1. While most items are in ordinary retail sizes, about 15% are in bulk sizes, items which you will rarely see in ordinary supermarkets. Think economies of scale.
2. There is a range of exclusive brands and products that you don’t easily get on retail – which is great for experimental home cooks; and
3. If you want to touch and feel the items first before buying them, you can go to their warehouse to cash-and-carry your buys home.

I surfed through the website and saw quite a lot of bulk or unusual products any 21st century home-cooking auntie would get excited about. Here’s a sampling – 1.36 litres of clam juice (S$7.70), 4.5 kg Knorr tomato paste (S$33.04), 20 litres soy bean oil in a jerry can (S$63.56); 3.6kg Knorr oyster sauce ($10.39), 2kg Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese ($25.04).

In total, GroXers.com offers about 2000 items, mostly imported from abroad and including some which are exclusive to the store. They also carry their own in-house brands like Bello, GroXers, Koorimo, Xin Si (Asian foods) and Xtuff (dried basics & spices).

While not every item is cheaper than market price, they do say that you can save up to 20% on some of the items, and definitely if you buy bulk sized products.

For free delivery, the minimum spent is S$60, possibly the lowest rate in Singapore. What’s more, GroXers.com offers support service and advice via their ConXierge service. If you need advice how to make a gravy or what to do with leftovers, for instance, they’ll be on hand to help.

To start off, you need to register – as with all online stores. If you do so before the end of this year, GroXers.com will give 25% discount off your first purchase. What’s more, for every $50 spent, GroXers Inc will donate $1 to Food Bank Singapore, which aims to be the prevailing centralised coordinating organization for all food donations.

But if, at the end of the day, you must touch and feel, head to the GroXers Inc warehouse at 39 Keppel Road, #01-02/04, Tanjong Pagar Distripark and enjoy 5 percent off their cash-and-carry purchases.

www.GroXers.com

As a continuation of our hosted trip to refurbished The Majestic KL, our writer Jasmine Tham checks out the hotel’s gorgeous spa, and its cuisine and drinks which had her spend practically the entire weekend luxuriating indoors.

What makes a hotel memorable? Do you have few favourites? Often, they are the ones that stand out for you, even amongst the repetitive drill of check-in, unpack, sleep, and check-out, aren’t they? In our books, some of the best have a character and ambience that draws you in the minute your bags are dropped off at the lobby.

The Majestic Spa by Spa Village

I always know that I’ve had a good spa experience when this happens; falling asleep midway through the massage, and waking up to post-massage hair and rubber legs. And nothing beats having the spa just mere steps away from the hotel room so you don’t have to stumble too far back to the room while encountering other guests with said spa hair.

The Majestic Spa is housed in its own building, just adjacent to the Suites Wing, a flight of stairs and walkway away. So it really ensures privacy, shielded from the bustle of activities. The spa itself is a tranquil haven with discreet service; all set in a colonial-meets-art noveau décor that is both soothing and modern. Is the experience worth checking out? Definitely.

A bit of background to the spa: it is intentionally fashioned after the art nouveau style of Scotsman Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s famous Willow Tearooms in Glasgow—an iconic, once-fashionable place where ladies and gentlemen liked to gather for their tea. I’m not sure if the British indulged in spas during the colonial days, but English culture sure makes for an interesting theme for the spa in the present day.

The Majestic Spa has seven treatment rooms and the menu focuses on four spa experiences, each named after and inspired by a tale from old Britain or British Malayan history.

Every spa session starts off with a foot bath and rosemary oil head massage. For couples, there’s the Malaya Golden Chersonese (2.5hrs, Double MYR1,500 / Single MYR750++) which involves yummy concoctions of banana honey hair masque, lime blossom bath and East Indian Spice massage. I was told that the English Afternoon Tea (2hrs, MYR700++) for singles is good enough to eat, comprising a blackberries-and-cream scrub, garden berries oil massage and a facial using English Rose natural extracts. Ingredients are all natural and most are of food-grade standards!

After a light breakfast (served in-room, courtesy of our personal butler), it was off to the spa for our North Coast Seaweed Sculpt (2.5hrs, MYR750++). It began with dry-brushing, then on to a seaweed wrap with a mineral-rich mask and finally a lymphatic massage. The thoughtful therapist enquired frequently as to things they should keep in mind, comfort level with the room temperature, etc. And she summed up the experience best: “You’re meant to feel like a pampered princess here. That’s our job.”

Colonial Café

Fresh from our morning spa, we were more than happy to adjourn for lunch, to further explore the hotel’s heritage via the gastronomic route. In one part of the dining area that also houses the Tea Lounge and Bar, the Colonial Café’s ambience was more starched table cloth and napkins than casual, so dress smart to fit in. It seats 120 indoors and outdoors in a glass-roofed atrium that lets the daylight flood in.

Nostalgia alert! The menu is dominated by old British and Hainanese classic like faggots made with minced beef, lamb and offal, Hainanese chicken chops, Malacca’s chicken rice balls and a spiced stew of Mulligatawny.

Fresh from the spa, and wanting to have something ‘healthy’, I tried the cod fish which ironically was topped with onion rings, and drizzled with brown sauce, tableside. My lunch companion can attest to the must-try factor of the hearty chicken chops, but that didn’t stop him from polishing off an entire serving of the chicken rice as well. If you’re in the mood for comfort food, you won’t go wrong with them.

For desserts, try the rather rich and ‘raisin-ed’ Spotted Dick (no naughty ideas, please!) if it’s something you haven’t had before. (As one of the iconic Brit desserts, the steamed pudding is made with breadcrumbs and suet, and similar in taste to bread pudding, but slightly firmer in texture.) Otherwise, the English Trifle or fried banana fritters are lovely sweet endings.

Starters, mains and desserts are priced about MYR45++ and above.

Afternoon Tea

The elegant afternoon meal ritual begins at the Tea Lounge from 3pm to 6pm. Judging from the crowd that quickly filled the lounge, it seems a popular haunt for well-heeled locals.

The Tea Lounge is a pretty open concept. Imagine a large hallway, where the lounge, Colonial Café and Bar are housed around the periphery, anchored by a grand piano that sits in the middle of the area. This is where talented resident pianist Ooi Eow Jin, works his magic on the ivories. Ooi is credited with more than seven decades of composing experience in Malaysia’s music industry. We’re also told that the Soliano brothers (legendary in KL’s music circles) perform during the evenings but we didn’t manage to catch them this time.   It’s also one of the more affordable ways to get acquainted with the hotel, through an afternoon over conversation, tea and nibbles, in an enviable atmosphere of indulgence.

Put on your crinolines and petticoats, sit back in one of the plush armchairs and ottomans and sample a spread of finger sandwiches, raisin scones with preserves and clotted cream, mini red velvet cupcake, crab cakes, samosas and tarts, with a view of the hotel’s landscaped lawns. The sweet and savoury mix is served on a high tea tray and refillable while we asked for certain items. Our favourite? The scones that came toasty warm, and not too doughy.

For greater privacy or just to feel like Jane Austen, tea may also be taken at the Drawing Room and the hotel’s notable Orchid Conservatory, a glasshouse filled with colourful varieties of the Phalaenopsis, also the signature bloom of the hotel. Note that prices differ depending on where you want to sup: Afternoon tea at the Tea Lounge is MYR48++, Drawing Room MYR68++ and Orchid Conservatory MYR88++. Service and menu remains the same for each location.

The Bar

Located right next to the grand piano, the long bar spans 22 feet in length and is carved from fine nyatoh wood, against a backdrop of darkwood panels, mirrors and brass fittings. If you’re looking for a taste of old Kuala Lumpur, prop yourself here. The historical bar, as I guessed, comes with its fair share of urban legends and entertainment. One involves a jealous wife, a gun and two bullets, according to a true story narrated by staff, which gave rise to Code 55 (which sounds similar to the weapon, Colt 55)  and 2 Bulat, made with beer, lemonade, gin and whisky. The cocktail is mostly fizzy and the whisky gives it some kick, but tasted strangely of egg meringue. Kudos for trying to create an original recipe for the bar, though.

The rest of the menu is delightfully focused on classic cocktails of yesteryear, from a gin, lemon juice and soda Tom Collins and an intriguing Great Expectations (recipe attributed to Charles Dickens), to more colonial-influenced Stengah, Gin Pahit and Malayan Colada. Forget about resisting the temptation to imbibe. We tried the Gin Pahit, Straits Sling and Tanqueray Blue, but they somehow seemed either a tad too sweet or bitter, never exactly hitting that perfect mix, in our view. (All cocktails priced at MYR48++.)

Contango

For contemporary dining, we visited the 250-seater Contango restaurant located at the Tower Wing, separated from the Majestic Wing by a covered walkway.

The interactive buffet-style dining concept hosts open kitchens, providing diners with entertaining displays of showmanship. There’s Asian, Japanese, Western, Italian and a Churrasco Grill on the menu. Some favourites we tried came from the Japanese station for its fresh sashimi, and from the Asian station, a silky rendition of fried kway teow (or rice noodles). The Western dishes were good as well, but the local dishes seemed to boast more variety in terms of ingredients and execution. We enjoyed the Thai and local stations the most, notably the tom yum soup.

If you must choose only one dessert from the list, make it from the selection of home-made ice-cream, of which the durian is their most popular and well worth the calories for being thoroughly satisfying.

For oenophiles, its wine cellar boasts 2000 bottles, including a vertical collection of Opus One wines. The tech-savvy restaurant also uses the Enomatic wine system which conveniently dispenses your wine of choice. (Price: MYR68++ for lunch and MYR88++ for dinner. Additional MYR30++ for wine and beer.)

The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is found  along  Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, not far from KL’s  Sentral Station, with its 28-minute express rail link to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It’s about a 10 minutes drive from the City Centre and the ‘Golden Triangle’.  www.majestickl.com

A few lazy weekends ago, we wandered to try the latter in Jordan, a stone’s throw from Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. What’s the allure?  First up, crowd attracts crowd and this one has a constant flow of customers even though the set menu is the same all day, every day. 

A long queue is spotted way before the entrance of the store

With my husband safely in queue, I wander way up front to take a photo of the store entrance  

Secondly, the main attraction and its name hails from the lovely, melt-in-your-mouth milk dessert that they serve. This is served both hot as well or cold. 

We ordered two bowls, cold and delish! It tasted almost of a cross of almond and soya!  

 There are also bottle milk drinks as well. 

Finally, the fare is pretty standard so no point asking for a menu. You just pick from one of the sets on the wall. 

The prices, too, are unbeatable.  

The kitchen is tiny but runs a roaring business. The recommended set menu is framed on the wall, in a lit light box above our table. 

Inside the restaurant – there are several areas as the restaurant is basically tiny and everything is pretty much packed together including the tables and the customers. This was part of the Milk Dessert station. The canisters below hold the steamed milk pudding dessert. 

We quickly got a seat because there was space for 3 that opened up. Forget your own private table – here caring is sharing! 

If you are really hankering for something out of the ordinary, there are some ala carte picks on the yellow menu conveniently slipped under the plastic top table. But 80 per cent of the customers are regulars or tourists who order exactly what we did, the house special. 

Hot Chinese tea in plastic cups is a standard serve at your table along with what you see, cutlery wrapped in serviettes. 

The House Specials (below) – simple toasted bread sandwiched with butter and peanut nut butter, two slices of ham and scrambled eggs. They also serve eggs sunny side up or half-boiled but seriously, if thats what you are after – keep that for a day out at Yakun’s in Singapore. 

In this joint, you want the scrambled eggs below – warm to the palette, well-whipped and scrambled with what looks like a touch of corn starch and milk, this dish is totally gourmet as far as a Hong Kong breakfast goes. This is their piece de resistance. 

The Macaroni looks bland but looks are deceiving. It gets more addictive after the first slurp. The soup is just the right consistency of salt, water used to boil the macaroni in with a bit of a chicken-stock flavour and the macaroni comes topped with two more slices of what looks like shoulder ham. 

The bread set, eggs and macaroni are part of one set!! And portions here are more than amply generous.  There is pepper, salt and toothpicks on the table but forget about asking for ketchup (as tomato sauce is known here) and anything more fancy. You also have about 15 minutes tops to eat and run. This is not one of those coffee shops where you can trade updates and exchange woes. One hundred percent an eat-and-run joint and if you fail to get the point, the bill is quickly and efficiently presented to you.  

WHERE:  

The Australian Dairy Company, GF, 47 to 49 Parkes Street, Jordan

Tel: +852 2730 1356

Premium Swiss shoes and accessories brand NAVYBOOT has a hand-painted collection for men made from the finest Italian leather. Great attention to detail has been paid to the leather selection, colour painting and polishing. In fact, every step of production is done manually and each hand-painted shoe represents a unique piece of intricate craftsmanship.  

The biggest secret of the collection is the colour recipe available exclusively to NAVYBOOT. Colours of the shoes in the collection radiate an incomparable depth and vividness matched with the shoes’ lavish design. 

 The hand-painted shoes, men’s Full Brogue Derby or classically simple Derby shoes without perforations are available in five colors in Hong Kong:  dark red, dark green, grey, navy and cognac and are priced at HK$4,400.

Go see at Harbour City Hong Kong flagship store, The Shoppes at Four Seasons, and Sands Cotai Central Macao. 

Like to see what you can do creatively with paper? Head to Harbour City in Hong Kong where as part of the fringe events related to the French May festivities in Hong Kong, French paper distribution company, Antalis has organised, Fête en Papier, a creative exhibition on till this Sunday with 12 local Hong Kong artists and designers. 

Taking inspiration from an array of French culture, namely Literature, Fashion, Music, Photography, Architecture, Opera, Dance, Cinema, Fine Art, Theatre, Wine and Gourmet themes, the artists have used paper to create a series of unique paper art pieces.

Exhibition is on at Harbour City, Gateway Arcade Atrium till Sunday, 17 May.

If owning a Porsche is on your bucket list or you or a loved one is savouring that mid-life crisis moment, you may just want to consider living in Hong Kong (albeit for awhile) especially if you get a job that pays the rent, because a brand new Cayman (just launched here last week) costs HK$877,000 to HK$1,061,000 (S$140,000 to S$170,000). In Singapore, that would buy you .. yes, you got that right –  a stylish new Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 – Sedan Auto according to the prices with COE listed on Toyota’s Singapore website this month! Yes Porsche vs Toyota – thats a really hard lifestyle choice to make. 

The new third generation Cayman and Cayman S. which launched this week drives lighter, is lower and is that much more agile than its predecessor. The car has a longer wheelbase with wider track and larger wheels, further enhancing the performance of this mid-engine, two-seat coupé. It is also up to 25kg lighter than the prior model. Powered by a 2.7-litre flat six-cylinder engine with 275 hp (202 kW), acceleration from zero to 100km/h takes 5.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono package, with a top speed of 264 km/h. Its New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) fuel consumption is 7.7 l/100 km with the standard Porsche 7-speed Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission.

The 3.4-litre Cayman S engine produces 325hp (239 kW), with optimum acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds with Sport Chrono package. The Cayman S can reach a top speed of 281 km/h, and its NEDC fuel consumption is 8 l/100km with the standard PDK transmission. And the best part is that despite the overall stronger engine and dynamic performance, the new generation Cayman consumes up to 15 percent less fuel than its predecessor.

Details at: www.porsche.com.hk. 

And just in case you want to see it for yourself, go to: Porsche Centre Hong Kong 1 / 3 Phone:+852 2926 2911 G/F, AXA Centre Fax:+852 2959 6350 151 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 

We love the four exciting pieces (Pilot, Canteen Fashion, Grandeur Diver and Steel Bracelet) that were recently introduced for 2013 and asked Scott Patchett, TW Steel’s visiting Chief Operating Officer – Asia Pacific and Chief Advisor for TW Steel if the trend for Big Watches is here to stay? 

“Whilst I don’t think oversized watches are suddenly a new trend, I think their importance in the market is now becoming more visible and obviously more mainstream.  In the same way small watches haven’t gone out of fashion, I don’t believe oversized watches will either. With regards to female consumers wearing ‘men’s’ styles, I think again it’s down to personal taste but undoubtedly, and we’re proud of this at TW Steel, it’s about making a bold statement and setting yourself apart!” 

The all-new Pilot Collection offers simple, yet bold elegance with both 45 and 48mm case sizes in brushed steel or with a refined brushed PVD rose gold plated finish and an alternative sandblasted PVD titanium coated case. Matching leather straps complete the fashionable timepieces with feature colour stitching. Each of the three-hand executions contain a Miyota 2415 movement, while the Chronograph editions utilize the Miyota 0S20 movement, alongside bold dials and crisp luminous numbering and hands. 

The visually appealing Canteen Fashion series features a 3-hand Miyota 2415 movement with each bezel given a luxuriously shiny finish available in an array of bright, dynamic colours on the dials, hands, silicon straps and brushed steel clasp – available in blue, green, red, purple, yellow and turquoise – all timepieces are 45mm in diameter and water resistant, making them perfect for everyday-wear.

The stylishly-masculine Grandeur Diver collection boasts a state-of-the-art Big Caliber Chronograph Miyota 6S20 movement, one that is four times more powerful than any other chrono movement available. The line’s distinguishing larger chrono eyes are highly visible on the dial and the TW700 and TW701 – 45mm and 48mm in diameter respectively – feature steel cases with black dials and bold red chrono second hands, accompanied by a sleek rotating bezel with black ceramic inlay. The PVD rose gold plated case editions – TW702 and TW703 in 45mm and 48mm diameter respectively – come with a black dial, rotating bezel and ceramic inlay, and are finished with rose gold numbers and indexes. The TW704 in 45mm and TW705 in 48mm, complete the collection and boast dark PVD titanium-coated cases with a matching dial incorporating the rotating bezel, black ceramic inlay, with contrasting numbers and indexes in white and  a bold red chrono second hand.

The Steel Bracelet timepieces use a 40mm case that fits beautifully with the dimensions of the steel bracelet.  The slightly smaller size remains unique to this model, with the TW304 featuring a 3-Hand Miyota 2115 movement within a brushed steel case, with a sunray silver dial and matt silver numbers and index.  The hands are also matt silver whilst the bezel and central pieces of the bracelet sport a shine-finish. 

The new TW305 and TW306 versions of the Canteen Style Steel Bracelet feature a PVD rose gold plated steel bracelet, the former with a matching rose gold dial, whilst the latter houses a stunning white Mother of Pearl face. The bezels on both models are adorned with Swarovski crystals.The new TW307 completes the range with a rose gold plated steel case and bracelet; this bold new model boasts a black dial and inner ring with white numbers and tachymeter.

If you are picking up a watch, then don’t forget to ask the store about its online competition that it launches in May. This global online competition, entitled “Pilot Your Life,” celebrates the dynamic new Pilot collection. Upon purchase of a TW STEEL timepiece customers will be given a code allowing them to submit to a microsite, a short explanation of what their ultimate ambition is. The essence of the ‘Pilot your Life’ program is that everyone is in control of their life and destiny; it reflects the desire to be ambitious, successful and bold – key brand attributes. A winner is chosen end of December 2013 with additional prizes awarded to second and third place finalists, which will include the opportunity to meet VIP ambassadors, and receive iconic TW STEEL watches.

Where: TW STEEL Brand Shop address: Shop 2207, Level 2 Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Tsa Tsui, Hong Kong.

Home of the ‘pukka cuppa’, the cult premium English homewares company, Doris & Co, has released a William and Kate baby mug, in anticipation of the birth of the next royal generation.

The new ‘England Expect’‘  collection celebrates new life, hope and resilience and is a quirky collection of crests, mottoes, hedgehogs, crowns, kittens, acorns and, the royal stork.

Doris & Co was founded in 2011 by Louise Dean who wants to “bring back products of pre-war quality and offer strong products to strong women” instead of “all things dippy, ditsy and disposable”.

Its cult goods are found in upper crust stores like the Duchy of Cornwall, the Rothschild Estate shops and Blenheim Palace and John Lewis Plc. You can also lay your hands on them via shopping on their website, which features loads of other equally beguiling and intriguing ware.

www.dorisandco.co.uk

Wishing each of our yummy mummies

a delicious day filled with dollops of fattening, indulgent and lovely treats!

XXOOXX

Elaine and Ee Waun

We found two lovely ideas, both from Australian brands based in Hong Kong that will send the message that you care. 

First up is a ‘smell’ gift. Who can resist receiving what I call a ‘smell’ gift? Its a gift that you may not necessarily buy for yourself but definitely something that you would welcome as a gift or you would gift to someone dear. We are of course talking about the delightful smelling eco-chic candles from Australian brand Sniff, from TREE’s flagship store in Horizon Plaza, Soho and Sai Kung in Hong Kong.

These soy candles are all inspired by memories, pleasure and nature and were created by a passionate boutique Sydney-based team, known affectionately as the Sniffers, who spent months developing fragrances that capture the essence of nature and seasonal changes. The candles are also hand poured using pure soy wax, a renewable and sustainable resource that’s 100% natural and biodegradable. Each candle is then individually hand-packaged in recyclable materials.

There are 10 unique “sniffs” to choose from and best sellers which are the scent of “Fresh Cut Flowers”, the “Sunday Wash Line” and “Rose Bud” are flying off the shelves fast. Other scents include Hello Sailor, Bella Fig, Cashmere, Gardenia, Vanilla, Verbena and Walk in the Woods, each having a different personality for you to choose from with a gift box to go. Sniff candles are 220ml with a burning time of 48 hours, and are priced at HK$395 each. There is also a lovely stainless steel candle snuffer priced at HK$145 each.  

Also from the land down-under is Australian brand Linen House’s new range of bedding, cushions and towels. Great gifts that will show off your good taste, sense of style and how well you know each recipient. Through the month of May, there are five limited edition gift bundles that include an assortment of quilt cover sets, towels and cushions with a free monogram service thrown in if you buy your gift before Sunday 12 May.  

The Mummy Dearest Towel Set – HK$300 - 2 x hand towels and 2 x face washers