I just got back from a short business trip in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. It's my first time to visit the most populous city of Southeast Asia. Likewise, it's my first time to travel on a budget carrier via ValuAir - Jet Star. Inspite of the fairly good reputation that some budget airlines have struggled to establish in recent years, I'm still not comfortable travelling on these carriers. Maybe because the word "budget" somehow exudes an element of doubt on the safety of their operations. But after this experience, it's actually not bad at all especially if it's only for short distance trips. My flights to Jakarta and back to Singapore were both on-time. Also, service from the airline is relatively ok.

We each have our own definition of comfort food. But one thing is certain, it's something that roots back to home. When we went for a vacation last April in the Philippines, I made sure that I'll be able to relish some great old goodies. One of which is Starbucks' Banofee Pie. This pie is definitely sinful and rich, yet so comforting particularly with a glass of your favorite hot drink on the side. The look of this pie can be actually deceiving. You'd think that a forkful is more than enough to satiate you. But the truth is, its entirety will have you in complete sweet surrender. I can vouch for its goodness that you'd totally forget about calorie counters for a while. I'm currently craving for it and severely wishing that it's also available here in the lion city. Since that's quite far from reality at the moment; I can only head to the nearest supermarket, grab some ingredients and make my own version at home. Although I don't have the exact recipe of it, I'll try my best to capture the taste as far as my memory can recall.

Prepare the base by combining crushed graham crackers with melted butter and sugar. Layer on to the base some sliced bananas and tofee caramel or nutella spread. Top it with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and caramel.

We have a new favorite attraction in Sentosa - the Skyline Luge. The attraction was built in 2005 and has been one of the most popular and most sought after rides by thrill seekers since then. Navigating the luge and boarding the skyride is a complete outdoor adventure. It's so much fun that you'd feel once is definitely not enough. We just wished that the trail was made a bit longer. The ride on the luge was relatively short. We felt the fun lasted too soon hence, we're more than obliged to come back. Anyway, the S$32 family deal for 4 members is really worth it.

On our first night in Jakarta, me and my colleagues went to Plaza Senayan Shopping Centre for dinner. The choices of restaurants inside the mall are quite limited. Since we have a Thai colleague with us, we ended up in Long Grain Restaurant. The menu initially caught my atttention as it's presented in a cook book style. As I perused it, it's like browsing through a typical cook book with good food shots. The food here generally tastes good. Almost all that we've ordered were consumed with much gusto. Some however, were slightly far from being authetic as told by our Thai colleague. Nonetheless, it'll keep you filled and gastronomically satisfied.
Chicken in Pandan Leaf

Hofan Noodles with Shrimps & Vegetables


Hot & Spicy Chicken with Basil Leaves

Singapore has proven countless times that it owns a wealthy gastronomic pot. Yet, all good eats do not necessarily be pricey. A colleague introduced me to Teban Garden which apparently is quite popular for good and cheap eats. The place is a typical hole-in-the-wall eatery. The food offerings range from favorite local noodles to chinese dishes. Apart from the cheap tag price, the servings are pretty generous too. Here's what your S$5 or less can give you.

Last weekend, we tried the after hours promo of Universal Studios Singapore valued at only S$5 per person. From 7 - 10 pm, visitors can enjoy the holywood strip for shopping and dining with a bonus fireworks display at 9 pm. For a mere pay, this is a great entertainment to have with family and friends. We had dinner at the Holywood China Bistro, the famous chinese restaurant in the US that serves cantonese cuisine. Generally, the quality of the offerings are acceptable. The meat platter ( a combination of roasted chicken, roasted duck and roasted pork) is a winner. You would expect a typical oily and a bit salty dishes though. Nonetheless, it's one good choice of restaurant inside the park.

The weather last weekend was extremely hot! Could this be the start of the hottest months in Singapore? If so, that means we will constantly be in need of something that'll keep us refreshed amidst the scorching heat. Timely, the newly opened Cold Stone Creamery along Orchard Rd offers the right companion. The ice cream house is packed with mouthwatering choices of shakes, smoothies, cakes and ice cream. My family sampled some last weekend, and we were delighted with just the right gusto.

This interactive menu board will tell you how to make your order.

Cheesecake Fantasy - a combination of cheesecake ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, blueberries and strawberries

Banana Caramel Crunch - a combination of French vanilla ice cream, roasted almonds, banana and caramel

There's actually one more reason to celebrate this day apart from Mother's Day. It's my blog's 4th year anniversary!! It's been four years of sumptuous blogging experience and it's really amazing to be counting on the days of Our Taste of Life from the past, to present and the future. I am thankful to all the people who have shared with my foodie journey on this humble abode. Your continued support keeps me going and dreaming for something bigger and better for Our Taste of Life.

To celebrate Mother's Day, we perused a number of Singapore blog posts and the book Singapore's Best Restaurants 2011 to find a place to dine. We've narrowed down our choices to Aquamarine of Marina Mandarin Hotel, The Line of Shangrila Hotel and the Dining Room of Sheraton Towers. We received a lot of not so good reviews from colleagues and friends on The Line, so we immediately dropped it off the list. So off we went to our first choice at Aquamarine. Apparently, the restaurant was well known for staging a nice seafood on ice spread and that's the primary reason why we put it on first option. Lo and behold, beyond dismayed and disappointed we were when we saw what's on offer for the Mother's Day Buffet. The seafood on ice selection was nowhere to be found. Choices are generally limited. Hence, we didn't have second thoughts from backing out. We headed instead to the Sheraton Towers since I've already tried it once and I know that they serve cold seafood there.