7 November 2011

So, the year has come and gone – it’s less than two months to Christmas. I was in Marks & Sparks the other day and shocked to see that Xmas cards were for sale. Christmas seems to get earlier every year! That said, Christmas is my favourite festival of the year, I think it has something to do with the fact that I see it as the close to a year.

This year seems to have gone by very quickly- I’ve changed jobs, visited new places, tried many new food places (this is something that will be the subject of many blog posts) and had some significant milestones in my personal life.

Am I happier this year? Not really – in fact, this year has been middling. Middling in that in spite of good food and some great company, I haven’t felt as happy inside as I wished I could be. Some days in fact are spent feeling empty and dreading the life that I have come to know. And now, sitting at some great cafes having great company and enjoying the coffee, I’ve come to wish I led a more creative life – one that allows me to really exercise creative sensibilities and have more fun(and more flexibility in my routine). The irony of course, is that as a child, I never really wanted a creative life, although I had been constantly told that I was artistic. Naturally and intuitively, I have a fascination with fashion, and beautiful aesthetics.So if I could find a job that combines both these loves, it would be fabulous. Making the jump takes courage, and I am not sure I am ready for that, but somedays you wake up wondering why am I wasting all my glorious time (and life) in what may be a short life, doing all this for nought? Sure, I may enjoy portions of it, but if I feel constantly quite unhappy within, this can’t be healthy.

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Foodsmithtwo has been very busy as well, hence the radio silence on our end. But we’ve been trying new places and endeavour to post on from henceforth. The great thing about food I have come to realise is that when it’s good, it never lets you down. Comfort food, for one, you always feel instantly good while eating. New cuisines, when it’s good, can be surprising. Food well done, always make you happy.

If only Life were as good food is- never disappointing, always satisfying, always liberating – but then it wouldn’t be called Life would it?

You are not yet gone

..but I already feel that it’s raining in my heart.

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Love the ads below- if only girls looked like that all the time.

Perfect weather for a public holiday- I tried the food at Hummerstons, a stone’s throw away from Canele in Robertson Quay. Good food and atmosphere. Review for that as well as Pique Nique in Ngee Ann City coming up.

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Mooncakes- Peninsula’s Egg custard mooncakes and their golden lotus paste with egg yolk are divine.Perfect pick me up for a slouchy day.

the illusionist

So touched, and so sad after watching Chomet’s The Illusionist.

20 March 2011, 7.37 pm

Modern girls

All the news over Chanel recently has been of the ad campaigns of Blake Lively advertising the Mademoiselle bag- however, what is really exquisite in my opinion, was Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2011 Haute Couture collection. For one, it featured jeans. Coco Chanel was famous for saying that girls should not be in jeans, but Karl Lagerfeld felt that this reflected what modern girls wear. His inspiration for the show was none other than Blake Lively.

The show featured clothes that for a haute couture show, looked surprisingly wearable. I love the pointed black heels with the plastic see-through ankle strap, the gorgeous black ribbon worn at the necks of the models, the skinny pants with buttons on the side carelessly unbuttoned, to the metallic sheen of the tweed to the beautiful usage of tulle. Everything was astonishingly elegant,graceful and polished. The girls looked ethereal.

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Celine clutches

The Celine Fall clutches are beautiful. They also look suitable for carrying iPad. Ultra stylish and sleek.

I love Lanvin

I love Lanvin by foodsmithone featuring leather flats

Gorgeous, gorgeous Lanvin.

Alber Elbaz

 

Lanvin H & M Show

While snacking on rice crisps today, I watched videos of Lanvin’s latest collections and browsed its e-shop (only open to US customers) – and came across a NY Times interview of Alber Elbaz. He must be the world’s cutest designer. Elbaz has been credited with making clothes that women love to wear, and understanding why women want to wear certain things. I say his clothes also evoke this beautiful sense of effortlessness, as though you didn’t try too hard but look very feminine and polished.Most of all, he recognises fashion is about fun. I have a particular weakness for his things – the ribbons, bows, ruffles, and frills all thrill me.

Through the interviews, you can guess why he has that special touch. Such a cute man- particularly when he steps out onto the runway at the end of the H & M show to thunderous applause. When he said he never stops thinking even after leaving Lanvin’s studio, I thought of how he very nearly faded into oblivion after not being restored as YSL’s head, and how far he has come.

Yazbukey

One of my recent acquisitions from Doorstep Luxury was a lovely necklace from Yazbukey Accessories.Yazbukey was created by two sisters: Yaz & Emel, ottoman princesses and descendants of Mehmet Ali Pasha King of Egypt. The world of Yazbukey describes a very playful universe, inspired by old musicals & Gershwin’s music, tales of La fontaine & Grimm, the movies from Hitchcock to Tim Burton.

One of my favourite pieces that I’ve been trying to get my hands on, is the Karl Lagerfeld brooch which is out of stock. Doorstep also has the Lady Gaga brooch, which is beautiful, and I wish I had the spare change to buy that. What I love about the accessories is that it reminds me of pop art: it’s not afraid to have a bit of fun, and can be so irreverent. The accessories play on references to pop culture, and pop culture icons. That tongue-in-cheek reference reminds me so much of Warhol and Lichtenstein.

Go to Doorstep Luxury to have a bit of fun too!

Current object of Lust

I’ve always loved books. I’ve always loved clutches. Combine the two and there’s Combustion.

Can I just say that my current major major OBJECT OF LUST is this book clutch? It is oh so perfect for bookphiles like me.

Spotted recently on Diane Kruger at the Berlin Film Festival – it doesn’t quite go with her dress, but the clutch is Divine.

Balenciaga bags

On an average day strolling through Orchard Road, you can count the number of brands represented in the form of handbags. One such ubiquitous bag is the Balenciaga motorcycle bag, which actually has been around since 2001, but is still making its rounds. Part of the reason is that the brand continues to unveil beautiful new colours(this Season’s spring/summer colours are a sight for sore eyes) and new shapes (they now have a tote bag). And there are also plenty of copies of the bags inspired by the BB (not such a good trend).

However, on the runways, you rarely see a Balenciaga bag in sight. The focal point is normally the clothes – after all, Balenciaga was better known as a forerunner in constructing clothes flattering to the women’s shape. This Fall 2010 however, new bags have been featured on the runway.

Photos via vogue.com

 

Looking at the bags, I can’t decide which is worse- the clutch that looks like it has a case of mumps, or the slightly garish mix of colours. The black and white clutch is fairly beautiful, but I still say the motorcycle clutches and bags are much more palatable. At least with the motorcycle bags,the knobs and the mirror and the tassels all made for an interesting mix.

Spring Summer

Spring Summer by foodsmithone featuring a leather crossbody bag

Some of the current items I am lusting after- so incredibly beautiful and summery. This is the best time for writing, and the best time to feel free.

Street style blogs

One secret habit I have is poring through fashion magazines and editorials during lazy weekends (when I am not at work, or in the salons while waiting for the hairstylist to trim my hair). It’s a guilty habit I have, because I can be quite obsessive about buying all the different periodicals on the news stand. After some time, you realise that the editorials feature the same events in the Singapore circuit, but you do get the odd occasional interesting piece. As a remedy, I’ve turned to looking at street style blogs to see what people are wearing.

 

Photo Credit: The Sartorialist

Impossibly chic, and beautifully radiant – these street style bloggers have become the new reference points for style & fashion. While in the past they were relegated to their virtual domains, now street style bloggers are revered for their keen eye, and for their commentary. I have to say though that my favourite ones are still The Sartorialist and Jak & Jil. Both have a fabulous eye for colours that cuts across age, race, nationality. The Sartorialist features men’s fashion quite often, and genteel gentlemen in their dapper suits, but his photos always capture a certain radiance in his subject, or a certain sadness.

Photo Credit: Jak & Jil

Jak & Jil has beautiful close-ups of accessories, and inside shots of the runaway shows.

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The street style blogs capture so much beauty and sadness on the streets- real lives in the making.

Now isn’t that far much more interesting than fashion editorials in the magazines?

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RED ALERT

Jut to inform those peeps who frequent The Salad Shop at Raffles Place:

They have increased their prices:

For a Rabbit feed, instead of $6, it’s now $8.

For a Zebra feed, instead of $8, it’s now $10.

For an Elephant feed, instead of $10, it’s now $12.

What’s the difference you may ask?

1) Takeaway boxes are now different – it seems smaller to me

2) Additional 2 feeds

3) Dressings – you can ask for 50% more, or 50% less, or even separate(this is great!)

4) Dressings- An employee told one of us that they “advise you against taking more than two dressings” – well seeing how my dressings were predominantly lemon-based to make it sour, I don’t see why not.

Overall, slightly disappointing that they have increased their prices and made it compulsory to take 2 more feeds… $12 plus a drink will push it beyond $15 for a fast lunch.

To make things even more strange, if you use the old forms, you’ll still be charged the old prices up til 31 August 2010. Price differentiation for essentially the same thing, seems unfair to me.

Travel home

There’s been radio silence of late, partly because the both of us have been busy travelling overseas. The last couple of months saw us travel to Europe again; to Spain, France and London. I travelled to HK recently, land of happy wontons and yummy beef brisket. We have alot of updates coming up- private kitchen in hk, alain ducasse at the Dorchester, guy savoy in Paris. But for now, time to wind down back in Singapore. Yesterday night saw me gobbling stingray, mussels, carrot cake in newton- food paradise come home.

A welcome home has never been this sweet but first some photos:-

An entire basket of black truffles in Paris

Delicious London fare

Having been gone for a couple of weeks, I come back with lots of photos with delish food. Visited Borough market, ate lots of lovely food, and had such a good relaxing time.

Thought of the day: Some people simply have nothing better to do. Haha. Those in the know, know.

Seletar Tavern

On weekends, the traffic comes to a crawl in many parts of town, and much time is spent sitting and waiting. Waiting for the lights to change, for the cars to move, to find a carpark lot, to queue… So for those slightly more impatient, like me, I tend to avoid the crowds like a plague. It was with a great sense of relief and respite that we scooted off to a slightly more ulu part of Singapore- Seletar Country Club for a swim as well as for lunch.

I’ve never been to Seletar Tavern but was told that the Seletar mee siam is not bad. I can see why the mee siam is quite good- it has the slight assam taste, with tau pok, hard boiled egg, peanuts and prawns. My only grouse was that it could be spicier and alot more sour – discounting the lime at the side. I love my mee siam slightly more tangy, so that could just be me.

I decided to be healthy and went with seafood in bee hoon soup- as the name suggests, it’s healthy but not terribly tasty. The ingredients bordered on the boring - canned corn, squid, button mushrooms, green vegetables, sliced fish with ginger.

Looking out onto the green, with the wind in my air, I was filled with this strange sense of calmness, of quietness, of peace. At that moment, I thought how blissful things were and how in spite of everything, there was much to be thankful for, living in Singapore. At that moment, I thought to myself: if only it could be like this, forever.

Hello there! To our readers

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Food from the Heart

Last week, when I was at Cedele, I wondered about where the excess food that is unsold goes to – my companion suggested that it could be donated to homes, if the bread was still fresh and could be eaten. Today, reading about the earthquake in Haiti and rescue efforts worldwide, I thought I would find out about whether Singapore has such an initiative- as I guessed, Food from the Heart is a charity which has been running the Bread Distribution Programme since 2003. Essentially, what this involves is that volunteers collect unsold bread and pastries from bakeries who participate in the programme on a daily basis. This bread then goes to 100-120 homes. This is certainly a fantastic idea – eliminating food wastage, and ensuring that people in need have at least bread and butter.There are also food distribution centres set up in collaboration with Resident Committees located around Singapore – and registered families come and collect the items.

Food from the Heart’s initiatives don’t stop there – they also run the Food Goodie Bag programme, Birthday and Toy from the heart programme. The first of this tries to collect non perishable food items so that a family of three has food on its table – rice, milk, oil, instant noodles etc. The second and third programmes ensure that children at the homes get to celebrate their birthdays by tying the homes up with a food sponsor who will provide a birthday cake on a child’s birthday. The toys are collected from children in schools around Singapore and the kids wrap the presents for the children in the homes. They then address it to an unknown recipient.

So while Cedele does not participate in this, Bengawan Solo , Bakerzin and Delifrance participate in this – I was very heartened to read this -surely, these corporate social responsibility initiatives are not just a way of returning to society but also a constant reminder that the best place to begin charity is right here at home.

It was also a humbling discovery of the day for myself, when I think of how frequently we celebrate our friends and loved ones’ birthdays, buying numerous presents and birthday cakes when these could be luxuries for these children in the homes. There’s an online blog on the website, and the happy faces of children hugging toys and receiving presents is surely a living testimony to the power of the vision shared by these volunteers, founders and corporations.

Prologue

If you’ve stumbled across this blog by accident, you might be thinking to yourself that this is yet another food blog. After all, there are many food blogs on the blogosphere – how is this blog from the Asia Pacific region any different from the rest? We won’t go so far as to say that we will be different – but what we can promise are honest, unbridled reviews of places we have visited, food we have sampled and everything that falls in between. This food blog was started because of our shared love for food and a belief in how good food can be another art form, whether captured in photos or in words. We have also been contributing food photos to Flickr! for the longest time and figured that we might as well extend the photo-taking to writing short reviews of the good food.

The writers

FoodsmithOne and Two are both based in Singapore.  When not busy in practice (we leave you to guess what sort of practice),  FoodsmithOne and Two love exploring new food places, whether in Singapore or abroad.Having spent three years in London, a culinary capital in its own right, FoodsmithOne and Two are interested in finding new haunts. Never one to turn their noses up at simple, modest fare, they love that Singapore provides a good stepping stone for this, with the number of eateries steadily increasing each month and something possibly delish for every budget. FoodsmithOne sadly can’t cook, but loves anything that tickles her senses while FoodsmithTwo loves to cook, and is interested in discovering the chemistry in ingredients. Both are bona fide foodies, and cannot resist a good find anytime.