Happenings in March - Perrier Masterclass Session with Laurent Greco + Gathering

Tuesday 15/3/16

Ever wonder how a bartender prepares our cocktails?

I was fascinated with how the creative mixology techniques of a bar scene and the art of mixing the drinks. With the happening of Singapore Cocktail Week 2016, I attended the Perrier Masterclass session held by the award-winning and foremost Mixologist, Laurent Greco.

At Mariko with the lovelies. 

Thanks GF for extending the invitation to all of us and thanks Jas for the photo.

At Perrier Masterclass session, we learnt the mixology techniques using Perrier.

Perrier is the world's #1 Natural Sparkling Mineral Water from France. It has been an indispensable ingredient used in Mixologist's cocktail repertoire for over seventy years. It is known for its uniquely refreshing taste and flavour of spirits.

Cheers.

We love the intense, sparkling bubbles of Perrier that provide an extreme sensorial stimulation which quench our thirst.

Met Laurent Greco, Perrier's international brand ambassador. 

He flew down to Singapore to conduct the first time ever Perrier Masterclass sessions for Singapore Cocktail Week 2016.

During the session, we were treated to the live demonstration and a step-by-step teaching process on how Laurent mixed the different flavours with a special touch of Perrier.

For coffee lover.

Perrier can also be used to be mocha.

Laurent also showcased his techniques using open flames and gas.

The Perrier Smoky Mojito was served with a glass dome (which we placed at the back). When the dome was lifted up in front of the guests, we were immediately being treated to the aroma sense.

Ingredients used:

1/3 oz (4cl) of dark rum

A few drops of angostura bitters 

2/3 oz (2cl) sugar cane syrup 

Fresh mint 

2/3 (2cl) fresh lime juice 

1/3 oz (4cl) of chilled PERRIER 

1 smoking gun 

1 cigar 

1 Glass dome

This was the first time I came across Chanel perfume as ingredient to create bubble.

The best way to drink Perrier is to drink it when chilled. 

Do not add ice cube into it because it will alter the taste of Perrier. Ice cube comes from tap water while Perrier is a pure and natural sparkling water. You pay for the pureness of the drink, why add tap water in it right?

Ended the session with a visual sight created using dry ice.

We learnt a couple of tips about creating our own cocktails.

Monday 21/3/16

I just realised many of my friends are born in the month of March. 

I arranged a dinner gathering with 3 of my poly peers and all 3 of them are born in March. It's been 8 months since our group last met up, the last one was during my birthday. 

We have our dinner at our usual meetup point  which is at VivoCity because Grace always has the tendency to be very late, hence we always meet up at Vivo which is near for her. 

The birthday boy then decided to have dinner at Marché Mövenpick.

Marché has an informal, comfortable atmosphere like a marketplace. The guests stroll through the market stalls and place the order at the stalls that they want using the card given.

We ordered all these for sharing:

Rosti with garlic sausage. The rosti is perfectly delicious to just eat on its own without the sausage. This is my favourite of all.

Salmon wrap.

The wrap was nice but a bit too salty to my liking.

Smoked Salmon. 

This was great and also first dish to finish clearing.

Chicken pizza. 

The pizza was served piping hot, I love the crispy crust.

Grace and Chan Lin.

Wow, Grace was early. She managed to reach before 7.45pm.

Maggie and I.

So happy to see Maggie again and glad that she is doing well in her new career.

After our meal, we just continued to sit and talk all the way until 10pm. Wanted to go for dessert but sadly our stomach has no room for dessert. We felt so full after the dinner.

Let's meet up soon again.

Sophisca - Tricking Treats Launch

Sophisca has launched their new collection, Tricking Treats.

Sophisca is Taiwan’s very first specialty candy brand. Sophisca sells an array of candied fruits, soft bonbons, chocolates and more with products of their maker’s quirkiest and wildest imagination. 

Visited their newest outlet at Marina Square.

Thanks Jasmine for bringing me along and Meryl for the group photo.

This 1 April (April Fool's Day), Sophisca has launched their new collection of "Tricking Treats" that is quirky and delightfully tongue-in-cheek, making it perfect gifts to punk friends and family.

Let's take a look at the new collection:

Crayon Candy Sticks - $9.90

Fret not, these are not real crayon.

They are in fact melt-in-your-mouth candies disguised as colouring crayon sticks that come in 12 flavours:
- honey peach
- tropical fruit
- mandarin orange
- pomelo
- lemon
- green apple
- mint
- blueberry
- grape
- strawberry
- chocolate
- yoghurt

They are made with minimal artificial colouring and essence, suitable for people who are concerned with sugar intake.

Choco Colouring Pens - $17.90

Perfect tools for baking.

You can use the DIY 'soft pens' to jazz up your own bakes such as decorating cakes, breads, toasts or biscuits. Each choco colouring pen set comes in 6 chocolate-flavoured vibrant colours:
White: White Chocolate
Yellow: Lemon Chocolate
Green: Honeydew Flavour
Pink: Strawberry Flavour
Blue: Blueberry Flavour
Brown: Milk Chocolate

Brown Rice Sushi Bento - $11.90

This was really interesting, the brown rice sushi looked exactly like those real sushi we ordered from Japanese stall.

These sushi are actually chocolate brown rice. They are made with 100% natural brown rice that is smothered with Belgium-imported white chocolate. Every individual piece is wrapped in Kuso to ensure freshness and hygiene.

A healthier snack choice suitable for all ages with non-fried, fragrant brown rice that is chockful of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.

Some of the all-time favourite:

This is my favourite of all. 

I love the smiling cookie so much, tasted so delicious. I have a soft spot for cookies.

True Words Chocolate always captured people's attention.

You can find lots of interesting and meaningful message on the packaging. Just choose the right message and it can be the perfect gift for different occasions. 

For Valentine Day or for confession to someone special.

Created specially just for Singapore - our very own language "Singlish".

You can buy this for your overseas friends, it makes a good souvenir for them to bring back home.

So many sweets, I'm overdosed by the sweetness of Sophisca.

Seeing the sweets made me happy.

Sophisca is indeed A Sweet Place for Sweethearts.

The design of the sweets are so cute that I won't bear to eat it.

With my sweetheart - Meryl and Jasmine.

So nice to see them again.

The gift corner.

Instead of buying bouquet of flowers, how about getting a bouquet of sweets?

More practical right?

Ladies feel happy receiving it and at the same time, they get to eat the sweet treats.

We have a sweet afternoon catching up with everyone, see you guys soon again.

Bodacious Bar & Bistro Food Tasting

Tuck in a hidden jem of 70 Biopolis Street lies a bistro bar:
Bodacious Bar & Bistro.

Friends working and living in the west has an alternative place to drop by for brunch, lunch or dinner. Bodacious Bar & Bistro is located near Buona Vista MRT station, it is just 7-10 walk from the station.

Upon entering the eatery, the big and sparkling signage has immediately caught my attention.
Little did I know the word 'Bodacious' is actually the combination of 2 words - bold and audacious.  Bodacious is a word commonly used during the 80's and early 90's in the Western countries.
It is used to describe something that is impressive and remarkable.

Bodacious Bar & Bistro has a cosy and warm setting that makes you feel at ease and homely.

Definitely a comfortable place to chill out with friends.

Also, Bodacious Bar & Bistro will change their menu frequently to include the top 10 best selling items in the menu.

Tried Bodacious Signature Mocktail ($4.20).

A refreshing drink with a slice of lemon and grapefruit that infused the sour and sweetness together.

Kickstarted our dinner with Thai Grilled Beef Salad ($13.80).

Sirloin beef strips were served with a refreshing combination of healthy green vegetables, trio of peppers, pomelo, cherry tomatoes, daikon, basil, mint and Thai vinaigrette dressing.

After that, we had Prawn Bisque Bread Bowl ($14.80) for soup.

The luxurious seafood bisque served in a sourdough bread bowl, the soup has a rich soup base that tasted deliciously when dipped with the bread. The way to eat is to let the bread soaked in the tantalizing flavour of seafood broth before munching on it.

At Bodacious Bar & Bistro, they serves all-day breakfast. You can try their delicious breakfast at any time you like. Here's what we have: Croissant & Scrambled Eggs ($14.80)

The crispy bacon toppled on the heritage croissant filled with scrambled eggs was served together with portobello mushroom, fruits and tomato. This is definitely a hearty breakfast that I love to indulge in every morning.

This may looked simple but it tasted marvelous, the scrambled eggs were soft in texture that will melt in your mouth while the croissant and bacon was crispy good.

Bodacious Eggs Benedict ($14.80)

The poached eggs drizzled with hollandaise sauce was served with Norwegian smoked salmon and avocado spread on English muffin. Eggs Benedict is something I will always order when it is available on the menu, all-time favourite for brunch.

Seafood Risotto ($15.80)

A plate full of seafood delights that consist of pan-seared prawns, calamari and risotto coated in flavourful seafood broth. Savouring every bite of risotto coated with the rich creamy broth, every bite was bursting with flavours.

Grilled Chicken & Pesto Pasta ($14.80)

The grilled chicken toasted in pesto sauce toppled on al dente pasta. This is definitely a delicious combination, I like the grilled chicken, the meat was tender.

This is the dish I was waiting for: Laksa Pasta ($15.80)

I love laksa. So when I knew we were going to try the laksa pasta, I was anticipating as this special creation was hardly available at other places.

The pasta was coated in a fragrant laksa sauce that will spice up your appetite. The laksa sauce was really hot and spicy. This dish was great for spice lovers who prefer the burning feeling that lingered in your mouth.

Here's what next.

Pulled Pork Burger ($14.80)

The baked pork belly was shredded and layered with spicy apple BBQ sauce and melted with sharp cheddar. It was served with a side of sweet potato fries. I love the sweet potato fries so much that I couldn't stopped myself from eating. Personally, I feel that the portion is huge and I definitely couldn't finish it alone. This is good to order for sharing.

Tenderloin Steak & Fries ($21.80)

The grilled Australia grass-fed beef was cooked medium rare, you can see the blood oozing out with slicing the steak. It was served together with house-cut fries.

Fatty Duck Confit ($19.80)

This is the country-style duck confit that was served with potato mashed and dark cherry sauce topping. It was mouthwatering when dipped in the cherry sauce and mashed potato, the meat was tender and tasty under the crispy skin.

After a hearty dinner, we indulged ourselves in the sweet treat - Shibuya Toast ($13.80).

The honey drizzled toast toppled with salted butter and vanilla ice-cream was heavenly delicious. The toast was crispy on the outer and fluffy on the inner. Every bite was infused with sweetness that was addictive. I want more of this.

The ladies enjoyed the dessert very much.

The happy and satisfied face of the gang after a hearty dinner. 

Thanks Bodacious Bar & Bistro for the warm hospitality of hosting us. We will definitely be back to patronise again. See you again.

Bodacious Bar & Bistro

70 Biopolis Street

Singapore 138547

Tel: 6778 9585

Operating hours:

Mon-Fri: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm 

Sat: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

Happenings in March - Food, Gathering + Black Nut Gastrobar + Singapore Bus Carnival

Wednesday 2/3/16

Lately, I enjoyed spending time with friends over a meal or gathering where we can chit-chat all day long. Met up with GF, Meryl, HP, Jas and Ryden on the mid week evening for dinner. With these brunch of friends, we always have endless topics to talk about.

We initially want to dine in at Mad for Garlic @ Suntec City Mall because they were having buy 1 get 1 free promotion on pasta or pizza. After clarifying with the staff, we discovered that the promotion was only limited to 1 free pasta or pizza and no splitting of bill allowed. That means there were 6 of us, only one pair can enjoy the promotion. Well, I guess such promotion only benefit a small group of 2 person. Remember guys, if you come across 1 for 1 or buy 1 get 1 free, do check the footnote of the promotion and clarify with the staff before ordering to prevent misinterpretation.

Since the promotion can't be used on the 6 of us, we decided to switch our dining place to Kimchi Korean Restaurant which was located along the stretch of restaurants at the same level.

We ordered kimchi pancake for sharing.

Knowing that we will be ordering side dishes for sharing, I decided to have something lighter. Jas and I opt for the glass noodle on the appetiser menu. This was quite a small portion, it was definitely not enough if just purely order this for dinner.

We ordered Yang Yeum Chicken for sharing too.

This was my favourite dish. I love the spicy sauce coated on the fried chicken. 

It was indeed a nice gathering session, I enjoyed gathering like that.

Friday 11/3/16

Yeah, it's TGIF.

I always find myself looking very forward to Friday. By Thursday, I already find my energy being fully drained out, practically feel like a walking zombie. When Friday approaches, I feel like my energy is being recharged and I can do whatever I like without worrying about any constraint. Looking forward to my well deserving weekend. Be it meeting up with friends or lazing at home.

Met JH for lunch at a Hill Street Coffeeshop.

He has become one of my regular lunch buddy, so nice to have friend working near you where you can catch up over lunch. Haven't catch up with le bff clique for a long time, now JH has become the only active one that I am meeting up with regularly.

Since the time was still early, we went to Mei Heong Yuen Dessert for sweet treat. We ordered mango roll and sweet corn shaved ice. We will be back here again to try all the other desserts, there are so many flavours of shaved ice that we want to try.

Met up with Meryl in the night for shopping at Banana Republic @ Paragon. All the pieces are so nice and some of it are my styles. Time to revamp my wardrobe to get rid of those old clothes and welcome the new.

Thursday 10/3/16

Check out the newest bar in town: Black Nut Gastrobar

Black Nut is the latest bar that opened its doors at Emerald Hill Road, where the old Alley Bar was located.

If you happen to be at Orchard Road, be sure to check out Black Nut, the newest nightlife chill out place. Black Nut is a gastrobar that served drinks like handcrafted cocktails and Asian-influenced dishes.

Kilat Kilat cocktail.

I like the cheeky name of their cocktails.

Here for the Raunchy Rojak party.

We found some retro snacks placed at every table. Seeing the retro snacks made us reminisced the old good times. These were the snacks we had when we were young.

. Black Nut is a nice place to chill out with your friends with drinks and food, a break from the usual party.

And yes, at the opening party, we immersed ourselves in the free flow of Erdinger.

I actually found myself preferring beer than vodka. So nice to chill out with a drink and chit-chat all night.

I brought GF along with me to the opening party. At the party, we bumped into a couple of our friends. Party are always more fun with more party goers.

Guess who we met outside?

I met the handsome Thai-American actor, Utt Panichkul. He was really friendly and approaching, we enjoyed mingling around with him.

I guessed you are all familiar with him right?

He was the VJ for MTV Asia. 

GF and I took a photo with Utt at the photo booth. 

Lately, GF introduced me a Thai drama - Full House Thai, where Utt participated in the drama too. Wow, I'm gonna watch it soon. 

Took a group photo with William and his friends too.

The bar has a retrolicious ambience that made us feel at eased.

Resumed our drinking and listening to pop music. The bar was playing 'Watch Me Whip' all night long.

Black Nut is located at 2 Emerald Hill Road.

They open daily. Just pop by between 5pm to 2am for dinner or drinks.

Saturday 12/3/16

Over the weekend, Singapore Bus Carnival was held at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza organised by Land Transport Authority. Decided to check out the carnival with my 2 lovelies.

At the carnival, it showcased the Past, Present and Future of the Singapore Public Bus industry.

This year marks a brand new chapter for the Singapore public bus industry as they will be transiting to a new contracting model. With bus contracting, the commuters can expect more reliable services, shorter waiting times and more comfortable rides.

On board one of the new concept buses where every seat comes with a headrest and power charging point. Not only that, the new initiatives for double decker bus includes a 2 way staircase where riders can go up via first staircase and come down via the staircase behind. In such way, it will not block the way of people going up or down. There is also a third doors right at the back of the bus for people sitting at the back or coming down for the staircase to alight.

With Jasmine and GF. Thanks Jasmine for the photo.

Step back in time as we headed into the Past Zone.

The bus behind us was the non-aircon older days bus. That was a vintage bus straight from the 1960s.

Do you still remember these transit link cards we used in the 1990s.

I remembered that when I boarded the bus, we have to insert this transit link card into the card reader, I always pressed the first button regardless the distance I traveled. 

The past zone will take you back in time to experience and learn how our bus infrastructure has changed.

The weather nowadays was so hot, we went for some desserts after that. 

This is how I spent my Saturday, reminiscing the old good times.