by Paul on January 5, 2010
Like HCMC today, the Bangkok foreigner scene of old thrived close to the river. These days, however, I never really think to set foot down there. It’s the kind of place you visit once, the first time you come to the city… King’s Palace, check. Emerald & Reclining Buddha, check. Either the Oriental or Shangrila for tea or brunch, check. Then for most who live in the city (unless they work nearby) the river is a distant memory. This has more to do with the difficulty and time it takes to get down to the river than what’s on offer. But, if you wait till Sunday brunch time, with no traffic… the other side of the river is accessible in about 20 minutes tops and you don’t even have to wait for a ferry. This is the perfect time to venture out to Trader Vic’s massive brunch/lunch buffet spread. [keep reading…]
by joanna on December 8, 2009
Bubbly wine tasting debunks the ‘has to be expensive’ and ‘has to be French’ myth
We were invited to a blind bubbly wine tasting by our friends at The Local Nose. The idea of the event was to taste both champagnes and sparkling wines of all price points and from various regions to see if one could discern the difference between champagne vs. sparkling wine, and expensive vs. inexpensive. [keep reading…]
by joanna on December 3, 2009
Stunning presentation, impeccable service and inventive, modern French cuisine
It was Paul’s birthday, so it had to be special…something out of the ordinary and truly impressive. After much consideration I selected Gunther’s, #7 on the Miele Guide’s list for top restaurants in Asia. I think what got me, besides its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Singapore, was the idea of a menu-less, 8-course tasting dinner designed on the spot by the chef (who trained in a 3-starred Michelin restaurant in Paris). The idea of every course being a surprise sounded exhilarating and like just the kind of unique experience I was looking to share with Paul on his special day. [keep reading…]
by Paul on September 24, 2009
Ever been at a wine tasting, dinner party, or other event featuring wine and some know-it-all (probably with a beard and wearing a sweater) swirls his glass vigorously and then tilts the glass sideways to observe the streaking wine (wine legs)? Don’t feel bad if you believed the explanation that followed explaining that this was a good wine because it had “nice legs” or some other nonesense. This is one of the most persistent wine myths around. Read the explanation of why wine “has legs” (or “tears” for our francophile readers) after the jump.
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by Paul on September 11, 2009
Thanks to everyone who came for making our second Accidental Epicurean Event a great evening. Also a big thank you to our sponsors for the evening. Suresh and the staff of El Toro Restrobar provided a cool, calm, and casual venue for us…just the right Latin vibe we needed for the night. Chris from PengWines was informative and the wines were wonderful. Anyone who can get their hands on the King from PengWines needs to do so quickly before it runs out, it’s a true stand-out wine. (pics after the jump)
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by Paul on August 13, 2009
Our first event as “Accidental Epicurean Events” went off wonderfully last night. Another big thank you goes out to our event sponsors – Epicurious, Underground Wines, and Divine MedSpa. Helena from Epicurious, Sianne from UW, and Christine from Divine MedSpa were so relaxed, calm, and generally cool and that vibe came through to our guests making for a really great evening. (pictures of guests at bottom of post) [keep reading…]
by Paul on August 6, 2009
Hey all,
In the few months we’ve been running Accidental Epicurean , we’ve taken the website from 1500 readers to over 13,800 last month! We’ve put up over 100 informative posts on food, wine, spas, hotels, and different Asian cities. Now it’s time for another new feature at Accidental Epicurean…the hosted event.
“Stumbling upon the good life” involves more than just reading about wines, foods, etc. You need to get out and try things for yourself, deciding what interests you. So we’ve teamed up with various venues and product providers around town in order to bring you some unique flavors and experiences you might not have discovered on your own. And we’re striving to give you these opportunities in a safe, unpretentious environment where it’s OK to not know all the right things to say or do.
Next week on the 12th of August we’ll be hosting our first event with the great folks of Epicurious and Underground Wines. Epicurious will provide light bites of Asian fusion to pair with the New Zealand wines provided by Underground Wines. Better still you get to sample 6 out of 8 wines… this way you’re not forced to take a predetermined 6 wines even if you don’t particularly like a grape or varietal. This way you can get what you want and even team up with a friend or guest to sample the other two 
The wines being offered are:
- Mt Rosa Riesling 2006, Central Otago, New Zealand
- Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Whitehaven Pinot Gris 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Bushmere Estate Chardonnay 2006, Gisborne, New Zealand
- Sherwood Estate Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Mt Rosa Pinot Noir 2007,Central Otago, New Zealand
- Unison Merlot/ Cab Sauv/ Shiraz Blend 2007, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
- Gladstone Rose 2008, Wairapara, New Zealand
If you are a faithful Singapore reader or just in town on the 12th please make a point of RSVPing today. We’re keeping the event smaller at only 40 or so people and things are filling up quickly already. If you miss this event, look for more in the future and if you’re a venue or product provider interested in partnering with us in the future please drop us a line via the contact page.
Thanks,
Paul
by joanna on June 28, 2009
A quiet little place, with an endless wine list, tucked away on Duxton Hill
We were searching, maybe a bit too late at 9pm, on a Friday night for a place on Duxton Hill to have dinner. Walking up and down the cobble-stoned hill lined with conservation shop houses, we were surprised to see that most restaurants were quiet. This seemed a bit surprising on a Friday night – and further stumped us on our selection…as when in doubt in Singapore one always follows the crowd as food-loving Singaporeans seem to have an instinctual drive for good food. Maybe we should have left at this point for more crowded environs, but we decided to be adventurous and try The Universal.
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Hey all,
This Saturday we attended another wine tasting event way out on the West Coast at Nook. We randomly received the invite on Facebook and were thinking of letting the offer pass, but I felt like we were stuck in our Orchard/Chinatown/Quay bubble and should venture out. I’m glad we did.
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Some exciting and well-priced wines from Astrolabe Winery, New Zealand presented by Rubicon Reserve Wines [keep reading…]
