fox fashion show

my first fashion show with compliments from fox. it's part of the fashion extravagance series held at marina square centrestage.

for those who're wondering... it's true that fashion shows do not start on time. the models are really skinny and look very tall in their heels. and they actually strut and sashay down the catwalk.

and my sis thinks the guy in yellow is cute... unfortunately, i only get a shot of him in shades during the closing of the show.

korean bbq chicken

can deep-fried chicken be healthy?

guess not... but there's a less unhealthy version available at orchard cineleisure that's cooked in olive oil. makes one's indulgence a less sinful transgression. :)

meat

do you love your meat?

ribeyes, fried chicken, char siew, etc.

i know i can't live without meat... will this video [from the US] of how your meat is like before it becomes a dead piece of flesh make you change your mind?

redevelopment

this garishly coloured building has been standing at clementi central ever since there was a town centre. yes, that's right. when i moved into my flat in clementi, the town centre wasn't even ready, not to mention the bus interchange. yeah, it's that long ago. :)

the building used to house just 1 cinema and later re-furbished into 2 smaller ones when cineplexes became the norm. then macdonald's came along.

after that, the arcades and snooker halls joined in the fray with the party world ktv and the many food kiosks outside macdonald's on the ground floor.

it's not iconic in any architectural aspects. just like an old lady sitting there watching the years go by and quietly witnessing the hustle and bustle of the town centre. with the redevelopment of the interchange into a mixed commercial and residential project by hdb, it's not unexpected that this buidling has to keep up with the times too.

sigh... i'm missing the macdonald's already. :(

zi yean

sl wanted to meet up for dinner so i suggested zi yean since i've heard so much about the place from eric and tracy. finally have the chance to try the food there after a failed attempt during chinese new year with the jc gang.

the restaurant occupies the entire void deck of the hdb block, just a short walk from redhill mrt station. it's divided into air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned sections. the difference being the gst charges levied at the air-conditioned section. i also read that this section also serves the more expensive stuff like shark's fins and 'live' seafood.

doris spotted apple who helped to recommend the dishes to us. janet commented that we seemed to have over-ordered when all the dishes arrived. in the end, we finished almost everything. that's testament to the good cooking and delicious flavours. all of us enjoyed the meal lots.

an interesting speciality here is the deep fried shrimp in beancurd skin. it's not a pretty sight but somehow the combination works. the other is the dog duck. no worries, no dogs were harmed in the preparation of this dish. the name is such because it's supposed to be dog stew but with the dog meat substituted with duck meat.

the deep fried fish skin was interesting. crispy yet not fishy. could it have come from all the salmon used for the chinese new year yusheng? :P i like the chicken especially. didn't really catch the name of the dish. but it's flavourful and goes well with the rice.

dessert was black sesame paste. not too sweet and thick a consistency. the sweet deal? it's on the house!

yummy! :)

new year goodies

what's your favourite and must-eat chinese new year goodie?

mine's the most fattening pineapple tart and bak kwa. not to mention the accompanying sore throat that comes with over indulgence during this festive period.

argh...

rats

it's the year of the rat heralding a brand new cycle in the chinese zodiac.

may the new year brings great fortune and wonderful health to one and all. and it's supposedly a good year for those born in the year of the rat too. yeah!

happy chinese new year!

ramen santouka

tucked into a little corner of the mall, ts decided that this ramen shop needed some business from us. although we were apprehensive about the food before we stepped into the restaurant, reassurances were quick as we noticed tables of japanese enjoying their ramen.

it was a nice ramen dinner although the soup base was on the salty side. ramen-wise, we all felt it is way better than bishamon at the basement of raffles city. perhaps the more chewy bishamon ramen is an acquired taste.

the interesting thing about the santouka menu is that the ramen also comes in set meals with a choice of rice or don. unlike other ramen shops, you can also up or down-size your ramen depending on your appetite.

i couldn't resist not ordering the tokusen toroniku [limited to only 60 servings daily]. those conversant in japanese must be intrigued by the word toroniku since toro is tuna belly and niku is meat.

but it's not melt-in-your-mouth tuna belly sashimi, it's the pork equivalent since the meat is taken from the cheek and slow-cooked to a level of tenderness that i feel can only be achieved with fat, streaky pork belly.

it's yummy without the cholesterol overload. hopefully, they can tone down the salt and that will be bliss.