Kickstarter Project - Cheese Making Kit

Z and I supported a project in Kickstarter and we received a cheese-making kit! :) We made our first cheese yesterday but it was a failure.:( I don't know if Singapore's hot and humid weather makes it difficult for us to make cheese successfully. We will try again soon. If it succeeds, I might post a picture of our mini success! :)

I am happy that it is already mid-week.:) How is your week? Hope you are having a woohoo! (meaning: awesome!) week!

You might wanna follow me on Instagram @jasholee

Kyoto: Top Places To Visit

Kyoto is a city with a stunning collection of UNESCO World Heritage sites and is only place in Japan where you can spot geishas. The days I spent in Kyoto make up some of the best memories I have in Japan. 

 If you can only afford to spend one to two days in Kyoto, these are the top places you should go. 

Nijo-jo Castle

Nijo-jo castle was the residence of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868. 

Arashiyama

Arashiyama is a district in the outskirts of Kyoto and is a place of scenic beauty. If you are there, take the saga scenic railway or the Hozu River boat ride to see the beautiful Hozu River. I highly recommend the boat ride. If you are going for the train ride (saga scenic railway), you can purchase your tickets in advance in major JR stations. 

Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion)

Set against a lush green background, this golden pavilion and its reflection is a real beauty. A trip to Kyoto is never complete without visiting Kinkaku-ji. 

Gion

Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. If you are lucky, you will be able to spot a geisha or maiko on their way to an engagement in the evening. There are many interesting shops in Gion and it is a good place for shopping. 

I will be updating my blog with more travel and food posts. Do drop by my blog often to check for updates. Follow me on Instagram (@jasholee) to get live updates on some interesting bits of my life. :)

The weekend is near and have a blessed weekend! 

Mother's Day Lunch: Boon Tong Kee Restaurant (MacPherson branch)

I think, like in most Asian families, my family members do not express our love for one another openly. We do things for one another and pray for one another but saying "I love you" or giving hugs to one another never happen among us. I do love my family members ...yes everyone of them very much....especially my mother. 

My mother is the most wonderful woman in my life. I thank God for my mother and all the wonderful mothers in the world. To all mothers reading my blog, in your children's eyes, you will always be beautiful. I wish all of you Happy Mother's Day! :) Have fun on Sunday! 

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My family and I celebrated Mother's Day a week earlier. :) As it was a last minute decision to have an early celebration, we did not have time to properly decide where to eat and make a reservation in a restaurant. Thus, we headed straight to our parents' food haunt, Boon Tong Kee restaurant, after church. I am glad we chose to dine there. 

I wrote a review on Boon Tong Kee a week ago and this is my second post on this place. 

As it was a celebration and there were more people, we ordered a few more dishes. My favorite is the assorted steamed egg. I love how the salted egg goes so well with the smooth steamed egg. I kept eating that dish until my brother commented that I probably ate half of it. :P 

My family members are lovers of the ginger paste served there. I am glad that the staff in Boon Tong Kee were generous to give each of us a small dish of ginger paste which we asked for refills later. The ginger paste made the chicken rice so delicious that I seriously do not mind just eating the rice with the ginger paste only and nothing else.  

The "must-order" steamed chicken

Boon Tong Kee restaurant started off as a chicken rice stall so a meal in Boon Tong Kee is never complete without their famous steamed chicken. 

pork ribs

Their pork ribs is good and besides the steamed egg, this is another dish I enjoyed a lot. 

My favorite steamed egg! :)

You gotta order this steamed egg dish! 

deep-fried bean curd

The deep-fried bean curd was highly recommended by the service staff but it was quite disappointing. This deep-fried bean curd is quite plain. It does not taste as good as it looks. 

spinach with assorted eggs

deep fried fish with tomato sauce

We ordered this fried fish with tomato sauce last and it was served quite late. I was already quite full when it arrived so I did not enjoy this dish much. Nothing will taste good when one is full, right?

Boon Tong Kee

470 /472 MacPherson Road Singapore 368188

                                                     Contact Number: 6746 2774

                       Operation Hours: Monday - Sunday : 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

Tokyo: Things You Must Do!

Tokyo is a city with slick high-tech electronic gadgets, cute cartoon mascots, fabulous food and well-dressed people. Not forgetting, there are temples, bits and pieces of old Japan scattered among popular tourist spots, posh shopping malls and interesting vending machines. 

It is also a terribly crowded but surprisingly not noisy city. One can have a peaceful meal even in fast food restaurants!  If you have a day or two in Tokyo, here is a short guide on how you can experience the best of Tokyo during your stay there.  

(1) Visit Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Market is a large wholesale market for fish, fruits and vegetables in Tokyo. It is also a popular tourist spot and one of the world's largest fish markets. 
Tsukiji Market consists of an inner market and an outer market. The wholesale business and the famous tuna auction take place in the inner market while retail shops and restaurants are found in the outer market.  If you intend to visit this market, be sure to go there early to catch the live tuna auction which starts at 5 a.m. everyday. As the entrance to the tuna auction is limited to 120 people and is on a first-come, first-serve basis, be there earlier than 4.30 a.m. Registration starts at 4.30 a.m. at the fish information center inside the Kachidoki Gate off Harumi Street. There is always a long queue at the information center even before 4.30 a.m.  If you prefer to explore the market at a more reasonable hour, keep in mind that business in the inner market will start to wind down at about 9 a.m.

A visit to Tsukiji market is incomplete without a sushi breakfast. There are plenty of sushi restaurants there. The best ones are the ones with the long queues. I recommend Sushi Dai but be prepared to queue for an hour or two for their absolutely lip-smacking sushi! 

To get there: 

Take the Oedo line to Tsukiji-Shijo station, exit A1. You can also take the Hibiya line of the Tokyo Metro to Tsukiji station.

(2) Shop! 

Anyone who loves shopping will know that Tokyo is a shopping heaven! Head down to Harajuku for some of Tokyo's most interesting fashion boutiques. Shop comfortably in Ginza on weekends as a stretch of road will be closed to vehicles. If you are into manga and electronics, Akihabara is the place for you. There is a Gundam cafe near the entrance of the train station in Akihabara. A visit to a Tokyu Hand store and a Franc Franc store is highly recommended. Another popular shopping area is Shinjuku. Shinjuku is one of the busiest places in Japan, with its train station reported handling the largest number of passengers in the world. Like the popular Shibuya, you will need more than a day to visit all the shopping centers in Shinjuku. 

(3) Take a train to Tokyo Station and visit the Imperial Palace!

Tokyo Station is the most beautiful train station I have ever seen. Take a train ride to Tokyo station, admire the beautiful train station and then take a short walk to the Imperial Palace. The current Imperial Palace is located in a large area surrounded by moats. It is the residence of Japan's imperial family. 

(4) Visit Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree is the world's highest free-standing broadcasting tower. From the observation decks in Tokyo Skytree, you will have an awesome view of Tokyo. 

Picture from http://www.japan-guide.com

Follow me on Instagram @jasholee for interesting food places in Singapore and live updates on my upcoming overseas trip!