{bubble tea love}

And I'm back... I have found myself with some more spare time up my sleeve recently and a friend suggested that I should throw myself back into blogging again so here I am! It's crazy that it's been almost a year since my last post. 2015 was a bit of a pretty dramatic year for us on the health front so we are hoping for a lot less drama this year! But it will be a big year with a new home purchase and us moving in mid-year.  So that means some renovating and decorating which I will hopefully post about here.  The pinning  has already begun...! In the meantime, we just enjoyed a lovely long Easter weekend at home and hosted some friends for lunch on Easter Saturday.  First time we made a lamb roast (and it turned out great to our delight) and we also pulled out the same hot cross buns recipe that I used last year which was a hit. I think this will become an annual Easter tradition. I really do love cooking for family and friends so I think my next hosting cha...

I got back last Friday from a week away in Washington and I fell in love with the place.  I was there for work so didn't have too much time to get out and about.  I did land on a Sunday though so had that day to myself to sightsee which was lovely. It's such a great city! I just walked and walked and walked... One of highlights was chancing upon the White House Spring Garden Tour by complete accident. The timing was perfect as they only open the gardens for two weekends a year so I was able to go in and have a closer look.  I didn't have time to see too much of the city but I loved walking through  Georgetown  and the National Mall  and it was such beautiful Spring weather.  It's definitely a city to revisit. One of the best things about being in the US was the food.  I love bagels and they are so hard to find in Singapore so I took advantage and had a bagel with cream cheese every morning.  I also spent ages in Whole ...

When we were in Phuket last month, the Mr found some really tasty locally made granola by Crunchy Monkey  at the supermarket.   We liked it so much we bought a few bags home with us.  The little Miss is a big fan and is always asking to eat 'crunchy monkey' (even when it isn't breakfast time!). Unfortunately our stocks are running low and good quality granola (that is not just toasted oats) is so expensive!  So to keep me and the little girl busy on the weekend and to try and combat the jetlag I was suffering, I decided to try and make our own.  It was way easier than I expected and is super yum.  It was also a fun and easy way to get the little Miss involved in cooking. I tried a simple recipe but I think I will try other variations next time.  I turned to trusty google and this  one  was the first result after searching 'home made granola' so I adapted it and gave it a go... Homemade Granola  Ingredients: 2 cups roll...

I first tried chia seeds when I started getting into green smoothies  last year.  I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  At that time, all I knew was that chia seeds were those those things from Chia Pets that you may have had as a kid!  They are actually quite the superfood and full of nutrients, antioxidants, omega 3 etc.   I used to see all these chia seed pudding recipes and was very skeptical but chia seeds soaked overnight with some milk, honey and topped with fresh fruit really is yum and a good option for breakfast or dessert.   Then I saw this recipe this morning on Beauticate ... rose and figs - two of my favourite things!  I definitely want to try this recipe out.  

The Design Files has featured Vietnamese recipes all this month in its Tasty Tuesday series courtesy of Michael Pham of the Phamily Kitchen . All my faves are there including Thit Kho (caramelised pork belly and eggs), Pho  and Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake).  Click here for all the recipe links.

In Australia around Easter time you can expect to find hot cross buns selling in every supermarket and bakery in town.  They are a must have at this time of year.   However, in Singapore they are an extremely rare commodity. After seeing lots of pics of hot cross buns on Instagram, I was having a serious craving for them.  We had no big plans for the long weekend so I decided to try baking them for us.  I was very chuffed as they turned out great! We even ended up making two batches over the long weekend as we brought a dozen over to our friend's place for Easter Sunday lunch. They are surprisingly quite easy to make but it just takes a bit of time as you have to wait for the dough to rise and proof. I googled and found this recipe from the BBC  which seemed the easiest and most fuss free.   I skipped the fresh fruit and just used 230g of dried mixed fruit.  I also used marmalade/other citrusy jam for the glaze as I didn't have any apricot jam...

Over the weekend I hosted a friend's baby shower afternoon tea.  I like baking and cooking but I am also short on time so when deciding the menu, I wanted minimal ingredients, time and effort. For the savoury, I chose  mini quiches  and pumpernickel bread topped with egg + smoked salmon and cream cheese. Image from nigella.com For the sweets, I went with  Nigella Lawson's Rocky Road Crunch Bars and Frankie Magazine's All Together Cake from their Afternoon Tea book/ app . The Rocky Road is super easy to make and sooo good and moreish!  Nigella has dark chocolate in her recipe but I just melted choc chips I found at the supermarket.  I also used honey instead of golden syrup as that is all I had in the pantry. The All Together Cake is also super easy (recipe below).  Just make sure your self raising flour isn't too old.  Mine was nearing its expiry date so the first cake was a disaster as it didn't rise! All Together Cake Recipe: In...

Coconuts & Coffee at Watercress Cafe I was lucky enough to escape to Bali recently to have a quick weekend girls getaway with my friend   Andrea .  I was child free and we have similar tastes in fashion and food so it was fun exploring a few new places I haven't been before.    We visited some old favourites but  to add a few more places to my earlier list : Watercress Cafe  - gorgeous setting, great coffee, excellent food - the corn fritters were a winner.  Cornerhouse  - great casual food in a bistro setting Merah Putih - beautiful Indonesian food We stayed at the L Hotel which was a great little find c/o the folks at Luxe Nomad .   The L spa next door was great for massages.  

The Mr and I made a quick little escape on Saturday night to check out Grub Noodle Bar .  A few friends have been recently so I was keen to have a taste. Aiming to be a late night supper joint, the noodle bar is only open nights and there are only 2 main dishes, laksa or beef noodles.  But these are special noodles. You get fresh soft egg noodles accompanied by a gorgeous beefy broth - there was so much flavour!  The beef goodness comes in the form of minced beef, beef balls and your choice of beef cut eg brisket, rump, sirloin or ribeye. There was certainly no shortage of meat and all for under $20. They also have a range of starters if you are feeling more adventurous.  We had the Hokkaido Scallop Tataki which was well balanced, fresh and citrusy and some pretty off the charts good Chicken Drumlets which were coated in curry leaves, garlic and sesame seeds.  I am still dreaming about that chicken. I definitely recommend Grub Noodle Bar if you ...

For a while now I have seen a lot written about green smoothies and to be honest I didn't get it.   I read interviews in beauty and celeb blogs and there was always some reference to green smoothies as part of a morning routine. Instagram and social media were flooded with images of folks traipsing around with their green smoothies and eating raw this and that.  I thought it was all a bit over the top and just some food fad. I was a cynic to say the least. I am a food loving, coffee and wine drinking girl who likes to eat bread, rice and all the stuff you aren't 'meant' to. But a few weeks ago I started making some changes.  For most of this year I have been feeling run down, tired, was getting sick alot and just feeling 'blah'... My iron, zinc and vitamin levels were way down.  I had previously put it down to just being busy and stressed with work and life but something really needed to change. My time off between jobs gave me some time to get back i...

You may have seen from some of my previous posts that Singapore is benefiting from the opening of a load of 'third wave' cafes which very much pleases this coffee loving girl.   However I was surprised to see that 150 new cafes have opened in the last year.  I know Singapore is foodie central but that is pretty insane! Check out the full listing on Daniel Food Diary .  So many places to try and not enough days! :) My coffee at an old fave,  CSHH 

Yesterday I took advantage of my child free time off and spent a lazy day exploring Tiong Bahru - one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore.   The area is a mix of the old and new and is full of character.  It is has been undergoing a bit of a renewal over the past few years with cafes, bakeries and small and eclectic boutiques moving in.  A great area to explore and spend some time. I started my morning at Forty Hands and caught up on my news and social media over a piccolo latte and eggs benedict.  I then crossed the road to check out a new little urban grocer pop up ( Crateful) , walked through the various criss cross streets past Flock and One Olive down to Tiong Bahru Market where I eyed off lots of fresh flowers, housewares and the hawker stalls.  Next stop was over to Eng Hoon Street by Tiong Bahru Bakery , Orange Thimble and the gorgeous Bloesom.   I headed back to Yong Siak Street as Books Actually, Woods in the Books a...

I have a few weeks off before I start the new job so we decided to take advantage of the time and sneak in a week to Hong Kong.  The Mr could work from his office there and it left me, my mama and the little lady to enjoy the city. I lived in HK for two years between 2008-2010 and definitely have a love affair with the city.  I have been back and forth for work since then but this was the first time in a long time that I have spent some 'off' time there.   It was so different seeing it and experiencing it with a kid in tow and I didn't get to do a lot of what we used to do.  But we did have a great week (despite the toddler sleep regression  which is still ongoing..sigh) revisiting our old haunts, catch ups and playdates with friends and discovering some cool new places.   Here are a few of my tips from our week: The Peak  - We were spoiled with beautiful, clear (but hot!) summery weather all week so we took advantage and went for...

As we head into another weekend, I thought I would write up about two new places we visited last weekend. Potato Head Folk  The Mr and I spoiled ourselves to a child free sneaky Saturday date lunch and decided to check out Potato Head Folk.  Some readers may have visited Potato Head in Bali and Jakarta before. Potato Head Folk is their latest opening in Singapore. Taking up one of the corner blocks on Keong Saik Street, Potato Head Folk has been open for a few months now.  In the past we have tried a couple of Friday/Saturday nights to get in but there was always a long queue (1 hour or longer).  Fortunately we didn't have to wait for our table at lunch and scored a table in the Three Buns Dining Kitchen on the second floor.  Really pretty painted murals adorned the walls with eclectic furniture sprinkled throughout.  They only serve burgers so I recommend it as a cool place to have a fun lunch or dinner. The Lokal The Lokal opened r...

I know there are some haters out there but I like Blake Lively .  She just seems nice, cool and someone you could be friends with.  I don't know if it was scripted or rehearsed beforehand but I liked her even more after seeing the latest 73 Questions video from Vogue.  Watch it here . As a follow up from my recent  post , Blake has also recently launched her own lifestyle site,  Preserve .   Part blog and part online shop it will highlight and curate (everything seems 'curated' these days!) American artisans, stories and products.   I haven't had a chance to have a proper look yet so my verdict is still out.

We just got back from the most wonderful week away in Bali.  A full week of family time - swims, lazing around, reading, massages, eating lots of yummy food, walks and shopping.  You know you had a good holiday when the time away felt longer than it really was and you forget your work computer password on your first day back in the office! The Mr and I hadn't been to Bali since our honeymoon a few years ago and my how it has changed and built up.  But I do really love Seminyak as you get a real mix of the urban (good restaurants, bars and shopping) along with beach and pool time.  We are thinking it may become an annual holiday :) Accommodation: We stayed at the W in Seminyak in the Petitenget area.  Beautiful resort with beach access and super lovely staff, it was the perfect backdrop for our holiday.   The onsite restaurants, Fire and Starfish Bloo , are super yum and the Woobar is the perfect place for sunset drinks.  There are little golf...

Gwyneth started it with the launch of Goop in 2010 and I have noticed that increasingly celebrities are getting on the bandwagon and launching their own lifestyle websites.  I know there are a lot of critics out there but I personally enjoy browsing through them.  For pop culture fans like me, you can really get a feel for the person behind the celebrity and get lots of tips in the meantime or even if it is just for a stickybeak.   I give them credit for being entrepreneurial, finding an additional income stream and being in control of their own image and brand.  Aside from Goop, a couple of my other favourite celebrity sites are:  The Tig Recently launched by Meghan Markle (who plays Rachel Zane on one of my favourite shows, Suits ), The Tig is described as ' a hub for the discerning palate - those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion & beauty ".  Her posts seem very genuine and this page has become one of my frequent reads....

Mrs Pho from Burpple My mum is visiting us at the moment so I have been relishing in all the Vietnamese home cooking - she is so sweet and the first thing she did when she arrived was go to the supermarket and buy ingredients for dinner! I love it when she visits as I can really get my Vietnamese food fix.   People often ask me where we go and find good Vietnamese food in Singapore.  I have to admit it isn't great but I can recommend a couple of places that are better than most compared to the other pretty average offerings around town. Mrs Pho Opened up by friends of friends, this tiny little restaurant on Beach Road serves up a decent Pho and the best pork chop rice I have had so far in Singapore (most have been pretty abysmal).  The Pho's broth is full of flavour (so many places here have watery or bland soup for their Pho) and they use fresh noodles not the dry stuff out of the packet.   My only complaint is they don't give you enough fresh basil with ...

I am back to pinning and this is what has been inspiring me lately... Ps I love how pinning photos on Pinterest can make me feel more creative than I really am ;) My perfect morning - croissants and coffee  Everything in this picture!  The chair, those blooms, that white shabby table!  This outfit - I need more white in my wardrobe More of this please... More on my Pinterest (link on the right) 

The little lady woke me up at 4.30 yesterday morning and then was awake again last night between midnight and 2.30am! The Mr is away for work so unfortunately I have been on solo night duty... The poor thing has been sick so that doesn't help but it means a very very tired Phuong the last few days... hopefully she will be back on track again tonight! So it has meant a bit more coffee than usual... Unfortunately there is a serious lack of good coffee close to my office so I had to make do with the office coffee machine. It did get me thinking though that I should update my list of favourite  coffee places in Singapore . Over the past few years there has been a surge of 'third wave coffee ' places opening - it seems there is a new cafe opening every couple of months.  All the better for us coffee snobs! I am pleased to report that since my last post in 2011 , all the cafes I listed are still open and still good. To add to the list: Common Man Coffee Roasters : Fr...