Dinner out with my DH

Sometimes the fates conspire to allow a parental date! We had been kind of planning this one since the kids decided they were going to go stay with their friend Maia this weekend. When Maia's Mum said they couldn't stay, we gently directed them toward their grandparents' house... we did have a Plan B - to take them all out for dinner together as a family, but in the end they all decided to stay. Erica had a moment of wanting to go home with Mummy, but all it took was me promising to come back, then coming back with her pyjamas, for her to decide either that I could be trusted to come back if necessary, or that it was way more fun at Jiichan and Baachan's house anyway.

Thus, we ended up at this fabulous new restaurant in Nakatsu!

Cheers! Not the best chapmagne, too sweet, but we were too ketchi to get the pricier one...

The antipasta tray: clockwise from 6pm: quiche Lorraine - Kanji loved it. Which means either that it was divine, or that my usual quiche is shite. A bit of both, I think! Smoked bacon - delicious! chicken liver pate on bread, then some other duck mix thing, and a cold ratatouille. I won that fight: we both agreed that my ratatouille is better!

The TO DIE FOR cheese platter - only 1000yen! Blue, camembert, cream cheese and a very smoky sharp cheddar.

Roast Beef. Unbelievably soft! Served with mashed potato, which my hubby kindly gave all of to me, and veges with a drizzle of gravy.

The chicken - rolled breast with butter and mint inside, and a tomato sauce.