Foodie Manila

I received a package at the office the other day. It was 3 boxes of donuts! Being that it was the Christmas season it wasn’t a complete surprise that someone sent something to us. It could’ve been one of our clients. But what did surprise me was it was J.CO donuts! I’ve always liked J.CO donuts! Having offices in KL and Singapore I’ve tasted these bad boys before. What I liked about them were the unusual and yet simple flavors they had. I knew I was going to have a blast sharing these with the rest of the office.

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One of my most favorite meals in Singapore does not come from some high end restaurant. (I’ve had my share trust me!) But rather it was a quick 5-10 mins walk from my hotel at Little India located at the corner of Jalan Besar and Kitchener Road. This institution of a place was barely even noticable. It didn’t have the lighted sign or you would barely miss the restaurant. It was one of the places you HAD TO KNOW where in order to find it. But I tell you the trip was well worth it. Whether after a long tiring day at work, or an all night drinking spree the food here just hit the spot everytime.Let me tell you about my experience.

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I love me my chicken rice. No I am not an avid fan, I am one of the most hardcore fans of HCR or Hainanese Chicken Rice I know. You see, I go to Singapore and Malaysia quite often for work, and I usually stay for 5 days up to 2 weeks. During my entire stay I would usually have HCR for lunch or dinner. It never fails. Whether it be the common Hawker Center HCR thats costs 2.90 SGD or the more notable places I will definitely visit these places at least once. Wee Nam Kee is right up there with the best of them. Along with its own history and traditions, Wee Nam Kee, promises to deliver one of the best HCR’s in town. So imagine my delight that Wee Nam Kee will be arriving here in the Philippines.

And arrive it did.

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Walking along Orchard Road is always a treat for me. Its such a busy place that something somewhere is always happening. May it be some street performers performing some extreme acrobatics, or some street concert, Orchard Road in Singapore has always been an interesting place to visit.

You must have noticed the carts lining the streets of Orchard Road and got curious. I got curious as well. After hours of wandering the different malls, I wanted to cool off with one them 1$ Ice Cream bars.

I quickly picked from a variety for flavors, (they even got YAM!) and settled for Chocolate. (I am always safe with desserts!) The Uncle selling quickly asked with his thick Chinese accent what I wanted and if I wanted it with some wafer or bread. I picked wafer.

He grabbed a thick bar, and quickly chopped it with his huge machete. (yes he uses machetes!)

Unwrapped it, and quickly put it in between a 2 wafer pads and handed it to me. I paid and thanked him and started walking away and taking pictures.

I took my first bite and I quickly remembered home. Tasted like Magnolia or Nestle Chocolate. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. But I enjoyed it! It was something different.

The entire bar was consumed within less than 10 minutes. I wanted to try other flavors but I was done for the day.
Next time you are along Orchard Road, make sure you take time to try out the ice cream from the Uncles!

As I had Monday free in Singapore and since most if not all of the offices in Singapore were closed down, I decided to go out and try Din Tai Fung. It was just one of those restaurants that one MUST-TRY when in Singapore. Being a lover of Xiao Long Bao, or steamed dumpling with soup inside, how could I pass up the chance? To be honest, it actually slipped my mind and when Faith reminded me during one of our conversations, I knew I had found my place. (She even mailed me my schedule and everything with time and place and stations and maps!)

I quickly boarded the MRT and headed on over to Dhoby Gaut. From Dhoby Gaut, I quickly transferred and headed on to Orchard Road. I exited on the east side and headed on to Wisma Atria Mall. Din Tai Fung was on the 1st floor.

I saw the sign.

I quickly queued up. 8 numbers before me. I told the waitress table for one.

She looked at my order.

She looked back at me.

I smirked and nodded in a bashful way. It was to say “yes I am ordering 17 dumplings” and I did. My reasoning? Its for my blog. Its for you guys, the readers!

After a wait that seemed like an eternity, and the place was packed mind you, I was seated alone on a lonely table. I didn’t mind. One of the few times I am featuring a restaurant without actually being invited. I felt the love for food blogging again and the excitement of trying something new which everyone raves about.

Din Tai Fung and its rich history was the perfect time to rekindle this love for food blogging. I knew I was doing it right. (To read about its rich history click here.)

The first 10 dumplings came. They were pork dumplings. I poured some black vinegar unto the ginger and controlled my urge to just start putting them in my mouth. This was the hardest part about food blogging; how to control your urge to eat before taking pictures.

After all the shots were done, I quickly grabbed my chopsticks and ever so delicately placed the tiny dumpling in my mouth.

It was heaven. It was so damn good. All the hype, all the reviews, all the waiting, was well worth it. It had just the right amount of soup which oozed out into your mouth as you started to chew. The pork was neither salty nor sweet but you could taste the meat ever so slightly. The herbs were bursting with flavor. This was what Xiao Long Bao was all about.

Just for comparison, I ordered the Shrimp version. (Again for you guys!) It came a few minutes after my Pork Dumplings were completely consumed.

Again I slowly put the tiny dumpling in my mouth and started chewing. Gone were the flimsy wrappers that basically evaporated with no taste at all. Xiao Long Bao wrapper from Din Tai Fung had taste. It added the necessary texture of softness and smoothness in contrast to the meat. Aside from containing an entire shrimp in each dumpling, they were wrapped with some meat as well to give the fuller taste. Although the shrimp was good too, I still prefer the Pork dumplings.

Verdict? Best Xiao Long Bao I have ever tasted so far. I love this dish. I go for it just about everytime in the Philippines. Next time you are at Singapore, this is definitely a must try!

I love breakfast. Whether it be a Filipino breakfast with atsara, tapa/tocino/hotdog, sinangag, pritong itlog, at kape or a continental breakfast with eggs benedict, bacon, waffles, and sausages complete with marmalade and some orange juice, breakfast food is just awesome. Since I am in Singapore, I couldn’t pass up the chance to go try some authentic Singaporean breakfast. So last Sunday, I got up at 8 am and start strolling the streets for a quaint Kopi Tiam.

What is a Kopi Tiam?

A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in Southeast Asia. The word is a portmanteau of the Malay word forcoffee (as borrowed and altered from the Portuguese) and the Hokkien dialect word for shop (店; POJ: tiàm). Menus typically feature simple offerings: a variety of foods based on egg, toast, and kaya, plus coffee, tea, and Milo, a malted chocolate drink which is extremely popular in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore, Malaysia and Riau Islands.

Kopi tiams in Singapore are commonly found in almost all residential areas as well as some industrial and business districts in the country, numbering about 2,000 in total^[1]. Although most are an aggregate of small stalls or shops, some may be more reminiscent of food courts, although each stall has similar appearance and the same style of signage.

In a typical kopi tiam, the drinks stall is usually run by the owner who sells coffee, tea, soft drinks, and other beverages as well as breakfast items like kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and snacks. The other stalls are leased by the owner to independent stallholders who prepare a variety of food dishes, often featuring the cuisine of Singapore. Traditional dishes from different ethnicities are usually available at kopitiams so that people from different ethnic backgrounds and having different dietary habits could dine in a common place and even at a common table.

Kopitiam is also the name of a food court chain in Singapore.

Some of the more common foods that can be seen in kopi tiams, besides the ever-popular eggs and toast, consist of char kway tiao (fried hor fun, sometimes cooked with eggs and cockles), Hokkien mee (mee noodles served with various seafoods as well as egg) and, possibly the most common, nasi lemak, or coconut rice (a Malay dish of coconut-flavoured rice, served with sambal chilli paste, egg, and ikan billis or anchovies).

source: htttp://www.wikipedia.com

It took no less than 5 minutes to chance upon a Kopi Tiam. I found it at the corner of Rocher Canal Rd and Short Street. I entered and quickly looked for the open stall. The Auntie who was there was very accommodating. Although initially she tried to speak to me in Chinese. Only 1/4 of which I understood. (Ok I really am going for Mandarin classes when I get back to Manila!) I ordered Set A which consisted of Kaya Toast, 2 Soft boiled eggs and a drink. I didn’t want coffee or tea since I can have those anytime, so I went with Milk Tea. The entire meal cost me about $5 I think.

I took my tray back to one of the many empty tables and sat. There was a light breeze and the sun shone brightly which just lifted my spirits. I love breakfast. I am the few who relish breakfast alone. It allows me to gather my thoughts and prepare for the day.

The eggs were perfectly done. I guess over time they have perfected the way to boil these eggs just right to get the perfect combination of firm whites with the yolk just runny. It was just the way I liked it. The kaya toast was also just right. The thin slice of bread not burnt but toasted just perfectly. It allowed the Kaya to just burst with flavor upon biting into the toast. For the uninitiated, Kaya is made of eggs, sugar and coconut milk and flavored with pandan. Don’t get me wrong. The place was nothing special nor was it fancy or a MUST-TRY. But it was on my list. I wanted to try a general Singaporean breakfast.

It was a truly a delight to take a break from the usual stuff that I eat. I enjoy variety. I enjoy a bit of excitement exploring the culinary world and adventure of Singapore.

The last time I was at Singapore (which was last year) my first meal usually set the tone for the trip. Last year it was Boon Tong Kee’s HCR. This was the perfect way to introduce me to the wonderful world that is Singapore Food. This time around after a tiring day of grinding out the day, we headed on over to Upper Serangoon road to get some Nasi Lemak. First thoughts were “ok I’ve had some Nasi Lemak back in Manila and it was ok. It wasn’t a dish I super craved for.” Boy was I wrong.

We arrived via Boss Ming’s car and parked at a nearby alley. It was about 9:30-10:30 PM. I thought cool this place is still open at this time. I was wrong. Not only was it open, there was a queue! We had to stand in line for about 10-15 mins before we reached the place to order at. It was all good though since I had a fun time catching up with the Nuffies. I was amazed at how this tiny little hole-in-the-wall was drawing so muuuuch traffic. Some were getting take away, and some were just there to eat. How good was it? A lady pulled up to the place got down and ordered some take away and got back in her car. She was driving a Mercedez S-Class. I think I saw a Skyline pull up as well and do the exact same thing.

I got a bit anxious and a bit overwhelmed when I saw the choices. Everything looked good and different. I quickly orderd an egg, some rice, a drumstick, and some curry vegetables. I moved on down the line and the uncle dumped a spoon load of Sambal on my plate. What is Sambal?

Sambal is a spicy Southeast Asian condiment made, in its simplest form, from chile peppers and salt. A more elaborate sambal may contain onion, lime juice, lemongrass, sugar, garlic, oil and/or vinegar.

http://www.cookthink.com/reference/118/What_is_sambal

Verdict? I loved the Nasi Lemak w/ tons of sambal. It was spicy yes, but boy was it tasty. The chicken was quite good and it was better than any fried chicken I have ever tasted. The sambal added the flavor and extra kick. I am once again in love with Singaporean Street Food. It was the perfect way to kick off my Singapore trip.

*Edit: There must be something to this place if Malaysia’s top blogger says its the best he’s ever tasted. Check out his post HERE. He did a much better review than I did.

Our gracious host and leader Mr. Timothy Tiah (one of the founders of Nuffnang) took us all out for dinner at Duck King located at Jaya One just outside Kuala Lumpur. It would be a chinese dinner. And it would be one of the best. First to arrive would be the mapo tofu steak with seaweed or nori on top. The tofu was one of the best I’ve tasted. Nice and firm when you scoop it up but literally turns into liquid when you start munching. It was beautiful example of perfect chinese cooking. And then the main course started flowing in.

We had some deep fried Kang Kong which tasted alot like junk food snacks. That was gone quite quickly. The Peking Duck, Pork Belly, and Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet were all incomparable to anything I’ve tasted here in the Philippines. This was simply a divine meal. I didn’t know when to stop. With the absence of water or any soft drink to fill myself up, I just kept eating. It was beautiful. I am a big fan of duck. This meal was something. It was both unforgettable. We got to see the regular side of Tim Tiah. I admit I am a big fan of him and princess. (Audrey but no one calls her that anymore!) Thank you Tim for the food. It was one of the best I’ve had in a long time.