I'm always hard pressed to find adequate brunch places in town. My favorite is of course Wild Honey but even their variety of breakfast from all around the world isn't enough to keep me going back every time. It's pathetic really, the lack of quality dining places in where we call the heart of shopping in Singapore. Anyway, i'm glad to have found out about Black Bird Cafe at Handy Road, right next to The Cathay. The location used to house 1 Caramel but they have since moved on. So 1 Sunday, i suggested having our extremely irregular meet up with the FYP gang at Black Bird. A major plus point of the cafe is that its convenient location makes it easy for all of us to run along with our errands after.

Did a quite check and found out that there's a brunch menu which is served from 10am – 3pm. Made a reservation to ensure we get seats because i heard that it gets pretty packed on the weekends. When we got there at 11, it was surprisingly quiet. We hung around till 1pm and the place was still empty. Guess everybody is lazing at home but good for us because we had the whole place to ourselves. 

Somehow the cafe felt very warm and us girls were busy fanning ourselves. The waitress took note of that and immediately set the temperature to cool the place down. Very attentive. I like.

The Brunch Menu is pretty limited- Big breakfast, Eggs Ben, Ham & Cheese Omelette, Croque Monsieur, Buttermilk Pancakes, Bread Basket, a couple of sandwiches and salad. There is also a choice of 1 Main of the day. The prices are reasonable, all items priced below $12 except for the Big Breakfast ($18). However, several items were unavailable that morning, so it really depends on your luck.

The coffee served here is from Havana. Which uses the hot air roasting technique to enhance the caffeine level of the coffee. I couldn't taste the caffeine in my Iced mochaccino ($6.50), it tasted pretty sweet and harmless with all the chocolate and milk. But damn i sure did feel the coffee when I was high as a bird in yoga class after brunch. Obviously the silly me has conveniently ignored the double shot espresso with full extraction description.

I went with the Eggs Benny ($12). I'm quite boring when it comes to picking items for brunch. It's usually Eggs Ben or Big breakfast (due to its sheer variety). 2 perfectly shaped poached eggs came dressed with a light hollandaise sauce on top on the crispy muffins which were perfectly toasted. Despite the small servings, i was extremely satisfied after my meal. I guess that's partly due to the effects of the caffeine. 

Anyway, the eggs were perfectly cooked. The eggs bled a sunset yellow all over the slightly spongy muffin which nicely absorbed that rich flavor. I like the hollandaise sauce which wasn't overpoweringly sour. It actually has a nice creaminess texture to it and i tasted a hint of cheese. Love it. 

Alexis (read about her review here) had the Buttermilk Pancakes with maple syrup ($10). It costs an additional $3 each for strawberries, bananas or back bacon. That to me was quite a ripoff. I expect my pancakes to come with sides! However, the scrambled eggs only cost $2 which was reasonable. Anyway we all agreed that FfT would give us something better for a similar price.

The pancakes were not served piping hot and we had to send it back to be warmed up. Always do the butter test. If it doesn't melt, it's not good enough. Alexis thought that she could taste a wee bit of buttermilk but it's just really mediocre pancakes to me. Too spongy and thick for my liking. Somehow Macs is our standard for consistent pancakes. Revel in the simple things in life.

Nette wanted something small and so she order a BLT sandwich without avocado. The irony is that it was pretty huge compared to what i ordered. The bread has a nice powered crust that crackles nicely when bitten into and also has a firm spongy texture. Despite her lack of appetite, she managed to finish most of it. Verdict- she likes it and that is big for a fussy eater like Nette. :P

Some hits and misses but i think on the whole it's better than many of the other establishments that does brunch in town. Great place to chill out on the weekends. Just about time for brunch now! Ta!

Afternote: Tried the Croque Madame (i topped the Monsieur with an egg) and it's the most fab. Black Bird is the place i'd go to in town for Croque Madame and a strong cuppa.

Blackbird Cafe
6 Handy Road, #01-01A The Luxe
Tel: +65 91858116
Mon–Thu: 11am – 10pm

Fri–Sat & PH Eve: 11am – 12am

Sun: 10am – 10pm
Sun Brunch: 10am – 3pm

TGIF again! Here is a dinner/supper food review to kick start the weekends! 

When friends come back to Sg for visiting, i'm always very accommodating to their dietary needs. Most of the time they want local signatures- Crabs, Char Kway Teow, Chicken Rice, Ba Kut Teh, Seafood, Laksa, Nasi Lemak etc. That's when i eat them as well. I'm really not a local food fan, at least not on a daily basis. Olivia was craving for some Sg crabs and was determined to stuff herself full of them before she heads back to Hong Kong. I don't know how this girl did 2 crab meals one after another but she did it. So we headed to No Signboard, one of the more famous seafood restaurants for the crab dish. 

We headed to the colourful Geylang district for the famed crabs. I received one too many leery stares while making my way through the crowd of Chinese and Indian nationals just to get to the 'restaurant'. Trust me when i say i was all ready to throw a punch in somebody's face if they came too close to me or even dare insinuate something. Anyway, despite all that unfavorable activities going on in the area, i would always come back to this main branch where i first tried their Chili Crabs. And that was when i fell in love with that particular flavor (more on that in a bit).

The crabs are $50/kg which is supposedly pricier than the other restaurants. I'm really not sure what's the market rate. I just assumed they are not cheap. The usual flavors are available- White/Black Pepper, Chilli, Butter, Steamed, Ginger and Spring Onion, Cheese. Can't remember if they have Salted Egg Yolk, which has become one of my favorite flavors for crabs.

We decided to go for 2 different flavors, 1 medium size crab each, 1 male and 1 female crab. I like female crabs for the rich and creamy crab roe (mega high in cholesterol but absolutely worth it once in a while). It adds on a different dimension to the flavor as well as the texture of the meat. What i didn't know after all these years of eating crabs is that the male crab has more meat than the female one. So if you prefer more of the juicy succulent flesh, go for the male one (that is if you don't already know).

The Black Pepper crab looks harmless enough but boy is it spicy! Really peppery flavor that turned on the faucet in my nose and had it running for a while. The restaurant gave us the male crab for this dish. I love the kick of the pepper in this dish. You gotta eat this fast because it turns cold due to the lack of a gravy to keep it heated. Apparently the white pepper crab was the original signature dish of NS but now people associate them with Chili crabs. Shall try that another time.

NS holds the standard for Chili crabs in Singapore (according to this skinnyfat girl that is). Every other chili crab is either too tomato-ish, too diluted, too spicy or too ________(insert something negative here) as compared to NS. I feel that this has the right balance of chili, tomato and egg to make me wanna mop up the entire plate of gravy with the white sponge bread! Boy i would just drink the sauce from the plate. S and i used to place our order over the phone, drive over to pick up the crabs and then head home to have this for supper in front of the TV. Couch potatoes much!

I'm sad to say that the standard has indeed fallen. I thought the gravy is watered down a little. It kinda lacks that oomph and punch that it used to possess. While the meat of the crab is succulent as before, the crabs are really pretty puny these days. The image of those HUGE Sri Lankan crab pincers from eons ago is still etched in my memory and the size of the current ones are really disappointing.

We also ordered the Fried Man Tou (Buns) 4pcs and White pillowy soft sponge bread (half a loaf) ($2 each) to soak up the gravy. I think that's pretty pricy for fried man tou because they are really small! I'm sure i could buy a dozen at that price at the supermarket. Grr. The sponge bread is really awesome in mopping up the sauce. I'd say choose the bread over a rice/noodle dish. It is pretty sufficient.

Sambal Kang Kong ($8) if one of the must order when you go to a Zi Char stall. There's a nice spiciness to it with the pungent and savory sambal. Even the girl who doesn't take much spice couldn't stop eating this. It's a little more on the cooked side so the vegetables are not very crunchy but the texture is alright and the softness of the leaves allows it to pick up more of the sambal gravy. Pretty decent dish.

I can still remember the first time i had the Fried Cereal Beancurd ($8). Homemade tofu mixed with some fish paste and minced vegetables with a mashed up and creamy smooth texture to it. That was exactly what i was expecting but the current taste has fallen short of my expectation. These were a little more like seafood sticks than tofu sticks. Definitely need more tofu instead!

In all, the meal was pretty decent and satisfying though the standard has indeed fallen by a significant bit. Definitely needs to buck up in that department if they want to remain as a worth contender for the Chili Crab title. Ladies if you are dining at the Geylang branch, be careful and be ready to protect yourself. An eye gouge or a choke slam would come in useful when the need arises so learn those well. If the sight of rolled up shirts with exposed tummies turn your appetite off, i suggest you head to the other branches which may have better clientele.

Food: 3.5/5 Standard has fallen. :((
Service: 3/5 A little on the slow side
Ambience: 2/5 KPT style with dubious characters around

No Signboard Seafood
No. 414 Geylang
Tel: +65 6842 3415
Daily: 12pm - 1am

Other branches- Vivocity, East Coast Seafood Centre, Esplanade

The idea of friendship has been redefined with the rise of social media networks. Gone were the days when we used to categorize people we actually know into lists on autograph book (pardon primary school kids of the past). Today we add random acquaintance onto FaceBook and call them our friends when perhaps and most likely, don't even communicate with us. (No, reading status updates does not constitute communication). Back then we actually have 1 Best friend (Duh, isn't that what Best represents?) These days, we call everyone our BFFs (plural?!!). 

I'm guilty of all of the above. After all, friendship changes as we grow. I would say that at any 1 point in time, we may find 1 person (if you are lucky) who is the perfect friend. The one who has the same interests, likings, taste, thoughts, and understands everything you do. That person would be your best friend at that time (for as long as it is till you grow apart). I'm glad to have met friends like that.

That said, there are those friends who will always remain special in your heart, regardless of the distance and space between you. They are the constant. The special ones whom you have shared memories, secrets and inside jokes even telepathic conversations with. By now you must be wondering how does this relate to the title of the post. Let me explain. 

After i bought my Mulberry Grape Alexa (AW2010) (Read about it here), i brought it on a holiday in Hong Kong (Spring 2011). I also met up with my beloved friend Olivia, whom i have been friends with since we were 9. She is exactly one of those rare special friends that i've described above. Despite studying, working and living in 2 different countries for 9 years, she is still my evil twin (we always accumulate bad karma when we meet up ;)) That was when I introduced her to the world of Mulberry with my Alexa (she is such the classic Chanel girl) and she fell in love (we have such similarly good taste). I believe that was also when i planted bagaholistic thoughts in her head and exposed to her a world of limitless possibilities (of bag choices. haha). So she began the hunt for a perfect Alexa. In the end, i found the perfect option for her which is the Buckle Satchel in Eggplant (AW2011).

I was in love with the colour when i first saw it at the stores. It's a nice deep burgundy/maroon which i would have gotten if 1. I don't already have an Alexa and 2. If the shade isn't too in between my Mulberry Grape and Balenciaga Pourpre. Furthermore, the pebbled lambskin is so buttery soft and squishy and you know how i love my pebbling (a la AW Rocco and YSL Easy). It took her some time to convince herself that this is the bag (she wanted to get the Cabbage Alexa?!!) and now it's her most loved bag. So yup, sister bags for the separated at birth sisters!

Now onto the bags. The 2 look almost alike. Postman's lock, braided handle, 2 buckle straps and a belted shoulder strap that's way too long for petite Asian girls like us. We doubleloop ours for a more ladylike look. It becomes a shorter shoulder bag that makes for easy reach for our phones and stuff in the bag. The subtle differences lie in the detailing and finishing such as the full metal buckles and glossy shine finishing for the embellishments. The side hooks are also a little different, the Buckle's being a little bigger. Alexa uses a soft buffalo skin while the latter is a Nappa leather in lambskin. Overall, Alexa is a little more street style while the Bucket Satchel is more ladylike. Kinda like the 2 of us. :)

Since i'm on the topic of Mulberry satchels, i've noticed that with the birth and success of the Alexa, Mulberry has been rehashing (more than reinventing) the iconic satchel look and i wouldn't say it's particularly exciting me. Here are some of the spin offs.

Bayswater Satchel

Now this is the miniature version of the iconic Bayswater style. Poacher style straps with stud closures and cross body straps. I hardly see any modifications to the original. Plus i'm not liking the stiff handles that stick out from the main body. I foresee they would probably get in the way when i sling the bag over my shoulders. If i want a Bayswater, i'd just get that and not this. Though i must say i love this Nightshade blue shade with rose gold hardware. I would say this is more of a work satchel (that is if a satchel is office wear appropriate).

Tillie Satchel

Now this is one weirdly shaped bag. The D ring in the middle is quite purposeless though the trompe l'oeil buckle detailing is quite cute. Not digging the shape or style but exotic skins? Anytime. This is ostrich btw.

Postman's Lock Satchel (Edie)

The simpler Postman's lock satchel is the exact shape and design as its predecessor Edie. I don't get why they renamed it. The Postman is a lot slouchier ie. more shapeless as compared to the other satchels. I prefer my bags with a little more structure. This Beige shade will make a nice addition to any Pastel collection and it is so in this season. I sure wouldn't mind this neutral.

Travel Day Bag

The latest variation is the Travel Day Bag which takes the heritage satchel shape but gives it a twist with a metal luggage tag inspired plaque in front and metal tipped embellishments on both sides of the bag. I think all the metal tags around is quite redundant and boy that would add a lot more weight to the already heavy bag. I'm already complaining about the weight of my Alexa as it is, can't imagine how this would feel on my shoulders after a long day.

So yeap, that's my take on most of the Mulberry satchels. Alexa remains my favorite out of the lot and it has become one of Mulberry's icon in such a short span of time. Love the Buckle too but it hasn't been featured after 2011. So Olivia is one lucky girl, that's practically a limited edition. :P

This post is dedicated to my evil twin Dr. Olivia Tan. Welcome to the land of pretty bags and clutches. I'm glad you love your Mulberry as i love mine. To everlasting friendship and bagaholism! :))

*Photo Credits- Mulberry.com

I'm not a Chicken rice fan (like i've mentioned in a previous post here) and i wouldn't make a meal out of Chicken Rice typically. However, i have to say that it is one of the most convenient and tasty takeaway meals. It doesn't matter if you leave it sitting in the packet and soaking up the moisture from its condensation, it'll still taste good, or perhaps even better. You don't quite have to worry about your sides turning soggy because the chicken is steamed or roasted and it even tastes ok when cold! Most importantly, most of the stalls over the island has been able to produce decent chicken rice so the standard is pretty consistent regardless of where you are (of course if you're darn unlucky u'll get the really bad ones).   

 The most memorable chicken rice that i've tasted was dabao-ed (takeaway) by S. It was the most fragrant and fluffy rice cooked in chicken fat that i've tasted. I immediately proclaimed it to be the best chicken rice in Singapore in between gobbles. According to S, it was a random buy but i thought we hit chicken rice jackpot. However, that still didn't make me crave for the dish. Even thought we often drive past the same stretch of road and we'd always chime "Best Chicken Rice in Sg" when we spot but we never ate there.

Fast forward a couple of years to 2012. S met me for lunch in the vicinity and he suggested trying the dish again. I guess it's a good test of whether it was really as fantastic or was it just a figment of my imagination. So here you go- Yeo Keng Nam Chicken Rice.

It was only when i took a closer look at the stall that i realize this is no ordinary chicken rice stall. They have won some award back in 2009 for their traditional Hainanese dishes. S is such a kukubird sometimes. Anyhow, this is also proof that i have the makings of discerning food critic! :P

The location is indeed very nondescript, Yeo Keng Nam has car repairs workshops as their neighbors. S said that there used to be another chicken rice place at the corner but it has been taken over by a mixed veg stall. YKN is more of a restaurant than a coffee shop. Fully air conditioned, clean and uncluttered seating area (though it is really small) and polite servers to take your orders. There's no oily greasy grime and dirt or smokiness to the place. I like. 

At YKN, you can order your chicken rice individually for $4 a plate. It's only $3.50 if you take it away. For sharing, you could go with half a chicken for $15 or $30 for a whole (if i remembered correctly).

The rice was exactly how i remembered it. I like the broken and slightly soft rice grains? Can you see that they are nicely split in the middle? This shows that they have been simmered in a rich stock of fried ginger, garlic, chicken stock (and some fats) and salted for additional flavor. Some people have complained that this is too healthy. Seriously?? I don't care as long as it tastes good. The fragrance of stock has penetrated and locked itself within each grain of rice and you can simply eat this on its own. No need for chili or dark soy sauce (i thought the dark soy overpowers the flavor of the rice). I actually contemplated having a second bowl of rice! Amazeballs!

The chicken is nicely flavored as well. They served us breast meat for the individual plates though. I should have said i want the thigh meat for that additional succulence and tenderness. The breast meat wasn't dry though and was juicy enough.

The chili was a killer. It really stings. There is a nice sourness and spiciness to the blend of ginger, garlic and chili. Go easy on it if you can't take chili. 

I've been warned not to eat chicken rice at night because the chicken has probably sat there on the rack for the entire day. At YKN, batches of steamed chicken and rice are cooked over the course of the day. They are only prepared when the previous batch runs out. This ensures the freshness of the ingredients. Yay! Wouldn't say the same for the other regular coffee shop stalls though.

S ordered the Sambal Kang kong($7) for sharing. I love the chunky dried shrimp bits and how they really pack in a punch. The kang kong wasn't mushy or overcooked and had a nice crunch to it.On hindsight we should have ordered kailan. That would have gone better with our chicken rice but oh wells, the boy is weird in terms of placing food orders.

There's a variety of dishes to pick from if you are not particularly interested in the chicken. Hot favorites include the Nonya Curry Fish Head ($23). The snapper head was simmered in a red gravy of eggplant, lady's fingers and tomatoes to give it that tangy and lightly spiced flavor. Coconut milk is used sparingly but it doesn't weaken the robustness of the hearty curry. Based on a 18 year old secret recipe by Mdm Yeo (the founding chef).

Hainanese Pork Chop is a popular choice as well. Think tangy sweet and sour sauce on top of crunchy cream cracker battered pork chop.

Had their home made barley ($1.50) to extinguish the fire from the spice. This barley is super gao3 (thick). Just look at the dense and viscous stream that's flowing from the straw. No i wasn't playing with my food again.

So here you go, still the best Chicken Rice in Singapore. It gets packed during lunch and dinner so go early. If not, they also have a delivery service! Yay!

Verdict- Recommended!
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5 Comfortable

Yeo Keng Nam (Tradition) Hainanese Chicken Rice
8 Braddell Road (Main Restaurant)
Tel: +65 6285 4153/ 6285 4261

Tue to Sun: 10.30am to 10pm
(Closed on Monday except on PH)

562 Serangoon Road (Branch)
Tel: +65 6299 1128/ 6299 0218
Daily: 11.30am - 11.00pm

Some time back in Feb when Z and i celebrated her birthday with our sassy weekend in KL, we stayed at the wonderful Fraser Place Serviced Apartments. We were choosing between several chain hotels but decided on a serviced apartment instead for a more cosy stay and we were spot on with our choice. Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur has recently been crowned the Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice® 2012 for being the most trendy and luxurious in its category.

View from the 18th floor Pool at day break

Situated right in the heart of the capital, Fraser Place is conveniently located within the KL's Golden Triangle, which has the highest concentration of renowned shopping, entertainment and commercial facilities. We were situated a mere 5-10minutes walk away from the Suria KLCC mall, Pavilion mall and foodie heaven Bukit Bintang Street.

What really impressed us was the hospitality that greeted us upon arrival. The staff were extremely helpful and made us feel right at home immediately even though we arrived way before our check in time. We were given access to the 18th floor pools and entertainment facilities where we freshened ourselves with a dip in the outdoor infinity pool before heading out for brunch. The gym is also very well equipped with new machines and also a yoga room! There are also 2 game rooms- Xbox Kinnect and Nintendo Wii available for play if one decides to stay in.

Absolutely great way to start our awesome girly weekend! 

Heated Indoor pool with Sauna facilities

The apartments were newly furnished contemporary design elements that made for a cosy and chic stay. Firm and springy King size beds that made us feel like princesses with plush pillows and silky bed sheets. The spacious lounge area could be converted into a private dance floor, with the comprehensive home entertainment system to provide music to groove to ( Yea that's what we do in hotel rooms). The floor to ceiling windows let in natural light that brightens up the place, creating the illusion of space (not that it wasn't spacious enough). 

Our studio apartment also came with a fully equipped kitchenette, induction cooker, utensils, crockery and cutleries, microwave oven, coffee maker and all! I wanted to cook lunch for Z but obviously she didn't trust me with my cooking skills. :(

Instead, we settled for takeaway tea from Ben's General Store (Read about my review here) and chilled out in the comfort of our lovely room. 

Breakfast is served at the ground floor cafe and there's a decent spread of western and local cuisine.
For about 330RM a night, you could enjoy a pleasant stay when you next head over to the cosmopolitan city for a weekend getaway or for business. Bigger apartments and long term stay options are also available.

Will definitely be back the next time i head over. :)

Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur
Lot 163 No 10 Jalan Perak, Kuala Lumpur 50450, Malaysia

Tel: +603 2118 6288

Fax: +603 2118 6388

Email: reservations.kualalumpur@frasershospitality.com

Malaysia on Dwellable

I love the Tiong Bahru area for its bevy of indie cafes and restaurants. One of my all time favorite is Drips Bakery Cafe. Z was the one who first spotted this cool café when they first opened in the Tiong Bahru enclave and couldn’t stop raving about the tarts. Z and I practically have twin tummies and our delicate and exquisite taste buds are so in sync that I trust her with any recommendations. She was so right and I was completely sold.

Drips makes a good cuppa with their intricate siphon technique. I’m still sticking to my espresso blends though. Not quite the coffee connoisseur yet. Hopefully the coffee workshop that i'm attending next week will increase my understanding of Mr. Joe! Aromatic latte ($4.80) that is not too acidic and lightly sweetened by the milk. Pretty smooth on the palate. I didn't need sugar with this one. 

So desserts before the mains! Had the Mixed berries tart ($7) which was amazing. I love the crunchy shortbread crust, which has the right amount of butter and salt. I tasted a hint of a nutty almond paste in base. Perhaps that's their secret. The cream custard was smooth and slightly eggy, goes perfectly with the plump sweet strawberries and blackberries. Perfect summer dessert alert!

The chocolate tart is made from a high percentage of cocoa. Same pastry base as the Mixed Berries tart but this time with a rich dark solid filling. I like my chocolate dark and slightly bitter and this has the right balance of sweetness.

For our mains, I shared the Blackforest Ham with scrambled eggs and Toast ($15.80). Drips is very generous with their huge slabs of savory and juicy ham. I found the eggs lacking in flavor though. It needs a little more butter and crème fraiche (absolutely missing). Crème fraiche is the key to a good and runny scrambled eggs but most cafes skip on that because it’s not cheap. BOO. A sprinkle of salt of cheese would vastly improve the taste but even the pepper was nowhere to be found.

What I love is the Cranberry toast which came buttered and toasted. Perfect marriage of sweet and savory with the multi-grains and moist cranberries. Would love for the butter to be salted though :P

What made me fall in love with Drips was the Avocado Cheesecake. The naturally creamy yet light wobbly texture of the cake had me swoon over it for weeks after i tasted it. So I went back a couple of times after and each time it eluded me! The silly me kept thinking that my determination and perseverance will pay off in the form of a light green slice if I just show up a little earlier on the weekends. Weeks passed and still no cheesecake! I finally uncovered the mystery of the missing cheesecake when I asked the lady boss about it. Turn out that they have stopped selling the cheesecake by slices! It is now only baked to order for $68 for 1.5kg. You will only get to taste this on your lucky day if 1.There are extra ingredients 2. There's enough space in the oven for another cake. :( Now who wants to share 1.5kg of green egg heaven with me? 

This is my favorite spot in the cafe. This is the nave of the cafe. I like how the natural light breathes life into the place and fills the space with positive energy. OOHM. This is a lot less claustrophobic than FortyHands. 

Lace Top by Kwan, Bangkok. Pebbled YSL Easy. 

Verdict- Recommended!

Food: 4/5 for the desserts and coffee. Not a fan of the food.

Service: 4/5 They were so nice when S the klutz splashed my latte onto the floor. I felt so bad.

Ambience: 4/5 Nice place to chill on the weekends. Love the positive space.

Drips Bakery Cafe
82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05

Tel: +65 6222 0400

Sun–Thu: 10.30am – 9.30pm
Fri–Sat: 10.30am – 11pm
(Closed on Tue)

The kinda traveling that i used to do was really tiring. To make the best of our trip, we often rush from sight to sight, try to squeeze in as many places of attraction and even set time limit for each spot. As time passed (and as we age), there is really no such need. Traveling is an experience that is meant to be enjoyed at a relaxing pace (that's why it's a holiday!). By slowing down your itinerary or cutting down useless touristy stuff, you get more breathing space and the flexibility in schedule allows for some spontaneity as well.

Here are some tips for a great holiday from this control freak who have since learnt to relax a lot.

1. Plan for free time and then be spontaneous. 

When S & i were in Seoul last year, we decided to skip the palaces and some sights (they look the same after the 2nd one anyway) and gave ourselves time off one morning. A random idea of picking up a cooking class struck us when we woke and with the help of the Internet and our concierge, we booked a cultural experience class and set off immediately. 

It turned out to be a fun way to kill time (We had no idea Seoul was that boring. Not into their fashion so i didn't shop much either). So began our Seoul Korean experience. We learned about the art of tea making and had fun donning the Korean Hanbok and camwhoring in the traditional Hanok. Next, we were taught how to prepare and cook some delicious kimchi pancakes, which of course led me to believe i'm a qualified Korean bride after the 'course'.

Don't i look like the perfect Korean wife? Or maybe Jap? Hurhur.

Bottom line is, chill. Take time off. Do nothing but sit at a cafe and read a book or magazine for at least 2 hours. While your time away. Learn to stop and smell the roses. You will feel much more refreshed after. 

2. When in Rome, do as Romans do.
Locals know where the best food are and they will let you in on their favorite hideouts because you aren't gonna be around for long to fight with them for space. All you need to do is ask. Sticking to what is recommended in the guidebooks will give you a very blah trip. Most of the time it's a tourist trap or over hyped. Disappointment has slapped me in the face one too many times. The road commonly travelled also guarantees replicable experiences. Identical photo albums with similar poses CHECK. You might as well Google map Street view it. Or just watch TLC from the comforts of your home.

So yea. Be adventurous. Live a little. Explore the back alleys. I once hit street food jackpot while checking out the old Shanghai residential area. Little eateries that operate out of backyards and occupying entire alleyways. There we sat, huddled on little plastic stools, among construction worker types, and had the most authentic Chinese home cooked meal in China. Just er.. don't question the origin of the food you eat. It also helps if you have a strong stomach for adventure. :)

Fresh spring rolls on the Saigon streets w my other skinnyfat half Z.

3. Luxe it folks.
What's traveling without some glam factor right? I'm not one to rough it out on holidays. That's for university kids my friend. If i can afford that little more comfort, why not? Backpacking is not my cuppa. Unless it's a mountaineering/trekking trip or else the only bag i'm carrying is one of my chic designer bags. I'm ok with either type of traveling as long as it's planned beforehand and expectations are set right from the start.

So S & i have agreed on at least 1 good meal in every city we visit. Michelin stars, noteworthy restaurants with great views and interesting gastronomic experiences are among those meals we search for.

1 Star Hibiscus in London

2 Star Ledbury in London

Great opportunity to dress up and go out on a date with the boy! I gotta wear all the clothes i buy somewhere right? I have far too many pretty dresses for all the occasions and events that i thought i would soon be attending (so i thought!) Occasion shopping is such a bad idea but we all fall into this trap over and over again. So this is what shopaholics do- you organize and you plan for events/meetings/parties so that you can parade your buys! :) 

Top of the world- Sirocco & Sky Bar, Bangkok. Ms. Selfridge, Miu Miu Matelasse Clutch

High Tea at the Peninsula Hong Kong. Casual H&M, Vintage Casio.

4. Work it off!

We usually let ourselves loose when it comes to calorie intake on trips. I don't face such a problem but the boy does. Most of the time he'd be lamenting the weight gain and then pushing the blame on me for his own greediness. Our strategy now is to work out on trips. Bring along a set of gym gear. If shoes are too bulky for you, skip them. Barefoot running is great work out. :) Or throw in an itsy bitsy bikini, they don't take up much space! Tanning is a form of exercise, just like sauna (if it makes you feel better. Haha. :P) 20 rounds of Sun Salutation under the hot sun is extremely awesome cardio too. 

For the more active, squeeze in some real sports. Snowboarding is almost a must during winter time. If water sports are more your thing, check out the waves if you are near the beach. Or dive under to spend an afternoon with the sharkies. Whatever you do, use some energy. If none of the above suits you, simply WALK IT OFF. Move that lazy bum. 

Looking pro on the board- Niseko, Hokkaido.

My 4 cents worth of fun traveling. Hope it helps. More on my travels soon. :)

I always thought that Jones the Grocer cafe is darn overpriced in Singapore. My first memory of it was the brunch that i had some weekends eons ago at Dempsey Hill. The food was unmemorable but the hefty bill at the end made me swear not to return again (I obviously did not stick to that resolution). 

I gave it a second shot at Mandarin Gallery. It is my less crowded alternative when WH is packed to the brim. Given a choice i would stick with WH but when one is hungry, one loses all capacity for logical reasoning. Being the usual greedy self, i ordered the English breakfast ($22) and i could barely finish half of it. The big brekkie consists of two large pieces of sourdough bread (bigger than my face), a large sausage, scrambled eggs, bacon and sauteed mushrooms. Do not attempt to go at this one alone. Really. It may be worth it if you share though. Anyway I have since found a better alternative with better tasting food at Lots (though it's really kinda out of the way).

So what really changed my opinion of Jones was their cakes. Was looking for a tea place at MG but A was packed and so we decided to give Jones a shot and i was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cakes. If there's something they do well at a reasonable price, it's their cakes.

Not a usual fan of the Red Velvet because it's usually too dry but this baby is moist and juicy! From the picture alone, you could see the deep red beetroot awesomeness. If the sponge is dry, the colour would be a powdery/whitish red. The frosting was a bit too much for me and felt kinda like fake cream. Surprisingly bearable though i would prefer a cream cheese frosting. This doesn't taste like there's cheese in it at all.

Gotta say i love the brownie cheesecake. If it were cheesecake alone, i would be bored of the creaminess after a bit but the chunky chocolate goodness was spread out to ensure that there is a bit of cocoa in each bite. It is faultless. Dense and smooth cheese batter with bits of chewy brownie on a graham base, topped with a layer of chocolate fudge. What more could you ask for? Sighs.

I was a fan of their Mudslides or Iced Mocha. Can't go wrong with espresso, milk, chocolate and ice cream! Again. Lots does it better at a cheaper price. But one can't complain when one is in need of some dessert coffee fix in town and Jones does it the best.

So yea, give Jones a shot for tea sometime. You may be surprised at their offerings. Their baked goods smell really awesome.

Food: 3.5/5 Overpriced. Slightly above average.
Service: 4/5 Attentive and friendly. Quite humorous too.
Ambience: 4/5 Not a bad place to chill out with gfs.

Jones the Grocer
#04-21/23 Mandarin Gallery
#01-12 Dempsey Hill
Daily: 9am - 11pm