
31 July 2022
弄子里 Alley Wei @ Northpoint Part 1
Opening in April 2021 in Northpoint, as what the shop said, they sells traditional, freshly made Taiwanese/ Chinese street food favorites. So what we got here is the Pan-Fried dumpling, Soybean Milk and You Tiao. So their Soybean Milk is served in a bowl instead of a cup. The takeaway is in the cup form. So far, i like both the Soy Bean Milk and You Tiao alot. As for the Pan-Fried Dumpling, is so-so, but still pass the normal standard. 😋
30 July 2022
Fish Price still OK if you prepare at home
Although fish prices had increase for so many years and sometimes shortage of supply, it is still reasonable to buy and cook it at home. Not as if to eat fish everyday, sometimes preparing and cooking fish like twice a week is still possible to get the necessary nutrients. Be it fried or steam, fish are easy to prepare. As what I compared, I think Sheng Siong had the best competitive cheap prices for their fishes. So don't deprive ourselves for having some fishes once in a while. Coming years will be difficult, but we will SURVIVE ! 👍
29 July 2022
Saizeriya @ Sembawang Shopping Centre Part 2
Before I start, you can referred to my first post on Saizeriya here. So I came back in 25 June 2022 and found out that Drink Bar had returned !!! 😆 But we came to eat and planned to have our drink elsewhere after this meal so we skipped the drink bar. So we came for a small bite. My wife ordered the Carbonara and Mushroom Soup while I ordered the Pepperoni Pizza. Both the Carbonara and Mushroom Soup was good. However, the Pepperoni Pizza was surprisingly good ! 😲 BUT it is very oily and salty, thats why it is good. 😈
28 July 2022
Even Gardenia Bread is increasing price !
Just IN ! As you guys know that I had started to add the essential Item tracker on the right side column for your viewing pleasure. It seems that from August 2022, there were be another price increase being passed down to us consumers. Referencing from the cheapest enriched white bread that I buy and eat frequently, the cost is going to increase twice in a year. So from August 2022 onwards, the same white bread is going to cost us SGD2.20. If these essential items also increase, what do you think about the many other things we need to buy and stay alive?
27 July 2022
Its time to pull out one of my "reserve"
Its time to pull out one of my "reserve" to place into an even more defensive investment. Its not much, but its a decade of hard work, blood and sweat. Based on the past year, it was fluctuating like crazy just because of Covid-19. Due to the nature of my policy feeding on China and India funds, it had fluctuate at about 8% drop as compared to last year. Despite this, i am still profiting from a 11 years policy since I started working. When I take leave, it mean that I am doing something important and not shaking banana🍌 like many others. As my crazy plans are supposed to take place early next year, but seems that I am able to take it forward earlier to begin in November 2022. I would say that 2021 was the WORST year in 3 decades, mid-term review 2022 is more of the bitter sweet year and I will be squeezing more brutal and aggressive character in how I approach matters to recover and build up in all aspects of life.
26 July 2022
Throwback to my watch hunting back in 2019 in Hokkaido
25 July 2022
Putu Piring Stall at Chong Pang
This Putu Piring Stall at Chong Pang really hit the spot. Located at the corner of Swee Sian Yuen Eating House, i got the Gula Melaka Putu Piring at $1.50 for 3 pieces. It is sweet just right together with the hot steamed rice cake and the grated coconut. They also had many other different flavors and it definitely worth getting it for your snacks or small bites 😋
24 July 2022
Bullionstar SG - Looking at Silver & Gold
23 July 2022
Shroom 'N Cheese Pockett Meal
22 July 2022
Ishiro Fusion Bowl Canberra [Part 1]
Once again, my place opened a new kopitiam stall called Ishiro Fusion Bowl last month. We ordered one bowl of Iberico Pork Bowl and one bowl of Mentaiko Salmon. Service and preparation time is acceptable. The Mentaiko Salmon was good, but the egg was still kinda raw and ice cold [probably they cook abit and place the egg into ice water]. Rice have the japanese rice texture so probably they might be using japanese rice. As for the Iberico Pork Bowl, think the meat is below average. Doesn't taste as good as the rest of the Iberico Pork bowl elsewhere. I will be coming back again for another try to determine whether it is because of their first few days of operation.
21 July 2022
Setup Ready | Registered Interest | Opt for e-Voucher Promo Code | Samsung Z Fold 4
Samsung just posted their official announcement yesterday. Registered Interest and registered to get a "e-voucher" instead to further offset my upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 😀 Can't wait to hear out the launch early next month. This is to debut my very first foldable phone from phone and tablet usage. Let's hope that I can preordered early without much hiccups, considering Samsung SG always have problems during their launch, be it minor or major 😒 SGD$80 is not much, but it is sufficient money to offset for my accessories or a much trusty case.
20 July 2022
Diablo Immortal is still popular regardless of complains...
Enough said. Diablo Immortal is still popular regardless of how haters whack Blizzard. Blizzard and game companies were out to do a business while delivering gaming contents to the world. It is not an easy job and these games requires tons of money to develop and maintain them. Of course, we can't deny that those PayToWin (P2W) players will be able to play better in the "End Game". Even with money, sometimes it really depends on luck. Not necessary to get the best gears or equipment to ace the game. Overall, i think the game is well made and I truly enjoy the game as usual as a FreeToPlay (F2P) player. You still do enjoy the process and I felt that fellow gamers just relax lah. If other players want to pay money to advance better in the game, so be it. Peace Out 😉
19 July 2022
Modern Mobile Game - Diablo Immortal really takes up space
18 July 2022
Congrats to the Michelin 2022 Restaurant Awards !
17 July 2022
Too much durians in a short time...
During the durian season, I had been having durians for the past few weeks and it is starting to make my body 😖. Too heaty kept making me felt headaches and unable to concentrate hard. On the other hand, I felt very hot while all my colleagues felt very cold in the air con environment. I tried from the cheapest to the expensive durians from Chong Pang to Ang Mo Kio and to Yishun. There are moments I board up the bus with durian, felt very pai seh cos the smell was very strong and actually there is a "No Durian Sign" in the bus. Oh well, anyways, the cheapest one really cannot make it. The mid to expensive ones were certainly very good. Once you started eating, it is hard to stop until you finish all the available durians. 😝
16 July 2022
NEW Currycano Zinger With Hasbrown Cup
A pretty late post when I tried this pretty early after it launched last month. Due to KFC shortage of French Fries previously, potato wedges was given instead and the potato wedges was very bad seriously. Mango Peach was just ok. So for the limited release of Currycano Zinger, it was a messy affair pouring the curry sauce onto the burger. The taste of the curry with the potato curry was in fact not bad. Thats why they actually charge if you want another container of curry gravy. When mixed together with the burger, it is ok, but not really fantastic. The overall feeling is that you will only once and its the last time you will ever try, but it is not bad. Overall damage of a Currycano Zinger set is SGD11.70.
15 July 2022
Gift from my company - Awfully Chocolate
First of all, its great that we got chocolates rather than peanuts as an appreciation gift. However i have no complaint of such gift. Secondly, supporting local product is something i appreciate the most. I don't always eat chocolate, but Awfully Chocolate is still quite ok, though a little costly. The packaging is certainly top notch, but probably that is what most people are paying for. The Chocolate Chip & Vanilla cookies is good and individually packed. Smoked Salt and Matcha Latte is good, but not a fan of Dark Chocolate.
14 July 2022
Ice Sherbet Peach & Melon
Sherbet (pronounced SHER-bet) falls in between sorbet and ice cream and includes dairy ingredients (in small amounts, about 1-2%), but it is distinctly different from ice cream in flavor and texture. Sherbet typically uses citric acid, which can make for more of a tart taste. <- Source of meaning
13 July 2022
Don Don Donki Pork Fried Rice & Pork Katsu Don
12 July 2022
My 1st Gameplay on Diablo Immortal
Finally had the day off yesterday to spend some time playing Diablo Immortal on my iPhone 13 Pro Max at home. Probably had to go slow since my work will be busy everyday 😢 My initial impression on the game mechanic is good seriously. So far no bug experienced and the gameplay were easy to pick up. The walkthrough of the game is typically playable even for those who doesn't play Diablo before. Managed to clock 3 hours yesterday from the beginning. Although I will stay F2P, I think I will grind slowly and enjoy the process and storyline of the game.
11 July 2022
Jurassic World Dominion
Well, I personally think the very first series of Jurassic World is much better than this. But good effort. Watched at Yishun Golden Village Cinemas with large popcorn. In summary, it is a kidnap of dinosaur and human and a team went to rescue them back to home 😆
10 July 2022
Burger King Deals
Always look out for BK deals when you want to dine in or takeaway. They often had good deals. Just simply google Burger King Coupon or this link to view what is the ongoing promotion and order them via BK Kiosk. What I order as above is what I redeem from the deal. Whopper Jr Burger + TenderGrill Burger + 2 boxes of Cheese Fries at SGD9.90. You could also order other deals based on your preference. So I am having all of these for SGD9.90 and certainly filled my stomach. Nowadays Cai Fan can be SGD8.90 also. So save money and eat happy 😆
09 July 2022
[Enhancement] New Tracker of Necessity Items and Price
Another new add category to further enhance information, I will be adding different common items, especially necessity items like Bread, Rice, Egg, etc at the side column [right side] of my webpage. This is to track the overall costs of these necessity items and how we can better manage our finances. The whole world is facing higher cost of living and this is why Singapore is affected too. If we are not careful, our saving will be depleted and "Game Over". Basically from 2018 till date, we subconsciously realised that things and groceries were increasing year by year, ending up us paying for lesser things with the same value. Stay tuned and I will slowly be working to populate the data.
08 July 2022
My Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Gaming Keyboard after a year Review
Yeah it have been one year after I purchased and still using actively on this gaming keyboard. You can refer back to my first post. How do i felt about this keyboard after a year of usage? I am quite surprised that Razer do actively provides updates on their Razer Synapse software. So far, the updates does improve the overall typing experiences as compared to the initial months when I first got this. The problem I faced during startup had also began to reduce alot like maybe once in 3 months where i need to unplug and plug back. I certainly do recommend one to get this on a budget as they had some discounts at Amazon at different intervals.
07 July 2022
Clash Of Clan - Promoted to League Level: Legend
Finally achieved Legend ranking. This is one of the highest tier in Clash of Clan. As a F2P player, I do like games that can breakthrough without paying money to the game. However, I tried subscribing to the Legend League Clan War, but it is not a place to farm more gold, elixir and dark elixir. The problem is that there is a limit to the number of attacks each day and you do not pick to choose your opponent. So I personally think it is not a good idea to subscribe to the Legend League Clan War, but instead, maintain the rank and keep on attacking and gather more resources to advance with your base.
06 July 2022
Diablo Immortal Delayed AGAIN for Asia Pacific Region :/
05 July 2022
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf [JB2022]
Ordered "The Ultimate Mocha" Iced Blended, "Matcha Green" Iced Blended, Salted Caramel Latte, Americano and Latte to wrap up the overall trip in JB as well as my 20 days post on JB updates in 2022. Overall the drinks had been all right and personally I would preferred Starbucks for the drinks. But of course The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is not that bad after all. 😆
04 July 2022
Original Korean Taste, BORNGA @ JB City Square Mall [JB2022]
One of the strongest players in JB City Square is still operating. I am happy that Bornga is still in City Square, JB. Had been eating here for several years till it locked down and now it is opened again from the Singapore Borders ! Bornga is still one of the most authentic korean BBQ chain overseas in Malaysia and Singapore.
03 July 2022
Kim Gary Restaurant [JB2022]
If I will to describe Kim Gary, i will say it is similar to HK Cafe style in Singapore. So they have menu ranging from baked rices, westerns, hot plate dishes, HK style stirred fried noodles, rices and desserts. It is a budget cafe, but i personally think the food aren't so good. Just like a good place to chat over lunch or dinner thats all. If you want quality food, definitely not the place you want to come. Come only for the ambience, though ambience wise also not cosy because it is flooded with noise and people.
02 July 2022
Dragon-i 笼的传人 Part 2 @ Mid Valley [JB2022]
When coming to JB with parents, the obvious choice is always chinese restaurant, so yeah coming to Dragon-i for the second time again this year. You can referred to the first trip here. This time, we ordered one whole peking duck which they splited into two half. This is the fried version which is crispy, but after trying this, i think everyone agree that they preferred the non-fried version which will be much more tender. As usual, we ordered the CHONGQING LAZIJI, 辣子鸡, cereal prawns and vegetable. Having the same restaurant within a short period of time is quite boring and personally i think i enjoyed trying different delicacies everytime.
01 July 2022
A Special Gift - It is my direct colleague's last day :(
It is my colleague's last day of work. It is sad because our headcount had went down and the remaining colleagues had to hold the fort without a replacement and who knows when will the headcount be replaced? Nobody knows. I will be replacing my senior's role to fill in and cover the numerous amount of service requests. Work aside, i had prepared a 2TB Flash Drive from HP for my colleague. This is a fitting gift for a IT Professional, because mainstream gift is TOO COMMON. Can't wait to see his reaction 😄😄😄 Starting from July 1st, it is time for me to be more serious 😜
30 June 2022
Kimdo BBQ [JB2022]
Located at City Square, fortunately this is another store which had survived well throughout the pandemic. Another one of my favorite store whenever I am leaving JB, I would always patronize this store. I still remembered the days when I always frequent JB and had Squid, chicken wings and BBQ tofu. Again as a tradition to break from the opening of JB-SG Borders, I am here again and everything, the food, the store layout are the same back in 2019. The homemade green chilli still mixed well with the chicken wings ! 😋
29 June 2022
MIM Drinks [JB2022]
Apparently, there are quite a number of restrictions to buy and bring back items from Malaysia back to Singapore. Unless you can buy and consume stuffs in the country itself without bringing back. One of the reason why I am contemplating buying a small property in JB for own stay. It is a known fact that upon getting condo in JB is for sure a losing asset 😆Back to the drink topic, I felt that Nescafe can drinks are the worst. Bird's Nest and Lipton seems ok. But in Malaysia, you will never go wrong with Old Town White Coffee. All three drinks from Old Town White Coffee were great and well balanced.
28 June 2022
Avery Day Opposite KSL City [JB2022]
Avery Day is quite nice. I think best for those who washed their car nearby while chilling here. Its a convenience store both day and night, however I saw at night, there were many people chilling for drinks at level 2. Inside the store, they had many imported food and drinks. There is also a bakery inside which seems not bad. I think having this store certainly help make the place look better and less boring.
27 June 2022
Sushi King @ KSL City [JB2022]
Besides the price increases, ordered some sushi to see if the previous taste were coming back, but unfortunately, my wife realized that the quality had dropped. Sushi King used to be very good before and I had many wonderful memories as Sushi King is one of the first sushi chain when I first brought and stepped into Malaysia as my used to be malaysian girlfriend introduce this sushi chain at City Square back in 2012. Come to think of it, 10 years had passed. 😭Another unfortunate encounter today was Sushi King at City Square is permanently closed. Well kinda sad, but gotta move on 😫
26 June 2022
Each a Cup @ KSL City Mall [JB2022]
Although still there is significant amount of stores closed down, KSL City Mall is still lively with people. My Each a Cup store still survive through the pandemic. So definitely need to get my all time favourite Cranberry Apple Fruit Tea. Although they only stated a single size and priced at RM6.90, they are able to upsized to the giant 700cc size for some top up. Fortunately, the quality of the drink is there since they were given a standard formula to create the drink. 😃
25 June 2022
Hiap Joo Bakery (Banana Cake) [JB2022]
When I was there not specifically for Hiap Joo Bakery at around 9am, but to run some errands. Hiap Joo Bakery was already queuing so many people. I think the last time i ate this was back in 2015, went over to take a look and they are taking order for the next batch at 11am, which I did not want to wait, therefore gave it a miss. Maybe next time I might give it a try if I dropped by there again.
24 June 2022
Restoran Hua Mui from 131 Jalan Trus, Bandar JB [JB2022]
After two years, I am finally back once again to the ultimate Hua Mui Restaurant in JB. What we ordered is the Original Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM17.90), biggest cup of Kopi Gu You (RM4.60), my appetizer Toast Double Butter Kaya (RM3.50), Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken (RM12.90) and Iced 3 Layer Milk Kopi Cincau (RM7.30). Total damage of RM48.95 which converts to around SGD$15.45 for a sumptuous breakfast 😛Based on my personal preference, the hainanese chicken chop, nasi lemak and Kopi Gu You is definitely a MUST eat when you are there, but take note if you are going there on a weekend, it is always crowded and waiting time is very long. Of course, I went there on a weekday, hence there is no need to queue.
23 June 2022
Banking Experience in Malaysia [JB2022]
After two years of not accessing my Malaysia Bank account, most of my ATM cards and accounts had expired and freezed due to the pandemic lockdown. Aside of reviving my UOB Bank account and renewal of my card, I went to open another account with CIMB Malaysia. With this, I am able to synchronize and perform seamless bank transfer between both my CIMB Singapore and CIMB Malaysia accounts. The ultimate advantage of this is to get exceptional RM exchange rates. However by settling both of my UOB and CIMB banking needs, it really took the entire whole day to settle it. 😓 The waiting time was really very long. Fortunately this is a one time thingy and the rest, I could follow up via KL phoneline to settle and convert my Malaysia account's OTP to Singapore handphone number.
22 June 2022
Cold Loots from JB :) [JB2022]
Yakult in Malaysia were a lot cheaper than in Singapore. Tasted around the same as well. For Magnum, theoretically its cheaper in Malaysia, but take note that it is a lot smaller than the ones in Singapore. So if you compare size and price, Singapore still cost cheaper ONLY when there is discount. Regular price in SG, Magnum is still expensive. However, quality wise, both is the same and had the same great taste due to the fact that both Magnum in Singapore and Malaysia is produced in Malaysia. As for the Nestle Musang King Ice Cream, this is the one I would recommend anyone to try when they are in Malaysia. Hands down 9/10 in terms of Musang King quality Ice Cream !
21 June 2022
Mentos Pure Fresh Chewing Gum [JB2022]
Actually both the Wrigley's DoubleMint were a distraction as I thought they were chewing gum as well, but was wrong because I had a quick rush to leave JB's petrol station asap to avoid the late night queue. Wrigley's DoubleMint actually is sold in Singapore :/ After trying it, was not that good anyway. But of course, after two years of not having chewing gum, the experience was good. But after having 1/4 bottles of chewing gum, i felt bored already 😂Indeed a quickie experience of shiokness.
20 June 2022
Koi Outlet @ Paradigm Mall [JB2022]
10 minutes into closing for the day @ 10PM. We had made a quick purchase of drinks before doing last minute shopping before driving back to Singapore. At first, we really thought that it is cheap, but apparently it is not. The fact was they do not sell Large sized which we bought back in Singapore. Because I was comparing the largest size in each country. So if we compare JB's Koi Ovaltine Medium and Singapore's Medium, not much difference. Furthermore the quality is not good in JB, hope that it is only for this branch.
19 June 2022
Dome @ Johor Premium Outlet [JB2022]
Had a late night supper at Dome Restaurant at Johor Premium Outlet close to 9.20pm. Most of the desserts, food and snacks had stopped for closure and only pasta and drinks were available. Talking about Dome, Singapore used to had it too, but unfortunately, the last branch at Parkway Parade closed at 23 June 2019. In Malaysia, they had 16 branches throughout Malaysia. I got to say the pasta were not bad and the coffee were great. May even try their other food on the menu probably at other branches and perhaps KL by end of the year if time permits. Price is quite pricey though, but unsure whether it is because this Dome is located at a tourism location.
18 June 2022
Johor Premium Outlet [JB2022]
Last time I came here were around 2014, 2016 and 2017. Things were more or less the same for Johor Premium Outlet where we can get branded stuffs for slightly cheaper prices as compared to Singapore. Came here around 8.30pm, and I am still seeing many people walking around shopping for items. Was sincerely looking for some good wallet deals, but as a result, leave the place empty-handed. 😁At least it helped prevent my existing wallet from being lighter. But still a good place for those who really really need to buy something useful there.
17 June 2022
Dragon-i 笼的传人 Part 1 @ Mid Valley [JB2022]
Patronized Dragon-i 笼的传人 for countless times before Covid-19 was even discovered. Dragon-i 笼的传人 used to open at many places in JB. Just at the entrance of SG-JB Customs, City Square and JBCC have one branch each. However when I visited City Square, they seems open, but aren't so many people. JBCC one was closed. Even their i-Canton restaurant was closed at City Square. This is sad because i-Canton had one of the more "OKAY" cantonese cuisine. So I visited the Dragon-i at Mid-Valley branch. Drove in straight to Mid Valley from Singapore with an empty stomach to enjoy a feast there. We had ordered quite a number of dishes for 4 Pax and special mentions were to try their Liu Sha Bao and Sichuan Mala Chicken, 辣子鸡. Both of these dishes were the best and value for money. The Liu Sha Bao here so far is the best I have ever eaten to compare with all the other Liu Sha Bao. Rest of the dishes so-so in my opinion. But when you are hungry, most of the average food ratings were elevated. 😏
16 June 2022
Dutch Lady Chocolate and HazelNut in Can "Form" [JB2022]
Basically I got these Dutch Lady Chocolate and HazelNut Milk in Can "Form" from the petrol station in JB, not only to pump cheap Petrol, but also get some cheap deals. So we got these Milk drink from Dutch Lady for only RM1.00 for each can. Based on my exchange rate that I change my currency from there, it only costs SGD$0.30 each. My wife said is nice, however i felt that it is not so good. Somehow milk drink taste better on paper carton. 😑
15 June 2022
AC7 Bus Service from Yishun Bus Interchange to JB is BACK ! [JB2022]
AC7 Bus Service from Yishun Bus Interchange to JB is BACK ! During the early days of JB-Singapore had been opened up and lesser people can be spotted going in to JB for causal trip other than those who worked in Singapore. I happened to take the AC7 at Yishun Bus Interchange to Johor Bahru to run my errand. Surprisingly, it was very empty and in fact, we are the only two people who board up the bus at Yishun Bus Interchange on a weekday. Along the way from Sembawang to Woodlands, only a handful of people board up the bus. Of course this was before the school holidays kicked in during June 2022. Of course today's scenario are very different as most people had already done with their passport recently and school holidays, many of them are travelling during the weekdays. Because of this, I will tag along with my brother who will drove his car in for a better experience. However the aim of this post is to share that AC7 is operationally ready and they will be increasing more buses to ensure faster and quicker experience, especially for folks staying in Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands.
14 June 2022
iVegan @ Thomson Plaza
So we went to eat vegetarian dishes on a vegetarian day ! So on vegetarian day, large crowds were seen at the restaurant and obviously we need to wait for about 30 minutes for our seat. We each ordered a 3-Course Set Meal at $15.90 each and overall damage is S$37.40. For myself, I ordered a Linguine Pesto, Scrambled Eggs and Americano. My wife ordered the Wok Fried Udon, Hot & Sour Soup and Osmanthus Peach Gum. Americano and Osmanthus Peach Gum is ok. I don't really like both the Hot & Sour Soup and Scrambled Eggs. For the scrambled eggs, its actually tofu, king oyster mushroom and turmeric, hence I think the flavor abit off. However, the best goes to the Linguine Pesto which i gave a 9/10, so recommended to select this as your main course. Wok Fried Udon not so bad, but have room for improvement. Nonetheless, this is vegetarian dishes, as a meat eater, think still can accept.
13 June 2022
Fried Carrot Cake 源记正宗菜头粿
Recently price had increased for this plate of Carrot Cake at Albert hawker centre which is located in Bugis. No choice as the price of almost everything had just went up globally. After my personal 1st place ranking - Marine Terrace Bee Bee Carrot Cake that was closed down for retirement, this fried carrot cake is my next best carrot cake. Its white carrot cake is 5/10, but his black carrot cake is ranked as 9/10 in my list. Hence I will recommend everyone to try their black carrot cake. I always ordered the largest portion which is normally for 2 portion size. Although they do not put spring onion, this simple plate of black carrot cake is heavy in taste.