South Union Park - Neither South nor in a Park, yet inviting for Unions

    Despite the busy schedule, I try to set aside at least one weekday evening to have dinner out with the wifey (and occasionally, the lil munchkin as well). The wifey usually selects the venues. It was no different this week. We found ourselves driving up Jalan Kembangan into the heart of the landed estate; all the while wondering to ourselves whether we were going in the right direction. Then suddenly out of the "darkness" shone the light of a row of shop-houses. Lo and behold, the first of which was South Union Park.

    We were ushered into the warm glow of this cafe. Despite the late timing, and it being a weekday, the cafe was more than half occupied. At this point I just have to commend the staff. I called the day before to make a reservation but couldn't get through, so I left them an sms. It didn't take long for them to reply and confirm my reservation.

    This cafe boasts a menu of classic favorites like chicken noodle soup and cheese burger. Although nothing fancy-pansy, the quality here is nothing short of excellent.

    It's not easy to find crabcake in Singapore that don't fall apart once you break a piece off. This one holds together perfectly. One bite into this beauty and the flavours of crab and lime hit your palate. The taste being both separate, yet conjoined beautifully. It literally "takes the cake!" If you're wondering, that's a coleslaw topping. I'm literally salivating while typing these words.

     For a person who doesn't usually fancy pasta, the "Duck Confit Tagliatelle" was exceptionally delicious. Although we shared the food, I'm sure I can finish this one up by myself. I especially enjoy the hazelnuts that give an extra crunch to this dish. The pasta was done just right, not too soggy and not too hard. 

    At first I wasn't expecting much from the "Herb Crusted Barramundi". After all, it's not easy to entice with fish. One bite into this changed my perspective. The fish was surprisingly moist and soft. Needless to say, it was pretty fresh as well. The little muchkin had a field day with this dish (and she's only 10 months old). The tangy romesco went extremely well with the crunchy herb crust. I especially appreciate the hericot vert - fav veg of the day.

    The portions weren't too huge, such that the wifey even had space for dessert. She has the strawberry shortcake which came in a glass "cup" (just can't find the word for it). It was soft and fluffy and surprisingly not too creamy.

    I had the "Brownie". It was nothing like it's boring name implied. It came with salted caramel ice-cream, sprinkled with candied walnuts, with a dash of butterscotch. If, like me, you're a sucker for salted caramel and butterscotch, this is something not to be missed.

    This will definitely not be the last time we head here. Besides the relaxed atmosphere (it might be because of the time and day. The wifey said weekends would be a lot busier) and great food, the lil munchkin seemed to approve of this place as well. She was busy making friends with everyone in the restaurant. We will be back.

Battle of the Chirashi!

Last week the wifey and I took a break from our daily duties with a  staycation at the Fullerton Hotel (courtesy of Standard Chartered Bank). We decided to end our mini retreat with a Japanese meal. What better place to check out than the restaurant that supposedly makes the best Chirashi in Singapore - Chikuwatei Japanese Restaurant.

Here are the pics to whet your appetite...

Signature CHIRASHI KOU: thick slices of Salmon, Amaebi, Sweet Prawn, Chutoro,
Scallops, Kanpachi and Unagi, served with house-made Tamago and fresh Ikura from Tsukiji.

Chawanmushi. This version had numerous pieces of seafood within. Just one word - Yum.

We've had Chirashi from more than afew restaurants in Singapore and I dare say I do know a thing or two about this dish. It is easy to understand why the Chirashi Kou from Chikuwatei is in the running for the best Chirashi in Singapore. The thick chunks of fresh seafood threatens to overflow from the bowl. I particularly enjoyed the Chutoro. It was of perfect thickness (just large enough to fill your mouth for a good chewing) and fat enough to give it a chewy and smooth texture, yet not overly fatty.

Verdict: Is this the best Chirashi I've had? What it has going for it is the amount and quality of the ingredients. In this, it beats most other Chirashis. In terms of overall taste though... I still prefer the one at Ryo Sushi. As for the ambiance of  the restaurant, I prefer the intimacy of Ryo Sushi. So, is the Chirashi at Chikuwatei the best in Singapore? I'd say "no", but it sure comes close,

Big Eats in the Little London Trip

     Being the foodie that we are, I've decided to chronicle our London adventure from the viewpoint of food. Here are the highlights.

Duck and Waffles     

First day in London, we were given a treat at "Duck and Waffles" by my colleague Junxiong.

View from the restuarant

The famous Duck and Waffles

Abeno Okonomayaki
After catching "Mathilda" at West End, we decided to pop into one of the "Japanese" restaurants on the way back. Little did we know that this little place has been voted one of the "must-eats" in London.

Prepared from raw ingrdients right in front of you

The finished product

Buckingham Palace Cafe

This cafe is located on the grounds of the palace itself. We decided to lunch here after the palace tour.

ice-cream made from milk from the Royal Farms

Burger and Lobster

How can we miss out on this joint? Needs no explanation.

Bourough Market
Largest oysters I've ever had.

Thomas Cafe - the only Burberry Cafe in the World

We stumbled into this "one in the world" Burberry cafe while window shopping at the Regeant Street flagship store. Their specialty? - Lobster of course!

Verdict? Not bad but I rather eat at "Burger and Lobster".

La Porte des Indes
The UK once seriously considered making curry their national dish. Needless to say we had to try the curry in London. Right opposite our hotel was this nondescript (or so we thought) Indian restaurant which looked quite decent. Imagine our surprise when we entered. There was space enough for a few large parties, complete with a man-made waterfall and lounge area. Once again we stumbled upon a gem. Apparently "La Porte des Indes" was a winner of several food accolades, by the look of the certificates lining the wall. Thankfully, it lived up to it's fame. The French-inspired Creole Indian cusine was one of the best we had on this trip.

 It was indeed an apt way to end our first London adventure with the baby.

London Adventures of a 3 month old Baby (and Parents)

      This year we celebrate 5 years of AIA's listing on the HK stock exchange with a gathering in London of producers from AIA markets around the world. The wifey decided she wanted to tag along. Moreover, she's not prepared to go anywhere without our newborn, Shiloh. So Shiloh has to come along as well. People said we were mad to bring a 3 month old baby all the way to London. Well, you'd never know if you never try. Here are the highlight's of our London adventure.

Strolling through HYDE PARK on the way to HARRODS at Knightbridge

      The little one seems to love the green outdoors. She looked around and was extremely well-behaved. The crankiness started only when we got to the shopping centre.

To BUCKINGHAM PALACE to visit the Queen

Pit stop at St James' Park while waiting for out turn to enter.

Visiting 7 storeys of toys at HAMSLEY

BOROUGH MARKET

 CRUISE down the River Thames

Coldest day of the trip: Shiloh all bundled up.

Rounding off the trip with antique shopping at PORTOBELLO MARKET

In the end there wasn't much antiques to be had. We ended up collecting stuff for Shiloh's Peter Rabbit themed nursery.

Special Mention: MATILDA the musical at West End

     Thanks to the mother-in-law, we had the privelege of a night out on our own, the wifey and I. What's a trip to London without experiencing a musical on West End? We didn't want to go for one that could be caught back in Singapore. So "Phantom of the Opera" was definitely out. Besides we've already caught it before. The wifey decided on "Mathilda", based on Roald Dahl's book by the same name. It turned out to be an excellent choice. I was very impressed with the thought that went into the set. How the mechanics for each scene worked hand-in-hand with one another is something to behold. However, I was blown away by the performance of the cast. The way the children danced, sang, and performed their hearts' out, deserved the standing ovation that they received. It is certainly a musical that I would highly recommend - a "must watch", trust me.

      In conclusion, it was an enjoyable trip. Bringing an infant on a long-distance vacation isn't as impossible as some people make it out to be. Thank God for His protection over all of us, especially the wifey and Shiloh.