City buzz

THE LUXURY OF TIME

WATCHES

Boutique openings

JAEGER-LECOULTRE'S newly-opened second boutique at Ion Orchard (2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard, #02-08) is more than just a destination to head to when you feel like spoiling yourself with a new luxury timepiece. The flagship store is also the first in South-east Asia to house a wall boasting more than 1,000 calibres created by the Manufacture over the last 180 years.

This special feature is inspired by a similar wall of movements located at the Heritage Gallery of the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre in the Valley de Joux, Switzerland; and it's intended to show off the Maison's rich history in haute horlogerie and movement-making.

Not only that, Singaporeans will be the first to see the new novelties, including the Duometre Spherotourbillon Moon from this year's Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, when the pieces go on display at ION ART (level 4) next week from Feb 11-13.

Also hailing from the Vallée de Joux is Audemars Piguet, which incidentally opened its second boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (2 Bayfront Avenue, Canal Level B2-207) earlier this week.

The space pays tribute to the 140-year-old brand's core values - origins, artistry and the extraordinary - with a design concept that blends wood and metal to recreate the idyllic landscapes of its home in Le Brassus. The space is divided into two areas - "The Manufacture", where timepieces from the brand's six collections are displayed and includes a watchmaker's corner; and "The House", which features a full service bar and lounge for clients to learn more about their timepieces over an espresso or a cocktail.

Creating the atmosphere of a home away from home, Audemars Piguet's new boutique aims to celebrate the brand's DNA, its Valleé de Joux heritage, as well as its mastery in the art of fine watch-making, decorations and complications.

By Dylan Tan

STAND-UP COMEDY

The Rishi and Sharul Show

COMEDIANS Rishi Budhrani and Sharul Channa have a few "firsts" to their names: they're Singapore's first married stand-up comic act, and Sharul is Singapore's first female Indian stand-up comic - Kumar is a man, lest one forgets. Rishi is the first Singaporean to win the Hong Kong International Comedy Competition in 2012 and the first to perform at clubs like Gotham Comedy Club and The Comic Strip Live in New York.

Now the couple is debuting their new show, The Rishi and Sharul Show, in which they poke fun at sex, love, marriage and life in Singapore.

Expect plenty of ballsy, no-holds-barred humour as the two have to been known the cross the line again and again, with impunity.

By Helmi Yusof

POP-UP MARKET

D'Kranji Farm Fair

IT seems that Singaporeans are really strong supporters of buying local produce, judging from the number of pop-up markets that have been taking place at the handful of farms we have.

This weekend, D'Kranji Farm Resort will be transformed into a bustling marketplace, with activities for adults, kids, and even pets. Since the farm fair only starts at 1pm, head out to lunch there to try some fried quail, frog and crocodile meat on skewers, or less-exotic options such as nasi lemak and satay. The farm fair is also the right place to buy some organic vegetables, seasonal fruit, farm fresh quail, frog meat, and home-made chutneys and spreads.

It is not just food that's on sale. There will also be vendors selling hand-made soaps, and plant-based vegan body and lip balms, as well as sprouting seeds, potted herbs and flowers.

For the full farm experience, how about checking into one of the villas at D'Kranji Resort for the weekend? A night in a standard villa is priced at S$120.

By Tay Suan Chiang

DINING

Chicken Legend

STEAMBOAT places in Singapore tend to have the usual soup stocks: herbal chicken, ma la, or for something more exotic, satay sauce. Now try steamboat using coconut water, which is what new eatery Chicken Legend offers? The soup is made of 100 per cent coconut water, without any added MSG, artificial sweetener or oil.

Owner Dylan Dai first came across coconut water steamboat in Shenzhen and decided to introduce it to Singapore. He and his friend Jasper Tan opened Chicken Legend four months ago.

The soup on its own is naturally sweet, and becomes more flavourful when the ingredients are added in. Cook the prawns last as they will alter the taste of the soup. A steamboat set, priced from S$20, comes with kampung chicken cubes, as well as other meats and seafood. The chicken cubes are best cooked for six minutes to retain their tenderness.

The duo also make their own soya sauce which fuses over 10 different herbs, and it is served with garlic, chilli and lime. The coconuts are from Malaysia. The distinct scent and taste of coconut comes through, but for diners who want their soup less sweet can request for the coconut water to be diluted.

By Tay Suan Chiang

TV

Game of Thrones Season Five: A Day in the Life

Monday, Feb 9 at 9.30pm on HBO

APRIL is coming. But for fans of the hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones, it probably can't get here soon enough; especially since season four of the series ended in June last year, with the death of Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), the escape of Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) locking away her dragons.

While you are counting the days before season five premieres (on April 12 in the US, by the way), perhaps one way to satisfy your cravings could be to catch next week's Game of Thrones Season Five: A Day in the Life - a behind-the-scenes preview of the upcoming season.

This half-hour special programme on Monday night will give viewers an inside look at the production of season five, which was conducted across three different countries - Northern Ireland, Croatia, and Spain. The programme will also be available for free viewing on the HBO website and YouTube channel from Feb 10, for two weeks.

By Rachel Loi