French winter in the midst of Beijing

View of Maison Boulud upon entering walled compound

On this trip to Beijing, I wrapped up my meetings around 4 p.m. and quickly sped to the central area for some sightseeing (separate entry to follow) and dining. A good friend with a taste for fine French cuisine recommended I try Maison Boulud, Daniel Boulud’s Beijing outpost.

Yes, it’s odd to try classic French within a great Chinese food city like Beijing, but I promise I had my fill of local food, too. Plus, I’ll admit, I haven’t found that perfect French place in Singapore ... the one you go to for classic French recipes, dim and hushed ambience, polished service, leisurely pace and a feeling of wanting to linger for hours over multiple courses, wine and delicious pastries.

Maison Boulud is located just about as centrally as you can get. Right adjacent to Tiananmen Square (which is across the street from Forbidden City, national museum and other must-visits), it is set within a walled compound that used to be the American Embassy at one point. Grey stone buildings flank a small manicured courtyard, and you immediately feel a bit coddled.

Chesnut soup. yummy!

Inside, it feels like an old French mansion, with lots of wood, stone, rich carpeting and fabrics. To the left is a dimly lit, cozy bar area (where you could easily enjoy a meal, though beware, smoking is allowed) and to the right, the main dining area. I was unsure, when I made the booking, whether it was the type of place where I would feel comfortable dining alone in the main dining room; it actually was ideal. It isnt a crowded space and I was seated along the perimeter facing in, flanked by a trio on either side. It is a good place to have a business dinner, romantic date or just dine solo. Even with the large parties and 75 percent capacity, it remained pleasantly abuzz yet relaxed.

Nicolas, the French host, was graciously attentive, welcoming me, ensuring I was comfortable with the table, asked if I would like a magazine or newspaper, and invited me to stay as long as I want, enjoy a book, etc. Very warm French welcome!

The food was just what I wanted after a long week and a couple hours of walking around in the brisk Beijing winter air. Chestnut soup to start, which was preceded by a lovely trio of cheese amuse bouche; duck confit as my main, though the chef sent out his famous black cod poached in olive oil for me to try, which was delicious though practically filled me up; dark chocolate souffle on Nicolas’ recommendation, which to my surprise (and full tummy’s near-horror) was accompanied by tastings of their homemade marshmallow, macaroons, madeleines and brioche.

Gracious Nicolas gave me his card and the contact info of his counterpart at Boulud's Singapore outpost, for when we need a table or anything else. Will definitely be paying a visit to DB Bistro Moderne again soon, and I recommend checking out Maison Boulud in Beijing.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie ... oi, oi, oi!

After an abnormally rainy two days in Singapore -- non-stop downpour -- I have had enough. It is a Sunday afternoon, the Australian Open Men's Finals were on, and I decide it was time to try the Australian bar/restaurant across the river from me. It's always pleasantly crowded, and they show Australian and English sports (cricket world cup coming up!) and, oddly, NBA basketball.

Figuring it's a very casual bar, I mosey over in work out clothes, with no make-up and after a perfunctory shower. Oops. The place is packed. There are NO seats in sight, but plenty of drunk Aussie and British men offering a seat at their table. I pass (again -- gym clothes and no make up), as fortunately, the hostess has a table in the back that isn't booked for another two hours. Score.

The menu is making my mouth water, as I haven't really eaten since breakfast: fish and chips, Cajun salmon, various kinds of pizza.

I pondered what beer pairs well with "peppered kangaroo loin". Clueless, I opted instead for a wagyu beef burger with bacon and egg. Makes up for not having breakfast.

Aussies are a fun group. They are packed into this open air restaurant/bar, relentlessly cheering on Andy Murray (who incidentally, I learned I was NOT cheering for, per my friend Des).

My Pure Blonde pint and wagyu beef burger made me quite content. Two pints land a glass of rose later...perhaps a bit over-kill. Fortunately i wasn't drinking alone, as Arwen (a non-elvish one) joined me for the last game or two.

Non-Andy Murray won (yay!)

In search of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, or the Equivalent

After three months of living in Singapore, my proclivity for restaurant and hawker center food has started to wane. There is a natural desire to explore the various foods and places you hear about, but ultimately one starts to think about nutritional content. (The healthy eating craze really hasn’t hit Singapore yet – it takes some work to find tasty, fresh and/or healthy cuisine, unfortunately). I start to miss home-cooked meals made from organic produce and fresh food found at farmers markets, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

One girlfriend had mentioned the Marketplace at Tanglin Shopping Center as a good place for food – nice produce, fresh meats, wide variety of cheeses and breads, etc. I had stopped there before Louis’ arrival to pick up a light dinner – salami, cheeses, veggies, baguette, almond wafer cookies and basil. This light supper clocked in at about $80…mama mia!

Another girlfriend had mentioned Super Nature organic store so that is the focus of today’s adventure. It’s in the middle of Orchard Road near Tomlinson and it’s hard to find, in the bottom of a condo/office building. The selection is divine – the whole store practically is organic, and they have many familiar brands – e.g., Amy’s soups, Paul Newmann sauces and salsas. They have essentially every food item one could possibly want that is organic, gluten-free and other such specialty items. I also am cheered by the music – it seems they are playing the soundtrack from Austin Powers, as I spend most of my shopping bopping along subtly to that sixties-sounding melody that plays during the intro or credits.

Not totally surprisingly, the prices are high … but they are higher than I thought. Produce runs anywhere from 10-40$/kg, two pounds of free range chicken thighs for 40$, wild salmon at about 80$/kg, organic juices for 20$/bottle,  Paul Newmann pasta sauce for 10$/jar. Still, a good find and one I’ll revisit.

I pick up rich red organic pears, two cans of Amy’s soup (I justify that the price, while high, is the equivalent of a meal and one that is way more nutritious than fried fish and rice), two large jars of peeled organic tomatoes from Palermo, a jar of organic baked beans (not sure why, just sounds good) and a bag of organic Turkish figs (a bit of a splurge at 13$). Total bill is just under 50$, which seems reasonable. I talk myself out of a second splurge, a jar of Italian chestnut jam with rum, sugar and spices priced at 16$. I even take the bus both ways, for a total of 1.50, instead of paying 15$ for a taxi.

A successful journey but still determined to find more options...

Arabian Nights in Kampong Glam

View down Arab Street
in Kampong Glam

My hopes are high for our planned excursion to Kampong Glam, which is the Muslim neighborhood near Little India. I have been doing lots of reading on Arab Street and the surrounding streets and Louis and I are eagerly awaiting fresh hummus, toubouli, lamb kabobs, maybe even kibbe, and other Middle Eastern favorites.



Sultan Mosque at dusk



We arrive via bus right in front of the beautiful Sultan Mosque at dusk. We proceed down the streets of conserved shophouses and pop into various shops, ambling toward the restaurant. This is the place for rugs, fabrics, Arabic trinkets and Muslim religious objects. Louis, who is quite the charmer, chats up the owner of a nice rug shop and tells him we'll be back at a future time to buy a nice rug for our new Singapore apartment. They exchange cards. We also stop at a Turkish shop that sells beautiful colored-glass and copper lamps, hand-painted tea sets, gilded mirrors and other crafts. Louis -- never losing his charming smile -- engages in some gentle negotiations with the attendant over the beautiful tea set but our appetites win over so we keep moving.

There is a different vibe in this area which we find reassuring. It's relaxed, the streets lined with tables of people (mostly locals, it seems) smoking hookah and drinking beers. It's not as clean as other parts of Singapore, which gives it a more authentic air. One could see why it's a popular spot for backpackers or people on a budget. We stand out and get some curious looks, but no one minds.

The expected highlight of our excursion was to be the food. We walk into Cafe Le Caire, which has received good write-ups on a few Web sites and in guide books. It bills itself as "the heart and soul of Arab Street and Kampong Glam" and the menu found online looks broad and promising. It's a bit dingy inside, which some may argue gives it charm. I would argue they should re-allocate a bit of funding from their impressive Web site into a quick scrubbing and paint job.

Our starters are quite tasty: chickpeas with chili, tomatoes and Arabic spices; Arabic salad, with greens, red peppers, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and pine nuts; foul mesdammes, which is the national breakfast dish of Egypt and is made of slow-cooked fava beans, spices, olive oil and a fried egg atop it; and paper thin Arabic bread.

It goes downhill quickly. Feeling adventurous, we order harissa, a traditional Yemeni dish made from wheat and lamb -- like kibbe -- but boiled down until "smooth" -- not like kibbe.  When it arrives, it looks like raw creamy meat ... not very appetizing. But, heck, I've eaten kibbe nyee for years so surely I can take this...! Um, no. It smells tempting -- of hot oil, cumin, pepper, a bit of cinnamon perhaps wafting from it. But the "smooth" texture is hard to stomach for us. We feel badly, as there is nothing wrong with the preparation but we just can't do it. We move it aside.

At that moment, I'm hit with a headache and mild waves of nausea so we take the rest of our order to go and hastily depart. (NOT food poisoning, don't worry ... just unfond memories of that icky texture). Things don't get better once we arrive home. The lamb kebabs are well-done (my BIGGEST pet peeve about living in Singapore ... everyone seems to well cook red meat, no matter how many times you ask for medium rare) and not that flavorful.

We're cheered by the bagalawa (a collection of Middle Eastern pastries, similar to baklava) and settle in for "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Bottom line -- the neighborhood is great for shopping and sightseeing, but we'll look elsewhere for food.

Cinema, wine and irony



"Singin in the Rain" in the rain
@ the Botanic Gardens



 One of the loveliest (and ironic) evenings I've spent so far was watching "Singin in the Rain" at Singapore Botanic Gardens as part of the Singapore Sun Festival. Des, who is my new favorite musical theatre nerd friend, invites Preeti and me, as she has quickly observed that I am likely to jump at anything musical-related and that Preeti always is up for trying something new. We arrive a bit early so have time to wander through the gardens. They are really beautiful -- green trees, plants, brush everywhere you look (and so many shades of green, from limey yellow to muted sage to rich emeralds -- and pops of vivid red, pink, orange, fuchsia, purple scattered throughout. Of course, it woudn't be Singapore without some creatures of prey -- cue the lizards, bugs and other forest critters. (I think I'm developing a sixth sense for sensing lizards, as I always seem to know where to look and yup, there they be).

The park is free, which is very cool. As we stroll through, we see tons of families picnicking, boys playing soccer (sorry, football), couples lying on blankets, people running on the trails. It reminds me of St. James Park or Regents Park in London. As we are in a hurry to snag a spot for the film, we don't get a chance to see the infamous National Orchid Garden (the largest display of orchids in the world) ... next time!

We arrive at the symphony center, where the films are shown. The sky is starting to transition to dusk, and the grassy hill already is starting to fill up. It reminds me of concerts at Millennium Park in Chicago, though this has more families as well. The groups picnic but it's more casual than Millennium Park or Ravinia -- no tables and linens with flutes of champagne -- but great spreads. Des arrives with food (because that's just what she does best), compliments of Jones the Grocer at Dempsey Hill: spicy salami, thinly sliced ham, pate, creamy hummus, fresh grainy bread and paper thin crackers, wonderfully smelly brie and blue cheese, and the requisite two bottles of wine. Heaven. We are quite comfortable, thanks to these very neat colored mats, free thanks the festival sponsor UBS. They're a bit more substantive than blankets, and water proof. Thank god.

For not long after we spread out our food and pour the wine, it starts to drizzle. Not to fret, as this is Singapore and everyone is born with an umbrella in their bag. But as the film starts, the rain starts to come down harder. I'm impressed with the fortitude of Singaporeans, as I didn't see anyone leave; I've seen Millennium Park clear out at the first sign of a drizzle. Pretty soon, we're in the midst of a proper storm, with moderate thunder and regular lightning flashes. No need to worry -- Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds are adorably MGM-enough to keep everyone settled and applauding after the musical numbers.

Des and Preeti huddled under the umbrella

After Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden kiss in front of the billboard, Preeti and I bid Des goodbye and bolt for (what we think is) the closest exit. No such luck. We exit, and -- as it starts to positively downpour -- see no taxis. We wander through some dark winding road and finally just stop in someone's driveway and call a cab. Home to Preeti's for dinner (yes, even after all the wonderful Jones food) and Pirates of the Caribbean. 



At least the actors were dressed for it



The Lizard Whisperer

My wonderful Italian (er, Singaporean) colleagues



Fish head curry @ Ocean Fish Head Curry (original name, I know...) on Telok Ayer



I mentioned in a previous post that I'm concerned I'll gain 20 pounds very quickly. This fear is even more near now that my colleagues have made it a priority to ensure I'm eating all sorts of local specialties. All the time. They're the Italian family I don't have here.



Much of this comes about through the lunch hour, a work custom that fortunately has held pretty firm here. My first few weeks, I often brought lunch or ran downstairs for some takeaway to bring back to my desk. I was puzzled by how positively quiet the office becomes from about 1145 - 130 p.m. Then I realized that people actually take lunch, often with colleagues. So once I stopped dashing out for takeaway, I was around to actually be invited!

I've had some really terrific lunches so far. Highlights:

Shanghai style xiaolongbao (dumplings with that yummy "soup" inside), "Chinese pizza" and many other Shanghai specialties at this old shophouse near the office. It was very fun going with a group of 10 or so, where the heavy majority of the people are and speak Chinese and kept putting food on my plate to try. They're often pleasantly surprised when I enthusiastically agree to try whatever they recommend, as their impression of Westerners is that they're not adventerous in their eating. Have they met my friends?!

One of my favorites -- fish head curry at the famous Ocean Fish Head Curry shop. This is not nearly as strange as it sounds and is, with chil crab, probably the signature local dish. It stems from South Indian cuisine and involves the head of a fish that is similar to red snapper stewed in a spicy curry with vegetables. Over rice and with mantou (a fried or steamed bun), it's really good. I can't wait to take Louis there, and then recreate (maybe with red snapper fillet) at home. With a collection of other, smaller dishes and fresh lime juice to drink (refreshing!), each of us paid about $10USD. Everyone insisted I have the last bite, even though I also had been awarded the first and continuously had my plate re-filled. Not going to lie -- it was good.

One table from dinner. Way too much food. Awesome.

We also had an office dinner after paintball (alas, I didn't actually play paintball due to some pressing deliverables) at Ah Yat, a Chinese seafood restaurant near Bukit Timah. More chili crab (YUM), along with cold Tiger beer, sauteed kailan (similar to kale), lightly fried prawns, scallops fried in yam (hard to explain -- but good) and various rices and mantou.

On top of the lunches...and the dinners...a few colleagues are convinced I need to eat between meals and hence bring me little Chinese sweets (including this yummy rolled cake that tasted like a gourmet Twinkie), "real" French breads and muffins and other goodies. It's so thoughtful of them! I think they're sincerely excited to meet ex-pats who want to dig into their food.

Come visit! We need to show them we Westerners are adventerous eaters!

First impressions -- FOOD

Heaven @ Din Tai Fung

I joked with many people that when I moved to Singapore, I would drop 20 pounds. With year round 90 degree heat, scorching sun and tireless humidity, when would I want to eat? I love to cook. And the food I most love to cook are hearty, fresh meals that take advantage of fall and winter offerings – roasted vegetables, meaty minestrones, perfectly roasted chicken with citrus and herbs, oven-baked pastas, accompanied by full-bodied red wines. The hot days of summer in Chicago and Wisconsin (the former my adopted home for seven years, the latter my home state) meant light grilled fish and veggies, as many summer berries as possible and ice-cold lemonade and unsweetened iced tea. But “the hot days of summer” in the Midwest don’t come close to the average day in Singapore, I figured.

Now that I’ve been here for about two weeks, I worry I’ll gain 20 pounds. A favorite pastime of Singaporeans, people tell us over and over, is eating. (And shopping. That is a vice that will have to be dealt with at a later time). Louis -- my boyfriend and soon-to-be partner-in-crime in Singapore – and I have revolved our first two weeks around, well, eating. The culinary scene in Singapore deserves many books – there is super cheap food (S$3 hawker centre dinners) and very expensive (multi-course Italian or French meals – heavy on the imports – and wine).

Laksa and coconut rice in Katong

We’ve tried an admirable mix so far:

Peranakan (the local cuisine -- a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisines) – we first had a “true” local dish when our Colliers relocation/real estate agent took us to 328 Laksa on Ceylon Street in Katong. We actually had heard of the place because it had just been featured on a Samantha Brown travel special. We sit outside on a bustling Katong street late afternoon and let Veronica order for the table. In rapid fire Hokkien, she orders the infamous laksa – noodles in a spicy, complex coconut broth with herbs, fresh prawns and squid – otak otak – a sort of fish paste cooked in banana leaf – rojak – loosely translates to “salad” with cucumber, tofu and a flavorful peanut dressing – and the only dish we weren’t wow-ed by, a weak coconut rice with dried anchovy-like things on top. We drink the local green tea (very sweet) and keep clean with tissues from Veronica’s little back. (We’ve notice it’s not common for no-frills places to have napkins, which is why everyone in Singapore carries little packets of tissues everywhere.



Me, Preeti and Des @ Lagoon Hawker Center



Singapore's infamous chili crab



Char kway teow @ Lagoon Hawker



Rojak

Our second true local food experience takes place at Lagoon Hawker Centre in East Coast Park. Our gracious host for this adventure is Desiree – Des – a Singaporean who lived in Chicago for 11 years to attend journalism school at Medill and fall prey to the ill-fated Chicago Cubs fever as well as Chicago’s fantastic food and theatre scene. We were introduced to Des through a mutual friend, Francis, with whom I’ve worked as members of the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council. Francis is a sparkling personality, and is positively THE person to know when it comes to food, culture and international travel. We are excited to meet Des, as any friend of Francis … Des has visited this hawker centre with her family every Sunday for years and knows many of the hawkers personally. We can’t wait.

Des greets us in a Chicago Cubs T-shirt and cut-off jean shorts and immediately asks if we don’t mind moving tables “so we can be closer to the food.” Um, YES PLEASE. She suggests that while we could split up and each pick a few dishes, she’s happy to just take a pool of money and bring back her favorites. YES. Louis, Preeti – my first Singapore friend! More to come on her – sip on a large bottle of Tiger beer and wait for Des to return.

Return, she does. Des comes back with as many dishes as she can carry and has more being brought over. Dishes included: rojak (this time with a bit of spice and crisper vegetables), deep fried baby squid, fried noodles with prawns, prawn fritters (sort of a cross between a big hashbrown and pancake – I really like this), black pepper crab (delicious) and the infamous Singaporean chili crab (finger-locking good and spicy). Before she left to get food, she asked “how adventerous are we?” to which we replied “whatever you recommend,” The adventure produced fish head stew – a very large fish head simmered in a rich gravy. We drink fresh Thai coconut water out of the shell and use our spoons to scrape the cocunut of the sides. For dessert, she brings back ice kachang, what I will describe as ice shavings flavored with rose syrup and brown sugar syrup, and topped with corn (not appetizing in appearance but refreshing). On the way out, she points out an ice cream stand selling cones and ice cream sandwiches – literally, ice cream slabbed between two slides of bread. We pass.

Louis eagerly awaiting his first taste of local food.

The whole meal cost about $100 total . For the amount of food we got, and the variety of dishes, it was – I hate to say – priceless.

Taiwanese - One of the best, simple meals we've ever had is at a Taiwanese dumpling shop called Din Tai Fung. Located in the luxurious Paragon shopping center on Orchard Road, Din Tai Fung has a constant queue of people starting at about 10:30 a.m. They are known for dumplings -- real dumplings, which here means that they have a "soup" in them that burst into your mouth on your first bite. My absolute favorite dish there is the shrimp and pork wanton soup -- the broth tastes like fresh chicken -- not chicken broth, pure chicken. Louis adores the shu mai and we both devour the green pea shoots sauteed in oil and garlic. Served with hot tea in a luxe, air-conditioned mall, this meal already has prompted several follow up visits. Everything is good -- noodles, soups, dumplings, shu mai, rice...seriously, everything.

Thai – I already have a favorite Thai restaurant, as a colleague had taken me there on my August orientation visit and I then returned with a visiting friend a few nights later. Thanying, on the second floor of the Amara Hotel, is known for its royal food (my colleague said the chef used to cook for the royal family). I’m not sure what to expect, as my experience with Thai food is the moderately priced Thai delivery in Chicago. As I expect, Thanying’s food is nothing like that. Louis and I have soup – he, the clear broth, and me, the spicy prawn soup with keffir lime leaves and button mushrooms – green mango salad – crunchy and sweet, mixed with shaved red onion, chilis and peanuts – fried stuffed chicken wings – not bad – and split the steamed sea bass that is swimming in fresh keffir lime juice, chilis and broth. The first thing we notice in each of our dishes is how flavorful everything is. The fish for example tastes so lime-y – but not lime-y like it has a lot of lime juice squirted on it; lime-y like the limes here have 10x the flavor. The ambiance is festive yet refined, our server almost overly deferential but knowledgeable about the food. This meal is pricier but very worth it.

We also have Thai at a “no frills eatery” up the street from the Raffles Hotel earlier in the week, Louis’ choice. It’s not within a hawker centre but it is open air (warm) and cheap. Louis has read the pad thai is what to have, so we order that. We also sample the green mango salad because I’m simply craving fruit, green beans and fried spring rolls. The food isn’t as light as Thanying but it’s good.

Indonesian – Early in the first week, I come back to the hotel exhausted and Louis is hungry. He remembers reading about a Balinese place that delivers so he orders us satay (huge chunks of chicken barbequed over an open flame – very good) and some fish dish that TimeOut Singapore recently recommended. I don’t like this second dish as much – it must have anise in it as all I unfortunately taste is black licorice. On my suggestion, we order vegetables as I’m craving greens but they’re sort of blah in flavor.

Korean – We’ve rather taken to a Korean place located in the basement of 8 Shenton Way (also known as my office building). I can’t speak to its authenticity but we both like it – I always order the bibimbap because it has lots of vegetables, beef for flavor and can be attacked with mass amounts of chili sauce.

Le Carillon L'Angelus on Club Street

French – Proper brasserie French. No fusion. No Asian influence. When out with Preeti and her Germany friend Marco, we stumble upon this place in the midst of our new favorite neighborhood of Club Street and Ann Thiang Hill. It's technically in Chinatown but you would never know it. There is a sloping drive of adorable restaurants and bars that are populated by ex-pats. We dive into a beautiful charcuterie platter, rolls, tartines, olives and champagne. Inexplicably, champagne is the least expensive wine here – our bottle was about S$60 and good, compared with other bottles that ran S$100+.

Good ol’ bar food. On our first Friday night in Singapore, we meet up with Preeti and Marco for a proper weekend night. We meet them at No. 5 Emerald Hill, a surprisingly bustling bar block hidden off Orchard Road. This is ex-pat central, but not in a bad way. (There also apparently are prostitutes, as Preeti, Marco and Louis point out. How do they know?) We grab seats outside and order what we’ve heard is good – beer, pizza and chicken wings. How can you go wrong with that? It reminds me of happy hour in Chicago, and we have fun. I later notice that the restaurant/bar itself is a tapas place but it shares a kitchen with the other bars so you can really order from any menu. We make a note to go back and actually try the tapas.

Italian – This is why I love Singapore. It’s not just the various Asian cuisines that are good, it’s ALL the food. We have dinner with a lovely couple we met through the passionately close-knit Notre Dame alumni network. Andy, who is corporate counsel for a large manufacturing multinational, and his wife Bridget, invite us to Senso, their favorite Italian restaurant and right on Club St. Again, this is not Italian-by-way-of-Chinese .. .it’s proper Italian. We are greeted with glasses of crisp Sauv Blanc and olives, then sit down at the table where we’re served fresh bread and olive oil (ah, olive oil, how I’ve missed thee), mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto with greens, and a lovely brunello just opened by the sommelier. The menu is impressive – many handmade pastas and classic preparations. I order the homemade taglierini pasta with lobster and basil – heavenly – and Louis orders veal ravioli with porcini sauce. Andy and Bridget both have a special fish, and we split tiramisu – prepared with the right amount of espresso and boozy taste.

Hungry yet? More on food to follow, promise.