Let's Shuffle!

After a series of my cafe-hopping blog entries which turned out to be quite popular among you readers, i decided to do a slightly different food entry today! 

This time round, theBF and i decided to explore one of Singapore's popular tourist spots - Clark Quay. While most of my CQ memories lies with the drinking sessions with my pals on a weekend night, we went to Clarke Quay in the afternoon instead, hoping to see if we can view this famous nightspot in a different light =)

To further spice this entry up, we even set a budget for that day - S$100

So what are we planning to do at 5pm at Clarke Quay when most restaurants/pubs just started setting up?

Trader's Market

Every third week of the month, a flea market would be set up at the Central Fountain Square featuring booths selling a wide range of products, ranging from apparels, to handmade jewelleries. to fashion accessories. 

What's the most interesting thing at the flea market you ask? I'll say it has got to be the "Mystical Corner" booth!! The tarot card reader happily posed for my picture as i was snapping away. haha. I was so close to sitting down and getting my palms read actually. hehehe. 

After browsing through the stalls, we headed off to Block E for our coffee break!

The moment we sat down, the waitress on duty started introducing their special Halloween drink really enthusiastically so it made us feel obliged to order it. hahaha. 

Presenting to you...Witches Brew *cue witch laughter hiak hiak hiak*

Thankfully, this drink doesn't taste as gross as it looks! It's a citrus-flavored soda drink, that comes with teeth-shaped gummies, longans (or supposedly "eyeballs" as the waitress put it) and lemon slices.

Dentures for you? 

Amount Spent: S$8.60

Amount Left: S$91.40 *ker-ching ker-ching*

When we were chilling inside TCC, we kept seeing people dressed in all-white ensemble lugging portable chairs/tables walking past the restaurant. Being kaypo Singaporeans we both are, we started following them! haha. I mean, i did blend in really well with my white dress you know? =P

Turns out, they were all participants of Diner En Blanc, which is renowned for their outdoor fine dining concept which requires everyone to be dressed in all-white outfits! Apparently, CQ was their meeting point so they could all take the riverboat to their destination. How interesting!!

After the whole commotion ended, it was finally time to head to our final destination of the day - 

Shuffle bistro/bar (Block D)

www.shuffle.sg

Recommended by theBF, the place looked relatively empty on a Fri evening but most tables actually had the "Reserved" sign placed on top so remember to make reservations especially if you are planning to come in bigger groups!!

While waiting for their live band to start, we made our first order of the night - Hoegaarden x2pints and Half&Half pizza consisting of Seafood and Meat Lovers!

Overjoyed that the bistro/bar serves really delicious thin-crusted pizza that was so so tasty and addictive! Since it's a half-half pizza, we get to enjoy 2 flavors in one single pizza. What a way to start our Friday night right?!

Drinking in progress. Do not disturb. haha.

The liveband started at 8pm sharp and started serenading us with witty conversations and beautiful songs =) They were singing mostly chinese hit songs (probably because most of the requests made by patrons were chinese songs?) from Jay Chou to some old classics by Beyond so you are a fan of mandarin songs, this might just be the right bar for you! 

After we gobbled down our yummy pizza, theBF recommended their truffle fries so order we did ;) Cannot be more satisfied with the crispy fries that were infused with truffle oil. Too good, wayyyy too good!

After a night of good music and comfort food, we were prepared to leave Clarke Quay with happy bellies and satisfied souls but not before...

...snapping a shot at Shuffle's photobooth! hehehe. 

Amount Spent: S$84

Amount Left: S$7.40 *ker-ching ker-ching*

And this is how we spent our Friday at Clarke Quay with S$7.40 left in our pockets =)

Ending off this entry with a gorgeous night view...

Until next time~

Cafe-Hop: Tiong Bahru / Robertson Quay

It all started with CL saying "you all should visit my neighbourhood because i stay 1 minute away from Tiong Bahru Bakery!!" 2 weeks ago that got all four of us excited. With much anticipation, my pals and i began our cafe-hopping adventure on a faithful Sat morning to celebrate Twin's bday!

The landscape of Tiong Bahru estate has changed so much over the past few years with the sprouting of new alfresco/concept cafes within the area. However, the shop-house architecture of the residential areas remain unchanged and walking through her neighbourhood made me feel like i've been transported back in time to 1960s Singapore =)

My OOTD for the day:

Electric blue crochet top - MissyPixie

High-waisted shorts - Ms Selfridge

Studded slippers - Topshop

Bag - Alexis bag from Yventually (duh!! =P)

Our first stop? FORTY HANDS, YONG SIAK STREET! 

Though we arrived at 11am, the place was already packed with people (mostly foreigners)! Settled for the table right outside the cafe as the make-shift dining area at the back of the cafe (with no aircon) was really stuffy and uncomfortable.

Brunch for the morning =)

Ordering a Tau Sa Pau is not really on our minds when it comes to visiting a cafe like Forty Hands but the waitress kept insisting their bun is a must-try so we gave in. 

When she took it out of the basket, i was (highly) skeptical about its taste. I meant, the tau sa pau i know from markets is round and soft-looking but this one's totally flat and simply not the kind i look forward to eating. haha. 

However, NEVER judge a book by its cover!!! I'm quite surprised how hot AND soft the bun was and the red bean paste was smooth and just the way i like it =) Pleasant pleasant surprise indeed.

My Cappuccino  

Eggs Benedict

Poached eggs with runny yolks. What's not to love? =)

Salmon Hash

This is a dish meant for sharing, especially if you are not a big fan of food that are too creamy. With that being said, the cream sauce works well with the bread slices although i think there should be more salmon chunks in it! haha. Oh, the highlight of the plate? TRUFFLE FRIES!!!! 

Happy and satisfied customers =)

Twin couldn't resist and bought a chocolate tart from their array of desserts for her momsy. 

Her verdict of the tart (after she got home and tried it)- "The tart is just nice, and the chocolate is not too sweet but flavorful!" haha.

Dropped by some of the quirky boutiques along Yong Siak street like Strangelets and Books Actually while "digesting" our brunch =)

Our next destination was Drips Bakery Cafe on another street so CL brought us around her neighbourhood to show us some of the other eateries along the way!

The famous Bak Kut Teh store!!

Tiong Bahru Bakery (which i will DEFINITELY drop by one day), with The Orange Thimble right next door.

Drips Bakery Cafe, Tiong Poh Road

And it's time for desserts =D

Mixed Fruit Tart 

Such a pretty tart with its rich colors though the tart crust was a little too hard. However, kudos to the patissier for not scrimping on the fruits though =)

Dark chocolate banana tart

For all the banana-lovers out there, this is a must-get! =))

We also ordered the Soft Cheesecake with Berry Compote (right) for sharing. The texture of the cheesecake could be softer in my opinion but still a flavorful dessert!

Since Twin had to leave after Drips to get late lunch for her family, we ended our Tiong Bahru cafe-hop after desserts! Now that i know the locations of most of the other cafes, i shall bring theBF on the next cafe-hop adventure and hopefully have time to blog about them too!! =)

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If you think i stopped eating after the cafe-hop, YOU ARE SO WRONG! hahaha. I continued my binge-eating (>.<) at Robertsons Quay after meeting theBF!

Hence...3rd stop of the day: Swirls Bake Shop, 8 Rodyk Street

My friend Jun kept raving about this shop after her visit some time ago and I just had to pay this shop a visit. I've had had my fair share of cupcakes from various cupcake patisserie since the craze started but none left an exception impression (except Cupcake Weekend which unfortunately does not own a brick n mortar store) so I was looking forward to Swirls.

Ended up with a box of 6 tiny cupcakes!! =) They were kinda pricey (S$2.50 each) though.

You ready??

From left: Red Velvet, Oh So Cocoa, Strawberry Burst, What's Up Doc (carrot cake with cream cheese frosting)

Overall, they fare much better than the rest of the cupcakes i have eaten!!! The cake base was moist and soft, something i think most cupcakes in Singapore truly lack. My only complaint is that the frosting for certain flavors can be a little too sweet to my liking.

My favorites are Oh So Cocoa (luscious chocolate goodness!) and What's Up Doc because their yummy carrot cake base made me regret buying only the tiny one! 

Bro made sure i kept a Nutella cupcake for him so i bought 2 instead and enjoyed one over coffee with theBF.

Nutella filling hidden inside the cake!! =) I was hoping the frosting is a little less sweet but nutella just makes people happy yea?

Took a long stroll along the river as we headed back to Clarke Quay. 

Ended up at my favorite BKT restaurant: SongFa Bak Kut Teh, New Bridge Road

You just can't miss this shop because it's right opp Central Mall!

Ahhh, peppery soup with pork ribs. Just heavenly *smacks lips*

We also ordered the braised pork knuckles and salted vegetables to complement our meal!!

So fat, so sinful, SO ME. hahaha.

So did i get you tempted to try any of the cafes/restaurants i mentioned above yet? I sure hope you are not reading this in the middle of the night!! =P haha.

Have a great week everyone! Im anxiously waiting for my stocks to arrive (the wait is excruciating indeed) so i can launch soon!! Also awaiting 2 more sample pieces to reach my supplier so that they can arrive in time for CNY next year *cross fingers*

Until next time~