Singapore Arts, Beauty and Inspirations Male Blogger

It was barely a 2 minutes walk from Telok Ayer MRT station and I could actually go the wrong way while following my GPS??? Argg... So sorry to the keep other hungry bloggers waiting ..

This little Australian cafe tucked within the Central Business District and has been serving up comfort food and drinks for over 6 years. Sarnies emphasised on wholesome food made from scratch using fresh and quality ingredients. I had the privileged to try out the newly launched menu that day.

Despite being petite in size, the Grilled Haloumi with Onion Jam & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes ($13) was robust in flavor and packed a punch. The buns were said to be freshly made in house and grilled to a slight crisp before sandwiching the ingredients within.  

Thankfully the Spicy Buffalo Wings ($14) were not as spicy as those of 'Asian versions' which could burn one's stomach. The mildly spicy marinate had hints of spices which I felt was unique in terms of taste.

I was already tempted to bite into the wrap filled with generous filling of Pulled Pork, Chili, Coriander, Red Cabbage ($8) after a squeeze of lime. I enjoyed the textural contrast of the crunchy red cabbages against the tender but still slightly firm pulled pork. 'That's a wrap' for the appetisers I tried that day. (Pun intended) 

The Southern Indian Style Hand-Cut Pappardelle with Prawns, Coconut Milk & Curry Leaves ($19.50) was a hit among us. The creamy coconut milk was indeed creamy but not jelat and its combination with curry leaves was fragrant to the extend that I enjoyed every bite of the evenly coated pappardelle. We all joked that the pappardelle was the English version of 'Bee Hoon Kway' due to their similarities in texture and irregular form (the proof of hand-made). Who bothers about irregularities since it was so yummy??

Texas Style Burger with Overnight Smoked Brisket, Homemade Barbeque Sauce and Coleslaw ($26.50) might lacked in terms of presentation but overnight smoked brisket was the killer of that dish. Slightly smokey, tender yet robust in flavor as well. Was just surprised that the coleslaw was placed within the burger. 

Last but not least, the dessert for that day was Churros with Salted Caramel & Chocolate Sauce ($10)! Perfect for people who could not make up their mind which sauce they would want to dip their crispy churros that was still warm and fluffy inside. Thankfully the salted caramel sauce was of a slightly sticky consistency so that it would cling onto the churros. I could have drenched that sauce onto any dessert anytime! 

Sarnies
136 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068601

Sarnies is one of the F&B merchants on the Entertainer App offering one-for-one main courses at its establishment. The Entertainer App itself have a whole list of merchants besides F&B, such as Hotels Stays, Beauty & Fitness and more! DO check out their web page.

Hmmm I already used the app TWICE on Assemble Ground and Boost!

An impromptu visit to Singapore Art Museum the other day since I was poke hunting nearby to check out what was currently on exhibit.

It definitely was refreshing and enlightening to find out that 'From Night to Light' actually highlights the rehabilitative journey the inmates had embarked through the involvement in art. They are guided by artist mentors who assisted them in the exploration of different mediums as well as themes revolving around 'home', 'hope' and 'transformation'.   

Some concepts I definitely find rather creative and inspiring as well. (Note that all works are really great but I only select a couple to blog about.)

Using the chess set as well as the 4 chess pieces as a metaphor, 'Making The Right Move' illustrates the artist's reflection on his life as one wrong move in the game of chess could cause one to lose the entire game.  

'Passages Beyond' made use of windows as a metaphor as well, representing the countless opportunities that would await him upon his release from incarceration. 

Apart from using metaphors, most (if not all) the works here uses vibrant colours to depict 'leaving the past behind', 'bright future ahead' as well as the 'journey towards the light'. It was really amazing to indirectly experience the emotions of these inmates that were being portrayed through their artworks.  

Beside paintings, there were also many beautifully made ceramics as well. It was difficult to read those descriptions due to their placement but for all I know, they too contained those similar emotions welled up within each of them.

Anyway, end of post till I could dig out some time to visit other themed exhibits that would interest and inspire me! 

I was contemplating if I should blog this up since I have attended Coffee:Nowhere's tasting/educational session some time back. (I found out about the event and RSVPed through Facebook. Yes, I definitely still have been eating (a lot) but refrained from flooding my blog and Instagram with food related posts.

The first thing that came to mind was do I pronounce it as Coffee: Now here OR No where??

Now here would be the right one.

Anyway, in the 2013, the first flagship outlet was opened in Johor Bahru. They opened a couple of more outlets around Singapore as well as participated in countless championships which revolve around coffee. They even have coffee cupping sessions available which you might want to check out via their facebook page.  

Service charge would be waived off since customers could place their orders online using their mobile devices. Pardon my dirty phone screen since I wasn't expecting my prints was so obvious! Coffee beverages were definitely their speciality but non-caffeine drinkers would be pleased with other selections of drinks as well.  

Truffle Fries are definitely everywhere. Coffee:Nowhere's version have cheese which easily fell off these crisp shoestring fries. 

The Pizza Now:Here (smoked duck and lychee pizza) was an interesting combination which was light on the palate. Pizza base was thin and crisp, smoked duck wasn't too overpowering, leaving a subtle smoky aroma. The small slices of juicy lychees added 'moisture', just like pineapples on a Hawaiian pizza.

Chicky Chicks was a plate of mildly spicy mid wings, coated with a thick layer of super crispy batter. A crunch sound could easily be heard as I bite into one. Thankfully I managed to try a piece during the second round since it was rapidly wiped out before I could even take a photo of them during the first. 

Brunch Now:Here comprises of bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, toasts, sautéed mushrooms, sausage as well as salad. An all day breakfast menu would definitely be comforting to some.

Chilli Crab Pasta was quite a hit since generous portion of crab meat was seen piling on top of the tomato based thin-noodle pasta. Using the sauce to garnish the edges of the plate might come across as messy to me though.

(Note: Did not try much since crustacean is an allergen)

The Salted Egg Yolk Burger would perhaps need more sauce as I could not exactly savour the taste. (The piece I tried might be too small or lacked the sauce.) 

The Specialty Coffee Pau was definitely a HIT as well! I could tell since only one was left on the plate in matter of seconds before I could take a photo. It was the size of a siew mai and I tried half which was enough to impress me. The paste was almost like 'tau sar' or 'lian yong' consistency with mild coffee taste while the little bun was crisp just like a deep fried donut. The yellow slice on top was cheese by the way.

Anyway, there will be a generous 20% discount for all A-La-Carte items when you enter this coupon code 'BLOG137' when checkout www.coffeenowhere.com/order.

(Minimum order of $10, expire on 30/9/16)

The first interpretation that came to mind when I first came across of the word Imaginarium would be the combination of the words Imagination and Aquarium. The gallery space probably houses creative installations of artists' imagination, constructed and showcased in tangible forms.

It was rather deterring that the first exhibit that greeted me was a locked room of isomalt sugar created by Chef Janice Wong whom is a well known pastry chef in Singapore. Perhaps not the best shot to be taken from outside due to reflections. Just too bad I couldn't get a closer view of her creations.

My friend and I probably spent at least 20 minutes in the above space, re-experiencing the joy of being youthful/kiddy once again. 

White clean space casts by shadows of overhanging sponge-like fishes and jellyfish looking sea monsters. There were even little islands of hand sewn coral reefs and huge cushion whales which I refused to get up once I laid on them. Everything in there was just so soft and cushiony that I wanted to enter my La-la land form there Zzzz....

Maybe due to time constraint and us getting a bit tired since we headed over to Imaginarium from the other building where the other exhibit Odyssey was held. I felt Odyssey was still better in terms of layout as the exhibits were not all over the place and they were nicely spaced out. Was that why my previous blog post on Odyssey was much more detailed? Perhaps I just could not find any useful data online to blog about this exhibit?

''The sea, once it cast its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.''

                                                                                                                    - Jacques Cousteau

So much for scanning through the Instagram's explore button which led me to notice a couple of beautifully taken pictures in Singapore Art Museum. Both exhibitions 'Odyssey' and 'Imagiarium' run concurrently in Singapore Art Museum, but in different buildings.

As usual, the highlights were the same usual paintings and art installations that the mainstream social media enthusiast would flood Instagram with. Society is all about attention grabbing and social media worthy I supposed. I know it is a sad thing for those 'others' being neglected, therefore the more I should find a reason to share their beauty as well.

Thankfully the crowd wasn't awfully packed that day at all, since it is a museum after all. People who visited that day as I noticed were mostly families with young children or people like me who do not want to spend too much on entertainment activities on a weekend.  

Ever since Homer's epic poem The Odyssey told the story of warrior Odysseus' ten-year journey home from Troy. Basically Odyssey meant any epic journey and all the art installations simply revolves around journey, travel and water bodies as the mode of travel.

Travelling and going on a journey has always been mysterious to me since I would never know what to expect throughout the journey. The spirit of exploration and discovery could be detected in all these art installations and probably similar abyss of thoughts must be something that intrigue these artists.

Luckily I looked like I had a slight sunburn that day (the redness on my face) since I had undergone Venus Viva Nano Fractional Treatment at Chrysalis Medical Aesthetics about an hour before. At least I could still post photos of myself with these inspirational arts...

P.s/ HDB Life and the picture below it is not part of Odyssey's exhibit.