Makan Gathering @ High Society Mansion (Pacific Plaza)

It's been a rough week for me.

I definitely was not feeling the least bit Ms Congeniality.

But I guess it was time to take a break.

To see my friends.

And have a good mEAT-up session.

Thanks to MissTamChiak for accomodating three of us at such short notice. :)

For just $35 nett.

Minstrone soup.

Pretty interiors on the second level of High Society Mansion at Pacific Plaza.

We didn't take lamb, so between fish and pasta,

we settled happily on haddock.

Only to be sorely disappointed by the size and taste of thin dried flaky fish with encased in a salty batter.

Whip out the flash already.

It was fun focusing all our cameras on the pork knuckle sharing dish. :)

That also meant,

*slaps hand away.

everyone just had to wait for the photo madness to be over before eating.

Crabmeat ceasar salad.

The seafood taste was too strong to be enjoyed.

And serving us the heart of the lettuce stalk?

Dear Chef,

It was an oversight right?

I'd like to think.

Yay brussel sprouts.

And mash and gravy.

But the cajun chicken tasted dry and tough.

And where's my cajun spices anyway?

Salted prawns.

It seems.

I took a scallop instead.

Juicy but not tenderly so.

Pasta tasted reminiscent of mee siam more than laksa.

Duck confit.

The carrot puree was key for our table's discussion.

My grip was in the skin though.

Where's the crisp? :(

And duck that tasted like KFC's originals.

So says my dining companions.

Oxtail stew.

Oh I totally mopped this one up with the bread. :)

Yummy delish!

And I scream, you scream, the girls all scream for dessert!

Cupcakes. Topped with cream.

Lots of cream.

And if it wasn't chantilly cream, I'd not want to pile on the fats for this.

These cupcakes were unique with that dollop of cream with various tastes and addition of nuts.

These things should come with placards.

Or maybe not.

We had our fairshare tasting and guessing.

Noisette cake slice.

Aside from tasting frozen, this was decadent.

The macarons were an ultimate sweet treat to end off the night.

It wasn't the food but the company.

I had awesome table mates.

And we even had goodiebags to bring home.

Hello 1kg of Huiji honey, kaya and coffee.

I had a good Saturday night out.

Thanks @misstamchiak and @dashtaz.

To more makan gatherings! :)

a brief respite from city life

So drive down that road.

Till you reach the end.

Park anywhere you like- into the bushes preferably.

And we'll see you at the...

Jetty?

Just a call away.

A speedboat arrives.

"Hi Jimmy!"

We load up carefully in a boat that was too small.

Size of pax must be stated.

From small to xxxl.

Rocking precariously from side to side.

Sit tight and off we go.

The wind in your face.

And because I'd be lying if I stated otherwise,

the seawater that inevitably splashes too.

A commercial fishing kelong.

And Gardenia bread.

There's also Four Leaves and Meiji biscuits.

I kid you not.

tranquility.

all in a day's catch!

you wish.

a week's worth perhaps.

line fishing with little clip bell ringers.

Freshness guaranteed.

those blistering barnacles.

approach them not with bare hands.

And that one flash of white.

Hardly houses a pearl.

Caught.

mini-me :)

of shrimps and mudcrabs.

And a pretty scallop in its shell.

 Brief.

 But it was surely a respite.

Happy birthday.

Good times. :)

minced pork, mushroom and scallop porridge for a rainy wednesday

A very welcome mid week break. Or a break anytime in a week is always welcome. :) 

I got out of bed later than I planned to and shelved my jogging plans only to realise that I was put on kitchen duty for lunch. How convenient.

It's been awhile. This used to be a Sunday staple for my family. The only 'dish' that my mother will admit to being able to cook a little better than average. Honestly, she can cook a lot more than just a one pot porridge. It's just something she'd rather not do. In any case, if she can do it, you can do it too! :)

All the measurements of the ingredients are technically nonexistent. It's really up to you as an individual.

But just if you'd like to know, that's 22 small chinese black mushrooms, 150g of dried baby scallops, 10 leaves of lettuce, 3 bunches of parsley, 500g of minced pork. Varies depends on the number of people at home and who's cooking. I love mushrooms so... :p

I couldn't find the rice cup that normally resides in the rice container so I used a jollibean container.

Washed and dried of course. 1.5 containers for 5 of us. I left it to soak for just a half hour. Makes it easier to break later with the stirring process. These rice grains are thirsty hippos that drink up a lot more water than you'd expect. If you dont want an overly thick and dry porridge, please go easy on the amounts of rice or the alternative would be to have a big pot!

With a lot of stirring, additions of water throughout the bubbling process and roughly formed minced pork balls, you get lunch that looks like this. Warm, comforting and nutritious porridge on a rainy day.

From our kitchen to yours. :)