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GIVEAWAY: Spring Maternity pillow, bolster and fitted sheet set, in your choice of fabric! (worth $59.90)

November 22, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 28 Comments

Spring Maternity needs no introduction. With 5 boutiques and an online store, they stock a variety of baby/kid goods and accessories and are a household name here in Singapore.

Personally? I still shop there. For myself. Despite being neither pregnant, nor nursing. Ahem…

I still buy my clothes there, because I just find their clothes so utterly comfortable! Almost everything is ultra soft, made from bamboo, or ultra soft cotton, or silky and cool on the skin. If you’ve popped into one of their stores and touched their maternity/nursing wear, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Plus, the designs are gorgeous! They don’t look matronly or auntie-ish at all.

But I digress.

They have a self-designed line called Baby by Spring – covering baby clothing and bedding. Everything is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton, and you know what that translates into? Fabulously soft material against baby’s delicate skin.

I’ve been using a range of their stuff for almost 2 years now, so obviously I’m a fan. I really like how bamboo is not just silky soft, but also eco-friendly, anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic.

Of the bedding range, I’ve been using the Cot Sheet for almost 2 years. It is way way waaaayyy softer than regular cotton sheets, and it wears well (I usually wash it first thing in the morning, and pop it back on at night when it’s dry) after extended use.

They also have a ridiculously cute Baby pillow with case that is more of a cuddle pillow, and a Baby bolster with case that is so. freaking. cute. Check them out:

Here’s the fun bit……. for the first time ever, Spring Maternity is doing an online giveaway! And it’s right here on Brunch With My Baby! It’s not one, not two, but THREE products that they have for us today.

Spring Maternity are giving away a pillow, bolster and fitted sheet set, in your choice of fabric! (worth $59.90)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 22 Nov to 28 Nov 2013 inclusive.
All entries will be verified according to the entry criteria(s) before the winner is notified.
Winner may collect their prize at any Spring Maternity boutique, and may select any print from the available stock.

Thanks Spring Maternity!

MORGANFIELD’S: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

November 20, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Just a quick little Hump Day post… hope your week is going well so far!

My girl friend and I (with kids in tow) popped into Morganfield’s at Star Vista last week. I’m just gonna say here, straight up, that Morganfield’s do one of THE BEST RIBS in Singapore. And they’re consistently good – I’ve visited this joint maybe 4 or 5 times, and it never fails to delight me.

I like the large glass-paneled windows, which allows natural light to stream into the restaurant. It gets busy just after noon (office lunchtime crowd, I presume), but I always go early so I have no issues.

Their ribs, called Sticky Bones, are the star dish, and IMHO the only dish that you should order. Why bother with other dishes, when this one is perfect?

$26.90 (the lunch set) gets you half-slab of pork ribs, a soup/appetizer of the day, and a bottomless glass of soda or iced tea. Its’ good value, because it will fill you right up!! I was initially scared off at the “half slab” description… it sounded more like “you’ll go hungry” to me. But the ribs are pretty gigantic and very meaty, plus they give you a tumble of fries and a pot of coleslaw just to make sure you’re sufficiently fed.

The ribs? Blimmin’ SUPERB. We didn’t bother using a knife – it wasn’t necessary. We just used a fork and poked away at the meat, which fell easily off the bones. It is oh-so-tender, and the sauce is not overpowering. Talk about a meat eater’s dream meal!!

To give you an idea as to how delicious and tender the pork is – Carter (currently 15 months and with only 3 barely-there jutting out teeth), can easily chomp and chew his way through a rib or two.

Drop in if you’re a meat lover. I reckon you won’t be disappointed.

Last Bite: Morganfield’s is a meat lover’s delight, with their outstanding baby back ribs (dubbed Sticky Bones). Think ultra-tender, tasty pork ribs… perfect downed with an iced lemon tea or cold beer!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: Yes

Morganfield’s
The Star Vista, #02-23
1 Vista Exchange Green
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6694 3635
Prices: $$$
Hours: 11am – 11pm (Sun – Thu, PH) / 11am – 12am (Fri, Sat, PH Eve)

HUBER’S BUTCHERY & BISTRO: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Dempsey Hill, Singapore

November 19, 2013 / Dempsey, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Trying not to sound stingy here…. but almost all the eateries around Demsey Hill are pretty pricey. You can easily spend $50 per person on a simple brunch! We do like our nice dining brunches, but sometimes, all we want is something cheap and cheerful.

Huber’s Butchery and Bistro is, dare I say it THE best place for brunch at Dempsey Hill, if you want to spend less than $20 per person (for a meal + coffee).

The tables are all outside their butchery shop (which is huge, by the way), so come dressed appropriately. Eating outside is excellent when you have kids around – you’re not as frantic about mess or fuss. Which was perfect for us, because for this particular meal, Carter decided to be Hell Baby and fuss and cry……. the entire time. (we realised later it was because we completely FORGOT it was his nap time, and so just thought he was being annoying!! Oops.)

Anyway, we kicked off with an Iced coffee ($4.40). Actually, I wanted the Iced latte but must’ve said “iced coffee”, and it’s a different drink here. So we got a brewed coffee, with ice, and sugar syrup and a pot of milk to pour in. To be frank, considering their Iced coffee is a few dollars cheaper, it’s actually way better to order this!

One of my favourite foods is the simple sausage. I think it’s partly due to the fact that my parents are super against any sort of unhealthy/processed food, so sausages were completely off the table in our family until I was a full grown adult. Guess I’m making up for lost time, cos I LOVE it now! Huber’s offer 4 variations on their menu, and I selected the Pair of Nurnberger sausages with sauerkraut and sliced rye bread ($9.90).

The sausages were not too salty and tasted fresh and juicy. They were a hearty portion, and paired so well with the generous portion of sauerkraut. I’m normally not into rye bread, but the slices I had were soft and moist, a great accompaniment of plain taste to balance the rest of the dish.

It was a superb dish. I’m craving for it now!

I was impressed with the size of the Warm roast beef sandwich ($12.80). It’s enough to make a guy and/or big eater smile with pleasure 🙂 Normally, I’m suspicious of “roast beef” on the menu. It’s often really dry, tough, and like chewing a piece of leather. Euuurggghhh.

So I was pretty delighted to find that the copious slices of roast beef in this sandwich were beautifully tender, and was devoid of any marinade to mask that delightful, true beef taste. It was served atop fresh lettuce, and with slices of parmesan as well as a drizzle of sauce. The bun was soft and fluffy (think gourmet hotdog bun).

But…. the FRIES!!!! The shoe string fries were obviously cooked in fresh oil, and for the exact amount of time. They came out hot and fresh, and were addictive.

We were fortunate that, last weekend when we were there, the Artisan UpMarket Fair was being held at 22 Dempsey. We got to poke around, and I came away with a jar of Almond butter, and Cashew butter. Yum.

One of my favourite things to do on weekends is to check out fairs and markets around Singapore – preferably outdoors. The kids have fun whizzing around, and I love poking around the little crafts and interesting bits and bobs being sold. You get some really gorgeous finds here as well! A lot more fun than shopping in a mall..

Last Bite: Huber’s Butchery & Bistro is one of the best-value brunches you can find in the Dempsey area. The food is top notch, and seating is outdoors – great for families!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: Yes

Huber’s Butchery & Bistro
18A Dempsey Road
Singapore 249677
Phone: 6737 1588
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9.30am to 8pm, Sat, Sun & Public Holiday: 9.30am to 7pm

SYMMETRY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bugis, Singapore

November 18, 2013 / Bugis, Cheese, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

So here’s the funny thing: I actually never considered Symmetry to be “kid-friendly”. The cafe is extremely cramped, with chairs with skinny metal splayed-out legs, tables with sharp corners, little vintage ornaments perfectly at kid-grabbing distance, near impossible to get a stroller into (steps and not enough space)…. and the fact that there are always ZERO kids there. Except mine. And my friends.

Yet, despite that, I’ve been there perhaps 10 times in the past few months. Always dragging one or two kids in tow… and just praying that my kids will sit obediently and quietly in their high chairs whilst I have a leisurely lunch and lovely chat with my girl friend(s) for two hours.

Obviously THAT never happens.

I invariably end up dealing with one or both kids that end up getting bored, wanting to run around, bumping their heads on sharp corners, crying, YOU NAME IT!!!!

So….. why do my friends and I go, with kids in tow?

Because of THIS below. This is an Iced Peppermint Mocha. And Symmetry do a perfect rendition. Served in a thick-walled glass and with a metal straw (awesomeness!) jutting out, this concoction is like coffee on steroids. Yes, real coffee connoisseurs will sneer and say it’s not a “proper coffee” but it’s so fun to drink and delicious that I don’t care. This weighs in at a hefty $7.20 (!!!!!) for glass, but it’s my little treat because I do love it so.

Obviously, their food is also pretty good. We didn’t order any appetizers during this particular lunch, but normally we do. Every single appetizer is excellent.. from their bacon & cheese rissoles, to their fried mushrooms, to their crispy white bait, to their breaded prawns. Seriously, just order any appetizer from the menu and you won’t be disappointed. Just to point out, though, almost all the appetizers are deep fried.

This particular Smoked salmon croque monsieur was a bit of a giant! The bread was thick and fluffy, and a hit with my kids. It was drenched with sour cream and chives, and topped off with melted cheese. Served with chunky fries, this was a bit of a heart-attach dish 😉

I almost always order the Smoked salmon carbonara ($23) here (though I always get mine without the rocket leaves, as I can’t stand them). This time, however, we found the smoked salmon a bit too salty. I wish they would use fresh salmon instead, so we can order this dish for our kids.

I enjoyed my Pork collar croissant ($19), which came with a generous portion of tender pork and served in a fluffy croissant. I swapped my rocket leaves for some avocado and they obliged – so bonus points for that! My kids basically ate this whole dish by themselves. Not the fries though. Both scoffed at the fries and wouldn’t have any (what gives?!)

I thought their Waffles and ice cream ($14) was a winner. The waffles were buttery and fluffy, with a golden crisp edge. I don’t like fruit on my waffles, but the kids obviously did because they gobbled it all up. Just as well, because I got to gobble up the waffles and ice cream!!

Last Bite: Symmetry may not be the most kid-friendly place, but their killer Iced peppermint mocha makes up for it. Don’t miss their appetizers – any one of them!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: No
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Symmetry
9 Jalan Kubor
Singapore 199206
Phone: 9626 7911
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon: 10:30 am – 9:00 pm, Tue – Thu: 10:30 am – 11:00 pm, Fri: 10:30 am – 12:00 am, Sat: 9:00 am – 12:00 am, Sun: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

CRAFT BAKERY CAFE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Holland Village, Singapore

November 17, 2013 / Food Reviews, Holland Village, Singapore / 0 comment

My girl friend and I did a quick pop into Craft Bakery Cafe one morning, as they are one of the (very few) cafes that are open on a Monday. What is it with so many cafes being closed on Mondays? Not good for us mummies who brunch…. grrrrr!

So top marks to Craft Bakery Cafe for being open on a Monday! But the downside to dropping in early in the morning when there are very few diners around? A heavy shortage of staff. Or maybe their (one) chef in the kitchen is just incredibly, incredibly s-l-o-w. We waited 45 minutes (!!!!) for two sandwiches to be made, and the scrambled eggs I’d ordered for Carter also took 45 minutes, so he was a total nervous wreck by then from hunger and tiredness. Sigh.

You can choose between a medium or large beverage, so I went for the Large latte ($6.50) as I needed a pick-me-up at 9:30AM in the morning. It was a lovely brew and well made, but was completely stone-cold by the time my food arrived (I drink my coffee with or after my meal), so it didn’t taste as good.

Since the scrambled eggs (a side dish order) arrived 45 minutes after ordering, Carter was a bit of a mess by then. He was starving and polished the whole dish off by himself, in maybe 5 minutes flat.

I was very interested in the sandwich my girl friend ordered, dubbed The Craft ($11.50) – maple candied bacon and apple slaw on waffle grids. It sounded so interesting and is their signature sandwich, so I was eager to see it. It did look odd! But, my girl friend claimed the sweet-and-salty combination worked, and at least it’s unusual and not the same-old-same-old food every other cafe has.

The waffles are not fresh made-to-order though, which is a shame. This means they are slightly on the dry side, though the apple slaw sauce does help to make up for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Crispy prawns with herb mayo ($13.90). It is kind of like a po’boy. The bun was fluffy and large, studded with lots of superbly crisp prawns and fresh lettuce. It hit the spot and was sufficient to fill me up for brunch. I would have loved for this to be served with fries as well, though.

The glass display cabinet was looking a little bare, but I assume that’s because we were there early in the morning. Suspiciously, it had some cakes that had just a few slices remaining… which led me to wonder if they were leftovers from the day before (since we were there so early that morning). For that reason, I didn’t order any cakes for dessert, as I was worried the cakes would be dry from being stored overnight.

Last Bite: Craft Bakery Cafe is open on Mondays, which is a real plus. The Crispy prawns sandwich was a hit, and they serve a very decent cuppa. Just brace yourselves for a very long wait for your food if you’re there in the morning!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Craft Bakery Cafe
Holland Village
24A Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277183
Phone: 6467 7710
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm

LE PETIT SOCIETY GIVEAWAY: Win one of two USD$50 gift vouchers!

November 15, 2013 / Giveaways, Product Reviews, Singapore / 30 Comments

Le Petit Society is a childrens fashion label based in Hong Kong (owned by Singaporeans living there), with super cool Asian street style clothing paired with European quality.

Only one year old, it’s quickly becoming a cult favourite in both Hong Kong and Singapore, thanks to their simple-but-cool designs. Personally? I like how it’s Asia owned, run, and made. There aren’t many local labels that offer interesting designs and good quality, so I fully support companies that do.

Le Petit Society stocks sizes from newborn to seven years old. And, some news hot off the press: they are opening a Singapore-based fulfilment centre next month (Dec) to get SG orders out even faster.

Here’s a little gift Le Petit Society would like to extend to you:

Use coupon code ‘BWMB’ to enjoy a 15% discount at Le Petit Society.

No minimum spend. Valid until 31 Dec 2013.

On top of that, we are very excited to announce:

Le Petit Society would like to giveaway two $50 gift vouchers to spend in their store!

a Brunch With My Baby giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 15 Nov to 21 Nov 2013 inclusive.
All entries will be verified according to the entry criteria(s) before the winner is notified.
The vouchers may be redeemed at Le Petit Society’s online store, or at their stall at Public Garden.

And, as if that’s not enough, they also have a promotion on right now: From now til 20 Dec 2013, enjoy FREE gift wrapping (their gift boxes are fully reusable) with every purchase as well as these special discounts below (in addition to FREE shipping across Asia with no minimum spend):

Le Petit Society will be stocked in Singapore for the first time at the Public Garden’s Christmas Markets on 23-24 Nov and 30 Nov-1 Dec.

Want to see some of their lovely clothes in action? I have not one, not two, but SIX kids… all rockin’ their Le Petit Society digs!

Thank you Le Petit Society! All our kids had so much fun wearing your clothes.

REVIEW: Ella’s Botanicals from BetterBeauty.sg

November 13, 2013 / Product Reviews, Singapore / 1 Comment

Ella’s Botanicals is one of the brands stocked by BetterBeauty.sg, an online store based in Singapore that is all about natural, safe skincare for you and baby.

A Canadian-born brand, Ella’s Botanicals prides itself on making products that are 100% from nature. There are no ‘bad bits’ in their ingredients. This makes ideal baby/kid skincare, and I’ve been using two of their products for almost two months now.

Ella’s Botanicals bubblemania – I was particularly keen on the the Bubblemania, as it’s a 3-in-1 Body Wash / Bubble Bath / Shampoo. I usually bring along a body wash as well as a shampoo when I travel, which is both bulky and risky (in case one leaks). I really liked the idea of having a combined product, and bonus points for being bubbly!

My biggest concern was that, being a 3-in-1 and being bubbly, it would dry out my kids’ skin or be too strong. However, I found the formulation very gentle on their skin (it didn’t feel ‘stripped’ or dry afterwards) and I particularly liked how it’s a super gentle, soap-free formula – 100% natural, biodegradable with olive oil, aloe and lightly scented with lavender essential oil.

I’ve actually used up our whole bottle now, because Hunter insisted on using it every evening (yes, it does generate lots of BUBBLES!).

Ella’s Botanicals bottoms up! diaper balm – The solid formula and tin packaging means this is very portable, you can even pop it into your diaper bag for you (works super well as a lipbalm and cuticle/hand balm!) and your baby.

Made with with olive oil infused with skin healing herbs, Ontario beeswax, organic fair trade shea butter and pure lavender essential oil, a swipe of this balm melts quickly on your fingers and thus spread easily on Carter’s bum. It smells good, too 🙂 I use it in his crotch folds (he is… ahem… slightly on the tubby side), to prevent chafing rash. I’ve also used it at night when his bum looks a little reddish, and its gone by morning.

The balm is multi-purpose and very gentle – it can be used on your baby’s dry skin, chapped lips, cradle cap, minor skin irritations, etc. [Psssstttttt: I’ve been using it when the kids take a tumble and get scrapes on their knees. You know when the scabs start to peel off a bit? They can get caught on stuff and yank right off – OUCH!! So I use a spot of this balm on the scab, and it softens it enough to prevent that].

What I like most about it? The balm is cloth diaper friendly!!

I think Ella’s Botanicals is particularly effective for kids with more sensitive skins, and for parents that aren’t fans of heavily-scented products. It’s not easily available in shops around Singapore, but you can buy it online at BetterBeauty.sg (they stock a bunch of other international brands too, for mummy as well as baby!)

(my 2 year old, looking all ready for bed)

W39 BISTRO & BAKERY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Clementi, Singapore

November 11, 2013 / Clementi, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Talk about sunshine happy! Just stepping into the cafe will probably lift your spirits. W39 Bistro & Bakery is delightfully decked out in shades of sunshine yellow, bright turquoise and white, and makes for a very whimsical andcheerful cafe experience.

Located in a quiet estate in the west-side, the cafe’s calling card is their sunshine happy staff, and delectable food. The interior is an eclectic and interesting mix of odds-and-ends, and vintage candies and toys.

Being a part bakery, they have a bright turquoise cabinet (gorgeous!) that showcases their golden baked goods. Everything looks so good, I wanted to buy one of each. I settled for the Brioche and was delighted – the fat round disc of bread was soft and fluffy, and had a swirl of custard baked into the top to offer a slight sweetness. It’s delicious toasted slightly, topped with a smear of butter.

It was a hit with the kids too, simply torn and eaten fresh out of the bag!

The dining menu is limited but enticing. There is also a Kid’s Menu available, but our kids were satisfied just munching on the bread, so we left it at that.

My Latte ($4.50) was served in a petite cup, and I wished for it to be double the size, because it was rich and very well made. The Iced lemon tea ($3.50) came in a larger cup and is an excellent thirst quencher for hot afternoons.

We ordered the Seared tuna, avocado salsa, soy glaze wasabi mayo ($12.50) after spotting it on another table, and realising that every single other table had also ordered it. Being nosy, we had to have it too!

And… it was the runaway winner of the whole meal. Reasonably priced, the dish boasted 6 long and thick chunks of perfectly-seared tuna, a dollop of creamy fresh avocado and caviar, and a drizzle of tasty balsamic glaze. It was beautifully presented on a slate, and looked like it should’ve been served in a fine dining restaurant. GET THIS DISH…. you won’t regret it.

The Parma ham and mozzarella panini looked pretty enticing when it arrived, though I can’t comment on the taste as I didn’t have any. My girl friend, however, noted that the staff did not drain the mozzarella properly, so the water was oozing out of the sandwich as she was eating, and had also soaked into the bread, making it soggy. An effective draining technique would have made this dish much better.

My Sake mussels with fries ($20) was a delight, and a dish I’d order again for sure. The mussels were the small kind, but were cooked to juicy and tender perfection! The sake gravy was paired beautifully and gave the dish the right amount of salty taste, and the substantial bowl of fries was sufficient to fill me right up.

An impressive dish. A must-order!

Their cakes are tantalizingly displayed in a glass cabinet, and it was difficult to select one each. So much so that I bought two more to takeaway 😉

My Mister Chocolate ($6.80) was indulgent. A soft chocolate sponge cake, draped in rich chocolate ganache. You’ll love this if you’re a chocolate lover.

The small slice of Crispy Hazelnut cake looked like something out of a French patisserie. It left us wondering if the cafe bakes their own cakes, or purchases them from somewhere else?

The cake was light and I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle crispiness of the layers. I wanted more 🙂

The kids spent ages playing around in the cafe. Fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded on a weekday, and they had a grand ‘ol time pottering around playing with their toys, and playing peekaboo around the large table.

At least it gave us adults a bit of time to relax!

There is also a sweet cat on premises, that hangs around and is as gentle as can be! Even with two toddlers terrorizing it and trying to pat it, it tolerated all that attention like a boss. It means that kids are kept occupied outside the cafe too, and Carter was in much wonder at seeing a real cat up close 😉

Last Bite: W39 Bistro & Bakery is whimsical and cheery, offering a limited but well-executed menu. The food is beautifully presented and delicious! Kids will have a great time ferreting around the old school candies and toys, as well as playing with the gentle cat outside.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: Yes

W39 Bistro & Bakery
39 Jalan Mas Puteh
Singapore 128637
Phone: 9646 5372
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat – Sun: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm

SNOOZESHADE GIVEAWAY: One free SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe (worth $74.90)

November 8, 2013 / Giveaways, Singapore / 6 Comments

I’ve used the SnoozeShade for around two years now, soon after Hunter was born. It is, quite simply, my secret to getting my newborn babies (and now, toddlers), to consistently sleep in their strollers – every single day.

It’s no secret that I go out during the day. A lot. My kids join me on my daily outings (I don’t believe in changing my whole life to suit my kids’ eating/napping habits) and so sleeping in their strollers is a must.

And, actually, they fall asleep easily in their strollers because of the motion of being pushed around, the white noise surrounding them, and most of all, because I cover them completely with a SnoozeShade.

The newly released version, the SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe, is….. SILVER! I was delighted because my previous one only came in black. How dull 😉 The silver is more like a gunmetal grey and a bit shimmery, and so soft and silky!

The SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe comes in a handy little drawstring bag, which you can toss into your stroller basket and whip out whenever your baby wants to nap. The SnoozeShade is designed to to be a universal fit for all strollers, due to the stretchy sides and snap-button closures that surround the edge.

There is a horizontal zip along the top, as well as a large window in the middle that can be unclipped… revealing a thin black mesh. I often leave the top layer unclipped, so the kids get more airflow, and so they can look out (they can sort of peek through all the tiny holes so they’re satisfied that they’re not closed in, yet they can’t really see properly so it’s not distracting them from being able to drift off to sleep).

Want to see this in action?

This is the SnoozeShade on my Babyzen Yoyo. The stroller is extremely compact, so you can see the SnoozeShade looks a little oversized for it. But it still fits.

Leaving the exterior window unclipped. It leaves the inside dark enough to fall asleep in, but people can’t peer in.

Oh hullo Carter! Here he is zonked out. This is also a good configuration to have if your child easily gets over-stimulated. This blocks out a lot of distractions, but he can still look straight out (good for kids that cannot stand stuff in front of their face).

It also functions very well as a sunshade. The SnoozeShade has one of the highest levels of sun protection of any product on the market!

SnoozeShade is giving away one free SnoozeShade Plus Deluxe, worth $74.90)!

a Brunch With My Baby giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 8 Nov to 14 Nov 2013 inclusive.
All entries will be verified according to the entry criteria(s) before the winner is notified.
The prize will be delivered to the winner’s choice of address.

SnoozeShade can be purchased online at rock a bye lane. It is also stocked in retail stores listed here.

Thank you SnoozeShade!

RAMEN KAGETSU ARASHI: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

November 7, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I am a ramen FIEND.

And I think Ramen Kagetsu Arashi is amazing. Who knew eating ramen could be so fun??

When you’re seated, you’ll note that part of your table is stacked with an array of pots and bottles of…… secret Japanese potions. For us commoners, there’s a note card that details what each one is, and what you put where. It’s informative and had me all eager to get my bowl of ramen so I could start customizing it.

*rolls up sleeves*

But first things first. They specialise in ramen and that’s pretty much all they serve, save for a few side dishes. I opted for the 5-piece pork ramen, because I always find those slivers of pork are way too meager and I like my meat. So I got the Genkotsu 5-piece ramen ($17.80) because it boasts a creamy pork-bone broth, and I like my ramen broth really rich (otherwise known as fatty).

I added $2 to select a side dish and green tea, which is their Set Lunch special. It’s an excellent deal and highly recommended.

My hot green tea, however, was completely tasteless and more like hot water. A bummer, as I love myself a steaming cup of fragrant tea. That said, they provide a jug (!) of icy cold water at the table, so mega thumbs up for that.

Also, how adorable is the kids cutlery set?!

And so my bowl of steaming hot ramen arrived…. and it was KICKASS AMAZING.

The broth was creamy and rich, the noodles were springy (wish there was more though), and the pork…. man… it was so tender it fell apart when I poked it with my chopsticks. I’ve had pork in ramen where it’s tough and chewy, and this was the exact opposite. It was sliced almost paper-thin though, and I would have liked for each piece to be 3x thicker, for the price we’re paying.

Now, the condiments!

I added some special Japanese black pepper (not pictured), but zeroed in on their spicy chives. I’m normally not a fan of spice (nor can I tolerate it), but this gave the broth a stunning kick. It gave a different dimension of flavour, but wasn’t so spicy that I couldn’t take it.

I would fully recommend adding this to your broth (for maximum flavour with minimum spice), or putting it directly on your spoon as you’re eating (if you’re a chilli monster).

And……. freshly squeezed garlic!!!! I do this all the time at home, so I’m not sure why I got so excited. Perhaps it’s the novelty of doing it in a restaurant. I was given 3 cloves of garlic, and all 3 were crushed in. Mmmmm…..

Since the noodles comes with half a hard-boiled egg (WHY??????), I ordered a proper Japanese soft-boiled egg. It was a good move, since Hunter scoffed the entire thing.

Remember the $2 extra I paid for a side dish and green tea? This is the side dish, pork tonkatsu. 4 fat chunks of it. What a good deal! It was delicious, especially the extra crisp and super fresh bread crumbs.

I realised afterwards that Ramen Kagetsu Arashi is actually one of the largest ramen chains in Japan with more than 260 outlets worldwide. I’m not surprised, now that I’ve eaten there. The ramen really is good, and the extra condiments make it so much fun. Kids will love ‘playing’ with the food!

Last Bite: Ramen Kagetsu Arashi makes ramen fun for the kids. Add your own toppings and flavours, and customize the size of your ramen. It’s absolutely delicious to boot!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Ramen Kagetsu Arashi
The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green #01-41
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6339 0335
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Thu: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm, Fri – Sat: 11:30 am – 11:00 pm, Sun: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm