london in springtime

I think I'm only 4 months late with this video, so it's not entirely inappropriate. London, spring, cherry blossoms and Thai food, only 55 seconds!

ox

I've been hearing so many good things about Ox so I called in on them last month. I loved the starter, the main was good but I probably would have passed on the lemon curd creme brulee.

I polished off the starter, every morsel was delicious. The roasted vegetables that accompanied the main was delicious but I didn't enjoy the halibut as much. No fault on the part of Ox, halibut is not my favourite fish.

The dessert was served by someone who I assumed was the pastry chef. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the dessert as much, probably because I am used to having cake to finish off a meal.

Overall my experience at Ox was enjoyable. Aside from the food, the service was excellent and I loved the music they played.

Scallop, white bean, bisque, oyster leaf

Halibut, clam, sea lettuce, fennel, bisque

Lemon curd, coconut, pistachio, bee pollen

 A short video I took in Ox.

deanes at queens

After our tour of Lyric Theatre and Riddel Hall for Open House Belfast, we had an early dinner at Deanes at Queens. And it was so good...!

Crisp squid with roquette, roast seabass with crab claws and mussels

Wild honey panna cotta, toffee cake and butterscotch

An espresso to cap it all

It's not a cheap place to eat in (we shared a three-course dinner) but it's well worth the splurge because everything was delicious and service excellent. I highly recommend Deanes at Queens!

belfast year two

I arrived at George Best Belfast City Airport on 15 August 2013. And after dinner with friends last night, I just realised that my second year here had just passed.

It took me two years to find my stride. Belfast is finally beginning to feel a little more like home, which is bittersweet, because Singapore feels a little less like home now.

Anyway, here's a quick look at what I did last year. 2014/15 has passed and there are no do-overs, so onwards and upwards then. 

open house belfast: lyric theater

On the second day of Open House Belfast, we went on a tour of Lyric Theater and it was wonderful! The space is beautiful, with lots of organic architectural elements like stone, wood and glass. And our wonderful guide, Marina, was lovely, charming and shared a lot of behind-the-scene stories. I'm quoting her here: the drama is always backstage. Now I'm really looking forward to catching a show here soon.

Backstage of the Danske Bank Stage, look at the Jackson Pollock-inspired floor

The bar area that overlooks the Lagan River

Look at that exposed brick wall

The Ridgeway Room has a gorgeous view of the area

My favourite space, the Costumes and Laundry Room

The sketches, I heart

Mannequins set against the concrete wall

Having a cup of tea at the cafe after the tour

open house belfast: centre for experiemental medicine

During Open House Belfast organised by PLACE, we got to visit the Centre for Experimental Medicine, which has not even officially opened. The building was completely empty, save for equipment and furniture. It was really interesting to see and hear about all the work that went into building this space.

The holes in the wall are supposed to help with the acoustics of the building

Participants on the tour

One of the meeting rooms

Drying racks for beakers in one of the labs

Looks at all the pretty lights

Giant pipes overhead

Exploring the roof area

A garden on the ground floor

Saying goodbye to our wonderful guide, Stephen

time stood still

I started filming my life a few seconds every day in May. Finally got round to editing and uploading them today.