That ramen place again

Food, glorious food....

It's an ongoing challenge for me and KL to eat through the entire menu at Honda-ya. It's probably not possible, but that doesn't mean that KL and I aren't going to have fun doing it. Which was just what we did once again on a random cold night in SoCal. And speaking of cold nights...why do I have this feeling that we are just going to skip right past the mild spring weather and head straight into warm summer weather in a couple of weeks?

Me grinning after a good meal...a food coma does that to me :)

Wearing Rick Owens Lilies leather jacket, Complexgeometries dress, F21 tights, H&M leopard scarf, Surface to Air wedges and Balenciaga clutch.

Cafe Blanc

I love love love sweets.

Cakes are probably the most wonderful type of food because not only are they yummy, but they look so beautiful as well. My favourite dessert place in Orange County has got to be Cafe Blanc at Newport Beach. KL calls the plaza it's located in a double trap because Cafe Blanc is right next to a bridal gown shop and I like to go there sometimes to drool at the gowns whenever we stop by. ;)

I believe the shop's run by a Japanese chef and his rendition of French desserts are so delicate, not too sweet and just perfect! Since Easter was just round the corner, Cafe Blanc offered a cute Easter bunny cake which was almost too cute to eat! It was really yummy though with a crisp white chocolate shell with a creamy lilac berry mousse. I almost felt bad destroying the cute bunny cake..but it was too delicious to be missed! The strawberry shortcake on the other hand was light and refreshing, amazingly its cream layer was light and fluffy...perfect fruity desserts on a sunny day! The raspberry gelato that came with the cake was sweet, but not overly so and even had chunks of raspberries inside..see, I am getting my daily servings of fruit!

My camera wasn't with me when we dropped by that day, but I am sure that KL and I will be back again and I intend to take a picture of Cafe Blanc's cake counter...each and every yummy cake that they make looks so perfect and beautiful!

What I wore:

Rick Owens gray leather jacket, H&M leopard scarf, Heimstone silk tank, American Apparel tank, Drop crotch pants from Etsy, Rick Owens mummy wedges, Balenciaga bouton d'or work.

Slowly but surely, I am easing leopard stripes into my outfit and my Rick Owens mummy wedges are the most comfy pair of wedges that I own. Someday I vow to own the ankle boots version as well!

Gray wolf

I'm still alive! :D

Wearing Rick Owens Drkshdw druid hoodie, MNG Mango wolf tee, Ksubi jeans, vintage boots.

It has been a big change going back to school after so many years of working. The orientation, the new people, the change in environment, all the new knowledge to absorb.. it's been equal parts overwhelming and equal parts fun. I still feel like I am playing catch-up and trying to get into the the sync of things, but at the same time I'm glad that I'm doing this as it's really time for a change! I also chopped several inches off my hair, not that most of you can tell since I don't really show my face :) But it's seriously liberating.. and I'm loving how old outfits in the past have a different appeal with the new crop.
So finally after so long, I'm updating this blog with an outfit post.

I had my eye on this Drkshdw druid hoodie for the longest time and am so happy to assimilate it into my wardrobe. I'm a student now, so I definitely have to watch my spending. The over-sized hood is just so crazy and awesome and I'm having fun playing around with the tendrils at the side of the hoodie. The narrow sleeves are a classic Rick Owens trademark and the gun-metal gray has just a little more zing than black. The boots that I am wearing are vintage...I got them in Hong Kong more than 10 years ago. I had to bring them back from Singapore to show them some love.

Transformers

Wearing Ann D white wrap top, American Apparel tank, Zara drop-crotch pants and Rick Owens wedges.

Whoever came out with transformable clothing is a genius!

This is the first time that my Ann Demeulemeester wrap top from S/S 09 makes its appearance on my blog. There are so many conceivable ways to wear this top and the three examples that I have shown are only the tip of the iceberg!
I probably change the way I tie the top every time I use the washroom (TMI much :D???)

And the Rick Owens mummy wedges..at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I just can't get over how comfortable they are, vs. their height!

Battle Leather Jacket: Rick Owens vs Yaya Aflalo

First of all, I want to thank the gorgeous Anna from Cocktail of Fashion for her lovely award to me! Thank you so much Anna *virtual hug*! I strongly urge you guys to check out her blog, she has the most beautiful wedding dress that I have ever seen, as well as some of the most inspirational pictures out there!

I finally decided to do a post comparing the classic Rick Owens biker leather jacket vs the Yaya Aflalo vapor leather jacket, as I get quite a number of emails/questions on how they stack up against each other.
(It helps too that I am resting at home today as I have not fully recovered from my cold/cough. If anything in this comparison doesn't make sense, ask me as I am heavily sedated on Theraflu as I am writing this ;))

A picture of the two jackets in question - can you tell which is which???

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Answer: Yaya jacket is on the left, the RO is on the right.

Another picture of the two jackets side by side, unzipped:

As you can see the leather on both types of jackets are different. Note though, that I think I have the blistered leather version of the RO jacket, which is meant to look a lot more distressed anyway. But I really love the RO leather, it gets softer and seems to mold to you the more you wear it, it feels more organic and I have no doubts that it will get better with wear. The Yaya leather on the other hand, appears smoother and more uniform..but it's really soft too!

The sleeves on the RO are tighter and mold to the arm more. This is evident in the following picture:

Yaya sleeve on top, RO sleeve below.

As you can see, the RO sleeve is way narrower than the Yaya's. It expands to fit your arm, whereas the Yaya sleeve is wider, though I wonder if this can be mitigated by sizing down one for the Yaya's?

Let's take a look at how the leather jackets drape on a human body, i.e that of yours truly:

I think there's really no clear winner in this "battle", it really depends on what one is looking for, vs the budget that one has. I love my RO because of its drape and the little details that go into it: the silver zippers, the tight ultra-long sleeves and the luxrious lining. But the Yaya jacket is really a good buy for its price..it might lack the details that the RO has, but it does look great nevertheless and does give off that RO vibe!(which to me means skinny sleeves and drapey leather) If anyone is interested, I decided to spring for the RO in the end as I got a chance to purchase it at a really good price, and I feel that it is a worthy investment!

Oh and I didn't caption my last picture in this post. You should be able to tell by now which jacket is which, so quick, which one is the RO in the last picture??

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

I have been feeling under the weather for the past two days. So, please excuse me if I haven't replied to some comments and emails yet. I woke up on Tuesday with an inflamed tonsil on the right side of my throat and a slight fever. Hopefully this will go away soon..my throat doesn't hurt that much anymore but I can feel a cough developing. Darn, I hate to be ill during summer, especially with a long weekend coming up!

But onto happier things. I was looking through photos taken during my birthday week and those of you who have been looking for a cheaper alternative to the Ann Demeulemeester S/S 09 boots may be interested in the picture below:

The photo was taken in Laguna Beach, but the store was already closed when I took this picture. I couldn't go in to investigate further, but these seem to be under a Jeffery Campbell line called "Limited edition"? These seem really close to the Ann D's and even KL thought that they were the same ones that I had. The best reproduction of the Ann Demeulemeester lace-up boots that I have seen by far! Even the multi-bow sandal next to the Demeulemeester look-a-likes are a decent alternative to the Marc Jacobs bow sandals this season!

A recent acquisition from my Vegas trip:

Givenchy s/s 09 booties

I got these on super-sale from a shoe store at Wynn. Love love love the huge zipper running up the boot, plus the cowboy boot details. It's like a bad-ass, shoe-gone-wild version of a cowboy boot, which suits me just fine, given that I always depend on my accessories to add that extra zing to my outfit. They are really comfortable and run true to size...expect to see them featured in an outfit post soon.

And another shoe-porn picture:

Rick Owens S/S 09 multi-strap booties

I call them my mummy (as in Egyptian) boots! They are in the colour dust and the multiple straps remind me of the fabric strips that are wrapped around mummies. The wedges may look deceivingly high and intimidating, but they are really comfortable! I have no problem walking in them!

Pictorama: A random night out at Irvine Spectrum

First of all, I am extremely honored to show off this lovely award given to me by Hanh:

Hanh is an extremely lovely lady with an impeccable sense of style. Check out her blog here. It's so inspirational and chock full of pictures of her lovely outfits and yummy food, some of which were whipped up by Hanh herself! I love that the blogs that I frequent are featuring food more and more, I confess to be a diehard foodie and I feel that truly great food satisfies not only our palate, but also our eyes!

A pictorama of tonight's event:

I worn: Rick Owens leather jacket, Lanvin t-shirt dress, charcoal gray ribbed socks, Ann Demeulemeester lace-up boots, Chanel baby cabas and Forever21 necklace.

KL and I went to: Irvine Spectrum

I lusted over: the 13.3" Macbook Pro from Apple. (hint, hint, KL - I need a laptop for college!)

We drank: A humongonous serving of Wetzel's Pretzels' lemonade. (which I'm convinced is one of the best lemonade ever! I always have to fight KL for this.)

Outside: The Verizon wireless store

And ate a cheesedog from Wetzel's Pretzels as well.

Sometimes junk food is just immensely cathartic and the hot, greasy dog hit the spot on this cold night! Yum, yum, yum....

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! :D

皆さん! (Everyone!)

I am very excited and honored to present my second blog award from the very witty and humorous Girl Interrupted of A World So Small:

This award means a lot to me as it's a positive affirmation from someone who has taken the time to read and comment on my blog. The fact that it's coming from someone as awesome as Girl Interrupted definitely makes it 10x better! So thank you very very much, girl! Do check out her blog - it's chock full of her musings on life in general, this is one girl who makes one of the most intelligent posts that I have seen.

I was also tagged by the very lovely Chekka. Chekka's a blogger from Indonesia with an incredible sense of style. Ah, the young ones just keep getting better and better... I don't remember being so stylish at that age ;)

So on to the questions:

what is your current obsession?
deciding what to do with my hair. It's really long now and not as healthy as I think it should be...so I don't know whether to just trim it or cut it reaaaaally short.

what is your weirdest obsession?
Nina's hair! Kidding (though she does have great hair!) It would be making sure that all the hangers in my closet face the same direction.

what are you wearing today?
An old "I Love New York" tee and sweats. Today's bumming-around day.

what’s for dinner today?
Microwaveable pasta - from Marie Callender's to be exact:

Credit

why is today special?
Because I don't have to go to the office ;)

what would you like to learn to do?
I would really like to learn how to sew, because I think I can save a lot of money that way. And surf!

what languages can you speak?
I can speak English and Mandarin fluently, as well as Cantonese.

what are you listening to right now?
Just the sound of the crickets on the hillside outside my apartment.

what is your favorite weather?
Sunny but cool (no more than the early seventies), sounds like a lovely Spring day!

what is your most challenging goal right now?
To figure out what my next job will be. I will be going back to school, so I hope to make use of this hiatus from the rat race to figure out what I really want to do.

what do you think about the person who tagged you?
I think she's adventurous, fun-loving and a whole lot more self-assured than I am at that age! :)

if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
The motherland - Singapore, please

what would you like to have in your hands right now?
One of my bunnies!

what would you like to get rid of?
The unworn shoes and clothes and bags in my closet. I feel that they should definitely go to people who can appreciate them more than I do!

if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Tokyo!

which language do you want to learn?
Japanese! I learnt it at an elementary level when I was in college but I'll love to be fluent in it.

what do you look for in a friend?
Sincerity and loyalty

who do you want to meet in person?
My mum. I have not seen her for a long time.

what’s your favorite type of music?
Hmm..anything I can sing along to I suppose!

what’s the favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
I can't decide! Though my Rick Owens leather jacket comes very close to nabbing that spot!

what is your dream job?
One that I am passionate about...though I have yet to figure out what it is.

any favorite models?
Not really...I don't really keep up with what's going on in the modelling world.

if you had £100 now what would you spend it on?
Nothing! I would save it!

favorite designer?
I am too fickle to ever commit to just one ;)

fashion pet peeve?
People who wear clothes that are too small for them!

do you admire anyone’s style?
Of course, a lot of fashion bloggers come to mind! I really admire people who have a definite sense of style and can pull it off. It doesn't necessarily need to be my cup of tea, but it has to be done well.

describe your personal style
A neutral palette, with a touch of the masculine and great accessories!

And in the spirit of this tag, I shall have to pass this on to 8 other people:
1. Diane
2. Sol
3. Hanh
4. Legyviel
5. Kokopuff
6. GirlInterrupted ;)
7. Leyla
8. Deep in Vogue

New York City part III - Oiishi! A chocolate factory and all that jazz!

I have been obsessed with ramen ever since I tasted my first bowl of this Japanese-nified cuisine in Japan. (And no, I am not referring to the instant type.) So it was with a critical eye that I approached the ramen at Ramen Setagaya at the East Village. After days of sandwiches, hot soupy noodles sounded really appealing to KL and me.

As everyone knows, the true mark of good ramen lies in the broth. In this case, Ramen Setagaya did not disappoint.

I ordered the shio (salt) ramen. The broth was clear, yet tasty. The ramen was firm and springy, while the thin slices of pork, with their fatty rings, slide down my throat ever so smoothly. The egg was delicious too...firm but not hard and it had a gentle flavour, sometimes eggs have a weird taste to me, but definitely not this one! I still drool when I look at the ramen picture above.

KL and I also shared a side of veggie gyoza....oiishi!

Guess what we found while walking around after dinner - a stall serving Japanese streetside snacks like okonomiyaki (pancake-like dish with cabbage, eggs and other toppings) and my favourite, tako yaki! Tako yaki are octopus balls (pieces of octopus in balls of grilled batter) served with lots of mayonnaise, brown takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes. I could never locate them in Orange County so I definitely had to buy some to share with KL.

Left: the hole in the wall joint selling Japanese street snacks; right: me chowing down on tako yaki

 

Yummy...the hot tako yaki makes it the perfect snack for a cold NY night!

Just when we though we were done for the night, we came across this restaurant serving lots and lots of chocolate concoctions : Max Brenner - Chocolate by the Bald Man. The chocoholic in me was of course, helpless against the siren call of chocolate.

KL ordered chocolate chai. I think the presentation is pretty cool, just put the container over the drinking mug and tap to drain the hot chocolate out from the chai mixture.

I ordered the chocolate shot:

Yes that's right, shots of chocolate! I ordered dark chocolate, out of a trio of choices including milk chocolate and white chocolate. Just thinking about the chocolate rush makes my toes curl :D

The apparatus for preparing the chocolate shot, made me feel like I was conducting some kooky culinary experiment. I scooped some chocolate chips into the milk which was being warmed by the tealight, stir to melt and sip via the metal straw. Naturally I loaded lots of chocolate in for the ultimate rush!

The melting heart chocolate cake, served with berries and ice-cream.

And of course, what would a trip to NYC be without a visit to Broadway? We spent an hour or so waiting in the cold gusty winds to queue up for discounted tickets at the TKTS booth at Times Square. In the end, we settled on Chicago. I rather enjoyed the movie version starring Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the musical version was not too bad.

Finally the last outfit shot of me in NYC for this trip.

Wearing Rick Owens leather jacket, Zara top, Ksubi black jeans, Ann Demeulemeester boots, Phillip Lim scarf and Miu Miu black coffer.

So long (for now) New York!

Philadelphia part I - Of UPenn, cheesesteak and the Liberty Bell

I'm back from my trip to the East Coast!

It was originally supposed to be a week long trip to New York City, but my group and I decided to make a pit stop in Philadelphia as well. KL and I travelled to the east coast this time with another couple, but it was great fun as they are fellow Singaporeans as well as kindred foodies!

The four of us probably did the craziest time ever by rushing to Philly on our very first day on the east coast. Our plane touched down at JFK at approximately 6am and we had to immediately lug our luggage to get to NYC's Chinatown to catch a bus to Philly. The east coast is 3 hours ahead of the west coast, so we were jetlagged and cold, not to mention starving when we arrived in Philly.

We took it easy on the first day and made it to UPenn to soak in the college town atmosphere. I contemplated buying a Wharton sweatshirt to wear it to one of my future UCI Merage mixers, but gave up as I decided that it would be too pesky ;)

Here's me catching my breath outside the UPenn bookstore.

Wearing Vanessa Bruno sweaterdress+scarf, Helmut Lang cashmere sweater, Rick Owens leather jacket, Ksubi black jeans, Ann Demeulemeester boots, Miu Miu black coffer and a "I heart NY" sticker ;)

A note about the weather then - I had underestimated how cold the east coast would be, so I really piled on the layering all the time! Expect to see the Rick Owens jacket a lot as well as my blue military jacket in all my pictures for this trip. (And yes, I finally took the plunge and got myself an RO, but I would save that story for another post, as well as how the Yaya Aflalo vapor jacket compares to it.)

On the second day, we decided that we must try out the Philly's cheesesteak before we went to visit the Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall. So we checked out Pat's and Geno's, both proclaimed to be Philly's best when it comes to cheesesteak. Unfortunately, both KL and I only had the stomach for one, so the 4 of us ate at Geno's...no special reason for choosing it over Pat's. We ate there because we reached there first ;)

A picture of Pat's (left):

KL and I posing with Geno's cheesesteak:

A close-up of the cheesesteak:

The verdict? I'm sorry Philadelphians, but personally I find that Geno's cheesesteak is not all that it's cut out to be. Maybe I should have ordered it wet or asked for more onions, but I wanted to taste the beef and it wasn't really all that well-seasoned to me. Still, it was a great experience and the cheese fries were not too bad.
That doesn't mean though that I think Pat's is better. I have no opinion on Pat's as I have not eaten there.

After the meal, we headed back to Independence Hall for the tour. Here's a picture of a very special room that I'm compelled to show:

This is the exact room that the US' Declaration of Indepedence was signed in. According to our guide, the moldings in the room itself have been made over several times, but the chairs and the light fixtures are original. So yup, that chair on the dais is probably the very one that George Washington sat in.

It started to drizzle heavily when we reached the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so it was a good thing that we would be spending most of our times indoors.

KL and me being corny and doing the Rocky run on the steps leading to the museum:

That's all for my first post on Philadelphia! Check back next for a detailed post on my favourite exhibition in the museum:

"Hello! Fashion: Kansai Yamamoto"

I promise fashion porn pictures ;)

Ice vs. Metal

style.com, catwalking.com

rick owens. gareth pugh. 2 reasons why the world waits for Paris Fashion Week.

Wish wish wish wish

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
Things I'll gladly pay retail for.......

Images from: luisaviaroma.com, net-a-porter.com, joanshepp.com, kirnazabete.com

Interesting how my S/S wishlist looks like a F/W version....