Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe

This is one of my favourite places that I dined at this year. 

Stuttgart is in Southwest Germany and is known for its automative industry. Both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart. Blackforest is a large forested mountain range in Southwest Germany. 

I love the decor here- it's almost being teleported to another country!

As we ordered the platter, we were served with an enormous pile of mashed potato and sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is an acquired taste- I am fine with it in small doses but not too much please.

As part of the set, pieces of toasted garlic bread were served.

Here is the platter which is good for 8 people to share. If you can't decide what to get, I recommend that you get this- you get to try a bit of everything without having to be overwhelmed by too much of one thing.

The platter consisted of one Pork Knuckle, one Gockele Chicken, Speciality Sausages, and ham. The Pork Knuckle was, if I may describe it as such, ridiculously crispy and juicy. The Gockele Chicken was a spring chicken seasoned and roasted with herb butter. It didn't leave a strong impression on me. The sausages were firm and flavourful. Lastly, the thick slab was ham was chewy. It's a meat overdose but it's worth it!

There was no better way to round off the meal with the best blackforest cake I have eaten in Singapore. If you do not order a blackforest cake when you are here, you have wasted your trip. The Signature Black Forest Cake ($12) while a tad expensive was totally worth it- the robustness of the kirsch soaking the abundant cherries, together with the chocolately goodness, was simply divine.

I met a German friend recently, who was extremely kind and brought items from a Christmas Market in Germany to Singapore. A trip to Germany is certainly in order!

Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe 
9 Bras Basah Road
Rendezvous Hotel
Tel No: 6336 8675 

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5 Reasons Why I Love Uniqlo

If someone asked me, what would you ideal partner be?

I would answer, "the equivalent of a Uniqlo- simple, fuss-free and comfortable". 

I think that's the highest level of praise anyone can render to a brand and people who know me know how much I love Uniqlo. 

I once told a friend that my wardrobe was getting overtaken by Uniqlo. He looked at me with a skeptical look, "Seriously? But Uniqlo is just all about basics."

Yes, Uniqlo sells basics, but they are not just about basics. 

Here are 5 reasons why I love Uniqlo.

1) Good quality 

I have at least 30 pieces of Uniqlo in my wardrobe- basic tees, dresses, blouse, skirt, pants, jackets, shorts, socks, sweaters, tank tops etc. I have heard of someone who bought Uniqlo's cardigans in all their available colours. 

As you reach a certain age, you realise that comfort matters more than anything else.

Some of the dresses I bought have elastic and even after many washes, it does not become loose, unlike other dresses that I have bought before. 

The material of their clothes is also soft on the skin and even on a hot day, the material is breathable. 

The heat is more bearable when you are wearing Uniqlo.

The cold is also more bearable when you are wearing Uniqlo. 

2) Variety 

My first purchase from Uniqlo was their basic tee and I never looked back since. When I can't be bothered to think of what to wear to go out I just grab one of the basic tees in my wardrobe- they sure beat one of our old school t-shirts. Equally comfortable but slightly more presentable. 

Photo Credit: Uniqlo

When I want to wear a dress, I just throw on one of the dresses with stretchy material- so fuss free, and simple. 

Photo Credit: Uniqlo

I have also started to invade my boyfriend's cupboard with Uniqlo basic tees, chino shorts, and slim fit shirts. And he is becoming a Uniqlo convert too. (No, that's not a picture of my boyfriend below.)

Photo Credit: Uniqlo

Really, there's no substitute for good quality and comfort. 

3) Inexpensive 

One reason why I keep coming back to Uniqlo again and again, is because their clothes are relatively inexpensive. How often is it can you get a decent basic tee below $10, a skirt or a dress below $20? Wait for their sales and they will save you a tidy sum as well. 

I must have spent a small fortune at Uniqlo, but it doesn't matter because it is truly value for money. 

4) Caters to everyone

I am not the only fan of Uniqlo. Even my 2 year old niece asks if she can wear that set of clothes that she bought from Uniqlo. My mum also shops for her blouses and shorts from Uniqlo, and every weekend like me, she walks around parading her purchases from Uniqlo. 

Photo Credit: Uniqlo

5) Heattech 

I think this needs no introduction. Everybody who has ever gone to a cold country has sworn by Uniqlo's heattech. 

How it apparently works is that it creates heat using the moisture from your body. The air pockets between the fibres then retain both body warm and warmth generated by heattech's moisture absorption. 

Conclusion 

This wasn't even written to enter into some Uniqlo competition. 

But I never fail to be amazed how Uniqlo's clothes are comfortable, inexpensive and fitting. 

Thank you Uniqlo, for making it possible to be everything at the same time. 

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Sabio By the Sea

As we were having a staycation at Sentosa, we decided to hop over to Quayside Isle to celebrate a birthday. Sabio By The Sea seemed like the perfect choice after a relaxing swim. 

We reached at around 8 p.m. on a Friday evening and surprisingly, there was plenty of space. I guess Sentosa Cove isn't the most accessible of locations! We had to get a cab even though we were in Sentosa because the shuttle bus that was supposed to reach Sentosa Cove never came, even after 40 minutes. 

As appetisers, we got some Ham Croquettes ($14). These little treasures with beautiful golden crusts were served piping hot and contained loads of creamy cheese and ham. I thought it was a little too salty.

We also got the El Cerdo (Herbs Marinated Pig Shoulder served with Sautéed Potatoes) ($22). This was probably good for 3-4 to share and the arugula neutralised the otherwise salty dish. The pig shoulder was also rather tough and it got a little difficult to finish the dish.

We shared a Paella de Pescado ($26) which was good for 2 people to share. It took around 30-40 minutes cooking time. Whenever I have Spanish food, I always order paella as it is the safest choice. Consisting of seafood like squid, sea bass, mussels, clams and shrimps, this is for the seafood lover. The rice was just right and not too mushy.

We ended the meal with some Churros ($12). My friend thought that this was the best dish of the night (the paella being the second best). The churros were big in portion, crispy yet not oily, and lightly dipped in cinnamon sugar.

Perfect ambience and great service. The waitress kept coming to refill our cups and had a very good attitude. The food here was average though.

Sabio By The Sea
31 Ocean Way
Singapore
Tel No: 6690 7568

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