Life and what makes it beautiful

The Story of J (Introduction)

2010-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Beginnings

It all began with a book.

Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and his ideas on how to remove yourself from the "Rat Race". It never occurred to this individual that his ideas applied to real estate and the laws governing this apllies only in USA.
It also never occurred to this individual that life will bring about lots of distractions and problems to hinder his progress to attain "Financial Freedom".

So it was thus that J was recommended to read this book and so it was on this fine day, his goals in life were established and changed.

And he was happy, inspired and very much excited for what lay before him.

Getting to know J

Simple best describes J.

There is nothing at all interesting about him. He lives a simple and subdued existence and as the beginning of this story, is 23 years old and is serving National Service in Singapore.

His life has been one simple brainless ride all the way up till this point. He's dropped out of polytechnic after 2 years, not able to make it in a course decided by a coin toss between interest and security. Enrolled into National Service soon after and has always sided with the outcasts in school.

He doesn't smoke, drinks a little and at this juncture, is inspired to write a fictional high fantasy novel during his free time in the service. He loves video games and comic books, can live for extended periods of time away from social activities and is currently in his prime in terms of health and weight.

Looks wise, he's also just a regular Joe. You won't notice him in a crowd and you certainly won't want to flirt with him if given a chance. He doesn't have the aptitude to be particularly witty nor the charisma of a well bred noble. He does not have a great singing voice nor particular superiority in sports. He's just J....

His Friends

At this juncture, he has 3 long time friends.

M - A most irritating person who revels in sophistication, philosophy and delights in sounding high bred to the uninformed. In reality, he's a wonderful person who craves companionship and true friendship above all else. Despite meeting J in less then amicable situations and being treated with outright hostility, has somehow decided that J is a worthwhile friend to have. Maybe M's just a sadomasochist but that's difficult to tell. He's recently earned his Masters and will be moving on to greater things.

Al - Absolutely brilliant and smart. Al has been friends with J for the better part of 13 years at this time. Al is an enigma who obviously went through alot during his University life in Australia but came back changed and forever inspiring. The initial years of friendship were tumultuous with plenty animosity to go around but life has a sense of humor. He's always been there for J when it counts and J never forgets. AL is currently in the final stages of getting his PHD and is now officially an Australian.

AN - Another chance encounter that had lasted many years. Essentially from a completely different spectrum from J, AN belonged with the popular crowd in school but fate brought the 2 together and through repeated castings, forged a strong friendship based on many untold similarities. Another unlikely friendship from an unlikely time. AN currently works for a huge company and has a first class honors from a local institute. Great things await this person.

So how does a simple person like J get such high achieving friends?

How does this all play out and what is the purpose of this story?

That will be revealed with the next post for stories on The Story of J (Revelation and Reality)

Club Med Bintan Pt 1 (Pictures and Captions)

2010-09-01T21:51:00.000-07:00


Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal

Melancholy of Travel

Bintan Resort Pool

Bintan Resort Pool View 2

Outstretched Pavilion and Boundless Ocean


Watering Hole (Beers, Cocktails and Mocktails)

Pathway to Room

Our Room!!!

Simple and all encompassing

Seaview Bed

Television, Stereo and a Relax Coach

Coach with Seaview

Balcony

Flying trapeze (Yes, you can do it too)

The charming night view

Pre Buffet Buffet

Buffet with Singaporeans all around

Ocean

Spent hours just lazing around....seriously

Pu Tien Pt 2

2010-09-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

I've previously reviewed this restaurant before and you can find my thoughts on it here. The address and branch visited is exactly the same but i must admit this post is long overdue. The impression it left remains as it was a rather important day that i chose this place for. To be precise, i chose it for my future-in-laws and my family to meet and give their blessings for the marriage to come.

Since i've reviewed this place before, i guess i'll just go right into the food. To be honest, most of the stuff is above average with some just missing the mark.

Notable positive mentions include the squirrel fish with its sweet and fresh meat which somehow managed to retain its texture despite frying, the sweet and sour pork which had adequate crunch and tenderness of the meat. The downside here is, if you have both dishes in one meal, the sweetness overwhelms so food combination is very important.

The honey glazed pork got great fans that day. Equal parts fat and lean meat, its braised to melt in your mouth tenderness without being overly dry. Again, as this was all in one meal, this sweetness really began to get to the guests.

The shredded pork meat bun retained its previous quality but i do wonder if its overly tenderized due to the rubbery texture. Still, this is a worthwhile dish to try.

The homemade beancurd had a nice soft quivery texture hidden within a thin beancurd covering. Melts in your mouth, not on your chopsticks while the final worthy dish went to the deep fried yam with duck which was a little salty but had a fragrant combination of yam and duck. The yam did overshadow the taste of the duck in this case though.

Seafood fried rice turned out a tad too dry for me. However, some liked it and felt this is how fried rice should be, dryish and lean. I prefer fried rice that doesn't give me the impression it was left overnight though. Personal preference.

The Xinghua bee hoon tasted as good as it had previously but i guess the beauty is lost in my second try with a bigger group of people. Its just one of those things where the first experience is the best with subsequent visits beginning to lose their appeal.

Overall, this place is still worthy of a visit. Enjoy the pictures below.

Deep Fried Squirrel Fish ($32)

Pu Tien's Sweet and Sour Pork ($15)

Seafood Fried Rice ($10)

Shredded Pork Meat Bun ($36)

Fried Pig Trotter with Pepper ($15.20)

Xinghua Bee Hoon ($12)

Pu Tien's Homemade Beancurd ($12)

Deep Fried Duck with Yam ($30)

Honey Glazed Pork ($30)


Bill

Sony Playstation 3 Review

2010-08-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Playstation 3

I'm sure all of you reading this has some idea of what this system is and what the specs are, if you don't, you can check it out here. http://us.playstation.com/ps3/. For the purpose of this review, please take note that i'm only taking into consideration the following factors: Library, online support (Asia), functionality, durability and overall impression.

Retail price: $380-500 SGD

(Depending on the model and storage space chosen.)

Library:

Exclusive titles: Metal Gear Solid 4, Unchartered 2, God of War 3, Demon's Souls, Infamous, KillZone 2, Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet, Yakuza 4 and Valkyrie Chronicles.

The exclusive games above are some of the best games you'll find in this current generation of consoles. All these are positively received by reviewers worldwide and scores are above 8.5 out of 10 for all the above. You may reference IGN.com, videogames.com or gamefaqs for user reviews if you don't trust commercial reviewers.

Third Party Titles: Grand Theft Auto 4, Final Fantasy 13, Dead Space, Red Dead Redemption, Nier Gestalt, Need for Speed Shift, Resident Evil 5, Burnout Paradise, Modern Warefare 1 and 2, Borderlands and Fallout 3

The above are the third party non exclusive games which are available for the system. These are cross platform titles so most can also be found on the Xbox 360. Quality of the games and transition between the platforms are now minimal but the Xbox 360 versions are slightly cheaper.

Both list above are games i am playing and still own, most of the rest have been traded in and sold.

Online Support (Asia):

Playstation has the Asian Playstation network while Xbox 360 comes with its Asian Xbox live support with Gold or Silver memberships.

One plus point Playstation 3 used to have is that it had a built in network adapter while Xbox had to purchase a seperate internet adapter to make it work. However, this is changed recently with the new remodeled Xbox 360 so at this point, the hardware is on equal terms.

Online support is still split based on the below:

PS3 - Free to play online with fellow PS3 holders. Updates on the Asian network is pretty terrible with many US online releases either coming in months late or never at all. Case in point, reference Dragon Age Origins. It has 5 story add on packs currently and till now, there's still only 3 on the PS3 Asian network. The US network has no such issues and comes with online video stall as well. Asia support is pretty bad here.

Xbox 360 - Only Gold membership allows you to play online with others. This costs approx SGD 89 bucks for 1 year. Updates and support for this system is better though, however, the online content is also more costly then PS3 when compared apple to apple.

Functionality:

PS3 is positioning itself as a new lifestyle equipment and comes packaged with software for photo viewing, is a blu ray dvd player, has video support, plays music and has online news support.

Xbox has almost the same functionality except blu ray support and thus far, i find the PS3 better for photo viewing and for movies simply because the software allows for better scanning and forwarding capabilities.

Durability:

PS3 has been out for about 3 years now and i've already had to replace it with a new once because my previous PS3 died on me. I bought a new one because quite honestly, i really like this system.

Xbox 360 faced the same issues with its 3 red rings of death but the new model is said to eliminate this issue so thats yet to be seen.

Overall Impression:

If i had to choose between the 2 systems, i have to go with the PS3 for its functionality and lifestyle component. Its also a lot more quiet during operation and has blu ray support which is great. The library of games it has is also quite extensive and currently, companies are jumping over to the PS3 for games developement as that makes the most business sense currently.

Disclaimer: I have both systems at present and i like both of them for different reasons. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions about the systems i did not cover.

A little late but i'm back!

2010-08-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Dearest readers,

Kept you waiting haven't i?

Its nice to know that i'm still getting readers and hits even now when i haven't been writing anything for the past 9 months.

My life has moved on as usual. Things are getting more interesting and i'm actually getting married in a short time.

Time flies and true enough, a lot has transpired, changed and evolved. I'm eating less of the expensive items i used to post. Most of what i do try are just normal restaurants more towards the 20-30 sgd range. I've only been to Taiwan again during this time and that about all that is worth blogging about.

For video game lovers, i believe its time i took on the mantle to write a little about my games and the systems i have. This includes reviews of my Nikon camera and my lenses as well which i'll be posting in the near future.

Finally, i'll be posting shorts of a story i've been working on since 6 years back. Its wholly original to a certain extent and it belongs to either high fantasy or fiction, but its fully and totally owned by myself. For story posts, i'll include small recommendations of music to listen to when you read so if you can find it, good for you. As a rule of thumb, my favorite musicians for my work of fiction is Secret Garden. Their an awesome duo who are making waves now but i discovered them during my NS days when they were relatively quiet in SG and Josh Groban had not brought their song to mainstream. Its been that long.....

Anyway, glad to be back and i hope you guys will come back to read once a week at least. That's about how fast i can post new stuff anyway.

Cheers and happy reading!

Buddy Hoagies (Nice food, simple prices)

2010-01-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Akashabu

2009-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Royal China Part 2 & 3 (Photos only)

2009-11-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

Good dim sum is difficult to find. Good and reasonably priced dim sum is even more difficult to find. Which is why Royal China holds a special place in my heart for being both. You can refer to my previous visit here. Most of the comments hold true and the food is still great value of money. Enjoy the pictures.

Bill

Bill

Max Sandwich Grill And Creamery

2009-10-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Tampines 1 has been in operation for quite some time now and there has been many food stalls and shops supporting this new venue. One of these is Max Sandwich Grill and Creamery which takes the center portion of the basement in Tampines one.

Address: 10 Tampines Central 1 #B1-K1 Tampines 1 Singapore 520530

Price Range: $6-10 per head

The outlet itself is immediately noticeable. Big catchy sign and the fact that it occupies a centralised location makes it pretty difficult to miss. The set up itself is rather simple, its a coffee and bread specialization food joint. The seats are semi comfortable but not a place you'll want to stay for long stretches of time.

The Egghead (Beef and eggs with cheese) $6.50

I ordered the egghead which is simply bread with mashed beef mixed in with cheese and scrambled eggs. The size was noticeably small for its price and it didn't help that such a simple item required me to wait a good 10 minutes before being called to the counter to pick up my own food. The system here is definitely flawed.
Taste wise, its too salty for my liking and there really isn't much else to say. The bread is quite nice. Crunchy and breaks apart well but otherwise, nothing special.

Monsieur (Ham, cheese, spicy onions and lettuce) $6.80

The monsieur (literally "My Lord" in french) wasn't really worthy of its name. I liked it better then mine because it wasn't as salty, had a slightly spicy aftertaste and had more meat then mine but its nothing to shout about in the taste department otherwise.

Bill

The bill for this unfulfilling lunch turned out to be $13.30.

Overall Score: 4/10

Last Word:

Improvement points:
1: Improve the system of ordering, shouting customers order number for a pick up isn't the best choice.
2: Cut down on unnecessary staff. Too many staff were seen simply standing around and not doing anything.
3: Retrieval and clearing of tables is important if you want the customers to continue flowing inwards.
4: Waiting time has got to be reduced. I myself can't understand why heating a piece of bread takes such a long time, and worse, the bread was prepared way before and packed already. Waiting 10 minutes is not acceptable in this regard.
Perhaps their coffee is where their strength is but unfortunately, i have not had the chance to revisit.

Sage The Restaurant Part 2

2009-10-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Having had an excellent meal at Sage's previously, my gf has kindly agreed to bring me back to celebrate my birthday this year. Now, i missed this place tremendously after my last and first visit and was all pumped up to have another excellent meal here. However, this time, we chose lunch so that we could have a more budget experience. Also, another update on this place is that they've moved to a different address as below:

Address: No. 7 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore 238957

Contact: 6333 8726

Website: http://www.sagerestaurants.com.sg/index.php

Price Range: $70-80 per head

Brighter Interiors

Complimentary Bread

Another look

Yan Palace

2009-10-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yan palace had its first outlet in Outram Park specialising in providing authentic cantonese cuisine for weddings and special occasions. I've since visited this place twice, once for dim sum with Max and another for a friend's wedding. In this post, i'll talk about the dim sum experience and touch a little on the experience for the wedding dinner.

Location: Blk 531 Upper Cross Street #01-49 Singapore 050531 Hong Lim Complex

Contact: 62222516

Website: http://www.yanpalace.com.sg

Price Range: $20-30 per head

Yan Palace

Interior

The interior is nothing to shout about, its the usual Chinese restaurant set up with a small stage set in the middle for wedding couples and foundation pillars seperating tables along the way. The walkway is rather spacious during lunch but becomes more crowded and narrow when i was there for the wedding.

Dim Sum: The shrimp dumplings, siew mai, and rice dumplings are mostly forgettable items since there's nothing special to talk about. They are decent though.
What is interesting is the banana fritters which had a really nice thin yet cripy dough. Despite it being oily, the sweetness manages to balance the taste somewhat. Its interesting to me because i've never seen banana fritters in a dim sum menu before.
The second item i found interesting was the fried mango wrapped in lychee. It was such a weird combination that its difficult to forget. The funny thing was, it actually worked. A somewhat saltish dough envelopes the sweet tasting treat which is once again a weird item in a dim sum menu. Pretty good as well but is overwhelming after 2 pieces.
Shark's fin with prawn paste is another item we tried but its quite a disappointment. The only discernable taste is that of the shrimp.

Overall Score: 6/10

Wedding dinner: The wedding dinner was serviceable. However, there is major rooms for improvement as our table experienced some issues with the food. For starters, we were served very slowly and usually last to receive our food. However, the real issue lies in the 2nd last dish which was the Longevity noodles, it was obviously spoilt. From my understanding, it wasn't only our table that got the spoilt noodles but we promptly refused the dish and informed the newly wed couple as well.

Overall Score: 5.5/10

Last word:
In the end, its alright to pop by for some interesting dim sum but be warned, its quite packed and reservations are recommended. For weddings, however, make sure you check using my experience, if such an issue occurs, can the couple get a further discount from the lapse of service. Better be safe then sorry here.

MOF (Marina Square Branch)

2009-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

MOF is a home grown Japanese cuisine restaurant incorporated on May 5th, 2006. It has since gone on to open multiple outlets within Singapore and has begun branching out to Chinese cuisine and European cuisine in recent times.

Location: 6 Raffles Boulevard #02-138E Marina Square Singapore 039594

Contact: 63342202

Website: http://www.ministryoffood.com.sg

Price Range: $20-35 per head

To be honest, i've ate at MOF more times then i can count so this is more or less a catch up post to bring things up to speed.

Chawanmushi ($3.20)

MOF's chawanmushi is decently smooth and milky with a moderated eggish taste. Ingredients are generous but it never surpasses the chawanmushi quality to be had in Wasabi Tei. (Wasabi Tei has since changed owners and quality of food there is undetermined at this point.)

Complimentary Coffee

For what its worth, i take my coffee black without sugar, so i like them thick with just a hint of sour. MOF's cup hits the spot for me in this regard.

Unagi Bento ($9.80)

The Unagi itself seems to skew towards the leaner end and this has been verified since this has been ordered upwards of 4 times by myself and my gf and it has always remained around the same thickness. The sauce is the best part about the dish and i would have liked more of the sauce in the rice to keep my palate satisfied.

Chicken Char Siew Bento ($7.80)

Has a small taste and found the chicken nicely tender with the good but wierd taste of char siew on it. Worth a try.

Soft Shell Crab Handroll ($3.80)

Shabu Shabu Set ($17.50)

This is my order for the day and suffice to say, i enjoyed it to a certain extent. I enjoyed the freshness of the salad and the delectable apple sauce but didn't take to the beef in particular. Essentially, the broth for cooking and swiping the beef turned out to be plain water which i find a lacklustre, the beef, in turn was tasteless until it was paired with the apple sauce. It didn't help that there were only 6 thin slices of beef on offer as well.

Katsu Toji Set ($18.80)

Didn't try this much but it sure looks more worth it as opposed to my shabu shabu set.

Unagi Rice Top Up ($5)

I enjoyed this very much indeed. This is pretty much how the Unagi bento set should have been with a bigger slice of Unagi. Little bits of yam and plenty of sauce helped enhance the experience.

Shishamo ($4.80)

Thats right, for the price, you get 3 measly little guys you see here. Taste wise, it was not too oily and the eggs were springy but honestly, 3? I'll pass.

Seafood Toji Set With Unagi Rice ($19.80 +$5)

Another set that seems worth the dough to order. I like how generous the portion size looks here.

Cookies and Cream Shake ($6.80)

Mango Kakigori ($3.30)

Macha Kakigori ($3.30)

Dessert time came with our favorite Kakigoris. The hokkaido bean version is much better and has a more balanced taste compared to the horribly sourish mango. Then again, i prefer sweet stuff so if you like sour food, you might like the mango version. Vanilla ice cream tops of the package and i love vanilla so either way, this dessert works for me. I'm easily satisfied when it comes to desserts.

Bill

The final bill turned up at $180.28 for 7 people which works out about $25 per head.

Final Score: 6.5/10

Last word:

I'm giving this outlet 6.5 because of the service and the terrible seats they had. The marina outlet simply did not have good seats for 7 people. Its cramped and had minimal space to move around unlike its cousins in Bugis and Suntec. Food wise, its pretty close in quality. Service wise, it needs improvement the last time i checked but there were a few good staff in the outlet as well. Overall, still worth a visit.

Plane Phobia

2009-10-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Planes, i've known and sat in planes since i was a toddler.

The reason? My dad works in a certain aircraft company and they get tickets once a year to share and bring their family overseas.

When i was a little boy, i hated planes because it meant i would be away from my comics and video games in a foreign country with (in my childish little world) nothing to do. This privilege ended when i reached the age of 21 and just when i was beginning to understand and honestly enjoy what is truly a "holiday".

As of that time, i've been to quite a few countries with little recollections of the time i spent in those countries. Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Of these, i enjoyed my trip to USA and Australia the most. Absolutely beautiful places and worth every penny, just be sure to put away at least 2-3 weeks of leave for those trips.

Now, something happened on one trip i took with my grandma to Hong Kong which made me fear planes ever since. The flight to Hong Kong was alright, it was the flight back that had issues. Just to be clear, this was using another service provider. On this flight, whilst on the journey back from Hong Kong, the plane ran into turbulent weather. At one point, the plane fell a few stories and simply scared the hell out of me. After that, i never looked at plane rides the same way again.

After that, it was another 2 years before i managed to get myself into the seat of a plane again voluntarily. And it was still a terrifying experience for me even though the plane travelled smoothly. Every time the plane went through turbulent weather, the immediate thoughts were of quick and gruesome death. Imagine that running through your head during every single bump and you get the idea of what a phobia does.

I've since went on multiple overseas trips due to my job and due to my current crazy urge to see more of the world as quickly as possible, am planning a little more over the next few years.

The point is, i managed to conquer my phobia by actively choosing to face it.

Bishamon Sapporo Ramen

2009-10-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Japanese food is an addiction i just can't seem to shake off. And this outlet was kind enough to allow me to have some photos taken after the initial negative response. Business is tough nowadays i reckon.

Location: Raffles City Shopping Centre B1-17 Singapore 179103

Contact: 62352890

Price range: $15-20 per head

Located in the usual basement area of the Raffles City Shopping centre, the outlet is a humble one which allows seating of up to about 25 patrons. Chairs and tables are of the wooden variety which makes for a small but reasonable comfort. Don't expect anything fancy though. This is as manufactured a place as it comes.

Salmon Sashimi ($2.90)

The sashimi here managed to surprise me. For a cool $2.90, you get soft tender fish meat with a tinge of sweetness. Much better then the $5.99 variety in red plates i've come to dislike.

The salad appetiser comes with a generous smattering of thousand island sauce and was otherwise cold and fresh enough to be nice.

Unagi Bento ($13.90)

The Unagi is in itself a reasonable portion albeit not as generous as my favorite haunt, Wasabi Tei (the boss of Wasabi Tei has since moved on so the portion and food there might be different.) I found the thickness lacking in this version with the meat soft and well marinated. The rice is a tad dry and would benefit with more sauce. The surprise was the egg which was perfectly cooked outside with the yolk half cooked. I liked it.

Katsu Curry Rice ($12.50)

The katsu curry had less to write home about. The chicken was dry and overfried to me while the sauce turned out to be indistinguishable ( to me at least) from the normal supermarket variety. Otherwise, it was still edible but not worth the money.

Bill

The total bill turned out to be $38.02 for 2 people for a simple meal.

Overall Score: 6/10

Last word:

The food in and off itself is not bad really. The sashimi i found was pretty decent, so was the egg. However, the overall cost/taste balance didn't quite add up in its favor in the end. To me, i'd try it once and probably not return again. You guys might wanna give it a go to see if its your kind of restaurant.

Layang Layang (Malaysia)

2009-08-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Recently, i went over to Malaysia for a short trip to meet my fiance's grandmother during her birthday. The small village/town is located about 3 hours train ride from Singapore if there are no delays during the transition. Train tickets cost the in the general vicinity of $6- $10 depending on the class of train you take and usually, its not that big of a difference.

The small town is called "Layang Layang" and unlike another location with the same name, its a close knit village with the majority of the Chinese inhabitants sharing a common dialect, hakka. Its located much inland with no view of the sea and definitely no diving activities can be had here.

"Fu" (Prosperity)

Guard Dogs

Raw Pepper

Stone triceratops

Duck or Goose?

Bountiful Harvest

View

View

Indoor Fountain

The 3 Little Kids

Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Break, Dinner, Supper

Truth be told, this is not one of the places you'll visit for a holiday. If you have no relatives of family here, there's little reason to visit it. There are no activities or excitment to be had, its a laid back, rustic and quiet town with nice people as far as i know.

For the most part, we had 6 meals a day, breakfast, tea, lunch, tea break, dinner and supper in one day. And each meal was like the one you see above. Filled with meat, traditional hakka food such as "Lei Cha" (literally thunder tea) and home made yong tau foo. The best item i had over here was her grandmother's fried pork. Its a little like shrimp paste chicken except that its pork and certainly tastes better. I could have it all day and never get sick of it.
The "Lei Cha" (thunder tea rice) is a rather acquired taste and its safe to say that if its your first try, prepare to cringe at the taste. There's no meat in that concoction and everything is made from vegetables including the greenish tea thats supposed to be had with the rice. The tea has a strong taste reminiscent of basil so you should be well prepared before pouring it all into the rice.

We also had a fun time watching the elder generation gather rambutans grown in their very own plantation. Unlike the packed and pre prepared rambutans you see in the market, these were crawling with red ants and commando mosquitoes which are only afraid of burning cardboard smoke. Overall, its interesting but equally irritating with all the insects.

Everything else was food and sleeping and television programs. There's a beauty to that though. Time slows down. Life is simple and happy and generally, i forgot the hustle and bustle of daily life back in old Singapore.

The last interesting bit i experienced here was the darn train. It was terribly packed, late by 3 hours and filled with inconsiderate people. There were good people too but the inconsiderate ones took precedence.

Otherwise, this trip was wonderful for me cause it let me forget my daily struggles and just put me back on track. I had a pretty good rest there.

Frolic (Tampines 1)

2009-08-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Da Mario

2009-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Found along a stretch of restaurants and bars along the quayside is this quaint little restaurant run by none other then Chef Mario himself. With a mission statement of bringing authentic italian cuisine to your table without the need to buy an air ticket, Da Mario brings with it plenty of expectations to fulfill.

Address: #01-05/06 The Quayside, 60 Robertson Quay

Contact: 62357623

Website: http://www.damariopizzeria.com/home.html

Price Range: $30 - 40 per head

Da Mario Pizzeria Ristorante Bar

Stylish Semi Interior

Simple al fresco dining is the call of the day. Although there is an interior section, its open ended with no glass doors nor walls impeding its interaction with the outer atmosphere. Seating capacity is approximately suitable for up to 30 patrons. Given the fact that the restaurant is run by only Chef Mario and his assistant, the waiting time can stretch depending on the crowd during your visit.

Calamari ($32 for 2)

The calamari, i found, was a cut above the rest. Although the batter was thick, it was sprinkled with salt and pepper for added taste. The batter is thick but crispy. I found the price for this rather steep though.

Bruschetta Al Pomodoro ($9)

Da Mario's rendition is overly oily and a little too small for my tastes. It retains much of the intended flavor but doesn't manage to impress.

Portobello Gratinato ($18)

This is worth a try. Topped with sun dried tomatoes, olives and a sprinkling of cheese. The huge portebello mushroom tastes balanced, succelent and appetising.

Capellini Regina ($20)

The Regina is essentially angel hair pasta with seafood and prawns with pinches of basil. It wasn't bad per se but came across as overly oily and had a strong resemblance to "fried bee hoon" from normal zhi ca stalls regretably.

Stuff i didn't try

Tortelli ($18)

Had a small sampling of this and i felt that the ravioli is a tad too thick for my liking, making it more chewy than usual. The filling of crab meat wasn't exactly generous either.

Omega 3 Pizza ($18)

Having tried smoked salmon pizza at Restaurant de Parma, i was quite honestly wary of this version having the same fishy taste. My worries were laid to rest after the first bite however, the salmon was possibly a little more cooked then De Parma's version which managed to rid it of any unsavory tastes while the thin crusted pizza, though charred in places, complemented the delicious fish. My vote for the better salmon pizza here.

Seafood Cartoccio ($22)

My order, which i declare as the most worthwhile order of the day. Cartoccio,which means the food is wrapped in paper, baked and then served piping hot. If you're not a tomato lover, this might not appeal to you since its tomato based and everything is literally soaked in it. Generous helpings of clams, mussels and prawns adorn the dish while the pasta is chewy and al dente.

Tiramisu ($7)

An average tasting Tiramisu with overly soft mascarpone cheese and not enough alcohol. It resembled a cake more with its generous portion size and would have faired better being called a cake.

Bill

The bill came up to $313.50 or $35 per head for this meal.

Overall score: 6.5/10

Last word:
High expectations? Definitely. And Da Mario does live up to some while missing at others, the end result is a mixed bag and i don't blame him. Regardless of what he does, he's using ingredients found in Singapore and thus, freshness and authenticity is likely compromised. Still, its an affordable little joint that can be visited for its Cartoccio.

Le Grenier à Pain

2009-07-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Le Grenier a Pain originated from Paris France under the leadership of Michel Galloyer. The bakery has since accumulated multiple accolades before being franchised into Singapore by Ms Ellis Noval in an attempt to bring authentic French pastries into Singapore.

Address: #01-01 Sembawang Shopping Centre Singapore 758459

Contact: 6752 7627

Operating hours – 10am to 10pm (daily)

Website: http://www.legrenierapain.com/

The pastry on sale has taken up a decidedly Singaporean flair with local favorites such as ham, bacon and even chicken curry flavors to appeal to the locals. Within it, you will find fancy named breads and cakes along with a rather high end price tag.
In terms of the pastry, i bought about $15 worth of bread with a Chocolate fondant being the more expensive item. Tastewise, its mostly above average with the bread being soft and crusty and the chocolate being of better quality then usual. Cream and custard were both light and airy without impacting its taste.
The fondant came across as average because we overbaked it and it turned out to be more chocolate sponge cake then an actual fondant.

Overall score: 6/10

Last word:
I love eating bread but i simply am not able to stomach the cost thats levied on them by this bakery. In fact, when i saw how much the bread cost, i was rather shocked that 5 pieces of bread with a chocolate fondant could cause $15. I was also unable to ascertain the reason for the cost through taste but maybe thats just a personal issue of not understanding quality bread when i have one. For me, i'll probably stick with the local brands for now.

Singapore Night Festival

2009-07-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

July 11 and 10th was supposed to be Singapore's much touted "Night Festival". This was essentially an artistic showcase of cultures and performances for free at the Singapore Museum and the outer courtyard of SMU.
I was there partially as a curious bystander and also to enjoy soaking in the "artistic culture" of it all since it was the arts festival and all. Most importantly, i was there to see if i actually had any inkling of what "art" really is and to see if a bloke like myself can enjoy the artistic showcase they have prepared.

Museum at Night

The museum certainly took on a different charm at night with its well placed lighting. It's no wonder the place is a haven for shutterbugs.

Smu

Packed with People

The performance commences

The Sounding of Thunder

It started off pretty well with nice ambient music and a rousing commentary. The first performance turned out to be from a group of musicians specializing in drums and percussion instruments. The music certainly got us pumping but the view did not because it was completely obscured by photographers standing up and blocking the view. It's also a wierd choice for the performers to be at ground level instead of on stage.
The following performances on stage didn't fare much better since our view from the back is still nicely blocked by photographers and patrons trying to shadow the photographers to see the performance. For goodness sake, yes, we know you're trying to get good pictures but please spare a thought for people behind you trying to enjoy the same show.

The rain that washed it all away

And it rained and it rained

As the complaining continued, a quiet cumulonimbus cloud has already crept above our heads silently and began issuing warning of the rain thats about to come. True enough, the rain came in drizzles at first before it started to pour mercilessly at the performers and patrons alike. We were all drenched but the stage personnel had it worst. The cumbersome and heavy props needed to be kept and there's no other way except to brave the rain to salvage the equipment. The show has stopped and was unlikely to continue.
The rain continued to pour for about an hour or so after this.

The puppet show goes on

Kids found joy in a little shadow puppet show that carried on in the relentless rain. And as i was contemplating my luck and bad choices, the rain began to let up.

Static Artworks - The Tree

Static Artworks - The Beginning

Static Artworks - Love Tank

The attraction i never got to see in action - The Loop Of Fortune

With the rain beginning to let up, we proceeded to take some shots of the static art pieces you can see above. The displays of light amidst the darkness was comforting but not enough to brighten the dark mood that has set in my mind that day. I had come for performances and got nothing but wet shoes, smoke filled lobbies and a sense of disappointment.
The loop of fortune was a pyrotechnics showcase by PAN.OPTIKUM (Germany) which was one of the highlights of the show. Pity they staged it at a rather late time slot of 1030pm to 11pm which i was no longer enthralled enough to wait for. Given the wet situation we were in, i'm pretty sure the show did not go on as well.

In the end, the show was an unrealized potential for me on this Saturday evening. There was so much talent in there but the weather simply came along...and washed it all away.
No matter, there's always the next year for the show and i will come better prepared the next time.

Taiwan Day 7

2009-07-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

The day that we would inevitably take the plane back to Singapore after a week short break in Taiwan. Its not as difficult as my trip to Australia but its still not pleasant. After all, i know Singapore can't beat the service in Taiwan at this time for sure and the nightlife and such will disappear the moment i set foot in Singapore. So no, it wasn't pleasant at all but life goes on.

This morning, being the last, we went for our usual breakfast and then proceeded to the underground mall to do some quick pickings. There, we discovered a Japanese Bento stall that has been right under our noses and bought some back to taste....along with sweets and biscuits from the friendly neighborhood convenience stall.

Sushi, candy and biscuits for the snack crazy

Handroll

Sushi Close Up

The sushi is actually pretty darn good. Everything was just fresh off the hands of the sushi master so it was all fresh and very tasty. In fact, we regret not having found this earlier since it was also pretty cheap, less then sgd 10 for everything here. The snacks were so-so in the end.

Departure Lounge

Live Flowers

Upon arriving at the airport and checking in our overloaded luggage, its time to explore. The lounge is pretty boring where we were at but venture further and you'll find more things to see and do. Be warned that its huge so it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to walk end to end. It took us quite a long walk to finally come to the food lounge to try, of all things, oyster mee sua and oyster pancake.

Airport Food Lounge

Oyster Mee Sua

Oyster Pan Cake

Conclusion? Never eat local food at an airport. The mee sua was terrible and lacked taste. The waiting time took about 10 minutes and we were rushing off to catch our flight by the time the pancake was ready. Also, the pancake was oooiiiilllyyyy and covered with something like ketchup. It also has this terribly soggy texture that made me nauseous after a few bites. A bad taste to leave Taiwan with for sure.

The following will be some of the stuff we brought back from Taiwan. All are gone by now.

Last thoughts about Taiwan: If you take away the problem of the warm weather, Taiwan is a beautiful place to visit with alot to do and alot to enjoy. In fact, i'm more then delighted to return again for another short trip. This is scheduled for next March at the moment and i simply can't wait to return again. In the meantime, i'll work on a better figure so i can eat more when i'm there again. Taiwan Rocks!

Taiwan Day 6

2009-07-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

Taiwan Day 6 is mostly an ad hoc trip. Why so? Its because we're leaving the next day and wanted this second last day to be less taxing. Our past few days on 2 to 3 hour long trips across Taiwan has already drained us much and so, this is the day we'd just stroll around Taipei and get joy as it comes.

Taiwan Hospital Mrt Station

What i like about Taiwan is that you'll really see interesting things along the way. Its a melding of cultures that has on one hand, extreme modern influences while on the other hand, deep Chinese cultural rootings along with some Japanese influences. The above was found in an mrt station, talk about art anytime, anywhere.

From the super modern to the traditional

To the cultural

Love the architecture

Thats a huge whale skeleton

More interior shots

Deep Sea Gallery

Artifacts Gallery

Historical Gallery

Architectural Gallery

Taiwan Museum: The museum was interesting in a boring way. Its a beautiful place with gilded hinges and elegant, laid back atmosphere. In its halls, you'll find interesting reads about nature, architecture, history and more. Its just a nice place to go in, stroll along its halls and leave feeling a little more happy to be alive in a period where most things have already gone past its violent and turbulent beginnings. I'd allocate maybe about 1 or 2 hours for this but thats about it.

Across the street to Dian Shui Lou

Dian Shui Lou Set Meals.

Interior

Tables

Spicy and Sour Soup

We were off to a good start for lunch with this sourish appetiser. Rather thick and reminiscent of starchy shark's fin soup without the need for vinegar and you get this. In fact, if we could save sharks but consuming this, i'm all for it.

XLB (aka Xiao Long Bao)

How can we miss eating Xiao Long Bao in Taiwan? Not for the world it seems. The XLB here is simply delectable with its thin skin and absolutely tasty broth within. This might sound wierd but there seems to be less fat in the broth for this rendition as well. Anyway, this got my vote as a great tasting XLB.

Prawn Dumplings

Prawns dumplings turned out a little lackluster after the XLB. No doubt the prawns were crunchy and sweet but the skin for this was a little too thick and the combination didn't work for me.

Pan Fried Chives

After the soup, XLB and the prawn dumplings, we were pretty close to regretting our order for this since its huge. However, i took a bite and forgot that i was stuffed since the chives and fragrant dough combination actually works pretty well. Its also not oily which made stomaching it that much easier.

Custard Buns!!!

Absolutely Gorgeous

The custard buns we had last because missed seeing it in the menu at first and what a pity that was! These buns were awesome! Sweet, nectar-like and buttery custard oozed out with a single bite with its taste staying in your mouth long after its gone. The bun itself is feathery light and is gone in a second. Alas, we had only so much space in our stomachs for lunch and we had to let it go.

These birds were all huddled and watching something

And this is it!

This squirrel refused to let go

It had another friend which was too shy to stay

A sand bath?

Returning to the park, we were on our way back to the station when we saw the scenes above. How odd that the animals have absolutely no fear of people. On further probing, the old man has been feeding the squirrels and birds here for quite some time. And its an adorable showcase. Like i said, gems like these can be found anywhere in Taiwan, just keep your eyes open.

Pathway to....

This Masterpiece!

Just another ad hoc shot while strolling through the garden to the mrt. Beauty is indeed everywhere.

Takopachi! Taiwan Style

Shopping Mall Close Up

We were at some random shopping mall when we chanced upon this for a snack. Seriously though, i think its the mall business thats wrecking all the good food. This was pretty bad for me. The service for this was pretty bad, the takopachi itself was done too thick and cooled too quickly to enjoy. My fiancee found this alright though.

Ding Tai Fung!

XLB pt 2

Ho ho ho! We've finally found Ding Tai Fung in Taiwan. When i used to speak to clients in Taiwan, i was invited more then once to join them in Ding Tai Fung when i visited because they said the food here was great. The reason we ate Dian Shui Lou was also because we couldn't find Ding Tai Fung. So, was it worth the hype?
Marginally i suppose. As we were still full from lunch and the snack of bad takopachi, we only ordered their famous XLB. Believe it or not, their small little XLB's packed even more broth and had an even thinner skin. However, i prefered Dian Shui Lou's broth and serving size. DTF is still pretty good though, seeing how its packed with people at the 4pm mark. Its pretty popular with the locals too.

Shilin Night Market Take 2

Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang

A closer look

Now this i recommend at least a try but please have it on an empty stomach. The outer layer is actually fragrant glutinous rice which can be rather oily but surprisingly tasty. The inner layer is our famous Taiwan sausage which is sweet and oily all its own. Add both of them together and you have a snack suitable for splitting into 3 meals all on its own. Still, you'll be tempted to finish it all in one sitting because its just so addictive. Good stuff.

Shaved Ice

Shaved Ice Cream

This is excellent. Its reminiscent of ice cream without the cream. In its place, for my order, is the strongest peanut taste you've ever had in an ice cream. This is interlaced with some azuki beans for added texture and you have something you can't stop eating until its gone. Be warned though, i got more thirsty the more i had this for some reason. So BYOW.

Dong Dong yet again

Our Favorite Noodles

If you've followed my past few posts, this needs no introduction. We simply couldn't leave without having another bowl of this superb tasting broth and noodles. Somehow, this visit lacked the kick it provided during our first visit but we still liked the beef noodles enough to recommend yet again.

Our Spoils after 6 days in Taiwan

Being the last night in Taiwan, we decided to pile all our items bought on the bed for a good look. And it looked just like an additional 20kg to pay for going over the limit for getting on the plane. The carton and suitcase you see are both new so you can imagine how heavy and how many additional items we've bought. The next day, another carton of pastries was added to the lot you see here. Definitely trouble when we get to the airport.

Taiwan Day 5 - Part 2

2009-07-09T05:37:00.001-07:00

On Part 2 of Day 5, its obviously going to be about food and this time, we resolved to going back to Xi Men Ding to look for the fabled Ah Zhong Mee Sua. Bear in mind that we only have a name to go by and the rough idea that it is in Xi Men Ding. And with that, we set off on our journey.

Weekday crowds

This is indeed a weekday

It was quite surprising for me to find the streets filled with people on this normal weekday night. In fact, i couldn't see a difference between a weekend night and a weekday night so i came to a conclusion, Taiwan people love to eat and stroll around at night with friends and family. They are such friendly and communal people that its difficult to imagine them in any other way. And to be honest, Taiwan's night life and sheer attraction is its neverending store of energy, food and talent that is strewn throughout the place.

Ah Zhong Mian Xian

No Tables and No Chairs, stand and eat or get lost!

Big Generous Bowls

Overflowing with goodness

Ah Zhong Mian Xian: After much trepidition and backtracking, we finally found the accursed store. I now understand how tough the amazing race is given the foreign setting and a short time frame to look for specific places.
True enough, simply look for a place where everyone is standing and slurping down hot rice noodles and you'll find this famous hangout. Without thinking about the food and the consequence, we immediately joined the queue and ordered 2 large bowls of noodles to quench our hunger.
The bowls were indeed pretty big and cost wise, it was only about $3 sgd or $5 sgd per bowl. Upon tasting the broth, the one association that springs to mind is Shark's Fin. The broth is thick and has a strong vinegar taste rendering it sourish and starchy. However, its the combination of the melt in your mouth and light rice noodles with the broth that makes it a winner. In fact, finishing the bowl strangely left us both ready for more food.
One thing to note here is this, the little whitish and rubbery looking thing floating in the bowl is actually pig intestines. I mistook them for oysters and finished the whole lot....that was the one and only time i've eaten pig intestines. To its credit, the intestines held no foul taste or wierd smell and were cut open to reveal a milky white underbelly. I can thus rest assured that its clean and hygienic. However, the next time i have this, i'm throwing the intestines away for sure.

Easy Way Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea...again

We've had so much bubble tea that its difficult to remember anything much about them. I can tell you that the tea in Taiwan is definitely better then Singapore and our choice for bubble tea in Taiwan was Easy Way as compared to others which did not measure up.

Food Stalls on Wheels...the better to run from police with

A display of talent

An aspiring singer - Man Qing

The one thing about Taiwan's performers is that they really do have talent. The indian like performer gave a nice calming performance while this little lady, who was found a little further out, sang pretty well. Apparently, she won multiple awards for her singing from local television shows already and was trying to make more money to fulfill her dream of becoming an actual singer. Good to have dreams.

Taiwan Day 5 - Part 1

2009-07-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

On Day 5, after chatting too much with my dad and sisters online, i was finally persuaded to visit the "Window of China" or "Xiao Ren Guo" since its the second country in the world to have such an attraction. I've visited this place years ago when i was a young chap, around 8-10 years old and was interested in what has changed over the years. So thats the destination for today.

Mister Donut

Mister Donut was found all throughout Taipei and i'm guessing its a Taiwan donut brand. We bought 3 flavors to try out for our own benefit since some local brands turned out to be the better ones. Such as our very own Donut Factory in Singapore.
This is unfortunately not the case with this franchise. Their donuts tasted wierd, almost rubbery in texture and also a little like bread. The coatings, though packed with flavor, was not able to distract my disappointment on the texture. Thus, this wasn't for me.

Flowers

Just a table setting photo from our favorite breakfast place in the hotel.

Taipei Railway Station (the inside)

Tickets at NTD 89 to Zhong Li

Its a huge place

Takeaway Packed Food

Braised Pork Chops,Egg and Cabbage with rice

Now this was the actual packed food my mom and grandma raved about when they returned home. Maybe i waited a tad too long before eating it but i didn't find it very tasty in the end. The braised pork was soft and fragrant but soggy probably due to us holding on to it for too long. I only found the egg worthwhile but thats a given since eggs taste good easily. Overall, its another disappointment in the food department.

Signs

Zhong Li Station

When we arrived at Zhong Li station after about 1 hour 15 minutes on the terribly slow train, the first thing that came to mind was culture shock. This was more akin to a rural area as compared to Taipei.
Buildings were a mess and most look dilapidated for some reason. The traffic looked scary as well and the cab drivers will continually hound you to take a ride. We started off saying no to a burly looking driver until another driver came up and convinced a young couple and their kid to take the cab ride. In order for the ride to be cheaper, they require 4 paying adults paying 100ntd each. So just like that, we were dragged into the ride as well. Partially, it was for convenience and secondly, it was because the bus ride took 1 hour longer then a 40 minute cab ride. I do have to warn you though, the cab drivers are pushy and look rather scary but all in all, we got pretty nice people during our journey.

Window on China

Map

The place looked rather small in the beginning and i was disappointed to see many of the old attractions still doing their rounds. What looked fascinating as a child simply felt tagged on right now. Thank goodness the back of the park yielded better surprises and new attractions. The following will be some of the sights for the day.

We took this ride and for some absurd reason, we came out totally and utterly drenched when the rest of the people came out barely wet. I suspect the attendent didn't really like me or something and changed the current to ensure i was drenched. Still, can't say i didn't enjoy it.

The one thing about the show that amazed me was how true to form the costumes were. It was superbly alike with the cartoon and that is very well done.

Now this was interesting as well. The 6 people you see on this ride repeated the ride upteen times. In fact, the took the ride at least 15 times and thats when i started counting! They were taking the ride before we came and were still taking the ride after we left. Talk about getting your money's worth!

This was a personal favorite. In fact, i've made up my mind to find this church and fly to its actual location one day to see it in real life. Its simply a splendid example of artistic architecture and i just can't wait to experience it in person.

More Doraemon exhibitions before we left the theme park. Seems like Doraemon is making it big in Taiwan in recent times still.

After another 1 hour or so on a nerve wrecking bus ride back to Zhong Li, we alighted at the correct stop by luck and made our wobbly way through peak hour traffic to the train station. The ride back was even cheaper and soon we found out why, the train was an even older and slower model and our journey back to Taipei was filled with the smell of burning rubber throughout. Not exactly pleasant but at least dinner wasn't too far away now.
For dinner, we resolved to find our way in Xi Men Ding for a famous Mee Sua thats been said to be rather good. Coming up in Day 5 Part 2.

Taiwan Day 4

2009-06-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

Day 4 began with the usual breakfast as usual. On this day, our main attraction and location will be Sun Moon Lake in Tai Zhong. Its quite a distance away and our first headache of the day is to find our way down to Tai Zhong. After a little planning, we decided to go via the high speed rail to save time and thus, its off to the Taipei Railway station which was just across the street from our hotel.

Taipei Railway Station

As you can probably see from the shots here, the station is huge! In fact, there's an entire second floor filled with food stalls thats supposedly pretty good. The winner of the Taiwan beef noodle food award also resides in this station. Also, as mentioned before, there are 3 different stations housed in this building, basically, the mrt, the high speed rail and the north bound trains.
(Tip: If you go to the Taiwan website for trains, it seems extremely complicated but its really fairly simple. If you do have questions, just ask the station attendants and they will direct you towards the fastest way to your destination.)

High Speed Rail Tickets (About sgd $25 for one way trip)

High Speed Rail : Essentially, we learned that there were cheaper ways to go to Tai Zhong but this is still the fastest way and honestly, i couldn't care less about price. Its time i'm trying to save and so we paid the rail for this trip. Its about SGD 50 bucks per person for a round trip to and from Tai Zhong so be prepared to part with your cash if you opt to go my way.
The journey itself was fast and painless, in fact, it didn't feel very fast at all. Just your usual train ride except with a slight tingling at the soles of your feet when you're sitting down. Taipei to Taizhong took us only 50 minutes on the train which has essentially saved us about 1 plus hours to enjoy more of the scenary. The trouble is the next 2 hours we were supposed to spend on the bus to Sun Moon Lake. Now thats tiring!

Tai Zhong Station

The one thing you notice about the station is how modern it is. In fact, it looks and feels like an airport.
Taking a cab or a bus : We had initially planned to take a bus to save money since the bus ride would cost only about sgd 10 dollars or so but once we arrived, we missed the bus and had to face a waiting time of about another 45 minutes for the next bus. This is when 2 taxi drivers approached us to get a ride to sun moon lake.
One driver spoke to us and sealed the deal with a ride down to Sun Moon Lake costing about Sgd 50 for 2 people. The second driver told us to follow him down which we did because we thought they were from the same company. We were sorely mistaken as no sooner did we follow him, a third driver bust out of the door scolding vulgarities at the second driver who asked us to follow him.
The truth was, this second driver was poaching customers from the first driver, which happened to be us. So as the commotion was happening, the first driver returned and led us to his vehicle. Along the way, we learned that it was not uncommon for such things to occur due to the high competition and lack of business during the period we were there.
However, this lack of business helped us secure a better deal in the end. Usually, it costs sgd 50 for a one way trip. Additional vacation spots at Sun Moon Lake will cost additional for the cab driver to take us but in the end, we got the whole deal for sgd 100 which included trip to and from Sun Moon Lake plus a detailed tour of the Lake and all its tourist spots with commentary from the driver as well.

Greenish waters for an inland lake

The view is pretty fantastic

Tickets for the boat ride to Yi Da Shao and Lalu Island

Boat Wharf

Lalu Island

The sacred island

Lalu Island: An NTD 300 boat ride will provide you with a commentary ridden ride to 2 islands with the ending at Yi Da Shao. Lalu island is considered a sacred island and thus it is off limits. The boat will leave you on a floating platform surrounding the island for you take photographs and have a short walk around. The view is fantastic as the small island is in the middle of the lake and its quite a sight with all the mountains and greenish blue waters surrounding you. Everything is great with one exception, would have been awesome if the weather was cool.

Grandma's Tea Leaves Egg

Smooth and Eggy after Deshelling

Along the boat ride, you'll be let off on one of the small islands to look around and have a nice local snack. The tea leaves egg (Char Ye Dan) is essentially boiled eggs in tea leaves concoction which includes tea leaves and some herbs. Simple as it is, it has a much better fragrance then the ones i've had in Singapore. Its real cheap at 10 NTD too, definitely worth a try.

The boat

Shopping District

Yi Da Shao

The Wharf

The Town

Yi Da Shao is a charming little town made up of the aborigines who've been in the mountains since time immemorial. They all run a small little business selling local made items for tourists such as ourselves. Unfortunately, nothing caught our eye and so we didn't buy anything here apart from some food below.

Taiwan Sausages

Dripping with Oil

This wasn't too bad actually. Taste wise, the first hurdle to cross will be the oil you can literally see here. The meat also has a pungent smell emenating from it being unprocessed i guess but otherwise, it retains the sweetness all Taiwan sausages have albeit with a tougher texture. However, i'll not have this again due to the high oil content, it's neuseating to say the least.

Chen Ji Muah Chee

Being a local flavor and having everything hand made, its obviously not as good as the pre packed and supermarket variety. Thats not to say there are no gems in it however, the sesame muah chee is bursting with thick sesame flavor. We bought a few for the journey ahead ourselves.

Xuan Zhuang Temple

I liked this temple because it has a distinctly japanese vibe surrounding it. Just looking around will bring a sense of peace and serenity that nothing you've seen before can provide. The air itself is cooler here as compared to anywhere else i've been in Sun Moon Lake. Its a beautiful place.

Stairs to infinity

The Beginning to Ci En Pagoda

The Scenic Route

Ci En Pagoda is definitely worth a visit because the views are excellent and the ringing of the bell at the top of the pagoda has a very calming effect. With each strike, you will blow all your troubles away. It can be an arduous task if you've not been exercising however so be aware. The true test is the journey up to the pagoda, the pagoda itself really isn't very challenging.

Bubbling Water

We were told that the water bubbles because of the natural flow of water from the top of the mountain down to the lake. Rather interesting since no one knows why it bubbles upwards the way it does. Or rather, the cab driver didn't know why so we, in turn, didn't know why. :P

Peacock Garden

Enjoy the shots, these magnificent creatures are beautiful and were in a good mood when we arrived. They were busy showing off their wares when we arrived which gave plenty of opportunity to take photos.

Wen Wu Temple

The temple is huge with wonderful architecture and emphasis on its Chinese heritage. Along the way, you'll see many little golden lanterns which signify the wishes of thousands of people who've come to this temple to pray. Equally amazing is the donation box which was filled to the brim such that there's no way you can squeeze in any more money for donation. Incredible.

Spotted this huge Dah Mo statue on the mountain on the way back

The slick high speed train

High Speed Rail gourmet

I've been dying to try out the food in the train since my mom raved about it to me years ago and finally, i got to try it. The verdict? Disappointment.
This is pretty much like any run of the mill lunch box to be bought anywhere else. The chicken is tender and fragrant but oily. The mushrooms and vegetables were alright and the rice was reminiscent of japanese sushi rice but thats about it.

The winning entry for Beef Noodles in Taiwan

Award Winning Noodles

Dumplings

Upon arriving in Taipei Railway station, we immediately set off looking for the award winning beef noodle store said to be found in the station and was thrilled to be able to quickly recognize it thanks to the huge poster of the chef pulling noodles with the title of "Best Beef Noodles 2008".
Without further ado, we ordered the beef noodles and wanton dumplings for our dinner. The noodles arrived looking less then stellar and with one sip of the stock, we were already duly disappointed. It was bland to a fault and contained nothing to rave about. After our previous night's wonderful noodles, this was lackluster to say the least. The noodles themselves tasted like normal noodles but it was amazing that they had it prepared and done in such a short time. The beef was also tougher to chew on and thus, was simply not to our liking.
The dumplings were decent but had a pretty strong pork smell to it and apart from the tangy wanton skin, was a normal dish.

Overall, today seemed a bad day for good food. We didn't find a single good food item this day but walked away with beautiful memories of Sun Moon Lake. A good if somewhat stomach fulfilling day.

Taiwan Day 3

2009-06-25T08:24:00.001-07:00

Before going into Day 3, lets spend a moment to reflect on what was acquired during day 2 of the Taiwan trip.

The Spoils of War

Over here, you can see the spoils of one day, or rather one night of intense shopping. Bags, clothes and snacks accumulate in a pile measuring about 0.8 metres high! And thats just after one night of shopping.

Breakfast

Complimentary breakfast is always worth a bite. Now keep in mind this is day 3 so this is just the second time we're having this meal. Its wholesome and filling as usual, the omelet was a nice addition with its low waiting time. The star for the day remained the cereal.

Long Shan Temple

Our first stop for the day was Long Shan Temple, we chose this as one of the first stops for the because of a few reasons. One, its near our hotel and easily accessible. Two, its along the same mrt route as our next location. Three, its rumored to answer prayers and requests pretty well.
The temple not only occupies and has an MRT named after it, there's even an entire underground shopping street named after it. The temple itself was rather crowded with lots of pious believers praying for good fortune along its interiors, as did we.

Dunkin Donuts

Raspberry Fillings

Custard Fillings

Apple Filling and Lemon Filling

Chocolate and Lemon Filling

Dunkin Donuts: I've heard pretty good things about this donut shop with some insinuating that its the best donut shop in America (its not, apparently the best would fall on Krispy Kreme). So i was rather excited to find this store in Taiwan for me to finally try it out.
My conclusion? I still think Singapore's Donut Factory is better then this for one particular reason. The dough. The Singapore version is less porous and less airy.
I did like the squarish donuts that came with 2 different fillings in them. The chocolate filled ones were especially nice and i'm very much taken with its dark chocolate fillings which were bitter and mildly sweet.

Fisherman's Wharf

This boy was adorable in his relentless chasing of pigeons. He never stopped chasing actually and he was having lots of fun....despite the horrible weather.

Lovers Bridge

Danshui Lover's Bridge: The lover's bridge is one of the main attractions at Fisherman's Wharf and a favorite spot for couple's to have their wedding photos taken due to the romantic backdrop. Now, we went in the afternoon and i'll say right now that it is not advisable to do so during the summer seasons. The shops were not opened and the weather is absolutely punishing. So if anyone is going down to this place, make it an evening destination because that's what the place is meant for.
Interesting Facts and Beliefs: Contrary to belief, this bridge is not for lovers to gather. Especially take note not to bring your girlfriend to this bridge and walking hand in hand across it. The reason for this is because the bridge is shaped like a huge knife and according to Taiwanese Feng Shui, this will cause the unwed couples to break up. Married couples will have no issue on this however.

Seats Overlooking the Lover's Bridge

Idyllic and relaxing describes the attitude of this restaurant pretty well. Simple cloth draped chairs and wooden tables take away nothing from the view of the sea and the bridge.

Live prawns with soy sauce and wasabi

When we first ordered this, we were expecting big deep sea prawns and thus was a little disappointed when these scrawny little things were put on our table. However, one bite of these little pieces of heaven immediately blew our grievances miles away.
Despite its small size, it packs a good crunch and an inherent sweetness that is hard to dislike. The real treat is how well it went with the soy sauce and wasabi. That was what had us finishing this dish to its last prawn. Absolutely worth it.

Clams Stir Fried with Basil

Strong and strange, the mixture of basil and chili brings out another side of this done to death dish. You get a nice spicy taste along with this absolutely fresh and sweet clams. The basil really adds another layer of taste to this and makes it a joy to go with rice.

Wok Fried Beef

If there was one item that didn't quite wow us, it would be this final dish. It pretty good in its own right, but the only thing special about it was the whitish pieces you see accompanying the beef. I've not identified what it is, but it has a texture like a mixture between brinjal and mushrooms. Taste wise, its a little sweet but that could be due to the sauce. It was an interesting ingredient in an otherwise simple dish.
My conclusion of this restaurant? Worth a visit because its actually rather cheap. After all our orders, this meal cost about SGD 20. Definitely worth it.

Bikes for Rental

Bike rentals can be found in Singapore as well, so why film this? Well, that is because you can rent these bikes as easily as swiping your EZ link card on the pedestal! Its that simple and i must say, an absolutely ground breaking idea. Rent a bike, charge it to your card for the duration and return it to another pedestal further down. No hassle at all.

Taipei 101

Taipei 101: When you get here, the first choice is to consider if you would want to go to the top. It costs Ntd 400 for a ride in their excellently fast yet stable lift. There'll even be a commentary as you ascend and descend.

Your Companion

So i guess, the one question you should ask yourself in the end is: " Was it worth it?" My answer to this? "Hell yeah!" The view is magnificent. At that height, you can see pretty much the whole of Taipei and at that height, its incredible to believe the Taiwan is subjected to frequent earthquakes while this superb infrastructure is able to withstand all but the worst Earthquakes. Go for the view and nothing else though, shopping here is pretty much throwing your wallet into the sea. You were warned.
Another note, its in your best interest to visit Taipei 101 during the transition hours so that you can see the sunset. It would look awesome.

After the view, its time to return to our hotel and have dinner before ending the day. It had been a tiring day to say the least and it was time for a rest.

Bubble Tea again

Cong Zua Bing (Onion Pancake)

Its oily, fragrant and crispy hot but the one thing you can't do is to stop chewing and eating it. Its quite interesting because it tastes and has a texture not unlike our usual "Roti Prata" but it comes with additional taste and ultimately, is an improvement from our Indian counterpart. Will i have this again? Most definitely! Oh, did i mention it was cheap as well? Costing a measly SGD 1-2 bucks.

Dong Dong Braised Beef Noodles

Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian (Spicy Beef Brisket Noodles)

Beef Noodles

Must Try Noodles: This is the best beef noodles i've ever had. And it doesn't come from a restaurant nor did it win an awards. Located at the underground shopping street near our hotel, it is convenient and simply a hidden gem not to be missed!
I'll start raving about the noodles for a start, it has a texture that is simply not found in Singapore. Imagine udon-like thickness and looks but more firm in its bite. The magic doesn't end there, its also surprisingly light. Imagine finishing an entire large bowl of noodles but still feeling as though there's space to spare? This accomplishes that.
Next, its the absolutely tasty soup that will have you finishing up every drop. I suspect the soup base has never been replaced and this simply taste like years of taste kept in one pot. Its just perfectly balanced with the taste of beef permeating every drop of it. Simply perfect.

The downside you'll probably find here is the hygiene. Its not the cleanest shop in Taiwan for sure but its definitely worth risking to eat here. I recommend the Hong Shao Nui Rou Mian which happens to be their chef's recommendation as well. Enough said, eat here at least once. You must try it.

Free Snacks!!!

Free Snacks!!!

Free Snacks!!!

Along the same underground passage is a pastry shop selling absolutely tasty chinese pastry. Its called Li Yi Bing Dian (Li Yi Pastry shop). I'd recommend trying out their pastry as well and chances are, you will buy some back after trying. Everything is good but there's something i learned about the pastry. Eat it in Taiwan when you can.
We bought about SGD 250 worth of pastries to bring back to Singapore and the problem is, it doesn't taste as good as it did when its baked fresh and eaten on the spot. It also has a rather short shelf life so its something you should eat on the spot for the best results.
If you do decide to bring some back, get the Taiyang Bing (Sun Biscuit) which has so far yielded the best taste and results from the pastries bought back.

And that ends our Day 3 in Taiwan.

This day is filled with some adventure in finding the locations, taking public transport and buses and some nice food finds. We visited areas we should have visited at a different time of the day though, so take note again here. Fisherman's Wharf should be done between evening to night. Taipei 101 should also be done at around evening to catch the sunset.
Hope this helps you guys enjoy it further. Cheers.

Good Luck Kitchen

2009-06-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Attended a friends birthday celebration a month or so back are their resident condo function room. As usual, being the shutter bug and foodie that i am, i couldn't resist taking photos of what we had to munch on. Still a long way from mastering my camera and lens so bear with the terrible shots if possible.

Location: Blk 15 Woodlands Loop #03-24 Singapore 738322

Contact: 67524282

Website: www.goodluck-kitchen.com

The spread

The spread consisted of upwards of 6 items with white rice, fried noodles, curry chicken, ngor hiang, breaded fish, fried potatoes, beancurd and braised pork with buns.. Also included were some homemade soup and drinks which were not part of the package.

For what its worth, the catering does a pretty good job on a 2 items. Namely the curry chicken and the noodles. The noodles were not oily and came mixed with tiny bits of chicken interlaced with chili and spice. The curry chicken was definitely fragrant with an emphasis on spice rather than coconut milk, this explains the rather oily chili layer you see. The chicken breaks apart easily for consumption but is a little dry on the inside.

The braised pork with buns was sadly a let down because of cold buns which seriously needed heating. The pork had a flaw in itself with the cut being very fatty, too much for this humble reviewer to appreciate.

Overall score: 6/10

Last word:
For a caterer, i'm rather impressed with what they have brought. The other items which i've not mentioned in detail were mostly palatable with no major disappointments. I'd say this is one of those caterers that are above average and worth trying for events. Not fine dining standard for sure but it gets the job done.

Yan Ting Part 2 ~ A Pictorial

2009-05-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Once again, thanks to FatPig's gracious invitation, a group of 9 people were able to try out food at this 6 star hotel. This time, it was for dinner. You can view my previous visit here.

Peking Duck

Claypot Chicken with Basil and Golden Garlic

Dou Bei

Crispy Garlic Pork Ribs

Deep Fried Cod Fillet coated with Crispy Cereal

Pan Seared Scallop filled with Shrimp Mousse

Wok Fried French Bean with Minced Pork and Chilli

Deep Fried Prawn filled with Fresh Mango

Chef Chan Signature Baked Spring Onion Chicken

Diced Peking Duck in Lettuce

Char Siew Pastry

Mango Pomelo Sago

Bill

Dinner for 9 came up to $362.85 after discount which works out to be about $42 per head after discount. Needless to say, this was absolutely worthwhile of a look.

Taiwan Day 2

2009-05-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

Day 2 was a day of relaxation and many attractions. Its also the only day we got a tour guide for the entire day which was part of the package. The day began simple enough with our first taste of breakfast in the hotel.

Breakfast 7am to 8am: Breakfast is a simple buffet spread with Intercontinental and Asian spreads for offer. There's cereal, milk, bread, fruits, bee hoon, ham, sausages, omelets, soup noodles, porridge, hard boiled eggs and potato salad. The food choices will change a little everyday but the general items remain. Quality and taste wise, its acceptable but nothing worth mentioning.

Strawberry Cereal

This was to be my new favorite cereal in the days to come. I'd have one bowl every morning. Its good because its mildly sweet, crunchy, healthy and sourish thanks to the strawberries. A perfect breakfast and one i've grown to accept even in Singapore.

Freedom Square (Zi You Guang Chang)

Our first stop for the day was Freedom Square and it was glorious. Blistering weather aside, the view and scale needs to be felt to do it justice. Everything was huge and simply walking from one end to the other takes about 10-15 minutes depending on your pace. Upon ascending the final monument, looking back provides a real sense of achievement and a good view of how beautiful the monument really is. However, it is highly recommended to visit during a cooler part of the year or risk perspiring your entire journey up and down.

Memorial (Zhong Lie Ci)

Heat stroke anyone?

Guard Changing Parade

Continued

Tourists....

Our next stop brought us to another historical memorial to view a famous guard changing parade. Hoards of tour buses were already on site when we arrived and the sea of tourists threatened to drown any and all views of the parade. Fortunately, we managed to catch a small glimpse of what transpired and it was interesting to say the least. Its amazing how complex their routine is and how perfectly they've managed to do it. Not to mention the horrible weather they have to endure by standing guard. It is a testament to the amount of pride they hold for the sacrifices the older generation made to secure the country's current standing.

Mao's House

Deer Foetus

Lingzhi

Being a guided tour, it would be foolhardy to assume you will not be brought to a shop or a few shops that will try to get a few dollars out of your pocket. So here we are at the first shop for a look at their merchandise. The interesting part is that the shop is run by aboriginals or the "early settlers" of Taiwan. The merchandise is rather exotic as well. Comprising of Lingzhi and dead deer foetuses and royal jelly as their main sales points. Simply translated, everything here is way above my budget and despite the possibility that they may be good for us, i simply couldn't afford it. A good note is, these people simply introduce, share and leaves the decision to purchase up to you. No hard sell tactics and no ugly looks, this is the first place of many that Taiwan's great service attitude begins to astound me. Singapore service can benefit much from the service level here.

Miramar Shopping Complex

Ferris Wheel

Connecting Bay

One of the bigger shopping malls in Taipei, the Miramar comes with its very own Ferris Wheel. Looking every bit as intimidating as it should be. To do actual shopping here is rather tough since almost everything is branded and as usual, expensive. The only thing we could afford here turned out to be the little snack below.

Puff Puff

Chocolate and Vanilla Cream Puffs

In the fastest summary i can give, this is Beard Papa's competitor but with softer puffs. The cream, filling and taste simply reminds me directly of Beard Papa and true enough, walk a little further and you'll find a Beard Papa outlet here as well. Competition is steep here.

Jiu Fen

1300-1600 hours: Needless to say, we were famished by the time we got up the mountainous roads to Jiu Fen but i'll sidetrack a little here. I have no idea how anyone can get up here taking a public bus. Its mind boggling and totally out of the way but i have to also say that its totally and utterly worth the time to visit. I'll elaborate why with the pictures below.

Big Big Sausages in various flavors

Weekend Crowd

Ah Shin's Shop

Quality Snacks

To start off, this was a Sunday and so, all the locals and tourists were up in full force to visit this little hidden sanctuary. For good reason too. Our first splurge happened at this little shop called simply "Ah Shin's Shop". They sell a variety of dried snacks, jelly and mochi. Trust me, they're all pretty darn good and if you buy a certain number of packets, you get additional packets free! So...we bought 1 entire carton worth of snacks...Yeah, not kidding. 1 huge carton worth of these little snacks. Time to crack our heads on how we can bring it up the plane.

Chang's Traditional Fish Ball

Hard At Work

Its packed

The place was packed with people and rightly so. Its a rather famous joint for food to people in the know and cheap as well.

Braised Pork Rice (lor bak)

Do not let the simplicity of this picture throw you off. One taste and i'm pretty sure you'll lap up the entire bowl in a hurry (assuming you like lor bak like me). To describe the difference between this and Singapore's version, its sweeter, the slices of pork thinner and leaner and overall, its just a whole lot more fragrant then any similar offerings you might have had before. Try it to believe it!

The utterly super extremely juicy and tasty fish balls in soup (sorry about the focus)

The fishballs are another surprise. Each was special in its own way. Of the 2 i've had, one was huge and within it was minced pork which was superbly satisfying while the other was very chewy with alot of bite. The pickled cucumbers you see here are fragrant and crunchy but not the stars ultimately.

Braised Pork Noodles

Another star which is seemingly simple. Do not let its instant noodle look turn you away, its much better then it looks. I geuss the braised pork also helped in making it better since its taste is homogeneous and very satisfying.

Shao Xing wine Drunken Chicken

Meant to be either a cold dish to whet your appetite or a main dish to complement your rice and noodles, this is definitely a must have. It also happens to be the most expensive item on the menu at NTD 150 which is approximately Sgd $6. The meat is soft and tender and cold with a strong alcoholic taste which is pleasant and appetising. The catch is the coagulated fat you see on each piece of meat which feels a little like eating jelly.

I'll make a statement. They can serve anything on their menu, throw in some of their superb braised pork and it immediately becomes a delicacy. Its that good.

Vermicelli

Our guide had this but if the other food items are anything to go by, this is definitely a good meal.

The above are assorted sights and sounds of Jiu Fen. Its an extremely interesting place thats most definitely worth a visit. Even the locals treat this as a de facto location to visit during the holidays. How could anyone miss it?

Jiu Fen Tea House

Self designed tea crockery

Jiufen Teahouse: This is the place where i had the most expensive tea i've ever spent money on. SGD 30 for a packet of tea leaves anyone? No doubting on the atmosphere here however, its beautiful. And truth be told, the tea is definitely different and very refreshing. In fact, i've never liked tea as much as i did after this visit. With the correct methods of brewing tea, you can enjoy it too. Awesome stuff! (Still too expensive for me though)

Hot Spring at Yang Ming Shan

Sulphuric Hot Spring: Our second last location before the tour ended was a hot spring experience on Yang Ming Shan. We toured the private hot spring and got a few photos above before proceeding to seperate public springs which i'm not able to take any photos. Either way, the smell of sulphur is a first for me and i'd liken it to smelling a little like sewage. It wasn't exactly pleasant but is said to have wonderful healing properties. The water is obviously hot and given that we were in Taiwan during a warm season, we ended up perspiring alot after our wash. Pretty interesting but would have prefered if we came during a cooler season for more enjoyment.

Shilin Night Market

Long Queues abound

Maestro at work

Its bigger then my face!!

Shilin Night Market: It was packed! People were everywhere with makeshift bazaars taking up much of the space. Food and snacks were everywhere and theres absolutely no way you can finish eating everything.
Our dinner this night turned out to be the fried chicken cutlet above and its huge! Its about $1+ Sgd and is much bigger then the Singapore version. The catch is, it comes with bones and all so be careful while you eat. The meat is very tender while fried batter is crispy and crunchy and a little spicy. So thats it, dinner for 2 sharing a huge cutlet and a cup of bubble tea. Everything under Sgd $5. Awesome!

Ear Waxing

Take photographs at your own risk

Food Street

The crowds gather when it gets darker

See for yourself

No matter which way you look, its packed.

Pepper Biscuits?

There's the entrance

2 extremely tired and aching feet

Before you know it. The day was over and we've bought ourselves quite a few items to show for the day's activities. We returned to the hotel tired, happy but a little sad that we've only eaten so little things that day. We vowed to somehow make it up in the coming days to be fair to ourselves and our stomachs.
To me, i think this was an excellent day where we saw many fantastic sights and ate some superb food. The people are definitely nice and the place, though stricken with fear over H1N1, is very hospitable. I've always had the impression that the people may be rough and rude but i couldn't be more wrong. In fact, i've come to realise, its the people in my home country that are more often then not rude. Taiwan till now, has impressed me to no end. And i can't wait to see what else this country has to offer.

Taiwan Day 1

2009-05-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

For my little overseas trip for 2009, i've picked Taiwan for a short getaway. 7 days of shopping, food and relaxation to blow all my troubles away and have a good time. Nothing beats a good trip overseas.

My choice of airline this year, is Cathay Pacific. Not that its much of a choice but rather a package i took from UOB travel planners. The entire package including airfare and hotel totaled to be about 1.9k for 2 people for return airfare and 6 nights stay at Cosmos hotel in Taipei.

Check In Counter

Waiting Area for Flight Departure

It was a little rainy that day

UOB Travel Planners: Generally service was good and the only gripes i had were on the person-in-charge pretty much forever on long leave while the other gripe was on the fact that i could not postpone the trip because the offer i took was on promotion. Other than that, they provided good information, was informative and helpful throughout. However, i did find out that the trip could have been booked from the online website www.zuji.com.sg for a cheaper price by about $100-200 bucks. So maybe aspiring travellers might want to check there.

Cathay Pacific Airlines: After taking Tiger Airways, Singapore Airlines and Silk Air. This time, we tried Cathay Pacific which is said to be the numero uno airline from Hong Kong. Our flights to and fro were pleasant enough despite a rather big bump on our return flight due to our plane flying into the air path of another larger plane. Otherwise, the journey is generally smooth. Service wise, the flight out of Singapore had the best service while the short flight from HK to Taiwan had a more lacklustre service due to the short time frame which causes the service staff to rush many things. Our return flight also had a huge number of Chinese nationals who spoke so loudly and were so inconsiderate that the flight was almost unbearable but otherwise, it was ok. My gripe on the return flight was the entertainment system as well. I was watching Red Cliff 2 when they cut off at the 1 hour 30 minute mark for no reason or rhyme. They need to look into this.

The friendly skies

Once again

Breakfast

Well, this meal wasn't really good. The egg was tasteless and had a wierd texture making it hard and spongy. The potate hashbrown was alright, as is the bacon. The best thing here was the fruits. Nothing more.

Hong Kong Airport

Our Next Plane

Lunch

Our lunch meal on the plane was much much better. Diced chicken with fried rice. Despite the obvious fact that this was prepared hours ago and reheated, the chicken and rice actually tasted decent. Mostly, the sauce did the job by making everything bearable.

The address of Cosmos Hotel

Hotel Room Bathroom

Bathroom

View

Our room and bed

Another look

Cosmos hotel: First thing you'll notice about the hotel is its location. Its right next to the Taipei Railway station and smack in the middle of a busy and bustling part of Taiwan. Shopping malls and underground shopping is minutes away and the MRT is just below the hotel. Food is aplenty and the choice is endless. The room itself is clean beyond fault (no worries on bedbugs here) and has all the amenities needed. Service staff are all excellent apart from a black sheep which didn't agree with us. Otherwise, the hotel is pretty darn good and the location is priceless.

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store

Railway Station

As mentioned, the department store is right across the road and the railway station is just steps away. The department store reminds me of Takashimaya and has prices pretty close to that as well. I wouldn't recommend shopping there. The underground stores are much cheaper and better or better yet. Take the train to any of the other shopping streets for even better shopping and food.

Si Men Ding

Si Men Ding: This place was named Si Men Ding after a direct translation from the time Japanese were ruling the country. In terms of the reason why there are more shops selling stuff for youngsters here. According to our guide, its because this place used to be an execution ground where the japanese killed many people. Thus, the "ying" (evil) powers are stronger here, thus, it is required to have more youngsters come to this place because their "yang" (good) energy will help to neutralize the "ying" energy. Even more intriguing was that before this was in place, Si Men Ding used to sell items for the older generation but it was not sustainable and the shops almost all closed down. It was until the change to selling items for the younger generation that this place started to liven up. Whether you believe this or not is up to you.

Stinky Fried Beancurd

Stinky Fried Beancurd: Now, who would come to Taiwan and not try a stinky beancurd? Its a must try! And its really not as bad as it smells. Just get over the phobia, buy one and eat it. The texture is very smooth and when you couple it with some chili and their special sweet sauce. This is really quite a delicacy. Only problem is that you'll smell like a stinky beancurd after eating it. Still, worth a try at least.

Pancakes!

Custard, Chocolate and Yam Pancakes

Macha with Hokkaido Red Bean Pancake

Pancakes: Simple as it may be, these pancakes still taste better then what Singapore has to offer. Thick stuffings and a crispy yet light pancake layer makes this a great snack. I prefered the custard while my fiancee prefered the Macha Hokkaido Red Bean version. In the end though, this became our dinner because we were stuffed by then.

Si Men Ding on the Saturday Night

Hip Hop Dance Competition

Hip Hop Dance Competition

Hip Hop Dance Competition

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Dance Performances

Si Men Ding: After our makeshift dinner, we proceeded to check out the scene. There were plenty of shops and people at the place with lots of free performances to check out as well. Some legal and some not but all worth watching. The bustle of life here is unbelievable. Nothing you will ever see in Singapore for sure and the talent is incredible as well. Some of these performers really have the makings for making it on television but are just waiting to be discovered. The hip hop dance competition even had an MTV deejay on set to host while the 2 female dancers seemed to just be doing it for fun. The crowd is incredible as well and you'll be amazed at how packed the place can be. There are lots of little shops for shopping and little stalls selling food for trying as well. In summary, this place is well worth checking out.

Day 1 conclusion: Despite some hiccups here and there and the general culture shock of being in a foreign place with lots of things we don't understand. The end result was that it was a good day and we really can't wait to see more of Taiwan. Food wise, nothing really spectacular for this day yet. But the life, crowd, talent and performances were something different and the scale of everything was spectacular as well. Prepare to walk....alot.

The Author is off to Taiwan!!

2009-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

The author has once again embarked on a small holiday overseas.

This time, its a trip to Taiwan aboard yet another airline. During this trip, of course, i'll be bringing back photos and my comments on the places i've lived in and been to. Not forgetting of course, the glorious food available there as well.

Now, this trip is a little awkward and somewhat fraught with peril.

First of all, there's the little flu bug thats scaring the world to bits going around.
And wouldn't you know it? My flight has to transit in Hong Kong so i'm keeping my fingers crossed for all to be well.
There's also this small problem with me having a small cough, now usually, this isn't worth mentioning. However, with the panic going around now. A little cough just might leave me stranded and quarantined for 7 days for no reason.
And last but not least, there's this riot i heard happening in Taiwan just recently.

Now isn't life wonderful? Well, assuming everything goes well and yours truly ends up in Taiwan. You can expect the next few posts to be solely about my trip there.

The added perk is, all pictures will be taken with my new Nikon D90 and my 2 lenses. A 50mm 1.8 and a 18-105mm 4.6. Don't get your hopes up, i'm still learning and so far, i don't think my shots are any good yet but as usual, i'll try.

So... after all is said and done, i hope you'll enjoy the shots that will soon come and follow me on my trip to Taiwan.

Cheers and good health to all.

Lemon Grass Part 2

2009-04-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

It was about 1 year ago that i've visited Lemon Grass and now i'm back to have another authentic thai meal. You can refer to my previous visit here.

In terms of taste, this place still stands as one of the better thai restaurants i've been to in Singapore.
For this visit, the thai fried fish is the star of the day. The meat is soft and tender even though its fried and the chili sauce that accompanied it was superb. Extremely spicy and this got my parents pretty impressed. Definitely worth a try. The rating remains the same as per my previous visit.

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe (Whitesands)

2009-04-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Open 24 hours on the weekends and till 2am on weekdays, Xin Wang HK cafe has opened 10 separate outlets in Singapore since its inception in 2007 and has also expanded its operations overseas.

Location: Pasir Ris Central Street 3 #01-14 Singapore 518457

Contact: 65833611

Website: http://www.xinwang.com.sg

Price range: $10-20 per head

Cold Water ($0.40++)

For the record, i really dislike paying for water at a restaurant. Its water, in Singapore, the tap water is safe for drinking so yeah, paying for water is a bad idea.

Seafood Hor Fun ($9.80)

The seafood hor fun came with generous portions of squid, shrimps and beansprouts. Its a little salty but otherwise, rather decent.

Shrimp Roll ($2.50)

Oily and very crispy but tasty and sinful in equal measure.

Custard Bun ($2.50)

There's too much dough and not enough custard in these buns. Add the fact that its extremely oily and you have the recipe for disaster.

Pork Chop Baked Rice

The pork chop baked rice is a mixed bag. On one hand, i like the cheese and sourish tomato sauce mixed with rice, on the other hand, the pork chop is too tough to bite. Add them together for an average dish.

Bill

The bill after discount and a voucher to have a free main course of the same value turned up at $17.85.

Ambiance: 6.5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overal Score: 6/10 (not an average)

Last word:

It wasn't a bad meal by any chance but the full value of that meal would have been $30 if it included the cost for the pork chop baked rice. And i really wouldn't find paying that amount worthwhile.

Ubin First Stop Seafood

2009-04-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

Ubin first stop seafood resides right behind the nefarious open air carpark at Changi Point. If you're in the vicinity to grab a quick bite or have a nice time, be sure to display your parking coupon or prepare to face the consequences. You can, however, park illegally right next to the carpark with no penalties as far as i'm informed but still, do the right thing nonetheless.

Location: 57 Lorong Bekukong Road Singapore 499173

Contact: 65465905

Price Range: $30-35 per head

The restaurant is built on an elevated platform resembling the old atap houses of the past. The kitchen is surprisingly out in the open facing the open air parking lots. Within, simple flourescent lamps light up the place while plain coffeeshop tables are spread evenly to provide adequate space for movement. Not that movement is much of a problem since my family makes up the bulk of 3 tables taken up that night. Perhaps it was the economic crisis but seriously, this was the second restaurant that felt as though we booked it entirely to ourselves.

Chili Mussels ($10)

The mussels here were really quite big and fresh. No sand or whatsoever in them, just sweet chili sauce and plump soft mussels for consumption.

You Tiao with Fish Paste ($8)

Apart from it being less oily then others i've tasted, its pretty much the same it all other ways.

Sweet and Sour Pork ($12)

They did a good job by really putting this to the fire and their batter came out really crispy and thin. Even after several minutes soaking in the tomato sauce, the pork remained crispy and fragrant.

Hu Nan Chicken/Dry curry chicken ($12)

Every meal needs a low point and this was it. Taste wise, it was interesting. The chicken was crispy and tender much like its sweet and sour pork albeit with a weird curry-like taste to it. So why exactly was it the low point? Remember the mention of the kitchen being in the open? Well, a "UFO" appeared in the dish with our chicken. Its quite cooked but nonetheless, you get the idea. Food cleanliness became suspect pretty much immeadiately after.

Ngor Hiang ($8)

Another low point, the ngor hiang seriously needs improvement, the whitish looking part looks like dust but it isn't. Its more an indication of lack of time to thaw. Tastewise, there's nothing worth mentioning as well.

Sambal Kang Kong ($6)

Probably one of the better items that night, the sambal kang kong was spicy, sweet and fragrant with the usage of lard in its cooking process.

HK Style Red Snapper ($42)

Another Look

This fish took the limelight being the item of the day. The flesh remains springy and taut despite being fried and the HK soy sauce it arrived in further complements its sweetness. However, it is quite a humble size despite is $42 price tag.

Kung Pow Prawns ($20)

The prawns were hit and miss. Its a hit in the quality of the prawn itself, being big and oh so crunchy. Its a miss in the fact that its done Kung Pow style which made it spicy and sweet. With prawns as good as this, just steam them and enjoy the natural taste it has, no additional sauce needed.

Scallops with brocoli/asparagus($20)

Ok, i know this isn't brocolli so its probably asparagus but i'm not too sure if its the right word. In regards to taste, the scallops alone were undeniably good with its springy and sweet natural taste.

Bamboo Clams ($48)

This is my first taste of bamboo clams and i have to say....it tastes weird. Its like a mix between mussels and snails in that its a little slimy tasting with some....pungent smelling part in its 2 ends. The mid section is more tolerable and very sweet but i can't get over how much it resembles a certain part of the human anatomy. Needless to say, the price it costs for one didn't help. This is the first, and last time i'll have the exotic item. Thank you very much.

Fried Mee Sua ($12)

Another item that took me by surprise, this mee sua is extremely well done. Simple as it may be, its very fragrant and light such that we managed to finish it even after everything else that preceded it. In fact, we ordered another poriton for take away.

Complimentary Dessert

The dessert is simple almond with longan but it gets the job done.

Bill

The bill gave me quite a shock at its price of $235.14. Apparently, the culprits were the fish, prawns, scallops and the bamboo clams.

Ambience: 3/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 6.5/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overall score: 6/10 (not an average)

Last word:
Actually, i found quite a few items here really worth ordering, like the mee sua, fish and the sweet and sour pork. However, its difficult to enjoy when you're constantly picking through the food to see if "UFO's" have been added to your meal. Also, i found the pricing for the clams ridiculous. Maybe i don't know how to appreciate it but $12 a piece? Ouch. A return is most definitely not in the cards for this one.

SMOK'INN FROGZ KITCHEN

2009-04-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Heard about this little hideout in Bukit Timah quite some time ago and finally paid it a visit to verify if its beef burger lives up to the recommendations i've heard about it. It's rather along the west end of Singapore so i had to drive around and got lost a couple of times before i found it but i'm truly glad i did.

Location: 879 Bukit Timah Road

Price per head: $10-20 per head

The location is nothing to shout about, after all, it resides in a corner coffeeshop location and shares the space with an Indian food stall and a bar calling itself Bar Bar Black Sheep. Not that i'm complaining because the place is excellent. Wooden chairs and al fresco tables gave me an impression that i wasn't in Singapore anymore but rather some hang out place in Australia or USA. The Caucasians or expatriates who pack the place certainly aided in giving me this impression but i definitely liked the vibe of this place. Simple yet classy.

Hoegarden and Lime Juice

The drinks here are reasonably priced to be sure. Order it direct from Bar Bar Black Sheep or any of the girls going around to take orders and you'll be served your drink in a short span of time. I ordered 1 pint of ice cold Hoegarden and thank the lord, it was an actual pint at discount prices which was as advertised, ice cold too. I couldn't pin the exact cost but its anywhere between $6-9 for a pint and if you compare it to similar joints, you'll see its actually a great deal.

Fish and Chips ($8-10)

My gf ordered fish and chips as we were soon served with a huge, 3 piece fish and chips with generous portions of fries. It helps that everything was fried to a nice golden brown and served hot. The fish and chips, though having tender and sweet flesh, had a rather thick batter which didn't sit well with us. Strip away the batter though, and this works pretty well.

Beef Burger ($12-14)

The star of the day, the beef burger has a patty handmade by the restaurant in the day. The meat was finely pounded and padded together for a slightly crumbly yet firm texture. The beef taste is moderate but strong enough for me while the caremelized onions, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes added more bite to the burger. Did i mention the burger was about the size of a BK whooper? I'm definitely coming back for more of this.

Total bill probably set us back by less then $30 for this meal and i find it money well spent.

Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall Score: 8/10

Last word:
I like this place. Its got a rustic and earthly charm to it. And the real draw is how the Caucasians or expatriates who frequent this place really gives me the impression i'm not in Singapore. The way this illusion takes away my troubles is quite simply, priceless. Throw in good beer on tap for cheap and a beef burger to give Astons a run for their money and this place has my vote as my favorite ulu bar of the year.

Pearl River Palace (Suntec City)

2009-04-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Located in an obscure corner of Suntec City is a restaurant i've been patronizing at least 5 to 6 times throughout the years. In fact, its one of the first Cantonese Ala Carte buffets i was introduced to. Helmed by Hong Kong Master Chef Mok Kit Keung, the restaurant uses it as a selling point to promise authentic Cantonese cuisine at everyday prices.

Location: 1 Raffles Boulevard Convention and Exhibition Centre 3rd floor

Contact: 63329733

Price range: $30-40 per head

All you can eat!!

All you can eat buffets are usually average and when you throw in ala carte, it would mean a reasonable amount of time is spent waiting. That's pretty much true about this place as well, but there are gems to be found in its menu. You just need to know what it is to order it, as early and as often as possible to get the most out of it.

With each set, you get the usual one order only items and in this case, it'll be the live prawns and the shark's fin. Both of which were pretty good imho. The prawns were all sweet and crunchy and fresh while the shark's fin was too starchy for my tastes but was redeemed by its balanced flavors and abundance of shark's fin.

Items you must order while you are here will be:

Roasted Pork Belly - a classic in any chinese restaurant, the pork belly is rather fatty here. Its also very juicy, comes in big pieces and has a nice charred taste on the skin. Complement it with some mustard and its one of the first things to have on my list.

Wasabi mayonnaise prawn - their rendition had a rather thick layer of batter which was thankfully light. The mayonnaise and wasabi combination was balanced enough to give you a kick but not enough to deter you from eating it and the best part was there huge prawns they used for this dish. Second must order dish, repeat orders recommended.

Steamed/ fried fish (any fish) - This is the final item i think everyone needs to order as many as possible of if you're trying to ensure you eat your due. My recommendation would be about 3-4 orders of different fish with different methods of cooking. Why so? Simply because its the best item to have here. Regardless of which cooking method you order, you get a whole fish. That's right, an entire fish for each order and it is almost always fresh, sweet and perfectly light so you can have as many of it as you want. Order this without hesitation.

Dim sum items (any) - Its a cantonese restaurant, so naturally, you should order its dim sum pastries and shrimp dumplings and such to go with your meal. For the record, their dim sum is average but worth a try.

Bill

The bill for 4 this day turned up at $140.05 for a reasonably satisfying and fun gathering of friends.

Ambiance: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 7/10 (not an average)

Last word:
As far as buffets go, this is still one of the places i'd visit for a reasonably affordable meal with passable food. Service is something they could improve since its either the horribly high handed superior or the temporary staff who can't be bothered and none are satisfactory. Otherwise, i'll be back with more friends just to attack the fish.

Ristorante De Parma

2009-04-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Seragoon gardens is a place i've worked at for about 2 years and i'm ashamed to say, i've never tried anything here apart from the fish bee hoon from the hawker centre, Pow Sing chicken rice, Jumbo restaurant and Mcdonald's. So now that i'm revisiting the place as an outsider, its quite interesting that there's so many places i've yet to try. Ristorante De Parma happens to be one of them and i had to pay it a visit after a friend gave me a nice discount voucher to play around with.

Location: 14B Kensington Park Road

Contact: 6280 1096

Price Range: $30-50 per head

Cozy interior

Located along the same stretch of shophouses as Icecube and Frolic, this unassuming and quiet restaurant is located all the way to the far end of that stretch. Its difficult to miss with its soft ambient music and overall soft demenour. Classy table setting and warm lighting embrace the patrons who venture forth while unintrusive service makes the meal pleasant and relaxing.

Complimentary Bread (Foccacia)

The focaccia is served first to quench the hunger of waiting for the fresh pizza to be served. I suppose its a 1 piece per person serving since there were only 3 pieces. We were, however, delighted when a second serving was provided when the first was exhausted. Taste wise, the upside is that the bread is fluffy and warm while the downside was how dry the bread really is. The olive oil and vinegar combination helped somewhat, but not enough.

Lemon tea ($5.80)

At the time, i didn't notice the cost of this but now as i'm writing this. 2 lemon teas cost us $11.80 ++ ???? Overpriced most definitely covers what i feel about this order. Its normal home brewed lemon tea with sugar syrup and no, its not justified in terms of cost no matter how it tastes.

Pizza Margherita ($16.90)

Tomatoes, mozeralla cheese, basil and dough. Simplicity can sometimes be the best option, even when it comes to food. The crust is paper thin and charred at some areas but otherwise fragrant and light. The toppings blend perfectly to provide a moist and juicy layer of bliss. Very enjoyable even though its one of the most economical items on the menu.

Deparma's Smoked Salmon Pizza ($28.90)

Introduced by FZ as one of the must try pizzas in this outfit, i have to say, i'm not too impressed.
Suffice to say, ordering an item not on the menu is an interesting change, the price of this is once again, like the lemon tea, bordering on ridiculous. The paper thin pizza is still a wonderful idea but the salmon has an obvious fishy smell about it that really detracts from the experience. Although i like the combination of peppers, raw salmon and what i suspect to be mayonnaise, the pizza was cold when served and didn't appeal to me much further.

Tiramisu ($12.90)

Thankfully, the meal ended with a bang with this lovely dessert. I'd go so far as to say its one of the best tiramisu's i've had in Singapore. A balanced mix of mascarpone cheese and sponge without the overarching wetness of alcohol even though it lingers in each bite. Nicely done.

Bill

The bill came up to a whooping $91.52 before discount from the voucher. Which reduces it to about $60++. Judging from the sheer amount and variety of food, its still a rather steep price to pay.

Ambiance: 7.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Food: 7.5/10
Value for money: 6/10
Overall score: 6.5/10 (7/10 for Margherita and Tiramisu)

Last word:
The food is great when it works. And honestly, shrug off the salmon pizza, pop in another hot pizza and i'll be singing praises of this place as my favorite Italian restaurant. Still, factor the price and its around the same league as Spizza in my books. Although it does much better then Spizza in many respects. As of now, i still prefer to frequent il piccolo simply because, being financially challenged is the order of the day nowadays.