There was a chef preparing omelettes cook-to-order and I asked for one with the works. I met the head chef, Salvatore, who followed me back to my table with my omelette when it was ready. Now that's service!
& Me!
cold meats
smoked salmon
tomato with baby bocconcini & basil dressing
roasted vegetables
baked tomato with cheese & herbs
chicken sausages
deep-fried prawns
baked fish with spinach
mini eggs florentine
more prawns
salad
marinated antipasto
roasted vegetables
freshly squeezed orange & cranberry juice
tropical fruit salad
yoghurt with strawberries
banana smoothie with cornflakes
[1130hrs] I went for a swim with Zhi Heng. He's still got a fascination with running water and lights. He let me carry him into the deeper end of the pool a few times...he's getting brave!
Zhi Heng and his parents were only staying one night at the hotel so he had to go back upstairs to change and get ready to check out. I spent the next few hours by the pool, in the pool and eventually fell asleep for about an hour while working on crosswords and listening to my mp3 player. The weather was getting increasingly hot, so it was time to go and find lunch.
[1500hrs] I took a taxi to Holland Village, hoping to get some seafood or pasta for lunch. Alas! The restaurants along Jelan Merah Saga Road closed their lunch service at 2:30pm. Ah well, there's always the hawker centres a few streets away in Holland Village.
[1500hrs] After lunch, I went into the Holland Village Shopping Centre and found a little salon to finally have a manicure and pedicure.
All up, my pampering cost SD$63.
[1700hrs] I emerged from the shopping centre feeling rested and my nails looked healthy and pretty. While I'd been indoors, the weather had gone from horribly hot to a heavy downpour. That's tropical climate for you. I managed to hail a taxi to take me back to the hotel.
I lazed around a bit in my room and then got ready to head out to have a few drinks before meeting my cousin for dinner.
[1830hrs] I went downstairs to the Ink Bar. I thought I was early, but while I was in the middle of my first cocktail, the only other patrons (four elderly tourists) got up to leave. I moved to sit at the bar to chat with the bar staff and turns out that Sundays are really quiet.
Absolut Raspberry, Creme De Casis, Cointreu,
Lime Juice, Cranberry Juice & Soda
It was happy hour until 9pm, so I had a few vodka, lemon & limes.
[2000hrs] David picked me up and we arrived at his friend Willin's restaurant.
Willin was actually heading home but stayed back at work when he heard we were coming so that he could personally prepare a degustation dinner for us. How fantastic is that!? I felt like a VIP.
saute garlic, shitake, white truffle oil
in a 'kueh pie ti' shell
congee of blue swimmer crab & tiger prawn
with egg emulsion
I couldn't help but laugh thinking what my mum and aunty's reaction would be if they were sitting here with us eating this degustation menu. They would have been horrified and in utter disbelief that people pay to eat like this. They would have questioned why so much trouble goes into preparing these little morsels of food. Especially this congee dish. They would have been left wondering where the rest of the meal was. Just as well they weren't there...we were able to enjoy our bottle of wine without the nagging!
consomme of duck, preserved mustard greens
& duck confit ravioli
deep-fried home-made egg tofu & poached spinach
in cold sun-dried oyster broth
salmon carpaccio on spiced brown rice
with baby octopus & bonito flakes
roast chilean seabass with kecap manis, garlic
& baby asparagus
seared rib-eye with coarse French sea salt
& truffle sabayon
black sesame puree with vanilla ice cream
& green tea powder
The bottle of South American red wine that David selected was perfect.
[2230hrs] After dinner, David dropped me off back at the hotel and he headed home to catch some z's before work tomorrow. I went upstairs and housekeeping had come and performed the nightly 'turn down' service. They even folded my pyjamas neatly on the bed.
I got my stuff together and then headed out. I stopped by at the Ink Bar to say goodnight to the staff. There was still no one there! They recommended that I head to Clarke Quay to the Pump Room if I wanted to see a live cover band. I took a taxi there and enjoyed a few hours there drinking and dancing. There was a guy who looked like the spitting image of Kevin Rudd![0300hrs] I asked my taxi driver to drop me off at a nearby 24 hour hawker centre so I could get some supper to take back to the hotel. I bought my food, then walked a few streets over to where my hotel was. I feel so safe walking around Singapore on my own.
carrot cake
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