Puri-Puri: Japanese Rice Bowl

If you have ever been to Japan, you would know that one of the highlight is the option of having the multigrain rice as your staple. My Mum is a huge fan of this rice, and we are pleased to share with you a restaurant in town area that serves this grain and at a very affordable price too.

Puri-Puri is located at Beach Road, sharing the space with a light shop. Not only do you get to enjoy a delicious meal, you also gain some inspiration from the amazing light pieces. If you are sitting on the second floor, you must try the dumbwaiter. Haha, for the fun of it.

Puri-Puri serves a premium 16 multi-grains that is delicious and very healthy. The grains contain barley, glutinous millet and soybeans etc. which provides nutrients, vitamins and minerals into the diet. The different grains brings more flavour and texture to the staple.

A meal at Puri-Puri is pretty fuss-free. You give your orders and you collect the dish and utensils yourself. Although the menu doesn't have a great selection, the 4 dishes we chose were very palatable. The drinks selection is also quite limited. But do pick the coconut juice, cos it is refreshingly delightful and quenches the thirst well.

Like most Japanese food, the dishes were quite light. We finished every single grain of it because it was that delicious. From top left to bottom right,

1. Roast Beef Curry Bowl (S$13.90): It depends whether you are particular about your beef. This is my brother's favourite and he recommends you guys to try it if you are there.
2. Premium Kaisen Bowl (S$25.90): This bowl consists of fresh prawns, tuna, scallops and my favourite salmon. It even contains uni. It is quite value for money given the huge bowl of ingredients. 
3. Juicy Duck Bowl (S$8.90): If you are a fan of duck, you should like this dish. It is simple dish that fills your tummy and leave you wanting more. 
4. Premium Hokkaido Pork Kimchi Bowl ($15.90): This is definitely my favourite dish among the 4 and it is limited edition T.T The kimchi in fact taste a lot nicer than those served in the Korean restaurants and it provide a good break in taste. 

I really hope they put the kimchi bowl on the menu. By the way, for those of you who are working around this district, they are on mealpal too :P A great meal of simple goodness to warm your tummy after a hard day work, that is how I would sum up the taste of Puri-Puri

Sprezza Box: Houston Box

The Christmas gift for the hubby finally arrived. I paid around S$25 for a SprezzaBox (price inclusive of shipping because of the use of a discount coupon) and I think it is quite worth it. The hubby didn't really like everything in the box, but for what he liked and placed a value on, it ended up to be more than S$25. So good buy, I guess. :)

We received the Houston Box and it contains

1. Plaid Necktie ($45): He is wearing it for the next wedding. So I think he likes it.
2. Valet Tray ($30): It is his favourite in the box and he is using it already.
3. Socks ($10): He is not much of a socks person, but he is always happy to have a pair of extra socks.
4. Shoelaces ($10): No special liking for it, but the thinks it will come in handy someday.
5. Wine aerator ($5): This is for me :P
6. Nail Clipper ($4): We used to share one and now he has his own I guess. 

If you are interested in getting one for yourself, you can google online for some discount code. It is a subscription box, but if you cancel immediately, you will get one box at an amazing discount. :P

Marina Bay Carnival

Generally, I have always been pretty kind and mostly supportive of events held in Singapore. But, the Marina Bay Carnival was rather disappointing. I am not sure if the hype last year made me had overly high expectations for it. This is the first year I am there by the way, and I thought it was kinda of boring.

The rides, to be honest, were pretty generic and very, very pricey. S$10 ++ for a thrilling ride. Take 7 and I can probably go to Universal Studio Singapore (with unlimited rides) and shows too. Just in case, you are wondering, I took 2 rides.

The first ride I took was Mach 5, the thriller of last year. Saw Benjamin Kheng from Sam Willows on the ride before me and felt <3 <3 <3 I took it with the hubby. I thought I should be the braver and stronger one between us 2. But, throughout the ride, all I heard was my own screams. Halfway, I thought I am pretty much done with it. Hubby ended up K-Oing. 

My second ride was Freak Out. According to my brother, this was a new ride. I bumped into my primary school classmate on this and after so many years, our first meeting ended up in screams. I thought this was wayyyy worse than the first ride. And when I saw my paper bag with my prize being blown away by the force of the swing of this ride, the fear was pretty well. I came down giddy and couldn't really walk straight. T.T

By now, I sort of figured out the rides were so pricey because the duration was longer than normal thrill rides and by that I mean, is pass the optimum enjoyment period. It made me, my brother and hubby felt shitty and certain we were definitely never taking these rides and not coming here again. 

We did try out a few of the games. And my brother won me a small prize in return for me sponsoring a ride for him. He came last year, and his verdict was...last year was bigger....hopefully next year they are not coming back. All in all, it was an utter waste of my time and I still feel queasy. Argh! And, I wish the influencers would stop lying about how great this is...cos it is not!!!

Best Peranakan Food @ The Peranakan

Crazy Rich Asian is all the rage. And we can't help loving the fancy dinners with the classy decos, especially during the festive season. We were at The Peranakan the other day, and it ticked every box on the checklist for the X'mas/ New Year/ CNY party.

• Convenient location - Orchard checked!
• Value for money - Checked, doesn't leave a big hole in the pocket!
• Delicious food - Checked, it will leave you craving more!

For Christmas only, you can try out the Christmas menu (S$68 pp or S$88 pp with drinks pairing). If you love the food there already, you will be happy to know, this menu pretty much include all your favourites, but presented in a more westernised manner.

Presented from top to bottom, left to right, this is the course of the meal. The heibi hiam (spicy prawn cracker) will be served to every customer, not just the xmas menu. FYI, this was darn incredibly awesome, you need it to be served at your on home every CNY!

1. Three prawns in nonya sauce - You will get to taste 3 sauces, one in the sweet, spicy assam, another in the curry and the last in a simple salt and chilli sauce. The sauces were so good, I actually couldn't pick one over the other. 
2. Ngor Hiam - Believe it or not, that's the portion for one. So much right?!?
3. Roasted Turkey Breast (Choose one of the mains) - you have to choose this. This is a X'mas special and I swear that the turkey is so tender and yummy. It is probably one of the best I have tasted (better than the carving stations)
4. Stewed Pork Belly in spice (Choose one of the mains) - This is a peranakan-style satay. As compared to the turkey breast, I think it is not as amazing. But still a pretty good dish. 
5. Durian Pengat Custard (Choose one of the desserts) - I only tried this because I was so full after the meal. But please pick this, this is to die for. The D24 durian was so amazingly fragrant and smooth. And it is presented so cutely too!
6. Drinks (Kir Nonya and Vodka Baby Blues) - Both drinks had the blue pea flower as part of its ingredient. If you want to taste more of the flower, pick the former. :P

If you only see this post after X'mas, don't worry, cos there is the Tok Panjang. And this is really my favourite fanfare. The giant platter of yum is marked by an opening gong ceremony. It is so festive and instagram-worthy. I think I already know where my family will be going for our CNY dinner this year.

There are 2 sizes avilable, either the 45pp or 65pp. And if you are not much of a big eater, you can pick the former. This set rounds up all the favourites or should I say my favourites too at the restaurant and you can save yourself a lot of trouble from deciding what to order. Psss, just remember to book a day in advance to avoid disappointment.

Highlighting some of my favourites:

1. Itek Tim (meatball soup) - Both the salted vegetable soup and this warms the tummies. I am only picking this over the other because the salted vegetable soup taste so much like home and what I am used to. Just wanted to eat something more different when I am out.
2. Ayam Buah Keluak - It taste absolutely divine when it is on its own and I don't know why. Given the amount of hours taken to pound and stuff this nutty goodness, this dish is not to be missed. Love it smooth, chocolatety texture, I think I have been converted to a fan!
3. Kichap Manis - a refreshing grain salad that looks a lot like fried rice, but hey it is from 6 different herbs. This is a traditional Peranakan dish but it is hard to find in other restaurants, so do remember to try it at The Peranakan.
4. Desserts - The presentation is extremely fancy and lets you have a good taste of all the Peranakan goodies. But still, nothing here could beat the Durian Pengat Custard.

After a good meal, unlike other restaurants, you even get to get a free tour around the exhibition. Shocking but true, the exhibition holds as much artifacts as a museum and they even have a souvenir ship to let you buy a bit of the Peranakan culture home.

It is pretty much a one-stop shop for entertainment and food. See the long table in the picture, it is said that you can even have your events here at The Peranakan and get your food served on it. Don't we all wish to get on that invite list! So now you know my amazing new haunt, I hope to bump into you there. *wink*

YuYu Collection of interesting beauty products

It is a bit sad, but lately my mails have been stolen. So, a lot of my review products have been missing as well. But, heng, some were couriered so I received them safely. The package I received is quite exciting because it has been a while since I last reviewed beauty products. :D

So I came across this platform - Yu Yu Collection that holds interesting beauty and food products. Most of the brands its holds is quite exclusive and cannot be found elsewhere. Most importantly, the price is pretty reasonable too! In this post, I will be featuring 4 of their most interesting products...excited much!

1. Ciaoke Gentle Exfoliating Mousse

This exfoliator is super duper effective. Sorry to gross you guys out, but honestly I didn't know my face had so much dead skin as well. Basically, this product is pretty easy to use. All you have to do is to rub it on your skin and the foam would slowly disappear. The next thing you notice, viola, you have scrubbed up all the dead skin.

The scent of the foam smells refreshingly cumcumberish cos that is one of their key ingredients. The product is pretty gentle and does promise a fairer complexion. My only gross is that after using the product, there is like a sticky, waxy feel on the skin. But if you can see beyond this tightening sensation, then I guess you should try this for yourself.

2. Qimone LA LA Bra

Brides gonna-be, you need this product. Actually, every woman need one of this in their life. Cos at one point, you are definitely going to wear a strapless, backless dress. Teehee. So, for my wedding, I actually got one of this at a much higher price. And you what, they look the same, feel the same and bring about pretty much the same effect.

But Qimone is wayyyy cheaper. I think in terms of adhesion, Qimone initially gave me the impression it was not as sticky. But surprising, it actually held out as well as my other bra. Psss, and it can give up a nice cleavage even if you are a novice like me. For experience users, you can push your twin towers up by 2 cups. Impressive right!

3. LSY Shine Joint Brush

This was the product I really wanted to try because I know how badly maintained my joints were. It brought me great comfort that the bristles were amazingly soft. I pretty much us this at bath time and would use it for creases (i.e. under-boob flaps, joints and particularly the side of my feet)

So after using it, you would have that squeaky clean feeling. Because it is so soft, you can also use it on other more sensitive parts of your body. If you ask me, I think it is even soft enough to use on your face. Yes, you didn't hear me wrong, it is that soft. Try it if you don't believe me.

4. KOSE Rose of Heaven Shampoo

Last but not least, I had a staple in my list of products. I love that this shampoo has a bit foam. Somehow, when I am feeling sweaty, I prefer shampoos that foam cos it makes me feel that my scalp is cleaner after the wash. It really helps that this shampoo has a nice gentle fragrance.

And the fragrance is rather lasting too. Lately, I have been waking to the nice honey smell of my hair. It somewhat makes me feel a lot more luxurious. #powerofhoney With that, we have come to the end of the review, please let me know if you would like to know more about quirky beauty products because I had quite a fun time reviewing them and won't mind doing more of such posts *winks*

Food Tour Part 12: Date Food!

It has been a long while since we continued with this series, mainly because we were way too overwhelmed with the wedding posts. But now, we have dates back in schedule, we are eating around town and have pretty fancy places to share.

1. Black Tap

Most of the blogger deemed it as rather pricey. But in my opinion, I thought it was pretty value for money. The burgers were 20-ish, but the portion were humongous. The hubby and I could barely finish our plates. I would really suggest you share 2 burgers among 3 people.

Taste-wise, these were good burgers. If you like strong flavours, you are going to love them. Half-way munching through them, it got a bit surfeiting. But, I think it is because the portion was way too much and I was gorging myself in order not to waste food. Should have just tabao (takeaway) the fries home.

The crazy milkshakes were what I felt grossly overpriced. Don't get me wrong, these beautiful babies taste as awesome as they look. Thick and creamy, yum !~! But for S$20++ bucks, dang that is too painful on my wallet.

But I have to admit, it is pretty good for the gram. And there is no harm having one per table to share with your friends or well just to make your girlfriend or kid happy. :) Everybody love something colourful. :D

2. fArt tArtz

They may be quite familiar to you already given that they have a few outlets. I tried time for the first time because of a discount code. And boy, I was quite blown away by the flatbread burger. It was frigging amazing, way more fantastic than the mac and cheese. In fact, the next time I am there, I will probably only eat the fat breads.

I felt that the price was really affordable, given the many discount. However, the portion was a little too small for my liking. I was still very hungry after eating a main. You probably needa order 1.5 portions to be full.

My hubby told me that fArt tArtz was actually more known for their fancy pastries. I agree that their pastries do look very good for the gram (even took the flower home but lost it on the way oops) but, taste-wise it is just average. It is not bad, but it is not exceptional.

But I still see myself going there again. :D For the price-point, it is quite worth. We spent about S$20 ++ for 2 mains and 1 desserts. And it even come with ambience. Great place for dates :P

3. Lau Wang Claypot Delights

This is really inconvenient for me. But if you live at Sembawang area, I would really recommend you to try the claypot out. The dishes here are really affordable yet flavourful. The portion is also just nice. For a date out (including drinks), we spent less than 20 bucks on this.

I head that usually this place has a pretty long queue. But because we went on the weekday and odd timing, we managed to sit comfortably as we enjoy the meal. With that, we come to the end of the long awaited series. I will try to round up my tummy and not let you guys wait too long for the next post. :P

Lime: Festive Buffet Dinner

We are back at ParkRoyal on Pickering again, this time to try out the Christmas meal. Although we have been there for the Thrill of the Grill, we are still very happy to be back because the food is very awesome. Our usual favourites were there.

And this time, we managed to finish trying what we missed out previously - the Asian cuisine. Boy, we are glad we managed to taste it this time round. Because the Asian cuisine is rather good. I would still rate their western tops, followed by the Asian food, than the Japanese cuisine.

As this is the Festive Buffet Dinner, we also got to try the Christmas special. The Christmas period always make me very excited because the carving section is always thrown in free this season. It is like making this period 2 times more merry, and 3 times more value for money.

The carving section at the Lime Restaurant sure doesn't disappoint. You get to enjoy  a Whole Baked Turkey, Honey & Citrus Glazed Ham, Wagyu Beef Rump and Oven-Baked Pork Prime Rib with Spicy Tomato Paste. Guess what, the last 2 are to die for. It will make you wish that Lime Restaurant serves it every day. *Still dreaming of it*

The other thing to look out for at the Festive Buffet Dinner is none other than the Desserts Table. The Desserts Table has new additions such as the classic Black Forest Yuletide Log and Belgium Dark Chocolate with Yuzu Yule Log. And if you are a little more adventurous like me, you need to try the Pandan & Coconut Logcake and Durian Gula Melaka Yule Log.

By now we have more or less concluded that Lime Restaurant's peranakan desserts are top-notch. When you are there, you must try it all. Whether it is the traditional kuehs or the fusion cakes, my oh my, the ingredients brings out so much flavours in the desserts.

We have to admit this time round, we love the matcha fondue and the rainbow cakes. Both are highly insta-worthy and makes you drool. You may also note that this post is done in a slightly different manner with more videos. Let us know whether you like this change and we may do more of it. :P

Our tasters are committed to enlarging their tummies to ensure that you hear about the finest food in town first.

** This review is written with contribution by our tasters. Let us know if you are satisfied with their videography blog. 

Balayage hair with Kimage

A lot of people told me that my balayage hair looks awesome for the wedding. Honestly, this is actually my first time dying my hair and I am pretty happy with the effect. It is a lot more manageable than expected. Because the stylist did a gradient effect on my hair, my roots were essentially still black.

It was also quite easy to maintain because as my hair grew out, there was not much of a need for a touch-up either. And my hair did not become dry and frizzy. But according to the stylists, that is because my hair condition is awesome! :P I know I take good care of my mane.

I also ended up putting some waves in my hair. My natural hair is actually very, very straight. But Kimage has been curling my hair for the past 2 years that...oh well everyone thinks I have natural curls. Honestly, no one give me as natural bouncy curls as Kimage. At the same time, I have also received some of my worse curly hairdo from Kimage.

But still if you ask me where to do curls and dyes, I would suggest Kimage. It is the place I have given my virgin hair dye and curl experience to. And they always successfully convince me that experimenting with my hairstyle can bring out a new, more gorgeous me. Brown hair with curl, dang I feel like a star already....and very ready to be married.

Best Omakase in SG: Rizu Restaurant

If you an important person to impress, you must really take not of this restaurant I am sharing today. I swore it blew my mind away and I am very much ready to be the best friend of the Head Chef, Mr Shimohigashi. Psss...he is very smilely and very much of a looker too. *winks*

I have heard quite a bit about Omakase, but not really got around to trying this. So I was pretty excited to head down to Rizu Restaurant to try out the 11 course Special Omaskase out for myself. And boy, I am glad I made my way there.

Nestled in a quiet corner at Duxton Hill, Rizu Restaurant is quite a cosy place that offers outdoor al-fresco dining. We came early, so the place was a little more empty. But we noticed quite a bit of people, mostly Japanese, streaming in. And the hubby went "this place must be good".

And it is good, in fact it is so good I know I will be coming back for more. Just to share a bit more, Omakase is a dining concept that lets the chef to decide on the dishes. There is quite a lot of trust placed on the chef to get your taste right.

And the truth is Omakase is a very fun eating experience. Not that you totally have no idea what you are consuming, cos Rizu Restaurant actually provides you with a generic menu. Chef Shimohigashi would also check if you have any food allergies, so you are pretty much in safe hand.

The thing is, each dish is made with so much precision and detail, you end up spending a good time photographing every dish. Our starter was the Cauliflower Puree with Caviar with uni and konjac jelly. It was so good, I swore I even scrapped the plate.

Second up, we had our salad which was the 5 kinds Tomato Salad. The tomatoes themselves were pretty international hailing from France and Japan. Hidden right in the centre was the lobster, but the star of the show was the scallop at the sides. Sweet, fresh and succulent, it was definitely one of the best I have tasted and set a new high for good scallops!

My hubby is generally not a fan of vegetables and greens. But I noticed he walloped down the fruits (psss...tomatoes are fruits by the way) while singing praises of the scallop. He even tried to steal one of mine. :'( so much for true love.

The Live Lobster and 4 Sashimi was definitely something to behold. Obviously the live lobster can't possibly be munched on, but I had so much fun just taking photos with it! The sashimi was one of the freshest I have tasted. In fact, I didn't even dipped much of it in the soy sauce.

The 4 sushi served were the (i) lobster flesh which was crunchy and tasteless but served as a good snack (ii) salmon (which was good but not the best I have tasted) (iii) mackarel (tasted like pomelo without the sweetness, love the texture by the way) and (iv) bigeye (with a chewier texture)

The soup of the day was the Lobster Bisque! Being a huge fan of Lobster Bisque in general, I think I have a pretty discerning tongue. However, I usually have them at a western restaurant and noted that they were much creamier than the Omakase's version. Although it was a lighter version, it was still very delicious and I appreciated the generous chunk of lobster flesh to chew upon. Yum.

If you note that this blog has more information on the ingredient than usual, what a keen eye you have. As we were being served the dish, we were also introduced on the ingredients. I have learnt so much and have also won boasting rights of having the better sensing tastebud than my hubby!

The next dish is a hot appetiser - Foie Gras Saute with Plum Sauce. At the side, we also got the peanut bread and a plum that gave opposite texturex to the dish. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this dish because I have a very high standard for Foie Gras. I felt that it was not smooth enough and I could still feel the grainy texture. My hubby however felt nothing of that sort and was full of praise for it.

But I love the plum and its sweetness. And I usually don't eat plums. Guess I am a convert now!

By now, we have reached midway and was served the sherbet drenched with yuzu sauce. If you are wondering why is this western looking dessert being served at this point, this dish actually helps to cleanse your palette and prepares you for the next 10 dishes which are richer and heavier in taste.

At this point, I sort of realised I have been at Rizu Restaurant for a really long time even though I didn't realise it. Good food, great company, this is first meal we had as a married couple talking so much about food. I could even see my hubby's mood uplifted from this meal.

Initially, I thought I could only choose a main and was sad when this was being served automatically. Honestly, the husband and I ain't huge fans of fish. He barely consumes any, and the only fishes I like (if cooked) are the salmon and snowfish.

But we were quite pleasantly surprised that we actually love the Grilled Bigeye Fish. I like that the meat was tender and well marinated. It also went very well with the sweet yuzu sauce. The texture is somewhat like the salmon, maybe that's why I love it. And guess what, even the hubby polished off the whole dish. Wow wow wow!

And you know what, I fell in love with another. The wagyu beef stole my heart. I have always heard how people raved about how perfect wagyu beef and the wagyu I have tasted so far have always been rather sub-par. But this, this is the best I have ever tasted. I was honestly mindblown.

There are a perfect amount of fats. And when the juice/oil ooze out when I was chomping on it. I think I went to heaven. Every bite was delightful. I even closed my eyes so that I can savour each bite. And that when I knew, my tastebuds was ruined. No other beef could satisfy me like this one...

Sushi was next and we were told to eat from right to left so as to better enjoy the dish. First up we had the Shako, and I am ashamed to admit that I can barely taste anything of it by now and was a little tad afraid of the shell. My husband called it a sweet shrimp. The Mackerel however had a much smokier taste. The last sushi we had was again the Bigeye fish which taste a lot like tuna but a much milder version of it.

I also regretted not taking up the offer of wine pairing. Maybe that would have enhanced the taste of each dish. The thing is hubby was not much a drinker and I felt too lonely to have it myself.

I was very full by now. But this Japanese paella was simmered so fragrantly the waitresses could see the anger I had with myself. How can I not finish every single morsel of this! And so, they allowed me to tabao home as an onigiri ! So my lucky family also got a bite of this delicacy.

The sides to this meal was unbelievable. It was like Rizu Restaurant telling you, you can't go home till you are fully fed. The clam soup was light and tasty unlike those salty soups served outside that always play on my feelings. Finally a clam soup that doesn't disappoint me. The preserved veg were also very interesting. There was the japanese radish, burdock root and veg. It would have been a good appetiser too :)

And finally we came to desserts. The yuzu pavlova was quite worrying initially because it was essentially a ball of sugar with mango on top. I thought it might be overwhelmingly sweet. But voila, the only sweetness you would taste came only from the mangoes.The ice cream was deceiving plated as a jelly. But it was actually a very fine mango sherbet.

All in all, I have to say this meal was nothing short of perfect. Even the hubby was photographing this place and taking notes. If you have S$120 to 200 per pax to spare, you will not regret indulging in the Omakase menu (psss it has a smaller set of 8 dishes too). Definitely an experience to try!

#drawmenitpic

For the longest time ever, I really wanted to change my blog's profile pic. Reason being:

• I don't look like this anymore.
• My head was annoyingly too big.
• I am quite a colourful person, so why am I still in black and white?!?
• I really wanted a CHANGE!!!

Being quite lucky, my prayer was finally answered. @nit.pic drew a nice customised portrait of me. What excites me the most was that, the picture was very personalised. It captured my brown wavy hair, my obsession for unicorns and my favourite dress. My face was now sharper and I exude more maturity before.

@nit.pic's style doesn't capture my round nose that well. Overnight, I now have a higher nose bridge without plastic surgery . It doesn't 100% look like me but it still resembles me. After much thought, I figured I don't really want that much people to recognise me on streets either, so this is pretty quite awesome.

@nit.pic is a commissioned artist. But if she gains some inspiration from your LOTD, she might just draw you! Check out #drawmenitpic if you want to see more of her works! :D

Silhouettes with @hipyycute

This is quite sad, I have broken my sd card. Yes, you heard me right. I broke it (although who breaks such thing), and I broke it very utterly too, split it right into 2 parts. So for now, we will focusing on other posts that doesn't require too much photography.

And one of the key areas we will be focusing on is illustration. I think we have not been featuring such art for a very long time, which is quite a pity because it deserve some attention given that some artists have very different and interesting style.

Today, we are going to feature illustrations by @hipyycute. @hipyycute's style mainly features on the silhouettes of the pictures, without focusing much on the details of the facial features. @hipyycute did a piece on one of our most favourite photos from our second banquet.

I have to say, despite not distinctly drawing in our faces, both the hubby and I could clearly identify ourselves. We also note that minor details such as the watch and tie are well captured. If you are not too narcissistic, I think you may also like this art form as much as me. You can find @hipyycute on instagram to check out more of their works.

A meal to remember: Picotin

Hidden in the depth of the Golf Course at Bukit Timah, Picotin is not the most accessible place in Singapore. Last weekend, we decided to have our dinner there. And boy, the road in was dark. And by dark, I mean the streets lamp were all turned off. So, please drive if you are going in the evening.

Being located in such an isolated area of the island, I was surprised to see a full-house of guests. (Pss, it was a rainy that day too). And I think I know why. Under the moonlight, Picotin looked gorgeous. From the bistro, you could have a glimpse of the golf course. I would think this place would have looked absolutely amazing during the day.

Apart from the breathe-taking view, the food was absolutely yummy. The variety was huge and the portion was humongous. It was worth every penny. Please come here in a big group if you want to try everything.

Clockwise from the top in collage below:

1. Buffalo Wings (S$12): The sauce was really yummy, but deathly spicy. However, it doesn't burn your tongue. It is a good sharing dish.
2. Vongole (S$25): This might be an acquired taste because no one else in the family but me loves this. I find this dish really fragrant and love how smooth the white wine sauce made the spaghetti. It is one of the best I have tasted. You must try this if you love your clams.
3. Pico Burger (S$26): This is a very satisfying burger although it is just a simple, classic beef burger. The sinful fries and healthy rockets on the side brings a nice balance to the dish. 
4. Bronco (S$28): The priciest pizza on the menu but it is one good pizza. I can understand why it is a hot favourite among the diners. The crust is of good thickness. The texture is a good mix of doughiness and crisp. You must order one of their pizzas. It is made fresh of the oven and it taste absolutely divine!
5. Red Snapper (S$32): This is not the usual dish you find on the menu. I am not one person into fresh fish (more of a fish and chips girl) but my father love this and devoured the whole snapper with intermittent praises on how fresh it was. But I have to admit, the serving of rocket salad was really quite generous. Yum! 

Overall, I have to say the quality of the food is definitely above average, although there are some dishes that are more worth coming for. For drinkers, you will be tickled to know that the variety here is amazing. Beers, wines, cocktails, mocktails, the selection won't disappoint you. It is really a good place for friends to gather.

For the non-drinkers, I would suggest the mocktail. We had Pico Berry that day. And I love it so, so much. I know it does sounds a little over the top. But if Picotin ever open a store selling Pico Berry, I might just buy a cup for lunch every day. A jug just cost S$20 and it is good to share between 5 pax.

And if you plan on being a regular, here's a deal for you. Sign up for the Taste & Thirst membership for SGD50, and you will get to enjoy 10% off the food items on the a la carte menu, SGD10 off any wine and a bucket of beer at SGD40! You can also get the Golden Passport at SGD100 instead and enjoy 25% off a la carte food items and an additional special wine of the month at S$50 and happy hour all day long on top of the benefits of Taste & Thirst.

Fret not, if you live in the East, Picotin also has an outlet in the East.

1. Picotin @ East Cost - 382 Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427622
2. Picotin @ Bukit Timah - 60 Fairways Drive Singapore 286966 (Champions Golf Course)

Kua Simi Kua: ZY@Venture

One of the biggest decisions which you would need to make is whether to wear a Cheong Sam or Kua for the tea ceremony. For me, I thought I would wear the Cheong Sam for the second march-in and so I settled for the kua during the tea ceremony. (Note: in the end, I didn't pick a cheong sam for my second march-in either.)

So even though I wore a kua for my tea ceremony, I thought it was still a pretty good decision because there are more occasions to wear a cheong sam than a kua. And this is also why I rented instead of buying a kua because erm...you really think I will wear another time meh. Hehe.

My Kua was rented from ZY@Venture and I would recommend you to get your weddings needs from them. First of all, the owner is very helpful, understanding and easygoing. I consulted her a lot on the wedding shoes and also the cleaning of the kua. Secondly, the quality of the kua is superb. Despite not costing very expensive, the kua doesn't look off taobao, giving you a sense of dignified elegance. All my friends and relatives (especially) were impressed by the effort we put in to (at least) don a traditional piece.

Thirdly, it comes with accessories. So the rental includes matching accessories (hairpiece, earrings and bangles) that go with it. It is great cos you don't have to waste time thinking or finding jewelry pieces with red. And, the accessories itself doesn't look shabby at all! If need be, you can also purchase your shoes from ZY@Venture.

Just to share a little more, kua rental actually isn't ZY@Venture's core business. In fact, they engage in photography, events planning and retail as well. We can't wait to wait with them when have our first-born. (Please work hard, tummy. Don't always know how to grow big through eating!)

Just so you know, apart from my design, there is another design to pick from as well. The variety is a little limited for now, but it will grow in time. And speaking of big tummies, one good thing about a kua is that it hides your figure well. So you really don't have to worry about bulging fats and bumps :P One less worry for the bride off your pretty little mind!

Hair Free with Skin Health Aesthetics

Although I am not a wolf woman of any sort, I always like being somewhat hairless. Society has somewhat decided that the armpits of a women should always be hairless. Also, given that my hubby is naturally blessed with smooth, hairless arms, there is pressure on me to moisture and smoothen myself as well.

There are many chain-store offering full-body hair removal. But if you are looking for something more affordable, I just might have the place you are looking for. Skin Health Aesthetics is conveniently located near Toa Payoh MRT station.

Not being one of the chain stores also mean better prices, catered services and more time slots available. Skin Health Aesthetics would always drop you a reminder sms one day before the treatment without fail and it was definitely much easier to reach them if you need to re-arrange the appointment timing.

For me, an important criteria is the cleanliness of the store. You would be pleased to hear that the area is very hygienic and the towels will be cleaned and sheets changed after every customer. Pss, apart from body hair removal, Skin Health Aesthetics also offer other facial services, making a good one stop place for all your beauty needs.

I did 6 treatments at Skin Health Aesthetics in total. I wouldn't say that the standard is consistent all the beauticians. But one thing I really like about them is they know what they are doing and keep the processes fast so that it can end on time and I can go home to nap. Haha.

Generally, the ladies are quite chatty and would engage you in banter unless of course you would prefer to take a rest. Your comfort is always their priority and they would always check in with the temperature of the machine and the air-con with you without fail.

After 6 treatments, here are some of my results to show. I did my leg, arms, armpits and back. My armpits and back only have little to no hair, so there is not much difference. The treatment was however, very effective on my arms and legs. Not that much hair now!

Although I think I didn't think I cared that much about my hair, I think after having them all removed. I actually do feel a lot more conscious about the hair and feel that sometimes it can be unsightly. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience at Skin Health Aesthetics and would really recommend you guys to try out their Full Body Hair Removal Treatments. 6 times and you see results already! WOW!

Talia: A touch of Swarovski

I was told that my hairdo and accessories for my white gown was breathtakingly true to my fun nature yet maintaining decorum of a bride. So I felt it was only fair I shared a little about it with you. Frankly, hairdo and its accessories wasn't the top of my prioirty. I was just lucky to meet people who made it the top of their priority.

My look for my solemisation went for the regal and pure bridal look. Initially, I wanted to do a low bun, but my hair stylist wanted everyone to see my hair accessory, cos as she put it was too beautiful to be hidden. This particular set of hair accessory was rented from Talia.

Talia handcrafts all their accessories and is particularly deft with the use of Swarovski crystals. Compared to the other hair accessories provided by the bridal studios, the Swarovski elements in this set brings a more elegant sparkle. It is very simple, but still catches your eye with its delicateness.

Initially, when I was discussing the design with Talia, my vision was something with a bit more colours - mainly pastel blue and pink. But Talia convinced me otherwise. And I have to say for the pure, fresh bridal look. Nothing works finer than white. I feel in love with the design at first sight.

Hana Crochet Design provided the crocheted petals for this design. And I have to say nobody brings out the realism of flowers as good as them. I am so lucky to have it for my wedding. The white, transparent crystals reminded me of the morning dew. With the petals and crystals entwined together, it reminds me the of the white flowers on branches in the wee morning, ready to blossom. <3

Coincidentally for my first march-in, my stylist decided to use fresh baby-breaths. But you can see from the photos, the flowers made by the crystals and crocheted petals looks lux and don't pale when compared with the fresh flowers. Guess I really did blossom in love. :P

Much as I like to think, there was a story behind the hairdo and accessory. The only reason why we didn't use the crystals again for the first march-in because my stylist thought she just couldn't let me march-in twice with the same hair accessories. Plus, she wanted a more fun and natural look for the banquet itself.

Although I won't say I ranked hair and accessories that high in my prioirty list, it still felt darn good when people told me how much they like my hair (and how much effort I put into it!) And best of all, I felt good and awesome in my hairstyles. And a confident bride means more beautiful photos on the day itself! If you like my design, you can also rent it from Talia. They do have other hair accessories such as crowns etc. for rental as well...and if you don't like any of it, you could always design something fancy yourself *winks*