Happenings in January - Bio Essence Bio-Gold 24K Gold Water + Chinese New Year 2020

Wednesday 1/1/20

Happy 2020 to everyone. It's the start of a brand new year, I am going to embrace the new year with an open heart, try my best to overcome any challenges along the way and appreciate the surrounding more. The incident last year indeed make me look at things differently. 

Festive season is always the best time to meet up with friends because the holiday gives us a perfect reason to do so.

Met up with W for lunch at The Manhattan FISH MARKET @ Plaza Singapura. I had Grilled Glory Dory with Rice ($13.90++). The dory fish was grilled perfectly to bring out the sweet juicy meat.

It has been more than half a year since I last watched a movie in cinema theatre. I wanted to watch Jumanji: The Next Level and we went to catch a movie after our lunch. 

A team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own but discover that nothing is as they expect because the game has changed. The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world's most dangerous game.

The movie is really exciting and humorous, creating lots of laughter throughout the movie.

I recently gotten a new skincare product to share with you. Bio-Essence 24K Bio-Gold Water has a sophisticated exterior with its bottle filled with superior gold flakes, that is what that attracted me to this product in the first glance. 

Though the texture is thicker than the toner, the absorption of bio-gold water into the skin is fast and no sticky feeling left behind. It also gives a pleasant scent and smooth touch to our skin after application. Bio-Essence 24K Bio-Gold Water is a product that targets at many concerns we may have like skin’s firmness, elasticity, hydration and radiance. One key target concern that I always look for in skincare products is hydration and Bio-Essence 24K Bio-Gold Water delivers this result. 

My skin has visibly brightened up after using it for a week, my skin now looked glowy, supple and lesser breakout. I feel so happy that my skin condition is getting better.

Saturday 4/1/20

We went Sum Kee for dinner because the bro is treating us and he suggested this Tze Char Restaurant. 

Here were some of the dishes we had.

My family is a big love of zi char fare as they only like to eat Chinese food. We ordered Hot Plaza Tofu, Chicken with Thai Chili Sauce, Sambal Kang Kong and Omelette. These zi char dishes offers a taste of home, perhaps this is the reason why it attracted my folks because they love comfort food. 

Tuesday 7/1/20

These 2 months I have been actively heading to salon when I have time to spare to go for scalp treatment to deep cleanse my hair and remove impurities that can't be cleanse for normal shampoo. 

This time round, I tried a new hair salon because the treatment at the current salon was charging at a high cost and the staff are super high selling, which is something I hate. So I'm not going back to that hair salon again. This hair salon applied masque at my scalp and steamed in for 15-20 minutes before washing off. I like their service and the cost is reasonable ($55), most importantly, there is no hard selling. 

Wednesday 8/1/20

I decided to have something new when dining at Aston. Normally I will order mash potato and onion rings for my side dishes. This time round, I have a change. I tried out cold pasta and french fries for my side dishes. It was not too bad.

Saturday 11/1/20

I always feel happy receiving overseas souvenir from friends because it means they think of you during their overseas trip. I met up with BQ who just came back from Bangkok. We decided to meet up at Cineleisure for lunch as the place is less crowded and I suggested Collin's.

Since I had a late breakfast, I opt for something light for lunch. I had Crispy Chicken Fillet with Skinny Cajun Fries ($8++) and Milk Tea ($5++). The chicken fillet was meaty and the fries were flavourful. The milk tea on the other hand was light and not too sweet.

Another agenda of our meet up today was to have ice cream. Hence, we walked to Ion Orchard for our dessert fix at Häagen-Dazs.

I had Brownie with Pistachio ice cream ($10.80). The ice cream was smooth and complemented well with brownie. The nuts on the brownie added crunch to the texture of every bite.

Thanks BQ for getting me the Thai Milk Tea from Bangkok. My cravings for food indulgence was satisfied.

Wednesday 15/1/20

I was back to Swensen's @ Plaza Singapura with G and MI. My last visit here was the day of my accident 4 months ago.

I had Carbonara ($12.50++) for lunch. The pasta was tossed with eggy cream sauce,  turkey ham, Shiitake mushrooms and crowned with Parmesan cheese and crisp turkey bacon bits. The pasta was cooked al dente and smooth. Towards the end, it made me feel a little greasy because of the rich cream sauce.

Friday 17/1/20

Little Teddie came over for a visit, she looked so cute. She was crying on and off, we tried different ways to pacify her and one effective way was to let her watch kid videos. 

Friday 24/1/20

Finally we have reached Friday, a half day work for us because it was Chinese New Year (CNY) eve. I ended work at about 12.50pm and made my way to Chinatown Point to meet GF for her birthday lunch at Otoko Ramen.

I had Karaage Don ($11.90++) where the fried chicken was drizzled with special chilli sauce and soft boiled egg served with rice. Big chunks of fried chicken was sitting on top and covering up the rice.

We had a good 2 hours lunch gathering. It was such a rare occasion for me to spend time with GF on her actual birthday because she always spend her birthday overseas. Because her birthday this year falls on CNY, hence she was here in town. Hope you enjoy the birthday lunch.

The time was 3pm and we were ready to part for our reunion dinner. 

Grandma was carrying baby Feelyn in her arm.

I haven't seen Xin Ru for awhile since she has grown up a little, coming to 2 years old this year. She was shy and sat quietly at one corner in the living room when she first came. But once she came into the room, she started to join the other kids and having fun.

Saturday 25/1/20

Happy CNY, we have started the zodiac sign cycle again to Rat.

Aiden has finally warmed up and wanted to play. This yellow pong pong was enough for him to be self entertain.

We ordered the catering this year from Stamford Catering. The amount of food was too much and we could not finish the food. We also invited our neighbours to join us for the feast. CNY is all about gathering and feasting together.

Time for my first lo hei of the year. This year, the kids took the center stage for lo hei. Why do they need to huat leh?

The end product. 

I didn't took much photos today but I was busy entertaining all the kids. I have to admit that I have aged, I get easily exhausted these days.

Thursday 30/1/20

Here comes my second lo hei with my section in office. I enjoyed having the raw salmon and the golden cracker.

The lo hei was accompanied with good food for lunch. The catering had all my favourite food, it was enjoyable but it would have tasted better if the food was not so salty.

Good bye, January. 

Celebrating Chinese New Year with Bak Kwa Delivery

With Chinese New Year (CNY) approaching in just 2 weeks time, I'm sure many of us are now preparing for the festive to arrive. One of the must have items is definitely the sweet and smoky bak kwa.

Since Bak Kwa is an essential snack to have during CNY, the queues at the Bak Kwa stores can get really long during peak seasons. If you don’t fancy queueing for hours to get these delicious Bak Kwa just like me, another alternative is to order from Bak Kwa Delivery and have the Bak Kwa deliver to your door step within 2 hours in airsealed pack.

I like that Bak Kwa Delivery uses the freshest ingredients and a unique blend of marinates to roast the Bak Kwa using traditional methods (Charcoal roasted and bamboo sieved), ensuring the high quality output. The traditional recipe was passed down through generations.

The end result is a tender and juicy Bak Kwa with slightly charred edges. The robust and smoky flavour makes a succulent bak kwa.

The Bak Kwa they produced is grilled over low-heat charcoal hardwood which creates a smoky flavour into the meat. The caramelisation of the pork jerky gave it's distinct colour brown.

Though Bak Kwa Delivery only launched in 2019, their Bak Kwa already won the heart of my family. The Bak Kwa are delectable and has equal standard as the Bak Kwa out in the market, or even better because we can celebrate the festive occasion in the comfort of our home with the takeaway Bak Kwa treats.

As Bak Kwa Delivery is still relatively new and customers may want to try out the bak kwa before buying, they welcome customers to their shop at Wing Fong Building to taste the bak kwa for free.

Traditional Sliced Pork Bak Kwa (1kg) is selling at S$55.90. Once your order is placed, delivery will be in 2 hours time. If your order is more than $200, delivery fee is free of charge. Otherwise, shipping fee is $12.90. 

Delivery time slots are as follows: 

Time Slot 1: 6-8pm 

Time Slot 2: 7-9pm 

Time Slot 3: 8-10pm

Thanks Bak Kwa Delivery for sending me this original flavour Sliced Pork Bak Kwa which my family loves very much.

For ordering, please visit https://bakkwadelivery.sg/

Happenings in February - CNY Celebration + Atopalm Real Barrier Extreme Cream + Derek Fireside Chat & Screening

Sunday 17/2/19

I went to my uncle's place in the early evening at 5pm to celebrate my niece's, Verrie, first birthday. She ranked number 7 in her generation. Omg, I already have 7 nephews and nieces.

We were one of the first few to reach, hence we started dinner early to avoid the crowds.

My fourth lo hei. 

Instead of salmon, my uncle added abalone. We kept aiming for the abalone.

My cousin and cousin-in-law have prepared some cookies for the guests to take home. The cookies were so cute and delicious.

Tuesday 19/2/19

Today was Yuan Xiao Jie (元宵节) which was the last day of our lunar new year. I headed up to my uncle's house after work to have steamboat dinner together.

We managed to reach just in time for the steamboat.

We ended the Chinese New Year with another family reunion dinner. It's not easy for us to gather at the same table for a meal because of our different work schedule and CNY gave us a reason to do so.

We were also treated to our very own talented lion dance troupe lead by Aiden.

Throughout my time at the house, half of the time he was holding on to the lion's head.

Time to dig in. We have steamboat with grill, best of both world.

The meat was so much nicer when grill, it brought out the flavour.

Mummy bought chicken wings from hawker centre to add to the dishes. The chicken wings were fried to golden brown and very addictive. We ate until so full. After the dinner, we went to play with the kids. Aiden and Amber were so happy playing the balloon game we designed.

Wednesday 20/2/19

I met up with GF for dinner after our work, it's been more than a month since we last met. She recommended Flaming Don @ Bugis+. It was also my first time trying out this Japanese eatery. I am always searching for food eateries with good deals, I'm glad to find one that serves delicious food at price reasonable.

I have the Signature Flaming Chicken Don ($10.90+). Every piece of teriyaki chicken was savoury because of the sauce coated on it. I top up another $1.99+ to opt for free flow hot tea and soup.

It was my little dinner treat to GF for her belated birthday.

We did not stayed out too late as GF is flying to Hong Kong the next day and have to go home early for preparation. Have an enjoyable trip.

Thursday 21/2/19

It is my first time using ATOPALM Real Barrier’s product and I love it immediately. I have started including Real Barrier Extreme Cream into my skincare regime.

I applied it twice a day, a small amount is sufficient for the entire face. The cream is effective in providing long lasting moisture and repair damaged skin barrier.

The cream is rich in texture but does not feel greasy. I like it that it comes with a refreshing scent that give me a fresh feel after application. I noticed that my skin has become more suppled and hydrated, giving my skin a healthier glow with each passing day. The extreme cream is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin too.

Saturday 23/2/19

We don't usually cook dinner on Saturday, so we either eat out or tabao dinner back. Today mummy suggested to eat out at our new favourite zi char stall.

We always ordered the same few dishes with the exception of Prawn Paste Chicken which was our first time trying. The skin was fried till crispy good and crunchy.

I love the Curry Fish Head which comes with thick milky curry. We always ordered this without fail. I foresee this zi char stall will be a place we come back regularly for dinner.

Thursday 28/2/19

Meeting up with friends after work is always a joyful affair to me. I met up with Linda after work to attend Derek screening at SCAPE. During the screening, we have the opportunity to watch 3 episodes of DEREK- Code of Law Spin-Off which is showing on Toggle.

While watching the screening, we were treated to juice, hotdog bun, popcorn and ice cream. I gotten sea salt matcha flavour. The combination of salty matcha ice cream left a deep impression in the taste and I enjoyed it.

The cast, Desmond Tan and Cheryl Tan together with director Lee Thean-jeen were here with us for the intimate fireside chat and screening. 

Synopsis

Derek Ho, Singapore's first serial killer, has been sentenced to death. As he awaits his fate in prison, a team of top psychologists led by Dr Daniel De Silva is assembled to interview him. But Derek refuses to speak to any of them. Dr De Silva calls upon a young protégé of his, Dr Winnie Low, to help him break through to Derek.

Desmond Tan was sharing with us about his thoughts of the show.

The last scene left a deep impression in us because Desmond Tan bared his butts at one of the scenes.

We have another round of ice cream. This time round, I took hazelnut ice cream. 

A photo opportunity with Desmond Tan and Cheryl Tan. 

They are very friendly in person. Look forward to see more of their acting. I am going to continue watching this drama in Toggle, there are a total of 6 episodes.

After the screening has ended, Linda and I went to McDonald to continue our catch up. I enjoyed our time hanging out together, we have so much things to chat about that an hour has passed without us knowing. 

That's all for my February update.