Combatting Monday's Blues with Yan Ting @ St Regis

Exams have FINALLY ended. The second I walked out the door I heaved the biggest sigh of relief, said a little prayer that whatever I had remembered and written down for Contract Law would reap me a good grade.

So, if you've been following my Instagram you would know I've been feasting the past couple of days. I, for one, have very little self control and the minute I see good food I get hungry. Sigh, I wonder what's happening to me:(

Anywho, my mom brought a client to Yan Ting last week and insisted we go again because the dim sum was exceptional. So... HOW COULD I SAY NO? I immediately jumped off my sofa and squealed "Yes!" and 4 days later, made our way down to one of the pricier dim sum places in Singapore.

Yan Ting is a place where you would sit down, look around and place the pockets of people you see around you during a weekday lunch as either business lunches or a lifestyle for the rich and the famous. The restaurant was a third occupied, with much room for admiring the poshness of your surroundings. Old chinese songs would fill the atmosphere as the sound of rich businessmen rings through the restaurant.

In all honesty I felt a tad out of place. Simply because the place was so quiet and the utensils so delicate I was afraid I would be a bull in a china shop (Which I usually am). But I was greeted by a young, petite lady who ushered us to our table, asked what tea we would like to have and served us the menu.

 I have come to realise the items I order are items I have been ordering since I was a child. These things do bring back wonderful memories when, as a kid, my grandfather would invite the entire family to East Ocean at Shaw House (Back then) for our weekly lunch on Sundays. Patronizing the restaurant for over 30 years, my grandfather made it a second home. It was over indulgence, with orders for char siew bao, bo lo bao, char siew sou, siew mai and sharkfin soup streaming in, followed by a plate of refreshing fruits to end the meal.

And one by one, the dishes arrived. Having ran 19km the night before and no breakfast in the morning, my stomach was screaming for some nutrition. And boy did I get nutrition alright.

Char Siew Sou

$6

I can safely say this is the best in the market. Having tried several char siew sou's like the ones from Crystal Jade, Paradise Pavillion, East Ocean and Bosses, these were unlike the rest.

The skin of the pastry was thin and baked to crispy perfection. One bite and a hint of sweetness erupts from the pastry, flaking into tiny bits and brimming with char siew. One bite, another, another and soon after you'll be left wanting more. Even my mother, who isn't a fan of such a dish, commented that this was even better than the one at Crystal Jade. And who could compare? Sure, it's more expensive here at Yan Ting but for such quality I would definitely fork out more money. I could have eaten all 3 on my own and still have ordered more but alas.

Chinese Shrimp Dumplings aka Har Gau

$6.80

Alongside the best char siew sou (imo) is the best har gau I've tried. Several times I've ordered these only to realise the skin would be too thick and the chef too stingy with the shrimp. But these. Oh, these. The shrimps were stuffed into a thin layer of skin and, when served, was steaming hot. Don't say I didn't warn you. These were a delight to eat.

Chinese Roast Pork Steam Buns aka Char Siew Bao

$5

Somehow, these didn't amaze me. I would credit it to the fact I was in awe of the aforementioned dishes that when I bit into this it wasn't as satisfying. But don't doubt the quality of the dimsum. The charsiew was fresh with a subtle hint of sweetness. However the skin was too thick for my liking.

 XO Radish Cake

$10

Whilst browsing through the menu, my mom insisted we get the XO radish cake. So we decided to get this plate of unhealthy goodness. Hey, it's XO sauce, it had to be good. And guess what? It was. The more I ate the more I loved it. The XO sauce gave it such a kick that I even willingly ate the beansprouts! The egg also proved to be the binding ingredient for this dish to have been a huge success. However at $10 it was rather steep in my opinion. Nonetheless I would order it again.

Abalone Dumpling Soup

$17.20

Another dish my mom recommended was the abalone dumpling soup. And by jolly was this faaaaantastic. I wouldn't normally order this at dimsum restaurants (I'm not even sure if all restaurants have this) but this was nothing short of delicious. The broth was a delight to drink, the abalone abundant and the skin of the XLB (if I'm not wrong) enclosing the goodness inside it.

Egg Tart aka Dan Dat

$6

And how could I leave these babies out? I forgoed the custard buns for these (Inserts extremely sad face here) but I didn't regret it. Albeit small in size, these packed a punch of flavour. The pastry was light and buttery, encasing the goodness of the custard almost scalding your tongue but proving to be such a burst of flavour. Unlike other egg tarts with a hard outer skin, this hit the spot. 

Herbal Jelly aka Gui Ling Gao

$8

Last but not least, gui ling gao. I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of all things healthy but since I indulged so much I decided to have something light for dessert. The gui ling gao was a perfect way to end lunch. The syrup in a separate dish for if your desired sweetness.

OOTD

Ombre Top from Zara

Crotchet Shorts from Megagamie

Clutch from online

Necklace from Diva

Watch from Gucci

Shoes from Tory Burch

Off for a good nights rest and a long day at the gym tomorrow. See you guys around!

How To Store: Mint Leaves

Hi!

Forgive me for the extremely slow updates. My last exam falls this Thursday and I can assure you once I'm done you'll be begging me to stop updating frequently.

But today I'm here to show you guys how to store herbs. I'm sure you've been through this before. You find a recipe online, gawk at the beautifully done masterpiece on your 13" laptop and a surge of inspiration runs through you. You decide to get all the ingredients in this delicious, delicious dish and once you've had your fair share as a masterchef in the kitchen, left with ingredients you have no idea how to store.

And since I've been meaning to make a mint yogurt dressing for my baked fish tonight, I grabbed some mint leaves from Cold Storage after a run this morning.

Herbs (Pronounced erbs) are a beautiful thing. Small bunches of delight, prone to the destruction by our brambly hands. I have to admit I am horrible at storing anything that deserves only the best. I dump my spinach and romaine lettuce in the fridge the minute I get home in the package itself because I'm lazy. But as of late I have been trying to cultivate the habit of preserving these Godsent hues of green because they do deserve more than just being dumped into the vegetables section of the fridge. And also cos I have to fork out $6 friggin dollars for spinach leaves and $12 for kale. 

In case you don't know what mint leaves can be used for, I found a couple of recipes online that call for them.

Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Icecream

Chocolate Covered Mint Leaves by Martha Stewart

Duck Breasts with Pomegranate and Mint, by Nigella Lawson

Spiced Salmon with Lentils & Mint Yogurt

Orange, Carrot & Mint Soup

Or a perk me up, lemon water with fresh mint. (Yea those fancyass water you pay service tax/7% GST for and you force yourself to not think about how much of a ripoff it can be)

-----

How To Store:

Mint Leaves

1. Prepare 2 squares of paper towels.

2. Take the mint leaves out of the package.

3. Wash them lightly over running water.

4. Place the leaves (with/without the stems, to your preference) on the towel.

5. Leave to dry for about 15-20 mins.

6. Using a separate paper towel, pat the top of the mint leaves to absorb any remaining liquids.

7. Place mint leaves on a new paper towel.

8. Fold into a square, ensuring you don't crush them.

9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a maximum of 1 week.

-----

Till next time,

xx

Oatmeal Pizza Crust Recipe

The weather today is unforgivable.

I've resorted to plumping myself in my chair and switching the aircon on to full blast while Clara C's cover of Thriftshop fills the room, bouncing off the 4 walls I've confined myself in.

Bliss.

And because I've a little bit of spare time before having to dive back and hit the books to prep for my last 2 presentations + exam of the year before I can finally bid goodbye to 3 years of hell, torment yet wonderful memories, I've decided to talk about dinner I had one night that turned out better than expected.

I love pizza. The best pizza I had was in the UK. A generous amount of mozerella cheese, sundried tomato and meatballs smothered onto a 10" circular piece of heaven toasted to perfection. The cheese oozing with every bite and the crust thick, slightly burnt with oh so sinfully good with the garlic mayo that accompanied it. I've just had lunch but I'm craving pizza again sigh.

Being restless as usual, I decided to hunt for a healthier alternative to my sinful craving and chanced upon this. A flourless pizza crust that only involved the use of (a)oatmeal and (b)an egg. I was skeptical, very skeptical. How could that possibly be any good? But I decided to go ahead with it anyway.

I topped it with some leftover ingredients I had in the fridge whilst scurrying through. Portobello mushrooms, spinach, a pasta base and feta/mozzarella cheese. The end result? A filling yet satisfying meal. It sure did satisfy my craving for a pizza. It wasn't sinful but at the same time, rewarding. The cheese pulled everything together, creating a masterpiece I never though would be possible.

Healthiest Pizza in The World Recipe

Adapted from blogilates

Serves 1

Base:

1/4 cup dry oats

1 TBS ground flax seed

1 egg

Ingredients:

1 portobello mushroom

Handful of cheese of choice

Pasta base

Spinach leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180degrees celsius. 

Mix base together in a bowl and slowly mould into a circular shape with your hands. Place it on aluminum foil on a baking tray and bake for about 10-12 mins depending on your oven.

Once crust has been baked, take it out (texture should be firmer by now) and lay pasta base, mushrooms, spinach leaves and sprinkle cheese on top. Feel free to use whatever toppings you like! Put into oven again to bake for another 10-15 mins.

Once the timer buzzes, check to see if ingredients aren't burnt and have melted to your desire. Cool and serve!

If you're wondering how many calories this is, it adds to about 300-400 calories depending on your toppings. But hey, I wouldn't really fret at all. The base is made of oats and egg so how wrong could you go?

Now it's back to reality to finish those unending pile of assignments.

Product Review: Carried Away Body Lotion by Bath & Body Works

Hi guys!

I'm back with yet another post. However this post pertains to a beauty product I've recently purchased so if you're not keen on beauty products, scroll down for my food reviews.

My cousin's girlfriend travels to USA frequently as her work requires her to do so. I managed to ask her to grab a few items for me & one of them was a brand I've once tried and have since been wanting to lay my hands on again.

Bath & Body Works is a US brand that sells a variety of bath, body, spa and home products. I remember my aunt bringing home a bottle of Cherry Blossom about 3 years ago. One whiff and I was transported to Japan. The floral, cherry blossom scent made me feel as though I was walking through a field of blooming cherry blossoms. In all honesty, I think this is how the colour pink would smell like!

Carried Away makes me want to sit in a bed full of soft pillows, delve into a good book with a hot cup of jasmine tea and fairy lights lit up with the voice of Norah Jones serenading me to bliss. It contains several notes like lush raspberries, white jasmine and whipped vanilla.

Pros: If you love floral, vanilla scents you'd LOVE this. I've been using it daily & it never fails to fill my room with hints of vanilla and scented flowers. It's not overpowering, not at all sticky & gets absorbed into the skin easily. I use this every night after my bath and it moisturizes my skin and makes it so daaaaamn smooth. The texture is somewhat thick but doesn't leave a sticky residue, which is a plus point. In it contains shea butter, fast absorbing jojoba oil and protective vitamin E, which hydrates skin with moisture that lasts all day.

Cons: I can't think of any cons at the moment, but I would think this would only be suitable for people who do not have sensitive skin as the scent might be a tad overpowering for sensitive skin types. I wouldn't recommend this for when you travel to colder countries as it isn't strong enough to hydrate the skin.

My verdict?: B&B has definitely gotten themselves a new customer. Although you are unable to find them in Singapore without being ripped off, you are able to purchase them from sprees from online stores like drugstore.com

#30daysmoothiechallenge

I have since hopped on the #30daysmoothie challenge which makes you have your daily intake of greens without you having to chew them and taste the bitterness with each painful bite. How awesome is that? 

I readily admit, I am a person who rarely eats her greens. And even if I do, they would either have to be so soft all the nutrients would have disappeared all I'm left with is are broccoli and carrots once filled with a chockfull of vitamins, or a few measly pieces of spinach leaves sandwiched between my crusted bread. Asparagus? Sure, just make sure they're soft and not crunchy. Yes, I don't like my veggies.

But ever since I chanced upon the 30 day smoothie challenge, I've told myself to embark on a new journey once more. To secretly incorporate more leafy greens into my diet without my tastebuds screaming for help and for on-the-go days when I simply do not have the time to measure the amount of ingredients I would need for a proper meal.

--

Berry Protein Bash

Serves 1

1 cup spinach, fresh

1 cups almond milk, unsweetened

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries, frozen

1 banana

1/2 tablespoon flaxseed (Optional)*

*Make sure you grind your flaxseed before blending it as our body is unable to digest the flaxseed

Directions
Easy peasy. Put all the ingredients in a blender and... Blend! Serve with a side of berries if you'd like.

Nutritional Info

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hello fellow hungry goers,

Some snacks for you fitspo girls to take note of in case you guys feel a lil hungry!

Have a great Sunday! :)

Kilo @ Kampong Bugis x Wimbly Lu Chocolate - Review

I'm bacccccck!

After a long hiatus, I've decided to do a review on 2 places J and I went to for Valentine's Day. Being the extra picky eater (I say extra cos we're both picky but I'm pickier hahaha), I decided on Kilo @ Kampong Bugis for a simple, unpretentious dinner. 

I didn't expect to find Kilo at such a desolated place, more so in an industry building. Approaching the dodgy building after walking more than 400m along Kampong Bugis, I told J that we might have gotten the wrong location. As we got closer, though, the sound of jazz serenaded our ears and amber lights were shining through the darkness that echoed throughout the building from post CNY hangovers. 

We found it.

Located on the 2nd storey above Loysel's Toy, we were greeted a warm 'Welcome!' by the lady who then ushered us to our seats. 

Described as a 'food and watering den', the alfresco setting at Kilo makes you feel much at home. Simple geometric shapes in the form of tables, chairs and paintings surround the dining area with spotless white oak tables and a few circular transparent ones sparsly set.

The menu is small. But I've always felt that a small menu would mean the quality of the food would be higher, the effort put into purchasing quality ingredients and whipping them into fantastic dishes.

We decided to go ahead with a starter: Seared scallops served on white wine mushrooms topped with sweet mushroom reduction + momotaro tomato and our 2 mains: Angel hair with cream of ebiko and the famous Day Night 12 hour pork belly with purple mash, sour cream & crackling. 

I initially ordered the 2nd most popular thing here: squid ink rice but it was much to my dismay sold out:( (Btw we were there at 7pm and they open at 6pm) Made me wonder if they ran out of squid ink or  lady luck just wasn't in our favour.

Seared scallops served on white wine mushrooms topped with sweet mushroom reduction + momotaro tomato

This spelt heaven on a plate. The scallops were perfectly seared, contained the right amount of juciness and sweetness. Accompanied with the white wine mushrooms + reduction, it was a burst of flavour. The sweetness of the mushrooms and scallops paired with the reduction was almost a match made in heaven. Imagine sweet + sour but in the best way possible. Needless to say we polished the plate. Yes, even the sauce.

Day Night 12 hour pork belly with purple mash, sour cream & crackling

I was pretty excited to try it out. J said he wasn't a fan of crackling but since I've never had it I decided to give it a go. Slicing the pork into smaller slices, I realised the meat wasn't as soft as I had hoped it would be. It felt as though it wasn't simmered for 12 hours. Sure the quality of the pork was good, the sour cream that accompanied the dish complemented the meal and the sauce was as usual, delectable. But somehow I felt this was quite a miss. The crackling didn't leave much of an impression either, and the purple mash was well, mash.

Angel Hair with Cream of Ebiko

Prawns!! How can one not love them? I'm not big on seafood but I do love crabs, shrimp, prawns... Alright, I admit I'm big on seafood. The angel hair was done al-dante, and the cream of ebiko was perfect. I've never had sauce done like this, it sort of left a very subtle yet impactful aftertaste, sweet yet savoury. 

We had one issue though. The prawns were sadly not de-veined! J and I looked at each other for a moment before realising we were too hungry to enquire about why they didn't de-vein them and only told them after. It was quite an unpleasant surprise, but the dish was an overall success.

Kilo @ Kampong Bugis 

66 Kampong Bugis

#02-01 TURE

Tel: 64673987

Mon - Sat: 18:00 - 00:00

We decided to be a little more adventurous and headed for dessert at Wimbly Lu. I've been telling J that I've been wanting to visit WL for quite some time but the location was too inconvenient but since it was V Day we gave it a go:)

Even at 9.30pm on the 13th Feb, throngs of people were walking in seeking solace in the numerous varieties of cakes, tarts and truffles that were on display. We were lucky to have been seated almost immediately, with the couple behind us having to wait for 15 mins.

Since it was V Day the next day, the entire cafe was donned in fairy lights, countless of rose coloured heart shapes flooding the walls and ceiling. It'd be a single person's nightmare to have been in there, in all honesty.

They even have a section dedicated to children! Books of all sorts plastered on the tiny shelf by the brick wall was set up to, I suppose, entertain the small children in the most traditional of ways, and how it should rightfully be done - Reading.

We didn't manage to grab the last blackout cake :( So J decided on getting the Rocky Road (I might have gotten the name wrong pardon me and my goldfish memory). 

First bite and J said "It's so sweet...." downing his water thereafter. It was pretty alright in my opinion, though. Definitely not the best I've had and not something I'd order again, but quite alright if you're in need of a butter chocolatey tart kinda fix.

Root Beer Cake

But we did manage to get the Root Beer Cake! Trust me when I say that these 2 are in perfect harmony. It's like.... Nutella needs to go on toast, or how a waffle needs a good peanut butter spread. One without the other wouldn't suffice. 

I somehow always feel the need to order some form of beverage when having dessert. Decided on a latte which was a simple yet nostalgic drink. Sadly I don't have the best judgement of coffee but I can say it satisfied the coffee/tea addict in me.

Wimbly Lu

15-2 Jalan Riang

Tel: 62891489

Tue - Fri: 12:00 - 22:30

Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 23:00