StagelookNails - Halloween!

Did my nails at Stagelooknails recently in preparation for the upcoming Halloween!
If you’re afraid that Halloween nails are too “over” for school or offices, fret not as Lynn from Stagelooknails will excellently cater the overall effect to suit your needs :)

We decided to go for a more whimsy theme, in mainly orange/black/white shades. No zombies or bloody images for me, but more of artsy, creepy scenes with almost adorable-looking Caspers to join in the fun! 

 

As orange will form the main and base color and I had informed her of my full-time occupation, she showed me the option of a more muted shade of orange which is orangey yet not too loud (think dark carrots)! That way, I can have cute nails without appearing too flamboyant or teenagey at work.

 

 

Lynn is not only fashion-forward with her creative nail designs, she is also one of the most efficient and meticulous manicurist I’ve met. This whole set of halloween nails with nail art drawings, acrylic add-ons and bling blings was completed in less than 90mins! And the finishing look was perfect - she has totally nailed it!

 

(I remember spending more than two hours doing a much simpler set of nails at another nail parlour before, that was a torture really.)

Her nail parlour is located in the west, just about 200m from the Gombak MRT station.
Along the way, you can also find cafe Beans & Cream – ice-cream + manicure = great itinerary for a girls night-out!

***

StagelookNails

347 Bukit Batok St 34
#01-268

Contact number
92201355

***

Hello Kitty lovers will squeal in delight once they step into her nail parlour.
I like it because of the various shades of pink that screams girly (which further supports the idea of a girls night out mentioned above). The whole place was cosy with furry hearth rugs and comfy sofa arm chairs.

With such good services and skills, Lynn does not charge exorbitant rates for her services.
In fact, her nail service charges are pretty reasonable and inexpensive to say!

Here is the list of services and rates:

Classic manicure $15
Classic Pedicure $25

Gelish

Express manicure $25
Express pedicure $35
Classic manicure $38
Classic pedicure $50

Waxing
Arms $20
Half leg $25
Full leg $30

Lynn also does mobile services with flat transportation fees at $20 for locations in the West and $30 for all others.
Guys can also enjoy the same nail services available, and prices remain likewise!

Book your appointment with Lynn Chong today at 92201355.
And before I forget, quote OYHZ or Hui Zi for 10% off! :)

x

Wan He Lou Restaurant @ Maude Road

If you love lobster porridge, which is so hard to find in Singapore, you would be delighted to know that there is an award-winning lobster porridge at Wan He Lou Restaurant, conveniently located at Eastern-Central part of Singapore - Maude Road.

Thanks to MollyMia, I went with the M&Ms to savour the famous lobster porridge at Wan He Lou Restaurant one weekend!

Wan He Lou Restaurant

65 Maude Road

Opening Hours

Daily: 11:00 - 14:30

Daily: 17:00 - 22:30

Contact Number

+65 62948057

Website

http://www.wanhelou.com/

Parking is readily available right opposite the restaurant by per-entry fees for weekday evenings and weekends.

For non-drivers, you can take the public transport to either Lavender station or Farrer Park station, and the restaurant just within 10-15 mins by foot! Good for a walk after meal :)



Being excited, we reached super early, before the official opening hours lol.

Being a Chinese restaurant, the interior decor is of Eastern Asia tone needless to say. The huge hanging lanterns adds on to the Oriental characteristic, without taking up unnecessary space for more tables and seats!

Signature Lobster Porridge (招牌龙虾粥) $29.90 onwards

The story of the award-winning lobster porridge began with Chef Lau, an avid diver, out on a routine leisure trip with his friends when he caught a lobster and decided to cook it for dinner. As they were on an isolated island, he could only find rice from the locals so he decided to make porridge using seawater and the lobster. The fresh sea flavours of the lobster worked so well with the porridge that Chef Dee continued to experiment and refine the dish after he had gone home.

That was how 萬合樓 (Wàn Hé Lóu) signature dish - the award winning Lobster Porridge was born. This is but one of many delectable dishes created by culinary ingenuity of Chef Lau. Besides Chef Lau's other awards and achievement, this particular dish had won the top prize at a culinary event which was part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.



The lobsters were scooped up for each individual once the dish is served to prevent the lobsters from overcooking in the piping hot porridge.
Having tried this some time back, the porridge is exactly what I remembered it to be!
Fresh, flavorful soup with loose rice grains, and delectable lobster halves. The flavor of the lobster broth/soup is intensified with lobster roe, not just any concentrated stock, giving us a bona fide lobster broth experience.

Serving of the lobsters is also quite generous - prices go by number of lobster halves, not by weight! :)
Also, the lobsters are perfectly cooked with the flesh remaining tender and springy to bite.

Gonna bring my family back again to enjoy it once more!



On a side note, I like how the dishes come in two sizes - small and large - to cater to smaller groups so that we can relish more variety of food by ordering smaller portions each!

Pan Fried Kurobuta Pork $14.90 / $26.90

Also commonly known as 黑豚肉. Kurobuta is the Japanese name for Black Pork.
This premium pork is done well, tender and juicy with Wan He Lou's special sauce.

The dish was polished off pretty fast and I grabbed the last piece of meat despite the fact that I'm not a pork-lover (can even say I quite hate the taste of pork). Shows how good it is! :)

Green Dragon Vegetable with Dried Shrimps $9.90 / $17.90

This is the next best dish we had, after the lobster porridge and kurobuta pork.

As simple as it may look, I just can't put in words how GOOD it taste! The vegetable is so fresh and crunchy, done with dried shrimps which makes it really tasty and aromatic.

Many of us have not heard of this vegetable before and the owner gladly enlightened us that it is a variation of chives (though it taste nothing like chives) and is in fact, "creme of the crop" quite literally:

The farmer lets his chives grow for six weeks before chopping off the top half of the leaves to be used as mulch and fertiliser. He then covers the remaining chives with a thick nylon netting for 10 days in a process known as blanching before harvesting them. Limiting sunlight made the chives more tender and delicious as they contained less fibre.

The vegetables can be prepared in alternative styles, such as sauteed with chopped garlic, sambal belacan, spicy bean paste, or anchovies just to name a few!

Crispy Lotus with Salted Egg $11.90 / $19.90

I'm sure we are all familiar with lotus root in soups and salted egg yolk in liu sha pao. Combine the both together? We get a whole new innovative creation.

The lotus root is sliced thin and deep fried with a coat of salted egg yolk.

AWESOME.

This acts as a good appetizer while waiting for the mains, or a good side dish to pair with the porridge, or even an after-meal munch.

To sum up, it is simply yummy anytime! :D

Hokkaido Scallop with Hawthorn Sauce & Asparagus $20.90 / $39.90

Another green dish, the asparagus, comes with huge, expensive Hokkaido scallops to top it off and an unique sauce made with Hawthorn.

So you get a little of the sourish tang of the (Hawthorn) fruit with sweetness of the scallops.

Next up is the Fresh Vegetable Juice which I really couldn't stop gushing about!

The drink is a concoction of pineapple, sour plum and cai xin that turns out so well that nobody could believed it. I could only taste the pineapple and sour plum, which is refreshing and appetizing, and at the same time, so good for the body with the cai xin blended in (don't worry! the cai xin remains pretty "anonymous" for non-veg lovers).

I almost wanted to have a THIRD glass that day. 

If only there could be more space in my tummy, lol!

Dessert of the week $3.90 onwards

Lychee pudding with chocolate ice-cream

Laoban-style beancurd with chocolate ice-cream and chendol

Quite a unique combination. 

Clearly, the ladies preferred the lychee pudding and M was almost left with only the beancurd lol.

Wan He Lou also has lunch buffet available.
Ooh lala, can consider for TGIF lunches :p

Wan He Lou Restaurant

65 Maude Road

Opening Hours

Daily: 11:00 - 14:30

Daily: 17:00 - 22:30

Contact Number

+65 62948057

Website

http://www.wanhelou.com/

The Ranch Cafe • Steakhouse @ Geylang

Dropped by The Ranch at Aljunied area on Friday!

 Okay, before you start thinking of a field of grass-grazing cattles or sheeps in Singapore, The Ranch is actually the name of a steakhouse cum brunch cafe.

The Ranch Cafe

71 Lorong 27 Geylang 

Opening Hours

Daily: 11:30 - 23:00

Tel

67470788 

https://www.facebook.com/ranchwithus

Well-hidden along the row of shophouses, it means that the cafe is not too crowded, yet.

(I was rather reluctant to share this initially, hahaha!)

The awesome thing is that this steakhouse/cafe is a mere 5-min walk from the Aljunied MRT station, for those taking public transport.

Moreover, there is no GST and service charge. So what (price) you see is what you get, literally!

There is a private wine store adjoined to the steakhouse/cafe.

A beer a day, keeps the doctor away! :D

This place can get pretty romantic in the night with its hanging tiny lights, trimming around the couple seats area.

All-day breakkie $13.90

A hearty breakfast of juicy grilled chicken sausages, scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, grilled tomatoes, garlic bread, and baked beans.

This is a simple set of breakfast dish that taste so amazing when put together.

Even though many of the individual items might be easily prepared by ourselves, I thoroughly enjoyed this simple 'home-made' meal after a long week of work.

Besides, the scrambled eggs are made so fluffy & creamy that I can't possibly achieve :p

Bangers and mash $14.90

Personally I find the grilled german sausages (chicken & pork) quite run-of-the-mill. 

The mashed potato, on the other hand, was good with its homemade gravy.

Was rushing off for an event right after the meal.

Would love to re-visit this place for its steak and wine ;) 

And perhaps some wings and beer, to keep the doctor away.

The Ranch Cafe

71 Lorong 27 Geylang 

Opening Hours

Daily: 11:30 - 23:00

Tel

67470788 

https://www.facebook.com/ranchwithus

Group Therapy Cafe @ Duxton Road

Group Therapy Cafe is a combination of events space + cafe/restaurant. Deliberately tucked away on the 2nd storey of the row of shophouses, it gives customers a platform to hide from the bustling CBD crowd.

Group Therapy Cafe @ Duxton Road

#02-01

Singapore 089513

T: +65 6222 2554

Opening Hours 

Mondays: Closed

Tuesday - Thursday: 11am to 6pm 

Fridays - Saturdays: 11am to 11pm 

Sundays & PH: 10am to 6pm

Website

http://www.gtcoffee.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/grouptherapycoffee

Email

events@gtcoffee.com 

Artisanal coffee and breakfast is the driving force behind Group Therapy Cafe. Their coffee beans are a blend of 100% Arabica beans, carefully crafted together with local roaster and freshly ground on premise for each and every cup. 

Popular selections on the menu are the All-Day Breakfast items such as Poached Eggs & Smoked Salmon on Thick Toast as well as other lunch items like Paninis, Pies & Stews. 

In addition, Group Therapy also serves a good range of craft beers, ciders and boutique wines which shouts out to many as a good Friday wind-down venue.

Oh did I already mention, there's no service charge at this cafe?


Macchiato $4.50
Came as a "surprise" cos it was a really tiny cup of coffee. Taste good, but.. I would prefer the serving to be a little more substantial?

See how small the cup of macchiato is, compared to the main courses (and that kopitiam coffee glass, lol).



The glass, by the way, is Cold pressed apple juice $5.50
Yummy and healthy, but again, wish there can be more.


Poached eggs $15
On thick toast with smoked salmon, gruyere and hollandaise sauce.

The eggs were huge and perfectly poached, paired with super thick fluffy toast!
Also, serving of the smoked salmon is rather generous, as well as the crazy heap of hollandaise sauce!

Steak & Cheese Pie $15
Lean beef cubes & melted cheddar in a shortcrust pastry, served with side salad and crisps.

The pastry was nice and buttery, suits our palate pretty well.
However, the beef cubes filling was a tad too dry and doesn't gel well with the shortcrust pastry.
Would prefer a more creamy/thicker cheesy pie.

Group Therapy Cafe @ Duxton Road

#02-01

Singapore 089513

T: +65 6222 2554

Opening Hours 

Mondays: Closed

Tuesday - Thursday: 11am to 6pm 

Fridays - Saturdays: 11am to 11pm 

Sundays & PH: 10am to 6pm

Website

http://www.gtcoffee.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/grouptherapycoffee

Email

events@gtcoffee.com 

***

Group Therapy Cafe is now opened at Katong V now too!

30 East Coast Road, Katong V, #01-11 
Opens daily 9am - 9pm

Will arrange to visit the Katong branch for its craft beers and boutique wines another time :)

Random

Laptop's finally repaired after much procrastination :x

Gonna try to clear as much backlog as possible!

Quick updates.

Attended SY's solemnisation at TSC today.

A full day of rehearsal and YFD preview tomorrow.

Gonna crash *zzz*

Siam Society - Modern Authentic Thai Food @ Jalan Riang

Looking at the bowl of red ruby makes me so hungry right now! :`(

Had that bowl of red ruby last month when I finally met up with few of the blogger girls for dinner. Been so busy these days that I don't have the energy to blog/attend events. Le sigh!
Nonetheless, it was a joy catching up with some of them, and meeting a new friend :)

We visited Siam Society for some authentic Thai food, thanks to Mich! ^^


Siam Society

5 Jalan Riang

Tel: 
6286 8603

Opening Hours: 
11.30am to 3pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm daily


For those familiar with Wimbly Lu, Siam Society is right beside it!
The young and charming owner of Siam Society, SS, also owns the Thai eatery in Tampines - Soi Thai Kitchen.











With a casual black and white color scheme, the industrial chic interior exudes a comfortable and cosy ambience for us to wind down from a week's a hard work. The full height glass windows allows ample light to flow in, great for chilling on a weekend afternoon.









We had some popular Thai drinks while waiting for S to arrive.

Thai Ice Tea $3.90
Home-brewed Lemongrass $3.90

The ice tea was sweet yet not overpowering, and very fragrant. The lemongrass is home-brewed as mentioned, though do take note that another similar item on the menu - lemongrass and mint - is different. Lemongrass with mint drinks are from ready tea bags. 





Mango Salad $9.90
Thai green mangoes, roasted peanuts, crispy shrimps with a palette of Thai spices generously sprinkled in exact portions into this dish.



This innocent looking dish of mango salad turned out to be quite hot on the tongue with the spices added.
The sourish and juicy fruit, with Thai spices was extremely refreshing. For those who do not take spiciness well (like me), do keep the ice tea close ya? :)
Despite the fact that I had to swallow my iced tea with every spoonful of salad, I still enjoyed it very much.





Clear Tomyum Seafood Soup $10.90 (S) / $16.90 (L)
A signature soup flavoured with fragrant lemongrass, fresh galangal root and kaffie lime leaf.



And of course, a Thai meal is never complete without the Tom Yum Goong.
We had the signature soup, that came with generous serving of seafood, slurps.
The soup was even more flavourful than those I had in some areas of Thailand, like Phuket (I guess that Thai food at the touristy areas were already toned down to suit foreigners' tastes), so this one from Siam Society definitely meets the Shiok! factor.

Weeping Tiger (Grilled Sirloin Beef) $24.90

Legendary thai-style grilled sirloin steak served with Siam Society's homemade side sauce that simply pops with flavour.

(We were told that this dish is so good that tigers started weeping after eating it lol).

Not sure if this is an authentic Thai dish, I enjoyed it nevertheless. S and I had the pleasure of having the entire plate of steak to ourselves as the rest don't take beef ^^



Thai Style Morning Glory $8.90
Savoury and spicy POW WOW. Be thrilled by this simple yet popular dish.



I am always happy when a bright green dish of vegetables is served. And even more so when the vegetables are cooked, yet crunchy still, when I bite into it.
Those bright-red chilli padi seen in the dish will be absolutely felt with the tongue. Despite my brain suspecting that my body is unable to take so much spiciness in a day (night), I couldn't stop eating!



Salted Egg with Cuttlefish $14.90
Thai style stir fry salted egg with cuttlefish is oh so good with the after taste of the salted egg yolk lingering in your mouth.



The taste of the salted yolk gravy is rather faint, hence it doesn't cover the natural sweetness of the cuttlefish in our mouths.
A great dish to go with steamed rice!





Green Curry Chicken $12.90 / $13.90 / $14.90
Authentic Thai ingredients are blended into a quick homemade paste that forms the base of SIam Society's signature Thai green curry.



The sweet curry is excellent for my tongue to "cool down" during the night. A suitable dish for the kids if you're bringing family here. The eggplant are also cooked to perfection, juicy yet not mushy.





Yellow Curry Prawn $17.90
Famous Thai padpong curry stir fried with egg and onions, a perfect match with the succulent prawns.





Prawn Cake Balls (8 pieces) $11.90
Handmade Thai prawn cake balls served with Thai sweet sauce. 



Though slightly on the saltier side, these plump crispy balls are addictive nonetheless!





Steam Seabass in Chilli Lime $31.90



Fresh seabass steamed with garlic, lime, chilli, this dish packs a punch of flavours together with the sour, spicy and savoury that are synonymous with Thai food.
Not forgetting, this dish is very value-for-money at only $31.90 for the entire huge fish!




Now, my favourite!
The gorgeous looking dessert made of water chestnut mixed with jackfruit and coconut milk.

Red Ruby $4.90

Mango Sticky Rice $7.90
One of the best ways to enjoy fresh mangoes - to pair them with sweet sticky rice and Siam Society's specialty savoury coconut milk. A deliciously refreshing take on this traditional Thai treat.





Tapioca $4.90
A light and healthy dessert with gloriously sticky, sweet and chewy tapioca.
(Btw, ladies, we were told tapioca is completely gluten free.)




I totally enjoyed the night at Siam Society and wished we didn't have to leave!
If you like Thai food, the number to call is 62868603 :)

***

Siam Society

5 Jalan Riang

Tel: 
6286 8603

Opening Hours: 
11.30am to 3pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm daily

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