Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty & Travel Blog
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Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty & Travel Blog
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Farewell Dinner for Chloe

July 31, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment
The minute I arrived at Sydney airport 2 weeks back, I was whisked off to Darling Harbour for Chloe’s farewell dinner at Toros Tapas and Bar.

Chloe just graduated and was about to return home to Hong Kong then. Though I got to know Chloe not too long ago, she’s one of the most unassuming people I know and often brings humour to the table. Innocence personified, she comes complete with a heart of gold. πŸ˜‰

I fell in love with Sangria when I tried it in Spain last year, so you can imagine my excitement when we gamely ordered 1 litre of Sangria to share.

For the benefit of those who’re not familiar with the drink, Sangria is basically a wine punch that consists of red wine, sliced fruits and brandy. It’s commonly found in Spain and Portugal. I like it because it’s sweet.

We had tapas for dinner and I especially liked the mussels in white wine sauce. I’m so going to miss the seafood in Sydney when I eventually head home for good.

Thereafter, we adjourned to Lindt Cafe for hot chocolate and waffles. JW was a little tipsy by then and as usual, everyone commented that he’s more fun when he’s drunk!

Some parting shots with Chloe:

Here’s wishing you all the best in your job search and life back in Hong Kong! Keep in touch! πŸ™‚

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The Wedge

July 30, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments
Do you remember Le Monde Cafe? (If you’re interested, click here to read my post) Two of their baristas left in late 2011 to set up their own cafe in Glebe. This cafe is non other than The Wedge.

I love the laid-back, relaxed vibes that percolate every nook and corner of this cafe. It’s tucked away from the main traffic flow that travels down Glebe, providing quiet respite from all the hustle and bustle.

The large windows open up into exposed bar counters, letting in warm bursts of sunlight which are a much welcomed relief from the wintry weather.

I also adore the modern industrial decor topped with a retro touch. The gunnysack look-alike cushions and raw, uneven brick walls lined with retro pictures add character and are quite a visual treat too.

It’s the perfect place for spending a leisurely afternoon chatting over good coffee and healthy but equally delicious food.

Chicken sandwich (Again) – JW eats only chicken, fish and beef most of the time…

My organic blood orange soda, which I personally think tastes better than San Pellegrino.

My toasted sourdough bread with vegemite and butter. This has become a staple for me!

Finally, here’s JW’s beautifully roasted coffee. The Wedge uses Perth’s Five Senses coffee, which is supposedly a superior brew because of the lighter roast.

Address:
53-55 Glebe Point Rd (Enter on Cowper St) Glebe 2037

The Wedge Espresso on Urbanspoon

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Skiing and Snowboarding at Perisher

July 29, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
We had our first ski trip ever at Perisher on Snowy Mountains not too long ago with a group of fun-loving friends. It was so much fun in spite of the cranky cars and continuous blackouts in our apartment. Little hiccups like these tested our patience but also played an important role in spicing up our lives.

Haha, yes, I’m very optimistic indeed.

Anyway, here’s presenting the wonderful people who embarked on this amazing journey with us. There were 3 skiers and 4 snowboarders in total. We didn’t know one another very well prior to this trip, but I’m glad we all got along pretty well.

Call me ignorant, but I never knew that skiing was possible in Australia until recently, and I was truly amazed by the various options available. You can ski at Thredbo and Perisher in NSW, Mount Hotham in Falls Creek or Mount Buller in Victoria. Out of the lot, Thredbo and Perisher are probably the most popular skiing destinations.

We were blessed with fantastic weather throughout our one week stay.
Check out the spectacular view and our snowboarding friends in the foreground!

I observed that most snowboarders were younger and clad in fashionable hip-hop garb, as opposed to the skiiers, who were usually older and more conservatively dressed.

I would love to try snowboarding one day, but the fear of falling accompanied by the physical pain thereafter really scares me. I really applaud our snowboarder friends for their perseverance and courage. LOL!

Our first ski class was terrible as the instructor didn’t dwell very much on the basics (e.g. gliding and braking). I nearly fell on many occasions but I narrowly escaped by some stroke of luck. Phew!

The lessons on the 2nd and 3rd day were significantly better and before long, I could ski, not without some trepidation though. I guess I’m generally more risk averse, so speeding down a slope is not really my kind of thing. I love to be in control, so I guess you could call me a control freak.

JW, on the other hand, is a dare-devil. I had to stop him from going up the higher slopes several times because he likes to stretch his limits and always seems oblivious to danger!

Despite our differences, we ended up enjoying ourselves thoroughly although we never thought we would like skiing.

That said, JW still prefers rockclimbing, but I would love to ski again some time. How I wish I could ski in Singapore, but alas, you and I both know that it’ll only happen in our wildest dreams.

We also took the opportunity to explore the rest of the ski resort by taking the ski lift right up to the top!

The slopes at the top are not meant for skiing but wow, the view was absolutely breath-taking. We literally felt like we were on top of the world.

I think I look like an explorer on Mount Everest or something in this picture, which really cracks me up because that’s the last thing that I’ll ever be!

For the duration of the trip, we stayed at Jindabyne, a quaint little town near Perisher. Our first accommodation was a 4-bedroom cottage facing the lake. It was decorated in the style of the 1970s, but we loved how warm and cozy it was.

Pretty boots all in a row!

Waiting for dinner to be prepared by our chef for the night, Felicia. Haha

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end at the stroke of midnight. Just past midnight, we experienced our first blackout, and this was in winter!! The absence of working heaters meant that we were cold to the bones. Thank goodness firewood was readily available.

If you thought that was it, you’re wrong. The blackouts continued for the next 2 days and the frequency only increased with time. We finally decided to throw in the towel and moved to another house provided by the real estate company.

Just look at how chic and modern this house is! We were sold the minute we stepped in. No regrets about moving at all.

Well, no regrets, until JW decided to frighten us with his remarkable apple-slicing techniques.

We took turns to cook breakfast and dinner everyday, but girls and boys, this is a negative demonstration of how you should slice an apple, so please do not try this at home ok? I have no doubt that JW will chop off his fingers one of these days, or even kill someone with that knife, but let’s move on to happier thoughts now, shall we?

To steer those negative thoughts away, let’s look at some food.

Yummy breakfast by Shaun

Pasta lovingly made by Peiyu. I love her carbonara pasta!

We spent a whole week focusing on just skiing and snowboarding, waking up at 7am and sleeping at 10pm everyday. I actually liked the routine very much, which came as a surprise, even to me. At the end of the week, I certainly felt more well-rested than ever before and very toned too, thanks to all the exercise!

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Le Monde Cafe

July 27, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

Coffee is a must before, during and after every meal. Well, for JW at least. I don’t take coffee at all, but I do love checking out cafes and trying out non-caffeinated drinks on the menu. So yay, that makes checking out cafes our shared interest.

I know everyone has heard so much about the cafe culture in Melbourne, but trust me, the cafes in Sydney are just as good. We’ve been hunting down the cafes listed in the Sydney Good Cafe Guide 2012 and so far, the coffee served by these recommended establishments is always rich, fragrant and smooth (JW attests to this), while the food is almost always tasty and flavourful.

Le Monde was one of the cafes on our checklist (it had a 3 cups rating in 2011, which means the coffee here is top notch!) and that was where we headed after breakfast at Bills. Latte is JW’s favourite type of coffee and it’s not difficult to see why.

The glass of creamy caramel goodness capped with an artful leaf design atop a cloud of fluffy floam is enough to make anyone go weak in the knees. I personally like the appearance of coffee. It’s the taste that disagrees with my taste buds for some strange reason.

So what do I settle for then? I usually go for either hot chocolate or salted caramel smoothie. The salted caramel smoothie here is pretty blend and doesn’t quite cut it for me. I much prefer the one at Reuben Hills. If you’re interested, you can also read more about Reuben Hills in my previous post here

The food menu looked interesting but we were way too full from breakfast to stomach anything else. We’ll definitely make a mental note to come back here for a meal though!

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Bills & Ricotta Hotcakes

July 27, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
Align Center

We woke up bright and early one weekday morning for breakfast at Bills, supposedly also known as king of the breakfast scene in Sydney. Bills is the brainchild of Bill Granger, a self-taught cook who now owns a chain of restaurants in Sydney, Tokyo and London.

As you can tell, it’s crazily crowded even on a weekday! I shudder to think of what the crowd is like on weekends.


There were some empty seats beside us, but they were completely filled within minutes. Makes me wonder if the people in Sydney actually go to work….

We were famished by the time we arrived at the Surry Hills branch as we decided to take the public transport to town and it took us eons just to get there. That probably explains JW’s look of anticipation here. LOL.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for our food to be served! We ordered the famed Ricotta hotcakes, which is very healthy as no sugar is added. Instead, it comes accompanied by a generous dollop of honeycomb butter and ripe bananas, both of which add a delicious dose of sweetness to the fluffy hotcakes. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

I also ordered the home-made lemonade, but honestly, it’s nothing to shout about as it tastes more like soda water with lemon juice.

I’m not ordering this ever again. Haha.

For more information on bills, do check out their website at http://www.bills.com.au/

Have a good weekend ahead!

Bills on Urbanspoon

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Sambal

July 24, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
Sambal is one of our favourite haunts for lunch these days. I always thought nobody could do Asian street food better than the hawkers in Singapore, but Sambal definitely gives them a run for their money!

The price of the food here is about 3-4 times that of hawker food in Singapore, but the portions are about 3-4 times more too. πŸ˜‰ I especially like that I can taste the wok hei (the flavour and essence from stir frying with a wok), which in Chinese cooking, is a testament to the chef’s superb culinary skills.

My favourite dish here is the Mee Siam. It is without a doubt, the yummiest Mee Siam I’ve ever tasted, and it even comes with juicy prawns!

My next favourite dish here is Hor fun. For the record, I don’t even like Hor Fun at all, but this is irresistibly good. I’ll post a photo of it when I next order it. πŸ˜‰

JW had the Chicken Laksa, which was great too, but paled in comparison to the stir fry dishes. But I guess stir fried food usually tastes better because of wok hei.

Besides food, please don’t ever miss out on the fabulous Teh Tarik here. It is not on the menu, but don’t be afraid to ask for it.

I don’t usually take tea, because it makes my heart palpitate and caffeine makes me hungry very quickly, but I have never given the Teh Tarik here a miss. I’ve never had Teh Tarik that tastes this good!

Check out the frothy goodness!
It is smooth, milky and of just the right consistency. I would never miss it for the world.


Address:
Eden Park
Shop 7, 285-297 Lane Cove Rd
North Ryde, NSW 2113

Sambal on Urbanspoon

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Sorbet Colours

July 22, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

Don’t you love sorbet colours? I’ve always loved these sweet pastel hues and I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise to many that my wardrobe was filled with apparel in feminine candy shades long before they became such a huge fashion trend today.

In the past, you’ll only find tulle skirts or poufy girly dresses in pastel colours, but thanks to the current trend now, I can easily find basic tops, jackets and jeans in the same colours too!

If this diabetes-inducing palette is a tad too sugary sweet for your liking, you can always par down the sweetness and go for a more clean-cut style by matching a basic top with jeans and a crisp jacket before topping it off with a dose of playful accessories. I like this look because I can choose to wear it to office on dress-down Fridays or just a casual day out with friends!

The sharp, tailored silhouette of this mint green blazer from Zara caught my attention instantly. It’s one of my favourite blazers now because it goes with virtually everything in my wardrobe.

Mint green blazer from Zara
Pink jeans from Mango
Baby blue sweater from Cocolatte
Necklace and arm candies from Diva
Earrings from Chanel

I got this pair of pastel pink jeans from Mango while shopping with my mum. I wasn’t sure if I should get it then, but my mum convinced me that it was a great buy. Looks like mum certainly knows best!

It has been a while since I last shopped with my mum, so I’m really looking forward to our next shopping spree when I get back to Singapore. πŸ˜‰

Here’re my favourite accessories at the moment. I know, even I am sick of seeing them on my blog. Haha.

Finally, Chanel studs, otherwise known as every woman’s best friend, simply because they go with just about everything.

Have a great week ahead guys!
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Hurricane’s Grill

July 20, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
I’ve been wanting to dine at Hurricane’s since forever, and it was entirely by chance that we stumbled upon one of its branches at Top Ryde City one day when we had nothing to do and a lot of time on our hands.

I recall that Angela was with me the last time I went looking for Hurricane at Darling Harbour. It took us a while to find the restaurant and in the process, we came across this strange Thai restaurant called Thai Foon Restaurant, which really cracked us up. I guess Australians really fancy typhoons and hurricanes. LOL. Alas, the Darling Harbour branch was fully booked and I didn’t have the chance to step in then.

Anyway, for the uninitiated, Hurricane’s specializes in premium Australian beef steaks, ribs and bbq chicken, marinated in its signature sauce, which is apparently of South Africa origins. This is one restaurant that tourists frequent just to get a taste of Australian cuisine

We shared a full rack, which looks so much larger in real life than it does in pictures, that my jaw dropped momentarily when it was served. I love ribs. It is an absolute joy to tear the juicy, succulent and well-marinated meat from the bones and savour the decadent goodness of it all.

We ordered garlic mushrooms as well and boy, the mushrooms were bursting with flavour with every bite. I would highly recommend this side dish, especially if you’re a fan of garlic, like me!

Note to self: I should really stop blogging about food during the wee hours of the morning, because it only makes me salivate and crave for food.

Now, excuse me while I reach for my Krispy Kreme donut.

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Composure and Composition

July 19, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments
I love the final set of photos taken by KC from Tinydot Photography (Click here for the Facebook page). The mood of these photos evoke a calm, contemplative vibe, which is very reflective of my personality.

It’s incredible how KC has the ability to not just frame a picture, but also capture your personality and emotions on film with such impeccable ease.That’s the trademark of a seasoned photographer with an acute sense of what makes a picture perfect while keeping it real.




Everyone, even the people closest to me, has the impression that nothing can rock my boat because I tend to be calm and composed, even in the most dire of situations. I guess that’s because my head usually rules my heart and when the worst happens, my immediate reaction is to rationalize and think about how to mitigate the negative factors.

If that doesn’t work, it always helps to have a positive attitude, and for this, I have JW to credit because he’s always full of positive energy and appreciative of the little things in life.

I always believe that life is too short to sweat the small stuff, so I try my best not to agonize over something that cannot be changed. That’s the easiest way to stay happy! πŸ™‚

To view the previous series of photos by KC, click on the following links below:

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Vintage 60s &Tiny Dot Photography
The Art of Photography
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Cammeray & Dee Why Beach

July 17, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

I have said this umpteen times, but I really enjoy feasting in Sydney because the ingredients are as fresh as you can possibly get (especially seafood).

The plan for the day was to head to the beach and soak in the lovely sun, but before that, we swang by People Modern Cafe at Cammeray to fill our tummies with sumptuous teriyaki salmon. I wrote about this cafe previously when my aunt first brought us there. You can click here to read the post if you’re interested.

LOL doesn’t JW look like he wants to devour my share as well?

Before long, it was time to work off our lunch by taking a stroll along the beach. Sydney is famous for its numerous beaches, but thus far, I’ve only been to Manly and Bondi, which are the most touristy of them all.

This time, we decided to venture to Dee Why Beach instead.

The weather has been holding up pretty well these days and I don’t even have to wear a coat in the day! Erm, but I was a little overdressed for the beach as vanity got the better of me.

I bought this lace dress from Kitson in Tokyo a while back, but I haven’t worn it very much as it can be a tad too warm for our weather in Singapore. I adore it to bits though and I especially like the see-through lace sleeves.

My new pastel skull necklace from Diva. Diva has the most amazing accessories this season, and the best part is, they come in the prettiest pastel shades!

Most of my outfit shots are taken by JW, who just assumed the role of my photographer despite not having much of an interest in photography. To give credit to his fab skills, I got behind the camera this time and took his outfit shot for him! Haha. He’s quite a natural at posing, isn’t he?

I love that Dee Why Beach is less crowded and commercialized than Bondi and Manly. It’s also much quieter and more family oriented as we spotted some families bonding over sea sports and just basking in the welcoming warmth of the sun.


It didn’t take long before hunger pangs set in, so off we went in search of food. Yums! The potato wedges came with the most delicious sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. We literally gobbled up the whole bowl in record time.

I wasn’t kidding when I told you feasting is one of our favourite pastimes. Look how happy JW is!

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About Me

Hi! My name is Regina and I am a style, beauty and travel enthusiast who enjoys writing, photography and letting my creative juices flow.

My blogging journey has been nothing short of exciting. I was recently named the winner of Her World Magazine’s Estee Lauder Style Superstar Awards 2016. My blog was also awarded Best Fashion Blog (Grand Winner) at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014. The year before that, it won Best Online Shopping Blog at the Singapore Blog Awards 2013.

Additionally, it is listed as one of the 10 interesting blogs on Singapore by AsiaWeb Direct (http://www-singapore.com/blogs.htm). I was also featured on both local and international mainstream media for my views on style, fashion and online shopping:

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