Dining Out - Wild Rocket

The Younger Sister had a day off work and since Mum didn't need to pick up the kids from school, the 3 of us decided to have a nice lunch together. Tasked with picking a place, I chose Wild Rocket at Mount Emily since I had yet to try this established decade-old restaurant headed by local chef, Willin Low.

By the time we arrived at the place, it was already 1.45pm. We made the last order time of 2pm, but the staff gave us the impression that they were not too happy about our late arrival. Service was a little patchy at the beginning. We could not get the attention of any server to place our order even though the place was small and not full. They also did not take our drink order or made any attempt to offer us any water and we had to request for it after eyeing the servers parading back and forth topping up other diners' glasses.

While I would have loved to try out the Omakase Lunch Menu, we knew that the team at Wild Rocket would probably not be too happy to accede to our request, so we all got the 3-Course Set Lunch instead and ordered the same dishes - Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup with Crab Roll, Mee Tai Mak with Minced Pork & Onsen Egg and Calamansi & Kaffir Granita with Fresh Citrus Fruit.

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup with Crab Roll

I found the soup too salty and thought it tasted like a salty curry-like gravy instead. It is missing the sweetness typical of most pumpkin soups. The accompanying crab roll was warm from the fryer and made up for the disappointment of the lackluster soup.

Mee Tai Mak with Minced Pork & Onsen Egg

I had high hopes for this dish since I thought the use of Mee Tai Mak as a main ingredient was interesting. But sadly, the dish was once again ruined by a chef with a heavy hand on the salt. As such, I could not really taste the herbs or the nuanced flavours that I had expected. 

At this point, I wondered if the chefs seasoned our food with salt liberally out of spite because we arrived late and robbed them of a earlier resting time.

Calamansi & Kaffir Granita with Fresh Citrus Fruit

Dessert was the only redeeming factor of the meal. The tart scoop of granita laid atop fresh pomelo fruit bits was light and refreshing. Our taste buds definitely welcomed the combination of sweet and sour after the salty assault earlier.

For a restaurant to survive 10 years in the competitive F&B scene, I am sure Wild Rocket is capable of delivering a better experience than what I had gone through. But I guess I just did not have the luck to experience the restaurant at its best. It was Friday the 13th after all. 

With so many new and exciting restaurants in Singapore these days, I am hard-pressed to find a reason to return when my time and money can be better spent elsewhere.

Wild Rocket

Address: 10A Upper Wilkie Road Singapore 228119

Phone: 6339 9448

Show Time - Great World Cabaret

Watched Great World Cabaret at Resorts World Sentosa with the Mum and the Younger Sister. We got a 1-for-1 deal on a pair of tickets and a 20% discount on the third ticket which was great since I thought the original prices were a little steep for the approximately 1-hour show.

Great World Cabaret

The show's premise is that an ex-club host (Shane Mardjuki) recalls the heydays of the Great World Cabaret and as he told his story, different performance acts are introduced and staged. Song-and-dance performances were alternated with other acts like magicians, acrobats and a stand-up comedian. Or comedienne in my case, since Judee Tan was the featured act this week.

The large theatre was pretty empty and the audience's lukewarm reaction following each act must have left the performers rather disheartened. I felt bad for them, but I suppose the turnout must have been expected since it was near the end of the show's 1-month run at the spacious venue.

Curtain Call

The show was typical and similar to other RWS productions I had watched previously. It seems to me that their productions always involve a Chinese acrobatic troop, European comedic acrobats, magicians, and song-and-dance performances forcibly strung together with a story line. I would not say the result is terrible, but just that for me, it is cliche and expected. 

I am glad we got discounts for our tickets or I would have been disgruntled. My mum absolutely enjoyed it though. She particularly liked Judee Tan's performance as Teo Chew Moi and was chuckling throughout the routine.

Great World Cabaret

Event Date: Thu, 19 Feb - Tue, 17 Mar 2015; Mon, Tue. Thu & Fri: 8pm; Sat & Sun: 3pm & 8pm

Venue: Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa

Cafe Hopping - Shrove Tuesday

I returned to Shrove Tuesday to try out their signature waffle and I am glad I did. I ordered the waffle topped with Pistachio and Snickers Ice Cream and this is one cafe where their waffle is far superior to their ice cream.

Waffle with Pistachio & Snickers Ice Cream

The waffle was light, crispy on the outside but airy and fluffy inside. This makes it possible to finish the entire waffle without feeling jelak. I was not too impressed with the ice cream though. I have had better versions of Pistachio ice cream elsewhere and the Snickers ice cream tasted more like peanut ice cream. To better mimic the Snickers flavour, I thought it needed more chocolate.

My Taste in Pancakes are the Same as my Taste in Men

Next time I return to this cafe, I might just order the waffle plain without any ice cream. It tastes good enough on its own with the chocolate syrup drizzle.

Shrove Tuesday

Address: Blk 94 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-32 Singapore 310094

Phone: 6258 2254

Snack Review - Hershey's Spread Snacksters (Chocolate)

Met J at Raffles Place after my physio session so we could travel to Zumba class together. The devil brought me to a snack shop there where she is a regular and of course I could not resist dropping some cash to buy me some snacks.

Hershey's Spread Snacksters (Chocolate)

The Hershey's Spread Snacksters were retailing at $3.50 per pack. But if you are willing to buy more, there is a 5 for $10 deal. Even though I know this is a marketing strategy that makes me part with more money and eventually imbibe more calories than I originally intended to, I went for the deal anyway. 

Gave a pack each to S & J. I am so grateful for friends that I can share calories and guilt with. :)))

I like that the dippers were graham biscuits so this makes it unique and different from similar snacks like Yan Yan or Nutella & Go that I have tried before. The spread was also less sweet and had a thicker consistency than the other 2. 

Overall, a nice snack to have when I am craving something chocolatey. My only gripe is that it is 270 calories a pack and they emblazon that in sizeable font on the front so there is no way to avoid those taunting numbers. Ugh.

Show Time - Titoudao

After seeing on Sistic's website that this is Titoudao's 5th staging in Singapore, I was intrigued. And so was SC, so we made plans to catch it together

The play traces the life story of local street opera performer, Madam Oon Ah Chiam, and scenes about her life story is juxtaposed against scenes from the street opera Titoudao. The play is presented in a smattering of languages including Hokkien, Chinese, English, Malay and Singlish. The humour is local and translates better if you have some knowledge of the slang being used.

There are screens which provide subtitles at each side of the stage which translates most of the non-English dialogue, but since I understood most of the Hokkien being spoken, I do feel that the essence of the dialogue is lost in translation. 

Pro-Tip: To read the subtitles without straining your neck, it is best to avoid getting seats from the first few rows. If getting Category 1 tickets, I would say it is best to get seats from the 5th row onwards.

I thought it was a nice touch that Madam Oon Ah Chiam had a small cameo at the end of the play talking about her desire to pass on her passion and craft of street opera to future generations. The petite lady looked tiny next to the cast during curtain call even though she was wearing tall wedges.

Cast of Titoudao & Madam Oon Ah Chiam

The play had many laugh out loud moments and it was riveting from start to finish. I suppose the narratives about Madam Oon's life would resonate strongly with the older folks who have lived through those decades. I must say this is a good local play to stage as part of the nation's SG50 celebrations.

Titoudao

Event Date: Thu, 5 - Sat, 14 Mar 2015; Tue - Fri: 3pm & 8pm; Sat & Sun: 3pm
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre

Dining Out - Sprigs

SC & I made plans to watch Titoudao. Since the play was staged at the Drama Centre Theatre at the National Library, we decided to grab dinner at Sprigs located at Purvis Street.

We each ordered the 3-Course Dinner Set ($48.90+) and I chose the Salmon Carpaccio as my starter, Australian Kobe Cuisine Wagyu Steak & Frites as my main and dessert was a slice of Hojicha Cheesecake.

Salmon Carpaccio

This was a light and refreshing starter.The slices of salmon were doused in citrus dressing and topped with shaved radish, julienned onions, sweet orange wedges and greens. Since I was famished, I finished everything in less than 2 minutes.

Australian Kobe Cuisine Wagyu Steak & Frites

Doused in a piquant black pepper sauce, the steak was good since it was cooked medium rare as I had requested. 

Hojicha Cheesecake

It would have been nice if there were more choices for dessert, but there was only one option which was the Hojicha Cheesecake. It was alright, an interesting take on the traditional cheesecake. But since I have never been a fan of cheesecakes, I did not feel completely satisfied even though I was close to bursting after scarfing it down. 

I must highlight that the service was excellent. The servers were warm and helpful, and I do not recall an instance when my glass of iced water was empty since they topped it up unobtrusively at regular intervals.

According to the owner (I presume) who spoke to us, they do an affordable set lunch for $14.90+. It is definitely worth checking out if you are working in the area since the food is decent and the service is great. 

Sprigs

Address: 12 Purvis Street Singapore 188591

Phone: 6338 5844

Dining Out - Adrift

Met SC for dinner at Adrift, which is conceptualised by American chef, David Meyers. It is one of the new restaurants at Marina Bay Sands and is located at Tower 2 lobby of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Once we were seated, the enthusiastic servers explained that the dining concept is based on sharing plates and left us to explore the options on the menu.

For drinks, we each got a house cocktail under the Dark & Shaken section. I ordered the Tuk Tuk Thief (Aged Rum, Fresh Pineapple, Lemon, Fernet Branca) and SC got the Midnight Stinger (Bourbon, Fernet Branca, Fresh Lemon, Crushed Ice).

Tuk Tuk Thief & Midnight Stinger

To share, we ordered:

• Buckwheat Fried Chicken, Honey Mustard Sauce
• Uni Butter and Orange Jelly, Hazelnuts, Pumpernickel
• Arctic Char, Spiced Tomatoes, Sweet Onion
• Grilled Yuba Skin, Truffle Cheese
• Sauteed Brassicas, Crispy Shallots, Misonaise

Buckwheat Fried Chicken, Honey Mustard Sauce

Apart from juicy chicken chunks fried to a crisp in flavoursome batter, there were also fried rooster combs in this dish, which is a departure from regular fried chicken. The rooster combs had a chewy texture, and I quite enjoyed them paired with the honey mustard sauce. But out of all 5 savoury options we got, this is my least favourite.

Uni Butter and Orange Jelly, Hazelnuts, Pumpernickel

This was my favourite dish. The pumpernickel toast was topped with fresh creamy uni, sweet orange jelly and toasted hazelnuts. The combination is great and it was a great start to the meal. One way to improve this is to pile on more uni perhaps? ;)

Arctic Char, Spiced Tomatoes, Sweet Onion

This is another great one. The fresh salmon was cooked to perfection. I dipped each forkful of fish into the accompanying curry sauce which was more mildly sweet than spicy.

Grilled Yuba Skin, Truffle Cheese

The yuba skin is actually bean curd sheets or more commonly known as Fuzhu (腐竹) in Chinese cuisine. This is essentially eating truffle-flavoured grilled cheese with the yuba skin serving the function of holding all the melted cheese in roll shape. Good thing this is meant to be shared because finishing all 5 rolls would have been too rich, leaving you unpleasantly full.

Sauteed Brassicas, Crispy Shallots, Misonaise

There were an assortment of sauteed brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kai-lan topped with crispy shallots laying atop miso-flavoured mayonnaise. This was not spectacular but it was a good side to order to go along with the other richer dishes we got.

We were sufficiently sated by the time we finished everything, but I would never leave without ordering dessert. 

French Toast, Coconut Sorbet, Kopi Syrup

We ordered the French Toast topped with Coconut Sorbet with Kopi Syrup drizzled over it. The french toast was fluffy and warm and I loved the thick kopi syrup which is how I imagine what melted Kopiko sweets would taste like. The coconut sorbet is refreshing and balances out everything. A great end to the meal.

Adrift

Address: Marina Bay Sands, Hotel Lobby 2, 10 Bayfront Avenue Singapore 018956

Phone: 6688 5657