simondoro: It's My Birthday!

It was my birthday two days ago and I took the terrifying step of turning 37.

Gosh, it feels like just yesterday that I had celebrated my 18th birthday. Well, I wish it was just yesterday. But no, it was a hell of a long time ago. I assure you, no matter what you see on this blog, you?re just seeing all the kinder pictures of myself that I?ve selected to put online. The wrinkles, crow feet and backaches have definitely arrived. I think they are staying for good too.

And true to MY fashion of celebrating birthdays, we kick-started the celebration of my big day with champagne. It?s the only way to get through my 30s. With lots of bubbles. Heh heh.

The fun part about having a birthday away from home is that you get extra hours of celebration. If you?re having a fun time, that?s super news.. coz in my case, I had an extra 6 hours of celebration. If you?re having a bad day, then it just means 6 more hours of depression and self wallowing in bed. =/ So in South Africa, we started celebrating at 12 midnight Singapore time. Which was only 6pm the day before in Johannesburg. The bubbly started flowing and continued all the way to the next day..

Turning 37 wasn?t bad at all. It was a day of treats and indulgence. My morning was spent at my favourite spa with a long massage. It was intended to be a moment of quiet self-reflection, where I was supposed to use the quiet time to think of the life I?ve lived and what I wanted to do with my life moving forward. I had fallen asleep in the end. #fail

In the afternoon, some of my friends swung by at the last minute to have a glass of birthday bubbly with me and join me in digging our faces into a huge cake that the hubby got for me this year.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Don?t judge that boring looking cake. It was a YUMMILICIOUS red velvet cake. The best birthday cake to date that the hubby has ever gotten for me. He was mighty proud of himself. It was from The Patisserie. Deliciously soft cream cheese frosting and moist red coloured chocolate cake. It was SO GOOD.

I did say my birthday was a day of indulgence. And the grand finale was dinner at a fancy restaurant called DW-eleven-13. I cannot believe it has taken us more than 2 years in Johannesburg to check this restaurant out. It?s less than 5 mins away from our home and serves amazing food!

Since it was our first time there, we decided to go for their degustation menu, which was a 5 course sampler meal of their a la carte menu. It came with wine pairing, which was brilliant coz we didn?t have to think about what to eat or what to drink.

The food was chi chi atas. Not the kind of food that I would choose to eat on a normal day because it?s all so fine and delicate. But for a special experience? It was fabulous. We are talking about langoustines, quail and foie gras on the same plate. What?s there not to like?

Every course was delicious and came with a glass of a selected accompanying wine. It was a great birthday dinner, although the portions were small since it was a tasting menu. We are already planning our next visit to sample other items on their menu!

So yeah, it was an incredibly blessed day. A day of lots of presents, champagne, good food and great company. Big thanks to all my friends, family and readers who sent me their wishes. And to my gal friends who came by to sing me a birthday song. To my hubby who did all the arrangements and for that lovely bundle of 37 roses. With all the flowers I?ve received from friends as well this week, we have a small garden on our dining table now. =)

And as the South African way of life should be, my very blessed peaceful day ended as soon as my birthday was over. The next day, a storm broke out, my roof leaked like a waterfall, my lamp bulbs were fused and then power died for several hours. Back to reality!
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The Patisserie makes yummy cakes and is located at Shop 24 Post Office Centre, 30 Rudd Rd, Illovo, Johannesburg. My favourite items are their macarons and red velvet cupcake. It?s one of my favourite tea rooms for afternoon tea with my friends.

DW-eleven-13 is located at Dunkeld West Shopping Centre,
c/o Jan Smuts and Bompas Street, Dunkeld West, Johannesburg. I loved the food but I do have to warn folks who are planning to visit them that they are not receptive to feedback about their food. There were small things I didn?t like. But I didn?t have the chance to tell anyone at all. We liked their seafood starters and their lamb main course. And we plan to try their sous vide pork belly next time.