UMMI for Its Lamb Shoulder & Rice

Headed out to UMMI for dinner. It has become one of our go-to places with friends because of its menu. There's something for every dietary preferences. Heh.

Had an easy mezze platter of three dips. We never could resist hummus and baba ganoush with warm flatbread. The table couldn't resist more carbs and added on crispy potatoes tossed in garlic, chilli and coriander. 

The garlic rotisserie chicken was delicious as usual — the half portion was perfect for sharing. A whole chicken would honestly have been too much, unless it's a table of five or six. Had the lamb shoulder too, a six-hour slow-cooked tender protein. This is quite the signature of the restaurant. We could never move away from a lamb shoulder done well.

They made it to dessert. Only one was ordered. No way we could do two desserts. They wanted the kunefe, that mad delicious sweet-savory combination of cheese with spun pastry dough, rose syrup and pistachio. It was a big portion and very filling. 

We ordered prudently and didn't waste any food. We didn't have to force ourselves to stuff our faces either. We couldn't finish all the rice though, that was a bit regretful. We weren't picky about the wine tonight. Ordered a bottle of house sauvignon blanc to share. None of us would be drinking more than two glasses each. 

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. 

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. 

D'RIM at Mandarin Gallery

It's very hard to eat at DRIM and not have indigestion or food coma. We popped in for lunch at Mandarin Gallery and left so stuffed. It's probably the only place that I actually like the idea of Korean BBQ. Many Korean restaurants in Singapore are honestly... pedestrian and lacking. DRIM's got way better standards. Its stews and noodles are pretty much what we can get only in Seoul in terms of stock and richness of broth. 

If you like samgyetang, here’s what I suggest, eat here at DRIM rather than queue at the other popular restaurant under the restaurant group, Modu. (Song Gye Ok is also under the same group.) Pro-tip — ask for the menu for Modu's chicken ginseng soup and you don't have to stand in a long line for it. I don't/can't take ginseng, so it's not for me. But for people who love it, this is a convenient option. 

I was at DRIM for their signature noodles done chilled and dry with perilla oil, and a bit of beef. Those noodles were quite delicious, but I wished they used a better grade of cold-pressed/single-press-extracted, and untoasted perilla oil.

I just want regular beef, but the cut wasn't available. Got a portion of Hanwoo oyster blade, and their signature prime cut of pork. I love it that the staff grilled them tableside for us. The exhaust works well, and I never leave with the stench of grease lingering in the hair. 

Couldn't resist the beef tartare (yukhoe). Got that. DRIM's iteration was refreshing, crisp and superb. Husband wanted a beef stew (sogogi doenjang jjigae) too; the stock was deliciously robust and hearty. The banchan and kimchi were lovely too. 

Cabbage Consommé & Baked Fish

It has been a while since I had a good bowl of Cantonese soup and fish. Had a craving for these. Off to Yan Ting it was for dinner with S. 

Got my soup — a lovely double-boiled bowl of baby cabbage consommé, bamboo pith, and mushrooms. Had vegetables in the form of broccolini with tiny ikan bilis. 

Chose a leopard coral grouper (東星斑). Instead of our usual steamed Hong Kong style or Teochew style, we opted for it to be baked in onion and garlic (蔥蓉生焗). It was pretty good! The baked style was quite fun, and left the meat still juicy and tender. It arrived as a super manageable 700g portion. Minus the head and the bones, we had about 300g of meat. Given the calcuations of ~19g or protein per 100g of meat, that would yield about 55g of protein. I probably had like 35g of protein!

S was greedy and wanted a bite of noodles. I was super skeptical. There was no way she could even eat a bowl of it. We still ordered the seafood vermicelli (海鮮米線). LOL She had a spoonful. I had a small bowl. We knew we would have to pack home most of it. Hahahah. That's okay. Her husband would be able to have most of it for lunch the next day since he was working from home and would need food too.

Fish & Bones at UE Square

After some patchy reviews and all, I didn't bother with Fish & Bones although it's really convenient. Also, when something says Korean food, it's not on my list of priorities to check out. But they seemed to have improved over time, and last year's reviews were generally decent. That evening, we decided to hop in for an easy dinner.

It's pretty much a seafood place. But they do have cooked items of bibimbap, pajeon, army stew, and some sort of one-dish lunch options. The husband ordered the spicy fish bone soup. Okaaaay. It isn't my favorite thing, but this version was pretty tasty. There was raw abalone too. That was tasty. Also had a slab of grilled ribeye with potatoes. The beef was pretty delicious!. 

The halibut sashimi was fresh and lovely. But it's Korean style, so the knife skills are like...... ...... mehhh. Tonight, the medium platter of $65++ sashimi came as rather badly chopped up slices. I was wondering whether I'd kena food poisoning or parasites. LOL I'm not particularly enamored with Korean-style sashimi after what I see at their fish markets — both at the stalls and at the restaurants upstairs or nearby. After a few pieces of it, I decided to pop the slices into the spicy soup to lightly cook it. 

The husband was like, next time, we should get the whole halibut, have the sashimi and take the bones home to boil soup. Riiiight. That's provided that the bones don't stay out for hours and be chockful of bacteria by the time it's actually taken home. We'll see. These are raw bones, not cooked. So I'm not confident of how they would store the bones if we should order a whole halibut. Those bones need to go back to the fridge or freezer stat, and not sit outside on the counter or at the table with us for the next 1.5 hours before it gets home to another freezer.

To Nixta for Margaritas, Guac & Chips

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. Nixta still serves the best ones in town. The bowl of guac 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 9.15 pm.  

Hearth Irori & Oden Izakaya

I finally could sit down an evening for a long dinner with V at Hearth. I was remiss and could only buy her this belated birthday dinner after my back-to-back conferences concluded. I had no energy or mind space to have long dinners with friends when there's work to clear, or I would prefer to sleep at 10pm with no alcohol in the system. 

Thank goodness V was gracious and didn't mind a belated dinner. We hadn't met in months too! It was very good to have properly caught up and have a good chat. I had a brain fart and forgot to bring along her birthday present. Ugh! I'd just drop it off at her doorstep over the weekend. But STILL.

Had to have the sea bream rice in donabe (tai-meshi). Die die must squeeze it in. That was the first item I ordered the moment I sat down. Even before I asked for a highball. No white wine for me. That was all V's. I wisely stuck to highballs. No mixing of alcohol. Kept the alcohol light and easy. I knew I had a heavy morning at work the next day. 

We didn't over order. Had potato salad with ginger and pork, radish with cream cheese, chestnut pork loin, and squid ink sausage. Hearth is really one of my fav izakaya and oden restaurants. The kitchen serves up really good food; nothing over-done on the sauces or fried stuff. Then we gave all our stomach space to the sea bream rice when it arrived. Mmmmmm.

Hokkien Mee Fideua at Casa Mori

Checked out Casa Mori on a casual Sunday night dinner. We sat on its sheltered al fresco terrace. The restaurant was full for the night and didn't accept any more walk-ins, not even at its terrace. So the terrace was nicely empty except for our table; we made all the noise we wanted. Hehh.

There're decent overhead fans, although I didn't think two was sufficient to cool the patio. But we were lucky that it was a cloudy day, which resulted in a night that wasn't too warm. There was an air cooler too, which made it rather comfortable. Both floofs and humans were okay for the evening.

I had to laugh at our sides. Someone really really likes bonito flakes. They were all covered with it — the padron peppers, the roasted cauliflower and shredded
Japanese cabbage. At least the garlic huajiao prawns weren't liberally sprinkled. I avoided those prawns because of the numbing peppers. Eeeps. The crab meat otak terrine with seabass and prawn rempah were delicious! Both the prawns and the otak came with toasted bread. So it filled our stomachs a fair bit. The kalipoquetas were ridiculously good. Love the name! So bombas/croquettas, but these were filled with chicken curry — brilliant. 

Had to have the Hokkien Mee Fideua. That was quite tasty! We had no more stomach space to sample its squid ink fried rice and sayur lodeh risotto. Next round. We ordered more protein in the form of a black cod with Chinese olive mustard leaves and Japanese takana (pickled mustard greens).

Chefs Willin Low and Jose Alonso found a formula in Casa Mori's menu that should work. Everyone enjoyed the food! It was surprisingly palatable and suited our tastebuds. These people declined dessert, but in the end, when the crisp and light mochi churros with chocolate and kaya, and a classic pear tart with vanilla ice-cream came along, they polished them off. 

Medusa Italian Osteria Romana

I'm not totally impressed by Medusa's menu, but it's a great venue for rainy evenings. When we have floofs, the sheltered atrium makes for a comfortable dinner even in a thunderstorm. Ahhh... no. I haven't tried Fortuna at Craig Road. There's something not exactly attractive about it. Even Medusa wasn't on my 'must-visit' list because the decor of red and neon lights and stripes gives me a headache.  

The Brussels sprouts came uncharred. The man hates that. While I didn't mind that at all, the Brussels sprouts weren't done very nicely; the mesh of flavors was quite bad. The beef tartare was mediocre. My pasta carbonara was decent, but it wasn't as good as I expected. I didn't even finish the portion since I wasn't about to waste stomach space on less-than-ideal carbs.

Luckily there was champagne. You can't screw that up when there's a cold-enough wine fridge to store it. The ice bucket at our table kept it super chilled through dinner. That was enjoyable. It doubled up as dessert too. The floofs were comfortable in our corner. 

The man was very impressed by his main of a pollo. Medusa's version came as slices of chicken breast with red peppers, olives, capers, basil and tomato sauce. He loved it. The meat was tender and it sat in tangy, flavorful sauce. It was simply done, and tasted like a total winner. It totally appealed to the health-conscious. 

Fat Belly at Serene Center

The husband is always up for a steak. For years, we haven't tried Fat Belly because the menu seemed to have been previously focused on wagyu and really fatty cuts that we're not fond of. The restaurant fell off my radar and when Serene Center was done with its renovations, I thought I should pop by.

The day's rains made the evening's temperature rather bearable. We sat at the table by the mall's door, so the AC coming out kinda ameliorated the humidity. But bring portable fans. Otherwise it's still stuffy. The outdoor area of Fat Belly is super bright, like white-light fluorescent bright. So it makes you feel hotter. 

This location still works for us even if it's raining. The sheltered walkway is great. Unless the Bukit Timah area of Cluny Court floods, then it's a no-go. We went for a late dinner tonight at 8.30pm. Most of the crowd had cleared since TwoFold sells out by 8pm or so. But the area was still bustling. Orh Gao next door was chockful of happy drinkers and barky dogs. 

The husband wanted the blue swimmer crab cake with hand-chopped tartare sauce, and also the smoked burratina with heirloom tomatoes, balsamic crema and scallion oil. They were quite light appetizers. That tartare sauce was excellent. I almost wanted to order a little tub of it to go with my steak. Hahaha. 

We both opted for a USDA Prime onglet from Harris Ranch. It's about 200g. Couldn't resist a side of pomme puree drizzled with evo oil. That was honestly fantastic. I love potatoes and I don't actually need them to be mashed with butter. This was a gorgeous version. Also got a bit of dressing in the form of salsa verde for taste. Mmmm. Well, our bellies were certainly happy.

A Feather Blade Steak & A Glass of Lagavulin 16 y.o

We decided to pop by Feather Blade tonight for dinner. We didn't make a reservation, but we figured nobody wanted to sit outdoors in the heat. And bingo, we got a table. The two or three outdoor tables at Feather Blade work for us. There are overhead fans, but not that cooling. Bring your own fans. I totally disapprove of the floor, so I always lay out a pee pad for Choya. 

I always get a standard 200-g feather blade steak. At S$28++, this is honestly not pricey. It's the cut I suppose. It's fine for us because we're not into wagyu and such. I don't even care about sirloin or a ribeye. Have the feather blade medium-rare so that it's less chewy. Having it done medium is not nice. 200g of steak is more than enough for me at a seating. Tonight, I wanted clam chowder soup with dill and beef bacon. I know riiigiht. It was a hot night, but I still wanted hot soup. Heh. 

We had easy drinks. They always have a decent Lagavulin 16 y.o here. I like that on the rocks. I think I haven't deviated from that in a while whenever I come by to this restaurant. The husband had a cocktail. I forgot if it's an Old-Fashioned or Negroni of sorts. He likes the presentation and the flavors, I suppose. Our lovely server even came with some super chilled yuzu shots. Wahhh. Nice. The husband needed his protein. He had his 200-g feather blade with an extra order of miso scallops and grilled tiger prawns.  

Sushi Seizan at Bugis Cube

We were in the area, and realized that Sushi Seizan was just two buildings away in the almost dilapidated and weird Bugis Cube. If you're driving and need to park, the nearest parking is at the National Library. Guocco Midtown is too far in the rain, and if you directly opposite at Bugis Junction, you'll have to meander through the mall to get to ground level.  

The Edomae-style restaurant is opened by Chefs Hiro and Chef Yoshi. It's a casual spot with six seats at the counter, and about eight seats in a private room. By now, we've gone there twice, the second time with our friends. We didn't need fancy sushi restaurants that charge us S$600 a head. We didn't like what we were paying for. We wouldn't mind something casual, and less pricey, and are more open to trying out new and tiny places with limited menus, and helmed by younger and less experienced chefs. That's more fun!

I don't know if the chefs at Sushi Seizan prefer to do it this way, but the rice is a tad too vinegared. Whatever it is, they can cure fish. They doesn't have many shiny fish since I assume his diners wouldn't like it. Tonight, Chef Yoshi doesn't have shima aji. He offered aji. That would do. 

We didn't opt for the higher-priced menu. That would simply see more tuna, and wagyu beef, and some fancier soups than our rather-thin and sad seaweed soup. However, we weren't interested in those. If we wanted, we would simply add on more sushi to what we had. It's always fish that I'm looking for, not beef, and not fancy cooked items or ankimo or anything like that. 

We took the basic $188 menu. Chef Yoshi knew that I decline all tuna, so this smart dude didn't even offer me bonito. Hahahahah I indeed dislike it. It's from the same family of tuna and mackerel. I don't mind bonito flakes, but not the meat. I very much prefer mackerel over tuna too. 

The 'handroll' was a crepe instead of seaweed. The husband got a negitoro thingy, and I got all uni. Hehehehe. We had a final dose of carbs in the form of a smoked uni sushi, and I got an extra piece of aji! Wheeeee. For smoked uni, we were given a choice of bafun or murasaki. I like bafun for its stronger pungency. It was indeed smoked in a little bowl, so using murasaki would have been wasted.  

Tonight's dessert was a chestnut cake of sorts. Luckily we only asked for one serving for us both instead of one each. We could never finish dessert unless it's fruits. We didn't bother with having sake tonight as well. It was a very hot night. I couldn't deal with anything else but a cold and refreshing glass of highballs all the way. 

Had Asador's Beef Tartare!

I ended work at 8pm and took a trot down to dinner at Asador at 8.45pm. Luckily we made a booking. Indoors was a full-house running on two seatings. They had to turn away walk-ins. Although nobody would want to sit outdoors without an overhead fan on a hot and muggy night.

I was right. There were only two high tables outdoors and the other was empty. This dinner would have been unbearable in this heat and humidity. So I brought our own fans. Choya had one too. It is hot, why complain more about it. I'll just find an acceptable solution. 

Started with anchovies on toast and Japanese oysters. The husband finally got to taste the beef tartare on fried polenta. It was really good. It was supposed to be mixed in table-side. But us sitting outdoors ain't conducive for it. We also had blistered Padrón peppers and the grilled hispi cabbage with anchovy garlic dressing and fried kale.

The husband ate too mucth already, so his main was a 'lighter' chargrilled squid stuffed with chorizo on mojo verde. The grilled Iberico pork shoulder with mojo picon was nice, but honestly it was a tad fatty for me. I think I would simply do fish for mains the next time. The sea bream here is excellent.

We had a lovely bottle of wine, and didn't bother making it to dessert. LOL Choya did pretty all right with a fan; she knew it was essential tonight. She wasn't too bothered by the passers-by. She had a safe space under our feet and the table had sufficient space for her to even stretch out. Lingered to finish up the wine before heading off. 

Etna for M's Birthday!

Had a feast at Etna (Siglap branch) for M's birthday. This outlet's sheltered al fresco seating makes sense for our floofs who merrily came along. But its overhead fans are no match for our brutal humidity. Bring extra fans please. 

Tonight, we went for a 1.2kg Bistecca alla Fiorentina, as well as a cute pork tenderloin. Supplemented with starters of burrata and parma ham, clams and mussels in white wine broth, and calamari that was not fried but done in the loveliest form of five pieces of grilled squid on chickpea puree. 

There're not many carb eaters at the table. Or rather they just don't bother eating carbs at night. Nobody wanted pizza at the table. It was more of a choice of pasta over pizzas. The birthday girl wanted the linguine with jumbo crab meat in crab bisque; she got that. We added a standard cacio e pepe for E, and then there was random paccheri with mushrooms and squid. 

We honestly didn't over-order. I thought it quite prudent since we managed to finish everything. Hahahahah. There were two bottles of wine, an easy white and a champagne. I didn't think we finished all of it... but apparently we did. Okaaaay lor. 

These people would eat dessert, but they're mindful. So it's not possible to order even two or three desserts to share among us. One would do nicely. LOL Had to make it to one dessert and one scoop of ice-cream so that we could get a candle on it and be all festive. Hehh. Opted for an easy tiramisu, and the birthday girl's request of pistachio ice-cream. Everyone was stuffed and happy.

A Much-Needed Glass of Wine & Pasta

I have somehow lost 3kg. I think it's just a total lack of alcohol and carbs. I've been flooded meeting work deadlines and musing over Choya's gut flora and microbiome. I tend to prioritize Choya in my schedule, and not even bother with much food, placing her needs above everything else. 

If I'm worried about Choya, I have no interest in sitting down for long dinners. Food for now is just a quick grab-and-go or whatever I can whip up at home. If I'm at home, I can eyeball her. I can analyze her behavior and silent cues to see if she's comfortable. 

When she was having that terrible torrent of shitsplosions, I needed to get her stable first before I think of enjoying a drink and dinner. Not too bothered about the 'dressing up' since I never do. Heh. 

Tonight was a late dinner at 9.15pm. Both the husband and I had calls to field and work to do. Then we popped out to an easy one at good old D.O.P. It's one of the rare restaurants that still allows last orders at 10.15pm. So we were totally in time for food and a drink. 

Needless to say, the Smol Girl came along and chilled out. She knew we came out later than usual, and sat at a different table. She was quite pleased. That angle worked for her too. She watched the world go by.

We didn't bother with appetizers. Went straight to mains, and a bottle of wine. Heh. I took antihistamines, so no issues having a spaghetti al cartoccio done in a white wine base. The husband is fixated on this low-carb/high protein diet for a few months. He decided to skip the beef and have a grilled seabass. He requested for it to have it done with all grilled vegetables instead of fries or potato wedges. 

It was a most satisfying dinner. That glass of wine was something I really needed. I was mindful of how much I drank because I needed to be sober. I was thankful to have a quiet night and needn't wake at 5am in a few hours to rush the dog out to poop.  

A Peranakan Feast!

It was such a fun party over weekend. The friends flew into town to watch the play. We get to spend time doing things we love, and we get to eat some good food. I'm still recovering from being so sociable, but I'm glad to see everyone whom I've missed. 

Of course it had to be Violet Oon at Dempsey — it takes big groups, serves food fast, and is always decent, and probably the most important point, Choya could come along, and we could all be seated comfortably at their lovely al fresco patio. 

We didn't over-order but we had a spread. We had kueh pie tee, beef rendang, babi ponteh, udang chilli, chap chye, and liver balls, of course. 

We made it to dessert — three types — we had the kueh bingka, gula melaka tea cake with gula melaka ice-cream, pulot hitam with coconut ice-cream. The pulot hitam is pretty similar to a Thai dessert we all love — khao niao dum piek / ข้าวเหนียวดำเปียก. The friends loved this version. 

We were absolutely stuffed. Had a bit of leftovers that we decided to tapau home. Why waste food. Heh. We didn't bother to adjourn elsewhere for drinks. Nowadays, we do our drinking at dinner. It's a lot more convenient that way. 

Prawn Biryani & Lamb Shoulder

When the table enjoys Shahi Maharani's flavors, we made a 8pm date. Celebrated both the husband and E's birthdays. M had flown out on a work trip and couldn't make the date, so we naughtily picked Indian cuisine since it isn't her favorite but the rest of us like it! Teeeeheeee. 

The restaurant serves up good food that has been consistent, and great company makes for an easy wind-down before bedtime. We don't bother coming here unless our dining companions enjoy Indian food done in this style. 

Skipped all the chaat, because we didn't have enough stomach space for everything. We couldn't wait for the mains! We ate all the papadum in a small cup and asked for more, and that arrived in a big basket. Hahahaha. The food arrived together, as intended, making it a nice communal meal. 

We wisely followed the server's recommendation to do half a lamb shoulder instead of the full portion. That was more than enough for us when we wanted to sample other items. A spicy Chettinad chicken, fried potatoes and dal completed the meal.  Carbs came in the form of naan and rice. Prawn biryani is a must each time we come. That was done tonight too.

I was glad that we met at this restaurant. I didn't manage to get a gift for E earlier. There were shops downstairs, and a tiny Kinokuniya that provided me gift ideas and I managed to get her birthday presents sorted! We didn't mind one drink, but nobody wanted to drink that much. A glass of white for me, and gin tonics for the rest. It was a good meet after a loooong day at work. 

Fish & Lamb Shoulder at Ummi

The friends took us out to mark the husband's birthday. Opted for UMMI because they know we would love the hummus and grilled items. We have always passed by but never went in because we hadn't rustled up a table of four to share the calories. Tonight was great. 

UMMI has quite an extensive menu. Opted for a few starters in the form of labneh, hummus with lentils (they have it with lamb and beef too), baba ganoush, fried eggplants with chickpeas, and hazelnut chickpea falafel. Added on a portion of batata harra (crispy potatoes tossed in garlic, chilli and coriander). These came with piping hot flatbread. It's delicious. We all eyed the lamb tartare (frakeh nayeh), but none of our stomachs felt adventurous tonight. That would have to wait till our next visit.  

Then we moved on to mains of a six-hour slow-cooked very tender lamb shoulder on minced lamb rice, a superbly delicious grilled sea bream and instead of half a chicken, we opted for the smaller and more manageable option in the form of shish tawook marinated with yoghurt and spices. Mains were fabulous. 

We got to dessert, yes. This table is full of dessert fiends. There was piping hot mint tea (which I skipped). Along came two plates. There were a kunefe, and I honestly couldn't recall what on earth the other dessert was; it might have been a rice pudding since there was the strongest flavor of rose syrup in it. You know how much I dislike rose-anything. The kunefe was GOOD — the pistachios crumbled atop were delicious, the rose syrup used was hidden by the sweet cheese, I'll take that.

The Husband is 51

The husband turned 51. He spent his 50th milestone year doing loads of things he loves — playing music, making music, watching gigs and ermm sorting out his Sonos set-up at home and rearranging speakers, and new speakers and a soundbar. 

This year, he's into this program whereby Claude is his gym trainer. I took a look at the program and thought it okay. Claude's pretty detailed that way. No real risk of rhabdo as long as he doesn't go too heavy or stress the heart too much with crazy cardio. He also decided to get his medical check-up and blood tests in order. He's meant to do this annually but he has skipped it for two years in a row. So he ought to get it done.

On his birthday, he still wanted to take Choya out to play. So we went to East Coast for the Smol Girl to get a sprint in. Oh, sprinted she did! When we dropped that leash, she didn't just run around on the beach. She also ran out of our sight, rounded by Starbucks and bounded back, TWICE. Tsk tsk. She was so so thrilled!

Then Choya and I took him to Joo Chiat to get his birthday gift — a pair of weightlifting shoes (brought in by Strength Yard). He is squatting 120kg on his 85-kg frame. And his ankles don't have the mobility needed to squat lower, and his knees need some cushioning. He could still raise his heels with weight plates. But an additional pair of proper shoes for squats and deadlifts would be nice.

Then we took him to lunch at Asador. The restaurant is sizzling HOT. There are only two outdoor tables (with high chairs), and at this angle, they face the sun, so go at 1pm if you can. I had to wear my cap all the way since the sun's rays hit full on. The overhead awning doesn't block off the sun. There are no wall or ceiling fans, please bring your own. 

Asador's set lunch menu is always easy. There's the week day version, and today's weekend set menu had two appetizers of scallops with pesto and oysters. Of course the husband added on anchovies on toast. He loves anchovies and sardines. Next time we'll come back to have its beef tartare and other items. Asador's grilled items and flavors appeal to our tastebuds.

It was humid and warm, and we drove. So we couldn't do a bottle of wine. We simply did a glass each. A refreshing and light white. We both opted for the a main of grilled sea bream with orzo, clams and fried leeks. Then there was dessert. We only wanted one portion. It came in the form of a Basque cheesecake with quince ice-cream. I liked that ice-cream loads!