[Food review]
Valentine's day is overly commercialized but I don't mind being a victim of it when it comes to eating. It's a guilty pleasure. So, where did your other half bring you this V'day? :) I hope it went well and was as enjoyable as mine. Simple happiness does the work too.
Due to our busy schedule, instead of wasting time making impractical gifts which we had been doing for our past 3 V'days together, Bee and I decided on something special, yet not so. Every past V'day, he would spend a bomb on bouquets which don't last and I'd spend a hell lot of time making gifts which he'd leave to collect dust on the shelf. So, this year, we made a V'day reservation at Five and Dime, exchanged a simple heartfelt letter written with love to each other and ended the day with a meaningful movie. :) Simple as it sounds and I'm more than satisfied.
I'd consider Five and Dime quite a reputable restaurant, famous on food blogs and hungrygowhere for its brunch menu, serene ambiance and clean layout of the cafe-restaurant. Upon seeing Ladyironchef's recommendation for V'day dine-out places, we decided to give Five and Dime's V'day menu a try. No regrets. :)
On Feb 14, the entire restaurant was reserved for couples and only couples.
All the tables and chairs were arranged in such a manner that group dining was ruled out.
Every table was evenly spread out, giving sufficient privacy to every couple for the exclusive sweet talk.
Overall, I love the fuzzy ambiance and the restaurant's organized concept. Bee and I were actually seated on the 2nd floor because the ground floor tables were choped by the early birds already.
Wrote a 1-page long letter to Bee and picked a vintage envelope with a really sweet photo for it.
Bee's gift came in the form of a handmade card and a message, short and sweet but very touching.
I shall save you from the mushiness. Haha.
We ordered the Five and Dime hot chocolate to kickstart our V'day meal officially.
It was such a perfect decision as our mood was instantly brightened with this beautiful heart shape in our drink. Lovely.
Kenneth Cole watch model doing his theng.
Our starters came with a pair of fresh oyster drizzled with citrus sauce and chili radish. The shells look impressive isn't it? The oyster meat was chilled and fresh but served in very tiny portions. Fine-dining indeed. The dish was also accompanied by 2 bouquets of Japanese cucumber with Barley Miso dressing, of which we only finished 2 out of 6 because carnivores can't tank veg.
I have to compliment that intricate workmanship on the concept of the dish. It was truly a refreshing starter that got us even hungrier for the next dish.
For the entree, each diner had 2 options to choose from.
Being a devout fan of salmon, I picked the sashimi salmon belly rose with wasabi dressing.
It was a delightful dish to enjoy just before the main course was served. The salmon pieces were still icy and they were neatly decorated as petals to form an orange rose. I liked how the wasabi dressing wasn't too strong and that the salmon pieces were already mildly soaked with soya sauce. Well, I believe that this is one aspect worth complimenting because usually if I had to dip my sashimi into the soya sauce myself, i'd more often than not overdo it. :/
Bee got himself a Wagyu beef tataki with homemade yuzu sauce.
My lovely bf exchanged one piece of wagyu for my salmon and what else can i say about top quality beef? You should know what to expect already. It's super duper fantastic, gustatory and gentle at the same time. 5 large and thin pieces of them, Bee has expensive taste. :p
When the restaurant got a little more crowded with couples, the dishes logically took longer to come. Nonetheless, the staff were still very professional at their service despite the incoming traffic of customers. Bee was rather hungry so he kindly requested that our main dish be served earlier. The bartender attended to us personally, apologised for the delay and offered us 2 glasses of in-house grape+sake cocktail. I love it! :)
But I think the service here is more commendable. :)
Highlight of the night for me was this
Pan Fried Boneless Chicken thigh with foie gras and sauteed mixed mushrooms.
I didn't pick the other choice even though it sounded good as well because I'm a mad fan of foie gras.
Being cruel on the animal is one thing, but knowing how to appreciate one of the best kind of food in the world is another. :) So for my main course, I love the crispy skin of chicken, its tender and juicy meat and of course the 2 pieces of foie gras. :) The mushrooms and cherry tomatoes made good sides as their juices complement the dry meat all on the same dish.
Bee's Char-grilled rack of lamb with signature rum sauce and deep golden baby potatoes.
"I liked how the lamb was cooked to my liking. Very easy to slice up and not too well-done. The fatty portion took up quite a small part, not too greasy but adds variance to its texture adequately."
- Leonard Ma
"I liked how the lamb was cooked to my liking. Very easy to slice up and not too well-done. The fatty portion took up quite a small part, not too greasy but adds variance to its texture adequately."
- Leonard Ma
Just some snippets.
O.O
Lovely-but-stupid-looking mushroom head. :3
Finally, our dessert: A chocolate affair.
We were like 2 greedy dessert-lovers who just dug into it when it was served to us.
Personally, i find this dessert serving very interesting as the jar of chocolate was put separately from the sweet molten yellow custard. We did not enquire much about how to enjoy the dish and i believe we didn't enjoy it in the "correct" way but either way, being sweet-toothed, we love it!! :)
The chocolate syrup was really rich and didn't taste cheap at all with the good aftertaste of sweetness and bitterness. The sweetness of the custard also had a perfect blend with the crunchy biscuits in it. Nonetheless, I doubt that it's a dish for all because it's a perfect dish for people who love sweet desserts and so many people out there hate bubble teas with 100% sugar, ifyougetwhatimean.
If you've forgotten what I just reviewed, here's a summary for ya! :)
As I'm running on a low budget and the dinner set was already a huge splurge for me already, we chose the dinner set option without the wine-pairing. I feel that the wine-pairing option is reasonably priced though, because appreciating wine is definitely an art and tasting a few glasses of different expensive ones in one dinner seating is a privilege. I will not hesitate to give it a try when I'm employed. :)
To the love of my life, I can't say enough thank-yous to you.
I know we're not the most perfect partner we wish for, but you're my most ideal boyfriend. :)
Looking forward to growing, earning and building a cosy family with you in time to come. <3
ily
