Seoul - Siloam Sauna, Sigolbapsang, Passion5, Young Plaza and Lotte Department Store

Have not blogged about my travels for a while, especially here. Been thinking of consolidating both the blogs (the other being http://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/) because I realise I don't have much time (and content) these days. Will see how - it's tough because both are so close to my heart...

Well, I mentioned briefly about my Seoul trip in end March (we just missed the full bloom cherry blossom by a bit :( ). Went with my sister C and my cousin SS (our first trip together) so it was quite fun :) Took Cathay Airline because it was relatively cheaper and the timing of the flights matched all our schedules. But it was a red-eye flight with a short stop-over in Hong Kong airport so we were a bit jet-lagged when we arrived in Incheon at 6am...



Headed for a local sauna after we left our luggage at the hotel. Siloam is near Lotte Mart (nearest subway station is Seoul Station). Quite interesting. Besides the sauna, Siloam houses many levels of entertainment but we didn't take any pictures inside because we didn't want to intrude into the privacy of the local community - in the changing area, many were walking around in their birthday suits! Haha.

Not really sure what we were doing - the language barrier is quite apparent here because it serves mainly the locals, I think. We soaked in many different types of pools and followed by trying the different sleeping areas set at different temperatures with different setting e.g. salt, jade. We also tried the BBQ eggs and fermented barley drinks - those you see in Korean drama! Haha. There were many other facilities available e.g. gym, karaoke, hair salon, massage spas, restaurants etc. Definitely a place where you can spend a day to relax! Cannot remember how much it costs but I recall telling my sister that the amount is value for money :P



After the bath, we went to Itaewon for lunch and decided to try Sigolbapsang, a small traditional Korean restaurant. There, we tried so many classic banchans for a flat price of 8,000 won each!



Very sumptuous lunch - I think we over-ordered. Should have just ordered 1 more ala-carte instead of 2! Didn't imagined that we will be served so many banchans!



Seafood pancake. I really like this version because it was over-flowing with seafood! Really miss it as I blogged. Yummy!



Spicy chicken stew which was also huge! Thought it would be a spicy chicken soup that will warm us, not fill us up!

After lunch, we explore Itaewon where many foreigners hang out. The area is large with shops, cafes, galleries lining the entire stretch. I'm sure there are many hidden gems somewhere in the gil and dong but we did not really seek them out. Haha. Still suffering from our red-eye flight...



Then we stopped at this place - Passion 5 - for coffee. Didn't manage to take any pictures but the  café was gorgeous with pastries both savoury and sweet! We just had coffee, no thanks to our overfilling lunch. Would have been nice to try some of the sweets... Hmmm...



My mocha - I always have this notion that in a good cup of coffee, the coffee art stays till the last drop if you don't stir it. Haha. Correct me if I'm wrong :P

Left Itaewon for Young Plaza, which was next to Lotte Department Store, which was near Myeungdong. SS checked out the SM Pop-Up Store. First time I heard of EXO. Haha. And this trip, my favourite was Mr.Mr, Mr.Mr. Haha.



While I checked out the highly-raved Style Nanda. Didn't buy any clothes but got away with some 3CE cosmetics :)



SS wanted to go back to the hotel at 6pm! Gosh! So we decided to have dinner at the Lotte Department Food Court to re-charge and to explore the Lotte Department Store a bit more before we call it a day. My cold noodles which was ok. Haha.

We found out that the departmental store closes at 8pm which I thought was really early for a shopping paradise like Seoul. Well, I guess everyone will just head to Nandaemun which we did in the later part of our trip - will share on that later.

It's like only 2 weeks since I'm back to reality. And I think I need a break again. If only we can travel every day...

The Marshmallow Tree and Little Part 1 Cafe

Back with a vigour! LOL. Well, went to a few cafes in March - The Marshmallow Tree near my place (Telok Blangah MRT station) and Little Part 1 Café near Thomson Plaza.

The Marshmallow Tree

 

Been wanting to visit The Marshmallow Tree because it's so near my place! Tried to go once either on Christmas eve or new year eve (half day off from work! yeah!) - went but didn't venture in because it looked kind of crowded. So I went with MQ after we collected our goody bag for the Venus Run (took place on 8 Mar - will blog about the yummy hawker food we had at Satay Club after the run later).

 

Quirky decor.



Located right in a quiet neighbourhood, next to a coffee shop and other local shops. Very hidden, I must say. If not for all the blogs (and word of mouth), I'm not sure how people will get to know its existence....



Small and cosy cafe. Can maybe accommodate at most 20 people?



Ordered the Rose Latte - love it! :)



Wanted to try the swing. But felt a bit shy. Haha. Maybe next time.

Little Part 1 Café

Wanted to visit Habitat but XF suggested this cafe hidden in a private estate instead. Not really the typical cafe with coffees and cakes but quite a full-scale one offering main courses and alcohols. Feels a bit like Holland Village. Haha.



Decor was a bit whimsical, a fairy-tale cottage feel.

Was a really hot day that day(Singapore has not been raining much in March!) so this green tea latte was really good. It's true - sometimes, different drinks do suit different weather (and occasions). LOL.



Nachos with cheese. Really good! Please order if you go :)



Buffalo wings - hot! Nice too.



Wrap with ham and BBQ chicken, I think. The skin was really crispy but overall a bit too savoury with all sauces.



Pork ribs. Half slab. As you can tell by now, we ordered too much for two! Should have stopped at three :P It's nice and tender - would have enjoyed it more on an emptier stomach :P



Was a really early dinner and we kind of saw the sun set in the cafe with all the sun rays dancing around :)

I'm sure many of you are probably cafe-hopping somewhere, enjoying what's left of Sunday - it's like the national hobby now! The cafe scene in Singapore is indeed growing! Sometimes I feel really lucky to be staying here  - so much to cherish and appreciate :)  Well, I had my moments yesterday at Wheelers Yard, so I decided to stay home and well, just enjoy whatever I enjoy doing. Till the next post!

Wheelers Yard

Hi all! It's been so long since my last post! GOSH! LOL. Guess you can tell I'm thrilled to be back to one of my favourite activities :)

Just came back from a holiday in Seoul, so I'm still feeling recharged even though I have gone back to work since 1 April. Thought I better share about my virgin trip to Wheelers Yard before I get backlogged by work (meh).

XF kindly brought GT and me to Wheelers Yard (near Balestier) today although she's been there numerous times. It's so challenging to get there if you do not drive (or cycle :P) - we met at Novena, took Bus 21 (or 131) outside IRAS building (opposite Novena Square) and walked into an industrial park before we got there! And on a rainy day - heard Singapore has not been raining since I went Seoul, so it's been about 2 weeks... and well, it had to rain today. Phew.

Not sure if it was worth the travel. Haha. But definitely a nice place to hang out if you want to avoid the crowd. Literally because unlike many cafes, Wheelers Yard is very very very spacious! See  below pictures if you don't believe me :P



We had our brunch indoors because GT wanted it. LOL. Our next-door neighbours at Wheelers Yard.



One of the private corners. Good if you are just there for a drink. But we preferred the high table so we can eat in comfort.



The long communal tables were separated by the bicycles to create small private tables - thought it was such a good idea! 



The bicycle theme is very strong in Wheelers Yard. I'm sure the bicycle enthusiasts will love it here! We saw a few with their bicycles today :)



Cappuccino! With biscuits from the past :)



My BIG Breakfast. So full! Our neighbours had the cheese fries and fish and chips etc - they look good too!



After brunch, we moved to the outdoors. Really spacious right? :P



And the bicycle shop...

The structure in the warehouse has been left intact, I think. Adds to the charm of the space. See the high ceiling? Such a spacious café...



Last but not least, the facade and its infamous blue gate. LOL. Heard it is a photo spot! :P

It's amazing to see the café slowly fill up as we had our brunch on a rainy day. Guess it has its charm. It's worth checking out if you have not been there, especially if you have great company or you just want some quiet time alone, away from the city buzz...

PS: Cannot seem to locate the website so I reckon there isn't one. But if you Google, you will find many bloggers talking about it, with the address and what not....

Kith again

Happy Lunar New Year! Can't believe that we have moved so quickly from 2013 to 2014, and now from the Year of the Snake to that of the Horse!! And I cannot believe that it's been close to a month since I lasted blogged!!!

Well, life goes on as normal. No vacation so far in 2014. Will be going to Seoul in March so I'm pretty excited about it although I have been there a few times :) Happy to celebrate an old friend's birthday in January at Kith Park Mall.



Didn't know Kith has expanded its outdoor seating area - business must be good! :P Breezy evening... with lots of buzz in the background due to the Thaipusam festivity. Still quite chillax.



Calamari. Hard to go wrong with this starter.



Smoked Salmon Pizza. Our friends ordered 1 pizza each - almost impossible to finish for girls to finish one on their own! I helped out with 1 slice each, so better to share. LOL.



Parma Ham Pizza - Nice! Preferred this over the Smoked Salmon. The taste was more balanced, I think.



My choice of Carbonara pasta . Safe choice as I was recovering from cough :) Found it a bit too savoury after a while...



Marina pasta for the birthday girl - customised from tomato base to aglio aglio. Tasted a bit like Fried Hokkien Mee. Haha. 

Always happy to visit Kith :P Check out the following for some of my Kith times...
- Kith@Quayside Isle
- Ice Honey Milk Latte

Hatched @ Holland Village

My first blog of the year is about brunch at Hatched and I thought Hatched sounds like a good start - everything starts afresh from Day 1 :)
Have heard about the many nice cafes in Holland Village but this is my first brunch experience there - partly because Holland Village is a bit out of the way. Now that the Circle Line is up and running (for a while), I definitely want to explore this area more :)

We got a window seat on level 2 and it was really nice to just gaze out into this quiet part of Holland Village. Another café, Park, is in view - want to brunch there soon! :)

Quite a cosy set-up.... but like a lot of cafes, tables are to tables, if you know what I mean?

GT chose to have peppermint tea while I got a Flat White. The coffee is ok only. May not be worth a trip if you only want to go there for coffee...

Our brunch - looked like a worthy spread for New Year Day, ya? :P Hatched offers a wide variety of eggs, so we were really spoilt for choice. Thanks for the treat, GT! HAHA.

GT and me :) The only minus of this window seat is there the service staff refused to take a picture for us due to the lighting. Haha. So we took a Selfie :P Well, GT and I have known each other for a decade (since we were colleagues back in 2003) - wow! For me, it is always tougher to make close friends, especially from work. I am the kind who wants to have a clear line between professional and personal life, where possible. Well, fate has it that GT will be one of those friends whom I have known for work, became close friends, travelled together, kept in touch although we have changed jobs, seen each other gone through various stages of life :) And yes, we seldom meet but when we do, we can catch up easily with each other :)

Papillote - smoked salmon folded over scrambled eggs on toast, topped with sour cream, served with sautéed potatoes! Wanted a change from the usual big breakfast, egg benedict, pancakes so I decided on this - quite happy with my choice :)

GT went for sweet - Sleepover hatched special! Grilled bananas and streaky bacon sandwiched between thick French brioche toast... Sounds yummy, does it? :)

Here's Hatched! Located near one of the exits of Holland Village MRT station, the stretch near Wendy's. There are a few more cafes down the stretch of shop houses and I am so going to explore them :)

Well, I seldom make New Year's resolution. Kind of feel like doing so for 2014 so I have a bit more focus in life. LOL. Think people have this tendency to keep going back to places they have been to and enjoy, so one of my New Year's resolutions is to try new things this year, and to be more specific, I am going to try a NEW café every month :)

Merry Christmas from PS Cafe!

Not sure about you but for me, Christmas gets less happening as I age. Haha. Was a quiet one this year, spent at home packing the room... Not as many gatherings as before too. Only 1 so far at PS Café at Palais Renaissance with decades-old friends. LOL.



Waiting for the girls to arrive... Love the ambiance at this PS Café...

Drinks starters - Ice cappuccino on a sunny day. Tasted very latte though...



Mushroom Wellington and Egg Benedict - the former got rave reviews from everyone!



My Croque Monsieur. Nice too!

And the rest of the others! PS Big Bacon & Egg and Croque Madame... PS could not finish the former - a bit too big, I think :P

And at the heart of our Christmas lunch was the Truffles Shoestring Fries - so hard to go wrong with this order. LOL.



And the gifts exchange after lunch! See everyone trying to take pictures?



TATA!

The BIG exchange! I did not take photos as the gifts unveiled though....

Arty shot :P PS Café was very nice - did not chase us away for making so much noise... always spend like 3 hours there... Haha.

Dessert time - Southern Fudgy Chocolate Pecan Pie! Bitter sweet...

Sticky Date Steamed Pudding. SWEET! :)

Looks like we had a good time, yah? :P Have a great Christmas everyone - there's still Boxing Day and 12 days of Christmas to go. LOL.