Azmaya Is At The New Lau Pa Sat

Lau Pa Sat finally reopened today. Sure, it looked slightly better (and those huge overhead fans now provide much needed circulation under that roof), but many of the stalls were the same. The only noteworthy items I could see at a quick skim were an outlet of Manniu Mala Xiangguo, Mamacitas, and to my surprise, Azmaya.

Yep, Azmaya set up a food court stall. But rather than serving shabu shabu like they do at their restaurant, they did yakitori as well as this Pepper Lunch knockoff. The problem though was that those pans were just not able to retain heat like Pepper Lunch's, thus providing none of the scorched crispiness that I love. Oh well.

Paradise Dynasty: Legend of Xiao Long Bao

When I think of large local Chinese restaurant chains in Singapore, I usually think of Crystal Jade first, perhaps followed by Tung Lok or the even more difficult to remember Imperial Treasure. But hardly do I ever think of the Paradise Group. Sure, I've had a couple of very satisfying meals at Paradise Pavilion at the Marina Bay Financial Centre, but the prices there were so outrageously high that the food had better be good!



So it was a bit of an epiphany for me today to realize how darned good the more mainstream Paradise Dynasty line is: much better than its aforementioned competitors, in my opinion. Sure, those multi-flavored xiao long bao are a bit of a gimmick (and still can't hold their weight against the much more refined ones from Din Tai Fung), but I really liked everything else we got, including that egg and crab meat thing above. I'll remember Paradise Group much more now, even if it's such a generic name that it's easy to forget.

Cheap Beer and Lo Mai Gai at IKEA (!)

No, we didn't intentionally come to IKEA for breakfast; it was just more efficient that way. And when we arrived, I was surprised to find some local dishes adorning the menu, like this Cantonese lo mai gai sticky rice at a bargain price of S$1.50 (US$1.20). Of course it wasn't anything to write home about, but it was interesting to see it offered alongside the usual gravadlax, waffles, and Swedish meatballs.



On our way out, I spotted something else interesting at that nasty hot dog and soft serve stand near the cashiers: cheap cold beer (no sign of a Mindy beer, unfortunately). I actually kinda liked it, and all at a dirt cheap price of only S$3.50 (US$2.80) a bottle. Maybe one of these days after work, I'll suggest that we hit up IKEA instead; it'd be a heck of a lot cheaper than going to the pub.

Shabestan at Singapore's Robertson Quay

I assume that this place has no relation to Shabestan in Dubai. But when I saw the name in an advertisement today, I had to do a double take; did a new Persian place open in Singapore? Yes, and it looks like it's been around for a number of months now. I swung by to check it out tonight (80 Mohamed Sultan Road, 6836-1270).

I went with my usual: koobideh and dough. And this place ultimately did the job, even if they didn't really supply much rice. It was eerily similar to Shiraz in that they provided a grilled chili pepper, didn't proactively provide raw onions nor butter, and even had a belly dancer in the evenings. But at least it's light years better than that Nasrin place on Arab Street.

Bar Snacks from Oxwell & CO in Singapore

Here were just a couple of quick snacks that I got from the bar at Oxwell & CO (5 Ann Siang Road, 6438-3984). No, the anchovies were nothing like the Don Bocarte tins that Lolla serves across the street, but it still worked for me. Interestingly, the bar menu also had salt and pepper squid on it.

Jin Ji Mei Shi at Maxwell Food Centre

We made a random visit to Maxwell Food Centre after breakfast today, and noticed how good the glutinous rice looked at stall 96. So we grabbed a serving along with some soon kueh dumplings as well as a turnip cake that was apparently rather well received by the Makansutra folks.

It was all served cold, which was a bit disappointing. But it came with a super spicy chili sauce that still made it worthwhile. That soon kueh kinda reminded me of the ba wan from yesterday, although of course the gelatinous skin was nowhere near as thick as that one.

Breakfast at Club Street Social, Singapore

I'd heard about this place for a while, but I never bothered to come here until today, and that was only because we were thinking about a reasonably nice place for breakfast. These guys (5 Gemmill Lane, 6225-5043) were open at 9 AM, and were in fact serving their entire menu, breakfast or otherwise.

Yet somehow the thought of a burger and cocktail just didn't sound appealing this morning, so I went with scrambled eggs and toast. I won't be doing cartwheels for it, but it did the job, and actually was a lot cheaper than I would have expected. Plus the staff was super friendly and competent.

Din Tai Fung's Beef Noodles on EVA Air

Cool - EVA Air was offering Din Tai Fung's beef noodles in-flight! To be sure, it wasn't anything *that* great, especially since one of the chunks of beef in my soup was disappointingly tough, and I would have preferred an earthier chili oil rather than freshly sliced chili peppers instead.



Nonetheless, it was kinda cool that they featured this on the leg back to Singapore, especially since most of the other meals that I had on the long hauls to/from the States were unremarkable. Here's to hoping for more local restaurants' food featured on airlines!

EVA Air's Infinity Lounge at Taoyuan Airport

The first time I went to EVA Air's lounge in Taipei, it was so crowded that I immediately left. But this time, they let me into the other side of the lounge, and it was a bit more interesting. During my outbound leg earlier this week, the afternoon spread featured things like wonton soup, cold liang ban mian, and beef noodle soup. On my arrival this morning, they had local breakfast items like soy bean milk, porridge, and that odd thing in the foreground of the photo above.

The sign said something to the effect that it was a "Taiwanese meatball," except clearly there was no meat to be seen. It turned out that the diced meat was inside that gelatinous outer cover, accompanied by a mildly sweet sauce. I looked it up just now and it turned out that this is something called ba wan, and I suspect that I've probably had it before. Now, it's not exactly something that I'll be getting cravings for either, but it was kinda cool that the lounge featured some local items that were worth trying.

Note to self: the EVA Air lounge at SFO was nearly as cramped as the SQ lounge next door. Next time just skip it and go straight to the United Club where you can actually get a proper desk to work at.

Eating My Way Through Portland, Oregon

Why get chicken rice in Portland when one lives in Singapore? Well, this was technically a Thai version. Yes, Thai seems to be a huge thing around here, and this place, Nong's Khao Man Gai, has made a name for itself too. Admittedly, it tasted pretty similar to the Singaporean version, with the only big difference being the much milder brown sauce. In that sense, I prefer the Singaporean version, or at least a Thai version that I used to get frequently back in college with a much spicier sauce. The chicken and rice were fine, but I won't bother coming back next time I'm in town.



Now, I wasn't really intending to get a second lunch, but Bunk Sandwiches is yet another famous shop in Portland that I wanted to try while I was here, and fortunately there was an outlet within walking distance from Nong's. So I figured I'd at least try a bite of their famous Cubano. Yeah, I can see why this place is so praised, especially with the quality of ingredients that they use here, including the bread in particular. But I was so full from the chicken earlier that I could only eat half of this thing. The other sandwiches here looked like they were worth coming back for though.



And as if I didn't already have enough to eat, there was one more stop on the way to the airport: Waffle Window, which featured a bunch of savory items like the spicy bacon cheddar jalapeno waffle above. Surprisingly, the toppings were all cold, and the jalapeno wasn't as pronounced as I had hoped it would be. Moreover, the waffle was still a bit sweet underneath. But somehow, I still liked that peppery bacon enough that I nearly ate the entire thing, despite my original intentions of only taking a bite or two as a taster. Maybe I should just skip dinner tonight.

Hall Street Grill in Beaverton, Oregon

This was a wood paneled steak and seafood place in the suburbs of Portland (3775 Southwest Hall Blvd, 503-641-6161). I wasn't a huge fan of the kitchen, as they tried to dress things up a bit too much. Witness that Copper River salmon above, which was all fancy with some kind of tangy bits on it (I would have preferred just a simple grilling instead). Nonetheless, it was an appropriate venue for a business meal.

Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon

It must seem a bit weird to come all the way off of a long haul flight from Asia to Portland to get...Thai food?? Yes, it sounds crazy. But this place has gotten so much media attention over the years that I had to come here to try it (3226 SE Division Street, 232-1387), especially since that chicken *did* look pretty good. Interestingly, this street was loaded with tons of other Thai restaurants nearby.

It turned out that the kai yaang that got this place started was pretty darned good, being not just tender and juicy but more importantly with a lovely smoky element pervading it. I'd get that again, but I wouldn't bother with the papaya salad; it was fine but not anything different from what one could easily get in Singapore. I wished I had tried those chicken wings (or even khao soi) instead.

Still, there was one surprise item on the menu that I just had to get: their interpretation of Chả cá Lã Vọng (yes, they had a couple of Vietnamese items on the menu). The good thing was that it was garnished with fresh dill and herbs, and I liked it better than that Thien Long place in San Jose. I still long for more of that bubbling oil in Hanoi, but otherwise this guy kept things reasonably authentic. Nice.

Bak Kut Teh on EVA Air

EVA Air was offering a few local dishes out of Singapore today, including chicken rice as well as that bak kut teh above. OK it wasn't completely local. There were some Chinese herbs in this thing, making it closer to a Malaysian style. But the meat was still tender enough to eat this small portion easily. That Royal Laurel class of theirs also came with plenty of space for me to sprawl my stuff out, even if the seat cushions were uncomfortably firm.

More importantly, I'm really liking the timing of these EVA Air flights to the US, as you don't have to wake up at such a God-awful hour like one would have to do on United or ANA. Now, I'm sure that United does that because they usually are trying to get you to some connecting domestic flight later, but I'm staying on the West Coast, so this time suits me just fine.

Sumiya Charcoal Grill Izakaya in Singapore

That's too bad. We really wanted to like this place at the top of Orchard Central (181 Orchard Road #12-02, 6509-9618). It looked like it might have some promise when we skimmed the menu, and indeed, the first few things that they brought out to us (like some simple kyabetsu and miso) seemed reasonable enough.

But then they brought out the grilled items that we ordered, and things just slipped from there. The quality of the ingredients just wasn't up to scratch, and worse, they brought everything out to us at the same time (never mind the constant banging of that taiko drum, which should have warned us off in the first place).

It was only after I looked it up just now did I realize why: it's run by the same guys as Kuriya and Ichiban Boshi. Well, if I'm on Orchard Road again looking for kushiyaki and izakaya fare, then I'd much rather go across the street for a more satisfying meal at either Shinjuku or Shirokiya.

Chef Tony's Gourmet Popcorn from the Philippines

We were just randomly walking through the basement of Orchard Central tonight when we came across this stall selling tubs of flavored popcorn. I'd never heard of this brand before, but when I looked at the label, it turned out that it was from the Philippines. She offered us a few samples, which to my surprise, were all a bit sweet (including ones like jalapeño cheddar). That was a bit off-putting for me, but I'm assuming that at least it's a bit healthier than that Garrett's stuff.

Malaysia's OLDTOWN White Coffee in Singapore

This chain from Malaysia has been in Singapore for a while, but I've never eaten here before. To my surprise, I really liked this bowl of noodles, particularly since it came with just the right amount of stank. Granted, it kinda reminded me of that instant stuff, but to be honest, I could have easily eaten a second bowl had I not exercised some form of self-control.

PhoPho Vietnamese Cuisine, Singapore

This place (123 Telok Ayer Street, 6534-9741) reminded me of NamNam in the sense that it was trying to be upscale. Witness the wagyu phở above for S$18 (US$14). Sure, the meat was tender (and the service was fast), but I really wasn't too excited about it in the end. I think I'd rather go to MRS PHO (or even Pho 99 down the street)...or more likely, just wait for the next run to Houston or San Jose.

Li Xiang Guo at 100am in Singapore

So the Koufu food court on the fourth floor of the 100am mall next to the Amara has a new mala xiangguo tenant. Given my lousy food court experience at Star Vista (and an even worse experience in the basement of Central!), I wasn't expecting much. So it was to my surprise that they made this thing pleasantly spicy enough to leave a residual burn. It wasn't anywhere as fragrant at Piao Xiang at 313@Somerset, but at least these guys had a wide selection of green veggies.

Australia's Spanish Doughnuts in Singapore

It must be a bit weird coming to this Australian chain when I had just spent last week in Sydney (not to mention getting churros in Mexico City the week before that!). But I kinda wanted to check this place out after dinner so I swung up to Orchard Central before heading to the bus stop just to see if it were any good (181 Orchard Road #05-01).

The good thing at least was that they were fried to order, making them come out warm and crispy. But that was a long wait (so much that my hot chocolate got cold), and the taste of these things wasn't anything that exciting. I suppose that it was better than those rock hard things that one gets at amusement parks, but I'd rather go to Mexico or Spain.

Has Lawry's Singapore Raised Its Prices?

Man, is it just my imagination, or has Lawry's Singapore totally raised its prices? My jaw just dropped when I saw the menu here, as the basic Lawry's cut went for a whopping S$93 (US$74). I just checked the US website and they only charge SS$55 (US$44) for the same cut back in Beverly Hills. Pptttttttthhhh!!!!

Well, at least it tasted good...so much that I even ate the fat, and now I feel kinda sick. I don't know if the high price is a result of the high rent at their new Mandarin Gallery location (333A Orchard Road, 6836-3333), but their old location diagonally across the street at Paragon couldn't have been that much cheaper.

Revisiting Kraze Burgers from Korea

File this one away under my childish "Engrish" collection, but this sight from Kraze Burgers at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands was just so amusing that I had to put it up. It wasn't just the fact that they put a picture of a beef patty right onto the vegetarian page of the menu, but more so, the burger in the bottom left corner of the photo is "Perfect for Vagans." Hmm...I'm definitely not a vegan, but a Vagan? Yeah, I guess that I qualify for that. :)

All nastiness aside, let's move onto another bit of nastiness: the food itself. I didn't really like Kraze the first time I tried it, and yet a colleague of mine keeps raving about how good it is (in Korea, anyway). I must be ordering the wrong items then, as the Maximum Hot burger, while spicy, was also filled with an American barbecue sauce that just didn't do it for me. The patty left a lot to be desired too, so I was screwed whether I ate it with the sauce or not. Ugh.

Finally Trying Butter Kopi in Singapore

Yes, that's butter floating in a cup of local Singaporean coffee. I'd heard of this peculiar thing a few years ago, but it didn't seem to be very common from what I could see. We finally came across it this morning here at Tong Ah (the new spot at 35 Keong Siak Road across the street, not the old location at the intersection), and I was glad to finally get a chance to try it.

It tasted more of coffee than of butter, and if you think about it, it's really not that hard to make. One could in fact simply just take some of the butter from the accompanying kaya toast and put it in. If I read the history correctly, this was done many years ago when butter was a prized item, so having it as a topping for your coffee was a bit of a luxury. Interesting.

Luke's Oyster Bar & Chop House, Singapore

I've always kinda liked this guy's food. But when I saw the sky high S$45 (US$36) price of his lobster rolls at his shop off of Club Street, I stayed away as far as I could, not wanting to touch the place with a ten-foot pole. Still, tonight we were in the neighborhood of his second outlet at the new Robinsons at the Heeren (260 Orchard Road #03-02, 6733-4813). And after learning the hard way that Shisen Hanten was hosting a wedding, we went across the street to finally give Luke's a try, including these cheaper lobster sliders at only S$24 (US$19).

Man, I've been missing out. The food here is amazing, and all we got were a few starters like those sliders! Yes, they worked, but I was even more impressed by his clam chowder and the distinct taste of each of the ingredients that he put inside. Perhaps I was also influenced by that awesome bar. It certainly racked up our bill, but you could see the care that they put into each cocktail and even ice cube. This place would easily be a favorite of mine, if only it weren't so ridiculously expensive. I guess they do have to pay for the cost of shipping fresh seafood from Boston after all.

OnAir Internet via SQ from Sydney

I wasn't expecting in-flight Wi-Fi on this flight. Heck, I wasn't even expecting power outlets on this flight given those lousy seats on the way in. But when I stepped on board, I noticed the new seats and was delighted. On top of that, they announced overhead that there was in-flight internet capabilities, to which I was even more surprised. This was going to come in handy since I needed to get a few emails out.

My jaw just dropped when I saw the rates for this thing though. Oh no...they were using metered rates! And very measly allowances too. Really? A single email alone could obliterate that given how colleagues and clients sometimes attach huge files. Well, at least I could try to send some basic text emails, which was all I needed for now anyway.

Or so I thought. I went for the 15 MB option and nearly cleared it in minutes, even though my emails weren't that big (to be fair, there were some things sync'ing in the background but they shouldn't have been big either). Anyway, ultimately I got a few critical emails out, but that US$15 was not worth it. I seriously hope that they go to an unmetered plan like other airlines (and allow iPass roaming!).

The Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont

Just as with my last trip to Sydney, I made sure to stop at the Fish Market on the way to the airport today. There was a lot of stuff on display, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw these beautiful scampi from New Zealand. WOW - these looked unbelievably good (and yes, they were red in their natural uncooked state). This fishmonger had a cooking service, but he suggested that I eat these raw, whereas a larger variety next to it could be grilled. I ordered exactly that along with a half dozen oysters.



Oh man, those scampi were some of the best things I've eaten in a very long time. The tail meat was naturally sweet and tender (think: amaebi), and the headfat was like a mildly briny and sweet uni. That was such an awesome thing to eat, and it didn't even require cooking! Having said that though, the larger scampi that I had grilled were also delicious, but this stuff didn't come cheap either. I blew through A$50 (US$47) for nothing more than a handful of small scampi, two large scampi (plus cooking charges), and a half dozen oysters. Those scampi made it worth it though.



As a side note, it was interesting to see how many tourists were here: many signs were in both English and Chinese, and I heard Mandarin being spoken everywhere. Seriously, groups of families with cameras and chopsticks were chomping down their selections with piles of noodles, and you could also ask the shops to cook your seafood with things like ginger and scallions, and even "Singapore chili," if I remember the sign correctly. I requested no sauce for my grilled scampi, but I wonder if the Asian cooking is worth a try.

Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney, Australia

After so many days of pub food, I needed something lighter and more refined tonight. This place (66 Hunter Street, 8078-1900) is supposed to be one of the better places around town, so I grabbed a bunch of starters and gobbled away, with those silky Sydney Rock Oysters from Clyde River being one of my favorites.

The other items that I got were fine, including some kind of raw fish plate, but the grilled octopus that I got was so salty that I nearly considered sending it back (I didn't). Either way, I was happy to have found a place that served warrigal greens, especially since I was on the hunt for local food.

Drink Better Wine in North Sydney, Australia

Mmm...I think that might have been one of the best things that I've eaten yet on this trip. It was merely a pit stop for post-work drinks and a few nibbles (189 Miller Street, 9954-0090), but I loved what we got, including not just that salumi board with cracked black pepper and olive oil drizzled over it, but also some heirloom tomatoes and those olives in the foreground, which they brought out to us warm. Man, I'd be eating here all of the time if I worked nearby.

Aqua Dining at Milsons Point in Australia

We came here for a business lunch today (corner of Paul and Northcliff Streets, 9964-9998). On the surface it seemed as if they were selling the scenery more than anything else, especially with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge within view of pretty much every table in the restaurant (think: selfies). But the good thing was that the food was reasonable as well, and certainly a refreshing relief from all of that heavy pub food over the past few days.

Another Sydney Breakfast With Vegemite Toast

Yes, I've gotta admit that I'm kinda liking this Vegemite stuff. This one in particular was just from a random shop near the hotel, and of course I got a coffee while I was at it in Sydney. But perhaps more respectable in this whole photo was the wonderful bread, which was airy and yet crusty and full of sourdough flavor. Yum.

Sydney Pub Food: Calamari and Schnitzel

So the office wanted to go to a nearby pub for drinks after work tonight. The beer selection was decent, but I guess the thing that has really fascinated me all day was how pubs in Australia seem to love not just pies, but something called "salt & pepper calamari" as well as chicken schnitzel.

I had a chicken schnitzel sandwich for lunch at a random shop earlier, and it was just that: a breaded piece of fried chicken. But this salt & pepper calamari thing was supposed to be "Chinese" in origin if I heard it correctly, and yet was basically just deep fried calamari (would you expect anything more from a bar snack?). It was fine but not exactly anything to make me go nuts for it.

I've been confined to way too much bar food over the past day or two and really need to get some fine dining (or at least fresh seafood) while I'm here this week...and perhaps some Lebanese chicken or even phở while I'm here. Luke Nguyen is from Australia after all, right??

City Extra at Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia

After a good number of beers tonight, we needed a bit more food to sit in the belly. But most places in the city stopped serving food already, aside from McDonald's and some pie shops. One of the bartenders then mentioned that there was a 24 hour place near the water (Alfred Street, 9241-1422), so we eventually made it here. It was touristy yet again, but beggars couldn't be choosers at this hour.

My local friend said that Aussies really liked to get things like salt and pepper squid as well as schnitzels, of all things. But I wanted to get yet another burger. Why, might you ask? One very specific reason: beetroot, which is common in burgers in ANZ. I was shocked the first time I had it, but that was intentionally why I wanted to order it again: to make sure that maybe I didn't just get a bad sample last time.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, in part since the mildly sweet and tangy taste of the beetroot slice actually wasn't that different from the flavors that you would get from putting ketchup in your burger. Granted, I don't like putting ketchup in my burgers either, but at least I didn't find this as off-putting as I recall it being the first time. Maybe next time I'll try some local schnitzel.

Fortune of War Hotel in Sydney, Australia

We weren't originally intending to come here. But a local friend of mine mentioned in passing on the way to the Rocks that this place (137 George Street, 9247-2714) was supposed to be Sydney's oldest pub, and the kangaroo burger caught my eye. OK, it was touristy, but what the heck, I'm not local! We went in for a couple pints and a taste of the kangaroo burger.

I didn't like it. It was waaaaay too lean to be anything exciting...I almost felt like I was just chewing on flesh for the sake of it. In that sense, it kinda reminded me of that camel burger in Dubai; sure, it was an exotic meat, but was it really anything to get cravings for? No. I liked the beer at least, as well as the awesome brews at the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel that we eventually made it to.

Trying Australia's Vegemite A Second Time

I've tasted Vegemite once, and I recall it being rather bitter. But that was so long ago, and I never really knew what to do with it. So this morning while a local Australian colleague was getting coffee (another local obsession, BTW), I asked for some Vegemite toast just to give it another try.

And you know what? I liked it. Yes, it was a little bitter, but what was more pronounced at first was just how salty and savory it was, in a good way. I immediately mentioned that it was a bit like anchovies: very umami. I don't remember it being like this last time, but I'm converted.

Harry’s Café de Wheels in Woolloomooloo

I know, it sounds rather clichéd to be going out to Woolloomooloo for a pie at Harry's after getting into Sydney (Corner Cowper Wharf Roadway & Brougham Road, 9357-3074). But it's a public holiday down here today, and there isn't much around that is still serving food. So I quickly popped over here and grabbed a curry chicken pie done "Tiger" style, or topped with mushy peas, mash, and gravy.

It tasted like it sounded, but at least the curry was spicier than I thought it would be, and the crust was lighter than I can recall it being too (then again, the last time I was here was over ten years ago, and after quite a bit of alcohol at that). I still needed some more food, so I also got a pastie, which similarly wasn't anything to flip out over, but the warm filling was kinda nice to have on a cool damp evening like tonight.

Flying Singapore Airlines Down To Sydney

They didn't call this chicken rice on the menu, and it wasn't, especially since that chili sauce was more like a sweet Thai chili sauce than anything (was it the same caterer as the one that United used?). I was more surprised that the seats on this flight down under were still the old ones without in-seat power. I can understand using these older seats for short haul flights, but would have expected them to have newer seats on this nearly eight hour flight. At least the leg room was a little better than I would have thought, despite being stuck in a middle seat in the back of the plane.

Incidentally, I had a chance to try JetQuay at Changi this morning. To my surprise, the food spread was much more limited than at the airlines' own lounges (no yummy podi idly here!). And I was a bit embarrassed to be riding on that golf cart, horning its way through the crowded terminal when I wasn't even running late. Well, for me the best part about JetQuay was just that someone handled your airline check in for you while you relaxed in the lounge. Friendly and attentive service at least. Maybe next time I might be able to spot a celebrity there or something.

Epilogue: BTW, next time I'm arriving at Sydney airport, I need to remember to go straight to the lane on the right despite it appearing to be the longest. It looked like it was for Aussies and Kiwis only, but those SmartGate kiosks took my US ePassport with no problem, making it much faster than the Express Path line that I originally waited in for about 15 minutes before giving up. Now that I've looked it up, the website says that Singapore ePassports should work too.

Laiyulai Three-Sauce Simmer Pot, Singapore

Yes, that's still raw in the photo above...they had just put in our three main items into the pot and hadn't even ladled on the sauce yet. Anyway, I had no idea what this sanzhimenguo stuff was. And "three sauce simmer pot" doesn't exactly sound very exciting. But we were at Chinatown Point and figured that this was the chance to find out from this shop from Beijing that opened up in Singapore a couple of months ago (133 New Bridge Road #02-38, 6444-4115).

There was a bit of a learning curve: one first had to pick three proteins plus the sauce and degree of spiciness. That cooked - or rather, simmered - under a lid without broth to create a bit of a sauced-up mix of stuff, and it actually tasted a bit better than I'm making it sound. After finishing most of that, they added whatever extras we wanted plus a good amount of broth to it (a bit like Shanghai's Chicken Hot Pot), but not so much that it became a full-on hot pot. Yes, I'd eat it again, but we'll remember to request the spiciest version next time (or at least ask for that fragrant chili oil on the side).

Separately, we watched Jon Favreau's Chef tonight. I don't think I need a spoiler alert on this, as it seems like there's a lot of stuff written on this already. But just in case, don't click through nor hover over the upcoming links if you don't want to know which shops were featured in the second half of the storyline. It was kinda cool to see them, as well as a favorite comedian of mine making a cameo. And I had no idea until the credits rolled that this was co-produced by one of the original food truck vets too. Cool! How fitting it is that the man behind Swingers works with him to make a movie about food trucks...very L.A.!

Checking Out Some Thai Mango Varieties

For some reason, most of the fruit stalls in Tanjong Pagar have been selling Thai mangoes this week. There were of course the standard issue honey mangoes that are omnipresent at supermarkets most the year, so I wanted to check out the other ones, like these chok anan mangoes in the foreground. Nothing really stuck out about the taste though: it was very neutral with a delicately thin skin.



I don't know the name of this one, but it was dirt cheap at nine pieces for only S$5 (US$4). I was a bit worried that they wouldn't taste good as a result, especially since the smell wasn't anything great either. But it was better than I had thought, reminding me a bit of those dried Filipino mangoes that one gets at a convenience store. It wasn't rich like some of those Indian or Burmese mangoes though.

Hana Hana at the Orchid Hotel, Singapore

Teppei has finally opened his new yakitori extension (1 Tras Link #01-17, 6222-7363). Seeing how ridiculous the lines are at his original outlet next door, I wasn't getting my hopes up on being able to get a seat at lunchtime today. To my surprise, I breezed right in with no problem. Strangely, there were still people lining up next door, even though the two shops were connected and shared menu items.

Indeed, most people that I saw at the extension today ordered his bara chirashi, which I'm not really a huge fan of. And he still had his usual otsumami scattered across the countertop for you to nibble on. There were some other things available, like this otoko meshi above, but it was surprisingly tough, if marginally edible.

Now that I think of it again, the appeal for me about Teppei has never been the quality of the ingredients. It's more just that he serves unbastardized food at reasonable prices (and the man himself is a pretty nice guy). I'll still come back here at dinnertime some day to see if his yakitori is worthwhile. But I probably shouldn't get my hopes up too high, and just be grateful that at least it's easy on the wallet.

Make Your Own Taco at the United Club HK

I didn't eat this...I just happened to notice it on my way out to the gate. In retrospect, maybe I should have made one, as I'm starving right now, and they didn't clear my upgrade request on this last leg even though the plane is nearly empty. They said that it was because my flight from Hong Kong to Singapore was booked as one long segment out of Chicago rather than two separate ones. And since I wasn't upgraded on the way out of O'Hare, they couldn't do anything about it for the last leg from HK.

Apparently I should have booked it as two segments (yes, it sounds really silly...and being Global Services didn't seem to make a difference). That sucks, especially since they already took my upgrade voucher for the leg out of Mexico City. And my seat assignment in economy was, of all things, in a completely full row. Well, the plane was empty enough that I just went to grab an empty row further back. But yeah, I was expecting to get a huge meal in flight and I now I regret not eating.

Chicken with Rice in United Economy

When the flight attendant asked if I'd like the chicken or the vegetarian selection, I asked her what was in the latter. She told me that it was "some kind of pasta." I thus assumed that it'd be some nasty pasta primavera, and thus got the chicken instead, which turned out better than I thought it would be.

Then I noticed the vegetarian selection that my neighbor got, and it turned out to be lasagna, which I wish that gotten that instead. At least this 14 hour flight in economy wasn't as harsh as I thought it would be. It was nice not having a seat nor bulkhead in front of me, and those firm headrests did a good job of locking my head in place.

A Mollete from Tortas Frontera at O'Hare

Guess what? Rick Bayless was a fellow passenger on my flight out of Mexico City this morning! I didn't even realize it until landing, but of any celebrity that you might find on a flight going from Mexico to Chicago, I guess that he would make the most sense, right? I should have gotten some tips from him on where to eat down there.

Being a bit starstruck, I swung over to his shop near the B-gates before heading to my connecting flight, even though I didn't have much time. And for that reason, I only got this mollete rather than a torta, as the latter would have meant waiting for them to grill it to order, whereas the former was already sitting in a glass case under a heat lamp, ready to eat.

I have to admit that I wasn't super excited about this when I ate it though. It's not like it was bad, but it kinda tasted like a pizza with all of the cheese and sundried tomatoes on top. Next time, I'll try the bacon version that I saw on the menu. And no, I did not see Rick at the restaurant later, in case you were wondering.

"Eggs" on UA Business from Mexico City

When they asked me if I wanted pancakes or eggs this morning, I figured that they were talking about the usual United fare. So it was to my surprise when they brought out these "eggs" that they were Mexican, complete with salsa verde, machaca (?), and a little tostada topped with frijoles. Nice!

Of course, this still wasn't anything to go nuts for, and I still wish that I had enough time to get something to eat in the terminal this morning instead. Hopefully next time the flight won't be so early; the landside outlet of La Mansion had bone marrow taquitos (!), if I read the menu correctly.

BTW, check out the CAPTCHA challenge that United's in-flight Wi-Fi just threw at me when I tried to sign back in just now. #facepalm