Under the Sea

Under the Sea... in search of a treasure trove

Mothers Day. Another money trapping device? Mostly for the chinese eateries scattered throughout our tiny island as children scuttle around in display of filial piety. On the contrary, mothers day held much more meaning than it's superficial value as a festival for busy, money spinning children to shower gifts and affection upon their mothers; it is a day to celebrate God's gifts to us, children... our Mothers.

Perhaps the ear-stinging sermon in the morning did work its wonders in softening the hearts of many out in the audience. Floating thoughts of 'evil' children who shoved insults at their parents behind their backs, who greet their computers before greeting their parents upon reaching home, were thick in the air above. Some of them were true, still we live oblivious to the implications of our actions. Blind to the truth that obedience is a quality demanded by God.

That aside, the family decided to have dinner together at the Barnacles at Rasa sentosa after a fervid recommendation from Da yi zhang. so a reservation for 13 pax it was...

The restaurant was an illustration of peaceful chicness. With an abstract interior design, curvy columns and aquatic blue lighting, it resembled a coral reef in shallow crystal clear waters. It's name, a resounding personification of the underwater world. Barnacles restaurant and bar. As we were seated, warm rays from the setting sun fell like a blanket around us, enveloping us with a heart warming consolence. The exterior of the restaurant was popular with couples sharing the spectacular scene of the yellow egg drop over the horizon.

The horde of us were quick to settle our orders and soon were greeted with metallic platters of assorted breads and our drink orders. Most innovative were the dips provided for the breads, the red chilli crab sauce providing a tantalizing edge over the usual butter. Soon, our tables were crowded with glasses of all shapes and sizes. Banana Belafonte, Rasa Cooler, Flying Trapezes, and many a Island Temptations. The adults were game on ordering mocktails. The children heaved a sigh of relief with the no alcohol rule. Fyi, that meant a less hefty bill...

Food wise, the barnacles guarantees a fresh catch of seafood with every order. And sure enough, the ying yang ($22) was a delight with the succulent prawns lightly tossed in creamy dressing still holding a light crystal quality crunch. The 1/2 Dozen oysters ($28) were lovely, but not as fleshy as I hoped they would be. (tasmania.. here i come!) . Most were in bliss at the mention of the Foie Gras with Passion fruit coulis ($26), pity I had no tolerance for the buttery rich liver. Still a worth a try for the many self-acclaimed fans out there. Worth mentioning are the Tenderlion Rossini ($45) and the Chef's Mixed Grill ($38) which I stole a peep at from the other end of the table. With top quality beef used, The true flavor of the meat shone thru, only to be heighted by the side serving of peppered cognac sauce. Heavenly.

Velda and I shared an order of Ravioli and Lobster ($36) and the mixed seafood skewer ($36). The former was excellent, a giant Boston lobster crowning a bed of ravioli filled with goats cheese. served with sauteed truffled mushrooms and a tomato dressing. This was a perfect mix of flavors, a little on the heavy side, but still good nonetheless. The mixed seafood skewer consisted of tiger prawns, barramundi and salmon grilled on a skewer served with stewed courgettes and zucchini. Did i mention that the seafood is gorgeously fresh? matched with the smokey flavors inherited from the grill, I ate speechlessly.

as the evening unveiled itself with a precision of a grand banquet with courses in close procession. We were still able to squeeze in some after dinner activities, photo taking and a unglamorous sing along session with the trailing band. Crooning along to Jason Mraz's 'I'm yours' with the quizzical stares from the parents to the sychronised carolling of 'que sara sara'. Surprise of the evening came when the chef came out to present a sizeable chocolate mousse cake to our table, totally on the house! And as we nibbled our way thru the delectable treat, we reached an all time chocolate high, resulting in fits of laughter as the final song 'money money money' was played by the band upon our request. A prediction of our wallet predicament all a little too soon...

Our evening came to a sweet ending with the chocolate samplers plate ($18). A trio of sacharrine bliss, Chocolate icecream with cherry compote and spun sugar, molten chocolate cake and a spoonful of chocolate creme brulee. Definitely one of the better molten chocolate cakes that I've had with a great well of sunken chocolate innards. Note: better quality chocolate could have been used though to derieve a more complex and satisfying experience. But I'll take this one willingly.

And as the night drew to a close, the kids pooled their resources together to foot the bills with yet again 'evil' notions for payback times with the arrival of childrens day in October... The world rotates round yet again...

Here I shall leave for Australia (be gone for 6 weeks) with final words ' with unconditional love from them, we should return them with unconditional esteem and care.'

Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers around the world.

Barnacles Restaurant and Bar
101 Siloso Road
Rasa Sentosa Resort Singapore
Tel: 6371 2930

When in doubt, follow your gut

When in doubt, follow your gut

Before I launch into a full fledge ramble about my quiet lunch along Jalan Pinang, let's start with a piece of good news, shall we? Cammie is well again! after a shocking diagnosis of circuitory problems that were presumed to be only amendable in 3 weeks time, I got a text message informing me to collect him 2 days after admission into the mad house! *yippeee*. Now i get to take cammie to australia with me!

To celebrate his quick recovery, we took him on an excursion to the hustle and bustle around the arab street region. Afraid that the vivid colors would jolt a sudden repurcussion in him, we took extra precaution. Fortunately, the little one embraced the painted walls and mosiacs of colors so well. So proud of him...

Lunch was at Zac's cafe. Specialising in mediterranean and middle eastern cuisine, this place was a recommendation by the boyfriend who had stumbled upon the cafe with his family and maldivian friend recently. With set lunches priced at $7.80 nett, comprising of a drink, harissa soup and a main, I certainly wasn't expecting much at first. Funny thing was at the end of the meal, my bloated stomach was screaming for mercy...

Don't get me wrong, screaming for mercy in a good sense where over indulgence is concerned rather than the retaliation of poor quality food. To start off, we had the harissa soup (a moroccan soup), essentially a lamb soup with a tomato base and loads of tantalizing spices. Spaghetti strands,chick peas and fried onion added to the chunkiness of the soup. Imagine having a bowl of this when you're down in the ruts.. perfect.

And as the hot afternoon tottered on, our mains arrived on a gust of wind. Pari Pari chicken with arabic rice and grilled vegetables for the boy and grilled fish kebabs for me. Before reaching the cafe, he did mention to me that the pari pari chicken was somewhat similar to nando's peri peri sauces; and sure enough, the spiciness within the succulent chicken flesh did pack a familar punch. My fish kebabs were excellently done, with the large chunks of fish bearing a slightly sourish flavor perhaps from the yogurt marinade. The accompanying chilli sauce was a marriage made in heaven with the tender fish and it gradually raises the temperature as you work your way thru the mountain of yellow rice, sultanas and fish kebabs.

Fortunately, we had our iced mint teas to douse the flames. There is something soothing about the tea as you slooshed it around the mouth, removing traces of the potent chilli and dousing the flames.

All these for just $7.80. Come on.. you probably can't find such good value anywhere else! Throw that notion of visiting Forlino out of the window and head down to this shophouse cafe instead!

Then... just as the meal came to and end, the wind shifted direction. Carrying clouds adrift with sweet aromas from the South, I hugged curiousity close to my chest as we maneuvered the tight streets in search of the hidden mystery.

And after a sweat-inducing walk under the tumultous sunshine, we found what we had been looking for...

Rows of immaculate pastries, white washed walls, biege cushioned high back chairs and shady interior. Yes... you probably guessed it.

B Bakery at Bussorah street.

We settled down for a slice of cake and a party in view. Manjari Lemon ($4.80) it was. The combination of chocolate and lemon a daring combination inspired by many parisan confectioners, la maison du chocolat? The manjari chocolate used in the dessert played up the citric flavor a notch and the lemon layer provided an element of surprise even for the undiscerning eater. Pity all wasn't perfect as the chocolate sponge was extremely dry.

Gazing around the room, looks of satisfaction were seen everywhere. The grilled vegetables with hummus plate and smoked duck salad with pomenegrate dressing stole my gaze. Perhaps I would drop by for a meal instead next time. Shall hold on to this though till my next visit.

On a seperate note, I have to mention my first ride on a car lift! Silly I know.. but it was terribly exciting. haha.

B Bakery
15 Bussorah Street
Tel: 6293 9010

Zac's Cafe
17 Jalan Pinang
Tel: 6295 1816

again we bid our farewells

again we bid our farewells

Just for the TWDers who dropped by for this week's dose of Tiramisu Cake. I apologise for the lack of pictorial features, none in fact. Though I did try out the recipe and served it as a happy ending to my parmesan mustard pork chops and sage crusted potatos, my poor camera just wasn't around the capture the moment with me. It was ill again, had to send it to the doctors. *sigh*

On hindsight, the Tiramisu was spectacular, the yellow cake playing perfect host to the drunken spirited party of alcohols and adrenaline junkies (coffee!). The mascarpone filling, a perfect consistency that lived up to my expectations. For my version, I made it in clear acrylic cups that allowed the sloshing patterns of the drenched sponge and the biege fillings to shine through. Decorated with a bold dash of cocoa powder and plump strawberries.. these were all ready to take over the world. Well.. let's start from the boyfriend's stomach first. BINGO! he had TWO! hehe. Thanks Megan for choosing this fantastic recipe! Visit her blog for the recipe.

Now I've just got to figure out what to do with the remainder mascarpone cheese. Any suggestions?

at the foothills of all these mysterious things

At the foothills of all these mysterious things...

Time slips thru our fingertips, like the smooth sand grains of an hour glass tipped over. With each passing day, it keeps us guessing whether the sun would shine mercilessly perforating the thin cloud cover or whether a heavy sky of grey sheets would hang over head. Today, the latter has been chosen.

The week constituted of a mish-mash of events put together in a jigsaw puzzle that appeared to harmonious apart from the gaps of sadness that filled the holes otherwise. Lunch at Uluru was an enjoyable event, not of epicurean significance, though it did have a certain 'economical' sense to it. To all those contemplating the venue, give the $15 weekday set lunch (2 course) a shot. The roast beef sandwich I had was without a doubt one of the best I've ever had. Accompanied by thick 'steak' fries and a rocket salad, it was delectable. The focaccia bread, mustard mayonnaise spread and medium done beef slices came together with the precision of a well intergrated orchestra. On a seperate note, the mud pie (pictured above) that came along with the boyfriend's 3 course set meal was a surprise too. With differing contrasts btw the layers, my tummy did a mini sommersault. Crisp praline, with rich ganache and a lighter chocoalte mousse and chocolate cake layers. Mmm.

Sunday came and went. Tim Sum with the folks and the India inspired cousin at Prima Revolving tower. Some should oil the turning plate, the muted jerks send jolts down my spine...

Then it was off to view the cats. Darn, makes me want to own a kitty cat too. With those agile performers bouncing off the wall, licking their whiskers and manevering the thin aisles, it was all an entirely enjoyable experience.

Then, we wondered off to foothills of the Singapore Flyer in search for some inspiration that the energetic kittens failed to provide us with. There, we found a gold-laden path, fizzy drinks of happiness, thick succulent sausages lining the sides and loud lullabies ringing in our ears. Beerfest Asia.

Weston's Organic Cider is the best drink ever invented. Period.