罗马，近黄昏。 2 Sep 2012 6:53 PM (13 years ago)

我居住了近2年的鸽子屋根本没夕阳可言，放眼一望全都是一排排密密麻麻的组屋。

想当年决定只身前往这小国一晃就5年了。这地方不是不好，只是居住久了就会开始对周边的人和事感到麻木。早上赶着去上班，晚上赶着去上课。一回到家倒头就睡了。嗯，洗澡之类的事不需在这儿细述了吧。

今早挤在地铁内一小时，趁空档浏览了背包客栈这网页，令我想起自己3 年前的罗马放浪记还没登上部落格。羞。

3年前25岁的我.还赶得上Youth Pass的优惠价，心想再不去就超龄了。工作暂丢一旁，和背包一起放浪去。说得潇洒，跟着自己满满的行程赶火车巴士，还真有走难的感觉。不到几天就累垮了。

后来到了罗马，难得可以停下脚步，站在罗马竞技场前，觉得自己变得很渺小。

我真的来到罗马了。

后来我坐在竞技场旁的一块大石上，从夕阳西下到漫天晨星，周围的游客都散了，我呆看那亮着灯的竞技场好久都不厌倦。

那是我放浪记最记忆深刻的一晚。

When in Türkiye 15 Apr 2011 1:00 AM (14 years ago)

Instead of being greeted by the friendly, classic good looking air hostesses, what caught my attention immediately was the passengers on this midnight flight bound for Istanbul.

Right when I stepped into the aircraft, the whole deck of passengers - boys, men, uncles, old men - ALL turkish, turned and starred at me, for being the only asian and female passenger. For the next 11 hours, I felt like a goldfish in the aquarium or a monkey in the zoo. Is it not common for a girl to travel alone to Istanbul in this 21st century?

As expected, the taxi driver was totally zero in Inglize (English), so does 80% of the population. Showing him the address in Turkish doesn't help either. He dropped me in the middle of the city, pointed uphill and drove off. I can imagine myself, being stranded in the middle of the city, continued to receive strange looks from the locals. To my surprise, there are hardly any tourists around. I was climbing all the way up to the top, searching high and low for the Istanbul branch office but to no avail. I managed to ask a few youngsters (hoping that they have at least studied basic English in school?), in the end some pointed downhill, some pointed further uphill, some left and some right (Yay...), what a good start to Istanbul.

I survived on doner kebabs from the back alley during my 2 nights stay in Istanbul. Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of city. Oh wait, I did manage to catch a glimpse of a quarter of the famous blue mosque when I was on the cab with my Turkish colleague, he was screaming "Ahhh....the grand Sultanahmet Camiiand!" and pointing excitingly at a small tip of a building (erm, which wasn't blue). Sigh.

The next morning, right at 5 am, I received my morning call from the neighbourhood mosque and it went on for more than half an hour. Since I can't get back to sleep, I was hoping that I can arrange an hour off to visit the Trojan Horse (as in the big wooden horse that was filled with Greek warriors in the Trojan War myth, not the virus) before catching the flight to Antalya but I was sent to the airport 3 hours ahead instead by my kiasu colleague. Double Sigh.

Here's a magnificient depiction of the Trojan Horse, but my colleague claimed that the real horse looks nothing like this. Hmm...

Picture courtesy of http://www.weblogturkey.com.

Antalya was far more pleasant than the dusty Istanbul. The small town reminds me of Florence, with quaint shops and friendly neighbourhood. My assignment in Antalya was to complete an acquisition of a hotel that is located along the beautiful Mediterranean coastline. The sunset along the coastline was magnificent, very picturesque, albeit the mood was spoilt by the smokers around.

Being close to the coastline means that seafood is in abundance in Antalya. Thanks to my Turkish colleague, I avoided tourist traps and get to eat at places that locals hang out.

At night, I walked around the town, stopped by a small shop and picked a few postcards. The shop owner offered me a cup of hot cay, which was very comforting on a freezing night. After gulping down the tea I realised that I shouldn't. Erm, didn't your mum tell u since young that u shouldn't accept things offered by strangers? Anyway, I was probably thinking too much, and to quote my Turkish colleague 'Do not get too wary, this is Turkish hospitality'.

Back to the story, I was still uber concious after the cay. The owner asked if I want to affix stamps to the postcards which I happily said yes. A minute later, I saw him gliding the back of the stamp with his tongue o__o But then again, the postcard was meant to be sent out. So, if you are reading this and you receive my postcard from Antalya, that is my most local Turkish souvenir for you, with the blessing of the shop owner. Muahahahaa....

I shall end this post with a picture of a half sunken ship along the coastline, I heard from the locals that it crashed into the coast during thunderstorm months ago and it was left abandoned there till now, probably turning into another historical site. Hmm...

Breakfast at Tsukiji 28 Oct 2010 8:00 PM (14 years ago)

Like the past 7 days in Kansai, Tokyo was pouring grumpily from day to night. In fact the wind was so strong that it broke my trusty black umbrella the night before at the cross-road of Shibuya.

I took the JR line, transitted at Shinjuku Station and was immediately greeted by horrendous human traffic during morning rush hour. My mojo was depleting as I spent almost an hour walking up and down looking for Oedo subway line. The station master was totally eigo wakarimasen and I was on the verge of giving up on my Tsukiji breakfast.

Fortunately I didn't as my senses kicked in. I reached Tsukiji late morning and it was still pouring.

I walked into a small cosy place and ordered a large bowl of don with my limited nihongo and sign language. It was quite an experience sitting at the bar counter, watching obasan and ojisan moving around the kitchen. As expected, my bowl of maguro and sake don was lovely.

I finished my food and handed over the empty bowl and teacup to obasan. Everything is self-service here. Obasan spoke a few nihongo words, but all I could say was ‘Nihongo Wakarimasen’. I should have picked up a few more words before leaving for this trip.

I continued walking around Tsukiji in the rain looking for more food. I passed by the long queue in front of a Ramen counter a few times and was tempted by the queue more than the food. It was Ramen by the way. I never liked Ramen, just like how I always shudder at Indian food.

In the end, I succumbed to my kiasu spirit and joined the queue.

There were two ojisans in the kitchen. One was cooking noodles and another one was slicing char siew. Beside the Ramen counter was a row of tables with no seats. They only serve one (1) type of Ramen which is good for me, as I don’t have to use my private limited nihongo to order.

I got myself a corner and slurped my bowl of Ramen with piping hot rich stock. I swear at that moment, I’ve forgotten that I wasn’t a Ramen eater.

Standing beside me were two Hongkies speaking in Cantonese:

'Li Gor Hai Gai Thong Lei Gar' (This is chicken soup base)

By the 7th day, I was deprived of Cantonese and felt like 'ching chong-ing' with them on the Ramen - "Hai Meh, Ngo Yi Wai Hai Jzu Guat Thong Lei Gah Leh" (Isit? I thought it is pork bone soup leh). Of course I didn't as the socio-phobia in me knocked sense into my head.

Half way slurping through the noodles, I took out my blackberry, took a picture of it and sent to Hairy – the Ramen fanatic, while he was peeling his usual orange and kiwi combo for lunch in the office.

I still kept this picture in my blackberry. Somehow I find it more appealing than my Gucci.

Oh here's another unrelated but wondrous creation that I discovered. I was drying my clothes at the laundry room one night and saw this in the vending machine.

Gasp.

It is Asahi Stout, which is 200 times smoother than other ang moh brands. Too bad I've not been able to locate it in SG supermarts.

And guess what, my first dinner when I returned to SG was Shoyu Ramen at Parco.

Sigh, I miss my Tsukiji breakfast.

The Betrayal 1 Feb 2010 6:30 AM (15 years ago)

If Hoegaarden was true love, what is Sapporo?

An affair.

Because you don't get to taste it often.

Hokkaido Fair @ Isetan, Scotts Road, Singapore.
Till 9 February 2010

More about Sapporo.

Because Time Waits for No One 10 Aug 2009 9:50 AM (16 years ago)

Friday 7 August 2009

I took out my keys to open the front gate, the corner of the wall was empty. It was an unbearable scene.

Rewind 9 years

Friday 2 March 2001

"I just bought a dog. You can have it. Yeah, from a client. No choice, a new way of entertaining client. Big business mar...heh heh"

That was from my cousin. I immediately ran to his house, which was a few blocks away from mine.

I was looking around, trying to spot a cute brown puppy. Could it a Golden Retriever? Or a Labrador? Hmmm...it could be a Terrier or a Beagle. I don't mind. I was already grinning.

"Where? Where? Where? Where is the dog??

My cousin pointed at a steel cage. Behind the black bars was a fur ball in white...

Which looks nowhere near like a 'dog'.

I showed my cousin a sepuluh sen face. "Huh? I thought you told me it is a 'dog'?"

"Yeah. A Pekingese what. It is a dog, you dummy. Oh but it does look like a cat hor? Garfield..hahahah!"

The next thing I know is that something furry landed on my lap. It is her. She came towards my direction and cuddled up herself on my lap comfortably. She was not wary of me at all.

That was the sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life.

I looked at her in her eyes. "We'll go home together, ok?"

She wagged her furry tail. I think she answered 'yes'.

* * * *

I believe, Marley aside, she is by far the most difficult and fussy dog to keep.

She sworn by heart not to take any dog food. Pedigree premium biscuits, chewy sticks or chicken-in-can. She spat out whatever dog food that we bought.

Her peculiar eating habits will make you wonder if she reincarnated wrongly into a body of a white Pekingese. She really knows how to eat.

She likes durians. D24. No kampung. No thai.

Like owner, like dog? I don't deny that.

My stay with her didn't last too long. 2 years later when I finished my high school, I left her at home and moved to Subang Jaya to do my A-Levels. And then it was degree in Australia, followed by working in KL. Until now stationed down south.

Wherever I go, she remains the one closest to my heart.

Until the day when my mum returned home to find her laying on the floor in her usual position, but this time round stone cold.

It hurts me everytime to think about her departure. What really happened to her while no one was around at home, and the things that I would give up just to listen to her barking at the background whenever I call home or to see a running fur ball whenever I open the front gate.

I hope you had a happy life whilst staying with us.

Rest in peace, my girl.

# 2 The Black Echoes 2 Jul 2009 11:33 PM (16 years ago)

Read the first part of the Tales of Saigon here.

That irritating sound won’t stop.

It just won’t stop bothering me.

258 was the number of days that I have been counting.

There it goes ... I heard the sound again, echoing in the tunnel.

I moved myself to the adjacent burrow. I can feel that it is coming towards my direction. Wait, something is not right here. From the back of my body.

......

Was I dead or did I just pass out in the dark? All I can feel is the numbness in my nerves.

I hate the sound of machine guns.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I grabbed the handle strongly, so strongly that I almost clutched myself to the seat right in front of me. The bus was rocking a hard way through the terribly uneven muddy path.

'The absorber is worn out.'

Again, my head hit high into ceiling of the bus as it runs over a huge crater on the road.

We joined a day tour to Cu Chi and Cao Dai for less than USD 7. For that price, I certainly didn't expect a long arse journey on the bus. I think my lungs, kidneys and stomachs sagged by 1.5cm after spending 5 hours travelling on the rocky road.

Our Bobby Chinn look-alike tour guide was very entertaining.

'Miss, whe du yeu kam frum?'

'Malaysia'.

'Ohhh...de land famous for robbers!'

Astounded by his reply, I found out later that he means ‘rubber’. Certainly one of the most interesting remarks in this journey.

The journey throughout Cu Chi was a remarkable one. I was particularly amazed by their perseverance and determination. Imagine a bunch of Viet Cong soldiers living in the dark, humid and claustrophobia-inducing underground. The American troop described the conditions within the tunnel as ‘black echoes’.

We did try to explore one of the sections of the tunnel that has been expanded to accommodate taller/ larger sized tourists.

It ain’t fun.

I was a fool to believe that the tunnel has been enlarged to accommodate the big size us. *imagining walking around the tunnel freely like visiting museum liddat*

Half way crawling through the tunnel (I almost laid flat on the floor and creep towards the end), I was sweating and screaming in my heart…the tunnel seems to be never ending. How did the Viet Cong soldiers manage to survive in the tunnel for 20 over years when I find the dark claustrophobic atmosphere unbearable for mere 2 seconds?

I am a true brat spoiled by modernity.

After the exploration, I found something amusing. I really wanted to try that real thing. At least once. The guy recommended M16, so I bought 10 bullets (USD 17) for that.

It still ain’t fun lorrrrr.

I was a fool to believe that ear muff works. The NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) is close to ‘0’. The impact of the shot was so powerful that every shot leaves my ear drum with a numb (wee wung wung…wee wung wung…) feeling.

Special thanks to Hairy for capturing all my retarded looking moments.

Food was more or less the same throughout the 3 days. Pho, Pho & more Pho(s) which I enjoyed thoroughly.

I’m glad that I insisted on trying out Nguyen Trung’s coffee on our last day despite the fact that we were supposed to rush to the airport.

We ordered “The Legend” which was nothing like the ordinary Starbucks cappuccino. The coffee was really strong and bold, definitely one of the highlights of my trip. *Love*

Later on when we return to SG, we found out that there is actually a branch located at Liang Court, Clark Quay. *Double Love*

My fave picture of all

*
For now, I’m more than happy to return to my comfort zone, happily munching on my routine subway ham and egg, surfing dumb websites, and crossing the road without the fear of being smashed by 58 motorbikes into a slab of tomato paste in the middle of the road.

Bar none, I still love you, Saigon.

Yellow stars missing in sight ...

-The end-

Tales of the Unexpected from Saigon 20 May 2009 9:49 PM (16 years ago)

.
#1: Untold Secrets of the Message Room

When darkness falls, everything turns into a picture of dead silence.

I stepped on the narrow staircase leading to the underground.

'Shhh...be quiet...you don't want to wake them up...let me show you the way.'

I saw this young boy when I stumbled upon this place. In fact, I saw him everywhere. From the main door, the message room to the combat officer room... He was there, everywhere.

I lost him soon after.

'Tub...tub...tub...'

The floor is so thin that I can feel the tremble. I heard that coming from the back.

'Dooom...'

When darkness falls, everything turns into a picture of silence ... a dead silence.

.
.
.
.

.
.

.

I didn't dwell myself too long in that B-grade horror flick as I walk through the underground tunnel of the Reunification Palace.

Oh by the way, I was at Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for 3 days. Thanks to the free air tickets from the lucky dip.

The first, second, third and fourth floor didn't excite me. There were numbers of meeting rooms, conference rooms and dining rooms of different themes, a place previously resided by the presidents.

We were just wandering around the Palace and stumbled upon one eery staircase that leads to the dark underground. That really intrigued my interest.

There were secret rooms (or message rooms) with bulky and dusty switchboards, the very 60s phones and the good old typing machines.

Hairy attempted this shot ala Wong Kar Wai mode that inspired the series of dark tales.

The young boy is definitely not from our hallucination but he was really everywhere. Everywhere that we went. He loves blocking our way, interrupting at the background when we were shooting photos and looking at Hairy with a creepy smile.

'Sekali you see him in one of the black & white pictures hung on the wall' said Hairy with a blank look.

How interesting.

Obviously we didn't spot him in any of the pictures, in fact the pictures shown were depressing and disheartening. Nuclear bombs, massacre and concentration camps. I just want to get out of that place.

Back to reality, we were caught in the middle of the junction with motorbikes coming from all 4 directions and with 58 bikes honking at us at the same time, as if we were blocking their ways *sweat*

Funny mode of transport in Vietnam

I was literally distressed, I think a bowl of piping hot noodles would be a good cure.

We dropped by Ben Thanh Market (we call it the 'Beh Tahan Market') and zoomed straight into the food section.

Tell me about pracitising food hygiene, there were a few dead cockroaches lying under my seat.

To eat or not to eat? Gulp...There goes my first bowl of pork knuckle noodles in Vietnam and L-S (diarrhea) on the very next day.

At night, we strolled along the night market street and the dai chow stalls came into sight. Born to be gluttons, we settled for another round of food.

The return of the alcoholic.

Can you believe that a bottle of Saigon beer costs only 90 cents (10,000 dong)?

But that 90 cents can only give you a taste of gassy plain water. I stopped at one bottle.

Oh well, the journey didn't end here. In fact it only started the next day - a five hours helluva extreme journey that can only be found in Vietnam.

To be continued.

Photo credit to the legendary Hairy from Black Tie White Lie.

That 3 Days in an Island 20 Apr 2009 8:01 PM (16 years ago)

Different from what the title would imply, I’m not writing a hopelessly romantic getaway post. In fact, the trip was initiated by a not so amorous reason – to clear Fishy’s annual leave for the first quarter of 2009.

Hokkaido was in the list.

Koh Samui looks not too bad either.

Infomercial break: Visit http://www.pranaresorts.com/ , a newly established boutique resort by my company in Koh Samui :D

Whatever it is, the plan was to fully utilise our passports and travel out of Singapore. Ding dong here and there, after all the cost and time factor consideration, we ended up here…

Bintan Island.

An Indonesian Island that is blardy near to Singapore and is the well-known beach holiday travelling spot for Singaporeans, something akin to Malaysian travelling to Port Dickson.

The island has become so popular among Singaporeans that all prices are denoted in Singapore dollars. And nothing is cheap here.

Lunch was in the resort beside a muddy pool.

Trying to be adventurous, I picked some funny looking fruits from the buffet spread counter, thought it would have tasted something like lychee. But yiaks…the flesh was so hard and it tasted like one semi-sweetened garlic. To date, I still have no idea what is the name of this fruit. Shit, or was it only a plastic display.

After all the funny food and fruits, our next plan was to show off our assets.

I mean the colourful bikinis that we brought.

For that 3 days we took the risk to ride on the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) or known as the quad-bike.

The ride was a rough and tough one, across the muddy pool, sandy pathway, up the hill, down the stream, and the whole vehicle was so hard to navigate that I almost crashed myself right into a tree. .
.

15 minutes on the road and we regretted. Blardy hell, we even paid for one full hour of ride that cost us SGD 80. We suffered through the whole ride with aching fingers, dirty black face, dusty eyes and cuts – I think I hurt myself when I lost control and drove passed one thorny branch.

The evening was spent on the beach attempting beachy jumps.

Piggy did the "pray-while-you-splash-water" jump.

I attempted the "as-if-I-did-yoga-by-the-beach" pose.

Why am I always so determined to make myself look stupid.

Oh, and we saw an island swam us by...

The holiday was not too bad after all, albeit abit commercialised as the whole island is dedicated to earn monies out of Singaporeans.

I had fun.

We had fun.

Biere-ing out @ Brotzeit 27 Feb 2009 1:37 AM (16 years ago)

A glass of wine? White or red?
No thanks. A couple pints of beer would be great.

Drinking botol would definitely agree with me on that. Just like how we always order a dozen of hoegaarden and test each other in counting backwards from 10 in French.

But why do I always get indifferent looks when I say that. Fishy said I shucks, girls don't drink beer like a pig. Especially when I go by a dozen pints and not a sip.
.

At the end of this month, Hairy is turning old again.

'Don't tell me where to go for my B-day. Unless to the durian shop. I'll keeeel you...'

Great. I will make the call – this time round, bring out Paulaner's greatest creation!

Last week when I stumbled upon Brotzeit's website, the weissbiers were calling me and I have to make reservation right away. Having beer is a luxury, paying $15 / RM 36 for a pint of fermented yeast is definitely economically ineffective when times are bad like this.

I struggled a while. And I found the answer. No big deal, we can do it during Happy Hour, yay!

Weissbier 500 ml $12.50 (Happy Hour)

Don't condemn me. I denied the fact that I am turning into a hopeless shopaholic when times are bad. The thing is, when times are like this, you are encouraged to spend more.

Everywhere is having clearance sales.

Even airlines are cutting fares like doing charity.

When it comes to food, I have no reason not to splurge.

The German Pork Knuckle ($36) served is so darn generous. The side serving of the potato salad is huge and the Sauerkraut (braised white cabbage) is of unfinishable portion.

Roasted leg of the poor swine

The Sausage Platter ($32.50) looked equally intimidating to me. The platter came with 8 types of sausages: spicy chicken, smoked pork, lamb, curry, garlic ... and I lost count.

"This is meat-crazy. We have to ta-pao." I yelled.

"Excuse me. You think you are a small eater meh." Said with his signature rolled-eyes.

Fine.

A side note to that, we ordered another Bavarian Fladenbrot a.k.a German Pizza ($18.50) that came with 16-square pieces of flatbread topped with Blackforest ham and emmenthaler cheese. Picture not shown here. Arhem, I deny the fact that I am a big eater.

What's more, the meal was ended with much surprise, to him.

I pissed him off.

With a candle on the tiramisu.

I requested for their signature tiramisu made with weissbier to be served with birthday greetings on the side beforehand. Candle was not in the request, I swear.

But I wanted to piss him off further. I wonder how he looked if the restaurant crew were to gather in a circle and sang him a birthday song in German, aloud.

And then everyone around clap their hands...ahah...now that's more like it.

Okay lucky hairy, the crew didn't sing the song. But I made him blew the candle and made a wish.

That was a good one.

Oh, and by the way, when times are bad, the birthday tiramisu is free-of-charge.

Happy 29th, Hairy.

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant

VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk,

#01-149/151

Singapore 098585

Tel: (65) 6272 8815

http://www.brotzeit1516.com/

Clumsy and her Mont Blanc Parfait 5 Feb 2009 5:37 PM (16 years ago)

.
Clumsy is the champion of the day
She was rushing like a blay
Suddenly she fell into the drain
Not again???
She yelled in dismay
And so she climbed to the bay
Prayed to God to put her ligament in place
Oh yes, and please bring the pain away

Clumsy looks no sexy
The cast was so damn heavy
Her mind is turning crazy
She needs more energy
Limping with the tongkat like an old lady
She found this new born baby!

Okay, this is a gross one. What actually happened was that I injured my knee again this year right before CNY. Read more about the the previous ligament tearing experience here.

I am a devoted believer that God creates dessert to make girls happy. Not for guys as they are too egoistic to show their affection towards those tiny petite sweet looking creatures.

Marvelous cream definitely looks marvelous, the cool black signage and the classy display case with gelatos and french parfaits almost turned me into a monkey.

I pointed at the mont blanc parfait
You are coming home with me babe!

This is the physics of the great creation of Mont Blanc :

This is the actual Mont Blanc French Parfait.

Layered with chestnut swirls, custard ice-cream and vanilla sponge, I gobbled it down with no regrets.

Now bring me the Belgium Noisette Cream !

*Pictures courtesy of Marvelous Cream and Hairy.

Location: 1 Raffles Link #B1-04 Citylink Mall (Cityhall MRT)

Neroteca - The Christmas Lunch 20 Jan 2009 11:49 PM (16 years ago)

8:23 am

I was walking (half running) as usual to catch the train on time to work. 15 minutes of rushing across 2 streets, 3 junctions and 4 traffic lights, I get a lot of funny sights along the way.

Today was 3 aunties standing at the bus stop, one took out a new toilet brush that she just bought and this initiated a heated discussion on what brush shape does the best cleaning job. Opposite the taxi stand, a couple was arguing, pushing each other. And then there was a guy sitting on the bench with large headphones and a black tee with striking yellow wordings - "I am a bastard". Yes, you are.

What a sight - something that I don't get to see when I drive to work in KL. Should I complain for not having the freedom to drive around here or just feel contented with the fact that I get to move my lazy arse, to walk more and explore more.

They said go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.

Walk further, we found Neroteca.

Rewind 27 days t0 25 December 2008 ...

Crusty bread and balsamic vinegar, balsamic vinegar and crusty bread. I just can't resist this combination, and I ended up having two baskets of them.

The Pork Chop Milanese looked nothing more like a piece of deep fried pork chop that you can get at RM 5.90 elsewhere. Sink your teeth in it and you'll be able to tell the difference - RM36 for this piece of pork chop is well worth the hefty price tag.

The Genovese salad came in a humongous bowl, the portion came far in excess of an ordinary one as I got quite sick of the salad leaves drenched in balsamic vinegar towards the end. It is best shared among 2 - 3 as a side salad.

Tiramisu is always in the dessert list. Neroteca's version was great, with nicely soaked sponge fingers layered in between mascarpone.

The creme brulee did a good job despite its aching sweetness. Love the slightly burnt crisp crackling sugary coat on top.

It was supposed to be Christmas lunch, in fact it was the only decent meal I had on Christmas Day. Collateral purpose was to bid him farewell and *ahem* pass him the shopping list before he flies off to London for 7 days. Burberry was in the list (initially) but thanks to the crisis, I resort to something else - Just because I want to get something (at least something) out of L.O.N.D.O.N.

"Rubbish toy", he said.

But I love it.

Price list:
Pork Chop Milanese - RM 36

Genovese Salad - RM 29
Tiramisu - RM 16

Creme Brulee - RM 16

Location:

NEROTECA

8 Lorong Ceylon

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia.

Website: http://www.neroteca.com/

Life at 24 ... 31 Dec 2008 4:05 AM (16 years ago)

is happy yet miserable.

I woke up this morning with a dreadful mindset – it’s the last day of the year, can you believe that? I thought the year just started not too long ago.

I told myself weeks ago that I must come out with a post before the year ends and today is the deadline, finally. What to do? I’ve been a lazy bump (in blogging la) ever since I moved down south.

Life at 24 is like a roller coaster, dramatic and full of excitement.

I moved down south.

I changed 2 jobs down south.

I moved from the north to the east and back to the north of Singapore in 6 months.

I had heaps of good Japanese food down south.

I lost my wallet with everything inside.

I bought another cheapo wallet with fewer things inside.

I went to Bangkok. Spent SGD 700 and came back with a bag of rubbish.

I went to Phuket. Spent 4 days looking at beaches and bitches.

I went to Macau. Spent 3 days having milk pudding everyday. (It’s seriously good and sent me right off to haven)

I love my office that overlooks buildings, buildings and buildings.

I love my room that overlooks buildings, buildings and buildings.

Life at 25…

indicates a stage where you have spent a quarter of century on earth.

*Duh*

At the age of 25,

I want to go Brisbane to see my brother and his de facto wife.

I want to go Melbourne to see my bestie and her de facto husband.

I want to go to the top of Eiffel Tower and shout ...

But for tonight, I just want to sleep till year 2009.

Have a merry new year ahead :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wood Fired Pizza @ Spizza 12 Dec 2008 12:47 AM (16 years ago)

Sliced parma ham with rock melon (Augusto)

If I have the supernatural power to read one’s mind, I want to know what the heck is in your mind.

If I can choose to be someone for a day, I want to be you cus I want to know what the heck is in your mind.

If I can wreck one’s head to read one’s mind, I’ll choose you cus I want to know what the heck is in your mind.

This is how it started…

* * *

It was a total put off when I saw the name of this restaurant. Spizza? How uninspiring.

But I keep in mind what my mum always tells me, ‘never judge a book by its cover’. It is as good as telling me not to judge a guy by his under-average height and over-average weight. Erm, my apology.

It proves my mum right (again) as I read the story behind the name of the restaurant ‘Spizza’. The menu was interestingly portrayed by the individual names of each dish.

· 23 pizzas named after Italian women

· 9 desserts named after famous female opera characters

· 12 starters named after the emperors of Rome.

I wonder what were you thinking when you created Augusto. Why would you pair Sliced Parma Ham up with Rock Melon? A pig and a fruit? That disturbing thought just came across my mind. Somehow the saltiness of that piece of ham blended well with the sweetness of rock melon. Lovely.

Out of the 23 Italian women, we went for Quinta for the night. All because of the black truffle sauce.

Quinta came to us with a simple presentation, down to earth and unpretentious (just like me). It was topped with black truffle sauce and an egg, only.

I’ve never tried truffle. I was so amazed when I learnt about how much one gram of truffle can cost and how French glorifies this ugly fungus as ‘the diamond of the kitchen’.

In fact, I still didn’t get it even after having Quinta. Maybe the quality of the black truffle sauce used was compromised due to recession, maybe the unique taste and flavour the black truffle sauce evaporated in the wood-fire oven, maybe it was black and not white truffle sauce...duh...

In short, having Quinta is like having Mc Egg with black truffle sauce.

While some people describe men as pizza and women as spaghetti, for us, it is always the opposite. Spaghetti is never my thing. So when I was asked to choose the type of spaghetti sauce. I suggested having ravioli instead, at least it is more like eating ‘sui kow’ (Chinese meat dumpling) mah.

He showed me an irritated look. Fine. We’ll go All’arrabbiata then.

I didn’t have much of the arrabbiata. It was like spicy tomato sauce, yet I still topped it up with chilli flakes and black pepper. He claimed that the spaghetti was the best dish of the night so I guess it is worth trying if you choose to dine here.

The Homemade Venetian Tiramisu was named after Turandot. Irregularities were suspected as we sank our teeth into the spongy texture. Orange liquor instead of brandy was being used and the plate came decorated with mulberry sauce.

The meal costs me SGD 60 but we left with barely half-filled stomachs. Bar none, I don’t mind revisiting this place, you know I can’t resist thin-crusted wood-fired pizzas. But no more Black Truffle Mc Egg.

Price (to the best I can recall):
Sliced Parma Ham and Rock Melon – SGD 11
Black Truffle Pizza (12”) – SGD 17
Spaghetti All’arrabbiata – SGD 16
Tiramisu – SGD 9

Location:
Spizza (Club Street)

29 Club Street

Singapore 069414

Tel : 6224 2525

http://www.spizza.sg/

Rochor Beancurd & Katong Laksa 17 Nov 2008 7:10 AM (16 years ago)

Rochor Beancurd House 梧槽豆花水

I get excited over simple things. Plain & pale, nothing elaborative, like a plain scoop of matcha ice-cream, a bowl of tasteless white porridge, or even a plate of sashimi without wasabi.

And guess what, that really gets my adrenaline pumping when I stumbled upon this self- acclaimed "best tau hueh with chinese crullers (yaw char kueh) in Singapore and maybe Johor Bahru". I knew I have to try it. Tonight itself.

Chinese crullers and tau hueh (or known as 'tau foo far' in Malaysia) are my all time fave food but pairing them up was my first attempt -- and they just don't match.

Bar none, I've heard about pairing up crullers with salted hot soya milk in Taiwan and it's apparently the fave breakfast for the Taiwanese. For now am already hallucinating about soaking the crispy crullers into a bowl of piping hot soya.

Tau hueh - $ 1

Crullers - $ 0.90

Katong Laksa

Her eyes were rolling so big and look like they are going to pop out of the eye socket anytime soon -- as she yelled at me "You mean you are a food blogger, 10 months down here and you've never tried Katong Laksa ??"

What the heck, I was thinking. Can that bowl of ever famous Singapore Katong Laksa tasted more heavenly than my fave Sarawak Laksa?

$ 3.50 Katong Laksa

I paused for a while after the laksa was served -- "Don't they provide chopsticks?"

He looked at me as if I've asked the most idiotic question ever -- "Don't you know that Katong Laksa is supposed to be eaten with soup spoon, a.l.o.n.e?"

Fine.

I added 3 heaped spoons of chilli paste into it wihout even sampling the taste. *Blush* I felt like being whacked by a broomstick. Talk bout underestimating Singapore's chilli paste. The laksa is actually fiery on its own.

That really made me ponder a bit.

There were times when I hope things could be simpler but you chose to go against the flow, just like a complicated judgment that need to be read over and over again till I find the full stop.

But I've came to term with it. At least I know that when everything fails on me, I can still find solace in that plain bowl of beancurd, a bare piece of cruller or a simple bowl of Katong Laksa.

My quantum of solace.

Location:
Rochor Beancurd House
2 Short Street (near Bugis MRT)

Katong Laksa - other proper review

Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice @ Balestier Road 5 Oct 2008 6:24 AM (17 years ago)

I hate expectation.

For me, most of the time, expectation always lead to disappointment.

It’s like when you were young, you were expected to get straight As for all subjects.

When you completed your high school, you were expected to pursue ‘useful’ courses.

When you struggled to complete your degree, you were expected to graduate with first class honours.

When you finally get out of the school, you were expected to join the workforce and get a handsome pay.

And when you secured a good job, your boss expects you to hit unreasonable targets .

Recently, I realized that I’ve been putting sky high expectation on food ever since I started blogging.

I was told by someone that Loy Kee has the best chicken rice in town. Interesting enough, they even have an interactive website displaying the menu and the pix of celebs who visited their place.

http://loykee.com.sg/

Steamed chicken set meal for one ($ 6)

Roasted chicken set meal for one ($ 6)

A plate of char siew (BBQ pork) with tree bark-like texture ($ 4)

Fried beancurd

All in all, the food was surprisingly normal. Nothing to shout about though it is acclaimed as having the best chicken rice in town.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Boss, I’m overstressed and underpaid, I expect 10% increment by next year.”

*Stunned for 20 seconds*

“Goodness, we are facing recession now, have I not taught you how to manage your expectation??”

*Sulk*

Yes, 8 months down here and the best thing I’ve learnt is to come without expectation and leave without disappointment.

*Peace*

Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice

342 Balestier Road

(Next to Shaw Plaza)

Ph: +65 62522318

Everything Belgian @ Brussel Sprouts 7 Sep 2008 6:45 AM (17 years ago)

“Brussel Sprouts a Belgian restaurant,

Canelle a dessert bar,

Or The Canteen for expensive canteen food…”

3 choices were presented before me for my birthday celebration. I immediately vote for Brussel Sprouts, a place set up by a Belgian celebrity chef Emmanuel Stroobant. Why would the owner name his restaurant after a type of unappealing vege? I thought.

The ambiance of the restaurant was totally out of my imagination. Different from the pictures displayed in their website, the restaurant looks more like a lounge, a bistro to chill out with alcoholics.

Brussel sprouts were nowhere to be seen in the menu. Fair enough, I was more attracted to their mussels with over 17 types of serving style. From cooking with White Wine, Tarragon Cream, Kriek Beer, Leffe Brune Beer to Chilli Padi, Curry and Tomyam. A small pot of mussels costs $ 18 while a big pot is priced at $ 38. Both comes with free refills of extraordinary fat fries.

We had a pot of Brussel Sprouts Special (celery, onion, parsley, butter, black pepper) and a pot of “Devilled” (chilli padi, tomato, curry, coriander, lime).
The Foie Gras Terrine with Pear, Belgian Endive and Duvel Beer Chutney ($19) was ordered by the goose liver fanatic. To me it was only a piece of fat liver layered with jello.

For main course, I picked their Homemade Pork Sausages served with Daily Stoemp ($24). The serving of the sausages was huge and went well with their thick gravy.

Dessert was Forest Fruit Crumble with Balsamic Scented Pear, Fruit Compote and Ice Cream ($10). The bunch of Forest fruits was achingly sour, topped with a scoop of ice cream with unknown flavour. Maybe I should have ordered their Belgian Waffle with Belgian Chocolate :) There is always next time.

All in all the dinner was great, esp when someone foots the bill :p A place that I’ll definitely return for more mussels and fat fries.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

80 Mohamed Sultan Road

#01-12 The Pier @ Robertson

Singapore 239013

Tel: +65 6887- 4344

Fax: +65 6887- 4144

http://www.brusselssprouts.com.sg/index.html

Tung Lok Signatures @ Clark Quay 16 Aug 2008 4:39 AM (17 years ago)

How does it feel like to meet someone for the very first time?

Butterflies in the stomach?

Sweating palms?

Thousand imaginations flew into my mind as I walk closer and closer to the destination.

“I’m at Orchard MRT, wearing a white top…I’m very tall”

And I replied with another sms:

“I’m wearing a black top, black blazer, black pants, black mascara and black pumps. I’m very short”

I immediately spot the person, true enough, very tall indeed.

As we met for the second time, I suggested going for Chinese food instead.

What drew me to Tung Lok is their award-winning celebrity chef Sam Leong and their modern Chinese cuisine.

The most expensive siew yoke (roast pork) I’ve ever eaten so far. $9 for a tiny plate and comes with a slab of mustard, it is highly recommended by food reviewers and the restaurant itself as appetizer.

The hot stone pot rice looks impressive but it tasted like a bottle of extremely salty soy sauce.

The colourful combination of ingredients for the noodles immediately caught our attention. Too bad it tasted like a bottle of plain distilled water.

As we tried to lower down our expectation, the homemade spinach beancurd came to rescue.

And in case you wonder who is that tall chap…

She is JOjo, Malaysian born, Singapore trained, currently pursuing Traditional Chinese Medicine (cool eh~), tall, sweet looking, silky straight hair, very available...but make sure you are above 190 cm :)

Nearest MRT: Clark Quay

#02-80/89/93/94,
6 Eu Tong Sen Street,
The Central

Singapore 59817

Ministry of Food - My Izakaya 27 Jul 2008 8:45 AM (17 years ago)

Have been feeling uninspired lately. I'm fully aware that I've abandoned my dearie blog for 2 weeks :I Maybe it's because of the bad food that I've eaten or the 'lovely' people that I've met. *Darn, since when I'm full of excuses...*

Rewind 4 weeks ago...

I received a message from teckiee who planned to drop by SG for retail therapy. Tonnes of suggestions on places to eat were thrown at her and yet we ended up queueing for M.O.F - My Izakaya.

I love this place for a few reasons. The staff are over attentive in refilling green tea; the desserts are superb and I love the free voucher given out by them that has no expiry date.

Tofu Avocado Salad $ 6.80

Unagi Hot Stone Rice $ 6.80

Ramen $ 8.80

M.O.F's signature Macha Imo $ 6.50 - Fried potato cubes + green tea sundae

Shiratoma Zenzai

Nice catching up with you again, teckiee :)

Location:

Marina Square

6 Raffles Boulevard

#02-128E Center Stage

Tel: 63342202

Bugis Junction

200 Victoria Street

#02-45 Bugis Junction

Tel: 65-63386466

P/S: I think I'm seriously in need of a long break away from this island a.k.a 'pressure cooker' to get my groove for food hunt back. Grrrr.....Save me....

The tale of Harrie Berrie 14 Jul 2008 5:34 AM (17 years ago)

*Note:

The star of this post specifically requests not to link in whatsover way to his blogsite nor feature his real name and any of his body parts (for ex his signature goatee) that may lead to personal identification.

Name changed to protect privacy.*

Rewind 28 years...

Back when what seemed like an eternity ago, a rascal was born.

Grew up in Chow Kit area, he was a happy-go-lucky boy playing the cards of life. Having had a ball of a time during the first two decades of his life, he thought he ought to do something constructive and thus ventured down south to pursue his degree.

The rascal then ended up in the Land of the Rising Sun. Having spent 2 years with unlimited supply of fresh otoro, he left his ohana chan and went back to join the kiasu community.

The first few years passed rather uneventfully and he decided to go back to school and continue with his e=mc(square) affair.

2.5 years and the nightmare is finally over.

My heartiest congratulation and wishing you every success in the future.

Continue to pursue your dream and hopefully it will be realised somewhere someday.

Way to go, harrie berrie!

P/S: I admit I'm doing this to irritate him.

Tom's Palette 6 Jul 2008 11:38 AM (17 years ago)

'We used to know nuts bout ice-cream but we ended up running an ice-cream parlour', said the ex-engineer and his wife, an ex-media designer.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of a run down shopping mall, I wouldn't have noticed its existence if not for the positive reviews featured by other SG floggers.

What lures me to pay this parlour a visit is their 100% homemade ice-cream as claimed in their website and all the extraordinary flavours that are no where to be found either in the supermart cooler or commercialised ice-cream chains.

'Ice-cream is not only bout vanilla, chocolate and strawberry', said the owner.

Imagine Chocolate Stout made from a unique combination of belgium chocolate and guinness stout; Chrysanthemum; Longan and Red Date; Chilli Chocolate; Curry Apple; Basil; Salted Caramel; Wasabi Lime; Bacardi and Vanilla ... no kidding, all these flavours went thru a series of trial and failure by the couple and the list goes on ...

When he asked me for suggestion of new flavours, I gave a terribly boring and unimaginative answer... 'Green Tea please' ... and that was before he showed me the 2 metres long list of flavours suggested by the customers - 'Sugar Cane, Pina Colada, Mangosteen, Water Chestnut, Mee Goreng (huh??) bla bla..'

Anyway, that day I was not in the adventurous mood and picked the conventional Black Sesame and Walnut Banana while the alcholic went for Rum & Raisin and Chocolate Stout.

Apparently their ice-cream was made with milk instead of cream so as to cut down on the fat content (hehe...good reason to indulge more). Even so, the texture of the ice-cream is still creamy and lovely with the density on par with Italian gelato.

Did I mention that their ice-cream is so darn affordable? A small cup for 2 flavours is only priced at $ 2.50 while a tub for 3 flavours costs $ 11.80.

Ice-cream aside, am particularly impressed with the fact that the couple gave up their job and went on to pursue their dream by setting up this small scale ice-cream making business. How I wish I could run an ice-cream parlour as well and I'll make the best green tea ice-cream on earth. *Dream lah*

Location:

100 Beach Road

#01-25 Shaw Leisure Gallery

Singapore 189702

Website: http://www.tomspalette.com.sg

Izakaya Nijumaru and his authentic Japanese Food 21 Jun 2008 6:40 AM (17 years ago)

I wouldn't have stepped into this place if not for the positive reviews and the feedbacks i got from my colleagues on their authentic Japanese food.

The place looks plainly rustic.

The chair looks very 80s.

The Japanese lantern looks as if it has been hanging there for a decade.

The door looks worn out.

And most importantly, the lighting shucks and we had a hard time taking pictures of the food.

We ordered both of the restaurant's signature bentos -- their Nijumam bento ($18) and Unajyu set ($ 20). Nijumam comes with tempura, grilled fish, sashimi, braised dish, miso soup and rice. A pretty good deal to sample a wide variety of food.

Braised Pork Belly from the Nijumam bento

The pork belly was topped with mustard which I find the taste abit funny. Texture wise, I only had the lean meat part. The cholesterol laden bit was left to the lard lover.

The Unajyu set came with two big slabs of unagi kabayaki. Again, a good deal for that kind of pricing.

This Salmon wrapped with Bacon dish ($12) was recommended by the waitress as the star dish of the day. The combination sounds interesting but taste wise it still lacked the surprising element. Aiks...picky eater + food blogger are plainly hard to please.

All in all, though the deal is good, the food was not memorable. Perhaps the initial expectation placed on this place for authentic japanese food was too high.

Feeling unsatisfied, the picky eaters moved from the run down eatery to the high end Paragon @ Orchard Road and made another stop at this well known dessert cafe -- Project Shop.

I had the Homemade Steamed Lemon Pudding ($12.90) which smells terribly seductive with intense buttery and milky flavour.

The lard lover had their G3 (Green Apple + Ginger + Green Lime) Cheesecake, priced at $ 7.90.

Luckily the desserts saved the day and the disappointments from the Japanese meal.

And I ended the meal with a sweet note...my masterpiece...

His masterpiece...

Now don't you agree that girls have better sense of creativity?

Hmmm...

Locations:

Izakaya Nijumaru

Cuppage Plaza #02-10

Tel: +65 62356693

Project Shop Cafe

Paragon Shopping Centre

#03-41/44 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 67356765

$ 33 Sashimi Buffet + Crazy Moments @ Hanabi. 11 Jun 2008 8:00 AM (17 years ago)

My loving relationship with Hanabi started a month ago.

'I'm going for $33 Sashimi buffet at Hanabi tonite', announced my colleague.

I immediately lost control and was literally pulling his collars.

'Buffet? Sashimi? For only $33? WHERE???'

Since then, I have visited Hanabi 3 times in a month.

The first visit was with Simon and Uncle N where I forcefully changed the venue from Ma Maison to Hanabi.

The second visit was with my friend who came down to visit me and I forcefully fixed the meeting venue at Hanabi.

The third visit was with my bunch of colleagues for birthday celebration and I forcefully set the celebration venue at Hanabi.

My intention was pure. I just want my sashimi.

Imagine free flow of Sake, Maguro, Tako, Hamachi and Ika which were surprisingly fresh. The quality of the food served and the freshness of the ingredients were way beyond expectation at such affordable pricing.

Another plus point is their ala carte style where we just have to place our order and wait to be served. The extensive menu drives me crazy everytime I look at it, from sashimi, sushi, maki, temaki, teppanyaki, yakitori, ramen, udon, soba to japanese curry. Too bad desserts are not included in the buffet, or else I would have walloped 10 scoops of matcha ice-cream for each visit.

The pictures were taken during my colleague's birthday celebration. For the whole nite, I was busy juggling with sashimi and photo shooting. For more food pix and description, kindly refer to Simon's review.

That nite we were the noisiest & craziest bunch in the restaurant. Shooting photos like nobody's business.

But we really had fun that nite and most of us have problem sleeping after the dinner. Probably due to the high level of endorphin released.

I now declare Hanabi as the official meeting venue for those who come down to visit me.

Location:

Hanabi Japanese Restaurant

331 North Bridge Road #01-04 Odeon Towers Singapore 188720

Phone:

(+65) 6338 6626

Everything Dessert 31 May 2008 8:10 AM (17 years ago)

I wonder why girls are especially fond of desserts while guys always go for their taichow. For me, dessert is like the essence of my life. When dining out, the first thing that i zoom into is the dessert menu and the last thing that i enjoy is always my piece of dessert.

Dessert is also known to have healing properties. When I'm terribly depressed and sick, a scoop of matcha ice cream never fails to put a smile back on my face.

Banana torte from Suchan

Tiramisu from Cafe Cafe (highly recommended)

Green tea sundae from Ajisen Ramen

Strawberry and apple pudding from Cava

RM1 chendol from Restoran Muar

Flower blossom from Haagen Dazs

Strawberry smoothie from Sit a Spell Cafe

Green tea tiramisu from Ocha Cha

Apple Crumble Cheesecake from Pick n' Brew (highly recommended)

Strawberry chocolate sundae from Delicious (great for gloomy days)

Green tea mochi from Yuzu

Macaroons from Big Boys Oven (antidepressant effect)

Matcha azuki cake from Ocha Cha

Strawberry ice from MOS Burger

Famous Ah Baling tong yuen with peanut soup

Chocolate Souffle with vanilla ice cream from Max! (seriously highly recommended)

Chocolate parfait from Haagen Dazs

Matcha float from Shokudo

Last (but not least), pecan walnut chocolate mud cake courtesy of XLB :)

Am going for Japanese gelato again tomorrow. Are you not hungry for dessert yet?

Home.Fukuya.You 21 May 2008 3:33 AM (17 years ago)

1. Home (but) sick

Was home last weekend to see my parents and my dog but I fell sick the very next day.

'Count yourself lucky that you fall sick when you are home', said my mum.

Am still on medication now, apparently the penicillin and my sickness made me slept throughout the whole weekend.

2. Spring cleaning

Was doing spring cleaning last weekend and found pile of photos and albums.

Come to think bout it, you were gone for quite some time but it feels just like yesterday.

Is it me missing you or you missing me? The world doesn't seem to be the same to me anymore.

3. Family gathering

Was asked to join the family gathering last weekend after missing-in-action for 3 months.

My grandma is still cute as ever with the same pattern everytime we meet.

As expected, the hug always follows with the same question.

'So, when are you getting married?'

4. Fukuya @ Bangsar, Jalan Ara.

Was there (finally) last weekend having heard bout the positive feedback on their Kaiseki 8 course lunch set, affordably priced at RM 52.

Served course-by-course, the lunch set came with 8 different dishes. Regrettably, I was quite sick when having the meal. Bar none, I still think that it is a pretty good deal at this kind of pricing. Well done to the chef as the ingredients used were very fresh, coupled with the right seasoning and cooking time, a revisit for their 8 course meal is a definite.

First course: Appetizer

Second course: Clam Soup

Third course: Sashimi

Fourth course: Grilled Salmon

Fifth course: Softshell crab

Sixth course: Yu Tofu

Seventh course: Somen

Eighth course: Dessert

Too bad I don't find the dessert appealing, unlike other floggers who were being served lavender ice-cream during their visit, what I had was flat and super chewy mochi with crushed peanuts.

5. You

On our way back, I told you,

'If I was to categorise people whom I have met so far into two groups, they have to be people whom I wish I never met before in my life and people whom I couldn't feel more grateful in knowing them even though it's a mere acquaintance'

For that I thank you for all the memories and joys that we have shared.

Thanks for bringing out the best in me.

Location:

Fukuya

One Bangsar, 63B Jalan Ara

Bangsar Baru

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : (+603) 2282 1111

Website: http://www.fukuyaonebangsar.com/

Italian Asian Cuisine @ Buko Nero 14 May 2008 8:56 AM (17 years ago)

What happened in April 2008...

1st attempt on MONDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are closed until FRIDAY. For reservation please try your luck again this Friday.'

2nd attempt on the next MONDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are closed every MONDAY. For reservation please try your luck again on Tuesday.'

3rd attempt on TUESDAY:

'Thank you for calling Buko Nero. We are only opened for dinner. For reservation please try your luck again at 6.30 pm.'

4th attempt at 6.30 pm:

'Reservation is full for April. The earliest available date is 14 May 08 (one month later).'

Tell me.

Numerous good reviews bout this italian asian fusion place + Fantastic rating on their food + Reservation to be made ONE month ahead + Numerous attempts to make reservation. How tempted are you in trying out this place? I admit all these factors motivated me to go thru all the hassles just to pay it a visit.

Counting down the days...30 days to go....and finally tonight it is...

I was so excited and had my camera ready in hand. Angle, checked; Lighting, checked; Presentation, checked; Macro setting, checked... 'Kee-Chak'...'Excuse me, no photo shooting is allowed'. *Sulk*

Too bad I was being refrained from snapping pix. Guess I have to switch to altenative mode then...my discreet handphone with 2 megapixels blurry pix. Better than nothing lor.

The bread basket with balsamic vinegar came with surprisingly strong aromatic smell. The texture was as lovely as the taste. I even requested for more balsamic vinegar to go with the buns.

For full course, I had their 5-course-set-dinner, priced at $ 48.

1st course:

Smoked salmon tartar with beetroot dressing.

Interestingly stacked up in 2 layers of minced smoked salmon and unidentified fish, paired up with tad sourish beetroot dressing.

2nd course:

Brocolli, basil and crab meat soup.

Served in a chinese soup bowl, the soup did taste like chinese shark fin with crab meat soup. Decent taste with a hint of sweet crab broth. Too bad it lacks the 'wow' factor.

3rd course:

Blood orange sherbet.

The refreshing sherbet is used to cleanse the palate before sampling the ultimate main course.

4th course:

Rigatoni with braised cod, trout and brinjal ragut.

Thanks to the rich tomato base with fresh cod and trout, I quite enjoy this dish that came with big fat rigatoni.

5th course:

Milk chocolate and coconut cake with gula melaka coulis.

The surprise element was the wonderful texture of the milk chocolate and coconut cake. Crispy outer layer with soft, warm and near molten texture in the inside. Pair it up with the can't-go-wrong-one-lah gula melaka coulis. True bliss is all I can say.

My only regret was being refrained from snapping pix of the food and the ambiance with a proper camera. Although most of the food lacks the very 'wow' factor, somehow this place 包涵了我最初的梦想. Since young (I'm talking bout my childhood days), I have always wanted to own and run a small cosy restaurant like this. Warm lighting with Lisa Ono's music in the background.

Buko Nero reminds me that I still have a dream that I have been keeping to myself all these years. And the dream goes on...

Location:

126, Tanjong Pagar Road.

The real HOT line:

(+65) 63246225

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罗马， 近黄昏。 2 Sep 2012 6:53 PM (13 years ago)