Sherra's Taste of Life

Summer in the Philippines (Comfort Food and Fabulous Places)

Apologies! Apologies! I know it's been terribly quiet down here. A short vacation back home and a series of activities have kept me away from blogging. We've just returned from our short but worthwhile visit to the Philippines.The kids were on a school holiday so we took the opportunity to travel. And what a perfect time it was to visit because summer has just started in the country! Wonderful sceneries and pristine beaches welcomed us!

Caleruega in Batulao, Batangas.

La Luz Beach Resort, Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

This was the perfect lunch setting I've been missing so much and I was extremely delighted to have it again. The sun, the water plus comfort food - priceless!!

Every visit to our home country won't be complete without indulging into our favorite dishes and these were just some of them.

Lumpiang Sariwa (Filipino version of Fresh Spring Roll with Peanut Sauce) from Contis

Garlic Sotanghon (Rice Noodles sauted in Annato Oil hence, the yellow color) from Contis

Fresh Mangoes - surely divine!

Mango Bravo Cake from Contis - the must have cake for my son; there's nothing like it so far

And the sinfully good ones... Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Pork Knuckles) from Kanin Club

Crispy Dinuguan (Cripy Pork in Pork Blood Stew) from Kanin Club

Pancit Canton (Filipino Chow Mien) from Kanin Club

Seafood Kare Kare from Kanin Club (Seafood Stew in Peanut Sauce)

With all these foods to savor back home, I am getting gastronomically home-sick again.

April 12, 2013

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Restaurant Reviews

Bali Thai Restaurant

Asian Fusion from the best of both worlds is probably the most appropriate description for BaliThai Restaurant. A marriage between Indonesian and Thai Cuisines, diners are in for a wide array of choices. I've been seeing this restaurant for awhile in Singapore but I've never had the chance to visit it until recently. If you're a fan of Thai and Indonesian foods, this is the place for you. Often times when we pass by the restaurant, there's always a long queue. It must be so popular that a reservation is therefore, recommended. Food wise, the taste is generally acceptable. It's not extremely superb but neither it's mediocre. Service is quite fast as soon as you've settled with your orders. Overall, it's a safe choice.

Seafood Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice

Sweet & Sour Pork

Thai Iced Tea

January 31, 2013

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Restaurant Reviews

Derwish Turkish Mediterranean Restaurant

We've been living in Singapore for three years now. Yet, I just lately realized that I haven't explored the garden city much. There are so many places that I still have to discover. Foodie havens in particular. Fortunately, together with some colleagues, I had the chance to visit the famous Arab street for a middle eastern food adventure. Derwish Turkish Restaurant was the chosen place to sample the cuisine.

Without a doubt, the restaurant exudes a middle eastern ambiance.

This was my first time to try Turkish food and I wouldn't mind having it again. It was generally good. Most dishes taste mild and not overpowering. The balance of herbs and spices provide a distinguishing feature to it. The Kebabs are considered the specialities and I couldn't agree more.

A platter of different kinds of salads and dips - the perfect accompaniment to the bread

Lavash Bread

Mixed Kebab

Moussaka

Grilled Cod Fish with Vegetables

Skewered Marinated Sea Bass

Baklava

A real feast!

Derwish Turkish Mediterranean Restaurant
60 Bussorah St.
Tel. No. (65) 6298 8986

January 23, 2013

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Shopping

Shopping in Bangkok

If shopping is part of your vacation itinerary, Bangkok is definitely the place to be. The city is known to be a shopping mecca. And there's no contention on that because they have anything and everything that shopaholics look for. From high end designer labels to bazaars merchandise, they have it all. The only key to be able to maximize your shopping mileage is to find a hotel with a good location and accessibility to the shopping districts.

Tuktuk and BTS are your best mode of transportations to hop from one shopping area to another. Just make sure that you take care of your belongings (as in literally hold on to them tight) when riding a tuktuk as "snatching" is quite rampant.

Designer shops near Phloenchit Station. I noticed though, that prices of goods are more expensive compared to Hong Kong and Singapore.

If you're averse with the inconvenience of open air shopping, big shopping malls are the places for you. Some of the most popular ones are MBK, CENTRAL WORLD, SIAM PARAGON, PLATINUM and the newly opened TERMINAL 21. Except for MBK, most of our shopping sprees were done on these shopping centres. As I mentioned in my previous post, Central World and Siam Paragon are just a walking distance away from our Hotel.

Close to the SIAM station is a popular night market, Siam Square. It's located just under the bridge. Ladies will feast in this area.

The shopping centre that is designed like an airport hence, the name Terminal 21. Each level is designed with a theme of some of the world's famous cities. The merchandise and brands that you will find are mostly from that cities too - Paris, London, Japan, Istanbul and San Francisco. There are a lot of interesting novelty items and undoubtedly it's another shopping paradise in the heart of Bangkok.

January 19, 2013

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Celebrations

New Year's Eve Countdown @ Carlton Hotel

This was our third year to celebrate New Year in Singapore. Having used to celebrating it at home in the Philippines amidst firecrackers and noise, the Singapore way is completely different, utterly silent, pollution and smoke free. We stayed at Carlton Hotel to be able to view the much awaited New Year's countdown at the Marina Bay. From the club lounge on the highest level of the hotel, we managed to get some shots of the fireworks display. However, the music that goes along with it was hardly recognizable from where we were. It was a blocked view by the way. So, the best hotels to catch the fireworks display are still those facing the bay.

Located in the new wing of the hotel, this was the Premier Club Room, spacious and clean.

Welcome fruits

Since we are staying at the premier club room, we have the options to dine either at the club lounge or at the Café Mosaic for breakfast. We opted for the later because they have more choices. It was overall a nice stay.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

January 18, 2013

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Celebrations

2012 Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas Eve Dinner preparation last year went completely different for me. It was a first of many kinds. From our Bangkok vacation, we went back to Singapore on the 24th of December. We touched down Changi Airport at 4:30 in the afternoon. Hence, that only gave me a few hours to prepare for our Christmas Eve Dinner or Noche Buena to most Filipinos. I gathered whatever physical energy was left of me to be able to whip up the entire menu. Yes, to make it happen amidst jetlag and all, it was mind over matter. And thank God, everything turned out well.

For this year's table setting, It's still the same traditional colours of red and green. I had Christmas party poppers which the kids loved. The menu consisted as usual, of the family members favourites and food requests.

Shrimps, Mango and Avocado Salad

Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe - recipe taken from the domestic goddess, Nigella Lawson no less

Due to time constraints, it was the first time that I combine some store-bought food items in my Christmas menu. This was one of them - Honey Roasted Chicken.

Smoked Bratwurst Skewers

Ham & Cheese Crostini and Pepperoni Crostini

Vanilla Bundt Cake with Mixed Berries - my joy was over the top when this cake turned out just right. The texture was moist and decadent, just what I had hoped for.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration with your loved ones! Cheers to more good food on the next holiday to come!

January 18, 2013

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Summer in the Philippines (Comfort Food and Fabulous Places)

Bali Thai Restaurant

Derwish Turkish Mediterranean Restaurant

Shopping in Bangkok

New Year's Eve Countdown @ Carlton Hotel

2012 Christmas Eve Dinner

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