TGIM!!!

Yes, its my new thing. When people all would be normally
cheering TGIF, im more of the TGIM supporter, becoz
Mondays is my official meet up days with dear.

I so the love love monday very very much, can?!?!

What made today even more worthwhile, is that
we managed to get a rare gem unintentionally. This
precious thing, is not easy to get and find.

These are the Shrimp Floss Sushis from Edo at Bedok.
I love it so much. Dear love it too. Seriously, who
wouldnt like it? Especially among the Chinese people.

This thing, i only see it once in a blue moon,
because i dont think they make alot of it. Once
finished, means everything is gone, and the next
batch will only be available the following day.

And what makes me experience severe heart pain,
is that these mini sushis are the bomb! And so hard
to find. Which means to me, its of a very great value.
And thats y, i feel so happy if i see it, and would
rush to get it 1st!!!

The shrimp floss is simply magnificent. And that
small stick of cucumber just finishes everything off
very nicely. Well, dont worry the floss isnt too spicy,
and most of us can handle it, im pretty sure.

Wonder if instead of chicken floss breads, they
could modify and create some shrimp floss ones.
Wow, that would be quite amazing i guess.

Wahahahahahahahaha..
Me and my ideas!!! Anyways, nothing beats washing
down your sushis other than bubble tea right?

This is Banana Milkshake from SweetTalk, and it is
pure bliss. Drinking this makes you forget your
worries, and put you in a relaxed state of mind, away
from wadever troubles you are having.

I swear, this is probably the best replacement for drugs.

This is my all time favourite milkshake right here ok!
Forget your hate for Dutch Lady's banana milk or
some banana flavoured powdered supplements. Here
is a drink that can make you smile, even if nothing
happened. Dont believe? Try it.

What a fantastic day people. A rare japanese gem and
a heck of a milkshake. I couldnt ask for anything better.
And having these with the love of ur life is just
irreplaceble.

Im sure my tummy would agree too.
Wahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.. =)

got this the other day at the chinese bakery on delancey & essex for $5 bubble tea, sandwich, and fruit tart

People are all experiencing the Monday blues today,
but expect me to be one hell of a cheerful chap,
when Monday arrives each and every week!!

Why? Because on this special day,
i get to meet my beloved and its the only weekday
that i get to see her, with her busy school schedule,
and rushing like crazy to meet deadlines.

So this is the only time, in the week, where i get
to be happy with her, when weekends are left
for family and work.

And you know her, she is such a darling.
Went to school early morning to pass up her
project, still can buy food for me la, can?!?!?!

All chicken stuff somemore!! Everyone knows i like
chicken!!! Well, i just hope she's not actually trying
to kill me by hoping i'll get bird flu! Just kidding babe.
Wahahahahahahhaahahah...

Anyways, like i said, all chicken tonight. Lets start.

This is Kung Po Chicken. Well, its not as spicy when i
1st tried it cause previously, the auntie wanted to
kill me i think. So today was so much better, but it
is so filling la can?!?!?!

I cant hardly finish in one sitting. I had to keep it
for a while, and then continue eating again afterwards.
Like that seldom happens ok! Anyways, what a great
meal it was. Dont mind having it again, seriously. However,
this meal has an acquired taste, and not all will like it.

Then she bought me these finger foods, 3 of them to
be exact, also from her school. There was
Crispy Chicken, Tofu Chicken and these Cheese
Potatoes thingy. I forgot the exact name.

I liked the potatoes the most actually. It had cheese
inside the potatoes and tasted really good. Sure beats
eating Old Chang Kee's sweet potatoes hands down!!

The two chicken on sticks were nice too, especially i
thought the tofu ones were really unique. Never really
tasted anything like it before, and honestly its a
pretty good invention. The crispy chicken was just
normal, nothing so special. Maybe coz i didnt have it
really hot, and it got softer in the end. Well, i dunno.

And i am proud to announce, that me and dear will be
embarking on the milkshake side of the bubble tea
conquest, and it starts today!!!!

Introducing the Honey Milkshake from SweetTalk!!

And i just got this feeling, that this particular flavour
of milkshake, is going to be ranked the top most at
the end of it all. Yes, its that darn good.

Never thought such a simple thing could be so nice and
so refreshing. My eyes literally sparkled as i took the first
sip of the honey milkshake. Like, its just so nice.
And thats all there is to it.

What a great day!! Mondays are just so fabulous dont
you think?? Especially for a little organ, i think you should
know which.

Wahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.. =)

Okay, another achievement has been reached and i am
so the very very happy and touching la, can?!?!?!

Wahahahahahaahahahahahaha...

Im proud to announce that part of my conquest has been
finished, and im glad to share with you people the
results and conclusion of it all.

Since i promised you in my previous entry i would, here's
the low-down on my bubble tea conquest!!!!!

Ok, what me and my dear are done with here,
is the milk tea platform or version of the bubble tea,
and most of these are bought from SweetTalk,
whether you like them or not, to maintain a precise
comparison standard since SweetTalk is a big franchise.

But even if we're done with milk teas, im still uncertain
whether i will venture to the milkshakes, red tea and
green tea. Everyone knows i dislike green tea. Most
probably i will cover milkshakes, but we just have to
wait and see. Steady?? Okay!

So after trying out like more than 20 milk teas,
we have come to a conclusion on whats hot and
whats not. But of course, i recommend you trying
it out yourself and not take my words 100%. Like
they say, different people have different tastes.

Alright then. Im gonna rank these bubble milk teas,
with the top 3 and bottom 3, based on my discussion
and a systematic voting system with dear.

Wahahahahaha. So like a science experiment, can?!!?!?!

The top 3, with number 1 being best:
1) Honey Milk Tea
2) Green Apple Milk Tea
3) Banana Milk Tea.

No surprises here, as the decisions were pretty much
unanimous. These 3 bubble milk teas are clear
runaway winners of their category, and there's no
two ways about it. Besides, i can drink either one of
these like every single day of my life. So kudos!

The bottom 3, with number 1 being least favourite:
1) Yam Milk Tea
2) Coffee Milk Tea
3) Vanilla Milk Tea.

Im disappointed with these, and to add insult to injury,
these flavours were amongst those recent ones
that we've tried. I guess yam is just not worthy of a
milk tea blend, and inevitably, coffee never mix
with tea. Its like saying a lobster is a prawn. And thats
pretty naive.

So, the milk tea chapter is closed, and expect me
to try out these flavours again in the future. Although,
im so tempted to move on with the milkshakes.

Ive already tried 5-6 milkshake flavours and 4-5
red tea flavours so far. But i have not tried any
green tea versions just as yet, and am still deciding
whether i should.

Maybe, ill leave it up to my tummy to decide
such a painful dilemma!!!

Wahahahahahaahahahahhahaahahaha.. =)

Today it felt like ive won a lucky draw, because my dear
had no school!!! Like so slack right for 3rd year students?!
Ok, she's gonna hammer me for that statement.

Wahahahahahahahaahaha....

Anyways, got the time for jalan-jalan (walk-walk),
and its not everytime we get to meet due to our busy life.
So, brought her to Vivo City and Harbourfront centre. And
the best place to dine, seriously without fuss, is....

Okay, today we decided to go fully Chinese-mode,
without ordering or eating anything that is not
Chinese. So here goes.

We found this super duper Chinese stall at one corner
of Banquet, and decided to indulge ourselves in the
food that they had to offer.

I, love all things dry, and not so soupy. So i chose the
Spicy Dry La Mian. It was so damn spicy la can?!?!?!
Look at the chilli ok!!! My tongue was burning. So,
if you people got a weakness for spicy, request for
less chilli. But i dont think there is a kick with less chilli.

Anyways, the soup was excellent. I know, i just said
i dont like soupy things, but i will make an exception with
this one. Taste very the abalone stock kind of soup,
and its very refreshing. Love this dish as a whole.

On the contrary, dearest loved soupy stuffs, and so
she opted for the Seafood Soup La Mian. This one is also
nice. The ingredients were really generous and i think
it wasnt overcooked. Nicely done indeed.

And the soup was also not so bad, although she would
have given you a better account on the soup as
compared to me, since im not a soup fan. But i think this
is good stuff right here.

Then we tried this fried dumplings just to taste wad its
all about. Well, it has eggs, abit of prawns i believe and
sort of vegetables too. Its like your everyday fried
dumpling, nothing too special. But somehow this one
was extra crispy. I like this one too.

This is the Braised Chicken. Seriously, i dont know exactly
how to describe it, but i loved it. Especially the
chilli paste where it was braised in, with the onions
and everything just fell into place. This is quite
spicy, so watch out and get your drink ready.

Its kind of, tandoori meets sambal meets curry.
Wahahahahahahaahahahahaha.. So chim..

Then as usual ended the day with...
Bubble tea!!!!!!! Woooo!!!!!

This is Vanilla Milk Tea. I wasnt at all confident about
this drink at 1st, and thought it would taste weird and
terrible.

Well initially it did kind of, and tasted more like the
plain biscuit from Khong Guan!!!! Like im so
serious here la can?!?!?!?!

But eventually, somehow, the vanilla flavour blended
so well with the milk tea and i can taste the creaminess
and nice texture of the drink. No more plain biscuit,
more like some sort of drink you get from Starbucks.

And with this bubble tea, im proud to announce that
we have officially tasted all the milk teas in SweetTalk!!
Yay!!!!! I will rank the best and worst of milk teas,
in the coming entry, hopefully.

Another sweet sweet day spent with my one and only
beloved brings so much joy and light into my life. Its
something i just can never replace.

Just like, the irreplaceable good food, that enlightened
my tummy today.

Wahahahahahahahahaahahahaha.. =)

Finally I get to meet my dearest!
It seems like only every Monday I can see him.
Other than that, I would be busy with school
even during weekends.
I'll be very busy finishing my assignments.

So nothing much.
We bought some food and not forgetting our
BUBBLE TEA...
Hahahahaha.
We tried Coffee Milk Tea!!!

I'm not a coffee fan and I prefer tea.
I just find that coffee has an overpowering taste.
There is this bitter aftertaste which I don't like.
That's why I would just stick to tea.
And tea has lesser caffeine content compared to coffee.
Plus! Tea also has some health benefits.
Hahahaha.

Well I don't really quite like the Coffee Milk Tea.
Even though I suggested on trying it,
dearest Asyraf had to finish it up.
He's a coffee drinker so no problem for him.

Once you take a sip of it, you will taste coffee
followed by milk tea and lastly the coffee again.
When you keep drinking it, you will find that it
gets bitter and bitter.

That is why we have the milk tea added.
At least there's some form of sweetness to balance out.
Somehow I feel that it's possible that the person
who made drink must have added too much coffee.

=)

Katherine made this Chicken that was delicious. Also, it made me fat because I ate most of them..

You could probably tell Katie liked them as well.

That thing in the sky. We found out it was called the sun. It makes things brighter.

I wonder what Greg is thinking here. "If you don't put that camera away I will SHOVE IT UP YOUR....."

With Homemade biscuits. So. Good.

Playing some game that requires physical movement. I opted out.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, after the gajillion hour drive back from Ocean Shores I called up Deborah and we headed for some bubble tea. Then we called Micah and met him at Magnuson Park for some sun action. We ran into Greg and Katherine at the beach, which was good because then they invited us over for some food. Now, I don't want to eat anything but twice baked potatoes.

These dogs were so tiny that the had Deborah in a puppy frenzy.

I ate mine.

Deborah running for the Ice Cream truck. Not Kidding.

Look who we ran into at the beach. We caught them making out.

Micah proves with another picture why girls from Match should message him.

Micah: This was so good that I am going to dream about it tonight.

I really don't know why I post food pictures, because I just get hungry.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Camping Pictures from Ocean Shores coming soon.......where I vomited everywhere. Good Times.

So recently, ok lah, yesterday rather, my family and i
decided that we had enough of my sister's complaints
and whining, and brought her to a place shes dying to
go to.

Its been a very long time since she's been there, and so,
that itch arises. For me however, im not a big fan, but i too
havent been there for quite a while. So we're off to:

Im sure we Singaporeans have all been here before right?
And yes, we went to the Marina Sq branch which i thought,
totally beat the Tampines branch's ass la, can?!?!?!?!

Wahahahahahaahahahahahaha..

So anyways, we were like saving ourselves for this
korean cook-yourself-type buffet, and didnt eat the
whole day!!! An empty stomach waits for no man.

I didnt hesitate in like filling in my plates with all the
raw stuff, and i actually was very excited to cook all
those raw meat!!! Like so the predator la can?!?!

Of course there was the soup, which we chose tom yam
coz our family cant stand bland watery stuff. Anyway,
being a korean influenced place, chicken and beef bulgogi
were favourites but there were also chicken lemon,
beef black pepper, lots of seafood and many more!!!

So it was like cook and cook, eat and eat. Like so the
tired and hot la, can?!?!?! And after a while i was like
giving up on the cooking, and doing more of the
eating instead!!! I loike!!!

My mum, being the housewife, really know how to cook
these raw meat man. I was enjoying life as she kept
putting freshly grilled stuff onto my plate time and
time again.

And of course i did experiments with the food, and
some turned out alright, while others were failures!!
Hey, i paid already so i do whatever i want ok!!! And
i'll eat as much as i can!

But i love my self made dessert. I so love love many many!

Like i was putting so many treasures inside the bowl ok.
There's grass jelly, red beans, those colourful things in
chendol, flavoured jelly, nata de coco, 2 different syrups,
lots of evaporated milk and corns!!!

I think theres more stuff in it but i just cant remember
my beautiful concoction. My father cant even eat it coz
it was too sweet for him. He is the type who doesnt really
like things too sweet.

And we ended it all with none other than.......

Ice cream!!!!!!

There's like, raspberry ripple, vanilla, mango, yam,
strawberry, peach, chocolate chip mint and chocolate
chip ice cream scoops. And also topped up with lots
of nuts and a bit of raisins. My mum made this.

Well, as you've guessed it, we left the place 5 inches
wider and 3kg heavier!!! Like im so off to the gym these
few days la, can?!?!?!

Although it was a fun and filling experience, today i also
had the chance to meet up with dear to spent some time
with her. Despite her tight schedule, today she freed
herself from some work, to meet me coz i miss her.

And nothing much today, just spent time with her. But
dont worry, there will always be time for bubble tea!!!!

Today we tried the Lychee Milk Tea from Bedok SweetTalk.
It wasnt the best milk tea ive had, cause you really can
taste the strong lychee flavour.

It was as good as drinking pure lychee drink, but with
a very distant pinch of creaminess. But if you all are
curious enough, i think its pretty safe to try this tea.

So 2 days of fun, excitement and comfort means a good
start to the new week, but also a fabulous end to the month
of June. May the coming month of July brings the same
joy, if its not for our lives, for our tummies will do fine.

Wahahahahahaahahahahahahahahhaha.. =)

Awalnya ini diproteksi biar keren. :D

Nama grupnya...yah tebak aja dari yang saya utarakan. Saya cuma mau menyanggah deskripsinya yang menurut saya dibuat asal jeblak dan tak dipikir panjang. Apa cuma main-main atau serius saya kurang tahu deh. Mudah-mudahan sih cuma main-main karena ini juga main-main yang serius. Seperti main-main kompor spiritus di lab. biologi.

1. Kami lebih besar, dan merupakan negara terbesar di Asia Tenggara. (err...apakah itu menjamin kehebatan kita? besar tapi bodoh?)

2. Jumlah penduduk kami lebih banyak, dan kami bangga akan hal itu!!! (makin banyak penduduk bukannya makin susah, positifnya tentara mungkin lebih banyak. tapi masa kita cuma mau jago adu jotos doang.)

3. Ambil saja Sipadan dan Ligitan, kami masih punya puluhan ribu pulau...HAHAHA!!!, mau lagi, silahkan ambil... (kalo terus-terusan diambil sekalian aja ambil pulau Jawa.)

4. Haduh, kasian yah Malaysia, kagak punya tradisi tersendiri....uuppppssss, malah ambil Batik ama Angklung Indonesia....kami masih punya banyak kok di Indonesia...tenang saja...mau SOTO??, NASI GORENG??, RENDANG??...apa???...mau apa???...silahkan... (okeh, saya ngaku kalah kali ini....)

5. Tetangga kita itu PEMALAS!!!, so mereka sewa org2 Indonesia buat cuci piring, ngepel, dsb...(well, efek samping dari nomor 2. mungkin mereka semua yang sedkit itu sibuk di lab atau di depan komputer. kalo kita kan banyaknya sibuk di depan meja gaple)

6. Well, at least kita pernah ada Presiden Wanita..haha! (tapi apakah membanggakan?)

7. haduh, MALAYSIA itu d mana yah? (pernah belajar geografi enggak?)

8. liat aja nama Ibukotanya, wakakakaka... (nama "Jakarta" sendiri menurut saya terasa sedikit narsis)

9. Bahasa Melayu = Bahasa Indonesia yg salah!!! (jangan ditiru teman2!!!)...bayangin aja... pintu darurat di pesawat dinamakan Pintu panik-panik...wakakakaka (FYI Bahasa Indonesia sendiri merupakan gado-gado bahasa. Secara sebenarnya bisa dibilang juga Bahasa kita adalah penyempurnaan dari Bahasa Melayu. Mungkin kita bisa bilang Bahasa Melayu salah karena tidak sering diupgrade seperti Bahasa Indonesia. Tetapi saya rasa orang Inggris juga bakal tersenyum melihat kita menyerap bahasa mereka menjadi bahasa sehari-hari kita)

10. Bali di mana yaaa??? (ada di Indonesia memang...tapi orang kita juga banyak yang suka ke Malaysia. singkatnya semua punya kelebihan dan kekurangan tho?)

11. haduh, siapa org Malaysia kagak taw Sheila On 7, Ungu, Padi, Krisdayanti, Agnes Monica, Titik Puspa, dll...dan kita hanya tau Siti Nurhaliza...wakakakaka (ah, musik ya? tidak mau komentar deh...kebetulan saya sendiri cuma suka Nidji sama Letto [Padi lumayan suka sih sama kayak Sheila on 7 juga lumayan suka])

12. oia, kami itu INDONESIA, bukan INDON, jadi STOP PANGGIL KAMI INI INDON!!! (supaya adil...hentikan penyebutan Malingsia atau Malon dong. Sekalian berdamai)

13. Coba hitung negara d dunia yg d dalam benderanya ada bulan / bintang, dan bandingkan negara di dunia yg merah putih (hmmm....cuma Indonesia & Monaco tuh!!!)..HAHA! (FYI Polandia juga meskipun dibalik...Belanda juga ada merah putihnya...halah)

14. Udah berapa banyak situs Malaysia yg dibajak org Indonesia?... :) (wadehek?)

Bukannya saya pro Malaysia atau tidak Nasionalis lho. Nasionalisme dan Patriotisme kan juga punya mata, yang tidak punya mata kan hukum.

Kenapa saya bisa kepikiran seperti ini? Cuma untuk menunjukkan harga diri Indonesia kok. Meskipun saya ini bukan tipe orang yang Nasionalis tapi soal harga diri saya memegang paham Samurai. Habisnya kok mau "mengganyang" malah menjatuhkan harga diri sendiri [mengganyang diri sendiri?].

Anyway, I don't really like to blog about restaurants I don't like, so this post has actually been sitting in my drafts for a while now. It is a bit mean to give bad reviews, though at the same time wouldn't it be cruel to not spread the word about places that are not worth dining at?

Anyway, so here it is, Gogo Tea Cafe - a tea house in Richmond that have waitresses in Cosplay. If you live under a rock, then it doesn't really matter that you don't know what Cosplay is - this would just be another tea house with waitresses in funky uniforms. Unfortunately, it is worse if you are into Cosplay, because this would just be another tea house with waitresses in funky uniforms. And not Cosplay. Whatever. When it first opened it was like the "have you been there yet?" "we have to check it out" type of it place. Trendy? Not really. Oh they try. But I expected more from a so called  "maid" cafe.

I will say though, it's nice that the cafe is upstairs (though the view is not all that spectacular), and the place looks pretty slick:

Unfortunately, there is a very bad stench from their bathroom, and unfortunately, their bathrooms are located right at their entrance, conveniently killing whatever appetite you have as you walk in.

Again, I will say this: their menu is quite big, and varied, so there are endless choices: fried snacks, noodles, hotpots, sizzling hot plates, all kinds of meat. Not bad. Typical tea house stuff.

First up, chocolate, and mango milk tea. They come with the set lunches, which is good. Unfortunately, the latter tastes just like this instant bubble tea powder mix I bought once at some Taiwanese tea house:

Tomato rice with an egg on top:

Vegetable hot pot. There are quite a few things in here, which is good I guess. Although, this is not vegetarian - their choice of soup base is either chicken or pork, or beef. They did not have a vegetable soup.

Rest of the hotpot sides: more of what's already in the hotpot - tofu, mushrooms, cabbage etc. There was also a bowl of white rice. Soy and spicy sauces for dipping, as well as minced ginger and green onions. And I guess it is pretty thoughtful of them to give you a little lychee jelly snack as a dessert:

Herb Chicken hot pot. They're not skimping on the chicken, I guess:

The sides, same kind of stuff, but with (ugh) SPAM:

I will say I always like little heated pots you get all to yourself for a meal. One of their stoves didn't really work though, so the pot of stuff never boiled up or even stayed warm. (We ended up just switching the pots mid-meal, nobody bothered to replace the stove.) Neither the drinks nor the food was great enough to have me going back ever again. It was also very empty for a weekend lunch. Despite this, the service was slow and rather unattentive.

Ugh. And I am so done with this post.

Gogo Tea Cafe

2170- 8188 McKim Way, Richmond

604 244 7336

Today is the due date for FPQA Package 1 Project.
Like finally it's over!!!
Hahahaha.
But Package 2 will be up next -.-
I bet it will be the same process.

We will be all so clueless.
Tons and tons of research to be done.
So many hours will be spent based on doing this subject alone.
As much as I want to take things easily,
I will still worry.
Not only FPQA but other subjects like CRM, FI and AFP.

Other subjects also require us to do many projects and assignments.
And now when school has re-open,
I just could feel the pressure again.
So much for feeling elated that most of my work are done.
Haizzzz.....
I just have to pray hard that I would make it through this semester.

Oh well.... life still goes on.
Hahahahaha.
What would life be without someone who has always been there for you
through thick and thin?
I'm talking about my one and only, Asyraf.
Thank God that he is here with me.
He has been trying his best to lighten up my burden.

I'm almost done with my CRM presentation for next week.
And I got stuck for the last 2 parts because I couldn't understand the notes.
So he's that type who understands things better than me.
I got him to explain to me as well as showing me
the method of answering the question.
Hehehehehe.

And with all his help I bought him some food =)
It's a way of thanking him and
I do appreciate all that he has done for me.
Not forgetting our bubble tea conquest.
Hahahahaha.
This time round we tried Kiwi Milk Tea.

Personally I feel this kiwi flavour has a combination taste
of honeydew and green apple.
But somehow it goes well with milk tea.
You get this fruity and milky taste as though u are drinking yoghurt drink.
As you keep drinking, there is this limey taste as well.
Maybe because kiwi is acidic?
Hahahahaha.

I remember the first time I tried it. Slimy balls of black goo at the bottom of my too-sweet bevarage in some dingy cafe in Sydney's chinatown. Literally chewing my tea. I could sense my Persian ancestors rolling in their graves with every tea-filled bite.

So I put the bubble tea down, declared I didn't like it, and wrote it off as a gastronomic abomination never to be consumed again. But, after getting back on the horse, I realized it's because I had never had good bubble tea before. And, living in New York City, I'm happy to say that the opportunity for a decent cup presents itself quite frequently, especially with Chinatown being its biggest purveyor.

What began as abject horror has now sneakily transformed into a legitimate addiction, and my mouth couldn't be happier.

So from Harlem, NYC, I present you the bible of my favorite bubble tea joints (as well as some places to stay away from). May your adventures be as hydratingly chewy as mine!

SAINTS ALP 39 3rd Ave, @ 9th st.
I'm going to cut to the chase here-
This is singlehandedly the best place to get bubble tea in Manhattan. With reasonably priced drinks, speedy service, and a fabulously large menu, Saints Alp has never disappointed. Not only are their tapioca pearls firm and chewy, but the bubbles themselves are boiled in sweetened water- a rare step that gives Saints Alp an edge over its blander-bubbled competitors. This added kick gives the drink a nice base layer for sweetened milk flavors, or plainer versions . I personally prefer my tea black and unsweetened (like my men), but the hint of sugar in the boba is just right. $3.50

TEA KETTLE 26 St. Mark's Place
No. No no no no. Everytime I go there, they mess up my order. Maybe I have just had bad luck, but I feel as if my request for Black tapioca pearls goes unnoticed nearly every time. Don't be fooled by their special offer of colored bubbles- they have absolutely no taste, and their varying sizes confuse the mouth. While their black tea (when created properly) is pretty good, their more interesting flavors like Salted Plum are too-sweet and fall flat.

I understand what it's like to have the craving hit hard, and the convenience of Saint Marks is all-too enticing. However, I beseech you to walk up three blocks to Saints Alp and get more bang for your buck. Tea Kettle is frustratingly average, and its mac-store decor is enough to fool any newcomer. So go ahead, take this gateway drug if need be- but know that there are much better substances throughout the city, waiting to be consumed.

TEA-RIFFIC- 51 Mott St.
I have only had their almond bubble tea, and it seemed, well, pretty good. I'm sensitive to sweet drinks, and while this drink was predictably too sugary, I think it should be alright for those with more conventional taste buds. My only critique is that the bubbles were too small, about the size of a pea. This is an odd feeling, as most bubble tea straws are large, accommodating the normal size pearls (about the size of a nickel). I found myself packing the baby boba in my cheeks as I tried to compensate, chewing more but not getting that satisfactory huge chomp I've come to crave, like a heroin addict who needs the feeling of the needle. Shucks.

Green Tea Cafe-45 Mott St.
I ordered a hot, unsweetened black bubble tea here once and am never ordering hot bubble tea again. On top of not enjoying the temperature as much as the iced drinks, the boba were undercooked and starchy in the center, making my jaws ache and my eyes twitch. The pearls were flavorless, the tea bland, and and the whole drink just poorly brewed over all. While I'm only judging the bubble tea here, my friend ordered an apricot icecream and received a green scoop of flavorless, frozen dairy. I think this place is best left skipped.

Tea Spot-127 MacDougal St.
Not only is this bubble tea over-priced ($4.50), it is overcooked and nearly disintegrated by the time it hits my teeth. I ordered a black-peach tea and received a milky lavender concoction. Leaving the store, I took one sip, then marched right back in.
"Excuse me?" I asked the barista, "Does this have dairy?"

Faking lactose intolerance, I asked for a different flavor since the first one tasted so awful. The barista was very generous and quickly prepared me the same drink, this time without milk (and purple coloring?), no charge. The plain black and peach tea itself was good, so I recommend just sticking to the store's excellent selection of loose teas instead. Hopefully their boba drinks are just a phase.

While I know I am still missing a few key places (such as Ten-Ren), I feel this is a comprehensive enough guide for those wishing to dip their toes into the hard world of drugs, prostitutes, and bubble tea cravings. Good luck, and remember, always get what you want. If they don't do your order right, don't be afraid to fake a disease in search of your true craving quencher.

Sadly, this is the last week of my holidays!!!
Which means is back to school with
more projects, assignments and tests!!!
And yes I met up with dearest Asyraf.

I don't know if that would be our last outing.
We shall see how.
Hehehehehehe.
Today's outing is more of chit-chatting and eating
instead of walking around a shopping mall.

And as usual again, we bought Japanese food!
Yes we are definitely not sick of it =)
We bought 2 sets.
One is a mix of different sushis.

The other one is something new.
I don't really know the actual name of the set.
But I assume it is called Salmon Tempura Don.
Hahahahahaha.

I like it very much.
I think I would rank this second after Unagi don =)

Then once we were at Bedok,
dearest Asyraf had cravings for chocolate waffle at Prima Deli.
Still got the cheek to give me that cute sad look.
I felt as though I'm the husband and he's my pregnant wife.... =p
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!

Of course, another new bubble tea flavour tried by us!
Any guesses?
Are you ready for the answer???
Are you sure?
No second thoughts?
Give up??
Hahahahahaha.

Oklah enough of guessing, we actually tried Lemon Milk Tea!

We find that the lemon flavour was overpowering.
We couldn't even taste the milk tea at all.
I think it was due to overdose of the flavouring.
Or maybe its just that this lemon flavour has a strong taste.

But towards the end of finishing up the bubble tea,
it tasted like Paddle Pop ice-cream.
By then it was already diluted, and it actually tasted much better.
And what more can I say?
I absolutely enjoyed the day with my loved one =)

I like this definition:

crav·ing (krā'vĭng) : n.   A consuming desire; a yearning.

Craving No. 1 -- Koi Cafe Pearl Milk Tea (AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY!)

Okay. Unlike usual, this particular cup of bubble tea on this particular day didn't make me swoon over it. I think it has got to do with the standards varying at different outlets. Or maybe 25% sugar is measured differently at different outlets?? Whatever the case, I refuse to believe that..that..my love for Koi Milk Tea was actually borne out of an impulsive conclusion made from drinking the first cup!

Sigh. I think it's true. The tea itself can never beat the flavourful Full House one. So maybe the appeal lies mainly in the small, shiny black balls we call pearls. In particular, I always like my bubble tea with the mini pearls at Koi Cafe. They're more like sago in terms of size and texture -- less chewy than regular pearls. Some may dismiss it as lacking the kick that their big brother gives, which I actually agree with to a certain extent. I guess I'm under the illusion that smaller pearls = smaller sin. HAHA.

Craving No. 2 -- MOF Gelato Ice Cream

Milk Tea flavour (left) and Azuki Red Bean flavour ($4 for single scoop with cone, $3.50 for cup)

Guess which one I had? (Obviously I'm not so greedy as to consume both at one go!)

...Azuki Red Bean! (Yummy pink nails courtesy of Dawn HAHA)

Just look at it! Doesn't it just make you wanna go MMMMmmm...? I actually tried both flavours but decided on azuki just 'cause it's more Japanese. More authentic ma..

It's delicious actually. Not too sweet and a refreshing change from the usual flavours you get. The beans add a welcome variation in the texture. The only thing is that I wish it was more like gelato, like the name says!! In fact it's nothing like it: no stickyness nor chewiness. But oh well, as Dawn suggested, maybe it's the Japanese version of gelato? Haha.

OH, and leaking cones! I say it in the plural sense 'cause it happened to not just me but her as well. But it was pretty amusing ;D Craving satisfied nonetheless! (:

Today was a japanese affair where food and eating was
concerned. Not that its any surprise to anyone who
has been religiously following our blog entries, but
this wasnt like any other day.

It was totally 100% japanese food for lunch and dinner!!
And i think i need a short break  from japanese cuisine.

And its not like we sat and dined at any restaurant or
whatever, we just went for the pick-and-go kind, because
i'm currently watching my meals and diet closely.

Actually, i met up with Emillia not knowing where to go
to, neither did she. So for some reason, we ended up at
IKEA tampines. We just decided to walk-walk there, and
see-see all the furnitures!

Like so just married like that, can?!?! *coughs coughs**

Anyways, didnt want to eat the hotdog there coz the queue
was long and after we happily walked around IKEA and
pretended what we could actually buy, we went to Giant coz
my tummy was like having thunders!!!

So at Giant, japanese food came in the form of:

Ok, as you people would have guessed, Emillia and i are
absolutely loving the Unagi Don sets right now. Its like
we're eating it every week!!!

I'm sooo much in loveeee with the unagi don i tell you.
No matter how the set is or what it comes with, to me
the unagi and japanese seasoned rice was good enough
itself. No need for any extra ingredients.

But i also tried the Chuka Tako and the Kani Kama. Well,
the former is actually octopus cooked in sesame seed red
sauce while the latter is consumable raw pure crab meat.
Non of the 80% flour, 20% crab nonsense!!! This is pure stuff.

And guess what. I loved the crabs. So sweet and fresh. Im
so loving it seriously. Emillia loved the octopus more than
i did, coz im the type whom doesnt like food to have too much
gravy. I like it plainer, so i can really taste the food item.

That was actually our dinner at around 1840 hours or so.
Very filling if you ask me. Earlier on, i had a sushi set also
by myself for lunch. This is a new set from Edosushi.

Well, i think Edo made a good move by doing sets like
this. I think people would buy sets more than just to pick
a few individual pieces. This way i think, Edo could earn
more. With more money, they can make better and
many more different types of sushis!!!! Yayyyy!!!

Wahahahahahaha.. Like small boy la can?!?!?!

Well, as usual bubble tea was the closing for a day's outing.
What would we try next?

Introducing the Blueberry Milk Tea at Bedok SweetTalk. Bedok
has two branches, this one is closer to the market, near the
bank. Thats where we always buy, just to maintain comparison
standards thats all.

I thought it was a bit overdose where the blueberry was
concerned, but after letting it sit and blend for a while, the
taste was great. We loved it. I think that berries, no matter
what kind, would blend well with the taste of milk tea
or any tea for that matter.

Thats why we see tea companies often producing fruity
flavoured teas. Its a good mix of two rich tastes. Loved it.

Another day ends that i would describe as a 'delicious
outing'. This kind of outing is especially appreciated and
well loved by our trusted organ, the stomach !!!

Wahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha.. =)

Finally I met up with Hilyah for the CRM project!
For this particular project, Hilyah and I supposedly to be married
and will be moving in to our new house.
Yes I know it's like very gay.
But then we just have to pretend.
Hahahahaha.

So we are required to buy some appliances, furnitures and lightings.
but they must be within our $25,000 budget.
As well as thinking of whether we would like to
have a car and further the wife's education.
We went to Tampines Courts and IKEA.
Well I'm glad that both of us think alike
because we were able to make a quick decision.

Somehow when I looked at all those things we have chosen,
I kind of like the concept.
It's more of modern and sophisticated
with red, black and white being the theme colours.
Not only that, the items were cheap too...
Maybe I could use this kind of planning for my future home =)

My dearest Asyraf was with me too.
Once everything was settled, both of us were feeling hungry.
And decided to head down to Giant.
Again, we bought Japanese food.
But today we had a new addition =)
So just sit back and relax.
You shall find out soon.......

We bought our all-time favourite sushi, Unagi.

I must apologized for the blur pictures.
My hand was quite shaky.
So moving on, I love the Unagi sushi so much.
I must say that here, they are very generous with the Unagi.
They give big pieces and the Unagi was moist and tender just the way I like it.
Hahahahaha.

We even thought of eating other types of sushi.
So we bought this sushi set.

Hmmm as for this set, I find the sushis were okay I guess.
Maybe because I'm a big fan of Unagi and so I could be biased.
Hahahahaha.

The last sushi we had was the octopus.
I think it's either called Ika or Idako in Japanese.

This looked tempting to us.
Usually when you go to those sushi shops,
you will find Ajitsuke Idako which is the one in red sauce or
another one in orange sauce but I don't know what you called that in Japanese.
Hehehehe.
But we've never seen this before and so we decided to try it.
I like it very much.
I think they use the same sauce to marinate the Unagi.
The octopus was kind of semi-cooked so the texture was tender and not chewy or rubbery.

I mentioned earlier that we had a new addition.
Usually we had sushis and bubble tea.
And so after a long wait, let me present to you the new food item!!!
We tried Ben & Jerry's One Cheesecake Brownie!!!!

If you are a big fan of cheesecake and chocolate, I recommend you to try this.
Cheesecake flavoured ice cream with pieces of the cheesecake brownie.
It's like eating ice cream and cake at the same time!
The ice cream has a rich taste and definitely 1 tub to share with someone is enough.
You wouldn't want to ask for more.
Hehehehehe.

And last but not least, our bubble tea.
Yes another new flavour, Peach Milk Tea.

All I could say is that the taste is very peachy, if you know what I mean.
Hahahahaha.
But still I like it....
As though you are drinking peach yoghurt drink =)

Since today is Friday the 13th, I think nothing bad has really happened to me.
Instead, I managed to do one of my assignments
and spent my time with my one and only =D

Today I was supposed to meet Hilyah for our CRM project.
Unfortunately she was down with fever.
Hopefully she will get well soon...
So I met up with Asyraf instead.

We went to Parkway Parade.
It has been quite some time since we last visited that place.
So we decided to walk around and look at some things.
Parkway Parade has changed quite a bit.
There are many new stores.

Then we got hungry....
We were craving for Japanese food as usual.
So we went to Giant and bought 2 items.
Firstly, it's the Unagi Don.

Personally I feel it's worth buying this meal since Unagi is very expensive.
For only $5.90, you get 2 big pieces of unagi, the rice,
shredded crab meat and some preserved vegetables.
Even though it looks simple but it's definitely tasty =)

The next item would be the Chuka Hotate.

Okay, this is actually known as Spicy Sesame Scallop in English.
This was like an additional side dish for us.
The scallop was chewy and slightly more to the salty side.
But overall it tasted alright.
However, Asyraf said the sushi shop near his house tasted better.
So one day I shall try buying the scallop there.
Hahahaha.

As usual we went back to Bedok and tried another new bubble tea flavour.
We tried Yam Milk Tea!

We expected the colour to be slightly purplish but it turned out to be more brownish.
This flavour was not the best we've tried because it tasted like those home-made cookies during Hari Raya.
HAHAHAHA...
I didn't quite like the taste and dearest Asyraf had to finish it up =)
Well at least we gave it a shot.
Now we know why people don't buy yam flavour....

Today I met up with my group mates for the FPQA project.
We went to Xiufeng's house at Bukit Batok.
But not only my group mates were there......
Surprisingly dearest Asyraf got off from work early.
So he tagged along with me like a little kid =)
Hahahahahaha.

Well it was sweet and nice of him to accompany me.
At least he got to play some games while I did some of the work.
Hehehehe.
We spent like more than 4 hours trying to collate the information and write a report.
Unfortunately we were only about 3/4 done.
I thought we could finish everything by today.
But there are more extra research to be done.
Haizzz...
Well we had no choice but to do so.
We still have to complete it no matter what.

After a long day sitting down, flipping through notes and staring into the screen,
Asyraf and I headed down to Bedok and tried another new bubble tea flavour!!!
Guess what's the flavour?
.
..
...
....
.....
......
.......
it's Peppermint Milk Tea!

I'm not a fan of peppermint even for Asyraf.
So both of us took a big risk by buying this particular flavour.
Initially we were afraid that the peppermint would have a strong minty taste.
However, we were definitely wrong.
We thought it was cooling and refreshing especially if you want
to drink it on a hot day in order to quench your thirst.
It tasted like those chocolate chip mint ice cream or the chocolate mint.
Definitely it didn't taste like your toothpaste =D

Even though it was a draggy day, I felt that nothing beats having your loved one by your side.
Asyraf had been the most patient and loving boyfriend despite the long hours of waiting.
Looking at his face just makes me smile =)
And I really appreciate everything he has done for me...

P.S. Thank you and I LOVE YOU, Asyraf! <3