SELA Restaurant

 (Food Tasting Event)

A few weeks back, SELA invited me for a food tasting event over at their restaurant. This happened during my exams actually but it just so happens that for that week, my exams ended on the day of the food tasting event so I could go! I keep telling myself that it's fate cause I wouldn't have been able to make it otherwise hahaha. Anywho, I brought my sister along with me cause food is always good when the company is nice(:

SELA just opened recently in July actually and it is a modern European restaurant. Featuring a spread for lunch and dinner that represent the essence of European cooking with an exclusive grilled Tapas menu, SELA has a wide range of wines to select from - all the better to go with the wide range of wines to select from! Well I didn't try any wine (still can't drink hahaha) but other bloggers seem really pleased with it! They also offer Japanese craft beers which are really hard to find in Singapore! I was talking to the owner of the restaurant and he said that only around 5 restaurants offer it so you definitely have to check it out.

 

 

 

 

The last photo features the Japanese craft beers if you're wondering how it looks!

I also got to find out a little more about the main chef at SELA from the owner. Head chef, Mohammad Shahrom, has been a chef for 7 years who specializes in gourmet European cuisine. In fact, he won 1st place in a cooking competition, Tutto Italiano in 2007, and was sent on a study trip to Italy. He believes that good European food does not necessarily have to come from a European chef and constantly works on improving his skills. A really friendly person who you should say hi if you drop by!

 

Grilled Asparagus, Poached Egg, Parma Ham

This dish was 1 of the 2 starters that were served. What I love about this dish was definitely the asparagus. I'm not a huge fan of vege (as most of my friends know) but this is different. Paired with the poach egg, it's just perfection. Just imagine the yolk falling all over the asparagus and ham. Thinking about it makes me hungry!

 

Carpaccio of Scallops, Thia Fish Sauce Chilli Dressing

And the 2nd starter. Personally, I don't find the chilli too overwhelming or strong so you don't have to worry about it being too spicy or anything like that. The scallops are thinly sliced, perfect as a starter to kick start your meal! Definitely a good one to share but just do note that it won't be really filling. 

Herb Crusted Lamb Rack, Braised Red Cabbage, Banana Shallots, Lamb Jus

For all the lamb lovers out there, this is definitely for you. The meat is really chewy and tender that'll pretty much leave you craving for more. I'd advice to share it though cause it is actually quite filling despite its appearance. I know that some ppl don't really like the taste of mutton so you might not find this to your liking if you fall under the category. Don't fret though cause there are other dishes that are equally good!

 

Baked Miso Chilean Seabass, Edamame & Sweet Peas

This is the other main that SELA offered for their food tasting and it's my absolute FAVOURITE  bold, underline, italicised, highlight hahaha. I'm not even that big of a fan of seafood but this is definitely special. The seabasss is even nicer than the lamb rack in my opinion and definitely my favourite dish for the day! Get this get this get this if you're gng to SELA!

 

Seared Duck Breast, Saute Parsnips and Mushroom, Sze Chuan Pepper Sauce

The owner was really very nice and told us that we could order extra dishes in case the food wasn't enough and of course, we did hahaha. The 4 of us decided to order 2 more dishes and here is 1 of them. Coming from Hong Kong, duck is one of my favourite dishes and we always eat it all the time so I did have high standards for this! And of course, it didn't fail to make me a happy diner hahaha! Funny story but I actually didn't know the white circle thing you see in the photo are onions. So I ate it and just cringed. Not a very smart move haha.

 

Slow Braised Kurabuta Pork Cheek, Potatoes and Carrots

And here's the 2nd extra dish we ordered. Is it just me or does it not really look like pork? Hahaha but it definitely tastes as good as pork gets! I know the main attraction of this dish is the pork but I must say, I really, really loved the potatoes. The main dish is only as good as the accompanying ingredients right? I pretty much ate 3/4 of the potatoes (sorry all my dinner buds that day!) cause it was that good. Definitely should give this a go.

Salmon Skewers, Grape Relish

I'm a huge huge huge fan of such cooked salmon. Funny how I don't like raw salmon at all but love this to bits. It's under SELA's selection of Tapas and in my opinion, I prefer this over to the other tapas they offered that day (next photo). Both are good but smth about this just appealed to me. I'm pretty sure it's the way it tasted. Did you know that the sea salt (the base/ 'plate') is delivered all the way from the Himalayas? We asked the owner what can't they just sprinkle salt over. Apparently, he wanted the salmon to 'soak in' the salt so that the dish will fully absorb the taste. Super interesting right! I don't actually know any other restaurants which does this. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for tapas.

Miso Squid, Sweet Peas, Salmon Roe

And the other tapas we got to try out. The squid is really chewy and I thought that it was quite an interesting combi to places squid, peas and salmon roe together. A special pairing and it definitely worked. 

Gula Melaka Creme Caramel

Time for my favourite part of dinner! DESSERTS! *throws pompom, confetti, table, chair, everything in the air* SELA is an European restaurant but they preserve traditional asian flavours if you would call it. And that's why, there's the Gula Melaka Creme Caramel! It was so good, we asked for seconds. So yup, the 4 of us shared 2 of this dish (Thank you to the owner and chef for preparing it for us!)

Lemon Cheese Tart

I also loved this and would loved to have seconds. Unfortunately, this came after the Gula Melaka Creme Caramel and we were all pretty full by then. There is the right amount of sourness that you would expect in a Lemon Tart but it definitely wasn't too sour. You can definitely finish this all by yourself cause it isn't a lot as compared to the Gula Melaka Creme Caramel. So I'd recommend the one above if you're looking to share desserts whereas this if you'd rather have dessert by yourself (:

If the above dishes aren't to your liking, no worries cause SELA frequently update and change their menu. My sister and I were quite shocked when we heard cause we've nvr heard of such a concept before. The team at SELA strives to keep their menu refreshing and will spend time learning about new dishes so that they can offer them on their menu. You might be thinking now, does this mean my favourite dish will be gone?!?! Well, nope! They will keep the more popular dishes (such as the Gula Mela Creme Caramel which is totally a reason why you should try it cause it's their best selling dessert) so that you can still enjoy them (:

Their operating hours are

Monday - Saturday: 11.30am - 2.30pm

                                 5.30pm - 11pm

Overall, a very pleasant experience and my sister was saying that she'd totally bring Rifdi there one day cause it's 2 mins away from his office. If you're planning to take public transport, you can take an MRT to Cityhall and walk to SELA. It's right opposite Raffles Hotel, super convenient to get to. You can find out more at SELA's website or their facebook and even email them at enquiry@restauramtsela.com.sg. Let me know if you do drop by and rmb to say hi to the friendly staff over there!

SELA Restaurant - 32 Seah Street

                               S188388

"If music be the food of love, play on."

William Shakespeare

Smooch

 

 

 

 

Smooches for you <3

One rule that I go by is "sleeved or sleeveless". When I say sleeveless, I mean tube tops/dresses. It's really weird actually but if I wear this exact same dress with thin/spaghetti straps, I'd look a lot chubbier. It's not that hard to understand why; because thin straps cuts off your neck and arms. On the other hand, tube dress elongates your neck and shoulder/arms making you look slimmer. Most girls avoid tube dresses but just give it a try! You might like it even better. Just a little tip to share with you guys(:

This dress is just perfect, comes with anti slip bands and has the right amount of flare to it. A really simple one but it's just so flattering. Especially at the waist because of it's cutting. I was initially afraid of the dress falling and having to be all ninja and subtly (or not) pull up the dress which I find a major turn off btw. It's just so unglam when girls have to keep pulling up their tops and dresses and I really can't stand it. So I'm so glad to say that this dress gives no such problem at all! Stayed on really secure for the whole day which are mega plus points for it!

If you notice really closely, the flats I'm wearing have bunny ears on them! They're just so adorable and it makes me feel like I'm 10 wearing them hahaha. No blisters at all and I'm definitely bringing this pair to HK! I'll take a close up shot of it soon so check back here soon!

Flare Up Swing Dress in Red  - Aforarcade

Bunny Ears Flats - El-ska

"When in doubt wear red."

Bill Blass

Madison

 

 

 

 

Blue and white is definitely one of my favourite colour combi all year long. I know white pretty much goes with every single colour there is but there's just smth about pairing it with a blue apparel that appeals to me.

This blouse may seem a little familiar because if you scroll all the way up, hey look, it's in my header photo hahaha! I've worn this so many times pretty much cause it's my only basic blue blouse. I have a denim one as well but I'm not a huge fan of it here in Singapore cause it's way too hot to be wearing a denim shirt. I always say it's a definite must to have staple, basic blouses in your wardrobe in every single colour possible because they're just so versatile and goes with everything. 

Wore Jenesyss' Madison Skirt as well (which is still available on their web!). I really love the leather waistband because it makes it different. I have a plain white midi as well but that channels a whole different look. A plain white midi is girlier whereas this one is a little more edgy. The material is really luxe and smooth as well which are mega plus points!

Blouse - Ellysage

Madison Midi - Jenesyss

Espadrilles - Love Bonito

Watch - Fossil

"Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony."

Coco Chanel

Swish

 

 

 

A LVLS ARE OVERRRRRRR! School's out for the next 8 months and I'm so happy and excited and joyous and overwhelmed (you get the point) Please bear with me cause it really takes some time to edit the photos and filter them out cause there's just so many things that has been going on this past month.

Anywho, I'm extremely excited about today's post because it features a midi from Jenesyss, an online shop owned by my sister Gwen and her partner Gerri(: They have currently launched 2 collections and this skirt is an upcoming one! It's really so much fun to see them preparing for each collection and all these happened during my A lvls period actually. A little distraction and time off studying everytime I walk out of my room and go disturb them haha!

This skirt is actually a midi but would be a perfect maxi for petite girls (like me!) in my opinion. I was so happy when I tried it on and it was the perfect length. It gives off such strong ballerina vibes because of the flowiness of the skirt. It's quite a heavy one actually due to the many layerings of the skirt but that's exactly what makes this such a twirl worthy skirt. My sister literally just took 1 photo of me twirling and said "okay we're done!" Haha! The first photo was the first one that she took btw!

Comes in grey and pink as well which I can't wait to wear them out someday! You can follow them on their IG (@jenesyss) or find them on FB for updates and sneaks!

Bustier - Love Bonito

Maia Midi - Jenesyss

Heels - The Closet Lover

"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."

Samuel Backett

OOTD In Squares

 

 

 

 

"A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting."

Christian Dior

Tropics Lush

 

 

 

I got 6 mosquito bites after this set of photos.

This is actually a Bershka inspired dress and I was eyeing on it for quite some time when I first saw it at Bershka. Funny thing is, the Bershka one had a weird waist line and even size S was too big for me. It just looked weird... 

Decided to get this when I saw that Ladymojo was selling it! Hahaha weirdly enough, though it's free size, it fits pretty well! I guess it's cause it's quite elastic. My favourite part of the dress has got to be the tropical bustier! It changes the whole look and is pretty eye catching in my opinion(:

Tropical Dress - Ladymojo

Sling Bag - Tory Burch

Sandals - Tory Burch

"Love is the flower you've get to let grow."

John Lennon