wheeler’s yard {the new cafe on the block}

May 13, 20142 Comments

Wheeler’s yard, the newest hipster cafe and bike atelier in Singapore, just happens to be around the block from me! Finally, a decent cafe in my neighborhood. However, my friends and I made the mistake of going on a public holiday, so it was incredibly busy and packed inside. We had to wait on a long line to order our food, and when we got to order our food they said it would take an hour. Luckily, the food ended up coming out right away. We were also able to find a table inside, instead of sitting in the open warehouse (NO AC!) section.

They had the menu on your typical clipboard and brown paper. There was a small selection of brunch items as well as lunch options. I ordered the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with toast. The serving size was pretty big and the eggs were very fluffy and filling. Probably not the best brunch food I’ve had in Singapore, but it was decent. I would want to try some of their lunch options next time, like their burgers and truffle fries.

I was just thrilled by the fact that I could walk here from my apartment, that I’m willing to overlook the average quality in their food. The next time I come, it will definitely be during the week, and hopefully it’ll be more quiet and calm. I do think that the bike store in a warehouse concept is unique and fun. We’ll see how long it captures the attention of Singapore’s prolific and wannabe hipster cafe culture. Before we left, we HAD to take pictures outside, in front of the blue warehouse doors. So if you’re a bike lover or want to check out the latest cafe in Singapore, this is the place to be!

Address: 28 Lor Ampas, Singapore, Singapore 328781
Tel: 6254 9128
Hours:
Tue- Fri: 11am-8pm
Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm
Closed on Mondays

HK2014-0317

a baby shower tea party

April 15, 20144 Comments

For international school teachers who are living across the world from their close family and friends, your co-workers become your second family. My friends and I had the privilege of throwing a baby shower for our co-worker and dear friend Aimee. We had a lot of fun preparing and planning our first baby shower in Singapore. After spending a lot of time on Pinterest and Etsy, we managed to put together a tea party themed baby shower! This constituted multiple trips to Spotlight in Plaza Singapura, trying to find suitable baby shower decorations. Forget being reasonably priced (we are in Singapore), but they did have some good finds, including pink gingham napkins, baby girl serving plates, and pink and white streamers. I didn’t like the baby shower banners they had and in the end I found a good one for free online. I printed it out on white cardstock and taped it onto string.

Another one of my good finds with the decorations were the pink roses. It was my first time to Far East Flora on Thomson Road. I was pleasantly surprised at the wide arrange of flowers at whole sale prices! I bought 3 big bouquets of pink roses, and it only cost $16 altogether. The babys breath was actually more expensive at $20 for one big bunch. I will definitely be going back there for flowers! The only draw back was that I had to take all the leaves off the roses, and I didn’t have gloves. Let’s just say it was a bit painful with all the thorns on the stems. If you are in need of flowers, I highly recommend Far East Flora!

The favor bags we ordered off of Etsy and we found a vendor that shipped internationally! We put tea bags inside to go with the theme. We ordered pastries from Paul’s bakery in Takashimaya and the cupcakes from Swirls in Robertson Quay. We also had a do it yourself caesar salad bar and finger sandwiches, in addition to all the sweets! I guess you should have some “healthier” options. Overall, I think we can say that our first baby shower celebration in Singapore was a success! Aimee went home with a lot of goodies for her baby girl and was shown how much she is loved by her family here in Singapore.

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battery park restaurant review {seoul}

April 3, 2014April 3, 20146 Comments

If you are living in Seoul or planning on visiting, you must visit Battery Park located near Myeong Dong station. (From exit 4, walk straight a few minutes, and you’ll see the State Building. Take the escalator down and you’ll see it across the Starbucks.) Little did I realize that my cousin, who is a few years older than me has become a restaurant mogul in Seoul. He has recently opened multiple restaurants, ranging from Korean, Japanese, fusion, and even an American brunch place in the works. And, I’m in the midst of convincing him to open a Korean restaurant in Singapore (of course).

During my short and unexpected visit to Seoul a month ago, I was able to finally visit two of his restaurants that are located in the Myeong Dong State Building. We had a big family dinner after my grandmother’s burial service at his two restaurants. They are actually located right next to each other. One is called Battery Park and the other one is Kobachi. The “younger” adults, went to Battery Park, a fusion place, while the “older adults” went to Kobachi, a Japanese place.

I really loved the modern and clean interior of Battery Park. I was impressed with their menu and range of choices. They even had beer from Craftworks Taphouse there. Well, I quickly learned that when your cousin is the owner, we get great service and selection of food! He ordered us appetizers and entrees from the menu. There was a delicious salad with grapes and goat cheese. I specifically asked for the fig & prosciutto pizza with pesto sauce, which was well worth it. There were also some unique fusion dishes like the spicy pasta with pigs intestine (Korean dish). I also really recommend the black sesame cream spaghetti! That might have been my favorite after the pizza.

Battery Park also has a great selection of bar food including big hamburgers with lots of french fries! We tried another fried platter that included fried chicken, onion rings, fries, and more. At this point, I was getting pretty full as the entrees kept coming out. My cousin even sent over a few sushi platters from next door. It was quite the interesting, but delicious combo of dishes. I knew my grandmother was smiling down on us. She would have been so proud to actually come to one of my cousin’s restaurants in person. She was definitely one of the best cooks I knew.

Obviously, there’s always room for dessert! Battery Park had some unique and delicious dessert dishes including a dropped ice cream cone, banana pudding, and Oreo cheesecake. I admit at this point, I could barely shove any more food in, but I tried. I’m always a sucker for good banana pudding. They actually opened a second location of Battery Park in the new Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park! I hope that all of my fellow foodies and bloggers (ahem, Melody, Dyanne, Elaine, Derek) in Korea will add this restaurant to their list of places to check out! 🙂

desserts @ lady m

October 27, 20131 Comment

I randomly stumbled upon this article about the opening of Lady M here in Singapore. This bakery is originally from NY and this branch is their first overseas opening. After spending an extensive time on their Facebook page and website, I wanted to try everything on their menu! I managed to convince a few friends to come along with me on a Friday night. Since they sometimes sell out of their cakes around 7pm, I made sure we got there early.

We grabbed a quick dinner at Pita Pan across from Lady M, and then made it for dessert before the after dinner rush! After a few minutes of debate on how many desserts we should order, we decided that 1 cake per person would be good. But, we were so tempted to order more! We ordered the Signature Mille Crepes, Tarte a la Mangue, Banana Mille Feuille, and Strawberry Shortcake. My favorite was the Mille Crepes because it was surprisingly good. The outside wasn’t very fancy or appealing, but the taste was amazing and unique. I also enjoyed the fun presentation of the banana mille feuille. The strawberry shortcake and mango tart were good as well.

Next time, I will definitely try the checkers cake and their green tea cake. I need to find a good excuse to go back or order a cake from there! If you are in need to satisfy your sweet tooth or a cafe with high quality cakes, make sure to check out Lady M.

Lady M

Marina Square Shopping Mall
6 Raffles Boulevard
#02-103
Singapore 039594

the chocolate bar @ mbs

October 1, 20133 Comments

The chocolate bar at the Marina Bay Sands hotel is a dessert buffet like no other. It is located on the 57th floor,l overlooking the Singapore skyline, and there are 57 different desserts. It costs about $48 per person plus tax and service charges. Yes, it’s a bit pricey for dessert, but the quality of the desserts and the view are worth it. You do need to make reservations before hand, and try to make them a week or more before. You can make the reservations online here.

The chocolate bar is only open from 8pm-12am. Therefore, eat a light dinner beforehand, because there is plenty to eat at this buffet. There’s a range from sweet to savory items. I loved their collection of cheese and freshly baked breads. I think after all the sugary desserts, I really needed to balance it with the more savory items. From macarons, cakes, lollipops, dark chocolate almonds, and a donut station, it’s hard to decide what to try and fill your stomach with.

The other plus to the chocolate bar is that you get to see the MBS infinity pool area and take pictures there. Obviously, you are not allowed to swim, since it’s only for actual hotel guests. However, this is the one way you can access and see the infinity pool. I definitely recommend coming here when you have out of town visitors. Plus, if you are celebrating a birthday or a special event, they will prepare something special for you. They gave us a cute carrot cake with candle for Erna’s birthday. Now that I’ve done this dessert buffet, I may have to check out the Fullerton chocolate buffet next!

exploring soho

June 30, 2013July 15, 2013Leave a comment

I love checking out new restaurants and bakeries with good friends. I randomly stumbled upon a blog post about this newer restaurant called The Cleveland in NYC. This restaurant located technically in “nolita” and only a few steps from line 6’s spring street stop. There’s a fun outdoor area in the back of the restaurant giving you the option of eating outside. We sat in the outdoor area and enjoyed the steak sandwich, pulled- roasted chicken sandwich, branzino, and hand-cut french fries! The fries were definitely a must.

The next stop was dessert. We walked over to Dominique Ansel bakery, home of the cronut. Yes, that’s right, a cronut – half doughnut, half croissant. There is a high demand for these because you have to be willing to queue at 6am (2 hours before they open at 8am) in order to buy one for a measly $5. The rules are that you can only buy 2 per person and they sell a limited amount, getting sold out very quickly. Unsurprisingly, there are scalpers and people selling them on the black market for $50 or more. I’ll have to wake up early and try to get one next time.

Besides their cronuts, there are plenty of other delicious dessert choices to keep your stomach satisfied. All their desserts are artfully made, perfect for Instagram, and full of butter to keep you coming back. I highly recommend the Paris-New York pastry, not only does it have the name of two of my most favorite cities, but it had peanut butter and chocolate, enough said.

Besides eating incredibly delicious food, I got to catch up with two pretty amazing ladies! If you are ever in the need of some a princess cut 4 prong diamond engagement ring or any other jewels, this is the woman you need to talk to! My friend Sunjoo who has been working in the diamond district for many years in NYC is able to consult and provide anxious boyfriends with the most beautiful and high quality diamond engagement rings at a really good price. Forget Tiffany’s where all you are getting is a brand name and paying way too much for the baby blue box, she’s the one you need to go to! And, she works with people internationally as well.

Now, if you are interested in fashion in anyway, you need to pay attention to my friend Patricia. She started her own fashion line and it’s so inspiring to see all of her talented and beautiful designs. She creates clothing as well as jewelry. From her robot necklaces to her exquistly embroidered dresses there’s no denying her talent. She sells her designs on her website and also at a boutique in Singapore called Lula Rock, which is in the Palais Renaissance mall on Orchard. This is definitely just the start of great things for her. It’s always so inspiring to see your friends with incredible talent and passions pursuing their dreams.

A sneak peak on my next post on our road trip to Rhode Island!

Searching for the Best Pizza in Singapore

October 2, 20127 Comments

As a New Yorker, I hold good pizza close to my heart. Good pizza is something that I’ve been looking for these past few months here in Singapore. I’ve tried a few different reputable Italian restaurants. I went to La Forketta in Dempsey Hill and Pizzeria Mozza in the Marina Bay Sands Mall. Pizzeria Mozza is a “celebrity” restaurant, since it is opened by Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, and Joe Bastianich. I was particularly excited to check out Mozza, since I can depend on Mario Batali for good pizza, like in his restaurant Otto in NYC.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the pizza at La Forketta that I ordered. It was prosciutto with rucola and cost $35! The other dishes that my friends ordered seemed to be delicious as well. The restaurant also had a nice ambience with high ceiling and nice decor. The only downside beside the expensive prices was the slow service.

Pizzeria Mozza had a completely different vibe inside than La Forketta. This was the “cheaper” side of the restaurant with wooden tables, noisier crowd and slightly cheaper prices for the same food served at Osteria Mozza. On the menu, they had a wide range of pizzas. I had trouble deciding on one, and ended up going with the pizza my waiter recommended, the Burrata, slow roasted tomato & Sicilian oregano pizza. This pizza was delicious and I would definitely order it again.

For dessert, I got the olive oil and peanut butter gelato! Both flavors were delicious and fresh. The service overall was pretty good. They even gave my friend an extra dish for service, because her dish came out a bit late. I will definitely be going back for more pizza soon!

High Tea Buffet @ the Regent Hotel

August 25, 2012Leave a comment

High tea, buffet and a fancy hotel, you simply can’t go wrong! Luckily, due to a cancelled reservation, I was able to make the first seating of the afternoon tea buffet last Monday at the Regent hotel here in Singapore. This was my first time there and I took my cousin who was visiting.

I was absolutely amazed at their selection and quality of food. Yes, it is a bit pricey, it was about $50 (singapore dollars) per person including tax and service. However, it was totally worth it. The spread of food they had from scones, macarons, sushi, salad, meat carving table, finger sandwiches, cheese & crackers, crepes station, fruits, all types of dessert, and more was incredible. The presentation was beautiful and the taste didn’t disappoint. Plus, you can order two different drinks. I ordered the Jasmine green tea and then a more summery mango tango tea. Here are the photos via my iphone & a photo editing app. pixlr!

macarons taste test

March 28, 20126 Comments

Laduree vs Pierre Herme

First stop: Laduree @ the Champs Elysees

Next stop, Pierre Herme @ Galleries Layfayette

Analysis: Laduree gets extra points for presentation and decor. I love the extravagant decorations, signs and pastel colors. It makes you feel like you are transported to the times of Marie Antoinette. It makes you feel like these macarons are worth every expensive Euro it costs. It makes you feel like it was worth waiting on line for. (Luckily, the line wasn’t too long when we went.) For taste, I’m definitely no macarons expert, but honestly I couldn’t tell the difference. I’ve had macarons from Bouchon bakery and a few other places in NYC that were pretty good. I would say that they definitely did taste good, but I’m not sure if they were so much better than other places. Maybe I need to try the other places again to compare? I enjoyed the raspberry and pistachio ones. I do need to try some of their other flavors as well.

Pierre Herme was inside a huge department store (Galleries Lafayette). There were actually two of them inside that store! I was really impressed by these macarons, more for the uniqueness is flavors. We tried infiniment rose (pink), creme brulee (cream), huile d’olive a la mandarine (green & orange) and infinement menthe fraiche (green). I really liked all of them. They all had unique tastes. The combination of the olive a la mandarine one was especially delicious! The mint green one was a bit more unique flavor. Overall, I was really satisfied. I will definitely be going back and trying the other flavors.

Final result: Go to Pierre Herme if you are looking for best taste. Go to Laduree if you want the complete, I was in Paris, macarons experience.

Slices of Dessert

March 11, 2012March 11, 20127 Comments

Slice of Life Entry #10: Slices of Dessert (all in one busy Saturday)

small bag of famous amos chocolate chip cookies
mini-twix bars
mango-ade with mango sorbet
strawberry jelly
milk tea pudding in a plastic cup
roll cake with strawberry
one square piece of turkish delight covered in white powder
heavenly slices of homemade red velvet birthday cake with cream cheese frosting

Yes, I really did eat all of these things today, plus my meals. However, I will say that I shared a lot of these desserts with other people. I finally got to eat red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, but I didn’t make it. One of my coworker’s wife is an amazing baker! My cream cheese is still in my fridge…waiting for life to slow down…

Roll Cake with Strawberries @Le Pure Cafe

Milk Tea Pudding

Strawberry Jelly

Red Velvet Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Mango-ade with Mango Sorbet

teach to inspire

Tag: dessert

wheeler’s yard {the new cafe on the block}

a baby shower tea party

battery park restaurant review {seoul}

desserts @ lady m

the chocolate bar @ mbs

exploring soho

Searching for the Best Pizza in Singapore

High Tea Buffet @ the Regent Hotel

macarons taste test

Slices of Dessert

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