New Moon Muah Otah March 24, 2010

So, I’ve discovered a new vice – New Moon Muah Otah (Otah is spicy fish paste, typically wrapped in banana leaf and barbequed over a charcoal fire).

It comes frozen in supermarkets and in 2 flavours – Mackerel Fillet and Mackeral Fillet and Prawn.

Great thing about this is that it comes in one ginormous slab, and you wrap it in cling film and pop it into the microwave on medium for 2 -3 mins… and you get piping hot, soft, tender and melt in your mouth otah.

I’m not usually a fan of otah as I don’t take spicy food (I am a disgrace to Singaporeans). But since I’ve been pregnant, I have been craving for all things spicy and coconut-y – curries, spicy coconut rice (nasi lemak), laksa, otah…

I can’t really do this otak any justice with my words… so just go get it people!

My Hot Red Kitchen Kitten.. *Purrr* June 7, 2008

God Bless the Great Singapore Sale.

D. got us this KitchenAid yesterday and boy is it sexy!

Despite the severe toothache I am suffering, I dragged myself up early this morning to have the very first go.
I now have the perfect french loaf to feed on for the rest of the weekend.

The baking frenzy has begun!

Jones The Grocer October 24, 2007

Ahh.. Don’t you just love walking past the window display of a local deli.

When in Sydney, D. took me around to the little streets filled with unique antique shops, boutiques, cafes and my favourite.. delis.

Short for delicatessen, deli is somewhat a cross between a fast-food restaurant and a grocery store, offering a wide range of food stuff, such as GOOD coffee, cheese, sweets, sandwiches, platters, and a variety of not-so-commercial grocery items, such as dipping sauce, jams, dressings, chutneys… etc (I could go on forever…)

Interestingly enough, we popped in to a Sydney popular deli named Jones The Grocer for a quick bite and shop, and their friendly staff informed us that they have just opened up a franchise in Singapore! (Low & Behold!!!)

Tucked away in Dempsey Hill, Jones The Grocer Singapore is about three times the size of its Sydney store, with a much bigger dining area. The part that still gives me the thrill is that they have a cheese room too!

D. and I popped in a couple of weekends ago, and we were amazed at how packed it was (felt like Okka Central for a while!), and I was very pleased to see that Singaporeans were getting into this deli culture.

Deli culture is predominantly a Western one, but the success of Jones the Grocer will definitely raise the bar on the standards that we are about to expect from a decent deli. Though it will take a longer time that I expect, I hope deli culture will become an a new Singapore way of life (mainstream, that is).

In Search of the Perfect Round Table Part II

The hunt for the perfect round table is taking much longer then expected.
Having trawled the furniture shops in Dempsey Hill and Park Mall, we are close to having our ideal round table custom-made.

In our travels around Singapore, we came across a few tables that came close.

Magis Design: Deja-vu Table
Designer: Naoto Fukasawa
Collection: Deja-vu Family

Magis is the brand that has given a novel twist to domestic design, building its identity on incorporating leading edge technology into mass production.

Now, I must confess, this actually isn’t a ROUND table. More like a square, with round edges. But it is so pretty. Problem is, it is kinda bit small for our place. Plus.. it’s kinda pricey for a teeny table. We’re talking about two grand for a piece of wood on aluminium legs.

The next on our list is this little beauty!

And it is from v.hive
I’m kinda surprised that for SG$399, this table is pretty damn sturdy. Much sturdier than the Magis Deja-vu table. This three-legged table is about 6 feet in diameter, sits a snug 8 pax, and has a glass centre. I’ve heard a few horror stories about cheap furniture shops and their display pieces, but this one seems immaculate.

I’m planning to meet up with a friend who works on customised furniture and see how much she will charge for a solid dining table. I’m not expecting $399, but it would probably be better value if I do choose to spend $2k on a table.

In Search of the Perfect Round Table Part I September 20, 2007

With a bit of time on hand, I, the aspiring domestic goddess shall begin my hunt for the perfect round table. I don’t even know where to begin.

The perfect round table is 4 feet in diameter, eclectic in style and made of wood. Since I’ve moved in with my partner, we’ve have done so much entertaining but never got round to getting a suitable dining table. Most of our parties sit themselves in the balcony where the BBQ stove is. Only smaller and more intimate parties require sitting down at the dining table, which happens to be long and rectangular in shape and sits only 6 pax. This makes communal dining a real pain.

It is hard to find big round tables in SG. Most apartments in Singapore are designed to be small and cramp, and the lack of space hardly permits the need for one.

I’ve always had a round table in my family home, and I just love it. We used to have the ones, which you could pull out the hidden extensions to create an oblong table. It is a pity they don’t make tables like these anymore.

I’m contemplating popping off to Great World City later this arvo. GWC has quite a few furniture shops to browse around in, and IWANNAGOHOME has taken over the space where BarangBarang used to be. I’m very curious about IWANNAGOHOME. I’ve seen its publicity materials outdoors and I’ve visited their website, but all of their promotion vehicles seem to say NOTHING. I might as well pop in for a peek.

Barang Barang is no longer at GWC, which is a pain. They usually have some good stuff, though sometimes severely overpriced.

There are several teak furniture shops frequented by expats around Colonial-style areas, such as Dempsey Road, Gilman Village, Portsdown Road. These will probably be my last resort.

Will return with updates on my quest for the perfect round table.

Over and out.