Singapore's best bits: Black Pepper Crab and a Singapore Sling!

It's been almost 3 weeks since we left Singapore now and looking back whilst being crammed on to a very hot, crammed and sticky tube, I really miss it. I miss the weather, the life style, the food choice, the cheap cabs and most importantly my best friend Amy, who lives out there permanently.

Over my next few blogs I am going to write about my favourite experiences of Singapore and share some of the 100s of pictures we took whilst out there!  

First things first (and ever a foodie) - Black Pepper Crab.

Where: Quayside Seafood

Based on the main strip of restaurants in the heart of Clark Quay, one of Singapore's hottest entertainment and dining areas Quayside Seafood offers a relaxed atmosphere, brilliant service and some unforgettable food.



What we ate:
Black Pepper Crab
Wok Fried Rice
Chef's Special "Fish" of the day
Mango to finish

BEWARE: YOU WILL GET VERY MESSY. NO FRESHLY MANICURED NAILS ADVISED :)

Food: To die for are words I do use, but not too often. However, on this occasion I can quite affirmatively say that the black pepper crab that we had at Quayside Seafood was to die for!

Bibbed up and sipping on an ice cold glass of Sauvignon the black sizzling crab arrived at our air-conditined table in all it's glory, urging us to pick up our small pitch forks and dig in! The peppery sauce was divine, mouth watering and rich with a warming after taste, the meat of the crab delicate, succulent and meaty. What's more is as we finished the crab we still had the wok fried rice to delve in to. Dolloping the remaining black pepper sauce on to the rice was like heaven (the naughty side though) on a plate.
Plates clear we finished off the meal with mango; sweet, juicy and ever so moreish. We ended up having not one but two plates full! 













Post crab we jumped in a cab and headed to Raffles. Raffles stands out amongst Singapore's newest City buildings; an iconic turn of the century vision of white marble colonnades and polished teak verandas permeating a sense of romance and elegance.  A stunning level of architecture has gone into Raffles both inside and out, oozing decadence and wealth. Heading to the famous Long Bar, up the sweeping staircase we took our seats over by the band, the very same band I had seen when visiting as an 18 yr old seven years ago!



Monkey nuts are served piled high in dishes on your table for you to delve in to and then throw your rusks on the floor. The one and only place in the pristine man made city that allows for littering!



Drinks wise, you cannot make a visit to Raffles without a taste of the famous Singapore Sling. A sweet and slightly sickly cocktail with a frothy top and a fruity centre.

Part two to follow!

Spring has sprung on a sunny Saturday in Wiltshire.

With spring looking like it may have finally sprung at last and not a cloud in the sky we headed up to Paddington to catch the 11:06am to Pewsey to meet my parents for the first time since our engagement!

Since we've been back we have not stopped celebrating; seeing friends for gatherings and dinners and after work cocktails have become the norm rather than a rare treat. We have both expanded our waist lines, liver functions and 5 hours sleep has suddenly become a lie in - but we couldn't be happier. Life just seems to be a bubble of happiness at the moment and we're so lucky to have such amazing people around us.

Parents met and big excited cuddles exchanged we jumped into the car and drove about 10 minutes away to the picturesque village of Bottlesford. 3 hours of laughing, eating and chatting all about our spectacular holiday and our impeding wedding plans.... Which, I know, I am still to divulge- but I will soon, I promise! Mummy had spent a lot of time looking for a beautiful country pub and she definitely succeeded.

The Seven Stars is an Inn dating back to the 16th century surrounded by delightful countryside. As beautiful as it is on the outside as it is in we sat in the main dining areas surrounded by beautiful antique pieces. I indulged in a burger- I know, naughty- especially considering the dinner party food and trifle last night.... Best not to think about it I think! Daddy and p had burgers too but they went for all the add ons, bacon and cheese, cholesterol and heart attack etc and mummy had a goats cheese salad- which, I'm not going to lie, I wish I had gone for as it looked so good! 2 thick pieces of goats cheese slabs - a rare treat in any restaurant I've been to in London! Usually you can barely see the goats cheese for leaves and no sooner have you found a piece it's gone. ! My burger was good, could have been rarer but we weren't given the option so that was fine. The boys loved the chips and they managed to eat all mine too, as I was saving myself for pud!

Pudding was chocolate fondant, ice cream and berries- it was delicious! The fondant cooked to perfection so the chocolate oozed out!

Tummies full to bursting we jumped back in the car and headed to the canal for a brisk walk before our 16:25 train back to London.

A quick trip but only just over an hr out of London AND £15 return (we booked a week in advance) so well worth it if you just need a quick break from busy City life. You don't need a car if you just want a walk along the canal and a few country pubs all in close proximity to the station.

A Tip Top Trifle

So, with friends coming over for dinner and a rather busy week which seems to have disappeared in the blink of an eye I wanted to make a quick pud without any hassle. Wracking my brain for all of about 20 seconds it was an obvious answer - trifle!
With some homemade cake in the tin that had not all been demolished over the week I decided to utilise what I had around me and make up an alcohol free, fruity, cakey trifle- scandalous!

What you need-

Jelly
Fruit
Custard (tinned)
Whipping cream (or squirty cream)
Cake (anything you want)
Toppings (sprinkles,  chopped almonds, chopped fruit...etc)

What to do:

Cut the cake you have into bite-size cubes and place in to the bottom of a glass or bowl. I used about 6-8 cubes but you can use more or less.

Add fruit to your cake; I added strawberries, grapes, peach and cherries but you can use what ever you want. At this stage you would normally soak your trifle in some sort of strong alcohol i.e Sherry, however I was making a virgin trifle on this occasion. I do think that sometimes alcohol can ruin a pud and as much as I love a good glass of Chablis I'm not big on alcohol flavoured desserts. 

Cut the jelly in to cubes and dissolve in 100ml of boiling water. There are generally instructions on the back of jelly packs so I would usually follow these. I used the Robinson's strawberry jelly. You then fill the jelly solution up to 500ml with cold water and voila, you are ready to add the dissolved jelly solution in to your glasses / bowl. 

Pour the jelly solution on to your cake and fruit mix and place in the fridge to cool for about 2.5 hours. The more time you have to let your jelly set the better.

Once the jelly has set add custard on top. Again, it is your decision how much. I add about an inch and a half, leaving plenty of room for cream! 

In a bowl, whisk up some whipping cream- or alternatively you could use "squirty cream". Dollop on top of your trifle as neatly- or rustically (in my case) as you like.
Add sprinkles, chopped almonds, more fruit or anything else you can think of to the top and serve!

A simple, delicious dessert that doesn't break the bank with expensive ingredients! 

Enjoy!