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Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Staycation at the Tree Top Lofts Part 2 - Anniversary Dinner at Forest 森

~*Dolling Up for Our Wedding Anniversary Dinner*~

It has been a long break since Part 1. Before I talk about the amazing wedding anniversary dinner at Forest 森, the bimbo in me would love to share pictures of my dolling up. Some of these pictures might look familiar to you as I've shared them on Instagram before.

Did my curls in a quick 15 minutes without a mirror coz the bathroom and mirrors of TreeTop Lofts RWS is so big but there isn't a single power point to plug my curling tong in. And then the next day, I took more than half an hour coz my hair just wouldn't curl right. Unpredictability. Hmmph!




All I could remember about this picture now is that Rick of All Things Bright and Lovely, along with many Instagram stumblers, thought that my beautiful (quoted them) grey eyes were for real and his super hilarious comment after I told him those were grey contact lense. Dang! I really wished I had beautiful grey eyes.




Meanwhile the hubby admired the crickets on the trees, secretly counting that there were 24. Heck no, I lied.




And then I insisted I wanted a shot of the night out on the deck too while waiting for the buggy to send us to the lobby of Equarius Hotel where Forest 森 restaurant was.




~*Anniversary Dinner at Forest 森*~

Just an hour ago, we didn't know what was good around the hotel. Kh was doing some quick research before exclaiming that the restaurant at the hotel lobby is highly raved about on review pages and food blogs. It turned out that the restaurant Forest 森 is by celebrity chef Sam Leong who is well-known for creating contemporary Chinese cuisine with Thai accents. I personally feel that the dishes had Japanese and Western infusions as well.




An artistic attempt at making us feel like we were dining in a lush forest.




Most of the photos in this post are grainy as they had been edited by adjusting the brightness, contrast, saturation and colour curves.




The beautiful table piece.




The kitchen looked so orderly and peaceful that Gordan Ramsay would turn angelic and whisper his shouts in Heaven's Kitchen.




We opted for wine pairing which kh and I soon discovered was a huge mistake (for me at least). By the first glass, I was having slight headache and nausea that I could not finish all the wine after that.




The complimentary starter which was served on a spoon had become nameless by the time I blogged about it. All I could see now is a tomato with some unknown stuff on top.




~*Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi accompanied with Herb Mustard and Yuzu Dressing*~
Wine: Irvine Pinot Griv RV, Australia

I love yuzu dressing a lot though I've not tasted scallop sashimi with yuzu before. It was not a bad combination and I loved how the crispy seaweed added a crunchy texture to the whole dish.




~*Slice Abalone with Green Apple Salad in Thai Chilli Sauce*~

This dish reminded me of Thai mango salad even though green apple was used here. I love Thai mango salad and I would forever be looking out for the imaginary slice abalone when I eat Thai mango salad in future.




~*Slice Abalone with Green Apple Salad in Thai Chilli Sauce Gone*~

That's how much I loved the salad.




~*Steamed Chawanmushi with Foie Gras Topped with Crispy Rice*~

I do not quite know how to describe my feelings towards this dish. I love Japanese chawanmushi (steamed egg) a lot; I love foie gras a lot. However the synergy in taste of two of my favourite food put together topped with too much crispy rice threw me off balance. There was simply too much going on.




~*Wok Fried Crab Meat with Egg White and Light Vinegar Topped with Caviar*~
Wine: Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc RV, New Zealand

This tasted like what my parents could cook and similar to any egg white with seafood dish served at zi char places. Not that it wasn't good. It was simply ranked at the same level as my parents' cooking.
[Disclaimer: I love my parents' cooking btw and I think they could be fine dining chefs now!)




~*Slow-Cooked Norway Salmon Fillet with Ginger Flower, Lemon and Kaffir Lime Leaves*~

The best part about this dish was the soupy gravy. I couldn't tell a better grade salmon from another when they are all cooked.




He finished both wines thus far with the 3rd one in the coming.




While I continued to leave mine half full or more.




I totally wasted my share of the wine pairing.




~*Slow-Cooked Wagyu Beef Cheek with Cumin Powder in Black Truffle Sauce*~
Wine: Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon RV, Chile





~*Braised Japanese Ramen with Prawn served in Chicken Broth and Chinese Rice Wine*~




Hubby's favourite dish was the Wagyu Beef Cheek. I like to chew my beef and hence, could never fully appreciate the absolute tenderness of beef cheek. Give me steak any time.




The Braised Japanese Ramen in chicken broth reminded me a little of my absolute favourite Langouste in superior broth soup from Sky on 57 though the former still had a lot to reach the mark of the latter.




Kh looked like a hooligan demanding to know what my problem was after snatching his blazer.




I wanted to show how big his blazer was on me and even lifted my arm to show the excess flaps but somehow, the size could not be exaggerated in these shots.




Desserts have also become nameless by the time I blogged about the dinner.




Surprisingly for such a small hotel lobby, the toilet is huge.




Just look at how spacious each cubicle is.




So here's me ending the post with me looking so tiny in his blazer finally.





I'm typing this post with half my eyes closed and nodding off to sleep. Proofreading and phases of edits would come after everyone has spotted my grammatical error, spelling error and weird sentence expression.

62 comments:

  1. Jo, wow your hair were fantastic! You have to curl mine as well!:) And you were so beautiful! I was curious to read about this place in the first part of the post and you know, Im so impressed by how the dishes are served, very artistic. Sorry for the wine effect, I usually avoid white wine for the same reason!:/ I only drink red one and of course beer:) Lol, the blazer looks sweet on u, u and ur hubby Kh are a lovely couple! Hugs and get some rest, sweet dreams!

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    1. Hey Lilli. Thank you for appreciating the artistic side of the food presentation even though you're a vegetarian/pescetarian (you eat fish right?) I can't drink lots of alcohol in these recent years. I would usually get achey head with the exception of moscato. I would be glad to help curl your hair!

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  2. I can't believe all the delicious food you had! It really looked so yummy and so fancy! Your hair sure looked amazing and I love your grey contacts (they sure make your eyes stand out!)! The art work of the trees on the ceiling was pretty cool and really unique! What a fabulous anniversary night!

    Rebecca
    www.winnipegstyle.ca

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    1. Hi Rebecca, I love seeing newcomers here. Thank you for dropping by and for your sweet comment. Indeed, I've never seen the ceiling of a restaurant quite like that before.

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  3. Jo this was beautiful, I love how you have it all written down with all the reminder pictures, what a lovely memory to capture... Although I don't eat most of this food, I can appreciate all the time that was put into making art that people eat, wow... I have been to fancy hotels for dinner too and I love all the little extras at times, not something I would want to do everyday but it is nice once an awhile.

    Your hair looked amazing, I love the length and the way you curled it, very pretty ... you are such a pretty girl..

    I too wrote a post last night but I just couldn't post it, I was so tired... I have to go back and read it to see if it makes any sense... :)

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment, Launna. My hubby and I love to check out fine dining restaurants during special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Definitely love those extras! In reality, I would take photo of the menu so that I could get the names of the dishes correct and those little extra dishes are not on the menu and hence, I cannot remember their names. Hehehe... I hope to catch that post of yours which you posted when you were tired. Sometimes when I'm sleepy, I type nonsensical stuff. It is fun to read.

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  4. Wow it looks like you had a most wonderful anni celebration Jo! First of all, you looked amazing with your gorgeous hair and those contacts making your eyes pop! That restaurant looks very classy and perfect for a fancy romantic dinner for two :D I can barely choose which of those food pictures makes me drool more, they all look amazing (especially since I feel hungry right now waiting for my fiance to come home from work)! I think scallop is my all-time fav sashimi and Hokkaido-style? Heaven! The abalone and the steak also looked delicious :)

    xx Debbie

    www.whatdoffydoes.com

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment, Debbie.Ah, I'm guilty of making you hungry with those food photos. Hehehe... That's what always happens when I read blogs and scroll Instagram when I'm so hungry late at night. I hope you and your fiance had a lovely dinner.

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  5. Oh how sweet with the shoutout (that is young person talk for acknowledging with great kindness the input of another that brightened your day....or so I am told :D) I indeed fell for the grey-eye switcheroo but I am 100 percent certain those were real trees in the restaurant. The seem so...lifelike :) Gordon Ramsay hates orderly kitchens because they make no rating for his myriad of television shows nor do they help his quest to die from a heart attack at a fairly early age. Is that an operating table in the toilet? So chic!!! You look so gorgeous in that outfit, dear, very lovely and wow! Make sure and let everyone know where you got that wig in case anyone is interested in a similar model :) xoxo

    http://downwithpants1969.blogspot.com/ <<<Featured in yonder article...bigtimer!!!

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    1. Yes, that's a minor little shout out for you. Hahaha... It wasn't meant to be an intentional shout out like how those youngsters do it but I'm glad it brightened your day. =) I like Gordan Ramsay on Master Chef a lot. I don't like watching Hell's Kitchen. I guess the louder he shouts on HK, the higher the viewership. I very much prefer his acid tongue and compliments in MC.

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  6. Jo!! You look so gorgeous!!! Happy Wedding Anniversary to you and your hubby! ^__^ Lovely pictures of the table and foood! I absolutely adore your dress for the evening as well! Such a cute figure! ^.~

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    1. Thank you for your well wishes, Anna. Missed seeing you here!

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    2. I know! ;__; School has been really time consuming lol. It's good to visit again!

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  7. this is such a nice way to celebrate your wedding anniversary. the food looks amazing and the toilet is so beautiful!
    looks like you had a great night :)

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    1. Thank you for leaving me a comment. I love seeing newcomers around.

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  8. You looked gorgeous doll, love your hair :) Am happy you enjoyed yourself and had such a wonderful time. The food looked yummy. I am the same when I put on my husband's jacket, it is way too big for me :) I hope your week is going well so far xxx

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    1. Thank you, Kizzy. Ah, I don't know why my hubby's blazer look so big on me when he isn't at all that big size. It makes me look so tiny.

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  9. Actually I didn't notice any grammatical error, spelling error or weird sentence expression, don't worry :) Your hair is fantastic, good job! Hahah, all the food looks really delicious. I often forget the name of some food when I blog about it and thus the "tomato with some unknown stuff on top" was really funny! A very special and gallant night!

    sunandsnay

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment. Ah, that is such a relief. I usually type lots of nonsense when I'm half nodding off to sleep. My friends could attest to that from the messages I send to them whenever I was falling asleep. In reality, I would take photo of the menu so that I could get the names of the dishes correct and those little extra dishes are not on the menu and hence, I cannot remember their names.

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  10. How lovely that you enjoyed your anniversary meal here. You look absolutely beautiful and I reckon your hair curled perfectly, girl! I hope you're having a wonderful week so far.. :)

    http://aglassofice.blogspot.co.uk
    - I follow back on Bloglovin' -

    x

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment, dear. Hope you have a great weekend!

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  11. These photos are so beautiful - and Happy Wedding Anniversary! Also, your hair looks fantastic - what curling iron do you use? I'm on the hunt for one that creates curles like yours, my current one has a very narrow barrel and I always end up with ringlets.

    x Sneha | www.snehakadaba.com

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment and well wishes, Sneha. I'm using Braun Satin Hair Curler. The barrel isn;t exactly narrow but it isn't wide too. I'm hope this picture would help you to visualise:
      http://www.braun.com/global/hair-care/satin-hair-curlers/satin-hair-7-curler.html

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  12. I've probably said this before but you and hubby definitely celebrated your anniversary in fine style. I think I'll have to take some notes from you for my next anniversary celebration :) Not only was the setting just beautiful but so were all your meals. The dishes looked like art the way they were plated and they also looked so tasty. I think my husband would like the wagyu beef cheek as well. Whenever we eat out and there is any sort of wagyu beef dish on the menu, he will order it. Love the way you did your hair! Very pretty with the soft curls!

    We kind of rolled a belated anniversary celebration in with our vacation which was seriously amazing! I didn't want to leave that view.

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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    1. My hubby and I love to check out fine dining restaurants during special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. After watching Master Chef, I've since learnt terms which you used here like "plating". I didn't know of this term initially. I enjoy all these work of art on food. I'm sure you had a blast for your belated anniversary my dear.

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  13. oh, the place where you decided to take your wedding anniversary dinner is absolutely marvelous. Сongratulations to both of you! Wishing you many happy years more:D
    Your curls are wonderfully done, in spite of the fact that you were in a hurry while doing them:) And the dress is incredible, you look so feminine and beautiful, which is definitely great.
    The dinner itself looks amazing, each of those dishes are so special and creatively decorated, the portions are so little, though:) Thank You for sharing such a nice post, I enjoyed it a lot:)
    Wish you a blessed day ahead!

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    1. Thank you for your lovely words and your well wishes, dear. You're always so sweet. Even though the portions look small for each course, it is filling when put all together. Feels satisfying w/o being overly full. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the post.

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  14. Love your hairstyle! And the anniversary pics are lovely :)

    http://everythingthatclicks.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you for your comment. Love seeing newcomers here.

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  15. Wow! Looks like you had a fabulous time Jo! Loving your hair and the delicious looking food of course! Wonderful way to spend your anniversary :)
    xx
    www.JuneWantsItAll.com

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  16. i think that is the prettiest bathroom i've seen in awhile. hahaha what a beautiful anniversary dinner. the ambiance was so pretty jo and the food looked like works of art. my favorite dish was the ramen. it looked delicious. hahaha
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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    1. Thank you, sweetie. Ah, I didn't quite expect you to like the ramen coz it seems like a Asian comfort food. Hehe... Glad that's your favourite.

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  17. Awww, love the photos - you look fabulous my dear! :) The food photos made me hungry!

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    1. Thank you for your comment. I love seeing newcomers around and I'm looking forward to seeing you more often.

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  18. Thank you for your comment and follow, Benish. Looking forward to seeing you around more often.

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  19. So amazing photos
    Romantic and adorable
    Kisses
    Maggie D.
    <a href="http://www.indiansavage.com”> Maggie Dallospedale Fashion diary - Fashion Blog </a>

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  20. Happy Anniversary such a romantic place and the way they present their dishes is so perfect the food looks delicious.

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  21. OMG the forest themed restaurant is fantastic, it must have been quite an experience! And the food looks delicious too :P

    Arianna, Nymphashion ♡

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    1. Yes, it was. Thank you for your comment. I love seeing newcomers around.

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  22. This looks amazing. I am especially hungry for the dessert right now. I love the look of the place and I can definitely see the forest detailing, I would have said the same. I am so impressed by your hair, it looks gorgeous. I always wish I could curl my hair but it never seems to work

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment, Imogen. Ah, the hair is a dread too. Sometimes it doesn't turn out the way I want at all and this 15 min one was indeed the first time ever.

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  23. wow!very yummy pics,my darling i love also your hair,beautiful
    have a nice weekend
    http://tr3ndygirl.com
    kiss

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    1. Thank you for stopping by my blog and your comment. I love seeing newcomers around.

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  24. Hi Jo, omg I don't know where to start. Your hairdo looks fabulous. I can't believe you curled it without a mirror. Even with a mirror I can't do it properly. Sorry you didn't enjoy the wine pairing. I can feel you. I'm histamine intolerant and can't drink any red wine and just a little white wine. The food looks delicious. I wish I could try that apple salad too. The Forest looks amazing and the toilet is really hugs (I like that). I hope your hubby won't get mad but his blazer looks better on you ;-) Cool oversized boyfriend style. I checked out Rick's blog too and I like it. Jo your natural eyes looks beautiful. I like the contacts too but you don't need them. Have a wonderful Sunday pretty!!

    xx

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment, Mira. My hair is a dread at most times. Sometimes it doesn't turn out the way I want at all and this 15 min one was indeed the first time ever! Hmm... my alcohol intolerance started in the recent months and I'm not sure if it has gotta do with any allergy. I will look up histamine intolerant coz I might have that! I used to be able to drink and then many years ago, I brand of champagne gave me very bad rashes and ever since I've been getting rashes with alcohol. It curbed only when I overdrank and possibly killed off the allergy. Rick is a great guy. I;m glad you visited his blog. Thanx for your lovely comment, sweetie. xo

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  25. Thank you for your comment. Love seeing newcomers around. =)

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  26. You look so pretty and your curls are gorgeous!
    The place is so beautiful!
    Happy anniversary!!!
    My best wishes for many years of happiness!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words and well wishes, dearie. xoxo

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  27. Happy anniversary, Jo and hubby! ^^
    Your curl hair is perfect. I want to curl myself like that, but always fail O,o

    The restaurant and dishes you had are amazing. Looks very classy and expensive. hohoo..

    Cheers,
    Dreamy Princess

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    1. Thank you for your kind comment and well wishes. Ah, the hair is a dread at times. It doesn't always turn out the way I want at all and this 15 min one was indeed the first time ever.

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  28. Happy anniversary Jo, you lucky girl c:
    You look beautiful and I lovelovelove
    your curly hair!
    I'm gonna put Forest on my to-go places
    because this place looks great, interior
    and food wise! Xx

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment and well wishes, Hehehe... Yes, you should put Forest on your list. They even hold cooking classes. Would love to try that!

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  29. Happy anniversary ! Your dinner seemed great and your hair is amazing, I wish I was that good at curling mine !

    Fashion and Cookies

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    1. Thank you, dear. I love seeing newcomers around!

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  30. I believe kh was happy to have you use his jacket, he's a gentleman and you're his girl. :)
    I would be torn between the ramen, beef and crab (it would be nice to taste your parent's cooking). Imdorry the wine triggered a headache. Does that happen every time you have wine?

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    1. I see you chose all the cooked food. I wished you could try my parents' cooking too. Simple home-cooked Asian goodness. Hmm... my alcohol intolerance (headache and nausea) started in the recent months/year and I'm not sure if it has gotta do with any allergy. I used to be able to drink and then many years ago, a brand of champagne gave me very bad rashes and ever since I've been getting rashes with alcohol. It curbed only when I overdrank and possibly killed off the allergy. And then I could drink again till this time round.

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    2. I was in the mood for substantial food at the time. :). Some people in my family get jaw pain from red wine and others get headaches. But I don't think white wine is a problem for them.

      Your hair looked especially nice for that date.

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