Nutrition Information

Hello fellow foodies!

I know, I know. 2 posts in a day? I figured since I stumbled upon a very interesting piece of information I wanted to share it with all us foodies out there.

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. This also means the expanding of our stomachs for the inner sweet tooth in us. Pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit, love letters, cookies... Practically every household is BOUND to have a jar of CNY-related goodie on their table!

But before you gobble up 5 whole pieces of Godsent pineapple tarts (Especially the ones from SunnyHills Taiwan -insert extremely greedy emoticon here-), 10 love letters and 5 slices of fat-induced but OH SO HEAVENLY bak kwa, and hop onto a weighing scale a few days later only to scream in horror "How is it I've gained 1kg?!" I think we should all know what goes into our bellies and what doesn't really come out.

 Ready?

Culprit #1: Pineapple Tarts

We love them, admit it. We Singaporeans are suckers for buttery, flaky, sweet chewy goodness. If and when well done, the sweetness of the pineapple paste and the texture of the tart complement each other like peanut butter and jelly. Each mouthful screams more, more!

Calorie Count: 100g of buttery, chewy goodness (6 tarts) = 410 calories

Culprit #2: Bak Kwa

Bak Kwa; made of minced pork marinated in fish sauce, dark and light soya sauce, rice wine, sugar and honey. I happened to witness the grilling of these lovely fatty pieces of pork this morning whilst strolling in Parkway. How can you not love them? Better yet, how can you stop eating them?

Unfortunately, bak kwa is high in calories, sodium and sugar. It has no health benefits whatsoever (Unless you psycho yourself into saying honey has benefits) and is considered a type of heaty food in Singapore.

Calorie Count: 57g, 1 slice = 227 calories

Culprit #3: Prawn Rolls

As a kid, I never really loved prawn rolls. However as I grew older I began to appreciate the saltiness of the snack and at the same time, how the crunchiness actually added a distinct feature about it. But as much as prawn rolls look harmless, they are actually made of dried shrimps, dried chillies, shallots, garlic, oil, salt, sugar, spring roll skins and eggs. Sounds a lil healthier than bak kwa? Not really. They're deep fried in palm oil which is high in saturated fats and contain a high amount of sodium :(

Calorie count: 45g, 1 packet = 228 calories

Culprit #4: Kueh Bangkit

Eat too many of these and you'd probably be rushing for a cup of water thereafter. Nonetheless, these tapioca flour biscuits are a delight. Powdery but sweet, it's pretty amazing how one managed to come up with such a snack. However they're loaded with sugar and coconut milk, so watch out!

Calorie Count: 12g, 2 pieces = 46 calories

Culprit #5: Love Letters

Now this is something one would be able to eat 10 at a time without feeling so guilty. Your first thoughts would be Hey, it's not filled with any form of filling, it's simply a thin crust formed into a circular shape. So it shouldn't kill my diet!

Not really. Made of flour, coconut milk, sugar and egg, love letters are extremely high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar :( They're a littttttle bit better than the rest cos you're allowed to indulge in a tad more than 2 pathetic pieces of bak kwa, but you've been warned.

Calorie Count: 100g, 27 pieces = 410 calories

----

So verdict? They're all okay. I don't believe in cutting any form of foods in our lifestyle. I've done that before and sure I was skinny but I wasn't happy. I stuck to salads and soups most of the time and I lost a whole lot of weight (Which made me unhealthy) but after a while I realised that we all need moderation in our lives. Have a cheat day once a week, or eat half a slice of that cake instead of a whole one to feel less guilty! Don't forget your fruits, veggies and meats of course. They're fundamentals into building a good body.

So there you have it guys, a mini guide what goes into your tummy. Have a great Monday!

PS: All images have been credited to their rightful owners.

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

Autumn Nail Spa

Hi guys!

I'm back once again, sorry for the lack of updates as I've been a lil busy getting life in order.

Anywho I promised I'd do a post on my nails, where I got it done and by whom. I'm glad to say I've found an extremely good nail parlor that takes into account making sure you're comfortable and that the designs done on your nails suit your taste! Introducing... Autumn Nail Spa @ Far East Plaza.

Autumn Nail Spa is located at the top level of FEP, pretty close to the infamous chicken rice stall. A small shop which caters to 7-10 customers at one time, the lady boss is a China lady who ensures all her staff are well taken care of (You will notice that during your time there). 

I was never a fan of gel extensions. In fact, I've always thought it would be a hinderance to daily activities like washing your hair, writing, even typing (like right now)... However it's something you'd get used to after some time.

The first design I did were turquoise floral nails. I showed Ana (The name of my manicurist- She's FANTASTIC) the design I wanted and she did an exact replica! Very very pleased with my nails, I decided to head back to her once my extensions grew out, which took about 3 weeks. This design cost me around $40 excluding the gel polish. And no, it never chipped!

If you take real good care of your gel extensions, Ana said they'd last you arnd 3 months. Do note that you'd need to spend a good amount of time there though! I spent about 4 hours doing the extension + design and I nearly died.

The second design I did cost me a heftier price tag- $55. The design was a tad more intricate which required her to use a paintbrush to painstakingly recreate the splatter patterns. 

The best part is the staff will not force you to purchase packages unless they feel it's more worth it for you. They're friendly and extremely careful in ensuring the best job is done so I can vouch for that!

So if you'd ever need a place to go for a manicure, more so with intricate designs, head on over to Autumn Nail Spa to look for Ana. A petite short-haired girl, she's extremely patient and friendly:) 

However it can get pretty crowded and waiting time could range from half an hour to 2 hours so it's best you book an appointment beforehand!

PS: This post was in no way endorsed by Autumn Nail Spa, it is my personal opinion and I felt the need to share it with you guys.

Autumn Nail Spa

14 Scotts Road, #05-28

Far East Plaza, Singapore 220213

Tel: 6836 7989

Skyve Elementary Bistro Bar + Drips Bakery Cafe

Good afternoon fellow foodies! 

If you all noticed, I stopped cafe hopping/brunching for a bit as being in England made me realise how much I missed my chinese food and the Asian unicorn in me insisted on having hawker centre food for weeks on end. But I met up with a lovely friend today so I decided to go somewhere a lil fancier to catch up. I'm so glad we did.

I've heard a lot about Skyve Elementary & Bistro Bar along Winesdt Road at Newton. Silly me assumed it was right beside the Newton station so we got lost for a bit. The sun was scorching, the weather showed no mercy earlier today but thankfully with the help of google maps we managed to find our way:)

No idea who the dude is above, he was in the picture and wouldn't budge :(

Nestled in a discreet little nook near Newton Circus, the place was rather quiet for brunch. However it was just the way we liked it.

As described on its website: Brought to you by the same team behind the well-received Table 66, Skyve is a casual redux of its predecessor, with friendlier prices for similar quality and service. Self-described as mod bistro, the food here is a bevy of familiar, comforting flavours prepared with modern culinary techniques by master of sous-vide, Chef Vincent Teng.

Their menu was simple and unpretentious. Brunch food served with love. If your stomach isn't calling for eggs or toast, opt for their pizzas and burgers instead. The portion can be a wee bit small but it's perfect for a light brunch.

Skyve Sous Vide Egg Benedict, SGD18

2 poached eggs, sourdough bread, grilled portobello mushroom, sweet corn, arugula salad & hollandaise sauce

Having heard SO much about this, I had to order this. Basically, what Sous Vide means is food being cooked sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath, not more than 100°c. A dish literally cooked to perfection, every single item on the plate helped enhance the flavour of each ingredient. The corn was nicely buttered and sweet in itself, the arugula salad lightly dressed, portobello mushrooms nicely placed at the side with the most heavenly toasted sourdough bread and 2 poached eggs atop glorious hollandaise sauce.

I could have it all over again.

Ricotta Hotcakes, SGD18

Maple syrup, passionfruit butter, roasted almond flakes, fresh bananas

You have the option of taking certain things our of your dish, as my friend did with bananas. I didn't really ask her how she felt about the hotcakes but she looked like she was enjoying it! The pancakes are definitely thinner than those you find at Macdonalds thus easier to eat without your stomach exploding from the heaviness of the hotcakes.

You can check out the rest of their menu here 

I also especially like how they aren't pretentious with the name of their dishes. No fancy french words, no hard to remember names. The concept of the restaurant was simple, too. Choose either the indoor seating scattered with sofas or your regular table and chairs or an alfresco environment with nature & even a swing for both young and old to enjoy.

Food was served especially fast, we were served 10 minutes into ordering. Service staff was alright. We paid SGD42 for 2 in total which was pretty worth it in my opinion:)

Skyve Elementary Bistro &Bar

No.10 Winstedt Road Block E, #01-17

Open Daily: Monday to Sunday (including Public Holidays)

10am to late

Reserve:+65 6225 6690

E-mail:enquiry@skyve.sg

Facebook:www.facebook.com/SkyveEBB

Also on my to-go list was Drips Bakery Cafe along Tiong Poh Road. I can finally tick this off my list. Surprisingly the place was extremely quiet! I could count the number of people in the cafe with my two hands, that was how quiet the place was. Fantastic!

Drips Bakery Cafe serves light food like sandwiches and quiche, along with their more well known items like tarts and brownies. Coffee and tea is also a great add-on for tea/dessert.

A rather extensive menu for a small cafe, we were in for a treat.

They even sell Korean stationary too!

And yes, butter cakes. How can anyone resist?

 

Mixed Fruit Tarts, SGD 7

We both decided on the mixed fruit tart. I was initially eyeing the colossal apple crumble tart but had to resist and decided to try their all time famous tart. A dessert perfect for one.

What I liked most about the tart was the fact it was its simplicity. A very thin base with custard atop and caramelized blueberries and huge rasberries, it was light yet filling all at once. Unlike tarts which have an extremely thick base (Which I really love), this dessert was very nicely balanced out. 

So if you're ever in the area, don't forget to drop by Drips. It's definitely worth a sit down. Service was okay but I'll definitely be back for my apple crumble tart.

Drips Bakery Café

82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05, S(160082)

6222 0400

Opening hours:

Sun - Thur : 11.00am - 9.30pm

Fri & Sat : 11.00am - 11.00pm

Gordon Grill

To mark the 1st year, J brought me to a place I've never heard of: Gordon Grill. Known for its steaks, I was pretty excited when we entered albeit the very posh setting. I honestly felt quite out of place at first cos we were surrounded by tai tais and a mother and daughter duo having a lovely lunch at a pretty hefty price.

The interior was clean and posh. The chairs made the entire place a little backdated but the artworks displayed and lighting helped with the contemporary feel of it.

We were offered complimentary bread to start off. Our favourite was the one on the extreme right: Soft, fluffy, flavourful and decently filled with chia seeds (If I'm not wrong)

The cutest thing about us was that even though we knew Gordon Grill's known for its steaks, we still decided to go with the set lunch cos it was more affordable and well, we did like variety. A 4 course meal for $60 is pretty good no?

From left to right:

Pan-roasted duck foie gras: with white balsamic sorbet and caramel glaze, Angel Hair Pasta and Baked hokkaido scallops : in bacon-truffle bouillon and ‘boudin noir’

The appetizers came about 7 mins after ordering, with excellent service provided. The pan roasted duck foie gras had a very interesting texture. The duck was fat and cooked just nice, I couldn't place what the green thing was but I (believe) it was the foie gras which complemented the duck very nicely. The caramelized pear was an excellent addition too.

The angel hair pasta was a little disappointing though. Pasta was a little overdone and even though it wasn't bad it wasn't spectacular either.

The hokkaido scallop was good! The bacon truffle bouillon was a perfect match and the scallop very well done.

Next up was the trio of soup:)

From left to right:

Poultry consommé, wild fresh mushroom and lobster bisque

When these were being brought to the table I was wondering what they were since they were so small. Presented very neatly, the poultry consomme consisted of clear chicken broth with balls of carrot, wintermelon and parsley sprinkled over. Wasn't my kinda thing though.

The wild fresh mushroom was fresh. However I think it was a little too posh for my taste. It's unlike many of the mushroom soups I've had, and not to my palette. However do give it a try!

The lobster bisque was interesting. A very strong flavour, I've had better ones (@ Balzac) but this would still be alright if you like Lobster Bisque.

Fish of The Day accompanied with risotto

I forgot the actual name of the main course :( But I had asked the waiter what the fish of the day was and it appealed to me. The combination of the sauce, risotto and fish was fantastic, leaving me wanting more. Portion wise was good for one too.

J had lamb chops! Tender, succulent and juicy, it's something you would want to order when you're there. Might be a little small for guys though :p

My favourite part... Dessert!

Once again...  forgot the name of the desserts. However I can safely say I love the one on the left! A very soft chocolate cake infused with rasberry and accompanied with cocoa powder and fruits.

The apple crumble was one of the better ones.

So if you're ever looking for a place with a good ambience, lovely service and good food, head to Gordon Grill. Next time I'm going it's definitely for the steaks:)

Gordon Grill

2 Scotts Road GF Goodwood Park Hotel Tel: 66816677

Daily: 12:00 - 14:30

19:00 - 22:30

Thursday//

Hello beautiful people of the earth!

Since the weather's (surprisingly) good today, my iphone served me extremely well. Decided to head to Kim Choo for lunch with my mom and here's a little review on it:

Kim Choo. A famous place for peranakans to have their dinners. Speak of nonya dumplings, ondeh ondeh and other Peranakan delights and they'll direct you to a shop opposite I12 Katong, along a row of shophouses.

A very traditional joint, Kim Choo serves one of the better dishes around. The first time I went, we ordered Beef Rendang, Nonya Chap Chye, XO Dumpling and Buah Keluak. A gentle reminder that the small portions are juuuust nice for 2, so don't go over ordering all your dishes! Prices range from $8-12 for small dishes.

However this time, we ordered Ngoh Hiang, Beef Stew and Nonya Chap Chye (Again cos it's really good!) The beef stew was much of a let down, the broth was a tad bit too salty albeit the very soft and tender beef. The ngoh hiang was so-so. Not fantastic but not bad either. The chap chye, however, remained at its top notch standard. 

My mom didn't fancy the XO dumpling and neither did I. It was a little too dry in my opinion and it lacked flavour. I only insisted on trying the nonya dumpling cos of its rave reviews. Perhaps I ordered the wrong one...

All in all, I'd still come back for the beef rendang and chap chye. It's a little inconvenient if you don't live in the East but hey, where good food is I'm willing to travel.

Kim Choo

111 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428801

Opening hours 10:00 am–10:00 pm

6741 2125

Donned in pink today! In all honesty I don't fancy pink much but the colour suits me quite a bit. -_- Anywho I managed to paint my nails in time for Xmas, and if you guys are ever looking for a good top coat I'd recommend Seche Vite's Top Fast Dry Coat. You guys can grab down at the Scape* Underground mall which goes for $10 a bottle. Trust me when I say it's the best kind of top coat around worth its money. Here's a pic of how it looks like:

#ootd for today:

Off-Shoulder top in hot pink, Taiwan

Floral HW Shorts, Zara

Armcandy, Cotton On + Pandora

From left to right:

London Tweed Moto Jacket, Cable Knit Pullover in Persimmon and Grey from thetinselrack.com

Make-up from Sephora (Details below)

Mottled Multi Print Cami from Topshop

And we went crazy shopping today. If you guys aren't into beauty products don't continue reading but if you are, read away! (Or read even if you don't like beauty products :p)

After hearing many rave reviews about Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF15 Balm, I decided to head down to Sephora to check them out myself. I think I've found my holy grail. THE most moisturizing lip balm I've ever tried, this product stayed on with me for hours on end when I tried it on before purchasing it a few days before. It promises to hydrate and protect your lips. And trust me it does. It's a little more on the 'oily' side but I can assure you it's the kind you'd want on your lips for that everlasting shine (And not the "eh how come you've excess oil on your lips? From the fried chicken ah?" kind of shine) 

However beauty comes with a price. Retailing at SGD29 from Sephora, I'm pretty sure you can get these stuff cheaper online.

Because my mom swears by this product, she decided to get me one too. I'm not sure about you guys but I have the hardest time trying to keep my eyeliner put during the day (Perhaps due to oily lids or the fact that I always only line my inner section of my eyes). I've tried practically everything. From maybelline, to ZA, to japanese brands, to Chanel.. Nothing works :( However when I tried my mom's one a few weeks back it managed to stay put till the end of the day! It'll cost you about SGD35 but I would say it's worth the splurge. Does anyone else have any recommendations? I'm welcome to them! :D

Oh, did I mention I really really really love tinted lip balms? The lady at the counter said this was Dior's best seller (in terms of lips) and I decided to give it a go. A tinted lip balm which gives you the prettiest shade of rose pink, it promises to hydrate your lips and give it a soft tint. It's not bad a product, but I would purchase this only if my lips weren't cracked and dry. Certainly not for hydration but for the fact that it looks so damn good on anyone's lips. Retails at SGD44 from Sephora.

Alright I'm off for a good session at the gym. Till then, stay gorgeous!

xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

Merely - Did someone say I scream?

After the longest hiatus, I'm back! And this time, with icecream. 

Now who wouldn't love a good cone of fatty, calorie loaded goodness in such a humid, erratic weather? Thboy and I love going to one place for icecream, & that's Merely.

Located along Bencoolen Street just opposite Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, this small little shop gained publicity when they opened earlier this year. Having passed it numerous times, I decided to give it a go one day after school. Lo and behold their icecream was out of this WORLD. Unique flavours like red velvet and banana & walnut caught my eye. Have I mentioned they have alcoholic flavours too?

Thboy got himself gula pandan and me oreo milk. I'm a kid that way.

The very friendly owner of the store, he's most generous with his serving!

And since I had my camera I decided to make full use of it today (Also because it was pouring outside and we couldn't go anywhere)

Greedypig4lyfe with my new Pandora bracelet. Honestly I don't see what the hype is about Pandora but since my lovely friends got it for me for my birthday I decided to continue getting charms. :')

Kids play monopoly. Cool kids play monopoly on iphone. Which drains your batt like crazy, btw.

Cute sketches on napkins done by students displayed on the tables!

So if you're ever around the Bugis area or feeling a little greedy after a good dimsum meal at Victor's Kitchen, make the effort to head to this quiet little joint at Sunshine Plaza which I feel has one of the better ice-creams in Singapore.

Merely Ice Cream

91 Bencoolen Street #01-13 Sunshine Plaza

Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 11pm

Closed on Sundays