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This is not the usual SbR post. In fact, this is supposed to be a guest column, coz SbR has too much work on her hand plotting global domination (so long no professor gets stabbed) and not enough time updating this blog. So here I am. In Oscar-speak, I’m the seat filler. So as I think about subjects to write about, I thought, why not write about my fav pasttime, flying premium class on the world’s leading premium airline?
Early that morning, SbR sends Mr Smiley (thats me of coz) to the airport. After exchanging a warm embrace and a farewell smackeroo on lips greasy from yummy sausage mcmuffins, off I go for some luxe in the sky. No no, not the Mile-High type, just good ol’ opulent shite that fits snugly in a Tatler article.
And as I settle down into what they lovingly term the Skysuite (its a bloody lounge in itself, an uber comfy leather cum woodtrimmed autobot which easily transforms into an almost full-flat bed), I begin my voyage with what else, a glass of bubbly Krug of coz. Yum.
The cheery japanese $5 stewardess (nono, before you raise your hands up in fury, this is in fact one super smart way of differentiating different ranking cabin crew. $1 = blue = non ranking blue CC. $5 = green = leading CC. $10 = red = chief “ah ma” CC. $1000 = purple = in-flight supervisor = rare dinos. keke. ) was as flawless in her service as her complexion, as she brought round after round of drinks until I surrenderred. Burp.
Oh btw did I mention we were still on ground taxiing to the runway? Shiok la. And as we rose amongst the fluffy clouds to the cruising altitude of roughly 30+ thousand feet, I spied with the corner of my eye the rich cliente gathered in the front of the cabin. Wealthy looking? Check. Sharp, crisp togs? Check. CEO pattern? Check. Gorgeous, Daniel Wu-ish drop dead hunkdorylookers? Ermmmm… But Still! This is still some excluuuuusive company man.
As the seatbelt fastened sign dimmed, the crew swung into action to prep our meals. Btw did I mention how yummmmmmy the satay served was?? No pics here, but i tell u, its heavenly flavourful morsels of mutton and chicken bathed in rich Asian peanut sauce. Too bad the old white man beside me wasnt too impressed.
On to the main dishes!! It was a hell of a long 18 hour flight, with a break in between to mangaland. All dishes here are aparrently presented on Givenchy porcelain wares. Except the Japo Kaiseke Bentos of coz. OOOOoooooo…
Was kinda stuffed after that so I deployed the bed and watched a few shows on the world’s best inflight entertainment system. STOP ROLLING UR EYES!!!
After which they decided it was time to feed us again. And this time, it was posh I tellya, POSH! For starters I had caviar with a shot of vodka, which totally went with the overpriced fish eggs. My appetite has been whetted.
Next up, the soup. Now I’ve always liked mushroom soups, and have you ever thought how the humble mushroom soup can be glammed up? They dress it with truffle cream man! It was delish yes, but it felt like giving the nice homemaker-next-door a visit to Hollywood Secrets! Gimme plain old mushroom anytime. Btw aint the soup gorgeous laying on those Givenchys?
And finally, the piece de resistance. Beef cheeks with Asparagus and mashed potatoes! Paired with a super pricey red from Francois-land, the Chateau Pichon, its just shiok la! Full marks!!! Clapclapclap!
Well now, feeling supremely satisfied, the $5 CC brought on dessert, a Granny Smith apple (atas la, cannot normal china fuji one meh?) crumble paired with vanilla icecream. So much for the cycling sessions. Sigh.
And after that, and more Chateau Pichon later, I lazed back and scoured the movie catalog for goodies. This is life, man. And I await the next feeding time. Buuuuuurp!
Which incidentally isnt very long when you’r so occupied by the (once again) world’s best inflight entertainment system. Morning came swiftly, and I was on the other side of the Pacific, almost reaching sunny (but chilly) L.A. I wanted some homely comfort food, and short of eating char bee hoon, I ordered the closest thing the riche have – fried egg noodles with huge juicy prawns and scallops. For Breakfast!
And as I prepare for disembarkation at the bus terminal-like LAX, here are some other luxuries we throw in to attract premium class passengers. Among others, Evian bottled water (what else??), Salvatore Ferragammo (sic?) toiletry range and pyjamas, choc truffles and a whole range of cheese and fruits after dinner, and the list goes on and on.
This I say, is a damn goooood way to fly!
This Valentine’s (seems like ages ago) I betrayed Betty and tried Jiffy instead. Like a typical marketing student, I was sold by its traditional-old school packaging, their claims of being “America’s favorite” and being able to provide “Quality and Value since 1930”. Its irresistible price didn’t help too.
I should have known. I should have trusted Betty. See. I love Betty post.
All I can say was, my muffin tasted like. Muffin.
Restaurant Chako
134 West Coast Way
Hong Leong Garden Shopping Centre
Singapore 127064
Tel: 67763919 / 67764613
Ambience: A rustic-Japanese feel with sliding door, floral-print wallpapers and small Japanese knick knacks decorating the small space.
Food: Lovingly prepared by the Japanese auntie who single-handedly whipped up all the delectable cuisines. It was awesome. Did I say it was awesome? I ordered the Charcoal Grill Bento Set which comes with Saba fish, Chicken and some sides. The fish was crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. We also ordered dessert to complete our meal. The green tea ice-cream was a little too bitter for my liking but upon knowing that the ice-cream is fat free, I gobbled it down without any hesitation.
Price: A little on the pricier side. My bento was about $20 but it was well worth.
Warning: You need to place a reservation as you can tell from the picture they have a very limited capacity. Also, don’t even bother asking for the menu unless you read Japanese. The menu was apparently 40-years-old and most of their patrons ask for recommendations directly from the auntie instead of referring from it. The entire experience was more like visiting my imaginary Japanese auntie for dinner. Oh, you need to be extremely patient too. The auntie took about 30 to 45 minutes to prepare a dish but I must say it was really good.
Ratings: 4.5 / 5 stars
I only just realized that my aunt married a Baba and so she decided to whip up some Peranakan delicacies this year instead of the usual steamboat.
The chef.
The food. Babi Ponteh, Kueh Pai Ti, Or Ni etc etc
This was long overdue. After the Little Nonya craze, we decided to go try some authentic Peranakan food to see if it’s really good.
Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe
470 North Bridge Road#01-02 North Bridge Commercial ComplexS(188735)
Tel: 63397745
A no frills eat-all-you-can buffet costing below $20. I am not one who usually fancy buffets because of its wide variety of substandard food.
But the food served at Chilli Padi was of fine quality made with love and effort. The food quality more than compensates the lack of variety.
The rattan furniture, “Rooster porcelain” bowl, black and white photographs of people dressed in Traditional Peranakan clothings seemingly brought us back to 19th century.
Peranakan cuisine is a fusion of both the Straits Chinese and Malays. My personal favourite? The Nonya Mee Siam which is vastly different from the ones we had. The spice fragrance and the slight sour-ish taste differ from the ones served by the local Malay communities. I don’t know how to verbalize the difference but you just know once you taste it.
I am not a fan of the renowned Nonya Kuehs but people who love tapiocas, coconuts and chewy pastries will love them.
Nonya Chap Chye, Ikan Sambal Tumis, Curry Chicken, Babi Assa (Clockwise)
Kueh Pai Ti, Chwee Kueh, Gado Gado, Pig Stomach Soup (Clockwise)
Nonya Laksa
Nonya Mee Siam
Nonya Kuehs
Ratings: 3.75 / 5
520 East Coast Road #01-06 S(458965)
Tel: 64466355
http://icecreamchefs.blogspot.com/
It is just like Cold Stone, the one I had with Colin and Val in LA, where you select the flavors and mix-ins (Orea cookies, Tim Tams, Granola etc) and they will smash and mix it up on the chef’s rock.
I tried Mrs Smith (Chunky apple bits in granny smiths apple ice cream with a complimentary hint of cinnamon) with Granola and Rum The Raisins with Tim Tams. Awesome. Quality ice-cream blended with my favorite mix-ins for the added flavors and textures.
Ratings: 4 / 5 stars
A place bursting with the richness of history, cultures and food.
Hero Records
Very old school. I like.
St. Francis Xavier’s Church
“Built in 1849, the church is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, also known as the ‘Apostle of the East’/ St. Francis Xavier is well-remembered for his missionary work spreading Catholicism to South East Asia in the 16th Century.”
Christ Church
“Built since 1753 with Dutch’s architectural ingenuity. The highlights are ceiling beams constructed without joints, brass Bible, tombstone written in Armenian and ‘Last Supper’ in glazed tiles”
The church was closed when we got there. Depressed.
Baba and Nonya Heritage Museum
This was the exact house that Little Nonya was filmed. We saw the well which Yue Niang was dumped into, the stairs and dinning area, the kitchen and all. But we were not allowed to take any photos. Too bad.
Hoe Kee Chicken Rice
Jalan Hang Jebat at Jonker Street
Unlike any ordinary chicken rice, this chicken rice comes in the shape of balls. Those balls are not fish balls but chicken rice balls. The balls gave out a very rich chicken rice aroma that was very soft when you bite it. Those balls are definitely worth the wait.
The “Highlight” of the Day
All those places that we visited were recommended by our camp committee and one of the attractions caught the eye of my little brother. The “Eye on Melaka”. He was mesmerized by it when we first saw it from our hotel room.
View from our hotel room
“Eye on Melaka – A ferris wheel similar to the Singapore Flyer, offering you a view of the Melaka River. Entrance fee: Adult RM5.00. And on the map it is a walking distance from our hotel.” – stated in the recommendation from our camp committee
Wow… cool, Singapore flyer at 5 Ringgit!
So after shopping at Mahkota Parade, we got into a cab …
Us: Uncle, we want to go Eye of Melaka. You know the ferries wheel?
Uncle: Ohhh. The turn turn one? Ok. RM 15. [Using his fingers to draw circles repetitively, the taxi there doesn’t run on meters.]
Us: Yes yes. Uncle. The turn turn one. Ok can.
The car stopped in front of a huge ferries wheel.
Picture taken from a random site
Us: Eh. This is a ferries wheel. [Checked.] Very big. [Checked.] Just like the Singapore flyer. [Checked.] But it’s nowhere near our hotel. Hmmm. [In fact it is at a very isolated location and there were no cars in sight. It’s about 930pm and not wanting to risk it, we decided to stick to the Eye of Melaka.] Eh. Uncle, we want to go to Eye of Melaka. The one near Bayview Hotel. On Hang Tuah Road there.
Uncle: Oh. [speaking in Malay] This eye of Malaysia.
Us: [Don’t understand a single world he said.] Eh, uncle, how much ah, go Eye of Melaka. How much?
Uncle: RM 10
Us: Oh ok ok. Go there.
So, that cost us RM 25 to go to this freaking Eye of Melaka. It better be good.
The car stopped. And there we were. Eye of Melaka.
Us: Oh. Uncle. This one? Eye of Melaka?
Uncle: Ya la. [The uncle snickered]
Picture taken from some random website
Us: O….K…
Sigh. Having spent RM25 to reach our destination, a business student who refused to apply the “Law of Sunk Cost” decided to go ahead instead.
The RM5 experience?
Bad. Boring. Slow. Stupid techno music. Oh. Funny. My little brother was really scared. -_-“ Great fresh air.
Trying to make the ferries wheel looked really huge
After the second round…
Me: Eh, I think third round should be the last round. Let’s get out of here.
Sis & Bro: OK!
We started grabbing our bags and our butts were all ready to take our flight …
But the door never opened. The wheel never stopped.
Sis: EH EH EH!!!!!!!! [Waving and pointing hysterically.] We want to go out!!! [Yes, she shouted. -_-“]
The sickening-guy-who-enjoyed-looking-at-us-being-humiliated: One more one more.
OMG…..
What is wrong with their tourism board?
Eye of Malaysia – Melaka and Eye of Melaka?!?!?!
The experience? His face tells it all.
Another silly act by my little brother…
That’s apple juice by the way
A Teochew Cuisine Restaurant at Bukit Batok.
Blk 132 Bukit Batok West Ave 6 #01-300 Singapore 650131
Tel: 6560 0050
They serve fantastic cheese crabs, irresistible egg yolk prawns and mouth watering braised meat. Hmmmm….
It is situated in a heartland estate below those HDB blocks where you expect to find noisy coffee shops, coffee-stirring uncles and beer drinking chee kor pek instead of this cozy restaurant serving such Chinese delicacies. Their service was fantastic; they change the plates almost after every other dish and even bother to provide plastic gloves where you can enjoy your crabs in the most unglamorous manner. If you are not a nationali-cist and are able to withstand the initial overly enthusiastic and slightly pushy waitress, you’ll love this place for its great food and great service.
My little sister is concentrating on her crabs.
It’s not the cheapest Chinese Restaurant despite its location, where my family of 7 spent close to $280 for this dinner, but it’s a surprising good meal in this tiny little Bukit Batok estate.
This little estate that my friend refused to acknowledge its very existence, he once said, “Who goes to Bukit Batok for movies? No one stays there! It’s not in Singapore!” Yes yes, if according to him that CCK is in JB, Bukit Batok would probably be very accessible via the second link way.
Before I confused any reader, Bukit Batok is in the west of Singapore. Yes, its in Singapore.
Cedele at Wheelock serves fantastic breakfast all day long! Awesome big breakfast, great service, reasonable serving size and great ambience. A little pricy for breakfast though. Costing bout $18-$20 per pax.
A happy diner
Birthday this year was the most celebrated birthday in my entire life. Haha. Maybe it’s the Olympic or maybe it’s because of National Day, everyone is in the celebration mood.
Round 1: A homely family dinner on 8th August
A family dinner made up of authentic homemade chili crab, curry and bee hoon served with the oh-not-so-famous roast duck from the stall below my place. A joyous and cozy event.
At times it’s nice to just have a simple meal at home than to squeeze with the bustling and grouchy crowd out there.
Round 2a: A day out at the National Museum on 9th August
We got caught up with the fanfare National Day celebration in front of the museum that we almost forgot what we were here for. Free popcorns and balloons were not on our agenda but who would resist them?!
I love the architecture of the museum. It’s very dreamy and colonial. It’s definitely an affordable way of spending a lovely weekend afternoon with your loved ones. Couples and friends out there! A date in Singapore is not just about malls and movies.
Note: Go on a romantic date at the National Museum! You’ll be delighted to know that from now till 23 April 2009, NUS students get to enter for FREE!
(I’m not writing for SDU or National Heritage Board)
The guy with his well endowed asset is called David.
I love their Living Galleries! It varies from the fashion and films in the sixties to the roadside food stalls from the seventies. You may even notice that with little tweaks here and reworks there, these clothing may just fit the look in Vogue or some other fashion magazines.
High waist skirt. Looking familiar?
Elegance is no longer significant clothes have to be fun!
Round 2b: A lovely dinner at Wild Rockets @ Mt Emily on 9th August
The food is just awesome~
The service is fabulously good~
The ambience is simple and cozy~
Definitely worth a try for people who’re looking for a nice and affordable place to go!
It’s about $90+ for a simple dinner for two! I gave them 4.5 stars!
Round 3: A simple lunch with church friends on 10th August
Round 4: A simple dinner and drinks with intern friends on 10th August
Yes, so I’ve cut 4 cakes and made 4 sets of wishes! Not sure if “the more the merrier” works when making wishes!
Note: I’ve conveniently skipped an entry on my HK trip because most pictures are with my traveling buddy.
I was at the Wall’s Magnum ice cream party on Thursday at Bar Fly, Clarke Quay. With “temptations” and “dark desires” as the main theme, models were all clad in “temptations” designed by local designer Frederick Lee ranging from shoes, bag, jewelry and dress. These designs were Magnum and Eva Longoria (the new spokesperson) inspired.
The Fashion Show
The management from Walls
The designer
Indulging in Magnum
36F friend
The Freebies
Other than eating ice creams during the party, Wall’s actually came out with a concoction that is so chocolaty, sinful yet yummi-li-cious.
Great stuffs. Thanks Sharon!
Yesterday while touring the airport for work I spotted a Vodka booth. From probably 5 metres away, the new Absolut Vodka! Absolut Mango! Tropical fruits! Woot! One of my favorite fruits! Woot.
So I walked over gracefully (I tried), trying to hide my excitement and “cheapo-ness” and there…
The lady offered me some cocktail samples that she had mixed. The first one I tried (Absolut Mango with Apple juice), yummy. She offered me another one of a different flavour. (Yes! Absolut Mango with Cranberry). Mmm. Nice. I was delighted!
Drinking at work and touring the airport for work?! I love my job!
Dear reader, I am not an alcoholic but the drinks gave me this nice-little-fuzzy-sweet feeling… How can I resist such temptation? It is sweet with a hint of vodka and with a slight burning sensation felt in my stomach …and feeling slightly sleepy thereafter…
Touring the airport was fun. I ate at a Peranakan place for lunch and after making the payment I was greeted with, “ Have a smooth trip!” Awww. I just smiled. Woot! I am flying off to some nice little beach resort, with sand so fine it just falls through your fingers …and water so warm that leaves your feet feeling…warm ( I can’t think of another word) and the sea so blue you just want to turn into a mermaid ( I love Ariel!) and swim with the colorful fishes in the sea…ahh…that would be in La la land…no La la island…
sigh.
If only … I guess I’m just really weird. Some people called it cheap thrill cause I was really happy. Sometimes I just laugh at myself. Hah. Sigh. I’m weird.
It’s fruits day today! So Apple is giving out fruits today! They give out fruits every Wednesday. Guess what fruit they gave out? Lol. Apples! And mangosteen. I heard many companies do this! Nice~
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