My first Christmas gift from Switzerland

December 18, 2007: A beautiful surprise awaited me this evening. It was heartwarming.

Cyril has sent a calendar of the most beautiful pictures taken by him. They were pictures of his family and his friends in Africa...Such gorgeous looking people and nature! I cannot believe he actually met them in such spirits. His good deeds must have livened them up! I am proud of my friend. He's established a foundation to help the poor in Peru and Africa. I wish him success.

I've also changed my table cloth to the Christmasy one. I didn't use it last year though. Each time I enjoy a slice of stollen, I will remember my German-speaking friends...

Christmas is coming to Singapore!

December 16, 2007 (Sunday): I cannot think of a festival that stimulates more expenditure than Christmas. Not even the traditional New Year for Chinese-Singaporeans.

I went to Takashimaya today and I was overwhelmed by the crowd and surprised by the endless number of hampers that Harrods' staff were assembling and the number of Christmas sweets displayed at Swiss Bakery and the Shangrila Hotel counter.

Lines of paying customers were formed every where! It's good to see that people have so much money to spend. The economy is doing very well, many jobs have been created, salaries are rising - except mine.

I particularly like Christmas decorations in Singapore. I think you'll not be able to find more fanciful and elaborate Christmas decoration in shopping centres or office spaces in many places in the world. But I like the decor last year much better. It was more elaborate and the colors a lot more striking. I fancied the revolving soldiers - and the multilingual carols performed by different church choirs ranging from mountainous Taiwan to the lush hills of Malaysia. But I remember that it rained and rained last year.

I really don't mind this year's white and violet lights as well. The design is really intricate. I haven't spotted any defects unlike those in the previous years. I don't quite fancy the M & M's house although I took a picture of it. From another view, it can be cute.

The Ngee Ann City (Takashimaya) tree isn't to my delight as well. I like the white and gold one three years ago. It was very stylish. This year's looks like the result of a budget-cut.

I haven't ordered any turkey yet but I have been gobbling down sushi. On Saturday night I bought some from Nakajima Suisan. And last night, I got some from Isetan Supermarket. They were getting a lot of orders for Christmas as well. Now, I wonder where I should have my Christmas dinner? I am likely to get a good wine and enjoy it at home.

Salmon Burger & Banrock Station Unwooded Chardonnay

December 11, 2007 (Tuesday): I've never known that frozen fish burgers can taste good. These salmon burgers and the salmon steak I bought at IKEA have proven that Swedish salmon is delicious. There was surprisingly no preservative listed on the labels.

I fried them on a non-stick pan, then boiled dou miao (young shoots), cut up the cucumber and cherry tomatoes for a salad. Simultaneously I was stirring a fried tofu skin (aburage), onion and fresh wakame miso soup. The miso is organic; and the fried tofu skin is from a tofu store in Meidi-Ya which makes the most delicious tofu in Singapore.

I chose Banrock Station's Unwooded Chardonnay 2005, which turned out a surprise. I haven't drunk this before because I thought its low price reflected its quality. But it turned out a great chardonnay - without that smell of 'fuel'- and that really aroused my curiosity. I looked up for the wine maker in my wine guide immediately and voila! it was lauded as 'an impressive budget wine'.

A simple dinner, though, every thing tasted good to me.

Best Hokkien Prawn Noodle in Singapore

December 09, 2007 (Sunday): I'd wanted to fix lunch, when I learnt about the 20-percent storewide discount at Kinokuniya today. Time seemed to be running out. It was close to 12 pm and I thought I should just head straight there after a quick lunch outside.

The rain poured. It has been a rainy day and the rain still has not stopped when I write this. Vivo City was nonetheless crowded with shoppers. I went to Food Republic for prawn noodle because I had been pining for that since A first took me there four months ago. After that experience, everywhere else just seems to be offering mediocre prawn mee.

The sauce is excellent; the noodle very thin and evenly al dente . This makes Thai Hong's (located in Food Republic, Wisma Atria) weaker sauce and softer noodle class-less. Thai Hong is, however, still attracting a crowd. Location counts.

Vivo City's Food Republic boasts of several top local hawker stalls: The fishballs are A's favourite.


Yong Soon Fritters is also something I cannot resist despite detesting oil. No doubt I am putting on weight...I enjoy the sight of skilful food makers pressing the chopsticks on the soft dough, deftly lengthening it, and then dropping it into a pot of oil only to see it ballooning into a precise golden fat tube. I also enjoy the sensation of biting into fragrant thin layer of anko (red soy bean paste) embedded in the soft crunchy hot doughskin sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds.

The warm soy milk is simply calming and is a must with the snacks. I even brought home a 'butterfly' dough cake. I can say I eat these deepfried Chinese desserts twice a year. Is that sinful?

At Yong Soon, there was a fair-complexioned salesman who flirted with the young teenage girl lining up in front of me. She ordered three doughsticks and he repeated he would give her one free, grinning and winking while uttering that. Youth in women is certainly an asset in Asia!

I headed for Orchard Road after that. Takashimaya was just as filled with shoppers. I bought my book and Christmas cards and then went to Jelita's Cedele to pick up a wholemeal with sunflower seed bread. Then there was my laundry which I sent in after my trip to Beijing on the second level of Jelita shopping mall. The laundry lady exclaimed: "Hey, three months ago; three months already!" I simply grinned; I'd thought it was just a month ago...

I also stopped to ask the boy collecting orders for roast turkeys and ham for Christmas when the date for the last order would be. He replied December 20. After trying out several Christmas turkeys here, I'd recommend Cold Storage's butterball (USA), going pretty reasonable at SGD 49.00. It really reminds me of the scrumptious Thanksgiving turkey I had in California in 1996. Forget about turkeys from other supermarkets or cafes, but I must add I haven't ordered from any hotel yet.

At Home on Saturday Evening

December 8, 2007 (Saturday): I'd a wonderful lunch at my favorite restaurant in the Japanese Association today, so I wanted to stay at home for dinner. I looked forward to having my favourite wine and some light food.

I picked Terres D'Orb Rouges, an award-winner at the 2007 Foire Exposition Brignoles which is reasonably priced, exudes a pleasant black currant bouquet, and is smooth and earthy...Somehow it smells like a Spanish wine. I prepared a salad with sprout (kaiware), sweet cherry tomatoes (Grace Cup brand), fresh wakame seaweed, and lettuce with a Japanese sesame dressing.

I also picked up my pan-crust tomato, zucchini and mushroom pizza and fresh egg taglialini at Gastronomia Da Paolo.

The pizza was still crispy when I reached home after a two-hour grocery shopping. Fresh spaghetti at Da Paolo is great - my all-time favorite is the spinach taglialini. I also love all the fresh sauces.

After hauling a loadful of laundry and grocery goods home, I started boiling the noodle, washing, draining and cutting up the veg.

It was great eating at home with warm candle lights, very delicious pasta and a vino companion. I need not bother about making-up, dressing, talking too much and so forth.

I think I will stay at home all day tomorrow - with probably a short shopping trip at tea-time. I haven't started my Christmas gift-shopping yet. I've only bought the wines.

Salmon Dishes at Home

December 7, 2007 (Friday): Time really flies! Three more weeks and it'll be Christmas! I am so glad that I've submitted my writing to the Editor for the Handbook who will be publishing my work. Now I can do some star-gazing and home-peeping. I have looked into the homes across mine. Some are already beautifully lit for Christmas--but that's all I can guess because the homes in my estate are designed in such way that you cannot see through the house. There is this home which has suspended a big bright star at its veranda. The star emits red rays that fall on the foliage and the walls of the veranda. It's a soothing sight. There's also another home with a Balinese interior whose glittering Christmas tree top I can see when I look up from my veranda... I can do all these because I feel more relaxed now. I haven't done my Christmas shopping yet,though. Cyril, my Swiss friend, told me he's finished his last weekend. Already! I have to do mine this weekend, i.e. tomorrow. I don't wish to repeat what I did last year. Last year Singapore registered the highest rainfall in 35 years and all my Christmas gifts went out in January this year because every day after work, I would rather relax at home. This year is certainly a little warmer and not so wet.

I prepared some salmon, five-grain onigiri and boiled kailan tonight. The orgnanic five-grain onigiri turned out really delicious. I am glad I've used the improved onigiri mould with a tap in the middle that enables the rice to be pushed out easily. It is non-stick as well so that you'll be assured of beautifully carved out rice moulds. I think the Japanese are fantastic craftsmen!

Salmon is probably one of the most frequent fish I cook at home. It is very easily done. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees ( a bread toaster is fine too) and then place the salmon (about 250 g) on a foil or in a baking plate to bake for about 6 minutes and it's all ready to be served. I couldn't find chive butter sauce when I did my grocery last night. What I use is my normal salad dressing- the Mentaiko from Japanese Cupie's Tasty Dressing Series. The sesame dressing from the same maker and series is another convenient but delicious seasoning to have in your fridge.

The sweet black grapes are also in season. They are cheap as well. I had some leftover unsweetened beancurd with Haagan Daaz Melon and these grapes together. The result: an unforgettable dessert which I will make tomorrow again.

I love the salmon pan-crust pizza at da Paolo along Bukit Timah. It costs SGD 7.50 for a small slice but it makes a wonderful appetizer. I also enjoy my salmon with Russet mash potatoes and golden kiwi and pine nuts. Pretty uncommon I think but it is better eating mash potatoes with fish than grilled red meats. My wine tonight was Two Oceans 'Pinotage' - another uncommon combo, I suppose.

Taiwan Porridge at Goodwood Park Hotel, Coffee Lounge (Tel.:67377411)

I was told that this cafe has been renovated past a month ago. I somehow prefer the 'colonial feel' of the old interior at the smoking area (although I dislike smoking) except for that automatic swinging door. The door has been taken down now; and the interior and 'smoking section' -- now air-conditioned (and thus non-smoking)--has been transformed into modern Zen.

I occasionally crave for this soul food - the watery Taiwan rice porridge.
The chef now does a great job - with great consistency in the Taman fish sprinkled with sesame seeds and black sauce, black pomfret with black bean paste, kang-kong with sambal, kang-kong with fermented bean sauce, and tofu dishes et cetera. Every dish was served piping hot, and all the veg and fish just gave that perfect crunch. We went there twice last month (November 11, 2007 & ?). Warm soft porridge on cool November nights makes wonderful dinners.

The cafe's coziness makes it ideal for a night-out -- tranquil, no music. I remember how my Osaka friends found the main dish fascinating and asked for the menu over fax. A loves this porridge as well, but this should not be read as "Japanese love this porridge". Another Japanese, for instance, from Northeastern Japan commented that this is food for the sick man because in Japan only the sick are served warm rice porridge. He thus felt disgusted seeing rice porridge elevated to hotel food!

I am hence also reminded of the jaundiced views of looking at other cultures at this restaurant.

Ambience: 4.0 /5.0; food quality:4.2 /5.0; service: 2.5 /5.0;
value for money: 5.0 /5.0.