The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar

This was one of the rare occasions when I was not working on a Saturday in December 2021. We managed to make a reservation at the Dempsey Cookhouse and  Bar. It was a leisurely lunch where we could people watch and admire the greenery. 

Toast with stracciatella, grapes, figs and thyme infused honey - a unique dish

Kale and Broccoli Salad, Soft boiled egg, Parmesan and Crouton - healthy dish.

Salmon, Kombu Herb Butter, Fingerling Potatoes and Bok Choy

Crackling chicken, Spinach, Habanero sauce - the skin of the chicken was very crispy and the chicken was tender.

Butterscotch Pudding, Sea Salt Caramel and Creme Fraiche

 Apple Cinnamon Cake with Apple Sorbet 

Le Jardin

Here we were at Le Jardin located at Fort Canning Art Centre in December 2021 for our yearly Christmas celebrations. A beautiful floral themed cafe serving French and European cuisine, lovely plating and worth a visit.

Mermaid Tears - Butterfly Pea Tea with freshly squeezed lemon juice with sugar syrup

Yuzu shaken tea - korean yuzu puree, jasmine tea and lemon juice

Forest Mushroom Tagliatelle

Boston Lobster Tagliatelle

Grilled Kurobuta Pork Loin

Sumptuous Dinner and great company

Delicious desserts

 

Remembering Vincent Gabriel

Dad's 1st year death Anniversary 17 February 2022

Dad was having dinner with mum at the coffeeshop on 16 February 2021.He choked, had no pulse and was rushed to the hospital. The time taken to revive him was too long and it affected his body system. It was around 11 plus when Anthony informed that dad won't make it. I was shocked and in tears but I could not be with Anthony and mum at the hospital as the limit was two people per family. I just held on to my rosary and prayed. I tried to sleep but was unable to do so. Somehow dad bade me farewell in my dream. Shortly after, Anthony called me and told me dad had passed on.  It was just so sudden and shocking for the family. We thank our family, friends, colleagues, church friends for masses offered, their presence and being there in prayers and support during our bereavement. Here are some of our memories with dad.

Celebrating  wedding anniversary

Celebrating Anthony's Godparents wedding anniversary 

CNY reunion dinner - do we miss the delicious food dad cooked for us every Christmas and Chinese New Year. 

With Victor when he was back for visit

Having dinner with dad to celebrate father's day when mum was away on holidays.

One of our makan sessions with the family at bukit merah

There were many memories of dad. We had our makan sessions with the family, birthday gatherings, festive gatherings. Dad knew what both Anthony and I like for food and he made sure there was always meat and seafood when he cooked. I miss my conversations with dad, especially when we talked about writing stuff and he always has this sense of humour that makes us laugh.

Anthony's graduation for his masters

 17 February - the date we bid farewell to you. Handling grief for each of us was different. For me I cherish the time we spend together as a family in gratitude and love. These photos of you remind us dearly of your presence and love for the family. Always in our prayers. Watch over us and pray for us too. 

Pete's Place

My bouquet of flowers from my dear hubby. They are so beautiful. Every day is Valentine's day if we see the graces in life with family and friends. 

Yearly on Valentine's day, we make a point to celebrate dinner taking into consideration the cost. We were lucky to chance upon Pete's Place at Hyatt Hotel when we had lunch earlier in January. We saw the Valentine's day menu and made a reservation for dinner. We both agreed this has to be one of the best value for money dinner to celebrate Valentine's day. 

On 14 February 2022, we headed down to Pete's place. Our reservation which was initially made at 730pm was shifted to 815pm as Anthony had to rush down to collect the flowers after work and our travelling journey to Hyatt. We actually saw 2 couples walking out of the place while we quietly stepped into Pete's Place for our late dinner. The staff were friendly and they gave us two glasses of Prosecco once we were seated. We had ordered the Valentine's Day dinner which was a 5-course sharing meals. They comprised of Aperitivo, Antipasto, Primo, Secondo and Dolco - the Italian style. The dishes were served immediately.

Sfincione - Plum tomato sauce, onion, anchovy, pecorino cheese

Appetizers

Prosciutto e Melon - parma ham and cantaloupe melon. The melon was very sweet and the parma ham reminded us of our meal in Spain.

Burrata Cheese & Tomato Pesto. From a far, it looked as though this was an egg white dish. We shared the burrata cheese - simply delicious. If you are not a fan of of tomatoes, these tomatoes will just make you change your mind - juicy. Take the cheese with sfincione and experience this unique taste. 

Calamari Fritti  where we squeezed the lemon onto the calamari and mixed with the Tartar sauce. We were fascinated with the pickle zucchini which gave a refreshing taste.

Usually when having Italian style, there will be Primo and Secondo dishes - however as we were late, they served us all three dishes. We were surprised at the generous portions. 

 Primo - Spaghetti all'Aragosta comprising lobster and saffron plum tomato sauce

Secondo : Seabass Acqua Pazza. Fish was fresh and nicely marinated. Hubby managed to debone the fish nicely.

Secondo : Sliced Australian grass-fed beef steak, rocket, balsamic, olive oil. The steak was nicely done and medium rare.

Enjoying our dinner. Very impressed and thankful with the generous portion of food especially on Valentine's Day.

After our sumptuous spread of food, our dessert was served. This has to be our highlight : Pistachio Semifreddo - Berry compote and mascarpone cream - so beautifully presented and mouth-watering. 

We had an enjoyable Valentine's Day dinner at Pete's place. Thank you for the memories. Till our next Valentine's day food adventure next year. However we will definitely be back to dine at Pete's place. 

Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, is the first ‘Garden-in-a-Hotel’. Having written an article on the Parkroyal collection, I told myself, I personally had to experience staying in this hotel. We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a staycation in this hotel and what an experience we had. 

A warm welcome from the reception. After we checked in, we headed to St. Gregory spa and pampered ourselves with a spa therapy each, definitely enjoying a much-needed sanctuary from the daily stresses in life, right in the heart of the Marina Bay. 

Exploring the place after dinner. 

We were awed by the iconic cinematic architecture of John Portman and immersed ourselves with the melding touches of natures with beautiful design aesthetics. 

With a biophilic concept which celebrates nature, the hotel focuses on stylish and contemporary vibes that are brought to life through green innovations, biophilic design, iconic architecture, eco-friendliness and lifestyle experiences.

The night scenes taken by the writer - such tranquility 

The inviting pool

We definitely enjoyed our stay at Parkroyal collection Marina Bay. Thank you for the memories.