Alyssia

What/Where to eat?

What/Where to eat? June 11, 2017

Halal @Spize

Conceptualised with the status of our nation as one of the most metropolitan and globalised city-states, Spize is a melting pot for East and West tastes. Spize is also a Halal restaurant, so you can invite your muslim friends along for lunch/dinner. A swanky décor, strong wood accents on walls and floor, dim lighting and an attached bar exude a lounge-like vibe. The touches of green here and there lend a refreshing feel to the place. What’s amazing is that they have a large variety of food to choose from - Thai, Indian, Western & Mediterranean food which left us endlessly debating which to order. We finally came to a conclusion, and these are what we have ordered.

Out of the main courses, the most satisfying dish is the Glazed Chicken Wings ($12.90). The wings are well-marinated and coated with a savoury-sweet sticking sauce that’s utterly addictive. As good as it looks, the taste was even better. The sight of it makes you crave for more. The Glazed Chicken Wings is a must-have on your order list!

Moving on, we ordered the Seafood Hor Fun (for those craving for an Asian delight) ($18.90) and Sliced Ribeye with Thai Basil ($13.90).

Over here, we ordered the Morrocan Roast Chicken ($18.90) and The “ROYALE” ($15.90)

We also ordered the Nasi Goreng Pattaya ($9.90), Grilled Fish Fillets with Creamy Mashed Potato ($9.90) on the Little diner menu, and Grilled Chicken Pesto ($17.90). For those who were wondering, Nasi Goreng Pattaya is Thai flavoured Fried Rice with Chicken & Prawn, wrapped in an omelette & topped with Sweet Chilli Sauce.

Lastly, we ordered the Chicken Briyani ($10.90) and the Lamb Briyani ($13.90). These were unexpectedly super tasty! I expected the curry to have a strong taste but everything turned out delicious! At such an affordable price and with a portion that was more than enough for 1 pax, this is clearly a crowd favourite from the menu.

Spize also does take aways if in a rush. They also deliver everything on their menu till the wee-hours of the morning. It is a lovely place where you can bring many friends and families. Take a break off work for blissful moments like these – Spending some time with your loved ones over dinner. Because of all the stunning qualities Spize had, it will be an ideal place for me to bring my friends along.

Be sure to reserve a seat as this place is always full (-:

Address: 131 Rifle Range Road #03-04 Singapore 588406

Contact: +65 6337 7493

Opening Hours: Weekdays: 8am to 11pm

Weekends: 8am to 11pm

Website: http://spize.sg

SOCIAL ENTERPISE EATERY @TIMBRE+

We have always loved the creative brains behind Timbre Group who offers us cool chill-out places with delicious food and great live music. LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WITH A LOCAL TWIST? Put the archetypal hustling Singaporean-life aside and take a chill at Timbre+. It is a unique hangout location situated at the heart of Ayer Rajah Avenue. It is a place where music feeds the soul and food feeds the body.

The rustic allure of its premises is too charming to resist. An array of graffiti and spray paint art are splashed all over shipping containers and vintage Airstream travel trailers transformed into food trucks. A quirky yet intimate space that evokes the nostalgic spirit.

This hipster hawker centre is promoting a good “return-your-own-trays” initiative – the $1 tray return system! All the trays are microchipped here. When you order food and require a tray, you have to pay a dollar extra, which you can get back when you return the tray at the centralised collection unit.

The bar becomes an ideal spot for drinkers, especially when tuning in to the live music.

What’s amazing about Timbre+ was that we could just order any food and sit anywhere we like. People often sit nearer to the stage to get the perfect view and sound system of the live band. There is a music schedule so every day, there are different bands that will be up on stage. (Do not worry, I went twice and both trips made me feel so satisfied because they sang so well!) You can also requests for songs by messaging the desired phone number.

The reason why I chose this place is because it serves a totally different concept than other bars in Singapore. I mean look at this place! It is perfect for a catch up session alongside great music. I am sure there is rarely any places like this in Singapore especially with such a theme. It is unique and so worth coming back again.

I am sure there is truly no better way to unwind from bustling city life than spending the night here with good food and some company.

Address: 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, JTC LaunchPad @ one-north, 139957

Website: http://timbreplus.sg

(Timbre+ is closed on Sundays)

SEAFOOD @DANCING CRAB

Dancing Crab serves a mix of robust, country-style Cajun seafood and the distinctive

richness of Creole cuisine. It is a refreshing, American counterpart to Singapore's equally famed preferences for seafood, shellfish and rich flavours. Backed by one of Singapore's oldest seafood restaurant leaders, TungLok Group, Dancing Crab sources their shellfish from the same vendors used at the group's best seafood restaurants, offering a range

from Boston lobster to Dungeness crab.

What’s special about Dancing Crab is that you do not eat it on a regular plate. They provide a big sheet of plastic where you could lay it down on the table and pour out all your seafood on it. Everyone around the table will then grab what they like and munch away with their own bare hands. Of course, there are utensils and plates provided but that would just take the fun away. It is a place where you could just eat as messy as you like. Though the food there is rather expensive, it will still be worth the experience as where can you even find such a unique way to dine in Singapore? It is sure one of a kind. Every time I walked pass Dancing Crab, the queue could not get any longer. Be sure to reserve a seat beforehand!

I’ve tried the Dancing Crab Shack at Timbre+ and we ordered the Sri Lankan Crab and Garlic rice (FINGER-LICKING GOOD). The reason why I chose this place is because their seafood is fresh and the sauce just goes well with it! Also, it offers a variety of seafood dish combos to choose from. If you love seafood, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, Dancing Crab is the perfect place for families to gather for an occasion, or for a group of friends to hang out over a good meal.

Dancing Crab @The Grandstand

Address:

The Grandstand 200 Turf Club Road

(Old Turf Club in Bt. Timah)

#01-20/21 Singapore 287994

Opening Hours:

Mondays - Fridays

5.00pm - 10.30pm (Dinner Only)

(Last Order: 10.00pm)

Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays

11.30am - 3.00pm (Lunch)

(Last Order: 2.30pm)

5.00pm - 10.30pm (Dinner)

(Last Order: 10.00pm)

Dancing Crab @Orchard Central

Address:

Orchard Central #07-14/15

181 Orchard Road

Singapore 238896

Opening Hours:

Daily

Lunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm

Dinner: 5:00pm - 10:00pm

(Last order 9:30pm)

Dancing Crab @Vivo City

Address:

#03-10 VivoCity

1 Harbourfront Walk

Singapore 098585

Opening Hours:

Daily

Lunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm

(Last order 2:30pm)

Dinner: 5:00pm - 10:00pm

(Last order 9:30pm)

Dancing Crab Shack @JTC LaunchPad @ one-north

Address:

73A Ayer Rajah Crescent

#01-29 JTC LaunchPad @ one-north

Singapore 139957

Opening Hours:

Mondays

Closed

Tuesdays - Sundays

Lunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm

Dinner: 6:00pm - 10:30pm

Website: http://www.dancingcrab.com.sg

Made in Singapore

Made in Singapore June 02, 2017

We have heard of many cool inventions coming from other countries like the famous Apple phone, Samsung phone and even the classic inventions eg. The lightbulb by Thomas Edison, Basic phone by Antonio Meucci. There are also some amazing products/brands that we Singaporeans have came up with. An example of such is TWG.

TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand in the world, was established in Singapore and celebrates the year 1837 when the island became a trading post for teas, spices and fine epicurean products. A veritable tea institution, TWG Tea is passionate about sharing its expertise and has become a point of reference for tea lovers thirsty for knowledge.

Moving on, my favourite Singapore invention is the teleport drink that NUS researches have came up with. At present, the researchers are only able to replicate the taste of lemonade online, but work is underway to transmit more sophisticated flavours in the future. How the “virtual lemonade” works is through the combination of a special “lemonade sensor” and a tumbler with electrical diodes. The “lemonade sensor” is actually two sensors in one device: The first sensor detects the colour of the drink, the other measures the drink’s pH level. After these two attributes are recorded, the information is then transmitted online to the customised tumbler, which is filled with just plain water. The tumbler then uses LED lights at its bottom to replicate the colour of the drink, while electrodes around the rim send electrical pulses to your taste buds in order to mimic sourness. Among the benefits Dr Ranasinghe sees for his work is producing a healthy food or drink option for the elderly in the particular. For instance, his modified soup bowl was able to replicate the saltiness of miso soup, without the sodium content inside. How amazing is it that you can actually “teleport” drinks this way? Now, I can teleport my favourite Starbucks drink!

Suppose you’re going to a park, but the walk there is boring, so you stop for an ice cream cone. This keeps you satisfied until you’ve reached your destination. The better alternative, however, would be to reach the park in an instant without the long walk, which could only be done if you got your hands on a teleportation machine. The thought of teleporting gave me an idea that if I were an inventor, I would invent a teleport machine where anyone could teleport from a country to another regardless of the distance. With all the disasters happening like turbulence, missing aeroplanes and accidents happening in air, I feel that it would be great if we could avoid these disasters from happening. I would like to invent a teleport machine where people will not feel any side effects after teleporting to another country. It would be perfectly fine for others and this way, we could save money on aeroplanes and staffs.

The reason why I want to invent this is because I am always afraid of riding on aeroplanes even though I have travelled multiple times. For example, the flight to USA takes about more than 15 hours from Singapore. The thought of having to sit in the plane for that long gives me the chills. Every time I reached my destination, I would come out puking and that is not a good sign. It is only going to make my trip less enjoyable than I thought it would be. People who has airsick like me would probably suffer too. It is wonderful being able to travel, but if we would not have to go through all the hustle of flying by aeroplanes, I would be more than happy to go anywhere in the world. I'd be a journalist who travels everywhere and write reviews about a place. Adding on, we would have so much more time to do stuff that we actually want to do. You could go to place that you want to visit without worrying about the time it will take. You could send things to places that needed them immediately, like supplies to a refugee camp, medicine to a hospital, or a gift to a friend - all with zero delay. The possibilities are endless! However, there are also several problems to teleporting. When scientists teleport a photon, what they're actually doing is destroying that original photon and creating its replica in a different place. For this concept to be applied to human teleportation, the whole body has to first be deconstructed in order to be analysed and set. This very fact might seem grim, because to complete this "deconstruction", your body would be taken apart piece by piece, killing you in the process. What if the deconstruction step fails, and you end up with two versions of yourself? Which one would be the real "you"? Obviously, scientists could not allow that to happen, so they would have to kill the version of you who stepped into the teleportation machine.

According to the movie “The Fly”, Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist invented a set of "telepods" that allows instantaneous teleportation from one pod to another. It may seem really cool but his experiment went horribly wrong. Seth Brundle teleported himself alone, unaware that a housefly had slipped inside the transmitter pod with him. He emerged from the receiving pod seemingly normal. Soon, things were starting to change for him. His fingernails began falling off and then he realised something went wrong during his teleportation. He checked his computer's records and discovered that the telepod computer, confused by the presence of two lifeforms in the sending pod, merged him with the fly at the molecular-genetic level. Brundle continued to deteriorate, losing body parts and becoming less human in appearance. He had begun vomiting digestive enzymes onto his food to dissolve it and had gained the ability to cling to walls and ceilings. After watching this movie, it made me feel that it is actually very dangerous to teleport as it may harm one’s life.
Though there are several bad points to teleporting, I still think that it is never impossible. It just takes time to build, especially with a team of people who genuinely wants this invention to work. Even if one fails, you should always learn to get back up on your feet. I am sure all inventors fail at least once in their lives. However, their strong determination got them going and look at where they are at now! They have build many successful inventions. It taught me that it is never too late to get back up on your feet.

Therefore, if I were an inventor, I would invent a teleport machine that will produce no harm to anyone.

Video of Teleport drink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYbi8buT6s0

CITATIONS: http://m.todayonline.com/daily-focus/science/nus-researchers-invent-way-teleport-drinks-over-internet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_(1986_film)
https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/is-quantum-teleportation-disapparition-possible-real-life-entanglement-qubit.html

Unusual Occupations

Unusual occupations May 20, 2017

One occupation that I found unusual about is Food Stylist. Firstly, Who are they?

Food stylist are creative professionals who prepares food for photographs or television. They will often work closely with chefs, editors and photographers. Food stylists usually prepare dishes and use styling techniques so that food looks great and lasts for the length of the photo shoot. Food stylist can also be photographers as well. What’s amazing is that if you have a culinary arts degree or studies art, photography and/or business, you can still become a food stylist either way. However, it is not as easy as it seems! Food stylists must arrange the food just right so it looks the most appetising and beautiful. This requires an eye for aesthetics and an attention to detail. It also requires a lot of effort to snap a good picture as the food may turn cold anytime soon.

Food stylists usually collaborate with other companies to produce the best pictures out of it for advertising purposes and to boost their businesses.

Taking a good picture is very important for customers too. The reason why I say that is because if a customer wants to find out more about a cafe/restaurant, they would most probably search online for more information. Words do not help ease the customer’s satisfaction. What a customer really wants to see are the pictures of the food in restaurants. (This includes the interior of the place) For instance, when looking at a menu, a menu without any pictures makes the customer feel uneasy about how it might really turn out. For me, I usually get tempted by the pictures shown in the menu/websites, that is if the pictures are taken nicely. We do not want pictures of food that seems like they just randomly piece together something. That is when the food stylists step in and do their magic. This does not only benefit Singaporeans, but everyone else in the world too. Tourists may want to google online the best restaurants to visit in Singapore. It will be a guideline for them to know what the restaurant actually serves. As you know, tourists do not know the best places to visit in Singapore, so they would most probably pick something that looks nice in the pictures. Therefore, food stylists also play a part in boosting the popularity of a business.

There is a famous company in Singapore that does food styling, photography and videography of food for other companies like Bread talk, Burger King and many more. Their website is http://www.onefoodstory.com This is an example of the work that they have done.

In my opinion, Food stylist is an unusual occupation. Why do I say so? It is because I have never heard of such and it reminds me so much of a hair stylist. It is so weird to know that they are actually pretty similar! Both requires a creative mind and skills to produce the best out of it. Also, can you imagine food modelling? Food stylist seems pretty much like a model at a shoot. In this case, you have to shift the model itself.

To be frank, I feel that food stylist is something I might actually want to undertake in the future. It consists of the things that I LOVE: Photography, food, and art!

Everyone LOVES food and after seeing what the local company has done, it inspires me to set up a company doing all in one: Blog, photography, food styling, website and videography that also caters to restaurants and food industries. It would definitely be a joy for me to work in this industry.

CITATIONS: http://www.theartcareerproject.com/food-styling/
http://urbanrootsmn.org/2013/11/08/career-profile-food-stylist/

What/Where to eat?

SOCIAL ENTERPISE EATERY @TIMBRE+

SEAFOOD @DANCING CRAB

Made in Singapore

Unusual Occupations

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive

Instagram