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De Dietrich 2012 Collection Launch

Feb 252012

What a coincidence!

Just when my oven went into coma (and later, it came alive again. PHEW!), i received this invitation in the mail box for the above launch. How exciting!

Being a mountain tortoise (read : homemaker) for so many years, i’ve never, ever been to any launch parties or gala or whatever in my life. The most formal and dressy event i’ve ever been to was…. errrr, high school prom? *facepalm*facepalm*and*facepalm!* Lol! So yeah, this reason together with my wonky oven excuse, of course i have to go!

When i saw the invite stated “Cocktail Elegance” for the dress code that night, i kinda panicked a teeny bit. Seriously, what the *toot* is that? Cocktail = short dresses. Elegance = dressy short dress? That was my first guess but i ain’t sure. So i turned to Google and good ol Twitter for help and viola, question answered. :)

I was torn between 2 dresses (if i hadn’t pile up those excess kilos, i’d have more choices! Hmph!) but in the end, i went in this.

photo taken while trying the dresses right after whipping up dinner for the boys. didn’t have any proper photos after that due to the very tight schedule! :(

Internationally reputed for their ability to marry innovation and aesthetic appeal, De Dietrich once again sets new milestones with their latest Corium and Premium collections.. Dubbed as “Jewels In The Kitchen”, this French premium appliance brand boast an array of sensuous designs and finishes. Each is enhanced with subtle accents that simply spell WOW. Together with technological advancement, home cooking is now taken into an exciting new level!

From left (clockwise) :

Built In Espresso Machine $4980 – sophisticated system that allows you to create the perfect cuppa at the right temperature. It provides a selection of water and steam temperature settings and adjustable grinding level. While a minimum of 9 bar pump pressure needed for a good espresso, De Dietrich Espresso Machine has a 15 bar pump pressure for rich and intense coffee flavour and aromas.

The Crescendo Updraft Hood, available in Black Pearl, White Pearl and Grey Pearl $2397 – installed directly overhead cabinetry or as a free standing hood mounted the wall in the casing, it moves down towards the hob to effectively remove all odour and fumes. Once tasks completed, it retracts fully back into the cabinetry or its casing. So intelligent lorr!

Le Piano Zoneless Induction Hob $11,880 - this innovation raises the bar in induction cooking with the first industry’s first full zoneless cooking hob. Up to 5 different cooking pots, no matter the size or shape, can be cooked on any part of the hob! What can i say? I WANT THIS HOB!!

Steam oven, available in black or platinum $3480 – apart from steaming, reheating, rehydrating, defrosting, blanching, the Steam oven keeps your food warm up to 1 hour after end of cooking. Equipped with 2 tier steaming tray, you can now prepare different healthy cuisines at the same time!

De Dietrich is treasured by some of the best chefs around the world. In Singapore alone, we have Asia Chef-Ambassador Chef André Chiang and Chef Pang, just to name a few.

Together with Marilyn Tan, De Dietrich 2012 Collection Launch also showcased models wearing beautiful pearl accessories.

Pity i didn’t manage to take any good shots of the White Pearl ovens which simply got my mouth hanging open for a while. Heeee! So gorgeous those ovens.

Sigh.. I want one!

For more information and retail availability, do contact :

La Galerie De Dietrich

The Cendex @ 120 Lower Delta Rd #01-04, Tel : 65084600

Showroom Opening Hours :

Mon – Fri : 10.30am – 7pm
Sat : 10.30am – 6pm

www.dedetrich.com.sg

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Thank you FoodNews for this fun De Dietrich Collection Launch invite!

Nicolas Le Restaurant

SP, birthdays, dine-out, review 8 Responses »

Jul 012011

Every year without fail, the (sis + mom) in law and i will feast thrice in April and May — yup, lunching is now a luxury to us. We feast only on special occasion.

This year, without giving it much thought, i picked Nicolas Le Restaurant as our first lunch menu.

Outside Nicolas lies the not that notorious red-light district of Keong Saik Road. In the same breath, this charming nondescript looking restaurant also sits in a conservation area that is known as Bukit Pasoh Conversation Area.

Inside, the mood is calm and serene. The restaurant exudes casual smart opulence with its cheery, sunny, airy interiors and high ceiling (not so much on the tables inside but more on the tables at the courtyard which was where we sat), all contained in a restored pre-war shop house in art-deco architectural style.

We didn’t bother looking at its ala-carte menu. Their set lunches sounded excellent for the famished us. Time was essence when one three were hungry!

Amuse Bouche

Slices of very crispy bread served with goose pate i believe.

The bread was toasted till very dry, hard and crispy. I must say, i is not a fan. But the rest were quite enamored by it.

Starters

Left, clockwise : Homemade Bavetine Pasta Quail bolognese Confit leg, Raw Hokkaido scallop with seafood bisque and Organic Hen Egg ‘A La Coque + Crunchy pastilla of blue prawn

While the pasta was decent, my favourite gotta be the raw hokkaido scallops. Juicy and fresh, the naturally sweet scallops went swimmingly well with the robust tasting seafood bisque. As for the hen egg that was infused with truffle oil, well well… if you like egg and truffle oil like me, this egg will never be on the bad side.

Mains

Rack of Lamb : let’s just say, my fussy pot *oops – i didn’t say that!* mom in law, devoured most of it by herself. :)

Atlantic Cod Fish : my favourite! gotta love the crunchy cereal bits that encrusted the fish. those bits added a whole new dimension to the firm, juicy and tender fish that melts in your mouth. and the green lentils… aahhh.. i love lentils. period.

Crispy Berkshire Pork Cheek : hmm.. strange, i’ve no recollection on this dish! Bummer!

Desserts and Cheese

Three Surprise Sweets : Poached pear in juice, molten cake, dark chocolate ice cream and lemon cheesecake.

Being a sweet tooth monster, this course is my favourite course of all. I found the desserts were just alright except the lemon cheesecake which was rich but fluffy at the same time. Savouring it made me wanna dash home and bake a whole cake myself. :P

Cheese (NOT included in the set lunch) : we expressed our preference and the service staff proceeded to pick 2 from the lot which he thought we might fancy. True enough, we did!

Verdict : another lunch at Nicolas? Don’t think so though the food was pretty decent. With the price we paid, there are simply too many other fab places to check out. Lunch at Nicolas didn’t warrant a second visit for me. Perhaps dinner yes, but never lunch again.

Nicolas Le Restaurant

31 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089138

Tel: +65 62242404
Fax: +65 62229123
Email: contact@restaurantnicolas.com

Lunch: Tuesday to Friday: 12pm to 2pm
Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday: 6.30pm to 10pm
(Closed on Sunday and Monday)

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I’ve recently gained quite a bit of weight. :(

It’s no longer the extra 2kg.. Now, it’s friggin’ 4 (!!!) — i’m so doing something about it.

To hide the folds and bulges, concealing meself behind a baby doll dress is a must, hence my pregnant-looking dress below, from Asos.com no less.

Santa loves me (!) and DB Bistro Moderne

SP, dine-out, family, pressies, review 9 Responses »

Feb 012011

I gotta say, i’m quite blessed.

Santa doesn’t just come during Christmas for me! 2 weeks ago, one of my Santa flew in and landed on my pad for a couple of nights.

See what Santa got me!

A personalized Longchamp bag! :D
(together with a bag filled with other goodies from Northpole Taiwan)

Of course i had to take Santa out!

Because Santa loves taking photos and camwhore quite a bit, Marina Bay Sands fits the bill perfectly. I reckon Santa snapped more than 100 photos that night. Hehehehhee!

Did i tell you i love Asos? I got this dress for just £8!!

Dinner was at DB Bistro Moderne. Mainly because i wanted to see the much raved about burger! :P

Imagine my disappointment when the burger came in 3 parts, neatly portioned out for us. Haha! I was so looking forward to seeing the big fat thick burger standing right up and not lying all over the plate! *slaps forehead* Oh well… but i must credit them for their attentiveness! Heh.

Food was mediocre.

Seriously, it nothing to shout about.

Chop Chop Salad was umm.. well, just not my kinda salad. It was too creamy for my liking and that was not it. Something was amiss but i can’t quite point out what exactly. In short, it was not satisfying. Then we also ordered the bacon bechamel pizza/tarte with cheese which was pretty alright but did not wow us though.

food photos taken with iPhone

Like i said, i was already disappointed not to be able to capture DB’s original burger in its normal 2 parts form. But after taking the first bite, my face went from :( to >.<

Hahahahaa!

The burger was really very disappointing. Apart from being dry, the meat was bland. There wasn’t much taste at all. I took just 1 bite and that was it (but that was my initial plan anyway :P). But the frites were good. Like really good! When our server, Monica, came over to ask if everything was alright, i nodded my head but casually mentioned that the burger was rather tasteless. She proceeded to ask if she could do anything about it but i just shook my head and assured her everything was fine.

She smiled politely and went away but in less than a minute later, the General Manager, Sebastian, popped over and offered to exchange the burger to something else. Again, i shook my head but he insisted sweetly. In the end, we agreed to exchange our burger for fish. No more meats!

Barramundi Grenobloise with cauliflower and brown sauce – that was what we had instead of the burger. We loved it! The fish was good. I particularly like the crispy skin. As for the fish itself, it has got no fishy taste and so easy to eat, like most the fishes do. Oh, i like how it kinda melt in my mouth because it was grilled to almost perfection. ;)

Dessert (flourless chocolate lava cake) was yummy! Definitely a winner for all chocolate lovers! I enjoyed the sorbet that came with it. Great pairing with the very rich cake and less running to do the next day! Heeeeee!

Verdict : Great ambience. Superb service. OK food. Will i return? Hell yes! I’ll just stick to the fish and dessert!

Of course, a photo with Santa is a must! :D (taken with Blackberry) Oh, please ignore my strange-crooked-looking bangs!

DB Bistro Moderne
10 Bayfront Ave
#B1-48
Marina Bay Sands
Singapore

Tel: +65 6688 852

Got fat, will cover!

Health & sports, SP No Responses »

Nov 192010

Fat or not, it is really for ourselves to judge, don’t you think?
(different individual, different expectation)

Many times when i start whimpering about the extra 2-3kg that i’ve put on, some people will just gasp and roll their eyes. Haha! But really, if i hadn’t felt big and bloated, i wouldn’t have complained!

BUT.

*ahem*

Having said that, i would also roll my eyes at those skinny people (i is definitely not in this category, and therefore i can comprrrrrain!) who complain that they are fat. Seriously!!!! — talk about the kettle calling the pot black :ppPPppPPppp

Anyway, like some of you, i do have problems with maintaining the weight. I’m not one of the few lucky ones who inherit good skinny genes who can slid into skinny jeans effortlessly. In fact, my whole family is on the big side!

I love food and i can really eat.

Of course weight gain is not uncommon for me especially when i’m on that strange mood for an extended period. Y’know… huge appetite, peckish for almost the whole day, endless cravings and worst of all, not in the mood of doing any form of exercise!

In just 1 week, i can pile on 2… yes, 2 kilo-freaking-gram!!

So what i do?

I cover.

Like this.

The arms… of the arms.

Uh huh.

That extra piece of cake and tart don’t go to the hips or belly, they are always in favor of the arms!!

And that extra 4 slices of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

Well, they love covering up my collar bones. On good days, the collar bones would say PEEK-A-BOO but on days when i misbehave, they’ll go into hiding. LOL!

Sigh.

Oh well, what can i say?

Thank gawwwd for cardigans, crop or otherwise!

psssttttt : i *heart* long cardigans!