When Chef Louis Pacquelin struck out on his own with Clos Pasoh after leaving the unsurprisingly short-lived Alan Ducasse's BBR at Raffles Hotel (it has morphed into Osteria BBR with Italian fare), I hesitated visiting this new spot because 1) I'm not a fan of French haute cuisine, 2) I couldn't be bothered to sit down to a long dinner, and 3) I have little interest in new restaurant openings nowadays.
Tonight was a great reason to make a first visit. Made it to dinner at Clos Pasoh to celebrate the BFF's birthday. When we could share all the food, it makes it easier on my stomach. The birthday girl chose an easy bottle of 2020 Sancerre La Moussiere. It was lovely! And that was all we dared to drink. Nobody wanted more alcohol. LOL I drank more sparkling water than wine.
The starters were delicious; I was full after that. LOL We had the asparagus with comte cheese dumplings and garlic foam, and coconut and lobster bisque, which also came with lobster dumplings. Shared three mains! We had a wagyu hanger steak with beef cheek confit, shallots and fondant potatoes, a whole duck, roasted and braised. But done medium, it wasn't my favorite texture or taste. We requested for the kitchen to torch the rest of it and hoped they wouldn't roll eyes too badly. Hahaha.
I insisted on having the joues de lotte Basquaise, also known as monkfish cheeks, with piperade confirment, garlic & chilli sauce. It was as I expected — superbly executed. It's an amazingly light dish that my stomach welcomes any day. Had to share a dessert. Of course I didn't care about it, but I needed a birthday candle perched atop, and the BFF and the man loved desserts, so a mille-feuille of bergamot and early grey was devoured.
Towards the end of our meal at 10.15pm, there was a very loud obnoxious male diner who came in with two women and insisted on the table that he wanted. He was extremely rude to the servers, and then banged the table when he didn't like what he was hearing about the wines or whatever. I don't know if he was drunk, high on something or was simply an asshole, but he's obviously a regular patron. While it's not the restaurant's fault that our experience was marred, I'm not sure I want to return to a restaurant whose regular diners might consist of a majority who are like this in the nights. If I do visit again, it'll be at lunch.
The two women he was with looked obviously uncomfortable with his antics and rudeness, but they didn't leave or say anything more. They didn't even try to stop him. Which led me to think that in his belligerent state, he could be violent if I so much so as to catch him in the eye wrongly. There's no reasoning with this type of man. I would literally have to fight him first to get an edge in. If I let him take a swing at me first (to claim self-defence), I'd be rather disadvantaged if he's an MMA/krav maga expert. HOWEVER. This was the BFF's birthday dinner. I wasn't going to start any fights. I just wanted to get out. Our table was literally next to his. I quickly left the table to wait for the BFF at the spot nearer to the washrooms.
I was sooooo glad that we were done with the meal and dessert, and the BFF went off to the washroom before the violent banging of tables and shouting happened, so she didn't have to witness it. She shouldn't. Neither she or I are strangers to confrontation and actual real fights. JUST NOT TONIGHT.
What a dramatic birthday, BFF. Glad you cleared being C+ in time for this dinner. May only mild and minor ailments flare now and then. Let's keep fit together and stay strong. We've got many good years ahead together. Be healthy and fabulous. 🤍🖤
No comments:
Post a Comment