.Bugis.Street.Chuen.Chuen.Chicken.Rice.(津津餐食).Part.1.

So my friend was telling me about this aircon-and-gst chicken rice which I need to try it out, and I finally had the chance to do so after 2 last-minute failed attempts.

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Sure worth me waiting for long to try it! This whole set for S$6.50 (after GST S$6.95; no service charge).
Portion is good. Rice is fragrant. Roasted chicken breast is tender and not tough. The vegetables was fresh and still ‘lil crunchy. And I totally adore the minced ginger and chilli. So much better than those sets which I’ve tried at Food Republic’s chicken rice stall.

Hence, within the same week I actually went back TWICE to try out their other delicacies. Here’s Part 1!

Iing ordered the Fresh Garoupa Fish Slice Soup with Beehoon (S$6.50+).
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Fish slices were tender and QQ. Lots of fresh vegetables. Chunks of tofu. Big portion of beehoon. And the soup was so tasty!
However, their standard for this dish wasn’t very consistent. Check out my Part 2 for this eatery to find out more.

For me, I’d the Portuguese Style Pork Cutlet Rice (S$6.50+).
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Doesn’t look very nice in picture haha. The sauce was kinda interesting, but the pork cutlet was a ‘lil tough and tad too fatty for me. I do love the fact that it came with the chicken rice’s oily rice. So yums!

We got a plate of Imperial Honey Glazed Chicken (S$15+ for small/S$20+ for large) to share too.
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I. LOVE. THIS DISH.
The chicken pieces were fried till the skin was slight crispy, yet flesh was tender and nice to chew on. Sauce was sweet and yums with raisins in it, plus the mango-looking ginger pieces were even nice to eat (think of them like ginger sweets).

Group picture!
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So satisfying!
Part 2 review for this eatery coming up real soon! Cheers!

.korean.dramas.(.part.1.).

I like to watch dramas, especially those with interesting story concepts, or merely for any particular celebrity whom I adore starring in it.
I used to be hooked on Japanese dramas ‘cos they’re usually around 10 episodes only and with good storylines (short and sweet), plus there’re many Japanese actors/actresses whom I really fancy.
Our local channels love to show Japanese dramas, variety shows, and movies as well so they’re easily available.
Then, I’d more free time to watch TV too so I’d make sure I didn’t miss any episode.
Galileo“. “Long Vacation“. “Beach Boys“. “Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO)“. “Forbidden Love“. “Beautiful Life“. “Hero“. “Crying Out Love, In The Centre Of The World“.
Just to name a few that I loved a lot.

Couple of years back, Korean wave hit us.
Initially I only caught very few Korean dramas, which can be counted with just one hand, ‘cos I’m very much still into my Japanese dramas which are less melodramatic and more chop-chop than Korean’s ‘chong-hei’ (Cantonese for ‘long-winded’) ones.
However subsequently, it seemed like only few didn’t succumb to K-wave.
I admit. I’m into it now too.

Let me share with you the 3 recent Korean dramas which I’d watched and left a deep impression on.

1. My Love From Another Star (来自星星的你), 2013-2014
my-love-from-another-star-2013_24971387858981Of ‘cos of ‘cos.
Who doesn’t know of this drama???
It had taken the world by storm, with Kim Soo-Hyun rising to be the new heartthrob, sweeping many females (and maybe some males too) off their feet, including fellow celebrities!
Also, the sales for fried chicken + beer combi probably went up by many many folds thanks to this drama.
There were even reports of some Chinese hardcore female fans who broke up with their boyfriends or threatened to commit suicide, ‘cos they feel that their guys aren’t as intellectual nor romantic as compared to Professor Do (what the hell)!
If you’d not known of this drama for whatever reasons, here’s a brief intro of it.

Main Characters…
Jun Ji-Hyun: as Cheon Song-Yi, a top Hallyu star who is very blunt and believes she is every man’s type, until she meet her stoic neighbour, Do Min-Joon, whom she eventually fell for.
you-who-came-from-the-stars-7Kim Soo-Hyun: as Do Min-Joon, an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago in the Joseon Dynasty and possesses supernatural powers like the ability to stop time and teleport, plus able to see things before they happen and hear things that are miles away and move with great speed. He doesn’t age too, hence had to change identity every 10 years. He ended up falling for Cheon Song-Yi though he tried not to, who looks exactly like the girl whom he fell for 400 years ago and whom died while saving him.
ywXHutslPark Hae-Jin: as Lee Hwi-Kyung, Cheon Song-Yi’s childhood friend who has an unrequited love for her and holds onto the belief that one day she will love him back. He supports her through hick and thin as a true friend too.
star11-00532Yoo In-Na: as Yoo Se-Mi, whom Cheon Song-Yi sees as a good friend since childhood. Underneath her sweet smile, she is actually very envious of Song-Yi and has a crush on Hwi-Kyung for a long time. A celebrity herself, she later became famous after Song-Yi’s downfall in the entertainment industry.
10-Yoo-In-Na-Who-Came-From-The-Stars-Fashion-ReviewShin Sung-Rok: as Lee Jae-Kyung, Hwi-Kyung older brother and the heir of S&C Group. The main antagonist in the drama.
Lee_jae-kyung(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Love_from_the_Star)

Total no. of episodes: 21

I really like this drama ‘cos it’s so funny and sad at the same time!
Funny ‘cos of Cheon Song-Yi’s attention-grabbing actions and Do Min-Joon’s interactions with her.
Sad ‘cos the last few episodes made me cry SO MUCH I always ended up getting puffy eyes.
The actors/actresses were all cast well and really blend into their respective roles.
I didn’t get enough of it! Can’t wait for the movie version to be out (if it’s really true to be happening).
Also, the clothes featured in the drama are all very fashionable, especially Jun Ji-Hyun’s!
Plus if all aliens are like Do Min-Joon, I WOULD OPEN MY ARMS WIDE AND INVITE THEM TO INVADE EARTH ANYTIME.

Go watch it if you haven’t!!!

p.s.: This drama has some nice songs. Here’s the OST list if you are interested.
I personally love Nos. 1, 2, 6, & 7.
You_Who_Came_From_the_Stars_OST1. “My Destiny” by LYn (Korean & English)
2. “Like A Star (별처럼)” by K.Will (Korean)
3. “You Who Came From the Stars (별에서 온 그대)” by Younha (Korean & English)
4. “Goodbye (안녕)” by Hyo Rin (Korean & English)
5. “I Love You” by JUST (Korean & English)
6. “Tears Like Today (오늘 같은 눈물이)” by Huh Gak (Korean)
7. “Every Moment of Yours (너의 모든 순간)” by Sung Si-Kyung (Korean)
8. “In Front of Your House (너의 집 앞)” by Kim Soo-Hyun (Korean)
(Source: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/You_Who_Came_From_the_Stars_OST)

p.p.s.: I recently saw that Kim Soo-hyun be holding a fan-meet in Singapore soooon!!!
Though high chance I won’t be going, just to share with you some details of it and how you can win tickets to the event (which I presume his hardcore fans already knew long ago of this haha).

2014 Kim Soo-hyun Asia Tour 1st Memories in Singapore
18404596Date: 27th April 2014 (Sunday)
Time: 730pm
Venue: Singapore Expo Hall 1
Ticket Pricing: $238*, $188*, $138* (*excludes $3 booking fee)
Ticketing Hotline: 6348 5555 / www.sistic.com.sg

Contests to win tickets to his fan-meet.
Starhub: http://www.starhub.com/personal/promotions/contests/1016.html
Watsons Members:
IMG-20140413-WA0000[1]Go take part now to stand a chance in winning the tickets!!!
Best of luck!!!

p.p.p.s.: There are very cute and funny Cheon Song-Yi stickers available for download in Line app.
tumblr_mzwo633aYR1sh8uxlo1_1280Screenshot_2014-04-13-02-56-18[1]2014-04-13-02-56-42[1]2014-04-13-02-56-59[1]Go download them now!! ^_^ *throws stickers*

.days.of.ving’s.life.:.hongkong.episode.2.


WELCOME BACK ! ! !

In this post, I’ll share with you guys what I did / where I went on the 2nd day of my Hong Kong trip!!!
(In case you missed out Day 1’s, here’s it!!!)

After a good night’s rest, we begin the day with a hearty meal at this Golden Sand Restaurant (or rather, a Hong Kong cafe) that’s just across from our hotel!
Glimpse of my jacket for the day that comes with a big hoodie!!! Love it!!!
Address: 85-87 Ivy Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
Station: Olympic (Exit B1/C1)
Hours: Daily 630am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2392-4919

Big portions of food!!
Black Pepper Chicken Chop on Hotplate / Seafood Baked Rice
Happy with my food choice!!!
Also, bonus point for this restaurant was that it came with 2 cute chefs!
The kitchen was kinda open concept so I fed my eyes very well too! *chuckles*
After filling our tummies, time to explore some parts of Hong Kong!
1st stop: Sham Shui Po area.
This area came into the headlines last year end  ‘cos some scenes for a Hollywood mega blockbuster were being filmed there.
Can you guess which movie is it??? *drumroll*

TRANSFORMERS 4 ! ! ! ! !

Check out these links if you are interested to know more about the filming!
English: http://as.reddit.com/r/Moviesinthemaking/comments/1oy6a1/transformers_4_being_filmed_in_sham_shui_po_hong/
Mandarin: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20131021/18472226

Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po is more commonly known as 鴨寮街, a street consisting of a large flea market selling ALL sorts of electronic/electrical components and related products.
I bought 2 casings for my Note 3 from here!
Another known street in Sham Shui Po is Yu Chau Street, 汝州街.
Most people who are the crafty type will, in one way or another, know or have heard of this street.
It is literally a treasure heaven for them (me included!), with shops and shops selling beads, ribbons, buttons, fabrics, and lotsa party items!
The huge selection range for any single item is AMAZING…..
I totally resisted myself from buying ALL the colors/styles back.
Do check out the area if you are in Hong Kong and looking for materials for your handicrafts!
Next up on our list was a place which I’d been super looking forward to go even before the trip.
It is often in the Top 3 places to go to if you are looking for those collectors items.
Come to think of it, I’d been to Hong Kong couple of times but this was the 1st time I got to visit this place.
If you guys have followed my stuff, you’ll know I absolutely LOVE toy figurines and have a small collection of them.
So……. No prizes for guessing correctly the place which I’m referring to! *drumroll*

CTMA CENTRE ! ! ! ! !

Address: 1N Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mongkok
Station: Yau Ma Tei (Exit A2) / Mongkok (Exit E2)
A heaven for figurine collectors…….!
I WANNA CREATE A SPACE IN MY HOME FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. . .
*building-castles-in-the-sky-in-progress*
Do. Not. Disturb.
There’s an area for some women’s wear too!
When I finally managed to tear myself away from CTMA Centre, I realised my tummy’s orchestra was happily churning out lovely music.
Time for dinner!
Walking along the happening street towards dinner place (which was just a short walk over from CTMA Centre)…
Almost missed this huge ass signboard of our chosen buffet dinner venue.
I’d heard good reviews on Little Sheep Mongolian Hotpot, so here I was!

Address: 16, 16A & 16B Argyle Street, Mongkok Commercial Centre, G/F to 4/F, Shop E, Mongkok
Station: Mongkok (Exit C4)
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am – 12am / Sat-Sun 10am – 12am
Contact: (852) 2396-8816
I don’t usually eat mutton ‘cos there’s always this smell in the meat (I wasn’t exactly a meat lover to begin with).
B U T
I actually wiped out countless thinly-sliced mutton pieces from this hotpot place.
Combined with the soup bases, S O G O O D . . .
I can feel the warmth of the sun that appeared behind me after consuming this delish dish.
(Or maybe it’s the warmth from the Ma La soup base in my tummy.)
After staying for almost 3 hours at Little Sheep, I went back to the hotel with a tummy that grew twice the size.
Couldn’t resist a round at 7-11 before bed-time.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!
Tidbits with my current obsession!!!
N A M E K O . . .
(Recently a friend discovered a shop at Dhoby Ghaut Xchange selling these snacks too!)
Favorite Dreyer’s in a cone!!!
Y SINGAPORE NO HAVE? ? ?
Loot of the day!!! *throws confetti*
Got a whole box with 8 different designs! Couldn’t resist!
Episode 3 of this trip will be out real soon! Stay tuned!!!

.Mad.Season.1.:.Beauty.Series.Ep.6.

H I ! ! ! ! !
Welcome back, and to the 6th Episode of Beauty Series in Mad Season 1!!!
Have you been beautifying yourself lately???

For today!!!
Ving recently tried out this Violent Lips Temporary Tattoo!
Zebra print!!!
No my mouth isn’t this big, lips aren’t this thick haha…
Basically you’ll need to trim accordingly to the size of your mouth and lips thickness.
Not too well-done, but I think good first try on my part!! *teehee*Verdict:
Great for dress-up theme parties!
Requires some practise though before you can get it perfect.
(The demo video makes it look so easy to put it on!)

Do stay tuned for the 6th Episode of Cooking Series which will be out on Friday!!!
Kindly support us!!! Thankssssss!!!! *smacks zebra lips*

.Mad.Season.1.:.Cooking.Series.Ep.3.


ANNYOHASAEYO!!!!
Welcome back, and to the 3rd Episode of the Cooking Series in our Mad Season 1!!!
Have you tried out the recipes in the previous episodes???

For today!!!
Ving tried whipping up a Korean-Japanese (2 of my favourite cuisines) fusion dinner.
Here are the ingredients:
Chicken / Korean Rice Cakes / Hotdogs / Straw Mushrooms / Tofu / Kimchi / Edamame / Seaweed / Cabbage / Carrots / Japanese Miso Soup Base / Onions / Oil / Korean Chilli Paste / Tteokbokki Sauce / Multi-purpose Sauce
1st Step:
Thaw the Chicken for Spicy Chicken Stew.
2nd Step:
Prepare the ingredients.
3rd Step:
Start cooking!

For me, I started with the Miso Soup first.
1. Fill up your pot with water (up to you on how much soup you want then fill up accordingly, with bit of excess for evaporation during simmering).
2. Add in Miso Paste (if you prefer it more flavorful, add more).
3. When it started boiling, add in the Tofu cubes.
4. Leave it to simmer while you prepare the Chicken Stew.
5. At in some Seaweed before serving.

4th Step:
Start on Spicy Chicken Stew.
1. Soften the Rice Cakes by placing them in boiling water for couple of minutes, then drain them and put them aside.
2. Pour some oil into pot, then stir fry some Onions.
3. Add Cabbage and Carrots in.
4. Add in Korean Chilli Paste, Tteokbokki Sauce and Multi-purpose Sauce, then mix all evenly.
5. Add in one small packet of Kimchi, then Straw Mushrooms and Hotdogs.
6. Simmer for awhile.
7. Add in the Rice Cakes that had been softened, add well as the diced Chicken meat.
8. Mix all together evenly, then simmer for awhile more.
Serve!!!
Makgeolli (Makkoli) optional!
Verdict:
S. U. C. C. E. S. S.
Do stay tuned for the 4th Episode of Building Series which will be up on coming Monday!!!
Kindly support us!!!! Thankssssss!!!! *juggles tteokbokki*

.if.ving.can.cook.,.so.can.you.!.(.part.2.0.).

So Ving took up a challenge in preparing a potluck feast for 12 adults and 4 kids.
Time for grocery shopping!
You think that’s all??
There’s more!! (Looking like an overload of Enoki mushrooms.)
The dishes prepared are….. *drum roll*

1. Chilled Tofu Salad
(tofu + cherry tomatoes + japanese sauce)
2. Cabbage Soup
(cabbage + corn + baby carrots + white radish + enoki mushrooms + onions + white pepper + sea salt + sugar)
3. Honey Chicken Drumlets
(drumlets + honey + soy sauce + chinese wine)
** Too chaotic that day forgot to take pictures of this dish!!

4. Herb-spiced Mid-joints
(mid-joints + mixed fresh herbs + honey + black pepper + soy sauce + sea salt)
5. Stir-fry Vegetables
(broccoli + capsicums + fishballs + enoki mushrooms + garlic + onions + oyster sauce + sea salt + sugar)
6. Pan-seared Dory Fillets with Sauteed Mushrooms
(dory fillets + shimeji mushrooms + onions + garlic + olive oil + black pepper + sea salt)
7. Stir-fry Soba with Asparagus & Mushrooms
(dried soba noodles + asparagus + white button mushrooms + garlic + sesame oil + japanese soy sauce + sugar)
8. Stir-fry Angel’s Hair Pasta
(angel’s hair pasta + baby carrots + corn + garlic + olive oil + black pepper + sea salt)
9. Grass Jelly & Longans Dessert
(grass jelly + longans)
Conclusion:
It was totally not easy cooking for such a big group of people!
Kind of estimated the portions wrongly haha so there were quite a bit of leftovers, plus it can get real chaotic in the kitchen.
Also, the sequence in cooking the different dishes needed to be planned out proper.
Nonetheless, it was an awesome first time experience!
(Though after this, Ving stayed away from the kitchen for about two weeks, not wanting to lay hands on the pots and pans at all.)