Curry up

Two weeks after blogging about that 1-2 Curry Puff punch during our trip to SG, this happens.

Hong Lim Curry Puff is opening in Trinoma.

The place where I bought the 2 Michelin starred curry puffs is called Hong Lim Hawker Center, and apparently, that's where this chain came from.

Now, it's easier to satisfy my cravings for real curry puffs.

Lifting the Weil

While we were in Changi a few weeks ago, one of the duty free shops had the full collection of Byredo's "Night Veils" collection.

It's supposed to be a darker and richer iteration of a brand that's more known for brightness and effervescence. That's why it was interesting to see - and smell - the line.

Yup, it's a departure from the usual Byredo scents. Despite that, they work. My fave among the lot is the Vanille Antique, which I eventually bought for Ate.

You've got another hit here, Byredo.

Salt in SG

While Donki in Vivo City might be closing, it didn't stop me from going there and finding this:

Salt and Litchi!

Yup, my favorite drink from Tokyo is also here.

To paraphrase Miranda Priestly:

That's salt.

Meals with Mark: (Toast) Box it in

When Toast Box was still open in MNL, Mark and I used to eat there. Usually, it would be with Ia who's a fan of Kaya Toast.

That's why during our trip to SG last week, we decided that one of our breakfasts should be at Toast Box. It would be good to relive our Toast Box days, right at the home base of the brand.

Of course, we both had the sets- the Chicken Floss toast set for me, and the Ham and Cheese toast set for Mark.

It's been a while. But it's still as good.

Keep calm and curry on

The Curry Puff is one of the snacks that's always a must-have every SG visit.

It's been written on this blog several times that Old Chang Kee is my curry puff of choice. Their Curry-O is da bomb!

But on this visit, Ka Wei brought me to a Hawker store in Chinatown and let me try 2 Michelin starred curry puffs.

They're both good and deserving of their stars. But if a choice has to be made, it's the Heritage Tanglin Curry Puff for me. It's flakier, and the filling is more flavourful.

Admittedly, though, Old Chang Kee is still my sentimental fave.

Hop to it!

Another SG trip, another discovery.

As a White Rabbit stan, this new place introduced to me by KaWei is a big check mark.

A White Rabbit store!

It's at the market behind Chinatown Point mall, and it's a small store with everything White Rabbit. Aside from candies in different flavours, they also have a lot of merch!

Walked out with loads of candies, a tote bag and stickers!

Will most likely hop on over to this place again during my next SG visit.

Don(e) for?

Was excited to check out the Don Don Donki branch in Vivo City.

Once there, this is what greeted me.

Say it isn't so!

And say that it's just this branch. 

Don Don Donki can't just give up on SG.

An apple a day

Looks like ijooz is getting a bit of competition.

During my last SG visit, it was just the ijooz fresh orange juice vending machine. But now, you also have. a fresh apple juice vendo!

Had to try it, and it was okay. 

But at P148 a cup, I'm better off buying a 1-liter carton of Ceres apple juice. 

I'll Melt-iez with you

Here's one reason why I'm thrilled that Valu$ is now in MNL.

Meliez is one of the products that's on my must-buy list every time my travels tale me to SG. This is simply so, SO good! 

The crunchy exterior, the rich, chewy caramel centre, it comes together wonderfully that it's addicting.

Here's to the first of many packs of Meltiez!

Bet your Valu Dollar

This was a pleasant surprise.

An SG icon where I'd usually buy pasalubongs is now in MNL. It opened quietly, and without much fanfare. But the shop, the promise and the prices speaks volumes.

Valu$ is a grocery store in SG that sells items for much less compared to regular supermarkets. This is my go-to place if I'm buying chocolates, cookies and other pasalubongs.

It's a very no-frills place. Wooden shelves. Cardboard signs highlighting the offers. Red and yellow signs everywhere. And the great thing is, they brought all that here, so going inside the Valu$ store in Starmall feels like being in the Valu$ store in Bugis all over again.

From now on, this is going to be my destination for value buys.

Fly guy

One of my dreams as a kid was to become a flight attendant.

Being a huge fan of flying, the idea of traveling from one country to another by air was such an exciting proposition. It also helps that I'm a fan of traveling as well.

Of course, that didn't happen. But whenever I'd see male flight attendants in my flight, the thought of "what could have been" always crosses my mind. Also, I'd live through them vicariously.

So, when this feature popped up on my youtube feed, an instant connection happened.

His story is so inspiring. Imagine, being a flight attendant for 46 years! And he looks like he loves his job, and loved it until his last flight. Based on his interview, if he didn't get sick, he'd probably still be flying.

That's dedication. That's love. That's an awesome flight attendant.

Nuggets of Wisdom

My newest Milo obsession is thanks to Mark.

Milo Nuggets!

This was his pasalubong from his last SG top, and it's a product that apparently has been in SG for the longest time. 

So, why is this the first time I'm tasting this flavour bomb of Milo coated in Milo flavoured chocolate!

Better late then never, as they always say.

Exotic Taste

Almost forgot about another interesting find from our SG trip.

Apparently, Hershey's has a line called "Exotic/" It was my first time seeing that variant, and this particular one was the one that most caught my eye.

Raspberry and Goji berries. In dark chocolate.

Divine.

And yes, it's as good as it looks. The berry flavoured centre was chewy and bursting with flavour. And the dark chocolate was rich and a bit bitter, which offsets the berry flavour.

Wish they would also carry this in MNL.

For the fee

Banofeee, to be exact.

Here's another discovery from SG.

Yup, Nissin has Banoffee wafers!

While it's not as good and flavourful as the Banoffee pie of Banapple, it's a good snack if you want a lighter version of that.

On Cloudz

Nope, this isn't about the shoe brand.

It's about this Skittles permutation.

Discovered this during our trip to SG last month, and I"m so glad I was able to buy a few packs. It's so good!

But I'll take the Wild Berry Skittles anytime.

Carpe(t) diem

The carpet in Terminal 1 of Changi Airport is super pretty!

It's like a celestial pattern, and it almost feels like its moving. 

Amazing how a simple carpet can elevate an airport.

Meals with Mark: To bee or not to bee

Initially, we were planning to try Saizeriya in SG. But because the bus we rode passed another route, this is where we ended up having dinner.

Jollibee in SG!

They've been in SG for a while, and we've had trips here before. But we never got around to trying the SG version of this Pinoy icon.

Verdict. The spaghetti in the Philippines is much, much better. The SG version lacks the sweetness, cheesiness and meatiness of the Pinoy version. But the chicken - according to Mark - is spot on.

Ergo, we still prefer Jollibee at home.

Meals with Mark: Rico Nando's

Only 80s kids will get the reference.

While we're in SG, one of the restos that was in my list for Mark to try was Nando's.

This restaurant is wildly popular in South Africa, and serves peri-peri style chicken. What makes them popular is the choice of sauces that you can pair with your chicken.

I've tried this before and was very happy with their meals. The chicken is super tender and flavourful, and the sauces give it a different zing.

That's why the next time we're in SG again, we'll have this battlecry:

Just Nando It!

We're gonna Saur

There wasn't a set agenda when we decided to go to SG this weekend. But for me, there was one thing that we had to check out.

The Jurassic World exhibit at Gardens by the Bay!

I'm a dinosaur geek. My dream as a kid was to be an archaeologist and dig up dinosaur bones. My book shelf had dinosaur books and toys. There would be the occasional dinosaur poster on wall. So, yes, I'm that guy.

Having seen "Jurassic Park" countless times, the thought of seeing these dinosaurs live - albeit animatronic ones - was an exciting proposition. So, that's how Mark and I spent our Saturday morning - hanging out with these prehistoric giants.

It made my geeky heart soar!

Meals with Mark: Bollywood Breakfast

For our first breakfast in SG, we thought of having something local.

There are a lot of Indian restaurants and canteens around SG, and luckily, there's one at the corner of our hotel. So, it was settled. Breakfast was Indian food.

Mark had chapati while my choice was roti with egg. Of course, both were served with curry. Mark had coffee, while it was my go-to Iced Milo for me.

This was a great way to start our SG weekend soujourn.