If you mention the word mint, I'll probably think of peppermint or Singapore Mint. No no... it's neither the two. This "mint" place which I went today is the meseum of toys!
So what does mint mean in this case?
It actually stands for 'memories of imaginative & nolstalgic toys' (if I didn't remember wrongly!) The place consists of 5 floors plus a cafe at the basement. The exhibits (toys) were spread over the 4 levels, with each level having a different theme. Some of the toys which we managed to catch a glimpse of include tin tin, felix the cat, popeye, mickey mouse, betty boop, a collection of snow white & the seven dwarfs. Haha... it's such an interesting place! Many of these toys I've not even seen them before when I was young.
The toys in the meseum will be rotated every few months, so you don't have to worry about having to see the same collection of toy everytime you go. Yes, you'll be amazed by the wide collection of toys the owner has.
Another interesting point about this toy meseum is that the lightings on the display shelves were done in such a way that they will not cast any shadow of the toy. So it definitely helps when it comes to phototaking. No matter which angle you take from, the picture will look good. But one important thing to note when photographing here is that no flash is allowed. This is to prevent the flashlight from degrading the colour of the precious toys.
We were brought around by a tour guide, who had patiently explained the history of some of the toys to us. Yes, I think without him, we would not have learnt so much about toys if we just walk around on our own. So do get a tour guide if you intend to visit the meseum.
The admission ticket costs $10 for adult and $5 for children (aged 2 - 12 years old). But note that this excludes the tour guide fee.
Hmm... we have not really tried out the cafe. Shall try it next time & review it!
Me luvs Daiso! Everything for $2.. No frills, no complicated T&Cs... Simply, everything for $2.
You can find many many many things here. I like buying some houseware stuff like laundry bag, hangers, and also some storage like plastic box and things. They also have tasty japanese snacks and cooking spices. And I also like their collection of kitchenwares. I buy virtually all my kitchenware from Daiso. Quality is so-so, since it's only $2.. But also because it's only $2 you can just buy and buy it again lolz.
I think what I don't like from this branch is its cramped space. Sometimes I'm very scared to knock down some stuff especially when I'm walking with my huge bag.
Well overall I still love this shop since I can find virtually anything for only $2~
This outlet of MOS burger is the one that I visit most often, simply because I oways go Bugis to see see look look.
I normally like to order the teriyaki chicken burger meal, coupled with a box of nuggets,( which taste so much better than that of Mcdonald's), and a cup of clam chowder soup if I fel like it. The soup is quite ok but the quantity of clams is quite good given that it is only a small cup.
In addition, I like to eat at MOS burger mainly because the food is cooked only upon ur order, thus ur food is ensured to be piping hot when served to you. Only downside is that the prices are slightly steeper than other fast food outlets. But nevertheless, I would still continue to eat there cos I fidn that the quality of the food deserves the price tag.
Was at Marina Sq tdy to catch a show with my fren and decided to try out the Waraku outlet there. As we were quite early, there were plenty of seats available and we need not have to wait. As compared to the seats at the outlet at the Central, the seats here were definitely more comfy and more spaced out.
So without wasting much time, I ordered Yakiniku Don, Chicken Kaarage, Chapon Udon and Kakiage. As for drinks , we decided to have lime juice.
The Yakiniku DOn was really superb, with a generous amount of beef given and it was well-cooked. As for the Chapon Udon, it was a nice creamy soup based with Hotae, prawns and a couple slices of pork and vegetables. It was served in a hot stone bowl and the looks of it was enuff to make one drool.
As for the other two dishes, they were quite nice as well and though they were fried food, it was not very oily , which was good.
This has been my second time patronising Waraku and so far I had been really satisfied by their food standards. Will continue to patronise them unless they prove me otherwise.
Chapter 2 is very conveniently located in Bugis Area. Furthermore, it gives discount for SMU students. Just 2 reasons are enough to make me go there (well, besides that my fringe needs emergency cutting).
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair.
But actually I wasn't really impressed with the service. The hairstylist was nice (and I told you I left with good haircut/fringecut), but I don't think the others were.
First off, I phoned to book a slot. They said they have a slot available 1.5 hour from the time I phoned and other slots are unavailable, so I settled some stuff and went there immediately with my boyfriend.
When we arrived, surprise! It was actually pretty empty. If I remember correctly, there was only 2 or 3 people being served. Generally, it was empty.So I said I was going to cut my hair and fringe and that I already phoned. So they "uh-huh"ed and they gave me a seat and I was LEFT. I was just left for like 15 minutes or so before they finally called me up to wash my hair.
The person who washed my hair tried to strike a conversation ; or rather to make a sale. She said my hair is very oily (of course lah, I haven't washed my hair) and should get some treatment blah blah blah. I refused politely.
I finished washing my hair and they tied my hair up in a towel....
And I was left again.
I really can't understand why I was being left. I mean, it's not like the salon is very busy. It was empty, not like how it claimed. Lucky my boyfriend was there to accompany me.. He was initially interested to do some treatment while I cut my hair, but cancelled after seeing me being abandoned with wet hair. FYI, even after the hair cut, the back part of my blouse was wet, the result of my wet hair not being dried until I waited for more 15 or 20 minutes.
They finally came to me and dried my hair. And they finally moved me from a seat that was placed directly under the air-con (so imagine, having a wet wet hair under an air-con).
The person dried my hair (I was screaming "Finally" in my heart) and made some remarks about my hair again. She said my hair was dry and in need of treatment. Like duh. Another person just said my hair was oily. WTH. What a bad hair I have.
I was left again (this time, at least, on shorter interval), and finally a hairstylist came. She asked what kind of hairstyle I want, I just said "Cut my fringe to be presentable and layer a bit my lower part".
Cut cut cut, and done.
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair AND a wet blouse.
Saw this outlet a couple of times but it was always packed. So decided to go there early one fine day to try it out, since I have always been a fan of Japanese food.
Together with my gf, we ordered quite a few dishes which included katsu don, fried vegetables, chicken kaarage, yakitori toban yaki and two glasses of chu-hi lime.
I must say that the food was indeed delicious and that the presentation of the food was quite pleasing to the eye as well ( though some of the bowls were really a bit too huge for just a few pieces of chicken.)
Overall, I would say that the food really is worth the money, but one thing to note is that the waiting time can be really long and also the space between two adjacent tables can be a little bit tight. Otherwise, I would strongly recommend Waraku to all Japanese food lovers
I am quite picky for food. Cheap crappy food disgusts me. I'm always willing to pay more for better food. We need good food to survive, don't we?
But this restaurant just blew me out.
Their prices are super low. As in low, low. Usually I expect to pay about $10 for good food (which is not abundant in the vicinity of my school. sigh), but this restaurant...
For a main course, you will only expect to pay on average of $4. FOUR DOLLARS. 0_0 you saw that right. FOUR DOLLARS. Their serving is quite big too! Just perfect for a "big meal". Pssst.. If you're nice to the people who serve you, I'm pretty certain that they will give you some extra. ;) my boyfriend, who was a regular in this restaurant, claimed that he often got 10%-20% discount and sometimes free tidbits and drinks.
The food is tasty. It's as tasty as higher priced food. Which is quite surprising and extraordinary. They mainly sell usual Asian dishes such as Hokkien Mee, Mee Goreng, Fried Rice (my boyfriend claimed they have the best fried rice in Singapore - it's very close to Indonesia's fried rice - which is super tasty I tell you), Prawn Noodle, and (well...) spaghetti bolognaise, and many others.
To top it off, they also have desserts. I and my boyfriend ordered the sundaes, which were going for only $2 each. 0_0 well it wasn't as tasty as Ben n Jerry's (for example), of course. But to have a nice dessert after a sumptuous meal for only $2... It's a delight.
It's kinda hidden in Fortune Centre (Bugis Area). I highly recommend you to drop by sometime. Just go around the first floor and you'll be able to find it.
I should go here more often. Bored of school's food.. Sigh..
Looking for a place to get sports apparels, with better bargains than you can get from sole distributors? Here's the place! (But don't have too high hopes though.)
Personally, I would go all the way to the West (i'm at the east) to buy my sports shoes because there's a variety of designs to select from. Even the older designs can be found there too. Also, it is normally slightly cheaper than at the Nike/ Adidas retail stores for the new designs, and about 15% (or more) cheaper for the older designs! Apart from shoes, of course you can get your sportswear, socks, bottles and bags too. Yes, slightly cheaper for some! I was just there today and I got 15% off a bag that was released only recently!
Other than that, they've got food stalls strategically situated at random places in the mall, convenient for "busy-shoppers". There are also several shops that sells casual wear, instead of just sports wear.
Nonetheless, I find it pretty hard to find your way about. The shops are not very organized and it's normally hard to remember where you've been unless you remember the shop name. Also, some of the shops seem to be under the same owner, so prices are pretty standard there. However with the high traffic flow, service is pretty poor there I must say.
Parking's a problem and it's extremely expensive. On a regular Saturday, 2.5 hours in the afternoon could cost you $5.10. You'd understand why I'd say it's expensive when you see the condition of the carpark.
Minus the carpark problem, it's a place worth going to look for your sports apparels, and at a good deal! (;
Was deciding on a place to eat along Orchard road one weekday evening and the only place that didn't seem to be spilling with people was Crystal Jade Golden Palace (CJGP). From what I know, CJGP hovers around the top tier of the Crystal Jade chain, which includes Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Kitchen etc.
Located on the 5th floor of the high end The Paragon shopping mall, CJGP appeals with its sombre yet elegant entrance walkway and posh/classy interior complete with ambient lighting. Padded walls and carpets, thick cushioned chairs all give the impression of comfort at its finesse.
Shark's Fin in Coconut - This dish is out of the menu so please pardon my literal translation from Chinese to English. Served up in a coconut husk, the fins were of decent quality and in abundance together with stuff like prawns and fish maw in a nice and light broth which hinted of coconut towards the bottom.
Crystal Jade Suckling Pig - A rather impressive dish I must say, with the skin crackling crispy and the meat harbouring a light smoky taste. I liked the strings of jellyfish that came with it as well, springy with lots of bite. Not the least bit worth the price($23) though, with only a few slices of skin and meat.
Sauteed Scallop with Broccoli - Yet another dish of small proportions. Cooked just right, the broccoli was crunchy and tasty with the scallops slightly firm and not overwhelming.
Golden Palace Signature Fried Rice - I naturally had a certain level of expectation as this came billed as one of the restaurant's signature dish. Regrettably, it wasn't quite what I was looking for, coming across as decent but not outstanding. Probably the only highlight to it was the presence of salted egg yolk which gave the rice a slightly rough texture.
Mashed Taro with Gingko Nuts - The mashed taro aka Orh Nee, was smooth and light without being too moist or dry. However portions are really miserable and I can easily eat 2 bowls of equally satisfying Orh Nee for the same price.
Dinner for 2 didn't come cheap at about $128, especially with the small portions. However I can't deny that the quality of food is there and service is more than adequate. I guess that does provide some justification for the high prices. What do you think?
I was there today to check out some gadgets and decided to have our dinner at the Food Junction. There were so many choices, even a Pepper Lunch Express stall. But don't know why, we decided to go for the Indian stall right at the entrance of the food court.
I ordered their chicken biryani and bf ordered mutton mutabak. At first look, the biryani looks not bad. Chicken given was pretty huge and there was cabbage and bean sprout and papadum. But when I cut into the chicken, I knew its going to be bad. The chicken had been fried before putting into the gravy and its too tough. As its fried chicken, it didn't manage to absorb the flavor of the curry. Very badly cooked. Than the cabbage had a weird taste and was too hard. The bean sprout tasted like it was half cooked! I could taste the rawness of it! Yucks!
The mutabak taste was normal but its very small. The thickness was the same as an egg prata and the filling was very little. Not worth the try.
So next time when you're there, you might want to try other stalls instead.
Beside the bad experience, I've to comment that this food junction is a good place to go for cheap food and comfort meetings. There's a corner that's decorated nicely with red cushioned chairs and round cushioned sofa seats around the sides of this corner. Great place to go to study or meeting clients. There's wifi there too.
Giving 1/5 for the bad food at the Indian stall. If its only for the place, it'll be 4/5 for the nice comfy corner within the food junction.
1=SGD 0.0587
If you mention the word mint, I'll probably think of peppermint or Singapore Mint. No no... it's neither the two. This "mint" place which I went today is the meseum of toys!
So what does mint mean in this case?
It actually stands for 'memories of imaginative & nolstalgic toys' (if I didn't remember wrongly!) The place consists of 5 floors plus a cafe at the basement. The exhibits (toys) were spread over the 4 levels, with each level having a different theme. Some of the toys which we managed to catch a glimpse of include tin tin, felix the cat, popeye, mickey mouse, betty boop, a collection of snow white & the seven dwarfs. Haha... it's such an interesting place! Many of these toys I've not even seen them before when I was young.
The toys in the meseum will be rotated every few months, so you don't have to worry about having to see the same collection of toy everytime you go. Yes, you'll be amazed by the wide collection of toys the owner has.
Another interesting point about this toy meseum is that the lightings on the display shelves were done in such a way that they will not cast any shadow of the toy. So it definitely helps when it comes to phototaking. No matter which angle you take from, the picture will look good. But one important thing to note when photographing here is that no flash is allowed. This is to prevent the flashlight from degrading the colour of the precious toys.
We were brought around by a tour guide, who had patiently explained the history of some of the toys to us. Yes, I think without him, we would not have learnt so much about toys if we just walk around on our own. So do get a tour guide if you intend to visit the meseum.
The admission ticket costs $10 for adult and $5 for children (aged 2 - 12 years old). But note that this excludes the tour guide fee.
Hmm... we have not really tried out the cafe. Shall try it next time & review it!
Rating given:
Me luvs Daiso! Everything for $2.. No frills, no complicated T&Cs... Simply, everything for $2.
You can find many many many things here. I like buying some houseware stuff like laundry bag, hangers, and also some storage like plastic box and things. They also have tasty japanese snacks and cooking spices. And I also like their collection of kitchenwares. I buy virtually all my kitchenware from Daiso. Quality is so-so, since it's only $2.. But also because it's only $2 you can just buy and buy it again lolz.
I think what I don't like from this branch is its cramped space. Sometimes I'm very scared to knock down some stuff especially when I'm walking with my huge bag.
Well overall I still love this shop since I can find virtually anything for only $2~
Rating given:
This outlet of MOS burger is the one that I visit most often, simply because I oways go Bugis to see see look look.
I normally like to order the teriyaki chicken burger meal, coupled with a box of nuggets,( which taste so much better than that of Mcdonald's), and a cup of clam chowder soup if I fel like it. The soup is quite ok but the quantity of clams is quite good given that it is only a small cup.
In addition, I like to eat at MOS burger mainly because the food is cooked only upon ur order, thus ur food is ensured to be piping hot when served to you. Only downside is that the prices are slightly steeper than other fast food outlets. But nevertheless, I would still continue to eat there cos I fidn that the quality of the food deserves the price tag.
Rating given:
Was at Marina Sq tdy to catch a show with my fren and decided to try out the Waraku outlet there. As we were quite early, there were plenty of seats available and we need not have to wait. As compared to the seats at the outlet at the Central, the seats here were definitely more comfy and more spaced out.
So without wasting much time, I ordered Yakiniku Don, Chicken Kaarage, Chapon Udon and Kakiage. As for drinks , we decided to have lime juice.
The Yakiniku DOn was really superb, with a generous amount of beef given and it was well-cooked. As for the Chapon Udon, it was a nice creamy soup based with Hotae, prawns and a couple slices of pork and vegetables. It was served in a hot stone bowl and the looks of it was enuff to make one drool.
As for the other two dishes, they were quite nice as well and though they were fried food, it was not very oily , which was good.
This has been my second time patronising Waraku and so far I had been really satisfied by their food standards. Will continue to patronise them unless they prove me otherwise.
Rating given:
Chapter 2 is very conveniently located in Bugis Area. Furthermore, it gives discount for SMU students. Just 2 reasons are enough to make me go there (well, besides that my fringe needs emergency cutting).
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair.
But actually I wasn't really impressed with the service. The hairstylist was nice (and I told you I left with good haircut/fringecut), but I don't think the others were.
First off, I phoned to book a slot. They said they have a slot available 1.5 hour from the time I phoned and other slots are unavailable, so I settled some stuff and went there immediately with my boyfriend.
When we arrived, surprise! It was actually pretty empty. If I remember correctly, there was only 2 or 3 people being served. Generally, it was empty.So I said I was going to cut my hair and fringe and that I already phoned. So they "uh-huh"ed and they gave me a seat and I was LEFT. I was just left for like 15 minutes or so before they finally called me up to wash my hair.
The person who washed my hair tried to strike a conversation ; or rather to make a sale. She said my hair is very oily (of course lah, I haven't washed my hair) and should get some treatment blah blah blah. I refused politely.
I finished washing my hair and they tied my hair up in a towel....
And I was left again.
I really can't understand why I was being left. I mean, it's not like the salon is very busy. It was empty, not like how it claimed. Lucky my boyfriend was there to accompany me.. He was initially interested to do some treatment while I cut my hair, but cancelled after seeing me being abandoned with wet hair. FYI, even after the hair cut, the back part of my blouse was wet, the result of my wet hair not being dried until I waited for more 15 or 20 minutes.
They finally came to me and dried my hair. And they finally moved me from a seat that was placed directly under the air-con (so imagine, having a wet wet hair under an air-con).
The person dried my hair (I was screaming "Finally" in my heart) and made some remarks about my hair again. She said my hair was dry and in need of treatment. Like duh. Another person just said my hair was oily. WTH. What a bad hair I have.
I was left again (this time, at least, on shorter interval), and finally a hairstylist came. She asked what kind of hairstyle I want, I just said "Cut my fringe to be presentable and layer a bit my lower part".
Cut cut cut, and done.
I left with a prettily cut fringe and nicely layered hair AND a wet blouse.
Paid 28 something and left.
Not sure whether I will go back. Sigh.
Rating given:
Saw this outlet a couple of times but it was always packed. So decided to go there early one fine day to try it out, since I have always been a fan of Japanese food.
Together with my gf, we ordered quite a few dishes which included katsu don, fried vegetables, chicken kaarage, yakitori toban yaki and two glasses of chu-hi lime.
I must say that the food was indeed delicious and that the presentation of the food was quite pleasing to the eye as well ( though some of the bowls were really a bit too huge for just a few pieces of chicken.)
Overall, I would say that the food really is worth the money, but one thing to note is that the waiting time can be really long and also the space between two adjacent tables can be a little bit tight. Otherwise, I would strongly recommend Waraku to all Japanese food lovers
Rating given:
I am quite picky for food. Cheap crappy food disgusts me. I'm always willing to pay more for better food. We need good food to survive, don't we?
But this restaurant just blew me out.
Their prices are super low. As in low, low. Usually I expect to pay about $10 for good food (which is not abundant in the vicinity of my school. sigh), but this restaurant...
For a main course, you will only expect to pay on average of $4. FOUR DOLLARS. 0_0 you saw that right. FOUR DOLLARS. Their serving is quite big too! Just perfect for a "big meal". Pssst.. If you're nice to the people who serve you, I'm pretty certain that they will give you some extra. ;) my boyfriend, who was a regular in this restaurant, claimed that he often got 10%-20% discount and sometimes free tidbits and drinks.
The food is tasty. It's as tasty as higher priced food. Which is quite surprising and extraordinary. They mainly sell usual Asian dishes such as Hokkien Mee, Mee Goreng, Fried Rice (my boyfriend claimed they have the best fried rice in Singapore - it's very close to Indonesia's fried rice - which is super tasty I tell you), Prawn Noodle, and (well...) spaghetti bolognaise, and many others.
To top it off, they also have desserts. I and my boyfriend ordered the sundaes, which were going for only $2 each. 0_0 well it wasn't as tasty as Ben n Jerry's (for example), of course. But to have a nice dessert after a sumptuous meal for only $2... It's a delight.
It's kinda hidden in Fortune Centre (Bugis Area). I highly recommend you to drop by sometime. Just go around the first floor and you'll be able to find it.
I should go here more often. Bored of school's food.. Sigh..
Rating given:
Looking for a place to get sports apparels, with better bargains than you can get from sole distributors? Here's the place! (But don't have too high hopes though.)
Personally, I would go all the way to the West (i'm at the east) to buy my sports shoes because there's a variety of designs to select from. Even the older designs can be found there too. Also, it is normally slightly cheaper than at the Nike/ Adidas retail stores for the new designs, and about 15% (or more) cheaper for the older designs! Apart from shoes, of course you can get your sportswear, socks, bottles and bags too. Yes, slightly cheaper for some! I was just there today and I got 15% off a bag that was released only recently!
Other than that, they've got food stalls strategically situated at random places in the mall, convenient for "busy-shoppers". There are also several shops that sells casual wear, instead of just sports wear.
Nonetheless, I find it pretty hard to find your way about. The shops are not very organized and it's normally hard to remember where you've been unless you remember the shop name. Also, some of the shops seem to be under the same owner, so prices are pretty standard there. However with the high traffic flow, service is pretty poor there I must say.
Parking's a problem and it's extremely expensive. On a regular Saturday, 2.5 hours in the afternoon could cost you $5.10. You'd understand why I'd say it's expensive when you see the condition of the carpark.
Minus the carpark problem, it's a place worth going to look for your sports apparels, and at a good deal! (;
Rating given:
Was deciding on a place to eat along Orchard road one weekday evening and the only place that didn't seem to be spilling with people was Crystal Jade Golden Palace (CJGP). From what I know, CJGP hovers around the top tier of the Crystal Jade chain, which includes Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Kitchen etc.
Located on the 5th floor of the high end The Paragon shopping mall, CJGP appeals with its sombre yet elegant entrance walkway and posh/classy interior complete with ambient lighting. Padded walls and carpets, thick cushioned chairs all give the impression of comfort at its finesse.
Shark's Fin in Coconut - This dish is out of the menu so please pardon my literal translation from Chinese to English. Served up in a coconut husk, the fins were of decent quality and in abundance together with stuff like prawns and fish maw in a nice and light broth which hinted of coconut towards the bottom.
Crystal Jade Suckling Pig - A rather impressive dish I must say, with the skin crackling crispy and the meat harbouring a light smoky taste. I liked the strings of jellyfish that came with it as well, springy with lots of bite. Not the least bit worth the price($23) though, with only a few slices of skin and meat.
Sauteed Scallop with Broccoli - Yet another dish of small proportions. Cooked just right, the broccoli was crunchy and tasty with the scallops slightly firm and not overwhelming.
Golden Palace Signature Fried Rice - I naturally had a certain level of expectation as this came billed as one of the restaurant's signature dish. Regrettably, it wasn't quite what I was looking for, coming across as decent but not outstanding. Probably the only highlight to it was the presence of salted egg yolk which gave the rice a slightly rough texture.
Mashed Taro with Gingko Nuts - The mashed taro aka Orh Nee, was smooth and light without being too moist or dry. However portions are really miserable and I can easily eat 2 bowls of equally satisfying Orh Nee for the same price.
Dinner for 2 didn't come cheap at about $128, especially with the small portions. However I can't deny that the quality of food is there and service is more than adequate. I guess that does provide some justification for the high prices. What do you think?
See all my pictures here
Rating given:
Avoid the Indian stall at this food junction.
I was there today to check out some gadgets and decided to have our dinner at the Food Junction. There were so many choices, even a Pepper Lunch Express stall. But don't know why, we decided to go for the Indian stall right at the entrance of the food court.
I ordered their chicken biryani and bf ordered mutton mutabak. At first look, the biryani looks not bad. Chicken given was pretty huge and there was cabbage and bean sprout and papadum. But when I cut into the chicken, I knew its going to be bad. The chicken had been fried before putting into the gravy and its too tough. As its fried chicken, it didn't manage to absorb the flavor of the curry. Very badly cooked. Than the cabbage had a weird taste and was too hard. The bean sprout tasted like it was half cooked! I could taste the rawness of it! Yucks!
The mutabak taste was normal but its very small. The thickness was the same as an egg prata and the filling was very little. Not worth the try.
So next time when you're there, you might want to try other stalls instead.
Beside the bad experience, I've to comment that this food junction is a good place to go for cheap food and comfort meetings. There's a corner that's decorated nicely with red cushioned chairs and round cushioned sofa seats around the sides of this corner. Great place to go to study or meeting clients. There's wifi there too.
Giving 1/5 for the bad food at the Indian stall.
If its only for the place, it'll be 4/5 for the nice comfy corner within the food junction.
Rating given: