Big D's Grill

One question I get asked all the time is, "What's your favourite restaurant in Singapore?"

An easy question like that should not be hard to answer especially since it's a question that I'm familiar with. However, everytime I get asked that, I fumble, I hestitate, I ponder. And I do mean every. single. time.

Thing is, I do not have a sole all-time favourite restaurant. At least not yet. Or maybe I'm just fickle. It really depends on what I'm craving for and whether that food meets my expectations at that point in time. For me, an easier question would be , "Where can you find the best damn chocolate cake?". Yes, be dish-specific, and I might have a faster answer.

The definition of good food varies for all. I always insist that what I like might not be what you like. That doesn't stop me from raving about a certain place though. When I like a restaurant/eatery/coffeeshop stall, etc, I rave about it like no tomorrow. Sometimes I think it verges on being irritatingly over-enthusiastic. So far none of my friends have complained about it, they are just amused at how excited I get when I talk about my favourite food places.

My most recent rave is Big D's Grill. The food was so remarkable that I could have died there and then and felt that I have lived life. Okay, I'm being over-dramatic there. Pardon my exaggeration but that was honestly how I felt.

The food was immensely enjoyable. I had wanted to go there for the longest time. I've heard alot about Chef Damian D'Silva and his old restaurant Soul Kitchen. His name's rather lengendary. I have never been to Soul Kitchen but I thought why not try Big D's Grill especially since it's so near where I live?

Currently located at Bedok South Road (note: it's moving to Holland Drive soon, in Feb), Big D's Grill is neatly tucked insie a wide spacious coffeeshop at Block 18. I decided to bring my family there last week because my cousin from Malaysia was visiting and had requested for some good Western food. I had put off going to Big D's for the longest time so I thought what better time than now. This way, my cousin could satisfy his fix and I could finally see what the fuss was all about.

The fuss turned out to be legit. I would say that we ate enough of the menu to give a fair judgement. The four of us (mum, sis, my cousin and myself) had five main courses. Yes we do have healthy appetites and we're certainly not ashamed of it.

Perhaps I should start with the photos, then you can savour the dishes with me (in your mind of course. ha). I hope you've had your dinner (or lunch, or breakfast - depends on what time it is when you read this!) lest you get sudden hunger pangs.


Anchovy pasta

I had to do my research before checking out Big D's. Several local food blogs have mentioned the anchovy pasta and I knew I had to try it. After a forkful, I realised what had gotten them so excited. Very close to your typical aglio olio, this pasta borrows a very savoury sea salt-like flavour from the anchovies. My mother commented that it was a tad too salty for her. That I understood, because she prefers bland food (she puts so little salt when she cooks!). Cousin and I liked it so we lapped it up happily. I appreciated the spicy kick that came from the chopped chillies.



Kurobuta pork loin

Cousin loves meat so we had to get the kurobuta pork loin. His verdict? "This is real good!"

Please do check out the glistening piece of heaven:



The pork was all that we could ask for - juicy, moist, tender with none of that 'porky smell', as my cousin had noted. I liked that the centre was just slightly pink. The fats gave it a sufficient omph. It kinda melts in your mouth. Cliched, but true.




The mash and vegetables that came with it were great as well. A stellar dish.



Crabmeat linguine

The crabmeat linguine was perfect in every single aspect. The pasta was cooked just right and the sauce was sweet, tangy and spicy. I don't think I've ever had crabmeat linguine this good. The best part? The generous shreds of crabmeat. The photo says it all. Now go try it yourself.


Bang bang chicken

Other than the usual Western grill and pasta dishes, Big D's serves Asian specialities depending on when you visit. That day, Chef Damian recommended the Bang bang chicken, and the sambal buah keluak. We couldn't choose which one so we ordered both.

The bang bang chicken is a Sumatran dish. It tasted very much like an up-graded version of satay chicken. The sauce was thick and spicy. My family and I noticed that alot of Chef Damian's dishes leaned on the spicy side. Which was fine with us because we love our chilli.

Before the sambal buah keluak came, I have to admit that I was rather sceptical (as I usually am when eating buah keluak outside home). My friends know how much I love my Dad's buah keluak and those who have tried it (including my best friend Dot, whom my Dad always reminds me to invite whenever he cooks a batch) also agree that it's one of the best. So yes, I am bias towards my Dad's buah keluak.

But as it turns out, the one Chef Damian served was a bit different. In a good way.


Sambal buah keluak

Served with white rice and some raw onions by the side, this dish came only with the buah keluak sauce. It was also not a messy affair as I had anticipated. The flesh had been dug out and cooked with sambal and some other ingredients (we guessed it was coconut).



I know what it looks like. That black mess might not look appetising to you. But trust me on this, it's worth a try. Even if you usually hate buah keluak. His version was mildly sweet and had a very nutty taste. It was so tasty that I couldn't stop eating it with the rice.

Chef Damian came by to check on us and he suggested a sinful combination, "try eating the buah keluak with the anchovy pasta. it's sinful but really good."



So I did.

And I was glad I did.

It was good.

Really really good.

Then as the sauce diminished, I grew sadder.



I wish it didn't have to end. The sambal buah keluak had exceeded my expectations. I wouldn't say it was better than my Dad's. Don't make me compare! It's a different version and as it turns out, I quite like this version too. I might bring Dad here one day to try.

So the buah keluak was so good that I could not bare to waste the remnants.

What I did later might be disgusting to some, or plain uncouth. Whatever it is, I thought that it didn't matter. At least we weren't in some fine dining restaurant! Hey, I do know my limits.

I eventually did it. I licked the plate dry of its buah keluak sauce.



A friend who saw the photo commented that he found the lick marks disconcerting. Do you find it disconcerting? :)

I said that it is probably one of the highest compliments a chef can ever get.

Okay, I might as well do a poll here. Plate lickers, please leave a comment if you totally get where I am coming from. For those who think otherwise, please leave a comment as well. I want to know the general census on plate licking in public.


Bonet

Last but not least, the bonet. Now, this was another winner. This sealed the deal. Chef Damian said it's a classic Italian dessert that's only found in Italy.



The best way to descibe it? A cross between a silky pudding and a smooth mousse. He had used bittersweet chocolate. That made the world of a difference I think. Now I understand why everyone else is crazy about Chef Damian's bonet.

Big D's Grill, you've won my vote. I'll be back to try the rest of your menu. Even though you'll be relocating to Holland Drive, I will make that trip down just so I can have another fantastic, plate-lickingly delicious meal.

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Big D's Grill
Blk 18 Bedok South Road
#01-87
Daily 11.30am-9.30pm, except on Thursdays: 5.30-9.30pm
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*Latest update (21 Jan) - Big D's Grill has moved to Holland Drive. They are closed at the moment and will open on Wednesday, 4 February at their new location:
Block 46, Holland Drive, #01-359
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Chocolate Indeed

Having a chocolatier as a friend can never be a bad thing. Especially if you love chocolates more than diamonds or cars. Hmm, okay that is quite a stretch, but you get my drift.

Those familiar with our local trove of online homemade eats might know who this chocolatier is. His chocolate business of sorts was once known as Julius Truffles. Helmed by a young undergrad by the name of Julius Chen, this humble endeavour of his has blossomed into something very promising.

A recent conversation with him revealed a change in direction. Julius Truffles is now known as 'byJULIUS chocolate indeed'. He's done a whole revamp and I'm sure the new creations will be just as popular as his famed truffles (which are great by the way).

Julius was kind enough to let me try a box of his new chocolate creations:



The gold box yielded four different pralines, all of different colours and shapes.



From what I gather, the four pralines are as follows (from front to back):

1. Hazelnut milk chocolate ganache praline
2. White chocolate infused with grand marniar ganache praline
3. 73% dark chocolate ganache praline with gold foil
4. Raspberry framboise brandy liquer pink truffle

Naturally, as a fan of dark chocolate, I took to the third one like bees to honey. Dark is always good. The other one I like has also got to be the most pleasantly surprising one - the pink truffle.

You see, I couldn't resist sniping one or two shortly after I got the chocolates. I didn't know what each praline contained or what it was supposed to be. I only found out about the different flavours after checking the website.

So I bit into the pink truffle not knowing what it was supposed to be. I had no idea it was filled with brandy liquer. I did spill some onto the floor (what a waste!) but it was a wonderful surprise. My dearest sister also told me that her favourite one was this pink one. Apparently, she likes the liquer centre.

I do commend Julius for constantly trying to reinvent and repackage and even rebrand his products. That's the sign of a true and savvy entrepreneur. Hopefully he'll have his own retail shop in the near future. I won't be surprised when it happens.

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For more information on 'byJULIUS chocolate indeed', check out his website.

To order his chocolates, email him at order@byjulius.com

Easy Choc Nut Rice Krispies Balls

Most kitchen phobes subscribe to the common notion that delicious food are hard to make. I do insist that it is but a common misconception. It is a pity though, how some let their fear of kitchen disasters come between their love of good food.

Has there been an occasion where you crave a good tiramisu or lasagne and harboured intentions of actually making it but got freaked out by the long list of ingredients and 18-step method? Or how about a time when a cookbook's tantalising photos nearly convinced you to pick up your skillet and apron? You went to the supermarket to get those ingredients but gave up halfway because a quick meal at a fast food joint just seems so much more convenient.

Here's the truth - most of us amateurs (me included) will have to overcome our kitchen fright one way or another. When I first started this blog four years ago, I hadn't the slightest clue how much cooking and baking was going to change my life. But it did. It made me fall in love with food and it made me happy. I still think of myself as a novice, and I'm sure you will know by now how much a fan I am of fuss-free recipes. Recipes that are straightforward, with simple steps and basic ingredients - these are the building blocks crucial to anyone who desires to overcome their fear in the kitchen and cook more confidently.

Do you know what I do? Every time I spot a do-able recipe, or a recipe that I think won't make me want to tear my hair out, I take note of it - I either copy it, type it out or tear it out (if it's in some old magazine). I keep these recipes in a folder. When I feel like making something especially when I'm strapped for time, I take out this folder. This is my folder of great tasting quick fixes.

Recently, my folder had a new addition. It was an easy fool-proof everyone-can-do-it (yes even with your eyes closed) recipe that I knew I had to share. It yields about 16 golf ball sized peanut butter and chocolate chip rice krispies balls. The recipe was from last year's Oprah Christmas issue. The ingredients are simple and the end result - simply addictive. They are also perfect as gifts for friends.

The magic lies with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Boy are these some happy crunchy balls. Guaranteed to brighten up someone's day. The best thing yet? It takes just minutes to make. Go ahead, try it and tell me that the kitchen isn't all that scary after all. This is only the beginning. :)

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Balls
from Oprah Magazine

2 (1.4 ounce) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars
2 cups Rice Krispies
½ cup chunky peanut butter
16 regular-size marshmallows
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
canola oil

1. Leaving candy bars in wrappers, use a rolling pin to pound and crush bars into small pieces. Place Rice Krispies in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Place peanut butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high until hot, about 45 seconds. Add marshmallows and microwave on high until softened, bout 30 seconds. (Alternatively, place peanut butter and marshmallows in a heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.)

3. Working quickly, stir to combine mixture with Rice Krispies. Stir until evenly coated. Add crushed candy bars and chocolate chips. Stir until combined. Coat your hands with oil and shape mixture into spheres the size of golf balls, making 16 treats. Pack into decorative tins or arrange on wax-paper lined wrappers and tie ends with ribbons. The balls will keep up to one week at room temperature. Makes 16 balls.

Donna Hay's Apple Pie

Every single time I pick up a Donna Hay magazine or a Donna Hay recipe book, I end up with a very strong urge to bake or cook everything that's featured in it. Most of the time, I actually do end up baking something. There's a certain magic that her books have. Everything from the way the recipes are written, to the clear concise instructions to the plain and simple yet so delectable photos. Everything about her books just make you want to pick up the spatula and start churning out baked goodies.

When it comes to Donna Hay, I have no complaints. I only have praise. Today is another of those days where I say more good things about Donna Hay. I haven't baked much this year so I was clearly suffering from a serious baking deficit disorder. So much so that the moment I started baking two apple tarts for the two Christmas parties that I attended, I must have let my guard down and got bitten. Yes, by the baking bug. It's a very good thing I insist. My friends will agree and I'm sure my family won't protest.

The joys of baking, the immense pleasure derived when your prepared baked good goes into the oven to complete its life cycle. Then there's the nose twitching knee jerk reaction whenever the prized baked good lets out the most irresistable aroma. Till this day, I still literally jump and run to the oven the moment my nose picks up on the toasty, buttery, lip smacking smell that charges through the old rusty Moulinex. I get high on these buttery smells.

Flipping through a Donna Hay recipe book gives me that same high. I can picture myself with the finished baked good and looking very happy. I imagine Donna Hay giving me an approving nod and a thumbs up sign. I am also very optimistic because I think every thing I bake using her recipe will end up looking as beautiful as the ones pictured in her book. I'm an easy sell I think. But it's okay.

Yesterday I couldn't help but flip through my Donna Hay Modern Classics Book 2. This one has to die for cookies, biscuits, slices, small cakes, cakes, desserts, hot puddings, pies and tarts. The first page got me so excited and by the time I reached the end of the book, I was hyped up and on a high. I wanted to bake something. I wanted something that would make me very happy.

And there it was on page 157, and it spoke to me:



An apple pie it was. I must say it was the photo in the book that had me sold. It looked just like the ones Enid Blyton always had by the window sill, in all her story books. Enid Blyton was my literary crack when I was a child and I have not forgotten. I had never made a pie as well. The only thing close was the apple tart. But tarts are different from pies.

So after getting my groceries, I started prepping. I made the sweet shortcrust pastry, refrigerated it for 30 minutes. I cooked the granny smiths and let it cool. When it was time to lay out the pastry, I went round looking for a pie tin. Then I realised I only had a tart tin. Pie tins and tart tins are different things. But time was running out and I had no time to get a pie tin so I made do with my tart tin.



Laying down the pastry case ove the apples was a challenge. I had to be careful not to tear it. This recipe also called for some egg wash and sugar (to sprinkle over the pastry).



Here's the pie out of the oven:

I couldn't help but help myself to the first slice. It was really good. The apples were slightly tart but it was good with the pastry.

Now all that's missing is a scoop of good vanilla ice cream.

My Christmas in Wonderland

photos courtesy of ashley choo (a.k.a. tweedledum!)

Christmas in Singapore this year was different from the one last year, yes the one spent in the thick of Taiwan's scenic mountains.

My Christmas this year was far from quiet and far from boring. I have my dear friends to thank. My dear fun enthusiastic friends from my Ngee Ann Mass Comm poly days. Dull moments are non-existent when you're in their company. I couldn't attend the one last year because I was in Taiwan but this year, this year I could and I did and it turned out to be the best christmas ever.

The theme for the party was 'Down the Rabbit Hole'. You obviously know what that means. It's Wonderland with all the quirky characters and of course Alice. We had in total one Alice, two white rabbits, two queen of hearts, one king of hearts, one cheshire cat and the twins tweedledee and tweedledum. Can you guess which character I was? You only have to check out the photo to figure out :) To Ashley, Ghimz, Ronald, Valerie, Geetha, Sheryl, Ivy, Adeline -you're the coolest. Thanks for making my Christmas fun and memorable!

The party was at Ivy's place except that she wasn't due to come back home at 11pm. So we went to her place first and laid out all the food and took more photos and finished the rest of our outfits. Later on, we decided to go to Changi Airport to fetch Ivy. Yes, in our Alice in Wonderland gear. That's what we did.

Check out the Queen of Hearts with The White Rabbit. They're waiting for Ivy to come out of the arrival hall. She was surprised to see us, but she was clearly more shocked at our awesome dress sense. I think she called us morons :)

Here's us at the travellator:

When we went back to Wonderland, we ate somemore. The food was delicious. Ashley bought gourmet sausages and salami! Green olives stuffed with Feta too. Ghimz bought shepherd's pie. Adeline bought fries and Ronald brought carrot and celery sticks with dips. Valerie baked cookies!



And I brought my apple tart:

It was a fun filled night. I will definitely want to spend next Christmas with them.

Here's to us and may the coming year bring more joy, fulfilment and satisfaction!

To all my dear readers, Merry Christmas to you! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas.

*Photos by Ashley Choo

Cycle safe

My Gazelle at the jetty

The post that was to accompany this picture of my bicycle was supposed to be about my recent cycling trip to the beach, of Dad's to-die-for beef stew and how I had it for lunch by the jetty, complete with fluffy bread rolls.

However, because of certain events that happened yesterday, I shall endeavour to put across an all important cautionary message, one that has to do with me, my bicycle and cycling in general. It is not a light-hearted message. Though what happened wasn't that serious, it was rather frightening experience.

Let me start from the beginning, at 10am in the morning. I had a Christmas party to go to in the evening. It was a pot luck and I intended to bake a tart. As usual, I decided to take my bicycle to the supermarket to get the ingredients.

I was cycling at a slow and steady speed on the walkway. Everything was fine until I came across a zebra crossing. After checking out for incoming cars, and waiting till they had stopped, I started to cycle onto the crossing. The crossing was to my right, so I had to swerve a little. There were some road works going on so the pavement was uneven, with plenty of loosened gravel. As I swerved, the bicycle just slid and I was thrown to the ground. Okay here's where I announce that I was stupidly unprotected - no helmet, nothing. So I hit the ground, landed on my knee, my left hand and my forehead.

Since I was in the middle of the road, I knew better than to just lie there. I got up quickly, picked up my bicycle and moved toward the traffic junction. I was relieved and thought that it was just a silly little accident no different from the ones I always get myself into. I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green before crossing. Then it happened - the scary blackouts.

At first, I felt my head spinning, then I became giddy and everything started to darken. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear. It was like I was being sucked into a black hole. I thought nothing of it, thinking that it was just me reeling from shock. I held on to my bike, trying to keep upright. Then I fainted. I've never ever fainted and I wasn't sure what was going on. My bike must have fallen because when I came to (not sure how long it took, but probably just a few seconds or a minute, I'm not sure, I wasn't aware of the time), everything was on the floor. The basket Dad attached to the back of the bicycle with cable ties had broken off.

Thank God there were helpful passers-by. One dude was concerned and asked if I was all right and if I needed to get to the oppostite void deck to sit. I remember nodding and getting ready to cross the road when another blackout happened. This time, I wasn't even sure what happened. If any of you have done video production, you would know this term 'fade in', and 'fade out'. Well that's what I felt was happening. In between consciousness, I was simply fading in and out. Both my mind and my vision and whole being. This happened about two to three times. When I was conscious, I remember asking the dude what was going on. I would be talking to him and in a few seconds, I would fade out and then when I came back again, I kept asking how come I was still here, and weren't we supposed to cross the road. Eventually I managed to get across the road with the help of another kind gentleman who thought I might be diabetic. He insisted I have a sweet and sat me down at a nearby void deck. He also insisted that I see a doctor (I had originally intended to cycle back home!) and asked me to call my family. No one was at home at the moment and everyone was occupied so the first person I called was my aunt. In the end, I went to the nearby polyclinic. The doctor said the blackouts were probably vasovagal reactions. He said it might have been just the body coping with the shock. I had to take an X-ray for my left ring finger though. It hurt when I tried to move it. The clinic did not have X-ray facilities so I was referred to Changi General Hospital's A&E. The doctor there said the same thing about the vasovagal and insisted that I take an X-ray of my head too.

So $75, two X-rays, and four hours later, the verdict was that I was just a complete klutz and I would be fine. I was given Fastum gel for my sprained finger (yes, it was just a sprain. not a hairline fracture that the first doctor was afraid it was, thus the X-ray!)

In my entire 24 years, I have gotten myself into some pretty nasty mishaps so I'm usually not daunted by a simple fall. But what I went through yesterday was by far one of the most scary yet. Yes, I would say that it was scarier than the time I had to stitch up a hole in my shin, one I had gotten from a bad fall over a drain.

This accident has made me understand how important it is for cyclists to wear helmets. I didn't think of getting a helmet because I thought it would be too uncomfortable. I also admit that I can be quite the maverick at times, pretending to be solid as a rock. I never thought that I would get into an accident on a harmless bicycle. How silly I was to think myself impenetrable. Just because I'm strong doesn't mean I shouldn't take precautions. Then I realised that most of us actually think the same, expecting the worse only when the worse happens, and not actually doing what it takes to prevent the worse from happening. I guess there is a reason why people buy insurance. A helmet is a good enough insurance for cyclists who don't wish to crack their skull. I count myself very blessed to not have sustained any serious injuries. I see this accident as a serious and painful reminder to always take precautions even when feeling confident.

P.S. My Gazelle is all right as well. It's a solid piece. :)

Etihad Airways

Plane food has a bad reputation. There isn't a need to explain why. You know it and I know it. We also understand the challenge that comes with presenting edibles that not only look good but taste good while you're in mid-air. That is why when it comes to plane food, expectations dip to an all-time low. So low that it might not be surprising if someone says that he will choose greasy fast-food over a serving of plane food. This unfortunate judgement has its truths most of the time. There are indeed limitations of serving food that's cooked a-la-minute and especially when it is a fact that food tastes different in a high-altitude environment. With so many factors going against the hardworking chefs who create airplane meals fit for consumption, you wonder how they eventually decide what goes into your meal.

Airplane brochures never fail to print glossy photos of delectable airplane meals. In these photos, the juicy-looking meat glistens, the fish looks fresh and everything looks picture perfect. However, the skeptic in us starts to doubt and assume that it only looks good because it's a photo. This is how it has always been. Perhaps that is the case but not anymore. Not for Etihad, to say the very least. Not when they have a food and beverage manager on board - a capable stewart who ensures that these pretty photographs are not just a fantasy or a figment of each passengers imagination but rather, a great-tasting reality:






Since I have yet to fly on Etihad Airways, I cannot confirm that what you see in those photos is what you get when you're thousands of miles up in the air. But I do know that the food beats most airplane food. I learnt about this because Eithad invited me to a press conference and media lunch in celebration of their first year in Singapore. As the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad is known for its quality service and well-trained staff. They also announced the launch of their new Inspired Service for premium passengers (Diamond First and Pearl Business Class) arriving into and departing from Singapore.

An important part of the Inspired Service involves food. Not only will the food be of top quality, the crockery, linen and glassware will be more tasteful - think normal dining size classic white porcelain. The menu will also boast a wide variety. You will be able to choose from the a la carte or the kitchen menu. The a la carte menu needs no explanation. However, I do think that the kitchen menu is a smart idea. This menu offers an array of invidual snack-sized dishes that can be eaten at any time during the flight. That means if you skip the a la carte meal because you were not hungry during the time set aside for dinner, then you can request for an item on the kitchen menu whenever you feel the rumbles in your stomach. Some items on their present kitchen menu includes Arabic baklava, warm truffle popcorn with porcini salt, warm bella olives, orange, garlic and rosemary, Providore natural ice cream, selection of cheeses etc. Etihad's menu changes every few months so passengers (especially frequent flyers of Etihad Airways) will not be bored.

Before lunch began, we were provided with a demonstration of how the dishes are usually assembled on the flights. It was rather interesting. The food and beverage manager explained how they take pride in good food presentation as well. Here's a snapshot at the long table of airplane food:





After hearing about all that goes into making each passenger feel comfortable not just with palatable food but good service, I was starting to feel that the food on Etihad Airways might just have one of the best plane food around.

For lunch, we could choose our appetisers, main course and dessert. I chose smoked salmon terrine, baby herbs, parsley oil, Spanakopita with ratatouille and baked rhubarb and strawberry pie with double cream.

The food was not bad, considering that it was made just the way it would have been made on the plane - pre-cooked and assembled on board. I think what I do understand that day, was that since it is impossible to cook food on the plane, everything has to be pre-cooked. The food will then have to be warmed up and assembled before serving. What sets Etihad apart is the way their system functions. Preparation for each dish is precise. The flight staff are given a 'manual' of sorts that provides clear instructions on method of heating & placement of each ingredient.

I did not bring my camera with me that day so that's why you don't see shots of each individual dish. However, I managed to get from them a shot of their three-way bread. Three-way because it's actually three types of bread together in one loaf:



One's normal white bread, the other's a slightly spicy one, and if I remember correctly, the last one is the multigrain one. Served with quality french butter, this is Etihad's signature bread. It's pretty impressive I'd say. It is served on all of their flights.

So with this, I suppose I have less reasons to be judgemental about plane food. Sometimes all you need is an ambitious vision to re-align and correct prior judgements of plane food. For Etihad, their answer is a food and beverage manager. As mentioned, this manager is the point of contact with passengers, in charge of talking to them about their food preferences and making recommendations. Now don't you think you have one more reason to give plane food a second chance?

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Etihad currently offers flights to 48 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

To find out more, please visit www.etihadairways.com/inspiration

Sunday morning at Chinatown

When I think of Chinatown, I think of thick sweaty crowds amidst narrow lanes in the darnest most uncomfortable humidity.

The tedious process of getting stuck in and wiggling through a sea of unknown human bodies is rather unappealing to an adult. But somehow kids love it. I only say it because I used to fancy getting lost. It was scary but oh so exciting. God only knows how many times I've gotten lost. That is just so telling of what kind of child I was. Call it a hunger to explore or pure playfulness if you will; only one thing is certain in these scenarios - adults hate it. And you must understand that kids relish anything that adults hate. Perhaps it's that thrill of being away from your naggy parents (come on, don't tell me you enjoyed the constant repetitions of 'hey, stop that', 'get back here!', or the usual 'you'll get it from me when you get home!') and the sheer excitement of being able to go whereever you want.

But as with all things exciting, once you realise that you might indeed get lost for real with no chance of getting home (highly unlikely here in Singapore though, it's such a small island!), then you'll start to panic. At this point, excitment turns into anxiety and gleeful eyes turn red and glossy, and your breath quickens as you try to retrace your steps. I am sure that most of you have gone through this at least once.

Getting lost is by far no laughing matter especially when your 3ft tall (or short for that matter) frame is at a disadvantage, amidst a sea of tall, lengthy adults. Perfect example - visiting Chinatown during Chinese New Year. Now that's what I'm talking about. Swarmed with tourists, locals, mums, dads and kids all checking out the various goodies ranging from bak kwa (barbecued minced meat), melon seeds, love letters, pomelos, white rabbit candy (i know it's now a god-damn poison carrier but hey i loved it! i can still remember the creamy sweet chunk of goo wrapped in edible rice paper, one that i lovingly ate before popping the entire sweet into my mouth), etc.

At that time, I believed that a Chinatown experience should be what the Chinese term as being 热闹. The noisier the better, the more crowded, the more fun it was. The Chinatown crowd is especially fierce during Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is also not Chinese New Year without that annual trip to Chinatown during the festive period.

I still enjoy strolling down the streets of Chinatown and I still get do get lost sometimes but that usually happens only when I head down to the area during Chinese New Year, and Mid-Autumn festival. That's when the place gets busy and becomes untolerably congested. So congested that you can't see where your feet are and where you're headed to.

Chinatown has changed quite a bit since my childhood days. It's cleaner, the roads are wider and even the food centres have undergone an overhaul, making it less dingy and more sanitary. I like the present day Chinatown and I love the fact that it's chockful of great food at cheaper than cheap prices. Hawker centres (or food centres) are indeed a great blessing. That's one thing I'm glad we have here in Singapore.

There are a few hawker centres in the Chinatown area but my current favourite is the one located right smack towards the end of Smith Street. Oh wait, I just did a quick Google search, it's at 335 Smith Street. And the proper name's Chinatown Complex Food Centre. It is apparently also one of the must-visit hawker centres recommended by the Singapore Tourism Board.

The last I heard, there are a mind-boggling 200 stalls at this food centre. You can work up an appetite just thinking about it, or actually visiting the glorious food haven to see for yourself what the hawkers have to offer. You have to trust me when I tell you that it is an ultimate buffet spread. There's everything you can possibly imagine. I reckon that this would be the best place to visit if you have a craving (well even if you don't, just checking out the stalls will make you salivate).

So just what do you crave for? Dim Sum? Yes they have it. Claypot rice? Check. Porridge? Check. Kway Chap? Check. Popiah, fried Hokkien mee and Guo tie? Check. Duck rice? Chicken rice? Banana fritters? Beef noodles? Minced pork noodles? Thick peanut butter toast? Pumpkin sago? Xiao long bao? Yes this place has all of the above.

I would love to continue that list but I won't. I will not spoil the experience for you. That's because part of the fun lies in getting lost in the maze of food stalls there. No kidding. You have to remember which route you took or else you'll get lost. I'm speaking from experience.

On Sunday, after a very early morning mass (I usually go for the afternoon or evening one but Mum tempted me with a Chinatown brunch adventure of sorts and oh how could I resist? :D ), my mum and I headed down to the said food complex to have brunch.

I knew I was going to have an interesting time from the moment I stepped foot into the food centre. I could tell. I saw plenty of queues and you know what queues mean :)

Very much intrigued, I was determined to go round the entire food centre at least once to suss out the 'hot' stalls plagued by incessant queues. I did all this exploring while my mum did the queuing at one 'hot' stall. You know a 'hot' stall when its queue is ridiculously long. I can say for a fact that this stall had one of the longest queues, and the average waiting time varies from 15 to 30 minutes.

All just for a bowl of yong tau fu...

My mother first read about this famous stall in the papers a couple of weeks back. Since then she has been patronising the food complex in search for it. She was very determined to try a bowl. I mean come on, yong tau fu is one of the simplest dishes you can find. Isn't it just some noodles mixed with a broth with pieces of tofu? I thought the exact same thing. I found it silly that my mother would want to queue that long for just some plain yong tau fu. Little did I know that I would soon join the fan club.

The draw I believe, is in how they prepare the noodles:

Or rather, the condiments they serve the noodles with. Most patrons usually request for the rice vermicelli (bee hoon). I went with the thicker flatter rice noodle (kway teow) because I wanted to be able to get more mouthfeel. Their yong tau fu is unlike any others. Order it dry and you'll be surprised to see none of that maroon-ish, brown sweet sauce usually served with yong tau fu. Instead you get lightly oiled noodles topped with crisp fried ikan bilis. In the above photo you'll see a pool of chilli. It's usually served separately but trust me, it goes better when thrown in together with the noodles. Very reminsicent of those served with Hainanese chicken rice, this chilli sauce has plenty of zest and omph factor. I finished up two saucers of it. It goes well with the yong tau fu pieces too of course.

I thought it tasted fantastic with the very buoyant fishballs. I just had to dunk them into the fiery red sea...

Okay I feel like having some of that right now.

Here's the bowl of yong tau fu soup and the seven pieces of tofu, fishballs etc that comes with the noodles:

At $3, it is not only cheap but satisfying, and healthy too. That is if you discount the fact that they deep-fried the ikan bilis. It was lovely to watch the vendors at work. This stall occupied two stall spaces and one was solely for assemblage, serving and payment while the other side busied with the cooking and frying of the ingredients. The two halves worked like a well oiled machine and it was a pleasure to watch.

There was something about that Sunday that overwhelmed me in a very good and inquisitive way. Food centres are not new to me, I am afterall a big fan of the good 'ol decent no-fuss meal. I adore a $3 plate of well-made fried hokkien mee, complete with smokey 'wok hei'. So why the sudden hoo-ha about a visit to a food centre? I don't know, maybe it was the fact that it was a Sunday and I had all the time in the world to stroll and explore as long as I want. I need not rush because I had no where else I wanted to go to. That's what made it different.

I eventually walked around the food centre, checking out the 200 stalls and only stop short of ordering food from all of them. Some were closed of course, but most were open and alot of them had really good stuff to offer. I should have taken more photos but I was so caught up with soaking up the sights and smells. Here are two cool stalls I think you should check out:

Gogo Beanz must have some of the most delicious soybean combinations I've ever seen. You can have red bean with your soymilk, or aloe vera, or pineapple or candy jelly, or oreo or peach. I tried the one with red bean, which I liked. Well I like anything red bean anyway!

Another stall I reckon is worth trying is this one:

They sell glutinous rice. Just the rice, with some fried shallots, some sesame oil and a light dash of sauce (light soy i think!). Their queue is one of the longest. As curious as I was, I wasn't patient enough to stand in line (which was a smart move because soon after I took the photo, half the queue was forced to leave empty-handed because they had run out of rice). So if you have tried their glutinous rice, pray, do tell. I'm curious. It must be so good, considering that it looks rather plain. But as I have learnt that day - plain looking food (yong tau fu included) can be as delicious as anything.

After I was done exploring the food centre, I went to the basement together with my mum to buy some groceries. I needed to get some sweet potatoes for a sweet potato bundt cake I wanted to make. Martha Stewart featured it on her Thanksgiving special.

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the market was. The stall we bought our groceries from was manned by a sweet old lady and her family:

I promise that she wasn't trying to throw that huge aubergine at my mum. But I am sure she was gesticulating while my mum tried to bargain for a better price.

As much as I fancy supermarkets and their sanitary clingwrapped meats and prepacked vegetables, I still find wet markets a pleasure to visit. It is very much an adventure and that Sunday I renewed my love for wet marketing.

I also came across a few vegetables I did not recognise. Maybe you could help? The lady tried to explain it in Chinese. She said that it's usually a garnish for fried prawns and meat. Alas she could not remember the name. My guess is that it belongs to the spring onion or scallion family:

And now, let me present to you, Exhibit A:



This vegetable bewildered me. It looked like something that belonged to the ocean, or perhaps another planet. I thought it resembled a coral. Beautiful ain't it? Care to guess what it was? You'll find out... soon.

Check out their red tomatoes:



For local tomatoes, they looked pretty good. And hey, she sells banana leaf, curry leaf and laksa leaf too...

I know some people have trouble finding those leaves so I thought I should highlight this fact. Now you know where to find them.

That's the entire stall. Such a jovial chatty lady. I will be back for sure.

After grocery shopping, mum and I (being the gluttons we were), had to get some dessert. We shared a green tea snow ice dessert with red beans.

Mum kept insisting that it looked like a pile of vegetables. Well yes it did, but it tasted nothing like it of course. This was a light and refreshing dessert, perfect for the two of us. I forgot to take down the name of the shop. All I know is that it's the famous warm dessert shop that's known for their mango pomelo sago as well as their walnut cream, almond cream and black sesame cream. Oh and Cantonese dumplings. It is quite easy to find this shop if you know where the CK departmental store is. The shop sits on the same street that CK is on, and it's at the start of that street. I'll update when I find out the exact name and location.

Back to Exhibit A. Did you manage to guess what it was?

Perhaps this will help:

Ah-hah! It's actually Romanesco broccoli. Mind you, I did not know what its exact name was, until my smart cousin told me on Facebook. I had posted up the a photo of the beautiful broccoli and before I knew it, he pointed out Romanesco broccoli! Thanks Nigel! :)

I actually thought that it was just a different breed of cauliflower. I believe it is also called a Romanesco cauliflower. It also tasted more like cauliflower. Whatever it is, it is a marvel in itself. A true art-work of mother nature. The main pattern it follows is known as a fractal form, referring to its self similar pattern throughout the florets. The Romanesco broccoli is rather intriguing I must say, but perfect if you want to generate buzz at a dinner party.

If you're ever bored of the countless malls and cannot take one more chill-out session at Starbucks or Spinelli's, then you should try heading to Chinatown for a fun day of good and cheap eats. Don't forget to get lost along the way. That is after all the essence of Chinatown - to stumble upon treasures you never knew existed.