a supper story

Two posts in one night! :D I know, I'm shocked too. But since I had the photos done already, I decided to just post 'this one real quick. 


I'm not familiar with supper places in SG in general because I hardly ever have supper... and mostly it's just random prata/Indian food places on the rare occasion that I go for supper as a group since it's mainly Indian restaurants that have the entrepreneurial smarts and diligence to work on late into the night. Why can't more restaurants open till late?? 


There was one night when Donald and I were STARVING after a whole afternoon of museum hopping. (It's funny how you can go about doing something the entire afternoon without feeling the least bit hungry then when it turns 9pm, all of a sudden you're famished.) We wanted to go for some Bak Kut Teh at Clarke Quay area because it was a place he'd known about and we drove there all excited and dizzy from hunger. We could see the restaurant (bright and OPEN) across the road as we passed by on the opposite side and went on to make a U-turn in order to park the car. Between the time it took for us to drive to the carpark, park the car, and walk to the restaurant...it had CLOSED. And that was 10pm. -__- Sob. 


Thank goodness for my sister's bf who knows the local food scene like the back of his hand, he recommended we try out this Bak Kut Teh place at Havelock Road that's open till really late at night. I was sooooo hungry that by the time we got there and saw that it was open, I wanted to collapse and kiss the ground with relief! Nothing like a steaming hot meal of Bak Kut Teh at night when you really need it.


So here's introducing: 

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh at Havelock Road.

 

MMM and one of the best things? Free pieces of you tiao! 

 


 Yah Hwa Bak Kut Teh Eating House 
593 Havelock Road
#01-01/02 Isetan Office Building 
Closed on Mon
Sunday 11:00 am - 10:00pm
Tues and Thurs 11:00am - 2:00am
Wed, Fri, Sat 11:00am - 3:00am

Can't emphasis how delicious the stuff here was. And another plus point was that service was extremely fast. Good food, quick service when you're starved. What more can you ask for? 

Tiong Bahru: Books Actually

Ohh it feels like it's been a million years since I've last blogged!! So many things have been happening and in fact, I'm overseas right now, in Seattle! :D Going to be away from SG for just over 2 months and already have tons of photos to share BUT before I do that, I sooo wanna finish up with the SG photos I've taken over the past 2 - 3 months. :p Yeah, all these posts are very much belated but once I get through them, then I shall move on to the Seattle ones! And eventually, the Montreal ones! x) But I know that if I don't make the effort to sieve through and polish up those photos taken in the past few months, I never will. And that self-imposed guilty feeling will just be sitting on me like a huge turtle shell I can't shake off. Hmm, weird analogy. But I'm half sleepy now. 


Anyway, back to what I really intended on talking about. I finally managed to explore a little bit of Tiong Bahru in the past few months and seriously, I'm loving that place! :) I know it's touted as a real gentrified up and coming hipster hangout but remove all these labels and it's just a pleasant place to roam around in in the afternoon, complete with rest points in the form of cafes and quaint little stores to escape the insane humidity that is everyday SG weather. 


So I'll be doing a little "Tiong Bahru Series" of the couple of interesting places there that I'd definitely recommend you check out if you haven't been there yet. Besides, if you're in Singapore you've probably heard of these places already anyway. Just providing some photos as further incentive for you to go there! :) 


First on the list is Books Actually, a well-known independent bookstore that used to be a focal point at Ann Siang Hill but has since moved over to reside along Yiong Siak Street in Tiong Bahru. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't fall in love with it on first glance. It's cosy, packed with a wide variety of books with a good selection of local literature, chock-a-block full of trinkets that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and best of all, they don't mind people taking photos! :) I think most first timers in there would inevitably whip out their cameras to take a snap at something as there are so many interesting bits and bobs to enjoy in this place.


  
When I visited last year in November (holy crap, my procrastination has reached a new high. ><), they just so happened to be celebrating their 6th anniversary (what a coincidence huh) so there were cupcakes and snackeroos available. I was heading for the cupcakes but... kitty cat got to them first. :) I believe this cat belongs to the owners but I didn't manage to find out its name. 


 
All sorts of quaint brick-a-bracks for sale! On almost every shelf there's something else aside from books that surprises you. 
And if you venture further into the bookstore, there's a backroom FILLED with an incredible collection of...ALL SORTS OF THINGS. I'm not quite sure how to categorize everything. But there are toys, home decor accessories, vintage cameras, notebooks, stationary, cards, prints, maps...and of course, more esoteric books. 
When was the last time you saw such a giant protractor huh? :) I think the last time I saw one was when I was in primary school... primary 1 perhaps? No more since then! 


 
I thought this bunny here looking out the window at the front of the store was really cute. I think I might get one for myself next time. Strangelets (the store a few doors down) actually sells a few if I remember correctly. I just think it would be so dang fun to have a couple of them at home that switch places every other day. Perfect for screwing with the mind of whoever's staying with you. >:D MUAHA.    

Books Actually

Tiong Bahru Estate 

9 Yiong Siak Street 

On a minor note, Books Actually stocks a lot of books by local authors. I actually found a book of poetry written by my senior, Carol Chan, entitled The World Must Weigh The Same, published by Math Paper Press which is incidentally, the publishing house set up by the owners of Books Actually. I'm in love with the simplicity of the book design and each book is so thin and flat, it's perfect for carrying around in the bag to read anytime. Am one of those very gullible consumers easily influenced by how the products looks. So ahem, do check it out! :) She's such a talented writer and after years of having not seen her, it was so nice to see how she'd taken her writing to the next level. 

P.S. Another bookstore that's wonderful in a similar cosy, welcoming manner is Littered With Books at Duxton Hill. Unfortunately, they don't allow for photos inside (because it's SO DANG GORGEOUS INSIDE everyone will be busy snapping away and no one will buy anything - it seems that's their assumption -.-) but here's their website. I've been there before twice and while I didn't get any books, I did get their custom made canvas tote bag which is DA BEST. Extremely durable and fits a ton of books. Some photos of the place here taken by some blogger who managed to get photos inside!! 


Ok, another update tomorrow! :)

Akuma Caca

Back to more Taipei photos! :D I still have a ton of photos that I'm going through (slowly...but surely!) and many of them are of the cafes we went to in Taipei. Actually we didn't really make it to that many this time - only 3! - but out of the 3 that we went to, this one was definitely my favorite. Interestingly labeled Akuma Caca, the significance of which is still unknown (I'm still not really able to find out what it stands for), it's a quaint cafe tucked away amidst an otherwise unassuming alley in the Da-An neighbourhood of Taipei.
Siang and Sandra outside the entrance. Unique asymmetrical beams frame the exterior of Akuma Caca, sure to attract the curious eye of passersby walking along an otherwise nondescript and quiet alley.
Founded in 2009, Akuma Caca occupies an extended space from the design firm, Akuma Design, which is directly above it on the ground floor. I looooved peeking into the Akuma Design office; it looked like such a cozy yet creative space from the outside. True to its design roots, Akuma’s interior pays homage to geometry – from clean lines to asymmetrically shaped table tops to custom made geometric glasses that balance precariously on one side (and always seemingly on the verge of toppling!).
Akuma-designed glasses that balance oh-so-precariously on one side. These were easy enough to drink with but gave us mini heart attacks each time they whirled around on their unexpected axes. But they never did fall over! What I love about this place is how it's created spaces to support the promotion of local artists. There's a long tabletop that stretches across one side of the room along which numerous artworks (think illustrated books, framed pieces, calenders and notebooks) by local artists are on display for the month.

Isn't this adorable? An illustrated Calendar by a local artist featuring a much loved Taiwanese dessert – red bean soup with yam balls.  

An even deeper venture into Akuma brings another more private and intimate space. Soft recessed lighting, brick laid walls and wooden tables bring to mind a cosy log cabin, perfectly for huddling in deep in winter with a mug of hot chocolate (coffee in this case!). :DDD Isn't that hand-crafted wooden table just insane?  

While we ordered your very basic cappuccinos and lattes, a wide selection of coffees is available for those with more adventurous palates. Apparently Akuma also holds coffee classes for aspiring connoisseurs and aficionados. Couldn't resist ordering this matcha latte. But it was definitely too sweet for my liking! >< (I've come to realize that even at places like Starbucks they tend to put in quite a few pumps of syrup into matcha lattes. So best to request for 'less sugar' if you prefer less of that in-your-face sweetness.) Teeheehee. :D Ahh what an enjoyable afternoon we spent there, basking in the peaceful ambience that's perfect for cosy chatter...and writing of cards! The service at Akuma (like many places in Taiwan) was impeccable – the staff were friendly and more than willing to give recommendations for drinks. This is one aspect of Taipei that really impressed me. They're very much like the Japanese in terms of their service standards. 
One memorable thing that happened was that I had left a ring of mine by accident in the restroom and when I called back a few hours later, I was so thankful that they had found it and had managed to keep it safely for me! Upon returning to collect it later on in the evening, a smiling waitress came up to me saying in her sweet saccharine voice (as most Taiwanese ladies do) that she'd kept it for me, and proceeded to hand me a tiny well-wrapped package that held my ring in it. Seriously?? Who does that! X) This sort of attention to service and detail only served to emphasize how little things like these can make customers keep coming back for more. I would definitely want to visit this cafe again if I go back to Taipei. 

Akuma Caca B1F., 

No.6, Lane 14, Siwei Rd., 

Da´an Dist., Taipei City 106 

 Open 10:00 – 23:00

Vanilla Bar and Cafe

School's been a lot less busy these days. :) In fact, it's almost like a pseudo-holiday. I love it. I wish these days could just drag on indefinitely. I've decided to make use of this period of relative freedom to meet up with a ton of friends whom I haven't met up with in ages. And the fringe benefit of meeting old friends? It's usually always for brunch or tea - perfect opportunities to check out new cafe haunts which I loooove to do. 


Vanilla Bar and Cafe is one of my latest finds. And boy is it a real gem! :) It's located in the Central Business District so, really, unless you set out to look for it you're probably not going to come across it unless you happen to work around the area. But what a great place to hangout at after work for those workers in the area! It's located along a peaceful stretch of road (Boon Tat Street) and a few doors down there's Sarnies (famous for sandwiches) and The Muffinry Bakery and Cafe (self-explanatory), both of which are places I'm dying to go to next. I love this steady proliferation of quaint cafes and eateries. :) Makes for much more interesting afternoons spent exploring Singapore.

 

One of the things that greets you right IN THE FACE is this giant cute-ass Domo-kun toy atop the display fridge of cakes near the entrance. Any place that worships Domo is a place for me! Went for brunch there with Yueh and Cheryl. Can't believe Cheryl said we meet really often. Not enough yoz!! I'd read a couple of reviews that mentioned this Vanilla drink as being a must-try! I suppose it makes sense given the name. It was pretty delish! Reminded me of a vanilla smoothie but of course in a much smoother more consistent liquid form. Worth a try! Another dish that this place seems to be known for is its Pumpkin Croquette which were SO GOOD. I happened to love them because they were light, fluffy and CRIPSY. Nothing like sinking your teeth into real crispy batter. And the warm pumpkin filling inside was really smooth and tasty too. For some reason it wasn't a huge deal for Cheryl and Yueh so I ended up eating most of them. -__- Smoked salmon and egg mayo sandwich. REALLY REALLY GOOD. I'm a huge fan of salmon and egg mayo so this was just the perfect combination! :) Plus, the bread was warm and toasty - perfect for a sandwich. Smoked Salmon linguine. This was really yummy too. Normally I'm not a fan of cream-based pastas but this one was light and tasty and really not too creamy at all. Apparently that's how Japanese cream sauces are, so if you're a fan of the Japanese 'lighter' interpretation of Western sauces/pasta dishes, this would be a good choice.

 

For some reason they've got a bit of a robot infatuation going on. The one thing we couldn't quite figure out.  

For dessert we had the crowd favorite - warm chocolate lava cake with rum and raisin ice cream (you get to choose between vanilla and rum and raisin). I had been gunning for the famous VANILLA DIRT CAKE which is actually a cake (or apparently it resembles a MacDonald's flurry) that's served in a little flower pot-like contraption, but for some reason my friends weren't so adventurous. HUMMPH. The warm chocolate cake was pretty decent; the only thing is that the molten chocolate filling inside wasn't as molten as I would've liked it to be. It didn't quite come spilling out the way it usually does in really well-made ones. But you can hardly go wrong with a chocolate dessert.

Vanilla Bar & Café 

3 Boon Tat Street #01-01 

Singapore 069612 

Tel: +65 6423 0366 

Email: info@vanillacafe.com.sg 

This place is perfect for: 
 - those keen on off the beaten track cafes 
 - a cosy enjoyable space to spend an afternoon or evening with friends 
- those working in the area! What's really good is that they do deliveries as well. 
They've got a little foldable menu with photos of almost all the dishes they serve. Targeting the working crowd is such a great idea. If I were working in the area, I would totally go there just to chill out or relax if I had the time. In fact, I might just bring a few more friends there next week. 3rd time in 3 weeks! :) But you can never have too much of a good thing. 


Oh and psst: if it makes life easier, Follow my blog with Bloglovin! :)

i'd wish for this every year

As promised (and because I just wanted to look through the photos again hur), here's a little post about the wonderful surprise birthday party my friends threw for me last Friday. :DDD 
Honestly, I had no idea they were behind this! I'd even gotten a little wistful the morning of my birthday, thinking that none of them had replied to my whatsapp about meeting up during the weekend when actually, they had merely been busy planning this. X) SNIFF.My favorite friends since secondary school! I was just soooo so so happy that they had all gathered together to celebrate my b'day with me. Especially since Yueh was only in town from Taiwan for about a week and it just so happened that she was able to make it for my b'day. :) And I hadn't seen Melissa for agessss ever since she did a semester abroad in Korea. How cool is that eh?? But here's a spoiler for all those K-culture fans out there - turns out they can be pretty... unlike the characters portrayed in those tv dramas. That's probably the most politically correct thing to say. But apparently Korean girls have the most impeccable makeup...especially Korean university students. I digress. But it was super fun hearing all her stories about the stuff she'd encountered with her friends in Seoul. 
Cheryl and Siang! :D Looking sweet and demure. xxx
LOL. From left to right: Eager Beaver. Pizza slayer. Trigger happy camera-woman. 
Some fancy paper napkin folding going on here! 
Sushi was part of the dinner. That was just the first round along with sandwiches. The next round consisted of oyster omelet, fried veggie and... ok I was mainly preoccupied with stuffing the yummy oyster omelet down my mouth. 
Cheryl and I with our cutie stuffed toy keychain gifts from Melissa!! My cat has eyebags and looks EXACTLY like me on a Monday morning. =___= 
Surprise visit from my mum and sis! They came bearing gifts of Island Creamery ice cream - Nutella and Dragonfruit (in lieu of the Dragon Year. Not a bad flavor at all, really! :P) Yeah, just say it, my mum looks young. Just like one of us. We get that ALL THE TIME. 

 

Carrot cake birthday cake. :))  Speaking of carrots, my favorite Carrot! (affectionate nickname for Karen heheheh) made an appearance! I was so happy to see her there especially since I hadn't seen her in so damn long. Whenever she's back from Australia she always has a million and one gatherings/meetups to attend to so I hardly ever see her. X) SIGH. I wish we could have like multiple birthdays a year. Birthday part 1/2/3/4. More reason to lure people together. 

 

X) Thanks Donald, for helping to organize the entire thing! He actually did a great job of keeping it a secret from me hmmmmph. Up till the very last minute he said we were going to an Italian restaurant recommended by a friend which just happened to be near Cheryl's place. It was only until he took me through a 'SHORT-CUT' right past Cheryl's house (of which the gates were WIDE OPEN) that my jaw dropped to the ground with realization. Though I must say, I suspected something was up when Mr. I-have-a-GPS-in-my-head kept fiddling with his phone in order to 'get directions' to the ahem restaurant. ;p 
Nursing our full bellies with a game of Bridge. HEH. I like this classic Mel + Yueh shot. 
 This is a NEW AWESOME GAME that Yueh introduced us to. It's called King of Opera and for 99 cents, you get to have ENDLESS HOURS OF AWESOME FUN. Seriously. It's SO side-splittingly fun. And best of all, it's a multi-player game! Basically each person is a big fat CUTE male Opera singer (complete with generous belly and big moustache and all) that needs to shove other Opera singers out of the way in order to get into the limelight and the one that spends the most time under the limelight WINS. YOU.SHOULD.DOWNLOAD.THIS.NOW. 
So those were the highlights of my birthday party. :) Had such a great time because of the awesome company and the thought that was put into it. It's funny how when you're a kid you just want a huge party with lots of random classmates/friends so that you can receive a mountain load of presents and have a huge birthday cake but as you get older...somehow it's the smaller, intimate gatherings that you really get the most out of and somehow crave for. Or maybe it's just me being sappy. 

xx

Style Bite: B'day Outfits

Yup. I've turned 23. I think as the years go by, birthdays get easier and easier to accept. Especially when you're in your 20s. Every year seems just about the same...until you reach 30? :) Good thing that's a number of years away.

This year I had a really FANTASTIC BDAY!! X) I really wish it could be my birthday everyday because 1. people let you decide on where to go/what to eat/what to do with minimal disagreements 2. scoldings get postponed (turns out this was an actual consideration that my parents made lol and I am grateful for that) 3. you get lovely lovely presents 4. people take the effort to come together to meet up after a loooong time of not meeting :) A birthday post will be coming up next but decided to do a little outfit post showing what I wore on my bday (and featuring Donald as well! :D). I've probably been into fashion blogs for close to 5 years now and I always always enjoy seeing what other people wear/how other average joes/janes like me dress up. So, it's going to be a regular feature on this blog now since fashion is one of my big loves and one of the things that always makes me happy. X)

 

(Dress: Modcloth, Cardigan: Uniqlo, Shoes: Martina Pink)

I'm really in love with this dress I recently ordered from Modcloth. It's just the perfect party dress in my opinion! :) I love floral prints of any kind and this just had sweet feminine pastel tones to it so if you're a "girly girl" (as my 7 year old cousin so astutely pointed out to me when I was visiting my relatives in Seattle last year) like me, it's pretty perfect. Ugh but no heels for me for the time being. Thank goodness these Martina Pink ones were comfy enough for me to walk around the entire day in but towards the evening, I was starting to get grouchy from the sore feet. Honestly, how do people wear heels all day/to work even?? Let me know if you're aware of some secret way of walking thanks. 

(Shirt: Muji, Jeans: Uniqlo, Boots: NeedSupply.com) 

Featuring the boy, Donald! :) He's my shopping partner-in-crime and possibly the only person (apart from my mum) who's able to last almost as long as me at the stores. 

We happened to be walking around the Telok Ayer Street area after having popped into Vanilla Bar and Cafe (a post on that coming soon!) and came across this cute little alley which actually links to Ann Siang via a wooden walkway up a hill. And something else we happened to come across:

 

Some wicked wall art! Wonder what that place was... Probably a bar from the sign jutting out at the side. 

Ok, today's was just a quickie post. More tomorrow. 

xx