Menya Takeichi @ Suntec City, St Marc's Cafe

After collecting the Sundown's racepack at Suntec, we decide to head over to Menya Takeichi because I want to try their Black Truffle Ramen! Yay to anything truffle because they taste so good :) 

It took us quite sometime to locate it because we hardly go Suntec and the place is way too big. It has changed so much since we last visit there. But anyway, Menya Takeichi is located at the top level with the rest of the jap restaurants. 

They are famous for their chicken ramen...

Okay it sounds quite wrong haha! *If you know what i mean..*

We didn't know they have opening hours for their lunch session whereby they will close after certain time and then reopened again for dinner.

The restaurant manager actually told us they were closed and we were totally sad. Imagine walking the whole of Suntec trying to locate this place and it was already very late lunch, totally famished by then(because we went to collect the race pack first) and there's no food for us :(

The chef probably noticed our disappointed look and told the restaurant manager to let us in. So grateful for that kind gesture on their side and that did not make our trip wasted.

Their ramen are not cheap though..

Yes! I'm finally having this..

Black Truffle Ramen - $17.50

So they added in the black truffle paste to the ramen. Super yummy because to me, anything truffle is nice haha! I'm biased just nice that lol.

Special Rich Spicy Ramen - $17.50

This is what Derp ordered, he usually goes for anything that's spicy..

#onthetable

Both of us polished the bowl clean including the soup because the soup broth taste really good. And there's no urge to drink water after drinking the soup simple because there's no MSG added. I do hate it when the soup taste so good but you have to drink lots of water down thereafter thanks to MSG.

The ramen are on the pricey side even though it taste really yummy but doubt we will go back there again for their ramen, given the fact that we have to walk really far just to get to the restaurant. 

Menya Takeichi

3 Temasek Boulevard, #03-313 Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983

We continue running our errands and took a rest at St Marc's Cafe at Raffles City Shopping Centre..

We had the Matcha Latte and Little Fuji for our dessert/tea-break. 

I can't really remember the price but I do love their Matcha Latte comparing with the one from Starbucks. I love their Ice Yuzu Tea too. St Marc's cafe has since became a place for me to go to get my matcha craving satisfy haha.

Anyway the Classic Fuji tasted not bad. Will go back there for other desserts if there's chance because they seems to have a lot of different looking pretty desserts. In fact, they have this matcha series which looks really awesome. Typing this already makes me feel excited about them! Shall pay them a visit soon :)

St. Marc Café (Raffles City)

Address: 252 North Bridge Road #B1-44M

Raffles City Shopping Centre Singapore 179109

Flea Party (Beside Jollibee) @ Lucky Plaza by Fleawhere, Nunsongyee @Bukit Timah

3 years ago, I participated in the flea market organized by Forfleasake (now known as Fleawhere) at Lucky Plaza (Opposite Jollibee). 

The response was very good and I'm only left with a few pieces of clothes back then. You can read more about my experience back then here. It wasn't my first time joining a flea market as a vendor but Lucky Plaza has probably the most customers till date.

I had quite a number of unwanted clothes from my parents' place and I felt guilty for not clearing them since I've shifted out for years so I decide to consolidate all of them and set up booth at a flea market once again!  

Anyway, this time round it's back to flea-ing at Lucky Plaza since they have the best crowd so far. However, they seems to no longer have flea market opposite Jollibee but instead beside Jollibee. 

The price of renting a table space goes up to $160 now (in the past it was $100/120 on Sunday. Sunday's booth are the most expensive because it has the largest crowd). There were only 16 or 18 (I can't remmeber the exact) spots up for snatch so faster fingers first. Sunday's booth often get snatched up pretty quickly due to the popular crowd.

All ready for the flea market :)

The flea market was supposed to start from 1pm till 7pm. Vendors can reach slightly earlier to set up their booth and from my experience, vendors usually reach earlier than the time stated so as to be the first few to choose and 'chop' a better spot booth. 

We reached at around 12 and we were the last in the queue...

Oh well, it doesn't really matter as long at the end of the day, there's table for us to set up our stuff will do :) 

We only managed to make our way in after a short while of waiting and the process of entering the flea area is quite 'torturing'. 

There were permanent booths at the flea market and they have already started their business so customers were already inside doing their shopping. With our big bags, we have to squeeze through stalls/people just to get to our tables. 

Took us what seems like forever to finally squeeze inside though.. 

And as usual there weren't much time for us to 'slowly' set up the booth because in no time after we settled down, potential shoppers were already on standby to flip through the mountain of clothes that we have.  

As usual, 'people mountain people sea'.. Those stall on the far left in the picture, behind that white pillar) were those stalls closer to the entrance and they were the permanent stalls.

More pics of the crowd for the flea below.. 

Though there was air con, but it's still very stuffy and dusty as usual. Everyone is still perspiring non stop. Non of the time I flea at lucky plaza has what we call ideal condition for the shoppers and stall owners.

Within the first hour, we sold quite a number of clothes because there's one lady who bought lots from us. In the end, we found out she's actually sourcing for clothes for her own stall (she belong to one of the permanent stall there) lol. 

We only came to realize that when Derp went to get lunch for us and he saw familiar looking clothes at one stall lol. 

Oh well, what matter most is we clear our clothes and we definitely earn back the capital money for renting a stall at the flea market. Not forgetting at the end of the day, there's some profit :) 

By 6pm we were done. Had a grab bag sale for the very last few piece of clothes and yay to a successful flea!  Was totally shag out after that and am glad that the next day it was a public holiday! 

After we were done, we went to bukit timah for our dinner with bil and sil :) the booth was shared between me and sil and of cause our partners were dragged into in unwillingly lol. 

We spotted the newly opened (back then) bingsu cafe when we were there so we decide to check it out after our dinner.

Oreo Bingsu

Mango Bingsu 

I will say it's Instagram worthy, but taste wise, I will still prefer Ice Lab Cafe's bingsu.  

Somehow the mango is too sour and the Oreo doesn't have much taste to it. It's like pure ice shavings and Oreo powder on top (so easy to make right? Haha) 

There aren't as expensive as Ice lab's bingsu, probably few dollars cheaper but the taste is not on par with them. 

Nunsongyee 눈송이

9 Yuk Tong Ave, Singapore 596314 (Beauty World MRT)

Won't be joining flea market for the rest of the year because I've cleared lots of clothes this time round. Probably next year then :) Crossing fingers that the rental fees for the stall won't keep going up the next time I feel like clearing my clothes again. 

For a more detailed guide on holding your flea market, please click here. 

Sundown Marathon 2016

Back to running Sundown after a year hiatus. I skipped running Sundown last year simply because I missed the chance to register for it and was only left with the non-early bird rates. 

To be honest, I missed the early bird rates for Sundown 2016 once again so I sort of give up the thought of running Sundown 2016.

However, I chanced upon a discount code for this race so I decide to go for it once again. Sundown 2014 was my first time running a half marathon. It was a memorable race and I'll probably not forget for the rest of my life. Been there and done that so I decide to just stick to the usual 10km race category this time round :)

Race pack expo was held at Suntec and everything was a breeze.

No queue despite going there on a Saturday.

As long as you have the courage to start, anything is possible.

What's in the race pack. 

Needless to say, it's all things pink for sundown 2016 :) 

On race day, we took a train down to the race site as the race only starts at 10pm. Saw many fellow runners while on the way there :)

Pre-race mandatory shot.. 

It was mad crowded at the start pen even though I didn't see many runners at the race pack collection.

Far from the starting line even though we were early for the race.. 

We watched this digital laser display many times as we were in the 5th wave if I didn't remember correctly. 

It will repeat itself and countdown to the next flag off. 

Finally closer to the starting line after around 30 mins past the flag off time. Even the emcees sound tired from flaging us off.

The whole 10km route was very congested, I don't remember if there's any part of the route which allow me to run at my own pace. The worse part has got to be at Garden by the Bay. I clearly remember 2 years ago when I ran the half marathon, it wasn't that bad as compared to this year Sundown.

Finally the hour plus of 'torture' has ended and we can head home to catch up on our sleep..

Sundown 2017? I guess I will think thrice before signing up once again. For 2017, it's 1 week after 2XU race, I'll definitely prefer joining 2XU then (nicer looking race singlet/tee) and a morning race is still better than a night race. At the very least I need not fight with the Zzz monster. lol. 

Probably no more Sundown for me in the near future because both times I join, both times were quite disappointing. 

Till the next race review :)