Pomfret with Pinot Blanc

Saturday Mar 24- The silver pomfret had been lying for a week in the fridge and it seemed overdue to cook it. I would try anyway, I thought, with assam (tamarind gravy) again. Surprisingly, it turned out the best pomfret I've eaten so far, thanks to those Malaysian fishmonger from whom I always get my seafood. It was still very fresh (perhaps partially due to my excellent fridge). I sliced the red onions neatly, smashed the ginger with a wooden pestle I bought from the wet market in Hoi An, did the same to the lemon grass and aromatized everything in order. It was a great lunch with a pinot blanc from Alsace and boiled Southeast Asian spinach. I also prepared my comfort food ('dragon bones', potatoes, carrots, onions, and gourd). After the fantastic seminar by Professor Murowchick on surprising finds at Sanxing-dui, Szechuan, at Asian Civilisation Museum on Thursday, Mar 22, I realised 'dragon bones' were what physicians initially prescribed to cure malaria in the 19th century. They led to the discovery of the Shang dynasty oracle bones!

I read some of my notes at TCC, Plaza Singapore in the hot afternoon. At TCC I saw many SMU students working on their assignments and noshing their finger food when they finished. Their food orders looked great. I had my TCC house premium as usual before going to Carrefour to pick up four bottles of wine for the forthcoming week and a half. It would be a busy week!

Nattoo and Baked Beans

Strange. I craved for baked beans tonight. And poached eggs! True, I did not have my breakfast this morning, except for coffee and fruit.
I recalled what the Vietnamese told me: 'We eat at any time hunger pangs hit. We don't specifically differentiate the meals.'

Then I thought of the Japanese who also eat nattoo in the morning and night. Well, so why can't I have my baked beans and eggs at night? I prepared a mushroom soup, a fresh wakame salad, and a good Bordeaux Chateau Pey La Tour 2005, a gold medalist, to go with it. It wasn't a bad combo.

Vina Sol and Old Cucumber Soup

March 18 was another full day of sultry weather. After my morning swim, I wondered whether to make Gaspacho or Old Cucumber Soup. I decided the latter because it was much easier. Besides, the last time I had it was probably four months ago.

I bought more than 400 g of what the butcher told me were 'dragon bones' and also a bag full of vegetables including the yellowish brown gourd.

After five hours, I served it from the slow cooker. Many would suggest that I enjoy the soup with Alsace's Riesling, but I chose a well-chilled Vina Sol (2006) made from the 'palleda' grapes in Spain instead. It turned out to be the right choice. The soup was so mild that the lychee fragrance of the Riesling would have overwhelmed it. Vina Sol is very light; it smells like fresh Baby's Breath...the tiny white flowers. I think I will get another bottle this coming weekend.

Muslim Indian Food

On Friday March 17, I picked up some freshly baked naan, kaldi prawns and dhal. My food order was inspired by Song Khim's gift of emping belijau - one of my favorite Indonesian snacks. It has a bitter aftertaste, which I think makes it good accompaniment to spicy food.

My favorite take-out place is Al-Ameen Tandoori Cuisine on Upper Bukit Timah Road. The shop itself has expanded two to three times over the years. It is serving naan 24 hours! Upper Bukit Timah probably started to draw in a more cosmopolitan crowd thanks to this North Indian eating place. Before it was a 'piang' (unfashionable, rural, bad-taste) quiet row of unsightly shops.

The owner, a chubby man flashing some gold jewellery, is always behind the cashier counter counting the endless flow of cash, and he speaks no English. He looks like a rather new Indian migrant to me, and his assistants are all his kin. This exemplifies a small Indian diasporic community.

The cafe is always packed with foreigners of different origins in the evening. The spirit of the scene is reminiscent of that reflected in the picture taken by Gilles Massot at the Maneeswara Hindu temple in Singapore. (I hope he won't mind me using his pix here.)

Oishii Ramen

The reasons to go to Marina Square on Saturday were compelling. Ah Kiat had made sure that I'd be there for the Fashion Week promotions. He quipped: "Fifteen percent off for Rip Curls, Grace." Wow. I'd surely get my second bikini.

But another reason existed for me to go to the mall. I love Imperial Treasure's ramen at this outlet. It's 'z' best for me and it's even better than its own outlet in Takashimaya. Crystal Jade's version of Tan Tan Men really pales in comparison -but it's slightly more decent than the Dan Dan Mian one gets in Japan. It was in Japan where I'd my first encounters with some Chinese food that people of Southern Chinese ancestry do not eat.

Roxy and Billabong are good alternatives to VS. There's no Victoria Secret outlets here in SG -and I have vowed never to get anything from its catalogue after having lost a box of merchandise to my classmates from Taiwan who moved into the house when I vacuated Monterey. Victoria Secret did not materialize a full refund although they'd promised-so they'd lost a customer.

My new bikini is named: La Fronda, from Roxy and not Rip Curls. I didn't find any thing suitable at Rip Curls. "There's no discount for UOB cards, though," informed the sweet sales assistant at Roxy. "I guess I am lucky to get this last piece for my size," I replied.


I did not hesitate to go for my Sunday morning swim at the break of dawn but the joy of swimming in my new swim suit was dampened by a 'copy cat' who also chose to swim at my usual swimming time. He's got no stamina, neither good hygiene habits. He was in the pool already before me but the shower area appeared dry from last night.

I should return to the habits I adopted when I lived in Hanoi- day som!

Californian Whole Wheat Ravioli

Friday evenings really mark the start of another fresh week. I like them and make sure I plan hearty meal outings or stay at home for a very good nosh of the week.

Last Friday evening, I headed for Cluny Court's Cold Storage and picked up a whole wheat ravioli imported from California. I think it's from Monterey, or close to it, where I once studied my Masters for a short while. I recalled the best, if not the second best spaghetti and wine I enjoyed at Monterey Wharf, prepared by a chef who won the second prize in the entire US. It went a little beyond my expectation- I didn't expect such great pasta outside Roma; besides, it was inexpensive. I remember it was about US70 for two.

This vegetable and cheese ravioli tasted better then Buittoni's Four Cheese-perhaps it is an unfair comparison. I bought Alle Melanzane from da Paolo Gastronomique to go with it. The sauce was fabulous- I liked the olive oil embedded in the morsels of soft sweet eggplant. To serve it, I picked Two Oceans Pinotage 2004 which was going cheap at about SGD 21. Of course, I remembered my greens- Arugula salad. Alles schmeckt sehr guht.

Breakfast

I haven't eaten local breakfasts for almost a decade and one of them is local fave 'mee siam' - rice vermicelli in a tamarind based gravy.
Today after my daily morning fruit which is sweet papaya, a strong European coffee, and a fresh locally brewed soya milk, I gave my Post 'Cranberry Almond Crunch' cereal a pass and had the 'mee siam' Ah Kiat helped to buy at Old Chang Kee.

It tasted really delicious and I didn't feel uncomfortable after finishing it although I'd initially feared that my stomach would be scoured by the hot spices. Yummy...I look forward to the next chance of having it. (It looks like the Malay version of naeng myeon).

European Imports

It is terribly convenient living in Singapore- you'll not realize that until you live overseas.

There's one thing I like living here: food stuff from all over the world are easily within reach. I know people here won't be able to survive if they don't import; but the thing is- the varieties of imports are incredible. A certain Aussie chef based here told me that European food here is cheaper and more varied than at home. But I do like the made-in-Australian Italian raviolis which I picked up from supermarkets in Sydney though.

I picked up this packet of soft Irish prunes at the Market Place (Raffles City). It goes for SGD 9.50. They're softer and sweeter than the normal Del Monte- and seem more effective as well.

Paella

Yesterday was probably one of the most humid days in Singapore. It felt like a Tokyo summer.
I missed my Sunday morning swim and felt quite miserable the whole day.

In the afternoon, I spent quite some time preparing the prawn stock:
deshelling, deveining and then bringing everything to a boil in a marunabe (round-bottom Japanese pot), after which came cleaning the squids and slicing them into equal rings. Then I soaked the cilantro and washed the bell peppers and tomatoes.

In the evening, I washed some Thai rice and accurately measured the liquids for cooking. I took out the S & B paella mix which has expired for a month. Next came the aromatization of the julienned onions, carrots, and tomatoes in olive oil, followed by the addition of the rice and mix. Before it was ready to be served, I added in the rest of the ingredients.

I served a Chilean syrah 2005 from Ventisquero (a Colchagua Valley product)- a little sweeter than Aussie Syrah. Overall, I would say, I ate more than my usual portion of rice.

Tokyo Hairstylist

I was delighted to be able to join a hair event organized by Shiseido at Vivo City on March 10.
Shiseido flew in their excellent hairstylist from Tokyo (That's NOT me in the pix).
He's Nishida-san, born in Sapporo. He didn't do a dramatic hairstyle change like Mr Aoyama, the very talented hairstylist I met in 2003. Nevertheless this hairstyle that I am wearing now seems to be very suitable for my daily sports activity and work schedule. Thank you- mata Shingaporu ni irrashyai!

I also managed to chat with Wendy, the beauty consultant, before heading for Corduroy & Finch Cafe at the corner. I realized the chandelier has been changed -for the better. The previous one looked horribly cheap. This one looks more like a decent Italian crystal lighting.

After I'd my Expresso, I snapped some pictures of Sentosa from the outside of the cafe. I think the view I saw from Tung Luk's Restaurant the last time was more stunning. But anyway, it was fine weather.

Scrumptious Home-made Fish Curry

SK and I went home on a train about two weeks ago. We were yakking about the Korean 'Rain' and then somehow, from there, we digressed into delicious assam fish which both of us missed. When I told Ah Kiat about our chat the next day after his trip back from Pontian, he immediately posted a pix of the assam fish he enjoyed in Pontian on his blog to torture us. Luckily for us, his assam fish looked bad in the picture.

I made this fish curry with a fresh paste from Malaysia and then added in onions, lemon grass, curry leaves, fresh coconut milk, et cetera, sometime last year. The nice script of my blog address was done by Designer, Song Khim. She did that on almost all my photos here.

So it's about time to make some good fish curry again. I think I'll make it right away this weekend. I am sure I will be able to enjoy it after a good haircut. Gee...I forgot the name of the Japanese hairstylist who is going to do my hair.

Avocado Salad

L. gave these Indonesian produce to me yesterday, the reason being they would add to his "cholestrol"! (Although he will not miss the chance to tell people that he is an "all-rounder", no one can convince me that any education system can produce one - ha!)
Anyway, these fruits measured 16 cm in length and roughly, 9 cm in their longest breadths. One looked unripe and the other, over ripe;but in fact, both were already fully ripe!I discovered that when I dropped them on the floor! The green one cracked a little, and some aromatic soft flesh slid out from it. The brown one withstood the shock, but there was a really soft patch on it. I ate the latter that evening.
After scooping out the flesh, I chopped some lettuce, cilantro and crimson bell peppers.
I think Japanese Tasty Dressing really goes well with avocado -and if you don't have it, just the gomadare for shabu-shabu and a bit of mayonnaise and soya sauce, pepper, and some sesame seeds will do some magic. The result: a halfway between guacamola and salad!

Raffles Tiffin Room & The Japanese Association 日本人会

I've confirmed that Northern Indian food is not on my top five entries for 'must-haves'.
I've been to Rang Mahal (Pan Pacific Hotel) and I must say, other than the ambience, I'd rate the food worse than many 'street' Indian food in Singapore. As for Tiffin Room, I think the service, atmosphere and food presentation all deserve some good remarks. It's probably just me who don't appreciate kitsui aji.
Top on my list of favorite cuisine is Japanese. The tokusen bentoo at Donguri (Japanese Association, Singapore) is something to look forward to every month. The attention to detail in presentation and skilful flavour- and texture- combination are not reflected in its price (SGD 20++).


















A display of Hinamatsuri Festival at the lobby of The Japanese Association:

Western Cape Wine

To continue with Judith and Mabel's visit, they all brought Rupert & Rothchild's Vintage 2004-I think to break my momentum of Koonunaga Hill and Rosemount Estate series. It'd a mild bouquet, was slightly fruity and had a very silky finish. Australian mild cheddar doesn't seem a company to it; both didn't drown each other. Here's the pix of the bottle (pity I couldn't capture the floor for Ah Kiat who'd been asking to see my carpet).

Australia's Premium Wine

TGIF- it's wine and food talk for now to catch my breath before preparation work in the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to finish my prep ...and then there's another piece of academic writing to start on and then...

Anyway, the oenophiles' delight is Penfold's St Henri Claret 1989. I had a few glasses of it, courtesy of Sam and Margaret-and I have to add, "Their marriage was made in heaven"-- thus explains the worthiness of this wine for the occasion.

When Sam and Margaret, together with Judith and Mabel dropped by my place last weekend, I served them this platter but what is here are the few left-over morsels. All I cooked that evening were thankfully palatable although my banh cuon tom (Vietnamese nama-maki) was the worst that I have made so far because I chilled the shrimps in a flurry. Surprisingly the lamb seemed delightful. It's the classical fresh Rosemary with chopped mint, worcestershire, pepper, premium sea salt with an intense sprinkle of hope on air-flown Australian lamb shoulder rack. The accompanying wine was Brown Brothers Cab Sauvignon Vintage 2002. I hope the St Henri had left no lingering aftertaste on them or they would be too disappointed with my Brown Brothers.

May blessings be showered on them all both in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh city! Chuc may man va thanh cong! Hen gap lai!

P.S. I am also quite sure that this will be the only lamb that I'll have this year.

The Small Joy of Living

After three years of home-coming, I am glad to say that the major adjustments have been made. I am getting used to the general public, the weather, fauna and flora (to use more scientific terms) the food, and the like. There's one thing that I really like - to meet the sun when it appears from behind the trees. Here's a picture to show this little daily pleasure:


















But for two days, the sun's taking a break. I hope I see it tomorrow.
And here's not an exact translation of what I have written above in Vietnamese. I don't have the VNI font on this computer, and so will type without the diacritics:
Ve nha ba nam, noi chung toi cung da thich ung cuoc song o con dao nay roi: quan chung, thoi tiet, cac loai cay co, thuc an, v.v. Co mot dieu ma toi bat dau thich nhat o day la dieu co the chao hoi mat troi hang ngay nhu trong buc anh o tren. Nhung hai ngay vua roi khong thay mat troi. Mong gap lai ngay mai.

True-blue Italians and Their Culinary Presence in Singapore

I went to "Porta-Porta" (Tel: 62227461) more than a year ago, but apparently remembers it well.

“Porta-Porta” oozes an eccentric atmosphere when you peer through its doors. Shirts, pants and bras suspended on clothesline gracing the ceiling zoom into sight as you step in; plastic vines twining around the wooden dividers at a corner become noticeable as you descend on your seat -- and then you cannot help wondering if you are in the midst of an eclectic Italian streetscape or a restaurant.

The Napoli usher, Daniel, a 13-year resident of Singapore, accustomed to curiosity cast on the laundry, was quick to explain with a Singaporean accent that the clothes were dipped in starch and cement to form an inevitable feature of his restaurant which he prided as enshrining the real Napoli - in spirit and in taste. Shortly, I was to appreciate the semantics of the phrase, “real Napoli” once my skepticism on the possibility of recreating a Napoli in Singapore vanished after just savoring the initial morsel of egg-plant in olive oil and herbs from a delightful platter of tomatoes, cauliflower and squash. The Cesari Mara (2001) that Daniel recommended outrageously scourged my appetite, and the desecration of dieting oaths was about to begin with bruschetta with tomatoes ($16.50) -- a dish that Kevin, the chef, and the loving father of Daniel, ensured would burst with aroma at every crunch into its warm golden crust crowned by soft, cold tomatoes and herbs. “I have to be so careful with timing here,” he explained the feat involved, “that’s why I often lose my voice in the kitchen.”

But it is certainly not precise timing alone that makes wonderful creations indelible: the calamari’s ($27.50) sheer thin coat lightly crumbled to give way to lingering succulence unfound in other versions; and aracini, meticulously rotund rice-balls with mozzarella-filling like Japanese koroke with an Italian expert’s twist, both manifested the belief that the inner core of freshness should be accorded supreme. These rice-balls have to be ordered in advance.

The climax of this orgasmic dining experience was reached with the family’s handmade ravioli al nero ($26.50) squid ink flavored ravioli with filling of clam, squid and codfish) before Daniel added a wholesome touch to the meal: a fresh salad and a hearty fish soup. That was not the end, he promised, as he brought out penne al dente with shrimp in tomato-base cream with a tinge of chilli-hot ($23.00). I queried its fragrance and found out that its magical scent exuded partially from the chopped cilantro. “But this is no place for fusion cuisine; my taste buds are true-blue Italian,” he stressed, as he made sure that I cleaned up the scrumptious sauce with Porta-Porta's divine homemade bread.