Category: Uniquely Singapore

Your Room Will Smell Absolutely Scent-sational Once You Light Up These Candles

Candles come in so many shapes, sizes and smells, you can never have one too many!

Let’s face it, candles are pretty versatile and should become a necessity in every house.Not only to they do beautify your room, the scents they give off when lit will soothe your frazzled nerves and can freshen up any room almost immediately.

Plus, candles come in super handy if you are planning a romantic night in (if you know what I mean).

We waded through the tons of options out there and chose some of the more interesting scents that will make your house smell absolutely scent-sational.

1. Bath & Body Works – But First, Coffee! 

Revel in the smells of thatched bungalows and the salty sea breeze with Glasshouse‘s tropical scent.

The flowery yet tangy smells courtesy of cilantro, tangerine and orange blossoms will leave you with the thoughts of clear sandy beaches when you are actually in a hot and stuffy HDB flat.

Where to get it: Naiise outlets or online
Website

3. fresh – Sake

[caption id="attachment_30048" align="alignnone" width="720"] De-stress and de-mozzie (Image Credit: Artisan’s Garden)[/caption]

The Citronella Candle caught my nose with its grassy, floral smell that reminds me of the clean smell of wet grass.

Not only is citronella said to help reduce stress when used in aromatherapy, it also works as a mosquito repellent! Perfect for our tropical weather.

Artisan’s Garden sells the this candle in a small travel tin so that you can easily carry it around if you are thinking of going camping or traveling to tropical countries.

Where to get it: online
Use the holder to store trinkets once it’s finished (Image Credit: 6. NARS – Acapulco

[caption id="attachment_30051" align="alignnone" width="1196"] All candles come with the logo on it! (Image Credit: Beautyfreshfave)[/caption]

Yes, this is the same beauty brand that you find in Sephora. Not many people are aware that NARS carry candles (mainly because they don’t bring it to Singapore), which you have to buy through the NARS US website or Amazon.

And yes, the shipping fee is definitely worth it, because the candles can seriously compete with their make up range. My pick would be Acapulco, a chocolate-based candle that comes layered with traces of whipped cream and coffee beans. It’s delicious, but not overly sweet – kind of like dark chocolate.

Where to get it: NARS US website or Amazon
Such brew-tiful smells (Image Credit: TWG Tea)[/caption]

Another underrated candle from a brand that specialises in selling something else!

If you love the smell of your TWG tea, you can now get their candle version so that you can enjoy the delicious smells without having to brew a pot.

Their White Earl Grey Tea Scented Candle is a fresh, raw fragrance of bergamot and imperial silver needles that smells as good as it tastes.

Where to get it: online
Choose your poison of choice! (Image Credit: Spicy Orange And Hot Peppers Scent and Marijuanna-Weed Scent that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

Where to get it: online or through Etsy
Also read Gifs Are A Legit Art Form, And This Festival Dedicated To Them Proves It

(Header Image Source: Pinterest)

Yeah, You Better Flip – This Prata Comes In Rainbow Colours And Is Served With Pork Curry

The humble roti prata has come a long way since its beginnings as a simple flatbread we ate either with curry or sugar.

These days, you can find all kinds of prata – salted egg prata, eggs benedict prata, chicken floss prata, maggi mee prata, etc. While there have been hits and misses, that’s not stopping eateries across the country from creating new prata flavours for the adventurous Singapore foodie.

The latest “hipster” prata, however, isn’t a new prata flavour – instead, it’s a prata that looks different altogether.

Introducing “Rainbow Prata”, colourful pratas that come in hues you don’t typically see on prata.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

The Rainbow Pratas are sold at Banana Leaf Pork Briyani, a newly opened food stall at Wave 9 in Woodlands. Unlike many Indian food stalls which are halal, this stall is not halal as the stall owner is a non-Muslim.

The pratas here are made from their own unique recipe, and currently come in green, blue and pink. Dyed using food colouring, keep a look out for new shades as Banana Leaf Pork Briyani is exploring expanding the colour range of its pratas.

Currently, only the prata kosong and egg prata come in these bright rainbow hues. That said, they may sell coloured versions of other prata flavours soon, so keep your eye out for them!

The rainbow plain pratas are priced at $1.50 each, and the rainbow egg pratas are going at $2 each, and they come served with your choice of chicken or pork curry.

So far, customers are already asking for new colours and flavours, so hopefully, it’ll be a ‘ask and you shall receive’ type of situation. If there’s something you have in mind, put in a request and who knows? You may see it on the menu in the near future!

Not In The Mood For Prata?

If you’re not in the mood for prata, opt for their Pork Briyani ($8) or Black Chicken Briyani ($8), the signature dishes at this stall.

Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with the usual Chicken Briyani ($7) and Fried Chicken Briyani ($7).

Unfortunately for many of us, this hawker stall is located all the way at Woodlands. If you’re living in the North of Singapore and are ever craving some prata, hit up Banana Leaf Pork Briyani! And for best effect, make sure you get a couple of these pratas at a go – the more the colours, the merrier!

Banana Leaf Pork Briyani
Address: 71 Woodlands Industrial Estate Park E9 Wave 9 #01-04, Singapore 757881
Opening Hours: Daily, 7am – 10.30pm
Contact no.: 9321 8081
Facebook

(Header Image Source: Banana Leaf Pork Briyani Facebook)

Also read The Incredible Spread At This Seafood Buffet Will Make You Say “Shell We?”

Gifs Are A Legit Art Form, And This Festival Dedicated To Them Proves It

If you’re a millennial, chances are GIFs are a part of your everyday communications.

You pepper your conversations with them, whether on WhatsApp or on Facebook Messenger. Reaction GIFs, cute animal GIFs… Whichever is appropriate for the conversation, you’ll drop a GIF for good measure – sometimes, even in place of actual words.

That’s millennials for you.

Whether you’re someone who drops the occasional GIF, or have been told that you’re your group’s resident GIF king/queen, there’s an art festival you’ll want to attend that features – no prizes for guessing – the GIF.

Noise Singapore will be bringing us a festival entirely dedicated to GIFs.: SPELLBOUND.GIF.

Happening from 4 – 11 October, this GIF-fest will take place at Gillman Barracks.

Put together by Noise Singapore and Kult Studios, you won’t find your typical meme GIFs here, but GIFs created by local artists.

While there is currently limited information on what will be going down at this festival, if GIF fest’s Instagram account is anything to go by, we’ll be seeing plenty of hypnotic, trippy GIFs.

These GIFs will be presented in an immersive multi-media exhibition. If you’re expecting this to take place in a traditional art gallery or space, think again. The experience will be more akin to visiting a “night club or space museum”.

https://giphy.com/gifs/eklYH7DYrVIru

A Call For GIFs

The festival is currently calling for GIF submissions.

If you’re lucky, your masterpiece just may be selected to be showcased at the festival, alongside some of the festival’s best GIFs.

Here are some GIFs that caught our eye.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BY0YG55n-VR/?tagged=giffestsg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYqeNKll58w/?tagged=giffestsg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYf7LAbggss/?tagged=giffestsg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYkAyIJFxiF/?tagged=giffestsg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYahkgYBONX/?tagged=giffestsg

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYp2kJ-DAcy/?tagged=giffestsg

There’s even one inspired by Monty Python (watch it with the sound on)!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYpF95Jjhjf/?taken-by=giffestsg

The founder of Kult, who is part of the organising team, shared a little peek on what to expect, and it looks set to be pretty mind-blowing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYgjHf9jvgR/?tagged=giffestsg

Whether you’re a casual GIF user, or have the tendency to overuse GIFs on the daily, mark these dates down in your calendar. A totally different kind of art exhibition, we have a feeling plenty of awesome ‘gram shots (or boomerangs) will come out of this!

Noise x GIF Fest 2017 – SPELLBOUND.GIF
Address: Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937
Dates: 4 – 11 Oct
Website

Also read ZoukOut 2017’s Phase One Lineup Is Out – Here Are All The Acts So Far

(Header Image Source: Noise X Gif Festival)

You Can Eat Off The Table At Cajun On Wheels And No One Will Judge You

Eating off the table at Cajun On Wheels is not frowned upon. In fact, it’s even encouraged!

Cajun On Wheels, a Louisiana-style seafood restaurant, has just opened its second branch in the heart of town – Plaza Singapura. The seafood joint took on an American spirit by setting up a permanent food truck at Pasarbella in Suntec City, but the Plaza Singapura branch is a diner-style restaurant, complete with exclusive menu choices.

A quick lowdown on how Louisiana does Cajun-style seafood: the seafood is usually boiled in a huge pot filled with potatoes, onions, corn and loads of spices. Crawfish (or crayfish) is usually the seafood of choice, but shrimps and crabs are also popular alternatives.

Customize your own personal Ocean Box 

The trouble with going alone to a seafood restaurant is that sometimes the dishes are too big for one person to finish.

Sometimes you might just need some alone time, and Cajun On Wheels has just the perfect personal portion for you.

Their Ocean Box, a popular take-away choice, is a totally customizable personal meal from your sides to the sauce. For your seafood, you have a wide range to choose from – fish, mussels, prawns, soft shell crab, fish and torpedo prawns, and mixed seafood for a little bit of everything.

After picking your sides, you can then pick your preferred sauce. Sauces available include Herb & Butter, Cajun Cheese, Sambal Chilli Egg, Salted Egg Yolk, Thai Red Curry, Spicy Cheesy Soil, Singapore Chilli Crab. Your sauce will come as a dip on the side so that your meal won’t be soggy if you chose the takeaway option.

A little bit of everything

Sharing is caring, which is why it’s also an option on the menu.

The sharing platters can feed two to three people, while the seafood buckets can easily feed three to five people. The fun part about getting the sharing platters is that you your food arrives in a bucket, and you’ll get to experience eating off the table. Don’t be afraid to dig in, because a bib will be provided to catch any strays drops of sauce!

The Poseidon Bucket, featuring Scottish Dungeon Crab, Sri Lankan Crab, Sweet Corn, Chicken Spam and Potatoes is the best value-for-money choice if you love crabs. The Just Be Shellfish Bucket proffers a range of shellfish, and comes with prawns, mussels and white clams which are definitely worth getting messy for. 

Chicken spam, which are only available in the share buckets, and potatoes are good choices for sides as they soak up the sauces well. Corn also makes for a good side, as they add a sweet crunch to your meal. 

The Salted Egg Yolk is spiced up with curry leaves and chilli padi for a flavorful kick. The Herb and Butter sauce is for those who want to enjoy the fresh taste of the seafood, while the Spicy Cheese Soil is equal parts spicy and cheesy.

If you decide to pick the pilaf rice, the Thai Red Curry sauce goes really with the rice. The Thai Red Curry Sauce also matches well with the fish, and it totally kills any remaining fishy aftertaste.

Craving for a burger?

If eating off the table doesn’t appeal to you, you can get one of their rolls or burgers.

The Crusty C.O.W. Lobster & Beef Burger is a combo that lets you have the best of both worlds. The burger comes with a succulent premium beef patty, and is served alongside half a lobster drenched in herb & butter sauce. Definitely worth the $39.90 price tag if you have the appetite to match!

Our only gripe was that the burger could have done with a dash of sauce. After all, that’s what Cajun On Wheels is famous for right?

Cajun On Wheels has got our stamp of approval if you intend on feasting on seafood. You won’t be disappointed, especially if you love spicy food.

Cajun On Wheels

Address: PASARBELLA @ SUNTEC, #01-455 North Wing, Suntec City
Opening Hours: Daily; 10am – 10pm

Address: Plaza Singapura, #03-92 (new wing), 68 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: Daily; 11am – 10pm

Website

Also read A Makcik Revamped Nasi Ayam With Lava Eggs And Sous-Vide Chicken – But Is It Worth $9.50?

A Makcik Revamped Nasi Ayam With Lava Eggs And Sous-Vide Chicken – But Is It Worth $9.50?

Chicken rice might seem like a simple dish – easy to cook, but hard to perfect.

In Singapore, you’ll find that most stalls offer up Hainanese chicken rice, served up with sides like braised eggs, vegetables and tau kwa (braised tofu).

Makcik Chicken is here to change the chicken rice game, putting a modern twist on the classic Singaporean dish!

Legend has it that there is a makcik with chicken rice skills second to none

Mackcik Chicken is run by a couple who used to work at a media advertising agency, which would explain why their branding game is so on point.

Makcik Chicken maintains that a very camera-shy makcik wants everyone to try her secret recipe. We’re going to assume that makcik exists, so here goes nothing!

Our boxes of chicken rice arrived in simple brown cardboard boxes, no frills attached. But as soon as you open the box, you’ll be greeted by the comforting fragrance of chicken rice. Smells good? Check.

In case you were wondering what’s so special about Makcik’s chicken; the chicken is cooked sous-vide style. For those who didn’t learn to cook from a French chef, that means your chicken was cooked in a vacuum bag to keep it from becoming overcooked. As promised, the chicken was juicy, tender and bursting with flavor with every mouthful.

If you don’t like spice, you probably won’t be impressed by the rice (although it does come in a huge portion). Once you add a lil red or green chili, it’s like the rice suddenly came alive in your mouth. The red chili is potent, with loads of garlic, whilst the green chili is slightly sourer because of the vinegar.

Tastes good? Check.

Makcik be working her magic with lava eggs and glittery drinks

The Hanjuku eggs (soft boiled eggs) was the ultimate deciding factor that made me decide that I liked Makcik’s chicken rice. Seriously, their Hanjuku eggs can even compete with the ones that are sold at 7-Eleven.

Grab a drink to accompany your meal while you’re at it. Makcik has stirred up three concoctions to choose from; a crazy good Bandung that even comes with rose petals, a Calamansi Fantasti that comes with a refreshing tinge of mint, and Cik Rose Syrup Limau, a combination of rose syrup, lime and pomegranate drink to satisfy your sweet tooth.

If you have $10 to spare, you might want to consider trying Makcik’s Jambu Jampi Juice, a rose apple drink that swirls with shiny, sparkly edible glitter. Plus points for presentation!

The only downside that we could really foresee is that there isn’t space for you to dine in when you visit their outlet; there’s only a bench outside right now.

Your best bet is to order Makcik Chicken through Deliveroo, Ubereats, or Honestbee so that you don’t need to hunt for a place to enjoy your meal before it becomes cold.

The only thing really stopping me from ordering from my dear Makcik everyday is the $9.50 price tag. While you might not be able to afford to have it everyday, it’s definitely worth trying. Or maybe every once in a while as a treat.

Makcik Chicken
Address: 77 Aliwal Street
Opening Hours: Wed – Sat, 11am – 8pm
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