I must have mentioned a million times by now that the east has way better food than any other areas in Singapore. One of my favorite weekend hangouts is Siglap. In my uni days, S and i would drive there and park ourselves at Starbucks and mug. Or we would be having mud pie at Coffee Club. Or ice cream at Haagen Daaz (that was before Udders opened).. The food is great as well! Used to have Vietnamese but they shifted. My other favorite comfort food is Fu Lin Yong Tau Foo!  

I first tried the branch at Amoy Street and i fell in love. Seriously anything fried tastes awesome! I'm sure all of you agree with me. So think about it, fried yong tau foo and then this starchy thick braised gravy with minced meat is poured all over the golden brown babies.. I have arrived at YTH heaven, where fat cells expand and 6 packs abs are non-existent.

My favorite items are the ngoh hiang, tau pok (really great for soaking the gravy), toufu and fish cake you tiao! Not the usual yong tau foo fan so i don't have those fish cake filled vege or chili. They do have that though. Seriously i can finish up all the gravy! Say hello to cellulite!!

More gravy for the thick beehoon. I love the gravy because it's like the Taiwanese lu rou fan (braised meat rice) sauce. Ate tons of that in Taipei and i only found a comparable stall in Singapore (Full House at Central and Far East Plaza). Anyway, this is a twist to the rice but if you prefer rice they have that as well.

Fu Lin is opened daily so you can get it for breakfast, lunch or dinner which is pretty awesome to me. I wouldn't have this in the morning though because this is pretty sinful even for me. Cheap cheap must eat! It's usually about 6 bucks per person inclusive of a drink. :) Do holler if you see me eating there!

721 East Coast Road
Daily: 8.30am - 8.30pm

Another Sunday, another day of food hunting. This is what i love about weekends. S's cravings brought us to Simpang Bedok where Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok Kway Teow Mee is (boy that was a mouthful!). I'm more of the english brekkie sorta girl but i don't mind traditional chinese zao can. But mee pok tah (dry) for breakfast is just a little heavy. I categorize food into meals and this is a lunch/dinner food to me. I never like to eat much for breakfast but no issues here cuz by the time we got out it was practically brunch (love weekends!)

Anyway S was surprised that i didn't know about this mee pok place and mentioned something about me losing my street cred (what street cred has to do with the knowledge of hawker food is something that still bewilders me but S is weird tt way too). What is ironic is that he hasn't tried the noodles here either. Wth right? 

So the 2 noobs headed to Simpang and this store is located within the parking area at one of the corner coffeeshop. Apparently there's another shop by the same name in the yellow row of shops (as seen in the picture below) but the white sign one is the nicer stall. Well i suppose it has to be good when it's full even with the rain. 

A hot cuppa to warm myself up, perfect for the cold weather. Little did i know this tea is gonna keep me up all night :( I love coffee and tea but these days they are just killing my wink time.

It took us pretty long to get our noodles and they came back to check our order 15mins after we ordered? That was pretty ridiculous to me and we were kinda starving by then. Anyway, if you are a fussy eater like me, you don't get much of a choice here. There is only 1 dish and it comes with fishball, fishcake and pork slices and that's it. I don't even get to add meatballs to the mix. :( Thank god they entertained my request to remove the bean sprouts (i absolutely hate tau gay). 

On first look, the dish looks really plain. This is the chili version and it appeared really harmless. That impression didn't last long. The sauce is well balanced with vinegar and the chili is kick ass after a few mouthfuls. I can take spicy and this is alright to me, ask for less if you can't take the heat.

The noodles are crunchy and nice but they dry up after a while. My trick to eating dry noodles is to pour a little soup in now and then to maintain the moisture of the noodles so that they don't stick together in a lump.

I am also very particular about fishballs because some of them can be really fishy. Ok let me explain myself, good fish should not have any fishy/xing1 taste. I clarify, when i say fishy, it doesn't refer to the taste of a fish but the unpleasant taste that certain fishes have and when the fish is not fresh.

Back to the fishballs- they are bouncy and salty (just the way i like it). The pork slices are also very tender and well cooked. To produce a good bowl of mee pok dry, the amount of time each ingredient is cooked has to be very precise (as if i'm a masterchef..but that's just my hypothesis). Too long and the noodles become too soggy and the fishballs dry and hard etc etc etc. Anyhow, the conclusion is that this is an awesome bowl of mee pok!

I've been looking for a mee pok replacement since the really nice one near my place closed down a couple of years back. S and I loved that one and nothing else could compare to it. S was so happy when he bumped into the uncle in amk one day but they have kinda retired! He wanted to them to take him as their apprentice just so that he can taste the noodles again. Yes that is my silly boy. Anyway i'm really glad i listened to S and tried this instead of going to another of my indie cafes.

If you are a small eater like us, the smallest portion would suffice ($3.50). S still had to finish my noodles for me but yea that's me. They also have the foo lin yong tau foo at the same place so if you don't feel like having mee pok you could always have that as well. Post on Fu Lin (East Coast Road) up here.

Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok, Kway Teow Mee
308 Bedok Road
Tue-Sun: 7.30am - 5pm
Closed Monday

This time a year ago, i was searching for my perfect blue bag (kinda.. i just thought it would be nice to have a blue bag). I just started on my rainbow bag collection then- my aim was to have a piece in each shade of the rainbow. Ambitious much. It was a small idea that stuck with me ever since i got my Pourpre Twiggy. A little colour always spices an outfit up. So why not right? Anyway since then i have added a green (ok canard is quite an in between colour), a yellow, a pink (yes i know rainbow doesn't have pink but mine does ok), and then an ocean blue. 

Ok back to the story. I happened to browse the Mulberry site and saw that they have a blue Alexa (or at least i thought it is a blue). Somehow the name 'Grape' felt pretty blue to me. So i headed down to the Hilton store to check it out and found out it was actually purple. Even in the picture you can't really tell the true colour of the bag. Seriously bag stores should have white light so that customers can be sure of the colour of the bag that they are getting. 

Anyway, i fell in love. I was worried that i couldn't carry off the colour, purple is after all an unusual colour. The classic colours for Alexa would be oak and black but they didn't appeal to me. Why would i pay so much for something normal right? Besides, i was in a pop colour mood then (if you look carefully my hair was bright red with even brighter red highlights). 

I love the Alexa because it is casual and fun. It goes well with jeans, jumpsuits, shorts, dresses... practically everything i wear (not one to love formal dresses and events). She is always perfect with my Toms, which made things so much easier because i wear them everywhere. If you want a more girly look, carry her in the crook of your arm. 

 The plus point of the Alexa is that it is a great travel bag. It's roomy enough for essentials (passport, waterbottle, umbrella, guidebook, maps, wallet, phone, cam...). You can easily sling it on your shoulder or crossbody. The strap is really long, i usually double loop it so that it is easier too carry it, feels lighter that way too. 

So this is Alexa on her first trip. It was a short weekender to HK just for some food and shopping and meeting up with my gf! :)

Bestie in the world world! Us at Peninsula Hotel after our afternoon tea, me with my alexa and she with her chanel. Anyway the bag goes well with skirts too. Bestie approves of the bag, loves it in fact. :)) We have such great taste in bags. Headed off for more bag shopping and i went home with something new. :P

Here is S trying to model the bag. He claims that he can carry it off perfectly. Pardon the terrible picture, he is really bad at this. And that's me outside Mulberry. The bag earned many envious looks from the hk shoppers. Bet they were all wondering where i got this lovely purple. :)

A couple of months after the hk trip, i brought her with me to UK. She weathered the horrible London weather and the really depressing one in Edinburgh. This is the best part about calf leather, they can hold so well. The leather is really lovely; very thick and hardy. However, this is the case for this particular bag. Friends with the oak Alexa have complained about the leather, one even developed little holes in them over time. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the leather for oak is thinner or something but just make sure the quality is alright before you purchase. 

Lunch at the Hibiscus

And another couple of months later, she accompanied me to South Korea! I have really been utilizing this bag. Somehow the colour just goes well with almost everything. 

Know what the best part is? It was during the Club21 sale when i got the bag and it was a 20+ 10% discount and i only paid S$1.3k! Real steal right?! And guess what my dear readers, the sale is on right now. Yes you heard me. My friend just bought a Mulberry mini bayswater just a couple of days back. So head on right down, maybe you will still be able to get something you like this season. I love the eggplant colour on the bayswater satchel. It is a very similar style to the alexa and the eggplant is deep reddish purple. Very rich colour. That comes highly recommended, if it is still available :)))

Store Locations

Hilton Hotel

581 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6304 1357

Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade 

#01-26, 328 North Bridge Road 

Tel: +65 6336 6977

Takashimaya Dept Store

#02-206, 391 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6304 1372

I love scones (if you don't already know) and i've been on a search for the best scones in Singapore. Fosters has to be my benchmark for good scones. It is after all my first love. They say one could fall in love many times over, but the rush of the very first will always hold a special place in our hearts and that is the power F has over me.

Tucked in a corner at Holland V, this little cafe that serves English classics like steaks, ribs and pasta. I'm really not sure if the rest of the food is good because i only go there for their scones. My only comment on the other dishes is that they smell really good, especially that lobster bisque. Yums..

On a good day, the outdoor seating is not too bad. I reckon it would be nicer in the cooler evenings for a gathering with friends. I like that it is very casual and cosy. 

Fosters serves the cheapest high tea in Singapore. This is not the usual three-tiered high tea many hotels offer. What do you expect for a mere $10.90++? Here is Foster's explanation of the difference between afternoon tea and high tea. 

And this is what you get in the set- 2 scones, a toasted fruit cake (i love toasted goods. All things taste better toasted ie banana cakes. Swear by it!), 2 savory sandwiches and either tea/coffee. Sounds like a lot right? Well it is! I usually am satisfied after 1.5 scones but that's me. The rest of the stuff are just mediocre. If you don't want the rest, you can get the scones on their own. It's $2 or is it $2.50 for 1 but the minimum order is 3. Perfect for sharing. 

Just look at these babies! Extremely crunchy on the outside (i eat stuff for the texture, not just the taste alone. Other times purely for the texture. I'm weird that way.). Anyways, it's almost like a rock cake or a muffin top. Crunchy outside, buttery moist inside. Plus it's small, so the crunchy to moist ratio is just right. 


I love lacquering it with butter and the ones they provide are salted! Yay! So the butter goes on first, then a little of the whipped (no clotted cream here. What do you expect for this price right?). The whipped cream adds a tinge of sweetness which complements the butter. For those with a sweet tooth, have more of the jam. I'm no jam fan. 

The boy didn't understand my love for scones and tea till i brought him here and since then he has made several specific requests for tea dates. :)) I've taught him well. Heh. Good for me because i have another tea buddy. 

They do a takeaway service as well and we have packed these for picnics previously. Everything comes packed nicely with all the complements and cutlery too. Our friends have nothing but positive feedback for the scones. Make a reservation especially for the weekends because they tend to be packed for tea. 


If you love scones like i do, do share your favorite scone/tea place. :) You can also read about my other favorite scone place (Wild Honey) here!


Fosters
277 Holland Avenue (Holland Village)
Tel: +65 6466 8939
Sun- Thu: 11am - 11pm
Fri- Sat: 11am - 1am
Tea: 3 - 6pm Daily

Sometimes there's no reason why we like or love something or someone. Love strikes us in the most bewildering manner and it doesn't make sense at all. Same goes for food. There are things that I like to eat not because of their taste but of an emotion associated with it, a time forgotten, a fleeting memory.

I like banana cakes because of the black squiggly stuff in it that looks like worms (because i'm weird this way). I like them toasted because I like the sound of the crunch when I bite into it. Besides, everything toasted tastes good. I like the moisture of a good banana cake because it's squishy in my mouth (and I like the sound of the word 'moist'). The taste is only secondary to the above.

So what do you like? Do you have an unexplainable craving or lust or love for something?

Wild Honey has got to be one of my favorite breakfast place in Singapore. I was first made to review the restaurant with the Stupidgirl when they just opened. That was when the Mandarin Gallery outlet was actually empty. I fell in love with the European (their version of Eggs Benny) the first time i tried it and all was history. Every other Eggs ben i tried, i compared it with WH's. And not many has met the mark or surpassed it.

It's been a long while since that first visit and WH got more and more popular and with that it got harder to get a table especially for weekend brunch. Which is why i'm really grateful that they opened a new branch at Scotts Square. And guess what? They take reservations here! YAY!

Took a new bunch of friends to WH (Scotts Square) for a farewell celebration and they could only accommodate the entire group on the veranda. Thank god for the perfect alfresco dining weather at 11 in the morning. Phew.

Now onto the food.

Wild Honey's version of Eggs Benedict. Two perfectly poached eggs, sauteed mushrooms and prosciutto on toasted homemade brioche and hollandaise sauce. This has to be my favorite dish of all time. I always end up ordering this even though i always say i wanna try something new. Boos. So it's best to go with a huge group of friends because i can convince them to try something else and i can always steal a bite! :)))) Anyway, i think that MG does it better? Somehow the bread is over toasted and was too crunchy. Pretty dry. :(
The Canadian - classic pancakes served with wild berry and hibiscus compote, Canadian maple syrup and bacon. I usually never order pancakes because i know that i'll be sick of the same taste after half a pancake. And i don't like WH's pancakes. It's really eggy and really boring. Nothing fantastic to say about it other than the bacon that accompanies it.

I would take the English only when i'm REALLY STARVING (i would be full halfway through). Then again, my national rugger friend ordered this before and he couldn't finish it (ok that was B on a bad day but it's still HUGE!). A classic full breakfast; creamy scrambled eggs, pork sausage, sauteed mushrooms, dad's baked beans, bacon and vine ripened tomato with toasted brioche.

The Tunisian is another one of more popular dish at WH. Sizzling pan of red pepper, onion and tomato concise (stew) studded with sliced chorizo sausage and crowned with two fried eggs- very Mediterranean. I don't really like a tomato based breakfast, then again that's me. Many people love it.

My American friend ordered the Californian (she wasn't from california). Eggs softly scrambled with tofu, yellow and red peppers, fresh herbs on char-grilled ciabatta. I would never order this dish because brunch is supposed to be a greasy and savory affair. Since i work out so much, i deserve myself a high calorie-artery clogging meal.

This is a Norwegian Eggs Benny. I didn't even know they had this. So the ham was replaced by the smoked salmon and the brioche replaced with a brown multigrain loaf. Asparagus included.

The Wild Mocha Dolce is my poison. This is intensely sweet but packs in some serious caffeine. I always get super high after drinking this. Friends know not to feed me with too much coffee/tea because i'd be bouncing off the walls.

I also love the scones at WH. For tea, i like to have their cranberry scone with a cuppa of hot mocha dolce. This has to be one of the better scones in town. I'd put it in the same category as Foster's (another of my favorite). I'm very particular about the texture and taste of scones and have been hunting down the best scones in SG. More on that soon. Anyway the exterior is crispy and the middle is dense and moist. I'll gently coat it with a thin layer of butter and sprinkle sea salt flakes on it- my very own version of salted butter (because WH doesn't provide salted ones). Yummy! And their fresh compote of berries to go with it. Perfecto.

I would be hanging out at the SS branch more often for the following reasons

1. Wider desserts selection

According to the manager, the kitchen at SS is 3 times bigger than that at MG. Therefore, more space to make pastries! I tried the sour cherry strudel when i was there recently (not fantastic) and they also have more tea cakes and stuff. :) I'll be sure to try more desserts soon.

2. More breathing space! I always felt that the MG store was really claustrophobic! In fact, the entire MG feels that way. I feel like i can easily touch the ceiling (ok i exaggerate). Also, because of the small size of the place, i do feel like i can't stay on for too long even though i just wanna chill out with my book sometimes. Scotts is more airy and there's more natural light hence the relaxed ambience.

So if you haven't tried WH (quite impossible IMO), do head on down. All day breakfast means that you never have to wake up early! As for me, ADB FTW!

Wild Honey

6 Scotts Road, 3rd Floor

Scotts Square

Tel: +65 6636 1816

Mandarin Gallery, #03-02

Orchard Road, Singapore

(No reservations)

Weekdays: 9am - 10.30pm

Weekends: 8am - 10.30pm

I have a bag problem. It has come to my attention that i am lacking a big sized carryall for gym. Since i started going for yoga classes, i realized that i've been in a small bag phase for a very long time (my definition of very long is actually 2 years). How is a girl supposed to look fashionable after yoga if she has to lug around a huge ass sports duffel like that from Nike, Puma or the other sports brand. Those bags are only appropriate IF you are lazy and do not bother changing out of your gym attire. I however do not advise that. Gym wear is not attractive, unless you are showing off your washboard abs but even i don't do that.  

I've been making do with my Longchamp Le Pliage tote in graphite. This is my brainless day to day bag. Perfect for throwing it all around, rain or shine, dust or grime. It's quite small too but manageable since my pieces of clothing aren't that big.

My other option is to use my Limited Edition Eiffel Tower Le Pliage Tote. I seldom use this because the bag gobbles everything up! It's amazing how a bag that small (or big) can make things disappear once you put them in. I usually take a minute or two just to find something that i need. Yes i need a bag organizer and i do have them, it's just really troublesome still. 

I was in a terrible rush for class today because I couldn't find a bag BIG enough to throw all the things i need. Plus i had to send another bag in for servicing at the shop (story for another time. Was quite pissed at the bag/brand). I had no choice but to carry S's Graphite Medallion Luggage which i borrowed it for my upcoming Vietnam trip.   

I love that the bag is so roomy and perfect for traveling. It is also a really good gym bag! Though it looks ridiculously big on me. I think i can sit in it. 

I seriously need an alternative. I think the YSL medium Easy would be perfect. I was so close to getting one in June but i couldn't get hold of a particular limited edition that i wanted. OOS in Europe and i wouldn't pay that 1k extra for the same bag in SG.

Lovely right? Black eyelet studs. S thinks that they look like little evil eyes. Love the toned down rocker look. Same reasons why i love the Alexander Wang Rocco (Read about it here). Too bad, no luck with the bag.. :(

I shall continue searching for a suitable gym bag for all you ladies out there. We definitely need a nice bag to match an after-gym hot bod! Updates soon!

If you have any suggestions, do share it with everything by leaving a comment. :))

I love the eastern part of Singapore- it's chill, laid back, hippie and it has the highest concentration of good food. Tell me where else can you find streets packed with eateries, cafes, restaurants that are all filled? Colourful Geylang, traditional Katong and yuppie Siglap. Each one of these areas has its special personality. The boy and i kinda grew up eating at these places, attended schools here and still love hanging out in the East on our free days. True blue Easties are we. :)


Anyway, the boy and i have this problem of deciding what to have for our meals. It used to be a huge problem and often a cause of tension. I did a random poll with my gfs and turns out that this is apparently a typical relationship problem!


However, we have a bigger complication. He's an easy eater so he pretty much eats everything. I, on the other hand, is extremely picky and chooses food based on tummy cravings. I also like to pretend that i'm an easy eater. Problem with that is i usually end up not liking his suggestions even when i say i don't mind having anything. But of course, the boy would sense that and i usually end up having the make a decision (i hate picking because i am afraid that i'm afraid that it may suck or that i don't really feel like having it when we arrive at the restaurant). Girls and their indecisiveness i know. It got better over the years and S has become the worm in my tummy. He can somehow sense my cravings these days, sometimes even better than i do, which is awesome. 


Today was another indecisive Sunday BUT the boy said he'll just decide (after failed attempts to get me to choose) and he simply put me in the car. I knew the choice couldn't be wrong, after all we were headed towards the Katong area. I was quite surprised when he pulled into Telok Kurau, a residential area. 

We were greeted by the cute garden slug and sleepy cats chilling out on the benches and tables. Adorable much! 

The setting is very casual and relaxing. There was a old za2 huo4 dian4 (neighborhood grocery shop) just further down. It was almost like eating at a coffee shop at the old housing estates. The good weather calls for some alfresco dining, Also, i noticed that the seats inside do kinda smell of food but the diners don't seem to mind. 

The first thing that caught my eye was obviously "All Day Breakfasts". Breakfast is one of my favorite foods. I could do breakfast food anytime of the day, any day of the week. My future cafe is definitely gonna have ADB and tea (another of my favorite meals!). However, all the breakfast eating the past week has gotten to me so i ordered a pasta instead. I was secretly hoping that S would order from the breakfast menu so that i could steal some and he did! Worm in my tummy he is!

The fatty boy started lunch with a sundae of all things. Such a monster. Knickerbooker Glory Sunday ($12.50)- Vanilla gelato with Peach Melba, almond stracciatella, sea-salt dulce de leche & jaffa truffle bar. This is a very interesting eat. Every mouthful is a burst of flavors and the mixture was absolutely exhilarating and surprising. Some orange, then chocolate then REAL vanilla ice cream (with vanilla beans!) followed by the taste of sea salt caramel and then hitting the sweet notes with the Peach Melba again. This is a must try. 

Then came our mains. His Runny Salmon Scramble-Up ($12.50)- Creamy scrambled eggs topped with lots of smoked salmon, warm toast by side. This was heavenly. The eggs were runny as promised and had a rich creamy texture to it. Z would love this for sure! The salmon provided the slight saltiness that the dish required. Only downside is that the salmon didn't seem very fresh? Didn't have a very nice bite to it? Not chewy enough i guess.

My Juicy Shrimp & Roast Pumpkin ($14.90)- A rich pink sauce of tender baked pumpkin, shrimp and whole oven-roasted garlic cloves. The linguine was more on the cooked side but the plus point is that it makes it really easy to swallow (trust me that's a good thing). I was basically gobbling mouth after mouth of pasta. The sauce was light and not too sour, perfect base for a pasta marathon. I could go on eating this forever (ok i exaggerate.)

Look at the size of the dishes. It's twice the size of my stomach!

Of course, the only way the meal would progress is shown in the following sequence.

1. Me feeling all stuffed from eating my own food

2. S exchanging his dish with me

3. Me taking a few more polite nibbles and biding time while he finishes most of my dish

4. Me taking a couple of bites of my original dish

5. Me staring at my unfinished food with the most painful and pitiful look

6. S finally telling me to stop eating if i can't finish (to which i do a little song and dance. i kid you)

7. S polishing everything that's left (if he has space, which he usually does! Haha.) 

Obviously the pasta was too much even for 2 of us!

Happy us after a good Sunday lunch. The carb and sugar overload sent us home to our beds and we napped till the next meal. Piggies we are. 

In all, The Garden Slug provides high quality hearty meals. The service was also excellent, the servers extremely attentive to the guests and anticipated every need the diners may have. Serving plates were served without being asked because they knew we would be sharing. Quick, polite and warm service staff always helps in retaining and attracting new customers. This i feel TGS has done extremely well. I would certainly be back. :)

The Garden Slug

55 Lorong L Telok Kurau
#01-59/61 Bright Centre, Singapore
Tel: 6346 0504 
Mon–Tue: 6pm – 10pm
Wed–Thu: 10am – 10pm
Fri–Sun: 9am – 10pm