Shanghai 2012: A Charme-d lunch

May 25, 2012 10:15 am / 6 Comments / Mag

This visit to Shanghai was a gastronomical one so there won’t be a single post about the trip that does not involve food. In fact, our meals will be the focus of this travelogue. Allow me.

I arrived in Shanghai late on Thursday so all there was time for was to go through the motions at the immigrations checkpoint, slump in the backseat of the car as it took me into the city, and catch up with L between mouthfuls of Myojo Tom Yam cup noodles in Ben’s apartment. I was pleased as a punch to see him after five days :)

This was my eighth time in Shanghai (!) so we didn’t have to stress about making the most of our day, rushing from one attraction to another or doing anything touristy. We just planned our schedule around meals, and spent most of our time chilling out or shopping. I loved it.

For some reason, I was quite exhausted from the flight (I don’t know what L’s excuse is :P) so we only managed to haul ourselves out of bed close to lunchtime the next day. Both of us got ready in half an hour and popped out to the metro just a few steps away for lunch at Charme.

Charme (also known as Gang Li) is one of my favourite restaurants in Shanghai. It is a Hong Kong-style restaurant/café that serves up an extensive array of fusion dishes, from dan dan noodles to spaghetti. I couldn’t leave from a visit to Shanghai without going back to Charme at least once so I was glad we got it out of the way with this first meal.

The dan dan noodles is a must-order for us – it is the driest, chewiest and tastiest dan dan noodles I’ve ever had and I’ve not been able to find anything like it anywhere else so far. Comfort food at its best.

L also decided we needed to try something different so he ordered us the deep-fried bullfrog dish. The bullfrog dishes we have in Singapore are usually steamed so this was interesting. It wasn’t bad but quite forgettable; kind of tasted like mildly-fried chicken and would go perfectly with rice.

Of course, being gluttons, we didn’t think that was enough so we threw in a baked mushroom dish for good measure.

I’ve saved the best for last – The Bread Box. Don’t be fooled by how simple it looks, it is DELICIOUS. The insides of the baked honey bread loaf, soft and fluffy, is sliced evenly into bite-sized cubes; it is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and held together with the crust.

The combination is a nice balance of warm bread and cold ice-cream, sweet vanilla and milky dough – one of the best and most unique desserts you’ll see around. I only regret feeling too stuffed from the earlier dishes to enjoy it more.

Post-lunch activity was a visit to the Shi Liu Pu fabric market (where the tailor’s is) and a nice cool-weather stroll.

Charme Restaurant
299 East Nan Jing Road
Hong Yi Plaza
Shanghai, China
Tel: +86 21 6360 7577

Read the rest of my Shanghai travelogue:
Part 1 – A Charme-d lunch
Part 2 – Brunch at Jean Georges
Part 3 – The Spice Spirit service
Part 4 – Tang’s Cuisine
Part 5 – Brunch at Kommune
Part 6 – Fabulous dinner at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana

Posted in: Shanghai, Travels, Wine & Dine

Love for the Amazon Kindle Touch

May 24, 2012 6:00 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

“She is a voracious reader and a fantastic dancer.” — Quote in Kate Spade cover

So I got myself an e-reader, the Kindle Touch with Wi-Fi.

It took a lot of deliberating (and more than a year) to justify the purchase because I think like a lot of book lovers out there, I’m ol’ skool – I like flipping the pages of a book. But two months into using it and I’ve concluded the Kindle is one of the best US$99 I’ve ever spent.

It’s light and convenient. When commuting with paper books, I tend to only wait until there’s sufficient space in the train or when I’m seated to whip out a book. During peak-hour commuting, I avoid taking out my books so I don’t take up more space than I should in the already-packed cabin. The Kindle is so compact, it’s like fiddling with a phone. I now find myself reading in places I otherwise wouldn’t. It is so easy to bring with me that I nearly always have it in my handbag. And now I can read with one hand while slurping instant noodles with the other without having to put down my chopsticks to flip the page.

It’s ideal for travelling. I sometimes fret about bringing enough books to last a long trip. If I bring too many and don’t get around to reading them, it will be a waste of luggage space. If I check in some of these extra books, they may end up getting damaged in transit (and if you know me, you’ll know I’m quite anal about the condition of my books). With the Kindle, I always have all my books in one place and I don’t have to worry about dog ears. Brought it along to both Shanghai and Paris and believe me, it’s a superb boredom-killer, especially when you’re on a sucky flight that does not offer on-demand movies.

It’s cheaper in the long run. Kindle-edition books are cheaper. In fact, they are often the least expensive format on Amazon, even for new releases. Plus, there are lots of low cost or free books available.

It’s environmentally-friendly. Just glance over at your bookshelf, think about all the trees you’re saving by opting for e-books, and feel very good about yourself ;)

Posted in: Reads

Teal and nude

May 23, 2012 11:35 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

… with drops of pearls! :)

Now if only my pretty crystal-encrusted heels didn’t bite so much. Met L for dinner at AMK Hub and had to get him to bring me a pair of flats from home so I could walk properly. Need to work on my ‘relationship’ with this new pair of heels.

Teal chiffon dress, Taiwan
Necklace, Chanel
Pearl earrings, gift (not pictured)
Pearl bracelet, Accessorize
Nude crystal-encrusted peep-toes, Pazzion

Posted in: Outfits

Back at work

May 22, 2012 11:10 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

Today’s outfit is a mix of ‘back to work blues’, ‘still having the Paris fever’ and ‘trying to cheer myself up’. After the long break, it was understandably more blue…

Navy blue ruffled-sleeve top, Korea
Jasmine floral skirt, A Bella Chic
Navy blue flower earrings, Diva
Parisian charm necklace, Thomas Sabo
Navy blue kitten heels, Pretty Fit

Posted in: Outfits

Settling back in

May 21, 2012 11:45 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

Alright, I think my cousin’s newborn has had enough screen time here :P

It’s been a little quiet because I’ve been travelling. Just got back from nine days in Paris with L (we had an uh-ma-zing time, but I’ll save that for a proper post). Before that, I spent one madcap week preparing for Paris and before that week, I was in Shanghai. So yeah, it’s been hectic.

We only arrived back in Singapore yesterday afternoon and spent the rest of the day recovering from the jet lag. Today whizzed by as L and I ran errands and started catching up on our movie backlog with the action-packed blockbuster, The Avengers, at GV Gold. We managed to tick of quite a number of items on both our to-do lists so I’d say it was an extremely productive day.

On another note, in an attempt to clear my wardrobe and to inspire myself to wear the pieces of clothing and accessories that are otherwise collecting dust, I’ve decided to do some outfit posts. Here’s today’s errand-running outfit:

Cherry-print tube and tie top, H&M
White shorts, Cotton On
Pearl earrings, Diva
Charm bracelet, Thomas Sabo

It’s been one busy month but I’ll be back with travel and food posts for Shanghai and Paris once I’m settled back into a routine (and time zone). For now, I’m going to finish up my glass of Bordeaux and go to bed. Pretty sure there’s an avalanche of e-mails waiting to be cleared at work tomorrow. G’night.

Posted in: Love, Outfits

New kid on the block

May 7, 2012 12:08 am / Leave a Comment / Mag

My not-so-little-anymore cousin, XH, gave birth last week and I met the little one for the first time today.

Hello there, twinkly eyes :)

Posted in: Family

Coming together nicely

May 6, 2012 12:12 am / 6 Comments / Mag

So after my last wedding gown update, I’ve gone for two work-in-progress-gown fittings and a final fitting last Wednesday – Swarovski crystals, heels, the works.

L’s lil’ sis came along so she could learn how to help me dress because the lovely BV crew is not going to be with me during the pre-wedding photoshoot.

I was a wee bit stressed about this final fitting because for the first two fittings, my designer has had to reduce the measurements. I’d like to believe that it wasn’t due to weight loss – how is that even possible?! – but purely because it is inconceivable to the tailors how a grown girl can have a body so tiny, heh. As we were making our way to the studio, the poor sis had to bear with my rambling. “You know, if I lose any weight from the last fitting, Michelle is going to murder me! Urgh, I hope stuffing my face in Shanghai worked. Ohmygodwhatifitdoesntfit?!”

Thankfully, it fitted. Perfectly :)

It hadn’t quite sunk in when I selected the gown. It didn’t feel real when I went for the earlier fittings. But as we bade Michelle our cheery goodbyes and I left the studio with a spring in my step, it dawned on me that this is really happening. The gown I just tried on fitted and it is my wedding gown. Mine. WOW.

We still have a few errands to run before the photoshoot but it’s all coming together nicely. Let’s now pray there’ll be good weather and no major hiccups during the shoot!

Posted in: Wedding

Spring in Shanghai

May 1, 2012 11:30 pm / Leave a Comment / Mag

The Bund, Shanghai (2012)

Anddd… I’m back! From five days of cool Spring weather in Shanghai, witnessing flowers of all shades bloom and residents shed their thick fur coats for light cardigans. It was very comfortable weather but did get chilly at times so we strolled a lot less than L would’ve liked. Whenever my jaw started aching, I would just want to hop into a cab or disappear indoors.

We stayed at a friend’s apartment located on Nanjing Lu. It’s like living in Wisma in Singapore. We were just 50 steps away from the metro and minutes away from the humongous H&M, Uniqlo and GAP outlets. Really, we couldn’t have stayed at a better location even if we paid for it and he put us up for free. (Thanks, Ben!)

I went on this trip with only one aim, and that is to tick off my list of items to tailor. I knew for sure we were going to expand our waistlines with lots of delectable, spicy, artery-clogging food but there was no plan for any sort of Michelin star excitement. Thanks to the fiancé and his constant desire to make me happy, he decided to make reservations to take me to the newly-opened three Michelin starred restaurant, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the moment he heard about it from a friend. Oh, it made me happy alright. That might even be an understatement considering I once told myself I’d marry any man who took me on a date to a Michelin starred restaurant. What a happy coincidence (and now you know my priorities).

Jokes aside, I think this trip helped me view the Chinese city in a different light. Some things that used to disgust/annoy me, they now just amuse. A fellow Singaporean I spoke to saw the city as displaying “a lot of character”. I still don’t agree but I think I’ve somehow accepted that it’s just the way things are and just the way people behave.

Food reviews and photos are in order but for now, I shall rest. A crazy work day awaits.

Read my Shanghai travelogue:
Part 1 – A Charme-d lunch
Part 2 – Brunch at Jean Georges
Part 3 – The Spice Spirit service
Part 4 – Tang’s Cuisine
Part 5 – Brunch at Kommune
Part 6 – Fabulous dinner at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana