Author: Alex Chua
beGin takes a typical gin – usually drank in a traditional English-style habitat with upholstered furnishing – and gives it a chic new spin. Situated upstairs Singapore’s oldest traditional English Pub – The Penny Black, beGin is the only speakeasy bar that houses over 50 gins from different countries. Gin lovers can sample the vast selection in different ways (neat, with tonic or in fashionable cocktail) and pair it with savoury British-Indian small plates. Expect colours, delicious bites and upbeat music with friendly bartenders tucked inside this rustic, moodily-lit speakeasy.
Starting off the course is the Royal Chatanee (S$4), which consists a medley of mild to punchy dips – Tomato, Chilli & Ginger Chutney, Asian Salsa and aromatic Spiced Cilantro Mint & Coconut dip. This grazing platter with refreshing dips is good to awaken the palate for subsequent courses.
Popping into the Crab bomb-a ($13 for 5 pieces) has that savoury oomph of seafood satisfaction. The curry sauce, hidden within the light hollow crisp, is made with beGin’s in-house spice mix for that unique kick. Very addictive and easy to pop in a few.
Appearance can be quite deceiving. BeGIN’s bestseller the Samboo-sa Pasties ($11 for 3 pieces) is a modern interpretation of the humble curry puffs. The chicken has that fiery tandoori masala taste, encased in a fluffy crisp choux pastry for that lovely crunch.
A definite crowd-favourite, the nacho del goa ($15 for 5 pieces) is a twist to the classic butter chicken. Sitting atop nacho-shaped papadums, the prawns are coated with buttery northern Indian Sauce and onion yogurt. It’s not enough to pop in just one of these tasties.
The Cheeky Nigiri is perhaps my personal favourite among the delectable bar bites, partly due to its tender meatiness. Made of beef cheeks, yellow sushi rice and vindaloo sauce, this can simply be a meal of itself.
Enough with the food. Now for the drinks. LAVENDER ($25) is inspired by HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s luscious lavender garden. A dome once lifted releases smoke that unveils the dignified, feminine cocktail. Taste of floral and, with its opal pink, slightly girly drink, but I love it still. No judge.
For those who are into adventurous drinks, the Jagmohan ($25) is a curry and clove spiced tequila mix. Essentially Northern India in a drink, this unassuming cocktail is exotic and tastes of spices, completes with the tomato, chili and ginger chutney on the side with fried crisps.
KOKO ($23) is that decadently well-balanced cocoa-infused rum die-hard chocolate fans would find irresistible. Performed with a ‘fire’ show – igniting the dehydrated orange atop the rum – this fiery concoction is creamy, mellow-sweet cocoa and tastes just like a dessert by itself, which I simply adore!
beGin
27a Boat Quay, The Penny Black Upstairs, Singapore 049817
Operating Hours: Mondays to Saturdays: 5pm – 1am
party
Party: Summer Loves SunPlay at Mambo Beach Club
Guess who are the SunPlay ambassadors? It is not too difficult to tell!!
But first, let me thank Xinyi for all the pictures!! I left my camera at home by accident :'( Because of the good weather and colorful outfits, the pictures were all so pretty!!!
We were decked in Red and Blue for Summer Loves Sunplay at Mambo Beach Club. Even though it should be the hottest period of the year, but it kept raining non stop! Luckily there was only a slight drizzle during the party.
It was such a happy sight to see kids playing in the pool. By the way, they got an ultra cute GUMMY BEAR FLOAT TOO!!!
We were there in a group which made the party even better!! The company, ambience, activities were ALL good! Especially when we did not even have to worry about being in the hot sun because we were all WELL protected by SunPlay Ultra!
Double the trouble with two couples!!
Darling girl. The huge ball beside me was float I stole from the pool!
And another bunch of fun-yet-nasty people 😡 Nasty but fun!
Celebrities were also present. They were busy doing zumba on the stage with the instructors who specially choreographed a dance for the event.
Spot us in action! Congrats SunPlay for breaking the Singapore Book of Records for the most number of people applying Sunblock together!!! So glad to be part of this party!!!! It was such a record breaking moment!!!
I am glad and contented to know that we can work together as a couple outside our job. I don’t mean moonlighting FYI. I meant to say that it is heartwarming to know that people see us as one.
I NEVER NEVER STEP OUT OF MY HOUSE WITHOUT SUNBLOCK. I don’t want skin cancer or pigmentations. So the take home message is….. Always remember your sun block!!
My Countdown 2014 @ Sentosa
Where did you countdown last Dec 2014? How was it?
For me and James, it was pretty quiet until 9pm as we had dinner with his family for his birthday dinner prior to partyinggggg!
We wanted to party with the rest of the 15,000 party goers who were there to welcome the new year at Asia’s largest beach party. There were more than 20 international and local DJs (Zurich-raised DJ Mike Candys, DJ Shy, DJ Tinc and more) who took the decks across five party zones for 12 hours straight. It was a 6pm to 6am party.
OUR FAVOURITE AREA WAS THE FOAM PARTY where everyone had to just get DIRTY!! There were a lot of people from different countries and races partying and throwing foam at each other!! Everyone looked so happy that night.
Because James drove, so we were pretty restricted. No foam on me!!
The boy couldn’t resist. He just had to get into the “pool” of foam.
I also liked the big stage and love VDJ Funky T!!! His music made all of us grooved like crazy! People couldn’t stop dancing or singing to the songs. I got a little high too (even though I did not drink) LOL.
The same for James. He was dancing away happily……
Cheeky boy is happy.
Happy boy is cheeky.
We moved from the stage to the foam party and back to the stage again. To and fro and to and fro.
We waited till 12mn for the countdown and fireworks! WOOHOOOO. It was spectacular!! I wished I had it recorded.
Siloso Beach Party closed the colorful chapter of 2014 and began a new journey into 2015 with the best company and party setting that its participants could ask for.
I am so going back on 31 Dec 2015 with a big group of friends this time round!!
Christmas Party with Fairprice
Christmas means parties and parties means drinks, food and snacks.
All these items can add up to a whopping mid 3-digits depending on how big your party is. Of course, there might be Christmas sale and all. But what is the best place to shop for all the food stuffs?
1. A huge variety of drinks to choose from – Wines, Champagne, Beer, Juices, Soft drinks
2. Shelves and shelves of snacks & finger food – Chocolates, Cheese, Nuggets, chips
3. Cooked food – Roast beef, Sushi platter, Roast Turkey, Ham
4. Desserts – Fruits, Cakes, Log cakes.
So where? Where is this one-stop-for-all store that is available almost everywhere?!
It’s FAIRPRICEEE FINEST!!!
The promotions will run from 6 November to 31 Dec.
An on-going promotion:
Spend a minimum of $30 in one receipt to qualify for their Christmas Lucky Draw where you will stand a chance to win a:
– Personal chef service
– A trip for 2 to Santa Claus Village, Finland
– A pair of luxury watches
– A staycation in Ocean Suite at Beach Villa, Resorts World Sentosa
– $1000 worth of FairPrice Gift Vouchers (60 winners)
You can also double your chances by using OCBC Plus! Visa Cards.
They had also kindly sent some of their items over to help me prepare for my Christmas party!!
You know when I received the huge log cake, I was like “Is it going to be nice? I think cakes from bakeries might taste nicer.” Then I had a slice of it for my breakfast next day and I went “OMG IT IS SO CHOCOLATEY. I LIKEY.” Not kidding about the taste. I am pretty sure it taste so much better than some bakeries. The Premium Chocolate Fudge Log Cake only cost $35.80. That’s the best thing because a log cake will easily cost you $45 and above for the same size (or even smaller).
Other cakes are available as well like the Snowy Blueberry Christmas Cake or the Caramel Hazelnut Log Cake ($25.80). I might just get the Hazelnut one for my Christmas cause it sounds yummy enough already.
I gave the entire Black Pepper Rib-Eye Roas Beef to James because he is a meat lover. This entire chunk here is at least 3x larger than what you can imagine here. Like the log cake, it was flavorful! Buying it off the store and placing it on the dining table sounds like an easy task! On top of it, it comes in a convenient cooler bag!
What is alcohol without a party? I had a Long Flat Merlot which retails at $22.50/bottle that displays the aroma of dark berries and green olives. I am more of a sweet person so I would pick the breezer anytime! It comes in a pack of 3 assorted flavors. 6 bottles for only $19.50.
The americans like it with chips and cheese. Food for Friends Tortilla Chips make great nibbles for both the adults and children. I call this the healthier way of snacking because it is made from non-GMO corn and natural oil. Comes in different flavors too.
Tartare Aperifrals are cheese with a variety of spices including red pepper and whatsnot. Great for pre or post-dinner snack.
Other than food, they have assorted Christmas table top ornaments to brighten up your dining table and house too.
What was mentioned here is barely a quarter of the promotions that they have. Please please please head down to Fairprice Finest yourself to see what you can grab for the kids, or a cosy dinner, or even for a party.
I hope your tastebuds are as delighted as mine!
YUMS!!
Sneak and peek at Heineken!
Leaving for Taiwan for my sister’s trip in less than 10 days time. What I hate about going overseas is that I have to reject all the events during the trip!! Sigh, there are already quite a handful of them coming up 🙁 Lucky J will be helping me with some when I am away. There will be a men’s event as well, hope he benefits from it! Hehe.
Last Friday, William brought us to Heineken’s party. We traveled to the future there. J looked so cute in the pictures from that night. BAHAHAHA. To make him even cuter, I forced him to buy some coloured lenses (that I am currently wearing ow) from our JB trip yesterday. I seriously think that we look even similar now. My JB trip will be up in the next entry.
Even in group photo, we are still in our own fantasy world.
Had to leave early because I had work the next day. Though short, but great catch up with the big boys.
Next entry will be up very very soon!
ZA 15th Anniversary and Limited Ed Case
Make a Guess. Whose’s 15th birthday party is this?!
It’sssssssss ZA!!!!!
ZA has been a well-loved brand among women who love fuss free, simple yet fun beauty products.
My first foundation was ZA and to date, it’s still ZA 🙂
Through these years, they are awarded with numerous awards and accolates and this year, they will be celebrating their 15th anniversary!
And on this very special occasion, they will be bringing us a limited edition foundation case as a special tank you to their users for spending 15 awesome years with them.
The case is designed by a freelance illustrator born in Tokyo. She has worked with Anna Sui for T-shirt designs and her work has also appeared with magazines such as Vogue Italia and Vogue Girl Korea.
The inspiration for the case drew from the ZA girl who is always brimming with energy and love to be seen in all the hottest parties in town. And on this special day, she gathers all her girl friends, dress up and indulge to celebrate with cakes and not forgetting a class of bubbly for her favorite brand’s 15th birthday.
Look flawless, poreless and perfect in all party pictures with perfect fit two way foundation. Formulated with water holding collagen and hyaluronic acid, it pumps your skin with moisture keeping it well hydrated all day long. The SPF 20PA++ shields you from harmful sunrays in the day while pore less power and oil control powder keeps you looking fresh and matte.
Cute props were provided for us to camwhore. Look at the little hat, specs and tie!
I thought the sponge with suit looks like a potato. LOL.
Like a sir Mascara. So cute!
The party was held at Window Sill Pies so we had a quite a few yummy pies that night.
Pretty casing comes in a package. Cute cafe and sweet layout with sweet treats.
Yummmehhh pies with eye feasting babes/ products in the cafe. #EyeFeastForMyEyes
The limited foundation case will hit Watsons on the 4th July 2013 for only $9.90 while the foundation cake with sponge retails at $18.50.
For more information, Please visit: https://www.facebook.com/zacosmeticssingapore
Goldwell Colour Zoom 2013
The celebration of the 10th anniversary of Goldwell’s Colour Zoom was at Dream (old Zirca).
As one of the world’s top color and hair care brands, Goldwell is highly regarded as an industry leader in the latest hair fashion trends and for 2013, Goldwell is kicking it up a notch with its Color Zoom BEAUTIFY Collection of new hair trends, created by its Global Color Zoom Creative Team.
Brought my bestie along for the event. You will be seeing more of her in my event posts now 😀
The stage. And my my, Dream looks like a good place to party.
Cranberry Vodka.
Girls always do what they do best while waiting 😀
With flash. Thank god our face aren’t too oily even though it was already night time.
The Color Zoom Global Event is an annual phenomena since 2007. Within the Color Zoom 2013 BEAUTIFY collection, moderate shades are mixed with unconventional colors to create unique effects. All color schemes show a flowing transition by merging different shades: Earth, rusty shades are combined in an innovative way while pastel candy colors give blonde-hair an unexpected appeal.
First up was the opening segment by Ken Hong (Singapore).
He is the Goldwell Regional Ambassador for Asis as well.
Followed by Fascinature by Delos Oh of Sabun Cabane (Singapore).
Delos was an International Competitor for Coldwell Color Zoom 2012 under the Global Creative Category.
I would say that his work included more colors.
Another Fascinature by Reno Tan of Hairloom (Singapore).
Past national winner for Goldwell Color Zoom 2012 for New Talent Category.
Similar to Delos, they had more colors in their hair works.
I like this blonde coloured hair with a streak of pink.
Beautify by Peter Wu (Taiwan).
He’s the Goldwell Global Master.
His models that day showed us the lively side.
This hair combination (Colour + Style), isn’t it stylish and suitable for Asians?
Avante Garde by Mario Krankl (Salzburg, Austria)
Goldwell Global Master
He has been a hairdresser for 28 years. With 20 years of working with Goldwell under his belt, he has been a part of Color Zoom Master Team for 2005, 2008 – 2012.
Being a veteran in the Master Team, he has worked with Challenge Winners who bring about fresh perspective into the Team. With new insights, concepts provided and his experiences, the Global Color Zoom Creative Team develops a trend collection that are relevant to the world of fashion and beauty.
Let’s take a look at his works now. And I must say that I really like them especially the first picture below.
They give off the princess-y and doll-liked aura.
Did you enjoy the show just by looking at the pictures? Well, I did!
For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/GoldwellSG