on the Go with Bo!

Trapeze after champagne brunch?

Have you ever tried the flying trapeze?  How about doing some acrobatics right after a great Sunday brunch?

Well we did!

I've been postponing this brunch at Barnacles at the newly renovated Shangi-La Rasa Resort on Sentosa for quite some time.  But somehow it all came together this past Sunday.  A friend was coming in from Switzerland and of course Sunday's are reserved for champagne brunch … so I thought why not try out Barnacles.

First of all,  I've been to the Rasa Resort before, prior to the renovations and I'll be the first to admit it looked very tired.  I knew it had been shut for a year to do a major overhaul and what a success that has been.  The hotel has a total resort feel now.  Fresh, modern and stylish.  Perfect for the family.  As my friend put it as we stepped out of the taxi into the open and breezy lobby area … it feels like we've come to the Bahamas!

Barnacles is set on a beautiful point of Sentosa, right on the western tip, right on the water.  We had amazing seafood platters … fresh lobsters, crab, mussels, prawns … chasing down the oysters with bottle after bottle of rose.  After brunch we had coffee and lounged under the big tree, the afternoon slowly passing by!

And then came the biggest surprise.  The trapeze!  As we're walking towards Tanjong Beach Bar, we passed the flying trapeze.  Slightly tipsy and looking at the circus act setup we thought, why not!  So one after another we all tried being an acrobat for 15 sec or so.  Let me tell you, when you're looking at the ledge from the ground, where you grab the bars and let yourself swing, it doesn't seem so high.  A different story when you're up there.  It's damn high!

Perhaps it was better that we had had a few drinks … to take the edge off!

It was the ending to what was a magnificent brunch!

And then we trotted off to Tanjong Beach Bar … champagne buckets awaiting ...

Sunday afternoon at Tanjong Beach Club

If you have no serious work to do on a Monday morning then this should be your itinerary for Sunday:  champagne brunch … drag it out till 1600 … and then head out to Sentosa's Tanjong Beach Club for cocktails at sunset.

Tanjong Beach is the most easterly beach on Sentosa.  Till about 1400 you will see lots of families here, but like a miracle, the families start leaving around 1400 and the gorgeous young things start moving in.  The music starts pumping loader, buckets of Corona beers are passed around, sangria comes by the jug-loads, music gets even louder.

And then you get the gorgeous late afternoon sun, half-naked bodies swaying to the tunes that the DJ is spinning and the evening goes on and on and on …

Remarkable!

But if you have serious work to do Monday morning … silly, silly you for going all out on Sunday night!  Someone will pay for this :-)

Burek - a Balkan delicacy!

Who'd ever thought I would find burek in Singapore!

It reminds me of my school days in the old motherland … Yugoslavia!  Often for lunch we would go for a cheese or meat burek, for a distraction from the more common sandwiches that we used to munch on.  Yummy!

Burek is very common in the Balkans and originates from the old Turkish Empire.  It's basically thin layers of phyllo pastry interspersed with cheese (or minced meat) and then baked.  Definitely not light on calories.  But tasty.

You've got to combine this with a Turkish coffee ... if caffeine affects you, this coffee shot is bound to make you not sleep for days!

And the Next Door Cafe at 699 East Coast Road is where you can find it in Singapore.  The restaurant is not easy to find for the signage is not that great.  So it's best to just look for the building number.  

I think they only make burek on Saturdays, which makes it perfect for a 'light' brunch.  Beware that your mind makes you think that you can eat much more of it than you actually can :-)

PS Cafe creates an adult-only space in Chinatown

I needed a glass of champagne!  It had been 6 weeks!

So where is one to go for a new and cool school-day champagne lunch?  The brand new PS Cafe at Ann Siang Hill.

As you walk to the front entrance on A.S.H. Park you are greeted by a sign that says 'Families with young children are welcome at all our other sites'.  So well put!  You know it's going to be a brilliant lunch where there will be no screaming kids around (sorry parents, but sometimes you want to enjoy your food and drinks in peace).

The place is spread over 3 floors, the top floor being a very cool indoor/outdoor bar area that opens at 5pm.  The other floors are for dining and have an old bistro feel.  Very European!

The food is classic PS Cafe … great with very generous portions.

And then you invariably find yourself staring at those beautiful cakes that you just can't resist, even though you're about to burst at the seams.  Should I take one or not, is always the question.

We sat at a great table right underneath a huge flower installation.  That's what I love with PS Cafe … all their outlets have got amazing floral arrangements.  I wonder who their florist is??  Huge leaves and over-sized flowers that emit a beautiful fragrance and an essence of green and cool.

This is really the hippest PS Cafe out there.

eM by the river

I've passed this place a million times on my Segway, and on Saturday we finally stopped and decided to have brunch ... partially due to the killer sign they had up ... 'Wake up to Bloody Mary'!  And also due to the joyous moose ladies gracing their entrance.

The name eM slightly confused me since their website is www.em-n-em.com ... but then I just focused on the Bloody Mary and forgot about the name!  It's a great outdoor casual joint right on the Singapore River.  Egss Florentine was my Saturday morning choice.

And when I drive by at night ... it's always packed with people ... seems like a great outdoor pub too!

Sunday brunch at Spruce

Located on the hill right opposite the Brunei High Commission on Tangling Road is Spruce restaurant ... a great place for a casual Sunday brunch.  I never ever noticed that there was a restaurant there ... I thought it was all a school complex!

Sitting on the outdoor terrace we had a great egg breakfast, very good coffee ... and don't forget to order the cinnamon buns ... the best I've had in Singapore.  Why do I like this place?  Simple and inexpensive Sunday brunch.  Nothing formal.  Exactly what we needed today.

A farmers' market in a country with no farms

'Are the vegetables from Singapore?' I asked jokingly ... knowing well that Singapore has no farms.  And she gave me a brilliant response.  I'm from Singapore but the cucumbers are from Australia, tomatoes from Holland and pineapple from Thailand.

On the first Saturday of each month, there's a small but cute farmers' market at Loewen Gardens, right next to Dempsey Hill.  Something you really don't expect in Singapore.  You can find delicious breads, jams from Nepal, olives from Greece, flowers, free range eggs, wines and spirits from Provence and of course fruits and vegetables.

The market is organized by The Pantry ... a lovely little restaurant in Lowen Gardens ... where you can also have lunch amidst the farmers' market.  The Pantry also has a cooking school, pastry shop and bakery.

A great way to start your Saturday.  And make sure you say hello to The Pantry resident ... a beautiful pussy cat that's always sleeping on an electrical box by the tables ... but is actually keeping an eye on you!

Japanese brunch at Triple Three

Free flow of sake and champagne = dangerous!

Just came back from another Sunday brunch … this time something completely new for me!.  The Mandarin Orchard Hotel has a wonderful Japanese brunch at the Triple Three restaurant on the 5th floor, with sashimi, tempura, tepanyaki … plus shabu-shabu and more … AND … free flow of Chandon and sake.

All for $110 ++

Luv the Japanese focus! 

Dim Sum at the Shang Palace

Finally made it to the Shang Palace for dim sum ... and it's terrific!  Located in the Shangri-La Hotel, it's a Singapore classic.  Loved how the dim sum was presented and the quality was superb.  And they had these beautiful red tea cups trimmed in gold, in the shape of a flower.  Wanted to steal ... at least one!!  For extra privacy ask for one of their private rooms along the back side.

Brunch at Four Seasons

It was good!  Very good!  I was a bit skeptical about the brunch at Four Seasons, primarily because it's inside a confined space with not much connection to the exterior (that's why I love the Sentosa Spa & Resort brunch!!), but I have to say the intimacy of the setting worked.  And of course, it's a Veuve brunch ... so it's definitely top notch!

The selection and quality of food is superb and as you would expect from a Four Seasons hotel ... the environ refined.  We didn't sit in the main eating area, but instead were in the sunken lounge area with coffee tables and a more relaxed feel.  Definitely a more informal touch to a Sunday classic ...