Relish-ed ♥

I think a lot of my friends were raising a whole lot of eyebrows when they heard that I was going on nature trails. Well, maybe it was purely the fact that I have been willingly (read: not forced) embarking on my new healthy lifestyle with my aforementioned survival expert/professional tree chopper/lopper/biologist/bird-spotting pro friend, S.

Our destination on Wednesday was Sungei Buloh! The thing is, each time I go on these trails, I feel quite upset that it has taken me so long to get reacquainted with nature (whatever of it we have on our island). Walking into multiple cobwebs in the jungle through trails often forsaken, sharing paths with monitor lizards and gecko-lookalikes and spotting signs that warned of crocodiles is a refreshing (and sticky) change from our city jungle landscape. YES! While we didn't see one, the idea that we could cross paths with one added a whole lot of excitment to the trail.

The nature reserve itself was - to put it in one word- tranquil. It was as if we were in a completely different country. With the salty breeze in our hair, we paused from time to time trying to spot birds with S' mother-powerful binos. By the way, I can now tell a waterhen from a kingfisher after her very helpful tutorial on How to Recognise Types of Birds 101. Ask me!!

Oh and did I mention that we saw the resident family of otters? I would have taken pictures of them basking in the sun, conversing in their really cute squeaking sounds. Would have. Because my camera only has a pathetic x3 optical zoom. Because the nature-lover stranger beside me had a x30000000 optical zoom hugeass camera, and anything I attempt to take would have been amateur. Because, you have to go down and see the little darlings for yourself. ♥

























And of course you have to feed the hungry trekkers, because to do otherwise would be just pure evil. I've been wanting to try Relish for the longest time. After hearing/reading rave reviews about the place, S and I decided that it was the best place to fill our tummies after our trail.

The place itself has a rather nice vibe.. quite laidback and going with the whole white-walled clean cut feel. We lucked out because it was Wednesday and they offer a fantastic deal for the ladies : free dessert with an a-la-carte order :) We both decided to go for the BBQ Pork Burger and trust me when I say that it tastes a gazillion times better than it looks (my parents haven't said really nice things about how it looks, so I guess I eat with my nose, not my eyes). The meat is braised/flavourful/tender/melts in your mouth/not charred. Plus I guess the fact that we both were thankful that we didn't order different things- we couldn't imagine giving half of it away- says a hell lot. We are such carnivores. The combination of oriental-inspired burger served on foccacia, tucked underneath the reds really worked.
















































S ordered the vanilla/sesame icrecream while I ordered the Pandan Pannacotta. I was expecting the pannacotta to be heavier on the cream, so I wasn't quite prepared to taste a lighter and eggier fusion version of the Brit classic. S wasn't too excited with her icecream (we swear we tasted oregano in the sesame mixture). We ended up swopping - because eaten together with the vanilla ice cream made the sesame-herb dessert work, and because S quite liked the gulamelaka -pannacotta pairing.

Can't wait till the next nature trail, or when I can join S for a spot of fieldwork :) fingers crossed for the latter!


























Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
301 Neo Tiew Crescent
Singapore 718925

Relish
501 Bukit Timah Road
#02-01 Cluny Court

Venturing East

So I've heard countless ravings about all the fantastic eats in the East, but the thing is - no amount of persuasion can get my very practical dad to drive all the way just to eat the newest big thing in Singapore. Don't get me wrong, Singapore isn't big at all. In fact, we are really tiny. Many foodies don't mind the queues, the drive or the belly, but the truth is, patience never did run strong in the family's veins. Unless it's been given 10 thumbs up, a twenty minute drive across our little island has never been deemed that worth it. (We are just plain lazy)

Well, I decided to put an end to all this slothlike behavior and thus found myself in Joo Chiat with Jia on Friday. The latest brainchild from the people who brought us Awfully Chocolate, Everything with Fries is basically your burger shop - a tad more upmarket and with the very obvious product differentiation. I had the lamb burger while Jia had the pork and both were rather decent garb. I was a little disappointed in the variety of fries offered -with a more varied assortment of flavourings compared to type of fries (thickcut or shoestring) the apparent main actor seemed a little lacklustre and didn't quite rise to expectations.





















Nonetheless, couldn't stop grinning when I saw this :

Altitude: 163.3m

Armed with backpacks (circa 2003), water bottles, digital gear (cameras for me and binocs for S) and insect-repellant-d legs/arms/ears/necks, S and I finally set off to conquer the highest altitude in Singapore.

Yes, okay, scoff all you want. Our highest altitude is mere flatland compared to the Mt.Everest, but the nature trails are definitely worth a hike for the explorer in you. Although there really isn't anything much to see apart from trees, we did manage to spot squirrels, pigeons (colourful ones!) and families (and families) of monkeys.

Having grown up under the watchful eye of my overprotective dad, nature trails and treks were never really part of the weekend agenda. From what I can remember, we did go for one or two nature walks, but all that mysteriously died down after I turned 7 (and probably around the time when the little sister flatly declared that she was tired and didn't want to climb the hill halfway through our hike. Mind you, it was just the boring path up and down). Such a pity really, because shouldn't a childhood be filled with adventure and exploration? Shouldn't it be about kids learning more about nature (without the parents fussing around their grimy offsprings?)

Well, S (the more seasoned hiker/climber/lopper/survival expert) and I decided to go for the Green Trail- which looked really promising. We thought we were doing great - all the way until we reached the mid-point and saw the two grannies that were in front of us at the start halfway through their stretching exercise. Can you say Embarrassment (with a capital E) any louder? My only consolation is that we made it to the end and back down well ahead of our targeted time frame of 3hours.

And of course, we had to go for our breakfast #2. Rounded up our healthy morning exercise with the not-so-healthy iced milo, teh tarik, plain prata and muffins from the local bakery - pure bliss.

Old World Charm

Being abroad for a span of 6-9months at each stretch, I am constantly amazed by the rapid changes in the city landscape. Yet, if you've read earlier posts, you'll know my fascination with everything old Singapore. Those old world peranakan shophouses that house everything from funky new retail shops/bistros/boutique cake shop along Ann Siang street, to art galleries and media/PR companies along the Amoy Street stretch are but one facet of the intrigue. What truly excites me is when I see a shophouse that has kept its original facade - grills, signboard and all.

Where people see backward, ugly, rusty or just plain ol' old, I see tradition, heritage and volumes of history. I see old world charm. S and I decided that we had to do the Chinatown - Kampong Glam heritage tour again, just because it felt right. Chinatown has become commercialised, but tell me which tourist destination hasn't? It is when you take the routes untaken and walk down new alleyways that you'll stumble upon something new. Wandering into mosques, walking past Chinese Medical Shops which could have definitely passed off as the Witches go-to supermarket (what with all the lizards, strange insectile thingies (?!) and all those nasties you put in boiling cauldrons) combines for the truly special Chinatown experience.

We chanced upon 大同饼家 or Tai Thong Cake Shop this time round. Having been around for half a century (now that's what I call real street cred), it is relatively impossible to not have heard of it or eaten their cakes. I have heard of their very famous Chinese New Year and Wedding pastries, but had no idea where their shop was located.

Call me ignorant if you must, but the stars must have decreed that I would have to find the place on my own, sans googlemap. And find it we did.

Tai Thong Cake Shop
#35, Mosque Street, Singapore

Mr Supermarché

Everything about supermarkets make me happy. From looking at the fully-stocked, neatly arranged shelves, to the huge stock variety in their open freezers just makes me happy. Wandering around a very strange and unfamiliar London 3 years earlier made me scared/frantic/overwhelmed.

And then I met Waitrose.

Waitrose in the UK is kinda like the equivalent of the Cold Storage supermarkets we have here in Singapore. The variety of mushrooms, meat, fish, and more importantly cereals and yoghurt they stocked were mindboggling fantastic. At the very second I stepped in, all (and I truly mean all) my anxiety melted away. And throughout the three years there, no amount of stress could fight against my new Hero.

Hanging out with friends that feel the same way about Mr Supermarche inevitably entails that no matter what we plan our day to look like, we'd just end up wandering into supermarkets. S and I got reaquainted to Sara Lee Pound Cakes yesterday, when our healthy hiking plans got derailed by the tempermental weather. Imagine my delight when I saw those delicious frozen pound cakes that I renamed 'ice cream cake' (before the wave of real ice cream cakes infiltrated the market) as a little kid :):)

Yes, I know I'm sad.

I miss

Really Good Vegetarian Food (Don't judge.)/Seductive aromatics of freshly ground beans toying with your olfactories//Perfect Lattes to end great meals/Almond Croissants/Communal brunch setting/The Large Oak Table/Truffles.

Because simplicity is key for the frazzled. And because sometimes, a whiff of comfort can make everything better.

Food for Thought - 31 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9PR
Monmouth Coffee Company - The Borough, 2 Park Street, London SE1 9AB; 27 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9EU

The Place

I found my favourite coffee-place today. And I wonder what took me so long. ♥

Hello Routine!

The one thing I missed most about Singapore when I was abroad was the weekly prata breakfast we had at the coffeeshop near our place. My mom swears by the tea, without which she says she cannot function. My dad just likes the prata, which, unlike most places, is freshly pulled, slapped on the metal worktop and fried (with a whole load of unhealthy-thou-shalt-pretend-does-not-exist-substances) on your order.

The closest substitutes we had back in London were frozen pratas from Chinatown and A1/Jap curry packs that the boys bought in abundance. And after countless of suppers with the flatmates and ingenious methods, the four of us have unanimously declared that the combination of grilled frozen pratas with A1 curry triumphs everything else. Yes, we grill our pratas and they turn out wonderfully crispy/fluffy/everything you want your prata to be.

So, whether I clubbed till 3am or stayed home the night before, my parents would always make sure that we were there at half 7 for our weekly prata breakfast. And although it's not so much 'Hello Routine' when the former happens (more like a 'Go Away Now, Routine') the year without the real deal has left me pining for my long-lost friend.

It is possibly the only place you'll find me at my worst- read: hair flyaways, half-opened eyes and in my fbts (running shorts, for the uninitiated). But it is also the place that I feel the most comfortable in. Almost like breakfast at home, if you like.

Oh, on a side note, I have been banned from my beloved kitchen by my sister (which explains my lack of experiments). She has officially issued the decree that till the Big Exams are over, I am not allowed to do any noisy whisking, mixing or baking. No, she does not study in my kitchen (As J wondered in amazement). It is just that she has taken over the entire dining room, situated conveniently right next to the kitchen.

But of course, the withdrawal symptoms are too much to take and I have been not-so-secretly studying her schedule so I can fully utilise the pockets of time when she's in school to bake.

하나,둘,셋!

we hate peas-carrots-corn club/baking powder pore cleansing foam (?!)/really good shaved ice at fareast//Yummeh Ginseng Chicken Soup at Crystal Jade