Instant Macaroni - Cooking with Kays

I may never end a year right, but I always try to start the new year right - on a healthier note. 2017 was a year which I had many irregular meals which ended up having me putting on additional weight and having an unnecessary swimming float around my waist. :P

So, was quite happy to find Kays which made cooking simple and provided variety to instant noodles if I was hungry and wanted something fast! If I am not wrong, it is the only instant macaroni and fuselli in the market. But check out the huge selection of flavors they have already!

Meal 1 - Fuselli pasta

My Dad made a bit of a mistake and mixed 2 different sachets together. So we had Spicy Chicken and Hot and Spicy all in one dish. It was still very delicious but very, very spicy. I teared a bit while eating it. So generally, it takes about 3 minutes to prepare the fuselli, but if you are like me, you may want to keep them simmered.

Tip of the day: Don't empty the whole sachet in because the portions are generous. Save it for other dishes. (Will show you later.)

How to cook it: My Dad made sure the food preparation was kept easy for lazy folks out there. The sausage, fishball and assorted veggies are all obtained cold storage area. (Left) More ingredients were added to the one on the right, we had tomatoes, onions and mushrooms with the Black Pepper Sachet. You can definitely change them to fresh food, such as minced meat, capsicum etc. if you are not afraid of a little preparation work.

Meal 2 - Yong Tau Foo

With your leftover sachet, you can use it for your other dishes as well. This was made using the Hot and Spicy sachet which my Dad left over. And dang the Yong Tau Foo was yummy. I had 2 bowls of the soup. :P So we used 1 sachet for 2 servings and I thought the spicy level was just right, this time round.

Tip of the day: If you don't really like the Indianish spice taste, avoid the Hot and Spicy, go for Spicy Chicken instead.

How to cook it: This dish used Yi Mian, but you can definitely use Kays macaroni as a substitute. Yong Tau Foo can be easily purchased at the wet markets and it makes your meal look more colourful and nutritious. :)

Meal 3 - Cheese Macaroni

This is my favourite dish that my Dad has made thus far. (Maybe cos I am a huge fan of Cheese macaroni.) Obviously, we didn't use the sachet but we made use of the instant macaroni. If you want to know how you can satisfy your cheese Marconi cravings quick and fast, read on!

Tip of the day: Don't save on the cheese and use the cheap NTUC type, the taste will be different. Use Parmesan Cheese!

How to cook it: Bacon with bacon bits, mushrooms, sausages and assorted vegetables. This is like the ingredient filled version you can never get outside. My Dad fry the bacon and sausages a bit before simmering the rest of the ingredients. If you are lazy, you can always use the microwave, but it doesn't taste as good (Tried and tested!)

Meal 4 - Japanese Macaroni

I was lazy that day. So instead of using the mircowave, I tried to entirely use the cup noodles method. And guess what it worked! But the macaroni tasted very starchy. I am not sure whether it was my method that is the issue or does the soup macaroni taste like this!

Tip of the day: If this method works, it is really the most convenient way of cooking!

How to cook it: I grab all the stuff from the nearest 7-eleven. I should have popped in an onsen egg as well. But at least I had the cha siew. :P Should have bought some spring onions and the anchovies soup would have been perfect!

As you can see, I have been experimenting with Kays but I am still not quite done with it yet given their huge selection. So bear with me as I slowly share with you my hits and misses and cooking tips I have gathered.

So far, I am super in love with their fuselli. From the pictures, some of you may tell me that it is overcooked, but I think I like mine a little more soggy than crunchy so they are perfect for me. Stay tune as I share with you more, ok!

A cushy good year ahead

Most of us use the new year to reflect on our life. I usually do it during the Christmas season cos it is already downtime, so why not use it for something productive right? Some of us may be transiting into a new life - moving into a dorm, your own home or even starting work etc.

One thing that I think every one needs is a comfort pillow or cushion. So I found some new, cute cushion covers from a carousell shop which I have been holding on for a while. There are so many designs available and they are very affordable! :D

My personal favourite are the Superhero themed and motivational quotes. If you are looking for something for your house, they also have more serious looking designs that would fit in. For any of you who are fans of Harry Potter, Game of Throne etc., they have a series of covers for you to choose from.

The covers that I choose are have some texture. I won't think it is good to use them for sleeping cushions, but they make good back-rest, sofa cushions and even on its own a good side-table runner (just something I thought of cos they look rather instagrammable.)

If you have a cushion already, all you have to do is to measure to make sure they can fit snuggly into the covers. Psss, all covers don't come with the cushions. For cheap cushions, you can get the Ullkaktus from Ikea and they would fit snuggly into your covers.

For me, I am currently using my cushions as a room deco. But closer to CNY, I will be shifting them to the living room for our guests to gush over them. <3 Since it is the festive period, I want to take this opportunity to wish you guys a "cushy life" ahead. Hehe. Cheers~!~

Best Thai Tom Yum: Blue Jasmine

I am sure by now all of you know how much I love my Thai food. I am quite excited to introduce this place to you because the Thai food is really yummy and halal too! It is now one of my to-place now with my Muslim friends when we need a girl's day out!

Blue Jasmine is located at Farrer Park Hotel (Convenient for a staycation hehe!) It is located on 5th pool and overlooks the pool. Although it is slightly pricier than the other Thai restaurants I have been to, it has the best atmosphere and the serving portions are generous!

If you only have tummy space for very selective items, these are the 2 must try(s) are the Larb Salmon (Left) -S$18 and Prawn Tom Yum (Right) - S$20 and their desserts. The Larb Salmon is one of the most interesting dish I have had to date and you probably can't find it anywhere else. It is a starter dish. The recommended way of consumption is to place the salmon roe on the rice crackers. But it taste good even on its own. :D

The other dish that I would highly recommend is the Prawn Tom Yum. Although Tom Yum is pretty much a staple at most Thai restaurants, this one tasted exceptionally good. It was aromatic and you could taste the freshness of the ingredients. It is easily the best I have had to date. Please don't miss these 2 dishes!

Apart from the 2 dishes that were mind-blowing, the rest of the item we tried on the menu was delightful as well. And you can even order blue rice to go with too! (Plus points for that!)

1. Dancing Crispy Sea Bass (Top left) - S$28: This dish had fantastic presentation and it tasted good too. But perhaps it is a Chinese thing, but we always equate fresh fish to steamed fish. So this was marked down simply because it was fried. Otherwise it would been a must try recommendation!
2. Mocktails - Blue Jasmine and Tropical Paradise (Top right) - S$10: Appearance wise, Blue Jasmine (a gradient of blue) was definitely way more pleasing in terms of each colour shades and all. But I felt Tropical Paradise tasted better and was a better drink to go with the dishes. 
3. Glass Noodles (Bottom left) - S$16: This actually tasted like super good Hokkien Prawn Noodle! Would recommend this if you are going for a local flavour. 
4. Larb Chicken Balls (Bottom Right) - S$12: Among the dishes, this was most disappointing not because it is not nice, but it was just too normal compared to the rest. And especially when you have other yummy stuff on the menu and limited tummy space, you probably would want to sit out on this. 

And nobody should miss out on their desserts. It is fun (by that I mean insta-worthy), beautiful and taste super good! I love Red Ruby (S$12) and I also love the modern twist they did on it. It is so unexpected that Red Ruby can even taste better than Mango Sticky Rice (S$14). 


One thing I really love about Blue Jasmine was their generous serving of coconut milk. And that's really the whole highlight if you are a coconut lover, because it gives all these desserts the oomph and woomph and leave your day sweet and satisfying. Ending with a Boomerang we made. :D And seeya all soon at Blue Jasmine.

Fashion Hack: DIY Patches

This post is out to all simpletons (LOL!) - Meaning: People who love basics and are clueless how to make their simple wardrobe more trendy, readers out there. Not that I am 100% trendy, but this is a good hack if you want to give your plain clothes a bit of a pop.

Presenting DIY patches. It used to be pretty in 10-20 years back, I remembered my bag used to have a lot of iron-on patches and my Mum also upcycled quite a lot of clothes out of them. We used to have this bag of patches. But god knows where we put them now!

Some of you with eagle-sharp eyes and elephant-like memory might have remembered seeing the patches in these reviews - click here and here. I have to say patches do make very good flat-lay deco.

I got 2 packets of quirky patches from Tall, Short, Medium and a plain canvas pouch to DIY. The kid I was then would have told you more is more and stuck all the patches on one item (LOL!) I now think, it probably looks better if you have 1-2 patches on each item if you wanna look quirky chic.

I played Mum a little and upcycled my demin jacket. The great thing is that unlike, the past where they are ironed-on and they become permanent, you can actually stick them on to pins instead, you can swap it when you are board of them, creating a new style every time!

Each packet at Tall, Short, Medium come with 2-3 patches with glue and pins. The patches are also packed into themes. So if you are bad at matching stuff, fret not, as some pre-matching has been done!


Here's a video on how you can make your Patch Pins. I have tried it myself and it wasn't too hard. To me, I would think the hardest is when you iron-on at the wrong position of your item. This method has already saved me a good deal of stress.

Apart from bags, clothes, you can even iron these patches on socks and shoes. (P.s. I still think ironing work better for them cos there is more foot action and ironing is still the more secure method!) So simpletons, match it up and let me know if they work for you! :D

Apart from patches,Tall, Short, Medium also holds socks, stationary and even bags. So, I also got myself the Voyage Messenger Bag. I was attracted to it because the shape was a long rectangle which I thought would make a good gym bag. I tried using it as a day-to-day bag but it didn't work that well because it is very spacious making it quite difficult to find your things.

But it does make a very good bag for a day of activities. It is big enough to put your bath stuff and also change of clothes. Its colour also makes it easy to pair with anything and it "resilient to dirt". I used it for OBS. And sling it, hold it, you can slay it. My zip holder broke that day but I still love this bag - replaced it with a black hardy army rope which matches well!

Now that X'mas is around the corner, you may want to consider their exclusive Surprise Gift Box. If you like the element of surprise, the gift boxes are at quite a good discounted price. It is like getting a few freebies thrown in. hoHoHO!

So let me know if you like this fashion hack I shared. I call them cheaper DIY version of pins and brooches. :P

Best Face Mask: I Love T.P.O

Now that my exams are over, I have been catching up with life. This means hanging out with friends, binging on dramas, readings my books (oops, I seem to be spending more time on social media), working on my blog (Yes, I have a lot of posts due) and planning for an impending wedding.

Basically, I just mean I have been busy. But now, I actually have some time to pamper myself. For now, my body care has been a routine. I can't say the same for my skin routine. However, I have been lucky and there hasn't been much of a break-out.

LINE Friends Mask (Sale: S$2.80 pp)

I have tried this collection already and it is so good. Firstly, I have to say the mask was very generous for the serum, so I used the rest all over my body. Secondly, the effect was visible. My skin felt more supple and I had a nice natural glow. And thirdly, the mask fit snuggly on my face. (It was so comfy I fell asleep!)

One slight disappointment I had (#FirstWorldProblem), I thought it would morph me to a cute Line Friend, which it obviously didn't. But you don't really put on a facemask to have a cute instagram photo right, hahah. Apart from this, this is possibly one of my favourite facemask to date!

LINE Friends 3 Step Nose Pack (S$4.90)

I was really excited to try this cos I have tried Biore Nose Pack before (which is said to be pretty good) but it has barely any effect on me. (Either that my nose is too clean. Note: It did pull out a huge amount of gunk from the BF Nose.)

This didn't come with any instructions in English but it was quite intuitive except for the part on the number of minutes of each step. I pretty much went on the 8 minutes golden rule for each step. :D

Comparatively, it takes a bit more time than the Biore Nose Pack cos of the additional steps. The Nose patch for step 2 was definitely so adorable. And don't estimate it cos of its cutes exterior cos it took out a lot more gunk of bigger sized from my nose. (Frankly it did gross me out a little! How can something so cute pull out something so disgusting. >.<)

T.P.O is generally very generous with its serum. Step 3 does help to make the nose feel smoother. But when I look at my nose in the mirror, I feel that the pores did not grow smaller in their size. Frankly, I think I would use it again but definitely not when I am in a rush.

T.P.O. For You Mask (S$1.90 pp) 

This is much cheaper than the line series, and good news I think it is as good as the Line Friends Mask. The mask is very thin too so it sticks to your face. Extremely comfortable! One thing I am very certain, this make very good gifts because of the message at the packaging. So if you are on a budget, you may want to consider this mask instead?

I am sure many of you are also excited to try. So guess what I will splitting this separate set to a few of you. (Wheee~!~) But I will only be doing the giveaway next month after I am done with all the masks so that the review will be complete. And also partially because there are so many giveaways going on.

From the looks of it, we may have 1 a month. :D If you can't wait for the giveaway, you may want to get them from Florray. That's where all my masks came from by the way. Apart from T.P.O., they hold other brands such as Bourjois, Pupa and Lapothicell! And it comes with free shipping for purchases above S$60!

Starting Christmas at ParkRoyal@Kitchener Road

Christmas seems to be coming a little slower this year. Apart from me spending a lot more money (which is kinda of normal), there is barely any festive mood. So it was really cool, when we got to see the light-up of the Christmas Tree (made of up Recycled Bottles, cool right!) at the lobby of ParkRoyal@Kitchener Road.

It was so magical. And with the singing of some Christmas carols along with the their staff, you know what, I am pretty sure someone has sprinkled the the festive mood all over me! Hohoho.

There's no better way to stay merry with food and drinks. Usually, I am quite a herbivore, attacking the fruits and salad section. But during Christmas, the carving section excites me tremendously. And let me tell you a little secret, the meat I had at ParkRoyal@Kitchener Road is the best I had to date.

The side salad beside the Roasted Turkey was so good too! The portions were very generous such that you could try out with different sauces. I didn't have a second serving because I wanted to try everything there (which I didn't) cos the selection was quite plentiful!

And if you are hoping to get to taste our local delights, you are at the right place cos the Chilli Crab and buns were absolutely delish. I would have drank down the gravy as soup if it wasn't for the calories. *Sheepish Face*

I was pretty glad I positioned myself near the laksa booth too cos there was always a long queue. The laksa is a little bit different from the usual cos it doesn't have bean spouts. It was replaced with cucumber which gave it a more refreshing taste. It was unusual but interesting!

Saving the best section for the last - the desserts. I guess apart from the carving section, the Christmas desserts especially the logcakes are always highlights to look out for. Most of the time, I don't usually like everything on the Dessert Table. But this was quite an exception for me! I pretty much love everything.

The chocolate cakes were thick and flavorful. The other Christmas White Chocolate and
Lemon Curd Log Cake had a taste of zest which gave our palettes some variety. I had a slice of each and was happy to see there was nothing overly surfeiting. It was a good mix of sweetness. I will be reviewing their log cake separately so stay tune for that! :D

Overall, the Christmas menu at ParkRoyal@Kitchener Road is surprisingly satisfying. At first glance, it isn't the most fanciful layout, but food-wise there was nothing sub-par. Makes me wonder why their Christmas menu isn't raved in town. It is really one of the best I have had and their price is really affordable too! (It is less than S$50 if you are not having on the eve or the actual day itself! And there is even up to an additional 15% card discount!)

Ending the post wishing you readers an early Merry Christmas. :D I will try to bring the mood up by doing more giveaways the following year. What do you think? HOHOHO, guess the Christmas spirit is always infectious.

Free Drinks at Mr. Coconut

Remember in my last post, I claimed that coconuts were the next hype that were taking over the world. I am pretty sure that my prophecy is coming true cos check this out, they are now bubble tea alternatives. And I am sure liking them as thirst quenchers because they are a lot healthier.

So some fast facts about Mr. Coconut, it is made up of all-natural coconut water. The young coconuts are imported freshly from Thailand, thus the juice are guaranteed to be sweet and the flesh soft. You have the options to up the sugar level for some of the drinks. But why do it when coconuts come with natural sweetness :D

And just in case you think they can't be insta-worthy, check out the Bubble Dragonfruit Coconut! I love the colour swirls. Pretty. Just in case you are wondering, what is my favourite drink at Mr. Coconut, it is the Coconut Oreo Shake. (I never knew the 2 of them were such great combination!)

To be fair, I have quite a number of favourites, and it also depends on whether I want something thicker (with the coconut flesh blended) i.e. shakes or just a simple coconut juice. Psss, you can even add on the bubble tea toppings i.e. pearls, aloe vera (about 50 cents each) to make your drink even more satisfying.

Since I have started with the juices, let me go into the few I have tried. (I prefer shakes by the way!)

Coconut Starfruit Juice (Top left): We definitely do not Starfruit Bubble Tea in town. It is a combination of 2 refreshing fruits together without one overpowering the other.

Bubble Honeydew Coconut (Top right): It was great when I tried it, until I had the rest. I guess for me it is something impressive by itself but less so with the rest.

Bubble Dragonfruit Coconut (Bottom): This is undoubtedly my favourite among the drinks/ juices simply because it is pretty and you can taste 2 distinct flavours if you don't swirl it. I highly recommend this cos it comes with complimentary a fun experience. :P

As mentioned earlier, I actually prefer the shakes (wriggles in joy just thinking about it). So here's a fast overview from left to right:-

Coconut Shake: This is the crowd's favourite. And I think I can understand why. I like it cos you can taste every part of the coconut. Great for coconut lovers.

Coconut Avacado Shake: For you guys who want something that is creamier and thicker, go for this option instead.

Coconut Mango Shake: I like this the least. Cos I thought the mango taste was too mild. The owners explained that this was to have a balance so that the consumers can still taste the Coconuts. Guess that makes sense.

Price wise they are around the S$4 - S$5 range. Currently Mr. Coconut has 3 outlets, I can't wait for them to sprout all over Singapore. As an introduction to the newest coconut drinks, Mr Coconut will be giving out free drinks from the new menu on 9 December 2017, Saturday, at all three of its outlets in Singapore located at Far East Plaza, North Point, and V Hotel Lavender, from 12-2pm, 3-5pm and 6-8pm respectively.

Here's their address. Don't miss it!
1) Far East Plaza 14 Scotts Road #01-14C S(228213)
2) V Hotel Lavender 70 Jellicoe Road #01-15 S(208767)
3) Northpoint City 930 Yishun Avenue 2,#B1-42 S(769098)

Fan of Fancy Handfans

You may have seen on my Instagram story this gorgeous fan, which consist a fusion of the East and the West (中西合拼). Since it generated quite a little buzz on Instagram among my friends, I thought I should do a full post here to share with you a little more about this beauty.

Don't be too surprised but this fan is totally handmade. In fact all the fans at Fancy Handfans! "Stay Cool, Look Hot!" this is a super dupe apt quote for people living on a sunny island.

The weather in Singapore has been pretty uncooperative lately. So instead of being caught with beads of perspiration around my forehead, I now put a fan in my bag to keep myself cool. It is a lot better than an electronic fan because (i) it is more eco-friendly, (ii) thanks to its chic design, it really looks more like a fashion accessory upping my style of the day and (iii) it provides me some exercise. Hehe.

If you are from the same part of the world as me, fans are pretty common and part of our culture. But sometimes are always very tradition and may not blend in with our modern outlook. Which is partially why I wanted to share with you guys on Fancy Handfans!

We all know what you wear can either make or break a look. But now I know that a good well-designed can give the look the "oopmh". At Fancy Handfans, there are many designs available for each occasion. Psst, even Christina Aguilera wore one of their fans to The Voice USA!

I, myself had a difficult time picking the designs. From quirky, goth, retro, striking, you name it, they pretty much have it all. These are some of the designs that caught my eye. Go click on the link and you can check out the others!

Before anyone condemn this collage as narcissistic selfies, these are actually me imitating some of the flirtatious fan signs. Just so you know, you can actually use your fans to tell your suitors your availability and your level of passion towards them. Hehe.

Here's where I got my inspiration from, try them out yourself! If you going to take photos like me, tag Fancy Handfans when posting them on Instagram. I only tried 4, but there are a whole list of language! Let me know if you can guess what I am doing :D

And just to make it more interesting, if you can successfully guess my actions, I will be giving away a fan to a lucky reader who got 4 signs right! I did try to choose a fan which was more classy and mainstream so that it will appeal to most of you :D

Have fun! Will try to close the giveaway before 2018 so that you can keep cool in the hot 2018! :D By the way, I will be using my fan for a photoshoot soon, so do keep a lookout for it!