[Singapore] 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

the most famous chicken wings in Singapore would be crowned to 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken, or also known as Bonchon Crispy Chicken.. lucky for me, I got the chance to try the original chicken wings right from the parent store located in ION Orchard.. I love their store design and the matching packaging design :)

since my brother was our host, he picked the meal for us.. a set of one glass of soft drink, french fries (not pictured) and 12 pieces of chicken wings for SGD17.20.. the french fries was supposed to be unique since it was seasoned in chili and seaweed powder.. but I found that the seasoning was rather tasteless and brought no value-added to the french fries.. luckily, the fries were crunchy and hot, which I like.. I found that their fries was somehow better than fries I used to find in fast food restaurants, I don't know why..

so what about the famous chicken wings? wait.. let me explain first that there are two choices of sauce, spicy chili and garlic shoyu or you can mix both sauces.. my brother picked the spicy chili since we're all chili fans.. my first impression was those wings looked really appetizing with red chili sauce all over.. turns out that it was not too spicy for my tongue and there was a hint of sweet in the sauce.. I still like it but I just wished it could be spicier.. the chicken wings were crispy outside and juicy inside.. I can say that it was famous for some reasons, and I guess I'm officially a fan haha.. 

P.S: can't wait to try their newly opened branch in Epicentrum Walk :)

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

Ion Orchard

2 Orchard Turn

Singapore 238801

Ph.: 65 6427 4779

[Singapore] Ikea Restaurant

Ikea must be one of the most popular furniture store in the world.. lucky for Singapore, Ikea has opened two branches, with a unique design and affordable price, no wonder Ikea was always busy.. I wonder when they'll open a store in Jakarta haha.. other than selling furniture, Ikea also have restaurant, serving mainly Swedish food, their county origin..

on our short visit to Singapore, my brother insisted us to eat there, since my mom had never been there before.. it was one crowded Saturday afternoon in Ikea.. the restaurant was very full and almost every table was occupied.. luckily, my brother's girlfriend arrived early and got us a table.. 

the concept of Ikea Restaurant is like fast food restaurant.. first, you need to take your tray and queue.. in my case, it was a looonnnggg queue *sigh*.. along the queue, there were refrigerators, mostly filled with fresh salad and desserts, so you can take whatever you wish to have and put it in your tray.. once you arrived at the counter, you can order the main course, and the waiters will prepare you orders right away.. make your payment and you have your meal..

my mom and I decided to share a portion of Ikea famous Swedish Meatballs (SGD8.00 per 15 pieces).. our Swedish Meatballs consisted of 15 pieces of meatballs (mix of beef and pork) and boiled potatoes served with cream sauce and lingonberry jam.. at first, I found it quite weird to eat meat with jam haha.. but it turned out that the dish was delicious.. I love their meatballs since it was tender and juicy, matched perfectly with the rather-bland cream sauce and sweet lingonberry jam.. 

Salmon with potatoes and vegetables (SGD7.50) was my brother's pick for lunch.. it surely looked very appetizing.. two pieces of baked salmon served with boiled potatoes and long beans then poured with butter sauce.. it tasted just as good as it looked.. the salmon was nice, though my brother said the size much smaller than he remembered, perhaps because it was very crowded.. I like that the salmon was tender, fresh and not overcooked.. the butter sauce was a match for it.. I surely like it, though I just tasted two bites of it :)

dessert time.. my brother picked Daim Chocolate Cake (SGD3.20) for us.. Daim is actually a Sweden chocolate brand, famous for their crunchy butter almond bar covered in milk chocolate.. so Daim Chocolate Cake is a layer cake of chopped almond and some golden custard, topped with Daim chocolate.. it's a piece of heaven.. I love Daim chocolate so much, so this dish was a perfect dessert for me..

overall, it was a nice lunch we had at Ikea.. good food, though crowded place.. and it's nice to see the cute furniture displayed there.. a nice dining experience for me.. Ikea also sells their signature Swedish Meatballs frozen in their Swedish Food Market.. my mom decided to bought a package of it home.. 1 kg of köttbullar meatballs, a jar of 400g of Sylt Lingon lingonberry jam and two sachets of 40g gräddsås cream sauce for SGD24.00 (if I'm not mistaken).. Ikea has become a must-visit place whenever I have the chance to visit Singapore :D

Ikea Alexandra
317 Alexandra Road
Singapore 159965
Ph.: 65 6786 6868

[Singapore] Toast Box

finding a place for breakfast in Singapore is surely not a big deal.. many restaurants provide breakfast here, including those fast food restaurants and bakeries.. a friend told me that Singaporean were big fans of breakfast.. no wonder, almost every restaurant opened early in the morning..

my mom and I were looking for a nearby restaurant for our breakfast.. we decided to walk a little bit further from Marina Square and found a little white stall in Citylink Mall, named Toast Box.. I actually have read about this restaurant from inijie and my brother told me that they serve good Singaporean laksa.. 

Toast Box is actually managed by the same group of Bread Talk.. the small restaurant was dominated in white, wooden furniture.. it is simple but very welcoming and comfy, in my opinion.. it was around 9 a.m when we came and the place was not crowded.. first, we have to make our order and payment at the cashier.. our orders then were prepared freshly and delivered to our table.. 

our order included Laksa and Barley Drink Set (SGD5.50), Kaya Traditional Toast (SGD1.40) and Kopi C (SGD1.50).. I think it was my first time trying barley drink, but I like it.. it's actually made from barley seeds, which shape similar to rice seeds.. it tasted refreshing, and from what I read, it's good for soothing our body.. my mom's kopi c was also nice, well, at least my mom liked it.. fyi, in Singapore, kopi c means hot coffee with evaporated milk.. I was quite confused about the coffee terms there, but I think Wikipedia has helped me a lot to understand.. 

not long after our drinks came, my laksa came.. it came in a huge bowl, with an appetizing red-orange soup.. it was one big portion of laksa, especially for breakfast, but since I shared it with mom, I found it was just the right portion.. 

the laksa consisted of shrimps, tofu and fish sticks on top of rice noodles in a coconut-based curry soup.. here, the rice noodles was cut into smaller pieces, which was known as locupan in Indonesia.. I found that this smaller pieces of rice noodles was intended so that the whole dish can be eaten using spoon only (without chopsticks or fork).. 

back to the taste, it was delicious, just as good as it looked.. the soup was hot and really nice.. even my mom, who first thought it was rather weird having laksa for breakfast, couldn't stop eating until we finished the whole bowl haha.. the rice noodle texture was nice and not overcooked..

what's the point of going to Singapore without trying their traditional dish of kaya toast? to complete our breakfast, I insisted to have kaya toast.. Toast Box's kaya toast was freshly baked, which made it warm when it reached our table.. crunchy toast, not-too-sweet, generous kaya jam plus melted butter.. it was a little bit of heaven haha.. it was really delicious and matched my tongue really well.. I can't compare it to the famous Ya Kun Kaya Toast, since it's been a while since I had meal there.. but I can say that kaya toast served in Toast Box was one of the best I have ever had.. too much you think? not if you have tasted it :)

Toast Box
Citylink Mall
1 Raffles Link #B1-04
Singapore 039393

[Singapore] Tony Roma's

let me remind you again, that the purpose of our short Singapore trip was to celebrate mom's birthday.. so on June 17, 2011,we asked her to go out on a dinner.. though my mom didn't usually have dinners, we dragged her still haha.. she had heard about the famous Tony Roma's in Jakarta but haven't had the chance to visit.. I knew it, so my brother and I decided to treat her dinner here.. 

we visited the one located in Suntec City Mall, since it was right next to our hotel.. we arrived around 7.30 p.m Singapore time and there was a line there *sigh*.. I don't usually see a queue in Tony Roma's Jakarta.. my conclusion was Singaporean people didn't have enough restaurant and place to visit, so almost every restaurant is crowded during eating time haha.. luckily it only took us 15 minutes of waiting and we got our table..

my mom said that this is the best dish of the night haha.. it was Caesar Salad (SGD10.90), a huge bowl of Romaine lettuce with tomato cherries and bread crumbs topped with shredded parmesan cheese and house special Caesar dressing.. I have to say that it was really good.. the sauce was quite sour but went really well with the lettuce, it refreshing and really appetizing.. 

then came Onion Loaf - Full Loaf (SGD13.90), deep-fried onion rings shaped like a bowl served with BBQ Mayo sauce.. again, it came in a huge portion, typical American style restaurant.. it was good, as usual, and a little crispier than those I had in Jakarta.. the sauce is as good as I remember and the whole dish was great.. if only I didn't have my diet, I would eat more of it haha.. oh, and since tap water is drinkable in Singapore, we can order refillable iced water for free.. yay for free items :D

my best dish of the night would be The Original Baby Back Ribs - Full Slab (SGD34.90).. anyway, just for your information, all the dishes mentioned here were share, so I didn't eat the whole portion (before you think that I'm such a big eater).. since the baked potato were sold out, we decided to pick mashed potato and coleslaw as our side dish.. the ribs is as good as ever.. it was juicy and tender, accompanied nicely by a spicy-sweet BBQ sauce.. I love their mashed potato since it was topped with melted cheese and bacon bits.. unfortunately, the cole slaw was too sweet and was not our favorite.. 

those three dishes were finished and we handed the empty plates to the waiter with a full stomach haha.. no wonder my diet didn't work :( a nice birthday dinner, mom said.. and that simple phrase really warmed my heart :) overall, great foods shared with family, through laughter and small talks really made my night.. the total billed charged was around SGD70 something, which means the total tax and service was around SGD10!!! pricey Singapore..

Tony Roma's
3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-007
Suntec City Mall
Singapore 038983
Ph.: 65 6337 9055

[Singapore] S$1 Ice Cream @ Orchard Road

I supposed that it is one of the most popular dessert from Singapore? I'm talking about the S$1 ice cream which can be found along the famous Orchard Road.. 

as it was one hot, sunny afternoon in Orchard Road, added by the adrenaline rush seeing "Sale" and "Discount" tags in almost every store along the Orchard Road, I decided to treat myself something sweet and cold.. just when I needed, I spotted a middle-aged aunty selling the S$1 ice cream right across the street in front of ION.. her motorcycle-turned-to-stall was quite crowded when I came.. 

a selection of ice-cream flavors including chocolate, strawberry, durian and coffee were available along with selection of bread, wafer and cup as companion.. since I'm a coffee addict and looking for something light, I decided to pick coffee ice cream with wafer.. once aunty got my order, she brought out a big ice cream bar (it was written Wall's on the box) from the freezer.. it was cut in a size of soap bar then slipped between two wafer stick and wrapped with a piece of plastic.. she handed me my ice cream and said "one dollar" in a Singaporean English accent, which I barely understood haha.. luckily I got my brother to translate and pay it for me haha..

so there it was, a cheap and refreshing afternoon snack.. it tasted really delicious despite the cheap price.. I remember when I visited Singapore back in around 1996, it was priced the same S$1.. I supposed no inflation effect on the ice cream? haha.. ups, sorry I mentioned economic terms.. anyway, it's still a little nice gem we could found in the hectic and expensive Orchard road..

[Singapore] MOF @ My Izakaya

MOF actually stands for Ministry Of Food.. it was established in Singapore in 2006 and opened its first outlet in Marina Square.. the "My Izakaya" is a concept introduced to bring mass culture Japanese cuisine to Singapore to greater heights, creating a healthy, wholesome and charming dining experience (you can tell that I'm copying from the website :P).. MOF actually has opened its branch in Indonesia, located in Plaza Indonesia.. 

our flight to Singapore was on 6.30 a.m Indonesian time, thus my stomach was empty when we arrived around 10.00 a.m Singapore time.. I didn't have my breakfast, so I was so hungry after we finished checking in at our hotel.. due to the urge to eat (my stomach was screaming back then), we decided to have our first lunch at Marina Square (a shopping mall located right underneath our hotel), and my brother suggested MOF..

once we were seated, I noted that there's a cute tea pot with matching cups on each table.. the waiter asked us whether we wanted tea then filled in the cup and light the small fireplace underneath to keep the tea warm.. I really love the green tea.. it's very light and not bitter at all until we finished the whole pot.. my brother said it was made from green tea powder and he actually expected something more.. nevertheless, I still love it :)

off to the food.. we were really hungry but then remembering the size of our stomach, my mom and I decided to share a set, so the short holiday won't break our diet *cough cough* haha.. Beef Curry Hot Plate & Seafood Moyashi Itame Set (SGD18.60) was our choice.. it was a set of sliced beef in Japanese curry and stir-fried seafood with mixed vegetables, served with rice and a bowl of miso soup.. in my personal opinion, I like Japanese curry better than Indian curry, since the ingredients was light and not overpowering the fillings.. 


I would say that the curry was the best part of the dish.. it's really delicious and light.. the curry is filled generously with sliced beef, carrots and onions.. the sliced beef was really tender.. moreover, the rice itself was delicious.. on the other hand, seafood moyashi was just ordinary and standard.. it was rather tasteless to my tongue.. another plus point, you will get a complimentary voucher for a cup of tea/coffee if you order any set menu.. I love compliments haha..

my brother picked Cold Soba & Mini Unagi Don Set (SGD15.80) which consisted of a small bowl of unagi on top of hot Japanese rice and a huge bowl of soba then served with miso soup... soba is actually Japanese thin noodle served chilled with a dipping sauce, called soba tsuyu (made from sweetened soy sauce and mirin).. to my surprise, the soba is actually served with ice cubes all over to ensure that the soba is kept cold during our eating time.. underneath it was a filter so the melted ice cubes won't ruin the whole soba taste.. 


so how to eat it? well, first mix the soba tsuyu with wasabi according to your liking, then pick a small swirl of soba and dip it to the tsuyu.. it was my first time trying soba and guess what? I love it.. it was really unique and rich in taste, though at first, I found it rather weird to eat cold noodles.. most Japanese people think it's better to eat soba cold than to eat soba soaked in broth, since it would ruin the texture of soba itself..

you haven't officially visit MOF if you didn't try their dessert.. this restaurant is quite famous for their delicious and healthy Japanese dessert.. my brother suggested us to pick Mini Macha Zen Combo Set (SGD8.80).. it was described as Hokkaido red bean paste with low-fat (yay!) Japanese green tea gelato and Japanese dumpling, served with Japanese mochi and soy bean powder..


the low-fat (I'm happy about it, so I'm writing it over and over again haha) green tea gelato was really nice and light.. it's not too sweet so it balanced the sweet red bean paste.. the Japanese dumpling (those white, chewy glutinous rice balls) was just ordinary, but it kinda completes the whole bowl of it.. MOF's Japanese mochi (rice cake) is rather different in shape than mochi I usually knew.. it's crunchy outside while soft inside, perfectly suited the sauce and soy bean powder.. 

overall, I'm satisfied with MOF.. good food, good place and good service.. what could be better? I supposed, cheaper price will complete the whole package? haha.. in addition to above prices, we were charged with additional tax and service, which kinda make the whole meal rather pricey.. I can't wait to try it in their Indonesian branch :)

MOF @ My Izakaya

Marina Square #02-138E (Centerstage)

6 Raffles Boulevard

Singapore 039594

Ph.: 65 6334 2202

www.ministryoffood.com.sg

[Singapore] Marina Mandarin

what is the best place for a mom to be? I think it was where her children is.. what is the best present you could give your mom? I think it was being the best child you could be.. happy 49th birthday mom - June 17, 2011 :) here's our present to you.. three days stay at Marina Mandarin Hotel and a full service from your two children..

staying in a rather pricey hotel brings such a different experience.. actually, I was intending to book a room at Marina Bay Sands hotel, unfortunately, the rooms were fully committed.. so my brother suggested me to stay at this hotel.. it was rated SGD216 per night with no breakfast.. I would say that this hotel really worth every dollar you spent.. the lobby is really luxurious and the room is spacious.. we even got our room cleaned twice a day and got our free water be renewed every time it was empty (well, maybe because drinking water is free from the tap in Singapore).. 


another thing I was really happy about is that this hotel's design ensures that all rooms are available with view.. there's no room with no window to Singapore's view.. the service is really good though my mom found it quite hard to understand Chinese-Singaporean English haha.. it's strategically located in the busy area in Singapore, right on top of Marina Square Mall, in front of Esplanade and next to Suntec.. it's easily reach by MRT and only three MRT stations away from the famous Orchard Road..


below is the view from our room.. lovely isn't it? I'm falling in love haha..

after we spent our second day in Singapore wandering around, we came back to our hotel to get some rest and look what we found right on our pillow.. such a cute and scented message.. I believe it's those little thing that matters and finally stole my heart :) I heart you, Marina Mandarin Singapore.. 

Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039594
Ph.: 65 6845 1888
www.marinamandarinsingapore.org

Backpacking in Singapore for Dummies

I just had a quick and hectic holiday in Singapore from last Friday to last Monday.. and it's the first time for me to travel abroad with friends and staying in a backpacker hostel.. well, going to Singapore for Indonesian people is like the most common holiday option available :) since, it's not too far and lately there were so many cheap flights available for us wanting to go there.. I was lucky to get a flight from Air Asia for Rp702.200 each (there were two of us) for the a returned flight (Jakarta-Singapore-Jakarta) along with a shared 20kg baggage.. now, once you have your cheap flight, it's time to pick your place to stay.. if, you prefer something cheap, you can take a look at trip advisor and find a place to stay that fits your budget and your preferences.. 

my friend and I decided to pick the footprints hostel, located in the middle of Bugis and Little India MRT.. it's rated quite good in trip advisor.. we booked a private twin room with window for SGD80 per night, means SGD40 per night per person.. okay, so there are a few things you need to know, if you're like me, never stayed in a backpacker hotel but want to give it a try..

1. most backpacker hostels only provided shared room, more of a dorm.. although, some also provided  private rooms, in a limited amount.. if you choose the shared room, you are not allowed to bring your luggage with you.. instead, the hostel provided a locker room, where you can put all your stuffs.. I think, they assume those picking up the shared room is a true backpacker who brings backpack only.. a shared room usually consisted of 6 to 12 beds per room.. it's cheaper if you picked the shared room.. I think the range is below SGD20 per bed per night.. suitable for you who are willing to go budget-travelling and don't have many stuffs brought.. on the other hand, if you choose the private room, it'll of course give you more privacy.. you can take all your belongings to your room and feel like home.. it's more comfortable for me to pick the private room, cause it's kinda not comforting if I'm sleeping with someone I don't know..
2. when we wanted to check in to our room, we were given a pair of bed sheets and pillow case.. I was kinda shocked.. we were told to cover our bed with the given bed sheets and pillow case.. and I have to put some deposit (SGD20) for the keys.. the deposit will be returned once we checked out after we returned the keys along with the bed sheets and pillow case.. I really don't know about this before.. well, that's why I write this post.. to let you know :)
3. almost all backpacker hostel I've known only provided shared bathroom, men bathroom and women bathroom.. they sometimes provided a towel rental, but I prefer to bring my own towel and bathroom equipments, including soap, shampoo, toothbrush etc. the good thing about footprints hostel is that they provided 3 shared hair dryers, it's free for usage then they also provided hot and cold water for shower.. 
4. one of the value added thing in backpacker hostel is that they provided a quick breakfast, usually includes cereal, milk, coffee, tea, bread and jam.. it's enough to fill you tummy in the morning before going for a culinary experience throughout the city.. here's one important fact I learned during my stay.. you have to wash your own plates and spoons and glasses after you finished eating.. well, you have to make a few sacrifices.. I was not complaining, it's just kinda surprising..
5. last but not least.. in a backpacker hostel, you have to treat yourself at home.. means, you have to tidy up your bed, you have to pick you luggage all by yourself (even if your room is in 3rd floor, means you have to carry your luggage on you own foot by climbing the stairs).. they provided a washing machine rental if you want to wash your clothes.. one other thing, most of the hostel in Singapore is located quite far from the city, it's okay though, since you can take the MRT.. one thing that should be your consideration is how many minutes walk from the MRT station to the hostel.. the footprints hostel is located at 8 minute walk from Little India MRT Station adn 10 minutes walk from Bugis MRT Station.. which is fine for me to walk in the morning but becomes a little bit hard for me to walk at night, after a full day of walking here and there.. 

overall, staying in a backpacker hostel is cheap, but there are a few sacrifices to be made.. if you're in a tight budget and willing to make those sacrifice, I would recommend to stay in the hostels.. as for myself, I would prefer hotel, though.. you can say that I'm being spoiled here.. but it's a holiday and I would prefer something comfortable :) after all, it's all coming back to your preferences, budget and travel mate.. 

quick picz from singapore

people said that picture speaks more than 1,000 words..so since i had no time.. i'll just post this pictures haha (excuses..)

the food i ate within 5 days visit
okay.. i think i overate during the trip
and guess what?
i even forgot to take photo of some the food i ate
why? because i was too hungry haha..
bad habbit

this is the best chocolate ever..
it's even more delicious than the precious ferrero roche

and this is the picture during my brother's convocationcongrats, bro :)