Cheap Eats

I think I may have mentioned this before, but some things are worth repeating. . .

For delicious and affordable food, you've gotta check out Al Azhar's on Upper Bukit Timah Road (opposite Beauty World).

If you're a bit intimidated by the extensive menu, here are a few of our very favorites: plain naan, chicken satay, butter chicken, and ice blended mango lassi. =)

Okay, that ought to keep your taste buds busy for now.

A Dozen Eggs (minus 2)

I've lived here for TWO YEARS and I just realized that the "dozen eggs" I've been buying is actually not a dozen. It's ten. All the eggs here are sold in 10-packs. And, the worst part is that I wasn't even the one that realized it. . . Josh told me.

Pretty lame, huh (me, not the fact that the eggs are sold in 10's)!?!

The Best Burger in Town

Okay, I know this is risky because not all taste buds were created equal, but I am pretty confident that I have found the best burger in town (Carl's Junior doesn't count since it's technically fast food. One could make a pretty good case for their burgers, though).

The Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger at BlooiE's Roadhouse at the Rail Mall on Upper Bukit Timah Road is awesome. Seriously. I'm married to a burger fan and we've tried burgers all over the island. This burger is amazing. I don't normally like mushrooms on my burgers, but this is different. They must have cast a yummy spell on these mushrooms because I just can't get enough of them!

If you're really not in the mood for mushrooms and you refuse to take my word on it that you'll feel differently after you've tasted the Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger (which wouldn't make sense --why would you go at all if you didn't want to take my word for it), then I suppose you can opt for the Chilli Burger. It's pretty awesome, too.

(I'm not too good at photographing food, but even so, doesn't this Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger look yummy?)

Go try it. Even if you don't think it's THE best burger, I am certain you'll agree that it's way up there!

Durian

I can't remember if I've commented on durian here or not. . . if I have, please forgive me for repeating myself, but there are some things this American just cannot get used to, and durian is one of them.

For those of you who don't know, durian is a tropical fruit that is quite popular in Asia. I has a spikey outer shell and a fleshy orangish-yellow inside.

If only I could somehow figure out a way to make a scratch-and-sniff post, I can nearly guarantee that 100% of my readers would know exactly what I mean when I say durian is definitely the worst smelling fruit in the world.

I know I am not alone in this opinion since the nasty-smelling fruit is banned from nearly every public place here in Singapore. You see signs (like the one at the right) in every train, bus, and mall. How people can get the fruit close enough to their mouth to eat it, I don't know. The smell is overwhelming from even 100 feet away.

Despite its nasty scent, durian is popular here amongst the locals. You can find a wide variety of durian products: durian candy, durian pastries, durian ice cream, fresh durian, dried durian, and durian perfume (just kidding).

I must admit that Singapore is known for its discriminating and refined cusine, but somehow or other, durian slipped under the radar. An amazing feat for such a stinky fruit!

Kaya Toast

When Yvette came for a visit in October, she brought with her a travel-guide and a wealth of information about what the "locals" do here in Singapore. One of the things she introduced me to was Kaya Toast (a breakfast treat served at the local coffee shops. . . toasted white bread, a slab of butter and coconut egg jam). I was hooked the first time I tried it!

I just discovered a little coffee shop only a few bus stops down the road (opposite direction from the way I usually go), so Caleb and I went there yesterday to enjoy some hot chocolate, Kaya, and a little reading-time. All for less than $5-Sing.

It was a delightful morning outing and one I plan on repeating soon. . . but not too soon, because Kaya isn't exactly low-calorie!

Prosperity Pizza

Everyone here in Singapore is getting in on the spirit of next week's big holiday, Chinese New Year. Even Pizza Hut!

The Hover

There are three types of eating establishments here in Singapore: American-style fast food (Subway, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and a few local spin-offs), hawkers, and sit-down restaurants. At the fast food restaurants, you order at the counter and pay immediately, just like you would in the United States. At the hawker centers, you order your food at the stall(s) of your choice, tell them your table number and then, pay when the food is delivered. At the sit-down restaurants, the hostess seats you and the waitress takes your order and brings your food. Unlike American restaurants where the waitress "kindly" brings your your bill to remind you that you've been sitting there too long, waitresses here wouldn't dare suggest you pay your bill until you ask for it. You could sit there for 4 hours and the waitress would never even hint about it. But, once you ask for your bill, a very interesting thing happens. I call it "the hover."

In the States, the waitress drops the bill off and leaves. When you're ready to pay, you flag her down and she stops by to pick it up. Here in Singapore, the waitress brings your your bill and then stands right next to you until you get your wallet out and settle the bill. She literally hovers right above your shoulder until you get the cash or card safely into her hands.

At first, the hover was unnerving, annoying. But now that we're used to it, it is kind of nice. It's nice to know that the restaurant is actually interested in meeting our wishes. If we wish to sit and enjoy our meal, they don't rush us off prematurely. If we wish to pay our bill, it's their top priority. That's what I call "good service."

Pancake Recipes

From Rebecca (America)

Easy Breakfast Pancakes
1. Mix together: 1 cup Better Crocker Pancake Mix, 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp Vanilla, 2 tsps sugar. Mix until batter is no longer lumpy. Do not over mix.
2. Coat pan with a small amount of oil.
3. Pour pancake mix into small circles in the hot pan (about 1/8 cup each circle). When the edges become firm and the center bubbles, turn cake over. Cook until golden brown.
4. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.
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From Emiko (Japan)
Okonomiyaki

Pancake Ingredients: 100g flour, 100cc water, 2 eggs, Cabbage
Optional Ingredients: Green Onion, Pork, Octopus/Squid, Prawn
Toppings: Katsuobushi (dried, shredded tuna), Aonori (seaweed), Okonomiyaki sauce, Mayonnaise

1. Chop the cabbage into fine strings.
2. Mix the flour, eggs, water and cabbage strings together. Add *optional* ingredients.
3. Fry the dough like a pancake in a small frying pan. Cover as it cooks.
4. Turn the Okonomiyaki so that both sides are golden brown.
5. When fried well, serve the okonomiyaki, top with toppings and serve.

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From Jin Ju (Korea)
Vegetable Pancake
1. Chop into thin strips: 6 Spring Onion, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot, 1 Squash,
2. Chop into small peices: Mushrooms, Cuttlefish, Prawn, 2 Jalepeno Peppers.
3. Make a paste out of egg, wheat flour, salt and water. Add vegetables.
4. Fry in hot oil.
5. Serve with Spicy Soy Sauce (soy sauce, jalepeno pepper, spring onion, sesame oil and sesame seeds)

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From Yan Shi (Tibet)
Sugared Pancake
1. Cook frozen Roti Paratha (easier than making your own!)
2. Sprinkle pancakes with course white sugar and serve while still warm.


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From Shu Hsien (Taiwan)
Scallion Pancake

1. Combine ingredient:2cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup boiling water,1/2 Cup cold water,1/2 t salt, well and knead into a smooth dough.

2. Rinse scallions well and mince. Knead the dough more smoothly and roll out into a long strips. Then divide the strips into 5 equal portions.

Roll each portion out wide and flat and grease with a layer of cooking oil evenly, then spread with a layer of minced scallion. Roll up into a strip, then roll up from both sides into a cylinder.

3. Press the stuffed dough flat and roll into a flat cake.

Fry in frying pan with a little oil added until golden on both sides.

Remove and cut into sections. Serve.
(If desired, fry an egg and then place the pancake on top of the fried egg and finish cooking them together.)

Pancake Day

During last week's class session, my ESL students and I took over the church kitchen and made pancakes. The students brought all the ingredients necessary to make their country's traditional pancake. We had a wonderful time doing mini-cooking demonstrations and taste testing each other's pancakes. We were able to sample traditional pancakes from Taiwan, Tibet, Korean, Japan, and America. The students wrote up their recipes for me (in English) and I will post them as I have a chance.

Thanksgiving in Singapore

Since Thanksgiving Day, for both Josh and me, is usually celebrated with extended family, we weren't sure what to do with our first Thanksgiving-sans-relatives. We talked about trying to make our own Thanksgiving meal (feasible, thanks to the high-end grocery store nearby that caters to Americans and was carrying items like Stovetop stuffing, Libby's canned pumpkin, and Butterball turkeys), but decided that preparing a feast for just the three of us would result in lots of wasted food. We also considered joining a group of teachers from Josh's school who were getting together to celebrate, but since our calendar had been packed the last 2 months, a just-our-family-day sounded like a treat. So. . . we called up one of the nice hotels that was advertising a "Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet" and made a reservation.

(photo from concierge.com)

The Fullerton Hotel, located on the Singapore River, near the Esplanade and Merlion, is absolutely gorgeous. No doubt, it is one of the top two hotels in Singapore (the #1 spot being held by Raffles Hotel). It is the kind of hotel where the valet spends most of the day parking luxury Italian cars like Lamborghinis, Porches and Ferraris (if teaching doesn't work out, don't be surprised if you hear that Josh has taken a job as a valet!) In fact, when we arrived for Thanksgiving dinner, the front entrance of the hotel was temporarily cordoned off and the staff was laying out a beautiful red velvet carpet--turns out that top diplomats from all over the SE Asia were soon to be arriving at the hotel for some sort of international summit.

The buffet was gorgeous, but it was no where close to "traditional". The only traditional items being served were turkey and cranberry sauce. No mashed potatoes, no gravy, no green bean casserole, no buttermilk biscuits, no Jello salad, no sparkling cider, no apple or pumpkin pie. But, if you were in the market for fresh tropical fruit, or sushi, or oyster, or black pepper stir-fry, or bruschetta, or creme brulee, or chocolate torte, you would not have been lacking in options!

Us, in front of one of the dessert tables.

In a way, I'm glad it wasn't a typical Thanksgiving meal because it wasn't a typical Thanksgiving Day. It is nice to know that the giving of thanks isn't dependent on cool weather, cozy foods, and even good family fellowship. I Thes 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Viva La Comida Mexicana!

As I have already lamented, Mexican food is scare here in Singapore. There are few Mexican restaurants and even fewer grocery stores that carry Mexican food ingredients at a price that won't break the bank. For example, one can of refried beans (forget trying to find whole pinto beans. . . they don't sell them here!) runs around $4.50. A package of 8 flour tortillas (forget about trying to find corn tortillas. . . they don't sell them here!) will cost you about $7.00. A small jar of salsa (forget about trying to find fresh salsa. . . they don't sell that here!) comes in at a whopping $8.00. An 8-oz package of cheddar cheese (forget about trying to find Mexican cheese. . . they don't sell that here!) will set you back almost $10.00!

So, as you can guess, when a surprise package arrived from my friend, Sarah Stranske, loaded with Mexican food supplies, Josh and I literally leaped for joy. Dustin and Yvette had brought us a Costco-sized jug of salsa (thanks, guys!), so combined with Sarah's items and $40 worth of beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and ground beef, we were able to feast on Mexican food for 3 days straight! Freshly fried tacos. . . mmmmmmm! Tostadas loaded with tons of goodness. . . . delicious! Enchiladas for breakfast. . . why not!? Even Caleb enjoyed eating at our "Taqueria a la Singapora," and filled his tummy (and nose and hair and thigh-rolls) with beans and Mexican rice.

The stash!

Look at that "sonrisa"
("smile" for those of you that don't speak Spanish)

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. . .

If any of you are dying to send us a care package, here are a few items that would be a hit:

• Corn tortillas
• Plain tortilla chips (we can only get nacho-cheese chips here)
• Green enchilada sauce
• Chalula
• Green taco sauce
• Whole pinto or black beans
• Anything else necessary for a home-grown Mexican meal!

Thanks Sarah, Dustin and Yvette for making our Fiesta possible!

Thai Food Poisoning

Thai food is good. Thai food poisoning, on the other hand, is not. Josh and Caleb found this out first-hand on our trip to Phuket, Thailand this past weekend. We still aren't sure exactly what it was that they ate that caused them 24-hours of misery, but we're thinking it was the watermelon slices they ate on our day-tour of the Phi Phi Islands (Yvette wrote an interesting post about these islands. . . check it out here). Josh got hit really hard, but thankfully, Caleb didn't suffer quite as much. He did, however, administer the "True Test of Motherhood" on me and I am proud to say I passed =)

As a result of the 24-hours of misery and grossness, I spent all day yesterday doing laundry. Caleb is still extra-clingy right now (another side-effect of being ill) so posting anything that takes longer than 5-minutes to write is out. However, Yvette has been doing a great job journaling about her visit here so if you want to see what we've been up to, hop on over to her blog.

Survey says. . .

As I mentioned in the post below, we just returned from a 5-day trip to Thailand. What I didn't mention is that we are heading back there in a few weeks for another 3-day trip.

This time, I landed in Thailand with a general sense that Thai food is good. But, when it comes to Thai cuisine, I'm a novice. I've only tried two dishes: Pad Thai and Thai Green Curry (both of which I love).

When it comes to vacations and food, I'm kind of a stickler. . . I like to know that what I'm ordering is going to be good. I don't like playing double roulette. As a tourist, one is already taking a risk on the restaurant; no sense doubling the risk by ordering an unknown, potentially gross item. After all, isn't one of the best parts about "vacationing" the guilt-free, delicious food? So, Josh and I usually stick to the crowded restaurants (usually a good indicator that the food is decent) and familiar menu items.

I happen to know that several of my regular readers are Thai Cuisine fanatics and I am hoping that said readers can help me out. When we return to Thailand in a few weeks, I want to approach the dinner menu with confidence. I want to branch out (this trip, I had green curry three times!).

So, here's the question: What is your favorite Thai dish? (You can give me runners-up, too, if you can't narrow it down to just one)

picture taken from theskinnycook.com

Chinese Lantern Festival

Yesterday marked the end of the Mid-Autumn Autumn Festival (also known as the Chinese Lantern Festival or the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival) here in Singapore. Actually, not just here in Singapore, but everywhere in Asia. Next to the Chinese New Year, this is the biggest holiday in the Asian Calendar.

Above is a picture of a mooncake (which was "borrowed" from taipeitravel.net because I couldn't afford to buy one of my own to take a picture of because they run in the upwards of $30 for one 4-inch cake). These dense lotus paste cakes are traditional gifts during Mid-Autumn Festival, as are Pomelos (those huge grapefruit-like fruits).

Not being Chinese, we weren't sure how to celebrate the holiday. So, we headed to Chinatown on Moon Day (Sept 25th this year) and figured that we'd celebrate in our own way by eating delicious Chinese dumplings at Zhou Handmade Noodle Hawker.

After a tasty dinner, we wandered around Chinatown. Prior to sunset, Chinatown was a little deserted and we thought perhaps we had the wrong day. Then, the sun set and the crowds came out, and we discovered why it is called the Lantern Festival.

During Lantern Festival, all the Chinese children are given small paper lanterns with a little candle inside to "play lantern". Caleb isn't Chinese but he got a lantern, too.

We enjoyed the beautiful lanterns handmade by a master Chinese lantern maker. There were about 12 large displays. Some of our favorites were the replica of the Taj Mahal and the 40-foot-long peacock with colorful plumage.

Josh and Caleb in front of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
(we didn't go in because we don't have a huge interest in Buddhism nor dentistry so there wasn't much of a draw)

Anyone for a Banana Spirit?

We were invited one evening to a yummy Indian hawker, which has become our Sunday after-church-meal-spot. On the dessert menu, you have your typical Milo variations and of course your banana spirit...wait a second, does that say Banana SPIRIT?


If anyone has watched "A Christmas Story", you'll remember the family eating a Christmas meal at a Chinese restaurant, and the waiters singing, "Deck the hars with boughs of hawry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra". So apparently there is some difficulty in Asia pronouncing the "L" sound, resulting in the "R" sound.

Back to what we know as the "Banana Split" ... if you replace the "L" in Split with an "R", you get "Banana Sprit". Now, throw in a little accent and the result is "Banana Spirit".
Makes perfect sense. Quite humorous nonetheless.

p.s. No offense to any Asians reading this blog. I love Asians...I am Asian (half Asian anyway)

Bean Burrito-no red, no onion

Ever since I was a kid, my standard order at Taco Bell has been "one bean burrito--no red, no onion--, a regular nacho, and a small Mountain Dew." With a few rare exceptions, I have ordered this same meal for about 20 years. I don't eat at Taco Bell often, but when I do, that's what I get. And, I have a special way of eating it, too. I eat the chips plain and use the nacho sauce as a dip for my burrito. Mmmmm. . . so good!

I have have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. . .you can find just about anything you're looking for in Singapore. In this case, what we found was Taco Bell! Josh heard that there was a 3-in-1 KFC (a KFC branch that serves KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell items) at Shaw House on Orchard Road. Under "normal" circumstances, we wouldn't go out of our way to eat Taco Bell, but life here isn't exactly "normal." So, last night we made the long trek across the Island to see if the rumor was true.

Sure enough! On the 5th floor of Shaw House we found a sight for sore Californian eyes. . . the Taco Bell logo. Though the menu was VERY limited (there were only 5-6 Taco Bell menu items) I was able to get a bean burrito and a side of nacho cheese (no nacho chips on the menu). It had the delicious taste of familiarity; it tasted just like every other bean burrito dipped in nacho cheese sauce I've consumed in the last 20 years. =)

It took us over an hour to get there, and an hour and a half to get home, but I must admit, the familiar taste was worth every minute!

Now, if only we could find an In-n-Out. . .

Grocery Shopping

Yesterday, Caleb and I ventured out in the pouring rain to meet a friend at Suntec City Mall for lunch.

*side note: Getting out and about in Singapore is a whole different ball game. Gone are the days when I could just hop in the car parked in our garage and go. Never again will I complain about all the time it takes to buckle in a carseat! Our trip included a 1/2 mile walk to the bus stop where we waited 20 minutes to catch a bus, a 10-minute bus ride, another 1/2 mile walk to the MRT station (Singapore's equivalent to an above ground Subway system), a quick trip on the North-South Line and then a transfer to the East-West Line for a 30 minute train ride. Whew!! . . . an hour and a half, and 10-miles later, we arrived!

Kazumi (my Japanese friend who was born in Japan, raised in Hawaii and married a Singaporean) and I agreed that we were in the mood for a Subway sandwich. We walked from the MRT station to Suntec and proceeded to get lost looking for Subway. We were dead-set on finding it though, so after about 40 minutes of wandering aimlessly, we finally located it nestled next to the carpark (a nod to Singapore's ties to Britain) in the basement level. Our search was well worth the effort! When we got up to order, we found out they were offering a promotion. . . buy a 6-in sub sandwich and get a med drink and two cookies for free. The offer is good until September 4th, so I plan to go back at least twice between now and then! =)

After lunch, we got down to business and headed to Carrefour (a French grocery/super store). Normally, I have to walk a mile to the grocery store, carrying the stroller (with my 20 lb son in it) down 4 flights of stairs carved into the side of a hill, and then up and down two more flights of stairs to cross the pedestrian overpass. Getting there isn't the problem . . . it is getting home with all my groceries! When I heard that Carrefour delivers (for free!) any non-perishable items purchased at the store, I was ecstatic. Kazumi and Caleb were troopers. Kazumi pushed the overloaded cart and entertained Caleb whilst I perused the aisles buying everything from laundry detergent to olive oil to root beer. All in all, I came out with a very well-stocked pantry and enough cleaning supplies to take care of this place for the next few months. I dropped my purchases off to the delivery center, scheduled a delivery for today, and headed off to the MRT happy as a lark.

Caleb and the Carrefour Loot.

El Patio: Best Mexican Food in Singapore

Being from Central California, the Mexican Food Lover's Paradise, one of the first things Josh and I did was stake out potential replacements for our favorite Mexican Restaurants. The choices were slim! As far as we can tell, there are only THREE Mexican Restaurants in this bustling city-state of over 2.5 million people. So far, I have tried two of the three. Our search for great, familiar-tasting food may be able to stop there because the second restaurant we tried, El Patio, was everything we like in a Mexican Restaurant: good service, an outdoor patio, decent prices, free chips and salsa, and delicious food. So, if you're ever in Singapore and in need of a Mexican food fix, give us a ring and we will gladly let you treat us to a chimichanga and a burrito supreme!

*update: we found out that there are actually a few more than three. Not many more, but a few. We have tried two of those and still agree that El Patio is the best.