Update: Hello the Lions are back :)

Hi peeps, sorry for being away for a while. The lions needed the sabbatical as they dealt with a major health scare the past few months. Do you believe in miracles? Well, they certainly do! The good Lord has been ever so faithful and they are literally dancing for joy now with the clean report received from the doctors :)

On top of that, the lions are also preparing for a tiny addition to their family very soon. They will be taking things at a slower, more sane, and more personal pace from now. Life is indeed beautiful through His lens! Stay hopeful and expectant!

Adventures on Rinca and Komodo Islands Part 1

Do you have a bucket list? Well, Cute Cute has one and one of his wishes is to go meet his scaly komodo dragons in the wild. So if you have discovered this post, most likely a) you are one of blankets and coffee fans b) you too want to go to Komodo isles and are finding some information. Getting to Flores island from Singapore, where Komodo and Rinca islands are situated, is actually quite easy. The Lions and friends flew to Bali, stayed a night and flew to Labuanbajo via Wings Air. Labuanbajo is a fishing town where you will be based to get to where the dragons are.

Labunbajo town. Oddly, the town centre street is one way and the people of Flores do abide by this rule lawfully.

Arto Moro Warung/Cafe. Our first meal stop at Labuanbajo. Recommended by a local.

Traditional Indonesian cuisine. Ikan Bakar, Ayam Penyet, Cumi Cumi, Bakso soup and stir fried kang kong.

The Lions chose a resort that has access to the beach. You can watch the sun as it hides among the clouds before taking a plunge into the sea.

The view from our resort swimming pool

While strolling around the beach, Cuchi spotted this man digging through the sands. What was he hunting? The treasures found were actually mussels..... but Cute Cute just do not understand why the mussels had a white tongue sticking out?

Being a fishing town, the most obvious cuisine there at Labuanbajo would be seafood. However, the Lions were surprised to see a sizable Italian community there. Maybe the town does remind the Italians of Sicily. There are a few Italian restaurants such as MadeInItaly and Mediterraneo, which deserves a try!

Squid Ink Pasta

 

Our dessert.... a potted plant. Nah.... it's actually Tiramisu with stalks of pandan leaves. 

Neon chicks at the market.

The morning started with the Lions checking out the market of Labuanbajo and chartering a boat to bring them to meet the Komodo Dragons. Tour agencies are plenty but go with your gut feel and always ask around for hidden cost before settling down with a reliable one.

The Lions' trusty boat. Now to find Captain Haddock....

Are we there yet?

The first island that the Lions went was Rinca Island. According to forums, you will get a better chance of seeing the Komodo Dragons but let's see....

The Y stick is a life saver should any dragons chase after you.

After 2 and a half hours of choppy sea, the Lions reached Rinca island. A guide is required to bring you around and the Lions were blessed to have Dino to guide us. Dino bringing the Lions to see mini dinosaurs. 

First stop to find Cute Cute's friends was this muddy area where a wild buffalo was devoured by a group of Komodo Dragons. The Lion was hoping that a few of them would remain and lounge around but looks like he is wrong. Push on!!

Cute Cute's adventure took him to the top of Rinca's highest hill to have a bird's eye view.

Finally, an inhabitant!!!

The 2 hour trek was fun. You get to see the different landscapes of Rinca and why the dragons love this island so much that the guy above is laughing happily.

After a long trek, lunch is always welcome.

Warung style lunch prepared by Captain Haddock

 This is just part 1 out of a 2 part series. Second part coming out soon with more photos of the Dragons on Komodo Island.

Turkish Warmth at Arkadas Cafe

Ever returned from traveling to a country and missing the cuisine there? Happens to almost all of us right? The challenge is to find an eatery that is able to bring their original culture and taste from their country. Thankfully for those of you who went to Turkey, the Lions managed to find a place to whet your appetite for Turkish cuisine.

One of the many eateries that are located inside Fusionopolis, Arkadas Cafe is situated on the 3rd floor, beside a dentist. Apparently, the owner, Chef Mustafa Gungor, had a long history with Turkish cuisine and Singapore. Chef Mustafa worked in the Turkish Embassy as a chef for 22 years before coming out and set up Arkadas Cafe. The Lion was heartened to hear that the pitas, bread, hummus, etc are all freshly made in house. As they were chatting, a fresh batch of hummus and baklava were made.....Mmmmm...

Just out of the oven Baklava... awaiting the last glistening of syrup to give it a nice shiny coat.

Home made fresh Hummus

Turkish tea cups

The server is kind enough to open up the teapot to let Lion catch a glimpse of what's inside..... Turkish tea.

Original way of serving beverages

Turkish expresso!! Don't be fooled by the flowery designs on the cup and saucer. The coffee packs a punch.

Pide with Lamb and Cheese. Thin and crispy, surprisingly the cheese did not make it chewy or soggy. The amount of lamb scattered all over the pide was generous as well.

A class of its own, the hummus was one of the best that the Lions had tried. Not lumpy but smooth. The freshness and clean taste of the chickpeas was a delight to the taste buds. The homemade bread was crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside. Good thing that Arkadas Cafe does takeaway too. These 2 are perfect to start your mornings.

Musakka, a dish comprised of minced beef, green peppers and brinjal, comes with a choice of butter rice or bread. The Lions give this dish a paws up as it is a dish that brings out another part of Turkey. The butter rice comprises of ordinary rice and brown wheat, taste familiar like a variant of Singapore's chicken rice. The musakka was loaded with cheese, minced beef and brinjal and not at all heavy.

Baklava, Tulumba, Baklava.... Both sweet Turkish desserts. Filling for the Baklava is walnut. Now Lion always thought Baklava is filled with pistachio and Chef Mustafa explained that the original Baklava's filling is walnut not pistachio. Turkey has lots of baklava filled with pistachio because pistachios are abundant over there. The baklava at Arkadas Cafe is wonderful. Not too sweet and doesn't crumble at all. You can easily have a few of those. The tulumba was a bit sweet for the Lions' taste but if you are a sweet tooth, go for the tulumba as well.

Cream caramel for those who are more comfortable with non Turkish desserts.

Arkadas Cafe

1 Fusionopolis way
Connexis Tower #03-02

Singapore 138632

Tel: 64669918

One28 Pitstop

With all the happenings occurring at Ann Siang Hill and Club Street at night, one might miss what the stretch can offer to you in the afternoon and morning. The Lions were exploring the scene in the late morning and chanced upon this little pitstop.

Reminding the lions of small Australian/European holes in the wall, One 28 is a petite little cafe for takeaways and wonderful coffee. How small you ask? It's really just 128 square foot thus giving this cafe its name. Though small, the variety of takeaways are actually large.

Quaint and petite

 

They have takeaway soups to be heated up too!

Every cup of coffee comes with a quote, pun or joke! Cannot take life too seriously right?

The coffee that Cute Cute had that day was smoky, smooth and medium bodied. A good cuppa to start your day or to end off your lunch.You can email One 28 or whatsapp them for delivery if you are living nearby. 

One 28

31 Club Street 

Singapore 069468

Tel: 8321 7354

Satisfying and Quenching hunger pangs at Slake

Hi Folks, it's been sometime since the Lions have updated a post. This is due to Cute Cute's wanderlust to visit some of his dragon (lizard) friends at Komodo Islands. So we are now back on track and roaring to explore more new places.

A pair of love cats welcome us when we visit Slake

Slake.... to quench and to satisfy.... and also the name of the new joint that replaced The Big Sheila at Swan Lake Ave. Cute Cute was there for a farewell dinner organised to send off one of his colleagues, Ms Buttercup. Looks like Slake's address, Swan Lake Ave, is apt for a farewell, we will be expecting a swan song from Ms Buttercup.

Nope, we don't come together, we just happen to be on the same boat... i mean dish.

When you step into Slake, you will notice a difference in terms of space. A lot more spacious compare to The Big Sheila, Slake has actually expanded the dining area make it look bigger and thus more seating for hunger customers. As it is our first time there, friendly Jeremy and Alicia made an effort to explain some of the food items to us. However, due to the large number of us, to make it simple, we just ordered one of each main course.

Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle oil. Seems to be the in thing nowadays due to health reasons. Crispy, sweet and unique with a hint of truffle oil smell and taste.

Grilled pearl corn. Very sweet and nicely grilled to give it a slight burnt taste.

Asian pesto chicken noodles. When it first came, the Lion thought it was a salad. But as he tucked in, he found the noodles nestled below the veg and chicken. A unique dish that consists of the savory (chicken), herbal (pesto), sweet (pomegranate seeds) and nutty.

Margherita Waffle. Why margherita? Because the waffles has tomatoes in it, just like the pizza. On top of the waffles are small scoops of bacon ice cream. Yeap... you saw it, bacon ice cream. If you have tried bak kwa ice cream, you know what I mean. Sweet and savory and if you like waffles, this is a good dish to try. 

Mr Famous's fav dish!! He immediately requested for a second serving when it's gone. Crackly pork, the roast pork dish of Slake, has a real mean bite for its skin. Crispy and chewy, the pork does have a large layer of fat but the flavors of  pork are all in it.

The Portobello Mushroom Gratin and Slow Cooked US Angus Beef. The mushroom gratin was ordinary and the taste was predictable. The Angus Beef also didn't really make the mark. Apart from being tender, the beef didn't really have the additional special taste unlike the above mentioned dishes.

Another second rounder dish, the Stuffed Squid. The squid was tender and was stuffed with soft brown rice.

74% Dark Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla ice cream. It did live up to its 74% slight bitterness but overall rather ordinary.

The Sticky Date Pudding. Texture of it is like a treacle pie, sweet and gooey.

 

The overall experience at Slake was fantastic and the staff do make the Lion feel very much at home. With cosiness and good food, what else could you ask for?

Slake

15 Swan Lake Avenue

Singapore 455711

6243 6220