bar bar black sheep, can i have some more?

me and kathy met for dinner one day during the week. we were at the small plaza of shops across from botanic gardens and had meant to go to relish (on the second floor) which was closed when we arrived.  we could either wait or head down the street to holland village or dempsey... not being inclined to further deal with bus stops and taxis and traffic, we decided to go around the corner to bar bar black sheep for a drink to wait for it to open. ...but... then we just stayed there... because it was awesome!  seriously, the menu is a mixture of thai, indian and western.  and all your favourite options of each. and with the exception of japanese, thai, indian and western are my three most favourite food categories in the world!  my kind of place.  for sure.

i could not decide which way to go.  seriously.  how can one choose? i ordered a lime juice and spring rolls to decide.  and having the spring rolls.. which are always deep fried deliciousness, my resolve caved and i went for western, veggie burger.. with fries no less.  and a coca cola.  oh, the healthniess of it, i know.   kathy ordered a burger too (not veggie) and a white wine.. it was one of those days.

but here is the delightful thing.. when my veggie burger came, it was not one of those massive bun monstrosities that western restaurants serve. the burger was small, like a 1970's size bun, a small macdonald's burger size.  and it was perfect. on top of my burger was this gorgeous red pepper relish. now, i don't usually go for relish at all, but this was damn good. damn good.  i ate it all. fast.  and then i ate the fries.  and then i sighed.  damn.  good.

and... and.. the washrooms are connected!  just down the hall.  and they have this cool mantra (well i think its cool, but i can see how singaporeans wouldn't get it) they charge for water.  water is $1.00. cause its not just tap water but clean mineral water.  and they don't DON'T charge tax or service charge.  what? a restaurant that does not rip off its customers?  what an idea.

so... what can i say... damn, damn, bar bar black sheep. a black sheep you are not at all... you are fackin' awesome.  i just have one question: when can i go back?

Bar Bar Black Sheep
Cluny Court  501 Bukit Timah Road
6763 4757
www.bbbs.com.sg

p.s. good night.

it was frankie's birthday, so we decided to gather for an evening meal.. so we decided to go back to dempsey (yay!). frankie made reservations at ps cafe (yay! yay!)  i was quite happy, as you know i have enjoyed the brunches a la ps cafe.  and i was ok with a splurge for an evening meal.  its a new year, so lizzie and laura have gone on with their travels; the expat life in singapore is not for them. but kathy was there as well as isabella (again yay!)  i miss isabella as she lives half here and half in toronto.. she is damn funny.

we had a lovely time.  wine and chatting all round.  kathy has a posh new job at one of the more pretigious schools in singapore netting over 15000 a month. what?  i know... i do not have a great job...and i am sick of working in singapore for singaporeans that are really big bullies.  get this.... as 'civil servants' we are inundated with racial harmony propaganda, there is literally a 'racial harmony day' to remind everyone to be nice to each other.  but then, THEN for CNY, the singapore government gave all civil servant employees of chinese descent ONLY a 'festive bonus'.  yes, they got their pay a week earlier than everyone else because they were of chinese descent.  i am no expert, but that is rather, um, how shall i say this, damn racist!!  but no matter...i have great prospects!  right now i am in a bidding war with two different job offers.  one here in singapore, one in thailand. both international employers. thailand is the land of my dreams... and as much as i love my brunch girls and the hectic chaos that is singapore, my heart is really leaning towards blue waters, white sands and no chaos for awhile...

and back to the night... in which ps cafe, comes alive.  its lit inside making the trees outside look magical. still the large bunches of flowers.  still the awesome row of cakes at the front.  i ordered a moroccan stack of coucous.. which was divine!  so good, i stopped talking for about 20 minutes and just ate and savoured. and it was vegetarian.  and on the menu.  ahhhh..

then i ordered dessert.  of course i ordered dessert. but i think i ordered wrongly.  but how to choose? so many damn good choices.  i ordered pecan pie, but it was pecan chocolate pie and more like a brownie in a pie crust than the southern sugar overload of pecans and sugary toffee filling i was expecting.  no matter.  really, no matter. i was already so happy with my morroccan stack that nothing could dampen my mood.  not even the bill. (which wasn't that bad this time. i didn't have wine and i was prepared)

P.S. Cafe
Dempsey (you know where it is)
www.pscafe.com

living the dream at the green room

i was excited to go to the green room in bishan park.  id already tried canopy which was ok, but the green room specializes in raw food.  a vegan's dream!

the ambiance was spectacular.  i went (with a 'new' man friend.. ahem.) in the evening, so it wasn't too hot.  i love LOVE singapore at night.  the humidity lifts and it is truly spectacular.  a calm quiet blankets the city as construction stops and people begin to relax for the evening.  the green room is behind canopy in a jungle of greenery.

we opted to sit outside in lovely wooden lounge chairs.  there is a large bar/lounge area beside canopy which just looks like a place you could curl up with a glass of wine and chat to your friends or lovers all night. a truly hidden gem.

the food, was well, it was ok. it is raw vegetables, twisted, turned and spiced up, but in the end, still raw vegetables.  it was good, but i think since living in singapore, i have slacked in my vegan habits, as its hard to find so many options, so my palate has started to lean back towards the oils, sugars and breadish tastes of the non vegan.. so the raw stuff does tend to begin to taste bland.  if only i could go away to a resort, to hide out for a few weeks and eat only this food.  then THEN that would be divine!  and so would my body and soul be actually.  damn world, what are we doing to ourselves?  we could eat like this every day.  we could live like this.  grrrr.

so back to the restaurant; i ordered....

the rice paper samosa spiced herbs and vegetables wrapped in rice paper served with coconut chutney and then the nasi campur which is multi coloured rice with vegetables and tempeh, peanuts and tomato sambal.  my friend had the pumpkin and vegetable tower chopped vegetables with asian pesto between fresh slices of butternut pumpkin and the vietnamese rice flour pancakes.

and then we splurged on dessert. probably shouldn't have.  because for all its health appeal.. dessert without sugar is just hard to digest.  literally.
we tried the chocolate and goji berry fudge crunch and the spice island apple crunch.  the chocolate brownie was very dry and well bland. (duh.. no sugar).. but i have tasted very awesome vegan desserts.. but then i guess they are using raw sugar. but no, i've made lemon cake with no sugar just applesauce and mango juice for sweetener.. so huh.  the apple crunch was good.

anyways.. at the end of the night (lucky it was at the end) i saw a mouse scurry across the path.. and then he/she proceeded to chirp quite loudly.. i'm not sure who she/he was shouting at, but it was rather distressing to me.. who was wearing a long maxi dress.. and had to walk along the path to get the hell out of there.

guess mice are vegan too?  i never knew that.

so green room cafe.  not sure if i should mention i was starving afterwards and craving potato chips.  but i forced myself not to eat them.. and just go to sleep and i woke up refreshed and rejuvenated. huh.  i am giving it four stars... yes. if you are vegan and love raw food this is the bomb... wish it delivered and wasn't so damn pricey... well the prices are understandable.. . but.....well.. i just feel i have to support the green room because this is how i want to eat, this is how i feel good when i eat.. and i want to see more, more, MORE restaurants like this out there.

The Green Room Café
Bishan Park: 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
Singapore 569931
Tel: 6556 1533
http://www.greenroomcafe.com.sg

original sin takes a lot more than apples...

i had a friend visiting from hong kong, and she (like me) is a veggo.. so i took the opportunity to head to my favourite vegetarian restaurant in singapore - original sin.  i first went there with graham.. and thought it was ok.  but when i went back with my hong kong friend, i have upgraded my opinion.  it was fantastic.  we had such a good time.  yes, the conversation was great.  but even more great was that i could order ANYTHING from the menu!  i had selection!  do you know how awesome it felt not to have to 'make up' something from the sides?  i could order the appetizer or the entree or dessert, whatever i wanted.  and so i did.

we ordered the mezze platter to start.  really how can you go wrong with hummus and pita bread?  so good!  i ordered the beetroot salad.. cause for some reason, i was craving healthy food. and it was delcious.  a strange choice, quite tart.. but a lovely companion to my not so healthy second choice..
the fritters; eggplant and parsnip fritters deep fried. hello!  (actually not so awesome..but not bad...)  kind of wished i had of went for the vegetable tandoori, or the risotto ( i had the risotto my first time... and it was sooo gooooddddd), or the pesto... or the moussaka.. or oh!  the choices!

my friend went for one of the special's which was a veggie pasta with an steamed artichoke.  it was bizarre.  i've only ever seen artichoke hearts, peeled and ready to eat on my pizza.  but my friend was served with a full artichoke, in which she had to peel and try to figure out how to eat it.  fascinating.  she did report, that after having figured it out, it was delicious. as was her pasta.

we didn't have dessert.. because we were actually quite full and satisfied by our mains.  i had the masala tea while we sat and chatted. i wish i had more friends here in singapore. actually, i just wish i had more friends who were vegetarian so i could for dinner or lunch or anything, anytime at original sin.  it was truly divine.

original sin is hidden away up at the top of chip bee gardens across the road from holland village.. but it also just down the lane from gastronomia..  which helps to snab something after for lunch or treats the next day.. (not saying i did... ok i did...).

not that it wasn't awesome, it was.  but i am giving original sin 4.5 stars because they should deliver.  and they should be located closer to my house.

Original Sin
Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah Saga
Holland Village: Chip Bee Gardens
Tel : 6475 5605

check out their menu online originalsin.com.sg

puttin' on the ritz.....and the eclairs

i have been in singapore for officially one year.  what? i know. times flies when you are expected to work ALL THE TIME. and the weather never changes so it all just seems to fade into one extremely long day.. now i know how janis joplin felt.... "as we discover on the train.. its all the same fucking day"... except i'm not high on drugs..constantly drunk... or in southern US in 1969.... just imagine if i was! oh now that would be a blog i'd want to read!!

so to celebrate our awesome one year of mental stagnation we spared no expense.  there was only one place to go. the ritz baby.  ritz carlton. high tea.  the stuff dreams are made of.  the ritz carlton high tea is held in the chihuly lounge that was made for no one else but me.  it is completely decorated in... wait.. gold.  gold tables, gold sofas, gold pin stripped arm chairs, gold rimmed tea service... and odd modern glass swirly curly tail like sculptures by dale chihuly  the hotel itself is up on a small hill surrounded in lush greenery, so when you leave the main road and drive up to the entrance, its like you are ensconced in this lovely little serene luxiorious oasis.

the tea itself kicks the ass off of raffles.  its a buffet style with at least 3 different stations.  and all you can eat!  first station is finger sandwiches and nibbly bits.  second station is fresh warm scones, cream, jam.. and a banana split station.. and third station is eclairs.. at least 20 varieties.. including the chocolate one covered in... yup.. gold.  and its cheaper at $45.00 per pax (each person) than raffles.   and the couches were comfortable.

so we were all there, frankie, lizzie, laura and kathy. except claire who is now in dubai.. and isabella who's been in canada for far too long.  laura is unsure what to do about her bali boy.. who seems to want to get alot more serious than she.  he asked if he could go home to canada with her when she goes in december. what? and lizzie's german is playing hard to get.. since he really lives in hong kong and was just in singapore for business.. and i've decided to give gordon another chance.

what is with me and guys that have names starting with g? this one, gordon, i met on the internet... (i know!)  he is singaporean. (which explains also the odd choice of english name... i know, gordon.. not gord or gordy.. but gordon...odd right?)... so we have a bit of a cultural gap.. well he calls it culture .. i call it him being a massive player.  i gave him the boot rather not nicely a few months ago by shouting at him and his playing ways.  he decided to 'never talk to me again'.  but well.. its a small town and its a short life.. and one thing leads to another and texts are sent and replied to.. and well... he has a ferrari.  can't blame a girl for enjoying driving around town in a ferrari. and nothing is wrong with a lovely dinner every now and again.  huh.

which is how i explained it to the girls.  yeah.  back to the eclairs.  that's right.  i did two trips to the eclair station.  i couldn't help myself. i seem to have developed a few weaknesses in singapore... namely for toffee chocolate eclairs.. and ferraris.

so yes, besides a bit of leg being shown as we tried to stand up from the very plush sofas, high tea at the ritz was a very civilized and posh affair.  oh..and our server was from switzerland   he was this tall drink of water with impeccable manners.  and a deep low voice.  and a french accent. damn cute.  if only i was drunk and high as janis now, THAT would be an event. back to the eclairs.

The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Tel: 6337 8888

slice of saturday

macritchie reservoir 10:00 AM. me, lizzie, laura and kathy hit the trail.  and walked and walked and talked and walked. for 3 hours!  11 kms around the reservoir.  we even took the sky bridge detour. now that is a view.  people should build houses up in the trees again.  i would kill to live in the top of one of those massive trees surrounded by lush greenery and silence.  mmmm..

and after 3 hours of walking we were hungry. i had originally suggested starbucks, but my friends were in need of a little more sustenance then coffee and cakes after our 11 km walk...   and so we hoped into a taxi to upper thomson and out in front of crust.  crust is a pizza place.  not just any pizza place but a  gourmet pizza place.. its hard to get anything close to good pizza in asia... and this place.. was pretty damn good... especially with thin crispy crusts and vegetable pizza options.. like artichoke hearts.

i ordered vegetarian supreme which was pretty good.  kathy ordered cajun chicken.  laura ordered the brushchetta and lizzie ordered the spicy pesto scallops.  and we all ate most of it.  their pizzas are quite large,  well for one person (8 slices) but we were hungry and it was delicious.

and this time.. not much talking. we had spent all our conversation on the 3 hour long hike.  what fun!
so....if you live in the upper thomson area (there's one in holland village too)... crust delivers.  not bad.  not great.  but not bad.

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar
Upper Thomson
215R Upper Thomson Road
Tel: 6456 1555

bananas.

ok..so not a brunch post.. but for those following along... just too hilarious of an event not to post.  as you know, my relationship with graham as been gradually fading.. but he is a nice guy, and you know, if it weren't for some serious physical and mental obstacles there could be... ok fine... no, but he is a nice guy and he's fragile having just been ripped out of his family (his words).  so i haven't had the heart to make a complete break like i probably should have.  instead i chose to gradually fade.

so... graham invited me for a late sunday lunch/early dinner at the banana leaf apolo in little india.  i am mentioning it, because the food is good.  damn good.  its mostly all vegetarian... or can be if you chose.  but... you need to be warned, the decor of the restaurant is odd.  it's a massive cafeteria style room with strangely uncomfortable wooden chairs and usually very little patrons. and don't go to the washroom.  they are attached yes.... but not in a nice way.. in a connected to the rest of the mall way... in a rather grungy mall in little india.. if you get my drift... BUT... but the service is excellent and the food, did i mention?  good.  so good.  we ordered naan (of course) some red spicy vegetable dish, paneer and lime juice.  and then no plates!  just large banana leaves which we spoon our choice of food onto and dip into it with the naan.  so hearty.

speaking of heart... or lack thereof.. so... after the meal as we are sipping our lime juice, eating our second order of naan bread... yum...naan... and i am wondering how to get out of wandering around the markets to buy me yet another packet of jasmine, graham starts to tell me that he thinks it might be time if we see another people. well it went sort of like this.

"you know how first i thought i was in love with you and i wanted to get really serious?  but then you said we should slow down?"
"yeah"
"and then you said that maybe we shouldn't move in together cause it was too fast.."
"yeah"
"and then you thought that i wasn't over my divorce and you thought i needed to sow my wild oats so we decided to see other people?"
"ok.."
"well, i did that."
"ok."
"well, actually i met a really nice girl from malaysia.. and well, she doesn't want to share me."
"oh.  ok."
"you know i want to thank you.  you have helped me so much. before i met you i was in such a dark place.  and you made me smile and you showed me that i could fall in love again."

see? it all worked out.. and no one was hurt.  yeah i didn't have to make a big break up scene.  just fade to black.   ahhhh.. but... why is there always a but?......but ..here's the key girls... if you keep silent and let a man talk long enough he will eventually tell you the REAL truth..

(a few minutes later)

"so.....have you slept with this malaysian girl yet?"
"no.  that's why i wanted to tell you first.  so i could be completely honest with her."
"oh.  that's nice."
"and now i am completely confident that it will be good.  i have you to thank for that."
"really?"
"thank you.  you taught me that; just relax and don't try so hard.  kiss the upper lip and then the bottom lip. you want to know something?"
"ok, sure."
"you know the second time we were together and you asked me if i had been practicing?"
"yeah."
"well i had.  after the first time and you taught me how to kiss, i went out and slept with 5 other women to practice what you said."
"oh."
 um......WHAT THE HELL?   who does that?

............and so if you are in the mood for fantastic indian food in an uncomfortable ambiance  then the banana leaf is for you.  and cheap!  3.5 stars.

The Banana Leaf Apolo
48 Serangoon Road
01-32 Little India Arcade
Tel: 6297 1595