@ Mariners' Corner Restaurant

Z had been talking about Mariners' Corner Restaurant at Maritime House and we finally had our chance to visit there. We arrived around six plus which the restaurant had just opened for dinner. The décor was cosy and the staff greeted us with a welcoming smile.

Mariners' Corner Restaurant

Scallops Mornay
(Huge scallops paired nicely with cheese)

Fisherman's platter
(Lightly battered and great for sharing)

Spiral Chicken Sausage with Chicken Chop
(Absolutely tender and amazing)

Overall, the food was nothing fussy but simple delight and friendly to the wallet too.

@ Department of Caffeine

Valrhona Chocolate Waffle with Butterscotch Icecream, Raspberry sauce and Strawberries
(Waffles were crispy on the outside but soft on the inside) 

We were walking around Tanjong Pagar and ended up in Department of Caffeine. As we were not particularly hungry, we got one of their waffles for sharing. The waffle was above average but I felt that it was slightly overpriced. Nonetheless, the service staff were friendly and attentive despite being a packed weekday afternoon.

A Craving for Korean

Jajangmyeong, Seaweed and Carrots

I was craving for some Korean meal and decided to cook up jajangmyeong. R gave me seaweed from his Korea trip and that served as one of the banchan, along with some nicely sliced sweet carrots. I guessed I over-indulged.

Merry Xmas 2014

Ho Ho Ho! It's Christmas once again as we gathered to celebrate with friends and family. This year, we had a BBQ at A's place followed by a gift exchange. Thankfully the weather was kind to us and everyone had fun. I may have over indulged on my favourite BBQ chicken wings and A's specially concocted sangria though. After all, it's the festive mood of Christmas.  

What's Xmas without log cake

Merry Xmas!

Winter Solstice

One year 'older' and hopefully wiser

@ Marche

I went with sis to Somerset to get some Christmas presents and we decided to have our lunch at Marche. The décor at Marche reminded me of traditional Swiss restaurants as we dined over the Christmas special of wraps with antipasti as well as lamb. Of course, I can never miss out on the rosti with sour cream. Ah, the days of travelling in Switzerland.

Xmas-sy

Wrap, rosti and lamb

Elusive Neighbour

I was running in the park and finally got the chance to meet my elusive neighbour, the otter. Much attention was drawn to it and people were standing on the bridge to observe. It sure brought a joy to my run.

Movie: Stand By Me Doraemon

Throngs of Japanese accompanied us as we caught the heart-warming Doraemon movie which sort of summarised the entire series Doraemon anime. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Doraemon but I was always intrigued by the many gadgets and how Doraemon always stood by Nobita. The only thing missing was the nostalgic opening song.

Hungry Heroes



It has been a while since I met up with E and this time round, we went to Hungry Heroes at Tessensohn Road for lunch.

 



Hungry Heroes

Adorned with posters and figurines

I can feel the might

Nice to meat you
(A great platter for sharing)

I could understand why this restaurant received so much attention. It is a super cool superhero themed restaurant that had all the vibes for a nice adult-ish hangout and not just for geeks. Thankfully E made a reservation as almost all the tables were reserved. The food was above average and I particularly liked the sirloin steak and grilled chicken. A pity the bread was slightly stale and the roasted potatoes needed more time in the oven. Service was prompt and amicable too.

3 for $1 Curry Puffs

3 for $1 Curry Puffs
(Cheap and addictive)

I remembered when I was younger, I used to buy those 3 for $1 curry puffs sold near MRT stations. However, they were less frequently seen. Thus, imagine my joy when I managed to find one. These mini potato or sardine curry puffs were cheap and addictive. I had to stop myself from buying more as they are unhealthy.

XLB for Early Mid Week

XLB for early mid week!

Christmas Bake Off

We decided to do an early Christmas bake off at J's place. Armed with the recipes from thejoyofbaking and under E's guidance, we got our hands and place dirty into baking those delicious treats. 

Something nice is baking

Brownies
(Pairs nicely with ice cream)

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
(Healthy taste)

A much needed respite from a stressful week.

Big Walk 2014

Woke up early to join in the 5km Big Walk 2014 with dad. A relaxing and cooling time to explore the CBD area before the bustle sets in.

Cousin's Wedding

This year seemed to be filled with weddings from cousins. Really happy for all of them!

Wedding cakes
(Sweet and traditional)

Cousin photo during lunch

Getting ready for dinner banquet

March in

Blow bubbles instead of throwing petals; simple joy

Dinner menu

Assorted Combination Platter
(Octopus and Scallops were decent but the whitebait was soggy)

Braised Lobster Broth with Egg White
(Naturally sweet)

Steamed Spotted Garoupa with Spring Onions
(A dish that I looked forward to; Good)

Wok-Fried Prawns with Greens topped with Honeyed Walnuts
(Nice colour and taste but the prawns were too salty and there were no walnuts)

Braised Abalone with Mushrooms & Vegetables
(A pity that there is only one slice of abalone for each person)

Chinese Fortune Chicken in Lotus Leaves
(Very potent and yummy)

Braised Spicy Si Chuan E-Fu Noodles with Chicken Floss
(A nice variation from the usual e-fu noodles but could be more fragrant)

Yam Paste with Pumpkin & Hasma
(Light and refreshing)

MBS is a nice location for wedding as it is well accessible. The service and food were good too. What I liked about this wedding was that they had done away with the photo booth and rearranged the segments to allow more mingling with guests. I think that is the best way to show appreciation to those who attended. The use of instagram to provide live updates was a nice touch. A joyous occasion indeed!

I can get used to this

Macaron from Patisserie G
(Sweet delights of inventive flavours)

An overview

@ Outback Steakhouse

My team had our colleague's farewell lunch at Outback Steakhouse, Millenia Walk. Since it was lunch time, all of us went for their set lunches which came with a main course, soup and drink.

The freshly baked honey whole meal Boston bread was slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was good on its own or you could pair with the smooth buttermilk spread. Otherwise, it went very well with the soup of the day which was creamy tomato. It was very filling and tasty. A pity the bread was non-refillable though.

However, the rest of the meal went downhill. I ordered a medium well Outback special sirloin steak. What arrived was a thick cut of steak that was closed to being well done. It was tough and disappointing. The side of Aussie fries were not spectacular too. Apparently the rest of my team was not impressed with the food as well.

I guess I would stick to Jack's place or Aston's for a more consistent offering.



    

Dad's Birthday

Due to busy schedules, we decided to have a simple meal around Bouna Vista to celebrate dad's birthday.

Fish Head Steamboat
(Dad loved it)

Panna Cotta
(Nice texture)

Lemon Tart
(Too sweet for my liking)

@ Arnolds Fried Chicken

I have not heard of Arnolds Fried Chicken until I was searching for the best fried chicken in Singapore. For the uninitiated, Arnolds Fried Chicken is Singapore's own fried chicken and has been in business for 30 years. The main outlet at City Plaza is not convenient for me. Thankfully, they have recently opened at Yishun 10 and Hougang Green.

I went to the Yishun 10 outlet for lunch. The first thing to do was to join the queue and order your food. After paying, you will get a buzzer while you sit and wait for your food. I read from other blogs that the wait could take up to an hour. Just to show that the chicken are freshly fried.

For myself, I waited for a bearable 15 minutes and was rewarded with my fried chicken. There was smoke emitting upon tearing apart the chicken skin. Very hot indeed. Taste-wise, they were less salty and oily compared to other fried chicken. However, the chicken breast could be juicier though.

Comparing to KFC, this felt like a slightly healthier choice but could do with a shorter wait and more outlets. 

2-piece chicken meal ($6.60)
Freshly fried and not oily

Kranji War Memorial

Kranji War Memorial

Peace.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Decided to visit Sungei Buloh since I do not remember being there before. To get there, I took to Kranji MRT followed by 925 to Kranji reservoir car park and then a 15 minutes walk to the wetland reserve. It was really far indeed. During Sundays, 925 alights directly outside the place. Regardless, I have my trusty Google maps. 

Sungei Buloh Wetland Rerserve

Start of Route 1

Follow the monitor lizard

Birds

Mudskipper

Basking under the hot sun

It was really quiet on a weekday, which worked for me. Only Route 1 was opened that day but the 3km walk sufficed. There were lots of monitor lizards. I wasn't sure of the decorum but decided to let them pass before I continue my walk. Sungei Buloh is a popular place for migratory birds from as far as Russia to stopover. As a result, there were quite a couple of bird watchers armed with their big cameras. I spotted a few varieties but I heard that the best time to visit is in the early mornings.

There were many other creatures in the mangrove habitat such as mudskippers (which I learnt in primary school) and crabs. They were continuously hiding in the mud to prevent the birds from finding them. I was hoping to spot the estuarine crocodiles but luck wasn't on my side.

In all, Sungei Buloh was a nice place to visit and let nature come to you. Hopefully when the Kranji Way entrance is opened, it will be more accessible. Oh, sunscreen and mosquito repellent are advisable.