December 31, 2013

Best 10 Dining Experiences of 2013!



It's the last day of 2013 and time to say hello to 2014! Cliche as it may sound, 2013 seemed to pass by in a flash, but food wise, it certainly made an indelible mark on me. *Pat my tummy and scream!!!*. Working hard (or more appropriately, eating less) to make the weighing scale my friend again is perpetually an impossible uphill task as I face endless temptations which I happily succumbed into and none of which I'm regrettable for, because though the food may not always live up to expectations, the company which I had usually more than made up for it. Many thanks to my friends, fellow bloggers and foodies for sharing the calories in our gastronomic adventures, the chefs, business owners and PRs for your kind hospitality, as well as the media for the chance to participate in the Singapore Blog Awards and filming for Channel 8's Tuesday Report Program (airing in Jan 2014). Thankful to have you too, my readers, with me on this journey of Experiencelism & Experimentalism! XOXO

December 30, 2013

Lawry's The Prime Ribs Singapore @ Mandarin Gallery, Orchard



I can't really remember but I supposed it was during one of my previous visits at Lawry's The Prime Ribs that I somehow got on their mailing list and has since been receiving a postcard nearing December each year, reminding me that my birthday is coming and I get to enjoy a 1-for-1 main course during my birthday month. It doesn't take a mathematics genius to figure that this is a good deal, so I thought might as well make use of it lol! Since I already had dinner at Lawry's a couple of times before for their famously known Roasted Beef Prime Ribs, I decided to make my reservation for lunch instead to experience a different feel. As I traveled the familiar route to Orchard Road's Somerset mrt station, before exiting and walking for another 5 minutes to Mandarin Gallery where Lawry's is located, it felt like I'm going back to work on my day off (my office is nearby), except that this is for something much more enjoyable of course :p

December 27, 2013

Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶 @ Simpang Bedok ~ Chock Full Of Heartwarming Grace



I must slap myself for being a walking contradiction. After all the whining about wanting to lose weight, the lure of a food trail filled with promises of delicious best hawker delights was way too tempting to resist. Ahem... and so I went. After 6 hours of non-stop eating at 5 different places later, I found myself at the final stop ~ Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh 順發肉骨茶 at Simpang Bedok, which is a 10 minutes walk away from Tanah Merah mrt station (exit B). Full as I am, I told myself I will somehow make tummy space for this bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) founded by Jabez Tan, a man whose heart was transformed by God, leading to his repentance and a new lease of life not only for himself, but also for his team which is made up of mainly ex-convicts.

December 23, 2013

High Society ~ A Gorgeous Café & Restaurant At Pacific Plaza



The task of deciding a place for dinner landed on me once again as we started planning for an evening of fellowship with our dear sisters in Christ before two of the blessed ones leaves for their walk with Jesus in Israel - They will be spending Christmas in Bethlehem! Envy much hehee! I thought High Society at Pacific Plaza would be a suitable venue for all the girls as it's located along Scotts Road and easily accessible by a few minutes walk from Orchard mrt station. Besides, the Baroque-inspired décor of the restaurant is gorgeous! Perfect for camwhoring lol!

December 22, 2013

{Sentimental Sundays} Birthdays Are A Celebration of Life, And Being Thankful For The Life Given.



Yay! I've celebrated the day I was born for another year! Birthdays are always special because out of the 365 days in a year, it's a day when we can unabashedly be the center of attention and call it ~ My Day! LOL! It's also to remember the day when our mothers went through the pains of labour many many years ago to bring us into this world after months of nurturing us in their bodies. Though some of you might think that it's just another day in life and nothing special, but to me, Birthdays are a celebration of life, and being thankful for the life given.

December 20, 2013

WINGSTOP! Make A Stop For American-Style Buffalo Wings At Singapore's Bedok Mall!



First Wings World, now Wingstop! American-style buffalo wings have began their invasion into Singapore! Woohoo! It's a good thing, because if you don't already know by now, I will declare unabashedly that I love chicken wings! Lol! With the opening of Wingstop at Bedok Mall, we are now pampered with more choices than ever! Birthed in 1994 and headquartered in Texas, Wingstop boast of 580 outlets across United States and Mexico. Up to 20 outlets are being planned to open in our tiny island alone - Very ambitious I would say! But it also goes to show the level of confidence Wingstop has in their products.

December 17, 2013

Lau Wang Claypot Delights 老王砂煲小厨 ~ A Place For Homey Food Near NEX Shopping Mall, Serangoon



Once again, I've proven that exercise induced greater hunger in me and is detrimental to my diet plans lol! I did a minor 'leg workout' of walking for a good 15 minutes, as I lost my way inside Serangoon's NEX shopping mall, before finding the correct exit where Nat and Derrick were waiting for me. After walking for another 10 minutes to a nearby coffeeshop, we finally found ourselves at our intended destination - Lau Wang Claypot Delights 老王砂煲小厨. And by then, boy... I was famished and wolfed down dinner!

December 15, 2013

{Sentimental Sundays} Being A Hawker. I Know How It Feels Like. I Was Once A Young Singapore Hawker.


One plate of roasted chicken wings, and so much memories came flooding back.


It was quite a long travel for me to Tampines, but I don't mind the distance since I was taking leave from work and had the luxury of time. What a worthy trip, as I had one of the best Siew Yoke (Roasted Pork Belly) ever, which came highly recommended by Uncle Smart. Digressing a bit: The siew yoke was indeed fantastic! Our group of foodies ordered another plate after we finished the first, local food guru KF Seetoh even ordered additional portion to takeway. I promise to blog about this awesome siew yoke soon, but first, back to the plate of roasted chicken wings.

(Update: Read One Of The BEST ROASTED PORK BELLY I've Tried in Singapore!)

December 12, 2013

Pizzas! Pastas! Best of Italian Classics @ Pietro Ristorante Italiano, Jalan Kelulut (off Yio Chu Kang Road)



The plans to visit Pietro Ristorante Italiano started when my friend asked me, "Do you like Italian food?". My answer was one which does not require a second thought - Yes!... "Then you should try the food at Pietro!"- I was told that the restaurant serves perennial favorites like pastas and pizzas, while staying true to classic Italian recipes such as preparing the carbonara without any cream. A few days later, a fellow choir sister told me she just celebrated her birthday at Pietro and how she enjoyed the food. A double sign for me that I must go, go, go!

December 05, 2013

Hokkein Classics @ Gim Tim Restaurant 锦珍酒楼, Ang Mo Kio



I belong to the Hokkein dialect group. Can understand Hokkein, can't really speak Hokkein, but certainly know how to eat Hokkein food lol! Last week saw me making my way over to Gim Tim 锦珍酒楼, one of the restaurants in Singapore that has been carrying on the legacy of Hokkein cuisine since the establishment of its humble outlet at the residential block of Ang Mo Kio since 1975. I was there for some traditional Hokkein delights by Chef Lai Yong Meng who has over 20 years of experience.

December 03, 2013

Hillstreet Fried Kway Teow @ Bedok South Food Centre ~ One Of The Best In Singapore! It's LARDelicious!



A filming engagement brought me back to Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery in the far far far east land of Bedok which is really a great distance to travel for me considering that I stay in the north. Since I already went all the way there, I took the opportunity to try the famous Hillstreet Fried Kway Teow which I always hear friends talking about. It's considered by many to be one of the best char kway teow (CKT) Singapore!

December 02, 2013

Teppei Japanese Restaurant, Orchid Hotel ~ An Awesome Omakase Experience!



2 hours! 22 dishes! I had my first ever Omakase experience at Teppei Japanese Restaurant! Much has been raved about Teppei which is nestled at Orchid Hotel near Tanjong Pagar mrt station. How marvelous their food is. How great value their omakase dinner is. So much so that its popularity had our reservation in waiting for 4 months before it was finally our turn to plonk our bums on one of the restaurant's 21-counter seats. 4 months! This is the first time I've to be held in anticipation for so long to have a meal lol. Much to my happiness, it was worth the wait :D