Close Shaves

There's a reason policies are set in place. Temptation is not a reason to ignore them. Quite the opposite, actually.

Iggy's Restaurant in Singapore

After reading a number of reviews beatifying Iggy's, it seemed like time to check the place out in its current form.  Cutting to the chase, the meal was pretty disappointing, with a couple of high points that were hardly spectacular, and a few decidedly bad low points.  Iggy's is by no means a bad restaurant.  In some respects, it is very good.  But it is not the best restaurant in Asia.  Probably not even the best in Singapore.

The restaurant itself is a nice space, with a bar and a few tables off to the side.  Wood abounds and the lighting is at a perfect level.  Too many places go too dim in a misguided attempt to create a romantic atmosphere.  I have to say that I find nothing romantic about squinting at the menu.  There was an odd and unsuccessful attempt to add some festive cheer by placing a strip of red paper with patterns cut into it on the tables, but that misstep aside, it is a comfortable, intimate space that lends itself to contemplation of innovative haute cuisine.

Service was generally decent, with a couple of errors.  I find that it really helps when the waiters or busboys try to stand on the correct side of the diner when placing cutlery, plates, glasses and such on the table.  This avoids the diner having a waiter's elbow in his or her face while the waiter stretches across to set down a glass.  It is a minor thing, but one that improves the experience.  In a restaurant like Iggy's, which purports to be the best restaurant in Singapore, and now Asia, and charges accordingly, this is definitely something to be considered.

Wine service was definitely off.  The selection is quite good, with an emphasis on Burgundies of both persuasions.  With the sommelier's assistance, I selected a decent bottle of 2000 Latricieres, which drank very well.  We started with a few glasses of an acceptable Riesling, and after a couple of courses, the wine steward returned with the bottle of red.  I looked at the label and nodded, and he took it away.  I assumed that at this point, he would decant it.  Alas, this was not to be.  When the time came to start in on the red, the bottle was brought to the table, still filled with the good stuff.  I had to request that they then decant the wine before serving.  Considering that Iggy's is supposedly owned and run by an ex-sommelier, I do not see why something as simple as this could happen.  Now, the wine did not absolutely need more air, it drank quite nicely, but decanting also removes sediment, besides the function of aerating the liquid.  In addition, pouring from a lovely crystal decanter is just more pleasant-looking.

One last minor, personal peeve.  When pouring from the requested decanter, the waiter shook the decanter at the end of each pour to get the lingering drop to fall into the glass.  I understand that he was trying to get all the wine in, but it just bugs me.  Makes me feel cheap for trying to squeeze every drop out of the bottle, and feeling cheap is the last thing you want in an expensive restaurant.  Just wipe off the lip after each pour.  No one will fault you for it, and it will not be an issue at all.

On to the food.  That is the ultimate measure of a restaurant, after all.  Photos courtesy of one of my dining companions.

Amuse-Bouche.  The amuse was uni in a yuzu jelly, with cauliflower puree.  This was not bad, but hardly the most innovative combination of flavours around.  Restaurants in New York have been doing this for years.  Still, the flavours were good, and there was success in ensuring the cauliflower puree was not bitter, as is the case in many vegetable purees, which would have ruined the whole thing.

Ikura.  The first dish was ikura atop egg royale, with orange jelly and orange zest.  This was fine.  Nothing to shout about.  The saltiness of the ikura was drowned out by the sweetness of the orange jelly.

Jabugo Iberico Bellotta.  Iberico ham atop grilled watermelon, with tomato concasse and micro herbs.  This was quite a disaster.  Grilling the watermelon left it at Singapore room temperature and caused the texture of the flesh to soften.  The overall effect was, to quote one of my dining companions, "warm and slimy".  It is pretty important that those three words are never spoken in a restaurant.  The intended effect of the classic pairing was also lost, since the watermelon was not sweet enough to play off against the tart saltiness of the ham.  Terrible.

Foie Gras.  The classic preparation of pan-fried foie gras on toast was executed well.  The slightly more modern foie gras creme brulee was fine.  It might just be me, but I've never been thrilled with foie gras creme brulees.  Seems like a bit of a waste of the richness of the liver.  But overall, an enjoyable dish.

Spanner Crab.  A spanner crab meat souffle and rocket sprouts, with a shellfish bisque poured at the table.  Quite bland.  The souffle was ok, but lacking in the rich flavour that crab brings, whereas the broth was just very bland.  Could do with a few lessons from Tru on how to make a hot shellfish dish in broth.

Cappellini.  A choice was offered here of whether to go with a cappellini with zucchini, smoked mullet roe and shallot, or cappellini with poultry jus and 2g (stated clearly) of Alba white truffle.  The entire table went with the white truffles.  A good choice.  These are probably among the last of the season, but the scent was at full bore.  A properly execution of a classic dish.  Is it really necessary to state clearly the amount of truffles given on the menu though?  Again, this makes me feel cheap, and cheap is not a good feeling when I'm paying S$280 for dinner (food only, pre-tax, pre-tip).

Halibut.  Pan-roasted halibut fillet, red curry-scented pumpkin puree, green mango salsa, roasted shallot oil, glacier lily and balsamic reduction.  Poor cooking here.  My piece of fish was overcooked on one edge, and correctly cooked on the other.  Another diner's fish was just completely overcooked throughout.  I do not think it is too much to ask for good execution of basic technique, when there were only 11 diners in the joint.

Challand Duck.  Spicy herb-crusted Challand duck breast, braised red cabbage, Puy lentils, baby turnip.  Excellent.  The duck itself was nicely cooked, and the spices used on the skin provided a beautiful contrast to the standard expectations without being overpowering.  The spices gave the meat a flavour reminiscent of curry.  I am unable to provide a more informative descriptions here, but it was delicious.  Not so sure about the turnip, but a minor quibble on a very good dish.

Pre-Dessert.  I cannot recall what was in it exactly, but the berries were extremely bitter.  Not a good palate cleanser, or a good anything, actually.

Chocolate.  Christmas spiced chocolate dome, home-made gingerbread ice cream.  This was quite good, if a bit rich.  The ice cream was pretty heavy, coming off sticky and leaden.  Chocolate was good.  The presentation, well, I refrained from commenting at the dinner table, but brown streaks seem not so good on a plate.

Iggy's Lemon Tart was a surprise.  These small mouthfuls literally popped and crackled in the mouth, like those sweets in my youth.  I rather liked that it wakes the diner up at the end of a long meal, but it was very very crackly.

Overall, the food was not of the standard I had been lead to expect by the glowing reviews online.  I admire the concept of a tiny restaurant serving interesting food, but it is important that the concepts are checked to actually work in a dish, and that the technique in the kitchen is up to snuff.  Otherwise, the prices are exorbitant.  The cost comes close to the French Laundry, and I assure you that the quality does not.

I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, and this is not one worthy of the upper echelons of dining in major food destinations worldwide.  If this is the best that Singapore has to offer in terms of European food, then diners are better off sticking with Asian cuisines.  Singapore has some great Chinese and Indian restaurants that offer fine-dining experiences at a fraction of the price of Iggy's, and much more pleasure.  To summarise, Iggy's is a mildly innovative restaurant without the foundational ability in the kitchen to back up its claims.

What's the deal here?

210 pending requests. How do I know so many people?

Am I missing something here? Have I been sleepwalking and handing out business cards or something?

Maybe that's why I'm running out.

Chicken Hearts, Grand Slam Curry and Braised Octopus

How often does everything you buy work out well? A pair of boots heavily discounted online that turn out to fit well. An expensive block of foie gras, beautifully tempered, skirting the line of good taste on the border of decadence. A cheap block of foie gras, gloriously bursting past that same line. Gorgeous hanger steaks, begging for nothing more than salt, pepper and a hot pan. Dark chocolate macadamia nut biscuits, hideously expensive, but oh so worth it. A dutch oven, delivered overnight, thick, iron, orange. Screaming, flying monkeys.

On a wholly unrelated note, is there some sort of rule that after the Lord of the Rings, there can be no other fantasy movies that are made well? Stardust was a weak version of itself. Although I actually rather enjoyed the fight scene between the princes and the witches. Seems like a well-realised depiction of combat between a fighter and a magic-user. The witches kept throwing spells at the princes, and the princes absorbed them, slogged through them, shrugged them off, until they got close enough to do the deal with physical weapons. Absolutely stupid change to the epilogue though. The entire point of the ending was that the star was cursed to live out her immortality as a mortal. Ah well, I suppose that is the author's prerogative. I can and do disagree though.

Bridge to Terabithia, on the other hand, turned out not to be a fantasy film at all. Instead, it is actually a fantastically charming movie about relationships between people, and the media by which these are constructed. Really quite excellent. The teen actress in it also has that quality rarely seen in young actors, a sort of magnetic glow that draws attention and sympathy. In older actors, this is also a rare quality, but more commonly seen. Julia Roberts is so charismatic that her face is invariably the focus of every frame of a movie that she is in. Quite remarkable, actually.

I think I'll go buy the Blu-Ray of BtT. Excellent movies deserve my custom.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Movies are mirrors of life. Perhaps not literally, but they reflect the themes, motivations and failures of humanity quite adequately. Why then, is my life occasionally a mirror of the movies. A lazy afternoon spent at a friend's place sets the scene for a coincidental meeting. And an hour struggling through a video game involving a rolling ball, leading into an agitated discussion of Indiana Jones lore, provides a reminder of why things once were. Now to recall why they were not. Before it all falls apart again.

Buy Low, Sell High

I have to say I'm impressed. It has been a long time since a game has thoroughly kicked my ass, and had me loving it.

I speak, of course, of Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Now, I've never owned an Xbox, so I've never played any version of this game before, but I have heard about the difficulty of this game. Still, I underestimated it severely. Look at it this way. To get through one section of it, I died maybe 20 times. Not even because I was trying to figure out the trick to beating a boss or anything of the sort. This was a straightforward slugout with a wave after wave of routine bad guys. Yes, footsoldiers in a video game who will kill you quickly and messily if you let your focus slip for a second.

In some ways, this is both innovative and a throwback. Well, to be more precise, it is innovative in the sense that it's a throwback. Remember games like Contra, Lode Runner and R-Type? Those arcade classics from a decade or two ago that were deliberately hard as hell, so as to entice you into throwing more tokens at them in an effort to finally beat the damn things. Of course, some were better than others, and the best were those that demanded that you figure out exactly how they should be played at every juncture. You play a level, get killed 20 seconds into it, play it again, remembering to avoid that sneaky bad guy that pops up right there, only to get killed again 4 seconds on. And so it went. Burning tokens through a level moment by moment. Sure, a general lack of motor coordination probably hindered me as well, but anything that can cause distress and anger while drawing out a kind of intense focus is surely worth my time. Actually, that sounds a lot like coding, except a lot more fun.

Games nowadays are easy. Most allow you to just blow through with no real effort needed. When was the last time you died in the course of playing the main quest in an RPG? Added to that the proliferation of "Easy" modes, and there's no reason to ever have to expend any real concentration on a game. In many cases, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. To a very real extent, that's what you do with Final Fantasy XII. You set up the gambits, then sit back and watch the scenery. There's a reason I can play most games slouched on my bed, one hand on the controller.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma, on the other hand, has me standing a foot from the screen, even though I'm using a wireless controller. Both hands are busy working every button on the controller as dozens of combinations are used in rapid succession. A soldier is popped up by a quick two button combo, Ryu, your hero, leaps after his prey to continue with a series of slashes, signified by four further button presses, but decides instead to spin and kick the enemy away, propelling himself slightly back to bring himself out of range of the enemy commander he just spied charging in, requiring a swift series of three different buttons. Not enough distance. The commander grabs Ryu, dumps him on the ground and runs him through. Ryu rolls away from the cluster of bad guys, leaping into another roll, this time in mid-air, decapitating a low-end soldier as he goes, then leaps off the wall he runs into, doing a backflip, right into another footsoldier, who promptly grabs him, slits his throat, kicks him in the back and sends him to the game over screen. Damn. Do you want to give up the way of the ninja? What the hell? Well, I've died a dozen times already, let's see what this is. Ok, the game is making fun of me for needing an easier difficulty mode.

Do I hate this game for this? No. I decide not to take the easy way out, labelled Ninja Dog. A dog? Now, I am fond of my stuffed dog, but this is not acceptable. I grind through a dozen more deaths until I barely beat that last commander with nothing left on my life bar. Ok, now to find a store to pay for healing. That's right, no freebies. Then it's on to more of the same, battling through a stream of bad guys, dying frequently, backtracking a lot to save as often as I can. Until I run into a boss. Die a lot more. Turn to a online strategy guide for a suggestion. Dodge and block his attacks until an opening appears, at which point you should hit him with hard combos? What kind of stupid strategy is that? Don't get hit, then hit him. That's like buy low, sell high.

Anyway, that's what this game does. It kicks your ass very hard very often, then when you think you've got figured it out, kicks it even harder. Then it offers you an easier way out, but humiliates you when you take it. Yeah, it's hard, and proud of it.

I hear the previous version was even harder. Very tempting.

Similarly, Virtua Tennis 3 has been offering me a tough game. It's easy enough through the career mode, until you get to the last tournament. then you lose the match without winning a single point. Stunned, you level your player to the maximum, then try again. This time, you win one point when the opponent hits a volley long. Load and try again. This time, all the stops are pulled out, and every tactic you've ever played or seen played against you is attempted over the course of the match. At one point, you have your opponent on the ropes. You win a game! And another! Then the opponent adapts, pulling you wide on the first ball, so you find yourself with the option of dashing for the net, the opposite end of the court or simply adjusting and hoping the ball comes back. Of course, he reads you and smacks the ball far far away from your despairing racquet. Somehow, every match from then on, the opponent learns, and you run out of tricks to try. And you're back to struggling to win a point.

It is nice to sometimes get pounded into the dirt. Sharpens the mind.