theMOOSE

1-Caramel Chocolate-making Workshop: Almond Crunch

2012-02-12T18:22:00.000+08:00

12th February 2012. Written by Vinleon. Photos by Xinli.

We end off this 3-part series with the easiest of the lot - Almond Crunch.

You'll need:

200g Valrhona quatoriale dark chocolate 55%
350g Bakend almond strips

How to transform ingredients into yummyAlmond Crunch:

1. Heat the Valrhona quatoriale 55% dark chocolate buttons over a hot water bath.

2. Pour melted chocolates over baked almond strips, mix and put into moulds. Refrigerate.

3. Take out. Eat. Leave some for valentine.

Nothing can go wrong with this recipe, but if you do, please leave a comment below.

And with this, we end our 3-part feature. Happy Valentine's everyone!

1-Caramel Chocolate-making Workshop: Raspberry Almond

2012-02-11T15:15:00.002+08:00

11th February 2012. Written by Vinleon. Photos by Xinli.

For the second of our 3-part chocolate series, I present to you, the slightly more tedious Raspberry Almond.

You'll need:

540g Valrhona equatoriale 55% dark chocolate

300g Raspberry puree

60g Trimoline

130g Unsalted butter

100g Baked almond (chopped)
300g Coated chocolate for shell

How to transform ingredients into yummy Raspberry Almond:

1. Heat the Valrhona equatoriale 55% dark chocolate buttons over a hot water bath.

2. Heat raspberry puree and stir in trimoline.

3. Mix in melted chocolate and unsalted butter into the raspberry puree to yield ganache. Chill in the fridge.

4. To form chocolate for shell, temper the chocolate until smooth and shiny (that is to melt the chocolate and keep stirring till the chocolate reaches 32 degrees celsius, but most of us would not have a thermometer, so take the sheen as a cue). Pour over mould, hitting the bottom of the mould to remove air bubbles, pour out the excess chocolates. Scrap off any excess, chill mould upside down.

5. Remove ganache and mould from fridge, fill piping bag with ganache, then pipe the ganache into the mould (don't over-fill it!).

6. Place silvers of almonds on the ganache, pushing in slightly.

7. Seal with more tempered chocolate, scrapping off the excess. Chill right side up this time.

8. Eat some before boxing it up to surprise your better half.

Again, I highly recommend that you give this recipe a trial run first before making a gift batch. What can potentially go wrong is with the consistency of the ganache. Too much chocolate added to it and it'll harden, too little and it won't hold its shape.

Also, you may use this as a base recipe for other fillings, or simply replace the raspberry puree with other puree.

You may purchase these ingredients from Phoon Huat and some leading supermarkets.

Look out for our last recipe of the series! It'll be the easiest to make!

1-Caramel Chocolate-making Workshop: Black Truffle

2012-02-09T20:58:00.000+08:00

9th February 2012. Written by Vinleon. Photos by Xinli.

We start off this 3-part chocolate-making series with the yummiest of the lot (in my humble opinion) - Black Truffle.

You'll need:

440g Valrhona guanaja 70% chocolate

250g Whipped cream

25g Trimoline

50g Unsalted butter

600g Coated chocolate for shell

300g Cocoa powder

How to transform ingredients into yummy Black Truffles:

1. Heat the Valrhona guanaja 70% chocolate buttons over a hot water bath (strictly no direct heat when handling chocolates!).

2. Stir in whipped cream and trimoline into the other portion that is still in the water bath. Refrigerate mixture for an hour to yield ganache.

3. Melt the chocolate meant for the chocolate shell, add butter to this portion and stir.

4. Roll ganache into small balls, dipping each into the chocolate shell mixture. Quickly put onto a tray of cocoa powder and shake vigorously to coat.

5. Box it up and surprise your better half.

Now as easy as the steps sound, I highly recommend that you give this recipe a trial run first before making a gift batch. ~~You may have noticed that in step 2, "small portion" is subjective (Chef Ivan does it with experience, no measurements needed)~~. What can potentially go wrong is with the consistency of the ganache. Too much chocolate added to it and it'll harden, too little and it won't hold its shape.

Look out for other yum yum recipes!

EDIT: Please note the above changes for point 2 and 3. I forgot about the existence of the chocolate for the shell.

A Chocolate Love Affair @ 1-Caramel

2012-02-08T22:13:00.004+08:00

8th February 2012. Written by Vinleon. Photos by Xin Li and One Rochester

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the stunning evening view of 1-Caramel’s al fresco dining area.

Xinli and I were the lucky few to be invited to a chocolate-making workshop hosted by 1-Caramel and conducted by Chef Ivan.

Chef Ivan at work

After the hour-long demonstration, we realized that actually making your own chocolates at home is really not as daunting as most of us perceived it to be. All you need are some chocolate moulds, chocolate buttons (1-Caramel endorses Valrhona Chocolate), trimoline, whatever flavour or filling you’re going for and some time (watch this space; we’d be sharing some easy-to-make recipes here so you can make some sweets for your sweet).

Tada!

Of course, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, 1-Rochester Group has got a selection of iconic restaurants to make your evening unforgettable.

1-Altitude

1-Altitude brings love to a whole new level with specially curated menu at Stellar and the Upper Viewing Gallery. Seduce your loved one with a meal of the freshest oysters served with Sevruga caviar, followed by an indulgent classic foie gras parfait, sweet Hokkaido scallops and a delicately braised Alaskan sea bass and slipper lobster accompanied by a wild rice and California raisin salad. For an added edge, dine against the backdrop of Singapore’s iconic skyline, and watch your meal being brought to life by Group Executive Chef Christopher Millar at the world’s highest ‘live’ al fresco kitchen on 1-Altitude’s Upper Viewing Gallery. Pre-Valentine’s Day Set Menu at Stellar is priced at $130++ per person, and the exclusive Valentine’s Day Package at the Upper Viewing Gallery is priced at $400++ per person; guests will also receive a Valrhona gift bag.

ROAST at One Rochester

Amidst the lush gardens of ROAST at One Rochester, romance your partner with an aphrodisiac-inspired set menu, complete with a selection of the freshest oysters and a wild mushroom and black truffle raviolo. As the champagne bubbles in your glasses, polish off your meal with a pleasurable escapade of unique Valrhona delicacy – dessert is served as a composition of a milk chocolate earl grey blanc manger, vanilla bean anglaise, white chocolate mousse, lime curd and coconut daquoise, passion fruit compote, together with a dark chocolate mint sorbet and a hint of mocha. Priced at $110++ per person, the menu includes a glass of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial champagne, and a Valrhona gift bag.

From left to right: dark chocolate mint sorbet, white chocolate mousse and milk chocolate earl grey blanc manger

COAST at 1-TwentySix

Feel the warm ocean breeze and inhale the mouth watering scents of COAST at 1-TwentySix’s sensual Valentine’s Day five-course set menu which starts with a luscious assortment of shellfish, and continues with a truffle vinaigrette-infused Petuna ocean trout confit, and a bisque infused with the inimitable flavour of butter poached Maine lobsters. Valentine’s Day Set Menu is priced at $110++ per person, and guests receive a Valrhona gift bag.

It's less than a week to Valentine's, so boys, brace your pockets, and girls, get ready to get your hands dirty to make some handmade chocolates!

Many thanks to Miss Audrey, Chef Ivan and Chef Christopher of 1 Caramel and 1 Rochester for inviting and hosting us for the workshop.

UPDATE: Attention all SMU students, NUS students and SIMalumni! You get 15% off your total bill when you flash your student ID at One Rochester or 1-Caramel! There's also a new dessert menu for students at 1-Caramel (check out their Facebook Page)!

1 Rochester
http://www.onerochester.com/

1-Caramel Patisserie
http://www.1-caramel.com/

8th February 2012 : 2 Years Old!

2012-02-08T02:07:00.000+08:00

It has been 2 years since we ORDed from Tekong. That means our blog is about 2 years old now.

Penang : Restoran Kapitan

2012-02-05T13:09:00.000+08:00

29th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Penang, Malaysia
Recommended by the Penang Tourism Board, we dived into Restoran Kapitan for an Indian lunch. Both of us had a Tandoori Chicken with naan. Here there were no forks and spoons provided, we were expected to eat with out hands.

The Chicken Tikka has a hint of spiciness with a fragrant smoky flavour infused within its tender flesh. This went very well with the fluffy and delicious Butter Naan which was served with a variety of sides.

This delicious Indian lunch cost 11 RM.

Sentry versus Fly

2012-02-05T08:14:00.002+08:00

AK5442 - Pancakes on the Plane

2012-02-03T08:36:00.000+08:00

29th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Air Asia
AK5442
JHB to PEN
Johor Bahru to Penang

We wanted to explore the modern Senai International Airport at Johor so we took the opportunity to depart from Johor Bahru to Penang instead of Changi International Airport.

The airport is rather modest and the facade was indeed quite elegant looking. Nonetheless, all these modernity is only a deception. The interior was rather messy and certain parts looked unfinished.

The most ridiculous thing I have found at the airport was in the toilet. The gap between the basin and the tap was so small that it makes it almost impossible to wash your hands without pressing it against the cold ceramic edges of the basin. Bad ergonomics!

This is also my first flight with the “Best Budget Airline” for the past three years (by Skytrax). The seats were comfortable and the flight was rather smooth but rather scary as the plane takes off immediately after turning into the runway. Often, there would be a pause after turning into the runway before taking off.

AirAsia has a policy of no photography when they are doing the safety demonstration.

As it was an early flight, I decided to try having breakfast on AirAsia. I made the wrong choice of ordering their (20% more) Pancakes Combo which comes with 3 petite pieces of pancakes, butter, syrup and a cup of mineral water.

The pancakes were decent but I would love them fluffy which is lacking in AirAsia's Pancake Combo. Furthermore, intentionally or not, the pancakes has a mild curry flavour (I attribute this to microwaving the pancakes together with a chicken curry dish rather than intentional.)

On the way to Penang, I was treated to a spectacular 'light show' near Manjung.

My overall experience with AirAsia was satisfactory, I would consider flying with them again but I am definitely not going to order the pancakes again.

QR640 - Doha to Singapore

2012-01-31T07:53:00.000+08:00

20th July 2011. Written by Xin Li

Qatar Airways

QR640

DOH to SIN

After a long 6 hours transit in Doha International Airport (thankfully there was the Oryx Lounge), we finally get to board the plane back home.

To our disappointment it was an old plane, the Oryx entertainment system is the older version which requires you to fiddle with the buttons at the armrest.

Sweets and wet wipes were being given out before departure.

Doha in the morning as the plane made its way for higher altitudes.

As it was a morning flight, breakfast was served. I had the Fried Rice which was only so-so as you could see the rice looked pretty 'tired' right?

Thai Airways 1, Qatar Airways 0 for bread.

A fruit muesli? Quite nice actually.

We get a nightsnack on this flight too, reminded me of the sandwich I had on a Singapore Airlines flight to Fukuoka long long time ago. Nostalgic feeling. Nightsnack on Qatar Airways is always accompanied by this chocolate coated Munchy biscuit.

About 6 to 7 hours, the plane finally approaches Singapore and begun its descent onto Changi International Airport. Caught a glimpse of Pulau Tekong at night with its distinguishable ferry terminal. The annoyances of National Service aside, I actually miss the island a lot.

And with this flight, I wrapped up our short trip to Europe. I wonder when I would be able to visit that amazing continent again. And, note to self: 14 days is too short!

Doha International Airport : The Oryx Lounge

2012-01-30T18:03:00.000+08:00

20th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Doha, Qatar
Arriving at Doha International Airport by midnight on our flight from Venice. We soon learnt that Doha is not one of the best places for transit (unless you are a Business Class or First Class Passenger who has access to Qatar Airways' Premium Terminal).

The mundane and modest airport meant that besides fighting with other transit passengers for a bench to grab some sleep, there isn't much to do. However, this might end with the new airport opening in early 2013.

One rather affordable alternative is the Oryx Lounge ran by Qatar Airways. While the lounge is also for First and Business Class passengers of Qatar Airways. Passengers could also pay 39 USD for access to the lounge for about 5 hours. You could book a slot by approaching the lounge directly, no need to book beforehand.

The lounge offers Wi-Fi, shower facilities, a cloak room, newspapers, magazines and complimentary snacks and drinks (including Nespresso coffee!)

The Lentil Soup was quite tasty and I had a couple of pastries from the buffet. The service at the lounge was pretty good too.

A glimpse of the buffet line.

After snacks, I spent some time catching some sleep and editing some photographs at the lounge before making our way to our boarding gate for the flight back to Singapore in the morning.

QR 962 - Venice to Doha

2012-01-28T12:30:00.000+08:00

Qatar Airways, 19th July 2011.
QR962
Venice to Doha

The long flight back home. After spending less than a month in Europe (a dreadful mistake), we made our way to Macro Polo International Airport to board our flight back to Singapore via Doha.

The airport is rather messy and with luggages you are forced to take one of the few lifts provided because the security will stop you from taking the escalators.

The A320-200 plane has only one aisle and two rows of seats, with a small number of business class seats at the front. There are was a fair amount of Asians on this flight. I think there was a Chinese tour group on board. The cabin crew included quite a few Asians too.

Our plane was equipped with the new Oryx Entertainment System. Unlike the previous flights, there were remote controllers to navigate around the screen. I like the animation they use for their safety videos, it was adorable and lively. Like the other Middle-Eastern airlines, the safety videos tend to be longer as it was being played in at least two languages, sometimes 3 (on an Emirates flight) including Arabic and English.

Moments after boarding, our plane took off and the Venetian countryside came into view.

The plane approaches Jesolo, a famous seaside resort town.just east of Venice.

Nuts (made in Singapore) and drinks were given out moments after departure. Before departure, they also gave out sweets.

The flight back from Venice was one of the more memorable ones because the queue for the lavatory was unbelievable. Right after the meal service, there was a long queue forming along the aisle. The narrow plane makes it difficult for the cabin crew to move around too as the long queue took up the only aisle in the plane.

We flew past several countries on the Balkans including Macedonia.

As our plane approaches Turkey, lunch service started.

I chose the Fish Fillet with Caper Cream Sauce served with vegetable brunoise mash potato and sautéed spinach. It was a little on the bland side, a sprinkle of black pepper seemed to resolved this though. I somewhat like the tender texture of the fish, and how the cream sauce wasn't too heavy as I thought.

They also offered a mini caprese salad as appetizer, complete with basil leaves, tomatoes and olive oil dressing. The cabin crew were quite friendly and they tried their best to get their job done despite the cramped conditions.

Meanwhile, the plane is flying across Turkey towards Iraq, I got to see the Taurus Mountains of Turkey and the Beysehir Golu, a lake near the city of Konya.

The flight from Venice to Doha took approximately 5 hours, crossing the day/night boundary over the Middle East.

Our plane arrived at Doha near midnight.

Venice : Murano

2012-01-27T15:11:00.002+08:00

19th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Venice, Italy
Venice has quite a few outlying islands. Due to the short amount of time we had, we only managed to visit Murano, the island well-known for its glass-works. We dropped by the Murano Museum of Glass, a small little museum showcasing what kind of forms glass is capable of achieving and gives a tiny written introduction to the making and colouring of glass.

Intricate glassworks.

For a better demonstration, there are actually quite a few glass-making workshops providing glass-making demonstrations. Pity, we were in a rush.

Amazing artisans at work.

The island provides a nice reprieve from the crowded main islands of Venice but being one of the more well-known islands, Murano is still considerably crowded so expect packed vaporettos in months like July when it is the peak season.

The vaporetto to Murano passes by an island housing a cemetery for the Venetians, the Cimitero di San Michele dates back to the 19th century.

Venice : San Giorgio Maggiore

2012-01-22T08:06:00.000+08:00

19th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Venice, Italy
Established in 982, the Monastery of San Giorgio stands on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite San Marco. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore was designed by none other than Andrea Palladio.

The church was built between 1566 and 1610 AD in classical Renaissance style. The main attraction of this church is probably the campanile tower. The trip to the top cost about 5 Euros but unlike San Marco campanile, the San Giorgio tower is less crowded and hence a cheaper alternative to the one at San Marco. Furthermore, you could see the San Marco Square from San Giorgio which was quite a beautiful sight.

To get to San Giorgio Maggiore, simply take the vaporetto and drop off at S.Giorgio stop. The church opens at 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, it would be open from 2.00 pm to 6.30 pm.

Venice : Morning on the Vaporetto

2012-01-22T07:03:00.000+08:00

18th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Venice, Italy
I haven't been posting lately. You could probably tell that I am bogged down with work from uni again =/

Venice is a city of canals and land transport are not allowed on the island. As such, boats replaced buses, cabs as trains as the only means of getting around the island (besides walking). Their water bus, is called Vaporetto and if you are in Venice for a short stay, they have 12 – 72 hour passes that gives you unlimited travel on these boats to places within Venice and her better known outer islands such as Burano, Lido and Murano.

Just like the Star Ferry of Hong Kong, you get to enjoy beautiful sea views of Venice without paying a bomb for a cruise or gondola rides!

Contrary to the negative sentiments shared by my peers about Venice, I like the bright colours of Venice and I find the place to be one of the prettiest cities I have visited. Seen in the two photos is the Santa Maria Della Salute , also known as the Basilica of St Mary of Health. The Baroque style structure was completed in 1681 AD and it was designed by Baldassare Longhena.

Why St. Mary of Health? It was because in 1630, Venice was struck by a devastating plague and the church was built as a gesture of gratitude for the city's deliverance from the plague.

A beautiful city that one must visit.

Candlenut Kitchen - Seeking New Grounds after 2 Years

2012-01-22T06:40:00.001+08:00

21st January 2012. Written by Xin Li.
Located along Neil Road, the Candlenut Kitchen has been serving delectable Nyonya Cuisine for the last two years. However, the kitchen, seeking new grounds, served its last dishes out of the kitchen on the 21st of January 2011. I will miss their Yeye's Curry, Beef Rendang and Chendol Cream. Hopefully they will find a new place soon and open again! All the best to Candlenut Kitchen!

Chilled Durian Soup – durian (in-house) ice cream, durian puree, feuilletine – 7.00+ SGD

Chendol Cream – creamy coconut custard, chendol jelly, gula melaka sauce – 5.00+ SGD

Candlenut Kitchen

http://www.candlenutkitchen.com/kernel/home/

祝你过个大肥年！(not literally of course)

2012-01-20T20:53:00.006+08:00

20th January 2012. Written by Vinleon.

It's the festive season (yet again. When was 2011's Chrismas and New Year?), and yes, it's the perfect excuse to be eating to your heart's content and drinking to your liver's content. But, after it all, would your eyes be contented to see your tummy's content (well, in both sense of the word)?

So being the (relatively) health-conscious amongst the mooses (meese? moose? yeah we always argue on the plural of "moose") and one who dishes out tough love as freely as his satires and sarcasms, I'm here in an attempt to make you KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT (and only open them for proper meals. And conversations of course).

Don't become as cute-looking as them.

1. Bak Kwa

Oh how we love Bak Kwa. It's almost always the first goodie to run out. Most of us would cut it into smaller pieces so that our guests could take small convenient nibbles off the waxy, lustrous morsel of sweet, savoury barbeque pork while waxing lyrical about who looks fatter.

The Excuse: "Ay ya, I eat one piece (or maybe 2) won't die one, right?"

The Truth: WRONG. 'Cause before you know it, you almost emptied half the container (c'mon, put your Bak Kwa stained hands up). One slice of that devil-red meat is 370 kcal, that's close to a plate of $1.50 Chai Tow Kuay (no XO sauce, no air-con variant)! And that half that you polished off is maybe 2-3 plates worth. But would you be satisfied? No, 'cause after that you reach for...

2. Pineapple Tarts

Mmmm... These innocent looking, almost welcoming orbs of gold sitting on a round mat of crumbly pastry. Looks auspiciously luscious, but can be atrociously vicious.

The Excuse: "Ay ya, this one healthier choice! Got fruit! Some more so small piece only, I'll just run it off. In February."

The Truth: Not quite sure about the second part, but WRONG, again. 5 pieces of this and you would have finished one big square of Bak Kwa and about three quarters of a plate of Chai Tow Kuay (maybe halfway to nirvana too), not forgetting the diabetes-inducing sugar content per pop. Oh but Pineapple Tarts are drying, you need some sort of liquid to wash the food down, so you guzzle...

3. Soft Drinks

Ahh... Nothing more satisfying than to lounge on the sofa (ahem, just to bring you back from nirvana, you're in someone else's home) and gulp some ice-cold cola, green tea, whatever. It helps to lubricate your throat in preparation for the next round of swallowing.

The Excuse: "Wa lao, the weather so hot, cannot have cold drinks ah?"

The Truth: Ice + plain water = cold drink! Plus, don't you get sick eating all the sweet stuff and still washing it down with candied liquid? Calorie intake aside, once the sugar high wears off, you'd be "nua" as a slob by late noon.

These are only 3 of the typical things most of us would put in our tummies during CNY, with more unaccounted for. Then comes meal time.

Oh you better pray for good luck this Chinese New Year.

Find out more here: http://www.hpb.gov.sg/foodforhealth/article.aspx?id=6888

Image Credits:
http://www.sheffieldkungfu.com/6576/sheffield-chinese-new-year-celebrations-monday-january-2012/
http://ieatishootipost.sg/2011/12/fragrance-berkshire-pork-bak-kwa-bak.html
http://www.madbaker.net/2008/02/mad-about-pineapple-tarts-2/
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/lobbying-in-action-pepsico-fights-guidelines-for-marketing-to-kids/250572/

Switzerland : Verkehrshaus, Lucerne

2012-01-04T07:59:00.001+08:00

December 2011. Photos by Yew Ann.
Swiss Museum of Transport - probably the most unique museum I've visited in Europe. It is both indoors and outdoors and features many interactive activities, making a visit there similar to that of a theme park.

Looking Back at 2011 and Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T04:24:00.000+08:00

1st January 2012. Written by Xin Li.
New Year’s Day.
Happy New Year! 2011 was a hectic year and full of travels. Who knows what 2012 has in stored for us? For now, these are on my list of favourites from last year:

THE MEMORABLE FLIGHT
EMIRATES
Bangkok – Hong Kong Route, EK384 and EK385

It was my first time flying with Emirates (and in an A380) this year. The ICE Entertainment system was excellent and the food on-board was above expectations. I really enjoyed my Chicken Chasseur and Nougat Cake. The service was top-notch even though this particular flight was short. It beats (my favourite ) Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways. [Website]

5 MEMORABLE STAYS
There are no best hotels for last year because they were simply unique and they were exceptional in their own ways, and hence had no grounds for comparisons.

MAJESTIC HOTEL
Melaka, Malaysia

One of the winners in this category is the most unexpected. That is the Majestic Hotel in Melaka. The hotel deserved their high ratings on Trip Advisor. Never had I witnessed a hotel manager taking the initiative to get the latest check out for you and I definitely not a hotel where the staff would go the extra mile just to bring you a bottle of mineral water while I was sketching outdoors. The service beats our 5 Star Fullerton Hotel or Shatin Hyatt Regency hands down. [Website]

ASADANG BED AND BREAKFAST
Bangkok, Thailand

The Asadang, the sister Bed and Breakfast of Bhuthorn, did not fail to meet our expectations, even surpassing some of those expectations in certain aspects. The Asadang managed to carry on the successful formula in Bhuthorn: great service and great atmosphere in the hotel.

The guesthouse did have a few minor issues such as loose shower head and the sink not draining off efficiently. However, the service and that sumptuous breakfast in the morning make me want to go back again. [Website]

VILLA ZOLITUDE
Phuket, Thailand

Vinleon and I have sung praises of this peaceful resort in Chalong in one of our posts. The ambience and service at the Villa Zolitude made this our must-recommend resort for Phuket. The expansive villas which comes with their own private pools are really good for value. It is the perfect place for an escapade from our urban rat race. [Post]

SUNHEAD OF 1617 BED AND delicious BREAKFAST
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This Bed and Breakfast in Amsterdam is located in the pretty canal district of Amsterdam and the rooms were gorgeous. Even more mind-blowing was the “delicious” breakfast. The Sunhead of 1617 lived up to their claim without fail. It was the best breakfast I ever had. The scrambled eggs are to die for. Furthermore, the owner was very fascinating person to chat with. [Post]

TRADERS HOTEL PENANG
Penang, Malaysia

Traders Hotel Penang is old, it does not have infinity pools, a personal butler or Michelin-starred restaurants. However, the hotel’s strength was what Shangri-la had been promoting in its advertisements: a place where you could find warmth. The Traders Hotel Penang made us felt at home even though we were not club room or suite guests. That is one fundamental aspect I look for in hotels and resorts and Traders Hotel Penang tackled it exceptionally well. [Website]

5 MEMORABLE PLACES
It is not easy to make one leave a place with a heavy heart. For the year 2011, there are five places that managed to do that.

LONDON
Huge, built-up cosmopolitan city. The city of London is everything (but nature) which made it stand out from the places I have visited this year. Architecture, art, food and history, they've got it all!

KYOTO
Perhaps I am biased, but the former imperial capital of Japan never fails to charm me even during the rainy season. Kyoto, I will definitely be back!

PENANG
Makan makan makan! For a break, take a stroll around Georgetown for a cultural insight of the city.

AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam’s canals broke the claustrophobia of an urban jungle. The city was surprisingly laid back and the people were exceptionally friendly. This is another place that I would want to come back again.

BANGKOK
I really like visiting Bangkok. It is probably my ideal choice for a stopover whenever I fly Thai Airways. The city is messy and chaotic but the people are considerably friendly and there are a lot of things to do in the City of Angels. There are plenty of historical monuments to explore around the city, shopping malls to shop and restaurants (offering various cuisines) to dine in.

10 MEMORABLE MAKANS (excluding hotels, trains and planes)

Black Sheep Café, Singapore
This one needs no introduction and I shan’t say more ;). Love the Crispy Pork Cheeks.

Dezato Desserts and Dining, Singapore

Shan’t introduce this too. Another keeper. The White Wine Jelly with Aged Modena Balsamic Vinegar blew Vinleon, Mu Yao and me away.

Group Therapy Café, Singapore
Located in Duxton, this group-friendly café is a great place to hang out with friends for brunch, breakfast or tea! [Post]

Spice Sutra, Singapore
This Indian Restaurant along Thomson Road serves up delicious Indian fare in a comfortable environment. I particularly enjoyed their naans, rice and butter chicken. [Post]

Yaw Hau Fok Dim Sum, Melaka
The dim sum here were very tasty. Recommended by my talented aki mate, this was a god send. The molten Custard Bun is a must-have! [Location]

Ramlie Internasional, Melaka
A prata eatery next to the road around Tanjung Keling. The pratas were remarkably yummy! Pair it with their teh-tarik and you would get a perfect prata breakfast!

Ho Ping, Penang
Ho Ping’s Char Kway Teow was my first time trying the char kway teow in Penang and we found ourselves addicted to char kway teow for the next 3 days of our trip. We couldn’t find a worthy competitor of Ho Ping though. [Location]

Paul Lafayet, Hong Kong
Their Crème Brulee was so good. Its sugar top layer was nicely caramelized and underneath was a rich and consistent creamy custard. Furthermore, you get to keep the ceramic ramekin as a souvenir! [Website]

Erawan Tea Room, Bangkok
My best Mango Sticky Rice thus far comes from the afternoon tea set from the Erawan Tea Room. Their Afternoon Tea takes you on a mini and colourful tour of Thai traditional snacks. Besides the Mango Sticky Rice, "Moo Ping" (Grilled Marinated Pork Skewer) as well as the "Mieng Kratong Thong” (Roasted Coconut, Lime, Chilli and Ginger with Betel Leaves in Crispy Basket) were delicious! The service could be better though. [Website]

Greenwoods English Tea Room and Shop, Amsterdam
The Greenwoods English Tea Room and Shop serves one of my most enjoyable afternoon teas thus far. Their organic Carrot Cake was rich in flavor and not too sweet. The scones were perfectly baked and the Earl Grey tea was very fragrant. [Post]

5 GHOSTS OF 2011
1. That horrible female receptionist at the Moorish Barracks in Macau.
2. Arrogant Bellboys of Hyatt Regency Shatin, Hong Kong.
3. Claustrophobia and disappointment at the Fullerton Hotel.
4. Jaw Exercise while eating “Peranakan” Cuisine at a particular restaurant in Melaka.
5. Misinformation by Teramachi Nine Hours. [Post]

Last Day of 2011

2011-12-31T21:27:00.000+08:00

31st December 2011. Drawn by Xin Li.
New Year’s Day Eve

2012 is finally coming! A leap year!
There has been a lack of updates lately as I was busy with a project (on New Year’s Day Eve and Christmas Day) and my laptop has been behaving strangely.

I shall wrap up this year with a mini-preview of what I am working. Happy New Year!

This was a special year as I have never travelled that much within a year before. Charming Kyoto, scenic Innsbruck, cosmopolitan London….these cities only worsen my wanderlust!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:23:00.000+08:00

25 December 2011. Written by Vinleon

If you've been watching this space regularly, you would've known Xinli for his drawings and also his habit of drawing those OMG SO DAMN CUTE pictures for certain holidays. Well, he's a little busy, so here's one of his personalised card to me.

Anyway, we at the4moose wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

The Tastings Room (for improvement)

2011-12-25T15:17:00.001+08:00

24th December 2011. Written by Vinleon.

If memory serves me well, The Tastings Room took over the space that once housed Subway in Marina Square.

My friend and I reserved a table via Delished (there’s still one more weekend left!), which comes with soup, a brunch item and coffee/tea for $15+. After seeing the gorgeous photo of their Eggs Benedict, I was so looking forward to it.

Both of us had Latte, just regular Latte (after all, it’s Nespresso coffee).

We started off with Truffle Mushroom Puree Soup and Seafood Smoked Vine Tomato Soup. Now, due to the consistency of the “soup”, I shall coin them as “puree” for greater clarity.

The tomato puree was rather (and unpleasantly) sharp. Apart from tasting tomato, there was a dominant herb (I think it’s sage) that wrestles in your palate to stand out. In essence, this puree wasn’t well balanced, though the generous portions of huge chunks of fresh seafood did help to alleviate some of the sharpness.

The mushroom puree was rather musky and earthy. There wasn’t much depth in flavor, apart from the obvious taste of mushrooms. I liked that the puree wasn’t perfectly smooth; the chef left some coarse bits of mushrooms, and then threw in more mushroom chunks.

Now here comes the highlight: the Eggs Benedict (and Eggs Royale)!

First look: the brioche is CHAO DA (burnt)! But as chao da as it seems, it wasn’t as bitter, though it did fool (not the intended word choice, but I replaced it for the sake of self-censorship) around with the flavors. The egg whites seem a little too solid to the extent we worried if the yolk is over-done. But overall, a very VERY appetizing (and titillating) presentation.

Chao da brioche

Our worries (partly) dissipated when we sunk our knives into the egg yolks - they were runny! BUT upon closer inspection, it’s slightly over-done. Part of the egg yolk already solidified. So some points off the eggs.

The brioche was very crispy! And when it soaked up the egg yolks, it didn’t turn too mushy before you can finish one portion. I personally felt the sauce wasn’t enough, though it was rather refreshing to have a splash of wine in the Hollandaise sauce.

Bottomline:

The Tastings Room is definitely the go-to for pretty, delicious and accessible Eggs Benedict, but of course, this Room has got plenty of room for improvement. And I hope they would consider hiring a barista or 2 to complete the entire brunch experience.

The Tastings Room

6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square

#01-08

Singapore 039594

6338 1829

Venice : Ca' Dogaressa

2011-12-21T07:55:00.000+08:00

18th – 19th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Venice, Italy
Seating next to the peaceful Canale de Cannaregio, the Ca’Dogaressa is a 3-star hotel housed in a traditional Venetian rowhouse. Its location is perfect as it is only a short walk away from Venezia Santa Lucia Station and it is near a main road leading to the Rialto where you could easily walk to San Marco from there.

The rooms are lavishly decorated, even for a Classic Room (125 EUR), the lowest grade of the lot, it looked grand and the bed was very comfortable. If you got spare bucks to spare, I read that the Junior Suite has a beautiful view of the Cannaregio Canal.

There are two toilet bowls in the bathroom, we think one is for child. The bathroom is quite spacious too.

Bath gel and shampoo provided.

The lights and chandeliers of the room are made of glass from Murano, an offshore island of Venice famed with its glassworks and you don’t have to compromise modern comfort while staying in this Venetian canal house as air-conditioning and heating are all provided. Internet Access is free too!

Breakfast is included in the room rate, and you could either have it in their cosy breakfast room or if the weather is fine, next to the canal which is our recommended choice. Breakfast included a basket of biscuits along with a variety of jams and spreads including nutella for your bread.

The croissants are rather big but crispy and fluffy inside. Their croissants are a little different as there were bits of orange jam like thing embedded in them. Hence it has these mildly sweet and sour citrus intervals that make it tasty by itself.

The bread rolls are nicely baked like the croissants too. Have it with butter and jam for maximum satisfaction!

Breakfast also includes a cup of coffee or tea. I had a Cappuccino, one of the best coffees I had thus far. Or maybe I was still distraught by the “sewage water” I had on the City Night Line.

Overall, if you are travelling to Venice by rail or by plane, Ca’Dogaressa is a convenient choice of accommodation. The airport taxi (and the vaporette) is just along the same canal and it is only a short walk from Santa Lucia Station, making it a good base for exploring Venice if you want a spacious, comfortable room, delicious breakfast by the canal with free internet and a good location. The hotel was ranked 5th in Venice on TripAdvisor as of 21st of December 2011.

Ca’ Dogaressa
http://www.cadogaressa.com/
Fondamenta di Cannaregio, 1018
30121 Venice - Italy

Ph. +39.041.2759441
Fax +39.041.2757771

The City Night Line : The Night Train to Venice

2011-12-15T14:34:00.001+08:00

17th – 18th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
City Night Line 363
Munich Hauptbahnhof to Venezia Santa Lucia

To get to Venice from Munich, we booked an economy double cabin on the CityNightLine, a sleeper train by DB. The train was very packed on that day and those without reservations had to make do with the limited seats (as it was the peak season period).

Fortunately, we had our comfortable Economy Double with access to a shared shower cubicle and even include breakfast.

The train rides through Koblenz into the Austria, stopping briefly at Innsbruck before continuing its way to Brenner Pass where it would enter Italy from Austria.

In Italy, our train would split into two, one heading for Rome and another for Venice.

At night, there is not much to see but even in under the dim lights, you could spot the outline of the majestic mountains of the Italian and Austrian Alps.

A grumpy looking train conductor takes care of any food orders and the administrative matters.

Hours into the ride, I was too tired and fell asleep.

Breakfast was a simple affair of bread, croissant, biscuits, juice and a cup of coffee.

Besides the coffee, everything was fine, enough to start another day’s journey. The coffee on the train proved to be the worst in my life, so acidic, pungent and revolting. Italian coffees are like heaven compared to this.

Fortunately, the fantastic views of Venice were more than enough to rejuvenate my senses.

The sun rise at Venetian Lagoon with the historic city as backdrop was breath-taking.

City Night Line
http://www.citynightline.de/citynightline/view/en/index.shtml

Munich - Dinner at the Train Station

2011-12-15T13:59:00.000+08:00

17th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Munich, Germany
Located in Munchen Hauptbahnhof, the Mongdratzerl is a restaurant with a Bavarian setting. The center of the restaurant is a bar and kitchen area. Since our train ride is hours away, we decided to have dinner at the Mongdratzerl as we got a train to catch and it was raining outside.

Both of us had the Bavarian Roast Pork (11.80 EUR) served with Potato Dumpling, bacon coleslaw and dark beer sauce. What seemed like potatoes in this dish is actually a kind of dough-like dumpling. It was quite chewing and springy. Personally, I would prefer a real potato anytime.

The pork however was quite tasty with the beer sauce, it was savory and the meat was quite tender.

The waiter was very kind the salads were his treats. Simple, refreshing salads to complement the meaty dish.

Besides Mongdratzerl, there are other dining options around Munchen Hauptbahnhof as well, from sandwiches, Asian dishes to French pastries. Most of them, such as Yorma's here are take-away friendly too!

Munich : A Day Trip

2011-12-15T13:21:00.000+08:00

17th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Munich, Germany
With only a few hours to spare, we decided to explore the city regardless of the rainy weather. The city of Munich was found in 1158 by Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria. The city was probably infamous for being the ‘birthplace’ of National Socialism which saw its eventual destruction by intense Allied bombings during the war.

However, beyond that dark past of Munich, the modern city retained much of its historic charm thanks to its efforts to conserve and rebuilt its past. Thus today, you could see a Munich filled with parks and beautiful European architecture.

We headed straight to the heart of Old Munich from Munchen Hauptbahnhof.

We passed by Karlsplatz, more commonly called Stachus. It is next to the Justizpalast.

We walked past the Karlstor, at Karlsplatz side of Neuhauser Strasse.

Located along this street is a wild boar statue named “Das Schwein”, the brother of the famous “Il Porcellino”. It is said that rubbing its nose grants you good luck!

Munich Frauenkirche is one of the most iconic buildings in Munich. The cathedral’s full name is Dom zu unserer lieben Frau, “Cathedral of Our Dear Lady”. The cathedral was constructed in late Gothic Style and was severely damaged during the war. The design of the domes was modeled after the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem.

Another iconic sight in Munich is the Glockenspiel of the Neues Rathaus located at Marienplatz. The clock dates back to 1908 and we were lucky to witness the Glockenspiel in action at 5 pm. It chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century every day at 11 am or 12 pm and 5 pm in summer.

The clock’s “performance” gathers quite a crowd even though it was drizzling. We spot fellow Singaporeans too!

The Marienplatz where the Neues Rathaus is located is named after the Mariensaule, a Marian column erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish occupation in the Thiry Years’ War.

Further you will see Heilinggeistkirche, a Gothic Hall Church the dates back to the 14th century. The church was also severely damaged during the war. Its lantern dome is signature of churches in Munich.

At the end of the street, Tal, stood the Isartor, located at the Isartorplatz. It is one of the four main gates of the medieval city wall and one of the three remaining Gothic town gates. The gate was named after the River Isar which flows a distance away from it.

A Maggie Kitchen along Tal.

Traffic police giving out fines.

Stop for a moment of facebook update?

Munich
Official website to get information on Munich’s sights and attractions.
http://www.muenchen.de/int/en/tourism.html

Bavaria
Munich is situated in the region known as Bavaria in Germany. The website offers information of other cities and attractions in Bavaria.
http://www.bavaria.by/

EC80 : The Ride to Munich

2011-12-14T16:58:00.004+08:00

17th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Innsbruck, Austria to Munich, Germany
We decided to drop by Munich for a short day trip where we would board a train bound for Venice. The train ride turned out to be one of the longest ever.

As it was summer, seats are in shortage, if you are not fast enough or have made any seat reservations, expect to stand with your luggage for the whole ride.

As we crossed the border from Austria to Germany, we encountered a security check by Germany plain clothes officers. It was quite an uneasy experience.

I enjoyed riding trains overseas since such journeys on trains are now impossible in Singapore now that the railway station at Tanjong Pagar is now closed. For the journey to Munich, we had the opportunity to see the Bavarian countryside. Simply stunning.

The train journey from Innsbruck to Munich took about 2 hours and cost about 24 Euros. It is possible to book them on the DB Bahn Website, a very useful website if you plan to travel around Germany on rail. Another website that I always refer to for traveling on rail is the Man in Seat 61.

Innsbruck : Charming City in the Austrian Alps

2011-12-14T14:14:00.000+08:00

16th – 17th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Innsbruck, Austria

A breathe-taking time-lapse video of Innsbruck by matreyia

BACKGROUND
The Austrian city of Innsbruck is located between the Italian and German border in West Austria. Situated along the Inn River and surrounded by the Stubai Alps to the southwest, Tux Alps to the southeast, Karwendel and Wetterstein Mountains to the north, it is not only the oldest city in Tyrol but probably one of the most beautiful.

The Winter Olympics was held in Innsbruck twice (1964 and 1976) and it is slated to host the 1st Winter Youth Olympics in 2012. While it is a popular skiing destination during the winter season, Innsbruck is also unique from other skiing destinations because it also offers year-round skiing at the Stubai Glacier.

Despite its location, Innsbruck is well-connected by rail to Italy, Germany and other parts of Austria, which accounts for Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof as one of the busiest railway stations in Austria. By, air you could also fly to this charming university city from England or France without any issues on one of the many budget airlines available.

The area around Innsbruck have traces of human settlement since the early Stone Age but the city’s history probably dates back to the 11th century when the Inn Bridge was constructed in 1187 (a possible origin of the name “Innsbruck”).

The city became the capital of Tyrol in 1429 and its university was founded in 1669, the third largest in Austria.

I am glad I included Innsbruck in my itinerary as it provided a nice respite away from the huge cities like Amsterdam, London and Paris. The mountains and laid back café atmosphere of Innsbruck is a departure away from all that majestic urban jungles.

GOLDENES DACHL
The Golden Roof is probably the most famous landmark in Innsbruck, located at the old town square at Herzog Friedrich-Strasse, the roof is covered with 2657 fire-glided copper (not gold) tiles. It was constructed for Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I in 1500.

TIROLER LANDESTHEATER
Is only a short walk away from the Goldenes Dachl, we saw a couple having their wedding shots taken there. The building was built in 1844-1846 by Giuseppe Segusini. Originally known as the K.k Nationaltheater, it was renamed the “Tiroler Landestheater” in 1945. [Website]

HOFGARTEN
Located just next to the Landestheater and the Hofburg is the Hofgarten, a garden at least 600 years old and covers an area of 10 hectares. This pleasant looking garden is the site for concerts as well as chess tournaments. Apparently, the garden houses several plants planted personally by Maria Theresa, the Empress Consort of the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire from 1740 to 1780.

JESUITENKIRCHE
Also located near the Tiroler Landestheater is the Jesuitenkirche also known as the University Church as it is the official church of Innsbruck University. This beautiful church was built between 1627 to 1640. Its towers however date back to the early 20th century. [Church's Website]

The Roman Catholic church was constructed in Baroque style and its crypt was where Archduke Leopold V, the sovereign of Tyrol and its patron during its construction was buried along with his wife.

TRIUMPHPFORTE
At the southern end of the Maria-Theresien Street, you can find a monumental arch built to resemble the Triumphal Arches of ancient Rome, the arch, known simply as Triumphpforte was built in 1765 under the orders of Empress Maria Theresa to honor the marriage of her son and to mourn the death of her husband, Francis I Stephen of Lothringen who died during the wedding celebrations. The arch represents two contrasting emotions: joy and sorrow.

SOWI BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK
Besides the works of Zaha Hadid, you could also spot some contemporary architecture as the Innsbruck University’s Social and Economic Science Faculty Building (SoWi) designed by Henke and Schreieck Architects.

If you visit during the summer period (i.e July), there are free performances by Folk Bands as well as Symphony Orchestra which you could watch at the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace. It is quite a lively affair as these bands would parade down the old town square with music before their performance at the palace.

The city seemed to be pretty well known for its marzipan products, watches as well as crystals.

The famed Swarovski Company begun in Wattens which is located near Innsbruck in 1895 when it established a crystal cutting factory there.

If you do visit Austria, Germany or Eastern Europe, do visit this scenic city!

Innsbruck
The official website for information on the city.
http://www.innsbruck.info/en/home.html

Tyrol
Innsbruck is located in the region known as Tyrol in Austria. The website provides information on Tyrol including Innsbruck.
http://www.tyrol.com/

Stubai Glacier
Located south of Innsbruck and a bus ride away, the Stubai Glacier offers year-round skiing even in summer.
http://www.stubaier-gletscher.com/en/winter/

Weisses Kreuz
The hotel we stayed in during our short visit to Innsbruck. A historic inn where Mozart once stayed in 1769.
http://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/index.php

ORD Lunch @ Black Sheep Cafe

2011-12-10T22:37:00.001+08:00

26th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
“ORD” means a lot for Singaporean males who had to serve a compulsory national service. After about 2 years of serving the army, that “ORD” moment is the climax, the moment we are all waiting for.

Mine ended abruptly, too fast, too soon and left a cliffhanger kind of situation for me that bugged for more than a year. This time round, it is Mu Yao’s turn so besides throwing a bash in celebration of his ORD, we hope this will give a nice ending to his army life and as a way to thank him for supporting this blog all this while.

In the morning, we had an ORD photoshoot with Mu Yao, Calvin, Wei Xiang and I taken on the Pinnacle at Duxton, the following images are some of the behind the scenes shots. The M16 rifle (not the kinds we use in army) is just a toy gun that has a childish “Go,Go,Go!” sound upon pressing the trigger (accompanied by rainbow lights). Visually still, it looked real so we had to inform the security guard beforehand that it was toy gun before it sets off alarms and the police on us.

We were also trying out this portable flash gadget that Mu Yao just got. They called this kind of photography “strobist”. I have no idea what that means. However, the effects looked great.

The Pinnacle is a cheaper alternative to the Sky Gardens. With a 5 SGD entrance fee, it is not surprisingly to find a fair number of tourists visiting the Pinnacle roof top gardens. I even met my university tutor brought some foreign visitors and accidently blurt out his full name in surprise (my apologies!).

For the meal, we picked Black Sheep Café, where theMoose had its first gathering for this occasion and Chef Ratha has kindly prepared a special menu for the ORD lunch:

P.S The muruku and cookies were our contributions.

Muruku and Chips More brought back fond memories of our army days especially for Vinleon, Jia Yao, Yew Ann and I. During Deepavali celebrations, we sneaked back huge jars of muruku which became addictive alternatives for breakfasts, lunch, nightsnack and day snacks. The Chips More was one of our top choices for an overnight Guard Duty snack.

Bread with sesame seeds embed to it was being served with butter, something new in Black Sheep Café. Love the fragrant, fluffy and warm bread.

The first item is Chili Cheese “Rice”, Mu Yao’s favourite combat ration except this is Chef Ratha’s rendition of it. While the Risotto was a little too soggy as we were late for the meal I found the overall taste quite delicious and I enjoyed it. However, on retrospective Chef Ratha and we felt that a little bit more of that spicy punch would make this a really good dish.

For the mains, we had one of the signature dishes of Black Sheep Café.

The Crispy Pork Cheeks received endless omphs and ahs from my fellow dinners. One of them exclaimed that he won’t mind coming back to Black Sheep Café just for this. The meat of the Crispy Pork Cheeks is very tender.

My choice of the Kurau or Threadfin pales in comparison to the Crispy Pork Cheeks or the Duck Confit, I found the meat a little too dry and bland, hence it did not blow me away like the Snapper Filet did. Sad to say, I think this is one dish that failed me in Black Sheep Café so far. Nonetheless, nice try.

Dessert is a communal affair, we shared two Banana-Almond Crumble served warm with Vanilla Ice Cream. This is ambrosial, there is the right amount of crumble (not soggy) with the crunchy almonds and nicely, sweet caramelized bananas. To top this awesome dessert, pair with Latte e Miele’s (that’s right, they provide the ice cream for Black Sheep Café) quality vanilla ice cream which was so smooth.

Lastly we rounded off our meal with a choice of tea or coffee which we had together with Da Paolo’s Indulgi Cookies which tasted like crumbly brownies. Yummy.

Hope Mu Yao had a memorable ORD meal and to all who have just ORDed this month and last month, Happy ORD!

Black Sheep Cafe

35 Mayo Street

Opening Times:

Monday closed (Large groups may be entertained; Please enquire)

Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch : 11.30 to 03.00
Dinner : 06.30 to 11.00 (last order 10.00)

Sunday * : No Lunch
Dinner : 06.30 to 10.30 (last order 9.15)

92721842 or 62925772
blacksheepcafe@gmail.com

Innsbruck : Sunday at the Seegrube

2011-12-10T10:25:00.001+08:00

17th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Innsbruck, Austria.
Surrounded by mountains, one should not miss the opportunity to explore the mountain scenery that Innsbruck has to offer. The most convenient way to get there is to take the cable car from the town to the mountain itself.

The starting point is located only a short walk away from the Goldenes Dachl. From there you could board a cable car to Hungerburg (868 m). The ride and the stations itself are an attraction itself for any architecture fans. The Hungerburgbahn hybrid funicular railway was designed by none other than the famed Zaha Hadid in 2007.

As our visit was in summer, there is a Jazz Sunday Brunch (27.00 EUR, adults) going on. Included in this package was a ride to Hungerburg (868 m) followed by a ride to Seegrube (1905 m) where you get to enjoy a buffet style brunch accompanied by live jazz music at the Alpenlounge

Brunch comes with a complimentary glass of prosecco (the cheap kinds =p).

Food items include a variety of breads, cold cuts, cheese, roasted potatoes, some kind of bread pudding, scrambled eggs and sausages.

Not as good as the breakfast we had at Weisses Kreuz but it was quite a worthwhile deal since it included all rides and even has a meal thrown in.

The views on top were awesome. Words from me probably can’t describe it. Hence, I shall let the photos do the ‘talking’.

Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen

Höhenstrasse 145 . 6020 Innsbruck/Austria

Phone. +43(0)512 - 29 33 44 .

Fax +43(0)512 - 29 33 44 - 523 .

www.nordkette.com

Innsbruck : Dining at the Golden Eagle

2011-12-09T18:11:00.001+08:00

16th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Innsbruck, Austria
Like Weisses Kreuz, the Goldener Adler (loosely translated as the “Golden Eagle”) is a historic inn which once housed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1773. The historic inn dates back to 1390 and it is also home to one of Innsbruck’s most famous restaurant of the same name.

The restaurant is located on both the first and second floor of the guesthouse (ground floor and first floor in other definitions) and offers Tyrolean cuisine using local produce.

Firstly, I had the Kartoffelrahmsuppe mit Pfifferligen (3.60 EUR), Potato Cream Soup with Mushrooms. A hearty and flavoursome creamy soup.

For main courses, my younger brother had the “Tiroler Zopfbraten” (17.50 EUR), Slices of fillet of pork, turkey and beef (made after an old traditional recipe) served with bread dumpling and vegetables. I found this rather ordinary and too meaty for my taste. Couldn’t remember the flavours accept that all three are distinct from each other (which is good).

I had the “Tiroler Gebingsforellenfilet” (15.50 EUR), Mountain Trout Fillet amandine with parsley potatoes. In contrast to my younger brother’s main course, this was really good. Perhaps, one of the best fish dishes I had thus far. The trout meat was very succulent and very well-seasoned. The addition of sliced almonds gives it a nice crunchy bite and the use of orange adds a refreshing hint of citrus to the dish. The parsley potatoes were nicely done too.

We ended our meal with a Hausgemachter Apfelstrudel (3.00 EUR), the strudel’s pastry is a little thick and wraps around a generous filling of caramelized apples with cinnamon. The whipped cream seemed to give a smooth texture to the rich apple strudel.

The meal is not exactly the cheapest you could find in Innsbruck but it was decent. I was expecting less as it seemed like a tourist restaurant. Located just next to the Goldenes Dachl, you could head over for a meal if you are spending a short time in Innsbruck.

Goldener Adler
Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 6
6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Phone: +43/(0)512/57 11 11
Fax: +43/(0)512/58 44 09

2nd December 2011 : ORD loh!

2011-12-02T06:18:00.001+08:00

2nd December 2011. Written by Mu Yao. Photos and Drawings by Xin Li and Mu Yao.
Mu Yao’s Operationally Ready Date

You know. Its been a crazy year ahead since I enlisted in the army for almost 1 year and 10 months ago. I remember the anticipation and anxiety, the apprehension and the feeling of the apparent loss of innocence that I was going to have just not too long ago. Time flies, especially when you've had a life like mine. One that was just so terribly hectic that I almost forgot that I had existed in a world of warm love, with cups of friends everywhere, eager for you to bask in their tender warmth and loving care.

I remember the first day, where I went over to the sunny island of Tekong. It just seemed like yesterday. I mean, there wasn't any "omygosh I'm gonna die" type of trepidation that I would associate with fellow drama mamas like myself, but it was still a quiet, still uncomfortable sense of uncertainty coupled with plenty of my seniors' hearsay of this and that. I was posted to School 2, and when I received my posting to my company at first, my heart sank. I remember the person reading that to me was Daniel Pflug. One of my class/VS seniors that I never really knew, but when he drew a line and told me that "wait, you're in Leopard", I heaved a huge sigh of relief.

            Still, I was tagged along with the other Ninja folks. I heard that was hell from Yee Jek and gang, but I persisted into telling myself, "If so many others could survive BMT, so would I." And in that, I was screamed at to try my new boots (which I had no idea how to wear) and shoes and what not, and asked whether I needed any sizes. I could see the fear in the others' eyes. But strangely, I wasn't sure I felt the same way. It was more of a falsified sense of bravado, one that dared me to challenge him to say, "okay, I can do this, you can't break me." But the challenge never came, and I just merely ended up being patient. And this was the attitude that led me to survive Army. By being patient, by learning to 忍, with a fervent belief that life could never tear me apart. By this, I found an unknown sense of solitude and strength that I never felt in me before. Maybe it was me growing up.

            So when I finally joined my fellow Leopard clan in the evening during RO, I told myself that it was going to get better. And it did. My time in Leopard was never a time of senseless tekan, as with what my fellow peers in Orion or Ninja were going through, but it was still a time where we were adjusting to the strict regimentation of BMT. This was where people like Jon Tay (Bunk IC!) and Bing Yang (the cool NCC dude that taught us how to polish boots and the finer points of regimentation in Army) and the clueless Vikram and the act smart friendly joker Zheng Da and the nice lovely big guy Sheng Kun with Alan (Chi An the nice nice MP) and Wai Neng (the fucking zai OCS stud) were bought together with people like me (and my blur as hell bed buddy, Timothy) together as a small family and section that stuck together for 9 weeks. And of course, who can forget the ever-smiling, can-never-be-fierce-no-matter-how-hard-he-try Sgt Yong Yuan (affectionately known as YY).

            We were a section not known for being outstanding (and churning out OCS graduates *cough*), but we still stuck together in a friendly, understanding and amicable manner that saw us through the best and worse of BMT. My enciks, ever so funny-in-their-army kinda way, And that told me something simple - that Army Leadership needn't need be about yelling and scaring the shit out of anyone to get your point across. This was a lesson in leadership that saw me taking this as a crucial part in army. No matter how unreasonable, mean or stubborn a person is, be firm in standing up for your principles in a cool-headed person without inspiring fear in your followers.

Soon enough, we left and we POP-ed. And we (me and Hans, my 'stick-with-me-since-kindergarten" buddy) left for the far west, in an ulu camp called Pasir Laba camp. I remember the day where Dad drove me and Hans there, and Dad was talking about his old army days in the old SISPEC, the current BCTC camp. We saw we were posted to Hotel Company. "Yikes," I told myself. This was the company that ah tee told me was very hellish. "My good days were numbered."

Thankfully, it wasn't to be. I was put in a real nice place (even though we were on the top floor !#@$*) called Platoon 3 Section 2. I met the ever friendly (Chan) Yi Sheng, who was always so friendly but so serious and tough and determined in his dreams to see him go to OCS. And of course, his counterpart/bed buddy, the Lim (Yi Sheng) who's attitude was umm…. let's just say it took some getting useful. But if there's anything he taught me, it was that thing about having the courage to take a stand, have an opinion and making it known to people was not a wrong thing no matter where you are, even in the army. He certainly had the balls to do that (so much so that he walked around naked to the toilet after bathing every night - always secretly suspected that he took after Riduan). And Riduan, the garang leader of the pack and ADF regular who had so much to teach us freshies. He was a true master of soldiering and always had the patience to guide us every step of the way. And Victor Leung (the Hongkee who was always so nice and eager to listen to everyone), Daoyuan (the damn damn nice and patient Medic who always tended to others first before himself), Pak Chuen (who ended back in SISPEC somehow), Naz (the cool Mat with the big dick, as always mentioned to me by Zi Xuan), and Zi Xuan, who eventually became my PC. And who can forget Marcus, the butt of our many jokes and being the bunk's source of entertainment (thanks to his guitar, but also no thanks to his awful singing).

All of you made my life in BSLC an exceptional one, even though I was a pretty clueless soldier myself. (Just look at me during NAVEX, where I eventually just resigned myself to carrying the signal set, haha.)

            The next stage of my NS life eventually carried on, and saw me and Hans being posted out to somewhere even more ulu mooloo, so much so that it didn't even show up in Dad's street directory in his car. "Sungei Gedong?! Where the hell is that siah?!" I remember Hans exclaiming to me as we walked out dragging our duffel bags.

            And we ended up in the next and final stage of trainee life, the 23 weeks in AISL. I was first to admit that I didn't particularly fit in in my section, but I was particularly thankful to Wen Jian, with our long hours sharing his iPod to tell me how good and how awesome Alexandra Burke was, and his astute fascination of Brit Pop that made me discover it once more. I also can never forget my honey bear Abelo, who's a SC in 40SAR with me right now, for being my bed buddy and being so nice, patient and ever-helpful with whatever nonsense I had to deal with as the section's driver. I remember my VC, Yeong Chuan, for being a generally cool guy (except when he blows his top at Yi Jie) and his friendly outspoken self with wacky ideas on how to whack KKM. And the loudest, most wayang guy who's everyone's friend in the section, the love-him-or-hate-him Lim Jing Kai, who's astute obsession with cleanliness always leads others to attempt to sit on his bed, just for fun. The uncomfortable closeness which he held with Wen Jian was disconcerting at times (which led to certain, ahem, gossip), but looking back, their chemistry was, arm, cute to say the least.

            And perhaps the guy to which I was closest to (who OOCed in the end, sadly) was Daniel, who made me read even more voraciously (especially with regards to Modern Lit) with the likes of Samuel Beckett, my intellectual mentor offering a glimpse into the exciting, dark world of the literary arts that he loves. I love Watchmen like never before because of that. Thank you for all the runs and the long talks, knowing that you loved photography too was also cool. And yes, you are really this awesomely cool guy because I've never met anyone who builds his own weapons. I can never forget the dynamic Indian duo Aarommal and Aravind for their cock-a-nathan antics and lame jokes, and the smoking JJ who always reactions to situations always provoked a laugh or two. And yeah, my BOBBY who also OOCed cause of his pinkie. I'll never forget your whimsy laugh. You'll always be my "husband".

            There are too many people that I knew in AISL, especially amongst Platoon 4, with such a, err, FANTASTICALLY BRILLIANT PC, KINKY QUEK. And of course, it was always brilliantly amusing for him to be pitted against the equally fantastically caustic (but epitome of bad-ass encik) Warrant Khoo, who's initials really lived up to the way he treated us in AISL. We'll never forget when he laughed when his brilliant counterpart KK was teaching us about what to do when encountering Arty bombardments (DUCK IN VEHICLE!) and how to out flank another platoon when deep down the valley (CLIMB THE CLIFFS, CHIONG AND WHACK THEM!) much to our utter amusement.

            I'll never forget the wet and cold days huddled in the toner against blazing chilly winds in Fengshan, as I'll never forget the time where we almost lost (an ammo chute?) that caused us to come down at 3AM in the morning at the vehicle shed with poor L-CSM Yeong Chuan in pushup position all the way. I'll never forget the injustices of the mean KKM for confining us for something that totally wasn't warranted (especially in my case) in Taiwan, and threatening to court martial us. I'll never forget the prone-with-thrash-bag-and-blame-section-1-who-stuck-it-on-my-LBV QKK who made us do the platoon battle course again in the heavy, muddy rain. And I'll never forget my section instructor, Master (now 3WO) Tan for confining us for losing camo net pegs and all his weirdly cool kick-ass demeanor as our instructor, for teaching us to learn everything properly (especially setting up of camo nets). :)

I know that there would be so many other experiences that I would have liked to share in my final stage of my trainee life, but I would just rattle on endlessly (which you would not be interested in reading). But I learnt, beyond the lessons that I was taught, that working in army and leading in army are utterly different things. The former is easy, but the latter is hard, knowing what your men would have to go through to do things the proper way, knowing that sometimes, your stubborn superiors would never understand the hardships you go through and go utterly unappreciated.

I am proud to have gone through AISL with my course mates, even those not in my platoon, like the very friendly Eldwin and Tze Heng and peculiarly diva-drama-mama Royce, because we went through thick and thin together, and something immeasurably fruitful was formed - the implicit understanding that this son of singapore when through the exact same shit you went through, forming this strange sense of empathy and brotherhood towards him, because you know and you shared this experience. I felt I really understood what was camaraderie then.

            No one could ever prepare for the day that I passed out and went over to this new, obscure camp called Keat Hong camp (even more ulu!). I felt like I was in BMT all over again, eagerly anticipating, especially with all the hearsay on how the 2nd year soldiers were gonna makan me and stuff like that. Of course, being a paranoid JC kid didn't help, especially when one didn't know how to deal with all the "ah beng" types. It just seemed terribly scary - for the general idea was, if you didn't know how to deal with them, you ended up becoming their slave of some sorts.

            So I got into 40SAR, and I was surprised at the level of regimentation even after what we went through as a course as cadets. I remember that everyone didn't want to go into Cougar at all, saying that the CSM very siong and fierce and everything. So I guess I counted my blessings when I got into Archer. Relax siol. And thankfully I had a PC that was an eager beaver, very willing to help, Mr Fu Shixi, especially when it came to me just railing and bitching about vehicle related stuff. And I can never forget the ever-perky and mr popular baba Gerald (which he was amongst the drivers). They made me feel at ease that they have my back in case anything happens, as I felt that I was a clueless spec right then, blur-like-sotong, dunno what to do.

            Then came my section. I remember the paranoia in me, and my section instructor telling me that I had to be strict with them or else. So I never remembered me talking very much at all in the first 3 weeks, trying as hard to maintain that poker face as far as possible. So it was funny, with me trying to formulate a coherent strategy to deal with you guys and stuff.

            Until I met someone. A senior who was a sergeant last time in NS. He told me, "Why Bother? They are all sons of Singapore. Treat them like you would treat any normal Singaporean - because they are your brothers in arms." So I told myself that I would be myself, and treat them like I would treat any normal person. They aren't your subordinates in a faceless money-eating workplace, but people you die with on the warfront. It turned out to be so right. From the day I tried to confine those who fell in late for breakfast (including ah geow and vincent, haha) I told myself that I wasn't going to be subjecting myself to mindless tekan sessions, and I was to maintain a strictly professional attitude to getting things done.

            Instructions, I told myself, must be as specific as possible, objectives must be set and stuff got done like a breeze. For that, I have my troopers to thank for, including my quite lazy driver, Junhong. Knowing that you always want to cut some corner or what, people have complained that I spoiled you too much - but I believe I haven't. I just wanted to "buy you over" by giving you some space, so that you would, realize things that would have needed to be done on your own sake. Self-initiative was what I wanted to guys to learn, and for that, i never once wanted to come down hard to shout at people to do this, to do that. That was never my style, and it never will be.

            So thank you Zheng Xian, for being the best 2IC in the battalion, seriously. For taking so much time on your own initiative to see what needed to be done and to mobilize people when needed. I think I wouldn't know what to do without you. So thank you Dun Yang, his loyal sidekick, despite all your suan-ings at me, I still appreciate your effort and your well-meaning intentions every single day. So thank you Eugene, for always helping out on your own goodwill every outfield, especially when it comes to mounting the BA kits for the weapons. So thank you Yuan Shan, for being cooperative and ever-ready to lend a helping hand, especially when it comes to setting up Camo nets. So thank you my mini-hulk Yi Kun, for always asking me "so 有什么要帮忙的吗" and doing all the carrying of stores and stuff - the sai-kang that no one wanna do. So thank you my most garang medic William, who's constant supply of snacks every outfield made this a little more bearable. Thank you guys - would have never done it without you.

            Time passed by quickly in 40SAR. I'm so happy to have made friends with so many wonderful people too. Event after event, I remember everything - from the time I went up a bridge during AOAC to the time my vehicle got stuck in soft mud at an angle of 50 degrees in the middle of the night where i had to break track with poor jun hong. I remember the 3 times where my vehicle broke down in Wallaby, the agony of us being stranded outfield when knowing our engine exploded. I remember the blazing blue skies of R5, the miserable rain in R5 and AOAC at night, the utterly exhausted self just collapsing in my cupola. I remember the lonely cool of the starry skies when we had to continue with night missions with Yang Rong comms-ing people over the CVC, and the extra fun exercise golden sand with our massive barrage of snacks in each vehicle. I remember the first time we did 100 hour servicing with all the drivers and the smell of my number 4 reeking of SAE40. From the zombie like selves washing the vehicles at the washing bay with only 1 pathetic hose after section live firing to the pulling up of drains and digging up mud at the ATI washing bay with CSM, I remember them all - with too many memories to spare. Thank you everyone for being part of this memory, for I am proud to have walked this NS journey of mine with you.

            I would have never gone through all this without the help of all my colleagues. Special mentions go out to Jia Hong, my 2IC that got suay stay nominated by me, for proactively helping out with everything and noticing my stressed faces whenever I'm like such. Liang Zhou, for being the ever-caring CQ (OMG I THINK I STILL HAVEN'T RETURN YOU MY IRON PICKETS!) always there to provide a listening ear, and the battalion's cutest sergeant Niggerlers with his "Yarly and Nani?" for dishing out a word of sensible advice or two whenever I needed it. Thank you Yang Rong, for the many HTHTs that took place outside the armskote or whenever. I learnt a lot about being a leader from your fine example and the way you look at things. You are a truly selfless leader in always wanting to put others first before yourself, a leader with fine conviction and cause. Thank you, my retarded and fun bunk mates, Ee Hong, Bernard (sorry mannnn), Tse Siong and the ever-cool DJ Hu with your huge package you're so proud of.

            You guys made living and working with platoon 2 the best, especially with berd always somehow ta-ing all the sai-kang. (DAMNNNN!) But you guys always help out and understand my positions whenever I'm too tired to think (which I whine so every time). and the lengthy debates against mr berd - who can forget us arguing till late at night. Lip Young's epic caustic humor, Honey Bear's sweetness and cute laughter, Chee Yang's fun sarcasm and chemistry with Mr Nic, Zhi En's "HUH? its okay, relax man" and many pats on the shoulder, Colin's diligence in duty planning, Kenny's nice and generous offers and HTHTs with him - thank you for everything.

Of course, I would never forget my senior commanders. From the (very fan) master wong who always likes to call me at odd hours and at odd times, to my OC and chillax 2IC, to the da niu CSM - thanks for all the guidance and instruction, especially for such a heavy appointment like mine. The never-stop-trying CSM of mine that I admire his "determined self"; the approachable OC and CPT Edwin who never fails to score one point against me - thank you for guiding us. We would never have moved an inch without you guys pushing us to get things done.

My life in 40SAR taught me just one simple thing - that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, each person matters in making bigger things happen. The power of people. No matter how brilliant you are you maybe at planning, no matter how efficient or hardworking you are next to everyone, you are just going to be an unappreciated, tired out creature that's chucked to one corner. What counts is the journey to doing it - the smiles, laughter and fond memories you share with your colleagues, men and superiors that accompany you through it every simple step of the way. The journey matters more than the eventual destination.

*Gun is an imitation (toy gun!)*

My time in NS was a time where things moved fast, and time moved faster. They say that this journey is each Singaporean male's crusade into manhood. I don't think so. I just think that after this stage of my life as a Singaporean, I grew up seeing more, learning more and experiencing what it means to juggle the chains of responsibility with freedom to spread my wings as a little man out in this great big world.

Innsbruck : Staying in the Heart of Old Innsbruck

2011-12-01T08:19:00.001+08:00

17th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Innsbruck, Austria.
The Weisses Kreuz is a 3-Star Hotel located at the heart of Old Innsbruck along Herzog Friedrich Street. Just a few steps away from the iconic Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), the Austrian Gasthaus Hotel is a perfect place to explore Innsbruck.

The hotel itself is more than 400 years old, dating back to the 15th century as an inn. Like the some of the hotels and landmarks in Austria, the Weisses Kreuz owed part of its fame to the legendary composer and musician, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who stayed at the Weisses Kreuz in 1769.

The hotel’s charming interior is beautifully decorated with furniture and ornaments of distinct regional flavor. We stayed in a Classic Room on the upper floors where we could get a nice view of the surrounding mountains and the Goldenes Dachl.

The room’s amenities are rather limited, there is no kettle or an air-conditioner, you had to open the windows in order to get some ventilation and hence, it could get very cold at night and noisy as are a cafes and restaurants were located downstairs. Nonetheless, beds were comfortable and the toilet was in good working condition.

Breakfast is the main highlight of this historic gasthof in the heart of Innsbruck, the first meal of the day begins in one of the beautiful Tiroler Stuben in the guesthouses. My favourite is the Tiroler Stube because the window seat has a view of the Goldenes Dachl and the mountains as backdrop.

Unlike your usual western breakfast fare, there are no fried eggs, omelette or scrambled eggs but only boiled eggs which comes with a specially designed plate.

Breakfast consisted mostly of cold cuts, fruits, cereals, cheese, muesli and various kinds of bread.

It is an interesting departure from the usual breakfast fare and with such awesome setting, I would love to have a longer breakfast if not for the short time we had in Innsbruck.

The Weisses Kreuz may not provide top-notch facilities but it more than makes up for it with its friendly service, convenient location and gorgeous setting.

Hotel Weisses Kreuz

Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 31
A-6020 Innsbruck / Altstadt

Tel.: +43 512 59479
Fax: +43 512 5947990

Curry on!

2011-11-29T22:55:00.001+08:00

29th November 2011. Written by Vinleon

So there has been a public outcry of how McDonald's curry sauce is no longer the same as before.

Now before you start freaking out, calm your tits; it tastes ALMOST the same as the previous curry sauce. Only the most discerning of tastebuds would be able to tell the difference (the rest is psychological, maybe due to the change in packaging and/or the sudden interest in scrutinising the ingredients).

I have one surviving curry sauce (of the previous variant), so I took the plunge (no pun intended) to do a comparison.

Ingredients
Just read it off the picture above, please.

Appearance
The older variant has a deeper brown, with higher concentration of 'red bits'. In comparison, the new one is lighter in colour, and has a slightly more watery consistency.

Taste
The former tastes a little more spicy, has a bit more tang to it, while the current one has a faint soy taste, and is perhaps a little blander.

The bottomline
Unless you taste both sauces side-by-side, you probably wouldn't notice the difference, just like you won't really notice the difference between a Samsung and a Sony TV till you put them side-by-side. Even if you do notice the difference, you'll eventually get used to it. Honestly, it's not too bad. But of course, spicy is always preferred, and I'm all for the good old curry sauce.

Makeshake. Suck hard, people.

2011-11-28T15:49:00.003+08:00

Written by Mu Yao, Photos by Xin Li.

We decided to drop by to visit a new up and coming milkshake concept store, selling... milkshakes, under the invitation of Daphne Ng, one of the founders of the store.

Selling freshly made milkshakes with fresh ice-cream kept no more than 2 days in a row, this places it in direct competition to "Once Upon A Milkshake". Tah-dah. Will this young upstart be able to stand up to this formidable rival, having many won over critical accolades amongst the intensely bitchy foodie blogosphere?

Having tasted Once Upon A Milkshakes offerings quite some time ago amidst all the fanfare, I have to report that while it is better than the "sweetened powder-shakes" of Macdonalds, I haven't been won over.

In fact, I haven't been won over ever since that milkshake I had in some anonymous deli down some corner of Chelsea when I went over to NYC in 2004. And I had a milkshake in the middle of winter. It was thick, creamy, not too artificially sweet, wholesome and most importantly, fresh. To say the least, I haven't been convinced by the chances of having a good milkshake in Singapore, where even the established heavyweight of BillyBombers doesn't live up to the hype. Good milkshakes are, to me, a heavy, sinful indulgence of loving, comforting creamy thick sweetness that you don't get sick of.

In fact, I recall I had some Maple thing there once (yeah, he was some cartoon character on the menu). There's this brilliant chi-chi cute chic thing that OUAM is so capable of (especially when you look at their design of their outlets and everything), buying so many kids over. Make shake's less of that I feel, more of the shake (although they do tell you to suck hard, and they sell shakes colder than your ex's heart).

Okay, on to the shakes. I had this "Champion's Breakfast" (Bottom Right), which was granola, maple syrup and raisins blended into a shake. Sounded pretty interesting, though I wasn't sure granola was one of those things that could be associated with a milkshake. A protein shake maybe, but not a milkshake. It tasted very promising at first, with the smoky sweetness of the maple syrup complete with the faint (very, faint) taste of raisins with this rich creaminess and none of the powder crap that protein shakes taste like.

But later on, once I swallowed, the granola bits kinda got stuck in my throat, which made it kind of itchy. Not a feeling that I would like to associate myself having with when drinking a milkshake. Then the maple syrup, because of coagulation (due to the cold temperature of the shake), kept getting stuck in my teeth. So hmmm. Before you jump over to OUAM anyway, let me just point out that they don't seem to do any better.... although it kinda does taste better with cereal. Hmmm.

Another that I had was the "Strawberries and Cream" - the so-called safe choice. They use cream cheese and fresh strawberries for this one, and the taste of the strawberries was pretty fresh and perky, with a slight tinge of tartness to balance out the whole sweet creamy experience of a shake. That being said, perhaps it was a little too much, for I seemed not to taste any strong dairy flavor of the cream cheese as well. But - never the less, this was a good shake, a good take for being a fresh, slightly-more-fruity-than-usual shake than most "sweet and nice and creamy and that's about it" shakes that are on the market. Perhaps a stronger cream cheese could have made this shake an even more credible one than it already is. Compared with OUAM's variant, this is more tart, if you like the nice strawberry ice cream kinda sweet kind of shake - go for OUAM's version.

The last shake I had was the one that took the cake - it was a custom blend of "Earl Grey Tea and Butterscotch Candy" (aka Wether's Original). It was like caramel/butterscotch milkshake at first, then the earl grey set in. Lovely tinge of balance that rounded up the whole shake. I would come back for seconds actually, because this shake isn't too heavy on the palette. This was a pretty brilliant suggestion from Daphne, who should seriously throw this on as part of a permanent offering.

So, conclusion: they really do have good shakes, I think, better than OUAM's offering (in which they go for the more, overwhelmingly rich and sweet and nothing else kind). Whereas OUAM's shakes do show that sinful decadence that's associated with having a milkshake well, Makeshake's offerings take it one step further, by showing that the little thing inside what you drink can all come out to show off their little flavours of their own, in your own little shake that's a little special, and a little you.

They are now having this "Make Your Shake" promotion that is currently on their website.

For more information, click here.

Makeshake

#B2-K2/K11, City Square Mall

10AM-10PM Daily

www.makeshake.com.sg

their Facebook

Da Paolo Ristorante : Delicious Italian Cuisine

2011-11-28T09:44:00.001+08:00

25th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Hidden away in a quaint part of Holland Village and complete with architecture that is decades old. Jalan Merah Saga not only offers a respite from the bustling and crowded urban jungles of Singapore but also offers a quiet dining spot with plenty of greenery.

One such restaurant is the Da Paolo Ristorante managed by the Da Paolo Group founded by Paolo and Judie Scarpa in 1989 and is being ran together with Francesca Scarpa, Andrea Scarpa as well as Guillaume Pichoir. The family-run business also include the Da Paolo Gastronomia, a deli offering convenient and easy to prepare gastronomic delights as well as Da Paolo Dolci, specializing in Italian sweets.

Surrounded by exuberant greenery and flanked by an elegant display of Venetian glassware on one side and featuring a distinctive wicker wall feature that wraps around the whole ceiling, the Da Paolo Ristorante at Holland Village feels like a resort.

Helmed by Chef Gleb Snegin, a Russian chef who has cooked in Italy and China for at least a decade, one could expect not only classic Italian dishes but also innovative creations on the menus of Da Paolo Ristorante.

Our epicurean journey at Da Paolo begun with a glass of Rossini, a subtle mixture of Prosecco and strawberries. It was a light bubbly cocktail with a hint of sweet and sour strawberry flavor.

Next, we had the Caprese (16.00 SGD) featuring a creamy yet firm and smooth ball of buffalo mozzarella together with basil leaves and Belgian cherry tomatoes which was chosen for its sweetness. An excellent match, I love the texture of the buffalo mozzarella and how it the basil leaves adds depth to the flavours and the sweet, juicy Belgian tomatoes reduced the heaviness of the creamy mozzarella. A delectable starter indeed!

The good food doesn’t end there, the Prosciutto Crudo e Melone (20.00 SGD), Italian parma ham and rock melon is a simple but savoury dish only achievable with premium ingredients. The finely sliced Parma ham paired nicely with the sweet rock melon. Da Paolo took great effort to ensure the quality of their Parma ham.

Cappesante alle Erbe e Brandy (24.00 SGD), sautéed scallops with brandy and herbs were quite good too, the scallops are rather huge.

We were also fortunate to sample a special dish, Uova Strapazzate e Tartufo Bianco (45.00 SGD), scrambled eggs with white truffle, from the White Truffle Menu. Known as the "diamonds of the kitchen", these gems gives the scrambled eggs an ambrosial aroma. The accompanying sauce is quite creamy, quite a heavy dish for breakfast.

Pastas are almost inseparable from our idea of Italian Cuisine, and you could find several classics and quirky ones from Da Paolo’s menus as well. First up is the Tagliatelle al Granchio (26.00 SGD). This creamy crabmeat pasta is flavorful with the right amount of crabmeat flavor. Sometimes, crabmeat pastas can have an unpleasant brackish flavor but you can find none of that in Da Paolo. Personally, I enjoyed this pasta a lot although I think some might feel that the crabmeat flavor could have been stronger (personal preference I guess). There is also a non-cream version available.

The Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (26.00 SGD), Squid Ragout, Black Squid Ink is a must try in Da Paolo Ristorante. This dish was initially made for the poor people in Venice as it was made with the unwanted scraps of squid, just like how Noh transformed from folk performance to a form of high art in Japan, this dish has become a popular dish in fine dining establishments. At Da Paolo, the squid ink was obtained by squeezing out the ink from fresh squids then blended with vegetables to give flavor before it was being tossed with the ragout of squid. Messy and unglamorous it may be for fine dining, it is delicious!

Nowhere to be found on the menu as it was a daily special, the Smoked Eggplant Penne originated from Southern Italy, the homeland of our host, Mr Roberto Gagliardi, Head of Operations for Da Paolo Ristorante. The pasta has a distinct but pleasant smoky flavor (similar to BBQ). The fresh tomato sauce goes very well with the juicy smoked eggplant. Yummy!

By the way, all these pastas at Da Paolo were all made in-house!

Ossubuco alla Milanese con Purea di Patate (32.00 SGD), Braised veal shank with mashed potatoes reminded me of the Mercer Pie I had in London. The veal shank was very tender and went harmoniously with the fine potato mash.

On to the desserts, Tiramisu is rather popular and I could taste why, it was heavenly. The alcohol level is just nice and I could pick up the coffee flavor as well. An all-rounded Tiramisu (10.00 SGD), ladyfingers, coffee, egg yolk, mascarpone cheese, marsala, valrhona cacao is worth coming back for.

Bonet Piemontese e Gelato (12.00 SGD), Classic Piedmont Amaretto Chocolate Dessert with Chocolate Ice Cream is a very rich and heavy dessert. It is like a Italian fusion of the chocolate mousse and crème brulee. Piedmont is located in Northern Italy, bordering Switzerland to the north and France to the west.

Crespelle Agli Agrumi (12.00 SGD), reminded me of Crepes Suzette. This is really good though, the crepes were served warm and was very addictive with the cold but light Blood Orange Sorbet.

Pannacocco e Lamponi (12.00 SGD) is a creation of Chef Gleb Snegin made for the Singapore palate, it was made using coconut milk and served with fresh raspberries. Unlike the actual Pannacotta, this has a firmer texture. According to both Chef Gleb Snegin and Mr Roberto, the “authentic” pannacotta varies from region to region in Italy and its name is translated into “cooked cream”. Often, it is soft and creamy with balsamic vinegar drizzled over it.

Paolo’s Tea and Coffee menu featured Bristot Coffee which was imported from Italy. However I decided to have one of their interestingly named teas instead. The Desert Flowers is a fragrant concoction of cactus and aloe vera “with sweet notes of sunflower”, a mildly sweet and soothing tea to our epicurean journey at Da Paolo Ristorante.

Da Paolo Ristorante also offers 3-course set lunches ranging from 24++ to 32++ SGD and you could also dine at Club Street if you want somewhere closer to town (however the menu would be slightly different).

If you would like to have wine pair with your food, Da Paolo has a collection of Italian wines (except for French Champagne) featuring at leasy 97 labels. The wines were being sourced by a dedicated wine scout in Italy and Mr Roberto Gagliardo tastes them before narrowing down the selection to be brought into Singapore. Like the menus, the wine collection and food menu are being changed now and then to offer exciting new choices.

Thank you Samuel Wong and Tecks Chia from Clout Communications for inviting the4Moose to the tasting session at Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village) and many thanks to Mr Roberto Gagliardo, Chef Gleb Snegin and the staff for the great hospitality.

Da Paolo Ristorante (Holland Village)
44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56
Telephone: +65 6476 1332

Opening Hours:
Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Opens Daily.

Da Paolo Ristorante (Club Street)
80 Club Street
Telephone: +65 6224 7081

Opening Hours:
Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Closed for Saturday Lunch, all Sundays and Public Holidays before February 2012.
After February 2012: Opens Daily.

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice 海南起骨鸡饭

2011-11-27T14:47:00.001+08:00

24th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Located at the basement of the Golden Mile Food Centre, this chicken rice stall seemed rather popular. If you plan to dine in there is 50 cent surcharge because they will serve the food to you instead of making stand and wait at the stall (unless you are sitting on the second floor).

Despite the long wait, I felt that it was all worth it. The chicken meat was very tender and wasn’t too fatty like Tian Tian and rice was fragrant and nicely cooked. Everything seemed to strike the right chords for me. This is a chicken rice I would like to have again in the future. The rice cost 2.50 SGD and 3.00 SGD for large.

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (Golden Mile Food Centre)
505 Beach Road
#B1-35 Golden Mile Food Centre

Tel: 6298 6270
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 11.30am-9pm
Closed on Sun

black@Hitachi Tower

2011-11-27T14:30:00.001+08:00

17th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
One of the places I went to study (because home is so full of temptations) was black coffee dessert bar located at the Hitachi Tower.

It seemed to be a rather popular café among the people working around the area and expatriates which is not surprisingly as the stuff here are relatively affordable compared to Starbucks or tcc.

The Cappuccino (5.00 SGD) has a pleasant smoky finish and the milk froth was puffy.

Tried the Scone (2.50 SGD) which comes with packet jam and butter was being warmed up for you upon order. While the scone was crumbly on the outside, I felt the inside was too moist or raw.

As it is rather popular with the people working at Raffles Place, expected to find the place to be noisy and crowded during the peak hours, it is only slightly better after lunch with most of the patrons having coffee over discussion of work.

black@Hitachi Tower

16 Collyer Quay #01-11/12,
Hitachi Tower, Singapore 049318
+65 6534 4220

Mon-Fri, 7am to 9pm

Voilah! : Exploring the French Marché

2011-11-25T22:24:00.001+08:00

24th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Thinking of where to source for ingredients for a French Dinner Party or seeking inspiration for a culinary display this December?

Then you must go visit the French Marche this weekend!

The French Marche, an indoor gourmet market featuring various food products from France from wines to cheese is organizing some activities along with the sale of food products from the various regions of France.

Organized as part of Voilah! The French Festival Singapore 2011. Visitors to the French Marche will get the chance to see Chef Julien Bompard demonstrating how to prepare Beef Bourguinon or if you have a sweet tooth, you could also listen to an introduction of the macaroons, the melt-in-your-mouth heavenly elixir from France. The introduction is by Chateau-Blanc, a patisserie related to the renowned Laduree in France.

Carrefour in Suntec is selling these petite pieces of nirvana for only 10.90 SGD for a box of 12 mini macaroons!

Besides Macaroons, you have got to try the myriad of olive oils by the Little Provence. The Garlic and Thyme Olive Oil as well as the Basil and Olive Oil served as the perfect dips for bread. Consider having this for your late night snack instead!

French Marche
21st to 27th of November 2011
10 am to 10 pm
Admission is Free!

Plaza Singapura
Main Atrium, Level 1
68 Orchard Road

Voilah! Off The Wall Street Art Exhibition - A Retrospective

2011-11-24T14:08:00.005+08:00

Written by Mu Yao, Photos by Xin Li.

Xin Li, Vinleon and I had the lovely privilege of attending the "Off The Wall" opening launch, which was held at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (Artspace @ Helutrans) somewhere last last Saturday. Proudly presented by Fortune Cookie Projects (from Singapore) and Wall Works Galerie (from France), this exhibition brings the urban street art (graffiti and the like) to the gilded high realms of the walls of an art gallery. It was a pretty interesting urban art experience that presented the raw, gritty and wildly expressive nature of these street artists in an all new setting - on new mediums like canvas instead of spray paints on walls.\

I wasn't particularly intrigued by the idea of graffiti taking to gallery walls in the first place, to be honest. Perhaps my experience with urban art has always been one where it was viewed with this snobby cynicism, especially in draconian Singapore. Where else does vandalism get punished so heavily? (cue Oliver Fricker and SMRT trains). And perhaps, my experience with graffiti has never been more of the O$P$ kind at the odd HDB flat, or the odd little graphic placed at some obscure back alley, or the seemingly obfuscatory graphic that resembles nothing but a fancified, kick-ass signature on those walls of Haji Lane. Still, I was pleasantly surprised, not only with that valiant sense of bravado these group of artists took to the stage (or walls, in this case) in presenting this exhibition, but also the expressive, rich quality that resounded in some of these works.

Being treated to a live art demonstration of graffiti in action.

Take French Artist Fenx, for example. His work has a oddly comic pop-art quality that resemble Lichtenstein, but with a stronger sense of satire on the way he views life around him. Certainly there's no politicization about this, but unlike other "high art" normally found in galleries, this has a strong sense of personality and experience about him, not just an "aesthetic" kind of style, but a deeper personal voice that resounds through the choice and portrayal of subjects. Another artist, Sonic, from the USA, features the same personal voice in his exposition of urban loneliness, dereliction with his paintings. Closer to home, we have Antz, a Singaporean artist that fuses a strong sense of asian aesthetic in the largely Western art form of graffiti. Introducing elements of Chinese Calligraphy in his work, his depiction of funny, weird-looking, eccentric beings certainly is quite a different experience from a typical work that you may find in those chi-chi galleries.

Antz' Work

Easily accessible to all?

All in all, as an art exhibition, it is heartening to see that there is so much life and zest to have come out of these works. Not only coupled with a strong sense of personal voice, the refreshing sincerity through the rawness of each work comes to life when it attempts to portray certains thoughts of society and urban life - a subject rich in its own right. And for that vigorous effort, I have nothing but encouragement for these edgy urban artists.

We were also lucky to have tasted the acclaimed Julien Bompard's creations, whose colorful hors d'oeuvres were snapped up by a hungry crowd of art viewers.

The warm reception of Julien Bompard's Creations

This event may have been over, but there are also exciting offerings as part of the Voilah! French Festival Singapore. Talking about art specifically, you can check out the Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d'Orsay, Paris held at the National Museum Of Singapore. More about it here.

A special mention and thank you to Tecks Chia from Clout Communications for allowing us to attend this event.

Hainanese Beef Noodles @ Kheng Fatt

2011-11-21T00:12:00.001+08:00

13th November 2011. Eaten by Xin Li and Mu Yao.
Tasty and hearty Hainanese noodles. I like the dry version with its flavoursome beef flavours and generous serving of ingredients. It is on the oily side and can be slightly heavy on the palate. A squeeze of lime juice seemed to offset that though.

Mu Yao had the soup version. He seemed satisfied with his noodles.

Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles

#01-89 Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road,
Singapore 199583

Recipes for Cakes

2011-11-20T09:44:00.001+08:00

15th November 2011. Eaten by Xin Li.
Recipes Bistro, previously known as Charcoal is managed by Shatec Institutes. It is where the students of the Shatec institutes get to hone their culinary to service skills. Attracted by their 5.00++ SGD High Tea Set, we decided to pop in for some coffee.

The bistro uses Boncafe coffee so if you are looking for gourmet coffee, just head over to Espressoul next door. The high tea set comes with a choice of coffee or tea with a slice of cake.

I had the Opera Cake while my friend had the Strawberry Shortcake.

The Opera Cake fared better in terms of flavor. Perhaps the bitterness of the chocolate helped to offset the saccharine cake a bit. Cracks on the chocolate coating of the Opera cake and a generally oily texture of the two cakes are the most glaring flaws.

Nonetheless, for the price and it being a bistro to train students, I am not expecting a Flor or Kki. Ambience is quite nice as you get to see the action on the street outside. However, it could be a little intimidating at times when you find the other end of the bistro crowding with the bistro crew. Service is okay, thumbs up for the well-informed waiter.

Recipes
a Bistro by Shatec

100 High Street
#01-03 The Treasury
Singapore 179434

Opening Time
Monday – Saturday: 9.00am – 10.00pm
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

Seafood for 2 @ Manhattan Fish Market

2011-11-20T09:04:00.001+08:00

17th November 2011. Eaten by Xin Li.
The Groupon deal came at the right time when I was craving for some seafood. The deal was for a Grilled Gala Platter for 2 at 21.10 SGD instead of 42.25 SGD (after taxes).

At first sight, the platter might look small for two but the appearance is pure deception. The Garlic Herb Rice and the choice of creamy sauces probably helped fill up our stomachs at the end of the meal. The platter came with tiger prawns, grilled fish fillets, calamari and mussels and seasoned fries.

While the calamari might be tender, it has this annoying outer skin. The mussels are quite addictive with the cheese and garlic sauce, the tiger prawns were tasteless but a bit pepper and lemon resolves this easily. Overall, I am rather satisfied with the meal but I am not quite sure if I would fork out 42.25 SGD for the grilled platter.

The service at Central was less than satisfactory in terms of efficiency. Attitude wise it was okay.

Manhattan Fish Market
Various Locations

Affordable Art Fair Singapore 2011

2011-11-18T08:14:00.001+08:00

17th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Looking for art for interior décor or simply interested in art? Why not head down to the Affordable Art Fair at the F1 Pitstop this weekend? The Affordable Art Fair begun in 1999 by Will Ramsay who wishes to make art accessible to everyone when Sotheby’s, Christie’s or that piece of real Picasso or Pollock are simply too expensive for our shallow wallets.

So art need not be expensive! The Affordable Art Fair featuring more than 50 exhibitors around the world from Singapore, to Spain provides a myriad of artworks for you to purchase and finish that missing bit in your room.

Artworks ranged from the loud and colourful Pop!

‘Food’ Art?

The abstract.

Sculpture.

The realist, these ‘photos’ were actually painted on ceramics.

Collage?

The whimsical.

Typographic works.

The intricate, this work exhibited by Yod Gallery, entitled “Kyoto” by Hiroshi Shinno is actually made of acrylic with synthetic resin.

Works with a sense of humour from Bleach Box

Or go for something subtle or elegant from Lakeer Gallery?

Or simply start an interesting conversation about art and interior décor with the many exhibitors there.

I am particularly interested in these photographs by Keith Macgregor featuring Singapore in 1978. You could find these works at Picture This Gallery.

There is even a Children’s corner for kids to have a go at art. Catering is provided by Prive Catering, a bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup cost about 3.50 SGD there.

The Affordable Art Fair Singapore cost 8 SGD for a single entry on SISTIC (10 SGD if purchased on the spot). Group of 4 package cost 25 SGD on SISTIC (Door Price: 30 SGD).

The art fair runs from:
18th November, Friday : 11 am to 6 pm, there is an Arty-Licious evening from 6 pm onwards featuring music and art performances. (SISTIC: 25 SGD for 1, 40 SGD for 2 | Door Price 30 SGD)
19th November, Saturday : 11 am to 8 pm
20th November, Sunday : 11 am to 6 pm
The art fair is held at the F1 Pitstop next to the Singapore Flyer.

Thank You Tecks from Clout Communications for the opportunity to attend the private viewing of Affordable Art Fair Singapore 2011.

Steak @ Kay's Fiery Grill Express

2011-11-17T09:17:00.001+08:00

30th September 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Craving for some beef, I had the Prime Black Peppered Steak (10.90 SGD) at Kay’s Fiery Grill Express, a local chain of western food stalls similar to Botak Jones. It was quite decent for a price cheaper than Astons.

I had the steak done medium rare (not the French medium rare) and it came without any issues. It came with side of potato mash (average) and vegetables. Sauce was tasty and the beef is slightly tender.

If you are looking for cheap western fare, you could try Kay’s Fiery Grill Express. Haven’t tried the rest, wonder how the chicken chops and fish items fare.

Kay's Fiery Grill Express

Blk 120 #01-67 Bishan St 12
S(570120)

Pratas and Briyani at Thohirah

2011-11-17T08:57:00.001+08:00

12th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
How can us not the pratas at Jalan Kayu since we were so near. And after spending half a day walking around Seletar, it seemed like a good way to treat ourselves. My friend recommended me to Thohirah Thai Muslim Seafood.

The service was very good and efficient. We were welcomed by a friendly waiter which made us feel at home. For a start, we had two plain pratas and two egg pratas.

The pratas are not the fluffy crispy variant and they were quite oily but still satisfying with the curry dip. I guess about personal preferences, I am fine with the pratas here for some reason (or perhaps I was very hungry).

The star of the meal has to go to the Mutton Briyani (6.50 SGD). The mutton was very tender and the rice was excellent. As with the pratas, the rice is slightly oily but I enjoyed the fragrance of the spices infused into the rice which paired very nicely with the tender and equally fragrant mutton.

For pratas and the biryani, the prices seemed a tad expensive.

Thohirah Thai Muslim Seafood

Address:
258 Jalan Kayu, Singapore

Tel: +65 6481 2009

24 Hours

Saycet and Friends

2011-11-14T14:11:00.001+08:00

8th November 2011. Written by Vinleon.
To be honest, I’ve never heard of any of the three bands that played (well I guess that’s why they are know as indie, not mainstream). Three bands, three distinct styles, three kinds of impression.

Actually it was rather confusing that the concert was named “Saycet and Friends”, because Saycet was one of the supporting acts to The White Shoes and The Couples Company. One would’ve thought that Saycet was the main act. Oh well, that’s besides the point.

In order of appearance:

Photo from: http://thatgoodstufflike123.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

Saycet

Hailing from France, Saycet is not your conventional drum-and-guitar kind of band.

“Warmly praised by Les Inrocks and Trax, the trio plays an unforgettable blend of experimental pop and electronica, matched with bewitching video projections.”

Saycet takes you on a stroll through dreamland, labyrinth or even back to your childhood with a variety of soundscapes. The dreamy, airy voice of the female lead occasionally adds lightness to the sometimes heavy instrumentation. The dazzling lights from their table tops and the “bewitching video projections” help prompt the unimaginative, bringing the audience from scene to scene with each twist and turn of a rhythm. Saycet’s mix of beats and rhythm is like a tour around an abstract art exhibition - you may not understand it, but you know it’s beautiful.

Photo from: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/musicscene/b-quartet-freedom-expression-20110305-222459-889.html

B-Quartet

The run-of-the-mill band set-up with a distinct style of their own, B-Quartet (from Singapore) defined music in their own ways.

“B-Quartet is a band that defies genres in search of a unique language, challenging conventions from concept to composition.”

They certainly did stay true to what they set out to establish. Instead of the tried and tested music formula, B-Quartet ventured into uncharted waters. For me, parts of the song sounded great, but the sum of these parts threaded together in a perhaps half-hearted fashion, almost incoherent manner made it sound sporadic. Instead of blending in “jazz with folk and rock accents”, each song sounded more like a sampler of a few genres, transiting from one genre to another within each 3-4 minute number. But their attempt at a rare 5/4 time signature for “A Dull Taste On My Tongue” left a lasting impression in me. B-Quartet’s brand of music is definitely one of acquired taste.

Photo from: http://kusircidomo.deviantart.com/art/White-Shoes-and-The-Couples-Co-173257379

The White Shoes and The Couples Company

Originating from Indonesia, The White Shoes and The Couples Company sings in both English and Bahasa Indonesia. They’ve been named one of the top 25 MySpace bands by Rolling Stone, had been featured in Times Magazine and showered with praise by Pitchfork (and of course, more from me). Oh by the way, did I mention they were all in white shoes?

“The White Shoes and The Couples Company blends 1960’s Burt Bacharach-inspired melodies with winsome indie pop to create a truly unique sound that brings us back to the 1970’s or even to the 1930’s, with charming, distinct melodies and orchestration.”

Their segment began with the drummer bringing it on with whimsical beats, and each of the other 5 members took their place on stage one-by-one, joining in the rhythm. Though I couldn’t make out the lyrics of the songs performed in Bahasa Indonesia, their joy was infectious. They stayed true to their own style and identity even when doing covers. Their simplicity, down-to-earth style could be represented (in my humble opinion) by the song “Brother John” (no, not the children’s song! And for some strange reason, the movie “200 Pound Beauty” popped in my head as the music progressed.) Their stage presence and charisma was impeccable. White shoes is, simply put, pure entertainment.

So, you missed out on the action. Don’t fret! There’s recourse for you! Catch UpToTheSky Festival, where Saycet, The White Shoes and The Couples Company and 14 other bands perform on 3^rd December 2011 at Old School! (Psst! The Great Spy Experiment would be there as well!)

There’s also a variety of fringe event going on that day (including a flea market), so do hit up the link for more information.

UpToTheSky Festival

Old School, 11 Mount Sophia

Singapore 228461

3rd December 2011

11.30am to 11pm

http://uptotheskyfestival.com/

Seletar - A Changed Landscape

2011-11-13T22:06:00.001+08:00

12th November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
My first visit to Seletar was during my NS days as a trainee in 2008. I remembering see a peaceful, quiet Seletar with colonial era buildings located along this long stretch of road as our bus made its way to the camp.

ASeletar is most well-known for its British air bases that were built around the late 1920s before the war and it has served as a civil airport for a brief period, seeing KLM, Qantas and British Imperial Airways planes landing on its runways for at least 7 years.

Fast forward to year 2011, like how Singapore changed from a “sleeping fishing village” to a “cosmopolitan city”…Within 3 years, Seletar has become a changed landscape as plans were in full swing to turn this sleepy, quaint, beautiful part of Singapore to an Aerospace Park to complement the aerospace activities at Changi. Today the newly renovated airport only operates chartered flights to places like Batam in Indonesia.

There are lots of traffic (human and vehicle) in this rather ulu part of Singapore now due to the massive construction works going on, spoiling the tranquility that once filled this landscape.

The black and white colonial bungalows along the roads branching outwards from Piccadilly Circus are private residences with a mishmash of colonial and resort style architecture with plenty of greenery and some odd looking Buddha head as a garden décor.

This is the area around Sussex Garden, Edgware Road, Maida Vale and Lambeth Walk area occupied by colonial style private residences. It is quite a peaceful place to have a leisurely stroll in the neighborhood.

While it is debatable whether the facelift given to these houses are “authentic”, these houses are a good example of Singapore’s transformed past like what we see in Kampong Glam and Chinatown.

As we walked towards the west of Seletar, we will come to the end of Lambeth Walk only to find the road leading to Baker Street being severed by the newly built Seletar Aerospace Drive.

Here you could see the newly renovated Seletar Airport in the background framed by the remnants of Seletar’s past – the Oval Estate and the abandoned houses of Old Birdcage Walk and Baker Street.

This seemed to be Singapore’s future, just think about the KTM station, the Ayer Rajah Camp, Changi Village and more recently, the Bukit Brown Cemetery. In our land scarce Singapore, it is natural to see such landscapes gone within a flash in the name of urban development.

The fate of Seletar now echoed the fates of Kampong Glam in the past, Kampong Bugis or Kampong Geylang…just to name a few. It might also be the fate of Bukit Brown in the future.

Back to Old Birdcage Walk, behind the two abandoned houses (all of which are nailed shut like a coffin and locked like a bank vault), you see their possible future: newly painted houses slated for commercial or residential uses. One of the newly renovated two-story structures is now an office for Executive Jets Asia.

Located opposite the greenbelt to the west of Baker Street is probably the most intact, recent remnants of Seletar, a cluster of houses forming the Oval Estate.

In here, it seemed like another world within Seletar, the intact gardens and houses and most importantly the serenity of this place only turns out to be a deception approached the houses on the western periphery of estate.

This rather large compound seemed like a club or some sort before it was being cleared out. The structure upstairs seemed to utilize alot of wood, the columns for example are purely wood even though they looked like thick concrete columns.

It even has a Gymasium.

Top: 2 Storey house with black framed sunshades and white wished walls trying to be a Black and White.

Corridors with beautiful lighting.

Wei Xiang at the Oval.

The construction site next door.

The construction next door comes into full view providing us a dramatic setting. You could see the Roll Royce areo engine facility and construction sites through the windows of a house probably dating back to the 1950s or 1920s earliest still surrounded by lush vegetation.

Around Seletar Camp and Piccadilly Circus, it seemed like business as usual. Military personnel, some with their iconic section commander bags and dressed in No.4 continue their daily routine of booking in and booking out amidst this changing landscape.

tcc - November Afternoon High Tea Set

2011-11-13T08:21:00.001+08:00

1st November 2011. Written by Xin Li.
I love the Afternoon High Tea Sets (12.90++ SGD) at the connoisseur concerto.

The afternoon high tea sets change monthly, is considerably cheaper than the ones in the hotels.

As usual the tea set came with scones which were a delightful treat with the cream and strawberry preserve. The chocolate scone always turned out to be a little too crumbly and moist unlike the classic ones.

There is a dish of potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits. Savoury stuff. The tomato canapés with egg mayo were quite tasty. Fresh, juicy slices to tomato help balance the creaminess of the egg mayo. The Chocolate Cake and this green (probably lime-based) dessert were average.

the connoisseur concerto
Various Locations

Nasi Lemak @ Dhoby XChange

2011-11-13T08:01:00.001+08:00

011111. Written by Xin Li.
Nasi Lemak for less than 4.00 SGD at Dhoby Xchamge.

Average fare for a reasonable price. Egg seemed a little small though.

An Encounter with Dreams and Reality : A Pictorial

2011-11-11T18:40:00.001+08:00

111111, Written by Xin Li.
It has been at least two weeks since the Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces of Painting, Drawing and Photography from the Musée d'Orsay, Paris has been running as part of Voilah! The French Festival Singapore.

I managed to squeeze a bit time one Friday to explore the exhibition together with my studio mates.

The Cardplayers by Paul Cezanne, (1890 - 1895). Bottom is a detail of Georges Rochergrosse's The Knight of Flowers (Before 1894).

Seeing those works certainly brought back the feeling I had when I was appreciating the works in the Musee d’Orsay.

Top: Couple on the Street by Charles Angrand and Bottom:
Box at Opera Comique by Charles Cottet, 1887.

Digital images such as these over here doesn’t do any justice to the actual works.

Fortunately, we the paintings here in the National Museum of Singapore, you can finally appreciate the brushstrokes, the colours, the texture and even the scale first hand.

The exhibition runs from the 26th of October to the 5th of February 2012, 10am to 6pm daily at the National Museum of Singapore. Admission is free for students, 6 SGD for NSFs and 11 SGD for adults.

HV6607 : Flying Across Germany to Austria

2011-11-06T09:01:00.000+08:00

16th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
HV6607
Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Innsbruck, Austria

Our flight from Amsterdam flew across Germany before turning towards the valley where Innsbruck is located for landing around the Ammersee.

We realized the plane was approaching Frankfurt after our lunch.

The huge structure in the background is Fulghafen Frankfurt am Main, also known as Frankfurt International Airport, the busiest airport in Germany and 3rd after London Heathrow Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

The “left knee” of the Main River where the city of Miltenberg is located. Miltenberg is in Lower Franconia, Bavaria in Germany.

Agricultural lands and patches of forests dotted the landscape underneath us as the plane continues to fly through Bavaria, Germany.

This prominent road that cuts through the landscape is the E43. This section is located around an area near Ellwangen, a town located in the east of Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany.

A almost circular town, located in the Donau-Ries district, still in Bavaria, Germany. The town of Nordlingen, is located in the middle of Nordlinger Ries, a complex meteorite crater. It is also one of the only three towns in Germany that still has a completely intact city wall.

Farmlands and rivers exist side by side with railways and roads in Donau. The plane is turning southeast towards Ammersee where it will perform a u-turn towards the valley where Innsbruck is located.

We got a glimpse of Augsburg, the third largest city in Bavaria, Germany. A bit of trivia, compared to any other region or city in Germany, Augsburg has the more legal holidays.

We flew past a town named Kissing, Bavaria, Germany. I bet the name is a source of amusement for some English-speaking tourists to Bavaria.

Magnificent sights of Ammersee, Wörthsee and Pilsensee, a cluster of three lakes. Ammersee is the largest among the three and sixth largest in Germany.

Located just south of the lakes is Oberpfaffenhofen Airport (OBF).

Wolfratshausen is a town in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, Germany.

Bad Tölz, located on the Isar River. The town is the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district in Bavaria, Germany.

Slowly the plane flew towards Lengrries, near the borders with Austria. The Tegernseer Mountains and the Brauneck flanked the east and west of the Isar River respectively.

And we entered Austria at last! Achenkirch is located north of Achensee, the largest lake in Tyrol, Austria.

The beautiful Austrian Alps in Tyrol.

The Inn Valley where Innsbruck is located.

Here you could see Achensee in the background and the town of Jenbach below.

Mountains flanked the north of the Inn Valley.

The municipality of Gnadenwald is located high up the mountains.

The Nordkette overlooking Innsbruck.

Landed safely in Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport, the airport is notorious for its surrounding terrain and strong winds often cause flights to be cancelled or re-routed to Munich Airport. Fortunately, this is not of those flights.

Budget airline or not, I had a comfortable flight with transavia.

EasyJet flies here too!

Pity its summer, no snow (unless you go to Stubai Glacier). Innsbruck is a popular skiing town. Expect lots of crowds during the winter periods.

Hope you enjoy this long pictorial of the flight to Innsbruck! For now auf Wiederschauen!

HV6607 : Amsterdam to Innsbruck, Lunchtime!

2011-11-06T07:35:00.000+08:00

16th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
HV 6607
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands to Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport, Austria

After very short tour to Amsterdam, we hop onto a transavia flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport.

The flight was better than expected, the plane was in good condition and they even have overhead screens for safety videos, something I did not expect for a “budget” airline.

We bought a couple of tasty Bacon and Egg Sandwiches, delightful Pain au Chocolate with generous chunks of milk chocolate in it from Grab n Fly in Schiphol Airport. Grab n Fly also offers sushi, pastries, sandwiches and salads.

Crispy Bacon and Egg Sandwiches from Grab n Fly. Yummy!

Big Apple pie from the Constellation Bar in Schiphol Airport. Average.

Next: The flight from Amsterdam to Innsbruck ;)

Not quite Smitten...

2011-11-03T18:57:00.003+08:00

24th September 2011. Written by Vinleon.
Was at Central @ Clarke Quay with nothing to do, so thinking of reading away my afternoon at a cafe.

I whipped out my BeDisloyal card and began checking if any of the 8 cafes featured are nearby.

Turns out the nearest (and I have to emphasize that "nearest" here is relative) is Smitten Coffee and Tea Bar. So I took a stroll from Clarke Quay to Robertson Quay.

The cafe is reminiscent of a warehouse, with nothing fancier than suspended incandescent bulbs, simple wooden furniture and stark white walls.

The first thing that caught my eye is the towering cold coffee drip (I was even thinking of buying one myself, until I saw the price tag). With my growing curiosity in coffee drip just because of a cooking recipe, I decided to give my virgin go at cold drip coffee ($6) to Smitten Coffee.

Strangely, the cold coffee had an alcoholic finish. And maybe a little acidic. I still enjoyed it though, as it was light and fragrant! Beyond that, I'm not competent enough to be commenting about their coffee. (Though I'd always like to learn more! Leave a comment if you know of a place I could learn more about coffee!)

Did I mention that the people there are über friendly? One lady (whom I presume is the owner) came over to chat with me, briefly explaining the beauty of cold drip coffee.

I was tempted to grab some nom-noms to enjoy with the coffee, but the snacks are all quite atas-ly priced. In the end, I left about 45 minutes later after downing the last drops of the ether.

Smitten Coffee and Tea is definitely worth a visit, but as to taking the effort to travel all the way down (by foot, in my case) to grab a pricy coffee and a snack, maybe not.

Smitten Coffee and Tea

60 Robertson Quay

#01-11 The Quayside

Singapore 238252

Tel: +65 9876 2347

Smitten Coffee and Tea Facebook page

Operating hours:

Mon:10:00 am-10:00 pm

Wed - Thu:10:00 am-10:00 pm

Fri:10:00 am-11:00 pm

Sat:9:00 am-11:00 pm

Sun:9:00 am-9:00 pm

Roast Chicken and Pork Ribs @ The Rotisserie

2011-10-31T18:59:00.000+08:00

29th October 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Located just opposite Far East Square, the Rotisserie is a casual café that specializes in roast poultry and salads. The prices were quite wallet-friendly too especially when there was a UOB promotion going on that offers a 25% discount.

At Rotisserie, how can we not try their signature Rotisserie Chicken which comes in quarter, half or whole (10.00+, 15.00+, 22.00+ SGD respectively). The chicken was very tender but slightly oily and breast portion was okay too, texture’s not too rough but bland.

Then there was the Pork Ribs (15.00+ SGD) which was very tasty and slightly sweet but a little dry for Vinleon and Mu Yao. The meat comes off the bone nicely too.

The mains were served with a choice of “vegetable, salad or chips” translated as vegetables including potato mash, salad including noodles and French fries. There was quinoa salad which was quite savory and tasted like couscous. The potato salad was average but I rather enjoyed the tasty coleslaw.

What made me squirmed was the way the dish was served reminded me of NS cookhouse. They just doused the chicken, the mashed potatoes, the cauliflower, the pie! ...all with the same brown gravy!

There is complimentary water (self-service) and the coffee is slightly acidic. Overall, I enjoyed the casual setting and the affordable prices at the Rotisserie. Portions are generous and the food was decent. Another reason why you should visit Rotisserie? All-Day Breakfasts within 15 bucks!

The Rotisserie

51 Telok Ayer Street,
#01-01 China Square Food Centre
Tel: +65 6224 5486
Fax: +65 6224 0484
Operating hours:
Mon – Fri 7.30am – 10.30pm
Sat 10.30am – 10.30pm

It's All about TASTE at Ibis Bencoolen

2011-10-31T10:51:00.001+08:00

26th October 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Located at the Ibis Bencoolen Hotel, we hop by for lunch as we were attracted by the “1 for 1 Set” banners outside the restaurant.

As it was a public holiday, we were unsure if the promotion applies hence we asked the staff whether the promotion is on for day. We were told it was on until our orders were made. It was an unpleasant shock. we cancelled a few orders and proceed with the meal. On a positive note, the manager and waiter were apologetic for the oversight.

Fortunately, the food turned out pretty tasty. I had the Chicken Rice. The meat was tender and the rice was fragrant. Drizzle a bit dark sauce, green ginger-like mash and chili sauce, it was delightful. The dark sauce is more like sweet sauce though.

Mu Yao had the Roast Duck with Plum Sauce. It was delicious as well. The sweet, fruity plum sauce went well with the tender duck slices.

The star of the meal has got to be the Black Pepper Crab which was served with a petite mantou for you to dip the tasty, addictive black pepper sauce. There was substantial amount of meat though it was slightly dry. The best part of this dish remains to be the sauce which was not too spicy, quite sweet and addictive. I wiped up the sauce clean with the mantou and cucumber slices from the chicken rice.

Overall, service was a little slow and the promotion banners were quite misleading but it was our own responsibility to read the terms and conditions before entering the restaurant.

No complaints for the food. 15++ SGD bucks for 3x chili or black pepper crab (or a combination of other dishes) seemed like a good deal but one might still find it slightly expensive for hawker fare which makes the 1-for-1 a really good deal if it was valid.

15++ for 3 dishes, 18++ for 4 dishes and 22++ for 5 dishes.

Its All about TASTE

Address: 170 Bencoolen Street, Ibis Hotel,

Tel: +65 6593 2886

Opening HoursMon–Sun: 12pm – 10.30pm

Go India!

2011-10-29T13:28:00.000+08:00

21 September 2011. Written by Vinleon.

I love curry. That's why Go India has piqued my interest ever since its opening in Vivo City. But the traditionalist (and partly economist) in me tells me that tasty curry is out there in the coffeeshops and if I can have great curry without having to pay a premium, why should I dine here?

So the Groupon offer was a chance for me and my friend to experience Indian food in a different setting.

The service staff were attentive (maybe because there wasn’t anyone in the restaurant, yet), and sat me down in the brightly-lit restaurant.

As usual, I took a stroll around the spread to have an overview of the buffet. To my disappointment, THERE WAS NO CURRY! =((( but it became a lesson for me - Indian food is not all about curry.

Anyway, there’s a little salad bar, dessert bar, some main dishes and free flow coffee and tea.

And once you settle down with some food, the service staff promptly serves up a basket of Naan (which, with its oily sheen, looks pan-fried to me. I’m not sure on that).

Of particular interest to me:

The Chicken Zafrani Kebab looks dry, and honestly I didn’t want to try it, until my friend urged me to. The meat was surprisingly moist, and the charred, oven-roasted taste adds to the overall flavor.

Of all the dishes, only the Lentils Dhal went well with the basket of Naan. The lentils were well cooked and soft, but nothing to rave about.

Avoid the spicy tomato soup; it tastes like water and boiled tomato with chilli oil and some other spices.

As expected, it’s not somewhere I’ll pay much for. Not that it’s disappointing, but there’s still better Indian food out there (Al-Ameem, anyone?) at a more affordable price.