wifely duties

the perks of being married to mr. social is the wining and dining that comes with it. if only a generous expense account came with it too, but alas, one cannot have everything. there was the big hutong 'do at the start of cny week for 30. hadn't done an event at hutong before this but it's no secret we're big fans. this is little plug is completely un-sponsored btw, didn't receive a discount or any kick back but also a big believer in giving credit where due. the events team was such a breeze to coordinate things with and incredibly accommodating of the various dietary restrictions. i'm azn, eat everything, and am often unduly miffed when people exclude huge food groups from their diet. yet with age i find myself more accepting, more understanding and respectful of lifestyle choices. vege/vegan is something i understand better because it's tempting and something i'd attempt to incorporate if i wasn't such a glutton. but other weird and wonderful diets? my (already scant) patience wears thin.

got there early and while i probably should've pulled some organising weight, chickened out and nursed a drink by the bar to get some liquid courage going before having to face a sea of relatively unfamiliar faces. but as my darling sister put when i spoke with her a couple of days later, "you've a pretty good game face, no?" so yay for votes of confidence and fake it till you make it. and i suppose the thing is, this was a purely social gathering among friends. any faux pas would have minimal consequence / bizniz reverb because friends don't judge, right?

the staff were incredibly attentive, and we were thrilled by the excellent service. the mister often accuses me of being difficult (i'm not) and make a point to always be polite and respectful but i do ask him to sort it out during the event if deliverables aren't being met. don't feel it fair as a consumer and service receiver to be expected to accept substandard anything. so no complaints there, in fact, they surpassed already high expectations. the food was superlative and our guests fell in love with the view. suppose there's nothing not to like about the place but hutong is our sweet spot of incredibly views and solid food. it's not often the stars align and we're more used to cracking ambience but mediocre dishes, or the converse when some of the best meals we've had are in bomb shelter-esque environs.

because it was cny, the chef kindly prepared yu sheng. love off-piste ordering, makes me feel so special. simple things for simple folk ;) our friends had an absolute blast tossing it, and some of it might've even ended on the ceiling which was momentarily mortifying but for the forgiving and ever-smiling staff. cultural exchanges, ftw!

this was a lucky iphone5 photo and somehow the lighting really worked out. peking duck was super yums and think we've found our new go-to place :)

can't go to hutong without having the red lantern (soft shell crab on basket of dried chillis) which inspired ooohs and aahs as it was presented, fish with black bean, crispy lamb, sauteed prawns, chopped up duck with lettuce and seafood fried rice. the ginger ice cream and red bean pancake for dessert was sublime, as was the veuve and wines.

on a slightly different note, my current placement has rendered me the least popular person at a party. because when people start asking about my day, telling them i stood by as three babies died in the last 24h is quite the conversation killer (for obvious reasons, i hope). it's always interesting to see how different people react to such news. from overtly sentimental types welling up (yikes!) to the more pragmatic / utilitarian sort harking back to the spartan habit of hurling sick babies off a cliff. clearly the ideal lies in a happy medium. but being around death on a daily basis is sobering to say the least, and thought-provoking on a level i'd yet to experience. mind you, having just completed a six week med/surgical oncology posting before driving straight into this one was slightly more masochistic than anticipated. but hey, steep learning curve and immensely grateful to be at a centre of excellence learning from some of the best.