Senso Sunday Prosecco Brunch - A Review

Back in February, during Chinese New Year this year, I wanted to celebrate a milestone in my journey of getting my life back on track. A buffet seemed appropriate, and I was feeling fancy so I decided I wanted an alcoholic brunch. The thing is, they are effing expensive. I was quite interested with the Champagne brunch at Ritz-Carlton but I thought I'd save it for later, when there really is a reason to be so extravagant.

Anyway, most Champagne brunches' prices go three digits these days so I was happy when I stumbled upon Senso's Sunday Prosecco brunch online. At $98++/pax, it was much more my pace.

Senso is an Italian restaurant that I'd never heard of until then. The fact that it is a stand-alone restaurant and not part of a hotel intrigued me. The location also intrigued me. It is located in a somewhat 'sleepy' street in Telok Ayer area. It takes up a row of shophouses and is actually more spacious than it looks.

So I called up to book a table a couple days beforehand and their staff called me on Sunday morning to confirm. So that morning my friend and I boarded the Downtown Line (Our first!) and alighted at Telok Ayer station.

Telok Ayer MRT Station

It was a short walk from there to Senso and we loved how mellow the area was. The restaurant's sign might be easy to miss because it's not too conspicuous but the place is actually not that hidden since it's facing an open field.

We walked in and found ourselves in some kind of a lobby. Very elegant and chic.

A man, whom I assumed was the maître d' then whisked us to our table which included walking around a small courtyard and into another building at the back. Other waiters were quick to get us to settle in, opening up the napkin and placing it onto your lap, helping hanging your purse by the table, and that sort of thing.

Then they poured us a glass of water and bubbly. They were supposed to have two options, the white or the rosé prosecco but sadly they told us they were having issues with the rosé shipment so we acquiesced and got the white one.

Honestly, we were quite taken aback by the formal atmosphere of the place. All the waitstaff were dressed in pants and waistcoats and the maître d' was in a suit. And since it's unlike the usual buffet, we were a little bit unsure of what we should do after we got settled in. We could see the buffet spread but it was confined in another room and we weren't sure whether we were allowed to start eating yet.

Buckets of Prosecco and the buffet spread in another room

Thankfully, a waiter finally came over and upon realizing it was our first time there, he then explained the rules. Basically, all the food is set up buffet-style except for the mains, which we need to order. All are unlimited but they do have three other mains that they charged for $8++ a plate should you wish to order them.

Senso Sunday Prosecco Brunch Menu

We proceeded to order the prawn bisque which was bland taste-wise but it did emanate a deliciously strong prawn aroma. We intended to order three mains to be shared between the two of us but the waiter stopped us and advised us not to order too much at once, citing culinary integrity. We thought this was a bit rude, perhaps he thought we'd have ordered more than three but tout ce que...

Anyway, without further ado, here's what Senso had to offer that day:

Selection of salads and cold antipasti:

Charcuterie:

Smoked salmon - which is a personal favorite of mine - I kept coming back for seconds! The slice is thicker than most smoked salmon usually served in buffets, perfectly cured and smoked, just squirt a slice of lemon to enhance its sweetness.

Good news for oyster lovers: Senso serves oysters. The bad news: I thought they weren't as fresh as they should be. Not sure which type they served that day and I'm not an oyster expert but I've had oysters before that were just heavenly; sweet with a nice bite to it and with very faint oyster smell. The oysters that day had quite detectable oyster smell which might be a put-off for some and not as 'springy'.

  

Juice Station

The juice station & bread bar:

Bread Bar

The dessert selection:

Seasonal fruit platter:

My personal favorite: Senso chocolates. Don't be fooled by their simple appearance, these little bite-size chocolate cubes pack a punch; not sickeningly sweet, smooth and creamy with a touch of bitterness from the chocolate and a rich coconut-like aroma.I just realize that day I eschewed other desserts in favor for these.

Meringue cookies, which always taste better in your head than in reality:

Onto the mains now. I actually ordered several mains but only managed to photograph some of them. The first two of the following pictures are from the unlimited list while the other three are the specials.

Here's Ribeye Steak with red wine sauce:

And the Poached Salmon with Lemon Thyme Cream:

We also ordered Seared Red Snapper with Arabbiata Sauce and Crispy Skin Duck Breast with Orange Sauce off the unlimited list. They were all without a doubt, delicious. The Crispy Duck is my friend's favorite, FYI.

And here are the specials which I think you definitely should get because they are really, really awesome. Here's Homemade Foie Gras Roulade with Mango Chutney and Brioche (Not pictured):

Here's Spaghetti with Italian Baeri caviar and Vodka:

And lastly, here's Pan-seared Foie Gras with Poached red Wine Pear:

 I definitely think these specials are worth the extra dollars. The two foie gras mains were just heavenly! The roulade was so smooth and flavorful, perfect to spread over the brioche. They also didn't skimp on the pan-seared foie gras and served you a cut with reasonable thickness so you can really savor the delicate fatty texture. And the simple and somewhat dull-looking vodka spaghetti was actually full of delicate flavor. I could never forgive myself for giving it the cold shoulder when it was delivered to our table.

They also have conveniently located bathroom:

Senso's Bathroom's Interior

 So, there you have it, folks. Thought it's nice to end it one more time with a shot of the menu and the bubbling glass of Prosecco.

All in all I spent about $350 for two persons, and that includes 3 extra mains at $8++ per plate. I mistakenly thought I'd get unlimited supply of the specials with the extra $8++, should've known though, 'coz it was too good to be true so just be careful about this.

To summarize, here's the pros & cons list of Senso Sunday Prosecco Brunch buffet:

Pros:
- Alcoholic brunch with more reasonable price
- Delicious food of top-notch quality especially the mains because they're cooked to order
- Beautiful and unique setting for those looking to experience different atmosphere
- Easily accessible with public transportation

Cons:
- Limited variety of food. You definitely don't go to Senso for quantity, you go for quality
- The super attentive staff could become a little bit too attentive it's annoying. If you leave your table to get some food, expect your napkin to have been folded into some kind of origami when you return. Every. Single. Time. This might be fancy for some but it's just not my cup of tea
- The oysters are not that delicious

Will I recommend this to anyone? A definitive yes. The different buffet style and the super - some might say over - attentive waitstaff may take some getting used to but once you're able to get past that, you'll find that Senso Sunday Prosecco Brunch is actually a very good deal.

Breakfast @ P O D I

I usually avoid eateries in downtown Singapore like the plague, mostly because when I do have the time to visit these places, it'll be on the weekends. That means long queues, jam-packed restaurants, and overwhelmed service staff. Never mind that the food are sometimes mediocre and overpriced.

PODI is located in the heart of Raffles City. It managed to nab one of the coveted spots around the fountain so diners will be better shielded from the heavy-traffic area but still be able to enjoy the lively atmosphere. But even then, I never had the urge to eat there.

So, a few weeks ago I took a day off from work and found myself in the basement of Raffles City at 10.30am in the morning, my stomach growling like crazy. I've got a couple of hours to burn and so I walked into PODI. There were not so many people and the waitress happily let me sit in a table for 4 near the fountain. True to my style, I chose the one in the corner, the most secluded one.

To my delight, they have quite a selection for western-style breakfast. I can't remember what they are now but they've got the whole page dedicated to breakfast alone, and what's even better: they serve them all day! (even though for some reason, certain selection are only available up to 3pm).

Anyway, this is what I got:

The dish consists of 2 poached eggs, 2 slices of spinach loaf, a chicken sausage, a spiced sausage, several pieces of crunchy bacon, and a small amount of salad with tangy dressing.

I understand the spinach loaf is their specialty and it goes very well with the poached eggs.

Now, I'm really terrible at remembering prices but I think this one cost me about $18 incl tax and everything. It is not cheap but I personally think it's worth the occasional splurge. Just pace yourself and really enjoy the meal, just like I did with nothing but myself and a good old InStyle magazine.

Spring 2014 : Priti NYC's Baby Blue Eyes

Spring is just around the corner! Last year I chose a perfume to mark its arrival, this time around it's a nail polish instead.

So much happened last year, I am just excited to turn over a new leaf and this dreamy blue color with silver fine shimmers called 'Baby Blue Eyes' from Priti NYC seems fresh and happy, perfect to mark the occasion.

Indoor Light

With Flash

It goes opaque after two coats, no streaks. The pictures shown here are all without top coats. I don't really buy Priti NYC because of the environmental reason, I just damn love their colors. Their polishes, especially the creamy ones, tend to run a little bit thick, though. Also, they're not exactly cheap so this is more of a splurge.

Coincidentally, Dior's Spring 2014 collection also includes a blue polish called 'Porcelaine' but it's much lighter. Isn't the advertisement gorgeous?

They also have 'Perle', a matte top coat with pink shimmers which gives me an idea. I have Ciate polish called 'Members Only' which is in the same vein as 'Perle' only it's not matte so I decided to recreate the Dior Spring 2014 look using Priti NYC Baby Blue Eyes + Ciate Members Only.

(PS. I got this Ciate polish from my office's Christmas gift exchange party last year. You tried to be specific and wrote Ciate Dangerous Affair from Sephora and still, whoever got my name messed it up. Grrrr!)

The result is not exactly a dead ringer but it is in the same vein and it is still very pretty. The subtle pink shimmer is indeed very appropriate for springtime.

One last thought: I can't help but thinking about the final scene of Breaking Bad when I heard the name 'Baby Blue Eyes', lols. Can't get that final song out of my mind so I cooked up a little something for readers who are also a Breaking Bad fan in a true Spring 2014 fashion, enjoy! =D

Blissful Things: January 2014

Fresh-off the New Year's festivities, I'd like to share with you some of the things that have been a delight to me so far. Clockwise from top left corner:

1. Persimmons. I had never eaten this super sweet fruit in my life until I was introduced to it last year, and I've embarked on a persimmon journey ever since.

2. Renew Hydrating Mist Toner. As I'm getting older, my skin has been experiencing bouts of dryness every now and then. This helps relieves the condition.

3. BBC's Sherlock and Orphan Black. Been indulging in these two series. I love watching Orphan Black for the artistic quality alone but the story, the acting, and the writing are brilliant as well. And yes, Sherlock lives! I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a Cumberbitch.

4. Victoria's Secret Candied Violet body spray. The scent is subtle, a bit powdery, and a great mid-day pick-me-up for a dull day in the office.

5. Dior Nail Glow. I'm lazy these lately so I'll just put this on for a polished look that is low maintenance.

6. Aesop Coriander Seed Body Cleanser. January for me, as with so many people, is a sobering time. This body wash smells just like crushed coriander seeds, herbal and earthy, perfect for sobering times.

7. Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensation. Hands down the best instant cocoa there is! Smooth, creamy, not to sweet with a hint of saltiness. Just pop in a few marshmallow to complete the beverage, if you fancy.

8. Josie Maran Bearnaked wipes. As I said, I'm lazy. Sometimes when I get home, I don't always take off my makeup right away until well after midnight. This biodegradable wipes take care of this. I also love the refreshing citrus/orange scent, the only downside is that my skin can feel tight and dry after using this so I'd spray Renew Hydrating Mist Toner afterwards to combat this problem.

Lollipops, Etude, Three Beauties

Happy New Year 2014, everyone!

I realize I haven't been blogging since August last year because I got side-tracked by a lot of things. Promise I'll catch up, though! To start off the new year, here are some random nail polish swatches from my past collection:

1. Etude PP510 - This is from Etude's Ice Cream line. Great mix of sweet pastel colors from that collection! This one is a soft pale lavender color but surprisingly it doesn't scream '60s unlike the next polish. Price is also super duper cheap, especially considering the quality! The polish goes on smoothly, most are two-coaters, and dries down to a shiny finish.

2. Lollipops Paris - sorry I forgot the name and I don't have it anymore. It's actually a very good polish, good consistency, and smooth application. The color is pale pink-peach, very mod like those popular pale shades in the '60s and it has tiny shimmer particles. However, I think this has been discontinued.

3. Three Beauties - I also can't remember the name, it's twilight something...I don't know. A mix of glitter, predominantly green, and it dries down matte, leaving a gritty texture. Super easy application, smooth and even in two coats. However, I hate removing glitter polishes so off this one goes.

Under indoor lighting

With flash

To an awesome year ahead!

Blissful Things : Great Skin Edition

Two Blissful Things posts in a row? I must've been getting lazy! Anyway, my skin has been in its best condition as of late and I have been itching to share with you my so-called skincare revelation that leads me to where I am today.

A little back-story: I have always had problematic skin since I hit puberty. I used to have super oily skin that I hated with a passion and I suffered from horrible acne growing up which left me with uneven skin texture especially on the cheeks. I had to be put on Acutane continuously in order to control them which was expensive and not good in the long run because it's extremely drying. For a while, though, I had a taste of how it was like to be having clear skin and it was joy.

Fortunately I came to my senses and appreciated my oily skin more as I grew older. Now it is not as oily as before and I still get the occasional hormonal acne along my jaw line. However, as with many other things in life as you get older, you've learned to accept your predicament and work with it instead of against it.

When I started earning money, I'd probably spent half of them on skincare and cosmetics, thinking the more expensive they are, the better they got at reversing all the damage I'd done to my skin while I was growing up. I've tried many expensive skincare (and the cheap ones, too) over the past 5 years. At my craziest, I've got about 20 products in my daily regimen and honestly, it didn't produce any significant result.

Deep down, I knew spending more money didn't necessarily mean better result and this revelation came on the heels of my big financial revelation. There was a major shift in my priority and scaling back on tertiary expenses was the way to go. So I stripped down my daily regimen to the essentials and my skin has never been better. Ok, to be honest, not all the stuff on the list below are cheap but they are the essentials and more importantly, they work well on me.

So, on to the list:

From top left corner, clockwise:

Daily Regimen:
1. FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil. This is the first cleansing oil I've ever tried and since then, I've gone on and tried almost every other cleansing oil available in the business and this one still beats all of them every time. This is not exactly cheap but given the performance, I'd say it's well-justified.

2. Biore Pure Mild Facial Foam. I used to use Cetaphil because my skin has gotten drier in the recent years and Cetaphil helps a lot with it but I don't like the suffocated feeling my skin gets every time I rinse it off. Biore Pure Mild leaves my skin feeling fresh, with the right balance between clean and moist. It is also mildly scented with a fresh scent.

3. Clarisonic Mia with Deep Pore Brush Head. The most expensive item on the list but it's an investment. Facial brushes have worked well on me in the past and they still do. I've had my Clarisonic for a year+ and I must say I've been loving every moment of it. They recently came up with the Deep Pore brush head which I'm currently using and loving.

4. Curel Moisture Lotion II. I love to use toner after cleansing. I usually squirt this soothing product onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over my face then pat it gently over my eye lids.

5. Akin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil. I've read everywhere that rosehip oil is a clinically-proven natural remedy for scars. I use this as serum / moisturizer. Simple, relatively cheap, and natural. This isn't a miracle worker, mind you, but so far I've noticed my skin's texture has improved albeit gradually.

6. Seven Wonders Moroccan Argan Oil Skin Serum. This product claims to contain 98% certified organic argan oil. It is enriched with vitamin E and contains natural rose fragrance but I must warn you it is very strong. Combined with rosehip oil, however, this stuff works like magic, making my skin soft and plump.

Special treatments (twice a week):
7. Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask. This is meant for sensitive skin and my skin feels extremely soft after using this. I am utterly speechless.

8. ExfoliKate by Kate Sommerville. Super expensive product but a little bit goes a long way. Use sparingly. This product also leaves my skin as smooth as a baby's bottom after usage.

There you have it, my entire skincare regimen. Together, these stuff have provided me with my best skin ever, no prescription needed.

Blissful Things : Summer 2013 Edition

Wow, just realized I haven't been posting any Blissful Things lists since November last year! Without further ado, here goes the list, summer 2013 edition (from the far left, clockwise):

1. Dior Jelly Lip Pen in Carioca 636. This is from Dior Bird of Paradise Summer Look 2013 collection. Of all the chubby pens out there, I love this one the most. Moisturizing with a sheer color that surprisingly lasts (!).

2. Dejavu Fiberwig mascara. This is the so-called 'tubing' mascara that can't be removed by anything but warm water. Perfect for summer where skin tends to get more oily.

3. Fragile Eau de Toilette by Jean Paul Gaultier. A surprise appearance on this list considering this is considered as heavy fragrance for nighttime wear. The key is light hand when applying. Just two spritz will do or spray it onto the air and walk into the fume. It will leave you with the most delectable island smell because of the white flower base notes.

4. Diorsnow BB Creme SPF50 PA+++. Summer is not the time I want to have things piled on my face, nor do I want to spend that kind of time in front of the mirror. This product is like a tinted moisturizer, light enough but does a very decent job evening out skin tone. The SPF and PA levels seal the deal.

5. Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera. Described as rosy peachy pink on their US website, I'm not sure if this shade is still available in Singapore. Can't seem to find this shade at Sephora. There's a reason why Convertible Color is so popular. It's the creamiest cream blush I've ever tried but doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. On me, Gerbera turns out a beautiful soft pink, the peach tone seems to disappear into my olive skin.

6. Popsicles. Do you know that legally you cannot refer to the frozen sweet concoction on a stick as popsicle because the name is a registered trademark of Unilever? Don't believe me? Scroll down to the bottom of their website here. Legality aside, I can't wait to make my own this summer. Watch for the recipe soon!