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.