The good & bad day ...

This morning i was totally overjoyed upon my accomplishment
when i manage to clinch a big deal
which i have been following up for the past six months
however the joy didn't even last for a day ,
it ended horrendously..
cuz
i had a little accident
and my beloved baby beetle is badly scratch and dented

and duncan is

feeling extremely upset & heart pain .. sob ...
what a bad day =(

Duncan's food review ( 7 )

it's been quite sometime since i last did my food review
and here i am back today with a review on a restaurant
which i always wanted to patronize

The Location
--------------

Carousel @ royal plaza on scotts

The lobby of the Royal plaza hotel on scotts boast a sparkling jewel in its crown , and its also open till the wee hours of the morning to cater to the movie crowds along orchard road.

beside buffet they also offer a delectable range of nice desserts to take away ..


The interior
-------------

The vibe
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The restaurant is bright and lively , bustling with people busying themselves with the huge spread before them while delicious smells waft throughout premises . The interior's bold colors , plush furniture upholstery , grand high back leather chairs and dazzling designer cultleries wow the crowd with it's daring concept and the entire restaurant is sectioned into few theme rooms and every section boast vastly different yet cohesive designs .

The Food
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Prepare for a tour of delicious flavours as carousel takes you on a gastronomic journey around the world . begin your rounds at the japanese sections . If japanese food is not in your top choice , how about experiencing some mediterranean with the wide range of seafood or you may also refresh your palate with perhaps , a little bit of greens , stroll on down to the salad bar and indulge in the exotic cold salad etc .

Instead, it boasts an array of international cooking served at seven stations spread around the restaurant. The food ranges from must-haves like sushi, sashimi and chilled seafood to Mediterranean dishes, dimsum and chicken rice, plus, of course, Asian and Western desserts.

Generally, the food here is above average. There is some questionable-looking fare but, overall, I would rate it a good buffet - taking into account that the food is prepared in bulk and some of it has been sitting for a while.

The desserts, however, are pretty good, with three different stations - one for puddings and Malay kuehs , one for a chocolate fountain and the last for traditional british favorites such as bread and butter pudding or berry crumble and mousses. If you still have room after all that food, these provide a nice finish to complete the meal.

The restaurant may be a bit late in the buffet game but it holds a trump card by being halal.

The service
-----------

The restaurants butlers , never to be called waiters , decked out in black designer uniforms that bears no name tags , in a bid to emphasize efficient and exclusive service. plates were cleared promptly as we headed off to pick up more of the delights.

The charges
------------

approx $ 33.50 for lunch on weekdays
approx $ 35 ++ on weekends
Dinner at $ 42 and $ 49 respectively
high tea goes at $ 23.50 on weekdays and $ 28.50 on weekends
and rate for supper is at $ 19.50 approx .

duncan rates

Busy mind = happy mind ?

i always thought keeping myself busy will be happier .
maybe busy gives you a way to ignore parts of your life
that are falling apart & need attention ..
maybe it's a common phenomenal .
or this is what we call " escapism "?
am i asking for trouble again ?
hmmm.. in fact , i felt lonelier when i'm even more busy .
though i thought i enjoyed the accomplishment i achieved in work
but somehow it's still not right ..

intellectual simulation is something that keeps me busy and
focus my thoughts on things that i can usefully think of and perhaps do something about
is a busy mind always a happy mind ?
i dunno but
at least , i try ..
i find that when i have nothing in particular to focus on ,
i turn my mind inward
eventually i tend to pick myself apart and find endless things on which to dwell
and i feel badly about .. oh well
maybe i'm just too worn out and stress..
anyway i finally give myself a break after
working consecutively for the week..
and
i made this little tarts for tea beak =)
let's check out the recipe ! ^^

ingredients

********

for crust :

1/2.5 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
eggs

********

for filling :

dark chocolate
thickend cream

********
for topping :

fresh blueberries

To make the tart crust ..

In a large bowl , combine butter , eggs , flour , sugar , cocoa powder , salt and mix thoroughly .. gather the dough into a ball , if dough is too crumbly , add some ice water by drops until the particles adhere . dust the pastry dough with a little flour . Refrigerate for at least half hour before baking ..

next ... Center the dough in the tart pan, if necessary, trim the excess dough, then pinch the edges of the dough flat with the edge of the tart pan.

as i will be baking this as unfilled crust, use a fork to puncture the doughs in all areas, so it doesn't puff up while cooking.

lightly grease the tart pan before placing the dough ..
preheat the oven to 180 degree to 200 degree and bake for 20 - 25 mins
once baked , leave it to cool for about 10 mins
for filling : add thickend cream with dark chocolate and stir thoroughly .

carefully spoon the mixture into the tarts and topped with blueberries .


chocolate cream tart with blueberries

********************

attended ben's new movie ' spirit compendium ' premiere at cathay
last friday and here are the photos ..

ben & val ..

he's the star of the night !
( sorry val i know you are gorgeous too )
haha.. but this time round ben is the limelight of the night ! ^^

please support the male lead !
and support this local production too ! :)

alright peeps that's all for today ..
hope u like the tarts that i bake today ^^
gonna be busy again ..
hmmm.. and hopefully will be happier this time round =)