Peperoni Pizzeria (Hillcrest)

As part of the award-winning Les Amis Group, Peperoni Pizzeria is known for their authentic Italian style cuisines, especially their crispy thin crust pizzas. And after hearing so many raving reviews about Peperoni Pizzeria, I finally had an opportunity to dine at their HillCrest outlet today. (Thanks Chris, for making the reservations!)

Finding & Parking at Peperoni Pizzeria:
Nestled into the high-end residential enclave of Greenwood Ave, Peperoni Pizzeria is found along the row of shophouses where other well known F&B establishments are located. Hence, you can imagine how crowded it can get when foodies and nearby residents head to these establishments for their meals. Which is why parking can really be a chore and a challenge, especially when there are limited parking lots available.

Witterkerke Rose Beer to cool me down 

Arriving inside Peperoni Pizzeria, my attention was quickly drawn to the walls, which was filled with artworks from professional artists to children. Glancing around, I noticed that the premise was a small yet cozy space, with vintage posters, warm lighting, and really simplistic furniture.

But hang on - there's a door leading to what seems like an outdoor courtyard. But judging from the similar dining furniture and bar counter, I reckon that it is their outdoor alfresco area. Then again, with the sizzling heat on a typical day, sitting indoors in an air-conditioned area is still much preferred (personally).

Suprema Pizza: Shitake Mushrooms, Chicken Sausage, Onions, and Red Chilli

Since it is my first time here, I told my friends to go ahead and order whatever that they recommend. After some discussion, we ordered three 9" pizzas to share.

Unlike the typical soft and chewy crusted pizza (which I still personally prefer), the pizzas at Peperoni Pizzeria have a thinner and crispier crust, so you get to enjoy a mouthful of toppings and ingredients without getting too full too fast.

Fragipane: Warm, fluffy almond cake with sweet raspberry sauce and served with smooth vanilla ice-cream

To complete our high-carbohydrate meal, we ordered a couple of decadent desserts which I actually enjoyed more than the pizzas itself. Even the bf added that he likes the almond cake; a comment that is rare when asked to describe his food.

So all in all, I will probably drop by Peperoni if my friends choose to dine there again. But on my own, I'd rather kick back on the couch and relish in the soft, chewy, fluffy pizzas from Sarpinos Pizzeria delivery. Anyway, not to be a cheapo or anything but for the same price as the pizzas at Peperoni Pizzeria, I can get 2 Medium Pizzas at Sarpinos, right?

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Burger Shack

Ever since our church has moved to Farrer Road, dear and I have been scooting off after church to meet our friends for lunch.

But today, we decided to fellowship with our church mates over lunch, and so we had to wreck our brains to think of possible lunch venues that are within the vicinity of Farrer Road.

Thanks to the quick thinking and suggestion of our friend Weston, we ended up at Coronation Plaza, which was just (literally) a stone's throw away from our church venue.

While walking the perimeters of Coronation Plaza, we glanced upon a Burger Promotion and Menu that's located along the opposite road of Coronation Plaza.

Curious, we crossed the road and ended up at King's Arcade, landing ourselves at Burger Shack for lunch.

Burger Shack
559 Bukit Timah Road
#01-01 King's Arcade
Singapore 269695

The reason why we chose Burger Shack was simple.

We were hungry, the prices on their food menu looked really affordable (similar to the prices in many fast food eateries), we've never been to this place before, and simply because it was the first eatery we saw after we've crossed the road from Coronation Plaza to King's Arcade.

Anyways, we managed to find a table despite the lunch crowd. (Thank God!)

While the boys were checking out the food menu, I was checking out their interiors and decor.

But guess what I found instead - a beer bucket filled with a selection of various beers that cost $6 each!

Back to their interiors, I realized that their theme revolved around a poolside party kinda concept, which is evident from a life buoy hanging from the wall, big animal floats hanging from the ceiling, and colored pool flags.

After placing and paying for order, the digital number board soon flashed our order number, so dear went to pick up our food at the counter.

Check out the Original Burger that we both ordered. Looks good?

Well in my honest opinion, it doesn't taste as good as Fat Boys, which is still the best burger I've tried so far.

But for its price, I think the food quality is quite alright. The bun however, could have been grilled or toasted, and they could probably add more sauce in their burgers.

After lunch, our tummies still had room for dessert. So Christine ordered Apple Pie With Ice Cream.. (Check out the chunky apple cubes in the pie!)

.. while I ordered Very Berry Ice Cream.

Overall, I do have good vibe about this place. Though the place is a little small and I wish their chairs had more cushion padding, it still a cosy food joint that one can dine or chill-out at.

And when I mean chill-out, I mean 3 hours of lunch till tea-time, and endless conversational topics.


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The Day Before Monday

I'm not sure about you guys, but here's a typical scenario of what usually happens to me on the day before (Blue) Monday.

As I go through Sunday, my mind starts to think about the pile of work and the neverending to-do list that I have to go through the next day, invoking a subtle melancholy that can only be compensated with comfort food, social gatherings, and some booze.

Which is why hanging out with my friends and having indian food for lunch and a home-cooked meal for dinner, is what I call a remedy.

And you know what, I realized that good food and good company is by far the best combination to end the day before Monday.

Because there is just something uplifting about a gastronomical and amicable gathering that chases the impending Monday blues away.


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Girls Night Out

First of all, sorry for not blogging as often this month. November has been a cruel month of late nights, FYP submission, exam preparations, and work events.

But amidst the abyss of "suffering", I managed to meet up with my secondary school table tennis girlfriends:

Though physically, it looked as if we haven't changed much, the long conversations I had with them made me realize how much we have grown. 

And as we exchanged our growing up experiences and reminisce about our past school life, it hit me that I miss these girls. I miss the fun times we had, the table tennis training, and the exciting school life. If not for a time machine, I wouldn't mind going back to relive those moments again.

But until a time machine is invented, I think we should really meet up more often. What say you, ladies? 

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Southern Ridges (Part 2)

The working adults will know how precious Public Holidays are. So unless the activity on the Public Holiday is something fruitful and meaningful, I think most would stay at home and rest.

What constitutes as fruitful and meaningful then? A healthy activity, more specifically - a walk? How about a 22KM walk through (almost) half of Singapore?

Yes! For this Deepavali Public Holiday, dear and I decided to rekindle the feeling of aches and pain since our last Southern Ridges Walk 3 years ago. This time however, we decided to spread the healthy lifestyle to our friends, of which 5 agreed to join us.

Our route (11km):
West Coast McDonalds -> Clementi Woods -> NUS -> Kent Ridge Road -> Science Park Drive -> Kent Ridge Park -> Hort Park -> Alexandra Arch -> Preston Road -> Depot Road -> Henderson Waves -> Mount Faber -> Vivocity

We spotted a Hornet's nest along Kent Ridge Park! Kudos to the brave boyfriend who got close enough to take this shot.

Disclaimer: This picture was absolutely taken on his own accord. No, I wasn't the crazy, demanding, and unreasonable girlfriend who nudged him to take a close up picture of the nest. I was at a distance, giving a very constipated look, as he approached the nest closer.. closer..

The healthy bunch that joined us. You guys made this walk fun!

The view of our end point from Mount Faber. Just.. a .. little.. more... 

Though it was raining after we had our lunch, dear and I decided to brave the rain and walk back somewhat the same route. As for the rest of the guys, well they had their own plans and didn't join us in our return leg of the walk.

So there we were, huddling under the umbrella, walking hand in hand into the greens and enjoying each other's company. To me, that's just how Public Holidays should be spent.


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Old School Delights

It has been some time since dear and I met up with our Young Adult friends, and we finally had a chance to do so today.

Gathering at one of our friend's residence first, we then drove to Upper Thomson Road for dinner. Thereafter, we had to choose from 3 dinner venues: 2 Fat Men, Old School Delights, or some famous chicken rice stall.

It was a close call, with votes evenly spread amongst all 3 dinner venues. But we finally decided on Old School Delights when we heard that the food there is cheaper - with price ranging from $5+ to less than $10.

Arriving at Old School Delights, we were a little worried that we couldn't get seats because there was quite a crowd. Good thing another group left when we arrived, so we had a long table that could accomodate all of us.

Glancing about, I noticed how the ambience was very simple but very school-like. With a long chalkboard and a noticeboard scribbled with little fun facts of the good old school days, e.g. how we used to love pencil cases with lots of drawers and compartments, it certainly brought back many memories from my primary school days.

At the corner of each table, we also found a little wooden box that contains familiar games we used to play in the past, i.e. SNAP, 5 Stones, Country Erasers & Kuti Kuti.

Immediately, the guys got all hyped up and started challenging each other with their primary school past time - country erasers, and SNAP!

After several rounds of games, the toys were finally kept away and we continued to reminisce on those good old days, like our favorite cartoons, how pagers were the "in" thing, how the guys won a box of erasers after competing with other boys..

Though I was the youngest in the group, I was GLAD to still be able to identify with their stories. Else, I would have been totally lost in their conversations already.

As we continued chatting, our food slowly arrived. First to arrive was Andy and Daniel's Home-style Curry Chicken with Rice. The curry wasn't too spicy and too thick nor too thin. It was actually pretty nice.

Our drinks arrived next. Dear and I ordered Ice Teh-O, which tasted really bland in my opinion.

Then, dear's Nasi Lemak Besar arrived and immediately, I could tell the subtle disappointment in dear's expression. I think he was expecting a bit more ingredients, like one more chicken wing, and more rice.

Soon, everyone's food arrived except our friend Weston, and mine. We continued to wait until we couldn't take it, and told the waiter our displeasure.

She apologized repeatedly and served us a complimentary slice of Banana Cake. I however, was not that easy to appease. After all, I was already famished and grouchy, and to add to my irritability, another waiter kept serving us drinks when we already had our drinks. I mean, first time she made that mistake, it was forgivable. But to keep making the same mistakes repeatedly, it clearly shows that their operations process is pretty messy.

Anyway, I finally received my food almost half an hour later, when my friends are almost done with theirs. *Lets out a long sigh*

Well, if not for the good company and fellowship, I think I would have left Old School Delights with a frown and a black face. That said, I wouldn't want to come back Old School Delights on my own, or with dear. After all, first impressions do count and sad to say, Old School Delights didn't give me a good impression. None at all.

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Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

Each time I'm at Clarke Quay, most of my friends would suggest Song Fa Ba Kut Teh, either for lunch or dinner.

But my anticipation will turn into disappointment quickly, because of their big crowd of customers. And since I'm not a fan of crowded and non air-conditioned places, I end up eating at The Central instead.

Today, I finally got the chance to try out the well-known Bak Kut Teh at Soon Fa's.

Because of my braces, I didn't try the ribs as shown above. If I really wanted to have a bite, I will need a bigger plate, a fork, and a knife, so that I can slice the meat into smaller pieces.

As for the soup base, it was quite tasty. Hot and peppery, the soup will surely excite the taste-buds of soup lovers!

Another dish - Lean meat & Pork fat - was ordered by my friends.

Unlike the usual lean meat which is hard and tough to bite, Song Fa's is more tender and soft, making it really braces friendly!

Here's the entire lunch spread we ordered! I know, it looks like A LOT of food, but in reality, the portions were adequate and just nice for 8 people.

Well, now that I've tried their how good their Bak Kut Teh is, I think I'll re-visit Song Fa the next time I pop by Clarke Quay. After all, good thing must wait. So a big crowd and long queue shouldn't matter. RIGHT?

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The Food-Walk Sunday

On weekends where dear has to work, I usually hang out with friends over lunch, go shopping, or bum around at home.

Today was no exception. Meeting my friends at their residence, we took a cab thereafter to Indian Phoenix Restaurant where I had Indian Food fix:

From left to right: Tandoori Papad (correct me if I'm wrong) and Mushroom Manchurian

Top left: Kasmiri Naan

Bottom left: (Not so) Chilli Fish

Right: Chicken Kurma

Ps: The Chilli fish was not as spicy as it should be, because I told the waiter that I can't take food that's too spicy.

To curb the bulge in our tummies from the satiating lunch, we walked back home to change into our sports attire, before heading out to Diary Farm Quarry.

Compared to the Nature Walk we had 2 weeks ago, the walk to Diary Farm Quarry was much shorter. However, the looming dark clouds and rolling thunder sure makes the walk a little apprehensive and uncomfortable.

Regardless, we pressed on and finally arrived at The Quarry.

I love how this wooden platform faces the tall rocks and mountains. Makes me feel so small, and vulnerable, but yet at the same time, amazed and in awe.

As with most Nature Walks (or normal outings) with my friend Isaac, I'll get to learn some educational stuff such as the Snail Eggs in the above picture.

Before heading back home, Isaac showed us a nice spot where we could take pictures of the KTM train as keepsake, as the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is closing down soon.

Spotted some lovely flowers that made me smile on the way back from the Quarry. Love the color combination!

Along the way back, we stopped by Cold Storage to get some dinner supplies. As usual, Chef Chan whipped up a delectable dish - Salmon Pasta, which got my taste-buds and stomach really satisfied and happy.

I really can't wait to do this again! But next time, let's hope dear's around.

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The Holiday Walkabout

17th May 2011 is Vesak Day, which is a public holiday in Singapore.

In anticipation of this day, I decided to plan some possible activities for dear, myself, and our friends - all of which revolves around walking, trekking, and some form of sight seeing.

But other than the Southern Ridges walkabout that dear and I did some years ago, I did not know other routes for a this walkabout. So I searched the National Parks website, bounced off some possible venues and routes with our friend, and he finally decided on a route for our walkabout.

8:30am: Dear and I arrived at our friend's house, met up with them, unloaded some of our stuff, and all of us proceeded downstairs to begin our walkabout.

As our friends resides in Bukit Panjang, the walk from his house to Diary Farm Nature Park took about 10 to 15 minutes.

Walking along the concrete path of Diary Farm Nature Park, our friend - Isaac suddently took us off-road. Not to sound like a pampered spoilt brat but totally took me off guard because I wasn't expecting to walk anything short of concrete or wood.

Walking into the woods, we stumbled across this beautiful sight of the sunlight peaking through the canopy. How surreal is that!

We walked on further and the beauty of Mother Nature caught our eyes.

But in my attempt to capture these sights on camera, I realized that there is no way I can get close to an insect because of my fear of them. So that's when the boyfriend comes in handy. He goes up close to the little creatures, and SNAP!

Ants scurrying through the foliage in a neat and tidy row. Haven't seen that many ants in my life before.

Isaac taught us that this is the common sun skink - Eutropis multifasciatus. I'm so glad we have a knowledgeable guide for this walk. Ha!

From far, these looks like red flowers to me. Upon closer look... Eeek! Red Dragonflies!

We also came across caterpillar infested leaves. I was so glad that I wasn't walking under these leaves.

Below are some the plant pictures I took along the way:

Love how the above picture seem to interpret the process of photosynthesis.

I like yellow. So anything yellow captures my eyes, which is then captured on my camera.

Spotted another pretty pretty and fluffy white plant which stood out from the rest of the grass.

Here's the route we took. Looking back, it seems like a pasture that's easy to walk. But do not be deceived. There are actually muddy soils, slopes, and tall grass.

Moving on, we arrived at Rifle Range Road, where we stumbled upon some 'monkey business'.

After 2 hours or so, we finally arrived at MacRitchie Reservoir. There, we had no idea that the route we took was actually against traffic; which was only one way! Well, we thought - what the heck! Might as well proceed on since we came this far.

Climbing up the long flight of wooden stairs, we finally reached the HSBC Treetop Walk. Though I'm afraid of heights, this doesn't look THAT scary after all. But still, my heart was beating faster than usual.

Isn't the view on the bridge breathtaking?

So anyway, we walked in the opposite direction until which reached the end of the bridge (which is the actually the start of the bridge) and was reprimanded by the Park Ranger for disobeying instructions.

In his anger, he told us to return from where we came from, which means to walk back across the bridge, down the long flight of stairs, in order to reach the end of the walk.

But after much plea and apology, he let us through. Phew!

All in all, we spent about 3 hours thereabout on the entire walkabout. Though the duration of this walk isn't as long as the Southern Ridges walk, it was still good exercise; especially when you are in the company of loved one and friends.

With a step towards healthy living at absolutely no cost, perhaps I should organize more of these walkabouts, since there are a few more public holidays this year. *Grins to self*

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Saizeriya

Saizeriya (サイゼリヤ) is a Japanese chain of Italian family-style budget restaurants, which is managed by Saizeriya Co. Ltd. (株式会社サイゼリヤ). It has over 750 chains in Japan alone and also have branches in major cities like Shanghai and Taipei. In Singapore however, there is only one branch in Liang Court.

Address: Liang Court, #02-22
Tel: 6337 8948
Operating Hours: 10am – 10pm

I can still vividly recall my first impression of Saizeriya. At first look, the exterior of the restaurant looked like it was some old upscale restaurant.

To be honest, I wouldn't have even noticed it or chose to dine in it without my friend's recommendation. But since she mentioned that the food is cheap and good, dear and I decided to give it a try.

Since it was 5+ when we entered Saizeriya, it was still pretty early for us to want to have dinner. So dear ordered the Bar Set ($3.90) which came with a plate of salad, and free flow of drinks.

Oh and if you are the sort that likes your without dressing, you have got to inform the waiter / waitress when you order.

Contrary to dear's appetite, I was pretty hungry as I didn't have breakfast or lunch earlier. So I ordered Spaghetti Chicken B0lognese ($3.90) which was really cheap! In fact, I think it is even cheaper than Pasta Mania.

As for the taste, frankly, it tasted weird; unlike the usual bolognese. Instead of what should be a tomato based sauce, it's a little creamy and cheesy. You really have got to try it for yourself to taste how "different" this is.

That said, I realized that all in all, the food is indeed very cheap for its kind. For a main course, you can easily get it less than $10 - which is thereabouts of a fast food meal these days.

Apart from the price, there are also some other dishes on the menu that I would like to try. So suffice to say, I'll probably return to Saizeriya someday because though I know they offer cheap food, I'd like to know if they serve cheap and good food as well.

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