Lake Thun

[Dated post about trip to Switzerland in May]

Interlaken is a town located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. We did not really have the intention to visit either lakes as part of our travel. But due to strong winds, we weren't able to visit Jungfrajoch on the first day we were at Interlaken, so we decided to visit Lake Thun and the old town of Thun.

The lake was a beautiful one and I thought actually that the boat cruise we took was almost as nice as the one at popular Lake Lucerne.

The views of the mountains were fabulous that day, as it was a sunny, albeit windy day. We visited a church on the top of a little hill and took many great pictures of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

Ice-blended Kiwi

The kiwi fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C, which is something I'm trying to have more of.

I don't usually like the green type of kiwifruit - the golden ones are great and always sweet but with the green ones, sometimes you end up with very tart ones that are just too puckering sour for me.

So using them in juices are great - I sometimes blend them plain with some simple syrup and ice.. and sometimes with a bottle of Yakult.

Kiwis are full of Vitamin C, low in calories, high in anti-oxidants and is a very good source of folic acid. They are also good for digestion because they contain an enzyme called actinidin, which helps to digest proteins. This makes kiwis a form of natural laxative, very helpful for the sluggish preganancy digestive system that causes constipation.

For some reason (and I think it's because of actinidin), some people advise against pregnant ladies having kiwis.

Yayoiken at Liang Court

Yayoiken restaurant at Liang Court Shopping Mall is a typical Japanese "family restaurant" that serves up good food at very reasonable prices.

"Family restaurants", or also called "famiresu" in Japan, include chains such as Gusto, Royal Host and Saizeriya, are casual dining restaurants that typically belong to a nationwide chain and offer a variety of Western, Chinese and Japanese dishes.

Yayoiken is a chain restaurant from Japan, and I find it very similar to Ootoya, although the prices in Singapore are slightly lower than that of Ootoya.

They serve up a variety of Japanese set meals with fish and meat, as well as Japanese-styled western dishes.

I love the Japanese pickles ("tsukemono") the restaurant provides freely at each table. I could have that and the fragrant free flow Japanese rice and miso soup for dinner.

The dishes are pretty decent too and I think they try to include a good balance of vegetables with each set to provide a wholesome, nutritious meal.

It's a restaurant I'd definitely be visiting often, especially since I love Mediya Supermarket, which is just next to the restaurant.

Yayoiken Japanese Restaurant

177 River Valley Road
#B1-50 Liang Court Shopping Centre
Daily: 10am – 10pm

Croissants from Tiong Bahru Bakery

Forget about the croissants from Maison Kayser or Dean & Deluca, these croissants from Tiong Bahru beat all the other croissants I've eaten in Singapore hands down.

I've always thought that because Singapore is so humid, it's impossible to get crispy, yet fluffy croissants in Singapore unless you have them pretty fresh from the oven. But these croissants from Tiong Bahru Bakery prove that it is possible to have crispy croissants in Singapore, even if you are not having them beside the oven door.

The Husband bought these after work today and we had them at about 8pm in the evening. I was very impressed by how these croissants look and how crispy they were. They look so perfect I thought they were fake!

These croissants are so crispy the flakes on the outside are crunchy. The layers on the outside are so distinct you can peel them off layer by layer. The inside is fluffy and soft, with a nice buttery taste that is not too overpowering. The plain croissant is slightly sweet, which is just the way I like it. The chocolate croissant is pretty good as well.. equally crispy and with a little bit of sweet, moist chocolate that leaves you wanting for more.

I first came across Tiong Bahru Bakery when we visited Orange Thimble, and there was such a long queue at the bakery that Sunday. They have recently opened a branch at Raffles City Shopping Centre and The Husband bought these after work with no queue.. so hurry there before the word starts spreading!

Tiong Bahru Bakery by Gontran Cherrier

252 North Bridge Road #B1-11/12
Raffles City Shopping Centre

Fat Boy's - The Burger Bar

I've been lamenting enough about work over Facebook, so I shouldn't talk very much about work over this blog.

Instead, I do want to try finish up all my posts on Switzerland (I know, it's been forever) and share some places I've been to recently.

I've been meaning to try out Fat Boy's for a while now.

The Joo Chiat branch we often go pass but we would invariably end up choosing Ju Shin Jung or Long Phung instead. The Thomson branch was too crowded the few times we went by.. and I wasn't really prepared to queue 30mins for any burger.

Last Saturday, we went by the Thomson branch pretty early in the evening, right after our prenatal class. There was, for once, no queue at the restaurant, so we decided to eat an early dinner at Fat Boy's.

I like the simple menu - mainly burgers, milkshakes and waffles, with some basic sides.

The Husband ordered "The Wimpy", a single patty version of the Fat Boy's house specialty called "Fat Bastard". It was pretty good - a juicy beef patty with chewy bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg and homemade sauce on a sesame bun. I liked the thick fries that came with the burger.

I opted for the Chicken Ceasar Salad which wasn't terrible but it wasn't impressive either. The milk shakes and sausages our neighbouring table were having looked good as well. I'd be keen to try those and the "Swiss Shroom" burger next time.

Fat Boy's (Thomson)

Add: 187 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6252 8780
Website: http://www.fatboys.sg/index.html