Binomio Singapore- Best Tapas

Santi was the best Spanish restaurant in Singapore that i ever dined in, and then they closed. Imagine my devastation. Thankfully Chef Jose Alonso went over to Binomio, which is now officially my favorite tapas spot. For $69 for 6 plates or $86 for 8 plates, you can eat to your heart's/tummy's content with Binomio's tapas tasting menu. Well, S didn't quite know how to make reservations and we ended up in the 'fine dining' restaurant instead of the raucous bar. 

Wellness Holiday in Maldives

The romantic and gorgeous Maldives has been touted as a honeymoon spot since... well i'm of age to know what romance is. Yes it's the perfect setting for romance, but also a great destination for city folks like us to de-stress and recharge on the pearl string of island atolls in the Indian Ocean. And i thought it would be even more so perfect as a wellness destination, with plenty of yoga involved, and healthy delicious cuisine as well (you just can't take the yogi out of me). 

It was fate that brought me and Ayurva Traveller, together, just when i was planning my Maldivian holiday. Ayurva Traveller specializes in wellness holidays in exotic destinations such as Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan (all on my travel list) and founder Nilusha shares the same travel philosophy as i do. It also helps that there is a variety of resorts (all on my list as well), with different packages and experiences that are exclusive to them. 

We took a three day wellness package with Detox Spa Treatment at Jumeirah Vittaveli, a sophisticated and lux resort in the Southern Atoll. What i liked about the resort is that they also offer a host of fitness activities like yoga, Muay Tai, circuit training, meditation etc. which complements the spa-focused wellness package that Ayurva Traveller offers.

A little more on our 3d wellness package, it includes 3 x 1h spa treatments at the Talise Spa i.e. body scrub, lymphatic drainage massage, and cellulite massage.

The Over Water treatment suite at the Talise Spa is an oasis of tranquility and luxury. We were also treated to fresh juices as part of our treatments. 

A private wellness activity (choice of Yoga/Pilates/Tai chi or personal training) was also included in our package. The session could be conducted anywhere to your liking. We would have chosen the beach but unfortunately it was pouring when we scheduled for our class.

The open yoga pavilion is a good spot for yoga as well and we could hear and smell the crashing waves as we engaged our core muscles during Pilates class. Raina gave us a challenging core workout, catering to both S and my needs (she had a good balance of tough stuff). 

Call me spoilt but i've also come to expect yoga mats in my hotels and JV provides that in our villa! Yay to sunrise and sunset yoga any time of day!

Of course, living well is like 70% diet and 30% exercise (though we can always exercise more) and we made sure we put in some goodness into our tummies. 

Jumeirah is starting to go big on the wellness aspect and that shows in their f&b and private dining options. We had a private breakfast which revolves around the special Talise Nutrition recipes planned by the Jumeirah team of nutritionists in Dubai. 

The same goodness can be experienced at the breakfast buffet at Samsara in fact but it's always nice to have a bit of privacy. 

Make sure you get some of the delicious oatmeal porridge with honeycomb and the homemade muesli (love it). I can not resist the Mango smoothie (more like lassi) and the Ayurvedic water tasted like chai latte without any of that caffeine or milk! 

Fresh juices with tropical fruits can be prepared on demand as well. 

It's the first time i felt so relaxed in a while. It must be the Maldivian air. I'm so coming back again. Maybe a different package at another luxury resort? ;)

For more information on Ayurva Traveller and Jumeirah Vittaveli, check out their respective websites. 

Will be updating on the accommodation options at Jumeirah Vittaveli, as well as a full food review of their f&b offerings! Stay tuned!

AEIOU Cafe

Finally A.E.I.O.U. Because Avocado Coffee. We have been getting avocado gula melaka milkshake at our hawker centers since eons ago so it kinda puzzles me how people didn't think of this avo + coffee pairing sooner. (Like why didn't i think of this!) Anyhoo, love love love this healthy morning shot of caffeine at this sprawling vintage cafe in the industrious Jalan Besar. 

I didn't expect to finish the huge cup of blended and sweetened avocado shake in the Absolut Vodka bottle but i did. In fact, I would have gladly finished another bottle of this but i may just OD on caffeine (each bottle comes with 2 shots of espresso). The bitterness and acidity of the espresso was nicely balanced with the creamy, nutty avocado blend though i found it a little sweet for my liking. Tell them to cut the sugar and sweeten on your own if that's preferred.

W decided to be adventurous and went for the Lemongrass coffee. Again, another drink that came  sweetened. This is essentially a long black with a light hint of lemongrass. Our verdict is to skip this and stick with the regular flat white or latte. 

The Beef Cheek Pasta ($24.90) was recommended by my sources but us girls were not up for an assault of our palates so early in the morning. Do give it a shot if you need something heavy.  

So instead, we had the Sunny side up ($13.90) which is kind of like baked eggs (4 of them), or more like a half-baked shakshuka, drizzled minimally with pesto sauce. The iron cast pan dish came with a choice of duck confit, smoked salmon or roast chicken. Perhaps a change from fried eggs to slightly more runny ones to fully utilize that lovely crusty garlic bread. 2 slices weren't enough and we added  more of that pungent garlic herb butter toast ($2.90 for 4 slices). 

We also had the bite size quiches ($8.90 for 3) and they were more tart-like than quiche. Loved the buttery and crumbly tart though. We asked for a mix of shredded beef and vegetable quiches, which were baked with caramelised onions and served with sweet onion marmalade. The beef had a sourish balsamic flavor, with a hint of olive tapenade. It's not a spectacular dish and i wouldn't recommend ordering this.

I wanted to like A.E.I.O.U. a lot more. It's a great space actually. Maybe it's more suited for having a proper meal. 

AEIOU Cafe

111 King George’s Avenue Singapore 208559

Tel : +65 6291 2698

Tue- Thu: 11am - 10pm (Fri till 11pm)

Sat: 10am - 11pm

Sun: 10am - 9pm

Whisky tasting at Bar & Billiard Room

Gentle(wo)manly pursuits at the revamped Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Singapore. B&B is the oldest existing bar in its original location in Singapore, and it will bring you back to the old school with their crazy storage of 400 curated whiskies alongside an entirely new cocktail list and bar menu. Sophisticated yet relaxed, just like what you would expect a gentlemen bar to be (cigars included, not that i approve of smoking).  

Even if you can't appreciate whisky (like me), you can get schooled here by Christoph B. Nyfeler Raffles Singapore’s Resident Whisky Expert (dude has 16 years of whisky experience). For serious drinkers, the whisky list here boasts a strong Scottish presence with a good selection of American bourbons and Japanese whiskies, many of which hand selected, limited ed and directly imported.

Citibank $100Gourmet

I would fly anywhere for food (sorta) but currently there isn't much of a need to with Citibank's $100Gourmet. Since April 2015, Citibank has been bringing in the foreign star chefs to Singapore and toying with creative collaborative cuisine with our local stars every month. From now till April 2016, there would be one visiting chef working in partnership with two major Singaporean restaurants to present inventive menus at a special  price of $100++ for Citibank cardmembers. 

A 6 course menu is presented over a period of 6-8 days and seats are super limited. We were lucky to bag a table for the month of July and had the dinner by Nick Bril (The Jane Antwerp, Belgium) and Takuma Seki (IKYU).

The Clifford Pier Heritage Menu by Shermay Lee

The Jubilee Weekend in Singapore may be over but and it doesn't take an occassion to celebrate Singapore and IMO there's no better way than eating up a storm! I would recommend that you guys head on over to The Clifford Pier for a taste of Shermay Lee's ‘Singapore’s Culinary Grande Dames Menu’, which features a curated selection of dishes from three grande dames of Singaporean and Peranakan cooking – Mrs. Lee Chin Koon, Mrs. Leong Yee Soo and Mrs. Ellice Handy. 

Yogalicious- Love for Healthy Living and Eating

Eating and living well is a big part of my life. While it may seem like i'm always indulging in rich and decadent food as shown on my social media platforms, i actually eat simply and healthily on a daily basis and am a regular at my yoga studio. That's how i was drawn to check out Saakalya Yoga's Yogalicious programme, a half day cooking and yoga course, at their Chip Bee Gardens home studio.