Heads up on EPL 13/14 (Part 1)

Welcome to the pre-season small talk on the English Premier League 2013/2014.

In this part of the pre-season article, we will be discussing on the current transfer by the 20 teams.

Starting with

Arsenal

In: Yaya Sanogo Auxerre Free

Out:

Francis Coquelin SC Freiburg Loan

Johan Djourou Hamburg SV Loan

Vito Mannone Sunderland Undisclosed

Kyle Ebecilio  Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Denilson São Paulo Free

Sanchez Watt Colchester United Free

André Santos Flamengo Undisclosed

Sebastien Squillaci Bastia Free

Joel Campbell Olympiakos Loan

Chuks Aneke Crewe Loan

Martin Angha 1. FC Nürnberg Free

Kyle Ebecilio  Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Andrei Arshavin Zenit St Petersburg Free

JD: From the paper, it seemed to me that Arsenal has been weakened. Sold 5 1st team players, mostly for free, loan out a couple more players, including 1 1st team player. Wow. So with Wenger refusing to spend, will this Arsenal team finally go down and out of the top 4? Or will this work for their favor?

The transfer deadline is still 1 month away. Hence there is still a good chance that Wenger can steal Suarez over.

Aston Villa

In:

Antonio Luna Rodriguez Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Jores Okore FC Nordsjaelland Undisclosed

Leandro Bacuna FC Groningen Undisclosed

Nicklas Helenius Jensen AaB Undisclosed

Jed Steer Norwich City Undisclosed

Out:

Eric Lichaj Birmingham City Free

Jean Makoun Stade Rennes Undisclosed

JD: Aston Villa fans, If i were you, I don't know whether i should be happy or stay the same this season. Looking at the players they bought, sorry but i know none of them. Thankfully, Villa is keeping their star players too. Not a fantastic window so far.

Cardiff City

In:

John Brayford Derby County Undisclosed

Simon Moore Brentford Undisclosed

Steven Caulker Tottenham Undisclosed

Andreas Cornelius Cpenhagen Undisclosed

Out:

Ben Nugent Brentford Loan

JD: Newly promoted Cardiff had shown some commitment that they want to stay here. Biggest signing of the 4 would surely be Caulker. Not too bad a player at spurs, once thought to be one of the bright young star of Spurs, he had left for regular football.

Exit wise, only 1 left. Hopefully they will do more before the window closes.

Chelsea

In:

Mark Schwarzer Fulham Free

Marco van Ginkel Vitesse Arnhem Undisclosed

Andre Schurrie Bayern Leverkusen Undisclosed

Cristian Cuevas O'Higgins

Out:

Milan Lalkovic Walsall Loan

Daniel Pappoe Colchester United Loan

Jeffrey Bruma PSV Eindhoven Undisclosed

Oriol Romeu Valencia Loan

Billy Clifford Yeovil Town Loan

Patrick Van Aanholt Vitesse Arnhem Loan

Sam Walker Colchester United Loan

Thibaut Courtois Atletico Madrid Loan

George Saville Brentford Loan

Todd Kane Blackburn Rovers Loan

Marko Marin Sevilla Loan

JD: Same old brand new coach, "the special one" is back. We all know how he transformed the former Chelsea to the amazing team sometime ago. However, that Chelsea era is coming to an end. Players have aged and some had hung up their boots or left the team.

Mourinho is doing what he does best. Looking at the players he had bought, the message is clear to the fans, this team is dangerously strong and deserved the EPL title once again.

Lots of exodus this season, many on loan to lower end team, hoping for more regular football and impress Mourinho and his assistants.

Worthy to mention is probably poor Marko Marin, who had not proved himself well and now loaned to Sevilla.

Crystal Palace

In:

Elliot Grandin Unattached Free

Jerome Thomas Unattached Free

Dwight Gayle Peterborough United Undisclosed

Stephen Dobbie Brighton & Hove Albion Undisclosed

Campana Sevilla Undisclosed

Out:

Alex Marrow Blackburn Rovers Undisclosed

Jason Banton Milton Keynes Loan

Ryan Inniss Chenltenham Loan

JD: The last time when Palace was in the EPL, they didn't have the quality to stay there. Now they are back, are they stronger? Looking at the players they bought, they are hoping they can beat the drop and that's their aim this season. However, there isn't much quality in this new signings yet.

Everton

In:

Gerard Deulofeu Barcelona Loan

Joel Robles Atletico Madrid Undisclosed

Antolín Alcaraz Wigan Athletic Free

Arouna Koné Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Out:

Jake Bidwell Brentford Undisclosed

Conor McAleny Brentford Loan

JD: With a change of boss, Everton got some players which followed Martinez to Goodison Park. It will be an uphill task to keep some of their best players too. With Everton former boss looking closely at the duo Baines and Fellani.

If this is the case, not difficult to see Everton dropping places

Fulham

In:

Maarten Stekelenburg AS Roma Undisclosed

Ange Freddy Plumain Lens Free

Fernando Amorebieta Athletic Bilbao Free

Derek Boateng Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Free

Out:

Ryan Williams Oxford United Loan

Mark Schwarzer Chelsea Free

Dan Burn Birmingham City Loan

Alex Smith Swindon Town Free

JD: In the close season, i have mentioned there is a need for Fulham to inject new blood into the team. They have indeed done that. A good new number 1 keeper was signed to replace the outgoing Schwarzer. However, the rest of the players signed so far are not as good as him.

Hull

In:

Corry Evans Blackburn Undisclosed

Steve Harper Unattached Free

Allan McGregor Besiktas Undisclosed

Maynor Figueroa Wigan Athletic Free

Ahmed Elmohamady Sunderland £2,000,000

Curtis Davies Birmingham City Undisclosed

Danny Graham Sunderland Loan

Yannick Sagbo Evian Thonon Gaillard undisclosed

Out:

Jack Hobbs Forest Loan

Mark Oxley Oldham Athletic Loan

Tom Cairney Blackburn Lan

Corry Evans Blackburn Undisclosed

JD: Welcome back Hull City, the 3rd promoted team. They have shown the most potential to stay in the top flight with the recent recruits. Some of the players have been playing regularly for EPL teams. If they can click well, we might see Hull finish better than expected.

Liverpool

In:

Kolo Touré Manchester City Free

Iago Aspas Celta Vigo Undisclosed

Luis Alberto Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Simon Mignolet Sunderland Undisclosed

Out:

Suso Almeria Loan

Michael Ngoo Yeovil Town Loan

Jonjo Shelvey Swansea City £5,000,000

Henoc Mukendi Patrick Thistle Loan

Krisztian Adorjan FC Groningen Loan

Conor Coady Sheffield United Loan

Jack Robinson Blackpool Loan

Pepe Reina Napoli Loan

Peter Gulacsi Sv Salzburg Free

Danny Wilson Hearts Free

Andy Carroll West Ham Undisclosed

JD: The reds had decided to cash in on their misfire player, Jonjo Shelvey. Out go the 35m signing too. This time they made another loss of 20m. Lots of surprises in the team as Pepe Reina, their number 1 keeper since 2006 were sent packing to Napoli to join Rafa, the man who signed him back in Liverpool.

With the transfer not done yet, there could be more outgoing players than incoming, considering that Liverpool did not qualify for europe this term, they need to cut on the wages. Downing, Skrtel, Spearing and Assaidi all seemed to be on transfer list. My guess will be at least half will go.

The new recruits seemed average on paper. Migolet was signed to replace Reina. Whether he will bring Liverpool to the Champions league will need to be proven. If he had done so well, i dont see why Sunderland was 17th out of 20 teams last term. He kept clean sheets in all their friendly matches, but their opponents were pretty friendly to them too.

Kolo Toure was signed to replace the retired Carragher. Aspas seemed promising but Luis Alberto seemed to be average.

So, i think everyone is sick of this name now, Luis Suarez. Will he finally go or will he be left to rot on the bench?

Manchester City

In:

Fernandinho Shakhtar Donetsk Undisclosed

Jesús Navas Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Álvaro Negredo  Sevilla FC Undisclosed

Stevan Jovetic Fiorentina Undisclosed

Out:

Jeremy Helan Sheffield Wednesday Undisclosed

Karim Rekik PSV Eindhoven Loan

Kolo Touré Liverpool Free

Carlos Tevez Juventus £12,000,000

Maicon AS Roma Undisclosed

Wayne Bridge Reading Free

Ryan McGiven Hibernian Free

Omar Elabdellaoui TSV Eintracht Braunschweig Undisclosed

JD: Of all the 20 teams purchases, Man City's seemed to be the most impressive so far. 4 top players added. However many left them too. 1 name seemed to stand out, Carlos Tevez.

Besides Suarez, he seemed to attract the most attention, known for his bad temper and good skills, his departure would certainly be a sweet thing. He had once gone AWOL and wanted to end his career. Now Man C finally decided to cash in on him and gave away some players. It seemed to me places in the team are more and more difficult to get.

So will this new team win all the trophies as set by the chairman?

Manchester United

In:

Guillermo Varela Peñarol Undisclosed

Out:

Michele Fornasier Sampdoria Free

Reece James Carlisle United Loan

Luke McCullough Doncaster Rovers Loan

Ryan Tunnicliffe Ipswich Town Loan

Sean McGinty Sheffield United Free

JD: With Sir Alex Ferguson finally retires from managerial position, we see how Moyes managed his legacy team. 1st issue, Rooney wants out. 2ndly,the players think they know more than him. 3rd, his team records in the pre-season friendly sucks.

As usual, there isnt much changes to the team. No big names leaving, but the transfer window is still open. They have been told they can sign a top player with x amount of money. X = unlimited.

Not much to mention since nothing much was done so far. However, if this team dont perform, someone might face the sack.

Newcastle United

In:

Loïc Remy QPR Undisclosed

Olivier Kemen Metz Undisclosed

Out:

James Perch Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Danny Simpson Queens Park Rangers Free

Michael Richardson Accrington Stanley Loan

Mehdi Abeid Panathinaikos Loan

Shane Ferguson Birmingham City Loan

James Tavernier Shrewsbury Town Loan

JD: Ok, not too bad, got a good striker from QPR. Out go a whole string of players. So Pardew thinks this squad is good enough? Let's see.

Norwich

In:

Leroy Fer Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Martin Olsson Blackburn Rovers Undisclosed

Carlo Nash Unattached Free

Nathan Redmond Birmingham City Undisclosed

Gary Hooper Celtic Undisclosed

Javier Garrido Lazio Undisclosed

Ricky van Wolfswinkel Sporting Lisbon Undisclosed

Out:

Simeon Jackson TSV Eintracht Braunschweig Free

Grant Holt Wigan Athletic Undisclosed

Leon Barnett Wigan Undisclosed

Andrew Surman Bournemouth Loan

Declan Rudd Preston North End Loan

Marc Tiernet Bolton

Chris Martin Derby Undisclosed

James Vaughan Huddersfield Undisclosed

JD: Wow! Such a busy busy window for Norwich! So far already 7 in 8 out!! Holt finally left them for Championship side Wigan, while the rest of the players who left were not that prominent.

The players who signed for them this season seems decent. With this new team, I am sure they will do better than the previous season. Wolfwinkel, Hooper and Garrido seemed to be good signing for the team. They might just make it into the top half of the table.

Southampton

In:

Victor Wanyama Celtic Undisclosed

Dejan Lovren Lyon Undisclosed

Out:

Vegard Forren Molde Undisclosed

Sam Hoskins Yeovil Town Free

Richard Chaplow Millwall Free

JD: Having escaped relegation, Saints is having a rather quiet window. Having snatched Forren from Liverpool last season, they have realised not everything you looted is good. Out he go after one season.

Wanyama is the signing of the season for them. I expect him to do well and lead the team with Gaston.

Stoke City

In:

Marc Muniesa Barcelona B Free

Erik Pieters PSV Eindhoven £3,000,000

Out:

Matthew Upson Brighton & Hove Albion Free

Dean Whitehead Middlesbrough Free

JD: Stoke is also having a quiet window so far. Except that they have lost their influential manager. Will this stoke team do better without their former manager? Only time will tell. Their current signing doesnt seemed to prove us wrong.

Sunderland

In:

Emanuele Giaccherini Juventus Undisclosed

El-Hadj Ba Le Havre AC Undisclosed

Jozy Altidore AZ Alkmaar Undisclosed

Vito Mannone Arsenal Undisclosed

David Moberg Karlsson IFK Undisclosed

Cabral FC Basel Free

Mobido Diakite Lazio Free

Valentin Roberge Maritimo Free

Duncan Watmore Altrincham Undisclosed

Out:

Matthew Kilgallon Blackburn Rovers Free

Danny Graham Hull Loan

Alfred Ndiaye Eskisehirspor K Loan

Jordan Pickford Burton Albion Loan

Simon Mignolet Liverpool Undisclosed

Ahmed Elmohamady Hull £2,000,000

JD: 9 in 6 out. They should be the most busy team in this summer. Out go their 1st choice keeper, their talented Danny Graham. In came a whole string of unknown players, maybe only Mannone is a familiar face.

Maybe it's not the quantity but the quality i guess?

Swansea City

In:

Jernade Meade Free Agent Free

Wilfried Bony Vitesse Arnhem £12,000,000

Jonjo Shelvey Liverpool £5,000,000

Pozuelo Real Betis Undisclosed

Jordi Amat Espanyol £2,500,000

Jose Ruiz Herrera Canas Real Betis Free

Joanthan De Guzman Villarrel Loan

Out:

Kyle Bartley Birmingham City Loan

Alan Tate Yeovil Town Loan

Kemy Agustien Brighton Free

Gwion Edwards St Johnstone Loan

David Cornell St Mirren Loan

Mark Gower Charlton Free

JD: Another team with a busy summer. Swansea is not a team who will make wholesale changes, this season, they have recruited Shelvey, De Guzman and Bony. Will they fit nicely into the passing team? Or can they finally secure their good goal scoring form with Michu staying?

Tottenham Hotspur

In:

Roberto Soldado Valencia €30,000,000

Paulinho Corinthians £17,000,000

Nacer Chadli Twente Enschede Undisclosed

Out:

Clint Dempsey Seattle Sounders FC Undisclosed

Grant Hall Swindon Town Loan

Massimo Luongo Swindon Town Loan

Jack Barthram Swindon Town Free

John Bostock Toronto FC Loan

Tomislav Gomelt Doncaster Rovers Loan

Adam Smith Derby County Loan

Steven Caulker Cardiff Undisclosed

Bongani Khumalo Doncaster Rovers Loan

Alex Pritchard Swindon Loan

Ryan Mason Swindon Loan

JD: Exodus seemed to be the word for Spurs, who had loan and sold lots of players. Dempsey who had played just 1 good season had left them for good. Caulker had also left them. Interesting to see 4 spurs players joining Swindon on loan.

Will Bale force his way out to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Real?

I have to say it will be a successful window for them, having already gotten Soldado and Paulinho. Their future looks promising if Bale stays.

West Brom

In:

Diego Lugano PSG Free

Goran Popov Dynamo Kiev Loan

Nicolas Anelka Juventus Free

Out:

Marc-Antoine Fortune Wigan Athletic Free

Gonzalo Jara Nottingham Forest Free

Scott Allan Birmingham City Loan

JD: Anelka is back. This time with West Brom. Anelka had several spells with EPL teams, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man C, Bolton Chesea and now West Brom. Is this his final destination before he hang up his boots?

Other signings seemed normal. West Brom had been very stable in recent years. Will Anelka propel them forward or will they finally fall?

West Ham United

In:

Adrián San Miguel del Castillo Real Betis Free

Danny Whitehead Stockport County Undisclosed

Andrew Carroll Liverpool Undisclosed

Razvan Dinca Rat Shakhtar Donetsk Free

Out:

Robert Hall Bolton Wanderers Free

Frederic Piquionne Portland Timbers Free

JD: Last but not least, we saw Andrew Carroll finally arriving at West Ham. With Piquionne leaving on a free too.

West Ham was rumored to have bid for Downing turned down by the player, who have vowed to keep his place at Anfield. Big Sam would make too many changes to his team and i think they will not surprise too many of us with a mid-table finish.

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The easy feat - DIYing your own perfect sunny egg

If you're a doodle (like me) the moment you step into a kitchen on multiple attempt to cook a perfect sunshine egg, then this video proves may useful.

http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/video/fry-egg-100000790.html

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Ramen Hei - City Square

Least known to cliques, my healthy eating regime seemingly mask my liking to Ramen. My curiosity of this mouth-watering dish was traced back to my first visit to Korea; being the haven of this authentic cuisine, they are not being inferior in any ways to their neighbour, Japan. If your concept of finding the best Ramen resides only within the "country of the rising sun", you may be so wrong after all as there are master chefs who aspire to spread their love and passion across their border, and which, they have done so decades ago. Here, I wish to share on one retail for patronizing in City Square (CS), as very much, Ramen Hei 'd be the main focus on this post. 

With a nice display of their silverware (in this case, "woodenware"), you can't help but to

immerse into a feel of their culture before setting your sighting on their menu. 

Altogether, as one would least expected, they have a small variety of Ramen with varied soup-base: original, dark and spicy. Based on my assimilation, it connects their practice of "having the least to acquire the best", which would means to focus on niches than diversify at the expense of quality. Here, they commit ounces of their passion onto these three highlights - admirably was held at my off-thought. To incentivise myself for the long journey to CS, I ordered all main course so that everyone can savour a glimpse on the wonderfully prepared Ramen.

Original Ramen, 26RM served with additional Char Siu (a popular way to flavor and prepare barbequed Port in Cantonese Style), for additional 3RM

Really awesome for their balance between the sweetness and saltiness of their soup base; well-flavoured texture of their Char Siu; and the best, strands of chewy noodle that soothes down your throat.

Dark Ramen, 26RM - Among the three, this is my favourite. I forget to mention they have different types of noodles for their soup-base, haven't I? I can't really make up and deceptively write on their soup base as it will belittle the pleasure of eating it. Leaving some room for venture, ordering the Dark Ramen sets you guessing.

Spicy Ramen, 26RM - Do not be deceived by the spiciness within the Ramen's name, Ramen Hei really do fine in optimising the level of spiciness between those who can and cannot take spicy food. The soup base, akin its counterparts, are thick and chunky - taking a spoonful into your mouth puts a pause on you to appreciate the flavourful.

BBQ Squid, 18RM - I report the truth and won't ballooned the looking well-charred and tangy dish. They didn't fair to my expectation on this, and I definitely wont order this from here again, albeit my wallet is still fat.

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Trusted Car Rental - 12Rent =)

Have you ever wanted to rent a car just for that special occasion but don't know where to find a trustworthy car rental company?

Yes! I have that problem a couple of months ago..

With the raising COE where many find it hard to afford a car, it is where we need car rental companies so that we can bring our loved ones out once in a while or to run a few errands. However, where can we find the car rental company that we can rent with ease? It is only through reviews or recommendations which helps us to narrow our search. Many of the reviews are usually negative or mentioning that they are charged extra for scratches that were not caused by them. Personally, I will not patronize those companies which are dishonest.

In the past, I have been patronizing another car rental company located in the East. However, I encounter some problems:

1. I could not book the car in advance (earliest is on the week itself).

2. I do not get the car that I have confirmed with them previously.

3. Car condition not very good (e.g CD player not working).

4. Need to walk quite far to get the car.

Hence, I decided to search for a new car rental company. Sad to say, from the 16 car rental scams last year where consumers are cheated and overcharged, we really have to be alert and do enough research before selecting the company we want to rent from. To me, what matters most is to get a trusted and honest company with cars in good condition to ensure safety =)

Luckily for me, I found One2Rent Cars Pte Ltd located at Ubi Techpark and have rented their car for two weekends recently. From then, I have decided to stick to them for all my future car rentals!!!

Who knows, maybe in the future I might consider long term leasing from them =)

Wanna know why? Well, the reason is simple!

1. They deliver great customer service!

2. Car condition is very good! (e.g cold aircon, clean vehicle, working audio system)

3. Car rental prices are affordable!

4. They offer delivery and collection of rental vehicles.

I would say that it is worth giving a try for =)

You can add them on Facebook where they will post some promotions for the week~!

Alternatively, you may visit their website at www.one2rentcars.com

They are located at:

70 Ubi Crescent

#01-12 Ubi Techpark

Singapore 408570

Nearest MRT: Macpherson MRT (10 to 15 mins walking distance)

Buses: 65, 66, 22, 8, 63, 61 (5 to 8 mins walking distance)

For those interested to rent a car, look no further. You may call them at 6292 7575 or contact Gary at 86991313 to fix an appointment or ask for more details. 

Last but not least, I wanna wish everyone a Happy 48th National Day!

Enjoy the long weekend~!

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The best Hokkien Mee in Singapore - The one without any successor

Hokkien Prawn mee lovers, look here.

If you have not already tried this stall, please let me take a few minutes of your time and introduce to you this awesome Hokkien Prawn Mee. 

1st of all, apology to my Muslim viewers, this stall is not halal certified. =(

Located at the ABC market, this humble stall had been around for the longest period of time.

Besides myself, I have seen many others taking pictures of this stall. Probably they wanted to post it in their food blog or Facebook too?

A little background of this stall, there is an article pasted outside of the stall, stating there would not be a successor for this stall as the owner's children chose not to take over his shop. It's probably 1 of the saddest news for us, the Hokkien Prawn Mee lovers.

The price ranges from $3.50 to $8. So I have ordered 2 plates, 1 $3.50 and the other $5.

The $3.50 plate is enough for a lady while the $5 is enough for a man with big appetite.

$3.50's Portion

So, why do i recommend this stall?

The answer is simple. It is super nice lah.

The noodles are a little watery, enabling us 1 mouth followed by 1 mouth. The taste is amazing. The portion is relatively little, considering the superb taste. 

The uncle should be in his 60s now. When he cooks the noodles, he would be listening to his music, dancing to the beat. When he fry the noodles, we can see his years of experience transferred into the plate of noodles.

The queue is always long. normally it will take you around 20-40 mins for a plate of awesome Hokkien Prawn Mee.

Amazing $5 portion

Some information of this stall

Yi Sheng Fried Prawn Mee, Satay

ABC Brickworks Food Centre
6 Jln Bukit Merah, #01-13
Daily from 3pm to 10.45pm or when food runs out (happen all the time, so come early!)
Closed on Wednesdays

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Featured - Kazan Japanese Cuisine, a hawker food that taste nicer than the restaurant's

Always wanted to have nice Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price? Look no further, introducing the Japanese cuisine at a local hawker that is better than the restaurant : Kazan.



Located at Chinatown Complex, this fabulous stall stand tall with the owner, Mr Lim working hard to ensure the quality of his cuisine is not compromised. So how nice is this? I would briefly describe what I had on this faithful day.

His stall is flooded with awards, reports, reviews about his Japanese cuisine. From newspaper article to online review, everything seems good. This article will justify all the previous article, with a new twist =)




I have ordered a set of Salmon Teriyaki meal, costing me $6. The outlook of the salmon looks great, definitely worth a second look at it. Covered with lots of Teriyaki sauce, this dish of delicacy looks great for consumption. Mr Lim used shredded cabbage as the base for the salmon, making it a balance diet.

After taking the 1st bite of the salmon, I was immediately impressed with the tenderness of the salmon. Slight crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I particularly loved the salmon skin. It's just amazing. For a moment I thought I was in a top fine Japanese dining. 

It's just amazing.

Besides their Salmon, i have the luxury to try their Teriyaki Chicken set meal too.

On my 1st look of the Teriyaki Chicken, I must say it looks like a rather big portion of fried chicken! Lots of Teriyaki sauce on the fried chicken, it looks good. Mr Lim have also included Mayonnaise sauce as part of the dip.

Upon taking my 1st bite of the chicken, I must say it doesn't taste like the normal Japanese chicken we have tasted in the restaurant, let alone hawker. It's 50 times better! The meat is tender, yet the skin is crispy, tempting the diner to take in 1 piece followed by another. The meat is rather juicy I must say, this taste blended very well with the rice and it's just awesome.



So, I went forward to have a simple interview with Mr Lim.

JD: Hi Boss, your Japanese cuisine is just amazing, can I have a few words with you?

Mr Lim: Sure! (with a smile)

JD: So Mr Lim, understand your stall were previously located at Tanjong Pagar Complex and it is currently under renovation. Any plans to return?

Mr Lim: Oh, the renovation will take up to a year, once its done I may not be returning as the rental might most probably increase. (with a smile)

JD: Great, thankfully we found you here still. So how long have you been doing this?

Mr Lim: You mean Japanese food? Hmm around 8 years now. Previously I was working in Malaysia for a Chinese food stall, then came over to Singapore and worked for another Restaurant as a chef. Thereafter I went over to a hawker as a cook, then decided to have my own stall here.

JD: Wow, thats great! Do you intend to open a shop or restaurant by yourself since your cuisine is just so amazing?

Mr Lim: (with a smile) It's quite difficult. The high cost of maintaining might cost me greatly. I am happy doing this for now.

JD: I see.. So which are the top choices in your menu?

Mr Lim: It got to be the Salmon Teriyaki.



JD: Nice, so which one will you recommend?

Mr Lim: It's still Salmon Teriyaki and probably Teriyaki Chicken.



JD: Thanks for your time Mr Lim, continue doing what you are doing please, all of us love your food.

Mr Lim: Thank you so much! Hope you can recommend to your friends (with a big smile)

To all my dear viewers, you can verify whether i am telling the truth or not by visiting the food stall. Feel free to have a chat with Mr Lim as he is very hospitable and friendly to all of his customers.

I strongly recommend Kazan Japanese Cuisine to everyone who loves Japanese food. Try it. You will love it and forget about your restaurant food for good.

Lastly, enjoy your food :D

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Planning for a holiday or getaway from work? Check this out!

Feeling bored or stress over work? Maybe it’s time for you to take a break and enjoy yourself!

Some useful tips and links when planning your trip itinerary:

1)   Check out for any airfares promotion that you may “tab” on. Sometimes, you can even save up to 50% on the airfares if you are lucky =)

2)   Once air tickets booked, next up will be which hotel to stay in? No worries, there are actually many hotel booking sites where you can easily browse through the list of hotels, read up the reviews from other tourists and compare the pricing before deciding which hotel to book. 

Hotels.com: Book your hotel from here and get rewarded
                        (Collect 10 nights and get 1 night free)

                  

Booking.com: Prices are usually relatively cheaper and you only need pay when you stay for most rooms (Free cancellation at least three days before)

                          

Agoda: Another commonly used hotel booking site

3)   Planning your trip and need advices on which hotel to stay, where to go, how to get there? I will recommend Tripadvisor. It’s a good and useful site where you can get most of the info you need there.

Tripadvisor: Check out the lists of hotels, places of interest and reviews while planning your itinerary.

4)   Read up travel blogs or forums to know what are the “MUST-SEE”, “MUST-GO”, “MUST-DO” and “MUST-EAT” and plan them in your itinerary.

5)   It’s important to plan your route well so that you don’t waste time travelling/going the wrong way to your destination. So, if you are Kiasu a bit, you can even buy travel guide book where it provide detailed info. and help you plan your route. I realized the better travel guide books are usually in mandarin as there are more images and are more detailed than those English publications. Among all the travel guide books that I have read or come across, I highly recommend the ones from Sky Publishing Limited HK (長空出版有限公司) as it’s easy to read and provide you with the various directions (with estimated transport cost) to the destination. (p/s: only bad thing is that it's all in chinese characters! But, it's still not too difficult to read and understand lah~)

6)   You can also get maps and brochures from the respective Tourism Board in Singapore to help you with your planning. The personnel there are also very warm and friendly to answer your enquiry or provide useful advices.

Taiwan Tourism Board: 30 Raffles Place #10-01, Chevron House, Singapore 048622

Korea Tourism Board: Korea Plaza, Samsung Hub, #01-02, 3 Church Street, Singapore 049483

7)   And, most importantly, remember to “CHOPE” your leave early! 

Hope the above info are useful! Start planning for a getaway now ya? =)

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PasarBella Singapore

A visit to the North-Western part of Singapore kindled my hope of visit to a lesser known hotspot, PasarBella. Better known as "The Market", it has a spacious grand of 30,000 square feet housing beyond 30 unique stalls in featuring specialities from worldwide. The setting helms a cosy ambience for families to dine in the enclave and shop for grocery. It is also the first multi-sensory sensory grocery shopping destination in Singapore.

Housed within a warm community-based environment, PasarBella encompasses a seafood market, meat, dairy, fresh produce, wines and craft beers, global cuisines and personal services.





PasarBella was conceived by the founders’ dreams to provide a one-stop food and lifestyle experience, all under the same roof. Inspired by the sights, scents and vibes of other global markets, the founders sought to offer a similar experience here in Singapore. When the opportunity presented itself, the founders’ gears of inspiration were finally turned into the perfect market retreat that the whole family can enjoy.

As a passion project from the start, PasarBella has always remained true to its goal of being an idyllic, open-concept market. Families can bask in the rustic interiors and reminisce the simpler days of yesteryear. The quaint stalls, exotic aromas and festivities are sure to enchant everyone.

Getting to The Market
PasarBella is located at The Grandstand (formerly Turf City), which sits right in the heart of Bukit Timah. Easily accessible by car or public transport, there is also the added convenience of free parking on-site.

PasarBella @ The Grandstand Bukit Timah Singapore
200 Turf Club Road Singapore 287994
Phone: +65 6887 0077

Learn more about Pasarbella @ http://www.pasarbella.com/about_pasarbella.php

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Featured - Beating around the bush with the talented beat-boxer, Mr Freddy Lim

How cool is that man? Beat-boxing, something which had gained it's popularity all around the world. In this article, we will be learning more from the talented Beatboxer, Mr Freddy Lim.

Lets begin!

JD: Thanks for accepting our interview Freddy, so how long have you been doing beatboxing?

Freddy: Thanks for the interview, it is certainly my honor. I have been beatboxing since 2005. It's been about 8 years to think of it.. but it doesn't really feel that long though!

JD: Yes, i think i remember you doing that while you were in Poly huh? What motivated you to pick up beatboxing 8 years ago?

Freddy: It was my classmate, Dharni that influenced me to start during my Poly days.  To be honest, I wasn't really keen on it until at least 6 months later. But Dharni kept doing what he does and I guess it (beatboxing) rubbed off on me after awhile. He's got great passion in what he does. Now, he is one of the top in the world and is often overseas. I'm feel secretly indebted to him actually *laughs*. I will thank him someday.

JD: Nice one there. How do we start beatboxing, can it be self-learnt?

Freddy: Of course! Things now are very different from then. Now we have tons of resources online to learn beatboxing. Just search 'beatboxing tutorials' and an endless listing pops out. Also, since there are many beatboxing showcases and contests recorded,  you can now refer to them to learn a whole routine!
Back then, resources were a lot more scarce and we relied on each other more to learn new things.

JD: I agree. Times had indeed changed. So how do we draw apart an amateur from a pro?

Freddy: Personally, I look for 3 things - clarity, variation and rhythm.
Clarity meaning how clear or refined each sound is. Variation refers to how many types of sound you put in a routine (of course, dont overdo it) and rhythm simply means being in consistency in beats unless you're switching.

JD: Interesting, what are the pros and cons to be a beatboxer?

Freddy: There are mostly pros from what I see! Let me list out the pros in points first:

1. You can practice anywhere on the go.
2. You can readily perform anytime.
3. Can be a source of income.
4. Get invited to perform overseas if you're good enough
5. Get sponsored products or services of you're good enough
6. Play with your voice.
7. Entertain your friends or yourself when bored.
8. Make new friends easily.
9. Be more inclined to musicality and its technical aspects.
10. Opens up new opportunities.
11. Making an impact

For me, making an impact tops my list for pros. I wanna live this life influencing my students and friends to live their dream and step out to do what they like; not necessarily beatboxing, but doing they want in their lives. To put it strongly -Stop being herded like cattle!

Oops, and almost forgot about the cons. Here is my list:

1. In-training beatboxing sounds like nonsense and will irritate the crap out of people esp your siblings if you practice at home. (In my opinion, practicing vocal scratches for the first time tops it haha!)
2.You spend so much time (like weeks or months) practicing for a new routine and realize that on stage its only worth 10seconds. O.O
3. Ulcers. Definitely ulcers. You will bite your lips by accident as you practice. These will develop into ulcers and make the rest of your practicing over the next week a living hell.
4. Spending too much time in the shower beatboxing because the acoustic in the toilet *and while bathing* is better than any multi-billion establishment or sound system.
5. You will start auto-pilot beatboxing when you are bored. and you won't even know it.
6. Some people think you are a living, breathing, all-in-one jukebox and asks you to do this and that and that and this. DON'T DO IT.
7. You will never sit back quietly and enjoy a song without analyzing the beats, rhythm or technicality in the background. and no, the light hi-hats once in 4 bars won't escape you either.

The cons aren't that bad really. ;)

JD: Nice! I personally liked the part you said about making an impact. I live by that belief too:)  Whats your plan for now?

Freddy: I have been beatboxing and performing for a long time in Singapore and around SEA.. I want to expand my music even further, especially in singing, overseas.
That is why I would be moving to Tokyo, Japan, late this September.
I can't reveal much now, but I would be working on my album from there. I hope that it would be my first step as an International Artist.

Performing at the heart of XiMengDing, Taipei

JD: WOW! Awesome!!! Impressive! Any message to the teens out there who want to step into the entertainment industry?

Freddy: Live your dreams and set your goal onto something! Have a vision; be a ChangeMaker and be someone who impacts the community around you.

Things will NEVER be easy and you WILL meet negativity and setbacks time and time again. But you must hold on if it is really important to you.
Most people give up when things get too tough. Don't be most people. Who knows, it may be that little bit more that will make you successful.

Inspiring kids in Batam

With that, we end off the exciting interview with Freddy.

To me, he is always this awesome cool and funky guy. His outgoing personality is an advantage in life. Something apart from beatboxing, he used to have his T-shirt company, named Meow Moo :) I still have 1 in my wardrobe. Awesome design. This guy can sing, can dance, can draw, can beatbox, great fashion sense too. Simply amazing.

Freddy's hair is sponsored by Cleo Hair & Make . Do show your support at https://www.facebook.com/cleohair.sg

Well, i am certain he can be a great blessing to the community and I have seen him performing on several events. This guy will be a hit and will be likely to shake the world.

With his strong passion in the entertainment world, we wishes him all the best in his music career =) He is living his dream, are you?

Before we end this post, let us showcast the beatboxer's performances!

Enjoy!!

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