of mojitos and other madness: down down under

dinner was originally meant to be pub grub at the old brown shoe but the menu and place didn't really give us a good vibe so we hopped two doors down to the cellar door.

what immediately stuck me upon entering was the laid back, comfy atmosphere of the place. small but cosy, with really attentive and genuinely nice service staff. sitting down at the table, it struck me then that the clientele too contributed quite a bit too to the overall vibe of the place. not that i'm being bias or overly critical, but i am sometimes put off by the singaporeaness displayed by some people, especially at nice places where one would think you would carry yourself a whole lot better. in any case, the cellar door was filled with a quiet buzz this thursday night, with a good mix of expats and locals. you could tell immediately that these people were individuals who knew how to enjoy a good meal and to appreciate the finer things in life. it put a smile on my face, knowing that dinner would definitely be one worth mentioning on mojitos and other madness.

i don't usually have wine at dinner, content to just sip off g's, but today i had a pinot gris which was really really good. as the name of the bistro suggests, it carries a humble range of wines from down under and new zealand (aka down down under in my book!) the recommended pinot gris was indeed refreshing and fruity, and it definitely helped get my palate ready for the outstanding meal that was about to be served.

there are caesar salads, and there are caesar salads! i'm usually not a caesar person, usually preferring the grilled vege, balsamic vinegar type salads but the description on the menu had me sold. 'caesar salad, garlic dressing, poached egg, anchovy and crouton' - the garlic dressing and poached egg did it for me. breaking the egg and mixing it with the dressing and cheddar created a dressing like never tasted before. just the right amount of creaminess and tang, with a hint of lemon and saltiness from the anchovy. it was so good that even g who is not a caesar salad person, had seconds and thirds after his initial taste. bottom line, if i were to have caesar salad, this would be one place i would definitely remember to head to!

the meat pie of the day was a chicken and leek one. g had it and i was secretly glad cause i wanted to have it but was afraid that it would be too huge for me to finish! (*grin*) the ultimate test of a good pie to me is in the pie crust. baked fresh (it required a 15 minute wait upon ordering but the yummy walnut bread was a good appetiser while waiting), the filo pastry was just the right thickness, maintaining the essential amount of crisp whilst encasing the warm creamy chicken and leek sauce beneath it. this is how pies should be made! completing the dish were the beans and snow peas sauteed in butter. enough said yah?

to complete the meal, we had the toffee and banana pavlova. just the right size, with the right amount of crispy egg white, banana slices and drizzles of toffee. imagine the meringue melting in your mouth, combining with the fullness of the dollop of fresh whipped cream and yummy banana, topped off with that tinge of sweet toffee. hmmmm yum!

it has been a long week for dia...but the experience at the cellar door has made me again realise, work is just work. there are the better and finer things in life!