Running for food - Dewgather and Abundance

Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear? One of the tips on building habits that resonates with me is to build a habit stack. For me, that's running for an errand, usually for food. I will run to a place near home where I can grab lunch or some grocery. And having this goal is one of the ways that motivates me to go for a run. 

Dewgather 

One of my latest running routes is the Rail Corridor. From my place, I will usually run to Jalan Kilang Barat, one of the entry points to the trail and head towards Buona Vista MRT. It's a really nice route, close to nature and away from the hustle. So I took this route in January to check out Dewgather at Star Vista. 

Dewgather is an Aussie-inspired cafe. It is quite popular and I waited for an hour to get seated. I arrived before 12noon, which could also explain the wait. Many items were no longer available when it was my turn to order. So I tried the Hummus In The Pan (left), adding on a Chorizo Sausage, for a more filling meal as recommended. Had a Yuzu Fizz too! 

Abundance

Another running route I like is the Alexandra Park Connector, which I will usually take to Ikea Alexandra for lunch. Was craving Taiwanese food in January and heard of Abundance at Lengkok Bahru. So I decided to check it out after a Saturday run.

Abundance is a Taiwanese-inspired cafe near Redhill MRT Station. It was pretty packed when I reached before 12noon. Had the Gua Bao aka Braised Pork Belly Bun (left below) recommended by many bloggers and it was a good recommendation. The condiments (pickles, coriander, peanut) go very well with the tender pork belly. Also tried Golden Egg aka fried century egg (right below) which was an interesting dish.   

My verdict on Dewgather: Comfort food and comfortable place to chill out with a friend or two. Motivated to run back and try the other items another day. 

My verdict on Abundance: Familiar flavors to savor with the family. Motivated to run back and try the other items another day.

Any food places near Tiong Bahru that you would recommend me to run for? Feel free to tell me by leaving your comments!

 

Yummy December 2021 - Cafe Coco, Grain Alley and L'éclair Pâtisserie

Can't believe that the first month of 2022 is almost over! #Grateful that I wrote all 3 blogs about my food adventure in December.  Read the first 2 if you have not (Yummy December 2021 - The Spot, Forty Hands, Takeshi-San, and Yummy December 2021 - Green Common, French Fold and Tipsy Flamingo). And here goes the final one!

Cafe Coco 🧇

Have found so much comfort in nature since COVID-19. And Gardens By The Bay (GBTB)has been one of my favorite gardens after I signed up for the Friends of the Gardens membership! Members get unlimited admission to Flower Dome Cloud Forest and OCBC Skyway. Thought it was a good deal at $42 for the annual subscription so sign up now - https://friends.gardensbythebay.com.sg/r/GX1Y54.  

Got so many things to see meh, you may ask? Well, there's something new for every season from the Poinsettia Wishes, Sakura Matsuri and more! Will leave that story to tell in another blog so we can focus on the food! Have always wanted to check out Cafe Coco at the Supertree Food Hall at GBTB  as I have heard about its Brown Butter Waffles. I like the sweet, sour berries-combination. The place was also not crowded even though I went on Christmas Day.  

Grain Alley 🥑

Finally tried Grain Alley because the queue to True Breakfast, a Taiwanese eatery I wanted to try, was so long... Guess fate has it that I would check out this cafe at Orchard Central after walking past it a few times, thinking that it has an European alfresco vibe. It was so good to watch the world go by on a weekday in Orchard over an Awesome Avocado Toast (vegan) and ice brewed tea at Grain Alley. I thought the tomatoes with olive oil/salt/pepper was the toast of the Toast :P

L'éclair Pâtisserie 🍰 

Last but not least, I ended 2021 on a sweet note with eclairs and my uni friend! We wanted to have high tea and it's amazing so many places were booked out for new year's eve. Decided to try our luck at L'éclair Pâtisserie which was recommended as a value for money choice by many online. So we were lucky and we had the High Tea Degustation Menu which I like for its sweet and savory spread. The eclairs looked and tasted so pretty :) 

2021 also ended on a very wet note - it was pouring when we left L'éclair Pâtisserie! Not the best way to end the year but sometimes, life does not turn out the way we want it. So here's a reminder to myself to seize the day and Carpe Diem, always!     

Follow me on Facebook OR Instagram (@ilovelongvacation) OR Twitter (@ilovelongvacatn) for more frequent updates on life in our backyard (#ilovelongvacationsg)! :P

Yummy December 2021 - The Spot, Forty Hands, Takeshi-San

My food adventures in December continues. Read my earlier post Yummy December 2021 - Green Common, French Fold and Tipsy Flamingo. 

The Spot

Have you gone back to office now that work from home is no longer the default? In December, I had lunch at The Spot on one of my rare trips back to the office at Marina One. It was my first-time at this multi-concept venue although I always walk past it pre-pandemic! The Spot lunch menu was reasonably priced for the quantity and quality :P

My choice of set lunch (three-courses) were char-grilled octopus (appetizer), grilled pork jowl (main course) and sea coconut brulee (dessert). Enjoyed the meal with my colleagues whom I have not had lunch with for a while! :)

 

 

Forty Hands

Was good to lunch at Forty Hands Tiong Bahru with a colleague (also ex-intern :)) who came over to my hood. Well, everyone knows Forty Hands and I think Tiong Bahru was where it started. 

Too many feasts in December so I had the Falafel and the Shaken Ice Honey Oat Latte. We also shared a Tau Sar Pau (red bean bub). Did you know that the Pau at Forty Hands are quite famous? :)

Takeshi-San

Checked out this Japanese restaurant at Holland Village at the recommendation of a friend. Could not find its website so here's the link to Takeshi-San FaceBook page. It was a good recommendation!

Had the Sushi Kaidan Sets (enjoyed a 1-for-1 offer on Chope Deals), Prawn Mentako Pasta as well as the Ikura Chawamushi and Chicken Wings. Also like the decor with the chandelier which reminds me of a sky of stars / a sea of flowers! 

 

 

So this is Part 2 of this December food adventures. Look out for the other parts on this blog, or follow me on Facebook OR Instagram (@ilovelongvacation) OR Twitter (@ilovelongvacatn) for more frequent updates on life in our backyard (#ilovelongvacationsg)! :P

Yummy December 2021 - Green Common, French Fold and Tipsy Flamingo

Can't believe that it has been a few years since I blogged here, especially since it is the pandemic. For the past 2 years, life has revolved around our backyard as we have not been able to travel (without quarantine restrictions). Have always like to use this space to share about life in Singapore so I'm back with a vengeance! 

How have you been spending your time, especially your leave, these days? For me, besides rediscovering Singapore, I have been food-hopping (whether it's delivery, takeaway or dine-in). So I thought I will share more regularly about these food adventures :P    

Green Common

Checked out Green Common, a plant-based eatery at VivoCity as I was meeting a colleague who is vegetarian (but she told me she is now a pescatarian ) for lunch. The only plant-based food I have tried so far is the Impossible Burgers!

We went for the lunch set for two and tried the Omni Musubi, Omni Kimchi Fried Rice, Egg Plant and Beef Bowl. The set also came with 2 drinks (the appetizer - chicken - was complimentary!) They kind of tasted like luncheon meat (maybe it's the texture). Overall, I found the dishes very savory and filling. Interesting so I will go back to try some of the other dishes one day. 

          

 

 

French Fold

Have always wanted to check out French Fold but it's so hard to make a reservation. Finally walk-in to the one at Telok Ayer (had to wait 20 min) after a health screening at Robinson Road. Heard that there is now another branch at Orchard Road. 

Tried the No. 04 Galette - crispy and savory - based on recommendations from blogger. Wish I could have a sweet Galette too. But it was lunch alone and I didn't want to overeat. I also like the vibes of the restaurant in a shop house along the charming Amoy Street :)

 

Tipsy Flamingo

Tipsy Flamingo is one of my favorite discoveries in December. Surprise with the fusion menu which has a local touch and were well-executed. Like the hipster vibes of the restaurant too! 

Great place for a group of girls to share a wide spread of food. We enjoyed all the items including Mushroom Shrimp Salad, Dry Laksa with Prawn, XO Carrot Cake, Seafood Pao Fan. The Tiki Tapas - Crispy Fish Skin with Rojak Sauce, Cripsy Calamari,  The Warrior Spicy Wings - and Tipsy Burnt Cheesecake were also on point!

 

 

 

Had fun blogging about Part 1 of this December food adventures. Look out for the other parts on this blog, or follow me on Facebook OR Instagram (@ilovelongvacation) OR Twitter (@ilovelongvacatn)for more frequent updates on life in our backyard (#ilovelongvacationsg)! :P

  

Smart and not-so-smart face of our smart-to-be nation

Experienced the smart and not-so-smart face of our smart-to-be nation today.

Went to NTUC at Tiong Bahru Plaza to grab an isotonic drink after a run in the afternoon. Started drinking while queuing to pay via the self-service machine. For those of you who are familiar with the self-service machine, the drill goes like this - (1) scan the item(s), (2) place the item(s) into the bag and (3) pay. Was stopped at (2) with a message that assistance is coming my way.

Weird, I thought. So it turned out that the machine detected that the isotonic drink weighted less than it was supposed to be (because I drank half of it!). According to the assistant, some customers buy 2 items but only pay for it and the machine can help to detect this! OMG - so smart right?

Decided to grab tomorrow's breakfast and I only had a credit card with me. And guess what, I did not managed to because Old Chang Kee and Four Leaves do not accept credit cards! Only NETS and cash. I thought these popular shops should have the basic credit facility! OMG - you mean I might go hungry in a smart nation?

Well, I shall not make a mountain out of a molehill. This scenario is not new. Some of the food places like food court only accept cash or their own cashless card too. And that's the time I had to dig my wallet for the notes or the coins  to pay for my food. Well, I am quite cashless these days because I want to use my credit cards to meet my minimum spending and clock points. Must make every dollar and cent spent worked harder right?

Well, it's part of the journey towards a smart nation. I guess. Some amazing discoveries and some expectations not met along the way. We will get there, slowly and surely. 

Yay to long weekend in Singapore

Enjoyed the Hari Raya Puasa long weekend that has just passed. It was great to just rest and not to have to think of work (except for 1 hour on Sunday - no choice, boss messaged).

Spent Saturday packing the house (G was coming to visit) before heading to Ikea (so so crowded) then Vivo City for dinner with the family (SS was flying off to Seoul the next day).

Sunday was spent at home packing again (LOL) before staying over at my parents' place. Feeling very domestic.

No Monday blues as I went cycling at East Coast Park (ECP) with C and KL Did I mention before that we can now cycle from ECP to Marina Bay Sands via the Park Connector Network (PCN)? Have done it thrice and loved it! Definitely looking forward to this healthy fun again soon :) The finale? Meeting Grace for dinner before heading to my place. Was a good catch-up as it has been a while since Maldives (check out Life is an adventure).

Photo stop at the Bay. Glad we started the day early - Singapore is beautiful in the morning too!

That's our CBD.

First time I cycled past the Barrage to MBS. That's the older part of the CBD (as I termed it).

Another beautiful side of Singapore that I seldom see in the morning.

Back to where we started the day at Marine Parade Food Centre. Herd mentality got us queueing for the Kun Ji duck rice/roasted meat and the Da Dong prawn noodle.

Not in sight is the Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow which we have wolfed down- surprised there was no queue!

#ilovelongvacationsg #longweekend #harirayapuasa #food #East Coast Park #MarinaBaySand #ECP #MBS #MarineParadeFoodCentre

SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely

Met up with D yesterday and she was sharing what she wants to do with her life next. I was just blogging about the goals I want to achieve by 2021 as few days back. Rather coincidental - perhaps signs that are telling me to go for them!

Working overseas was one of the many things on my to-do list many years back but I did not have the courage to ask for an opportunity. I really don't know if I speak for my generation (the Gen Y) but I wish I was as brave as D and the millennials when I was their age - to have that relentless spirit to pursue their dreams. There is no way I can do that now. The only way is to move forward :)

Of the many things that I have learnt during my stint in HR, one of them is goal-setting in a SMART way - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. And yes, I have set the SMART goals on the sticky notes on my laptop. And surprisingly, I found it a lot easier to set smart personal goals than the annual goals that I had to set at work.

 #livingformyself

Morning detox drink and mid-life crisis

Just came back from an evening walk to the supermarket with some ingredients for a morning detox drink which I have skipped for a week. I started on this diet because my flat belly is disappearing - not sure if it works but I definitely feel healthier. 

Cut up some lemons, oranges, cucumbers and mint and dumped them into ice water and voila, ready to drink the next morning! Feeling good - it can be quite therapeutic to be domestic sometimes. Guess I'm getting old.

Been thinking about how I can spent my weekends better these days. Do think that I spent my weekdays doing meaningful work. As for weekends, well, it's great to just rest after 5 days at work but it does feel like a waste of time sometimes (maybe I'm a workaholic haha).

While I like what I do for a living, it can feel quite meh at times. After all, it's working (and living) for a paymaster. And like it or not, there are times when I wish I am living for myself a bit more. Maybe mid-life crisis came early? Do fellow Gen Ys feel the same? Or is it just me?

Well, time to set some goals and to work towards them in the next 4 years (till my 5-year HDB MOP is up) on weekends. Even if I only spend 4 hours each every Saturday and Sunday on achieving them, that would take me closer to living for myself, right?

Feeling good that I have set the goals. Gonna make some SMART plans to achieve them!

My first one-pan pasta

Been trying to use the kitchen in the new place more. After all, it was half the renovation cost and the kitchen next to the entry way turned out nicely :) Quite ironic for someone who does not cook and lives to eat. LOL.

There's a first time for everything. So today, I made my first one-pan pasta and tried this one-pan pasta recipe by Martha Stewart which I read in The Straits Times a few months back. Quite an easy recipe and pasta turned out quite tasty too. Did not read that it was a recipe meant for four though. Cooked too much although I halved the ingredients. What a waste of food! Lesson learnt - got to read the recipe more carefully next time.

News clipping of the recipe for reference and keepsake.  

Other lessons: for some reasons, it took more than 9  minutes to cook till al dente and the water did not evaporate. Maybe too much water or the pot was too small.  Well, practice makes perfect!

Appetising colours!  

Prepared a mini salad too. That was easy and the third time I did it. Just a toss of some greens, corns, cucumber, honey ham, sesame dressing together. I like the $2 sesame dressing from Daiso - really value for money. Today, I decided to put the honey ham (frozen) into the pot pasta and it tasted much nicer than when it was 'raw'. Maybe cooking it enhanced the taste of the honey? Lesson learnt : Cook the honey ham in future.  

Cooking for one can be quite challenging. Ingredients are usually sold in bigger portions. Take for instant, the basil leaves bought more than a week back. It has turned brown by the time I got down to cooking the pasta. The bag of mini cucumbers are turning mushy too. So perhaps need to pack a homemade salad to office on a weekdays should I decide to cook over 2 weekends...

Life is an adventure

Hi there! Guess the one-sentence journal didn't really work for me. Found it unsustainable - guess my day-to-day life is well, not that interesting. Haha. Am glad I tried though. Otherwise I wouldn't know.

Been to Maldives and Tokyo in January and March. Been some other movements in my life, besides travel.

The first three months of 2017 have been exciting. Not only because it was the first time I stepped onto the soil of both, or rather sand in the former :P I also officially moved into my new place after returning from Maldives in January and moved on in my career life in March. It's not all excitement - there were some apprehension and sadness, leaving familiar places and faces. But cliche as it sounds, life is an adventure. And I am looking forward to new adventures.

Been thinking about blogging for a while. Been trying to sort out the pictures as I really want to blog/press about my trips - still struggling to.  For now, sharing 2 videos.

Maldives is indeed paradise on earth, partly because we stayed in a sea villa (over the water villa as they call it) in Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives. For four days and three nights, we were waking up and falling asleep to the music of the waves, seeing sunrise right at your doorstep and seeing stars right above you with the sunbed on your back, walking around the resort surrounded by blue skies and waters 24/7 and good company. Very blissed indeed to start the first week of 2017 this way.

Home in Maldives :)

Tokyo was a mad last-minute decision. A break I managed to squeeze in-between my old job and new. It was crazy - booking the flight a week before, accommodation a few days before, putting together the itinerary like 48 hours before, flying off solo a few hours after saying goodbye to my ex-colleagues. Flight and accommodation were ridiculously high - for a flexible traveller like me! Guess it was all worth it for the SAKURA and well, SNOW! Japan and nature decided to give me a bonus in Hakone. I have been thinking about a white winter for a while - this was as close as I could get. Unexpectedly. Very thankful to end the last week of the first quarter of 2017 this way.

Owakudani in Hakone in the first video I made with iMovie!

No travel plans for this quarter yet - will see if I can squeeze a weekend off in June from all the happenings in my new job. Meanwhile, guess I will focus on blogging/pressing about Maldives and Tokyo now that my weekends are less packed, having gotten into the groove of my new life. Can't wait to share the pictures of my adventures :)

One Sentence Journal l 10 - 13 January 2017

Survived the first working week of the year. Found it tough to jot down a sentence in the journal daily. So here's one for the last 4 days.

10 January

Forgot to bring my running gears so no evening run round the Bay! Decided to go to IKEA to shop for the house. Again. A note to myself : no more salmon at IKEA cafe! Tried two salmon dishes so far and both fell short...

11 January 

Feeling tired midweek. But lunch from Omnivore was good! 

12 January 

First time to Republic Polytechnic. Going back to school feels really energising. So looking forward to learning new things and using the SkillsFuture credits this year!

13 January

Happy to end the week on a positive note and another step closer to a new opportunity. Think I must have started the day right with fresh air when I passed by the nursery in the hood this morning. 

One Sentence Journal l 9 January 2017

First working day of 2017. A better start than I imagined. Opportunities still abound.
Spotted some pretty white blooms on the way home :) Always great to end the day with some daylight.

One Sentence Journal l 1 January 2017

Having scored a zero for blogging in 2016, its time to start afresh in 2017. Saw this book Happiness Project One Sentence Journal by Gretchen Rubin last December - inspired to get started on mine. Well, shall try! 

Started the first day of 2017 with one of my favourite activities - reading the newspaper before getting started on reviewing my finances in 2016. Not a great year when it comes to financial health and definitely hoping it will get healthier in 2017. Continued packing - it is such a chore but I am lucky to have the luxury of time to complete my move. 

Looking forward to sharing more about life at the new home in the next 365 days. May everyday be amazing in 2017!

L

Work-Life Balance & Love

I tend to receive cards from close friends during Christmas and Birthday. From the ones that recently passed, I noticed that work-life balance and love kept popping up in their well wishes. 

Not sure if these were what they have been wishing me for the past years. But they were not glaring. Perhaps these are reminders of what I really lack in life or at least this stage of life. So I thought I will check out the definition of both to understand myself better. LOL. That's me. Very academic. 

---

From http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

Work-life Balance the relationship between the amount of time and effort that someone gives to work and the amount 

that they give to other aspects of life,such as their family

Love

to be very strongly attracted to someone in an emotional and sexual way

---

Hmm. So these are my blind spots. I never thought I was really neglecting or lacking in both. Let's see how I can overcome them in 2015. Not easy but will try :) The first one will probably be easier than the second. But who knows right? :P

LIFE 没那么简单

‘别人说的话 随便听一听自己作决定‘ - 这句黄小琥的没那么简单里的歌词是昨天的心情写照。

也或许这是过去几个月累计的感触。下一句 ‘不想拥有太多情绪’真的不容易。

这么久没有留言了，没想到让我有了想动笔的冲动， 竟是想诉说 LIFE 没那么简单。

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 :)