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

Walk and Dim Sum Chinatown

Sometimes, it's quite ironic that we travel the world to explore far flung places while we  have not explored so many places in our own backyard. A mental note to myself to check out more places in Singapore and share them with you #ilovelongvacationsg

It was Dim Sum time with the family last Sunday #throwback Been a while since I have been to Chinatown and I took the chance to walk around after lunch. Feels like a tourist in my country and don't get me wrong - it feels good.

Kind of bring back good memories of Jonker Street in Malacca and Georgetown in Penang. Definitely a good place to hunt for vintage stuff -  saw some metal posters going for $6 each (think they will cost double in the shops). So fascinated by the find that I forgot to take pictures of them! Haha. Anyways, sharing some pictures I took below

Didn't knew we had a visitor center in Chinatown! Visitor centres are usually one of the first places I visit when I travel, especially if I did not do much research. Good to see one at home - go check them out, friends of Singapore！

So we have these floor markers in Singapore too! Very apt to use rickshaw on the floor marker in Chinatown as in chinese, 牛车水 literally means 'trishaw pulled by cows'.  

Spotted our very own ice-cream on rickshaw before entering Buddha Tooth Relic Temple for the first time.Was asked to leave as my dress was 4cm above the knees. Oops. Do take note of attire if you are planning to visit. 

Dim sum at Tak Po was OK but considered good for the price - less than $100 for 5 pax. The frog leg claypot porride was good - must try! :)

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...

One Sentence Journal l 22 January 2017

Found it challenging to do this daily. Here's a throwback to an eventful Sunday. Went for Piloxing as usual, had my first acai and did my nails for the lunar new year! Managed to squeeze in time to do shopping for the house too!!

Checked out Haakon at Holland Raffles. Like the Scandinavia interior - lots of wood, white and grey. Acai was refreshing but a tad too healthy for lunch personally. The superfood salad menu looks good though. 

One Sentence Journal l 14 January 2017

Celebrated MQ birthday today with lobster at Pince and Pints!

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.