Lunch in a Deli

Back in Singapore after our lovely break in Bali and it was soon time for lunch with the girls again. We managed to somehow end up at another firm tai tai favourite, Jones the Grocer at Dempsey. This is first and foremost a deli, with counters encircling the room brimming with tasty looking treats, an entire room dedicated to cheese, and a very impressive looking cake counter.

I was particularly surprised therefore by their menu – mainly consisting of heavy dishes such as Steaks, Chicken served with Potatoes, Pastas and Sausage with Mash. In my mind, lunch in a deli should consist of platters of cheese and cold meats, with fresh breads, pickles etc. The closest we got to this was the blackboard specials which included soup, sandwiches and salads.

My friends opted for the Chicken Caeser (got the thumbs up)

And the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Sun Blush Tomatoes and Pesto (which was “okay”)

I was torn between the Roast Ham and Cheese Sandwich and the Eggplant and Roasted Tomato Quiche… I asked the waiter which he would recommend and was told in a bored voice “They’re both good”, which decided it – the Quiche.

Unfortunately they weren't both good at all, or at least the quiche wasn't - in fact it was verging on tasteless and, not really knowing whether it wanted to be hot or cold, had settled on being lukewarm instead. Topped off with a ridiculously salty side salad (perhaps this was an attempt to give the quiche some flavour), and it was a very disappointing lunch - to put it mildly.

We finally managed to track the waiter down to order a dessert – the main courses certainly weren’t filling enough to leave without one – and whilst he was at the table, we held a little competition amongst the four of us, to see who could get the waiter to crack a smile… alas, we all failed miserably and he continued miserably on with his work.

The desserts however faired a little better than the main courses: The Lemon Tart was sticky and gooey and struck the right balance between tart and sweet, although the crème fraiche was a slightly odd accompaniment, as was the lemon zest ‘syrup’ which was far more vinegary than syrupy.

The Fruit Tartlets sounded and looked promising, but whilst rich and sweet, didn’t really taste of anything in particular.

The highlight of the meal was my little cupcake. It was my birthday week so my friends had snuck a beautiful little marshmallow-covered cupcake out of the counter and arranged for it to be brought to me with a candle. By this stage I was too full of my Lemon Tart, and half of my friend’s Fruit Tartlets (yes, that’s why they call me the Greedy Glutton) to manage it… but they obligingly boxed it up for me and I enjoyed it later on that evening whilst watching the American Idol final… and very tasty it was too…

So it was meal over, and after several attempts to get the waitress' attention and eventual frantic waiving of hands, we finally managed to get the bill… and pay… and no, we couldn’t get the waitress to smile either…

Jones the Grocer - http://www.jonesthegrocer.com/store/singapore

Seafood on the Beach

It was our last night in Bali and we were on our way back from a Kecak Dance performance at the spectacular setting of the Uluwatu temple, when we stopped off at Jimbaran Bay for a large dose of seafood. This to me epitomizes how seafood restaurants should be – tables right out on the beach so you can tuck into your fresh catch of the day with your toes in the sand, to the sound of the crashing waves (ok, we’ll just forget about the ubiquitous guitar band serenading embarrassed-looking couples with their renditions of Country Roads and Delilah for one second!)

Our driver was obviously on some kind of commission-earning exploit, so we humoured him and found ourselves a seafront table at his ‘recommended’ restaurant – I forget the name of it, but I’m not sure it really matters, a short walk up and down the beach showed them all to be much of a muchness in price and ambience.

We settled ourselves at a table and ordered a round of Bintang beers, and then joined the scrum of our fellow hungry patrons at the seafood counter. Once we had finally managed to elbow our way to the front, we chose ourselves a nice big fat Red Snapper (this came barbecued to perfection and came served slathered with ‘Balinese Spices’ – really very tasty indeed)

An equally large Squid, which they fried into crispy calamari for us

And a whole pile of Prawns, which were fried in Garlic Butter and served with an onion and chilli garnish – truly delicious.

Having thrown in some rice, vegetables and even a side order of Fries, we had ourselves a true feast. Unfortunately the rain chose the moment our food arrived to pay Jimbaran Bay a visit, so we ended up moving our feast indoors to the less-picturesque interior of the restaurant… but by then we were too busy demolishing the goodies to notice our surroundings so much…

Jimbaran Bay, Bali

More Fine Dining in Bali

After a day of the girls hitting the boutiques of Seminyak hard, we all met up for dinner at the famous Ku De Ta bar and restaurant, situated right on the beach. This must be the most popular restaurant in Seminyak and we couldn’t get a table until nearly 10pm, but they make great cocktails and their lounge tables face right out on the crashing ocean waves, so who was clock-watching anyway?

When we were eventually seated, despite our hunger, I still couldn’t order very quickly … and no that wasn’t due to the Watermelon Crush cocktails I’d been drinking beforehand blurring my vision, but rather because everything on the menu looked so good, I just couldn’t make a decision. I eventually just had to pick something when the waiter returned for a third time to take our order – if only to prevent my eating companions from throwing their glasses of Sauvignon Blanc over me. Thankfully it transpired to be a successful random picking.

I started off with some Seared Scallops, served with Hummous and Chorizo. This initially struck me as a strange combination of flavours, but thankfully it worked perfectly – the chorizo was not too overpowering for the scallops, perhaps due to the mellowness of the hummous, which also gave an interesting texture to the combination.

I followed this up with the Lobster Linguine with Tomato, Basil and Chilli. Whilst this was fairly tasty and the pasta was well cooked al dente, I did think that they could have packed some more flavour into this dish, and a few extra pinches of chilli certainly wouldn’t have gone a-miss.

All in all though another fantastic evening of cocktails and fine dining… just how does Seminyak manage to pack in so many fabulous drinking and dining establishments into such a small space?


Ku De Ta, Bali - http://www.kudeta.net/

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