Bar Bar Black Sheep (Tanjong Katong Road)

(Another guest blog by @SGVekNZ)

There is a vast world of eateries out around the Eastern area of Singapore so one is very spoilt for choice. 

However; if it's one of those nights where you simply can't decide what to have, Bar Bar Black Sheep (BBBS) on Tanjong Katong Road is worth a try.

The logo always reminds me of New Zealand :) The 362 stands for the address of this branch; 362 Tanjong Katong Road

BBBS has a similar setup to a food court. Each kitchen is run by a different owner/chef. The atmosphere is relaxed and not pretentious at all. It is an open concept which means the place opens out onto the street. There isn't any fancy air con here but the ceiling fans do a pretty good job at cooling the place down. It can get warm, but we've never found it to be overwhelmingly hot. Unlike a food court however, there are waiting staff at BBBS and they'll come to you to take your order.

BBBS gives you the chance to choose between 3 types of cuisine; Indian, Thai or Western. This is excellent as it gives you the chance to order a drink first whilst you debate further on what you want to eat. The menu is well set out amongst the 3 kitchens.

The Indian place has a good offering of curries. The usual suspects are the Kormas and Vindaloos. The Naan bread varieties are also available along with an excellent selection of rice. Whenever we're there, the Indian food seems to be the most popular. It is definitely our fave.

For the Thai food; their versions of the Fish Cakes and Curries is also pretty good. We've tried the soft shelled crab dish before which isn't too bad. The Basil Chicken dish goes well with Rice and has that little kick in it from the Chillies. Overall the Thai food is okay. 

Western food; has a small offering. This consists of Burgers and fried foods; Fries, Calamari etc. Nothing very different here and we've never tried the Burgers. The ones coming out of the kitchen do look good though so we'll have to try it one day. 

Finally there is the Bar; what meal would be complete without a good selection of drinks. At BBBS there is a selection of Wines, Beers, non-alcoholic and Cocktails. The Cocktail list is quite large with a selection of about 15 or so mixes. For those with a thirst for Mocktails; a fancy non-alcoholic drink, there is also a small selection to choose from.

Casual setting

Table number. And that's all I have to say about that

The Bar

No GST, No Service Charge and you have to buy water here if you want it

On this visit we had Indian - Onion and Vegetable Pakora

Chicken Korma - Creamy and decent chunks of Chicken

Mutton Vindaloo - tasty; apparently one of the hotter dishes, wasn't that hot to be honest

Cashmiri Pilau Rice - rice with mixed Fruits and Nuts, cooling effect for hot dishes

Poppadom - TIP: Don't leave them uneaten for too long. In the Singapore heat/humidity, they lose their crunch quickly

If you're around the East; consider dropping into Bar Bar Black Sheep; don't let the bad play on words in their name put you off. It's a laid back place where people come to drink, unwind and chill out. It's the kind of place where you can sit for a few hours happily drinking and chatting. If you like sitting by the River, consider checking out their branch at Robertson Quay (they have other branches around Singapore).

If you're stuck as to what to have for lunch or dinner, it's a perfect place to order a drink first and take your time browsing the menu whilst you decide. With Indian, Thai and Western options, you should be able to find something to sink your teeth into. Indian is a definite favourite, drinks reasonable and the service okay.

Bonus; NO GST and Service Charge!

Check it out for another potential Feast in the East. 

2013 New Year Countdown at Fern & Kiwi

Ring in the New Year in style with Fern and Kiwi's extraordinarily indulgent menu on New Year's Eve!

Be dazzled by a host of their special mains, all designed to welcome 2013 with a bang. 

Their slow-roasted crispy roast pork belly with savoy cabbage and quince puree is an adventure for the tastebuds, as moist tender meat greets you underneath a gorgeous, crisp crackling.  Or try their smoked ribeye with root vegetables and truffle chips, served with an applewood smoked bearnaise, for a lovely sweet finish. 

Bookings are filling up fast!

Make your reservations at [email protected] 

or call 6336 2271 now.

Christmas Cracker Jokes

Christmas Crackers, always one of the highlights of Christmas gatherings.  It's amazing how people look forward to what is hidden inside. There is the customary coloured paper hat, a gift/prize and the joke.

If there is ever a "downside" to Christmas Crackers, it is the horrendously bad jokes that are contained within them.

Despite the fact that we're in Singapore; it appears that Christmas Crackers contain universally (well globally) terrible jokes. 

Christmas Crackers; looks innocent enough? Wrong, bad jokes contained within

Right; so Christmas Crackers 2012, what do you contain within that would tickle my funny bone? Here we go; brace yourself as they're pretty bad this year.

Q. What do you get from a pampered cow?
A. Spoilt milk

Q. What does a frog do when his car breaks down?
A. He gets toad away.

Q. Why did the man get fired from the orange juice factory?
A. Because he couldn't concentrate.

Q. What do you call a woman that stands between 2 posts?
A. Annette

C'mon, who comes up with all these lame jokes.  One day (hopefully) someone will come up with something that we can all laugh at? Or is that where the intention lies, they're so bad we can't help but laugh?

Merry Christmas all :)

PS - seriously (couldn't resist a slap stick post); we love Christmas, we're not gonna let some lame jokes spoil it! :)

A sentimental Christmas post

The latest blog post by katherineisawesome inspired me to write this post.  She will probably hate me for writing this, but she is my cousin.

I quote some (edited) paragraphs from her post:

"One of my aunts is making a prawn salad and another is making this potato dish which is basically 50% cream and butter, 50% potato so it’s likely I’ll feel ill around 10:00pm. I’m pretty sure this is the first year we’re not doing extended family presents which is good, because we’re all too old for it, but odd, because what are we going to do with the time we’d usually spend giving out all those gifts? (I have a lot of relatives on this side of the family).

My first cousins seem pretty different to James and I. James and I are like those family members that no one really understands. I’m sure that I’ll get asked what I do (‘what’s a blog?’) again this year, James will get hit up about his tattoos and we’ll both give each other the knowing side-eye when it happens. There’s something kind of nice about how predictable it is. I like it.

By around midnight I’m sure that we’ll all be ready to leave. I’ll give my grandmother a goodbye hug because she’s cute and it’s what I’ve always done. (I know it’s probably what most people do, but for some reason, hugs have never been a thing with my extended family – only with me and James and my paternal grandparents.) I’ll walk out the door, full and content. And that’ll be it – this Christmas over, on to the next."

This made me think a lot about home and family, more so than in previous Christmases.  The fact that I won't be there with my Mum, and her family, eating that lovely prawn salad and cream potato dish, soaking up the festive moods, chatting with my cousins and Aunties and Uncles.

I'm always conscious of the fact that I am not at all close with my first cousins.  I've seen countless number of nappy changes, tantrums, laughter and sadness.  However, despite all this, we have all grown apart.  I still remember having weekly family dinners at my Grandfather (who has passed on) and Grandmother's house.  The adults and the children sat at different tables, and it felt homely.  As we got older, married, some of us have our own families, some of us moved away from the nest, we didn't meet up as frequently.

James and Katherine are no different from the rest of us.  They hold a special bond that only a brother and a sister can have.  I envy their close relationship, as me being an only child is something that I can never experience.  The only reason why we tend to ask the same questions everytime we meet is because we don't really have anything else (in common) to talk about.  I guess it's like bumping into an acquaintance and talking about the weather.

It's true though, hugs have never been a thing with my extended family.  Why, I am not too sure.  Maybe it's because when our parents were young, affection wasn't the done thing.  In the old days, Chinese families were never affectionate with each other.  Whenever we meet up, we say a cheerful hi, and a cheerful bye when we leave.  I guess it's like an unspoken rule, like when you've done something wrong, and your parents give you the 'evil eye'.  My maternal grandparents are the only ones that I've hugged at our extended family gatherings.

One thing I'd like you to take away from this post is, don't take your family for granted, get to know them, what they do for a living, if they don't want to talk then that's okay.  Ring or visit your grandparents and parents every week.

Even if family relocate overseas for one reason or another, it doesn't mean that they are not contactable.  In these modern times there's Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and even old-fashioned email.

Merry Christmas from Expat Kiwis

We'd like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Safe travels wherever you may be heading during these Christmas / New Year holidays, and if you're not travelling, enjoy time with your family.

Cheers - Expat Kiwis x

Golden Village Gold Class - The Extra chillout factor

(Guest post by Hubby - follow him on Twitter - @SGVekNZ)

When one goes to the movies there is always the usual option; grab some seats, grab some munchies and enjoy the show whilst sharing the theatre with up to 130 people. 

A bright spark came along and thought maybe some people want the business class version of the above; a smaller intimate lounge like setting (for up to 32 people) , waiters and a different selection of food and beverages including hot restaurant style food and drinkies. 

Enter Gold Class where apart from the usual fare you can get Dim Sim, Curry, Sandwiches etc and can wash it down with Cocktails, Beer or Wine. It adds a touch of class to the movie going experience and makes you feel that much more special. 

On this occassion, we were going to see The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey. Being Kiwis we were keen to fuel that New Zealand Pride. We went to Gold Class at I12 Katong.

The main lounge area is simple, clean and nice. The lanterns on the ceiling are a nice touch; very Asian. 

Pretty comfy seats

Decorated like a lounge

Pictures on the wall make it homely and less like a business

The Bar; Champagne, Cocktails, Wines, Beers and non alcoholic beverages are available

Food wise there is an okay selection as well. Nothing to rave about; it's a movie theatre after all, but it's good to see snacks, mains and desserts on offer. Don't worry though, the classic movie snack of Popcorn is still available :)

Menu:  "Read me!"

Let the selection begin - Burger? Chicken Wings? Choccy Brownie; your choice

There are 2 theatres set to the side of the main lounge. When it is time to go in the hosts let you know and help you move any food and drink to your personal seats. Now this is where Gold Class shines; each seating area is made up of 2 seats with the table in the middle. 

The seats are great as they're big comfortable arm chairs that can recline at a touch of a button. Simply adjust to desired level, sit (or lie) back and enjoy.

Ever been freezing in a Singapore cinema? Don't worry; you also get some warm Gold Class blankets to use! :)

Seats for 2 - own private space

Yip; those are the blankets draped across the back of the seats

Don't they look comfortable? Seat reclined, foot rest and a bottle of Wine

In the theatre you can still order food and drinks. Just like in a plane there is a call button on the table. 

Easy to spot the glowing Green button. Press, wait and someone will come and take your order

We got a range of drinks :) Bubbly, Coke and sparkling Water. Popcorn is hiding in the background

A slice of lemon for flavour :)

Peanut M&Ms in a Martini Glass - fancy

Gold Class is a real treat and it is great having a comfortable seat to sit in when watching your fave actors or movie. The screen is good too with great picture clarity.

It isn't cheap though at $39 per Adult; hence I say it is a treat.

If you're after a night out or having a date night, consider Gold Class as a fun alternative. You're in a spacious theatre and don't feel like you're surrounded by others or sitting next to a complete stranger. The seat is adjustable to just the way you like it so it's really easy to relax. 

Try it out.......Treat yourself :)

Images of Malacca

Malacca (also spelt as Melaka) is the historical state of Malaysia, rich with heritage buildings, ancient landmarks and colonial structures.

Today you can still see the imprints of British, Dutch and Portuguese forces left behind in forts, museums, churches and towers.

Here are a selection of images taken while we were in Melaka in 2011.