Suffering from food poisoning over the Easter weekend is no fun. Plans got canceled, the only I made was one to the doctors' to get jabbed and all I could do was practice my sprint to the loo everytime i downed something as mundane as water. Can't eat, can't lie down, can drink...wonder if this is the supermodel diet?

Then came Monday. Now, Monday nights is probably one of the few nights that I can spend entirely in front of the TV because, for once, I can catch some of the programmes I enjoy. One of it being, Inside the Actors Studio, which feeds my love for pop culture, Hollywood trivia and occasionally gossip.

Each week, I spend an hour with a familiar Hollywood face and listen as they open up and share their experience. We sometimes do this with our bosses too but with a lesser degree of fame or infamy. Sometimes insightful, always inspiring and with funny bits thrown in unexpectedly, I love the show because it veers away from your typical talkshow and its guests are comfortable enough to reveal quirky insights into their job.

One of my favorites was Hugh Laurie, who plays the title character off the TV series House. He gave one of the best quotes of the season when he said, "...if you walk into the room and can't see the asshole immediately, then it's probably you."

Ah...notes to tell the boss at the next performance review.

But my favorite part always comes towards the end...where the host, James Lipton will submit a short questionnaire to the guest. The questionnaire concept was originated by French television personality Bernard Pivot, after the Proust Questionnaire.

Here's my crack at it:

1. What is your favorite word? Vomit
   
2. What is your least favorite word? Dunno
   
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Dessert!
   
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Non-creative people
   
5. What sound or noise do you love? Rain
   
6. What sound or noise do you hate? Power drills
   
7. What is your favorite curse word? Goddamnshitfuckballs! (Thank you, Jean)
   
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Journalist
   
9. What profession would you not like to do? Accountant (Ooh!)
   
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? (In a horrified Singapore accent) Eh, you're here?!

Lost is what I initially felt at the Broken Social Scene concert last weekend. On a good note, the concert boasted a couple of firsts; the first time Mosiac brought in one of Canada's most acclaimed acts, the first time I went to a concert without listening to much of the band's music and astonishingly, the first time almost everyone leapt out of their seats and started dancing once the music started. By the end of the concert, I was a fan :o)

A few nights later, I went to see Sondre Lerche...with a bunch of friends and repeated the whole cycle of jumping up and down and singing...and horror of horrors, being a total fan. No thanks in part to Matthew who met the guy the night before at the Mum showcase, took a picture with Sondre and called me to tell me. Bastard!

I love visiting new restaurants and doing food reviews. It's something about going to a new place and discovering great food and drinks that appeals to the innate foodie in me.

That's not to say that I'm a food snob but once in a while, I come across really great places. Take for example House @ Dempsey. Located at 8D Dempsey Hill, House is a little hard to find but man, what a discovery.

What was good: Definitely, the food. Everything is made ala minute and came to our table well-presented. The ingredients are all fresh and very well prepared so nothing came too overcooked or dried or tasteless. What we loved was the Lamb Shank, which was simply divine and melt-in-your-mouth with every bite. The big boon was the seasoning and the mashed potatoes - no puny powdered crap, but real, chunky mashed potatoes flavored lightly with garlic. Oh and, and...little globs of marrow that just explodes with flavor.

The lobster linguine was al-dente and served with a slightly spicy Harissa sauce which just refreshes the palate. What's great is that it's served with chunks of fresh lobster as well as the lobster shell for those who love to chew on it for the extra flavor. And the we had the Ratatouille stuffed eggplant which was light, and refreshing to the palate and is highly recommended for those looking for something light, yet substantial. And, no, I did not spot any rats preparing this. And did I mention the dessert?

Just look at the looks of ecstasy that my dinner companions had! If you are a dessert junkie and your dinner companions have a separate stomach for dessert or love chocolate, you are in for a treat! I'd suggest that you try the Moby Dessert box where you can select any three of their mouthwatering desserts at 10% off. Yippee! The clear winner of the night in this round was the warm chocolate coffee cake...it's warm, it's got lots and lots of toffee fudge and it's divine-ness in a uh, metal lunch box. The Strawberry Shortcake was surprisingly delightful though not terribly sweet as some places but the one that was the most surprising was the Green Tea Tiramisu. It's took a little getting used to having tofu in my dessert but generally, it helped give a clean finish to a great meal.

What was quirky: The drinks. Which I love, love. Good restaurants usually come with their signature wines and beer but. What was great about House was its inventive drinks menu. Recently overhauled, the drinks is served in House's quirky style where you get Long Island Iced Tea in a set set. If you cannot hold your alcohol, I would suggest that you ask for something lighter, because despite looking so cute, this drink can really pack a punch. Oh, and the little jug that comes together with the drink is coke. Not guilin-gao...yes, I am a plebeian at times.

The other drink that we had was the refreshing Tiffin Punch. It's orange, lychee and ginger with a healthy douse of Bombay sapphire, lychee liqueur and champagne. To add that extra kick to the drink, try the lychee and ginger together - guaranteed to awaken your full but otherwise happy belly.

Things that improved: I know that House used to be knocked for its lackluster service and under-informed staff but its recent overhaul has done the restaurant a world of good as its cheery the staff are very prompt and great with suggestions, even when faced with silly questions. Kudos to Jaclyn Chan and Eric who had our meal a thoroughly enjoyable one.

The result. Three very happy campers indeed who would probably return to revisit the cocktail and dessert menu!

This past weekend, a bunch of us went to check out a new Latin club in Clarke Quay.

Azzucar! (yeap, just like in the song!), is located in Blk D, #02-03 and plays a mix of live Latin music, Latin pop, reggeton and salsa almost every night. Sunday is salsa night so for salseros who need their salsa fix to kick start the week, head on down.

What's good: The band is exciting and keeps you on your feet throughout their sets. The music is hot. There is no cover charge - yes, you read it right. From now till about May, it's free entry for all. And, for all you alcoholics out there, there is a 1-for-1 promo till 10pm. Beers are priced at $12 a pop.

What can be improved: People should respect the dance floor. If this place is going to be anything like Union Square, then patrons should not be allowed to carry their drinks onto the dance floor! How irresponsible is that? The floor in Azzucar is great for dancing and hopefully more salseros will be patronizing the place.

There were some familiar faces but it seems to be a largely expatriate crowd for now. Hopefully, the club will draw in more visiting salseros and not go down the road of being a small Movida. Movida plays a lot of great music and packs out the place every weekend but it's too commercialized and no one lets serious dancers on the floor - which can be annoying, especially when there is a great song on.

What more, with Union Square closing for renovations in the middle of March, local salseros need to find a new hangout and Azzucar has the potential to be a great alternative venue.

While I'd like to post photos from our night out, I have to report that due to human error (read: idiocy) I accidentally deleted the photos before downloading them into my comp.

My genius simply astounds me.