Ultra Soft Bunnies

Who can resist these ultra soft buns from Bunnies? Even though we had a full lunch today, Lin and I just gotta lay our hands on these pop-into-your-mouth mini buns. :)))

We love Bunnies' menu. ;) So cheery!

These buns should be eaten when they are fresh from the ovens!

Our fav: Creamy Cheese (it's no doubt creamy, it's also refreshing & lemony), Sweet Potato & Egg Mayo.

I would usually eat the buns on the spot. But for picture sake, I took the buns home, made them pose a little and here's their portrait. ;) Not bad eh?

Details of Bunnies:
People's Park Complex
Level 1, two shops away from Bossini

Cute Steamed Cakes

I've been contemplating to try BreadTalk's steamed cakes for the longest time. I thought they resemble cushions! Cute! Cute! Cute! :))) Lin & I finally did so this morning. We were in for a pleasant surprise! ;)

There are 4 flavours: marble, green tea, strawberry & orange. We decided to try two flavours for a start. I like the swirls on the marble one, and hence that was my 1st pick. Our second pick was the green tea steamed cake which our cousin, Yahui recommended. 

Oooooo, the steamed cakes were SOFT & MOIST... Not too sweet. :D They will go really well with a cup of coffee or tea. The green tea one was kind of overwhelming for me. I only had a litte bite but the green tea taste lingered quite a while on my palatte. I'm pretty sure green tea lovers will fall for it! ^.^

I will definitely be buying the steamed cakes again! :) They make great afternoon snacks.

Traditional Niang Tofu

We lunched at Beanie's fav niang tofu stall today. :) He has been patronizing it for more than 40 years! : O Unlike other niang tofu stalls, this stall makes their own niang tofus and it sells only niang tofu and no noodles. Every bowl of niang tofu consists of 3 fishballs, 3 tofus with minced pork, 3 deep fried beancurd skin with stuffing and 2 deep fried tofus with minced pork. We always have these little goodies with sweet dip. :) Did I mentioned the clear yellow bean soup is real tasty? ;)

Thank goodness Beanie went with us! ;) Otherwise we have to queue for at least 30 mins. : / To wait that long in the current heat, it's IMPOSSIBLE for me!!! : I

Details of Yong Xiang Niang Tofu:
Old People's Park Complex
#01-1084

Sapa's Little Ones

I visited Sapa, Vietnam with my colleagues about two years ago. It had left a deep & lasting impression; the vibrant culture, colourful attire of the Hmongs, rice terraces and most importantly the children. I often wonder what their future will be.

Their home is nestled in rice terraces. During harvest time, the fields will be in gorgeous green. :)

These children need to work at a tender age to supplement their families' income.  :O Increased tourism has spurred the growth of souveniors sales by children. I'm not sure if its a positive change for the local community. To a certain extent I feel it amounts to child labour. Tourism has nonethelesss help the children (bearing in mind most of them receive litte or no formal education) master some basic English sales pitch. 

No sophiscated toys. It's alright. They have fun with self-made ones! ;) I appreciate how easily contented these children can be.

Count my blessings? I definitely do.The trip served as a constant reminder that my life is very cushy.

How to get to Sapa:

Take an overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai

Take a coach from Lao Cai to Sapa (the journey is approximately an hour)

Contented With A Bowl Of Beef Balls Bee Hoon

Beanie bought lunch takeaway for me today. :) It's from our fav beef balls bee hoon stall, The Beef House. Do not turn away from this plain looking bowl of beef balls bee hoon. The beef balls are actually handmade & very succulent. The broth is extremely tasty too. Oh and I need to mention the stall's very own chilli sauce. It completed the beef balls superbly. This simple bowl of beef balls bee hoon is another comfort food of ours! ;)

Pardon me for not placing the beef balls bee hoon in a prettier bowl. I didn't want to wash the dishes. :)))

As for the chilli sauce, I had no choice but to use a little dish for easy dipping. :)))

Details of The Beef House:
No 217 Syed Alwi Road
T: +65 9665 4919/ 9821 5463
Business hours: 9am-6pm (close on Friday)

Mom's Love Note

I woke up this morning & saw a love note on my lappie from Mom. :) She did away with Post-It & scribbled on recycled envelope. :))) She must have left in a hurry. Lots of grammar & spelling mistakes. :))) Should I circle them out for her? Hm... :)))

I actually like my loved ones to leave me notes anywhere and everywhere in the house.
^-^ It makes my day! Happy happy happy....la la la...

Lunch at Original Hock Lam Beef

I had lunch with Lin and Yvonne at Orignial Hock Lam Beef today. :) Ah...another comfort food of ours. The broth is tasty and the the beef slices are tender.







































Details of Original Hock Lam Beef:
22 China St, #01-01
Far East Square (Off Upp. Pickering St)
W: wwwhocklambeef.com

Craving for 永和豆浆大王(Yung He Dou Jiang)

I was browsing through our Taipei pics last night and I stumbled upon our breakfast at 永和豆浆大王(Yung He Dou Jiang). It stirred up my craving for crispy dough fritters and not too sweet soya bean milk! :O

I need only a bite and a sip to satisfy my cravings...will get Beanie to drive to the nearest food centre on Sunday morning to get us some. It's not as good but beggars can't be choosers. Meanwhile I just have to hang in there for another 5-6 days. Urgh... : /

Details of 永和豆浆大王(Yung He Dou Jiang):
102 Fu Xing South Road
It's right next to  fire station, so you can't miss it. ;)

Will You Wait? Daiki (大喜)? Yes!

Will you wait more than an hour for something that's really yummy? I thought we wouldn't, but we did. :))) We visited Daiki last April when we were in Tokyo. I love it! :) Daiki is famous for chicken soba soup!

I don't usually upload a big pic of my family & friends. But I need to show my readers the queue. Hence...apologies Beanie. :)))

I like how we placed our order through a machine. :)

Here're our order tickets. :) We ordered chicken soba soup & green tea. ;)

Tada, the famous chicken soba soup! The broth is light & the noodles QQ. The egg is done to perfection, the way we like it. ^-^ Worth the wait!

Details of Daiki:
3-47-2 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo Prefecture 113-0034
T: +813 3834 0348

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

It's so hot, I wish it'll rain... : I
I enjoy the chilly wind and rain drops falling on my head. I enjoy walking in the rain and making little splashes...

Please rain?

My Tree :)

I've been waiting for my frangipani tree to flower for the longest time. There was a period when it was in a dire state and I thought it was dying. God indeed makes all things beautiful in His time. :) We look out of the window this morning and this was what we saw in our garden. :D

Praise God! :D

What Shall I Have For Lunch On A Hot Hot Day???

The temperature is rising, my rashes are acting up...fortunately no eczema yet. What shall I have for lunch on a Hot Hot day? I need to down COLD stuff! Here's my brainstormed list of icy stuff for lunch. :) :

Ice cream (which I had for lunch yesterday)
Ice cubes (not a bad idea since I wanna lose another kg)
Waffle with ice cream (putting it off cos it's too fattening)
Crepe with ice cream (maybe. It seems less fattening than waffle?)
Mom's chendol (I only like mom's cos she will not add any green worms or funny 'goodies' in mine)
Ice longan (next week's lunch?)
Fruits on ice (super healthy)
Cha soba (cold & savory as compared to the above)
....

So today, I decided to make myself some chilled cha soba! :O

I wasn't sure how much cha soba to make. Do I cook a whole packet? or half a packet? I realized they were packed in 4 individual bundles after opening it. A bundle per serving. Brilliant. ;) Haiz, wasted some brain cells here. :)))

This is brainless cooking. Just turn to the back of the packet for cooking instructions. For people who can't read Japanese, pictoral instructions are simply useful. :D

My lunch, done in 10 mins (excludes photo taking time). ;)

Enjoy! Summer's here!

Mommy's Big Day!

It's mom's B'day! :) She chose to celebrate it at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant. We were given a small private room, away from the maddening crowd. :) This also meant I can take pics without reservation. Lol :)))

The star dish for the night has gotta be Peking Duck. The chef got us started with a few selected pieces of duck skin. We had to coat them with sugar before eating. :) Crispy is the word here!

Beancurd seafood soup warmed our tummies on a rainy evening. :) Simply mmm....

Next up was drunken prawns. They were fresh & sweet. We would usually drink the cordyceps soup that comes with the prawns, but the wine was just too overpowering, making it difficult to swallow...We'll have to request the chef to go easy on the wine for our next visit.

What's birthday dinner without noodles. We decided to try the braised noodles with mushrooms & preserved veg. :D

We love the stewed cabbage & ham...

As for dessert, Mom had red bean paste while Lin had mango pomelo. :)

Mom wanted a durian b'day cake cos Koka LOVES durian! :D Just one word "durian" and Koka's hysterical...Lol :))) She kept barking for a slice!!! Such an impatient little one... :)))) We wondered who's b'day it was??? Koka, Lin & I wish mom a blessed b'day! :D Lots of hugs and kisses from the three of us. ;)

Details of Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant:

290 Orchard Road

#05-42/45 The Paragon

T: +65 6732 7838

Koka's Day Out ;)

We decided to bring Koka, Mom & Beanie out for breakfast this morning. :) Boy was Koka thrilled! :))) She was so excited she pooed on Lin!!! Lol :))) So we had a little hiccup before breakkie. :D Breafast venue: The Canopy@Aramsa, Bishan Park.We like it! It's nestled in lush greenery :)

Thank goodness the weather wasn't too warm. :) Beanie can't take heat that well as he grows older...

Can't wait to dig in...

Koka: "Where's my mumm mumm?"

Beanie's French Toast. :)

Lin & I shared an Egg Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce. :))) Yum yum...the Hollandaise sauce complimented the eggs, ham & soft crispy muffin very well. :D

Koka: " I wanna have a bite!!!"

Mommy's Banana Pancakes. :)

Koka enjoyed people watching. :)

I like this place pretty much and it's so close to home. We will try Canopy's dinner soon! :)

Details of The Canopy@Aramsa:
1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
Bishan Park 2
T: +65 6556 1533