Reowned Beauty Departmental Store

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Product Lifespan: 3 - 12 Months
Product Quality: 8
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $100 per person.



Founded in France in 1970 by Dominique Mandonnaud, Sephora is a beauty retail departmental store operating in 27 countries worldwide, managed by the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) group. Sephora stores are designed to be open with clean lines, and splashes of colour, and their relatively large floor space is organised neatly. While Sephora caters mostly to women, they do carry a line of products for men as well.

Sephora has an extensive range of products for ladies, including skin care, makeup, nail care, fragrance, bath & body care, facial care, styling, and hair care. Sephora has a smaller, but sufficient range of products for men, including hair care, skin care, facial care, bath & body care, fragrance, and even makeup! You'll be able to find most major beauty brands in Sephora, and they even have their own house brand, developed by their team of beauty professionals under the 'Science Of Sephora' education program.

Sephora is noted for revolutionising the beauty industry, as Dominique Mandonnaud was the first to introduce the 'Beauty Advisor' concept, replacing sales representatives with 'Beauty Advisors' who would give customers beauty tips and ideas, as well as allow customers the freedom to explore the store and test the products. This concept is still going strong in Sephora, and staff today are knowledgable, friendly, welcoming, and efficient.

The Sephora line of products under their house brand is beautifully packaged, with different colours representing a different functionality of the product. I generally find their range of products for men to be good, easy to understand and use. Prices vary widely depending on product, ranging from very cheap, to extremely expensive. Generally, the Beauty Advisors will be able to assist you, but visit Sephora with your requirements and they'll be able to assist.

Because Who Is Perfect? Get Closer.

On 2nd December 2013, shoppers along Bahnhofstrasse street in Zurich, Switzerland, were astonished to see disabled mannequins modelling the latest, trendiest fashion.

Pro Infirmis, a Swiss organisation for the disabled, created a series of mannequins, based on models with disabilities, that were then displayed in a high street store along the up-market Bahnhofstrasse street.

As part of a campaign for the 'International Day Of Persons With Disabilities', an international observance day promoted by the United Nations, and commerated on 3rd December every year since 1992, Pro Infirmis wanted to raise awareness for disabilities, and that no one has a perfect body.

5 models with various disabilities were chosen, and each had a mannequin made to perfectly reflect their body shape. The models were Miss Handicap 2010 Jasmine Rechsteiner, athlete Urs Kolly, actor Erwin Aljukic, radio host Alex Oberholzer, and blogger Nadja Schmid.

Pro Infirmis Models, Source: http://thisisnotadvertising.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/pro_infirmis_group_photo.jpg?w=590&h=366

A short film called 'Because Who Is Perfect? Get Closer.', was produced by Alain Gsponer to capture this campaign.






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More Than Just Small Plates

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $20 per person.





Platitos, as it's name suggests, is a small plates / tapas joint offering tasty Spanish and Filipino fusion food and drinks, at relatively low prices. Founded by 5 enterprising friends, who all hold full-time jobs, Platitos targets the executive crowd seeking a chill place to socialise after work in the Tanjong Pagar area.

Ambience at Platitos is laid back and cozy. The actual floor space of Platitos is tiny, with the bar counter and kitchen taking up almost 60% of the space. Layout within is rather neat and linear, making full use of both floor and wall space. Part of the wall displays the range of drinks available, another part carries posters, pictures and quotations, while a small part attracts visual attention with its menu and exhibit of plates from around the world.

Service at Platitos is casual and friendly, totally in tune with the laid back vibe of the place. Staff can and will engage you in conversation. There will be a short wait for food, as it's prepared only upon order.

Food at Platitos revolves around the tapas concept of small plates, perfect for diners who are looking for a light bite. Of the dishes I tried, most were very tasty and flavourful, and prices are relatively cheaper than other Tapas joints. Platitos also offers main dishes during lunch hours, usually pasta or sandwiches. Another highlight at Platitos is the range of drinks, in particular their own house mix of cocktails.





Small and cozy, the interior can barely seat up to 18 people, but that is part of the atmosphere. Wall space is fully utilised, and nicely decorated, with the main showpiece being the plate collection from countries around the world.

Platitos Interior

Platitos Interior Again

Platitos Menu

The Beer San Miguel is the draft beer on tap, while the Cocktail Sangria Classic is a house special mix, containing sliced apples, lemon and lime.

Beer San Miguel

Beer San Miguel Zurito Glass

Cocktail Sangria Classic 01

Cocktail Sangria Classic 02

The Zucchini Fries are thin cut strips of zucchini, which are breaded and deep fried till golden. I like that they aren't overcooked, oily or limp, but still somewhat firm.

Zucchini Fries 01

Zucchini Fries 02

The Albondigas Meatballs are hand made from beef and pork, and served in a rich and thick tomato garlic pomodoro sauce. The meatballs are firm and tightly packed, and flavourful by themselves, though the sauce complements it perfectly.

Albondigas Meatballs 01

Albondigas Meatballs 02

The crisp, deep fried Chicken Wings are so sinful... But so good! Hot and juicy on the inside, with a slight tangy, spicy taste from the paprika coating, these are perfect bar snacks when paired with cold beer!

Chicken Wings 01

Chicken Wings 02

Luxurious Cakes Are A Delight

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 5
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $4 per person.





True to its name, The Baker's Story is a shop which specialises in cakes. Setup by Chef Eric Tan in 2004, who after years of working in various hotels decided to strike out on his own, The Baker's Story turns out cakes which are light, luxurious, and utterly delightful.

Actual ambience at The Baker's Story is lacking, limited by the small shop space. The 4 small tables are functional, and decor is minimal, consisting mainly of photographs of their cakes. The main attraction is the glass shelf where the cakes are displayed, making it very attractive.

Service at The Baker's Story is decent, as most customers order takeaway, rather than dine in. There isn't much interaction to speak of, but orders are fulfilled quickly.

Speciality cakes at The Baker's Story include their Cheesecakes, Brownies, Mousse Cakes and Tarts. Their Fruit Cake selection is rather limited. The Baker's Story also serves fresh salad during lunch.





The Baker's Story is rather hard to spot, as they are located within a building, out of sight, and away from crowds. In fact, most people only get to know of them through their road shows, or through word of mouth.

The Baker's Story Interior

The Baker's Story Contact 01

The Baker's Story Contact 02

Their Plain Cheesecake is very good. Light and smooth texture, richness of the cream cheese, without being too heavy or dense. The crumbly biscuit case complements the Plain Cheesecake well.

Plain Cheesecake 01

Plain Cheesecake 02

Their Plain Chocolate Brownie has the richness of chocolate without being too dense, yet is thick enough. The Plain Chocolate Brownie also has a slightly sticky texture without being too crumbly. Good!

Plain Chocolate Brownie 01

Plain Chocolate Brownie 02

The Mocha Cheesecake has that aromatic infusion of coffee that blends well with the cream cheese.

Mocha Cheesecake

The incredible fusion of their 2 signature flavours, the Signature Cheese Brownie is rich, creamy, light, dense, and utterly delicious all at once. Highly recommended!

Signature Cheese Brownie 01

Signature Cheese Brownie 02

Nelson Mandela Quotes

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 'Madiba', (18 July 1918 - 5 December 2013)

Widely considered to be the founding father of democracy in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was a paragon of reconciliation, working against apartheid in South Africa, and even accepting his former political enemies.

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." - Nelson Mandela

"Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings." - Nelson Mandela

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Quality Ingredients Make This Japanese Restaurant Outstanding

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $30 per person.





Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant has flown rather under the rader since 2005, when they first opened in Singapore. Partially, this is due to a rather visually unappealing website and menu photographs, which do injustice to the great quality of their food. It's only when trying the food at Rakuichi that you'll be able to appreciate it!

Ambience at Rakuichi is modern Japanese, and rather minimalist. There isn't much decor to speak of, and the central showpiece is the open kitchen, where you might catch a glimpse of the chef preparing your meal. I particularly like watching them grill / blow torch food.

Service at Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant is friendly and efficient, with staff regularly coming to your table to top up the green tea. Staff are knowledgable enough about the menu, and can make recommendations, as well as carry conversations. Pace here is slightly leisurely, and as food is prepared upon order, a slight wait is inevitable.

The menu doesn't do justice to the food at Rakuichi, as all their dishes look, and taste, much better than depicted in the photographs. The best thing about food at Rakuichi is the incredible freshness of the fish and seafood, and you get really high quality, great tasting dishes. Prices are slightly higher than other places, due to the quality of ingredients. Menu options are limited, but the focus helps them, as the food is consistently good.





The Green Tea and Chawanmushi here are rather average, decent enough to consume but not particularly memorable or different. I like that softness of the Chawanmushi, but it did seem like it was heated a little too long, because of the bubbling surface of the egg.

Green Tea

Chawanmushi

The fish is very fresh, which make their Sashimi Salmon outstanding. The Salmon Skin was decent, but a little too oily for my liking.

Sashimi Salmon

Salmon Skin

A nice helping of tasty Kitsune Soba, the perfect accompaniment to a meal. The beancurd skin is suitably sweet, and the soba noodles are smooth and slippery.

Kitsune Soba

Grilled skewers are a speciality here, and the most outstanding for me was the Negima Snapper Fish skewer and Yakitori Chicken skewer. The Buta Bara Pork Belly skewer, Unagi Eel skewer and Enoki Mushroom Bacon were tasty, but not memorable. And while I liked the doneness of the meat on the Wagyu Beef skewer, I felt it would be better if they omitted the black pepper sauce, so that the natural taste of the beef can shine.

Skewers Wagyu Beef, Buta Bara Pork Belly, Negima Snapper Fish

Skewers Unagi Eel, Enoki Mushroom Bacon, Yakitori Chicken

Highlights of the grilled fish include the excellent Gindara Teriyaki Cod and Grilled Salmon Head. Slightly more expensive, but worth the money for the taste and freshness.

Gindara Teriyaki Cod

Grilled Salmon Head 01

Grilled Salmon Head 02

They do a pretty good Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet, crisp enough on the outside but still moist inside. The Tempura Mix stands out for the freshness of the Ebi Prawn, as well as the use of Japanese Pumpkin. Probably the worst dish I had here was the Soft Shell Crab, overcooked, oily and too starchy.

Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet

Tempura Mix

Soft Shell Crab