Love their efficiency, great coordination and good service. MyTicket, our online ticketing for events is somewhat the next better solution to other online ticketing service providers such as SIS*** .
It works simply by going to their site and buy the tickets to your drama, show, event, concert and other exciting affairs you would like to go, choose the date and time your desire, put in your details and simply make a credit card payment. You can opt to print out your ticket or a delivery. I mean its way more convenient then having to go down and hunt for the SIS*** booths in which the signs are always not visually friendly though I'm a 6/6 after putting on my contact lenses. No irritating extra charges and no confusing ticket buying procedures. Its only a ticket i'm buying... duh....
So i brought along my printed ticket to the event venue at Raffles Hotel and was a little lost for about a minute when I spotted signs and posters leading up to the event location. It was crowded yet it was easy to find somebody to guide me to wherever I needed and somebody even offered to exchange my print out ticket to a real paper ticket... i was excited to hold the REAL TICKETS, it sure feels different just like when you buy an inspired product will never feel as good as the REAL THING... I spotted security staffs all around the place dressed in all black, seemed to be guarding something important yet they have such smiles that don't look like they were about to make me their dinner aka. "Bull Dog Face"
The overall experience was warm and friendly with ample help and attention from the friendly organizers and staff. It was very pleasant and efficient. After the event, there was an autograph session and that proceeded pretty smoothly with neat queues and fast group photo-taking. They were generous with their printed media and there was no human jam even when exiting the area. Well coordinated and planned. Will engage them for future possible event and ticketing services.
It all started with a glossy, eye catching brochure that promoted a limited time, upgraded set menu for AMEX Platinum Charge Card members (pay $120 for the $180 set). And being the ever gian png (greedy) Singaporean, I immediately called Tóng Lè to make a dinner appointment.
Perched on levels 8 and 10 of OUE Tower, just adjacent to the majestic Fullerton Bay Hotel (where Clifford is located), Tóng Lè offers a panoramic view of its surroundings via a revolving base (think Prima Restaurant and the now defunct Top of the M). 1 full revolution takes about 2 hours and unfortunately, the revolving mechanism wasn't working too smoothly during our visit and knocking sounds could be heard periodically.
Our host graciously arranged a private dining room for us on level 10, offering a nice walled up area to take in the view at our leisure. Only minor issue I had was that the rooms were separated only by partitions, which made noise level a concern. I could make out what my neighbours were talking about but admittedly, you'd have to raise your voice a fair bit for you to be overheard. Didn't seem to faze either of my neighbours though.
Chilled Australian Lobster Topped with Kaluga Queen Caviar - I'm honestly no caviar connoisseur but Kaluga Queen's farmed in China caviar did hit the right notes for me. Tiny, firm pearls that popped gently when consumed, releasing a salty and pleasantly fishy flavour; Eaten with a mother of pearl spoon, no less. Beneath the caviar sat a layer of chilled, crunchy and sweet lobster and a floor of sweet mango cubes and diced chilli. When eaten together, the sweetness of the mango provided a balance to the saltiness of the caviar whilst the diced chilli added a mild heat. Excellent start!
Doubled Boiled Superlative Shark's Fin with Bamboo Fungus in Shark Cartilage Broth - I wonder about the use of words like "superlative" in menus but nonetheless, the shark cartilage soup was flavourful yet light without leaving a layer of sediment on the tongue. Coupled with generous portions of delicate shark's fin and bamboo fungus, it made for a pretty good soup.
Braised Cave Bird's Nest with Crab Meat and Winter Melon Puree in Saffron Broth - The wife had this and it was rather interesting as I usually associate bird's nest with the sweet variation, never the savoury. Relatively generous strands of bird's nest floating atop a thick, mildly sweet saffron broth with hints of winter melon and bountiful shreds of crab meat. Savoury yet sweet.
Steamed Wild Ocean Fish with Ginger and Tangerine Peel - Portions were really small for this but the fish was very fresh and came served on a piece of beancurd skin in a pool of soya sauce. Simple and nothing too fancy.
Chef's Homemade Sorbet - An interlude with a roselle sorbet taking center stage. Sweet yet mildly sourish and topped with pop rocks for that burst of sensation.
Braised Live South African Abalone & 48 Hrs Braised 'Dong Po' Pork with Vintage 'HuaDiao' Wine - The abalone was quite a size (I reckon at least a 3 or 4 head); Firm and crunchy, drizzled in a mildly savoury sauce and sitting prettily on a bed of vegetables. The accompanying block of dong po pork was beautifully braised with a thick, moist chunk of meat capped by a firm layer of fat; Mildly sweet with a hint of 花雕酒. Excellent!
Hokkaido Scallops with Organic Millet - The wife doesn't take beef so she got the Hokkaido scallops in lieu of the wagyu. And it was a seriously bad choice. The scallops were huge but tasted like they were coated in flour and pan fried, which gave it that icky elastic surface and took away the natural sweetness of the sallop. The organic millet and rice crisp was decent though; crisp with a hint of capsicum. Could do with a little less salt though.
Claypot Emperor Rice with Pan Seared Kagoshima Wagyu, Foie Gras and Poached Quail Egg - I had the wagyu and it came in the form of a patty (sadly). Crisp on the outside, the patty was overcooked but a little too soft on the inside. And the overcooking extended to the foie gras as well. Disappointing to say the least.
Hazelnut Chocolate Bar Topped with Yam Paste & Gingko Nuts - And finally, desserts. Aesthetically impressive but lacked the flavours to end the meal off on a positive note. The chocolate bar sported bits of hazelnut entrenched within its smooth and creamy texture that had a mild bitterness to it whilst the the yam swirls were more for show than anything. Special mention goes to the gingko nuts, which seemed to have been deep fried, giving it a fleeting crisp, shrivelled exterior. All form, no substance.
With a singular mocktail and an upgrade discount, the total bill for 2 pax came just shy of $300. Definitely not mind-blowingly expensive but while the quality of ingredients is undeniable, the execution for a couple of the dishes leave much to be desired. Service, however, was excellent and I'll definitely be happy to return if something is done about the quality of execution.
Its a new concept of fun. How many of you have ever secretly hoped to model in front of a professional photographer but do not have the guts or chance to do it? Well, your new secret indulgence is here. The selfie studio where you can take pictures of all your beautiful and weird poses without worrying you might drive the photographer into a laughing fit.
So all you do is this, call to reserve a slot, turn up looking gorgeous and learn to use the remote to take selfies with the professional camera set-up while trying to pose gracefully in front of a mirroring monitor. Pick your props, a nice backdrop and bring some good friends for some groupie fun and be sure to bring home these great memories in the safety of a Compact Disc.
Its a little bit like the old photo booths when we pay 6 dollars to get our pictures taken,squeezing into that tiny booth and well the print out is a 3R with these tiny collages of prints where we cut, share and keep them in our wallets. However this time at the selfie booth, you get to pose for 30 mins and bring home all the pictures and get to decide if you want the nice ones in hard copy prints.
Photo quality is rather good because professional studio lighting, backdrop and equipments are used. I should say i feel less embarrassed when i get to pose with all my imaginations and you must know my imaginations are not always lady-like and some you can say are mildly weird. Use this to also take professional photos of yourself... If you are like me where my passport photos always looks terribly un-natural, then this is your chance to salvage all those ugly pictures by replacing them with pretty ones taken here.
Professional product pictures can also be taken here. If you some catalogues to create or merchandises you wish to put up on your eCommerce site, you could just bring them down and DIY your professional images. They have all the equipments to make your pictures looking perfect.
You be your own photographer less the skill and the cost to be one and create the look of your photos look like how you envision them to be. Be sure to say hi to the friendly owners and have alot of fun at the studio. Located at a spanking new mall (Bugis Cube) right opposite Toast box of Bugis Junction, you know where you need to go when you want some pretty selfies.
Yew Tee Point, one of those gems you find in the heartland with plenty of festive events and surprising activities for the young and old. Located right next to the Yew Tee MRT Station, this welcoming mall boost generous walkways and cool air-conditioning especially comforting for a hot afternoon.
This is one of those malls that encompasses the swanky new shop front designs and a good variety of smaller cart stalls in the middle of the walkways like shopping in of those earlier malls. Its a mix of the benefits of two era whereby you get a good variety of shops with a fast turnover rate and great shopping deals because overheads were kept low. Cart stalls were one of those brilliant creations that maximizes space and minimizes redundant resources while at the same time requires less commitment then a proper shop-front, great for startups and small businesses.
I must say the flea held at the first level concourse was surprisingly fun. This week the mall is celebrating national day with a vintage theme called: "reminiscing the good old days" and I got to take pictures with my favourite vintage Vespa Hot Red scooter and a sweet pink Volkswagen van which very much reminded me of the 50s when we still had black and white TV and radio was a large part of our lives. The flea was fun when they also sold toys that reminded me of my childhood like tops, five stones, pick up sticks and many more games that we could never get bored with. Not forgetting our Singapore Icon the Merlion as i always couldn't get a good photo with the REAL BIG it at the Singapore River, now I could get a nice picture with the miniature that's spewing LED lights... simply lovely.
I was pleasantly surprised when i get to the basement which seemed much more crowded then the level above it. Grocery shoppers with bagful of items from the NTUC supermarket and theres even a UNITY pharmacy to cater to all my prescribed needs. An awesome and spacious food court with a couple of nice restaurants and takeaway food specialities at the concourse.
Pssst..... My little secret.... " I found the best valued and quality japanese sushi restaurant here at this mall... "
The basement is so large that the concourse could even house a flea selling household items. I love the character of the mall. Its spacious and have space for lots of carts, events like fleas, bazaars, roadshows yet even when the crowd fills up, the place don't feel congested with traffic jams everywhere. The design of the mall keeps accessibility in mind with escalators and entrances well planned for a pleasant shopping experience. Great variety of small booth shops and shopping is easy on the pocket. Overall its a really nice place to spend the afternoon for the whole family.
Do you like vintage looking watches? Dainty Little things carry a good range on their online shop. I found some really interesting pieces at their booth at the MEGA FLEA 12 and couldn't help but regard now for not being from them at the bazaar!
Love these specially hand picked designs that kinda represented time piece fashion at least 30 years bag. These are some of the wrist watches my aunts rock during their teenage years.
Thin with small faces casio watches in leather stripes and we even spotted some automatic westar watches that looked like what my grand daddy would wear when he was a suave young man. Price were very reasonable and the watches were all authentic that comes with warranty. Service is friendly and well i sincerely hope they can carry more varieties. Love the price, love the designs and love the vintage feel that I had when i test wear one of their watches. Great stuffs :)
If you like exotic items in your living area or unique handmade accessories, otherwise eco-friendly stationary to jot down bits of life then you must get something from the TREASURES OF NEPAL .
Like the name suggest, they carry a good range of treasures from nepal and mostly eco friendly and environmentally loving. Keepa, a Nepalese and owner of this business hand picked all of these beautiful items, mostly from the hands of the maker themselves. Yes handmade they mostly are and materials used were Yak Bones from their daily meat domestic meals for beautiful and carved and polished accessories in various colours and design.
Note books and other paper products like lamp shades with intriguing designs were made mostly of the pulp of an ever growing shrub that is abundant in the high mountain and other lovely treasures such as crafted wooden boxes that contained some special holistic incense that is sure to calm every nerve and make you feel relaxed.
We were intrigued by her selections and her items were definitely unique, most of all for a good cause to support the villages back at this laid back country. So we contribute to eco friendly earthly measures, the villages back in Nepal and to our rustic fashion sense. Its a win win win... Guess I can pick a few more items to stock up for birthdays :)
Its a good deal at $1.60 per plate. Yes you heard me right and yes I had quite a bad experience especially at the Cathay outlet yet this outlet at Yew Tee Point made my finger cramped up with the THUMBS UP!
The salmon sashimi was generous in slices. Usually 3 slices but were pretty thick and juicy. The california maki rolls were stuffed with yummy fillings, seaweed crispy and ingredients used fresh. Service was good and homely and we the moment we sat down we couldn't help but whacked a few plates of these superb sashimi.
If you love lobster salad like I do, then you will fall in love with their lobster salad gunkan. The belt moved pretty fast and was filled with plates after plates of well portioned makis, gunkan and sashimi. Even the pickled ginger was super yummy. It was an extremely good experience with plenty of choices.
The portion was really good and worth the money on top of that, you get to select from the IPAD mini other stuffs that is not on the belt. The seats were clean and service was prompt and friendly. Seats were in the form of booths and we were served into a 4 seater booth during lunch hours when there was only 2 of us. It was an excellent experience and we are sure to go back. Everything was good and the food was just too fantabulous *SLURP!* SUPER DUPER affordable..
It was a public holiday lunch at East Ocean Teochew Restaurant with the family; A much vaunted restaurant where we usually purchase our supply of deep fried fish skin from (only available during Chinese New Year). And after so many years, we finally got down to trying their dim sum.
Situated on the fifth floor of the upclass Ngee Ann City at Orchard Road, East Ocean had a large crowd of people milling outside, waiting for a table. Thankfully we had reservations but even then, we had to get in line to approach the wait staff for our table. The place was rather noisy which definitely isn't great for conversation.
Crispy Roasted Pork Belly - Sporting a crackling crisp skin and a good fat to meat ratio, the roasted pork belly did seem a little wobbly and lacked finesse. But still pretty good in my humble opinion.
Steamed Har Gao - Crunchy prawns enveloped in relatively thin, translucent skin. Pretty decent as well.
Steamed BBQ Pork Rice Rolls - The cheong fun was average; Relatively thin skin but lacked silkiness. Chunks of BBQ pork evident.
Steamed Siew Mai - Topped with a smattering of roe and a green pea, the siew mai didn't overwhelm with its porkiness, probably due to the low fatty meat ratio.
Pan Fried Carrot Cake - The pan fried carrot cake was awfully soft and mushy; Almost gross. No wonders it didn't have many takers.
Steamed Carrot Cake - Now the steamed rendition came out slightly better. Soft sans the silkiness with the topping of dried shrimp, dried sausages, onion etc failing to boost the inherently bland flavours. Palatable but not great.
Mini Steamed Glutinous Rice - Great consistency in the rice but sorely lacking in flavour. Need I say more?
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin - The beancurd skin wasn't crisp enough and the prawn paste lacked flavour. Starting to see the trend?
Deep Fried Silver Fish With Salt - This dish was a serious joke. The layer of flour amassed around a single silver fish was so dense that all I could taste was flour. I certainly didn't order deep fried flour!
Century Egg Congee - Starchy yet flavourful, the porridge had bits of meat and a rather generous serving of century egg. Pretty nice considering how terrible the previous few items were.
Steamed Custard Bun - This was probably one of the best dishes that afternoon; Runny custard that wasn't cloyingly sweet with a hint of egg yolk sediment. Only gripe I had was that the salty contrast wasn't evident enough.
Baked BBQ Pork Bun - Think polo bun (菠萝包) with BBQ pork. Crusty, semi sweet top with bits of BBQ pork filling. Pretty decent but would have appreciated more pork and a little more viscosity in the filling.
Steamed Custard Layered Cake - I've never had this at a dim sum restaurant before and honestly, I found it rather insipid. Dry layers of cake sandwiching dried, overly sweet custard that just made me give up after my third mouthful.
Baked BBQ Pork Pie - Though the BBQ pork filling was chunky, it could have done with a little more gooeyness (as with the BBQ pork bun) whilst a little more butter would have helped the pastry.
Mini Egg Tart - The egg tarts showcased a flaky pastry with a smooth and semi sweet custard center. A pity the pastry just wasn't buttery enough. Still a decent eat nonetheless.
5 of us racked up a bill of about $142, which isn't too expensive given the quantity of food we had. Compare that however, to the quality of food that Wah Lok offers at a similar price point and the result is clear; East Ocean just doesn't measure up. There are more misses than hits and I'll probably just stop by for my yearly fish skin purchases, nothing more.
A little shop with many surprises. Hand picked and curated by the owner of the shop herself, I was pretty amazed by the items i found from her little collection.
The thing that caught my eye was the 'FROZEN' themed hair clips. Unlike the usual I've seen, the prints were less complicated in pretty baby colours. Toddlers clothes were so cute, i wish i had a baby of age to be dressed in. Service was good and with much jolly laughters. Love the apparels and accessories that goes with them.
Exquisite collection in great materials and beautiful clean looking designs. Love the simplicity, love the passion and love the great smiles.
I had an off day so popped by for an early lunch at Three Buns @ Potato Head Folk, apparently the latest and greatest F&B joint, fresh off the beaches of Bali.
Housed in the iconic, former Tong Ah Building (東亞) along Keong Saik Road, Three Buns @ Potato Head Folk offers takeaway and alfresco dining on the ground floor, table service on the second and a cocktail bar on the third. The kitchen is also located on the ground floor so you can pretty much have a good view of the workings if you choose to sit along the passageway.
Dining alone, I didn't quite fancy any table service and wanted a look at the kitchen hence I made myself comfortable on one of the tiny wooden bar chairs along the passageway. On hindsight, that probably wasn't a great decision as passers-by kept bumping into me due to the rather narrow path. And lets not forget about the afternoon humidity and heat.
Naughty Fries - Naughty fries. How catchy. Instead of the usual rectangular shaped strips of fries, these came in wide, thinly shaved pieces and topped with the likes of Parmesan, spiced Bearnaise, shallots, parsley, chopped spring onions and a smattering of mildly spicy hot beef chilli. Apart from the rather interesting Asian twist to an otherwise Western dish, it was essentially Carl's Junior's chilli beef fries with a little more finesse; Fresher tasting with a slightly spicier kick. $9 gets you a sharing portion for 2pax.
Baby Huey - A thick and juicy but mildly overcooked 150g beef patty topped with melted cheese, lettuce, spiced mayo, pickles and 'Notorious T.O.M Sauce' (whatever that means). Served up between two soft and fluffy buns (like the one's from Triple O's), this was one pretty good burger. I personally liked the mild tanginess of the of the whole burger and the crunchiness provided by the pickles. An abundance of sauce made for a very messy burger but it was all good. I'm definitely trying out the double patty burger on my next visit!
A rather sweaty but filling lunch cost me about $37, which seriously isn't cheap by any standards for a burger, fries and an iced coffee (which incidentally tastes like the $1 ones at a local coffeeshop. But don't quote me on that as I know nuts about coffee). No service charge was levied because it was pretty much self serve but I assume a 10% service charge would be tagged on if you were to sit on the second floor. The burger alone is worth a revisit though!
1=SGD 0.0587
Love their efficiency, great coordination and good service. MyTicket, our online ticketing for events is somewhat the next better solution to other online ticketing service providers such as SIS*** .
It works simply by going to their site and buy the tickets to your drama, show, event, concert and other exciting affairs you would like to go, choose the date and time your desire, put in your details and simply make a credit card payment. You can opt to print out your ticket or a delivery. I mean its way more convenient then having to go down and hunt for the SIS*** booths in which the signs are always not visually friendly though I'm a 6/6 after putting on my contact lenses. No irritating extra charges and no confusing ticket buying procedures. Its only a ticket i'm buying... duh....
So i brought along my printed ticket to the event venue at Raffles Hotel and was a little lost for about a minute when I spotted signs and posters leading up to the event location. It was crowded yet it was easy to find somebody to guide me to wherever I needed and somebody even offered to exchange my print out ticket to a real paper ticket... i was excited to hold the REAL TICKETS, it sure feels different just like when you buy an inspired product will never feel as good as the REAL THING... I spotted security staffs all around the place dressed in all black, seemed to be guarding something important yet they have such smiles that don't look like they were about to make me their dinner aka. "Bull Dog Face"
The overall experience was warm and friendly with ample help and attention from the friendly organizers and staff. It was very pleasant and efficient. After the event, there was an autograph session and that proceeded pretty smoothly with neat queues and fast group photo-taking. They were generous with their printed media and there was no human jam even when exiting the area. Well coordinated and planned. Will engage them for future possible event and ticketing services.
Rating given:
It all started with a glossy, eye catching brochure that promoted a limited time, upgraded set menu for AMEX Platinum Charge Card members (pay $120 for the $180 set). And being the ever gian png (greedy) Singaporean, I immediately called Tóng Lè to make a dinner appointment.
Perched on levels 8 and 10 of OUE Tower, just adjacent to the majestic Fullerton Bay Hotel (where Clifford is located), Tóng Lè offers a panoramic view of its surroundings via a revolving base (think Prima Restaurant and the now defunct Top of the M). 1 full revolution takes about 2 hours and unfortunately, the revolving mechanism wasn't working too smoothly during our visit and knocking sounds could be heard periodically.
Our host graciously arranged a private dining room for us on level 10, offering a nice walled up area to take in the view at our leisure. Only minor issue I had was that the rooms were separated only by partitions, which made noise level a concern. I could make out what my neighbours were talking about but admittedly, you'd have to raise your voice a fair bit for you to be overheard. Didn't seem to faze either of my neighbours though.
Chilled Australian Lobster Topped with Kaluga Queen Caviar - I'm honestly no caviar connoisseur but Kaluga Queen's farmed in China caviar did hit the right notes for me. Tiny, firm pearls that popped gently when consumed, releasing a salty and pleasantly fishy flavour; Eaten with a mother of pearl spoon, no less. Beneath the caviar sat a layer of chilled, crunchy and sweet lobster and a floor of sweet mango cubes and diced chilli. When eaten together, the sweetness of the mango provided a balance to the saltiness of the caviar whilst the diced chilli added a mild heat. Excellent start!
Doubled Boiled Superlative Shark's Fin with Bamboo Fungus in Shark Cartilage Broth - I wonder about the use of words like "superlative" in menus but nonetheless, the shark cartilage soup was flavourful yet light without leaving a layer of sediment on the tongue. Coupled with generous portions of delicate shark's fin and bamboo fungus, it made for a pretty good soup.
Braised Cave Bird's Nest with Crab Meat and Winter Melon Puree in Saffron Broth - The wife had this and it was rather interesting as I usually associate bird's nest with the sweet variation, never the savoury. Relatively generous strands of bird's nest floating atop a thick, mildly sweet saffron broth with hints of winter melon and bountiful shreds of crab meat. Savoury yet sweet.
Steamed Wild Ocean Fish with Ginger and Tangerine Peel - Portions were really small for this but the fish was very fresh and came served on a piece of beancurd skin in a pool of soya sauce. Simple and nothing too fancy.
Chef's Homemade Sorbet - An interlude with a roselle sorbet taking center stage. Sweet yet mildly sourish and topped with pop rocks for that burst of sensation.
Braised Live South African Abalone & 48 Hrs Braised 'Dong Po' Pork with Vintage 'HuaDiao' Wine - The abalone was quite a size (I reckon at least a 3 or 4 head); Firm and crunchy, drizzled in a mildly savoury sauce and sitting prettily on a bed of vegetables. The accompanying block of dong po pork was beautifully braised with a thick, moist chunk of meat capped by a firm layer of fat; Mildly sweet with a hint of 花雕酒. Excellent!
Hokkaido Scallops with Organic Millet - The wife doesn't take beef so she got the Hokkaido scallops in lieu of the wagyu. And it was a seriously bad choice. The scallops were huge but tasted like they were coated in flour and pan fried, which gave it that icky elastic surface and took away the natural sweetness of the sallop. The organic millet and rice crisp was decent though; crisp with a hint of capsicum. Could do with a little less salt though.
Claypot Emperor Rice with Pan Seared Kagoshima Wagyu, Foie Gras and Poached Quail Egg - I had the wagyu and it came in the form of a patty (sadly). Crisp on the outside, the patty was overcooked but a little too soft on the inside. And the overcooking extended to the foie gras as well. Disappointing to say the least.
Hazelnut Chocolate Bar Topped with Yam Paste & Gingko Nuts - And finally, desserts. Aesthetically impressive but lacked the flavours to end the meal off on a positive note. The chocolate bar sported bits of hazelnut entrenched within its smooth and creamy texture that had a mild bitterness to it whilst the the yam swirls were more for show than anything. Special mention goes to the gingko nuts, which seemed to have been deep fried, giving it a fleeting crisp, shrivelled exterior. All form, no substance.
With a singular mocktail and an upgrade discount, the total bill for 2 pax came just shy of $300. Definitely not mind-blowingly expensive but while the quality of ingredients is undeniable, the execution for a couple of the dishes leave much to be desired. Service, however, was excellent and I'll definitely be happy to return if something is done about the quality of execution.
See all my pictures here.
Rating given:
Its a new concept of fun. How many of you have ever secretly hoped to model in front of a professional photographer but do not have the guts or chance to do it? Well, your new secret indulgence is here. The selfie studio where you can take pictures of all your beautiful and weird poses without worrying you might drive the photographer into a laughing fit.
So all you do is this, call to reserve a slot, turn up looking gorgeous and learn to use the remote to take selfies with the professional camera set-up while trying to pose gracefully in front of a mirroring monitor. Pick your props, a nice backdrop and bring some good friends for some groupie fun and be sure to bring home these great memories in the safety of a Compact Disc.
Its a little bit like the old photo booths when we pay 6 dollars to get our pictures taken,squeezing into that tiny booth and well the print out is a 3R with these tiny collages of prints where we cut, share and keep them in our wallets. However this time at the selfie booth, you get to pose for 30 mins and bring home all the pictures and get to decide if you want the nice ones in hard copy prints.
Photo quality is rather good because professional studio lighting, backdrop and equipments are used. I should say i feel less embarrassed when i get to pose with all my imaginations and you must know my imaginations are not always lady-like and some you can say are mildly weird. Use this to also take professional photos of yourself... If you are like me where my passport photos always looks terribly un-natural, then this is your chance to salvage all those ugly pictures by replacing them with pretty ones taken here.
Professional product pictures can also be taken here. If you some catalogues to create or merchandises you wish to put up on your eCommerce site, you could just bring them down and DIY your professional images. They have all the equipments to make your pictures looking perfect.
You be your own photographer less the skill and the cost to be one and create the look of your photos look like how you envision them to be. Be sure to say hi to the friendly owners and have alot of fun at the studio. Located at a spanking new mall (Bugis Cube) right opposite Toast box of Bugis Junction, you know where you need to go when you want some pretty selfies.
Rating given:
Yew Tee Point, one of those gems you find in the heartland with plenty of festive events and surprising activities for the young and old. Located right next to the Yew Tee MRT Station, this welcoming mall boost generous walkways and cool air-conditioning especially comforting for a hot afternoon.
This is one of those malls that encompasses the swanky new shop front designs and a good variety of smaller cart stalls in the middle of the walkways like shopping in of those earlier malls. Its a mix of the benefits of two era whereby you get a good variety of shops with a fast turnover rate and great shopping deals because overheads were kept low. Cart stalls were one of those brilliant creations that maximizes space and minimizes redundant resources while at the same time requires less commitment then a proper shop-front, great for startups and small businesses.
I must say the flea held at the first level concourse was surprisingly fun. This week the mall is celebrating national day with a vintage theme called: "reminiscing the good old days" and I got to take pictures with my favourite vintage Vespa Hot Red scooter and a sweet pink Volkswagen van which very much reminded me of the 50s when we still had black and white TV and radio was a large part of our lives. The flea was fun when they also sold toys that reminded me of my childhood like tops, five stones, pick up sticks and many more games that we could never get bored with. Not forgetting our Singapore Icon the Merlion as i always couldn't get a good photo with the REAL BIG it at the Singapore River, now I could get a nice picture with the miniature that's spewing LED lights... simply lovely.
I was pleasantly surprised when i get to the basement which seemed much more crowded then the level above it. Grocery shoppers with bagful of items from the NTUC supermarket and theres even a UNITY pharmacy to cater to all my prescribed needs. An awesome and spacious food court with a couple of nice restaurants and takeaway food specialities at the concourse.
Pssst..... My little secret.... " I found the best valued and quality japanese sushi restaurant here at this mall... "
The basement is so large that the concourse could even house a flea selling household items. I love the character of the mall. Its spacious and have space for lots of carts, events like fleas, bazaars, roadshows yet even when the crowd fills up, the place don't feel congested with traffic jams everywhere. The design of the mall keeps accessibility in mind with escalators and entrances well planned for a pleasant shopping experience. Great variety of small booth shops and shopping is easy on the pocket. Overall its a really nice place to spend the afternoon for the whole family.
Rating given:
Do you like vintage looking watches? Dainty Little things carry a good range on their online shop. I found some really interesting pieces at their booth at the MEGA FLEA 12 and couldn't help but regard now for not being from them at the bazaar!
Love these specially hand picked designs that kinda represented time piece fashion at least 30 years bag. These are some of the wrist watches my aunts rock during their teenage years.
Thin with small faces casio watches in leather stripes and we even spotted some automatic westar watches that looked like what my grand daddy would wear when he was a suave young man. Price were very reasonable and the watches were all authentic that comes with warranty. Service is friendly and well i sincerely hope they can carry more varieties. Love the price, love the designs and love the vintage feel that I had when i test wear one of their watches. Great stuffs :)
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If you like exotic items in your living area or unique handmade accessories, otherwise eco-friendly stationary to jot down bits of life then you must get something from the TREASURES OF NEPAL .
Like the name suggest, they carry a good range of treasures from nepal and mostly eco friendly and environmentally loving. Keepa, a Nepalese and owner of this business hand picked all of these beautiful items, mostly from the hands of the maker themselves. Yes handmade they mostly are and materials used were Yak Bones from their daily meat domestic meals for beautiful and carved and polished accessories in various colours and design.
Note books and other paper products like lamp shades with intriguing designs were made mostly of the pulp of an ever growing shrub that is abundant in the high mountain and other lovely treasures such as crafted wooden boxes that contained some special holistic incense that is sure to calm every nerve and make you feel relaxed.
We were intrigued by her selections and her items were definitely unique, most of all for a good cause to support the villages back at this laid back country. So we contribute to eco friendly earthly measures, the villages back in Nepal and to our rustic fashion sense. Its a win win win... Guess I can pick a few more items to stock up for birthdays :)
AWESOME!!!
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Its a good deal at $1.60 per plate. Yes you heard me right and yes I had quite a bad experience especially at the Cathay outlet yet this outlet at Yew Tee Point made my finger cramped up with the THUMBS UP!
The salmon sashimi was generous in slices. Usually 3 slices but were pretty thick and juicy. The california maki rolls were stuffed with yummy fillings, seaweed crispy and ingredients used fresh. Service was good and homely and we the moment we sat down we couldn't help but whacked a few plates of these superb sashimi.
If you love lobster salad like I do, then you will fall in love with their lobster salad gunkan. The belt moved pretty fast and was filled with plates after plates of well portioned makis, gunkan and sashimi. Even the pickled ginger was super yummy. It was an extremely good experience with plenty of choices.
The portion was really good and worth the money on top of that, you get to select from the IPAD mini other stuffs that is not on the belt. The seats were clean and service was prompt and friendly. Seats were in the form of booths and we were served into a 4 seater booth during lunch hours when there was only 2 of us. It was an excellent experience and we are sure to go back. Everything was good and the food was just too fantabulous *SLURP!* SUPER DUPER affordable..
you made mine day!!!
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It was a public holiday lunch at East Ocean Teochew Restaurant with the family; A much vaunted restaurant where we usually purchase our supply of deep fried fish skin from (only available during Chinese New Year). And after so many years, we finally got down to trying their dim sum.
Situated on the fifth floor of the upclass Ngee Ann City at Orchard Road, East Ocean had a large crowd of people milling outside, waiting for a table. Thankfully we had reservations but even then, we had to get in line to approach the wait staff for our table. The place was rather noisy which definitely isn't great for conversation.
Crispy Roasted Pork Belly - Sporting a crackling crisp skin and a good fat to meat ratio, the roasted pork belly did seem a little wobbly and lacked finesse. But still pretty good in my humble opinion.
Steamed Har Gao - Crunchy prawns enveloped in relatively thin, translucent skin. Pretty decent as well.
Steamed BBQ Pork Rice Rolls - The cheong fun was average; Relatively thin skin but lacked silkiness. Chunks of BBQ pork evident.
Steamed Siew Mai - Topped with a smattering of roe and a green pea, the siew mai didn't overwhelm with its porkiness, probably due to the low fatty meat ratio.
Pan Fried Carrot Cake - The pan fried carrot cake was awfully soft and mushy; Almost gross. No wonders it didn't have many takers.
Steamed Carrot Cake - Now the steamed rendition came out slightly better. Soft sans the silkiness with the topping of dried shrimp, dried sausages, onion etc failing to boost the inherently bland flavours. Palatable but not great.
Mini Steamed Glutinous Rice - Great consistency in the rice but sorely lacking in flavour. Need I say more?
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin - The beancurd skin wasn't crisp enough and the prawn paste lacked flavour. Starting to see the trend?
Deep Fried Silver Fish With Salt - This dish was a serious joke. The layer of flour amassed around a single silver fish was so dense that all I could taste was flour. I certainly didn't order deep fried flour!
Century Egg Congee - Starchy yet flavourful, the porridge had bits of meat and a rather generous serving of century egg. Pretty nice considering how terrible the previous few items were.
Steamed Custard Bun - This was probably one of the best dishes that afternoon; Runny custard that wasn't cloyingly sweet with a hint of egg yolk sediment. Only gripe I had was that the salty contrast wasn't evident enough.
Baked BBQ Pork Bun - Think polo bun (菠萝包) with BBQ pork. Crusty, semi sweet top with bits of BBQ pork filling. Pretty decent but would have appreciated more pork and a little more viscosity in the filling.
Steamed Custard Layered Cake - I've never had this at a dim sum restaurant before and honestly, I found it rather insipid. Dry layers of cake sandwiching dried, overly sweet custard that just made me give up after my third mouthful.
Baked BBQ Pork Pie - Though the BBQ pork filling was chunky, it could have done with a little more gooeyness (as with the BBQ pork bun) whilst a little more butter would have helped the pastry.
Mini Egg Tart - The egg tarts showcased a flaky pastry with a smooth and semi sweet custard center. A pity the pastry just wasn't buttery enough. Still a decent eat nonetheless.
5 of us racked up a bill of about $142, which isn't too expensive given the quantity of food we had. Compare that however, to the quality of food that Wah Lok offers at a similar price point and the result is clear; East Ocean just doesn't measure up. There are more misses than hits and I'll probably just stop by for my yearly fish skin purchases, nothing more.
See all my pictures here.
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A little shop with many surprises. Hand picked and curated by the owner of the shop herself, I was pretty amazed by the items i found from her little collection.
The thing that caught my eye was the 'FROZEN' themed hair clips. Unlike the usual I've seen, the prints were less complicated in pretty baby colours. Toddlers clothes were so cute, i wish i had a baby of age to be dressed in. Service was good and with much jolly laughters. Love the apparels and accessories that goes with them.
Exquisite collection in great materials and beautiful clean looking designs. Love the simplicity, love the passion and love the great smiles.
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I had an off day so popped by for an early lunch at Three Buns @ Potato Head Folk, apparently the latest and greatest F&B joint, fresh off the beaches of Bali.
Housed in the iconic, former Tong Ah Building (東亞) along Keong Saik Road, Three Buns @ Potato Head Folk offers takeaway and alfresco dining on the ground floor, table service on the second and a cocktail bar on the third. The kitchen is also located on the ground floor so you can pretty much have a good view of the workings if you choose to sit along the passageway.
Dining alone, I didn't quite fancy any table service and wanted a look at the kitchen hence I made myself comfortable on one of the tiny wooden bar chairs along the passageway. On hindsight, that probably wasn't a great decision as passers-by kept bumping into me due to the rather narrow path. And lets not forget about the afternoon humidity and heat.
Naughty Fries - Naughty fries. How catchy. Instead of the usual rectangular shaped strips of fries, these came in wide, thinly shaved pieces and topped with the likes of Parmesan, spiced Bearnaise, shallots, parsley, chopped spring onions and a smattering of mildly spicy hot beef chilli. Apart from the rather interesting Asian twist to an otherwise Western dish, it was essentially Carl's Junior's chilli beef fries with a little more finesse; Fresher tasting with a slightly spicier kick. $9 gets you a sharing portion for 2pax.
Baby Huey - A thick and juicy but mildly overcooked 150g beef patty topped with melted cheese, lettuce, spiced mayo, pickles and 'Notorious T.O.M Sauce' (whatever that means). Served up between two soft and fluffy buns (like the one's from Triple O's), this was one pretty good burger. I personally liked the mild tanginess of the of the whole burger and the crunchiness provided by the pickles. An abundance of sauce made for a very messy burger but it was all good. I'm definitely trying out the double patty burger on my next visit!
A rather sweaty but filling lunch cost me about $37, which seriously isn't cheap by any standards for a burger, fries and an iced coffee (which incidentally tastes like the $1 ones at a local coffeeshop. But don't quote me on that as I know nuts about coffee). No service charge was levied because it was pretty much self serve but I assume a 10% service charge would be tagged on if you were to sit on the second floor. The burger alone is worth a revisit though!
See all my pictures here.
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