The romantic and gorgeous Maldives has been touted as a honeymoon spot since... well i'm of age to know what romance is. Yes it's the perfect setting for romance, but also a great destination for city folks like us to de-stress and recharge on the pearl string of island atolls in the Indian Ocean. And i thought it would be even more so perfect as a wellness destination, with plenty of yoga involved, and healthy delicious cuisine as well (you just can't take the yogi out of me). 

It was fate that brought me and Ayurva Traveller, together, just when i was planning my Maldivian holiday. Ayurva Traveller specializes in wellness holidays in exotic destinations such as Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan (all on my travel list) and founder Nilusha shares the same travel philosophy as i do. It also helps that there is a variety of resorts (all on my list as well), with different packages and experiences that are exclusive to them. 

We took a three day wellness package with Detox Spa Treatment at Jumeirah Vittaveli, a sophisticated and lux resort in the Southern Atoll. What i liked about the resort is that they also offer a host of fitness activities like yoga, Muay Tai, circuit training, meditation etc. which complements the spa-focused wellness package that Ayurva Traveller offers.

A little more on our 3d wellness package, it includes 3 x 1h spa treatments at the Talise Spa i.e. body scrub, lymphatic drainage massage, and cellulite massage.

The Over Water treatment suite at the Talise Spa is an oasis of tranquility and luxury. We were also treated to fresh juices as part of our treatments. 

A private wellness activity (choice of Yoga/Pilates/Tai chi or personal training) was also included in our package. The session could be conducted anywhere to your liking. We would have chosen the beach but unfortunately it was pouring when we scheduled for our class.

The open yoga pavilion is a good spot for yoga as well and we could hear and smell the crashing waves as we engaged our core muscles during Pilates class. Raina gave us a challenging core workout, catering to both S and my needs (she had a good balance of tough stuff). 

Call me spoilt but i've also come to expect yoga mats in my hotels and JV provides that in our villa! Yay to sunrise and sunset yoga any time of day!

Of course, living well is like 70% diet and 30% exercise (though we can always exercise more) and we made sure we put in some goodness into our tummies. 

Jumeirah is starting to go big on the wellness aspect and that shows in their f&b and private dining options. We had a private breakfast which revolves around the special Talise Nutrition recipes planned by the Jumeirah team of nutritionists in Dubai. 

The same goodness can be experienced at the breakfast buffet at Samsara in fact but it's always nice to have a bit of privacy. 

Make sure you get some of the delicious oatmeal porridge with honeycomb and the homemade muesli (love it). I can not resist the Mango smoothie (more like lassi) and the Ayurvedic water tasted like chai latte without any of that caffeine or milk! 

Fresh juices with tropical fruits can be prepared on demand as well. 

It's the first time i felt so relaxed in a while. It must be the Maldivian air. I'm so coming back again. Maybe a different package at another luxury resort? ;)

For more information on Ayurva Traveller and Jumeirah Vittaveli, check out their respective websites. 

Will be updating on the accommodation options at Jumeirah Vittaveli, as well as a full food review of their f&b offerings! Stay tuned!

Finally A.E.I.O.U. Because Avocado Coffee. We have been getting avocado gula melaka milkshake at our hawker centers since eons ago so it kinda puzzles me how people didn't think of this avo + coffee pairing sooner. (Like why didn't i think of this!) Anyhoo, love love love this healthy morning shot of caffeine at this sprawling vintage cafe in the industrious Jalan Besar. 

I didn't expect to finish the huge cup of blended and sweetened avocado shake in the Absolut Vodka bottle but i did. In fact, I would have gladly finished another bottle of this but i may just OD on caffeine (each bottle comes with 2 shots of espresso). The bitterness and acidity of the espresso was nicely balanced with the creamy, nutty avocado blend though i found it a little sweet for my liking. Tell them to cut the sugar and sweeten on your own if that's preferred.

W decided to be adventurous and went for the Lemongrass coffee. Again, another drink that came  sweetened. This is essentially a long black with a light hint of lemongrass. Our verdict is to skip this and stick with the regular flat white or latte. 

The Beef Cheek Pasta ($24.90) was recommended by my sources but us girls were not up for an assault of our palates so early in the morning. Do give it a shot if you need something heavy.  

So instead, we had the Sunny side up ($13.90) which is kind of like baked eggs (4 of them), or more like a half-baked shakshuka, drizzled minimally with pesto sauce. The iron cast pan dish came with a choice of duck confit, smoked salmon or roast chicken. Perhaps a change from fried eggs to slightly more runny ones to fully utilize that lovely crusty garlic bread. 2 slices weren't enough and we added  more of that pungent garlic herb butter toast ($2.90 for 4 slices). 

We also had the bite size quiches ($8.90 for 3) and they were more tart-like than quiche. Loved the buttery and crumbly tart though. We asked for a mix of shredded beef and vegetable quiches, which were baked with caramelised onions and served with sweet onion marmalade. The beef had a sourish balsamic flavor, with a hint of olive tapenade. It's not a spectacular dish and i wouldn't recommend ordering this.

I wanted to like A.E.I.O.U. a lot more. It's a great space actually. Maybe it's more suited for having a proper meal. 

AEIOU Cafe

111 King George’s Avenue Singapore 208559

Tel : +65 6291 2698

Tue- Thu: 11am - 10pm (Fri till 11pm)

Sat: 10am - 11pm

Sun: 10am - 9pm

Gentle(wo)manly pursuits at the revamped Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Singapore. B&B is the oldest existing bar in its original location in Singapore, and it will bring you back to the old school with their crazy storage of 400 curated whiskies alongside an entirely new cocktail list and bar menu. Sophisticated yet relaxed, just like what you would expect a gentlemen bar to be (cigars included, not that i approve of smoking).  

Even if you can't appreciate whisky (like me), you can get schooled here by Christoph B. Nyfeler Raffles Singapore’s Resident Whisky Expert (dude has 16 years of whisky experience). For serious drinkers, the whisky list here boasts a strong Scottish presence with a good selection of American bourbons and Japanese whiskies, many of which hand selected, limited ed and directly imported.

I would fly anywhere for food (sorta) but currently there isn't much of a need to with Citibank's $100Gourmet. Since April 2015, Citibank has been bringing in the foreign star chefs to Singapore and toying with creative collaborative cuisine with our local stars every month. From now till April 2016, there would be one visiting chef working in partnership with two major Singaporean restaurants to present inventive menus at a special  price of $100++ for Citibank cardmembers. 

A 6 course menu is presented over a period of 6-8 days and seats are super limited. We were lucky to bag a table for the month of July and had the dinner by Nick Bril (The Jane Antwerp, Belgium) and Takuma Seki (IKYU).

The Jubilee Weekend in Singapore may be over but and it doesn't take an occassion to celebrate Singapore and IMO there's no better way than eating up a storm! I would recommend that you guys head on over to The Clifford Pier for a taste of Shermay Lee's ‘Singapore’s Culinary Grande Dames Menu’, which features a curated selection of dishes from three grande dames of Singaporean and Peranakan cooking – Mrs. Lee Chin Koon, Mrs. Leong Yee Soo and Mrs. Ellice Handy. 

Eating and living well is a big part of my life. While it may seem like i'm always indulging in rich and decadent food as shown on my social media platforms, i actually eat simply and healthily on a daily basis and am a regular at my yoga studio. That's how i was drawn to check out Saakalya Yoga's Yogalicious programme, a half day cooking and yoga course, at their Chip Bee Gardens home studio. 

I was struck by a serious case of wanderlust (i get that kind of 'attacks' rather frequently) with nowhere to go and that's when i got started on searching for idyllic spa experiences in hope that it'll take that edge away. The search kinda ended at ESPA at Resorts World™ Sentosa, a massive 10,000 sqm spa wonderland with an on-site spa restaurant Tangerine to enhance your outer beauty with inner goodness.  

Well before i got a chance to check myself into the full day spa treatment, i had the opportunity to sample dishes from the the newly created spa menu by Thailand's Iron Chef Ian Kittichai. Chef absolutely shattered the notion that healthy spa food has to be raw and bland with his version of flavorful Thai flavored Western dishes that are low in calories and big on flavors. You can be sure that only the best, wholesome and sustainable ingredients go into your tummy after a relaxing massage. 

We love odens. Having sticks of warmness on a cold winter night is just so comforting. Like I’m being wrapped in a chikuwa blanket. It took nary effort to convince this 2 skinnyfat girls (twin tummy and I) to check out the new Oden Kaiseiki meal at HAN, a restaurant specializing in in Naniwa (‘old’ Osaka) cuisine and Kushikatsu. 

We were curious about the kaiseki aspect, since oden is typically a one-pot affair, a convenient store eat, a bar snack (yea Japanese). HAN modernizes and enhances the guests’ experience by serving each ingredient in individual courses, allowing for the distinctive taste of each component to be highlighted in every dish. For $160/set, we were very interested in seeing how Chef Arakawa elevates the simple ingredients. 

We started with the appetizers of Anago, Whelk with Sake Lees and Wasabi, Chicken Fillet with Asparagus Terrine with Sesame Sauce. While there weren't anything spectacular, the flavors were familiar with an extra touch of TLC e.g. the umami sake yeast and crunchy Hokkaido asparagus. God knows how much effort went into making that chicken fillet dressing. 

Another pretty distraction was the Sashimi. The gelatinous pike eel was an interesting change to the usual mix of sashimi assortment served in restaurants and we had it alongside the fresh cuts of kinmedai, maguro, kanpachi and saba.

Finally! Oden was served! HAN has chosen to serve Kansai-style (specifically the Kamigata Osaka style) Oden, using a blend of kelp, dried bonito, white shoyu and mirin to yield a lighter and sweeter broth. Every piece of oden (7 in total) was served individually on a beautiful ceramic dish (the pottery artist in us couldn't stop admiring the artworks). The simplicity captured the essence of ‘wa' in Japanese art. Sitting at the counter, it was as though we were transported to a Japanese family-run restaurant, having a comforting meal after a hot soak in the onsen. 

Cold is how i typically like my Hokkaido Snow Crab Leg, but the sweetness of the succulent and fluffy meat was brought out by the dashi. We could certainly do with more of this! 

The Thick Fried Tofu with homemade Inaka Miso, and Fried Beancurd Skin, tasted just like their names—simple and homely. The bean products were of high quality, having been sourced from Osaka and Kyoto respectively. We are fans of the silky sheets of beancurd skin-- the layers picked up the lovely broth so perfectly. And that personal touch of inaka miso.. oh how i love miso. 

“One cannot claim to have eaten oden if he did not eat the daikon”. Famous words by the twin tummy and i concur! The beauty of daikon is that it absorbs the flavours of the stock that it had been carefully simmered in, and a bite into it is like eating a round block of TLC. The Boiled Radish with Sweet White Miso at Han satisfied the tastebuds. The daikon was well-prepared and can be eaten without the miso. However, the miso was delightful with hints of yuzu and that citrusy sweet-salty combination is a winner that can be easily eat on its own.

Also served was the Simmered Pork with Ankake Sauce, Sardine Ball with Yuzu Chilli Paste and Cabbage Roll with Minced Beef and Pork. We loved the healthy vegetarian-looking Cabbage Roll which exploded with the taste of a hamburg with a touch of light homemade tomato sauce.

The simmered pork belly was first broiled, then steamed for 3 hours with ginger, garlic and spring onions to break down every sinew for that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Delicious.

Even though i'm not a fan of sardine, this sardine ball mixed with horse mackerel reduced the strong fishy flavor and the yuzu green chili paste masked it further. That said, it was a little powdery on the palate.

The grilled course consists the Burdock Cake and Red Ginger Fish Cake. I was never a Japanese fish cake fan as it's often quite dense and jaw-breakingly chewy. HAN didn't change my mind but the flavors were interesting enough. As for Z, she was in love with the Burdock, something she only fell in love with while living in Japan. 

Kushikatsu was next and one can't go wrong with breaded and fried food on sticks. The taste of Italian-Japanese cuisine was reflected in the Cherry Tomato with Cream Cheese. Give us more! 

The Angel Prawn and Scallop Kushikatsu (the later hails from the Aomori sea) had the distinct taste of the ocean. 

Like at a chinese wedding dinner, the last course (before dessert at least!) served was a carb dish. It was a choice between Udon or Ochazuke (plum, seaweed or wasabi). The udon was decent but you should not miss the Ochazuke. The smoky soup porridge is best paired with seaweed for that comforting and warm buzz, plum for a sour hit, or the seasoned wasabi stem if you like a punch (i loved this too). 

The evening at Han was a cozy affair and ended with the refreshing Shizuoka Melon and Peach. Now, the big question is, would you pay $160 for the simple (but high quality) produce that are prepared perfectly? You decide. It did kind of 'transported' us to Japan, and made us forget that we were dining in a restaurant right smacked in the 'Civic District' on a Tuesday night. 

HAN’s Oden Kaiseki Course is available at dinner and it includes an Appetizer, Sashimi, 7 kinds of Oden, 1 Grilled course, 1 Fried course, a choice between Udon or Ochazuke and Dessert. Those looking for the complete Oden experience can opt for HAN’s Oden Omakase Menu at $120++ per person. Ala carte Oden is available at market price. 

This article is proudly presented to you by the Skinnyfat Twin Tummies C and Z. 

HAN

331 North Bridge Road #01-04 

Odeon Towers Singapore 188720 

Tel: +65 6336 2466

Daily: 12 - 3pm, 6 - 11pm

My recent dining experience at Sorrel, the latest fine dining bistro in town, was impressive. First was the interesting play of unexpected flavors, exquisitely crafted into bite size dishes; and second, that they were created by 24 year old Chef Johnston, Hotelier-Restaurateur Loh Lik Peng's golden boy.

Trust Loh to find someone to put the fun back in fine dining, and fun we had as we sampled the 5 and 7-course dinner sets ($88/$118). The 2 dinner sets are completely different so it was a no brainer for us to order both. There are no stuffy starters or main courses here. Instead, dishes are categorized into Snack, Amuse Bouche, Pre-Dessert, and Sweet. 

I was never a fan of cold brew, but that life changing experience at Old Hen Coffee Bar. I may not be a connoisseur but i noted that my taste buds are actually pretty sensitive to the tasting notes of coffee, more so than alcohol heh.

The coffee hails from Nylon Roasters and it's 50% Brazilian and 50% Colombian. Milk based espresso drinks start from $4 for 3 oz to $5 for 7oz. A decent blend that is slightly sweet and not too acidic.

What cannot be missed is certainly the Cold brew of course. The White Cold Brew ($6.50) was creamy and milky. I was surprised that it's a lot more palatable than the other ones i've tried at CSHH or Oriole. I could also taste the raisin notes and the nuttiness from the pistachios despite the milk. If dairy is not an option, go with the black cold brew. I'm sure it's equally good. Besides coffee, there's also Valrhona Chocolate and Iced Thai Milk Tea. 

Selected all day dining consists toasted muesli and spinach salads, heartier eats like Chicken Cheese Burrito ($10) or the Crab Coleslaw Burger ($13). Well, i simply could never resist any carbs with ham and cheese in it.

Croque Monsieur it was for me. Crusty multigrain toast was used and i thought the bechamel was of the right amount, providing the savory notes without it being too rich and heavy. 

I always make it a croque madame with an added egg. Isn't that perfect sphere of 5 minute cooked egg ($1.50) just perfect?

Old Hen Coffee Bar is certainly a favorite. I could not stop raving and thinking about that cold milky beverage. Will definitely come back to stock up on the coffee!

Old Hen Coffee Bar

88 Rangoon Road #01-03 Singapore 218374
Tel: +65 63415458
Weekdays: 12 - 10pm

Weekends 10am - 10pm

Closed Tues

Being on the go (as much as i can) doesn't bode well for my skin. After my recent Laos and Bali trip, i ended up with dry skin, uneven skin tone (no thanks for the crazy sunshine and heat), and pimples. Things that the traveler in transit has to live with.. So of course i immediately booked my facial appointments (yes i needed more than one) with the trusty DRx Medispa.

As one ages, your skin condition changes as well. I went from oily skin in my teenage years, to combination skin currently. With regular use of the Derma-RX products, my sebum level has been controlled. Well, here comes the next problem- dry skin and fine lines. I started noticing that there are laugh lines developing at the corners of my eyes. GASP. Well, together with the lack of sleep, i also developed dark eye circles and the eye bags were especially horrid in this bare-faced picture. 

In an desperate attempt, i gave the Cryotherapy treatment a try as it is supposed to treat dark eye circles and some hyperpigmentation skin conditions, plus it is supposed to help brighten my skin as well, with continuous treatment.

Micro-needles are first 'stamped' over your face to stimulate the cells. It was absolutely painless for me and merely felt like a prickly brush on the skin. Active ingredients, which have been specially formulated to aid in pigment lightening, hydration and skin repair, would then be applied on your face and infused through cold iontophoresis. 

The session was very quick and effective. I was in and out of the spa in 30 minutes flat. While the lines did not all go away (it's not Botox you know), they were slightly less noticeable. This treatment can be repeated over time to improve the conditions without thinning your skin. :)

Pair this with the Essential Facial (Plus) treatment for the perfect radiance. I'd recommend you do the Essential Facial a week before the Cryotherapy since all the junk can be extracted and your face cleansed before you infuse more goodness into your skin. 

For my readers, quote "Blogger Cheryl" to enjoy 40% off on your first trial for Cryotherapy and Essential Facial Plus at the DRx Medispa! 

Oh and for additional goodness, add some juice to that. Loving the convenient baby bottles of cold pressed juices by HIC and they are readily available at their first store, the Shop by Hic at Suntec City Mall. Be sure to check them out too yea!

The DRx Medispa Singapore

302 Orchard Road, #14-02/#16-02

Tong Building (next to Paragon Shopping Centre)

Singapore 238862

Tel: +65 6223 1555

Mon to Sat: 10am to 8pm

Sun: 10am to 6pm

Many people would associate Aperia Mall in Lavender with Tim Ho Wan since that is the most visible restaurant and it's also open 24h! However, if you are deterred by the queue while you are there, you may want to check out a Japanese dining alternative Haha Sushi.

The Haha name may sound pretty familiar, yes it is related to Haha Thai at Ngee Ann City (read review here) and you can expect affordable Japanese Teishoku meals here, which is perfect for the working crowd in this unexciting industrial area. We started with the Haha Sashimi Salad ($9.80) with special homemade sauce, a tangy and nutty blended mixture of greens and fruits. There are some trimmings of some higher quality fish like chutoro in this one. 

Portions are pretty generous at Haha Sushi. We were stunned by the huge chunks of Foie Gras Teriyaki ($10.80 for 60g). It is done a little like the agedashi tofu, coated with a light batter and pan seared, and then served with a touch of teriyaki sauce. The foie gras was creamy but could do with more time on the pan for a better crust. A thinner cut would also be more ideal in terms of presentation and mouthfeel but anyway it's super value for money if you love liver.

We would do wiser next time by ordering the typical sushi roll instead of the Haha Crispy Roll ($7.90) as there was too much fried stuff (tempura batter and breaded salmon) and heavy cream going on.

The Golden Soft Shell Crab ($12.80) was a great snack as the batter was light and crisp and did not taste oily at all. Plus there was a lot of crab in this one. The downfall of the dish lies in the salted egg yolk sauce, which was on the sweet side and severely missing the richness of the salted egg. 

If i were to dine at Haha Sushi again, i'd go straight for the grilled fish. The Gindara Misoyaki ($15.30) was my favorite dish of the night. It was perfectly fatty with a nice browning on the edges and simply seasoned with the fermented bean paste. Umami! 

The Salmon Teriyaki ($12.30) didn't do too bad either. It was served crispy all around (i hope it's meant to be that way). They were a little heavy handed on the salty teriyaki sauce but i guess it goes well with rice.  

I also enjoyed the simple bowl of Curry Udon. What is shown here is only a 2/3 portion so you can imagine how filling this would be. The curry was rich with a bit of kick. Noodles could be a little more chewy but still decent nonetheless for a simple meal. Curry is featured in the lunch sets which are priced from $12 onwards. 

Do not end the meal without some ice cream and i'd say go for the sesame or yuzu one! 

This year, to celebrate SG50, Haha Sushi is having a $50 Lobster Fiesta dinner set which consists of everything lobster and includes carpaccio, salad, grilled lobster, fried rice, miso soup and a cup of sake.

Overall, Haha Sushi is a decent Japanese restaurant for their set price point. I guess they can't get too fancy with the dining crowd profile as well but it's perfect for a affordable family meal or working lunch if you are in the area. 

Haha Sushi
#02-07/08 Aperia Mall
12 Kallang Avenue Singapore 339511