Hand Made Leather Coin Pouch for W

I like to make things with my hands (like earrings) so have been trying out different types of DIY craft recently.  This was something that I made for my dear friend W, who is notoriously difficult to get gifts for since she has everything and doesn't need anything.  But I know she will appreciate the effort that went into sewing this coin pouch for her!

(Although this was fairly easy as the leather was pre-cut and the holes pre-punched, so all I had to do was to stitch it together.  Which is actually tougher than it looks and blister inducing ! Kudos to all leather artisan masters. )

How to Entertain a Lego-Mad Boy: Bricks and Cubes Cafe, the Cathay

Ethan is truly obsessed with Lego (in a good way!), which is great because there are so many Lego options around to keep him entertained.   Since I needed a bit of a break to catch up with my friend L, we decided to bring our two boys to Bricks and Cubes café, which I had chanced across on another blog.   Highlight - this lego-themed café has a special dedicated play area, well stocked with a very extensive range of lego and duplo bricks, and play stations for each child!

It was the best three hours catching up with L over a meal that we had for a few years.  Ethan and HX were completely engrossed in building their creations and sneaking peeks at the child-friend movies that were screening (we caught the tail-end of UP, all of FINDING NEMO, and the beginning of MINIONS), and only dashed to the eating area for five-minute bursts of fuel replenishment, in the form of pizza and spaghetti.

The food is frankly nothing to shout about - average café standard and a limited range (pizzas, pastas, desserts and coffees), but it is pretty affordable and serving portions are large.  In my opinion, I make a much better Hawaiian pizza - the pizza crust at Bricks was slightly thick and not crispy, and there was a bit too much mozzarella cheese for Ethan's liking.  Our other order of the spaghetti aglio olio was decent though, with a nicely crusted fish fillet accompanying it.

To sum it up, all of us had such an awesome day at Bricks and Cubes Café! We were there on a Saturday afternoon and the café was fairly empty with only 2 other children and a loud toddler who was flinging lego bricks on the floor.  But to avoid disappointment, it might be a good idea to call beforehand to check if the café has been booked by a group or for a party as the play area is small, and can only support around 6 to 7 children playing within. 



www.bricksncubes.sg
Bricks and Cubes Café
The Cathay, 2 Handy Road #02-12/14, Singapore 229233

 

Finally, MediShield Life for all, for life

1 Nov 2015 marks a huge milestone as MediShield Life starts.  Now, all Singaporeans will get the protection that they need for life, regardless of their health and financial situation.  I am proud and deeply privileged to have been part of this important journey for the past three years.

Find out more about MediShield Life here: www.medishieldlife.sg

Home made Hawaiian Pizza - Yamaha Lunch

On Thursdays, Ethan goes for Yamaha keyboard class.  Due to the early start time for his Yamaha class, I have to pick him up early from school and give him his lunch on the way to class.  And that's where the fun starts, because he gets a different lunch each week that he really really looks forward to.

This week's Yamaha lunch is by Ethan's special request, a home-made Hawaiian pizza with lots of pineapple and a little bit of ham (in view of the latest findings about processed meats being carcinogenic), with his favourite Gouda cheese.   Ethan must have found it good as he gobbled the entire pizza up and kept on mumbling "what a delicious meal" in between mouthfuls.

Pizza base made using this recipe, tried and tested since 2007.  Try making your own pizzas!  They are really worth the effort (think crispy and fragrantly yeasty, bread pizzas just don't make the cut) and don't take that much time either.  My cheat trick - I make the dough and pre-roll the bases in advance, then pop them in the freezer to be used whenever there is a request for pizza.
http://emmaelephant.blogspot.sg/2007/05/homemade-pizza.html

Ethan is Five!

It's hard to believe how fast time flies.  Ethan turns 5 today and I could not ask for any greater happiness in my life.  

My darling boy, may you stay happy, healthy, cheeky, and love Lego and trains (but not too much) always!

My Perfect Apple - the Envy

I have found the perfect apple and its name is Envy. 

I used to think that the tiny Royal Gala apples from South Africa were the best version of the pome fruit, until quite by accident, I chanced across the Envy, which is grown in New Zealand.  According to Wikipedia, Envy is a cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn.  Which explains why it looks a bit like a Royal Gala (and my mum has actually bought Royal Gala that were mixed into a pile of Envys and felt real cheated by that).

Taste wise, the Envy's super crisp, juicy, sweet and clean taste - without any hint of sourness or rancidity after exposure to air, puts all the other apples to shame.   Go try an Envy today! They are stocked at NTUC Fairprice supermarket regularly.

Back from Macau

Mummee and daddeedee brought me to Macau last weekend! I had such a fun time and I learnt how to say "egg tart".  These are so yummy!  

New Helper

I am mummee's little helper! I mop under the sofa, navigate around small cars on the floor, and even sing my "抹抹抹" song as I mop the floor. I am a good good boy mummeee!

Taiwan A-Sha Noodles

These instant noodles are all the rage in Taiwan....they are apparently so popular that you can only buy them online, and it takes one month to arrive because of the long waiting list (they limit production to maintain quality). Being curious, I made an order for a few packets to see what all the fuss was about. Including shipping costs, the final damage came up to about SGD2 per pack.

and....they were pretty good although not knock-me-out fantastic. Very fresh tasting (no preservatives used) and with a bouncy "QQ" texture. I especially liked that these noodles weren't pre-fried unlike the other types of instant noodles on the market, and hence I had no qualms about letting Ethan sample some. The noodles come in a variety of textures (mee kia, mee pok or ban mian) and seasonings (original, sesame, spicy, szechuan peppercorn). My favourite was the hell-fire peppercorn flavouring - superbly tongue numbing and tingling!

Although considering the long waiting time (I waited more than 1 month), the inconvenience of purchasing from overseas (Customs / AVA is sticky about bringing food products into Singapore!) and rather steep price, I think I will stick to buying Japanese ramen from Isetan for my noodle fix in future.


www.a-sha.com

Ethan eats steak at Lawry's (Pictorial)

So mummee says, since I am well-behaved, I now get to go out to nice restaurants with mummee and daddeedee. Hmm, i must look as sweet and innocent as possible so i can go out more often!

i love prime rib steak! No rubbishy minced beef for me, only babies eat that. More, daddeedee, more!

No, it's not my birthday but I don't know why the cake is right in front of me. It's daddeedee's birthday! Happy birthday daddeedee!

Details on the food experience at Lawry's here.

Medz, Orchard Central

I usually try to give Marche-type restaurants a wide berth (mediocre food, expensive prices, long queues) but Medz, located in the bowels of the dizzingly confusing Orchard Central turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Giving us a positive first impression was the interestingly done-up interior, with lots of turkish lanterns casting warm jewelled tones on the mosaic tiled walls, and a warm and inviting ambience.

With a medley of offerings from the various Mediterranean countries - French, Italian, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, etc, there was no fear that we would not find something to our liking.

I opted for the truffled chicken (SGD10) from the French stall. This was good - tasty and flavourful and not disguised with lots of sauce, with our only slight quibble being that the breast meat was a trifle dry. You can help yourself to a range of spreads (like herb butter) to go with the chicken too. At this price, a steal.

Our other choice of Adana Kebab (SGD10) - a minced lamb skewer - was also a winner. The aroma and scent of the spices complemented the robustness of the lamb meat beautifully without being too overpowering, and the slightly charred exterior imparted a wonderfully smokey taste to the kebab, while the interior remained juicy.

This is one place I wouldn't mind coming back to in future if my tastebuds are feeling fickle!

Medz
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central
#B2-01/03

Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Seafood Restaurant, Melaka

Ever since Chubby Hubby blogged about his great experience, we've been curious about this Teochew restaurant in Melaka, located in a small street near the touristy Jonker Walk area. From the outside, Teo Soon Loong Chan looks like a rather dingy and nondescript hole-in-the-wall eating place.

The entrance is almost entirely blocked by the outdoor kitchen, leaving only a tiny gap to squeeze through into the eating area.

The inside is tiny too, with space enough for only about 7 or so tables, but clean and welcoming, with cheery red tablecloths. Very Chinese!

We had a Teochew-style steamed pomfret, fried vegetables, fried pork and Teochew yam paste - Or Ni, all for about RM80 (SGD32). The cooking was pretty good, but not really earth shaking, we've had better Teochew food at Chin Lee. Still, this was worth the visit just to watch Ethan wolf down half the pomfret all by himself. That's a lot of fish! I wonder where all that food goes to?

Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Seafood Restaurant

57 Lorong Hang Jebat

75200 Melaka, Malaysia

http://www.tslcmalaysia.com/

Melaka Feb 2012 (pictorial)

So we decided to risk a couple of sleepless nights and screaming fits (mine!) and take Ethan on another trip to Melaka. The trip turned out unexpectedly well, and most fortunately Ethan even managed to sleep well in the hotel bed. Thank heavens. There was no screaming in the end. Only smiles all around! And lots of nasi lemak and chicken rice wolfed down by our hungry toddler.

strapped safely into my car seat and zooming down the expressway!

our room in Hotel Equatorial!

sliding off the bed is so much more fun than staying still on it for photos!

mummee's all bright-eyed from getting enough sleep. I just want my nasi lemak!

Seb's Bistro, Rochester Park

Sebastian's at Greenwood Park was one of the restaurants that I had wanted to eat at but didn't get the chance to before it closed down a few years ago. So when I heard that Sebastian Reuiller had opened a new place at Rochester Park, I jumped at the chance to check it out.

Located on the premises of the now (alas!) defunct Cassis, but with a distinctly more laid-back and rustic feel, Seb's Bistro offers only out-door dining (bad luck for those hot weather and mozzie haters) and has a children's playground next door. The tables and chairs did look somewhat worn down and worse for wear, whether this was a result of the tropical weather ravages or from abuse by children I was not sure. But in any case, we were there for the food, which did not disappoint.

I can't help but order duck confit whenever I see it on the menu and this was no exception. Seb's Bistro's duck confit with braised red cabbage and apple ($29) was a winner, with crispy skin, just-right level of saltiness, still soft duck meat, and the interestingly tangy cabbage and apple accompaniment.

Even better was the weekend roast. A darn good prime rib roast, pink and delightfully succulent, beefy and savoury. Not one for the faint hearted, prepare to loosen your belts. We ordered the ladies cut (400g, $35) and it was almost too much for us even with Ethan sharing some of the beef.

Merry Kissmas, mummmmee!

Note though, that the full menu options are only available on weekends. On weekdays, the offerings are much reduced, focusing on light eats (sandwiches and such).

Seb's Bistro
7 Rochester Park
www.rochesterhouse.com.sg

db Bistro Moderne, Marina Bay Sands

I had been wanting to visit the celebrity chef restaurants at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) ever since they first opened, but for one reason or other, the visit never materialised until two weeks ago, when i was galvanised into action by the news of Santi's impending closure (more on Santi in a later post).

When you have a toddler in tow, dining out becomes severely curtailed by several considerations - does the restaurant open in time for him to have an early lunch? does it welcome tolerate unpredictable toddler moods and noises? is child-friendly food available? etc etc. It was thus a relief to find out that yes, db Bistro Moderne has high chairs available and opens its doors for an early lunch at 1130am.

An American take on the much loved Parisian bistro, the ambience and atmosphere at db Bistro Moderne was convivial and casual(ish), with all the typical bistro accoutrements and fittings (red velvet and dark wood).

I plumped for the famous original db burger ($38) (sirloin burger with braised short ribs and foie gras). The minced beef patty was beautifully cooked to a medium rosy pink and the middle was stuffed with a generous heap of the braised short ribs and a small lobe of foie gras. Unfortunately I wasn't able to tell how the entire concoction melded together in gastronomic decadence because I was only allowed to eat the beef patty. All the good stuff landed on ...

mummee, stop taking photographs and feed me that yummy stuff quickly!

.... yup, Ethan's plate. He finished it all (and half the bread basket) but only had a taste of the foie gras before deciding he didn't like it. Check out his special fine dining bib!

This is what my mangled original db burger looked like, post-Ethan. It tasted pretty ordinary, the beef wasn't all that tasty and I was expecting a lot more at this price point. To be fair, I guess it would have been a lot better with the addition of the short ribs and foie gras (although, how does one manage the logistical feat of eating such a towering burger without deconstructing all its parts?). Servings were huge - we couldn't finish the admittedly very delish and somewhat salty fries, more's the pity. I loved the Piper Heidseick champagne though (thanks UOB) and had two glasses all to myself - was kinda hoping that the champagne fumes would send Ethan into an early nap stupor but no such luck.



db Bistro Moderne
B1-48, Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Ethan at Marina Bay Sands (to be continued)

Oops....it's been almost 4 months since any new postings appeared on this blog! We are all doing very well and very happy, just that I've been extremely busy running after little toddler Ethan. Plus, I sheepishly admit that I went through a phase of watching movies and Chinese drama serials every night, thankfully my latest addiction has recently ended its run on TV so this leaves me with more time to blog.

Here are some quick snapshots of Ethan's latest adventure at Marina Bay Sands Skypark...to be continued with his gastronomic adventures at db bistro moderne!

i must bring a car everywhere i go! must must!

mummmeee, this is so exciting! quick quick hurry hurry!

hmm, this is nice, walking around up high.

mummeee, the tiny cars are more interesting than the bird in the sky! look, mummee, look!