Chanel Jumbo Flap

Bought this Chanel 2 months back as I heard about rumors that Chanel is going to raise their prices at that time. I was planning to buy one for ages, and because of the price increase rumour, I had to take the plunge! In the end it was really just a rumour but I have to say I was still happy with my purchase.

Before deciding which Chanel to get for myself, I was torn between the Grand Shopping Tote and the Jumbo Flap. Did a ton of research for the 2 models, read a lot of forums and this was my final decision:
Chanel Jumbo Flap in Cavier Leather Silver Hardware.

 

Indeed, a very beautiful handbag that all ladies must have!

This is my very first Chanel so I got the classic black. I must say I am very satisfied with the details of this bag. The thread works, the hardware, the proportion, and the little finishing touches were all blended together nice and sharply.  Looking at the "double C" clasp can just  make a girl smile all day. The strap is a little tad heavy, so you'll probably get the hideous strap prints on your shoulders  if you are wearing a sleeveless top.  The strap was designed by Coco Chanel as she felt that it would be much easier and convenient for ladies to have their handbags slung instead of holding on to their hands. Well, in my humble opinion, I think the strap could have been designed to be more comfortable. 

The back has a slot which is very tight. I didn't know what was it for until the attendant at the shop told me that it was a signature design. Coco Chanel designed this "secret compartment" so she could put spare change in it for tips so she wouldn't have to open her bag. Well, not a very "cool thing" but good to know.

 

The "puffiness" and shine of the bag is very uniform and well built. There were critics saying that this batch is not as well built as the previous batches. I heard sayings that it was less "puffy and shiny" then its previous batches. But personally I still felt that it was good enough and will not want it to be anymore puffy or shinier. I don't want to be seen carrying a black rock filled with shiny tumours walking around on the streets. Of course this description is exaggerating, and I understand that this is a high investment bag and buyers tend to be a little more picky and look into more details and expect better quality. I would say GO AHEAD and buy one if you are interested in this. It isn't so bad like what some say when comparing this to its previous batches. The Lambskin leather is another alternative to the Caviar leather which feels much smoother and softer. But I chose the Caviar over the Lambskin as it felt tougher and more durable. I was also concerned that the Lambskin leather will get easily scratched.

The latest batch comes only in double flap. This extra flap makes the bag heavier but only by a few insignificant grams. So don't worry about the weight. This flap has it's function, it is to support the bag to hold it's shape. See the zip on top? It's where Coco Chanel placed her love letters. There is also a pocket behind this flap.

That's the interior. It may look narrow but it fits a large dictionary. Coco Chanel felt that every woman should have a lipstick ready with them, so the little pocket (at the center of the picture just below the Chanel label) is where you can keep your lipsticks. I must say that this bag is really well designed for the ladies!

The nice contrast between the maroon and black. Nice...

 

Sometimes height may be a factor if you think you are too short or tall for this. I've hung this bag on my door knob so you can have an idea of it. Hope this gives you an idea on the length of the strap. The left picture shows the bag when you carry it with 2 parallel straps (default look) while the right picture shows the length when slung with a single strap. I'm 1.65m tall, this bag is just perfect for me.

I recommend this Jumbo sized one. I personally feel that it isn't too big but it's big enough to carry your load. I feel that the Medium/Large sized models are not big enough if you have quite a load. Its not a big bag so don't expect it to hold a lot of things. The colour of the hardware doesn't really matter to me.  

 

Retail price for this bag in Singapore at the time of my purchase was S$7,250.

 

 

Updates

Sorry for the lack of updates! Will update real soon! ;)

Dozo

After hearing raves about Dozo, we decided to have our Valentine's Day dinner at this restaurant.

Dinner came with a 7 course meal, you may think like: "Wow! 7 course?!?! Am I able to finish it?" In fact after the end of the meal, it didn't made our stomachs explode. The portions are small and we felt merely full. Well, maybe that's the whole idea of "fine dining", People will burn the restaurant down if they were to offer monsterous portions?

 

This is how the menu looks like and that's all you can choose. 5-6 dishes to chose from for each course. Let's see what we chose!

 

 Starter: Chef's Selection of Assorted Platter

From left to right: Salmon - Scallop - Foie gras

All came in small bites that you feel even hungrier after it! It came in just right sizes for mouthful bites.

Refreshing drinks
This is a complimentary drink and its supposed to clear our palates. I guess it's a mixture of pineapple and orange juice with crushed ice. Its a very good idea for them to present in such a creative way with a lavender decorative as they could have just served us 2 glasses of juice instead.


Cold Dish: King Crab Claw Salad drizzled with Sesame Vinaigrette
It's like Japanese cold salad (duh!) with a little taste of wafu sauce. I love Japanese salad because it's very fragant! It has fruit bits, lettuce, cherry tomato and of course king crab claw! The crab claw meat came in one piece, unlike those with just a few shredded crab meat in it. Worth to try!

Cold Dish: Beef Tataki with Shaved Parmesan and Truffle Mayo Mosaic

This is a unique dish that we hardly see outside (or maybe we hardly have fine dining). When we order this, the waiter told us that it was quite raw(or maybe its really raw) to ensure that  we could accept it. Good service! I think the waiter could have just took the order and walked away but he took an effort to remind us.

Let's talk about beef tataki. From the first taste, it's wow! Perfect match with parmesan and the mayo. Must be wondering how it could make it stand like a cone in the center? There's something crispy wrapped inside and covered with the beef tataki. Great presentation, great taste!

Side Dish: Chimichanga serve with Beurre Blanc sauce

When the waiter serve us this dish, it says that it resembles the Singapore Marina Bay Sands. Does it look like? It's like a deep-fried burrito filled with mushroom and prawn. Match it with the garlic at the side and it taste superb. Absolutely beautiful.

Side Dish: Gratinated Escargots topped with Yuzu Butter

There were only 3 escargots in it, The shell on the left was empty and its meant for decorative purpose only.What tasted yummy was the "Yuzu" butter. It was good but it seems that other choices that was in this course could have been more worthwhile to try.

 

Soup: Crab Bisque Cappuccino style

Decided to order this because I think it's rather different from what we can have normally. Don't be mistaken by the crab beside, it's just a display. The soup is quite thick and I personally like it a lot!

Soup: Infusion of Cèpes Mushroom with Truffle

Nothing special about the mushroom. Strong mushroom flavours and it tasted just like "Soup Spoon". But what made it special I think was the tiny mini truffle by the side.

Close up of the tiny mini truffle. Looks like an Oreo crumb.

Main: Kurubuta Pork Cheek with Onion Jam

Yes, pork cheek. Might sound eeeeeeww, but I think is woooooo. I don't quite like it because of the generous amount of toppings on it which made me feel sick after a few mouthfuls. Well, I guess majority will say its very "flavourful" rather than "sickening". This is based on personal opinion as my other one loves it quite a lot.

Main: Beef Tenderloin on Pu-Ye and Granite Hot Stone

This was what I highly recommended him but he doesn't seem to like as much as I anticipated. It tasted nothing special to him but I felt it was tender and good. As the dish name stated, it's on a hot stone so be careful while you have it. Is the "fan" on top of the beef interesting?  It's edible. Tasted like some fried spaghetti (not sure if it's cheese stick or spaghetti).

 

Dessert: Espresso Crème Brulee

Dessert time! Dessert means end of last dish. Must be wondering where is Crème Brulee?! Didn't I type the name wrongly? Nope I didn't. It's under the bubble foam. Nothing special to comment about their dessert.

Dessert: Dozo's Freshly Baked Warm Chocolate

I love chocolate lava cake! I will order soemthing like this whenever I see chocolate cakes in the desert section of the menu! But this.... It's not awful but it's just plain "normal", nothing really special. It looked just like how it tasted.

Drinks: Iced Mallow Apple Melody (Blend of mallow flowers, apple and guava juice)

It's refreshing and nice! No regrets after ordering this drink. It's light and fruity but not too sweet.

Drinks: Infusion of fruit juice (Healthy blend of fresh fruit juice)

Too sweet! Nearly got my legs cut off after drinking this.

Complimentary Valentines cupcake 

Dozo asked me if it was for any particular special occassion when I called them to make my reservation. So I said it was for Valentine's Day. They offered this complimentary at the end. Simple flour cake with nice wordings on the plate.

 

7 course meal $59.80++ per pax, so the bill came up to be about $140. Overall it's an affordable fine dining for young couples to celebrate their special ocassions. The staff were very patient and meticulous. They were very nice and knowledgable to explain each dish and how they were cooked. Two thumbs up for their service.

 

Website: http://www.dozo.com.sg/index.html 

Add: 491 River Valley Road,

        #02-02/03 Valley Point
        Shopping Centre, S 248371

Tel: +65 6838 6966