Laksania, for Hearty Food made with Love

I had a memorable birthday treat to a delicious meal at Laksania a day before my birthday thanks to one of my very kind and generous friends, Belinda. We had an enjoyable dinner at one of the Laksania outlets located at Bugis+ at 201 Victoria Street.

It was my very first time dining at Laksania. What makes Laksania special is that it serves an innovative menu of dishes that are based on the flavourful herb that is commonly known in Singapore as the laksa leaf. I took a quick glance at the menu. Other than serving variants of laksa from South East Asia, Laksania also serves fusion dishes like Laksa Lasagna and Laksa Burgers at Laksania.

My friend and I ordered a regular bowl of Kelantan Laksa, a regular plate of Laksa Goreng and a serving of Chicken Satay (3 pcs) to share.

Kelantan Laksa.

The Kelantan Laksa is served with thick rice noodles and generous amounts of mackerel fish meat. For $4.90 for a regular serving of it, I think it was pretty reasonable priced considering that it is being served in a restaurant setting. As I ate it, I could tell that the food was made with care and love. The Kelantan laksa is not spicy and has a taste that is mildly gingerly with the fragrance of laksa leaf. Home-made fresh chilli paste was served on the side to compliment the Kelantan Laksa. I later learnt that the spices and herbs used at Laksania are free from preservatives. I am willing to come back for more Kelantan Laksa at Laksania in the near future. It is an interesting and novel alternative to the more common Singapore Laksa that we can more easily find in our tropical home-town of Singapore. I thought the Kelantan Laksa was pretty yummy and could be upgraded as one of the "Must Try!" items in the menu. Check this out if you prefer a mild yet novel type of laksa.

Laksa Goreng is one of the innovative dishes is served at Laksania. A plate of regular Laksa Goreng costs $4.90 excluding GST. My friend commented that it reminded her of the taste of Char Kway Teow. Then again, I beg to differ. This dish has a flavourful and distinctive laksa-leaf taste. In fact, it tasted like Singapore Laksa that is fried and served dried!

The menu suggested that the Chicken Satay is one of the "Must-Try!" dishes. It was priced at $4.20 for a serving of three pieces of satay. I was happy with it. I could not figure out yet what makes it so tasty. Could anyone care to enlighten please? Perhaps it was the way that the chicken meat was marinated with herbs which include the laksa leaf? The non-spicy yet flavoursome laksa cream sauce that was served on the side with the chicken satay made this dish completely delicious.

For our beverages, I ordered the hot lemon-grass tea ($3.00 per glass) while my friend ordered the iced lemon-grass tea ($3.50 per glass). Each sip of hot lemon-grass tea tasted heavenly. I learnt that the lemon-grass tea was freshly prepared using hand-pounded lemon-grass and pandan leaves. The hot lemon-grass tea is a hearty and healing beverage to consider when dining at Laksania.

In summary, I have enjoyed the dinner at Laksania that evening. I was left with the experience that Laksania is one of the places in Singapore to enjoy delicious and quality laksa in a restaurant setting. The food there is considered value-for-money.

Service was generally prompt and friendly. Although there was an occasion when the waiter brought a bill which was meant for another table to our table, he discovered the mistake promptly with our promptings, and gladly sent the bill to the right table subsequently.

Laksania offers a range of interesting food that could cater to people with specific dietary requirements. It is a halal-certified food establishment serving quality laksa and other dishes. For the vegans, Laksania serves the Vegetarian Laksa that is suitable for vegans.

I have a lot of respect for the team at Laksania who takes pride in serving hearty food made with love and service from the heart. What impressed me more is that Laksania is a social enterprise that aims to create opportunities to provide employment for people with disabilities and for people from marginalised groups. Employment enables the people to earn a living using their own efforts. I think employment also gives these people the sense of achievement and belongingness to the community.

The next time you are nearby a Laksania outlet and crave for laksa-leaf inspired dishes, consider the option of walking yourself into the outlet to enjoy the food. Your patronage will not only reward you with hearty food that is made with love and served with pride, it will support Laksania in fulfilling its social mission to help persons with disabilities to earn a living using their own efforts so that they can become financially self-reliant eventually. A win-win situation for all.

***
Laksania
http://www.laksania.com

Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-04
Singapore 188067

JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#03-09
Singapore 608549

Note:
Laksania is a halal-certified restaurant.
Other than dine-in, take-away is available for most of the food except the Laksa Hotpot.

***
Updates: Also read Catherine Ling's Laksania serves hope and fabulous laksa

20 May 2012: Attended an Interfaith service at Uniting Church

20 May 2012 (Sun):

Stephanie Dowrick has been one of the authors whose books I have enjoyed reading when I first chanced upon one of her books a few years ago. When I realized that the dates which I was available to visit Sydney allowed me to attend one of the interfaith services led by Reverend Dr Stephanie Dowrick, I decided to schedule a visit to the interfaith services. 

The interfaith services was held on 20 May 2012, on the very same day when I arrived in Sydney when I visited Sydney in May 2012. The interfaith services in Sydney are held at 264 Pitt Street, Sydney 2000, Uniting Church, on the 3rd Sunday of each month. I learnt that the Uniting Church at 264 Pitt Street is housed in a beautifully restored neo-classic building.

Before the service, there was a chance for people to sing together for an hour before the monthly sevice. This is intended to deepen participants' experience of prayer through music. I had missed the singing session because I did not realized it was taking place even though I was just nearby the church that day.

Nevertheless, when I attended the interfaith service, it turned out to be a positive experience. I felt welcomed. Reverend Dr Stephanie Dowrick spoke on the topic titled "Transforming our views". In this talkm she reminded us of "our power to contribute to a kinder, more tolerant world" One of the members of the congregation shared about personal reflection on the topic of sharing compassion. 

To listen to Reverend Dr Stephanie Dowrick speak on the topic of Transforming Our Views, please visit http://www.stephaniedowrick.com/blog/stephanie-dowrick-on-youtube-transforming-our-view/

Some of my learning points from the service were:
1) Do not dishonour the positive efforts that we make no matter how small it may seem.
2) Remember to give ourselves due credit for the good work that we do.

I also remember the Sarum Primer prayer that was recited during the service.

"God be in my head
and in my understanding
God be in my eyes
and in my looking
God be in mouth
and in my speaking
God be in my heart
and in my thinking
God be at my end
and in my departing"

One of the members of the congregation had generously and kindly baked cakes for everyone who were at the service. The cakes were shared at the end of the service. Many thanks to her kindness and generosity!

At the end of the interfaith service, I had the opportunity to speak with Stephanie Dowrick. In addition, I have managed to get a copy of her latest book, Everyday Kindness, and had it autographed. It was a wonderful delight and surprise!

Somehow this simple attendance at my first interfaith service was in some ways positively transformative. Many thanks to everyone at the service for his/her kindness and fellowship.

***
Uniting Church in Australia
Pitt Street Congregation
264 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.

Interfaith services:
http://www.pittstreetuniting.org.au/interfaith.html
http://www.stephaniedowrick.com/featured/interfaith-services

***
Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

21 May 2012: Dinner together

21 May 2012: When I was Sydney in May 2012, I had the pleasure to meet up with my friends and their family members for dinner. The decision was to meet outside the Sydney city. We eventually decide on Korean food at Chatswood. I feel grateful and thankful to enjoy memorable moments with friends that I decided that I shall write a post on the dinner.

I must have been enjoying the dinner company so much that I did not have a single photograph from that dinner. I also overlooked getting a business card of the restaurant for reference purposes! Anyway, I like the spicy beancurd soup especially. I like the fact that the meal was served with a lot of vegetables. Many thanks to RL and her husband for the treat as well as the thoughtful dinner recommendations.

Anyway, here is a review on the Korean restaurant that we have had dinner at by someone else who had a meal there about two years ago:
[Chatswood] Jang-Gun -將軍- Korean Cuisine

After dinner, we strolled about the areas of Chatswood. I was offered a lift back to the hotel, thanks to FH's  husband. One of the learning points for the day seemed to be that learning to receive is a blessing in itself. In addition, learning to share good moments with people around us is a blessing too.

This was a day to be grateful for!

***
Jang Gun (Korean) Restaurant
Shop 27, Victoria Plaza, 369 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia
Tel: +61-2-9412-1816

Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

23 May 2012: Refreshing moments at North Head and other parts of Manly

Manly Wharf

My warmest thanks to one of my good friends, RL, for her thoughtfulness and generosity in making time to drive me to Manly and to North Head, located in the suburb of Manly. The visit to Manly offered tranquil and refreshing moments that I deeply appreciate.

Before lunch, I treated myself to a cup of acai (pronounced "ah-sai-ee") drink with blue berry. It was yummy. Shortly later, my friend and I had lunch at Chat Thai located within the premises of the Manly Wharf. I appreciated my friend's company over lunch way more than the lunch. 

After lunch, my friend, RL, took me on a ride heading to Manly's North Head. I heard from my friend that driving is one of the easiest way to get to North Head. I do not have a driving licence, and I felt deeply grateful for the kindness and generosity of my friend to accompany me to North Head. My friend found a parking lot at possibly one of the lookouts at North Head, and we spent quite some time there.

The view from North Head was marvellous and refreshing. It is a peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. As I looked out from North Head, I saw South Head which I had visited the day before! Somehow I felt a sense of revelation that everything is so interconnected!

North Head, Manly, Sydney. Special effect photo with vivid colours settings.

A sketch from North Head.

The tranquility of the spaces moved and inspired me to do a sketch from North Head. I have to thank my dear friend for being so patient with me while I was sketching. Thanks pal!

The awesome view from North Head.

At North Head, we met a young couple who had cycled all the way to North Head. We also met a group of school-going teenage girls who were probably there for some kind of celebration. One of them kindly helped to take photographs of me and my friend. I felt thankful that we have met kind people during our day out at Manly.

My friend and I unwind over tea. I could experience the precious blessing it was to make time catching up with a dear friend. Perhaps that was why Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote in The Little Prince that "what is essential is invisible to the eye". Special thanks to my friend for her generous treat to the afternoon tea.

Manly Beach.

Manly beach.

After our afternoon tea, we took some time to enjoy the cooling breeze at the Manly beach. Making time to spend at the beach somehow had a calming effect on me. I hope my friend felt similarly too. 


Before we left Manly, we spent some moments strolling about Manly. The sights of the seagulls somehow amused me. As I strolled along the streets of Manly, I fondly recalled equally lovely moments of a time when I had previously visited Manly with my friend, RL. I counted my blessings that life has been kind to me to lead me to visit Manly once again with the very same friend who was the first to have introduced me to Manly.

***

Chat Thai

East Esplanade, Manly, NSW 2095, Australia.

***
Manly Australia
Related links:
http://www.manlyaustralia.com.au
Visit Manly
Trip Advisor: Sydney, Manly Beach

***

North Head

Related links:

North Head Lookout

Plan your visit to North Head Sanctuary

Experiences at North Head Sanctuary

Map of North Head

***
Related posts:
13 Sep 2008: Sunny day out at Manly
13 Sep 2008: on the way back to Circular Quay

***
Also visit: Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired.

Sydney, May 2012: A time to heal and to be inspired

Sydney was the choice when I was deciding on how to spend a week away from my usual routine. It was originally the destination to visit for the month of May 2012 for a music exchange trip which has yet to materialize, and so my mind must have been primed to choose Sydney as one of the first options.

The possibility of spending some moments to reconnect with a few of my friends who are living in Sydney, the chance to visit scenic places and be closer to Nature, the temptation to take ferry rides across the Sydney Harbour, the chance to attend an interfaith service by Dr Stephanie Dowrick (one of my favourite authors) and the pleasure to catch the first night of Vivid Sydney were enticing factors that influenced to decide that Sydney was the place to visit.

In the upcoming posts to follow, I shall pen down some of my observations, experiences, thoughts and learning points from a recent visit to Sydney, from 20 to 26 May 2012. In these posts, take a glimpse of Vivid Sydney and the first Vivid Live Stage Door Tour, find out a few of the wonderful places to enjoy breakfast in Sydney, be moved by the beauty of Berowra Waters, North Head, Watsons Bay, Milsons Point, the Blue Mountains and more.

Nature is healing. I am grateful for the therapeutic effects that visiting National Parks, the Sydney Harbour, and many other places have on me. I am also deeply appreciative to my friends in Sydney for their kindness, hospitality and generosity. I am very thankful and grateful to the kindhearted folks whom I have met during my visit to Sydney. They have provided timely help, directions, guidance and kindness to me, the solo traveller.

What better way to share my gratitude and delight than to pen them down? May you find comfort and inspirations from the posts to come.

***
Also see: Sydney, May 2012

Grateful for a lunch with a good friend at Gobi

The fast pace of urban life makes time with good friends more precious. I am feeling grateful for a comforting lunch with a good friend , JY, at Gobi. It was my first visit to Gobi. My gratitude to  JY for the wonderful company and treat at Gobi. JY has been most kind to lend her ears and support when needed.

Born from the love for desserts and sweet nothings, Gobi is most well-known for its "disturbing delightful desserts". Gobi's desserts, at least the Soufflé with Crème Anglaise that I had tried, are delightful, though I cannot find anything "disturbing" about its desserts. As such, I would like to think that Gobi's tagline is possibly just a way to capture the attention of the dessert lovers.

The grilled vegetable salad was refreshing and the baked miso salmon was served in an interesting fashion with spinach and carrot puree.

The photographs of the food shall remind me of a delightful lunch with a good friend. If you ask me about my reviews, I shall say, go for the souffle. After all, Gobi is known for its desserts.


Gobi
350 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427598
Closed on Mondays.
http://www.gobi.com.sg

Music bless us all

I write this post with gratitude of the gifts that music and art have bestowed me. Through music and art, I have collaborated with countless creative souls and experienced the value of team-work.

The recent concert that I had played in was a success. The orchestra as a whole has scaled new heights. For myself, it was a humbling experience to continue to learning deeper and more new things from playing music. Reflecting, everyone in the orchestra has journeyed and grew a long way from the first day since the orchestra started preparing for the recent concert.

The title of the concert was Providence. Perhaps life does provide, fate does lead us like an unknown hand to where we ought to? I have no idea. Yet the entire experience to explore the theme of fate in the Fifth Symphony of Tchaikovsky was a humbling one.

Many thanks to family, friends and all well-wishers for your support and encouragement. These mean a lot to me.

My love for greeting cards

This evening, I was reorganizing my humble collection of greeting cards and notes. These were the expressions of the thoughts and care from friends over the years. It was a comforting and touching experience to reread these cards and notes. I felt I was rediscovering a way to count my blessings, i.e. through rereading at least a part of my collection of greeting cards and notes.

I started collecting greeting cards and notes from a time when I was possibly in lower Secondary level. The collection started as a way to remind me of the care and encouragements that friends so generously give. I continued to collect the cards over time after I have experienced that it is therapeutic to browse through and reread even a portion of the collection.

Some cards may bear simple words of greeting yet the thoughtfulness that came with them can be deeply felt. Some cards bear interesting designs and often remind me of one of my dreams to establish a business that aims share kindness and care through greeting cards, notes and gifts. Some cards which were hand-made reminded me of the care and effort that went into realizing the cards.

With this post, I thank my friends for the thoughtfulness and care that were so generously shared, through simple gestures such as sending an encouraging card. Thank you!

Sydney, May 2011

Once again, my words of thanks to Tourism New South Wales for organising the contest "100 Things that make Sydney so ... Sydney" in partnership with Singapore Airlines. My winning entry to the contest gave me the opportunity to visit Sydney in May 2011 and experience autumn in Sydney. I was in Sydney in time for one of my friends' wedding, to celebrate Mother's Day with my mother who visited Sydney with me, and to spend my birthday in Sydney.

Many thanks to Oaks Goldsbrough for sponsoring three nights of accommodation. I have enjoyed my stay!

The photographs from my visit are made possible thanks to Canon for awarding me with a Canon IXUS 1000HS camera.

Here is a compilations of related posts of my visit to Sydney in May 2011:

My visit to Sydney, May 2011
5 May 2011: Arrival at Sydney and the lunch at BBQ King
6 May 2011: Our breakfast at Bills
6 May 2011: The Royal Botanic Gardens' Aboriginal Heritage Tour
6 May 2011: Rose Bay
6 May 2011: Memorable Watsons Bay
6 May 2011: The rest of the day
7 May 2011: The Scenic Wine Tasting Tour by the Red Carpet Tours
What I have learnt from the wine tasting sessions
7 May 2011: Delicious wanton noodles at Supermeal Chinese Restaurant
The Buddha's Birthday Festival
8 May 2011: Bourke Street Bakery
8 May 2011: A loving day
9 May 2011: The Sydney Fish Market Behind the Scenes Tour
9 May 2011: A tour of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
9 May 2011: My third Sydney Opera House Essential Tour
9 May 2011: The awesome view from Pylon Lookout
9 May 2011: The lucky rainbow that I saw
9 May 2011: The Sydney Tower and the walk in the skies
9 May 2011: A superb dinner with friends
10 May 2011: Sydney Highlights and Bondi Beach Gray Line Tours
10 May 2011: 3-2-1 Spin!
10 May 2011: The Justice and Police Museum
10 May 2011: Korean lunch
10 May 2011: Time alone at Circular Quay
10 May 2011: Magistic Cruisesmart
My many servings of breakfast
10 May 2011: Sydney Wildlife World
10 May 2011: Sydney Aquarium
Sketching Sydney
11 May 2011: The Hyde Park fantasy
The free 555 shuttle bus
11 May 2011: Mamak Delight
A great fit for me: Oaks Goldsbrough Apartments
11 May 2011: Sydney Airport looking brand new
Travelling on the Sydney Monorail and Light Rail
The great way to fly to Sydney

My favourite places in Sydney are Watsons Bay and the Sydney Opera House.

The weather in Sydney had been very kind to me. I am still feeling grateful for the many good things that have came by. Thanks!

9 May 2011: The lucky rainbow that I saw

The rainbow that I saw with my mother on 9 May 2011.

9 May 2011 (Mon): That afternoon, before the start of a rain, I caught a glimpse of a lucky rainbow while I was near Circular Quay.

Thinking about this rainbow, I am feeling very grateful that I have had the good luck to capture this sight on digital film. The rainbow last for no more than five minutes and I suppose it was great fortune to have seen and recorded it.

The weather has been extremely kind to me and my mother. Generally, it had been great weather throughout our trip and we had only encountered one occurrence of rainfall during our entire visit to Sydney this autumn (May 2011).  Thankfully, I would like to think that the purpose of the rain was to help me earn the good luck to catch the sight of a beautiful rainbow.

When I saw the rainbow from nearby Circular Quay, I was reminded of the rainbow that one of my friends and I had seen a few years ago on a ferry ride to Circular Quay. Perhaps life on both occasions was giving me assuring and encouraging signals for whatever may lie ahead.

The rainbow that I saw with one of my friends in Sep 2008.

As such, it is with gratitude that I share my rainbow sightings with you. May this help you count the blessings that life has been gently bestowing you with each and every day. Best wishes!

Please also see: My visit to Sydney, May 2011

The first photo on this post was taken using a Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera.

8 May 2011: A loving day

8 May 2011: This shall be the special day.
Thank goodness to good luck, I won a pair of air tickets to Sydney just in time to be there to witness one of my good friends' wedding. I thank my friend and her hubby for so graciously inviting me to wedding ceremony and dinner reception. Here is to wish them bliss and happiness each and every day.

One of the decors that the couple did up for their wedding ceremony and dinner reception caught my attention. It was a plate bearing this inspiring quote:

Live Happily
Laugh Often
Love Deeply

Those who practises these three suggestions are the very blessed indeed.

Please also see: My visit to Sydney, May 2011

All the photos on this post were taken using a Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera.

My visit to Sydney, May 2011

My appreciation and gratitude to Tourism New South Wales for organising the contest "100 Things that make Sydney so ... Sydney" in partnership with Singapore Airlines. One of my entries to the contest has been picked as one of the winning entries. This presented me with the timely gifts to visit Sydney this May, in time to be present for one of my friend's wedding, to celebrate Mother's Day with my mother who visited Sydney with me, and to spend my birthday in Sydney.

Here's my winning entry:

Sculpture by the Sea.

Water breaks over the rocks of Bondi. The wind blows with might. On the  rocky and sandy beaches of Bondi, one is treated to beautiful sculptures  by the sea. See the coastal area of Bondi being transformed to an artistic space in this annual event.  Sydney equals sculptures, sea and a creative story.

**

Singapore Airlines
It was my first time flying to Sydney on Singapore Airlines. It was a great way to fly to Sydney via Singapore Airlines.

Service was very thoughtful and attentive. The meals on the flight were nicely prepared and delicious. The cabin experience flying on the Singapore Airlines A380 was spacious and very comfortable. I could easily tell that the seats were roomier than all other airlines that I had previously flew on. The in flight KrisWorld entertainment system provided a wide range of on-demand entertainment options that delighted yours truly.

For yours truly who was keen to get a sweet slumber on the flight, the roomy seats and the relatively quiet aircraft facilitated me to get a pretty good rest while I was on a midnight flight to Sydney. Now I could fully appreciate why many of my friends strongly recommend flying to Sydney via Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines is a great way to fly to any places.

**

Oaks Goldsbrough
Oaks Goldsbrough Apartments Sydney, which my mother and I had stayed in, provided spacious, comfortable and cosy accommodation with daily servicing comparable to any established hotel. The apartment that I stayed in had full kitchen facilities as well as laundry facilities. The apartment is located at a very accessible part of the Sydney city, near the Darling Harbour.

I am thankful for a complimentary three-nights stay at the apartment which is one of the prizes of the contest. To experience more of Sydney, I extended my stay for another three nights at an affordable rate. Many thanks to the team at Oaks Goldsbrough for providing me and my mother a very comfortable stay at an affordable rate. It was a lovely home away from home. I will be pleased to consider staying at Oaks Goldsbrough should I get to visit Sydney again.

**
The Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera

Image source: http://www.websneak.com/canon-digital-ixus-1000hs-review.html

Canon has graciously sponsored one of the prizes which is a Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera.

Before I received this camera from Canon, I had never been a user of a Canon camera so I was rather concerned if I would be able to get used to using a Canon camera. My concerns proved to be unfounded. After a few attempts of using it, I could figure out how to take photographs with the Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera intuitively. This camera is fairly easy to learn to use.

The photographs of my visit to Sydney this May have been taken using the Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera that was awarded to me. Please stay tune for more photographs.

In general, I was able to achieve reasonably good image quality of the photos with a Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera. I have had good fun experimenting with the various functions of the camera. Many of the functions enabled me to take better photographs with minimal effort in adjusting the settings.

The main area of improvement for this camera is that the battery life is comparatively short for yours truly who was taking photographs extensively. It will be a worthwhile idea for Canon to consider including a complimentary extra battery with all its Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS cameras and the rest would be pretty perfect.

**
"See Sydney and Beyond" card

Of worthy mention was the "See Sydney and Beyond" card that the organisers of the "100 Things that make Sydney so ... Sydney" contest had so generously and kindly secured for me and my mother complimentary.

I have used the card with my mother and found it a value-for-money and convenient card for anyone who is keen to explore and sight-see Sydney. I was given a pair of 2-day package card to use with my mother. This 2-day package card gave me unlimited entry to the participating attractions on two consecutive days. That meant the more attractions I visit, the more I would have saved!

I strongly recommend visitors to Sydney to consider getting a "See Sydney and Beyond" card to sight-see Sydney with style and great convenience. Afterall, great holidays are meant to be that way, aren't they?

**
Here, I would like to invite you to stay tuned for a series of posts that would recollect my recent visit to Sydney.

May you have fun learning about Sydney. I did, and I hope you will.

****
Please also refer to: http://oceanskies79.blogspot.com/2011/08/sydney-may-2011.html

Marina Bay and Boat Asia

Many thanks to Marina Bay Development Agency, URA, for giving me tickets to Boat Asia 2011, the Singapore Biennale 2011 and a weekday lunch buffet at Todai Singapore I won them in a contest organised by Marina Bay Development Agency.

I treated my mother and myself to a Post-Mother's Day and a belated birthday celebration respectively at Todai Singapore, before heading out on my own to Boat Asia.

Todai Singapore

My mother took part in the Todai Spicy Roll competition and won herself a weekday lunch voucher. The prize was secondary, I hope that she has had fun doing something new that day!

Todai has great and thoughtful service. I could see that the folks there serve with pride and joy. The food is good. Todai was described by Elmer Dills, a famous Los Angeles food critc, to be "the mother of all seafood buffet".

I found out that Todai is a family oriented upscale restaurant that offers a variety of seafood and sushi. In addition, it serves snow crab legs, green mussles and cocktail shrimps and a variety of Asian dishes. I had to limit my intake of seafood for health reasons and had to miss quite a number of Todai's fabulous signature dishes.

I must have very simple preferences. I like its baked pineapples from the Churrasco section, the daily Korean soup, the bulgogi and the sashimi. The cray fish chilli was great too.

Todai Singapore
http://www.todai.com.sg
#B2-01 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972

Tel: (+65) 66887771
Email: enquiry@todaisingapore.com


Marina Bay City Gallery
I have learnt more about the Marina Bay after a visit to the Marina Bay City Gallery. There has been a lot of planning and wonderful work to realise the vision of a vibrant and fun-loving Marina Bay that is great for work, play and great living.

Admission to the gallery is free.

Marina Bay City Gallery
http://www.marina-bay.sg/marinabaycitygallery.html
11 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018940

Opening hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday: 10:00am to 9:00pm
Admission is free.

Boat Asia 2011
 Boat Asia was a splendid conclusion for the day. I visited the two venues at The Promontory@Marina Bay and the Marina at Keppel Bay. I have had a good time learning about yachts and the marina lifestyle when I was at Marina at Keppel Bay. Thanks to the generosity of the yacht owners and the participating companies, I went up on a number of yachts and was fascinated with the design of the yachts. This event is held from 12 - 15 May 2011.

If you love the sea, the marina lifestyle or yacht, you may wish to make a visit to Boat Asia.

Boat Asia 2011 (12 - 15 May 2011)
http://www.boat-asia.com/home/home.asp

Moments to be grateful for

It is past midnight. I am spending the time doing a quick check of the emails in my inbox. While I was browsing my blog, a part of me prompted me to put into words some of the moments that I feel grateful for. Moments that had happened this evening.

This evening, I have the honour and pleasure to catch up with a long time good friend, MY, whom I have known ever since I was 13 years old. I treasure the time to reconnect with good friends like her, and it was an honour to be invited out for get-together. I'm happy for my friend that she has the companionship of a wonderful husband who cherishes her, and whom she cherishes.

So in this very simple post, I would like to express my gratitude to MY for making the efforts and time to remain in contact, and for her openess in reconnecting with me. I find it a privilege to be able to engage in a deep and meaningful conversation with her. I thank MY for the reconnecting. May she and her loved ones be blessed with joy, growth and good health.

The beauty around us

Bright colours have a particular quality in lifting my spirits and reminding me of the positive side of life.

I came across this photo of beautiful flowers. It was taken during a visit to the Memories at Old Ford Factory. I was delighted when I saw these flowers as I was reminded that there's beauty around us.

May this image brings you a sense of beauty and hope as it did to me. Wishing everyone joy and good health.

Nature's therapeutic

This is a time when I have to ask for some care and soothing moments.

Nature is preciously beautiful, and I have found a recent photograph that I have taken at Swan Lake, Singapore Botanic Gardens. I've found it soothing and inspiring just to sit nearby Swan Lake watching the swans swim about gracefully. Here's sharing the photo with everyone here. May it soothe.

Thank goodness for good friends

Earlier tonight, I have had the pleasure and honour to meet up with one of my good friends, Mystic. We had dinner at the food court at Raffles City and we both agreed that the Korean food stall's bibimbap needed more improvement. We will probably not visit that stall in the near future.

Many thanks to Mystic for being helpful to help me with shopping. The company of a good friend makes the task of shopping much more bearable.

We rounded up the night with tea at Cedele. Mystic told me that the organic soy milk there is good! I had the Rooibos Tea for I was told that it could help to relieve stress. The cakes were lovely. We ordered the Real Dark Chocolate Cake and the Blueberry Hazelnut Cheesecake. My preference was for the former for I seem to prefer food that has a bittersweet and intense taste. Mystic has such love for food that she took lovely photos of the cakes with lots of care and love. She even helped to cut the cakes with lots of love for the cakes.

I thank Mystic for lending me her company, listening ears, support and encouragement.