CNY is Coming!

   The usual CNY hamper for top producers in the organization. 

Thanks to my Senior District Director, Ms Winnie Cheah.

All Things Duck

   Last Saturday, the wifey and I decided to check out Saveur at Purvis Street. This restaurant aims to provide affordable French food to the masses (i.e. me). It started off as a kopitiam stall in the same vein as Astons, but you can't tell by the number of people queuing to get in. We had to wait for 45mins and that's even after we arrived early around 6.00pm. And, no, they don't take reservations.

   If you're looking for a taste of French cuisine at very down-to-earth prices, this is the place for you. Where can you find foie gras and confit de canard at about $10 each? Even after having tried numerous permutations of foie gras in my food adventures (think foie gras sorbet etc), the ones we had were good - certaintly value for money. On first look, the duck looked a tad dry but once you get into the meat of things (pun intended), you'll find the crispness of the skin fits in perfectly with the tender meat. And its not oily to boot. The wifey had short ribs which tasted more like beef cheeks and reminded us of the boeuf bourguignon in Paris.

   Dessert was another surprise. Check out my "Cookies and Milk". Not very appetizing on first glance, but once you dig into it, the cookies and cream ice-cream, peanut butter and grounded peanuts make for a delectable combination. You even get a tingling sensation to your ears when the frothed milk "pops" at the back of your throat. You don't find pistachio panna cotta very often. And Saveur's version is excellent. Not too sweet, and yet able to taste the nuts.

  In conclusion, if you're looking for no frills French cuisine, this is the place for you. Don't expect the full French dining experience though. Unlike the bistros and restaurants in Paris, there's no free flow bread, no  "carafe d'eau" and no coffee (a staple in every French meal). The prices are "small", so are the portions, so be careful about ordering too much. After all, as Shakespeare put it, "surfeit of the sweetest things, the greatest loathing to the stomach brings"; add "pocket" to that.  

Brunch at the Stables (No I didn't have any hay)

   It was Sunday again and we had to find some place new to explore. The sun was playing peek-a-boo with some clouds that looked as if they were going to tear at any time. We drove down Eng Neo Avenue, turned left into a narrow road and found ourselves in a little slice of non-Singapore. The road could hardly be called "two-lane", with what reminded me of storybook meadows on either side. White wooden fence ran along on either side, bringing to mind the English countryside.

   We pulled up into a narrow carpark, made our way across to a nondescript little building. Then it hit me... the distinctive whiff of manure. This was after all the Bukit Timah Saddle Club.

   Our destination - Riders Cafe. This little cafe serves a mean western breakfast. Judging by the number of people on the waiting list, this is one of the places to be on a lazy Sunday morning. I had "The Usual" (mushrooms, bacon, eggs on toast) and the wifey had egg benedict with crab meat. We never expected to actually see the crab meat, but it was all there. Thick strands hidden among the egg white.

   What was even more interesting was the scenery around the cafe...

  There are an increasing number of bohemian places to chill on Sundays. However, this is one of the few that can boast of being "off the beaten track". You can really feel that you've been transported to some countryside, surrounded by lush greenery. The aroma of rich coffee, frying bacon and butter, coupled with the earthy scents of the flora and fauna, makes this cafe truly one of a kind.

The Big "Three Three"

   Yes. I just turned thirty-three. Nothing much to shout about. Some say that men age like wine. But I don't feel the least exquisite. There's a sense of time running out. So many things yet to be done, so many dreams yet unfulfilled.

   So how did I celebrate my big three three? Thanks to the wifey, we explored "The Royal Mail". It is supposed to be this moderately high-class restaurant with a British theme. Afterall, I'm an Anglophile. Always had this fantasy of being knighted; and not just to any order - it must be the Order of the Garter. The wifey likes to say I'd sooner be knighted into the Order of the Gutter. It turned out to be a chic and modern restaurant.

   I had the Roast Prime Rib, Classic Cut 280g. It turned out to be a big slab of meat. It wasn't bad. In fact it was quite tender and juicy, medium rare. It was served with Yorkshire Pudding (yeah here's the English part), garlic potato mash, buttered peas and cream corn.I would recommend going for the English Cut instead. It was simply too much good food in one serving.

   The wifey had a very delicious Butter Poached Boston Lobster. It was even better than the "fresh" Maine Lobster we had in New York City.

  We topped it all off with the Desert Platter consisting of a little of everything. In conclusion, it wasn't super fantastic but it was worth the price. I would go there again. Thanks wifey.

Breakfast Outdoors

   Lazy Sunday morning... Breakfast with the bees at PS Cafe, Demsey Hill...