Bio-essence Basic Face Care

Face Lifting Cream, 10g 

Radiant Youth Essence, 5ml 

Deep Moisturizing Cleansing Foam, 100g

Blogging about beauty products; it is truly difficult to judge the effectiveness of it without running our skin under microscopic lens. I usually decide my support for the product based on the comfort of application and after-skin-feel, that's it.

This month i got to try Bio-Essence, our very own Singapore branding which was established in 1985.

1. Bio-Essence Youth Essence - This is rich but super absorbent! I can even use it on a warm, humid day without sweating on a sticky face! The skin seems to lock in the essence and feels hydrated and powdery smooth. Soft to touch, almost immediately. I love this.

2. Bio-Essence Face Lifting Cream - This is very oily. Not for application if you are venturing to the outdoor. But it does feels effective; the skin feels bouncy even after that evening wash-off. Perfect for the dry air of air-conditioned office, it helps preserve my skin throughout the day.

3. Bio-Essence Deep Moisturizing Cleansing Foam - It feels luxurious doing the simple face wash every time. The foam is fine and gentle; and there seems to be 'bubbles' cushioning my rough palm and the face. It feels great. The facial skin felt clean, yet softly moisturized. I can skip the moisturizer if i'm staying indoor, in non air-conditioned room. Just a light pat of my Olay White Radiance Cellucent Essence Water after wash, will do. 

荣和, Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

Before we could leave Teck Ghee Square hawker centre in peace, a very busy food stall caught our attention. They are the fried Hokkien noodle featured in the 2nd installment of "Where the queue starts", and that was like few years back!

We reckon the cook must have been much dependable; given his surrounding tables of loyal customers. So we place an extra order of dinner to stuff our already bloated tummy; never regretting the savouring of the bountiful prawn essence in every mouthful. Can you see some of the beautifully charred noodles by the fierce fire? And few hawker does vermicelli for this dish nowadays - the bee hoon giving it the correct texture.

Fried Hokkien Bee Hoon Mee ($3)

汕源, San Yuan Gourmet - $2 Noodle Soup

Fishball Noodle, dry ($2)

Everybody's complaining about rising food prices. It is very true, that even buying raw ingredients from the market to do our own cooking is hurting mom's purse. Not mentioning, eating out at hawker centres where $3 is the norm for a simple meal - clear soup noodle.

How luxurious does one wants their fishball noodle? I just crave for a serving of lightly savory hot soup, fresh crunchy fishballs and al dente noodles - satisfying our unsophisticated needs at a 24hrs stall in Blk 409, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Teck Ghee Square hawker centre.

Remember their Laksa too, with loads of fresh cockles! and soft-boiled Tau Pok! Support! Support!

Laksa Noodle ($2)

Dim Sum at Canton Paradise, and Peking Duck Promotion

Roasted Peking Duck, whole ($58++)

Canton Paradise is where the office loves to entertain - welcome, farewell and birthday lunches.

Everyone, particularly loves their roasted Peking duck which i too agrees. And was always secretly praying for a larger serving of their springy Yee Fu noodle with the duck meat, it was addictive.

Braised Yee Fu Noodle with Shredded Duck Meat ($10++, with order of Peking Duck)

While the office (made up of mostly guys) preferred fried dim sum, i thought their steamed entrees were much excellent. Maybe it's the oil used, i quickly develops a bitter aftertaste when we returns to the office. Sipping my favorite warm honey lemon drink from the restaurant didn't help.

Even the supposedly fragrant Osmanthus cake with water chestnuts were greasily pan-fried ($4.20++). Their crispy BBQ honey pork bun ($4.80++) does it so much better.

Nevertheless, Canton Paradise does offer some fine Cantonese fare with their best from Hong Kong - very much a roast specialist, but aren't a Dim Sum guru with their lardy pastries and fried.

Pan-fried Radish Cake ($4.20++)

Baked BBQ Pork Pastry ($4.80++)

Steamed BBQ Honey Pork Buns ($4.20++)

Custard Salted Egg Buns ($5.20++)

Delifrance Sandwiches - Oh! It's been too long...

Baguette Sandwiches with Seafood D'sire and Tuna D'licious (background), with thick Coffee Black

Why has we took this long time to revisit the simple Delifrance sandwich?

Price factor. With Subway coming in, offering much affordable and healthy sandwich choices; we simply jumped on the bandwagon. Even my neighborhood Delifrance closes down for a new Subway outlet!

But you can see how popular Delifrance still is, when they ran a $5.50 meal promotion with Groupon. It was sold out within days. Between us, we bought 4 vouchers, or possibly more.

It is a nostalgia for my first Delifrance sandwich in 1997. Often working late nights, my senior would suggest a Delifrance meal when we got bored with hawker takeaways. Fresh graduate like myself, certainly felt grown-up and fab to munch on sandwiches dinner. Today's proper sit-down lunch with mom tastes just as very good!

2011 Grand Jacques Cabernet Sauvignon vin 188

Grand Jacques Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5%  vol. (HK$116)

Friend brought few bottle of these from Hong Kong for our gathering this afternoon; cited we couldn't get the vintage in Singapore. Can we?

Benefiting Hong Kong exchange for the nice flavour of this rich and elegant wine makes it worth the trouble of bringing it over. If you find this in Singapore, let me know, ok? Yes, i want to buy.