cafes – Page 3 – Regina Chow

Uncategorized

The Beauty of Glebe

June 22, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

Sorry to have gone missing over the past couple of days. Right after we came back from our ski trip at Snowy Mountains , we headed to Canberra for a 2-day trip and I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate Sydney after visiting Canberra.

I love Sydney’s quaint suburbs, complete with quirky cafes and weekend markets. Located south-west of the CBD, Glebe is one such suburb that bursts into life on weekends.

The Glebe Saturday market is a huge attraction. Its wide variety of knick knacks, eclectic clothes, accessories and vintage ware is a feast for the eyes and the main reason why visitors flock here every Saturday!

There was a cute little boy who was performing hip hop dance moves at the entrance of Glebe markets that day. He drew such a huge crowd and everyone was gushing about how talented he was!

In an era where brick-and-mortar bookstores are closing down one after another, it is extremely comforting to be know that one of Sydney’s best loved secondhand bookstore is located right at the heart of Glebe, across from the hustle and bustle of the Glebe markets.

What’s remarkably special about this place is the cafe tucked behind the facade of the bookstore, which will be unveiled to you in the pictures that follow.

Reading by the window is a luxury these days, especially when time is hardly on our side, but the moment you step into this bookstore, time seems to come to a standstill.

It provides a quiet respite from the crowds as the smell of books permeates the air to soothe your senses.

And just when you thought that was all the bookstore had to offer, the back of the store opens up to a beautifully decorated courtyard which doubles up as a cafe.

We were so glad to have uncovered this hidden gem. The graffiti walls lend an artistic yet laid-back chic vibe to the cafe, which makes it the perfect spot for brunch or tea.

JW had the chicken wrap, which he devoured instantly.

I had to have my toast with Vegemite. I’ve been crazy about Vegemite for a while now. It is a dark brown food spread made from yeast extract and can be eaten with bread, crackers and biscuits.

It’s not commonly found in Singapore, but essentially, it tastes just like Bouvril, which I used to love when I was a kid. It has since become a staple in my kitchen. 😉

I had a pumpkin soup to top it off. You know how pumpkin soup sometimes ends up either diluted or too thick? This was creamy, flavourful and of the right consistency, with just a hint of ginger for that extra kick!

And so, yes, that pretty much sums up my idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon in Sydney! I’ll be back with an outfit post next. 😉 Till then, enjoy the weekend ahead!

Uncategorized

Cakes, Sweets and Chocolates

June 1, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

I haven’t been doing much these days except eat, cook and eat some more. I can totally understand why people put on weight in Australia, or even become diabetic. The cakes, sweets and chocolates here are so wonderful I could eat them for all 3 meals.

Here I was, at New York Cafe at Chatswood, drinking hot chocolate.

JW was devouring a bun. I always joke that he has this impeccable ability to make anything that he eats look delicious. Don’t you agree?

Here’s what he can’t do without – coffee, although it does nothing to keep him awake. In fact, it does the exact opposite. He feels sleepy right after coffee.

What I can’t live without in Sydney – desserts. This carrot cake is sooo yummy! I also had my green tea snow ice fix at ZenQ recently and have been eating chocolates just about everyday.

I never really had a sweet tooth in Singapore, but I guess Australia changed everything.

At this rate, Diabetes will soon become my best friend.

Uncategorized

Gown Fitting with Grace

April 23, 2012 by Regina Chow 3 Comments

Grace is one of my closest friends and she’s preparing for her customary wedding this October! As we all know, wedding preparations can be a tedious affair in Asian society. Booking the bridal studio, selecting the gowns, photography, venue, jewellery, bridal make-up and hairstyle…there are so many decisions to make, but so little time.

We spent a couple of hours at the bridal studio selecting the gowns for her photoshoot and actual day. I’m not about to show you which gowns Grace chose for her AD, but here you’ll get a glimpse of a gorgeous Valentino-inspired gown with cascading rosettes, which is what she’ll be wearing for the photoshoot. We also went a little crazy camwhoring, forcing her hubby, Jay, to take photos of us in cutesy Japanese poses reminiscent of what we did when we travelled to Japan in 2009 (ooo such lovely memories!). It’s been such a long time since we last travelled together, but she has so many commitments now, it’ll take a while before we can just take off and head overseas again!

My sweet friend treated me to a sumptuous Korean dinner thereafter at Kko Kko Nara, a popular Korean joint along Tanjong Pagar Road. The chicken wings platter (top right corner) took the cake for me. The chicken wings were marinated in 3-4 different sauces, and every single on of them tasted ridiculously good! I liked the chicken stew as well, which tasted like kim chi (I love kim chi!). It’s slightly pricey but trust me, you have to try the chicken wings here. You’ll be hooked, for sure, just like all of us!

Uncategorized

Weekend Brunch at Forty Hands

April 12, 2012 by Regina Chow 2 Comments

I’ve been busy with work ever since I got back, but I’ll try to catch up with friends and family whenever time permits. Last Saturday, Hui, Jacq, Wei, Raf and I met up at Forty Hands for brunch. We’ve been friends for close to a decade now and I’m so glad that we all make the effort to spend time together, even if it’s just for a meal or a spot of shopping.

I suggested meeting at Forty Hands because I’m infatuated with the wonderfully soft tau sa pao (red bean bun). This time, we tried out their breakfast set and desserts too. The eggs benedict and salmon hash are very delicious. The desserts are great too! No wonder the cafe is always filled to the brim!

After our heavy meal, it was only prudent to walk off all the fats and aid digestion by going shopping at Far East Plaza. I went crazy shopping, bagging 3 hairbands, a lace dress, an asymmetrical skirt, 2 belts and a pair of shoes. Here I am adding more things to my wardrobe when it is already bursting at its seams. How incorrigible!

In other news, I’m totally loving the lace trend this season! Here, I paired a really affordable lace top from City Plaza with a lace cut-out poufy skirt from Siam Square, Bangkok. I also went a little wild and added splashes of colour to the all-white palette. 😉

Towards the end of our shopping spree, Hui and I got distracted by memories of Nanbantei and their tasty grilled cod fish. We wanted to make a reservation at a later time, but the restaurant was fully booked and they could only hold the seats for the next 45 minutes. The glutton in us manifested and we ended up abandoning Jacq and Wei (Raf left earlier to attend a function) for our cod fish!

The two ladies (who were leaving for their next appointment anway) couldn’t believe they lost out to a fish!

Haha Oops. I’m sorry…we’ll go there together one day ok? I’m sure you will understand why we did what we did after you try it. 😛

Uncategorized

Delicious Cafe

April 8, 2012 by Regina Chow No Comments

With a name like delicious, one would naturally have high expectations of what the cafe has to offer, especially when people make a beeline for it. Well, the decor was pleasant – simple, classy and most importantly, unpretentious and laid-back.

We were recommended the most popular dishes in the cafe, but both were not up to mark and certainly not value-for-money. The main courses here are reasonably priced at between $10-$20, but honestly, we felt that we could definitely do a much better job at cooking. Indeed, it is very disappointing that delicious cafe does not serve delicious food and its name is deemed a misnomer.

We left feeling immensely unsatisfied with the meal. If we were to head there again (hopefully not), I think we’ll just have drinks and maybe dessert. Besides its decor, the only other saving grace is its convenient location at Scotts Square. I’m sorry, but I would rather have my tasty hawker food any time. 😛

Uncategorized

Letoile Cafe

March 27, 2012 by Regina Chow 1 Comment

Some time earlier this year, I met the girls at Letoile for late brunch on a Saturday afternoon. I’ve passed by the cafe several times before and it looked like a wonderful place to relax on a lazy weekend.

Much to our disappointment, the food turned out mediocre. My peking duck sandwich and strawberry shortcake were the only saving grace.

With the mushrooming of so many new indie cafes in Singapore, I guess this is another one of those cafes where only the drinks and desserts are up to the mark. It’s a great place for taking photos though. The upper floor, in particular, has interesting pieces of furniture that make instant conversation starters. It was terribly crowded while we were there, and given the size of our group, we had to settle for a table on the first floor.

I still recall that poor JW was tied up with work that day due to a crisis, so I rose to the occasion and took over his role as the photographer. 😛 He hardly had time to eat!

Lacklustre food aside, it was our good fortune that Leo was with us that day to cheer us up. Needless to say, he automatically became the centre of attraction. He looked exceptionally smart in his crisp white shirt. Such a charmer, isn’t he?

Finally, here’s a parting shot of the girls before we went our separate ways. I posted my outfit shot a while ago, but if you’re interested, here’s the link.

Uncategorized

Jewel Coffee

November 16, 2011 by Regina Chow No Comments

One early Saturday morning at 11a.m., 3 girls (Karen, Jun and I) decided to meet at Jewel Coffee for brunch.

Situated right at the heart of the CBD at One Shenton Way, Jewel Coffee has one of the best pancakes in Singapore, second only to Riders’ Cafe’s.

If you’re a pancake lover, you shouldn’t miss out on this one!

The pancakes here are very fluffy, and although they’re less thick that those at Riders, the rich buttery flavour makes up for its lack of height (hm..for some strange reason, it sounds like I’m referring to a person instead :P).

What I really like about the pancakes here is the whipped cream. It has a very light consistency and has just the right amount of sugar, definitely a perfect match for the pancakes.

Floral dress from Hong Kong

Wedges from Liz Lisa

Bow Satchel Bag from Miu Miu

Uncategorized

Forty Hands Revisited

August 4, 2011 by Regina Chow 14 Comments

I visited Forty Hands when it first opened (read here) and was so impressed with their red bean bun (otherwise known as tao sar pau) that I kept wanting to go back on several occasions.

Well, I finally made it back again, but to my dismay, they ran out of their buns! I was there for brunch with my gf Yitian and was told that the buns would only arrive at 2pm as they had run out of them the day before. How disappointing.

Anyhow, it was a blessing in disguise because otherwise, we wouldn’t have tried their Truffle Mushroom Sandwich, which was an absolute delight. The rich fragrance of truffle oil was a perfect complement to the flavour of the mushrooms.

Yitian swears by their coffee. I swear by plain water here because the only non-coffee item on their menu is hot chocolate, which isn’t spectacular.

It was awfully crowded on a weekday. In fact, after we took this shot, all the tables around us were promptly occupied way before lunch time!

Forty Hands
Blk 78 Yong Siak Street (near Tiong Bahru Market), #01-12
Tel: 6225 8545

I will definitely be back again for another go at the red bean bun, but till then, here’s a closer look at my outfit for the day.

Korean Tie-dyed denim dress from M.E. Biz Apparel at Chevron House

Korean transparent heels from Far East Plaza

My gf Sushi picked out this lovely dress and bought it as an advanced birthday present for me. I was so touched by her sweet gesture! Thank you again dear!

If you enjoyed reading this post, do follow me on Networked blogs (click on my blog’s left sidebar).

If you like my outfits, follow me on Lookbook and Chictopia too!

Uncategorized

Choupinette (Mini Sale Post!)

July 31, 2011 by Regina Chow 5 Comments

How has your weekend been? My Sundays are usually spent having lazing around with my other half, having late brunch, wondering around parks and watching DVDs in the comfort of my home.

Today, we had brunch at Choupinette, a quaint little French cafe along Bukit Timah Road (beside Coronation Plaza). There’s a very homely feel about this place. It’s almost like a french cottage, with french music wafting in the air, beautiful floral paintings and wooden furniture juxtaposed against mismatched chairs reupholstered in eclectic fabrics.

We shared a milk chocolate eclair, which was very delicious. The eclairs here run out pretty quickly, so thank goodness we ordered ours at the start of the meal. JW had the beef stew with mashed potatoes while I went for the Eggs Royale set, which is essentially poached eggs with salmon on toasted bread. The set also comes with a juice and a hot drink of your choice from the menu.

The stew is nothing out of the ordinary but the Eggs Royale is beyond flavourful. Usually, I get sick of eggs benedict very easily because of the rich hollandaise sauce, but the salmon adds an additional dimension to this dish, making it less of a challenge to make it to the finishing line.

Here’s what I wore for brunch.

Crochet Puffed sleeve Blouse from Korea

White Tiered Skirt from Forever21

Transparent Heels with clip-on flower from Far East Plaza (made in Korea)

Bag from Naraya (from my Bangkok trip)

I’ve been on the lookout for tops with interesting collars and this lovely chiffon puffed sleeve top from Korea (made in Korea tag is intact) caught my eye! The intricate crochet details literally blew me away.

As a reward for reading this far, I’ve brand new pieces (very limited quantity) of this beautiful Korean blouse for sale!

Price & Measurements: – ALL SOLD –

Crochet Puffed Sleeve Blouse: S$32.90 (inclusive of normal mail postage)
Width: 17.5″ Length: 24″

It’s slightly sheer, so it would be best to pair it with a bandeau/tube or camisole. 😉

If you’re interested in purchasing this blouse, do drop me an e-mail at regina.chow@gmail.com to order.

Please note that I will not be responsible for any loss of items via normal mail postage. All goods sold are also non-refundable.

Uncategorized

Antoinette

July 29, 2011 by Regina Chow 4 Comments

Antoinette is another gorgeous cafe housed in an old office building at Penhas Road, right beside Fragrance Hotel. The location may be a little dingy, but rest assured that you will be transported into another world upon entering the cafe.

My eyes lit up the moment I stepped into this hidden gem of a cafe. I was first greeted by a plethora of colourful meringues, cakes and desserts at the entrance, which set my heart a flutter. And as I walked deeper in, an inexplicable sense of familiarity came over me. The beautiful decor, reminiscent of the baroque era, actually resembles that of my favourite cafe in Paris, Angelina.

I read that Antoinette was set up by Chef Pang, the ex-executive pastry chef of Canele and its rating on hungrygowhere.com has always been a perfect score of 100%. Excited to try as many items on the menu as possible, we went on to order 3 breakfast items, thinking that we could finish up everything and still order dessert.

How ambitious of us. In the end, we left without having dessert (what a punishment for being greedy!!:( ) and still had to pack half a crepe home. The same thing happened at Arbite previously, and still, I didn’t learn my lesson. Well, I’m definitely going back for the desserts!

The gratin with tomato fondue and the crepe were good, but the pancakes were divine! It is supremely difficult to find thick, fluffy pancakes in Singapore, and Riders’ Cafe’s pancakes are the closest you could get to that. Much to my disappointment, they have since removed pancakes from their menu. Thanks to Antoinette, I finally have a new favourite cafe for pancakes!