Regina Chow - Singapore Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle & Travel Blog: friends

Queen Elizabeth II Cup 2013 at the Singapore Turf Club

Saturday, May 11, 2013

I was invited to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup recently. As with all other events at the Singapore Turf Club, it was a glitzy affair with immaculately groomed ladies who added a touch of pomp and pageantry to the evening.

The event was held at the Marquee, where I had the pleasure of catching up with familiar faces (Jessie, Karen, Steven and Vikki) and getting acquainted with new faces. I brought JW along with me this time, and he doubled up as my photographer for the night.

If you're interested in holding your corporate events at the Singapore Turf Club, you can check out their packages, including room types, capacity and rates at their website here.

The QE II Cup was first inaugurated in 1972 to mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to the Singapore Turf Club. Since then, it has become an annual event underscored by prestige and glamour.

At the event itself, ladies luxuriated in an evening of pampering treatments including manicures and henna services. The glorious buffet spread complemented by delicate sweets and fizzy cocktails ensured that it was an evening of gastronomic pleasure for all guests.

Of course, the evening wouldn't have been complete without the wonderful company of friends.

Jessie has always been the friendly, hospitable host and she always goes the extra mile to make everyone feel comfortable.

Here's presenting the bevy of beautiful ladies at our table.

The theme for this year's QE II Cup was Victorian classics. Prior to the event, Karen and I decided that we would both wear shades of pink and white so we pretty much turned up at the event looking like sisters. LOL.

Thanks to our fancy hats, we were both selected to take part in the "Best Hat on Tracks" contest. All the contestants came dressed in their best but what really stole the limelight were the lovely hats, which I personally think were the icing on the cake. A well-made hat or headpiece with intricate details is all it takes to complete an outfit and make you stand out from the crowd.

Karen and I didn't win the competition, but we both received consolation prizes for our efforts.

Shortly after the fashion parade, it was time for the races to begin and all of us adjourned outdoors to catch a glimpse of the excitement!

Other than the races, we also had lots of fun taking photos with the costume minglers in classic Victorian costumes. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for the entire duration of the event that evening as I was still recovering from a bad cough and had to rest early before heading to KL the next day. Nevertheless, I had an enjoyable time!

Finally, here's my outfit for the night:

Handmade hat from Sydney Glebe Markets

Korean Lace Jumpsuit from Taipei (Wu Fen Pu)

Peeptoes from Salvatore Ferragamo

Accessories from Korea, Chanel

Clutch from Forever New

District 10

Monday, March 11, 2013

I always try to find time for a leisurely brunch during the weekend and it's great that most restaurants these days serve brunch till 4pm or even all-day brunch. I'm always on the lookout for new restaurants that serve brunch, so you can imagine my delight when Karen invited me for a food review at District 10 together with Calvin and Darren.

Located at the boundary of the CBD district at UE Square (how strategic!), District 10 is a quiet restaurant with a wonderful chillout vibe, perfect for losing yourself to a couple of hours well spent.

Look at the wine bottles on display! Yes, you can also head to District 10 if you're game for drinks after work on weekdays!

Losing ourselves to a delightful spread of breakfast varieties complete with desserts and drinks was precisely what we did on a lovely Sunday afternoon!

I have a huge soft spot for Eggs Benedict (S$24) - as Karen rightly pointed out, and I almost always order this when I'm out for brunch.

I love the spanish Jamon Iberico Ham that accompanied the poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. I was also pleasantly surprised to see crispy hash browns on the plate, which is a breath of fresh air for a dish like Eggs Benedict. I adore hash browns and having all my favourite breakfast foods in one dish is enough to make my day.

If you prefer a hearty breakfast with the full works, go for the Grease Spoon District 10 breakfast (S$26). It comes with bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, tomatos and baked beans. If this is not enough to fill you up, I don't know what will. ;)

The Spanish Omelette (S$18) is an interesting addition to the breakfast menu. Chock full of chorizo sausages and nutritious vegetables, this dish certainly packs a punch!

Aside from egg dishes, Karen decided to order something out of the ordinary - Wagyu Meatballs (S$24)! I thought the meatballs could be a little more moist but I absolutely loved the crispy shoestring fries which were fried to golden perfection.

The brunch ended off on a sweet note with delectable desserts. The Sour Cherry Pie (S$12) that came with a dollop of pistachio ice-cream tasted great. The ice-cream flavour was very unique and complemented the cherries, which had just a tinge of sourness.

The Bitter Chocolate Tart (S$12) was my favourite of the lot. I generally like chocolate desserts and this was no exception. This lovely tart was made of delicious, rich dark chocolate that literally set my heart aflutter.

The Warm Apple Crumble (S$14) was equally good and every spoonful brought moist apple chunks lightly sprinkled with crumble to my mouth. Coupled with the sweet, lingering taste of creamy vanilla ice-cream, this dessert was very satisfying indeed.

I love meringue and pavlovas, so it was no surprise that I ordered the Pavlova (S$12) here. I liked the tangy flavour of the passionfruit ice-cream, which went really well with the meringue.

We were bursting at the seams by the end of the meal, but we had a lot of fun chatting and savouring all the different dishes at the restaurant!

District 10 Bar & Restaurant

Address: 81 Clemenceau Avenue #01-15/16/17 UE Square Shopping Mall Singapore 239917
(corner of Unity Street and Clemenceau Avenue)

Tel: (65) 6738 4788
Fax: (65) 6738 4013
Email: contact@district10.com.sg

Operating Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays

11.30am to 12 midnight (Last food order: 10.30pm)

Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Tea-time menu: 2.30pm to 5.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm to 10.30pm

Fridays and Saturdays

11.30am to 1am (Last food order: 11pm)

Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Tea-time menu: 2.30pm to 5.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm to 11pm

Parking Facilities:
Available at UE Square Shopping Mall, Unity Street and Robertson Quay

Charity Sale in Support of UNICEF

Thursday, August 02, 2012

One of my very talented secondary school friends Yiquan converted her watercolour drawings to postcards for sale and the best part is, all proceeds for this sale will go to charity!

Your purchase will go towards supporting UNICEF for their work in providing humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and women in developing countries. The goal of this charity drive is to raise a minimum sum of S$3,000.

The amount may not be very high, but every cent goes a long way and every one of us can make a difference, no matter how small, to the less fortunate all over the world. So, let's all do our part to make this world a better place! :)

Each postcard set consists of 14 postcards with 7 unique drawings. Each set is priced at S$20.

To purchase, please click on the link here
Payment can be made through paypal/credit card.

Here are the rest of the watercolour drawings done by Yiquan. You can also read her inspiration behind each drawing below each picture. :)

1) Sailing across the Rainbow Sky

Imagination. Sweeps us across rainbow hued skies to magical lands of incredible adventures - where dreams soar on rose petal wings and everything that can be imagined becomes real. But this wondrous world of imagination and belief often fades and disappears as we grow up.
We forget. We fear. We disbelief.
And “the moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”

Don't doubt. Never forget.

For Imagination has the power to transform the world and bring forth a better tomorrow.

2) Lovers' Bridge

Two little snails met on a bridge, spied on by a mischievous pixie. Somehow, while writing this, I was reminded of the thousands of love padlocks I saw on Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. I was quite mystified when I first laid eyes on them but the reason soon became apparent when I read all the tiny lovey-dovey messages inscribed on the locks. Well, here's to everlasting love! ❤

3) Misty Mountain

A week or so back, I climbed my first mountain – Mount Ophir. Standing at 1276m, it sits at the border between Malacca and Muar.

Climbing Mt Ophir was as much a mental challenge as it was a physical one. I learnt to push myself beyond my limits and silence the doubts within me. And after what seemed like forever, my eyes were finally treated to a breathtaking view of wide expanse of land and misty clouds that were almost within reach. Inhaling the fresh mountain air, I was reminded that I share this planet with other beings and that Nature is a gift that should be treasured and protected. However, the biggest reward came from the knowledge that I had conquered myself - the fear, the doubts and the self imposed limitations. Yes, we all want to stand atop a mountain but the joy and growth comes from the journey. And on this journey, I was also lucky to have great companions.

4) Snail Mail

These days, what I find in my mailbox (and I mean the physical one) are mostly just bills and junk mail. On the rare occasion that a card/postcard arrives, my heart leaps a little and I would take the time to study the envelope or the picture on the postcard before savouring every word within the message.

I like how everyone has his/her own unique handwriting – the neat rows of letters like little soldiers standing at attention, the dangerously sloping letters like little drunkards' half-hearted attempts at defying gravity, the funny curls and swirls, the decorative flourishes ...

5) Starry Starry Night

There is something enchanting and enthralling about the night sky. Filled with luminous pin pricks, it seems to hold within it the secrets of the galaxies and the untold wisdom of the Universe.
As a city dweller, the constant light pollution makes it hard to appreciate the full glory of the night sky. Thus, I would always remember the first time I camped out in the Australian wilderness and saw the biggest and brightest stars in my life! And as I sat gazing up at the starry starry sky, a little boy came up to me and pointed out the Southern Cross.

6) Watching Sunrise

I love this sketch! The beach is one of my favourite places though I prefer sunsets. In the sketch, the sky turned out surprisingly well, the colours blending nicely with balancing negative space.

7) My friend

“The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a [toadstool] with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've ever had.”

Indeed. Oftentimes, as silence interrupts a smooth flowing conversation, there is that anxiety and desperate urge to fill that silence with something. Anything! But constant sound can become noise, easily relegated to the background and ignored. So, when moments of quiet happen, take the time to enjoy and appreciate them together. For in the crevices of sound, thoughts can be born and love strengthened.