Summer in the Garden: 2016

Horizon Bistronomy Alexandra// Food Review

Today’s food review is a hidden Jem around Alexandra, a bistro using French cooking techniques, world flavors. Serving gastronomical dishes of fine dining standard with affordable prices in a casual setting.

The Chef-Owner Chris believes in letting the natural ingredients shine, other than sourcing the freshest produces from both local farms and the global market the chef also strive to support other artisanal producers when purchasing wine, cheese, ciders and many other ingredients.

Being inspired by great artisanal foods and holding the utmost respect for food producers around the world. The culinary brigade makes the best of many ingredients, such as cooking from scratch without using any form artificial flavouring (such as MSG)

My date for that evening, hehe. We both love the setting, the ambience, and the service staff was absolutely attentive to our needs. Without further ado, let me start rolling the dishes out.

Entrée: Heritage, Consistency, Simplicity, and Clarification

Curry Chicken Rillettes - Sakura Shrimps, Rillettes, Thai Basil Pesto, Curry Leaves, Brioche.

This dish represents the restaurant’s philosophy as well as upholds the strong tagline of their concept: French Techniques. World Flavors. As it uses the sophisticated French cooking technique, yet it is not being restricted by the traditional French flavors only.

Personally, I love it as it’s not those strong curry smell that overpowers everything. The Sakura Shrimps and Thai Basil Pesto gave off a unique taste that will make you want more. Perfect fusion, I guess.

Horizon’s Angel Hair – Chilled Angel Hair, Spanner Crab, Tobiko, Ikura, Chorizo Oil

My favorite dish for the entrée because I really love Angel's hair, furthermore, it’s very flavorful yet, well balance. Highly recommended.

Egg 63 – Sous Vide Egg, Potato Puree, Enoki Mushroom Threads, Laudon, Cous Cous, Herb Jus.

Sous Vide Egg are famous it’s perfect texture, and it’s normally a rare thing for a bistro to serve it. You can either mix it all together as recommended, or you can have it separated like how I did. The reason behind my way of eating is because I love how I’m able to taste each and every ingredient separately for this dish. Yummy.

Tomato Consomme – Home cured salmon confit, prawn, peas, carrot, baby zucchini, tomato consommé

Refreshing is the word for this dish. I would recommend this entrée as it prepares you for the Mains. It refreshes your palette and opens up your appetite for the following course. I learn how to make consomme during my chef classes in the past, but little did I know that I can add in tomato to make it so refreshing!

The Mains : Freshness, Technical

Blanc – Fresh Halibut, Cauliflower puree, Daikon, Cauliflower, Burnt Onion, White Asparagus.

I’m neither a fish lover nor a vegetable eater, but the white asparagus is really nice. I think I fell in love with the white asparagus, there’s no “green” taste at all (I think only vegetable hater understand what is “green” taste! Haha)
The Halibut is really surprisingly fresh and complement well with the cauliflower puree. Overall, it’s nice.

As always, fooling around while waiting for the next dish. She's explaining to me how she is going to cut her bangs again. Hahaha!

Pork Belly 2 ways – Crispy pork belly confit, 24 hours sous vide pork, carrot puree, baby carrot, caramel apple, green asparagus, pork jus.

Personally, I’m disappointed with the crispy pork belly confit as it looks promising and crispy but it is not so I end up preferring the braised pork belly. It’s perfect as it was well braised till the texture was super soft and tender, it’s literally melt-in-your-mouth texture and it’s flavorful. Highly Recommended!

Look at how Instagram-worthy the whole outlook of this restaurant, even the alfresco area is so timeless.

Cheers to being the invite for this food event!
The Dessert: Deconstruction, Reconstruction, Deception and Memories

Yuzu Cheese Cake – Yuzu Curd, Whipped Cheese Mousse, Truffle Popcorn, Green Tea Nama, Cinnamon Soil

Simply a piece of art, I love how it is being constructed and how the unique flavors end up complimenting each other. High recommended dessert!

Peanut Butter 2016 - Vanilla chiboust, beuure noisettes financied, apple puree, aged pickled apple, chorizo caramel, brioche.

This is an out-of-the-box dish, as it was called Peanut butter 2016 but it doesn’t contain any peanut butter at all. I think it’s perfect for people who craves for peanut butter but is allergic to nuts! I’m well impressed.

Orange Soba - Cilantro Pearl, Lemongrass Saabayon.

Personally, I liked the looks of this dessert as it is very special, the texture was chewy and tangy sweet. However, I think the after taste bitterness from the citrus is too heavy and It made it a bad ending for this dish.

This is what I called a default resting bitch face, she surely has it. Haha.

Memories - Milo Truffle, kaya macaroon, Mango Lollipop, Peach pate de fruit.

This dish is the combination of all the childhood sweets. I love the milo truffle. Personally, I added some sea salt on top of it and eat it together to bring out more sweetness from it. Yup, If you're having a cake or dessert. It's always good to add a little bit of sea salt to bring out more flavors in it.

My 2 cents worth:

It was an enjoyable evening with Horizon Bistronomy Alexandra, and they have amazed me with their creative dishes. I would say, if you want to have a relaxing dinner after a long day of work or a nice Saturday lunch, I would highly recommend this restaurant!

Horizon Bistronomy Alexandra

456 Alexandra road NOL building, Singapore 119962

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 11am - 11pm
Closed on Saturday and Sunday.

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, written by Cheryl

Fear

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, written by Cheryl

Thoughts// #FriendshipGoals

What is Friendship Goals for all of you? To me, It changes from time to time and recently it occur to me that being honest and truthful to myself is always the best because I will never let myself down.

People change, memories don’t.

There are seasonal friends and friends that will be there for a lifetime, we just need to differentiate them.

What are seasonal friends? I never knew this term until a friend mentioned it to me, He is indeed smart in his own ways but honestly, it makes a lot of sense to me. Which is why I’m sharing this out with anyone that’s reading this place. Haha.

Seasonal friends are friends that are there for a certain period, for example, primary, secondary or poly friends. (Not saying that everyone parts after the school terms is over) But those that used to be your friend in school, but after school is over, you parted your ways with them. They are seasonal friends

They are the friends that makes your school days better and we should all be thankful for them. But why did we not contact anymore? Probably, it’s because there’s no foundation or common interest in the friendship. I don’t know but there are probably a thousand reasons to that.

Of course, there are also friends that stay together even after school is over! These are friends, which you are more bonded with. Sadly, there’s a difference between true and fake friends, I used to have friends that only come to me when they need help. I got angry and told them off, I mean if you have a friend that treats you like an ATM and only find you when they need money; pretty sure, you’ll be pissed off as well.

I believe in treating people with good intentions and treat them the way you wanted to be treated back. Then only, you’ll see who is the real friends that will stick by your side. I’m well blessed in this area, I went through a few rough roads and I’ve let go some of my friends whom I used to be super close. But I’m happier with the bunch of friends I’m hanging out with now.

They are the friends where I know I can rely on, whom I feel safe with. Grateful.

I’m not a friend that is super easy to deal with because of my horrible temper and because I do the silliest thing ever, make the worst decisions in my life and acting all broken when things come crashing. Haha. I’m ridiculous. But trust me, I’ve changed for the better, or maybe changing for the better? Haha.

Well, just a small note for you: friendship is just like a relationship. It takes two parties to put in the effort if the other party stopped putting in the effort. It will be tiring and maybe it’s time to leave.

Well, I used to be super one-sided and totally don’t mind if I’m just the only one that put in effort or take the initiative in the whole friendship, until one day I realize that people don’t and will never appreciate it. And so, Yup, reality struck me and I learn how to stop pleasing others and start living for myself.

Honestly, I love it and I’m happier this way. Know your worth

Tata.

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, written by Cheryl

Thoughts // Work

Work, work, work, work, work~

Life. If it is unfair for everyone, does it sounds fair?

1 or 2 years ago, I felt bitter about life. I felt like it’s ridiculous for me to work full time and study part-time, even more, ridiculous people ask me why did I go for such option when I can afford to study full time. Hey, I know my background can afford to study full time but the thing is maybe my parents want us to be independent and pay for our own school fee. That gave me no choice but to work for my school fees. (Stop asking this, thank you)

I started working and on days that I scroll my social media, all I see is how my friends are just enjoying their student life etc. and I’m just in the office dealing with meetings, projects, rushing to meet the dateline etc.

What made it worse is the schooling at night, 1 week 3 lessons with many add-ons assignments and crazy short dateline. Midnight oil almost every other night to get schoolwork done. Indeed, It’s tough.

I became fatigued; my days started with work and ended with school, days that school is out, and I’ll simply head back home and sleep. I became kind of anti-social to a point where I started to feel bitter and rant to my non-chanted parents to a point where I felt that ranting and feeling bitter is not going to solve anything and it won’t make me feel better. I started to learn how to dance in the rain, started to ask people out and head out to have fun on days that doesn’t have lessons. I felt better after awhile.

Of course, I am able to manage my work previously. Currently, after changing to this new job I felt a little worry for the upcoming semester because haven’t really gotten a hang of my job. Nothing seems to be getting better for my current job, not going to mention it but I hope things will get better.

It’s a very different and new job for me but I think with time, I’ll manage it well like my previous job. I just need some encouragement, I think? Currently just feeling rather depressed about my current job and all I can think of is to run away, but I don’t want to, I wanna face it and handle it. (Feeling whiny like a little girl now~~~)

// Probably some comfort might help

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, written by Cheryl

Baby Sister’s 21st

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, written by Cheryl

The Cactus Story

I’ve love cactus for the longest time and last birthday, someone got me two small pot of cactus. One pot contains 3 and another contains 2 baby cactus. At the end of the day, I told him to keep the pot with 3 baby cactus and grow them himself. So next time we could compare and see how’s the babies growing.

After 3 months, it's Halloween and it grew quite a lot by then already. It's placed in my office and so I've decorated it according to the seasons with some Daiso decorations. haha

It's super easy to keep a cactus because they only need minimal watering and even if I don't water it for the whole week. It still survived. I have been telling my cactus to grow fat instead of tall, because when it's taller and taller I have to keep changing pots that are deep enough to hold it. Else, it seems to be super unstable.

I think, I've changed the pots for 4 times because it's growing up really well. Not complaining, just saying. Hmm. By the way, lousy video snapchat quality. Haha

Few week ago, I've noticed little bumps on my cactus and, my babies grew some baby on them. Then I googled on what should I do with it. I took a week to get the soil and small pot for the baby cactus!

Finally, I had a mini “operation” on them and it’s a success. Hehe. I’m totally loving the little babies because it’s so small and vulnerable, just want to protect it so it can grow up strong. And recently, I wonder how are the other 3 babies that my friend took it? Then I regretted in giving it away ... because I don't contact him any longer. Sad. Please take good care of them...

By the way, anyone know how do cactus “deliver” their babies? The babies will just start growing on them and when you think it’s about the right size to cut them off from their parent. Please use sharp knife or scissor, unless you want to hurt your cactus.

After removing them, let it dry for a day and don't expose them to harsh sunlight. Keep in the office, a corner without any sunlight. Next day morning, you'll be so excited to plant your cactus properly. I think mine is so cute now. Oh, try to not place it under the strong sun as they are still so tiny and they will be burnt under strong sun.