An emcee for all seasons

ONE OF the notes I have received from friends whose wedding receptions I emceed said, “eNTeNG, you really are the emcee for all seasons.”  To me that’s one of the best compliments anybody has ever given me.

Tonight, over dinner of a couple of bowls of Master Sham Pork Ribs and Lotus Root Soup, a couple of bowls of piping hot steamed white rice, a couple of honey-glazed roasted chicken wings, and a couple of mugs of iced milk tea – all mine, I have to make clear – one of the closest friends I have made in the past 10 months I’ve been here in Singapore, asked of me what he said was a “huge favor.”

Of course I said yes.  And I sealed it with a gentleman’s handshake.  I’ll be emceeing his wedding reception here in Singapore, end of this year.  To be asked to do this is always such an honor.  And this being my first ever non-Filipino event, I feel so trusted.

He asked further, “Would you like to sing?”

Now there’s no turning back.  Hahaha!

Walking from the train station to my flat, I got reminded of the many wedding receptions I have emceed for friends, all the way back in the day when mobile communication was still a figment of my imagination.

I have managed to chronicle on this blog some of these memorable events.  I’d like to reminisce a little and share them with you as well.  (Click on the links below to read more)

Bom & Rizzie’s Wedding

Bom & Rizzie, 10 January 2009

 

Ian & Marie’s Wedding

Ian & Marie, 15 August 2009

 

Jossel & Vel’s Wedding

Jossel & Vel, 10 December 2010

 

Tom & Jen’s Wedding

Tom & Jen, 02 January 2012

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

Peacefully non-violent

Mohinga (Khau Kswe), Inle Myanmar Restaurant, Peninsula Plaza, Singapore

TWO WORDS – an adjective and an adverb – come to mind whenever I hear of Burma or Myanmar.  You can say it’s just my play on words.  Which it actually is – a juxtaposition which is an attempt on hyperbole, while really bordering on the redundant.  However you see it, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the country on my mind has come to be a paragon of what these two words mean:  peacefully non-violent.

Which, after The Malaysian brought me to Inle Myanmar Restaurant at Peninsula Plaza, just off of City Hall MRT station, has also now come to describe Burmese cuisine to me.  It was rather peaceful.  It was non-violent to the palate.

Having passed by the most prominent city hall in the Philippines on my way to college everyday, I thought it was sentimental to have my photo snapped right where it says “City Hall”.

 

Waiting for the traffic light to turn was time well spent. Haha!

 

Finally, the cheapest place to shop in Singapore!

Filing this find under the header of “Places That Alone I’ll Never Find,” I let my friend do the ordering, chiming in here and there with my agreement on why a dish was a good choice.

Inle Myanmar Restaurant Menu Cover

 

Burma (Myanmar) is The Golden Land.

 

Well, well, well… what do we have here?!

 

Aha! I’ve found a winner!

Starting off with the Picked Tea Leaves Salad (Laphet Thoke) signified that my taste buds were in for a treat of the staple flavors of the Burmese culinary landscape.  Tea leaves, the menu says, is not only drunk but also eaten in Myanmar.  These pickled tea leaves are chopped and served with an assortment of crispy chickpea, roasted peanuts, garlic two ways (fried and fresh), toasted sesame seeds, dried shrimps, wedges of fresh tomatoes, and finely shredded cabbage.  The salad can either be “individual” or “mixed” – served on a platter with “individual” pockets for each of these tasty components, or, already “mixed” up and dressed with the simple-yet-robust duo of vegetable oil and freshly squeezed lime juice.  While we did order it mixed, the salad evoked feelings in me that were far from mixed.  I absolutely loved everything about it!

Pickled Tea Leaves Salad (Laphet Thoke)

The picked tea leaves were surprisingly tender, not stringy at all, and beautifully tart, a sensation further underscored by the dressing.  It couldn’t be denied that this was one salad that was an explosion of textures.  Used to crispness that come from tomatoes that burst and greens that give off crunch, I appreciated the expanded mélange of sounds that play in my mouth from the chickpeas, the peanuts and the sesame seeds.

For whatever claim I make to having a “palate of the world,” I was dumbfounded to be able to pick out the flavor that ties all the many components of the Mohinga (Khau Kswe), arguably considered the national dish of Burma, which came to the table in a wide-mouthed pristine white bowl, perfectly setting off the rice noodle soup’s deep dark brown hue which in turn served as the canvass for an array of toppings that included a hard-boiled egg, fish cake, chickpea fritters, and my favorite fresh coriander leaves.

Mohinga (Khau Kswe)

I remember smacking my lips repeatedly – like a toddler devouring applesauce – trying to figure out what the wonderful, restorative broth was made of.  All too consumed with the yumminess, I failed to detect that fish was the base of the broth, given a hint of sweetness and faint fragrance by the heart of banana tree stem and stalks of lemongrass and bulbs of ginger.

It is almost necessary to devour rice in huge quantities in Asian meals, so I had to have the Butter Rice, all rendered more savory good by staining with the gravy from the Chicken Curry.  And as if cleansing the palate, I would grab bites of the Gourd Fritters, which may be a bit bland but definitely tastier when dipped in the accompanying tamarind and chilli sauce.

Butter Rice

 

Chicken Curry

 

Gourd Fritters

 

A tight shot of the tamarind and chilli sauce

 

Any meal is a perfect excuse for me to ask for my favorite fresh coriander leaves, also known as “xiang cai”.

 

Sour Plum Juice

Even with the mention of chilli in the dipping sauce, none of the Burmese dishes in our spread was close to “hurting” my taste buds.  So unlike in other cases when I would have my Sour Plum Juice close by to extinguish fire in my tongue, at Inle, I reached for it just to cap off a calm, soul-satisfying meal.

For the Mohinga alone, I will definitely come back.  Definitely no struggle towards making that decision.

In front of Inle Myanmar Restaurant

 

Right after dinner, The Malaysian and I walked around the area, on our way to coffee at Starbucks under the bridge, at One Fullerton.

 

Passed through a tunnel

 

There is light at the end of every tunnel.

 

From a distance, The Fullerton Hotel.

 

In front of The Fullerton Hotel (This and all other photos, taken with The Malaysian’s iPhone 4.)

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

The Best Hotels 2012

APART FROM the unapologetic propensity towards gluttony, my ultimate weakness among the deadly sins, it is my shamelessness at writing notes that this blog has really put to fore.

Of course you already may well know that I leave notes for chefs.  But what I may have not mentioned here yet is that after almost every stay at hotels, I would leave notes – for the chambermaid, for the guy who would bring me ALL the local papers every day, for whoever would attend to ALL my requests at the breakfast buffet (I would be very exacting about my omelet and my bowl of noodles that I wouldn’t consider myself simply as “culinarily” high-maintenance but actually bordering on difficult sometimes.)

There was this one time in 2011 that I felt so overwhelmed about how well I was treated at this particular hotel that I ended up not only leaving notes to the staff, but writing a review about them on TripAdvisor.com.

Last week, I received in my Gmail inbox an alert from TripAdvisor saying that this hotel has made it to the 2012 edition of their “Travelers’ Choice, The Best Hotels.”  I haven’t really gone through the exhaustive list but I think it is a top 25 roll.  And in Singapore where there are a lot of boutique hotels, and not just the big international chains, that’s saying a lot.

I think congratulations are in order for the Royal Plaza on Scotts.  And I think, my hankering to go back and brewing intention to do the high tea buffet (at least) is most warranted after all.

TripAdvisor lists the Travelers' Choice for The Best Hotels, 2012.

 

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

One Love. One Lifetime.

And with these rings, bind them...

“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”

PARTNER AND THE BOY WONDER – Jen and Tom, respectively, to everybody – brought me along to one of their appointments at Cartier at ION on Orchard.  This one time, they were having their wedding bands engraved.  They knew that just like a kid in a candy store, I would feel right at home in the midst of vitrines of Santoses, Tanks, Pashas, Calibres and Ballon Bleus while they attended to their official business.  And that that was all that was in store for me.  I thought so too.

But just like what that oft-quoted saying says, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans,” I witnessed, on that very moment, what love and lifelong commitment could mean and that it could happen, just when I was busy ogling at timepieces I couldn’t afford.  When asked to add a line (motto) to their initials and their big day’s date, I half-expected Partner and The Boy Wonder to struggle to come up with something witty or profound.  But in a minute, they motioned for me to approach and asked for my opinion.

“One Love.  One Lifetime.”

I was speechless.  I guess that when you meet that someone – the one – you just know.  And that you won’t have to struggle for words when asked on the spot to commit your feelings to be impressed into the back surface of 18K yellow gold.  Clearly, just how you feel for “the one” is something you carry in your heart always, all the time.  I knew right there and then that two of my closest and most important friends have found love in a hopeful place – in each other.

Last Monday, the 2^nd of January 2012, they chose to make this commitment official and blessed by God.

Within the hallowed walls of the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian, Asia’s only all-steel church and a fine example of Gothic architecture in the Philippines, my own faith in the sanctity of marriage got renewed as I witnessed two of my best friends take a chance on each other, in front of the most important people in their lives, the only ones they care about – their families and friends.  Perhaps some may say this to be a bit naïve, but to me it’s rather hopeful and magical.

The hallowed walls of Basilica Minore de San Sebastian

The Altar

The church still had the trimmings of Christmas.

Beautiful chandeliers lit up the church.

The part of the ceiling right above me.

And if I did indeed believe in magic, it all would be too easy to explain the sight of Partner, the very moment the basilica’s massive doors were swung open.  Famed for her beauty, brains, and breeding, my best friend was undeniably breathtaking on her special day, quite resplendent in her Joel Escober wedding gown of intricate beadwork and delicate lace appliqué that cascaded down to a billowing skirt of silk organza.  Ever the one to strike a balance between tradition and modernity, Partner later livened up the white-on-white during the reception by choosing to wear her color motif as a crystal-studded belt that cinched her already defined waist.  The seriously long train that she drew along the red-carpeted aisle left not only a trail of luxury, but the promise that this was going to be happily ever after.

The blushing bride, on board her white Mercedes Benz bridal car. I was going to and fro between the church and the car (mine) when out of nowhere, she called out to me, "Partner!"

The detail of Partner's wedding gown. She kept gushing about how almost-perfect the fit was when she first tried it on.

Marching down the aisle...

As if on cue, I moved my gaze to the altar, at my other friend, The Boy Wonder, the groom, and just as I had suspected, he was in tears.  I knew it was inevitable for his lachrymal glands to be wrung dry as this moment was the very fulfillment of his life’s deepest longing and his heart’s most fervent desire.  As friend to both of them – to Partner first, then to The Boy Wonder second – I couldn’t be any happier that this time had finally come.  And that I was there to witness it.  I almost clapped when The Boy Wonder, himself very dashing and dapper in his custom-fitted Hugo Boss suit, took Partner’s hand from her mom.  I tell you, it was just magical.

Tom waiting at the altar.

"Shall we?"

All the male members of the entourage wore suits.

The Secondary Sponsors

The homily was short, sweet, and solemn, cracking me up only at that point when the priest told a story about a girl and her three suitors, playing around the line, “Leave her alone, she’s mine!”  But I would always be brought back to the solemnity of the occasion, much thanks to the music that was provided for the most part by The Sound Salad, who would later play at the reception.  When they sang “Lead Me, Lord,” I was tearing up, feeling that I was right where I wanted to be, spending one of the only four full-packed days I had back home with the other family I have made – those of Partner and The Boy Wonder’s.

The marriage rite

The vows

"TOM, wear this ring..."

 

"Brothers and Sisters, before us is the newly wedded couple, TOM and JEN."

"You may now kiss your bride..."

Sealed with a kiss

We all felt just how much love they have for each other.

I wanted to stay for the recessional and shower the newlyweds with bubbles, but one look at Ma’an, my co-emcee at the wedding reception, and I knew we had to take off to The Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel.

The very lovely and beautiful "Singapore Girl" Genie and my co-emcee Ma'an, at San Sebastian Church.

This is Genie's first time in the Philippines, and what better reason is there to come over than for the wedding of a dear friend?

Macon, Genie and Ma'an. Macon did Partner's make-up for their pre-nuptial photo shoot at IKEA and Marina Bay Sands.

Partner and The Boy Wonder’s wedding was a wedding of “non-negotiables”.  The wedding gown has to be by a top Filipino designer known for uncompromising professionalism, quality and artistry (Joel Escober).  The suit has to be Hugo Boss.  The shoes – his and hers – have to be Louis Vuitton.  The wedding bands can only be Cartier Love rings.  Favors are by Burberry.  And the wedding reception has to be at The Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

"TOM <3 JEN"... such a lovely touch. What a loving gesture.

Clearly, there was no doubt as to whose party we were all headed. This setup greeted guests at the Registration Table.

Favors were by Burberry, no less! This is my good friend Dennis's. He was Candle Sponsor.

And this one is mine! Until now, I haven't touched it. I took a peek. But I don't want to use it just yet.

But while that is true, theirs is also a wedding that is truly a labor of love; highlighted in the little details that bear the bride’s and the groom’s individuality and their melded tastes as a couple.  The tables were named after scents they love.  The dinner napkins were bound in handmade lace rings, with handmade dinner menus tucked in.  And scattered on each table were photo albums that chronicled the couple’s happy times together, albums that doubled up as guest books as well.

Dinner Menu Cards made by the couple themselves. They had them tucked in with the starched dinner napkins, and held in place by homemade napkin lace rings.

The place setting was simple, yet quite elegant. And I ended up using all the cutlery. There wer 26 dishes spread across six courses! Yes, I counted. Nothing comes between me and the food. Oh, a song number perhaps. Haha!

As a wedding reception emcee, I have always enjoyed the privilege of that “first look” of the venue.  While the others guests would mill about and enjoy the cocktails, I would be inside, taking in the soul, the spirit, and the importance of the reason for the celebration.  Among us friends, we would refer to Partner as the Disney Princess Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora.  And the look that The Sofitel put together, in partnership with the couple, was a silent homage to my friend’s relation to animated royalty.

This photograph doesn't do justice to how breathtaking the ceiling treatment was! There were yards and yards of tulle, crystals, and chandeliers everywhere.

The crystal snowflakes that hung from the high ceiling gave the feel of winter, thawed by the lush blooms, ethereal lighting, and the warmth of the couple's love. I told you it was magical.

There was a section for the kids! Who knew?!... I found this to be quite thoughtful of Partner and The Boy Wonder. This was the first time that I saw such in a wedding reception venue.

Crystal snowflakes that hung from the ceiling from long strands bridged the holiday season, the most joyous of occasions to this one, yet another joyous occasion.  Flowers were in abundance, in tall elaborate centerpieces and in numerous little arrangements that ran the whole length of the VIP table.  Tiffany chairs have got to be the most elegant, sophisticated and stylish seating anyone can provide.  But the one element in their reception venue that made me chuckle and realize that we were celebrating a really thoughtful couple was the fact that they provided a seating section – almost a play area – for all the kids that were in attendance.  While it is any couple’s prerogative to restrict their most special day to be an “entirely adult affair,” Partner and The Boy Wonder welcomed their friends’ whole families to share the moment with them.  Tita Baby, Partner’s mom, hinted at wanting little ones running around the house.  I guess she just knows how much the couple does adore children.

This has got to be one of the more lavish VIP table settings I have ever seen. There were about four or five imposing gilded candelabras, an array of tall and short flower arrangements, lots of votives, and crystal in various shapes and sizes.

An instant hit for me were these arrangements of a couple of flowers weighed down by little decorative rocks and submerged in water, with a votive candle floating on the surface. I think this was the first time I ever saw this.

I have to say that there was a noticeable order in the seeming chaos of various colors, textures, and heights. I will go out on a limnb and say that the setting was understatedly ultra chic in its apparent shabby chicness.

The wedding cake

I chuckled when I saw the cake topper. To me it is an homage to Tom's persistence and to the test that he had to go through to really win Jen's heart. And those blue roses? Let's just say they played an important role in the blossoming of their relationship.

The cake topper awash in a sea of purple.

And this time in warm tones.

Truly, Partner and The Boy Wonder’s wedding reception was a celebration of families and friends coming together.  Loved ones flying in from as far as New Zealand and Singapore (this contingent including the very lovely “Singapore Girl” herself, Genie), among many other far places, underscored just how beloved the newlyweds are.  The Maid-of-Honor, Maan Miranda, a friend of the bride’s from when they were all of seven years old, had to fight back tears of joy at finally seeing her best friend happy.  When words failed her, she relied upon silent knowing glances, which between the two of them had been one language only tried and tested long-standing friends have.  The Best Man, Hennessy Portem, the groom’s best friend of 13 years, cracked jokes about the Tom he knew, only to choke up when the tone became serious, speaking about how his buddy has finally found the one.

It couldn’t be denied just how very happy all the people were, that even the country’s biggest stars – Judy Ann Santos, Sam Milby, Kim Atienza, and Anne Curtis, among others – from arguably the biggest TV network, ABS-CBN, had to send in their congratulations and best wishes by way of the video made by an artistic and creative genius, Paolo Emmanuel Ramos, director of all of the network’s station IDs.  (This one was such a treat!)

For our part, my co-emcee Ma’an, the bride’s close friend Eugene, and I decided to say how much we love the newlyweds by way of songs.  Trained in the rigorous world of musical theater, Ma’an effortlessly belted out Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” while Eugene sang about “The Promise.”  As for me, accompanied live by The Sound Salad’s keyboards and saxophone, I paid homage to the moment with “Got to Believe in Magic.”  All of our offerings would later pale in comparison to the bride’s niece Bea’s rendition of Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On,” complete with stomping of the feet and just the right amount of head and hand gestures.  She sang from the heart for her Tita Jen and Tito Tom.

My co-emcee Ma'an and I offered a song each for the newlyweds. She, "If I Ain't Got You." I, "Got To Believe In Magic." I loved how The Sound Salad's Keyboardist and Saxophonist got exactly my pitch and the arrangement I wanted.

The Sound Salad Band provide the music. I loved them at the Church. And even more so at the reception! Amazing, powerful, yet soothing vocals!

Of course, anything food is never lost with me.  And while in previous hosting gigs I would fail to touch the buffet, at Partner and The Boy Wonder’s wedding reception, I found myself stuffing myself crazy with all the sumptuous creations on offer.  Not even the dread of singing on a full stomach prevented me from gorging at the Boneless Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Jus from the carving station, which I had with a lot of the Greek Salad, Pasta Salad with Raw Ham and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Tomato Salad with Onions in a Classic Vinaigrette.  A few more rounds acquainted me with the six-course meal, totaling to at least 26 dishes (I counted!).

The carving station featured Boneless Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Jus. This was melt-in-your-mouth good meat! I came back again... and again... ang again! And I'm not a lamb lover!

Homemade Cookies

Black Forest Cake

Bread and Butter Pudding

Dark Chocolate Mousse

A wedding being steeped in tradition, the one that pulled the most at the heartstrings was the couple’s second dance, which was done in place of the bride’s dance with her father.  Knowing for a fact just how much Partner will always be Daddy’s Little Girl, I felt how bittersweet the moment was for her as she fought back sobs, her face at times buried in the arms of the man she loves.  I had to tell her that her daddy was looking down at her and Tom that very moment, happy that she is finally happy.

Happy that the two of them have finally found their One Love, in this One Lifetime, happily ever after.

Partner and The Boy Wonder. Jen and Tom. Tom and Jen.

Partner, The Boy Wonder,

I read somewhere that in this world, relationships – love, actually – have become so cheapened.  And in that kind of world, only friendship is the kind of love that refuses to be cheapened.  I’m not referring to my friendship with the both of you.  I’m talking about your friendship with each other.  And knowing just how you were as friends – where you and all of this started – I couldn’t be any happier seeing you finally together.  I will always be there wherever and whenever you need me.  While there may be no question where my absolute loyalty lies (Hahaha!), you can both count on me during the good times, and most especially on the not-so-good times.  That’s the very least I can do.  I hope and pray for you all the best.  I love you!

eNTeNG  c”,)™©

The newlyweds with their emcees.

The newlyweds with the Singapore contingent.

eNTeNG and Partner

Partner with two of her longest-standing best friends, Meryl and Janice.

All the pretty ladies. Partner gets a buss on the cheeks from Meryl while Janice beams.

Four of Partner's closest friends, Kevin, Eugene, Hope and Anna.

Macon, Ma'an, and Genie.

All of us who stayed behind and danced (haha!) got a piece of the wedding cake! Haha!

eNTeNG and Hope

Partner and Hope

Partner and Louis =)

The perfect Louis Vuitton shoes for her big day. The groom was also soled in LV =)

Eugene and Louis

The groom sported a brand new Tag Heuer Link Automatic, one of the bride's gifts to him. Sweet.

Genie, Miss Behavin'...

Genie and Partner

Eugene, Partner and eNTeNG

The newlyweds with Eugene and Anna.

My loot from the wedding – the invitation, menu cards, misalette, favors.

eNTeNG and two of his best friends, the newlyweds Tom and Jen.

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

India on my mind, tandoori in my belly

A "shy" first plate (All photos taken with my Blackberry Bold 9780)

I THOUGHT I was successful in keeping to myself the interjections that were forming in my head when the bursting of the juices from the stalk of a soft annual herb in my mouth gave me away.

 

“Wow, coriander!”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, actually I do.”

 

Then the heat from the chilies in the dish started to reveal itself surreptitiously, creeping along the walls of my mouth before coating my tongue.  It was a depth of flavors peeled in layers.  I did like it.

But if I was being honest at that moment, I should’ve said that I was on the verge of falling in love.  All over again.  Somewhere in the farthest recesses of my cerebellum convolutions, I have an indelible imprint of those ten days I got to spend in India – from Bangalore, to Goa, to Mumbai – taking in all the interesting culture, the rich history, and the undeniably amazing cuisine.

Food-tasting at Riverwalk Tandoor at the Landmark Village Hotel on Victoria Street here in Singapore kind of brought me back to that trip.  Food is one of three things that could do that to me.  (The other two being scents and songs.)

The dish that snatched the compliment-disguised-as-interjection out of the tip of my tongue was the Chilli Fish, one of many dishes on offer on the restaurant’s dinner buffet.  The fish was flaky, but not dried out, its delicate flesh ensconced in a light batter.  The chili sauce, generously sprinkled with – yes, it’s that herb – chopped fresh coriander, elevates the dish from being what could be half of a fish & chips combo to something substantial and flavorful enough to have with rice.  Saffron Rice to be more specific.  I couldn’t help but moan as I mopped up the sauce with perfectly cooked grains of basmati rice, already fragrant on their own, but made more special with the hint and hue of saffron.

The Mixed Vegetable Jalfrezi was a pleasant surprise.  Visually appearing to be your usual vegetable stew, it packs a punch with a spiciness that sneaks up on you as you munch on green beans, peas and cauliflower.  But apart from the spiciness, I got a lot of flavor from the vegetables themselves, which to me could be the result of frying them in oil and spices.

A tandoor is a traditional cylindrical clay oven often used in Northern India.  One of the parties I was able to go to along the shores of the Arabian Sea in Goa had a lot of these wood-fired ovens lined up, dishing out naan (Indian leavened flatbread) and tandoori chicken like crazy.  I guess a place that attaches “Tandoor” to its name better be able to live up to both the history of this oven and the cooking technique steeped in tradition.

Riverwalk Tandoor’s tandoori chicken was a study in contradictions.  It got the requisite deep red hue down pat, but appeared to be a bit dry.  Maybe it was because the pieces had stood for a while in the chafing dish.  I would understand if they would lack flavor.  But I was proven wrong.  The meat was tender, moist enough, and really flavorful.  I attribute the tenderness to having marinated the chicken pieces in yogurt.  And while they did appear a bit dry, as a chef wannabe myself, I know for a fact that some chicken parts are predisposed to dry out faster than others.  (Chicken breast would be dry and tougher compared to, say, the thigh part.)

But the naan was the runaway hit.  Warm, crusty and slightly burnt on the edges and the underside, it was still chewy, just how I love my bread to be.  Drizzled with clarified butter, specked with herbs and minced garlic, I declare it as Asia’s answer to the usual garlic bread of French baguette slathered with melted butter and sprinkled with parsley.

I excitedly texted some of my new friends at work – two of them (WCC and KS) were with me – just to tell them how much I enjoyed my meal.  And the fact that I felt like I ended up eating “twice” most everything I got my hands on.

A piece of the Chilli Fish. I kept on attempting to focus on the fish, but the Chicken Tandoori at the background just refused to be ignored!

 

Chicken Tandoori perched on top of fragrant Saffron Rice.

 

Naan!

 

Mutton Rogan Josh

 

I don't know what this dessert is called. But they were like fried dough (KS said they were like cake balls) soaked in syrup or honey.

But I later realized that I didn’t even get to try the Mutton Rogan Josh, the Salads, and the Desserts.  I think I just found my excuse to come back!  Indian cuisine is the love.

Probably all you need to know about Riverwalk Tandoor.

 

The poolside at night.

Riverwalk Tandoor is at the Landmark Village Hotel, Level 5 Poolside, 390 Victoria Street, Singapore 188061.

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

Going out to Play

The sign that leads to a most coveted shirt!

“COMME des GARÇONS.”  I must’ve repeated it to the concierge at least a couple of times, and I knew I was saying it the right way.  I even elaborated on where the store is supposed to be located in their hotel.  But by the fourth time, I started to seriously doubt my feeble attempt at French.  I quickly organized my thoughts just in case I had to come up with a lame excuse for saying it the wrong way. “I’m an engineer, not a language major.  So please excuse my French.”

Before I could even roll “Comme” out of my tongue for yet one more time, another concierge approached us, politely cut through the conversation and said, “Excuse me, Sir.  I think you are referring to the Hilton.  This is the Hyatt.”

O–M–G.  Seriously, I’m filing this experience under the header of OMG.  Hahaha!

As if my embarrassment wasn’t enough, I had to break into a shy smile – more like force one from the corner of my lips until it felt comfortable to really turn up the corners of my mouth – and ask, “Where is the Hilton exactly?”

Note to self:  Give iPhone4 another try.  Maybe, it would be love at second sight.  Or more accurately, love at second touch.  (I’m not into touch screens).

Long story short, underneath the sweltering heat of the afternoon, and at the mercy of my anti-perspirant, I crossed the streets of Singapore to make it to the Comme des Garçons pocket store at The Shopping Gallery, Hilton Singapore.  I’ve been losing sleep (hahaha!) wanting to get my hands on their quirkily designed Play T-Shirts, the ones with their now-famous bug-eyed hearts.  Unfortunately, the one I really love wasn’t in my size.

Oh well, next time.  At least by then I won’t be making a total fool out of myself…  at the Hyatt of all places!

Welcome to The Shopping Gallery, Hilton Singapore.

 

I wanted to bring home those black-and-chrome sofa seats with me!

 

This door leads to the impeccably stylish interiors of the COMME des GARÇONS store at the Hilton.

 

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Back. So back.

Scones (Plain and Cranberry), The Courtyard, The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

I TRAINED my eyes, with regret, as I watched a huge chunk of tomato from my luscious marinara sauce go overboard from the tines of my dinner fork, and free fall to my brand new pair of Levi’s.

I didn’t care much about the jeans – I got it at half off anyway.  It was the tomato I pined for with much (there’s the “R” word again) regret.  That was when I knew how much I do love food.

And how much I love writing about it.

So, after a hiatus that took a good couple months, I’m back.  I’m sooo back.

And to all my readers, welcome back to eNTeNG’s MunchTime!  Singapore is the love.

Scones (Raisin and Cranberry), TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

 

 

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Like a circle in a Spiral

My first seafood plate, Spiral at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel

I’M NOT about to burst into song.  But that line played on and on in my head while I negotiated the dizzying array of cuisines spread out at Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s international buffet.  Never ending or beginning.  On an ever-spinning wheel.

And I said I wasn’t to burst into song.

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel

 

I love how this part of the hotel is covered in greenery.

 

This way to Spiral!

I’ve long been meaning to pay this much-talked-about buffet – which I used to almost always call Spirals – a visit.  But everything had been nothing but a series of close calls.  I’d see the restaurant signage, acknowledge the use of a simple font in a calming shade of green, stark against the backdrop of a metallic tablet finished in matte gray.  Then my party-organizing or emceeing duties would call me to the nearby ballroom.

But last Tuesday night – coming all the way from way south of the city – all roads led to Sofitel.  And all excited, hurried steps from the parking were radar-locked to Spiral.

Finally... Spiral!

It was a special gathering as we were there to properly send a couple of my colleagues off to their new and exciting careers in Singapore.  One of them has been one of the most dependable and trustworthy engineers I have ever had in my team, not to mention a great friend of long-standing, enough to earn the monicker “The Tycoon.”  Yes, he is my MSNBC/Wall Street Journal business analyst and panel resource person incarnate.  But he is as “real” as it gets – suffering through my subtle snoring in the moviehouse, right smack at the middle of the action scenes in Transformers, and at one point, tolerating to a fault when he agreed to see that “Yaya and Angelina” movie (not my choice though!).

For someone as unique and special as he is, only the best options for dinner would do.  As a group, we’ve done the rounds, running a gamut of price points and dress codes – but never a buffet.  So for this send-off dinner, we realized only Spiral would do.

Ready for the buffet!

 

Attacking the (iced) seafood spread.

 

The cutlery were quite heavy, substantial stainless steel with silhouettes that allude to the restaurant's name.

 

Gotta love the stylish place setting.

 

"A spiral runs through it." My drinking glass.

When it comes to buffets – a couple of memorable ones being Paseo Uno at the Mandarin Oriental in Makati, and recently Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts in Singapore – I’ve imposed a personal injuction:  “eNTeNG, don’t stuff yourself like crazy.”  And that was exactly what I did.

So I limited myself to just five – may I say, “moderate” – rounds.  The first three were seafood, then followed by a couple of soups – tom yum goong (Thai hot and sour soup with shrimps) and Hong Kong noodle soup.  I totally snubbed the dessert spread, save for what I highly suspected as homemade coffee ice cream.  Not that they weren’t any good because they sure looked so tempestuously tempting.  I just didn’t espy any French macarons.  Those sure could make me lose whatever remaining sense of propriety I had.

The tom yum goong was a bit of a disappointment.  It tasted really authentic, actually bringing me back to meals I had at the Bangkok International Airport and at this huge seafood restaurant at Batu Ferringhi in Malaysia, but the shrimps were just so overcooked.  They must’ve been literally boiling to death in the claypot for hours.  But the broth was true to the classic tom yum, laced with roasted chilis in oil for that Southern Thailand kick.

I caution to call my first three rounds as “sashimi plates”.  I think that only the three thick slices of Norwegian pink salmon had relation to that reality.  All the others were some kind of steamed or poached – curacha (spanner crab), local lobster (called in the vernacular as “banagan”), shrimps, crabstick, and mussels on the half shell.

“These mussels don’t look local, most likely Australian,”  I thought to myself just when a wait staff passed by, stopping to replenish the curacha.  “Are the seafood from Capiz?”  I blurted out.  He gave me that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.  I smiled and turned away.

On my plate: three thick slices of salmon sashimi, three shrimps, half a lobster ("banagan"), seven crabsticks, half a curacha (spanner crab), two mussels on the half shell, and three wedges of lemon.

 

The hollow that remained. This local lobster was so sweet!

 

I call this my sashimi plate. Eight slices of crabstick, three thick slices of salmon, three slices of tamago, five shrimps, and what was left of a pile of lapu-lapu (grouper) sashimi I had started to devour before realizing I forgot to take a photo.

 

Tom Yum Goong

 

My Hong Kong noodle soup only had noodles, Taiwan pechay, and onion leeks in the clear broth.

Buffet dinner at Spiral at Sofitel doesn’t come cheap.  We went on a Tuesday night which goes for the “Sun – Thur Dinner” rate of Php 1888.00 per head.  Good thing we came armed with the Accor Advantage card that slashed 25% off the buffet dinner rate and another 15% off the drinks, which, at Php 260.00 for my Drink of the Month – a heavenly blend of fresh bananas, ripe mangoes, and lychees – wasn’t exactly cheap as well.  If that long-running joke were true, then we probably paid for the ambiance.  We were, after all, seated at a recessed area of the restaurant, almost like our own dining room.  We had a long oblong-ish table framed on one side by a floor-to-ceiling china cabinet and on the other by the glass windows of the Thai exhibition kitchen.  Above the head of the table hung an expensive-looking artwork.  So the cost of the dinner probably accounted for the ambiance.

Dinner didn't come cheap... but so worth every peso!

But as it has always been my belief, we should never put a price tag on certain things – family, friendships and food, foremost of all – so when I looked down on the right pocket of my worn-out years-old gray jeans, I didn’t mind that it was threatening to burst at the seams from the cash I had to withdraw for my share of the bill.  The Tycoon, Dennis, Iron Man, and myself took care of this evening out.

And all the servers who stopped by and bussed our dinner table likewise took really good care of us.  The last one actually was hovering in the corner, waiting for that perfect timing to offer coffee or tea.  I asked for coffee to cap off another wonderful night out with the boss, colleagues and friends.

I wish I could go on and on with the buffet.  But I was no wheel within a wheel.  I guess I will just have to return to Spiral soon enough.

Coffee Ice Cream

 

Drinl of the Month, a smoothie of fresh bananas, ripe mangoes, and lychees. This made me a smoothie convert!

 

One of my few talents... Tying a cherry stem in my mouth, in less than 10 seconds! You know what they say about people who can do that. Hahaha!

 

Having my coffee ice cream in front of the restaurant's simulated waterfall.

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Good eats

“ONE IS enough.  Two is too much.  Three is a poison that can kill a person.”  That’s one of the rhymes that my mother would tell us whenever we would try to push our luck in getting our ways.

I got reminded of it once more as I recollect my gastronomic adventure in Singapore.  For specific dishes and places, I think I could o.d. before I get satiation.  I could get to “three is a poison…” easy.

Here they are, in no particular order.  (I forgot the details of the hawker center that Partner brought me to, where I had this amazing Fish Head Curry dish!)

CareShop de Café

70 Bendemeer Road, #01-05 Luzerne

Singapore 339940

Tel: +65 6293 9298

www.careshopdecafe.com

Will go back for – Mushroom Soba with lots of steamed Japanese Rice

Mushroom Soba, CareShop de Café

 

 

Culina Bistro

Blk 8 Dempsey Hill,Dempsey Road#01-13

Singapore 249679

Will go back for – De Cecco Penne Crab Meat (with the penne replaced by angel hair) , and all the complimentary bread rolls I could handle!

De Cecco Capellini Crab Meat, Culina Bistro @ Dempsey Hill

 

Complimentary Bread, Culina Bistro @ Dempsey Hill

 

 

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

B2-89/89A, 2 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018972

Tel:  +65 6535 1837

Fax: +65 6221 1837

Will go back for – 1837 Black Tea (tea number T6033), French Onion Soup, and all the complimentary bread rolls I could handle!

1837 Black Tea (tea number T6033), TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge

 

French Onion Soup, TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge

 

Complimentary Bread, TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on the Bridge

 

Fou de FaFa

168 Robinson Road

#01-05 Capital Tower

Singapore 068912

Tel: +65 6327 9418

www.foudefafa.com

Will go back for – Pizza Fou’d Flewed, and that bluish green drink that’s a concoction of pineapple, grapes, and mint

Pizza Fou'd Flewed, Fou de FaFa

 

My fave drink, a concoction of pineapple, grapes, and mint, Fou de FaFa

 

Jumbo Seafood Gallery

20 Upper Circular Road

#B1-44 to 48 The Riverwalk

Tel:  +65 6534 3435

Fax: +65 6536 3836

Will go back for – Chilli Crab with lots of Deep-Mini Bun, Cold Fresh Barley Juice

Just the apron!, Jumbo Seafood Gallery

 

Wee Nam Kee

275 Thomson Road #01-05

Will go back for – Hainanese Chicken Rice, Cold Fresh Barley Juice (which they always run out of!)

Hainanese Chicken Roasted and Steamed, Wee Nam Kee

 

Hainanese Chicken Rice, Wee Nam Kee

 

Cold Fresh Barley Juice, Wee Nam Kee

 

Tung Lok Seafood OC

#11-05 Orchard Central

181 Orchard Road

Singapore 238896

Will go back for – Braised Shark’s Fin with Fish Maw Soup, Poached Baby Kai Lan served with Chinchalok

Braised Shark’s Fin with Fish Maw Soup, Tung Lok Seafood

 

Poached Baby Kai Lan served with Chinchalok, Tung Lok Seafood

 

Marché at 313@somerset

313@somerset, 313 Orchard Road

Provisional Unit No. #B1-39-45

Singapore 238895

www.marche-restaurants.com

Will go back for – Mushroom Soup, Calamari, Calamansi Juice with Sour Plum

Mushroom Soup, Marché at 313@somerset

 

Calamari, Marché at 313@somerset

 

Calamansi Sour Plum, Marché at 313@somerset

 

Food Opera at ION Food Hall

Basement 4, ION Orchard

2 Orchard Turn

Singapore 238801

Tel:  +65 6509 9198

Will go back for – Oyster Omelet (FattyWeng Fried Oysters, #B4-04M), Fishball Mee Kia Noodle Soup (Li Xin Fishball Noodle Soup, #B4-04B)

“FattyWeng Fried Oysters” Oyster Omelet, Food Opera at ION Food Hall

 

"Li Xin" Fishball Mee Kia Noodle Soup, Food Opera at ION Food Hall

 

4 FINGeRS Crispy Chicken at ION Food Hall

Basement 4, ION Orchard

2 Orchard Turn, #B4-06A

Singapore 238801

Tel:  +65 4274779

Will go back for – Chicken Wings

Crispy Chicken Wings, 4 FINGeRS Crispy Chicken at ION Food Hall

 

Nando’s @ Tanglin Mall

163 Tanglin Road

#01-14/15 Tanglin Mall

Singapore 247933

Tel:  +65 6235 3555

Fax: +65 6235 5581

Will go back for – Peri-Peri Chicken, Portugese Rice, Grilled Vegetables

Peri-Peri Chicken, Portugese Rice, and Grilled Vegetables, Nando's @ Tanglin Mall

 

White Dog Café

No.1 HarbourFront Walk

#02-131/132 Vivo City

Singapore 098585

Tel:  +65 6235 3555

Will go back for – Lobster Pasta

Lobster Pasta, White Dog Café

 

Shimbashi Soba

290 Orchard Road

#B1-41 The Paragon

Singapore 238859

Tel: +65 6735 9882

Will go back for – Goma Tare Seiro Sesame Soba

Goma Tare Seiro Sesame Soba, Shimbashi Soba

 

Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts

25 Scotts Road

Singapore 228220

Tel:  +65 6589 7788 / +65 6589 7819

www.royalplaza.com.sg

gourmet@royalplaza.com.sg

Will go back for – EVERYTHING in their international buffet

Soon Kueh, Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts

 

Roasted Tomato, Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts

 

Bowl of Noodles, Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts

 

Macarons, Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Through pastel-colored macarons

Five pretty little macarons all in a row – hazelnut cream, green tea, coffee, pistachio, and caramel.

ONE OF the songs I vividly remember being sung to me as a kid was “La Vie En Rose.”  My now 89-year-old grandmother would sing the first few lines, or hum the melody, then would tell me, “It’s seeing the world through rose-colored glass.”  I don’t remember if it was glass or windows.

When I grew up and became the foodie wannabe that I am, I would get reminded of this song every time I would see macarons.  But it’s beyond seeing the world through rose-colored glass.  It’s seeing the world through pastel-colored windows.

Macarons are the love.  They’re those precious little biscuits made from ground almonds, baked to a crisp outside, with the center kept rather soft and pleasantly chewy.  Two pieces are put together to make a sandwich with a creamy filling put between them.  Macarons take up the color of the flavor they are infused with.  So you can say that a spread of these confections make for a rainbow of yummy colors.

Carousel, Royal Plaza on Scotts’s international buffet restaurant, always has a wide selection of freshly made macarons on display at their pastry section, situated right at their entrance.  So imagine the kind of good mood seeing these macarons would put me in, every single day – for fourteen days.

On one morning after breakfast, I thought about getting a box of five – one each of hazelnut cream, green tea, coffee, pistachio, and caramel.  I brought it to work as a present for Green Lantern.  He’s a photography enthusiast so it’s like saying I’d want him to see the world through pastel-colored lens.

Gotta snap this shot of the macaron box and Carousel's elegant paper bag before I hit the door to go to work!

 

A closer shot of the box. It does say "five macarons." I'm lovin' the color!

 

Five happens to be my favorite number!

 

Once more with feelings – hazelnut cream, green tea, coffee, pistachio, and caramel.

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.