i made a strawberry shortcake for my friend huiyi's birthday and this is by far my best attempt. i've always shyed away from anything to do with whipped cream mainly for two reasons - i tend to overwhip the cream to the point that it splits and secondly, i just don't hv the talent in frosting whole cakes. when i found the solution to these two major problems, i jumped at the opportunity to make one again. with regards to overwhipping the cream, my pastry chef gf told me to whisk it on high speed, never mind that the bowl and beaters are not chilled. it worked! secondly i read that instead of frosting the cake painstakingly, you could pour the cream into a mousse ring like you would an entremet. that worked too!

kongnamul muchim, or korean seasoned soybean sprouts is another banchan that i'd often go for second or third helpings at a korean restaurant. i think this one is an acquired taste since it can taste rather raw and grassy to some people but i love it coz its like eating veggies and beans together. i like using soybean sprouts rather than the smaller mung bean sprouts for the crunch and texture but they're actually interchangeable for this dish. if you use mung bean sprouts, the name for it would be sukju namul (숙주 나물) instead.

the concept of a shop-within-a-shop, or rather cafe-within-a-shop seems to be all the rage now. think hairloom & caramel, a cafe within a hair salon, jams cafe inside prologue bookstore and tea cosy inside eclectic attic, a furniture shop.

arteastiq is the latest one to jump on the bandwagon. also nestled within a furniture shop that sells modern baroque/roccoco and neoclassical-inspired pieces, the gf and i decided to hv tea there on a lazy weekday afternoon. the place reminds me vaguely of the cookie museum but i like it better here, more modern and chic and a really cosy place for chillaxing.