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Going Grunge

April 25, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

I hardly wear T-shirts, but on days when I just don’t feel like dressing up, I’ll turn to these cute tees which also add variation to my otherwise girly wardrobe. Complete the grunge look with laced-up peep-toe booties!

You could also add some accessories such as bangles/bracelets but I was way too lazy to do that on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon. 😛

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Japanese Lashes

April 24, 2010 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

I love eye make-up but I don’t usually wear much make-up on the rest my face. For work, I usually use a 2-way cake or loose powder and some blusher. On weekends, I prefer to step out of the house wearing only tinted sunblock to give my skin a breather. 😉

I’ve been hooked on falsies for a while because it instantly opens up the eyes without the hassle of having to curl your lashes, painstakingly coat them with mascara and remove the mascara at the end of the day when all you want to do is bathe and jump into bed! I typically only use them on weekends as they can, at times, be a little too dramatic for work.

Recently, I discovered Dolly Wink’s individual lower lashes at Watson’s. Dolly Wink’s falsies are a sell-out in Japan and the rest of Asia. Hence, I decided I had to get my hands on the lower lashes after reading numerous Japanese make-up tutorials in CanCam, Vivi and the likes.

Here are the results of my virgin attempt at attaching the bottom lashes (I was wearing a pair of very natural -looking falsies on the upper lids):

My verdict? I think bottom lashes really help to further enhance and open up the eyes, creating a doe-eyed effect.

However, while it’s relatively easy to put them on with a pair of tweezers, it could be way too time consuming and drama mama if you’re rushing for work in the morning! I’ll be saving mine for weekends and special occassions. 😉

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Spontaneous Meet-up and Ayam Bakar

April 17, 2010 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

I unwittingly flushed my contact lenses down the sink shortly after I returned from Tokyo (must be the fatigue from rushing reports!) so I had to wear my nerdy black-rimmed specs out for a while.

Thank goodness it didn’t take long for the optician to replace my lenses. I decided to head down to town to collect my lenses once I received a call from the optical shop. Jo happened to text me on the same day and that’s when we decided to meet-up for dinner!

This was my second time at Ayam Bakar Ojolali that week. JW and I had gone there earlier in the week as I have been itching to go there after Shihui recommended this Indonesian restaurant at Lucky Plaza. Apparently, Ayam Bakar Ojolali serves the most authentic Indonesian grilled chicken in Singapore.

According to the restaurant’s website, Ayam Bakar means “Grilled Chicken” and Ojolali means “Don’t Forget”. Well, the grilled chicken was indeed unforgettable enough for me to patronize the eatery twice in a week!

The restaurant was jam packed when we arrived during dinner time. I recommended that Jo order their chef specialty, which is no other than Ayam Bakar of course! I wanted to try another dish so I ordered the fried chicken with rice instead.

The grilled chicken meat was tender and well-marinated. The black sweet sauce used also compliments the taste of the chicken very well. The fried chicken that I had was very savoury too. It was fried to golden perfection and absolutely crispy! We also ordered keropok and beefball soup to go with our dishes.

Jo also had one of their drink specialties, Es Ojolali (Iced pink coconut), which she raved about while I settled for Happy Soda,a common drink found in most Indonesian restaurants. For the uninitiated, Happy Soda is essentially a concoction of Bandung (Rose syrup with condensed/evaporated milk) and soda. The one I had here was one of the better ones that I’ve tried so far!

Needless to say, Ayam Bakar Ojolali is now one of my favourite food haunts to get my indon food fix!

I wore my specs that day but changed out into my contacts subsequently. Nevertheless, that did not stop us from taking turns to model in my nerdy specs!

The funny thing was, we could hardly see a thing with my specs because my degrees are unbelievably high due to my poor eyesight. I am practically blind without contacts/specs!

Here’s what I wore that day:

I really like this look but as I had to take a bus that day, I decided to pull up the shirt dress and pair it with white shorts as well as flats. 😛

**Oops forgot to add that the photos of our dinner were all courtesy of Jo! 🙂

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Picnic at Botanic Gardens

April 16, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

Grace invited me to a picnic that she organized at the Botanic Gardens early last month. As it was a Sunday and there was a concert performance going on (can’t remember what now), the field at the Botanic Gardens was packed with families having picnics too!

We had fun chatting (albeit under the scorching sun!) and munching on the sumptuous food in between sips of juice and choya! Grace single-handedly prepared a healthy spread of fresh vegetable sticks (I love celery!!), crackers with various types of cheese and fruits.

JW looked like he was dreaming halfway through the picnic. I think he was about to get heat stroke cos I captured a hilarious shot of him looking stunned and helpless. HAHA!

But well, being the good wife that I am, I shall not embarrass him over the internet, so here’s a normal shot of him against the backdrop of other fellow picnickers.

Couple shot – my face was starting to get red by then.

Parting shot with my dear friend, Grace. She has found a new job in a much better environment and I’m so happy for her!

Last but not least, here’s what I wore that day. I love this gorgeous summery romper with a ribbon in front. It’s made of very soft comfy cotton, perfect for picnics in the sweltering heat!

If you like this, there’s one last piece (brand new!) available for sale at Shopping Queen’s Haven !

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Japanese Food

April 7, 2010 by Regina Chow 4 Comments

Singapore may be known as a food paradise, but the quality of the Japanese food here still pales in comparison to that in Japan. Nonetheless, I love Japanese food and would love to have it practically everyday.

Recently, we decided to try the latest craze in town, Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery after hearing all the raves. The Ippudo ramen chain hails from Fukuoka. Besides Singapore, it also has an outlet in New York. 😉

The queue was long but the waiting time was only about 15 minutes because we were there at about 3pm on a Sunday.

Green tea here is served in pots

I had the Shiramaru classic ramen. The soup base was rich and flavourful. In my opinion, it is pretty decent by Singapore standards. While the meat serving was rather miserable (only 3 slices of pork loin at most?!), it was very lean and tasty. I liked the ni-tamago too.

JW had the seasonal ramen. He gobbled everything up before I could even taste it, so I assume it must have tasted great. Either that, or he was just greedy.

Anyhow, a quick check with him later confirmed that it was indeed finger-licking good.

I had just returned from Japan where I got hooked on to cherry blossom ice-cream. I knew I had to order it when I saw it on the menu at Ippudo!

Tastewise, it didn’t match up to the ones I had in Tokyo, but I liked it all the same.

All in all, we were pretty satisfied with the dining experience at Ippudo. I wasn’t completely bowled over by the ramen, but I must say it is one of the better ones around.

Later on in the day, when I got a little hungry again, we popped by Liang Court for crepes at Mazazu crepes. I had the strawberry cheese cake crepe. My verdict? Absolutely yummilious! The whipped cream was light and fluffy. Definitely a perfect complement to the cheesecake and sweetened strawberries.

Outfit for the day:

DKNY Silk Bubble Hem Dress – my current wardrobe favourite because it is so cute and can be converted into a skirt!

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Tokyo Food & Cherry Blossoms

April 6, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

I love Tokyo for its food, shopping and excellent service. The weather was rather chilly when I was there 2 weeks back, but I managed to squeeze in some R&R and shopping time amidst the hectic schedule. 😉

Here’re some snapshots from my recent trip:

Breakfast with a friend at Tokyo Station

Matcha Latte and Cherry Blossom Cake

Scrumptious chawanmushi and crabmeat salad (my favourite!)

Followed by endless plates of sushi

Lovely cherry blossoms lining the streets of Tokyo

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La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini

April 3, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

La Boheme’s central theme revolves around arts and wealth (or rather, the lack of), a perennial problem that strikes a chord with those in the arts scene, particularly in countries like Singapore. The opera, which focuses on the romance between a poor poet and a terminally ill seamstress, is littered with witty dialogues and makes for a perfect tragic romedy. First performed in 1896 during the late Romantic era, it is now one of the most frequently performed operas in the international arena.

Music is an integral part of my life. In this day and age, even classical music has the unique ability to transcend all boundaries and connect people from all walks of life. English subtitles assure that you will not be lost in translation and having Asian musicians/opera singers on stage makes it easier for a largely Asian audience to relate to Italian opera.

In some cases however, having Asian opera singers in an opera with an updated 1930s Parisian setting could be rather odd, as in the case of La Boheme. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the riveting performance by the Singapore Lyric Opera earlier this year.

It is a pity that SLO is unable to put up such performances on a regular basis due to the lack of audience, a sign that more needs to be done to spur the interest of the general public in opera and classical music, particularly in a land where the arts scene is almost barren. 🙁

On a separate note, I had my hair done again recently.I love it but I hardly have time to style it properly like this:

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Polka Dots

April 3, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

Polka dots are all the rage this Spring, and it’s not hard to tell why. Not only do they make a bold statement, they’re cute, versatile and absolutely fun to wear!

Prabal Gurung Spring 2010

I have always been a fan of polka dots. Most designs have white polka dots against a black background, but I personally prefer black polka dots on a white background simply because it stands out more. Here’s one of my favourite polka dot work dresses.

If you’re less adventurous, you could always try out accessories with polka dots or even separates. Polka dot skirts are very easy to match as they go well with solid coloured tops.

Over here, I paired my skirt with a chiffon/silk ruffle ribbon top for a more sophisticated lolita look.

Alternatively, go for smaller dots like these! They’re subtle yet able to add some interest to an otherwise plain outfit.

Spice up your wardrobe with some polka dots today! 😉

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Papa Palheta

April 2, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

Papa Palheta is a specialty coffee boutique that I came to know about while I was browsing through photos that a friend posted on facebook.

Nestled in a quiet little shop house near town, Papa Palheta is a comforting retreat away from the city buzz. The shop specializes in coffee beans from Latin America, Africa and Asia, and you get to sample them free of charge before making a purchase.

Unlike JW, I’m not exactly a fan of coffee, but I love new concepts, coffee places, good service and interesting decor. The taste and aroma of the coffee were invigorating. This, coupled with the warm and sincere service, easily sets this place apart from other run off the mill coffee joints.

We chilled out at the breezy courtyard before heading into the quaint living room when it started pouring.

I absolutely adore the decor of the living room. It has so much character. The juxaposition of new and old furniture pieces also enhances the eclecticism of its interior.

For those of you who are interested, Papa Palheta is located at:

140 Bukit Timah Road

And here’s what I wore that day:

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Club Street

March 30, 2010 by Regina Chow No Comments

Club street is one of my favourite haunts. It boasts a myriad of eclectic shops such as Stevie General Store and BooksActually. I believe BooksActually needs no introduction. Stevie General Store has a wide array of vintage apparel, accessories and interesting knick-knacks that are a blast from the past. The arty-farty decor and intricate finds from these quaint little stores are just part of the charm of Club Street.

Besides the above-mentioned stores, there is a unique selection of eateries, cafes and restaurants as well, but somehow, I always end up at Jerry’s for its tasty buffalo wings!