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

Tiong Bahru - Open Door Policy and Drips Cafe

Happy Vesak Day! Finally found time to hit the laptop. LOL. Been on a cleaning spree these days, and spent time housekeeping my room section by section (not that it's that BIG! :P) But well, guess I always find it easier to chew challenging tasks bit by bit :)

Visited Open Door Policy (ODP) for the first time in April, although I have passed by a few times. Nice ambiance but surprised to find that most of the customers are Caucasian. Guess locals don't find the place value for money :P

We were seated in the courtyard and looked up to see flats (not stars). LOL. Still nice dining under the sky :)

Here's a glimpse at the restaurant!  

Starters to share. Quite exquisite.  The only nice picture I managed to take. By the time the main courses were served, every dish turned out dodgy in the pictures. LOL. 

Moved on to Drips Cafe for sweets. It's been a while since my last visit in last April/March when I was still jobless. Those were the days - kinda of miss them :) Check out my earlier posts : Drips Cafe and Marched!

Our order without the waffles...  We asked for more forks and I like how the staff went 'On the way!' :P

Raspberry Tart recommended by the restaurant staff. This is the first time I tried the tart which seems to be quite popular. Not bad - see the twinkle? :)

And waffles with ice-cream and berries and maple syrup. Nice too :) Shall return again to try the savory. Haha. 

It's a Tuesday but it feels like a Sunday! Having second thoughts about all these odd public holidays in May. It's like having two TGIFs and two Monday Blues in a week. Meh.
  

Asian Food and Goodbye 2013!

Happy New Year in about an hour (Singapore time)!

Looking back (yes, it sounds cliche), it has been a year of blogging about my vacation in Singapore (time off work really to wander around Singapore, try new things and do things I feel like doing) and to share my life in words. I usually blog about my travels in the other wordpress: http://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/

Quite surprised that many of my blogs were about cafes in Singapore (because I never really think of myself as a foodie :P) and many of you have taken time to read those blogs (thanks!).

Well, it's been nice winding down the year with Asian food and ending the year with a blog to share Instagram pics @ilovelongvacation) with you.



Christmas Eve Dinner with my parents - quite unusual to eat hawker food on this day but well, my parents wanted to. Haha. Had porridge (with pork intestines and frog legs), fried oyster, rice with basil chicken (didn't take picture) and rounded up dinner at Tiong Bahru Food Centre with Ice Kacang :) It's been a while since I went there with my parents, so it's quite a nice way to spend Christmas Eve.  

 

 

 

 

Boxing Day dinner with my bestie whom I have known for more than 2.5 decades! Amazing how we have all grown up - she's now a career woman cum mummy of a 3-year-old girl :) We had Korean food at Bornga at Vivo City - pork soup, grilled pork and seafood pancake. This was our first time there - heard good reviews about this restaurant which started in the Star Vista. Quite nice, I would say. We were so full!

 


Fish soup noodle for lunch at Asia Square :) It's a new stall and it's been a while since I had this... and met an ex-colleague for lunch.

 

Roti Prata bought by my father from a food centre near our place :) Very thankful to him for always ensuring we go to work with a full stomach. Haha.

 

Lunch with colleagues at Yew Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice, Noodle House. We took a free ride on the newly opened Downtown Line from Downtown Station to Chinatown Station. Now we have more food choices :) Yee Kee has been a while too...



And last but not least, the last lunch of 2013 - Buka God Ramen at Ramen Champion at Bugis+ Quite authentic food and ambiance - a nice place to lunch deliciously alone. LOL.

 Whether you are feasting away or counting down at the year-end parties, enjoy the last moments of 2013! See you in 2014! :)

Big Mama!

Read good reviews about the Korean food at Big Mama but never really knew where it was. Spotted it when I frequented the Tiong Bahru Area during the months I was not working. Apparently this was the restaurant my sister suggested we try last year so the three sisters decided to go last Saturday! :)

Small restaurant in the Tiong Bahru Neighbourhood, off the heritage area. Tucked away, kind of, so you may have to search for it. Nearer the main road leading to Tiong Bahru Plaza, near the condominiums...

Corner shop. Long windows give you a breather from the feast and enjoy the tranquil of the area :)

Staple of Korean food - starters. All were tasty - and fresh, I say!

Our favorite - lotus salad which we asked for a few refills :) Complimented the spicy main course very well!

The recommended dishes were 'advertised' on the wall. We had to try Dakgalbi.

Dakgalbi - spicy grilled chicken in the making!

Drinking the Kim Chi soup while waiting for Dakgalbi to cook.

Seafood Pancake - very thin and crispy! For those who love spicy food, there is a kim chi version available. 

Dakgalbi - Done! It was ok - guess our expectations were high! The rice cakes were very nice though :)

We heard that we could add rice to the Dakgalbi after we are almost done with the Dakgalbi. So we did. It was nice and we were very very full by then!

Here's a parting shot of Big Mama before we ventured opposite for coffee at Drips :)

As I was blogging, I kept thinking of Big Mama as Hot Mama. Perhaps I found the food a tad too spicy subconsciously...Glad the starters and the seafood pancakes helped to balance the spiciness :) At the end of the day, it boils down to the selection of dishes that make a meal, I guess. And there are definitely many dishes I want to try at Big Mama. For its quality food and reasonable prices(we paid over $60), I say yes!

And yes, the area has many good food beyond coffee :) Another reason to check out my neighborhood - Tiong Bahru if you have not :P

Forty Hands, Keong Saik Snacks and Stranger's Reunion

Hello June! And what better way is there to start the middle of the year than brunch and meeting up with friends over one/some? :)

First stop was to Forty Hands at Yong Siak Street. I have been thinking of brunching there for a long time. Somehow I didn't. And so Grace and I went last Saturday, after I completed a leisure 20 laps at the nearby public pool (skipping the swim today though, my lazy bones tell me to go for a massage and some shopping! :)) Both of us like Forty Hands, and I guess it was a good place for us to catch-up as we haven't met for since Good Friday. And happy birthday, babe!



My ice latte. Grace had ice mocha. Great choices as it was such a HOT day!

I like the coffee. In some cafes, ice coffee tend to dilute after a while but I thought this was quite consistent over the 2 hours I sipped at it. These days, I seem to like taking pictures from the top.



Counter at Forty Hands. The café is really quaint, a bit cramped perhaps. The chap next table kept bumping into Grace and he kind of apologised before he left. LOL.



Egg Benefits. Heard mixed reviews about it. But I like it because it was not too overwhelming in terms of proportion and the hollandaise sauce. Guess it was just RIGHT after a swim :) And well, the retro plates can survive knocks, see? No one can complain about the chips :P

Next stop and first stop last Sunday : Yong Saik Snacks at Yong Saik Street. It was a bit high-brow, I thought. And not really the kind of casual brunch I prefer. Food was good, pricey though. OK overall - you get what you pay right? :) Was there with Chris and MQ, a day which started rather dramatically but I shouldn't say more ;-)



Nice vintage decorations. It was empty when we reached shortly after 11am. So we could take pictures to our hearts' content. Haha.



Kind of open kitchen concept - we could see the chefs preparing food for us. I bet this converts to a bar counter at night because I heard there is a hidden bar somewhere - where? behind? :P

 

We didn't follow the menu from start to finish . LOL. Started with the second course. Fried snapper fish n’ duck fat chips. Mushy peas. Tartar sauce.



Veal sweetbread & pork pie. Onion gravy. Came with Foie Gras too. Yummy :) De Ja Vu - My French food meals continue. We ordered Skinny Fries too! 

Seared scallop. With crispy lamb balls?

Last stop of the weekend - Stranger's Reunion at Kampong Bahru. Heard that the neighbouring cafes - OKB (One Kampong Bahru) and Chef Icon - are nice. So this might be a good area to explore if you are thinking of CAFE HOPPING! By the way, I like the coffee at Highlanders just down the stretch of shop houses :P



Nice Decorations too. More down to earth. Homely. White roses, anyone? :)



The Macha Red Bean cake was quite unique.



Good service. Really attentive when it comes to topping up water. And so we left a small tip.



Another angle of Stranger's Reunion. Pretty meaningful name, is it not? When it comes to enjoying coffee and cake with people you do not know in the same abode again and again?



I forgot what tea MQ ordered. I had a ice mocha. Chris had a ice chocolate. HOT day too :P

So here is me, blogging about last weekend this weekend. Not sure if you know, I write for a living (kind of). But nothing is as enjoyable writing for you (and me) in my Long Vacation blog :)