Bittergourd & Eggs!

In order to have a homecooked lunch together, we had to clear dates weeks ahead. We did a grocery run at the nearest supermarket. It was really fun checking in with each other, and getting ingredients and meeting in E's kitchen. It was comfortable when you've known each other for years, and we are perfectly fine with whatever food we could do.

There was a bittergourd that needed to be eaten. We all love bittergourd. Easy! We did a stir-fry of bittergourd with omelette, and boiled up a bowl of edamame as well. Loads of fiber and such in the vegetables. 

For protein, we thawed out Japanese shoyu fillets from 68°Chicken. We ordered a bundle of three flavors from the brand. Chicken breast fillets are always a healthy option for many. S and E really didn't mind chicken breast either. I'm not a fan, but I'll eat it if it's well done. There was furikake and Japanese rice to complement the meal. And sambal belachan. Tehehehe. S and I can never move far away from chilli and spices.

This was a really precious meal when we cooked it in an orderly manner, and ate it over great conversation and companionship. It was a rather focused sort of prep; the eating was done unhurriedly, of which we didn't have to think anything else that didn't involve mastication and deglutition. We could shelve work and such till after lunch. That made the digestion so much smoother, I believe. My stomach was pleased. These sort of comfort meals meant that my irritable bowels are kept very happy. 

PERA and Its Sneaky Dessert on My Bill

Decided to try PERA Turkish Grill and Mezze at South Beach for the first time. It was pretty good! I hope it could maintain its standards. They do welcome dogs at their outdoor tables, so that was decent. It's located at the basement near the train station exit, so the restaurant's outdoor area is under a sheltered atrium with a high ceiling, so we have no issues with the weather. The area is not cooled enough though. Two small air coolers without additional floor or standing fans are barely sufficient to cool five tables out of their 15 or so allocated.  

We ordered the fava bean purée and mini crispy lamb flatbread with tomatoes. The fava bean puree was done simply with dill, onions and olive oil, and that mix was really full of umami. Gorgeous. Bravely opted for a whole grilled fish of Turkish seabass. The fish was delicious. 

We had a drink each, and a bottle of sparkling water. We were clearly not even tipsy. But I didn't like one thing this restaurant did. The bill. I scanned through it and frowned. I paid it although I didn't like the $16++ charge for one dessert. 

They asked us about dessert — we said no. They then offered us complimentary dessert of which they didn't inform us about, but they served it directly. They did say it was with compliments of the chef. The communication was clear. There was no hemming and hawwing about it. We were clear that we didn't want dessert at all.

Still. They gave two items of pistachio baklava, and rice pudding with hazelnuts, and two cups of hot tea as well. And the bill included $16++ for the rice pudding. Sure, I ate them, but I left the rice pudding well alone. I HATE RICE PUDDING IN ALL FORMS. As a matter of principle, when I didn't say I wanted dessert, and didn't order it, do not charge me for it. This was not cool. I didn't feel like raising a ruckus, so I let it be. But it speaks volumes about this restaurant's integrity. 

I had fully intended to return to this restaurant again, but now, I'm iffy about it. If I do return, I'll be alert next time. I'll be very clear about what I want to order and what I didn't ask for. And I will dispute any additional charges that we didn't explicitly order. 

A Batik Painting Workshop

E organized an afternoon of batik painting workshop for us. Since I wasn't the one to sort out all these, I didn't bother to remember details. Hahaha. I simply turned up at the stated timing for lunch and coffee at the correct venue, and then toddled over to The Art Faculty for the workshop.

This workshop is led by Iolana of Raya Artisans. The batik painting is done on wood — coasters, boards, cups and plates, and even a table lamp. You could buy them. But the bad news for me today is, I have actually sit down and commit the time and effort to produce two coasters to take home. Arrrrrrgh.

Art classes used to be compulsory for me in school, as well as on the weekends. I'm not particularly interested in them. I ended up being half decent at certain things, but not others. Often, it's a matter of putting in the hours and effort to practice.

The Art Faculty loans out its space for artists to host their events. My only complaint — it's so eco-friendly that the AC is almost non-existent, and the temperature hovered at like 27dC, and I perspired like crazy. I skipped the complimentary drink since I just came from lunch, and was fed and hydrated. I also had a bottle of lovely chilled water, so I didn't need extras. 

Now, this batik thing. Batik is the art of wax-resist dyeing techniques used to create intricate patterns on the cloth. I've seen artisans at work. I have done some on fabric, but with stencils, not freehand. Today's workshop is done freehand using a tjanting to drip the hot wax over the wooden coasters. Haizzzz. Tracing and drawing patterns. I'm not patient, and it really tests my grit in tracing those lines. And painting them. My hand isn't that steady, and without the experience of the professional artisans who've had years of practice, I know my coasters are going to turn out juvenile. So I opted for the easiest patterns. I wouldn't even call it replicating. They looked nowhere similar to the ones (hand-drawn) on retail. Hahahahah.

Iolana has done these workshops for a few years, and it's obvious she's got her logistics down pat. I have sufficient information and guidance in dripping the hot wax over the wood. Whether I can create the neatness or lines I envision, is quite another thing. These workshops can travel to someone's living room with a big enough table to seat 6-8 pax, or to a corporate seminar room. As long as there're electrical points for the bubbling pots of wax, a water point and sink for hand-washing nearby, the workshop is a go. The set-up is clean and not messy. Hot wax isn't dirty that way. 

Our coasters are made of untreated mahogany wood. Once we were done, we waxed it, and then added another layer of resin (food grade) to seal it. Mine didn't turn out too bad. E and S made much nicer ones since they really put their hearts into it. I simply wanted to complete it without them looking too crappy.

Our completed coasters.
It's obvious who put more heart into having them look presentable.
Teehehehe.