Mourne Seafood Belfast - Take 2

Mourne Seafood comes highly recommended by so many people, and I joined the crowd when I visited it for the first time last October. Each of our party ordered a starter, main and dessert; the food was absolutely delicious and came up to just £26 per person.

Most of our spread, from top left: Seabass with chorizo; queen scalloprs with pumpkin risotto; crab linguine; salmon cakes; sticky data pudding; peel-and-eat langoustines; seabass with citrus dressing

It was thus with excitement that I headed there again last weekend, ready to indulge in another round of good seafood – and I’m disappointed to say that I wasn’t as lucky this time.

I started with the pan-fried crab claws with chilli butter (£7). Still having vivid memories of the Dirty Duck’s unbeatable crab claws, I wondered if I’ll have a similar experience at Mourne Seafood. Unfortunately, the crab claws served did not come cleanly off the ‘bone’, and had a mushy texture associated with slightly overcooked and less-than-fresh crab meat. The dish was also somewhat bland, with barely a trace of chilli or butter.

Quality aside, the crab claws came in a good value for money portion, although the winner for this category has to be the Mourne Mussels. The medium pot (£6.75) is massive and is guaranteed to fill you up – although the white wine, garlic and cream sauce was described as (and verified to be) rather salty.

Fuelled by the moreish queen scallops and pumpkin risotto we had on our first visit, I went for the seared scallops and linguine in saffron cream sauce (£17) this time. Sadly, my immediate thought upon seeing the dish was “My, that’s a heap of pasta”, and the scallops weren’t as plentiful. The sauce was also a tad too eggy even for an egg lover like me, although there were just enough chopped tomatoes and wilted greens for me to eat it all (I was hungry).

Look at this risotto - chock full of scallops and mussels all over its top - and tell me that the scallop linguine doesn't look sad in comparison! If i recall correctly the risotto was about £17 too.

Thankfully, the delicious sticky date pudding (£5.25) I had previously was just as good the second time. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drenched in fudge sauce, it was warm and moist, with finely shredded flesh of dates mixed evenly throughout the pudding.

Despite the somewhat disappointing second experience, Mourne Seafood is a place I’d eat at again. Our flawless first visit and its stellar reputation could not have come by chance, and its specials menu guarantees that you’ll never eat the same dish twice unless you want to. While dinner at Mourne Seafood always takes a while (at least 2 hrs for 3 courses), its service is impeccable and doesn’t feel slow. I’m just hoping that it’ll be third time lucky so that I can gush about it again.

Hello Spring!

Spring is here, even though it feels at times like it's still too cold - like this morning.

The afternoons have been mostly sunny and warm, and the Easter weekend was simply glorious - three days spent sitting outside in summer wear just soaking it in.

My daffodils have been in bloom for some now, and the rest of the garden is sprouting. I've grown some lettuce and rocket (these are showing promise), as well as scattered flower seeds in the bed at the back (still waiting for them to show). I've also planted 25 freesia bulbs - Poundland is a great place to shop - so hopefully there'll be more flowers when summer comes around.

I don't know what this weekend will be like yet, but will, of course, be keeping my fingers crossed for more sun. People are already walking around in t-shirts and spaghetti tops even though it's nowhere near being that warm (What then will they wear in summer? Just underwear?)!

More pictures of the garden to come, I think :)

CoCo Restaurant - A Review

We were out yesterday for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner, as E was away for work last weekend, and thought that CoCo’s “Date Night on a School Night” special would be a good way to celebrate the occasion.  

Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by its décor – classy at the entrance, kitschy at the near wall, cosy towards the back with tea lights and rose stalks on the tables, and pop-arty on the other walls. It was a bit of a hodgepodge, but I loved it. I thought for a moment that we were the only customers in this large restaurant, until I spotted the couple in the curved seats against the wall – a good sign.


The dinner deal comprised 3 courses each and a bottle of wine for just £50 per couple. As there were so many menus on their website, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that we could choose anything at all from the ala-carte menu. Orders placed, we sipped the wine that had been served. It was a Spanish Grenache rosé, with a label that read “I ♥ Rosé”. E joked that with such a label the wine couldn’t be anything fancy, but it was nonetheless deliciously smooth and fruity, with no hint of a bite. 

The scallops were my favourite dish for the night.

I hadn’t had scallops (rp £8.50) in a while, and couldn’t wait to tuck into their plump flesh when my starters arrived. The scallops were done just right – seared and lightly caramelised on the outside, and firm and sweet when biting into their gorgeous flesh. The carrot puree enhanced the sweetness of the scallops, although the black pudding seemed a bit overpowering against the scallops’ subtle flavours.  

I would have slurped up more cream if it wouldn't have looked so unbecoming

I couldn’t take my eyes off E’s prawn linguine (rp £7.25) either. I felt that there was slightly too much dill in the dish, but still happily slurped down the fresh prawns and delicious cream. It was a sizable portion, and as much as I’d have liked some bread to soak up the cream, that might have proven too much for a starter.


I actually liked the simple salad with blue cheese dressing a lot.
 

I was in the mood for meat, and the choice was clear when I discovered that there was no top-up for the Hereford Sirloin (rp £22.50). It was my first time having steak served this way: topped with chopped chives and onion in a blue cheese sauce. Although I’m not a big fan of onions or chives, I found the toppings surprisingly juicy and flavourful, if just a little pungent.  

The fan-shaped arrangement of the baby carrots is adorable. Would've sampled more of the pigeon and venison if my main weren't much bigger

E meanwhile had gone for the Co. Wicklow wood pigeon and venison (rp £19.95), which was beautifully presented with potato fondants, baby carrots, Jerusalem artichokes and blackberry halves. The pigeon was succulent and not in the least gamey, distinguishing it from what we’d tried at Shu. The venison was just as divine - well seasoned with the right amount of saltiness. Comparing it with what I’d thought at that time was good venison just 3 weeks ago at La Bastille, it seems like venison could benefit from a heavier hand with the spices.  

My favourite part of the mains, however, was the home-made, double-cooked French fries that we didn’t manage to snap a picture of. They were crisp on the outside, soft without being soggy, and had the most addictive batter. I was quite full by then, but we polished off the entire bowl of the best fries – double-cooked or otherwise – I’ve ever had.  

Looks are deceiving: the parfait was delicious and the heap of orange peel marmalade was quite substantial too.

E is a big fan of the chocolate-orange combination, and it was no surprise that he went for the blood orange chocolate parfait (rp £5.50). The parfait was rich and creamy with just a hint of bitter chocolate, while the blood orange marmalade was tart and the peel lent a lovely texture.  

Doesn't this remind you of summer?

E had some of the marmalade left, and I actually liked how it went with my coconut pannacotta (rp £5.50), which was light, smooth and creamy. The pannacotta had a sweet and tangy accompaniment of chopped mango, passion fruit and kiwi; its tropical flavours making it all the more enjoyable being savoured in the middle of winter.  

This is about half of the section we were in; there was another section to the right.

CoCo’s service was leisurely and friendly throughout dinner – perfect for a date night. Our half of the restaurant eventually got a bit fuller with 5 couples in total, and there couldn’t have been more than another table or two on the other side of the walls. It was wonderful, and a far cry from last year’s experience of being wedged between two couples in Zen on Valentine’s night itself.  

The food at CoCo was absolutely delightful. The flavours and textures were great and I loved every dish. The “Date Night on a School Night” deal itself is a bargain – just the courses would have cost us £69 ala-carte, and the wine would have brought it to at least £80. CoCo comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a wonderful date night.

CoCo Restaurant

7-11 Linenhall St,
Belfast, BT2 8AA
028 9031 1150

A Year in Belfast

So, today marks the end of my first year in Belfast!

I'd thought I would have more thoughts on reaching this milestone - if I can even call it that - but my head and heart are surprisingly empty. I feel like I've been here for longer, and seem quite settled into life here, at least for the moment.

An example of some of the gorgeous weather we've been having - this from Feb 2013

Whenever people discover that I'm a (relatively) newcomer to Belfast and ask how I'm finding it, the answer always involves a moment's reflection, followed by a slightly surprised "It's better than I'd thought actually". E had set the expectations quite low, and we've been blessed with pretty warm weather for Belfast the entire time I've been here. I'm not at all missing the crowds back home, and although there's the occasional complaint that the few shops there are here aren't open for long enough to sell the limited range of items that they have, I quite like living without the the constant bombardment of materialism and consumerism I'd get at home.

On cold, rainy days I might think about how nice it'd be to feel warm again, warm all the way through, but I know that the moment I step out of the plane at Changi Airport I'll be roasting and disliking the humidity of Singapore, even when I'm indoors with air-conditioning. Indeed, I do get hit by sudden and strong cravings of all the local goodness of dishes such as laksa, char kway teow and nasi lemak, yet at the same time I'm quite happily eating my way around Belfast, exploring restaurants in a way that I couldn't really do back home for a multitude of reasons.

One of my first nice meals in Belfast - Valentine's Day dinner last year at Zen.

The main thing that gets to me about life here is the lack of a career - what little that I had back home has all but disappeared. Belfast, unfortunately, has no need for the few skills that I have, and the job market is incredibly difficult. It seems unreal, thinking about the amount I was earning versus wages over here, and it makes me appreciate the immense opportunities that fresh grads in Singapore have, as well as the willingness of our government to hire people with the capabilities but not necessarily the experience. This, undoubtedly, is the one thing I'd like to change the most about moving here, and I need to be more motivated and disciplined about using my time well and finding new opportunities.

Apart from that, things do seem quite good. I'm learning how to drive, and although that's taking about a third longer than I'd expected, I'm inching closer to acquiring a practical skill and greater freedom of movement here. I'm starting swimming lessons tomorrow; hopefully I'll keep it up and attain yet another useful skill and an exercise alternative to jogging, which I hate. I've kept up with the ballet, which is going nowhere but had never been going anywhere - nor had I ever the intention for it to develop into something more than a hobby to stay toned and flexible. I've also been introduced to a hot yoga place near work( only 30deg but it means I can wear just a leotard and leggings and not feel cold at all), which I plan to go to more frequently during the breaks in ballet between terms.

More free time means the opportunity to explore things like sand dunes on the beach of Newcastle, Co. Down

I definitely have much more free time here then I ever did back home. I'm not sure if the amount of time I have is on the right side of the balance - already, I feel myself being less able to multi-task or focus on a task at hand and push it through to completion; I'm also less efficient and don't deal with stress as well. I do feel that stress in small amounts is good; humans require some stress to push them to do things better and quicker - that my best results at university were in the semesters I was most busy is a case in point, as is the fact that I could do ballet twice a week (same as now) and maintain all those social commitments while in a job that had a 48hr work week back home. 

This means, however, that I'm reading more and enjoying life a little more. I have the time to cook most of my meals - which, combined with the additional exercise I've been getting from walking to work in my previous and present job, has resulted in me being slimmer than I've ever been since I left jc. I probably am slightly fitter as well, in that I can walk longer distances at a certain pace without tiring as easily as before. Also, I think my tastebuds are becoming a little more sensitive to salt, which can only be a good thing in the long run. My house isn't as clean or as tidy as I'd like it to be, but I've learnt to do the things that really matter to me, and to let the rest go 'cos they don't matter anyway.  

Did I also mention that yours truly, who killed many plants (including cacti) in Japan, has successfully kept a plant alive for a full year?

I think this can, overall, be considered a good year. Financially and professionally it's rubbish; on the bright side I'm employed and in better employment than the first job I had here, and am slowly (and hopefully surely) climbing up into the black following this move. Here's to hoping that the second year will bring opportunities for me to progress professionally, grow financially, develop personally and perhaps even give us the chance to move somewhere that will benefit us both! :)

Patisserie Mimi

Everything about Patisserie Mimi is stylish and elegant, from its store display right down to its logo. It has beautiful packaging too - macarons lovingly cupped in red scallop-edged paper adorned with a ribbon bearing "PATISSERIE MIMI" in its signature font.

Don't you just love the look of this?

Patisserie Mimi opened in November last year and is a welcome addition to the scene. Despite its proximity to France, there is a dearth of places selling French-style cakes and pastries in Belfast, with most bakeries favouring a more homely taste to their treats. In fact, Patisserie Mimi is self-described as the city's "first continental-style patisserie", and its beautifully designed store and website display all the sophistication associated with Paris and its pastries.

 

I tried my first macaron 7 years ago from La Duree - the best of the best when it comes to macarons, no matter what anyone might say about Pierre Herme - and have been hooked ever since. The moment I learnt that Patisserie Mimi sold macarons, I knew that I had to try some. At £2 each (or £10 for 6), they are undeniably pricey but deliciously chewy as a good macaron should be.  

 

Thanks to my colleague, I'd previously tried the passion, rhubarb and strawberry macaron, which was devoured so quickly that the only impression I have of it is an "Mmmmmmm". The peach and honey macaron was less remarkable with an overly sweet and almost cloying icing filling. It also had a blob of jam in the middle, which was not only superfluous (as if it wasn't sweet enough) but also incongruous - like the contents of a £1 packet of jam 'n' cream biscuits in a fancy French pastry.

 

Skip that, I'd say, and head straight for the ivory chocolate and Tonka bean macaron. There was nary a hint of chocolate - but who needs chocolate when there's the fresh, delicious aroma of the Tonka bean that fills every bite and wafts down your throat? I couldn't get enough of this and will definitely be returning for more.

 

Clockwise from top: Pear and Yuzu Tarte Bordeleau, Peach and Honey macaron, and Ivory Chocolate and Tonka Bean macaron.

 

My main reason for dropping by Patisserie Mimi was actually to order a large cake for a birthday. I couldn't wait till then to try one of its delectable looking sweets though, and was curious about the Pear and Yuzu Tarte Bordeleau (£4.50).

 

There was no tinge of yuzu, which might have been for the best as I'm not sure if its slight tartness would have gone with the refreshing sweetness of the pear. I didn't quite like the taste of the nuts either, but fully recognise its aesthetic value which my photos just don't do justice to! The juicy pear slices were the definite winner here and perfectly complemented the moreish pastry - I'd suggest to serve it slightly chilled to enhance the fragrance of the pear.

 

In addition, Patisserie Mimi has excellent customer service. An email query regarding opening hours resulted in a swift response - after working hours no less - and an amendment on its website. It also led to the discovery that Patisserie Mimi is actually owned by The Merchant Hotel, as is its neighbour The National. Patisserie Mimi also stocks a whole range of breads at very affordable prices, starting from £1.25 for a baguette.

 

With all that in mind, what are you waiting for? I'm already looking forward to collecting the cake and picking up more sweet treats at the same time. :)

 

Patisserie Mimi

56 High Street
Belfast
BT1 2BE
028 9043 4773

Wagamama - Victoria Square, Belfast

Wagamama was established in1992 and has branches in 17 countries across the world, so they must be doing something right with their food. Let this post, therefore, be mainly about what not to order at Wagamama.

We visited the Victoria Square branch last November as part of a group. The service was fast, although the staff got our order of Wagamama Ramen wrong and served us the Chicken Ramen instead.

Wagamama has the dubious honour of having the worst ramen I've ever eaten. The broth was thin and bland, as were the pieces of chicken breast accompanying it - some effort in marinating the chicken would certainly have helped. The serving size was also significantly smaller than the teppanyaki dishes that some of our group had ordered, a fact accentuated by the enormous bowl it was served in. The large bowl meant that there was a generous portion of soup, but was in this case an unfortunate turn-off with all of that tasteless liquid staring back at us.

Chicken karaage is another dish on my must-order list. While it's basically fried chicken and easy to make (theoretically at least; I've yet to try it myself), it's seldom found on menus outside of Asia. Hence, we jumped at the chance when we spotted it at Wagamama.

Sadly, the chef's hand must have slipped when preparing the chicken, as there was so much rosemary (which doesn't belong in karaage) that it overpowered all other flavours and had me spitting out bits of the dried herb. Wagamama also used breast meat instead of thigh meat, which was a tad dry after frying. Thankfully, our chicken gyoza was much better with a well seasoned filling, and the ebi katsu another of us had ordered was as crispy and as light as you'd get.

The dessert I had was delicious and the highlight of my meal - but unfortunately is no longer on Wagamama's website. It was a scrumptious tart with a tropical custard (mango or pineapple or both; I can't quite recall!) and raspberries, with dried coconut shavings that complemented the flavour.

The dessert E ordered is also no longer on the menu - and thankfully so. It was a taster trio of desserts, and a case of how less can be more. For example, wasabi does not add to the taste of chocolate fudge cake, ginger does not belong in a white chocolate cheesecake, and pistachio mousse doesn't really go with raspberry jam.

The dessert trio reminded me of Wagamama's sauce accompaniment to their gyoza. In place of the traditional vinegar + soy sauce combination, Wagamama had a chilli garlic sesame soy sauce version instead. So many ingredients, yet none of the 'extras' were really necessary and also did little to bring out the flavour of the chives. There is a reason why certain combinations exist in food, and being innovative or modern does not necessarily mean mixing up many different things.

I might still be persuaded to return to Wagamama though, as their teppanyaki noodle dishes looked tasty enough and seemed to be the more popular items too. I'll just stay well clear from the ramen!

Shu

Shu, located on Lisburn Road, is among the first few restaurants in Belfast that were recommended to me. I've also heard a lot about how good it is since then, so we thought to splurge a little and head there for our anniversary.

The thing about celebrating special occasions in December is that restaurants tend to thrust their Christmas menu upon customers. Shu was no different, and instead of their usual set menu, we were only given the choice between their ala carte and Christmas menus. This would have been fine if the latter were half decent, but quick calculations revealed that the same items from the ala carte menu would actually cost more if we were to choose from the Christmas menu - well, sod that.

The restaurant was packed at its first sitting of the evening, and it took quite a while before we could get any attention from its staff. Being tucked right in a corner between a wall and a lively 8-person Christmas dinner group probably didn't help either. However, it wasn't too long after placing our orders that our starters were served.

I'm a sucker for crab on the menu, hence was dismayed by the size of the crab linguine with chilli, lemon and parsley (£9). It was tiny enough to be devoured in a few mouthfuls, but it was delicious and I forced myself to eat slowly and stretch out every moment that the flavourful broth was in my mouth. E's crispy duck confit with spiced red cabbage puree (£8.50) was a much more sizable portion. However, it was a bit dry and would have benefitted more from a sauce accompaniment instead of the puree.

(I left the picture uncropped to provide some context for size comparison with the mug of sugar in the background)

Our mains were served fairly quickly too. E was feeling adventurous and had ordered the wild pigeon with blackberry puree, potato fondant, purple carrots and chocolate malt (£18). It was served rare (as pigeon is apparently meant to be), and E thought it was "alright". I'm not sure if pigeon is a meat I'd enjoy though, as it had a gamey taste and I would probably have needed more sauce to mask the flavour.

On my side of the table was caramelised pork belly with cauliflower puree, potato gratin and cider-soaked raisins (£15.50). The sweet-salty pork was tasty, though a tad dry on the inside as well. The dish soon got rather heavy too, and I desperately needed the raisins and what little sauce there was on the plate to offset the saltiness*. The dish could definitely have done with a citrusy addition somewhere. We were happy with the size of our mains though - despite reviews that have said otherwise - and certainly did not need to order the sides of mixed salad and baby potatoes that went largely untouched.

 

We were stuffed but decided to complete our meal with dessert. It turned out to be an excellent choice, as the Valrhona chocolate and hazelnut brownie with warm Earl Grey infused chocolate and vanilla ice cream (£5.75) was utterly delectable. The Earl Grey lent a slight bitterness to the dessert, making it a light finish to dinner and was polished off in no time at all. Our glass of dessert wine, a La fleur d'Or Sauternes AC 2009 (£6), was also a very refreshing digestif with its notes of candied pineapple, lemon and crème caramel.

Our experience at Shu was undoubtedly saved by its dessert and wine. With all its awards and accolades, we were expecting more polish in its dishes but were wowed by none of the appetisers or main courses**. Nonetheless, Shu's prices are extremely reasonable (except for the crab linguine) for a restaurant of its reputation - and perhaps rightly so given its quality.

Shu
253 Lisburn Road
Belfast BT9 7EN
02890 381655

 *: Heavy-handed usage of salt is unfortunately quite common among restaurants in Belfast, with Birdcage on Stranmillis and Il Pirata on Upper Newtownards Road among the worst offenders.
**: The crab linguine came close but ultimately made me go 'wow' for the wrong reason.  

 

The Ginger Tree

We celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago with dinner at The Ginger Tree, a Japanese restaurant on Donegall Pass.

It looked promising enough upon entry, with Japanese sake, whiskey and beer bottles lining the shelves behind the cashier - just as in actual Japanese restaurants and an easy way to display the range of alcohol served. As we weren't very hungry but wanted to try a variety of their dishes, we ordered the Osaka Set Menu, sashimi moriawase and a side of croquettes to share.

The Osaka Menu boasts little in relation to Osaka and its regional specialties, and was probably named because it's the largest set on the menu and the hometown of the head chef and owner. It started with a tsukidashi appetiser - crunchy French beans topped with a dollop of sweet miso sauce.

The appetiser was followed quickly by the side of croquettes. Croquettes are among my many 'must-order' items on a Japanese menu, and these were fragrant and crisp on the outside. The potato and minced meat filling had a light curry flavour, which is probably more suitable for the palette of Ginger Tree's Belfast customers than the spicier curry I prefer. Unfortunately, the perfectly mashed filling was spoiled by bits of pork fat that accompanied every mouthful - while I love to chow down fat that accompanies bacon, steak and pork chops, I was neither expecting to find nor enjoyed the chewy fat in my croquettes.

The second of 3 appetisers from the Osaka Menu was next - the tonkatsu. I was probably too greedy in anticipating a full breaded pork cutlet and was slightly disappointed by the two strips of cutlet on skewers that arrived instead. The strips of pork were perfectly crisp on the outside but slightly dry on the inside, and lacked the thin layer of fat that a good piece of tonkatsu has, which serves to keep the meat moist and juicy. The pork was accompanied by the slightly sweet kushikatsu sauce and not the salty tonkatsu sauce - which seemed wrong until I was reminded that our tonkatsu, by virtue of being skewered slices of pork, was actually kushikatsu and should have probably been named as such instead.

When our next order arrived, I was surprised to see the sushi moriawase instead of our assorted sashimi. Sashimi was the one thing I was looking forward to the most, hence had to regretfully send back the sushi and insist on our actual order. This probably the reason for the sashimi, when it arrived, being unceremoniously dumped on the table similar to how wooden blocks are deposited during shuttle runs - I was not at all impressed. Thankfully the salmon, tuna and ika sashimi were fresh, delicious and all that I'd been waiting for, despite being oddly sliced and of uneven thickness. The pieces of cooked prawn and cooked octopus added further variety.

The final appetiser from the set menu was a generous portion of tempura, consisting of two king prawns and a slice each of courgette, aubergine, red pepper and carrot and onion strips. It was a treat to have tempura again, although the honest opinion would be that the tempura was merely passable. The batter was slightly soggy and lacked the lightness that tempura should have, while the items were a tad overcooked.

It is here that a few words on The Ginger Tree's service are in order. While the restaurant was at full capacity that night, the crowd did not justify the long wait we had between courses as the place gradually filled up. Our entire dinner - that comprised neither alcohol nor dessert - took about 1.5 hours and we must have waited at least 15 min for the main (and final) course to arrive. Such a long wait was unacceptable, especially since we'd ordered a set menu that should have taken less time to prepare than a range of ala carte items.

When our Nabeyaki Udon finally arrived, we dug right in, savouring the warm, delicious broth. We were pleasantly surprised to find a slice of sweet beancurd in the bowl - something we've missed from udon in Japan - until we realised that the udon did not come with unagi as described on the menu and website. Again, the udon and tempura were overcooked too, but the broth tasted so much like what you'd get in Japan that we were willing to overlook the other aspects.

Ultimately, The Ginger Tree is a place I'd visit again, purely for their sashimi and perhaps to also try their sushi and some other items. If the craving is too strong to deny, I'd also order their tempura and udon - just not the nabeyaki unless they can guarantee unagi in it. The Ginger Tree would also be a far more pleasant dining experience if they can improve on their speed and delivery of service, as well as turn the lights up a little so that diners can actually take some photos!


The Ginger Tree

23 Donegall Pass

Belfast, UK

028 9032 7151

Summertime

It's funny how my posts so far have all been triggered by the weather – being here must be rubbing off me. It's summer proper, and thankfully the weather has been warm for nearly two weeks now and it's simply gorgeous.

Plane spotting from my backyard.

Everyone around me is complaining about how hot it is, but it's great. I actually feel like I don't have quite enough weather appropriate clothes, given that I own a lot less casual summer clothes than office-suitable summer gear, the latter being completely useless given the place that I am currently working at.  The only thing stopping me from buying more clothes is the (probably valid) fear that this weather will end all too quickly and abruptly.

To be honest, it can get a bit too warm here - the house has no fans and there's a lot less cloud cover – but rooms quickly cool down due to the strong breezes. That said, my colleagues all feel that the office is too warm (it's not) and turn the air-con on, chilling my arms and numbing my hands and necessitating my donning of a cardigan – it seems like regardless of where I go, I can never escape unnecessarily cold air-conditioning.

Summer brings about another seemingly strange phenomenon – the ceasing of all classes and courses at the local arts centre and other private teachers. My ballet teacher (who teaches from a church) is off for 2 months, and the Crescent Arts Centre sits empty for a similar (if not longer) period of time. It has meant that I'm having a fair amount of time to myself, but it also means that I'm gaining weight and losing flexibility and strength because I'm too lazy to exercise at home!

Showing off the gorgeous scenery with the Beaghmore Stone Circles

On the work front, things are as meh as usual. On good days I'm fine but on bad days I'm really bored, and today I spent most of the day trying to look busy. However, as luck would have it, 15 min before the end of my shift things started pouring in, and I couldn't leave till 20 min later than I was meant to. It hasn't been that great a fortnight, and that's already with me taking 1 day off last week in lieu of the May day holiday I was owed, and another off day tomorrow in lieu of last week's public holiday.

On a personal level, an article that was shared on Facebook today regarding how modern weddings are a waste of time and money evoked strong feelings. While I don't feel that things like marriage seminars or counselling are necessary (my personal view is that living together before marriage is not a bad way to find out if you want to do this for the rest of your life, but given that the article is written by a pastor he's not going to even suggest that as a viable option), the article brought up feelings that I had a while ago.

Marriage and weddings (both in the recent past and near future) are thick in the air this year, and the more that goes on regarding weddings – not marriage, mind you, but weddings – the more intensely I feel that 1) they're a bloody waste of time, effort and energy; 2) they're darn expensive, both for the couple and for their guests; and 3) that if my turn to get married comes around I'm going to wanna do something like a small ceremony with a big party after where everyone can just come, help themselves to a buffet spread of some sort, drink, dance and get wasted while having a good time.

I know that (3) is a lot more fantasy than reality, as the fact that I'll still want things like photos and videos to remember the day by (as well as to show friends and relatives who can't be present), but I think that having this ideal in mind will help keep things simple. Perhaps that and the reminder that the less money we spend on the wedding the more we'll have for our honeymoon and for feasting and enjoying life for the rest of our days together.

Wildflowers grown on the Hill of the O'Neills which the O'Neills I was with half-heartedly tried to reclaim.

Summer Days

Summer came and went one glorious week a while ago, and now it's back to chilly spring weather without the blooming flowers.

I only wish I'd known then that it was all the sun I was going to get!

Two months

That's how long it's been since my last post, and it's nearly 4 months since I arrived here.

It doesn't seem like much has happened since then at all. The last post coincided more or less with the start of my job – a crappy, low paying one which I'd decided to take up while looking out for something better. It's quite life-draining, but at least it covers my expenses here, which is useful given the glacial pace that the job hunt is going.

It has its experiences I think. People who somehow think they can get things without paying on the spot. Foreigners who don't know the English name of the place where they work. Non-native English speakers who get annoyed that I don't understand their English even though it's they who have poor pronounciation. I've never been in this sort of environment before, and while I wish I could take away more from this experience, I guess there are still incremental pluses as a result of this.

At the end of April, it got warm and sunny enough for flowers to bloom:

I managed to do a bit of sightseeing too, to Belfast Castle (more a mansion than a castle):

We also went to Carrickfergus Castle, which is actually a fortress and a short drive away from Belfast. It was a gorgeous but extremely windy day out:

I've also been learning how to drive, which has been fun yet stressful. I've had 5 lessons so far, but need to work a lot harder on the steering and general control of the car.

I'm disappointed by the lack of ballet classes for the major grades though. I've been going for classes whenever I can with at Crescent Arts Centre (CAC) and with another teacher, but although the CAC is an open class while the other teacher's is for RAD Intermediate students, I feel that the CAC's classes are more challenging and more enjoyable. I can't believe that the Inter class is still doing stuff from the exam syllabus even though the exams were last Saturday, and I'm astounded that the girls are doing their exam material – albeit to different music – for a showcase at the Lyric Theatre in two weeks. I'm even more shocked by the low standard of dancing – it's bitchy but I truly think that they have a long way to go before they should appear on stage. Everything contrasts starkly to how my teacher back home conducts her lessons, trains us for the exams and demands perfection for our school's performance. The girls can't even do their exam routine without mistakes, much less execute it with good technique or dance quality! We wouldn't have been allowed to take the exam or go on stage if we were only at that level. More importantly, I'm bored of doing Intermediate exam stuff which I wasn't even taught properly, and yearn for us to do something different and more challenging.

Well, enough about ballet and more about the weather. It was only recently that the weather started warming up properly, and this week has been just lovely. This was us the day before, out at the back with a drink in hand; i was in shorts and a sleeveless top and it felt so good to be warm again:

I'm not sure how long the nice, sunny, rain-free weather will last – the sky's all clear till next Monday according to the forecast, so here's to continued fine weather!

The changing normal

I nearly died from my lunch today.

I occasionally forget that starter portions here are fairly big, while mains can be downright enormous. So, I order what I think is a fair amount until the food comes and I end up bursting at the seams – without even finishing everything on my plate.

Granted, we had a late breakfast of pancakes at about 11am, but it was nearly 4pm when we ordered lunch and I couldn’t resist starters that cost just £2 – part of the Carlito’s meal deal where a main is £5.95 and two courses are only £7.95.

We got some chicken tempura – two pieces of tender chicken breast coated in crisp fish ‘n’ chips batter, served with Thai sweet chilli sauce – and gorgeous deep fried brie served with berry compote.

We were happy and satisfied by the very delicious food, until the mains came and we were horrified -they were giant portions! Here’s my Fussilli ala Carlito’s – pasta in white wine cream sauce with chicken, mushrooms and peppers:


I looked at it, wondered how I was going to finish everything, but plunged on anyway. The pasta was even better than it looks, and somehow the combination of cream, mushroom and chicken made for an extremely tasty sauce. I wanted so very badly to consume every last bit of it, tried my very best, but failed anyway – it’s been 3 hours since lunch but I’m still feeling the effects of overeating :S

I was very surprised that the food turned out to be so good, as Carlito’s is in the middle of Botanic Avenue – a very studenty place which is full of cheap eats. I thought it was gonna be pub grub – which is pretty good here anyway – but the interior looked nicer than I’d imagined and the food far surpassed my expectations.

But the above review of Carlito’s is a long introduction to thoughts that have repeatedly occurred to me since I came – that what was normal back home is far from what’s normal here. And I don’t mean the quirks of the country, but what things like ‘fast’ and ‘average’ means.

For example, I’m considered a big eater back home. Everyone I know can attest to the fact that I eat a lot for a girl, and my appetite is often joked about among my former colleagues. I used to be hungry all the time and out-ate everyone on my team – but it seems like I can’t eat much more than a main course here. And it’s not like the women here don’t eat much. Head out and you’ll see them order starters and mains and finish everything on their plate – and it’s not because they’re bigger than I am, as I’ve had the opportunity to see a girl smaller than me eat a lot more.

Also, I’m considered to be a fast walker (also frequently joked about), a fast eater, and the owner of a loud voice. Unfortunately, when I came over I realised that my walking speed is very slow in comparison, that I don’t eat particularly quickly but am actually on the slow side, and I struggle to be heard over club music when other girls don’t seem to face a similar problem. Again, I don’t think it’s to do with me being smaller in built than most others – there’re many people my size here as well.

I suppose it’s welcome to the ‘real’ world, as someone joked, but it’ll be interesting to see where other Singaporeans - whose appetite, walking speed, eating speed and voice volume are ‘normal’ or ‘below average’ - stand when they come over :)

*Bitch alert*

I wonder how some people can be celebrity bloggers when their writing style is nothing to shout about, the topics they blog about range from the mundane to the inane, and – of all things – every other photo of theirs is a blurry shot, and it’s not even blurry for artistic effect.

Surely there has to be more going on here in Belfast.

Post-colonial ruminations

This afternoon, it occurred to me for the first time that I’m living in the land of my former colonial masters. Well, being in Northern Ireland (NI) technically I’m living in the land that had been colonised and subsequently subsumed under my former colonial masters – but basically I’m in the UK, and Singapore was once a colony of the British Empire.

While on JET and interacting with British, Irish, Jamaicans, Australians and Americans, I came to realise that Singaporeans are far less hung up about our colonial past and a lot less aware of issues relating to colonialism. The vast body of literature on post-colonialism would hardly resonate with Singaporeans – in my experience, reading post-colonial academic and fictional works is just like learning to see things from a different point of view.

I can only speculate on why this might be the case. The biggest reason might be that most of us are descended from migrants who came to Singapore only after the British arrived, hence have no sense of having been colonised as our ancestors are not indigenous anyway. It might also be because the history books have told us that Singapore is what is today due to forces set in motion by the arrival of the British – as well as the Scottish actually. Perhaps it’s also because our short history and collective consciousness is more coloured by our separation from Malaysia than anything else – even our occupation by the Japanese due to the incapability of the British to defend us.

These thoughts came to mind due to some very first world problems.

I received the bill for our landline today and was shocked by the huge amount owed. It turns out that calls from landlines are fairly expensive, but we have no choice but to use the landline as our area has abysmal mobile reception. So if we need to make calls from home – which I need to do in my effort to settle in, find work and find ballet classes – we have to use the house phone, and the free talk time from our mobile plans are as good as useless. It made me feel poor, that I’m charged for services that I do not get to utilise fully, and that I’m being over-charged for services that I can use.

Boo. Whinge.

Winter (wonder) Land

Last Friday was spent being extremely distracted by the falling snow.

While I’ve seen snow before, before Friday I’d never had the chance to see it falling from the sky – beyond the scanty specks that drifted down before melting on the ground on a few occasions in Kansai.

 

Sitting by the window when it’s snowing is very distracting. I kept staring out, mesmerised by the snowflakes and trying to capture the falling snow. The snow wasn’t heavy enough in the morning to be caught properly on camera though, and it wasn’t till the afternoon when the snow got heavier that I managed to get some shots.

 

Most of the snow had accumulated during the night – it wasn’t that thick in our backyard, and as can be seen, it was the icy type of snow, instead of the fluffy kind you see on tv. In other words – it wasn’t nice snow, especially if you have to walk through it.

The howling gusts of wind were quite fascinating too, and I was very happy to be indoors:

The snow got a lot worse as the day progressed. In the late afternoon the lights started flickering every now and then, and during the rush hour the radio stations were down. Sometime between 7 and 8pm, we experienced a blackout, realised that we had no torch lights, had tea lights but no lighter or matches, and had no heat.

So what did we do? We headed to the large 24hr Tesco near us to get supplies – or to camp there for heat if necessary. There was actually a blizzard – as the snow was being billowed around rather than coming down to the ground – and it was quite a sight with the thick snow piled up on the pavements.

While we were driving very slowly due to the slippery and icy roads, for some reason there were cars zooming past us – I don’t understand how people can have such disregard for their safety and their lives. There were also people who were trying to avoid the snow on the pavements by walking on the road instead – utter idiots. This guy was quite far out on the road as he was also avoiding the puddles that were next to the pavements, and it took a while for us to spot him as the roads were quite dark.

A part of the road had also flooded and a car had gotten stuck in the water. It brought to mind my first visit to Belfast in winter 2010, and I went into full crisis mode – the moment we got home, I filled up a bucket in the bathroom and all available drink receptacles with potable water just in case there was a repeat of that winter where we had no water for 4 days (it could have been longer but we’d buggered off to Dublin by then).

As life would have it, once we’d prepared for the worst, the worst did not happen. After the very orange night sky (above), a fair bit of snow had melted by the next morning and it hardly snowed where we were the following day. There’s still some snow on the ground now but no fresh snow – and the brown snow that we saw on the main road outside Central Station yesterday was testament to how pollutive vehicles are.

There you have it – my somewhat anti-climatic but fascinating weekend. I know it’s not at all a lot of snow compared to what those outside Belfast had (as they’re higher up in the mountains) or what’s common in many other countries, but give this tropical girl a break!

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (aka The Trocks)

I'm meant to be sending in some job applications, but today has been really bleh so I'll blog about The Trocks instead.

I saw The Trocks perform quite a few years back^, but when I noticed how cheap the tickets were selling for stall seats in Belfast, I could'nt not watch them again. For the price I paid for stalls here, I would have only gotten seats in – at best – Circle 2 back home.

I love the cover photo of The Trocks' programme, as it conveys everything about the company in this one picture of one of the founders and current ballet master - grace, elegance, poise, and underarm hair. Yes, The Trocks are an all male ballet troupe, don't really hide their masculinity, have awesome makeup skills, are hilarious and great fun to watch, and in certain respects are just as elegant as female ballerinas*.

While it was such an experience watching The Trocks from up close – the tickets are absolutely worth it as their facial expressions are key to the comic effect – the highlights for me were the open rehearsal before the show and the post-performance Q&A session. All that I will share below is what I learnt from those two extras.

The Trocks are on tour a lot, and their practices and rehearsals are all done while on the road. Before each show, they spend some time doing class (going through allegros, turns, etc), then run through some of the dances that will be performed that night, as well as some of those that will be performed at the next venue. For example, we were treated to a rough cut (but still very good!) of the famous Don Quixote pas de deux, which I've never seen them do before. It was fun trying to remember the faces of all the dancers and the positions they took during rehearsal and then trying to recognise them in the evening with all their makeup on.

I learnt that professional male dancers only take about a day to get used to dancing in pointe shoes – a shockingly short time given the difficulty that I face in my futile attempts at anything – because their feet and muscles are already very well developed and used to the movements.

I realised that a good number of their dancers are from Spain and Italy, although they're a New York-based company.

I was impressed by the knowledge that all the dancers are expected to know the steps to all the parts, as the roles are rotated among the dancers (except for the Dying Swan). This means that there is no competition among the dancers to score the title roles.

I was treated to the surreal sight of half the troupe of professional dancers (that's 8 of them) doing as many fouette turns as they could (the target the teacher set was at least 16), followed by the next half, then the first half, and then the second half again. I can't remember if they went for the pirouettes a third time, but oh. my. goodness. I couldn't breathe from the excitement of how special and once-in-a-lifetime that was.

Also, I found out that there isn't really any trick to making the feathers of the Dying Swan fall on cue – if their Artistic Director is to be believed – except stuffing lots of loose feathers between the many layers of tulle in the tutu. I was also informed – to my shock, horror and utmost admiration – that their ballet teacher, who was en pointe for the entire duration of the Dying Swan piece, has been doing this for more than 20 years and continues to do it today at the grand age of 52.

(O_O)

Indeed.

*      *      *      *      *      *

^: I can't for the life of me remember whether that was back in Singapore, or a long time ago when I was on exchange in London.

*: I'll share what their artistic director said in response to a question posed to him about the difference between men dancing en pointe and women dancing en pointe. He said that it's like tennis; while Steffi Graf had finesse, Andre Agassi had lots of strength.

2Taps Wine Bar

If the waiter at 2Taps tells you that a table should free up in about 15 min and suggests that you could have a drink and wait – don't believe him. We got our seat after 45 min to an hour, thankfully with a drink in hand (stand at the bar while your sangria is being prepared, and you'll get a nice amount of alcohol in it).

The good thing was that the food that came made up for the long wait. Their pan fresco was an assortment of breads – including a very delectable garlic bread – accompanied by two delicious pestos and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. The cinnamon spiced lamb and potato tagine arrived just before we started on the last slice of bread – a good thing, as the dish was a rich, sweet and spicy stew. A must try is the serrano ham salad with rocket, melon, pear and walnut – I loved the combination of flavours, particularly the strong burst of sweetness from the pear.

 

We ordered the half Paella Valencia, which turned out bigger than we'd expected as it was piled up high and chock full of ingredients. The rice had absorbed all the essence from the meats and was irresistible, but unfortunately the prawns, chicken and sausages were a tad overcooked, while some of the mussels weren't very fresh.

While we had a good meal – even with the disappointing meats in the paella - I think it might have been due to a lucky choice of tapas. The table next to us had ordered many things which we didn't and their tapas didn't appear as appetising. The tiger prawns, for example, came in a small ramekin and judging from their size probably weren't even tiger prawns.

That said, I'm quite keen to return to 2Taps on a week night – I believe they have a deal where you get two tapas and a glass of wine for £10.95. I think they're worth another shot, and with their extensive menu I'm certain there're more good dishes to be had.

2Taps Winebar
42 Waring Street
Belfast BT1 2ED

(Don't be put off by the unappealing website and shoddy photos of the restaurant interior – with the dinner lighting it had a warm, cosy ambience.)

Addendum (3 Jan 2014)

We returned some time in May 2013, taking advantage of 2Taps' deal which offered 2 tapas + a glass of wine for just £10.

Again, we ordered the serrano ham salad with rocket, melon, pear and walnut, which was just as good as before. The goats cheese wrapped in Serrano ham with fig relish was also delicious, and I particularly loved the piquant fig relish.

 

I don't particularly recall the mussels steamed in butter, cream and leeks, which is probably a good thing as if the mussels weren't fresh it'd have stuck in my mind. I do however, remember that the pan-fried sea bream on a bed of sweet onions and new potatoes was light and fresh, with the fish done just right.

Feeling the need to return to 2Taps again!