Oriole Cafe and Bar, Somerset

Met up with a good friend from junior college and we wanted to have brunch in town. I suggested Oriole Cafe and Bar as I had always wanted to have brunch there so we went. Oriole is located at the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites beside 313 Somerset. Exit from Marche at 313 Somerset and you will find Oriole Cafe on your left. I am always a little annoyed with having to queue with an empty stomach for brunch at cafes. There was no need to queue at Oriole Cafe which suited me just fine. It was relatively empty when we reached and we were seated at a table near the door.

The breakfast menu was limited but there was the usual smoked salmon and English breakfast. I chose the Hot Smoked Salmon ($19) since I was always a fan of smoked salmon. The Hot Smoked Salmon came with oak smoked salmon, poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise sauce and English muffins. Also ordered a orange juice to wash the meal down. 

I liked the poached eggs but that was the only thing I truly fancied in my Hot Smoked Salmon. I was quite surprised that the smoked salmon came as shreds of fully cooked salmon. I expected salmon which was cured and smoked instead of fully cooked salmon. The spinach was really salty which took me by surprise. The greens were fresh but nothing too special.

I will come by Oriole Cafe for brunch again if I want somewhere in town which is less crowded. But I will not visit Oriole Cafe for my smoked salmon fix. There are many other cafes serving better smoked salmon and poached egg. 

#01-01 Pan Pacific Service Suites

Day 3 Jeju, South Korea, Mount Seorak, Teddy Bear Farm, Delpino Golf and Resort

Woke up bright and early to catch the early flight to Jeju. It was so early that we had to travel to a restaurant near the airport for our breakfast before heading directly to the Jeju Airport. We had abalone porridge for breakfast at this isolated little restaurant. Our guide explained that abalone porridge in Jeju is green in colour because the fresh abalone together with its green innards are sliced and used to cook the porridge. This is in comparison with the abalone porridge in Seoul which is white in colour. The abalone in Seoul is less fresh thus the innards have to be removed before cooking. Some buns and dumplings were also served. 

We landed in Seoul's Gimpo Domestic Airport after a short flight from Jeju and started our long journey by bus to Mount Seorak. We stopped at a small restaurant along the highway for a steamboat lunch, and at a rest stop for some snacks before reaching Mount Seorak.

When I reached Mount Seorak, I was completely taken aback by the scenery that unfolded before us. The beauty at Mount Seorak cannot be described in words. Bare trees lining the mountains covered in snow, endless rolling mountains, the wind whistling in your ears. It was just so beautiful.

We took the cable car up Mount Seorak. The cable car was large, fitting 20 or 30 people easily for each ride. The annoying thing is that you get shoved around a lot during the ride. I guess everyone wanted to get a clear unobstructed view so people were just pushing, shoving and squeezing to place themselves at the glass window. I was at the head of the queue so naturally I planted myself beside the glass window. The next thing I know, someone squeezed between my brother and I, and pushed me away. The driver of our tour bus saw it and offered his spot at the window instead.

I found out in a moment that the spot by the window was worth the fight. The snow-capped peaks and valleys were just surreal.

After leaving the cable car, you could take a short walk to higher grounds or choose to stay at the cable car tower where there were numerous snack stalls. We chose to walk up and it was such a daunting climb. The slope was gentle and paved with large rocky steps but the steps were covered with a thick layer of snow. It was so slippery that I slipped repeatedly. Eventually I made it up by hanging on to the railings at the side. The wind was very strong that you could lose your footing if you were not careful. Literally being blown away by the wind.

But the scenery, oh the scenery, was like a painting. It was so magical, standing there in the gusts of strong wind, snow swirling around me, taking in the view before me. The picture below was taken moments before the strong wind toppled me over and I fell against the large rock in front of me. When we took the cable car back to the base of the mountain, I headed for the snack stalls and bought us a bowl of spicy rice cake. Chewing on hot spicy rice cakes after the long hours in the cold was invigorating. 

We visited a Teddy Bear Farm near Mount Seorak. It was a small Teddy Bear Farm with a few rooms decorated with lots of cute teddy bears and an outdoor area with adorable bear figurines. Nothing much noteworthy but the bears were really cute. In addition, I was thankful to be housed in a warm place for an hour pacing around taking photographs. 

Dinner that night was marvelous. It was the best meal included in our tour package with Chan Brothers. Our guide brought us to a traditional Korean restaurant where we had to take our shoes off before entering. The dish of the night was Chicken Soup with Potatoes. The soup was clear and very fragrant. The lady boss wore gloves and used her hands to pull the chicken into smaller pieces. The chicken was so tender and delicious! I truly loved this dish, it was incredibly fulfilling. 

The side dishes were also the best I tasted on the trip. The lady boss told us that the radish in the side dishes were grown in her back yard. The side dishes were very fresh and well marinated. I was especially fond of the marinated fish, marinated kelp, kimchi, and pan-fried luncheon meat with eggs. The lady boss was very hospitable and continuously offered to refill our side dishes. This was also where our tour guide treated each family to a bottle of soju!

The tour bus took us to our accommodation of the night - Delpino Golf and Resort. There was a Starbucks at the first floor and we headed there after putting our luggage in the rooms. I liked the white frames at the door. They gave the place a clean and relaxed vibe. We had caramel macchiato, white chocolate mocha, and dolce latte at Starbucks and spent some time chatting and lazing around. There was a convenience store in the basement and it's so amazing. The convenience store was large and very well-stocked. Imagine walking into 7 Eleven and realising that it was like NTUC. That was how I felt. You could buy fruits, snacks, drinks, and all sorts of food in the convenience store. Fantastic for a late night snack. 

The rooms at Delpino Golf and Resort were roomy and spacious. A corner of the room was dedicated to a small kitchenette. There was a stove, sink, fridge, rice cooker, and even pots in the cabinet. There was a small dining table where you could have your meals too.

It was dark outside when we turned in so we did not realize the stunning scenery outside our windows. When we woke up in the morning, I was so pleasantly surprised. Delpino Golf and Resort provided a fantastic view of Mount Seorak. The pictures below were taken from the dining hall but our rooms offered a similar view. 

Read about Day 1,  Day 2,  Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6 in Korea!

Book review of Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

Nothing to Envy described the lives of six ordinary North Koreans in Chongjin. Chongjin is an industrial coastal city in North Korea where lives of ordinary North Koreans were a far cry from the gleaming images of Pyongyang screened to the world. The non-fiction book takes on a story-telling twist by recounting startling details of the lives of these six North Koreans before they defected to South Korea. The book told the struggles they faced during the Arduous March which was a period when North Korea had a severe food shortage leading to a famine. Deaths caused by starvation in the population, people eating bark, grass and weed just to survive, and the gradual disappearance of public health care were also told through these stories. The book ended by sharing the routes through which these North Koreans defected to South Korea and how they adapted to life in South Korea. 

Nothing to Envy is definitely the best book I read this year, and I have to thank my wonderful friend and colleague for recommending it. In fact, it was so good that I stayed up reading the book through Christmas despite not sleeping the whole night/ early morning on Christmas eve. I was addicted to the compelling stories of a place hidden from the world. I wanted so much to know what goes on in that repressive regime beyond the propaganda materials circulated to the outside world. While I was intrigued by the historical events and factual recounts about the Kim regime, I was particularly interested in the day-to-day lives of its ordinary citizens. These people formed the middle and lower classes of North Korean society. These were the people with no family connections, no good songbun (classification based on blood lines), and essentially no money. They had to struggle to survive in a regime that perpetuated hunger, illness, and death. They had to work without getting paid in state-run corporations. The public food distribution system failed miserably in a society that was once promised 3 bowls of rice a day. Perhaps if a book was written about the lives of the elite in North Korea, I would be equally keen to get my hands on a copy just to read what encouraged the oppressor.

Reading this book made me realize the will to survive is the strongest motivation of all. Kindness is often eroded by this will, and those who survived often did so at the expense of somebody else. I cannot decide if this is a result of adverse circumstances like those in North Korea, or just human behavior in general. Or perhaps, it is human behavior in general but people could mask it successfully in better circumstances. We could be kind when we have enough to eat and when life is a breeze. In a way, kindness is a trait that can be better expressed in kinder circumstances. 

Day 2, Jeju, South Korea: Seongsan Sunrise Peak, Jeju Folk Village, Yongduam Rock

Woke up bright and early in Jeju for breakfast before the tour bus took us to Seongsan Sunrise Peak. It started snowing as we left the bus and we made our way up slowly. The strong wind meant that it took a long time to trudge up and an equally long time coming down. The place was insanely crowded. If you intend to visit the Seongsan Sunrise Peak, be prepared to jostle, squeeze, and push your way through throngs of Chinese tourists and be mentally ready to receive numerous shoves and unceremonious nudges in return.

The scenery on the way up was breathtaking and watching the murky waters below through drifts of snow was just so beautiful. The climb was manageable and not strenuous. The challenging part was fighting to stand straight against the gusts of strong wind and braving the cold. Oh the cold. 

This is me at the peak which was surprisingly barren. The view was splendid on the other side though, with an unobstructed view of the town below and the surrounding sea. I would definitely have enjoyed Seongsan Sunrise Peak more if it was just less crowded.

We went to pick tangerines at a tangerine farm near Seongsan Sunrise Peak. It was snowing very heavily by then and I could hardly see beyond the sheet of white falling rapidly from the sky. I took the tweezers and clipped two tangerines randomly. I found out subsequently that I picked the smallest tangerine in that bush. What a smart choice.

In my haste to pull my hood over my head, I ripped the fur trim out. Thankfully it was just a button that could be fixed easily. I took out the fur trim eventually. It may be pretty and useful to keep the snow out of my face, but it was terribly troublesome.

The amazing thing was that we could find beautiful white landscapes just anywhere along the road! This was taken along the road opposite the tangerine farm. So effortlessly beautiful.

Lunch was stir-fried pork from the black pig! Black pig is one of the iconic local food in Jeju. I was always a fan of the black pig as pork from the black pig is always more tender and juicy as compared to the usual pork. This meal was pretty good, one of the better ones since we started our tour. 

We visited the Jeju Folk Village next which was where Da Chang Jin was filmed (hence the poster in the picture below). It started snowing again the minute we left the bus and we wandered around the Jeju Folk Village in the snow. The traditional stone houses and animals in Jeju Folk Village reflected the way of life in Jeju previously. There was also the Jeju icon, known as Stone Grandpa (石头爷爷), which the locals believed brought good fortune. 

We went go-karting next and it was so fun! I had to wear shades though so that the snow would not hit my eyes when the kart went fast. It was my first time go-karting in the snow and it was such an experience!

We visited the Yongduam Rock in the evening. The Yongduam Rock is a rock in the sea which resembles a dragon head. When we reached the cliff where we could see the Yongduam Rock, the wind was so strong and fierce that we were caught off guard. Some of us ran into the nearby souvenir shop to hide from the wind until we were ready to step out again. The waves hitting the cliff were fierce and the currents were strong. 

Dinner was Ginseng Chicken Soup. There were noodles prepared at the side and we were supposed to put them into the boiling soup. The soup was fragrant and the chicken was tender. Quite a good meal too!

 Read about Day 1, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6 of my Korea trip!

Santouka Ramen, The Central

This is definitely not a new find. I have been to Santouka so many times that it surprises me that I have never got around to writing a review. Long overdue review indeed. 

Tucked away in a corner on the second level, Santouka Ramen is a small establishment with roughly around 20 tables inside. Be prepared to queue if you are here during lunch or dinner when the queue stretches from the door along the wall outside to the nearby Chinese restaurant. It is a small cozy restaurant where you would stay only long enough to finish your bowl of delicious ramen. The queue outside discourages inconsiderate souls from sitting around after your meal. 

The Roasted Pork Cheek ($19.90) with a bowl of ramen was apparently a popular dish so I decided to go with that the other day. Indeed, the slices of Roasted Pork Cheek were lean and yet so very tender. There was no fatty meat at all yet it tasted so soft and delicious. They were very well braised and I loved the flavour in the meat. You could choose the soup base - shoyu (soya sauce), shio (salt), or miso. I took shoyu because I wanted to try something different from my usual shio. Shoyu was definitely more salty than shio and I think I would stick with shio the next time I come around.

The good friend I was with shared with me the awesome Santouka Membership Plan. I had to download the QRreader (which is honestly such a stupid thing that I felt sorry for having to download it) and scan the code on the membership card attached to the menu. After scanning the code, I would be directed to another page where I had to fill in my details. When that was successful, I showed the page to the cashier when I was paying for my ramen. I was given a 1 for 1 coupon that I could use anytime in the next month! 

Sometime that week I received an email (since I was now a member on their mailing list) informing me that Santouka was having a 1 for 1 promotion from 4 February 2014 to 18 February 2014. Being the auntie that I am and since I was so hooked to their ramen recently, I dragged the boyfriend for dinner one day after work. The promotion was limited to certain types of ramen so we both chose the Char Siu Ramen ($17.70). We both opted for Shio Ramen this time. 

The slices of char siu were definitely more fatty and marbly as compared to the Roasted Pork Cheek. The char siu was still delicious and well-braised but you would not fancy it if you did not like fatty meat. I am not much of a fan of fatty meat so I would prefer the Roasted Pork Cheek. The Shio soup base was also lighter than the shoyu soup base.

The proximity of Santouka Ramen to my office means that I will definitely be back soon.

#02-76 Central

Jamie's Italian, Vivocity

Happy Chinese New Year everybody! The best part of Chinese New Year is definitely being able to spend time with your loved ones and feast. Sadly, my flu continued to plague me through Chinese New Year and I had to resist the large array of New Year goodies displayed at my granny’s house. I have a soft spot for Bak Kwa (barbecued pork slices) though and decided that a few slices were worth any unhealthy consequences the next day. I woke up the next day with a raspy voice and a bad sore throat.

Anyway, I had reunion dinner at my granny’s house on the eve of Chinese New Year and had a really enjoyable time with my baby cousin. On Chu Yi (first day of the Chinese New Year), I went on my usual visiting rounds and lazed around my granny’s house for another sleepy afternoon with my baby cousin. Wore the blue woollen miniskirt and carried the nerdy black backpack that I bought at the shopping district around Ewha Women’s University in Korea! Check out my new kicks – purple glittery Vans which were on discount at ABC Mart in Myeongdong, Korea.

On Chu Er (second day of Chinese New Year), I visited the boyfriend’s family where I had a fun time chatting with his family. He came home with me after that and we spent some time at my place before he continued his Chinese New Year visiting. In the evening, we headed over to Vivocity where I decided, against my better sense, to have dinner at Jamie’s Italian.

When Jamie’s Italian opened its doors, I was deterred by the long queues that greeted me each time I attempted to have a meal there. As more foodies tasted Jamie’s Italian and more reviews began streaming into the Internet, I was deterred by the lukewarm reviews that seemed to suggest that I was better off spending my calories and money somewhere else. Still, something about the place (perhaps it is the lack of a queue) caught my attention that Saturday, and I pulled my boyfriend in for dinner.

The place is dimly lit, with nice relaxing music in the background, and a comfortably laid back vibe. The boyfriend commented that it felt like Potato Head in Bali and I completely agree. Jamie’s Italian made me feel like I was no longer in Singapore which was good for a moment.

I ordered the Prawn Linguine while the boyfriend took the Lamp Chop Lollipop. The food was truly mediocre. My Prawn Linguine was done al dente which was good, but the linguine did not absorb the watery tomato sauce and tasted quite bland. The prawns were really small and not fresh. The boyfriend’s Lamp Chop Lollipop was quite tender but nothing much to write home about.

The mediocre standard of the food means that I won't be back anytime soon. Little wonder the queue at Jamie's Italian's door has disappeared. 

#01-165 Vivocity

Day 1, South Korea, Skin Anniversary Beauty Town, Paju Premium Outlet, Ocean Suites Hotel in Jeju

We reached South Korea's Incheon Airport early in the morning and were carted off by our tour guide Jessica. We signed up for a 8 day 6 night tour package with Chan Brothers so the itinerary was mostly arranged by the tour agency. The good thing about this tour package was that we had one day free and easy in Seoul so we could explore the place on our own. This turned out to be the perfect balance on hindsight. 

Wintry Korea was beautiful. Temperatures hovered below 0 degrees most of the time, especially on days when we were up in the mountains or by the sea in Jeju. We were wrapped up in our Heat Tech thermal wear, woolen sweatshirts, jeans, down jackets, scarves, gloves, and beanies. I have to say that the Heat Tech thermal wear was incredibly effective! It is thin and light, feels almost like satin, yet it really keeps you warm.

Our first stop was Skin Anniversary Beauty Town where the beauty consultants checked our skin and provided us with a mask each. The mask was supposed to be catered for your individual skin type. We were led to a side room where we could rest and place the mask on our faces. I took the chance to have a short nap on a nice comfy bed. After the mask was removed, the beauty consultants started their hard sell tactics. Thankfully the selling was pretty short and we were allowed to roam around the place after that.

There was a mini bear exhibition beside the beauty parlor. Since we were there, we decided to explore the exhibition. There was an interesting range of teddy bears here! The bears were dressed like the popular pop groups in Korea. There was also a Park Ji Sung bear! In all honesty, I only know about Park Ji Sung because of Running Man as he previously came as a guest on the variety show. Obviously not a great fan of international football.

Once we were done with the bear exhibition, there was nothing much interesting in the Skin Anniversary Beauty Town so we left and found this beautiful white landscape across the road. Snow covered the whole area and bare trees lined the pavement. A frozen lake lay behind the bare trees and it was just so beautiful. We stopped there and snapped as many pictures as we could.

We spent the rest of the first day in Paju Premium Outlet before heading to Gimpo Domestic Airport for our flight to Jeju. The shops in Paju Premium Outlet are heated and indoors. However the walkways were exposed to the external environment which also meant that it was really cold strolling along in the huge mall for a prolonged period of time. We tried to go into as many shops as possible but the prices were not very attractive. In fact, it was more like a regular mall than a premium outlet. 

The best thing that happened in Paju Premium Outlet was that it started snowing! It was so wonderful experiencing snow for the very first time. Tilting my face up in the falling snow and feeling the snow melt on my warm cheeks was really exhilarating. I loved that moment. 

We could not stay outside for long though so we decided to settle down in Starbucks and watch the heavy snow over a cup of hot drink. Korea's Starbucks do not serve my favourite Green Tea Latte so I ordered something new called Chai Tea Latte. Very bad idea. I would not recommend that drink to anyone ever again.

The tour group headed over to Gimpo Domestic Airport where we took a flight from Seoul to Jeju. The wind was really extremely strong in Jeju. In fact, the wind was so strong, we truly felt like we would be blown away anytime soon. We checked into the Ocean Suites Hotel in Jeju which was located along the beach. The room was quite small and we found it hard to navigate around our luggage and beds. In addition, the lighting was quite poor which made the room dark and gloomy throughout our 2 night stay.

Most hotels in Korea came with a convenience store located within the hotel which made buying snacks and water very convenient! The convenience store in Ocean Suites Hotel was located on the first level. Upon entering the hotel, turn left and walk down a narrow corridor where you will find GS 25 (the convenience store) tucked away in a corner. We bought Korean instant noodles for supper and a bottle of rice wine. The rice wine came in a large plastic bottle and was really cheap! I am surprised by how much more expensive Korean rice wine is in Singapore. Anyway, rice wine is really delicious with instant noodles at night!

Some rooms in Ocean Suites Hotel offered a clear unobstructed view of the sea beside the hotel. Our room had a slightly obstructed view of the sea but we could still watch large waves rolling towards the shore. Not too bad unless you intend to stay in the room all day and enjoy the seaside view.

Read about Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6 in Korea!