The first time I went to Park 10, I was a little disappointed not to find any Lychee Martini on the menu and had a hard time deciding what to drink. I'm not much of a drinker and usually stick to Strawberry Daiquiri and Lychee Martini. One of my friends recommended that I try the Apple Martini. I ordered it and fell in love with the drink immediately. It was not excessively strong and the apple flavour was pleasantly sweet yet contained a hint of tartness. I don't usually drink alot but I had 2 Apple Martinis in the time it took some of my girlfriends to finish their Shochu cocktails. The Japanese bartender, who hails from Osaka, makes his martinis with so much passion and finesse that it was really quite fun to watch him prepare the drink. All this while, I recalled what my colleague, MA, told me about how important it was for a Martini to be prepared with passion. Then I started thinking about how James Bond likes his Martini shaken and not stirred, I say...yeah! shake that Martini with passion, man!

I've been told that sweet cocktails are more dangerous than those that taste strong because the alcohol hits you when you least expect. I guess my heavy dinner helped. What also helped was the morsels of Galbisal (barbecued seasoned beef short ribs, served boneless) that I had. The beef was fragrant and tender which served as a tasty complement to the refreshing crisp flavour of the lettuce. The raw garlic slices and Korean spicy bean paste added a nice punch. I resolved that I should return another time to try the other barbecued dishes.

The second time I went to Park 10 was when I convinced my friends, AH and MW, that they should try the Apple Martini after our shopping spree and dinner at Suntec City. The 2 girls were still midway through their martinis when I'd finished mine and decided to try the Mojito. Omigawd! The bartender made the BEST Mojito that I've ever had! It was not overly tart or sweet and the crushed mint was absolutely refreshing! I should park myself at the counter to watch the artist at work someday. He doesn't cheat by using loads of bottled lime juice and uses the freshest mint leaves, which have not been bruised by excessive manhandling. This is definitely a MUST-TRY!

I've been raving about it to most of my friends since. I raved so much that FW and I decided to order a post-lunch Mojito while we were chilling at a beach bar. It turned out to be a pretty bad interpretation. :(

I didn't realise how much I was raving about it till last week. While having dinner with LW, he pointed out that it was the first time that he's ever heard me rave about an alcoholic drink. My modus operandi is to rave about food. He also said that if I'm raving so much about the cocktails that the Japanese bartender (sheesh! I should get his name instead of constantly calling him the Japanese bartender, eh?) makes, then that guy must be really good at his job. Yeah, I think he just might make a mini-alcoholic out of me. By the way, for those who are wondering, I can assure you that I am not an alcoholic. *hic*

Park 10
Clarke Quay
3B River Valley Road
#01-14
Singapore 179021

Restaurant Tel: +65 6332-1010
Bar: +65 6339-8982
Email: reservations@park10.com.sg