Cha Thai

I have been hoping to try Cha Thai for the longest time. This rather new restaurant doesn’t just serve authentic Thai food, they are bringing to us fine Thai. 

At Cha Thai, you can often see its Founder, Permsiri Sirijindapan, also affectionately known as Leah, rolling up her sleeves and working her wok magic in the kitchen, whipping up Thai cuisine from the central region we all love. This certainly makes Cha Thai quite a newfound treasure and dining pleasure.

Most of us see Thai food as generally street food that comes at affordable prices. Cha Thai is more than that with Leah’s strong culinary passion got her admitted to schools in France and Thailand, which explains why she is able to  marry the best of East and West, adapting the West’s technology while keeping to the East’s traditions, to bring Thai food to another level. “Thai food is just like food from any other culture. In Japanese food, we have the street food, as well as the finer quality food. In Chinese food, likewise. Even Western food, we have street food or fast food and fine dining. Thai food is not just about street food”, said Leah. “The quality of Cha Thai’s food is the result of premium quality ingredients, along with traditional (not authentic) recipes cooked with modern techniques, to bring out another dimension in the taste of Thai, so our customers experience the best of Fine Thai Food”, Leah shared.

At Cha Thai, there is one thing you will definitely notice - the portions are so large you should always come with friends. It is in the Thai’s tradition and culture to gather, and therefore, their food always comes in portions large enough for sharing. Food always tastes the best in good company.

Besides the large serving portions, Leah insists on great quality ingredients. Seafood is sourced locally from kelongs for freshness. Meat is sous vide to achieve tenderness. Dips, curries, pastes, sauces, gravy, milk teas, refreshing drinks and all are made from scratch as well. 

The Smoothies are $4.50 each. Cold and hot drinks are at $2.90.

Cha Thai Signatures

Creamy Crab Roll $15

Deep dried spring roll sticks served with crab cream sauce made of finger roots herbs, and the fragrance of the crab cream sauce tastes like Thai laksa in a creamy state.

Crispy Prawn Cake $15

Deep fried thick juicy prawn cakes made with tiger prawns (not the usual shrimps used by many), served with sweet plum sauce

Lemongrass Prawn Salad $28

Not your normal salad, this is savoury yet refreshing at the same time!


Another 'salad' - Pomelo Salad

Signature Tiger Prawn ‘Panang’ Curry $28

Thai saffron curry with tiger prawns and juicy sweet lychees, glazed with coconut cream

Sauteed Kai Lan with Roasted Pork $16

Stir fry baby kai lan with sous vide roasted pork, garlic and oyster sauce

Garlic Chicken with Bird’s Chilli $18

Tom Yum Vegetarian Dumplings $18



I don't usually take vegetarian dishes specially, but this is one I wouldn't mind going for!

Simmered Pork $22

Simmered pork knuckle with kai lan, pork knuckle is super tender from 14 hours of sous vide, served with fresh chilli sauce made of fermented chilli sauce 

Premium Giant Tiger Prawns Claypot Glass Noodles $159 / Tiger Prawns Claypot Glass Noodles $55 (for 4 pax) (giant tiger prawn is about 35-40cm)

Thai baked claypot prawn tang hoon seasoned with spices, ginger, pepper and spring onions. Savour the good quality tang hoon which should be QQ in texture, not soggy.

Pad Thai $22

Charcoal Toast $8

Adapted from Cha Thai’s signature toast, Charcoal kaya toast is even fluffier and softer, paired with kaya dip. The orange dip at the background is milk tea flavour, which is good as well! Absolutely my favourite! Please go and try it for yourselves!

Coming to the desserts which sadly, I couldn't stomach much after the heavy dinner.

Emerald Jade (green ruby) $8

Red Ruby $8

Red Ruby with pandan fragrance fresh coconut milk

Sweet Corn Herbal Jelly $8

If you are looking for an enjoyable fine Thai meal of high quality, Cha Thai is certainly the right place for you :)

Cha Thai

80 Telok Ayer Street #01-01 Singapore 048466

Tel: 6636 3696

www.chathaisg.com

www.facebook.com/chathaisg

www.instagram.com/chathaisg

South & North Okinawa Gelato

Mia and I dropped by South & North Okinawa Gelato pop-up stall last night and sampled their gelato made in the island of natural goodness - Okinawa.

I believe most of us know how different gelato is from ice-cream. Gelato is commonly known to be more flavourful, has less fats contained and healthier in that aspect, uses fewer egg yolks in comparison to average ice-creams.

The more unique point of Okinawan Gelato is that they use only Hokkaido & Yamakawa milk and natural flavours. Their gelato is made using tradition confectionery method i.e. in line with Okinawa tradition. What's more, being a Japanese brand, they visit farmers and producers personally to select only the finest and most suitable ingredients to produce the Gelato. In addition, there are no artificial essence used.

There are 8 flavours available for sampling at the pop-up store at Raffles Xchange. To start off, here are 3 of my personal favourites:
(In clockwise direction, beginning with the purple flavour)

❤ Purple sweet potato : From Yomitan villange and Miyako island. The purple sweet potato is made into velvety paste before blending into the gelato. The overall taste combined a mild sweetness and intense potato “punch”. I was initially skeptical towards this with thoughts of it as a savory flavour. However, it gave my tongue quite a lovely surprise. After sampling all 8 flavours, this left quite a deep impression on me as the taste of the sweet potato was powerful yet not overwhelming. I eventually bag it home!

❤ Shikuwasa sorbert : Made in ogimi village. The tangy sweetness of the green fruit is surprising refreshing and fruity, with a sweet orangey aftertaste which is really invigorating.

❤ Black Tea : Made in Kunigami Village. A unique Okinawa tea leaves from Inzatsu Assam variety offer an full aroma character. I like how fragrant and refreshingly light this is, bagged it home too!

(In clockwise direction, beginning with the green flavour)

❤ Matcha : Using tea leaves from Shizouka Prefecture, this gelato has intense yet slightly bitter after-taste. Great for matcha lover who is looking for the real matcha “punch”.

❤ Salted milk : Made using Nuchi masu salt. Seawater is drawn off the coast of Miyagi Island. This sea salt contain high in minerals and it can accentuated the creaminess of the milk flavor. Reminds me slightly of salted caramel, milky version!

❤ Brown Sugar : Made in Tarama Village. This gelato offer a sweetness with a complex, mineral-rich finish.

❤ Okinawa Tofu : Made in Nanho city. Okinawan tofu, being extremely high in protein, is often referred to as “longevity food”. The overall gelao is gently rich with Okinawa soyabeans.

The remaining two flavours (not pictured close-up:

❤ Meyer Lemon yogurt : Meyer Lemon is a natural hybrid of lemon and orange. The tanginess is much more powerful than the Shikuwasa sorbet above. This unique yogurt can be suitable after-dinner.

❤ Cheese : Made in Ishigaki Island using milk from Jersey cows. It’s very mild, almost like a milk gelato. A great alternative if you fancy the "plain vanilla" kind of flavour (pun not intended).

Each tub of gelato retails at $4.90 currently. As South & North Okinawan Gelato does not have a permanent store in Singapore yet, do visit the pop-up store at Raffles Xchange instead, available until 29th July! :)

Beauty Base - bSoul facial & MTM back therapy

Went for bSoul facial and massage before a festive season previously and wow, the facial results turned out to be SO GOOD. If you hadn't knew about bSoul before, here is more details on one of their skincare kit.

bSoul facial is available at several salons, and I visited one at Clementi - Beauty Base. It's less than 5 mins walk from the station if you travel by mrt :)

The introduction to the products used were pretty straight-to-the-point, a manner which I’m personally fond of. No overpromises or fanciful claims that builds up your expectations only to give end results that is below mediocre, which happens at some salons. The therapist used pretty layman terms to explain the products with their usage and effects, which makes it easy for me to understand and absorb the information (especially while lying on the comfy bed and being only half awake).

My skin is pretty dehydrated these days due to the cold and dry air-conditioning in office and insufficient plain fluid consumption. Thus, the therapist recommended facial that can help to restore my skin’s moisture and pH level which in turn will brighten up my complexion. 

The range of products used for the facial.

To my amazement, there were no high-technology machines or 'fanciful' creams or serums used during the facial. It is a classic facial, without extractions, using the exact bSoul set shown above that can be purchased and used at home on our own! 

1) Thorough removal of my makeup

This took possibly thrice the amount of time I would spent removing makeup on my own. Must be really thorough :D ok, i'm 1/2 kidding.

2) Cleansing with my favourite bSoul 3 Activ scrub

Again, the therapist spent 2-3 times the effort than I usually do when I use the scrub. She reminded me that the scrub can be effective as a hydration mask too when used together with a serum. The granular beads from the scrub will break down into waxy state after few minutes of scrubbing and it will act to hydrate the skin like a mask. Hence, the 'scrub' was left on my skin while she proceeded to trim my eyebrows.

3) Mask

This was applied in conjuction with the facial massage.

Do note that the facial massage is rather heavy-handed as compared to any other facial massages i've done before. Not something that you will fall asleep with. But neither is it painful at all, hence no worries!

The massage skill of the therapist helps in getting the products absorbed more effectively into my skin as well as reduce any water retention, making my face feel lighter and refreshed, perhaps even more nimble in my expressions that evening.

Now I look forward to using my remaining bSoul scrub in a new manner at home!

There is a makeup room for girls to tidy up after a good sleep facial so that you can hang out shopping even right after a facial.

Of cos, please go and try the facial yourselves to experience the goodness of it. Would be great to pamper your skin and be ready to face the world in the upcoming (June holiday) travel season :)



(Beauty Base is 20 years old! Pretty established for a beauty salon!)

Other than bSoul facial, Beauty Base also offers MTM back therapy.

Prior to trying out MTM massage, I've already prepped myself for a painful experience as what Mia had shared. It's not meant to be the 'shiok' kind of massage, but a real, painful jabbing type. I was honestly looking forward to some beneficial jabbing to clear the knots in my shoulders, and lower back which I strained some time in Dec :(

Now, what exactly is MTM massage? This therapy is a new type of corrective massage, based on Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) Philosophy and Modern Western Medical principal. This technique is aided by specialized handheld rod (read: buffalo horn), which goes beyond the conventional superficial skin and muscle levels. Check out the 'rods':



Each of our backs is like a main power switch that reflects the major organs and nerve systems of our bodies. Here's an overall view of the acupoints on our backs.

The treatment works by stimulating these meridian points in our body to work on the facial restrictions and scar tissues in the muscle. It can be performed in one session for a full body treatment, or it can be localized for specific target area such as face, and is designed to address stubborn problems such as chronic stiff shoulders or bloated face (depending on which area are you performing the treatment on).

Unfortunately, I'm soooo sensitive (read: ticklish) to any touches on my (mid) back that the massage could not be done full-out over that area. The therapist was able to carry out the acupressure treatment properly for my shoulders and neck regions though, helping with the relief of my stiff shoulders and that chronic pain. It wasn't as painful as expected - the massage on my neck, shoulder and lower back region were just that slightly uncomfortable during the session.

The massage therapist, however, warned me of subsequent aching muscles which I felt indeed the very next morning. It was far more sore than I've ever came across before, or have expected.

Thankfully, they gave me the tub of ageless herbal cream to help with the expected aches and I had it rubbed onto my shoulders immediately after I woke up. It soothed the aftermath aches considerably!

http://www.meditrina.com.sg/detail.php?ProductID=351

Overall, I find the MTM massage much more effective in curing my muscle stiffness than another other solutions I've tried so far. If you have problems which regular massages can't help, do give MTM massage a try!




BEAUTY BASE

Block 443 Clementi Avenue 3
#01-69 Singapore 120443

Operating hours:
Mon -Fri: 10.30am-8.30pm
Sat -Sun: 10.30am-6pm
P.Holiday closed.

Tel: 6872 2268
Fax: 6872 2268
E-mail: beauty.base@gmail.com

Bespoke Box Singapore - Review

It's been some time since I've gotten a beauty box. Cos I can never finish the products and samples in time before more new products come in the following month! :X They snowballed quite badly and I kinda stopped subscribing to the monthly boxes!

However, there's a monthly event which will never fail to come (and go)...and I'm sure all girls will understand. All those PMS weeks and hormonal changes that make us cranky and emotional, plus physical aches and pains to endure >.<

Now, how about a monthly kit to make this period (pun intended) more bearable? Moreover, there will be no worries about not finishing any items in the box before the next month ;) It is definitely some comfort and fun to look forward to!

I was happy to receive one from the Bespoke Box SG team in February!

What is Bespoke Box?

Bespoke Box is a premium subscription service created to help you manage the time of the month. A box of goodies will be delivered right to your doorstep a week before your period for you to enjoy. 

There are different subscription plans available – 3-months ($63), 6-months ($120), or get 15% off with a whole year plan ($228). 

There is also an one-time option ($22) to send as a gift to your friends. All prices are inclusive of free local shipping.

What’s in it?

The contents vary by month, but you may look forward to 5 items – pampering Bath and Body products, beauty products, snacks, feminine items or an art gift. All items are travel-sized or full-sized, so you can fully enjoy the products.

For the February box, we have included a Pocky snack, a Pretz snack, a specially handmade voodoo doll, a pack of Poise pantyliners, Sierra Bee’s honey lip balm and Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream. Total content worth at $37!

Check out the cute voodoo.. ;p

The crabtree & evelyn hand cream, and Sierra Bees' organic lip balm may not be that specific to our monthly woes, but hey, it's always good to treat yourself better! Furthermore, February is the month of love ♥

Snacking will never go wrong! Get your chocolate fix with the Pocky especially.

And some tea to go along?

Last but not least.. Liners to prep and keep yourself comfy :)

If you're interested already, here's a summary of how it works. 

Once payment is made, the Bespoke Box team will get in touch with you for your mailing particulars and preferred delivery date, to ensure your box reaches you before your period.

Sign up by 29th of the month to receive next month's box!

Use the discount code OYHZ20 for 20% off the 3-month, 6-month or 12-month plans. This code ends on 20 March 2016.

Hop over to Bespoke Box to view the past boxes!

I'm running a giveaway for a Bespoke Box on IG, see you there! :)