I’m not MIA-ing. Yet.

Hi there! How’s everyone doing?

Apologies for the lack of updates! Not in town at the moment cuz I’m currently on holidays in Europe

Flew into my favourite London last week, just spent an amazing 4 days in Scotland and the magical highlands, on the way to Dublin now (free wifi on the airport bus!) where I’ll spend another 4 days in the Irish land, then it’s off to Barcelona (can’t wait for tapas and cava!) before heading back to Singapore (sigh) at the end of next week.

Will update again once I’m home! Check back soon ok?

Till then, xoxo.

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Absence Makes the <3 Grow Fonder

PC down, can’t blog

Be back soon.

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Restaurant Week is Back!

Happy Bunny New Year to everyone!

How has your new year been so far? Hope it’s been great meeting up with relatives (you see once a year?) and friends, collecting red packets, and chowing down all the festive eats!

Speaking of eating, I’m happy to report that Restaurant Week 2011 is back! And it’s bigger and (hopefully) even better this time round~

Image Credit: DiningCity.com

For those who need a memory jolt, Restaurant Week is a popular international event for food lovers to enjoy meals at established local restaurants at an irresistible fixed price of S$35++ for a three-course dinner and S$25++ for a three-course lunch from 21 to 27 March 2011. Restaurants awarded DiningCity Star will charge a supplement of S$15++ for lunch and S$20++ for dinner.

This year, 76 restaurants are coming onboard, including 38 new participants such as Salt Grill & Sky Bar (I’m interested in Salt!), KU DÉ TA, Stellar@1-Altitude, Boathouse, Le Saint Julien, La Villa, Table 66, Kinki, Matsu, Wild Rocket, One Rochester, 1 Twenty Six, Clifford (Fullerton Bay Hotel), and My Little Spanish Place.

Restaurants taking part again in the upcoming March 2011 edition include Absinthe, Garibaldi, Bedrock Bar & Grill, The Cliff, Forlino, Il Lido, Novus, Oso, Brasserie Wolf, OTTO (my personal favourite!), Picotin,  Krish, Private Affairs, Tatsuya, The Song of India and Takumi Tokyo. 

Image Credit: My Little Spanish Place

For singles out there, Restaurant Week will also play host to ‘Eat, Drink, Love’ – in collaboration with Lunch Actually. This event is a great opportunity for eligible food lovers to make new friends in a relaxed environment and at the same time enjoy a quality dining experience. ‘Eat, Drink, Love’ will be held on 23 March 2011 and 24 March 2011, and features a 3-course dinner at Brasserie Wolf and Chef D’Table, where diners will swap seats and get to meet a different person at each course.  The fee for this event is S$65 per person (S$60 each for a maximum of 2).  The first 20 applicants stand a chance to win invitations to the exclusive Opening Event at the Tower Club on the 22 February from 4pm to 6pm. Interested parties, please visit www.lunchactually.com/eatdrinklove for more details.

*That sounds fun! Should I take part? LOL*

To add more excitement to the whole event, DiningCity.com is offering a pair of air tickets to Amsterdam worth S$3,200 (courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines) and a meal for two at a top restaurant during Restaurant Week in Amsterdam in June 2011!

And that’s not all.

Diners also stand a chance to win a very special exclusive dining experience brought to you by BMW and The Cliff Restaurant at The Sentosa Resort & Spa. The winner will be chauffeured in a luxurious BMW 7 Series to enjoy a tantalising 3-course Restaurant Week set dinner for two and a bottle of champagne on 24 March 2011 evening.

Here’s the most important part: bookings are open to the public on 23 February 2011 on www.restaurantweek.sg. Note that down and let’s start counting down to a whole month of feasting!

P.S. AMEX Centurion members and all other cardholders can enjoy priority booking from 14 to 15 and 16 to 20 February 2011 respectively. You lucky people, I’m envious!

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From Me to You

I just watched ‘From Me to You’ (Kimi ni Todoke), a film adaptation of the romance manga by Karuho Shiina, on the flight back from Tokyo to Singapore and it’s really fantastic!

Image Credit: Crunchyroll

Here’s the story:

Kind and well-meaning but socially awkward, Sawako Kuronuma (Mikako Tabe) is nicknamed “Sadako” by her classmates because of physical resemblance to the main character from the horror movie “Ring”. Her life then takes a turn when Shota Kazehaya (Haruma Miura), the most popular boy in school, falls for her…

Such a typical boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy, they-fall-in-love kind of plot, ya? But I like it cuz it’s more than just a no-brainer love story. It’s about friendship, courage, acceptance, and a love so pure, so honest and so innocent that I wonder whether it exists in our world today… Plus, some of the scenes are funny and makes me laugh, haha.

I googled around and found out that there’s also an anime adaptation of the manga =) Gonna go watch it now, ciao!

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Chanel Chocolates?!

Whoever makes these Chanel chocolates is so brilliant! Don’t you want to pluck one out from the screen and start eating it?? I know I do

Image Credit: Peace Love Chanel

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Shanghai, Sydney, Bangkok… All in a week’s work!

Last week was an exciting one for me cuz within 7 days, I’ve stepped foot in Shanghai, Sydney and Bangkok~!

Shopping was awesome in Shanghai, so much so that I forsake a taste of the famous xiao long baos for more retail therapy. After plenty of hard bargaining, we made our way to Bellagio Cafe 鹿港小镇 (上海市水城南路101号), a Taiwanese eatery with several locations throughout China. I was very taken with the spinach in broth with preserved egg cuz it was deliciously aromatic and apparently quite a common dish in Chinese restaurants. Guess I gotta start exploring Chinese cuisine more one of these days… When I get tired of Japanese and European food, that is.

In Sydney, I didn’t bother to go sightseeing since I had already been there before doing all those touristy stuff. Dinner was at Fujiya Japanese Restaurant (605-609 George Street) where the waiting time was horribly long and I waited for more than an hour for a seafood okonomiyaki! Luckily, the company was great so I wasn’t bored to death waiting for the food to come. And just for the record, I’ve had better okonomiyaki in Singapore =)

Bangkok was just touch-and-go so no shopping or eating was involved, unless you count inflight meals, haha. That said, I’ll always have fond memories of this particular turnaround cuz I got to sit in the cockpit during takeoff/landing for a grand finale, yay!

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End of Story #2

Aye, I can’t help myself. My hands are itching to write now that I’ve read “the truth” and you guys already know the other side of the story. I’ve glanced through the comments and there seems to be mixed reactions, which is all well and good.

1 particular comment caught my attention: Rae commented that I “should probably ask (myself) if (my) current unapologetic stance stemmed from (my) pride and embarrassment that (I) kind of made a fool out of (myself) in (my) previous post. Continuing to dig a bigger hole for (myself) doesn’t help (you) and will only serve to amuse (my) non supporters.”

So here’s my reply:

It may jolly well be a case of miscommunication, but I must admit that I’m quite skeptical. It may be the truth, or it may just be damage control. What is obvious to me though, is the poor attitude displayed. Bringing 3 friends along, being late, and then tossing the credit card when made to pay? Errr, I don’t know about you but that doesn’t sound very gracious to me. You may want to read the comments here cuz some of them made a few good points which I won’t repeat. By the way, I wasn’t even aware that this is a contest to garner supporters -__-

True, I’m unapologetic. But it’s not cuz I’m prideful or embarrassed. I see this blog as my platform to voice my own thoughts. If blogs are not personal, then why waste my time and blog? So, sorry to disappoint those who’s waiting for a public apology from me, but it’s not ever going to come. This is not arrogance, it’s just that I still stand by my words and I’m certainly not going to apologise for my own opinion. We don’t live in a dead society where everyone thinks alike. You are entitled to form your own stand, and I have a right to keep mine, cheers.

P.S. I promise promise PROMISE that I’m gonna keep my hands to myself and not write any other post on this anymore cuz t’s no fun to keep harping on the same issue. Paris next! Promise =)

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End of Story

Whoa, I just reached home from a long day at training school and boy, I see that this issue with said blogger seems to be blowing out of proportion. 

Yahoo! Singapore has published a post on it and Straits Times’ Lifestyle is going to run an article on Wednesday. And I heard that his address and contact numbers have been ferreted out by some scarily brilliant people online… Come on, that’s going too far and I think it’s a little too extreme.

As a food blogger, I put in a lot of time and effort in my blog, as a personal memento and a platform to share my passion with whoever is interested. And I know that said blogger put in as much, if not even more, elbow grease than me. While I do stand by what I wrote, it is still a pity to see a blog being suspended over a silly mistake and perhaps, out of misplaced arrogance. Imagine years of effort going down the drain just like that.

I’m not saying that I feel sorry for him; I don’t, cuz he should have thought of the consequences of his own actions in the first place. That said, it’s still a learning point for all of us, food bloggers or otherwise. Let’s always be humble and never ever let “fame” go into our heads.

I really hope that readers don’t discredit the food blogger community now. Just take whatever we write with a pinch of salt. Food is so subjective; what I love may be exactly what you hate. And fellow bloggers, I’ll still be following your blogs religiously so please continue writing!

By the way, some of you may be feeling puzzled about my postscript in the previous post so let me clarify. I was the first to post on this issue yesterday, before HungryEpicurean and Yahoo! Singapore published their articles. At that time, and even now, I have NO intention of mentioning any specific names/blogs cuz I’ve been threatened by Obolo before and I’ve wisely learnt my lesson so that lawsuits don’t come flying my way. My postscript was meant to be a not-too-subtle hint on who he is, but now that his identity has been revealed by Yahoo! Singapore, I guess it’s redundant now, though I’ll just leave it as it is.

Alright, I’m not going to write on this issue anymore. What I want to say has been said. Next post on Paris, stay tuned! =)

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STOP asking for free food!

Dear fellow food bloggers and whoever is reading this,

I’m writing this post with much annoyance.

A little bird told me a very disturbing piece of news today:

A rather “famous” food blogger (X) went to a restaurant with a group of friends for brunch this morning. When the bill came, X asked for a waiver cuz he’s a food blogger. Like, seriously?! In the end, they were given a 50% discount and X had the audacity to tell the chef something along the line of “I always get free food wherever I go“.

Omg, can you believe that???

Hello, wake up. Just because you take photos of food and blog about it doesn’t mean you are entitled to free food. Anyone can be a food blogger these days, all it takes is a camera and a blog. Even my grandma can do that. Does that mean restaurants have to sponsor everyone for their meals?

I do not know X personally, nor do I care to. But I’m taking this personally cuz it’s spoiling the reputation and good name of food bloggers. All the bloggers I know are extremely nice people and I know that they are not as shameless as X.

I’ve no idea how long such tasteless solicitation for FOC meals has been going on behind the scenes. This is actually not the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. I was amused the first time, but I’m certainly not laughing now cuz it’s plain disgusting. I’m fine with restaurants inviting bloggers for tasting events but definitely not the other way round. Integrity is the word, people. If you really truly blog for the passion of food, this issue is a moot point.

I believe that my fellow blogger friends will agree with me that we eat within our means. If you can’t afford restaurants, go to hawker centres. If you can’t afford hawker centres, cook at home and blog about your kitchen escapades. If you can’t afford to do that, DON’T blog and just read others’ reviews. So why go to a restaurant when you have no intention of paying in the first place?

Some of you may be aware that the so-called Annual Bloggers’ Dinner is taking place next week. I’m pretty sure that X will be attending and I’m so glad that I won’t be. To share a table with such a person is bound to give me indigestion. I’m just wondering, is Michaelangelos’ Restaurant going to waive that $50 price tag for you JUST BECAUSE you are a food blogger? Sheesh.

To X: If you happen to read this and decide to take your petty revenge by writing a lousy post slamming that restaurant, I dare you to. Count yourself lucky that the kind chef gives you and your bunch of friends that 50% discount. If I’m the chef, you can wait until the cows come home for that discount.

To restaurants out there: I sincerely apologise on behalf of X and any other food bloggers who have exploited their “status”. Not all of us are such bad eggs. You can give us complimentary items out of goodwill but please do not accede to anyone’s request for a free meal! It’s ridiculous.

P.S. The blogger X is a ’he’, but his blog sounds like a ‘she’. If that’s not clear enough, I don’t know what is.

Peace.

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My Kebaya Dream

It’s official.

I’m going to be a flight stewardess with Singapore Airlines (SIA)! Gosh, it still feels so surreal… Somebody pinch me, please.

Everything happened so fast.

Within 3 consecutive days, I went through 6 rounds of interviews/activities/medical checkup. 3 days later, I received a call confirming my employment status. Talk about high efficiency!

It was a wonderful experience.

The worst part is the waiting. After each round, I was sent to wait outside the room for the results. It was nerve-wracking and I swear, I’ve never had so many butterflies in my tummy before.

The best part is the sweet sense of exhilaration. Everytime I heard my name called to proceed to the next round, I felt relieved and hopeful all over again. And I’ll forget how nervous I was just 5 mins ago.

This is a turning point in my life.

My family and friends thought that I’m going to be some hotshot accountant/corporate climber cuz I’ve always been strong academically. But I decided to choose a different path instead. Life is too short to be wasted on chasing numbers on papers. That’s not who I want to be.

I can foresee myself loving the job.

This is going to sound like a cliché but I don’t care cuz it’s true. I love to interact with people, especially those who come from different cultures, and the passion for travelling is in my blood (thanks, mom!). Being able to do what I love as a career is such a huge blessing which I’m incredibly thankful for.

It’s not going to be easy…

I’m not so naive as to see only the glamourous side of being a flight stewardess. I know my body clock is going to get whacked by the irregular hours and I have to deal with difficult passengers etc etc. But hey, nothing good comes easy, right?

I’ve read “horror stories” of how cabin crews sleep around, become drinkers and smokers etc. I don’t know how true they are cuz I don’t have any friends who are flight attendants. Nevertheless, I’m very determined to change only for the better, and continue being down-to-earth, humble and genuine.

This is a long forgotten dream.

When I was 10, I took my first SIA flight. And I wanted to be a SIA girl cuz I thought it’s such a cool job and the kebaya is so beautiful! Of course, that ambition only lasted for the duration of the flight since I was such a fickle-minded child.

When I was in sec sch/JC, I remember the best friend and I joking about being a stewardess. I think neither of us was serious at that time, and I pushed it to the back of my mind since studies and qualifications were more important then.

Standing at the crossroad of my life now, I finally realise that this is what I want. To be around people. To help and make others smile. To travel and see the world. And I’m so glad that I’ve made the first step to achieve that dream.

I know I’ve been rambling on and on. So many jumbled thoughts and feelings that’s difficult to put into words and elation is such an understatement now.

To everyone who’s reading this, not just cabin crew wannabes: don’t ever be afraid to go after your dreams. Just do your best and see where it takes you! You may be surprised, just like I am, that dreams really do come true.

P.S.: If you ever see me onboard, please come and say hi!! =)

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