Hotpot, Beer & Lobster Paofan

When the birthday boy requested for hotpot, we obliged. He wanted an easy fun meal that nobody needed to dress up for. Casual is the buzzword. The husband and I rarely do hotpot Chinese-style because we just can't eat so many items on our own. Of course we super welcomed the suggestion of hotpot. Tonight, we went to Broth and Beyond (汤之境) at Chijmes.  

None of us are fond of mala or Sichuan peppercorn or Sichuan food. Along that line, no Hunan cuisine either. I think we'd all starve in anywhere in Sichuan (Chengdu), Hunan (Changsha) and Chongqing. Tonight's hotpot restaurant indicated 'Yunnan'. Perfect. The table opted for chicken broth with white fungus. I took the pork and tomato. It was pretty good!

I love it that Broth and Beyond offered individual hot pots with our own little induction plates. They also kinda 'force' you to pay S$4.99 for the dips. You aren't served any sort of dips. But you pay, and you get a selection of it at the 'bar', and that also comes along with appetizers of edamame, kimchi and the sorts, and a small spread of dessert that included mochi, fruits and odd puddings. Not too bad. I got all the minced garlic that I wanted, along with soy and chilli padi.

There was plenty of food. Beef, beef tongue, fish, celtuce, loads of cabbage, pea sprouts and mushrooms. The chicken was available for us to choose either half of the breast and the wings or the thigh and drumsticks. In the end, we had both. 

We also got a small Boston lobster (which was alive!), and had the shells steamed over rice, and added that to our soups like a lobster pao fan (泡饭). Nobody minded a spoonful of rice or so to finish up. That was a satisfying dinner. The birthday boy was pleased with food that his stomach likes. We needn't drink like crazy. We split three bottles of beer among us for the night. The Tsingtao was so light that it tasted refreshing with the food. 

I kinda said okay to the server's suggestion of having one item of dessert since they would plate it as a birthday thingy. It was this Yunnan-style milk ice-cream with flower pastry (云南鲜花饼). Quite cute lah. Very flower, very ermmm China. I didn't mind Yunnan flower cakes, although these were far from the best. What a fun night!

These Sumatra Squalls

I have held off giving Gabapentin to Choya for months. Gotta restart. The monsoon months were thankfully not too bad. But now, thunderstorms are rolling in fast and furious and totally upsetting her. I'm afraid her gut microbiome is affected too. So it's a light dosage of Gabapentin as well in the recent weeks. 

I can't predict when the storms are rolling in, but a light dose doesn't hurt if the weather app is to be trusted. Or do one after. The point is to keep her cortisol levels constant. 

I used to love the rain, and thunderstorms. Lightning and all that. I still do. But I'm a tad weary of it now. And most certainly not at 3.30am or 4am. 

I loved storm-lit skies. 

Now each thunderclap finds fear 

Curled beside my feet. 

To Nixta for Margaritas and Guac

We went to Nixta for dinner since everyone hadn't been there for a while. You know how unenthusiastic I am about Mexican food. But since the table liked it and didn't want the usual casual flavors elsewhere, Nixta it was. 

They do take some pride in their cocktails, so this isn't a frozen strawberry margarita sort of restaurant. LOL I wisely took a passionfruit puree thing. I don't do well with cocktails and many hold Cointreau in the concoctions. Mine didn't. 

The guac came with such good chips. Chips are never just chips. I haven't had such great corn chips anywhere else. It also came with complimentary salsa verde and salsa roja. To share, we had blue crab tlayuda (like a crisp thin crust pizza) and Bang Bang potatoes. 

Had plenty of tacos of duck barbacoa, grilled fish (instead of fried), butternut squash and kale. People could eat, so we bravely ordered more protein in the form of its signature spit and herb-roasted chicken, which was really excellent. All these came with a portion of coriander rice and refried black beans, and tortillas. 

We didn't make it to dessert. We were too stuffed. The drinks held enough sugar. We did a third and final round of margaritas, and called it a good night by 9pm.