Barfly-lite

Ok ... so me and M got fresh at the weekend!! But I don't think we were quite showing out!! And if you got the embedded references, then Respect!! *pounds right fist against left chest twice*

Friday night was CC's Lunar Birthday!! I was naughty and had me a cigger or two ... for which I am now suffering!! But I've been good readers ... so I deserve a little treat. You know everytime we get invited to CC & J's, we always have a great time, no matter what the reason is ... I guess its coz we've known J for so long ... and CC is more than certainly a welcome addition ... so Happy Birthday CC!!! The other plus of the party was that we got to catch up with DV and also W & K. DV, I'm glad you liked the CD I made for you ... I'm rooting for you!!! And as per ush ... I left the house with my calico bag bursting at the seams with DVDs ... now for some serious "backing up" ... CC you are too much ... and super generous!!

Saturday Night was spent doing ... to be honest ... and if you're reading this M take note ... what I truly love to do ... which is try a new restaurant and a new bar into the bargain ... (and only if P gets to read this) ... with the oh so sophisticated P in tow ... hehe

So we initially wanted to eat at the Panama dining room ... but couldn't get a booking ... same rotten luck at de las santos ... so we ended up in the re-furbished Builder's Arms:

 
As you can see, the refurbished Builders is oh so terribly retro it should scream tryhard ... but in my mind it works ... and deliciously so. If the colour scheme was a little more mono-chromatic (read: white), you might be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled into a Space 1999 set ... (speaking of which ... watch the 1st season of Space 1999 ... you'd be playing spot the designer piece of furniture in amongst the set fittings) ... I guess it actually looks like a Space 1999 set designed by George and Mildred ... anyways ... loves it ... the food and the service on the other hand ... whilst not exactly bad ... twas just a little lacklustre ....

For starters we had:

Fried Haloumi and a bowl of chips with aoli (well there was a bit of a kerfuffle with ordering entrees to begin with ... but I can't be bothered about details at this stage*). I'm always up for a bit of fried cheese ... so in some ways picking this as an entree was a no-brainer ... what lifted the dish was the oregano infused tomato slices ... they were scrumptious ... and I will be attempting to replicate them shortly ... the chips looked fantastic when they were brought out to a nearby table ... and they didn't disappoint ... the aoli was infused with anchovy which was subtle at first and then gradually deepened in flavour ... and I could have just kept on eating that ... a wonderful combination.

So after a shaky start ... things were beginning to look up until the mains arrived:

I ordered the Chicken Pie - well it was Chicken Unpronounceable - but essentially it was Chicken Pie - Morrocon Style. I've had something similar at Mecca Bar ... and it said that it had egg in it .. I was hoping for chunks .. but got scrambled instead ... the pie (disc shaped and dusted with sugar) sat on a bed of thinly sliced cabbage .. slightly pickled .. sort of acidic in flavour ... it didn't quite gel ... so it was a pretty uninspiring choice on my part.

P had turkish sausages and mash ... well bangers and mash really ... in a pretty heavy onion/balsamic jus .. cloying after awhile I'd imagine and exactly what P confirmed to be the case

M had lamb shanks which arrived slightly late in dramatic fashion with one bone sticking up at 90 deg .. pity the drama didn't extend to the flavour ... I like my shanks a little more intense ... this was just boiled.

Skipped dessert, had coffee, overspent on a tip ... and left suitably unimpressed.

Then we trundled down to Smith Street and headed to the Panama Dining Room:

I was hoping to score a better picture off the net ... as the one above doesn't capture the roominess of this place, the lovely big windows looking out on the plane trees ... the glimpse of the top of the city ... the strangely unassuming furniture and fixtures ... and I guess the ambience ... music that isn't too overpowering (despite what M thinks) ... room to move around ... get to the bar ... explore and generally people watch to your heart's content ... was very impressed ... and would like to go again. Would have loved to stay ... but M was tired and we had the parentals the next day ...

Mum and Dad arrived safely ... they breezed through customs coz Mum requested (or rather C did on their behalf) a wheelchair ... we're putting M in one next time we travel!!!!

ps: Why is ham and cheese such the perfect sandwhich combo??

* ok so we ordered the haloumi to share ... then the chick (our waitress - i call her fitzroy nazi) said that given the number of people that were eating that night, we should consider more for entree as it wouldn't be enough ... she suggested we go for the dips instead ... hello??? Dips??? This ain't no university digs house warming party!!! But we all sort of hmmed and ahhed ... and she was being Miss Pushy Bitch 2007, so in the end we said yeah (as in yeah, whateva ... just get out of my face already biatch!!) Then I saw the bowl of chips come out and I went, lets get a bowl of chips and haloumi ... so P went to the counter to see if he could get our order changed ... bless you P!!! Well, in the end they did, but then I thought .. hangabout ... we really only wanted the haloumi ... they're still scoring a bowl of chips (yummy as the aoli was) off of us!! Bastards!!