TheShiokBook media launch @ The Laneway Market

Attended the launch of TheShiokBook at The Laneway Market recently. The café has a clean, muji-feel to it, and beautifully decorated with babybreaths. 

I love the place pretty much that we stayed for quite a while even after the event has ended, haha.

The Laneway Market

266 Tanjong Katong Road Singapore 437053

Tel:

67198832

Operating Hours:

4pm to 9.30pm Tuesday

  11am to 9.30pm Wednesday to Friday

  10am to 9.30pm Saturday & Sunday

  Close on Monday

Website:

http://thelanewaymarket.com

Enjoyed the reception by TheShiokBook team!

*http://michhysaurous.blogspot.sg/

Now, TheShiokBook is a dining guide which offers either 1-for-1 deals, or 25% off the total bill at popular dining places in Singapore. There are more than 60 different partnering merchants with some popular hideouts such as Siam Society, and I Am Cafe. And The Laneway Market too! :) 

TheShiokBook can be purchased here at $45 each.

What I like most about TheShiokBook is their corporate initiative to give back to the society. TheShiokBook has collaborated with 3 charities (mainly), Singapore Cancer Society, Assisi Hospice and Ronald McDonald House – For every book purchased from the website, S$10 will be donated to either of these charity organization of the buyer’s preference. What a perfect win-win plan! 

Now, it's your turn to help them give back to society and enjoy the great deals with friends! :)

Velvet Confectionery - Cake Tasting / Review

Had chance to meet up with the ladies (Mia, Janel, and Andrea) for cakes few weekends back! We were hosted by Velvet Confectionery, located Robertson Quay, Watermark Condominium. The previous time I visited, it was Bridger’s Cafe.

Now that Velvet Confectionery has took over the shop front, this space remains unpretentious with both indoor, and alfresco seating by the river.

credits: molly-mia 

Let’s start with our favourite of the lot!

Nutella Cheesecake

credits: molly-mia 

Not sure if it’s psychological, but I find the cake tasting more like Ferrero rocher than Nutella, haha! The cheesecake is perfectly soft and creamy, complemented well by a crusty cookie base that hints of caramel. This was the favourite of ALL of us!

Carrot Cake

I don’t usually crave for carrot cakes for desserts because just like Mia, I tend to imagine them as savoury treats too. Lol. But the carrot cake at Velvet Confectionery is definitely far from being savoury! Being one of their best sellers, the carrot cake is pretty moist and loaded with crunchy goodies such as raisins, walnuts, and of cos, carrot bits. The cinnamon flavour is minimal, which is a good thing for me personally. 

Red Velvet Swirl Brownie

credits: molly-mia 

Fudge brownie, topped with an equally thick layer of cream cheese. Certainly for the sweet tooth.


Lemon Olive Oil Yoghurt Loaf

This cake is made without butter, but with olive oil instead. Hence the texture tends to be more crumbly. The taste is pretty light overall, with just a slight hint of lemon.

Devilish Chocolate Cupcake

credits: molly-mia 

The cake itself is quite soft and fluffy, with just the right amount of chocolate flavour. With the creamy chocolate icing on it, it is the perfect one to with your afternoon tea.

Blue Velvet Cupcake

credits: molly-mia 

If you have tried various red velvet cakes already, why not order a blue velvet for a change? :) 

***

For the month of July, Velvet Confectionery is having a promotion. All you have to do is to follow them on Instagram (@velvetconfectionery) and quote "MollyMia" to enjoy your choice of cake with a cup of hot coffee (latte or cappuccino) or hot tea for just $10 on weekdays.

credits: molly-mia 

Velvet Confectionery

Watermark @ Robertson Quay

7 Rodyk Street #01-30

Operating Hours 

10.30am til 6.30pm Daily

Closed on Tuesdays

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/velvetconfectionery

Instagram

@velvetconfectionery

Swensen’s Mothers' Day Heart of Youth Cake - With Giveaway!

Ladies no longer need much persuasion to eat cakes with this unique creation by Swensen's!

The Heart of Youth cake is a symbol of love that not only tastes decadent with its winning flavor blend of Vanilla with Chocolate Fudge chunks, for it comes infused with a healthy dose of Marine Collagen as well. But, don't worry! It didn't taste anything "fishy" at all :)
This natural supplement is renowned worldwide for its myriad of anti-aging benefits. Collagen makes up one-third of proteins in the body, and functions to upkeep healthy skin and strong bones through active regeneration.

 

Thus, this Mother’s Day, send love and a cherished ode to your mother’s health with Swensen’s Heart of Youth cake infused with Marine Collagen.

Beautifully encased in pink piping jelly with a pearl cream outline, the heart-shaped cake comes complete with a delicate adornment of intricate sugar flowers and a white chocolate crown as a perfect symbolic creation of affection for your beloved mother. As collagen production decreases with age, the Heart of Youth cake keeps your mom’s woes at bay as she tucks into the saccharine invention that boasts innate anti-ageing goodness.



Heart of Youth is priced at $51 (excluding GST) and no advanced ordering is required. Available at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets from 23rd April to 10th May 2015 (while stocks last).


GIVEAWAY! :)

Win a Heart of Youth cake (worth $51) simply by doing the following:

1. Follow @SwensensSingapore on Instagram.

2. Follow @OYHZ on Instagram and tag 2 friends with your email address in a comment on any of the Heart of Youth cake photo.

Giveaway is open to all Singapore residents, until 3 May, 23:59 (Singapore time). Winner will be contacted via email soon after.

Good luck and have a happy Mothers' Day! :)

Taipei Day 2 - National Palace Museum; Soka Center; Jay Chou Deja Vu Restaurant

Started off day 2 with the Taiwan National Palace Museum and Taiwan Soka Association headquarters building, Zhi Shan Culture Center.


Taiwan National Palace Museum

Take the MRT Danshui Line (red line) to the Shilin Station and change to bus R30 to the National Palace Museum. Other routes that will take you to and near the Museum plaza are buses 255, 304, 815, Minibus 18 and Minibus 19.

We took bus 255 because we wanted to visit the Taiwan Soka Association headquarters building nearby at the same time.

Bus 255 stops right outside Zhi Shan Cultural Center (opposite National Palace Museum), super convenient!

How the bus looks like:




Taiwan Soka Association (TSA)
TSA Zhi Shan Culture Center

No. 250, Zhi Shan Road, Section 2
Shihlin District, Taipei,
Taiwan 111

Tel: 
886-2-2888-1777

Fax: 
886-2-2888-1788





There was an calligraphy & painting exhibition by Lee Yih-Hong 李義弘 when we visited the cultural center.



Here's him:


You may refer to his works and bibliography here.

In the exhibition hall above, there was a collaboration project by the national palace museum and various museums of the world showing the history and evolution of arts, and raising awareness on the museums in the world.





Looking through a summary of the evolution of paintings.
As we walked 'through' the timeline, we can see that paintings get more colourful and at the same time, more complex. It's probably in-line with how the world has developed overall over the centuries.



Arts reference books for you to delve deeper.





Us in a photo in a photo :)



The TSA office which is a few steps away from Zhi Shan Cultural Center.
We went to make zaimu and bought souvenirs back for Singapore members & friends :)







Moving on, we crossed the road to the National Palace Museum!

National Palace Museum

No.221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd., Shilin Dist.
Taipei City 11143, Taiwan (R.O.C.) .

Opening hours:
Daily from 08:30 to 18:30 all year round.

Admission ticket price:
TWD250 per person
TWD150 for students with valid international student ID or Youth Travel Card

For more details on hours & ticket prices, click HERE.

Do note that photography is not allowed in the palace museum.
All photography equipments, coats and luggages will be requested to be deposited at the checkroom.

Familiar group? Haven't seen them in Singapore for quite some time.



A cute kitty store we passed by.
Full of kitty merchandises!





By the time we ended our tours at the soka center/national palace museum, it was way past noon!
Thus we decided to go for high tea at Jay Chou's Deja Vu Restaurant.


Jay Chou's Deja Vu Restaurant

No.1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei city 100
台北市八德路一段一號  華山1914文創園區  中四A館 

Phone:
02-2396-8296

Hours:
12 pm- 12 am

Website:
www.deja-vu.com.tw

Email:
service@deja-vu.com.tw

Nearest station: 
Zhongxiao Xinsheng station 忠孝新生站

The restaurant is hidden within Hua Shan Creative Park (文創園區). Take the Blue Line towards Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and alight at Zhongxiao Xinsheng station. It's merely 2-3 stops away from Ximending/Taipei Main station area.
From Zhongxiao Xinsheng station, take a 10-15mins stroll towards Hua Shan Creative Park and you'll find Deja Vu Restaurant quite easily once you walk into the park.

The fine dining restaurant is a joint venture between 2 Taiwan celebrities Jay Chou 周杰伦 and Liu Qian 刘谦 and thus, ta-dah! You get a magic-theme restaurant.
Besides various items and props used by Liu Qian in his magic previously, Jay Chou fans will scream at the antique piano and the Batmobile which was featured in his 'Superman Can't Fly' and 'Super Sports Goddess' MVs.
I love the feel of this restaurant totally!

We had fresh orange juice (TWD160) and coffee latte (TWD80).

The tea sets are available at TWD580+ per tray, each tray serves two persons.
There was a selection of sweet and savoury treats respectively on the first and second tier, and fresh fruit platter on the bottom tier of the tray.

The tiramisu and cheesecakes were pretty good!
I had two servings of the cheesecake without feeling jerlat afterwards :)

Next up would be Wufenpu and Raohe Night market!

***

Taipei Day 1 - Kuo Kuang Express Bus & InHouse Hotel

Taipei Day 1 - Ding Tai Fung, Taipei 101, Ximending & Modern Toilet

Taipei Day 2 - National Palace Museum, Taiwan Soka Center, Jay Chou Deja Vu Restaurant

Taipei Day 2 - Wufenpu & Raohe Night Market