celebrated Aini’s birthday last Sunday, with brunch at Artichoke! π π π sigh, we’ve been meaning to catch up over a meal forever since December or something, but everyone’s so busy with work and their own stuff. finally managed to arrange time for a brunch meeting, just in time to celebrate Aini baby’s birthday, heheh.
our little gang of four.. we’ve spent a good part of our 20 year old lives together! gosh. i was looking back at old blog entries, and found my 2nd blog entry when i first started the blog in 2009, and we all looked so young and cute back then D: hahahaha
back when we were all newly turned 20 somethings and now we’re all in our mid 20s =_= so scary.
anyhow, Woon recommended this place along Middle Road for brunch: Artichoke! i googled it and it seems to be pretty popular and well established for brunch and dining.
specialising in “Modern Moorish”, with recipes from Turkey, Lebanon, Spain, Greece and Morocco, which i don’t know much about. really reasonable prices for their brunch menu, and a nice atmosphere that’s very chill and casual. you don’t have to worry about making too much noise here, cos just about every other table’s in a hearty conversation over their food! there’s both indoor and alfresco seating but it was a really hot day so we stuck to indoors!
well as usual everyone overslept =.= our brunch turned into lunch!
Fish brought mini strawberry cheesecakes her brother baked to compensate for lateness π never thought of baking cheesecake in mini cups, but what a good idea!
so we started ordering our food! π π π
scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toast. *slurps* i am in love with the eggs and mushrooms, they were so good we ordered extra portions (TWO portions of mushrooms in fact) for both! i uber love mushrooms.
the heartiest dish of the day: Lamb Shashouka: eggs baked in tomato sauce with braised lamb, yogurt cheese and toast! very generously seasoned with spices and herbs which some people would like. i loved the eggy/tomato portions and the lamb was tasty too!
Fruit and Yogurt: which is a homemade rhubarb apple compote with honeyed Greek yogurt and pistachios! super yums. yogurt lovers will definitely like this, though the portion is rather big so it’s better to share!
we ordered a sticky date pudding which also doubled as the birthday girl’s cake.. the sticky date pudding comes in a lake of smoked milk custard with salted caramel on top and is just a little on the so-sweet-your-tooth-might-almost-hurt side but i enjoyed every mouthful of sweet pudding goodness with crunchy sweet salty caramel on it π
group shot!
with our birthday girl! (γγΟγ)γ
spent almost three hours playing catch-up and enjoying the food/company! my best “support group” throughout the highs and lows of having joined the SYC and making choral music with talented people from all walks of life. i’m really glad i made the decision on a whim four years ago to try my luck to audition for the choir. since then, it’s been one incredible experience after another, there’s been both good and bad times but i’ve never regretted joining the choir. in no small part, thanks to these three girls π thank god for friends!
brought along my GXR for the girls to ooh-and-ahh over as well hehe tried using it in the Black and White mode and it renders really smooth and gorgeous shades!
hearts
Aini’s birthday “cake”
making a wish
Aini and Fish, the ’88 girls. Woon and i are ’87.. quarter century crisis approaching us soon ):
the braced gang π you can’t see Aini’s cos hers are only on her lower teeth! le sigh, can’t wait for all three of us to get “de-braced”! another one year at least for Fish and i!
my three pretty girls π
happy birthday, Aini darling! go to Italy with us pleeeaseeeee.
Artichoke Cafe and Bar
161 Middle Road
Inside Sculpture Square (beside NAFA)
Tel: +65 6336 6949
Operating Hours:
Mon closed
Tue to Thu 6pm β 10pm
Fri 6pm β midnight
Sat 11am-4pm, 6pm-midnight
Sun 11am β 4pm
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LOL i bluffed poor QQ into going “gai-gai” again. she’s sooooo cute. Baby’s wearing this really ugly tshirt that Mummy bought for her, and it looks like a surgeon’s scrubs. haha
put her down and she STILL didn’t want to come out. awwwwwwwww.
anyway, i am so ridiculously full now from attending a wedding lunch earlier and having “office dinner” steamboat the night before. my stomach feels like it’s going to burst….. @_@ why do i keep on eating even after i’m full??? i really need to get a hold on my never-satiated appetite…. =.=