wanted to eat something else, but cousin insisted we order the lobster as it's not available everyday.  It was indeed a delicious treat!  Sweet and chunky pieces of lobster baked in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and capsicum.  I love it!  And you get a whole lobster to yourself!

The Bistro is housed in full floor to ceiling glass - enabling you to view the tranquil garden grounds surrounding it.  It was drizzling when we were there, and it just add on to the ambience of serenity.

It's a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon in Jakarta!

FJ Bistro

Fj Bistro, in Fj'L Boutique
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 25
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Kemang

I declare...

this is THE BEST Penang Char Kway Teow I've ever had!!

Love how the cool Aunty with the big red floppy chef's hat slog away at the stove!  The char kway teow is delicious with an unbeatable "wok hei" flavour...and look at the size of the prawns!!

Each strand of kway teow is deliciously coated with some gravy and eggs, and the bean sprouts add a crunchy texture to the slightly wet kway teow.

Hmmm...I still can taste this char kway teow lah...how??  I need to fly back to Penang to eat this!!

I can't remember where this stall is located, but it's the famous one where the Aunty used to wear goggles to cook her fantastic kway teow!  Check this out if you are in Penang!

Nando's + Hard Rock Cafe, Penang

We touched down in Penang in the middle of the afternoon.  Having only had a pathetic salad for lunch before taking off from Changi Airport, I am ready to gorge on some substantial food!

We ended up at Gurney Plaza, because the place where we wanted to eat at was already closed!  But no worries, as I'm more than happy to eat Nando's at half the price in Singapore and Australia!

 

Me want drinks!  I was so thirsty and quickly ordered a jug of iced lemon tea...aaahh...

Chicken galore!  I simply love the peri-peri sauce in Nando's chicken.  It is dangerously addictive and make you feel like eating more of it!  I bought back a bottle of their Garlic Peri-Peri at like MYR10.50, and I'm as happy as a lark!

The sides were not too bad, the fries were decent.  The coleslaw was ok.  There was also a serve of butter rice, which I didn't like too much because of the frozen peas and carrots in it.

It was a happy meal alright!  And the price makes me even happier and there was NO queue, unlike the Nando's in Singapore.

After resting in the hotel for awhile, we set off to Hard Rock Cafe Hotel.  It's always fun to go to a Hard Rock establishment.  

This mosaic of The Beatles on the wall is freaking awesome!  Wish I can do something like this at my new place.

These lights changes colour every so often and it's a real pretty sight to behold.  The band was playing some music when we reached there, and it was a nice place to chill and have a nice glass of cocktail or beer.

I should book a room here for my next trip to Penang!

Sakae Sushi

Sakae Sushi is a place that we go to when we are very hungry, and when there is not much other choices around, and of course when there is no queue.

We were in such a situation not too long ago at Bishan Junction 8, after a super long day in church.

Sakae was empty, and we quickly grabbed a booth seat and ordered food!!  But my rule of thumb here is not to eat anything raw from the conveyor belt.  How fresh can it be after going through several rounds round the conveyor belt??

But first, a glass of cold green tea to quench the thirst!  

And grabbed the next plate of tobiko gunkan to quell some of the hunger pangs.  Ok, this is raw, but I made an exception this time round.  As usual, the seaweed has lost it's crispness and it's stale and "wet".  

Sakae didn't have lobster salad until they copied it from another sushi place...which I shall not name here.  But what's not to like?  Chunks of lobster meat with mayo...yummy.

J's all time favourite is the fried soft shell crab, but he placed the wrong order this time, and got the softshell crab sushi!  I find the rice is superfluous...you can just enjoy the fried crab on it's own.

A meal at Sakae is not complete with their Sakae Chawanmushi.  All the soft, eggy goodness in a cup. Not the best, but comforting nonetheless...

J had the chicken teriyaki don - he needs rice to quell his hunger!  It was ok, nothing fantastic.  I pinched some of his gravy soaked rice though.

I was craving for something hot and spicy and decided to order the beef kimuchi soup.  It was salty, spicy, and hot alright.  But I think there were only like 3 slices of beef inside!  Totally not worth the $13.80 price tag.

I was very full from the big bowl of soup, and didn't order anything else.  It was a quick meal to just to fill our stomachs, but it's a reliable place to go for a decent meal, just don't expect too much out of it!

Macarune

Finally, got my hands on a box of Macarune's macarons.

Can't wait to try it...so devoured two on the way home already!  And it is delicious!

I like simple designs with no fuss.  Just like the Macarune logo of 3 simple dots.

The treasures within...with 2 missing pieces :)

I clustered the macarons together for a group shot....but they don't look that photogenic.

So I arranged them in a long plate...aaahh...looks better...

The pics turn out a bit "greyish"...but I couldn't be bothered to adjust the lighting because I couldn't wait to devour the macarons!

What I like about them is that they have the chewy shells, and the fillings are more generous than the commercial ones you get from patisseries.  

You can really taste the flavours, without having to discern and contemplate whether it's passionfruit or bergamot or...what??  I like "what you see is what you get" kind of taste!

My favourite so far is the cookies and cream, and coconut and passionfruit!

Preserving some of the stash for tomorrow night.  Must spread the happiness! :)

Ippudo Tao

Ippudo has a new branch in UE Square called Ippudo Tao.  Ok, I'm too lazy to explain the Tao part, but you can see Camemberu's review here.

It was a coincident that we were on our way to UE Square when W called me and ask me where is Ippudo Tao.  After telling her the direction, I realized she is on her way there too!

So we met for lunch...a double date!

Trying to take an artsy shot of the cutlery...but fail! :(

This is some grapefruit drink that W ordered...at least I think it's grapefruit...my memory fails me.

We ordered the potato salad...which I found it to be ok only based on my previous visit to their other outlet in Mandarin Gallery.

Wasabi and prawns...two combination that I cannot resist!  But the addition of chunky avocado somehow doesn't bring out the taste of the prawn wasabi.

I ordered the original Ippudo noods for J...again the name escapes me.  I must remember to write it down the next time!  The soup base is as usual excellent - full of flavour and umami kick.  Sort of regret not getting this for myself.

They don't have the char siew rice here, so I ordered a serve of this roast pork rice with tobiko, seaweed, shredded egg, raw cabbage and mayo!  It is delicious but not as good as the char siew rice in the other Ippudo branch.  But I ordered this to supplement J's food intake!

I ordered the Tao noodle - the in house specialty which is only served here.  The stock used is fish stock, so the flavour is not as robust as the pork base soup.  It is a little bit spicy, but I don't find the kick with this soup.

We wanted to order the grilled stuff - but they only serve it at night.  But I think I will stick to the

Ippudo in Mandarin Gallery, as I couldn't get over their black garlic oil ramen!

Ippudo Tao

207 River Valley Road
#01-55/56 UE Square, Singapore
6887 5315

新旺香港茶餐厅

This is our usual supper place if we need an air-conditioned dining area.  Since 新旺香港茶餐厅 opens until 2am, it's a popular haunt with the night owls.

There is a Queue sign outside the restaurant with the arrow pointing to the left, but strangely, the queue always forms on the right side!  

We waited for awhile to get a table, and I started snapping some shots as soon as we were seated.

I think Tabasco sauce placed on the table just make it look so old school :)

The French Toast is J's favourite.  It is delicious, but not as delicious as the Crystal Jade one. It is so sinful that I think only permanently skinny people like J can afford to eat it!!  I usually just take one or two bites, and I make sure it's the portion of the bread where it's soaked with butter and syrup! :)

This is another of J's favourite - black sesame paste with dumplings.  I like black sesame paste and dumplings, if they are served separately!  Somehow I don't think they go together!  The thick consistency of the paste just doesn't complement the chewy and heavy dumplings.

I wanted to have something light, so ordered a Luncheon Meat "N" Egg sandwich.  You can hardly see the fillings in between the 3 slices of bread!  And the bread was chewy!  This happens when you don't toast the bread enough, and it's an in-between texture of toasted and soft white bread?  You have to try it to know what I mean.

Anyway, I had to deconstruct the sandwich to see if there really is an egg inside.

The egg is there alright, but it's so much thinner than the bread! :(  Very disappointing indeed. And they used some mayonnaise that was so sweet that it tasted like jam!

This is another of J's favourite - fried wantons.  Hmmm...I don't like the fried wanton skin, because they just scream carcinogens to me!  So I will just eat the small pocket of fried meat and leave the fried skin.

The food here is not fantastic, but I think they have a good variety and you are bound to find something to satisfy your hunger.  We will be back - when we next feel peckish at night and have nowhere else to go.  And I think I should stick to their popular "char chan teng" dishes :)

The Good Lord taught me...

not to gossip about other people!  And today, I truly understand why He taught us that.

Because gossips can cause misunderstandings, anger, and separate you from your friends and family.  Through what happened these two days - I realize who are my true friends - friends whom I can keep for life and stand up for me.

But the greater lesson here is not about who are your friends, but how much harm can be caused through gossips.

Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit, and guide me away from all these hearsays.  Because only your Word is the Truth - may we be blessed with open ears, eyes and hearts to your Words and your Words only. 

Amen.

When I'm weary...

God sent me V who quoted me...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"

                                                                         Galatians 6:9

Thank you Lord for renewing my faith again!

Brunch @ Prive

I wish that everyday starts with brunch instead of breakfast.  This means we can wake up later! :)

Finally had brunch @ Prive with gal pals, whom I've not seen in ages!  The poached eggs are to-die-for!  Whether it's in the Eggs Benedict or Eggs Royale, they just taste great!

Managed to capture this candid shot of W with a big smile!  And the other gorgeous brunch companion, V, busy taking pictures of the food before tucking in.

My Eggs Benedict - the best I've ever tasted!  Totally worth the $14.50 for two perfectly poached eggs, crispy, salty bacon, and the pan fried ham on top of fresh muffins!  I wish I can eat it again now!

V ordered the Eggs with Salmon and she declared it was delicious too!

W ordered the Pancakes - it looked really nice with the "snowflake" icing sugar over it.  But I didn't try it because I'm not into pancakes, no matter how delicious they look!

Everyday should be a Sunday, so that we can have brunch everyday!  I think I must go back to Prive this coming long weekend.

What should I do to...

nay sayers?

Yup, more people think I should not get a car.  The easy thing to do, is not to  offer them a ride in my new car ever!

The hard part is overcoming it and be forgiving and generous to these people, which is what I should do to be a follower of Christ.

This afternoon, I came across this verse:

"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person."

Matthew 15:18

These people have no idea that they have hurt me with the things that they have said.  And I shall learn not to be like them and say things that will hurt other people.  This is also why I am very sensitive to what is being said about me. 

Even before I came to know Christ, I always believe that there is no smoke without fire.  So some people will say that they meant what they say as a joke, but I don't think so.  It simply means that you think unkindly of me, and that is why you "joke" about it to put it across to me "nicely".

I wonder how would these people feel if I also "joke" about them unkindly, and then say: "oh, it's just a joke mah...I don't mean it."

I learnt another meaningful thing from Father Stephen Yim today.  He said that people are not interested in what you know until they know you care.  Which again struck a chord in my heart.

I think all these angst these past few weeks regarding the car has a purpose.  It has made me realise how words can really hurt.  I hope God can give me the grace to be slow to anger and be more loving and generous towards other people.

I hope to close this chapter soon, and just get on with life.

Ippudo!

For once, there was no queue at Ippudo and I quickly grabbed the chance to try out their noods. I love ramen for their rich broth, and Ippudo's versions did not disappoint. I don't know how I can make myself eat Ajisen anymore after this!

We had an order of their special appetizer - Fire Chicken - and true to it's name, there is a devilish chilli bite that makes you want to eat more of it.  Love how the chicken was presented on a bed of deep-fried noodles.

The stars of came out pretty quickly - first is my bowl of ramen with garlic oil.  The soup is rich with collagen, fats and another extra layer of black, fragrant garlic oil!  It is very shiok!  But I think I've met my quota for fats consumption for the month!

This indulgent is worth the while once in awhile!

We also ordered a bowl of the Chashu Rice, but I didn't get the chance to take a pic.  The pork was tender and flavourful, and at $4 per bowl, it is a good supplement to those of you who needs more carbo to feel full.

We liked the food so much that we went back again the next day!  This time round, we ordered the mini gyoza - very mini indeed - I could finish all 6 of them easily.  The gyoza was ok, not fantastic, but still makes a good appetizer.

Mom will always order potato salad whenever she sees it on the menu, so that's what we ordered cos it was on the menu!

The potato salad is surprisingly dressed with a vinaigrette kind of dressing.  It was too sour for me, but Mom seemed to enjoy it very much.

This time round, I tried a different noodle, the spicy miso noodles - again the name escapes me.  But there are not too many ramen varieties to choose from, and I'm sure all of it would taste delicious!

I also added an egg into the spicy ramen, the egg yolk was nice and gooey but the egg was too cold.  Is it supposed to be cold?  I might just skip the egg the next time.

Overall, I like the soup base in Ippudo, and would queue up 30mins for it.  However, I'm glad the hype has died down and I didn't need to queue on the 2 occasions I was there.