Besides Japan, Taiwan is also known for its hot spring spas (Taiwanese refer to soaking in the spa as "泡汤").
Doraemon seems to be enjoying his soya bean milk spa (:
hee.
hee.
11 July 2015
29 June 2015
♥19 Little House of Dreams
Little House of Dreams (Singapore. Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay Central)
First came across this brand when I saw a picture of its Public Garden Flea stall on a blog 2 years back.
The presentation of the cakes looked so pretty so I decided to head down to the flea @ 111 Somerset to try their jar cakes.
Since then, I have never got round to visiting its actual store until recently.
Their permanent store is located at the basement of Clarke Quay Central mall. (Just above Clarke Quay MRT)
True to their style, the shop was very prettily decorated, with pastel furniture and flowers. Definitely hits a soft spot as my kind of cafe (:
The store was pretty quiet when I went on a Saturday afternoon (as with most of the mall actually), so i was able to enjoy the peace and quiet as the sole dine-in customer. (:
Most of their cakes were sold out when i went at 3pm (probably because it was the eve of Mother's Day)
Strawberry Blanc Cupcake $3.50
A vanilla strawberry base with icing on the top and sprinkled with hearts.
Was kind of disappointed that they only served their cupcakes on paper plates ):
not as nice to take photos with. hahhaa
The texture of the cupcake was a little different form the usual spongy texture, the cupcake has a chewier texture, like that of kueh. Could be the type of flour they used.
The flavour of the base was not too bad and there were real strawberry pieces inside, but felt it could do with a bit more strawberry.
The icing was a tad too sweet and a bit grainy/sandy.
Overall, felt that the cupcakes here were just so-so.
Love their dessert-themed witty phrases table placards(?) (:
Their workshop area, plus shelves stocked with partyware and baking/home decor items for purchase.
Love the pink and blue cake stands and jars! (which are out of my budget
):)
The bright,cheery floral arrangements on the side tables add life and colour to the store (:
The shop also sells some cards and some really cutely decorated cookies ($3.50)
Bought a cloud cookie for Mother's day. (:
♥ Loved
Whimsical, pastel-themed decor!
The cheery flower arrangements
Mon-Thu, Sun: 11:00am -8:00pm
Fri, Sat: 11:00am -9:00pm
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
The Central #B1-27E
Singapore 059817
11 June 2015
Around Singapore - Campervan galore at Orchard Central
After dinner at TripleOne Somerset, decided to walk around Orchard Central since it has been a long time since I last walked around that area.
Was delightfully surprised to see a whole fleet of candy-coloured, prettily decorated campervans turned into stalls as part of Orchard Central's "Summertime in the Park @ OC" promotion (:
Decided not to miss the chance to take all the lovely photos of this creative endeavour by Orchard Central. Definitely have to give them a thumbs up for thinking of more creative ways to attract more shoppers to their mall.
(Orchard Central has always seemed a bit quiet as compared to the neighbouring 313 Somerset, and many of the shops there have come and gone, but have always admired them for retaining their mix of lesser-known brands instead of defaulting to all the big brands like some other malls along Orchard.)
This first campervan is the designated photozone for people like me (haha), with a bench and a swing for shoppers to pose with the colourful vans in the backdrop. (:
This campervan was my favourite! The bold blue and red stripes really made it "pop" and of course, who would be able to resist the funky-coloured food posters. Cotton candy anyone? (:
Maximising every inch of space (including the bonnet). hahaa (:
Check it out!
Summertime in the Park @OC
29 May - 9 July 2015
09 June 2015
♥ 18 East Manhatten Bakery Cafe
East Manhattan Bakery Cafe (Singapore. Lorong Kilat)
Decided to head to Lorong Kilat after reading about it being (yet another) upcoming cafe hotspot. Remembered that i used to go there a long time ago to eat curry fish head at one of the coffee shops. Hahah. But times have changed and the row of shophouses consists of mostly cafes (of which Carpenter and Cook was probably the first cafe here that made this the next IT place) and a handful of korean restaurants.
Came on a Friday night for some dinner and walked past East Manhattan. Popped in for a look and the menu looked good and the staff seemed nice. However, eventually decided to have something more substantial - Korean BBQ at Kim's family restaurant (which has quite a tasty and reasonably priced BBQ set).
Decided to come back on the following Saturday for brunch/lunch. When we walked past, one of the staff immediately came up to me and asked "lunch?" and started to try to convince us to go there for lunch. So my first impression was "is this cafe that bad that they have to start convincing people to come?". But my worries were unfounded as we were very satisfied with the food and the service.
Manhattan All day breakfast S$16.80
The all-day breakfast was pretty good with the combination of food complementing each other. Was expecting the smoked salmon to be slightly salty. But it wasn't. The eggs Benedict was also well done (:
Slice of cake of choice, tea + S$7.50
Chose the Apple Cranberry Cheesecake after a long deliberation. There were just too many choices but the staff were really helpful (and honest) when they told me not to choose the rainbow cheesecake as it mostly just looked good but the taste was very ordinary.
The Apple Cranberry Cheesecake was very delicious and unique (: The cheesecake was of the dense rich type and the apples and cranberries were juicy and mixed in generously.
The staff was also very nice to provide us 3 teacups for us to share the tea and even helped us to refill it with hot water (:
Aglio Olio Prawn S$16.80
One of the better Aglio Olios i have tried, the taste is really infused into the pasta and the prawns were fresh and juicy
Carbonara ( not on the menu)
Pastas are usually our go-to order at cafes so initially decided on the 2 pastas on the menu aglio olio prawn and aglio olio shrooms. The staff was really helpful when he noticed that this 2 were pretty similiar and suggested that they could whip up a carbonara instead. (: thumbs up for that!
Downside : service was quite slow, considering we were only 1 of 2 tables occupied and the other table were already halfway through their meal. The food took about 20 -25 mins to come.
Also, the service staff seemed a bit new and forgot to give us our cutlery. Had to ask once for a teaspoons and sugar for our tea and again after that for the cutlery of our mains. Other than that, the service as very good, the staff were really friendly and warm and helpful in helping us to choose.
*Update:
went back to eat there again with a friend on that Friday, and the staff there was like 'hey! you're back!" haha. so thumbs up for remembering their customers (:
went back to eat there again with a friend on that Friday, and the staff there was like 'hey! you're back!" haha. so thumbs up for remembering their customers (:
Ordered the Aglio Olio prawn again and the salmon quinoa. The Aglio Olio was a little bland this time but the salmon quinoa was pretty good.
All in all, I would say East Manhattan Bakery Cafe is a pretty good cafe in that is food is genuinely good and the staff were very personable and helpful (: Definitely would recommend this cafe if you are looking for a cafe which serves good food and not just one where you "pay-for-the ambiance"
East Manhattan Bakery Cafe
19 Lorong Kilat #01-03
Singapore 598120
Opening Hours:
Mon: Closed
Tue – Thu: 10am – 9pm
Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat: 9am – 10pm
Sun: 9am – 7pm
Prices are NETT (: No GST and service charge (:
03 June 2015
Cuteness overload ♥ fuzzy doggies
Redeemed vouchers from Takashimaya in exchange for loyalty points. Was supposed to use it for something practical (ie bag/shoes) but as usual, ended up at the gift section. (:
Headed to the Gund section (have become a Gund fan ever since I bought the cute and VERY VERY soft frog)
These two fuzzy dogs caught my eye immediately (:
Thought of one of my "kids" who recently took a liking for soft toys and thought it would be the perfect birthday gift for him (:
Gund Fuzzy Dog and Fuzzy Spotted Dog $19.90 each
Fresh and clean after a good wash (:
♥
20 March 2015
Around Singapore - Hidden gems @ Katong
After visiting Maple & Market, I wanted to head over to Strictly Pastry since it was nearby.
Decided to walk around 112 Katong first since I still needed time to digest the two cakes I ate at Maple & Market. hahha.
When I alighted at the bus stop, I was greeted by a lovely row of shophouses with an interesting mix of cafes, restaurants and shops! This being my first time exploring Katong (since it's quite far), it felt like I was uncovering a hidden gem (:
After admiring the lovely row of shops, headed in to 112 Katong.
The mall happened to be organising a Retro funival at the atrium with old school funfair games (need to pay though) and old school merchandise (from Munch) on sale (:
All the old school games I used to play in primary school!
Especially five stones, pick up sticks and SNAP (: such fun memories
A couple of kids and their mum were also browsing at the stall and I overheard them asking "What is this? What is Donkey/Snap?" Guess these games have really been overtaken by the iPad and computer :(
Retro sweets and biscuits!
Ended up buying a set of 3 tops ($1.50) and
a "can" of mini-cola sweets ($0.70)
Remember that I used to buy the sweet from the shop below my house and was so sad when they were no longer sold :( so glad I found it again!
Headed upstairs where the gift and novelty shops were located. (:
A shop called Playboxz was having a moving out sale and these keychains were 3 for $5
Love the Lego brick keychain (another of my childhood memories (: )
And... the best find for me that day was this!
Gund Itty Bitty Bits Froggie (: $7.90 $7.10
From Nature's Collection
This frog plushie holds precious memories for me (:
I first came across it at Nature's Collection @ Star Vista on a memorable day. They were having a closing down sale but decided not to get it.When I finally found a day to go back to get it, the shop had already closed down :(
Was really, really happy to have found it again as it has special meaning to me (:
My last stop of the day was Du Yi bookshop.
They have a bigger branch at Chinatown Point and I remembered it having quite a unique collection of children's toys and books.
Was hoping to find some cheap resources for school and true enough, picked up these 4 puzzles for $2 each (:
Simple enough for my students to play with and in line with my fruit theme for the term! (:
Also picked up a Supermarket board book ($3.90) which I was so glad to find after searching high and low for a suitable (and cheap) grocery shopping/supermarket book to teach with.
What a hidden gem in the east of Singapore that brought back lots of nostalgic and happy memories (:
Looking forward to more trips to Katong to visit the shophouse cafes and also shop for more cute items at the mall (:
18.03.2015
18 March 2015
♥17 Maple & Market [CLOSED]
*Note: Maple & Market will be closing down end of March 2015
After the previous failed attempt to visit Maple & Market (due to a last-minute closure), decided to drop by before it closes down at the end of the month.
The cafe is very prettily decorated with a mixture of bright and pastel hues. Loved the white wood paneling with the pale wood counter-top (: so country-style.
The fresh flowers and the pretty drawings of the pastries were also a nice touch. (:
As mentioned by others, the seating area for the cafe is pretty small. There is a high table for 2, a side table for 3 and a larger table that can sit about 8. When I went there at about 2pm (on a March school holiday Wednesday), the 7 customers there had pretty much filled up the space As such, I feel Maple & Market is not really a suitable cafe to chill at, as there is pretty low chance of getting your own table.
Maple& Market specializes in cakes but they do serve waffles and drinks on the side. The prices were quite reasonable (S$6 nett and below/slice, NO GST and service charge)
On to the cakes.... which were so beautiful and looked so deliciously tempting (: The huge array of cakes displayed so prettily made it hard to decide...
Rose cake, raspberry frosting with caramelized pistachio S$6
Eventually settled for the Rose cake. (because i love pink. hahah)
The cake was moist and the cream was nice and rich.However, the taste of the different flavours ( rasperry, rose and pistachio), were a little too light for the cake to have its own unique flavour.
. 
Decor at the cashier. The girl staff ( co-owner?) was making a flower arrangement to place at the cashier during her free time. what a lovely way to spend the time (:
Decor on the table. Love the plants matched with the marble(?) tabletop
After finishing the Rose cake, decided to try another one since there won't be any chance in the near future to taste their cakes anymore.
Had a chat with the girl at the counter to ask her whether they had any plans to reopen elsewhere. She was very friendly and didn't mind sharing about why they decided to close down (high overheads), and mentioned that they would be seeing how it goes first but have no plans to reopen the cafe for now.
Asked which cake was the best seller and she recommended the gula melaka cake.
However, the earl grey lemon loaf caught my eye. (:
Earl Grey Lemon Loaf S$3.50
The loaf was delicious! The crust was crispy but the inside part moist (:
The taste of the earl grey was also just nice, not too strong but not too light. Couldn't really taste the lemon part of it though. The icing sugar on the top added some sweetness and a crunchy texture when you bite into it (:
Nice wooden shelf with magazines to browse through and some merchandise.
Love the pink water dispenser (:
♥ Loved
Pretty cakes that tasted as good as they looked
Nice decor (the fresh flowers and nice drawings)
Friendly staff who gave off a homely vibe
Maple & Market
34 Cassia Crescent #01-82
Closed on Tuesdays and closing down end of March 2015
Nearest MRT: Dakota (15 min walk)
It is located just a few blocks behind Old Airport Road Hawker Centre (which is probably a more familiar landmark)
18.03.2015
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