All I want for Valentine's Day: Candlelit dinner at Dolce Vita

Mandarin Oriental Hotel is located at a prime spot. That's why when you dine at Dolce Vita, you can get a fabulous view of Marina Bay.

For Valentine's Day, the Mediterranean restaurant is offering a five-course set dinner menu, which begins with with variations of Perigord Foie Gras which includes custard, marinated, parfait or pan-fried served with caramelised granny smith apple and aged balsamico glaze; “Veloute of Topinambour with quail timbale, chestnut crumbles and red pepper dust”; followed by premium “Alaska King Crab with tempura zucchini flowers and Champagne emulsion”; and “Tournedos Rossini with Perigord Foie Gras”, a grain-fed beef tenderloin fillet on homemade brioche, pan-fried Perigord foie gras and truffle sauce; then enjoy a dessert of “Strawberry and Bergamote Tea Mousse”.

I'm totally lusting after this menu because I am a foie gras lover, and I absolutely love Mediterranean-style cooking!

The romantic five-course candle-light dinner is priced at SGD388 for two and every two dining guests receives a bottle of champagne (375ml). For reservations at Dolce Vita, call 6885 3551 or e-mail mosin-dolcevita@mohg.com.

All I want for Valentine's Day: Lee Hwa Rueda necklace

Rueda - that's "wheel' in Spanish! - symbolises a quintessential relationship that goes on and on. You should probably already know I have a penchant for simple, elegant jewellery pieces, and this fits the bill. This rimmed with diamonds too and you know they are a girl's best friend.

Jimmy Choo Justine bag

I'm not a slouchy bag person. For my clothes, accessories and bags, I always go for structured shapes. That's just how I love my things.

However the cheery colours of the Justine bag, from Jimmy Choo's Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, may have won me over a little. I love the contrasting textures and colours it presents. And I love that slip-lock in the front that's inspired by a gold lipstick case.

The design is inspired by seventies cinematic icons and sporty without losing its style.

And as with all Jimmy Choo's pieces, the craftsmanship is superior. It features artisanal stitching and piece
work with each bag requiring more than two weeks to finish.

Justine Collections starts from £1195/ €1495/ $1995/ ¥199000

Pictures here:

All I want for Valentine's Day: Goldheart Celestial Embracia

When it comes to jewellery, I'm a bit of an extreme. I like elegance OR quirk. Nothing in between.

When I was sent a release of the Celestial Embracia by Goldheart, I swooned. Because it was THE type of jewellery I was into - elegant, sleek and pretty.

From its name - Embracia - you might have guessed, this gem captures spirit of intimacy and closeness of a lovers' hug, by featuring a loop of white gold band intertwined across itself. This collection is available in the form of a ring, pendant and bangle - and of them, I love the bangle the most (which starts from $16,162, let's just say I have super exquisite taste).

Prices of the pieces in the collection starts from $4,138 (for a pendant).

Here are pictures for you to ogle at:

Let's go, Chicago

I was at Chicago for a work trip and everyone's been tweeting me about the shopping that I did at the outlets. Not surprising right - since it's indeed super awesome. I'm going to share some pictures I took there, and then we'll get to what I've bought :)

Here's the room where I stayed at - at Mariott Schaumburg. I've got a room all to myself, and that's super awesome.

Where I laze and watch Family Guy at.

This is Woodfield Mall - second largest mall in USA.

The outlet!

Finally caught sight of snow :)

Cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory was AWESOME.

Gotta go to Walmart, right?

The total number of shopping bags all of us acquired. Hotel staff was shocked.

Taken while on my way to downtown Chicago.

Chicago Sun-Times building

The buildings are beautiful.

More awesome buildings

An artistic shot my colleague took

I like how the sunshine comes in and the shadow casts itself on the buildings

Italian cuisine at Frankie's

Yum-meh salad

Pizza - pretty good

Chicken, Italian style

Italian ban mian - or hor fun, if you wish

A huge Hershey's store

I'm wondering if Jordan really owns this

Iconic beauty sighted!

Another news building

Beautiful buildings

Had really good eggs ben for brekkie alone on the last day

Bye, Chicago!

Okay, now I'll get to what you've been holding out for - the shopping!

At Woodfield, I popped into Victoria's Secret and bought this Sexy Little Things Noir gift set. I fell in love first with the vintage-style perfume. You know - that pump spray thingy? And then I fell in love with the scent. Then I thought - what the heck - I should just get the full set. And it only set me back by friggin' USD30!

I'm glad I didn't lose my mind when I was at the outlet. I have more self control than I thought. My purchases include...

This hot red (fave colour of the moment) envelope clutch from Michael Kors. I figured I could bring it to dinner parties and use it as an iPad cover too (it fits an iPad2 perfectly)

I also bought this nautical bag from Michael Kors. I was absolutely attracted.

And if you know me, you wouldn't believe that I would leave without snagging a Kate Spade bag. I had to! The discounts are just too good to pass!

Another of my fave brands, Juicy Couture, was also available at the outlet, and I got this blazer at a steal.

DKNY jeans too... And this fits so perfectly and is super comfy. It's already got itself a special place in my wardrobe. I foresee I'll wear it, A LOT.

And a new charm from Juicy Couture, which actually is a bit expensive, but I couldn't resist.

Which is your favourite out of all my buys? :)

Review: 7Adam - Hidden gem for food and art lovers

I love quiet, stylish places where I can spend quiet meals at. At the newly-opened 7Adam seems to tick all the right boxes.

Housed at a charmingly rustic colonial house, it is one of the National University of Singapore Society's Guild Houses. 7Adam also has a bistro-meets-gallery concept where diners can also purchase contemporary paintings and sculptures from. The art works are by a mix of local and regional artists, and will change every eight to 10 weeks.

I visited the 110-seater restaurant and sampled some of their creative dishes.

You should begin your order with one of the cocktails. One of the most indulgent ones I saw on the menu is the Creamilicious Kit Kat, a concoction of Bailey's, Creme de Cacao and milk with Kit Kat flavoured ice-cream. I know, you're drooling already. It's featured in the picture below, second from left.

I ordered a Ladies' Desire for myself, which is a mix of vodka, elderflower syrup and lychee liqueur. If you're the kind who goes for Cosmopolitan or Lychee Martini at the bar, this is probably something you'd love too.

I must say that I'm particularly impressed with their appetisers. These two - Seared Tuna Loin ($16.50) and Crab Cakes ($15) - were pretty awesome.

The tuna is prepared with avocado and salsa, and you could taste a hint of wasabi too. The natural sweetness from the fresh tuna is enhanced with the caviar and avocado, and it goes especially well with a glass of sweet cocktail.

Even better is the Crab Cakes, which is lighter than it looks. Served with tomato chilli jam, I thought it'll go perfectly with a light beer.

My favourite from my tasting menu has to be the Duck Confit ($24). It features a duck leg served with Sze Chuan peppers and laced with mashed potato. I love its crispy exterior and the rich flavours that are enhanced with the peppers. The mashed potato doesn't do much for the dish, but I guess it's always good to have something to munch on while you wait for the desserts to come.

As for desserts, go for the Affogato ($10), and skip coffee after since the Espresso should probably get you going for the rest of the day.

7Adam is located at 7 Adam Park. It's opened from 11am-11pm daily. Call 6467-0777 for the restaurant and 6463-0777 for the gallery. Visit www.7adam.com for more information.