Seven on Club, Singapore, GVSL (Good value set lunch)

When I was living on Gemmill Lane off Club Street in 2003, I used to frequent this restaurant on the corner of Gemmill and Club street.  They were nice enough to deliver nice meals up for my dinner parties and the

chef and the maitre'd were wonderful. 

The restaurant has now transformed into Seven on Club.  I went to lunch with one of my hedge fund manager friends and we had a very decent lunch.

Sunday Brunches In Melbourne

I was just looking for an excuse to post a photo of this cafe called Cumulus that stumbled upon while in Melbourne, Australia for a few days. It happened to be a Sunday, and I was out hunting for an exciting new place for brunch, and ended up in Flinders Lane, the art and fashion district of downtown Melbourne. Cumulus is a bright and cheery cafe with high ceilings and white washed walls and large glass windows that beckons the morning sun into the dining room, giving it a nice warm inviting glow as you enter the main door. I took a seat by the counter and ordered orange juice, coffee and the blood sausage set. The food was excellent, even though I'm not a fan of anything made of blood, and I did clean off my plate. Staff were very pleasant, the manager came round to chat, and when I told him I was new in town, he offered some recommendations for local sightseeing.

Which led me to Getrude Street Enotica, where I got hungry very suddenly as I entered (and thirsty) and ordered a glass of local chardonnay and a buffalo mozzarella pesto bruschetta. I found a little corner near the back of the wine store, where they laid out a plank as a makeshift bench and a white marble slab for a table. And there I sat, eating bruschetta, drinking wine and resting my feet after an afternoon of walking around Melbourne.

Taxi at Federation Square, Melbourne

I found a reference to this hip restaurant in an issue of Wallpaper* magazine, and since it was just minutes from my hotel, I decided this would be my first stop in my culinary exploration of Melbourne. I've actually put together my own "One Perfect Weekend in Melbourne" guide after spending a few days sampling the local cuisine and watering holes, but I'll save that for maybe later. For now, I just wanted to rave about Taxi.

I was a little early when I stepped into the restaurant, but just in time to see the last golden rays of the sun setting behind the Melbourne skyline.
Seated at the bar counter, I was treated to the frenzied activity in the open kitchen area and the stream of well-heeled diners making their way in. I ordered a glass of champagne to start, and fresh oysters topped with Ahi and caviar in a Japanese punzu dressing to whet my appetite.
Yum! For the main course, I picked the sesame miso cod and zucchini strips with seared scallops over caramelized red onions. I loved the fusion flavors, fresh modern Japanese seafood yet with a lot of Western influence. There was no room for dessert unfortunately, so I decided a brisk stroll to the next bar was in order.

This was definitely the best meal I've had since arriving in Melbourne a day ago, and I was really looking forward to discovering more delicious local cuisine during the rest of my short stay.


This entry begins a series of fascinating discoveries in Melbourne over several days, and I'm including my "One Perfect Weekend in Melbourne" recommendations here:

Start with a hearty breakfast or brunch at Cumulus, where you taste some amazing blood sausages made fresh. Sit by the counter, take in the natural light streaming through the windows and catch up on your daily reading. If you like food and cooking, check out Books For Cooks, a bookstore for the budding chef and any professional looking for cooking references. Amazing selection of books from everywhere. I bought an El Bulli compendium volume here, couldn't resist. Next, take an afternoon stroll around the city, making your way to Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets for a very interesting side of Melbourne life, part Bohemian, part grunge.

To wet your parched lips, walk into Gertrude Street Enoteca for a glass of excellent local wine and some fresh bruscetta, rest your feet, then head across the street to pick up some amazing toiletries from Aesop, the famous Australian skincare brand. Looking for a place for dinner? Try Taxi, a very trendy restaurant in the heart of Federation Square serving modern Aussie/Japanese fusion cuisine.

If you're still up for more exciting discoveries, take a taxi to Der Raum, voted one of the top 10 bars in the world. Order the El Moroccan Blazer, which takes over 5 minutes to prepare, but well worth the wait. They make awesome cocktails here!

The next day, if you still have time to spare, lunch at Rockpool, a very beautiful restaurant located inside the Crown Casino complex, also in the heart of downtown Melbourne. Order the ribeye, it's charred to perfection and wash it down with a local Chardonnay. Federation Square is an interesting area to walk around, sometimes you can catch art performances in the late afternoon in spring. For dinner, Gingerboy is a modern Asian fusion eatery and always very crowded. Food is not very Asian, but do get a seat by the bar and order several appetizers for dinner and wash it down with one of their house signature cocktails.

Brunch In The Mission Part 2

When I mentioned my delicious find to a friend who lived in the Mission District after getting home, he said he had an even better place to show me. The next morning found us sitting in Bar Tartine, sister restaurant to the famous Tartine Bakery in the Mission.

Tartine Bakery prides itself on decadent, amazing pastries and fresh bread made daily, and being the winner of a James Beard award for Best Pastry Chef, while Bar Tartine served up some amazingly simple but delicious Californian cuisine for the neighborhood urbanites. The country French toast with berry compote was absolutely delicious, made with fresh bread from their in-house bakery.
My friend ordered an egg white scramble with asparagus and cheese and it looked equally tempting. Bar Tartine is yet another San Francisco eatery that forges strong sustainable relationships with the local farms, which ensures a constant supply of the highest quality and freshest selections of meat, fish and vegetables for our dining pleasure.

Between the two of my new favorite cafes, I'd have to say the food at Bar Tartine was a little better than Mission Beach Cafe, but the crowd at MBC was much more livelier and youthful and fun.

Bar Tartine is located at 561 Valencia Street in San Francisco, California. 415-487-1600.

Brunch In The Mission Part 1

I was walking around the Mission District neighborhood in San Francisco last Saturday and stumbled upon this really sweet spot called Mission Beach Cafe. It actually reminded me of another cafe with a similar name in the Mission Beach area of San Diego some summers back. Looking at the menu in the display window, the items seemed very tantalizing and I had to give it a try. The cafe prides itself in serving New American cuisine (I guess that's another name for California cuisine), the kind of stuff I like on a weekend for brunch - scrambled eggs with truffle and cheese, golden potatoes and a fresh nectarine salad, hot coffee and a fresh artisanal bran muffin. Brunches don't get any better than this, usually.

Mission Beach Cafe has been attracting a very strong following since opening a couple of years ago.The cafe is another fine example of why I like eating in the bay area - the use of seasonal, organic farmer's market ingredients that help sustain the local community and provide an abundance of natural flavors at the table. Did I forget to mention the artworks on display? Some pretty neat pieces of urban landscapes that showcase the venue as a community focal point and a distinctive neighborhood institution.

Mission Beach Cafe is located at 198 Guerrero Street @ 14th St in San Francisco. 415-861-0198.

My Pho craving landed me at Cafe Annam

Being still relatively new to Hong Kong and the Central district, I decided to take a walk around SoHo one afternoon to look for something new to eat. More often than not, I end up in a Vietnamese bistro, always searching for that pefect bowl of Pho, the aromatic flavor of Vietnamese spices and beef wafting from a steaming bowl of broth cooked for endless hours and served over rice noodles and fresh herbs.

Ah, that's paradise, but today, I've settled for 2 Vietnamese appetizers and a Vietnamese drip coffee. Besides Pho, I also have a thing for steamed rice paper rolls that are delicately filled with minced pork, mushroom and glass noodle. The Cafe Annam version didn't disappoint at all, the paper thin rolls filled were served with a generous sprinkling of fried shallots and went down so well with spicy fish sauce. I also ordered fresh rolls with prawn, another Vietnamese staple that's available in every Vietnamese restaurant anywhere. These were quite good, but tasted a little dry, and was a little too heavy on the vegetables and not enough prawn meat. I wasn't too hungry (just greedy) that afternoon, so it was best to call it a day.

Cecconi's in SoHo

Been to this modern Italian bistro along Elgin St a number of times, and it's still consistently one of the better ones in the SoHo area. The first time was for lunch. I remember ordering the set lunch that consisted of a roasted garlic soup followed by spagetti bolognese.


Normally, I'd steer clear of bolognese (reminds me too much of Chef Boyardee's microwaved verson), but I'm glad I decided to give it a try. It used to be a favorite childhood meal of mine, and Cecconi's version is definitely one of my new favorites - flavorful yet tender, with a rich, aromatic tomato flavor balanced with the right amount of Italian herbs. All in all, a good deal at HK$108.


The second time I was there I tried the tasting menu which consisted of four courses, at HK$498. I didn't have time to take notes of each of the individual courses as it was a business dinner, but I did recall there was foie gras, scallops, Chilean bass and risotto, and I was very full by the end of the fourth course. The experience was most enjoyable and the fact that my company picked up the tab made it more than memorable. :)

Isola, Modern Italian With A Stunning View

The moment I walked into Isola I was mesmerized by the stark white tapestry pattern of the wallpaper in this modern minimalist restaurant at the International Financial Center in Hong Kong. Perched on top of the 4th floor of the IFC, diners are treated to the spectacular view of the Hong Kong skyline and harbor while dining alfresco on the patio.

My friend had reserved a table a week in advance fortunately, and we managed to secure a waterfront view by the window in a quiet corner of this very busy restaurant. It was Monday, and yet the restaurant was filled to capacity. Big, bold and beautiful, I was told this was still the place to see and be seen in Hong Kong.


Lately, I've been on a gastronomic quest to find the best squid ink pasta dish around, and so tonight I was pleasantly surprised to find a squid ink linguine vongole accompanied by baby asparagus. Naturally, that was my selection for the main course, and I also ordered an arugula and mushroom salad with grapes and shaved Parmigiano.

I have to say both dishes were executed with perfection, it was clear the scenic waterfront views were not just the main attractions at this popular Hong Kong restaurant, the food certainly stands up to a lot of accolades as well. Not to mention the excellent, top-notch service fitting for such a dining experience.

This entry marked the start of a 30 day, 4 country culinary journey that included Hong Kong, Mexico, San Francisco and Melbourne. Stay tuned for more delicious photos to come.

Canteen, possibly the best brunch spot in the city

There's nothing like a good brunch to start the weekend, and today, I discovered how amazing Canteen's food really was. The location is interesting to say the least, the tiny diner is right next to a youth hostel downtown, and so tiny that you might actually miss it if you were in a hurry. The breakfast menu is the main attraction, and the waiting line is usually 30 minutes long. You'll find your standard fare on the menu, but with some fresh touches thrown in. Like the eggs benedict I had - the Hollandaise sauce was light yet fragrant, the eggs very fresh, and the English muffins were so well toasted they stayed crunchy until the very last bite.

I was still hungry after wolfing down the eggs, so I ordered a french toast with berry compote that was probably one of the thickest and best toasts I've had in a while (since Barracks at House, at least). I came away from this dining experience a little delighted (that I found a new place to eat on weekends), amused (by the decor and book selections on the shelf) and slightly puzzled (by the fact that they food tasted very high-end for such a low-end affordable joint).

After some digging around, I found out that chef Dennis Leary was formerly the head chef of Rubicon, one of the city's finest dining establishments. The diner has also been receiving a steady stream of favorable reviews since opening several years ago. Well, needless to say, I'm won over by the food, and Canteen's made its way to the top of my list of favorite places for brunch. I hear the dinner menu's just as amazing, so that's good enough reason for a second visit very soon.

Lunch at 35,000 ft

Yes, I hear you people groaning "That's not a real blog entry!", but I just thought I should follow up my "Breakfast at 35,000 ft" entry with a lunch review as well. This time, it's the Omasake set on an ANA flight from San Francisco to Narita. The seasonal menu featured fresh local ingredients that was surprisingly good for an airline prepared meal. In fact, it was better than a similar Japanese set I had on a United First Class flight last year traveling alone the same route.

Limon - A Modern Peruvian Hit

I was very pleased to find a rave review of this Mission restaurant in the latest issue of San Francisco magazine. It had been on my To-Do list for the longest time, but something always came up at the last minute to scuttle dinner plans at this very popular Peruvian restaurant. But tonight, we were determined to keep our dinner reservations, enough though the only table they could offer us was at 10pm.



If you judge a Peruvian restaurant's quality by their signature cerviche, then Limon's shrimp and pacific corvina cerviche will bowl you over with its freshness and the tart flavor of fresh lime dressing over the ingredients.





My favorite way to sample cuisine is to do the small plates and tapas only, and skip the entrees unless they're absolutely irresistable judging from the menu descriptions.

Zachary's in Santa Cruz

Zachary's is another legendary institution in Santa Cruz that locals converge on every weekend for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant has been serving up healthy, lip-smacking breakfast favorites for over 20 years in this rustic, century old building along downtown Pacific Ave.

Here's a place where locals - students, families, new-agers, surfer dudes come together to have a meal, to sample the fresh mixed fruit bowl, or the sourdough pancakes and the ever popular Mike's Mess, which comprises of a wicked combination of eggs, cheddar cheese, sour cream, potatoes, avocado, tomato, onions and mushrooms all scrambled into a glorious mess and served piping hot with a choice of breads. I'm not the neatest person in the world (neatness doesn't run in the family), but my breakfast meal has to have all the ingredients demarcated clearly on the plate - eggs must not mix with bacon, or the any of the sides, but today I went with the exception and chowed down on a full serving of the Mess.



Needless to say, Mike's Mess lives up to its messy but yummy reputation. Not only did it taste delicious, it was the only meal I had for the rest of the day. I think there was at least 1200 calories or more in that heap. I'd say it ranks right up there with the "Breakfast of Champions" item on the menu at Southern Kitchen in Los Gatos. I loved the warm chatty atmosphere, the communal setting and the simple but perfectly prepared food. You just can't ask for a better way to start a Sunday. The only caveat is that you should get there as early as possible, preferably before 9AM, otherwise be prepared for the wait, because Zachary's takes no reservations. They also don't have an espresso machine, keeping true to the old school breakfast diner experience.

Tanglewood in Santana Row

In many ways this Santana Row eatery has become my favorite hangout on the Row. Love the decor, the food and the service. Especially the weekend brunches. But tonight, I'm here for a late supper, and the usually crowded restaurant was empty. Most of the patrons had left for the evening, and so I felt like I had just walked into a new restaurant for the first time.

I like the fact that all the produce are sourced from local farm producers and the restaurant is a strong supporter of sustainable farming. Soups are always good here, as well as the appetizers. Also a favorite on the menu is the meatloaf, a generous and flavorful portion of meat served with side vegetables or mashed potatoes or fries. The garlic fries that comes with most dishes are one of the tastiest I've had in a while.

Brunch is another wonderful experience on weekends. There's a set menu consisting of typical breakfast dishes as well as an amazing french toast filled with fresh orange cream and drizzled with syrup, This, and fresh juice and a table by the sidewalk on a Saturday morning watching the world go by is how I love to spend my weekends.

Chapeau! in the Richmond district

One of my recent discoveries, Chapeau! has been a consistent favorite, and I've returned with friends several times for the cuisine, cosy atmosphere and excellent service. Not a date place typically, because of the noise level and cramped quarters (this little bistro really packs them in), but it's a great venue for group dinners or catching up with old friends. Located in a quiet corner of residential Richmond, it's far from most downtown restaurants and this makes parking a lot easier in the crowded city.


Tonight, we ordered the prix fixe menu, and started with a carrot and pumpkin soup drizzled with cream and croutons. This being early spring, the warm soup was a great way to start a meal on a chilly night. For the main, I had the pork loin over pumpkin puree and cabbage. It was served with an impeccable wine reduction, and the loin was perfectly roasted.


For dessert, I ordered the Chilled Orange Soup with Grand-Marnier, Souffle Glace, Tangerine Sorbet with Orange Segments and Coulis a la Menthe. That's it in the photo. Pure decadence, if you know what I mean.

Osteria in Palo Alto

A coworker recommended this little family run Italian bistro on a quiet corner off university Avenue in Palo Alto. Reservations were hard to come by, but we managed to snag a table at 8:30pm when we arrived. We told them we were first-timers and they were nice enough to give us a cozy corner with a table by the window. Food on the menu was unpretentious, home cooking - lasagne, ravioli, osso buco, accompanied by very reasonably priced wines and excellent huge servings of dessert like tiramisu. We had to rush through dinner, so I guess this mean's I'll be back again for a second experience someday soon.

Thea Mediterranean on Santana Row

I stumbled upon this place at a quiet corner of Santana Row some time back, but never got round to writing a blog entry until now. In some ways, the cuisine at Thea reminds me of Kokkari, another wonderful Greek establishment in San Francisco. But Thea brings modern Greek fine dining to suburban San jose, and does it with a lot of flair. As you enter the main entrance you are greeted by the high ceiling and the luxurious decor enveloping the restaurant in a Mediterranean island atmosphere.

Tonight, I we ordered the usual Saganaki Opai appetizer, a Greek cheese flamed with brandy and lemon right by the tableside. This is one dish you would want to order to impress your date or partner. The lemon juice imparts a zesty flavor to the aromatic cheese that melts in your mouth. Sometimes I'd go for the Soupa Avgolemono, a traditional Greek chicken soup flavored with lemon, egg and rice.


Seafood has always been very fresh at Thea, and one of my other favorite mains is the Garides - grilled large prawns in greek spices over zucchini cake and argula salad. If you want something more hearty, then the moussaka is the other favorite option that never fails to disappoint.

Unlike most San Jose restaurants, Thea stay open late, and even after 10:30pm, you can get a table by the bar and order drinks and some selected bar foods from the dinner menu. The cocktails are also expertly concocted by resident bartender Asia, who does a mean lychee martini.

The Perfect Brunch at Zuni Cafe

Ah, Zuni Cafe, my quintessential weekend brunch spot in the city. This beautiful, sun drenched cafe along Market Street has come to represent the best qualities of the San Francisco dining scene - fresh organic produce from local farmers dedicated to sustainable harvesting, simple yet tasteful seasonal menus paired with the freshest selections of oysters and crustaceans from the bay area. Local chef Judy Rodgers has made this quaint little corner establishment one of the city's popular dining spots, and have also published a cookbook containing all the signature dishes that made Zuni Cafe such a hit.

My friend David and I drove up from San Jose Saturday morning and headed to Zuni Cafe without a reservation. Sometimes, you do get lucky, and today, we did not have to wait more than five minutes. We were shown to a table in my favorite corner of the restaurant facing the street. I've tried almost all the popular dishes on the menu, but not the grilled porkloin, so that was my choice. David picked the signature caesar salad and minestrone soup. The dishes were perfect, as always, and evoked subtle nuances of Alice Water's Chez Panisse cooking. It's all about simplicity in the preparation, so that the naturally fresh ingredients are allowed to shine.



Today we decided to skip the fruits de mer, and save our appetites for an afternoon snack at the Hog Island Oyster Co. bistro in the Ferry Building. And so began our perfect Saturday afternoon in the city. If you ever come to Zuni Cafe, try the signature oven roasted chicken.

Breakfast at 35,000 ft

I realized it's been some time since I logged an entry, and suffice to say, I'm feeling a certain degree of angst and guilt over this. And just a moment ago, I suddenly had an urge to write a food review, but alas, being stuck on a plane doesn't make my attempt any easier. So I've decided to contribute this short commentary on the breakfast served during my flight from Singapore to Shanghai. As luck would have it, I'm flying first class on Singapore Airlines this morning, otherwise, the economy class version of this review would have been only 2 sentences long. Anyway, here are my thoughts on an American breakfast served at 35,000 ft above ground.


I was presented with a choice of a chinese dim sum set, a tortilla and salmon wrap, continental or American breakfast. I selected the American, just to see how the fresh scrambled eggs turned out over fine bone china. I started the meal service with Krug champagne (the Dom 1999 didn't seem that great), warm toasted cashews, followed by a plate of fresh fruits consisting of several types of tropical fruits and berries. My croissant was nicely toasted, and the delicious strawberry yogurt was served in a fine bone china bowl. My main entree consisted of grilled tomato and assorted wild mushrooms ragout, a spicy hashbrown, gammon ham and freshly scrambled eggs. Maybe it was the bone china, or the food presentation and the white linens, but I felt like I was sitting in a cafe in San Francisco having a very scrumptious morning breakfast, and the eggs were perfectly scrambled. I ended my meal on a high note with a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and a biscotti. Afterwards, Kris, my sexy flight attendant came over to inform me that they would be happy to serve me the dim sum set as well prior to arrival. That made me think about doing a double review, but for now, I'm feeling rather satiated and ready for some shut eye before arriving in Shanghai early in the morning.