FoodEx: The Lifestages of An Artisan Ice Cream

SALTED CARAMEL ARTISAN ICE CREAM
Location: Upper Thomson Road

Two scoops: Tim Tam-Horlicks and Salted Caramel

Yeah.. I inhaled the thing!

Forlino Italian Restaurant

My nth Birthday at Forlino..
Location: One Fullerton

Blue Crab Tomato Salad with Champagne Vinegar    

Veal Ossobuco Ravioli with Bone Marrow and Saffron Sauce    

Nettle & Buffalo Ricotta Cheese Tortelli with Tomato Sauce    

Wagyu Beef Cheek with 100% Chocolate & Red Wine Sauce    

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Wine and Dine Singapore: Stellar @ 1-Altitude

Location: 1 Raffles Place, 62F

It's my sister Glai's nth birthday and we found yet another reason to indulge!

We come from a family who has an aptitude for high altitude dining , hence, we opted to celebrate her first birthday in Singapore at one of the country's city-overlooking places, Stellar @ 1-Altitude.  Despite the rants and raves I've seen in several blogs, our dining experience at Stellar gave us a new set of good memories. The food was great, service was great, and probably the only thing that needed improvement was the loo. Price is on the high-side but the overall experience is worth every ‘singy’ and all the inevitable calories.

What we had:

/Top left: Twice Baked Gruyere Souffle with Blue Cheese Dressing

Top Right: Pan-fried Foie Gras with Rhubarb and Cherry pickle

Bottom: Slow-cooked veal with Kurobuta Pork/

/Top Left: Polenta Cushion with Four Cheeses and Field Mushroom

Right: Chocolate Seduction - 100 points for the Hazelnut Mousse! Almond Lava cake is a bit crusty and no lava at all :,(

Bottom left: CHEERS! (Our first of the 3 bottles atop the Singapore CBD /

/Birthday girl (on the right) all smiles after receiving a surprise from our beloved SG friends and a visit from dear SE friends./

/More photos on FB/

Pic(k)s of the Week - A Day in a Life

Labels:

1. View from office window

2. Economy mixed rice stall

3. Ikea Cafe

4. Chocolate Sale at Cold Storage

5. Awfully Chocolate cupcakes

How Hot is it in Singapore?

Chili Dark Chocolate.
Bittersweet and spicy.

So HOT that it melts on-the-spot.

FoodEx: Beaming Beancurd

I wasn't particularly looking for a Beancurd House as I am already content with the grocery and soybean kiosks for my much-needed soya fix. I was too early for a meeting and so I looked for a nearby coffee shop to do some work while waiting. Out of curiosity (and the sight of the lovely egg tarts), I checked out this hole-in-a-wall store, Rochor Beancurd House, which became an instant favorite!

Presenting.. My 
recent
 discoveries:

1. Portuguese Egg Tart: Flaky crust, creamy custard filling. Just the right sweetness..

2. Tofu Fries: Crisp and softness in every bite! This lightly breaded tofu fingers is topped with a dash or two of cinnamon and chili powder. Never expected it to be so addicting!

3. Sweetened Bean Curd (Hot or Cold): Similar to our taho but without the sago. Silky smooth texture, sweetened by a light sugar syrup. So simple yet satisfying..

I have yet to try the other items on their menu.

4 Kilos and Counting

Yes indeed! I have dropped this much a month after I posted my self-imposed wellness commandments and strictly abiding by it. This is a safe number considering almost all of these kilos were taken from fat (as proven by the in-body analysis) and not muscles (that's why crash diets don't work!).

How I did it?

1. Detox program for 2 weeks - made me really cranky and crave for Mexican food, macarons, souffle, and bolognese

2. I walked and walked.. Ran and swam.. and spent 2 Saturdays biking at the East Coast Park

3. Cheated with KFC, Tita Nanec's molo soup, mint chocolate, Marty's, chili crab, and Candy's pasta -- just made sure they were worth every calorie!!!

4. Read and researched, checked food labels..

5. Followed the health commandments.

Now I'm on Phase 2.. New program.. Let's see in a month's time!

10 Commandments Minus 10 Kilos

Truth be told, I have gained another 3kg in 2010. (Additional 3kg to the 15kg I gained in 3years while I was working for San Miguel).

Likewise, my Manila vacation last week proved to be detrimental, not only in keeping the weight off but also in not gaining unnecessary calories. So, in one beautiful evening in Cafe Breton, West Gate, Alabang, 5 friends and I signed a ‘formal contract’ to signify our fitness commitment. Drafted by Atty. J (yeah, that’s how serious we are!!), the contract stipulates the following clauses:

      - That I, Atty. J, and R commit to lose 10Kg. By May 2011 (2lbs a week is healthy)

     - That if Atty. J loses the necessary inches to fit into a Hugo Boss suit, he will be entitled to the aforementioned suit to be purchased by the other 5 signatories

     - That if I and R lose the same amount of weight, Atty. J shall fly all 8 of us to Vietnam and Cambodia

     - **Legal and healthy method only

In my commitment to pursue a lifestyle change, I have drafted the personal commandments I intend to follow to a) Shed off the 18Kg I gained in the last 4 years and b) Keep them off for as long as I live. Hence, my 10 minus 10kg commandments:

1. I shall learn to unlove dairy-based desserts. (This is number one because this is the most painful of them all. I literally stalled after typing this to convince myself that this is the right thing to do).

2. I shall run and swim at least 4 hours a week.

3. I shall keep the ratio of fruits and veggies to meat to 3:1

4. I shall only consume rice and pasta on days I am going to do heavy workout.

5. I shall take the public transport, instead of hailing a cab (unless it’s midnight).

6. I shall ditch any mode of transport if travel is within 'reasonable' walking distance.

7. Following rule 6#, I shall wear, or bring comfortable shoes wherever I go. No excuses.

8. I shall make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water (and avoid milkshakes, milk tea, and coffee in plastic packet).

9. I shall only consume a maximum of 2 glasses of wine per week (only if I have to).

10. I shall not go clothes shopping unless I reach my ideal weight.

I have also been doing research on accupuncture treatment for weightloss. (Yes, that’s how desperate I am to bring back the beach-bod silhouette I donned some time ago.) But in doing so, I have to shell out some funds amounting to these:

Yes, indeed. That's how pricey the treatment would be.

Sigh. Looks like you babies would have to wait looooonger.

.

Margarita's: Mexican Food Trip

Location: Dempsey Hill

Nachos

Quesadillas

Beef Fajitas

(really good!!!)

Enchiladas De Pollo Con Mole

(with chocolate!!!)

We really enjoyed our Christmas Day dinner..

with this, our 'appetizer'

I shall return. 

____________

I need a better camera..

Wee Nam Kee: Best Chicken Rice in Singapore (?)

They say it's the best Chicken Rice in Singapore..

So off we went..

..and savored a double-dose of oily, ginger-y, chicken-y goodness.

I must say that this Hainanese Chicken is worth every calorie. And worth every cheap dollar spent.

I wonder if Wee Nam Kee in Manila is as good..?

__________________________________

Wee Nam Kee

275 Thomson Road #01-05 Novena Ville Singapore

...

Christmas 2010

Family was here to celebrate Christmas with us..

Christmas Eve at the Marina Bay Sands Skypark + Home (to open gifts)

Christmas Dinner at Dempsey Hill

Of course, dessert came first

 ..followed by a yummy Mexican dinner + Margaritas

Three Simbang Gabi's in a Row + Crispy Pata

This is indeed a milestone.. I have already completed 3 consecutive Simbang Gabi's (going 4th today) and simultaneously, I am able to tour the different Catholic Churches here in Singapore.

We were a big group last night for a dear friend's despedida..

That's just half of the group

Afterwards, we trekked the East Coast Road for unhealthy servings of our favorite Pinoy food. Truth be told, I haven't tasted sisig and crispy pata in the last 8 months!!! I felt so much deprived!!! Imagine my delight when these were served:

Off to my 4th Simbang Gabi!!!

Photocredit: Lean Tibia