1/2 roast London duck – S$32
went with friend for lunch at tunglok signature @ orchard parade on 6.4.2016. ^^
just returned from london last evening. had an excellent family holiday in london, lisbon, porto with wife, son & daughter.
my OPS friend bought me an excellent G7 Sinma frog porridge lunch on 11.3.2016 before my trip.
so my turn to buy lunch. 🙂
garlic steamed razor clams – S$12.80
we started with a steamed razor clam.
clam was smaller than what usually is served in say ah yat, jumbo, long beach etc. the sauce a bit gluey, but overall the taste was still very good. 🙂
i would order this again, also after 50% palate discounts for 2pax, this dish was only S$6.40++.
lie tong 例汤 1/2 pot=S$16
we shared 1/2 pot lie tong 例汤 1/2 pot at S$16 (full pot S$28).
lie tong 例汤 always good here, and at others like imperial treasure etc. for me, a good lie tong 例汤 1/2 (they usually very good la) is better than taking sharksfin (politically incorrect) or even fishmaw soup.
1/2 roast London duck – S$32
& i wanted to let my friend try the roast london duck. ^^
they used irish duck which is fatter & more flavourful.
can’t it’s better than the tea smoked duck at xin cuisine,
but certainly it is better than the very good roast duck at canton paradise.
Rack of lamb – S$15
rack of lamb was good too, tender not too strong gamey taste. but chinese preparation is for me, never as good for this dish c/w with modern european.
we shared one order.
String beans – S$18
string beans was more ex, basically S$18 is a good restuarant kind of pricing for veg.
Garoupa fillet noodles soup – S$12
i had a zhajiangmian variation here with my wife recently.
this time, it was a garoupa fillet noodle soup.
it was good, soup very tasty, garoupa fillet fresh & sweet.
we shared one order.
Good Food @ Asia Treasure T3 Lounge, Long 13.5hrs Flight & Long 1.5hrs ride from Heathrow on 7May2015
mee rebus
leaving for heathrow this evening on 7.5.2015. ^^
travelling by SQ economy as the economy fare is only S$300 more than the taxes & fees i have to pay if i redeem business class. doesn’t make sense? keep my miles for later when no cheap economy. 🙂
economy was full on the seat map at time of booking & afterwards (though it turned out not to be so when i boarded, wonder why???). there were hardly any seats left so i had to pay S$84 for a “preferred” seat. it’s A380 & i managed to get the best seat 48D, with 1 empty space (no seat) in front!
energiser smoothie
went to the asia treasure lounge at T3.
took the usual berries smoothie, called energiser i think. 🙂
fried carrot cake
in the morning they served local food.
the fried carrot cake was excellent very tasty, flavourful, the crispy chilli too. i ordered 1/2 portion.
mee rebus
mee rebus
& the mee rebus was so nice!^^
3 fresh plump sweet prawns, lovely gravy & nice fried tofu cubes, shallots & green chilli. 🙂
xxxxxxx
i am one of those who don’t complain about airline food. had a decent poached egg with chicken sausage breakfast. ok, took sausage & 1/2egg, and a good chicken biryani lunch. took 1/2 the rice.
it was a long flight, 13hrs 30mins, touched down & at the gate at heathrow T2 3.40pm. son booked a cab for me 45mins after arrival, which was very good timing. i had 1 piece of check-in luggage & was out at arrival hall 4.20pm.
the journey to london was tedious, took a full 1.5hrs to the apartment near king’s cross. cab went via hyde park, huge jam, divert through piccadilly & just as jam all the way. wonders? today 7.5.2015 UK election day, thought traffic would be lighter.
c.h.e.f andy
Chicken Rice 白斩鸡饭
been doing poached chicken白斩鸡 quite a bit, most recently for a 9pax homecooked lunch on 9.3.2015.
1 of the delectable dishes i made was “hong lim FC curry chicken noodles”. basically i used the same method to make the poached chicken白斩鸡, just that the chicken stock needed to be more intense to produce a tasty chicken curry gravy.
though i have made the poached chicken白斩鸡 many a times, i had not gotten around to making the chilli sauce & the rice. recently my son in london shared on family whatsapp the chicken rice he made for his friends. that finally got me to try out my own chicken rice.
so i followed my trusted poached chicken白斩鸡 recipe & made another tasty, moist, tender chicken.
this was my very first time though to attempt the chicken rice.
chicken stock
after i deboned the chicken, i put pack the bones to the stock & boiled for another 2 hrs, reducing to a very flavourful chicken stock. i was cooking 2 cups of rice so took out 2 cups of chicken stock to cool down.
chicken rice after frying before cooking
1 browned 3 chopped shallots, then added 2 teaspoon minced garlic & slice ginger (3cm piece) & fry for short time to get the fragrance aroma, then i added the 2 cups of rice and mixed thoroughly. i removed rice & put in the rice cooker & wait for the stock & rice to cool.
chicken rice cooked with stock
then i cooked the rice in my regular rice cooker.
chicken rice
chicken rice
the rice tasted a tad soft at first, but when eaten with the chicken, chilli & black sauce (& even overnight), it tasted pretty good.
soup – chicken stock
the stock was heavenly!
chilli
i wasn’t sure about the chilli. i picked 1 recipe but did not have 6 large red chilli, so i made do with 3 chilli padi + a large red tomato. the blend needed the bulk. i reduced lime juice to 1 tablespoon (from 1/3cup or about 5 tbsp), added 1 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, then blended. and after tasting added 1 tsp tsuyu.
chilli taste was pretty ok. daughter said it tasted good but different from the chicken rice chilli. wife though i had too much shallot, no sesame, & just above average kind of good. i guess that was ok for my first try.
it was basically just inertia that i cooked many times poached chicken白斩鸡 but avoided the rice & chilli. anyway will do more chicken rice soon!^^
c.h.e.f andy
Curry Miso Lamb
curry miso lamb
made an absolutely delicious curry miso lamb yesterday.^^
this my own created recipe. & i experimented it for the first time, 1/2 making up as i go. haha! 🙂
curry miso lamb
i had 1 of my best lamb with my son at honey & co london on 22.8.2014. honey & co’s braised lamb shoulder with cous cous was truly superb, a braised dish that was tender & very tasty & not so sinewy.
i had wanted to replicate this, and now i had! ^^
curry miso lamb
curry miso lamb
i seasoned with sea salt & black pepper & browned 400g of lamb shoulder chops in butter over high heat, then marinated with my own concoction of curry miso in a flat oven dish & kept in chiller for 2 days-
- 1 heap tbsp curry powder
- 1 flat tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 chopped onion softened & lightly browned
- sprinkle of dry rosemary
i removed from chiller yesterday, added 2 cups+ vege stock (or can use chicken stock) to fully cover the lamb. then i added 1 cut onion, carrot & celery.
i placed in the oven for a total 10hrs = 3hrs at 90degC and 7hrs at 80degC. i read that 90degC is the optimal temperature to turn collagen (tough connective tissues) to gelatine, which made the lamb tender & gave the dish great flavours & umami.^^
curry miso lamb
curry miso lamb
& it was excellent, tasty & balanced, the vegetables & vegetable stock combining well & making the dish so very flavourful, delicious & not satiating.
this really excellent stuff!
c.h.e.f andy
Love This Place – Assembly Coffee (on 28Dec2014)
cafe mocca
son is back for 2 weeks winter break, & i am having more coffee breaks than i had for the whole year. 🙂
this time we had sunday brunch – roti prata at S.M.Aisha & teochew cold crab at di wei teochew restaurant at food canopy at botanical gardens. :-).
afterwards, we walked over to assembly coffee for a cuppa on 28.12.2014.
assembly coffee
flat white
lemon meringue
assembly coffee is a nice cool place to chill. we had 2 flat whites, a cappuccino & a cafe mocha, plus a lemon meringue.
the young lady barista created a beautiful, delightful swan latte art on the cafe mocca. it looked so easy…
the coffee & milk micro-foam were smooth & nice flavour.
daughter ordered a lemon meringue. it was very nice. lemon was tangy not too sweet & combined well with the biscuit crust & cream. i think i can make this one. so definitely try it at home. ^^
bill
cafe mocca
i will put this on par with chye seng huat at tyrewhitt road & dutch colony at pasarbella @ grandstand turf club road, with the advantage that it served a really good lemon meringue. i will also try the waffle & the salted caramel nut cake? next time. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Great Cuppa @ Dutch Colony Pasarbella on 26Dec2014
flat white small – S$4.50
family decided to go out for a cuppa on 26.12.2014.
ducth colony @ pasarbella
grandstand at turf club road is nearby. we decided to go to the dutch colony @ pasarbella. it’s quite a hip joint, nice cosy place, great ambience. 🙂
banana cake with cream cheese
banana cake with cream cheese
flat white large – S$5.50
i don’t go out for coffee often. the last time i had a nice cuppa with wife was at chye seng huat at tyrewhitt road on 17.9.2014.
i have a good coffee machine at home & recently i ordered 8x1kg caffe aurora from qbfood (it’s like 40% the price of lavazza coffee from culina! mostly when i had coffee outside it would be the “kopi-c go song tilok” aka kopitiam kind. ^^
we had flat whites & the children had some banana cake. like chye seng huat the coffee here was quite good. flavour was great, frothed milk was velvety smooth & combined well with the coffee. this reminded me also of the nice cuppa i had in london with my son-
at monmouth cafe in covent gardens on 22.8.2014, and
at melrose & morgan during our walk along regent’s canal to primrose hill on 24.8.2014.
the 2 in london were much better but that could also be the colder weather & we were doing a bit of walking & the mood was right & perfect for a cuppa.
by comparison i feel chye seng huat is better but really not by much. CSH place is cool but dutch colony is nearer if i really want to place with good coffee to chill.
c.h.e.f andy
Really Good Coffee @ Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar on 17Sep2014
flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar
after taking kok kee wanton mee @ lavendar food square on 17.9.2014, we decided to walk over to chye seng huat hardware at tyrwhitt road for our cuppa. 🙂
flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar
flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar
the cafe CSHH coffee bar was located on the ground floor of a building with the name chye seng huat hardware and a cool shophouse facade.
the interior was a nice chill-out ambience. at 430pm there were quite many customers but not full & we sat at a corner wall with a ledge & tall stools & a wall mirror so you could see the whole cafe when sat facing the mirror.
flat white @ chye seng huat coffee bar
we had a flat white at S$5.50 each.
the coffee flavour was good & the frothed milk was velvety smooth & combined well with the coffee.
i had 2 really great cuppas during my recent stay in london – one was at monmouth cafe in covent gardens on 22.8.2014, and the other when we stopped for a cuppa at melrose & morgan during our walk along regent’s canal to primrose hill on 24.8.2014.
a nice coffee makes all the difference. i have a jura machine at home. i used to get the rather expensive lavazza coffee at culina but later found caffe aurora at qbfoods that cost 40% the price, and for me they were very good (or good enough). i had nice nespresso at my friend’s house after our weekly jog, and also at my son’s apartment in london. all of them were better than the coffee one gets at starbucks, so if i want to get a coffee outside that is NOT a S$1.20 kopi-c, it has to be a good cuppa to make any sense in spending that money! 🙂
for me, CSHH cafe bar’s flat white falls into that good cuppa category. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Mille Crepe & Lady M Cakes on 8Sep2014
lady M’s cheese cake
on the day the 6 of us had lunch at nuvo on 8.9.2014, we planned also to try out the mille crepe at lady M confections, which came under the same caerus holding group. caerus was set up in 2008 as a wine distribution company in India, Maldives and Malaysia & moved into the crowded f&b business a year later.
we adjourned from nuvo to lady M which was conveniently located next to the escalator at the dining edition with direct access to the car park. 🙂
lady M’s mille crepe
we ordered the mille crepe & a gateau nuage plus some drinks.
a few of us had lady M couple times before. the last i had though was already some time off, when a friend brought a mille crepe to a dinner at alborgo on 22.11.2013. the cream was light & not too sweet. it was for sure a nice cake but actually overall there was a lot of cream in it. i actually prefers the ritz apple strudel as i liked a fluffier texture to go with that much cream (even if light) & the apple to jazz it up.
gateau nuage translates to “cloud cake”. it was nice too, a light cheese cake with a cinnamon graham cracker crust with a thin layer of sweetened sour cream to give it a silky finish.
i generally don’t mind cheese cakes. this one was good, but did not hold any special attraction (say) like the cheese cake i had at honey & co, londonrecently on 22.8.2014. my own tofu cheesecake does not look the class but is lighter w/o the crepe pastry & also jazzed up with lemon & yogurt. 🙂
the prices were not cheap. it was though the going price of cakes & coffees for such ambience & location. not a place i would usually go.
c.h.e.f andy
Cambridge Day Trip & College Walk on 25Aug2014
our lady & english matyrs church, hills road
set off for a day trip to cambridge monday 25.8.2014.
we enjoyed 3 days of glorious sunshine over the weekend, weather was wet on monday, so we were hoping to escape the rain by going to cambridge. but no luck! at least we were armed with disposal raincoats + an umbrella each. sigh! 😦
it was bank holiday & son booked on internet a very cheap day return fare just £26 for 2pax for the 46mins journey from kings cross. 🙂
i found this easy walking route. the guide says “If you are visiting Cambridge, and want one walk to see things, this is the walk. You will see the Round Church, St Johns and Trinity gatehouses, the Backs, Kings College Chapel (from the outside) and the Mathematical bridge“.
we took the 8.44am train from kings cross & arrived cambridge at 9.30am. there was a slight drizzle.
our lady & english matyrs church, hills road
we checked out the map at the station & followed the station road to hills road. i took some photos of our lady & english matyrs church.
downing college lawn
we continued on regent street, and entered downing college, a college that does not charge entry fee. 🙂
st andrew’s street baptist church
i took a photo of st andrew’s street baptist church. it incorporated stone pebbles on its exterior wall design. 🙂
market square
market square
we passed by market square & also walked through the grand arcade.
round church, bridge street
we passed the round church.
view from magdalene bridge
view from magdalene bridge
& got onto magdalene bridge. it was wet & not many punts were out.
trinity college
we followed the walk past st john’s college to trinity college on trinity street. we paid £1 at the porter’s lodge to visit the trinity quad & chapel. 🙂
trinity college quad
trinity college quad
quad (or trinity great court) was nice. weather was depressing. 😦
trinity college chapel
trinity college chapel
trinity college chapel
there was a collection of sculptures at the trinity chapel. the one above is sir is sac newton.
view from garett hostel bridge
view from garett hostel bridge
exiting trinity college, we found garret hostel lane and walked on to garret hostel bridge. the extensive backs adjoining river cam & many bridges are mostly private college property & not accessible unless you pay the entry fees. garret hostel bridge is 1 of few which is a public bridge.
from here we could see clare college ground & further king’s backs.
king’s college (view from the backs)
king’s college (view from the backs)
after crossing the bridge we walked on queen’s road, passing king’s college. i took some photos of king’s backs & the famous college buildings. 🙂
we next passed queen’s college, followed the guide & proceeded along silver street. the mathematical bridge was located within queen’s college compound & could be viewed from the silver street crossing over river cam.
a popular myth has it that-
the bridge was designed and built by sir is sac newton without the use of nuts or bolts….students or fellows of the University attempted to take the bridge apart and put it back together, but were unable to work out how to hold the structure together, and were obliged to resort to adding nuts and bolts….
newton cannot have been directly involved since he died in 1727, twenty-two years before the bridge was constructed.
king’s college
king’s college
from silver street we turned left into trumpington street & to king’s parade. we enquired about the entry fee. it was £7.50 to see king’s college, chapel & backs. these days i treat entrance fees as worthwhile donations (which they are) for the upkeep of important museums & historical places etc. on this occasion though we did not need to visit so we did not enter the college.
the short walk was completed & we proceeded to cote brasserie for a very satisfying lunch. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Exquisite Lunch @ HKK London on 26Aug2014
#1 crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin, melon, dragon fruits & salad
we had a fabulous. sublime lunch @ HKK London at worship street on 26.8.2014. to me it was par with the £36 3-course pre-theatre menu at joel robuchon no less. 🙂
it took us a while to decide. our instinct when it came to chinese food, was to go for the cheap, robust, proven good chinese eats like roast duck at goldmine & four seasons. there was this lack of faith, that fine chinese was just the same cheap chinese food repackaged to cost an arm & a leg. 😦
we went to hkk all the same. hkk is the latest addition by hakkasan group. we took the northern line from king’s cross to moorgate. had the wonderful 4-course £28.50 lunch. 🙂
2 wet days in a row. the day before was raining in cambridge, and this time rain interfered with our plans to go greenwich, well at least we had a superb lunch to make up for the dreary start.
#1 crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin, melon, dragon fruits & salad
#1 the crispy duck salad – pulled duck with crispy skin bits in plum sauce, melon & dragon fruits & beautiful salad – was a superb dish. it was substantial too, with quite a good portion of duck meat. to me it was equal to any good appetiser in a top western restaurant.
#2 truffle chicken soup
#2 the truffle chicken soup was simply sublime. it was a wonderful tasting 当归鸡汤 with julienne cordyceps strips, a blended texture yet chinese tasting soup with great truffle flavour. 🙂
#3 wagyu, japanese yam, cripsy sweet potato & egg fried rice
#3 the 3rd course was a wagyu, japanese yam, cripsy sweet potato & egg fried rice. the braised wagyu was top draw, soft tender braised texture not too sinewy & still bouncy, definitely better than the ox cheek at Joel Robuchon, and different but equal to the braised lamb shoulder at honey & co.
#4 salted cashew nuts, milk & peanut parfait, chocolate, & lime sorbe
#4 salted cashew nuts, milk & peanut parfait, chocolate, & lime sorbe
#4 the salted cashew nuts, milk & peanut parfait, chocolate, & lime sorbet was also a very good dessert. the parfait under the peanut crust was much like a good ice cream.
in terms of presentation, taste & quality of cooking departments, each dish & the overall experience of this 4-course hkk set lunch was equal to any set lunch or pre-theatre menu in a good fine dining restaurant. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Great Dinner @ Joel Robuchon London on 24Aug2014
#3 scottish lobster sea shell pasta
i had a very good lunch at gordon ramsey at the claridge’s brook street (now closed), & not so great dinner at marco pierre white in london in 2011. had yet to try joel robuchon. i had joel robuchon in hong kong both the set lunches menu decouvert at l’ artelier & dinner degustation at la cuisine. the set lunches were pretty good & reasonably priced. the degustation was good of course but too expensive for me.
wife & son had been talking about joel robuchon in london & paris, so we decided to go for a pre-theatre at joel robuchon london on 24.8.2014.
it was really good. 🙂
bread basket=baguette, olive bread, sour dough
bread basket of baguette, olive bread, sour dough was ok for good restaurant standard.
#1 parma ham, goat cheese, melon tart
#1 parma ham, goat cheese, melon tart
#1 parma ham, goat cheese, melon tart was lovely. my son & i were talking about that this being an assembled dish, but still the presentation was great & all the ingredients came together beautifully. 🙂
#2 crispy sous vide egg with chorizo & cheese shavings
#2 crispy sous vide egg with chorizo & cheese shavings was very good too. it’s a bit similar to the excellent 64degC 55mins sous vide egg with iberico chorizo at jaan with the combination of taste & texture – the silky yoke & the salty bits of chorizo PLUS the crispy filo. this was good. jaan’s was much better.
#2 open ravioli with clams & razor clams with a crispy top & foam
#2 open ravioli with clams & razor clams with a crispy top & foam
#2 the open ravioli with littleneck clams & razor clams with a crispy top & foam was again excellent. the shellfish, crispy top & foam was a wonderful combination. 🙂
#3 6hrs braised ox cheeks
#3 6hrs braised ox cheeks
#3 the 6hr braised ox cheeks was very good in terms of taste & preparation, however just for comparison of braised items i think the braised lamb shoulder at honey & co was much tastier than this, so was the braised wagyu at hkk london & for my own taste preference = my own spanish beef ribs is also better (of course the meat cuts were different & we are not comparing apples with apples). 🙂
#3 scottish lobster sea shell pasta
#3 the scottish lobster sea shell pasta, a substantial portion (i think 1/2 a 600g lobster), was tops! the foam & broth like a very good lobster bisque, and the lobster was very sweet & tasty. the pasta too. an excellent pasta dish! 🙂
the price for 3-course was £36 + 13% = S$73++ & there was a £7 supplement for the lobster. at S$73++ for a set lunch/pre theatre menu it was very much more expensive than the fabulous les amis S$45++ 4-course set lunch. both were excellent & JR was more inventive but quality+value wise, les amis would beat this hands down. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Worst Meal in London @ Poppies Fish & Chip Camden on 24Aug2014
poppies fish & chip=cod large for GBP13.90
thought of having fish & chips since we were in london.
son went to google & found this place poppies fish & chip at camden. as we were taking a morning walk along regent canal to camden town to primrose hill, this seemed a good place to stop for lunch.
poppies fish & chip
poppies fish & chip
poppies fish & chip=cod large for GBP13.90
it was however a bad choice. 😦
poppies was evidently among the top 10 fish & chips restaurants in london (the sign said voted No.1) & had quite good reviews on trip advisor. somehow it just did not agree with me or my son.
we ordered the cod large for GBP13.90. somehow, everything was wrong with this fish & chips – “cod” fish was dry, quite tasteless, even with lots of salt & vinegar, didn’t seem fresh or bouncy, batter was thick & poor, & fries were tasteless.
and the price = GBP13.90+ was doubled those on the streets…
but whatever the price it must taste good first! so this fell squarely as our worst meal in london, worse than the street fares like duck confit sandwich & crispy pork belly sandwich & even the chorizo bun at borough market, & even the GBP3.50 gyros (& the fries that came with it) we had earlier at the camden market was many times better than this. totally surprising to me but there it is! 😦
i no fan of fish & chips but old brown shoe (now closed) fish & chips was way way better than this!
c.h.e.f andy
Interesting Mid-Eastern Lunch @ Honey & Co on 22Aug2014
messe for 2pax
had a very interesting mid-eastern lunch at honey & co on 22.8.2014. 🙂
place was recommended by son. i knew little about mid-eastern food and didn’t think its the kind of food i would like much. but i googled about honey & co, and the reviews were all very good.
honey & co wareen street
it’s a small restaurant by a husband & wife team, aarit packer and itamar srulovich. we were greeted by very friendly & cheerful staff. 🙂
messe for 2pax
messe for 2pax
we enjoyed a very nice GBP15.5 2-course lunch, which came with a messe appetiser dish & a choice of main course. as the main courses on the menu were like GBP14.50, it made sense to do the set. 🙂
the messe for 2pax included warm feta bread, chickpea hummus, beetroot with mint, kalamata olives & another dip with pomegranate & grilled corn on the cob. every item was very nice. i especially liked the beetroot with mint, and the pomegranate dip. the regular chickpea humus was good too. 🙂
roasted sardines
braised lamb shoulder
braised lamb shoulder
we had 2 mains recommended by the server. the roast sardines was excellent, very fresh & flavourful & not liked the fishy stuff i usually associated with sardines, something i would take again. the braised lamb shoulder with cous cous was truly superb, a braised dish that was tender & very tasty & not so sinewy. just purely for comparison of a braised item, i would put this as better than the ox cheek at joel robuchon and about par with the wagyu at hkklondon.
cheese cake
cheese cake
& the GBP6.50 cheesecake with blueberries, almonds & a crispy fill like base was almost out-of-this-world. liked it a lot, so much that i had another order to take away. 🙂
love the food & the service. there was no service charge so we gave a like 15% tip. 🙂
c.h.e.f andy
Watch A Play in London=Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (on 22Aug2014)
went to watch the play “the curious incident of the dog in the night time” at geilgud theatre on shaftesbury avenue with son yesterday on 22.8.2014.
timing wise was great as we had morning walk along victoria embankment, house of parliament (big ben), westminster abbey to buckingham palace etc then late lunch 1.30pm at honey & co.
so we had some rest in the afternoon before theatre at 730pm & went for cheap GBP9.95 2-course dinner at big easy at king’s road covent garden at 10.30pm, & returned to apartment as zombies.
gielgud was home to yes prime minister & avenue q, now “the curious incident of the dog in the night time” after national theatre & apollo (where the ceiling collapse-not intended- at the ending some months back)
book by mark haddon was award winning so was the play & current christopher is played by mike noble.
usually we watch musicals (not so intellectually challenging.. haha). the play (& book) was about a 15 yr old boy christopher with what was described as high functioning autism or savant syndrome, a mathematician with behavioural difficulties, finding the neighbour’s dog dead with a garden fork. police was called & he reacted violently when touched, was arrested then released & later found out his father’s been lying to him about his mother’s death 2 years ago after he found his mother’s unopened letters to him dated few months back in his father’s room…etc…
the synopsis did not quite excite me but i guess the acclaimed play (& book) must be quite good.
anyway the performance by christopher was quite captivating. remarkable how stage actors can memorise all these lines, there is no “NG” & reshoot on stage. he was able to portray a brilliant mind who receive constant overdose of factual & emotional stimuli & emotionally unable to relate to people etc..
production was great & innovative (with technology as well) with 3rd person narrative by christopher’s teacher as he wrote the incident & his investigations in a book & the past & present scenes were acted out as the teacher narrated the “book”…
christopher was assembling a toy train railway track on stage in real time in the midst of frantic dialogue & later the train actually moved representing his journey to london to look for his mother…
still we fell asleep during parts of the second half after a 20mins interval.
overall i quite enjoyed the play, but probably would not go out to get the book to read. not sure maybe my son have the book with him.
c.h.e.f andy
c.h.e.f 