Beachfront Dining

After polishing off more Strawberry Daiquiris than I’m sure is healthy, we took a hop, skip and a jump along the beach to La Lucciola, the beachfront Italian restaurant next door. This open-air thatched-roofed building with its comfy wicker furniture, tables under the stars and views past the palm trees out to sea was the perfect place to dine following our sunset cocktails next door at Breeze. And the menu didn’t disappoint either.

Our selection of starters included a Buffalo Milk Mozzarella with Vine Ripened Tomatoes,

and a very tasty Seafood Risotto, which although was under the main course selection, they obligingly served a starter-sized portion.

My choice was the Fried Zucchini Flowers with Fior di Latte Bocconcini, Tomato and Basil Leaves. I first came across the idea of Fried Zucchini Flowers on a Jamie Oliver TV programme, but this was the first time I had seen them on a menu, and I was intrigued. Well happily, my inquisitiveness paid off, and Jamie Oliver was right – they were truly delicious – juicy baby zucchinis attached to the flower with a warm gooey filling, all encased in crisp batter. A rare treat indeed, and one I shall look out for in the future.

Next up, the main courses were equally as successful – this time I opted for the Pan Fried Hiramasa Kingfish which came with Artichoke Hearts, Baby Spinach, Preserved Lemon and Citrus Vinaigrette. The fish was perfectly cooked, lovely and crisp on the outside with a soft and juicy centre, and the accompaniments complemented it well, without overpowering.

My friends’ choices however received mixed reviews: Seafood Pie

Open Seafood Lasagne

Vegetarian Risotto

However, I think the winner of best choice of main course for the day went to Mr Greedy Glutton for his Roast Marinated Lamb Rump with Cherry Tomato Peperonata, Soft Polenta and Almond Pesto. Trust me – it tasted every bit as good as it looks:

Good food, good company, good wine… and dining beneath the stars to the sound of the crashing waves… life surely doesn’t come much better than this…


La Lucciola – Seminyak Beach, Bali

Sunset Daiquiris

Everyone you meet in Bali wants to know if you have a ‘programme’ for the day, and more importantly whether that programme includes plans for sunset. Well, on this day our programme did include sunset, and I think we may just have found the perfect place to enjoy it.

Breeze is the beachfront bar and restaurant at Samaya Villas and offers unparalleled views of Seminyak’s beach and sun-setting horizon. And what a sunset! No wonder the locals are keen for you to experience it.

Views and sunsets aside, the comfy sofas, mood lighting, contemporary decking and décor and mood lighting all combine to make Breeze one of the sleekest, chicest bars I have ever been lucky enough to step foot in. But the evening’s pleasures didn’t stop with the ambience. Oh no, there was also the cocktail list to enjoy, and more specifically, the Strawberry Daiquiris.

These are surely how God intended Strawberry Daiquiris to be… like drinking a bowl of fresh, ripe, sweet strawberries through a straw… with the added bonus of a slug of Bacardi of course….


Breeze, Bali - http://www.thesamayabali.com/dining/

A Romantic Evening in Bali

So we found ourselves in Bali for a few days, and after a hard day on the golf course we were ready to put our feet up and chill… so we took a short walk from our villa to the uber-cool chill-out haven that is Hu’u bar.

I have to say I was blown away by this place – it’s everything you could wish for in a bar for drinks and dinner with your significant other – awesome cocktail list, chill out area (here, in the form of big floor cushions on the lawn), comfy sofas in the bar area, fairy lights strung up amongst the trees, attentive staff, candle-lit tables, cool background music and a mouth-watering menu.

We started off on the aforementioned sofas in the bar and made our way through the cocktail menu. Me being a fruit-based martini fiend, started off with one of my all-time favourites, the Mango Martini. It was delicious. Smooth velvety mango liquid with a good slug of vodka – just as it should be.

I followed it up with a Honeydew Melon Martini – again simply scrumptious and not at all syntheticly flavoured as they can be

and then swiftly followed this up with a Watermelon Martini, which was equally fantastic, although watermelon being a lesser flavoured fruit did mean that it didn’t mask the alcohol so well, although perhaps by this stage that wasn’t a bad thing…

By now we were definitely ready for a stomach-lining feed so we moved down to one of the candlelit tables surrounding the swimming pool (did I not mention that this place also has a swimming pool?!) and perused the dinner menu. This took some time as everything really sounded so fantastic, but we did finally make a decision, starting with the Crab Cakes with Mango Salsa for myself:

These were golden-crisp and completely delicious, and much envied by Mr Greedy Glutton, who opted for the Seafood Salad, which in turn was also extremely tasty, with generous portions of ceviche-style marinated raw seafood tossed into the leaves with pine nuts, peppers and cherry tomatoes.

He followed this up with the Linguine Alio Olio with Belly Pork

which was really very good although I again provoked envy from him with my Seared Tuna – this had been coated in black pepper and sesame seeds, and came served on a fresh black bean sauce, with an exquisite sweet potato mash, asparagus and sun blush tomatoes. The combination of all these flavours on the plate together really was heavenly. No wonder Mr Greedy Glutton was looking green-eyed!

For the record I have to say this was one of the best meals we have had in a long time… not only was the ambience second to none, but the food was truly outstanding… We are due to go back to Bali in a few weeks time and we are definitely… definitely returning here for a meal…

Hu’u Bar & Restaurant - http://www.huubali.com/

Lunch at Dempsey

My mother-in-law was visiting so I took her to meet ‘the girls’ for lunch. We’d been trying to take her to all the different eating emporiums throughout Singapore but hadn’t managed Dempsey yet, so we opted for P.S Café, where we could lunch amongst the foliage.

The first thing I love about the P.S menu is the juices – a range of fresh juices and other, more interesting concoctions, which you know are going to make you healthy just by looking at them, such as freshly squeezed lemon juice with fresh ginger.

We were running a little late, so by the time we arrived my hungry friends had ordered some ‘chips and dips’ to tide them over. A huge plateful of bread (eventually) arrived, laden with fresh crusty bread, and with a choice of three dips – Hummous, Spinach and Ricotta, and Red Pepper. The hummous was better than a lot of places in Singapore (I have yet to find one that would entice me back though), but the dips in general were a tad lacking in flavour, I felt.

The main courses (of course) arrived before we were through with our dips, and we had ordered a fairly eclectic mix. First up was the Pumpkin Salad, which was sensationally presented, although I didn’t get to sample it.

The Zucchini Pancakes from the Brunch menu, which came served with Roasted Tomatoes, Crispy Bacon and a Balsamic -dressed Salad – this being a major hit with those that ordered it.

I, rather boringly, but on trusted advice, went for the Club Sandwich.

Immediately noticeable was the lack of layers of bread normally associated with the club sandwich, and in its place a toasted Ciabatta bun. I am guessing the decision for this was brought about by the sheer enormity of the sandwich with all its fillings… this bad boy came rammed full with Roast Chicken, Crispy Bacon, Fried Egg, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Cranberry, a true whopper of a sandwich.

Now I have been ridiculed by my friends for this complaint – but you know, I just felt that this sandwich just had too much in it… There were so many flavours competing for attention in the same mouthful, that you just didn’t really end up tasting any of them… just a kind of mixed up mish-mash. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for experimental sandwiches, and also for large portions, but a) I didn’t feel particularly satisfied despite being completely stuffed full and b) I couldn’t even finish half my meal – completely shameful for a Greedy Glutton (did I mention in came with a side order of Fries also?!)

My greedy friends, who I admit hadn’t ordered such monstrous main courses as yours truly, decided on a cake to share for dessert. After much perusal of the menu, detailed discussion, and an excursion to the cake counter, the decision finally fell on the Carrot Cake. This was a hugely generous portion (lucky we asked for four spoons!) and was suitably sticky and moist and flavoursome, although it was generally agreed that the frosting could have been laid on a bit thicker.

So what’s the verdict? Well, the food wasn’t the best around, and the service definitely left something to be desired (the starter took an age to come, the main courses arrived 10mins apart of each other, two out of the four lattes arrived once the others and the carrot cake were all but finished…), but I enjoyed the meal enough to come back at a later date and the atmosphere definitely warrants a return visit… the location amongst the trees, the high ceilings, airy dining area and floor-to-ceiling windows all make this the perfect hangout for a relaxing tai tai lunch…

P.S Café - http://www.pscafe.sg/

An Evening in Siem Reap

Another day of temple trekking, another hungry group of people. This time we wandered into the centre of Siem Reap for beers at the Red Piano, before meandering up and down ‘Bar Street’ trying to choose where to eat. We settled on In Touch restaurant, for it’s mixture of Thai and Khmer dishes and it’s upstairs balcony seating, with views down over the action.

We started off by ordering a bottle of white wine, to be told that it was out of stock… so we ordered another to be told the same thing. We could kind of see where this conversation might be leading, so asked what they did have in stock – turned out they only had one wine, a red, out of the entire wine list, so we stuck with a jug of Angkor beer and turned our minds to eating.

We started off with some Pork and Prawn parcels with a plum dipping sauce, which unfortunately were a little blander than their golden crispy exterior promised

We then mixed things up a bit between Thailand and Cambodia, going for a Thai Beef Panang curry

A Thai Green Chicken Curry with Eggplant

And a Cambodian Pork Lok Lak – marinated pork strips cooked in a fiery peppery sauce.

And of course some stir-fried vegetables.

Our initial impression wasn’t altogether favourable – the food was cold and the dishes slightly bland. However, as we ate on, the flavours seemed to develop and we found ourselves quite enjoying the meal.

So not as successful as our evening before… but we left fairly satisfied nonetheless… although I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t return…

In Touch – Bar Street, Siem Reap (opposite the Red Piano)

Khmer Cuisine

We had managed to build up a fairly large appetite during an afternoon of exploring the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, so we jumped in a tuk tuk and made our way to the Luxe Guide-recommended Viroth’s. We were certainly glad we did – Viroth’s provides a lovely little open air oasis tucked away on a side street in Siem Reap, complete with decking, running water, tropical foliage and twinkling candles.

More importantly, the food was fantastic and a great introduction to Khmer cuisine, a first for all of us. We dove straight into the main courses – the Eggplants sautéed with Minced Pork, Ginger and Local Herbs

The Roast Chicken Khmer Style which was roasted with ginger, onions and Chinese basil and served with morning glory and a lemony dipping sauce which was just superb

The Amok Fish, which is Cambodia’s signature dish, which is fish cooked in coconut milk, lemon grass and local herbs, and is delicious – not too thick and coconuty, but light and fragrant

And some Sautéed Vegetables, which was a mixture of vegetables including pineapple and tomatoes cooked in an oyster sauce and local herbs, which was the perfect accompaniment to the other main dishes.

We were of course extremely full by this stage, but couldn’t leave without sampling their Bananas Flamed in Rum, which were sticky and gooey and lovely, and perfect with the coconut ice cream.

So we left Viroth’s very satisfied… and very happy to be in yet another country with such fantastic cuisine….

Viroth's - http://www.viroth-hotel.com/restaurant.php

Angkor Beer

We were in Siem Reap for a long weekend to visit the fabulous temples of Angkor.

All that temple trekking can be thirsty work I can tell you... well thank goodness for Angkor Beer.

It's not my favourite beer in Asia, but damn it tastes good when your feet are weary and legs aching from tramping up and down those steep Khmer stairs... cheers...

Healthy Lunch

I had a lunch date with the girls, so we headed to Club Street where we could combine lunch with some funky boutique shopping. We ended up at the Eden Café – a small restaurant with a big heart. The focus of the Eden Café is on simple, healthy, fresh, well-cooked food and we certainly weren’t disappointed with the results.

The lunch menu included a select few main course specials – in addition to the standard sandwiches and salads. Although the menu isn’t particularly explanatory, Clement, the owner was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all the dishes and ingredients.
We managed to sample a wide variety between us – the Roast Pork with Caramelised Onions and Apple,

the Pasta with Bacon and a Poached Egg,

and I went for the Chicken Salad which came with a zesty dressing and orange segments, making a tasty, light lunch.

Even the drinks made for an interesting adventure – none of your standard Pepsi-Cola-style drinks here, the Cola is organic

and the Soda with Lingo Berries made an interesting (and quite delicious) accompaniment to my salad.

The coffees and hot chocolates were served in funky glass mugs and the herbal tea list was the most extensive I have ever seen.

The desserts were another cause for delight – I opted for the Hibiscus Cheesecake

and the others went for the Crème Brulee which was torched at the table,

and the Chocolate Fudge Brownie which was deliciously and wickedly rich and came served with vanilla ice-cream and scattered with rose petals. (yes we were all a little jealous of this one…)

All in all a fantastic little spot for lunch… and soon there will be a sister restaurant at Rochester Park… so soon to be another lunch spot for lunch with the girls… fantastic…

Eden Café – www.edencafe.com.sg

Indonesian Japanese

We were in Bintan with friends on a golfing weekend, staying at the Bintan Lagoon resort. We were on the late ferry back on the Sunday night so decided to check out the resort’s Japanese restaurant, Miyako, before making our way to the ferry terminal. It’s an attractive space with a minimalist, zen-like feel to it and they also have a Teppanyaki counter, although we were a bit too early to be entertained by knife-wielding chefs on this occasion.

The meal started off quite promisingly with some lovely sushi – Tuna Maki and Tempura Maki.

We weren’t all that hungry following a late post-golf lunch so we continued with some nibbles but unfortunately these were all somewhat disappointing – a very greasy Mixed Tempura left the taste of the oil in your mouth rather than what was within the batter.

And a fairly bland Chicken Yakitori…

Never mind… we were there for the golf, not the food.... and there are several other restaurants to choose from at this resort on our next golf outing…

Miyako, Bintan Lagoon Resort - http://web.bintanlagoon.com/winedine.shtml