Happenings in September - Kafe UTU + Family Time

Friday 3/9/21

I always look forward to Friday because it is the start of weekend, time to relax from work and discover new gems for a good meal. Instead of having the usual Western food, I suggested to try out something unique, African food, at Kafe UTU.

Kafe UTU is an African café and lounge, one of the shophouses located at Jiak Chuan Road that offers diverse flavors and dishes. 

All the furnishings were imported from Africa to retain the authentic African feel. 

Since we can't visit Africa right now, coming to Kafe Utu will be the nearest option we can have to experience Africa taste in Singapore.

I decided to go for the safest choice which is the breakfast set consisting of chapati, poached egg, avocodo, sliced chicken and tomato. It came with a spice dipping sauce that made the food tasted aromatic when coated with the spice. Just one downside, the chicken was very salty.

We tried Pastry Nakupenda for dessert, where Kenyan Donut was topped with Soft Serve. The soft serve of the day was Mocha flavour. The swirls of mocha ice cream brought out a light coffee scent and bitter notes from the mocha. Remember to consume quick because the ice cream melted fast.

Saturday 11/9/21

Weekend is always the time for a great meal, especially when it was Grandma's birthday. With only 5 visitors allowed, we had a mini celebration at home just like last year.

Uncle brought us Fuzhou Oyster Cake, it was stuffed a generous chunks of minced meat, prawn, vegetables and deep fried to perfection. It was very oily, by the time I finished the whole cake, the whole paper bag was soaked with oil. Definitely not something to take regularly.

Though sis Vivien couldn't join us for the celebration (quota hit), she has ordered a Mao Shan Wang Durian Cake delivered by Golden Moments. Thanks sis for the cake.

Happy birthday, grandma. May you continue to stay healthy and strong.

We had a 4 generation gathering with Mia being the only representative of the 4th generation while I'm the only representative of the 3rd generation.

Sunday 12/9/21

My Sunday afternoon was spent playing with the kids, we have so much fun playing with just a balloon.

That's all for update.

Dining with Lush Greenery: Riders Cafe + Canopy HortPark

If you are lucky and get the balcony seat, you can get the direct view of the horse stable and catch the horses in action at Bukit Timah Saddle Club. Riders Cafe definitely provide us an escape from the urban life and back to nature.

We didn't get the balcony seat because it was fully occupied, but the ambience was still chilling and relaxing with the indoor seat. Being located in a secluded corner, the pace seemed slower when we spent our afternoon here eating heartily.

The Garlic & Parmesan Chicken Wings were well seasoned and has a very crunchy batter which was so addictive.

It has been such a long time since I last had Grilled Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas, this was perfect where each ingredient of the quesadillas tasted so perfectly when came together, especially the melted cheese which gave a depth to the bursting flavour. 

We were lucky to spot a horse in action on road - 马路.

Since the time was still early, we decided to visit HortPark to burn off our calories and dessert fix.

It has been a few years since I last visited HortPark, I am still charm by its beauty. Being close to the nature is just so charming. HortPark is located at the southwestern part of Singapore, which is not too far from the city yet shine away from the hustle and bustle city.

HortPark is surrounded by a sea of greenery, a place that provides relaxation and serenity. A great place for walk while admiring the nature.

We went Canopy HortPark to rest for tea break. I actually prefer this outlet than the one at Bishan because we can see the lush greenery when we looked out at the window, unlike the one at Bishan. It was also more cozy over here.

A glass of Cranberry Juice to ease my thirst.

I had Apple Crumble with Vanilla Gelato which was one of the best apple crumble that I have tried. The apple crumble has a crunchy exterior and very fragrant, the tartness of the apple was being balanced out by the vanilla gelato.

Time for a trail after the dessert. I was feeling exhausted after the long walk, partially because I find it hard to breathe with the mask on and also under the sun. 

Henderson Wave

Back at Mount Faber Peak, we walked around the park to get up close with the nature and immerse in the surroundings.

There are several viewing points at Mount Faber Peak where different spots offer various sides of the southern part of Singapore. Here is the spot overlooking the nearby housing estates and CBD in the far end of the background.

Just 20 minutes trail walk away from Mount Faber Peak is Henderson Wave, the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore.

One of the best spots in Singapore for panoramic view of our residential neighourhood, away from the hustle and bustle of city. It was very peaceful just spending time gazing at the scenery surrounded by greenery and enjoying the serenity. 

Appreciate to be in the outdoor after staying at home for so long, to be able to see the lush rainforest scenery and a glimpse of residential life at the Southern Singapore, a great way to burn off our calories while enjoying. Just that we can't breath in the fresh air with our mask on.

Be sure to check out the toilet at Mount Faber Peak because it offers a spectacular view of HarbourFront and even Resorts World Sentosa.

The staff told us that Dusk Signature Prawn Capellini is one of the popular dishes here, hence I decided to try it. The Sauteed Angel Hair Pasta and Tiger Prawns were tossed with Lobster Infused Oil. 

We finished off the meal with Classic Baked Alaska which consists of trio-layered ice cream and Meringue.

The night view of Mount Faber Peak. It looked totally different from the day, it was as though the city has come alive at night with the lighting from different buildings being illuminated.

Eat At Taipei at Kallang Wave Mall

Taiwanese cuisine always has the ability to capture my attention with their simple and delicious food. We went Eat At Taipei at Kallang Wave Mall for lunch to satisfy my cravings. 

Eat At Taipei 吃在台北 is a modern and casual dining that features Taiwanese street delicacies with trendy desserts. You can easily spot Eat At Taipei from their eye-catching signboard and vibrant interior.

The signages featured all the Taiwanese street food that I missed. Taiwan is a country that I will want to revisit again in future. For now, it will be food hunt in Singapore to satisfy my Taiwanese food cravings.

Matcha Fresh Milk ($6.90++) to eat my thirst. The appearance of the drink may looked plain but it was flavoursome where the matcha and fresh milk paired well together and coupled with the chewy pearls.

I had Egg Fried Rice with Chicken Chop ($9.90++) which was pretty decent for the price paid.

Golden Chicken Fritters ($7.90++) is a must order for me whenever I had Taiwanese food. I love the bite size chicken cubes that were crispy and well seasoned. They were flavourful that no dipping sauce was required.

It was a nice lunch over at Eat At Taipei, I love the ambience and food. It was nice to have lunch here on a weekday because there was lesser crowds.

Geylang River is just behind the mall, this place offers a leisure vibe that allows me to soak in the scenery of the surrounding. 

I worked too hard the last two years, I am learning to slow down my pace. Not being able to travel also make me appreciate my hometown better.

Dining at

Complimentary Bread to start off the meal while waiting for our food. Spread the bread with the slab of butter before eating.

The place was so awesome that we wish to spend long hours here, so we decided to order Fries with Garlic Ketchup to savour the food and soaked in the atmosphere.

Hilltop View Dining at Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro

Nestled in the tranquillity of Mount Faber Peak with panoramic views of cable cars, lush greenery and overlooking the sea view of Keppel, Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro is the place for us to unwind ourselves after a week of hard work and escape from the busy city.

Mount Faber Peak offers an beautiful view of the hilltop at 100m above sea level, the feeling is incredible while looking at the city from above. Scenery like this makes me realise I have neglected the beauty of Singapore. Not being able to travel is not that bad after all, it gives me the chance to explore and appreciate my hometown, discover unique places and hidden gems.

Before entering the restaurant, we took a few minutes to admire the uninterrupted scenery and the unspoken peace at Arbora's public walkway. I always love gazing at sea view because it has the ability to take away my worries, allowing me to relax and empty my mind.

Watching the sun was slowly set down and soaking up in the view, the sky seemed to be putting up a show with different gradience of lines forming around the sun.

One of my favourite moment of the day is sunset because it also means end work time and enjoy the day (though it is not the case when working from home).  

Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro is definitely worth a visit, watching the sunset over a majestic view. It was so enjoyable looking at the scenery from the hilltop because we can see for miles till the horizon.

Ready to proceed to the restaurant, Arbora offers a wide range of menu including Western and Asian delights and has a homely ambience. A little pity that we did not get the seat closer to the edge where you will enjoy the view.

I had Bacon Carbonara where the spaghetti was tossed together with bacon, mushroom, cream sauce and topped with sous-vide egg. I broke the egg apart so that the egg yolk will ooze out and mix it with the other ingredients so that the taste will be better. The spaghetti was cooked al dente and earthy scent of the mushroom ignited the taste buds. 

I had Matcha Latte which came with a small cup of sugar syrup. To my shock, there were two big ants floating in the small cup of sugar syrup and I immediately requested for a change.

The city lighted up with lights once the night creep in, creating another beautiful scenes of Mount Faber.

Arbora Hilltop Garden & Bistro

109 Mount Faber Rd, Faber Peak, Singapore 099203