Meals and My Best Meal in 2012

I am sure the culinary world has been exciting but I do really not care. I am obsessed with my new job. The new workplace got me acquainted with Shunfu Mart where lasting friendships were forged with sardine puffs from Pie Connection, chee cheong fun from Meizhen Hakka and chicken rice from Leong.

I do not talk about work at all but I do think about work all the time. I am a closet workaholic in that way. Even then, it was not difficult to notice the invasion of artisan bakeries at the beginning of 2012. Amongst the many, Baker & Cook came to stay our lives, making its presence felt with wonderful fruit and nuts loaves on many of my mornings. Along the way, Jason Atherton started three eateries in town. And I went Pollen thrice. Cannot remember if I like the food or simply like our new Gardens by the Bay. Towards the later half the year, we were invaded by too many tapas bars. I pledged my loyalty to Salt simply due to the PJ privilege card that dropped on my lap (Yup I am a cheapskate who likes cheap thrills and oops sorry C, now you know why I haven't been to your well-publicised new baby yet, I promised I will make it happen in 2013).

Then again, indie cafes were just so 2011, I was into Henry Congressional, the guerrilla cafe of 2012. Love the coffee, hate the overpriced/overrated pandan chiffon and hate to not have it anymore in 2013. Thankfully Club 21 and bankers gave out endless supplies of starbucks cards this year. So bye HC and hi SB!

I am sure the culinary world has been awesome in 2012 but I do really not care. My best meal in 2012 happened in a pretty unknown place. Read this place off @keropokman and decided to celebrate my birthday at Putien Codfish Specialty House. Totally faultless execution of every dish. Best birthday dinner and meal in 2012. 

Salted Duck Soup

Liebster Award

Yay! So flattered to be tagged by the Chef and Sommelier! His is a great blog with wonderful recipes and gorgeous photos. Wish I can cook, plate and snap like him!

Cooking or Blogging?
I am actually a backseat cook or you can call me an armchair cook. Grown up in a family of fabulous cooks, I spend a large part of my time at home looking at the others cook. I am great at giving instructions on what and how to cook. Say I am a show-off if you must but I have this amazing ability to predict how ingredients can combine to make a great dish! I never rely on recipes but dishes I "cooked" verbally never ever fail! 

Your favourite Chef/Restaurant?
This is a difficult question because my faves come in phases. An all-time fave will be Ember@Keong Saik but recently I got super addicted to Teppei's omakase meals.

Three favourite ingredients?
Maldon salt, fresh herbs of all sorts, Shaoxing wine.   

Three ingredients that you would avoid?
Artificial colourings/flavourings, palm oil and ketchup. In my world, sweet and sour pork should always be done with sugar and vinegar.  

Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner?
All three. As long as they are eaten at the right time, in the the right place, with the right food and amongst the right company. Pet peeve these days is eateries that serve breakfast at all times.

Coffee or Tea?
Doesn't seem to reflect on this blog but really it's TEA.

Cakes or Cookies?
Cakes for a practical reason. I need to yell a lot at work and cookies give me a bad throat.

Butter or Olive Oil?
Butter.

Red or White (Wine)?
White.

Which three famous individuals would you invite to dinner (dead or alive)?
Margaret Thatcher, Mahathir Mohamad and Deng Xiaoping. Am crazily interested in political leaders. Again, not seen in this blog. Would love to ask them many questions.

If you were to have your last meal, what would it be?
My mum's chicken rice. Extra skin please. 

I hate rules so not passing on the award to 11 bloggers! But here are my 11 questions for anyone out there. If you can leave your answer in the comments box, I will be a very very happy girl. 

1.  Sparkling or still?
2.  Scrambled or poached eggs?
3.  Spaghetti or fusilli?
4.  Paul or Maison Kayser?
5.  Imperial Treasure or Crystal Jade?
6.  Killiney or Ya Kun?
7.  Gryphon or TWG?
8.  SCS or Lurpak?
9.  Haagen Daz or Ben & Jerry's?
10. What is your favourite hawker or street food?
11. What is one cuisine type you cannot accept?

Can't wait to know you better!

Otto Ristorante

I wonder what happened to certain nice restaurants I used to like. Recently, an equally disappointing lunch at another restaurant reminded me of this underwhelming lunch. Ate this quite awhile ago but the disappointments were too similar. I will post about the place which have shifted to Boat Quay soon. For now, let's just concentrate on Otto.

Amuse Bouche

Guten Tag

7th Storey Live Seafood and Charcoal Steamboat Restaurant @ Marina Barrage

It was my first visit to 7th storey since its relocation. To think I used to like the steamboat and chicken rice at 7th Storey Hotel pretty much. Had it every other day when I was a student and part-timing at The Gateway. Here, in the current location, their dishes were yummy in a rugged tze char way.

Our pork chops were nicely seasoned and liberally doused in ketchup.

Pork Chop (S$16.80)

The Selfish Gene

我喜欢年尾。总是非常享受那欢腾的气氛。圣诞佳节也是惜福和感恩的日子。我虽然不是基督教徒但我也庆幸我身边的人都幸福愉快。人是群体动物，身边的人过得好，我也过得好。年尾也是一般人stocktake的时候。今年想做什么，做到了没？2012对我还好。想吃的都吃了，想去的地方也去了，当然想达到的目标也算做到了。不久我也会去享受期待已久的白色圣诞。唯有减肥这一样看来有点困难。朋友们若知道我有写food blog的，老爱约我出去尝鲜。再加上这时期dinner parties很多，“减肥”这两个子唯有暂时搁在一旁。说到这里，我就联想到brunch。Brunch食我虽不怎么忠于，那迟吃早餐，不吃午餐，一天两餐的概念非常适合这时候的我。在parties时，拒绝主人好意准备的美食是没礼貌的。Brunch能让我控制每天的食量，这样也不会肥的太快。那天就是这样，去了The Selfish Gene, 晚上再去好友的Thanksgiving 还算有效。不是胖很多！

*Hearts*