Traditional Thai Massage @ Dhoby Xchange

When we went to Bangkok recently, we each got a fabulous hour-long traditional Thai massage for 250 baht, which is roughly equivalent to S$10. Where in Singapore can you find a traditional Thai massage for that kind of money?

We have one favourite place. It's called TT Quick Massage. ('TT' stands for 'Traditional Thai'.) A quick massage here costs just $10 but lasts for only for 10 minutes. It's a great place to drop by after a long day at the office hunched up in front of the computer. It's perfect if a massage is just what you're looking for without having to blow your budget or don't want to go to a sleazy one offering 'additional' services.

Speaking of services, TT Quick Massage offers the following:

- Shoulder & Back Massage
- Head Massage
- Foot Massage
- Spots Massage (which we think means massage at certain spots only)

In addition, there are some promotional packages to consider. There's the basic package which offers 5+1 massage services for $50. We happened to drop by on Mother's Day earlier this month when they were having a special 5+2 package for $50. Of course we got it.

There's more! Recommend a friend to buy a package, and you get a free massage as well. So if you're going there, and you sign up for a $50 package, drop us an email with the name you used, and we can get a free massage with the next package we get. You rub our back, and we'll keep rubbing yours by sharing with you these great budget tips!

How to get there:
TT Quick Massage is located at Dhoby Xchange, #B1-34 of Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. There's a strip of shops just above the exit of the North-South line in the station.

Next week, we'll share with you some of the other places to check out in Dhoby Xchange that will keep you coming back!

Ladies Plus Size Clothes Bazaar

We normally wait for Thursday before we blog about our latest budget date, but here's something that has caught our attention that's going on this week.

ACMI is having a Ladies Plus Size Clothes Bazaar from May 25-29. The catch is, it's open only from 10.00am-3.00pm at 11 Hillside Drive in what used to be CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent.

The tagline for the bazaar reads: Casual & office wear PLUS SIZE ladies clothings for sale at a special price of $10 for 3 pieces. Proceeds go to ACMI Migrant Welfare Fund.

ACMI stands for Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. We wonder why they don't call themselves "ACPCMIP". It's a Catholic organization. We find that religious organizations and non-profit organizations sometimes hold jumble sales and have thrift stores that are simply great for a budget date. One of our favourite is held twice a year at Lorong Low Koon. We'll let you know when it comes again.

Little Guilin

We like to go to places where there are big bodies of water. The sea, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are all places we like to go to when we can. There's a certain calming feeling we get when we stare out over the surface of the water.

A few weeks ago, we spent a Sunday afternoon in the western area of Singapore. We took a nice long train ride from Ang Mo Kio all the way to Bukit Batok. This region used to be a place for mining granite. The name 'batok' comes from the noise made by the blasting in the granite quarry that now form the natural surroundings of Little Guilin.


We had heard of the place before, but this was our first time there. It's a nice little man-made lake in the disused quarry. Makes for nice photographs, but is actually quite unimpressive. There used to be a trail that led up the quarry so you can overlook the lake, but it is now closed because people have died from jumping or falling from there.

It's a nice place to spend a weekend morning or afternoon. Pack some sandwiches and drinks for a picnic. Makes for a nice change from all the shopping malls.

How to get there:
It's a short walk from Bukit Gombak MRT station. Head to Bukit Batok East Avenue 5, walk past the stadium and you're there. Be sure to bring a camera for those artistic and scenic photos.

Cost:
Other than your transport, it's free. Best deal for a budget couple like us. :D

Joe's Kitchen Thai Cuisine

Yo! My name is Joe,

and I work in a button factory.

The Joe in question here is the one found in Joe's Kitchen. On the recommended by Geraldine who likes the idea of this blog, we decided to pay a visit to one of her lunch-hour haunts.

This Thai food outlet is located along Alexandra Road, directly opposite Queensway Shopping Centre. The signboard, in bright orange, draws your attention, and only later am I reminded of the orange colour of its tom yam soup. The bright colour contrasts nicely with the brown wooden tables and chairs inside.


Its main attraction on the menu for the budget couple that we are is the $1.50 pineapple rice. The portion is large enough not to let you go hungry later. But it's not meant to be eaten alone.

Other items on the menu that are worth trying are the Thai prawn cake (with real prawn!) for $2.30 each (a bit expensive, but worth a try), crispy seafood tofu which are $5 for six pieces, and the home-made brewed barley (not the cordial type) for $1.20. We were kind of hungry, so we started eating before remembering to take a photo of what we ordered:


We came here on a Sunday evening, just after the evening shift (5-10pm) began, looking for an early dinner. By the time we left a short while later, it was already half full. My guess is that it's quite popular for the working crowd in the area, so the lunch shift (11am -3pm) should find the place pretty crowded.

We recommend making a trip here if you're visiting IKEA to walk around or are going to the Henderson Waves for the bridge walk. It's air-conditioned, so feel free to sit as long as you like.

The address of Joe's Kichen is:
Blk 125 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-182, S150125

It is on the side of the block closer to AIA building, along the main road. Not difficult to find.

It is open every day at the abovementioned times.

Did we mention that this eatery is recommended by King Of Thrift as well?


Give it a try if you're in the area. Thanks for the tip, Geraldine!

Fried Chicken Buffet @ Dallas Chicken & Ribs

One weekday when the both of us had some free time, we took the opportunity to try out something we had heard of some time ago. Over in Chinatown, there is a place called Dallas Chicken & Ribs which has a fried chicken buffet for $10 from 3.00pm-6.00pm, presumably because it's slow at this time of day.

As we stepped inside the nearly empty restaurant, we were greeted pleasantly by one of the staff. Looking around, we noticed a framed kalimah in the corner, revealing Dallas' to be owned by a Muslim. The 'kalimah' literally means 'the phrase' and is central to the belief of Muslims. 'The phrase' is: There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. So do expect Halal food when you come here.

The menu looks like a fast-food restaurant, only much cheaper. But what we came for was the fried chicken buffet which serves chicken thigh, breast, wing, nuggets, and fries. The fries are the thick kind, not the skinny ones you find in McDonald's. Each customer also gets one free drink (use sparingly) and one rolo or burger which can contain chicken or fish. We stayed away from this because bread takes up space. Incidentally, the chicken rolo is nothing but pieces of chicken wrapped in a roti prata.

Buffet customers need to take note that you may not get what you order, because the buffet is subject to availability. Hence, we didn't get the chicken wings we ordered, but we could order anything else. We settled for 5 chicken breasts, 1 thighs, 3 drumsticks, 6 nuggets, and 2 packets of fries. Granted the fries are potato and hence not really worth the space, they're pretty yummy and we figured we needed a break from all that chicken.

If the oil is too much for you (it's deep-fried chicken after all), try going for the chicken breast as it doesn't absorb so much oil. All in all, this meal will be healthier than a KFC meal as the chicken served doesn't contain so much fat, and the portions served aren't dripping with oil. But it's only going to be as healthy as any deep-fried chicken meal.

Order as much as you want. If you have time, just sit there until 6.00pm when you can make your last order. Personally we find that we do get gelak after a while. Gelak is a Malay word meaning... er... there's no English equivalent. Nevermind, just get over to Dallas Chicken & Ribs, order a buffet, and eat fried chicken until you can't stand the thought of eating any more fried food. That's gelak.

Dallas Chicken & Ribs is located at 12 Upper Cross Street. It's at the row of shophouses diagonally across the junction from China Square Central, and directly opposite Hong Lim Complex. It's open from 11.00am to 8.00pm but the buffet is available only on weekdays from 3.00pm-6.00pm.

The best day to go on is Friday because, as my Catholic friends always like to say, "Meat tastes best on a Friday."