Dining Solo

 

It’s just one of those days… I found myself rushing to complete and submit my visa application at the Canadian High Commission, and before I knew it, it was lunch time and I hadn’t made any plans.  I suppose most people would simply just head back home, but I was in the middle of a bustling central business district, surrounded by people happily chattering on their way to lunch.  I thought, heck, I should be going out to a nice meal, on a nice sunny day like today, visa application sorted and all.

Except none of the people I rang could get away at the last minute.  One had a lunch meeting, another was finishing a deadline, another had kids staying home for the Thanksgiving break, and well, the last one was all the way in New Zealand!  I was this close to feeling like a big, sorry loser, when I decided taking my brother’s advice of eating out on my own was probably the lesser “loser” proposition. 

To my surprise, I had the most enjoyable lunch experience on my own.  I found myself at one of my favorite places in Singapore – Dempsey.  My favorite restaurant, Tippling Club, is there, and we’ve celebrated many a happy occasion inside that temple of food.  The day spa I go to is there as well.  Two of my favorite butchers/delicatessens are there, and there’s a good range of restaurants to choose from, should we decide to take people out for a meal, from Jim Thompson (Thai), Longbeach Seafood/Jumbo Seafood Restaurant (chili crabs), House (bistro-style food), Au Petit Salut (French), Margarita’s (Mexican), Prime Society (meat haven) and PS Cafe (cafe with killer desserts).  But today I found myself checking out one of the newer restaurants – Pamplemousse.

A small, elegant restaurant situated in the quieter corner of Dempsey (Block 7), Pamplemousse proudly displays its ingredient inspirations on its giant chalkboard, eliciting an excited smile from me as I wonder if truly, the chefs have tried to create dishes that marry distinct world flavours together.  And were they happy unions or …?

I decided to try their prix fixe lunch menu (at$32++ for three courses).  To test the kitchen, I ordered the frisée salad with lardons and a poached egg enveloped with a crispy crumb crust.  Maybe it’s my head cold, but I found the lardons a little on the bland side, making me wish for a little bit of salt. The  frisée itself looked a little yellow (or I only got the yellow bits on my plate), but still held a good crunch.  I could see the mustard seeds from the dressing, but could not taste them.  The winner is the crumbed egg, perfectly cooked, and the liquid amber yolk was a beautiful addition to the salad.

For the main course, I ordered the Uni Tagliolini, a decadent pasta dish that I would definitely keep going back for.  The creamy “crustacean sauce” was rich without being cloying, and the fresh sea urchin was delicious without any fishy taste or smell.  The surprise was the pork gratons used as a garnish – at first bite I thought I had bitten on some sand, but they provided a good counterpoint to the richness of the dish.  The pasta was perfectly cooked as well, and I would not hesitate to order a dinner portion of this dish for next time.

Lastly, the dessert.  I am a pushover when it comes to panna cotta, and I was very intrigued with the description for this number: red bean jelly, lotus cream, “mooncake” crumble, pandan frozen yoghurt (fresh strawberry slices were used for garnish).  The panna cotta itself was absolutely delicious and I thought it should have stood on its own without the other embellishments.  It was firm but luscious, and the red bean taste was a good surprise.  The pandan yoghurt was a little overpowering for the delicate flavor and texture of the panna cotta itself.  Good on its own, and with the fresh, tart strawberry, and maybe even with the mooncake crumble (which also provided a nice contrast to the velvety panna cotta), but together with the panna cotta, well… it was like your drunk uncle showing up at your ladies’ tea party.

All told, the experience was worthwhile.  The service was impeccable, the setting absolutely lovely, and I actually dug the music.  I could see myself coming back with a few friends and finishing a few bottles of wine to complete a fine meal.  Today, I had to settle for a Pearl of the Orient tea (TWG?), which is what a spontaneous, decadent lunch deserves.

Will I eat out on my own again?  I think most definitely, yes!  But maybe next time I’ll bring a bit of “work” to do so I will feel less guilty about this sudden indulgence.  Oh, speaking of guilt, I actually walked next door to a Pilates studio to sign up for a trial class next week.  After a lunch like that, and with my new-found affection to dining solo, well, working off those calories will help ease my conscience.

Til the next food expedition!