Daddy's Birthday at J's Wok & Grill - Part 2

As continued from the previous post.

After we're done with our mains, we eagerly asked for the menu to proceed with desserts. My bro was the one to make the first move. I guess that pasta and starters weren't enough for him.

Everyone chose a dessert item, except for myself. I was thinking that I can just skim some from each of their item. Besides there's the cake, remember…?

My parents had no idea about the cake and chose to share a dessert. Imagine if everyone had dessert and then there's the cake?

When the server walked away with the dessert orders, I tried hard to catch the eye of the guy with whom I made the hasty arrangement for the 'birthday special'. Maybe right then, my hubby must have been wondering what his wife was up to (I didn't tell him about the arrangement)…

When I got his attention from a distance, I mouthed-out, "The Birthday C-A-K-E…!" He was bewildered, initially. Then he remembered…Right then, I thought I can see the light bulb over his head.

Our table then started chatting away when a birthday song suddenly blasted through the restaurant's audio system. Without. warning. I really wasn't kidding when I say that they 'blast' the song. It was THAT loud! I was so shocked that I had a panic attack. My hands can't stop trembling after that.

And I was the one in the know about this… Wonder how the customers at the other tables felt.

Birthday surprise…? More like a birthday shocker. But the vibes are good. So I'm fine with that.

Birthday special

This sweet lady came over with the slice of cake and then lit the candle at our table, prior to serving. I gestured to my bashful dad at the the corner.

Look who's blowing…

Naturally, kiddo was the excited one. No matter whose birthday, he wants to blow the candle.

"Happy Boh-Day! Happy Boh-Day to Uuuuu!"

*puff!*

The doting grandpa (a.k.a Birthday Boy) was only happy to oblige. So the both of them blew out the candle together.

My cheeky brother, seeing how excited his nephew was, took out his lighter and re-lit the candle. Like 3 times more?

"...And I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow this cake down!"

So much for having this cake to myself. Everyone love this Oreo cheesecake. Even kiddo. I only got 1 or 2 bites… :(((

Chocolate ice-cream (1 scoop)

Part of Kiddo's kid's set meal. they asked for our preferred flavour and I blurted out 'chocolate'. Should have chosen vanilla instead, seeing that he already had Milo (chocolate malt) as his drink.

Chocolate overload (yes, I'll be the one paying for this mistake when I end up having to deal with his sugar-high antics)!

Fried Banana Fritter w/ ice-cream

My hubby's choice. As someone who hardly have desserts when dining out, his order took me by surprise.

Unlike the local 'pisang goreng' that we can get at regular stalls; here they use those 'Del Monte' type. So you can just imagine how big that banana was. The batter was almost tempura-like. Thin and crispy!

Visualise that piping-hot, crispy banana and frosty ice-cream with squiggles of chocolate fudge… Yeah, savour that thought.

Ok… where can I get 'pisang goreng' now?

Mango Delight

I. am. so. not. surprised that my bro got himself this.

Now here is a guy who's not shy to admit that he LOVES strawberry-flavoured snacks. Or desserts for that matter. Unlike the 'Bu Puo Shang' character in the Taiwanese 'Skip Beat' drama.

Chunks of ripe mango at the bottom of this sundae cup, with a generous scoop of strawberry ice-cream, topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherry, which my mum was happy to savour. 

Sago Gula Melaka w/ ice-cream

My parents chose this and I'm surprised that they came up with a dessert that might just appeal the elder folks with more 'traditional' tastebuds. Boiled sago mixed with a bit of coconut cream and 'gula Melaka' (palm sugar).

They were REALLY generous with that sago, such that some spilled over the edge when my mum dug into the ice-cream on top.

This was such a creative idea. I might just replicate this at home!

All in all, the bill came to around $150. Seriously, is that affordable or what? Food was better than expected, there's a 'mussolah' provided, service was alright, the interior was pleasing… And most importantly, my Birthday Boy enjoyed himself.

Now, if only they turn down the audio volume when playing that birthday song. Seriously.

J's Wok & Grill
Blk 527, Bedok North Street 3 
#01-514
Singapore 460527
T: 6345 7155
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PS: I came upon an article on FB, with regards to the Indian-Muslim owner of the provision shop that located a few doors down from J's Wok & Grill. He was having financial difficulties and worry about being evicted since he has been unable to pay the rental for his unit. Sales have dropped since the lift-upgrading works.

Please, patronise his shop and help him out. If evicted, his family will also lose a place to live in. 

Thanks.

Daddy's Birthday at J's Wok & Grill - Part 1

For my dad's birthday, my bro and I start with some grand plans.

My bro planned something like… bringing him to our favourite sports shop and have him pick any shoe he wants, before heading to Olivye Cafe at Changi for dinner.

I was thinking that since the sports shop will be at Suntec City, we might as well head to Fika at Millenia Walk. I was thinking that my meat-lover dad will surely love that lamb I had.

Somehow, with a turn of events, on that very day, I simply asked my dad if he had a place in mind, to dine at. Immediately, he brighten up and say, "How about that J… that 'J' place at Bedok?"

I instantly knew what place he was referring to. I've been there with my parents when they just opened, years back. My mum had seen an article on them and was keen to try out their food. We had a great experience then. In fact, my hubby's side of the family had their family day gathering there twice.

When I told my brother as to my dad's choice to dine here, he replied with, "Finally…"

Curious about his reply, I asked why. Turns out, we recently drove past that restaurant and my dad had pointed that place out to him, saying that we should head there someday. Aww… so Mr Birthday Boi finally get his wish!

Not your average under-the-block dining…

Some may be surprised to see such a nice family restaurant located right smack in the middle of the heartlands.

I rushed in ahead of everyone, asked for a table for the 5+1 of us and then asked if they have any birthday 'specials'. They were taken aback and then mention something like, "… a slice of cake…"

My dad was already stepping in so I hurriedly finished off with, "Ok, I want that. It's for my dad's birthday." I then asked about the 'musollah' for us to conduct our Asar prayers. We were directed to the level above. Actually I already knew where it was. Just asked out of formality.

The toilet on the level above was equipped with a small ablution area and the prayer zone was amongst the staff lockers and storage shelf. There's a simple curtain for privacy and there's sejadah (prayer mat) and telekong (ladies prayer garb).

My dad…

…The 65 year-old birthday boy (already??!)  o__O

Ice-Lemon Tea & Iced Milo

The lemon tea belonged to my bro & hubby.

Kiddo's kiddie meal didn't come with a drink so I had to older at full-sized one for him. Doesn't help that those glass mugs are huge!

Hot matcha drink

Ordered this the previous time we were here and my parents had these again. The previous experience left such an impact on them that they can still remember enough, to be able to compare their previous cuppa with this!

Watermelon juice

I was really at loss as to what I shall choose to drink. Under much pressure from the stares I got from everyone at the table and the server patiently waiting at the side… I simply blurted out, "Watermelon juice."

That must be the work of my subconscious mind. 

Starters - Fried calamari & onion rings

My brother loves his fried stuff and asked for all these. I knew my hubby's penchant for Fried Calamari so I'm just happy to oblige.

The calamari, albeit being a bit on the thin side, was quite satisfactory. Meat wasn't tough and the batter was nicely seasoned. The breadcrumbed onion rings wasn't those cheapo run-of-the-mill kind. That's actually a whole ring of onion inside that breadcrumb layer.  

Starters - Fried chicken wings

I love chicken wings fried this was. Thin coat of seasoned flour and that's it. Came accompanied with sweet Thai chilli sauce.

Kiddo's meal

There's was a section for kids and I had kiddo point out his choice.

He was fascinated to see his favourite character, Barney in the picture. However, the Barney set was some sausages etc. I was hoping that he won't choose that. He then noticed the 'Nemo' set, which was a plate of Fish & Chips. He immediately pointed at that picture.

Wow… nice choice, kiddo! I'm amazed that at 3 years old, he can make his own decisions. I almost thought that he'd be swayed to pick the Barney platter but he choose the Nemo one because he wanted Fish & Chips, despite not knowing who the heck Nemo was. He only said, "Fish!"

There are other kids' food items but I can't recall what. Maybe some spaghetti & something else. And all the kids meal set comes with a scoop of ice-cream. But no drinks.

Btw, kiddo can't finish all that so my bro was more than willing to help him with it. :P

Pasta Carbonara

My brother's perennial favourite, when dining at western style restaurants/eateries. He wan't too fond of grilled stuff. It's either fried stuff or creamy (no, not tomato!) sauce pasta. And penne, preferably. 

Grilled lamb with mint sauce

'Birthday boy' took sometime before deciding on what he wanted. The meat was done nicely and to his liking. He left behind a clean (hot) plate to prove it.

I can't help noticing that circular bone within the meat, with the marrow still intact. Oh wow!

BBQ beef ribs

As if choosing the drinks didn't take me long enough… I had an even harder time, figuring out what I would like for my mains. After deducing the final two from my initial choice of like 4 or 5 options, it's either this or the Braised Lamb Shank that seemed similar to the one from Secret Recipe.

In the end, I asked my mum, "If I choose the beef ribs, will you share it with me?" She nodded. So beef ribs, it was.

I know my mum loves ribs. Be it lamb or beef. In fact, she was eager to try out the one from Charco's when she discovered them serving it.

I know the ribs will be big (as seen in the menu picture) but I was still taken aback to see it when it was eventually served. And the meat sure is tender. Literally fall-off-the-bone tender. I only need to pull the meat apart using the fork. With one hand.

And most importantly, that BBQ sauce was delish!

If only they had served me mashed potato instead of fries…

Thai grilled chicken

…Or something like that. I know it's one of the 'grilled chicken' varieties (there are a few others) and there's something 'Thai' about it.

The thigh chicken meat was nicely marinated and tender. The 'Thai' flavour… it's not just the typical Tom Yam taste. But the lemongrass flavour was evident, though. Either way, it's really tasty.

The meat sat atop a bed of boiled 'kailan' greens. Weird, maybe. But it complement that overall taste and setting. Very much Grilled Chicken - Asian style.

Texas grilled chicken

My hubby's choice. This was one interesting dish.

I don't know what clearly define anything 'Texas' in foods but this grilled chicken meat was topped with slices of chicken ham, mashed potato and cheese. Guess it was then tossed into the oven to melt that cheese, prior to serving.

Naturally, the chicken meat was crispy at the edges. Thankfully, it wasn't too dry. Hubby loved it.

It seems like I still have many more pics of the desserts coming, so I guess I'll just split this post up into 2 parts. 

J's Wok & Grill
Blk 527, Bedok North Street 3 
#01-514
Singapore 460527
T: 6345 7155

Evertop Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice

It was that one fateful day when… we head to Geylang Serai Market for lunch and it was actually closed to to the monthly cleaning! huhu…

You know when your mind is all set for something, only to realise that whatever you've intended won't be fulfilled? Yes, a good word would have been, 'Disappointment'.

But can you imagined the chaos that ensued, due to sibeh last-minute plan-changing? My colleague the driver was like, "So now what??! Where? Where to go???!"

He went berserk and didn't even stop the vehicle by the roadside to wait for an answer when he asked that. He. just. kept. on. driving!!

So he drove along Joo Chiat Road. We girls were like, "Shall we eat here…? How about here…? Here! Stop here…!!"

This fella somehow knew where he DIDN'T want to dine at, yet he can't figure out where he really wanted to. And he dare say that we ladies can never make-up our mind… Pfft. 

Then we passed the Evertop eating place and I was shrieking at him, "Let's eat here! The duck! I want to eat the duck! I miss the duck!!!" (yes, the duck was all I think about so you might be forgiven if you've thought me to be pregnant and crazing craving).

Somehow my colleague eventually agreed. I think he missed eating their food too. We've always ordered from Evertop when they were still around at that air-conditioned foodcourt at the ground level of Geylang Serai market.

The only pet-peeve was just how far the public carpark is (no, those congested parallel lots don't count). On that hot & humid day after the long walk from the carpark… we eventually settled ourselves at the entrance of the indoor dining area, sitting right below the air-curtain. I tell you, that blast of fast-moving cold air? Trumps the air-con- anytime.

All of us subconsciously ordered something iced and 'lime-y'. 2 of us had the 'Teh-O Limau Ais', another had the 'Sirap Limau Ais' and I had the 'Limau Ais' ('limau' here, refers to the calamansi lime). Just to up the 'refreshing' factor.


Chinese style Mee Goreng

Mr colleague requested for the 'Malay-style' Mee Goreng. We didn't know there are different variations, until the server asked.

However, funnily enough, the same server came by and mentioned something about the 'Malay-style' Mee Goreng being unavailable (seriously… huh??) and asked my colleague if he don't mind settling for the 'Chinese-style' version.

Mr colleague was right then, hooked on his Candy Crush game and simply nodded his head.

Only after his third scoop did he ask, "How come the Mee Goreng taste a lot like the Chinese one…?" All of  us glared and reminded him what he nodded his head at, just now. He was disappointed, actually.

"I miss eating the Malay Mee Goreng, le…"

Crispy Yee Mee

Another colleague had this, also simply known as 'Crispy Noodle'. She remarked that it was pretty nice, actually.

I can't recall when I actually stopped ordering this. Used to order this everytime I'm at a 'Zhi Char' place. Maybe when I realise for the umpteenth time that the noodles were great only when crispy. When soggy it just… sucked.

Duck Noodles

I naturally just had to get the duck. It's either this or the duck porridge. But I eventually settled for this, although I kinda' miss those slivers of ginger in soy sauce that comes with the porridge.

Another colleague of mine- also a duck fan, had this too.

Condiments like soy sauce, pickled green chillies and 'chicken rice' garlic-ginger-chilli were available free-flow in containers on every table. I helped myself to the fiery chicken rice chilli, for me to dip those strips of duck breast meat into. Such oomph!!

It wasn't pictured because we were busy eating, but I also ordered a plate of ten cute little fried wantans… Which were such 'umami' goodness when eaten with the dark soy sauce that they came with.

Evertop Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
89 Joo Chiat Road

Swensen's Ocean's Seven

On my 4th wedding anniversary~  as (good) luck would have it, was my hubby's final day at this First Aid course that he was made to attend so he was actually free after 6pm (for once)! Whee!

I had some 'grand' plans to check out Badoque Cafe or Sedap Corner at Simpang Bedok. But he ask to just head to Tampines. So I thought, maybe Fish & Co for once. Or some other restaurants in Tampines but somehow, I find myself following my hubby to level 3 of Tampines Mall.

I later find myself standing before… Swensen's. Not again!  Seems like Swensen's might just be the 'go-to' place for my every anniversaries… Huhu.

What do you know…? This food blogger has a spouse who is simply, 'unadventurous' when it comes to dining choices. Times like this, I'm just really thankful that my own family are very eager to try out food from any most restaurants/eating places that I suggested. In fact, there were times when they are the one to make suggestions.

Anyway (coming back to the anniversary dinner), the crowd was starting to pick up so we hurriedly made our order. My mood kinda' perked up when I see the 'Ocean's Seven' menu. A month or so back, I've received an email from them, when they were promoting it and I had been most eager to check the new offerings. Totally forgot about it until I held the menu for real.

This promotion was supposedly to bring a taste of San Francisco's famous Fisherman's Wharf to SG. The new dishes include:

- Spicy Seafood pasta with Grilled Scallops
- Crabmeat Baked Rice
- Baked Spicy Salmon with Squid Ink pasta
- Poached Barramundi in Oriental cream sauce

There are also 3 new beverages with blue syrup (high likely it's Curaçao and not blueberry).

I chose the combo where for an additional $9, I can either get the:
- Ocean Crunch salad or
- Butterfly Shrimps for starters and Hot Fudge Sundae for dessert.

I chose the latter. The more the merrier, right. Besides, I foresee that the salad portion might be big and that my hubby may not want to share it.

Hubby meanwhile, initially asked for the Chicken Victoria and I had to remind him that was what he ordered the year before and he didn't appear to like it (I find it to be pretty 'Euww!' too). He then settled for the Chicken Mushroom Penne.

Service was very weird, that day. Despite there being servers at every corner. My hubby's plate of pasta came fast and yet, for the next 15-20 mins, nothing else came to our table. Not even the sides.

When he was almost done with his food, he told me to ask about the other orders but I chose to keep mum and just wait. That's what I'm good at, anyway. So good at it that it's bad. I need to remember that not everyone has the capacity to be as patient as I am.

Then again, having been at the service line I know the kitchen can be pretty messed up. I don't mind waiting (albeit silently). I later noticed that the manager took a double take when she saw that my hubby was almost done with his food and yet, there's nothing else on the table.

She was aghast of course and I saw her running to the counter to check my order with the kitchen. She later came back, saying, "Sorry, please wait a bit, ya sayang? Your order's coming soon..." I didn't say a word and just smiled.

Man, the air-con was blasting above my head and I was famished, having came in from work… My hubby gotta' count himself lucky. I'm just glad my hubby got served first. A hungry man is an angry man and I sure don't wanna spoil my special evening with him.

As soon as the butterfly shrimp was served, I immediately skewered a piece and walloped it. Ahh… food glorious food!

Butterfly Shrimps

Butterflied shrimps coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried. Served with tartar sauce. Hubby also requested for the Deep Fried Mushrooms, where Shitake mushrooms are prepared similarly.

Baked Spicy Salmon with Squid Ink pasta

I was very impressed with this main. The plating was pretty something. I was jubilant to see so many ingredients on my plate.

The squid ink pasta was done 'Aglio Olio' style, with visible cuts of bird's eye chilli. There were pan-fried/roasted julienned bell peppers (all 3 colours) on the side. The crispy-looking piece of baked salmon was topped with chunky mango salsa and there were little dollops of pesto sauce on one side. Not forgetting the lone stalk of roasted asparagus and spring onion.

Wow!

The salmon was marinated or coated with some paprika-based spice. It wasn't the fiery kind or 'spicy'. More like taste-of-spices kinda' 'spicy'. The crispy skin was awesome! And the pasta was al dente (surprisingly) and flavourful.

Maybe God is being fair and reward me with such great-tasting food, after what I have to go through, earlier.

Hot Fudge Sundae

Had the dessert served when I'm almost done with my pasta. I was having a hard time choosing the flavours for the 2 scoops when I was placing the order.

Of course I had to choose 2 separate flavours for the 2 scoops in there. I'm a big fan of variety! Such a big fan that I chose 2 very diverse flavours. They're both my favourite and yet that was my 1st time choosing them. What irony.

Anyway, my chosen flavours were…

Chendol       and…
Rocky Road

I know, I know… What was I thinking, right? Beats me. I may love variety but I'm also indecisive and fickle. Guess that's bound to happen.

And in case you're wondering, those 2 flavours… they really don't complement each other. Eugh! Thank goodness for all that almonds and chocolate fudge!

Anyway, this will remind me to minimise my visits to Swensen's just so that my next anniversary meal will be a lil' more special, you know…?

Fika @ Millenia Walk

Still at the week where my bosses were away on holiday. Us colleagues, we're forever on the hunt for nice places to dine at, for lunch. What more when we're still feeling the holiday buzz after the super-long CNY weekend.

On that day itself, we finally decide on Fika ~ the halal Swedish bistro, since we've heard so much about this place and it came highly recommended. We were also surprised to know that they had a new branch opened at Millenia Walk. Got us even excited. The initial branch located at Arab Street has the cosy feel about it but it seemed a tad cramped. So we're eager to check this new one out.

Made reservation online through ReserveIt.sg

When we arrived, we were welcomed in warmly and were told that they've chosen us a nice little corner. How sweet!

Cosy corner

Nope, we didn't sit at THAT corner. But we were right before it so it was a pleasant sight, indeed.

It'll be nice to sit here and chat with gal friends over some desserts (their cakes display is pretty impressive!) and tea/coffee.

Other side

They used my favourite Charles Eames style DSW dining chairs here. Love, love them!

Love the subtle colours with the mainly white background, framed pastel coloured graphics… What I have in mind for my new abode, actually.

Valentine's day special

Seems like such a steal, eh?

Menu - Food 1

Menu - Food 2

Menu - Desserts & Beverages

Menu - Beverages & Kids set

Kalle Sprätt

Comes with the Valentine's Day meal. The options for soft drink was either the typical Coke/Sprite or this. Of course, our curiosity was begging to be satiated when we heard a weird name being mentioned (I had the server repeat the name twice).

Apparently, this is supposedly one of the more popular Swedish soft drink (carbonated). It's kiwi-flavoured and isn't too sweet (unlike those American ones) or gassy. A bit like Italian soda.

In case you're wondering… Nope, that glass is the brand for a popular non-alcoholic Pear Cider drink.

Imported Premium Cocoa - Iced

My colleague, Roza's order. Pretty mild taste, actually. But it sure is good to have on a hot day.

Soup of the Day

We enquired about the soup available for that day, prior to making our order. Was told that it's 'Potato Soup'. Sounds… interesting. I'm not really fond of potato but I'm just glad that this isn't the sort that comes out of the can, if you get what I mean.

Obviously this is made from scratch.

A light-tasting soup. Reminds me a lot like cauliflower soup, too. However, the portion is a tad big so we can easily get filled up before we even got to the mains.

Swedish Pasta Bake

Roza's order. Fusili pasta with tomato, minced beef, cream sauce and topped with cheddar cheese.

Grilled Rosemary Salmon

Sri chose to have the Valentine's day set, with the salmon as her main dish. We were blown away by the presentation when it first arrived.

As extracted from the menu:
"…served with crispy skin and almonds on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes, with sauteed wild mushrooms accompanied by homemade lemon butter sauce…"

It really looked as it was described. Plus, the clump of alfalfa sprout and dill was a pretty nice touch. The server, upon seeing that we might be sharing, offered side plates and an extra portion of the lemon butter sauce. Nice!

And I gotta say that the food taste as good as it looked. The salmon taste fresh and the portion sure is big! That really crispy salmon skin… sigh.

Delicious BBQ Rack of Lamb

I also chose the Valentine's day set, with the lamb as my main dish. I've been on the hunt for places that serve really good lamb and I gotta say that Fika takes the cake.

The lamb racks weren't dry, nicely marinated and most importantly, they weren't gamey. A big plus. I sure can't get enough of that homemade BBQ sauce. And those cucumber strips were such a great accompaniment for the lamb. Love it!

I have to admit that if this restaurant hadn't been so chic, I would have picked those lamb racks with my hands and nibble the meat off those bones! Especially those from the nitty-gritty corners. But too bad…

In case you're curious, some of the better rack of lamb can be found in those restaurant serving middle eastern food. Especially those Moroccan ones.

Red Velvet Deluxe

This, well I would recommend that they use a smaller plate for this. The large, round plate totally overwhelm the cute little cake, making it look even smaller than it already was.

"…served with cream cheese, drizzled with sweet chocolate sauce and topped with a blushing fresh strawberry…"

Now, now… where's that sweet chocolate sauce, again? We didn't want to kick a fuss and just finished this up. We were definitely full and need to rush back to the office.

Thankfully, the cake itself wasn't too sweet and it's moist, albeit a tad dense. The icing was a tad sweet but the tangy strawberry helped to cut through that.

Our meal that day came to $131.25 (inc. of 7% GST & service charge).

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All in all, we were pretty impressed with the whole experience. The restaurant's interior and setting was spacious & simple; with nice and quirky Nordic charms (I want that for my new abode!). The service was attentive without being obtrusive. Food's definitely good.

The only issue is the pricing as it's a bit on the steep side. Given the location, maybe it's meant to attract the business crowd and those well-heeled folks. But I guess family crowd can always consider coming here for that special occasion.

Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro
9 Raffles Boulevard,
#01-20 Millenia Walk
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&
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257 Beach Road

Abalone Salad

Our company must have gotten on the good side of some clients, somehow. During the days leading to Lunar New Year, we got a total of 3 different hampers. In the big one filled with goodies, there's a can of abalone. Another hamper came in the form of a box and inside it were THREE cans of abalones!

As everyone knows, this canned seafood is really not cheap. One can easily costs $30 at least, so it was a big deal to us. Not to my boss though. Her dad has a business dealing with grocery suppliers and these cans of abalones are just too common in her household. So she gave us a can each.

A can of abalone - New Moon

As we know, this abalone is SOOO not the norm in a Malay kitchen. The 1st time I ate abalone was because we accidentally bought it when we thought we've chosen a can of oyster mushrooms. My dad and bro refused to come near it so my mum and I wondered what to do with it (we paid $33 for that!).

We eventually sliced it thinly and put it in… instant noodles. -____-

A can of abalone - Skylight

I didn't even bring my can home. My in-law's household is very much the traditional Malay type and they're not so into Chinese foodstuff. So everyday, I'll stare at the can on my work desk and wonder what to do with it.

On one sleepy afternoon, I somehow had a 'lightbulb' moment.

Since my bosses will be away during the Lunar New Year week, we can cook-up a storm in the office or something! We can make something out of that abalone. And the best thing that came to mind was, SALAD. Easy, fuss-free and should be delicious!

I started googling for recipes for abalone salad and decide that we'll use some Asian-style dressing, which I believe, would complement the abalone meat nicely.

After our decadent cupcakes breakfast, we head down to Cold Storage at the nearby Parkway Parade to buy stuff for our 'grand plan'.

THE Abalone

There one and only abalone in the can. Yes, for that price, this piece is truly expensive.

This abalone was swimming in some sort of seasoned 'water' which we stupidly poured down the sink because we thought that we won't have any use for it… BIG MISTAKE!

Our boss chided us and told us that the stock is actually VERY precious. They use it to cook various things because it is VERY delicious… Oops…!

We sliced the abalone meat thinly, cross-wise- just like how you slice meat. The trimmings felt a bit gelatinous (quite gross, actually) so we discard some parts of that, too. :P

Stir fried mushrooms & bell pepper

One of my colleagues, Roza was the sort who got up early (unlike us 2, the tired mommies), so we asked her for the favour to stir-fry the fresh button mushrooms and yellow bell-pepper with garlic and butter; before heading to work.

3-berries mix

This pack has just the right amount of dried fruits mix for the portion we're preparing.

Salad dressing

And this small sachet of to-go dressing is just the right amount, too. So glad we found this Japanese-style vinaigrette that is just very apt for what I had in mind.

Mesclun salad & baby roma tomatoes

We chose the mesclun salad, which has a good mix of our favourite greens: Wild rocket, red oak lettuce, endive & chard. And these luscious and juicy baby Roma tomatoes which are just da bomb! Tomatoes are just never the same after you've had these sweet things, seriously!

Salad bowl

After we've dumped everything in. Add a dash or two of black pepper and dried herbs mix and we're done!

Bread

Thinking that the salad on its own won't suffice for lunch, we sweep up this loaf of bread from Swissbake. We gotta' admit that those wholegrain bits studding the surface of the bread were out calling to us.

Cheese cocktail

Dug out this cheese cocktail (mini sausages) from the freezer. Bought it months back yet can't find the right time to have it (supposed to fill us up when we do OT, but we're always too busy) so we might as well cook it then.

My plate

After everything is ready, we scooped a bit of everything into our plate. Yeah, I'm the sort who enjoy eating the top and bottom part of the bread (where the 'skin' is). More so with those wholegrain bits.

The abalone slices were just heavenly. Those who have yet to have abalone, its taste and texture is something like chicken-flavoured mushroom with a briny seafood after taste. I hope that makes sense. The nutty taste from the wild rocket complement that nicely.

Sandwich

Got some cheese slices from the office fridge and I stuffed a bit of everything into the toasted bread, fold it over and take a bite…

That. was. awesome (and wholesome too)!

A very satisfying lunch indeed. Glad to finally make good use of that precious abalone. My colleague eventually went on to prepare something similar for her family, at home.