savoring singapore November 29, 2011
BON APETIT!
shanghai drunken chicken (cold) and crispy prawn pancake
michie teaching me how to eat the xia long bao
~
BRUNCH
Michie: “You cannot leave without trying their xia long bao.”
Restaurant: DIN TAI FUNG (inside the Pentagon mall along Orchard road)
Consumed: My first ever Xia Long Bao, Crispy Prawn Pancake and Shanghai Drunken Chicken
Verdict: Really enjoyable! I love biting onto the skin of the xia long bao dipped in soy sauce and ginger and then slowly sucking its liquid for that burst of flavor. Yummey!!!!! The tasty prawn pancake was my favorite too.
I noticed that the resto is run by 100 % Chinese, very authentic. Good thing Michie and I arrived early and got a table because there was already a long queue forming outside. This was definitely a great way to jumpstart the day 
***
~
DESSERT
Noli: “Naku j, hindi uso tissue rito.”
Location: Funan Mall Food court
Consumed: Bobo Chacha (a chidi kong kwayla a butchikik ;p)
Verdict: It tasted like ginataang halo-halo but this one was with shaved ice but you can order it warm as well.
Noli is a colleague who is now based in Singapore with his family. We met up at this place because this is where his son Nathan takes his guitar lessons While eating my dessert, I spilled some coconut milk on my hand and asked for a tissue. Noli told me they don’t really give out tissue paper here 
Hmmm …
***
~
MERIENDA:
Michie: “You should check out this café, I’m sure you will love it.”
Café / Restaurant: FOOD FOR THOUGHT (right behind the Singapore Art Museum)
Consumed: Chocolate Chip & Banana Pancake
Verdict: Supah dupah good! But I got umay after a while so I wasn’t able to finish it. Great ambiance I could see meself hanging out a lot here. If I have the opportunity, I would definitely come back and try other dishes.
When I got tired walking around under the heat, this is where I decided to take a break. The place was packed when I got in, good thing they were able to squeeze me in. The placemats had different food for thought phrases on it, mine was INSPIRE KIND ACTS. Well, I have yet to inspire myself to be kinder to my tummy.
Have to cross out another must-eat here at SG, met up with Michie for dinner at the original Wee Nam Kee…
***
one happy shopper November 7, 2011
~
SINGAPORE is considered to be the most sophisticated shopping destination in Asia.
~
Well, I am not at all sophisticated.
I didn’t even bother to go inside any boutiques in Orchard road where I stayed.
I love shopping but I prefer bargain hunting.
~
~
What catches my fancy are original designs, funky accessories and unusual objects.
In short, kuning-kunings!
My friend then suggested I head towards Haji lane on Arab Street.
~
~
Haji lane is a shopper’s haven but surprisingly I didn’t get to buy anything here.
I felt that some of the stuff I saw, I can also buy in Manila.
~
~
Ready to go home empty-handed, I started walking my way back to the hotel.
Then I heard a DJ playing loud music, I followed the sound and soon discovered a bargain shopping paradise . . .
~
~
Halukatdat, A FLEA MARKET / BAZAAR !
I saw some accessories like the ones in Haji Lane but it’s way cheaper here 
After much haggling, I got meself some lego-like notebooks, funky rings and mini postcards.
WOOT WOOT!
~
BLING BLINGS! the insect, tv, lightning and 2 small deer rings are from SG, the rest are my baon
~
But this ain’t the only highlight of my expedition
I found a place where I went totally gaga…
~
~
THE BURNING GAZE aka makuha ka sa tingin October 31, 2011
~
WHAT YOU ARE GAZING AT ARE NOT PHOTOGRAPHS,
BUT ARE ACTUALLY PAINTINGS !!!
~
~
Hyperrealist portraits by Korean artist HYUNG KOO KANG.
~
~
This exhibition focuses on Kang’s works over the last 10 years,
ranging from his popular personality portraits, spontaneous caricatures and sculptures to his haunting self-portraits.
~
~
His artworks may resemble a photograph, but these are not considered as photorealism.
Kang does not use pre-existing photographs to create the images, but rather primarily depends upon his imagination.
~
~
These larger than life portraits truly commands the viewer to stop, look and really see.
And with their burning gaze I feel them communicating to me.
***
HYUNG KOO KANG
The Burning Gaze
14 October – 15 December, 2011
Singapore Art Museum
Free admission every Friday, 6-9 pm
(images shot by JK)
NON SEQUITUR October 28, 2011
They say that a trip can change your life.
Well mine did, 5 years ago.
It was a trip that forever changed me. . .
B U T
this entry is not about that, haha, this thought just popped in my head while watching a dvd. It has nothing to do with what I was watching, like this intro has nothing to do with this entry. But all the same, this is about another kind of trip, FOOD TRIP in SG.
So here is what I’ve consumed, in chronological order.
Why? Lah lang. I mean, why not
~
~
Here is my friend Michie, who by the way was fresh from yoga and me fresh from the plane and before that fresh from the salon. Yes, I brought my luggage to the salon to get a new ‘do then went straight to the airport and voila I’m in Singapore. Notice my luggage? I’ve always wanted to travel without any checked-in baggage and this time it came true. Hahaha. It just felt good to be able to get out of the plane and just walk out of the airport. Just like that, Yeah!
Ah oui, back to the food trip…
~
~
I gave Michie the liberty to choose my first meal and finally she decided to bring me to Marché. It is sort of like a food court, sabi ko nga mala Triple-V, haha, serving an assortment of food syempre. They gave us plastic cards mala credit card that they swipe every time you order in different booths and then at the end of the meal we pay for the amount that we acquired from the card. Galeng noh. What a new experience, let’s charge it to that :D
~
winner caesar salad
duck and hoisin pizza
the bomb! salmon rosti with sour cream & lemon
~
My welcome dinner!
not typical Singaporean but I say it was multicultural
~
We decided to go to TCC (The Connoisseur Concerto) for breakfast
michie's order - sausage & egg muffin sandwich
mitzi dropped by to say HI before returning to her class which was very near michie's hotel
mine was english muffin served 2 ways (one sweet, one savory - just the way aha aha i like it!)
~
After catching up with the girls, I wandered off alone… on foot… from Orchard road all the way to Arab St. I don’t know how many kilometers I trod but I tell you it was faaaaaaar. I have this thing against fast-speed escalators which is all over this fine city so I would rather walk and see the sights than be stuck in a tube. Naks, palusot.
~
~
and then suddenly I was back home. I stumbled upon MANILA STREET! yun ang huwow halukatdat! This is what I love about aimless wandering, you discover gems, more precisely I discovered pearls. PEARL MILK TEA!!!!!! I’m a sucker for this, I love this, so after being under the heat for hours I decided to give myself a break and get me one of those pearly milk tea.
~
one green pearl milk tea please
waiting for my koi
REFRESHING!!!
~
I continued walking and shooting and looking around and walking again when finally I received signals from my tummy. It’s time to eat lunch at 3 in the afternoon.
~
bugis junction
uy si papadom!
chicken rice at Bugis junction food court
~
I was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices, everything just looked so yummy. I finally ended up with this chicken rice which was also good. It doesn’t look much but it was satisfying.
~
the durians
nice catching up with kay and michie, reminiscing about our good ol' Probe days
fried rice and cereal prawns
spicy sweet crispy squid & bokchoy greens
~
In the evening, I met up with the girls at NO SIGNBOARD Restaurant in Esplanade Mall.
This is where I had the BEST. CEREAL PRAWNS. EVER ! ! !
Never mind that the others couldn’t make it for dinner, us three have easily wiped out the meals. It truly was good, not life-changing, but epic! Then we headed to a bar for some drinks and chat till wee hours of the morning. . .
***
END OF PART 1
THE WABBIT IN THE LION CITY October 16, 2011
~
After almost 10 years,
I finally get to go back to Singapore and skippity hop around the city.
~
~
This wabbit was certainly drawn to the architectural landscape of the city.
Grazing around, I saw a lot of construction going on. I feel that Singapore is still a work in progress. Hopefully, I don’t get to wait another 10 more years to return. I wonder how much change would happen then.
~
~
Coming back, I see the city still squeaky clean and orderly but for me it finally has a bit of some soul. I guess it has something to do with the people I know living there. Met up with some friends and colleagues who has made this city their home.
I used to feel that Singapore is much like a hollywood set but now maybe its time to give it another chance. I was only here a few days and I know I’ve barely scratched the surface. Maybe now with cheap flights and with friends living here, I could give it another go
