A Western Meal at Jack's Place ジャクスプレスの西洋料理(63371752 / 6338663)

24 March 2010 (Wed): I went to this restaurant about a year and three months ago, on a day when A. asked me what was my favorite restaurant in Singapore when I was a kid. I answered "Jack's Place".

This is a household name for western food, as most kids know it. It's very reasonably priced, and I believe, it was one of those restaurants when one could hear oil sizzling on iron steak plates- something that was a thrill to kids those days.

The ambience then was great: It was dimly lit with a lot of wood and white table cloths. Now it has that 'minimalist' interior with no table cloths -only easy-to-clean smooth table tops- and no candles. It's bright and clinical. What a different Jack's Place it is.

The menu has reflected the change of times as well. There's a variety - including local sauces. Before, it was more "purely" western.

We ordered a chicken chop and steak (what we do not frequently eat), and they came with free desserts of mango pudding.

Overall, I can still say with some fondness: I like Jack's Place.

Shokudoo (Japanese Marche) しょくどう

10 March 2010:
By 'marche', no reference is made to the farmer's market in France.

Marche is the Swiss chain of casual restaurants with pick-and-choose-your-dishes from a variety of stalls. I like the idea of swiping my cards at small stalls just hugging one another under a common roof, offering a broad range of appetizers and desserts. The food is above average for some dishes like salads and soups; the ambience is also much more relaxing when the music is not blasting.

*Anmitsu: beans, green tea ice cream, rice cake & jelly cubes*
There is a better-than-average Ichigoo shochyuu as well going for S$9 a glass, rather highly priced item at this place.

I was surprised to find my comfort food here. Once I got ill and came here for the vegetarian claypot (yasai nabe) from which I got immediate relief from fatique.

I don't really frequent this place because twice I had to eat with blasting music in the background, but other times I did not. So unless I am not hungry I will not make a gamble.

*Mitsumame (bean and jelly dessert) and variations*
This place triumphs for its variety though not necessarily excellence in quality. For example, I find its kushi ryouri disappointing. It's still good for a casual weekend meal, overall.

My plant - Alocassia 観葉植物

June 2008
7 March 2010 (Sun): I found this plant with a big withered leaf and a shoot at Sis A.'s home. No one had noticed it. It was almost hidden by heavy white long curtains at a corner of the house. The two blades (growing from a single rhizome) were on the verge of dying due to lack of water and space - its pot was hardly more than 10 centimetres in diameter.

When I first spotted the shoot, I knew there was still life in it. I brought the whole pot home and transferred it into a bigger one. A. brought home some good soil very soon.

Since then, we have been talking to it. Wanting to ensure its growth and "happiness", I wrote to my librarian friend who referred me to an valuable website established by the National Parks of Singapore.

It offered me clues on how to take care of my new family member. At last I found out the name of its species: Alocassia (アロカシアー), originating from S. America. There are many members in the Alocassia family; this one is an Amazonica.

2009
It's been 'prospering'. The largest leaf that I measured was 49 cm in length and by its longest breadth. It now has 20 leaves, among which 14 are big and six are tiny.

Shanghainese Cuisine チャンギ空港の上海料理

2 March 2010:
We're being fast forwarded into the third month of the new year.

U san and her family have left Singapore for almost three months. While sending them off at the Changi Airport, Terminal 3, we had our dinner at the Crystal Jade Shanghai Restaurant. It wasn't my choice-but I had no other. Thus, we had to content ourselves with some unfamiliar orders and ambience, which was too cold in every sense of the word.

One of our dishes was stir-fried long bean with olive leaves(see above). It turned out really crunchy and was better than the local long bean with dried shrimp -often served soft. This is probably the best fried bean in my life!

Another impressive dish was shrimp with popped rice. If you've had choco-pop breakfast, then you'll know that it tastes almost similar, minus the sweet chocolate flavour, with crispy fat shrimps buried underneath the crunchy pile. Not bad; it's dry and not oily. So we managed to clean up most of the plate.

Despite good food, I think the restaurant manager totally dampened the mood. If you utter "thank yous" after settling the check, he wouldn't follow the polite routine because he hails from a different culture. He doesn't smile either. Instead his job of making guests feel welcomed is left to two other colleagues from our neighbouring land smiling and shouting out, "Thank you very much!" as we exited the place.
Gosh! How mechanical can service get?!