Thursday, November 26, 2015

#drkming Wedding Lunch @ Shangri-La Hotel

Derp and I attended his army mate, Derrick's holy matrimony and wedding lunch not long ago. We are not the superstitious type and our feng shui master has no issues with couple attending wedding few months before/after their wedding. We were definitely happy when we were given the green light to go ahead.

Anyway, the couple has put in lots of effort for their wedding and we totally can feel it! Oh well, it's been awhile since the both of us attended such a beautiful wedding, very different from the usual wedding. 



#LOTD

We could not get a cab on a Saturday morning so in the end we resort to using Uber. It was our first time using Uber and like any others, we were afraid that the final charges will be out to 'tok' us. But oh well, we got no choice because we were running late. 

Our cab fare was more than $40 which got us quite a shock. The driver depended on his GPS and his GPS lost signal once we were in the underground expressway. Hence, we took a longer time to reach the venue to attend the holy matrimony. Anyway, I did request for a refund from uber and it was successful :) 

In the end, not only the cab fare was expensive, we were late and barred from entering the service. We were only allowed to enter probably 20 minutes after their first march in :( I can only say different church has it's own set of rules.



We were glad we didn't miss out any important parts of the holy matrimony because they only said their vows and exchanged ring/sign the paper half way through the whole service. It was a very touching moment when they exchanged their vows because the groom teared! Awww! Such a sentimental groom :)

There was catered food after the service but Derp and I only ate some because we were attending the banquet lunch. There's instant photobooth (by OneEyeClick) set up just outside the church so we took the chance to have fun with the photobooth while waiting for the shuttle bus to get to Shangri-La Hotel.

We were early for the cocktail reception since we came from the church via the specially prepared shuttle bus. It's time to take more photos then since it's gonna take sometime before the wedding banquet starts.





Nicely taken wedding portrait of the couple and we didn't believe it was taken in our neighboring country :) 



In love with all these details they have put in for the wedding ..



Guests can choose to leave their thumbprint on the small round wood collected in the jar) or sign off on the guestsbook,.

We had a chance to visit the washroom before the crowd arrive..


Full length mirror is love! 


Very big and spacious!


That's the really big dressing table in the washroom..

Derp and I can't help but to discuss how awesome the washroom is (be it the gents or the ladies) after we came out haha! And to my surprise, he also took photos of it just to show me. Thankfully we were the only ones in the respective washroom at that point of time lol.

We went to explore around the hotel since they does not allow guests to go in and sit yet. And plus we didn't see anyone who went in first so it's okay. Time to take a walk :)


#OOTD taken at the garden. There were rooms which were located at the garden suite. So when they open their room door, it's this outdoor garden. The concept is very different from the other hotels and I think it's interesting especially for those who want to get closer to the nature. They will probably love such rooms! 

Anyway, there's also instant photobooth at the wedding venue. We took the chance to take photos again since the backdrop was slightly different as well as the props lol.



:)

We went in to take our seat as soon as we were allowed to.



The beautiful setup 

Did you notice the golden/yellow looking big center piece at the most right of the picture. That's the center piece for the VIP table whereby we went "Wow" when we realised it's actually a center piece.



Fresh flowers were used for their floral decoration.



The menu.

Our favourite dish has got to be the dessert! 



Chilled Cream of Avocado with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream

I believe this is everyone favourite too because it's ice cream. And it's something new to eat it with avocado but they really goes very well with each other :)

Even though there were roughly 40 tables, but the table to table photo taking was well organized and fast. Roughly around 4pm, the whole event ended while the couple and their relatives went for tea ceremony.



Ending this pose with a #welfie of us :) 

Monday, November 23, 2015

Review: Eyebrow Embroidery @ The Best Beauty Center (Toa Payoh Branch)

2 years ago, I did my first eyebrow embroidery @ The Best Beauty Center. You can actually read all about it here

The truth is, I never went back to touch up my eyebrows so after 1 year or so, the embroidery started to fade and eventually it start to become red in color. 

Previously, I went for the "second generation' eyebrow embroidery. It's not as lasting as compared to the third, fourth and fifth generation of eyebrow embroidery. But mind you, the "second generation" was quite expensive back then. Sad truth of it is that it will fade to red color. Somewhat like lipstick color haha! 

So this time round, I went for the "third generation" eyebrow embroidery and it's way cheaper than what I pay for the "second generation" years back. 

I've been wanting to re-do my eyebrows but I procrastinated very long because I don't want to look like 蜡笔小新. I'm afraid it will look unnatural for the first few days and I still need to report to work and face the world lol. But anyway, all these worries were unnecessary. My experience this time round was a much pleasant one. 

The lady designed the eyebrow shape for me first before I took the package. I was quite satisfied with the outcome hence I took up the package. $388 for 1 embroidery and 1 touch up session. She also throw in a 20 times eyebrow shaping free for me since I'm only left with 5 sessions. Hence, it's a rather good deal so I go ahead to pay the deposit for it. 

I went back the very next week to have the embroidery done. I don't wish to drag too long because my AD is approaching. I'm just hoping it looks natural by AD too. Anyway, the whole process took roughly 1 hour. 


The shape that the lady designed for me. 

The numb cream was applied onto my eye brows for 20 minutes or so before she start the actual process. It wasn't pain at first but slowly as she kept wiping to make sure the whole area is clear of any debris, the effect of the numb cream wear out. I gradually start to feel the pain. But overall, the pain is bearable and this is not my first time doing eyebrow embroidery. 


That's how my eyebrows look like straight after the night I went home.  

Derp commented I look quite fierce with this new eyebrow haha! But it looks way better than 2 years ago when I first did eyebrow embroidery. I find it much more natural as compare to 'last time technology'.


This was taken probably the 3rd day. It only starts to fade slightly. 


A overview of my eyebrows. First pic is the 'before pic' It's very obvious how much my previous embroidery has faded after 2 years. 


This was taken probbaly 5 days having the embroidery on. Some parts of it has start to drop off but some has not hence it looked kind of uneven. But it definitely don't look so dark already! Phew.

And after 1 week, this is how it goes... 


The before and after. 

That's how my brows look like after all the fading and etc. I avoid washing that area as much as I could but it's quite hard as I've oily eye lids.

So what I can do is to apply lots of cream that they gave me to 'protect' it to my very best. Apparently, the cream is said to keep it moist so that it won't get easily dry up and 'drop' too much color when fading. I'm quite hardworking with it and apply 3-4 times a day.

I was contemplating to use the touch up session after my AD but in the end, I went to touch up before the long Deepavali weekend. Taking the chance that I do not need to work which means I face lesser people. Even if my brows don't look that natural also nevermind.

The touch up process took roughly 1 hour and the procedures are the same too. I will told to expect less fading as compared to the first time as the base color has already set in.



This is how I look like straight after the touch up session. I think I've gotten used to how I look like with drawn dark colored eyebrows so I take it quite lightly this time round. 

I didn't freak out that much about how 'dark' it is. I used to hate it when it's very dark though. I guess it's just the mindset because I told myself eventually it's going to fade so just let it be. 



Last picture with my full make up on. I didn't draw my eyebrows that day because it's only 3 days after I touch up the embroidery :) 

Overall, I'm satisfied and happy with the results because it's very natural. Not much people can tell I did something drastic to it and they probably think I draw my brows haha!

I even bought another package at half the price. 1 embroidery and 1 touch up session but at half the price. It's a good deal for their returning customer. Yay to having good looking brows from now on :)

I will recommend interested ladies to go to The Best Beauty Center for eyebrows embroidery if they are looking for a place to do their eyebrows at a reasonable price! 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Seoul Yummy @ Bugis Plus

Just few days after I had homecook korean army stew, I met up with my gfs for Korean food again! And yes it's army stew again. 

To be honest it's the first time I had korean food with them. So within a week I ate army stew twice. 

Once is the homecook version and another the commercial version. That's when I remember we didn't add in bulgogi meat into our own homecook version. It really makes a diff! 

The last amy stew I've eaten was probably in 2013! I've never had it since then because Derp and I are not very big fan on korean food. We usually eat Jap and Italian food more often but of cause we are good with Korean food. Just not that familar with the various Korean cuisines and especially all their names.

Everyone was 'on' with the idea of having Korean food that day. 



We ordered the Signature Combo which consists of 1 appetizer, 1 signature dish, 1 dessert and assorted side dishes. 

Even though it was meant for 2 pax, it was enough for us because we have plans to go elsewhere for 2nd round later on. 


Assorted side dishes.

The side dishes at Seoul Yummy is free flow! Damn shiok! The staff there took notice of us and attend to us very often even though we kept asking for refill. After they served us, they even ask enough anot? need more? I give them a 10/10 for their customer service. 

My favourite side dishes has got to be the cold toufu, ikan billis(no idea what it's called in Korean though) and kimchi! The radish looking thing and cucumber is a no no for me. 

For the signature dish, we definitely go for army stew!


Army Stew with Assorted Meat 

We were entitled to 1 appetizer for the combo. We ordered another 2 more appetizers to share since there's 4 of us :) 

Here are the appetizers we had, okay it seems more like side dishes to us haha! 


Spicy Rice Cakes



Kimchi Pancake


Mushroom Fritters 

The birthday girl favorite food is mushroom! Hence we ought to have a dish that contains mushroom :) It taste good though as this is something which I never had before. The other 2 I probably have come across it at some point of my life. 

I find the spicy rice cake abit too spicy for my liking and the kimchi pancake was good. 



Cooking the yummy army stew. But why no cheese? :( I still prefer my homecook version because we added cheese inside and it's so yummy! 


Group pic taken by the helpful staff after we were done with the army stew.

And it's dessert time! There were various options for the dessert, but we went ahead with bingsu because it seems so 'in' these days. Btw, it's my first time trying bingsu. 


Korean Bingsu 


Another group pic before starting on our bingsu lol. 

I find the texture of the bingsu served by Seoul Yummy is similar to taiwan shaved ice/ice kachang instead.

I ate bingsu from other place lately and it's probably authentic and nicer as compared to the bingsu at Seoul Yummy.  But oh well, the dessert come with the combo we ordered so nothing to complain about then haha! Good enough to satisfy our sweet tooth though :)

Here comes the surprise cake for the birthday girl!




Happy Birthday YY! May all your wishes come true :) 

There's this big arcade in Bugis Plus with lots of claw machines for you to try to win some luck for plushies. We spotted a big stitch at this seems-simple-but-actually-not game station. 


It looked like this and all we have to do is to throw the token we purchase from them and land exactly in the middle of those circles. It seems simple but the surface of it is very smooth. So you can't really use too much force but more like sliding the coin gently and accurately. 

So we try our luck and spend a total of 10 bucks but to no avail. No fate with the gigantic stitch though. However, it was really fun haha! Seems like ages since we last went to a arcade together. 

Ending off with a group picture together..



The food served was generally good and the service is definitely top notch. And if you are one who love those korean side dishes a lot, it's a place for you to go because it's free flow :)

Seoul Yummy @ Bugis Plus
201 Victoria Street, #04 -11 Bugis+, 188067
6509 6900

Sunday, November 15, 2015

BKK Day 3 Part 2 - Som Tam Nua @ Siam Square, Hello Kitty House Bangkok

So where did I stop at for the BKK travelogue? I was too busy lately with the wedding preparation hence I stop updating this space with the travelogue because they usually takes up much more time in drafting them.

Since I'm able to take a breather now, I shall clear my backlogs! Previously I stop at shopping for all the tibits and snacks to be brought back for our colis and friends since it was our last day in BKK. I shall continue from there :)

We went back to the hotel to rest after running all the errands and I start to search for dinner places around Siam Square. Our initial plan was to have dinner at Inter Restaurant because I personally love their local thai dishes. After going through some discussions with Derp, we decide to try something new instead so that's when I start searching online for recommendation.

Many people recommends Som Tam Nua which is also located at Siam Square. The food looks delish too especially the Tom Yum Soup which is slightly different from the one we have at other restaurants in BKK. We decide to give it a try then :)


It's location within a walking distance from Siam Station. 

We were there early hence there was no queue! After we left, we saw there's a queue forming outside. It seems like a popular choice for locals and also tourists.

The menu


Candid shot taking by Derp while I was looking really serious at what to eat. 

So here's what we have ordered..


We see everybody having their sticky rice so we also join in. The rice is really very sticky hence we have a hard time eating it unless we decide to use our hand to eat it. However, Derp love such sticky rice more than I do. 


A shot with the cute looking sticky rice. 


North East Style Spicy Soup with Pork Bone 

This is actually very different from the normal tom yum soup we have. It's one of those very light yet thick taste kind of soup because of the pork broth. It's also very spicy! 


Opps pardon for the blur shot! This is also another famous dish of theirs and they actually have various variation. And it taste sour and spicy at the same time. It's the first time we ate salad that is spicy though lol. 

We also ordered their fried fish because it's also one of their signature dish. 


It's very big and yummy. Not forgetting, it's really huge too. It costs less than $10SGD for this fish. Super worth it! 

I must say this is our only non-spicy dish so we finish everything of it haha! 


Yummy Thai food!

The food served in Som Tum Nua is very different from the normal thai restaurants so if you are looking at trying something different, I will highly recommend Som Tum Nua. But do go early if you do not wish to queue!

We spend less than $20 SGD for the whole meal :)


We walked around after our dinner before heading to Hello Kitty House for desserts. All these eateries weren't far apart so it wasn't that difficult to locate them. 


Hello Kitty House Bangkok

I'm not a big fan of Hello Kitty but I feel that I haven't been to Bangkok if I never step in there once before.  It only opened in 2014 and my last trip was in 2013.


Yay to no queue so I can take lots of pictures without feeling pai seh haha.


It was getting dark so this picture didn't turn out that nice. 

Anyway, we roamed around the whole place first (and took lots of pictures) before finally settling down. The effort that was used in creating this Hello Kitty House have definitely impressed us.

There were various  levels in the Hello Kitty House

Once we entered, we saw the counter for ordering your desserts. We thought we will be allocated a seat but to our surprise no. Haha! That's when we know we can  roam around since there wasn't much people and there's plenty of seats everywhere.


The counter for ordering your Hello Kitty Desserts 


The Menu


Very pretty looking Hello Kitty Desserts that make everyone go aawww :) 


More desserts!

We went down to the basement and it's the level that sell lots of Hello Kitty merchandise.



Spot the Pink Hello Kitty car! 



Love it because it's in my favourite pink! 


Lots of sweet looking backdrop everywhere.


Even the ceiling also very chio haha! 


A shot with the very pretty and pink cushion type of backdrop.


The staff there are all very kind and helpful to help us take photos. Btw, this is not the only photo. More to come! 


One last photo before we order our food :)

I was totally spoiled for choice on what to eat but given the fact that we were still very full from our dinner, we settled on sharing 1 rainbow cake and coffee! 


Mandatory shot with the pretty rainbow cake.


Derp drinking his coffee and he find this shot very gay lol. 


#flatlay of the coffee and cake we have.

So pretty! I know you must be wondering how can we drink coffee at night haha, but actually we can and still fall asleep easily. This shows how immune we are to coffee these days. 

Even though there were many seats in the Hello Kitty House, but the design of some of the tables were really bad. 


How do they expect someone to sit like that? Totally no leg space.

The poor couple in the pic has a hard time eating their desserts and resort to tilting their legs to one side. We couldn't understand why they didn't make the table higher because they were too low for everybody including kids!

Anyway after we eat finish our desserts, we went to the top level. It's a level filled with tables and chairs for dining too. 



The table design is the same as those downstairs too. Making it really hard for people to eat their desserts hence we didn't see anyboy sit here. But I think if it's really crowded, you got no choice but to sit here too.   


With Hello Kitty's grandmother! 


Derp with the grandpa!



Thank you to the kind and helpful staff once again for this couple shot.

We bought some souvenirs (not for ourselves) before we left the place. That's all for our trip to Hello Kitty House! The desserts sold there weren't that cheap and the 2 coffee + 1 rainbow cake costs around $20SGD. Very similar to our local cafe's food price.


We shopped around the night market around Siam area before heading back. It's our first time visiting it after 3 trips to Bangkok. 

We were finding stalls selling the customized leather for souvenirs. We walked down the lane for few hundred meters but totally no luck in finding any stall selling that so we head back to Central World instead.


The crowded night market which sells clothes, shades and etc. It was really crowded so I didn't stop to take a second look at them since our main focus were to find stalls which customize leather. 


These marks the end for our last night in Bangkok! We went back to Central World area to do last minute shopping before going back to our hotel to pack our luggage. Glad that we were still able to stuff all our loots into our luggage without much problem. 

Will do up the final installment of the Bangkok trip soon. It's gonna be a short one because on the final day, we didn't have much time to do much stuff before we head to the airport. Be back soon for the final update!

You may read other post of my BKK2015 trip here:

http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/08/bangkok-2015-day-1-part-1-singapore-bkk.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/08/bkk-day-1-part-2-after-you-dessert-cafe.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/08/bkk-day-2-part-1-coffman-by-friends.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/09/bkk-day-2-part-2-silom-thai-cooking.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/09/bkk-day-2-part-3-ookii-ookii-village.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2015/10/bkk-day-3-part-1-big-c-supermarket.html
http://firstlove88.blogspot.sg/2016/01/bkk-day-4-back-to-singapore.html