this place called home

One of the books I'm currently reading now is "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast". Yeah, I'm that kind of person. I kinda have a weakness for self-help/improvement books because I do think that the mind can influence everything in life. Basically it's about how people utilise and make the most of their time. With weekends for example, while most people would want to just laze around on the couch and while away their time catching up on movies with a 10 hour marathon, there are people who make it a point to plan out their weekends so that they don't waste them away. (According to the book, because I sure don't harbour quotes like these in my mind at any one time) Anatole France once wrote, "Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another". I suppose that has a ring of truth to it. But mainly if the alternate form of labour is something one is passionate and enthusiastic about. Then through indulging in it (even if it might be challenging or tough in itself), one would find a sort of pleasure from having achieved something, if not external, then internal peace of mind at being able to do something for oneself.
For me, it's a constant struggle. Work gets so tiring that most of the time all I want to do is lie in bed during my free time/sleep in on the glorious mornings when I don't have to work. Almost always, I'm still trying to figure out how to make full use of time - to cherish it, relish it and yet not get stressed out by its finiteness. It's a different form of stress, because once you have it, the thought that it could slip away adds to the burden of not wanting to while it away thoughtlessly. Ever felt that way? 

But I digress. One of the things recommended by the author was to create a list of 100 Dreams - things to work into weekends so that each one becomes meaningful and not wasted away by the time spent deciding what to do. One of the things on my list would have to be Photography + Exploration. Ok that makes two. But they would have to be hand in hand. In the past few weeks whenever I go out with Donald, we try to explore areas that we haven't been to before in SG. I tend to bring my darling Minolta along while he snaps away with his iPhone5. It's great that he's into photography a lot more now because recently he's discovered the wonders of Vscocam and has been making full use of it in Instagram. ;p (Do check out his Instagram feed and follow along because he's got some great stuff there. *coughshamelesspluggingcough*) It always feels like there are so many places to explore, so many bits of SG to (re-)discover. And even if it's walking by the usual places like Orchard, sometimes it's so dang fun to put on touristy sunglasses. New perspectives always keep things fresh. 

So here are some snapshots of my SG. :D 



Random parrot outside a store in Jurong. This one was uncharacteristically...quiet.



Outside Necessary Provisions, a cafe which is apparently really good but EVERYTIME Donald and I have gone there in an attempt to indulge in coffee/a good meal, we've always been thwarted by 1. overcrowded cafe (and they actually did not let us in because they said it was too crowded!) 2. random closing hours 3. trouble outside about 20m away requiring us to call the police (but that's a story for another day). The long and short of it is that we have no managed to get inside...yet.



While walking along Tanjong Pagar after lunch one day.



One of THE coolest, most bad-ass Uncles by far. This guy is just plain awesome. He must be 70 or 80 years of age but by gosh is he FIT. He's always outside Ngee Ann City (at least I've seen him there during the weekends), swinging those humungous hooped beads, sometimes two at a time. He's been featured in the papers a number of times for his fitness regime heh. And when he needs to take a break (probably a toilet break), he just leaves his belongings behind, bucket full of cash/donations included. That's the trusting spirit that's so hard to come by nowadays. One day, I hope to be as daring, healthy, energetic and bold as this dude. I could wax lyrical about him the entire day. X) And he always gives the best poses.



I just adore him. And my sis actually managed to get a free lesson in bead-hooping from him the other day! Will need to find out her story soon.



Ohhh the smell of roasted chestnuts. One of my favourites. :) Managed to catch this chestnut selling uncle outside Liat Towers one evening at Orchard.



House of Tau Sah Piah in Balestier. Really tasty stuff! This was during the CNY period too so those snacks were perfect.



Coffee bean wholesaler in Balestier. Another smell I adore/which excites me but I'm still a tea guzzler more than coffee.



In the gorgeous Plain Vanilla cafe. My only qualm would be that the air-conditioning does not extend to the customer-eating space! If it did, it would be quite perfect. Because the cakes/pastries/cupcakes are DELISH.



Along Haji Lane, there's a vintage clothing store called Dulcetfig which is probably now famous for having 3 resident cats (well at last count, there were 3) in the store. If I ever had a store, I would get my future French Bulldog, Kong, to be the mascot.



One of the few times that cats make my heart melt. :)



Steeples Deli! A family favorite from way back in the day. I have many fond memories of this place. My dad used to bring my sis and me for weekend breakfasts/lunches here all the time last time. And without fail, I would get a classic beef burger (well done for the beef, because well, I was a kid) and a chocolate milkshake. And each time, I would polish off the entire thing. I had a humungous appetite (and belly) at the time and for some reason I used to think showing off how much I could eat was something that would score me brownie points in my parents' eyes. ;p That place had the best smoothies ever though. Rich, creamy, thick...cold... I don't eat beef anymore so if anything I would go back for a smoothie. And they have incredible Rueben sandwiches too. SIGH. <3 (It's at Tanglin Shopping Centre)



Mr Dapper Cat lost in his own thoughts in a store in Tiong Bahru. When I first came across it, I honestly thought it was a statue because it was so still. Until it shifted ever so slightly. Made for a good model.

Going through these photos and all those memories was actually pretty comforting. :) More next time! xoxo

Compl(i)ments of

Compl(i)ments of is a place I've been meaning to return to ever since I stepped foot into it about a month ago. I stumbled upon it when Donald and I had decided to check out the exhibition - Google Translating Tokyoto , a wonderful cozy exhibition (put up by an insanely creative family who decided to document their trip to Tokyo in the form of a famzine/'family-zine') held at the gallery space in Temporium. Temporium's part diner/gallery/pop-up store which apparently may only be around till the middle of March (!) =( but I'm hoping they'll decide to carry on in that premises. Compl(i)ments of is the diner portion, featuring coffee from everyone's favorite Papa Palheta and beautiful ceramic wares by the ceramics collective Weekend Warrior. Simply put, it's a gorgeous space. The minute I walked in, I could feel my heart quietening down, the way you might feel when walking into a hushed, rarefied space. It's been a long while since I've been to a cafe/place so pretty in its design.




It had been drizzling that afternoon so we skipped through the puddles and raindrops to Temporium. All worth it because the exhibition was great and the rest time after in the cafe was perfect. :)



Isn't that a great way to display the cup and plate? Everything was designed so beautifully in this place; all down to the last detail.



Enjoying a rainy afternoon cappuccino and accompanying biscuits. 



Les perpetual face.  

Temporium 

72 – 74 

DUNLOP STREET SINGAPORE 209400 

(I've been meaning to sign up for one of their courses! They periodically hold courses such as Terrarium-making which would be sooo fun. Do check them out) 

Ever since starting work, I think my social life has definitely taken its toll. But I'm pretty sure most of my colleagues would say the same. It's tough. The first year is always going to tough and we all knew that from the start. More and more, whenever I have free time, one of the things I crave doing is 1. lying in bed with a good book (this past year has been about Murakami)(currently in the middle of his opus, 1Q84) 2. spending time in a quiet place sipping on tea and feeling the stress ebb away. So much of it has been about the search for down time. Without which, I would be a lot more worn out and just plain frazzled. 

So here's to a great rest of the week, with pockets of precious down time purposefully snuck in. ;) 

xoxo

P.S. HAPPY CNY!! 

short, easy words like "what about lunch?"

Hello, most-perfect-7-layered-pancake-I've-come-across-in-my-life-that-comes-complete-with-a-generous-mound-of-all-my-favorite-berries. :)

 

Ohhhh yeah. Doesn't that look insanely good? IT WAS. This was actually taken agesss ago when my friends and I (we've labelled ourselves The Brunch Club which sounds rather affectionate eh? But it's really just to mask our true colours -- that we're all just a bunch of gluttons who can't get up before 11am on a weekend!) decided to venture out to this fantastic restaurant called Barracks @ Dempsey (so named because apparently it used to be British military barracks; not that you would be able to tell from looking, because it's been renovated so well) for brunch one sunny Saturday morning. The dish in the above picture is the 7 layer Pancake,which, if you haven't already gotten the cravings for, will bring you down to your knees based on sheer looks alone. Coupled with the very generous helpings of blueberries/strawberries/pistachios/apricots/raisins jammed pack in between the layers of soft, fluffy pancakes, it's PURE BLISS I tell you, PURE BLISS. :) Probably the best pancakes I've eaten...ever. And really because I just love the combination of pancakes with summer berries. It's also probably the one thing I might be able to try making for myself one day since it's just a matter of getting the ingredients and artfully displaying them on a plate with homemade pancakes...BUT, I'm not really going to try that anytime soon because once I start making them at home, it means I have the ability to prepare AND eat all that pretty much every weekend...or every day for that matter if I give in to my cravings. So it's good to save some things for outside dining.

(Oh, but I guess an actual 7 layered pancake would be too good to be true. ;p Incase you haven't noticed, it's really only 1/4 of 7 layers. HMMPH.) 



Funky newsletter-style menu. That's one of the things I love about this place -- unique aesthetics (which includes the interiors of the restroom!). 





Eggs benedict! :) I'd love to learn to cook these one day. But after watching that scene in Julie & Julia in which she uses up about a dozen eggs... Not quite on my priority list of things to do. 



The Oregon Salmon Hash was a real winner! Warm, hearty mixture of salmon chunks, potatoes, chives, sour cream... all in perfect proportions of course. I remember really liking this and licking it clean to the base.



Squid ink pizza. I know it's supposed to be one of the dishes the Skinny Pizza franchise is famous for but I'm more of a traditional, good ol' plain crust pizza kinda gal. What you see on your plate definitely plays a huge role in how you make sense of it and appreciate its flavors. (i.e, looking down at my slice of blackened crust pizza, I had a hard time reminding myself that I wasn't eating some form of hardened ash. ;p True story.) 



Calzones always look better than they taste, in my opinion. I just like how they look like GIANT curry puffs. :D

Now on to the desserts! 



Rumbaba rum-baba...cha-cha-cha! That name just sounds awfully catchy doesn't it? I'm not the biggest fan of this cake that really just tastes like a sponge cake soaked to the brim with rum. But my alcoholic friends with good alcohol tolerance really swear by this baby. 





This was probably a chocolate and banana cake. :) 

So, I'm pretty sure we didn't eat ALL of that in one sitting...............

I'm quite certain. These must be photos from two separate occasions lumped together. It's not possible that we were able to scruff down ALL THAT FOOD. O_O Or did we? 

Barracks @ Dempsey 

8D DEMPSEY RD 

SINGAPORE 249672 

T +65 64757787

Whatever the case, Barracks @ Dempsey is definitely one of my favorite brunch places to go to in the entire SG. There are only a number of drawbacks and these are probably the main reasons why I've only gone about twice in the past year or so:

1. It's hard to get to this place without a car. That's the way Dempsey is built. -_- Which is annoying but it's part of the nature of that place - an enclave with tons of awesome, mostly expensive restaurants that, if it were more accessible, would definitely be overrun by people at nights and on weekends, making the experience not so enjoyable. 
2. It's kinda...pricey. But that's the case with most Dempsey restaurants. I'd say, give this place a shot and you won't regret it though. Save up for a few weeks or go there when you decide you want a treat. 

In a nutshell, it's perfect for: 

- first dates (thumbs up to any guy who brings a girl for brunch here!! :D)
- a date with close friends 
- a morning/afternoon/night of indulgence
- reminding yourself of the sheer JOY that GOOD FOOD can bring 




To end off the post, here's a shot of the mug my friend had bought for me from her trip to China. Very loosely translated from Chinese, it means, "EAT WELL, SLEEP EVERYDAY". :) I can't think of a better motto for life, eh? 

-------
Recently it seems that my blog has morphed more into a food blog with occasional outfit shot posts... I'd really initially envisioned it to cover more topics that these two ;p but most of the time when I do get to go out/enjoy some free time, the only things that are picture-worthy are when I go out for meals. Hence all the food shots. Asian-style. 

I do want to share more things like clothing collections from my favorite labels/designers...or photos of interiors that are gorgeous and inspirational...or more things related to design... but those things do take time to put together. And unfortunately, I guess work/studies are always going to have to take the upperhand when it comes to deciding what to with my free time. I'm hoping it won't be that way after I graduate though. We'll see. 

But in the meantime, I shall get back to editing more of my travel photos. AND, another thing I shall start doing a little more of is sharing some of my favorite quotes. Today I just realized how incredibly touching Winnie the Pooh quotes can be! A. A. Milne, the author, writes in a way that is so simple and perfect for kids, yet pregnant with meaning that probably only older children/adults can decipher. Just happened to read some quotes online today and here's one for the road:

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?” 

 ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 

xx 

Strangers' Reunion

Always happy to discover new places that I LOVE. :)





Strangers' Reunion is now one my new favorite cafes. Tucked away along the stretch of shophouses lining Kampong Bahru road, I find it hard to believe that I never knew this place was there all this time. I went in there during a weekday for lunch with my mum (don't you love days off from school/work?) and it's a very small, cozy place with people coming and going (and always forgetting to close the front door). 





A cafe with decent cappuccino art automatically scores brownie points with me! :) 



Ohhh this was my favorite. Buttermilk waffle with berries, banana slices and a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream. MMMM. Maybe it's the buttermilk but this waffle was just extremely light and fluffy, yet crispy at the edges. Makes me want to try making waffles for myself. :D 



Roasted pork baguette - a unique twist on roasted pork that's normally eaten with rice and other meats. The baguette was excellent and crispy. Only qualm I had was that the roasted pork is a little hard to bite into easily especially when eaten with the baguette. It would've been easier if the pork was softer/the baguette less thick and crispy. Individually they were good but when combined, didn't quite make for an easy eat. 



Left: I LOVE the clever way they hung these tiny flower vases all over the cafe. :D Isn't it charming? There are so many aspects of their interior decor that inspired me and make me want to do something similar with my own apartment next time. Ohhhh so many things I wanna do with my future apartment. 


Right: Perfect place for a quiet afternoon cuppa. 

Strangers' Reunion

37 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 

Tel: +65 9368 3610 

Opening Hours Mon–Sun: 9am – 10pm (Closed on Tue) 

 I should definitely try one of their coffees the next time. Two-time national Barista Champ is no mean feat! 

(dress: GAP, cardigan: Need Supply, Bag: Melie Bianco)

 

In a nutshell, Strangers' Reunion is just a great place for a peaceful afternoon alone with a book/thoughts/cup of coffee or tea/with friends. I love discovering a new place in SG that I'd love to go back to. It's also because SG's such a small place, there's the tendency for the prevailing sentiment of youngsters towards the city to be that of boredom. But really, there are tons of great places around the corner if we look hard enough. 


Ok enough with that sentimental diatribe. Next time for sure, I'm ordering COFFEE. 

Swee Choon Dim Sum

I LOVE it when people visit from overseas. :D It's the perfect excuse/opportunity to take a break from work and go on a FOOD FEST. I'd been meaning to try this place out after hearing so much about how it's one of the best places for affordable Dim Sum in SG. Everyone seemed to have heard of it/been there before. And know how I found out about it? Instagram. :) After stumbling upon someone's photo of dimsum. That's why it's worth 1 billion.





The famous fried mee suah (type of noodles) that I'd read about online. I would say it's worth trying and definitely had a unique taste (who doesn't like something crispy and fried?) but... probably wouldn't go all the way there for it. Could feel my arteries clogging up with every oily bite. O_O 



Fried eggplant with pork floss was nice!




Yeap, we had a great spread. :D See, that's another reason why it's good to have people visit from another country. You can order a ton of stuff that you really want to try and they're enthusiastic about it because it's all new to them and they don't know any better! 

Swee Choon Dim Sum 

187/191 Jalan Besar, Singapore 

Tel: +65 6294 5292 

Mon–Sat: 6pm – 10am 

Sun & PH: 6pm – 12pm 

(Closed on Tue)

Verdict: Decent dimsum BUT not really worth waiting in line for. And finding parking in that area is not easy. Service is good and efficient and they cater for customers queuing outside by providing seats and passing you the menu early on. Still, the dim sum was so-so. If you ask me, I'd rather go back to Victor's Kitchen for the best egg yolk custard buns that I've tried so far. :D 

BTW, recently a friend of mine mentioned that he doesn't agree with how people tend to do research on places to eat at before going there to try the food, because it spoils the experience/surprise. But does it really? In my opinion, I'd rather read up on a place beforehand so that I don't miss out on their best dish/really good recommended dishes which would make the eating experience worth it. What's your take on the practice of checking out eateries/food reviews before trying a new place out? 

EDIT: (29 July 2012)

SO GUESS WHAT. I happened to go back to Swee Choon last night for supper with some friends and I must say that my impression of the food there has gone up a few notches. :P A couple of things that are definitely worth ordering: 

- Xiao Long Bao

- Chicken drenched in some alcohol/Chinese wine? (I have no idea what it's called but it's a cold dish and unexpectedly tasty ;p) 

- Onion pancake -- and this has to be dipped in the chili soy sauce concoction they provide you with. HUGE WIN.

AND, something else even better? I discovered the presence of the "BACK ENTRANCE" to Swee Choon that allows you to bypass the queues up front and sit at the back of the restaurant to dine al fresco. It's really a good option since it saves you time otherwise spent queuing up with the rest of the crowd at the front and you get to enjoy a cool nighttime breeze. But if you're desperate for some air-conditioning then be prepared for the wait! We went at about 11pm and found seats immediately at the back. :D

Thank goodness for friends who know all these secrets. And this makes it way more likely I'll be going back for more. 

The Pigeonhole

A place that combines a love of coffee, books and art. What's not to like?


I first passed by The Pigeonhole one evening after eating dinner at Group Therapy (another really great cafe at Duxton!) and the first thing that came to mind was, wow, this place is pretty awesome! A quick peek through the window and you'll see a haphazardly cozy space that screams laid-back with a mish-mash of eclectic furniture (including the sort of desks used in schools!), walls covered in posters/postcards/signs promoting local artistes and events, people laying back and chilling out. I admire how the owners started it out with the aim to provide a space not just for people to relax in and have a drink but also for the promotion of the local arts scene - what with readings, open-mic nights, movie screenings and the like. 








There aren't a lot of options on their menu, so we went with Chicken Pot Pie and Mac N Cheese. (Chicken Pot Pie above. It's kinda neat how they incorporated fried youtiao (the pieces of fried dough) into the dish which made for extra crisp but also contributed to it being a rather thick, starchy dish that got a little heavy after awhile.)



A unique twist on the typical Macaroni and Cheese dish! :) I like how the cheese was more of a crumble rather than the usual melted form. For someone who doesn't like cheese very much, I'm glad this one came out more salty and cheddar-like rather than parmesan (that tends to really smell). Interesting taste and I loved the crumbly texture of the cheese, but it could do with more mushrooms or even chicken to make it more substantial. That's just my opinion. ;p After awhile the homogeneity of the taste got to me.



Bread and butter pudding for dessert! This one was good. I love how they made use of croissant pieces as the 'bread' component. Really makes me want to try making some bread and butter pudding as well. NOMz. 





Apparently their selection of beers is really good. As usual, I ended up having tea. 

The Pigeonhole

Website

52/53 Duxton Road 

Tel: 62262880 

Verdict: I would definitely go back there but more for the atmosphere rather than the food. It's a perfect place to relax and read on a quiet weekday afternoon. I can imagine it gets a lot more crowded at nights and during the weekend so pick your time to go wisely. 


Just a bit of advice, it's not really the place to bring your mama to if she's not appreciative of second-hand furniture thrown together in a manner that's creative/typifies hipsterdom. Plus, she was right in that it's not a place to go for purely for the food, since it's all stuff that can be reheated upon request. But the bread and butter pudding was good, and really, it's more a place to go to to chill out with friends after work or to lose yourself in a crowd when you need to be alone.

(top and skirt: Urban Outfitters, bag: Melie Bianco)

Outfit for the day. I actually got my hair permed but for some reason the curls aren't really maintaining themselves! O_o I'm hoping they'll last at least a few months. I've resorted to manually curling locks of hair whenever my hair's down and I remember to do so, sometimes receiving strange looks from friends. ;p It's not a compulsion; it's me hoping I haven't thrown XXX amount of money down the drain with this recent perm. 


On a side note, I really want to attend one of those events at The Pigeonhole (open-mic nights etc). I wish I could go out more just to listen to some good bands play sadly, those nights are few and far between. (Dang you, exams!) The one band that I really love listening to is The Next Movement (part of a larger band called Sixx) that plays Monday nights at Wala Wala in Holland V. Ohh I should really go back soon. Their rendition of 'Ordinary People' by John Legend always sends chills down my spine. In a good way. :D 


xx