marvin lowe photography

Jazzfoodie: Some months back, Marv and I set aside some time to spend with each other and ate our way through Chinatown (not really, but anyway!). Basically, we took photos along the way and walked and walked a lot in the sweltering heat, but it was fun! One of our most fun dates we had in a while.. haha!

We started off with brunch at Maxwell food centre (I was late and poor Marv had to wait for half an hour). I’ve been craving Chinese Raw Fish Salad, so even though Marv’s preferred stall wasn’t opened that day, I ordered from another porridge stall and was so satisfied with the generous mount of raw fish (quite fresh lah) even though Marv thought the dish was only so-so.

Vinnythemarv: I am a stickler for authencity and I hate chain shops, although I can’t live without them. I like my raw fish salad to be from one store only, which is Zhen Zhen. However, it was closed and Mich really wanted to eat it, so I bought from Ho Kee, which is a Chain Dim Sum outlet. The dish did not impress me. The raw fish wasn’t that fresh, there wasn’t the usual salad dressing to go with it either. I like it with lots of flavours to accentuate the freshness of the fish.

J:We also shared a 2-person portion of Tian Tian Chicken Rice (although I must say I think the standard dropped) which came with a medium sized plate of white poached Chicken, garlic-&-chicken fat infused rice (could be more fragrant), and a large bowl of soup.

V: Tian Tian is really just alright. It’s not the best and it’s not that bad. People just queue for it like there’s not tommorow. If I had a choice, I would rather go back to Hainan Street or Purvis Street for tastier Chicken Rice at any of the really authentic Chicken Rice Stalls.

J:We ended off with a large prawn and oyster cake, and Marv had his peanut soup dessert.

V:The Prawn and Oyster Cake is a Fuchou Maxwell Classic. I have been eating them since i was a kid. No where else in Singapore can you find a better Oyster Cake. The cake is fried till a crisp brown on the outside, while the inside remains moist and juicy. The prawns and oysters are fresh and juicy. Together they complement each other with the savoury minced meat and vegetable fillings. A hint of sweetness from the prawns and the fresh taste of the sea from the oysters makes it a perfect union. The Peanut Soup is another Maxwell Classic. It’s soup is light and sweet while the peanuts are nice and soft. The perfect dessert for me.

J: We bumped into a few friends as we navigated our way towards Amoy street food centre to pass Marv’s camera lens to Joe (actually we were there to eat Orh-Ni). Along the way, I took some pics of buildings (I prefer still life and scenery as subjects; he prefers people), while Marv actually dared to look embarrassed, laughing at me and calling me a “tourist” (so you think you’re a professional photog already isit?!) We finally got our small bowls of expensive Orh-ni after poor marv stood in the static queue for a long time, and this was after the long chicken rice queue earlier. We chatted with Bets and Joe while we slowly savoured the tasty Orh-Ni, although it felt too je-lat after a while, partly because of the heat and already full tummies.

V: The Orh-ni below is from SG desserts. They are located on the 2nd floor of the Amoy Street Market. The Orh-ni here is rich in flavor and very delectable. I am going to have Orh-ni served at my wedding.hahahaha.

J: We then meandered along, stopping by Books Actually, which was funky indeed. Its top shelf was lined with old film cameras, and a relatively diverse range of book (themes) could be found in that intimate personalised space. There were no other customers at that point, and we were able to browse leisurely. What I like about this bookshop was the service; as Marv picked up a copy of Frankie (an Aussie magazine), the owner advised us to always check the mag to ensure everything was intact, as one of the dual shipping lines that reach Singapore would leave out a portion of the mag- This is what I call great advice and personalised service! 

V: I have been wanting to visit Books Actually for ages. It is indeed a quirky little store which is filled with lots of funky items like old typewriters and poloroid cameras. I really like this shop for its uniqueness!

V:  A little history lesson here. I used to attend Chinese Speech and Drama Classes at the Hokkien Huay Kuan when I was little. The Hokkien Huay Kuan has moved out of its Telok Ayer Premises but the old building still holds much memories for me.

J: We then popped into Wacha to make a reservation for that night, then into the chic tea-room Front Row for the 1st time. Photography was sadly not allowed, for I really like the minimalist decor and laid-back feel of the shophouse space. We immediately ordered sparkling juices for quenching thirst after all that humid long walk, while we took our time to look though their menu, with limited food items but a fair range of teas. Marv opted for a lemon tea, which smelt like peppermint, and tasted zesty enough, while I had the Sakura Black (only available in March/April) which was excellent. The loose tea leaves were left to infuse in a contained portion of this funky teapot, which was released (with the push of a tiny black button) into more warm water at the bottom of the teapot, for a less concentrated flavour I suppose. The tea had a woody intense depth, with fruity accents. The atmosphere was great for chilling out, with jazzy tunes in the background encouraging a lazy, indulgent afternoon. Above the ground floor cafe was a small shop space selling clothes from imported brands. Another level above that space was a little gallery, which was exhibiting some murals and paper artwork of a certain artist.

The muggy afternoon was making it difficult to lift the eyelids, so we deviated to Marina Square for a movie. Nothing interesting was showing, so we were resigned to the chick flick “Because I said So”. We had a pocket of time to spare before the movie, so into the arcade we went and had a fine time at Bishi-Bashi, relieving our JC days where we challenged each other at this game while taking a break from studying. Such great fun (and sore palms), but we each won 1 game (I almost won 2!!). Marv never really intended to watch the movie anyway, so I let him snooze away from the start, nudging him awake only when he started snoring REALLY loudly, so paiseh..

We headed back to Wacha for dinner, the much blogged about Japanese Restaurant on Ang Siang Hill. It boasted a modest but delightful menu, with items presented in cute layered baskets and laquered plates. We both had the dinner set, but I chose the unagi and plain rice, and Marv the tori kaarage and green tea fried rice for our mains. We ordered Sencha, which was a soothing accompaniment to the fried items. The appetizer basket did well in teasing our tastebuds with mini portions of salty, sweet and sour items, which varied from pototo salad to marinated seaweed.

V: The appetizer basket was sooo cute and it was such a delight to find the little plates filled with home made delicacies. I especially liked the potato salad.

This was followed by a dish of stewed vegetables.

J: We added an order of the tomato, prawn and avocado ball, which was ok with the usual mayo dressing, but nothing special.

V: The Tomato ball was really cute. I think they used a Momotaro Tomato which was sweet and was subtly tart. These flavours went well with the creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the prawns.

J: For the mains, the tori kaarage was crispy and juicy, and the green tea rice was fried with garlic and silver fish (the small white ikan bilis)- tasty!

V: I had the Tori Kaarage with Green Tea Fried Rice which was surprisingly good. I debated with myself between the two choices available and decided that it would be interesting to try Green Tea Fried Rice. The rice was very fragrant and the chicken was really tender too.

J: My unagi seemed like the usual teriyaki sauce-glazed affair at 1st glance, but somehow it was tender, savoury and very delicious compared to previous grilled eels I’ve tasted, though I can’t point out what exactly is different about it.

V: The Unagi was really good too! I loved the sweet and savoury sauce which was generously poured onto the fresh eel.

J: The dessert arrvied in a trio of mini portions and complementary flavours, there was the refreshing pink ginger (gari) sorbet, lovely matcha cheesecake and chocolate cake.

V: The trio of desserts were a delightful spread. The Ginger Sorbet was sweet with a hint spiciness while the Matcha Cheesecake was rich and fragrant.

J: After the satisfying dinner, we made our way towards Eu Tong Sen Street to take a long bus ride home, but not before taking a long walk to aid digestion, and taking more photos along the way. Thank you Marv for a great day!

Front Row
5 Ann Siang Road
Tel: 62245501/ -5502
http://www.frontrowsingapore.com

Wacha
14 Ang Siang Road
#01-01
Tel: 64381553

Day 2 started with a bang thanks to Jerry’s innovative warm-ups. He started a new Taichi routine based on the tune of Beyonce’s “Irreplacable”. It’s really silly but it’s so catchy at the same time. Best of all, he does it with such conviction that it really gets you all choked up in laughter. I am not sure how he came up with it, but it was really brillant!

The first session of the morning started off with a great time of worship that just moved into a time of ministry. I had to leave earlier with the ever affable Jerry to pick up lunch from mainland Singapore. After lunch, we had another session with Auntie Debbie. Her voice was so much better as compared to the previous night. It was a great workshop session that saw Joachim and Jing-En tying the knot. That was one of the highlights of the workshop.hehe.

We then had the last session of games which was aptly called ” A Crazy Afternoon”. With games like the Stocking Gladiators, it was really a crazy affair. The objective of the game is simple. Wear the stocking on your head. Swing your head as vigorously as possible so the ball in the stocking will be able to entwine with your oponent’s stocking. Then you pull as hard as you can and hope you are able to yank out your opponent’s stocking. Last man standing wins. This was probably the most hilarious game and a game which most people enjoyed. Something really new and innovative.

The other games were pretty fun too. There was touch frisbee, which is a hybrid between touch rugby and ultimate frisbee. Another simple game saw the campers pair-up as they try to feed their partners water-melon while they remain blind. The last game saw them swimming across the waters to the opposite “island” and collect alphabets. They had to shout out across the waters and the rest of the group members had to form the alphabet. Unfortunately, this game was brought to an early halt by the Lifeguards at Sentosa after they deemed it too dangerous. All in all, it was a great time of fun and relaxation.

We had a great final night. After the night session, we had one more activity called “Prata Night”. Many of us were left puzzled with this event called “Prata Night”. We couldn’t decipher if it was going to be some kind of mystery game or a game where we had to make prata. But it was just as simple as its name, a night of Prata and curry. So we had Prata for our last supper at the beach. The camp comm took this time to give out some awards and sabo people at the same time.

Shaun won an award for being the most Kiasu Camper, simply for jumping off the stage during alter call, when he was supposed to be playing the guitar. Zhengxin became the most eligible camper after he tried to push the award to Ern, Joachim and Jing-En unsuccessfully. For the records, he “proposed” to Crystal Goh and Randolf accepted it as a proxy for Crystal. She is henceforth to be known as Crystal Lam.=p just kidding.

This bring us to the end of camp. Jeanette preached an invigorating final mesage that serves to inspire all of us and to keep the fire burning brighere. PJ also shared something very personal to her heart which I felt was really bold of her and it really brought us closer as a ministry to be able to pray for her.

I had a great time at camp. It was a timely reminder to be dependant on God’s strength. The high calling of leadership will be difficult and choices will have to be made. Stands must be taken and there can be no compromise. It will not be easy, but with God, all things are possible.

Megalife is the youth ministry that I serve in and we had a Leader’s Camp in Sentosa last week. It’s amazing to see how our ministry has grown, so many new leaders rising up to take the challenge. This camp is aptly called 牧者, which means Shepherd. As leaders, we have to be a good Shepherd and look after our sheep. This is our group photo of all the leaders who were able to attend the camp. However there is still quite a substantial number of them missing because of impending exams.

Well, i was in in 虚心组, which is the group dressed in red. We were led by the ever funny Caroline and Joey. Caroline is a real nut case I tell you. All the groups had chinese names which was in line with the whole chinese theme and feel of the camp. It was really funny as everyone had their language skills tested to the limits. Just a little test for all you guys…try to identify the other group names and interpret them as well. Let’s see how many chinese characters you actually remember.haha.

The first activities of the day were some simple team-bonding games. In, one of the games, we had to translate Psalm 23 from English into Chinese. It was excruciatingly funny to hear some of the other group’s translation. I guess this was a light hearted start to the camp and it really got the groups together as well.

We had a dedication service to kick-off the camp and PJ preached a message on Becoming God’s leader. No photos for this session as I really did not feel like taking any at all. I just wanted to dwell in his presence to worship and really enjoy doing so. PJ’s message was simple, we have to come clean before God in our nothingness. Nothingness. This word really struck me. Without God, who am I? He is my everything and I will give him my all. To desire to be a leader, is to desire a noble task.

For the night service, we had Auntie Debbie come speak to us. Despite being ill, Auntie Debbie travelled all the way to Sentosa just to share with us. She had a really bad sore throat and she really sounded like Bob Sorge. She brought a simple message about Acceptance and Rejection. Often, we find ourselves measuring up against worldly standards and how the fear of rejection would cause one to reject others. More importantly, In God there is unconditional love and acceptance. It was a real blessing and a timely reminder to hear this. Like many others, I was really touched by her message. All in all, a great start to a great camp.=)

Some weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with Janice, Michelle’s cousin. It was a private catering gig for a company function. It was held at the client’s place and was for a party of 26pax. Janice a budding chef and if you noticed, she might look a tad bit familiar to you. That’s because she was a contestant in Ch 8’s Super Chef competition. Janice did very well and was the only girl that made it into the finals. She has since started a venture in private dining and will be opening her own cafe soon. She’s someone with great passion for cooking and great courage too. Upon graduation from NUS, she packed her bags and did a stint at Le Cordon Bleu, learning from some of the finest chefs in the world. The above pictures gives us an insight on what goes on behind the scenes.

Foie Gras Pate with Lumpfish caviar on toast

This was one of the two pre-meal Canapes item available. Very simple, straight-forward dish that looks good and tastes good. The tiny pieces of bread were toasted to a crispy biscuit state before the Foie Gras was applied onto them.

Bouquet of Grilled Prawns, truffle mayo

I can proudly say I helped skewer ALL the prawns for this dish, yet another Canapes item. It was real fun doing this as I did not really expect to do any real kitchen work. I think the presentation of this dish was really cute and caught the attention of all the guest. By itself, it’s yet another simple dish. However, the presentation that Janice did here was really creative and attractive. In fact, the set up is pretty simple too. She had a small plastic tray, filled it with sand, stuck in wheat grass and then skewers.

Watermelon, Smoked salmon, Feta Cheese

This is yet another attractive dish. The contrast in colors between the watermelon and the Feta Cheese does not show how well the cheese goes with water-melon. It seems like an unlikley combination, to have cheese with water-melon, but it does go well together.

Prawn Bisque Cuppuccino

The prawn bisque was fantastic! It was rich in flavour and a very heart-warming soup. I manage to sneak a cup for myself and it was really gorgeous. From what I saw, there was a constant cooking of the prawn heads and shell for a very long period of time. This makes the broth really rich and luscious.

Lime and basil Granité

This is a palate cleanser. Strangely, the guests asked for 2nd servings, which is always a good sign. Clearly, they loved it very much.=)

Pan-seared Black Bass with Honey vinaigrette dressing, Sautéed fresh beans

This was one of the 2 mains available, the seafood course for the night. The sea bass was fresh to start with and was done to perfection. The honey vinaigrette complemented the fish immaculately. The slight tinge of sweet and sour of the vinagrette worked really well with the fish.

Chicken with Honey vinaigrette dressing and garden salad

This was an alternative course to the people who could not eat fish. It went just as well like the fish. The chicken had a nice wholesome taste, making it a great alternative to the fish.

Duck with Truffle mash, lingonberries, Vine Tomato stuffed with pilaf riceI love tomatoes very much and I literally popped the whole tomato into my mouth, pilaf rice and all. The duck was done to perfection and was well accompanied by the mash. Perhaps the mash outshone the duck. The guests clamoured for more mash and we had to bring the whole pot up. The guests lapped it up and duly cleared the whole pot of mash. Amazing.

Roast Beef with Truffle mash, lingonberries, Vine Tomato stuffed with pilaf rice

This was the alternative to the duck. Somehow, i preferred this to the duck. Perhaps, I am more of a beef eater, but this really struck a chord with me. It was done till medium rare, allowing the juices of the meat to naturally flow out with ease. Simply lovely.

Coconut crème brulée, Carpaccio pineapple, mandarin orange in rum

This was the first of 2 deserts and it was Janice’s interpretation of a Pina Colada. I loved the way she used the blow torch on the creme brulee. It was wicked! The pineapple carpaccio was really sliced till wafer thin. Pretty amazing! I helped myself to the pineapples which was really nice.

Unfortunately, the dinner took a little longer than I had expected. I had to leave slightly earlier, missing the last desert, only to be an hour late for my movie with michie and mohmoh. Overall, it was a great experience for me and I really had fun. I can’t wait for the next one to come!

It’s a status which you really wish for before you pass its gates and after you pass its hallowed gates, you wish you could forever stand just right outside of it. Many of my friends are making that crucial transition this years, mainly my classmates from uni, as well as some of my church friends and my dear sister too.

When i turned 21 (few years ago), I knew I only wanted to celebrate this special occassion with one person. I expanded all my leave for that year, forsook my friends and family in Singapore and flew straight to perth, just to be with her. I am really glad I did not have a cheesy BBQ party neither did I have a OTT “MTV-styled MY Sweet Sixteen” kind of party. I never regretted spending that day with the one i love most. I got to know her new friends in perth, silly people like stef,jan and sylvy, how she coped with the cold etc…So i thought that would be my one and only chance of celeberating a 21st Birthday overseas. Mich never really got a chance, her birthdate is during her winterbreak, so she was back in Singapore then.

However, I manage to be part of a 21st birthday celeberation overseas again, in perth no less. Amanda, our dear “daughter”, so happened to turn 21 during my long road-trip down under. Here she is…in her resplendant moment of glory. Pretty adorable eh?hahaha.

Well, her party could not have been possible without her friends and family. Her Dad actually bought a smoke machines and radical stage lights just for her party!! He even brought down a electronic drum kit, guits and amps. Pretty cool eh! Her brothers are talented in different way. Aaron is the tech genius of the family and he made a real snazzy video for amanda while Alvin, the youngest, who is more musically inclined, wrote a lovely kick-ass punk rock song for her.lol. And here they are…Amanda’s lovely family.=)

And here are some photos of the crowd at the party as well. Some of her friends are a little…well, you see and you will know…hahaha. But without them, the party wouldn’t have been so lively and fun. It was great fun to be there with them watching Italy win the world cup and seeing all them sleep pass the moment. Here are the friends at her party…

Yup, now would be an appropriate time to welcome yet another new member of club 21.hehe. Happy birthday Celeste!! Hope you had lots of fun at your own party.=p