[S] ABSOLUTELY PUR-FECT NAILS TO MATCH MY PURPLELICIOUS HAIR

I am going for an all purple trend, been a little obsessed in purple recently.

It's absolutely time to paint up my plain, ugly long nails which hasn't been done since May? 

Lazy is my middle name and I always hated to do-it-myself so I always find someone else to do the job. Furthermore, cousin's wedding is this week and I really need to get myself all pretty :3 for his wedding.

Absolutely Nails, located at Marine Parade Central. It's situated opposite the market outside of Parkway, for non-east-siders might be a little difficult to find but I have been to the market a couple of time so I found it in no-time. I'm a road idiot fyi so if I can find it, so can you!

It's along the stretch of shops at Blk 82. You will see their shop instantly.

Picture is taken from Absolutely Nails

First impression of the shop is I find it a little small but nevertheless cozy. It gives me the feeling like I entered a home based salon. It's definitely better and neater than the home based salon for sure. Additionally, they have T.V to keep customers occupied. I was busy watching the 7pm show while having them do my nails.

Since there's no customer around except for me (p.s it's pretty late appointment), so yay, I have both pretty manicurist for myself! 

Doing both classic manicure and pedicure for today.

Look at the colors and range to choose from, I took super long before deciding on an all-purple nails to match my hair color.

I actually made an effort to count the no. of nail polish in the shop.

326 normal nail polish & 111 gelish nail polish

Mostly consist of China Glaze, Orly, OPI and Perfect Gelish.

After the basic-classic manicure care, my nails are looking pretty and healthy even without any paint on it.

Don't you wish your finger is long like me /flicks

Taken by Absolutely Nails

For finger nails, I choose pastel purple and my manicurist added designs to make it less plain.

Toe nails are done pretty fast, and it's in my favorite shade of purple. 

Shimmering purple w a hint of secretive mystic fweeeeeling

Both purple, yet different. Colors are amazing.

Don't you think so too?

Meow!

Both classic manicure and pedicure done within an hour. Purrrrfect.

One of the manicurist left after doing pedicure for me, leaving this cute and shy manicurist. Her service is really good, helping me roll down my jeans, wear my shoes, take a picture for me etc etc. I was so 'paiseh' that she have to help me with my shoes. Felt a little handicap but really thankful that she's so kind. I would rate her 80/100 because she's quite quiet throughout the whole manicure session, I have to entertain myself through T.V but overall it's all good for me.

Absolutely Nails

Blk 82, Marine Parade Central

#01-620 Singapore 440082

Absolutely Nails FB

Absolutely Nails

[S] POW SING - TRADITIONAL NYONYA DELICACIES WITHIN REACH

P.s this post took me almost a week to finish drafting because I'm working and studying everyday ._.

Traditional Peranakan delicacies goes a long way back in history, and it's getting extremely difficult to find authentic restaurant serving Peranakan delicacies anymore.

Pow Sing manged to uphold its traditions over the years by serving the oh-so-famous Hainanese Chicken Rice as well as their Nyonya delicacies that kept customers coming back for more.

Situated in Serangoon Garden, its inaccessibility really do turns me off at times but yet you know it's worth it because of the food. I really do have this love-hate relationship with Pow Sing. I even kind of got lost in the process of finding this place ._. #roadidiot

Anyway, that's not the main point, I believe everyone is more interested in the food than me right, so let the pictures speaks a thousand words.

Nyonya Cabbage Roll - $10/$15/$20

Cabbage wrapped in my favorite otah, topped with laksa-liked gravy sauce. It does not taste too milky nor spicy, just the perfect taste I'm comfortable with. Cabbage did not get all soggy even after soaked in the gravy for some time.

Prawn with Nyonya Traditional Sauce $18/$27/$36

It's one of my favorite dish of the day. I love prawn so much I named myself 'Prawn Chua' - gotten my idea from Fish Leong. This dish tasted like Assam Fish Head, spicy yet a little sour but on the good side of the scale. Prawn is fresh and I love its sauce. (Y)

Nyonya Chap Chye - $8/$12/$16

It's Pow Sing's award-winning dish but because I'm a carnivore, I can't appreciate the goodness of it, it feels soggy and I think it's more for elderly reminiscing the old times where they have this dish at home as well as those that have difficulty chewing food. This is for them.

 Hainanese Chicken - $5/pax

Another of their 'best-seller' dish in Pow Sing. I think it just tasted normal, nothing like 'oh-so-awesome' but just traditional white chicken. The meat is not tender enough but the sauce added some point for this dish.

Crispy Nyonya Tauhu - $8/$12/$16

Crispy Tauhu that doesn't feel crispy, it's rather disappointing that it's not what I expected.

Instead of crispy, it's more like taupok ._.

Fish Head Curry - $32/$36

Okay, the main dish of the day, their curry fish head. Their fish is very fresh, all you get is tender white meat melting in your mouth. Their Assam sauce is powerful enough, not too spicy nor sour, best among those I ever eaten. (Y)(Y) It's the best among the rest (whoo)

The ambience is more family-like, having big tables like those 'zi-char' place. It's very noisy during peak period because everyone come in big group and they chat loudly so perhaps choose a better timing before dropping by. Beside Pow Sing Restaurant, they have one along the same stretch of road, namely Pow Sing Kitchen. It's their sub restaurant but mostly selling stuffs like 'Hor Fan', 'Chicken Rice' all these. If you are not in groups, maybe that is more suitable for you.

I had a great time eating all these dishes though I can't say I really appreciated them but they have a long way coming, maintaining their Nyonya spirit. It doesn't come easy but I believe for them it's worth it. They were featured in newspapers, given awards for their various dishes. 

Ending of with my not-so-nice Lemon Tea, I suggest y'all choose Tea instead (:

[S] HAVE A GLASS OR TWO @ THE GROUND CAFE & BAR

Cafe by Day, Bar by Night

Adapted from The Ground Cafe & Bar

The Ground is welcomed addition to the slew of traditional businesses on the stretch. Offering a carefully curated selection of Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Dinner options, we tend to overindulge in variety. - The Ground

And since I'm a west-sider so it took me a while to locate this place, however this place stands out among its neighbors and it will be too difficult to miss it if you're trying to look out for the signage board. Ambience was great and I really like the bar concept but yet adapting the cafe look.
Many of their regulars came down here to play the hi-tech electronic dart machine, it looked interesting though

and not forgetting the wide varieties you get to choose from

I know it doesn't make sense but if you overlook the bar's hi-tech electronic darts machines and the full shelves of liquors (totally spoiling the customers with choices) this place feels exactly like a cafe except in darker lightning

Pages after pages of selections, I really can't decide  x.x

I'm bad at choices and therefore had them to introduce to us their specialties instead.

And meanwhile I was served a cup of coffee (:

I saw the girl next door having one too, guess hers is latte-art with some dope bear design.

Eggs Benny - $15

Poached Eggs, Muffins, Ham, Hollandaise

All time favorite dish and also my favorite too.
The muffins reminded me of McDonald's and I love the hollandaise sauce that's not too overpowering. A ting of sourness yet creamy together with the egg is best combination that one could ever asked for. A little downside would be the sides. I basically is a sucker for sauteed mushroom but I was disappointed because it was cooked using olive oil and not butter which makes the mushrooms very oily, and the corn doesn't feels full (looks a lil wrinkled) and the salad was oily too because of the use of virgin oil, I mean it's healthy but not good with handling oily stuffs.

Poked the egg and look at it flow ~

*YUMMEH*

Prawn Aglio Olio Spaghetti - $12

Can y'all guess what's the thing on top?
At first I thought it was caviar but it was a surprise to taste sambal chilli instead.
And this dish could have been a hit if the noodle wasn't that hard. At first I thought it was hard because we spent too much time taking pictures but after another attempt, the noodle was still too hard but at least it's flavorful enough.

Al Fungi - $18

Mushroom, Truffle oil, Mozzarella

How can one miss ordering pizza while having beer right?
Pizza 12" - Thin crust made from scratch
It's only made upon ordering to keep it fresh and you can alter the thickness of the crust too.
I think simplicity is good, and just by having mushroom and cheese is great. But it's a little salty and after eating two slices, it gets a little overwhelmed. But overall a great pizza I would say, just don't eat so many slices on your own.

Brothers: Toffee Apple 4%  - $12

A whiff of smoldering toffee, cinnamon, cloves and cream soda.
It's has a very strong caramel taste accompanied by apple fizzy, it reminded me of China Apple Drink (中国苹果味汽水) we often see in coffee shop + caramel in it. I preferred sweet beer, cider and whatsoever. I mean "why drink something bitter when you can have better".
There's also other ranges of cider, beer from their menus that you can choose from or ask them to recommend you based on your preference.

Chocolate Crunch - $8.50

Dark Chocolate creamy ice-cream/cakey drizzled with chocolate sauce and woooooo the ice-cream is not just the normal vanilla ice-cream. It's the very milky old school vanilla we don't get to eat often. It's a little bitter if you eat the dark chocolate on its own, but mixing with the vanilla ice-cream it's just so good that I want to have another serving.

See la how to diet when I can't say no to sweet stuffs you tell me?
Sinful but worth the calories.

The Ground Cafe & Bar

226 Tanjong Katong Road

Singapore 437015

Opening Hours

Tue-Fri 11am to 12mn

Sat 10am to 12mn

Sun 10am to 11pm

Monday - Closed

[S] EIGHTEEN CHEFS @ CATHAY CINELEISURE

I had only dined once at East Point's Eighteen Chefs years ago when I was working and it was really love at first dine ~ Anyway, I followed Michelle and Jasmine to Openrice's Food Tasting Event at Eighteen Chefs, and in fact I wouldn't have known it was there if not for this food tasting. It's a great surprise to see a restaurant that I liked opening at one of the place I would hang out when I'm in town.

So, we are the earliest among the others and you know what we normally do while waiting.

Snap Snap!
Missed Me?

Homemade Ice Lemon Tea - $2.80

Recommended by Michelle and I had to say I loved it. 

Not too sweet nor sour, just my cup of tea.

French Loaf with Roasted Garlic Confit - $4.80

Hater's gonna hate and I didn't really like it because it's too much garlic for me too handle.

Garlic Lover, you totally should take it on.

Heart Attack Fried Rice $15.80(1pax) $28.80(2paxs)

The main 'lead' of today and it looks fabulous isn't it?

It looked simple but it's really takes one's skill to cook up simple dish like this. 

I am so in love with the highly fragrance + flavor fried rice and with the generous amount of beef,

it's totally worth getting 'heart attack' for.

If I ever eat that, I think I've a heart attack ~

Salmon Fillet in Orange Butter $15.80

Salmon overcooked but the sauce and sides were great.

It would be a hit if the Salmon was more tender.

64 Degree Egg

It's a half boiled egg, NO

It's a poached egg, NO

IT'S THE 64 DEGREE EGG

Chef Benny said that he was thinking of a unique way of devouring this perfect little egg using straw and I gladly took up the offer to help them experiment it.

I think I was the very first few who did it and everyone got so excited filming me sucking on that egg.

It's a really fun experience because I never knew I could eat an egg like this and it's funny how everyone started joining me after I finished sucking my egg (sound wrong but ..)

It's really different from eating it normally, must try when y'all eat this k!

Cheesy Snack Platter - $14.90

I am a sucker for cheese so yeap I liked the cheese.

However, the stuffs for dipping could be improvised.

Time for some sweet treats, and sadly I'm also a sucker for sweet savory

Peanut Butter with Condensed Milk Toast - $3.80

It's one awesome combination, I always liked this kind of thick toast and coating with peanut butter + condensed milk makes the whole thing rich and sweet.
*melts*

A must order dish for me when I'm there in future.

And I won't share it.

Black Beauty - $4.90

I think the brownie and the ice-cream paired up well but unlike most places, Eighteen Chefs' brownies are the plain kind and I preferred it this way. Also, I like how the ice-cream is almost twice as much as brownie, hate those big big chunk of brownies (too 'jelat')

Raspberries and Vanilla Ice Cream - $7.50

I'm sorry that the photo turns out blurry and it took quite a while for everyone to finish taking their shots and when it's my turn it became like this ):

but I swear it's the best dessert among the rest, so must try!

don't worry about it being to sweet, is was covered up by vanilla ice-cream and waffles.

Life is Perfect, I say.

Just Chocolate in a Jar - $5.90

I liked the name.

It's basically just chocolate in a jar.

Chocolate ice-cream topped with almond flakes, M&M chocolates and chocolate sauce.

It's sinful and it can't go possibly go wrong with a full chocolate combination.

Thank You Openrice & Eighteen Chefs for the having me around (:
I had a great afternoon eating and meeting new friends, and can you believe I actually met my 'senior' and 'junior' of HGSS during this event.
Talk about coincidence man.

Simply ❤ them all, my event kakis

Group photos credits to Jasmine

Me & Chef Benny ready to kick some arse

Group photo of us acting 'beng & lian"

Smile x Love (:

Eighteen Chefs

Cathay Cineleisure Orchard Level 4

Easily located near the cinema, great ambience and it tends to have long queue in the evening and weekends.

It's a great place to chill and have a bite before and after movie.

Good People, Great Food

Awesome Eighteen Chefs