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

  

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! :)

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...