Grill out!

Aha! Sounds like free marketing. Alas, a new place, away from the urban hussle.

What we have here is located snugly at Sunset Way, Clementi Street 12. Some prominent features would be Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the newly recognised SIM. Not that inconvenient a place but it will take you some effort in getting to the restuarants in that area, all lined up like a Kebab.

Ambience was unpretentious yet chic enough. I would say it could get a little dim at times but I arrived when I could still see light and ordering from the menu was not too much a difficulty. I almost forgot it was located amongst the HDBs.

If you want to impress someone on your first date, it might be quite good an idea to start off with illusions. The dimly lite eating area (al fresco), will create a sort of illusion and cover up your date's feature flaws. Funny how I arrived after a pour and there were no mosquitoes!

Whoopiedo!

Now here comes more details on the yummilicious items!

To start off with, you're served with toasted garlic bread (made in-house) along with complimentary salad to set you on a feasting journey and to get your palettes going as well. I love the 'rocket' they put in it, simply triggers the hunger pangs in me.

Oh! They have the well known 'Kurobuta', or otherwise called the 'black hog'. In short, black pig! I'm a non-pork lover but this one tastes different. I wouldn't compare it to the one at Tampopo, but I seriously don't think they will different that much except for the preparation style.

So here we go!

Jac had the Yellowtail Cheeks, priced at $22. They mentioned that there minimally be a waiting time of 15mins. Boy, it's no easy feat finishing that dish saved for the fact that it tasted good. I'm not a fish lover and so I shall not comment much on this. Oh! But something that made it different was the wasabi sauce that added a Japanese touch to it. Apart from that, it was aesthetically pleasing as it arrived on a platter of carrots and potatoes, nicely baked with a tinge of butter. Portion was generous and that was how I got a bite of it.

I went straight for the ever budget item on the menu. The Roast Rosemary whole Chicken. It came as a pleasant surprise with the skin nicely roasted without the usual chars. Crispy, chunky. However, some parts could have been slightly more tender. Would I go for it again? Nah... I would very likely go straight for the ribeye. The picture alone got me going. What stopped me? The price. It would effectively rob me of a week's lunch.

The other item on the table was mussels, which according to the assistant was extremely fresh. No, I didn't eat that. But I had Ox Tongue! It was exquisite, smooth and tasteful, at times chewy. You almost can't tell that it's 'ox tongue' except that it was more chewy that the usual beef. This is one affordable must try! :)

At my next visit, I would most likely try their lamb too. Shiok! Oh, forgot to mention. You will be spoiled for choice when you get there... there's plenty of restaurants, each serving unique items differing one from the other!

Mr. Ang, maybe we can cycle there someday? We can go for the Jap food. Here's a preview:

Yes, I know meat is not your fav. dish due to some reasons such as growing F*T (not 'fit'), or too heavy or it's too much carbo, protein, etc. But I Like :)

Dentist please

I really think it's high time I see a dentist. Teething problems were long gone...but it's the sensitivity of it. I love ice-cream.

I think I should no longer deny the fact that I need a dentist. I don't want the day to come where I finally see decay taking place in the open.

Sigh, blogs are dangerous. A little typo and you get a big flame. No wonder I no longer take popularity more than getting things done. Maybe I should just loosen up a little and complete tasks on my own leisure within the given time frame and get more acquainted with my colleagues. I really should lest I lose more friends. Actually, a few good ones would do. In typing the previous statement, I once again run the risk of people jumping the gun and some pointing it at me. But I'm tired of playing games. I will gladly retreat from falling into the pit of useless chats.

I met my students. And boy was I glad to have met them :) Wassup' man!

Tung Lok! My Space@ The Humble House, Esplanade.
寒舍一隅

Not bad a place. The ambience was decent. Designed by internationally renowned design guru Mr Junpei Yamagiwa and his team from Myu Planning, Tokyo.

Food? Absolutely Decadently, yours.

My take would be the Seafood porridge. Scallops and prawns tasted fresh and the mushrooms... er... no, I didn't try that. Next up is the Mama Leong's Chicky Rice. That's the restaurant's specialty.

The portion looks big but still, not worth the money! Walk a good 100m to the Glutton's Bay and get twice the portion for the same price! Ahaha... none air-con of course, and you run the risk of smelling like an oyster.

The desserts, however, came across to be subtly unique. Latte Ice Cream with cream of Avacado. Whatever that meant to you was to me a nice cold bowl of dessert.

Ahhh, not a place to go if you want to impress your date. Glutton's Bay out of the question. If you ask me, I say just bring some green tea and sit under the fig tree. That way, you can never go wrong.

Practical Gifts

A thought came across my mind.

Why did the skeleton want to cross the road?

Answer: Because it wants to go to the Body shop! (Lame... get it? It's broken and needs parts for the body.)

Yet why did it not cross in the end?

Answer: Because it has no guts. Period. (Get it? Skeletons have no guts.)

Apologies for the random ranting of such lame jokes.

Anyway, here's a practical gift for those who cannot take ice cream or are simply too sensitive.


Multi purpose.

For those with overly sensitive parts

Litmus papers. To test the level of acidity. If it's too much, just avoid it.

Maybe I should get one for myself. And share it with you. :)

Sweet Nougats!

Aha!

Family's trip to Taipei was not wasted! Not only did they enjoy themselves splurging cash (RMB) all over, they also brought back from goodies!

Sweet Nougats!

From 6 flavours to choose from, amongst which would be chocolate with nuts. The others? I couldn't quite make out the words because they were written in Chinese. Period.

This is unlike the usual nougat you get from the Aussie trip or anywhere else ang-mo. There are apparently more peanuts than ever. The layers covering these peanuts are somewhat sweeter and thicker. I only got to try 4 out of the 6 flavours for fear that ulcers would immediately break out and thereafter multiple into various cell groups to conquer the mouth, lips and tongue. Yikes!

A good snack to have over a simple chat. Not the best for movies because of its small packaging and content. Nonetheless, it's definitely worth a try since it's different not just in taste but also in the texture as compared to the mainstream 'nougat industry'. Ahhhh... the land of snacks, food and yummilicious to-die-for eateries. Will I go back to Taipei someday? Maybe. This time, on an empty stomach and an empty luggage. :)

Price: I have no idea.

Worth it: YES, especially the dark chocs one. The only lacking portion is the fact that the dark chocs are not up to par with what we would normally go after. Well, what more can you ask? It's their call, their style.

Yummilicious is back

Here's something for those who asked for a foodie post.



Had the privilege to make a visit to the Saint Pierre, a French Restaurant crafted by a celebrity chef, along with his team of both friendly and knowledgeable members who attended to us with much readiness and sincerity. This is located along Magazine Road, at Central Mall. It's just beside the ModLiving shop. Once there, it is immediately recognised by the unique design and outlook.

Both Jac & myself went straight for the desserts. Firstly, it's a 'Don't wanna burst wallet' situation. Secondly, (*DISCLAIMER: we're doing this as it is work related). So here we go!

Desserts are definitely good, with highlights being black truffles surprisingly offered in a dessert of 'floating islands', elderflower 'soup' served in a test tube (a homage to molecular gastronomy) that tasted of lychee and the chocolate cake which had a tropical twist. For a sweet ending, excellent marshmallows are offered at the end.

Ah...the above mentioned deserves a more detailed breakdown.

Marshmallows were flavoured with lime. Absolutely refreshing, the tingling taste lasted for seconds before we would be presented with the next item.

The Black truffles arrived in a fashion apart from the others. Elderflower 'soup' came in a test tube while the rest of the contents with contained within a small little milk cup.

The ultimate, also my favourite, was the signature dish of the desserts. Brownie, ice cream and Belgian chocolate (70% Cocoa) all served in a cookie jar. Ice cream was a blend of coconut, lemon and bananas topped with oreo cookies. Not to mention a small portion of nata de coco. With the Belgium chocolate poured over the brownie, it was a 'to-die-for' kind of dessert. Something which Mr. Ang would most certainly go for.

Pictures? My apologies. I didn't manage to capture any. I felt only a decent camera would match up to the quality of the platter we had. Wanna bring someone there for a surprise? Wanna impress the other party? Then get ready to burst some pockets. (We were reimbursed... heh)

Dessert: 9/10
Price for stingy singaporeans: forget it
Price for you and me: EXPENSIVE, is an understatement.

The real world

hahahaha.

byebye

Ipoh yi dai dai eh ah Oh Ipoh yi dai dai eh ah

The trip to Ipoh was good save for the fact that we were all down on the last day. Fever almost caught up with me. The toilet bowls were welcoming to both Fredo and Jam. Panadol and 100Plus proved to work only for a while before you pursue sleep.

3 things I learnt:

Firstly, the food at Ipoh is GOOD.

Secondly, for some weird reason, the food eaten MUST be shared EQUALLY.

Thirdly, bad tasting food makes us MAD, especially the runnaholic foodie. "Insatiable" is the word. Bottomless pit? That's me, but I practice cost control.

Arh, words can't say enough. Too many words would be an overkill and I'll get raging emotions from readers. So here we go! Some upclose and personal pictures of the "Cannot miss, MUST eat" type of dishes:

Tim Sum! We had our fill 2 hours before heading for white water rafting.

Disclaimer: Fredo's favourite. NOT mine. It's called pork bun.


Mr. Ang exclaimed with great disappointment the night we arrived, only to discover that it was closed on that day. We tried the store across. And then came the night when we left for home, there was a greater disappointment for the fact that this store didn't turn out as good as we thought it to be. Our expectations were mainly raised by our runnaholic foodie. That night, there were mainly 4 angry Singaporeans seated at the same square table.

My favourite, Tao Geh! So good you can eat it on its own.

Thumbs up for this. Fresh prawns and somewhat deliciously prepared with much effort.

Oh! Did I miss out something? Yeap, it's the White Coffee. An acquired taste which differs much from the usual scent we get at the local kopitiams. This flavour has it rather sweet and thick with a certain powder that builds the brand. Two thumbs for this.

The company is most important.

This time, we had Lapan Lapan to take us there. Not bad.

Oh! The undies there are dirt cheap. So cheap you don't dare to buy for fear it's really dirty :)

what a joke

The grass is greener on the other side huh? :)

The sad fact about humans, notwithstanding all forms of justifications and arguments, is that we are just not contented. Rather, we don't see what we need more than what we want. Therefore, what happens is a juxtaposition of two somewhat very differing objectives that eventually would not turn out well. It's like mixing durian and mushrooms and thereafter, getting me to eat it. I think I'll fix you first. hahaha...

But really, I can quit my job and say hey! this job isn't meeting my needs! I should go over that company where they can provide me with more, or rather, what I think I need. With all honesty, similar thoughts have crossed my mind so often. I began to examine myself from within. Who am I to justify those needs. And who am I to claim my worth. IF I have been given a job, I know deep within me, that I'm enjoying, then why am I still banging my head?

Had supper (AGAIN!) and some words were still lingering in my mind. To explain it in the same fashion, it would go something like...

50 yr old man: "Oh, I changed job a few times. Once, when I realised that I had no interests in it. The second time was because I needed to take care of the family, and time was precious. The last time was when I finally retired."

26 yr old man: "Oh, I changed job a few times too. I just wasn't satisfied. They can't meet my needs."

Someone's bound to get angry while reading this. In the same tone as Pastor Lau T.S (with his eyebrows bobbing up and down), I say "too badddddd.....".

That's the truth and forgive me for being so straightforward and perhaps, in a way, just too blunt and not tactful enough. I honestly don't know how nicely I can put it across.

And so, I will stick to my job. I will fixate my eyes on the very reason why I took on this job right at the start. I have the interests, I have my desires, I have my goals and I'm fighting it out. I mean, we are never alone. What we do, affects others. What we say, worse if it's unsound let alone wrong, will in turn influence others.

My friends, there really is no turning back. In whatever condition the journey has been thus far, whether you fell or stumbled, the best we can do is get up and start running again.

yeah, got going

Oh yeah! I finally took the lil' machine for a spin... on wet roads.

I must admit it was a dangerous act and not something I want to try again without first familiarizing myself with the overall setup. Yet I must also confess that the pick up was fast, cruising was even more fun!

What can beat a good old cycling session with an all time cycling buddy, what more a fellow Cann. Ha, so much for a 'ferrari' that can't start up because he had problems with the cleats versus a toyota that sped off immediately. It's ok, cut me some slack alright?

Not back, made it to Sembawang Park and back alive. Next time, I really need the lights. Ain't no crossing the silly stretch from YCK to Khatib EVER without lights on. Courting death.

Ah... Mr. Ang complained... "Huh, want to go already ah...but we haven't really talked...all you said were the 5 blue marbles and the stupid 'Great white Monkey'" And so we went back to the marble seats beside the dirty debris infested beach.

It's high time to get some breathing going. For the first time in many months, I was panting for more than 5minutes. That got to feel good :) And sure it did!

Ok now, I know a car sounds more feasible but there's always this cycle and eat festival going all year round. So why not just cycle...and eat? Or...just eat! muahaha, I'm quite a foodie.
Disclaimer: Only for food that I eat. No pork, mushroom, durian or whatever potent combination you can think of. "I'll kil' you!"

Argh, finally overcame the fear of re-stringing a guitar. The first time round, the string snapped!!! ARgh...argh because that was an expensive set. So I settled for some clangy affordable strings. ROAR.

Time to sleep.

random

No, I don't have a lot of money. Just SUMO

I almost gave up while climbing a slope.

So much for determination and perseverance. I now understand how much we really need to put our 'enthusiasm' into action. There's plenty of drag and inertia. Nevertheless, I have decided to shape up. Oh, all these sound too familiar... =] Praying demands perseverance too.



I like this

I like this too.

This little machine is finally in! Sorry guys, I gave in to a Cannondale.

It's light, possibly under 10kg.

Bling bling wheelset at only 1.5kg with steel bearings that wouldn't give up on me.

New parts albeit not the most DA or Ultegra type but good old 105 is sufficient, for now.

Carbons at the right places save for the frame. I still need to eat you know... :) hahaha...

Cleats? Not good. I have to get used to it all over again. It's some funny weird mechanism I'm not familiar with, unlike eggbeaters.

But I LIKE. (*eyebrows moving up and down*, repeat 3 times with the tone of pastor Lau T.S)

Aha! Come, it's time to pedal!

Supper.
Kembangan? Distance is not a problem. "I'm a new man"
Yishun? No kick, too short a distance. Not even worth a run. "I'm just a machine"
Sengkang? Most likely he will drive his kaboom car. "Vroom"
YCK? He will walk there. "I'm also a new man, a NoveltyUniqueMan."
Kallang? He appears everywhere. Just a phonecall away. "WHAT?"

My supper buddies are aplenty except that some just wouldn't eat for fear that they will grow fat. Oh come on! Look at me, it's TRUE! YOU WILL GROW FAT. So just eat!

Broken down lift

All the lifts in this place broke down.

I was greeted with an unpleasant surprise when my tired feet met the lobby of the block. Both lifts were down, so were the others in this place.

"We are managing it...", said the security guard. (right...)

I ended having to climb and conquer the flight of stairs.

By some incredible feat, I managed to reach the 4th level.

At the 5th level, I relied on the railings.

At the 6th level, I was panting and I felt giddy. (Excuse: Maybe I was very tired...)

At the 7th level, it was endurance thereafter.

I thought I would never make it and have my first attempt in sleeping on steps, just a few stories from the little box I live it.

I really need some REAL exercise. Let me start by further utilizing the muscles at my jaws.

Supper anyone?