Food Journey At Singapore

I was in Singapore last weekend and I loved it! I had my camera, a pink suitcase that's only 7 pounds heavy, and a stomach ready to take in the food, glorious food. Normally when I travel, I really want to take in the food in the city, so I shun away familiar food stalls that I see in Manila, unless, of course, it's very famous there.

It's actually my first time in Singapore so I was really excited. In my weekend stay there, I really loved the city, on how everything's super clean and organized, not hogging escalator space and everything's always on time. The MRT system is super organized, and they have a very complex train system. Took us I think just half a day to master the whole thing.

Anyway, back to food. We've been doing a lot of walking there, since we take the train going to wherever, so we all need energy. We learned when I got really moody from being hungry on the way to Sentosa so whenever the need arises, I should always EAT. and I mean EAT! No restaurants for us though. Food Court and Hawker-style is the way to go.

Vivo City is a mall that reminded me so much of Eastwood City Mall. It's an MRT station (Harbor Point) and it also houses the monorail going to Sentosa. After a day at Universal Studios, we wanted to just eat somewhere at Clark Quay like a fastfood joint before heading back to the hotel. Thankfully, I saw a food court at Vivo City and I was like, "wait! let's check this place out!"

The Food Republic at Vivo City was super aliw. It was very reminiscent of the streets you see in movies, something like old Chinatown, complete with paper lanterns and decorations.

The food's really cheap too, there's so much to choose from and I admit being overwhelmed especially since that was my first day ever in Singapore. So I settled for this place where I get to choose combo meals, depending on the combo you want. I think a dish that's one meat and two veggies cost like 4.50 dollars. I asked if seafood is also meat, and they said yes. The lady at the counter was kind to tell me what dishes were there, and what was good. I settled for chili prawns, kangkong, and string bean.

I was also glad that we were armed with bottled water because the food I ate was really, really spicy. It was a good thing that I love spicy food. The veggies weren't soggy and the shrimp was really fresh and had the texture I wanted. There were ladies too with carts selling dumpling or teas. I wanted a serving of dumpling but I was full already.

Breakfast was another very familiar place. I think I see this place in Manila, but I'm not quite sure. Anyway, malls weren't open yet save for a few food shops at Funan Digital Mall, which is right next to our hotel. This place looked inviting, and well, I've been solely intrigued with soft boiled eggs.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast had a set meal of toast, soft-boiled eggs, and either coffee or tea. I chose cheese toast since I wanted something filling and seeing Horlicks drink as another option, I had that as well. The cheese toast was yummy and cinnamon-ny, with just the right mix of sweet and salty.

The soft boiled eggs are seasoned first with salt, pepper, and soy sauce before spreading it on top of the toast or eaten on its own. It was really, really yummy and now I know why my pole teachers are crazy about it too. The Horlicks tea tasted like Nesvita instead of Ovaltine, but it was okay. :) At least I was fueled for another day of walking.

Union Square Mall's located at Novena Station, where we had lunch. This is one thing I love about SG - a mall is always connected to a train station and malls are always connected to one another. And each mall has a food court, with the same style. The Union Square food court's smaller but it was okay. Here, I had a big bowl of Yong Tao Foo.

Yong Tao Foo is like a mini shabu-shabu. For 3.50 dollars, you get to choose 7 ingredients of your choice and put it in a bowl - veggies, seafood, sausages, dumplings, whatever you want. If you want more, it's 50 cents additional. Then, they put noodles and cook your choice ingredients in a broth. You have a choice whether to make it plain soup or spicy laksa. There's a special dipping sauce where you can dip your food before eating (it also serves to cool it down). It's such a big bowl, would you believe I finished the whole thing? That's what I mean when I say all that walking makes me hungry.

For dessert, we went to another familiar place. Okay, so I vowed to eat local food right? Cut me some slack, because I missed this place because it permanently left Manila shores:

Baskin Robbins!!!!!!!! It used to be in ATC where the Crocs store is now, I think, back in the 90s. They're no longer in ice cream format here, just hard candy inspired from the ice cream flavors but it's not the same. I need dairy too!

We took a train from Novena Station to Ang Mio Ko to get to Singapore Zoo. We decided to make our way na lang to Orchard Road, after we couldn't figure out the bus changes.

After scouring through Ion Orchard, it's back to the food court for us for merienda. I had two spring rolls for I think 2 dollars.

The Kachang is an ice dessert consisting of jelly, red beans, palm seeds, sweet corn, a cone of ice and then topped with colored syrups and condensed milk. It's similar to our native halo-halo. I first saw the Kachang in Asian Food Network. I thought it was really easy but I found out that it's very difficult to make. You have to form and pack the ice just right because if you pack it too tight, it can be too firm and hard. The shaved ice should just flake off delicately and melt in the mouth along with the syrups and milk. This kachang has ice cream but you can choose to have durian instead if you're a durian fan. Obviously, I'm no durian fan.

During our last night in Singapore, I wanted to have a taste of the famous stingray. Good thing my friend Frances told me there was a hawker place 10 minutes away from Raffles City, in a place called Makansutra Glutton's Bay, which is an outdoor eating place with the great view.

[image credits]

Unfortunately, I had to borrow images for this part since it was drizzling but no rain could stop me from eating stingray, just taking pictures so I had my trusty camera tucked in a waterproof bag and I savored an entire stingray all by myself. They cook it super fast too! Only 5 minutes! Stingray is available for 10, 15, or 20 dollars, depending on what size you order. I fell in love with it at first bite. It's super spicy! Thank god for Jasmine Tea to tone down the spice burn.

My last SG lunch was at Raffles City mall. Raffles City is like the Glorietta counterpart, a mall within Singapore's main business center. You can have dessert or have a fancy meal at the restaurants at the basement or rather, go up to the food court.

I had rice, one veggie dish, and chili squid. :)

If you notice, I haven't posted anything beef or pork though, so feast your eyes on black pepper rice, just letting you know that there's food to eat should you not be allowed seafood.

Of course there are other dishes that SG is famous for - like black pepper crab, cereal prawns, chili crab, and carrot cake (which isn't like the carrot cake with the cream cheese frosting, but deep-fried, like okoy). I wasn't able to try those due to lack of time but will do, if I ever go back to SG. Trust me, I will go back and eat the dishes I fell in love with and more.

For refreshments, I suggest to ditch the soda and go for canned teas or bottled teas that aren't in Manila, a famous brand I saw around is Yeo teas, and I giggle all the time because I get reminded of my good friend Yeoh, because of the name.

My friends told me to try Chrysanthemum Tea. It was the first drink I tasted in Singapore when I got in Changi. It's like a stronger iced tea though, I prefer the Wintermelon or Jasmine Tea (same brand, Yeo).

If only I could take the entire foodie place of SG with me back here, in my little pink suitcase I would. It's a place I learned to love - organized train system, spicy food, and literless roads and all. When I posted our SG pictures, it's all food instead of scenery pictures. But hey, that's when I do when I travel. I have fun, eat, and drink (tea!!!).

Honey Ginger Chicken For Lunch

Because dining out is expensive, I have resulted to the uncanny thing which I have avoided for five years... pots, pans, and knives. Well what do you know? It's not that bad. I just needed to have my own kitchen and little corner. Plus, it gives me topics and pictures to write here in my food blog. Food recipes are usually researched online or inspired from what I see in Asian Food Channel or whatever cooking show I see on tv. Today's lunch and dinner and probably also tomorrow's is taken from an easy recipe I saw online - Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry. You could find the recipe here if you would like to replicate it yourself. I didn't follow the recipe entirely substituting frozen stir-fry blend for fresh carrots, broccoli, and red bell peppers.

I grated the ginger right on the measuring spoon reserving any juices. While cooking and I feel like adding a bit more kick, I grate some more ginger on the dish as it simmers. The water chestnuts are really, really interesting. They're like sweet radishes that are white on the can but of course, the honey makes everything all golden brown. Why my choice of veggies? I wanted something nutritious and I have always liked carrots and bell pepper. I wanted a bit of contrast to the color scheme by adding something green so broccoli was my choice with the texture and nutritional benefits as well. Plus, broccoli is so easy to prepare... Just remove it from the humongous stem and separate the little segments. For honey, it doesn't have to be imported or expensive. I used local honey. They sell it in Rustan's supermarket for less than 100 pesos. They're in glass containers shaped like Tanduay bottles.

Just a heads up though, when you taste it while cooking, it tastes a bit bland though, but the flavor develops when the meal cools down. So try to hold on to the taste. I lower the heat too after stirring and adding the sauce so I don't burn anything.

While cooking though, let me share the space-saver thank you to the Japanese home stores that sell dirt cheap but useful stuff:

Now I never have to scramble for the cheese grater, or in my case - my any-grater since it grates cheese, lemon or orange rind, ginger, and all.

Lunchtime at Sam Won Korean Barbecue

That one long strip of Aguirre Avenue at BF Homes in Paranaque is one of the reasons why this little duckie does not want to leave the South area. Along that strip are quaint restaurants of every cuisine and creativity. You know, you're driving or walking there and then this little house-revamped-into-a-restaurant just beckons at you and you think, "Hey, lemme try this!" and so you go.

My family has been there before, and it's my first time to try this having been free this Sunday. It's quite easy to miss out these restaurants and so I took a picture of the exterior too. To get here, just take Aguirre and drive out. If you're coming from El Grande side, it would be on the left. If you're coming from President's Avenue, It's on your right.

That wooden door makes you think it used to be a house with the sign smacked right on the roof. Going in, you see this set-up.

I'll tell you what the exhausts are for later. The place had Korean clientele, implying that we're about to get authentic Korean cuisine and nothing commercialized or "substituted". Our table was set, down to the chopsticks. Korean chopsticks are different from the chopsticks we use in hotels or restos. These were thinner, heavier, and made of stainless steel. If you're not used to their chopsticks, the ol' wooden chopsticks are also available. Now after we ordered, we were greeted by a round of appetizers (which are included by the way if you order there). By appetizers I don't mean like little bread sticks or chips, I'm talking these:

Variety of appetizers including the famous kimchi. OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD on the kimchi. Something you have to try. Okay, the round of appetizers are not bottomless, but since we wanted more of the kimchi, we ordered a second round of the kimchi (first round is free, of course, provided you order food). It wasn't too spicy and I was even eating it alone. Aside from these, we were also given cabbage slaw each.

Now okay, so what are the exhausts for? It's for the Korean barbecue. right in front of you is this device that looks like something out of a hot pot restaurant. You order your choice of Korean barbecue (beef, chicken, or pork belly). They bring it out to you, marinated but raw first because the meat would be cooked in front of you, not in oily fat but in live coals. Live coals are placed there on the grillery and an attendant grills the meat for you and even puts the meat on your plate.

The exhaust is for the smoke to go out and not on you so you get to enjoy your meal sans smoke blowing on your face or melting makeup. Oh, and they change the grilling plate if there's too much stuff sticking on the plate already and keep the coals live and fiery hot. I actually found out the right way of eating Korean barbecue. You dip it in the salt dipping sauce, put it on a piece of lettuce, then add slices of garlic and the paste and eat up. But for me, I figured the best way I enjoyed my meat was alone or with Jap Chae.

The Jap Chae is also a must-try and a steal at Php150.00 (AND THAT's a LOT! That's just my tiny plate right there where I got some Jap Chae and a slice of beef barbecue). The sticky rice is at 70 bucks per bowl, but I suggest just ordering the Jap Chae as the carb chaser.

The meal was capped off with complimentary dessert. I told you this resto knows how to pamper their clientele. Again, just like the appetizer, this is just one round.

Price ranges are about 200-500 for an order, and one order is already good for sharing. Expect to spend approximately Php500 per head if you wanna be super full. Happy Sunday!

Oh, and do try the Kimchi.

A Light Roasted Dinner

On my plate last Wednesday Night.

Since I was already stuffed coming from an event, I wanted something light so we ordered a roast platter and I had a jellyfish salad too

Love the Roast! Our table got this to share....

and my jellyfish salad

I don't really eat century egg but I wolfed down the Jellyfish salad. It was disaapointing though, when I saw that it only had a little on the plate. Presentation wise, not bad. But I was bitin. I like the taste though. Jellyfish actually has this interesting taste that I like

The platter was a feast as well. Since it was one of Good Earth Roast specialties, it was cooked to perfection. The ginger and chili sauce go well with the cuts. A definite must on my plate next time I go there.

Anyone care to share their light dinners?

My Singaporean Healthy Fare

This is rice:



and spicy dilis and cucumber cooked just right. It's actually coconut rice without coconut milk and they used an MCT (mono-chain triglycerides) kind of coconut oil which contains lauric acid and healthier than conventional oils which make you fat.

I attended a Healthy Lifestyle Cooking Course at Tang City Glorietta last week conducted by Singaporean chef Lisa Leong. Here, she shows that healthy food does not mean bland or tasteless. "My son is a doctor, and he would say, 'Mom, what I save, please don't kill,' " she shares to the audience.

In her Dancing Singapore Laksa ( a spicy noodle soup popular in Singapore), she uses coconut oil products, particularl COCOS MCT Powder and SUPER COCO Virgin Coconut Oil, which "infuse a distinct flavor into my creations while also incresing their nutritional value, "she states.

I have never tried Singaporean Laksa before, but when I tasted it for the first time, it was really very spicy. It creeps up to you and I could really taste everything and there's a bit of creaminess of the coconut milk. When it's spicy it really is spicy!

And about the coconut oil, you can click here and I found another bonus use about it from Chef Lisa Leong.

As she demo-ed her recipes in her usual fun and quirky way, she would serve us the food samples and since they were so yummy, it's hard to believe they were healthy. My absolute favorite is the pandan cake, that was moist and baked just right it was hard to believe that she baked it from a rice cooker!

Team Asia Corporation is the leading distributor of Highlanders Brown Rice Tea (review on this coming up), Super Coco Virgin Coconut Oil, and Nano Wellness Cards in the Philippines. For inquiries, please call 723-4461 to 64, email sales@teamasiacorporation.com or visit www.teamasiacorporation.com

Hot Pot Hurdle

Cooking your own order? Why not!


I had that experience at the Healthy Shabu Shabu event at Shangri-La Mall last night where we were taught the right way of cooking shabu shabu. Yep, I just found out that there's actually a right way of cooking it rather than throwing everything in the pot, then the vegetables last and turn off the fire. Bet you didn't know that too, huh?


Anyways, so I trooped down to Shangri-La mall at 4:00 pm yesterday since I wanted to catch the low-peak hours at the MRT. Wrong! It was jampacked as it was rush hour. As soon as I got off the Shaw station (I just told myself it was cheaper than driving or taking a cab) I went to Shangri-La mall and checked out my favorite makeup counters and chatted with my friend, Chandra at MAC. Since I had more hours to kill, I went to do some (window) shopping. En route to Makeup For Ever and Beauty Bar, I spotted Juned by Cibo so I joined him first. Apparently, he also does my technique of arriving somewhere near the venue hours earlier, grabbing a cup of coffee (or iced tea in this case) to avoid rush hour traffic. Arpee and Noreen joined us then we all trooped down to the venue. Apparently, I have to thank Juned since that saved me money that I would have blew on makeup sprees. Heeheehee


So we got there to the venue and the aroma of cooking soup and the lovely sight of fresh ingredients being delivered to the tables. As we were ushered to our seats, the waiters filled our individual pots with chicken stock (mushroom stock for vegans) and showed us the sauce ingredients. We were also asked to choose our meat dish (all-meat, seafood, chicken, meat and seafood) Our attendant, Phat, was very good explaining what the ingredients are for and how everything works.



Look! Each customer has an individual bowl so that he or she could make his own soup! Plus it's very hygienic that way.

And fresh ingredients!





Businesswoman Candy Hwang, owner of Healthy Shabu Shabu described to us the right way to cook Shabu-Shabu, and event demo-ed to us how it's done. Apparently, the dipping sauce serves to "cool" the freshly-cooked ingredient before enjoying them (and adds up to the flavor). Shabu-shabu is best enjoyed one ingredient at a time so after a few minutes (or seconds) cooking, you can dip it in the sauce and enjoy it. Also, it's best to put the sweet corn, yam, and some seafood/meat first for a richer flavor of the broth.


As soon as our individual soups started cooking and some bloggers ate their own concoctions, I could hear everyone marvelling how all the flavors were kept intact. For those of us who chose seafood, the attendants even peeled our shrimp for us. I can say how much I loved the texture of my shrimp. I also loved how the ingredients are freshly delivered each day. No wilted vegetables, shriveled up meat, or dry fish fillet. We could even customize our own soup to our liking. Sophie even added more chili to hers! All bloggers were silent as they were eating their very own customized Shabu-Shabu.



As for me, here's mine...



Pardon the VGA quality of the pic (I will make do with my camera phone first as my Canon Powershot is in the ICU). That's an all-seafood shabu-shabu with vegetables. Very very healthy! By the way, the shabu-shabu stoves are perfectly safe since these are

"electric stoves controlled by a remote console instead of traditional LPGs."

No wires, no fire! Horray!


After I finished my dessert (a yummy and healthy fruit bowl with grass jelly and sweet milk), I chatted and mingled with the other bloggers and each blogger had a different concoction. With my GC on hand, I better try a new recipe. :-)



(Healthy Shabu Shaby has branches at Powerplant Mall, The Podium, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, SM North The Block, Alabang Town Center, Robinsons Midtown and Shangri-La Plaza Mall)

Oh Thai!

While blog-surfing I managed to chance upon a review on Wild Ginger @ the Powerplant mall and being a Thai/Asian food fanatic I chose Wild Ginger to serve the Saturday Night dinner.







Since I came from a shoot being hungry, I wanted a "buffer" so my stomach won't be shocked so I ordered Asian Tomato Soup (Php 80.00). At first I was intrigued by how it could be "Asian" when I always associate tomato soup with Italian dishes and Minestrone but when I tasted it, it tasted like Tom Yum Soup without the shrimp and mushrooms and this was a bit thicker and spicier with a bit of cilantro in it.

Chicken Satay is always a staple and I really liked how the meat was cooked just right and the satay sauce having that distinct peanut-y taste. I just found the sauce too bitin. The chicken satay is already good for 2 so you could split the order as well. For some weird reason, rice was not in the menu but our server mentioned the variety of rice flavors available. We chose Jasmine Rice, a yellow rice with a distinct herbal taste (plain rice we could have anywhere, but jasmine yellow rice, only here). It was a huge cup and yummy on its own. But really, you eat it with the satay.

Prices are reasonable as well. Since the servings are big, you could split a meal into two so it won't be too heavy on the stomach.

Bambi's tip: Order just house water. It's bottomless, it's free, and it's a great way to make tipid. :)