Happy 40th Birthday To Me

I celebrated my 40th birthday yesterday with my family as I reached the mid-point of my life. The average life expectancy for males in Singapore is 80.7 in 2022. So, in gaming terms, if you started the game with 100% health, you are now down to 50% health remaining.

This phase of my life is to enjoy life as much as possible. Travel when I can walk, eat while I have teeth, and buy things I like while still working.

Quality of life going forward should be my number one priority. One of the best quality-of-life improvements I made last year was moving from my HDB BTO at Choa Chu Kang to an HDB Resale near Tanjong Pagar. I did not consider a condominium because I wanted to remain debt-free.

Zeng Hu Chu - Foyer — Zeng Hu Chu – Foyer

The location is fantastic, and the renovation done by my Interior Designer (ID) turned out very well. If you are interested, you can look for Renny from Of The Box and mention my name.

Bar-Roque Grill
One of the amazing things about living near Tanjong Pagar is the choices of food available within walking distance.

There are so many choices for steaks around the area. We chose Bar-Roque Grill at Amara Hotel because they serve other meats besides beef, as Li Xiang doesn’t eat beef.

I would consider Bar-Roque Grill more towards casual dining as the general atmosphere tends to be more chill and informal.

The service is excellent, and the best part is the dishes are delicious and very valuable for the money.

We ordered a Tomato Soup to share, and the service staff asked us whether we wanted to split it into two bowls. They usually only do that in fine-dining restaurants.

Bar-Roque Grill - Tomato Soup — Bar-Roque Grill – Tomato Soup

My medium Wagyu Flank Steak (220g) is done perfectly to my liking, and the char is on point. The best part, it only cost S$58.

Bar-Roque Grill - Wagyu Flank Steak — Bar-Roque Grill – Wagyu Flank Steak

Li Xiang ate the Grilled Seabass and Prawns, which was also good. The portion was generous. It cost S$46.

Bar-Roque Grill - Seabass & Prawns — Bar-Roque Grill – Seabass & Prawns

I will definitely go back to Bar-Roque Grill if I have any steak cravings since it is near my place and the prices are very reasonable.

Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine
We celebrated our birthday with our family at Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine in Ngee Ann City. My brother’s birthday is four days after mine, so we usually celebrate it together.

This year’s celebration, we have a new member of the family, my niece (my brother’s daughter).

Sadly, the food was average at Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine, and nothing was memorable.

Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine - Sautéed Egg White with Fish Meat & Conpoy — Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine – Sautéed Egg White with Fish Meat & Conpoy

Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine - Deep-fried Diced Chicken with Sichuan Peppercorn — Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine – Deep-fried Diced Chicken with Sichuan Peppercorn

Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine - Smoked Duck with Tea Leaves — Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine – Smoked Duck with Tea Leaves

Tim Sum: 2x Carrot Pastry
Tim Sum: Poached Pork Dumpling with Spicy Sauce
Smoked Duck with Tea Leaves
Sautéed Diced Chicken with Dried Chillies & Cashew Nuts
Sautéed Egg White with Fish Meat & Conpoy
Stewed Pork Served with Steamed Buns
Sautéed Beancurd Leaves with Green Soybean & Preserved ‘Xue Cai’ Vegetable
Stewed Eggplant with Minced Pork & Spicy Sauce in Claypot
Fried Rice in Shanghai Style

The service was terrible, though. Most of the staff had no smile, and they served us as if we owed them money. It was supposed to be more of a high-end restaurant as the prices were not cheap. Our total bill is more than S$400 for six people based on the above dishes we ordered.

Only two service staff were good; one ensured our tea and water were always full, and the other helped us take a family photo.

We will not go back again. I recommend checking out their Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine at Great World City instead, as the food and service were great.

Our birthday cake was from The Dark Galley: Signature Dark Chocolate Cake , which cost S$64.31 for six inches. The chocolate is thick and flavorful, though the cake is on the dry side. In comparison, Awfully Chocolate’s All Chocolate Cake doesn’t taste as chocolaty as The Dark Galley, but it is a little moister.