Thursday, December 17, 2009

WPN lunch 03 Dec 2009

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(click for larger image) - I just realised that I looked a little like Gilbert here with my new specs :p


(click for larger image) - just a random stitched collage 1500 x 269

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the poor neglected blog of mine...

Wow...

I didn't realised that my last post was more than a month ago..... October and November have been just crazy with lotsa assignments coming in from all directions and in addition to that, we were also going away for our much-anticipated (and this time round, a very much needed) vacation to Japan for a good part of November for the 3rd year consecutive.

The appeal of Japan in Autumn will always be our mainstay as we can't think of any other places that we wanna spend autumn in - we had our 1st foray into Japan to celebrate our engagement in 07', took our PreWedding photos there in '08 and in our 3rd visit, we just chill (literally) and celebrate the joy of togetherness with each other. Clearly the joy were all over our faces and showed in the photos we took :)

Anyway.. lotsa post will be coming up I promised. TO start it off, here's some of the places we went to for makan after coming back to Singapore:

(click for larger image) - Wild Honey @ Mandarin Gallery

(click for larger image) - we love the cosy ambience and great selection of international breakfast food!

(click for larger image) - this portion reminded me of some cafes in Paris

(click for larger image) - Here's my Yume-chan. You will be seeing more of her on this blog and on FB :D

(click for larger image) - Ippudo lunch with Silver CRV, Wenzzz & Lil Ms Snooze
despite the hype, I still think Ichi-ran makes the best ramen I have ever eaten! Ever!

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(click for larger image) - Wenzzz tried to eat Yume-chan ~.~

(click for larger image) - she loves Asahi Black :D

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Spontaneous trip to KL

Some of you may have found out from Facebook or Twitter that Ms. Clover and I took a short weekend trip to K.L, just to relax and get away from things for a while. It has been a stressful period for the both of us and so with a long weekend coming up, it makes perfect excuse to go up North :)

Cheap air fares from budget airlines made traveling in the region so much easier: just click and go basically. Armed with our passports and 1 set of clothes, we headed off to explore KLCC. Not very adventurous this time coz' we just want to go away from our sunny island... only to land in rainy KL for the evening.

Trader's Hotel was our top choice due to its concept liken to G-Hotel Penang but Trader's, being more of a business hotel, lack the cosyness and funkiness of G-Hotel and the spa can't really compared to Danai Spa also.

Okie. I'm being biased here. Its a great hotel to stay in: 4 minutes to KLCC's Suria Mall, 7 mins to Pavilion KL, lovely view of the Petronas tower day and night, lovely view of the garden park in the golden triangle, the staff are professional and warm, love the interior decor of the business centre, executive lounge and the cafes... etc.

Here's some pics from the Ricoh GrD v.1 to share:

(click for larger version) - Petronas Towers @ Dusk

(click for larger version) - The night view from the hotel room

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(click for larger version) - Lounge chair in the room

(click for larger version) - Breakfast with a great view :)

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(click for larger version) - Love the Business Center

(click for larger version) - Piggy Paus @ Dragon-i restaurant in Pavilion Shopping Centre

(click for larger version) - TWG cafe... really value-for-money English Afternoon Tea

(click for larger version) - Ms Clover took this.. I like :)

(click for larger version) - Reflecting who we are.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

DREAMing in Bangkok...

A short update from the Land of Smiles as we made our escape to Bangkok this morning. Nothing much to our itinerary (in fact, there's no plans at all!) - just go where our feet and eyes take us :)

We decided to check out a new hotel in the Sukhumvit area called DREAM Bangkok which didn't really impress us that much as from the website but the interiors are starkly decorated with nice clean lines, very nice services, good room pricing and pretty near the BTS/ MRT station. Apart from that, it's a little like the boutique hotel, Cosmos, in HongKong.

I didn't take any interiors of the room coz we crashed almost immediately upon reaching the hotel... Too little sleep the night before and too short of a flight to sleep on the plane which was exceptionally uncomfortable with a bunch of overly excited youths and their b*tching about some classmates' plight.... but the place is comfortable overall, room service food was good and best of all, ample space to even include a L-shaped sofa as seen on their website. Shot the following with the Canon 5Dmk2 to test out the high ISO response... so far, Loving It!

Anyway, here's some pics to share:

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(click for larger image) - They have 2 buildings so this is the main one - shot this on ISO 6400 and the image is darn clean.

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(click for larger image) - Spinach risotto with Sea Bass fillet from room service

(click for larger image) - New York burger : grilled Angus beef served with aged cheddar and wedges

(click for larger image) - Love how the 5D2 allows clean night shots with intel ambience support :p

Well, we are looking forward to going back to staying at Lebua @ State Tower tomorrow after first visiting it in 2006 :D

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Saturday, May 16, 2009

the big 3-0....

A pleasant surprise was hatched in a shroud of secrecy complete with radio silence, secret code names and a whole bunch of people whom have come together to give this ole' bug a wonderful surprise @ Pasta Inc tonight :D

Given that I turn 30 only on next weekday Wed, the close friends have been in cahoots with Ms Clover (since last week apparently) in arranging a celebration at the lovely Pasta Inc restaurant tonight where the order of the dinner was lovely Italian Pastas, delicious appetizers, sweet desserts, great wine and most of all, being in the fantabulous company of the people that are close to our hearts :) Of coz, an ad-hoc KTV & rounds of Victoria Bitters @ Sharky's ended the night perfectly...

Ms Clover has really outdone herself this time with this surprise party coz she hid it rather well from the prying mind of this kaypo shutterbug who kinda sensed something was going on but half clueless as to what exactly has been planned. The details were mind-boogling so to speak b'coz of all the coordinations she have to arrange but I have to admit, she's really good in looking quite nonchalant while making sure everything is going as planned.

The only clues I had were her odd insistence of having dinner somewhere near town (we hate to go squeeze with the weekend crowd unless necessary) and her dressing-up to go cheong Mustafa afters today. The question on my mind is when but as to what and how... hehehe... I already have some clues....

Meeting everyone @ the restaurant was a feeling of comfort and loved coz I really missed spending time with them and they are the people that are of paramount importance to who I am today. Hahaha... so was it a surprise then? Nah... but it wasn't important compared to being able to spend time with and being in the presence of these friends Ms Clover and I have placed very close to our hearts.

Thank you, my dearest friends, for a wonderful celebration and for your generous & thoughtful gifts tonight!

Reflecting on the question of turning 30 this year, I would have to say that life still goes on but in the past 29 years of my life, I have experienced nothing but blessings upon blessings... yes there are always trying times and times when I'm defeated to the core and lost all motivations to stand up and soldier on but I wanna give thanks to God for seeing me through those times, for sending me selfless friends and aid in my times of need, to give me the words and actions to push me onwards to who and what I am today.

30 is just a number. What counts is who are you inside.

Lastly, to my beautiful Ms Clover.... thank you for organizing this surprise celebration. Even though I have suspected something already but I know from experience not to burst the bubble until it was fully formed :p but still, what touched me more is how you managed to organise and pull this dinner off despite being very busy @ work and having other commitments to boot. Thank you very much darling :D

Will update this entry with photos when the rest have posted :p

*in ref to this blog post earlier, the Canon 5D mk2 miniature has actually became the REAL THING, courtesy of Ms Clover :D I'm highly favored and greatly blessed! *

-------------- Update: 17 / 05 / 09 ---------------

(Pic courtesy of Silver-CRV)

Here's the coverages by Lil' Snooze & Silver-CRV :D


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Monday, March 09, 2009

Battle of Salads....

We are an odd pair... :)

When Ms Clover wanted to do a salad for dinner to bring to work (she is on shift tonight), I decided to pitch in but we have very different ideas of how the salad should turn out and so, we decided to make it a competition using the same main ingredients and do a Salad-2 ways.

The main ingredients consist of Baby Spinach, pan-seared chicken breast & Yellow bell peppers. No time limit and we can use any spices or methods to achieve the end results.

Ms Clover did a warm salad using a Bacon + Sherry vinaigrette toss while I went for the healthier Mediterranean-style salad that uses flavoured olive oil and sauteed bell peppers with spices.

(click for larger image) - My version


(click for larger image) - Ms Clover's version


No winners yet coz I liked them both :D

For anyone who's interested, here's my recipe for the Mediterranean-style salad:

Ingredients -

~ Baby Spinach leaves
~ 1/2 to 1x Middle size Bell pepper (yellow or red), de-seed & cut to thin strips
~ 1 piece of Chicken breast, sliced to bite size
~ Fresh basil leaves (about 3 will do), chopped finely
~ French Sea salt + freshly grinded Pepper to taste
~ Basil & Sundried tomato flavoured Olive Oil
~ Lemon juice (adjust to taste)
~ Lemon zest
~ pinch of thyme (dried or fresh is fine)

Cooking -

~ season chicken pieces with a bit of shoyu (soya sauce) or teriyaki sauce, sugar & freshly grind pepper
~ Saute the bell pepper strips with a bit of sea salt and sugar without oil and then add a pinch of Thyme.
~ Pan sear the chicken pieces after seasoning. You can have it a little charred on the surface if you like. No need for oil, just a good non-stick pan will do fine.

Combine the Bell pepper strips, Baby spinach, chopped Basil leaves into salad bowl. Drizzle the flavoured Olive oil over them and toss the combination till even. Squeeze lemon juice over (adjust to your liking) and add sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss the combi one more time to even out the dressing.
You can also add the chicken in at this stage or leave till later.

Serving:

Just before serving, you can add the chicken pieces on top and grate some lemon zest over :)

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Sunday, March 08, 2009

Visit to Tatsuya...

...left us both gasping for more... ^.^ from the moment we stepped into the restaurant, the familiar smell of being in Japan hit our nostalgia glands and instantly, we were transported back to the delicious eateries in Osaka and Tokyo... apart from the mix of Japanese/ English spoken by the staff, we were mesmerised totally by the magic of this place.

I have always wanted to come try the food here after reading Imp's gastronomical accounts of the delicious authentic Japanese food here... and decided to bring Ms Clover for a little Omakase meal on Saturday evening. The presentation of the food, the freshness of the sashimi (okie, it's still not as fresh as we expected coz we had super fresh sashimi from Tsuikiji Market before but this is really the closest we can get to getting top-notch Japanese food) and the service quality of the staff.

I'll just let the pics from the Ricoh GrD whet your appetite a bit:

(click for larger image) - The Sushi Bar

(click for larger image) - The feeling of eating in the sushi bar in Osaka all came flooding back :)

(click for larger image) - Starter: seasoned eel strips

(click for larger image) - Sashimi moriawase : OTORO!!!

(click for larger image) - Bamboo clam in Misomayo.. HEAVENLY!!

(click for larger image) - Tempura Yam in prawn broth and a Sakura petal

(click for larger image) - Shio Grilled Rockfish with grated yam

(click for larger image) - Otoro with plum nigiri (Aburi)

(click for larger image) - Mentaiko Ebi with Cavier (nuff said.. I floated to Cloud 7 on this)

(click for larger image) - Seared Scallop with Foie Gras and Sesame Sauce
(another winner in our book!)


(click for larger image) - Uni sushi
*I know I once mentioned that I will NEVER touch Uni (Sea Urchin) or Wasabi in Singapore but I just have to try it here and it certainly didn't disappoint although seriously, I can still taste the difference in freshness. At least, I'm comforted that they have freshly grated wasabi which complimented the entire meal :)

(click for larger image) - Grilled Anago Eel Zushi

(click for larger image) - Dessert of Strawberry and Japanese Melon (sweetness beyond words!)

(click for larger image) - Chef Watanabe


The experience left us wanting more and of coz, a much lighter wallet but I must say, it's all worth the experience! We will definitely return for the lunch bentos as well!

* got an sms from Tatsuya (Ronnie) this morning on thanking us for patronising them... wonderful service this is!

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Friday, February 27, 2009

Celebrating Lian Rong Pau's B'Day!

We had a grand time last night @ Lian Rong Pau's B'day celebration @ Sharky's Pub (Telok Kurau Rd). With the main conspirator non other than Char Siu Pau, we deviced a series of 'white lies' to lure her to Sharky's for a drink which turned out to be a surprise party for her :D

The evening was great with the Lychee Martini Birthday Cake from Chip Bee Gardens, finger food and desserts from Garden Slug and lotsa lotsa booze from Sharky's. Service from the pub was most excellent and efficient with Ron (Pub Manager) and Lewis (Pub Hand) catering to our requests :) Friends and family gathered to wish our birthday gal a wonderful celebration of her presence in their lives, old and new acquaintances were made and we ended the night with a promise that 3 years later, it will be a grand-scale surprise for Lian Rong Pau again! :p

Happy Blessed Birthday Naomi!
May God continue to bless you with grace and wisdom from the years and for the years to come, beauty in His eyes and Love from His heart!

Well, will post more photos later but here's 3 for the time being:

(click for larger image) - The B'Day Girl!

(click for larger image) - The Couple :)

(click for larger image) - The princess: lil' Siu Mai :D

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About me

  • I'm Shutterbug
  • From- Singapore
  • What- Photographer
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Email...

    ron@eye-deas.com

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    Pupsik Studio

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Movie muse

    IronMan 2008 *****/5

Shout Outs


Calender

  • 15/12 :: Proud owners of our own Loft!

  • 19/12 :: House Reno begins

  • 19/12 :: All-White XMas Party @ The Pond

  • 20/12 :: WPN Xmas Party @ Lightpixels Wessex

  • 25/12 :: Merry Christmas everyone!

  • 31/12 :: New Year's Eve Dinner @ Yveon Loft

  • 01/01 :: Happy 2009 everyone!

  • 07/12 - 10/12 :: Good bye Bishan, Hello Bukit Panjang

  • 19/01 :: Renovation completion

Vision'08

  • SAVE UP FOR OUR CUSTOMARY WEDDING !

  • To serve more efficiently in God's kingdom

  • To cultivate a closer relationship with my loved ones

  • To lose 10 kgs

  • To learn to be more sensitive spiritually and emotionally

  • To go for a liveonboard dive trip again

  • To exercise musicianship professionally

  • Have a solo photography exhibition in 2008

  • Love more, give more and bless others more!

  • Expanding my photography business

Travel dreams...

  • Watch a live Sumo match in Japan

  • Climb Mt Fuji

  • Watch the Northern lights

  • Play the slots in Las Vegas

  • Trek Nepal

  • Dive in Maldives

  • Shoot New York City

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