Sometimes, I think I am getting old. I used to think abt going to the best resturants but now I try to find places that give value for money. And for that, Teahouse at China Square is a good place for Tim Sum. I used to go there quite often until my office moved to the new premises at ORQ. Anyway, woke up late in the morning and felt like having tim sum. Bought a set of newspaper and read it while having my favourites siew mai and char siew pao. Felt totally ah chek but hey, its always so nice to do that on a weekend morning.
This month was another crazy one. I went to Manila for a week for work and found out that there are so many biz opportunities (project for 2007). Appraisal time was a bit stressful for me and hey, I asked for a 20-30% increment which my boss said reasonable since I have done very well and above my budget. :-) Went house hunting and decided tat I really need a price to hedge myself against asset prices inflation. Decided to get one at River Valley which is near the work place and in the centre of the city. At S$1150 psf, felt that it was a ok price to pay. Mebbe I will just stay there. The prev owner renovated the place so well that it looks like a designer showflat. Went up to Macau/Zhuhai to play golf and gamble. The 2 places are bustling with activity and all the good restuarants are fully booked. Went for 2 weddings, cousin and a gd friend. At grace's wedding, alot of catching up with the rest of the family and all the younger cousins look so unfamiliar. They just grew so fast. Or mebbe I am ageing. And of course, I need to go for army reservist at the end of the month. I can't seemed to catch my breath. Think I shd take it easy in December.
Teahouse at China Square (Tung Lok Gp)
China Square Food Centre
51 Telok Ayer Street L3,
+65 6533 0660
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Teahouse at China Square 26 Nov 06
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Wagyu Burger 31 Oct 2006
Haven't been writing my tots for quite a while. But as usual, it was just so busy with work and trying to get a bit of exercise either through gym, short runs and the driving range.
Went with Ed (who disappeared after the wife gave birth to a baby boy) and RG to Uberburger for lunch. We decided to try out the prime wagyu beef burger @ S$101. The sauce is a bit too thick and rich for me to taste the foie gras and the truffles. So so meal. Nice ambience but the cushion chairs are so soft that we moved to the metal table and plastic chairs.
Thk the choice is still at Pierside Kitchen for wagyu beef burger. It was so much better value for money@ S$45. I normally order the lamb shank when I go to Pierside. And i always find it amazing that a restuarant can survive for so long. F&B biz in singapore are always so tough and competitive.
PIERSIDE KITCHEN & BAR
1 FULLERTON ROAD
SINGAPORE, SG
65-6438-0400
UBERBURGER
01-26 MILLENIA WALK
SINGAPORE,
65-6837-0280
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Nara 13 Oct 2006
It has been quite some time since we had another gathering. AT has decided to do something from Alsace. Paul Blanck was highly recommended bcos it produces wines of great finesse and purity.
Varietal Series
- 2005 Pinot Blanc d'Alsace
- 2005 Pinot Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes (old vine) (previously Tanzer's 87 points)
- 2003 Pinot Noir "F" (previously Tanzer's 87 points)
Single-Vineyard Series
- 2004 Gewurstraminer "Altenbourg" (previously Tanzer's 87 points)
- 2004 Pinot Gris "Patergarten" (previously Tanzer's 87 points)
- 2004 Riesling "Rosenbourg" (previously Tanzer's 86 points)
Grand-Cru Series
- 2002 Pinot Gris "Furstentum" Grand Cru (Tanzer's 91 points)
- 2002 Riesling "Schlossberg" Grand Cru (Tanzer's 93 points)
- 2001 Gewurstraminer "Furstentum" Vieilles Vignes (Tanzer's 92 points)
Went to Nara at Goldhill Centre for dinner at the same time. This was the 2nd time there. As usual, the food is great; the foie-gras, sashimi, miso soup, the cod fish. Very well done and impressive. Prob will make this my alternative place besides Yoyogi.
Else, I think the Alsace is a bit too sweet for me. It just felt rich and pure but wasnt my kind. Still like the bergundy whites. Well, at least, I learn something new.
The past couple of weeks had been so busy. Changed my golf grips and my swing just went haywired. Guessed I got to go back to the driving range for some serious work. Also went to take up yoga with KK. I think I just need some incentive to do some serious stretching. The haze in Singapore was also getting really bad. Think I will skip this yr's stanchart marathon. This yr training is going to waste but hey, it means I can plan for more short trips abroad during Nov and Dec.
Ben Teo, Chef
Nara Jap Rest Pte Ltd
167 Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre
(Besides UE Square)
Tel : +65 6256 6568
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Golden Palace Paragon 16 Sep 06
Been another 2 weeks since I met up with the gp.
It has been such a crazy month since I came back from summer vacations and I did not even feel I went for a holiday. Anyway, it was work, work and more work and of course, I have to start doing my running schedule for the stanchart marathon. I wonder why do I need to put myself through all this sh*t to run 42km. Guessed I just want something to look forward in life. It wasn't exactly funny when I finished last yr - my eyes teared up... how did I finish that distance?!!
Anyway, it was a Michael Lafarge/ volnay night. There is always a debate among whether his Clos des Chenes or the Clos Du Chateau des Ducs is his best wine.
- 2001 Volnay - some 30% of the vines suffered hail damage. Much like bourgogne but prettier and elegant with more weight and volume to the delicious, round flavours. finishing sweet. Nice for easy drinking.
- 2001 Volnay Clos de Chateau des Ducs (50yr old vines that produced only 20 hl/ha bcos of severe sorting). Sweetly sweet and highly complex nose of raspberries cut with black cherries and a touch of earth led to medium wt flavours and a firm, ripe, reasonably persistent back end. Delicious but yet subtle and fine. Like this one bcos it feels so alive in the mouth.
- 2001 Volnay "Clos Des Chenes" (45yr old vines that sits just above champans and heavily hit by the hail) Somewhat typical nose of strong red raspberry and strawberry aromas. Nice and firm.
Nice dinner. Now I shd really think where I shd go for my next break.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Teochew Restuarant Huat Kee 22 Aug 06
Havent been to this place for a long time. Came back first day and I really miss Singapore food. So, HW and I decided to have teochew porridge for lunch. Had my favourite steam promfret, fried egg and broiled vegetables. Simple and very nice. Great place for teochew food.
Contact : Lilian Lee, 74 amoy street, +65 6423 4477
California 6-21 Aug Part II
After the Grand Canyon, we headed for Las Vegas. Amazing place with all the casinos located on one strip.
- Mandalay Bay - free monorail in front of Excalibur. Have a Shark Reef Aquarium
- Luxor - 30 storey pyramid. Blue Man Shows
- MGM - free lion exhibit
- New York, New York - took the Manhattan Express Rollercoaster. Squeezed my balls when the vehicle took the first plunge.
- Monte Carlo - Las Vegas met French Riviera. Min bet usd$100 here.
- Bellagio - free water fountain show in front of hotel. from 3pm t0 midnight at every half hour interval.
- Paris - mini Effel Tower
- Imperial Palace - 2oo vehicles on display in a historic car musuem
- Caesars Palace - Roman and Greek Gods in prob world's famous hotel and casino. Celine Dion has a theater just for her to perform. Elton John is the standby guy.
- Venetian - Madame Tussauds
- Sahara - speed roller coaster
- Stratosphere - tallest building west of the Mississippi River (114 storeys).
- Hard Rock hotel - nothing new
The Forum Shops and LV Factory Outlet World are great places for shopping.
Deserts to Mountains - we left LV to head for the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Nevada. We stayed at the shores of the beautiful Bass Lake, the gateway to Yosemite National Park.
The park is magnificent with it famous rock formations of Eli Capitan and Half Dome. Cycled through the trails but it was a bit dangerous bcos it doesnt have brakes on the handles but on the pedal.... so we cut short the cycling to take the free shuttle bus instead.
From Bass Lake, we proceeded on to San Fran Bay - city tour includes the golden gate bridge, north beach, golden gate park and Haight Ashbury, hippie central.
I really like the weather in San Francisco - bright and sunny and the temperature is around 17-18 deg celsius. People were running along the streets during noon. I would have done the same if I stay there. The breeze was cooling and fantastic climate to run in.
- Coit tower - looked like a fire nozzle but fantastic views
- Lombard Street - world crookedest street.
- Fisherman's Wharf pier 39 - the Cannery, Anchorage and Ghiradelli Sq Shopping Centers. Best clam chowder I ever had and the dungeness crabs were fantastic. They were like Hokkaido crabs but it was a steal at US$25.
- Haight and Ashbury - Relive 1967 when the "Summer of Love" and "Flower Power" ruled the street. A place during the hippee era of 60s.
- Alamo Square - best view of this famous "Painted Ladies" houses with the skyline in the background. Nice houses but not stunning.
- Chinatown - one whole stretch of shophouses. Second largest chinatown in US after NY.
- North Beach - little "Italy" with a no of Italian restuarants and bistros on Columbus street.
- Union Square - SF's best shopping. Niketown, Macy's, Virgin Mega Records and Planet hollywood. Victoria's secrets occupying a whole floor within a building. The whole place is bustling with activites.
- Union Street -the Rodeo Drive of SF. 250 specialty shops and resturants.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
California 6-21 Aug Part I
2 weeks just passed by like that. It just felt as if I am preparing for my holidays now. Anyway, it was totally enjoyable.
Took a direct flight straight to LA. SQ has always been my favourite carrier. Well, besides the standard pretty air stewardess, there's always the flight entertainment system and the better service. It was also the first time I sat on the executive economy class. Very roomy and it was a very smooth ride all the way to LA. Caught 3 movies on the way there.
I stayed at Anaheim which is about an hour away from LA into Airport. Took the super shuttle which only costs me US$15 instead of US$80 for a cab ride.
Los Angeles
- Visited Chinatown - pretty run down and quite a no of market stalls selling clothing and tourist items. I had my lunch at a Tim sum restaurant there and goodness, it was such a nightmare. The siew mai were stuffed with meat and it was such a torture trying to finish up the few items I ordered. Food was oily and full of meat. What an insult to Chinese Tim sum!!
- Beverly Hills - strolled up and down Rodeo Drive and Melrose's place. There are a couple of luxurious boutiques and prices are generally quite ok. Makes no sense bcos I don't go for branded goods anyway. Bought some running shirts and shorts at Niketown. A guy came up to me on Rodeo and asked me for change to buy a burger. I was surprised at how well dressed he is and yet, he asked for money. But then, California is one of the states with generous welfare for the poor - daily soup kitchens and clothing for the poor.
- Hollywood - Walked down Hollywood Blvd. I took a cab to man's Chinese Theatre where the hands and footprints of American screen idols are cemented in cement. There's a new shopping centre but the side buildings are a bit run down and dilapidated. Thought there wasn't much to see.
- Sunset Blvd - most happening places to pick up gals. They have a couple of nice looking restaurants but the bars looked sleazy and run down to me. Didn't stay long after grabbing a couple of gin tonics.
Anaheim
- Disneyland - opened in 1955. 4 different parts - Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland and Tomorrowland - each with their own rides, shops and restaurants.
- Disney's California adventure - right next to Disneyland. Newest theme park which opened in 2001. There are rides, shows and attractions. Divided into different parts like Sunshine Plaza, Golden state, Paradise Pier and Hollywood Pictures Backlot.
- Downtown Disney - a lot of shops, theatres and restaurants. Had dinner at a Mexican place and goodness, the portions are so huge that I couldn't even finish half.
Newport Beach at Orange Country
- Just dropped by. Nice place to shop, roller blade, eat, drink and relax on the beach. Nice sea waves for surfing.
I joined up the tour at Holiday Inn, Manchester Ave in Anaheim and from here, my trip began.
Started off with a short ride from LA to San Diego along the Pacific Coast. We headed for Tijuana, Mexico for shopping and lunch. Just a small Mexico town. Surprised me that there are a couple of strips clubs along the stretch and they open during lunch hours. Else, nothing much to do really. Went down to San Diego across Coronado Bridge with great views of the skyline. Took a 1hr cruise along the harbor. It is also the docking site for the US Navy. Saw 3 impressive aircraft carriers and quite a no of warships, including destroyers and supplier ships. Had a short tour in the city itself that includes downtown, Gaslamp Quarter and Balboa Park.
Started off the next day with the morning at the Seaworld. There are quite a couple of shows with the killer whales, seals and the dolphins. It was fun watching. And there was even a mini cirque du soleil performance at one of the shows. The park is big with a couple of theme rides and major exhibits like the shark sections, freshwater aquariums and polar bear stations. Took me about 6hrs to finish it. Headed off to the Mission Beach in the afternoon for a good suntan and a swim. Typical beach scene with a lot of bikinis, rollerbladers and people trying tattoos on the sidewalks. For dinner, I went down to the lively Gaslamp Quarter. There are a lot of choices for dinner and nightlife.
After San Diego, the next day was spent travelling to the cacti filled Sonoran desert of Pheonix. Full of changing scenery through Cleveland National Forest, Anza Borrego Dessert and the Imperial Sand Dunes. Settled at the end of the day at the beautiful resort town of Scottsdale. The heat was unbearable... with 40 deg celsius and it smacked me right on the face when I alight from the bus. It was like sauna in the nature. Had an easy dinner with some of the fellow travelers and did a bit of shopping.
The next morning, I took a hot ball ride across the incredible Sonoran Desert and then had breakfast in the middle of the desert. It was quite a fun idea from the hotair balloon company. Popped champagne and breakfast. haha... but american champagne is a bit gassy for me. Left Pheonix for the red rock country for Sedona. The brilliantly hued sandstone are carved by sea and wind into cliffs and rugged spires. Took a jeep ride into the country side. This place is where the Wild Wild West Movies in the 50s and 60s are made. Moved on the the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
The next day was spent at the Grand Canyon. Took a helicopter ride in the morning. It was spectacular at over 1.6km deep and averaging 16km wide. Went hiking in the afternoon. Luckily, there were free shuttle busses along... bcos the whole trail is like more than 20km along the edge of the cliffs. Looking down the cliffs will make the knees wobble. Think the no of people who dropped off, committed suicide or getting murdered is like 60-100 cases. Thought of hiking down to the bottom of Grand Canyon but then thought better of it. There was a New Yorker gal who ran 3.15 hours for the marathon, got lost and died of dehydration hiking down the trail. The sunset was also beautiful at 7.21pm in the evening.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Ristorante Da Valentino 5 Aug 06
It was out of the blue when a good friend, Nelson, and I decided to do dinner on Saturday before I go off for my 2 weeks vacation. Called Rist Valentino on Wednesday and I am surprised or rather amused that the place was fully booked on Saturday night. Haggled a bit before Mr Valentino himself allowed me a reservation for 3 on the weekend's evening.
I still remembered it was a waterpolo mate, Dave, who introduced me to the restaurant in this cozy neighbourhood. I really like the linguine with the black squid ink sauce.
This evening started off great with Joyce, Nelson's wife, announcing that she is expecting. I was really happy for them and Joyce looks great. I don't know why but mothers-to-be have this very nice and pink glow on their faces. I got to know Joyce when I joined them for a tour in Beijing back in April this yr. She was a senior of mine in NUS Chem Engin faculty (grad in 97).
We had the porcini mushrooms, ham and melon and calamari fritti for appetitizers. Shared the spaghetti with lobster and pink sauce, linguine in black squid ink sauce and spaghetti with squid ink and crabmeat sauce. Top it up with a bottle of Italian white. The food was goooood...
I can't really complain - great news from Joyce and good food. So happy for the couple!
Ristorante Da Valentino
11 Jalan Bingka (off Rifle Range Road)
Tel: 6462 0555
Friday, August 04, 2006
Trios Leo's Birthday Party 3 Aug 06
Trios Leo's Birthday Party at Imperial Treasure in Great World City.
This was the first time I joined the birthday celebration for 3 frds in the wine group. It is supposed to be the highlight of the group every year whereby everyone will bring a good bottle of wine for the dinner. Altogether, we have 17 people for this dinner. It was fun to see all making the efforts to attend the event. Guessed I had to skip my conference call to attend it. And haha, it was quite embarassing to turn up last for the dinner.
Altogether, we have 19 bottles for the evening dinner. Royce had also generously contributed a bottle of Penfold grange in his absence. Will have loved for him to join us from tokyo. Had asked Andy to help me bring a 1985 la mission haut-brion (Graves, left bank).
- laurent-perrier grand siecle champagne (magnum)
- 2002 marc morey, batard-montrachet
- 1970 ducru-beaucaillou, st julien
- 1991 henri bonneau, chateauneuf cuvee marie beurrier
- 2002 maume, mazis-chambertin
- 1986 gressier grand poujeaux, moulis
- 1996 penfolds grange
- 1996 leflaive, batard-montrachet (magnum)
- 2000 ramonet, bienvenue-batard-montrachet
- 1964 figeac, st emilion (magnum)
- 1988 meo-camuzet, vosne-romanee les brulees
- 1988 leroy, romanee-st-vivant
- 1985 vega-sicilia, ribera del duero
- 1995 comte de vogue, bonnes-mares (magnum)
- 1985 la mission haut-brion, pessac-leognan
- 2000 leoville-barton, st. julien (magnum)
- 1997 masseto
- 2003 hestan vineyard cab sauv, napa valley
- 2003 terra di lavoro (magnum)
Monday, July 31, 2006
Jiang Nan Chuan 31 Jul 06
It was a great saturday with golf at the newly renovated Serapong Course at Sentosa. Must admit I like it very much with the great view of the sea. The course is tough with its narrow fairways and very thick rough. It is also a nighmare to find a ball if it lands outside the fairway.
Went with the group to Jiang Nan Chuan at Four Seasons. It was one of my favourite restuarants with great pricing if we order the correct stuff.
It was a white bergundy night.
- Bruno Colin Puligny Montrachet, Truffiere '04 (92 by burghound). Touch of wood with white flower and citrus fruit nose. Pure puligny in style and nice intense and minerality. I thought this one was the best with the creamy palate.
- Jean-Philippe Fichet Puligny Montrachet "Les Referts" o4 (90-92 by burghound) Ripe peached and pear infused favours that are rich, sweet and intense. Finish was strong and lingered for a full 60 sec ?
- Etiene Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet "Les Combettes" 04 (93 by burghound). Wonderful complex favours. Full bodied and muscular with impressive level of dry extract. Quite deep and fine for a Combettes. And it stayed on the palate for a while. The most impressive of the lot but I thought it was so overwhelming.
- Boyer Martenot Mersault "Perriers" (91 by burghound). Ripe and floral and sweet. But the nose and the finish fell a bit short.
- Hamilton Russel Vineyard 04, Walker Bay. A red pinot noir from South Africa that got us all confused. It was dusty, earthy and stocky. Thought it was a Southern Burg but got us all wrong. One of the improving stars for SA and for the price (S$40-50?), great value.
Food was great and the beef stew with crystal noodles was the highlight of the night. It is always nice to end a drinking seesion with a nice soup.
p.s Ann, restuarant manager @ +65 6831 7220
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Phuket 23 Jul 06
It has been very hectic for the past couple of weeks. Decided to take a short break to Phuket. I cant remember when was the last time I was there before the tsunami but it always bring back fond memories of the sun and the sea.
Stayed over at the Phuket Pavilion. It was a private villa with a one room bungalow and a private pool overlooking the sea. It was a lovely place. From the receptionist, the buggy took me all the way up to my own little villa. The whole place was built on a small hill with the villas all occupying the slope. It is only about 10mins drive away from the airport and there are three nearby golf courses. Golf at famed Blue Canyon, 'one of the most beautiful golf courses in Asia' or mangrove-fringed, Nicklaus-designed Mission Hills. Or the lagoons, coconut groves and fairways of Laguna Phuket Golf Club.
The villa itself is so spacious that it just felt so relaxing. Felt just like a home. The bed faces the pool and the ocean and waking up every morning to smell the sea breeze makes it feel so eternal. Don't even feel like doing anything and it has been such a long time that I felt totally nice. Had a spa massage in the late afternoon in the room (prob costs me S$100) for 60mins. It felt great to stretch the muscles.. Swam easy for an hour each morning just simple stroking - it ook less than 10 strokes to cover the 12m length pool. And read a novel under the pavilion after the morning golf. I would have been roasted if not for the cloudy skies..
Took the free hotel limo to the nearby Layan Beach. It was a very long stretch of beach with a great ocean view. Sheraton and Banyan Tree are located along the coastline. The driver dropped me off at one end and told me to give him a call when I am ready to get back. The sea breeze was fabulous. I thought it was going to be a wonderful afternoon walking the beach till 4 wild dogs came running out of nowhere. I thought they looked more like hyenas with drooling saliva and very sharp teeth. It caught me by surprise on the deserted stretch of beach with no help in sight. The nearest bar looked like 1km away. And I dont think I can outrun a four legged creature. Even step I take, they came closer till they are like 2 metres nearer. Darned!
Guessed I couldn't run so I stood there for abt 10mins till someone came along from a distance and the dogs ran to him. He looked as if he belonged to one of the nearby construction site. I was a bit pissed that I reminded myself to file a complain when I go back to the hotel. Walked on to a bar nearby - Reggge Bar. And took a couple of bourbon cokes there while watching the sea horizon. It was nice with the sun and the sea breeze.
Proceeded to Patpong Beach later in the evening by taking a cab. Prob around THB900 one way. It looked unchanged to me; I would have thought that things might look different ater the tsunami. I love the Thai food for the spiciness. Had a fried garoupa with chilli, king prawns, oysters, tom yam soup and blah blah.... and it came down to less than S$50 a person. Went around strolling the streets.
Also went to see the Simon Cabaret. It was funny to watch them mimicking, singing in different languages like chinese, jap and korea. Guessed they just have to cater to the tourist crowd. Only 1-2 of the "actresses" look feminine. Well, as long as they are happy.
One of the best weekends I ever had. Will love to go back to the Pavilion with my golf buddies. Just so private and homely that it was just absolute bliss.
http://www.phuketpavilions.com/
Monday, June 19, 2006
Sens & Bunds 17 Jun 06
Went up to Shanghai for the weekend for a friend's party and decided to go for one of the 3-star french michelin restuarants for dinner with a lovely companion. There are currently 2 in shanghai, the other one being "Jean-Georges" which has a better location overseeing the bund.
Sens & Bund The Pourcel brothers, who run the Michelin three-star rated "Le Jardin des Sens" in Montpellier, France recently opened "Sens & Bund" in Shanghai. The 2 brothers have in fact opened 10 successful restuarants globally. This dining room on the waterfront features goofy modern portraits of French kings and flower vases dangling precariously from wires from the roof with white roses. It feels very spacious with the lounge bar on one side and the dining space on the other overlooking the bund.
The menu sounded interesting but the wine list fell short of expectations. Hmm... maybe I was kinda expecting the wine list at Robuchon in Macau whereby it resembled a phone directory. Otherwise, we ordered foie gras de canard appetizer, roasted pigeon and beef fillet encrusted with herbs and accompanied by shallot confit and crispy mushrooms. The foie gras and the beef was excellent but not outstanding while the roasted pigeon felt totally fat and greasly. Wine list is a bit on the expensive side given the limited selection and quality that they have.
At the end of the day, the waitress bought us up to the seventh floor, where Bar Rouge is. The bar offers a splendid open-air view of the city and it is supposedly the hippest high end bar at Shanghai. It became popular after HK stars, Tony Leung and Carina Lau, did an advertisement at Bar Rouge. The view was fantastic and the weather was very cooling at night. Nice place to chill out. Nice experience but wouldnt be too excited abt going back for a 2nd time.
6 F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, Shanghai 200002
Phone: 86 (0) 21 6323 9898
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Imperial Treasure Great World City 4 Jun 06
Usual weekend stuff - I normally try to spend a day with parents for dinner. Decided to take them out to Imperial Treasure (Cantonese Cuisine) at Great World City (+65 6732 2232). I have heard quite a lot about the place and thought I may be well drop by since it is nearby. The restuarant is quite small relatively with a no of private rooms. And it is very popular since I can only get a reservation at 830 pm.
The place is quite cosy and nice. They have a glass-walled wine room stocked with a good collection of Morton Rothschilds and Latour. Generally, the prices are quite good. Nice collection of french burg and bordeaux and some other regions. Food list is nice and comprehensive. It was quite a late dinner but the lobster sashimi steamboat looks darned good - figured I will try it the next time I am there. Took the fried beancurd in sweet and sour sauce, vegetable and a steamed codfish with black fungus. Overall, the food and service are good.
Another alternative place to bring clients for biz lunches.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Batam Golf 20 May 05
Since I got my handicap card, it makes me much more adventurous and eager to try out new courses. It is always nicer to play somewhere other than the home club. Decided to join TF and his friends for a game at the Tering Bay Golf and Country Club. It was designed by Greg Norman and the layout and the greens were defended by a lot of sand bunkers. Well, at least, they are not as deep as the China golf courses I went to. Overall, had a good game. The short game was good and surprising, I managed to chip all the balls quite well and didnt duff any.
Didnt realized how cheap Batam is compared to Bintan -drinks and food. The whole trip cost S$104 for the weekend and $10 for the caddie. Had a nice 45 min massage that costs me only S$20. Nice experience - at least I can say I have been to Batam. Else, the only thing I know abt that place is Singaporeans keeping their mistresses there. haha.... I was also amazed that so many Singaporeans went there for gambling - the Ah Sohs and Ah Chets. It was such a massive jam when we came back to Singapore. Maybe I can set up a loanshark business when the IR project is completed in Singapore. :-) Btw, the photo showed TF, aka canon launcher, teeing off.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Sin Huat 17 May 06
Decided to go with buddies for a good dinner at Sin Huat Eating House, 659 Geylang Road, Lorong 35 Junction. This is supposedly the best place for crab bee hoon in singapore. Anthony Bourdain, the chef, has proclaimed the dish is something to die for.
Anyway, drove up there after having gin tonics as appetitzers with Vincent at Far East Sq. Surprisingly, there was no crowd at around 7 plus so we placed our orders before the rest arrived. This is one of the rare places where I can pay through credit cards - coffee shop settings with restuarant prices. The chef is always in a sulky mood like the last time I saw him.
Ordered gong gong shells, prawns, fried vegetables and the crab beehoon. The chilli sauce went well with the gong gong and the prawns were solid with the garlic and spring onion garnishings. Of course, the star of the night was the beehoon. The sri lankan crabs were huge and they managed to cook it in a way that the roe was evenly distributed among the beehoon. The crab shell was so flushed with bright red roe - absolutely sinful and heart attack material. But heck, eat first then say. The other thing we missed for the night was the scallop - not available.
S$365 for 6 persons abt $60 per pax. Pretty reasonable for the yummy crab beehoon.
Remember not to order steamed fish - the person kept asking us why we dont want to order it. The price is simply CUT-THROAT .... i still recall paying S$170 for a fish the last time I was there.
Very nice evening. Good food with wonderful company.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Graze, Rochester Park 13 May 06
The group decided to host a dinner at Graze. Graze is affiliated with the famous, Philippe Starck's designed hotel in Hong Kong called, Jia. In fact, their consulting Chef, Chef Teague Ezard, is the same award winning Melbourne chef that currently consulting Opia at Jia.
Graze, 4 Rochester Park, Singapore 139215 Phone: +65 6775 9000
It was a fabulous bergundy night again.
2002 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines
2002 Humbert Freres Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Poissenots
2002 Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys"
2002 Jean et Jean-Louis Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle
2002 Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos des Varoilles (Monopole)
2002 Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Romanee (Monopole)
2003 Bruno Clare Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Clos St.-Jacques"
2003 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Cazetiers"
Save for Petite Chapelle & Les Fontenys, the rest of the Gevrey primeur cru are from the Combe Lavaut sector, which largely consider to be the finest of all three sections.
It was an unanimous decision to vote for the Fourier as the best highlight for the dinner. It was rustic, good acidity and the finish was awesome. I liked the Varoilles02 and Bruno Clair02 - the precision of the acid was very well defined.
Else, the starters for the resturant were overcooked, esp the prawn and crabs. Probably the best highlight was the bread accompanied by the cheese and the salsa. I found the ox cheek quite nice but the others thought it was a bit too salty. We were so full that we skip the dessert. Service was so-so and a bit slow. Had to ask for a couple of times before we got served water and even then, we waited for a loooong time. The nice part of the restuarant is the ambience and the laid back enviroment. There is a video projector screening old movies in the garden and the outdoor sitting was nice and airy. Quite an ang mo place.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Operation LBM @ Palm Resort - 25 Mar 06
This is a group of golf buddies whom I definitely have a lot of fun talking abt the whole world and nonsense of course. Well, it all started when I met Encik Chan at a reservist abt end 04 at the Singapore Wargame Center. Since then, I started to join him and his mates for golf every weekend until business travelling and work took me out of the picture entirely. Havent played with them for a while and heard that Encik Chan is playing 82. At the rate he's improving, he's going to be turning pro soon. So I have decided to join this last mission codename LBM. The group has decided that joining NSRCC is a better option and time-saving as well.
http://www.palmresort.com/newsletter/ver4/intro/intro.html
Soldiers on Call were Major Jerry Lim, Capt Nikki, Lta Sim, Encik Chan, Sgt Chiang and Pte Larry Tan.
CODE NAME : LBM (Lian Bang Mei)
25/3/06 Saturday
1130hrs : Meet at usual Arena for Car Pool
1145hrs : Set Off (late comers please swim there)
1315hrs : Check in Hotel, Lunch
1408hrs : Tee off Group 1 (Chan, Nikki and Chiang)
1415hrs : Tee off Group 2 (Me, Jerry and Larry)
1900hrs : Finish wash up
1930hrs : Chinese Restaurant @ Palm, bring on the beers, lobsters crabs and live prawns!
2100hrs : Go to bed sleep early for tomorrow game or Poker game with red wine.
26/3/06 Sunday
0700hrs : Rise and shine, breakfast
0810hrs : Tee off Group 1 (Me, Chan, Chiang)
0817hrs : Tee off Group 2 (Jerry, Nikki and another bloke)
1300hrs : Finish game, wash up
1400hrs : Lunch @ Japanese restaurant @ Palm
1600hrs : Home for those who need to report to Madam early
1600hrs : Rest and relax
1800hrs : Seafood Dinner @ San Lou restaurant with all time best Char Bee Hoon.
2000hrs : Going home
2100hrs : Reach S'pore.
Game Format : Skins with flights, cross flight combine scores
Mission Summary :
Weather on both days were good. Games were fun with all the bets going to a joint fund for paying dinner and beers. Guessed all of us were used to playing in NSRCC and even Encik Chan was playing a high 90s. Had a good dinner at the Chinese restuarant @ Palm. Food was good. We decided to cramp into one car to go into town for beer and soccer. The night scene was horrible and almost dead on a saturday night. 6 guys watching soccer alone in a pub along with the bartenders and a table of men.... really pathetic. Apparently, the security in Johor was so bad that nobody wants to come out on a weekend. Thank goodness, this will be prob the last time I am going to JB for a long long time. Watched the liverpool game. ; liverpool is like a tortoise - slow and steady and stingy on defence. Went to search for supper. Passed by a disco-pub and it felt eerie to see 3 men dancing alone on a big floor as if they have been possesed. Looks more like they were on drugs. :-(
We went back after midnight without supper and poor Larry sprained his neck badly that he didnt played on sunday. Weather on Sunday was nice and sunny. Except I slept at 3am in the morning and played lousy shots. Consolation was both Chan and I par the last hole (If I remember correctly, it was a long par 5). Ended the game with some desserts in the club house. We proceed back to the hotel to pack up and shower. The 6 starving bears then went on to the jap resturant in the resort for lunch. Had a small room for ourselves and proceeded to play blackjack while we were having lunch. Thanks Larry for bringing a packet of cards. Had sashimi as the appetitizer while we had our own set lunches. The unagi and the cold noodles were nice. Hmm.. everything tastes nice while I am hungry anyway.
All of us took the woodlands link back. Decided to skip the dinner programme bcos we were all quite lethargic by then. The traffic jam was long - did managed to clear it by 4.30pm in the afternoon. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. Nikki ended up as the overall Champion for the trip. Very well planned by Chan - his role as a regional financial controller has contributed to the mission success.
We played Allamanda on sat and Cempaka on sun. Got to say that course conditions are not very well maintained but anyway, heck since we are going to play in Singapore in future.
Allamanda is the most established of the three courses at Palm Resort, presents a real challenge with 11 holes of water! Allamanda is the 'resort' course with extensive landscaping and two signature holes No. 2 and No. 15.Tifdwarf greens are complimented with Serangoon fairways. We played off the blue tee at 6,683 yards. Some of the greens are severely undulated and well guarded, requiring careful planning on approach. In 1999, the Allamanda was voted 3rd among the top 10 golf courses in Malaysia. It was the course of the Johnnie Walker Super Tour 1998.
Cempaka, here at Palm Resort. will demand full concentration. There are a number of severe doglegs to complement the course and this, combined with narrowly shaped fairways, 9 holes of water and more than 60 bunkers, make for a real challenge. Cempaka has already played host to a number of prestigious tournaments and has been praised by many humbled golfers! Level lies are difficult to find on a number of Cempaka's rolling and winding serangoon fairways and the large Bermuda greens are, undulating, so giving the experienced green reader an advantage.
Cempaka blue tees play 6,735 yards. Watch out for the island fairway feature on No. 9, the coffee plantation between holes No.12 and No. 13 and the ravine on No. 14.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Comte Armand Vertical Tasting and Dinner at Wine Garage - 18 Mar 06
After slogging hard at Orchid Country Club at 36 deg cel, the flight of 4 (Ric, Royce, Andy and I) rushed back home to change up so that we can join the dinner in town.
Here's a brief summary from the wine guru, Andy aka golf buddy and drinking mate :
This historical property comes from southern Burgundy, Pommard. Few could challenge the history significance of Domaine Comte Armand, Clos-des-Epeneaux estate, where their family roots date back to the 1850s. Today, the fourth generation owner, Vicomte Gabriel Armand is most of his time based in Paris, while the domaine, is in the capable hand of their new régisseur, Benjamin LEROUX, which succeeded the equally highly illustrated predecessor, Pascal Marchand. So far. is the only grand cru in the south.
This domaine, Comte Armand, Clos-des-Epeneaux from Côte-de-Beaune, where their vineyard lies in the prime location between Grand Epenots and Petits Epenots, is considered by those authorities as the finest parcel of land in all Pommard. The enclosed wall, with vine age between 35-70 year-old has produces some of the most sophisticated and mineral-scented Pommard that is unparallel by it peers.
The following is a list of vintages from this great domaine and notes provided during tasting :
- 1990 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 94 points by Parker; color is black/ purple. nose super ripe black fruits and intense concentration. chewy and powerful tannins in a long finish. A bit heavy for me though.
- 1995 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 88-91 points by Parker; very well balanced, thick textured and full bodied.
- 1998 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 87 points by Burghound; a bit rustic with a nice pinot noir sap. I like this one - easy to drink.
- 2001 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 93 points by Burghound; not overly tannic and a velvet sap. Nice!
- 2002 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 92 points by Burghound; pinot in character and plenty in structure.
- 2003 Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Epeneaux" Rated 92 points by Burghound; huge concentrated plumy flavours.
- 2002 Pommard "Les Petits Noizons" de la Vougeraie Rated 88-91 by Tanzel. Solid tannins that avoid dryness. Fat, sweet, mouthfilling flavors.
There was also a Pommard from de la Vougeraie, where the former winemaker of Comte Armand, Pascal Marchand is currently resides to give you a comparative tasting among the both winemakers.
We had a 4-course dinner that is specially prepared by Wine Garage resident Chef, Travis Masiero.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Something other than Moet & Krug -14 Mar 06
A Bubbly Evening @ The Moomba
After a hard day's work, Matt and I went for a champagne tasting at Moomba. Nice aussie restaurant tucked away at the corner of Circular Road. Impressive 10yr history given how tough the resturant business is in Singapore. Good food and reasonable prices. Atmosphere is quiet and relaxed. One of my favorite places.
More into wine right now and I thought it will be interesting to move into champagne tastings. Aha... and this one definitely didnt disappoint me. Acidity for "special curvee" and RD were rock solid with tons of tiny bubbles. Classic Bollinger nose of toast, yeast and citrus fruits. The RD 88 was awesome.. prob the best champagne I have ever tasted. The finish was persistent - pure and clean. And it goes very well with the dinner menu. Supposed to go very well with sushi and caviar too. Ah, lovely evening.
With Mr. Etienne Bizot - Managing Director, Champagne Bollinger
Bollinger Dinner 14 March
52 Circular Road, Singapore 049407. Telephone: 64380141 E-mail: restaurant@themoomba.com
Aperitif ‘Special Cuvee’ Brut N.V.
Amuse Bouche ‘Special Cuvee’ Brut N.V.
Sautéed Seafood in a Blue Swimmer Crab broth
‘Grande Annee’ 1995
Tea-smoked Spatchcock
With roasted Japanese Pumpkin mesh, vine-ripen tomatoes
and Rocket leaves in a vanilla jus
R.D. 1988 &
R.D. 1995
Peach Custard Tart
Champagne Bollinger was founded in 1829, and is still 100% family owned today. Mentzendorff have been agents for Bollinger since 1858. Somewhat unusual for a Champagne House, Bollinger have been growers and producers from the outset. 70% of Bollinger's grape supply comes from its own vineyards.
The two most commonly found Bollinger wines are the vintage Grand Année and the non-vintage Special Cuvée. The latter includes up to 10% of reserve wines which may have been fermented in oak, and spends three years on its lees. As a consequence it is often one of the more complex, structured NV wines on the market and is said to withstand several years of bottle age following release. The Grande Année (also available as a rosé) sees five years on its lees and is aged under cork rather than crown seal (the latter practice being the norm for much of Champagne), as is the first special cuvée worth mentioning which is the RD (récemment dégorgé) which sees eight years on its lees before disgorgement.
Dinner Menu at Sage Restuarant - 16 Mar 06
Gang and i decided to have dinner at this new french restuarant, Sage, at clarke quay. Occasion was to host a colleague who has dropped by Singapore for the weekend. Chef prev from Harbour Grill and Les Amis. It is tucked away at a corner on the 2nd floor at robertson walk. Probably wouldnt have noticed it if not for someone's recommendation. Big and roomy. Open kitchen concept whereby u can watch the chefs cook in front of us. Quite a nice place to host a function.
http://www.sagerestaurants.com.sg/about.html
Here's the summary of the 8 course dinner we have
- Carppacio of yellowfina tuna with oven dried cherry tomato and avocado mousseline, sevruga caviar and lemon dressing
- Pan fried foie gras on carmelized Granny Smith apple with golden raisin puree and and emulsion of grape jus and buerre noisette
- Hot green pea veloute topped with artichoke barigoule and haricot coco blanc on a crab brandade and basil nage
- Smoked quail breast on a mushroom and herb risotto topped with Parmesan tuille and Perigord truffle sauce
- Blood orange and white balsamic sorbet
- Pan fried Wagyu beef tenderloin topped with braised oxtail wrapped in crepinette on crepinette on celeraic puree and foie gras sauce
- Warm camembert pie on slow roasted red beets and a spiced carrot salad
- Cappucino semifreddo topped with a mascarpone and strawberry sauce
Food is in tasting portions. The quail breast and wagyu beef items were smacking good. It went very well with the bergundies.
- 1998 Roty Mazis-Chambertin
- 1998 Bruno Clair Chambertin Clos-de-Beze
- 1998 Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin
- 1998 Pierre Damoy Chapelle-Chambertin
- 1998 Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin
- 1998 Jean-Louis Trapet Le Chambertin
Had gin tonics before I went for dinner. Wines were fabulous but guess gin and wines dont make a good combination. haha.