The Hungry Bunny

We went for lunch at Prego's after replenishing our junk food stash from Mark's & Spencer. For the month of May 2010, their 2-course business set lunch was attractively priced at $52 (without wine). The BF got the Vitello All'uccelletto con Funghi Biologici e Pure di Patate as his main course, veal loin with mushroom and mashed potatoes. The braised veal stew was typical Tuscan comfort food. The sweet undertones of the dessert wine infused the tender soft veal and tomato-based gravy. I ordered the Risotto of the Day, with Bacon and Mushrooms ($34). The shitake and white button mushrooms lent an earthy flavour to balance the salty smoky bacon. The risotto was creamy, delicate and wonderfully subtle. The Cream of Potato , was the Soup of The Day. This was part of the Set Lunch. Creamy and full-bodied, but yet surprisingly delicate. Prego Level 1, Fairmont Singapore 80 Bras Basah Road Tel: 6431 5156 Open daily for breakfast from 6am to 11am, lu...

Remember I mentioned that the weather in Ho Chi Minh City was a sweltering 38 to 40 degress celsius on average ? One crazily hot afternoon, we popped into Gloria Jean's Coffee for a cool respite from the horrendous heat. We got the Mix Berry Fruit Chiller to cool ourselves down. This ice-blended confection was refreshing, tart and sweet. A perfect icy counterfoil to the heat. The dessert selection looked tempting so we got the Chocolate Cheesecake to share. This was creamy, light and balanced. Gloria Jean's Coffees 131 Dong Khoi Street (corner of Dong Khoi and Nguyen Thiep, opposite Sheraton Saigon Hotel) Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Tel: 3827 6309

We went to have dim sum at Hong Yuen one weekend for brunch because it's so near to Pop's home (we were still house-sitting for Pops then). Overall, the dim sum was pretty average, which was surprising because the chef hailed from one of the more reputable Chinese restaurants. We expected better standards from a chef with such pedigree heritage. Some of the items were stellar but some of the items were very ordinary fare We started off with the Pan-Fried Beancurd Skin with Prawns ($3.50). This was pleasantly non-oily and still nicely crisp. The dish was also generously stuffed with a lot more prawns than the usual versions at Crystal Jade or Imperial Treasure. The Steamed Rice Roll with Honey Glazed Pork ($4) was also very good. The rice rolls were soft and smooth, the pork cubes was sticky and sweet and the soy marinade was delicately salty. The rice roll was so good we promptly ordered the prawn version, Steamed Rice Roll with Prawns ($4.50). The prawns w...

You know the one thing about my name is that most people get it wrong. The BF and I once went to Krabi and the hotel staff called us by each others' names! Granted, I don't have a very common name, but I knew of at least 3 girls in law school also with the same name during my time, so it can't possibly be that rare. The same thing happened during the May L.A. Dinner held at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant at The Riverwalk. Beeps helped me make a reservation for a private room, and Jumbo called me to reconfirm the reservation. Both our voices are unmistakably feminine. Mine's especially distinctively high and squeaky (I've actually heard myself on tape, and I really do sound like a cartoon character high on helium). But when we all walked into Jumbo, the private room was labeled "MR B". ALL my colleagues had a very good chuckle when they walked into Jumbo. Great friends that they are huh? Dinner was a leisurely affair peppered with laughs and easy conversati...

While researching Vietnam, we learnt that Vietnam's history as a French colony since the 18th century influenced their cuisine and hence resulted in many quaint French bakeries all over the city. So we resolved to try the pastries and confectionery offered in Vietnam on my firm trip to Ho Chi Minh City . Walking along the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, we were struck by how French colonisation greatly impacted their architecture. Notwithstanding some of the city's dingy corners and side alleys, some of their buildings and cobblestone streets are very reminiscent of Parisian streets. It's the same for many of the French bakeries dotting the city. I mean, if you walked into some of these bakeries, you couldn't tell the difference than if you were in a Parisian bakery! Brodard Bakery is one of the many French bakeries located within a stone's throw away from Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Tower, where we stayed. We popped in to take a look after being enti...

I've mentioned before that most of my best friends are guys . I'm actually not having any bridesmaids for my wedding. I've got 4 best men instead. And they are walking down the aisle with me. Long is one of my best friends and also one of my best men. (The other 3 being Ernie, Cho and Kang) Funnily enough, we dated once. It was such a disaster. We both realised on our first (and only) date that we were so wrong for each other. And we just became great friends from then onwards.  He's also the only other person that I know who is as crazy about crabs as I am. We've actually eaten 3 large crabs in one sitting before. He and the BF get along fabulously. And yes, in case you were wondering, the BF knows about our "torrid" history. And he's completely comfortable with that. We usually meet up with Long about once every few months to catch up. He suggested this cze char place in Commonwealth where the food is homely, simple and uncomplicated. This plac...

My firm just went to Ho Chi Minh City. I wasn't terribly excited about visiting the city, as I thought it was some poor, undeveloped, boring town type with only handicrafts and amateur artwork for sale. I much prefer going to the beach (where you do absolutely nothing), or big cities (with big designer boutiques to splurge at). I'm not really the visit ruins of old palaces, ruins of old monuments, war museum and/or ruins of war sites kind of person. Oh boy, were my pre-conceived notions about the ex-French colony wrong. The charming city won me over with its vibrant nightlife (yes, really, they have a number of dance clubs, classy live band joints, and a large population of enthusiastic clubbers), high-end shopping and lifestyle (our hotel had a GUCCI boutique and Ho Chi Minh was where I saw the new BMW 5 series on the roads when it wasn't even launched in Singapore yet), amazing food (their cuisine is very delicate, perfect for the Teochew in me), laidback culture...

I always drive by this Korean restaurant on my way to Pop's home and was curious to try it out. The restaurant always seems to be a full-house. Once through the door, we were greeted immediately by a Korean lady who spoke immaculate Mandarin. For a true-blue Korean (I think, only because she's got a Korean name and spoke fluent Korean), her Mandarin was astoundingly brilliant. She put both our Mandarin speaking ability to shame (okay, yes, our Mandarin is quite crappy, but she was so good she could well be delivering the Chinese news) We were quickly served with a small selection of Korean Side Dishes . They were quite dismal, so we didn't order refills although they were free. We should have known better. The standard of the side dishes heralded the quality of the main dishes. The BF felt that the Kim Chi was very flat and "CMI", "Cannot Make It". (You know how the younger generation pepper their conversations with acronyms all the time? I onc...

House-sitting for Pops at Upper Thomson means that we get to indulge in prata a lot. This is because Upper Thomson is known for its many famous prata shops peppering the long stretch of road that used to be a race-track. The Roti Prata House is one of those 24-hour joints that some would remember hitting after clubbing for some late night/early morning sustenance. We ordered my favourite Egg Prata ($1.30 for 1), fluffy on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and thoroughly satisfying. The curry was slightly spicier than the Casuarina Curry version, but still not enough kick. The Curry Chicken ($3.50) was a generous portion of tender succulent chicken. Thick, creamy and subtly spiced, but I would have preferred a spicier concoction. I really liked the Crispy Chicken ($3.50), Indian-style, deep-fried till crispy with the signature bright orange hue. The chicken thigh was still juicy on the inside. This was really quite addictive. ...