Anything Considered

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

DIDO, lyrics from the song White Flag

There are some places to eat at that everyone knows about, but haven't really tried. Places where there is this strong, vivid impression and conviction about the quality of aspects of the food or ambience or service formed somehow from just sprinkles of actual experience.

I had dinner at such a place last night. PS.Cafe @ Dempsey. Perhaps being sited at Dempsey makes for very hyped impressions - the location is idyllic, and the white building the cafe is sited in looked sparkly and quaint even in the torrid weather. I think the three of us loved it upon first sight. What a pity, then, that for PS.Cafe, looks were deceiving.

It all started off pretty well. The maitre'd had immaculate manners. Upon finding out we were walk-in customers, he didn't seem bothered in the least, but politely informed us that we might have to shift to the lounge area at 8pm due to prior reservations. Given these circumstances, one could hardly complain about the table assigned, but it would have been nice to have been closer to the Christmas tree. We couldn't see the part of menu on the blackboard hung high in the middle of the dining area very well either.

Having had Ben & Jerrys earlier while waiting for the cafe to open, we decided to skip soup/starters and go straight for the main courses. I must admit they all sounded really good! The selection was a tad restricted though, and at that point I wondered why it was so.

We ordered the moussaka, some assorted meat ragout, and venison bangers & mash. They looked really pretty, and the vegetable servings are impressive. But the meat! - oh, the meat. I had looked forward to good meat, and I wasn't to be satisfied. Sure enough, my venison sausages were alright. But they tasted microwaved and uninspired. I think the ragout had lost some of it's flavour. And I've certainly tasted better main course sausages. It says a big deal if I think some zhi char places deal with their deer meat better than in here.

Meats are supposed to taste heavenly when cooked slowly. The ragout, however, tasted like a botched rush job. I liked it then, but it certainly could have been better. And like the Bangers, this certainly tasted re-heated as well.

We had dessert too. Apple pie with cheddar crust. I don't know if it was out full stomachs, but the mix of bitter cheddar cheese and a not-so-sweet apple pie didn't work very well for me. To think I've heard of PS. Cafe because of its desserts.

I think what really saved it for me was the company. The cafe itself has a great ambience, with the smell of the Christmas tree wafting through the dining area happily. And the time spent in the company of two good friends (oh what will I do come wednesday, when my two good food kakis go on holiday?!) was quality time indeed. It's really like what I read later on at home. PS. Cafe's a great place to see and be seen, but don't come expecting great food.

How true.

If the past few days are an indication to go by, I think I'd love life after army. It's a strange, almost ethereal feeling being able to choose when and what you'd like to do, to be freed from an inhibiting schedule that clouds the mind and dulls the heart; to be able to Christmas shop when you like, to go for appoinments without having to rush back to camp. It's good.

I haven't been able to pop online just to talk to people for a very long time. Or go out for strolls through town alone while waiting for my next dental appointment (usually I have to cancel them). This is a pseudo-liberation that I find very, very welcome after so very long.

I saw Eun-hye Park yesterday. You know, the bumbling but pretty sidekick of Lee Young-Ae in Jewel in the Palace. She was at Breadtalk in Paragon to launch their new series of Korean products. I think I was there for almost an hour before she arrived. But while the rest of the crowd insisted on standing and waiting, I had my first post-braces-removal meal at The Soup Spoon, which was conveniently sited just 5 metres from the Breadtalk entrance.

Clam Chowder. Yum yum. Of course, theirs was more chow than chowder. Meaning it was really thick and sludge-like, but it was nice anyway. One can't be too picky with such hesitant, unprotected teeth.

And speaking of teeth after braces, the mold used to make retainers is the most gag-inducing thing ever. I doubt I've ever had such a tough time trying not to swallow or move my tongue. After that harrowing hour in the dentist I have this newfound obsession with wearing, and consequently not losing, my retainers.

Of course, not meeting any friends during this break leaves a strange, hollow aftertaste. No doubt, you can't blame anyone. Everyone's on holiday at this time. Or still having exams. Even some old friends from pri/sec school that are in army now have gone overseas - something I won't be able to do for the 2nd year running.

I shan't complain though. Things are looking up. Just, what, 3 more months? Let's leave that till then. Right now, it's back to waiting for my cutlet fried rice and hoping this day-long headache will go away.