TWG Haul

TWG cafe serves good food and great tea. Which is why I had to drop by their shop to pick up some sorely needed items like strong black tea for daily use. The shop sells tea, gift packs, candles, biscuits & macaroons, ice cream and limited edition teapots. The tea is sold loose in 100gm tins (which is what I got) at $36 or prepacked as teabags, 15pcs for $22.

I also got a rose scented candle that was unbelievable, it's like being in a full bloom rose garden. The scent is soo intense you can smell it from the other side of the shop when the lid was removed or brimming over it's box. Cashier mentioned it is their best-selling candle scent.

Macaroons are a favourite with regular customers buying up boxes each visit. Priced at $2 each. I like the chocolate caramel & lemon ones best. There is also a rose one for the afficionados.

The maharajah black tea is a natural pick for that comforting afternoon cup of tea, with it's robust flavour and creamy sweetness. The other black tea is the classic TWG 1837, their best selling blend. Tastes like fruit, hhmmm.

Moluccas Room

Rainy days always have me craving for the hot and spicy stuff.

Moluccas Room an Indonesian fine dining restaurant at MBS with the typical dark wood, soft lighting and jazz playing the background. It's awfully quiet on a weekday afternoon and really relaxing for the casual diner like myself.

The chef provided an amuse bouche of spiced rice with dried fish toppings. A clue of flavours to come.

I ordered beef makassar soup ($15) to start with and it was full bodied beef broth with slices of tenderloin. But, I think lacked the complexity from their chef's specialty soup that I will order next time.

I was dining alone so there's lots of space. A valid concern these days when the serving plates are soo huge with separate crockery for sauces & things. 

Instead of 1 sambal, there are 4 ranging from spicy to not at all. Some are sourish tangy and others are sweet savoury. Interesting when paired with the food.

I ordered Nasi Bali ($28) - lemongrass skewered fish cake and duck that was really tasty! Fish had that typical sweet ketchup on it and duck was cooked tenderly in a rendang.

Lost Weight!

First week on the diet plan and I lost 5 pounds (about 2.5 kilograms). I am not surprised as I was hungry! Going to stick with it for the next couple of months :)

SingaporeMint.com

 

Classic resource for quirky presents and grand presentation gifts. This government linked website has been online forever and services a regular clientele of coin collectors. Especially with this being the year of the dragon, several gold medallions featuring the majestic beast have already been snapped up.

Gold-plated cufflinks with Australian 1 cent coins $129

1oz Gold Dragon Medallion $2,840

Gold plated chinese knot keychain $59

Singapore orchid series silver coin collection $450

Coolzlighters.com

Site selling Zippo lighters at Americana prices, free international delivery. All items are drained of gas if shipping outside USA.

The older models use a roller ball and can be quite cumbersome. But, you can find custom, limited edition, candle and camping lighters here that are not easily found elsewhere. Like this custom engraved brass Zippo lighter that costs $41 or a solid gold one at $13,959.

I got a mini pink candle lighter for myself as I am always looking for a proper candle lighter $18 and hand warmers for my dad & bro $21.50. These nifty little gadgets have won rave reviews and are not readily available here.



Clawfoot Bathtub Candle

I can't believe I forgot all about this candle I bought waayy back in 2000 when the retro rage was clawfoot tubs. Hidden in a dusty old box, I was ready to throw away whatever was in it only to find this! Happy surprise.

Online Butchers

Living in Singapore, I get my meat from the wet markets or direct from the farms located in the far flung corners of this island. However, a more convenient & reliable alternative is required for everyday and for that there are online butchers. Most butchers are specialists and offer prime cuts of meat at premium prices, but there are some that do offer economical prices. 

List of local butchers:

www.thebutcher.com.sg (premium)

www.qbfood.com.sg (economical)

www.temasik.com (wet market)

For fresh vegetables, try bestorganicfood.sg that carries cheap organic vegetables or just grow your own (buy seeds from buyseedsshop.com).

* Only local sites are listed here!

** Pictures from etour.com