Lunch @ FiftyThree

After a week of intensive studying at home for my PMP exam, I just simply could not do it anymore. Taking a much deserved breather, I took off for lunch at Fifty Three, a restaurant that had been coming up in ChowHound and a few other websites. Read about the interview here and about the restaurant here

Impeccable service and a small comfy setting. The lunch tasting set for Spring was presented to me .. My photos didn't do the dishes much justice. But I loved how every dish looked like a Japanese Garden to me

Tapioca chips

Potato and Yogurt bread in a warmed sack with hot stones below .. Danish butter with nuts ..

Japanese Tomatoes, Horseradish cream (this was my fav out of the whole lot. Light, refreshing, took my breath away with the simplicity and the taste)

Chicken Oysters and Hokkaido Scallop

Fish with Yogurt and Hazelnut Sauce

Wagyu Beef Cheek in an Onion consomme (I loved how the beef looked like boulders in a beautiful pool and the charming little edible flowers which took the cake for me)

Japanese Strawberries on a bed of coffee bits, Pistachio Cream with olives, Vanilla Ice cream on coffee bits (dessert was good.. especially the pistachio cream with the olives.. it was surprisingly good)

But that wasn't the only place that I visited that day. With my notes, I headed down to Portsdown Road, Wessex Village for ...nothing but chocolate.


Lazy afternoon with workers napping at the back ...

An afternoon with Laurent Bernand, Chocolatier,

A pot of ginger tea, a slice of chocolate truffle cake


FiftyThree
53 Armenian Street, Singapore
+65 6334 5535
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday, 12-2pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday, 7-9:30pm
www.fiftythree.com.sg

Laurent Bernand, Chocolatier
5B Portsdown Road #01-02
Singapore 139311
Telephone: +65 6475 4182
Fax: +65 6300 0691
Monday 12pm-6pm
Tuesday to Thursday 9.30am-8pm
Friday to Saturday 9am-12 midnight
Sunday 9am-8pm

Singapore Botanical Gardens - Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli at the Singapore Botanical Gardens yesterday. The YTL Concert of Celebration 2010 to be precise, with special guests, Delta Goodrem from Australia, Slovenian soprano Sabina Cvilak and flutist Andrea Griminelli.

But to be precise, on the big-ass screen at the Palm Valley venue, telecast live from another venue within Botanical Gardens. :) Hey, at least we breathed the same air, and we saw some of the stunning fireworks at the end of the show.


Goodie Bags were given ..

Together with KFC meal boxes ...

And our own rabbit-food picnic spread. ..

Mobs of people arriving early for a seat..

Concert was fantastic to put it literally. It was a good experience, having a picnic at the park. Watching the concert. Listening to the Singapore Philharmonic Orchestra backing up the heavenly vocals of Bocelli, Goodrem and Cvilak. In the cool summer night, where just a few hours prior to the concert was pouring cats and dogs. :)

The Misadventures of Marina Sands

In the world's 2nd most expensive construction site cum casino, we decided to go explore the newly opened Marina Sands. Walking across the Helix Bridge from the Singapore Flyer, we found ourselves walking through construction site after construction site.

Thanks to our luck .. or not so good luck in exploring the Marina Sands, we somehow found ourselves being led within the casino by the casino staff. Then faced, hell of a time, trying to get out of the casino, without paying the $100 levy. All in all, an interesting experience. Not being much of a gambler, the casino felt the same like everywhere else like Crown or the ones in Macau. The only surprising portion was the huge amounts of jackpot machines that just wasn't functioning yet.



Us - trying to take a photo on the roof..



The Marina Sands - Hotel Portion

Helix Bridge

In a Corner of Tiong Bahru ...

It was one of those occasions where there was flowers... then a cool trip down to a corner in Tiong Bahru where a modern and unique looking boutique hotel called Wangz Hotel was located.

Newly decorated, with a nice not-trying too hard kind of chic. On top of the hotel, lies Halo, the hotel bar with an amazing view of the Singapore skyline.



A small cozy bar, limited tables, amazing views. Do Dress casually, have a martini and chill the night away.

Wangz Hotel
231 Outram Road
Singapore 169040
Tel: (65) 6595 1388
Fax: (65) 6595 1399

Red Dot Museum - Weekend Flea

If there's a place that I love to head to religiously, it would be the regular, monthly Red Dot Museum flea market, MAAD for the locally made crafts...

I noticed for a while, that there was always a group of artists sitting around sketching people during the monthly flea market. But I never had the courage, until the one rainy day with my beloved. The group was actually the OIC - Organization of Illustration Council . Essentially, any interested parties can put their name in for a 20 min sketching session by a group of artists. The sketches will be put up once the 20 mins is over and can be purchased at $10 per piece..


Kawaii ! Did not really look like the both of us at all, but awww.. all so cute.

This one was an instant hit, we noted that the illustrator was Miel - the Straits Times cartoonist

Sitting down there for 20 minutes, without moving, in front of a group of people we didn't know, was a tad strange. We kept trading jokes and remarks and time just flew by fast.

It was a good day, exploring Duxton Hill, finding Pasta Brava, lazing at a cafe waiting for the rain to stop.