St. Valentine’s Day
Believe it or not, St. Valentine’s Day is not something we passionately celebrate every year. Our idea is to have the appreciation for each other all year round and not just on a “special” day when all the flower shops raise their prices for red roses. It’s funny when you see the advertisement – St. Valentine’s menu. Come, you love birds, and eat as the lady and a tramp. Share your meatballs! And after the 14th of February no more special offers. Go away, lovers! Don’t share your food. Order your own food and don’t you dare to kiss at the table. However, in our restaurant, there will be a menu for lovers! Sharing the degustation menu all year long.
Romantic Getaway
Anyway, this year we decided to have our date also on the 14th of February so that we can be socially acceptable. Oh, and by the way, the previous date was only two days before and it was even more awesome :). Our St. Valentine’s date was a result of a drawing game. We wrote ten ideas down on the paper and the first two ideas we had in common were a date plan.
The other two ideas were individual. I chose something for Vivi and she chose something for me. I hoped Vivi’s list would include a bar crawl but it didn’t. Our common idea was on my fifth place – “Eat a cake for four persons!” Well, O.K., she had only: “Eat a cake”, which is close enough.
Thai Massage
As an individual, I chose a Thai massage for her. I chose that because she was complaining about muscle pain. And, nope, my special massage didn’t help. So, it was time for professionals! She chose a cocktail night that would include a new cocktail with my beloved Hendrick’s Gin. Well, it is not a bar crawl, but, hey, it’s close enough and I like it. The first stop was at the massage salon, full of Thai ladies. Vivi was “lucky” and she got a strong one. I was almost crying only looking at her in hands of this Thai ex-wrestler.
There was nothing to worry about as the massage actually helped her and the muscle pain was almost gone. After the session, she felt much better and as she said it wasn’t that painful. However, I believe she kept her cool, looking like a tough lady. I must admit, that masseur will never see me on her shift. Anyway, Vivi liked it somehow but it was a far cry from our Panpuri massage we got in Penang.
Let’s add a cake for St. Valentine’s Day
Our second stop was the best pastry shop with the worst name in Melaka. This is the Italy Bakery. Don’t ask me why Italy. However, the pastry there was really good. We tried there some tarts, Japanese cheesecake, donuts, sweet cheese sticks, and a few more… Don’t judge us. This was the only sweets shop that had a diverse offer around there. That and each time, it was surprisingly good. Maybe Japanese have a secret gene that allows them to succeed at whatever they focus their mind on.
The next thing on our date list was the cake time. And, yes, it was a cake for four persons, so my prediction was true. Actually, it was a St. Valentine’s strawberry cake. Creamy, delicious, and full. As a matter of fact, I can say with a clear conscience – this place is the best! They know their business. After our cake, we headed for my cocktail.
I got Valentine’s Day Cocktail
Vivi prepared a special cocktail according to her new recipe. The name is also cool – the Unicorn. Sure, why not. Well, this special pinky mixture was good. So, we wrote a recipe for you at the bottom! It’s refreshing, a bit flowery and earthy. You will get a spicy kick and sour at the end. After a few cocktails, we headed to our love nest. I even got a bonus for our St. Valentine’s Day. It was a massage by her. And no! It wasn’t a Thai massage, thank god!
Unicorn Cocktail
1 1⁄2 oz cold butterfly pea tea
Generous 1 1⁄2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1⁄4 oz Gula Melaka (if you don’t have it use simple syrup)
1⁄4 oz Lime juice
same 1⁄4 oz Orange juice
Ice
Slice of chili
Slice of cucumber
How to make Unicorn cocktail
In a high ball glass first, pour butterfly pea tea and add ice.
In a shaker, lightly muddle a slice of red chili.
Add the Gula Melaka, lime juice, orange juice and gin, and fill with ice.
Shake well and pour (unstrained) into a highball glass.
Garnish with lime, cucumber and chili
