Neighborhood cafes are a hit with the cafe hopping Singapore these days and here's another quarter for you to explore- Everton Park. This seemingly sleepy estate is now populated by hipster cafes and bakeries and even a lifestyle shop! My CSI experience led me to The Provision Shop, the most promising cafe of the lot (the others were practically empty on a weekday) for a brunch date with Z.

To draw the office crowd in, The Provision Shop does a weekday set lunch at $15 nett and it includes a sandwich of the week, soup, and a long black.

Well i was picky about what sandwich i wanted so i didn't bother with that. You have to get the Reuben for sure. Let me start with the bread. It was AMAZEBALLS. Super springy, lightly chewy and incredibly buttery brioche. I could tell its awesomeness from the slightly layered bread crust, which i left none behind. The corned beef  was more like thinly sliced pastrami instead of the lousy mashed up canned rations. The garlic mayo/aioli gave the salty meat that right amount of punch.

What's different about this Reuben sandwich is the asian flavored sauerkraut which tasted a little like chinese preserved salted vegetables or mui choy. That sesame oil coleslaw on the side gave this dish a fusion edge over the regular versions on the market.

Other savories to order are The Belinda's Perogis ($6), a traditional hot polish dumpling filled with mashed potatoes and ricotta cheese, topped with bacon, onions and sour cream. This was a favorite at the next table. They ordered 1, then another, and another... I reckon it must be pretty damn good.

I would also go for the Burrata and Homemade Walnut Pesto ($18) with warm bread (more of that brioche please). Well because there's cheese and who can say no to pesto right? Oh and definitely a side of prosciutto (+$3).

For something heartier, i would go for the Butternut squash and zucchini lasagna ($14) with sun dried tomato pesto, fresh pasta sheets and mozzarella. Well they had me at squash.

We wanted to go for something other than the usual Blueberry lemon cake ($6.50) so we had the Cherry Almond Cake ($6.50) instead. Z wasn't happy with how the cake sank in the middle (it means that it's no good apparently). I thought the cake was alright. It was certainly moist but not overly wet. There was a hint of the grainy almond but the nut was overpowered by the cherries (real ones).  

Coffee was really strong and that kept me going for my yoga classes. 

I will not bother introducing the other cafes which don't seem too promising. Shops that i'll head straight for in Everton Park includes: Audacious Cakery at Blk 2, Nylon Coffee Roasters at Blk 4, and The Redundant Shop at Blk 5.

The Provision Shop

Block 3 Everton Park #01-79
Tel: +65 6225 9931
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 9pm
Sun: 9am – 6pm

Gone are the days when i would expose myself to the harmful sun rays without any sunscreen protection. It was only when i started my skincare regime with The DRx Clinic did i notice that my skin tone was uneven and there are some pigments from sun damage. GASP. THE HORROR. Thankfully, within a month of using the Derma-Rx skincare products, my skin showed significant improvement and i swear by it. 

I still have some pigmentation issues but nothing that the latest Derma-Rx Illuminator and Intensive Lightener cannot solve. This power duo can combat any melasma, age spots, freckles and more.

Say goodbye to sallow skin and hello to radiant and brighter complexion. It sometimes scare me how fair i've become and how i illuminate under white lights. No kidding. Of course one should never complain about brighter skin. Heh. The Illuminator contains Resveratrol, a highly potent antioxidant from grapes and berries, which has been clinically proven to have brightening and anti-ageing properties. A unique stabilized Vitamin C also helps to stimulate collagen growth and inhibits the production of melanin (which causes spots and pigments). 

I see myself using the improved Intensive Lightener to combat dark spots and pigmentation caused by genetic or cellular reasons. I still have some stubborn spots that refuse to go away! :( Active ingredients include 4-n-Butylresocinol (de-pigmenting ingredient), Alpha arbutin (to decrease melanin synthesis) and Phytospingosine (a natural occurring ingredient in our skin to help boost our skin tolerance to the environment). It is also Hydroquinone-free to help lighten skin and improves your skin tone. 

If you have problems with dull skin or uneven skin tone and need some advice, do look for my pretty girlfriend Dr Yanni at The DRx Clinic. Remember to quote my name when make your appointment for a waiver of skin consultation.

The DRx Clinic Singapore
302 Orchard Road, Level 16
Tong Building (next to Paragon Shopping Centre)
Singapore 238862

Tel: +65  6733 1555
Mon to Fri: 10am to 8pm 

Sat: 10am to 5pm

Closed on Sun & PH

I love dimsum but the format of the meal is not very single or couple friendly- items come in threes and you can't maximise variety if you have a small stomach. #firstworldproblems Dimsum buffets also do not work well for us. Thankfully, i've found a solution! Tian Fu Tea Room by Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant offers a Dim Sum High Tea set that works perfectly for even the single diner.

From now till 31 Jan 2015, enjoy the Sparkling Imperial High Tea (梦幻宫廷下午茶) at Tian Fu Tea Room for $38.80/pax. This festive high tea menu marries the tea room’s reputed premium Chinese brews with exquisite handcrafted dim sum and desserts featuring luxurious bird’s nest from all-new bespoke bird’s nest brand Long Ming Xuan (龙明宣).

We started with a Torresella Prosecco Extra Dry NV, a delectable sparkling alongside a light floral tea. Bi Tan Piao Xue is a easy to drink green tea with a lingering jasmine fragrance. While i understood the pairing of tea with dimsum, i felt that the prosecco was a random throw in to market the tea as a festive product.
Each diner gets a single piece of each dimsum, which is perfect since you'll have space for more. Only downside is that you don't get more of your favorite. As the festive menu focuses on birds nest, the delicacy was in practically in all the dimsum. The goldfish looking steamed dumpling with minced chicken and birds nest had a skin that wasn't too cooked. For dimsum fillings, i believe that pork is always the way to go, which is why the following items were better.

Juicy pork filling in the Xiao Long Bao and Siew Mai. I liked the chunky meat texture in the siew mai and that the meat filling wasn't fatty at all. There was a lot of birds' nest in each dumpling and it added a light crunch to the texture.
Tie Guan Yin (oolong tea) was served next for the heavier dishes. The teas get stronger as the meal progresses. This Tie Guan Yin changed my opinion of this tea as i thought it to be usually very heavy and metallic. The one served at Tian Fu was light with a little woody taste.  Some fried goodness to break the monotony. This pan fried crab meat puff is like a gyoza with a crispy and thin filo skin. I liked this one because it was filled with a huge chunk of crab meat and you could taste the sweetness of the seafood.

Even though the dumplings look similar to each other, it's good to know that the meat fillings actually differ. The boiled minced meat dumpling with chinese cabbage had refreshing greens and some ginger in it. Cooked in a superior chicken stock, the dish was very comforting to the tummy. 

A staple is included in the tea set in case one gets too hungry. The Sichuan noodle with onion sauce had a superb texture. It's what the chinese would describe as 弹牙 and that's because the noodles, like all the other dumpling skin, are hand made. I thought the dish could do with a little more seasoning though. 

Rounding up the meal, we had a red tea by the name of Yunnan Dian Hong. This tea is supposed to rid the palate of all oily remnants of the previous dishes to prep us for the dessert.

I love love love the Boiled Pear with Bird's Nest. I would pick this over the sugary western poached pear dessert. Chinese pears have this refreshing and juicy quality that makes me want to take bite after bite. The double boiled method is also the best way to prep birds' nest imo.

What's coming to Si Chua Dou Hua without some homemade beancurd with wolfberries right? This is not included in the set but we couldn't resist a bowl of this freshly made beancurd with a light sugar syrup and sweet and plump wolfberries. No preservatives are used and the texture is amazingly silky and smooth. The kitchen makes this twice a day and the morning batch gets thrown out by noon so you can be guaranteed of fresh dessert any time you visit.

I loved the exquisite teas and beautifully crafted dim sum at Tian Fu Tea Room. Although the dimsum may not be as traditional as those you get at dim sum restaurants, it's perfect for a chi-chi afternoon tea by yourself or with your mother, aunts and grandmother. Trust me, they'll love it. 

Tian Fu Tea Room is adjoined to each of the Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurants in Singapore.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6428 3170

PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
181 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170

TOP of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place #60-01, UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: +65 6535 6006

Daily: 11.30am - 10.30pm
High Tea: 2:30 - 6:30pm

Since Christmas and New Year are so close to each other and you're probably worrying about both meals, here's highlighting the Christmas and New Year's Eve Dinner Menu at Salt Grill and Sky Bar Singapore. 

Start dinner off with a G.H Mumm Champagne ($98++/bottle; $55++/half bottle).

The Amuse Bouche of Coconut broth with Sydney spice. Just like i remembered it to be, this kaffir lime coconut broth is so very Thai. Mod-Aus is highly influenced by Asian flavors imo. For the second seating for the NYE dinner, an oyster tasting plate is available too. 

The entree options are as follows.

Seared foie gras, pine nut crust, scallops, peach, brioche (only for NYE). It was a huge chunk of seared foie gras which could be better seared to complement the creamy texture. The pine nut crust didn't come through and i was missing the nuttiness. The plum was a nice alternative to the usual berries though.

Star Anise Pork Belly, with seared scallops, cauliflower puree, pickled cucumber. This dish is available on both menus. This is what a kong ba (braised pork belly) would taste like but the pork was on the dry side sadly. We had no issues with the beautifully seared scallops and the amazingly creamy cauliflower purée (will pick this over mash anytime).

The Tuna Tataki (only for NYE) may not look very appetizing with the yellow saffron coloring but the texture of the puffed rice with stringy smoked enoki and sweet onion worked pretty well. The tuna could be less well done though.  

The cigar of whipped goats cheese was enjoyable since i love cheeses but some people did not like the sharp tartness. I thought the dish could do with sweeter elements than the beetroot hummus and fresh figs (which weren't very sweet). For Christmas, you could also opt for the signature Tea Smoked Quail as your starter.

On to the hearty mains. For Christmas, how can we not have festive favorites such as Turkey Breast and Honey Roasted Ham right? Sides include fries/mash potato, fine beans confit shallot or pear, blue cheese, walnut and rocket salad (this is my personal fav).

The Portuguese baby chicken was our favorite main from the NYE menu. The flavors reminded me of the home cooked Turkish meals that i had on my travels with the spice rub of paprika and mint. Pair the crispy tender chicken with the thick saffron sauce and you have a winning combination. Lovely roasted vegetables and spiced chorizo added helped to lift the dish through the differing textures and flavors.

I also enjoyed the Sydney spiced barramundi with thai styled char sui mushrooms and bok choy. I've taken a liking to the firm fish with a light sweetness. 

We were a little confused by the Cape grim strip loin with caramelized endive, eggplant purée and salsa verde. The meat was decent but the sauce tasted of Japanese curry with some minty residue.   

While i liked the initial fresh notes of the pan fried potato gnocchi due to the medley of corn, asparagus, zucchini and truffle verjuice dressing, it was overpowered by the oily gnocchi. The potato pillows, while fluffy, were too big and doughy and I felt myself slipping into a food coma after 2 bites.

For desserts end with one of the 4 desserts. My personal favorite of the NYE menu was the Chocolate tart. 

This tart was a hybrid of a regular chocolate tart and molten lava cake. Think powdery and gooey filling with a crunchy buttery base. Icing on the cake were the praline ice cream and brûlée banana. Good news is that it's available on both Christmas and NYE dinner! I much preferred this over the other desserts. 

Raspberry cheese cake was meh. The cheese was too gelatinous in my opinion. 

The Mango and Coconut bomb Alaska had a rather dry sponge which was like a traditional kueh bolu imo. Too sweet for my liking as well.

Cheese lovers could go for the very substantial cheese selection with quince paste lavoch. The Pouligny Saint Pierre was a delightful crumbly goats milk cheese. For Christmas, there's also the traditional Christmas Pudding or Raspberry Panna Cotta.

Overall, sufficient selection of items for a decent festive meal to end/start the year. Plus the view is amazing. You'll probably be able to catch the fireworks (i'm assuming there would be some). 

3 Course Christmas Dinner Menu ($100/pax)
24 and 25 Dec 2014
3 Course New Year's Eve Dinner Menu
31 Dec 2014
First seating: 6pm - 8pm ($125/pax)
Second seating, 8.30pm. Last order at 12am. ($148/pax)

Salt Grill and Sky Bar
55th and 56th floors, ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6592 5118

Riding on the coattails of Restaurant Week and providing the excuse to start the festive feasting early, American Express and HungryGoWhere jointly present 30licious - S$30 culinary treats till 2 December 2014. An exciting selection of restaurants has come on board this round, including big and familiar names like Lawry's, Bedrock Bar & Grill, Gyu Kaku and NUVO.
We visited The WEJS by Medici Cafe, a little alfresco joint at the secluded far end of Rochester Park. Service was extremely slow (it was just the chef and his wife) but i loved the hearty Tunisian food!

For starter, choose between Chicken & Spinach Soup or Salade Mechouia. The spinach soup wasn't too creamy so you could still taste the goodness of the vegetables. I thought a touch of cream would gel the soup better though. 

I also enjoyed the traditional tunisian oven baked red and green capsicums cold salad which was served with bread.

For mains, the Tunisian Chicken Couscous was fabulous. I may be biased towards the couscous but I simply love the fluffy little grains that tasted so light. The chicken leg absorbed the rich flavors from the tangy vegetables and tomato stew and became fork tender with.

The Chakchouka was also one of the better ones that I've tasted in Singapore and certainly not as overpriced as that of Wild Honey. This is best paired with couscous!

The set meal also comes with a drink (we had fresh juice) and dessert (very common man). Perhaps you could give their churros a try. We had the mixed can fruits cocktail which was meh of course.

UNA @ One Rochester is also an excellent choice for a romantic dinner under the fairy lights. Word is that the ex-Bomba chef has made UNA his home and has been dishing out the hearty and authentic paella that we know of. We started with a glass of 2012 Malacapa Rioja ($14/glass, $75/bottle) that came with the meal. It was an extremely enjoyable blended Spanish red and we would certainly come back for another bottle of this.

After waking our palate with the tangy gazpacho, we dug into the Signature Seafood & Chicken Paella, a rich and intensely flavored pan of short grain with generous toppings of perfectly grilled prawns, fish, chicken, mussels and clams. I thought the dish was a little salty, especially with the sliced chorizo but a small portion of it was just right.

The Pluma Ibérica was a great piece of tender Kurobuta Pork simply paired with a smoky sweet marinade and creamy mash (the kitchen was a little heavy handed with the salt).

I wasn't too impressed with the Churros (a la carte) which had a really milky center. I prefer churros with a little more crunch on the outside.

During the offer period, American Express® Card Members can enjoy 30licious special menus at more than 30 restaurants across the island for just S$30++ each. Customers who do not have American Express Cards will be charged at S$35++. To enjoy the delectable 30liciousdeals, you simply need to log on to book.hungrygowhere.com/30licious to make your bookings.

Cappadocia (Kappadokya) is a fairytale, complete with whimsical fairy chimneys, magical hot air balloon rides, and mystical sunsets over valleys. It's the reason why i fell in love with the country i've not been to (Turkey), until i made it a reality of course. Well long distance relationships just don't work for me, so i made this city, in the Anatolian region, my first stop on my Turkey trip.

STAY

Upon arrival, take a 1h transfer from the airport to one of the towns and check yourself into a cave hotel. A trip to Cappadocia isn't complete if you don't stay in one. It is certainly part of the charm of the place. The hollowed out soft volcanic rock accommodation is anything but shabby. Most of these lodging are luxurious with all the modern comforts you can imagine- electricity, wifi, baths, central heating, ac, beds etc. Each cave room has its own character- stone (made from blocks)/cave/chimney, with windows or not, view etc. so it all depends on what you prefer. It was a real headache deciding which town, which hotel and then which room! 

I decided on Goreme because it is fairly accessible to sights and activities (Goreme Open Air Musuem and Hot Air Balloon rides). Considering we only had 48h (or less) in Cappadocia, we didn't want to waste it on traveling around. I would love to check out Ürgüp and its boutique caves but it's just a little far off.

Here are some Goreme Cave hotels that i considered. 

1. Kelebek Hotel (I stayed here)

Room 5 and 6 are in the top of the fairy chimneys and for only 55 Euros (what a steal)! However, they do not come with ensuite bathrooms and are on the smaller side but hey, it's in a fairy chimney! Go for the Junior Suite Room 4 if you want a chimney experience with a bathroom. If you're claustrophobic, pick the Junior Suites (85 Euros) with windows. They come with lovely views of Goreme. I like Room 19, 113, 18 and 15 (somewhat in order). The organic breakfast spread was amazing (love the pides) and facilities include a Turkish hamam and a pool! (more on Kelebek later)

2. Aydinli Cave House 

This is a small home boutique, family-run guesthouse located just a short stroll from the city center. Double rooms are from 70 Euros onwards. I liked Room 10. For suite rooms (100 Euros), I'd go for 12, 3, 8, 9, 5 in order of preference.

3. Koza Cave Hotel

4. Terra Cave Hotel

If i were to visit Ürgüp, i'd pick one of the following: hotels for your consideration: 

Esbelli Evi- Charming place. The first cave hotel in Ürgüp.

Selçuklu Evi Cave Hotel- Near good restaurants.

Kayakapı Premium Caves- Very grand. Super lux! Some caves have private swimming pools.

DO

The Goreme Open Air Museum is a short 1km walk away from Goreme city center. Do not miss this UNESCO World Heritage site which was once a Byzantine monastic settlement and 17th Century pilgrimage site.

It was hard not to be wowed by the rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries on site. 

I've never gone to an indoors spinning class till New York and i guess that kinda spoilt it for all the other spin classes that i'll ever go to. Yes i've sold my soul to SoulCycle (that's if i really have to ride). SoulCycle is the indoor-cycling cult that has people paying $34 per 45 mins class plus extras for shoe rental ($3) and water. Yes it is anything but cheap but it's NYC and New Yorkers will do anything to have them somebody tell them to believe in themselves and that is the appeal of SoulCycle.

SoulCycle is more than indoor cycling. It is a motivational exercise experience that combines crazy spinning, music and therapy. 

Once your shoes clip on, the lights dim and you'll be surrounded by flickering candlelight. The instructor (who is also a DJ and motivational speaker) starts spinning his/her set. You pedal on the beat and you lose yourself to the blaring music. There's no giving up because you ride as a pack, as a community. You will push yourself to the limits because you will not accept anything less. At least that's what the instructors will tell you. Nobody gives up. Until you attain that perfect you.

SoulCycle is fitness reinvented. It has put fun back into fitness and they claim that 45mins is all it takes to transform the way you look and feel. I can bet on that feel good factor. Why do you think there are so many gorgeous New Yorkers with slim waists and perky booties coming back to Soul again and again? I have not walked out of the refreshing lemon smelling facility feeling like i haven't pushed myself enough (other than the time when we had a lousy instructor and that is a rarity).

Along with Lululemon, SoulCycle is certainly the other crazy fitness phenomenon/brand taking US by storm. S is absolutely crazy over them (he needs that external motivation to work out whereas i'm naturally intrinsically motivated. I'm a type A yogi.). That said, i'm good with the occasional adrenalin pumping fat-burning cardio, full-body workout sessions (with hand weights as well). SoulCycle is the best spinning experience ever and sadly we just do not have that kinda crazy inspirational instructors or exciting facilities with great music in Singapore. I guess i'll stick to yoga here.

Do you exercise when you travel? Have you experienced similarly great spinning classes in Singapore? 

XOXO
Travelerintransit