Drink Your Wild Oats - Bar on the Hill

"we distrust camels or anyone who can go a week without a drink"

Any place with a statement like that is bound to be good in my books!



wild oats during the day

Image from wild oats website



I've been meaning to go to wild oats (no capitalisation please) for a while now - it is literally just up the hill from my house in Singapore.  We stumbled upon it walking home from dinner (wo's sister restaurant Wild Rocket, also good, is also just up the hill) and thought it looked great but hadn't made it back until last night.



Sander and I headed out for dinner last night before my work trip to Australia ('technical difficulties' mean I'm writing this now in the airport as opposed to somewhere in the air over Java) takes me away for a week and we decided to start our evening with a drink at wild oats.

I love the setting: an old Colonial-style white house, a wooden deck dotted with rattan chairs and surrounded by some great music filtering through the rainforest-esque foliage. 



The drinks menu is great - the wine list is extensive (including lots of New Zealand sav and pinot - yes!) and the cocktail list has a great mix of classics and clever combinations.  I was tempted by a blueberry and lemongrass margarita, and also a kiwi whisky sour but in the end Sander had his usual mojito (if it ain't broke...) and I tried a lime, ginger and sake gimlet.  What a fabulous combination!  Little flakes of ginger injected a touch of spice, the lime added a tang, and I love sake.  It was very strong, but really no complaints from me, I could drink these all night.

See what I mean about lush foliage?

We were a bit peckish and the food menu looked interesting (although very 'bar snack'ish therefore lots of deep fried bits).  I had a little giggle to myself when I was reading about their Hot Bitches - wo's take on hot dogs - but we decided to get wasabi prawns.  I wasn't expecting deep fried (possibly I mis-read the menu) but I have to say they were delicious.  The wasabi mayonnaise was very creamy with a hint of that familiar horseradish tang.  Sander would have preferred more wasabi, but I thought it was fine.

Sadly, there were two downsides.  Getting the attention of the majority of the waitstaff was near to impossible.  They have a very unprofessional habit of delivering their drinks from the bar inside and then disappearing without taking a look around the deck to see if anyone else wanted service.  We had to wait for about six different people to come and go before someone looked up and saw the now several tables where someone was trying to get some attention.  Secondly they bought out Sander's mojito about 10 minutes before my gimlet came out (and delivered about four other drinks in between to other patrons).  This is a giant no-no in my book.  It's really not that difficult to wait until both drinks are ready before delivering to the table.  You get no brownie points for speedy service if said service is only partially complete.

At the end of the day, I will most certainly be back. wild oats (feels very uncomfortable not capitalising the start of that sentence) has a great atmosphere, tasty drinks and is just up the hill.

Super Sashimi

Looking for a quick and healthy lunch?  It’s hard to go passed sashimi. 

We’re fortunate enough to have some great Japanese restaurants near to the office.  Not surprisingly, the place right underneath me is my most frequented.  They have a fabulous sashimi salad, generously proportioned with salmon and tuna sashimi, crab meat and loaded with salad leaves and veges.  The sesame dressing is dangerously addictive, but if you have it on the side it’s easier to refrain from eating it all.  Rounded off with a miso soup and you have a super light, protein-packed, omega-3 loaded lunch that will see you through until dinner.

If sashimi hasn't hit the spot, the sushi train keeps on coming and coming...

If only I could curb that sweet treat craving I always seem to get after the salty soy sauce…

Some sashimi ‘did you know’?

1.       The word ‘sashimi’ means ‘pierced body’ – probably due to the practice of sticking the fish’s tail and fin into the meat to identify it

2.       Traditionally it is the first course in a Japanese meal due to its subtle flavours

3.       Wasabi (usually served with sashimi) purists say you should never mix your wasabi into your soy sauce because it dilutes the tang of the wasabi (I think that’s a good thing personally).  Instead you should make a mound of wasabi in your dish and pour the soy sauce over the top and allow to infuse naturally.

4.       Always choose salt-water fish as fresh-water fish may contain parasites

5.       Due to the rise in popularity of tuna sashimi, the bluefin tuna has been hunted until near extinction

6.       Sashimi is high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, niacin, vitamin B12, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin B6 (that’s a whole lot of health in each slice)

On Thursday I'm heading to Melbourne for a long weekend.  I'm looking forward to soaking up the cool Melbourne vibe, drinking some decent coffee and some fabulous Australian wine (almost as good as NZ wine... almost), and celebrating my birthday (not telling how old!) in style with good friends, good conversation and good food. 

Stay tuned...

Ladies Who Brunch: At The Barracks

Yesterday was a lovely combination of food and activity.  Laura and I kicked off with brunch at The Barracks on Dempsey Hill and then stretched our legs at The First Tee, the 9-hole pitch and putt down the road.

The Barracks is well worth a visit, although it's not the easiest of places to find.  It's tucked around the back of the main Dempsey Hill cluster of bars/cafes and borders the forest.  We arrived shortly after opening, but after an hour the place was humming so clearly not everyone had the same location difficulties I had!

The menu looks great, it's styled as a newspaper with a bit of background on the front and a huge array of choice on the inside.  Things which caught my eye: Very Berry Stuffed French Toast, Ahi Taki Salad and 3 Berry Ahi Sandwich (both tuna), and a couple of delicious smoothie options. 

I was craving eggs however, so I went with poached eggs.  They came with bene-dressing, mushrooms, crumbed tomatoes, sausages and raisin toast.  A big tick for The Barracks - they let me switch out the sausages for asparagus spears (I was eyeing them up in another meal) for no extra charge.  This sounds pretty obvious right?  Believe me, in Singapore menu flexibility is not always easy to accomplish.

In the end, I had supreme food envy for Laura's Ahi Taki Salad.  Small things (eggs a little too over done, raisin toast - odd combination) were outweighed by the mouth full of vinegar water I received when I bit into my eggs.  Luckily I had a delicious mango and banana smoothie to wash away the taste.  And my double shot macchiato was pretty good.

They were advertising a vintage high tea which looked amazing, but unfortunately it's only available Thursdays and Fridays from 3 - 5.30pm.  Definitely targeting the ladies who lunch, rather than the ladies who brunch.

All in all, I'm not against going back, but I'll probably spend some time investigating other Dempsey Hill hideaways first.

Happy Feet

At a loose end in Singapore?  Get a foot massage!  I am a complete convert to the wonders of foot reflexology.  Is there anything more indulgent?

The soles of your feet are a road map for the rest of your body and applying pressure on certain areas is supposed to help with circulation, relieve tension and help with pain.  Medical benefits haven’t been proven, but it’s amazing how often the ‘liver’ area of my feet seems to be tender on a Sunday… indicative of too much wine the night before? 

My favourite place to go is Health Step Foot Reflexology Centre in Holland Village (Ph 64682655).

Whatever you believe, a foot massage is a wonderful end to a day of wandering around Singapore – be it as a tourist or a resident and at the end of a day’s sightseeing, shopping or simply running errands.  Bliss!

Dim Sum Fun at Din Tai Fung

I love dim sum – I could eat those little parcels of goodness all day, every day (although fortunately for my hips I don’t).  You’d think that a nation with a lot of Chinese influence and a big Chinatown area would be swimming in dim sum and yum cha options, but my earlier forays have left me disappointed.  To this day, the best yum cha and dim sum I have had has been Grand Harbour in Auckland – do not forgo a chance to try it.

Fortunately we were introduced to Din Tai Fung by our friends Sophie and Dean.  It doesn’t serve yum cha, but it does have consistently delicious dumplings and some of the best fried rice I have tasted.  There is always a queue (testament to how good this place is) but I don’t mind because the wait is fascinating.  They’ve walled the kitchen areas in glass so you can watch the team at work as they prepare the dumplings.  It’s meticulous work – each stage of the dumpling process is executed to perfection: rolling out the wrappers, filling and sealing the parcels.  Each is done by one person and they even have trainee tables where junior staff learn the perfect rolling method.  You can see them practicing first without a rolling pin or wrapper (just to get the motion right), then with a pin and finally with the wrapper itself.  They also have quality control where occasional dumplings are weighed to ensure consistency of filling.  I’ve never seen anything like it!

As consistent as ever, Sunday’s lunch was delicious.  Dumplings, pillow-y pork buns, dan-dan noodles, vegetarian delight, hot and sour soup and egg-fried rice.  Let’s not forget the jasmine tea to wash it all down.

Spicy dumplings



A mountain of dumpling goodness



Pillow-soft pork buns

Vegetarian delight is... delightful

Always a queue

The Banana Leaf Restaurant

We live a short five-minute walk from Little India in Singapore.  It’s a wonderful melting pot of sights, smells and sounds, all of which intensify on Sundays when people pour into the streets en masse, and pedestrians rule the roads. 

Colourful buildings everywhere - this one used to be a sweet shop

The sweet sweet smell of flowers

Road-side vegetable stalls

Sander’s cousin is visiting from Holland and as she’d never had Indian food before, it seemed a ripe opportunity to introduce her.  We spent an hour wandering the streets, walking up a bit of an appetite, and then dropped into the Banana Leaf restaurant.   We started a bit of a tradition when we first arrived here of taking visitors to the Banana Leaf for dinner and getting a snap of them eating with their fingers – the photos (not always very flattering, but fun none-the-less) are pegged above our desk in the office.  A fun reminder of our visitors over the past year.

The Banana Leaf has always been pretty touristy, but this time I noticed a few changes, and not for the better.  One of the things I love about the Banana Leaf is that you literally eat off banana leaves.  This time we were surprised to see green rectangular plates on all the tables, lined with a banana leaf.  We promptly removed ours, stacking them neatly to one side, which was noticed with clear amusement by one of the waiters.  He handed us a comments card and told us to leave a note to the managers – apparently we were not the only ones who preferred the previous arrangement.

The full complement

Palak paneer, channa masala and garlic naan

Post-meal herbal breath freshener

Despite this small (but significant to me) change, the meal was still the delicious, generously-proportioned experience I remember.  I only ever seem to leave the Banana Leaf on the point of a food coma, stuffed to the brim with palak paneer, channa masala, chicken tikka and briyani rice.  And try as I might, I still haven’t mastered eating tidily with my fingers.  Something to work on I suppose.

Easy Peasy Pizza

The great thing about pizza is that it can be as healthful or as sinful, as involved or a simple as you like.  Last night’s pizza was a true team effort.  Sander was the advance-guard (I was at team work drinks celebrating the end of the fiscal) and decided he wanted to make the pizza base from scratch because the supermarket-bought versions weren’t thin enough.  Excellent idea!  There’s nothing worse than thick soggy pizza crust.  I was in charge of composition and final cooking.  Next time I’m definitely going to do the base as well – it looks fun!

I hear that base-attempt number one didn’t go so well – the carefully built ‘well’ of dry ingredients had a weakness in the wall which resulted in a river of flour on the floor.  Learning from experience, the second attempt was much more successful and patiently rising on the balcony when I arrived home.

A minor obstacle presented itself in the absence of a rolling pin.  Not to worry, who needs a rolling pin when you have an Easiyo maker? Not us!  Plus our pizzas were delightfully non-circular.

The toppings were very easy to whip up – minced garlic, ricotta, feta and oregano as the base, fresh cherry tomatoes (halved), baby spinach, artichokes and pan-fried chicken, then a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.  Less than 10 minutes later we were curled up on the sofa, eating pizza and watching Season 4 of Mad Men (utterly addicted – dining room table has been abandoned until the end of the season).

And as I type here with left over pizza warming my tummy for lunch, I can tell you that the leftovers taste just as good the next day.



The finished product



Our unique pizza base shapes

Here are the recipes: Jamie Oliver’s super quick and easy pizza base, and Epicurious’ pizza recipe

Pizza Dough

We used half of everything in this recipe and still have a medium sized ball sitting in our freezer for later use.  Despite my campaigning for whole wheat flour, Sander used standard all-purpose white flour. 

Here’s the link to Jamie’s full recipe (here) – but I have faithfully copied the key points.

Ingredients

1kg strong white bread flour or Tipo ‘00’ flour or 800g strong white bread flour or Tipo ‘00’ flour, plus 200g finely ground semolina flour

1 level tablespoon fine sea salt

2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast

1 tablespoon golden caster sugar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

650ml lukewarm water

Sieve the flour/s and salt on to a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.

Now remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands – this is called knocking back the dough. You can either use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in clingfilm, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straight away, divide the dough up into as many little balls as you want to make pizzas – this amount of dough is enough to make about six to eight medium pizzas.

Artichoke, Feta and Chicken Pizza

I’ve amended the recipe below to reflect my method - I added some minced garlic to the base sauce  and sprinkled some dried chilli over everything at the end for a bit of zing.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 clove of garlic, minced

115g  goat cheese

1/2 cup nonfat ricotta

1 whole-wheat pizza crust (large)

1 can rinsed and drained artichoke hearts, halved

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

As much Parmesan cheese as you like, grated

1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or basil)

Set oven to 230°C.  Sprinkle chicken with dried oregano, salt and pepper and pan-fry until cooked. Mix goat cheese, minced garlic, dried oregano and ricotta in a bowl; spread evenly over pizza crust. Top with chicken, artichokes, and tomatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until Parmesan turns golden, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs if you have them and serve.