I was rather reluctant to pose these pics because I didn't want to give the impression that we do this all the time. Do what, you ask? Going & dining in restaurants. I have posted many a times that we are always on a tight budget & we don't really eat in restaurants. We used to ... but not anymore. Before Ryan was conceived/born, we used to be rather spendthrift & occasionally splurge on meals in restaurants, every so often. Now ... that's all history!
With a kid & one very-limited income, it's virtually impossible for us to be sooo "carefree" with our money. Besides, we aren't rich & we are always tight with finances. So its a rare occasion when we go eat something a bit nice. Even when we do go & eat something better than our usual foodcourt-coffeeshop fare, I watch what we order like a hawk, coz we have to watch our very limited budget.
Recently, we had a simple dinner at Hei Sushi (I think they are under the Sakae Sushi Group) in Sembawang Shopping Centre. They are one of the very few Halal certified Japanese Restaurant in Singapore. Though we've had halal Japanese food in KL & that eatery at Far East Plaza (is it Ramen Ten? can't really recall its name), this is probably the only halal place that serves sushi conveyor style.
To tell you the truth, the food wasn't that fantastic, though it wasn't bad either ... but Ryan & Hubby always enjoy their salmon. So we did order a small portion of salmon & some bits of sushi to try out. Altogether, we spent less than $ 30 but again I kinda feel that we sorta "overpaid" coz it didn't feel like a meal that cost that much (you get what I mean?). Is it just me or are all restaurant standards way down these days? Sure we haven't been to many restaurants these couple of years, but the few mid-priced restaurants that we've been to ... have been quite a disappointment, to say the least.
Sometimes, I feel eating in foodcourts are better deals, as at least when you pay four dollars for a meal, you eat four dollars worth of meat (which is very important coz I'm a meat-eater)-rice-noodles, etc. Unlike restaurants, what you pay for is not equivalent to the taste, you have to pay for the usually-bad-or-barely-acceptable service (charge of 10%) & there's even the stupid GST. Errmm ... & what are we eating anyway? Mostly cardboard tasting food that disappoint on almost all levels. I bet it must just be me coz I see people going to restaurants in droves.
Recession? What recession? Have you seen the queues outside some restaurants or boutiques? I think its either they are suckers for expensive food & stuff or they are damn loaded & can't be bothered with the current recession. No, no I'm not being sore ... just wondering what the big deal is all about. I've been "short-changed" so many times at restaurants that I wonder why I even bother to eat there in the first place. Maybe ... I'm the sucker ... haha!
I made a impromptu kiddy chopstick (I picked that up from one of the blogs, using a rubber band) for Ryan, as he was pestering me, by playing with my chopsticks.
The limited stuff that we ordered (not because there was a limited menu) but due to keeping to our budget. Notice that everything we ordered was cooked, not raw ... haha!
Aw! Don't they look cute?
I think the next time I am "stupid" enough to wanna waste my money on yet another under-performing restaurant, I really better think twice. Sometimes I wonder is it my high standards that qualify these eateries as "failures". I mean if they are that bad, how can they survive ... especially during the recession?
Maybe its really just me ... you be your own judge!
Maybe my standards ARE VERY HIGH ... when you consider that I was brought up by a mum who is one of the best cooks (I have ever known) & that she always believes home-cooked meals are always the best-EST. Maybe I should be like my talented mum & learn to cook better. Like she always says, "If you want to eat something delicious, learn to cook it yourself". That way, you can control what goes into your food, you can up the level for cleanliness & hygiene in food preparation & you can puts in lots of ingredients/spices/meat ... which she says is the key to cooking good food - "You cannot stinge on the ingredients!".
As for me, I've always loved eating ... food, in all shapes & sizes. I sometimes wish I was a better cook, or have the patience to learn all the intricate steps & spices that goes into the especially traditional Malay recipes of yesteryears. I am actually keen to learn more, if my mum has the time (& patience) to teach me. How I wish cooking Malay food was easy, its entails so many steps (& hours) & ingredients that it will make your head spin! I guess that's why when eating at Malay stalls serving the variety of dishes, its wise to know that a plate of mostly meat choices will easily set you back at least, 5 or six dollars, per serving.
I can tell you that cooking Malay food is such hard work! - just by looking at how my mum cooks.That's why I never learnt to cook Malay food-style, I choose the easy way out. I tend to cook mostly stews, stir-fries Chinese style & I boil soups, which is my Hubby's favourite (coz he grew up drinking soup at every meal). I am happy to note that Ryan has followed his Daddy's genes & he loves his soups too. I'm glad my two boys appreciate the long hours I take to boil these soups. They may be simple & home-made ... but they were made with love.
Hhhmm, just need to brush up on my repertoire ... I need to expand my recipes & be more adventurous.
