Sapphire At The Jewel Box @ Mount Faber

The group of restaurants on top of Mount Faber, The Jewel Box, is having its annual Christmas show, consisting of the lighting of the world's tallest Christmas tree (as claimed), and a snow and light show. Now that the cable cars are being upgraded, free shuttles are provided at the harbour front up to Mount Faber. So we reserved a table for dinner yesterday.

It took less than ten minutes to reach the top. The exterior of the Jewel Box looks like an underground bunk where the soldiers do battle. I almost thought I could see a cannon in front of it!

Close-up of the entrance of the Jewel Box

However when we stepped in, the interior looked chic and classy. The ground floor consists of a small tea room called The Diamond Chateau, and a private dining room called The Diamond Palace. In between these two rooms is the iconic restroom, so-called because apparently the restroom became the world's best restroom according to one French magazine (as displayed on the walls).

The restaurant we were going was called Sapphire, the alfresco casual dining place of The Jewel Box, where we can dine in open air in candlelight. Next to Sapphire is the more formal glass-enclosed candlelight dining area called Black Opal.

Entrance to the Black Opal

The view from the second floor is spectacular!

Some views of the harbour from the second floor of the Jewel Box

The Sapphire restaurant leads out to a lawn behind the dining area. There is a shed that is the washroom, a decorated tree with thrones and a bell during Christmas and an open area consisting of a pavement and koi pond.

The Sapphire restroom

Decorative tree

The bell and thrones

View of the harbour at sun set

The Sapphire restaurant

Table setting

The Sapphire menu

My Jewel Club Sandwich

His Prawn Aglio Olio

We were there at seven, and the food came around half-past seven. The show started at eight - the lighting up of the tree, thrones and bell, the fake snow falling down, and the lighting up of the world's tallest Christmas tree (which unfortunately we were not able to see it from where we were sitting as it is outside the Jewel Box).

The "snow" falling down

The decorative tree after it was lit up

The thrones at night

The bell at night

The thrones and bell together

We left around half-past eight. Since it was very crowded, we decided to hitch a cab. The staff at the ground floor was very helpful, he helped us call for a cab by texting it, and the cab arrived within five minutes.

While waiting, I took the opportunity to go into the iconic restroom, and I must say, it really does not look like a restroom!

The Christmas tree at the second floor landing

The Jewel Box at night

This is a place I will sure come again, especially since it has a few other nice restaurants there!

Cuisine : Mediterranean
Food : 3.5 out of 5
Ambience : 3 out of 5
Price : 3 out of 5

The Triviality Of High Tea And Afternoon Tea

As mentioned, I have been wanting to try high tea and afternoon tea at various places for a long time. So I was doing some research on the difference between these two types. A common misnomer is that high tea and afternoon tea is one and the same. I guess due to globalisation and the localisation of cultures, it is a thin line between high tea and afternoon tea.

However, I have always known these are two different concepts. I know afternoon tea is the English afternoon light meal of finger food and tea or coffee, whereas a high tea is an afternoon or early afternoon meal of buffet and heavier food.

It is only recently that I discovered the origins of both. In the past when England was one of the few developed countries, due to their weather and daylight savings in the summer, there would always be long hours between lunch and dinner. So lunch could be at noon whereas dinner could be at eight at night.

One noble lady invited her group of friends over to her home one afternoon. Knowing that they would be hungry by four, she arranged to have them eat light food like cakes, sandwiches and scones, spread with jam, butter and cream, accompanied by tea. Hence the concept of the afternoon tea was born.

Since then, the English afternoon tea has been a favourite activity amongst the ladies in the upper echelon of society. Perhaps that is how afternoon tea and high tea became mixed up, since it used to be only an activity of the higher strata in the social ladder.

But the real concept of high tea came about when the gentlemen of the upper echelon of society, meeting for poker and bridge, decided to have a very early dinner and then sit down and play.

They would meet at six o'clock, but that would be too early for dinner. Hence they called it tea, but it was served with fuller meals like meat and other kinds of food where the men could help themselves to. Hence the term meat tea, before it evolved to "high" tea.

Which is why afternoon tea is still served with sandwiches and savouries, whereas high tea is served with a buffet spread. Interesting! Maybe that is why I always prefer afternoon tea to high tea, due to its origins?

Fosters English Rose Cafe @ Holland Village

We went to Fosters English Rose Cafe at Holland Village yesterday, intending to do dinner, but since it was only around five when we reached there, we had the afternoon tea instead. Fosters is a quaint-looking little cafe, with the interior decoration of a little English village house. It has dim-lighting with wooden tables and chairs, and an alfresco area with a fountain. A pity I was not able to take any photos though!

We ordered the Devonshire Cream Tea, one of the classic English Afternoon teas. As typical of an English afternoon tea, there was a pot of either coffee or tea (where we both took English breakfast tea), scones, sandwiches and cakes, with butter, strawberry coulis and Devonshire cream as spreads.

Unfortunately, the savouries were served in a big plate. In a real English afternoon tea setting (like the one at the Courtyard of Fullerton Hotel), the savouries would be served in a three-tiered tray, with the spreads in individual jars on a separate tray. Tea would be in a pot, and there would be a jar containing sugar cubes and another jar of milk to go with the tea.

Fosters has a very creative menu in the format of a newspaper. On the front of back covers are articles on the history of Fosters as well as the etiquette of drinking tea, and inside is the full menu.

While waiting for our orders, I read the whole thing. I wonder if I am the only one who actually bothers to read things like that? Even when I was in McDonalds or KFC, whenever the paper covering the tray has an interesting article, I would read the whole thing. Most just cannot be bothered.

I found out the etiquette of drinking tea, as well as the difference between high tea and afternoon tea. I have always known these two are different, as I thought English afternoon tea is just that whereas a high tea consists of a buffet meal, but the origins are quite interesting, which will be left for another post.

Meanwhile, the tips to drinking tea are :

1. If you want to add sugar and milk into the tea, then stir it lightly with the spoon without touching the sides of the cup.

2. Always add in the sugar and milk later. Do not add in the milk first before pouring in the tea.

3. Always add in milk, not cream, as cream would be too heavy for tea.

4. After stirring, put the spoon down on the right side of the sauce below the handle of the tea cup.

5. Never drink the tea with the spoon in it, and never sip the tea from the spoon.

6. Hold the handle of the tea cup with your index finger, the thumb resting on the top of the handle and the middle finger below the handle. Clasp your last two fingers into your palm. Never hold the handle with the last two fingers pointing out.

7. When drinking tea, hold the tea cup with the saucer together (with the other hand). Never hold the tea cup and drink just like that. The saucer is to hold any spills just in case.

I will not mind going there again, just to try out the dinner or lunch menu next time round!

Cuisine : English
Food : 3 out of 5
Presentation : 2 out of 5
Ambience : 4 out of 5
Price : 3.5 out of 5

Le Cordon Bleu At Home

I have been trying to whip up a full meal for ages, instead of various dishes here and there. So I referred to the cookbook of all cookbooks - Le Cordon Bleu At Home, written by the chefs and trainers of Le Cordon Bleu Paris itself and published by them too.

The book is divided into three sections - Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced. Every section has about a hundred recipes or so, and every recipe is a full meal, starting from the appetizer to the main course, ending with dessert. For instance, there is a Peach Mixed Fruit Salad, Duck Confit and Poached Pear in one recipe.

As expected, the famous Beouf Buguignon is under the Intermediate section. Although the beginners section looks to be a bit too advanced for me too! The prologue to the book includes kitchen skills, the different utensils, the different measurements, and every section also touches on how to bone poultry and how to remove all the innards of a fish.

In short, this is a chef's bible. If there is a cookbook you must have on fine dining, this should be the book. Afterall, every recipe lets you whip up a full meal, what can be better than that?

Wedding Lunch At St Regis

I attended a wedding lunch at the St Regis Grand Ballroom yesterday. The table setting was exquisite. When the meal started, I noticed that the dishes were being served individually to each person. At other wedding meals, the dish would be in a big plate or bowl in the middle of the table, and the waiter / waitress would then scoop up individual portions for everyone at the table, leaving some leftovers on the main plate.

Then whoever who finished the first round could help themselves to the second round. This way is more convenient to the serving staff, but the problem is there will be people who tend to eat more and those who tend to eat less. Then those who love the dish would end up hogging the dish all to him /herself, without leaving any / enough for the rest. Or else no one wants a second helping and there are quite a lot of leftovers.

Hence I find the idea of individual dishes very good. Everyone gets the same dish and the same amount, no complaints about who gets more and who gets less. No leftovers (or not much) so wastage is minimised. And the gourmet fine dining setting of the individual dishes look really good!

Everything is individualised, including the sauces and condiments. Everyone has a dish for sauce, chilli, nuts and whatnots. Everyone has two glasses of water and one glass where we can choose the wine.

But I must say the faint lipstick mark left on my water glass before I started drinking was a bit unbecoming of a hotel of this standard. The least the dishwashers can do is to ensure there are no marks left!

The food was good. There were only six dishes. Seems that the couple personalised the menu and the guests thoroughly enjoyed the dishes!

The cup of tea

The dish of sauces and condiments

First dish - Eternal Combination Platter
(L to R : Thai Style Shredded Prawn with Spicy Mango Salsa, Roasted Pork Neck with Honey, Oven-Baked Salmon Skin in a glass)

Second dish - Braised Sea Treasures in Pumpkin Soup with Conpoy

Third dish - Steamed Fillet of Marble Goby with Stir-Fried Asparagus (on the right)
accompanied with Stir-fried King Prawn with Yellow Chives (on the left)

Fourth dish - Braised Sea Cucumber (right) with Mushroom and Spinach in Superior Sauce

There was a break after the fourth dish for speeches by the bridesmaid, the father of the bride and the couple themselves, while we toasted champagne, which was poured for us after the fourth dish. Then everyone toasted to the couple!

 

My bottle of champagne

Fifth dish - Crispy Roast Chicken with Fragrant Spices (left)
accompanied with Eternal Golden Fried Rice with Olives, Prawns and Diced Vegetables

Sixth dish (dessert) - Wedding Cake with Raspberry Coulis (left)
accompanied with Lemon Sorbet

By right, it was supposed to be a normal eight-course meal, but due to the good planning and by combining a few dishes together, the meal shrunk to six courses instead. Clever idea, then the whole reception would not drag on too long! Hence instead of the normal three hours, we finished everything in just two hours!

The Different Kinds Of Meals

I have heard that breakfast + lunch = brunch, and lunch + tea = tunch, what is dinner and supper? Does it make it "sinner" or "dipper"? Or lunch and dinner, does it make it "lunner" or "dunch"?

I have long tried to differentiate between the different meals. Those Enid Blyton books I used to read at a very young age, always talks about breakfast, dinner, tea and supper. Where is lunch, I wonder? I was brought up to believe that the three meals means breakfast in the morning, lunch at noon, then dinner in the evening. Any food after dinner is supper, and any food in between lunch and dinner is tea.

Through the years, I learned the concept of morning tea and afternoon tea. Morning tea is a mid-morning coffee break, whereas afternoon tea is a mid-afternoon coffee break. But some restaurants and hotels serve high tea in the afternoon, which consists of buffet spreads of a variety of food.

I have always liked the concept of the traditional English tea - three tier of sandwiches and cakes, tea with sugar and milk. Real English tea is to be drunk with sugar cubes and then milk in a jar, not the packaged sugar and creamer nowadays.

Whenever I source for caterers, I used to be rather confused over a tea reception and a buffet lunch / dinner. To me, is it not all the same? Afterall caterers only offer buffet, except for a few who offer sit-down meals upon request.

But upon studying the menu offered, I realise that a lunch / dinner reception normally comes with full meals - rice or noodles, variety of meat, vegetables, dessert and drinks. A tea reception menu consists of just finger food like sandwiches and canapes, with cakes and drinks.

So that is the difference! Personally, I much prefer a full meal than finger food, because a full meal is a proper meal. Not saying that a tea reception is not a proper meal, but if I am to take finger food, I much rather indulge in a proper high tea or traditional tea set. Now I can hardly wait for the next time I go for a high tea session!