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Food like these makes me wonder why I am not applying for a job at Google….
(Alright, I am kidding. I still love my job. =P)
The photographer, Brett Lider, is a vegetarian. It really makes me wonder how much more delicious does the other non-vegan food at Google look. Hmm….talking about great employee benefits!
Outlets:
Ratings: 6.0/10
Settler’s Cafe is a cafe where you can munch on food while playing various board games in a cosy setting. The game list there is really extensive (you can check them out on their website). Furthermore, the friendly staff there will also never hesitate to offer you advice and help on what games to choose and how to play the various games.
I have always wanted to visit Settler’s Cafe ever since I heard about the place last year. Finally, I managed to visit the place with my friends last weekend.
My conclusion about the place: lots and lots of riotous fun!
Organising group activities are always a headache. I always have problems thinking about what to do, where to go and how to accommodate the entire group. There is always the usual coffee sessions for gossips-trading, the movie outings that are entertaining but solitary activities, the KTV sessions where only some people in the group will hog the microphones while the rest watch in boredom, the drinking/clubbing session that is not always a popular choice among many.
Settler’s Cafe, on the other hand, offers an excellent alternative hangout for group outings. It’s definitely one of the better outings I had with that group of friends for a long time!
There is nothing to rave about the food there at Settler’s Cafe, since the focus of the place is on the games. However, I do feel that having better food there will definitely not hurt the business of the place but might promote business instead. The food is a tat on the pricey end, especially when the food there isn’t nice.
The key way to enjoy the visit at Settler’s Cafe: let the inner child in you out.
P.S: Just remember to make reservation beforehand as the place can get really crowded during the weekends.
Ben & Jerry outlets in Singapore
My secondary school principle once shared with us an anecdote. There was an ice-cream cart (the old-school way of buying ice cream from the uncle on bicycle cart) parked outside my school. As it was illegal to sell ice-cream directly outside a school, she had to follow the uncle to a distance until it was legal for the uncle to sell his ice-cream there. The moment the uncle was in the legal boundary where he could start selling his ice-cream, she bought an ice-cream cone from the uncle, because she found it hard to resist the yummy ice-creams that the uncle sold.
I guess this little anecdote has depicted the irresistible attraction of ice-creams.
Leaving the anecdote aside, my impression of an ice-cream parlour: Aromatic whiffs of freshly-baked waffles, brightly-coloured and delicious-looking ice-creams and a cheery decor. Ice-cream is always associated with such happy stuff, maybe that’s why eating ice-creams never fail to make me happy.
My favourite brand of ice-cream is Ben & Jerry ever since I tried them one or two years back. The ice-cream is thick and creamy, yet not overtly sweet, and I love all the different ice-cream flavours offered by the brand. Of course, when I discovered Ben & Jerry ice-cream parlours around Singapore recently, I was ecstatic.
When I got my first pay cheque a few months back, one of the first things that my colleague and I did was to have Ben & Jerry ice-cream for dessert after lunch that day, to celebrate the cheerful occasion of having our first pay cheque. It was one of the rare few occasions that we didn’t abide to our "no-more-than-$5" policy for lunch budgeting.
I think I’ve been having a bit too much Ben & Jerry ice-cream recently. Maybe there are some stuff that I need some cheering up about, and having some great ice-cream does bring me that temporary joy. I guess it’s just a period of mood swings for me and of not knowing what I want. I hate these periods in life because they always throw me off balance, especially when I always thought that I’m a person who knows what I want. I hate it when I become indecisive.
But I guess I’ve cheered up, so no more Ben & Jerry ice-cream for me. Instead, I think I need some workout to work off these ice-creams instead. =S
Royce
Suntec City Mall, #01-142;
Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya Department Store, B2
Ratings: 7.0/10
Initially, I was hoping to get some Godiva chocolates as presents when I was at Takashimaya, but the expensive price tag of $25 for a box containing only six truffles scared the miser part of me off, thus I walked over to the Royce counter next to it instead.
In the end, instead of getting presents for other people, I got some presents for myself instead.
Nama Chocolates, $12.80 for a box
Royce chocolates are made in Hokkaido, Japan. The impeccability and perfectionist nature of the Japanese can be exemplified even in their chocolates. Each box of chocolate is wrapped in three layers of packaging, including a packet of dry ice to ensure that the chocolates can be kept unrefrigerated for up to five hours. Inside the box, there is a tiny plastic fork to spear the pieces of chocolates so that your hands won’t be dirtied by the cocoa powder that has been dusted on each piece of the chocolates. Such attentive details made these chocolates the perfect gift.
On first bite, a thick and smooth taste of dark chocolate with lingering sweetness and a slight taste of alcohol diffuse throughout your mouth. They are so irresistable that I would have devour the entire box of them at one go if I hadn’t exercised some self-control. However, the damage was done. Two rows of these fine chocolates were gone pretty quickly.
The next time I visit Royce, I will definitely get their chocolate covered potato chips. As for the Godiva chocolates, I guess they have to wait…’til I’m feeling a bit richer.
My impression on Sydney Fish Market: Big nice stalls in the market selling a wide assortment of fishes in equally nice surroundings.
My visit to Sydney Fish Market did not turn out to be as fun as I have thought it might be. It was actually one of my highly-anticipated spot in my itinerary, so I was a bit disappointed when I was there. I attribute the reason to my preference towards the noisy, colourful, and teeming with life wet markets that is found mostly in Asia. In contrast, Sydney Fish Markets seems a tat boring.
I was hoping to taste some fresh seafood too while I was there, but the seafood I tasted wasn’t really fantastic. I supposed I still miss the seafood that I had while I was in Perth. The only notable seafood that I tried was the raw oysters, which was really fresh. Yummy!
Two things that I have a lot while I was in Sydney are its coffee and pastries.
A decent latte or mocha might cost at least S$4 (unless you’re talking about the good old coffee in the kopitiam, which is less than a dollar) in Singapore. In Sydney, at A$2.50 to A$3.50, I usually be able to get myself a decent cup of coffee, so that’s a pretty good thing for a coffee-addict like me.
A cup of Flat White
However, when it comes to pastries, to be frank, I didn’t really like the pastries in Sydney. They’re usually too sweet for my palate. Many times I feel like I’m eating a “sugar bomb” or something. I guess I still miss those lovely pastries that I had while I was in Switzerland. But I have to admit, the pastries all look so delicious and have these “come-eat-me” kind of touch on them that I kept ordering them when I was in Sydney! I did come across a really great pastry shop while at “The Rocks” but I never remember its name because it’s one of those “grab-and-go” session. It’s croissant was delicious!
Dessert from Swenson
Depending on the level of stress I’m facing, they wrecked different havocs in my system. If I’m facing a moderate level of stress, I’ll start craving for “stress-related” food. If the stress hits a high level, I’ll lose my appetite and stop feeling hungry.
It’s the moderate level of stress that had led me to start hunting for chocolates, chips, and ice cream in my refrigerator. It was only then that I realised that I’ve “cleaned out” my supply of chocolates a few days ago. There was nothing around the house which I can mildly link to “snack” or “stress-related food”. That was until I spotted a tin of milo in one of the cabinets.
Never underestimate the therapeutic power of binging on Milo powder. There’s a very feel good feeling when you’re sitting on your sofa, hugging that big can of Milo powder, and scoping it into you mouth. At that moment, it really makes you start wondering why Milo is a drink and not a snack.
Cheese fries from KFC
The ultimate food that I crave for when I’m feeling the brunt of stress is potatoes. Chips, fries, roesti, baked potato, potato salad, or basically anything that can be prepared with potato helps me to release the pent-up stress in me. Chocolates and ice-creams pale in comparison to their ability in helping me to curb that stress.
Another food that I’ll crave for is Fish and Chips. It’s no wonder that recently, I’ve been patronising the Western food stall in my canteen so often.
I shall admit, I’m a big comfort food lover.
So what do you crave for when you’re feeling the hateful thing called stress?
