why, i'm at raffles, darlin'

high tea at raffles is a thing of beauty, indeed.  i don't know why, what it is about high tea, but i adore it.  i

love getting dressed up in the afternoon and sitting around a posh table with my girlfriends, eating next to nothing, and sipping tea.    and it always seems that the old colonies seem do 'english' better than the english.  i've been to high tea in london. and its good.  but it's almost common, an everyday thing, housed in busy shopping malls or in hotel lobbies beside rushed business commuters coming and going. but in india,and more so in asia its majestic.  almost as if its been stuck in a time warp, jetting high tea goers back to the 1930's to how high tea was when it was trying so hard to be so perfectly british for those expats away from britain.  LOVE IT!

so i was uber excited to meet laura and lizzie at raffles.  i made the reservation a week in advance. crazy, i know. but it's that busy.  raffles is gorgeous. full stop.  what a magnificent hotel.  just chock full of old world elegance. its the type of place where you can just breathe in the past, the elegance, the money dripping off the walls.  the tiffin room is no exception with its high high ceilings, marble columns, polished silverware, crisp white linens and exceptional service. ok. one exception.  the chairs were odd.  straight backed, so straight backed they kinda leaned forward making one almost slouch to be comfortable.  you couldn't sit up straight and be comfortable.  and you certainly couldn't lean back, cross your legs and relax.  odd the slightest angle makes the chair all wrong. we all ended up resting on our elbows on the table (oh my word, the manners!) 

two small 3 tiered dessert rings elegantly (and by that i mean frugally) displaying petite finger sandwiches, freshly baked pastries and scones served with clotted cream and homemade jams were placed on the table, and we were given a choice of tea or coffee.  sadly no elaborate choice of what tea we would like.  just english or chinese tea.  huh.

and... like most things in asia... the cakes and scones were beautiful.. and pretty much tasteless.  can you

believe we didn't finish the top tier with the desserts? they weren't good enough even to eat.  but never fear, we didn't starve, because, because, they also have a buffet.  now we are talking.  and what a buffet!  the same small desserts as are on the table, plus a whole row of chinese dumpling and dim sum, an area of baked desserts such as apple crumble and bread pudding with vanilla sauce, another area of indian curries and rice and a whole table of gorgeous fruit salads and fresh tropical (well local) fruits.  fantastic!  we all loaded our plates and gorged. elegantly of course.

our conversation was of course, elegant and refined to match our high tea settings.  we discussed how the use of squatter toilets is prolific in asia and why asians (mostly PRC's i am told) tend to think that they are more sanitary than a regular throne mechanism. so much so that there are posters in many local washrooms asking people not to stand on the throne seat and squat.  what? why would you even think to do that? how would you do that? how to balance and not break the seat?  and spillage? splashing?  W.T.F.!!?!?

there are two seatings at 3.30pm and 4.30pm. raffles quotes its high tea at $55 for adults. however, everyone in our party paid $65 each. huh. however, IMHO, damn worth it.  a lovely afternoon. even it was raining non stop outside, it was non stop luxurious gastric enjoyment inside. make sure you book early.  its usually full. and dress up. 'smart casual' is the recommended dress code. seriously, they remind you when you make a reservation.  no shoes, no shorts, no smart casual, no service.

and so i'm giving high tea at raffles 41/2 stars cause hello?  high. tea. at. raffles.

Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Tel: +65 6337 1886

canopy o' loveliness (and high prices)

i was so excited! it was my turn!  the girls were coming to my neck of the woods.  and i had just the place.  i was drooling with excitement. (or was that sweat?) either way, every time i jog through bishan park it calls to me. canopy. its just so pretty. a small gorgeous little bistro style restaurant with a huge lanaii area surrounded by lush greenery.  and on the weekend mornings, its always full of happy laughing families sipping tea and groups of friends relaxing and basking the the loveliness that is sunday morning brunch.  and AND to make this restaurant sound even cooler, is it apparently australian owned : so legitimate aussie tucker and AND they have a green room cafe  which serves only live and vegan food.  did i tell you i was excited!

i met our gang, laura, kathy and lizzie.  lizzie is laura's roommate and a very welcome addition!  claire double booked us with her kid's play date.  guess who won?

i always thought that canopy in the middle of bishan park was close.  but that was when i was by myself in my running shoes, jogging in the cool early morning hours or the cool evening hours.  i actually never made the walk at high noon with 3 non-locals.  it was long.  and hot.  and we all melted.  eventually we made it.  i think i apologized non-stop for the length.  i just never realized it was such a damn long walk. like half an hour, maybe more.

whatever.  we arrived.  i hadn't made reservations. i actually thought i would stop that morning during my sunday morning jog.  but i was either distracted by the multitudes of tai-chi groups exercising in my usually almost deserted park or the restaurant wasn't open.  i'm sticking with the later.  no worries.  there was a lovely table just for 4 in the air conditioning.  and sit. and relax.

so the menu is lovely.  i checked it online before i went so i knew what i was going to order.  i was excited (did i mention that?) because like a typical aussie restaurant it offered a plethra of sides, like baked beans, and hash browns, and roasted roma tomtatoes, and sauteed spinach.  my breakfast tea was served in a tea pot. we all ordered tea. and we all got our unmatched tea pots. i love it when restuarnts served tea in pots.  and i love the mismatched style. its seems more homey that way, quaint, yet cool at the same time.

the ladies ordered: buttermilk pancakes for laura (duh) eggs 'the way you like it' for kathy, and eggs florentine  for lizzie.

the food arrived a bit scattered, we had to wait for kathy's dish for a few minutes. i love that when everyone has their meal in front of them but one, and everyone desperately tries to keep the conversation going as if it doesn't bother them that their food is getting cold while the one who doesn't have food pretends she is interested in the conversation, when she is mortified everyone is waiting for her food and she can't stop thinking about when is the damn food going to arrive.

but it did and we all ate. and it was delicious.  except my hash brown. the menu actually just said hash brown.  i had assumed that they would be cut up potatoes fried, but it was in fact a deep fried hash brown patty, just like macdonald's. but half the size.  and i only got one.  odd.  and i didn't order toast.  actually come to think of it, i have yet to be offered a side of toast, at any of the places i have been yet.  and its not listed on the sides.  that is odd no?  usually a plate of toast is a given. a constant. huh.

but... here's the good part.. well besides the conversation.. since its an aussie restaurant.. its got aussie desserts.  and oh yes.. we did partake. me and laura split the toffee pudding, cause how can you not? indeed.  one bit was all i needed. i know, i know its not vegan.      `

lizzie had creme brulee. she wanted creme caramel but they didn't have any. she was not impressed, with no creme caramel and her bland creme brulee.  kathy had apple crumble.

and the conversation part, i know, you're dying to ask. what ever did we talk about this time.  well, what else?  men.  it is quite an interesting topic, no?  and it would seem that all four of us, 5 if you count cathy are all in different places at different ages.  lizzie is convinced that men are ruled by one thing only, and we all know what that is. which is why we shall never understand them. true, right?  sometimes i think i do.. i think i've got it than bam.. shot out of left field.  but then, what do i know?

i know that canopy has a fantastic view. a lovely ambience.  ok but slightly, no greatly over priced food.  sort of slow service. lovely tea pots.  small portions (which in my book are actually good. i'm not a fan of the big american style pig out).  and patience.  we sat there for at least 3 hours ordering again.. and again.. and again!

and so... i'm giving canopy 4 stars.  well, i want to for the decor alone.  in the middle of a tropical forest.  and the toffee pudding.  yum.  but one hashbrown?  for $30? (the hashbrown alone wasn't $30, just my bill with 4 sides, pot of tea and 1/2 toffee pudding came to about that)  and they wouldn't refill my pot of tea with water, i'd have to order a whole new pot for $10? ok.  you're right. 3 1/2 stars.

Canopy Garden Dining & Bar
Bishan Park 2  1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
Tel: 6556 1533