FASHION, FOOD, Living in... Singapore, Uncategorized A FOODIE & SHOPPING DAY 12 August 2006

Amoy Food Centre
Telok Ayer Street
Singapore

Because I went for a 30-40min swim in the morning, I was gagging for some food afterwards. Lunch was at Amoy Food Centre, close to where my cousin works and also the eBay Singapore offices. We got there at around 11:30am to beat the office crowd (which is just INSANE).. the place is really stuffy and hot, but still has tons of people since the food’s just great. Singaporean’s are famous for being really impatient, but when it comes to food.. they’ll happily queue for ages to get their hands on that perfect plate of food πŸ˜‰ And since we’re Singaporean, we obediently did the same – queuing at 3 different stalls ’till we got what we wanted πŸ˜›


The famous Lor Mee stall and Nasi Lemak stall

$3 Lor Mee – 1st time ever I’ve had it, it was sooo good! Yellow flat noodles
in a thick slightly-sticky gravy with tons of fish/pork/crispies. Mmm :)~

The Nasi Lemak stall where you can make your selection

$2 Nasi Lemak – super duper tasty, the queue for this was huge!

Wanton Noodles stall

$4 Wanton Noodles – this was MEGA sized, so much food that you can’t
actually see the noodles! Really good though, the pork was sooo soft.

$2.50 Or Nee – a hot yam dessert with pumpkin and Gingko nuts. I don’t
really go for Asian desserts but THIS IS AMAZING :)~


Did a bit of shopping at Suntec City afterwards.. I’m after a pair of teal heels to go with my bag, but to no avail. I’m really particular when I shop. Most people assume I buy anything and everything, but I’m SUPER stingy with my money and often walk away without buying anything. I consider anything above $2 “too expensive”.. yet I’m OK with dropping $1,000 on a handbag. My mum calls me schizophrenic and friends say “I can never figure out if you’ll think something is cheap or expensive. Your valuation of stuff is really warped!!” They’re right πŸ˜› ANYWAY, so I walked into every shoe store there but couldn’t find the *perfect* pair – I only like buying ONE pair of shoes in a particular colour.. so I need to find THE perfect pair of teal coloured heels.

Well, me being me.. I go looking for a pair of teal/green SHOES.. and end up with a teal/green BRACELET instead! There was a stall there selling gorgeous stone jewellery, and I fell in love with this little jade bracelet. I’ve really gotten into green stuff and jade jewellery in the past year, especially after Chris told me I look nice in green. Anyway, this particular bracelet was so pretty and actually fit my wee 6″ wrist – so I took it as a sign that I had to get it πŸ˜› They also had a drop-dead-gorgeous jade bangle that I wanted so much (I plan to put it on and just never take it off, like you’re supposed to) but it was $500, because it was cut from one big chunk of jade. I really liked it though.. it’s so Oriental and classic looking, it beats a diamond bracelet any day!!

And Mum also gave me her opal/diamond/gold ring. Actually, I think it’s mine.. but she was keeping it for me. Opal’s my birthstone and the ring fit my weirdly-skinny finger, so that was another sign I was meant to keep it πŸ˜› It changes colour when I move it under the light, which fascinates me to no end.


Jade bracelet

Opal ring set with diamonds and gold

New jewellery



Carl’s Jr Burgers
#01-202 Marina Square
Raffles Boulevard
Singapore

The only thing I know about Carl’s Jr Burgers is that it’s pretty hot in the USA.. and that Paris Hilton looks like she’s having sex with the burger in the advertisement. I never saw it when I was in California, and it doesn’t exist in Australia.. so imagine my shock when I saw it in Singapore, of all places! I actually saw an advertisement for it in the newspaper, and asked my uncle next to me if Carl’s Jr really was here.. and he confirmed, plus my cousin gave me the low-down on what to order πŸ˜›

So since we were at Marina Square checking out the sports stuff, we popped by for some grub. I was completely shocked when ONE meal cost SG$15.10!! Considering you can get a full meal (see above) for $2-3.. this fast food meal cost over 5 times more. Revolting. I suppose since it’s a franchise, they think it’s justified to jack up the price. And probably also because I ordered my meal separately instead of their ‘value meals’ which are marginally cheaper (ie. $11).

I got the Portebello Mushroom burger with charbroiled beef patty, Swiss cheese, sliced onions, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. It was totally delicious, all cheesy and wet and beefy. A decent serving of mushrooms too :)~ I envisioned a totally massive burger but it wasn’t really all that big, just normal sized. Also got the CrissCut Fries which my cousin told me were great. I really liked them, so tasty and reminded me of A&W’s curly fries. Drink was a Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shake (Vanilla) which was utterly divine – I rank it up there with one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had – so lovely and creamy and refreshing, with no fake vanilla flavour at all. Yum yum yum! :)~


Carl’s Jr

Portebello Mushroom burger, CrissCut fries, Vanilla shake


After that… decided that the Bev makeover from the other day was still going on – this time, it was time to makeover the feet πŸ˜› I’ve been running quite a bit over the past few months.. and because I run on the road/sidewalk for over 5km each time, it’s important I get good shoes. Currently, I’m using Reeboks – which were that really cheap $17 (!) pair I bought in the USA. You pay for what you get.. as like Nike, the shoe looks totally gorgeous.. but disintegrates in a few months :X I’ve been speaking with a lot of sports people, and also asked people in shoe stores, etc. The unanimous consensus amongst these sport-mad people is that Asics and New Balance make the best shoes that actually WORK. Unfortunately, it also means they spend most of their money on Research & Development and not Marketing & Design.. so the shoes don’t look that hot IMHO πŸ˜‰

Ended up getting the Asics GEL-KAYANO XII.. which almost everyone I asked swore up-and-down that it was the best and most elite of running shoes. Apparently, it’s a “technical training shoe for the serious high mileage athlete.” – makes me a bit embarassed as I’m not reaaaaaally a “high mileage athlete” but recently I’ve been having tons of problems with my knees and ankles so I want to make sure I’m protecting them as much as possible. There’s something seriously wrong with my kneecaps – I can run UPhill, but I can’t run DOWNhill.. I’ve done so a few times here in SG and my knees absolutely scream with pain afterwards.. to the point where I can’t really stand up after I sit down. When I’m back in AU, I’m going to get an MRI scan on my knees as the specialists are better there. But in the mean time, really good shoes are what I’m after – and since these are 12 times the price of my cheapo Reeboks, they better work!! And they better last for aaaaages.. I’ve never spent so much money on sport shoes before. Even my sexy heels don’t even cost that much πŸ˜›


Asics GEL-KAYANO XII


Went home for a short rest.. then at 10pm, headed to a family friend’s place for supper. We Singaporeans like to eat non-stop, so it’s nice to be in SG where I don’t feel like a weirdo doing so πŸ˜› Our family friend makes a killer Pei Dan Chok (okay, I have NO idea how to spell that), which translates to “century egg congee”. Except we don’t call it Congee in Singapore, we call it Porridge. It’s really satisfying and warming and just utterly delicious. She filled it with TONS of ingredients – most importantly – braised peanuts, which I can eat and eat buckets of. We all had 3 or more bowls each because it was so good, hehe :)~

Big bowl of porridge, with condiments (fried onions, shallots, century egg)

Yummy

My aunt an uncle, about to dig in!

Dessert was Mini Cornettos

Tiramisu and Choc Mint

Strawberry


And that was yesterday. WHEW!!

Let’s Chat!




Let's Chat!

Hee, I like to look back on my SG foodie entries when I’m back in Australia… and torture myself πŸ˜‰

I added you btw!

u can pick fish or tau pok to go with it.
the tau pok (cooked with spare ribs, i think) is always the first to run out.
and must be there before noon. Preferably 1130am! πŸ˜›

Hee, I like to look back on my SG foodie entries when I’m back in Australia… and torture myself πŸ˜‰

I added you btw!

u can pick fish or tau pok to go with it.
the tau pok (cooked with spare ribs, i think) is always the first to run out.
and must be there before noon. Preferably 1130am! πŸ˜›

“I consider anything above $2 “too expensive”.. yet I’m OK with dropping $1,000 on a handbag.”

Haha, that i totally get cos i’m like that too. I can find say that something real cheap is ‘not worth it’ yet have no qualms about splurging on some designer designer item!

Btw bev, you have been eating so much yummy food in sg i feel i’ve not done enough eating!!! πŸ˜€

Hehe good, I’m not the only weirdo!! πŸ˜› I like saving up and buying a really nice item that I’ll use heaps, rather than tons of cheap ones that I’ll lose interest or fall apart.

You’re in SG too right? So lucky you can have all this food 24/7!!

agree with am_klutz above that downhills are bad for your knees. try not to lock your knees while going downhill or down the stairs. glucosamine pills (I think there’s a cream too) do help. and above all, yes, invest in a really good pair of running shoes!!

i like new balance, saucony and asics, but runnersworld.com has a range of recommended shoes you can research for the pair most suited to you πŸ™‚

Ya, I usually try not to run on flathill or downhill.. just on a slight uphill. I’m going to try glucosamine if these new shoes still don’t work.
Thanks for the link, gonna check it out now! πŸ™‚

Tee hee! the point is to eat only ONE instead of one normal-sized cone πŸ˜› But you’re right, it’s sooo tempting to eat another flavour!

Ooooh! hahahah! when you made that post I wasn’t even into running then πŸ˜› So are they still holding up, feeling good, working well, etc?
I got mine from Queensway too – about SG$195, but all the shops were selling at that price “no discount”!

“I consider anything above $2 “too expensive”.. yet I’m OK with dropping $1,000 on a handbag.”

Haha, that i totally get cos i’m like that too. I can find say that something real cheap is ‘not worth it’ yet have no qualms about splurging on some designer designer item!

Btw bev, you have been eating so much yummy food in sg i feel i’ve not done enough eating!!! πŸ˜€

Hehe good, I’m not the only weirdo!! πŸ˜› I like saving up and buying a really nice item that I’ll use heaps, rather than tons of cheap ones that I’ll lose interest or fall apart.

You’re in SG too right? So lucky you can have all this food 24/7!!

Okay, I am prejudiced I know. :p When it comes to wanton noodles and dim sum, I always think the ones in HK are the best.

But then, when it comes to NASI LEMAK (big sigh), there is nowhere in HK where you can find a restaurant that could offer one that looks like what you show in your pic. Argh…

I love NASI LEMAK. Did I say that loud enough? :p

The only HK wanton noodles I’ve had are the ones in Australia.. so dunno if they’re 100% authentic. But I have to say, the wantons are really mega and meaty so I don’t like them. the ones here are small and really delicate/slippery. Which ones are authentic HK ones like?

Can’t find Nasi Lemak in Au either, at least not 100% authentic πŸ™

The smaller and more **slippery** ones in Singapore sounds quite authentic to me!!! (Qungdong/HK style, that is)

Not that the bigger ones you find in Australia aren’t Chinese (wanton)dumplings. They are, too, though I believe that’s more of a crossover between the Guangdong (eastern part of China) and the traditional Beijing styles. The Guangdong ones MUST have shrimps, mushroom/veggies and “only a tad bit of meat” in it while the Bejing ones are bigger and the fillings are mainly meat, and sometimes with meat only.

the food all looks so great as usual!! πŸ™‚

we love burgers, but we don’t have Carls Jr in Canada yet.. maybe it will open someday πŸ™‚

I LOVE your opal ring.. oh, the opal is so so beautiful. I really love it!! I have always loved opals and the way they change colour… if I was a girl, I would definitely buy opal jewellery for myself! hehe

(Nancy doesn’t really like opals so I buy her diamonds.. haha)

I used to be indifferent to opals, but now I’m into them.. I like the way they shimmer and change colours. And I like this ring in particular πŸ™‚

But diamonds – can’t go wrong with them, really! πŸ™‚

Oh man…yams and pumpkin…what a yummy combination *drool*

We don’t have any Carl’s Jr Burgers places here in the east coast…it must be a west coast chain!

I didn’t see Carls when I was in CA.. so not sure where they are. In n Out burgers are just a west coast thing, I believe.. theyre yum too :)~

Hehe. You visited my all time favorite lunch hawker centre πŸ˜›
The Kayanos are really good babe. I’ve been wanting them for ages but it’s too expensive. But I can’t find an alternative so I’ll probably land up getting it. But good choice.
Running downhills is bad for the knees period. Try to lean back slightly when you do so so that the weight isnt on your knees. Hold your abs in to support your lower back, take smaller steps.

Are you there often? SO many office workers were there!

I hope the Kayanos work for me and help my knees.. but yea, the $ is insane. we got it from Queensway so it was SG$195, a wee bit cheaper. Most expensive shoes I’ve ever bought so I hope they REALLY work THAT much better than normal ones! If not, i’ll never spend $$ on sport shoes ever again πŸ˜›

Thanks for the tips too.. I’m going to try it out!

Yuppers. At least once a week because it’s a 5mins walk from my office πŸ™‚
Ooh! I’m heading down to Queensway tomorrow!

There’s that coffee bun thingy, Roti Boy I think?? It’s there too – YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ya check out Queensway.. but little/no size 6 or 6.5 left so if you’re that size the new shipment comes in 2 weeks. $195 is MUCH better than $259 retail!

kayayos are fab. after i got them, i semi retired my nike acg to strictly non high impact work only. the ultra cushioning in asics make a huge fidd for a flat footish me.

I’m flat foot too! I have a collapsible arch..its’ weird :X Glad to hear Asics are good for the flatties then πŸ™‚

oh wow, amoy food centre rocks! I must check it out the next time i am back! I am a sucker for “lor mee”, nasi lemak, wan tan mee and also or nee!! :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

asics makes great running shoes, you shld be careful with your knee, you might want to consider taking glucosamine supplements to repair your knee joints. the other thing is run on soft terrain i.e. grass. ultimate is to give up running i.e. do other sports that’s not so stressful on the knees. I have cut down on my outdoor runs to once every few weeks ‘cos my knees hurt – doesn’t matter whether it’s uphill or downhill – so now I stick to the elliptical. even then, doing lotsa squats and lunges also makes them twingey. really cannot win, must be age catching up with me πŸ˜› just be careful, injuries suck.

It was the first time I had lor mee.. it was SO YUM!!!! I’m a convert πŸ˜›

I’m going to try my mum’s glucosamine, she takes ’em too.. she has week knees as well πŸ™ I really do enjoy running so it’s sooo annoying, plus I don’t have an elliptical anywhere near me and don’t really like swimming. Gahhhhhh I just wish I had normal knees!

I’m Teow Chew so it’s in my blood to like it, heheheh πŸ˜›

Ooo def check it out! get there before 12 though, preferably 11-ish, so you can beat the crowd

agree with am_klutz above that downhills are bad for your knees. try not to lock your knees while going downhill or down the stairs. glucosamine pills (I think there’s a cream too) do help. and above all, yes, invest in a really good pair of running shoes!!

i like new balance, saucony and asics, but runnersworld.com has a range of recommended shoes you can research for the pair most suited to you πŸ™‚

Ya, I usually try not to run on flathill or downhill.. just on a slight uphill. I’m going to try glucosamine if these new shoes still don’t work.
Thanks for the link, gonna check it out now! πŸ™‚

I eat at Amoy food centre all the time! The fish soup store on the 2nd floor is the best. The queues are ridiculously long but oh so worth it πŸ™‚ and im crazy about jade too.

Oooo I could have seen you there, hehe! My cousin is there often too, I think.

I saw the fish soup stall, it had a lonnngggg queue too

When I was in Malaysia I initially thought nasi lemak was the strangest thing – especially when people ate it for breakfast. But then I grew to love it!

The congee looks great.

I normally find white opals a bit boring.. but this one has so much colour, I like it more than the ‘regular’ opals πŸ™‚

Nice ring! I love it!

And I’ve been eyeing the Asics Gel-Kayano for a long time. They are expensive but I heard they are really good. Please tell us how you like them!

Me too babe! It costs SGD$259 thereabouts here :\ There was a 30% off on the previous season’s kayanos but it was sold out in my size :\

They FEEL so much better than my reeboks, even just when standing in them.. I’m going to go for a jog soon in the Asics πŸ˜€

I love your opal ring, very pretty. Your new running shoes are cute, I like the pink. The mini Cornettos are so cute, I have never seen them in Canada before.

I wish the shoes came in blue.. but the red/pink’s pretty cute too πŸ™‚

I don’t think AU has the mini cornettos either – I like them, it’s like enforced dieting

Tee hee! the point is to eat only ONE instead of one normal-sized cone πŸ˜› But you’re right, it’s sooo tempting to eat another flavour!

Ooooh! hahahah! when you made that post I wasn’t even into running then πŸ˜› So are they still holding up, feeling good, working well, etc?
I got mine from Queensway too – about SG$195, but all the shops were selling at that price “no discount”!

Okay, I am prejudiced I know. :p When it comes to wanton noodles and dim sum, I always think the ones in HK are the best.

But then, when it comes to NASI LEMAK (big sigh), there is nowhere in HK where you can find a restaurant that could offer one that looks like what you show in your pic. Argh…

I love NASI LEMAK. Did I say that loud enough? :p

The only HK wanton noodles I’ve had are the ones in Australia.. so dunno if they’re 100% authentic. But I have to say, the wantons are really mega and meaty so I don’t like them. the ones here are small and really delicate/slippery. Which ones are authentic HK ones like?

Can’t find Nasi Lemak in Au either, at least not 100% authentic πŸ™

The smaller and more **slippery** ones in Singapore sounds quite authentic to me!!! (Qungdong/HK style, that is)

Not that the bigger ones you find in Australia aren’t Chinese (wanton)dumplings. They are, too, though I believe that’s more of a crossover between the Guangdong (eastern part of China) and the traditional Beijing styles. The Guangdong ones MUST have shrimps, mushroom/veggies and “only a tad bit of meat” in it while the Bejing ones are bigger and the fillings are mainly meat, and sometimes with meat only.

the food all looks so great as usual!! πŸ™‚

we love burgers, but we don’t have Carls Jr in Canada yet.. maybe it will open someday πŸ™‚

I LOVE your opal ring.. oh, the opal is so so beautiful. I really love it!! I have always loved opals and the way they change colour… if I was a girl, I would definitely buy opal jewellery for myself! hehe

(Nancy doesn’t really like opals so I buy her diamonds.. haha)

I used to be indifferent to opals, but now I’m into them.. I like the way they shimmer and change colours. And I like this ring in particular πŸ™‚

But diamonds – can’t go wrong with them, really! πŸ™‚

Oh man…yams and pumpkin…what a yummy combination *drool*

We don’t have any Carl’s Jr Burgers places here in the east coast…it must be a west coast chain!

I didn’t see Carls when I was in CA.. so not sure where they are. In n Out burgers are just a west coast thing, I believe.. theyre yum too :)~

Hehe. You visited my all time favorite lunch hawker centre πŸ˜›
The Kayanos are really good babe. I’ve been wanting them for ages but it’s too expensive. But I can’t find an alternative so I’ll probably land up getting it. But good choice.
Running downhills is bad for the knees period. Try to lean back slightly when you do so so that the weight isnt on your knees. Hold your abs in to support your lower back, take smaller steps.

Are you there often? SO many office workers were there!

I hope the Kayanos work for me and help my knees.. but yea, the $ is insane. we got it from Queensway so it was SG$195, a wee bit cheaper. Most expensive shoes I’ve ever bought so I hope they REALLY work THAT much better than normal ones! If not, i’ll never spend $$ on sport shoes ever again πŸ˜›

Thanks for the tips too.. I’m going to try it out!

Yuppers. At least once a week because it’s a 5mins walk from my office πŸ™‚
Ooh! I’m heading down to Queensway tomorrow!

There’s that coffee bun thingy, Roti Boy I think?? It’s there too – YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ya check out Queensway.. but little/no size 6 or 6.5 left so if you’re that size the new shipment comes in 2 weeks. $195 is MUCH better than $259 retail!

kayayos are fab. after i got them, i semi retired my nike acg to strictly non high impact work only. the ultra cushioning in asics make a huge fidd for a flat footish me.

I’m flat foot too! I have a collapsible arch..its’ weird :X Glad to hear Asics are good for the flatties then πŸ™‚

oh wow, amoy food centre rocks! I must check it out the next time i am back! I am a sucker for “lor mee”, nasi lemak, wan tan mee and also or nee!! :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

asics makes great running shoes, you shld be careful with your knee, you might want to consider taking glucosamine supplements to repair your knee joints. the other thing is run on soft terrain i.e. grass. ultimate is to give up running i.e. do other sports that’s not so stressful on the knees. I have cut down on my outdoor runs to once every few weeks ‘cos my knees hurt – doesn’t matter whether it’s uphill or downhill – so now I stick to the elliptical. even then, doing lotsa squats and lunges also makes them twingey. really cannot win, must be age catching up with me πŸ˜› just be careful, injuries suck.

It was the first time I had lor mee.. it was SO YUM!!!! I’m a convert πŸ˜›

I’m going to try my mum’s glucosamine, she takes ’em too.. she has week knees as well πŸ™ I really do enjoy running so it’s sooo annoying, plus I don’t have an elliptical anywhere near me and don’t really like swimming. Gahhhhhh I just wish I had normal knees!

I’m Teow Chew so it’s in my blood to like it, heheheh πŸ˜›

Ooo def check it out! get there before 12 though, preferably 11-ish, so you can beat the crowd

I eat at Amoy food centre all the time! The fish soup store on the 2nd floor is the best. The queues are ridiculously long but oh so worth it πŸ™‚ and im crazy about jade too.

Oooo I could have seen you there, hehe! My cousin is there often too, I think.

I saw the fish soup stall, it had a lonnngggg queue too

When I was in Malaysia I initially thought nasi lemak was the strangest thing – especially when people ate it for breakfast. But then I grew to love it!

The congee looks great.

I normally find white opals a bit boring.. but this one has so much colour, I like it more than the ‘regular’ opals πŸ™‚

Nice ring! I love it!

And I’ve been eyeing the Asics Gel-Kayano for a long time. They are expensive but I heard they are really good. Please tell us how you like them!

Me too babe! It costs SGD$259 thereabouts here :\ There was a 30% off on the previous season’s kayanos but it was sold out in my size :\

They FEEL so much better than my reeboks, even just when standing in them.. I’m going to go for a jog soon in the Asics πŸ˜€

I love your opal ring, very pretty. Your new running shoes are cute, I like the pink. The mini Cornettos are so cute, I have never seen them in Canada before.

I wish the shoes came in blue.. but the red/pink’s pretty cute too πŸ™‚

I don’t think AU has the mini cornettos either – I like them, it’s like enforced dieting