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We have been to Taang Shifu Restaurant quite a couple of times and it is a restaurant that we frequently dine at [for dinner] whenever we go to KSL City Mall in Johor Bahru.
Well, during our recent visit to Johor Bahru, we went to Taang Shifu Restaurant for dinner and to our surprise, their entire menu has changed and some of the old dishes that we usually ordered were no longer available on the menu. Since we had quite a couple of positive experiences dining there, we decided to give their new menu a try.

Here are the dishes that we ordered for dinner:

1. Stewed Pork Rice with Brown Rice

From Taang Shifu 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
The texture of the brown rice was acceptable but the entire dish lacked the flavour. The stewed pork was rather dry and the portion was rather small.

2. Dry Vermicelli with Sliced Abalone and Shitake Mushroom

From Taang Shifu 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
To our amazement, this dish is exactly the opposite of the Stewed Pork with Brown Rice. The portion is really huge and the vermicelli is of the right texture, flavour, and taste. However, it would be good if they have added in other ingredients that would probably enhance the presentation and nutritional value of the dish.

3. Stir-Fried Broccoli with Sliced Abalone, Scallops, and Red Dates

From Taang Shifu 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
The texture of the broccoli was rather hard and some of them were quite raw tasting. The presentation of the dish was generally alright.

4. Smoked Duck Meat with Jellyfish

From Taang Shifu 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
The texture of the duck meat was alright and easy to chew. Also, the duck meat was rather flavourful. However, because of the fats present in the duck meat, there was literally oil all over the serving dish and the presentation could do with some improvements.

For Beverage, we ordered our usual Luo Han Guo with Longan and Sea Coconut.

From Taang Shifu 2013

Our Review of the Beverage:
The taste is still the same and we still love it just the way it is. We highly recommend this drink if you’re looking for something that is sweet-tasting and will quench your thirst.

Our Overall Dining Experience:
To be really honest, the level of service standard has dropped quite a fair bit and we were quite disappointed because our previous experiences were rather positive. With the new menu, we felt that there wasn’t much variety and furthermore, the prices of the dishes have gone up quite a bit too. The dining atmosphere was literally cold because of the air-conditioning and it was rather uncomfortable. On the whole, we spent about SGD $35 and we really hope that the management would consider a review of their new menu. By the way, Taang Shifu has a new outlet at City Square Shopping Mall so you can try dining there instead of making a trip all the way down to KSL City Mall.

Here’s the link to our review of Taang Shifu that we previously wrote about: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/07/17/taang-shifu-ksl-city/

On a separate note, we went to Kim Hair Studio at KSL City Mall, Johor Bahru for a haircut [since Chinese New Year is 14 days away] and I must say, it was a rather positive experience. Here’s a before-haircut photo of me.

From Taang Shifu 2013

And here’s a after-haircut photo of me!

From Taang Shifu 2013

It’s quite a transformation and I really love my haircut! Looks like I have found a new permanent place to have my haircut! And well, I also bought a Kerastase Hair Shampoo and a Loreal Tecnic Hair Clay from the Salon at a price of SGD $32 and SGD $20.50 respectively. And oh, my haircut cost SGD $27 only. Pretty worth it! 🙂

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

It’s 4 more days to the supposedly “End of The World” [EOTW], 8 more days to Christmas, 15 days to the New Year, and 16 days to my 1st day of work in the new year. On a side note, our current giveaway of a bottle of Moscato D’Asti by G.D. Vajra, Italy is ending in 3 days time and we’re happy to announce that Jason Koh is currently in the lead for the giveaway. +Claps Claps+.
I [Melvin] just came back from a really tiring but fruitful sponsored trip with the Nuffies at Awana Genting and I will be blogging about it soon; so do keep a lookout for that blog entry because you will discover another different side of Genting apart from the usual casino, food, and accommodation!

Anyways, we’re not sure if anyone remembered about the Gold Kili & Frezfruta Challenge that we previously embarked on but if you don’t know, worry not because you can check out our Blog entry about it via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/11/15/lion-citys-bloggers-challenge-medzs-millenia-walk/

Since the Bloggers’ Challenge has officially ended, Lion City Distributions hosted an appreciation dinner at J.K Don Cafe & Bar for all the Bloggers whom were involved and it was a fabulous evening indeed.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

J.K Don currently has two outlets in Singapore, one at Shaw Tower and the other one at Telok Kurau. Both their outlets serve Japanese and Korean cuisine.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

J.K Don Cafe & Bar at Telok Kurau has a cosy alfresco dining area where you can just chill and catch up with your colleagues/friends over some drinks and snacks. They even screen live soccer matches too!

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

If you’re not into soccer, you can also have some fun with the in-house board games that J.K Don Cafe & Bar provides.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

A picture of the prizes and souvenirs that Lion City Distributions generously gave away to all the Bloggers.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Baby took a photo of me interacting with Mr. Tan [Director of Lion City Distributions] before the dinner.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Here are photos of the sumptuous & awesome food that we had for the evening!

Salmon Sashimi with California Maki and Unagi Sushi

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Chawanmushi [my favourite!]

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Tempura Prawns

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Spicy Egg Soup with Straw Mushrooms

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

Chicken and Beef Bulgogi Set with Rice and Salad

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

After the extremely filling dinner, Ms. Audrey Ho [General Manager of Lion City Distributions] announced the results of the Bloggers’ Challenge.

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

and the Grand Winner of the Bloggers’ Challenge is none other than Celestial Delish! +Claps Claps+. The gentleman whom presented the prize was the owner of Sin Sin [remember the Sin Sin Kaya that comes in a metal tin that we always eat for breakfast?]

From LionCity Appreciation Dinner 2012

The dinner ended with a blast and we really want to thank Lion City Distributions for the fantastic dinner that we had and the kind invitation to participate in their Blogger’s Challenge. Celestial Delish really deserves the grand prize because she came out with quite a number of recipes using Gold Kili‘s Coffee and Frezfruta Jams as ingredients!

Just check out one of Celestia Delish‘s creation using Frezfruta’s Apple Blueberry Jam via the following link:
http://www.celestialdelish.com/2012/09/apple-blueberry-milk-tea-cake.html

Also, I guess that by now almost everyone would have heard of the Gold Kili and Frezfruta’s Hello Kitty Promotional Packs that are selling at all NTUC FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, Sheng Shiong and Prime. If you haven’t heard, check out the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/12/12/shoutout-to-all-you-hello-kitty-fans-out-there/

Now that you know about the Hello Kitty Promotional Packs, we have a piece of good news to share with you all. We currently have one Hello Kitty Promotional Pack to be given away to one very lucky winner.

From Gold Kili & Frezfruta HK Promo Pack 2012

All you have to do is just follow the instructions via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/current-blog-giveaway/

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

Baby and I were dining at Seoul Garden Hotpot at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard a few weeks back and we reckoned that we should write something about it since everyone else is so familiar with Seoul Garden for its Korean-styled cuisine in a buffet-styled format.
In case you’re wondering, Seoul Garden Hotpot is opened by the very people whom started Seoul Garden and Breeks Cafe and it is currently available at 2 locations; HarbourFront Centre and Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

Seoul Garden Hotpot offers an array of authentic Korean dishes like Bibim Baps, HotPot and Jjiage Sets; and Students can rejoice because Seoul Garden Hotpot offers Student Meal that cost from $6.90++!

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

While we were looking through their menu…

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

We noticed that Seoul Garden Hotpot also has this promotion that runs from Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 4pm. Pretty redundant unless you’re having lunch or planning to have hi-tea there.

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

So having decided what we wanted to eat, here’s what we ordered:

Seafood Hotpot [SGD $11.90++]

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

Our Opinion: The Seafood Hotpot is one of their Chef’s Recommendations and we personally find the quality of the soup base to be sub-standard. We kinda expect it to be a little bit more spicy and flavourful but well, or maybe it’s just the way the taste should be. The amount of seafood in the hotpot was rather countable with one hand and they had more vegetables like mushrooms and cucumbers in the soup rather than seafood.

Bulggogi Chicken Bap [SGD $10.90++]

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

Our Opinion: The Bulggogi Chicken Bap was also listed as one of the Chef’s Recommendations and it was fabulous. The chicken was of the right texture and it was very flavourful. The taste is authentic and we will definitely recommend it.

Peach & Mango Tea [SGD $3.50++ each]

From Seoul Garden Hotpot 2012

Our Opinion: The presentation of the drinks were above expectations and the taste was there. We will try the rest of the beverages the next time we visit.

The total cost of our meal amounted to SGD $35.07 and cost about SGD $17.54 per person. Value for money? Probably not; considering the portion was a little less than expectations. Will we go back and dine at Seoul Garden Hotpot? Probably; because there are a couple of other dishes that we really want to try. Other than the food and beverage, the service was tip-top and while we don’t exactly remember the name of the service staff that served us, we were pretty satisfied with the service process.

You can check out their full menu via the following link:
http://www.seoulgarden.com.sg/sites/default/files/hotpot-menu-hf.pdf

So if you’re wondering where to get that Bibim Bap or Hotpot that you’ve been craving for, head on over to Seoul Garden Hotpot!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

Thanks to Mileage and Chaswood Resources Holdings Limited, I was recently invited to attend the Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony at Baci Italian Cafe and for those of you whom are familiar with the Korean pop-culture, you would definitely have heard of Bulgogi Brothers.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

For those of you whom have never heard of Bulgogi Brothers, Bulgogi Brothers is a Korean casual dining restaurant in Korea known for its signature traditional Korean dish, Bulgogi or “fire meat”.

The first Bulgogi Brothers restaurant opened in Gangnam District, south of Seoul in 2006 and yes, the 2012 K-pop song “Gangnam Style” by Psy was inspired by the Gangnam District. Today, Bulgogi Brothers has more than 30 outlets in South Korea, 1 in Canada, 4 in Philippines, and 3 in Malaysia!

Before the commencement of the signing ceremony, I was going around snapping photographs of Baci Italian Cafe because I really like the cosy and classic ambience.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012
From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Here are photographs of the dining area at Baci Italian Cafe. Baci Italian Cafe can cater to large group gatherings and it is especially ideal if you’re looking for a place to just chill out and relax with your friends, albeit slightly pricey for Students.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012
From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Baci Italian Cafe‘s Beverage Preparation Area

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

During the Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony, I found out that Baci Italian Cafe is own by Chaswood Resources Holding Limited and not only that, they [Chaswood Resources Holding Limited] also owns other brands such as Malones Irish Restaurant & Bar [313@Somerset] and T.G.I. Friday’s [previously at Heeren’s now at 112 Katong].

Anyhows, for those of you whom are looking forward to a Bulgogi Brothers outlet in Singapore, there are plans in the pipelines and we might see a Bulgogi Brothers in Singapore sometime in the near future. For now, if you’re planning to dine at Bulgogi Brothers, the nearest outlet is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

The signing of the License Agreement by ET and Zeus Incorporation to allow Chaswood Resources Holdings Limited the exclusive rights to develop and operate Bulgogi Brothers in Vietnam and various cities and provinces in China.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

After the signing ceremony, all guests were treated to a simple reception and here’s what I had for the day.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Mini Sandwiches- Juna Panini & Romano Chicken Panini

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

There was also the Sicilian Pizza & Vegetarian Pizza

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

They served canapes during the event too.

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Yummy Desserts

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Well, if you want to find out more about what Baci Italian Cafe has on their menu, head down to 112 Katong or you can check out their website too! 🙂

From Bulgogi Brothers Signing Ceremony 2012

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

After 3 long tiring days of shifting things from the old house to the new house, we finally have some time to blog about Shin Yeh Taiwanese Restaurant [which by the way, is a blog entry that is long overdue].

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Truthfully, as we go about blogging this entry, we really do miss Taiwan alot! Ever since Baby and I returned from Taiwan, we really had severe withdrawal symptoms. We really miss walking & shopping at the night markets till 1-2am in the morning and we also miss the glorious food there!

Since we were craving for Taiwanese food for such a long time and as we were also on the lookout for suitable wedding venues, we decided to check out Shin Yeh [a restaurant that serves Authentic Taiwanese Cuisine @ Liang Court].

The outlook/exterior of Shin Yeh is rather simple and has a clean zen look to it.

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Here’s the bar/cashier counter and the hostess stand.

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

As we mentioned, we were also on the lookout for wedding venues and Shin Yeh was shortlisted on our list. However, we found the venue to be unsuitable because there were pillars. But if you’re looking to host a business meeting or a private family gathering, there are private rooms available and they vary in sizes.

Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable time dining there and here were the food dishes that we ordered.

Appetizer [some soured pickles]

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

We also ordered a pot of Taiwan Tea that cost us $12 [rather expensive but totally worth it]

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Baby trying to find the best angle to take a shot of the tea pot.

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

We also ordered their Soup of the Day [Pork Ribs] which cost us $8.00

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012
From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Lu Rou Fan [a.k.a Steamed Rice with Minced Meat] in Taiwan is extremely popular and we just couldn’t get enough of it [though we have to admit that Shin Yeh‘s Lu Rou Fan cannot match up to Taiwan’s].

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

For side dishes, we ordered their….

Golden Calamari Rings [$16.00]

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Prawn Roll with Yam [$4.00]

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

and Braised Beancurd with Mushrooms [$12.00]

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Just when we thought our rather satisfying and filling dinner was over, the service staffs surprised us with a complimentary serving of Glutinous Rice Ball [a.k.a Muah Chee].

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Here comes the moment of truth!.

From Shin Yeh Restaurant 2012

Although the quality of the food was really superb and they tasted quite close to the food we had in Taiwan, we honestly felt that it was way too pricey. In fact, great tasting food in Taiwan didn’t cost us that much when we were there.

Nonetheless, if you’re into fine dining and you’re looking for a suitable venue for a formal occasion [like business meetings or family gatherings], you might want to consider Shin Yeh because both the food and service are tip-top! 🙂

Stay tuned to more updates from us.

God bless!

It has been quite a long while since we last did a blog entry about food & beverage and I guess it’s about time that we do it! To be honest, we have about 5 blog entries that are currently on backlog and we will do our best to upload the contents the soonest we can.
Anyhows, since this is going to be quite a casual blog entry, I will attempt to answer some of the queries that I’ve received and also share a bit more about what’s been happening in my personal life.

As I will be shifting to my new place next week, I’m currently in the midst of packing up my belongings. Also, having launched an errands running service a few weeks back, I have also completed a few assignments that were given to me by my clients. For more details about the errands running service that I am providing, you can check out the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/10/18/errandsrunning/

Since Christmas is coming soon, we’re currently having some projects in the pipelines as well, so do stay tuned to it. Another piece of exciting news is this, we’re turning 1 and we’re planning to conduct a major giveaway in the coming month of December! So spread the word, be merry, and end the year well! In fact, I have already received my early Christmas presents from Baby and I will be blogging about it soooonnnn!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

Last but not the least, I want to thank God for the many wonderful opportunities that he has given to me. Despite it being a really tough year and having to manage National Service, Studies, and Blogging; I am glad that I have persevered and made it through. Having been awarded 2nd Class Lower Honours by Northumbria University, I am really happy that my hardwork and efforts have paid off and yes, it pays to work hard. So, what will I be doing now that I’ve completed my studies? Well, I will be joining the education sector and after a few years; I perhaps might start my own business with Baby.

Then again, there are many things to think about and for now, the most important right now for the both of us is to work hard, earn enough money and save up for our wedding and flat!

Well, so much about us. Now, it’s time for us to share about our really awesome XXL dining experience at Peperoni Pizzeria.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012
From Peperoni Pizza 2012

I have heard about Peperoni Pizzeria from Baby for quite some time but I haven’t had the opportunity to try it until recently.

Established in 2004, Peperoni Pizzeria is part of the award-winning Les Amis Group.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

Peperoni Pizzeria has 4 outlets in 4 different locations such as Greenwood Avenue, Binjai Park, Frankel Avenue, and Zion Road. The outlet that we went to was situated in Frankel Avenue.

Their operating hours are as follows:
Mondays to Saturdays: 12pm to 10.30pm
Sundays: 11am to 10.30pm

Besides Pizzas, Peperoni Pizzeria offers an extensive range of Italian food consisting of pastas, soups, side-dishes, and desserts!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

I personally like Peperoni Pizzeria‘s interior decorations and furnishings. Vintage, retro, but also elegant!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

Their Pizza menu is also rather extensive and yes, you see it right, ALL PRICES ARE NETT!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

And no, they don’t charge for ice water.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

So while waiting for our orders to arrive, we took some photos of ourselves.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012
From Peperoni Pizza 2012

and when our orders arrived, we were so elated!

We ordered the…

Spaghetti Carbonara

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

Deep Fried Chicken Wings

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

and the XXL Suprema/Capricciosa Pizza!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

We just couldn’t resist taking a photo with the XXL Pizza and seriously, the XXL Pizza can feed up 4 to 6 persons!

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

By the way, Peperoni Pizzeria uses special gas fired ovens that are supplemented by the flames from specially imported flavoured wood chips. These specially imported flavoured wood chips give Peperoni Pizzeria‘s Pizzas a rather unique flavour and taste in every bite.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

An overview of the food preparation area where you can see how pizzas are being made in-house.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

Well, having tried Peperoni Pizzeria‘s Pizza, I must say, they are really excellent and superbly tasty! We will definitely return to Peperoni Pizzeria because not only is the service good, but the quality of the food is outstanding as well. The best part is, the price is right!

And in case you’re wondering, yes, Peperoni Pizzeria does provide home delivery service too; except that they are unable to deliver the XXL Pizza.

From Peperoni Pizza 2012

So if you’re craving for some pizzas right now [especially in this cold rainy season], why not head down to Peperoni Pizzeria or call for Peperoni Pizzeria‘s home delivery? In fact, you can even order online via the following link: http://orders.peperoni.com.sg/

Currently, if you are placing an order via Peperoni Pizzeria’s Website, you will receive a 10% discount! What’s more, they will waive the additional $4 weekend surcharge if you choose your order to be delivered to you during the following timings:

3pm-6.30pm and 9.30pm-11pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!