Tampines 1

I just went to Tampines 1 on Saturday... And boy, was it CROWDED.

I didn't take photos and all, but trust me, it's like twice, three times, or maybe even four times as crowded as Orchard is.

The stores were all pretty cool. I found clothes with the kind of designs I was looking for Clar for quite a while (after not being able to find them for so long), but the prices were a bit steep... =/ It wasn't too comfortable for him too- Anyway, there are 2 places in particular I want to mention:

Uniqlo

Like oh. my. god. That was my exact reaction when I got to the shop. I really wanted to go check it out (though I hadn't really had much of an impression of it yet), but the queue was CRAZY.

Mind you, this queue wasn't for payment. This was the queue to ENTER the shop. I should have taken a photo of the queue, just to give you an idea.

I figured that the only time the queue will be short enough for me to even consider going, I would either have to wait for the fad to die down, or go during office hours on a weekday (not during the primary/secondary/JC school holidays either). The advantages of tetiary education in Singapore ;) You never have to clash with the school holidays of all the other schoolchildren.

I'll have to give another review when I actually get in.

Manpuku

We went to queue to go in 15 minutes before it opened for the dinner crowd, and it paid off =) Even though I spent a while walking around trying to figure out what to eat, Clar and I still managed to beat the huge crowd... (Thank goodness... Although, of course, thanks to my slow-ness we still had a queue in front of us...)

The concept is slightly similar to Marche. Everyone is given a card (with a limit of 100 SGD -- if you intend to spend more you have to pay the 100 off first before proceeding with your subsequent purchases) and you can go around the many different stalls there to buy your food. The bill will be charged to the card that they gave you, and you can then pay the bill on your way out.

There were stalls selling Japanese desserts, drinks (I tried those! The dango totally changed my perception of the food -- and the only time I ate it was in Japan), tarts, udon, curry, Japanese grill, Okonomiyaki etc... Click here to see the full list of stalls there.

A friend was recommending the ramen stall, so I bought from there. Boy, was it good. It's better than Ajisen and those local ramen stalls... =D Their soup and noodles were good. I went to google, and found out that the ramen stall I ate at (Aoba) is ranked within the top 10 ramen stalls in Japan, and top 3 within Hokkaido. =D Awesome.

Maybe next time I can try Okonomiyaki (if I manage to resist the temptation to get the ramen again)... It'll take me a lot of willpower to do that though, cause I don't like any of the okonomiyaki that you get from Singapore... (especially those at those 'pasar malam's)

Again, no photos =( Sorry about that.

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I'll definitely be going back to Tampines 1 during the holidays =D

Sugar and Diabetes

Just thought I'd share this video on sugar and diabetes with you guys:

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Difference between Red and White Wine

Was wondering what the difference between red and white wine were, since they're both made from grape.

Color is the first and easiest distinguishing feature of wine. The main difference between red and white wine is that grape juice used to make red wine contains skins, seeds, and stems. This is significant for the following reason: leaving juice to mix together with the woody bits (known as maceration) causes the finished product to contain tannins. Tannins can lend a wonderful complexity to a red wine. As a general rule of thumb, red wines are heavier and more complex than white wines. White wines are usually a good place for beginners to start because they are initially more palatable to novices since they often tend to be sweeter.

The reason you need to be aware of the differences between red and white wine is because one of the oldest rules in fine dining is that you should attempt to harmonize your choice of food and drink. If you are going to be eating something delicate with subtle tastes you should avoid drinking something with a strong flavor that will overshadow the food. Conversely, a hearty meal will often be best complimented by a strong wine with flavor of its own. White wines tend to go best with fish and white meats, like chicken and pork; red wines go best with red meat and red sauces.

I guess that's why I prefer white wine... =X Red wine is too much for my taste buds =/

I want to learn how to drink red wine some day though =)

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Ben & Jerry's Event

I saw this poster in school and I thought I'd share it with you people =) I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves their ice cream, after all.



I'm so going for this event- I even made a date already. Exams will be over by then!! =D


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(New) Suki Sushi

I went to the New Suki Sushi the week before at Shaw Plaza, and I decided to blog about it cause I was impressed with the quality of their food, as well as the price ;)

Suki Sushi?

In case you don't know, Suki Sushi is a Singapore based Japanese restaurant chain by the Suki Group (they who set up Nihon Mura, Yuki (no) Yaki, Sakura, Suki Sushi (Original) and Suki Sushi (New)).

So I bet you're wondering what the difference between the old and new Suki Sushi is. Well, firstly, the new Suki Sushi only has 3 outlets at the moment, and the quality of food is MUCH better than the original outlets. The price is higher too, of course, for the buffet. HOWEVER, the new Suki Sushi is also the one where you pay only $0.99 for coloured-plates sushi.

In other words, the new Suki Sushi is awesome value for money. Judging from the '$0.99 plates', one would think that the quality sucked, even if just for those items. But no, I felt that their items were all very fresh, and they tasted really good.

My Order

For once, I ordered some main course from the menu instead of just solely concentrating on the sushi on the conveyer belt. The Chirashi Don. That was one dish I had been wanting to try since... Well. Forever.

I expected it to be the 'okay' kind of quality (I think it cost $7 -8), and the first impression I got was mixed. It looked good, but when the waiter gave me a spoon, I was quite surprised (cause usually Japanese rice/food you can just use chopsticks). My first thought was: "Is the quality that bad?"

Well, apparently not. I ended up finishing my ENTIRE bowl (every single grain) with just my chopsticks (in other words, awesome quality sticky rice)

I never ate it before so I was not used to seeing a lemon with the dish. It mixed well, however =) The photo on the right is my order, while the one on the left is Clar's. I still preferred mine =P [Though I have no doubt that his was nice too] Sorry for the lousy quality photos!! I took them with my handphone with no flash.

  

Fried Mix Curry Rice                        Chirashi Don       

Suki Sushi (the new one, at least) has totally gotten my approval and reccomendation. Next time, perhaps I'll ask my family to eat there- ;) [No idea if they will, cause we've been eating Japanese quite often cause of me]

In case you're interested, this is their website.

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Great food, great value