Bangkok is Down!!!!!!!

Is there anything new? I just met a bunch of awesome people last Friday and sort of imposing myself (I feel like that anyways) upon them. I miss my Peh :( who is frolicking around Europe.

Yesterday I eat Indonesian food with my coworkers/boss, then for dinner I had ice cream because I'm naughty.

It was TK's birthday last night, so we went out to Timbre the Substation around SMU, and I had a great time!! I got home sort of late though, so I was a bit late for work today. No worries.

I just found out right now that they have completely shut down Bangkok airport, so no one can enter/leave. The protesters have taken over!!!!!!! MADNESS!!!!!!

Link

TRIP TO BALI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spent two hours struggling to get a ticket with Lion Air, which is an Indonesian company. My friend asked if I would be interested in going to Bali for four days in December, so I will be GOING TO BALI!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m terribly excited. I’m trying to get one of my Indonesian friends from Purdue to go as well. HOORAY!

In all seriousness, tonight I plan to do a little bit of shopping, and then afterwards I may just stay home. The husband goes to Central Europe with two girls :’( …leaving in about 10 minutes for an adventure of a life time. He has been planning the trip for a long time! He will be gone for three weeks. Hopefully by the time he returns, I will be tanner (and not BURNT!). Another one of my friends (blast from the past man…) is coming to Singapore for three weeks in December (after I return), so hopefully we will be able to hang out a few times. I work though, as you know, so I won’t be able to play that much. But I’m excited to see the Chipmunk as well . And his brother.

I need to seriously do some laundry when I go home today. And I’m really excited about Bali because I think that a duffel bag will totally be enough to go for only 3 days. I hope that it doesn’t rain when we are there. The flight is about two hours long. I will be waiting for my friend to arrive for the entire day though, but I’m not that concerned.

Is there anything else? Yeah, I’m kinda excited about shopping today, even if I’m going by myself. And then I will go home and try to do some chores, unless my friends invite me out to do something of interest.

Facebook has saved me from peril. I can keep track of my friends, and this is really important to me (being across the world will do that to you). The more that I stay in Singapore though, the less I feel like I would be comfortable back home (albeit, I miss my family & friends like the dickens). I think that when I live in Ang Moh Land (US), I will have to live close to an Asian community or otherwise risk becoming insane.

I’m really excited about Bali, and I hope that I get some SORT OF COLOR ON MY SKIN. Seriously. Gah. I leave in 12 days. Don't worry M&D, Bali is totally safe.

Italian Food!

Last night I went out with a friend to La Forketta Gastronomia Italiana at 491 River Valley Rd (Valley Point). We ran into the restaurant just before 10 pm and graciously thanked the staff for letting us in even though they were just about to begin closing shop. Last orders at 10.

To be honest, this is probably the best place to bring a date; the ambiance is very romantic, etc. etc. but I just went with a friend. Tough.

Anyways, right when you are seated, they bring some bread (though we had to ask for the olive oil…apparently Singaporeans don’t like oil with their breads. Weirdos! j/k…^.^) [and charge you for it…ridiculous]. Interestingly enough, we got two slices of cheese pizza in this basket. That was a bit random. Delicious. I added pepper into the olive oil. I miss Bravo’s amazing olive oil blend of sundried tomatoes and various herbs. That is the best. (Bravo’s Italian Kitchen on W. 86th Street, Indianapolis).

I ordered the Vongole, San Pellegrino Mandarino (Mandarin Orange) (S$6.50), and “Broiled Bread Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil” (S$9)

The Bruschetta was AMAZING. I am seriously in love with this bruschetta. I mean, I can make my own blah blah but this was so unique because there were cherry tomatoes and great garlic flavor. The bread was different (I’m not used to receiving just one slice of bread). I think that the price is a bit steep for the small amount you receive though.


The Vongole (spaghetti, fresh clams, white wine, cheery tomatoes, parsley, etc.) ($20) was very nice, but a tad too oily! I think that I had about 2 dozen tiny fresh clams. I really enjoyed it, but I suspect that this dish would be even better as leftovers.


My friend had the Messicana (Mexican) pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, salame, grilled eggplants, capsicums, onion, and oregano ($23). It was huge and definitely meant to share because he didn’t have a chance at finishing it (especially with the appetizers). We boxed it up.


Dessert, of course was the Tiramisu (“layers of savoiardi bisuit dipped in espresso coffee brandy mixture, and mascarpone cheese”) ($9.50).

It didn’t really wow me like the one at The French Stall. This brandy mixture wasn’t strong enough, nor was the cheese leaving the typical tiramisu aftertaste in my mouth. In fact, I sort of felt like I just eat whipped cream instead of tiramisu. The cocoa dust on top just dried my mouth like crazy. Too bad for this tiramisu (sad face).

I feel really lucky that we made it on time. I definitely will come back, hopefully next time as a date & with a better dessert! The total ended up being over S$100.

Amber Restaurant @ Broadway Hotel

This is my second trip to Amber Restaurant. I made a lot of friends the first time, and it was sort of very nice to come back and relive some of those moments. It’s the first time I met Chris, who is totally awesome and has unfortunately moved back to ang moh land (USA). Enough of this!

So first came the papadum, which is typically served in an Indian meal. It is served with a hot green (chili??) sauce. It comes free with the meal, so we kept it flowing to the table. I love the sauce (in moderation, of course).

Jack ordered the tomato soup (bad move). It was a bit too creamy, but being a great lover of food and of a (questionable) creative mind, I decided to dip the papadum in the soup and add some of the spiciness on top. DEELISH!



Onwards! My friend ordered some chicken marsala dish


and I had the mutton that comes semi-dry with onion, garlic and GINGER (GOODNESS ME!!).


Ironically, he liked the mutton better (the marsala sauce was too creamy), and I honestly liked the chicken better (the mutton was too chewy). We also had two orders of garlic naan (well, Jack mainly aided me.

If I didn’t share, only one would suffice.) and some rice (because Jack is so Asian! Haha j/k….eh?). But I got full so quickly after stuffing my already round face (meaning, chipmunk cheeks) with garlic naan that Jack called Wayne for backup to help him finish the food.

And how could I forget the fried cauliflower that is a nice red color? And comes sizzle sizzle?


What meal is complete without some mango? I ordered the mango juice. My other friends joined later, and I was too lazy to write it all down. Sorry. Friday night came after a long day at work. So anyways,

Amber Restaurant is an 8.5/10 in my book. I will definitely come back in about a month’s time. I really enjoy the food, and the service was superb. Everyone has a big smile, and someone is always checking to see how you’re doing. There are even extra “serviettes” (in American, paper napkins) on the table. And I sort of am craving garlic naan again (while I munch on my Goldfish that I bought this morning). The price is quite reasonable as well. I think the total ended up to be about $15 per person (“pax” in Singapore, which I COMPLETELY resent because of my Latin background).

Dieting (eh?)

Is there anything new in my life? Not especially. I have been trying to trick someone - anyone – to come with me to check out this ice cream store near my place called Ice Cream Chefs. It doesn’t help that I am trying to lose a bit of weight. Don’t worry, I’m not starving myself. I am resuming what was my normal diet before entering college.

Call me slow, but I figured out why I usually overeat. And I think that this may be a big problem with a large portion of the population. Once you enter the workforce, you realize how much it costs you to earn money. So when we actually go and buy ourselves food with the money for which we have bled, sweat and cried, of course we are going to eat the entire thing!

So this is my take: start buying kid’s meals. Yes, I went to KFC and ordered crispy (no such thing as extra crispy in Singapore…boohoo…) but in a kid’s portion. Even though I am still a bit hungry, I realize that this is probably the best feeling ever. It’s always good to stop eating when you’re about 50% full. I read this fitness program yesterday that told me to always wait 6 hours in between breakfast (which you should take within an hour of waking up), lunch and dinner. Then I also read the box of the Special K about the Special K diet. It requires that you eat Special K (or the Special K bar or waffles) [you can add fruit if you wish] for two meals and then a normal third meal. Unfortunately, as tempted as I was, Giant (the equivalent of Wal-Mart in Sg) only carries the Red Berry and Fruit/Yogurt varieties. I am definitely one to go for the Original or Pecan Cinnamon (…this must be new or else I would have drooled all over the box by now).

Even so, Special K is ridiculously overpriced here because it is an imported good. EIGHT DOLLARS (ok, which is like 6 USD) is RIDICULOUS. Especially when you can buy most cereals for half the price. I usually buy the Singapore equivalent of Frosted Flakes called “Frosties,” and I was FLABBERGASTED when I saw the box of “Frosted Flakes” going for SG$10. Frosties go for about SG$4.50. REDIKEROUS!!

So back to dieting. Yeah, I eat about half portions now (or if you want, childsize portions). I realize that this may not suffice most people, but it’s better to take one meal over two occasions instead of one. Meaning, less food but more frequently is better than overloading your body three times a day. Let’s try to make it 5-6?

This diet I suspect (I did eat a LOT of ice cream last night though) will help me lose some of this unnecessary weight that I have accumulated due to my love for coconut milk broth noodle soup (laksa). Yes. It’s sad but very true.

By the way, I started a genetics blog, but it’s kinda for bio-majors, but you’re welcome to take a gander if you want.

Toodles and happy dieting.

I love mangoes.

Reminder to Myself:

Tip from MW: CMC Confectionary along East Coast Road near the Catholic Church.

MUST TRY.

2,751.12096 miles

Yeah, I am sort of a curious sort. I read a lot of things today. I read about the JFK Assassination, Market Capitalization, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Rubenstein (Ruby), Valuing Common Stocks & Bonds, Walt Disney’s financial status in 1985, and deflation.

If you look at DIS (The Walt Disney Company), you will see that the mrkt cap is $40.25 billion dollars. US, of course. So I tried to imagine how high the stack of one dollar bills would have to be if it was all in one stack. This leads me to the number 174,311,024 inches or, 2,751.12096 miles (assuming that the dollar is 0.11 mm thick). This means, if laid down, it would take me about 34 hours from one end to the other. And that’s on a good day.

The French Stall on Serangoon Road

The French Stall
544 Serangoon Road
Singapore 218166

Le Chef Xavier Le Henaff est tres gentil, et I really enjoyed the concept of a French cafe-esque feeling while being smack dab of Singapore. The big boss himself came to the table to tell us that there was only ONE tuna left, we missed the last bit of "Grilled Marinated Pork Loin with Braised Cabbage & Mustard Seed Sauce ($16.80 - darn!!)", and that they only had one Beef Bourguignon Xavier Style with French Beans & Carrots ($18.80).


My friend ordered the Beef Bourguignon (which was simply delicious...) while I had the "Pan-Seared Baby Tuna on Sundried Tomatoes Scented Mashed Potatoes & Orange VInaigrette ($18.80). The "Museels with choice of Mariniere or Aioli Sauce" were also gone as well. We went around 9:30 PM. What a shame!!

It was quite a lovely surprise hearing the French accent :). I miss it a tad.

We ordered some "HomeMade Garlic Bread" ($4.20) [sorry, missing piece because we both love garlic bread...],


HomeMade Smoked Salmon with Walnut Dressing ($12.80)


and two orders of the very excellent "Pan Fried Foie Gras, Spinach and Sweet Xeres Jus" ($22.80).



For dessert I ordered the "Giant Profiterole with Vanilla Ice-Cream topped with Hot Chocolate Sauce" ("Profiterole Geante a la Glace Vanille Sauce au Chocolat Chaud) ($7.20), which looks quite nice, but to be honest, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.


The ice cream was a bit lacking in flavour and the profiterole itself was not nice. Next time, I will definitely try something else like....Special Dark Chocolate Cake...Honey Cheesecake....HomeMade Tiramisu...Guanaja Chocolate Souffle...YUM!

I didn't get to see the bill though...sorries!

Lovely place; I will definitely return.

------------ (cheating) -------------
A few days later I went back to try to Tiramisu (with my "husband"), which was absolutely superb. It cost around $8-$9. SUPERB. The cheese and the lady fingers soaked in COFFEE LIQUOR WAS SO GOOD. Definitely the best I've had in Singapore, though I've been ridiculed because I am so quick to make that assertion. I KNOW WHAT IS GOOD TIRAMISU!!! Rawr!

Swensen's on Orchard Road

Yes, I was caught in the rain Saturday night and went for some Mee Sua. The description is chicken broth with shrimp and thin rice noodles (buon, if you're Viet).

The soup was delicious, but Jack reminded me of the monosodium glutamate (MSG). :( And I did wake up with ...the after effects of me having MSG.


Anyways, it wasn't bad but I hated how they keep the shell on the tail of the prawn/shrimp. Incredibly ANNOYING. It also has fishcake and tofu as well. Don't worry, I am still me. I didn't eat the tofu. It was about $13.

Vietnamese Kitchen at Food Republic at Suntec City Convention Centre

Yes, I had Vietnamese food here before, and I think it's the best that I've had so far (there are a lot more places to go visit still).

I ordered the Apple Mint Soda, Pho, Cha Gio and Banh Cuon.

Apple Mint Soda sOOO DELICIOUS!!!!!!


Cha Gio ("cha [a as in apple] zo [o as in ought]") was tiny, but it was ...just ok. Maybe a 4/10. Edible. I don't know why there were crushed peanuts on top. Who eats it like that? Seriously.


Banh Cuon had NUOC MAM (fish sauce) OH GOSH I LOVE NUOC MAM!!!!! This is the time when I miss home the most...my mom used to make this every Sunday morning. FRESH Banh cuon is sooooooo amazing. ("baen kwoon")


Pho was ok. The noodles are handmade, and they say that the broth is cooked for at least 10 hours.


All in all, I give it a 7.5/10. I think that my total bill was for $31, including two bowls of Pho, two apple mint sodas, one Cha Gio and one Banh Cuon.

gymnastics

i love gymnastics. i recently joined a gym, and i'm starting to get control of my body. this is fabulous news! i feel much happier in the gym now (especially because my body didn't cry when i woke up this morning and had to get out of bed like all the other times).

just chipper! going for a facial and massage tomorrow because i'm spoiling myself rotten since no one is here to do it for me :D

love,
sans

being observant with my eyes closed

1. singaporeans don't say you're afraid of something. they say you develop a phobia. how elite.
2. i walked down half of orchard with my eyes closed, and my friend told me to take a really big step several times to avoid drains, etc.

when we were at the end of the promised stretch of blindness, he told me to take a huge step. i did! then i opened my eyes and there he was laughing away. apparently
1. there was nothing there
2. there was a girl walking beside me who panicked and took a big step too but kept looking for whatever i was stepping over but couldn't find it.

3. i tried to be suave and no look at my credit card while i was pulling it out to pay for PS. cafe (look at the food blog) but instead took out my metro card. the waiter was totally polite about it, and I had one of those embarrassing moment laughs. and then real laughter. for a long time.

4. you don't add money into prepaid cards. you "top up"

5. going to gymnastics now!

love, m

New Zealand Natural Ice Cream at Parkway Parade

At New Zealand Natural Ice Cream (which is right outside the elevator, and my eyes are pulled towards it every time I use the elevator...meaning at least 6 times a day), I treated myself to a triple scoop cup of ice cream ^.^ ($5.90)


1. English Toffee (vanilla swirled with toffee flavored sauce)
2. Cookies & Cream
3. Spotty Dog (Chocolate chips mixed in with chocolate and vanilla ice creams)

Comes with a little crispiness as well. I prefer it to the one in the basement because NZN's chocolate has more flavor.

Swensen's Surprise!

Swensen's is a chain in Singapore that you can find almost anywhere. If it's important to you, it is Halal (meaning that the food is prepared so that Muslims may eat it as well). It is more known for ice cream though.

For a $24.60 bill, I got a pretty nice lunch. One should always be skeptical of ordering steaks in Singapore, but my Ribeye steak was not that bad!! ($20.99 + GST + 10% service charge). I give it an 8 out of 10!!

I asked for rare because usually with thinner cuts of beef you end up getting medium rare, but I was so wrong! The steak was thicker than I thought it would be, and even if the waiter disagreed with me - it was more raw than it was rare. So of course I went for the medium rare. The girl was like RARE? LIKE R-A-R-E? Ok fine fine she didn't spell it out verbally; she spelled it out in the air (which is totally worse). I hope the glare I gave her made her feel like she was retarded while I said "Rare" louder.

I wasn't sure if I should eat the carrot garnish (but I took a snip at 2 strands...for the sake of being sneaky).

The second picture is to show you that:
1. I ate all the green stuff (except the garnish)
2. I didn't eat the fat that I wrestled off (gross)
3. I'm awesome.


I usually go for ice cream afterwards because before they had a promotion called the "Executive Lunch" when you just paid for the main course and got a soft drink, soup of the day and "designer ice cream" for free. ^.^ Sadly, they got rid of that promotion, despite the fact that the poster still remains.

I will definitely order this again when I go to Swensen's at Parkway Parade. I'm not really crazy about any of their other main courses, to be honest, but their ice cream is always a stop when I am with my (2nd [fake]) husband.

When in doubt, go to McDonald's

After Cafe Iguana, Sam & I ran far away to McDonald's on our way to the City Hall MRT Station! WOOOOOO. I got the "Hot Apple Pie" (which is, as you will see, completely different that the one back at home) and a Vanilla Cone (yum!). My dad taught me this a long time ago. (Thanks Daddy!)



I wish they had the 2 apple pies for $1 here as well dotdotdot BOO!

...delicious....




Sam got her Oreo McFlurry. WOO!!



Then we were good girls and exchanged the heels for the flip flops! ^.^ yay!

Cafe Iguana at Clarke Quay

Last night was a birthday party, and we all headed to Cafe Iguana at Clarke Quay for some Mexican food. I had been there before with a friend from Texas, but instead of just one meal, I have about 5 dishes to show you today! Cafe Iguana's menu has 2 pages of food and 3 pages of drinks. The selection even lacked tamales. Right.

My meal was a sparse. I had the kid's quesadilla with chicken. It comes with lime-scented cilantro rice and beans. I also pass on beans. It's just not my thing. But the rice was decent - but there was nothing to accompany it (a quesadilla is hardly anything to accompany rice). The chicken was super dry, and the cheese was hardly inspired. It costs $11.99 (but probably more since I had to add the chicken). The mango juice was normal (definitely not fresh).


Two of my friends had the Soft Tacos - Smoked Salmon ($21.99). They actually looked SO GOOD! Rawr. "Handmade corn tortillas, traditional shredded cabbage garnish, lime cream and pico de gallo and side dishes of beans and lime-scented cilantro rice." YUM!


But I was told from two people that these soft tacos only score a 7 on a scale of 10. Boo! Wayne said it was a bit overkill - and I think this is a general statement I heard over and over - the portions are too large and you feel like you have to finish your food (Asian mentality). He also said that he wouldn't order it again.

Two people ordered the Grilled Chicken Chimichangas ($18.99) and gave it a 7-7.5/10. It looks ok...the guacamole looked nice but I suspect there was too much sour cream on top. "Deep fried flour tortilla filled with grilled vegetables and cheese served with lime-scented cilantro rice" sounds nicer than it looks.



Three people ordered from the Tequila Grill - 1/2 Chicken ($23.99). "Lime marinated meat finished with a smoky & spicy tequila glaze served with grille vegetables and poblano-scalloped potatoes. If you like chunky mashed potatoes, I'm sure you would enjoy these!


One person said that the chicken was way too dry and gave it 4/10. Ouch! Seng said his was 7/10 (just a bit dry, and it didn't seem like the marinade - if any - showed up). If I have to return to Cafe Iguana, I most likely to elect to have this grilled chicken though. If it's dry, I'll just send it back, man!

One person I just met last night ordered the Portobello Fajitas ($20.99) - "Sizzling platter served with flour tortillas, sauteed onions and peppers, sour cream and guacamole". [I went for the Flank Steak Fajitas last time, and they were about a 5/10.] He also gave them a 7/10 rating.



Picture of the Bar


Frida Kahlo [scares me]

These are responsible for the yellowish shots that I took my friends. GRRRR. Nevertheless, cute!

So overall, I say that Cafe Iguana is good for a 7/10 meal :p and moreover, probably not worth the $30 pp price. I've had better Mexican food at Margarita's on Dempsey (but much more expensive).

OBAMA WINS!

OK I am not as excited as I was maybe a minute ago.

297 Obama - 139 McCain. I feel bad for McCain.

All I can say is, I hope everything will get better from here. It's gonna be a really really rough ride the next year. The dust will settle, and we'll know then.

Here are my two cents to remember this election:
1. the URL: http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
2. a nice big picture


3. talking to Wes, Bobby, Tinky, Mom, ruqipoo, Nas, and Jack.

My letter to Senator Obama:

Good luck! Let me know what I can do.

You say you don't know.....I had a bad day :(

Yeah, yesterday was a bad day. Bad enough that even the Korean food for dinner was sub-par.

Joey & I ended up going to a food court in the basement of the Concorde Hotel (sp?) next to Orchard Plaza for dinner.

This is not called japchae. it's called Fried Korean Glass Noodles. That's right. We are all victims of misinformation here. I might have overdone the sesame seeds a bit as well. Sorry for the poor picture quality --> forgot my memory card in the computer! This is taken by my phone's camera. I'm a bit upset that the quality is terrible.

Then we went for some dessert at PS. Cafe back at the Palais Renaissance (yes, I was that curious about the Sweet & Sour Lemon Pie). It looks quite nice, but the crust was way too buttery. I miss making Lemon Bars back in the States :(. I will definitely do that when I get back. I seriously was obsessed about them for the longest time!




My friend Joey had some of the Sweet Pudding - Banana (with Creme Anglaise) and a nice scoop of ice cream.

Presidential Election

I AM SO EXCITED. EVEN IF I'M NOT VOTING THIS TIME AROUND (AND GETTING A LOT OF POO FOR IT), I can still be excited, right?

I have never been one for politics. I had a discussion with one of my friends last night, and I told him that I avoid politics by saying I am Moderate. Who can argue with someone who is Moderate? No one. Unless they start asking you dumb questions like well what do you think of this policy and such and such. Oh dear.

Even in religion, I consider myself moderate. lol

But I'm really excited, and right now it's 207-89 (Obama v. McCain). Obama stands a chance to win Arizona, and McCain is the Senator from AZ. Oh dear.

I think Obama will win. It surely has been hyped up more than usual. I am AM AM AM AM AM AM AM excited (as usual).

OK! Update later!

Memory Lane with Sakae Sushi

This is the moving carousel of gluttony. Plates of various (and premium) sushi and sashimi wave at you. Tantalizing your eyes and making your stomach FORCE your hands to move themselves......and grab....plates. OH GOODNESS. I have to actually tell myself not to look. :( And a computer screen to order food. The mouse might actually be in the shape of the mascot frog "Sakae". Leaping towards happiness I see.


The first food I had when I came to Singapore was Beef Udon in Wheelock Place on Orchard Road at Sakae Sushi. Now I realize that F.M. (can I use your name?) is not so innovative. At least feed me local food first, right? Well I did have some of his grandmother's homecooked Malay food, so I will not overly complain.

Well the Beef Udon has stuck, and I go 1-2 times a week into Sakae Sushi, though today was the first day that I actually took a picture of the food. But the menu has changed and the beef udon is now "Niku Udon". Because they added some funky mushrooms (which I like because they are so crunchy!).

I also love to order Esprit Sparkling Fruit Drink with 5% Fruit Juice (sorry, took it off the label). My favorite so far is Orange Tangerine, but today I had the Passionfruit, and there is also Raspberry, Lemon Lime and Blueberry (these come to mind first, at least). But they don't offer Orange Tangerine in the restaurant.

The udon is fine, but the beef is nothing special (and in the US, it would be considered very low grade meat). The fishcake is dependably fish cake tasting. I might like it better because it has pink swirls. But I would never admit it.

I have a lot of other memories of SS as well. My ex-friends have a sushi day every month and go there. I paid for FM and didn't yell (too much) when he ordered more than he can handle. I go with my coworkers sometimes. I took an lady investment banker from Malaysia there. Every time I go there with someone new, I discover new tastes. But today, I was all alone, so I had the usual. I don't know any of the names of the staff, but all in due time.

I usually get some Chaka Wakame and Sun Maki, but today my stomach must be saved for dinner....KOREAN FOOD! OH MY...SLURP SLURP YUM YUM!

PS. Cafe at Palais Renaissance Singapore

We had a very warm welcome into PS. Cafe, and I think the staff is very hospitable. One of the best places for hospitality, if you ask me. It's on the second floor of the Palais Renaissance Hotel on Orchard Rd between the Thai Embassy and Orchard Towers.


PS. Cafe actually has three locations, one at Palais Renaissance, Paragon, and Dempsey.

The food was so nice! I wanted something super light, so I ordered the Crab Claw Cake. It was so nice (and definitely an appetizer). I even had a kick of bunny-ness and eat some of the GREENS! What a good girl. But the crab was delicious! And the best part was the aesthetic value of being stuffed into a claw and baked. I wanted something light so that I could try some cake! :) Because I worked hard earlier, I wanted to reward myself with cake.


I have a weakness for crab (and strawberries). Do you understand why now?

Seng had some ribs - St. Louis Ribs. They were really good! The vegetables on the side he said were excellent and very innovative. I just thought they looked like...vegetables. :) And the little cream puff you see in the back is actually a baked potato.



I also ordered the Chocolate Crunch Doorstop Cake.

It's super chocolaty and a tad too sweet for my tastes, but I think that a majority of chocolate lovers will like this cake a lot. There is a lot that goes into it, and you can eat it as a slice or you can each section individually and still enjoy the cake. The ice cream disappears quickly though :(. I wish it came with two scoops! And yes, those are (Whoppers) malt balls on top! $15.90 is a bit overpriced, but from what I understand, it is the MOST popular of the chocolate cakes there.

The table we were at had a lovely view, and the open air concept was lovely. I will definitely come back to this cute PS. Cafe. Next time though, I think I'll order the crab cake x 2. Because I'm like that. And maybe munch on a few more greens. And the lemon pie. Woohoo!

Hard Time at the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore

Then we walked from Dhoby Ghaut all the way down to the end of Orchard to kadoodle in the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore. No, I didn't buy the merchandise (though I did comment about the successful merchandising that Hard Rock Cafe has done) like a good tourist. La la la! But I was very curious about the Singapore Chili Crab Dip with Chinese buns which I thought would be pao, but they were actually fried [bread] buns.

Things started to go downhill when we tried to order. I was a bit fierce, I admit, but she already made me a bit frustrated when she didn't understand when I asked for a strawberry smoothie (they didn't have it), then I asked for raspberry, and she said [impatiently] we don't have strawberry. So then I stared at her and asked for RASPBERRY. So then she runs off like a good mouse and comes back to tell me that they don't have raspberry either. So then I look down at the stupid drinks menu (honestly, the selection is sort of terrible once they list all the things they might have offered at one time but you came too late and cannot have it nanananana) and ordered a coke without ice. And please, she didn't even understand me when I said JUICE. HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORD JUICE? JUICE!???????????? Does it SOUND LIKE ANYTHING ELSE? OK, I am not that angry, it's more along the lines of incredulocity.

The drinks come. And then dip: it was ok but a bit too salty by the end of finishing it.

There was a lot more chili than there was crab (naturally), though you could definitely see the crab meat. The thing that sort of made me upset was that you only get 6 tiny Chinese buns. Which is RIDICULOUS because there is so much dip. So then we asked for tortilla chips (meaning, I asked for them and then she said tor-til-la?). Yeah. It's not pronounced tor-til-la. It's pronounced tor-ti-ya. But who can attempt Spanish in Singapore? Few. Very VERY few. Then I slapped my head a few times.

OH yeah. So then she comes back and says that we can only have three pieces. THREE PIECES of tortilla. Shoot ME IN THE FACE! CHIPS, LADY, CHIPS!!!!!!! NOT TORTILLAS. Gosh I am so anal about Spanish pronunciation but seriously. Tortilla chips. "Oh, ok let me ask my Manager because usually you cannot get side orders without an order for an entree. It's procedure." And I was like so how do you think we are going to eat this dip? I respect that there are procedures, but come on lady. This is called COMMON SENSE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gr.

I was fierce.

The crab dip is not worth S$10.50, but I suppose that you pay a bit for the atmosphere (Avril Lavigne & Rihanna concerts playing on all the screens...). My dad can make a better crab dip.

I will not return to Hard Rock Cafe for a while until I forgive/forget all this madness(/frustration).