Saturday, 17 July 2010

Happy Birthday CH!

We celebrated CH's birthday one day in advance. Our friends are planning a calebration party tonight but I won't be joining cos I'll be at my parent's place for dinner.

Anyhow, we had a nice one last night. I picked Rochester House which is tucked away on a hilltop amongst lush foliage. The weather was nice and cool after a day of rain, perfect for al fresco dining amidst greenery.

Rochester House has been around for only 3 months, so it was rather quiet when we were there. The concept is pretty cool though. Housed in a huge colonial bungalow, it has space for parties, even wedding receptions and company functions. There's even a playroom for little kids. Parents can leave their kids with the au pair while they dine in comfort. Cool isn't it?

Looking into the playroom.

Opening his nicely wrapped birthday present. I must admit that I'm bad at gift wrapping. The sales lady did it.

No, I didn't make him pay for dinner! I gave him a Victorinox wallet.

Freshly baked bread with smooth French butter.

It was funny the way the Bouillabaisse was served. We were given a deep plate with a piece of large prawn, scallop and fish fillet. The soup came separately in a teapot. I must say it tastes pretty good, even better than the highly acclaimed one we had in Provence. I think the recipe here has been tweaked to suit the local palate.

I like to order food that I can't prepare at home. Last night, I indulged in pork belly roasted to perfection. I never knew crispy skin can taste this good.

CH had the beef stroganoff , also something that I wouldn't cook at home because the kids and I are not beef lovers.

I couldn't decide which one to choose. Finally I picked brownie and requested for a candle to be stuck on top.

I was so disappointed when the dessert arrived. The brownie was so flat (1cm high), I almost fainted. I mean aren't brownies supposed to be chunky and blockish?

Thank goodness the rich and chocolately taste saved the night. It was soft, warm and nutty. And when I spotted vanilla specks on the ice cream, I knew it was made from scratch using real vanilla beans. Desserts play a very important role in my dining experience. What a happy ending!

8 comments:

JY69 said...

Happy birthday CH!!!!

Open Kitchen Concept said...

Happy birthday CH... I also had to ask.. is CH also Charlie Hotel? (But maybe I'm wrong...)

Petunia Lee said...

Happy B'day CH! How is the doberman?

charlie hotel said...

Thanks all

> OKC

Yes Charlie Hotel is how we say C.H. over the radio in the military.

>Petunia

Hmm? My current dog is a mongrel, though he shares the same colouration as a Dobie. My previous dog was a Dobermann though.

The Real Mother Hen said...

CH, happy birthday! :)

Amel said...

WOW! Sounds like a nice dinner he he...good thing the brownie and ice cream tasted nice despite the flatness of the brownie.

Happy birthday CH!!! It's actually nicer to dine in a resto which isn't too full 'coz then you don't feel that you need to hurry to finish eating he he...

I LOVE crispy skin!!! :-D

Nick Phillips (15/03/1967 - 04/11/2022) said...

Happy birthday CH :D

Patricia - bai rui xia said...

yes, i agree, brownies are supposed to be think and chunky ... the taste is important though, but then we say for a reason "das Auge isst mit" :D

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