Tag Archives: food

Singapore – afters

After breakfast it was time for a snack. J Co doughnuts, crispy golden nuggets of sweet indulgence.

Simply delicious and the espresso was excellent. Funny thing with an espresso, the Barista has nowhere to hide. No foamy milk, cocoa powder or cinnamon dust. Just pure java. The essence of the bean, the nectar.

The next snack were crab balls – fried little morsels of savory goodness, smothered in thick sweet soy and mayonnaise. Highly recommended and ridiculously cheap.

Dinner we took in Chinatown. It was packed, noisy, turbulent and beautiful.

We had Chilli Crab, of course, it was my brother in laws first Chilli Crab, so naturally we gave him the claws. The fried little breads dipped in the chilli sauce were delectable. One must have those little fried breads otherwise it just isn’t Chilli Crab.

We also feasted on crunchy oat prawns, salted egg yolk prawn (also crispy, and a revelation for me as I had not sampled them before – my goodness – what a flavour sensation. Salty, eggy, crunchy, savory and then the freshness of the prawn) and honey roasted chicken.

Naturally, we had copious amounts of Tiger.

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Singapore Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel.

The entire hotel seems to be stuck in the twillight zone, straddling the space between the 70s and the 80s.

Unless, of course, it was meant to be retro-chic.

Well, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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The rice porridge,and condiments – pickles, century egg, fried shallots etc – were delicious.

Coffee came out of a machine – with very little human intervention – Verdict: Atrocious.

Singapore

First night in Singapore.

Rain and thunder, but the rain is warm. A warm torrent. Welcome to the equator.

Dinner: La Viva -> Tapas (in the Chijmes complex)

Yes, all the way to Singapore for Tapas – LOL!

Spanish music is playing in the background of a cantina style restaurant.

Afterwards we had a surprisingly nice coffee. Jen, Phil, Adam and I chatted for some time , soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of a rain laden tropical Singapore night.

 

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Singapore – my thoughts in 2009…

ImageM-Set Satay Street Meal

8pm 5/11/2009

Rating: Delicious   S$24 for 40 sticks (with sauce, rice cubes and cucumbers)

Lau Pa Sat with Andrew & Adam

Steamy heat, even at night – the smell of smoke and a thousand aromatics fills the air.

My stretch tea has a bitter sweet edge, keenly waking my senses.

Colourful lights and a multitude of voices dance through the night. Families, couples, lone diners and the ever present flurry of the hawkers circling and then descending upon new arrivals as they sit down.

Presenting the famished with a plethora of exotic delights and tantalising morsels they flourish their menus and attentively take your orders while the beer girls wait their turn. Beer is served by the mug, and the local favourite is Tiger, closely followed by Heineken.

We eat our fill and then some more, because that is what you do in Singapore.

Magnificent.

A little later.

East Coast Hawker Center by the beach – 945pm

Fruit with Phil

The night here is much cooler and more pleasant. The fruits Phil selected are juicy, tart and sweet. Star fruit, Guava, Mango, Pineapple (oh so sweet – I do not think I have ever had Pineapple this sweet), Jackfruit and Papaya.

We are enjoying a refreshing icy cold sugar cane juice with our fruits.

There are more families here than in the city, including small children, even this late. That is what I love about Singapore and like cities – they never truly stop, sure they slow a little and might even seem to rouse very slowly come morning, but they do not stop. One can find food and drink at any time of the night or day, of the finest quality.

The East Coast is pleasant. There was a heavy rain and the moisture still clings to the ground, giving the gentle ocean breeze a heady undertone.

Cool, yet tropical.

Food

Some of my posts mention that I like food. That is an understatement.

I love good food.

One of the most outstanding cities (countries – as Singapore is that rarest of things – a successful and thriving city-state) to eat in, in the world is Singapore. I agree with Anthony Bourdain’s assessment that, if one loves food, then, quite possibly Singapore may be the best place on Earth.

From local Peranaken cuisine to Malay, Indian, Chinese, Western and all manner of fusions thereof one is left breathless and giddy with excitement by the sheer choice, variety and complexity of flavours, smells and aromas to be sampled.

I recommend the Chicken rice (at Maxwell), Chicken Briyani (at Lau Pa Sat – also has great Satay at night), check out Little India for awesome Indian cuisine, or the famous Singapore Chilli Crab – personally I prefer the Pepper Crab for its intense heat.

You can eat anywhere at anytime. Grazing is probably the best way to experience Singapore, which means you will eat every 30 minutes or so. There are tasty treats and tidbits everywhere.

There is even a German Bratwurst stand in the middle of Chinatown (run by a grumpy German) – it was quite surreal when I saw it for the first time.

The foodhall below Takashimaya is brilliant, and quite upmarket. If you get the chance check out Food Republic. They are dotted all around Singapore, but I like the one on the roof of Vivo City.

It truly is a culinary paradise.

Stay tuned as I will be in Singapore in April, and will delight you with Food pics and accompanying commentary.

Bon appetite!