tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62829559955775174582024-02-19T22:43:14.465+08:00The M WordThe Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-75113256382431377132012-03-08T19:21:00.000+08:002012-03-08T19:21:40.694+08:00The Parting Glass<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Oh all the time that e'er I spent,<br />
I spent it in good company;<br />
And any harm that e'er I've done,<br />
I trust it was to none but me;<br />
May those I've loved through all the years<br />
Have memories now they'll e'er recall;<br />
So fill to me the parting glass,<br />
Goodnight, and joy be with you all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Oh all the comrades that e'er I had,<br />
Are sorry for my going away;<br />
And all the loved ones that e'er I had<br />
Would wish me one more day to stay.<br />
But since it falls unto my lot<br />
That I should leave and you should not,<br />
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call<br />
Goodnight, and joy be with you all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Of all good times that e'er we shared,<br />
I leave to you fond memory;<br />
And for all the friendship that e'er we had<br />
I ask you to remember me;<br />
And when you sit and stories tell,<br />
I'll be with you and help recall;<br />
So fill to me the parting glass,<br />
God bless, and joy be with you all<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Irish Traditional Song<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parting_Glass)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFTsuD-fPS5Sk2aK5Uv_2akOINt3vOUJE83LcURKzmtC7IFN2pSvZyt-zktUla353HGJq2EU7vcsZ7lwjT6ffIrOnFzMcazreTru0rcEIZ46rkGkzlBLgeWjl-r8Vo9PiFROHXdyQAAVV/s1600/big_glass_kegpage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFTsuD-fPS5Sk2aK5Uv_2akOINt3vOUJE83LcURKzmtC7IFN2pSvZyt-zktUla353HGJq2EU7vcsZ7lwjT6ffIrOnFzMcazreTru0rcEIZ46rkGkzlBLgeWjl-r8Vo9PiFROHXdyQAAVV/s400/big_glass_kegpage.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kudos to <a href="http://solitaryfish.blogspot.com/">Solitary Fish</a> for unearthing this fine piece of Irish folk culture.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-53904782161108312022011-10-07T23:23:00.093+08:002011-10-08T16:54:20.493+08:00Friday Lunch Club... at long last!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday Lunch Club is an endangered institution... and it's not getting any better since one of its key members moved back home to Taipei. So today Lady Dyson 2000 organised a gathering of starving foodies at Cepage and gave us a chance to catch up on this long neglected tradition. April, Spartacus and Granny G. joined us for a delicious meal orchestrated by Chef Armin Leitgeb (of Les Amis in Singapore), who was in town this week demonstrating his culinary talents to the wow-ed HK crowds. As I never got the chance to visit his Singapore restaurant, this was the perfect opportunity for me to sample his famed cuisine, even though it felt a bit strange to visit Cepage with Chef Seb not in command. Both Chefs (as well as Super-Cheryl the Pastry Queen) were kind enough to pop by our table to say hi, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Chef Seb. I am of course looking forward to coming back to Cepage to sample more of his delicious cuisine, but I will also make sure to pop over to Les Amis during my next trip in the Lion City. Some of the dishes proposed by Chef Armin today were nothing short of extraordinary, and I am curious to see what other treasures are hidden on his Singapore menu...</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiZP-yD6JcGb3OvR8xDyss3xRUlSD5qZhlQoPCb7NfLbwMK1sKRPp6CmxX5k1XLS5dT6oO1beIlHgevKdA3yCQBnaTpBSU8xuYP3IvUDs1XVNJUrkRMT9k447nMJoB8I-VGL22XeXbYTz/s1600/FB_MG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiZP-yD6JcGb3OvR8xDyss3xRUlSD5qZhlQoPCb7NfLbwMK1sKRPp6CmxX5k1XLS5dT6oO1beIlHgevKdA3yCQBnaTpBSU8xuYP3IvUDs1XVNJUrkRMT9k447nMJoB8I-VGL22XeXbYTz/s400/FB_MG_1176.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The light at Cepage is always perfect for shooting - a least at lunch time.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYOttz3omn3u2RFQhn2hj3Je-OX9yJDsbj5fSx3NinNrFSBGbYDFqowXaiLgRviEd0pD-XlkV5IkSzNlQFBakD5ZD0MWoVOENHLVcl2z82QYkg-vgD3C5jSD3fptP1ZhZCdpG2HzZdQ0/s1600/FB_MG_1180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYOttz3omn3u2RFQhn2hj3Je-OX9yJDsbj5fSx3NinNrFSBGbYDFqowXaiLgRviEd0pD-XlkV5IkSzNlQFBakD5ZD0MWoVOENHLVcl2z82QYkg-vgD3C5jSD3fptP1ZhZCdpG2HzZdQ0/s400/FB_MG_1180.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tomato focaccia and baguette - this is one of the best bread baskets in town, and the selection today did not disappoint. Crispy baguette with good ears - I know this matters to some of you ;) - and very tasty focaccia.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y6SqoxlSxNQIp0c-sujoaB719GINbAYG3Rq7wXfpMJCArGUgQPNGf_UbDCxb6qrU9pn99w6X-IqZnls1nNZn8OEx9yBhrcegwV52v0Ox2ur3imRIfCc8yV8W-6kbXZ4oDBH8rLMc9ScK/s1600/FB_MG_1182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y6SqoxlSxNQIp0c-sujoaB719GINbAYG3Rq7wXfpMJCArGUgQPNGf_UbDCxb6qrU9pn99w6X-IqZnls1nNZn8OEx9yBhrcegwV52v0Ox2ur3imRIfCc8yV8W-6kbXZ4oDBH8rLMc9ScK/s400/FB_MG_1182.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We started off with a perfectly chilled glass of this delicious champagne.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-INP_IufbpiOHdIaC0MLdJfmu0UOIdJBPAMzzQCj0bsPUPEkA4OV1D6-NX8_LOtMiiPULxEZFavSIBJk1AIL5TRxZw6fe0lpVq0nH1fwiJIS1lyBZKXYvhd77pBhbohqZx_mIc9io7K6L/s1600/FB_MG_1186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-INP_IufbpiOHdIaC0MLdJfmu0UOIdJBPAMzzQCj0bsPUPEkA4OV1D6-NX8_LOtMiiPULxEZFavSIBJk1AIL5TRxZw6fe0lpVq0nH1fwiJIS1lyBZKXYvhd77pBhbohqZx_mIc9io7K6L/s400/FB_MG_1186.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: B.L.T. grilled spanish octopus</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Clear tomato jelly, grilled octopus in tiny cubes with veggies, bacon foam and lettuce tempura. This was delicious. The tomato jelly was amazingly tasty despite the surprising lack of colour, and the bacon foam worked superbly with the chargrilled flavours of the octopus. Daring and creative.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WOhwtWvDDpQcJwJoJ08i7hV2yQNAXiV2No89JD16e09v-chl-2EMbL_8YeLiKeu5oJ4u5ic6RxbQVF5OHwJwQwieuCRcywWlHQhLUhzjGLr3-liM7xsGjiIKRH_Uv6yIPwkYNJvLkTV_/s1600/FB_MG_1192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="186" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WOhwtWvDDpQcJwJoJ08i7hV2yQNAXiV2No89JD16e09v-chl-2EMbL_8YeLiKeu5oJ4u5ic6RxbQVF5OHwJwQwieuCRcywWlHQhLUhzjGLr3-liM7xsGjiIKRH_Uv6yIPwkYNJvLkTV_/s400/FB_MG_1192.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Lightly smoked eel "tiede", crispy pork crouton, horseradish and dijon mustard emulsion</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Side view. With a 3rd piece of eel it could be made to look a bit like MBS :o)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrloxMO2hdVbIMycGLNp9RVcMJLT0DC-9uLioKibxU9ENkXKPqj2T9YBqnv9odhRYwQ02AN8FTk7JJEa-xWQBZ00isdokb0rbhKFSVXpXsF7YqFkII5CzjKEIGuwDqwSJn_2Fn012bdpI/s1600/FB_MG_1196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrloxMO2hdVbIMycGLNp9RVcMJLT0DC-9uLioKibxU9ENkXKPqj2T9YBqnv9odhRYwQ02AN8FTk7JJEa-xWQBZ00isdokb0rbhKFSVXpXsF7YqFkII5CzjKEIGuwDqwSJn_2Fn012bdpI/s400/FB_MG_1196.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Lightly smoked eel "tiede", crispy pork crouton, horseradish and dijon mustard emulsion</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Top view - the flavours in this dish were incredible. The eel was out of this world, fatty, smokey and melting in the mouth. The pork crouton was crisp and packed with flavour, and the grated horseradish was perfect to cut a little bit of the sweetness of the other ingredients. The mustard sauce was light and creamy, and overall the flavours just worked together wonderfully. This is apparently one of Chef Armin's signature dishes, and it was truly gorgeous.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qG6-IuIewhyphenhyphen9S9pC1Fbm-dw7bZ6ZP_JBc7a8cn4VxYuxv2WN1i9FYXYE_qjSVDAfWmu8zKKIJ2ox7_WdONaJ_992CwU7YRzIO1ox8Sd9jtAIEKOxL5RrKoC0qcsNohqSGMfY_KYNJBfh/s1600/FB_MG_1201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qG6-IuIewhyphenhyphen9S9pC1Fbm-dw7bZ6ZP_JBc7a8cn4VxYuxv2WN1i9FYXYE_qjSVDAfWmu8zKKIJ2ox7_WdONaJ_992CwU7YRzIO1ox8Sd9jtAIEKOxL5RrKoC0qcsNohqSGMfY_KYNJBfh/s400/FB_MG_1201.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Poached maine lobster, chanterelle mushroom risotto, lettuce and confit egg yolk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Some of my fellow lunchers were not happy with the way their lobster was cooked, but I am luck to report there was nothing wrong with mine. If anything, it was probably a tad less cooked than it could have gotten away with, which considering its absolute freshness really wasn't an issue. The meat was sweet and bouncy - delish - and worked nicely with the earthy flavours of the mushrooms. I also found the sweet egg yolk worked particularly well with the risotto. I would agree though with Granny G. that both the mushrooms and the risotto were a bit underseasoned and could have benefitted from a bit more salt and maybe a touch of pepper. This was otherwise absolutely decadent.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jqa4klABi0yXw7DIxExWWNzu-VPmgw1Ga-GFcuhX7G7PRo9H4p7SmzCTflqRDyLazK5wH-2pPPLReqBkSHFYIa-4Uv8XSdXpUqvztw3dw7tvmrdPwdXeUU2nKZOxHeAs7ZqCSY2eVAGg/s1600/FB_MG_1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jqa4klABi0yXw7DIxExWWNzu-VPmgw1Ga-GFcuhX7G7PRo9H4p7SmzCTflqRDyLazK5wH-2pPPLReqBkSHFYIa-4Uv8XSdXpUqvztw3dw7tvmrdPwdXeUU2nKZOxHeAs7ZqCSY2eVAGg/s400/FB_MG_1207.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Chargrilled Australian wagyu rib eye cooked in hay</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Brought to our table in the cocotte for us to marvel at... the smell was absolutely wonderful. Grilled meat juices and fragrant dried grass. Heavenly.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WNk8tIc7aLSzIernlthBHWHGW1h_1BXbSEsTwWT6d4VvJIF1OtLfmW443nrkdsUS7K3xEq-0f-_xuSg5OgFq5hKK1m5vpEgwIugEWeEaPzCVnhv_eIy9zVFRQwgHZLoTh-jEBAqS7Iwf/s1600/FB_MG_1220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WNk8tIc7aLSzIernlthBHWHGW1h_1BXbSEsTwWT6d4VvJIF1OtLfmW443nrkdsUS7K3xEq-0f-_xuSg5OgFq5hKK1m5vpEgwIugEWeEaPzCVnhv_eIy9zVFRQwgHZLoTh-jEBAqS7Iwf/s400/FB_MG_1220.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Chargrilled Australian wagyu rib eye cooked in hay, sunchokes, spinach and perigourdine sauce</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A thick slice of the very marbled and slightly wobbly rib eye landed on our plates on a bed of sunchokes puree with buttered spinach and a wonderful sauce packed with the smokey flavours of the hay and chargrilled meat. This was simply the best piece of beef I have had in months, possibly even the whole year. Amazingly cooked, fondant, tasty (I love Aussie wagyu) and infused with the flavours of the hay. The pairing with sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes) puree and spinach was an absolutely awesome combination; I asked for some extra bread to mop the sauce, which I couldn't possibly leave on my plate. A truly gorgeous dish, I almost stood from my chair and started clapping... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0yXbrfAad72NhRg8EvNk_fpplJ9_HHI3TCIsa8VVN0EvsOf-vfSxSmfZZj_tEiFEXzeEgj_vtptPZSCB7S7fp1p1Absx0NrEReiDPJPiYVjd-BJgBucXs-_09GWJOrQNtu9srrVPAs-R/s1600/FB_MG_1227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0yXbrfAad72NhRg8EvNk_fpplJ9_HHI3TCIsa8VVN0EvsOf-vfSxSmfZZj_tEiFEXzeEgj_vtptPZSCB7S7fp1p1Absx0NrEReiDPJPiYVjd-BJgBucXs-_09GWJOrQNtu9srrVPAs-R/s400/FB_MG_1227.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A little extra pre-dessert sent by the kitchen - milk ice cream with chilli, chocolate sauce, caramelised cocoa nibs, and "molecular" pineapple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">An interesting play on a traditional Singapore breakfast dish. The flavours were clean and subtle. Very, very good.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAxNoqodf1j3fIdaOt11OQ-T4JN7DSrhuFPD71xthSkQaflQrXmScfjQUpIGmJwN7ehLl3I-I5jaMJD6WYg1x5WwCVfUrbPDM0m_BFINh4KrTZYC-xo14U_qdF_LjcE88vvA6_-p8sg9k/s1600/FB_MG_1230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAxNoqodf1j3fIdaOt11OQ-T4JN7DSrhuFPD71xthSkQaflQrXmScfjQUpIGmJwN7ehLl3I-I5jaMJD6WYg1x5WwCVfUrbPDM0m_BFINh4KrTZYC-xo14U_qdF_LjcE88vvA6_-p8sg9k/s400/FB_MG_1230.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"A fancy lemon tart" - thyme ice cream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This was brilliant. The citrussy notes on the plate worked wonders after the somewhat heavy meal we just had. The lemon cream was perfectly tart and smooth, with good biscuit crumbs sprinkled on the plate and grilled italian meringue. The thyme ice cream was deliciously fragrant and the addition of baby verbena leaves as a garnish was a very nice touch. A perfect note to end the meal.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VmRrdK3pgzazFFk3HsDQOucKJ5nBOgvJhD5C5DBSIDc6zNBhnJ4UlbYv3TdjAM8wXSw9f9VPWQ2_I3aYxDJkX06ERYT7E-eX1hQBrG5PeA8Kpv5RPoCGRwvsMdLbJyqQMwpJNimnSikB/s1600/FB_MG_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VmRrdK3pgzazFFk3HsDQOucKJ5nBOgvJhD5C5DBSIDc6zNBhnJ4UlbYv3TdjAM8wXSw9f9VPWQ2_I3aYxDJkX06ERYT7E-eX1hQBrG5PeA8Kpv5RPoCGRwvsMdLbJyqQMwpJNimnSikB/s400/FB_MG_1238.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Vanilla marshmallow, chocolate and coffee eclairs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Delicious and so tempting you always find space to scoff down a couple...</span><br />
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpYKQCH_rXOCJgTuf0n1rF7qGDxRxptmjUQ1zR-gmjlnIEWN3GBoEs56zwTjygTdMT2cwPSSu5iXvgmaORaKotm1qCrQ2KmNm4awvuaBgEipLA0clp6-UzuZnk2EaNNGMEF7iTGCSia7c/s1600/FB_MG_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpYKQCH_rXOCJgTuf0n1rF7qGDxRxptmjUQ1zR-gmjlnIEWN3GBoEs56zwTjygTdMT2cwPSSu5iXvgmaORaKotm1qCrQ2KmNm4awvuaBgEipLA0clp6-UzuZnk2EaNNGMEF7iTGCSia7c/s400/FB_MG_1243.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Dark chocolate ganaches, choco-vanilla shotbreads</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Impeccably presented and absolutely delicious. I would like to eat ganache like this one more often :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsf2hmbwK-QXZln943tmFLhJX-2JJ8ehKnEzIlyR6CiYXqZ9kUutZBwbl87mIzM0JM2KgqsuoeGd5ulRtIIZ3uhCAlvsg9xzKjUoffx1GUIssWpdQohJ5sDp4kV7ERvQJpjkclZUgj_j0/s1600/FB_MG_1246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsf2hmbwK-QXZln943tmFLhJX-2JJ8ehKnEzIlyR6CiYXqZ9kUutZBwbl87mIzM0JM2KgqsuoeGd5ulRtIIZ3uhCAlvsg9xzKjUoffx1GUIssWpdQohJ5sDp4kV7ERvQJpjkclZUgj_j0/s400/FB_MG_1246.JPG" width="273" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Petits-fours - caged</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sweetness at Cepage is always delivered to your table in style :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-16021259655437503502011-10-04T22:30:00.073+08:002011-10-08T16:07:45.764+08:00A lunch date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms Dyson 2000 had a reservation at Caprice for lunch today and no more guest to go with, so I volunteered (huge sacrifice, I know) and joined as her date (sorry Spartacus...). Caprice needs no introduction, it has been featured in this humble blog and many others countless times, and it is always with great anticipation that I return to sample more of Chef Vincent's delicious creations. The service today was at its usual best, smoothlessly choregraphied and as attentive as ever. And the food... ah! the food... I think it reduced us both to grunting cavewomen. There were so many interesting dishes on the lunch menu that the choice was excruciating. A big merci to Jeremy, Mr Garcia, Benny & all the staff at Caprice for their warm welcome. We certainly look forward to coming back soon :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG8FIqVHEtYmpKjmH8-y8UTlVqBUU-RN6mwMTxAksa0njH2vaRHk6ugStf9WbD1vpKIOzeHK4DEPlG2ETLMsx-wZ0DzxZhTcm2II1zvq8JSrbJi-D8tFmDPGuRzZg3BfM1Rxrs5p84Fz4/s1600/FB_MG_1120%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG8FIqVHEtYmpKjmH8-y8UTlVqBUU-RN6mwMTxAksa0njH2vaRHk6ugStf9WbD1vpKIOzeHK4DEPlG2ETLMsx-wZ0DzxZhTcm2II1zvq8JSrbJi-D8tFmDPGuRzZg3BfM1Rxrs5p84Fz4/s400/FB_MG_1120%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Great light for shooting, thanks to a harbourside window table :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm15F6F6Itk2TyUGG7VYzim96v-66N4o73hWNEOzQZHDKX26pJDQllBxmWWVcVZFm59jS10sdbXzV0FFBa-ThxD3Uhucwa8mDKzus0ajwbkAGaEvekZs8QYt9wRBg9DL2connHuqt8uRs/s1600/FB_MG_1126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm15F6F6Itk2TyUGG7VYzim96v-66N4o73hWNEOzQZHDKX26pJDQllBxmWWVcVZFm59jS10sdbXzV0FFBa-ThxD3Uhucwa8mDKzus0ajwbkAGaEvekZs8QYt9wRBg9DL2connHuqt8uRs/s400/FB_MG_1126.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Garlic bread sticks, warm and delicious</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH2RtKfrKUoO9ybHCQbsIXzjzKkzMz2mWth6A20B6ydsg8EMlE50LC3mGlUvBpZCN3kEGZJcmP_LNKsxmhaTTGqw-QlKPvmJBz2Xy0O4tJ7c3mB1L4-7FfSNvdIr05Qnpq5x5zi1OfCHP/s1600/FB_MG_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH2RtKfrKUoO9ybHCQbsIXzjzKkzMz2mWth6A20B6ydsg8EMlE50LC3mGlUvBpZCN3kEGZJcmP_LNKsxmhaTTGqw-QlKPvmJBz2Xy0O4tJ7c3mB1L4-7FfSNvdIr05Qnpq5x5zi1OfCHP/s400/FB_MG_1129.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I NEVER drink at lunch on a weekday when I have to go back to work... EVER!! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This chinon was light and fruity (and paired quite nicely with my fish main course) and we both marveled at the perfect temperature at which it was served. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR_kBkqIoJxUToYsWrlVYty1m87WlHNIuOUVWpiylt9m9bIdUlOcHlsdceSUKzAkEOa-ZZbI5KpceFHYRTzOqKlOjneJ2dOE84Xb2ypi2gJkMB_kWOBi_EwQyGXBOZTuBmzGfanNtQkW2/s1600/FB_MG_1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR_kBkqIoJxUToYsWrlVYty1m87WlHNIuOUVWpiylt9m9bIdUlOcHlsdceSUKzAkEOa-ZZbI5KpceFHYRTzOqKlOjneJ2dOE84Xb2ypi2gJkMB_kWOBi_EwQyGXBOZTuBmzGfanNtQkW2/s400/FB_MG_1134.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Beurre Bordier - the flattened cone is the salted one, which we destroyed in no time. The unsalted one was once more left untouched.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4fqq78NW8FSlQP4tKe5y1qscpT-OnGLMBqDXPQgbdQ6uwo_QT0R7mLDPlkWQeE_aN0Wx4h2PBk5peMUfW-_c8xYlQDnvufPfSKpSCwkwmQLatIDigHI3f_3GsSZH-AzDnPR88SYmqtld/s1600/FB_MG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4fqq78NW8FSlQP4tKe5y1qscpT-OnGLMBqDXPQgbdQ6uwo_QT0R7mLDPlkWQeE_aN0Wx4h2PBk5peMUfW-_c8xYlQDnvufPfSKpSCwkwmQLatIDigHI3f_3GsSZH-AzDnPR88SYmqtld/s400/FB_MG_1137.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The bread at Caprice is always a feast for the eye and the palate. My choice today was the sourdough, which was served warm (perfect as I love my butter melting on the bread) and was fluffy, crispy and absolutely delightful.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DdA9ijAKcST6FA-qu_8o6xYt08Yqht1BlxFimjNT619I38DiAmCvqkOzjw5jMz7BvXR7yPCxTgz6_kN9QeKlu5Bu0o3JWJxwiKofECjOnLOoj21EL8BEsPyj6vFeURKpeHAjFh5bj_Ky/s1600/FB_MG_1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DdA9ijAKcST6FA-qu_8o6xYt08Yqht1BlxFimjNT619I38DiAmCvqkOzjw5jMz7BvXR7yPCxTgz6_kN9QeKlu5Bu0o3JWJxwiKofECjOnLOoj21EL8BEsPyj6vFeURKpeHAjFh5bj_Ky/s400/FB_MG_1149.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Petit gris snails, meurette poached quail's eggs and sweet garlic espuma</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This was absolutely gorgeous. Nutty, bouncy snails, cubes of melt-in-the mouth pork knuckle, croutons, marvellous garlic espuma and red wine sauce. The play on the textures and the pairing of flavours was superb.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLH1es6R2TfQX9dES9P-yEHF_YJFSbY6DPIqncXRz7DxWPCjgYYQOIwgUqDPtybaCEz9SZkw7WuQhe6fyzpGlPcezOHcSQGIaf1DPk03B0KEgg7lSz6aITvqZwKUQ0OzHSiKWBeUAY7Pi/s1600/FB_MG_1153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLH1es6R2TfQX9dES9P-yEHF_YJFSbY6DPIqncXRz7DxWPCjgYYQOIwgUqDPtybaCEz9SZkw7WuQhe6fyzpGlPcezOHcSQGIaf1DPk03B0KEgg7lSz6aITvqZwKUQ0OzHSiKWBeUAY7Pi/s400/FB_MG_1153.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Quail's egg, poached to perfection</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R9yfrgUS4s73-HUvxqXwdjP35l5KBOvSmhpjexWv7KncmqbIpR27eXKVB3Pjs0spXf5mBT82Y2TlZAmKAXZtju4PbDFubmyHjvfr_g-gKlaNNVZM-A3nm4aiC9audT3CGXMgz_lPZZ5i/s1600/FB_MG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R9yfrgUS4s73-HUvxqXwdjP35l5KBOvSmhpjexWv7KncmqbIpR27eXKVB3Pjs0spXf5mBT82Y2TlZAmKAXZtju4PbDFubmyHjvfr_g-gKlaNNVZM-A3nm4aiC9audT3CGXMgz_lPZZ5i/s400/FB_MG_1160.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Cod brandade pastilla, escabeche vegetables and sea urchin emulsion</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Each season Chef Vincent comes up with new pastilla dishes for his lunch menu. Lamb, duck and now cod. This was right up my alley. A colorful explosion of crunchy, slightly pickled seasonal veggies and a hearty cod brandade in a crispy fillo casing. Absolutely delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoRoxVR1G6lDlvUiAtKRdDodsPEnBoWQUVNL9yky-KtCV75L2KbIm_d_a9dmrXLP5aTzzwjslu8rIiKpYUYQBDU3hoxQsKegxAu2D2cfNIoQRYk6yTwApYE_y060qPWf8YIHwKNAW0pXs/s1600/FB_MG_1163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoRoxVR1G6lDlvUiAtKRdDodsPEnBoWQUVNL9yky-KtCV75L2KbIm_d_a9dmrXLP5aTzzwjslu8rIiKpYUYQBDU3hoxQsKegxAu2D2cfNIoQRYk6yTwApYE_y060qPWf8YIHwKNAW0pXs/s400/FB_MG_1163.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Cod brandade - supremely yummy. I did not really enjoy the urchin sauce though; it was impeccably executed and the mineral, briny flavour was spot on and incredibly fresh, but I am still working at acquiring a taste for urchin and sometimes still find it a bit difficult. That said, for people who enjoy it more than me, it made sense as a flavour on this dish.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxOy8uCtlZL6suFX8ScTbNYaCR6VsbZ39Tktm377PXV-YI5w264yOzt35XbO17aojO1Nh1kS8WS0TfNn05xkWea_TYekKj4idrm2DvBXaYDjKKoZwnkdwQrk3aDZsoE5TijDWjbznqU-D/s1600/FB_MG_1173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxOy8uCtlZL6suFX8ScTbNYaCR6VsbZ39Tktm377PXV-YI5w264yOzt35XbO17aojO1Nh1kS8WS0TfNn05xkWea_TYekKj4idrm2DvBXaYDjKKoZwnkdwQrk3aDZsoE5TijDWjbznqU-D/s400/FB_MG_1173.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Having to go back to work without the time for a nap, we were heartbroken to pass on Jeremy's awesome cheeses... we also passed on dessert, for the usual reason. The petits fours were *yawn* as usual - technically the standard is high, but taste or texture-wise there is always something amiss. Take the pistachio marshmallows on the left for instance. Topped with a cranberry (or was it raspberry??) jelly cube, the pistachio marshmallow was served on top of a pistachio cream. On paper, an awesome combination of flavours and an intersting play on textures, but why oh! why serve this in a dark chocolate cup? Not that pistachio is bad with chocolate, but the proportion was wrong (too much choco killed the pistachio) and I think you should choose between choco or sour fruits as a pairing with the green nut. Even tough the concept is good, it always ends up messy and misses the spot. "Less is more" applies to many areas of life - desserts included. The mango-passion and white chocolate one did not fare much better. The raspberry milk chocolate tasted strangely artificial. The caramel though was very good; I loved the fact that they used roasted walnuts, which are in season, instead of the usual almonds or hazelnuts - nice touch.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-64973276592787312132011-09-20T23:07:00.089+08:002011-10-02T11:36:58.883+08:00A fine new table<span style="font-family: inherit;">I rarely review restaurants outside of Hong Kong, and especially not in Singapore, which is home to some of the best street food in the world... but when a friend mentioned something about lobster mac'n cheese and clam chowder with urchin butter toast, it didn't take long to convince me to pass on barbecued stingray and chilli crab and give the place a try. As it turns out, Luke's Oyster Bar and Chophouse (20 Gemmill Lane, Singapore) is a stone throw away from vibrant Club Street and had just opened a few weeks ago. The service was efficient and courteous, and the food simply gorgeous. Solid, authentic food, portioned for giants but nevertheless utterly delicious and carefully prepared with ingredients of impeccably high quality. I will make sure to pay the place another visit next time I'm in the Lion City to see if it lives up to that amazing first impression.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0MsIwQI5-XvA-vDpwYMePwFWl_8IXbghUQXj-KGCgP8aMUNcxDwlPYXyRUN8VGcwMeCUQ504qLft3peNs233bjXtIPa_H9rR80piiekQ5nxmuhYv6PbOwL6N3GUnZrvtD5TGfy5H9ENu/s1600/FB_MG_1087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0MsIwQI5-XvA-vDpwYMePwFWl_8IXbghUQXj-KGCgP8aMUNcxDwlPYXyRUN8VGcwMeCUQ504qLft3peNs233bjXtIPa_H9rR80piiekQ5nxmuhYv6PbOwL6N3GUnZrvtD5TGfy5H9ENu/s400/FB_MG_1087.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A touch of colour in an otherwise very sober dining room...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpgGNVdf4Vcr-G_M_3hIU0uziMbWDaAIqLJhdXh5I6cWMUgAGFEySKkhSUqOmy-m8BAYsVqh9RBEQ5hRzgIrW1SQcKuEWnpzEue1Fcszj6hF1_1j0KcTfEsCOohCSdA07PQF5qk0JPTJR/s1600/FB_MG_1099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpgGNVdf4Vcr-G_M_3hIU0uziMbWDaAIqLJhdXh5I6cWMUgAGFEySKkhSUqOmy-m8BAYsVqh9RBEQ5hRzgIrW1SQcKuEWnpzEue1Fcszj6hF1_1j0KcTfEsCOohCSdA07PQF5qk0JPTJR/s400/FB_MG_1099.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tiled white walls and crisp linen</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkHGYrTjK0-ZkqjdUMn0gVsQV4bKLMkUkNSXIKKzw00Vk_opP-wunSTdQO_ysrzpHskuus4NCkEmqhbiRxCrGY1EwsUJ_QHD71B69MXZSqNLWdttjDa6fEO0tuOXumJQErR_zueK6zAIW/s1600/FB_MG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkHGYrTjK0-ZkqjdUMn0gVsQV4bKLMkUkNSXIKKzw00Vk_opP-wunSTdQO_ysrzpHskuus4NCkEmqhbiRxCrGY1EwsUJ_QHD71B69MXZSqNLWdttjDa6fEO0tuOXumJQErR_zueK6zAIW/s400/FB_MG_1089.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">If, like me, you like your martinis very, very dirty, this is the place... I would have had another one if these were not also lethally strong.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAnFX2TzjDtZlxAcHwWiTQ7QEgGjStk521pq8kjpwuDQqT9Ct6vHNCAbUOMTp-rz2UiO1AH3MV28mEfaeAbYV9AEox2q_fS4hE2E_hLqXcNXt7WIU1x8kubh-csoLBgOjCk2hxl0oB-_9/s1600/FB_MG_1093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAnFX2TzjDtZlxAcHwWiTQ7QEgGjStk521pq8kjpwuDQqT9Ct6vHNCAbUOMTp-rz2UiO1AH3MV28mEfaeAbYV9AEox2q_fS4hE2E_hLqXcNXt7WIU1x8kubh-csoLBgOjCk2hxl0oB-_9/s400/FB_MG_1093.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Warm home-made corn bread with chilli butter - simple and delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx8Holmbh7IRxS7nJz82Pg4Jd05jVboUIuCH4mtfPVUko5RNMfbEI6_c0QVekKPf_5t0jp4AUTKlNqhA0wJ-NZhQg389ZDLB0sfnoVtejfyPsc6vDMgs0SrxEDM0RIrlqn9wARAEetr52/s1600/FB_MG_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx8Holmbh7IRxS7nJz82Pg4Jd05jVboUIuCH4mtfPVUko5RNMfbEI6_c0QVekKPf_5t0jp4AUTKlNqhA0wJ-NZhQg389ZDLB0sfnoVtejfyPsc6vDMgs0SrxEDM0RIrlqn9wARAEetr52/s400/FB_MG_1096.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">My starter: steak tartar, capers, mustard and rye bread - a perfectly seasoned tartar (even if not mixed table-side) with a good balance of flavours (a touch of shallots, chives, mustard, capers, gherkins and an unusual hint of garlic that worked quite well) with an excellent rye sourdough bread, slightly buttered and toasted. Brilliant.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMfvc5jS7X9G3OE0Vm09DZovBJCf_uo1GZLmEqQnxZ-2s55RioXNFHftfqF6a0afYia9xG8UMPv74rqmt6Cgg4qtRVhQT-cBH8L3wupqGFOW7e1kF3gZQ6BHIBuFC1jMBqrbJrgiOGNoJ/s1600/FB_MG_1100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMfvc5jS7X9G3OE0Vm09DZovBJCf_uo1GZLmEqQnxZ-2s55RioXNFHftfqF6a0afYia9xG8UMPv74rqmt6Cgg4qtRVhQT-cBH8L3wupqGFOW7e1kF3gZQ6BHIBuFC1jMBqrbJrgiOGNoJ/s400/FB_MG_1100.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The sum of all evils - lobster mac'n cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">my friend and I shared this as a side, and the flavours were just divine. Cheesy sauce, made with the lobster poaching juices, tender pasta, sizeable chunks of lobster and a topping of crumbled Ritz crackers (!!) which - to my surprise - made perfect sense on the palate. Wow. Note the Staub serving plate - nice touch...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr14NNjojoJ4k-4JuPug_4rOPhCqoKZiCCHbA-mLPvZdMOnYwS0MpIIjSTk6edhvpBsgboqukjRpVwrQm6q0HGTmI8aWr4-NEbIukjb1oc_tAWArclAyHKasTXMUowdoSpbs4hsFvAueT/s1600/FB_MG_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr14NNjojoJ4k-4JuPug_4rOPhCqoKZiCCHbA-mLPvZdMOnYwS0MpIIjSTk6edhvpBsgboqukjRpVwrQm6q0HGTmI8aWr4-NEbIukjb1oc_tAWArclAyHKasTXMUowdoSpbs4hsFvAueT/s400/FB_MG_1104.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Kurobuta pork chop, wild fennel spice and apple jam</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This was actually a double chop, which I could not finish (it was - no exaggeration - gigantic). The apple compote was nicely caramelised and fragrant from the fennel and other spices (a touch of cinnamon and cardamom) and complemented the pork perfectly.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaZdcnjrVgea2H3ToCHtLZCNJbPsivwlwQnX3NMCXRQdvc9P9qpQoT1cbC7dol-h8nq66Ue6vlStayYhWGQRE53_cyaQ9zQC3Yd8SjLvr000EKJUfKoWOeqU2cArShCRCJ7AxSulisvzL/s1600/FB_MG_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaZdcnjrVgea2H3ToCHtLZCNJbPsivwlwQnX3NMCXRQdvc9P9qpQoT1cbC7dol-h8nq66Ue6vlStayYhWGQRE53_cyaQ9zQC3Yd8SjLvr000EKJUfKoWOeqU2cArShCRCJ7AxSulisvzL/s400/FB_MG_1108.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Kurobuta pork chop, tender and juicy - and still slightly pink. Need I say more??</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqqO7IOp78HDN7n6i_RuJBYaptmwyVTatY9Yx9TGkSxJiO_sd-Q5_4IRLraKGshTgdNIiiiPiuQ5vlScQaVQffkJpWk4GRGItHWPxAFVrLnjn4LC6WEkCfm_RiCZxMlBo6OYXAeCHv0ma/s1600/FB_MG_1111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqqO7IOp78HDN7n6i_RuJBYaptmwyVTatY9Yx9TGkSxJiO_sd-Q5_4IRLraKGshTgdNIiiiPiuQ5vlScQaVQffkJpWk4GRGItHWPxAFVrLnjn4LC6WEkCfm_RiCZxMlBo6OYXAeCHv0ma/s400/FB_MG_1111.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I'm a total sucker for Aussie Cab Sav, and this one did not disappoint :)</span></td></tr>
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A big hug to my dear friend B. for an amazing meal.The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-45522249132360115852011-09-17T22:03:00.191+08:002011-10-01T23:43:54.454+08:00A belated date with ♥ Joël ♥I had been waiting for this moment for months... after being postponed a couple of times, the new restaurant of Master Joel R. finally opened a few weeks ago at Resorts World Sentosa (Hotel Michael, Level 1, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore), so I had once more to skip a few curry puffs, stray away from amazing street food, and booked a table for dinner. Expectations were high. Very high. And the meal was just magnificent. Period. The service was absolutely impeccable (by which I mean *** level) and the food was simply sublime. It was classic Robuchon at its best, daring and innovative East-meets-West flavour pairings, out-of-this-world textures and faultless execution. Magical, enchanting, divine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisuxOMHF3EXHB3KN-UW2x1wzZxztzVPfQF6LRH9YgfI_crFI7ZKhANgd5OrJiVDmL1F7UW5QT5aVorRlkhEO7RKPQhTgnxJas8ZH8DeamWj2amWsnvgRPZUP6ZRZjgXSMI2mpoAVw8T4O/s1600/FB_MG_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisuxOMHF3EXHB3KN-UW2x1wzZxztzVPfQF6LRH9YgfI_crFI7ZKhANgd5OrJiVDmL1F7UW5QT5aVorRlkhEO7RKPQhTgnxJas8ZH8DeamWj2amWsnvgRPZUP6ZRZjgXSMI2mpoAVw8T4O/s400/FB_MG_0274.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chemin de table - large Swarovski crystals</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Despite this isolated touch of bling, the dining room, with its beige, cream and black hues, turned out to be a lot more tasteful than Robuchon a Galera (the kitch equivalent at the sister restaurant in the Lisboa Hotel in Macau...)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflbeqIuGEdwVegN0QqtAc6ipPn3yJgxz65yMrZtdDEHhWWQNmbwy3fpNZOhTB1xXJO7AY5NHknmVzb12kc9tUEsM-ISFj60bufBLLdCdB_3Y4o2N4TUX0Qk7eZPmNBXD6kALqaUYk_6Qt/s1600/FB_MG_0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflbeqIuGEdwVegN0QqtAc6ipPn3yJgxz65yMrZtdDEHhWWQNmbwy3fpNZOhTB1xXJO7AY5NHknmVzb12kc9tUEsM-ISFj60bufBLLdCdB_3Y4o2N4TUX0Qk7eZPmNBXD6kALqaUYk_6Qt/s400/FB_MG_0281.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Similarly to Robuchon a Galera, breads and mignardises are gently rolled to your table on giant trolleys for you to choose. Quite spectacular - I think I will never get tired of this :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIbAuwD-XT_w7mYjnuCLIZ6Fh6YrRYEKTv2cd8JjNdPwXyYwai1qo4HqnqymLqV4-hWAxwNVjo6BVyTPQeyxmSecIq8MjwnhAYmXN4URFykVYQUgyWDQlwt8z9csdVg_pKQiBwZFUCJz-/s1600/FB_MG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIbAuwD-XT_w7mYjnuCLIZ6Fh6YrRYEKTv2cd8JjNdPwXyYwai1qo4HqnqymLqV4-hWAxwNVjo6BVyTPQeyxmSecIq8MjwnhAYmXN4URFykVYQUgyWDQlwt8z9csdVg_pKQiBwZFUCJz-/s400/FB_MG_0282.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My bread choices for tonight: baguette, milk bread and saffron bread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">All were gorgeous. The baguette was made the "traditional" way with sourdough and unbleached flour, and the 2 other breads were incredibly fluffy and delicious. A special mention for the saffron bread, in which the flavour of that rare and expensive spice was particularly strong - amazing.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKyQ7CmBxtNLbieZ944cR1PIgciFteLXpl2kOLrJlv-soWde69spUcl4qL2eZtg6Zsg8E1Ufi0d5hEbT1HqPA4xA6PKZRRMBipz_duczsEVw4eLwhbOT3G0q-_7aRVp7hW3R2PH1-t1XN/s1600/FB_MG_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKyQ7CmBxtNLbieZ944cR1PIgciFteLXpl2kOLrJlv-soWde69spUcl4qL2eZtg6Zsg8E1Ufi0d5hEbT1HqPA4xA6PKZRRMBipz_duczsEVw4eLwhbOT3G0q-_7aRVp7hW3R2PH1-t1XN/s400/FB_MG_0287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, similarly to Robuchon a Galera, butter gets scooped table-side with a spoon from a giant "motte". Still no salted butter, so it comes with its pinch of fleur-de-sel on the side. Sweet and delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XfFgtTGlbNp2GU79_c_BszLZm8va5lsBgYzqBsIU7P4ocefgj9vVeg6YGar7n5n1libezAEsViKfxZYvGDVnFvbGLjdJ5aPDyFpPiZfeRM0Ubaepe55NDvx91b74cL6U81P7NP-UZWwR/s1600/FB_MG_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XfFgtTGlbNp2GU79_c_BszLZm8va5lsBgYzqBsIU7P4ocefgj9vVeg6YGar7n5n1libezAEsViKfxZYvGDVnFvbGLjdJ5aPDyFpPiZfeRM0Ubaepe55NDvx91b74cL6U81P7NP-UZWwR/s400/FB_MG_0290.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: smoked salmon "tartare" with caviar</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pretty and delicious. The salmon (smoked and raw) was mixed with flying fish roe, which gave an interesting texture to the tartare by adding some "crunch". The seasoning was a perfectly balanced and light mix of shallots, chives, dill and black pepper. The ubiquitous shiso flower made an appearance, fortunately the one and only for the evening - seems it's the only alternative to gold foil these days... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqd8ViceifwfV0k_ybO1sHmIAdfja80ibnycgukL0bCPFTj4oS1ftNeyMTebCkO8nUPFxLvYA9vWryoyZ453uh1CZaMb0pGHS1jvhonjOtyDt3GsG4Oo4f1YMXXGc3JQ03FkHzYx3JyYj/s1600/FB_MG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqd8ViceifwfV0k_ybO1sHmIAdfja80ibnycgukL0bCPFTj4oS1ftNeyMTebCkO8nUPFxLvYA9vWryoyZ453uh1CZaMb0pGHS1jvhonjOtyDt3GsG4Oo4f1YMXXGc3JQ03FkHzYx3JyYj/s400/FB_MG_0294.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The starter that reduced me to a pre-neanderthalian grunting stage: truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage, said the very unassuming menu...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Words are failing me to describe the utter deliciousness of this dish. Big, fat, juicy, plump langoustines, cooked to perfection, wrapped in a thin ravioli skin, topped with creamy foie gras sauce and intensely fragrant minced truffles. This was simply extraordinary. The flavour pairings, the execution, the textures... everything was just perfectly harmonious and saturated with umami. An almost religious experience.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuM5vp5PtH9-g9A82t6gXZj93LryHQzcTAqAJv_LnpEJVAs-OatqCFFSTo5DPGmW9KdPe0q8GAZ2WQBrSCC2t0MVhzxL9CXzvNyc1R7_RitVnHY7bHnnOwjOcQjwgFXAZrhxms8Q6vuuO/s1600/FB_MG_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuM5vp5PtH9-g9A82t6gXZj93LryHQzcTAqAJv_LnpEJVAs-OatqCFFSTo5DPGmW9KdPe0q8GAZ2WQBrSCC2t0MVhzxL9CXzvNyc1R7_RitVnHY7bHnnOwjOcQjwgFXAZrhxms8Q6vuuO/s400/FB_MG_0298.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage - the texture of the langoustines was absolutely impeccable, with that characteristic "bite" that only ultra-fresh premium quality seafood and masterful execution can produce. </span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZYRBxbNqdFGZGz1CWtHnoYtuqZtYCmG6DJRFp4me3FUfFe0xvOYdZNtSRQqDZn1_LxpBwOVoGSrBqvN497apYCNsWLopVn4OipxUcuqIVzsAWiwhnOxvVGVyYQK8_PhYNCk808J9mfp5/s1600/FB_MG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZYRBxbNqdFGZGz1CWtHnoYtuqZtYCmG6DJRFp4me3FUfFe0xvOYdZNtSRQqDZn1_LxpBwOVoGSrBqvN497apYCNsWLopVn4OipxUcuqIVzsAWiwhnOxvVGVyYQK8_PhYNCk808J9mfp5/s400/FB_MG_0302.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mr Robuchon's mash needs no introduction. Famous the world over, its secret is in its butter content :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbANxFv4iNt-__I-tljbFpBXb7ZGltaAh0mWM1CAjvf_AhXoyFFsswuorPk_hgW20tmBU7MTT7I73wM3HD4_F4WeZlhgPN9D3CT4MkbSnlOhN4qeo514AL8MAd5OW_zV-z4nBxUe8Nngm/s1600/FB_MG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbANxFv4iNt-__I-tljbFpBXb7ZGltaAh0mWM1CAjvf_AhXoyFFsswuorPk_hgW20tmBU7MTT7I73wM3HD4_F4WeZlhgPN9D3CT4MkbSnlOhN4qeo514AL8MAd5OW_zV-z4nBxUe8Nngm/s400/FB_MG_0305.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Braised veal cheeks in curry broth, seasonal vegetables</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Classic Robuchon East-meets-West composition. The cheeks got me at Hello (but subsequently engaged in a long tug-of-war with the duck seared foie gras with cherries and fresh almonds, for which I will have to return). The flavours in this dish were just brilliant. Tender, collagen loaded veal cheeks, cooked to a fondant texture, resting on the most delicious meat jus with amazingly subtle green curry flavours, caramelised tofu cubes and crunchy seasonal vegetables julienne. I never thought curry could play pianissimo. Incredible.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOrdgJ9fF6yMiPMTsTtgfmhy5NzMqELZLq4ZT4hgJtT5tcOOBaUf3Y66qzsvZZkKRK6T_gDzidpwQ4VsPj6G9kqDlQ8SXgkxIUJgPGi_zpPOKVmgVDINtondKFVDNeD3CBwyJuWNinRrt/s1600/FB_MG_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOrdgJ9fF6yMiPMTsTtgfmhy5NzMqELZLq4ZT4hgJtT5tcOOBaUf3Y66qzsvZZkKRK6T_gDzidpwQ4VsPj6G9kqDlQ8SXgkxIUJgPGi_zpPOKVmgVDINtondKFVDNeD3CBwyJuWNinRrt/s400/FB_MG_0313.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cheese trolley - not as impressive as Caprice's but still powerfully delivering its fragrant message... I found it almost reassuring that the lady introducing the cheeses to our table mixed up her Ossau Iraty and her Tomme de Savoie. So much perfection was starting to freak me out... :o)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfj_7ADaQimOfAcGIxoqq8lG4rZimf8VQyBMoSkwnjFV_6Xm9L_CPNAgYoPyPJR5o5xofMWfC7UeOs8rxswuD3DLIUcJv-xlfAkkP8HcywpQXUGq-OMxj5nAsXbV8AEL_7vSOpQAXO_-s/s1600/FB_MG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfj_7ADaQimOfAcGIxoqq8lG4rZimf8VQyBMoSkwnjFV_6Xm9L_CPNAgYoPyPJR5o5xofMWfC7UeOs8rxswuD3DLIUcJv-xlfAkkP8HcywpQXUGq-OMxj5nAsXbV8AEL_7vSOpQAXO_-s/s400/FB_MG_0316.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My pick for the night (back to front); tomme de Savoie, camembert, reblochon, roquefort</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I stayed with the classics tonight. It goes without saying that all the cheeses were outstanding and that my plate was meticulously wiped clean...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGjDwI1Cp2bpcpgHdPcvhzLW_B6xirkjLZ3kLe3ZsNzOhZYhIV6vzcmRLtf5xa58wAMN3vXIyqa61R2gTTI9OAVvypgT1UYFNI61i31uXsCC7XFFTfuFmXnp6UfkhhMR2W_-2_ZQ3WoTt/s1600/FB_MG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ur_pmbKUoZxP-MjxwWWegMqDK8jTXc4hLAfHzrYjOcGA8zZPnjqvbcmodZIsjDFu_DbEKCJxLN-YYz6r3wWCPDJAQ2rnaoxbb-zEpIIwGuusPHFCm7mRXKkEBnYTFC3k5jfLS4S7W51u/s1600/FB_MG_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ur_pmbKUoZxP-MjxwWWegMqDK8jTXc4hLAfHzrYjOcGA8zZPnjqvbcmodZIsjDFu_DbEKCJxLN-YYz6r3wWCPDJAQ2rnaoxbb-zEpIIwGuusPHFCm7mRXKkEBnYTFC3k5jfLS4S7W51u/s400/FB_MG_0331.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dessert No.1: Smooth passion fruit, rum granite, light coconut foam</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It was starting to get quite comical how understated the English names of the dishes were on the menu (their French equivalent had a bit more pomp). Although very light, this creamy dessert delivered amazing flavours. At the bottom of the cup was the most subtle passion fruit cream I have ever tasted, with just the right balance of tartness and sweetness, and it was topped by a coconut mousse barely heavier than a chantilly and sprinkled with the thinnest candied lime peel. In between these 2 layers sat the refreshing boozy aroma of an aged dark rum granite, and the topping was made of lollipop stick-thin coconut meringue. Some would say this flavour pairing has been overdone, I would say no one does it like Joel. It was simply divine.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJn-mJ3VMcX3Qxvp0FJxYEQlATkG83fDLGUltqZh4B7ZBuH-UmxlYnCmImG9ihcs8FKL3QqAqe0m50lmGBINlFkWoEXJ1tSEfs2UgCt89HvHhAak63-urPXNYdXOUcPy6B1JmRjnAJWoM/s1600/FB_MG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJn-mJ3VMcX3Qxvp0FJxYEQlATkG83fDLGUltqZh4B7ZBuH-UmxlYnCmImG9ihcs8FKL3QqAqe0m50lmGBINlFkWoEXJ1tSEfs2UgCt89HvHhAak63-urPXNYdXOUcPy6B1JmRjnAJWoM/s400/FB_MG_0347.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dessert No.2: mignardises from the trolley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> I had a hard time chosing between the 2 dozen or so varieties, and settled for (back to front) coconut ball, pistachio financier with semi-candied cherry, chocolate "religieuse" (=stacked cream puffs), yuzu marshmallow and coffee "religieuse". Intense flavours and perfect textures - faultless.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGsuhCDrgUgIXe3wMaby4ntdaB7KwOxglKAm1Y0dmjCb9MVe3rRaDTbqib9M3rPYTb4cXInAmo6yvicKb4DYgBst3_JKc791F2XwV2LqL4H-eEdkIdl9Oainst_Z05Y3HCtBaihGpTOH3/s1600/FB_iPhone+backup+764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGsuhCDrgUgIXe3wMaby4ntdaB7KwOxglKAm1Y0dmjCb9MVe3rRaDTbqib9M3rPYTb4cXInAmo6yvicKb4DYgBst3_JKc791F2XwV2LqL4H-eEdkIdl9Oainst_Z05Y3HCtBaihGpTOH3/s400/FB_iPhone+backup+764.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dessert No.3: in true Robuchon fashion, no guest leaves the restaurant without a cake to take home. We got pistachio and raspberry, which did my delight for breakfast the next day. Oh! the butter... :)</span></td></tr>
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Such a superb meal requires stylish liquid company... so here is a sample of what we had:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsK-2oNdKABoDOe7bGl-TzNmY_-axuKJinH5t8eOCzlfG9ddJWhK-J5WpOAOIkgWDfOvrN-PZ6lagImNyNZV4nZlNkjv6sOagaM24Hd-vxZLAysDu7rjtDIYiV9P2X80Pht4Cb7bbFz4n0/s1600/FB_MG_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsK-2oNdKABoDOe7bGl-TzNmY_-axuKJinH5t8eOCzlfG9ddJWhK-J5WpOAOIkgWDfOvrN-PZ6lagImNyNZV4nZlNkjv6sOagaM24Hd-vxZLAysDu7rjtDIYiV9P2X80Pht4Cb7bbFz4n0/s400/FB_MG_0278.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With our AB and starter...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrnEZWH-4bjNRbpbY3hl7E_TE_ouhhl6-ukQXmok2mfn5KUeLE9fr3aiV8z_GR8GO2JGwUDdEya6hLi6_GyAnLb0VcwREtLOQbIEbRhgeZH-50-yT5_Gr1fBeJkPspDjLreoqpB-UVI78/s1600/FB_MG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrnEZWH-4bjNRbpbY3hl7E_TE_ouhhl6-ukQXmok2mfn5KUeLE9fr3aiV8z_GR8GO2JGwUDdEya6hLi6_GyAnLb0VcwREtLOQbIEbRhgeZH-50-yT5_Gr1fBeJkPspDjLreoqpB-UVI78/s400/FB_MG_0310.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With our main course...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGjDwI1Cp2bpcpgHdPcvhzLW_B6xirkjLZ3kLe3ZsNzOhZYhIV6vzcmRLtf5xa58wAMN3vXIyqa61R2gTTI9OAVvypgT1UYFNI61i31uXsCC7XFFTfuFmXnp6UfkhhMR2W_-2_ZQ3WoTt/s1600/FB_MG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGjDwI1Cp2bpcpgHdPcvhzLW_B6xirkjLZ3kLe3ZsNzOhZYhIV6vzcmRLtf5xa58wAMN3vXIyqa61R2gTTI9OAVvypgT1UYFNI61i31uXsCC7XFFTfuFmXnp6UfkhhMR2W_-2_ZQ3WoTt/s400/FB_MG_0321.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and with our dessert!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-33184158299105731902011-09-08T23:48:00.092+08:002011-10-02T14:51:37.869+08:00A tale of 3 lil' piggies<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight a few of us foodies headed out to Causeway Bay to try out a new addition to the Sichuan dining scene. He Jiang and its unlikely location (Cosmopolitan Hotel, 387-397 Queen's Road East, CWB, HK) had got us all curious, and did not disappoint. We enjoyed a very good dinner, thanks to efficient and polite service and flavourful food. I should also mention that the price per head ended up being very reasonable (slightly north of 250HKD) despite the numerous dishes we ordered. The food was really delicious, and some of my Chinese foodie friends commented that the taste was "very mainland", which was meant as a compliment to the authenticity of the ingredients. I will definitely be looking forward to my next visit.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZxeoyQz3dLcPOoQe270Lc71B0m-oOX3mrMm3gMrXgsZKh7P5z1haSCrrywAnICzAsq4shyphenhyphenGG9Scw3TfHJ7cCPoVjPp7y-nqs48uPgbVbFjHWUqvz09IXhLRp1OtqAdoWdAKTpLR4Vyzv/s1600/FB_MG_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZxeoyQz3dLcPOoQe270Lc71B0m-oOX3mrMm3gMrXgsZKh7P5z1haSCrrywAnICzAsq4shyphenhyphenGG9Scw3TfHJ7cCPoVjPp7y-nqs48uPgbVbFjHWUqvz09IXhLRp1OtqAdoWdAKTpLR4Vyzv/s400/FB_MG_0206.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Stone jars and piggy decoys outside the entrance... kinda cute actually :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uqXzMp3tYpWJkj9dzGn-_96irUO6N0nEZhL7RGTZ78WdCRwpBEr3dcnKDMDVqcRkh0RKv_5LBs14sqVa7f4Z1_9wuFtgoVh4OocxnVI5cdPW9YIUgwoRK8qOKTk_VRqy6izwS0fNjNwq/s1600/FB_MG_0210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uqXzMp3tYpWJkj9dzGn-_96irUO6N0nEZhL7RGTZ78WdCRwpBEr3dcnKDMDVqcRkh0RKv_5LBs14sqVa7f4Z1_9wuFtgoVh4OocxnVI5cdPW9YIUgwoRK8qOKTk_VRqy6izwS0fNjNwq/s400/FB_MG_0210.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Pickles - a mix of carrots and mystery veggies (which we thought might be broccoli stalks), mildly pickled and with the faintest hint of spice. Very, very delish. Perfect balance of flavours and impeccable crunchiness. And as anything slightly vinegared, great to work up an appetite...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xyzy37AKyaU-HdzHD5X7UNFUgiAxZFTN_ssCoABhPoLZp0xG_Ha0I8Zw14Li7pbl4ZkkgMDyxLqMDM9c2fGUi65oTmZY3dwOcfw70qim54OqroML3gXHdLtNHCLaDhMu-moEMO59OGFW/s1600/FB_MG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xyzy37AKyaU-HdzHD5X7UNFUgiAxZFTN_ssCoABhPoLZp0xG_Ha0I8Zw14Li7pbl4ZkkgMDyxLqMDM9c2fGUi65oTmZY3dwOcfw70qim54OqroML3gXHdLtNHCLaDhMu-moEMO59OGFW/s400/FB_MG_0216.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sliced pork served with garlic and chilli sauce - always a winner. A good zing of spice, fresh pungent garlic, and tender fatty meat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0VDCt5b2USp3hWMVI0TQ1Q04VwmXRlfSX7qIK4vjMxcc_qFvBI3B-V9RSN7hViCh3xMcm5H1cmgjZgypvBLditIlvXM3CrQzrXLwSuELlrVHQU7ia6n1kkp88FSu3Fh3q-2g7WslxrGW/s1600/FB_MG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0VDCt5b2USp3hWMVI0TQ1Q04VwmXRlfSX7qIK4vjMxcc_qFvBI3B-V9RSN7hViCh3xMcm5H1cmgjZgypvBLditIlvXM3CrQzrXLwSuELlrVHQU7ia6n1kkp88FSu3Fh3q-2g7WslxrGW/s400/FB_MG_0217.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Mouth watering chicken (aka saliva chicken) - never been my favourite dish but I have to admit that this one was pretty good.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2IGBv93YYnR5sybDu7_mSxucA8hwMsYrG3ijx7qI-EPbgqvSN6eyFzBOfXdfDjHv4WbRl5diRIxekMWkIpd99rXNS94GSXL8uz-pAFRF2WX7hDFH3Rw1uAEXO0YCYF7qY5dgrytXFWll/s1600/FB_MG_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2IGBv93YYnR5sybDu7_mSxucA8hwMsYrG3ijx7qI-EPbgqvSN6eyFzBOfXdfDjHv4WbRl5diRIxekMWkIpd99rXNS94GSXL8uz-pAFRF2WX7hDFH3Rw1uAEXO0YCYF7qY5dgrytXFWll/s400/FB_MG_0225.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Mouth watering chicken - the sauce was unusually thick with plenty of crunchy veggies and peanuts, good sesame flavours and the chicken skin not too fatty. I managed to find a piece that did not have chopped up bones all over, which is one of my major pet peeves... deent but still not enough to push me to have a second piece.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PF651Tyz-epO_U1UyGbxf-r4mm2O0Ro9epgPFd1BDPGPEAemnL8UH__gpY_vb8Jl_byu096n9tx7Hn16d-jqC8ydin_m2EJDmT_FJJcUC8b6qOpdiL4J2qxTqT4yZ3ssGIiKLyp6zKzd/s400/FB_MG_0221.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Traditional poached sliced beef in pungent sauce - mildly spicy and packed with flavours. Good balance on the textures also, with roasted peanuts and crunchy fresh herbs. Very nice.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PF651Tyz-epO_U1UyGbxf-r4mm2O0Ro9epgPFd1BDPGPEAemnL8UH__gpY_vb8Jl_byu096n9tx7Hn16d-jqC8ydin_m2EJDmT_FJJcUC8b6qOpdiL4J2qxTqT4yZ3ssGIiKLyp6zKzd/s1600/FB_MG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11NHMuJQsvEuG_GZTiK5MZ7btFwgM8LyvGxvjG12zMzUvjqaVtxeQXGBSuAqErJyb7WvzGBoOjctiTHslpFWT8THHip5NjNMTy_wMhmxWJaP0UikYuszY_WWnUAgFyofW8GN5-2rT6l3o/s1600/FB_MG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11NHMuJQsvEuG_GZTiK5MZ7btFwgM8LyvGxvjG12zMzUvjqaVtxeQXGBSuAqErJyb7WvzGBoOjctiTHslpFWT8THHip5NjNMTy_wMhmxWJaP0UikYuszY_WWnUAgFyofW8GN5-2rT6l3o/s400/FB_MG_0229.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The poached leopard coral grouper with bean sprouts in spicy soup arrived at the table quite stylishly...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BSzwrfHNPCXN36s_35qve5eIpaXhxQkG4sK4ywFoUAKt9pFCEdH6EttMlSuhtqWauU5YonI9uZwkScVJSVFqHpQydmiLXBtSsG9wt6i2KzdMJnclxU6XYkb_RfpsWlwTs0vdz-lNt5Eu/s1600/FB_MG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BSzwrfHNPCXN36s_35qve5eIpaXhxQkG4sK4ywFoUAKt9pFCEdH6EttMlSuhtqWauU5YonI9uZwkScVJSVFqHpQydmiLXBtSsG9wt6i2KzdMJnclxU6XYkb_RfpsWlwTs0vdz-lNt5Eu/s400/FB_MG_0234.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">... then the staff promptly proceeded to skim off the layer of dried chillies that floated at the surface to reveal a milky broth. Despite the amount of chillies, the dish was quite mild and had some very delicate milk and fish flavours. The fish itself was nicely cooked, not mushy but still a bit firm. A very good dish.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q7gh7BDYKUOWr05cohyg2l-DrYJ2F8sJ6xAytxuugz63iSzEcOAyMHoUYqEd3nLnOoZIKJ83vHj06hCHKMZMjCLlicfrz72qoTtoyOUVtf6olRRU4akEPQEWV6zfNhkzcKy1uRw2Jk6D/s1600/FB_MG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q7gh7BDYKUOWr05cohyg2l-DrYJ2F8sJ6xAytxuugz63iSzEcOAyMHoUYqEd3nLnOoZIKJ83vHj06hCHKMZMjCLlicfrz72qoTtoyOUVtf6olRRU4akEPQEWV6zfNhkzcKy1uRw2Jk6D/s400/FB_MG_0241.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Braised crab with Sichuan homemade sauce - this was absolutely superb. The sauce was divine, and the sweet crab had soaked up the flavours without being overpowered by the spice. As usual, dishes like this one are an absolute mess to eat, and that's half the fun - except maybe if, like me, you came straight from work with a pale yellow shirt... bib, anyone??</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODJcpBaW2VJB0S4LZSPIyJWOoENpJinngDdkR4Sfim6X3V2Cd9Fem6QUZw-cb3GZMZxHRTrnp9OohitXICMnXMj5E3p9lxZUwk2dKO3tYYSve7hvAN9Y2g4DBXdRR_-RpDQRdnsgb0C8N/s1600/FB_MG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODJcpBaW2VJB0S4LZSPIyJWOoENpJinngDdkR4Sfim6X3V2Cd9Fem6QUZw-cb3GZMZxHRTrnp9OohitXICMnXMj5E3p9lxZUwk2dKO3tYYSve7hvAN9Y2g4DBXdRR_-RpDQRdnsgb0C8N/s400/FB_MG_0243.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Roasted duck, Sichuan style - there was quite a bit left of this dish, and even though the meat was pretty tasty and the sauce smelled wonderful, somehow the dish didn't really work. The duck skin wasn't crispy (in all fairness, I am not sure it is meant to be) and despite being pretty fragrant, the sauce lacked in flavour and taste. The lack of spice probably also did not help make this dish popular in the middle of a collective chilli OD.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTUKGoDPoqR7P3B-A9Y35picRqMC5mIBnG_lEOts1fZy5O2t_q9QQfr2xWv3e7hzrT5H2WbAkMQUlpfULCmdOZhNodf3CCL6sXzff3EI1FN1MjMpSywU-eXbxbJGw9h4zaktFNd7RS3lY/s1600/FB_MG_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTUKGoDPoqR7P3B-A9Y35picRqMC5mIBnG_lEOts1fZy5O2t_q9QQfr2xWv3e7hzrT5H2WbAkMQUlpfULCmdOZhNodf3CCL6sXzff3EI1FN1MjMpSywU-eXbxbJGw9h4zaktFNd7RS3lY/s400/FB_MG_0247.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Traditional poached sliced beef in pungent sauce - tender and quite spicy. Another very good dish with a good balance of flavours.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSKhVdkC07iKeC6klwQTm0HG_nhtO7eR4UOC5DMf85J_1v291weyP3aoS3niUuUYblox7mhN0yZvxxJ1Fv9BfNpFtHgBSpA8E6gc43gGGU7PjxCxwa5hXi0COb_Oyvdl8RC6hT3N4ZpoZ/s1600/FB_MG_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSKhVdkC07iKeC6klwQTm0HG_nhtO7eR4UOC5DMf85J_1v291weyP3aoS3niUuUYblox7mhN0yZvxxJ1Fv9BfNpFtHgBSpA8E6gc43gGGU7PjxCxwa5hXi0COb_Oyvdl8RC6hT3N4ZpoZ/s400/FB_MG_0256.JPG" width="292" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sweet potato noodles in the beef sauce, plated with care by fellow diner The Sous-Vide Monster...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBdxKsF7nvZBf5lGn3DJSrsrEoyK1mHUHNhQpJ8gYK_1ApqLbW3BVW1eWI1cR1g6wb3116Smn578NC-qp4BjqFZVfmQZO2MH4ZSrc13lfPRzuqBbBR0ob-CFcPaDi9Tipw8U3fRpoUHuU/s1600/FB_MG_0261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBdxKsF7nvZBf5lGn3DJSrsrEoyK1mHUHNhQpJ8gYK_1ApqLbW3BVW1eWI1cR1g6wb3116Smn578NC-qp4BjqFZVfmQZO2MH4ZSrc13lfPRzuqBbBR0ob-CFcPaDi9Tipw8U3fRpoUHuU/s400/FB_MG_0261.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Fried diced chicken with chilli and peanuts - a Sichuan classic, nicely done here with pieces of chicken wings, which retained some fat and moisture after frying and also had quite a bit of collagen. Somehow I found (like some of my fellow diners) that the dish was a bit under-seasoned. Problem easily solved by munching on a couple of the dried chillies...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ2wVOVCNxRR9xs4j9ioYUfpqmcLHkj7P3JV9YQEnoe_i-UdBqTviMfpQr_kHA2DWJchU_I6W89lf_ecZo_zhJdGJT4MNSZ0aLvhQ8fChvpMh8yQg6gXwu5zR1Of6pt1FpbxgyRrl2D3T/s1600/FB_MG_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ2wVOVCNxRR9xs4j9ioYUfpqmcLHkj7P3JV9YQEnoe_i-UdBqTviMfpQr_kHA2DWJchU_I6W89lf_ecZo_zhJdGJT4MNSZ0aLvhQ8fChvpMh8yQg6gXwu5zR1Of6pt1FpbxgyRrl2D3T/s400/FB_MG_0266.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sichuan dumplings - some of my fellow dines complained the skins were too thick, which didn't really bother me. The meat was juicy but could have been a bit more seasoned. The sauce was very similar (identical??) to that of the pork rolls we had as starters. Reasonably good but not the best in town.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIumOFWvnQ-2-hmjyrx18ic8VxnYYYyOZHAm5-OFDApJrlc-JI3OdmmKe4T9a_XRptq_mxy_X4JjgqgLepP4Tpo4bu7OvIConttOKny5rZEIN6CnEd_k51f9-H89WM_e4U_Duwznjsm1lL/s1600/FB_MG_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIumOFWvnQ-2-hmjyrx18ic8VxnYYYyOZHAm5-OFDApJrlc-JI3OdmmKe4T9a_XRptq_mxy_X4JjgqgLepP4Tpo4bu7OvIConttOKny5rZEIN6CnEd_k51f9-H89WM_e4U_Duwznjsm1lL/s400/FB_MG_0269.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Complimentary dessert - I was feeling very full at that point and considered not touching it...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD1Appn0E9YeHcDUWaytUILuegB7enkahGJs9zFBbnqv99jM1qzBNVAGHrU2RB2cDcc0vtskWx_Q8AjAdqvAHcA37KqZJhWEgsZqnZrh3NnuEmVG1fDeLSV9spa1Wiqn0rdwCn7I0ixyt/s1600/FB_MG_0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD1Appn0E9YeHcDUWaytUILuegB7enkahGJs9zFBbnqv99jM1qzBNVAGHrU2RB2cDcc0vtskWx_Q8AjAdqvAHcA37KqZJhWEgsZqnZrh3NnuEmVG1fDeLSV9spa1Wiqn0rdwCn7I0ixyt/s400/FB_MG_0273.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">... which would have been my loss. This was actually delicious, even though not exactly light - a giant glutinous rice pancake, pan-fried and filled with chunky red bean paste. The flavours were very "buttery" with caramel notes... I would actually happily pay for this :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-55415457156076405182011-08-21T20:47:00.001+08:002011-08-21T20:48:13.241+08:00I ♥ cake - Pistachio cupcakes with dark ganache topping<span style="font-family: inherit;">Agent T was kind enough to have me over for lunch today to share some delicious home made chicken curry, so I thought I would bring some dessert. I stumbled upon this recipe while dreamily drooling over </span><a href="http://annies-eats.net/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Annie's awesome blog</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, as is often the case, and felt the urge to try it (after making a few adjustments to match my taste). As expected, the cupcakes turned out rich, buttery and moist. I will definitely use this recipe again (I think the batter would make a good base for a pistachio and sour cherries cake - more on this later...).</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4cckTxtAtfh9im7lg0_dYwLy2TeyPtYWMKA2yW_sdRtLobAaDJtYAsP72eFg7mhZhPI3hZ0PtQuF57eiowypc9TLse6HUTr_HhgbqpnrNKp5y5sQkyVy1V4VFhyJWGKNa01CG3PN70w7/s1600/FB_MG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4cckTxtAtfh9im7lg0_dYwLy2TeyPtYWMKA2yW_sdRtLobAaDJtYAsP72eFg7mhZhPI3hZ0PtQuF57eiowypc9TLse6HUTr_HhgbqpnrNKp5y5sQkyVy1V4VFhyJWGKNa01CG3PN70w7/s400/FB_MG_0041.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For about 16 cupcakes:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 cup shelled pistachios</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">140gr unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">90gr mascarpone, at room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1½ cups caster sugar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">3 large eggs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1½ cups </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;">cake flour (not the self-rising type), sifted</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1½ tsp. salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the ganache:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">140gr Valrhona 68% chocolate (or your favourite dark chocolate), finely chopped</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">140gr mascarpone</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">30gr unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Additional chopped pistachios, for garnish</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">First, prepare the pistachios. Note that it does not really matter whether they are salted or unsalted, as by the time you are done processing them the salt will have been washed off. Rub the pistachios between your palms to remove as much of the dry skin as possible, then rinse them a couple of times in cold water and leave them to soak for about 10mn, before removing the rest of the skin (which by now will have softened and should come off easily). </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDyPzv9xmm0NI-_AFlTyey5kJi41QWffLeMOmnlDxecHhAkJVcJezpSVZneSjraJ0R2Pz1LZZ6CthbWzSaCzwHu_ood2-yRReRclY098wMwJ8gHwwtvU2L9pUp07WGMnJO3Xq8L6dAQ8T/s1600/FB_MG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDyPzv9xmm0NI-_AFlTyey5kJi41QWffLeMOmnlDxecHhAkJVcJezpSVZneSjraJ0R2Pz1LZZ6CthbWzSaCzwHu_ood2-yRReRclY098wMwJ8gHwwtvU2L9pUp07WGMnJO3Xq8L6dAQ8T/s400/FB_MG_0010.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pat the pistachios dry with a kitchen towel, reserve a few of the greener ones and grind the others to a fine powder using a food processor or a mortar and pestle.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Preheat the oven to 180˚C and line cupcake pans with paper liners.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfv_LAdydn6risckpCQoHRT6Mb-lzEHlqD0spzUYot3-tIFsAMotoaY9ft0GtwZLsa5Ob_rSkF6llyCjACk4iVqT3GFGA558L83Fwnqj2yQkrIR0nJSbBakJsj5tSTOab14mnk9ulh44Mb/s1600/FB_MG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfv_LAdydn6risckpCQoHRT6Mb-lzEHlqD0spzUYot3-tIFsAMotoaY9ft0GtwZLsa5Ob_rSkF6llyCjACk4iVqT3GFGA558L83Fwnqj2yQkrIR0nJSbBakJsj5tSTOab14mnk9ulh44Mb/s400/FB_MG_0013.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In a bowl, combine the butter and mascarpone and beat with an electric mixer medium-high speed until light and fluffy.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxFd5EqtYqjkG0ijPadgPOyf-S9JAA_2qD_Zy0U09H0Dgd-Fq5Zi5UJab375bqj8-oYaz0ZhCQl669wtDwN9cKysJWvu98vdDvxKu1GRX3QnYGmQZJQeRfDBuEXY4aDVve3axjzMGCa84/s1600/FB_MG_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxFd5EqtYqjkG0ijPadgPOyf-S9JAA_2qD_Zy0U09H0Dgd-Fq5Zi5UJab375bqj8-oYaz0ZhCQl669wtDwN9cKysJWvu98vdDvxKu1GRX3QnYGmQZJQeRfDBuEXY4aDVve3axjzMGCa84/s400/FB_MG_0018.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Add the ground pistachios.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Gradually mix in the sugar on medium-low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and salt, and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Biv6PR33Jn9qUzTti20ZNGZzcplhl0E-_mbsNn1xUBmaX8lp0Scs76q7MdSIcPwMItOejZNzOdqRNmzyYxgRUXJIFHFmUOsy8H3OB5m6evl4W0v6OcNXU-hCmiNR2B0a__eD4d1IrfbN/s1600/FB_MG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Biv6PR33Jn9qUzTti20ZNGZzcplhl0E-_mbsNn1xUBmaX8lp0Scs76q7MdSIcPwMItOejZNzOdqRNmzyYxgRUXJIFHFmUOsy8H3OB5m6evl4W0v6OcNXU-hCmiNR2B0a__eD4d1IrfbN/s400/FB_MG_0023.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Fill each paper cup about three quarters full and bake for 20 to 25mn.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Let cool in the pan a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Lg-NseR4WfzPw-H6Jmt4LvtuPwd51hYUuOUhiHlykbtcvGdDdSrvowmhP3AAGTh7czwHo0IPSEqOVuKV4eNTW7eNPEiEb0q2zi9xQ3AoI-LnfcicUVUUSkAkGNlN1EKHYYgl49K0t5pG/s1600/FB_MG_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Lg-NseR4WfzPw-H6Jmt4LvtuPwd51hYUuOUhiHlykbtcvGdDdSrvowmhP3AAGTh7czwHo0IPSEqOVuKV4eNTW7eNPEiEb0q2zi9xQ3AoI-LnfcicUVUUSkAkGNlN1EKHYYgl49K0t5pG/s400/FB_MG_0030.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Bring the mascarpone to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMR4zuYbxwSLkSSd1qoQBoIvl3Zit6mlhLOFo0R2Ni2Ro6jHG7DlGb7tmuPETB_2Ms3-rWC-ofpc1aoKq9aIDkCKW-3vrdrG7R_8U9Bv1pHB-nEAgquN2MxJuOQTUNiG02NnjX4W9syzE/s1600/FB_MG_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMR4zuYbxwSLkSSd1qoQBoIvl3Zit6mlhLOFo0R2Ni2Ro6jHG7DlGb7tmuPETB_2Ms3-rWC-ofpc1aoKq9aIDkCKW-3vrdrG7R_8U9Bv1pHB-nEAgquN2MxJuOQTUNiG02NnjX4W9syzE/s400/FB_MG_0031.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pour the warm mascarpone over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whisk in small circular motions until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whisk in the butter until completely incorporated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPUQyYRFcY_77MrDI6K-aH7lJIt75XqHDcldakd6YKqqDj2WgRSdU4og3oqwAGeymk7OznBAzayCUVUu-L3LlPSRX923hHriJoWB1egvYWmXcSfQuA8kjyXiUSbMTJMUV_VI3SGGzwkzh/s1600/FB_MG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPUQyYRFcY_77MrDI6K-aH7lJIt75XqHDcldakd6YKqqDj2WgRSdU4og3oqwAGeymk7OznBAzayCUVUu-L3LlPSRX923hHriJoWB1egvYWmXcSfQuA8kjyXiUSbMTJMUV_VI3SGGzwkzh/s400/FB_MG_0034.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Cover the top of each cooled cupcake with the ganache to create an even layer (let the ganache cool and thicken a bit beforehand).</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pistachios. Do not refrigerate the cupcakes as this would cause the ganache to lose its glossy aspect.</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMIgBS2stA9u8U_6WwNfoeiDY2bWFepImtRROB5y6DBqLv7cuYG0eyWx9HdK27jyrrYHJzUrq4jJhCsA_0USH2s4Wns9CdxmEdYQ7BZG8a_ngW1qfPliScot99iOaag7XbraPh1PjgWvh/s1600/FB_MG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMIgBS2stA9u8U_6WwNfoeiDY2bWFepImtRROB5y6DBqLv7cuYG0eyWx9HdK27jyrrYHJzUrq4jJhCsA_0USH2s4Wns9CdxmEdYQ7BZG8a_ngW1qfPliScot99iOaag7XbraPh1PjgWvh/s400/FB_MG_0054.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pop any leftover ganache into a piping bag and practise your piping skills! You can freeze the results for a couple of months and they make fabulous toppings for ice cream (or more cupcakes!).</span>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-14106980704046520362011-08-14T20:02:00.013+08:002011-08-20T20:18:30.217+08:00I ♥ cake - Tiramisu cupcakes<br />
I came up with this recipe recently, as I was trying to find a solution to the raw egg issue in a classic tiramisu. I had promised Agent T (whose bun has finally finished baking and is now breastfeeding) that I would make her a tiramisu, but even the best organic egg these days is not going to be safe to eat raw by a nursing mum... So I rearranged all the goodness of classic tiramisu ingredients and flavours into these cuppies. Delicious with a cup of espresso on the side :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TngsrTx_-3u0lOnvupm2cP5_RaehhhNJ6X7tD5hLjLnkrJnGLV72nmaUfpj3N1ady1QQ45_sJ2su9oBbgjgDIED7HFulegw2LYvi7r-PQaz4GHgYV_JGy-E2McWnpMpFswlYMxD4nWOR/s1600/FBA_MG_9993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TngsrTx_-3u0lOnvupm2cP5_RaehhhNJ6X7tD5hLjLnkrJnGLV72nmaUfpj3N1ady1QQ45_sJ2su9oBbgjgDIED7HFulegw2LYvi7r-PQaz4GHgYV_JGy-E2McWnpMpFswlYMxD4nWOR/s400/FBA_MG_9993.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Tiramisu cupcakes (makes about 18)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For the cupcakes:</span></u></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 <sup>2/3</sup> cups cake flour (not the self-rising type), sifted</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 ½ tsp baking powder</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 tsp salt</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 ½ cups caster sugar</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1 cup buttermilk</span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For the sauce:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup strong coffee</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4tbsp whisky</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4tbsp caster sugar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For the frosting:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">500gr mascarpone</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1tbsp vanilla sugar (or a few drops vanilla extract)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Dark chocolate shavings to decorate</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Preheat the oven at 175°C.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Place cupcake papers in muffin tins or cupcake trays.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso/coffee powder.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Add the eggs, one at a time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mix in the vanilla extract.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mix in the dry ingredients in 3 steps, alternating with the buttermilk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Fill the cupcake papers up to 2/3 of their height and bake for 18-20mn.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Prepare the sauce: dissolve the sugar in the warm coffee and stir in the whisky.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Cut off a small cap on each cupcake and carefully spoon the sauce inside the cake, a spoonful at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more (gently squeeze the top of the cupcake to see if liquid seeps back up, to judge how much more you should add). Replace the cap on each cupcake.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla sugar (or extract) into the mascarpone, place into a piping bag with a 1M star tip, and refrigerate for a couple of hours before using.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt -0.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: 0.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pipe the frosting over the cupcakes and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.</span></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-1105591850467971072011-07-25T21:59:00.007+08:002011-08-20T22:05:22.755+08:00A World of my Own (Robin Knox-Johnston)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAYCevSgNivx3VkSfa3vv0XMPmtvH6mK1esJDQHwy2bhXYUMpFjbPCVzl-FW3XSy9W2jQ3x5ighPiAqGwk9IEliAICZc_WWvsOlR8sYRTevvSxnDIKdc6Cu_0gFAIRAoz0Y39GdMvrIJ8/s1600/A+World+of+my+Own.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAYCevSgNivx3VkSfa3vv0XMPmtvH6mK1esJDQHwy2bhXYUMpFjbPCVzl-FW3XSy9W2jQ3x5ighPiAqGwk9IEliAICZc_WWvsOlR8sYRTevvSxnDIKdc6Cu_0gFAIRAoz0Y39GdMvrIJ8/s320/A+World+of+my+Own.jpg" width="203" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few months ago, I was lucky enough to be lent </span><a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2011/01/voyage-for-madmen-peter-nichols.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Voyage for Madmen</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by a friend, and tremendously enjoyed this amazing read. <u>A World of my Own</u> is the personal account of one of the participating sailors, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who would go on to win the race and become a legendary figure of British sailing. Sir Robin shows an extraordinary determination to continue the race against all odds, even after some mechanical failures which many would have considered critical enough to warrant abandoning the race altogether (he finished with no engine and lost the use of his self-steering gear half-way through the voyage, among other minor disasters). Psychologists who examined him before he set off found him to be “distressingly normal”, but reading through his book it quickly appears that he is nothing short of an extraordinary man. His deeply rooted, steadily grounded personality and unfailing optimism and calm in even the most dire conditions can only inspire admiration. His insightful story-telling makes this first-hand account of the race a very enjoyable read. A book I would highly recommend to anyone who has ever dreamt of sailing into the sunset.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-25324208448153030242011-07-16T21:54:00.002+08:002011-08-20T22:04:41.520+08:00Cape Horn to Starboard (John Kretschmer)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIk-XHItW-Nnnff2TKVYPWVsSMYXlr16CZHnB_seGFo_W5QMQfY8w0gTlDCI_XT8iBEw35J5y7HP9rUF6nJMqSIlvNUCBBzYmXodoiVMzW__FirQR4M5ICuBeZ6nI0EuS6tZBr6La9wER/s1600/Cape+Horn+to+Starboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIk-XHItW-Nnnff2TKVYPWVsSMYXlr16CZHnB_seGFo_W5QMQfY8w0gTlDCI_XT8iBEw35J5y7HP9rUF6nJMqSIlvNUCBBzYmXodoiVMzW__FirQR4M5ICuBeZ6nI0EuS6tZBr6La9wER/s320/Cape+Horn+to+Starboard.jpg" width="206" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I discovered John Kretschmer a few months ago through the delightful account of his life as a sailboat delivery skipper in </span><a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2011/03/flirting-with-mermaids-john-kretschmer.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flirting with Mermaids</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Cape Horn to Starboard is his first book, written by a much younger and seemingly a lot wilder man, and offers a funny and inspiring account of his first few years as a rookie sailor, as well as a gripping recollection of his epic (should I say heroic?) rounding of the Cape of the Capes the wrong way around (i.e. westwards) in a 32-foot cockleshell named Gigi. To do it justice, the said cockleshell was a Contessa 32, and is actually a legend of British shipmaking, still considered to this day as one (if not the) most seaworthy boat of its size. Nevertheless, one can only admire the bravery of these two men who took on an incredibly difficult and dangerous voyage, which undoubtedly changed them for life. More than a sailor, John Kretschmer is also a talented story-teller, and his good-natured personality and humorous outlook on life make for a very entertaining read.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-53824553322910339702011-07-09T21:49:00.005+08:002011-08-20T22:04:11.027+08:00Race Against Time (Ellen McArthur)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILX1lmka4F2d8QygDXNYRqDi6Av3TsTyC8wIPZNjlFgGqMMtL0ALlukXFW5KbJmJiRo4UhyrR_Q_eHswHQM9ESVla-Hd4_1RIRnuy2MvghtGuHgPHPK8hpHBI1c5HXR4hlXTb_VUJG_E-/s1600/Race+Against+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILX1lmka4F2d8QygDXNYRqDi6Av3TsTyC8wIPZNjlFgGqMMtL0ALlukXFW5KbJmJiRo4UhyrR_Q_eHswHQM9ESVla-Hd4_1RIRnuy2MvghtGuHgPHPK8hpHBI1c5HXR4hlXTb_VUJG_E-/s320/Race+Against+Time.jpg" width="204" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even long before I took a keen interest in sailing, Dame Ellen McArthur had always been one of my role models. She is one of very few women out there who lead a truly inspiring life, and her extraordinary bravery seems to know no limits. Her first book <u>Taking on the World</u> was a wonderfully inspiring account of the first few years of her career as a professional sailor, and recounted in a very moving way her teenage years and how she had come up to sailing. I came across that book at a particular period of my life where, having just relocated to a different country, it resonated in me in so many ways that it left me a very long lasting impression; to this day, I still consider it as one of the most inspirational books I have read. <u>Race Against Time</u> is (unfortunately, I should add) an entirely different style of book altogether. I was expecting a little bit more distance and reflection on the profound human experience that undertaking a solo round the world race must be, and instead was faced with a rather dull, groundhog-day-like account of an otherwise epic voyage. Most of the text in the book was lifted from Dame Ellen’s logbooks and email communications during the race, and consists essentially of a collection of bad storms, mechanical failures, worse storms and even more spectacular mechanical failures, which very much contributes to making the written material dry and a bit too devoid of emotion for my liking. This is not the kind of book that will transport you away from your armchair, rather it will make you sink into it in a deep snooze… but to be fair it contains some truly impressive pictures of the southern ocean’s fury which will inspire the fear of god in even the most unadventurous landlubber. A good book to borrow and flip through, rather than to buy and keep.</span></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-18962214062577463092011-06-25T21:29:00.050+08:002011-07-06T22:37:23.624+08:00I ♥ cake - Lemon & Blueberry CupcakesWith Agent T due with her first baby (it's a boyyyyy!!) within the next 4 weeks, a baby shower was <em>de rigueur</em>. Each of us was tasked to bring some food, so I thought I'd bake something blue... I adapted the recipe below (as often) from Annie's <a href="http://annies-eats.net/2011/05/06/lemon-blueberry-cupcakes/">awesome blog</a> - an easy recipe and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YG6k1twg0NpxgjrqhQ_n5O8TRwtntSrtvaSz9dQbdzzAlRXvpjx87T8Pg4cipq7m6XrOJo_EmYjHqUrXeu0d_4ip8qzmBtn9YNQDQ3trxKRvNXoc7bF00EU0_W1fb7FaYul4h1yNuePC/s1600/FB_MG_9893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YG6k1twg0NpxgjrqhQ_n5O8TRwtntSrtvaSz9dQbdzzAlRXvpjx87T8Pg4cipq7m6XrOJo_EmYjHqUrXeu0d_4ip8qzmBtn9YNQDQ3trxKRvNXoc7bF00EU0_W1fb7FaYul4h1yNuePC/s400/FB_MG_9893.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lemon & Blueberry cupcakes - an easy recipe and a simple and satisfying flavour combination</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">For about 16 cupcakes</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1.5 cups plain white flour + 2tbsp, sifted</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 ½ tsp baking powder</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">¼ tsp salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">¾ cup caster sugar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">thinly chopped zest of 1 organic lemon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">2 large eggs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 tbsp natural vanilla extract</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1.5 tbsp lemon juice</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">½ cup full fat milk</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup fresh blueberries</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">For the frosting:</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">8 oz cream cheese</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">2 tsp lemon juice</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">2 tsp lemon oil or other natural lemon flavouring</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">blue food colouring (optional)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">To garnish:</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> blue nonpareils, silver balls or fresh blueberries</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat the oven at 175°C.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Line the cupcake forms with paper cups.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend together and reserve.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In a separate bowl, combine the butter and sugar, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (5 to 10 minutes depending on room temperature). Add the lemon zest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the eggs, one at a time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the vanilla and lemon juice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and milk alternatively, 1/3 at a time. Beat until just incorporated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_08SRLNPxG-o5Uz7UdlpHiYaEshf8lRJPzZVWbDl7Maf-tlvrKaeZHunfBxrfinGZQwwmNlPX3CDQBZpKy6s1HFkbOjpboocSfeQpIBwrrtbtpG-eSr1d19uRRqis3s2b8wx62xy-wDz/s1600/FB_MG_1415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_08SRLNPxG-o5Uz7UdlpHiYaEshf8lRJPzZVWbDl7Maf-tlvrKaeZHunfBxrfinGZQwwmNlPX3CDQBZpKy6s1HFkbOjpboocSfeQpIBwrrtbtpG-eSr1d19uRRqis3s2b8wx62xy-wDz/s400/FB_MG_1415.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In a small bowl, toss the blueberries in 2 tbsp flour before gently folding them into the batter (this prevents them from sinking at the bottom of the cupcakes during baking).</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Divide the batter between the paper cups, filling them no more than ¾.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cfUl6b-giFEqEF-e8ElyMNFgbFin85cqvNYrBrPvMwD19uCYpX1T0RpzB5NuLHr3_lnM51k1kRhX9Zz-OGdzr5SkvcflryAPqvX2ckyf9qFAJTDip48mKsw0609tqKAi0cecYtOxy1Qh/s1600/FB_MG_1438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cfUl6b-giFEqEF-e8ElyMNFgbFin85cqvNYrBrPvMwD19uCYpX1T0RpzB5NuLHr3_lnM51k1kRhX9Zz-OGdzr5SkvcflryAPqvX2ckyf9qFAJTDip48mKsw0609tqKAi0cecYtOxy1Qh/s400/FB_MG_1438.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Bake for 18 to 20mn. Let cool in the forms for 5mn then transfer to a rack for complete cooling.</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8_-cODJSQDt_JB0A7dy0EibJwbm-YGzuKgCM5RhuPtMHMhM_EW9lwDXAhCTQpYFDBAjl3Jfu7AmsCPEP_D9iYVTkRbWh8CZ6D5Nv6kH2sno0CbTwh-ZqpscUVHUtoffb0G_fnu335pN/s1600/FB_MG_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8_-cODJSQDt_JB0A7dy0EibJwbm-YGzuKgCM5RhuPtMHMhM_EW9lwDXAhCTQpYFDBAjl3Jfu7AmsCPEP_D9iYVTkRbWh8CZ6D5Nv6kH2sno0CbTwh-ZqpscUVHUtoffb0G_fnu335pN/s400/FB_MG_1430.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">To make the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until homogenous.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the lemon juice and lemon oil.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGk9l_rsgBlbt9nV2bMm3OynhDYzUejQ-SN4iP7MeWWfeYPLe4eBYRB7Ai_yi3TkulHuTEbBkP27SpljWv-KzibGW-THDvZ_FZFr5nkP3uJOtFg_4kJktHLZAX6nocExGtNrgjyzrv5ce/s1600/FB_MG_9871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGk9l_rsgBlbt9nV2bMm3OynhDYzUejQ-SN4iP7MeWWfeYPLe4eBYRB7Ai_yi3TkulHuTEbBkP27SpljWv-KzibGW-THDvZ_FZFr5nkP3uJOtFg_4kJktHLZAX6nocExGtNrgjyzrv5ce/s400/FB_MG_9871.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
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</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Gradually add in the confectioner’s sugar, increasing the mixer speed. Beat until perfectly smooth.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QDzTiTf80zjb76Lwj_GuBgucMyJKgkCvNlx85AjXiH45J1hIqvz9nehZ_rl1tiRR_nQXCRMnzbiI0slQZ2n_stSk3g89yBOr5LbW9fE67MobYrekeX0Fy2ZDx7ThqiuUYGTlLIXyeoOk/s1600/FB_MG_9880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QDzTiTf80zjb76Lwj_GuBgucMyJKgkCvNlx85AjXiH45J1hIqvz9nehZ_rl1tiRR_nQXCRMnzbiI0slQZ2n_stSk3g89yBOr5LbW9fE67MobYrekeX0Fy2ZDx7ThqiuUYGTlLIXyeoOk/s320/FB_MG_9880.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">If desired, add in the blue food colouring – use gel colouring if possible to avoid liquefying the frosting (dip a toothpick in the colouring and swirl in the frosting, beat until the colour is uniform and repeat until desired hue is achieved – bearing in mind that blue frosting will darken even if refrigerated).</span></div></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Refrigerate the frosting for about 30mn before using. Sprinkle with the garnishes and refrigerate the cupcakes until about 30mn before serving.</span></div><br />
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</div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-16370641006821556022011-06-19T19:05:00.000+08:002011-06-19T19:05:57.320+08:00Maiden Voyage (Tania Aebi)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhrloxCBC0u17Oo9aBOY3wPeY47WeATV7K3I-9AuL7kMT0DUxMY2TutOha8QVS3MyI5aC4gx-TKU1FiNy7TZenhvvQ9LVaF2pMsdlhHnxMHhSgOrtZz_spLoXBVYDKLsLvTJpFAeYWprW/s1600/Maiden+Voyage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhrloxCBC0u17Oo9aBOY3wPeY47WeATV7K3I-9AuL7kMT0DUxMY2TutOha8QVS3MyI5aC4gx-TKU1FiNy7TZenhvvQ9LVaF2pMsdlhHnxMHhSgOrtZz_spLoXBVYDKLsLvTJpFAeYWprW/s320/Maiden+Voyage.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Troubled teen and school dropout Tania Aebi was 18 when she slipped the lines of her 26-foot sloop <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Varuna</i> off a New York dock and set out for a 2 and a half year round-the-world sailing trip. Maiden Voyage is her story - a true coming of age journey that would see her sail trough flat calms and monstrous storms, grow up into an entirely different person altogether and meet the man she will eventually marry. In turn heartbreaking or joyful, memories of childhood traumas, great personal losses and inspiring new friendships collide throughout the book, all contributing in their own particular way to the metamorphosis. Seeing the world through the eyes of this gutsy young lady certainly can readjust your perspective on life. A refreshing and most inspiring read.</span> </div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-76963916777164689222011-06-18T20:19:00.314+08:002011-06-22T21:17:03.247+08:00Standing on the shoulders of a giantEver since my first visit to <a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2011/03/weekend-lunch-club.html">Cepage</a> some three months ago, I had been looking forward to coming back. As Agent J is out of town on a secret mission involving deep-pan pizzas, Agent T and I decided to go for a long-awaited ladies' lunch. She was kind enough to treat me to lunch as a B-Day gift, and I cannot thank her enough for that :) This was the kind of meal where the food reduces the conversation level to grunts of happiness and where you want to run into the kitchen every 5 minutes to hug the Chef...<br />
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It turned out the Chef was out of town today but I had made this booking several weeks ago and he took extreme care to ensure we would be given a real taste of Cepage, and left instructions for the food that would be served, sparing us the impossible task of choosing between dozens of tantalizing dishes on the menu. This came as a surprise, as we had not let the restaurant know this was a special occasion, and we felt really spoilt that such great pains had been taken to make this lunch a memorable experience (we even thought at some point it was a case of mistaken identity...). I had been absolutely amazed the first time I ate here, today I was just blown away. The meal was absolutely perfect up to the tiniest details, from the service to the wonderful flavour pairings and utterly faultless execution of the dishes, to the amazing plating and the unbelievably knowledgeable dining room staff. <br />
I rarely walk out of a restaurant in such a state of contented bliss, and I happily admit my fault-finding can sometimes be exhausting - I just could not find anything to latch on today. Agent T and I were positively impressed by how knowledgeable the dining room staff was - starred chefs sometimes get completely <a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2011/06/creature-comforts-pet-hates.html">let down by their client-facing staff</a>, but at Cepage it is obvious that the dining room staff have a passion for fine food and a keen interest in the details. This alone is rare enough to deserve praise.<br />
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Another point that deserves praise is the unbelievably arty plating of the dishes. The Chef favours white plates, on which ephemeral designs are hand-painted, and the balanced and minimalist visual composition of the dishes, with its emphasis on certain lines and forms, reminds me of ikebana. Discreet Oriental influences are also present in the flavour pairings, and underneath the personality of this incredibly talented Chef, which shines in every dish, one can feel the spirit of his mentor (and <a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2010/09/joel_11.html">my hero</a>...) is still a source of inspiration. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SrfFCM_2-ef8igZgxC6aUu6UG5lHvTCP3hkQLeRk10Qw0o16SJ_C2wBqA3pZKugSoxvgjvWSfNpT-7drgOXmvpB4yt2NQ67JoEIJ6GFms39OB5MWV86HnfhvD1HxwklYtDazzhYIlo5v/s1600/FB_MG_1350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SrfFCM_2-ef8igZgxC6aUu6UG5lHvTCP3hkQLeRk10Qw0o16SJ_C2wBqA3pZKugSoxvgjvWSfNpT-7drgOXmvpB4yt2NQ67JoEIJ6GFms39OB5MWV86HnfhvD1HxwklYtDazzhYIlo5v/s400/FB_MG_1350.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting off with a drop of bubbly - Egly Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Surreal golden colour and crisp and floral on the palate. Excellent.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sc7BOQlwW3c5hhpon6VohEuxrXSCrzINWGP0bC8oh6pzWAztb0-O5vKYW7XVazyd1S3Yjn9xu0vOuRc8-4plIpAaqpsX7bcWGZ73QeGqcw9ByLWRXC5VY5UwlvddH697JZFHn14gRt6E/s1600/FB_MG_1351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sc7BOQlwW3c5hhpon6VohEuxrXSCrzINWGP0bC8oh6pzWAztb0-O5vKYW7XVazyd1S3Yjn9xu0vOuRc8-4plIpAaqpsX7bcWGZ73QeGqcw9ByLWRXC5VY5UwlvddH697JZFHn14gRt6E/s400/FB_MG_1351.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bread basket is one of the best in town, on par levels with Caprice and L'Atelier</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6P-tQp7tVHFoUmLpIZWpyn9lqMVs8mTyEq2VNNmRFC0TdUcywEVLzo6EcbcuQydo2qv-Lm73xjiGNBzMads8ZG4UC3XQ403IXdgEynNnyFZhuIzUS7CszIeU3eDbkBFp9uV7KGSH-WC3U/s1600/FB_MG_1357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6P-tQp7tVHFoUmLpIZWpyn9lqMVs8mTyEq2VNNmRFC0TdUcywEVLzo6EcbcuQydo2qv-Lm73xjiGNBzMads8ZG4UC3XQ403IXdgEynNnyFZhuIzUS7CszIeU3eDbkBFp9uV7KGSH-WC3U/s400/FB_MG_1357.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My pick for today: baguette, cheese bread and sourdough with raisins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The incredibly fluffy baguette deserves a special mention. The cheese bread was as good as could be, with a sizeable glob of fragrant cheese but yet still light in texture (it reminded me of a similar one at Robuchon a Galera a while ago) and the sourdough was just delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJVfTarrx2JFDU9qz-fDGRp-tmyHgzoZM7ChA_6MUm5ueyaY0gez-aAemT0u5ue1DmVJTA5zXQdJ6aM1TG_uQO2OGP4B1SGhaoqsfzjg7YJrKzM8VqXGui2thrK0fHysJqMitkIw-Ht8k/s1600/FB_MG_1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJVfTarrx2JFDU9qz-fDGRp-tmyHgzoZM7ChA_6MUm5ueyaY0gez-aAemT0u5ue1DmVJTA5zXQdJ6aM1TG_uQO2OGP4B1SGhaoqsfzjg7YJrKzM8VqXGui2thrK0fHysJqMitkIw-Ht8k/s400/FB_MG_1362.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse bouche - potato salad</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I loved it that this amazingly elaborate AB, with its expensive ingredients, was introduced to us with such an understated name... The potatoes (from the US - the name escapes me but maybe fingerlings?) were slightly above room temperature and perfectly fondant with a nutty taste, and came with a light mayonnaise sauce topping, capers, chives, smoked salmon, pickled onion, caviar and shiso flowers. At the center of the dish was a generous lump of caviar topped with a deliciously fragrant mix of fresh herbs. The plating was impossibly pretty, and the balance of flavours and textures was incredible. What an amazing start to the meal...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Langoustine dim sum</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Oh-my-gawd... where do I start?? Inside the relatively thin wrappers were succulent plump langoustines, cooked to perfection and garnished with a mix of fresh herbs (I detected chervil, dill, mint and flat parsley). Each dim sum was topped with a piece of the sweetest sea urchin and the plate was garnished with a creamy parmesan "foam" sauce which was admirably balanced so as to complement the other very delicate flavours on the plate. A few sprigs of chives completed the dish. Delicate and masterfully executed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qLIjTfxMOkdmQEhpJYfaVJSLSByHrKps7rFP3gSykRgF0HiFsnU1K08bEF4AegHYDvkrybR42D4Y820dvG9Ddqrs5QOrBkfjQKlQo8t22bcKE8GFHlTI5Dmcc_vGjHnuWUKicgYS_iju/s1600/FB_MG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qLIjTfxMOkdmQEhpJYfaVJSLSByHrKps7rFP3gSykRgF0HiFsnU1K08bEF4AegHYDvkrybR42D4Y820dvG9Ddqrs5QOrBkfjQKlQo8t22bcKE8GFHlTI5Dmcc_vGjHnuWUKicgYS_iju/s400/FB_MG_1376.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Scallops in seaweed butter</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">These giant scallops from Tasmania had nothing to envy to their Hokkaido cousins... The knowledgeable member of staff who introduced the dish informed us that these had been broiled under a salamander - where else have you heard dining room staff use this word !? The tender scallops were amazingly cooked, golden on the outside and still slightly translucent on the inside, and the seaweed butter sauce was generously sprinkled with crushed pink peppercorn and thinly chopped chives. I made a point of wiping every last drop of the warm buttery sauce with pieces of bread... and I probably licked my fingers in the process (before you ask, no, you can't take me anywhere lol).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Duck two ways</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I never order foie gras in restaurants, because for some reason I never expect to be overly impressed by a comfort food, and when I have a <em>rendez-vous</em> with the Stars, I prefer to go for more adventurous dishes... but this might very well change after today. This had to be the best foie gras I had in a very long time. The pairing with the ultra-tender and slightly gamey sous-vide breast was a match made in heaven. The plate was garnished with a similar mixture of fresh herbs as on the AB and which turned out to work amazingly well with this dish too... The daikon/foie medaillons on the sides were an interesting (and daring) flavour combination. What a gorgeously decadent dish!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcSklkuoLwF-v7anq7I5FYrTtB1-C8K6WGszqOQhPXpuWhrg6yXKWTYyEeVggj42pjcatUl4kt-3-lrWkKomyJZTdnObuBH_6VArobDKGR8AVkSGKHt5W_vE5CBrPizmMS4mU1Ix3E0rH/s1600/FB_MG_1393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcSklkuoLwF-v7anq7I5FYrTtB1-C8K6WGszqOQhPXpuWhrg6yXKWTYyEeVggj42pjcatUl4kt-3-lrWkKomyJZTdnObuBH_6VArobDKGR8AVkSGKHt5W_vE5CBrPizmMS4mU1Ix3E0rH/s400/FB_MG_1393.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serpolet (thyme) cr<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">ème br<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">ûlée and honey-roasted Provence apricots</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had had my eye on this dessert ever since it was added on the menu a couple of weeks ago, and it was just as brilliant as I expected. An amazingly creamy br<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">ûlée, lightly caramelized, topped with sweet roasted apricots and enhanced by the invigorating herbal aroma of the thyme. The mini mille-feuilles garnish was deliciously flaky, creamy and buttery. The incredibly cute plating is a winner too :)</span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfhIqhnH-O0gD6fxbJyrdzJq0snd69xpzjaUxRuq3ZDvjljbY9mqqYAvsv0U6IzwMcaxSPrEoWfPhMfbxeiptvx4W4wi_CCSvodugF8AOPEwVcu2oj01zzYQfdQHiFANKfUw44sSKb-6r/s1600/FB_MG_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfhIqhnH-O0gD6fxbJyrdzJq0snd69xpzjaUxRuq3ZDvjljbY9mqqYAvsv0U6IzwMcaxSPrEoWfPhMfbxeiptvx4W4wi_CCSvodugF8AOPEwVcu2oj01zzYQfdQHiFANKfUw44sSKb-6r/s400/FB_MG_1403.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Wild strawberry tart in a cup</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Strawberry coulis, vanilla custard, buttery biscuit crumbs, lime granit<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">é AND the star of the show... the French wild strawberry, finally in season! Fruity, fragrant and delicious. The lime granit<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">é</span> was just tart and citrussy enough to highlight the sweetness and the deep aroma of the strawberries without overpowering it, before the mellow vanilla notes of the custard hit the palate. A seemingly simple flavour pairing, extremely well balanced and remarkably well executed.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvFaNO55eM1HX5tTaY6arwRDp32H8ZEOzOsXdAqGBil0HJ7zcXytS7xZrcZGTKHbQrAg2K71UbsyFDkLfs70QyRuXZpIq0ckkjFpkRMvUELYArMzeN9sSnKvw_OeRPMiG6wb6AwPTWHYf/s1600/FB_MG_1404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvFaNO55eM1HX5tTaY6arwRDp32H8ZEOzOsXdAqGBil0HJ7zcXytS7xZrcZGTKHbQrAg2K71UbsyFDkLfs70QyRuXZpIq0ckkjFpkRMvUELYArMzeN9sSnKvw_OeRPMiG6wb6AwPTWHYf/s400/FB_MG_1404.JPG" width="273" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Petits-fours - from front to back: mulled wine jellies, vanilla marshmallow, pistacchio and almond macarons, chocolate and raspberry shortbreads</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I very distinctly remember being underwhelmed by the petits-fours on my first visit, but I am happy to report this was not the case today. These were on a completely different level. The mulled wine jellies were the only ones I recognised from my last meal here, and were still as good as I remembered. The other 3 were new to me. The marshmallows were packed with fragrant vanilla and had a light fluffy texture. The shortbreads were delicious, and the awesome chocolate cream that glued the raspberries on them deserves a special mention. The winner on this plate was the almond macaron - in these times on fancy-flavoured macarons, it is incredibly difficult to find a good, old-fashioned almond original, and this one was not only daringly classic, it was also absolutely perfect both in taste and texture; soft, sweet and roasted nutty flavours, and filled with an amazing almond buttercream. Wow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRUDazhL8-eBvdq03nt2AVSEf95-JqKcseJ57-Ux71fwEQchWzmzat19CbgF_u53asKy3YBuSj2EPMbNujObG5vVHHdurKC-eB9R8ACNsESFLEjV47S-Z49GLPEkeARXt-OnLy7BYQKR6/s1600/FB_MG_1409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="263" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRUDazhL8-eBvdq03nt2AVSEf95-JqKcseJ57-Ux71fwEQchWzmzat19CbgF_u53asKy3YBuSj2EPMbNujObG5vVHHdurKC-eB9R8ACNsESFLEjV47S-Z49GLPEkeARXt-OnLy7BYQKR6/s400/FB_MG_1409.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More petits-fours: mini <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">éclairs</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have to say I have a very classic taste when it comes to desserts, and these adorable </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">éclairs were right up my alley. The vanilla cream filling was gorgeous, and the choux pastry was unnaturally light and soft. I wish these came in adult size :)</span> </span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-90490905187025188362011-06-03T16:52:00.218+08:002011-06-04T20:30:08.451+08:00Creature comforts & pet hatesI had not had the opportunity to eat at Amber (7/F, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Queen's Road Central, HK) for a very long time, and could only jump at the occasion when a friend and fellow foodie suggested to have lunch there. This is one of my 3 favourite restaurants in Hong Kong (I leave you to guess which are the other 2) and over the years I have been consistently impressed by Chef Ekkebus' style. He got me at hello with a Dungeness crab ice cream a few years ago, and I have been a faithful returning customer ever since :)<br />
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Today the food was at its usual best and revealed some interesting, carefully researched and brilliantly executed flavour pairings. The service was a bit of a let down though... I cannot believe myself that I am writing this about a Michelin starred restaurant within the Mandarin Oriental group, which is (rightly) reputed for its smooth and faultless service the world over. So what was it today? New staff? Training issues? I am not sure exactly what the problem can be attributed to, but it certainly came as a bit of a shock. I have come to be extremely demanding with establishments of this standing, and I admit that my expectations are quite high, but frankly that was a first. That won't stop me returning though, even if I will be strongly expecting they got their act together next time...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbXQLIrZq-xsQEq1wSwYfDKm2ivciJkNdUvASZvDraFmkQRFM7dh7glnnby3Q4TJ5M4Tp-Kbzzr0wwKc_ES6ATCwRV2Bl6CUGGQMjG3FOlifhgaxODn1EKj2fnd5hiSHcqrkwcYq0ZHDh/s1600/FB_MG_1267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbXQLIrZq-xsQEq1wSwYfDKm2ivciJkNdUvASZvDraFmkQRFM7dh7glnnby3Q4TJ5M4Tp-Kbzzr0wwKc_ES6ATCwRV2Bl6CUGGQMjG3FOlifhgaxODn1EKj2fnd5hiSHcqrkwcYq0ZHDh/s400/FB_MG_1267.JPG" t8="true" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The flower displays at Amber are always quite spectacular... and so is the ceiling.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A healthy start to the meal - mixed fresh orange and carrot juice</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I liked the refined touch brought by the tiny slice of lemon peel on the rim of the glass. The crisp citrussy notes brough some interesting depth to the carrot and orange juices, which were quite sweet on the palate.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuH43qzT3ApzSg1fMNTbqLi_Hccys6WurMWHbHwDjfKcud0jHhJB_N8HQl1oPoONAw7d_2Vts9csmDUlfBgBuFO5RUEq6yKC46cVMkNYzVXgavSaWMISjXNVrq6ay0lciqUzIQT1K7O_z/s1600/FB_MG_1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuH43qzT3ApzSg1fMNTbqLi_Hccys6WurMWHbHwDjfKcud0jHhJB_N8HQl1oPoONAw7d_2Vts9csmDUlfBgBuFO5RUEq6yKC46cVMkNYzVXgavSaWMISjXNVrq6ay0lciqUzIQT1K7O_z/s400/FB_MG_1268.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aaaah... Amber's mini focaccias! As delightful as ever, with their tasty olives and a touch of thyme.</span></td></tr>
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One of us had brought a leftover bottle of delicious, sweet white wine which we had just started sipping when a waitress bounced out of nowhere and dropped a slice of lime in my water glass, which I promptly fished out with a grunt. She came back apologizing and whisked the damn thing away. What happened to asking !? Sorry but I expect waiting staff to know that any citrus in your glass will affect your ability to taste wine. I am already oenologically challenged, no need to make it more difficult for me, really...<br />
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Then another member of staff stopped by our table to explain some of the items on the menu... and I think my eyes might just have popped out of my head when he proceeded to declare that the Challans chicken on the menu came from Burgundy, as did the langoustine in the same dish. As far as I am aware, Challans is a protected "appellation" and is located in Vendée (i.e. a good 700km west of Burgundy), and if Burgundy certainly does have crayfish in its rivers, I am pretty sure all the said rivers are fresh water and a langoustine wouldn't really feel at home in them... I found this all the more unforgiveable that the member of staff in question was a fellow frog. Brilliant Chefs are let down by their dining room staff, this is not really news, and if I were them I would beat up the offenders with a rolling pin until they are able to recitate the origin and preparation of each and every single ingredient in all the dishes on the menu. Show some respect, people...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The foie gras lollipops, glazed in raspberry/beetroot jelly and decorated with a beetroot "chip" and a cinnamon crisp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tasty, creamy foie enlivened by the crisp fruitiness of the raspberry jelly. Always delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NjQ9NsAewLZrRvOd_Lay4jUh0Lk1fL4fzf0s-5F2a1UEDWo-wvff6BL_nQGO_Tsdh3kmpe7VHWv0SHeMD_8I0acv7gnDVqZYZaGv4WTf2osDnuykQrq4P-8OfSq9p7PqMgW5WLryfbmW/s1600/FB_MG_1276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NjQ9NsAewLZrRvOd_Lay4jUh0Lk1fL4fzf0s-5F2a1UEDWo-wvff6BL_nQGO_Tsdh3kmpe7VHWv0SHeMD_8I0acv7gnDVqZYZaGv4WTf2osDnuykQrq4P-8OfSq9p7PqMgW5WLryfbmW/s400/FB_MG_1276.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche - not sure what the name of this was, as the staff promptly dropped it on our table and ran away without a word of explanation (!?)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ok then, blind tasting it is... The glass cup contained some deliciously sweet, warm beetroot coulis, topped with a dollop of creamy Meaux mustard mousse. The vinegared spiciness of the mustard cut the sweetness of the beetroot and offered some interesting, contrasting flavours. The croquette in the coquetier at the back was crispy, warm and deliciously wrapped around a liquid center of tarragon mustard, perhaps with a touch of honey. Very, very nice.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QJuG3T_QY-ZmFq_eJ-uZCqom4MeyvNLrgocwkwc-FG3leeFJMil8k0dEyoJasq9Ccoas9Lm1tsimm3jsXlrh4K8tEMktExn9o_I-v52hyphenhyphenNv7oeoFDWMXgbkfvC-H_au4V874pZJi7KDF/s1600/FB_MG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QJuG3T_QY-ZmFq_eJ-uZCqom4MeyvNLrgocwkwc-FG3leeFJMil8k0dEyoJasq9Ccoas9Lm1tsimm3jsXlrh4K8tEMktExn9o_I-v52hyphenhyphenNv7oeoFDWMXgbkfvC-H_au4V874pZJi7KDF/s400/FB_MG_1284.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">ALC starter - Organic spring vegetables & wild mushrooms marinated ‘à la grecque’ with<br />
manni olive oil, fava bean purée & mint tea jell-O</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to make it to dessert so I opted for a light starter. The 2-tier presentation was a bit gimmicky but I very much enjoyed the work and thought put into making simple veggies interesting (always a bit of a challenge for a chef IMHO). Clearly the Chef had a lot of fun creating this dish - I loved the play on the textures of the veggies created with different preparations (some raw, some cooked, some marinated and almost pickled) and different slicing (paper-thin slices, whole beans, navettes of pickled zucchini). A few dollops of sweet almond cream on the plate brought some delicious nuttiness to the dressing. It was a veritable veggie party in a plate!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f8SfBFLLqNPcIp1fUPynSVapG5l8Skr_FaxYFbH4QcCqqeTRXRfaFdQUJHqDJRS_KxbxeqJAvv3gp7USr3q0ACE7Jx5F56zN7Uz8j_bk7QIBHf9r4WLQXK2l44TrgwE1Iw4H3APHboWx/s1600/FB_MG_1291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f8SfBFLLqNPcIp1fUPynSVapG5l8Skr_FaxYFbH4QcCqqeTRXRfaFdQUJHqDJRS_KxbxeqJAvv3gp7USr3q0ACE7Jx5F56zN7Uz8j_bk7QIBHf9r4WLQXK2l44TrgwE1Iw4H3APHboWx/s400/FB_MG_1291.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The lower plate contained a glazed fava bean purée decorated with fresh mint leaves and whole baby fava beans, on top of which a waiter dropped a couple of spoonfuls of slightly salty cucumber foam. Very "green" and fresh in taste and very delish.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2nBsTI5-2hfqzSvHnhupNViFLURHrcNLN_OR5ltBNyXxCeO6AaW79eF3Iqep7NVgNsVpauH2ULVeak3uihxGpf1prB7L4FDJEvKH2FAgRvBT4m2xekt1tnS3UwvC4Q1OA_KMl58Uit_K/s1600/FB_MG_1296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2nBsTI5-2hfqzSvHnhupNViFLURHrcNLN_OR5ltBNyXxCeO6AaW79eF3Iqep7NVgNsVpauH2ULVeak3uihxGpf1prB7L4FDJEvKH2FAgRvBT4m2xekt1tnS3UwvC4Q1OA_KMl58Uit_K/s400/FB_MG_1296.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">ALC main course: </span><span style="color: black;">lamb greffeuille triple-A</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">roasted loin wrapped in ramsons leaves, </span><span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: black;">confit of shoulder with smoked aubergine & ratatouille</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The loin was obviously sous-vide, cooked medium-rare (this is what the Chef recommends and I was happy to go with that) and wrapped in ramsons leaves, which gave it a very delicate garlic aroma. The "ratatouille" was in fact a brunoise of veggies on top of yummy aubergine caviar. The confit shoulder was spiced up by a delicate touch of curry, and the generously sauced-up plate was additionally decorated with an intensely green ramsons leaf puree and a dollop of sweet onion purée. Absolutely delicious. Comfort food at its best.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: #98634e;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">As I started to chomp on my lamb, a zealous waiter tried to remove my bread plate (again, without asking...), which prompted yet another grunt on my part (on account of a full mouth) and he finally proceeded to send more bread over. Now tell me people - why the heck would you think that someone would leave all that delicious jus on their plate and not want to mop it clean ?? At this point I had become frankly annoyed by the waiting staff's poor performance.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNcvBfmQ_VyY3IazyLRyTjc3v5WGoFlk6wdBhhQsC0AIoMtipVC53ueTgii0Su1clHJ503ezivDCLKp9c9icDDiOC3J3f1iIYNMpnZrOujJMfTCGC-4CJErbtghthRfXNZTGtpseu-WUz/s1600/FB_MG_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNcvBfmQ_VyY3IazyLRyTjc3v5WGoFlk6wdBhhQsC0AIoMtipVC53ueTgii0Su1clHJ503ezivDCLKp9c9icDDiOC3J3f1iIYNMpnZrOujJMfTCGC-4CJErbtghthRfXNZTGtpseu-WUz/s400/FB_MG_1312.JPG" t8="true" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pre-dessert teaser: coconut ice cream dipped in dark chocolate with almond slivers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Always a welcome treat.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We then ordered dessert and coffee, and for some reason coffee was served before dessert (!?) but the petits-fours were despatched after we had finished our desserts (and coffees). Sigh...<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK6mLeYqFAEXjlqGPqNBtvbJQfYXLtmSVGAjr_3T-rz4b3zcZrMfiEMZm_SdYUpgKVX073_glUPP8ePfgOHZ0r5zGgscWwhrqXgQG8H8uJqlfDmHqYJt9a1WyLBS6IwTLZAv4CJYcaj1H/s1600/FB_MG_1321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK6mLeYqFAEXjlqGPqNBtvbJQfYXLtmSVGAjr_3T-rz4b3zcZrMfiEMZm_SdYUpgKVX073_glUPP8ePfgOHZ0r5zGgscWwhrqXgQG8H8uJqlfDmHqYJt9a1WyLBS6IwTLZAv4CJYcaj1H/s400/FB_MG_1321.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gariguette strawberries - in a sorbet and freshly sliced over Napoleon cream</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The sorbet was very fruity and absolutely delicious, but I found the biscuit crumbs at the bottom very distracting and unnecessary. The fresh, clean flavours of these rare strawberries really didn't need any additional sweet and buttery crunchiness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I am not entirely sure how a "Napoleon" cream is made (for all I could taste, it was like a very light chiboust cream with lots of fragrant vanilla seeds) but this was without contest the best vanilla cream I had in a long time. The texture was just heavenly and the sweet, creamy vanilla taste was a perfect complement for the fragrant strawberries, which still had a bit of acidity. Under the cream and on top of it was a tasty strawberry jelly, and on top of the strawberry slices was a strawberry mousse sprinkled with tiny bits of freeze-dried strawberry and topped with a strawberry juice "crisp". This was a very elaborate dessert with many textures and a very interesting work of various degrees of "strawberriness". A very delish variation on a strawberry :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>As usual, we ended the meal with some incredibly pretty and no less delicious petits-fours:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLKDXvcpdspihqUrSYGJaYLWL4UnUEKnggw_rXOSxGfMJ0sfmD9bKd8ScqqkeSzRxtRADGtKnGr_UFT425X3nau6Bd-xD2YUY7I1fjC8ItBL9xI3zAlWrMyF8ePWGu6qhCSvP7wGYr2M-/s1600/FB_MG_1327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLKDXvcpdspihqUrSYGJaYLWL4UnUEKnggw_rXOSxGfMJ0sfmD9bKd8ScqqkeSzRxtRADGtKnGr_UFT425X3nau6Bd-xD2YUY7I1fjC8ItBL9xI3zAlWrMyF8ePWGu6qhCSvP7wGYr2M-/s400/FB_MG_1327.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chocolate madeleines - the chocolate disk was "glued" to the madeleine using chocolate flavoured whipped sour cream, which was a nice touch. I wish the chocolate was more intense in the madeleine, but it was probably meant to be eaten together with its little cap rather than deconstructed as I did.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The small golden cakes were packed with shredded coconut and dipped in dark chocolate, which reminded me of the much bigger, pyramidal "Congolais" cakes I used to get from my neighbourhood bakery as a kid. Hello memory lane...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLq2q-xYvWLbC4Y_ePAJK5k9BZy0lqP4X1aLPvj3vsyvS4QaXqifPIpr_BgHEbp4K8qxwzVmpXGAcob1PqmJsj8uxeZnTWtmNzgceBT3ae9F4dfbPI1VZg4AV3RlOjqzqBQ0Tb7UqWmk_/s1600/FB_MG_1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLq2q-xYvWLbC4Y_ePAJK5k9BZy0lqP4X1aLPvj3vsyvS4QaXqifPIpr_BgHEbp4K8qxwzVmpXGAcob1PqmJsj8uxeZnTWtmNzgceBT3ae9F4dfbPI1VZg4AV3RlOjqzqBQ0Tb7UqWmk_/s400/FB_MG_1334.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Honey and passion fruit caramels (with edible wrappers) - these were absolutely awesome, with just the right sweet/tart balance. The PC used acacia honey (we asked...) which was pretty floral and added some complexity to the fruit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The macarons were nice in texture but a bit weak taste-wise (we did not manage to identify the mystery berry).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUqxg17lrEfdor-u0QIHcbj26jIpYyXDBgIievauKTwsW1f2UZCb_a_974MPS9-1EoUhDAEBYkuG60RRCgAuMKJEmjMaNDLTt38YPUtKDn9UBwyMjogIXsLqIsrSCY6tz-52w0bFNB0pr/s1600/FB_MG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUqxg17lrEfdor-u0QIHcbj26jIpYyXDBgIievauKTwsW1f2UZCb_a_974MPS9-1EoUhDAEBYkuG60RRCgAuMKJEmjMaNDLTt38YPUtKDn9UBwyMjogIXsLqIsrSCY6tz-52w0bFNB0pr/s400/FB_MG_1339.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lemon tarts - awesome pastry crust, deliciously tart lemon curd and topped with a tiny white (coloured...) chocolate disk. Gorgeous.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Calissons with orange blossom water - more gorgeousness. Pleanty of nutty flavour from the almonds and a very floral nose. Yum!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-90479327841563595032011-05-28T23:52:00.108+08:002011-05-29T17:56:21.184+08:00Seasonal highlightsI have been raving about Caprice (6/F Four Seasons Hotel, Central, Hong Kong) to a lot of my friends, and despite this, Agent J from the J&T Special Unit had resisted for the best part of a year paying his respects to this temple of fine French food... well tonight that was about to change, as Agent T managed to lure him in on account of having out-of-town guests to honour. I think it won't take too long for him to book his next lunch there ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNBONkyEec709kzrTEzKgxr90bb_fFeta17uicVt6yh-pN5TDnikmllMbh2aEAdmzfKjycYMKUS3EO41_imYE-dbqiSYVy9m_vY8EBijrRcWkL3swF5mVD74L9Us4m-okq8jh84hdrnI/s1600/FB_MG_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNBONkyEec709kzrTEzKgxr90bb_fFeta17uicVt6yh-pN5TDnikmllMbh2aEAdmzfKjycYMKUS3EO41_imYE-dbqiSYVy9m_vY8EBijrRcWkL3swF5mVD74L9Us4m-okq8jh84hdrnI/s400/FB_MG_1224.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In season: green Vaucluse asparagus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
As usual, Chef Vincent's very fine cuisine triggered bouts of ecstatic grunting around the table and the service was absolutely impeccable, even if none of the restaurant manager or his trustworthy second-in-command were in sight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L7WNzmNMXaFopuSefwCmOKEDFwz1Hz6UG-5x-piZINfzPafWrYXAoALK7BviBK3gvkoiraTjz258AuOex77j4FJrsJ3DXvr2_AfaFRZD6Voa4NoV3fSMx24kBgmmRv1vWAVlzMHqe2OO/s1600/FB_MG_1216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L7WNzmNMXaFopuSefwCmOKEDFwz1Hz6UG-5x-piZINfzPafWrYXAoALK7BviBK3gvkoiraTjz258AuOex77j4FJrsJ3DXvr2_AfaFRZD6Voa4NoV3fSMx24kBgmmRv1vWAVlzMHqe2OO/s400/FB_MG_1216.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: mini-brioches with garlic & spinach and cauliflower mousse</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Still as nice as last time and unfortunately still a one-bite affair :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n5_71FQVg9tpdgvOXR_aY1uR05WS6HiyIWmGB-8IyhgfdjbwFTeWaSDLmNIAHD7zLPcoVFxlHxphGLQcdjxwWKYx0L08NYm5iwwa2eM4ygN_gUeLXS2phI3GQWxkaYBkLf9pEiYEqbvt/s1600/FB_MG_1219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n5_71FQVg9tpdgvOXR_aY1uR05WS6HiyIWmGB-8IyhgfdjbwFTeWaSDLmNIAHD7zLPcoVFxlHxphGLQcdjxwWKYx0L08NYm5iwwa2eM4ygN_gUeLXS2phI3GQWxkaYBkLf9pEiYEqbvt/s400/FB_MG_1219.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baby baguette and sesame roll</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">No introductions needed for these classics. The roll was at its usual buttery and nutty best, and the baguette was a very welcome vessel to carry a load of Bordier butter.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVImbOUDbfAkSoio_AiDvC62-Q2mZIpQr9PTitzlHWmUhjUEMTvMNr68dRMQCX-9s_sBjOwcwch5unblj02lCUEEmR4HSTDxhoFz-ULhaeqEXnpFhcO_IsxdTS-zJgiwq88SeTD4tfr63X/s1600/FB_MG_1223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVImbOUDbfAkSoio_AiDvC62-Q2mZIpQr9PTitzlHWmUhjUEMTvMNr68dRMQCX-9s_sBjOwcwch5unblj02lCUEEmR4HSTDxhoFz-ULhaeqEXnpFhcO_IsxdTS-zJgiwq88SeTD4tfr63X/s400/FB_MG_1223.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: bouillabaisse jelly, codfish brandade mousse, seasonal vegetables, shellfish coulis</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lots of marine flavours here, all brought together by a delicate spice touch and rounded up by cream. Delicious.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNBONkyEec709kzrTEzKgxr90bb_fFeta17uicVt6yh-pN5TDnikmllMbh2aEAdmzfKjycYMKUS3EO41_imYE-dbqiSYVy9m_vY8EBijrRcWkL3swF5mVD74L9Us4m-okq8jh84hdrnI/s1600/FB_MG_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaNBONkyEec709kzrTEzKgxr90bb_fFeta17uicVt6yh-pN5TDnikmllMbh2aEAdmzfKjycYMKUS3EO41_imYE-dbqiSYVy9m_vY8EBijrRcWkL3swF5mVD74L9Us4m-okq8jh84hdrnI/s400/FB_MG_1224.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vaucluse Green Asparagus with Wild Salmon Tarama, Sour Cream Blinis and Dill Pesto</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A truly gorgeous light starter, full of seasonal flavours. The asparagus were very tasty and fondant, and paired very nicely with the mild and creamy tarama and the delicious smoked salmon strips. Tiny blinis with cream and a single salmon egg completed the gorgeous plating, together with a few drops of an amazingly intense dill coulis. Very pretty and equally delicious. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAN0Eer1c33kW7hBbDkAVWp5Ma6rrnqBAyoi3t__pIZY_puX9uj8McKNBx65GaaEO5Z9zwICST1DovmVsUtQmeAS-Yw_4X3CcG116KQiHrE-SYgVIbGjk4vGC3M8zMgZn2_Ue1ig-NSkLn/s1600/FB_MG_1235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAN0Eer1c33kW7hBbDkAVWp5Ma6rrnqBAyoi3t__pIZY_puX9uj8McKNBx65GaaEO5Z9zwICST1DovmVsUtQmeAS-Yw_4X3CcG116KQiHrE-SYgVIbGjk4vGC3M8zMgZn2_Ue1ig-NSkLn/s400/FB_MG_1235.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Atlantic Sea Bream with Marine Crushed Potato, Pork Knuckle Andouillette and Red Wine Sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This dish got me at hello... did you say red wine sauce with fish!? The sea bream was firm as it should be and cooked to my liking. The bed of crushed potatoes was tossed with seaweed (and what I thought was a very light touch of Meaux mustard) and the flavours worked just perfectly with the fruity and slightly acidic wine reduction. The pork knuckle andouillette was deliciously full of pigginess, which added even more umami to the dish. The slice of andouillette came topped with an unannounced (and IMHO unnecessary) cooked oyster, which was so bitter I could not even finish it. Even if it has been more palatable, this additional briney note would have sort of thrown off the delicate balance of flavours in the dish, and I am glad I tried the shellfish on its own rather than waste a mouthful of this otherwise awsome dish.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYupilIMCNde2dckO-Y76uNElp9B6sXp-gJ2ae5HR8WNqTK9ZwdqjBEmHbkLsTTR8WlGpGKLfqJlGLlm2qDZL27A3xYWTW6BcX72CablFmGAlXRu4M3WNpNEBgocaGe8abLGARxpMutTVf/s1600/FB_MG_1241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYupilIMCNde2dckO-Y76uNElp9B6sXp-gJ2ae5HR8WNqTK9ZwdqjBEmHbkLsTTR8WlGpGKLfqJlGLlm2qDZL27A3xYWTW6BcX72CablFmGAlXRu4M3WNpNEBgocaGe8abLGARxpMutTVf/s400/FB_MG_1241.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cheese board... always a feast for the eyes and the palate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I know better than to order dessert here now... I would therefore allocate precious stomach space and calories to cheese - my selection today would include Chaource, Brin d'Amour, coulommiers, roquefort, comté 4 years, </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">époisses and a couple of excellent runny goat cheeses I should have noted down.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9YBZ7lEBVHUZZ6yumxPwZwf4ccoSk1ZvLmmZznr46rVyoLaNmjDmYB_kj21kmYKHUz7m0xa87pqu-OiYk8fbpGaMAxB0l3W2lMiV0GCOfMH7d-fPhq4OhoTZFCR9Mhjm4roW_c5kJ-yd/s1600/FB_MG_1248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9YBZ7lEBVHUZZ6yumxPwZwf4ccoSk1ZvLmmZznr46rVyoLaNmjDmYB_kj21kmYKHUz7m0xa87pqu-OiYk8fbpGaMAxB0l3W2lMiV0GCOfMH7d-fPhq4OhoTZFCR9Mhjm4roW_c5kJ-yd/s400/FB_MG_1248.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Entremets: not quite sure what the exact name was, but it was like a deconstruction of a meringue lemon pie. Not a bad idea per se, but as usual with this PC I was in fault-finding mode the second this turned up on our table. The meringue sprinkles were slightly citrussy and the crunchy texture quite nice, as was the ice cream, which was very thick and was presented to us as almond. To me it tasted more of marzipan with bitter almond than simply almonds, and also had some very tiny pieces of candied citrus rind, which cut the sweetness of the marzipan and was a very nice touch. The disappointing part was the biscuit crumbs at the bottom. While the texture was pretty nice (a bit too hard maybe...) and the taste buttery, the flavour felt overall very flat and should have been enhanced with more amonds (or even vanilla). It bugged me for a good 2 hours after leaving the restaurant before I finally figured out what was really amiss - not enough salt in the dough!! That's what it was... It takes just a pinch to bring out the flavors, and the omission here really weakened an otherwise decent pudding.</span></td></tr>
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It's very sad, I can't even be bothered to shoot the petits fours anymore... *YAWN*The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-54897025927284420422011-05-27T23:41:00.038+08:002011-06-03T22:04:56.601+08:00Retour à la Cuisine de TimAfter my first amazing experience at <a href="http://residentfroggie.blogspot.com/2010/10/la-cuisine-de-tim.html">Tim's Kitchen</a> (84-90 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, HK) last year, I was very happy to be able to join a dinner organised by a friend for her out-of-town guests. As there was more than 10 of us in attendance, we were able to order many dishes and get a good sampling of the Chef's skills. It was mostly gweilos around the table (one of them vegetarian), so the ordering veered on the safe side of the menu, but the food was absolutely delicious throughout, better than I remembered even (if that is possible...) and the service was remarkably attentive and efficient (rare enough to be mentioned, particularly as far as Cantonese restaurants are concerned). I will definitely be looking forward to my next visit as soon as snake soup is in season again... <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf128tzP6FAjzPau3juhfNiZ5JvJL9rR8EuoHMoY2NC6aVFcplilo0J-P881zGXIfFdzxI-UWHyJpu-_4qUpZQm2KeVmWrC0qPNoYCcMtQR48cMcof0uy4gAErjd7cqoPAEaS-MgDWn-qf/s1600/FB_MG_1152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf128tzP6FAjzPau3juhfNiZ5JvJL9rR8EuoHMoY2NC6aVFcplilo0J-P881zGXIfFdzxI-UWHyJpu-_4qUpZQm2KeVmWrC0qPNoYCcMtQR48cMcof0uy4gAErjd7cqoPAEaS-MgDWn-qf/s400/FB_MG_1152.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preserved eggs</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">These were as good as I remembered - perfectly gooey and smooth yolk, and of course plenty of ammonia. I normally never do this, as they are quite filling, but tonight I decided to have a second helping :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCot6vy4gPxlR8W1jc6Bl1863-TYg9p31skqi4EHB51ZhWNtvP8QjD4j-1ccKt1IU3KGrGpSswYtKkKNv5EwwaYmzyMUUnsJoDI3c0YHGXD_zibsV36-O8dPk0kN-iD0uQ8gb_bAWJuiY/s1600/FB_MG_1154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCot6vy4gPxlR8W1jc6Bl1863-TYg9p31skqi4EHB51ZhWNtvP8QjD4j-1ccKt1IU3KGrGpSswYtKkKNv5EwwaYmzyMUUnsJoDI3c0YHGXD_zibsV36-O8dPk0kN-iD0uQ8gb_bAWJuiY/s400/FB_MG_1154.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Honey glazed roasted pork</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I joked with a fellow diner that for once it was good to see char siu that does not glow in the dark... The nice caramel brown colour revealed plenty of sweet flavours and the meat was tender and juicy without being overly fatty. Very good.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrv976JhWTlgtkV5FpFW3ONJMBiHbKjnXkAzV64yYYG6m1O5thd2ZGxCWh7lyZ1nup1a_1_ZkqVFlhQMlYokSX76ZPP6vmgAogL6MqZ1-3vjogpCWw6XTjCO2rrwB7o4__nzjl5GjpiNXC/s1600/FB_MG_1157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrv976JhWTlgtkV5FpFW3ONJMBiHbKjnXkAzV64yYYG6m1O5thd2ZGxCWh7lyZ1nup1a_1_ZkqVFlhQMlYokSX76ZPP6vmgAogL6MqZ1-3vjogpCWw6XTjCO2rrwB7o4__nzjl5GjpiNXC/s400/FB_MG_1157.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Roasted pork</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Served with its traditional mustard dip. The skin was nice and crispy, but the meat was a bit too fatty for my taste. The flavours were excellent though.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNCV8_G-BY5VDruILxZPID0QtxU7lW7RT52aWPjt4QRcUgjpJw9TveSNM2x_4uaq56ei7I0y_qUq-0gN4OSWIfsQcGR5fuvJ3pqQsviCla0-PP4XToCs9aA9BNigFvyWYUu7PlIDMp2sp/s1600/FB_MG_1162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNCV8_G-BY5VDruILxZPID0QtxU7lW7RT52aWPjt4QRcUgjpJw9TveSNM2x_4uaq56ei7I0y_qUq-0gN4OSWIfsQcGR5fuvJ3pqQsviCla0-PP4XToCs9aA9BNigFvyWYUu7PlIDMp2sp/s400/FB_MG_1162.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried giant glass prawn</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I rarely try to impose my way on group dinners, but tonight I did insist we order this. I think some of the diners might have missed the point of this understated dish, but the spectacular prawn certainly did earn a few points with others. The peanut oil flavour was less present this time, but the dish was still amazingly delicious. The prawn was firm and cooked to perfection, and its sweet and delicate flavour was brilliantly complemented by the yunnan ham-infused glaze.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6ENrT2sSt9qX3o6vxYX7wlajmjR-xXFTCKDK6wx-jQaZWIeNtfBLCA9l0_e0_OXdsWp7_25joYvdXyRMi1L97nJiEhLGGs6YEAwyGvUTOwcB3jMHBVCQjb2xoby7D3WhZETUATlxv1sg/s1600/FB_MG_1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6ENrT2sSt9qX3o6vxYX7wlajmjR-xXFTCKDK6wx-jQaZWIeNtfBLCA9l0_e0_OXdsWp7_25joYvdXyRMi1L97nJiEhLGGs6YEAwyGvUTOwcB3jMHBVCQjb2xoby7D3WhZETUATlxv1sg/s400/FB_MG_1165.JPG" t8="true" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Braised whole crab claw with winter melon</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Another dish I suggested we order... this had to be the biggest crab claw I had seen in a very long time! It was just enormous. Expertly deshelled and cooked to perfection. The melon starchy glaze was delicately flavoured with ham, and the execution of the dish was just absolutely flawless. Wow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEXjGAyU1XVceeTt-OgNywqu9M2SxVZyVr72zXDdE35UxmaWvvpcidZomX-zahprDgzdI_t67DkCoxzqrTiOlVg0Ijt3jmEuDYnyshY5rgAiYrCkBrMgfsxcYHpwDg3qgJKw7c36SoDGe/s1600/FB_MG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEXjGAyU1XVceeTt-OgNywqu9M2SxVZyVr72zXDdE35UxmaWvvpcidZomX-zahprDgzdI_t67DkCoxzqrTiOlVg0Ijt3jmEuDYnyshY5rgAiYrCkBrMgfsxcYHpwDg3qgJKw7c36SoDGe/s400/FB_MG_1169.JPG" t8="true" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now tell me... what kind of person orders 3 sorts of chilli sauce in a Cantonese restaurant, exactly??</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Answer: a Singaporean :o)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seasonal soup with pork and lotus root</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A cloudy soup with mild and slightly sweet flavours. Very nice.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaryfHwBE3plI4rsBgOYs1SyOPR1tENf7Ts__Uine0j4U2pcDSw83-xgM17UdDx_6QHp97YAQG_HnfjvG0cuARoc3QJHZIhNyJTU6vFcJeJvjK8vl-5iaGVy_zBiKiueqow2eulp_Eq_3/s1600/FB_MG_1172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaryfHwBE3plI4rsBgOYs1SyOPR1tENf7Ts__Uine0j4U2pcDSw83-xgM17UdDx_6QHp97YAQG_HnfjvG0cuARoc3QJHZIhNyJTU6vFcJeJvjK8vl-5iaGVy_zBiKiueqow2eulp_Eq_3/s400/FB_MG_1172.JPG" t8="true" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The soup ingredients - lotus root, pork belly and a mysterious rhizome...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pomelo skin with shrimp roe</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I think my insistence to order this dish proved a bit too adventurous for quite a few of my fellow diners... oh well, more for me then :) I had to stop the waitress in her tracks before she proceeded to massacre it with a spoon in order to be able to shoot the thing whole ...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTI0pqePG59lEnY9xEnYOegjrIPIyueNHIkxpbMqyJn-cjzBMyFZmvI5s1WJXz71yeiq1wzBMmQS3X7IFVfUGAiJu_c13CHCRId4OgfEhLnyV9HBW5mgHySiyoVm0kG4nXNROzMFk5gSG/s1600/FB_MG_1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTI0pqePG59lEnY9xEnYOegjrIPIyueNHIkxpbMqyJn-cjzBMyFZmvI5s1WJXz71yeiq1wzBMmQS3X7IFVfUGAiJu_c13CHCRId4OgfEhLnyV9HBW5mgHySiyoVm0kG4nXNROzMFk5gSG/s400/FB_MG_1189.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hello yummy, come see mommy... :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxHizoJUCd5ovqjwT4U9oecKl-3PGOB9p2MlQKMNadUkcQZ3jpOiYaRQ2_Z2rDHgP-kEY2cMA03vkkEkl31ElM7u3BLodMFMoMKHRhObiJOs7GZJ5qIMt3uqto1DJlDZVDpFvd1TDwZZb/s1600/FB_MG_1186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxHizoJUCd5ovqjwT4U9oecKl-3PGOB9p2MlQKMNadUkcQZ3jpOiYaRQ2_Z2rDHgP-kEY2cMA03vkkEkl31ElM7u3BLodMFMoMKHRhObiJOs7GZJ5qIMt3uqto1DJlDZVDpFvd1TDwZZb/s400/FB_MG_1186.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried scallops with vegetables</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nice flavours and good execution but nothing too adventurous here...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilij_oUxRjzGGyVCNUG1hFRpRWYW-xS8H7zSbIBA4arG341ukefp8GkZ8n7x3aQoBGbEClXDCkcRytpUlr7mtZV19LRbiO-9iHs4R0fO-dKFRIPG5BSE7RhEYGX2niq76sKnvPj5jfY_gU/s1600/FB_MG_1194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilij_oUxRjzGGyVCNUG1hFRpRWYW-xS8H7zSbIBA4arG341ukefp8GkZ8n7x3aQoBGbEClXDCkcRytpUlr7mtZV19LRbiO-9iHs4R0fO-dKFRIPG5BSE7RhEYGX2niq76sKnvPj5jfY_gU/s400/FB_MG_1194.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried Australian beef with asparagus</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I found the asparagus interestingly astringent, almost bitter, which paired nicely with the sweet and slightly fatty beef. The meat was tender and juicy. Not an overly original dish but very well executed with nice, clean flavours.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV0-w_QhNrsqGw8uRq5tRqXqh8Xy0xxr7-L1ghoB_S7LnjFSVGrJXODqkThVfr3X3GGOLlY33WzSYO5nAf13k3tAHF7gzo3lM1Vd3gbeWD-u67UIKh8YlHJcfPCLVdwy7m7AVqNRnCQ56/s1600/FB_MG_1198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV0-w_QhNrsqGw8uRq5tRqXqh8Xy0xxr7-L1ghoB_S7LnjFSVGrJXODqkThVfr3X3GGOLlY33WzSYO5nAf13k3tAHF7gzo3lM1Vd3gbeWD-u67UIKh8YlHJcfPCLVdwy7m7AVqNRnCQ56/s400/FB_MG_1198.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Roasted chicken</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Perfectly brined, with an awesome crispy skin, and plenty of wing tips for me to munch on :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnalRMlUASCXO7onHh3glqgTkYLIQlpxtHy4N0HJuVApdf8L8A9ZEgUZ6p9MFWhxuA20w8ZRuG8D3OB-yf9tsRfqj6fgLi3P4g8DNnXqcZNVyP9QE7ZqOltb-pb_hVIWFJhXgwQLKqDko/s1600/FB_MG_1203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnalRMlUASCXO7onHh3glqgTkYLIQlpxtHy4N0HJuVApdf8L8A9ZEgUZ6p9MFWhxuA20w8ZRuG8D3OB-yf9tsRfqj6fgLi3P4g8DNnXqcZNVyP9QE7ZqOltb-pb_hVIWFJhXgwQLKqDko/s400/FB_MG_1203.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Egg white in tomato sauce</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This was one of the few dishes we ordered for our veggie guest, and it was surprisingly good. The tomato sauce was very fruity (think - like a good passata), slightly thickened with cornstarch and veering on the sweet and sour with a nice onion kick. This dish paired deliciously with the fried rice...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tXZRJi1bF7vCyF4P_M3Sg_z44iaDdNdyKPoqESOpud9vQBNRdZdqwtldL7E7vRGO52dDteMKq_OSwtqPTr09eaLb6kRlvk6lPQ0d4OfKfcgB9xDCtjL_wIqeUHcgYYc2eNq7DO__7mj7/s1600/FB_MG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tXZRJi1bF7vCyF4P_M3Sg_z44iaDdNdyKPoqESOpud9vQBNRdZdqwtldL7E7vRGO52dDteMKq_OSwtqPTr09eaLb6kRlvk6lPQ0d4OfKfcgB9xDCtjL_wIqeUHcgYYc2eNq7DO__7mj7/s400/FB_MG_1205.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fried rice with egg white and scallions</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Firm grains, neatly separating, not too oily and with nice texture from the egg white and flavour from the scallion. Pretty nicely done.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtkramjwRHF62StLumS74XRTux8-sLsCk_Y8l8775BNTjLsmC-H8FoZoeZBOrQp1VojkmAXxO7IOX-b3yZL9-iz5pABJ2hMQRqX3mndeN40FwjVtvLis3a7NBzm2-9cpmVWO2uhNDdvs-/s1600/FB_MG_1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtkramjwRHF62StLumS74XRTux8-sLsCk_Y8l8775BNTjLsmC-H8FoZoeZBOrQp1VojkmAXxO7IOX-b3yZL9-iz5pABJ2hMQRqX3mndeN40FwjVtvLis3a7NBzm2-9cpmVWO2uhNDdvs-/s400/FB_MG_1207.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried Chinese lettuce with fermented bean paste</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This veggie is normally stir-fried with shrimp paste, and was surprisingly good. The fermented bean sauce was very flavourful.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3cYwXW5rHvwlrE9ib1BsftE45c15Fj1rpBjGHF530ym7JCYvxDMgV556PzLW07_xrYQr1VnSqaITmrxyqI71Nk0oie2zOKiu2V_V85fd3y2NeF6mGQDJIbE3zohpdp7EnNUKg_Nzcn2O/s1600/FB_MG_1209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3cYwXW5rHvwlrE9ib1BsftE45c15Fj1rpBjGHF530ym7JCYvxDMgV556PzLW07_xrYQr1VnSqaITmrxyqI71Nk0oie2zOKiu2V_V85fd3y2NeF6mGQDJIbE3zohpdp7EnNUKg_Nzcn2O/s400/FB_MG_1209.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spicy deep-fried tofu</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I love deep fried tofu, and this version was particularly yummy, all the more so once smothered with the Sriracha sauce we asked for earlier (as the spiciness of the tofu itself was, in true Cantonese fashion, quite mild).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
With such a feast, there was no hope of even attempting to squeeze dessert in, and we gently rolled back home.The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-4906212560092377862011-05-26T23:27:00.061+08:002011-05-29T11:36:39.748+08:00Part of your 5-a-dayEver since I first paid a visit to b.a.r. Executive bar (27/F Bartlock Centre, 3 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay), I had been obsessed with returning to this amazing Japanese bar. The place is the sushi bar equivalent of a booze joint - not many seats around the room, and you definitely want to grab a stool at the bar, as it is where the show is. The Japanese cocktail master who officiates in the place certainly has some of the most entertaining shaker skills I have ever seen. We tried counting his moves and failed...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpI6-3_3AOK21pEF_0Duhl1VXSQoiSpEOAe8J3-vX0_i47fzkX5umE_F1ee5y0JFKCFynU6BMZMXCvSW2owUqrUg3Yas8mBuZ6PpbMNcGvryAZcUklndWaMERoHxF1IMDw1TeAQyiRC7U/s1600/FB_MG_1145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpI6-3_3AOK21pEF_0Duhl1VXSQoiSpEOAe8J3-vX0_i47fzkX5umE_F1ee5y0JFKCFynU6BMZMXCvSW2owUqrUg3Yas8mBuZ6PpbMNcGvryAZcUklndWaMERoHxF1IMDw1TeAQyiRC7U/s400/FB_MG_1145.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fresh Apricot with apricot brandy</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We decided to start the evening with a few bites of Japanese food, just to cushion the blow, as last time Peech and I came to this bar...errrr... well I can't exactly remember what happened. You get my point. We decided to pay a visit to one of his favourite Japanese haunts (Irori, 2/F Bartlock Centre, 3 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay), which happens to be conveniently located a few floors below the bar.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm47M6ozd4QVxyaACIvzgAIno9nWdYxPVauBugTrsTVaa0OiYIPfpQuuWVfXQasi63ytBojTayWjIgP0hG2ZuucuM4yfRJb9_T4tQIdVmusWqmTv33MFGaNShXOW58mV2zlBTA2pl26cPr/s1600/FB_MG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm47M6ozd4QVxyaACIvzgAIno9nWdYxPVauBugTrsTVaa0OiYIPfpQuuWVfXQasi63ytBojTayWjIgP0hG2ZuucuM4yfRJb9_T4tQIdVmusWqmTv33MFGaNShXOW58mV2zlBTA2pl26cPr/s400/FB_MG_1125.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Japanese tomato in sesame citrus sauce</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A fleshy and fruity Japanese tomato, nicely firm to the bite, generously dressed up with a deliciously nutty and citrussy, creamy sauce. The balance of flavours was perfect.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVfM3SYe9TISM6YAOHqvN3iXbZHvlxupJJGYOOLvKqUZx4qXiAdpoQGW87V8K5NpLjOli_MSfZYeNQmGZqpjNMiBRgmmFVGD94fZA3g8Ble61QdqlNj835jHpFbShKOj7kz-rXKtQLRFG/s1600/FB_MG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVfM3SYe9TISM6YAOHqvN3iXbZHvlxupJJGYOOLvKqUZx4qXiAdpoQGW87V8K5NpLjOli_MSfZYeNQmGZqpjNMiBRgmmFVGD94fZA3g8Ble61QdqlNj835jHpFbShKOj7kz-rXKtQLRFG/s400/FB_MG_1127.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Japanese white corn</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">These delicious kernels are in season again. They are traditionally eaten raw, and are so sweet the sugars actually start to ferment inside the kernels, adding a nice kick. Simple and beautiful.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1KU7vGSUQZGeYN6OJyBSreJl7szf5gm_8bZfEeWZbUCCdEDeTvgH6PBXn7_HYbBjwv8Mea0gYoGmP57j-hS1xfTrVLXxWcuPjS_kTfhiC4McC2varv0j64xv6JLokes9vqB56cXJ2Udb/s1600/FB_MG_1128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1KU7vGSUQZGeYN6OJyBSreJl7szf5gm_8bZfEeWZbUCCdEDeTvgH6PBXn7_HYbBjwv8Mea0gYoGmP57j-hS1xfTrVLXxWcuPjS_kTfhiC4McC2varv0j64xv6JLokes9vqB56cXJ2Udb/s400/FB_MG_1128.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grilled ox tongue with spring onion</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Slightly firm to the bite, packed with that delicious umami only grilled meat has, and nicely complemented by the slightly astringent taste of the onions, which cut down the fattiness. Delicious and very nicely done.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgB0DyUti540AaTXOvD-nGDORcvB-HVE3LLteK9owI0dZsBf8YvrSxmajzFGuHqrS7LIxMpdg9WsOpKitwtzfjg-zGoHoeaGNNkrCD-UMrNZBK_S-OBo-Gbvu_zaNDadEve4oVhOZv0Kl/s1600/FB_MG_1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgB0DyUti540AaTXOvD-nGDORcvB-HVE3LLteK9owI0dZsBf8YvrSxmajzFGuHqrS7LIxMpdg9WsOpKitwtzfjg-zGoHoeaGNNkrCD-UMrNZBK_S-OBo-Gbvu_zaNDadEve4oVhOZv0Kl/s400/FB_MG_1134.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Firefly squid</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I love the firm and slightly chewy texture of squid. These lil' babies were full of sea flavours and came with a delicious white miso dip.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPXzF4RdYXSEQLGaE1TbHdgi_JUppFgaINYwecqji8X-4pSt9jwQtL0LbHXa9rMzFFol9A0Irx3oa3yGG91iZ-cmwPFldySsw7Uay7HtiqT0Iak23onW-MXCyq_DLws45R1WqZbjFp0wm/s1600/FB_MG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPXzF4RdYXSEQLGaE1TbHdgi_JUppFgaINYwecqji8X-4pSt9jwQtL0LbHXa9rMzFFol9A0Irx3oa3yGG91iZ-cmwPFldySsw7Uay7HtiqT0Iak23onW-MXCyq_DLws45R1WqZbjFp0wm/s400/FB_MG_1137.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Striped jack</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The slices were cut quite thick, which really brought out the delicate flavours of the fish. The fish was of course impeccably fresh.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxZfLKYn2k0cYKJ-kdItlafuJ-zCQdq82Q4k_N7yepcHecvUXV6IySA1i9GVX69gLOCZ-YGC069n0Kr8QBM7m_wp0yHpFJaLXLSLFwpEPrfBRKmsuKeid_iQLW6VByalXiJDxaHp24Omz/s1600/FB_MG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxZfLKYn2k0cYKJ-kdItlafuJ-zCQdq82Q4k_N7yepcHecvUXV6IySA1i9GVX69gLOCZ-YGC069n0Kr8QBM7m_wp0yHpFJaLXLSLFwpEPrfBRKmsuKeid_iQLW6VByalXiJDxaHp24Omz/s400/FB_MG_1139.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir-fried burdock with chicken</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A nice flavour combination - slightly astringent burdock, nutty sesame oil, fruity shredded carrot and tasty sliced chicken. Very nice.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> At this point I was feeling very full, and it was time to move a few floors up to get a liquid dessert... On top of his amazing shaker-twirling skills, the cocktail-sensei at Executive bar has an exceptional flair for flavour pairings, and uses fresh fruits in a lot of his cocktails; when entering the room, one is always greeted by an overflowing plate of fresh fruits to pick from, which will be paired on the spot with whatever he feels you should drink... I like to think that there are no to identical cocktails made from the same fruit in this place, which is probably not strictly true, but one has to admire the care put in their preparation. Depending on your choice, the fruit will be peeled, deseeded, squeezed, crushed, mixed and finally blended and shaken-shaken-shaken before ending up in your glass. The alcohol content feels deceptively discreet, and it is very easy to have 5 too many of these delicious concoctions. Tonight, we would stay in the safety zone and settle for 3 cocktails only, followed by a whisky (as it turns out the place also has an extensive offering of very fine cask nectars...)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1H6OQCQeBPE4wJcLApskQWVtOemnoMp_y3Wq_hG2GUZx3Kck6CjmmScuuKfl5GpS9b2QhuyL-H9FKaW-MaUQxjqE9JRpglN5FV7Ar6386z2nnP1vw9GZR3rr6fJDbNOkexp9Nj7jIaxT/s1600/IMG_0645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1H6OQCQeBPE4wJcLApskQWVtOemnoMp_y3Wq_hG2GUZx3Kck6CjmmScuuKfl5GpS9b2QhuyL-H9FKaW-MaUQxjqE9JRpglN5FV7Ar6386z2nnP1vw9GZR3rr6fJDbNOkexp9Nj7jIaxT/s400/IMG_0645.jpg" t8="true" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fresh Apricot with apricot brandy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6oCgOZhgfpJlVjG-8xS-wbcycyMfdQJSl_8-1qRwN398As_R-SIh8iRFMYthKlqweGlYmiSDF6IjUZMYgLXaCs2wPbRNcNv2eP7tYRiEZ3xXGqxhR3LXD7Jtw4HOkY4HsQfJuV1iWOeD/s1600/IMG_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6oCgOZhgfpJlVjG-8xS-wbcycyMfdQJSl_8-1qRwN398As_R-SIh8iRFMYthKlqweGlYmiSDF6IjUZMYgLXaCs2wPbRNcNv2eP7tYRiEZ3xXGqxhR3LXD7Jtw4HOkY4HsQfJuV1iWOeD/s400/IMG_0646.jpg" t8="true" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fresh Asian pear and bacardi</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0L2faXaprAlN4JSt__GfBzlnMiqK68tw9s9GfHxHRF6JJkZ9c6Y3TWzlLp7dS2L2yAR33GRbH4jrNSxgW-Re737xnOvx4XLCgdK00fDRjt-OZFPBnY7zJYKQSs3giCbBB542OV8QhOKM/s1600/IMG_0647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0L2faXaprAlN4JSt__GfBzlnMiqK68tw9s9GfHxHRF6JJkZ9c6Y3TWzlLp7dS2L2yAR33GRbH4jrNSxgW-Re737xnOvx4XLCgdK00fDRjt-OZFPBnY7zJYKQSs3giCbBB542OV8QhOKM/s400/IMG_0647.jpg" t8="true" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fresh Japanese melon and bacardi</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgCspLXeI2JrtJZ2Kmr5sioXEokn0SP4SFMUjUvSwMCW67RjFWflTnvErrfSmKdqd7_QcWRY_vSECN7uDbGntc92Yi8Me4NgoZy35jqA4_s6uy9wseuTIFbHPD0kxnsUbQTv1iDxBXnQT/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgCspLXeI2JrtJZ2Kmr5sioXEokn0SP4SFMUjUvSwMCW67RjFWflTnvErrfSmKdqd7_QcWRY_vSECN7uDbGntc92Yi8Me4NgoZy35jqA4_s6uy9wseuTIFbHPD0kxnsUbQTv1iDxBXnQT/s400/IMG_0649.JPG" t8="true" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nightcap for grownups - Suntory Hibiki 21 years</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I never used to like whisky so much until I tasted my first sip of the Japanese's take at this beverage - always very round and sweet, they drink very nicely. Note the hand-carved ice ball in the glass...</span></td></tr>
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It was then time to go home and I proudly stumbled out of the bar walking (almost...) in a straight line ;)The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-85213957238600735332011-05-07T20:45:00.180+08:002011-05-08T22:42:53.516+08:00Meet The Man Who Fed Me ParsleyI hate parsley - that's my number one pet hate when it comes to food. This evil, curly little green thing can ruin a whole dish for me. Well today actually it didn't, and that is probably a first ever. Not that my palate is changing, no... it think it may actually all be down to the skill (the word I really want to use here is genius...) of the Chef. For the first time, I get to try a dish where parsley actually blends in with the flavours rather than clash with everything else on the plate and fight for domination... I was privileged today to have lunch at Gaddi's (1/F The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong). This venerable institution, all heavy velvet curtains, ankle-deep carpets and shiny brass door knobs that is The Peninsula hosts a couple of very fine restaurants, and this is one of them. Gaddi's is old fashioned as only a serious timeless classic can be, and in its kitchen Chef David Goodridge makes wonders happen...<br />
Fellow foodie Sunday Driver being a VIP here, she organised lunch at the Chef's Table for us; while the rest of the party splurged on an offal feast, I stayed in the comfort zone and ordered from the seasonal menu. I had long wanted to come to Gaddi's - I walked in excited, I walked out in awe...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o2a20begMnP0aPKFVs6lmkbAUQp6m4ttF2jNrK8GsHiTVEFU91dBopmf62UalY0J5hiuc_qJOXjIeBVEYuMcxkx2uzgKVVFmQSrcaYG2uBpsWRvqipcUOuoO3k_9NHL0LRKNrv319rGP/s1600/FB_MG_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o2a20begMnP0aPKFVs6lmkbAUQp6m4ttF2jNrK8GsHiTVEFU91dBopmf62UalY0J5hiuc_qJOXjIeBVEYuMcxkx2uzgKVVFmQSrcaYG2uBpsWRvqipcUOuoO3k_9NHL0LRKNrv319rGP/s400/FB_MG_1032.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: black olive and anchovy crostini, cheese feuilleté, cheese and black pepper roll</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">All served warm. Delicious feuilletage, tasty cheese and slightly pungent anchovies. Homely yet refined.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ4TnuzfF5LYWrZh7q6IUnM5k5wAU2HLc-IU9t0i15b52gWO5_9WApUGnuViDwyAaTdDK014Kea_CgFqsTDcorKzqx-4E01BYQfLj8tYsc6U6iiE6Bve_ffQ9tlXNIjHBrTDe6qxZYVZh/s1600/FB_MG_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ4TnuzfF5LYWrZh7q6IUnM5k5wAU2HLc-IU9t0i15b52gWO5_9WApUGnuViDwyAaTdDK014Kea_CgFqsTDcorKzqx-4E01BYQfLj8tYsc6U6iiE6Bve_ffQ9tlXNIjHBrTDe6qxZYVZh/s400/FB_MG_1036.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Echiré butter - What do you mean, it's not Bordier??</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I highly respect you, Chef Goodridge, for not succumbing to the Bordier fad in town. And also for remaining off the Michelin map...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuK7KXxjzKrylbfLGgim0webjVlI6m15xCoDkeJjrsiOUGjW0vpTwnXw6KpwEeban75Wj889RukzgjW6t7RhiyQEuc0-VDowSD678TUoFkLVd7PvbjJhFbnx5WA6ZqinvjJbwqKuyeQpE/s1600/FB_MG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuK7KXxjzKrylbfLGgim0webjVlI6m15xCoDkeJjrsiOUGjW0vpTwnXw6KpwEeban75Wj889RukzgjW6t7RhiyQEuc0-VDowSD678TUoFkLVd7PvbjJhFbnx5WA6ZqinvjJbwqKuyeQpE/s400/FB_MG_1038.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know a good bread basket when I see one... (cheese croissants, whole wheat and raisins, </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">épi baguettes)</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Bok-2l4vN-v8Oyi1MZ9X0zDviZtm7J7Y5g1pzjN1uroRy_YAD3iJSHm8AnLoa8bO4JNIRPFWO6w-KE-mwvEOGAWv9emSDaett7azcb7zfcHlDG8khryqqJplhI-eZ6IXlJ-EcXDMkl3t/s1600/FB_MG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Bok-2l4vN-v8Oyi1MZ9X0zDviZtm7J7Y5g1pzjN1uroRy_YAD3iJSHm8AnLoa8bO4JNIRPFWO6w-KE-mwvEOGAWv9emSDaett7azcb7zfcHlDG8khryqqJplhI-eZ6IXlJ-EcXDMkl3t/s400/FB_MG_1040.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The perfect épi baguette - crispy without being hard at the tips. Impressed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuE9yJZ3wTR7ew7iHkgZPDd1fHRssX2bHOLHfPZC2A4xEyTKwP_SnhSW6lIFrD1StbJtacdZqGEFERwLVZO5PwauCSLfxr0McauiV-965pBJArWA13juSU_Kf5bn8-piduHe2jirBpmb1/s1600/FB_MG_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuE9yJZ3wTR7ew7iHkgZPDd1fHRssX2bHOLHfPZC2A4xEyTKwP_SnhSW6lIFrD1StbJtacdZqGEFERwLVZO5PwauCSLfxr0McauiV-965pBJArWA13juSU_Kf5bn8-piduHe2jirBpmb1/s400/FB_MG_1048.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amuse-bouche: Colchester oyster sashimi, rose champagne mousse, pink grapefruit granité and Oscietra caviar</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">When the staff presented the dish, I was a bit incredulous. Very daring flavour pairings here, I thought, this is never going to work... turns out, it did work. This was absolutely amazing. The fruity bitterness of the grapefruit granité echoed the delicate bitterness of the fatty oyster, and the slightly sweet champagne mousse added sparkling and mildly astringent notes, elegantly complemented by the salty caviar. A revelation.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaxBPmma9UGVxyO4lbnwEoQI5Uoey3-lRtBcbN1kYHCNhyphenhyphenV0lGGOIXvCxKLdm6yOU3y-c8VZOCa_mwUSGBW5X89NBpInsfda8ImZf8NYOedGU-xpCzpZ4Bvh21wyi4eCyuSv2kCcw0In0/s1600/FB_MG_1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaxBPmma9UGVxyO4lbnwEoQI5Uoey3-lRtBcbN1kYHCNhyphenhyphenV0lGGOIXvCxKLdm6yOU3y-c8VZOCa_mwUSGBW5X89NBpInsfda8ImZf8NYOedGU-xpCzpZ4Bvh21wyi4eCyuSv2kCcw0In0/s400/FB_MG_1058.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gratinated white asparagus with morel foam</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Asparagus as still in season for a short while, so I wanted to grab some before they disappeared for another long year... these chubby specimen where extremely tender for their size - I cut through them like butter, not a string in sight. They were also extremely fragrant and tasty, and had been gratinated under a morel-encrusted cheese blanket. Some delicious buttered spinach topping and a supremely yummy morel foam finished the dish. Solid, almost rustic flavours, perfectly paired and balanced, and impeccable execution. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHAGxnkBL-NN205UqMKrBWRNBTibbcX3aoyi2tzi8C2UNb8m32n48odJe0mb0phxMo11DtJJjMk_8e4KentQHmZzkgKMUghVvF1iOymZarmzmUHxE8WTASwU0AbNJ5fwVI_ozzf9GC-UY/s1600/FB_MG_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHAGxnkBL-NN205UqMKrBWRNBTibbcX3aoyi2tzi8C2UNb8m32n48odJe0mb0phxMo11DtJJjMk_8e4KentQHmZzkgKMUghVvF1iOymZarmzmUHxE8WTASwU0AbNJ5fwVI_ozzf9GC-UY/s400/FB_MG_1071.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Old fashioned, I said...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ffi8BIwh9bKJZV6vHLw6AvdBTgZkoVm6VQRY3E1O9vZ92BV1okFERR1H2ZwgLzHS_Vt2e7u63fnMcHHSbyGQTyLPPl1IELh7Pwf2O80ZNg-igJEH8rJ86RSNFg3lvYR7QzqXWYswKUa3/s1600/FB_MG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ffi8BIwh9bKJZV6vHLw6AvdBTgZkoVm6VQRY3E1O9vZ92BV1okFERR1H2ZwgLzHS_Vt2e7u63fnMcHHSbyGQTyLPPl1IELh7Pwf2O80ZNg-igJEH8rJ86RSNFg3lvYR7QzqXWYswKUa3/s400/FB_MG_1072.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baby lamb 3 ways with seasonal vegetables and morel cream sauce</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Also in season for a few more weeks, baby spring lamb. This one came from the Pyrénées region of France (the mountainous region at the Spanish border) and was succulent. The loin was cooked sous-vide, medium as requested and perfectly pink. The fatty belly had been braised and was gently caramelised, and the oh-so-tender chop came with a gremolata-like parsley topping that was actually quite delicious. A whole roasted garlic clove, steamed white asparagus and some minted crushed green peas topped with a gorgeous morel cream sauce finished the dish. Unreservedly awesome.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDV-qxaLF6P0h5FSLKHQc345MaJ7eQEylm7KDfReQPMxDFFhzrUyr9J11b8KvRSSrEdoaU8slqSKfHOZwaTvy7PL8klm2Eax2a1_v30QxEARAUkSgpQ82WaTZYeMSmmGdwW6fqDRps7vjI/s1600/FB_MG_1079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDV-qxaLF6P0h5FSLKHQc345MaJ7eQEylm7KDfReQPMxDFFhzrUyr9J11b8KvRSSrEdoaU8slqSKfHOZwaTvy7PL8klm2Eax2a1_v30QxEARAUkSgpQ82WaTZYeMSmmGdwW6fqDRps7vjI/s400/FB_MG_1079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Side dish for the lamb: potato gratin with parmesan</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sweet, fondant potatoes under a buttery and cheesy crust of slightly pungent cheese... what's there not to love?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIZB53xWJYYOxyjP6jOSPgX-wAIN7TUH70uXmu1O9sruTVfbX25gRvONHunUvfOqeH8VykKSofsAdawaJ108BVMHtm8wN-ofaTFKgDU9wSk9_ec9e-_euEtKSlLzCQqEHvvW8rDHmZQ7z/s1600/FB_MG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIZB53xWJYYOxyjP6jOSPgX-wAIN7TUH70uXmu1O9sruTVfbX25gRvONHunUvfOqeH8VykKSofsAdawaJ108BVMHtm8wN-ofaTFKgDU9wSk9_ec9e-_euEtKSlLzCQqEHvvW8rDHmZQ7z/s400/FB_MG_1089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pre-dessert: Cavaillon melon and champagne</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Chef Ludo's touch on the desserts shows immediately to the trained eye - Caprice never really replaced him and we still miss him sorely everytime we go back. It's melon season again so PCs all over town are dusting off their cuillères parisiennes and scooping like there's no tomorrow... add a spakling champagne and melon juice jus, a quenelle of vanilla ice cream and a croustillant of buttery caramel and hazelnuts and you have one of Chef Ludo's signature fruity and delightful desserts. I can't wait for apricot season to see what delicacies he will treat us to this year :-)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qfSgzBpp_Ox1qQU01RHJUplScYIIMQ62FA4u7cyFMZCbdfVsSm_mqvFYAyDMb5kNfSKt3mRo2ROUvMJldc3CL47wgX1JSoYKulzqk1gqjculOoeCj_ggi12pwUCszTrY3QlbdMcEAuY-/s1600/FB_MG_1092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qfSgzBpp_Ox1qQU01RHJUplScYIIMQ62FA4u7cyFMZCbdfVsSm_mqvFYAyDMb5kNfSKt3mRo2ROUvMJldc3CL47wgX1JSoYKulzqk1gqjculOoeCj_ggi12pwUCszTrY3QlbdMcEAuY-/s400/FB_MG_1092.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">More Chef Ludo at work - Layers of strawberries with coconut and mascarpone</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now that's what I call a dessert with the "oh la la" factor... and Chef Ludo is going molecular!! The white sphere are the forefront was a thin white chocolate shell filled with yoghurt ice cream, and a strawberry sphere was hiding behing the biscuit... the swiss cheese-like slice is white chocolate and the cake itself was a light coconut meringue biscuit topped with mascarpone mousse, strawberry jelly and wild strawberries. Light, fruity and delicate. So enlightened, so Ludo :-)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqs8slVXp0CWRWJ034F6UyaVI5OiWtVElxX_E4tmbHZsf8Bou4L_pkZeMhheyV-WxpLAWaIqTvsCqXQNdTkJo2jtnFxHaDULuERXytG2v1BfkxARI_u0Zysm2eZUO7nfmrStjI8SACsze/s1600/FB_MG_1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqs8slVXp0CWRWJ034F6UyaVI5OiWtVElxX_E4tmbHZsf8Bou4L_pkZeMhheyV-WxpLAWaIqTvsCqXQNdTkJo2jtnFxHaDULuERXytG2v1BfkxARI_u0Zysm2eZUO7nfmrStjI8SACsze/s400/FB_MG_1105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Petits-fours galore: financiers, passion fruit tarts, chocolate-coated caramel slices, fondants</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Classic flavours, outstanding execution - butter, butter, butter!!. God I missed you, Chef Ludo!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-41124581559935385432011-05-07T19:07:00.001+08:002011-06-19T19:08:40.465+08:00In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4dbCRXVvxYcIvPe3YlA-ZiqD3AHe-rjMAk5MYYRih6AdtRTdQW30-Rsr-1jtmfLNyUkhz6jMWO8fL5p-PA6W9_51YBau6mPH6xzzwrtJll_YhcVmj9TINuhmfZYXRaYlWbaWUiO0Jgrm/s1600/In+Defense+of+Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4dbCRXVvxYcIvPe3YlA-ZiqD3AHe-rjMAk5MYYRih6AdtRTdQW30-Rsr-1jtmfLNyUkhz6jMWO8fL5p-PA6W9_51YBau6mPH6xzzwrtJll_YhcVmj9TINuhmfZYXRaYlWbaWUiO0Jgrm/s320/In+Defense+of+Food.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Here I am, reviewing yet another book by Michael Pollan… what can I say? It is urgent to read Pollan. If one of his books replaced each sugary snack sold in vending machines in US schools, the world would be a better place (and it wouldn’t be such a silly place to start, when one knows the correlation between sugar-laden diets, hyperactivity in children and teen violence). In this Eater’s Manifesto, the ever sharp minded Pollan sets to debunk quite a few dietary fads of the past 70 years or so, and defines a seemingly simple, common-sense approach to food: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. It will surprise a lot of his readers, but the vast majority of the new products that flock the aisles of the average supermarket each year do not deserve to be labelled as food. From the widespread use of chemicals and sweeteners, to bogus health claims and nutritionist myths, Pollan addresses all the contradictions of the modern food industry and its collusion with Big Pharma, and advocates a return to simple, portion-controlled meals. Easier said than done, in a world where the safety of the food chain has been compromised to a point that one can now die from EHEC-contaminated beansprouts. If Pollan’s material covers mostly US sources, his conclusions can be extended to many a modern society. Anyone with a sincere interest in their, and the planet’s, long term health should read Pollan. </div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-33590339519923043202011-05-02T19:39:00.042+08:002011-05-08T19:57:44.753+08:00The best egg tart this side of LisbonTucked away in a back alley, just around the corner from Hotel Sintra and a stone's throw from the Grand Lisboa Hotel, is a little corner of paradise... Margaret's Cafe e Nata (Margaret's Coffee and Cream in Portuguese). This modest establishment makes just about the best egg tarts (pasteis de nata) in the whole of Macau and Hong Kong. I am a firm believer in the superiority of the Macanese/Portuguese egg tart over its Chinese sibling (sorry, Chris...), and when I cannot trek over to Macau, I get my fix from Lord Stow's Bakery (G/F Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay, HK). But Margaret's golden delicacies are on a whole different level. From the buttery and incredibly light and flaky pastry to the heavenly vanilla egg custard, every detail will let you know that the owner of this joint has spent the best part of the last 20 years or so bringing its recipe to absolute perfection. The place also sells a mean iced coffee (the strong instant coffee and condensed milk version) that helps the treats glide down, and some yummy-looking sarnies. Finding a seat is almost impossible as the place is packed from dawn til dusk and queues frequently extend a dozen or so metres outside the door, so ask for a takeaway box. The friendly staff is helpful and speaks excellent English.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hello babies, come to mama...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Find me if you can... (Gum Loi Building, Rua Almirante Costa Cabral, Macau)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhPFqvZnpI_VvZmqrGehnfFBnbuNgaqV7TfrY5jPAJj6fTqQhyXKrfzhYGqcWQuv7UGVT4swEmckCQUJ3VD-N7LsMiwwd9AEQkpEOuwnvn2DuNgfNpE4nJl7AzWThI1vCRnnpQvlc3BE-/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhPFqvZnpI_VvZmqrGehnfFBnbuNgaqV7TfrY5jPAJj6fTqQhyXKrfzhYGqcWQuv7UGVT4swEmckCQUJ3VD-N7LsMiwwd9AEQkpEOuwnvn2DuNgfNpE4nJl7AzWThI1vCRnnpQvlc3BE-/s400/photo3.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The crust don't lie... just look at that swirl!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2J54-XpO_ITXBeao3NsEA5MR6QhvHkZOPvhISvhnHP6LJaZ21ucnknoA8fCjHPZvdIov7JF-EZG5CworRBIT3dwsQrAcjDOzvslsOP6nqVj2I50-kStmcw8ayqVhJF_DMvIkGB7kbOaz/s1600/photo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2J54-XpO_ITXBeao3NsEA5MR6QhvHkZOPvhISvhnHP6LJaZ21ucnknoA8fCjHPZvdIov7JF-EZG5CworRBIT3dwsQrAcjDOzvslsOP6nqVj2I50-kStmcw8ayqVhJF_DMvIkGB7kbOaz/s400/photo4.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Creamy and eggy custard</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-49527199160351967992011-05-01T19:06:00.008+08:002011-05-08T19:14:48.425+08:00Froggie does Nam - Part 3d: bananas in coconut milk<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #254e00; font-family: Verdana;">After exploring with a couple of Vietnamese recipes earlier this year, I decided to invite a couple of friends over today and cook up a storm: a whole Vietnamese meal in 4 dishes. I love the vibrant colours and fresh flavours of Vietnamese food, and in this Part 3 I will explore the full spectrum, from seafood to desserts via a hearty pork stew. My dear friend Em (whose dad is originally from Vietnam) and the usual suspects J&T were my faithful guinea pigs, and we spent yet another chilled Sunday afternoon on my grass green Ikea carpet, getting (mildly) intoxicated and talking about the state of the world... Have a look at parts 3a/b/c for the other recipes and pictures. Bon app</span><span style="color: #254e00;">étit!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #254e00;">Finishing the meal on a sweet note with this fragrant and creamy recipe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><span style="color: #254e00;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">Bananas in coconut milk (serves 4)</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">500ml water</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">200ml cream of coconut</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 tbsp vanilla essence or 1 pandan leaf, knotted</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">75gr sugar or gula melaka</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">¼ tsp salt</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">75gr sago pearls</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">8 fr</span>é<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">cinette bananas (or small Thai bananas), peeled and cut in 2cm pieces</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 tbsp pan-roasted white sesame seeds</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Optional:</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> if using vanilla extract, add 1 tbsp dark rum</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In a large saucepan, mix the water, coconut cream, sugar, salt and pandan or vanilla essence.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Bring to a boil, add the sago pearls and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sago is half-cooked.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the bananas, and simmer uncovered for another 5 to 7 minutes, intul the sago is cooked and the bananas are soft.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Serve hot or cold in individual bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMspST81KCs04GzG1Bajfy4LbpfuwGGyo_hW9N3hQ3H0n3f0y2-rhANCqMJr79oeHEza3PKsdOP1UrWit1WGK22OmbyIMfvoBoyEli1qoEM7MA2a_5wboBjzirIzx-Pi_NmWGaZ48nChyphenhypheno/s1600/FB_MG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMspST81KCs04GzG1Bajfy4LbpfuwGGyo_hW9N3hQ3H0n3f0y2-rhANCqMJr79oeHEza3PKsdOP1UrWit1WGK22OmbyIMfvoBoyEli1qoEM7MA2a_5wboBjzirIzx-Pi_NmWGaZ48nChyphenhypheno/s400/FB_MG_1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></span>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-77428604624368525432011-05-01T18:57:00.002+08:002011-05-08T19:04:59.818+08:00Froggie does Nam - Part 3c: Pork stew with deep-fried tofu<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #254e00;">After exploring with a couple of Vietnamese recipes earlier this year, I decided to invite a couple of friends over today and cook up a storm: a whole Vietnamese meal in 4 dishes. I love the vibrant colours and fresh flavours of Vietnamese food, and in this Part 3 I will explore the full spectrum, from seafood to desserts via a hearty pork stew. My dear friend Em (whose dad is originally from Vietnam) and the usual suspects J&T were my faithful guinea pigs, and we spent yet another chilled Sunday afternoon on my grass green Ikea carpet, getting (mildly) intoxicated and talking about the state of the world... Have a look at parts 3a/b/d for the other recipes and pictures. Bon app</span><span style="color: #254e00;">étit!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #254e00;">***</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #254e00;">This recipe is actually a rearranged mash from a sweet beef and carrot stew and a pork and hard-boiled eggs stew. The chilli dosage yields a mildly spicy dish and can be changed to taste.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">Pork stew with deep-fried tofu (serves 6)</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">1kg boneless pork (preferably shin and fillet), cut in 2cm cubes</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 cloves garlic, thinly minced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 shallots, thinly sliced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 carrot, diced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">150gr black fungus, sliced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">250gr fried tofu cubes</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 tbsp peanut oil</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 star anise</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">3 cloves</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 tsp freshly ground black pepper</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 small cinnamon sticks</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">3 tbsp rock sugar</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 tbsp fish sauce</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 tbsp soy sauce</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">4 tbsp clear Chinese rice wine</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">500ml water</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Heat the oil in a cocotte, add the garlic, shallots and chillies and stir-fry for a few minutes, until fragrant and translucent.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the black pepper, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and carrot, stir-fry a few more minutes until fragrant.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the water, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine and rock sugar and bring to a boil.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the meat and tofu, stir well, cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the meat is tender.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Serve with plain steamed rice.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-17343091991872604422011-05-01T18:33:00.013+08:002011-05-08T18:56:21.379+08:00Froggie does Nam - Part 3b: crabmeat omelette<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #254e00;">After exploring with a couple of Vietnamese recipes earlier this year, I decided to invite a couple of friends over today and cook up a storm: a whole Vietnamese meal in 4 dishes. I love the vibrant colours and fresh flavours of Vietnamese food, and in this Part 3 I will explore the full spectrum, from seafood to desserts via a hearty pork stew. My dear friend Em (whose dad is originally from Vietnam) and the usual suspects J&T were my faithful guinea pigs, and we spent yet another chilled Sunday afternoon on my grass green Ikea carpet, getting (mildly) intoxicated and talking about the state of the world... Have a look at parts 3a/c/d for the other recipes and pictures. Bon app</span><span style="color: #254e00;">étit!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #254e00;">***</span><br />
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<span style="color: #254e00;">This simple and hearty dish, full of fresh herbal flavours and crabby sweetness, has always been one of my favourite home-style Vietnamese dishes. Very easy to make and truly comforting food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crabmeat omelette - cubed and ready to serve</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGcL0_n4I07kkfcaRUIkESqzAlSrVDljEh5zyTzIwSAe6oriP8bwRzfxkrgw5fH2pVpnDYAdwi57GO6o6u65TI23xxxPZqPtJZBEQIjwrcge-P0mTRtZBBsA7NVtc-cM-xfasHfKC_-Aw/s1600/FB_MG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGcL0_n4I07kkfcaRUIkESqzAlSrVDljEh5zyTzIwSAe6oriP8bwRzfxkrgw5fH2pVpnDYAdwi57GO6o6u65TI23xxxPZqPtJZBEQIjwrcge-P0mTRtZBBsA7NVtc-cM-xfasHfKC_-Aw/s400/FB_MG_0977.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Canadian snow-crab legs & clusters (from frozen) - flash-poached and deshelled</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg4rqUeV4ttsThlBEF3bYbC9KT1-H1-UUJCiQ0UFS0cqen4uPrZAoGP0oztlSeFNxj0-dU4vug7mLI56jWA9ra7kxG5BUAewgIxAbTT7HnatkiCX1VMIArHU2gNCKvyjvPMOo83gqK2AO/s1600/FB_MG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg4rqUeV4ttsThlBEF3bYbC9KT1-H1-UUJCiQ0UFS0cqen4uPrZAoGP0oztlSeFNxj0-dU4vug7mLI56jWA9ra7kxG5BUAewgIxAbTT7HnatkiCX1VMIArHU2gNCKvyjvPMOo83gqK2AO/s400/FB_MG_0982.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crabmeat omelette - cooking</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">Vietnamese crabmeat omelette (serves 4)</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">3 tbsp peanut oil</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">3 small shallots, thinly minced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">150gr cooked crabmeat</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">6 eggs</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">2 tsp fish sauce</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">1 spring onion, thinly sliced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">coriander leaves</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat and stir-fry the shallots for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Add the crabmeat, stir-fry for another minute or 2, then reserve in a mixing bowl.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Break the eggs in the crabmeat, add the fish sauce, spring onion, coriander leaves and black pepper and beat vigorously until the mixture is homogenous.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the egg mixture and cook until the edges look cooked and the top starts to set.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Fold the omelette down the middle and continue cooking on each side until fully set.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Cut in 2cm cubes and serve hot or cold as finger food with drinks (ice cold Bia Hoi highly recommended).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"></div>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6282955995577517458.post-69123975788107936162011-05-01T18:26:00.002+08:002011-05-08T18:52:57.481+08:00Froggie does Nam - Part 3a: Springrolls with fresh perilla leaves<span style="font-family: inherit;">After exploring with a couple of Vietnamese recipes earlier this year, I decided to invite a couple of friends over today and cook up a storm: a whole Vietnamese meal in 4 dishes. I love the vibrant colours and fresh flavours of Vietnamese food, and in this Part 3 I will explore the full spectrum, from seafood to desserts via a hearty pork stew. My dear friend Em (whose dad is originally from Vietnam) and the usual suspects J&T were my faithful guinea pigs, and we spent yet another chilled Sunday afternoon on my grass green Ikea carpet, getting (mildly) intoxicated and talking about the state of the world... Have a look at parts 3b/c/d for the other recipes and pictures. Bon app<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">étit!</span></span><br />
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Several weeks ago, my dear friend Lady Dyson 2000 gave me a baby perilla plant as a gift. As anything green that enters my house generally dies within days, I was actually quite surprised that this sturdy and obstinate little weed managed to survive me for several weeks. As I wanted to get the best of the fragrant fresh leaves, I decided on a very light dish - Vietnamese springrolls. These normally call for mint and/or holy basil, and the intense flavour of the perilla would make a perfect substitute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LVow81B0D0hRNEcBiTWydbXW7nKFo4QFY7N3pXldzRyAlidDdIl9v7LbA6GZF0j6AlULpNbiudcBFnLCb6klpNV409fywAr9tpiBLHFiuAbHdWebPZcqkt2CzctJfBUM3e-fQ-WLG3ua/s1600/FB_MG_0972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LVow81B0D0hRNEcBiTWydbXW7nKFo4QFY7N3pXldzRyAlidDdIl9v7LbA6GZF0j6AlULpNbiudcBFnLCb6klpNV409fywAr9tpiBLHFiuAbHdWebPZcqkt2CzctJfBUM3e-fQ-WLG3ua/s400/FB_MG_0972.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vietnamese springrolls with fresh perilla leaves</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-SDlTx4z7bqfnRLUoTMi2aPZ76Ku_mjIpsPIuWe_xjkaJ_JyQowZUwGmoTHM7WttMmFJ4sGll8cHnqF1gh6NkvOXvxG4nsUhyaP7WubAEGTe_rGSTWhECj1vHs7fpgs_3Uki4jpsD3-Z/s1600/FB_MG_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-SDlTx4z7bqfnRLUoTMi2aPZ76Ku_mjIpsPIuWe_xjkaJ_JyQowZUwGmoTHM7WttMmFJ4sGll8cHnqF1gh6NkvOXvxG4nsUhyaP7WubAEGTe_rGSTWhECj1vHs7fpgs_3Uki4jpsD3-Z/s400/FB_MG_0937.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My perilla plant - a gift from my friend Lady Dyson 2000</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24ycjVhSqb_fKBYKIRrOO9ePFXtgzff1TFkPPzP_CcxBgNhaHv20zJYZdOusoyECLaC-ZOqp5HhO5uHijlfovzFVmooyGj_fLuz0S6eeTPVazo9U-36uI2UiRceEFD-0iZHkNErgMjPZT/s1600/FB_MG_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24ycjVhSqb_fKBYKIRrOO9ePFXtgzff1TFkPPzP_CcxBgNhaHv20zJYZdOusoyECLaC-ZOqp5HhO5uHijlfovzFVmooyGj_fLuz0S6eeTPVazo9U-36uI2UiRceEFD-0iZHkNErgMjPZT/s400/FB_MG_0948.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sushi-grade sweet shrimps, sous-vide and ready for poaching</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIVdjzIskqCQVTgAfVXJGaTXe_4G-T_-ep2o-RH0psowwsOUh2v2qG3O8LL8pXvzIDER4sEtNyqsdIgF9WSiNny_sosbukFPRO94gBSMF7YLNWnP5zsBPUnaIdIsGsFM5pCeQ6sikIuKh/s1600/FB_MG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIVdjzIskqCQVTgAfVXJGaTXe_4G-T_-ep2o-RH0psowwsOUh2v2qG3O8LL8pXvzIDER4sEtNyqsdIgF9WSiNny_sosbukFPRO94gBSMF7YLNWnP5zsBPUnaIdIsGsFM5pCeQ6sikIuKh/s400/FB_MG_0956.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perilla leaves, harvested and ready-to-eat</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFgBOu8U_UAEH8Qa5l0j6ppVXAdI-TlZsJA8b91MBGqJj6HvnQj6Ne2yyqwH-xDlyC8mANdOz2lwJsJwD5Jg2x4UHvUc5KVqCzEXOsWYYLYHnTTc2xTIvAUZE2uIfD8g1af6CbnZYI8f7/s1600/FB_MG_0961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFgBOu8U_UAEH8Qa5l0j6ppVXAdI-TlZsJA8b91MBGqJj6HvnQj6Ne2yyqwH-xDlyC8mANdOz2lwJsJwD5Jg2x4UHvUc5KVqCzEXOsWYYLYHnTTc2xTIvAUZE2uIfD8g1af6CbnZYI8f7/s400/FB_MG_0961.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mise-en-place for springrolls: shredded sweet Japanese carrot, beansprouts, cooked shrimps, perilla leaves</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuv9WylNXJZ2EQMpo_92uAi38o6i8TOPug6KGyVL_crzfNvcFy9BfnX7ZhxF0uaOdT5b4mDHmBp-n48nk852ieFkliHLZEBHc59Uzzgy95r2YP4Kr10t9svZc2KWWOI5ZU21f6bcnj8cc/s1600/FB_MG_0964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuv9WylNXJZ2EQMpo_92uAi38o6i8TOPug6KGyVL_crzfNvcFy9BfnX7ZhxF0uaOdT5b4mDHmBp-n48nk852ieFkliHLZEBHc59Uzzgy95r2YP4Kr10t9svZc2KWWOI5ZU21f6bcnj8cc/s400/FB_MG_0964.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cooked ground Yamagata pork</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Vietnamese salad rolls with fresh perilla leaves (for about 12 rolls)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">12 dried rice paper wrappers (20cm in diameter)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">500ml water (for soaking)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">250gr ground pork, pan-fried until cooked and slightly golden</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">300gr fresh medium prawns, steamed whole or cooked sous-vide, peeled, de-veined and halved lengthwise</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 small head butter lettuce</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">6 large perilla leaves (or fresh mint and Thai holy basil if perilla is not available)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">150gr cooked rice vermicelli</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">100gr beansprouts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 carrot, peeled and thinly grated</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">1 bunch coriander leaves</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Some chopped pan-roasted peanuts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Soak the rice paper wrappers in water a few at a time, to prevent them sticking or becoming too soggy as you roll.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Put a softened wrapper on a dry flat surface (like a cutting board).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Remove the central crunchy part of a lettuce leaf and use the soft part to wrap around some beansprouts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Place half a perilla leaf on the wrapper, closer to one edge. Add the roll on top.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Sprinkle some carrot, pork, peanuts and add some vermicelli.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Fold-in the sides, then fold the edge of the wrapper closer to you on top and roll up halfway.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Place 2 prawn halves side-by-side on top and continue rolling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 14.2pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Serve with <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-M-Word/149314158443766#!/note.php?note_id=149049835149344">Vietnamese fish sauce dip</a>.</span>The Resident Froggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238726742955093747noreply@blogger.com0