I think champagne tastes so much better when the cork is not popped in celebration but eased out with no particular aplomb for an unceremonious mid week drink.  It’s not that I don’t like formal dining – I’m English and so obviously obsessed with table manners, table linen and how people hold their cutlery (death to the ‘dart player’) – but rather that unstructured deliciousness tastes, well, better.

This Saturday night was testament to my new theory.  I’d been lucky enough to buy some caviar at a very decent friends and family rate from one of my Tanglin Club breakfast khaki who, among other things, sells oligarchical-quality black stuff in quite a serious way out here (he counts SQ as a client).

Dinner on Saturday was extremely low effort but the best I think I have had in a long while: with zero ceremony, we sat down at a crowded table full of out-of-date newspapers (I insist on keeping them as I’m sure I’m going to read them all cover to cover one of these days), with a 100g tin of caviar, creme fresh, a packet of belinis from Culina and – due to a fear of any type of metal going anywhere near caviar…I don’t know much, but I know that much – one plastic long handled jam spoon and a double sided medicine spoon.

Presentation was more than shameful but sheer luxe scooped straight of the tin with absolutely no fanfare, somehow, made it taste ten times better.

Death to the tablecloth, long live the sloth….

Caviar toast image courtesy of Eve’s Wine