Angus Steak House

Had a couple of errands to run at Takashimaya and had to have dinner at this place. Mainly because, it is the only restaurant without a queue on a Friday evening (think its the price more than the food). Quite the place for comfort food as it serves good food with motherly waitresses. The set menus are pretty good value for money. My set came with a cream of cauliflower soup, a garden salad in sweet vinaigrette, an h'orderve of breaded fried oyster and scallop, a beautifully plated dessert and coffee in addition to the main course. My main course of wagyu ribeye was generously cut and melt in the mouth soft *siggnn*. It came with a little flag, lime butter and the Angus House sauce which is akin to soya sauce with daikon. The next time I come, I am going to try the Japanese fusion pasta.

Computer Crashed

Both my computers' hard disks crashed, one after another. Apparently, McAfee isn't a really good virus protection software =(

My Rolex Oyster

My father bought this Rolex watch for me when I graduated from university (with honors) as he requested. The honors part took me an additional year to acquire. Its a Rolex Ladies Oyster Perpetual Datejust with an oyster bracelet, fluted bezel and bronze dial set with diamonds. It is the only watch of obvious value that I own. Seriously, the only watch I need as it goes with me to work, to dinner and to play. I rarely get gifts from my parents so this is a highly prized personal possession (big hint to my parents, I am open for a new present).

Online Shopping

I tend to invest in classics that will give me more mileage. However, I have purchased a few items that are more unusual. Here is a picture of a Missoni bag I bought online from Yoox.com. It looks completely unlike the picture on the website and rather than waste $50 sending it back, I decided to hold onto it. It is also much smaller in real life. After this purchase, I have completely stopped shopping online.

Affandi Special Edition Book Collection

Here's what I won. A special edition compilation on the works of the late Affandi (1 of the sponsored artist, I think). An Indonesian artist known for his breakthrough work on paint on canvas. The book is too heavy to be reader-friendly. But it does have a metal plate on the front of the box set noting the sponsorship. So it makes a really pretty coffee-table book. Which is what it is being used as now.

Swiss Cafe

I finally made a trip down to Swiss Cafe, after winning a voucher in a Company organized contest. The voucher didn't make a difference as it costs as much as the promotional set. Its Swiss food (Surprise surprise!) and I work in a Swiss bank (get it?).

I had the garden snails which was baked in herbs and garlic and came with warm slices of garlic bread which was good for mopping up the sauce. The garden snails were so fresh that you can taste the grass quite literally. I had the Veal Ticino for mains and it really gave me a feel of what good old Swiss home cooking cuisine is about. I can imagine burly Swiss guys having this as a hearty supper in winter. The veal was rolled up and stuffed with what tasted like candlenut & spices, surrounded by risotto in melted cheese and a side of greens (baby carrots and asparagus) tossed in butter. The menu lists all the recommended wines to match each main course, so it takes the guessing out of ordering. I ended with a toblerone cheesecake which was a bit of a disappointment. The fresh strawberry conserve that it came with was more interesting.

I had a great table. It was just behind one of the draperies, so it was shielded from the main entrance and yet with a good view of the TV and a fast exit out of the restaurant.

Chanel Classic Flap Bag

There are many Chanel fans at my office so much so it becomes very difficult to ignore. Mine is a medium size caviar leather with silver hardware. I honestly do not think a lambskin will last long with me as it has been known to tear. Judging by the price of these things, I cannot afford a new lambskin bag every year. Nothing lost. According to the sales staff, the caviar will smoothen out after long usage to look like the lambskin.

I bought the small zip wallet in blue and red lambskin (Cruise Collection 2007) to complement it. Couldn’t afford the black crocodile large size “Biarritz" from the same season which was what I really wanted.

Ferragamo Shoes

This is a staple in every working women’s wardrobe. It is a classic that says you have arrived. When my friends and I first graduated, we got our fair share of hand-me-downs from our mothers, aunts and cousins. Ferragamo shoes were always included to help us get started on our wardrobe. Not only are they well-made enough to withstand heavy usage, they are also very comfortable, requiring a minimal breaking-in period. These 3 pairs I bought with my own hard-earned money and I have come to love them much more than all my other shoes.

Loewe “Amazona” Bag

My trusty briefcase for work. It fulfils the basic requirement of a simple, functional, black bag. I was not into experimentation early on in my career so all my initial bags are black in colour.

Loewe bags are a favourite in my family because of its reliability and beauty. It is perfect for work trips as it has a zip top with a lock. My cousin has hers for almost a decade and it still looks as good as new. I own a large size version in black suede which requires absolutely no maintenance. I can even walk in the rain with it and the water brushes right off the bag. The finest grade leather is chosen and undergoes at least 6 intensive treatments to obtain its long-lasting sheen and durability. Hence, it needs no leather protectant.

So impressed with the first Loewe bag I own, I got a second casual bag in dark denim for weekends. I use it whenever I travel and its even washable.

Dior “Saddle” Bag

I have always wanted a Dior saddle bag ever since I saw Sarah Jessica Parker carry it on SATC. However, many others felt the same way I did then and I ended up getting the shove on the wait list. I finally got mine much later when I started work in a very sensible black monogram canvas. Regretfully, it is seldom used. However, I would still like to get my hands on a limited edition version.

Tajimaya Yakiniku

There's a new yakiniku restaurant at Vivocity that serves wagyu and US premium cut beef. For those of us hankering for the communal BBQ with our classmates, this is definitely a step-up from Seoul Garden. Primarily a beef based eatery, the only sashimi you will find on the menu is beef and liver.

I started with Yukke, chopped up beef sashimi topped with a raw egg and spring onions. The beef had a fresh clean taste with a little bite, definitely recommended. Next was the main course Seafood Moriawase set. Fresh giant scallops, prawns and squid in spicy seasoning. The set came with a salad in vinegar and sesame dressing, miso soup, potato croquette and garlic rice. The waiter told me the garlic rice was fried first with miso then sprinkled with chopped pan fried garlic, so the taste wouldn't overwhelm the dishes. I have to say, the waiters here are commendable. Not only with prompt service, they even helped me to grill the raw seafood.

Sun with Moon Japanese Dining

Got my hair done today at Wheelock and dropped by Sun with Moon for dinner. This place offers contemporary Japanese fare and the huge menu makes every repeat visit fresh. I ordered the Scallops with Shitake mushroom in a cream sauce drizzled with roe, which came in a shell on a bed of salt. Beef with Foie gras, that was served with grilled eggplant and winter melon dipped in teriyaki. Seafood okonomoyaki, which turned out to be the most "Blah" dish. For dessert, my perennial favourite Matcha ice-cream with red bean and Melon yogurt drink which turned out to be cubes of yogurt in the drink (like aloe vera). Sorry, wish I had pictures to share.

The Sandwich Shop

The Sandwich Shop opened an outlet in my office building this week. Which is great as I happen to love their food. My favourite thing is the sundried tomatoes that are baked into the bread. I had the massive all day breakfast sandwich for brunch. It had layers of mashed eggs, bacon strips, sausage chunks, lettuce & ketchup.

Organic Corn

My mom steamed some organically grown corn she bought over the weekend. It costs 6x the price of normal corn and is about 1.5x larger in size. I thought the price was meant to reflect its rareness (coz it's organically grown). So I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet and juicy it was when I bit into it. No need for butter here. Since it's special corn, it has to look pretty as well. With all the different colours grown naturally onto 1 cob.

Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Instead of making them this year, my mom went to buy a bunch of Katong Glutinous Rice Dumplings with different fillings for our meals throughout the day. Since this is a once a year affair, we are actually fine with having it for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I think its even a delicacy that once was only available at this time of the year. It has since lost its specialness because you can get it at anytime.

Jumbo Seafood Gallery

My family decided to celebrate Father's Day early with a dinner at Jumbo Seafood Gallery. We drank the usual champagne (to toast), Chinese tea to balance the rich food and lemon juice with aloe vera chunks to offset the spiciness from the Chili Crabs. My family members aren't big eaters. However, we tend to overdo the family dinners quite a bit. We had the usual Chili and Pepper Crabs, fried mantou, Claypot Tofu, Chili KangKong, Salted fish fried rice and mee goreng. The new dishes we tried were Prawns with Century Egg and Bacon wrapped Crab Cakes (which came pre-tossed in salad cream). Finishing with Honeydew sago for dessert. So Full!! I think my taste buds just lost all feeling.

Tonkichi Tonkatsu Curry

I had cravings for the fluffy chicken chop and for variation, decided to order the Japanese curry version. I started my dinner with a platter of sashimi and green tea before the main dish arrived. The chicken chop didn't disappoint, it was fluffy and light with almost no fat. drenching it in Japanese curry was fantastic as the sweet & mildly spicy Japanese curry complemented the tender sweet juiciness of the chicken. I also love mixing the Japanese preserves with the curried rice to throw a little saltiness into the meal.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

My maid made chicken rice for dinner last night. White chicken with rice, sliced cucumber and meatballs. Not sure if the mix for the rice came from a packet but it was packed with flavor. The chicken meat was tender and cooked thoroughly (no redness near the bones). It would have been a perfect meal if there was authentic chili sauce and ginger paste like the real hainanese chicken rice stalls. Which reminds me to check with Boon Tong Kee if they sell their sauces.

Beehoon Mee

This morning I had my favorite beehoon mee for breakfast. My usual breakfast back in university was a plate of good old fashioned fried beehoon mee with fishcake and Kopi-ci. I was hooked on beehoon mee when I tasted the version at the old NUH canteen. The auntie prepares a rich, sweet stock to fry the noodles in so the flavor is retained in the seemingly plain and dry looking noodles when served. And nothing can beat the thick, caffeine-saturated coffee that I usually order with it. Apparently, the flavor from the traditional coffee comes from roasting the beans with margarine.

Vietnamese Prawn Roll

Mommy prepared Vietnamese popiah for dinner today. You have to soak the wrap (which looks like a transparent piece of plastic) in hot water to soften it, then pile on the vegetables, sauces and finish off with jumbo prawns in a sweet & spicy sauce. The wrap clings to itself so bundling the ingredients is a cinch. Delicious!

Superfamous Wagyu Burger

Had a very yummy wagyu burger for dinner. It was simply done with just a patty and caramelized onions on top. We polished off the meal with mimosa cocktails and bits of juicy fried chicken chunks. Pity they didn't have any foie gras left for the dinner menu.