Singapore December 2014

In Singapore, we stayed at iStayInn, a hostel in Chinatown. Great location for it’s within decent walking distance to the Chinatown MRT station, and to the famed Maxwell Food Court.

Hostel at iStay.inn Singapore
Me: Why are you brushing your teeth here?
Jon: I can brush my teeth anywhere!

Chinatown, Singapore
Chinatowns anywhere are great for buying things that you don’t need

We spent a good few minutes arguing in the train. You see the photo below with the stations’ names? Someone in our group insisted that route and names were yellow in colour. The rest of us said no, it’s orange. It’s yellow, that someone insisted. No way are you colour blind, it’s orange and the bottom part with the warning is yellow!

Whatever, it’s yellow to me!

O..kay…

Singapore MRT trail
IT’S ORANGE LAH AHFA!

Got to meet my hot cousin who works in Singapore. As mentioned many times, introductory fee applies.

Got to hang out with Hassan before he goes back to Lahore, and who knows where else 🙂

Suanie with cousin and friend

Met up with Edwin, my #BatuPahat kaki who’s a great sport, obliging host, generall all-rounder awesome funnyman…

Singapore-002

… who took us to Smith Street Taps! It’s a stall somewhere in the massive Chinatown Complex Food Centre, an almost unlikely place for premium craft beer on tap.

But there it is, like a beautiful surprise serving beer to appreciative locals and hippie-type tourists.

Smith Street Taps is open from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Find them on Facebook.

Smith Street Taps, Chinatown Complex, Singapore

A few stalls away is Shi Xiang Satay, selling tender, juicy, delicious pork satay with peanut and pineapple salsa sauce. I read that it’s quite a legend in Singapore, go look for it. Best enjoyed with a cold one from Smith Street Taps.

Shi Xiang Satay, Chinatown Complex, Singapore

We adjourned to Jigger & Pony, a cocktail bar along Amoy Street. The service was fantastic, the drinks were expensive, the quality was… okay. Maybe they were having a real busy night, that’s all.

Having said that, I recommend Jigger & Pony’s Corpse Reviver #101. Head bartender Aki Eguchi’s version of the classic cocktail sees a combination of Babicka vodka, St-Germain (elderflower liqueur), jasmine sweet vermouth and lemon, topped with an absinthe-infused jelly. It was best of the lot that we ordered, potent too!

Jigger and Pony, Singapore
Bangun pagi, gosok gigi, cuci muka, minum arak..

At Suntec, we chanced upon Pepperoni Pizzeria and decided to share a parma ham + rocket pizza. It was above average; a classic simple yet pleasing dish.

Pepperoni Pizzeria - Parma ham and rocket salad

Apparently all of Singapore’s hippies congregate to live in Tiong Bahru. If you like the arts and cafes and old-style living spaces, that’s where you should be.

Old style house in Tiong Bahru

At the Tiong Bahru market, Shirley queued up to get us some of Singapore’s best ‘zhui kueh’ (steamed rice flour cakes). They are served with sweet and salty radish, and sambal chili.

Famous Zhui Kueh at Tiong Bahru market, Singapore - Jian Bo Shui Kueh

We also took the overnight train, ate at Wild Honey, ate kueh chap and Tian Tian chicken rice, ate at Ristorante Da Valentino, and visited Gardens by the Bay.

Until next time, Xin Jia Por!

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

If you like (man-made) nature and all things growing, go to Gardens by the Bay.

It is a massive 101 hectares park next to Marina Bay Sands, built with the intention of becoming one of Singapore’s national icons.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - trees

There is no park entrance fee. However entry into the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories requires payment. I recommend that you cough up the dough to visit, they are quite impressive.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore flowers

If you are a plants and flower person, you may end up spending the entire day in these two conservatories. The air-conditioning is running at all times and there are many things to see!

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore conservatory

Just one thing: please stop throwing coins into whatever ponds or amethyst rocks in hope of good luck. I am sorry to be the one telling you this, but it doesn’t work that way. And you’re quite possibly ruining the waters and crystals with your dirty nickels.

Tourist responsibly.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore waterfall

For more photos of Gardens by the Bay and flowers and.. er, stuff, go check them out at my Facebook page album *click*

You’re right, I’m not a flower kind of person. Look, flower! Nom.

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore

It is said that while Malaysia has better hawker food, our neighbour down South trumps us in fine dining fare.

Armed with this belief, I asked Shirley for recommendations for a ‘nice place to eat’. She came back with a few suggestions, one of which was Ristorante Da Valentino.

Reviews on-line were overwhelmingly positive; a cosy, family-owned semi-fine dining Italian restaurant that reputedly serves the best pastas in town. Reservations, especially during weekends are a must. We decided on Ristorante Da Valentino and got a 8.30pm Saturday dinner slot.

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - interior
Single obligatory interior shot. I was a bit shy to go around and take photos

The restaurant is warm, cosy and expansive. The bricked walls inspire mental images of what Carmela Corleone’s kitchen would look like. Cleverly partitioned nooks and corners encourage private dining and moments. In short, a perfect place for a good simple meal, a romantic date, a classy get-together, and if you were the couple seated next to our table that evening, an argument on the verge of a relationship break-up.

We ordered a few starters to share and thoroughly enjoyed all of them! It greatly pleased me, an appetizer lover that they do it so well here! One could argue, what is so difficult about putting together cheese, ham and melon? No, not very but with that attitude, you’re going to be eating a lot of meals alone! 😛

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - mushroom soup
Gourmet Porcini mushroom soup with truffle oil (S$15.50)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - prosciutto and melon
Thinly-sliced Prosciutto Ham on Rock Melon (S$27.90)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - burrata
Burrata (S$45.90)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - slicing burrata
Slicing up the big burrata for us to share. Thanks!

I was REALLY looking forward to their pasta as I was repeatedly informed that this restaurants makes them really good, the best etc. Well, my mistake to have too high expectations. My aglio olio was too salty, evident from the overuse of salted pasta water to bind. I found the fettuccine and risotto to be average. They weren’t bad, but I kept waiting for something explosive to happen to my taste buds.

Like I said, my mistake.

The good thing is, the seafood was fresh. If you eat out as often as I do, you’d not take this seemingly little thing for granted. I appreciated the al dente pasta; in Malaysia the de facto way to cook pasta is slimy soft because apparently, that’s how Malaysians like it (NO, NOT REALLY, STOP DOING THAT!)

The best course of the evening was Hassan’s lasagna. A small portion, but absolutely delicious! The ragu sauce tasted like ten thousand warm hugs in the bosom of a loving Italian woman, in the bone chilling cold of mid-winter.

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - seafood aglio olio
Linguini Aglio Olio with Seafood (S$28.50)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - squid ink fettuccine
Squid Ink Fettuccine with Crabmeat in Creamy Tomato Sauce (S$29.90)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - seafood risotto
Risotto with Seafood (S$27.50)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - lasagne
Lasagna with Braised Beef and Tomato Sauce (S$21.90)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - happy Hassan
Happy Hassan.

The dessert that stood out was the panna cotta, wobbly and creamy and hits all the right notes. The tiramisu with alcohol-soaked biscuit base was delightful, good for sharing especially after your main meal.

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - panna cotta
Panna Cotta (S$12.80)

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - tiramisu
Tiramisu (S$14.80)

Menu prices exclude 10% service charge and 7% GST. Our bill came up to S$340, and we didn’t have any wine. That’s about the same price you’d pay in a similar restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, except that you may get one or two wine by the glass out of it.

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. Decent food, lovely ambiance, good friends. Our waiter, though incomprehensible at times, had a wicked sense of humour. When asked for directions to the ladies, he replied in a straight face,

“.. turn left, go straight on and you’ll see a bus stop..”

Ristorante Da Valentino, Singapore - with Chef Valentino
With Chef Valentino, wahey!

Ristorante Da Valentino
200 Turf Club Road,
#01-19, Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 6462 0555
Website: www.ristorante-da-valentino.com

Opens Tues to Sun. Lunch: 12pm – 3pm. Dinner 6pm – 10.30pm

Wild Honey, Singapore

At Wild Honey, it was love at first bite. I was determined to revisit to re-experience the BEST hippie breakfast I’ve had.

A few things have changed since my first visit. Reservations are essential to secure your preferred dining hours. The newly renovated outlet at Mandarin Gallery sees a bigger space, allowing waiters to come take your order at your table (previously you have to order and pay at the counter).

I am pretty sure that the prices went up a buck or two, as all things must.

Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery - menu

If I’m going to spend RM60 on breakfast, I’m going to stick to tried-and-true orders!

The European was as delectable as I’d remembered. Two eggs (they delivered on the perfect part), sauteed mushrooms, Italian prosciutto, Hollandaise sauce and fluffy brioche.

It sounds simple, classic. But each component was done so well in its own right, that they come together in a gastronomically-pleasing meal. No, it’s not something that you can re-create at home, unless you do every single item right!

Nothing in Kuala Lumpur has this. Nothing in Kuala Lumpur beats this.

Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery - European
I could marry a European. With sausage.

The description for the Belgian sounded tempting: light and fluffy waffles bound with coconut cream, grilled mango, blueberries and toasted coconut flakes.

Boy, did they deliver! Amazing combination of sweets, each ingredient complementing the other. This will also be on my ‘must order’ list next time.

Side note: I’d never really liked processed coconut, found most of them to be too fake. But I was really taken by Wild Honey’s use of coconut products – the cream and toasty flakes didn’t seem too ‘manufactured’, if you get what I mean?

Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery - waffles
The Belgian. I love you.

“Okay okay we get it, just shut up and make love to Wild Honey already.”

Mmm… no. We found their coffee on the average side, but we did love the colourful stripped straws they come with.

Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery - latte

The bill came up to about… gosh I don’t know, my generous Singaporean friends took posession of the bill and refused to let me see it. Thank you! <3 Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery - diners

Still the most expensive breakfast I’ve had, still the BEST hippie breakfast I’ve had.

10/10 will return.

Wild Honey (Mandarin Gallery)
333A Orchard Road
Singapore 238897
Tel: +65 6235 3900
Website: http://wildhoney.com.sg

Opens daily, 9am to 9pm (10pm on Fri, Sat and eve of PH)

Food in Singapore: Kuey Chap & Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

When in Singapore, the first thing my friends and I MUST eat is kuey chap, a Teochew Chinese dish of noodles, soup and supreme porky bits.

You may recognise it as kway zhap, koay chap, kuey zap, etc. However the spelling, they mean the same thing: smooth kuey teow; flat, broad rice noodles in broth, served with braised pork meat, offal, beancurd and eggs.

The broth is made with the same braising sauce for the meats and offal. A blend of 5-spice powder, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, soy sauce and sugar; aromatic and insanely delicious if done right.

Ah Keat Pig's Organ Soup & Kway Chap, Marsiling - hawker food in Singapore

They do it very right at Ah Keat Pig’s Organ Soup & Kway Chap, a hawker stall belonging to Luckystar Eating House in Marsiling. The broth is flavourful without being overpowering. The pork meat is tender, the intestines clean (higher hygiene standards in Singapore) and tasty; each offal has its correct texture, and the accompanying deep-fried beancurd, braised egg and salted vegetables worthy on their own.

Two things about kuey chap in Singapore:

1) No coagulated pig’s blood. I don’t eat this but a lot of people do. But you can’t get it in Singapore anymore, their government has deemed it unhygienic.
2) Fishcakes. They add fishcakes to the braised dish. I don’t quite get it.

Ah Keat Pig's Organ Soup & Kway Chap, Marsiling

Ah Keat Pig’s Organ Soup & Kway Chap
Luckystar Eating House
Blk 211 Marsiling Crescent
Singapore 730211

Opens daily from 7am – 8pm or 9pm. Or whenever the owners are not off holidaying, enjoying their well-deserved breaks.

— *** —

If there is a single local food that Singapore is best known for, it must be the Hainanese chicken rice. Steamed chicken and rice cooked in chicken broth, served with a spicy sauce made of chilli, ginger and lime, yum!

You may be amused to know that there is no such thing as Hainanese chicken rice in Hainan, China. What we know as Hainanese chicken rice today, is an immigrant’s variation of the Wenchang chicken.

Perhaps the most famous chicken rice in Singapore is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, favoured by Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Tetsuya Wakuda.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, Maxwell food court, Singapore

Smooth steamed, tender ‘white’ chicken cooked beautifully, retaining its juiciness. Eat with hot, fluffy rice and spicy, zesty chilli sauce.

A basic chicken rice plate costs S$3.50, and a whole chicken is S$24. Get some beansprouts, they go down very well together.

I read that their grain-fed chicken is sourced from farms in Batu Pahat. No wonder so delicious lah 😉

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, Singapore

So was it good? Yes. Worth the hype? Not bad. Can you get equivalent or better in Malaysia? Yes.

There is one Tian Tian at Joo Chiat, and one at Maxwell food court. Either one, be prepared to queue in line during peak hours.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
#01-10/11 Maxwell Road Food Centre
No. 1 Kadayanallur St,
Singapore 069184.

Opens Tues to Sun, 11am -8pm.

From Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on the overnight train

On a recent trip to Singapore, my jolly friends and I decided to take the KTM overnight train for a bit of adventure.

Suanie on train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

You can read the published article on Zafigo.com, an on-line resource for women travelers.

I also posted more photos of the trip on my Facebook album!