April 30-Day Challenge: 29th Daily Limerick - Twelfth Night with Shakespeare in the Park

A grass picnic in the near dark -

Perfect setting for Shakespeare in the Park.

The old Bard's Twelfth Night,

Was an incredible sight.

In Olde English, many a witty remark.

The scene is set

Fort Canning is a perfect setting for outdoor performance.  The natural amphitheatre created by the gentle slope is perfect for the audience to picnic on while allowing everyone a good view of the stage.  Singapore's tropical evenings are just pleasantly cool - the only gamble is the rain!

This year's Shakespeare in the Park is Twelfth Night.  I wasn't very familiar with the story line, so feverishly read my Wikipedia plot summary (here) heading out the door.  The troupe are very funny - lots of physical comedy thrown in with Shakespeare's witty lines and the set is simply outstanding.  It's a shame you can't tell from the photos, but behind the yacht is actually a projected sea with either waves crashing or calmly lapping in the background.

Twelfth Night runs until 20th May so there is plenty of time to pack your picnic basket and head down to Fort Canning to check it out.  Get your tickets here.

A Taste of Singapore - Kueh Tutu

The whiff of coconut pulled me up short as I headed out of the mall... "mmmmmm... kueh tutu".  Sander introduced me to these steamed morsels of traditional Singaporean goodness a few months ago and I've been on the lookout for them ever since.  They're such a tasty light snack - a fluffy rice flour shell filled with shredded coconut and rapidly steamed and served up on a padam leaf.

If you're looking for them in Singapore, try the ground floor of Far East Plaza.  I've also heard they're in Wisma Atria.  Does anyone know any other places to try out?

Out and About in Singapore

The walk to dinner passed Fort Canning and Clark Quay along the river

Silent Singapore Streets

Early morning is the time to be out on the streets in Singapore if you want to enjoy the relative quiet. With shops open until 10pm, family-filled hawker centers humming towards midnight and 3am movie screenings you'll fall asleep waiting for the evening lull. The morning streets however are empty, and I would not be surprised to see tumbleweed.

You'd expect that, on a deserted sidewalk, the sound of my pavement pounding (not to mention my puffing) would be enough to alert stray pedestrians but apparently not.  Groups walking three abreast seem to be especially inattentive.  The number of times I have had to duck off the pavement or stop and say "excuse me" really loudly to avoid collision with single or group of pedestrians is staggering.

Perhaps they, like Singapore, are actually asleep. Sleep walking?

Or perhaps I need to invest in a little bicycle bell to ring as I approach people?

Silent Singapore Streets

Dine Out, Timeout, Great Time, Great Taste

The elements for a perfect Singapore evening came together for the Dine Out by the Bay tasting event: great food, great company, glass of wine in hand (not necessarily in that order).

Timeout Singapore brought together the restaurants of Customs House to showcase their wares and I was most certainly not going to disappoint them.

I employed my 'buffet strategy' for the evening, an initial tour of each restaurant's table to see what was on offer before making my choice.  This strategy also helps to make sure you taste all the delicious savories before moving on to sweet treats.  Although usually successful, I was thwarted by a few new dishes emerging from Kinko (Japanese) as I was biting into my salted caramel chocolate cup (where has rock salt + chocolate been all my life?) which looked so good I was forced to briefly revert to savories again.

There was such a wide variety of delicious morsels ranging from mini laksa to chorizo-stuffed mushrooms to tiramisu... but for me the highlights were clear.

Taste Highlights:

1. Scallop carpaccio from Clifford
2. Wasabi prawn with mango salsa from Jade
3. Unagi sushi tempura-style from Kinki (the dish that made me go back)
4. Salted caramel chocolate cups from Town 
5. Mixed berry homemade popsicle from Frostbite

Visual Highlights

1. Cupcake tower from Whips Cupcakes (all gone before I could sample, although I have it on good authority the Red Velvet was delicious)
2. Salmon sashimi cones from Kinki



So many to choose from... how did I miss out?



Salted caramel chocolate cup perfection

Salmon sashimi cones

Mini laksa

Mojitos from Neuva Cuba

For $45 (wine included), the evening was a steal and the view across the water to Marina Bay Sands and the light show topped the evening.  I'll definitely be back.

Our evening wallpaper

P.S. In adding the links to each restaurant I've realised how many are in the Fullerton Hotel... clearly I must find an excuse to go there

Singapore Stay-cation

What's better than a four-day long weekend?  Taking an extra day's leave and making it a five-day long weekend!  Add my visiting parents to the mix and you have a mini break filled with food, wine, laughing and exploring Singapore.  Sounds pretty ideal to me.

For a small city, Singapore has a lot to do if you're not afraid to get out and about.  Most people come to shop, but I'd venture that the malls are my least favourite aspect of living here.  Yes there are something like five Chanels and ten Louis Vuittons, but I would rather wrestle the heat and humidity than the crowded hallways of Ion.

If you're like me, here are some ideas from our Singapore Stay-cation:

Eat

Food is most certainly one of the best things about Singapore, from the simplest of hawker markets to the lofty heights of haute cuisine.

For breakfast try The Plain in Chinatown or Wild Honey in the Mandarin Gallery.  The Plain is a small noisy cafe run by a guy who lived in Melbourne for 15 years, so his coffee is some of the best Singapore has to offer.  The menu is small and simple, and they have dip dip eggs with vegemite soldiers!  Wild Honey is at the opposite end of the spectrum.  It's a decadent breakfast with a menu inspired by countries around the world.  Get there early (around 9am) or don't bother.  They don't take reservations and the wait can literally be hours.

Great sign for the antique store neighbouring The Plain

At any time of day, you can't go wrong with Din Tai Fung (reviewed here).  I rave constantly about this place because it's that good.  Mum and Dad loved it so much we went back again, not that I was complaining.  Don't miss the dumplings, the vegetarian delight and the egg fried rice... and the black steamed wontons.... and the hot and sour soup... in fact don't miss any of it!  Just make sure you go there hungry and while you wait for your table peek in at the chefs in their glass-walled kitchen for a display of the meticulous pursuit of dumpling-perfection.

Craving a mid-afternoon sweet treat?  Head to PS Cafe on Dempsey Hill and ask to sit out on the terrace.  Their cakes and slices are generously proportioned and delicious.  Nibble and sip away in a tropical colonial-style setting.

For dinner, wander through Little India to work up an appetite (or post-meal to ease a bulging belly).  We've started a tradition of taking our guests to the Banana Leaf restaurant (reviewed here) and snapping a photo of the first finger-filled bite.  There are quite a few now pinned up in our office.  The Banana Leaf has commercialised (ie almost 100% tourists) of late, so if that doesn't take your fancy you will have plenty of excellent options just a few doors up or down the street.

Mum and Dad will be added to our finger food collection

Don't miss the Lau Pa Sat hawker market near the CBD.  The mixed satay sets from Satay Stall 7 & 8 are the best (they all say "Best Satay" though...), and don't let the Tiger beer ladies refill your glasses - they try to force the remnants of your Tiger jug into your glasses so you buy another one from them, but you end up with mostly foam and a lot of mess due to their 'pour-quickly-and-from-a-height' technique.  If you purchase a pack of tissues early on from the old guys roaming around they'll stop approaching you - it's only $2.

Satay in the making - it's all in the wrist

For something special the teppanyaki restaurant atop the Pan Pacific (Keyaki) is a great interactive experience.  Try to nab a counter position right in front of the grill, although this isn't that ideal with a larger group.

This clever chap wrote upside down and back-to-front

See

Definitely take the time to visit the ArtScience Museum and wander around the Marina Bay area.  The ASM should be on everyone's list - they currently have a Dali and a van Gogh digital extravaganza which are both brilliant in completely different ways.





Around 80% of Singaporeans live in an HDB apartment (Housing Development Board).  So how can a government-subsidised housing block be on the 'must see' list?  When it's the Duxton Pinnacles, that's how.  You'll need an SMRT card to swipe for $5.  You can buy one at the 7-Eleven near the entrance (Blk 1G, Level 1).  Head up to the 50th floor skybridge for one of the best 360 degree views of Singapore.  I've heard people often use the skybridge as a 800m running track!  Don't wait too long to visit though, only 200 people per day are admitted.

Giant flag still up from National Day

Most public holidays the Istana (the President's pad) is open to the public.  Get up early to avoid the queue and wander around the beautiful grounds/golf course right on Orchard Road.  Our place backs on to the Istana which means we're practically bestie's with the pres... we often head around there for a cup of tea and a quick round of golf before work.

Only applies to those who can walk on water (or lily pads)

After so much eating you may want to strap on your walking shoes and head to Bukit Timah Hill, Singapore's highest point... at 163m.  Don't be deceived, you will sweat... a lot!  And don't feed the monkeys.

Other Ideas in Brief

• Check what's on at the Singapore National Museum - we saw an excellent photography exhibition there of 45 years of Abbas' work
• Cruise for electronic bargains at Sim Lim Square and haggle away to your heart's content.  Tip: the prices get cheaper the higher up the tower you go
• Get a foot massage after a hard day's wandering (recommend Healthy Step in Holland Village)
• Cruise Haji Lane for local designers (small sizes though) and funky jewellery
• Wander the quirky streets of Chinatown
• Play the worlds best courses whilst enjoying a beer at CityGolf (level 61, One Raffles Place) then pop up to Altitude for a drink at Singapore's highest bar - just don't wear jandals if you're a guy

Ladies Who Brunch: Capella and a Perfectly Girly Singapore Day

What a Sunday, and it's not over yet!

When the boys are off golfing in Malaysia and you have the good fortune to possess a borrowed car it seems criminal not to take advantage of the situation.  Our solution was to drive to Sentosa for breakfast at Capella.

I don't often go to Sentosa.  It's a reasonable taxi ride (~$30) and I associate it with Universal Studios and screaming kids rather than luxurious breakfast options.  However with a car and a recommendation both barriers are gone so why not?

First impressions of Capella are a beautiful colonial-style hotel nestled in acres of lush foliage.  As you penetrate the exterior you find a modern, spacious and luxurious setting (amazing art - modern and Chinese) with a gorgeous view out to sea (most of the oil tankers are hidden behind the foliage).

We booked for the breakfast buffet ($48 ++) and it was amazing.  Presentation of the delicate little dishes was superb, great service, extensive choice.  Soph said it was one of the best brunches she'd ever had.  We spent three hours sampling our way through the selections - highlights for me were the mini waffles and beautifully presented yoghurts.  The coffee was standard for Singapore but the tea selection made up for it.  Having finally exhausted all options we wandered around the grounds to ease our taut tummies before piling back into the car.

Gorgeous mini jars and a rambutan (delicious but strange hairy Indonesian fruit)

Impeccable presentation

Our breakfast view

Day beds - an invitation for copious cups of tea and a good book
or lounging with champagne

After a quick tour around the Sentosa residential area to see how the 'other half' live, we stopped in at the flower market on the way home.



These tiger orchids are so impactful - I love fresh flowers!



And now it's not even 3pm and the most difficult decision I face is whether to keep sneakily reading Sander's book (Open, by Andre Agassi - really interesting) or to open my newly arrived Dish magazine...

Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder?

The past month has been a whirlwind of dinners as Sander’s sisters (and their plus ones) have been in town.  My waistline can’t wait to wave them off at the airport tonight, but my taste buds will be very sad to see them go.  It will definitely be time to get stuck in training for a 10km run I signed myself up for in September.

Tuesday night’s treat was a 30^th birthday dinner at Absinthe, a French restaurant in Chinatown.

Image from Absinthe website

All good birthdays should involve champagne, and we got the night off to an excellent start.  I thought it was interesting we weren’t offered a choice in the bottle, but it was dry, tingly and delicious.

Having decided we weren’t hungry enough for the degustation menu, I settled on an entrée of yellow-fin tuna, olive tapenade and diced ratatouille.  The tuna was lovely and fresh, and I thought the presentation of the finely-diced ratatouille on the smear of tapenade was visually interesting, but there was just a little something missing from my first bite… something to make my mouth zing a little…  a touch of chilli perhaps?

My main was a delicious and delicate catch of the day.  Nestled beneath my barramundi fillet were tiny ravioli parcels and small slices of baby potatoes, and the butter sauce was surprisingly light.

I think the highlight for me was the cheese.  An old wooden cheese trolley is trundled around the restaurant and one by one we popped up to choose from a large and varied selection.  I choose some livarot, a hard ewe’s milk cheese and a creamy blue.  I’m secretly coveting the cheese trolley for when I have a larger house (ie not an apartment), although it was a bit of a hindrance for patrons going to the bathroom.   

Chock-a-block after cheese, we decided to share dessert.  The chocolate fondant was incredibly rich (luckily we only had enough for a mouth full or two) and perfectly cooked, oozing dark chocolatey goodness from the center.  The birthday girl’s had a candle and a few extra scoops of sorbet (raspberry one was great – cut through a chocolate-lined mouth).

So, should you go to Absinthe?  Yes, if you have a special occasion to celebrate and want to make an evening of it.  Mains (excluding wagu) are around $46 and don't forget the ++.  Book the private dining room in the wine cellar, drive up and valet park your car for $5, sink into the suitably dimmed and formal French interior and save some room for a drink at the jazz club next door.  The only catch, make sure you go to the bathroom before you arrive.  The bathrooms look smart, but the eco-flush toilets don’t have enough flushing power so all were blocked up with paper (even after three attempts).  Not a good look.

Private dining in the wine cellar
(image from Absinthe website)

The Golden Peony - A Bit Wilted

The Golden Peony website says “sophisticated and intimate”, and “tranquil atmosphere”.  Respectfully, are they talking about the same restaurant as I went to last night?  If so, they clearly haven’t visited for a while.

Let’s rewind.

Dinner there was a night out for Sander and I before I left for Australia for work.  We started with a pre-dinner drink at wild oats and then jumped in a cab to the Conrad Hotel’s ‘award-winning’ Golden Peony Cantonese restaurant.  Really we should have turned around as soon as we walked in, but we had some meal vouchers for the Conrad Hotel, so we decided to stick it out and see what happened.

Relatively intimate table for two?  We were seated right between the service area and the payment counter.  You be the judge.

The Golden Peony
-- image from their website --

The Golden Peony started off well (Sander realised they hadn’t made a mistake with their name – it really was Peony and not Pony).  We selected a set menu, and although this was a lunch menu (in our defence, it didn’t say so anywhere on the menu) they agreed to make it for us.  The first course was a trio of dumplings and was definitely the highlight of the entire experience, especially the bean curd-wrapped mango and prawn – a wonderful sweet surprise mid-bite. 

The second course was a disappointing soup – two chunks of fatty pork with lots of bones.  I wondered whether I had missed something culturally, or was it really just pork stock in a bowl.  Neither of us finished it.  Course three was shredded duck and sugar snap peas.  This would have been the second highlight of the meal for me – delicious duck morsels and perfectly steamed peas – but Sander’s was full of bones (again) and my unfinished dish (I was mid-mouthful) was cleared away from under me at lightning speed and before I realised it I was mourning the loss of the three sugar snap peas I’d been saving for last. 

Dish four was my first experience with congee – ubiquitous in Singapore.  Ours was chicken congee – two lumps of chicken and some slightly salty, fine-ground porridge.  Sander thought it was what cornflour porridge would taste and feel like if anyone was mad enough to make it.  I had two spoons of congee and one of my chicken lumps.  If that was representative of congee then it was my first and last experience.  I was anticipating dessert with trepidation, but when the fruity thin custard soup arrived I was pleasantly surprised by its freshness.  I’m a big fan of custard and I certainly wouldn’t have made it so thin, but it was definitely tasty.  Thankfully.

Needless to say we didn’t want to linger in the ‘tranquil atmosphere’ and hot footed it out of there, still having paid nearly $100 despite our $70 of vouchers.

TripAdvisor has it ranked #68 out of over 1,000 restaurants in Singapore.  This dining experience has seriously made me question the validity of TripAdvisor’s recommendations as I know the quality of the Singaporean dining landscape is much better than this.

Oh, and one smile from our waitress wouldn’t have gone astray.

Drink Your Wild Oats - Bar on the Hill

"we distrust camels or anyone who can go a week without a drink"

Any place with a statement like that is bound to be good in my books!



wild oats during the day

Image from wild oats website



I've been meaning to go to wild oats (no capitalisation please) for a while now - it is literally just up the hill from my house in Singapore.  We stumbled upon it walking home from dinner (wo's sister restaurant Wild Rocket, also good, is also just up the hill) and thought it looked great but hadn't made it back until last night.



Sander and I headed out for dinner last night before my work trip to Australia ('technical difficulties' mean I'm writing this now in the airport as opposed to somewhere in the air over Java) takes me away for a week and we decided to start our evening with a drink at wild oats.

I love the setting: an old Colonial-style white house, a wooden deck dotted with rattan chairs and surrounded by some great music filtering through the rainforest-esque foliage. 



The drinks menu is great - the wine list is extensive (including lots of New Zealand sav and pinot - yes!) and the cocktail list has a great mix of classics and clever combinations.  I was tempted by a blueberry and lemongrass margarita, and also a kiwi whisky sour but in the end Sander had his usual mojito (if it ain't broke...) and I tried a lime, ginger and sake gimlet.  What a fabulous combination!  Little flakes of ginger injected a touch of spice, the lime added a tang, and I love sake.  It was very strong, but really no complaints from me, I could drink these all night.

See what I mean about lush foliage?

We were a bit peckish and the food menu looked interesting (although very 'bar snack'ish therefore lots of deep fried bits).  I had a little giggle to myself when I was reading about their Hot Bitches - wo's take on hot dogs - but we decided to get wasabi prawns.  I wasn't expecting deep fried (possibly I mis-read the menu) but I have to say they were delicious.  The wasabi mayonnaise was very creamy with a hint of that familiar horseradish tang.  Sander would have preferred more wasabi, but I thought it was fine.

Sadly, there were two downsides.  Getting the attention of the majority of the waitstaff was near to impossible.  They have a very unprofessional habit of delivering their drinks from the bar inside and then disappearing without taking a look around the deck to see if anyone else wanted service.  We had to wait for about six different people to come and go before someone looked up and saw the now several tables where someone was trying to get some attention.  Secondly they bought out Sander's mojito about 10 minutes before my gimlet came out (and delivered about four other drinks in between to other patrons).  This is a giant no-no in my book.  It's really not that difficult to wait until both drinks are ready before delivering to the table.  You get no brownie points for speedy service if said service is only partially complete.

At the end of the day, I will most certainly be back. wild oats (feels very uncomfortable not capitalising the start of that sentence) has a great atmosphere, tasty drinks and is just up the hill.

Ladies Who Brunch: At The Barracks

Yesterday was a lovely combination of food and activity.  Laura and I kicked off with brunch at The Barracks on Dempsey Hill and then stretched our legs at The First Tee, the 9-hole pitch and putt down the road.

The Barracks is well worth a visit, although it's not the easiest of places to find.  It's tucked around the back of the main Dempsey Hill cluster of bars/cafes and borders the forest.  We arrived shortly after opening, but after an hour the place was humming so clearly not everyone had the same location difficulties I had!

The menu looks great, it's styled as a newspaper with a bit of background on the front and a huge array of choice on the inside.  Things which caught my eye: Very Berry Stuffed French Toast, Ahi Taki Salad and 3 Berry Ahi Sandwich (both tuna), and a couple of delicious smoothie options. 

I was craving eggs however, so I went with poached eggs.  They came with bene-dressing, mushrooms, crumbed tomatoes, sausages and raisin toast.  A big tick for The Barracks - they let me switch out the sausages for asparagus spears (I was eyeing them up in another meal) for no extra charge.  This sounds pretty obvious right?  Believe me, in Singapore menu flexibility is not always easy to accomplish.

In the end, I had supreme food envy for Laura's Ahi Taki Salad.  Small things (eggs a little too over done, raisin toast - odd combination) were outweighed by the mouth full of vinegar water I received when I bit into my eggs.  Luckily I had a delicious mango and banana smoothie to wash away the taste.  And my double shot macchiato was pretty good.

They were advertising a vintage high tea which looked amazing, but unfortunately it's only available Thursdays and Fridays from 3 - 5.30pm.  Definitely targeting the ladies who lunch, rather than the ladies who brunch.

All in all, I'm not against going back, but I'll probably spend some time investigating other Dempsey Hill hideaways first.

Happy Feet

At a loose end in Singapore?  Get a foot massage!  I am a complete convert to the wonders of foot reflexology.  Is there anything more indulgent?

The soles of your feet are a road map for the rest of your body and applying pressure on certain areas is supposed to help with circulation, relieve tension and help with pain.  Medical benefits haven’t been proven, but it’s amazing how often the ‘liver’ area of my feet seems to be tender on a Sunday… indicative of too much wine the night before? 

My favourite place to go is Health Step Foot Reflexology Centre in Holland Village (Ph 64682655).

Whatever you believe, a foot massage is a wonderful end to a day of wandering around Singapore – be it as a tourist or a resident and at the end of a day’s sightseeing, shopping or simply running errands.  Bliss!

Dim Sum Fun at Din Tai Fung

I love dim sum – I could eat those little parcels of goodness all day, every day (although fortunately for my hips I don’t).  You’d think that a nation with a lot of Chinese influence and a big Chinatown area would be swimming in dim sum and yum cha options, but my earlier forays have left me disappointed.  To this day, the best yum cha and dim sum I have had has been Grand Harbour in Auckland – do not forgo a chance to try it.

Fortunately we were introduced to Din Tai Fung by our friends Sophie and Dean.  It doesn’t serve yum cha, but it does have consistently delicious dumplings and some of the best fried rice I have tasted.  There is always a queue (testament to how good this place is) but I don’t mind because the wait is fascinating.  They’ve walled the kitchen areas in glass so you can watch the team at work as they prepare the dumplings.  It’s meticulous work – each stage of the dumpling process is executed to perfection: rolling out the wrappers, filling and sealing the parcels.  Each is done by one person and they even have trainee tables where junior staff learn the perfect rolling method.  You can see them practicing first without a rolling pin or wrapper (just to get the motion right), then with a pin and finally with the wrapper itself.  They also have quality control where occasional dumplings are weighed to ensure consistency of filling.  I’ve never seen anything like it!

As consistent as ever, Sunday’s lunch was delicious.  Dumplings, pillow-y pork buns, dan-dan noodles, vegetarian delight, hot and sour soup and egg-fried rice.  Let’s not forget the jasmine tea to wash it all down.

Spicy dumplings



A mountain of dumpling goodness



Pillow-soft pork buns

Vegetarian delight is... delightful

Always a queue

The Banana Leaf Restaurant

We live a short five-minute walk from Little India in Singapore.  It’s a wonderful melting pot of sights, smells and sounds, all of which intensify on Sundays when people pour into the streets en masse, and pedestrians rule the roads. 

Colourful buildings everywhere - this one used to be a sweet shop

The sweet sweet smell of flowers

Road-side vegetable stalls

Sander’s cousin is visiting from Holland and as she’d never had Indian food before, it seemed a ripe opportunity to introduce her.  We spent an hour wandering the streets, walking up a bit of an appetite, and then dropped into the Banana Leaf restaurant.   We started a bit of a tradition when we first arrived here of taking visitors to the Banana Leaf for dinner and getting a snap of them eating with their fingers – the photos (not always very flattering, but fun none-the-less) are pegged above our desk in the office.  A fun reminder of our visitors over the past year.

The Banana Leaf has always been pretty touristy, but this time I noticed a few changes, and not for the better.  One of the things I love about the Banana Leaf is that you literally eat off banana leaves.  This time we were surprised to see green rectangular plates on all the tables, lined with a banana leaf.  We promptly removed ours, stacking them neatly to one side, which was noticed with clear amusement by one of the waiters.  He handed us a comments card and told us to leave a note to the managers – apparently we were not the only ones who preferred the previous arrangement.

The full complement

Palak paneer, channa masala and garlic naan

Post-meal herbal breath freshener

Despite this small (but significant to me) change, the meal was still the delicious, generously-proportioned experience I remember.  I only ever seem to leave the Banana Leaf on the point of a food coma, stuffed to the brim with palak paneer, channa masala, chicken tikka and briyani rice.  And try as I might, I still haven’t mastered eating tidily with my fingers.  Something to work on I suppose.