Turning 58 @ Jaan 70 storeys high

Last year, we celebrated CK’s 57 years at 53 Armenian Street. This year, the intention was to do the honours in Taipei, like we did two years ago where we all had a rolling good time eating in a highly praised restaurant in Yangmingshan, the Shi Yang Shan Fang, which to describe its food as exquisite would be an understatement.

Alas, our plans went awry because double beds got in our way. Our Taiwan trip to co-incide again with Chap Goh Meh in Taipei was aborted because the various hotels we had intended to stay in offered only double beds.

Only two of us didn’t balk at that ordeal while the other four did.

So, here we were in Singapore again to mark CK’s big day on March 1, done two days in advance to take advantage of a Saturday night. We toyed briefly with going to Sentosa to celebrate but dropped that option quickly as we didn’t wish to jostle with eager punters.

Hence we went for something safe, maybe even staid. We settled for Jaan par André (well the chef, André , is supposed to be from Taiwan and that’s as close as we got to Taipei), on the 70th floor of the Swisshotel Stamford.

The other five had eaten there be4 but everything was new for me.

I was struck by the restaurant’s courtesy in calling me up, on being told by HTK that I didn’t eat lamb which was the main on the set menu, to discuss the alternatives. We spent several minutes discussing the possibilities be4 I decided on some grilled fish.

I was also struck by the presentation of the food: everything was pretty, almost a work of art, and everything looked more yin than yang.

this didn't make the cut

One point I must make tho is the cutlery: it could have been better, as this pix of a knife showed that the stainless steel coating had worn off in parts and certainly shouldn’t have been given to a guest at a meal at $200+++ per head be4 wine, of which we had two bottles of Argentinian Melbec!

Another point relates to the bread basket. I had to ask for a second roll, as did the rest. Sure, perhaps the chef didn’t expect guests choosing a fine dining experience to want to gorge on bread as well, but he should at least got the wait people to offer!

a freebie candle!

The last grouse was that despite informing the kitchen that we were celebrating a birthday, all the b-boy got in his dessert that was different from ours was a candle. Very stingy!

Now that’s off my chest (OK, those who know me please don’t give the usual crack: Can u afford it 😉 !), I’m ready to share pix (some of which are courtesy of LW; yes, CWM, my camera sucks, I know, that’s why I’ve to use some taken by fellow host) of what we ate course by course.

The sweet endings began with the second last picture, followed by that as shown with the b-boy with his solo candle above. Our version was sans candle.

The third (last pix) which accompanied our camomille tea was in the form of very inventive petit fours, coming in two plates and three apiece per guest.

This sure made up for any shortcomings, real or perceived, and we sat talking away, becoming the last but one table to leave.