Actually I'm quite unwell today. The flu just got worse and bunny said I sound like Donald Duck. -.-
But what motivates me is lunch! TB offered to buy me birthday lunch at anywhere! I can choose from Les Amis to spago even! Wow! After some selection, we decided on iggy's!
After food blogging for some many years, Iggys is a name I have heard of for years but not visited. Importantly the price I hearsay is quite steep but I have also heard that the food is good! I'm so glad we went because it was indeed good! Importantly, the service was also top notch!
Located at Hilton hotel level 3!
Walking in, it's a short walkway...
The seating capacity was small but tables were well spaced out giving us the privacy we want.
The server patiently explained the menu and offering recommendations. They had set lunches and there was a tasting menu, 6 courses going for $150. They also had a dinner menu that ranges from $250 and up that they said they could serve during lunch.
The server offered to serve us some of the snacks they serve for the dinner menu if we took up the lunch tasting menu so we both ordered that!
And here's the complimentary bread...
I can't remember what's the one at the extreme right but the long green one is seaweed bread and the small round one was with cheese inside.
The bread were all very good! Yes, this is coming from someone who doesn't fancy bread. The seaweed bread had that mild seaweed smell and all bread were served warm. Love it!
The first snack that was served to us was this bed of pebbles....
The server told us that only 2 items were edible, we need to find it!
So interestingggggggggg!
I love interesting stuff like this!
Found it!!!!
It's actually potato and we were given truffle mayo to dip into!
It was quite yummy!!!
Another snack that they gave us was a salmon chip thingy with fish roe...
Small bites but also interesting.
And squid ink oysters!
Very interesting display!
And there was some egg noodle thingy with caviar? And there's the Sakura prawns fried with curry powder on top. It was soooooo good. The prawn ball thingy!
It was crispy and tasty!
That marked the last of the snacks and next up was part of our tasting menu.
First was a scallop carpaccio thingy...
But that's not it you know! They came by, didn't catch exactly what the server said but they came with a silver pot like container with a sieve inside and they scooped a bit and began to shake it off our bowl. As they shaked, there were smoke like texture created....
Sooooooo interestinggggggggg!
And our dish looked like there was snow flakes on it!
Next up was the asparagus ....
Which was pretty good too!
The next dish was a fish item and a soya sauce based sauce soup like thingy was poured in when it was served...
The sauce was light and the fish was not bad.
Nxt dish was angel hair pasta with Sakura ebi...
This was damn nice! The ebi was crispy and the whole pasta had a shrimp taste. Very yummy!
And next up was the beef....
The crispy looking thing was the tendon. The beef was tender and pink! Yums!
What is notably commendable also about the excellent service here is how the server is so nice and offers recommendations that pleases the patrons. Or like least make the patrons feel like their satisfaction is of priority to the patrons! Like for the dessert, it was supposed to be some mango dessert. When ordering, he told us he didn't want us to have the same so he offered to change one of it for us. In the end, both of us didn't want mango so we both had something different! This is good service!
Desserts here were good too!
This is TB's strawberry dessert....
It's like a candy crusted strawberry shape placed above a bed of tomato bits. When u break open, there's some custard cream like thingy with strawberry too...
And for me, I chose the brioche with chocolate...
There was chocolate even in the middle of the brioche...
IT WAS SO GOOD! The brioche was soft and the whole combi was just really good!
The tasting menu also came with a set of petite fours...
Which we didn't get to finish, a bit regretting it now. The first was some sour plum candy, second is chocolate, third was macaroon and finally some butter cookie.
When making reservations, like any fine restaurant they will check if it's for any occasion. Upon knowing it was my birthday celebration, I got a very nice and pleasant surprise from them!
They served this together with a silver spoon tied around with a red ribbon! They even gave me a whole explanation what this egg symbolizes. This is really top notch service!
I went for an appointment around the area and met up with Winnie for coffee as well.
Bunny came to join us and to send me to my next destination.
At the back of the car, my sweet bunny had still got me flowers despite me asking her not to...
The funny thing was, she actually said she had arranged for the flowers to be delivered to my office until I told her I'm leaving office early today for appointments. She had to go pick up the flowers on her own instead! Haha
On the way there, I noticed that the aircon was off for my seat area so I casually asked... " who switched off the aircon again?"
And she replied me "Eileen"
Which I replied " exams over already u still got meet Eileen?"
And she went like " ya... "
And that when she also knew she piu Chui.. Haha
Coz Eileen is a very close friend of bunny who will always accompany or help bunny source for presents for me. She did it last year for our anniversary so bunny knew that by telling me she met Eileen, she's letting the cat out of the bag that she secretly got me a gift too.
So anyway, she sent me over to hotel rendezvous where I met the Seafoodies for ktv. Been such a long while since we came together to sing!
This teo Heng is very weird btw. When I called to book the room, they said they only had a room from 5pm to 8pm. I told them we will only arrive at 5.30 pm (after work) and will leave by 7.30 pm. Then she told me then she has no room. I told her we are willing to pay her the price of 5pm to 8pm which is just a mere $38. After splitting each person is probably just $10 or less.
But the Aunty was still insistent that no, we must reach by 5.15pm else they will release the room. Which I find it very funny. Now I'm already pre telling her we can only reach by 5.30 due to work commitments. I can understand they are worried people will shoot them aeroplane and the room will go empty but I'm already pre-telling her I'm only able to reach by 5.30 pm!! And we are leaving earlier Coz that's the timing that crabby arrives after her work to meet up with us for dinner. Really roll eyes! Really ridgid and no flexibility -.-
But anyhow, we did manage to get our ktv and it was a nice time.
Our Ktv session!
Our Ktv session!
After ktv, we headed over to Curious Palatte at prinsep street for dinner. And speaking of ridgid, this place is another one!
Having visited Curious Palatte just earlier this week, i thought the place was pretty ok and food was not bad. Especially the risotto.
I googled about the place further and i saw the Scotch Egg that i had wanted to order that day but was informed its from the brunch menu which is till 6pm and not available coz it was already 6.15pm when we got there. The picture of the Scotch Egg looked so good, with the egg oozing out and it was corn beef on the exterior! When calling to make the reservations, i also called to check if i could reserve one portion of the Scotch Egg for our dinner. We were going to arrive at 7.30pm so i was seriously hoping they could make an exception.
The person who answered the phone initially tried to tell me he can't because ingredients etc are different unless they precook it and warm it up for me when i arrive and i told him I'm good for that. But then he said he needs to check which upon checking he got the answer no. Reason being it may affect the food quality - which i accepted. I understand being a food establishment there is a need to uphold food quality and hygiene. That's when i asked him, it looks to me the scotch egg is pre-made, the only processing is just to fry it upon customer's order. Can you not fry it only when we get here at 7.30 pm (i really really really want to try the scotch egg and their hotcakes). From his tone, he agreed that all he needs to do is to fry the item later but its still a no. He tried to say something along the line that they want customers to experience what they want customer to be experiencing... which i am already major rolling my eyes on the other end of phone. But ok, i guess i can only respect their decision - though its not like your kitchen don't fry other things during dinner or that i arrive at 7.30 pm insisting to order from your brunch menu. also, if your priority is customer experience, it already is affecting my experience since i don't get to try what i want to try..... i don't really get it but fine, respect.
But thats not all. The worst thing is, the server really damn not seng mok. Bunny apparently prepared a surprise for me. She actually got a damn pretty customised cake for me and pre-placed it at the restaurant before she joined us. When she headed to the toilet to also inform the server to serve the cake that she placed with them, the server returned at least twice to ask her (in front of us) about the cake. Once was to tell her the dessert (the hotcake we ordered) was already served, what cake? Another time was to inform that we can blow the candles but cannot consume the cake there. So ya, her surprise no. 3 is busted again. haha she was damn annoyed. Simi customer experience?
Having said the above, we were annoyed but overall the Curious Palatte is not that bad. there are still things here that are worth visiting for.
I do like the ambience, the whole decor and all. The risotto is good and i still want my scotch eggs! (真犯贱, i know).
The seafoodies joked to say we have not seemed to have visited such a hip place together in a long while. haha.... Unfortunately we were given the last table near the backdoor. It was so warm coz the door kept opening. So they joked to say we were at a hip place but watching the hip go on. hahaha
food wise, we ordered a truffle fries and a spam fries to share (since we couldn't decide which one to order)....
the truffle fries on itself didn't have that much of a truffle taste but the truffle mayo that came along did. the girls couldn't help but compare it to symmetry's and found symmetry's much better.
spam fries....
which is effectively fried luncheon meat in strips.
some prawn pasta...
i thought it was ok, just a bit bland. the girls joked to ask whether salt price has increased.. i honestly thought it was ok because there were traces of the prawn stock taste.
the risotto....
everyone agreed in unison that the risotto was good! the risotto was flavourful and very yums!
the rump steak....
the rump steak was so so. It wasn't tough tough but it definitely wasn't very tender. Didnt quite fancy the sweet potato puree either.
the pork loin...
bunny found it too gamey and she said she still can't decide about slightly pink pork. i thought it was not bad. slightly fatty on the sides. i like this.
and last but not least, the hotel cakes! another item that i googled, saw the pics and was fixated that i wanna try!!
it taste as good as it looks! the hotcake was thick! like a thicker version of hotcakes semi like a cake. served warm with ice cream and just looks beautiful with all the strawberries and nuts. i love this!
one group shot with seafoodies! and ya, it was during this time when the server came over to bunny and went " eh what cake, your dessert has been served " -.- why so not seng mok?
thats when i asked bunny " let me guess, you asked them to serve a cake with candle and they kept coming to you for clarifications is it? " hahaha... Bunny totally just gave me a deflated look
and finally, after everything, my not so surprise cake was served. But bunny, don't worry, i did still get some elements of surprise coz i didn't expect you to customise a cake. Amidst it all i merely thought you ordered a slice of cake from them and wanted it to be served with a candle. Thank you so much for the effort. Although your surprise failed, your efforts are heartfelt! ILU!
and erm, i wish I'm still 30 too but I'm in fact 35! usually people just put one candle but they placed all 3 candles that the baker provided in the packet. haha.. ok la chin chye.
also, the servers there though rigid and not so seng mok, some were still nice. like one lady, she was nice enough when we told her we couldn't pack this cake at all coz the cake was too tall and it couldn't be packed into the box. she went to seek special approval to let us consume it there. for that, we are grateful. Thank you!
Thank you BUN!
the flowers were lovely! So pretty! I finally got a tall birthday cake!
She got the cake from the bakery Susucre.
Happy Birthday to me!!
smile bunny!! haha
the cake was a chocolate with peanut butter. it was so good. the cake texture was moist and there was a generous amount of yummy peanut butter! Pretty on the outside, yummy on the inside!
and before we called it a night, the seafoodies preehhh of my bangkok trip!
we were supposed to head for the movie X-men but i was just too tired and the flu was really getting worse so we decided to head home for an early night instead.
Loving the bouquet...
and when we got home, i asked bunny for my present! haha.. since i already know she got me something. she presented me with this...
oopsie, forgot picture of it but its a tory burch key pouch!
she said next time will be a chanel... when she start to earn more money. haha
and just when i thought thats it, she pulled out another present!
it was what i asked for! the Lang Leav books!
Dear Bunny, i am thankful i have you to fulfil what i have never had. Although you can be damn irritating many a times - just like how u are gradually thinking i am too -, i am appreciative (all the time) of how you fight to be with me. No one has ever done that. Thank you Bunny Love!
