Tru

Ate at Tru couple of days ago. Hundreds of dollars of free food. Good free food too. In the interests of time, I'm only posting what I ate. There were different preparations for each course.



Amuse-Bouche.



Italian Black Pearl Osetra Caviar, Warm Potato Blini, House-Cured Wild Alaskan King Salmon. Paired with Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett Donnhoff Nahe 2004.



Lobster Crepe, Tomato Confit, Lemon Confit, Basil, Lobster Jus. Paired with Huia Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2005.



Roasted Asparagus Soup, Lemon Creme Fraiche. Paired with Muscat Grand Cru Saering Dirler 2003.



Farro Risotto, Fava Beans, Spring Peas, Ramps, Asparagus. Paired with Coteaux du Languedoc Rose de Saignee Bergerie de l'Hortus 2004.



Roasted Tasmanian Sea Trout, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Micro Sorrel, & Sauce Pistou. Paired with Pessac-Leognan Chateau de Fieuzal 2003.

Ok, Blogger seems to have given up the ghost. I'll post the rest later.

More Tru

Roasted ELysian Fields Lamb Loin, Spring Vegetables, Salt-Poached Potatoes & Lamb Jus. Paired with Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva Rioja 1996.


Cheese cart. Paired with Napanook by Dominus Estate Yountville 2002.


Desserts. Paired with Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos Chateau Pajzos 1999.


Mignardises and Lollipops.

That's it. Took four and a half hours to get through that. I was absolutely stuffed by the time we got to dessert.


Observe a very stuffed me sucking on a lollipop.

A brief note

Since I've been to a number of restaurants in Chicago in the last couple of years, I thought I'd offer a very brief note on some of the places that have stood out.

North Pond is a Lincoln Park restuarant with a fantastic setting. It's in a park, right on a pond. You actually have to walk a little way into the park before you even see it. The pond is pretty enough, with reflections of nearby buildings in the mostly still water, ducks gliding about, and all the greenery, or snowy goodness, of the park itself. The food is pretty good, though not spectacular. Quite standard seasonal American fare, though well-executed. I recall a poached duck's egg over a veal sweetbread roulade as being quite outstanding. Not too expensive either. Entrees run about $30, as I recall, and the wine list is quite reasonable. My waitress had a disconcerting habit of leaning over me a bit close, but was friendly and attentive enough. The room is comfortable, decorated in what I have heard described as an Arts and Crafts style. Overall, I like the place. Lovely setting, and generally a well-executed restaurant.

NoMI is another restaurant with a great setting. I would probably venture to say that it has the single best location for a restaurant in Chicago, in the Park Hyatt, eye-level with the spire of the Water Tower. The room is elegant in a nondescript way. Well, pretty much what you might expect from a restaurant in an expensive hotel. Some wood, white tablecloths, stuff like that. Generally a very nice setting. I would say that it makes a lot of sense for power lunching or impressing a date. The food is not bad, but I wouldn't go back for the food at those prices. I would go back for the room and the view at those prices. The service can be a little lacking though. The first time I was there, my party ordered the tasting menu with wine pairings. When the first wine was poured, the waiter didn't bother to tell us what the wine was. I commented on this to another member of my party, and the waiter promptly returned with the bottle and a description. I think it's reasonable to expect to be told what is being poured for you without having to ask.

Spring is great. The service is pretty good, and they make stiff manhattans. The food is quite impressive, at reasonable prices. To my recollection, entrees ran in the high teens to low twenties. The first time I was there, there was a foie gras appetiser, with some cream mixed into the foie gras, paired with honey and brioche. Simple, but quite fantastic. They called it their version of peanut butter and jelly. Skate was pretty great too.

I love Heat. Loads of flopping-fresh sashimi and sushi, and sake pairings. What's not to love? The cooked items were not as spectacular, but solid nonetheless. They even came up with a spicy tuna handroll that I adored, which is surprising considering that I've despised every other version I've tried. Expensive though. $45 to $100 for a fixed price menu, plus $50 for the booze.

one sixtyblue is one of my favourite places in the city. It turns out consistently excellent food, at prices that aren't low, but could certainly be higher. The room is dimly lit, service is attentive without being overbearing, and they have a bar that I would actually be happy to spend time in. Plus they have a warm cheese course that can be really fantastic. They seem to have a habit of bringing it out cold though. The pot is hot, but the cheese is cold or at room temperature. I don't really understand why this is. Perhaps the cheese was in the fridge beforehand? I've heard about this, and experienced it firsthand, several times. Other than that, it's a great restaurant that should be easier to find.

Everest is the perfect special-occasion restaurant. The room is elegant, but not sparkling new. Rather it has a nicely used feel to it. You have sculptures on the tables, art on the walls, and a view of the city from the 40th floor. I've heard lukewarm reviews of the service, but I've only had perfect experiences with it. Food is utterly fantastic, incorporating some ingredients that you wouldn't normally find on a four-star plate, but working beautifully in chef Joho's hands. Wines are among the best selections that I have had in the city. Not a cheap night out, but totally worth it.

Les Nomades is just great. The crowd is a lot older than most places, but the staff is ok with younger patrons. One of the waiters told me that I was the first person he had asked for ID from since he had started work there. The food is pretty classic French, and very very well-executed. I get mildly annoyed that I sometimes get forced to pick a vegetable course, but no big deal. Rack of lamb was easily the best preparation I've ever had, and the souffles were quite incredible. Service can be a bit too meticulous. I've had my cutlery nudged back into place after I move it slightly with my sleeve. Again, not a cheap evening, but worth it.

Ok, so those were some of the more memorable restaurants I've been to in Chicago. There are more, but I don't want to type anymore.

Lazy accusations

I have to admit that I am becoming annoyed by Singaporeans who keep talking about the PAP as if it were this vastly incompetent political party that is engaging in unfair practices to maintain power.

If you want to criticise the PAP, go right ahead. I'm not particularly a supporter of them, nor of the opposition. What I find annoying is the assumption that the government is meant to provide a perfect environment for all citizens, and any unhappiness on the part of said citizens must be the fault of the government. If you are going to criticise, at least do so based on actual problems, instead of ignorant ranting.

Let's briefly touch on a few of the more common issues that I've been bombarded with recently.

It may be unfair that the PAP is using upgrading of lifts and flats and whatever as leverage in the elections, but whoever said that political parties cannot promise better benefits if they come into power? That is the benefit of being a PAP ward. You have a PAP MP who is able to easily secure lift upgrades for you. It's no different from a politician promising to cut taxes because he is able to influence legislature. Whatever a political party can deliver that the competition cannot, will be used as leverage. What else do you expect? By the way, it is impossible to anticipate what would be considered the norm 30 years from now. Just because today it seems reasonable to expect lift lobbies on every floor, doesn't mean that 30 years ago it was similarly reasonable. 30 years ago, Socialism also seemed like a good idea.

What's wrong with the ERP? If you don't want to pay, take another route. That's the whole idea. And as for the rise in public transportation prices, in what world do prices remain constant indefinitely? All prices rise. That's a fairly reliable rule of thumb. Might as well complain that $0.50 plates of hawker food are no longer available.

5% GST is damn low. Look at similar taxes in pretty much any other developed country. Same for income and corporate tax. Just because it used to be lower doesn't mean that it's high now. Ignorant hicks.

So our ministers are well-paid. What's the problem? The country can't afford a few million a year? American high officials, for example, receive far smaller salaries, but it is almost expected that they will receive increased compensation later from corporate sources that they supported while in office. We expect our ministers to stick around for life and remain spotlessly non-corrupt, so we pay more. Perhaps a bit too much more, but I don't think it's a big deal.

What on earth is wrong with sending popular senior figures of the political party to endorse and support the campaigns of others? Happens in every country. That's the entire point of belonging to a political party. You're not just voting for an individual, you're voting for the party.

Healthcare costs are pretty damn low in Singapore. The government subsidises heavily, and the whole system of CPF is designed to help you pay for what's needed. In the end, you pay a tiny fraction of the original cost. Again, just because it costs more than going to the movies does not make it expensive. Compare with any developed country that does not provide free healthcare or rely on taxes that are multiples of our own. Ignorant hicks.

People complain that the only jobs that are available are low paying. Maybe they are. But if nothing else is available, what's the issue? You think it's below you to be a security guard or chambermaid, but you don't qualify for a job that has higher social prestige. Really, you're just being whiny and unrealistic. You expect the government to magically produce cushy, well-compensated jobs when the entire region's economy is in the shitter. Take the damn jobs, pay your bills, and look for something better. Go look for something better. Don't wait for things to become better. If you think you can do better in another country, go ahead. Don't be surprised if you wind up a street bum. At least in Singapore, you can find a job as a janitor at a minimum. In most other countries, at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, you end up homeless. Plus, if you think the economy is in a mess, why on earth would the government raise CPF contributions again to increase the cost of doing business and reduce the amount in your pocket? Morons.

Why in the world would you want the people who govern you to be of the same level as the common people? I want the people in charge of my country to be smart. As smart, educated and worldly as you can find. I've got nothing against the guy who fixes my car, but I think the kid with a degree from Cambridge is probably smarter and better qualified to rule my country.

Lastly, we do live in a democracy. It just happens to be the case that we vote in a single party to parliament by an overwhelming majority every time we're given a chance. Don't like it? Vote for someone else. No one is going to alter your vote, or break your legs, or arrest you for malcontent. We created a single party democracy, then complain that we vote the single party in every five years. Singaporeans are just complaining about themselves.

Again, I'm not a PAP supporter in particular. I don't really care either way. There's a good chance that I'll never work in Singapore, so as long as the ba chor mee and chicken rice remain available when I'm on vacation, I really don't give a damn. I just think that there are plenty of things to criticise about the PAP if you care to think about it, so fabricating lazy accusations is simply not kosher.

In reference to sexual discrimination

"Well, I didn't make the rules. I'm just on the winning team."
- Wilson (from Home Improvement)

Do people really not notice when I'm annoyed? I swallow so many snarky comments every bloody day, but don't get any credit for that. Instead, when I do snarl something on occasion, it's made out to be part of a whole grumpy thing.

Ok, here's a clue. The next time you have an msn conversation with me, and I don't reply for a while to something you type, or do reply with a short, curt statement, and my status doesn't change to (Away) or the like, there's a good chance that you've annoyed me. Not 100% of the time. Just a pretty damn good chance. I probably haven't forgotten about the conversation. I do come from a generation of multi-taskers. But I do get annoyed and close the offending window.