Chocolate, Women's Best Friend

If only you can resist it.

Gluttony Was My Sin on 9th June

My sister and I were literally, gluttons on 9th of June and we'll remember that for the rest of our lives.

2.15PM - Crystal Jade (Suntec City)


All thanks to Samantha, she introduced a cheap yet yummy staple food of Crystal Jade which I'm still deeply in love with, it's the...


If you're a dim sum lover like me, I'd strongly introduce the

• Chee Cheong Fun (rice roll) w/prawns or char siew (marinated BBQ pork),
  
• the Chinese style carrot cake,
  
• Har Gau (prawn dumplings),
  
• Char Siew Sou (marinated BBQ pork pastry)
• Fried Wantons served with Mayonnaise
  

3.30pm - Fish & Co. (Suntec City)

Whenever we've got nothing to do, my friends and I will be hanging out in town's Fish & Co. junking down their cheap SGD3 chucky flavoured fries in 3 different sauces, Lemon Butter, Tartar Sauce and Chili Sauce. It was enjoyable as we munch and chat over sweet little nothings.

Check out the good stuff! Dope! I tell you!

Hello sister, what's with that constipated face?

Look what I've spotted!

Grumpy? So what? I ate it up anyways.

And my sis continued stoning...because,

8.15pm - Crab Party (behind Serangoon Stadium along Yio Chu Kang Rd)


The restaurant is pretty accessible by car or any means of transport. One thing that pissed the hell off me was that the seatings are arranged in such a way: outdoors/ indoors; Because of my crazy ass huge family, we chose the outdoor seatings surprised to be having our dinner with flying bugs, and army of ants!!!

Sister and I were sooooo bloated, we ate as little as possible.

What's good :

• Salted Egg based Crabs
• Butter Sauce Crabs
  
• Chili Crabs
• Pepper Crabs
• Man Tous! (Buns)
  
• Steamed Sea Bass
• Prawns (Any kind cos' they're huge, juicy and succulent)
  

1/3 of The Crew From left to right: Petrina (Cousin-in-law), Jeffrey (Cousin),
Shenny (Cousin), Joe (Soon-to-be-cousin-in-law?), Sarah (Cousin)

Utter Mess

Nuffnang Event: Singapore Movie Fiesta Is Gon' Be A Wowser!

Prior to what Cherie blogged in Nuffnang, I realized my sister and I were at Vivocity the same time as she was. But how come she gets to take great pictures but I don't!? Maybe it's just unlucky for me that I missed out the good part of one of Nuffnang's anticipated event of the month!

Anyway, here's what you're going to miss (If you're giving this event a miss):

Face Art (as seen on movies) done by Make-up Professionals

Hot babes and hunks in their tight superheroes suits lurking around

Shaolin Girl! Too bad I didn't win the tickets. v_v

Food Food Food!
Terra Cafe - 2.5/5 stars

My sister loved it

My Main Course

Makes No Sense: My sister mistook steamed rice for fried rice?

But she liked it anyway...

Literally, ICE cream, full of cream, and ICE

Basically my sister and I spent out night at the pet store picking up yet another hamster. Where's the other? NO, it's no longer around. YES, my roborovski passed away barely 3weeks of purchase due to a weak immune system. T_T

Oh and shopping at Daiso is awesome. Do check out that branch if you wanna do cheap shopping!

So, if you're so bored and you've got nothing to do, fly down to Vivocity, or else you'll miss all the fun! :) Remember it's tomorrow, bring your family, relatives along and enjoy the lovely super duper afternoon with them.

Sushi?

Christel and I went to Sakae (not pronounced as Sa-ke but Sa-ka-eh) Sushi at Bishan J8 for lunch buffet. Don't look at me that way, it wasn't me who requested it.

After patronizing Sakae for such a long time, I've discovered I actually have my very own favourite among the different variety of sushi. Make a guess! I will only reveal it after these...


Here's the catch. The thing with sushi is that rice a.k.a carbs make you full pretty easily, and since the fact the main ingredient in sushi is rice..I suggest you take less fluid as it bloats you up easily. We gobbled the sushi like gluttons (sorry there's no other words that describe us), as if there will be famine in Singapore the next day or something. Don't believe? Here's proof!


Check out the number of plates of Gyoza we gobbled down! (FYI, there's 4 pieces in each plate)


Obviously, from what you have just seen the above, we did ate to our hearts' content. :) That golden crisp, wrapped with flavourful seafood and potato, chewy in the inside, crunchy on the outside...tell me, what more can you ask for from a SGD13.90 sushi buffet? GYOZA, I LOVE YOU!

So You Think Coke Zero Is Healthy To Be Consumed...

I almost became a Coke Zero junkie until when I've discovered the horror behind one of the latest Coke Cola products to be newly introduced and imported to Singapore...


You see, what amazes me was the 0% nutritional table shown on the bottle. 0% calories, 0% fats, 0% sugar..etc. My sister claimed that if that's the case, isn't there no difference between the intake of water and Coke Zero? Without hesitation, I got myself a bottle of Coke Zero and it does indeed tastes like the Coke we drink, and it tastes as sweet.

It can't be, it's simply impossible for a drink to contain 0% sugar and yet taste sweet, isn't it? The drink was dubious, so I googled for information and i found out that despite the fact that there isn't any sugar content found in Coke Zero, there's APM a.k.a Aspartame. (Read the Aspartame Controversy)

If you think it's suitable for diet plans or your frequent daily consumption, READ THIS.

If you're wondering which is healthier - Coke Zero or Diet Coke? The only chemical difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke is that Coke Zero has about half the aspartame but has more ace-k. Which IMHO, none deems to be healthy.

Confused anyone? It's a marketing thing - Coke have manufactured a "diet" coke without using the word diet... which in their eyes will appeal to a different demographic.

You might go, "Oh! I see, nah not a problem. Drinking too much doesn't kill!"

Really. When the symptoms of overdosing or diseases start kicking in, don't blame you've never been warned. You stubborn old cow.

Yeong Can Cook, So Can You!

cooking is one good excuse to ask your sister to sweep the floor. maeuhaueh seriously, i do that all the time! people who think that cooking sounds like danger looming in the kitchen, don't fear! it is really simple and it takes you less than 3 hours to get everything done!

staple food used: Rice

let's start with the easiest : ABC Soup / Diet Soup


preparation time: 15mins cooking time: 1.5 hrs serves: 3-5 people

ingredients:
2 Carrots
2 White Chinese Radishes
2 Tomatoes
2 Potatoes
2 Corns
2 Onions
500g of Chicken Breast or 800g Pork Ribs
2 pinches of salt

wash your ingredients thoroughly, make sure dirt or any substances found are cleared. cut the chicken breasts, carrots and white Chinese radishes into proportionate size (say, 10 pieces each). half the tomatoes, potatoes, onions and corns. throw the vegetables into a pot, then add approximately 2.5l of water and set to boil for 1 hour. 1 hour later, sprinkle 2 pinches of salt in your soup and add the chicken breasts into the soup. 30 minutes later, your soup is ready to be served!

personally, i love this soup a lot because it has everything i need in a dish: carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins! it's not only healthy, it's almost fat free and most importantly, it's delicious and gives you sufficeint energy for the day. [you can take this dish individually, without rice..whatsoever staple food you can think of]

next up, Prawns w/ Chilli/ Tomato Sauce


preparation time: 30minutes cooking time: 15mins serves: 3-5 people

ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Cooking Oil
2 teaspoons of Diced Garlic
1 slice of Ginger
5 pieces of Fresh Curry Leaves or Dried Curry Leaves
500g of Prawns
5-8 tablespoons of Chilli Sauce or/and Tomato Sauce

cut off the prawn heads and clean the prawns with salt, rinse them with water. heat the oil, then fry the ginger and garlic till they turn golden brown. pour in the prawns and stir fry, then add the curry leaves and chilli/tomato sauce and wait for the prawns to be cooked and simmer. cover the wok to speed up the process. 5 minutes later, you're done!

lastly, my ultimate favourite, Steam Cod with Oyster & Garlic Sauce!!!


preparation time: 5minutes cooking time: 20minutes serves: 3-4 people

ingredients:
300-500g of Cod Fish
4 tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
3 teaspoons of Garlic
2 teaspoons of Ginger
1 teaspoon of diluted Corn Starch
1 dash of Water

i usually prepare the sauce before i steam the fish. personal preference, i guess? so i'll start with the sauce by frying the ginger then garlic till they are golden brown. next, i pour in the oyster sauce and mix it up with the ginger and garlic. to thicken the sauce, i recommend using a teaspoon of diluted corn starch and stir the mixture while it simmers. if you think it's too thick or salty, pour a dash of water to dilute the mixture.


then as for the fish, wash it thoroughly, drain the fish, try to make sure that little water is present in the fish. if it's frozen, make sure it's well thawed. because cod fishes are rich in omega fats, there is no need for any oil or any other garnishing. steam the fish for 15 minutes...


drain the water collected from the steam in your dish, then pour the sauce you made earlier over the fish. and you're done!

cooking is THAT simple! it might take 3hours of your time, however you did learn 3 more simple dishes for your loved ones! :)

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

i forced my own limping legs to Suntec Convention today as there was another round of warehouse sales. if sales up to 80% doesn't attract you, then i think sales isn't what you're seeking for. so anyway, i dragged my sister along; she's my crutch, you see. since both of us enjoyed each other's company, and we both love SALES, i don't see why dragging her along would be much of a hassle.

we reached the convention only to see DISAPPOINTMENT written all over our faces. 3 rooms were used but only 2/5 of the space was used for products, the other 3/5 i assumed, for air ventilation. i expected more products to be on sale, however only a few like Aigner, Levis, Liz Claiborne and this ABC brand were on the racks waiting to be sold to the crowd.

my anticipation turned from sky high to hell low..pardon for the weird figure of speech but you get my gist. lol

we stared at each other and agreed to fill our anger and disappointment with food. turning to Lerk Thai, which is one of our favourite Thai food joints, we both ordered something soupy and these were what we had!

my sister has a fate with beef, i don't know why.
ps: lose some weight so you can wear pretty apparels from topshop!

it's too yummy, i suppose...

the hot, sour and spicy feel sent shivers down my spine

after satisfying Lerk Thai, i staggered around madly checking out the shops in Marina Square with my sister. we bought pens from Meji Muji! you just don't know how much my sister and i have a passion for the things sold in Meji Muji! especially the pens! mauehuahe :0 and that was the only things we bought for the day. v_v

anyhow, our tummy begged for more food, so both of us settled at Azabu Sabo! if miss ave and miss sam didn't introduce me Azabu and Harto, i wouldn't even know they existed till today! :|

this dish made me literally smile;
it sent me straight to gastronomic heaven!

my sister had this, initially the sweet potato tasted slightly salted,
however the sweet and salty feel is somewhat refreshing

we satisfied our tummies and it was time to go home. our day ended abruptly but i guess it wasn't that bad afterall :) i mean, what's better than having a good company?

ps: can you say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 10 times continuously?

New Love

i love dark chocolates;
the instant taste of bitterness followed by the subtle, mild, tingly sweet sensation.

Lunch at Tao's

my family and i had a lunch gathering with my mom's closest friends at Tao's (Paradiz Centre). welcomed by friendly staff, we were brought to our seats and they briefly introduced the menu.

apparently the set lunch is a 6-course meal which you mustn't skip any because the appetizer is good enough to convince you that the next following 6 will rock your seat!

*photo courtesy from scorpiosdunlike2tokbuttheyblog, thelocalking & yebber

super duper yummy Mushroom & Cheese Gratin

so we had the Mushroom & Cheese Gratin served with bread. this dish is so addictive, i bet you wouldn't mind having your second serving! by the way, the bread is soft and fluffy, toasted to perfection..and free flow! they taste awesome-ness with the gratin spread.

serving of Sorbet and free flow of tea

Farm Boy Splendor and Fruit Salad

Ham and Spud a.k.a Potato Salad

i ate Farm Boy salad which i was totally disappointed. the nuts are your daily crushed peanuts that goes with ice-cream and they are not crunchy at all! (note: if you love Farm Boy Salad i introduce you NYDC) the Ham and Spud and Fruit salad were just average.

Uncle Thomas had the Cream of Pumpkin

while Aunt Elaine, my dad and sis chose the Cream of Mushroom

i've got to say the Cream of Pumpkin as translated from my aunt was light and tasty. my dad and sis personally prefered the Cream of Mushroom because it's rich and mushroom-y! i ordered the Shark-fin Melon Herbal Soup, which i liked but without the Shark-fin v_v

Marinated Lamb Cutlet

Baked Atlantic Flounder w/ Cheese

Grilled Snapper w/ Japanese Sauce

now with the main entrée, i personally liked almost everything! i had the lamb cutlet, it was tender and the green tea dip complimented the dish. daddy had the Grilled Snapper w/ Japanese Sauce which was really well done too. i have a thing for fresh fishes, it's just plain yummy. Aunt Elaine had rich cheesy Baked Atlantic Flounder w/ Cheese, but c'mon Atlantic? more like the waters around Singapore ._." Uncle Thomas had the steak which was just plain boring while my sis got herself something beefy too: Stew Beef w/ Rice (Japanese Style) with a pretty presentation but a lil too salty.

self-made Yam Ice-cream (i had Green Tea flavoured)

Flavoured Tea

as for the dessert, everyone got themselves the Home-made Chocolate Mousse which doesn't taste like Mousse at all, more like chocolate kueh, lol. Aunt Elaine got the Creme Brulée which was then again, expected to taste like any ordinary Creme Brulée. i got myself Green Tea ice-cream which i assumed home-made; the ice-cream has prominent ice cubes protruding and looked freshly made or scooped out.

the iced flavoured tea were my favourite among everything. okay this is a biased statement because i love drinking tea. :) you might agree with me hands up too! the pots of tea are not your common CoffeeBean-StarBucks type. fresh fruits and dried flowers are added, which made the tea fragrant and refreshing. they made my taste buds tingled and i loved it!

in whole, i enjoyed my stay in Tao's very much. i don't mind coming back for another round!

Tao's
RSVP: 6339-8858
1 Selegie Road, Paradiz Centre, #B1-19, S188306

$19.80++ per person (six course set lunch)
$28.80++ per person (seven course set dinner)

Verdict:
Food and Beverage - 8
Ambience / Setting - 6.5
Value - 8.5
Service - 9