A971 Cafe

not good. not if you're there for drinks and to catch up with a bunch of friends and chill. it felt as though they weren't sure if they wanted to be a pub, club or restaurant and hence tried to be all three.

the drinks, and - while I can't vouch for it as we didn't eat there but at the rather more established Tampopo across the river - apparently the food also suffers the same unfocused fate. fusion with occasionally exciting or promising descriptions, we found that the only real focus they had was this: to deliver your drinks with fairly minimal hints of alcohol save for one cocktail and bottled beers.

you can pass on the Irish Strawberry (unless you're up for a light foamy strawberry milkshake) and definitely the Roppongi Sling unless cherry vodka is quite your thing. cocktails wise, we found that the Strawberry D'light was perhaps the only delight of the night, save that it came only half a champagne glass full.

so yes, not a place that's high up on my list of places to recommend - unless you have a small group of about 15-20 and need a little space inside for a party. the music's really pretty decent but as i said, not quite a club, pub or restaurant.

maybe you all had a better experience there?


A971 Cafe
30 Merchant Road
Riverside Point
Singapore 058282

The Brunch Series

when one of the nicest ways to start a weekend is to sleep in and then wake up to a late saturday brunch, i figure a series on the chicest and yummiest brunch places is most apropos.

but first, i need a coffee... say, the piccolo at Jones the Grocer.

stay tuned.

Bali Eats

i blame the Arien side of me for the huge lack of updates - always beginning and struggling towards the end. anyhow, hello again y'all, its been a while :)

but yes, Bali. it wasn't too long ago that I was there to spend a large portion of it ensconced in a private villa. but with colleagues like mine, I was armed with 11 pages worth of Bali eats to try. way too many choices for the three days I was there unfortunately. nonetheless, there were definitely some highlights:



the shrimp down at Bubba Gump down in Kuta. not mind-blowing but definitely full of addictive garlicky goodness. i could do some real damage with these if this was any closer to where we were hiding in Seminyak. the restaurant itself is quite a fun place, especially if you're partial to all things Forrest Gump. i'm sure you get it if you've ever been to any Bubba Gump before :)



the crispy duck at Warung Eropa. happily for us, this place was literally located not 2 minutes from the doorstep of our villa. the other highlight of this place was definitely the sate. the best friend and I definitely bought back many a pack to our villa and it was a great snack for watching F1.

and to cap things off, we decided to treat ourselves on our last evening there right down at the beach in Seminyak. no, not at Ku De Ta, but its quieter and more sedate neighbour - The Samaya. i can honestly say that that dinner at Breeze, which is The Samaya's main restaurant, was quite possibly THE dinner of 2009 for me.

a beach front table, a really really good mojito, the trademark golden Bali sunset, the yummiest foie gras since Le Normandie as an entree and the freshest moistest local snapper with a light seafood broth and risotto on the side.



divine.

we didn't actually have that much variety of food while there to be honest, we were so busy bumming (the Sanyas Suites - definitely worth checking it out. great service and the coolest outdoor bathroom). plus - breakfast is served at our own dining patio every morning at your requested time. there are only so many meals in one day really. but in case you might want to drop by where we did:

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Komplek Pertokoan Kuta Centre, Blok A1 No. 1
JL Kartika Plaza No. 8X,
Kuta, Bali

Warung Eropa
Jln Cendrawasih, Peti Tenget,
Seminyak, Bali

Breeze at The Samaya
Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak Beach, Seminyak, Bali


i have traveled since (back to taipei again hah!) and i am definitely in the mood for more traveling soon. lets hope the next you check back, this one's still up and running. gold coast and melbourne here i come!