Poison Ivy Bistro

The Samsung LCD TV in my room is kinda dying... it's like about 8 months old? I have been TV-less since 9pm last nite. Oh well, there's always music or the TV outside. The Samsung techies will come on Mon between 10am to 2pm. I seem to always get the duds and lemons...the old Alfa 156, the Getz...now the Smasung. Hope my laptop doesn't go the same way...has slowed down somewhat since we installed the McAfee Security Centre 2007. With the heavy surfing by dad (well known to have messed up PCs in the past 2 decades) and now moi, guess prevention is better than cure.

To cheer me up, D decided to drive us to Bollywood Veggies (Poison Ivy Bistro). Actually, I was about to tell him we haven't had Pepper Lunch for awhile but he made a left turn. Like some sort of telepathy, I automatically exclaimed 'We're headed to Poison Ivy' aren't we?' It can be pretty uncanny, sometimes we don't tell each other where we are headed to makan but the other person instinctively shares the same thought. I didn't mind - Bollywood Veggies is one of my fav places. (http://www.bollywoodveggies.com)

It's always a treat to go to Poison Ivy to get away from the urban sprawl and retreat to the countryside. One of the servers recognised us and gently (jokingly of course) for not coming down for ahile. Ok, we were there maybe 1 month and a bit ago? We aren't regulars there but it was sorta niced to be recognised. Now if only most makan joints and boutiques would work on that, we'd go back up the 'good service' rankings. That's why I shop at the few places I normally do for my clothes...pricey or otherwise. Service and making each customer, from cheapskate to difficult, from shy wallflower to Paris Hilton feel SPECIAL!

Today's dishes were YUM SCRUM, as usual. Some of my ex-colleagues at the old workplace have commented that the food there ain't fantastic (we had a function there once) but to me, if I leave the place either wanting more, totally stuffed or BOTH, it's a good joint to go to. Prices are ok; though some pals have again commented that it is pricey. It is organically grown. We like the food there coz of the Peranakanish - home cooked food that we both grew up with. Of course, we also like the laidback atmosphere. I always love walking to the Bistro and smelling the pandan and lemongrass in the Aromatic Garden.

The menu changes daily for the mains so we had:
1) Assam Fish - deep fried Dory in an Assam Sauce; surprisingly not too spicy and I enjoyed it, the non-chilly eater that I am. The assam pedas seafood man of course had to have it.
2) Bollywood Drumlets
3) Organic papaya salad. Thank God it wasn't the ripe papaya (can't really make salad out of that) but the young kind. I DO NOT eat ripe papapya, only papaya muda (young) as it doesn't have THAT smell and is crunchy!

Of course to end, the Wonderful kueh kosui and our new favourite - the sesame banana fritters. I must try that - will shirt cut with Adabi goreng pisang mix. Since I didn't have the banana bread today, I bought a small portion home. That's for me and me alone. (Muahahahahahah)

Saw the owners' dogs - 2 Rotties named Aloo and Gobi and 2 new Great Dane 'puppies'. I say 'puppies'; Sonic would be pulvarised to pits by them. Remember, Sonic was pinned down by Moo, the JRT a couple of years back. Headed to Woon Leng Nursery thereafter. It has been a long absence from orchids for us, D couldn't face it after the collection of orchids we had been amassing on my balcony were 'massacred'. We lost some beauties; not your 'run-of-the-mill' Golden Showers or Dendobriums, like my 'Eagle-Eye' cattleya, my Lamellatas etc. Ended up with 2 dendrobiums - the Dawn Maree and the Dearei. My 1st Dawn Maree had been one of the victims of the great orchid massacre. Will post pix of them when I have taken a shot - didn't bring any of the cameras out today. Wanted to check out Song Orchid next door, which one of my kakis told me was good but the PM rain hit again!

Still cleaning the room - 2 museum projects moving about an inch only. Aiya-ya-ya. Must fin by Tues, hook or by crook. Or else mati lah! Time to go test out my new Tefal Pro series deep fryer - fried food Saturday for dinner!