Curry Cravings Satisfied: Fu Xiang Signatures

I think home-made curry is always the best. But sometimes my Dad is not in town and we need to find a place for our curry fix. So my brother shared with me this place he came across last week - Fu Xiang Signatures.

According to my brother, Fu Xiang Signatures tasted very much like home. The spices did not taste too Indianish, like many of the places we go to and there was a good selection of curry dishes and other dishes to pick from.

For S$6.80, you will be able to enjoy a serving of the Curry Chicken. And this is great because sometimes nobody but me wants curry at home. And the zap I get at Cai-Fan Store is just not satisfying enough :(

And the best thing is you can even swap your rice for bread instead. In our opinion, bread is always the better option because it soaks up the curry and at each bite, the savory curry will be released to your mouth. Heavenly. But some people prefer rice, because it provides more texture to the curry. Whichever team you are on, Fu Xiang Signatures is able to provide.

Fu Xiang Signatures also have Curry Assam Tiger Prawns ($28). This is more of a sharing dish. Curry Assam is not very common at most places and the dish serve here did a pretty decent job. Neither the curry nor the assam overwhelmed the other. In fact, they complemented each other perfectly. Plus the prawn is very fresh! Very value for money.

If you are coming here in a group, you should order this and its other dishes such as emperor cream sauce set, hotplate tofu and pineapple fried chicken. Although its curry is definitely the highlight here, the other dishes are also rather impressive.

And if you want to try something special, you need to try the Chicken Biscuit with Curry Rice ($6.90). My brother calls this the dish to come for and ever since he set his tongue on it, he started having cravings for it. Despite being drenched in curry, the chicken biscuit still remains crunchy and juicy!

FU XIANG SIGNATURES VIVO CITY
(FOOD REPUBLIC STALL #24)
1 HarbourFront Walk | VivoCity #03-01| Singapore 098585

FU XIANG SIGNATURES CAUSEWAY POINT
(FOOD REPUBLIC STALL #2)
1 Woodland Square | #04 – 01 to 04 | Causeway Point |
SINGAPORE 738099

FU XIANG SIGNATURES SHAW CENTRE
(FOOD REPUBLIC STALL #15)
Shaw Lido | 1 Scotts Road | #B1-01 | Shaw Centre | Singapore 228208 and
350 Orchard Road I #B1-02 I Shaw House I Singapore 238868

FU XIANG SIGNATURES PARKWAY
(FOOD REPUBLIC STALL #15)
80 Marine Parade Road|#B1-85 to 87 & #B1-112 to 146|Parkway Parade|Singapore 449269

Fu Xiang Signatures is only located in a few areas and he was like we need to eat this whenever we are in this area. Or we just have to make our way there. My brother has hyped up the whole family and guess what, we are going to have a try for ourselves too! #Excited Let me know if you have tried Fu Xiang Signatures and is as big as a fan as my brother!

** This review is written with contribution by my brother.

Flavour Favours: Best Traditional Cookies

If your wedding venue is a hotel, lucky you. Because almost everything will be covered for by the hotel. But if have picked a cafe, restaurant etc. instead, sometimes you really need to settle the wedding favours yourself. But don't fret because I have a good recommendation to intro!

For my overseas banquet, the restaurant didn't provide any favours so we thought we would bring some in from Singapore. It is a different pastry shop from the one my hubby used for the Guo Da Li, and I think the one I picked, Flavour Favours was far more superior.

To be specific, there was a few things about them that was really outstanding:-

1. The packaging - There was a nice fusion of modern and traditional and there was a variety of designs to pick from. It looks great as deco as well. We displayed the flavours on the side table on the wedding itself and they looked awesome on their own. Pss, I even pick a box for souvenir. Hehe.
2. The sizes - There are different sizes so you can select the types/numbers of cookies to be placed in each box. Usually, for Guo Da Li, the Chinese tend to use bigger boxes. But I think this would work better instead, as the cookies are packed separately, this can be distributed better among the families. 
3. The cookies - This is so good, it deserves a whole paragraph of its own. Nowadays, it is really difficult to find good, yummy traditional cookies. The bakery engaged by Flavour Favours I would have to say is probably I have tasted since my teenage years. It was so delicious, even my picky, elderly relatives were full of praises for it. 

My relatives were also particularly impressed because we made the effort to find traditional Chinese Cookies. The older folks were ranting to my Dad how the youngsters nowadays are full of short-cuts, using the western cakes instead as substitutes. Good thing, I picked the Gong Tang, Yun Pian Gao and Bean Paste Pastry from Flavour Favours for my wedding favours.

1. Gong Tang - It was soft and flaky (as it should). It reminded me of my childhood days where my Grandma would buy some for me.
2. Yun Pian Gao - I don't see many much of this in Singapore. I remember loving it as a kid and liking it less as I grew older cos the quality wasn't there. But this one was soft and fluffy. It re-kindled a lot of fond memories and old love for this snack.
3. Sweet Bean Paste Pastry - This is one of my favourite snacks and I have tried a lot of it, so I know a good one when I eat one. The one from Flavour Favours is smaller than the usual one from the market place. But it was extremely well made. The paste was consistent and the skin had the flakiness as though it was freshly baked. It is so good, I may just bought a dozen of it on its own just to eat eat them. Highly recommend.

If I really have to pick something to be unhappy about, the fresh period is quite short. But I guess there was to ensure that this is fresh. It was also so delicious that my relatives kept asking if there were any extras...this is a good problem though. :D

So brides out there, don't be like me. For Guo Da Li, please pick Flavour Favours. It will keep your relatives happy and CNY reunions more enjoyable :P

**Psss...at least no one is intending to complain about my wedding efforts during family unions. #Happy

Hang it with Wonderlust

I have to say overall I was a pretty darn lazy bride. But if you want to do some DIY for your wedding and save some money, let me recommend you to Wonderlust Events. Actually, Wonderlust Events does a whole array of deco services. But for my wedding, I only got some basic items from them and modify them myself.

Honestly, my art isn't that fantastic. But my brother and father have super strong aesthetics sense (I think art is only inherited by the males in my family). One of the items I received was the solemisation chair hangers. With some self-made ribbons and flowers, he made it cute and presentable.

A lot of my friends told me, fathers usually don't play that active roles in wedding and that my father was very special. So, this was what he contributed for the wedding. On the day itself, he was caught admiring his work and taking grainy photos of the solemisation chairs using his handphone lol!

The colour of the chair hangers are quite neutral, so there is really a lot of room to play around. You could go for something more sweet and dainty like mine. Actually DIY isn't that tough. You just have to make the effort to pop by Diaso and buy flowers and ribbons and you can vamp these simple chair hangers to your dream hangers. And you get to keep them after your wedding!

The other item we got from Wonderlust Events is the wedding hangers. They are simple, looks good and useable. Initially, I wanted to use this to hang my white wedding gown. However, my selected gown was kinda of heavy and we were unsure whether the hangers could take the weight. So we used the hangers provided by the gown vendors for the gowns that day.

And we saved this customised hanger for my kua. As the ribbon is white, it compliments any coloured gown perfectly. It is a pretty good buy, because even after the wedding, you can still enjoy the hangers. Now, we use the hangers for our clothes and they make every dress of mine and jacket of my husband 2 times more lux. Guess, love should be hung out for all to see :P (No pun intended)

Just Pudding some pudding in my tummy

During my wedding, I had some cup puddings from Just Pudding as well which I almost forgot about. The reason why I forgot about them was because I never got to get a bite. :( Nobody bothered to leave one for me because everyone was too busy ensuring they had one. #LifeSux

Don't judge these puddings from its appearance. According to my parents, they were the first to be snapped up because they were made for mingling - portable and easy to eat. For my father's guests, these were a hot favourite.

Many expected them to be heavily coated with sugar and syrup. Because its appearance was so unassuming, those who tried it were pleasantly surprised by how delightful it is. These puddings are handmade, so the sweetness level was well-contained. And most importantly, the fruits used on top were fresh and sweet (fyi, they don't taste from a can).

During the solemnisation, we served 15 mango pudding with strawberry and 15 original pudding with peach. Here are some comments I have received and consolidated.

1. Mango Pudding with Strawberry: The mango pudding doesn't taste very artificial and leave a sticky taste in your mouth. Unlike other puddings, it was the fruits instead of the base that was sweet. 
2. Original Pudding with Peach: The texture of the pudding was soft, smooth and bouncy. You could just slurp it down. The pudding was also very refreshing and not surfeiting, maybe that's why 30 was just not enough!

I am sorry but my family didn't manage to snap photos of the interior. (Hopefully, our wedding photographers caught some photos of them!) The photos of the pudding's interior are taken from Just Pudding itself. And guess what...they cost only about S$2 each. Apart from wedding receptions, they are good for family gatherings, farewells, baby parties because it is suited for the young and old and you can customise it as well.

Two flavours are available - Original Classic and Mango Pudding. You can also mix and match your own toppings. Available toppings include lychee, peach, mango, strawberry, kiwi, rainbow sprinkles. Let me know if you have tried them and also let me know if you love them as much as we do <3

Lime: Thrill of the Grill Review

It was a very exciting weekday for me because I have been binging a lot on the weekends...and on the weekday, I still continue to eat good. ParkRoyal on Pickering brings me a lot of good memories because one of my BFFs married here. So I like to think that I know this place pretty well. Also, the Lime Restaurant is dope.

I have heard a lot of good things about their buffet. And one of them is about the selection. Recently, I featured a post about the Thrill of the Grill, which includes BBQ food in their series. So for the benefit of you, I am going to try it for myself...and grow fat for you.

I didn't really try everything on the menu. But I think I tried what most carnivores would be interested in. Personally I think there are some hits and misses. But the hits do leave you wanting more. The BBQ process is pretty simple. You just have to pick your food and leave your tag with the chef. Once it is grilled, the food will be delivered to you.

But as you know, Lime has so much to try. You really do need to save some space in your tummy for the other goodies. I didn't try any of the grilled vegetables. But for the meats, please go for the pork belly, lamb, chicken and sausage. The pork belly in particular was exceptional. <3 Kinda of regretted I only took one.

I have to admit that the variety was so much. Even though I ate of every dish, I still didn't manage to try everything. T.T We didn't manage to try the Asian cuisine, the oyster omelette and the rosti, so look out for my next post ok!

I am quite a seafood person and I have to say the seafood bar isn't the most outstanding for Lime. The seafood is relatively fresh. But it lacks the succulent that leaves you satisfied. Personally I would suggest giving it a miss unless you really want to "eat back your value".

But if it was me, I will just have repeated servings of what I like. And now drumrolls please, these are some of the food you should not miss at Lime.

1. Risotto - It was definitely the best I ever had. I exclaimed "sedap" so loudly that the other table told the girls to get a plate for themselves too.
2. Chilli Crab Pasta - I swear the pasta is cooked to perfection. The spiciness and sweetness just blends together so well. Psss...the crabmeat from the Seafood Bar taste divine with this!
3. Laksa - Everyone loves a good bowl of laksa. This one is traditional and has the "kupness" (thickness) I like. 
4. Pumpkin Soup - I have to say Lime is impeccable when it comes to the Western cuisine. Do remember to spam the almond flakes and you would have a soup to remember. Yum.

And if you are more of a Cheena person, don't worry cos they have the traditional double boiled soup too. If you like peppery bak kut teh, the one at Lime is not too bad. We also had some local delights such as DIY rojak, with fried charcoal fritters. Lux max! You can also make your own keuh Pie Tee too!

I think most Singaporeans usually don't go for the Cheese Board. But you know what, you are seriously going to regret it if you miss some nibbles. The Cheese is incredibly yummy, especially if you pair it with the dried fruits. I think all the cheese are quite palatable and are not overly pungent.

Generally, the desserts selection at buffets never disappoint. What stood out at Lime was the Nonya Kuehs, durian puree and the avocado dessert. The Nonya are mini-sized so you don't have to worry about not being able to finish it. There is also a table of tibits and snacks.

The ice cream selection was a bit too small for my liking. Go for the Chocolate and Sesame cos in my opinion, they are the best! And if you are a fan of avocado, gulp down the avocado-gula melaka concoction like its a drink and you are sure to end your day right.

And with that I come to the end of my post, I hope I didn't leave you readers too hungry. If you would like to try the Thrill of the Grill, it is only until 21 Oct! The usual favourites will still be there all your round!

Fall in love with flowers: Love Store Floral

Basically, I felt that my wedding was perfect. Another one of my favourites that day was my hand bouquet. Before my wedding, I was actually feeling quite sick so I felt that everything looked and was sucky. The only thing that let me felt right and made my day was the bouquet.

My hand bouquet is from Love Store Floral. Apart from wedding packages, they also conduct floral jamming session. My liaison person was Celestine and the experience has been nothing but awesome. I don't think I was very good at verbalising what I wanted, so I showed Celestine some photos on what I think I had in mind. Haha.

I had an hour meeting with her about a few weeks before the wedding to discuss on the flowers. The time spent with is very productive. Among all my vendors, she is the best at probing and giving advise. She would show photos and grab samples from her store to let me visualise what the final products would be.

After our meeting, we communicated via whatsapp. She is always providing me updates and showing me photos of current floral designs which she think suits my taste. On the day itself, I actually change my mind slightly - I changed my bouquet to a round one instead of a messy flower bouquet. Celestine was also really easy-going about it. :D

Initially, this was my original flower design, with the greens at the side. I had pink and cream roses with tinges of blue. My favourites were the furry cactus-like stalks (the kids called it the blue cactus) because I think it made the bouquet looked more lux and elegant. I also liked that it had variety. You know me, anything too simple may bore me after a bit.

Celestine was also very kind and prepared boutonnière for the groom - 1 in pink and 1 in cream. And it was a good thing because in the end we had some time for a shoot outside and the flower suffered a little in the hot sun. And my husband's nephew fell in love with the boutonnière so before the first march-in, it was given away to the little boy.

In fact, even my bouquet was missing during our first march-in. Now I know where my bouquet went (-_-)'' Guess the flowers were a hot favourite even with the little ones. Hehe. Even my bridesmaids loved their hand flowers till they proudly wore it on their hands the whole day. The thing is every one wanted a piece of the bouquet...so did I...

But sadly, the bouquet didn't stay overnight with me either. As per our tradition, we had the bouquet throwing ceremony at the end of the wedding. Mind you, these were real flowers and they resiliently survived till the very end. Very impressive. All I can say is that Love Store Floral gives you only the best stalks.

For brides out there, Love Store Floral has a few packages that range from S$438 to S$1398. Alternatively, you can always custom your flowers based on your budget. So, do contact them if you have any other floral needs.

1. A Sweet Beginning (S$438) -  1 regular bridal hand bouquet + 1 Groom's boutonnière + 4 family's boutonnière + 1 regular car deco
2. Forever Love (S$638) -  Same number of items as A Sweet Beginning but with premium flowers used
3. Eternal Bliss (S$1018) - On top of the items of Forever Love, you get 4 additional Bridesmaid hand bouquet and 4 groomsmen boutonnière
4. The Promise (S$1398) - All of that in Eternal Bliss with 2 additional floral arrangements 

If you want more photos of my flowers, keep a lookout on the final wedding highlights post in November :D But meanwhile, let me show you one last photo on the bridesmaids' boutonnière. Chio max <3 I never knew I am a fan of flowers until I saw their works...

Prettiest Jellies: Sims Like a Treat

You know what's the best part of a wedding? When your eyes can't take in the gorgeousness of it all and your brain is like thinking "is this my wedding?", "OMG, is this my wedding?", "Whoever that visioned it is a genius!!"...and I am definitely not that genius. :P

That's what I felt when I entered the roof garden for my solemisation. The second time I felt that was during the first march-in when I first saw the wedding banquet hall. Jaw-droppingly beautiful. As you may know by now, the theme of my wedding is floral. And the most hyped flora deco...was the jellies.

In fact, I received most photos of it by the wedding paparazzi. (Psss...these photos are taken by my friends and relatives, hence the poor resolution and weird angles.) Initially, most of the guests didn't touch it. They were just standing around, admiring it occassionally taking some photos, thinking it was deco.

And then, when they knew it could be eaten, they couldn't bare to eat it given that it looked so intricate. My parents had to do the first cut and gave it around. Most of my relatives are borderline diabetic cos they are rather old, so they were full of praises on the low sweetness level. In fact, after the wedding, my parents' guests were busy asking them on how was it made and where can they be bought.

Because there were so many questions, even I had to go online to do some research on it. You can watch this video if you are curious on how it is made. Be prepared to be impressed by the amount of work and effort that goes into it. Note that after you watch it, you may have an even harder time cutting the jellies and eating it.

Lucky me, my parents save me some. And I understand why people love it so much.  I expected the jelly to be surfeitingly sweet. But, it was not sweet at all with a mild floral fragrance. The highlight for me was the bottom white layer that tasted of coconut. Super yummy.

Here are some behind the scene photos by our vendor - Sims Like a Treat. You can order both jelly cakes and the smaller heart or round-shaped jellies from them. Check out their instagram to be impressed by the types of designs they can make.

Because so many people has been asking, for convenience, I decided to leave their contact details here as well:-

SimsLikeATreat

simslikeatreat@gmail.com

9336 4502 (Contact Celestine)

Enjoy~!~