Tag Archives: foodPORN

I LOVE BREAKFAST

Posted on September 9, 2010 | 37 Comments

im not a morning person but i’d totally get out of bed for breakfast.

okay so what if i dont belong in the privileged group of women who have their breakfasts served to them in bed? WAKE UP CALL (no pun intended): that crazy scene only happens in movies!

so anyway, yeah, i love breakfast. the mere thought of having a stacked plate smelling of sausagey, tomatoey, eggy, baconey greasy-grilled goodness really gets me going nutters. im the sort who, when on a vacation, regardless of whether i stumbled back into the hotel room just barely a coupla hours before from a night’s worth of hardcore partying, would drag myself outta slumber just so i can shuffle down to the buffet restaurant for my breakfast. lol! i’d stuff my face and then head back to sleep. sloth, much? haha!

when im back in singapore, bearing in mind once again that im not a morning person, im totally appreciative of places that serve ALL-DAY BREAKFAST. even if its not all-day, at least til 5pm!

i used to hate it when i wake up a little too late to order my Mcdonald’s breakie set online. like FIVE minutes also cannot! breakfast ends at 12noon yes.. so i’ll call up the restaurant at 12:05pm and BEG them to do up a hotcakes+sausage meal for me… and i’d always get a flat “NO” in return :( or showing up at a restaurant a little over the “official” breakfast hour only to be told “sorry, breakfast is over, kitchen’s doing up lunch now.”

SERRRIOUSLY.

ive been working odd hours for pretty much the most of my adult life. “odd” as in i start work later than the usual flock. okay so im not really one who has to get up at frickin 7am… big effing deal! hello! my radio show only starts at 8pm! plus there are people who work at night like me! the people who serve you booze, run your news network + tv/radio stations, bake your bread, empty your rubbish bins and clean the roads…. sorry for sounding like a bitch but not everyone works 9-to frickin-5.

rigid cafes/restaurants are seriously living in the past man! we’re evolving into a society thats becoming more 24-7 as each day passes: supermarkets (mustafa, cold storage @ HV, shop & save), convenience stores (7-11, Cheers), brothels in geylang… hehe. they’re all making money what! if those establishments can do it and thrive, why cant these Nazi-esque F&B joints follow suit?

whats so difficult about doing up a breakie for someone (i.e: ME) who arrives just FIVE/TEN MINUTES after the “official” breakfast hours? doode, you can bang up a Pasta Aglio Olio and Roast Chicken for your lunch menu but you cant do up a simple eggs, toast and bacon combo for me? all you need is stove and ingredients and they’re both right there in the kitchen what… tsk tsk.

plus the fact that breakfast is such an amaaazing/comforting meal! i dont understand why we cant have that option to have it at anytime we want right? anyhoos, over the years, ive done my research the hard way and found these gems that never fail to satiate that spur-of-the-moment craving for breakfast.

my top favs for all-day breakies: WILDHONEY and HATCHED.

my top favs for breakies served til late (about 4pm-5pm): CAFE HACIENDA and PRIVE (Bakery Cafe).

of course im not all haute and atas when it comes to breakies. i do love my local breakfast fare too! some awesome all-day local favs: steamed fluffy Chwee Kuey with extra Chai Po from Tiong Bahru Market AND/OR Kaya Toastwith soft-boiled eggs and Milo combo from Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlets island-wide.

i took my cousin out on a breakfast “date” this morning and got my wishlist of food items on my dream breakfast plate at PRIVE:

STREAKY BACON – slightly burnt and crispy on the edges and no, turkey bacon wont do.

TWO EGGS – glossy, wobbly sunny-side-ups.

TOMATOES – grilled, fried or oven-baked, doesn’t matter, as long as they're not raw or overly gooey.

BAKED BEANS – i love canned baked beans.. Heinz gets my vote, hands down. baked beans are just one of those things that should never be "home-made", it just doesnt have the tomatoey taste that i love that the canned variety offers.

SAUSAGES – hell yeah! i love fat juicy pork ones, bratwursts if possible. no offence intended towards anyone (religious or vegetarianous) but sausages that are not made of pork, are NOT sausages.

MUSHROOMS - button shrooms sauteed in butter, rosemary and black pepper.

THE PERFECT PLATE: served with toasted whole wheat bread slices, a generous handful of arugula salad and pure butter. ultimate comfort plate.

i asked my radio partner shan about his dream breakfast plate…:
“no breads involved. i want several hashbrowns forming a base or a floor of sorts on the plate. two bratwurst pork sausages. 2 poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. two tall mounds of sauteed mushrooms on the side. and some breaded onion rings.”

what would make your dream breakfast? or what makes a disappointing shitty one?

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AUGUST 2010: FOODPORN.KAWANS.BROW RESURRECTION

Posted on September 3, 2010 | 30 Comments

hello worrrrld.

woke up one morning in august and decided that im sick of dull black hair.. perhaps maybe would be cool if i spiff up the mop with an overhaul of chocolate. and also get fresh chunks of highlights done.. still punkish but subtle. just the way i like it. off to Essensuals @ Bugis.

if you’re lookin to get your hair sorted this month, print out the flyer below for september promotions + savers! its pretty straightforward: you save more without having to compromise quality/standard. i LOVE the fact that you get a FREE mini flattening iron when you opt for the rebonding+hair treatment package.. at only $238, its quite a steal for rebonding dont you reckon? :) print, print, print away and share the love with your loved ones. maybe i’ll even bump into you at the salon! xoxo

drinks at CM-PB at dempsey with some friends who were visiting from KL around the national day weekend. love CM-PB for the awesome lychee mojitos and chillax alfresco vibe with live acoustic music performances at night. if you stay long enough, FREE SUPPER of chicken noodle soup gets served around midnight :) sweet touch.

friends visiting from KL: tersh and her girlfriend michelle (on the right)

sara wee. meh face... as usual.

the aixa. wicked eyes. LOVE.

national day brunch at jade & emil’s place. meals at their home’s ALWAYS a treat. delish home-cooked food and a buffet of exquisite wines! (emil runs a wine business and he never fails to introduce a good bottle or two or ten)

juicy fried tau kwas stuffed with savoury minced pork

moist and tender braised duck

home-made fried beehoon, just like grandma's recipe. simple and clean.

stewed fatty pork in dark soy and mei cai

fluffy man tou pockets to contain the stewed fatty pork.. SLURRRRP.

the standard ngoh hiang and sotong balls. simple pleasures.. to be drenched in sticky sweet sauce and devoured with a cheeky child-like grin :)

buffet of sauces - yes, homemade. i want my own live-in cook too!!!

big fat juicy soon kuey with the glossiest, silkiest skin! to be smeared with chilli paste and sweet sauce and devoured in silence with eyes shut... that moment? best defined as euphoria.

party of vintage/exquisite wines and champagnes to accompany our nosh. posh indeed.

my plate. hur hur hur... buay paiseh. just pile on only :P

OMG. minced pork toasties......

MINCED PORK TOASTIES!!! PARTY IN THE MOUTH!

our gracious host Emil on the right

new friend: Hunter

Jadey, our hostess, on the right with her friend.

achingly SWEET sliced mangoes for dessert. MAD LOVE!

LOVE this wine! took a photo of it... hope to find it somehow... craving for a sip now x

ring belonging to one of the guests... its a vintage from egypt. GORGEOUS.

the brunch party xxx

was randomly flipping through STYLE magazine when i was at a hair salon.. and i came across this! totally made my day! *happiness*

met the girls for lunch at my fav new japanese restaurant KINKI. Kinki’s best described as “japanese dining with an urban attitude”. love the decor as well, will take more photos of the decor the next time i go there. the floor art of the restaurant’s designed by CHRIS GARVER of Miami Ink! Kinki its located on the second floor (#02-02) of the uber cool Customs House by the waterfront. its the hottest f+b joint in town, if you ask me. if you want a table, best to make reservations a week before. its THAT popularrr xxx

STAR DISH: warm foie gras & scallop sushi. if you dont go "MMMmmmm" in pure bliss after popping this into your mouth, my name's not rosalyn lee. its THAT good.

the super comforting and creamy King Salmon Maki topped with crispy tempura batter crumbs

my Wild Berry Sparkling Mojito.. sweet, potent and loaded with all the freshest ingredients. its looks like there's a jungle in that glass doesnt look it but trust me, there's a fair load of juice in that mug!

Van decided to be adventurous so she tried the Spicy Hachimitsu. in short, its made out of vodka, cucumber, honey and WASABI!

VERDICT? well we both tried it and agreed wholeheartedly that this was the BEST most REFRESHING most INTERESTINGLY DELISH cocktail we've ever had in our lives. ACE!

the other star dish: Amaebi & Kani Miso Sushi (the prawn heads are so crispy and season so well that you can pop the whole head in and it'll taste like your fav prawn cracker. shiok!)

bride-to-be Carrie Chong! slowly savouring her foie gras + scallop sushi x

HAPPINESS LOL xxx

i got sick of my “bald” out-of-shape brows. decided to take the plunge and try out Browhaus’s BROW RESURRECTION. it costs $1200. yes you read right: ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED DOLLARRRRS. wtf!? WHY SO EX!? well, younglings, im about to tell you that this is the BEST THING ive ever done for my brows! there are Browhaus outlets islandwide but i prefer getting treatments done at House at 8D Dempsey Road :)

my fav hangout spot with all the social benefits: dining, spa, drinks, art, music.

im like SO DONE wasting time shaping and drawing my brows. i spend a good 10mins at it and IF im lucky, i end up with even looking ones. im pretty inconsistent. sometimes i’d draw them too dark but most times, i just cannot be bothered drawing them and i’d end up looking as naked as a bald eagle’s head. urgh. a good set of brows frame and shape your face. ive been told of brow resurrection for the longest time but never dared to try cuz i really cant risk lookin like those neighbourhood aunties with GREEN tattooed brows. urrrrgh. after months of deliberation, im proud to tell you that whatever fears i had before were completely irrational.

BROW RESURRECTION is NOT brow tattoo NOR IS IT brow embroidery.

tattoos use a machine moving at high speed with single needle. uses ink and the needle goes deeper into the skin.. so deep until the ink mixes with blood. anyone who’s gotten a tattoo before will know that. and that contact with blood causes the ink to OXIDIZE over time, turning the black/brown eyebrows to GREEN or BLUE – like those neighbourhood aunties/lians. plus tattoos are permanent – whodafug wants permanent brows?! you’d look like a joke if you had perfect brows at age 70 lor! like hair all white liao but brows still ZHNGed and black! LOL!

embroidery is less permanent than tattoos. BUT it still looks like a tattoo i.e: DRAWN ON. the brows dont look natural. below is an example of a tattooed brow. embroidery looks like that too:

example of tattooed/embroidered brows - looks drawn on... which is totally fine if you're going for the drag queen/minah/lian/auntie look

how is Brow Resurrection different? Browhaus is dedicated to constructing your ideal brow from root to tip. It’s true 3D lifelike brows lor!

technique: Browhaus has perfected the technique that creates a result 4 times finer than normal brow enhancement techniques. unlike conventional embroidery, which simply weave in parallel hairs, Browhaus has developed a sophisticated cloning technique. cuz we all have different brow bone structure, hair growth and hair density, conventional embroidery technique is not good enough for true lifelike results.

PLUS for Brow Resurrection, DYE is used instead of ink. the color dyes are 100% vegetable based and 100% safe. and its semi-permanent. depending on your skin type, if you’ve got oilier skin, it’ll last up to 8 months. for normal skin, it’ll last 1.5years on average. plucking your own brows will be easy cuz the shape is there. drawing your brows is easier too cuz yes, the shape’s already there.

and you can leave your worries at the door cuz these people at Browhaus are experts! to date, almost 10,000 Brows Resurrected since 2004!

so. here goes…. my journey to AWESOME BROWS!

disclaimer: for the purposes of this entry, due to the many closeup shots of my eyes, ive taken to D.I-ing away my horrendous mole. its STILL THERE in real life. i will get it removed next, once i find the guts to do it. so yeah.

lame ass "naked" out-of-shape brows.

testing testing: doing a mockup of what my brows will look like after the treatment...

ME LOVE THE SHAPE. okay go!

therapist, Li, going through the deets on what to expect and how to care for my brows after the treatment.

step 1: application of numbing cream for 20mins

20 minutes later... no im not stoned from the numbing cream if thats what you're wondering LOL!

step 2: brow resurrection begins - its PAINLESS! at most, when the numbing cream wears off a little, it feels like you're getting your brows plucked. you can sleep through this one...

think it took about 15-20mins per brow.

one side done! :) the chunky bits are the residual dye which will be wiped off.

step 3: after brows done, a dye "mask" is applied to further infuse the colour dye to my brows. i look ridiculous LOL!

omg. the ULTIMATE photo to END ALL DATES and possibilities of romance! HAHA!

step 4: cleaning off the dye...

TADAAAH! nice right?!!! my properly shaped and fuller more natural looking brows! (excuse the red marks, my skin's just sensitive, i get that way when i get my brows plucked too.)

nope i didnt draw my brows on. left them au naturel..

HAPPINESS XOXO

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MAKAN.KAWANS.PINKDOT

Posted on May 17, 2010 | 11 Comments

im leaving for Vietnam in 5 days! so excited! its my first time in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi! will be “backpackin” with one of my dearest girlfriends, Soowei :) we’ve been meaning to do this travel thing for the longest time. i will take heaps of photos for sure. if you’ve been to Vietnam, please share some tips with me. restaurants to check out, sights to see and war museums.

this entry is an onslaught of photos. and as the title suggests, food porn and loadsa happy people like my brother from another mother Bronson and his wife-to-be Trina. so happy for them! they went through alot as a couple.. they dated, then split up and dated other people but after a coupla years, found their way back into each other’s arms again. fairytale story come true right? :) we met up for dinner at a friend’s restaurant at Serangoon Gardens called ARBITE. very cosy lil place that serves comfort food. very reasonably priced too. gotta go check them out.

my spicy schwein bratwurst resting on a bed of sauerkraut... i LOVE sauerkraut

trina's super tender braised beef in freshly-made papardelle

bronson's dinner special: fillet mignon with glossy+wobbly sunny-side-ups and crispy bacon on a bed of fried potatoes and creamed spinach... THIS WAS DA BOMB!

our Fruit Terrine dessert: refreshing end to a rich meal. fresh fruits in a citrus jelly mound... why cant all desserts be like this? this was ACE.

newly engaged, soon to be husband+wife: Bronson et Trina xxx

these days, it seems that my evenings are usually packed with dinner appointments with couples… im like the ONLY SINGLE one present! LOL! im cool with it la. dinner at yakiniku restaurant AO CHAN (call 67356457 to book a table) at meridien hotel. LOVE THIS JOINT! if you want jap BBQ, this place is da bomb. must try: OX TONGUE. mad love.

uber hot momma-to-be Jade and hubby Emil

one of my favourite couples Randall et Ericia

beef tongue on the grill... on their way to crispy perfection *slurrrrrp*

super yummy kimchi. i nearly wiped out the entire bowl. i love kimchi.

raw beef

look at all the fat marbling thru the beef... its only gonna taste good after the barbie. no two ways about that.

grilled shrooms and ladies fingers.

grilled whole garlic.. OMG. THIS WAS MY FAV. the garlic was so soft and sweet and slightly caramalized.. so its got a slight nutty flavour too.. droool..

our choice of sake: black dragon kokruyu. very smooth and slightly sweet. perfect.

we all got to choose our sake cups.. and randall just HAD to go and pick one with a scary 3D face innit...

jadey and moi xxx

my sister from another mother just turned 31. still bubbly and ever so full of life. love you chew soowei! party was a kickass BBQ at Tony’s condo. we feasted on hearty meats, got tipsy on ice cold bottles of toffee apple cider and laughter all night long.

the raging fire from the fiery bbq pits of hell

Tony, chef extraordinaire, prepping prime cuts of beef

steaks!!!

don workin the pits of hell.

thick slabs of mustard marinated porkchops!

couples who wash smelly prawns together, stay together

poison stash of toffee apple cider. yummiest drink on earth.

here with one of my bestest girlfriends AND birthday girl, SOOWEI

steph lookin pretty

adrian, soo and don (the calefare)

my brother Ryan and i. gawwwd. we look like peas in a pod or whaaat!?

jaz and bam bam

shrooooms on the grrrill

potatoes under the grrrrill

the grill masters don and tony

bam bam again! x

CHAK!!! bam bam makes another appearance! xxx

soo's new Adidas booties!

home baked birthday cupcakes

pork chops on the grill

steaks done

my portion chowed down with the most kickass coleslaw in the whole wide world

tim oh (from class95) and his girlfriend

kenneth

aly and meeeee

soo and her sister

yanie silver and i

yanie and silver the super late comersss

i love this bit

soo purrrrrty

you blow em gurlfriend.. HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY! hehe x

awwwwwwww........ xoxo

one of my new favourite joints: the 2AM DESSERT BAR. its been around for like ever and ive always been meaning to check the place out but have never gotten around to doing so. and when i did (i.e 2 weeks ago), ive been heading back there on seperate occasions with different groups of friends. dragged sara and belle along with me this time round.. and boy! did we OD on sweets and wine and chatter or what!? LOL x

makeup done from a shoot earlier that day.. my body looks super warped tiny here cuz the table was so high... moonface much?

i decided to go "safe" that night and ordered the TIRAMISU. exceeded all my expectations of what this humble italian dessert should be. comfort dessert.

sara's cheesecake inspired dessert

a close up of that said cheesecake inspired dessert.. with chunks of fresh fruit and slices of cookie wafers. yum.

ordered this for sharing: its one of two of my favourite desserts here: the ARAGUANI. its dark chocolate infused with H20 (evian). very light, melt in your mouth chocolate that rich but has the texture of water. rests on a sweet pastry base. served with refreshing yuzu sorbet.

belle and her seemingly normal chocolate tart.. but i tell u, its kept simple lookin cuz the rich chocolatey goodness doesnt need hardselling. this is love summed up on a plate.

this, my friends, is the OTHER one of my fav desserts: POPCORN PARFAIT. its what it says it is: lil parfaits that actually tastes like buttery sweet popcorn! it was surreal that we let out lil yelps of delight when we tasted it. yummers.

it was PINK DOT on saturday and saw over 4000 people turn up! thats DOUBLE the numbers from last year! this is the second time it happened and i was out to partay with my friends in pink! Pink Dot is organised by a group of local volunteers and aims to raise awareness and foster deeper understanding of the basic human need to love and be loved, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. i was last year’s Pink Dot ambassador and i will continue to support this cause for as long as ever. (read more about the event HERE)

robin and hossan

bobby (butter factory) lookin faaaab in flamingo

my fellow star tatt lover BWF

the fabulous emma yong

my pink sistahs gen, gillian and jessica

with darlin George

DJ Aldrin ALL PINK

one of the most gorgeous chicks at the party xxx

me and my pink crew

gen and becks

pat and i.. obviously lowering myself to her base camp "altitude" hehehee

josie jo

tammy and friend

tracy and irene

picture purrrfact becks

gillian, lynn, jo and gen

gen and her cousin saunders :)

and then we all gathered to make pink dot xxx

RANDOM: cute lil presentation of tofu cheesecake dessert i ordered at dinner. complete with tiny orange origami crane

picked up my yummy JEREMY SCOTT for ADIDAS goodies last friday. jeremy scott is an american high fashion designer known for his outrageous hi-octane designs loved by celebrities all over. he teams up with Adidas Originals to bring us an irresistably wicked collection. extremely happy with my haul. wore this dress to the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe @ Resorts World Sentosa over the weekend for a charity fundraiser event. think you can still get some pieces of the Spring/Summer 2010 pieces from the Adidas Originals store at Pacific Plaza.

you can find the entire jeremy scott range for men and women at the Adidas Original store at Pacific Plaza :)

its a black long sleeved jersey dress with a pretty wicked laced design at the back

the front.. i know. i look like i need to go to the toilet... attempt at posing: FAIL.

oh.. and my first ever naked shoot with ELLE is out now. im so glad my first time was with a stylish classy fashion mag like ELLE and not some tacky men’s magazine like Maxim or the likes. its a special feature on body confidence and im featured alongside some really awesome women like dimsum dolly Emma Yong and one of my role models, TV host Anita Kapoor. you can check it out HERE

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MAKAN-MAKAN WITH KAWAN-KAWANS

Posted on May 5, 2010 | 8 Comments

its DAY TWO of my Project Bangin’-Summer-Bod regime. did cardio on Powerplates last night @ CROYEZ Studio (a 40min powerplate workout is equivalent to 3 hours at the gym! minimum effort, maximum results! read about it HERE)

ive also embarked on a wheat-gluten-starch free diet, allowing myself only rice at lunch. (its the only carb im allowed) loadsa meat, soups and greens… not to mention loadsa fruit and yoghurt. please dont take the cue from me and copy my diet or routine. ive arrived at this decision after careful consideration. each of us is built differently, please consult a nutritionist if you want advice.

anyway, you might think im like suffering.. since im such a foodie. well, im not. there’s still loads i can eat!!! as evident from the photos below… :)

balcony dining at Lion Tower with good friends, good meat and good wine. what more can a single gal ask for? experience complete with a game of pool in the living room. SCORE! rounded off the night with an indulgent visit to the 2AM:DESSERT BAR for sweets and MORE WINE! (those peeps at 2AM really take their wines uber serrriousssly)

Val - our chef, hard at work whippin up steaks on the balcony. never really get a picture of her cuz she's either busy cookin or by the time she's done, we'd be too pre-occupied with eating...

brother + sister duel = 8 ball pool fight to the death...

james' and val's kurious kitty kat

yeah. brother won. sister SIAN.

james.. KHING of the house. thanks for hosting dinner xxx

brother topless : twas a hot humid night...

happy steph meets her meat

love balcony dining... gorgeous city view xxx

the ribeye - grilled-to-perfection medium doneness. fats were crispy on the outside with a melt-in-your-mouth texture on the inside. rubbed with argentinian spices of course. YUM.

val's dinner. cuz she doesnt take beef. this pasta, done aglio olio, was PURRRFACT.

shan and i rollin with the stormtroopers - our new friends - at the Adidas Street Party

SATURDAY BRUNCH WITH GEN @ CMPB
okay. this was obviously taken last weekend. my LAST WEEKEND of starch intake. for now at least. i do miss my pastas….

anyhoos, im loving this new place at Dempsey. its called CM-PB at Block 7. CM-PB stands for “Contemporary Melting-Pot Bar”… its also a very clever play on CMPB (Central ManPower Base) cuz Dempsey was the original CMPB before the base got shifted to Depot Road. Dempsey is MY FAV HANGOUT area. Rochester Park is so last decade!!! anyways you gotta check CM-PB out. awesome brunch-dinner menu. happy hour starts in the MORNING and go on til 9pm. and after 11pm, the restaurant serves FREE SUPPER to everyone! supper could be anything from chicken noodle soup to light pastas… AWESOME RIGHT? im heading there again this saturday night cuz Sara Wee’s singing there on saturday nights now xoxo

one mojito's not enough! gimme TWO! its never too early for alk!

at happy hour, lychee mojitos go at $10 a pop! fruit juices cost $12 at all times. guess which one i chose??? MOJITOS FOR THE WIN!

my pasta marinara... pretty decent except for the crunchy prawns. WHY do restaurants have to soak their prawns into bicarb of soda??! its HORRID. let prawns be.. FRESH. thanks.

gen's breakie.. soul food. fact.

OMAKASE DINNER @ HACHI
Hachi (means “eight” in japanese) has been around for a decade now. Chef Watanabe first started out in a small lil hole-in-the-wall joint at Orchard Plaza… KF Seetoh took me there for dinner a long time back. i remember the food to be awesome. Hachi only opened for dinner back then.. and only served OMAKASE. Omakase is basically the chef’s course. you leave your dinner in his hands. you eat as much as you want.. until you call for a stop. and then you will be billed accordingly.

now Hachi’s moved to Mohd Sultan. i thought i gave it a try for old times’ sake. dragged maggie out for dinner. we embarked on what was meant to be a 10 course Omakase.. but we gave up at course #8. we were TOO STUFFED cuz the dishes took a little long to arrive.. there was an average wait time of 10mins between each course.

the dishes were so-so. we ordered three 250ml flasks of sake.. and the bill came up to $170 PER person!!! i felt it was totally not worth the spend cuz the dishes in the Omakase, save for a couple, were rather ordinary.. akin to those found in a bento set from a regular jap restaurant chain like Sushi Tei or something.

i took some photos… you be the judge. im pretty sure you’d agree with me. i hate to admit this, cuz i love Chef Watanabe to bits, but the standard’s dropped considerably – as cautioned by Seetoh when i told him i was going to have dinner at Hachi. to be honest, i’d prob enjoy a heartier, more glamourous dinner at half that price at a joint like Sun & Moon or something… ah well.

love sitting by the counter... where all the action's at

maggie - my dinner date

1st course: surpringingly, we got a tradional italian starter! parma ham on rockmelon... guess the melon's from japan? its one of my favs so im not complaining...

2nd course: a savoury japanese salad... dont really know what went into it.. it tasted pretty yummers. nothing shocking.

3rd course: stewed eggplant with bonito flakes

chef watanabe assembling our next course...

4th course: fresh plate of sashimi.. so fresh i could taste the sea spray... awesome.

5th course: strange... once again.. a western dish.. PUMPKIN SOUP. hmm... was good.. but not something i'd expect from a jap restaurant.

6th course: prawn sashimi cocktail... another highlight. i'd say this was the best course. yummersss...

7th course: some sorta mackerel or sardine... stewed in brine.. interesting dish. a combi of sweet (fish), refreshing (ginger + asparagus) and spicy (lotus roots)

8th course: stir fried ginger pork. very very normal dish.

chef watanabe is such a quirky character. very animated cuz he speaks very little english. i like him :)

y’know what? the food might be a tad too pricy for its average calibre but i might just return to HACHI just to hang out with Chef Watanabe… only cuz he’s UBER COOL and personable. to be fair, the service at HACHI was TOP NOTCH. kudos to that. maybe i’ll return for lunch instead the next time.

maggie and i were too bloated after dinner. headed back to her place to chill the hell out and be lazy… didnt even meet up with sara and aixa as planned. then charlene called, and like LITERALLY BEGGED for us to hang out with her at this shady lil art gallery party on Niven Road… well, she IS my best friend. we gave in after an hour and left for this shady lil party… its not dodgy. its shady cuz most of the space was cloaked in darkness… random art pieces floating about.. a DJ spinning electro tunes… all the arty farty people were there… underground vibes. i dont like. left almost immediately. the only thing that impressed me? the uber tiny cans of Asahi beer that were being sold at the party. kawaaiii!!

found a can of Asahi thats tinier than my palm!!! sooo cuuute!

by the powers bestowed upon us by some goondu god, we found ourselves headed towards St James… to polish off our THREE BOTTLES of vodka and whiskey from the weekend before. so we hung out, like old fogeys, at the Bellini Room. Jazz band playing… I LOVE THE LEAD SINGER. aiyo…. how handsome is he la. cant remember his name.

my new crush: hot lead singer of jazz band at the Bellini Room

ooh those lipsss

with my boo Andrew Ing - the man who made Zouk cool.. and is now the man behind the commercial success that is St James :)

charlene and maggie xoxo

charlene's boyfriend jeremy on the right of pic... kissing clarence.. dont ask.

gets progressively worse...

yess keeeping with the kissing bug.....

i love my girliessss

and that my friend, was the last of my “backlog” of photos. now i can sleep in peace…. good night! xoxo

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ONE HELLUVA WEEK

Posted on March 14, 2010 | 20 Comments

omg. has it been like ages since my last blog entry or what???! im so so so sorry… been too caught up with a new friend, interviewing an american idol, xiaxue’s wedding and paramore; though not necessarily in that order. before i begin (and you know that its gonna be one helluva explosion of photos), i wanna thank y’all who voted for my blog. i’ll know when wednesday comes.. 17th march. fingers crossed.

went to check out the chippendales…i remember that friday night. i was dressed down in raggedy jeans, tee and flip flops at work. had absolutely NO INTENTION of going out on date night. it was just radio then straight home to my DVDs. have turned down offers for dinner and clubbing. i just wasnt in the mood to socialize. UNTIL michael (he heads MIDAS Promotions) invited me out to check out his show at Resorts World. apparently the CHIPPENDALES are in town! im not usually the type who’d dig male angmoh roided-up dancing strippers but i havnt seen michael for quite abit so i took up the offer.

i rushed back home after radio and got changed into a killer outfit and met mike. michael roche (lushington entertainment) and his wife joined us for dinner at RWS. we were so engrossed in dinner chat that we totally missed the chippendales in action! LOL! anyway it was so Mr+Mrs Roche ditched us after dinner while mike took me backstage for a chippy treat. to be honest, i wasnt impressed. AT ALL. muscle maries.. NOT MY TYPE.

i hung out with the chips for a bit.. they seemed fascinated with my pearl jam tattoo. after 10mins of talking about the same thing, i got bored of vacuous chatter and excused myself for a “cigarette”.

fast forward to the singapore indoor stadium, day of Paramore’s concert. my darling friend Sara Wee, who was a HUGE HUGE HUUUGE fan of Paramore. how could i not ask her along to the soundcheck? LOL!

big thanks to michael and stevie for arranging "working" passes for us

after soundcheck, haley hopped and skipped towards us for a chat! how sweeet!

haley and her BIGGEST fan sara wee xxx

shan and i had to interview Paramore’s drummer backstage. sara tagged along of course. she was our “photographer” and “videographer” heheheeeee….

shan and i, after our interview with Paramore drummer Zac Farro - really reeaaaally sweeet daaarlin that Zac.

one before the concert.. with my jam mates (L-R): aixa, shan and saraaaaaa wee. yes shan and sara are first cousins. their chinese dads are brotherrrrs.

my really expensive ripped jeans. biggest joke of my life to have paid $260 aussie dollars for a mangly lookin pair of jeans. shan said my knees are so fat that they look suffocated underneath the restraint of my rips.

the concert was AMAAAAZING. so much energy, the crowd was insaaaane. hayley’s vocals were sick as hell. overall an awesome experience. helped that we had awesome seats. best in the house. woooot!

fun didnt stop there. a few days after, Adam Lambert pops into our radio show to chat with us! did i say already how much i LOVE MY JOB?! i was just watching him on telly last year.. and now he’s seated on one of our raggedy studio chairs and talking to US! omg.

glambert putting his mark on the 987 fameboard

shan, glambert and meeee xxx

on a separate occasian not too long back, kris allen popped into our radio show for an interview.

the week rounded off with another highlight: wendy’s mafia-themed wedding solemnization luncheon at my friend Beppe’s ultra swish italian restaurant FORLINO- fully sponsored of course.

wendy and mike looked awesome in their wedding outfits. the food was amazing, but of course. reporters were there to cover the event. but overall, it was still a pretty intimate affair shared with close friends and family. congrats wendy cheng! at laaaaaast! xoxo

wendy + mike's mafia-themed wedding solemnization lunch at Forlino

wedding favours...

mike sayre lookin all smart and gangster-like.

gillian in a dresssssssss

momma cheng (lookin all red hot and sexaaaay) and me xxx

these were like orgasm in the mouth. warm cheese-filled pastries... simply divine.

octopus salad.. MY FAV. there's just something abt the octopus, lemon juice and olive oil combo that sent me to heaven. i could sip champagne and eat this ALL DAY and die happy.

chunky deep-fried calamari rings: crispy on the outside, mad-lovingly tender on the inside

fresh mozarella balls rested on a bed of sweet vine tomatoes

another one of my favourite starters: rockmelon and parma ham. refreshing and savoury. forlino does the best parma.. so thinly sliced it melts in your mouth.

beef carparccio - this was so-so only. loooks pretty though..

1st course: lobster risotto

2nd course: beef tenderloin with truffle mash - LOVVIT. wish there was morrrre beeeef.

3rd course: medley of desserts. but i thought the panna cotta looked the prettiest, thus the closesup feature.

howard and joan

wendy + mike = singapore's answer to a glammed up bonnie + clyde.

the Munky Family! WHERE IS BRYAN?????

and that, my darlings, pretty much sums up my week. how was yours?

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FOOD PORN

Posted on January 31, 2010 | 7 Comments

been so busy hosting shows, catching up with friends and above all: setting aside “me” time to catch up on my cookbook reading (yes i love reading cookbooks) that i havnt had the time to upkeep my blog. i cant put it off anymore… this backlog of photos waiting to be uploaded and blogged about’s just hanging around the back of my head, nagging and egging me to give them the limelight. RAAAH! so there.

a coupla weeks back, shan and i were invited to a media food-sampling lunch at DISTRICT 10. they were introducing their fusion Chinese New Year menu and we were pretty excited! love love love work lunches :)

the tasting menu for media

the yummiest buffalo wings: uber crispy-to-perfection skin and the juiciest moistest most tender flesh inside.

shan digging his "SCHOOL'S OUT" cocktail... turned out to be a potent mix of every single bar poison. worse tasting than long island tea. recommended only for gone-case alkies.

me opted for the safer and waaay more delisssh lychee mojito! (omg. wide-angle lens WIDENS MY FACE ala the fisheye effect! or am i just...wide? raaah!)

very unique YU SHENG dish: D10 PROSPERITY SALAD. big slabs of salmon sashimi with lychees, grapes, sliced dragon fruit, beetroot, mushrooms, rockmelon, pomelo.. radish. it came together surprisingly well! IM A HUGE FAN of this dish! and ima order this for CNY party at home!

early CNY lo hei...shan excited much?

drizzling the YU SHENG with sweet and savoury dressing...... mmmmmmm....

with Joanita and Marie doing the lo-hei. thanks for the lunch invite darlings! x

2ND DISH-8 TREASURES PLATTER: spring rolls, oysters, octopus, jellyfish, bak kwa, taiwan sausage, marinated clams.

i love snapping shots of octopussies...

PORK FLOSS PIZZA!! alot like the Breadtalk flavour but with a cheesy base. SEDAAAAP!!!

3RD DISH-ROAST DUCK IN PLUM AND ORANGE SAUCE: im okaaaay with this dish. its like the asian version of the french classic Duck L'Orange. i still prefer my duck with crispy skin with plum sauce on the side.

4TH DISH-CRISPY AUSTRALIAN PORK BELLY (with braised beetroot, red cabbage and golden raisin): was lookin forward to this dish but it was most unfortunate i didnt get to try it at its best. you see, the dish was left under a warmer for too long before serving.. and this causing the "crispy" skin to have a rubbery hard texture. not my fav dish on the menu thats for sure.

5TH DISH-ROASTED LOUSIANA RIBS IN CHINESE FIVE SPICE AND BBQ SAUCE: this is our FAV of all the dishes! basically slide-off-the-bone, super tender and juicy ribs with nice gooey charsiew sauce.

6TH DISH-SIZZLING ANGUS BEEF SAUTEED WITH GREEN CHILLI, GINGER & SPECIAL BLACK BEAN SAUCE. mmm... very strange flavours. palatable but not fab. the beef tasted more "braised" than "sizzling". and the brocolli was just a wrong combo.

7TH DISH-SWEET SOUR TIGER PRAWNS: mmm... prawns were marinated with bicarb soda to achieve crunchiness and i HATE THAT. this dish is lacklustre in terms of flavour. ive had way better versions at my local coffeeshop.

after a few lacklustre dishes, enter the dessert course to save the day! TIGER'S FORTUNE DESSERT SAMPLER: lychee semifredo, pineapple tart, mandarin jelly and tiramisu cup. SWEET ENDINGS. LOVE!

overall, i’d give District 10′s chinese new year menu a 6/10 rating. to be honest, the tastes will not satisfy the discerning authentic chinese food lovers. it really tastes like ang-moh-trying-to-cook-asian typa food. it will most def appeal to expats or people who dont know any better when it comes to chinese food.

that said, not all’s pale and lacklustre! my absolute favs were the buffalo wings, the floss pizza, the yusheng, the ribs and the dessert. BEST PART ABOUT THIS? District 10 is OPEN THRU-OUT chinese new year for lunch AND drinks AND dinner! i know for sure i’d be hanging out at this place during CNY. i HATE it that everything closes during CNY. like hello? there are some of us who dont celebrate! so yeah, i digress, sorry.

movin on. got a fat cheque and decided to give Ryan and Steph a treat. we chose Lawry’s cuz we wanted to check out the new restaurant – Lawry’s moved from Paragon to MANDARIN GALLERY. (i swear the mandarin gallery will be my fav mall on orchard road for a long time…)

my brother Ryan, schmug cuz he blew a fortune at Fred Perry. love your new look bro! (he used to wear ONLY long sleeved check shirts and trucker caps so im uber happy to be able to see his hair)

Steph tremendously excited abt feeding time (yeah we havnt been feeding her for months due to bad behaviour on her part. duh.)

i look decidedly ridiculous here. what is up with the hands and face. bruce lee impersonation FAIL.

our spinning bowl salad - traditional starter at Lawry's

mixed on a bed of ice.

we were even offered a CHILLED FORK to eat the chilled salad with! LOL! and were strongly urged to use the Lawry's seasoning for the salad. i complied. it may look ordinary but it was DELISH.

then our carver arrived with beef. meticulousy prepping our Lawry's Cut.

my Lawry's Cut with medium doneness and a lil bit of everything on the side: peas (ordinary), custard corn (MUST HAVE!), mash potato (ordinary) and creamed spinach (MUST HAVE!).

and served with buttery savoury traditional yorkshire pudding on the side. i was in food heaven.

steph struggling to finish her plate as was i. the 220g portion was simply too big for us. we should have opted for the 160g portion. oh well. now we know..

happy camper. the portion was JUST RIGHT for Ryan.

the bill at Lawry’s came up to abt $380 for 3 persons including a coupla glasses of wine. a tad ex but super duper worth it. love the new joint at Mandarin Gallery. way cooler than the stuffy one that used to be at Paragon.

went to WILD HONEY again with new bunch of friends. it was to soothe our bruised souls after hearing that The Killers cancelled their concert. we gathered that fateful sunday and pigged out on breakies.

Gillian and Bryan + their strawberry slush mix

Gillian's uber unphotogenic CALIFORNIAN (vegetarian): scrambled eggs, tofu, herbs, peppers on ciabatta. (she actually asked for scrambled EGG WHITES ONLY and totally missing out on FACT that yolks = happiness. sigh.)

Sara thoroughly impressed/amused/enjoyed her BANOFFEE SHAKE :)

my most unique friend. Douglas Khee. totally "cleansed" of evil after his yoga session... only to screw it all up again with a sinful and delish breakfasssst.

sara, doug and G

sara's ENGLISH. love how there's fried potato chunks in the scrambled eggs, how the baked beans are spicy... the brioche toast.. the perfectly grilled bacon and tomatoes.. brilliant.

i vowed to keep going back until ive tried all 16 breakies. this time i did the TUNISIAN, which is proving to be a hot fav amongst food bloggers i heard.

TUNISIAN: sizzling pan of tomato stew, fried wobbly sunny-side-up eggs & spicy chorizo sausage. YUMMERZ!!!

just for laughs at Diesel store in paragon. we love Electrico.... WAY TOO MUCH! LOL!

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PHOTOLOG: JAN 2010 (WEEK 2)

Posted on January 18, 2010 | 13 Comments

omg. loading up photos onto blog is such a TEDIOUS PROCESS!! took me one whole frickin night! why isnt there an easier way to batch load and batch caption the photos like facebook? aaaaanyway. glad its done. for this batch at least. still have photos from shan’s birthday party at wavehouse to load… i dont wanna think about that for now :( i think im psychologically scarred from all the uploading… arent programmes and computers supposed to work FOR man and make life EASIER? grrrr…

okay. get prepped. onslaught of photos including jamie oliver’s recipe for kickass beef stew and anthony bourdain’s recipe for potato gratin. but first…

catch shan and i soon on a screen near you: TVC for 987FM :) boss kept stressing that she taking a huge leap of faith with us cuz DJs never get used in TVCs. *stress*

and nope, they made him change out of that horrid green pullover... THANK GOODNESS! (to give fash credits to shan, that putrid green pullover DOES NOT belong to him.)

domino's pizza popped by with FREE PIZZA!!! perks of the job. just in time too. i was having midday cravings...

in case you get confused, i actually ENJOYED the pizza :)

bak ku teh dinner on mhd sultan with jonas (left) and darren. not a fan of the dark herbal soup variety (my fav being the clear peppery soupy goodness at Founder's BKT at balestier), but it was AWESOME company at dinner. thats all that matters x

im not a fan of blood and guts but theres a coupla things i cant say no to: foie gras (so evil i know but tastes so frickin goood!) and pig's liver soup (pictured here).... OMG.comfort food.

we played treasure hunt on our facebook, posting clues on our status on where to locate the FREE PAIR of tickets to GREEN DAY. final destination: FLESH IMP @ Wisma and these two lucky imps got to the babies first! hope you girls had fun! x

GREEN DAY most definately raised the bar (too fricken high) for concerts this year. i dont know if i'd see anything that could top that. it was even better than Coldplay in my opinion (and i loved Coldplay). man.. i hope The Killers would be on par. lookin forward to that!

the best thing about going to concerts with a good bunch of friends, is that we all would hang for drinks before the concert and supper AFTER the concert. it completes the whole concert experience. it also helps to have friends who DRIVE cuz getting out of the indoor stadium is a bitch. calling for a cab is near impossible. so we decided on dim sum at geylang. 24-hours… super nonsense dim sum.. not the delicate lei garden stuff but these at geylang tastes SO GOOOOOD! this is 126 Dim Sum on sims avenue (between geylang 15 and 17)

Vanessa and me

Nessie's new ink from the tattoo convention. NIIIIIIICE!

when shan first arrived in singapore, he'd never eat asian food. its heartening to see his progress from crap fast food to dim sum! a true blue PR he is now :)

(L-R): linda, donzy and sooooooooo! :)

soooooooo + yanie :)

obviously im not at the dim sum place no more.

i had to host an event the next day. i wasnt a happy camper. at all. to make things worse, this was my outfit……….. -.-

contrary to the smiley disposition in the photo, i was NOT PLEASED about that i was made to wear that stupid string of (fake) pearls around my neck.

ryan and steph were away in bali for the weekend so thought i invited a bunch of girlfriends out for a homecooked dinner at my place followed by comedy night at orchard towers to watch Kumar :)

beef stew and potato gratin.

its jamie oliver’s recipe and i love it cuz its a pretty straightforward stew that’s gets puts together very quickly and this is partly to do with the fact that no time is wasted browning the meat. you see, ive experimented with two batches of meat – i browned one and put the other straight into the pot. the one that skipped the browning turned out to be sweeter and cleaner tasting (which i love), so ive stopped browning the meat for stews these days. and also cuz jamie oliver says its unecessary :) you have to try this recipe. its love in the stomach.

jamie oliver's recipe for jool's favourite beef stew. jools' his wife.

BEFORE cooking, preheat oven to 160C/300F/gas2.

roughly chop up chunks of onions and carrot; you can put as much of these in. use any other root vegetables if you wish. recipe called for butternut squash and artichokes. but i cant get the first and the latter is just too troublesome.

i use shin beef when im makin stew. cut into large chunks.

1kg of beef to feed 5 people :)

in an appropriately sized (or casserole dish), fry up a huge knob of butter. throw in onions, dash of dried sage and fry for 3-4mins.

toss the beef in seasoned flour (i just threw in salt and pepper into all purpose flour)

add the flour-coated beef chunks straight into the pot.

toss in the carrots at this point. i ADORE carrots in stews... the sweet slightly mushy chunks.. LOVE. i used a full pack of carrots for this one.

recipe calls for 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato puree. but i used four HUGE dollops of tomator puree (its actually to personal taste and i love tomatoes)

i only use premium organic beef stock. this can only be found at Jones The Grocers at dempsey. i buy like a few packs to keep. recipe calls for 285ml of stock. im using 500ml cuz i love more gravy. simple rule: more stock = add more tomato puree. they are good friends.

add half a bottle of red wine. use red wine that you would drink okay. dont use the cheapo type cuz if it doesnt taste good when u drink it, it wouldnt taste good when you cook with it. i love Australia's Brown Brothers wines. its affordable at $37 a bottle. no need to use french vintage wines. that one will be a waste.

season with generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

add just a dash of salt at this point. you can add more salt after if its not to your taste. adding too much salt now will spoil your dish cuz flavours are not fully coaxed out of the ingredients yet so you wont get an accurate gauge of taste at this point.

bring to a boil. once bubbles appear, put lid on.

cook in the preheated oven until meat is tender. i took 3 hours (used shin beef and its very fresh). can sometimes take up to 4 hours depending on what cut of meat u use and how fresh it is. the only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat, if it falls apart easily then its ready. once its cooked, turn oven down to 110C/225F and just hold it there til ready to eat.

take a lil breather. have a glass of that red wine..... *bliss*

okay. next up. Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Potato Gratin (baked creamy potatoes topped with melted cheese). before cooking, preheat oven to 180C/350F. i made these AFTER my beef stew is done cuz my oven’s not big enough to accommodate 2 dishes. the gratin takes 1 hour to prep and cook and its best served hot out of oven so do this JUST BEFORE u expect your dinner guests.

i was a lil apprehensive abt making this dish cuz its my first time cooking it. but i discovered how easy it is. so idiot-proof. plus the fact that when cream, potatoes and cheese come together, nothing bad can happen. i hope u try this recipe out. its a winner :)

cut 6 large potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

stuff that goes into the gratin (this is for 7 large potatoes): two small tubs of thick cream (one tub pictured here), a dash of dried herbs-thyme and rosemary. (recipe calls for fresh herbs but dried ones are good too, just dont add too much cuz flavours are more intense than fresh ones) recipe also called for parsley but i hate parsley in potatoes so i omitted that. no big deal. also a teeeeeny sprinkling of nutmeg - go easy on nutmeg.

place potatoes in large deep pan, add the dried rosemary and thyme, 4 lightly crushed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, a lil ground nutmeg.

add the cream (2 tubs)

stir and make sure the potatoes are evenly coated with the cream. bring this to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. add more salt at this point if you prefer.

after 10mins of simmering, remove from heat. discard the garlic cloves and herbs (only if you using FRESH ones) and transfer the potatoes into a foil baking dish (i used an 8"x8" one here). top with your fav cheese. i wanted to use Gruyere but the fricken cold storage at novena dont have. so i used a mixed sharp cheddar here. love sharp cheeses.

pop it into oven for 40mins or until its brown and bubbling. afterwhich remove from oven and let it rest for 15mins before serving.

throw in cut up baguette for 5mins to warm them up

gen: "omg smells so goooood! im hungryyyy."

sara tuckin into the gratin.

cream+potatoes+cheese=cant go wrong

dina tuckin into the stew :)

then shereen joined us and lapped up the last bits of the stew :)

dina bought me a bag of adorable old skool biscuits! love.

the girls were insistent that i took a photo of my loaded-with-calories fridge content

then we headed off to Orchard Towers to catch Kumar @ 3 Monkeys Cafe. i dont know about his showtimes on other nights but we went on a saturday and he does two 45min sets. first one at 1115pm. second one at 1215am. cover charge of $18++ includes one drink. strongly recommend you reserve table in advance (i called 4 days before) to get a good spot. cafe is really small so standing around is super uncomfortable, esp with the horde of waiters squeezing past you with their trays full of drinks.

3 Monkeys Cafe was next to this

oops. nip slip :P

we were amused by aixa's how-fast-can-you-roll-out-the-toilet-paper app.

she wasnt very good.

love your eyes la babe :)

kumar tekaning a guy who's celebrating his 21st birthday. (i know, he looks waaay older) the birthday boy also happens to be the son of the guy who owns MUSTAFA!!!! lol!

kumar... you go girlfriend! x

(L-R): aixa, shereen, gen, dina, me

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DINNER FOR ONE S’IL VOUS PLAIT

Posted on January 14, 2010 | 36 Comments

i read somewhere that “depressing things are empty beds and lonely dinners”.

its been 3 months now.

i could have been sleeping like a starfish all that while, limbs stretched out to the max on my queen-sized bed cuz i dont need to share no more. but instead, i chose to pile his side of the bed with books, my laptop, some clothes… cuz i guess in some strange way, that makes me feel like im sorta not alone. y’know what i mean? it feels nice to have my laptop next to me… all i need to do is rollover, flip open the screen and BAM!, im connected to the world. plus i love the warmth it brings… (from being charged), who says computers are cold hard machines? to me, its like the world’s best companion: uber reliable, always entertaining, never judging and uber gorgeous (macbooks are the sexiest).

but that doesnt stop me from wondering if a day would come when i’d wanna clear my inanimate objects to make space for a living, breathing soulmate.

ive got 776 contacts stored in my mobile. but i’d only wanna hang out with a tiny handful. dinner times are especially hard since i get off air at 8pm. if were to make any plans for dinner with anyone, the earliest i could get to dinner venue will be 830pm. thats usually too late for most people. so i gave up calling after a while.

i love cooking at home. but weekdays its usually just me at home. (bro and steph would have already had their meal by the time i get done. its huge hassle and not cost effective to cook for one. so i’d usually “ta-pao” from the kopitiam downstairs. its usually on the way back to my flat from the kopitiam that i’d get all emo…

u see, i live in a HDB estate thats got a strong community vibe going on. whenever i pass by the playground area to get to my lift lobby, id see families hanging out with their dogs, old ah peks sitting on their random chairs exchanging stories and news, a group of aunties practicing their chinese dance… seeing all that never fails to trigger a teardrop or two; feel like a loser with my packed food heading back to my empty flat with only AXN/Starworld as dinner company. but i suppose i’d rather be alone than just calling up a random friend to hang out and make small talk with.

anyway ive decided that im sick of the tapao-ing routine. gonna stop feeling sorry for myself and bloody pick myself up. plus the food at my coffee shop aint that good, not to mention unhealthy and oily at times. so im gonna frickin cook dinner for one. leftovers? finish up the next day lor! nevermind that cooking my meal means i’d only get to eat it at 930pm thereabouts… im gonna do it nonetheless. i decided on chinese last night. i was craving for that same herbal pork loin soup i made over the weekend. gonna fry up a pork + szechuan veg dish and a stir fried sweet pea + fish balls dish. thankfully NTUC was still stocked with the ingredients i needed by the time i got there (they usually run out of pork by 830pm!)

in a twist of events, passing by the playground area as i walked back to my flat with my groceries wasnt such a tear-jerking experience no more: i found a focus. and i was lookin forward to dinner! :)

i love sugar peas. mom used to fry these up with prawns (on special occasions) or with fish ball (which im using for this meal)

i prefer using fresh chilli fishballs (not spicy but most def more flavorful). these are from DODO and come packed in brine. i dont like to use the vacuum packed ones.. they taste plasticky.

chop up some garlic and fry til fragrant. throw in fishballs, fry til cooked. throw in peas last. stir fry around, add a tablespoon each of soya sauce + oyster sauce. a dash each of white pepper + sesame oil. add a teeny bit of water to the pan to create steam (it cooks the peas faster) fry for 2 mins and dish up.

found the mini packets of these shreded szechuan veggies at NTUC! (i used to get put off buying these cuz they come in large packs).

i used a 280g chunk of pork loin here: slice into strips. marinate with soy sauce, dash of shao tsing wine, sesame oil, LOADSA WHITE PEPPER...like LOADS (i love it peppery), 1/2 teaspoon corn flour, teaspoon of sugar. throw in one packet of szechuan veg. MIX WELL. cover and set aside for 20mins to marinate.

just throw the whole damn bowl into hot oil after 20mins of marinating. stir fry on high heat until meat browns slightly. then add 1/3 cup of water (for gravy). reduce heat and stir around gently. do a taste test at this point and season to taste (i recommend using soy/oyster sauce to season instead of salt). dish.

heheee...my herbal soup. so easy to prep. get prime pork loin ribs, parboil to remove scum. throw into claypot with packet of your fav herb combo and boil boil boil away. i keep it boiling for 45mins AT LEAST.

the saltiness of the spicy pork dish + the crunchiness and light flavour of the peas dish goes so well with the sweet-savoury herbal goodness of the soup, served with white fluffy steamed rice and AMERICAN IDOL as dinner companion. BLISS.

i read this somewhere…. A CUE FROM NATURE: Run outside during a thunderstorm. that downpour, that conquered hesitation, that exhilaration. that’s what unlonely is like. :)

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I LOVE MY GRRLFRRNDS + FOOD PORN

Posted on January 10, 2010 | 12 Comments

it’s hang-out-with-girlfriends weekend. promised to take Jade out for birthday lunch. we could have spent more time than the measly one hour we had if not for a teeny miscomm. ah well. my current fav place: MANDARIN GALLERY. love.

Jone's The Grocer @ Mandarin Gallery: HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY JADEY! xoxo

simple and clean tasting wild mushroom risotto: portion is just right here unlike other places where its like a plateful of starch.

i felt like some blood so i ordered the Jone's Wagyu Burger. Medium doneness so its still slightly pink and juicy in the middle... salad with balsamic vinigrette, grilled tomato and cheese all sat atop a perfectly toasted slice of bread.

i ordered pear and grapefruit soda.. and was really amused that the soda came in a separate glass bottle and i'd need to mix it into the juice myself. love DIY food/drinks.

im like single and ordered a hot cuppa as well but look who got a "HI" in a heart shaped swirl?! THE MARRIED WOMAN! nbcb. my hot cuppa was so boring and PLAIN that i didnt bother snapping a photo. bah.

dinner later that evening with Steph and Zhiyun. they’re too cool for photos. so i didnt snap any :(

i love my yoghurt plain and decked in fresh diced strawberries - this was a cuppa from Frolic at holland V. flash your velvet underground member card and get a 1-for-1 xoxo

saturday brunch with Van and Carrie… after countless postponements, we meet AT LAST. but thanks to van’s muddle headedness (she thought we were supposed to meet on sunday!! plus she realised at the very last min that she’s gotta run off to host the weekend windown back at the station), we only got to hang for an hour with Van. nevermind quantity, cuz it was quality company x i dragged them all to WILD HONEY (remember i said i was determined to keep heading back there until ive tried ALL SIXTEEN of their breakfasts?)

Van and her English. sunshine smile. but of course who's looking so high up.

Carrie Chong with her European! (just her luck that her poached eggs were semi-hardboiled.)

the EUROPEAN: poached eggs with parma ham on toast.

my SCANDINAVIAN: pan fried salmon fillet with grilled tomatoes and asparagus sitting atop a bed of rosti. THIS ONE WAS HEAVENLY!

then Guy (the owner) got us to try this amaaazing goat's cheese tart, on the house: its got a base of sweet sauteed caramalized onion, topped with sauteed peppers and slices of salty goat's cheese... all sitting inside a flaky buttery crust... WINNER. LOVE THIS!

sugar + cinnamon doughnut balls! cost a crazy $4.50 each!! but the minute i sank my teeth in, i felt happy. happiness bought at $4.50 - sweet deal.

saturday brunch with ma gurls... AT LAST!

have never been a huge fan of diamonds. whats the big deal? so its volcanic carbon subjected to high pressure… and tah dah.. sparkly things. while i appreciate their beauty, i wont be over enthu about diamonds.. until i saw this baby.. the lovely people at CUPID JEWELS (a brand new designer concept jewels boutique at Orchard Central) gave me some shopping money to pick out what i want.. armed with $2k, i chose these diamond panther earrings. LOVE!

went diamond shopping (thanks CUPID!) and fancied these diamond studded golden beauty. prob the closest i'd get to the Cartier Panthere *sigh*

gelato at GUSTTIMO @ ION. mandatory 3-flavours in a cup rule. i was resistant at first but grew to appreciate the variety. my favs: white rice and black rice. sounds yucky but SUPER NICE LA! ran out of white rice so i got (L-R): plain yoghurt, white wine and black rice. wicked combo. $5.90 nett.

playing with slow shutter at 3MONKEYS CAFE with aisha while waiting for Kumar to come onstage.

and i said "let there be light". she stopped crying and looked up. a smile radiates.

sunday afternoon: bored. started surfing recipe sites and got inspired to make claypot chicken+mushroom rice for dinner. also prob boil some herbal soup since Steph is not feeling well. scroll for recipe/method.

marinate mini chicken drumsticks and chunks of breast meat with: 2 tablespoons of soya sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon each of sesame oil and shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon each of sugar and cornstarch and as much white pepper as you desire. MIX.

cover in cling wrap and let chicken marinate for ONE HOUR in fridge.

while chicken's marinating, soak dried shitake mushrooms in hot water for 30mins. once soaked and soft, cut off the stems and cut shrooms into halves.

cut up some lapcheong (chinese sausage) and dried salted fish.

deep fry the salted fish until golden brown. this is to be eaten on the side with the rice.. the saltiness adds a wicked dimension to the rice.

now to get started on the herbal soup (steph's not feeling well). parboil the pork loin to remove scum. rinse meat with cold water. transfer to soup pot. i love using clay ones.

the herbs and other good stuff that goes into the soup.. i love love love herbal soups. mom used to make them all the time for us.

throw the good stuff into pot with parboiled pork loin. add water and bring to boil. once boiling, reduce hit and let simmer for AT LEAST ONE HOUR. (for seasoning, instead of salt, i added 2 tablespoons of premium soya sauce)

okie at this point, can go chill and do something to kill time for an hour. fast forward an hour later: put two cups of rice into a claypot (use rice cooker if dont have claypot), rinse. then add to it: 2 tablespoons soya sauce, 1/2 tablespoon dark soya sauce, 2 teaspoons cooking oil and a pinch of salt. add water and cook as per normal until the water almost dries up (about 7-8mins).

at this point, add in the fried chicken bits.

throw a few slices of ginger in and fry til fragrant. then throw in the marinated chicken bits and cook for a bit but not completely.

fry up the shitake mushrooms with the lapcheong (chinese sausage).

add the chicken bits to the rice. add the shrooms and lapcheong. then cover claypot and let simmer for 20mins.

gotta admit: it was a tad mushy cuz i added a lil too much water... :( but tastes good la. gotta be careful to not go crazy with the water next time.

and tah daaaaah: my herbal pork loin soup! loadsa "liao" and in a very small pot so the soup is very sweet and rich in flavour.. in other words "damn gow". SLURRRRP.

thats my weekend. flew by just like that. so much to look forward to this week… GREEN DAY THIS THURSDAY!! :) ))

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MUTTON’S BIRTHDAY TREAT +MORE FOOD + (TATTS)

Posted on January 8, 2010 | 14 Comments

justin ang just turned a grand old 28 this week and we gave him a birthday treat at HATCHED : an egg-inspired all-day breakfast restaurant where all the dishes in the menu are based around eggs… WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! i give address later. photos first.

i LOVE chalk walls! i want one for my kitchen too!!

the birthday party

aiyo so cute la! justin: our small boss AKA the birthday boy :)

(L-R): our big boss Georgie, Shan and Desiree

yanie awsom so gorgeous - 987's senior promo exec. always gets mistaken for a jock.

our other senior promo exec Silver with mutton Vernon.

with ma fav biatch VanessaNessieFerrrrrnandezzzz

birthday boy's double poached eggs with bacon on toast with sides of fried potatos and salad. HEARTY!

my spanish breakfast: spicy chorizo sausage with scrambled eggs on toast. great if you damn hungry cuz thought it might not look it but this is damn filling

wow. this one's special.. scrambled eggs with a juicy tender slab of foie gras! served with chunky sauteed potatoes and toast!

amazing mozerella balls wrapped with streaky bacon!! AMAZING DREAM COMBO LA!

vanessa's KICK ASS scrambled eggs wrapped in smoked salmon slices with toast and the fabulous sauteed potatoes (lovvit that they're fried with the skin on. rustic, i like)

nessie's badangdangs + yumscrumz breakie = FOOD PORN!

amused by the wooden eggs at the bar counter.

we were craving for pancaaakes!!! these were super THICK and FLUFFY! usually thick pancakes tend to have a "cakey/dense" middle bit.. but these were perfectly fluffy throughout. im like salivating again...

and haaaaaaapppy burrrrrfffdaaaay toooo yoooooou! LOVE U MUTTON for being an awesome leader and good friend x

the she made a bet with desiree... "i'll eat raw eggs if you finish up all the birthday cake". des ate them cake up. guess what ness had to do?

our sadistic da lao ban "eh lets up the dare and SEPARATE the yolks from the whites!" -.-

frickin gross. i tried raw eggs once.... tastes like bad breath + bleach + drain water. okay. im exagerrating. but i tell ya, thats what raw eggs are to me. horrid.

first: the yolks

and then the whites..... YUCK. prob tastes like jizz. *face turns green*

HATCHED is at 26 EVANS RD #01-06 EVANS LODGE. for reservations call: 67350012/67350013

LUNCH @ NAUMI HOTEL

the lovely people at NAUMI HOTEL (the boss also owns indian restaurants RANG MAHAL and VANSH) invited us to lunch. to be honest naumi hotel would be the last place id think of going to for lunch. first of all, there’s no restaurant at the hotel! its a super compact boutique hotel… where got space? so i was quite curious as to how the lunch would turn out to be…

we had lunch at the hotel lobby. breakfast is also served here in the mornings.

shan - the ever reliable brochure model.

the lunch menu. UBER AFFORDABLE 3-course meal for only $20+++! plus ambience is uber chillax. great escape la.

love our "work" lunches with clients (L-R): silver, yanie, shan, me :)

shan's smoked salmon salad with capers. i hate capers. yuck.

my humble plain lookin but kickass tomato soup!

my main dish: chicken tikka with rice and yoghurt. which is like the best of the lot (there's plain veg noodles and pasta arrabiata to choose from but eew). order indian food when you're at naumi hotel cuz thats the core business... indian restaurants. so this dish KICKED ASS!

im not a big fan of tiramisu UNLESS its from a reputable italian restaurant cuz they tend to be mass-made and this taste like brandy-infused rubber. but this one here, was MADE FRESH by the in-house chef. it doesnt look it but it was just the right amount of alcohol, cake an cream.. very very smooth and light. YUMZ!

lunch portions looked so small but turned out to be UBER FILLING! had to walk it off so shan suggested we took a look at the much raved about infinity pool. (the pool area can be booked for your private party. it can fit 50 people comfortably + awesome views of the singapore skyline… wait and see)

shan going all "top gun" on us.

steps leading up to pool deck

at the gym and this was asked of us....

so we did. super style.

then i was craving for goreng pisang on the way back to the station so i made shan pull up at the corner kopitiam on selegie.. its like one of the few goreng pisang stalls in singapore liao.. why is goreng pisang going extinct? why arent there any in town area? they’re sooooo yummy! esp with vanilla ice-cream if you slightly more “atas”. craaaaavings….

bright yellow makes rozz a happy fellow

damn cute la. goreng pisang stall in a tiny kopitiam uses a cash register!!! a super old school one at that! i mean, how tough is it to calculate 90cent goreng pisang x 2 ? LOL.

HAPPINESSS IN A BAG!

PARTY IN THE MOUTH.

gorgeous light in singapore

later that day i met up with friends for KAMPUNG CHICKEN dinner at 247 Outram Road. juicy slivers of tender chicken flesh... this one is orgasmic la!

love black sauce on the rice. ginger in my chilli.

old friends: thanks for the dinner Nic + Kat! xoxo

new friends from hongkong who are here for tattoo convention L-R: Yellow (yes thats her name, she's a club dj), her long time boyfriend PHAT (rapper from LMF) and their friend whatzhisname who owns streetwear label Dusty.

and finally, shan and i met up with Chris Garver of Miami Ink for an interview. awesome doode. serious artiste (he attended a prestigious art school) and really not one who’s into drama and fame. just innit for the art. respect. CLICK HERE to catch our interview.

shan and i with chris garver

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