Plaice with Parsley Sauce

Continuing on my previous post of my summer vacation in Denmark, I promised to write a bit more of this classic danish dish – “Roedspaette med Persillesovs” = “Plaice with Parsley Sauce”. It is a very plain and simple dish – but absolutely lovely.

It is a dish I identify a lot with the summers in Denmark. Fresh plaice like any seafood, is the key.

This is how my mother in law makes it. ( I always ask her to make it every year – she does it the best!)

• 4 pieces of plaice (skinned and prepared by the fishmonger)
• 200g of ryeflour (coarse) on a plate
• 1-2 eggs , beaten in a open wide bowl
• salt and pepper
• unsalted butter for pan frying (150g)
• 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 kg of new potatoes

Parsley sauce

• 1  cup of chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tbp butter
• 6 tbp flour
• 2-3 dl chicken stock from a cube – warmed up
• 1 dl milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Wash and peel the potatoes, boil them. Drain and leave a side covered.

Pat dry the fish. Season the coarse ryeflour with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs.  Take out 1 dl milk and put aside.

Take about 50g butter first and 1 tbp of oil onto a frying pan on high heat for the first 1 min, and lower it to medium heat.

Coat the fish first on both sides with the egg, than roll over the fish piece in the flour. Place the fish onto the now hot oil/butter mixture. Fry the fish about 6-7 mins on each side.

Put the fish aside . Finish frying the remaining 3 pieces.

Dissolve the chicken stock (if a cube) in a pot with water (check the instructions on the stock wrapping). Add the now hot stock to the milk. Like bechamel sauce, make the roux with the butter and flour.  Melt the butter over low heat, do not brown it. Stir in the flour , blend continuously until it is a glossy paste. Slowly add the chicken stock mix into the roux mixture..use half first – place a bay leaf into the mixture. Now the sauce should look like melted ice cream. If already too thick you can thin it with the remaining stock mixture. About 5 mins down the road as you cook it, it will get thicker , so you need to check its consistency now and again what you like best. Switch off the heat once it is about the consistency you like, remember it does get a little thicker after, due to the heat. Season with salt and pepper, remember the bouillon is salty – be stingy with the seasoning. Take out the bay leaf and add in the chopped parsley a little a time.

Place the fish on a plate, with the potatoes and pour the parsley sauce over it, or you can serve the sauce on the side.

Summer Vacation 2012 – Copenhagen

This year for our summer vacation we decided to be in DK (Denmark) - primarily to spend max time with the family. And again this year we wanted to make a reservation at Noma but they were closed - for their summer vacation . (NOMA is closed by the way between end July to mid Aug). Dang…! I may need to write a private note to Rene Redzepi now as it is getting too frustrating. This is the 3rd year in a row we have tried.

For the first week we rented a summer house in Naestved by a coastal town called Kaerrebaeksminde (what a mouthful – the name!) on a little island called Enoe – off a fjord.  Here is a site on the town. www.visitnaestved.com/international/en-gb/…/karrebaeksminde.htm

There are several popular seaside villages dotted along the coast line of Sjaelland (the island where Copenhagen – the capital is located). Enoe holds a special place for my husband because he has had many fond memories of this quiet town from his childhood. The area has certainly developed since, and can be quite busy during the peak summer months. Down there too, you have the outlet by the local danish design brand Kahler who is famous for ceramic works. For the shophardy fans , there is something to do after all.

Thank god the weather held, and what a relief! Beautiful danish summer weatheris one needs when you are planning a vacation by the danish seaside.  Having lived in Denmark,  I truly understand what’s all the excitement about. It is the unpredictability of the danish weather system that can throw any ideal assumptions of a nice seaside vacation down the drain and when you have to face 6 months or so with rain/grey weather – yeah a good sunny day is very precious.

Each morning started typically Danish, with pastries and fresh breads from the bakery. One of our favourites are romsnegle and tebirkes (photo above) . Tebirkes – is a mix between pastry and bread, topped with poppyseeds and a buttery and slightly sweet coating in the middle. It is so light and delicate (if made right) – something I have yet to see outside Denmark.

The seafood shops were abundant with their catch from the nearby seas daily. I don’t even know how to translate what they have there to English. One of my favourites are “roedspaette” (plaice) ,the “forel” (trout), kulmulle and the smoked fish like herring,salmon and mackerel. And ‘fiskefrikadeller’ on ryebread (photo below) - fresh from the fish shop is ultimate. One of the classic danish dishes is ‘roedspaette med persillesovs’ – plaice with parsley sauce – tastes absolutely sublime by the seaside, when especially home made! A post on that to follow – courtesy of my mother in law!

Denmark is famous for their beers too for those of you thinking, why is she going on about food only? Yes but since I dont’ drink I won’t pretend I know more than the little I know of beers and don’t forget ‘snaps’ – quintessential akvavit paired with your smoerreboerd (danish open sandwiches)!

Coincidentally during this trip the Olympics were on throughout. So it was really a hectic time racing to the beach  plus long afternoon walks and timing it to come back in time to catch some sports. While watching tv, we were stuffing our faces with danish jordbaertaerte and droemmekage. Life is good – yeah!

All in all had a wonderful vacation – at Enoe. Thank you to everyone in the family for making it great..muah!

Ho Chi Minh

An evening view of HCMC  from Sheraton’s rooftop bar

A trip to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam was born when a girlfriend and I discussed about taking a short trip together. We have not seen each other for 2 years, it was about time we met up. And so we did, with my mom and her sister coming along too, joining in the fun in this all girl trip!

My impression of Ho Chi Minh City was at first intimidating due to the traffic especially the number of mopeds on the roads. Crossing the road yes can be rather daunting, although after a day or two , you do get the hang of it.  Due to the influx of tourists, some of the main tourists areas and Ben Tanh market are filled with touts and shops trying to rip you off everywhere you turn. That was sadly, my first day impression of the city and her people, chaos and cheats !

As we all know amidst all chaos, there lies the true nature and spirit of the place and its people – like an unpolished gem. I found in general people are truly kind and friendly, helpful. Food is great and their local arts/crafts absolutely beautiful. A note on that though, too many local artists despite their huge talents  had to resort to copy works of famous artists for a living instead of following their true expressions, simply because life as an artist is yet a struggle bordering on poverty for most, except the lucky few.

A local neighbourhood stall selling helmets for the mopeds

We stayed at a hotel located in District 1, called Hotel Ellyse Nga Khanh on Ly Tu Trong. Perfectly located, all the sites/shopping/eating are roughly 1-2 km in each direction. The hotel is simple, 2 star, clean and the staff was friendly. A night cost us usd30 for a room with 2 single beds and attached bathroom/wc, included breakfast. Staying in District 1 is recommended due to the close proximity to most sights and interesting streets. There are many similar standard hotels in the area.

A lady at Ben Tanh market selling lotus stems

From the hotel, it was just a stone’s throw away from Ben Tanh market. Be warned, many stalls in the market are very aggressive towards tourists and the bargaining process can be very intimidating with either party shouting at one another at the end. Rather unpleasant, sad as it is, you just need a handful of bad apples to spoil it for the rest of the decent folks trying to make a living. But that is life anywhere you go.

So for those who insist to shop at Ben Tanh market, we found a ‘store’ at the far end of the Ben Tanh market that sells  at a fixed price, and it was the best place to purchase kitchy lacquer wares, souvenirs, fake tshirts, handbags, etc.

Other places to shop would be along Dong Khoi (Mai’s and L’usine have great clothes), Le Thanh Ton, Pasteur Street, Mac Thi Buoi ,  TT Hiep and Le Loi. You can easily spend a whole day just doing that!

Opera House at night

So what other sights did we see in HCMC? We visited the Independence Palace (it is a reminder that we were still in a communist country despite the openess in general around us and the western influence from  US/France) . The palace stands without a doubt, a symbol of the glorious victory of communist North finally taking control of the south in 1975.

To escape from the bustling traffic, we had an evening drink up at the Sheraton Rooftoop bar, a treat just to relax and wind down and enjoy the view over the city. Make some time for it, if you can! I highly recommend it.

The Post Office inside

The Post Office across the Notre Dame Cathedral is definitely worth a visit, the building itself and inside where you still get to do your transactions as they were done 50 years ago!  At noon,each day, the siren would go off.  We walked pass the Opera and the People Committee Hall, all very lovely buildings. The general architecture of HCMC is a mix match and sometimes mismatch of horrible concrete structures to colonial grandness to old rundown buildings which are still homes for many people.  But that is the charm of the city – no pretence, a reminder of the war and how life has been hard on many despite life improving right now, there is always this constant reminder of their difficult past.

As for food, well if one loves vietnamese food – you are in for a treat. There are lot of street food vendors, so it is up to you if you dare to, or if your stomach can withstand the onslaught of bacteria, parasites god knows what else that could be in the food. We saw waffle sellers, to dumpling sellers to pho and even rice/dishes at street corners, customers eating right by the road side or on the pavements.

A few noted places we tried that was really nice was the Huong Lai restaurant serving really good Vietnamese food (staffs are  from orphanages, the streets, impoverished families providing them a learning experience for better opportunities in the F&B industry when they ‘graduate’, some go on to work in hotel/renowned restaurants).

For casual low key dining, at the corner of Ly Tu Trong and Nguyen Trung Truc during dinners , locals swarm the place for stir fried dishes of snails/clams , chicken , frogs etc to accompany the usual rice meal.

Lunch at Huong Lai

We had our pho at Pho 24 which was a good decent meal – nope, skipped Pho 2000 the pho place President Clinton apparently visited. We had a lovely lunch at Wrap and Roll, great lunch buffets at 120,000 vnd per person and dinner at I love Bun. I did venture out for some street snacks like the toasted banana flakes  until my runny tummy kicked in. Well I will have more street food the next time I visit Vietnam, there are so many other places to see still – on my list so far are Dalat, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay.

For some cultural exposure, we decided last minute to head down to watch the water puppet show at the Golden Dragon Water Theatre at Nguyen Thi Minh Kai. It was a very nice experience , the play displayed the lifes of the peasants in the villages and excerpts from their local famous folklores. The entire show was accompanied by their folk music and instruments.  Their cultural traditions are steeped with chinese influence as can be seen in the play here.

Water puppet show

HCMC is really a lively city,  full of third world charm and energy. As a matter of fact, one can move around quite comfortably despite the traffic chaos. So don’t be discouraged. Someone asked me about the sounds and smells of the city, how was it like? Truth  be told, in any big city with traffic, one cannot escape the exhaust fumes that linger, just stubbornly hang around you. You hear the constant honking of all vehicles, some as a friendly warning while others were more like ‘get the hell out of my way, you twat’! The latter tend to get a glare or two from me, although it is quite hard to stare down a bus bigger than myself! Darn!!

A neighbourhood house in the city downtown

Shopping and eating is good, people are friendly and streets are relatively safe to walk around in even at night. And one must not leave the city without trying their local coffee,  filtered coffee dripped, with condensed milk. Just right.

Cables (Vietnam telecoms) abound, at your street corner.

Paris Again..

(Lazy walk along the Seine River)

Our usual summer pilgrimage to Copenhagen to see the family, requires a short break somewhere in Europe. OK I made that rule up. So Paris it was this time. Guess who has to plan the trip then?

That was my job in fact - to book hotels, apparently I am very good at it, according to my husband whom I am convinced, is just too not bothered to do the legwork on this matter, conveniently delegating the role to me, as well as the itinerary, which I am glad to do, so I can add my shopping expedition side stops in it. Truth be told, in fact my husband did once play an active role in our holiday planning, when we were in Paris last year to watch Tour de France. 8 hours standing on Champs Elysees waiting for the cyclists and seeing them, was not the same as shopping for 8 hours. The latter I could easily endure. (wink)

(Cat sleeping on a scooter)

What does one do in Paris? Eat, shop and soak in the life, energy pulse of the city, the more quiet and European almost regal vibe you get here, compare to say a city like New York – another fantastic vibrant concrete jungle one should immerse in.

For our requirements, these were the hotels shortlisted (we were looking for a budget of €350 in total for 3 nights stay incl breakfast and close to the city, with good public transporation network closeby). It was a toss up  between Clarion or Hotel Therese, due to its proximity to places of interests, although Mama Shelter was another interesting alternative but we ended up at Du Parc, Montparnasse – perfect location, close to the Metro and the train station Gare Montparnasse (where the Air France shuttle bus runs to/ from CDG airport). There are a lot of restaurants and cafes around the area too, including supermarkets and a pleasant enough neighbourhood with lots of life at night.

(Les Halles)

Hotel Du Parc Montparnasse is a basic 2 star hotel, recently refurbished, had air condition in the bedroom. The bathroom was large enough and was clean. The room though was tiny, but as one can expect in many hotels around Paris. It fit our purpose and at the price, it was a good deal we thought

Paris Hotels – which one? 

1)      Clarion Collection Opera Pavillion
http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-paris-france-FR402?sid=L1DS.Hv23tgVQb.2 3 nights incl breakfast was €339

2)      Hotel De La Porte Doree
http://www.hoteldelaportedoree.com/ 3 nights on  avg €57 per night ,

3)      Mama Shelter
http://www.mamashelter.com/ 3 nights – I LOVE PARIS incl breakfast was €297 – Mama Luxe Double

4)      Hotel Therese
http://www.tablethotels.com/ 3 nights incl breakfast €396 – Classic Room

5)      The 5 Hotel
http://www.thefivehotel.com/ 3 nights incl breakfast was €420 – Superior Glimmering for 2

6)  Hotel Du Parc Montparnasse
http://www.hotelduparcparis.com/  4 nights for €325 excl bfast.

(Window display at Le Grenier a Pain)

Where to eat?

There are simply just too many good places, from low key, cheap affordable ones to fancy pants michelin starred restaurants. If you do ample research on the internet, you can take a pick what you like.  At this moment, we are looking for down to earth, rustic. bistro French food, detailed preparation in an unpretentious surroundings.

So we stumbled upon some gems like Sarl Tifinagh (Avenue Rachel), La Cerisaie (Boulevard Edgard Quintet Montparnasse) , Mariage Freres for tea, delightful creperies along Rue D’Odessa (Montparnasse) – one particular favourite Le Flibustier, offering organic buckwheat crepes) while the other days, we were simply enjoying take away baguettes with yummy freshly sliced hams sitting along the River Seine, or picnicking in Jardin du Luxembourg.

For the sweet tooth, there are several shops around, Angelina & La Maison du Chocolat  (both on Rue De Rivoli), La Duree, Le Grenier a Pain, Gerard Mulot, Pierre Herme and Poilane, the list could just go on.

It is no wonder Paris is as much a food capital of the world as fashion is. They ‘lurve’ their pastries and chocolates. Eating is sacred, preparation of food is important – you do not put terrible food in your  mouth, although yes fast foods are abound these days, also in Paris. Thank god though, all is not completely lost – food is still very much an art and they still take pride in their fresh produce.

(Le Cerisaie at Montparnasse)

Where to Shop?

Of course a good excuse to burn off  the calories from the sweet stops and good food. We like especially the area Le Marais and St Germain des Pres. You should consider :

1) Viaduc des Artes
2) Bazaar de l’Hotel de Ville (BHV) – departmental store
3) along Rue de Rivoli
4) Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Rue Saint-Honoré, Rue de la Paix, Place Vendome)
5) Champs Elysees
6) Boulevard Haussmann

I was smitten by Laguiole steak knives there. It will be on my shopping list next time I am in Paris.

(Canal St Martin)

To see and do

Well one cannot miss, Montmartre – as touristic as it is, it is still a lovely place to visit. I got some vintage posters while there and was closed to buying a painting too – the only thing holding me back was I have no more space at home to put them up. Arrgh – would just have to move to a bigger home then. On top of Montmartre, you will find the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. You get a picturesque view of Paris city here. A little way down from Montmartre, you will pass Moulin Rouge and the famous Montmartre Cemetery where many well known historical figures are buried there like Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Degas, etc

(View from Sacre Coeur)

On a good evening, it is an idea to go atop the Montparnasse Tower to witness Paris at dusk and as nightfalls, lights appearing like a blanket of stars below your feet! Eiffel Tower usually has a night show of lights around 10pm to make the evening more eventful.

We took a stroll along the Seine River and along the canals of St Martin ( a little off the usual tourists areas) and ended up later in the day at Jardin du Luxembourg. We went there again the following day, a great place to people watch and have your sandwich.

(Vintage posters at Montmartre)

Yes we walked and walked til our feet were sore. That was the  best way to see Paris and we had been lucky with the weather.

Singapore Floods

Car Park to the Rolex building on Orchard Road, lorry half submerged

Well my attempt to celebrate the start of the Rice Dumpling Festival and to hunt down some of them ended up rather eventful. By chance I was down in Orchard Road around 10am to check out the kicthen wares at Tangs on sale. Chaos began to unfold and for many unbelieving watched as the torrential rain continued to pour and certain spots along this famous shopping street started to flood. Check out this post http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/16/flash-floods-cause-havoc-in-singapore/.

I stayed indoors most of the time as it was simply too heavy a rain to venture out., hence I was unaware how bad the flood has become. Truth be told, I was too busy in Kinokuniya reading cookbooks, after my visit to Tang’s to realise what was unfolding outside.

One of the basement shops at Lucky Plaza, grill gate torn down due to the gushing rainwater

Finally around 1130am, I managed to make my way out towards Paragon. But as I was passing Lucky Plaza, crowds were forming and taking photos of the basement – it was completely flooded. All shops at the lower level, were closed – shop assistants ready to open for business today, could not do much but try to salvage what they could while most stood there in disbelief.

Acqua Alta – Singapore style , at Lucky Plaza

Car broke down in the middle of Orchard Road, after going through the floodwaters at ION junction

What an eventful day! Chinatown has to be postponed.  I was anxious to get back home for a good hot shower after being completely soaked wet knee down, with my shoes covered with rainwater and dirt.

I did get some chang, at Tang’s Market Place , 2 hokkien bak chang and 2 cantonese yellow bean chang, to commemorate the festival.

Laksa in Penang

Further on about my food trip in Penang, I finally had time to check out the famous Penang Laksa stall in Jelutong. It was a very hot afternoon, and having laksa at that time is really asking for it. With the spicy fish soup dunking deep fried springrolls into it, was heavenly but a torture at the same time. I left a bucket of sweat on my seat when I got up, I promised you. But it was all worth it. Nothing beats laksa with spring rolls, eaten the true Penangite way.

The stall is in fact a van, parked at the roadside, just after you turn into the small road before the Jelutong Post office if you are coming from Gelugor on Jalan Jelutong. Manned by 3 ladies (sensed the irony?) , they only sell their yummy laksa in the afternoons.. see no choice but for me to eat it in the heat.

Seagate Coast Road

Just some of the food trips made while in Penang last week. A few quick posts recapping my experiences, nothing beats a lazy sunday afternoon, hanging out at Seagate Coastal Road in Penang, with a view of Pulau Jerejak while seating underneath the casuarina trees sipping coconut water and eating goreng ubi or pisang (fried bananas or sweet potatoes).

One of the many stalls and places to relax with your fresh coconut juice.  The island in the backdrop is Pulau Jerejak

A stall selling coconuts

Fishing boats moored closeby

A family of geese, at the nearby coconut plantation

Fish kerepek

Goreng ubi, fried sweet potatoes

Goreng pisang, fried bananas

ps Since you are around the neighbourhood, for those of you who loves mee kuah and mee goreng Penang style (Mee Pitchai), do check out Medan Suri Sungei Nibong (next to the mosque at Lip Sin, opposite the rumah orang tua Jubilee). They are open from lunch through late evening. Best time to come is around 3-4pm for your afternoon snack!

Streets of Georgetown

Prewar houses @ Stewart Lane

In July 2008, Penang (Georgetown) became a designated UNESCO Heritage Site (together with Malacca), thanks to the efforts of conservationist who have worked tirelessly to preserve Penang , the historical parts as they are and have been. This should prevent further demolition of historical homes and sites to make way for modern and tall buildings and a reminder to Penangites and visitors alike how lucky we are in fact to be able to visit or live in a historical site which is still thriving as it was before, okay – plus a few minor adjustments to modernisation. There is still some work to be done on the side of the Penangites and the local government, to restore dilapidated buildings, preventing further pollution and congestion in the historical parts of Penang and keeping the areas clean.

Pathway between the prewar houses

The most intense part of Georgetown that reminds you well why it was awarded the UNESCO Heritage Site in the first place , is the older part of Georgetown, close to the port. (Weld Quay). Penang has been a port since time immemorial, where traders from near and far have docked and traded. As such you see a cacophony of people, some settling down and eventually became local Penangites. You have Armenians, Jews, Arabs, Indians, Sumaterans, Jawanese, Chinese , Dutch, Portugese and English to  name a few who have ventured to Penang and made her their home.

Airwells typical in the prewar houses

Sir Francis Light accordingly in the history books, has been rather pivotal in the development of Penang as a trading port. He ‘founded’ Penang 1786. He moved his famil from Thailand (then Siam) to Penang and died there in 1794 from malaria. You can find his tomb and statue in the Protestant Cemetery at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road).

One of Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s base in Penang

With that development, the building and heritage sites you find in Penang are such mix blend of architectures – it is as precious as Venice. I hope it will never be neglected lest the future generations will never come to know of their hometown’s  rich and unique history.

The most interesting area is downtown Georgetown – from Beach Street, Church Street Armenian Street, Muntri Street, King and Queen Street – stretching all the way to Light Street and Penang Street. See Map below:

Penang was also a major stronghold of the Peranakans (nyonyas and babas) and Mamaks (Indian Muslims, Indians originating from the Southern part of India) besides the local Malays and Chinese Hokkiens and to a degree Eurasians and Jews. This rich fusion of cultures quite likely has made Penang  a food paradise. As time passes, Penang became well known for her cuisine and hawker street foods and mamak stalls – reflecting the lifestyle of her forefathers, the settlers – quite unchanged, fast food for the common people, this food heritage grew, so much so, Penang was and is known first and foremost for her food, later the beaches and lately now her heritage too.

Typical finishing of the facade, patterned tiles

And if you are already at Weld Quay, you must not forget to pop into the Jetty Clans, where chinese settlers divided into clans lived on houses built on stilts sprawled out to the sea. Each clan (according to their surnames) are accorded a part of the jetty to build their homes. They still live there until today. 

For more on Penang Heritage please visit these websites:

http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MI_penang.htm

http://www.pht.org.my/

http://www.penangstory.net.my/main-story.html

Therefore if any of you are in Penang, you must visit these heritage sites – they are truly unique and Penang is the only few places you can walk around in this living museum and still get the feeling as if you are peeping into the past, in a casual and laid back atmosphere.

Unpacking Madness

Don’t ask me how we do it – this constant moving, not just house but different country each time.  Last year in Jan we were in Venice, this year we are in Singapore. We must be mad – I have to agree with that conclusion. Many think we can cope with the stress because we are by now experts in relocating.. but the honest truth is you do get better at it, in some sense, but it does not reduce the stress emotionally and physically you experience. 

Routine is relaxing, so your mind can concentrate on other aspects in your life, when you don’t have a routine, your brain activity is just full speed non stop – searching what to do next, where can I get this and that, what happens if this does not work, how does this work … examples: looking for a home to figuring out the traffic patterns of your new place, where the doctors are , hospitals, etc.  AND add that to the fact if you’ve just moved to a country that does not speak any language you know!  Just imagine those families with kids relocating at the same time – I don’t envy them. Their stress must be tenfold of ours! Constant moving takes its toll on everyone irregardless of experience. But I must say the best mental attitude towards it is to accept it and only focus on each small step of the way – bit by bit you will find out that you have settled in faster than you thought.

Back to the unpacking madness – we are in the midst of it. Hopefully soon all will be in place and we can enjoy our new home and me finding my little career niche in Singapore and get back to some baking adventures soon!

Singapore

One of the latest malls, Ion Orchard

Our new home – Singapore. Great to be back, close to home and my family. Not to mention I missed the kaleidoscopic array of food cultures and the easy access to them here. You wonder why so many Singaporeans love eating – being here you will understand why.

Every nook and corner you turn, there is a food establishment of some sort. You can find breakfast type of food to lunch and dinner and all the snack types you can think of, for the in-between meals. To be fair, despite this abundance of food, you don’t see that many overweight people around, although research and the local newspaper are reporting a rise in obesity and diabetes amongst the younger population. It is a serious concern and a problem many countries are struggling with. The abundance mainly because it is in the culture to grab your meals out as people are busy working til late and have in fact no time to cook at home. Rather a sad development I must say – although one can argue, is this alternative better than boring tv dinners/over processed fast foods you find very common in other nations?

December – the month where Singapore gets all dressed up with christmas decorations and shops get into the mood to encourage people to buy more this time of the year with offers everywhere (besides being a major tourist attraction). The last time I was in Singapore was about a year ago, since then there has been an addition of 4 major malls which have just recently opened – ION Orchard, Orchard Central, 313 @ Somerset and VivoCity. Retail therapy can’t get any better or more exhausting. I suspect that is the other major past time of many Singaporeans ( I can almost hear someone saying ‘of course lah’)

We are slowly settling in, got the necessary permits made , found our home and now just waiting for the container to arrive and we can unpack (again) and truly settle in to our new home – I am already tired thinking of it but it just has got to be done you know, so I just try not to think too much about it. Makes sense? Getting things set up in Singapore is ( I have to admit) a breeze except for mobile phones, internet broadband and cable tv (apparently now Singtel got the rights to main sports channel next year from Starhub – while Starhub has the other entertainment channel).

Queue at Suntec

I was in fact on my way to Starhub at Cuppage Plaza, passed the M1 shop in Paragon and my jaw almost dropped – seeing the queue for purchasing IPhones (overheard the wait could take up to 5 hours). Until yesterday, only Singtel was allowed to sell IPhones, now Starhub and M1 (the other 2 telcos) are selling them too and at a pretty competitive package. However I always hate going through all the phone plans as they are a headache to figure out what combinations you need and if indeed you save some money. Besides Singapore is one of the few countries you have to pay for incoming calls to your mobile phone! Can you believe it?

For now, as far as I am concerned these days - I am just tucking into local/Asian food especially Japanese. I would love to hear from other Singaporeans if they have any good recommendations for some yummy local malay, chinese, peranakan, indian or other Asian food hangouts. Nothing beats a local’s recommendation. Thank you! So have I missed Venice yet?  Well, maybe a little..