a dash of nutmag!

 Warning: Lengthy, disjointed post

Got to try this superbo, spicy hot Tom Yum soup, generous amounts for $5 only! At Le Meridien, nice place to go to, especially since it’s so near church… you know, rather than just, Han’s!

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All the way from Europe, thanks kathleen (though you didn’t go there personally) ! (:

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Today, I met up with David for dinner over at Peaberry & Pretzel’s. A nice small, Al Fresco dining place hiding away at Sunset behind the multistorey carpark! Obviously, the nuisance-to-eat-with Mag opted to sit outside under the sunlight so she could take nice photos :S… Sigh me..
Anyway, this was a huge plate… seriously HUGE plate of German Pork Knuckle, served with Saurkreut (the things you find atop your Bratwurst Sausage) and Potatoes with a good serving of Mustard (which tasted like Wasabi unfortunately :S). Meat aside, I loved the way the potatoes and saurkreut was cooked! (:

Before…
Well, this was way too much for 2 persons.. The meat was, well, needless to say, fatty, slightly overcooked - tough, but not bad overall! I guess they had to cook it that long to reach the Roast Pork crisp skin consistency.. Just a pity they drizzled too little sauce over!

I was like sawing through what seemed like fried pork with a crispy skin and tender inside.. haha though it wasn’t.

The poor chunk of pork was finally de-meated. Oh man, protein overload! Hah! Quite like this place cos it’s not crowded (cos it was like 6pm, nobody was there yet!) and, they serve cute little cups and a little water jug to go with! (: Interesting..

Apple Streusel Cake a.k.a. Apple Pie Cake

Happy Birthday, Abi

The lottery is tax for those who failed math…

And so, I had breakfast with my mother last Saturday! Managed to drag her to Starbucks with me, cos i really wanted her to try the walnut cranberry bread which is REALLY GOOD, surprisingly. (sorry didn’t take pics don’t know why!) I know some of you must be thinking… Starbucks? Good pastries? Yes, it’s actually good. The breads they serve are not hard, dry and therefore chewy, as I thought most mass produced ones are!

I love breads, so does my mom. And Starbucks, got to be one of the better ones! It looks hard, but boy, after it’s toasted, it’s a nice thin crisp layer encasing a super light, soft, stretchy and chewy (in a good way) interior. Lots of walnuts inside, and just the right amount of cranberries. Good with jam/cream cheese. Gotta try it!

Then again, personal pref, I may be exaggerating to ya!

And I asked the guy to recommend me something else, and so I got the house special - Cinnamon Raisin Crown Roll. Texture is much like the light, stretchy and chewy walnut bread. Good also! Not too sweet, except I would prefer a stronger cinnamon taste! Still, worth your money! Way way better than Simply bread’s hard Cinnamon rolls, which I never really was fond of.

Surpirsingly good! Nowadays, when I feel extravagant, you might find me at starbucks having breakfast/tea. Not a good habit… but… well… Once in a while!! 

Ever since the June Holidays, I really enjoy not waking up at unearthly hours, but neither do I enjoy waking up that late… Wastes my day away… But I’m just too tired to get up!

I headed to Koufu as I was craving the good old toast set at Koufu (PicknBite’s parent). But it was almost lunch time already… Aiyah.. Love their soft bun. But this is the french loaf toast. I like it for being tough and thus chewy, but it is not hard and dry. Note the difference man! I love biting into the thin, crusty exterior and ripping it away from my mouth.. ahha sounds rather uncouth. :S I think Koufu makes their own Soft bun and french loaf, the bread itself is quite tasty too!

Their kaya is also one of it’s kind. More of the greenish variety, much like killiney, just nicer and less cloggy/phlegm-y (?). One similar brand is the unrivalled Feng Yit brand, which sells only at NTUC and is more ex.  

Hmm.. I’m back to my hunt for good breakfast places, sitting down to read, relax and enjoy the morning! ", It’s good, but I won’t have much time for that left! (I need to STOP WAKING UP SO LATE THOUGH!) AH, need to hurry along, go to Amoy, Maxwell, the East, and much more!!  Heh heh..

Well, now that I don’t have to wake up at unearthly hours and try to beat the 7.40am sch bell, I say, I can sleep in a bit more… sigh.. i’m too used to sleeping late already.. BUT (one of) the most important thing is… I CAN ENJOY A NICE BREKKIE! Continue with my checking out of good, real good eating places, sit down and enjoy the morning, enjoy the beauty of … rest.. watch Singaporeans rush around as I stare out of the glass panel (eh.. if i’m not at some hawker lah haha)

So… I had the pleasure of going back to the good old Provence @ Holland Village.. for breakfast. I love this place.. A pleasant fusion of french and Japanese bakery. Unique creations, good place to chill over tea.

Mini French Cheese Bun & Scones at the back

OH THE CHEESE BUN IS GOOD STUFF!!!! It’s texture is very much like you know… giant fried sweet potato balls, it’s funny!! Chewy cheese inside and crisp outside, only thing it isn’t fried! Very different from usual cheese buns (which most is merely bread sprinkled with a lil cheese) This one is just nice chewy cheese-interior! There are many other things available here actually which are oh so good, next time i’ll picture them!! ", Good place to eat on weekends except that you must go at like 8am when it opens or else don’t think of finding a seat!

I went to starbucks the other day..

Blueberry (Low-fat)

Hm, I like the lightness of it, just that it’s slightly towards the cakey side… Not really like my fav at Cedele! Oh but i still like it! ", (Kath prefers it more tastey though! I think!) 

AHH.. I’m just like bombarding this place with food haha… well, haven’t blogged for a while.. need to free my camera space..

AND SO.. I was at Fish n co with Carol (and jerrold, ian, kath, andrew at the other far end :S) haha.. This was Sunday… had to whip out my camera since the lighting the glass house was excellent! I mean, lots of natural light (duh.. glass house haha), what more could I ask for?? hee hee..

Now, Seafood platter comes with salad, how cool is that! Haha.. but weird.. it has ikan bilis.. :S and mayo… not my fav of dressings.. sadly.. even the seating arrangements at Fish n co has changed!!! It’s been a long while! Rmb the days where we’d go every other week and there were like 10 of us at the same long table always! What were we thinking then?? Too much cash?? Hah..

Hmm.. good things must remain! OH SEE, that velvety lemon butter… even the rice is glowing! ",
This picture big big so you can see the goodness!! Hah

Oh that prawn… all eaten and shrivelled…

THe new manager is funny, in a nice way… we complained of unfresh prawns.. and the rest of our meal was interrupted (not a bad thing) by him asking us how we were doing… he was super nice to us, almost to a point of strangeness haha… Oh but, 5% discount in the end (right carol??) for the prawns.. Haha..

Oh.. Carol! "

Last Sunday, I reheated roast pork for dinner… Ehm.. it has been frozen for weeks.. since the last 2 posts ago, I roasted it (ahah…) Yikes.. but it was still good!! In fact I think the freezing process makes it more tender and in chinese I call the meat more ‘lan4′, easier to cut up and eat also haha!!

Pork Loin (as fatty as it can get)

Check out the two-tones!

This cut was funny I had to picture it! This is pork loin, as fatty as it can get. Fat in pork is good. tender. tasty. no denying! But know I know better to buy pork shoulder! It’s super fatty (not too much also lah!) so tasty! ", But can anyone explain better to me:why is there 2 distinct colours?? I figure the darker meat is is more fatty and more blood supplied to that area… Hence darker when cooked.. RIght/Wrong? Well, that part seemed more tender and tasty too! Haha! Anyone? Oh check out that thin swirl of fat between the two tones!

Signing off!!! Looking forward to another day… of eating!! (well, enjoying the good things given in this life!) :S

(photos undated @ 11pm - OH yes, i’m updating and switching over to use flickr.com… slightly annoyed with picasaweb cos the links don’t quite work well!!) ",

You called me out of death, You called me into life
I was under Your wrath, now through the cross reconciled…

~ Jeremy Riddle

Wow… this is something random, but as I am here at Coffee Bean sitting and just … taking a break from the cares of this world which is tearing me apart greatly at this point. I feel tt people need moments like these to stop and process whatever’s been going on.. Sometimes our bodies just speed way ahead of our hearts and souls…SIgh… just stop for a bit… But sadly, it’s so rare.. People are so busy… rushing through their lives.. Goodness, I don’t know what we are rushing for sometimes… Rushing to get to heaven? Nah… totally not.. then why the rush?

Anyway, you know how I am the kind of person who’s very pragmatic especially when it comes to learning… Study something only if it makes sense to me.. Like Literature and History never ever makes any bit of sense.. And I never agreed why we had to study Physics.. I mean, what’s it about the Force=Mass x Acc man! How does it relate to my daily living??

Now, somehow, I realise that there’s just so much more to everything!! I actually really want to know why things are a certain way.. rather than just ignoring it totally as a waste of time. Wow. I mean, why do people behave in a certain manner? Even in the complicated world of calculus and biology… wow God created them all.. It’s cool to know my God is that clever! Look at that tree outside your window… God created it! I know I sound rather silly, but little things around us, we hardly ever realise God’s hand in it… much less the greater things we go through..

Just a thought… 

What joy is found, beholding Your beauty…
Oh how lovely, is the King in all His glory
Is the Christ who is Holy
Who was, and who is….

~ Jeremy Riddle

Southbridge….