Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Wikipedia defines a "foodie" as amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news. I don't mind being defined as an amateur because that's what I am.

I love the urban life -- trying the best restaurants, going to the hippest bars, and scouring the city for the newest openings.

When I travel, aside from researching on the tourist spots, I always look for the top restaurants as well. Mind you, not the most expensive, but the places that top a local's list. Sometimes, we plan our entire day around these restaurants!
I pride myself in recommending good places and being in the know of good places. I do love old favorites too but I cannot fathom how some people can eat at the same restaurant for weekends striaght in a row (yes there are some families like that).

I scour magazines (Time Out here) and websites to see the newest places or read the reviews. Sometimes I haven't even been to the places but because of incessant readings I can sound like I do.

Don't get me wrong. I am far from being a connosieur. I am not even a food snob. I can eat at the nicest and the not so nice places as long as the food is good.

That's one of the reasons I love it here. There are endless options for restaurants! Becuase of the international community, various cuisines thrive. The ambience are also usually a plus. There's simply not enough days to try the recommended restaurants. Believe me, my sisters and I tried. We even parked some restaurants as "snacks" to maximize the days and stretch out the 3 meals a day.

Singapore has marketed itself as a food country because of the hawker centers and unique dishes. Honestly, I believe it is just partly marketing. Each country has a unique good local dish. But I think it boils down to the endless high-low choices crammed into this small city!

Some of my best picks:

1. Boon Tong Kee at River Valley

Some say the best chicken rice. I am inclined to agree. I used to be satisfied with Chatterbox in Meritus Mandarin but this has value for money and better rice. The sauces - the dark soya and sweet ginger is heaven. The crispy tofu is another plus. The only complaint is the absence of soup!

2. P.S. Cafe at Harding

Some say it's over-rated but for me it's the whole combination of good food and great ambience. Each branch has a different menu. I like the lunches (sandwich and pasta are good) but love the brunch! The portabello mushroom stack is a must. Desserts are good too. My first time to actually like a lemon dessert. The cocktails are great. I love the Harding branch the best because of the glass house effect but the Palais Renaissance is good too for drinks.

3. Brussels Sprouts at Robertson Quay

I love shellfish - oysters, clams, mussles. This belgian resto offers mussels and refillable fries! Plus the beer list is the longest I've seen.

4. No Signboard at Esplanade

Of course crabs are on everyone's must-eat in Singapore list. I wonder why as I come from an island country too. In any case, the spicy crabs here - chili crab dipped in mantou fried bread or white pepper cranb paired with cold beer and lots of rice is a must visit for any tourists.

Other options would be Jumbo and Red House for chili crab ; Long Beach for black pepper crab.

5. Marmalade Pantry at Palais Renaissance

People have raved about the cupcakes here -- I like the banana peanut butter (Elvis), am a super sucker for this combo. The food is superb too! The crab ceasar is really good as well as the sandwiches (foie gras burger). The chicken pot pie is so-so. My friend and I visited on a Thursday night and lo and behold, 20% off because it was Ladies' Night. But only applicable if you're with your girlfriends - i.e. no boys allowed.

6. Majestic Restaurant at Bukit Pasoh

This boutique hotel is known for its quirky interiors. The lobby looks undone with bare walls and each room is designed differently. This restaurant has holes on the ceiling which leads to the hotel pool (meaning you can "see" swimmers as they swim past the holes). Even without the quirky designs, the food is great - modern Chinese. The duck and lamb were really good.

7. Din Tai Fung at Paragon

Dumpling heaven. Love the famous xiao long pao (until now, no one else comes close to the soft skin and flavorful soup). Other favorites are the fried rice with porkchop and warm taro buns.

8. Graze at Rochester Park

The ambience itself is breath-taking. An old colonial house dressed up with tables plus a nice outdoor seating. Drinks are great and the dessert to-die-for (black and white pudding which is really the best chocolate lava I've had).

9. Da Paolo at Rochester Park

I have yet to try the Pizza Bar branch which Time Out claims has the best pizzas. But the Rochester Park branch is not bad itself. The white pizza and pasta are the best Italian I've had here so far.

10. Epicurious at Robertson Quay

I wonder why brunch is not as big in Manila? But here weekend brunches consist of champagne brunch buffets in hotels (getting hammered at lunch after a night of probable drinking already) and restaurants with special menus that they serve only at that time. And brunch doesn't necessarily mean between breakfast and lunch but even way beyond as it lasts all the way til after lunch even. Breakfast food during lunch? Genius! (especially for me who doesn't eat before 12 noon). The brunch here is more comfort simple food but with a twist. The green eggs (scrambled eggs with pesto) and french toast are a must.

11. Waraku at Heeren / Tonkichi at Takashimaya

What I love about Japanese resto's here is that they have these amazing bento boxes with various combinations and unique assortments. Tonkichi is good for its non-greasy tonkatsu and Waraku for the numerous choices . Simple and uncomplicated. I also like Bon Gout for Japanese curry.

12. Flutes at Fort Canning

Pretty resto in a colonial house by Fort Canning Park. Described as resto with Australian cuisine (what is Aussie food??). Love the salad and duck. Go for lunch which has cheaper set menus.

13. Hawker

Of course, what's a Singapore foodie list without a mention of Hawker Centers? I am not picky at all with my hawker places. It's more of the food that I look for which is char kway teow (noodles with cockles and grease), carrot cake (sweet radish cake), fishball soup, laksa, and hong kong style char siew/ roast duck rice/ noodles.

Some of the hawker places I like include Zion Road, Esplanade (great outdoor feel and view), Food Street at Chinatown, and Lau Pa Sat.

I find the food courts also provide good food. Especially like the one at Taka basement and Food republic at Wisma Atria / Vivo City/ Suntec. Clean and with a good assortment.

Of course, I still have so many resto's to cross off my list as compiled from Luxe Guide, Time Out and other magazines. Obviously I won't get to try all and I don't think my wallet can take it!

Jeez, no wonder I really gained pounds here. My mentality is I'll only be here temporarily so just eat and be merry!

*acknowledgement: some pics courtesy of my sister

Missing Selfishness

As I get ready to wind down my stay here, a colleague asked what I will miss most here. I was a bit taken aback and automatically replied, I guess the whole living here is what I will miss most.

The reply was unclear ("blur" as the Singaporeans would say). But let me explain.

There really is not one thing I will miss the most like a particular restaurant or a specific place. It's the whole lifestyle of independence and exploring that I will miss. Here I can decide when and where I want to go, not dictated by familial responsibilities or other people. I wake up when I want, watch some shows before I get up, decide what to eat on my own. A night out can take me to places I haven't been to or even considered going to. I can have a peaceful meal, then go clubbing, then drinks at a chill place, then wind down with a greasy snack. I can decide when I want to go home (and I have done that, just walked out of a club on my own leaving the people I was with and hailed a cab). On a Sunday, I will just decide to stay home the whole day and vegetate with my laptop or I can spontaneously get the urge to go shopping and wind up in new stores. On a weekday after the office, there might be out of the blue plans to have dinner and drinks. I can decide to go to an exhibit on my own sometimes. Unplanned, spontaneous, carefree.


It sounds bad but I can just simply be selfish.
Which when I go back, won't be the case as I am surrounded my family, friends, obligations, responsibilities (here there are responsibilities too of course but they only directly affect me like cleaning my room or paying my bills).

So a year of selfishness here to discover a new place and myself. It sounds selfish. But I've learned to be comfortable with myself and know what I'm capable of. How to deal with different people, opened up my world, went out of my cocoon. Sometimes being selfish ain't that bad.

Walking on the Wrong Side of the Street

Who knew that something as simple as growing up in a left-hand / right-drive could affect a person so much?

I grew up in the Philippines which follows the Amercian way. Drivers sit at the left side of the vehicle and passengers at the left side.
Moving here in Singapore, it is the opposite following the UK system, with drivers on the right side of the vehicle instead.
Okay sounds easy enough since anyway I don't drive, I just ride.

But this simple difference permeates unconsciously to other aspects. When I walk for instance, I automatically move to the right side of the sidewalk. But here, unintentionally, they walk on the left side such that it is literally a direct collision for me and people walking on the opposite direction. In the Philippines, everyone walks on the right side so that the incoming person who is also on the right is on the opposite side - ie. no collision course.

If ever there is a direct hit, I would automatically move further to the right. However, the person opposite me, weaned in the Singaporean way, would move to the left so that facing each other, it is not reversed and instead we end up going into the same direction! So automatically, we both move to the other direction still ending up blocking each other. This has happened to me countless times! And it is quite unnerving.

Another effect is turning around a corner. With the way, I am used to, I would turn close to the corner if I am turning to the right and would walk further from the corner if I am heading towards the left. However, for the locals, it is the opposite such that they would turn close to the corner if they turn to the left. So this means once again, direct hit!

Crossing the street, I would look at the painted arrows to see where a car was coming from because unintentionally I would always look to the left first. I know, I can just as easily move my head in one direction then the next but I always feel so stupid to look at the wrong side of the road.

It is quite unnerving to have these stupid little mistakes. And I always feel like an imposter whenever it is not automatic to me because it so obviously points out that I am not a local.

Who knew something as simple as where the side of the road that one drives in would affect so many little things too?