29092017 / May Fang Restaurant

It’s payday time of the month. Therefore, most of the shopping areas in the city were traffic congested. I intended to go Gadong to pay my credit card bill but the traffic into The Mall was horrendous. The cars weren’t moving at the traffic light.

I was starving at the time and decided not to go into Gadong and headed straight for dinner at May Fang Restaurant. It was an impromptu decision as the restaurant is out of the way from where I live. I considered heading straight to Supa Save, Mata-Mata for dinner at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf but I was craving for meat and rice. I didn’t get my share of meat today and that explained why I had been feeling hungry all day long.

海底椰 | B$2

Considered ordering myself a glass of Honey Lemon but decided not to as lemon might do no good to me when consumed at night. So, the waitress recommended me 海底椰 instead. 海底椰 is known as sea coconut in English. They were boiled with barley. It tasted sweet to me but I don’t think you can request for less sweet as rock sugar had been added when they boiled it in a big pot.

Sweet & Sour Pork | B$5

There were extensive choices available on the menu but I ended up ordering myself my usual favorite. I was starving at the time and I don’t feel like wasting extra time looking through the menu to decide what to eat. Portion wise, it was generous for me but the taste was ordinary.

May Fang Restaurant
No: 7 & 8, Ground Floor,
Latifuddin Complex,
Kampung Pengkalan Gadong,
BE3719,
Bandar Seri Begawan,
Negara Brunei Darussalam
Tel: +673-2420685

Review: The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Eye Cream-Gel

Now is probably the best time to write down this blog entry as I had almost used up this particular eye cream which I bought couple of months ago from The Body Shop. The Body Shop wasn’t my first choice when looking for an eye cream. I would usually go for the brands which I am familiar with like Laneige, Artistry, Elizabeth Arden, Shiseido, Kose and Clinique.

I wasn’t traveling around the time when I used up my previous tub of Artistry Youth Xtend Enriching Eye Cream. So, I made do with what I could find in Brunei. Laneige wasn’t my first choice either at the time as I had tried their Perfect Renew Eye Cream previously and I am open to other options. I am never a stickler with eye products. Toner and moisturizer yes but definitely not for eye cream.

I will be heading down to Miri this weekend to attend a wedding reception of a good friend. So, I thought I might as well get myself an eye cream from Parkson, Bintang Megamall. I did my research and I am considering Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream. I had checked the price tag and it seems affordable coming from Lancôme. I considered getting it from Singapore Changi Airport but it would be cheaper to get from Malaysia based on currency difference. 

The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Eye Cream-Gel

I got this some time around end of April or early May this year. When I was checking out The Body Shop eye care products, their Beauty Advisor approached me and asked what kind of eye cream am I looking for. I told her that I am looking for an anti-aging eye cream and she recommended me Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate.

I can be extremely fussy when it comes to purchasing skincare products. What she recommended me sounded the best given my current age but I wasn’t sold. I was more interested with their Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Eye Cream-Gel as I preferred eye cream stored in a tub than in a tube. Hygiene wise, the latter is definitely better but this is solely my own personal preference.

The BA claimed that Oils Of Oil Intensely Revitalizing Eye Cream-Gel is the most potent eye cream which they were having at the moment and it targets users of age 40 and above. However, she also mentioned that it can be suitable for those who wish to do early “precaution”. What’s so special about this eye cream is that it was made with three precious seed oils known for their revitalizing and repairing properties.

The consistency of the eye cream was creamy and yet slightly gel based. The cream contained some golden shimmering thingy. It was not heavily scented. As a matter of fact, I think it was almost fragrance free. What I liked about this eye cream is that it was easy to apply. It glided smoothly, leaving a soft, smooth and matte finishing. However, it did sting a little on my first few applications but it gotten better after a few usages.

Having used this eye cream for more than 4.5 months, I can see that my under eye areas looked more moisturized and supple than before. The fine lines looked visibly smoother. I didn’t have much dark circles to begin with so I couldn’t vouch whether this eye cream would work on reducing the appearance of dark circles.

So, here’s what I think of The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalising Eye Cream-Gel in a nutshell:

Pros:
1. Almost fragrance free.
2. Easy to use – glides on the skin smoothly, leaving a soft, smooth and matte finishing.
3. Under eye areas appeared to be more moisturized than before.
4. Fine lines were visibly smoother.

Cons:
1. Steep price tag.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Price: B$59.90

Repurchase? Yes

Of Random Things #118

I intended to eat clean this morning but Mom made me fried rice with the leftover rice which I didn’t eat after coming home from work yesterday evening. I ate a bit prior to leaving workplace because they were serving Salted Egg Fried Chicken. I ate two pieces along with a huge slab of steamed pumpkin leftover from lunch. So, I only drank half a bowl of winter melon soup which Mom left for me.

Fried Brown Rice with sliced long beans, egg and a small piece of fish cake. The fish cake was an add-on. Mom pan fried some for lunch. I thought they were fish paste when I brought them home but they turned out to be fish cakes. To be honest, they were quite hard to chew. Dad even commented that perhaps his dentures would not be able to sustain the toughness. LOL!

While Mom was away in hometown earlier this month, I stir fried some yellow noodles with eggs and a few bunches of Chye Sim. I am not much of a fan for yellow noodles but I was craving for some that day. So, I bought a small portion from the supermarket just enough for two with a little bit to spare. It was not bad for a first attempt but I think I overcooked the Chye Sim.

Review: Fairmont Singapore

Sister and I stayed at Fairmont Singapore when we traveled to Singapore as part of Sister’s familiarization trip to the country before she relocates from China for good. I flew into Singapore a day before her. So, I stayed at Carlton Hotel at my own cost until she arrived the next day. We stayed at Fairmont Singapore for 5 days and 4 nights.

Source: travelonline

I chose to stay at Carlton Hotel the night before so that it will be easier for us to move to Fairmont the next day when Sister arrived. It was pouring cats and dogs when we checked out from Carlton Hotel. We asked the bellboy if there was any underground bypass which links Carlton Hotel to Raffles City. Unfortunately, there was none.

The distance between Fairmont and Carlton Hotel was only a stone throw away but inconvenient given the weather condition. So, I suggested that we took a cab over. The bellboy too agreed that it was the the best option at the time. The cab driver who drove us over teased that it was by far his furthest journey of the day. LOL!

We were given a room in the South Tower (I think). The check-in receptionist was kind enough to grant us an early check-in. I think we checked in around 11AM. Upon entering the room, a long walkway greeted us with the bathroom and wardrobe on the right while the refreshment bar was on the left.

They even provided coffee machine in the refreshment bar which we did not utilize. I had been trying to cut down on coffee intake at the time or else I would have jumped at the opportunity to try out the coffee machine myself.

The bathroom was spacious. Majority of the fixtures were glass based. Even the basin counter was glass based which could look messy when there were plenty of water droplets after using the wash basin. Both Sister and I ended up having to wipe the counter everytime we were finished.

The bathroom came with a toilet partitioned on the left while the bathtub and overhead shower were on the right. I liked that they separated their bathtub and overhead shower. I hated having to climb into the bathtub for a shower if they were not separated. And that was why I loved the bathroom of Pullman Miri Waterfront as compared to other hotels in the city.

At the end of the long walkway was our bedroom which was slightly spacious as compared to my room at Carlton Hotel the day before. The bedroom came with a flat screen, equipped with a personal sound system. An office desk was provided as well with an in-house telephone and Internet cable. They even provided two waste baskets underneath the office desk. One was for recyclable wastes while the other one was for non-recyclable wastes.

We requested for twin bed and were lucky to be able to get one as Sister requested for a King sized bed at the time of reservation. The mattress was comfortable to sleep on. However, I find the pillow slightly too soft for my liking. I liked that they have bed benches at the end of every bed. It can be used to as a chair to wear shoes in the morning prior to going out or place your hauls when returned from a long day of shopping.

Verdict: Fairmont Singapore is the first 5-star hotel which I had stayed in Singapore, all thanks to Sister. In terms of accessibility, it was even more convenient as compared to Carlton Hotel as Fairmont Singapore is located inside Raffles City. Traveling around Singapore couldn’t have been if you are staying in the hotel. The MRT Station is located underneath Raffles City and there are plenty of bus stops located across the entrance of the hotel.

I can’t be sure what was the room rate per night as I was staying for free at the time. However, I did a bit of background check later and found out that it was about S$300+ per night. I might be able to get corporate rate from Sister if I were to stay there next time. However, it might be a bit inconvenient as they require authentication at the time of check-in. Sister was requested to provide her business card at the time of check-in.

All in all, it was a pleasant and luxurious stay at Fairmont Singapore. If it wasn’t for the steep price tag, I would definitely consider staying at Fairmont if I no longer have free accommodation in Singapore.

Fairmont Singapore
80 Bras Basah Road,
189560,
Singapore
Tel: +65-63397777

Baking #139: Banana Bread

It had been a good few months since the last time I used the oven in the kitchen. I used to bake as often as I could but the novelty had worn off few months ago. I stumbled upon a few new baking blogs recently and they triggered my mood to bake.

After having breakfast with my colleague this morning, I drove to Supa Save to purchase some baking ingredients. I bought a small bunch of Pisang Berangan. I preferred Dole Banana but they looked quite raw to me and I needed ripe ones to bake. So, I bought the local Pisang Berangan.

I love baking but it is the cleaning up which I dislike. My parents love chiffon cakes but I thought maybe I should start with a relatively easy recipe first before returning to chiffon cakes. LOL!

Without further ado, let’s get this blog entry rollin’!

Banana Bread (adapted from Bakeomaniac)

Ingredients:

• 240g all-purpose flour
• 150g caster sugar *120g fine textured brown sugar*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 160g bananas, mashed
• 80ml milk *full cream milk*
• a dash of ground cinnamon *optional*
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted *optional*

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon (if using) together. Set aside for later use.
2. In another mixing bowl, dissolve brown sugar with the melted butter.
3. Add in eggs, one at a time and whisk to incorporate.
4. Stir in vanilla extract, mashed bananas and milk.
5. Sift in flour mixture and add in chopped walnuts or ingredients of your choice. Gently fold in the flour mixture into the wet batter and stop immediately when you see no flour lump in the batter.
6. Pour batter in a lined or greased 9×5 loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 50 to 55 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.
7. Transfer the cake to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

This was how my Banana Bread looked on the inside when sliced. You don’t often see walnuts in my baking so I find toasting them a hassle. LOL! However, I used my Mayer airFryer to toast them this morning and I found it easier than using the oven.

I had never added ground cinnamon in my Banana Bread before as my parents did not fancy the taste of cinnamon as much as I did. Despite ground cinnamon had been added, the taste was non existent. The purpose of adding it was to bring out the banana flavor. It was like adding coffee into chocolate.

The Banana Bread tasted sweet but it was due to the local Pisang Berangan which I used for the recipe. I would consider further reducing the sugar to 80g next time. Another adjustment I would make next time round is the ground cinnamon. Maybe two more dashes?