I was supposed to write this post last night… but I guess the “Dream of the Blue” effect made it a little too difficult for me to put words together. LOL. 🍶
So yes, last night was a mini early-holiday night out with my colleagues. Nothing too grand, just a simple BBQ-style dinner, plenty of laughs, and a table that slowly turned into a “let’s try everything” buffet situation. You know those nights where nobody wants to be the boring one, so everyone keeps adding items until the table looks like it’s hosting a reunion dinner? That was us.
The star of the night, at least visually, was this exquisite bottle called Lan Meng (Dream of the Blue). The bottle itself looked like it belonged in a display cabinet, deep blue with gold details, the kind of drink that screams “special occasion.” And it should, because it costs around SGD 400 (about $300) per bottle. I was curious but also cautious, because this isn’t your usual “one or two beers after work” vibe. It’s 40.8% alcohol, which is honestly on a whole different level compared to a regular beer. I took my time with it, slow sips, lots of water in between, and thankfully, we had plenty of food to balance things out.
And I’m really glad we ordered a lot of food, because the Chinese-style BBQ skewers were exactly what we needed for a night like this. The skewers came lined up on metal trays like little soldiers, nicely seasoned, slightly smoky, and coated with that familiar BBQ spice mix that makes you want to keep reaching for “just one more.” My favorite among the skewers was the grilled lamb. Lamb is one of those meats that can be hit-or-miss for people, but this one had that bold, savory character without being too gamey. It tasted like it was made for beer, and honestly, I couldn’t imagine a better pairing in that moment.
One dish that surprised me was the scallop. It arrived sitting pretty on its shell, topped with glass noodles and a garlic-chili mixture that looked small but delivered big flavor. The noodles soaked up all the juices, and that combination of sweet seafood + punchy garlic + a bit of heat was a real highlight. It felt like a “small dish,” but it ate like a main character.
We also had dumplings, and I’m always happy when dumplings show up. They’re comforting, easy to share, and they quietly keep the group moving. Fried rice made it into my personal favorites too, because fried rice is the ultimate team player: it doesn’t steal attention, but it makes everything better.
Now, let me talk about the restaurant ordering style because it was actually pretty smart. Everyone at the table could place their own orders, and everything goes into one bill. It’s like group ordering freedom, no one controlling the menu, no awkward “eh who wants what?” drama. The only problem is… duplicate items happen. 😂 And yes, it happened to our table. We accidentally ordered two plates of cucumber. When the second one arrived, we all laughed so hard because it was such a harmless “miscoordination” moment. But honestly, it added to the fun, and the cucumber was refreshing anyway, so it wasn’t a loss.
Ambience-wise, the place had this lively, slightly neon glow, with BBQ energy and a casual vibe that made it easy to just relax and enjoy. Overall, it was a great night, good food, good company, and a memorable first experience with Dream of the Blue (even if it delayed my writing schedule by one whole day LOL).
I’ll definitely remember this dinner as one of those simple-but-special nights, and I’m glad we made it happen.
