It’s cold and it’s freezing but I am really enjoying my vacation here in NYC. Getting to spend quality time with both my sister and mother is something I look forward to everyday of this trip.
A glimpse of the Chrysler building from 2nd Avenue.
Travel Period: Jan 23 – Feb 4 2012
I was hoping to bump into Jamie Oliver during our visit but obviously I did not – see the trout below? that could have been a photo of me and Jamie instead! lol!
Chargrilled Sea Trout with Peas, Chilli, Mint, Parmesan,
Pea Shoots and Amalfi Lemon Creme Fraiche
“Fifteen London is a restaurant that uses the magic of food to give unemployed young people a chance to have a better future. Profits go to the Jamie Oliver Foundation” - Fifteen Official Website
Lunch Menu: 2-Course at £26; 2-Course and Dessert £30; Full 4-course £36.
In times like these, it’s definitely a Ka-soh!
Fish Beehoon Soup
My top five (5) reasons to visit:
1. Busy day – Lunch is until 2:30pm and dinner last order is 10pm.
2. Feeling weak – Beehoon soup when I am feeling sick.
3. Brainstorming – Prawn paste chicken for client to snack during their visit to our office.
4. After Relaxation – It’s near my regular foot/back massage place.
5. When we can’t decide where to go – Almost everyone I know would say yes on this suggestion.
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Thanks to Ton’s recommendations, The Muffinry is now my new favourite Saturday brunch place around town. Tucked in the middle of Telok Ayer’s long rows of shop houses, you’ll find this quaint little shop that serves good coffee, muffins & ofcourse – my favourite – grilled chicken avocado sandwich. Service from the owners are very personal and warm, something very rare in Singapore.
It’s such a shame that they opened just right after we decided to move office, if not I could just be around the corner and visit more frequently.
Banana Walnut & Chocolate Chip Muffin.
The constant strive to innovate muffin flavour profiles by introducing new indgredients is what keeps The Muffinry really interesting for me. It seems like there’s always something new – savoury and sweets.
Todai Restaurant “The Mother of All Seafood Buffets” – Elmer Dills, LA Food Critic.
Never had I imagined a day would come when I truly enjoyed my buffet dinner – until now.
Do not be fooled by the humble entrance of Todai restaurant, inside the plain looking glass doors is a wide array of visually enticing food selection that will surely satisfy every hungry dinner’s stomach. Food after food – Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian, Italian, name it most likely they would have it – Okay that’s a bit of an exaggeration but my point is there’s a lot of food. The most prominent section of the buffet would be the seafood section – Chilli crabs, sashimi, oysters, and mussels but the real “star” of the night would be the Snow Crab Claws.
People just kept on flocking this station all night long. I even saw some tables with dinners just solely munching on this.
One of the more decent Filipino Restaurant near my current workplace (Tanjong Pagar Area). Looking at their menu, I won’t deny that for a minute I was really tempted order the all-day breakfast – tocino, tapa, corned beef, but have decided otherwise.
This restaurant tends to be quieter during dinner time compared to its lunch crowd. I really like the fact that I can have dinner in peace, I don’t think I can handle any additional stress after a long day at work.
Bayan Ko – Eggplant Omelette with Minced Pork. You can finish this dish without even knowing there is an eggplant somewhere inside the egg. Perfect for those who do not like vegetables.
Balestier Road. Singapore.
Along the streets of Balestier, you’ll find a selection of Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea) restaurants differentiated by their own version of the 3 more famous BKT styles in China. The Teochew style, light in color but uses more pepper in the soup. The Hokkien style, use more soy sauce, which results in a darker soup. The Cantonese style, strong medicinal herbs flavour in the soup.
Among all that I have tried so far around Balestier, Founder Bak Kut Teh is my personal favourite. The pork ribs are lean and I love the peppery kick I get from the soup (Teochew).
While tourists find themselves tempted by the chocolate shops around the busy tourist area of Brussels Centre, locals and travellers like my cousin (a real chocolate lover) head over to the Grand Sablon – the chocolate Mecca in Brussels – for the real deal!
Inside Pure.
I am not a big fan of chocolates so it was Ton who had all the fun that morning. We went to all the stores in the square and he sampled a few pieces at every stop to help him decide which one is the best.
The Rhine River is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe cutting across Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Netherlands.
From the German side of the Rhine, we visited 3 beautiful cities – Köln, Koblenz and Bacharach via the KD Rhine River Cruise. We stopped at each city for a night or two except for the city of Bacharach.
Each cities have it’s own little charm and character, rediscovering it all over again was as enjoyable as my first visit.
First Stop: Köln
The Old vs. The New
We stayed at the old town where most of the tourist places are within walking distance.
On our recent trip to Paris, my cousin and I were determined from day-1 to have a meal at the famous Parisian tea salon – Ladurée. He was excited about the macaroons and I, the overall dinning experience.
Walking down the more common streets of Paris, we went past a few local branches, all of which were packed with “Q”s literally to the doorsteps. We did not want our experience to be one with stress so we decided to go in for an early breakfast on a Sunday morning instead.
