food for thought @ SBG

Local breakfast sets at $5 a pop.

And just for the early risers having breakfast before 10am,

have an add-on for a local coffee or tea at $1

Mee rebus

The noodles had a good bite.

The gravy was substantial and the ingredients evident.

The fibres of galangal, fragrance of peanut and thick taste of mashed sweet and regular potatoes.

I would've liked it more savoury than sweet though.
And you wouldn't like this if you were a carnivore.

No meat in sight!

Ooh.

Rich.

Curried.

Chicken laksa.

Slippery fat laksa noodles in a thick coconut spicy gravy.

Too heavy for breakfast!

Garlic mushrooms.

A substantial side portion at just $3.

A side option to be added on to my Basic works at $7.

That's a $10 breakfast plate.

That's pretty good value for the Tanglin area if you're asking me. :)

I would've liked my bacon crisped.

These were barely browned at the edges.

Hmm.

Aside from that,

the thick toast with butter was redolent with the fragrance of butter, soft and chewy all at the same time.

They have small dollops of kaya and peanut butter at the counter tops if you wanted some bread spread. :)

The scrambled eggs were done just right.

Although that was a 45 minute queue plus wait on a busy Hari Raya Haji Friday morning,

I'm pleased with my introduction of a new dining option to my parents.

But I'd think twice about morning exercise.

It started with THIS!

I'm too full to walk anywhere already. :p

Chocolate covered goodness #Chocgoji

The first time I bought the milk chocolate Chocgoji,

we had just come home from our evening jog.

I put one into the boyfriend's mouth and asked him to guess what it was.

Raisin?

Nope.

Wolfberry?

Mmmhmm!

I nodded excitedly and handed the packet over.

Eat well. It's good for you! :)

He proceeds to -pour- the Chocgoji into his mouth.

Not like that!

You said it's good for me right?

-_-

These tiny red berries have 15x more antioxidants than cranberries and 50x more Vitamin C than oranges.

Now that's what I call a superfruit!

And not just a superfruit, it's now been coated with cocoa goodness to make it a healthy indulgence.

Thumbs up to YCT Manufacturing for taking care in ensuring that everyone can enjoy the benefits of their product with not just one but THREE variants of Chocgoji-

Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate and Sugarfree Chocolate.

Case in point?

At our breakfast run this morning at Singapore Botanical Gardens,

Mum wanted a hot chocolate.

How about Milk chocolate Chocgoji?

Dad needs a little sugar sometimes to regulate his sugar levels with Type II diabetes especially since we were going for our morning walk.

Sugarfree chocolate Chocgoji, Dad.

This one's okay for you to have a few.

And me?

Dark chocolate.

All that goodness of the raw cacao beans.

And deliciously chewy goji berries.

I'm all ready to go now!

The perfect snack before our morning walk.

Doesn't melt easily either. 

It'd keep well till post walk. :)

The proof is in the pudding, I mean, packet.

Grab a pack today to try it for yourself.

Details for their final islandwide in-store sampling!

Just for today and Sunday (28/10) at the following Cold Storage outlets:

Cold Storage @ Bugis

Cold Storage @ Centrepoint

Cold Storage @ Parkway Parade

Cold Storage @ Takashimaya

Cold Storage @ United Square

Cold Storage @ King Albert Park .

Cold Storage @ West Coast Plaza

Many thanks to Ms Angeline Kwa and YCT Manufacturing for their awesome new product.

Infusing the medical benefits of Chinese traditional healing remedies with Western dessert indulgences.

Love yourself.

Eat well with Chocgoji. :)

Togi @ Mosque Street Chinatown

Oh banchan.

Loved the stewed potatoes

blanched green vegetables with minced garlic

ikan bilis

pickled cucumbers

kimchi

and beancurd strips.

In that order. :)

An order of a casserole for two on a rainy, cold and wet afternoon.

And a squid that's ALIVE!

Well it -was- alive.

Spicy sour.

Pure addiction. :)

Changi Airport Run

I never knew there was a Paradise Inn outlet hidden on the second floor of Changi Airport's Terminal 1. I was about to say I hadn't been at any of the Paradise Group outlets for a long while till I remembered I was just at their outlet at the Flyer in June.

A casual outlet, order forms are left on the table for diners to fill in before calling for the waitstaff. That wouldn't have been a point to note except we attempted to place our orders directly with the waitstaff. :p

And when they do come to repeat your orders before sending it into the kitchen, I was duly impressed with her memory of the items if only just by the 3 digit numbers that we wrote on the order form.

I'm no Cantonese but I love soup. Double boiled soup especially. pork rib with old yellow melon. Direct translations. That's double boiled pork rib with yellow melon soup. 

It's the first time I'm eating up all my soft bones full of collagen. :) *slurps.

Three egg spinach braised in superior stock. I could totally be cooking up the descriptions. That's century, salted and regular egg for you cooked with minced meat and spinach in a slurpingly delicious soup.

Carbo staples?

Just for the two girls, you gave up your selfish choice of a la mian.

Sorry!

And decided on seafood braised rice noodles.

Lacking in that umami flavour.

Braising has to be done with those canned pig trotters I swear.

And yay!

Venison.

I used to balk at the thought of eating deer.

Doesn't the image of Bambi with its pretty white striped head and spots make it pure cruelty to ingest?

But of course, with a taste reminiscent of beef, similar in protein but lower on all counts for calories, cholestrol and fat as compared to beef, lamb or pork... 

I'd choose venison anyday.

Love you tender. :)

And just for a coffee break.

We headed to Ritazza on the first floor of arrivals. It's behind Ru Yi and next to Watsons.

This latte was 95% steamed milk I kid you not.

But it was enough to keep us awake for awhile.

It's been awhile.

:)

Deja vu. It's already been a year.

Every October,

we report for national service.

Some of us as markers.

Others as recorders.

Our yearly marking exercise sees the breaks for markers getting longer

but conversely, shorter for the recorders.

What's to do for a 2.5 hour lunch break?

N.Y.D.C tucked away in a corner at Novena Square.

Perfect chill out for a long lazy lunch break.

Citibank's running a one for one promotion on mains

and that was brilliant news for us all. :)

Anything from pastas, pizzas, baked rice to mains.

And it's been a while since.

Grilled new york strip.

Medium well just like I ordered.

Except that it wasn't as marbled as I wished it would've been, following the description on the menu.

But it was a hearty serving of beef.

Even the fat on the rind was good.

I was also suitably impressed with their serving of fish and chips.

Two generous pieces of pacific dory.

Hand battered and served fried to a golden crisp.

And accompanied by a side salad and these deliciously seasoned wedges.

When was the last time you were at nydc?

At Novena, it isn't filled with the younger crowd unlike the scene at Wheelock Place.

I'm in the older generation already and I feel right at home with the working crowd at this outlet.

Just saying. ;)

Swensen's @ Nex for good food and even better company.

Loads to share.

Fried prawn wantons.

Crispy and full on juicy prawn and minced meat fillings.

Deep fried button mushrooms.

That gritty batter I cannot decide to love or hate.

It's yummy but also gets caught in the most awkward places in my teeth.

Le sigh.

Fish fillet with Apricot Mayo.

Crispy batter and pretty strong tasting apricot mayo. :)

Fruity.

Almost makes one wants to skip dessert.

Classic fish and chips.

Crumbs and bread battered.

Old school yum.

And that piquant tartar sauce just makes me want more!

Meatball bolognaise.

Oh I would love you more if the pasta was not so overcooked till soft.

Ample sauce and baked cheese topping.

Can I also have more meatballs please?

And that's for ONE hungry boy.

Mega burger.ed.

Without addition of vegetables.

*shakes head.

Fried egg.

Cheese slice.

Chicken ham.

Turkey/ Beef bacon

Beef patty

Ham

And bacon.

STACKED meat.

Eat your meats.

Food's always the same at this old school American joint that's less contrived than Billy Bombers.

But the company that we keep is always awesome. :)

Saturday morning fever

Good morning world.

It's daybreak and we haven't slept at all.

We hopped into a cab hoping for some comfort food at Fong Seng Nasi Lemak only to see the shutters down illuminated only by the orange glow of the Buzz news stand.

It's alright.

Uncle, traffic light ahead turn right.

West Coast Market.

Just go straight.

Just for one hungry stomach.

3 in the North, just one in the West.

So we lost at open numbers.

Please proceed.

To bring us to no man's land.

Let's eat!

The cheong fun wasn't well steamed.

Translucent on the edges but the middle sections were still tough n rubbery.

I'm pretty sure he flirted with the auntie for the dollop of radish.

Tsk tsk.

I'm definitely biased when it comes to chwee kueh but I have standards alright.

The radish was salty oily.

Tremendously satisfying with the bland steamed rice cakes.

And just because you know I'd murder the chilli. :)

There never lived a plate of economical noodles so well devoured.

Oh sides.

Let me name thy sides to you.

Luncheon meat, fried chicken wing, cuttlefish patty, fried egg and cheese hotdog. oh my.

And it's unfair how you devour everything with a first name fried with no negative repercussions on your physique.

Health perhaps.

I imagine clogged arteries creeping up on you.

Nothing like a glass of hO Ho HO- hot horlicks. :)

2.5 hours of sleep and I'm out and about headed for home.

Lunch.

Could not be more satisfying.

So the only thing I wouldn't touch would be the intestines.

Everything else. :)

I loved the pickled vegetable ends.

Diced and cooked till soft (by duck fat) and sweet.

And as much as I never liked everything that looked like an internal organ,

I've started eating liver.

If only for its iron rich content.

A murky salted vegetable soup with liver and lean meat.

And a small bowl of kway.

Bliss came at a price of $11.70 for three.

Gotta love the Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood :)

jumbo riverfront @ indoor stadium

Just because it was Grandma's birthday,

these prawns were ordered with shells.

So that the grandparents could eat the heads. :)

The option with shells off although much easier to eat,

misses out on the crunch of the shells.

The cereal enhanced by the flavour of the curry leaf was subtly savoury,

but mostly sweet, light with a hint of spice from the chilli and totally addictive.

How do they do it?

Crispy skin.

While retaining the juices of the meat within.

Most parts.

The breastmeat was still evidently dry-ier.

Seafood fried rice.

Shreds of crab meat and prawns.

I didn't remember any scallops in this order.

There's something about this fried rice.

Pale in colour

Yet strong on the fragrance of eggs and seafood flavour.

Here's looking at you.

Come get me.

Because I'm simply delicious. :)

Nothing like these pops of deep fried mantous to dunk into the sauce.

One's never enough.

Bibs on.

And crab is served. :)

Lobster vermicelli.

You'd be surprised to find meat in the least expected places.

The feelers.

And be prepared to be pierced by their spiky exteriors.

My favourite takeout still.

Chock full of ingredients.

For a period of time they didn't include the fresh scallops but now they are back!

And they make me a very happy girl.

Daddy knows best.

And he always gives me the best.

A weekend in Bintan Lagoon Resort with Journeyful and Nuffnang!

An hour's ferry ride away from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal brings you to the doorstep of Bintan Lagoon Resort & Golf Club. The Indonesian beachfront resort overlooks the South China Sea, boasts 473 rooms and has 11 food and beverage outlets, spa and massage facilities with a diverse range of land and sea activities for guests to choose from. The resort has also won numerous awards for both of its spectacular 18 hole golf courses.

The recent facelift has seen the addition of a new ferry terminal which makes travelling to and fro from the resort a breeze. The rooms have also been refitted with flat screen televisions, day beds for lounging and even marbled furnishings in the toilets. Bintan Lagoon Resorts has also recently received the Green Hotel Award from Indonesia. The first in Southeast Asia, they have been awarded the U.S green resort certification - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The LEED provides third-party verification that a building/community was designed and built using strategies targeted at what matters most - energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts all thanks to the concerted efforts of their Green Team.

Now that's a holiday worth taking. Nothing but rest and relaxation with minimal carbon footprints. :)

And a very warm welcome to...

Paradise.

Deluxe rooms with a seaview starting from S$140++/night.

A personalized welcome note and a fruit platter.

How's that for hospitality?

RICE, Bintan’s lagoon resort’s beachfront bar and dining option.

Poised on a stretch of private soft sand beach, take in a spectacular amphitheatre view of the vast South China Sea. During the day, the restaurant is bathed in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows and it couldn't have been more perfect for the press conference.

Simple open faced canapes.

But the vibrant colours of the fresh ingredients used and careful presentations made it almost too hard to eat these pretty bites.

Almost being the key word.

I wolfed them down anyway.

The press conference was a very short and informal affair.

Because I really suppose there's a lot more than just talk about Bintan Lagoon and Golf Resort.

And a resort tour would just be the best way to go around it.

Pun totally intended.

Angsoka villa.

Aside from rooms connected to the main hotel lobby, there are also many villas available for stays.

And this was just one of the 4 room villas with cooking and washing facilities, a private pool and hey, a poolside BBQ pit.

What would one BBQ? They have an order list where you can opt for BBQ packages and they'll send over all that's required for that awesome poolside BBQ.

And I think I wanna marry you. :)

Stunning hectares of green.

Play considerately.

Sunset over the green.

Makes you catch your breath a little. 

An a buggy ride brought us through the course to our dinner venue.

A dream wedding set up hey.

 So drink up and make merry.

That's a lot of heart into a banquet table setup outdoors.

Meze appetizers showcasing their Mediterranean restaurant Orzo.

The allure of a tropical beach holiday.

And it only looks even more beautiful at nightfall.

Tempura from the resort's Japanese restaurant Miyako.

Bintan Delight.

These cocktails may have different names but can be found on the menus of most of its dining establishments.

So stop for a drink every now and then during the course of your stay

and breathe.

There's no place like Bintan Lagoon Resort to kick back and chillax.

A girl could only hope.

For more of these island adventures.

So she writes and sends them up into the sky on these sky lanterns.

Don't bother with the instructions.

Ask.

The friendly staff are dripping sweat, burning their hands if only to send those wishes for you. :)

And just because I asked.

Look who came home with me after the dinner?

I went to bed happy. :)

Book your own Bintan Lagoon Resorts holiday at 

www.mozaichotels.com/bintanlagoon

or

on Journeyful.

Providing hotel booking services with social networking features, helping people around the world travel together better.

Website: https://www.journeyful.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/journeyful

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bintanlagoonresort

Many Thanks to Nuffnang, Journeyful and Bintan Lagoon Resorts for making this a perfect weekend getaway!

**Promotional Package: 

From now till 31st March 2013, book a 3D2N stay in a Deluxe room with complimentary breakfast, return ferry tickets, a 30-minute massage, S$20 worth of F&B credits per room and a complimentary sky lantern launch session at prices starting from S$239++ per person.