“Well darling, these mini burgers look magnificent don’t they?” He winks. “Explains alot why you are harbouring pesky thoughts to keep them all to yourself.”

Obviously the Mini Wagyu ‘n’ Foie Burgers $22 caught both her attention. He know how she likes mini and pretty items. Indulging in witless banters over a trio of bite size burgers before the mains arrived, she takes a tiny nibble at the carefully glazed bun before savouring the rich, buttery and delicate taste of the fatty liver.

“Mmm. I love this. The roughness of the Wagyu goes perfectly well with the tender Foie. Oh dear. I’m not really a fan of burgers but I can actually have a few more of this!” She exclaimed with a greedy twinkle in her eye.

He looked up. Distracted. As much as he loves her, it was really strange to him how this woman can effortlessly forgot everything she said just a minute ago.

“Baby, have I told the story of how the Roman emperor Elagabalus fed his dogs on foie gras during the four years of his chaotic reign? ”

That did the trick.

Not that the Mini Wagyu ‘n’ Foie Burgers were bad. He just thinks the Wagyu was not enough for his appetite and was secretly pleased that he ordered the Wagyu Beef Rump $36 to satisfy his carnivorous cravings. Nothing beats the Wagyu Beef Rump which comes with a trio of mushroom, braised oxtail, cherry tomato chutney, bacon krupuk, butter poached potatoes and beef jus. Succulent and tasty. Just the right dish for a tasty gentleman like him.

Keen to irritate her with imaginary stories that always end with her whimsical laughter, he gets into the mood once the Squash Risotto $23 was served.

“Darling, can you imagine that the Squash Risotto is a orange-haired babe who had a similar nature to the Wagyu Beef Rump, only she was haughty and stuck-up as well, and though Wagyu Beef Rump often asked her to come and play at his house, she always said no.”

“Oh dear. What kind of a story is this?” she chuckled.

He knew that she would get this dish. She has been texting him all day, dropping hints that she need comfort food after a meeting went haywire first thing in the morning. Squash Risotto served with gratinéed goat cheese, baked pine nuts and thyme. He stole a bite and was pleased with the blast of flavours. How much comfort could a woman ask for? Somehow, watching her carefully scooping spoonfuls of bright orange baby food made him happy too. He never noticed how shapely her lips were. But that’s a story for another day.

“Well I’m not done yet. So the Squash Risotto would say, Beef Rump! I can’t be left to cool now, otherwise I won’t taste nice. Won’t you understand that? Why don’t you go and visit the Raspberry? before she shrieked at him.” He’s a sly one. He knew that dessert was on its way.

“Hahaha darling stop this nonsensical story! It’s killing me!” She laughed and squeezed his hand before dessert distracts her short attention. “Oh raspberries! Dessert looks absolutely pretty tonight!” she cried, tapping lightly on a tea sphere. Now that her attention was on the ruby red raspberries, he dug his spoon into her alluring plate of the Squash Risotto again.

Oh yes. Raspberries $16. Perfect way to end the night.  She was so pleased with the aerated crème anglaise, honey comb and tea spheres. It was a winner on both taste and texture. New age food is something she mentioned that she’ll want to try. He gladly obliged. She deserves everything that he can provide. Food has always been a fanciful affair for them.

“How was dinner my love?”

“It was delightful! Thank you Mr.Engineer And I love you.”

Mission accomplished.

Garage
Riverside Point
30 Merchant Road #01-07
Tel: 6533 3188

Hey other than the food, everything else is fiction ok? Haha. But I must admit that I’m a really big fan of the Squash Risotto at Garage. I was there with the fun peeps from OpenRice. Thank you Lisa for having us. Yeap now you know what I’m up to every Wednesday! Yet another food adventure with OpenRice! :/ Oh shit, I really need to start exercising more often!

I love the Braised Duck Pizza $18! We shared this enormous serving of braised duck pizza that is seasoned with a luxurious truffle mayo. When the pizza arrived, it was a visual feast. Each mouthful was a delight! The thin crust with generous fillings and cheese makes perfect comfort food for a greedy couple like us.

We both ate with our fingers and exchanged amused glances because a hyperactive little angmoh kid was scurrying around the spacious timber decked al fresco area with a green brolly. Super adorable. Firestation Hillside Gastrobar is a really lovely venue for alfresco dining or an after dinner drink.

Back to the pizza, I liked how slight peppery flavour of the rocket leaves rounded up the flavours deftly but felt that the truffle mayo was not discerning enough. Speaking of truffles, I have a sudden craving for the extremely truffly taste of the Fettuccine alla Piedmontese pasta I had at Trattoria Milano. Chef Domenico Truglia used truffle oil as it is a more affordable alternative that offers an ultra strong truffle flavour. Oh yes I’ll write a review on Trattoria Milano soon!

By the way, he also ordered a Striploin Steak $26, but he thinks the beef he has at Garage was better. I’ll talk about that soon. Anyway the last time when I was here with OpenRice, the kitchen refused to serve us the Pork Belly $12 because they said that the pork that day wasn’t good enough. I like it when restaurants have such high level of quality check. So since Xavier the Manager said the pork belly was OK that evening, The Fiance and I had to order it. Here it is. The Pork Belly that looks and tasted like atas Roasted Pork/Siew Yoke.

Looks good right? The skin was super crispy and I really enjoyed how it crackles with each chew. Though the oozy fat and tender flesh did not outshine its golden, bubbled skin, all is well. Honestly, I have not tasted any Chinese roasted pork as good as this. Stole a few sips of his Erdinger because I know that it’ll pair perfectly with this delicious snack. My Margarita went better with the duck pizza.

Lastly, the Firestation Cheese Cake $8. What can be better than tiny nibbles of cheese cake amidst thick, luscious greenery? I ate almost all of this and by the time the last mouthful of cheese cake goes down my throat, I’ve totally forgotten about being stricken with flu and lightheadedness.

It was amazingly fluffy, light and easy on a stubborn tummy that still wants dessert even thought its at the verge of bursting. Crust was oat-ish. Perfect. Well if you are not a fan of cakes? Then go for the apple crumble. That’s another one of my fav dessert at Firestation Hillside Gastrobar.

If you are wondering whether to pop by Firestation Hillside Gastrobar or Raw Kitchen Bar next door, figure out your cravings for the night beforehand. If it’s salad or starter, Raw Kitchen Bar has some good quirky fusion dishes to satisfy your taste buds. As for mains and dessert, move over to Firestation Hillside Gastrobar.

Including his pint of Erdinger $12 and my Classic Margarita $16, dinner for two was about $110. Ambiance was great. Firestation Hillside Gastrobar is a place well worth seeking out. Noted that happy hours are 5 – 7pm and 10pm – 12 midnite daily! Yay I wish there were more of such perfect venues for chilling out in this area. Will definitely be back for the Braised Duck Pizza and am looking for westies to meet up for Sunday Brunch here! It’s quite affordable at $18/breakfast set.

Drop me a comment/email if you are interested for brunch between 10am – 230pm on a Sunday at Firestation Hillside Gastrobar!

Firestation Hillside Gastrobar
274 Upper Bukit Timah Road (S) 588213
Tel : +65 6465 0600
Remember to call for reservations

And as usual, the market offers chicken, ducks, pigs, and not to mention, a vibrant array of green vegetables of many colours and varieties. But on the other side was the cooked food area, dry provisions and of course, the stuff we were here for, Vietnamese coffee!

Chanced upon this stall managed by a pair of friendly-looking siblings and we spent close to 2 hours on a crash course on coffee. Not coffee drinkers or connoisseurs, we chose the easy way out. An innocent request for a sample tasting of this, this, this and this! They gladly obliged.

After 4-5 different types of coffee in shoot glasses, there was still a lack in flavour in these selections for some strange reasons. It just didn’t felt like “oh yes that’s the one! Let’s get this!”

The final pick was from a particular tub branded as Weasel. As its name suggests, this type of coffee beans is said to be gathered from the waste of a common palm civet, a weasel-like animal. that a primary reason why Weasel Coffee is slightly pricier. But it is not as pricey as I thought it would be. Huge chance that these Weasel beans escaped the painful passage of travelling down a civet’s digestive system and instead landed in a lab for synthetic processing. In short, cheaper Weasel beans! Anyway, we sip it hot with condensed milk and yes yes yes! The brew was strong and thick yet super smooth on the palate. That was it. Weasel. 4kg of this please!

The lovely lady gave us a huge discount. Paid less than $100 for 4kg of Weasel Coffee and for the next few days, our hotel room acquired the fresh aroma of a coffee factory. I know it’s odd that we bought coffee on our first day in Saigon but we just couldn’t help it!

Alas, now that we are back in Singapore, we haven’t had the time to enjoy a cup of Vietnamese Ca Phe Phin (drip coffee). Yup, it’s high time we share a cup of musky, smooth flavourful coffee. The weather has been chilly these days. Hot Vietnamese coffee sounds good. On hindsight, I’m glad we lugged 3kg worth of Weasel Coffee home. Hurrah!

PS. Coffee crazy friend told me that ‘freshly grinded’ coffee beans does not qualify as fresh coffee! He said to look for the date the beans were roasted instead! Aw man. So it is the time of the roast that matters, not the time of the grind. Guess next time round in Saigon, we shall search for some place that roast the beans on the spot. :/

Forget Chuck. Since I’m fast becoming a regular here, it is more appropriate for me to share on some of the staple dishes here which you can find on the menu! Unlike other conventional cafes, stepping into Eden Sanctuary really really feels like home. Everyone is well taken of at Chef Clement’s cosy dining room.

(:

Dinner last night started with the Tomato Basil Tartlet ($7.90). Though it looked like a typical canapé, it actually tasted better than what I had at Restaurant Week. Love the crispy savoury crust filled with a tomato based sauce on the inside. Magic of this finger delight is the fresh basil leave hidden beneath the layer of cheese.

These savoury tartlets are such delicate sweethearts. Complementary flavours of tomato, cheese, fennel, herbs and especially the refreshing tones of a lucky basil leave perked me up for what’s coming up!

Creamless Homestyle Pumpkin Soup ($4.00)

I wish mom was here. She always complains about cooking pumpkins. Well, I’ve tried creamy pumpkin soups and it wasn’t spectacular. So I’m particularly pleased with Eden Sanctuary’s clear broth version with herbs. I enjoyed every spoonful of pumpkin bumps, shreds or chucks. The texture is so inconsistently attractive, I’m hating how I am polishing off the bowl in just 5 minutes. Argh. It’s hard to flirt with a bowl of soup. They don’t last very long.

Fan of Shakespeare? I am especially when it come to his timeless tales of love and human fallacy. Remember Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night who tried desperate to flirt with a maiden by the name of Maria and failed terrible? It is he who said “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit”. Well, he’s a meathead if he has never tried Balsamic Strawberry Beef ($9.90). Look at that chunk of wonderment.

Oops Sir Andrew, pardon me. Nay you wouldn’t enjoy this if you don’t fancy an unconventional twist to your meat. I had mine at medium with a slight tarty. sourish pinch on the tongue. It was lovely. Accompanied with a drizzle of savoury sauce, the strawberries set off a fruity refinement to an otherwise typical piece of meat.

I’m sorry sweethearts. When I get started on literature, I can’t stop. So in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a amusing approach to expose the ways humans fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. So we are all fools of our own deception. I felt like a simpleton fool just like Sir Andrew more often than not. Fools that are easily pleased, easily contented, easily amused. So tell me. Is that good or bad?

Nevertheless, perhaps there’s really nothing to hide especially after savouring the next dish at Eden Sanctuary. I could smell it as Chef Clement was on his way to my table. Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish ($6.90). Odd combination isn’t it? But trust me. You should really try this. There’s just something graceful and clever about this down-to-earth dish that screams simplicity.

Each mouthful is a blast of flavours from the distinct taste of ginger, leek and peanut butter. Yet surprisingly with such powerful elements, I could still taste the flaky fishy fish tucked under the brownish garb! No wonder Chef Clement said that a fish should taste like a fish no matter how it is prepared. You get that? Say bye bye to tasteless meat!

By the way, it’s a must to get a pot of floral tea to accompany these delicate creations. It goes perfectly well with the food here. All in all, Eden Sanctuary offers simple, natural and light on the tummy meals. A week ago I was here for lunch and the Creamless Carbonara Pasta was awesome! Yup CREAMLESS! I could successfully finish a slice of cheese cake after that! Ah ah ah, nothing to be guilty about because Chef Clement made sure that it’s a balanced, healthy meal. I’m just a simply fool at Eden Sanctuary waiting for the next serving of his witty creation.

(:

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
18 Cross Street #01-16
China Square Central
Tel : 6224 2298
Remember to call for reservations!

Unlike the Royal Parks of London that was owned for the recreation or mostly hunting of the royal family, the Chinese imperial parks offer a more scandalous take at life. How not to? My exploration of this royal garden with hidden courtyards and pavilions within walls of pines and cypess trees gave me strong vibes that Bei Hai Park is a keeper of many imperial secrets.

Chinese history and culture classes gave me the impression that the Chinese emperors are notoriously known for their frivolity or perhaps vitality? On a side note, it’s really amazing how one man could handle so many women. Are you aware that some Ming emperors had more than 9,000 maids of honors at their disposal as well as countless servants and concubines? My heart goes out to these women. I could totally imagine them mourning and weeping their pathetic life by one of Bei Hai’s lake, pinning for the attention of one frivolous man.

Perhaps Bei Hai’s exquisite landscapes which imitate renowned scenic spots and architecture from various regions of China helped favorably in lightening any frustrations. Throwing rocks into scenic 34 hectares lake might worked too. It must had been awful to be an empress/concubine. They are doomed to ‘die’ in all circumstances. If they are favoured, there’s a high chance of them being buried alive to accompany the Emperor to his next world. Otherwise, they either succumb to perilous boredom or get embroiled in intrigues that often end in murder.

Morbid Chinese imperial history aside, Bei Hai stands for the “north lake” located north of the Forbidden City in the heart of old Beijing. The lake is the only remaining water system, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th Century.

After exploring the hutongs, we decided to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the Back Lakes area. We could had chose to have a quick peek at the southern half and then scurry off elsewhere. Thank goodness we decided not to miss the north side of the park, which is more interesting. Bei Hai Park is a good location to relax, exercise or just stroll aimlessly. For some, even a quick swim in the lake.

People-watching was effortless. It is interesting how communal gatherings and activities in parks are so common and popular among folks in Beijing.

Lots of amateur calligraphers were expertly wielding enormous sponge-tipped brushes to compose rapidly evaporating poems on the flagstones. Pity I couldn’t read Chinese. Will be signing up for Chinese lessons in the near future.

Ah the surroundings of Beijing’s oldest and best-preserved imperial garden was extremely pleasing. Not surprising as it was built as a pleasure garden for China’s court. Bei Hai Park was once part of the Forbidden City built was only opened to the public in 1925.

It was awesome to be on the grounds where the Ming Dynasty Emperor and his concubines and courtiers used to fish or hold moon-viewing parties. It would be so cool if I could enjoy a pot of Chinese tea with sweet cakes/desserts in a pavilion while watching folks strolling around Bei Hai Park with warmly lit-ed lantern during Mid-Autumn Festival. That would make such a pretty sight. How lovely.

Stepping foot in one of Beijing’s oldest and most well preserved ancient royal parks is a must. To get there, just grab bus 812 or 814 from Dong Dan metro stop (119, exit A) to Bei Hai. The nearest Subway Station is Zhangzizhonglu on Line 5.

Keep a look out for the Jingxin Room (Quieting Heart Room) which is a garden within the garden and the Five-Dragon Pavilions, five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves built in the Ming Dynasty.

To got more enjoyment out of Bei Hai Park, try letting your imagination run wild as you explore this Chinese garden. It helps to read up on some dark imperial secrets of indulge-seeking emperors, attention-seeking concubines or power-hungry eunuchs beforehand.

(:

Ok back to Singapore for now. I’m got to wrap up some work before heading out for a run with Vibram. It’s been a while. I gotta start training for the Standard Chartered Run!

Beihai Park (Bei Hai Gongyuan)
Wenjin Jie 1
Xi Cheng Qu
Beijing 10003
6am-9:30pm

Ok. Maybe I should rephrase my words. It was gelato-on-a-chilly-beach-day! We couldn’t resist getting a cup of icy treat each because there was a really cute blond waiter with green eyes in the outlet. Moreover, Il Gelato is in fact an award winning gelato. According to them, everything there is made fresh daily following a traditional Italian recipe that has been perfected over many generations. Must try!

Italian? Hmm. No wonder. I love their obsession with perfection. Even simple pleasures such as gelato and sorbets are made a cut above the rest.

Two of my favourite ladies opted for butterscotch and hazelnut gelato which is 50% lower in fat than standard ice cream while I picked the passion fruit sorbet that’s 99% fat free! My sorbet has a softer texture and it’s not too sweet. I loved how tasted a little tarty exactly like a passion fruit! I liked how the sorbet contains real passion fruit seeds which added a slight crunch to each spoonful of sorbet.

As for the butterscotch and hazelnut gelato, The nutty taste of the hazelnut gelato was unique and but I wasn’t too excited about the butterscotch flavour because my tastebuds seem to have an odd dislike for sweet stuff. It’s weird. Maybe that’s why I’m not a big fan of sweet confectionery. Cream overly sweetened cakes especially. Yucks.

All in all, the intensity and purity of each flavors is remarkable. It’s a great frozen treat to share with my girlfriends on a beach and oddly, a scoop of gelato/sorbet deftly repelled the freezing, chilly sea breeze.

We became invincible.

Crystal clear waters, towering Norfolk pines, girlfriends. Cottesloe is definitely one of the best places in Perth to watch the sun set into the Indian Ocean and all we lacked was a bottle of sparkling wine.

Il Gelato
88 Marine Parade
Cottesloe WA 6011, Australia
Open Daily 11am-9:30pm

Nghia Beauty Salon, a modern, stylish salon caught my attention right across the streets along Ben Thanh market. Practically dashed across the road to check out the manicure packages and of course, we were craving for some clean, cool, air-conditioned air after an entire day out in the snooty streets of Saigon.

(: Yippee they have OPI, high quality nail lacquers.

Torned between choices. I choose the basic manicure/pedicure package (VND50,000), paint my toe nails red (VND40,000) and buffing shine for fingernails (VND40,000). And whoosh. A manicurist and pedicurist immediately came to my service. That was fast.

Was very pleased with the buffing shine. it gave my nails a natural, attractive shine. A little dollop of pink lotion was placed on my nails before the manicurist use a polishing strip on a back-and-forth motion to give my nails a amazing natural shine without any nail polish! The whole process took less than 15 minutes and my nails looked incredible.

Sigh. Felt like a Zen princess.

A Zen princess with a grumpy prince

Oh he’s a good natured dude. That constipated facial expression was fake lah! Hehe. He was actually excited because we are heading off to a really good place for dinner right around the corner.

So as I was saying, the service at Nghia Beauty Salon was fast and good. Better than the manicure sessions at Johor Bahru, City Square. Understaffed beauty salons are a PITA. So recently one of my colleagues recommended a beauty outlet at Far East which charges S$23 for a manicure with painted designs on all 10 nails. Sounds good? I’m not too sure. You have any other suggestions? Please share!

Nghia Beauty Salon
20 Phan Boi Chau Street
Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Tel: (08) 38 292 688

PS. I’m still not done with Johor Bahru, Beijing, Hong Kong and Australia yet here I am starting off Vietnam! I wish I have more time to blog about all my scrumptious eats and complete my travelogue. From now on I’m just going to randomly talk about whichever places I feel like teleporting from Singapore. Reminiscing these experiences is such an indulgence. Bear with me, will you?

Ah yes. I feel like going for a super pampering manicure/pedicure session NOW. Throw in a full body massage too. Eevon has been working too hard for the past 20 days.

Good one Frank. But nope. Don’t feel sorry for us because we headed right over to Little Creatures brewery even before lunch at Cicerello’s was digested! Look. That’s my White Rabbit beer. This dark, edgy ale has an alluring, aromatic scent that turned me on like a switch! Sigh. Bad boys who smell nice always wins my fickle heart.

He was delightfully scrumptious. Unique, full of character with a slight tinge of bitterness. White Rabbit must had been through some heartaches but I love men with scars. I love dark, charming princes. Though his handsome pal, Little Creatures Pale Ale fared better on the table with its citrus/grapefruit aroma and flavour, I preferred White Rabbit.

Born out of the love of great beer, Little Creatures Brewing is shared by some friends that had all worked together in breweries at some time or other in the past. Interesting. No wonder they spend much time injecting suiting personalities to all their brew.

For those of you who’s looking for something light and happy, I’d recommend Little Creatures Bright Ale.  This sparkling golden little beer is a big flirt with heady fruit notes of luscious pineapple, passionfruit and melon. Just like what they say, he’s delicious if you like crisp, clean, fresh and fragrant men. Oops I meant beer.

(:

Sunny ales like him deserves to be enjoyed out in the sun.

I liked the al-fresco area but it was too crowded that day. So we hogged a tall table right next to the bar. A perfect, strategic location I must say.

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”
Dave Barry

Well I’m sorry Dave. Wasn’t in the mood to grab a pizza or even some bite-sized mussels because we were stuffed with fish & chips. But I couldn’t agree more with you. Beer goes really well with pizza and you’ll be pleased that Little Creatures offers wood fired pizzas. You can even watch your pizza being rolled out and then baked in the pizza oven. It’s a lovely sight.

With great setting, good friendly service and humbly priced beers. Little Creatures is a perfect place to chill out or I should say beer out with a group of friends! But where oh where can I get White Rabbit in Singapore?

Where? I know Garden Slug serves Little Creatures Pale Ale. But White Rabbit? Anyone?

Little Creatures
40 Mews Rd
Fremantle WA 6160, Australia
(08) 9430 5555

JS had a super bright idea that we get up super early for a mini tour around Freemantle before lunch at Cicerello’s. So yet another early, groggy morning for me. Thought that we were in some kind of odd dreamland as a gypsies and lots of random kids with painted faces crossed our path at Freemantle. The kids were adorable. Can’t wait for Winn to get me a blond nephew.

So we explored Freemantle, especially the area around Freo Market before heading over to Cicerello’s for lunch. I like markets. It’s so colourful and in Perth’s case. It’s spanking clean too. Totally different from the Ben Thanh Market at Ho Chi Minh. Hehe. I know I know. I’m going to talk about my trip to Saigon soon!

Freo Market is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and there are lots of souvenirs, local products for sale which is pretty interesting. Stuff there ranges from boomerangs, postcards, super spicy homemade chili sauces to the didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. .

Best buy at Freo Market?

Tada! King crab leggies! JS bought some and made really good laksa to go with them. Ever heard of crab laksa? Sorry I meant delectable, home-cooked crab laksa. Well well my kindergarten bestie of 20-odd years whom I thought would mistook sugar for salt in the kitchen has morph into such a good cook! I’m so so proud of her!

Seafood is really fresh here since Perth is essentially a coastal city. And from what we saw that morning, Perth’s port, Fremantle, is truly a city in its own right. The bustling atmosphere of a city could be felt as we sipped coffee/hot chocolate at a quaint cafe to rest our feet and people-watched. Well, Freemantle or Freo is in fact, slightly older than Perth. It was fun wandering on the streets along preserved heritage buildings with my girls. Still, thank goodness we had iPhones and Google maps.

When you explore Freo, do make good use of the free public Fremantle buses to restaurants, Fremantle Art Gallery and fishing boat harbour near the Esplanade hotel. And as what I’ve mentioned earlier, no visit to Perth is complete with a simple fish & chip meal at Freemantle.

So here’s the Traditional Fish & Chips AUD$12.60 we got at Cicerello’s! Ah plain old fish & chips but one of the most authentic and freshest I’ve tasted. Nope not soggy. See how good it looks in the picture. It’s tasty even without chilli sauce!

Cicerello’s chips on the other hand was just average. I actually prefer Red Rooster’s chips! The taste of the chicken salt sprinkled so generously over the hot piping chips is unbeatable by far. You must try Red Rooster’s chips if you ever visit OZ!

We also had the Whole Grilled Flounder, AUD$24.00 which was served in an unusually cool manner. The fish laid really super flat on the chips. It was excellent especially with lemon squeezed on it. Was pleased with the mild sweet taste and flaky-firm texture of it’s pure white flesh.

Cicerello’s menu also offers freshly caught oysters, mussels, crabs and crayfish and either fried or grilled. Would had ordered more if not for our plans to grab some beer over at Little Creatures right after lunch. Yup Little Creatures! (:

Didn’t realised that flounders are so flat! Thought that flounders looked like chubby cute Flounder, the yellow and blue-colored fish in Disney’s Little Mermaid. Nah. Did a quick check and found that he is not a flounder, but a Juvenile Atlantic Blue Tang instead. Can’t believed I was ‘conned’ into believing that Flounder is a flounder.

Anyway, the pesky seagulls can be a nuisance sometimes so don’t feed them else they will really poop on you. I’m not joking! And never leave your food unattended because the seagulls are really quick to snap them off your plate.

Well, Cicerello’s is a good choice for a casual lunch with a noisy buzz. We sat at the al-fresco area which overlooked the fishing boat harbour. Perfect for family with kids. Just make sure they don’t fall over the deck.

The food was decent. Price was reasonable. Ambiance was too touristy for my liking. Then again, Cicerello’s is one of the most famous fish & chips restaurant in Perth. And that’s the bane of a popular eatery. Just got to live with it. I guess.

Cicerello’s
Fisherman’s Wharf 44 Mews Road Fremantle 6160
Tel: (08) 9335 1911
Opening times for Fremantle
10.00am to late, 7 Days A Week

(:

This time, instead of winery-hopping which was what I did previously, darling baby bro Terry and I decided to spend the entire afternoon chilling out and picking our brains at Edgecombe Brothers.

Honestly, it was a random pick. Lovebirds Gabby-Winn conveniently dropped us there since it was the only winery we managed to spot before they whizzed off to the Caversham Wildlife Park. Thanks guys. Thank goodness the Edgecombe Brothers cafe was perfect for a teen laden with assignments and a blogger who had lots of backlogged posts to complete. I’m happy that we’ve chanced upon a pleasant place to unwind and pore over stuff which requires significant amount of brain juice.

How about a bit of background on this beautiful land where brothers Don & Frank Edgecombe founded the family vineyard in the 1920s? From where we sat, a natural wetland called Lake Yakine (Nyungah for Tortoise Dreaming Lake) could be spotted. Apparently it is home to Long Neck Tortoises which can be seen sunning themselves or moving numbly through the water.

Too bad we were too lazy to budge from the comfy al-fresco set-up. The wine-tasting menu was more interesting at that point and I’m not Miley Cyrus in The Last Song.

Our wine list:
N/V Sparkling Chardonnay
2009 Chardonnay
2009 Semillon
2009 Chenin Blanc Late Harvest
Muscat

Wanted to try the Fortified Shiraz but it was unavailable. So anyway, Aki, the Marketing Manager at Edgecombe Brothers introduced each glass of wine and placed them respectively on a paper labelled with the name of the wine. But we were too absorbed in exchanging the glasses, commenting and trying to decide which bottle to purchase that we forgot to place the glasses back according to the labeling on the paper.

Shucks.

Didn’t took us long to realised that we had no idea which is which. Best thing was we had 4 whites on the table. rofl

Like most wineries, the small fee for wine tasting is redeemable upon purchase so we had planned to buy a bottle. And since we couldn’t make out which is which, we decided to just go with a bottle of Muscat because nothing could go wrong with a luscious dessert wine.

Indeed, not a single drop was wasted.

This richly colored wine by Edgecombe Brothers was made from very sweet Muscat grapes picked at semi raisin stage and matured in oak casks. Sounds good right? It was very aromatic and sweet! Lovely! Very different taste and texture from the sparkling lavender wine I got from Cape Lavender. I shall say that both are equally were fabulous.

While we enjoyed the Muscat, a special guest popped by for a dip.

A big fat fly!!! OMG I was told that Perth has serious fly problems in summer! But autumn? Then again, this fly died drowning in a glass filled with nectarious muscat. Such a sweet death.

Well the Edgecombe family still grows much of the fresh produce used in the cafe menu. They even pickle their own olives! We wanted some light bites to go with the wine. So here’s our small tasting plate!

I loved the olives because it wasn’t too salty unlike some other places but Terry thought that olives are weird. He preferred the chewy,well-textured bread which went well with olive oil, chutney and dukkah. To our pleasant surprise, we also received a complimentary plate of freshly-plucked table grapes that had a good flavor to it!

Then, I had a sudden craving for some subtle flavoured and textured cheese to accompanied the wine. So the camembert cheese joined our mini wine-party.

Though it was smooth and easy on the taste buds, this pretty wedge of cheese was a little bit too delicate for my liking. I recalled savoring a stronger version of the camembert at Pierside. Terry on the other hand, was pleased with the creamy texture and fresh grassy tones.

All in all, prices here are very reasonable, not only for the meals but the other produce for sale. We spent AUD38 for the wine, tasting plate and Camembert cheese. For a casual, enjoyable experience at a rustic winery cafe n with baby bro?

Priceless.

The serene view over the vineyard from the vine covered alfresco dining area was fabulous. It’s not often we get to enjoy bottle with panoramic views of the sun setting over acres of vines. A perfect finish to my decadent day out with sweetie pie Terry. We were glad that we choose to swish, swill and swallow instead of hugging a wombat.

My only regret was that we did not order the home grown asparagus and famous Muscat ice cream. Only found that Edgecombe Brothers is renowned for their home grown asparagus and ice cream after the trip.

Aki! Why you didn’t you tell me!

Edgecombe Brothers Winery and Cafe
Cnr Gnangara & West Swan Road
Henleybrook WA6055
Open 10 am – 5pm 7days a week