Sunday 12 July 2015

The Bazaar Effect

On what makes the Bazaar
The Geylang Bazaar was already in full swing as we arrive Paya Lebar, at 6pm, before the sun set. Crowds of people walking around, and the internet buzzing on it for days and weeks, celebrating the sense of community and tradition this night market/bazaar made one feel. 

However, when I entered the arena, only one thing was on my mind - the heat. Despite the choice to not wear a pullover,(we all know how badly that'll end) my face was overwhelmed by the heat and humidity the area was, and the brushing of body parts as you cross each path, and turn each corner. 

I thought I had experienced the worst, and nothing could be any more bad, the heat, that is. Until I was proven wrong. It wasn't the food, the fabrics or even the people that the blogs were raving about. It all came down to two stores. Un-strategically placed side by side, it magnets the crowd like ants seeing sugar.

The churros and the ice-cream pan. Pivoting cynicism and symbolism, it's weird to see that in such a gigantic space, only selected areas are hotspots for people to crowd around. 


To my surprise, the ice cream wasn't bad, at all. I thought it would be icy and chunky, but instead it was rather smooth and creamy, like actual ice cream that is produced by churning. If you're heading over to get yourself some, word of the wise - have a lot of tissue and even more time. Its immense popularity only means that you have to wait for at least an hour to have your order served. 

If you ask me, was the 1 hour worth the wait? Well, maybe. For the first time, out of novelty and the fun of it. But would I do it again? Straight up, no. The novelty wears off, and you realise you can get better quality elsewhere at your nearest ice cream parlour. 

Of all the hype, the Geylang Bazaar this year is only famed for its churros and ice cream. Everything else? You can get it at the Pasar Malam at your place the next time it comes.

Saturday 11 July 2015


A new, fresher template after almost 2 years of being on this platform. Gosh, can you believe it has been that long? Hopefully there'll be more exciting content coming up.


Saturday 4 July 2015

Lola's Cafe X Density : (The New Frozen Custard Experience)

Another week is finally about to be over, and I have to say, it has been very, very liberating. Final Year Project is over! Well, the first part that is. But honestly, I'm so happy that we didn't have any major criticisms after the presentation, because I put in so much hard work and more than half of the entire project is carried by me. Mind : we have 8 people in the group.

On a happier note.



I WENT TO LOLA'S CAFE! Just so you know, I had been eyeing to go this cafe for the longest time with my homies. But as you know, this 30-seater backyard cafe is so popular every single time we try to get a reservation online, it's unavailable. But this time, instead, for my magazine project. I emailed tons of notes to so many people and cafe owners but only Lola's got back to me in a day. I was honestly real shocked, because it's such a popular and successful cafe, I did not expect it at all.

But the owner's expression was WRITTEN with scepticism when she saw me and Ke Xin. Like "wtf, you guys are children." But I got lot's of valuable content, so that was great! And perhaps the biggest perk when you interview a cafe owner, you don't have to queue. So after the interview, the owner, June, was like "do you guys still want to stay here?" I'm like, ummm, can we? So we did.


During my interview with June, I learned that Lola's is all about providing quality and value. Take for instance their coffee. Instead of purchasing the standard ones in bulk. Lola's take in locally roasted coffee beans from Dutch Colony, which is a more superior grade and produces better coffee! And for those who enjoys a booze here and there, Lola's has got you covered too. 

Again, unlike some other cafes, instead of your usual lager beers like Heineken or Tiger, Lola's brings in locally brewed craft beers. And if you're wondering what craft beers are, according to the American Brewers Association, breweries have to produce less than 6 million barrels of alcohol and using traditional methods of fermentation. And in short, it just means a cleaner taste, free of starch and diluents. 


 (Breakfast Butter Croissant, $14)

(Lola's Full Monty Breakfast, $16)

I got the croissant one and Ke Xin got the Full Monty Breakfast. Price wise, some of them are within cafe-food range. But for the Full Monty Breakfast, I have to say isn't worth $16. For my breakfast butter croissant, it was sort of worth $14. I liked it quite thoroughly, but their scrambled eggs were really quite something. Still very light and fluffy, slightly runny on the top, with bacon, cheese and ham sandwiched between a crusty buttered up croissant. So overall, that wasn't too bad - but isn't all that filling either. 

I'll definitely be coming back for seconds and thirds, because the overall ambience isn't too shabby, and the food really has its delectable appeals. And also, we went over for the interview at 10 in the morning, so we didn't got to try their afternoon menu. And I am still eyeing, like an eagle, to try their Confit of duck leg with honey mustard sauce - heard it is a must-try. 

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After the hearty-ish breakfast, me and Ke Xin got around to find her something to wear for her interview for internship. AND I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY HOME GURL GOT THE JOB! Even though it is such a distance from where she lives. But I think it's great when you can work in a space you feel passionate about. I mean we all know how school allocation is a hit and miss sometimes. My internship if you might be wondering - I might blog/vlog about it because the whole day of the interview was a ride. 

Later at 2, I had to meet up with Nadz and KX had to meet her group for project, so we parted ways. 

During the meet-up with Nadz, I have to say, we went back to the primitive ages, where telecommunications no longer apply. In case you're wondering what happened, Nadz phone died, officially. The DEAL is SEALED. If you recall, her phone suffered its initial demise last year in this story. And in her recent trip to the Krabi islands, while trying to get off the boat, she missed a step, and down goes the girl and her phone. Keep in mind she was wearing a dress - imagine how heave the water-soaked dress must be!



*UPDATE : she got her new iPhone as of today, and mine, is dying. 

So we had to make our appointment through twitter before she left her home and I was so afraid we didn't see each other and never get to meet up. After getting a phone consultation with the phone specialists, they figured it's better to get a new phone because repairs are going to amount to $400! 

Since we were in the south anyway, we figured we go to this new ice cream place I saw on The SmartLocal. 


Density, frozen custard is a new kid around the block. You know how we all rave about ice creams and gelatos, and how one is creamier than the other. All that hoo-ha is nothing compared to what this creamery has to offer. Serving frozen custard, which is basically a churning method that introduces the least amount of air among the other types of ice cream. This just means that the concentration is so much higher, giving you a creamier, smoother consistency. 


When we were approaching the shop we thought it would be pretty small. But it turned out it was uber spacious and the sitting area for customers is aplenty. Ok, before I talk about the taste, understand it's amazing. But here's why this business would take some time, or a lot for that matter to be popular and make revenue. 

Location wise, it's nestled in a narrow street that would take some time to access to, and the neighbouring shops aren't cafes, so people may not even pay attention to it. Another major down side, is that they serve only ice ice-cream. So do not expect to get brownies or waffles to accompany your ice cream. But the creamery is super new, so maybe in a while they'll add that into the menu(?) And that means they don't serve drinks too. 

When we were there, we realised that they only serve 2 -3 flavours PER DAY. Which means we have very little choices. And you know how Singaporeans are, we love to be spoiled by choices. Since we were there already anyway, let's just go with it. 

We went on a Tuesday, and they offered mango and vanilla, which I was so thankful for. We sampled the mango, and I have to say the quality of the ice cream is exceptional. It tasted like frozen mango + cream. But eventually I stuck with vanilla, with the toppings cookies and oreos. 



Apparently their churner had some problem, so the vanilla ice cream was still in a soft-serve state. But nonetheless it was actually very nice. Throughout the ice cream, or should I start labelling it frozen custard, there were vanilla beans speckled like mad, which gave it a rich and intense vanilla flavour. And the consistency, very smooth and creamy. No signs of ice and chunkiness at all. And the toppings weren't all bad, though the caramelised cookies at Llao Llao are unbeatable. Is there a way I can buy just that, swear I will just eat it with everything. 

It's great if you want to be that whimsy-indie hipster, you can bring your laptop and just chill the afternoon or get stuff done. I mean I don't foresee this creamery to get crowded be become the talk of town until the next 5 months. Ok fine, 3 months. 

Even with that said, I left the place with another scoop of vanilla frozen custard, because it was actually really good and the weather outside that day made it impossible to turn down that thought. 

The remains of the day were less eventful and only relevant and interesting to me, so I shan't go too deep into that. Though I did realise that Japanese writers are so talented and their stories and novels were always soooooo addicting. 

Ending this post with the photo I thought was good enough for IG. 


Here's to July, and its original set of bullshit.