For a change I had a great view of the Sunset from my balcony. This was straight after a very large storm, I really liked how the sunlight on some areas was bright orange.
The Sun was at the right angle to also reach the area around the National Stadium which added to the effect. For more
One of the highlights of my trip to North America was my visit to an exclusive Whisky Bar around, so exclusive that one of the conditions of entry is that you keep its name and location a secret.
My visit was arranged by a couple of my friends and was a great surprise. Not sure I will ever come across another place quite like it, sorry Emmanuel, I still enjoy the Auld Alliance in Singapore, but this place has something extra special about it.
Jeff Grosset, IMHO Australia’s best Riesling producer, was in Singapore recently which is as good an excuse as any for a wine dinner. The official reason for the dinner was to try the 2017 releases of Grosset Wines and to hear from Jeff about the vintage and his thoughts on each of the 6 wines tasted on the night.
The night was, as usual, arranged by the infamouse Robert Rees of Wine Exchange Asia, with pre-dinner bubbles at Praelum Wine Bar – 4 Duxton Hill followed by dinner at Kamoshita 5 Neil Rd, Singapore 088806.
The dinner for the night was Omakase Style, which means “I’ll leave it up to you” or as in this case a meal consisting of dishes selected by the chef.
Kamoshita is one of those holes in the wall that is too cool to have a website and can only be found via word of mouth. It is currently even harder to find as it is hidden behind one of the Singapore MRT expansion building sites with no direct access to the street. For more
It has been a while, excluding the 2017 Singapore F1 Grand Prix fireworks, since I posted any pics from my balcony in Singapore. These are a few from October 2017.
On 17 Oct 2017 I attended the Gaig & Gramona dinner with the infamous Robert Rees of Wine Exchange Asia at Gaig Singapore. The dinner was a special event as Carles Gaig was in Singapore from Barcelona.
Carles Gaig’s family has been in the restaurant business with Taberna d’en Gaig since 1869, he took over the business in the 1970’s from his mother. In 1989, after a renovation of the restaurant, Taberna d’en Gaig was renamed Restaurant Gaig, which won a Michelin Star in 1993. Carles himself was named the Best Chef of 1999 by the Real Academia de Gastronomia. In 2004 they closed Restaurant Gaig and opened a new restaurant called Gaig within the Hotel Cram, they also found time in the same year to win the Academia Catalana de Gastronomia’s Best Restaurant of the Year award.
In 2015 Gaig decided to try their luck with a restaurant in Singapore called La Ventana, which I have enjoyed a number of great meals at. In 2017 they moved from La Ventana to Gaig Singapore in Stanley Street, which I really like, especially as it is 2 blocks from my office. The Singapore outpost of Gaig is run by Núria , Carles’ daughter, she does a fantastic job, ensuring that everyone who is lucky enough to dine at Gaig has a very enjoyable visit.
For more
Whilst in Florida my friends decided that they would take me to The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum at Fort Pierce. I had no idea that this place existed, guess I should have done more research about the area. The UDT-SEAL Museum is definitely a good place to visit if you have an interest in Military History.
The Museum was dedicated in 1985 and was designated by an act of the US Congress as the Official National Museum of the U.S. Navy SEALs and their predecessors, the Underwater Demolition Teams, in 2007. Even though the Museum is designated by Congress it receives no Federal funding it is reliant on private donations.
The location of the UDT-SEAL Museum is considered the birth place of the UDT’s. In 1943 the US Navy took over parts of the Florida Barrier Islands to establish the US Naval Amphibious Training Base at Fort Pierce. The base was used to train US Navy crews on how to operate the various types of amphibious landing craft, US Navy personnel who managed amphibious assaults, Navy Scouts / Raiders and the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs), the fore-bearers of the UDT.
