Happy 31

It was Peter's BIG 31 last Monday. I wanted to give him a special birthday by treating him a 3 course lunch at a proper restaurant since I have an off day from work. After alot of online research, I have chosen DISH of the Delicious group as there are many good reviews about their food. They are famous for its steaks, wines and cheeses, but also the relaxing and surreal ambiance of the restaurant. I would like to think that the factors determining a first class dining experience is not just good food, but also good environment. Oh, not forgetting good companion as well.  

Well, it turns out quite ok, the food didn't really blown us away, but it was quite a nice experience overall. This was the first time I had a 3 course western meal by a proper chef. In fact its not just some other chef,  its Consultant Chef Steve Allen. There’s been a buzz about DISH ever since chef Steve Allen took over and rolled out a new menu. The British chef is used to be head chef with famous Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in London.

Check out Gordon and his team (see 4, Steve Allen)

Previously I wasn't a big fan of Gordon Ramsay because I think his personality and foul words and bigger than his cooking, but after watching his latest show Ultimate Cookery Course on Channel 4, it sort of changed my perspective, in fact I like most of his recipe as it has a well balance ingredients with added Asian twist. Anyway, go watch the show if you like to cook at home, highly recommended.

Gordon Ramsay's ultimate cookery course

Anyway, back to the food. Here comes the menu. 

We started with some of the complements from the restaurant, which consisting of fried aubergine with dipping sauce, watermelon with feta cheese, and crispy Ciabbata bread with herb-ish butter, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I enjoyed the fried aubergine tremendously, great texture, great flavors.  

Next is our starters. Avocado tempura, crab mayonnaise and apple dressing for Peter. Cured Halibut Carpaccio, pickled  cucumber and mascarpone for me. The Crispy avocado tempura was our favourite, no wonder the Chinese called them the "butter fruit" because its has the richness of butter and the freshness taste of a fruit. Halibut has a very creamy texture but I would still preferred beef / pork carpaccio over fish. 

Here comes our main, braised wagyu beef cheek, horseradish mashed potatoes, fricasee of mushroom for Peter, and sauteed fillet of salmon, truffle gnocchi and red wine fish sauce for me. Wagyu beef cheek was so tender and it nearly melted in the mouth, mashed potatoes was very creamy but we didn't get the hint of the horseradish. My salmon was alright, nothing special but the portion was seriously over generous.

Last but not least, our desert cheeseplatter and the passion fruit creme brule with a cup of coffee/tea. Unfortunately the dessert was a huge let down. The cheese platter comes with 4 type of cheese along with some other small bites like apple, raisins, walnut, crackers. According to the waiter the cheese are consisting of bree, cheddar, goat and cabot (or something sound like that) cheese. For some reason, the cheese doesn't goes well with our Asian pallet at all. I mean I've tried cheddar and goat cheese before, but it wasn't as bad as what the DISH served. There is this cheese in the platter which has a very pungent and stagnant smell which makes me felt like throwing up. To make it worse, it started to attract bugs! And I cant help but feel sorry for Peter for having such a bad ending to a great meal for his birthday. 

My creme brule have the perfect crisp outside, softy inside texture but it was a slight too sweet. The passion fruit taste was very evident in the creme brule but it was out-shined by the bitter chocolate ice cream. 

All in all, i think it was an good meal (taking the cheese platter aside). We enjoyed the atmosphere there and the overall dining experience.   

Last but not least, another pictures of the man himself, happy 31! Hope we have a great year ahead.

The brain is wider than the sky

Meet the new love of my life.

His name is Joshua, a 1 year old boy who is super alert, smart and just started to walk! Its not like I understand what's the level of intelligence a 1 year old should have, but I was constantly amazed by the way he responded to instruction and music, and how alert he is to new things happened around him. His spongy brain absorbing tons of knowledge like there is no end. 

Its funny that when we get older we no longer absorb information as well as we used to be when we are young. I don't have a scientific explanation to this but I think it's because when we get older, as we know more and more, it reach a state that we just lose interest with simple things in life. We started to subconsciously filtering information which received by our senses and before we realized it, only sophisticated and extra ordinary things can excite / stimulate us. It's such as pity that our brain is conditioning to only taking in new information when they are so called significant or serve our purpose, for example boring stuff like job related knowledge. I hope we can always remember the inner child in us, not just by heart, but by brain as well. 

I like to play with my mobile phone, yeah yeah

Baby Joshua like to see new things. He got hooked on every little things like the strangers walking passed him; the birds flying in the sky; barking sound of the neighbor's dogs and even how the vacuum cleaner works. 

I like to clap when i heard clapping sound. I like to blow big kiss and making big "puttttt" sound on someone else's arms using my mouth

There is this beautiful poem by Emily Dickinson (1830–86)

THE BRAIN is wider than the sky,
For, put them side by side,
The one the other will include
With ease, and you beside.  

The brain is deeper than the sea,
For, hold them, blue to blue,
The one the other will absorb,
As sponges, buckets do.

The brain is just the weight of God,
For, lift them, pound for pound,
And they will differ, if they do,
As syllable from sound.

The Brain is Wider Than the Sky is not just a sciences of a biological organ, but a state of mind, an attitude and aptitude towards life. I hope as baby Joshua growing up day by day, he will not just continue to learn more and more things, but more so find joy in learning.

Love Happens

Our dear wedding photographer uploaded our wedding photos in September, so check this out Walking down aisle-peter & susan 

At first i was thinking of uploading 1 more batch of our wedding photos but i think the photographer did better than me so this is the last post of my official wedding photos blog series. 


This post took me ages to write, and i'm glad its finally done. I've intended to publish this right after wedding, as a recollection of the post wedding feelings. However, its really difficult for me to pour out my heart in words, without any inhibition. Its a feeling of being stripped naked, whereby all the hidden pages of my life are now laid open for other people to read. At the same time this is also a love confession to my one and only, in words and in entirety. Sometimes a hug or a kiss can speaks thousands of words, as there are no hidden emotion behind such intimate gesture. But to put thousand of words forward in order to show those same intensity of emotions deep within, its harder than it looks.


So here it comes, dedicated to him - my now and forever.  


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Official Wedding Photos Part 3: Wedding Entourage

This is the second last post about my wedding photos.

Our brides maids and best men

His boys

My girls

And two of my dear flower gals

Words cannot describes how thankful i am to my dear dear friends, who had tirelessly lending us their helping hands during the entire process. Undoubtedly, all of you are important parts of our wedding, and we can never be thankful enough for being the witnesses of the covenant of our love.

Love you all so much.