| 28.2.07 |
 Day 28 of Project 365... while i am dying to take pictures during my review... there is a professional photographer for that purpose... and i should try appear as professional as possible... especially because i am so inexperienced in this field... i take a lot of notes... and more often than not... i end up not using all the info i have... but then again... there have been instances i regret not taking down certain details that i decide to talk abt too... my notebook is misspelled... so its Fabbrica instead... meaning Factory in Italian... it's really a very nice and cosy place in the very hip and happening Dempsey Road... the food was great... but that in itself is a gross understatement... so you'll just have to wait for my review when it goes up... but interesting was the fact that we were seated directed beside another angmoh reviewer... who kept his identity hidden throughout... i admit it's a more objective method of reviewing... but hey... our big-assed cameras aint exactly inconspicuous... the good thing was he felt the same way about the food and the place... the bad thing was he was geniunely looking forward to my article when it goes up... ...my very nub-bish and amateurish review... but i worked on it through the wee hours of the morning last night... and while it isnt impressively flowery... i put my message across pretty clearly... i LOVE LOVE LOVE this job.... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
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happy searching for my first piece of writing! although it has gone through major editing by goodness-knows-who... ----Stef stopped rambling at 10:03 --Link to Post |
| 27.2.07 |
 Day 27 of Project 365... i can never study at the guy's place... he will usually be very motivating by doing the following very conscientiously... watching TV... we love Heroes, How i met your Mother, kang xi lai le, xiao qi da cai shen... any sitcom on starworld... playing football computer game... watching football... pulling out his guitar and insisting that his self-"composed" song is very nice... lying on the bed insisting that i scratch his back... i am so going to fail my materials test... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 26.2.07 |
 Day 26 of Project 365... i forced the guy to get me presents from Taiwan... and i told him Taiwan sausages do not count as a present... who on earth buys food as present for girlfriend? chocolates, maybe... but sausages abit off... he got me a couple of earrings that he paid 20+ for... while they were not bad... Taiwan is having a sparkly craze... so there were crystals all over... -_-" but still touched la... the night markets must have been a pain in the ass to walk during CNY season... he bought larger voodoo dolls for his ex-colleagues... so i kop-ed the smaller ones and had a field day trying to figure out how to remove my handphone cover last night, just so i could put the string in... really damn difficult to slide the cover off... and my sliding mechanism like loosening already... funny that the doll is Chelsea-blue... which happens to be the jersey colour of the team the guy supports... now i know what to threaten him with... ----Stef stopped rambling at 19:43 --Link to Post |
| 25.2.07 |
 Day 25 of Project 365... NUS WON THE Inter-Tertiary Windsurfing Championships!!! cleansweep! 1st in all the catergories... with no help from me... i din win anything... cause i'm so lousy.. i think i should retire from competitive windsurfing forever and ever... but glad coz WE WON! and guys that i taught did really well in the Novice catergory... dont have a better picture coz i am anti-social and left early... actually it was because this is the day that the guy finally came back to Singapore! finally got my Taiwanese sausages... and got to see him after all of 10 days... PS: People who arent accustomed to the equipment of the sport, the white fins pictured are called daggerboards. They are inserted to the surfboard itself to allow the board to traverse upwind, acting as a pivot and providing lateral resistance to propel the board forward. ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 24.2.07 |
 Day 24 of Project 365... it's supposed to be everyone's birthday... and for some obscure reason we are supposed to lao yu sheng... but actually i think every one just do it coz it's a yummy vege salad... so yummy that we had two rounds in one night... 1st time with the normal raw fish with my paternal grandparents... and the 2nd time when the sis got back home with the bf... where we had 200g of raw salmon... which rocks by the way... we used to enjoy buying the yu sheng set from restaurants... and adding extra stuff that we really like... like the pomelo bits... wanton crackers that resemble gold ingots... and raw fish! actually we are supposed to shout auspicious things when we lao... but considering my family's weak grasp of mandarin... we could only come out with the following... xu ye jing bu... sheng ti jian kang... nian nian you yu... strike 4D, strike toto... win hong bao toto draw... daddy, if i win 10m, i will give 1m to you... get straight As for exam... and i bought my first ever TOTO ticket... only to realise that it wasnt for the 10m hong bao draw... oh well... 1 million also good enough la... the guy saw me buy... and bought also... almost kena killed by him... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 23.2.07 |
 Day 23 of Project 365... i know this is an old photo... but i had a long car ride alone with dad today... and spoke about alot of things... most importantly... about how he grew up as a kid... and how difficult it was back then... i never knew that there was so much history in my family... i know my grandparents differently... i know my aunts/uncles differently... and i felt very guilty for even thinking abt blaming my parents for the lack of space in my life... well... 9 people in a HDB unit aint exactly spacious... only now did it came to me how hard my parents worked to give us this life... the luxuries they were never given as kids... the simple everyday things that we take for granted every day... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
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it's women's month or something in March... and so i'm supposed to come up with 2 articles... i'm quite the nub when it comes to serious writing... so i thought maybe i'll blabber on here before i start to think about what i wanna write for real... thing is... it aint easy being a woman... frankly, i think i'm one huge contradiction personified... it's like i'm dying to prove myself... that i'm as good as the guys... in work, play... but yet.. i yearn to be doted upon... given in to... and make helluva fuss when the guy does not... okay, maybe the guys are having a tougher time trying to figure us out... but maybe like what cass mentioned once... and i thought it was pretty true... we're from student council... so i understand what she's trying to put across... us girls can go about our days pretending to be superwoman... juggling studies, work, committees and what not... but at the end of the day... most of us just wanna be xiao nu ren when it comes to the significant other... thing is... there is a limit to how many decisions you have to make in a day... and sometimes, being able to leave your life, or at least your leisurely time, for someone to run... can be a bliss indeed... i can really imagine a woman in a powersuit scolding her subordinates to death during work.. and then hooking her arm ard that of her spouse asking him what he wants to eat meekly... women are queer... hard to fathom... and oh so fickle... you can check out our wardrobe if you dont know what i mean... but it's this changing nature and lack of predictablity that distinguishes us from the males... so if men are mostly boring beer-guzzing folks... we're then the perfect complement... i think i'll just go with the Nokia series of handphones for women... =X ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:18 --Link to Post |
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i didnt make it to school this morning... slept way too late to wake in time for the free ride... how will i be able to do my FNA homework!?!?! and apparently the competition will start early tomorrow... how can just change the SI/NOR like that one? 930am is blardy early can... argh. ----Stef stopped rambling at 13:01 --Link to Post |
| 22.2.07 |
 Day 22 of Project 365... first day on the job and a very unnatural photoshoot... just hope my writing will be up to par... it's back to school tomorrow for a whole day of homework... mainly FNA and catching up on marketing lectures... the entire holiday has been all play and no work... very worrying indeed... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
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Update: the guy finally sms-ed me... it's definitely the mahjong coming between us... and i hope, also the shopping he said he would do for me... but i finally got news from the guy who calls me super dumb dumb... apparently he won lotsa money on day 1... but lost some on day 2 and 3... oh well... i went to the dentist today.... he said my teeth is naturally off-white... like how some people can be born darker or fairer... my teeth is just less white... oh well... no way i am gonna pay a thousand bucks for whitening... maybe when i start earning my money i might consider... but at least he got the tea/coffee/milo stains removed... i'm a happy girl! i got a hair cut too... it's like freaking short now... i feel like a boy... okay... maybe more like an aunty who cuts her hair short so that it's less troublesome... DARN... maybe i should start considering using styling stuff... to FUNK it up... i think the hair person got carried off chatting with me... and ended up cutting more than he set out for... the way i instructed... but oh well... and i am officially Justin's character referee... i am blardy touched la... but then again anyone can be character referees hor? and not as if companies do call them up also... just realised the ITWC is this weekend... i am so screwed and bound to be thrashed left right and center... please have mercy on me... my review for tomorrow is confirmed... it's part exciting, part daunting... the first time i'm gonna exchange a piece of my writing for money... save for the time my gang and i won the SPRING essay competition back in JC... been reading up on the restaurant i'll be visiting... so hope i'll be able to chalk something up... but the food does sound like my cup of tea... so Bon Apetit! ----Stef stopped rambling at 02:21 --Link to Post |
| 21.2.07 |
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it has been three days since the guy last sms-ed me... and i get pretty neurotic at that... thing is... he did talk about calling me every day from Taiwan... and i told him i didnt need him to do that... thing is... i get worried whenever things like that happen... i know he's alright... and that he's probably playing all the mahjong he can get his hands on... making lots of money at that... it also makes me worried... coz i tend to wonder alot... but the most logical reasoning is that he forgot to bring his handphone charger to Taiwan... and thus, cannot sms me anymore... which is logical coz he stopped after 2 days plus over there... but it's true that you really only understand the value of the person only when he/she is gone... now there is no one to watch Protege and Dreamgirls with me... no one to laugh at kang xi lai le today... when xiao S did that superbly funny dance-off with cai tou... or when i just want to complain about extended family drama... and have him tell me that the world is like that... it's only 1am on wednesday... how am i ever gonna survive till sunday??? and i dont even know what flight he will be flying back on... bleah. ----Stef stopped rambling at 00:53 --Link to Post |
 Day 21 of Project 365... i need help with a survey for my marketing project... so i stuffed this survey in front of my relatives... but not very exciting coz they didnt seem very enthsiastic... like machaam i wanna sell them insurance like that... dear friends... PLEASE help me out... and click on the picture above to do a good deed for poor little me.... Cheers! ----Stef stopped rambling at 00:01 --Link to Post |
| 20.2.07 |
 Day 20 of Project 365... my dad's trusty Nissan Sunny... gets us everywhere, everytime... chauffeur, aka my daddy, comes with... since none of us except my mommy has a license... but she dares not drive AT ALL... weird huh... finally done with all the relatives... save for one actually... and need to wait for the guy and his parents to get back from Taiwan before i go over... TV has been showing so many Taiwanese CNY variety shows, on-location in Taipei... dad say i better look out for the guy and see if i can spot the guy... especially if he's with any girl... *pouts* if all goes well.. i'll start on my first review this thursday... let's just hope the food's good and i dont get writer's block! ----Stef stopped rambling at 17:43 --Link to Post |
| 19.2.07 |
 Day 19 of Project 365... second day of visiting today... did a total of four houses... loved my top today... a bright yellow with a mandarin collar... my nanny even thought i got it tailor made... i bought it online la... whahaah... the CNY season really makes me feel very in touch with the family... even the extended relatives... today especially... coz it saw a reconcilliation of some of them... felt amazing coz we havent been in touch for maybe ten years... but now it feels like everything going back to the way it was... like how we had roadtrips up malaysia... durian picnics... cookouts at the resorts... or just simply a family gathering... for some cards or mahjong... it made my granny happy... that makes my mom happy... and of course, i'm happy... my uncle did replay a video of the family when i was about 5+... every scene depicted me eating or singing rhymes (off tune)... and that had my younger cousins laughing their heads off... then i saw a very retro mom and dad... and how fit and ham-sum my daddy really was... my baby sister, who was about 2 years old, was just as particular about pple touching her toys... though i must say, she has moved on to more mature issues... i guess, people never change.. the world around them does... but it's not possible to change the little characteristics that makes each one of us so unique... this CNY has been an experience... although the guy is away... and he has stopped sms-ing since the first day of the new year... but i dont feel as needy anymore... i guess when you have a family like mine... who needs a boyfriend? okay, i'm kidding... i miss the guy... faster come back leh... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 18.2.07 |
 Day 18 of Project 365... HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!! it has been fun... albeit very draining... we finally took out our chocolate fountain for a test-run... and the kids loved it... my father too, we spotted him sitting quietly alone at the chocolate table... but in other news... my mom's cousin, who happens to be my age... told me about a secondary schoolmate of ours... who passed away last week... apparently her heart just stopped... i didnt really know her personally... but it's scary how fragile life is... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:50 --Link to Post |
| 17.2.07 |
 Day 17 of Project 365... eve of the Lunar New Year... the annual Reunion dinner took a new twist this year... with the addition of a steamboat... but only available at the kiddy table... thing was... mom added steamboat.. but didnt bear to cut down on the once-a-year dishes that we have every single year... so we were left with bulging tummies and indigestion... but still very satisfying... family aint very steamboat-friendly... grandpa is a very impatient man... and he doesnt like to wait for his food... dad doesnt like to spend too long at the dinner table... and ends up feeling full even before eating enough... so the steamboat was ours to conquer... but too much la... we have to have a round 2 tomorrow or something... and i blardy miss the guy la... it doesnt occur how often we talk until i was left so stuffed on friday night... i realised it was because i had donkey loads to tell him... and i would usually have done it by calling him straight... once i ascertain the fact that he's not in class or something... i wanted to tell him my interview on friday afternoon was fun... the interviewer and i ended up talking about how food reviews/pictures was a no-go zone at 12midnight coz it makes you hungry with a huge dilemma of eating before bed (risking getting FAT) and going to bed hungry (which really prevents you from getting any real sleep)... i wanted to tell him the GEK written test wasnt as bad as i thought... because i complained to him prior that it was horrid and failure was impending... but it has been fun smsing him between spring cleaning, errands and family gatherings... it's like a little secret boyfriend... long time since anything like that... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 16.2.07 |
 Day 16 of Project 365... long day really... getting my money cheated by the vending machine for the THIRD time... manufacturing lab where i got my hands on the hand drill... lecture where i think the usually nice prof got up from the wrong side of the bed... interview down at Alexandra... JC class gathering at Cafe Cartel and Minds Cafe... the Hamster Rolle is depicted in the picture... my choice of game... and rather apt, since most of us are engineers-to-be... but we got sianz after a while... Blockus was next... and i think everyone enjoyed that more... it was good meeting up again... i love seeing old friends... it gets you back in touch with the world... and nice knowing that your friendship has taken you through so long... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 15.2.07 |
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come tomorrow the guy will be away in faraway Taiwan... *sobz sobz* sadded not because he's so far... and wont be back till mid-sem break is over... but because I WANT TO GO TAIWAN too! i miss the shopping... the food... the freedom... i'm so going to miss him... but he promised to buy all the taiwan sausages that he can carry... and half of his angpao collection... so i guess i'd just have to wait it out... ----Stef stopped rambling at 20:29 --Link to Post |
 Day 15 of Project 365... the rain caught me off-guard while i was sleeping in ME3251 lecture... i dont know why the sleepyheadedness... but the guy was feeling the same way too... i love the rain... although it can be gloomy and sad sometimes... ----Stef stopped rambling at 19:50 --Link to Post |
| 14.2.07 |
 Day 14 of Project 365... Valentine's Day... but sadly... i dont have much to show... unless you count screwing up my GEK2507... ambiguous English is the worst English of all... why the second finger? coz it's not the fourth finger... and all my other fingers/thumb are either to fat or too skinny... ----Stef stopped rambling at 19:01 --Link to Post |
| 13.2.07 |
 Day 13 of Project 365... on the red brick road to Manufacturing Lab... you cant really blame me when i hallucinate a gigantic lollipop on the floor, rite? especially after the blardy machine ate my $1.10 again for the Milo... WITHOUT giving me the Milo... and i was left breakfast-less for a good 5 hours... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 12.2.07 |
 Day 12 of Project 365... i know this is kinda cheating coz this photo was taken at Vivocity last week... but i spent the whole afternoon with the guy pretending it's a lazy sunday... so i guess it's the most accurate representation... and the guy was a little pale like this coz he is on a (almost) liquid diet... worried me a pretty bit... but he assured me he is fine... it's mad how i still go crazy just by looking at him... crazy in a madly-in-love sorta way... quite insane really... coz he'll catch me staring... sometimes i think... maybe i'm not as evil as i think i am sometimes... coz if a guy like him treats me like a princess... i must have done something right in this life... yeah... i guess they're right when they say love is blind... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:43 --Link to Post |
| 11.2.07 |
 Day 11 of Project 365... eventful day actually... lots of eateries worthy of mention... but i'm totally in love with the blue skies that we have been blessed with lately... and here's a shot of it when i was visiting my nanny's daughter's new flat in Punggol 21... the place is real cool... especially at the low, low price of 152k... and the view she has... is amazing... while the 4-room flat is small indeed... we thought she got a pretty good deal... it was Tiong Bahru's bak kut teh with the family in the afternoon... before getting my spanking new 6288... sponsored by daddy dearest and his Corporate Ultimate plan... had crabs at AMK that made us wait almost 1.5 hrs... oh well, anything for a good family dinner i must say... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 10.2.07 |
 Day 10 of Project 365... Stuart Andersen's Black Angus... the guy has been wanting to try their Prime Rib for the longest time... and since our Vday plan this year was to thwart the evil plans of florists, restaurants and shops... we decided to eat way before the sacred day when the price of everything goes sky-high... we're still planning to spend the day together though... minus the fact that i have a 50% that day... and a timely FNA lecture that evening... but probably watching Heroes instead... see how my favourite Nakamura saves the day with his teleportation & time-bending moves... dinner was really pretty good... the guy enjoyed his steak... and i had a good piece of rib eye and lobster with my Surf & Turf... the latter was a tad salty... but it was so generous a portion i had to forgo desserts... it was a short vday dinner... coz we wanted to rush back for more Heroes... and he needed to meet his buddies for drinks later in the night... but it was very sweet indeed... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 9.2.07 |
 Day 9 of Project 365... this is the view (well, almost) from the alley outside my Manufacturing Lab... i always tapow the biz canteen's Full Tank... which consists of 2 slices of garlic bread, a slice of grilled ham, a hotdog, a sunny side up and baked beans all for the wonderful and amazing price of $1.80... i usually have it to go so that i can reach the lab in time, so that's an extra 10cents... and that meant that i have to stand outside since no food is allowed in the lab... not that we wanna eat inside too, with all the metal dust and wood shavings flying ard... eating in the smelly alley... not really smelly... just that it rhymes... and eat my wonderful breakfast while hiding from curious passerbys... wondering why this idiot is eating there... and considering the sunny side up is the shiok runny kind... i really cant use my hands... so as you can tell... it's quite a feat indeed... but what more can i ask? a shiok breakfast thats cheap... and a view of an amazingly blue sky... makes my day every manufacturing morning... ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 8.2.07 |
 Day 8 of Project 365... when i say FNA1002X, Financial Accounting, is a heavy module... i meant it in more ways than one... firstly... the workload is mightily heavy... dry and boring 2-hour lectures per week... weekly tutorial... weekly online assignments... and a project/presentation to come... secondly... the blardy textbook is damn big and heavy... plus the thick thick notes we have to bring to class... and i needed the laptop to do up our solutions... it almost killed me on my treacherous journey across NUS... *sobz* ----Stef stopped rambling at 19:46 --Link to Post |
| 7.2.07 |
 Day 7 of Project 365... was filling up forms late into the night... for the US visa application... to make sure nobody thinks that I'm a terrorist wanting to bomb the country... although the guy is quite sure i'll run into a lot trouble at the airport... coz i dont look cheena enough... i'm pretty pissed at the amount the whole trip is costing upfront... about 3.6k to date... my bank account is officially pathetic... and i have to think twice before i do or eat anything beyond the bare minimum now... i'm quite bent on financing this trip entirely on my own... even though my grandma wanted to give me some... it's a want... not a need... and i truly believe in working for your wants... but the blardy air tickets are 2k already la... if only i was Hiro Nakamura from the new AXN series, Heroes... then i can tele-port to USA... *cues Japanese accent* "Like Star Trek." ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
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sometimes i hate the sort of person i am... i'm not a good team player... i am mean... and i suck... sometimes i know that i do terrible things... but i just go ahead and do them... without much thought about the repercussions... sometimes i cant control my feelings... if i dont like you... i just dont... while i would really like to... i just cant... sometimes i just wish i can separate the heart from the mind... and do whats best... but it never happens... it sucks because i want to be a good person... i try... but it always falls short... why does it have to be so difficult? ----Stef stopped rambling at 00:59 --Link to Post |
| 6.2.07 |
 Day 6 of Project 365... this can of Milo cost me a whooping $2.20... firstly... it was at the vending machine at the bus-stop opposite YIH... and costs $1.10 per can... daylight robbery can... how can exploit desperate breakfast-less students like me??!?!? secondly... it ate $1.10 from my cashcard without giving me anything back in return... but i was so desperate for food... or anything remotely like food... that i was willing to risk another $1.10 in coins... thankfully... this can of Milo came out... and thus... you can understand why i think this deserves a Project 365 post... ----Stef stopped rambling at 21:08 --Link to Post |
| 5.2.07 |
 Day 5 of Project 365... hitching a ride from my parents in the morning just so i wont be late for my 9am tutorial... we stopped over at Tiong Bahru Market for some really shiok lor mee... and thus, we got stuck in the 8am Science Park jam... oh bother.... and that little crystal you see below the rear-view mirror... that's my daddy's fengshui craze... but i say... anything to keep us safe and happy! ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
| 4.2.07 |
 Day 4 of Project 365... i know this doesnt exactly count as a proper picture... but *shhsh* i forgot to bring my camera out for my family dinner.... frankly... this was milestone enough... was watching with my Dad and Grandpa... reliving the days of the Malaysian Cup where the three of us will make our way to the National Stadium together to scream Malay profanities and eat Indian triangular curry puffs... had to calm my Grandpa down coz he was very disappointed with the standards of the SG team... but like all patriotic Singaporeans, we cheered like mad when Amri scored the equaliser... it was victory... sweet sweet victory... it's sad to know that the great old Stadium is about to be torn down... and sadder that I couldnt bring my Grandpa there one last time due to his poor health... but memories of that place will always be sweet... of Kallang waves and referee jeering... and at least the last match played at the Stadium was a victorious one... Well Done, Lions! ----Stef stopped rambling at 23:59 --Link to Post |
 Day 3 of Project 365... i know i know... this is a horribly bad shot... but i cant possibly take a photo of myself can i? and the wind was too far out to capture the planning boards... but like i said in the full post... this was the day of incredibly friendly wind... the wind and current were in opposing directions... making planning very comfortable and worry-free... the tide was very low though... the thought of dumpers breaking my sail was very scary... had to ask the guy to help me with beaching... considering how nub i can be with my equipment... it was Fisherman's Wharf with the guy, Yijun and Justin thereafter... and the Liverpool match at Bar-Celona... it was nice catching up... although we forced our way to crash the latter two's solo date... quite mean though... and the 3rd of Feb was supposed to be my mom's birthday... guess what? i TOTALLY forgot... i felt so horrible that i cried when i realised my mistake... tried to make it up on sunday... but i'm sure it will never be enough... urgh... i'm a terrible daughter... though my mommy did say she felt that they felt blessed with nice children like us.... ARGH! how could i have forgotten?!?!?!? ----Stef stopped rambling at 15:59 --Link to Post |
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something i've written to see if my writing gets me anywhere... not fantastic, i must say... but it's a place i'm passionate about... so i guess it deserves an entry in the blog... just promise not to laugh... ----------------------------------------------- Tucked away in a little corner of Binjai Park, off Bukit Timah Road, away from the culinary haven of Sixth Avenue and its vicinity, is a little gem unknown to many. Despite its unassuming exterior and lack of culturally rich décor, IVINS Peranakan Restaurant is one of the community’s best-kept secrets. Having grown up on its authentic Peranakan cuisine, the place brings old memories of my childhood without failing to excite my gastronomical senses every single time. Contrary to popular belief that the cuisine is all about the spice and chilies, not everything is spicy, though I must say its richness is not for the faint-hearted, (pun on cholesterol intended). The interior of the restaurant is truly nothing to shout about, but this asserts the fact that patrons are really there for the food. Compared to other Peranakan restaurants in Singapore, with their art, décor and ambience, all suitably pumped with colour and culture, IVINS definitely pales in comparison. However, the minimal layout and ordinary lighting of the restaurant recreates a homely dining ambience, a welcomed experience for all victims of the loss of traditional Peranakan cooking at home. Couples will definitely find the décor unromantic but there is no loss as the joy in Peranakan cuisine is the fact that you need a party of people to enjoy a variety of dishes. As the main clientele are families, very often all three generations, the place does get pretty rowdy and noisy during peak hours. While the restaurant fails to satisfy our psychographic nature, the food makes up for it ten times over. Every traditional Peranakan family has their own favourite dishes that the matriarch of the family once dished out with relative flair and finesse, but there are a standard few dishes that no good Peranakan restaurant can do without. One of them that IVINS prepares with high standards is the Ayam Buah Keluak ($5.50). The star of this dish is definitely the buah keluak, which is a hard nut deemed to be poisonous. In order to purge the nut of its poison, the cook must soak the nut repeatedly in water over many days before using it in the dish. To enjoy this wonderfully dangerous delicacy, the diner must scoop the black meat from the shell of the nut, mix it with the chicken meat and drench the mixture with the spicy sour gravy that comes with. A family favourite will be the Papaya Titek ($4.20) without question. Served in a heated claypot, the peppery gravy with a slight tinge of candle nut complements the steamed white rice very well and I could eat it just like that, if not for the other tempting dishes laid out. The papaya used for cooking must be unripe so that it will be soft and yet, still firm to the bite, very enjoyable knowing that your vegetable, or fruit to be precise, is a healthy choice indeed. A good number of medium-sized prawns served with, sweetens the gravy and makes this dish very value-for-money. To balance the richness of the other dishes, soups like the Bakwan Kepeting ($5.00) cleanses the palates for more tantalising flavours. The clear soup with bamboo shoots is flavourful yet not overpowering, perfect for those who appreciate lighter flavours as compared to the thick aromatic gravies. The well-shaped meatballs, with fresh crab meat mixed in, is generously sized and enough to satisfy. A good strategy to order enough and not too much is to select one dish per person and more if you foresee very hungry diners. They serve up pretty efficiently after your order so additional orders are not a problem really. Another thing I really appreciate in IVINS is its good selection of affordable desserts, both hot and cold. The hot Buboh Terigu ($1.10) and Pulot Hitam ($1.10) are thick and not overly sweet as a lot of desserts can be. A cold dessert that they serve very well is the common Chendol, but do ask for it to be served in a glass instead of the bowl. While it costs $1.50 instead of the usual $1.10, the portion is much bigger and you are given a straw to slurp the green jelly worms made from mung beans. The gula melaka used adds a unique earthy sweetness to the dessert, flavouring the otherwise plain coconut milk and red beans. For such an extensive selection available on the menu, IVINS staffs do have an impressive grasp of the dishes available. While they do get a little flustered by the crowd during the busy meal hours, you are served with everything you need, save for the obligatory sambal belachan that they only serve upon request. Do look out for a designated server who piles at least four steaming claypots on his/her arms while bringing them out from the kitchen, accordingly, only few have been trained to handle the pots with such courage and flair. IVINS definitely goes down as one of the most affordable and authentic Peranakan restaurant in Singapore, though authenticity is debatable due to the differing styles in Peranakan homes of yesteryear. Do not be fooled by its affordability, good food can be cheap too. For less than $10 per person, one gets a very satisfying meal which is really the fusion of the Malay and Chinese style of cooking, tracing back to the days of Chinese immigrants and native Malays, with a special added Nyonya touch. It is also this idea of inter-racial experimentation that made the Peranakan language (a mix of Malay and Chinese dialects) unique and their food, out-of-this-world, albeit very subjective to the individual. For me, this is the kind of food that truly embodies the Singaporean culture, an exciting mish-mash of ethnicities blending seamlessly into one. IVINS 19/21 Binjai Park Bukit Timah Singapore 589827 Tel: 6468 3060 Operating Hours: 11am to 3pm (Lunch) 5pm to 9pm (Dinner) Closed on Thursdays ----Stef stopped rambling at 14:19 --Link to Post |
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Saturday's entry was made during one very emotional morning... we spent a good part of Friday night talking... and it didnt quite close properly... all the way till Saturday afternoon... i gave him a hug just before we stepped into PA... coz that few hours of coldness was really killing me... it wasnt the coldness to be exact... but the fact that the guy was doing everything silently and ungrudgingly... insisting on sending me back when i wanted to go back myself... sending me home to let me grab my surf stuff... waiting for me while i took my time... like being great while i continued my childish tantrum... very unnerving. it was amazing to windsurf together... and i have to admit, he IS faster than me... though i must blame the equipment... the beach wasnt as crowded as usual... i guess the IN thing now is to haul your asses over to JB for some speed action... i never understood the trouble and effort these speed junkies go to for their fix... but i guess i have to experience it myself before i discount it... though i must say, i'm quite the scaredy cat when it comes to high winds... i couldnt help but look out for him constantly... i just needed to know he's okay... although i also know he's a big boy now... okay... that is officially gross. the thing is... i truly enjoy the fact that my significant other loves the sport as much as i do... sometimes even more... though he better love me more coz i got him all his cheap lobangs from my shifu... but it makes things much easier and less complicated... we just have to do everything together... the subconscious want to maintain status quo is worrisome really... sometimes i dont know what i want... and whether my feelings for him is simply a mechanism to fend off my ultimate nemesis... solitude. other times i feel so much for him that i know there is nothing else for me... that we truly deserved one another and not anyone else... maybe i shouldnt mull over these insignificant issues... and focus on how happy we are together... and that is all that should matter... really. i love you. and that doesnt change even if everything else in the world does. ----Stef stopped rambling at 00:06 --Link to Post |
| 3.2.07 |
 Day 2 of Project 365... it was my favourite Ayam Penyet Ria on Friday night... the chilli was fantabulous once again... but it made my stomach a tad uncomfortable throughout Apocalypto... i had the pomfret... and it was fried to prefection with little crispy bits sprinkled all over the top... this outlet is definitely better than its other 3 floors above... the guy laughed at me for insisting on eating the chilli despite complaining that its spicy... i even took chilli from his serving just to satisfy my insatiable appetite for self-torture... Apocalypto was very gory... the kind that you cant really justify... as with a lot of Mel Gibson movies... nevertheless... it was enjoyable... i especially love the little kid of the main character... SOOOOO cute... ok ok... i know the movie's not supposed to be about cute kids... ----Stef stopped rambling at 15:59 --Link to Post |
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going through a tough patch... i think relationships always arrive at a point of time when you feel the need to review... just to make sure it's not the status quo you are trying to maintain... not being together just so you wont be alone... what was clear before isn't as clear now... and it's no fault of either parties... just hope that i'll be strong enough to make the right decision if it comes to that... ----Stef stopped rambling at 11:38 --Link to Post |
| 1.2.07 |
 Day 1 of Project 365... thought the start of Febuary might be a good date to remember... so i decided to start it off today... but as you can see... it has been relatively uneventful... although it is telling evidence that the guy is a sleepy pig... he IS born in the year of the PIG... but thats another issue altogether... in other news... we managed to be allocated the same group for our Marketing Project... so thats way cool... i mean, what are the chances? in a tutorial group of about 25... well... maybe it's lucky that we both have surnames starting with L... lalalalaaalaaaa..... 310107 was more exciting though... the utterly controversial Singapore - Thailand final... will backdate and blog those soon... ----Stef stopped rambling at 19:05 --Link to Post |
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