Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Day I Talk About A Lazy March Weekend

After a long week of slogging away at work, the weekend finally came for me to simply let loose and bum around like an aimless vagabond. Having said that, I've come to realize that my favourite form of de-stressing isn't working out; it's pigging out. Well of course I like to hit the gym and go for runs and go for swims to let off steam and to get my mind off things, but gluttony really is the world's greatest pleasure.


Pigging Out Day 1: Saturday with Jorge

I met up with Jorge for tea (and then some) on Saturday afternoon and we did what we did best: EAT. Alot. Without th need for much deliberation, we headed to our first stop, Barcelos Flame Grilled Chicken. During our previous trip to Vivo, we decided that we'd pay a visit there on our follow-up trip because of the enticing aroma of grilled chicken that actually drew our attention away from Ben & Jerry's (which is directly opposite BFGC).

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Playing with Jorge's Phone
The 2 of us waiting impatiently for our food to be served.

[Insert Imaginary Photos Here]

The photos of the food were really really lousy. Hence the no-picture above. Man apologies. Anyway, the chicken was absolutely delicious and the meat was of pretty good quality. The sides (we both chose the "spice rice"), however, were a tad disappointing. Too dry and too salty. Should've gone with my gut and paid $2 more for the wedges. Hmph. Maybe next time.

Following that, we sauntered around to let the food go down. Then I came up with the brilliant idea of going to awfully chocolate for their world-famous (ok, maybe not "world" but it's definitely famous) "黑" (pronounced "Hei") ice-cream.

awfully chocolate

We contemplated between getting a scoop versus getting a pint ($3.80/scoop, $11.80/pint) and eventually settled on getting a pint.

And I immediately regretted that decision after the 1st spoonful.

Not because it wasn't nice, but because it was really sweet. One mouthful = immediate satiation of the sweet tooth. But somehow, the two of us managed to finish the entire pint on our own. Mind over matter!

Jorge Happy with Pint In Hand
The pint of "黑" in the hands of a very delighted Jorge

First Scoop
HEI
empty pint
Digging in, savouring and leaving behind the remnants

For the rest of our day, we didn't eat anything else. Lesson of the day? Too much sugar kills your appetite. Take your desserts in moderation.


Pigging Out Day 2: Sunday with Norris

with Norris
At the Paragon outlet

Maybe it's because we went to Phuket together, or maybe it's because we both share great (gastronomic) memories of Thailand. Cos everytime when Norris and I meet up, we'll somehow end up eating Thai food. Sunday was no different. I think we can safely say that ThaiExpress has become our "usual dig".

He was craving the authentic Thai Crab with Vermicilli while I wanted to have Pineapple Rice. And so we did.

Soft-shell Crab Vermicilli
Pineapple Rice

When the food came, we realized that it wasn't completely authentic because they used soft-shell crabsinstead, but nonetheless it was delicious and had just enough of "wok hei" (or "锅气", as the Cantonese like to call food that's stir-fried quickly under high temperatures in a traditional wok). My pineapple rice was a pleasant surprise as well since I didn't expect there to be so much seafood in it. It came with a side of frechly diced pineapple and a generous serving of fish, squid, prawn and a light sprinkle of golden raisins.

Norris Happy with Crab Vermicilli
Gorging on Pineapple Rice
Boys are happy when they're fed

To end off the meal, I had a cup of ThaiExpress' singnature dessert, Chendol.

Chendol

The only difference in their Chendol compared to the ones we have elsewhere is the addition of red rubies on top of the existing condiments in the usual recipe of the dessert. It gives an added texture and an extra crunch that accentuates the smooth, silky coconut milk and sweetness of the gula melaka. Deeply satisfying with every mouthful and the perfect ending to a rich, warm meal.

After finishing up with our meal, we took a stroll along the main stretch of Orchard and gues what, even Juicy Couture picked up on my pigging out weekend theme!

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Juicy Couture Lollipops

It's actually just a marketing gimmick that they had today in association with the SPCA Flag Day that was going on as well. Still cute nonetheless, doncha' think?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Day I Talk About Random Stuff From The Past Couple of Weeks

1) Mummy's 50th

Daddy, Mummy, Me

The day began with lots of drama. First of all, my genius of a dad completely forgot to get my mum anything. So when she woke up on her birthday and found out that he hadn't prepared anything for her, well, you can imagine the rest. Thankfully, she has an amazing son (thank you, thank you, hahahahahaha). Anyhoos, somehow I managed to buy her a present together with my dad (so we can say that he prepared it for her), book her favourite restaurant (Jade Room @ The Fullerton) and ordered a lovely cake, all that in the span of 4 hours. At the end of the day, all was well and we had a pretty enjoyable evening.

Some pictures from the night:

Winter Melon Soup
Stir-Fried Beef with Foie Gras
Coconut Ice Cream with Jackfruit & Nata De Coco
Black Sesame Pudding with Almond Ice-Cream
Uniformity
Mummy's stash of gifts


2) Core-Based Trees @ Crazy Elephant

Core-Based Trees @ Crazy Elephant

Last Sunday evening, my band the Core-Based Trees performed at Crazy Elephant. It was my first time in singing at a pub/bar and overall quite a good experience. Very different from performing on-stage where you're so far away from the crowd. The feeling's very electric. To all my friends who came down to support us, I just wanna say a BIG thank you! Hope you guys had a great time (cos I did) ;)

Core-Based Trees
Bandmates (from left): Jin (Bass), Chris (Keyboard), Nic (Guitar), Yen (Drums) & me

Other photos from that night:

Nic & his coach
Tammi, Isaac, Elaine
twins?
Chloe & Yvonne
Taka & Fanny
Deryx
Joanne aka Xishi
Cheryl


3) Ryan Tedder ought to be shot

All I Ever Wanted

Kelly's latest album, "All I Ever Wanted", came out last week. Like every other Kelly fan, I got my hands on it knowing that I wouldn't be disappointed since it was reviewed by many critics to be her best album to date (supposedly, since she has Max Martin, Howard Benson, Ryan Tedder etc etc attached as the album's producers).

However, I have huge bone to pick with Mr Tedder. The songs that he co-wrote with Kelly sounds all too similar to his previously penned hits. If you don't believe me, take a listen to Already Gone. Sounds familiar? Cos it has the same base as Beyoncé 's Halo! Why? COS BOTH SONGS WER PRODUCED BY TEDDER!!! How bout Save You? What? Oh, it sounds uncannily like OneRepublic's Say (All I Need)? Well, COS IT PRETTY MUCH IS!

So much for originality.