Monday, April 06, 2020

Guangzhou 2018: Eats

I love Guangzhou. The food and shopping of this cosmopolitan city is way beyond what I imagined and I have since been here 3 times.

This time, I shall consolidate the food I had during the last trip (in 2018) to Guangzhou here.

Places I visited:
味先肠粉
點都德
宝华面店
顺记冰室
银记肠粉
Starbucks
Heytea 喜茶
小炳胜
Tanyu 探鱼
南信牛奶甜品专家
陶陶居

味先肠粉


This was below the hotel we stayed at, so we had some cheong fun after we first arrived. But it was not nice. I'll rather save my stomach space for the popular 银记肠粉 which was only a 5min walk away. Not gonna share the address since I don't recommend this.

CNY 11/pax

點都德 (喜粤楼店) 






One of my favourite dimsum places in Guangzhou; a very popular chain with tourists and locals alike. What many tourist's blog tells you is to go to the branch at the Beijing Lu area. Nahh, I shall tell you to go to this other branch which is right next to the Yangji Station (杨箕站) so you don't have to walk so far away like the one in Beijing Lu.

CNY 50/pax

beside 杨箕站
越秀区中山一路57号南方铁道大厦内(近拓业大厦)

宝华面店




This place is known for their springy wanton noodles. It's not cheap, about SGD 4, which is similar to the price in SG. But the taste was actually good. I liked it.

CNY 20/pax

荔湾区宝华路117号

顺记冰室


As the name suggests, this place sells ice cream. It's pretty decent and is good for the hot weather, and it was near the noodle shop we went to for dinner, so why not?

CNY 7.50/pax

荔湾区宝华路85号(近宝华面店)

银记肠粉



My favourite cheongfun of all time. The rice rolls are so smooth even the SG branch cannot compare to those in Guangzhou.

CNY 6/pax

Various locations.

Starbucks (Shamian Island) 







You must be wondering why I included Starbucks in my list. Do you know that China has an amazing number of Starbucks branches? This particular one in Shamian Island has a different vibe to it and we decided to visit. To top it off, they were doing a coffee appreciation at that time and we were invited to participate in the coffee and cake appreciate session (free coffee and cakes, yay!) in the comfort of their 2nd level. Very nice place to chill.

CNY 40/pax

荔湾区沙面大街50-52号

Heytea 喜茶



My favourite bubble tea of all time. First had this in Guangzhou and I wished for it to come to SG, which it did! Their bobo oreo was fantastic. The Everspring tea is my favourite as it is a tea taste that I have never tasted before in other bbt shops. Best of all, the price here is about half of that in SG. Although I have to say, the queue in China is horrendous.

CNY 19/pax

惠福东路610前地下商铺及608,610号2-4层铺位

小炳胜








First had the original 炳胜 during the 2nd time I went Guangzhou. Had blogged about it here. So I was ecstatic when I accidentally saw this in a relatively new shopping centre off Beijing Lu. Apparently they have many branches and all has the famous charsiew.

However, I feel that the taste still loses out to the original flagshop store I tried previously. Not sure if it's a placebo effect but well, at least it is still some good charsiew that you rarely find in SG!

CNY 55/pax

越秀区北京路168号粤海仰忠汇六层B605

Tanyu 探鱼








First had this during my 2nd Guangzhou trip and I really yearned for it so much. Alas, they have also since opened in SG, but at prices so much higher (duh).

We always opt for the fish with least bones, and have to order the potato and enoki mushrooms to be put in together. Pair that mala spicy goodness with rice, and it is heavenly.

CNY 73/pax

荔湾区黄沙大道8号西城都荟F1

南信牛奶甜品专家



Had the steamed milk, water chestnut, and guilinggao desserts here to cool off.

CNY 13/pax

荔湾区第十甫路47号

陶陶居










Another famous high end Canton Style restaurant very popular with locals and tourists alike. I had this once on my first visit to Guangzhou. It's more for the rich people to come and yumcha and gatherings. The food was good, but I still prefer those lower end restaurants with better menu and cheaper prices.

CNY ??? Not sure, as it was a treat from friend's husband. hahaha.
The main flagship store in the Shangxiajiu area has since closed.


Nonetheless, I love the cheap dimsum, noodles, desserts, and snacks in Guangzhou. Price per meal should fall within SGD 5 to 10, if not, cheaper. Dimsum places are pretty fast paced so you need to know what's going on and get your orders going. Don't expect the aunties to give you good service, unless you speak Mandarin or best, Cantonese like a pro.

Click below for my Guangzhou VLOG.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Starry Beaute - Diamond Peeling Facial Treatment

If you are thinking of getting a facial at affordable prices and good customer service as opposed to signing packages off Beauty Salons, consider Starry Beaute.


Starry Beaute is a home-based beauty salon in Singapore specialising in Korean beauty and Semi-Permanent Makeup. My beautician Janice, is a qualified Professional Aesthetic Master, trained and certified in Korea.


Starry Beaute offers a range of facial treatments, and I chose the Diamond Peeling one as that is the most popular among her customers.

Diamond Peeling

This facial treatment removes dead skin cells and unblock clogged pores to enhance the look and texture of your skin. It also has anti-ageing benefits that help you to remove toxins, and at the same time, provide oxygenation and regeneration of cells that gives your face a radiant glow.

The treatment also includes elimination of blackheads as well as even out the skin tone. Keeps the skin moisturised, hydrated and brightened.

The steps in the facial includes:

Cleansing - remove impurities
Exfoliating - remove dead skin
Massage - for blood circulation
First mask - to soften your skin and pores before extraction
Extraction - unclog pores and clear the skin
High frequency roller - to kill off bacteria
Ultrasonic machine - calms skin after extraction and helps the skin absorb nutrients while applying a cooling gel
Peeling Cream -  Protects skin, keeps your skin hydrated and prepares your skin for the next step
Final Clay Masking - helps in skin renewal and skin brightening (non-harsh peeling effect)





The extraction process was pretty enjoyable. Janice wears gloves while doing that, a technique that Korean beauticians swear by because that is just so much cleaner than just doing it with your bare hands (so far, the previous facial treatments that I've tried before do not use gloves) and that prevents bacteria from one pimple spreading to another part of your face. 

Janice is also generous with the amount of product she slathers on your face and the quality products she uses worked out pretty well on my face. She also makes sure to put on some toner after cleansing in each step before the next, so that it cleans and minimises my pores before applying the next product. Some salons skip that step in order to save on the toner.

What's more, Starry Beauty gives the option of house calls, meaning, you can get Janice to come over to your house to do the facial treatment at a fee. Super convenient for those who are lazy to travel, or just do not want to go out during this period and yet still need your monthly dose of facial treatment. 

Promotion:

Quote my name to get 20% off any first treatment at Starry Beaute!

Starry Beaute
559 Jurong West Street 42, Singapore 640559

Contact: +65 9651 2834
Email: starrybeaute@gmail.com

Monday - Saturday: 11am - 9pm
Sunday: Closed
Appointment - based only