Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn

Today is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. It's the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'm not big on eating mooncakes since it's simply a ton of calories, and that sticky mushy taste isn't appealing to my tastebuds. Eiooow. I'm thankful that nobody would buy boxes of mooncakes for us because it's really not appreciated in this home. 

I still buy a few boxes here and there for people who like it. But this year, I needed to seek out vegetarian and halal options for mooncakes (from Delcie's and Fairmont Hotel) that could also cater to a low-sugar and gluten-free preferences. Oooof, yeah, people shifted diets for health or out of necessity, which is a good thing. 

One standard-sized 200-gram mooncake is like... 900 calories. I'll just round it up to 1000 calories. *gulp Most of us would cut up a regular-sized mooncake into eight small pieces to share with people. That one tiny piece is more than enough for anyone. Even a smaller 60-g snowskin version offers 100-calories to choke you up. Uggggh. Never mind the calories, it's the flavors of the mooncakes that I cannot fully appreciate.

The brands, clients and friends still gave me some mooncakes. I couldn't control what brands and clients chose; I've no guilt re-gifting the ones given by brands and clients, and some acquaintances since it's really a perfunctory gesture. However, the ones gifted by friends always mean a little more, and carry genuine well-wishes. So I try to have a bite of each mooncake. I have no preferences over whichever bakeries that produce the mooncakes. They're all the same to me. 

The smart friends went for the low-sugar options, or simply gifted me ONE BIG MOONCAKE or TWO SMALL MOONCAKES. They're so very clever. Hahahaha. I certainly do not mind a bite of one mooncake. That's an excellent call. Two regular-sized mooncakes from each person would be wayyy too much already. 

I didn't just carelessly give these gifts away. I shared them and did taste some of these mooncakes. I don't have a preference for traditional baked mooncakes or the snowskin versions with different fillings. I'm not very into either anyway. While fun and colorful with interesting flavors, they're just... ...  sugar-laden lor. A nibble or two of a mooncake will do. That doesn't mean a nibble or two of ten mooncakes. Just two mooncakes would suffice. 

This year, I tasted three mooncakes — a regular-sized traditional baked version (from Raffles Hotel), a traditional baked black Owa coffee with lotus paste and melon seeds (Mandai Rainforest Resort), and a mini-sized snowskin of whisky and lapsang souchong truffle (from Raffles Hotel, gifted thoughtfully in a pair). I didn't eat all of them in one sitting, obviously. I still have some frozen in the freezer. LOL

ข้าวมันไก่และขนมหวานไทยดั้งเดิม

P came into town for a short three days on a work trip. His schedule was packed but he had an evening free. We had him over for dinner at home. Then we could really chill out, have a drink and chat at will. I just had to clean up the floors and clear the dining table which has been piled high with nonsense. Heh. Scrambled a little to do that. I don't have people over often for meals, if at all, so there hadn't been a need to clear that dining table. :P 

Of course I didn't cook. That would be madness when my schedule is packed out for the month. I ordered chicken rice from the ever-dependable Five Star. That's comfort food for all of us. They had many dishes we could order. Had sambal sotong, omelette and tofu, and broccoli. Added a salted egg pork ribs for a different protein.

P came bearing royal gifts of dessert. Wow! He picked very traditional desserts from a new-to-me brand, Childenutt (ชายณัฐ). He knows I have grandma tastebuds when it comes to Thai desserts — I like them traditional.  He brought the harder and crumbly sampanee (or khanom sampanee / ขนมสัมปันนี) in the shape of a purple flower. (It can be pink, yellow or white too.) The other is honestly my Number 1 favorite traditional dessert — thong ek (ทองเอก), the bright yellow gold leaf, which is a soft wheat flour dumpling with egg yolk.

The brand promised that their products to hold 35% less sugar than the norm. It was indeed true! I love these desserts, but I won't eat them if they're too sweet. It's very hard to hunt down my ideal at the shops. The friends' families make them the way I love. The sampanee and thong ek were freshly made and bought the night before P flew out. They don't keep that well in the fridge, and best eaten now. It must be all savored tonight. So we did. These were such a treat tonight!

Restaurant Fiz

Stopped by Fiz for dinner. We didn't feel like ordering a la carte, so we requested to have their 'full-experience' menu. While it would have been much better to have it for lunch, we weren't able to make the time to sit down for a long one. It had to be dinner. As it is, it has taken us ages to make a date for any sort of meal lasting more than 1.5 hours.  

Tonight, we weren't disappointed. Flavors, textures and every dish was gorgeous. It was absolutely delicious. Chef-owner Haffizul Hashim turned his childhood memories into a menu, refining it, and bringing elegance and a nod to traditions. Sure, the chef's hometown is in Lumut in Perak. He's Malaysian, and he draws from Malaysian recipes and produce, but he has been lauded for his borderless approach to highlight Southeast Asian cooking. 

The kaya toast was one of the fanciest we've ever had. Ahahahah. With Iranian beluga caviar, and century egg kaya. Then came a really good ang kar prawn with white curry custard topped with uni. That was one superb otah. I felt that the shima aji ceviche topped with Iranian caviar (again) was just there to... cover the price of the menu, but it was well-executed. It felt like a palate cleanser of sorts; a light teaser before the heavier flavors came in. 

The sotong sumbat sambal hitam was quite fun. They bothered to grill it and stuffed, then fried up the tentacles for a different texture, matched it with latok (sea grapes) and shikuwasa (lime). The thing about the names of dishes on this menu. The chef termed this period's menu as 'Ep 3.0'. Sure. He used a mix of terms in its different languages for the ingredients and its dishes, not just by its anchor Malay and heritage. It was fine by me since I knew all of them. But for some, it would be quite fun, I suppose. 

The last few items before dessert came this 'communal' set. It was nasi dagang with urap, kerabu, chayote shoots and crackers. There was also fiddlehead ferns with sambal tumis. OMG. The meat came in the form of wagyu beef percik for me, and a lamb chop percik for the husband — ahhhh....that massaman gulai was soooo good.

We were also treated to a great side of sambal hijau. The servers and Chef Fiz warned us that it was spicy. I heard them. It was honestly not too spicy for me. It was just about the right amount of spice, and so much aweomeness in there. I had that with the nasi dagang, and over-ate the carbs. Nasi dagang is this rice from Teregganu and Kelantan. It's a rich, fragrant mix of rice and glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk with shallots, ginger, and fenugreek seed. I've had it a loooong time ago on dive trips off of the east coast. (But you know I don't go to Malaysia.) They usually serve it with a spicy tuna curry, but tonight, it was with percik. 

I kept hearing Khruangbin on the sound system. I was tickled. The band found a real market. LOL Is that like the standard of music at restaurants nowadays? Not that I mind, but who would have thought? Khruangbin.

It was dessert. OMG We got there. I loved them all. The buah keluak mousse with macadamia ice-cream and Vietnamese single-origin Li Chu chocolate (from Ben Tre) was paired beautifully. We ate ALL the kuih bahulu. That's just a mini sponge cake right? But whoa, freshly-baked kuih bahulu is the bomb. The gula apong in these was measured and so fragant. I couldn't resist. I used to call it ‘Malay madeleines’. And I do somehow like madeleines and financiers. The husband was ecstatic about dessert and ate all of his too.

The dishes were executed so well. All the flavors were there, and nothing was too oily. It was quite perfect. I enjoy Chef Haffizul's approach to his chosen cuisine and use of spices. I've missed food that tasted like this. Rasanya memang sungguh lazat. I was pleased to have had dinner here tonight. 

Gifts of Food from the Heart

The friends decided to feed me. They knew I was having it rough these few weeks, and while it's not as rough as what some other people are going through, I'm grateful for their kindness and friendship. 

They didn't exactly ask me if it's convenient to deliver food — they knew I would be home worrying about Choya and not going anywhere. Hurhurhur. When friends are being 'presumptuous', I don't view it as over-stepping boundaries. I see their concern and their lovely hearts, and I'm soooo thankful. My dearest friends are truly angels. 

I got cakes! Two cakes and a tub of rice! There's a cake as a dessert, and a savory one for meals. Ahhh... these friends know. I'm not too opposed to cakes, but many cakes are simply too sweet and not worth the calories or me bouncing off the walls. I only eat cakes that friends bake, and even better if they go low on the sugar.  

Asian Turnip Cake and Glutinous Rice

J realized that it's super hard to find Asian turnip cake (蒸蘿蔔糕) and glutinous rice (糯米飯) to deliver to friends outside of the lunar new year festive period. Teheheheheh. She cleverly found these items at Pine Garden and sent it over.

These were delicious! They were honestly better than Crystal Jade's versions. The sizes were just nice too. There was nothing to portion for the freezer. The portions went to the fridge and we ate everything in 2.5 days. Even the husband didn't mind these carbs at lunch — he was blown away by how delicious they were.

I was very extra, of course, and added lupcheong and yuncheong plus braised baby abalones to the mix. I had plenty of XO sauce and chilli at home to sort out a delicious few meals. Absolutely satisfying and filled my tummy. 

Chocolate, Banana and Walnut Cake

Dear D baked a cake and sent it over still piping hot. It had to sit on my counter to cool. Woah. This cake came loaded with rum-soaked raisins. I can't even... ... Her bakes are the best. She went low on sugar and was generous with the ingredients. It's a dense and magnificent cake that we ain't getting at the commercial bakeries. 

This is one dessert I'm not throwing out and eating up all the crumbs. We froze half the cake. Sowly ate the other half over the next three days. Even the husband decided to inhale 40g and 150 calories once a day. Hahahaha. 

No regrets. I still have a frozen portion to savor for the next week. Wheeeeeee. 

Ah Di Durian at Dempsey

I can't seem to get away with durians this season. After being pranked at home to open durians and stank up the house (I had to air it for a whole day and a half), the friends also brought us gifts of food when they flew in over the weekend.

There's this old school bakery in Bangkok that I like — Tae Lao Chin Seng / แต้เล่าจิ้นเส็ง เบเกอรี่ / 郑老振盛饼家. Of course the friends know it, so they brought me stuff. I like their iteration of khanom pia / ขนมเปี๊ยะ. You know I like my things savory. However, the friends trolled me by including a version with durian in there. ARRRRGGGH. Granted, the durian bits weren't as pungent as feared. BUT STILL......

Then there was this durian stall at Dempsey! We always take friends to Dempsey because it's an easy and relaxing place to take the friends to for meals. That night after dinner, these people wanted a stroll to the open-air Ah Di Durian at the corner! OMG. Even the dog was stunned by the smells coming out of there. Stench, really. 

Now, neither the husband and I have visited this stall although we've seen it a thousand times. Tonight, we finally stopped by because some of the friends love durians, and really didn't mind trying our local fruit from Malaysia. 

They chose a small one. I didn't know how heavy, but it looked small enough. It couldn't have been more than 2kg since it was a $37 Mao Shan Wang. Of course they demolished it. It was manageable when this was dessert Part 2 and everyone took about two seeds or so.

Pineapple Tarts

As much as I'm not into festive goodies or sugar, it's inevitable that people would still gift some to me. They tend to lean towards savory. Whewwww. I stare at the big tub of belinjo crackers gifted by J and L, and I'm trying to resist decimating it so quickly. Hahahah. I don't care about hae bee hiam rolls, but the husband does, so he happily takes a small tub each season. 

M and E gifted us our first tub of pineapple tarts for the season. It's from a home baker they know — Jenny. Whether a batch of pineapple tarts or balls are good, that's completely subjective. Everyone has different preferences. I'm not fond of the Taiwanese pineapple tarts/cakes (鳳梨酥). I like our nyonya local versions. 

I like mine a tad... tart, thick and very full of pineapple and not thin and sugary. I like buttery ones, but the butter used must be top notch, and it mustn't over-power the pineapple filling. I'm not that fond of open-faced tarts. I like them as cute little balls. I won't bother going out to hunt down for pineapple tarts. I'm not that dedicated. If I come across a tub that is actually good, I appreciate it. I don't like the commercially prepped mass-produced pineapple jam. They're wayyy sweet. If the bakery doesn't add their own mashed pineapples to give it a twist, it doesn't work.

One tart holds like 100 calories and 7g (1.5 teaspoons) of sugar. *gulp The recommended intake is two tarts a day. HAHAHAHA. I've seen people inhale like five tarts at a go. I'll stick to one tart every two days. Luckily for me, it's not something I keep thinking about. Neither do I have this craving to 'must' have a pastry with coffee or as a mid-afternoon perk-me-up. 

Gorgeous Butter Cookies

There are some snacks I do it, especially when they're savory, like belinjo crackers. I generally skip sugar, although I'm quite fond of dark chocolate or butter cookies. When you add sea salt the mix, it's irresistible.

There're so many versions of butter cookies. It's subjective. I do not like those from Jenny or anything that's Kjeldsens or Danisa 'Danish butter cookies'. I like those closer to a galette. Oddly, this little brand called 'St Michel Galettes' which are easily available at the supermarkets, are to my taste. 

J gave me a box of butter cookies from Mon Gateau by Chef Then Chui Foong. Now, these are gorgeous. Great butter used, along with a delicate crunch. That smell of butter is heavenly and isn't nauseating the way cheap butter deteriorates into. They're not greasy and not that sweet. 

I love these butter cookies. They're crumbly, so I put them in fridge. I tend to put everything in the fridge anyway. I don't want them out on the counter in this heat and humidity. Once chilled, they're still melt-in-my-mouth, but not in one second. Heh. 

Paaru's December Menu

Toddled off to Paaru with J to sample their December menu. This isn't the easiest place to get to. But it's a little fun to be here where the crowds aren't. While this isn't a drinking place, I didn't mind one drink. I had two. I was still croaking but a highball worked. I didn't even mind the slice of orange that was used in place of lemon. 

Had starters. The December menu had two choices of fun little salads. Skipped the bonito watercress salad. We had the most refreshing salad of burratina, parma ham, earl grey and in-season nashi. That was nice. We didn't go for a portion each. Was prudent. Saved space for pasta.

Of course we both opted for the cacio e pepe pasta that had pancetta and karasumi. We went for broke and ordered a large portion. We even asked about the volume of pasta used to gauge if we were being too greedy. Well, we were hungry. We finished it all. It was delicious but it isn’t flavors you’d find in the usual Italian restaurants. Paaru also managed to re-create this fusion thing. It’s quite a unique Japanese-Italian flavor. Karasumi and bottarga taste uniquely different.

J wanted Paaru's fried chicken. This is a menu special for the month. I'm not a fan of the meat or the crispy bits, but I will generally take some skin and the bones. So we ordered it. it was a happy split and we both ate what we liked. 

The fried chicken was hilarious! We loved it! It came in a box with a logo. Teheheheh. It read 'PFC' — for 'Paaru Fried Chicken'! That tagline printed 'ho-ho-ho jiak'! Heh. They totally got it down pat — the odd Japanese tradition of having KFC fried chicken for Christmas in Japan. Inside the box, there were two pieces of chicken — part of the breast and a drumstick, as well as a small portion of excellent slaw and potato salad. 

Made it to dessert. We just wanted an excuse to linger longer. I don't see J often. It's good to chat with her IRL. J opted for an anmitsu. I actually wanted one of my own too. I took the sticky date pudding with soba ice-cream. Mine came with a wee bit of black pepper; that was brilliant! 

A Pistachio, Kataifi and Chocolate Tart

Last month, we were gifted the most lovely compact six-inch pistachio, kataifi and chocolate tart from Little Favors. Slightly sweet and leaning towards savory. Totally my palate. 

Our friends are so smart — they know we might not be able to get to it that weekend, so they got us this tart that keeps well in the freezer. They were right. It went into the freezer for about a week before we thawed it out to eat.

The nature of the tart meant that it only needed like 20 minutes on the counter, and it was soft enough to be sliced and portioned. The man loved it. He really likes bakes from Little Favors. When we don't randomly order rose-flavored things, we are cool. I dislike rose-and-lavender-scented items rather intensely. 

This tart was meant to wish us a happy anniversary. So sweet lah. I don't bother telling people about our wedding anniversary. And we don't mark it in a big way. This year, everybody knew. LOL So this tart appeared as a gift. 

I make no secret that I'm incredibly fond of Ethel's cakes, financiers and tarts. There's something about the texture and the balance of sugar in her bakes. I'm hard-pressed to find something else similar. I imagine a home-baker could churn out something similar to what she does, but I'm not so into desserts to try them all to find out. I have a limited capacity and tolerance for sugar. 

Chicken Congee & White Wine!

L decided to do a pot of her famous chicken congee, and rounded us up for dinner. I love her chicken congee! It's almost like we need to taste it annually. Teeheheheh. We are so thankful that we get to taste comfort food done superbly. 

Our dearest friend shredded chicken breast for the protein. And only chicken breast, skipping the thigh meat altogether. Wow! It was so well marinated. And of course we associate her version with cuttlefish; can't not have that. 

The porridge pot belonged to L's grandmother and she totally did justice to it. It's well kept, and oft-used. It's a much loved pot that produces lovely soup and chok. Oh that congee is LOVE. The consistency. Didn't need additional salt or soy sauce. You could sprinkle pepper I suppose. I ate THREE BOWLS. No shame. I can't get this outside at the commercial food stalls — that's something lacking in the consistency of the porridge, or the flavors that tell me they use cheap soy and other ingredients. This home truly has a magic porridge pot, along with L's special touch. Wheeeeee.

The small godson was hilarious. He rejected having a bowl of his mom's chok at his dinner-time. But when we all sat down around the table, he kinda abandoned bed-time and asked for food. He FOMO, wanted to join us. And he really ate. NICE. After that, he knocked out. Yayyy.

J got tubs of ah-balling from this famous stall that his whole family has been buying from for years. We know it's in the east, but we refused to ask him details. We want to him supply us with peanut and sesame ah-balling forever! I'm not a fan of ah-balling/tangyuan or even muah chee, mochi or daifuku. But I will eat a ball with sesame filling. It also sits in a weird beancurd paste that I can't deal with. I don't like tau suan or those odd dessert soups either. What I do like from this stall, is its ginger soup (薑湯). Gosh, it's seriously good in its ratio of spicy ginger with bits of sugar. 

Choya is 8!

We were derelict and didn't celebrate Choya's birthday on the day. So we're making it up to her by celebrating for all of October instead. The birthday girl doesn't know. Shhhhhh. But she somehow is being extra cheeky for the whole month. She didn't like us being away, but she survived very well. (Thank gawwwd for trustworthy sitters.)

Now that we're back, she's sticky and refuses to let me out of her sight. Everything is 'Momma Momma Momma'. She has also taken to waking me up in the mornings, say for four days out of a week. I don't know why she takes it so seriously. The moment the alarm rings, she comes over to the bed. She toddles up the stairs to stare at me. If I don't wake, she'll come up to the bed to paw my face. Walao. She's got nails lehhh. 

We got her a cake from Little Favors, but we humans ate it. Hhahaha. I very much enjoy cakes baked in small batches by Ethel. It was a very nice Raspberry and Vanilla cake. We bought a small one so that we could finish it ourselves. We didn't hold a party or anything for her with fwens. 

Choya only got a lovely long lick of the buttercream. She likes cream. Dohhhhh. She has plenty of other wonderful foods lah. She's got a nice tenderloin (raw) and loads of fish and everything else. She doesn't need a special 'cake'. When she's on a raw diet, I really don't feel like messing up her stomach with a deluge of normie 'cake' that she had to finish on her own. It'd be too much cooked minced beef and too much sweet potato, potatoes and oat flour. She can have them in small doses; she did get to share Maddie's delicious cake. 

The happy Girl refused to take photos with the cake. So I had to be quick. No time for the Leica to do its job. It's just photos taken with the phone. As the years pass, celebrating a dog's birthday becomes bittersweet. They age too soon, and their lifespan is too short. The days are too short and the years aren't long enough. 

My darling Girl is 8 years old. Where did the time go. I prioritize her needs and schedule loads because she isn't just a dog now. She's our Little Girl with loads of sass and attitude. 

ขนมไหว้พระจันทร์จากร้านอาหารเชียงการีลา

I stopped by for lunch at Shangarila Restaurant Thaniya (ภัตตาคารเชียงการีลา) on Silom Road in Bang Rak. It has been in operations for almost 60 years. The name kills me but it serves up super tasty Thai-Chinese-Cantonese cuisine. They've learnt to go easier on the salt and oil, and sugar, so their dishes have become wayyy better over the years. 

Their socials aren't super updated but give them a call before you go, and they should have a table for you, unless it's on weekends and the major holidays. It's right at Sala Daeng BTS, which means it's only a short distance for me if I'm staying in a hotel on Ploen Chit. From where I am at Central in Ladprao, it's about 30-minute journey via a car, and 1hr 45min ride via the MRT and a transfer to BTS to get to the Silom line. 

After lunch, we left with some more food. The friends bought us a small tin of two mooncakes from Shangarila to bring home to Singapore. Smart. It was small enough for me to appreciate. I'm not big on mooncakes. How could the husband and I finish four mooncakes (in a box) before they turn moldy? They either be super small or just two — I could just about do a nibble or so. 

Mid-Autumn Festival is also known in Thai as ไหว้พระจันทร์ (Wai Phra Chan). The Koreans call it Chuseok (they make songpyeon); Vietnam calls it a children's festival of lanterns as Tết Trung Thu. The Japanese make tsukimi dango and term it as 月見 (Tsukimi) or お月見 (Otsukimi), or if it's really formal — 中秋の名月 (Chushu no Meigetsu). Moon pastries differ from country to country.  

Thai mooncakes are called ขนมไหว้พระจันทร์, khanom wai phra chan, or following Teochew roots, khanom pia, ขนมเปี๊ยะ. I wasn't going to give this box to anyone. It's precious. I would eat it. So I did. Right on Mid-Autumn Festival. 

My khanom pia came with two fillings. One was filled with nuts, known as five-kernel mooncake. This one doesn't hold meat. It's crazy packed with nuts that it wasn't even sweet. Instead of maltose, the restaurant used glutinous rice flour to bind them together. Super crunchy and dense. The other was a standard filling of lotus seed paste and a single salted DUCK egg yolk. 

สุขสันต์ วันไหว้พระจันทร์

Grilled Chicken Rice & More!

N didn't even bother listening to me and told me and the husband to just turn up with empty stomachs. When she was flying out the next day, we didn't want her to cook. But she did. She said it was easy chicken rice. Riiiight, with a ton of side dishes. Okaaaaay. Our stomachs are happy about it, but we felt bad that she made so much effort. To appreciate that, we ate LOADS. Teheheheheh. 

N was experimenting and the chicken was grilled instead of steamed. That worked too. Prawn omelette, stir-fried greens, tofu and a soup. There was even a plate of Hakka abacus that I had no idea why it was included, but it was rather tasty. Wheeeee. The homecooked food was fabulous lah. What a feast!

We had drinks — champagne, reds and whisky as a digestif. Might have overdone it a little. I was so stuffed that I couldn't really finish the dessert of homebaked brownie with Hokkaido milk ice-cream. I ate all the fruits though. Heh. Before we knew it, it was 10.45pm! Totally time to go home, otherwise our poor friends would have to stay up till 2am to clean up. The kiddos were just faffing around being derpy. They were quite happy to chill out near us. And asked for bits of cheese.  

La Terrace's Signature Half-Roasted Chicken with Rice

The few times I wanted to go to La Terrace at Claudine, I was thwarted by evening rains or a booked-out private event thingy. There's both a sheltered indoor (air-conditioned) 'patio' and an outdoor completely unsheltered area. It's the outdoor area that I wanted to go to since that welcomes dogs. But it meant that I would have to cancel if it's still raining by 4.30pm. The ground would be too wet, rendering it impossible for Choya to lie on. I would have to put her in a pram or an elevated bed (both of which I don't own).

Finally made it to La Terrace this evening. We intentionally went earlier so that Choya could have a run at the patches of greens outside the restaurant. It's the usual of Dempsey at twilight. Mozzies. Zzzzz. The restaurant kindly placed fans around, but they’re for comfort more than keeping determined mozzies away. The mosquito coils burnt don’t help. Slather plenty of mozzie repellent. This outdoor terrace is completely open to the elements. The chairs are hardy and highly uncomfortable. Wear pants or a long skirt. 

Choya was rather pleased with the quiet and all the smells. At 28°C, tonight was considered fairly cool. The staff brought her a welcome drink of unsweetened coconut water in the form of three frozen paw-shaped cubes. Too cute. She took a lick. 

We didn't feel like having wine tonight. That wine menu curated for the outdoor patio is limited, but I know they would bring out the full wine menu if we had requested for that. Since they touted their gins, we opted for gin and tonics tonight. A regular one for me. 

The food menu is limited, but it sufficed. Had two easy starters. I didn't need it, but I knew the man would enjoy the sardines on toast. I wanted the potato galette. He also loved the La Terrace signature half-roasted chicken with Niigata rice. That was superb. The crisp chicken skin sprinkled across made for a tasty crunch with the rice, but it was a tad too much. I would have preferred less of it. 

Made it to the lemon tart. I do like a good lemon tart. This one was really fine. Then they brought me freshly baked madeleines boxed to-go — 14 bite-sized pieces. Brought it along to visit the friends. The madeleines were really cute, but we couldn't eat more than a piece each.  

Province X Journe

Had to have dinner at Province when Chef Law Jia-Jun rustled up a collaboration menu with chefs of Journe, Ethel Koh and Guah Lih. There was so much thought and effort put into the creation of the menu, as well as illustrating it and printing it out. A touch of alcohol would be lovely. Instead of a full bottle or a carafe, we took the suggested 5-pour sake pairing alongside the food. 

Described as a 'nine-course journey across Southeast Asia', I had no idea what the menu would include. There would be no dietary substitutions, so this wasn’t a meal friendly to those who require specific dietary tweaks. Also, I'd have to pop antihistamines like for two days prior to this meal and two days after. 

The greens were gorgeous. I didn't know what else to call it but an Asian salad. If you're making me eat greens, do it this way, not just give me raw sad leaves. I love greens done like this. The bowl held ulam raja, mustard greens, acacia shoots, wild pepper leaves, paku fern, wing bean, jambu and corn flowers. Each leaf was cooked differently and meshed well together. 

The reef squid was so delicately sliced and mixed with bell peppers and passionfruit, and sprinkled with the right bit of habanero for that tiny bit of kick in this dish. I loved loved loved the fish. They used soon hock and crisp the skin up (similar to what chefs do to tilefish scales). Paired with fermented mango and yam, the entire presentation and flavors of the marble goby were on point. 

The duck breast with crisp skin was done beautifully, seared withe orange and coffee. I was delighted that the rest of the duck was minced, and topped with purple rice from Mae Hong Son in Thailand. That was a splendid bowl of carbs. The kitchen was not done. They also simmered broth — there was duck consommé to go along with it. Wow! There was so much umami. 

Now the desserts. I'm a fan of Ethel's bakes. That's not to say I'd eat all of it because at the end of the day, I'm not into sweets and desserts. I'd love a taste of good ones that my palate would enjoy. The main dessert was a concoction of watermelon, pink guava and white tea. Tonight, the cute oolong financiers and celtuce ice-cream wafer thingy totally got my attention. CELTUCE. 

It was such a memorable dinner. This collaboration at Province worked delightfully. 

Tinto for the BFF's 47th!

Marked the BFF's birthday with dinner at Tinto. I appreciate the restaurant's sheltered patio because this means we needn't worry too much if it should storm down. The BFF was gracious enough to have Choya come along. Luckily the weather held for the evening after storming out the whole day, and it made for a nice evening walk with Choya, and cooler temperatures for us humans as we ate.

The staff are attentive enough at Tinto, and the food is pretty all right. But the desserts are a tad weird. Then again, I'm not a dessert person, so it doesn't really matter. It only mattered tonight since it was the BFF's birthday. She's scaling back on alcohol, so we didn't bother with a bottle. Just a glass for her and two for me would do. I had strength training the next day and wasn't going all out on alcohol.

We ordered prudently. Had starters of prawns and Spanish anchovy toast, then a main of fideuà with roasted Iberico pork, chestnuts, chickpeas, and chorizo sausages. We were able to finish everything! The point was not to over-eat and get indigestion or bloat. Those are very real things now. 

Then we ordered two desserts. We had a sangria crumble with apple, plum and blackberry compote, almond and oat crumble, and coconut sorbet which was pretty decent. That came with a little candle. Nice. Then there was a second rather regrettable choice of the New Tinto Cheesecake; that light chilli powder went terribly with it. At least none of us liked it. 

The restaurant actually mixed up a birthday thingy and handed us a plate of churros con chocolate with a candle atop without us asking for it or me stating it in the reservation notes. The churros came even before we finished our fideuà. LOL We took it. Unfortunately the churros was surprisingly not great; even the sauce was lacking. This certainly wasn't one of the better versions of churros in town.

NAE:UM :: 'Episode 9: A Hanok Prelude'

Took the man to NAE:UM for dinner. I never feel like I have to dress up for dinners at this venue. I can just go smart casual and be comfortable. Of course you could dress up if you wish, it is a chic restaurant with attentive service.

NAE:UM just launched 'Episode 9: A Hanok Prelude'. I skipped 'Episode 8: Journey of Hwagyo' because I didn't quite like the menu offerings which held jjajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, hotteok and the sorts. Not my kind of thing. 

Tonight's menu for Episode 9 was lovely. The restaurant switched up the way they do duck galbi, but it was equally tasty. The tomato dongchimi with shima aji sashimi was absolutely refreshing. This menu also held memilmyeon done the way I love — buckwheat, white kimchi and abalone. I love the diamond trevally with namul and fermented bean butter. There was so much umami in it. 

The kitchen's very practiced in its fish and seafood offerings. The meats are fine, but not that impressive. The chogye of chicken with Korean squash and canola blossom was beautifully presented, but when the meat is compressed like this, it just ended up tasting like a superb chicken sausage. The so galbi of short ribs with wild chives and kale was well presented and matched with its condiments, as expected. I only requested for the gravy to be placed at the side instead of drizzling it all over the meat.

I was so looking forward to the bap. That's always delicious. I wasn't disappointed tonight. The yeonnip-bap with dry-aged croaker, lotus and banchan was spectacularly tasty. I love my carbs. I asked for more rice in mine. Teehehehehe.

The man was so pleased with dessert. After the two desserts of strawberry sorbet with rice wine jelly and basil, and jooak (Korean rice cake) with cognac, truffle and jujube, the birthday mousse cake was trotted out for the man. He was stuffed to the brim after this. We skipped the final box of 'petit fours' because we had no more space for sugar, and wanted to get home to the dog. 

A Birthday Candle on Gulab Jamun

Of course the man's 50th required a candle atop gulab jamun. LOLOLOL That's absolutely indulgent. The man loves his desserts, but he doesn't dare to eat so much. Sharing the sugar is ideal. The friends took him out to Akasa for dinner, and arranged a serving of gulab jamun to shared. What a lovely quiet celebration with good friends.

It was dinner and we'd rather not over-eat. We ordered prudently. There were paneer kebab, and tandoori of chicken and prawns, butter chicken, and dal. The man also ordered a vegetable broth with chickpeas, which really tasted like a light rasam. Mutton dum biryani had to be done, along with garlic naan. 

I couldn't resist a masala chai. It was well-made. Ahhh... love. It wasn't even difficult for me to resist having any alcohol tonight. A good cup of chai, and loads of water with the carbs ingested went down fine. The restaurant's afternoon tea menu looked really good with a number of savory items I like. I would come back for that!

A Birthday Stack of Friands!

Had a fun morning with the friends at The Social Space (TSS) Potong Pasir. There were many birthdays this month and for April. And brand turns seven this month too! So we celebrated them all together. Heh. 

Of course the floofs were there. This is really the 'Sunday Doggo Social Club'. It's for them! BossPup Mogi has totally come out of his shell on Sunday mornings. He has always been timid, and while curious, is skittish. He's still wary, but he has come to know this pack and the hoomans; he looks forward to just hanging out with everyone. Choya likes Mogi enough to actually get up from her usual corner to go greet him if he comes in later than she does. However, save for Choya, the rest also knows that they get a buffet of treats at this meeting. They literally expect it. LOL

We didn't bother with an actual cake. It's a tad hard to slice and be neat at the cafe. Also, this early in the morning, nobody wants cake. So we needed something small and cute like muffins. Then we remembered that the cafe does delicious mixed berry friands. 

We toyed with the idea of doing a giant friand, but that means we still have to cut it, and I dunno if the logistics can be done to adjust the ratio of ingredients at this last minute. Never mind. So we got a stack of those and made that the 'birthday cake' instead. That went down well.

I've come to like this quiet neighborhood of Potong Pasir. While the park connector and greenery has made it really beautiful and conducive for walking the dogs, it's the humans that make a community. While I never bother to integrate into any communities, but should that organically happen, I don't mind it. I do need that coffee, and the humans are cool too. 

It's quite a privilege to get to know these new friends, and over the year, realize that we share many fundamental values and a similar outlook in life, and at work. It's not just about the whisky or the gin okay. We have common ground that goes beyond just coming to a shared space every week for coffee. 

Tub Tim Krob for Dessert

The husband took the dog and picked me up from the work venue. Yay! Walked in to Little Elephant for a late dinner. After an intense work day, I was quite mentally drained. I was looking for comfort food, and nothing too heavy. Thai food with chillies and fish sauce always hit a spot.

I didn't even want a pint of beer. I wanted two sips. When I'm really tired, I'm not keen to drink a lot. I want food and sleep more than anything else. The husband wasn't wanting a full pint either, so we split an easy bottle of beer. Oof. 

It was an easy dinner of grilled pork jowl, onion omelette, bit of rice and bit of green curry. I really like the pork jowl here since they've not dropped the standards — for such a fatty cut, they keep the slices quite lean. I couldn't even finish all of it, and I decided to pack home that little bit of leftovers. Why waste food? Importantly, this little portion was sufficient for my lunch the next day when I would be crunching work and not interested in eating except to line the stomach for the caffeine I'd ingest.

Somehow, today I wanted the red rubies for dessert! I rarely bother about dessert. It's not so much of the sugar. It's the ICE. Heh. All the ice, cold coconut milk and crunchy chestnuts also tickled my tastebuds tonight. And the best part, I could still be in bed by 11.20pm and fall asleep before midnight.