Singapore Arts, Beauty and Inspirations Male Blogger

Having heard about Singapore Contemporary Art Show (2nd edition) which opens on 19 January, 2017 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, I decided to make my way down with a friend on the very last day despite the gloomy weather that persuaded me to think twice.

The event falls strategically during Singapore Art Week which was from January 11 - 22 Jan,

2017. It hosted over 90 exhibitors, featuring a wide collection of paintings, sculptures as well as photography works. Most of these artists were also present, probably during the opening as I visited 2 hours before the event finale. Yup, I missed all the exciting talks, workshops and other sessions that were available to the public. 

My intention to visit was mainly to admire these art works, get inspirations as well as to snap photos of art that captured my attention and liking. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one capturing photos since I spotted many other art enthusiasts or collectors doing the same thing. Gone with the awkward ''am I the only one taking photos?'' feeling. Besides the countless photos which I had taken but only posted a couple of my favourites, I also uploaded 2 brief videos of what it was like in Singapore Contemporary. Not much of a crowd actually, perfect to tour around comfortably while I often looked up to see which country each exhibitors were from. I felt that a country's culture would definitely influence the artists' style of art.

Anyway, feel free to check out Singapore Contemporary's web page link below for more information:

http://www.singaporecontemporary.com/information/en/

Marina Bay Sands is known to be one of the more difficult places in Singapore when it comes to finding an affordable meal (at least to many of us, besides the 'high-end' food court).

With the opening of Kuro-Obi Take-Away Bar by Ippudo, those working around the vicinity or frequent Marina Bay Sands visitors / Pokemon trainers would rejoice as each bowl of ramen only cost $8 to $12!

Like many ramen outlets out there, customers would be given a form where they could customise the hardness of noodles, intensity of the soup as well as the amount of oil. I love my ramen to have extra garlic but with no onions! I usually enjoy strong broth but 'light flavor' would be my preferred option here since the soup base was kind of overwhelming.

Be prepared to be full since each bowl contains 140g of thick noodles instead of the usual 100g standard of Ippudo.

I had the KURO-OBI ($12) (top right bowl form the above image) and the ingredients were done perfectly to my liking. Molten yolk egg, tender chicken chashu and soft vegetables that still retained a bite.

The other ramens available were SHIRO-OBI ($8), AKA-OBI ($10) and CHA-OBI ($9).

If you would prefer to sit in, relax and enjoy your meal, Ippudo (located beside Kuro-Obi Take-Away Bar) would probably be your option instead.

The Goboten Salad with Collagen Tonkatsu Dressing would be your average salad with the addition of goboten. A quick google search told me that goboten is a root type vegetable, which is actually very rich in dietary fibres.

Our Hakata Bite Size Gyoza ($9 for 5 pieces ; $16 for 10 pieces) came a little darker than usual but not burnt. Yup, I could finish one in a bite.

The Pork Belly Bun ($5) came in cute dim sum baskets. They make decent bites for those who would want a less filling non-ramen meal.

Samurai Rib ($7 per piece ; $13 for 2) was a new dish of a refreshing twist to me. It looks partially fried, giving it a slightly crisp exterior. The meat inside was delicious yet tender.   

Corn Balls (decided to call them that since I forgot the actual name) were actual corns, clustered and deep fried, finished with paprika! It was so addictive and one would never be enough.

Looking like a mini bowl of ramen, the Almond Jelly Noodle ($6) was an interesting twist to how desserts should look like. Equipped with a pair of chopsticks, I started slurping down the silky smooth agar noodle, gulping down the remaining bowl of almond soy milk (if I am not wrong). 

My friend even mistaken that piece of goji berry to be chili padi!

The urge to bite into a crisp yet not oily batter that unveiled contents with their juices sealed within is definitely irresistible to many. That includes myself who usually put aside the thought of 'deep fried' to indulge once a while. 

It was my pleasure to accompany my friend to witness the official opening of Saboten's third outlet, level 3 of 100 AM Mall last month. As Saboten has over 500 branches across the world, 4 being in Singapore and the newest outlet has opened at Raffles City Shopping Centre. 

The highlights that day would probably be the Mangalitsa Katsu and it was no surprise since Saboten is acclaimed as the biggest Tonkatsu chain in the world. Mangalitsa Katsu sounds rather alien to many since its meat was from a rare pig known as ''woolly pig''. Aside from the kawaii name, its flesh contained much more fats, but still healthier due to its low saturated fat content.

Apart from the fried ebi dish which I am allergic to, it was my first time having fried Chilean abalones as well as scallops croquette. The abalone wasn't rubbery as I expected it to be while I definitely love the chunks of juicy fresh scallops embedded in the crispy batter.

I ended off the meal with a glass of low alcohol content orange flavoured sake and a scoop of refreshing yuzu ice cream.       

Being the first Japanese Onsen with the largest variety of pools in Singapore, Yunomori Singapore has positioned itself in being authentic and a hub for relaxation as well as rejuvenation. Besides the onsen which was probably the highlight, Yunomori also consists of Thai style treatments as well as massage.   

Stepping into Yunomori Singapore almost felt if I could just surrender myself to enlightenment and I admit that I am definitely a huge fan of zen space and elements as well as woody and earthy-toned furnishing. Just check out and admire the tessellation wall while placing your shoes into the lockers perpendicular to them.

With the launch of Singapore's first ever Yuzu Bath which I would be sharing, Yunomori cafe has also doled out a series of yuzu theme dishes!

Starting off with the irresistibly refreshing Yuzu Soda ($5+) which I couldn't help constantly sipping and enjoying the combination of the citrusy minty soda.  

  

  

The Onsan is split into male and female (sorry, no couple onsen..) since being naked is required before entering the onsen premise. Baskets of neatly folded Yukatas laid before me as I had a difficult choice of selection since I kind of love a couple of these designs. Wondered how I ended up with the bird prints. 

It definitely was great to have another blogger friend with me since probably the best moment to capture photos would be in Yukata, either before or after enjoying the onsen.

Armed with only a small towel while the yukata, a bigger bath towel and the rest of my belongings were placed into our individual locker. The black band that I wore around my wrist was the key to unlock my numbered locker door.

My friend and I had a quick shower (as required) before heading over to the onsen to soak. I admit that I am the type who could not be bothered to even shield my private part while in the onsen area while most people would instinctively do so. All guys isn't it?

I kept wondering how females behave in the onsen. I doubt they would reveal.   

There were a total of 7 categories of bath/spa in which you could enjoy. 

Clockwise order from entrance, they were:

 Bubble Bath, Jet Bath, Soda Bath, Yuzu Bath, Hot Bath, Cold Bath, Steam Room and Suana.

From what I personally experienced, the Yuzu Bath was my favourite as I repetitively went back into it to enjoy the fragrance of the Yuzu. Soaking in yuzu bath is practised by the Japanese during winter season where it was believed to help ward off winter colds and common flu. Not only that, the my skin felt smoother and more moisturised! The yuzus were in sachet bags and could be seen floating on the surface of the bath. Not to forget, they were specially imported from Japan!

At that time which was about 10pm, many other guys also repetitively went back to the Yuzu Bath since it would only be available for a limited time till 31 December 2016.

Check out the EXTENDED 1 FOR 1 ONSEN PROMO due to popular demand!

T&C Apply

Thank you Brandcellar and Yunomori Singapore for the invite.

Yunomori Onsen & Spa Singapore

I used the multi-action cream which acts as a form of a moisturising agent. It was creamy white and spreads easily onto my skin, leaving it moist without any stickiness. It was mentioned by Dr Zhang that the cream would not be suitble for young skin, which would be probably be alright for me.  

I tried using the Stem Cell Sheet mask as well and the mask sheet was somwhow misfitting to my face structure. I have used 2 masks, and they had the faint medical smell and slightly slimy on touch. Not too bad as a supplement for my skin! 

I am obviously not someone who have any form of knowledge in regards to the pottery industry but when it comes to art, anyone could be an admirer of them. 

From what I have read, Iskandar Jalil appears to be one of Singapore and Southeast Asia’s most prominent and recognised ceramic artists. He had about 200 pieces of his ceramics being exhibited at National Gallery Singapore till 28 February 2017. 

''Kembara Tanah Liat (Clay Travels) in the exhibition title refers to his life-long dialogue with clay and belief that the material is imbued with the identities and characteristics of the land from which it comes.''

Something I learnt from his impressive collection of ceramics would be that whatever we do, we should stick to our passion. He started from the 1960s till today, a journey that continues to perfect his craft.  

This short blog entry would probably act as a sneak peek since individual descriptions of each art are group-cramped into a little square and I would not know which is which. 

These creations would definitely make perfect decoration for admiration or interpretations. I just love to 'macro' zoom in using my eyes to have a closer look at those textures besides their shapes and forms. I also noticed that the colours were mainly earthy tones, nothing vibrant or too colourful. Just antique and subtly mysterious.

The exhibit is divided into 2 areas which you may want to approach the staff if you could not find!