ADVERTORIAL: Buys - WIN 10 Secret Society Memberships to SER

I am a rebel at heart and when I got an invite to join SER, an underground secret society launched exclusively for informed shopaholics, I smacked my lips in delicious relish. 

Informed but hardly reformed, the shopaholic in me danced with joy .. I could be a member of a secret society where no one would judge me, my buys or my credit limit … trust me, we all have secret fetishes and this can be yours … as SIMPLYFAB has teamed up with SER, an exclusive members only portal for shopaholics anonymous to give away 10 GOLD MEMBERSHIPS to their exclusive society, specially for SIMPLYFAB readers.

SER stands for Sloane Elizabeth Robertson an exclusive fashion merchandise portal for members only. Named after the world’s famous shopping streets - Sloane Street in London, Elizabeth Street in Sydney and Robertson street in Los Angeles, SER focuses on offering an eclectic mix of stylish international merchandise to the discerning shopper in a luxurious environment.

The concept was founded by 3 enterprising ladies, Artika Sulaiman, Grace Clapham and Kathy Lee and was born of Sulaiman’s unique sense of style and her passion to travel the world and gift her family and loved ones, unique fashion treasures from around the globe.

Whilst anyone can join SER for FREE at www.sloaneelizabethroberstson.com, membership does have its definite privileges Their GOLD tier gives you a priority preview of merchandise with the option of reserving and placing pre-orders before each event. The PLATINUM tier entitles you to additional one-on-one styling sessions with SER stylists for you and 2 other friends.

Membership gets you a place at Shopaholics Anonymous, which allows you to attend sale events or interact online with buyers, post your likes and dislikes about the latest trends and pass on your wish lists from the current season of various designer and fashion collections. SER buyers will order, pick and pack for you and voila, your dream wardrobe from the latest seasonal collection is instantly at your doorstep without you having to travel to Milan to pick it out. Not that we can’t all use a shopping holiday but sometimes, you must admit that having a personal shopper at your back at call is a lot cheaper.

PREVIEW AND BUY AT THE SHOPAHOLICS ANONYMOUS PRE-SHOW FASHION SALE (Friday 2 July from 5pm to 8pm)

Exclusively for all SIMPLYFAB readers there is a 5pm to 8pm first pick private viewing of the merchandise from labels like Elizabeth and James, Shoshanna, Kova and T and Black Halo with select current season merchandise available at discounted prices. This happens at Block 3D, #02-04, Clarke Quay. Anyone can come and you are welcome to bring as many friends as you like as long as you utter the magic words at the door “I AM SIMPLY FABULICIOUS!”. How’s that for clandestine?

WIN AN INVITE FOR 2 TO THE FASHION SHOW EVENT (Friday 2 July at 9pm)

The Read Bridge at Clarke Quay, will be transformed into an open-air runway for SER’S Fashion Show event on Friday 2 July at 9pm. Up for grabs are 10 GOLD memberships for SIMPLYFAB readers worth S$50 each.

To win, just write us from now to Tuesday, 29 June at simplyfabulicious@gmail.com and tell us What does SER stand for? 


If you win, you and a friend get a 2 person invite to attend the fashion show at 9pm and enjoy the after-party with a free flow of drinky poos. Winners will be drawn by lucky draw and informed by email by SER. Your names will be left at the door for the fashion show and to join in the after-party event. PSST, HURRY!!! WRITE IN NOW!  

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ADVERTORIAL: Binge - L'Olivier, The Best Tart Flambe's In Town

You know a place has good food if its location is totally, daringly incongruous. Remember the wonderful seafood restaurants out at Punggol Point? Or Tetsuya’s first restaurant in Sydney’s Roselle neighbourhood, a couple doors away from the neighbourhood laundromat? That’s what I mean by incongruous. So when a friend mentioned a French bistro in the Hokkien Huay Kuan opposite the historical Chinese temple, it all sounded seriously promising and intriguing. French in the Hokkien Hway Kuan? Definitely must try…!

L’Olivier Restaurant turned out to be a smart informal restaurant with easy going service and a full Alsace-inspired menu. And the thing is, it serves the absolute bestest tart flambe’s in town! An Alsace speciality, this is also one of the restaurant’s fortes. I could eat unending crates of it for lunch with a glass of wine or two. Think thin crust pizza but perhaps twice as thin – almost like a wafer and frightfully crispy! There are three choices for toppings: a simple layer of bacon and onion ($16), or with emmental cheese added to the mix ($18) or mushroom, onion and cheese ($18). Yes, it sounds simple, but don’t knock it – it’s absolutely great. And I’m not saying this just because the headline carries the word ‘advertorial’.

For the record, I had been there about 3 times on my own (‘cos its so good on the palate and pocket) before SimplyFab linked up with the owners for this little project of ours (more later!).

Mind you, L’Olivier is not a pizza joint. Let me say again, it’s a smart and proper bistro, superbly cosy and with great value prices that don’t break the bank. Also good to know is that the chef here used to head the kitchens of Le Picotin.

Anyway, back to the food. For mains, the must-have for me is the Poitrine de Porc Braissée ($24), a meltingly tender pork belly with such a shiveringly satisfying crackling served with mash potato and savoy cabbage. I have that almost every time I go. Their steaks – another speciality – are great, quality cuts too, full of natural flavour and cooked juicy and tender and lovely. I like the USA Meyer Natural Prime Ribeye (300 g for $52 only!) or their Australian 150 days Grain Fed Tenderloin (230gm, $36). For the gourmet carnivore, the Australian 500 Days Grain Fed Wagyu Cube Roll 350 gm ($78) is a treat. (Note again the price and also the age –500 days!) The prices are really reasonable considering what other restaurants charge, and this is high grade meat you are getting!

Dessert absolutely has to be the tart flambé with apple and cinnamon sugar ($12) – little matchstick size pieces of apple lightly cooked and scattered across the thin base. Yummmms! If not, the profiterole with vanilla ice cream and choc sauce ($11) is good too, or the vanilla and raspberry crème brulee ($10).

When you do head to L’Olivier, do order wines as well, another business which the owners handle. They bring in their own tipple, and you’ll find lots of good old and new world wines at very affordable prices.

It’s quiet on Saturday nights ‘cos most of the office crowd isn’t there, so if you want a cosy place to go without having to fight the crowds - whether kids included or just with the grown ups - this is a choice spot. You'll find it as fab as we do.

137 Telok Ayer Street

#01-01 Hokkien Huay Kuan

Tel: 6227 6022

SIMPLYFAB WINS! 

S$100 L'Olivier Voucher Giveaways!!

So this is the little project we mentioned earlier in the story…

L’Olivier and Simply Fab have five $100 dining vouchers up for grabs.

All you have to do is to answer two simple questions:

1) In which building is L’Olivier located?
2) Name any one of L’Olivier’s speciality dishes.

Email your answers to Simply Fab at simplyfabulicious@gmail.com by Friday, 30 April 2010 together with your name, email, telephone number and NRIC. 
Five lucky winners will get a $100 voucher each. 

Quick! Get those fingers on the keyboard!
(Winners will be notified via email by early May 2010)

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