So Phô @ Jem

Thumbs up for a birthday dinner treat from Mei Ling on a Sunday night.

I'm so tired of repeating the way we settled down in a restaurant, it's the usual 'strolling around' and 'browsing through'.

The title So Phô suggests that it's a Vietnamese restaurant. My first time having a Vietnamese meal was neither in Malaysia nor Singapore nor Vietnam, but in Amsterdam (Netherlands) - pretty random and out of nowhere.

Bún Chả Giò Gà Nướng @ $9.80
Fresh Noodle with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Spring Rolls


Phở Bò - Bò Viên @ $8.80
Vietnamese "Pho", Slice Beef & Beef Balls Noodle Soup


Vietnamese Drip Coffee (condensed milk with ice) @ $3.80
It's served with a dripper above the glass. Upon sufficient dripping, the waiter/waitress will remove the dripper and you may stir the coffee with the condensed milk well and pour it into another glass of ice.
I needed it to be sweeter so I requested for sugar syrup.


Jem
50 Jurong Gateway Road #B1-08
Singapore 608549
Tel: (65) 6339 0059

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This puts a wonderful end to my birthday weekend prior to embracing the blue tomorrow.
Thanks to whoever and whoever's efforts put for the celebration to my quarter century old birthday! ❤❤

Hifumi Japanese Restaurant @ Plaza Singapura

Hifumi

The last few hours of my 25th birthday was spent on a dinner with Chu Luei, preceded by my birthday lunch with Yumi at Shokudo Japanese Coffee House @ Cathay Cineleisure Orchard earlier that afternoon.

Unexpectedly, after browsing through the restaurants, our dinner was gonna be Japanese cuisine again! But I'm cool, never get bored eating Japanese food.

It's Hifumi, an unfamiliarly sounding name of a Japanese restaurant (don't think they even have a website) at Plaza Singapura.
It's accessible via the escalator nearest to Starbucks Coffee and the main entrance of Plaza Singapura along Orchard Road (not the one along Handy Road).

Check out their swesome set menus! Every set meal includes unlimited appetizers (12 choices) at the all-you-can-eat appetizer bar (chawanmushi is one of those).

Besides, by topping up another $2.99, you get free flow drinks, where you help yourself at the drinks bar (like those in Marina Bay Sands Casino).

The appetizer bar


Free flow of Chawanmushi FTW!!


Appetizers


Chicken Curry Soup @ $13.99


Chicken Namban @ $12.99

Not filling? Well, you can always be a cheapo by continuing spamming at the appetizer bar! XD


#04-68, Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
Tel: (65) 6338 4712

Shokudo Japanese Coffee House @ Cathay Cineleisure Orchard

Iced Cafe Latte & Iced Yuzu Tea

It's exactly 100 years since the first International Women's Day held on 8 March which was observed in Germany, and more importantly, it's my quarter-century-old young birthday!!

I had lunch followed by a karaoke session with Yumi, prior to her departure to Perth right before the next dawn breaking. Planlessly straying around Orchard, from Mandarin Gallery to *SCAPE, our stomachs were growling for immediate rescue and we settled down at Shokudo Japanese Coffee House at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.

It was another random choice of restaurant, but the memorability comes from my birthday and her farewell lunch. Thanks for your company Yumi, and wish you a pleasant flight back to Perth.

Kinoko Pork Chop 茸ポークチョップ @ $15.80
Some grilled pork chop with mushroom sauce which is pretty much par of the course.


Shokudo Wasabi Chicken Chop しょくどうチキンチョップ山葵マヨ @ $15.80
Wasabi mayonnaise is indeed something extraordinary, but wasabi isn't my cup of tea so...


Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
8 Grange Road, #02-06A/B
Tel: (65) 6736 0971

Boston Seafood Shack @ The Star Vista

I was wearing the color of Monday for a dinner with my colleague clique, at Boston Seafood Shack at The Star Vista (next to Buona Vista MRT Station).

Relative to the volume, most food are a little pricey, especially the Crispy Soft Shell Crab, which we fortunately ordered for sharing only.

Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Lobster Sauce @ $11


Crabmeat Porcini Cream Sauce @ $12


Grilled Wild King Snapper @ $16
The rice was pretty tasteful and savory.


Boston Seafood Bucket (Calamari, Prawns, Oyster, Fish & Chips) @ $17
Super unhealthy as you can see, but I liked it!


Codfish (Rich in Fish Oils with a Mild Flavour) @ $14

Oh and actually it was a dinner cum birthday celebration for me and Boon Kiat (Boon Kiat's is 6 days after 359 days before mine


Yi Jie and Claire actually drew the cake themselves, Boon Kiat is the red squared fella while I'm the yellow acutely-triangulated one.
Thanks Claire for sponsoring her Minnie Mouse Polaroid films taken by her Polaroid camera bought in Hong Kong.

They even played my own YouTube video for me that day:

That's innovative, I didn't expect one day I'll actually be singing myself a birthday song.
Thank you all so much! ❤❤

1 Vista Exchange Green
#01-46, The Star Vista
Singapore 138617

24th Birthday

3 years ago, there's dance vetting on 7th March night, the night before my birthday. Same thing happened this year. Not only that, after leaving from dance vetting, there's band practice, and I told my band members that I need to go at 11:30pm.

One reason: Wilsen was already inside my room for my birthday and I had to go back and entertain him. Another reason is to standby, LOL~~ so narcissistic omg. My band members kept asking why, I just told them you'll know later.

Wilsen bought me a cake and a necktie. FYI, Wilsen's birthday is a day after mine. Two years ago he bought me cake as well, and that really makes me feel so bad to him that I didn't prepare anything for him.

D4, Temasek Hall

As soon as Wilsen left, I saw my band members walking towards my room, and at that point of time I realized I was tricked!! Haha. They knew it's my birthday. And what Justin got in his hand was Sheares chicken!! And I was like, ya hor, it's Thursday. My band members are fantastic, I swear I was really touched.

And the band practice was actually an excuse for them to celebrate for me in the band room. The plan was destroyed once I left the band room. That made them complain that they had to walk all the way to my block.

Besides, Justin even informed my Malaysian hall friends to refrain from celebrating for me that night to accommodate the celebration with THreshold. So nice of you all ♥♥

They bought me a Tiramisu cake


Terie was late so too bad no chicken left for her...

The next day (08 Mar 2013), which was my 24th birthday, Wilsen (09 Mar), Li Ming (08 Mar), Cyrus (25 Feb) and I (08 Mar) shared a birthday celebration with current and ex-Temasekians at Ichiban Sushi, Clementi Mall.

They are Chu Luei, Wei Zheng, May, Eric, Eddie, Lik Ling, Kar Kay and Kei.

That dinner was their treat, which made me feel so paiseh again.

2D1N Soju Bang Korean Restaurant

The next day (09 Mar 2013) was Wilsen's 24th birthday and Wilsen, Emilia, Susan, Chern Yik, Calvin and I went 2D1N Soju Bang Korean Restaurant for buffet dinner ($20++).

Well, Chern Yik was acquainted with Calvin on that day. Calvin, Wilsen and I were in the same project group for ME3101. Emilia and Susan know Calvin during our trip to Jakarta and Bandung in Indonesia last December.

The buffet was sumptuous, but they only have refillable plain water and lime juice, and because I don't drink lime juice, I drank only water that night. Oh, the beef was juicy, tantalizing and really delicious.

The girls bought us cakes, and it's already my 4th cake. :)

We wanted to chill somewhere for a drink and chat after the buffet dinner. We ended up drinking tea, beer and playing card games at Calvin's house. Pretty random.

It's been two cycles of the Chinese zodiac since I was born. Old enough, I am. I'm graduating in a few months, stepping into another dimension of the society. There're too many things to miss after this.

Thank God for protecting me all the way till today. In the past I had 'near-death experiences' before but I survived.

To those who spent time celebrating my birthday, a 90º bow for you. I feel fortunate having you all accompanying me on my big day, as well as everyday.

Last but not least, I really really do look forward to my birthday wishes to come true! ^^


For more photos, please check out my photo album 24th Birthday on Facebook.