More food reviews to come

I have been eating so much but my fingers haven't been doing the same amount of typing! I need to catch up and share all my food sampling experience with you guys! Please be patient :)

Not so prime

The other day, my colleagues and I dined at Astons Prime located at CentrePoint. I wasn't really enthusiastic about it after reading their numerous bad reviews. People complained about their service and food quality. But since everyone wanted to give it a go, I went ahead to give them a second chance.

The service wasn't that bad, probably because it was pretty empty when we arrived. The food also was served after a reasonable waiting time. To be truthful, the steak wasn't that fantastic. The accompanying sauce (mushroom) was quite normal - nothing exceptional. It can't be compared to the one at Hog's Breath or Outback Steakhouse, and for the price of $20.90 (rib-eye) I'd rather pay a little more for better quality elsewhere. I have to admit some of their sides were pretty well done, e.g. onion rings and potato wedges. My chosen sides were buttered mushrooms and cheesy potato skins. I was pretty happy with their generous amount of cheese on the skin but the mushrooms were rather tasteless. It felt more like they were soaked in water than butter.

The pork chop looked alright but was charged at a hefty price of $29.90 (if I didn't remember wrongly). It seems a bit overpriced. The steaks are priced more reasonably... but only if their quality improves, else I guess it isn't worth to return for a second time.

台湾零食

My colleague came back from her trip in Taiwan and bought us some goodies! I haven't been there though I'd really like to in near future... and perhaps on a solo trip.

This is Taiwan's Sun cake, it looks and tastes very similar to Hong Kong's Wife cake. But compared to Wife cake, this is incredibly soft. The soft crust fell off the moment you bit into it... and you would end up with flakes all over your clothes if you're not careful. My sister came back from Hong Kong recently, and now suddenly I'm not a big fan of their Wife cakes after sampling Sun cake... mmmmmm.

Taiwan's mochi. Singapore imports a lot of Taiwanese mochi... and to be honest, they aren't cheap at all over here. Despite that, I'm still a big fan. I love the black sugar one because they are not too sweet, the yam because I'm a fan of taro, and the green tea because they are always so fragrant! This green tea mochi has a very intensive green tea flavour, unlike the ones I bought here at NTUC/Cold Storage Taiwanese imported section. It literally tastes like the green tea powder... and I also like its soft and not too thick skin. I heard there's an even better brand out there, can't wait to try them out!

遇见怪脾的人 (12) - Little rascal

I like kids when they are adorable, playful and obedient... but I met this little rascal in the train that evening. It pissed me off so much that I DID NOT want to give up my seat for her. Such a spoilt brat! She boarded the train apparently with the mum, another kid and someone that looks like a maid. The mum happily had one kid on her lap on the other side. The maid sat besides me, however this little rascal did not even want to sit on her lap, she immediately crawled between us and started to push around. She made enough sapce for herself and looked like she was the queen. Seriously, I could have told her off in front of her mum but I didn't want to. I didn't want to let her have the seat too, or she would think she will have her own way. Then she started complaining to her maid that she didn't have "space". Neither her nor the maid wanted to give up the seat to each other... I have never encountered such an ill-mannered kid for a long time! Such a BRAT!

p.s: If you're her mama, please teach your child some manners.

2010 with a roar

Happy 2010!

I can't believe the new year has arrived, can you??

Somehow I am glad that the last is over... 2008 was a horrible year for me, 2009 was slightly better and this year it should be the BEST. I am starting it with definitely a much more positive attitude than the past. Having gone through so much sh*t, it can't get any worse, right?

Christmas 2009 was fabulous... and so was the countdown to 2010. I caught up with so many old and new friends in past weeks, that I was wondering what I had been doing the rest of the time. Though some of my friends are still abroad, I still remember them fondly during these time.

Unfortunately, some of my friends are in some kind of depressed mood, and it can be kind of infectious too. One of them just split up with the girlfriend whom chose to return to her home country after living some time in Vietnam. I think I can understand that. Another of my close friend just suddenly withdrew into her own world just because she took her friendship with others too seriously. People changed over time, friends come and go... I guess she's just too sentimental for her own good. I ended my 8 years friendship with a guy I deemed my best friend who knew everything about my life too about a year ago. It was difficult but I made the right choice and my gut instinct still says it too. I took so long to realise I have befriended someone whom constantly picked on me, put me down, used me as his punching bag... though he did sometimes help me quite a bit. But eventually the negative parts of it overwhelmed, I couldn't take it anymore. That's when you understand the phrase "Enough is enough!". I hope both of them will overcome the bad times and soon see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Tomorrow.. the first Monday of the year also marks the start and end of my working life. My 2-months contract is up, time flies ;) I loathe my recruitment agency (or more the agent really). So I guess, what's next? Another unpredictable start - which I am almost no stranger to.

Life. I have fortunate friends who have blessed lives, as well as others who seem to have miserable ones. I guess at the end of the day, it ultimately depends on the individual's perspective of their life. You can be miserable for as long as you want to, but you can choose to be happy too. REMEMBER YOU HAVE A CHOICE. My life is so imperfect, but I'm getting by fine, happier and no longer like Mary who lost her little lamb. Sometimes it's easier to live by without setting expectations. I looked back and realised the happiest time I actually had were those without expecting something in return, because when you set one, you always have the risk to get disappointed. Set goal instead of expectation! :)

It's time to get in bed now. I hope my first post of the year will somehow inspire anyone who reads it! Good night, sleep tight too!

这个圣诞。。。

Merry Christmas, dear friends!

This Christmas is different from the last... and certainly isn't like any of the rest. I saw a lot of my friends, even had a christmas lunch for the extended families at home. I met up with many different people, met new people... and my friend list on Facebook seems to be getting longer!

Syndy is back, so we went out to celebrate with a simple dinner (with Adeline). And coincidentally, we met Nathan, Waiwai and Alex on the eve too. It's a rare occasion, and it makes this festive season an even more special one.

I also MMS-ed (after testing out my MMS last month) greetings to some whom have 3G (MMS enabled) phones... I was quite disappointed when nobody MMS-ed me back because I would love to get one on my new BlackBerry. And then, one of my friends replied... apparently with a handsome picture of himself. Thanks Dennis.

The annual Xmas gift exchange has been always fun. I loved some of the stuff I received and as usual also got some crappy stuff. I decided that next year, I shall not set a budget and also not name who to do it with. Sometimes it's more meaningful to just give and receive without expecting one in return. That way, I reckon that person won't be "forced" to buy something for the sake of the "promise" or "budget". It will also be an eye-opener to see how much your friends understand you to get you something you want/need/like! So get ready for it!!

Syndy said we should set our 2010 resolution. Somehow I can't think of anything... These couple of years, I didn't set any. I only know that I hope I have a fresh new start in everything next year and able to forget the things I should forget... or maybe should I say accept them the way it is! It's weird the more you want something, the more it won't come... the more you want it to go away, the more it won't... the more you want to forget it, the more you won't... God, you're so mean :(

My sisters are both enjoying work-free days till 2010. Poor me will be the only one waking up for the next couple of days for work. Work wanted to extend me for the next 2 months... and I haven't decided. But I probably might... just need to sort something out for myself in the near future. x Fingers crossed x

Raining through my mind

Rainy Monday night.

So sleepy. Wanna sleep. Wanna write. So much on my mind. Filled with ideas. Occupied with things I wanna do. Gotta find time to do. Only if there's 30 hours per day, another extra 6 more to sleep. I could do much more. I wanna finish fixing the bag I was sewing. That laundry I have to handwash. The gifts I haven't wrapped. That competition entry I haven't had a chance to think about.

The rain was splattering, a wind was blowing. They stopped. Ground is wet, air is still. I hear the planes leaving. I wanna go.

Painful ulcers. I have two. Where did they come from, I don't know? Too much Nutella or Kim chi overdose?

Laying in bed... listening. No one is talking. Only the fan blowing. My bedside streamers trembling. Then I heard the plane. Noisily passing through the clouds. I wish, I wish I am traveling somewhere again.

Tired. Tomorrow is another day.

Rain, rain, come again, come and stay another day...

Eating craze

Invited yet again to another buffet... I lost count of the number of times I ate buffet since November! My stomach enjoys it, but not my expanding waistline. Thank God, I could still fit in a (decent size) pair of new Uniqlo jeans. Also another reason I don't enjoy buying jeans because they almost never seem to fit me nicely except for one pair of Levi's. Decided to reject the dinner and burn my calories by going in and out of fitting room... another therapy not very ideal for my wallet but good for the soul.

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遇见怪脾的人 (11) - Ti Ko Pek twins

Seems like it is getting common nowadays we get a lot of roaming eyes from these kinda people in the MRT. Why did our cultures cultivate a lot of these uncles with such perverted craving to look at women whom showed some flesh. I mean it's normal to look at pretty women, but looking with that lustful look is simply disgusting. Spotted in west-bound train.

甜蜜的一个下午

The infamous signature dessert @ Tampines 1's Kopitiam.

We call it Chendol but it's more known as Cendol (derived from Indonesia). At S$2.50, it looks pretty decent for its size and a very attractive presentation. In Malaysia, it's definitely much cheaper and also made differently from Singapore. Sister recently visited Malacca and told me it's only less than RM2 over there, which is barely S$1.

The red beans are larger than normal; I love the palm sugar syrup on shaved ice... Being contained in a tall glass also makes it difficult for me to eat with the ingredients separated by different layers. I guess it's a challenge then? LOL. The green noodles-alike things, apparently no name for them, used to be my favourite part of Chendol when I grew up... Now I have outgrown it though I still like this dessert. As I grow up, I begin to like lesser of coconut milk too, except when it's in curries.

Beware: It can get pretty "sweet" by the time the ice melts and settles on the bottom in a brown mixture! To prevent sugar overdose, finish it before the temperature rises.