First month in NYC!

So it has officially been a month and a week since I arrived here in New York and exactly a month since I started work. I know I haven't been posting a lot lately because work really has been so draining and on my days off, I just wanna laze around in bed, stay at home and not do anything.

The weather is still very temperamental, having its ups and downs. Apparently it might snow again this Thursday. WHEN IS WINTER EVER GOING TO END???

I started bringing my Totoro toy around since 2012 on its first trip overseas to California. I have an album titled 'Totoro Adventures' on my desktop, with photos of it posing at different places in a foreign land. I have yet to post them on Facebook or any platform all these years. Procrastination at its best. Anyway the photo above was taken at Madison Square, a minute away from my work place.

I probably got slightly homesick about a week ago, but things got better when Duane finally arrived last week! He started work today and both our schedules clashes, so much so that the only time I'd see him would be when I wake up for work at 330am in the morning. Yes, 330am. I recently got shifted to work in the morning team and we clock in at 530am. Even though we do end in the late afternoon and at least have an adequate social life, waking up is definitely the hardest part when in the morning team.

I have been scolded a few times by my chefs for making mistakes and not making things perfect, but it's only the first month and I've got so much to learn and give. I'm definitely pushing myself and trying my hardest not to disappoint them. It's so strange how I ended up at a place I never saw myself to be at.

Umami Burger

Cute 'U' lettering imprinted on the burger bun!

So I mentioned previously that I met up with two friends for dinner on separate occasions. On my third night here, I met up with Cassie, a friend I've known for more than 15 years but hardly connected with back in school (we found out we were in the same Primary One class!), for dinner at Umami Burger. It was my treat for her as a way of thanks because she trained down all the way to the airport at 11pm on a school night to pick me up when I arrived >< SO SO GRATEFUL FOR HER KINDNESS!

Cassie was raving about their Truffle Fries, which she eventually got for herself, and since I don't take a liking for potato, I ordered the Tempura Onion Rings.

Tempura Onion Rings (USD$4.50) and Truffle Fries (USD$3.50, background)

It wasn't fantastic. The batter was under-seasoned and the onions just tasted bland. Not something I would order again. It doesn't even come anywhere close to the ones I had at Joe's Cable Car in San Francisco. The burgers and the onions rings there are the best in the city. BEST. 

For the burgers, I had their classic Umami Burger ( shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp and umami ketchup). Cassie had the Cali Burger (butter lettuce, slow-roasted tomatoes, house spread, house-made American cheese, caramelized onions). I cannot remember all the sauces they served us to dip the fries/onion rings in, but I know there was umami ketchup and garlic aioli. 

Umami Burger (USD$11) and Cali Burger (USD$11, background)

I really liked the parmesan crisp! It gave the burger some texture, rather than the normal melting cheese (which I love!!) that comes along with most burgers. It was a pleasant burger to consume and enjoy, along with catching up with Cassie and tips on living in the Big Apple.

They've got a few outlets spread out across the US, and the one I went to was in Greenwich Village. It's a rather small place and it gets packed pretty quickly once it reaches around 7 or 8 in the evening. So if you're ever visiting NYC, I would recommend this place for their burgers.

Umami Burger (Greenwich Village)

432 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Tel: 212-677-8626

d'Good Cafe

Met up with Shannen at d'Good Cafe at Holland Village for lunch a few days before I left for New York. The first time I visited the cafe was to just chill with an iced latte while reading a magazine. I reached there quite early this time round, so I tried their hot latte while waiting for Shannen to reach.

Poor girl was in crutches and the lift door to the cafe was jammed so she was trapped for a good 5 minutes or so with other people inside ><

One thing to point out is their ordering system. You order at the counter and they'll give you a buzzer. Once it buzzes, you collect your food and/or drinks. It can be quite a hassle sometimes, because the cafe has two levels and those sitting on the higher level would have to walk up and down, back and forth, just to get their food or drinks. Alternatively, you could use their lift if you're lazy, but obviously it can malfunction at times. 

Cute decor around the order counter!

Both of us ordered a main with a drink each.

Café latté ($5.60)

Earl-Lavender Tea Latté ($7, I think?)

Steak and Cheese Pie ($10.50)

Baked Chicken Pesto ($14)

I love their coffee and tea here! There's a pretty decent variety of coffee beans and they offer a custom blend of your choice, but at a pricey cost of $12.

Other than their beverages, the food served here is average, or even below average. I didn't get to try Shannen's steak pie, but I definitely would not order the Baked Chicken Pesto again. It was disappointing, because I was expecting at the very least a golden crusted baked chicken, and not some under-seasoned and what appears to be boiled chicken. Not saying that it was boiled and not baked. The appearance just doesn't match the name of the dish.

I've heard that the cakes here are pretty good, but I didn't get a chance to try them because we were too full at the end of our meal. I know they've got some signature cakes, so hopefully I'll pop by one day to try some of them. 

But if you're into a place to sit down, chill, have a cuppa and read a book or something, d'Good Cafe is a good option to keep in mind. The seating area is rather spaced out and the noise level is moderate, so it's also a good place to catch up with old friends and not be interrupted with other people's chatter.

d'Good Cafe

273 Holland Avenue, #02-01/02, Singapore 278992

Tel: 62199807

First day jitters

It's been a week since I landed here in New York. Winter has been kind so far because it's into the last few weeks. It's cold, but I managed to capture a glimpse of it snowing here last Sunday night. I've met up with two friends for dinner since I've been here, went to Redeemer Presbyterian Church and joined a friend for her meeting with her community group. I've walked around places in Brooklyn/Manhattan and still sometimes getting lost. I've cooked a little, albeit simple meals, but it's alright. 

Tomato linguine with an overeasy

French toast with garlic mushrooms and sunny side up

Yesterday was a rough day, but I finally could process my application for my social security card and will hopefully receive it in the mail in two weeks.

I hope I'm well rested enough, because today will be a long first day. I still do get the jitters when I work at somewhere new for the first time, and this time definitely is not an exception. It still feels very surreal, feeling so many emotions at the same time. But I pray that God will be with me every single step that I take.

I've still got so many things to post about, but that will have to wait till next time. So till then, :)

New York City

Hours before I ventured into my first solo trip.

Duane came over to my place to cook me brunch!

Oeuf Poché Meurette 

Fancy name for egg poached in red wine, served with bacon chunks, mushroom duxelle, pan-fried bread and a rich decadent red wine sauce. His first time cooking this and my first time trying it. The mushroom duxelle looks really yellow here because he used duck fat to cook it down, and a bit too much I must say. I do prefer eating regular poached eggs compared to this, because if I'm not wrong, the tannins in the red wine gives the poached egg here a slight rubbery texture. Maybe it was a one-off thing, but if it really was the tannins, then choosing a red wine to suit this style would be more difficult than controlling boiling water and some vinegar. 

I spent the next few hours packing and repacking, and repacking again. Due to my dismay, it didn't matter how much I repacked everything into one check-in luggage bag because I had to eventually buy one luggage from Cheers to distribute the overweight-ness of my one bag with another. 

Loved ones and friends who came to send me off so late at night :')

It's only been a day since I landed in the Big Apple, and things have not been smooth in the past 48 hours. I've had issues with my passports, my flights, and now I can't even apply for my social security card and unable to open a bank account without the social security number due to some missing required documents that are all the way back in Singapore. Thus, I might not be able to start my work as scheduled because there isn't any paperwork to deal with without both my social security card and bank account.

But I still thank God for all that He has done, for He has shown His grace and mercy upon me. He allowed me to enter Singapore's departure gate; He provided an alternative flight for me that landed on the same day as my previous arrival time, albeit 9 hours later into the late night; He's blessed me with loved ones I can count on back home who would help me in the blink of an eye when I am in need.

I should have known things weren't going to be so smooth-sailing like it seemed back in Singapore. It makes me feel horrible about myself because I know I could have prevented some of the mishaps from happening if I had been more alert and paid more attention to what I was getting myself into. But well, there's no looking back and the only way is to move on.

Winter isn't as dreamy as it seems. The winds are harsh, with a mixture of rain, snow and slushy puddles (especially at intersections!!). I learnt the art of deciphering a slushy puddle from snow-covered pavements you could walk on without sinking your boots in ankle-high.

I had an unpleasant time getting lost, walking in the wrong directions with boots, socks and feet soaked to the bones. But it was exciting walking through new places and just taking it all in. I think I still haven't gotten used to the idea of drinking hot drinks as of yet, because I found myself buying a banana strawberry smoothie from a neighbourhood deli and an iced lemonade from Shake Shack. I felt a little out of place walking past people with hot cups of tea or coffee in their hands along the streets. But it's alright.

And yes, I had my first taste of Shake Shack today. Bought a single Shake burger with no tomatoes and it was delectable. The meat patty and the shack sauce were such a winning combination. Gahhhhhhh I shall obviously go back for more in the future.

Single Shack Burger (USD$4.75) and Shack-made Lemonade (USD$2.60)

I know it's still Chinese New Year back home and I have quite a number of photos to upload and go through. So in the meantime, I hope whoever's reading back home in Singapore are stuffing their faces with Chinese New Year goodies and collecting more red packets!!

Life of an unemployed

I am definitely loving the life of being unemployed; to wake up as and when I want to without the dreadful alarm wake up calls, planning impromptu dates because I don't have a routine I need to stick to, and lazing around just because I can.

But sometimes, certain days just feels so unproductive and it annoys me because I feel like I haven't made full use of it. Oh wells.

In the past few weeks, I've caught three movies!

1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

3. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

If I had to pick any movie from the three to watch again, I would go with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It was basically about an everyday man who decides to leave everything behind and do something outrageous for once in his life. There was a certain vibe the movie gave that I loved and it was an enjoyable film to watch for me, with some comedy thrown in here and there with the main character's vivd daydreams. Though I came across some harsh critiques about this movie, there were some insights about the sad life of Walter Mitty, such as the one I read on CreativIndie. It's a very, neutral movie to watch. Not extremely fantastic but not that dreadful.

The Wolf on Wall Street was an eye-opener for me about the whole concept of sex, drugs and money. It was a brilliant film, but just not my cup of tea.

I have a difficult time enjoying myself watching an action film, especially with the extremely quiet, suspenseful moments. Jack Ryan wasn't even that scary, but I found myself covering my eyes and ears about a third of the time because yes, I'm a scaredy cat. Plot was predictable with the good guys winning and the bad guys losing so blah. Not a movie I would catch a second time.

I've also been spending some time in the kitchen because I don't wanna be out of touch with my skills. I tried a new recipe for an apple crumble bar, but I wasn't happy with it. The ratio of crumble to apple filling was too much, making the dessert very dry, and the crumble mixture itself wasn't great after baking. I think it might have needed more butter to hold everything together. I will definitely work on the recipe more and maybe somewhere in the future, it'd be up on this blog.

Went over to Sarah's house last Sunday after church to cook a brunch-lunch!

Eggs benedict, pancakes, sauté mushrooms and Moscato wine. The wine was to celebrate Gerald's commissioning!

Homemade Eggs Ben! We substituted the bacon with honey-baked ham, which is cheaper and less of a hassle to prepare. Also, we couldn't find any English muffins, so we used hamburger buns instead. Not the best alternative, but we had to make do with what we could get our hands on! 

The same bunch of friends came over to my place on Thursday for dinner!

Cream of mushroom with garlic bread, "house salad", beef stew, lasagna, and chocolate tart for dessert.

*Side-note: House salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, japanese cucumbers and carrots with an awesome sesame dressing (store bought). It's just a salad my family eats on a regular basis, because the dressing is sooooo good! Hence the term "house salad"! 

Photo courtesy of @samanthagoh

Everyone except Kegan (who was the photographer) and Shawn who came later.

Photo courtesy of @the_keygs

Super glad everyone enjoyed the dinner :) On hindsight, I should've bought more beef for the stew because there was barely enough to go around and maybe prepared more soup because a lot of people had seconds and even thirds!

And very early on in the day while I was doing my mis en place, I accidentally sliced my index fingernail and a chunk came off immediately so, ouch. #lifeofachef

Can't get enough of this decadent, rich bittersweet chocolate tart. Though the tart shell is harder than I would like it to be, it's super addictive! The filling is very easy to do, so I'll definitely put this recipe up on the blog when I make it another time. 

I'm leaving for New York really soon and my schedule for my last week here before I leave is slowly being packed to the brim! So many people to catch up with AND Chinese New Year visitations. Not to mention I JUST started packing my luggage!! Planning to bring only one luggage (i.e. 23kg) so I'm really trying to pack the essentials and basics. Gahhhhhhhh so stressful but so excited at the same time! Really hoping the experience will be enriching and make me a more independent and confident individual!!!

Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ Buffet

The Korean craze in Singapore has been quite vibrant in recent years, with many Korean restaurants, snack shops and Korean supermarkets opening up. I'm not a huge fan of K-POP music or Korean dramas, but I do enjoy a few laughs over watching Running Man and Family Outing. Started watching the latter because I was starting to wait for RM episodes each week.

I really do like the concept of Family Outing and with each variety show, each cast member would build up their persona on that show, which makes it so interesting and hilarious to watch. My favourite segments of the show would be their dinner and breakfast preparations HAHA. So typical of me, I know. But it is interesting to see how they gather ingredients, and it doesn't hurt to learn new ingredients that these Korean celebrities have been growing up with. To cut the long story short, I will mentally salivate over the food they prepare and will develop a craving to eat Korean food. 

I guess it's just their food culture and the way the meal progresses that intrigues me. 

A few days ago, Duane brought me to Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ restaurant that every Singaporean will ABSOLUTELY LOVE. Reasons being #1 It's a buffet and #2 It's affordable. So Singaporean. 

This restaurant has been around for slightly over two years and recently relocated at United Square.

The seating area is quite big, probably able to fit about 200-300pax. It wasn't very crowded when we dined in because they were going to end their lunch shift in an hour.

First time seeing a curved grill top, which is something I would not recommend because all the drippings just slide off into a pan at the bottom that the staff collect at the end of the meal and throws out D:

There's a simple layout of the food area. Those with the lids are food items that have already been cooked and ready for consumption, like soups, rice, jap-chae, ddeokbokki and more. I didn't get to try all of them though.

Vegetable/pickled vegetable station! On the further end was the raw meat section. They had a mixture of chicken, pork and beef, both spicy and non-spicy.

Salad/fresh fruits station. They also placed the ssamjang* and salt and white pepper mix at this station. I wish they had gireumjang** though, which I prefer over the spicy ssamjang dipping sauce.

*Ssamjang is a dipping sauce consisting of chili paste, soybean paste, sesame oil and other ingredients.
**Gireumjang is a simple condiment consisting of sesame oil and salt, sometimes with a dash of black pepper

Drinks station. Didn't visit this section though, because iced water was sufficient for us. If you wanna order alcoholic beverages, there would be additional charges.

GRILLED MEAT!!!!!!!!!! *DROOLS*

If you know me well enough, I really love meat. Especially beef!!!! So usually at buffets like this, I'd just feast on meat. Not much on the other food items like soups, which tend to make me feel bloated super fast. The marinades for the different types of meat were quite good!

If you ever see ddeokbokki in a buffet line, my advice would be to skip it. Yes, it's one of my favourite Korean dishes because of the QQ texture in the rice cakes, but it doesn't fare well at buffets as it does in an a la carte setting. There would be carryover cooking from being left in the warmer for too long, and as a result, the rice cakes get mushy and just horrible to eat. So, just skip it.

*UPDATE*
Went back to eat at this restaurant again and my advice to my fellow ddeokbokki-lovers out there would be to take these yummy rice cakes from the buffet line ONLY when it's freshly replaced! It so happened that I noticed the designated area for ddeokbokki was empty, so once they were replenished, I didn't hesitate to take a small serving of it. They included a couple of hard-boiled eggs too, which was a lovely surprise, so first-come-first-served :) Nonetheless, the freshly-cooked rice cakes had the QQ texture I love and it was piping hot so yippee!

Lettuce for ssambap and jap-chae. The jap-chae wasn't too bad! Could use with a little more seasoning though! The coldness of it made it a little off-putting, but definitely more palatable than the ddeokbokki.

I was really stuffed by the end of the meal, even without drinking most of the soups! (I only had a few spoonfuls of their kimchi soup)

My #1 advice for eating at buffets would be to not stuff yourself silly JUST because there's a free flow of food. If you want to try EVERYTHING on the buffet line, take a little of everything. By a little, I mean a spoonful or two. And once you figure out what items are really appetising to you, load them onto your plate and sink your teeth into them. This still doesn't mean you should stuff yourself until you're bloated and on the verge of vomiting everything out. That would totally ruin the entire experience of eating.  I've been to too many buffets to experience what it feels like to overeat and lose my sense of taste. The aftermath of that really isn't pleasant.

You know that phrase 'Eat to Live, Live to Eat'? I live to eat. So naturally I'd eat until my stomach reaches its 'satisfied' level, and once in a while, exceeding that level by a little would be alright.

Overall, the experience at Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ restaurant was pleasant and I would definitely return again, for their meat and other items I didn't get to try the first time round. It'd be a good place for a big gathering with friends or family members. They do accept reservations so that's a plus point, especially when big groups are involved.

Like I said earlier on in the post, this buffet is affordable and value for money for its weekday lunch at only $14+ for adults ($9+ per child). It added up to be about $16 per adult after taxes. They have different  rates for dinner and weekend services, so go check it out on their facebook page.

Do note that on weekdays, they open in two shifts, 11.30am - 2.30pm and 5pm - 11pm. Their last orders are half an hour before the shift ends. So for example, once it reaches 2pm for the lunch shift, they'd start clearing the buffet line and by 2.30pm, they expect you to be ready to foot the bill. On weekends and public holidays, they open from 11.30am - 11pm, so no worries there :)

Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ Buffet

101 Thomson Road #B1-15-17/34, United Square, Singapore 307591

Tel: 62548123