Maa-Maa

I did it. I DID LES AMIS. The one in Au Jardin. The building is beautiful and very British, might I say. The servers look spiffy and smiley. I was there on a week day, I think Thursday night not too long ago. It was my first time at Les Amis. I know. I suck. But not anymore!


And to think I've waited all this time to revel in artistic gourmet. Poetic licence was lent to the menu. Romance was in the air. And it pretty much stopped there.


The table d'hote served was maa-maa, and the dinner companion was worse. No, I was NOT on a date. Let's just focus on the food shall we?


The amuse bouche was this weird-tasting egg shell cupping some egg thingey with potato broth. Hah? Eewness Central. It was not cold, neither was it hot. It was "just is". *confused* I didn't see any meaning or purpose in the broken shell dairy "nog"? Haiyah, don't know lah.

The crab meat was lovely. I had two slightly different interpretations of it. The temperature was perfect heat, if such a term existed. And yummy-doodles.

By the way, I soooooo forgot my digicam so I was using my laoya (a.k.a. lousy) cell phone to take pictures. Sorry...very boho, I know. I'm a really busy girl, okay!


I was seated facing the gardens. It was a gorgeous evening - balmy and cool. Both elements I didn't experience cause I was sitting inside. Alamak, I'm very Singaporean. Must have air con. I also noticed that Botanic Gardens gets super dark really early in the evening. So why do people still visit the place after 5 p.m.? You can't really see anything, and Cafe Les Amis closes fairly early. You're obviously not there for dinner - they're usually dressed casually.

So, what's the..Ohhhhhhhhhh..........Eew. Moving forward, please.



The wagyu beef carpaccio is ooh-la-la...really the STAR of the evening that brightened up my whole dinner. The King George which I ordered was not too bad. A little heavy for my liking. You know, I'm girly like that. But for a guy, I think they'd slurp it up in a few swift moves with the Cuteness Central knives. The broth generally for all the dishes were yumsies-daisies.

But I did have a sad moment - the desserts were so blah. Ugh. I had three. And they were so not hip, hot and happening. In fact, the additional dessert I ordered was not taken seriously at first. The server, in full official regalia (not tux lah, more like pretty suit) actually reminded me that it would be chargeable. DUH.


It's Les Amis. The minute you sit your cute butt down on one of those plush chairs in Au Jardin, you're so not counting the dollars anymore. And I definitely wasn't. So, hello? When you're in a posh restaurant, you are posh. So behave like it. I felt like a child been asked to show my bank acocunt balance just to prove I could spend a few more dollars after I've already racked up some hundred of 'dem.

If Les Amis @ Shaw Centre wasn't filled, I would have been dining my heart out and lovin' it. But that of course is a pure assumption based on feeling. The feeling that i'm meeting my friend in less than an hour for dinner. And I just can't wait to soup-size myself.

I'm not even going to show you dessert pictures cause they're just not worth it. The only thing that kept me going during dinner was the view.

Sigh.

I Was Bait

The best Curry Fish Head I’ve set my eyes upon is discreetly simmering in an aromatic area of Singapore that is well-acquainted with me; Nam Kee’s chicken rice, Dino’s swiss roll, icekimo’s chempedak dessert and The Roti Prata House’s milk-injected-dough prata.

Follow the inviting smells and you would be in Upper Thomson – A nostalgic street especially since I’ve been fed paranormal doeses of siu bak, char siew and steamed chicken at Nam Kee’s ever since I was knee-high. My parents would drive us kids there almost every Saturday. I was reminiscing about this place with friends just the other day. They too have patronized this family joint for years, and watched three generations manage the business, and 2-3 restaurant renovations.

However, the hot and spicy focus right now is Hooked on Heads. What’s that? It does sound dodgy, doesn’t it? Hahahah! I passed by this restaurant at Sin Ming Plaza many times but never ventured to go in. Thought it was “Hooked on Beads”. Hello. Wake up and feel the tiara, Love Princess.

My daddy insisted we give it a go. I was so hesitant. FYI - My parents love processed foods…twinkies, Gardenia’s cream buns, random coconut-based kueh-kueh at the railway station…just plain gross lah. My mum *shaking head* text’d me when I was in London saying that I MUST try the custard tartlets sold in Selfridges. In the FROZEN section. Eewness Central!

But that’s not the point. Hah! Moving forward, I was bowled over by the fish head curry. REALLY GOOD. It’s not jelak-y (translation = won’t get sick of the taste), unexpected lightness to the gravy, and smooth-textured. Very shiok-a-rama. Want to know the secret to a great-tasting and refreshing curry dish? It’s in the milk. Apparently they add half of the normal dose of coconut milk, and the rest of the mixture consists of regular milk = you absorb only half the calories! The fish is majorly fresh too. And adequately spiced with green parsley and limber tomatoes. Ooooooh. The spiciness is happening lah.

I was seen constantly scooping with my stainless steel spoon deep into the tasty gravy claypot. I really can’t rave enough of it. And big GOLD STARS for daddy! He got it right (finally) this time.

People, it’s extremely affordable. Not bluffing. It’s the perfect place to share a yumster meal with the extended family and friends.

Until the next bite, too-dles.