Shake it up with Othello in the Park!

   It's been a long time since we last had a proper picnic. The opportunity arrived when the wifey decided to catch "Othello" - part of Singapore Repertory Theatre's "Shakespeare in the Park" series. For the uninitiated,  "Shakespeare in the Park" is an annual arts event where one of the Bard's plays is staged at the Fort Canning Green. What makes this special is that the "theatre" is actually the open space in front of Fort Canning Centre and the audience gets to picnic under the stars at the same time. 

   We were praying hard that the rain that morning would stop in time. Thank God, not only did it stop, it resulted in a cooling evening, perfect for picnicking outdoors. You would be surprise at the sheer number of people that turned up. One would imagine Singaporeans wouldn't be into such "high brow" forms of art. One would be wrong. The queue to the entrance snaked all the way from Fort Canning's Gothic Gate all the way uphill to the end of the nearby carpark.

    I must compliment  SRT on it's version of Othello. Although still speaking Shakespearean English, the play is set in modern times. The set consists of missiles, radar and modern day camouflage (this is after all a "military" play). The special effects are really quite impressive. You can expect the arrival of a Blackhawk helicopter as well as view through the lens of night vision goggles. I found it pretty hilarious when an Audi A5 drove onto the stage - product placement can't be more blatant than that (Audi is the main official sponsor).

   All in all, it was an enjoyable event, with good food, good entertainment; and best of all, good company.

Choupinette - how sweet thou art

   After a late night celebrating a friend's wedding, we could only get up in time for brunch. Once again the wifey was all prepared with a new place to try. This time it was Choupinette - a French Bakery, Pastry Shop and Restaurant. Parking wasn't a problem when we found our way to the back of the building from Prince of Wales Road. Although this little shop was always full of people, we didn't have to wait long for a seat.

   I ordered the Egg Benedict set and the wifey ordered the Egg Royale set. Both came with a fruit juice and a hot drink. Although I wasn't paying attention to what the wifey ordered, we ended up with the same drinks. Cappuccino and cranberry juice. It wasn't the best cuppa I've had but I had no complaints.

   My Egg Benedict arrived on layers of shaved ham, atop toasted bread. It turned out to be an excellent meal indeed. The ham wasn't too salty - just the way I like it. And the toast was crunchy yet not crumbly, as toast should be. Some toasts are either too crumbly or too soggy; this was neither. The eggs were poached perfectly, with just a hint of vinegar; not sour at all. And the hollandaise sauce was really something by itself. Mildly tangy, it complemented the eggs and the toast to a T. 

Egg Benedict and Smoked Salmon on Crispy Toast

   We also ordered  bowl of spinach. It was delicious although a tad too salty. Green goes well with all the yellow, white and pink I think. It may not look like much, but I can assure you that one portion makes a hearty breakfast, or brunch, in our case. If you visit with a friend, you can do an egg swap with your friend, like what we did, so the both of you can try both flavours.

My Choupinette in Choupinette

   In conclusion, if you're looking for a relatively central venue to have brunch, this is one of the places you must check out. Besides the egg dishes we've had, the menu boasts a host of other French inspired options. For the initiated, you'd be glad to know that Choupinette even serves bread from the famous Poilane bakery, another reason not to give this little hangout a miss.