Gourmet Plus - A quaint gem

It's no secret that the East Coast-Siglap-Katong stretch has got its fair share of culinary treats - but unlike Holland V area, the former has most of them all scattered around. Locating the ones off the main roads may be a bit of an Easter-egg hunt.

And one of those which is a wee bit off the main strip is Gourmet Plus.

When it first opened almost two years ago, I heard all the hype through friends because one of the chefs, E, is a good friend of an ex-boyfriend. And friends staying in the area couldn't stop raving about it. But we just never made it there - I wasn't looking forward to bumping into people from my past and I wasn't sure if E was going to poison my food! *grin*

Well yesterday I thought it'd be safe to finally go. Because E had left the place to set up his own little Italian joint?? Maybe...

It was very quiet for a Thursday night...but then again, so was the whole stretch of Frankel Avenue for that matter. Pleasantly modern and simple, I appreciated that they didn't try to squeeze 20 tables into the small indoor area. That made walking around to check out the shelves and deli counter easy.

The young staff were...young. And polite. And helpful. Very European-deli-ish.

For a little deli, they've got a quite impressive menu although it is a bit heavy on beef! Which unfortunately neither of us consumes. Since it was our first time, we decided to go for the "safer bets" - and share the Escargot in garlic-pesto-butter and Braised Lamb Shank.

And a bottle of 1997 Chateau Musar. A constant favourite from the Bekaa Valley, 15 miles north of Beirut (YES, Lebanon!!!).

This wine is different from everything I've had. It is almost borderline Quirky! Because it's got a somewhat pleasant acidic volatility (I'm imagining what my palate would say so please do NOT quote me on this!)...it's rich plummy and spicey with a hint of liquorice. And it never failed with the different food we had the last two times we drank it at dinner. Basically it's "friendly" and goes down like water. Yummy water *grin* coloured a deep scarlet.

The Escargots were alright. Although they were fleshy and well-cooked, the garlic butter was not as tasty as I would've liked it to be. I guess when I've had the best (see Post on Kafe Warisan!), it's difficult for anyone else's to come close. But I must say the Braised Lamb Shank with mash was gorgeous! It was good enough to appease the carnivore-b**ch in me. Well done!

My only complaint: the kitchen could have made a bit more effort on the Raspberry Creme Brulee. I had to deduct 10 points after seeing the condensation dripping on the outer walls of the dessert bowl, and yes it was so out-of-the-fridge cold, I sat there staring and waiting for the steaming hot caramel glaze to partake in some heat transfer.

But I've got to forgive & forget. I want to go back to try the duck! And hehe...the foie gras of course.

Sabai - Red and Perfect

3 years on we've pretty much adopted the habit of saving a Thai dinner for when either one of Us has the flu or a cold...there's Nothing like a bowl of steaming hot Tom Yum Kung to clear that nasal cavity and expel all the "toxins"!

But last night, I'm glad we broke that habit...

After running around some of the gourmet grocers in town, we finally gave up on ever finding ready-made raspberry/strawberry/blueberry coulis and reluctantly drove into The War Zone that circled Ngee Ann City! If the roads were any indication of the madness inside, I was unfortunately blinded by my mission - to get 8 pieces of Beard Papa's Chocolate Fondant for tonight's dinner at F&I's place!

I should thank Him for helping me endure the (seriously) madness created by overly-enthusiastic (Read: GSS-induced MAD) Friday-nite shoppers and hungry diners in Ngee Ann City...I am surprised He didn't clobber anyone with my heels. Or maybe it was the relief of finding His favourite snail-ish turkey sausages at one of the food stalls.

Sharing the snail-ish sausage, we decided it would be wiser to avoid the Food-Fair groupies in the basement as soon as possible and look for dinner. So we took the escalator up. I was glad to see that the Restaurants directory had changed somewhat. As He was still not ready for Chinese, we decided to try Sabai because (A) I thought the name sounded exotic and cool and (B) he had seen some ad/review somewhere and wouldn't mind trying it.

Standing at the door, I was already impressed by its scarlet-red walls and contrasting (simple) black furnishings. Hmm, very un-traditional-Thai...except for the long gold carving on the wall. Ok so they get 10,000 points for choosing an appropriate name (Sabai in Thai means "a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere")!

And the menu!!! Another 10,000 points - so many many many dishes to choose from (but prices may be a bit steep if you are accustomed to Thai Express), I wish we had a big table of friends! Oh well...we'll just have to come back again...and again...*grin*

After much analysis and deliberation and mind-changing, we decided to skip the appetisers and go straight for the Real Stuff...so we were going to share the Shrimp-paste Fried Rice with Chicken and Roasted Duck Thai Red Curry...and I was going to extend my adventure to include a bowl of Tom Yum Talay. (How can you judge a Thai restaurant without sampling the Tom Yum right???)

When my bowl of clear Tom Yum was served, the aroma alone could have cleared my nasal passage if it was blocked! It was really good - not like some of those watered-down spicy-lemongrass-y soups I had encountered...it was as authentic as I'd like it to be. And at S$8 a bowl, it was reasonable value for the fresh fish slices and huge tiger prawn (sorry, there's only ONE ok!) I guess.

But the dish that deserved my final 10,000 points would definitely be The Curry. (FYI: The fried rice was simple and good but boring.)

When The Curry was served (portioned enough for up to 4 (non-greedy) persons), I think we both just stared at it for a good one minute. It was almost beautiful! Accompanied by a little bowl of deep-fried dried fish, the curry was the perfect dark red shade, very fragrant, with lots of roasted duck cubes (BONELESS and WITH SKIN!!!) and chunks of "seasonal fruits" - pineapple and lychees!

The last time I had truly great red Thai curry was when we were on holiday at The Racha. Even then, I think it was the whole experience of retreating to an almost-deserted island resort that made the curry then perfect.

And Sabai's red curry has now claimed the Top Spot on my list (of Thai curries)! Just the perfect blend of spices that's simple but stunning. And the fruity chunks added the touch of quirkiness (tanginess more likely!). Just like my Nine West Sabah heels - seemingly-simple tan leather with stitching details and purple suede lining and 4" heels UNTIL I slip it on...

Sorry back to The Curry - so Yes it has won. It's going to be a pain trying not to order It the next time we go...Perhaps it's best if we bring some friends whom we could persuade to try The Curry?...hehehe

So I strongly recommend going with an empty stomach and a group of adventurous friends. And yes, your sunglasses...just in case the walls get too much.

Garibaldi II - Too Much is Not Enough!

Yesterday's Mission: To find the best value bottle/case for D’s belated birthday gift to her beloved husband.

So we made a date with JB to pick up his latest price list and peruse his copy of the Wine Bible.

And like every other Saturday evening, it was 7 and we had yet to make dinner plans. So when JB insisted I took the quintessential tour of the famed wine cellar, I had a strong feeling we were going to leave Vinum with more than just a suggestion for D’s gift.

A bottle of 1998 Chateau Monbousquet to be exact. And as He whipped his card out to pay, He looked at me with an almost-grin and said, “I think this wine is perfect with Truffle risotto!”

Before I could start my routine protest about having to impose on them at the last minute (even after 2 years since they opened!), he had whipped out his cellphone and dialed. Although they had several big groups they would be happy to have us if we didn’t mind a late dinner. Perfecto – the wine was too cold straight out of the cellar anyway.

After walking around the shops and having to take the longest detour due to the inconvenient road closures around the Padang, we finally got to Garibaldi. With some time to spare for a glass of Prosecco!

And as we were seated in our cosy corner, our regular waiter grinned knowingly. He whispered cheekily, “Will Roberto be making your special request again?” before rushing off to make sure the Monbousquet was being decanted.

After some deliberation about making it through to dessert, we decided to share all our courses. Just SO I’d have the space to satisfy my craving for their home-made Gianduja ice-cream.

The wine was very aromatic and surprisingly silky-smooth, leaving a taste reminiscent of blackcurrants and dark chocolate on my palate. This was going to be very enjoyable 94-pointer! Which is exactly why I love my St. Emillions. To quote JB quoting the Wine Bible: "Profound."

The group at the next table could not believe the eyes (and noses I bet!) as the plate of Scrambled Eggs with Truffles was laid in front of us. Neither could I! Chef Roberto had outdone his culinary genius and generosity. The eggs were whisked to perfection and the fresh truffle shavings were sufficient to ensure we would not squabble for our share *grin*...

We would’ve offered to share with the couple beside us, but I was so famished I could not help polishing all trace of the eggs and the truffles with my bread *grin*. Well it was the thought that counted right…

Why do people like to stare at what is on someone else's plate? Wouldn't it be more polite and less-hassle to just ask me what I am having instead of throwing sideway glances and flipping desperately through the menu to find the item?? Trust me, I'd be more than happy to share the information and perhaps even a spoonful! Lesson: Ask.

And when our Truffle Risotto arrived, it was hard to ignore the sudden hush that engulfed the dining room. I’m not sure if it was the surprise of seeing the tall, smiling Italian Chef himself coming out with the plate and thanking us for the glass of wine or the deliciously sexy aroma of the Truffle Risotto wafting through the air and hitting everyone square in their noses. If Paris & Nicole were there, they'd definitely nod and scream, "That's HOT!"

The wait was worth every grain of arborio rice and slice of truffle shavings. Oh, too much is not enough…

Right there and then I could have jumped on Him. Whoever said oysters and champagne were aphrodisiacs apparently had not tried Truffles and a St. Emillion!!!

With the wine opening up beautifully and the special order of Lamb Tenderloin done to brilliant perfection, it was all over too soon. But it would not have been complete without the warm chocolate cake and accompanying scoop of Gianduja ice-cream - the little bit of curve to complete the Big O.

I left happy. And sated. And so did He.

Beverly Feldman has banked on the right motto for her line of gorgeous shoes. And I am more than proud to admit that I now know what that line truly means…*smile*