Thursday 30 October 2014

Day trip to Johor Bahru


Made a day trip to Johor Bahru on one of the Saturday, with my best girlfriend and her bro. I always envy them for making frequent trips in and out of JB by their own transport, enjoying good food at low prices, movie marathon as well as shopping. So one day, she asked "Let's took a bus ride in to JB together!" as she had never experience going in by public bus.

Woke up as early as 5:45am, and by the time we reached Yishun.. its already almost 8 in the morning. Meet up with her bro's gf and off to bus to JB!

Rushing at check-points so as to catch the bus was actually crazy but fun! "There's no queue, so we had to prepare to rush up the bus before its full and gone!"

Surprisingly, the journey back home was a smooth one! Thanks to the separate bus lane! No stop, no jam. Everyone sat comfortably in the bus!=)


Wheatgrass drink!

Local bus from KSL mall to City Square mall.. It was late afternoon by then. 
Fell asleep during the journey back, leaning on her shoulder i dint even notice. LOL!



As for shopping goods.. not much things to shop for but still managed to bring back some stuffs. Plenty of facial masks from SASA, 5 pieces of tops + shorts + dresses, a sling bag and some other necessities from Watsons. Contact lenses from Optical shops were found to be very cheap too!

Found this article from Straits Times with a list of cafes to go to, in JB (totally awesome for cafe hopping lovers); http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food-wine/story/hip-johor-bahru-cafes-check-out-20140816

Wednesday 29 October 2014

[Shout Out] K-Food Fair 2014 has arrived in Singapore!

Coming this weekend, with the 40th anniversary of the Singapore-Korea amity ahead, South Korea’s Agriculture Ministry aT Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) is bringing together the best of its Korean food products in a showcase at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, launching its first Korean Food Fair 2014: Singapore !

Keeping in line with the Singaporean-tailored slogan, 'Have a Meal with K-Food' for busy Singaporeans, 15 participating companies will introduce various types of convenient-to-eat and nutrient-rich Korean food. The variety will be introduced in four different themed booths: Fresh, Healthy, Easy and Delicious. Visitors can look forward to a full-day export consultation for buyers on October 31, Friday, at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, complimentary food sampling at 'Open Kitchen', showcase of Korea's top 10 rice-processed food in 2014, as well as Running Man-themed games and 'My Love from the Star' Photo Zone,

The fair aims to enable Singaporeans experience the food and culture of Korea, which has maintained a close economic ties and relationship with Singapore since 1975. Hosted by Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and supported by aT, The fair is divided into 2 parts: export consultations (on October 31st at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel) and consumer experience events (on November 1st & 2nd at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza along Orchard Road) to promote increased exports of agri-food and Korean food culture!

The entertainment lineup includes game events using contents from Korean TV show 'Running Man' and a photo zone recreating the leading roles' rooms shown in the drama 'My Love from the Star'. In addition to this, there will be a Korean traditional experience zone to introduce 'Yut (Korean board game)' and 'Tuho (Korean stick-throwing game)' and a spectacular Taekwondo performance, a percussion performance combining both the modern and traditional sentiments, a K-POP dance and a dynamic B-Boy performance with Korean traditional music.
Kim Jae-Soo, President of aT commented, "Cultural elements have so far taken the lead in the K-Wave (Hallyu). However, I hope K-Food will be the future of K-Wave through this KOREAN FOOD FAIR to further strengthen the amicable relations between Singapore and Korea."
The KOREAN FOOD FAIR will be held in a total of 8 cities around the world. Kicking off in Ho Chi Minh in May, it continued to Shanghai, Harbin, Wuhan, Chengdu, New York, and will soon stop over in Singapore and Hong Kong in November.
For more information, check out the event site at http://kfoodfair.or.kr/en_singapore/ or 

Saturday 25 October 2014

[Food Tasting] Eggs & Berries - Coloured Burgers

Eggs & Berries is one place which i feel happy visiting! Not only do they serve hearty American classics in generous portions, the restaurant uses all natural and fresh ingredients! All dishes are also handmade by a line-up of dedicated chefs. Everything in eggs & berries welcome diners with happy colours, even in the food they serve (will go into details later)! Just look at the whole layout of the newly launched Jurong Point outlet, from their signage to their chairs and their huge menus!

True to the restaurant's moniker, eggs round off the dishes. Diners can have their eggs done in one of four methods: over easy, poached, scrambled or sunny side up!

 


I love their menu display, everything in one page.. so clear and easy for diners to choose and compare!


I was told their smoothies and ice tea are absolutely nice, so i ordered the Green Mountain Bee (S$6.50). I think $6.50 is awesomely valuable for a huge glass of smoothie like this. Not only the serving size is satisfying, the taste is great too! Lightly sweet and super smooth. This has got to be the best Avocado Smoothie i've ever tasted! Really!


On World Egg Day (10th October), Eggs & Berries introduce The Heavenly Four Juiciest Handmade Burgers - Singapore's first and only build-your-own coloured burger joint (Only available at Jurong Point outlet at the moment)! We have seen black burgers elsewhere but never seen coloured burgers like yellow, green and pink on serving plates! Each of these four unique colours contain all natural flavours bursting with goodness and each with their own health benefits! Friends can now enjoy burgers in a healthier choice. A brillant creation, isnt it?!



Yellow buns - Turmeric Curry burgers helps boost good skin! This has the strongest taste among the rest.


Pink buns - Smoked Paprika & Beetroot burgers helps manage blood pressure!


Black buns - Charcoal Squid Ink burgers aids in detoxification!


Green buns - Spinach Pesto burgers helps nourish our eyes and bones!


These buns will form the roof and base of the burgers. Pair them with one of four handmade gourmet patties and build the juiciest burger there ever exists. All burgers will be served with a side of potato wedges and mixed greens (with sesame dressing).

E&B Beef & Egg burger (S$13.90): Crunchy and caramelised onions rest atop an enticing slab of 14-day dry aged beef. Accompanying it are fresh tomatoes and pickles!

Pork & Sage with Paprika (S$12.90): This offering impresses with a spicy sage and smoked paprika-infused pork patty. The peppery paprika marries with the spiciness of the sage to bring an explosion of flavours.

Provence Herbs Lamb (S$13.90): Their aromatic herb-marinated lamb patty is enlivened by unctuous strips of crispy bacon.

Cajun Spiced Chicken (S$12.90): Their thick chicken patty is punctuated by spicy Cajun seasoning. The sharp taste of the creamy cheddar cheese adds an extra oomph.

With all that mentioned, the Heavenly Four are mammoth towers of goodness! Whichever pairing it will be, the dish turns out well and satisfying for me. A group of us had all four different burgers with four different types of patties, and all of these were swept clean very quickly because the burgers are just too good! Their buns are soft and their thick patties tasted fresh and appetizing along with perfectly cooked eggs and greens! =D




We also had their Truffle & Mushroom Fries (S$9.90) - Seasoned with sea salt, homemade mushroom powder, parmesan cheese and Truffle oil. Super tasty we cleared the entire cone!


This plate below is Eggs & Berries' Aglio Olio King River Prawn (S$19.90) - with wild mushrooms, onions, bacons and melted cheese, topped with poached eggs. Delicious in generous portion but way too spicy for me.


One of Eggs & Berries' signatures, Eggs Benedict Doppio (S$16.90) - comes with 2 poached eggs, english muffins, bacons, honey ham and hash brown! Their poached eggs are well done with runny yolks. Great for brunch!


Pancake and waffle lovers, diners can find different menus featuring in-house soft and moist small pancakes that are served with three types of sauces: Maple Syrup, Chocolate Sauce and Strawberry or Raspberry sauce. The mouth-watering waffles are crispy on the outside and they are served with a scoop of ice-cream (also taste equally good with butter and maple syrup!)

Mango Tango (S$10.90) - Mango, with macadamia nuts and chocolate chips with rainbow sprinkles topped with whipped cream. This is my first time seeing a tower pancakes, very adorable but a little too much cream for me.


With sauce poured onto it!

Over The Rainbow (S$10.50) - Waffles with mixtures of cut fruits, nuts and berries!
Berry refreshing, good to share among a small group!


Mini cakes are also available at the store too! Their Espresso Tiramisu looks very nice to me!


Thank you Eggs & Berries for all the lovely, good food!!


Address: 1 Jurong West Central 2, Jurong Point 1, #01-32 Singapore 648886.

Contact info: 6790 9195

Website: http://www.eggsnberries.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eggsnberries

Wednesday 22 October 2014

[Moview Review] THE GOLDEN ERA (黄金时代)

Clover Films releases THE GOLDEN ERA (黄金时代) on 16th Oct 2014!
Synopsis: Xiao Hong was born into a land-owning family in Manchuria. Her mother died when Xiao Hong was young and her estrangement from her tyrannical father sparked a long quest for an independent and emotionally satisfying life. She was rescued from destitution by hard-drinking fellow writer Xiao Jun, but their fraught and competitive relationship brought her more heartache than joy...
Trailer: http://youtu.be/lI2RxokmTD4 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE6kJIquuVc 
Starring: Tang Wei, Feng Shao Feng

A chinese movie close to 3hrs of runtime is all worthwhile and if asked for a rating, i will give it a 4 out of 5 golden stars! 

Hong Kong director, Ann Hui's latest film, The Golden Era (黄金时代), uses a different approach through the use of personal accounts and writings of Xiao Hong (Tang Wei 汤唯), one of China's most famous essayist and novelist in the 1930s, reflecting the progressive thinking not frequently seen during the time period. 

The film started with Xiao Hong making her introduction directly to the camera. I still have vivid images of how she say out the dates of her birth and her death. Her looks and eyes were expressive. There are also some parts where characters will look into camera and talk about what is happening, almost like a documentary.

Its a film not just about chinese literature or history (though there are some political issues mentioned), it portrays a turbulent life Xiao Hong went through in a turbulent time since young till her early 30s. I can see her bravery and strong view point on what she believe in. Her love life was a mess before she met fellow writer Xiao Jun (Feng Shaofeng) and Duanmu Hong Liang (Zhu Yawen) who both have given her support during tough times.

The characters perform well and the scene is great. However, probably due to insufficient pieces of writings, there are certain parts left unclear or contain different versions. In which, the audience is free to choose what they want the story to be!

Sunday 19 October 2014

[Media Preview] Clover Films Brings A Line Of Upcoming Great Movies

One of Singapore's leading independent production and distribution of Asian films - Clover Films, releases update on their list of upcoming great movies over a session with bloggers at a blogger event.

A key player in the Singapore movie scene, Clover Films has, since its inception, distributed more than 100 movies. Still remember the record-breaking Jackie Chan blockbuster CZ12, 23:59, The Wedding Diary I & II, Ghost Child and Filial Party? Yes, these are all produced, distributed and marketed by Clover Films! Other high-profile movies are Jay Chou's The Viral Factor, John Woo's Reign of Assassins and The Fierce Wife: Final Episode.


Really love how Kevin presented Clover Films which includes a little humor and interactions in between. During the session, we were also asked to watch some movie trailers from their list of interesting upcoming films!

There's even lucky draw nearing towards the end of the session,


First up in the line is an action movie - Black & White : The Dawn Of Justice (痞子英雄:黎明再起)
Starring: Mark Chao and Lin Gengxin. Viewers can also get to see Huang Bo, Ning Chang and Singapore actor, Christopher Lee in the movie.
Synopsis: Panic spreads the whole city as a series of bomb explosions happen within hours and this is just the beginning of a tight-knit conspiracy. Righteous and impulsive, Wu Ying-Xiong is paired up with the intelligent but arrogant loner Chen Zhen to track down the mastermind behind the bombing incidents. Soon Wu and Chen will discover that the bombings are just the prelude to a massive destruction. Stolen military missiles are now aimed at the Harbour City; moreover, a deadly virus is about to breakout, which is so highly contagious that it can devour the whole world in 14 days. All the chaos is planned by the Nightwalkers—a secret assassination squad which used to serve the highest government officials… (Released on 9th Oct 2014)
Trailer: http://youtu.be/uzP0BqYKQpE
  • USD 15M production with top-notch international crew
  • Stunning visuals and adrenaline-pumping actions in 3D!

Next there are two heart-wrenching films released on 16th Oct 2014 - THE GOLDEN ERA (黄金时代) and HAEMOO (海雾).
Synopsis: Xiao Hong was born into a land-owning family in Manchuria. Her mother died when Xiao Hong was young and her estrangement from her tyrannical father sparked a long quest for an independent and emotionally satisfying life. She was rescued from destitution by hard-drinking fellow writer Xiao Jun, but their fraught and competitive relationship brought her more heartache than joy...
Trailer: http://youtu.be/lI2RxokmTD4
Starring: Tang Wei, Feng Shao Feng 
Synopsis: Based on true events, is the story of a group of fishermen who are driven into madness when their attempt to smuggle illegal migrants ends in a horrible tragedy. Six crew members –led by the captain, is the kind-hearted chief engineer ‘Wan-ho’(Moon Sung-geun) who had an eventful life and lives hidden on the boat. To the naive and youngest crew member ‘Dong-shik’(Park Yoochun) who just started working aboard the ship recently– begin their dream of having their boat with a full load of fish. However on the open sea, they are transporting something, it is not meat but human beings! To protect the ship and their livelihoods, Captain ‘Cheol-ju’(Kim Yoon-seok) suggests to his crew members the job in helping to smuggle [stowaways]. Numerous of stowaways who risks their lives and comes across the sea, and the six crew members who are on board a fated boat. Amid that, an unknown ‘sea fog’ to which they cannot see what’s in front of themselves comes down and they become swept into an uncontrollable accident… Trailer: http://youtu.be/jACU56SVHNM
Starring: Kim Yun-Seok, Park Yoo-Chun, Han Ye-Ri, Moon Sung-Geun, Kim Sang-Ho

Some other upcoming films to look out for (releasing from end October to December) are KUNGFU JUNGLE (一个人的武林); MY GEEKY NERDY BUDDIES (大宅男); DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART 2 (单身男女 2); as well as Thai Horror - THE EYES DIARY.

Starring: Donnie Yen, Wang Bao Qiang, Charlie Yeung
Release Date: 30th Oct 2014

Starring: Jam Hsiao, Maggie Jiang, Xie Na, Da Peng
Release Date: 30th Oct 2014

Starring: Miriam Yeung, Louis Koo, Gao Yuan Yuan, Vic Chou, Daniel Wu
Release date: 13th Nov 2014
Starring: Focus Jirakul, Chonnikan Netjui, Kittisak Patomburana
Release date: 11th Dec 2014


Two local productions will also be expected to release early next year; BRING BACK THE DEAD (招魂) and KING OF MAHJONG (麻雀王).
Synopsis: When her seven-year-old son dies in a tragic road accident, a grieving mother, Jia En (Jesseca Liu), seeks the help of her former caregiver, Mdm Seetoh (Liu Ling Ling), to bring back his soul so he can be ‘by her side’ at home.However, after several strange and deadly occurences in the house, she begins to suspect that there is something amiss with the soul she has brought back. In discovering what has really happened, she unravels the horrific truth … a truth which may cost her her life and the lives of those around her. Trailer: http://youtu.be/G7gyA2gY6qo (Jesseca Liu acting was superb in here!)
Starring: Jesseca Liu, Jacko Chiang, Liu Ling Ling, Eelyn Kok

Synopsis: “King of Mahjong” centers on the decade-long feud and eventual reunion of Huang Tian Ba (Mark Lee) and Ah Fatt (Chapman To), two top disciples of legendary mahjong guru, Master Ru. 20 years later, Huang Tian Ba, who is now a world-acclaimed mahjong magnate shows up in Ipoh to challenge Fatt to a final showdown – The International Mahjong King Competition. Despite Huang’s insistence, Fatt declines to join the competition as he is determined and contented to lead the life of a commoner. In a bid to force Fatt into the showdown, Huang abducts Fatt’s wife, Lei Meng Na (Michelle Ye). Fatt has no choice but to join the competition as Huang holds his wife as hostage. On the mahjong table, Fatt and Huang compete as the finalists; Ru Wu Chang’s secret mahjong technique and the truth comes to light as the winner emerges...
Starring: Chapman To, Mark Lee, Michelle Ye, Venus Wong, Adrian Tan, Cheronna Ng, Eric Tsang, Lo Hoi Pang, King-Tan Yuen, Zhu Mi Mi, Siu Yam-Yam, Marcus Chin, Richard Low, Dennis Chew, Patricia Mok, Henry Thia, Jayley Woo, Hayley Woo, Tian Xin

Do follow Clover Films for more updates ya,

Thank you Clover Films for the sharing and the refreshments! =)
I am already looking forward to some of the films mentioned such as The Golden Era (Review up soon), Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 (Because i've watched Part 1) and Bring Back The Dead.



Super love the event photographer for this picture! Taken with Tselyn at the end of the session.