Taobao Shopping Loots

Back to writing about little snippets of my life after a month away from this space.

Work is keeping me so so busy, and we don't even have time to explore new eating places.

Hope things get better after Loverboy graduates this semester and after this transitional phase at work.

A while ago (or rather 2 months ago), I purchased some stuff from Taobao, my ever favourite shopping website!! It wasn't my first time purchasing from them, but it was my first time making the purchase myself and not going through a third party dealer. 

Of course, it meant immense savings!

And the process was so easy peasy.

Really satisfied with most of my buys this time round, so gonna share what I bought.

Apparel

Taobao has so many clothes that sometimes scrolling through it is enough to make me dizzy.

And all their apparel are so cheap that once you start shopping from Taobao, 

you will never feel like buying from local online shops (unless they do self-manufacturing).

Zara Inspired Batwing Top - S$8

This top is so flowy and cooling! 

It comes in sizes and 2 colours, but rmb to size down since the cutting is quite big.

Crochet Dress - S$11.50

This dress' sizing runs big too, and it is too long on me!

But otherwise, material is fantastic and thick enough.

Zara Inspired Edgy Top - S$10

This top is major love for me! 

The sizing is just nice and material is not sheer at all.

Great for covering up tummy after buffet. Haha.

Floral Navy A Line Skirt - S$9

I saw this skirt selling on LoveBonito after I carted it out from Taobao.

The silky material is fabulous, feels so smooth and is non-sheer at all.

So much win!

Exercise Tights - S$7.50

Bought this for my evening run in the park.

Minimises the number of mozzie bites I sometimes get from wearing shorts.

Miscellaneous

Not sure where to categorise my other purchases. Haha.

Taobao sells so many items sometimes I'm tempted into buying something I might not even need.

But because it's so cheap, I don't feel too much heartache!

Roomy Bag - S$16.50

This is one of my fav buys! 

The bag is so sturdy and the faux leather feels real to the touch.

The interior is also made up of faux suede and so comfy touching it!

Totally suitable for bringing overseas where I can contain all my barang barang because it's so spacious and roomy.

And I won't get heartbroken if I spot any scratches because I can just buy another one~

Plus, it comes with a free gift - a really cute post-it pad.

Reflective Sunnies - S$3

Love this pair of sunnies because when I put it on, about at least a third of my face is covered.

Haha. The material is good and even comes with a pouch!

Pineapple Matte iPhone Cover - S$7

This cover is on my phone now and one of my fav buys too!

It is not flimsy at all and the plastic doesn't feel cheapo.

And because it has a grainy surface for the prints, I don't see any scratches till now even though I'm throwing my phone on the table every time.

Plus, they gave me a free notebook for my purchase!

Clear Simpsons iPhone Cover - S$3.10

This iPhone cover was for Loverboy and he loved it so much.

It's so quirky because once it's on the phone, the hand of Simpsons will map right on the Apple logo and it will look like he is eating the Apple logo.

Fish Tank iPhone Cover - S$3.80

My sis saw the same design selling from a local online store and asked in jest whether Taobao has it. Out of curiosity, I went to do a search and immediately found this!

And, it was around 4x cheaper than the online store.

Polaroid Selfie Mirror - S$2.90

Me and Loverboy were looking for this lens since we got a polaroid 5 years ago.

When we saw it selling at a camera store, we were so happy but were bummed out by the price which costs in the range of $10-$20.

But, glad that we patiently sourced for cheaper ones and found this!

It works fine and will be so convenient when we take selfie polaroids now.

Polaroid Photo Album - S$3.80/each

Can you imagine the amount of polaroid photos we have accumulated over the last 5 years?

Haha. It's really in a mess now and I knew I had to get these albums when I saw it on Taobao.

Not the cheapest, but definitely still cheaper than what local stores are selling.

*******

Overall, the shipping came up to about $40 and it only took about a week for all my items to arrive in Singapore! Super fast delivery service by Taobao and so much more savings since I don't have to pay agent fees.

Some may say that after adding the shipping fees, the item costs the same as local stores.

But that's not really true!

If I factor in the shipping fees (avg $3/item), it will still costs way much cheaper than local stores, especially in terms of the apparel.

As Xmas is coming, I'm looking forward to do another shopping spree on Taobao again! 

Hehe, can't wait! 

The Daily Scoop

I have been and will always love ice cream, don't you?

So imagine how ecstatic I was when I discovered The Daily Scoop near my neighbourhood. It was literally just a road away and when my dad drove past, I loudly exclaimed to Loverboy that a new ice cream cafe opened there!

And from then, I kept nagging about wanting to make my way there. 

So we did, on a Sunday! 

And the weather was perfect for ice cream because it was so so so hot and sunny.

Not saying that rainy weather wouldn't be good for ice cream, but eating ice cream on a sunny day is just more shiok y'know? 

Can never take a nice picture with him..

The Daily Scoop

#01-05 Sembawang Cottage

Singapore 758382

Tel: 67541233

Mon-Thur: 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 11am-1030pm; Sun: 2pm-10pm

Rainbow Sprinkles Cone With Salted Mister Brown - S$4.40

This was so pretty and the cone tasted like crunchy waffles!

Love love it.

Brownie With Surprisingly Coconut - S$6.20

The brownie was sweet but super chocolatety and I love it.

The coconut ice cream is really recommended!

It wasn't too sweet and there was a faint coconut taste to it.

Pretty cone calls for selfie!!

It was an enjoyable sweet treat in the afternoon and we spent time chilling together, having quality conversations. Gotta love time like these. :)

We plan to go back again tomorrow for another Sunday treat! Teehee. 

Please let the weather be shiok enough for our ice cream treat!

Staycation at MBS

Sometime back in July, loverboy and I went on a staycation with my family at Marina Bay Sands because my aunt had a complimentary night stay. It has been so long since we last had a staycation weekend with my family!

After: What too many selfies does to him

I really love the skyline en route to Marina Bay Sands because it provides the best view of Singapore's cityscape. The outline of skyscrapers against hues of sunset makes this a really beautiful sight and it is at this moment, I appreciate my homeland the most.

Chanced upon NDP rehearsal and the Singapore flag was flying past so majestically

The colours of the evening sky were so gorgeous that day; the pink, blue and orange tones just made us go shutter-crazy behind the windows in our hotel room.

The next day, me and loverboy woke up early to make use of the Infinity Pool.

He went to take a dip in the pool which was so so crowded while I just laid there, suntanning.

It was definitely a rejuvenating and relaxing weekend, and I can't wait to have another staycation again!

Anniversary Celebration at Table Manners

How many of you couples out there face difficulties when having to choose a restaurant for important dates such as anniversary dinner? Well, we do. And it's usually because we want to have good food with a reasonable price tag. 

And no, me and loverboy are not suited for fine dining. We tried it once and it was so uncomfortable! We can't speak too loudly or laugh out loud. It was suppressing.

So for this year's anniversary dinner, I kept a lookout for nice restaurants early ahead and once during my work at Changi City Point, I chanced upon Table Manners. What caught my attention was their alfresco dining environment because it was surrounded by lush greenery.

I made reservations because I didn't want to wait and the thought of loverboy's incessant nagging if he gets hungry while queueing was not very appealing. When we were there, there was not much of a crowd and it was very relaxing to be able to dine in the midst of the trees and even catch some live singing from the live band performing in the pub next door. 

I find the ambience perfect. 

Music was soothing to the ears, wind was blowing in our faces and the crowd wasn't catastrophic.

And, most of all, food was so so good.

Always up for some goofy-ness

Spicy Wings - S$8.50 for 5 wings

This lived up to its name of being really spicy but had a tangy taste to it so we won't get sick of the taste. Will order again! 

 King's Burger - S$20

Loverboy had this and according to him, the beef patty was really well marinated and cooked. 

I don't take beef but I love the truffle fries! The truffle was so strong.

 Norwegian Baked Salmon - S$22

This was so so so good. 

I love everything about this dish;

The salmon which was cooked to perfection on the outside but soft inside, 

the mashed potato which didn't had a very strong milk taste,

the sautéed mushrooms which had a fragrant taste,

and the sauce which accompanied it.

Table Manners

Changi City Point

 The Oasis #01-68/69

Singapore 486038

Tel: (65) 6604 7669

Sun- Wed: 1130am til 11pm ; Thurs- Sat: 1130am til 12 midnight

Overall, this is a place I would recommend if you want to chill over relaxing ambience and really tasty food but without being too harsh on your wallet. It is suited for gatherings with friends or even just a romantic night out with your bf/gf. And I love their goofy-ness, whether in their menu or the decoration of its utensils or its interior.

The only thing is Changi is a bit far off from town which can make it inconvenient if you are staying at the other end of the island. But, not to worry, they have opened a new branch at North Canal Road which is much more accessible. Having said that, I will still choose to dine at Changi's branch because of the lesser crowd!

******

We wanted to have some desserts before going off but nothing really caught our fancy at Table Manners' dessert menu so we decided to head to Paris Baguette at Changi Airport to just sit and do more chilling.

You know how Paris Baguette are forever crowded?

Well, now you know where to find one with lesser crowd (look at the empty seats!)

Yoogane Dinner Date

I believe this restaurant (Yoogane) needs no further introduction. The hype was already created in the market before it was making its entry to Singaporeans' tummies, and the sensation lasted weeks even after its official opening. I didn't know much about this restaurant, except that it is very popular in Korea and it's a must-eat in Korea. 

I last paid Korea a visit when I was in Sec 4, and honestly, all I remember was playing with the snow. Haha. I don't know whether our tour guide brought us there when we were in Korea so I really have no inkling about the standard of this popular chain in Korea.

Me and Loverboy were so curious why the Yoogane chain was so popular in Korea and wondered whether the food justified the incessant snake of queue at its Bugis branch in Singapore. So one evening, when I managed to get an early break from work, we had to check this place out. We reached the restaurant at around 6pm and had to queue for approx 20min, which was not much of a big deal compared to my friend who queued for 1hr+ when she reached at 7pm on a weekday evening. 

Yoogane Singapore

Bugis Junction #02-47/48

Singapore 188021

Operating Hours: 11am - 10pm

We ordered two portions of the Chicken Galbi with Chukkumi Octopus ($19.90/portion) 

and added a bowl of rice.

 

Free flow greens from the salad bar. Only the kimchi was nice.

The bill totalled up to ~S$48, and to be honest, I felt that prices don't justify the serving size because as you might have observed from the pictures above, the serving is so small! And that's already considering we ordered two portions. I can't picture, in my mind, how a one man portion will turn out to be like. Maybe it will be similar to those foodcourt pan-fried korean food?

You might argue that with inflation, serving sizes are bound to be small. We couldn't disagree and would have been willing to pay a similar or even higher price for it, if not for the fact that the food wasn't exactly fantastic. Overall, it tasted like normal foodcourt korean food, except a bit spicier. I'm not sure whether is it the huge crowd that led to the substandard food or that the franchise in Singapore still needs to work a bit harder in its culinary skills to make it taste even similar to Korea's Yoogane. 

If I do visit Korea one day, I will be sure to try out the Yoogane chain there. But if you ask whether I will be returning to Bugis Junction again and queue for the local franchise branch, I don't think so.