Singapore Arts, Beauty and Inspirations Male Blogger

A beautiful story always captivate my heart before my tummy. I enjoy hearing other people's stories as much as how I would enjoy narrating my own through blog posts. The festive mood has once again returned with a new Christmas theme menu finding its way back to Antoinette.

As Chef Pang wanted to create a magical and nostalgic feeling for everyone through his creations, his creative and artistic fairytale story started off with A Walk in the Forest (petit S$55.00 / grande S$110.00). Being a sucker for anything with chocolate, I loved how the cake evokes an enchanted feel with edible twigs, soil, leaves and mushrooms. Pairing this cake together with my mildly bitter yet addictive Antoinette's Iced Chocolate (S$7.00) lured me deeper into chef's enchanted realm. 

Probably halfway through a walk in the forest, one would experience Winter is Here (petit S$50.00 / grande S$100.00). It is a snow-white looking log cake (not featured in this post) that has coffee components in every aspects. 

Upon the arrival of winter, the Snow Globe (10cm S$15.00 / 15cm S$65.00) is formed and being the most attractive dessert that I have come across this season. Encased in the cute snow globe like a terrarium, I could not take my eyes off the miniature landscape crafted within. Besides bringing me joy, the dessert proved to be my top favourite that day since the cream cheese mousse was really light as the raspberry marmalade added a contrasting tartness.

I almost could not resist taking a bite into the Forbidden Fruit (S$12.00) that was crafted into the exact shape of an apple. A fruity dessert with almost all its component constitute from an apple. Not forgetting to mention the naughty looking Randolf the Squirrel (S$70.00) that was sculpted out of a block of chocolate. I would love to nibble on its wood textured block-body though.

As I got myself crazily excited over the desserts, I would not want to miss the festive savoury dishes I have tasted as well. Coffee Glazed Ham and the Laksa Roast Chicken were both somewhat comparable but my preference still went to the chicken dish that has a marinate that won me over. Ignoring my allergic to shrimps which was definitely used not sparingly in the laksa paste, it paired so well with the tender chicken flesh that could quickly becomes an addiction too.

I ended the meal with another glass of drink, the Yuzu Green Tea Bubble Bath which I caught sight from another guest. It has a yellow duckie floating atop on a foamy bed that I just had to pose for pictures with. At first I did not quite enjoy the unusual fruity-tea taste. Yet the more I drank, the more I enjoyed it. I even brought home the rubber duckie which could squeak when squeezed.

It was a wonderful start of my pre-Christmas experience and I have already started counting down to Chirstmas holidays!

(Note that the dishes I mentioned were my personal picks.)

 

Rasa Fiesta Singapura Part 2 was held at Picnic Wisma Atria from 4th to 5th November 2017. What attracted me to attend this event was the variety of rum and series of workshops conducted by bartenders from all over the world.

Throughout the 2 days, many workshops were lined up and it was my first hands-on attempt with  concocting cocktails. The first experience was with the "Francis Drake" which contains Ron Abuelo 7 years rum, passion fruit puree and giffard cinnamon syrup. A rather tropical drink which was a mild mix of sweet and sour.

The following workshop attempt was "Strawberry Batida" which contains Brugal Anejo, BOLS strawberry, fresh strawberry, lime wedges and basil leaves. I quite liked the fruity taste and the fragrance of the basil leaves. Chatted with the friendly bartender and he shared some rum knowledge with me, such as rum pairs extremely well with tropical fruits such as coconut, pineapple and passion fruits.

My friend later on ordered a cup of "Spice Up You Life" that contains Chalong Bay Cinnamon. The garnish was an thin slice of apple with spices and the cocktail was fairly potent. For, me since I have low alcohol tolerance, I had the Caipirinha (blueberry and blackberry) and requested for less of the Maracatu used in the drink. I wasn't expecting the drink to look so photogenic with its blue-reddish colour, garnished by the rose-cut strawberry, lime and blueberries. Not only appearance, the drink was bursting with fruity flavors, refreshing and easy to drink. The girl who prepared my drink (and strawberry) was so shy to pose for photo since my annoying friend teased her quite a bit.

Anyway, besides educating participants about different rum and their versatility, Rasa Fiesta Singapura Part 2 allowed us to explore/taste unique rum brands which might not be easily available in Singapore. Furthermore, the art of concocting a perfect rum cocktail showcased the skills of a bartender.  

The beach, sand and scotching hot sun were never friends of mine but for the sake of capturing artistically crafted sand sculptures, I tagged along with my friend to Sentosa. I brought my whines along as we made our way to the tentages specially set up to house 2,400 square metres of exhibition space on Siloso Beach.    

Not much of a traffic issue despite being a Saturday, probably thanks to the heat and sun as we walked through the firmly erected sand structures admiring and capturing photos of our favourites. These sands sculptures definitely reminded me of my trip to Huabin in China, popular for their ice/snow sculptures that reached storeys tall. The only difference was the temperature and I did not miss the -30 degrees celsius and wearing multiple layers of clothes.

There were many ushers stationed around and the exhibition was divided into 3 different zones.

Zone 1 - Our Sandsational Singapore (Singapore, Ho Say!) 

This zone features 15 sand sculptures inspired by the local culture, quirks and colloquial slangs. Examples would be "Blur like Sotong, Gabra like Zebra", "Jiak Zua" (To eat Snake) and "Kan Cheong Spider". Their images attached below.

Zone 2 - Sentosa International Sand Sculpting Championship

The 14 international sand master's masterpieces demonstrate their creative expressions of ‘Imagination’ through sand work. Examples would be "Tropical Splendor" and "Broken Heart".

Zone 3 - Shifting Sand 2

A showcase of interactive sand art pieces by JOOheng, which pays homage to his exhibition held at Sentosa’s Palawan Beach in 2010, when he became the first sand sculptor in Singapore to hold his own sand sculpture exhibition.  

Note that I only select and feature personal favourites to post below. Also do check out the fine detailings of some of these sand art that kept me staring for quite some time.  

While most people would rather spend their public holiday (Diwali) indulging in fun and entertainment, I spend probably about 2 hours touring Lotus Sutra Exhibition that was held at The Arts House from 1 to 25 Oct 2017.

"The Lotus Sutra - A Message of Peace and Harmonious Coexistence" Exhibition is jointly organised by The Institute of Oriental Philosophy (Japan), Dunhuang Academy (China) and Singapore Soka Association, with Singapore being 16th country to host this international exhibition.

Despite the fact that I am not a Buddhist nor a free-thinker, I felt that it was alright to explore and understand more about other religion. That would explain why I have decided to tag along with my friend whom was from the Singapore Soka Association for a short visit. Probably most of the Singapore Soka Association members would have made a trip down for a tour around before it ends.

Volunteers in vibrant purple polo T-shirts were dispatched along the streets, directing and greeting visitors with a smile despite standing under the scotching sun. Upon entering, the place was already crowded with families and people of the older generation. Even the screening time slots for both "The Treasures of the Desert" and "Parable of the Jewel in the Robe" videos were overwhelming. 

The entire exhibition has been divided into 5 categories respectively:

1) History of the Transmission of the Lotus Sutra

2) Buddhist Text in Many Languages

3) Academic Exchanges on the Lotus Sutra

4) Resplendence of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves

5) Parables and the Message of the Lotus Sutra

There were many interesting manuscripts, artifacts and religious paintings that captivated my attention but sadly photography was not allowed and I definitely have to respect that since it was a religious related exhibition after all.

In short, the Lotus Sutra, as a representation of the embodiment of the Law of Life that Shakyamuni was enlightened to. You would probably want to refer to their webpage here since I am a sucker for religious teachings.

Probably no one would have thought that a private museum - The Parkview Museum would be residing in a hotel-like building of Parkview Square. Imagine the thrill of exploring a place not quite known to the public.

With the 4th exhibition stop in Singapore from 9 Mar 2016 to 26 Jun 2017 (currently in Hong Kong), 3 Singaporean artists were invited to take part in the exhibition that received positive response.

As the title of the exhibition had suggested, the contemporary art pieces ranges from paintings, sculptures, installations, photography and more that revolved around the importance of shark protection and "Say No to Shark Fin" campaign.

A path of sharks on the floor led the way into the entire gallery, which was in bluish hue from the lighting representing the sea. The concept seems pretty simple and straightforward yet these artists could showcase and project their creations through easily relatable artworks. Sharks were the subject while they being in distress and dominated by us humans were the essence.

Probably many have read about the debate regarding sharks fin soup should be taken off from Chinese wedding menus some time back. Many argued that sharks fin soup is compulsory as it has always been part of Chinese tradition while others supports the importance of maintaining the ecological balance of marine life.

Would you still like a bowl of sharks fin soup?    

The Parkview Museum Singapore will be open to public free of charge to encourage the integration and appreciation of art in everyday life. As this exhibition "On Sharks and Humanity" is dated back, there would always be other exhibitions showcased as well.