FORTUNE COOKIES DON'T LIE

16 Aug 2014 By Xin Hui Helder-Eng

We checked out Chopsuey Cafe’s cocktail menu, saw the words longan, lychee, rambutan, and chrysanthemum. You will believe what happened next… We ordered it.

SINGAPORE – Chopsuey Cafe, is imperially bold – In a country with a large Chinese population, it is serving up an array of “Chinese-y” dishes, which are really interpretations of traditional foods influenced by the Anglo-Chinese experience. That’s right, it’s that greasy, paper-box-n-chopsticks takeaway, sweet-n-sour-everything food that unhappy couples and newly-single Caucasians seem to love to order to have by their kitchen sink, (usually before they get murdered, or worse, taken) as portrayed by Hollywood.

Alas, we fell in love with a couple of dishes, and so will forgive them for the extravagant price-tag for sprouts and lettuce cups, and the general irony. But on to serious business. We are, as usual, parched. So straight into the drinks menu.

True to their offering, Chopsuey has a beautiful list of cocktails that have been given a tropical twist from fresh fruits, herbs, and spices found throughout the region. Expect to find ginseng, lychee, goji berries, chili padi, and other exotics.

The ladies’ choice went to:

WHITE BOUQUET SANGRIA | Riesling, lychees, longans, rambutans, and white chrysanthemum flowers, lemon soda.

They’re on to something.

Oh, and before you leave, you get a fortune cookie; everyone loves a fortune cookie! Ours said: “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” Whoa. Do they know something we don’t?

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Chopsuey Cafe is located at Block 10, Dempsey Road, #01-23, Singapore