Sunday, August 17, 2008

Nandos @ JB

Yet another few hours trip to JB. We will travel to JB once in a while when we get bored of finding things to do in SG. But this time our target was to eat Nandos! Yes! We found Nando in JB! Do not have to wait til we get a chance to be back in Aussie!

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We went to the Nandos located at the Zon. The Zon is actually a ferry terminal surrounded by a shopping centre, a huge club and several restaurents. There is even a super high class KTV entertainment building. Think its those sleezy kind for rich business man. Haha!

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The Nandos there is actually a restaurent, unlike when in aussie, where its like a fastfood restaurent. We had waitresses attending to our order and needs. Price wise, converted to SG, its similar to when its in Aussie.

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Each table has 4 bottles of peri-peri sauce. Tomato, Garlic, Hot, Mild.

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They had something new on their menu: Called peri peri soup. Its actually normal cream soup with added chicken bits and some peri peri spice. In short, spicy cream of chicken soup. Ha! Nothing special. Wat you expect for 3.50 Ringgit.

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My quarter chicken! BC has his 1/2 chicken. The spice on the chips was different. But thankfully, the chicken was as juicy and nice. Both of us were happy! We do not mind coming back again whenever we have a craving for nandos! The only thing we hate is the slow customs! Else its like travelling down to orchard for a fav meal!

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Our sauce plate consisting of garlic, mild and hot... haha! We love mixing them up!

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My gift! A bottle of peri peri sauce! haha! I only have haf bottle left from our last trip to Melbourne. BC bought a couple of bottles for his fwens who misses nandos too. So sweet of him!

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Au Petit Salut

We went to Au Petit Salut @ Harding Road to celebrate one of my good frn's birthday. This place has been 1 of those high-end places in my reserved list for special occasions! Not saying that my fwen's birthday is not special. Its jus that its not 1 of those place that u consider for gathering with fwens. Unless I earn like 10K per mth, its no problem! Haha!

Anyway, for dinner reservations, we were requested to fax over a sheet of paper with our contact and credit card details. Apparently we have to pay $98++ (the price of its set dinner) for no show. We made sure that expected attendance was counted properly. In the end, we found out its more for the purpose for when the whole group fails to turn up and not individually and feel more assured.

The restaurent is in 3 storey building located along Harding Road (near Dempsey Hill). Nice, quiet but rather inaccessible place. The restaurent consist of outdoor and indoor dining. Naturally we took indoors, small but cosy. The place was nicely lited and was quiet. We kinda spoilt the nice ambience with our laughters and loudness.

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Website: http://www.aupetitsalut.com/

The followings are what we ordered. I shall reference the menu on the webbie and give the exact name of each item. haha!

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Demi-douzaine d’éscargots de Bourgogne (Escargots in garlic butter)

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A Closer Look. Mmmm! We love the garlic butter!

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Soupe de coque au safran ("Little-Neck" clams cream soup)
The soup was lovely! It was frothy and creamy. There were loads of clams! Just alittle bit too chewy though.

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Caille rôtie, farçie aux Foie Gras et champignons sauvages (Oven roasted French quail stuffed with duck Foie gras and wild mushrooms)
Isnt this dish pretty?!! The thing about French Cuisine is that every little dishes is like a work of art! The quail was pretty juicy. (i got a small bite! Ha!) But wat i really love is the Foie gras and mushroom stuffing!!! Yummy! The Foie gras simply melts in yr mouth!

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Risotto aux homard et St-Jacques (Lobster and Scallop Risotto)
The dish was infused with the thick and creamy lobster broth, freshness of the seafood can be tasted in every bite. (Description with courtesy from Mellie).
I, on the other hand, still have not learn to appreciate risotto, still taste like hard uncooked rice to me. Haha! But other than that, i tasted the dish and enjoyed the creamy cheesy mouthful i had.

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Filet de boeuf pöelé au poivre (200gm) (beef tenderloin caramelized with white peppercorn)
Nice and tender. Abit too spicy with all the infused white peppercorns. You have the option to omit the peppercorns if you are afraid of the spiciness. I love the mushrooms. Kept stealing it.

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Onglet de boeuf à l’échallote (200gm) (onglet beef served with shallots confit and mashed potato) My dish! Enjoyed it too. But found the meat abit tough and chewy towards the end. Think it was also partly due me asking it to be 'Medium Well'. Mashed potato was the same throughout the dishes. Smooth and creamy texture, not so strong flavouring and compliments each dish nicely. There were cloves of garlic at the side too but I did not venture eating them.

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Cuisse de canard confite (Crispy French duck leg confit with green lentil stew and mixed green salad)
The skin of the duck was crispy and the meat tender. We did not care so much for the green lentil stew though. Looks like green bean soup to me. HA!

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Our only side dish. Potato Gratin. I can only rem it being hot and cheesy cause I was too stuffed by then to eat more of it. The portions may look small but its actually quite filling.

The good thing abt dining with close friends is that we can share and try every dishes each one is having. Dinner is filled with laughters and you do not not feel awkard. Good food and good friends, that is life!

And even how full we were, we gotta make some room for dessert!!


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Charlotte fraises et framboises au Champagne et biscuit Rosé de Reims (Strawberry Champagne Tiramisu)
1 word! Strong! haha! The first bite i took! Wow! the cake is really well soaked in champagne manz! Some friends really enjoyed the cream. I am not really a cream person.

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Profiteroles au chocolat
I enjoyed this the most! The combination of the choux bun (like cream puff but crispier.. to me) and the ice cream and the chocolate was heavenly!!!!! I have seen a show on "travel and living" channel. The chefs really does these from the scratch. Simple as it looks on screen. Its a long and tedious work!!

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Crème brulée à la vanille de Madagascar
Another good item! I love the crispiness of the harden carmelised sugar coating on top.

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Soufflé au Grand Marnier
I love the chocolate truffles inside the souffle. A warm and chocolaty surprise in the middle.

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The happily stuffed customers!!

We highly recommend the lunch set lunch! http://www.aupetitsalut.com/aps/menu02.html
The food was enjoyable! Wun it be even more enjoyable when u can enjoy the same thing at a cheaper price?! The set lunch is 30++. Some of the main items costs more than 30 in the menu! Now I have to find some1 who can drive me there for lunch!!!

A small thought...

can mean so much!

Guess what i found stuck on my keyboard's space bar when i arrive worried and sleepless 1 morning at work? A sweet little note of luck. Even though my batch job did fail that day, my colleague's little note of sweetness brought a smile to my face. The whole day din seem as bad after all.

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To cut a long story short, the job manage to run sucessfully on sat night. I din have to be at work. Her wish did work after all. Thank God for his almighty work!

I am really lucky to meet so many sweet nice pple in my life. It may such be a small little note but it can bring so much encouragement for one. I hope i can be more like them, bringing smiles into pple's lives.