2am dessert bar

Basil White Chocolate with sea grapes (the cute greenish weed like stringy thing), coconut mousse, Passionfruit. Think I enjoyed the coconut mousse most!

Chocolate mousse, Evian water, Raspberry sorbet. Core of caramel was quite a surprise! ;)

Man U vs Liverpool meant missing out on the massage/ramen/walas and I ended up at cel and fly's 4th stop at 2am dessert bar (Holland Village). Cel's intense tiramisu craving gave in to chocolate mousse instead, gladly so. And her new found grey c ipad cover...gorgeous indeed. Chose bar seats over sofa seats (perils of skirts), white and dark chocolate. Misst you, M. Should pass you your Coach soon!

Aoki

Tomato salad, wintermelon

My Chiraishi set - lotsa tamago, mackerel, tuna, fatty tuna, sea urchin, squid

loved the gorgeous deep purple blue pickles..

Mummy's sushi set.. which I finished the tamago for her;)

Home made mochi, sweet corn ice cream, plum jelly.

Finally! Post call with one re-adm for isch gut (thank goodness no more chop..nothing much left anyway!!) and another at 3am for post gast (needed rrt the next am and lotsa tropes...) but other than that found a new ritual of digging up old papers in the cso to read after the night rounds..which feels like a walkabout not like the paper entries in pas...and the reg cooks!! gosh...pasta/meatballs/shrooms.. its a real luxury to have a home (or pantry..) cooked meal, this warrants another entry on its own once i figure out how to connect the phone to the com..yes kels..getting more tech savvy here okay... esp since this is the 2nd home cooked pasta meal on call..amazing anaesths ;)

anyways, with post call at 1030am (super shiok) napped abit before heading out with mom with an excuse to pick up obagi stuffs from taka, we ate at Aoki (Shaw Center), a meal i've promised her since xmas (but not successful cos Aoki doesnt open on Sundays). Appetiser was a tomato salad and a wintermelon salad (which initially my untrained buds thought was radish)..prefer the dressing at Tatsuya though. Mummy had the sushi set (though she was tempted by the $100 omakase...) and was eyeing my chiraishi... in the end we shared 50/50..she really liked mine.. the tuna was so fresh! so red and translucent.. the colour of fresh fish is really gorgeous. This is probably one of the freshest chiraishi I've had..quite enjoy the dices of fresh sashimi atop the sesame rice (though the bed of rice was too little....).

Desserts were also an interesting affair with plum jelly, sweet corn ice cream, home made mochi. But of cos as the day wore on we had to stop by for ice kachang/chengtng...mum was just looking for a pair of black shoes while receeing all the stuffs i bought in new york and the singapore version prices...just to feel good...haha. Face shop stocks a eraser like eye make up pen and a cheaper version of benefit's browzings which I cant wait to try! And orchard central's black market and editor's market was a little too interesting for street/office wear..

Sabio

Red and white sangria

Thurs, met all my bosses - submitted irb so had to get signatures, res mid posting, team meeting when things had to be cleared with head. Awful awful. Post nasal drip and forms is trouble, so much so it necessitated stayaway on wed. Nonetheless was really happy to meet up with wans and with V to get the ASM going. brainstormed till 830 ish then while V went for team 1 and 2 drinks, wans and i went to get dinner at Sabio (Duxton Hill). Been a place i've been wanting to try for eons. Almost always packed till it trickles down to the brimish. Even today - we had to settle by the seats plastered to the walls - resulting in a smallish table which couldnt really fit all the food. But eventually we got cosied in, and didnt move to the bar. Plus it resulted in a very pyschedelic photo!
3 in 1 fish salad. For once, a salad with more meat than salad. Cod, Mackerel, anchovies. Even Wans who doesnt like anchovies lapped it up. Good stuff.
Octopus - very flavourful, and yet still crunchy despite absorbin the flavours from the broth.

Scallops in a lovely lobster-bisque like creamy soup. Prob the best dish of the night.

Garlic mushrooms, like tortillas is always a favourite to order. Love this. And its good quantity!

Totally recommend Sabio for the interesting tapas (lots more cold and hot to try) and the vibes, and the chic interior. As much as I love the bar food at 83 as well. It helps thatTapas and bar food is the way to go for me in 2012!

No Menu

Promised ML a treat for arranging all that leave for me;decided to go for the omakase Italian course at No Menu (Boon Tat Street) so that we dont really need to think and decide the dinner... Being adventurous in trusting the chef can be quite liberating.

Ate tons of this crusty bread. Thing about this no menu is that, you dont really know how much to expect - how many courses etc so I kinda ended up loading on the bread first. Well work makes me really hungry. Bread and butter (and olive oil and vinegar) is such comfort food.

Potato salad - somehow it reminds me of sec sch potluck days.

My was a substitute- roast beef (it'd have been parma ham) with honey melon, and more atop the same potato salad must have been a first, with tomato brushetta, buffalo cheese on tomato. Very refreshing I loved this combination.

Prawns and oyster. The cream sauce was super deliciouusss.

Pasta should come in a trio of tasting portions like these. Can try bits of everything and not having to struggle finishing up a pot of pasta and getting all carbo loaded.Risotto, gnocchi, ravioli. My favourite would be of cos the porcini risotto.

Seabass was not as nice as ML's lamb. Too small !

Again, desserts should come in trios! The hazelnut in the vanilla sauce was the most delicious. Meringue is not a fave though. Nice cuppa coffee to top it all.

Thanks ML for the lift up and lift back ;) Your perspective on r'ships is so very warped and so potentially influencing, real food for thought!

Baguette, Twelve Inch Records.

Monday is always best to start with an outing - Met C.O in the am when cheang's gastro c came then when the shuttle looked empty towards Bugis we wanted to take it but by the time slow cheang crawled there it was full and we had to head towards Novena!

So here we were at Baguette- a Viet-inspired deli (Level 2, Square 2) . They sell baguette sandwiches, rice and noodles( at room temperature haha)... Love the crisp airy baguette bread. Very crusty esp nice after getting it toasted. Mine was Tuna baguette and I loved the chilli sauce and the strips of veggies within.

Was very drained out that day and needed a upsized yuan yang to get me thru that day... after delivering the usual milk tea and choc/cran/cheese to dear kels who had a terrible call..again we misst the bus trying to buy gong cha and the queue..exploded!

Hurried to Twelve Inch Records (V Hotel, Lavender). Got lost cos was getting the cake from Chocz.. the tanjong rhu road so doesnt lead to town...it goes all the way to the marina bay golf course only. Found my way really illegally towards V Hotel - thank goodness it has a huge signage. Taking the fireman's lift up to level 4.

When i arrived I had the last bits of the beef. They name all their pizzas after the names of the local bands (I guess the bands either inspired the flavours or they suggested the flavours).

Lamb and Black pepper crab. The lamb was laden with papadum. The crust was crisp and was my favourite part; too bad it was real flat and exposed so it turned cold very fast. Cheese was not steamin' like in Pizza huts ads
Egg and Duck. This crust was like a prata dough, I liked it too. I just like crust and its edges (just like how I like all the edges of the bread). The egg was like the crispy layer of a fried egg.


We actually ordered so much we managed to piece together another whole pizza to dabao. didnt photograph that picture of art;)

Cheese fries.

Chocolate hazelnut truffle cake from Chocz. (Basement 1, Kallang Leisure Park) They loved the dark choc mousse and hazelnuts which seem to be drowned in alcohol. Macaroons kept getting bounced off each other!

Long chat till midnight wondering what happened this year and what we will converse about at this point next year. What a year it has been, woman.

Buyan, Marmalade Pantry at the Stables

Cheese sticks - Buyan

Salmon soup - Buyan

Cheese and mushrooms -Buyan

Double black out cake - PS cafe, Ann Siang Hill

Above and Beyond

Marmalade Pantry - Crabmeat Caesar salad

Marmalade pantry - Burger

Us against the world.

All geared up for Above and Beyond (thanks alot, Matt!! back door man!) we headed to the Duxton area for dinner - I wanted to try either Sabio or Buyan (Qian recommended Buyan's casual restaurant) and since Chongs tried Sabio before we headed to Buyan (Duxton Hill) for dinner. Buyan is a Russian restaurant and has areas for fine dining , casual dining , and the bar. We dined at the casual dining area which is at level 1. Level 2 is the fine dining area. Attracts a predominantly foreign crowd - mostly by the bar having drinks. Surprised the waiter and eventually the boss for not ordering any drinks. Apparently they do have good non alcoholic drinks as well.

We started off with the cheese sticks - half expecting it to be the thick mozarella kind- but no, it was like strips of unadulterated cheese! It was uber long and fun to eat cos it was so chewy and salty. Very savoury and I guess very good together with drinks.

We also had the salmon soup - lotsa carrots within, this was clear, comfort soup.

Also ordered the cheese mushrooms- oily and succulent with a layer of cheese atop. the favourite of J's!

Didnt take a picture of their signature dish - The plov. It was a rice dish with tender slices of lamb within and tasted between a hybrid of bryani and risotto - herbed and spiced, fluffed up grains. very interesting to eat.

We then headed to the Ann Siang area looking for desserts and ended up at PS cafe (Ann Siang Hill)- they were closing but were okay to take desserts. Drowning in the double black out cake - why cant the proportion of ice cream to cake be greater?? love love the ginormous cakes.

To Above and Beyond - parked outside for the night (turned out to be a great idea), and met M before he brought us in through the back, stampless. haha. Was still okay to get around though - Velvet was closed for renovations. Hung around members which was uber uber crowded, and got really sleepy despite! redbull (thanks M....) and took turns asleep at the bend. Then again at the car (no more re-entries through the back :( ).Until 5am when we had enough with the knocks (and unlocked...) and headed to my place to sleep over. Plans for bf at 530am were postponed cos we concussed till brunch time - Headed to Marmalade Pantry at the stables.

Oh boy it was crowded! indoors was definitely full, alfresco was out cos it was drizzling so we were sent to the area facing the carpark (and trees) with the balloon kids. We loved the balloons( i loved the bomb) and the balloon man very politely asked if we wanted any. I shoulda taken the bomb! Ordered the crabmeat caesar salad and the burger. I actually preferred the salad. The burger's patty was really nothing much to shout about.

Then headed to town to shop around Cine/Mandarin Gallery in our shirt/shorts combo until she realised at the very end that gasp! she left her credit card behind at the Stables! It marks the end of the night to day adventure. really misst this spontaenity so so much! age!

Maison Kayser

Cheese for clare, cranberry for me, white chocolate for Jills. (of cos there is never such a clear definition) Xmas eve tea at Maison Kayser ;) baguette next up! costs as much as a piece of the artisanal bread here!

Zoukout day

Booked a room at MBS which we hardly got to use - checked in late at 530pm meant that we couldnt get a fantastic view (and of the wrong side too, level6!) but heck, the pool (overcrowded with kids with a tiny adults section;( ) and the lovely empty gym (best in the am and during the check out lull period) and the hot pool at Banyan tree was worth it. Plus we got to check out late so Chongs could actually come back during her rounds to find me (and not dump me like in Bali!)

Witnessed the full moon at the hot pool (which kinda belonged to us and was a treat away from the cold, crowded lap pool), before J told me of the eclipse which we caught in our room. (cant catch much on camera). J caught the red eclipse on film. Send me!

The best foods of the night was not photographed unfortunately. The truffle fries by the MBS pool (Chong's dream to document all our truffle fries with this being the one with the best view!), and the best meal of my life at the Zoukout booth. Unforgettable.

Getting high on calories pre zoukout at Java Detour (Marina Bay Sands). Opens till late on weekends (or is it 24 hours?) Strawberry shortcake for her and Chocolate rum raisin for me, and black and white mochas for us both. Finished up the creamy bits for her, while the raisins did do me in...hehe. Drown my desserts in alcohol, anytime.

Pre Armin was the best meal of my life, after her 3 drinks and my 1 and enough of arena a, we headed to the booths - the seafood chowder had a tomato base but the huge chunk of fish in rice was seriously the BEST meal of my life. Warm and fuzzy. It was catered by Eatzi. Mmm.Telling Chongs I should eat it again, in a different setting and it'll prob not be the best anymore. Right food at the right place at the right time.

Of cos we had to take a nap before this dude rolled in at 5am...

The glorious mess. My glorious mess. What it takes for a hangover.

But I still managed to check out the level 57! Amazingballs I could loop round the MBS/Fullerton stretch daily. In 25minutes.

I actually finished the boy of plays, Victimology in 15 minutes. Very tempting to start reading plays and set my imagination on fire.

And so tempting to try the brunch at Sky 57. Where is the Chongs.

She's back to find me, on a drizzly cold Sunday morning, not so purrfect to check out the Ku De Ta brunch (mainly, alfresco dining)

So we ended up at TWG (Marina Bay Sands), having really healthy food being the extremely soberised folks we are. Tea salad was tops. Would like to have it again if it didnt cost a whopping 29 bucks.

Truffle scrambled eggs also came with prawns and salmon so we were almost same same. Truffle anything makes me order it. Damit. When it becomes available at home maybe i'll stop ordering it outside.

And they supplied us plenty of yellow toast. The yellow is such a mystery.

Burger was a puny little thing, but still tiny anything makes you crave for more. We were this close to stepping into DB for the burger but i yanked her out to follow our original plans for TWG. Many many little coves of TWG sprinkled in MBS though. And a very loud metrosexual comment I had to eat my words cos I actually knew K! Haha.

Shopped till 4 when we both dropped dead and I had to go get my valet coupon. End of the adventure, a year delayed.

Shin Yuu Japanese restaurant

Chawan Mushi - the default starter

Complimentary starters - oysters, smoked duck, beef and salmon sushi rolls. I must say I find the pink cheese quite intriguing (the ones covering the salmon). Beef was kinda drowned in sauce (though I like stuff drowned in sauces...)

Sashimi platter - the default must have every round

Scallop again with the intriguing pink cheese.

Wagyu beef cubes - a default for most company..

These complimentary tiny morsels of octopus was all mine ;)

Fat shishamo - the fried ones that Z taught me to appreciate

Salmon+salmon skin

Avocado rolls

Sunday on a weekend J was not confined we headed out on a rainy evening to have the dinner (thanks for the treat - hope its the exams plus more to come including that coveted place ;)). That evening rounded thru HV thru Queens and I was totally stranded by the bins along Coronation Rd West. Totally no kind samaritian = late for dinner. But thanks for the lift;)

Shin Yuu (Greenwood) serves a decent ala carte buffet and was recommended by J. Didnt fast today - it was the FCCS course and of cos they fed us well throughout the day... difficult to do anything else when its just lectures all day long! Anyways. Got a window seat and the feast began.

The favourite part of the buffet was prob the sashimi (they have yellow tail and swordfish too). Btw king fish= yellow tail! Totally got fooled. Haha. We had multiple portions of sashimi +++. All they're missing to complete a buffet would be eel sans rice, and tamago too.

The sushi rolls (salmon skin, avocado) were also good cos the rice was actually well done (despite us trying to stay away from carbs!).

The wagyu beef cubes that night was not great - J said he has had better at the same place.

Fried stuff wise- surprisingly I liked the bits of the fried octopus - i think it was a complimentary serving. J loved the tempura loads, and the soft shell crab was the usual (I like!). The fried shishamo surprised J a little (cos they were huge) but was a little salty and different from the way I remember it was done at Riverview hotel when I first tried it with Z.

Pique Nique, Lucky 13, Oriole

After fri's overnight, met Qian for tea at Pique Nique (Basement 1, Takashimaya) before she flies off to Taiwan next wed! - at first was almost at the Canele at Shaw where we parked but then decided to head further to Taka to check Picnique out. It started drizzling and we had to brave the crowds to get to Taka. Madness. Then I found out I left my phone behind. Sigh well done. Its not the distance back but the crowds!!

Latte - foamy and nice. Checked out the Nespresso's at Tangs and Illy (Fairprice finest at Scotts!) and loved the capsule machines - makes life easier when everything is neater in a capsule. Tempting tempting. Checked it out the day before when I thought it was the Tangs when actually it was the Isetan sale I wanted to check out with Qian -_-

Huge Whoopies fries - with lotsa curry and spice I'm sure Kels would have loved this- quality and quantity wise. Attracted the crowds too who peeped onto us..YQ felt over exposed man..

Sticky date pudding..my first of the day, non alcoholic.

Shopped for Toms, then nearing Far East to check out the gellish nails for her and popped (well my eyes popped) at the J salon for the perm. Amazing balls really !! haha. hope you get a better deal in Taiwan dear!

Walked over back to Shaw to get my phone, amazed for the warning slip that my car was in 2 lots..excuse me, the BM next to mine was not even in his lot and you dare give me a warning sign with nothing for him? horrors.

Headed over to Lucky 13 (Triple One Somerset) to meet the J and J. Jills was the earliest though she texted she was gonna be late and warned me about the tricky way there. Indeed it was lost-inducing but we found it. Opened by Michael Lu its his first venture out and omg love the vibe and the music of this isolated place. Not to mention the food too! Transforms to a clubbish atmosphere on weekends.

Beef burger with Onion Chipotle. Loved the generous sauteed onions, and the crisp fries simply reminds me of the standards of bar food in Bali. Beef was really tender. It was a good burger.

Baked egg with cheese and mushrooms- love anything drowned in cheese, really.

Quesidillas with chicken - I think quesidillas is best eaten with beef innards or mushrooms. This is a really chunky quesidillas cos of the chunks of chicken. Really healthy tasty chunks of grilled chicken.

Headed to Oriole (Pan Pacific Suites). My favouritest place in town for coffee and dessert. 2nd sticky date pudding of the day, alcoholic. Of cos it beats the first Hands and feet down.

Banoffee pie reminds me of Su, somehow. I just love the icecream which occupies much of the dessert (haha) and we gave up towards the end, pouring the flower pot innards onto the sticky date plate.

Jills gave me a lift back to Shaw...I was knocked out flat out dead to the world!! Gosh tiring weekend and I was on call on Sunday - normal call, but somehow the great calls have spoilt me! Extremes!