Europe 2016

Starting of this year.. I never thought I would travel to the cities I have been wanting to visit for the longest time - Paris & London. It had been a great time planning our itinerary and although not everything was fulfilled, I'm glad it all went pretty well.

In this post, I'm going to selectively pick a few places on where to eat.. and probably a little more on tax refunds and where to get your items!

Paris

Carette

They serve the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten in my life. Even the ambiance feels so parisian. A pity I didnt manaage to score a table outdoors but I still left this place feeling bloated :)

Brunetti

I thought I can never have another good gelato other than Cow & the Moon from Sydney but Brunetti blew my mind. I had 3 cones of ice cream straight (and even before breakfast!) and no, I am not guilty of my actions. Not a single bit :)

Jacques Genin

Their chocolates and truffles were sooooo yummyz. What's better is that you'll get to taste before you buy too, all you have to do is just ask. No worries about bringing them back because it will be packed into hot/cooler bags before you leave the shop to suit the temperature of your surroundings!

Le Comptoir de Gastronomie

Famous for their Foie Gras, I am not surprised about the taste of their Foie Gras Truffle Ravioli. The boyfriend enjoyed their Cod Fish very much while I liked their Duck Sheperd Pie better. The chocolate lava cake was good too.

Cafe de La Paix

Near to our vicinity was this eye catchy cafe/restaurant which we kept walking pass! Decided to try it during one of our stays in Paris and certainly wasn't a disappointment at all. I had my first Croque Madame and it was really delicious! Their cafe was separated into two, for both fine dining and casual dining. Was supposed to come back for fine dining but didn't manage to find the time to. Next time then!

Monsieur Bleu

A restaurant that has a view of an Eiffel Tower. Making reservations with them was a hassle as it's super not user friendly. The mains weren't amazing but I guess if you're paying for the view and ambiance, it is worth it. I did enjoy their Calamari and Chocolate Dessert though, they were delish.

London

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

We were lucky to get a table for lunch at the 3 michelin starred restaurant in London!!! Their service was top notch and they even surprised us with a dessert on the house cause it was our anniversary! Loved their dessert and mains very very much, thinking of them now makes my tummy grumble.. We paid about GBP $110/pax for lunch, pretty much affordable I would say.

Duck & Waffle

BEST DUCK CONFIT IN MY LIFE. I am not kidding. At GBP $17 at level 40 with floor to ceiling windows, it was truly a steal. I had a great time! I wish I can devour you again T.T

Flat Iron

Hummingbird Bakery

SAID Dal 1929

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Visit them for a cuppa hot chocolate and take a short rest here before continuing with your shopping/sight-seeing!

The Breakfast Club

The Muffin Man Tea Shop

Borough Market

Is it me or every brownie I've tried in Europe was just darn amazing? Even those at Borough Market made me packing 4 of them back to Singapore! I am even regretting now that I did not get more than what I did. They sell many things such as Truffle Sauce, Sausages, Desserts, Cheese, Coffee..etc!! Make sure you visit with an empty stomach :)

Since the BREXIT, we were afraid that we will not be able to get our tax refunds done in London airport for our Paris purchase but not to worry, it can still be done as of now! Leave yourself enough time before checking in for your plane though.

THE TAX REFUND QUEUE IS REAL.

My flight was 2200hours and I reached the airport at 1830. I was supposed to shop at duty free but guess what, I was only done with tax refund, custom checks and check-in at 2145. I literally had to run to my gate for boarding! I was super bummed. Nonetheless, if you are rich enough then skip the tax refund since whatever you're paying for is already cheaper than in Singapore hahaha!

TIP FOR SHOPPING

Hermes

Get your items in Paris!! Every items for Hermes sold in London is slightly more expensive unless you have time to get in Heathrow Airport, then by all means!

We managed to score a few belts from Paris boutiques which were at almost 40% cheaper than in SG, 2 bags which were slightly cheaper and in a new seasonal colour! Accessories were also cheaper in Paris and Heathrow Airport so ya.. skip London's boutique unless you are just...overloaded with money.

Chanel

It is no doubt happier to purchase from their first original boutique in Paris's Rue Cambon. It is where you will get your packaging in white rather than the usual black box. However when I was there, it was cheaper to get Chanel bags in London due to exchange rate (so it really depends, make sure you know your price). A medium classic bag would cost about SGD $5700 in Paris and in London it's about SGD $300 cheaper!!

As of July 2016: Classic Medium EUR $4260

Galleries Lafeyette / Printemps

Wow.....a shopping centre full of brands! You can easily purchase brands like Louis Vuitton, Celine, Balenciaga, Chanel, Saint Laurent... etc. The shoes were also priced slightly lower because of sales. 

Summer Sale

Going in July means SUMMER SALE!! What is Great Singapore Sale because it is NOTHING compared to London's SUMMER SALE. I SWEAR Everything was so cheap!! Even the boyfriend who rarely shops actually bought more stuff than me... -_-

You say it, they have it. Glasses, polo tees, shirts, dresses, shoes.. whatever!

Primark

It was literally a cheap thrill heaven! Priced at lowest about GBP $1?! We bought almost SGD $400 worth or maybe more.

Ralph Lauren / Paul Smith / Ted Baker / Burberry / G-Star Raw

Ohhhhhhhhh... All their jeans, shirts and polo T-s were almost at 30%-50% discount! Super good deal right?!

Fortnum & Mason

THEIR CHOCOLATES LOOK SO GOOD. Skip Harrods, go for Fortnum & Mason instead. Their items are all so pretty that I filled a basket full of food but left empty handed in the end cause I was thinking of my luggage space and weight :( It was very sad that I had to leave without even getting my Alice in the Wonderland teacup! But all is good cause I went for their high tea instead. I WILL RETURN FOR YOU!

Last Tip: DONT BOTHER BRINGING A LOT OF CLOTHES TO LONDON in july because you can basically go with empty luggage and come back full I promise. We went on this trip with 1 luggage and came back with 4 (and we did not even buy finish what we wanted).

♡

#2xtroubleinUSA

Hello from us!

Warning: Picture-heavy with a final text wall

It's been almost a month since I've been back and a year since I've posted (because of work). Before the holidays, I'd been feeling very depressed because I had felt like I hadn't accomplished much across the year at work. I confided in a few colleagues and friends and I was very touched to receive so much love and warmth. Going on such a long break gave me wanderlust. It made me feel like there's so much more to the world.

I've posted most of the following photos on Instagram, the hashtag is also #2xtroubleinUSA if you want to find those that are not here and vice versa. I have edited very few of what I took in total, I'll work on short write-ups for each area that I've been to.

Here we go!

We did not purchase a 3 day pass nor visit every single temple because it gets boring. Also, we do not want to flood our itinerary with temple visiting. So.. on the 4th day of my trip to Cambodia, we decided to do relaxing activities that would allow us to appreciate the nature.

Chose the Discovery Tour which starts at 0730 from Quad Adventure on our last day (Day 4) at Siem Reap which is basically ATV (all terrain vehicle). There will also be a free pick up at your hotel!! You can check out their website here : Quad Adventure. We did our reservation way in advance and there's no deposit needed so why not??

The whole thing lasted for about 2 hours (or more) as per itinerary and it was fun!!! My tour guide was quite funny and we talked a lot about Cambodians, their culture, life and day to day experiences. We went pass the paddy fields, many farm animals and their local morning market. It was quite disheartening to see the kids running around without shoes and the poor hygiene at the local market. Your guide would also ask if you would like to buy noodles for the kids when you go pass the village. Each carton cost a bout USD$10 but we bought it anyway. Well, some of you might think its a scam but if you're there, you'll know how it feels. This trip also made me realize how lucky I am to be a Singaporean.

Upon the end of the activity, the same guide will drop you off at your hotel. It felt amazing to wash up right away after riding the ATV! (TIP: do not wear white. The pollution there is really terrible that my white top turned brown (while being on the Tuktuk) even before I started riding the ATV.)

Quad Adventure Cambodia

Country Rd Laurent, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

tel: +855(0)17 784 727 / +855(0)92 787 216

♡

Happy Easter Day!!!

Every year this season, I'll practically buy like more than a dozen packets of Mini Eggs Chocolates from Cadbury. You know Easter is coming when you see it on the shelves off the supermarket, Yay!! But that also means.. these annual limited edition chocolates aren't here to stay, again.

Anyway... if you're close to me, you would also know how crazy I go whenever I see MINI EGGS!! It's practically one of my fave chocolate since young. HOWEVER THIS YEAR... It got replaced by a few of my new found easter chocolates!! Goodbye Mini Eggs! :) Out with the old, in with the new!

Here goes........

MY CHOICE: FERRERO EGGS & DAIRY MILK EGG N SPOON!!! :)

 

Ferrero Eggs 100g SGD $7.95

What can I say? The one that replaced my heart is none other than Ferrero Eggs!! It's really awesome, imagine Ferrero Rocher without the exterior coated nuts. I enjoyed this so much, just one mouth you can taste all the hazelnut bursting into your mouth like unicorns on rainbows.

 

Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg 'n' Spoon 136g SGD $8.95
4 chocolate mousse eggs with spoons provided! This was heavenly, nuff said.

Cadbury Mini Eggs 90g SGD $3.95

As above, this was once my favorite. Never buy it off the shelves when it just launches becaue it can be costly as $5.95 for one. After 1-2 weeks it will be $2 cheaper. Yup I've no idea what is this logic this is coming from a personal experience.

 

Maltesers Teasers Mini Eggs 125g SGD $7.95
Nothing ever goes wrong with Maltesers! :)

 

Cadbury Dairy Milk Crunchie 125g SGD $7.95
More chocolate fillings than the honeycombs. Enjoyable combi!

Cadbury Golden Eggs 

I'm never a fan of caramel but this was surprisingly not too overly sweet and delicious!

Guylian Mini Eggs $12.95

If you remember the "sea shell" chocolate days, you probably would have guessed how these yummy eggs in different flavours taste like! 

Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo 82g $3.95
Pretty normal tasting cookies and cream chocolate!

 

Kinder Mini Eggs 82g $3.50
Tasted like the Kinder Chocolate with Cereal which wasn't too appetizing.

Who would actually buy so many varieties of these chocolates and try them all in such a short period. Me. Lol. I can't imagine how much calories I've gained after all these. I'm pretty much sure it's all worth it though now that I know what truly attracts me ;) 

Also, all these chocolates are sponsored/surprised by someone none other than the boyfriend! There are still many different flavours and brands I've yet to try but seen. Enjoy these chocolates as much as I do!!!

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER DAY Y'ALL!
♡

Day 1 in Siem reap

Entrance of Cuisine Wat Damnak

Indoor

Outdoor

This was our menu and we ordered all 6 courses, both tasting menu 1 and 2:)

"Amuse-boche"- Minced pork with vegetable (the peanut does complements the minced pork thankfully but due to the nature of the vegetable "xiang cai" it was a big no-no for me.)

"Tonle Sap Croaked Fish" - The fish was super fresh and succulent but the paste beside it on the left tasted like tomyum. for non tomyum lovers like me, it tasted pretty bad....

"koh kong scallop" - was pretty hard and bland.. but it was relatively alright, quite a special dish i would say.

"mekong" - wow this was surprisingly delicious! there was an added touch to the dish as the prawn was charred and so damn fresh. however, with another bowl of rice at the side was overkill. 2 small prawns were also inadequate!!!

Had dinner at Cuisine Wat Damnak during my recent trip to Siem Reap! Bringing both Cambodian and French culinary techniques together, they have surely executed themselves well. Apparently I heard that they are the top restaurant around in Siem Reap so for the price I guess it's worth it. The menu changes weekly though so be prepared to experience different types of dishes each time!


Cuisine Wat Damnak

Between Psa Dey Hoy market and Angkor High School

Wat Damnak village, Sala Kamreuk Commune, Siem Reap, Cambodia

opening hours: tues to sat 1830 - 2130

tel: +855 (0)77 347 762

♡

Valentine's Day 2016 - Orchard Hotel / Luke's Oyster Bar and Chophouse

With Valentine's day being repetitive every year, we booked a room with Orchard Hotel Singapore this year the night before for a simple celebration! It was super worth it because it only cost about SGD $170/night after tax for a Premier King Room!! Usually it'd cost about $248/night so this means about $70 discount!!! Isn't it cheap!!? We were deciding between a couple hotels in town but thought that this deal was good enough! Booked it through this app called HotelQuickly and it was my 2nd time using their service!! So good! Think discounts and stuff like that ;) 

Best thing was... you can not only utilize it in Singapore BUT in other countries as well! Download the app on your mobile now and see what they have to offer. Also remember to use my quote "KCEVH" to get $25 off your first booking! :) CLICK HERE!!

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Bath tub!!

Swimming pool

View from the 12th storey!!

The bed was very comfortable and the cleanliness of the hotel was acceptable. BUTTTTT the pillow was very horrible I had such a bad sleep.. One was too hard that my neck ached like mad and one was too soft to feel anything. Service was great at the reception and concierge, checking in and out was a breeze!! :) There's also UNLIMITED carpark coupons so you can drive out and come back without the worry of paying charges!!! Overall a good stay but once is enough for me unless it's their Signature Club Room!

Headed for dinner at Luke's Oyster Bar and Chophouse next!! It was indeed located quite remotely in Robinsons but finding it was easy with the help of the staffs. We had to ask for directions when we were at level 3 cause there's no point finding every corner of the level. The door was not very prominent but it feels so different once you're in.

Taking an OOTD right outside the restaurant hahaha

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Corn bread

Iced tea with Lemon

Definitely not your normal iced tea. I think the drink had additional rose syrup which made it kind of weird. However, it was refreshing to my taste bud but the bf was not a fan!

Oyster Lukefeller SGD $26 - baked oysters with spinach, pernod and parsley

I rarely eat oysters but these were to die for!! I love how the parmesan on the top goes so well with the spinach and parsley!!

Luke's Blue label Burger SGD $32 - secret blend, special sauce and house made bun (limited availability)
we added 1) cheddar cheese SGD $2 2) house cured bacon SGD $6 and 3) organic fried egg SGD $4

All 3 additional ingredients would cost SGD $10 ($2 discount!) but I would strongly suggest to SKIP THE EGG. The egg tasted like the egg I can easily whip up myself at home OMG. Nonetheless, remember to add the first 2 as it goes super well with the burger and worth it!!! One of the nicest burger I've eaten.

Luke's Bone-in Tenderloin Au Poivre 300gram SD $79 - peppercorn crust & mustard cognac jus

Enjoyed this dish very much, the last time I had such a good steak at a chophouse was at Lawry's so this came just in time ;) At $79, it was pretty value for money. (Do note the the steak was cut into half in the picture above.)

Lobster Mac and Cheese SGD $26
wouldn't say this was worth the price but worth a try if you're a mac and cheese lover like me!

Indeed a delightful and quiet dinner for two of us and although I hope to try more items in the menu, our stomach space doesn't allow them. Till the next time for their oysters and their classics!

Total damage: SGD $220 for two. not too bad yes? Considering it was Valentine's!!

Luke's Oyster Bar and Chophouse

opening hours: mon to sun 1200 - 2230 (last order 2200)

the heeren

260 orchard Road, #03-02 

s238855

tel: 6733 4813

meow

keep watching TV!!!

snacks and movies for the night!!

COMING UP NEXT : Siem Reap 2016 and Bangkok, maybe?? :)