Anniversary Dinner at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant

Last June, Jhay and I celebrated our 10th anniversary as a couple and at the same time our 2nd wedding anniversary (yes, we got married on the same date :D). It's such a big milestone having been together for a decade so initially I was planning an out-of-the-country trip or at least a beach getaway but in the end, none of that happened because (1) I am fickle-minded, I cannot decide where to go up to the last minute and (2) we figured we better put the finances towards an investment that we've been dreaming about since forever.

So yeah, no grand getaway for us this year. But my husband had a pretty bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates and a little plush toy delivered to my office first thing in the morning of June 4th -- something he hasn't done in a while. He even had a short, sweet note with it that made my heart melt like vanilla ice cream on a scorching summer day.

Lakas maka-teenager ng bouquet no? Hihi.

After work, we had a lovely dinner at Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant. What I liked about the place is its romantic yet laid-back vibe made more wonderful by the live music and a spectacular view of Sentosa Island. For people like us who are used to alternating fast food and home-cooked meals, this is indeed a treat!

We were seated right across the mini stage so we really enjoyed the good old ballads as well as some Spanish songs whose lyrics we may not understand but still have soothing melodies.

Behind me is Sentosa at sunset. Too bad I forgot to take a photo of the view outside.

We ordered calamari for starters. The serving is quite small but it's very crispy. The squid was really fresh, too. It was gone in 5 minutes or less. Haha.

For the main course, we had Crispy Pork Knuckle (Crispy Pata for us Filipinos) and the house specialty Seafood Paella. I know our choices are quite lame because both dishes are common in the Philippines as well but sadly, I'm not one to settle for the unfamiliar. I find happiness in food that gives me a feeling of home. That or I'm just making excuses ;P

Anyway.. here's what they look like...

Again, the serving is quite small for the price. It is really just good for 2 persons. It is, however, very flavorful and since it's my first time to eat Paella, it made me look forward to exploring other variations of this dish.

And then this. It's deadly, yes, but it's also devilishly good! Best crispy pata I've tasted. The skin is perfectly crispy and the meat... soooo tender! The level of saltiness was also spot-on. And have you noticed the sauce beside it? It's made of tomatoes and cinnamon and it made the whole thing work. Like, really. I'd go back to Serenity just for this :)

The obligatory "date night" shot :)

Overall, we were satisfied with the food but we can't say the same in terms of value for money. We paid around S$ 150 including taxes and service charge and to be honest we can eat in other restos thrice for the same amount. Well maybe we paid for the relaxing ambiance and the location. It's a place to just chill and take everything slow -- something that we don't get to experience every day :)

Happy 10 years to us, honey!
Praying for more and more decades of love, bliss and blessings for our family! :)