Happy 41st Birthday To Me

I am officially above 40! It’s time to take it slower, but I still can’t speak or walk slower.

As mentioned in my 40th Birthday post, quality of life going forward should be my number one priority. I am focusing more on quality instead of quantity. I find myself getting Japanese produce at Donki more often, even though they are more expensive.

When traveling, I want to stay in a bigger room and a more convenient hotel, especially in Japan and Hong Kong, where room size matters. Previously, my mindset was that hotel is used only for sleeping; choose the cheapest one and save money. But now, I value different things; comfort and quality of life should be at the top.

Paying money to solve problems instead of figuring out myself is on the list of quality-of-life improvements. There is nothing wrong with figuring out yourself, but sometimes, the process takes time and effort. You could put this time and effort into a better place while letting the expert take care of solving the problem for you. For example, buying car accessories and trying to figure out how to install them. Go to a recommended car workshop, pay a fee, and get them to install it. You divert the time and effort into something else, like chilling at a cafe surfing the Internet while they do the installation.

Lastly, doing nothing is excellent. As I grow older, I love to do nothing and chill at home.

Bon Broth
On Friday, I celebrated with Li Xiang at Bon Broth, which is located at Raffles City, level 3. It is just beside Surrey Hills Grocer, as Surrey Hills is its partner.

Bon Broth is opened by Chef Andre Chiang. Chef Andre was the owner of Raw in Taipei and Restaurant Andre in Singapore which had received two Michelin Stars.

Bon Broth is slightly lighter on the wallet as the prices are cheaper. There are only two options: Premium Set for S$138++ and Deluxe Set for SS$110++. Pricing is per pax. Freeflow Still Water is S$3++, and Sparkling Water is S$4++.

We both ordered the Premium Set. Any meat can be swapped out if you do not eat any ingredients in the set. Note that no chicken meat is available.

Bon Broth - Premium Set — Bon Broth – Premium Set

To go with the set, you can choose from eight soup broths:

Signature
Mala
Laksa
Sauerkraut
Herbal
Hokkaido
Satay
Suki

You will be brought to the Broth Bar shortly after seated to taste the broths. You cannot taste all eight broths. Each person can only taste two. So, if a couple dines together, they can taste four different broths.

The Signature Broth was sold out, so I chose Laksa, and Li Xiang chose Mala as we both like heavily flavored broth.

Unlike most hotpot places, there are no sauces for you to dip. You eat the ingredients “as it is” flavored with the broth they are cooked in.

The portion is huge. Both of us have difficulty finishing our set. When the service staff sees you are finishing the food, they will ask whether you want any carbs, as those are included in the set. We are too full to try it.

I like the food there, and the price is reasonable considering the portion and quality of the food. I saw on Google Reviews that the service was terrible, but it was good when I was there.

Overall, I recommend trying Bon Broth if you like quality hotpot.

Nobu Singapore
On Saturday, there is a celebration with my family as my brother’s birthday is just four days after my birthday and we usually celebrate together.

This year, we had it at Nobu Singapore, where we had the Weekend Brunch Buffet at S$168++ per pax.

It is an ala carte buffet, where the hot dishes are ordered with the service staff, while the dessert and cold bar are self-service. The cold bar has salad, sushi, and sashimi.

My favorite hot dish got to be the F1 Japanese Beef Toban Steak. I had five plates of it. Making my S$168 already worth it.

Nobu - F1 Japanese Beef Toban Steak — Nobu – F1 Japanese Beef Toban Steak

The service is also fantastic, much better than Bon Broth. What makes it better is the attentive service staff. I did not need to request them to refill my water, not even once. At Bon Broth, I always had to ask to refill my water.

I usually don’t go for a buffet, but if I have to go for one, it will be Nobu. But sadly, the buffet is only available for brunch during weekends.

Birthday Present
Thanks to my brother, sister-in-law, and Ava for the generous Louis Vuitton Pocket Organizer in Monogram Eclipse.